535 reverse band-floor presses !

Heavy pin/floor presses for Bench strength on Saturday,as is usual,no bench shirt...I Did warm ups with lots of speed on the bar..and was using Nancy's kilo plates so as I added up the warm ups, I got confused mixing and matching pound and kilo plates ...after warmups with 225 and 330--I went 374 for 4 --then 2 very hard 400's --Nancy pointed out they were hard because they were 424 NOT 400--then I did 435..these were single reps...so, I had to my credit,at that point 4 heavy sets..I decided to do 446--and go back down to 424 for 3 more singles ..then I did another 435...Then on went the reverse bands and I did 507 for 3 for 2 sets then a single with 534 then a 518..and that was the workout..

I discussed with Nancy ..that it's about time for us to plan our Olympia meet strategy..I have a few goals I'd like..getting BACK into my weight class,and getting a 534-540-or 550 OFFICIAL WABDL World bench record (breaking my own 530)..recent workouts show that to be possible..I might tack on the deadlift too,altho,I'm training that only lightly and cautiously...

Nancy has gotten some very good recent workouts in with her TITAN shirt..til now she'd only been able to manipulate some INZERS (Phenom+EHDHP)..NOW with the Fury and F6 finally crystalizing..she might be able to blow away her own previous WABDL Canadian records...and by surprising margins..the meet is June 9th,and is now one of our favorite WABDL events of the year.

Heavy Go lightly !

At the last minute before leaving for Nancy's gym,I realized I've been doing lots of "Max" tests for my optimum meet goal...dress rehearsals of 550--getting used to having that heavy of a weight above me etc. 3 good run thru singles in total, over a month or so.

So, I grabbed an OLD loose FURY (NXG- BEFORE THE PLUS) and decided to do singles in the low range of 'heavy' today...like the old 2 steps forward --1 step back method of days gone by...2 weeks ago, you saw my video of 550 for 2 very iffy (but encouraging to ME )attempts at that weight...so today I wanted 6 perfect pause singles in a shirt that gave me nuttin BUT protection..but no magic ZING here !

I started with 225 330 and 350 + 350 to warm up...put the shirt on and went for
a perfect long pause 407 + 424+ 429+ 429+ 435 and 440 --all went fast and true with exaggerated pauses and long locks and holds..

When the team went to reverse bands I kept doing which ever weight Bruce would do but WITHOUT shirt and BANDS for 308 X 3 330 + 360 + 360..finally I put the Bands on and did 440 X 4 462 X 2 and 507 for one...that was it...good feeling workout and one that refreshed me from the usual strain of waking up every 2 Saturday's and wondering if I was going to crash n' burn under some ungodly load...so this heavy workout I call a rest...I'll be back in "Torture Bob" mode in 2 weeks from now !!

Oh yeah, Nancy got a RAW PR today...she was our 'little Hercules today'
(movie line)

Light ones and PWR news !

Tuesday I did a light day with the speed bands,important to progress,but boring to read about..let's get it over with...

225 X 4 X 2 (reps/sets)
275 X 4 X 4
315 X 3 X 3
335
355
365
370
no shirt (of course) Fast as the lifts,altho marginally heavy could go...

NEWS !!!

Priscilla Ribic pulls an IPF World Record beating Deadlift in exhibition, 555 lbs at 148
Priscilla is in 'Faces in the Crowd' in Sports Illustrated mag and online..once again helping the public view Powerlifting in a sane -drug free and powerful way !! see more by clicking on the Powerlifting Watch web link to the side here.

Randy Patterson has triple bypass..and according to last reports from his son, Randy is recovering well...this is ONE powerful and amazing lifter..he hit 705 @ 58 years old in APA...in WABDL he is always good for over 600 at 59..a nice man..he's even given ME bench press tips..and that was just upon meeting him for the first time..We're wishing for a full and speedy recovery for Randy.

AND Pete Alaniz SENIOR is recovering in Hospital in Texas..the USAPL unofficial forum has updates on his condition and a thread to wish him well...Pete Junior has helped us all in our quests for higher numbers with his TITAN lifting gear..they are a great family..many people are praying for Pete Senior..Larry Maile's last update had Pete fighting hard against some bad complications..I'm hoping Pete is well soon!

When last mentioning my buggy eyed picture (YUCK--I look like my Walter Wart the freaky frog character) in PL USA --I forgot to mention that Jody Cranston in that same picture ..pulled a great 570 Deadlift that day in the meet that would put him half way up the PL USA top 100 list for last year..and when you count drug free only...top 25..and Jody is good for more...he's done 590 and wants to break 600 this year !

Why am I so close to getting 550 in a meet lately?? great training?? nope...not getting on a scale in a long time! ...GAWD, I bet I weigh a ton...and my bench always goes up (DUH? doesn't everyone's) when I gain weight..so when I get back down to my competitive weight..I'm sure the 550 wont be so easy...looks like I'm not that close yet until I de-pork....I'm going to "Atkins" for 2 weeks BEFORE I weigh..."I cant HANDLE the truth"

on an uplifting note...the usually vicious malcontents, at GO HEAVY dot com...really surprised me yesterday...some newbie asked a question about "True Form" in the bench press...asking whether or not you could be considered legit if you DIDN'T touch your chest(like people in the gym who bench the bar 8 inches FROM their chests)...rather than tearing this guy a new "sit crevice" as they normally would..they actually answered his question in a correct and civil manner..
personally,if I ever find out who originated the teaching that you DONT touch your chest in a gym BP...I think I'll YELL at him til his face melts !

however,I think a dock worker in Vancouver,named Linda..had the true best solution for women who dont want to 'tap their nummies' during the bench...she sewed metal salad bowls into her bra and benched to them

when I told her I thought she had a 'good invention'..she thought I was being sarcastic and nearly decked me.
...clack clack clack....
....."Hey,everyone Linda's in the house"...clack clack ONE MORE !!...clack !

450 floor/512 reverse band

I did a productive heavy day yesterday,as you've read in the past,I do pin presses on the heavy days that I'm not using a bench press shirt..so yesterday, I did my usual presses from the safety bars in Nancy's squat rack..starting with countless reps with 135 and 225 to warm up--
then I did 4 X 315
2 X 424
435
445
450
The 450 was tough and even tho "5" work reps shouldn't be taxing ..I got a good burn in the triceps...
I put on the small purple bands (reverse band mode) and went..
424 X 6
462 X 2
512
512
while the 512 was on,I decided to switch, and do rack pulls (DL work) so I did one rep,another, then stood on a 45 pound plate to increase the length of the pull and did 2's for 3 sets..with very little rest !
that tightened my back and felt like I'd done a modicum of work, the "back on" it gave me ..made me walk like a butler for a half hour, but no soreness today...all in all, this small workout felt good and indicated that I've kept my strength OR gained just a smidge on my 'floor press'

We're FAMOUS !!
The other day,the postman dropped off 2 boxes of POWERLIFTING USA Magazines, the March issue...with a really colorful many page extravaganza on the WABDL Worlds...normally when Mike Lambert is nice enough to surprise me with a stack o' mags..it's because I've gotten my picture in the issue..this time I combed the WABDL Report and I wasn't photo'd or mentioned in the story..my 512 bench in the meet was listed in the results under "R.Smith" found it with my microscope...so then I wondered why the nice surprise from Mike??
--AHA !!! Page 61--"Team Canada" it says and shows Mark Vezina--A very goofy looking me--Nancy and Jody..right next to the USAPL Issaquah,Wa. meet where I broke the American Record with a teeny tiny 470 bench...so the only puzzlement was why does it say "Thanks to Robert O. Smith for sending the picture" OH NO!! OLD TIMERS Disease...I dont remember sending it...what's wrong with my memory....Later when I spoke to Jody Cranston on the phone he said..."Yeah I just had to send that photo in..it really showed good IPF cross border cooperation !" SO Jody sent it in !!!AHA !
and I'm not really a candidate for the plastic brain surgeon..and his memory enhancing silicone implant !! whew !

"Jughead had the Operation"

551 for 2 singles !!

Well,kinda !!
I was arching up to the bar on the first one, and my spotter Bruce said it didn't quite touch,from HIS angle...a "1 board" (camera is more forgiving,deceptive)

2nd one touched, and came to the top after slowing down just a bit at the top --notice,Bruce puts his hand around the bar but does not pull on it,as I yell "I got it" he does help me back into the rack after my little self congratulation..in the other lift I say the "poop" word at the end...Tourette Syndrome anyone??

click on the TITLE to view the 2 singles

551 BP-gym lift

Today was Heavy day with the shirt and these two workout singles were encouraging..the next step is to get more of a pause and a more solid evident lockout to make these 'fly' as real lifts in a meet (my next is WABDL Great Northern in Olympia,June 9th) so I'm happy that these run thru's were so close !!

The workout for me was 255 X 8 308X3 330 350
shirt (50 Katana)
440 462 no touch
507
529
551 (lift 1 in video)
551 good (lift 2 in video)

I did some more work with reverse bands,fast reps,5's or so (with varied weight 440 to 462)
good solid workout..
Bruce had a good workout,mostly heavy bench maintenance.

Nancy finally has gotten used to using a high tech shirt and was in a Titan F6--her weights got to the 2 board height (without using boards) and rocketed back up..she hit PR's not only in poundages but in bar speed..I see her breaking all her PR's by huge amounts and very soon !

BTW --the bar in the Video is not 700 pounds --it just looks like it..4 of the big plates are small weight bumpers,from Nancy's olympic lifting days.