Sunday, October 10, 2010 Angry Squat and Bench
Why angry - it started when I missed 550 lb deadlift on Wednesday. I got 550 lbs one year after powerlifting when I didn't even know anything, so to think that I missed it now just made me angry. I used the anger to come back on Saturday with Leo Tilli and get the 550 and it wasn't too hard. So, I thought I would build on this anger and use it in the squat and bench.
I've been feeling anxious last few days and not sleeping much. Stayed up to 4:30 am Fri then got up to meet Bill for breakfast.
Bill Crawford came to train with us. He is used to a different approach to training then we are - we meet, talk and slowly warm-up and and work our way up to heavy weights, music starts easier and gets louder as we progress. Enter Bill. Walks over to the stereo and cranks up Six Feet Under TNT to window shaking volume ( I turned it down a bit) then "Com'on Let's GO!!" He gets himself psyched up and ready to move. We are all stretching and talking but we get under the bar and get going quicker. Not quick enough for Bill, "let's go". Now he's getting impatient and pacing. We speed it up and go one after the other. They are up to 4 plates and Shawna still has to start. Eventually, we find a good rotation and good pace, I skip a couple of turns Bill gets to go more often and it all works out.
Yes, this is Bill Crawford the bench specialist and yes he is squatting. A sight I thought I'd never see. Crawford under the bar with a ball cap, full gear and Chuck Taylors. Unbelievable. He looked like a real squatter, like a pro. And, he was here to train intensely. So, the atmosphere was different, more intense.
SQUAT
Bar x reps
135x15
135x10
225x6
405x3 - briefs, jump was too high, next time will do 315 first
505x2 - canvas suit straps down knees shook bar crushed, got mad and did it again this time with anger
505x3 attached it, was easier and better
600x1 - straps up, knee wraps, one good deep rep and I was done and felt good about getting it.
My back hurt like a spike was in it, couldn't stand up straight. Was proud to push through the pain and not complain. Wrapped everyone's knees, Ghislain's, Joanick's, Shawna's, Bill's and my own. I had a strong feeling of "push through and don't complain", plus help everyone and still focus on myself. We all help each other, its a great thing about our team. Bill was loading and unloading weights too. Turned out to be a big successful day for everyone. Was only supposed to be an easy day two weeks out from a push pull meet, but that's tough to do when Bill is around and everyone is doing so well. Ghislain took 800 lbs a little high but unbelievable, Shawna handled 350 lbs easily and smooth and for the first time you could actually see her focussed and trying hard instead of just smiling through the whole lift, Joanick took 825 lbs down and flew up with it, Bill squatted 865 last session and this time went for 900 lbs and was really solid and steady with it - he was very happy and now has 1000 lbs in his sights, says he will come back in three weeks and squat a 1000. Steve walked in late and didn't squat. Leo walked in after we finished squatting and started benching. He worked his way up to 7 plates, 685 lbs with straps down and no wraps for a huge strong PR, then deadlifted 6 platee, 585 lbs. Then, we benched.
BENCH
bar x reps
135 x reps about 10
225 x 5
315 x 1 was glad to get it raw second time now. It was going to get stuck, but I used the anger to push it through, as in when it slowed down...'no F'n way I am not getting this today'
405 x 1 shirt, flew
455 x 1 flew, best yet.
500 miss
500 miss found good form finally, kept head down and shoulders back, got half way up but legs were not in a good position to push to finish it and I just ran out of steam. Satisfied with the effort.
It was a more aggressive day of lifting for me. I had a lot of excuses but I replaced them with attitude. I will try to keep this attitude for my future lifting, more aggressive, less tentative, more determined.
Joanick got a new denim shirt and even though he benched hard raw on Friday, not a good plan, he pushed really hard. Bill set his shirt and coached him through to a 560 lb bench a PR for Joanick, then loaded 6 plates, 585 lbs. Joanick brought it down like a small airplane trying to land in a wind storm, was patient and touched and then with the pop of the shirt brought it up to just before lockout. He will get this soon.
Shawna was determined in the bench. She popped up the lighter weights like they were nothing, but then missed her goal 240 lbs. Tried it again and missed it again. She wanted to go back down in weight and work her way back up, but we kept the weight the same. She went off into a corner by herself and sat and focused, something I have never seen her do. This time she came back and you could see by her face that she was going to get it right from the beginning. Bill talked her through it and she stayed tight and in control of the weight the whole time. She hit perfect form, used her legs for the first time, and sailed the bar backwards and up without a hitch. We were all very proud of her. Very proud of her determination and her success.
After, we stood around and talked, its tough to just leave after a great training session. Started at 11:00 am and finished with about an hour of talking by 4:30 pm. We all went home tired and content. Bill texted me later and said he really enjoyed lifting with us. It was different and I think we all enjoyed the experience and learned from it, except Ghislain, he was already this intense.
Wed Oct 6 2010 - Deadlift
Came in to train deadlift with Shawna. Trained William first and didn't notice that Shawna was training deadlift on her own and was up to 225 lbs still raw, doing too much raw warm-up and wearing out her hips for the bigger lifts. The bar was loaded so I jumped in at 225 lbs.
225 lbs - raw conventional, then raw sumo for warm up three reps each
315x1 - suit sumo
405x1 - suit sumo
500x1 - suit sumo
500x1 - suit conventional - was easier and faster
550 miss - suit conventional - got up to my knees fast but out in front, felt my back round, put it down.
changes suits
405x1 conventional
500x1 conventional - felt too heavy this time.
Done. A frustrating session. 500 flew up so easy then missed 550 which I expected to do easily too. I am mad enough that I may deadlift with Leo on Saturday again. Have to find my form again.
Hit my lowest weight 228 pounds, could see the best abs I've ever had in the mirror and upper body was pumped. This is the end of my diet. From now on will try to gain 10 lbs in the next two weeks to do the CPA push pull in Sherbrooke.
Monday Oct 4 2010 - Shirt Bench
Wow, what a great bench night! Normally we bench Friday night, but we moved it over to Monday for this week. A great energy, everyone did really well, I did what I came to do, starting off with a 315 lb raw bench that went up easy.
bar x reps - practicing the arch to get used to feeling legs pushing and shoulders back and stomach up to touch
135 x about 10 reps
225x6
315x1
405x1 miss at the top -threw it back too quickly before going up, no problem will correct on next lift
460x1 -this is what I came to do, hoping to make this my opener in two weeks.
500 miss - want to make this my second attempt at the meet
475 miss
I was happy that the 315 raw finally felt easier, I've been missing it for the past two to three months, since I've been dieting and cutting carbs. I had to get it because Shawna got her 135 raw back again for the first time after her diet as well. And, Joanick just smoked 315 like nothing, then later did 365 raw even easier.
I am using my Titan Super Katana size 50 which now is loose on me, it was good for 500 lbs when I was 255 lbs and even 242 lbs, but now at 228 lbs my arms twist in it. I sewed up my second exact same shirt but its been too tight. So, I was thinking of opening with the loose shirt at 460, then going to the tight shirt for 500, will try this at the next training session.
460 was a slow grinder, but I had my feet in the right position to keep pushing the weight up all the way. It almost seems that if I can get it off the chest in the right direction and get it going, then the legs will take over the rest of it and I drive with my legs back to the head of the bench and push the weight backwards. That's why I use the poly shirt. With my long arms the poly helps me all the way to lockout if I have my feet right and keep pushing back. The denim pops me up 8 inches off the chest then stops helping half way up for me and then I still have 8 inches left to push on my own. But, I don't like how the poly feels or the lack of feel in the poly. I am always unsure of the right spot, I basically take it to the same spot as quickly as I can and then try to get as much spring off the chest and use the momentum to get as high as I can. But the feeling is not the same for two lifts and each time its a bit different. But, in the denim the feeling is secure and predictable and you feel the shirt work the same way each time. In denim you can feel how to ride the shirt down with support. In the poly I feel a moving unstable support that feels tight but not as predictable.
500 felt good all the way down but I lifted my head at the end even though Shawna told me only one thing to do "keep your head down". By lifting my head my whole body moved forward toward the bar and the bar was too far ahead of me at the touch, so after the press call the only way up was straight up and then try to get back under the bar to get it in the right direction but just couldn't do it, couldn't get my elbows under the bar to send it backwards.
Wanted to try 500 again, Shawna said go back down and do 475 first, tried it, this time Shawna and Leo and everyone else said "keep your head down". 475 went down easy but again despite all their advice, my head came up and the exact same thing again, out of position to push the bar back.
So, what do I do when I can't make the poly shirt work.... I do the same as everyone else out there does, go to a tighter shirt so I don't have to use form, lol. Next week, I will try the tight shirt, just pull the weight down and hope it pops up.
It was a great bench night because the atmosphere, the energy of the team was determination and support. Joanick threw 365 raw up so easily, then 500 shirted flew. He missed 550 then focussed himself and came back stronger and almost got 560. Shawna came in with a goal and wasn't going to leave until she got it. Leo was fearless in his 435 attempt and 405 for a double. When you see people all developing their mental strength and determination like that, it inspires you to do more. Its the energy that you feel and its catching. I think that Ghislain opened us all up with his fearlessness and his determination and mind strength. We all work off each other and we all do better than we expected and better than we would working on our own.
Plan for next week - eat more food, drink more water and kill 500 lbs. - darn, now I put it out there, I will have to do it...... Ok, I will do it!!
Sunday Oct 3 2010 - Squat
Just over being sick for a week and am starting to feel better.
Warm-up
bar x reps
145x10
145x10
235x6
325x5 <---- briefs
425x3 <----canvas suit straps down no belt
505x3 <---add belt
600x1 <---full gear, knee wraps. Wasw going to stop there but Ghislain loaded 7 plates so I had to go do it too. I was originally going to do 635 lbs but with what everyone else is doing, that doesn't seem so much anymore which is greatl!
685 miss lost balance fell forward on way up.
Ghislain who was ahead of me this time loaded 8 plates on the bar, and I folded, done.
No accessory work, nothing else, just squat.
I was glad that Ghislain inspired me to go to 685, makes me want to do more next time.
I will have to eat more and drink more to keep up with Ghislain.....
Was another great squat day with the team and enjoyed eating and talking at the bakery after.
Wed Sept 29 2010 - Deadlift
Trained other people on the deadlift, worked in two sets myself with Shawna, did one plate for reps, then two plates for reps. Back sore, still sick, so just left it at that.
Tuesday Sept 28 10 raw bench
bar x reps for warm up
135 x about 10
Pause bench ( count 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 press)
225 x 5 reps x 3 sets
that's it, tha's all. A light day to get some blood in but save strength for Friday heavy bench and planning for a bench meet coming up in Sherbrooke in three weeks, October 24, 2010
Sunday Sept 26 10 Squat
Sunday Squats Sept 26, 2010
Warm-up raw
145lbs x10 reps
145 x 10 again
235 x 8
315 x 3
415 x 2
Briefs
505 x 2
505 x 3
Bench
raw warm-up
bar x a few reps
135 x 10
225 x 6
315 x 1 miss
Shirt tight shirt
405 x 0
455 x 0
Looser shirt
405 x 1
Done