2 sets of bands on Light day !

Arrgh ! woke up at 4 am --Mind O' fire with ideas--- couldn't go back to sleep.. 4 coffees...answering emails..it becomes 6 am really quickly...

The gym at 6 ?? --I've never been to 'Kits'that early...then I discover they ARE open..but you have to prove how smart you are, and find the secret entrance to get in that early...it's fun, I pretend I'm burgling the place... today is my 2nd to last 'speed'day and I start by putting on the blue heavy bands and resist them with only 225 ...I want the bar to go FAST..I get 4 sets of 4 done..and I ADD the purples to the blues (and get what?? MUDDY HENDRIX??? )

I do 8 more sets of four --of course the 2 band aside really works the tri's and the lockout...I find the bar doing the 'straight line' thing...instead of my sometimes,back over the eyes stroke...then I do 315 X3 335 X 3 and 355 X 1..it was a good feeling workout and I have heavy stuff to do on Saturday or Sunday...the meet is June 9th in Olympia Washington (Red Lion Inn )

--Don James wrote me an email and told me to open heavier and go for more..that is an exciting thought..but I always like to get one in...even if it 500 or so...like I said, I may jump very high after my opener--or I might waddle like a duck...that is, take a BIG chance...gotta wait to see how heavy the weight feels that day..

It's terrific to get behind the scenes notes from lifting friends like Don James (superheavy masters champ WABDL) and Gene Knight, another powerful masters champion out of Oklahoma..these guys are doing better workouts most of the time than me...and of course Tony Tomra always has an encouraging word...I'm amazed I get 'read' at all (I'm hardly ever in the sun) what with the huge benchers out there now...I appreciate your support of curmudgeon power !

----robo--the Curmudgeon who's lifts are Budgin----

BTW the B.C.'s are this weekend in Vancouver it's an IPF affiliated meet Sunday Bench @ 12:30 3 lift 2pm --4196 W 4th ave Jericho Hill Centre--it will be a good one ! Bob Hindley is meet director..

I've got a friends birthday celebration to 'produce' so I cant compete in this one, but I'll be interested in the highlights .. I'll get friends like Warren Orr to tell me how it went..meanwhile, best of luck to all the BC lifters this weekend !

2 WEEKS Before Great Northern !

Since I've been handling 551 in practice runs lately,I thought today would be volume work and adding a new thing or two to my schedule..so I started with warm ups 225 X8 330 X1 350 X 4 singles--then the shirt--and 440 485 507 and 507 again..then I took the shirt off, and in the squat rack I put the safety cross bars at #7--then we put the loaded bar with 402 on the bars then we put the blue bands around the ends of the bar..still lifting on the bench, no bench shirt,yes...the bands now 'play that role'--I did some easy lifts--this was from a dead start on the chest position RIGHT AT CHEST height..then I did singles with 485 507 529 and 534 ---how is this different?? --usually I lay on the floor which stretches the bands MORE making the bands do more work..this time rather than 3.5 inches off the chest the bar was on the pins at exact chest level...so my bands wern't doing as much work (less length stretch rebound) sometimes I do these as full reps with a hand off BUT here I'm going from a dead stop..so my next goal in training in this exact manner ...is to get 550 as my PR...thus feeling the full 550 at the top and getting less stretch reflex from the eccentric setup and the rebound capacity of the bands...meanwhile my original 507 shirted lifts were a good practice for my opening attempt in the meet...the next 2 workouts will be speed day and one more HEAVY pin press day...at the meet I'll open to get a lift in, 500 or 507 --jump to 534 then 540 and a 551 4th attempt for a WABDL world record...hope all goes as planned --as you know,workout strategy and actual weight lifted in a meet can vary...so I'll need rest and luck as well as all the good 'prep' I've had lately !

Heavy Day,3 weeks out !

Deja Vu ! --I tried 507 got it nicely, A 534- 2 board easy--a 551- 2 board easy!!
then I tried 551 Again--you know, like I said,gotta join that NO FEAR Club--it barely grazed the shirt (hear me say it didn't touch) and DIDN'T pause..BUT I went fearlessly against it and won, by.......WHAT??....think fast Robo...
By lifting it easily and FAST !! --not like the "I got it --I got it" of the previous video ..so 2 improvements today..I did 551 again (getting used to it) AND I'm only ONE pound over my weight class...to look at me thru my eyes...I look THIRTY POUNDS HEAVY !!!

"Does this 'REALITY'make me look fat?"
(No,being anything OVER 242 does)



Click on the picture to see the video

Later I did reverse band benches (Bands replace SHIRT as enabler) with 424 X5 440 X3 462X2
507 and 529 for singles...

Best workout today was had by Nancy,who has a very strong work ethic..her tonnage I think must always be more than mine...Bruce did a great job of spotting and did one down set of 45 reps to astound both Nancy and I--it was 225 pounds BUT we were still using the reverse bands,or of course that would've been a record thruout the Universe if RAW and no bands,in his weight class n' age group...still, it was the absolute high point of Bruce's day...then HE went and played Basketball..

FINALLY !!!

the CPO National's pictures are posted by Andrey Butenko...a super meet !
"Click here for CPO PIX"

The Results are also on WPC Canada's web site --again thanks to Andrey !

512 reverse band--with the 'skinnies'

Yesterday had me doing heavy RAW pushes from the safety bars,the usual pin press challenge...warmups were routine..135 for 30 very fast...225 for 11..330 X 3 374 X 2 then 396 402 407 418 440 440 446 for singles for 6 work sets...then the skinny little purple bands from the top of the cage on to 451 X 6 462 X 5 507 507 507 and a tough 512 to round out the workout...both the 446 static floor press and the 512 reverse band really made my muscle fibers burn..those 2 singles probably will be the real progress points of the workout.

All is set for Olympia...got the entry blanks filled out ready to send off to Gus...next,book the hotel..and tune up the car,whether it needs it or not,and make sure I have enough identification to get across the border come June (passport office has all my data--yaaargh )

Hopefully the fact that I've published a comedy DVD called "There's a Terrorist Donut in your Fruit of the Loom" wont have me strip searched at the border.

Donut Trailer

Click Pic with sound on---trailer completed yesterday !

Tony Checked in !

If you go to the bottom of the "Tuesday" blog below..click on 'comments' to read more about how Tony Tomra did at the CPO Nat'ls--Tony was best Master lifter at the contest ! and hit ELITE!
--check Tony's comment/News,

below,

below !

Tuesday's Velocity.

Yesterday I spent one hour doing speed bench 225 /245 light stuff, for my 4 rep-12 set BLUE BAND work...then I did 315 X3 335 X 2 355+ 365 --I tried to keep lots of speed on the reps --my 7th set went the fastest...next,floor presses on Saturday--I look to add a small amount on that Raw exercise!

The CPO National's happened over the weekend in Toronto...thru the grapevine,I hear Tony Tomra our BC athlete...broke the 90 KILO World masters records in the AWPC
(Drug Tested version of the WPC) I think that makes him king of 2 weight classes world wide..Tony might check in and tell his numbers,but you remember he was overworked ,sleep deprived and dieting down at the last minute..and he still came out victorious !!

Bert Merriman was sleep deprived too..but judged the weekends world breaking lifts and noted that CPO squats are way deeper than APF squats..and since many lifters who were trying out the CPO,are also CPU Lifters ..they kept their depth...Bert Lifted RAW on Sunday and did Canadian records across the board with 180 150 230 KILOS--of course you know that is "coasting' for Bert...I hope the Canada WPC site will publish the score sheet soon ..I hear there were numerous New WORLD marks set by our lifters...

NON LIFTERY TALK

On the way to the 'dentalsman' today..I was waltzing down broadway..and there was an "OPENING SOON" sign....it was for TRANSYLVANIA TASTE restaurant...let me tell you, it is in the space previously occupied by the WILD GARLIC Restaurant---that is so ironic...we know TRANSYLVANIA is known for the legend of vampires...and we know WILD GARLIC repels vampires...so how in the world is this NOT going to end up on crazy factoids on Letterman,Leno or even better ...Ferguson !!

Hello, I'm Bela,I'll be your waiter tonite...can I get you a bloody Mary to start?

"I'm glad you stopped in for a bite"

Here's our Alucard menu (ala carte)
(Count Alucard --was in a B movie vampire movie,in which we discover Alucard is Dracula spelled backwards)

"You'll just go batty..tonite, we have a great trio playing...."What music they make..my children of the night!!" (line from 30's Dracula movie)

"good, you chose the RED wine...I prefer the RED myself!"

"How do you want that steak...oh, that made me nervous...I thought I said 'stake'--rare--medium--or in a glass??? with a straw?'



I tried all these dopey ass bits out on my dentist..and when he was cleaning me up after the severe stuff he did (2000 reps with the 'Cavitron' to under my gums)
..he quipped

"By the looks of your mouth now..you've already HAD a Taste of Transylvania"

Buffering FEAR !

Today was another HEAVY Bench Press workout in the competition shirt...when contemplating ONE person handing off and saving me from 550 pounds,the butterflies can 'flutter atomic' in the few hours before the workout,it goes without saying in a meet you have 3 or 4 guys helping you with lift off and any necessary life saving maneuvers...but when you have just one guy..and an ever increasing amount on the bar--ya cant help but wonder when will it slip from your grip (bar rolling forward )or when will my bench press shirt be so resistant that it stays..but my arms snap off ??

STOP IT !!!

Ya cant think like that !! You know,the Intention/Secret/positive thought/quantum physics,frame of mind...'what you think...you bring to you'...that everyone talks about nowadays?
much like in the old days..Norman Vincent Peale--with a 2007 'POV'

If I keep think of wearing a 550 pound iron moustasche one day...I will !

So, I'd better get the dread outta my head...and today I did ..this is the 4th time I've tackled 550 with just my friend Bruce Everett handing the weight off for me (the tall trim guy you see in my workout videos) I've gotten loose lifts that wouldn't pass strict judging on 2 occasions --one awhile back that only grazed the shirt and didn't pause...and today's work with that weight..

Today, I did a shirted 507 -529 and one -550 that went up well but had an 'iffy touch'
( an invisible HALF board?)
BUT, got me in better control of my fear of heavy weights with only ONE helper..I think this is one step closer to getting ready for a 550 success in a meet, a month til WABDL Great Northern ! and if all goes well, I could get it !

The rest of the workout had some RAW Heavies in the 350 range an easy reverse band with 507 and lotsa reps...Bruce,Nancy and I all worked to our peak strength and endurance today!

I would've been lifting in the CPO National's today in Toronto...I wouldn't have been really ready for the 3 lift...but I bet my bench woulda been somewhere in geezer World Record land !

I hope Tony Tomra lets us know more of the scoop on the CPO Highlights when he gets home !
He lifts tomorrow...and, as you might've read, has had an impossible work/school/sleep/training schedule..but if anyone can bring home the gold it's Tony !!

Quickening !

Went for speed day in the bench,altho busy, did 12 quick sets--225 and 245 with bands for 4 reps to 6 sets then 315 X 3 for 4 sets --that might be a mistake,Louie's template says speed before poundage on this day..and altho each rep only took a second...that felt too slow..the only thing I 'kicked up' today was,the time I rested between sets was very quick so the workout only took 16 or 17 minutes..it's a prelude to a heavy shirt day on Saturday..I think I'll not use the 315's with bands..they really dont move as fast as they should and I dont want to put the cart before the hearse...last 2 sets were singles with 355 and 375 --not too fast on those...that's beginning to be on the heavy feeling side.

Good Luck to Tony Tomra from BC in this weekend's CPO National's in Toronto I'm sure we'll be astounded by the report on this meet..huge numbers and stellar performances are expected !!

Wish I was going..but alas,I wont compete again til June..

Had a gig Tuesday
I voiced a "PIZZA 73" campaign, 3 ads..selling their "Wedgies" yes,we make fun of the high school variety of Wedgies...funny spots with killer sound effects..wedgies are little pizza like wedges..with garlic,cheese,spices and dip...yes the ads brag; "Wedgies are for Dips"
and 'ENJOY a Wedgie... for a change'...I like doing these sorts of ads ! it's like bein a comic again.