Montreal Barbell The PR GYM

Strength Training, Powerlifting, Strongman, Bodybuilding

A.W.O.L.

I haven't been keeping up with my log the last two weeks, for no other reason than I haven't trained in the last two weeks.  For the first time, I feel like I gave everything I had physically and mentally to my last meet.  Ross and I talked it over and both decided it was a good idea to take some time off from training and give my desire a chance to build back up again. 

I'm enjoying the off time from training so far and using the time to shift my focus to some admin stuff in the gym.  Ross has been working on the website and we've got a couple other cool things in the works, too.    

U.P.A. Meet, Ithica, NY - 340 PR Bench

This was my first time lifting in a U.P.A. meet and Jim and his wife Linda, the meet directors, were great.  The overall feel of the meet was professional but laid back and completely "for the lifter".  There were a couple of meets to chose from on the same day but Ross chose this one in particular because they were using a Metal Militia bench, and because Metal Militia New York (Bill Crawford & co.) were lifting there too so there would be some familiar faces and extra handlers to help out.

The day of the meet I woke up feeling great until I got to the meet and then my nerves kicked in to overdrive!  I stayed in the back of the gym and hung out with Kuma during the squats trying to keep my nerves in check.   

My warm up is long right now because I'm opening with a max so I wanted to get through it as quick as possible to make sure I didn't run out of time and to have enough time to recover before my opener:

bar x reps

95 x 5

135 x 1

185 x hold for 3 secs

shirt on

245 x 1 no touch

280 x 1 no touch

305 x 1 no touch

320 x 1 no touch

I didn't really know what to expect with my opener of 330 (I've only pressed it once before at the BENCH WARS on July 9, at Montreal Barbell) so I was very nervous. I gave it everything I had though and it flew - great!  My second attempt was 340 (I've missed it in the gym every time I've attempted it) and I approached it the same way I did the 330 but it stalled on me and didn't go.  Ross sat me down and told me to "call up everything and get aggressive" for the next one.  I was more determined and stuck with the lift and got 340 on the third attempt, a new meet PR and a 10 lb bench PR.  We decided on 350 as a fourth attempt and once I had it in my hands I thought it would go but I lost my line on the way up and missed it.  I was beyond happy with the way the day played out, it really couldn't have gone any better. 

The rest of our team lifted at the CPA Push/Pull in Magog, QC on the same day and pulled PR's of their own on the bench and deadlift.  It was a nice feeling knowing that we were all going through the same range of emotions on the same day only in different places - we all had great lifts this past weekend. Check out their training logs to see how they did.

 

August 3 - Update

Updates:

Ross and I have decided to do the UPA meet in Ithica, NY so we took last Sunday off from squatting (it was a nice change to sit and relax all day instead of squatting your guts out) and this week has been a recovery week for me.  I've had massages everyday to try and push all the junk out - everything on the right side of my body (foot, calf, shin, hip, hip flexor, shoulder blade, scapula, shoulder, bicep, tricep, forearm) is knotted up so the focus has been to get that released. 

We lift on Saturday while the rest of the team will be lifting at the CPA meet in Magog the same day, big weekend for Metal Militia Montreal. 

July 29 - Heavy Bench (Night off)

Heavy Bench

I was planning to not go into my shirt but at least bench raw, but my righ bicep, tricep, forearm, scapula and my neck on the right side hurts a lot still so I took the night off.  We haven't 100% committed to the meet next weekend in Ithica, NY but if we do end up doing it I want to recover as much as possible. 

"The boys" worked it their shirts for the second time - each time they figure out another piece of it and apply it - it's exciting to watch people figure it out and see a look of success on their face as it starts to makes sense. 

Chris is doing a meet in Magog next weekend and worked up to his opener, he worked with Ross this week on getting the right foot position to get the proper leg drive, and kicked his heels at the press call and sailed 500 lbs right to the top. 

Ross played with possible openers for the meet in Ithica, NY and just missed 520 (he locked it out but the weight bounced back down on him) then went 525 but just missed it at lock out, again. 

Curd was back this week, perfecting his form - he took 680 down nicely but had a hard time touching, pressed anyways and sailed it up.  He called for 730 next and handled it patiently but missed the lift.  His training is coming along nicely.

 

July 26 - Lite Bench: 135 x 10 reps

Bar x reps

95 x 5 x 2

115 x 3

135 x 10 - 1 rep PR

135 x 5

I stopped there because my right bicep and elbow hurt a lot - I pinched a nerve and it has my whole right side tender. 

My right side was still really sore and tight for deadlift so I decided to skip it this week.  Ross and I might do a meet in Ithica, NY next weekend (a bench only for me, maybe full power for Ross).  Between now and then I'll just take it easy on the lifts and eat, drink, sleep and recover.  I'll raw bench on Friday to get some blood flowing but I'll skip my shirt to give my right bicep, tricep and elbow a chance to heal more before next weekend.   

July 22 & 24

Heavy Bench

Bar x reps

95 x 5

115 x 3 - I am going to skip these warm ups but I needed the extra warm up on Friday

145 x 1

195 x hold for 3 secs

Bench Shirt on

245 x 1 no touch

280 x 1 no touch

305 x 1 no touch

320 x 1 no touch

340 x miss

I can't touch in my shirt because I'm not loading the shirt properly at the hand off so I end up an inch or two away from touching.  I held the 340 and hovered for a long time, the most patient I have ever been, then at the press call I popped it half way back up.  Ross said I just need to to load it at the beginning properly and I'll get the pop I am used to to bring it all the way to lock out.

Squat

Bar x reps

105 x 5

145 x 5

195 x 3

Briefs on - my right hip flexor is sore so I put my briefs on earlier this week

235 x 3

285 x 3

325 x 3

Stopped there because my hip flexor and stabilizers on the right side were starting to hurt. 

July 20 - Raw Deadlift

135 x 5 conv/5 sumo

135 x 5 sumo lifts from here on, with belt

185 x 5

225 x 3

245 x 1

Because I don't have a meet picked out I don't have the to drive to push really hard in the deadlift right now - and with this heat I really wasn't in the mood to put my suit on.  Soon I'll have to start suiting up and start working on my getting my deadlift back up but for today it was fun to not take it so seriously and just have fun.     

July 19 - Lite Bench

My right bicep, tricep and forearm have been killing me since Friday so I wasn't sure if benching tonight would make it better or worse - I decided to do what Ross always says, "go until it hurts".

Bar x reps x 3

95 x 8 x 3 - I thought I might just stay with this weight but the more sets I did the more warmed up I got, decided to add some weight

115 x 8 - didn't feel so bad so I figured add more

135 x 8 - felt pretty good except my right tricep wasn't staying tight at the bottom of the lift, there was a wiggle, so I decided to stop there

Hopefully this will push some blood through and flush out whatever it is that's in there making it so sore.   

 

 

July 15 & 17

I struggled on and off last week with anxiety (an ongoing theme lately) which killed my appetite and made me just want to sleep and sleep - end result was my head didn't feel like pushing on the bench Friday night.

bar x reps

95 x 5

135 x 1 (decided to start skipping the reps with 115 to cut my warm ups back)

155 x 1

195 x hold for 3 secs

245 x 1 no touch

280 x 1 no touch

305 x 1 no touch

315 x 1 no touch

330 x miss

340 x miss

Shirt was tighter this week still, but I didn't have the patience to force a touch.  Then I tried to force myself to really want the 330 but on the way down my tricep hurt so I had the spotters take it, then Ross said go for 340 (adding weight that i've never tried almost always works for me because it scares me just enough to take it more seriously, but not this time).  I took it down aggressively but as I was moving the weight over to my belly my  bicep hurt so I had the spotters take it again.  I really just didn't have the mental aggression to fight for the lifts that night.

Saturday I was exhausted which didn't give me much hope for Sunday's squat training.  I gave myself the "just have fun now" mental speech and went into the gym lazy and tired.  I was slow to warm up and reluctant to put my briefs on.

bar x reps

105 x 5

belt on

145 x 5

195 x 5

225 x 3

briefs on

285 x 3

325 x 3

350 x 3 PR

365 x 3 PR

Once I got going my form felt solid and my briefs (the larger ones, size 34) fit me better this week.  Ross just kept adding weight so I just kept going, glad that I was able to push through. 

This week is off to a better start than last week - my head is in task mode which means I'm getting a lot done which in turn always makes me feel better.