Sunday's Heavy 545 reverse band (2 singles)

Yesterday, I did my heavy day, utilizing pin presses from chest height on a free standing bench...no shirt.
225 X12 315X3 365X2 385+ 395

NEXT Blue bands assisting (reverse band bench)
500X1+1 500X3 (2 sets) 515+545+545
and that was it...it IS progression because the 545 is a one single PR in this gym and I got an extra single today (and an extra triple with 500)
My daughter Justine, sent me a Bench Press 550 club Tee from Jake Jone's "Get Big" store at "Cafe Press" she also sent me one that read "Powerlifters scaring other gym members since 1964" cool stuff that customs finally let me have after a month.

My Friend Gene Knight sent me this email with Good news about HIS lifting

"Good meet. Lots of lifters. I opened at 352.74 and they red lighted me for raising my hips. I have never done that before. I took 352.74 for the second attempt and had no problems. I did 363.74 for my third attempt. No problem. The 363.74 was a new unequipped masters 3 american record. I got a 4th so I took380.29. It went up easy. no problem . My daughter took some videos, I will try to get them on my computer and send to it on."

--Gene

CONGRATULATIONS GENE !!! that is astounding lifting masters 3 and 275 (?) class!
way to GET the record man !!!

556 Bench !! Yes ! Yes ...but, so very NO !

You say what? from the title, you think I snuck off to an IPF meet...lifted 556 but the judges turned me down??
NOPE...
I lifted heavy in the Katana Shirt over at Nancy's gym, and blew away 556 on my last set ..but it didn't touch...Bruce noted that it was about an inch from touching before I blasted it back up...so I red lighted myself...and called myself "Red light Rob"

Of course I was right to red light me, and will continue to, until I can 'get it down--uhh, AND back up '

In the rest of the shirt work out I used my 2nd Best Katana...and hit 496- 512- 529 -545 and the 556 heavy singles....the weights were scary at first ...529 felt the heaviest..and wobbled a bit...my lockouts all seem to go sideways lately (not uneven ) both arms lock and shift slightly to the left....note to self, no more Crisco on the bench.

The raw warm ups were 225 X8 308X3 340 340 and 350--

In Reverse Bands I did 496 X4 507X2 and 512X2 --they felt great !

Bruce and Nancy had good workouts doing reverse bands mostly--even with sore shoulders, Nancy completed a good bunch of RAW attempts and later did great on the reverse benching...

Bruce got up to 396 with the Blues helping him...

not bad for 54 years old and less than 181 lbs @ about 6 feet tall.
"Spock checks Santa's Belt after a successful bench "

Bruce is my hand off guy and he can make 550 pound bars seem like nuttin' when he is in charge of spotting.

(Spock aka Bruce)

ME ?? ON TV ??

Training for the camera at TARGET Fitness

I am SUPER excited today because Vancouver's CTV Channel 9, did a great 2 minute clip of me in the 6pm and 11 pm News last nite ....It ran in Perry's sportscast with my 551 Bench Press clip and some very fine compliments from Perry, Pamela and Bill Good, after it ran.

It was a small step for the bench Press

and a Giant leap for fatso kind !

A large 21 meg file all rights CTV Sports

The clip shows my voice work and some shots of me replicating my parts in the animated series POWER FORCE...

The story was written and voiced by Kathy Kovacs...she crafted a fine story, for which I am eternally grateful !

Today, I lift LIGHT weights FAST

(my ego is hard to carry around today )

Heavy work happens on the weekend !

Heavy Sunday--Who's pumped?

Worked out with the lighter weights in the speed mode on Wednesday ! altho it was what I call my boring day--the weights flew and I was sore from the workout til today...When I worked my heavy day at TARGET in Vancouver with my friend Dave...Dave is 45 and a huge dude..it kinda looks like father n' son day at the Fitness place..oddly, no one finds us 'dangerous'

Dave is new to working in Bench Shirts so we took it easy at first...
warm ups RAW
225 X6
-315 for 4 really fast reps
335 for one really Light rep
then 365 for a single--
Dave went to a 390 Raw Bench and made it well...
I brought out my oldest, loosest Titan shirt just to show Dave he could get something down and then back up....

But first, I put it on OVER my tee shirt...did an easy 405-425 and 435...took it off, sweatless.

Then Dave put it on over his Tee and did 405 --and missed with 435 twice...BUT he was really close !

I showed him the speed day version of bands with the bar resisting the bands from underneath the stands (not part of the workout, more of a demo)
we did sets of 225 X 4---he really GETS WHY the bands work so well on DE day.
that is a surprising effect with the band tension making the bar seem like so much more at the top...I imagine him looking for a set of "blues" right away.

Today I did pin presses rather than mess with the 500+ shirt--from that dead stop at chest height I did 225 for 6
315 X4
then went to 385 ---
--the 385 stopped Dave BUT it's a NEW exercise to him...

Believe me, this dude is strong and most people see him as being able to kick my ass in a second...but we're pretty much neck n' neck in the regular bench strength department...plus I have the 'short arms syndrome' which helps me keep the temporary edge...by benching the weight a shorter distance.

I put 495 on the bar with reverse bands then did 515 for 3 reps--Dave was burnt out...I did 545 in the reverse bands...and failed with 565
I got it going 2 0r 3 inches-- new goal in that exercise next time...sure was isometric for a stage there...felt totally pumped and figured it was a good workout...Dave went over and did some JM Presses and then we called it a day--oh, but we also went to Mayfair Magazines a half block up the street --and bought out all the new Powerlifting USA's sorry folks you'll have to go to Magpie on Commercial for yours !

Next week's Heavy day is shirt work at Nancy's with Bruce lifting off --and me trying to lift heavy again...closer to the 551 or more mark !
2 steps forward, you know.

490 -501- 518- 518

Saturday was Heavy day, using my loose Katana I did what the headline said..490 for a single then 501 and 2 singles of 518 (235 KG.)
This idea is to get my body used to handling the light 500's--before reverting to the crushing 551 PLUS area...(as mentioned on my last 'shirt day' the progress is gradual)

Altho 600 really wasn't a goal previously, I've had many people urge me to 'go for it' so with utmost safety in mind ...I'll venture forth this year to see if I can't get as close to that as humanly possible....next heavy workouts will have me trying to ready my joints for the heavier onslaught.

Yesterday was more than the heavy shirted singles...
without the shirt, I did warm ups and reps with....225X6 reps 3 sets...286 X5 308 X3 330 X 1 for 2 singles 350X1 for 4 singles done with a pause and in good form.
these seemed light, much like I was taking the weight down and simply replacing it 'back where it came from' (yes, that IS the movement..but I mean with minimal effort)

Hope you noted in the comment section in my previous blog that Tony Tomra has a new training blog too...his is called "Fat +Happy= Strong" it is fun to read and ...and you can see how to train for all 3 lifts --Tony is not just another lifter, he is World Masters Champ in the WPC with GREAT lifts to his credit ..give it a read ..you'll like it. http://tony-tt.blogspot.com/