Post by Mike White on Dec 14, 2006 8:03:09 GMT -5
Donnie Thompson is a very strong man. But his strength is not only in his ability to lift heavy weights. He is a very humble man and, well, just a real nice guy. His football background prepared him for the competitive aspect of professional powerlifting. After just completing a tremendous total of 2770 lbs. at the IPA Nationals, Donnie is well poised to take it to the limits of human strength.
1. Mike White: Thank you for taking time to do this interview. Give us a brief background on yourself. Tell us how you got this far in such a short time.
Donnie Thompson: Well, I don’t think I have gotten all that far and it certainly hasn’t been a short time. When I first started lifting it was May of 1980. I dabbled in it prior to that but the Montgomery Wards cement weight set my Mom got me was on 119 pounds. I was doing cleans and jerks, military presses and curls with it by the end of the summer of 1978 so I quit using it because I got bored. My football career is well documented so you know I was a serious lifter all my teenage and adult life. The longest time I have had off from lifting is two weeks. That has happened three times since 1980. Once in football camp in Florida around 1992, when I built my commercial gym in 1994 and the last time is when I moved my gym and residence at the same time right before I got married.
As far as a long way, I think for my size and how much I train, I should be around 2900-3000 total by now. I just have the same things happening to me that everyone experiences; injury, time, job, wife and family and stuff like that.
2. MW: What type of training has worked best for you? Give us an idea of how you structure your workouts.
DT: Westside training has been the template the whole way. I must say though that I was already developed and lifting for around 18 years prior to starting Westside. Basically the Westside program gave you some answers to getting strong by stripping the bullcrap away that we would have otherwise added. Westside really showed me the importance of group training and attitude. Without it you go nowhere.
I train 4-5 times weekly. I have a speed day and a max effort day for lower and upper body. I do a lot of Kettlebells.
3. MW: You have visited Westside Barbell and trained under Louie Simmons. Relate your experiences there and how it has helped/changed your training and performance.
DT: As I stated earlier, I learned group training- that is surround yourself with training comrades that have like minded goals. I also learned attitude. If you do not lift with aggression and purpose, forget it. I lost my fear of weights on October, 2000. That is when I learned to take the emotions out of lifting. For instance, weak minded people, who may be incredibly strong, will judge if they can get a lift or not by how it feels when they take it out of the rack. If it ‘feels’ heavy, they fold. I know max effort attempts are freaking heavy. It is how I execute the lift that determines if I am successful or not. If I do not incorporate explosiveness and speed at the exact moment I should, the lift will not be. Also, if I have a bad day or am I not getting a projected pr, I shrug it off when I leave the building. I will get it next time. The weak minded can’t even seem to function. They won’t sleep that night and they will question their ability. How amateur! That is what separates the champions from the chumps. The New England Patriots probably have the most hungry quarterback in the league. When they lost the playoffs last year, the quarterback vowed they would be back to win it all the next year. This is after three Superbowl wins this decade. After the loss, I did not feel the NE Patriots would fold the team up and quit the league! They would be back to fight next year. How many times have the Powerlifting community wrote Gary Frank off only for him to come back and smash his old records?
4. MW: You have also trained under Pavel Tsatsoline and earned the Russian Kettlebell Certification. How have Kettlebells improved your training and performance? Would you recommend this training to all powerlifters?
DT: I have damaged discs in my lower back. This is a result of a freak accident when I was 19. I was doing heavy preacher curls like a fag and something popped in my lower back like shots fired. I could not walk well for a week and found it to recur about twice a year. I have two bulging discs. I actually missed the Arnold on 2004 because the last training session my back blew. Mike Johnston was training with me and told me not to do my last set. He said I am a f—ing idiot if I do it. I reached down and did it anyway and the pain commenced. After 11 days of crawling, I read Pavel’s Russian Kettlebell Challenge and started them immediately. I had two 35’s and one 53.
As far as recommending Kettlebells to all powerlifters, I do to the ones that want to do it. Most people are lazy and getting them to show up and train is hard enough. I just don’t care if any powerlifters want to do them anymore. I know what they have done for me and others who have incorporated them and helped Dragondoor get the word out. I have learned long ago that people can witness something happen before their eyes and still won’t believe it happened.
5. MW: Many times a lifter gets to a certain point and then seems to level out in strength. How do you push beyond sticking points in the Squat, Bench and Deadlift?
DT: Motivation is usually the key. When someone does something spectacular, others start saying to themselves that maybe they can do that to? Most walls of resistance are ones we build in our heads. When the 700 bench was unattainable, Ted Arcidi broke it. Now no one is even impressed if you bench 700. My how times have changed! I am still impressed when someone squats 800 and benches 600. If you do that, you are a strong man!
6. MW: Briefly tell us how you would structure a program for beginner and intermediate powerlifters. On what type exercises should each level concentrate?
DT: I don’t let beginners do a single max very often. I like to condition them and work the piss out of them. A lot of strong man stuff like tire flips and chains drags. Farmers walk and prowler pushes. In Powerlifting, I like them to do the major three lifts for sets of 5. Progressive overload works well for the high school age kid and the strongman lifts keep them from getting bored. I do add bands and chains for fun!
Concentration should focus on execution of the lift itself. Perfect form throughout the execution of the lift. I also like for the beginners to do a ton of ab work. 7 days a week is still not enough in my view.
7. MW: When lifting heavy weights there is always the potential for injury. How have you treated and overcome injuries thus far? What do you do to help prevent injuries?
DT: I have learned to listen to my training partners. John Morrow, David and Kevin McLeod, Billy Warren and Sean Sheriff. I also listen to a few of the strongmen that have known me for awhile like Mike Johnston, Mark and Preston the college pukes, English James and Big Tex. I do not trust me so I listen to them when I should or shouldn’t go on.
To prevent the injuries I have listened to advice that Pavel and Louie gave me about Chiropractic, Neuro-muscular and stretching. I still manage to lift with broken parts but then again, so does everyone else.
8. MW: What about General Physical Preparedness? What do you do to increase your GPP and when do you do it?
DT: I used to do a lot of sled and wheelbarrow work. For four years I was doing three days of GPP work. Now I pull the sled no more than once a week when I do it. Usually right after a meet for about three weeks. But my body weight is up 140lbs from six years ago so my work capacity is somewhat diminished to compensate for my size and strength increase. I do not need that volume I did when I first started to get the big numbers. It was hard to let go but I have come to terms with it.
9. MW: Give us your advice on being ready for meet day. What are the most important things to consider when the day of competition arrives?
DT: First is taking a great crap when you get up. You know, the nervous crap? Then try to eat. I have trouble eating on meet day but my breakfast is two eggs scrambled, bacon, one pancake and a cup of coffee and orange juice. With out these two getting done, the day starts out on the wrong foot. I like to arrive a little early. I talk and stretch a little. I try to keep it light. I try not to take myself too serious and have fun. I am not super intense until I get under the bar. I hate warm-ups for the squat so when they are over I feel the meet is down hill from there. All considerations are done prior to the meet. I have the best handler for me for that particular meet and depend on him with my life. I also have someone to cover the little things like food and beverage. They are tremendous help too.
10. MW: You have recently taken a hiatus from the WPO to go to the IPA. Give us some insight into to your thought process concerning this as well as how you see the current state of powerlifting.
DT: The current state of Powerlifting is disarray. The WPO was great and going great. That changed last year. The ones involved know why. The IPA is where I got my start and I love to compete at York Barbell. It is the best facility to hold a meet. When I was making my decision to go to the WPO Semi’s in Lake George, it was out of habit because that is what I have done for the last 5 years. I figured if I was going to pay my way to fly there, pay for my hotel and food, pay for transportation there, pay for an entry fee and card membership, I might as go somewhere closer where I could drive. Mark and Ellen Challait have always put on a great meet in York PA and were giving out $1000.00 for best lifts in each category. Money is never a guarantee but at least it is an opportunity. So I went and had a blast. I almost totaled the all-time record total but fell short. I will not go back to the WPO but do not wish any ill-will towards the organization and especially the lifters who are the real WPO! I just feel that my whole weight class there and the other ones too are so good that we should not have to pay travel expenses, hotel or food when we go there to the Arnold to compete. Especially an entry fee. How ‘professional’ is that. I think someone will step up to the plate and do what’s right concerning the treatment of the top powerlifters of today.
Thank you again Donnie for your time and effort on this interview. Now take a moment to thank your sponsors and those who have helped you along the way. You may also make any closing remarks you wish.
The following are people who have really helped me;
Paul Childress
Matt Smith
John and Mandy Stafford
Mama Blume
Don and Adrienne Thompson, my parents for all they have done and endured with me.
My training partners. And the WPO SHW’S I have competed with and against.
Mark Blackberg-Without him the last 6 years would have been very difficult. A true friend and great person.
Joshua Thompson-my brother.
Dave Tate for helping me in my early years.
Louie Simmons for exposing me to Powerlifting secrets using Westside methods.
SPONSORS
DragonDoor.com-Pavel Tsatsoline and Jon Ducane
Pasco Sprinkler Systems-Scotty Mills
Jungle Gym W.Columbia SC- Mark Blackberg
Elitefts.com- Dave Tate and Jim Wendler
Carolina Gold and Silver-Sparky Meetze and Jon Jon
1. Mike White: Thank you for taking time to do this interview. Give us a brief background on yourself. Tell us how you got this far in such a short time.
Donnie Thompson: Well, I don’t think I have gotten all that far and it certainly hasn’t been a short time. When I first started lifting it was May of 1980. I dabbled in it prior to that but the Montgomery Wards cement weight set my Mom got me was on 119 pounds. I was doing cleans and jerks, military presses and curls with it by the end of the summer of 1978 so I quit using it because I got bored. My football career is well documented so you know I was a serious lifter all my teenage and adult life. The longest time I have had off from lifting is two weeks. That has happened three times since 1980. Once in football camp in Florida around 1992, when I built my commercial gym in 1994 and the last time is when I moved my gym and residence at the same time right before I got married.
As far as a long way, I think for my size and how much I train, I should be around 2900-3000 total by now. I just have the same things happening to me that everyone experiences; injury, time, job, wife and family and stuff like that.
2. MW: What type of training has worked best for you? Give us an idea of how you structure your workouts.
DT: Westside training has been the template the whole way. I must say though that I was already developed and lifting for around 18 years prior to starting Westside. Basically the Westside program gave you some answers to getting strong by stripping the bullcrap away that we would have otherwise added. Westside really showed me the importance of group training and attitude. Without it you go nowhere.
I train 4-5 times weekly. I have a speed day and a max effort day for lower and upper body. I do a lot of Kettlebells.
3. MW: You have visited Westside Barbell and trained under Louie Simmons. Relate your experiences there and how it has helped/changed your training and performance.
DT: As I stated earlier, I learned group training- that is surround yourself with training comrades that have like minded goals. I also learned attitude. If you do not lift with aggression and purpose, forget it. I lost my fear of weights on October, 2000. That is when I learned to take the emotions out of lifting. For instance, weak minded people, who may be incredibly strong, will judge if they can get a lift or not by how it feels when they take it out of the rack. If it ‘feels’ heavy, they fold. I know max effort attempts are freaking heavy. It is how I execute the lift that determines if I am successful or not. If I do not incorporate explosiveness and speed at the exact moment I should, the lift will not be. Also, if I have a bad day or am I not getting a projected pr, I shrug it off when I leave the building. I will get it next time. The weak minded can’t even seem to function. They won’t sleep that night and they will question their ability. How amateur! That is what separates the champions from the chumps. The New England Patriots probably have the most hungry quarterback in the league. When they lost the playoffs last year, the quarterback vowed they would be back to win it all the next year. This is after three Superbowl wins this decade. After the loss, I did not feel the NE Patriots would fold the team up and quit the league! They would be back to fight next year. How many times have the Powerlifting community wrote Gary Frank off only for him to come back and smash his old records?
4. MW: You have also trained under Pavel Tsatsoline and earned the Russian Kettlebell Certification. How have Kettlebells improved your training and performance? Would you recommend this training to all powerlifters?
DT: I have damaged discs in my lower back. This is a result of a freak accident when I was 19. I was doing heavy preacher curls like a fag and something popped in my lower back like shots fired. I could not walk well for a week and found it to recur about twice a year. I have two bulging discs. I actually missed the Arnold on 2004 because the last training session my back blew. Mike Johnston was training with me and told me not to do my last set. He said I am a f—ing idiot if I do it. I reached down and did it anyway and the pain commenced. After 11 days of crawling, I read Pavel’s Russian Kettlebell Challenge and started them immediately. I had two 35’s and one 53.
As far as recommending Kettlebells to all powerlifters, I do to the ones that want to do it. Most people are lazy and getting them to show up and train is hard enough. I just don’t care if any powerlifters want to do them anymore. I know what they have done for me and others who have incorporated them and helped Dragondoor get the word out. I have learned long ago that people can witness something happen before their eyes and still won’t believe it happened.
5. MW: Many times a lifter gets to a certain point and then seems to level out in strength. How do you push beyond sticking points in the Squat, Bench and Deadlift?
DT: Motivation is usually the key. When someone does something spectacular, others start saying to themselves that maybe they can do that to? Most walls of resistance are ones we build in our heads. When the 700 bench was unattainable, Ted Arcidi broke it. Now no one is even impressed if you bench 700. My how times have changed! I am still impressed when someone squats 800 and benches 600. If you do that, you are a strong man!
6. MW: Briefly tell us how you would structure a program for beginner and intermediate powerlifters. On what type exercises should each level concentrate?
DT: I don’t let beginners do a single max very often. I like to condition them and work the piss out of them. A lot of strong man stuff like tire flips and chains drags. Farmers walk and prowler pushes. In Powerlifting, I like them to do the major three lifts for sets of 5. Progressive overload works well for the high school age kid and the strongman lifts keep them from getting bored. I do add bands and chains for fun!
Concentration should focus on execution of the lift itself. Perfect form throughout the execution of the lift. I also like for the beginners to do a ton of ab work. 7 days a week is still not enough in my view.
7. MW: When lifting heavy weights there is always the potential for injury. How have you treated and overcome injuries thus far? What do you do to help prevent injuries?
DT: I have learned to listen to my training partners. John Morrow, David and Kevin McLeod, Billy Warren and Sean Sheriff. I also listen to a few of the strongmen that have known me for awhile like Mike Johnston, Mark and Preston the college pukes, English James and Big Tex. I do not trust me so I listen to them when I should or shouldn’t go on.
To prevent the injuries I have listened to advice that Pavel and Louie gave me about Chiropractic, Neuro-muscular and stretching. I still manage to lift with broken parts but then again, so does everyone else.
8. MW: What about General Physical Preparedness? What do you do to increase your GPP and when do you do it?
DT: I used to do a lot of sled and wheelbarrow work. For four years I was doing three days of GPP work. Now I pull the sled no more than once a week when I do it. Usually right after a meet for about three weeks. But my body weight is up 140lbs from six years ago so my work capacity is somewhat diminished to compensate for my size and strength increase. I do not need that volume I did when I first started to get the big numbers. It was hard to let go but I have come to terms with it.
9. MW: Give us your advice on being ready for meet day. What are the most important things to consider when the day of competition arrives?
DT: First is taking a great crap when you get up. You know, the nervous crap? Then try to eat. I have trouble eating on meet day but my breakfast is two eggs scrambled, bacon, one pancake and a cup of coffee and orange juice. With out these two getting done, the day starts out on the wrong foot. I like to arrive a little early. I talk and stretch a little. I try to keep it light. I try not to take myself too serious and have fun. I am not super intense until I get under the bar. I hate warm-ups for the squat so when they are over I feel the meet is down hill from there. All considerations are done prior to the meet. I have the best handler for me for that particular meet and depend on him with my life. I also have someone to cover the little things like food and beverage. They are tremendous help too.
10. MW: You have recently taken a hiatus from the WPO to go to the IPA. Give us some insight into to your thought process concerning this as well as how you see the current state of powerlifting.
DT: The current state of Powerlifting is disarray. The WPO was great and going great. That changed last year. The ones involved know why. The IPA is where I got my start and I love to compete at York Barbell. It is the best facility to hold a meet. When I was making my decision to go to the WPO Semi’s in Lake George, it was out of habit because that is what I have done for the last 5 years. I figured if I was going to pay my way to fly there, pay for my hotel and food, pay for transportation there, pay for an entry fee and card membership, I might as go somewhere closer where I could drive. Mark and Ellen Challait have always put on a great meet in York PA and were giving out $1000.00 for best lifts in each category. Money is never a guarantee but at least it is an opportunity. So I went and had a blast. I almost totaled the all-time record total but fell short. I will not go back to the WPO but do not wish any ill-will towards the organization and especially the lifters who are the real WPO! I just feel that my whole weight class there and the other ones too are so good that we should not have to pay travel expenses, hotel or food when we go there to the Arnold to compete. Especially an entry fee. How ‘professional’ is that. I think someone will step up to the plate and do what’s right concerning the treatment of the top powerlifters of today.
Thank you again Donnie for your time and effort on this interview. Now take a moment to thank your sponsors and those who have helped you along the way. You may also make any closing remarks you wish.
The following are people who have really helped me;
Paul Childress
Matt Smith
John and Mandy Stafford
Mama Blume
Don and Adrienne Thompson, my parents for all they have done and endured with me.
My training partners. And the WPO SHW’S I have competed with and against.
Mark Blackberg-Without him the last 6 years would have been very difficult. A true friend and great person.
Joshua Thompson-my brother.
Dave Tate for helping me in my early years.
Louie Simmons for exposing me to Powerlifting secrets using Westside methods.
SPONSORS
DragonDoor.com-Pavel Tsatsoline and Jon Ducane
Pasco Sprinkler Systems-Scotty Mills
Jungle Gym W.Columbia SC- Mark Blackberg
Elitefts.com- Dave Tate and Jim Wendler
Carolina Gold and Silver-Sparky Meetze and Jon Jon
