Raw504 was started by Jake Impastato and Erik Frank shortly after they both returned to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Impastato and Frank’s avid passion for powerlifting made them both anxious to begin competing. Impastato had last lifted in 2005, where he won the title of “Best Overall Lifter” in the Louisiana State powerlifting meet.
For the last quarter century, gear has dominated the world of powerlifting. This consists of bench shirts and squat suits lifers squeeze themselves into in order to add hundreds of pounds to their totals. The sport has turned into an arms race of sorts to see who could master the gear. Impastato and Frank broke away from this trend. Impastato and Frank decided that if they were going to compete and start a team they were going to lift raw. They felt that raw lifting would be the future of powerlifting and that it is the only true way to measure strength
Impastato and Frank both competed in the 2009 Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio. Each finishing third in their weight classes. They were invited to compete at this event as a result of their placing at the 2008 USAPL Raw nationals. There, in St. Louis, Mo, Impastato finished first and Frank took third. Their team of two has grown to twenty, and the St. Charles Avenue Athletic Club has become their title sponsor supporting the team’s dedication to raw powerlifting and even building a full powerlifing complex.
In the fall of 2009 Impastato, Frank and Mario Gonzalez who is the owner of Saint Charles Avenue Athletic Club directed there first raw powerlifting meet, “The Clash for Cash” Over 60 Lifters competed for over $9,000 dollars in prize money. There hope is to eventually grow this meet into the biggest cash meet in the country.