The Tom McCullough interview
by Igor N. Jolevich
.
Igor: Mr. McCullough, if I’ve understood correctly
you’ve set a
World record in the deadlift (715 lbs) in a meet sanctioned
by WPA.
Where did this meet take place and can you
tell us how you actually got yourself prepared for such a
lift?
.
Tom: This is true. I also set a WPA Masters World
record in the deadlift at
725 lbs. The 715 lb lift took place in 1998 at South
Carolina and the
725 lb deadlift took place in 1999 at Augusta, Georgia. I also
hold a
national record in the WABDL and several Texas records in the WABDL,
APA, and APF.
.
It took me 16 weeks to train for the 1998 record. Since it
was a single
even meet, I backed off heavy squatting 4 weeks out of the
meet, but
still did some maintenance squat work. I stopped the bench
press and
took my last heavy bench press 2 weeks out of the meet. Since
I lifted
in the 308's and weighed in at 277 lbs, I had no problem eating
anything
and everything I could get my hands on.
.
.
Igor: When did you start competing?
.
Tom: I started competing about 1980.
.
Igor: I have read that John Inzer from the Inzer
Advanced Design
is your sponsor. When did you first meet John
and what circumstances have lead to the fact that he
became your sponsor?
.
Tom: Yes, Inzer Advance Designs is my first choice
in powerlifting
equipment. Inzer takes great care of all my equipment needs.
I use
their equipment exclusively because I seriously feel IAD
make the best
equipment in the world. Nothing can compare. Remember,
I was an Inzer
customer by choice long before Inzer chose to sponsor me.
.
I feel Inzer probably sponsors me because of my loyalty to his
company
and because I am one of the better masters lifters in the USA.
Last
year I was ranked 4th in the USA in the SHW. Outside of a
my lifting
interests with Inzer Advance Designs, I consider John Inzer as
a close
friend who I have known for several years. Any other personal
facts, I
would prefer to remain private.
.
Igor: Can you give us an explanation why powerlifting,
which is a very
intense sport, has plenty of successful elder athletes – unlike
other sports?
.
Tom: I don't know right off hand. But when
I get to the elder stage I will
let you know for sure. However, at one time we all thought
that after
30 years of age you could hang it up and retire to your rocking
chair.
With athletes like George Foreman coming back and grabbing the
heavyweight championship of the world in boxing at the age of 50,
many
of us in the over 30 crowd began to see our lives weren't over
yet.
.
Now we older athletes see that we can keep up some of our favorite
physical activities to the day we die and live a happier and healthier
life doing it. There is even research showing that strength
can be
maintained well into your 50's. Actually scientists think
that the
muscle's ability to produce strength doesn't begin to peak until
the
30's and on up until the 50's. So the old experienced masters
lifters
have gotten off their rocking chars and gone back into the gym.
.
The second and probably the most important reason is the technological
advances in supportive equipment. With the invention of the
bench press
shirt and the squat suit. Us older lifters can keep on lifting
despite
our collection of nagging injuries. There is no doubt
in my mind that
supportive equipment is causing more longevity in our sport.
Without
it, many of us would have been forced to retire because of injury.
.
Igor: You started lifting in the 198 lbs class. You
then went to the 220,
242, 275's , and finally the 308-pound division. In which time
period?
.
Tom: I lifted in the 198's back in the early 80's.
Shortly there after I
moved up into the 220's. It took me almost 10 years and lots
of
education in how to eat to get me to the 242's. The 275's
and 308's
came in the last 5 years. However, I am a very light 308.
The heaviest
I have ever gone in is at 285.
.
Igor: During all these competition years, did you
have any injuries and what
were they?
.
Tom: Not really considering how long I have been pushing
myself! However, I
am very tall for this sport so when I squat I have to lean a bit.
Thus,
the lumbar take a beating. I have had several low back injuries.
You
know the type...those that bring tears to your eyes when you try
to bend
over to zip up your pants. Now I spend a good deal of my
time
strengthening my low back.
.
I also tore a calf muscle on a leg press. I had 1600 lbs
on it and
though I had the safety pins locked out at the end and didn't.
It all
came crashing down on me and crushed me like a grape. Thank
goodness I
had on knee wraps or the injury might have been worse. I
was on
crutches for six weeks and unable to squat.
.
In 1990 I tore a rotator in my shoulder water skiing that aggravates
me
from time to time. Training in a bench shirt seems to take
care of that
problem pretty well. I still have a hard time doing anything
that
involves moving a load overhead.
.
In 1996 I tore my left biceps doing some heavy rack overloads for
the
deadlift. That set me back for several weeks. By arm
was black and
blue from the wrist to the shoulder. I was very lucky that the
biceps
didn't completely tear from the bone. I don't do those heavy
overloads
any more.
.
In 1999 I had surgery for an umbilical hernia. I was totally
out of the
gym for 6 weeks. I took me 4 months to get back to 100%.
Thanks
goodness I had the surgery because the pain was hindering my progress
on
the squats. Now my squat is shooting upward really well.
I now spend a
good deal more time in the off season doing ab work.
.
Igor: Many great lifters like Pasenella, OD Wilson,
Chuck "The Truck",
Magnus, Matt Dimel, aren’t with us anymore. Can you please comment
on
that?
.
Tom: What can I say. They were all heroes in this
sport and will never be
forgotten. The world and this sport lost some truly great
individuals.
A good friend of mine was very close to Matt Dimel and tells me
stories
about him. I only wish I could have know him. He sounded
like on hell
of a guy to be around.
.
Igor: What kind of assistance work do you do for
each power lift?
.
Tom: For the squat, I only do assistance work during the
off season. Then I
will do the leg press, knee extensions, and leg curls. In
the bench
press, I do close grips and some kind of a shoulder press.
With the
deadlift, I do heavy arched back good mornings, lat pull downs
and biceps
curls. I believe in keeping it really simple.
.
Igor: What are your competitive goals in the near
future?
.
Tom: Set more records! The masters records are mine
for the taking. My
first goal is to total over 2100 as a master. I hope to hit
an 800 lbs
squat, and 500 lb bench and a 800 lb deadlift. In the
near future, I
am looking at totaling 2000 this year, and pulling a 750
deadlift in
the next few weeks. I plan on breaking my WABDL and WPA deadlift
record
this year, as well as setting a WPA masters world record in the
squat
and total this year. I also plan on setting a national deadlift
record
in the APF sometime this year.
.
Igor: Do you think that there should be a difference
between a
powerlifter’s diet and a diet of a body-builder in the offseason?
.
Tom: Yes. Bodybuilders have to watch what they consume,
powerlifters don't
really have to be so careful. We aren't so interested in
what we look
like and get no extra points added to our total for being cut.
However,
don't get me wrong. Diet is very important for the powerlifter
too.
The biggest mistake I see both powerlifters and bodybuilders make
is not
eating enough. If you want to grow and get stronger, its
real
simple...you must eat, eat, eat.
.
Ok, so what about off season you ask? In the off season I
don't eat as
much. I really cut back on my food consumption and try to
cut off some
of the fat I gained in season. When you have to shovel as
much food
down your throat as SHW's have to, just to keep your weight up
you
really need a break from it. Unlike my bodybuilding counterpart,
after
a contest all I want to do is to skip a few meals or at least eat
like a
normal human again. Most bodybuilders have been starving
themselves up
until their contest. All they want to do is eat afterwards.
We are
totally opposite.
.
Igor, I would like to take this time to thank you for taking an
interest
in my lifting abilities. I sincerely hope that something
I have said
will help those who read this. Hope to meet you sometime
in the
future! Good luck and stay strong!
..
Igor: Thank you, Tom!