Wisconsin Powerlifting News, Volume 2, Issue 7, December 11th, 2010, Page 2
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Ken Kaiser PRO Power Sports Lifter - A "Pro" In Every Sense Of The Word
by Job Hou-Seye

Ken Kaiser has been a supporter of NASA Power Sports for a number of years.  He did quite well in this year's PRO Power Sports Meet, on Sunday, October 17th, finishing 2nd Place in the Lightweight Curl Division, with a 165.35 Lbs. Strict Curl, which was 99.31% of his bodyweight.  As a 10 year Veteran of NASA, and a recent PRO Lifter, Ken seemed like a good choice for our National Inteview in the month of December.

Job: When  did you get started in lifting and what was your motivation to become a lifter?
 
Ken: I've lifted as training for other sports since 1975 (although coaches were not nearly as knowledgeable about strength training back in those days-My high school basketball coach wouldn't let us lift at all during the season and didn't want us doing any upper body work ever, as he said it would , "mess up our shooting touch".  In 2000 I was lifting in a Bench Press for Easter Seals fund raiser.  Jim McDermott came up to me and told me that the weight I'd just lifted would be a state record and invited me to the next NASA meet.  I took him up on the invite and at 40 years of age competed in my 1st sanctioned meet.
 
Job: How is your training different for each meet?
 
Ken: My training doesn't really differ from meet to meet.  I think that consistency in training is a big key to success. I do deadlifts, back and light curls on Mondays.  Heavy BP, triceps and abs on Tuesdays.  Squats and legs on Thursdays.  Light BP and shoulders on Friday.  Heavy curls and abs on Saturday.  My only real concession to age is that I used to build up to meets in 12-16 week cycles without any breaks, now I fit in deload weeks every 4 weeks or so depending on how I feel.
 
Job: Do you have anybody that you consider to be a lifting mentor or somebody who motivates you?
 
Ken: Jim McDermott is the guy who got me started in powerlifting and Power Sports.  He is Mr. Powerlifting in Colorado and is a mentor and coach to any lifter who wants to get better and is humble enough to listen.  Colorado is blessed to have many great lifters who are always there to motivate and encourage other lifters; lifters like: Casey Brown, Todd Campbell, Larry Dennis, Richard Byers, Roland Saffy, Dennis Peters, John Lynn, Tony Scott, Mary Hetzel, Krystie Hughes, Heena Patel, Richard Herrera, Matt Cussins, Jeff Miller, James Whitbread and the Hood family.
 
Job: Where do you like to train and why?
 
Ken: I train in my basement.  I like it for a few reasons. First nobody tells me that I can't use chalk or that my rack pulls are too noisy for the spandex, fern and chrome crowd.  Mostly I like it because I can train whenever I want.  With two daughters in middle school and our oldest and her husband just around the corner with our granddaughter (and one on the way) our life can be pretty busy so being able to train at home is really handy. 
 
Job: Is there a retired lifter, or somebody who is still lifting, who you consider to be your idol?
 
Ken: Idol is a really strong word, I would say that only Jesus Christ is worthy of being idolized.  That being said there are definitely lifters that I admire and aspire to be like; Jim McDermott, Casey Brown, Terry Hedrick, Mike Ewoldsen, Mary Hetzel, Heena Patel and John Lynn.  I have a great respect for anyone who is willing to train hard and then get on the platform and compete.  There are lots of people running around saying, "I can bench 300 pounds" or, "In High School  I could squat that much" or "I could do that if I wanted to".  The people who deserve respect are those who do their best, those who don't just talk the talk but who prove it on the platform. 
 
Job: How has being a strength athlete affected your personal life ?
 
Ken: I think that being a strength athlete affects everything that you do.  Setting goals, working your plan, being consistent, giving it your all in training and on the platform; I believe these things develop character and help you to be more successful in everything that you do in life including your profession and your relationships with others.  Being strong physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually takes dedication, commitment and persistence.  Anything worth having is worth working for.
 
Job: What are your personal goals over the next year or two?
 
Ken: Most importantly to be a better person, a better husband, a better father, a better grandpa and a better friend.  In lifting my goals for this year are to break my World Records in the Bench Press and curl, deadlift over 400 pounds and total over 1000 in unequipped. 
 
Job: What is your favorite lifting event(curls, squat, benchpress, deadlift)?
 
Ken: If I had to pick one lift I'd say the curl.  I broke the American record in the curl three times in my very first meet and have set numerous American and World records in that lift over the past 10 years.  I was one of the first NASA lifters to curl over body weight.  And while there are probably some guys I don't know about, along with another Colorado lifter, Dan Wagman, I am the only Master 2 lifter I know who curls over body weight.  In my last meet I curled 171 pounds at a body weight of 163, which is not too bad for a skinny old grandpa.  Although I'm not good at it at all I also enjoy the Squat, for really different reasons.  In 1993 I totally destroyed my knee playing basketball.  After many hours of surgery, replacement cadaver ligaments and hardware installation I was told that there where things in my knee that just couldn't be repaired.  The surgeon and physical therapist both told me that I would always have trouble with my knee and I would never even be able to squat down to pick something up off of the floor.  In 1996 I tore the ACL in my "good knee" and never had it repaired.  So being able to squat, even though it's just over 300 pounds, feels like a big success. 
 
Job: What are your personal bests in the gym and your personal bests in a meet?
 
Ken: Years ago I did a double body weight raw BP of 305 at a body weight of 150. Since I started competing at the age of 40 my best lifts in the gym are: Curl-180, Squat-325, BP-290, Deadlift-400.  My best lifts in a meet are Curl-176, Squat-320, BP-281, and Deadlift 391.
 
Job: Where has been your favorite place to travel to, and compete, in a meet?
 
Ken: To this point the only place I've lifted outside of Colorado has been Oklahoma.  So I'll say Oklahoma.
 
Job: What is your philosophy on training or where do you get your training tips?
 
Ken: Knowledge is power.  When I started out I bought Rich Peters' training tapes for the Squat, BP and Deadlift and they have been invaluable.  I typically read 2-3 book on powerlifting/strength training every year.  There is always great info on the NASA forums.  I also check out stuff on the internet, but you need to be really careful as anyone can pass themselves off as an expert and lots of the info is geared to lifters who are taking steroids and other illegal drugs.   I guess my philosophy is work hard and be consistent.  Everyone needs to take the basic scientific tenants (again see Rich's tapes) and fit them into what works for them personally. 
 
Job: Currently, do you have "rival" lifter who you would like to defeat on the platform?
 
Ken: Not really. In fact one of the things I love about this sport is that your real competition is yourself.  Trying to get better and beating your own PRs, is for me anyway, what this sport is all about.
 
Job: What is your opinion of the recent PRO Meet?
 
Ken: It was an awesome event.  What a great opportunity it was for me to get to compete with some great lifters. I'd like to thank Rich and Tad Peters, JT Hall and all the sponsors who made this event possible.  What a joy it was for a very average lifter like me to be able to lift with true legends like Terry Hedrick and Casey Brown and the young studs like Charlie Harris, Nate Cahna and Vashon Perryman (and in true NASA fashion all of these guys are great human beings and true sportsmen).  I especially enjoyed the format this year of the light and heavy divisions.  I can't say enough about how top notch this event was (the fact that I won $650.00 didn't hurt my opinion of the event either).
 
Job: If there is a 2011 PRO Meet, do you plan to compete again?
 
Ken: I hope to but it is dependent on where it is held and what my schedule is like. Whether I compete or not I will purchase a Pro card to support the meet.
 
Job: The NASA Leadership has suggested that the PRO Meet could be improved, and the prize money increased, if every PRO Lifter from this year's PRO Meet would enlist 3 Lifters from back home to buy PRO Cards.  What do you think of this idea?
 
Ken: Great idea! Rich and the Executive Committee do so much for the lifters, it's time for the lifters to step up and give back to the organization.  If the lifters want NASA to continue to flourish, to be the best powerlifting organization in the world, then they need to support it.
 
Job: Please discuss any topic we haven't touched on or anything you want people to know about you that we haven't discussed?
 
Ken: I guess I'd like to end with a plug for NASA.  It is the greatest powerlifting organization in the world.  NASA is based on family values, honesty, loyalty and it is run to benefit the lifters not to put money in the pockets of the meet directors.  You absolutely have to love that fact that NASA lifters are drug free.  Young athletes can look to NASA for role models who prove that you don't need steroids or other drugs to be strong.
 
Finally Job, I want to thank you for the opportunity to be interviewed, it's quite an honor.  I enjoy the Wisconsin Powerlifting News and admire all that you do to promote the great sport of powerlifting.  Thank you.  To all the lifters: train hard, be strong, and God bless.