ࡱ> 574q` QbjbjqPqP .&::Q    ! ! ! ! ! ! $V h DE E Z     wN  p 0 6 Z@]40E E  d`d` The Pit Do You Walk The Walk? (Challenge from The Pit) My friend Daniel showed up the other day with another black eye and skinned up knuckles. (Youngsters!) Someone said the wrong thing to his fianc?. Ive known him to get in a little scuffle (or two) in the past, but he doesnt talk tough or run his mouth like so many wannabe fighters. Come to think of it, thats generally the way you can recognize a real fighter? He is banged up from fighting. How do you recognize a real Hard Core Gym? (Anyone can throw a few chains out and talk about how strong they are.) Powerlifting competition is the great equalizer. A lot of people talk a good game, but dont move serious iron when there are witnesses. Powerlifting is the objective yardstick by which all gym lifters should be judged. Having said that; what if I told you I know of a gym that challenges everyone in the U.S. to top their drug-tested team? Meet the Pit Barbell Club team (in their own words): Near downtown Evansville, Indiana, a deep red brick building sits unassumingly on the corner of Michigan and Edgar. In the late sixties the building was an old grocery store until it was purchased and made into a gym. The only identifying mark is a metal sculpture of a mace-wielding executioner hanging above the door. This daunting symbol tells everyone who dares to open the door that he is entering The Pit Barbell Club. The rd color of the door reminds him of the blood shed everyday. Entering The Pit resembles being warped back into time. The first machines he sees are old, blue first generation nautilus machines. Next he notices pictures of historical Powerlifting meets proudly lining the walls. As he eyes move along the wall, he sees youthful pictures of The Pit and owners Bud Downen and Coach Dick Conner. As he gazes at this photographic collection, he is comforted as he reads JESUS IS THE ANSWER on a plaque. He knows that this is more that just a motto. It symbolizes a high expectation of attitude and respect to be maintained in the gym. Walking into the gym area he sees The Pits slogan painted on the wall: No Carpet, No sauna, Just Iron. This truly epitomizes The Pit since there are no aerobic classes, and there are only three aerodynes and two treadmills for those who believe in the wimpy act of cardiovascular conditioning. In the first gym area he finds about twenty old nautilus machines and a few odd and end pieces. On the other side of the gym he spots pulley machines, Super Slow machines, Hammer Strength machines, pre-set straight and curl bars up to 130 pounds, dumbbells up to 150 pounds a few machines that Coach has made himself. Venturing to the far side of the gym he sees a header that lists the results of the last drug tested competition that The Pit Team was involved in as well as the best result in each weight class and lift. Several other boards represent state, national and world champions. The Hall Of Fame boards show the name with the very best totals in each weight class for the open and master lifters. Coachs newest board depicts drug-tested lifters accomplishing at least a 700-pound squat or deadlift and a 500-pound bench press. Once passing all this he finally finds the Powerlifting are wherein stands five handmade power racks capable of holding the entire weight of the gym building and all of its contents. Three flat benches, a Monolift and an incline bench press, a hammer deadlift machine, and a deadlift platform are also scattered throughout the area. One of the endearing qualities of The Pit is its ability to keep old tradition alive. For example, the look of The Pit compares to the look of an ancient dungeon not only by the old equipment, but also by the concrete floor with only a few rubber mats. The lifter doesnt have to worry about any shiny weights glaring him in the eye or cushiony carpet softening his image here. However, The Pit also strives to bring new ideas into strength training. Lifter philosophies at The Pit differ as widely as the physiques of the people who lift here. Some lifters believe in using the old school approach of training with the ?Go Heavy or Go Home? Approach. The older, wiser lifters are constantly trying to teach those who have youth and ignorance that ?Lighter is Wiser?. Many of The Pit regulars are Super Slow?? Advocates and are immediately identifiable by the stopwatches hanging from their necks. A few lifters follow the teachings of Louie Simmons. These lifters are the ones who use chains and rubber bands yelling ?Speed!? or more tonnage!? Coach, who incorporates several of these philosophies, recently made the best set of chains that any gym has ever seen. Coach is also giving praises to Author Jones, the founding father modern lifting techniques. Even with all these different philosophies in training The Pit still produces some of the finest drug tested lifters in the county. Coach Conner had produced numerous national champions from teenage to master lifters since 1972. In the opinion of this writer, there is no other gym able to provide its lifters a place to train in close vicinity to their home and able to produce an eleven-man, drug tested team that can beat The Pit Team. Powerlifting is one of the best ways to test your strength. A Pit lifter can take several challenging tests of strength such as strong man lifts from logs to grippers to either have their name written on one of the boards or to have their name immortalized on a brass plate. Coach is presently creating a unique set of strong men apparatuses. Surrounding the gym like a wreath of fame are trophies of every shape and size from almost every organization in the world. This is a testimony to the consistency and strength of The Pit lifters. OK, folks; I think Pit Barbell has issued a challenge to you and your gym! You can see their numbers in the photos. What have you got? Write me and tell me! If you think your friends are stronger ? Ill pass the info on to the guy at The Pit! 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