Q: Can you give us some background info on yourself (age, education, occupation, funny middle name, etc.)? How did you get involved in powerlifting?

I was born in Pontiac, Michigan and mainly grew up there, spending a little time in Georgia as a kid.  I am now 25 and live in College Station, TX where I attended and received a B.S. in exercise physiology from Texas A&M University.  I have worked for Gold's Gym in College Station all through college, and am now Assistant General Manager. 
 

For great video coverage of the 1998 USAPL National Championships Click on Bill's head!

I began weight training seriously over 10 years ago.  I started training in martial arts at age 11 or 12 and it became my passion.  I trained with weights to get bigger and stronger, but my real passion for pumping iron came when my Grandmother gave me Arnold's Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding when I was 15.  I read it cover to cover and knew that was what I wanted to do.  I trained hard in a basement gym my best friend and I made.  It was sort of like a dungeon, but really great.  I continued my martial arts while becoming more serious about weight training.  Anyone who says that it will hinder your flexibility is full of it, I could still do the splits across two chairs even as I gained muscle, and it made me much more powerful.  At age 18 I received my second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do Moo Duk Kwan.  I then  moved to Texas and began concentrating more on bodybuilding. 

My first try at bodybuilding was at A&M in 1993 at the Mr. Texas A&M, where I placed 3rd.  The following year I won the same competition partly because I had started doing powerlifting training and I was much thicker.  The owner of Gold's Gym and IPF Jr. World champ in 1984, Steve Lumpee and I began training together and he showed me what powerlifting was.  The first meet I went to watch was Seniors in 1994 in Houston.  Karwoski came down to 242's and broke the WR squatting 914.  He was huge and ripped, the biggest guy I had ever seen.  Coan was awesome.  We decided to pick a meet, and go.  I won! 

My middle name, Charles after my Grandfather, nothing too funny. 
 

Q: What is your favorite lift? Least favorite?

Favorite is the Deadlift.  It is a true lift of brute strength.  Most people hate it but I love it. 
Least favorite is the squat.  It is improving, but it has never felt comfortable to me.  I need to learn to love it like the deadlift and would be unbeatable. 

In competition, Squat: 683 Bench: 485 Deadlift: 750 Total: 1890 all at 220 BW. Most proud of my  750 DL, it beat Steve's (my coach) best pull of 740 @220 and it was a new USPF State single lift record. 

Titles: 
1994 ADFPA Longhorn open 1st 181#       501, 341, 540, 1383 

1995 USPF Collegiate Nationals, 2nd 181# 540, 363, 562, 1466 

1995 USPF Texas Cup Bench, 3rd 220#  424 

1996 USPF Jr. Nationals, 3rd 220#       606, 435, 622, 1664 

1996 USPF Coll. Nationals 2nd 220#      Same meet 

1996 IPF Jr. Worlds 4th 220#    Silver medal DL,        628, 435, 661, 1725 

1997 USPF Texas Cup Bench 2nd 220#  479 

1998 USPF Texas State 1st, Best Lifter 220#     683, 479, 727, 1890 

1998 USPF Texas State DL Champ 1st, Best Lifter 220#    750 State Record 

1998 Metroplex Strongest man, Winner 

1998 USAPL Texas State, 1st 220# 

1998 USAPL Men's Nationals      3rd 220#        683, 485, 722, 1890 

I am most proud of my silver DL medal at Jr. Worlds 

Q: What are your future goals in the sport?

I would like to be National Champ, and IPF World champ at 220# 
I am also getting in to the strongman stuff, I love it, but at 5'6", I am at a definite disadvantage. 

As far as goals on lifts, 750, 500+, 804, 2000+ 

Q: What do you do to build those shoulders. I recall seeing the pic of you in PLUSA pulling 705, I think, and the first thing I saw was those huge delts?

I think it was 750, but whatever!  I have rotator cuff problems in both shoulders so I hardly do much over head stuff, but I think I use a lot of Front Delt when I bench.  The traps are strictly from DL's, no shrugs for me. 

Q: I recall you saying that you were tested several times before the  nationals this year. Do you feel that you were being singled out? What is your position on drug testing and steroid use in PL? Should there be more testing and what is the next step? It seems that more people are getting caught today than ever before.

Yes I was tested several times.  I don't know if I was being singled out but I have heard rumors.  I did not test positive, so what difference does it really make any way. No tests were positive, so what difference does it really make any way.  I followed the rules and was within USAPL guidelines. 

My position or maybe opinion is that top athletes are going to use strength enhancing drugs in almost all sports.  With the new testing, they are going to get caught.  If we want to be an olympic sport, the out of meet testing is necessary, although I feel it gives a bad image and is an invasion of privacy when you are surprised at work or something.  That's the price we have to pay though, we don't have to compete in USAPL.  Sometimes I do wonder how you can say that testing is random, but then single out individuals because they have "the look".  If testing is truly random, lot numbers need to be given and drawn at random in front of all the athletes to ensure fair play.  I do feel this is a major flaw in the protocol. 
 

Q: What do you think of the equipment issue today? Personally, I think  it's getting a bad rap. All of the present records in the USAPL and USPF were set in single ply gear. Some folks are calling for banning of the gear. What do you think:
     
We all know that some of these incredible lifts are gear related.  I don't like to see mummy lifting.  The USAPL and USPF and IPF are very strict on equipment and judging, I don't think that is a problem.  This double and triple and denim/canvas crap is.  So is duct tape!  If they want to get rid of it, I don't care, I don't wear my stuff tight to begin with, but the USAPL and USPF guidelines I think are fine.  If they do ban it, they should start the records fresh. 

Q: What about supplementation? What kind of diet and supplement regimen do you follow?

I eat as much food as I can, but I do not have a very big appetite and eat very slowly.  My friends make fun of me for it.  I don't eat anything special, sometimes pizza or ice cream, other times chicken and rice or steak or something. 

I do use supplements.  Creatine is great, and is one of my favorites.  I use allot of American bodybuilding stuff, especially drinks like ripped force and kick some mass. Meal replacements, EAS Myoplex, Metrx or Leanbody with some designer protein in there.  Also I like ultimate orange before workouts.  I feel supplementation is very important to reach certain levels.  In fact I just started my own supplement company on the internet.  Anyone will be able to order name brand supplements at very low prices and have them shipped directly within 24 hours.  I tell you about it later when it is online. 
Q: What is your out of contest weight? DO you stay at or near 220 year round?

Yes, around 220 year round, if I slack off on training and eating, like lately, about 215.  Sometimes with creatine and heavy training and eating up to 225, maybe 230 with a little extra body fat. 

Q: Bill, you benched 485 at Nationals. That is a phenomenal bench press especially  for a 220 lb man. Would you  care to share some of your training methodology with the strength readers?

Thank you!  I appreciate the compliment, but I do not feel it will be phenomenal until I break 500 at 220's. 

 I start every chest workout with bench  press, and I bench once a week.  I do a simple routine that works, period.  It is sort of a secret, but I'll share it today.  It's called 8's, 5's, 3's.  After warm up do 3 sets of 8 reps, lets say you use 225.  Make sure the first time you get all 3 sets with no help at all, always pausing every rep.  Next week, add some weight, do 3 x 5, lets say 245, get all of them.  Next week, add weight 3 x 3, lets say 265, get all. Next week, 3 x 8 again but add 5 pounds, 230. then 3 x 5, add 5 lbs.  You get the idea.  Add 5 lbs every time if the previous set of 8, 5, or 3 was successful with no help even on one rep of the third set.  If you were not successful, next time through stay with the same weight and try again.  Do this for several months and you will get stronger and bigger.  I hope this makes sense.  No bench shirt.  About 5 workouts away from the meet I put on my shirt. Inzer HPHD, not super tight for me and get heavier with fewer reps. 
Maybe we can lay this out in detail at a later date. 

Q: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

I appreciate this opportunity, it is an honor for people to want advice from me.  One thing I would like to add is that this sport is for the lifters. It is supposed to be fun.  There isn't even any money in it.  I wish we could all get along and no argue about everything and just lift.  Pumping iron and being big and strong is the greatest feeling in the world, we need to remember why we started doing this in the first place. 

WELL SAID. Thanks Bill.

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