A week out from Olympia !

I was looking forward to doing some sort of near complete attempt with 600--in my workout, in this the last heavy session before the WABDL Great Northern Bench Press and Deadlift meet in Olympia Washington...but as it is with NEW shirts--the chest plate gave me a surprise and wouldn't let me get my hands out any father than a close grip--so we had to do shirt loosening reps--with the bar across the safeties --my workout was a raw warm up to 2 singles with 330--then the shirting with high pins and 4 reps or so with 500
then we took the pins down a bit and went up to 530 or so and I did partial lockouts with no more than an 8 inch stroke for 6 or so reps--NOW the shirt was getting looser...so we went for a lift off with 600 and we got a set of 4 with about 6- to 8 inch movement...
So, we have loosened the shirt and gotten some top end work in...then I saw how far the regular bench set up would go if we tried one light one..a 500...it went nearly all the way down --AND I could get my grip wide enough...so altho the dream workout didn't happen --the shirt has been romanced..and should my other lifts, opener and 2nd get passed--I'll do a try with 565 for a slightly bigger WR--then slip into the New Titmangler special from Titan and give the 600 a try--BUT--if things slide into a slop bucket of mediocrity...I'll shoot for the Win and the record as my main thrust..

Nancy had shirt PR's today she hit a 210 pound bench ! at 146 pounds...and Bruce was priceless in his help to us both...

KUDOS to WABDL for getting the World and Canadian records up from Alki so soon--My 562 bench--Nancy's 193 and Jody's 370 are already on the records page--wow--nice work Elma and Gary !! we appreciate it !!
This is Gene Knight, Bench Bozo and Zac Knight June 7th in Phoenix
Thanks Gene for sending the photo--and thanks Zac for the lift offs !

See you in Olympia--it'll be a great meet !!

(WABDL link is at side for info)

385-395-400 & 405 Raw Pin Presses

Today I did a Heavy day with my usual style pin press set up--the safety bars set at chest level in the squat rack, with a bench centered so I can just do the PUSH from a dead start--
135X15
225X8
315X5
365
385
395
400
and 405 pounds...
All lifts were smooth and quite easy...feeling stronger...
I put the small purple bands on (reverse setting) and did
455---455---465--465--
and that was "Heavy Day"

Next week--Saturday, is NEW shirt day--where I will carefully work in 600 in the mix --if it feels right, I'll KNOW I can try it in Olympia August 2nd
Robo !! Watch out....Superman is flying right into your back....Duck, Man !!


heh heh--I get it...Duckman...heh heh !

Putting the bands back in....

Wednesday I did Dynamic Effort day, using blue bands to resist the 225 that I was using...the usual count--4 reps, 8 sets with lots of speed on the bar...lately I've been setting up with great care, so that it will become second nature to put my traps on the bench and get the same arch each time...also when doing these mundane poundages..I practice one set with the weight going straight up and out over my chest--and the next set, up and back (over the eyes technique) when I got to set # 8 --I put 275 on the bar with the bands still on and tried a set with speed--it went too slow for my taste altho...it still was 4 in 4 seconds on the clock--it just didn't feel "Dynamic"--then I did 3 easy singles for form practice..345- 355- 365 --Sunday I get back in and do heavy 'pin presses'

the big 'shirt' day doesn't happen til the following Saturday....still trying to create the way that work out will REALLY be...new shirt break in...safe lockouts from high pins?...nearly complete benches with huge numbers with the safeties?--hmm time will tell ...

600 ! springs in my shirt, and Dynamite in my arm pits !

Today was the day I decided to mess with 600 !
Last time, we decided we'd use Blue bands AND a loose shirt..to approach the BIG Mark in the gym...remember, we have one spotter...so it is not easy for him to lift off the weight--then, if there is an accident, take weight off of me...so today, we started with raw warm ups 225 X6 265 X4 285 X3 330- 330- 350 and 350 for singles

Then into my loose Katana for a 500 and 507 bench with good form and relative ease.
then we put the bands on and with slow form, I eased 570 down, and back up it went...
then success at 585
then good one with 595
then another success at 600 !!
(tough lock out, but legal)

So did I lift 600 today??..no, not without help..but I felt it at the top, and took some of the fear out of the big scary number ! by lifting it with 'training wheels' and concentrating on form.

IN TWO WEEKS...I will put on a brand new tight Katana and do partials from 2/3 of the way up (bar suspended on safety bars IN squat rack-dead start under them)
with that new shirt I'll lock them, and hold them for a long count-- ala Chuck Sipe's great idea from the 50's...

hopefully if everything goes as planned the 600 pounds in the fresh shirt will do something other than stay pinned to my chest, in the Olympia meet in August...then I get to try it again in September if it doesn't fly right, the first time out !
Jody Cranston sets up his dead lift in Seattle
Here's another ALKI pic (more as you scroll below)

Jody wrote his Great version of ALKI part 2
--PLUS
a Pantheon Strength update !!
and it is in his POWERSHAPE blog CLICK IT !

Read it --it's--Good Stuff !!

Close your eyes when you watch this video !

BELOW this entry are lots of pictures from ALKI beach--and the CORRECT video for my 562 Bench press --In THAT video--you see the lift, correctly done with a 'press' command a "rack" and a nice 'lift is good' from the announcer...

2 cameras were going, one was my son shooting with his small digital...and the other Camera was mine, manned by Nancy Carpenter.

She had worked all day setting my shirt --running numbers--well, doing tons of things and LIFTING in the meet and helping Jody with his sessions too...somewhere in my camera mechanism--the camera shut off--started again--shut off-- started again--so all we got were fragments...but wanting to see what we had...I pieced them together...and altho we miss the press signal and the 'lift is good' ...AND the bar appears to go way too fast...we are putting this up to bask in the excitement of the SOUND of this one...the announcer has a nice back n' forth with Don James as they mention my lift being the best ever by a 65 year old...

Actually, they say 60 year old...but it's more correct to say 65 in my case...
anyway--this was a moment of excitement I think, so here it is, warts and all...


scroll down--down --down-- for more ALKI pix--and the REAL 562 bench press video IF you haven't already seen it !


---and Thanks Adjil--for the link from your site..there are a 2 pics of you( here and on the Power update page) in case you missed em ADJILITY BLOG click it