Antonio Collins should be considered armed and dangerous.
The 25-year-old Trafford resident and avid weightlifter holds the drug-free strict curl world/national record of 221 pounds in the super heavyweight class.
That’s a staggering amount of weight, but Collins believes he can top his best Saturday at the Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate Columbus (Ohio) Curl Revival at Matt Wenning’s Gym.
“In the future, I want to strict curl 250 (pounds) drug-free, which is the only way I’ll do it,” Collins said. “On steroids, people have done it, but I’m the only guy around who could hit 250 drug-free. If I hit 250 or higher, then 275 would be the next. I’m not sure 300 can be done, but if it can, I’m probably the only guy who can do it.”
What’s a strict curl?
Definitions vary slightly by federation, but under RPS rules, it means the curl is completed with the competitor’s head, back and rear end against a wall. Collins, who has been competing in strict curl competitions for about five years, said a slight shoulder shrug is permitted during the lift, but the three points of contact must remain.
The 308-pound Collins trains for events in his basement – dubbed “Big O’s Gym” — and it’s proven quite successful. In addition to the strict curl record, Collins benches 455 pounds and can deadlift 635.
The space is equipped with various bench presses, a preacher curl station, deadlift bars, a lat pulldown machine and hundreds of pounds of free weights.
“For an event like this, there a lot of proper training and preparing,” Collins said. “The forearms really come into play. There’s a lot of wrist curls and reverse curls.”
And there’s been plenty of inspiration to help Collins through his powerlifting journey.
He cites Wyatt Lozano and C.T. Fletcher as role models but is quick to credit his father, Tony, and grandfather “Big” John Miholovich – a former bodyguard for Pittsburgh-born boxing champion Paul Spadafora – for their influence.
“I started because of my grandfather. I wanted to be like him and I’m still trying,” Collins said. “That’s where I got my passion for lifting.”
