Heath resident Bayles still measures up to best lifters in world

NEWARK - A decade ago, Joe Bayles was pound for pound one of the top power lifters in the world.

Bayles is no longer quite at that level, but even after injuries and time off, the Heath resident showed Saturday he does not take a back seat to anyone. Bayles was one of the headliners at the IPA Buckeye Brawl held at Showtime Strength & Performance.

"I am very competitive," Bayles said. "Louie Simmons is the Westside Barbell owner, and I trained with him for a lot of years. That's one of the guys that gets you to compete. A lot of respect for that guy."

Bayles certainly was a fan favorite as he squatted 950 pounds, measuring up quite well against competitors from central Ohio, western Pennsylvania, Canada and even London, England.

The meet had something for everyone. A number of females in the first flight were competing for the first time while a couple males in the fourth flight squatted more than 1,000 pounds, including a high of 1,060.

"Training at Westside, you get to train with and know the strongest people in the world," Showtime owner Nick Showman said. "We get the beginners who have never competed in almost anything, and we get the best in the world. It makes for an interesting day of different lifters."

Showman and Josh Gutridge started hosting meets four years ago. Showman, Gutridge, Bayles and Aaron Walser were training at Westside in Columbus as Showman began work on opening his own gym.

Showman's clientele ranges from youth sports teams to some of the best lifters in the world and everything in between. The veteran competitors provide a wealth of knowledge for Showman, who also hosts enthusiasts and trainers from across the region for seminars throughout the year.

"It's been a huge help," Showman said. "We have a lot of resources we can utilize."

Two of Bayles' kids train in Showtime's youth program, and that sucked him back into the sport.

"I wasn't planning on training again," Bayles said. "(Showman's) theory was if I'm helping, I might as well lift. Once you've done it, it doesn't take much to get you back."

The competition, while a weekend's worth of work for the staff and volunteers, is a welcome respite from the daily grind and a chance for athletes to see their hard work pay off. Showman, however, never misses a chance to take notes.

"It keeps me on my toes, but for us, meets are how we gauge our training," he said. "If we go and have a bad meet, that means we have to change something. Joe was up 50 pounds from his last meet, so he's moving in the right direction. Things are working."

Later Saturday, Bayles was aiming to lift more than 700 pounds apiece in bench and deadlift. It would be considered a good day in just his second competition after a long layoff.

Competition is what Gutridge misses. He spent the entire day on the microphone except when Bayles was holding the bar.

Then, Gutridge was screaming encouragement to his training buddy of close to 20 years.

"Injuries have taken me out of the game completely. I have torn so many things off," Gutridge said. "He holds up us old guys,"

ksnyder@newarkadvocate.com

740-328-8556

Twitter: @newarkurt