The above image is provided by Mike Armstrong An Interview with Ed Coan, held on April 20th, 1998 Image Copyright Mike Armstrong Ed Coan deadlifting 350 kg at the 1995 IPF Men's World Championships ASL: I was wondering if I could schedule an interview with you. Ed Coan: How about right now? ASL: That's great. First, I want to thank you for this opportunity. Ed Coan: Sure ASL: Would you care to share with us some statistical and biographical information [such as your date of birth, your best lifts, etc.? Ed Coan: I was born on July 24, 1963. I am five foot six inches tall. I currently weigh about 237.5 pounds in the morning. ASL: And your best lifts are? Ed Coan: Squat 964. Bench 562. 901 deadlift. My best total was 2402 at 218 pound bodyweight at the 1990 or 1991 national's. I'm not sure which one. ASL: What about your best gym lifts? Ed Coan: I've never really maxed out in the gym. In the video, [ASL note: Mr. Coan has a video tape series available about the three main lifts which is available through Powerlifting USA and Quads in Calumet @708-862-9779] you see me do a 975 squat with straps on and a 585 bench. In the deadlift, I've doubled 900. The above image is a thumbnail image of Coan at the 1996 Worlds. Click on it to enlarge it. This image was provided by www.europower.org ASL: What about a clean and jerk or snatch best? Ed Coan: I've never really done them. I've cleaned with 425-a double. I've never really tried it. I'm sure it was too much muscle. I've done a snatch once and once only. I did 297. Again, too much muscle and no technique so I really don't count them. ASL: So you own Quads, right? Ed Coan: No. No. No. I just work out there. There are three. We're going to open up a new one. It's going to be big. I'm a personal trainer with a few clients. I also do consulting. I might have to get a real job soon. ASL: Were you always and big and strong as you are now? When did you start lifting and competing? Ed Coan: I started lifting right before high school in the summer of 77. I joined a Balley's gym. I used mostly machines, but that was where I started free weights. My first meet was in 1980. ASL: Do you remember your lifts? Ed Coan: Yeah. I do. 485 squat. 295 bench. 495 deadlift. ASL: At what bodyweight? Ed Coan: Low 150s. It was funny because it took me four tries to get the 485 because the racks at their lowest position were too high for me to get the required depth. So, they had to kind of lift it up off the racks for me, get it on my back and let me do the squat. ASL: Did you use assistance equipment/gear at that meet? Ed Coan: I don't know what you mean because in those days, you only had a loose suit, a belt and wraps. Not like today. ASL: How many times were you IPF and USPF champion? Ed Coan: I don't know. US Nationals in 84, 85, 88, 89, 90-97 but somewhere in that last group I was a guest lifter when Steve Goggins won the 242s. IPF in 84, 85, 88, 89, 93, 94, 95, 96. I didn't go last year. The above image is a thumbnail image of Coan at the 1996 Worlds. Click on it to enlarge it. This image was provided by www.europower.org ASL: Do you have any powerlifting exhibitions or competitions coming up? Ed Coan: The Nationals on July 4th weekend in Denver. Will you do me a favor and please note that all of the lifts that I do are with one bench suit, one squat suit you know. I'm not one of those guys who gets wrapped up in 5 different shirts and suits to do a lift. ASL: Speaking of those guys who use 5 shirts and suits, do you think it takes away from the original spirit of the sport? What do you think of that? Ed Coan: Back when I started it was only a belt, knee wraps and loose suits. Today, I don't know. I think bench shirts are fine and suits, but when you start putting on denim shirt with a canvas one under it and then a normal shirt under that, it gets ridiculous. Double shirts or more is not powerlifting. It's something else. I don't know what. I mean you might as well use a forklift because you are adding 150 pounds to your bench. I'm sure Kaz and those other guys agree with me. Who's the best bencher today? James Henderson. Then, you get things like the APF where you don't have to walk the bar out of the squat rack. What is that? It takes away from the sport. Then you have knee wraps that are one meter longer. I guess that's why you have all of those other federations, so you can pick and choose the rules you want. ASL: What do you think about the IPA and it's legal squat depth which is about 2 or 3 inches higher than the IPF's? Ed Coan: Yeah. Things like that. It's not powerlifting. It's a carnival act. You might as well have a leg press competition. Image provided by www.europower.org ASL: Now, I have heard and it may not be completely true... Ed Coan: Just say it. ASL: OK. The IPF is banning you for life. What was the basis for this? What happened? Ed Coan: They're trying to. First off, the IPF failed to follow any of their established doping and testing procedures. There were no sterile cups to pee in. It was ridiculous. It's a pretty complex and long story, but I'll tell you from the beginning. After the worlds [in 1996], they wanted to test me and that's fine. What they do is assign a steward to you after you lift who is basically your shadow. He follows you around until you take the test. If you have to do anything after you get done lifting, like take photos, have a press conference, then that steward is with you at all times. If you need a drink of water, he gives it to you. That kind of thing. It's not supposed to be anyone involved in the meet-not a competitor, not a coach and not a referee. Well, they assigned someone to me who lifted in the meet and also had a brother whom he coached. I lifted against his brother and beat him. Do you think that's a conflict of interest? I think so. ASL: So do I. Ed Coan: What's even worse is the whole urine test situation. After I lifted, they brought me through a 50 foot hallway that was ten feet wide and jam-packed with people, patting me on the back. There was a room with a table on it and a bunch of plastic beer cups. You know, the type that you get at a party. They pointed to them and told me to choose one of those. They were unsealed and unsterile. Who knows what was in those cups before or what had gotten into them. I had no choice. If I hadn't had chose one, I would have been dead. So, I chose one. In their policy, it states that where you get the sterile cup, there is supposed to be a bathroom attached to pee in, but instead they brought me back down that same 50 foot long hall full of people patting me on the back, smoking, drinking and God knows what else. Then, I peed and had to walk back down that same hall without a top on the cup and no seal. Is that right? Then, once they got there sample, it gets worse. I gave them a sample on 11/16/96. On the 19th, three days later, it got from Austria to the lab in Sweden. There was no documentation on how it was handled, who handled it, why it took so long to get to the lab, and why it had to go all the way to Sweden which was more than a 24 hour trip. No documentation and no excuse. Do you know what their justification was? ASL: No what? Ed Coan: The guy who transported it and was in charge of it basically his excuse boils down the guy who does this and this is the way it is done. What is that? I had to pay a molecular biologist from England to come over and look at the sample and the way it was handled. Do you know who Diane Model is? ASL: No. Ed Coan: She was a track and field athlete and the IAF drug tested her and she came up with a 40 to 1 ratio which was over the limit. She had a situation similar to mine. This biologist with his expertise declared the sample as unfit for testing and she won in court. So, I had to fly him over. He declared the sample I had given unfit for testing because of the conditions of the sample and the way it was transported. ASL: You know what is the worst part in my eyes is that no one knows about this side of the story. You don't read about it anywhere. I just thought that you failed it and that was it. Ed Coan: Yeah. I have purposely kept quiet. I haven't commented on it to anyone because of the status of the appeal. ASL: What is the status of the appeal? Ed Coan: Well, they missed the deadline, but of course they got an extension. They had until April 8th to do so. They didn't even bring lawyers to the briefings, but I had to. I don't know how much I've spent on them. I have flown them to Prague and everywhere. ASL: Did you set any records at this meet? Ed Coan: I set a couple of total records. I had 2 squats at 947 that were turned down. they were buried. You can tell everyone this. This year I will break 2500. Next year I will break it. I'll invite Kaz up to see it. He and I get along. I've never trash talked about him or any of the old timers. He was one of the reasons why I started lifting. I saw him at nationals on TV one year and it inspired me. Yeah, but I will break it. ASL: Wow. 2500. Any idea when or where? Ed Coan: No next year some time. ASL: Any idea in what federation? Ed Coan: I don't know. Probably the USPF. The above image is a thumbnail image of Coan at the 1996 Worlds. Click on it to enlarge it. This image was provided by www.europower.org ASL: Who were your heroes/idols when you were growing up? I know you said Kaz in powerlifting who else? Ed Coan: Heroes. I reserve that for my parents. Your parents mold you and make you what you are, you know. In powerlifting, Kaz. Larry Pacifico helped me out as a kid. Ernie too. In bodybuilding, I watched Pumping Iron like everyone else. I did do one bodybuilding contest in 1980. I did miserable. Just miserable. ASL: Is there any message or greeting you would like to give your many, many fans out there? Ed Coan: Jeez. I don't know....Just feel free to contact me. I am just a regular guy who just lifts more weight than most. I am very approachable. I'm just a regular guy. I want to thank everyone who supports me. ASL: Is there any way people can contact you? Ed Coan: You have my email, right? ASL: Yup. Ed Coan: Use that. ASL: Thank you so very much. Good luck. Ed Coan: Anything that you ever need, Justin, just let me know. The Old GoHeavy.com debates forum exchange The above is an exchange between Mr. Armstrong, Tony Cardella and Eddy Coan. My hats off to GoHeavy for their great efforts!