The Pro GNC Deadlift Competition is an invitation only event where the only contested lift is the deadlift. 15 men are selected along with 8 women. There are two scoring categories: 1) absolute weight and 2) Wilks formula. The criteria for selecting participants are:

 Men’s Competitor Criteria: Minimum 320kg Deadlift and Minimum 200 Wilks Score
 Women’s Competitor Criteria: Minimum 200 Wilks Score

The event occurred on the main stage inside the expo and was fantastic. The seating was good yet there was plenty of standing room. The music was loud, the announcers were solid (they were the same guys at the NAPF Raw Challenge that our guys lifted in), and the energy was high. Here are some notable lifts (I wasn’t able to record everything).

Kimberly Walford pulled 512 weighing 136 pounds! (not my video)


Ian Bell pulled an amazing 810 pounds at 19 years old and 196 lb body weight!


Brad Gillingham, who is a living legend, wrecked shop as usual. Here’s his second attempt at 826:


And Gillingham’s third attempt at 837. He’s 45 years old! Seeing him lifting in person was an experience.


Other notables include Carl Yngvar Christensen (pulled 832 on third, Gillingham went up 2.5kg to beat him) and Alyssa Hitchcock (who is attractive, here’s a vid from 2011). Everyone was notable in this competition; they wouldn’t be in it if they weren’t.

As most of you know, the Arnold Sport Festival occurred this past weekend. This post will be a quick synopsis of the weekend and focus on the event instead of our experiences. Chris, Mike, and Alex (the three friends who I coached in the raw powerlifting meet) got there Wednesday, Brent, his lady friend, and I got there Wednesday. Ellee Carlson (who is head of the 70’s Big Chicago Chapter) also got in on Thursday. Jeremy Wolfe and friends (Mel and Bijan) got in late Thursday night. This was our hang-out nucleus throughout the weekend but it would split apart depending on the schedule.



Overall, it was a fantastic weekend, albeit busy. Any time spent with my friends was a good one, but there were many events and spectacles that were very fun. I would highly recommend that everyone actually make plans to attend next year (many of you were unable to attend because of work or cost). If you read this website, then you have an invested interest in all things strength, power, fitness, training, and having a good time. “The Arnold” portrays all of that and more. There simply isn’t an event that has what The Arnold has: powerlifting, professional deadlift, professional strongman, Olympic weightlifting, various products to purchase, and every big name associated with every sport and activity.

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