I was fortunate enough to become acquainted with Frantz in 1972. He was in the 198 pound class and looked like a body builder and that is because he was. This was back when the sport was “ONE”; physique, power and Olympic lifting all governed by one federation, the AAU. Ernie competed successfully in all three disciplines. Ernie was and is an innovator in our sport. His gym in Aurora Illinois has been in operation since 1964.
Ernie will be 72 years this May. He helped form the WPC, World Powerlifting Congress. The WPC at one time was the largest international federation for powerlifting. I traveled to South Africa and England for the WPC World Championships; I also lifted in the Worlds in Vegas and Columbus, Ohio. I won 4 world titles with the WPC during the time that Ernie was the President of the organization. I saw the federation grow, fade and grow again.
Ernie Frantz receives Outstanding Lifter award from
meet director Les Cramer at the Nationals in Pensacola, Florida
Ernie is one of the best powerlifters in the history of our sport. He probably holds 100 age group world records and is still listed as a record holder with the AAU, USPF and the APF. I personally view Ernie as possibly the best coach that powerlifting has ever had and that even puts into consideration guys like Louie Simmons, Rickey Crain and Rich Peters. But, if you count the records set, titles won, team trophies and world records by Ernie and his lifters, his numbers would exceed every other coach by two-fold. Ernie is an excellent platform coach, picking weight, adjusting equipment, warm-ups and psyching up his lifters. He could predict your lifts within five pounds.
He did not go without making a few enemies along the way. He was even once arrested for selling steroids. He has traveled the world, invented equipment and training methods far above and beyond anyone else in the sport. He loves to lift and has been an incredible meet promoter. He had a knack for organizing at the international level. I will never forget our trip to Italy with 75 other USA lifters. We dominated the competition. I was in the 148 pound class then and got the silver. Ernie officiated, loaded, coached and handed off. HE worked at the score table, helped set up and break down the platform.
He has manufactured lifting equipment, designed bench shirts and traveled the globe for years as a Powerlifting Ambassador. The way the sport is shaped today is directly due to the work and dedication of Ernie Frantz. Had it not been for his small hands, Ernie would hold all the deadlift records today. He could pull one hundred pounds more than he could hold. Ernie advocated using straps in competition, like the strong man contest do in today’s competitions. Ernie introduced the monolift into powerlifting competitions. He has written books, training articles and manufactures his own protein.
During 1985, the sport of powerlifting saw a major split when Ernie decided that the lifters needed an organization that would be for the lifter and leave politics out of it. He had founded the American Powerlifting Federation (APF) back in 1982 but he offered the APF as an alternative in 1985. This, of course, set the powerlifting world on edge but Ernie was determined. One of the main reasons Ernie founded the APF was that the AAU would not recognize the master lifter over 40. Ernie felt that there should be a five year increment in age grouping for lifters.
In 1988 the APF had its own men’s and women’s national championships with the winners being eligible to represent the USA at the first WPC Worlds in Maui, Hawaii. As with any organization, funds are always difficult in the beginning and sponsorship for powerlifting is virtually non-existent. There was talk of lifters having to pay their way instead of WPC paying. Ernie made a promise after the Nationals and he intended to stick with it. He took a personal loan just to pay for the Hawaii worlds. What other individual would do that just to keep his word? In my opinion, I cannot fathom anyone else doing such a service for the organization’s lifters.
As the years passed the APF/WPC has continued to grow in both members and quality of its contest. The World Championships have been held all over the world – 1987 Dayton, 1988 South Africa, 1989 Great Britain, 1990 Italy and in 1991 Las Vegas. The number of member nations grew and the organization became stronger each year. This is all due to an individual who refused to bend for an issue he felt needed to be addressed. Ernie changed powerlifting so that lifters can be treated as what they are --- the backbone of any organization, for without lifters, there would be NO sport.
Ernie is known for standing up for a principle, and he did so following the IPF’s ban on lifters who competed against South Africa in 1984. He went to court and won against the IPF on the principle that an athlete has the right to compete with and belong to as many organizations that he or she wishes. Ernie took a lot of heat for pursuing this matter but it was one he could not compromise on. Whether you agree or disagree with his decision, you must respect Ernie’s perseverance and determination.
Ernie Frantz, aside from being a great coach and ambassador for the sport of powerlifting, is also one of the sport’s all time greatest lifters. Ernie has been lifting over 50 years and has won titles in powerlifting, Olympic lifting and bodybuilding. He won his first title in bodybuilding in the 1950s as Junior Mr. America and was runner-up in the 1967 Mr. USA. In fact, Ernie won both a World Powerlifting Championship and Bodybuilding Title on the same day. In 1974 he won his World Championship in the morning, and that evening he competed and was placed at the Mr. USA, where he was a runner-up. Ernie’s powerlifting career is filled with world records – he broke over 60 World Records during his lengthy career. In Hawaii in 1986 Ernie broke the World Record in the squat at 826 pounds. This was done when Ernie was over 50! He later went on to break the WPC Masters World Record in the squat by 268 pounds by squatting 750 pounds and breaking the total record by 400 pounds.
Ernie trained for years with a relatively simple approach, hard and heavy.
That does not mean he only trained heavy. When it came to deadlifts, for example he would lift conventional, Sumo, do Jefferson deadlifts and pull rear deadlifts. His purpose – to get every possible area working and be strong all over. This method has certainly paid off and was witnessed by his unbelievable pull at the 1987 Worlds in Dayton: the bar was slow to come off the floor, but Ernie just kept on driving for at least 10 seconds until it was locked out.
Ernie not only devoted his time to powerlifters but spent many years working for the Illinois Prison System training the inmates. He was first to institute powerlifting in the prison system in Illinois and produced over 10 World Champions in the process.
He has changed the sport of powerlifting by taking a stand for the lifter. He worked with all lifters regardless of who they where or what titles they held. Lifters all over the world owe this selfless man a word of thanks for all he has done to support lifting. We can all learn many lessons from Ernie—I know I have, and I am a better lifter for having known and worked with him.
Ernie lives with Dianne, his wife of 30 years in Oswego, Illinois. They have seven children between them. Ernie’s dad owned and operated a motel and gas station. This is where Ernie lived until he entered the Korean War. He earned two major battle stars and spent three years in Korea. After the war, Ernie made some lifestyle changes; he stopped smoking and drinking and started training with weights at the local YMCA. He entered a bodybuilding class that was put on by Harry Darlen. Ernie joined the class with his brother and a few years later was teaching the class. There was a lot of old time powerlifters that hung around the “Y”. Ernie started doing strength shows in Aurora for kids.
Ernie started competing in physique contests and started doing some odd lifts, where he once did an official 155 pound curl with his back to a wall.
Ernie’s first wife passed away of cancer in 1962. Shortly thereafter he opened his gym. As a police officer he had the opportunity to work with juveniles and young kids. Ernie is credited with setting up most of the weightlifting programs in the prison system of Illinois.
Ernie is part of the history of this month’s Powerlifting Journal editorial, “1964, A Big Year for Powerlifting.” He broke the world record total that year with a 1620 total in the 181 pound class. His 1951 pound total was also a world record in the 198 pound class. At a meet in Moline he squatted 775, benched 440 and deadlifted 775. Ernie’s best bench was a training lift of 550 using one of the original powerlifting shirts which probably gave a lifter about 5%. In one of Gus’s meets in Hawaii, Ernie squatted 826. At age 64, he set a masters record that will probably never be broken. I was there and witnessed his 821 squat in the 220 pound class. Ernie had made a training lift of 903, but he himself admits that it was a little high. Ernie feels that his best lifts came in the 198 pounds class when he totaled that 1951 record setter. At a meet at Northwestern University he did his first 800 pound deadlift and totaled 2000 in the 220 pound class. Yet, Ernie considered his biggest accomplish in powerlifting to be that of a coach and guiding his wife to 20 world championships. Dianne was the first woman to deadlift 400 pounds in the 114 pound class. Like the example that he set he; she was also a bodybuilder. She won the Ms. MidAmerican contest which qualified her for the Ms Olympia. She also finished runner up in the Ms America.
Many of today’s federations presidents got there start with Ernie Frantz; the APA, the WABDL, the IPA and the WPC. Throughout the years there were many people who tried to take over Ernie’s original organization, but he always came out on top. Right up until he sold the federation several years ago. Unfortunately, the new ownership has lost a lot of growth. Lifters view of the new ownership is quite low as evidenced in this month’s “Point-CounterPoint”, in PLJ Vol 2, no 1.
Ernie feels there is a possibility that powerlifting can become an Olympic sport, but will never do so as long as we are going in twenty different directions. He also thinks we have a better chance in the Olympics with just two lifts, but he doesn’t state which two.
Ernie coaches heavy training all the time, doing triples and relying on singles and negatives. Ernie still believes you can do the big three together on the same day, three times a week. His philosophy being that you have to get accustom to and build up the endurance for all three lifts. Saturday was always MAX day at the gym. Wednesday and Thursday where always in preparation for Saturday, going 60 and 80%. Monday was rep day. Ernie always did a lot of lat work and heavy lock outs for triples. His ‘abd’ work was limited to 4 or 5 reps with heavy weight and even doing singles. Ernie always liked training partners. Especially those you could count on to help wrap and motivate you when you went heavy. It was always good to have team members around for safety and spotting as well as for loading. The team always kept it interesting and fun. His enjoyment from coaching comes when he can watch his lifters move ahead and reached and exceed their goals. Ernie has developed many true friendships over the years due to his coaching and mentoring.
Ernie is always thinking about and designing new products and equipment something that he started doing when he worked in the Prison system. He still has the first safety power rack that he invented and it is in his gym today. He believes in supportive shirts and suits and he has experimented with many different materials for these items, designing suits to maximize strength and safety. He says, ‘the denim bench shirt, the Velcro shirt, the canvas squat suit, and the power brief’s are all of my design. Mine are the original.’ The first canvas suits were laughed at. People called them a diaper. Now many of the top lifters use them. His believe is that equipment has gone a little overboard to the point where you cannot bring the weight to your chest in the bench.
Whether you agree with, like or dislike Ernie Frantz his history will prove that probably no other person has contributed too or influenced the sport of powerlifting more. I am proud to say that he was my coach.
Ernie Frantz
Did an official
800 pound deadlift