Montreal Barbell The PR GYM

Another Great Bench night on New Year's Eve with BIG Leo Tilli who brought Michael Santer, Joffrey Laurin, Joanick Boilard, Chris Skoda, Carmine Arlia, Shawna and me. Everyone worked very hard and everyone put up incredible numbers, with none of the guys in shirts benching below 500 lbs. The stars seemed to align for Shawna again but this time everything was just right and she hit huge pr's, more later....

bar x reps

135 x 8 to 10

225 x 4

315 took it out just to hold it and put it back

loose shirt

405 x 2

460 x 1

tighter shirt

495 x 1 went up well but didn't lock out right arm

520 miss got half way up

520 miss got part way up

I am happy to start working on the other side of 500, weights felt heavy but I was able to control them.

It was a great group atmosphere.BIG Leo taped some 5 lb plates to our heaviest dumbells to make it come out close to 200 lbs each, then he got down on the flat bench and did 4 and a half reps with 200 lbs in each arm. Michael visited for the first time a very strong guy, benched 405 raw for a few easy reps - he wanted to move quicker, he wasn't used to taking so long between sets like we do. Joffrey came back after being away for a few months and he was like a raging bull but very focussed, he had trouble touching but was getting within and inch. He doubled 545 and went all the way up to 6 plates, 585 very strong, it was great to train with Joffrey again. Joanick is settling down his bench and following form and he made 5 pates and 525 look very easy. Carmine is in the new tight shirt for the second time and he came within an inch of touching and he took out 500 lbs twice, very brave. His arch was the biggest I have ever seen him set up with and I just know that with a bit more time to get it right, Carmine will have the 'ah ha" and his bench will shoot up very quickly. His form is excellent right now. Chris Skoda impressed double time. He came to get his business done and he did it. Two weeks ago he benched 455 for the first time, last week he benched 475 lbs and the plan this week was 500 lbs. He came, he battled and he conquered. Chris now joins the 500 lbs bench club. Congratulations Chris, very well deserved. The other star of the afternoon was Shawna. What can I say except, quiet, focussed, determined and extremely powerful. 210, 230 bench flew like never before, that was so easy lets go for 245 pr, got it smooth, what now, 255, got that, 260 got that, strong and smooth. let's go crazy and take out 275 lbs, she took it down nice but at the bottom it rolled forward on her. An incredible afternoon with a 20 lb bench pr. Shawna manages to still give 110% focus to her lifts (mostly because she thinks about it for days before she gets into the gym to do it) while still coaching and helping other lifters. She makes her lifts look easy but you gotta know that they are not easy. Its just that she has smoothed out her lifts by doing only what is required, by being deliberate in her movements and consistent in her path. It looks easy because it goes right. Shawna pushes her arch so hard that last week she pulled muscles in between her ribs and this week she pushed so hard again that she pulled some new ones.

A visitor came from Energy Cardio to inquire about joining the gym while we are in the heat of benching. He looked around and then said, "c'est bizarre"  he said this is bizarre.