The End of an Era

It is with the heaviest of hearts that we, the children of Robert O. Smith--original Bench Bozo, "Masked Avocado", Dr. Zingrr, Walter Wart the Freaky Frog, lifting legend and so much more--announce his untimely passing at the age of 67 from pancreatic and liver cancer. Unlike Ronnie James Dio, he was NOT--to the best of our knowledge--eaten by a dragon, but surely there was some strange "disturbance in the force" or cosmic kryptonite that finally brought down our very own superhero of a father.

His wishes were simple--no public memorial, no digital gold-plated turbo-casket with fine cordovan leather interior and motion-activated whirling Mercedes-Benz hood ornament. He requested cremation and a celebration of life among his closest friends.

If you would honor him, keep on doing what you do--bench with the best of your ability and passion, striving ever toward bigger and better lifts, or create art and sound, inspired by his memory. We will keep that memory alive and continue to update Bench Bozo and All Hail Thorndike Pickledish, sharing images and his original drawings from a lifetime dedicated to lifting and creativity. Our thanks to all who knew, loved, and shared that dedication with him. We will love and miss him always.

-Justine Wintersmith and Zach Monroe

I 'Bulkius...'

As an insecure teen-I longed to be Bulky like the guys on the Muscle magazine covers...I tried light rubberband training--exercise balls-I wore a HEADBAND..and leotards---I worked on my core and ...NUTHIN !!

OH when would I become massive, and thrill the girls on the beach?? well, it wasn't happening and I started going crazy !!!

Then I did simple movements with heavy barbells--like Doug Hepburn or Reg Park did--you know key power moves 5 reps 5 sets...I upped my protein and B6/enzymes--and soon..I was on page 600 of Joseph Weakers Muscle and Fatness...altho the picture was the size of a postage stamp--it was of me benching 578.. in the too fat to be alive--small guy class..dwarf toss division !
below I pose triumphantly !!

Once I had my start... and first recognition...I went hard and heavy and simple, in my training and soon I looked like THIS (below)

Now everywhere I go--people gather and give me these admiring glances...

.....ulp.....those are 'ADMIRING' glances...aren't they ??

Mass ! PUT ON!!

Need to Gain BIG MASS?? Did you know with Bloatmax QuikGain Protein powder you can gain 10 pounds of solid Rhino flesh in 10 days?

YES Each scoop contains 1200 calories of
atomic amino grubbing-
polypeptide pounding protein

ready to go to work for you !!

It's simple--with just 4 scoops a day --you PACK on the calories that puts on the weight like magic !!
ONLY 4 scoops you say?? --why how is that possible?
OUR Scoops are the size of J'Lo's Butt !!


Lifting4 of these scoops daily alone--will up your precious "CURL" poundage by 5 pounds a week---and getting our 45 pound tub of protein home alone, will UP your cardio for a trimmer waist !With a name like Bloatmax we should be manufacturing pre-fab prison lunches...but we're not
because we care about your powerlifting and physique pruning goals...plus, we're sure you can't put a hit on us like the guys in the slammer can--remember--our MASS powder comes with a money back guarantee from any of our non existant 'cover company' addresses, so send a letter today to Katchusifyoucan Alaska with any complaints or random rat hair counts..

and with 4 scoops a day---happy muscle building...and rhapsodic farting !!


our 35 pound tub contains 12 servings

Characters (drawings) by robo in ZBrush and"Painter"

I lift in single ply Titan Gear.........

I lift in single ply Gear..but my training partner prides himself in lifting RAW !

click on toon for larger version

I miss my deltoids...

Bad NEWS !! I'm back from my cancer operation..and it didn't go as planned...the doctor had to abort the idea of a whipple procedure (100% cure) due to new cancer found next to the pancreas..so I'm stuck with recovering from an "Alternate" operation..THEN starting a new fight for the main problem after I'm back to where was before the 'cutting' began...most of all I miss my mass...my arms are ET like --my waist droops like Roger the Alien on American Dad..and my once cannonball/shotput like deltoids are like robin eggs...see above..

Here is a sketch I did of myself in the hospital...sadly it looks just like me..
The weight loss from the lack of appetite from the operation and the meds making me wanna hurl...have left me as saggy as a 100 year old testicle

Altho my prognosis isn't great for the future...and maybe Bench Pressing will fall by the wayside..I still will give it the good fight--but my record breaking hopes for the WABDL Worlds in Las Vegas are most surely down the drain..

Meanwhile from some truly great emails from Ron Moormeister, it looks like there is a NEW very close contender for the 600 lb bench press at over 60...Ron's workouts lately are astonishing and I see him being the fresh contender for this milestone...keep your eyes on USPF meets in California to see his next new numbers.

PLUSA --Ron Fernando has an iron game legends article in Powerlifting USA magazine--in the latest issue he does one of the best most concise Doug Hepburn overviews I've ever seen..if you subscribe be sure to read this great legends section...it is accurate and inspiring...

meanwhile Bench Bozo is doing his best to hang on--

load the bar to-----'the bar'?

(45 pounds--joke)

Wolbers makes the cut !!

The 2009 WABDL Worlds has been over since October -- BUT Powerlifting USA magazine has extensive coverage and a huge front page COVER of the meet in it's February 2010 issue on stands now...

I got a paragraph mentioning my easy time winning, and my 578.5 bench WR earlier in the year..my close attempts with 600 in the past and Gus also outlined that I had been an olympic style lifter in 1964 (it's actually 1958 thru 1962--winning AAU USA teen nationals in 1960) Gus has most of his 5000 lifters memorized, and he is usually right on, or very close in his memory..

He mentioned the nice lifting and victories of Canada's Warren Orr... and of Nancy Carpenter --altho she is now 54 --he had her at 51 ...if you read this HUGE article on the event you'll see why once every million words ..there is a 'molecule' sized error due to the magnitude of the article...all in all a SUPER report...

...even making an other fed jealous enough to complain on the Outlaw Powerlifting web forum --it's easy to guess who the 'anonymous ' who started the 'anti' thread was --strange that the "Outlaws" didn't see this as what it was..jealousy and fear of losing lots of lifters in a particular state (and it's affiliated World Body)...rather than the purported gripe about PLUSA itself that they described it as...

ON to GOOD News !! Jon Wolbers of Abbotsford BC got his picture in the report and GREAT PRAISE for his astounding 600.7 DEADLIFT and World 1st place ranking

Jon --bottom row--3rd from left....

Jon Pulled 600 with ease ! Congratulations Jon !! I'm super proud to lift with you on team BC ! Congratulations on your numbers in both the bench and the deadlift.

...Yesterday was a work out at Nancy's...after many months of laying off (doctors orders) I found I was only about capable of a bodyweight Bench...so taking it easy --I did 20 sets or so, but I did mostly a tonus workout with the team, as it is 11 days before my 'whipple procedure'--so I'll be out of touch with you til end of March or early April...

So here at Bench Bozo the fry window is closed for awhile but if you want a huge order of fries you'd better speak into the clowns nose now !

Well DAMN New Edit Feb 15

There is a Main page Power ARCHIVE click here with 600 pictures and contest reports since 2003--this is in effect while I recover from my surgery and will be sidelined from lifting--many lifters are featured, maybe you are among the photos- click it -unless of course, you just came from there (double link)

So the being orange...was a liver bile duct blockage caused by cancer on the pancreas ..and with weight loss of 58 pounds ( The Bench Bozo Death diet) I knew it was time to take my doctors ( I now have 5 doctors) advice..so there has been NO training for me at all for about 6 weeks now...

So IF you are used to checking this space for my workout log -or reports of getting really good old geezer bench presses of 578 or the like...or the one time 600 that the judges did not pass..or meet pictures and the like...I think that will be postponed for awhile while I recover.

I was going to state a 'tongue in cheek' BRAG that I'm so tough --I benched my 578 at 66 (June 2009- Portland) with a 1.8 cm cancer...is there a Guiness book of records category for that...wait that IS too much ...I retract that 'thought bubble'


Yes, I will be having an operation March 3 rd--to grab a tumor from my Pancreas..and that IS the good news...because according to all the CT scans, Endoscopic Ultrasounds and other radioactive snapshots they have of me--I have a liver up roar caused by a Pancreas tumor that is in the OPEN to be snatched away, so in a 6 hour operation called the Whipple Procedure...no bozo will need be bald headed....indications are that the Whipple works 99% of the time...My doctor seems to think a guy like me should have an easy operation and a 3 month recovery. so Bozo's site will be fairly quiet til April.

Then what?--I will slowly resume training and try to hit the WABDL Worlds in November --there are lots of records to be broken...and I have lots of goals for then....then what about benchbozos very own brag a thon?? --I will occasionally come here to report any big ol thing that happens in iron sport--or let you know how I am doing --meanwhile..so this blog is not JUST about "whining"

BIG CONGRATULATIONS

go to my email pal

and Champ many times over


Mr Ron Moormeister --He lifted some incredible record breaking weight in the LA Fit expo last weekend--HE benched 4 attempts and four were for new USPF American and California State records. As planned he opened with 220kg. and blew up 230kg., 237.5kg., and 243,kg. The last three were competition PR's, and the last one was an anytime, anyplace PR.for Ron.. The three judges are noted for being very strict, and are qualified international officials... those being Steve Denison, Scott Layman, and Jim Merlino. The cool thing... He got 12 white lights... i.e. there were no questions about the quality of the lifts.
Ron also got Best lifter among the best masters in the league..YOU DA MAN RON !!!
here is his victory pic --he's the distinguished one with the medal..

RON got BIG PRESS at Powerlifting Watch dot com--but I was first to break the news...to my loyal Bozo ites...