BRO, DO YOU EVEN LIFT?

  • Published
  • By Air Force Staff Sgt. Wes Wright
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  "Light weight, baby!"

Channeling eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman, Army 1st Sgt. Orlando Horton, 23rd Sapper Company, lowered himself onto the bench press station and grasped a barbell loaded with 450 pounds.

Physically, he knew was strong enough. The real battle was about to happen in his mind.

With a loud grunt, powerful chalk-covered hands tightened around the bar, pupils dilated and muscles contracted as he pushed the weight off the rack. The iron lowered slowly and smoothly to his chest in total control. A judge cried, "up!" and the weight sprung back up off his chest.

Horton was one of 16 competitors vying for bragging rights during the Third Annual Arctic Warrior Push/Pull competition at Buckner Physical Fitness Center Jan. 10.

"Our main mission and purpose is to promote being strong," said Reilly Kelleher, 673d Force Support Squadron strength and conditioning coach. "We wanted to offer something that would integrate some feats of strength, so I put together the competition so we could get some guys and gals out lifting heavy weights."

The event was set up based off United States Powerlifting Association standards and included weight classes of: 148, 165, 181, 198, 220, 242, 275 and 275+. Each competitor received three attempts in a bench press and deadlift exercise.

Horton was the men's overall winner, officially lifting 990 pounds between the two events.

His personal raw totals, outside of competition, are well over 1,000 pounds.

While Horton was the overall winner, another heavy hitter showed up to compete: Sgt. Randy Cole, a senior combatives instructor at the Arctic Warrior Combatives Center.

As the reigning Alaska Strongest man, having claimed the title October 11, 2014 at the Alaska Fitness Expo, expectations were high for Cole.

Although a pectoral injury kept him from aggressively competing in the bench press portion of the competition, Cole's eyes were on the deadlift. His personal record sat at 635 pounds.

His first attempt at 605 pounds went up smooth and appeared almost "effortless," according to members of the audience in attendance.

"After the way 605 looked, Reilly got in my ear and said I had to go for 640," Cole said. "So I didn't have a choice."

The 6-foot-2-inch, 265-pound man strapped on a lifting belt, applied chalk to his hands and approached the lifting station.

He slapped his hands down aggressively on the barbell, paused briefly to set his form properly, and with a herculean effort, ripped the weight off the floor in one fluid motion.

"Good lift!"

"That was exciting," he said after the event. "To be able to get a new personal record is something you're always working for as a strength competitor."

According to Horton, strength competitions also tie directly into mission readiness for military members.
"I drive this into my Soldiers," Horton said. "You look good and you feel good when you lift. Physical fitness is one of the pillars of wellness. It is a very important pillar because it is inextricably linked to the other three pillars."

While the event pitted each man against the other, Horton said all the competitors understand they are competing against themselves.

"The brotherhood and camaraderie helps a lot," Cole said. "We push each other. It's not competition against each other. It's competition against yourself. We all push each other to be the best that we can."

Kelleher emphasized personal competition as key to success for people at all levels, but especially for young people looking to break into the sport.

"Compete against yourself," Kelleher said. "Always sharpen your skill and technique so you can improve. What I would tell young guys is to be patient. It's a journey. You're not going climb the mountain in one day."

In order to "climb the mountain," Horton keyed in on hard work, nutrition and patience.

"You need proper fuel for the race car. You want high octane - clean foods that aren't processed. Also, set realistic goals and realistic timelines. Try to be one percent better every week than you were last week. Gradually, the gains will come. Go hard or go home."

In addition to the physical gains fitness provides, Cole pointed to powerlifting and bodybuilding as productive lifestyles that can help keep a person grounded.

"A lot of younger guys have many things going on in their lives," Cole said. "If you're going to do something like this, you're going to have to be determined and stay disciplined. It's therapeutic. It keeps me focused. Coming to the gym - that's my rock, my zone. This is church."