Tue. 8/4 - My squat suit still fits!

Put on my squat suit for the 1st time in months today. I hope to get a new one before MD States this year, because I'm a little worried that this one is used too much to get the same support from. I used it in 2 meets and several workouts over the last 6-7 months of 2008. But it may be in better shape than I thought. It was pretty tight around the thighs and hard to pull up, which is how it's supposed to be. I left the straps down the whole time. Still, I think having 2 is a good idea, because if I blow this one out at or close to the meet, I'd hate to be unable to get a replacement.

Also, I pulled out my cheap resistance bands/tubes again. I have 3 pairs, each with different resistance levels, and I have no idea how much weight they add when stretched. I usually double them anyway, and to keep track in the journal, I'll refer them as bands 1, 2, and 3 to note resistance added.

1. Bootleg box squats - not a box, but something I rig to function as such. Stops me right at parallel. All sets done with bands 1&2 on ea. side. XL Inzer sleeves on this, no velcro.

bar+5; 95+/5; 135+/3; 185+/2 x 10 sets - Top bar weight was 40% 1RM. This went very quick, with little rest between sets. I did all this in about 12-13 min. I plan to keep these in the rotation, waving the bar weight between 40-50% and increasing the band resistance with each wave.

2. Zercher pulls - bar on rack about 1" above knee. Did each rep from a dead stop on rack. Still had knee sleeves on.

180/5; 230/5;
added belt, 250/5
tightened velcro on knee sleeves, 270/5 - if not 5RM, it was pretty close

3a. Shrugs
270/13; 320/13

3b. Pull-thrus - cable w/rope attachment
130/11, 14 - cable go caught on my shorts twice on 1st set!

Time - :41. Would have put the suit on before box work sets and removed after Zerchers, but due to time constraints, I had to have it on the whole time. Doubt it helped on anything else.

Back in the gym, Sat. 8/1 and Mon. 8/3

Got back in the gym on Saturday for the real start to training again. My plan is to basically do 2 bench days and 2 squat/deadlift days per week, one raw and one geared since I plan to use gear at my next meet. If I can tolerate it, I'll also do overhead presses on a 5th day, with some biceps, calves and maybe extra triceps. For the raw stuff, I'll follow 5/3/1 again with 1 alteration. My core lifts will be overhead press, close grip bench, and squats. My working maxes to start are:

squat - 420
close-grip bench (CGBP) - 270
overhead press - 170

For the geared days, I'll follow Prilepin's chart, and gradually add more gear as the weeks progress (regular sleeves with velcro, smaller sleeves with velcro, knee wraps, squat suit minus straps, etc.). I'll also do some conjugate method work on some assistance exercises. Those sessions in gear can be really long, so I'm hoping this split will significantly reduce the time I spend in the gym for any 1 session.

Saturday's session - Druid Hill YMCA

1. Press
bar/10; 85/5; (65%) 110/5, (75%) 130/5; (85%) 145/6 - really thought I'd get 7 or 8 here. Maybe I set my max too high? Tired from work?
Loss of strength from downtime? Oh well, I still beat the mark, so I won't sweat it.

2a. Hammer curls - did these with my back against a column to prevent cheating. L/R alternating.
20s/15 ea; 40s/10 ea; 45s/7 ea, 7.5 ea

2b. Press - more of the same at lighter weight
115/9, 9, 7

3a. Calf Press - 2 types
seated, 90/15; standing machine, 370/9(? lost count); seated, 90/16; st. mach., 370/14

3b."Olympic abs" - situps on decline bench, pressing a bar overhead with snatch grip on the way up
bar/12, 12, 12

4. 1/2 Dips - only came 1/2 way down to focus on triceps
BW+45/5 x 5, 30 seconds between each set

Time - :53

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Mon. 8/3, raw CGBP, 33rd St. YMCA (normal gym)

1. CGBP
bar/15; 100/6; 140/5; (65%) 175/5; (75%) 205/5; (85%) 230/8 - happy with that
195/9, 5.5 (good spot), 5 + 4 partial reps, top half

2. Rows
seated cable, 100/15; barbell, 135/5; 185/5; 225/5 x 5

3a. Side bends
50s/25, 25 - really light, but they'll get heavier as I go along

3b. Incline Fly - bench on notch 5, fairly high
35s/9; rest-pause: 50s/9+4+2

3c. Seated cable row
130/11; rest-pause: 160/12+7+4+2 partial

3d. Pressdown - rope attachment
90/11; rest-pause-drop: 120/14 + 4 + 100/5. Must have worn out on the 1st set because I expected at least 6 after the 1st pause. Dropped the weight to chase reps, but in retrospect, I should have left it alone.

Time - 1:06 even with some socializing and sharing the bench with 2 other guys on the CGBP

USAPL Raw Nationals summary, Sat. 7/25

Weighed in at 87.9 kg - 193.8 lbs. What was I so worried about?

Squat
182.5 kg/402.3 lb - good
195 kg/429.9 lb - good
205 kg/451.9 lb - good, 5 kg/11 lb raw PR! Felt easier than I thought it would. Plus I broke my own Maryland state squat record (unfortunately, someone else broke it again )

Bench
120 kg/264.6 lb - good
125 kg/275.6 lb - good
130 kg/286.6 lb - miss This is the 2nd straight meet I've missed this lift, and it's a mental issue, plus one of technique. I went to the bench KNOWING I was gonna smoke this attempt, and in an effort to make sure I didn't push it toward my feet, I threw it almost straight back, and it was about to come down on my head. That has only happened to me 1 other time, and it was the 1st time I had on a bench shirt. Back to the drawing board on this.

Deadlift
217.5 kg/479.5 lb - good
235.5 kg/518.1 lb - good, tied meet PR (from '08 States, wearing squat suit)
242.5 kg/534.6 lb - good all time DL PR, raw or geared!

Total: 572.5 kg/1262.1 lb - raw total PR!, and only 17.5 kg/38.6 lb off my all-time total PR, where I squatted/dl'ed geared.

I lost to the guy who challenged my to this meet. He finished 5th, and I finished 6th in a field of 11 in the 90kg/198 lb men's open. But with 3 PRs, I'm happy happy joy joy right about now, in spite of my bench press woes.

Thanks to everyone who is following and supporting me on this fun ride! It's been 11 months since my first meet. Looking for the next year to be even better. Back in the gym for serious training in a week.

Found a wi-fi signal!

On a whim, decided to check for a wireless internet signal, and wouldn't you know? The hotel across the street has one! So I figured I'd post the results from Tuesday's workout and info about a recent issue that has surfaced.

Tues. 7/21

1. Squat
bar/8 - bar sucked, switched bars and realized I felt sluggish and stiff
bike/10:00 min
bar/3; 135/3
(50%) 220/3
(60%) 265/3, added wrist wraps, 3
(70%) 310/2, added knee sleeves, 2, 2

2. Bench
bar/15; 95/5
(50%) 140/3
(60%) 170/3, 3
(70%) 195/2, 2
(75%) 210/1, 1, 1 - paused all of these on chest

That was it. Took my time. The squats felt harder than I thought they should, but I attributed that to lifting early and not feeling too energetic. Plus, after I thought about it, I realized that squats always feel harder than I think they should.

Really like the weight room in this place, as they have some old school stuff. Plus, the PLer I was going to meet there was gone by the time I arrived (around 10:30am). Turns out he was the 1st member there that day. His chains, Safety Squat Bar, and lots of other goodies are there for the public goods. A few kettlebells, dumbbells pairs up to 130, and other good stuff.

Weight issue
This has been a weird week. I brought my scale from home, and it read 198.5 at wake-up time on Tuesday. In the gym, I came out of the restroom and weighed 199.5 in t-shirt, shorts, and Chucks. Ok, maybe it's breakfast still in me. We went to a seafood deluxe buffet that night, and I got my $24.99 worth out of that place. Roast beef, pepper steak, pizza, onion rings, a couple different veggies, chicken, bread pudding, ice cream and pie, and that's just what I actually remember.

Why is all that important? Because I freaked out when my scale read 202.5 on Wednesday morning! A 4 pound gain in one day?! Even if my scale is off, that means I'm too close for my own comfort and peace of mind. So I've been manipulating my food and drink intake, walking more, and this morning it was back down to 199.5. I'm going to find the official meet scale as soon as I get to VA tomorrow afternoon for the early equipment check-in and see what that says. I would be pissed to the highest levels of pissedivity (for the Robin Harris fans out there) if after all the trouble I've had keeping weight on, I show up at 199 on Saturday morning. So we'll see...

Meet week

I weighed 198.5 on the home scale this morning, so I guess that means 194-195. I'm quite satisfied that I've been blessed to maintain this weight with all the mailman GPP. Vacation has finally started, and my body gets a much needed (and I'll humbly add deserved) chance to rest and recover. Hooray!!!

7 more days, and my 1st national/4th overall meet is finally here! This is what my likely attempt progression will be, assuming I make them all:

Squat
1st: 182.5 kg (402.3 lbs)
2nd: 195 kg (429.9 lbs)
3rd: 202.5 - 205 kg (446.4 - 451.9 lb)

Bench
1st: 117.5 kg (259.0 lb)
2nd: 125 kg (275.6 lb)
3rd: 130 kg (286.6 lb)

Deadlift
1st: 220 kg (485.0 lb)
2nd: 235 kg (518.1 lb)
3rd: ? - will depend on what kind of meet I'm having, how my competitors are doing, and what kind of total/placing may be in reach

Obviously, I really want to have a good meet, since I've trained hard for it and the stage is bigger. I don't expect to win, and considering the competition I shouldn't win. So in a way, low expectations are helping me to relax a little more than if I was in contention for a top slot. My focus is to achieve the goals I set for myself, which are covered in a previous post. I won't have internet at my Ocean City spot, other than my wife's phone, so I probably won't post again until I get to VA on Friday, and of course the results after the meet. Thanks for following me on this road.

Peace
Kaisheem

Anyone curious about the meet, here's the site http://www.usaplnationals.com/2009raw/

Last heavy squat, Thu 7/9

I had a much more productive squat workout on Thursday, July 9. It was the only exercise I did, and I got it done before the start of my shift at the gym (I work there part time as a trainer and fitness instructor). My kind of day.

Squat
bar/8; 140/5; 230/3
added wrist wraps - 275/1; 305/1
added belt - 335/1
added knee sleeve - 365/1; 395/1; 425/1
walkout and hold, no squat - 455/10 seconds

That 455 felt HEAVY! That was the first time in about 8 months that I've had over 450 on my back, and I'm glad I got to feel it again now instead of waiting for the platform. The 425 was heavy but pretty fast and clearly sub-maximal. I'll do a post before the meet to let you know what my probable attempts will be.

Last heavy bench press

1. Bench press
bar/20; 100/6; 140/5; 180/4; 200/3
220/1; 240/1; 260/1
280/1 - This was not a smooth rep, starting with a poor descent and a few sticking points going up. I only planned to do this once today, but I really wanted to reinforce better mechanics with heavy weight, so I waited 5 minutes, then...
280/1 - SMOKED IT!
315/10 second lockout. I made NO attempt to move this weight, just held it at full lockout and squeezed the bar to prime my central nervous system for a max lift soon.

2a. Chins
BW/10 wide, 10 under, 10 neutral

2b. Dips
BW/15, 15, 11 (stopped 1 short of failure)

3. Seated row
150/13

If I keep my weight up, I should be good for 286 at the meet. I may have 292 in the tank, but I'd rather nail the 286 PR than miss 292. I just hate having to think so much during the bench. Drive legs, push back, squeeze bar, try to bend it, etc. and invariably I forget one or more during the reps when I need all those factors activated the most. I need to do more visualization of the perfect rep, then do it on the platform.

Weight update and my last heavy deadlift before Nationals

I weighed 199.5 lbs this morning, but my scale is off a bit. My real weight is probably 195-196. Also, my waist is up to 33.5 inches, but that was after drinking water and coffee. This ties the biggest my waist has been in the past 3 years, which I translate as the highest my bodyfat % has been. Bodyfat is still relatively low, as I can still see some abs without flexing (I can still go to the beach in 2 weeks! ). This is also the heaviest sustained weight I've been at with my current workload, so I'll gladly take it.

Here's how today's workout went. The notation I use is pounds/reps, with ";" or "," separating sets. If I use (for example) 150/10, 10, 10, that means I used 150 lbs. for 3 sets of 10.

1. Deadlift - sumo style
140/6; 230/4; 290/2; started alternating grip: 340/2; added belt: 390/1
440/1
480/1
515/1 - this matches my best ever sumo, from Oct. '08. This didn't feel like a max effort this time. Video shows that the bar swayed front/back as I locked out. I'm pretty sure you don't get red lighted for that. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I'll post the video at the end of the week along with the squat and bench highlight.

After a looong rest trying to help someone who asked me for advice and thought he was getting his carbs from his protein (yes, that's what he said)...

2a. Pull-thrus - cable w/rope attachment
130/15, 15, 15

2b. Standing crunch - cable/rope
130/30, 20, 21

2a/2b means I was alternating from one exercise to the other with a normal rest period between sets.
I'm feeling good about deadlifts right now. I think I basically hit my opener and 2nd attempt tonight. Will do some singles at 425 or so next Monday, along with some abs.

3 weeks out

It's been a while, but I plan to update this blog regularly now. Between getting on facebook, keeping my strengthmill journal up to speed, training, living, etc, I think I have my schedule running a bit better than I did when I started the blog. I'll do better.

At the Richmond Open in April, I competed raw in the 90 kb/198 lb class and totatled 1223 lbs. This was comprised of a squat of 441 (new MD state record for 198 lb men's open, raw), bench of 275 (ugh!), and deadlift of 507 (raw PR). I weighed 191 lbs, and went 7/9, missing my last bench outright, and my last deadlift (530) due to a slight wobble on the bar at lockout. That would have given me the state record for raw total as well. Oh well...

I'm 20 days away from my first National level meet. It's USA Powerlifting Raw Nationals. Since expectations are low in terms of placing, I'm actually less nervous than I have been for my previous 3 competitions. My goals are to beat the guy who challenged my to enter (former squat record holder and current bench/total record holder). Also, and more importantly, I want to get my total as close to 1300 as possible. That was my total at the 2008 MD state championships, where I took 1st place in the 198s at a bodyweight of 190. I wore a squat suit for squat and deadlift, and benched raw. If I can get close to, or match that total in a raw meet, then I'm confident that when I put the gear back on this year, my total should be significantly higher than last year's. Not to mention that I'll have about 4 more months to train.

For right now, I'm focused on Charlottesville, VA, and having a good meet, and having a good time. I'll keep you posted as I wrap up my training cycle before the meet.

2 out of 3 isn't bad

Oh well... I guess I'll be stomping into Richmond with my squat and deadlift, but limping in with my bench press. I'll take that - as long as we can get to and from the meet without injury, and making decent attempts.

Last week, I was blessed to hit an all-time deadlift PR, including squat suit lifts. That was Monday with 530 lbs. Tuesday, I finally locked out that elusive raw 285 bench, but I'm not sure it would have passed in competition. Please check them out on youtube, here are the links -

Bench press: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyDXdDwxNRg&feature=channel_page

Deadlift: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4wOI3bVM9c&feature=channel_page


There are no videos of the squat workout, but I made another gym PR of 435, which is 5 lbs. more than the current Maryland state raw record. If I'm able to do that on the platform, we're in the books! (at least until someone breaks it)

Hopefully, I'll get a raw total around 1240-1250 this weekend. I'll be leaving for Richmond on Friday. Tomorrow, I plan to do a few light lifts and practice the competition commands. All week, I'm envisioning myself doing everything right for a great meet. Results and video soon.

Homestretch for the meet

Starting this week, I'll be posting my training journal on this blog. Meanwhile, if you'd like to catch up, you can see what I've been up to in the gym on my journal at strengthmill.net

http://strengthmill.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3722

In short, though, this week has been good and bad. Good in that I achieved a squat PR (personal record) of 425 raw. Bad in that I followed it with 5 hours of sleep and a horrible bench workout, where I failed twice at making 285 raw. By comparison, I did 282 with bronchitis 3 weeks ago. By Thursday, my scheduled deadlift day, I felt so drained that I skipped it altogether. So the plan is to deadlift Monday, bench Tuesday, squat Thursday, and light practice the week of the meet. Stay tuned!

How I got Bigger and Deffer

Here's the short version of how I got started in all of this strength and fitness stuff...

I'd been a fan of bodybuilding since I was in middle school, reading magazines like Muscle & Fitness, Flex, and Ironman every chance I could. An article about current wrestler Mark Henry in Muscle & Fitness introduced me to several years ago introduced me to the sports of powerlifting and weightlifting. I would work out sporadically, but never really stayed with it because I never really believed I could look like, or be as strong as any of the larger than life people I was reading about.

Fast forward to the end of 2002, or beginning of 2003. My wife of 1 year (at the time) and I were watching TV, and for LL Cool J's video for "Luv U Better" came on. Both of us watched in awe and thought the same thing - "Damn! He's in great shape" - me from a perspective of platonic respect, my salivating wife from, well, you know... Anyway, I told her that if I got up to 200 lbs. at about 8% bodyfat, I would look like LL (relatively speaking - I'm a little shorter than him). It took her a few minutes to stop laughing, but after a while, she pulled herself together, checked out my 5'8" 155lb. frame, looked me in the face and said "you can't do that". I asked her why not, to which she responded "Yeah right. I'd love to see you get up to 200 lbs., but you can't do that."

Here's a link to LL's video to jog your memory: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUOxYQhAE2E

That was it. I hit the weights like a madman and haven't looked back. I proved my wife wrong about 2 - 2 1/2 years ago when I hit a weight of 199 at around 10% bodyfat. Not as lean as my target, but I could see my abs without flexing, so it was good enough for both of us. I needed another challenge, and that's where powerlifting came in .

Right now, I'm training for my 3rd meet - the USAPL Richmond Open on April 11. This will be the first time I compete as a raw lifter (meaning just a singlet, belt, and wrist wraps). I'll do another post soon about my training and prep for the meet, general info, etc., but I just wanted to get this blog going with a little background info about myself. Thanks for coming along for the ride - peace!

My New Blog

Greetings everyone!

This is my first post on my new blog. Please follow me on my journey through the world of strength, physique, and fitness.