Montreal Barbell The PR GYM

Shoulders are stiff having trouble on the standup today again. Need to stretch them out next time. When I stand up the bar seems to go through my shoulder sending pain down inside. But, when I get to heavy weights, I tighten up a lot and don't feel it anymore.

bar x reps

145 x 15

235 x 6

briefs

315 x 3 lots of pressure

suit on straps down

405 x 2 too much head pressure

suit on straps up

505 x 2 weight was fine, but body shook like crazy and head felt like my eyes were going to pop out

knee wraps

600 x 1 shook like a crazy man but not quite as bad as Mat Bertrand, head felt like it would explode

650 x 1 same thing again plus left thigh hurt. But, was happy that I did it.

I think maybe too much salt in my diet, plus movie night on Saturday with lots of popcorn may have something to do with the head pressure.

Jamie Seguin came to squat and went up to  700 lbs, very impressive. Mike Guay was came in but did only one set of squat and then benched raw up to 405 x 3 I think. Carmine is doing great, stayed in Briefs and focussed on form at 600 lbs for reps. Cheryl went up to 485 but kept leaning forward. Shawna with up to 350 and cut it there because she wasn't feeling the form to go higher. Joanick was not there for the first time. Ghislain took it easy, well he still went up high. He brought in his own briefs that he made, they looked really good. We went to the Bakery after and Cheryl joined us this time because she has a week at home, so it was another great squat day.

Took another two inches out of the sides of my suit, was a lot tighter and I started to feel the support more, but I think I need to take a little bit more out and make it tighter still.

135 x 8

225 x 6

315 x 2

put suit on

405 x 1

500 x 1

560 miss came up fast just felt it was too far out in front and felt my lower back stretching, so I dropped it. A friend came in to visit the gym and I spent time talking and didn't get back to lifting anymore.

I wasn't expecting to do much today and it came true. Will take an easy week this week and see if me strength comes back next week.

Shawna did amazing again. check her log out. Her deadlift is going to be great. She is focusing on form and studies it every day.

Planned to go easy this week to try to regain some feeling of strength.

bar x reps for warm-up

135 lbs x 15

135 x 20

225 x 8

pause bench

225 x 5 reps (5 sec, 4 sec, 3 sec, 2 sec, 1 sec pause)

Good enough for any easy raw bench day.

Good news and bad news from the dentist. He said I only need 3 to 4 days off from heavy lifting after he pulls my tooth. Appointment is scheduled for Nov 28 and that leaves me with a week off and a chance to do the Metal Militia meet in New York. Bad news is tooth is cracked all the way through and needs to be pulled along with the tooth in front and one on the other side, so three teeth pulled and three implants for posts and projected bill of $13k and that's not all....

Shawna is a warrior. She went to the dentist with me to ask about getting her wisdom teeth pulled. They offered her the option, one at a time, two at once or all three at once....she chose all three at once, So this will be next week, poor girl. And, no heavy lifting for her for two weeks after as well.

We had a great squat session today; Melanie, Shawna, Cheryl, Ross, Carmine, Joanick and Mike.

warm up with lat pull downs and bench press with the bar

145 x many reps to warm up, skipped doing just the bar so needed more for stretching

145 x 6 another set to warm up

235 x 6

briefs on

325 x 5 bar felt heavy pushing down on shoulders

415 x 3 bar still heavy, shoulders hurt from the weight

put suit on

505 x 3 bar heavy, shoulders hurt alot

add wraps

600 x 1 tightened up upper body alot, didn't feel bar at all on shoulders

645 x 1 good squat, dropped down, tight upper body, didn't feel bar weight at all - was very happy with this squat

That's it, next week will plan to go heavier.

I may have to change my plans for doing the Metal Militia UPA meet Dec 11 in Lake George, NY. Went to the dentist Thurs, he said my cracked tooth is cracked in half and is getting infected and has to be pulled and a foundation has to be implanted in the jaw bone for a cap. I was going to put off doing this until after Dec 11 but I don't think its wise to let it go. Once its done, I won't be able to lift heavy for a few weeks. I will have to pick another meet for sometime in January. I am going back tomorrow and will see what they advise.

It was a special day today because Joanick brought his whole family to squat day and Melanie started her first squat session with us. It was great to walk in and see everyone there. Melanie did very well for her first day, learned form first, then did box squats, got up to 125 lbs and seemed to get better with each set. Then she went down nicely with 145 lbs but could not come back up, tried twice. Then went down in weight, and then came back and got 145 lbs x 3 reps. Amazing especially for her first time and for someone who just had a baby two months ago. Congratulations Melanie. They will be back next Sunday.

For anyone who says its too hard to get to Montreal Barbell to go squat Sunday morning, think about the dedication that Joanick and his family made when they get their 2 month old and 2 year old packed and drove in from Sherbrooke at least 1 hr and 45 mins each way and got there on time to squat. And, they plan to do this every weekend.

Other things that made this day special were a few things: Cheryl and Joanick squatted in briefs to a high box, Cheryl went up to 555 lbs x 3 reps, Joanick up to 865 lbs both just in briefs, Mike squatted up to 775 lbs raw to a box - more than he planned to and Carmine just kept adding plates - he did an incredible 775 squat in briefs only. Shawna hit pr's today with 325 x 3 reps for full squats, then 350, 375 x 2 high reps, then came back and attacked 375 with a deeper squat. Everybody worked hard and it was another great squat day.

Ghislain missed squat day for the first time ever I think except when he went on vacation - he pulled something in his quad squatting raw in his home gym he will be back soon. 

Another great bench night. Tonight we had Jamie Seguin and Ryan come from Cornwall, Carmine, BIG LEO, Cheryl, Shawna and me.

Shawna spent the first half hour going through a mini bench seminar with Jamie and Ryan. Lucky guys, they are learning the MMM technique from Shawna one of the best shirt technique lifters on the planet. No, I am not biased, Shawna, Cheryl and Shany have the best bench shirt technique of anyone I have seen bench.

Warm up with the bar practicing pushing with the legs

135 x about 10 practicing leg drive and bar path backwards

225 x 5

315 x 1

put shirt on

405 x 1

455 x 1

475 miss

475 x 1

500 miss

So, no pr tonight, just didn't feel the strength or energy. Got some good advice from Joffrey on getting my strength back, so I will focus on eating more than I have. This just isn't working for me, so I have to do something different. I will start counting calories and making sure I get about 3500 per day. I have three training weeks left to do something and that has to start by eating more. I usually train by how I feel, but lately I have just been pushing maxes every training session except on the squat. Went to the dentist Thurs - I cracked one tooth bad and it has to be pulled and a pillar has to be drilled into the jaw bone to replace the tooth, plus a the tooth behind it is cracked too. Dentist said a bridge won't work for me, because I chew too hard, ha. But, now I have to postpone pulling the tooth until after the Dec 11 meet, so I will try now to up my calories with shakes with food blended in.

Interesting, all five guys warmed up raw to 315 lbs and more. BIG LEO worked on driving with his legs, he will get at least 20 lbs more on his raw bench when he does this, then later we will work on a bar path that goes more backwards and less straight up, but it will take time. Jamie did great for someone in a bench shirt the first time. He did 315, 405, and 455 easy thinking it was a heavy 405 and then was shocked to learn we loaded 455. He tried 500 three times then back down to 475 and missed all of them on technique, it was a bit much for him for the first day in a shirt but he has a great attitude, just load it up and he will go for it, no excuses, no complaints. Shawna amazed me again with her form and getting 215, 225, 235 and just a hair off 245, I love her attitude. Cheryl came in charging again, went 225, 265, 295 and did a pretty good job getting 315 part way up. Carmine got all fired up and had great form on the lower weights, then started to push straight up on the heavier weights, he finished off with a victorious pr of 405 for 3 really easy looking reps. The girls did pin presses and everyone did some accessory work except me, my triceps were fried. Ryan got a raw bench pr of 335 lbs and then after a lot more work came back and got 3 great reps with 315 another pr.

Still working on form, getting better every week, but STILL NO 585!!

Warm up with lat pull downs and T-back machine row.

135 x more reps than normal about 10 maybe

225 lbs x 3

315 x 2

Put on suit

405 x 1

500 x 1 not as easy as expected

585 miss, no go barely off the floor this time, 

585 miss, just as bad.

The form is there, feels good, just the strength is not there. Lower weights feel easier, heavier feel heavier. I will just rack it up to a not so good day and leave it at that and not worry about it.

In general, my strength level seems down this week. I know what I need to fix and will get on it  - its related to not enough calories and water and high stress hence the not enough calories and water.

Big bench night coming up Friday, I want to be ready to bench big.

A good bench group tonight with Leo, Steve, Carmine, William and me. Carmine is getting better form every training session and William is getting stronger.

warm up with the bar, stretching the arch and practicing to push with the legs into the shoulders

135 x 10

225 x 10 reps

225 x 10

225 x 9

225 x 8

pause bench

225 for one set of 5 rep pauses, 5.4.3.2.1 count

one set of heavy bicep single arm cable curls and tricep single arm push downs for 6 reps each arm

Had fun today, shoulder hurt, each set went until it hurt. Carmine did his work sets with 275 for 9 reps and 9 and a half reps, then two or three sets of pauses with 275 lbs too. Very good work and his form is amazing. Leo did 405 easily then hurt his shoulder on the hand off with 430 lbs, I wasn't able to get the bar out far  enough to him and gave it to him with his arms slightly backward and that put pressure on his shoulders. He got up and iced it and we all hope it heals quickly. Shawna arrived home today from Florida and she is ready to ramp up her training for the Battle of Montreal in January. I am training for the Metal Militia meet in NY Dec 11 and have 4 training weeks to go. Friday want to hit a PR on the bench, Time to eat, drink and hit some big numbers. Will plan to squat heavy this Sunday as well.