Christmas time circa 2010, Derek Poundstone bested a roomful of aspiring and perspiring athletes in his first Bros vs Pros contest in New York. Derek was invited back to allow those who lost a bit of faith, to score a bit of redemption when Bros vs Pros rolled into the Windy City last Christmas. Unfortunately (or fortunately) he arrived injured and did not compete. This undoubtedly left skepticism in peoples’ minds; was he truly fallible? As it turned out repeat winner in Mark Lerch flew into the cold southside of Chicago, kicked ass and took home the paycheck and flew right back out the same evening.
If anyone knows Derek’s character, they know he doesn’t do things half assed. He doesn’t like to
lose and he is, yeah, I’ll say it: A showman. Derek in true form told Dave Palumbo in Chicago that he would host Bros vs Pros at his soon to be finished gym in central Connecticut. When Derek called me and asked for a date to set it up, I knew it was going to be something spectacular, something memorable. Derek Poundstone promised to pay for Mark Lerch to battle him at Bros vs Pros 11 and that has held true. The penultimate Professional will battle mano y mano against the quiet and unassuming blue collar Bro from Long Island on Sunday, July 1st at the Poundstone Performance Training Center in Waterbury, Ct.
Derek has assembled an impressive array of equipment for strength and conditioning training and packed it into a thimble sized 3,000sq’ facility. In conjunction with Osta-Gain peptides, Met Rx, The Anabolic Doc Thomas O’Connor, Supplement City amongst others, Derek’s staff promises this to be the biggest and best event Bros vs Pros has ever assembled. Add in this event is a fundraiser for the Special Olympics and this is guaranteed 
to be a huge event. In addition, several competitive Special Olympics powerlifting athletes will be in the house demonstrating their craft. These guys and gals will let it all hang out and show us what it takes to compete at such an elite level.
Unbeknownst to Derek, Mark Lerch promises a bigger and better Mark than what we saw in Chicago. With the cold winter blowing outside, Mark felt a little off, even though he won with a handful of pulls to spare. Derek tells me that WHEN he wins, he is donating the $2,000 cash prize to the Special Olympics of Connecticut. “Giving back to these outstanding kids is what this opportunity represents to me. I am unbeatable. I will win even if I only have one arm to pull with, it is mine to win.” Derek’s unique deadlift prowess is world renown in the strongman circles. The “Poundstone Hitch” is a very Derek’esque technique to ensure he finishes every pull. It ain’t pretty, but it sure as hell works!
Prizes this time for our 3 events have grown too. The requisite $2,000 for the 405lb Deadlift for Reps is up for grabs as is
the $1,000 for the 2-Event Women’s Medley. This time, Osta-Gain is sponsoring their first of many events this year and will be handing out gift certificates for 1st – 3rd places in all 3 categories. But the big news here is that Dr. Thomas O’Connor, the outspoken physician behind the Metabolic Doc clinic and website, will write a $1,000 check to the man or woman who heaves the biggest deadlift from the floor to locked out position. In Chicago at Bros vs Pros 9, Erik Lillibridge pulled a massive 800lbs from the floor to take the win. Is it even possible that we will see another 800+lb pull?
The event will be packed yet again with the who’s who from the IFBB and upper tier NPC athletes who will trickle down from Hartford, a 30 minute car ride after the Hartford Europa on the preceding Friday and Saturday. Tazzie Colomb a defending Bros vs Pros champion, teenage powerlifting phenom Amanda Harris, another defending Bros vs Pros champion, Arnold Strongman and Bros vs Pros Champion Big Mike Jenkins, Jean Louis Phillipe the Canadian Pro Strongman are just a few who have told us that they will be there and can’t wait to see this event for themselves.
Stay tuned to this Bat Channel for a preview of the women competing in the 2-Event Medley. The girls have put on better shows than the men in the past few Bros vs Pros and this time they won’t disappoint either with a 100% bodyweight deadlift for reps and a 50% bodyweight curl for reps. World Record holder Amanda Harris, Jr. National bodybuilding champion Gail Aeurbach, IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Tazzie Colomb and the ultra hot IFBB Pro Figure competitor Ann Titone are all past winners. Who will be the next lady to claim victory at Bros vs Pros? Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks….
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