NAked Warrior - ZANDERBILT

I R O N E S S A Y S
REMEMBRANCES
OF DAYS PAST
Coaching Team USA
The picture on the last page is of the World Champion American Powerlifting Team
after we captured the World Team Championships in Orebo, Sweden in 1991. I was
one of three coaches for the US squad. I became a coach after my own powerlifting career
was cut short.
In 1983 I had a horrific power accident at age 33: I was squatting with 700 for reps on a
light day without spotters. After all it was only 700. Anyway, it was a hot and sticky day
and my T-shirt was soaked. The bar slipped down my back. I was about to toss it backward
and leap forward when a well-intentioned buddy saw what was happening and leapt to my
assistance. It was a nice gesture at precisely the wrong time. He tried to wrestle the barbell
while standing behind me. He wanted to save me. There is no way anyone is going to prevent
gravity from taking 700 exactly where it wants to go: straight down. He and I got tangled
up and I took the full brunt of 700 pounds dropped from four feet across my left lower
leg. It snapped like a match stick.
I had squatted 840 the previous week weighing 250 and thought I had a real shot at
breaking Danny Wohleber’s 871 world record in four weeks at the nationals. That accident
effectively ended up my career as a powerlifter, at least for the next decade. I made a comeback
as a master lifter (over 40 years of age) at age 42, but I never hit the heights I’d
achieved before the injury.
After the accident I wanted to keep my hand in the game and rather than become an official
or an administrator (never my style) I decided to coach. At the local level I helped Mark
Chailliet and Kirk Karwoski rise to international prominence and as a result I was ‘drafted’
by John Black to help Coach Black’s Gym at national competitions. We captured three
National Team titles in five years.
For complete information on Marty Gallagher’s The Purposeful Primitive, or to
purchase the physical book, visit http://www.dragondoor.com/b37.html now
68