Montreal Barbell The PR GYM

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.