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When people think of the men and women behind the curtain in the world of powerlifting, names like Mark Rippetoe and Louie Simmons, Dave Tate and Jim Wendler likely spring to mind, alongside the names of faceless, mononymous Soviets like Sheiko and Smolov. These names have been pounded into our heads over the last 20 years thanks to the glories of the internet, and being the relentless self-promoters and marketers that those people are, they have convinced you that either the old Soviet system is the best (due in large part to the ridiculous hype placed upon it by non-powerlifter Pavel Tsatsouline), or the modern Westside Barbell Club’s methods are the best, as they combined the best of the two earliest systems for powerlifting training- the Soviet system and the methods of the original Westside Barbell Club.
Both assertions are absurd, because the Culver City Westside Barbell Club of the 1960s was by far and away the most dominant of the early powerlifting clubs, and their methods were derived from those of York Barbell’s Olympic weightlifting team. That underfunded, underfed, underpromoted, and almost entirely unloved team regularly beat the Soviets, who were all professional lifters paid by the Soviet government to master their craft. The American lifters worked menial jobs at York Barbell for low pay to make a living as they trained to beat the pro Soviet lifters, while the Soviets enjoyed prestige, publicity, and significant financial backing from their government, making the playing field definitively un-level.
And the Soviets knew it- this is why they considered the mastermind behind Westside’s methods, world record holding hammer thrower and early powerlifting record setter George Frenn, to be the veritable god of powerlifting. If they weren’t long dead, they would be laughing their asses off at the idea that their methods were superior to those of York Barbell and the original Westside Barbell and belittling the shit out of the fake-ass racists populating the smelliest corners of the shittiest basement gyms and their heroes, the fake-ass racist slobs at the current Westside Barbell.
In stark contrast to the felon-filled, anti-intellectual ranks of its current incarnation, the original Culver City Westside Barbell Club, led by ringleader Bill West, driving force Joe Dimarco, and mastermind strength training strategist George Frenn, was a amalgamation of the most interesting and diverse cast of characters in history. This band of weirdos were drawn from fields ranging from acting to neurology and rocket science to Olympic track and field, weightlifting, and the outdoor hammer throw to and boasted the loftiest academic and intellectual credentials as well as insane sporting achievements in everything from track and field to professional wrestling,and their training methodology reflected that desire to reject normalcy and really embrace their inner Gonzo.