Tuesday, November 28, 2006

I'd be lyin'

If I said I was hitting the gym daily--or at all!

I havent lifted since the Big World meet, the 15th !( a record in lethargy for me, and most garden slugs )

On the flight back I was seated in an aisle close to a woman who had a specific sort of "cold".

One that might be termed EL BOOGAH-TOR ! no, the MIGHTY EL BOOGAH-TOR is more like it..she blew her nose 174 times in the 2 hour plus flight--Being a very picky germophobe I prayed that I could get thru my speech at the Canadian Chiropractic Convention--and then my bread and butter, my tv and radio session..before her 'Phlegm bouquet' blossomed in my system.

I got half my wish--I got thru the Chiro thing with tons of laughs..Amazing, I had to follow People like Rick Hansen and Kim Eagles( if you dont know who that is, she'll shoot ya ) plus the dude who won 'Survivor' last year...but right after the big "Powerlifter's Love chiropractic" set--I got hit with --you guessed it..

EL BOOGAH-TOR...

It was BAD !! It knocked me on my butt for days...and the job came and --I sounded, like Ethel Merman farting thru a bagpipe...not my usual dulcet tone...so I was sent home..BUT having a great client to work for--I was allowed 3 days to get over my 'cold'
meanwhile,work out? what's that??? never heard of it...so the session is rescheduled and I do it just fine..WHEW !! the spots run soon and I can pay the rent..but still,the gym isn't what I see as my most appealing destination...But just when I get feeling a 'little' like going to the gym --my car is snowed in--wont start--and BCAA is one continuous busy signal..my car is parked in a ticketable place too..so what will I do?

Dont moan --I'm going to use Jump stretch bands on a Soloflex,not to PULL my car out of the ditch, to work out (both sets of resistance--rubber plus rubber is good for my blubber )-I've done that before for benching but with light stretch bands--this will get me a bit of a workout..and that's why I have the 'as seen on TV' set up anyway..meanwhile ..I must have the "no meet in sight of months" blues..cuz my enthusiasm for lifting is usually hightened by having a goal...a meet around the corner... I was going to the American Open in Palm Springs..but it didn't pan out...hope to lift a big one for ya next time..maybe with a real barbell on Saturday !

3 notes,

I got a picture of me in Powerlifting USA Magazine November issue page 82 --I'm Benching 525.7 in the pic--a month later i broke that World record with 529...geeze,have i mentioned THAT before?

My pal Colin Bonneau lifted on thursday @WABDL Vegas and got a 501 Bench and first place in his class and a best lifters in the "Younger than Bob" class..we have a friendly rivalry in the Bench --he's younger --I'm heavier--it evens out.

Priscilla Ribic IS going to Palm Springs for the meet this weekend..she will lift in the 165's leaving plenty of room for Pizza (She's the Worlds best 148er )

Saturday, November 18, 2006

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I Can only imagine !!

TODAY in Vegas...The biggest day of lifting is happening at the WABDL Worlds...I imagine a 900 Bench will happen by Tiny Meeker..Mike Womack or Steve Wong...and some master is bound to push the heights of age vs gravity...what a day it will be..Still the hottest thing to happen is the 804 by 40 year old Jason Jackson on Thursday...he came so close to 826..he wears Titan shirts.

For me,I'm honored to speak about chiropractic and powerlifting at the big Canadian Chiropractic convention here in town...little nervous that my clownlike way of communicating might be a little over the top for doctors...

Why do I powerlift?
"it's my excuse to be a fat guy"
Are you drug free??
"yes,I havent even tried the prohormone supplements..like Andro Celine Dion (Canadian pronunciation)I'm drug free for life..cept for coffee and wine..but my bench shirt can hold up an airplane "

The IPF is testing the stretchiness of our squat suits and bench shirts now..wouldn't want our 'clothes' doing all the work for us,would you?

Richard Schuller is the most generous of all meet directors..he sent EVERY contestant in the recent Pacific Open meet a surprise DVD of the days lifting..most would've offered it for 30 bucks...Richard just sent it along out of his own kind heart !! WOW !!!

Pictures of my day at the WABDL Worlds will be updated soon at my power update page...keep clickin'

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Sorry Honey, I can't get it ...down !

Just Back from the WABDL Worlds,it's still going on and the best is yet to come...Today, Jason Jackson did a single ply 800+ bench as a 40+ 240 pound master !!--and it's only day 2 !!

Yesterday,I was lucky to have my usual competitor, Don James, do shirt duty for me helping me with the sleeves and last minute adjustments and a great hand offs...the plan,do 501-512 and 534 to beat my world record 529..so we start as planned...501 went up so fast,some people in the audience MISSED seeing it..really..rocket fast..then 512 --still fast but a little crooked,with it evening out at the top..for a good lift..so I got the bright idea to put on a NEW out of the bag KATANA ( * this normally would've worked for me ) so here we go with the 534 and it wont touch..I pull and pull and arch into it and it doesn't touch, so up I push it...I'm urged to do a 4th attempt...I pass, thinking I'll just have to work with this shirt.

What really happened according to Don:
" You had the bar 2 inches from touching and you just slammed it back up by yourself"

What I THOUGHT happened: (remember my body and little brain have 534 pounds squishing it)

I thought it felt like it might go out of control and I thought it was 6 inches from touching..and I thought the spotters helped me with it..

Same event...

2 different views...IF Don is right..hell,he was right there watching, spotting, handing off,then I should've put 551 on the bar and taken my 4th...but thinking my version was true, I missed the chance..later when Don told me his version of the event --I said "My god --really?? the spotters didn't pull it off me--aww, if I had've known that it was that close to touching AND I rocketed it up..I would've taken in again..live n' learn...almost"

I got The Best Lifters trophy for 61-67 year old masters benchers covering the 220-242-259-308 and Superheavy weight classes.. the GREAT Rudy Lozano got it for the lighter classes!

* STRATEGY ---if you test a particular shirt, and on the magic day in training it gives you 540..and it is a certain size, and you keep your bodyweight the same, and you maintain or increase your strength..a new "one of those" should give you the BIG number again or MORE..

With shirts, after they've had a few huge lifts in them,the "pop" gradually lessens giving you smaller outcomes..so you open with the looser shirt, get on the boards and put on the exact same BRAND /SIZE.. NEW shirt for the Record attempt and you'll get it (I've proven that theory 4 times in the last 2 years)-BUT--if that type shirt has been upgraded by the manufacturer and you put it on unknowingly --you'll find yourself in my situation..no touch -or worse,bar outta control..I was basing my theory of the Katana keeping the larger chest plate --the new one I got, had been upgraded to smaller chest plate shorter sleeves (from the factory) causing my 'math' to be off...I plead "no dummy"

NEXT? Huge lifts in 2007 !!!

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Last Workout before WABDL Worlds

I felt like working heavy today so I did pin presses and reverse band floor presses..no bench shirt today..
the beginning of the pin presses was the same as always..2.5 inches off the chest,dead stop--warm ups thru 4 reps of 315 --then to 2 reps of 405 then 1 rep each of 425 435 and 445+445--then to reverse bands for singles with 500 500 515 525 and 535 + 535 for a good workout, this will allow me to recover for the morning session in Vegas on this coming Wednesday..all that is left, is to read more recent issues of POWERLIFTING USA for psych--check on my airline flight --and practice a speech I have to give at a Chiropractor's convention back here on Saturday the 18th and altho that would be interpretted by some as active rest,I kind of feel under the gun...but once I get involved in doing all this and not just thinking about it,things will be ultra positive...and I'll be ready to kick butt at the 2006 WABDL Worlds !!

...Ooh yes,there is also vacuuming my apartment and MOWING the front room rug...the mushrooms growing there are beginning to get me a bit peeved..also the kitchen--there is a serpent swimming in the sink..and the more coffee grounds I throw in,the more hyper he becomes..better try to get him to go back down the drain where he came from...dont want to come home to tourists in my apartment trying to get shots of him for the Guinness book...yes, I am, just barely, kidding about this.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Buddies as Champions !

This is where I'm sposed to report my speed day training for next weeks meet.. like most training logs, that is a whole lotta same old-same old..suffice it to say I had a great "light/bands/speed bench workout" Bad News, I may have a sprained wrist or hand,maybe even a tiny fracture,going into the meet...after all, I hold more than 500 pounds above me in the bench press about 160 times a year,including training and meets,that's bound to wear something thin...I'm going to ignore it and lift a big as I can next Wednesday in Vegas.

NOW--the GOOD stuff !!! I am so proud to know all my powerlifting friends, and recently some truly great performances have happened..My friend Clint Harwood just competed a few days ago in the huge WPC/WPO Worlds in New York and Benched a drug free 771 pounds !! actually, he did 705 750 & 771 in the World bench meet..that is totally astounding !! He is a very nice and FUNNY guy..he usually wears a tee to meets that says "The World's Strongest Physicist" and can crack you up with his dry wit..Clint recently got married..but on his wedding day, he got a heavy bench press workout in with his team..NEXT,at the same meet, Tony Tomra of BC another great drug free lifter..entered the 40-44 Masters in the 100 KG class and WON THE WORLD TITLE !!! WPC World champion is a huge accomplishment..Canada's WPC affiliate is the CPO ..see pictures of Tony and Clint on my website under 2006 activity choose the CPO Nationals report,this will show you where they were in their lifts in June....and the latest flash is ..Priscilla Ribic (pictured in the Pacific USAPL meet report -linked below) IS the NEW IPF World Champion in the 148 pound class...she totaled 610 KILOS and beat a field of 10..this JUST happened in Norway...not only did Priscilla get a gold medal --she got 4 of them..she just may (as always) win Champion of Champions..this is really astounding lifting, that winds up a year where Priscilla won every title imaginable..and broke 2 IPF World records..she squatted 534 POUNDS Today ---oh yes,she's done more too.

Many people say the best part of powerlifting is meeting people...yes,it's true,meeting all lifters and power enthusiasts is great..but getting to meet and talk to the Greats of the sport is a huge thrill that is contagious to our training and competition spirit ! I'm proud and inspired !! and Blessed to know these super strong athletes.

Saturday, November 04, 2006

512 Bench press on "shirt day"

.....Well, that's NOT what I wanted...512...but I know what happened, the sleeves of the shirt have loosened and have "Un-torqued" causing the neckline of the Katana to creep up,thus not storing rebound in the same manner it does when it's on properly...one problem,caused by cutting the sleeves off and not Tightening the subsequent circumference...so, I'll still aim for a record breaker in Las Vegas in just 11 more days..I know I have a 534 on a 'perfect' day..One odd thing 'kinda like an omen' or coincidence..the last week while watching TV..documentaries and TV shows Based in Las Vegas are flashing archive footage...and the Riviera is always included (our venue) odd,normally New trendier Hotels are featured in shows...due to the 'New Vegas' being what we're used to...gosh, the Riviera beckons I guess...Today I warmed up doing raw 135 X 12--225 X 3 335 355 and 375 before I put the shirt on...then I did 440 485 --the re torqued the sleeves for 512...actually i could tell the 're-torque' didn't take..then we tried 529 (got this in a meet remember,sept 23,see archives) It went up half way and Bruce had to give me some small assistance to finish it off..when we took the shirt off we had proof the sleeve twisting had 'un twisted' Then we all went to reverse bands...3 and 4 reps with 7 sets 360 380 424 440 462 485--the 7th set was without the bands a raw 265 for 12 reps...good work out...I'm packing my bags tonite..and checking on em ...the night before I leave..it's been so long since I bought my plane ticket...I hope my flight is still a non stop !
and it's a Tuesday so I might get more business types than YAHOO-ers!--on weekend flights you get lots of 'cowboy hats and lapel stickers that say MY Name is Bubba"