3 Things I Learned From Tony Ramos

Background on Tony

Tony Ramos is a Westside Barbell veteran. He’s been there for 20+ years training with some of the best in the world, plus owner and founder Louie Simmons. Westside Barbell literally is one of the strongest gyms on the planet, holding five of the top 10 powerlifting totals of all time. Tony has the total record on the board at Westside for the better part of a decade… 2060 lbs. at the 181 lb. weight class. Absolutely insane.

Learning from Tony

One of the main reasons I wanted to learn from him specifically is because of his leverages and his body size. The typical power lifter that you will see at Westside ranges from 220-300+ lbs., but with Tony in the 181 or 198 weight class, it was more similar to my style. I reached out Tony and we became friends. He would help me in the lifting arena, while I would help him in the business area.

#1 Mentality

Your personal mentality can make or break you. Tony has instilled in me that it is all about the competition and about showing up when it is time to perform. This is a common theme at Westside among Louie and the other lifters. They all have the expectation to put absolutely everything they have on the line, no matter what happens. I can say with confidence that this has carried over directly to me, and as a result we are producing stronger lifters at Old School and CoryG Fitness.

I remember the first time that I squatted 700 lbs. Tony told me that I have something to prove to these people, and don’t fucking quit. Hang your spine on the bar if you have to. It is this way of thinking that has made him one of the best pound for pound lifters of all time.

It doesn’t stop there at the gym either. The value of showing up on game day is something that I have taught my young kids, and they will learn to show up when they have to. Everyone can benefit from this mentality, and I strongly urge you to implement it.

#2 Big ain’t strong, strong is strong

As I was saying before, Tony has battle some big motherfuckers every day at Westside. Some of them are 220, some are 300… it doesn’t matter. This is where he really hones in on perfecting his form, technique and programming to make sure that he is getting the stimulus to continue getting stronger while staying injury-free.

Tony has stay pretty much injury-free over the years, and as we all know, injuries can be a giant obstacle on the way to our goals. This is of great importance especially when you are going against much larger guys that have more mass and body fat because their bodies can take more of a beating than someone 50-100 lbs. lighter.

#3 Quality Cues

Over the years from learning from Tony, I’ve picked up a few cues that have work exceptionally well for me. First, when it comes to benching, he has always told me to squeeze the fuck out of the bar. This is super important for when you are going for a Max Effort or heavy in general lift, because this will maximize the activation of your triceps so you can grind through the lift.

The next cue that has helped me immensely is properly pushing into your belt. Many people in weightlifting do not truly understand how to use a belt. Before you execute, you should be getting in a large breath of air, and when you are about to take the bar out of the rack, you need to be pushing your diaphragm as hard as you can against the belt. This is stabilizing your mid-line, as well as protecting your spine from injury.

Thirdly, when it comes to deadlifting, he has always told me to not quit pulling the bar. Sure you need to be smart and not injure yourself, but you need to give it your all and grind through the weight.

Legendary

Tony Ramos has established himself as a legend in the powerlifting world, and he has been dubbed the “Ninja” because he’ll sometimes work out at crazy times of the day. He has shown me what is possible in this sport, and I am forever grateful to have the opportunity to learn from him.