Name: Jon Deutsch

Age: 25

Location: I live in Canonsburg Pennsylvania just south of Pittsburgh

Home Gym: I train and work at Canon Fitness

Sponsors: Unfortunately none at the moment, but I am loyal to certain companies regardless of the sponsorship.  I use Titan and APT and that won’t change.

Gear: Titan Centurion squat suit, Titan NXG legged briefs, Titan F6, Titan Velocity deadlift suit, APT Strangulator and Black Mamba knee wraps and wrist wraps, and APT 10mm, 13mm, and bench belts.  I currently train all single ply with hopes to move into a double ply squat suit next year.  I will be staying with the single ply bench shirt and deadlift suit though, regardless of the disadvantage. I did 3 meets with the USPF from November 2008-April 2009 before Matt McCase stepped down.  As a drug free powerlifter I plan to move on to the WNPF, WABDL, and the IPA amateur division next year.

Best Meet Lifts to Date: My best meet was the USPF Works Fitness World meet in New Martinsville WV. I squatted 491, benched 391, and deadlifted 523 totaling 1405lbs at a bodyweight of 223lbs.  My best bench to date though was at the ICG Bench Bash were I pressed 425lbs on my second attempt just missing 450 on my 3^rd.

How did you get started in Powerlifting?: I got my start originally by doing more bodybuilding workouts, but always did the 3 main  lifts more like a powerlifter in the 4 to 6 rep range, expect for squatting which would range from 5 reps to 25 reps.  I was still focused more on size back then and didn’t really worry about the weight on the bar.  I was looking at different ways to gain strength when I stumbled upon a Westside Barbell article.  From there I read everything that I could get my hands on about powerlifting and strength training.  I read all Louie Simmons articles over and over again, along with everything on EliteFTS, Powerlifting USA, Ed Coan and more.

Of all the sports out there...why powerlifting?: Powerlifting is a sport that I am really proud to be a part of, even as an unknown right now.  When you read forums you always see guys talking BS about others lifts and lifters, but as a whole there are some really good men and women in the sport.  A few years back talking with some bodybuilders you get the sense that they are only in it for themselves.  This is not always the case, but I have found many to be reluctant to help others.  In powerlifting I have found guys more with the same thought pattern that I have.  If somebody, male or female, young or old, comes into the gym with questions about strength training, form, and theories, or technical issues, I always jump at the chance to help them.  When lifting first started the only way a newbie learned anything was when a guy much stronger took them under their wing and showed them the ropes.  This is something that I have tried to bring back to the gym and powerlifting has helped me do that.

What is your basic training layout?: My basic training layout has evolved a lot over the years starting with Westside and moving on.  Right at the moment I am mixing 2 methods.  The first for my bench is the ICG training methods.  With the help of Jeff Begue and Chane Cline I have been able to put 40lbs on my raw bench and 35lbs on my shirted bench.  For my squat and deadlift training I have been successfully using the Ed Coan training methods.  This method is long and drawn out, but normally always consists of 10 or 11 week cycles starting with 2 sets of 8 reps on week 1 and then ending with a new 1 rep max on week 10 or 11.  At the end of the cycle the average gains we have seen in the gym are about 30lbs.  The other part of the Ed Coan method that I appreciate is the high volume bodybuilding style training for the squat and deadlift.  I have been able to gain some size and conditioning while getting much stronger. My general weekly layout is like this: Monday - Squat,

Wednesday – Bench, Thursday – Shoulders, Friday – Deadlift, Saturday – Light Bench/Triceps

One exercise I can't do without is...? For as much as everybody hates squatting it’s a movement I love.  When I was bodybuilding I would do sets of 225-250 in the 15-25 rep range.  Within a short time my legs were 28” and I could not fit into jeans anymore.  I would lay off squatting and legs in general for months at a time and training just felt empty, but if I didn’t do it my legs would dwarf my upper body.  When I got into powerlifting I knew that naturally I had strong legs and this would be the key for big totals.  Now, I squat on Monday and by Tuesday I can’t wait to squat again.

What would you say is your strongest lift and why? For as much as I love squatting and would do it daily, my strongest lift is the deadlift.  Within the last 2 years I have messed around with pulling both conventional and sumo.  I liked pulling with the wider stance, but felt like there were too many technical variables in the lift.  I started to do my speed pulls all sumo and all my heavy work conventional and in the last year I finally started to notice a difference in my numbers.  Training my conventional deadlift weekly is also a huge reason as to why it is my strongest lift.  Not knocking the Westside approach, but only doing light speed pulls weekly and heavy pulls maybe once a month I wasn’t getting anywhere.  With a progressive approach I was able to get my form down better and take it to the next level. 

What or Who would you say has had the biggest influence on your lifting career?: As professionals go I have not really met anybody until just a few months ago.  Jeff Begue and Chane Cline have really helped and given me the confidence that I needed to get ahead in my lifts.  I was always worried about the weight on the bar crushing me, but when somebody actually told me that I was cutting myself short I changed everything and just went for new goals with out that fear.  I now know that I can set big goals and reach them with proper training.  The other person is my girlfriend that I have been with for 3 years.  Regardless of how boring a meet is to watch, she has supported me the entire time.  She has helped with hotels, driving, enrollment, and much more just to allow me the time to get on the platform.

What has been your biggest accomplishment or most memorable moment to this point?: My accomplishments have never really been that worthy, but the most memorable moment was talking to Jim Hoskinson at the Works Fitness Meet.  I was talking to him about training and the outstanding numbers he hit that day and when the conversation ended he said that it was an honor talking to me.  Knowing what he has done I think it was the other way around, but some advice he gave was really helpful and I did really well that day.

If you could train anywhere, with anyone, where would it be?: I have only trained at 1 other gym in the last 2 years and that was Iron Chamber in Canton Ohio.  I was only there visiting for the day, but that was the most motivational environment that I have witnessed first hand.  The crew they work with has no choice but to get stronger and that is something that I want to bring to my crew, the South of Heaven Power Team.  Now to answer the question, I would continue to train at Canon Fitness with my guys.  There are some equipment issues that I need to attend to, but we are still a team.  The success of my team and my gym comes first in my book. 

Tell us about "South Of Heaven" powerlifting team.: The South of Heaven Power Team came to life starting with both Andy Papak and I.  I was helping him at the Pittsburgh Monsters of the Bench Press/Deadlift competition in March 2009 and a small conversation turned into a team.  We had trained together quite a few times in the past and when I had the idea of starting a home gym he was on board with me.  College got in the way for a while, but the love of the sport got training back in order, this time at Canon Fitness.  We had an idea immediately of the other team members, but the only guys consistently training were us.  Within a few months we recruited a few new guys bringing the total to 5.  I am the only one training in gear while the others are raw.  As a team we have done great working together.  They help me get in my gear and coach me along, while I help them with programming, form, and other technical issues.  The main goal of the team is training to become as strong as we can be, but also take others in and help them with their strength training goals even if they are outside of the competitive powerlifting world.  As long as they show up to train and take the time to help out the team members when we need them, they can be part of the South of Heaven Team.  Right now, one team member is a local football player, Ryan Hurka, that has been training with us and getting much stronger showing tremendous gains.  Surprisingly he only weighs about 150lbs.  He recently has voiced his opinion of wanting to compete with us, so I feel things are heading in the right direction.

You were awarded Member of the Month by the Panel here at ThePowerlifting.com, anything you would like to say to them?: I would like to say thank you to the panel that awarded me the first Member of the Month.  I really appreciate all the help I have received by everybody here.  You made this site with a goal in mind of making all of us as strong as can be, and I feel you have been very successful with that.  The advice that you give daily and the time you take out of your schedule to answer all the questions make the site priceless to up and coming lifters like myself.  Thanks again.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or mention?: I think that I mentioned everybody in this interview, but again I would like to thank my girl Andrea for her support and understanding when it comes to training, my parents, the South of Heaven Power Team (Andy Papak, Adam, Andrew, Geoff, Shawn, Ryan, Aaron) for never giving up and always surpassing their goals, Jeff and Chane from the Iron Chamber Gym in Canton Ohio, and the other members on the forum for helping me fix my flaws daily.