BGWLC member Dave Rygielski has produced this fantastic video showcasing our lifters at the GBPF London Clubs Championships on 26th July 2014.
Well done to all lifters, and big thanks to the spotters, referees and spectators; plus of course Martin Bass for coaching us.
We took 3 Lifters to compete at this year’s English Championships at Moulton (Unequipped)
Louis Bichard – 93s U/23
Reece Smith – 93s Senior
Thomas Celestin – 105 Senior
All the boys lifted together. Louis and Reece in the A Flight and Thomas in the B Flight. Louis is now a full 93 so it will be interesting to watch his progress.
Photo by Dave McWilliams
LOUIS
Photo by Dave McWilliams
SQUAT – Louis opened with a comfortable 180 Squat followed with a successful second attempt of 190 (which was harder). 195 for his third resulting in a miss, this left him with a PB of 190 setting up for the Bench.
BENCH – An easy opener of 120 was following be a good 125.
A third attempt 130 was asked for although hard, was a good lift and PB
DEADLIFT – The D/L for Louis is a bit of an unknown, since his bodyweight has gone up so we were about to see what he could do. Louis pulls Sumo and opened with a comfortable 215. A second pull of 225 set him up for a big third attempt. With 232.5 on the bar and Louis set to work. It was hard! He kept his shape, got the bar moving and got the lift. The 232.5 will be good for him in the future as he had to work really hard for it and he now knows what a tough D/L is.
3 PBs and a PB total – A very good day for Louis to go back to University with.
Photo by Dave McWilliams
REECE
Photo by Dave Rygielski
SQUAT – Reece opened with 190 on the Squat and looked comfortable. This was followed with 200 which, although successful, he had to work for. 205 for his third and it would be a test. Reece fought it all the way resulting in a PB of 205.
BENCH – An easy opener of 135 was followed with a good second attempt of 140. 145 for his last attempt was missed, so an equal PB of 140 was added to his total.
Photo by Dave McWilliams
DEADLIFT – He opened with a easy 230 and took 240 for his second attempt. The 240 caught him half way up resulting in a miss. He took the 240 again for his third – this time with more aggression and the bar flew. A very good pull indeed and if Reece can find this speed and aggression again – 250+ is achievable. A PB squat and total were his rewards.
Photo by Dave McWilliams
THOMAS
Photo by Dave McWilliams
Last up was Thomas – His training has been going well, so we were expecting a good performance. This was to be Thomas’s second comp after having shoulder surgery and his Bench had been looking stronger.
Photo by Dave McWilliams
SQUAT – We wanted 3 good squats to set him up for a good total, and Thomas did the job. 225, 235 and a good deep 240 to finish. (More to come).
BENCH – We thought that a 135/140 Bench would give Thomas a good sub-total to set him up for the D/L. This was to be a good example of plans not working out. An easy opener on the Bench of 125 was followed with 135 for his second attempt. Half way through locking out, the weight collapsed to his chest! Thomas had pain in left arm so we passed on the third attempt.
DEADLIFT – Going into the D/L Thomas was 45Kgs behind Edgar, his rival. An opener of 280 to start was followed by a comfortable 305 for his second.
Photo by Dave McWilliams
Edgar took 275 for his third and got it, leaving Thomas a massive 320 to win. He gave it a good go, but was unsuccessful on this occasion. Although Thomas was disappointed, he knew that you can’t expect to win championships on just and Squat and D/L.
All the boys were placed second overall in their classes, lifted very well and were a credit to the Gym.
I would like to thank Big Dave, Laura, Ernie and Andy Rodney for their help and support.
Martin
As BGWLC has been open for 88 years, many weightlifting & powerlifting legends have passed through its doors, and we wanted to profile them to create a record of their achievements. Where better to begin, then, than with Ernie Parkes – a true Bethnal Green legend and member of the club since 1966.
Ernie began his lifting career with weightlifting and traditional feats of strength, before moving into masters powerlifting, both equipped and unequipped. His crowning achievement (so far!) has been taking the IPF Masters 4 world record unequipped deadlift in the -83kg class this year, with an amazing 210kg.
Ernie Parkes’s world record 210kg deadlift, 2014. Photo credit: SBD (Wrong credit?)
Let’s hear from Ernie in his own words:
How long have you been lifting?
I started lifting around 1965. I was a late starter having joined the army at the age of 17. In time I went through the Army School of Physical Training and qualified as a PT instructor, during which time I did some weight training which was a good grounding for what was to follow. So that was about 50 years ago – pains me to say that.
How long have you been lifting at Bethnal Green?
I first joined Bethnal Green in 1966. I trained there until about the mid 1970’s when I moved out into Essex. Came back to train there about 5 years ago when I decided to compete at masters powerlifting.
What are your personal best lifts?
Squat: 230kg, bench: 155kg, deadlift: 265kg
Snatch: 125kg, clean and jerk: 160kg
I also standing pressed 125kg at 75kg.
There was also a British record dumbell swing of 75kg at 75kg bodyweight. I have in the past set a number of British records but will not bore you with the details.
Ernie with a 75kg dumbbell swing at 75kg bodyweight, 1977
What’s your favourite lift?
My favourite lift used to be the standing press, which was deleted from official competition after the 1972 Olympic Games. Nowadays I’d have to say it’s the deadlift.
Name some other lifters you admire & why
When I was younger I was a great admirer of Waldemar Bazanowski of Poland. He was a former World and Olympic Champion in the 67.5kg class and one of the few who still used the split style on the clean and jerk.
Also George Newton whom I trained with at Bethnal Green, another great exponent of the split style on both the snatch and the clean and jerk.
What made you decide to start lifting?
My grandfather was a champion weightlifter many years ago, as was his brother George, probably better known as a strongman. He performed his act at the London Palladium on the annual Health and Strength show in 1952, a big occasion in those days. My grandfather was an instructor at Bethnal Green in the early 1930’s and George would sometimes train there in the late 1960’s.
Ernie with a 77.5kg one-arm snatch, 1981
What do you feel has been your biggest achievement in lifting so far?
Longevity and perhaps competing in the 1970 Commonwealth Games. I had a few setbacks in the early 1970’s and came close to giving it up but as is evident, I am still going. In sport, as in life, perseverance is paramount.
What do you enjoy about lifting at Bethnal Green?
It’s a place where people can focus on competitive lifting, impossible in places such as Fitness First and others of that ilk. It accommodates all ages, male and female, and everyone is given the same level of encouragement.
What advice would you give to anyone interested in starting weightlifting or powerlifting?
Enjoy what you are doing, don’t worry about what other people are doing, just do the best that YOU can do. And if you want to compete you will not find a better place to train than Bethnal Green.
Want to train alongside Ernie? Join us at BGWLC!
Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club 