Wimpo Shirt,bands and boards.

Saturday was a heavy shirted day, but not wanting to wear out my top 2 Katana's --I took an old loose nearly worn out one, and tweaked it...result?..not my usual 'show off' poundages...got 460 480 500 507 ..pretty much the most this would give me ever would be 512...spose tightening the sleeves would make it more of a show stopper !

Best part of the strength adding aspect of this workout was the RAW exercises..benches like 225 X8 330X3 350X2 373X1 for 2 singles...then reverse bands to 507 probably 12 sets or so....then we did boards raw...3 boards 373 X6-- 2 boards 373X 3..the whole team did rotating varied weights and reps during this workout and we felt very positive about our pace and sets n' reps...we have just gone back to using boards, so we were conservative on the poundages...when next we do boards,we'll do more weight and some one boards !

I've got my tickets for Anaheim and am looking forward to benching on the same day as the 'big' boys this year --or should I say? "young" lifters....my regular 61-67 class lifts on Tuesday--so I'm going to lift in the open class and 'cover' the 61-67 for record breaking purposes...so I'll be getting one of those cool blue medals this year ...I have enough of the bathtub sized loving cups already !

If it sounds too good to be true.....

Had a heavy floor press day at Nancy's gym yesterday...instead of laying on the bench and arching my chest up to it, which has been my technique lately..I reverted to laying on the floor with the pins (thus the bar,too) 3 inches above my chest, lifting raw from a dead stop..My reps were, 135 X10 225 X5 225X5 close grip--3@ 330, 1@394 +1X 416+1X 426 + 1X +431 then 3 singles with 440--not quite my PR at that height but very good for 3 straight dead weight 440's---then stretching the blue bands almost 5 feet --I went 518 for 5 --550 X3, 590 X 1+1 then 2 more singles with 600 !! wow 600?? well my guess was the bands really helped off the bottom, and half way up it felt like a very close to 600 real pounds ! I'm not fooling myself that I'm ready for 600..BUT it was a kick to handle that weight in any way at all--maybe next time with the less strong green bands --then the purples...good plan --but getting 600 with the purps' will be a LONG way off--interesting 'change up' to the shirted heavy days... and it helps later, when even trying a board press with that weight---had a great workout --

And it was Jane Smith's last workout before the IPF World's --she leaves on Wednesday...I believe she'll kick butt in this very important masters event...her last squat workout was great, Nancy helped her with her suit and we judged her depth..she was text book on the squat depth...but we were careful to add, that she might need more depending on how the judging is going on her day !

the 2 workouts ended with a 5 course meal (2 main courses) cooked by Nancy !
perfection !

Not your average Gym experience, more like a "Strength Spa."
Jane also has a great sense of humor, bringing the dinner wine, in my honor --first dinner workout..she brought imported wine labeled "Fat Bastard" --last night, "Robert's Rock" with all the wild names of wine companies now...the looming possibilities are endless !

Aberdeen Photo over flow !!

The report is up on Aberdeen (if you didn't come here from there)
http//www.robertosmith.com/powersiteoct.html
With LOTS of pictures--and I've also done a preliminary report with pics below this entry --so scroll down to it if you haven't already read it my sloppy attempt (slipped) at 551 is there in video...But now here are EVEN more pictures from the meet !





This is 551 on my chest as mentioned earlier, it went up wrong and became a 'miss'
Here I show I've 'still got it going on" by "Squatting my disappointment" a heavy load indeed !
I turn to my friend Mister Shiraz for comfort !

Tomorrow, I do speed band stuff --Sunday floor presses and HEAVY reverse bands !

OH --OK--Here's my 540 that didn't quite touch --felt light n' fast...

I SAW 803 go up !!

Unfortunately I wasn't the lifter, The Great James Crawford was !!

Jody Cranston got a WABDL Canadian National Record with 366 Pounds !!! that is double bodyweight !!--Jody also Deadlifted, and lifted off for me in the bench !
his lifting was exceptional !

I did OK --conservatively, I started with 485 and benched it flawlessly and FAST (IPF woulda even liked it) Then I went for 540...but it was 1/2 inch from touching and I BLASTED it right up!!!--but of course no touch --No lift !
Then I tried 551 --it touched --but it touched by flipping forward in my hands...so
I kinda wrist curled it back, and pushed it up....but from that angle, it starts over the face too fast and I lost footing,slipped, and it double pumps on one side and the spotters take it before I could struggle it all the way up...I CAN make those weights --I coulda made em yesterday with one more try ! DRAT !! where are those 5 attempt meets??




This is my 551 try

my regular sites report is up now--there are some exciting photo's like a drug free Brent Mikesell deadlifting 705 in a singlet...and more...and no, Ryan Kennelly didn't show ...on Saturday anyway !! thanks to Powerlifting Watch for linking my site.

NOW I really gotta get polished for the World's !! YEAH !!!--where IS that Turtle wax?

Last Light day before the meet !

Geezer Mc Grampa and his 'rubbers'

Nancy has dumb bells for the Dumb bell---plus LOTS more not shown !

Here is Nancy lifting off for Jane Smith !


Last time, I said I'd show you Nancy's gym...here is one rack and some High quality weights!

The Camera also had wine...

So, Nancy lives in her gym, which consists of double what you see for iron, racks and equipment...a kitchen ...small dining table...bath...and upstairs tiny bed sized loft...and yep, no TV, no comfy chairs, no couch, just benches....what's my point ??? Nancy is DEDICATED to iron sport and fitness ! --she trains clients and a few powerlifting pals like myself, Bruce, Jane lately, and Paul Wells....that's what I call having a goal and meeting it !!! get yourself a gym and live in it !

I originally had the same idea, more in a 'quonset hut ' tho' (and I woulda had chairs and a TV) But, I NEVER ACTED ON IT !! hence, me making the big deal about Nancy moving forward with it and actually having a good Idea and really following thru !

Jane Smith is training at Nancy's for the upcoming IPF Master's Worlds and I have the WABDL meet this Saturday...so the heavy iron condo ala Nance' is comin along big time !

today YES ! I did do speed work on my bench press --lotsa speed on
225X4X3
275X4X3
315X4X2
and one set no bands 225 X25 reps...

later I move a heavy old 27" screen tv up 2 floors--does that count as 'strongman' or cardio !!

See you in Aberdeen on the 15th??

don't get lost n' go to Scotland !

562 ONE BOARD?? are you kiddin me??

Didn't I just DO a meet???...and next Saturday, I'll be in Aberdeen Washington for the WABDL Washington State championships...it's just a month since ALKI....and I want 562...What ???--that's 30 pounds over your own World Record....are ye daft, Laddy??......


YEP !!!

Today at Nancy's gym I tried on the Titan Katana that had been unmanageable til now....one problem, it let 440 down one inch...507 -5 inches 529-7 inches--551 --9 inches...and 562 all the way down to about one inch away from touching and BANG !!! right back up--what we call an "invisible board press" day--the varying heights were there, and the lifts fired back up...but the boards aren't there- I just stop the bar--lift it back up and my partners count the 'imaginary board' --4-3-2- etc...

The problem is now, that I need to open in my loose shirt --get on the boards...then change into the new shirt and go 545--562 for the remaining lifts....needless to say --anything over 535.6 will be a new record ..but this time I'm finally goin for it....

In a way tho' if I get 562--there'll be nothing to do at World's !! unless I wanna be outta my mind, and go for 600 at 65 years old !! (I have a birthday just a week before that meet)

Nah !! that's impossible !

My imagination has Jody Cranston on the ready for Aberdeen...he's benching and deadlifting ! and of course is an exceptional lift off dude for me, plus that way with all the heavy lift offs he'll not need a warm up for the Pull section of the meet !

Bruce, Nancy, Jane Smith all worked out at Nancy's today --Nancy lives in HER GYM...no couch no chairs just iron and benches n racks
'pictures'
on Tuesday when my light 'speed day' isn't worth writing about !

517 reverse band PR

Pushing 397 up from the bars- I got to 412 in the session

I did a heavy day workout at Nancy's gym..this is not a 'shirt' week so all lifts were raw, starting from a dead stop at chest height (bench is set up in a squat rack with bar resting on the pins at chest ) workout was:
135 X10 -255X 5- 352X4- 352X2- 397X1- 407X 1-412X1- 407x1- 1X 397---

then to blue bands from the top of rack assisting bar 460X5 -507X1-507X1-512X1 512X1 517X1
the 517 from THIS rack at this level was a PR--I have had higher racks (stretching bands more) give me 550 etc. lifts, but this set up was previously a 507 for my record..today I feel very worked out ! 'those- there' muskels feel like they been thru sumpin !

12 days til the WABDL Washington state meet in Aberdeen !

before yesterdays workout, I got very inspired watching a tape of the 2000 World's in Reno ...man what clean lifting..that was the year we had Canadians Mark Freedman, Miriam Power, Joel Thiessen, Colin Bonneau and myself...the highlights of that one for me was seeing incredible benching from Steve Wong, Tiny Meeker...and a demo lift from Ryan Kennelly of 705...also terrific, was a world record 800+ deadlift from Phil Andrews...that tape got me very excited about next weeks heavy day and the Aberdeen meet !! --better watch it everyday to keep the momentum going !