The number one most asked question I have gotten since I have been training at Lexen is, “What is it like training with Chuck?” The simple answers are “its great” or “really intense”. But a more in depth answer is hard to put down on paper. Chuck trains like every session is potentially his last, and definitely the most important. He has such an understanding of what it takes to succeed over and over in this sport. He has pushed himself to higher and higher levels as the gear and the times have changed. He was the first man to squat 1000 lbs. weighing under 275 lbs., he did it at 220. He has set numerous World Records and for that he is scarred, muscles torn, body bruised and surgically repaired. But one thing you will never see or hear from him, is the expectation that we adapt our training to accommodate his latest ache or pain. He pushes the limit every single workout.
Sometimes I wonder what drives him. He answered that when we were talking about the upcoming XPC Coalition meet, I asked “Do you think youll squat 1200 lbs.?” He never missed a beat and said “If thats a world record, I just want a world record, why else do you compete?” That marked a serious realization in how differently I view my own training, and myself. I tend to focus solely on “me” and tell myself to push for PR’s and let that motivate me. But Chuck has a desire to not only compete, but to hold World Records, and all that goes along with that. He strives to beat himself and others. He lives to win. He lives to compete. In training, of course, coming from my background of using the Conjugate Method I fully expected a system much like what I was used to when I began training with Chuck. What I found was something familiar but totally different. We do waves and so on, but with a much different approach. Chuck is a huge believer in making things as difficult as possible. If something you are doing is coming easy, he will encourage you to change the position of the bar to make the movement harder. He wants every rep to be a physical and mental challenge.
“Lifting the weight in the best line, is not always the best way to get strong.”- Chuck Vogelpohl
We do squats with hanging chains to make the lower portion of the squat extremely unstable, as most guys break down horribly in the hole, this makes you focus on staying tight even more because if you rush the down portion the chains sway, if you explode to hard the chains sway, so a simple squat becomes and exercise in tightness and timing. Sure a million other methods will work, but when you look at guys across the board where do they fall apart? In the hole. We do deadlifts with the bar way out in front, or with a Strongmans log, to change body position, anything that can break the movement up. Chuck has dedicated himself to figuring out what makes you stronger in and out of position. We are all experiments in understanding how things work, but we all push, because we all know that from 1000 failures, we find ourselves closer to understanding what WILL work.
Training with Chuck for me was not an opportunity to train with a man, but to train with a Powerlifting God, and Legend. Every single Tuesday (our lower accessory day) I find myself crawling on the floor, searching for understanding in how my body can hurt this badly without an open wound being exposed. I look around and I see Chuck still going, still pushing himself, all the while he is encouraging all of us to keep going, keep pushing beyond our previous bests. Training with Chuck comes a great expectation that you will push yourself as hard as he does. The sad reality is, that no matter what you do, he will do more, he will push harder, and you will be left feeling defeated workout after workout, but if you keep at it, and push yourself to YOUR limit day in and day out like Chuck does, you may not become a World Record holder, but you might find yourself a lot further along than you believed you ever could be. And in the end that is all Chuck expects of himself or anyone. The ability and heart to find a way to become better than you ever believed you could.
Free Squats w/Rev Mini Band