Strength Sports Medicine

Who says an Old Dog can’t learn new tricks. After 30 years of squats that looked more like Good Mornings. Last year I switched to wide stance. Finally looking and feeling good!!

Through high school and college, I trained with Dave Shaw in his mother’s garage. He taught me everything there was to know about powerlifting. I never thought of him as a mentor, just a very good friend. Just months before his untimely death, we stood in the middle of my sports medicine clinic, when the university I was a professor at hosted the state championships.
While touring the 50,000 sq. ft. facility, I was able to thank him for all my professional success that started in his garage all those years ago.

DAVID SHAW .... THE STORY / by JOSEPH HORRIGAN, D.C.

I first saw David Shaw compete at the ’74 Junior National Powerlifting Championships. David was the impressive, strong and confident descriptions of the man that his friends and competitors have used for the past 30 years. Articles about David, his competitions, his training and his training of others, such as the late Dave Johns, have appeared in IRON MAN and more recently in MILO.

Dave Johns wasn’t David Shaw’s only connection to the bodybuilding world, however. Shaw visited Joe Gold at the original Gold’s Gym and World Gym regularly and sometimes trained with strongman Steve Merjanian. Bodybuilders talk about Shaw’s physique, and powerlifters talk about his strength. Said legendary bodybuilder Dave Draper, ‘Record-setting power is often released from cumbersome bodies. Dave Shaw’s super strength bursts from a heap of well-placed river rock and a slab of rough-hewn granite. The man’s a mountain.’ Most trainees simply say, ‘Wow,’ when they see a photo of Shaw deadlifting 848 pounds.

Johns sought Shaw’s help because he wanted to look thicker and more powerful. At a photo shoot at the Soft Tissue Center with Shaw, world-class shot-putter John Brenner (550-pound bench press, 800-pound squat and 460-pound power clean) and former NFL player Pete Koch (best known as an actor for his role as Swede in ‘Heartbreak Ridge’), the photographer asked the three to hit a biceps shot. I informed the photographer that they were not bodybuilders, but she insisted. Brenner and Koch reluctantly flexed their arms, and Shaw followed suit. When Koch saw Shaw, he chided, ‘Great. Dave had to flip up the 22-inch [arm].’

The aspect of Shaw’s career that perhaps carries the most weight is a training style and program design that can enable anyone to make training a lifestyle for the long haul. So often trainees stop working out because of injuries or time restrictions due to life changes, such as school, jobs, career, relationships, marriage and children. Some years ago I witnessed a conversation between Shaw and bodybuilder John Heart. John was impressed with David’s strength and size and asked him how many hours per week he trained. David replied, ‘Three hours per week.’ ‘No, I mean how much did you train when you held world records?’ John said. Replied Shaw, ‘Four hours per week.’ John changed his training along the lines of Shaw’s suggestions, and he gained strength and size and won the Natural Mr. Universe competition.

Shaw wanted a training style he could maintain throughout life’s changes. He earned an A.A. degree, a B.A., and then he worked full-time while training and competing on the national and international levels and earning two master’s degrees. Sometimes when the schedule was very tough, Shaw would perform just one exercise per day. He felt that was certainly better than not training at all. Any trainee can find the time to perform one exercise at home. It’s critical for trainees to be able to train, work and achieve higher education. I recently attended a seminar given by a new strongman at the L.A. FitExpo. His nutritional program alone was a full-time job.

One very interesting point for those who train at home is that Shaw trained the bench press and squat at home alone. That’s quite a feat for someone who benches more than 500 pounds and squats more than 800. That type of training requires complete honesty with one’s self. Shaw did go to a gym to train the deadlift with world champions Terry McCormick and Bill Kazmaier.

David Shaw’s accomplishments in the 275-pound class include an 821-pound squat, 523-pound bench press (without a shirt) and 848-pound deadlift. His other training highlights include: 460×1 and 350×11 on the barbell row, 300×10 on the pulldown, 100×6 on the concentration curl and 100×5 on the standing dumbbell curl after a deadlift workout.

Shaw’s training program led to five world records, one national championship and the Guinness Book of World Records for the deadlift. The pinnacle of his career came on March 27, 2004, when he was inducted into the California Powerlifting Hall of Fame with other legends such as Pat Casey, George Frenn, Roger Estep, Terry McCormick, Larry Kidney, Enrique Hernandez and Tommy Overholtzer. The induction ceremony drew powerlifters, bodybuilders, football players and Olympic weightlifting coaches to watch and applaud. Dave Draper traveled to Southern California to see it, an appearance that echoes back to a time when there was more camaraderie in the iron game, more respect and a sense of connection to others who trained regardless of which sport they competed in.

Sometimes we can best see ourselves through others’ eyes. Pat Casey said, ‘David Shaw is the most honest, clean-cut man I have known. He possesses phenomenal strength, and I don’t think he realized how strong he is. He has always been a perfect gentleman. David came after me in the iron game, but I followed his career. I have the utmost respect for him.’

Fitness pioneer and gym legend Joe Gold stated, ‘David is always a gentleman. He is one of the few people who knew his body and how to train it.’

Doc Kreis, head speed-strength and conditioning coach at UCLA, said, ‘David Shaw is the example of an athlete whose sportsmanship, determination and passion evolved into his becoming the best.’

David Shaw has been in the iron game for 35 years and is associated with strength, class, grace and dignity. He has now taken his place with the former legends of his sport. He passed away in 2016.

500x1x1x1
Nationals in 10 weeks

I’ll be at the Fit Expo May 21 & 22 providing Sports Medicine & First Aid for Powerlifters.

Of the 20+ years I have been involved in the sport this is the first time Athletic Medicine has been requested by the meet directors and REQUIRED by event organizers. Super excited and honored!!

Want to learn more about the lateral patellofemoral complex? This study by Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush and Adam B. Yanke, MD, PhD describes the correlative anatomy of three distinct lateral patellar ligaments

http://ow.ly/y1CA50Imepk

Preoperative ultrasound can be used to evaluate the quadriceps tendon (QT) morphology prior to ACLR. Learn more from UPMC Sports Medicine http://ow.ly/zIij50Hxkw3

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32796415/

Methodological Considerations for the Determination of the Critical Load for the Deadlift - PubMed Moss, AC, Dinyer, TK, Abel, MG, and Bergstrom, HC. Methodological considerations for the determination of the critical load for the deadlift. J Strength Cond Res 35(2S): S31-S37, 2021-This study determined whether performance method during conventional deadlifting affects critical load (CL) estimate...

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26963015/

The Use of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound for the Diagnosis of Groin and Hip Pain in Athletes - PubMed Athletes are particularly predisposed to injuries in the groin and pelvic region. Men in particular are predisposed to injuries like hernias in the inguinal region. The increased demands and training load on today's athletes combined with individual factors may create the environment for these injur...

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30527296/

The use of ultrasound in athletes - PubMed Ultrasound is being used by sports physicians in their daily practice to problem solve, but there is still a reluctance for some radiologists to embrace this technique. It has become the "stethoscope" of the sports physician as it is freely available to have in the office setting (Tok, et al. [1]).....

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33560035/

Point-of-Care Ultrasound, the New Musculoskeletal Physical Examination - PubMed The availability of handheld ultrasound offers physicians an opportunity to better define anatomy and pathophysiology, thus enhancing the diagnostic capabilities of a standard physical examination. The medical community increasingly embraces the potential for point-of-care ultrasound across medical....

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30057777/

Narrative review of injuries in powerlifting with special reference to their association to the squat, bench press and deadlift - PubMed Pain and injuries are considered a common problem among elite athletes and recreational lifters performing the squat, bench press and deadlift. Since all three lifts engage multiple joints and expose the lifters' bodies to high physical demands often several times a week, it has been suggested that....

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23097485/

Emergency cardiac care in the athletic setting: from schools to the Olympics - PubMed Medical providers at sporting events must be well-trained in the care of cardiac emergencies. Optimal outcomes are most likely achieved through comprehensive emergency planning that ensures prompt and appropriate care. The diversity of athletic venues, as well as the age and competition level of dif...

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34840613/

Medical care provision at the venue of the weightlifting event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games - PubMed Several athletes needed treatment; however, only a few required medical care from a physician.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11323559/

Sideline preparedness for the team physician: consensus statement - PubMed The objective of the Sideline Preparedness Statement is to provide physicians who are responsible for making decisions regarding the medical care of athletes with guidelines for identifying and planning for medical care and services at the site of practice or competition. It is not intended as a sta...

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32567525/

"If they can do it, I can do it": experiences of older women who engage in powerlifting training - PubMed Older adults' participation in resistance training is low. Recent research suggests social aspects are important determinants of exercise engagement. In this study, 13 older women (50 years and older) were interviewed to examine their experiences of powerlifting training. Data were thematically a**l...

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30958059/

Peak Age and Performance Progression in World-Class Weightlifting and Powerlifting Athletes - PubMed These novel insights on performance development will be useful for practitioners evaluating strategies for achieving success.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32865942/

Long-Term Strength Adaptation: A 15-Year Analysis of Powerlifting Athletes - PubMed Latella, C, Teo, W-P, Spathis, J, and van den Hoek, D. Long-term strength adaptation: A 15-year a**lysis of powerlifting athletes. J Strength Cond Res 34(9): 2412-2418, 2020-Strength is a fundamental component of athletic performance and development. This investigation examined the long-term strengt...

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33332805/

Classic Powerlifting Performance: A Systematic Review: Erratum - PubMed Classic Powerlifting Performance: A Systematic Review: Erratum

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27328853/

The Epidemiology of Injuries Across the Weight-Training Sports - PubMed While the majority of the research we reviewed utilized retrospective designs, the weight-training sports appear to have relatively low rates of injury compared with common team sports. Future weight-training sport injury epidemiology research needs to be improved, particularly in terms of the use o...