Lamar Gant - B.C. Vasquez (2024)

 

This article comes from the latest (Spring 2024) issue of IronMan magazine: 

https://www.ironmanmagazine.com/store/yearly-subscription-3-print-issues-3-digital-issues/ 

I found nothing else of any interest to me in it, but you can determine that for yourself. Some new/improved, better 'n ever supplements, more of  the usual boobs trying to hang onto some ideal of what they think "youth" is . . . a strictly physical view of course . . . all about presenting yourself as "young" via your body when you're not, or some similar childlike nonsense many middle-agers get hung up on . . . wait'll they hit 70, it should be funny and I only wish I could  be around to see it (maybe I should buy the supps advertised and follow the advice of young experts in the field, eh) . . .  stuff being peddled taking up more space than the articles, all oddly tied in and connected nicely with a dollar-sign bow on top . . . anyhow . . . these new "Raders" are not. And really, once the ad revenue is generated, how hard would it really be to include a few lifting articles that aren't strictly cosmetic? You decide for yourself. This takes nothing away from the the people mentioned in this one short historical article/tribute that's a wee bit late in arriving . . . and they did include a scant little bit of training info, so there's that. Remember the last reincarnation of IronMan, when they got into all this X, Y and sometimes Z reps stuff, buy Ribose and/or whatever it was that time around? (Or was it the 2nd to latest reincarnation?) Fluff and triviality in my view. Just lift the dang weights and be happy you still can. If 40 year old wannabe-young-again types held onto the bar as hard as they do their dream of being young forever, why, I highly doubt they'd miss many pulls. But here we are . . . aging seen as illness, an unnatural event to be avoided at all costs, nothing there to learn from the natural process of it all . . . duh, nothing whatsoever to be gained and learned from the aging process, no sir, not a thing other than "avoid at all costs" nonsense.

Special thanks to his good friend, "Mr. Powerlifting," Larry Pacifico, for connecting me with this amazing strength athlete. 

World Team roommate, lifelong friend, Deadlift Phenom Vince Anello, said, "I did my best lifting when I roomed with Lamar." 

Now THAT'S a beautiful Dynamic Deadlift Duo!

Women's powerlifting pioneer and 1981 USPF Men's World Championship coach, Jan Todd said, "Lamar did great. He was just amazing."

Rickey Dale Crain, 1980 Men's World championship teammate and roommate said, "He was a pretty phenomenal lifter. He treated everybody with respect all the way." 

The appreciation and respect for Lamar was obvious amongst his peers who are legends themselves." 

I was honored when Lamar approached me about writing this article. I was also moved by his relationship with his son, Israel, and his desire to provide an example for him. 

It was a pleasure interviewing this amazing individual. I appreciated his kindness, gratitude, modesty, and respect. Just as this article informs and inspired readers, it will also serve as a "where is he now" for an athlete who has been out of the spotlight for decades. 

Let's take this opportunity to HONOR a champion who has paved the way for subsequent generations of powerlifters worldwide . . . Lamar Gant. 

FROM FLINT AND BACK AGAIN

Lamar was born of Herbert and Doris Gant in Flint, Michigan in 1957. He was the third of four children. He was raised in Flint along with his siblings, Charles, Gennois, and Deborah. He attended Jefferson Elementary School, Bryant Junior High School, and graduated from Flint Northwestern High School in 1975. 

Lamar reflected on how Flint was a factory town with most of the workers employed by General Motors. "For the most part, every family had someone that worked for GM back in the 70's," said Lamar. 

When he left Flint in 1978, the population was about 250,000 people with at least 70% of the workforce employed by General Motors. 

He moved to Greeley, Colorado in 1978. "A lot of people say that I am from Colorado when I didn't move there until I was 20 years old," said Lamar. He accepted Philip Trujillo's offer to move to Greeley and work as the manager of a truck stop while they trained powerlifting. 

In 1979, eight months later, Lamar moved to Denver, Colorado where he lived a year and a half before moving to Alabama. He began doing trade shows for Diversified Products in 1980. 

Terry and Jan Todd knew Lamar and were aware of his drug-free status. After discussing it with each other, Terry Todd approached Diversified Products about a job opportunity for Lamar in 1981. That same year Lamar moved to Opelika, Alabama after accepting a job offer from Cal James at Diversified Products. 

"I was extremely excited to find a job that was closer to my chosen career of powerlifting," said Lamar. He elaborated, "Whenever someone (Dick's Sporting Goods, Sears, Kmart, etc.) did over $100,000 worth of purchase, they had the option of me, Bill Kazmaier, and a lady named Linda Curry to come there and do a demonstration and give autographed photos. 

Besides his position with the sales and marketing team at . . . 

this has all been written before and can be found easily. 

Let's just skip to the training-related stuff: 

Lamar tried various training methods during his powerlifting career (owing to scoliosis bodybuilding was not an option; symmetry and all that), and explained that it's hard for him to credit just one regimen for his success. 

He explained how he followed a heavy 5-4-3-2-1 routine early in his career when he did plenty of singles. 

He then trained up to a triple for some time. 

Afterwards, he tried the program that Terry Todd gave powerlifters at Auburn University when he moved to Atlanta. While trying Todd's powerlifting regimen, he realized that he could make gains regardless of the program. 

"I FOUND FOR MYSELF, MORE THAN ANYTHING, IT'S THE STATE OF MIND, AND BEING PERSISTENT WITH BEING CONSISTENT," said Lamar. 

[Well, that's gonna make it tough to peddle the secrets to gaining strength preached by the million-and-half coach-roaches with the "right" way to do it. This shite ain't brain science or rocket surgery, contrary to what you may have been led to believe. Not much has really changed over time when it comes to using weights to do that; sure, they'll tell you it's complex, but it's not, not in the least. Fortunately, the body does not use words or speak in a language of symbols. It can only react to the stressors of resistance training and adapt. But where's the bucks in that! "Will hi-pulls help my deadlift?" Do them and find out. "How often should I bench heavy?" No idea about you, but I know how often I can. "Where should I lock the squat-bar on my back?" Maybe figure out what it is you want to gain from squatting and figure out what bar placement does that best for you? And on and on ad infinitum. The greatest things in Life do not come via silver spoon feedings. Honestly, I figure the best thing a coach can do, past the basics, real basics, is remind you not to bloody well think too damned much.]

His approach to training varied over the years. He trained to peak more often when he was young, and adjusted his approach to training as he aged and peaked more often. 

"I avoided doing singles in training as I got older," said Lamar. 

He wouldn't elaborate on his training because he plans to focus on training regimens in his next (next?) book.

Deals mainly with his all-around life and the ways he overcame to succeed as he desired, not a training book. More of an inspirational one. 

"A personal memoir exploring his childhood, his challenges and his ultimate triumphs."

However, he did share that he most enjoyed sets of 25 repetitions for about a month after during the off-season conditioning phase. 

Lamar is also a big proponent of rest and recovery. 

"After competing, I just wanted to give my body a rest. Sometimes I would take one or two weeks off. Sometimes I would take a month off. One time, I even took off for three months before I got back into training," said Lamar. 

[Some words on diet follow. Nothing new, other than the unwritten reminder that what works for one may not work as well for another when it comes to nutrition, what was once known as . . . wait for it . . . eating food.

A short, very short paragraph that uses the "you have to be persistent in being consistent in training" line again.

Around 50 words on making choices are next. "You can choose to be defeated or you can choose to overcome anything in this world." A rather naive view of disease and completely debilitating illness that, out of the blue, can ruin a person's chances of ever achieving what they once thought they could no matter how hard they attempt to. Why do people keep making these statements? Do they not know what that does to people who, no matter how hard they try and how consistent they are with say, trying to walk normally again, or think in any way considered rational and sane? Because they "choose" not to? Just toss trash on 'em all . . . they're not trying hard enough, right? But this ties in, of course, with the whole "mission statement" of this new mag reincarnation using the old and much-respected moniker. You can be young forever . . . and continue to make lifting progress into old age, and I don't mean 40 you bozo . . . providing you buy . . . no . . . please. Don't confuse this with lack of respect for a man's accomplishments, it's strictly being realistically objective, whatever that means nowadays when everyone is special and we all importantly mean so so very much.]

There it is . . . the new IronMan and the one article I wanted to read. Not much there for me at all . . . you decide for yourself, Sailor! Meantime . . . 

Enjoy Your Lifting!