I live in Birmingham and am looking for anyone in the area that is interested in Powerlifting.
Also, any word on a powerlifting gym or team in the area would be nice.
The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa has a PL team but non students also compete with them. There is an SPF meet in Tuscaloosa Feb 23. The SPF meet in Tuscaloosa is also a charity event to raise money for the make a wish foundation. Also there is an APC bench only meet in birmingham the week before I believe. This will be APC’s first official meet back in Alabama so all winners of the meet will also be setting the states bench records.
As for gyms, a lot of people lift at 24e or the Gold by Hoover, but there is a gym called Icon ran by a man who coaches HS athletes to compete in the APC. He is the one runnning the APC meet in Feb and is the Alabama APC meet coordinator. His gym has a mono, bands, chains, GHR.
Thanks I workout at Icon now, but there are rarely anyone in there at the time I am. They do pulls Saturday morning but I have to be at work. I will look into Tuscaloosa.
According to the SPF website the meet on 2/23 is in Selma not Tuscaloosa.
Saturday Feb 23. Tuscaloosa, Northport if you want to be technical. Ran by SPF. Thanks.
http://www.southernpowerlifting.com/contest.php?id=281
Wonder why the SPF website doesn’t mention the T-town meet… You’re welcome.
I am very glad to have you here on T-Nation, your posts are full of wisdom.
http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/powerlifting-meets/spf/2013/miracle
I am assuming you do not compete in PL, let alone SPF. SPF by far is in no way one of the more organized federations. They have fun meets and put on a decent amount but are in no way as organized as say USAPL or Raw United. That being said, this meet is more of a fundraiser, it was put together rather last minute, hence why it is probably not on their website yet.
As are yours, oh great arbiter of all things powerlifting.
Unfortunately, your wisdom fails you when you assume that I do not compete in PL. In fact, I’m competing at the aforementioned meet in Selma.
And no one in this thread ever said the SPF was one of the more organized federations. However, it is now obvious that the SPF is holding two meets on the same day in separate locations. It seems clear that neither of us realized that until we both posted in this thread.
By the way, there is also a USAPL meet in Mobile on 2/22-23.
Alright ladies, quit with the catty…
It seems the SPF doesn’t venture “south” very often, and now when they do there are 2 meets on the same day. That’s a shame. I have lifted with the guy putting on the “Lift for a Miracle” meet and a few of the competitors. Strong lifters.
I would have liked to do the meet, but seeing as Selma is a lot closer for me, and my crew, we’ll be doing that one. So I guess I’ll be seeing you, rugb.
Guy gets his panties in a bunch for who the fuck knows why. I certainly didn’t mean to step on anyone’s toes, just thought he might have misspoke so I tried to be helpful. Turns out we were both right.
Yep, my crew will be there as well, mahwah, so lets all introduce ourselves. I’ll be the old looking fucker with the beard. Strangely enough I’m not a people person but I am always interested in meeting lifters and hopefully learning from them.
mahwah, you raw or equipped? What #'s are you looking to hit at the meet?
I’m getting over a QL strain, so not real sure on my pull, but shooting for 575/350/575 @ 198 raw. One of our guys will be doing his first equipped meet and we have 2-5 more raw lifters, depending on who can make it.
We’ll be the crew from Pensacola.
Mahwah, SPF is becoming more active in AL and FL now.
rugbgod, no hard feelings, but youre still a cheeky cunt; gl at your meet.
mahwah, you lifted with Charlie? Hes a strong/cool dude. Used to be the catcher for UA’s baseball team.
It should have a good turn out this year, UA just started a PL club in the fall that has several mid 600 squatters/pullers and 400+ benchers.
Achilles, same to you, birds of a feather and all that. Nearly 20 years of rugby and you get called a lot of things. You’ve mentioned UA a couple times, did you attend? If so, did you know any of the rugby guys?
mahwah, did you and your crew lift at Mayfest in Atmore, AL in May of 2011? I’m thinking specifically of the group that wore the light blue t-shirts that said “9 for 9”. Strong group either way.
That’s us.
Achilles, I hope the SPF does come down more often. I have lifted at meets and talked with Charlie. Also Andy, Brian, Scott, and probably most of the others at that meet, Will be some very impressive lifts and like I said, if there wasn’t a closer meet going on the same day, we’d be up there.
I’m from Birmingham, and the ONLY powerlifting gym is Icon Performance, formerly Birmingham Barbell. It’s in Cahaba Heights, about 1/2 a mile from the Whole Foods on 280. Depending on what part of Birmingham you’re in, it can be a pretty good drive. It’s pretty small, they are closed on Sundays, and their hours can be a bit wonky, but Jeff Green (the owner) is literally the coolest guy in the world. He’s locked me in the gym just to let me work out after hours on more than one occasion. Considering most gyms in Birmingham don’t even have squat racks…
Also, the guy who owns the powerlifting gym is Tuscaloosa is a total scumbag. He used to work for Jeff before he broke a $1000 bar and then never came back to the gym. He moved down to Tuscaloosa to open a “world class power lifting gym,” which basically included him getting a bunch of dumb, rich college kids to foot the bill while he lived out of his car. People can change, but if that place is anything like it was two years ago, I wouldn’t drive a hour down to T-Town to get screwed over.
Oh, and that place Ironworks downtown just opened up. I think they started with a Crossfit focus, but it’s not a crossfit affiliate. I think those guys might do some powerlifting; I’d give them a call.
[quote]Obisidian wrote:
I’m from Birmingham, and the ONLY powerlifting gym is Icon Performance, formerly Birmingham Barbell. It’s in Cahaba Heights, about 1/2 a mile from the Whole Foods on 280. Depending on what part of Birmingham you’re in, it can be a pretty good drive. It’s pretty small, they are closed on Sundays, and their hours can be a bit wonky, but Jeff Green (the owner) is literally the coolest guy in the world. He’s locked me in the gym just to let me work out after hours on more than one occasion. Considering most gyms in Birmingham don’t even have squat racks…
Also, the guy who owns the powerlifting gym is Tuscaloosa is a total scumbag. He used to work for Jeff before he broke a $1000 bar and then never came back to the gym. He moved down to Tuscaloosa to open a “world class power lifting gym,” which basically included him getting a bunch of dumb, rich college kids to foot the bill while he lived out of his car. People can change, but if that place is anything like it was two years ago, I wouldn’t drive a hour down to T-Town to get screwed over.[/quote]
What gym are you talking about catering to a bunch of “dumb, rich college kids” attending?
Charlie just opened up his gym this year, so you could not be referring to his. Worlds gym in ttown was good but got blown away during the tornadoes. The only other PL gym would be Temple. A bunch of the bouncers I worked with lifted there but its a small place. Now Northridge fitness is pretty dbaggy…
Rugbgod I just recently graduated from UA and plan to return for my masters. And yes I knew a lot of the rugby players, I played on and off my fresh/soph year was going to return for season my junior but then broke my left hand and started to focus on PL. Do you play for a local mens club? I live down in Miami, FL now and are probably going to join one of the ones down here.
Howdy everyone, just heard my buddy Hud (aka Rugbgod aka Darkness) was riling folks up again. We are going to be lifting together at the SPF meet in Selma along with a ginger fellah from Ireland named Niall and an asian fellah named Yang. If any of you are there hit us up for sure.
Unfortunately my work schedule has conspired to fuck me right in the ass square in the middle of my peaking program (will basically be gone every week until the week of the meet), but I am hoping to go Elite in 242 raw. At present I am hitting 605/345(pulled pec)/560. Got to sort my deadlift out with the quickness. I thought switching to conventional would help my hips and pull, but I usually pull what I squat sumo so I am having some doubts now.
Anybody got any suggestions on how to work some sumo’s in just to test them out without completely screwing up my max effort work on pull day?
As an aside, I am looking into opening up a small strength sport only gym (PL, OL, Strongman, highland games) as a side project. It would be invite or interview only (i.e. not just anyone could join up) and 24 hours. Would anybody be interested? I like the guys at Icon for sure, but the hours are freaking terrible and to be honest the atmosphere there is not what it used to be. I got chastised for dropping bumper plates once because a lady was in there and didn’t like the noise and I just never felt comfortable after that.
Howdy everyone, just heard my buddy Hud (aka Rugbgod aka Darkness) was riling folks up again. We are going to be lifting together at the SPF meet in Selma along with a ginger fellah from Ireland named Niall and an asian fellah named Yang. If any of you are there hit us up for sure.
Unfortunately my work schedule has conspired to fuck me right in the ass square in the middle of my peaking program (will basically be gone every week until the week of the meet), but I am hoping to go Elite in 242 raw. At present I am hitting 605/345(pulled pec)/560. Got to sort my deadlift out with the quickness. I thought switching to conventional would help my hips and pull, but I usually pull what I squat sumo so I am having some doubts now.
Anybody got any suggestions on how to work some sumo’s in just to test them out without completely screwing up my max effort work on pull day?
As an aside, I am looking into opening up a small strength sport only gym (PL, OL, Strongman, highland games) as a side project. It would be invite or interview only (i.e. not just anyone could join up) and 24 hours. Would anybody be interested? I like the guys at Icon for sure, but the hours are freaking terrible and to be honest the atmosphere there is not what it used to be. I got chastised for dropping bumper plates once because a lady was in there and didn’t like the noise and I just never felt comfortable after that.