Bill Carpenter has made great strides in the sport and continues to go further and is going the distance. I've kept in constant contact with Bill and I know that Bill has changed up his training quite a bit and has successfully hit not only 700 but hit 722 as well at the Bench Bash for Cash. Folks, it's quite an honor to even share emails with Bill let alone do a third interview. Want to know what his secret was to doing that? Read on, because Bill is heading to 750 and then, 800!

PART ONE Curtis Dennis: Thanks for a chance to interview you, Bill. Please give the readers a description of yourself?
Bill Carpenter: Well I am 5'10" 240 lb. I am a Fitness Director at John Deere and a Personal Trainer. I am married to a beautiful girl named Molly for 7 years now. I have two awesome kids. Kayla who is 11 and Billy who is 3. I live in a small city Dubuque, Iowa.

CD: How long have you been into power lifting?
BC: I started competing in the bench when I was around 16 years old. So I would say around 14 years now.

CD: Have you always been strong?
BC: I started lifting when I was 10 years old. I would always read Muscle and Fitness mag, Power lifting USA mag. I wanted to be a BB when I was a kid. I looked up to Arnold . As I got older, I realized how much stronger I was then kids my age on different lifts, Especially the bench.

CD: Tell us about your childhood and how you got into power lifting?
BC: I didn't have a great child hood. My mom and dad got a divorce when I was 4. My mom was not around a lot. An her family didn't treat us very good either. So my older brother and me kind of raised ourselves. Being that we didn't have a dad around to stick up for us. I wanted to be big and strong, kind of sad, but we fought a lot when we were kids and lifting weights was a way to get bigger and stronger than the other kids!! Plus I thought it was cool how Arnold looked and he would kick everybody's ass! LOL! He never lost! LOL!

CD: Name some of your other feats of strength?
BC: My best lift at 220 lb. Class is 630. I have won 3 national and 3 world titles. An several best lifter awards! Bench America was the top of the list though. Beating the best from different federations is icing on the cake!

CD: How do you think you stack up against other power lifters in the sport?
BC: I would say for as long as I have been in the sport and the several big meets, not back yard meets that I have won leaves me as one of the best benchers at my weight classes!

CD: Do you believe with the arrival of professional power lifting, that power lifting is moving in the right direciton?
BC: Yes, personally I could care less about the Olympics! I think Pro is the way to go. I feel the pro meets are more entertaining to the public and bring more interest to be on TV. The WPO puts on some good shows and money! It is not cheap traveling all over the place to compete. We need to start getting sponsors for the lifters. An the more people who watch lifting on TV are going to help bring the big sponsors in!

CD: What did you think about competing in the Bench America contest?
BC: I loved competing in it. I like how the lifters got to vote on the rules. An the rules were enforced. I have been to other meets and they do not enforce the shirt rule. Bench America did! I think this helped me a lot, because I have always competed in a double denim shirt. An I proved my self at a high caliber meet like BA with a PR of 680 at a bwt of 639. An winning the best heavy weight lifter award was awesome. I love giving Scot Mendelson shit! I think I beat him for best lifter now like 4 times! You will have to ask him!

CD: Do you think the Bench America has changed the sport?
BC: Yes, it was awesome. The introduction made me almost cry it was that awesome! You don't understand how much benching means to me. Then to get a chance to beat the best at my weight class! That is all I have ever wanted! The show and the crowd were great! It has definitely changed the sport! I have heard nothing but cool things after people in my city seen the meet on Fox Sports Net. That means there is interest there. So they are going to want to film more meets and play them on TV!

CD: I've always preach about having training partners. Do you have any training partners?
BC: Yes, I have awesome training partners. I have 4 guys that are constantly there on my heavy Bench Days. Helping with lift offs and boards! Great support too! Their Awesome! After BA, I had a big party and bought them all steaks, potatoes and alcohol!

CD: Who did you look up to when you were coming up as a power lifter?
BC: Kind of Ted Arcidi, mostly guys at the local Y. Our Y is awesome it is like a dungeon full of power lifters. When I was Kid I would be like holy shit these guys are strong! Big influence on me. Kind of cool, because they all support me now in my lifting!

CD: What was one of the challenges of coming up as a power lifter?
BC: To be the best. I don't like being second to no one. If you settle for second then why even compete! Winning is everything. And I will train till I am the best and keep proving it time and time again!

CD: Tell us about your training and how you prepare for competitions?
BC: I train very heavy. I use a lot of board presses raw and with a shirt. When I prepare for a meet, I gradually take away boards each week till the week out I use no boards. This training has worked for me for a long time.

CD: Does your training differ from in-season to off-season?
BC: I train like a BB on my off-season to strengthen my joints!!

CD: What supplements do you take?
BC: Brian at Nutribodies gives me the top of the line products. My favorite is 1-tu and Pro-complex protein from Optimum . I take a lot of MSM, flax seed oil, fish oil, vitamin C, Multivitamin.

CD: What do you think of power lifters today? Any that stick out in your mind?
BC: I think todays power lifters are pretty cool guys. I went to BA not knowing what these other guys from different feds were going to be like. When I met a lot of them. They were cool as hell, and very supportive of the other lifters. Good people!

CD: What would you say to a novice lifter or to a lifter whose just starting out in power lifting?
BC: Don't give up. Strength will come with proper training and eating! Get advice from top lifters not guys that don't compete and obviously don't know what they are talking about! Stay Positive!

CD: What do you think of the sport of power lifting and its lifters in general?
BC: I love the sport of power lifting and even support my competition, but I think there is too much bickering between federations. I think a lot of federations are getting jealous of other ones making the limelight. So they cut down the president and the lifters to make them selves feel better! I never understood this. But basically it is jealousy! There are great guys in power lifting, but there is also some serious asshole jealous ones too!

CD: Does physical strength run in your family?
BC: Yes, my dad was pretty built. Was an all-state wrestler only lost once in his wrestling career. My brother played football and other sports, my uncles were all wrestlers and pretty big guys.

CD: What would you suggest to someone on how to getting stronger?
BC: Find someone who knows what there talking about. Have them write you up a routine for strength. Eat right, take supplements and you are on the right path to getting stronger!

CD: What's next for you?
BC: Bench Bash for Cash. I will break Kenny Patterson's WPO 242 record 701. I know that sounds arrogant, but I am telling you my training is going good and I will break it!

CD: Is there anything else you like to mention to our readers here at planetrage.com?
BC: Get out and support power lifting go to local and big meets. Lets get power lifting on TV all the time! Power lifting is coming out of the dungeons and into the mainstream of things. And it is about time!

CD: Thank you for taking the time to do this interview.
BC: Thanks!

PART TWO
Curtis Dennis: Please re-introduce yourself, Bill.
Bill Carpenter: My name is Bill Carpenter. I live in Dubuque, Iowa. I am 30 years old. I have been competing in power lifting for 13 years. I lift in the APF/WPO in the 242 lb. class. I have several wins and best lifter awards. 3 National and 3 World Championships. My best bench lift in the 220 class is 630 lb. and in the 242 class 722 lb. WPO 242 Record.

CD: How has your training been since the last interview?
BC: My training is going good. I had some shoulder pain after the WPO Bench Bash in September. I took a couple months off of the Heavy lifting and did some Bodybuilding exercises to get my shoulder to heal up. In another week, I will be putting the shirt back on and getting ready for the Arnold Classic WPO Bench meet.

CD: Recently you benched 700 and 722, how does it feel? BC: It feels awesome. I have been chasing Kenny Patterson's WPO 242 Record of 701 for two years. I was hitting it in practice (705), but every time I got to a meet I was sick from the flu and lost my power! I knew this was it for me! I could tell when I was warming up it was going to be a good meet. The weight felt really light.
I had to open with 702 and break the record with my first lift. All the shit talking was done. Time to prove I can do this weight. I ended up doing 702 my first attempt. Then went to 722, I did that easier than the 702. My last attempt was 744 and I almost locked it! The thing that is scary, I never handle this weight in practice. The highest I ever went in practice was 705. I think the hits to the face from Bill Crawford gave me a little extra power!

CD: Was your training any different prior to your last meet?
BC: Yes, I added a raw work out day. Board and rack lockouts. This really helped my top end power. I also listened to Scot Mendelson and quit doing heavy shoulder presses. I completely quit doing front delts 10 weeks out from the WPO Bench Bash for Cash. I was over training my front delts. I made sure to really hit my rear delts. This helped my bench go way up!

CD: How was Bill Crawford helpful in your training?
BC: Bill Crawford is an awesome guy. This guy talks to me every week on the phone. He helps me with all my training questions. Helps me when I get frustrated with my workouts. Supports me when I want to call it quits because of lagging injuries.
I would say he is one of my best friends. I have really got to know Bill in the last year. He really is a great guy. If you are a bencher and you want to become the best. Talk to Bill or go train with him. I guarantee your bench will go up fast!

CD: Do you think using bench shirts are cheating?
BC: Absolutely "NO." How can it be cheating when the other lifters are under the same rules as you? I get sick of the crybabies of this sport. "Shut the Fuck up and bench!" That is one of my favorite sayings!
I challenge anybody in my weight class to out bench me with the same shirt I wear! Then tell me it is cheating! When you ask what I get out of my shirt. I will tell you 722 as of now! PERIOD! Raw benching is going to get you nowhere but injured. Do you really think I would have lasted in this sport 13 years now if I competed RAW? NO!

CD: What is your view on training in equipment and learning them?
BC: You need to train in a bench shirt at least 10 weeks out from a meet. Don't train raw, then 3 weeks out throw a shirt on. You need to learn the groove of your shirt. When you bench with a denim shirt, you have to tuck your elbows in close at the bottom.
It is a whole different way to bench with a denim shirt then to bench raw. Work that shirt till it begs you to stop! I am serious, get to know that shirt like it is your best friend! By meet time you will hit some big numbers.

CD: After Bench America, who do you feel are the best lifters out there now?
BC: Bench America really proved nothing. Yes, I feel in my weight class all the best lifters were there. And it did feel good winning it. But in the other classes you had some top lifters missing. Plus lifters forced to lift in other weight classes that they don't lift in. I will never compete in Bench America again after I found out the hidden agenda of the promoter. I was sent personal attacks on my e-mail from the promoter after the meet. I think the promoter is very unhappy he placed 3rd. So he wants to change the rules to benefit himself. But that's another interview.

Best benchers to date:

Heavy Weights: Bill Crawford, Scot Mendelson, Gene Rychlak, Ryan Kennelly, Shawn Lattimer, Bobby Fields.

Middle Weights: Jesse Kellum, George Halbert, Jeff McVicar, and Kenny Patterson.

Light Weights: August Clark, Tina Rinehart, Joe Mazza, Nick Hatch, Fred Boldt.

I am sure I am forgetting a few others. There are so many strong guys out there right now. Hard to keep track of them all.

CD: How do you feel about Gene Rychlak doing 900 on the bench? Do you think the standards went up? (Gene's bench video can be seen here: www.rychlakpowersystems.com)
BC: Yes, standards have went up! I watched the lift on video of the 900. It was very clean and Bill Crawford was head judge. He made Gene hold the weight for a couple extra seconds at lock out to make sure no one could say he didn't lock the weight out. Excellent job on Gene's part!

CD: What was your nutrition like prior to your last competition?
BC: Nutribodies.com sponsors me. Brian Putchio who owns and runs Nutribodies does all my nutrition for my meets. Brian is very knowledgeable and will help you out to best he can. Great guy! I basically eat 5 meals a day. Supplementing Optimum Pro Complex protein for two of the meals. I take top of the line pro-hormones supplied by Nutribodies.

CD: Any ideas on how you're going to make your trek to 800 bench now?
BC: 800! Wow, you are asking a lot of me! LOL! I think I need to get 750 first. Then I will set my goals on 800. I do think it is reachable though!

CD: Is there anyone you would like to thank right now?
BC: Definitely my wife Molly, two kids Billy & Kayla for the support, My dad Dennis & Grandfather Bill for the Genetics and strength, Bill Crawford for the training tips and being a good friend, Injun Chong my chiropractor, weight lifting partner & good friend for all the positive energy, and Kieran Kidder for the great meets he runs!
Many more friends that I have not mentioned that know who they are! Thank you! CD: Thank You for doing this second interview Bill, You one stand-up lifter! BC: Thanks Curtis. You are one good lifter and guy yourself! Good to see a guy do these interviews like you are! Keep it up! It is cool to see what lifters have to say!

Until next time, stay big!!