Heavy lifting: ACC-RI employees balance fitness, military and civilian service | Article

ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. – Michael Boddicker, Army Contracting Command Rock Island IT Specialist and Iowa National Guard, during the First Army Rock Nation 500-pound/1000-pound Club Lifting Competition held at the RIA Fitness Center in February. I took home three medals and one trophy. 2nd, 2024.

Boddicker was recognized for best squat (635 pounds), best bench (475 pounds), best deadlift (635 pounds) and best total (1,745 pounds). He said he attended the event because there is a regional championship in Des Moines the first weekend in March, and he was using the local meet as a stepping stone to gauge where he was with his program.

Fitness has always been a part of his life, participating in wrestling and football in high school, coaching wrestling after high school, and joining the Army at age 17, which has its own physical fitness requirements.

“I didn’t get back into weightlifting until my first assignment in 2008,” Boddicker said. “I was so sick that I walked up the stairs at home and started sweating. And then I weighed 280 pounds and the next thing I knew I was in the desert, so I got back on my feet.”

After returning from deployment in 2009, he discovered that his younger sister, who was already an expert swimmer, had decided she wanted to swim the English Channel, but didn’t really understand what kind of training was required. Boddicker stepped up and trained her for two years, and in 2011 she completed her Channel crossing in 15 hours and 39 minutes, becoming the first Iowa woman to do so.

Boddicker also participated in several strongman competitions, but was concerned because the risk of injury in strongman was very high.

“I’ve done it a few times, but every time I get hurt, so I decided to do something else,” Boddicker said.

Enter powerlifting.

Boddicker’s weekly training plan focuses on three main lifts one day a week: the squat, deadlift, and bench.

“Sunday is deadlift day, but I don’t do any deadlifts until the next Sunday because I want to give my body a seven-day recovery cycle,” Boddicker said. “Wednesday is squat day, where you do the required number of squats, weight, and reps. Friday is bench day.”

Other days are dedicated to supplementary days, working on smaller muscle groups that will help improve your main lifting movements. All the wear and tear of his body is supported by abundant nutrition.

“During my training cycle, I averaged about 4 pounds of chicken and 4 pounds of rice as a base each day,” Boddicker said. “I eat every three hours. You might think I’m eating a lot, but I actually only lost 30 pounds once during a 12-week training cycle.” .”

Since starting competitive lifting in November 2022, he has competed in the 308 weight class submasters in the 35-39 age group about every four months.

“It took a long time. I think there were five sanctioned tournaments,” Boddicker said. “Last year I finished in the top 25 in the world. I’m really looking forward to this tournament in March because it’s a regional tournament and if I do well enough there, I’ll be in St. Louis in October. Because I might be able to compete in the national competition that’s coming up. Then you’ll really see that I’ve grown from just a gym athlete to a national competitor in less than two years.”

But he didn’t make this journey alone.

“My two coaches, one 86 and one 65, are both world-class lifters and live here,” Boddicker said. “At 86 years old, he holds the world record for bench presses, reaching 275 bench presses at the age of 78. He was a deadlift coach and died at the age of 62 eight weeks after knee surgery. The two of them alone have over 120 years of experience, and while you may not be able to talk to people walking around the gym, it’s never a bad idea to ask for help. do not have.”

Boddicker is also part of an informal group of powerlifters who gather at local commercial and powerlifting gyms to share knowledge and techniques. He said commercial gyms and powerlifting gyms have completely different equipment.

“If you really want to hone your abilities, go to a powerlifting gym and talk to people,” Boddicker says. “I have a wealth of knowledge and am happy to share it.”

He said most of the members of the group are high school students, including some who have all the makings of a genius and could become national-level players in high school.

“Most of the guys in our group have rough home lives and would rather be with us at the gym than at home, or run around with their friends and cause trouble. “I’m here,” Boddicker said. We support them and may even purchase equipment if necessary. ”

This isn’t the first close-knit but not insular community Boddicker has been a part of. With over 20 years of service in the Iowa National Guard, he knows how to be part of a team that makes a difference.

“I’m an ammunition logistics specialist for the Guard, and as part of that I do some projects in Kosovo and Albania, and I go there about two or three times a year,” Boddicker said. “I help NATO and non-NATO countries comply with international standards for the storage of ammunition and weapons.”

Additionally, he demonstrates teamwork in his role as a civilian IT specialist for ACC-RI, supporting the entire center by managing profile information for the Army Training and Certification Tracking System, as well as the high-profile Contract Management Training Center. We provide unique IT support to our mission. .