Lock outs to 455

Yesterday, I wandered 3 minutes up the street to Target Fitness-- set to do a speed day on the bench...light --fast --etc.

But, after talking to Mike and Ralph and telling them how I lifted 600 in the bench at Tumwater, but had an un-even extension call by the judges and was denied the lift ( proper verdict of course) I got more in the spirit to do a heavier workout...so I grabbed one of the new FAT bars ( harder to grip, very big around) and did pin presses--all the warm up reps were fast in lieu of the speed work scheduled--and then I got to the slightly heavier raw stuff..

Pin presses on bench at chest height start
315X6
365X3
385
395
then I moved the pins higher so they were 2 inches higher--so it was more of a lockout...
and did
405 X6
425X3
455
455
460
and I called it quits....

next workout will be speed against the bands--then a shirt work out in my second best Katana to try to get a 600 partial without reverse bands...

closer to the Worlds I will be going OVER 600 with the best shirts so that 600 will not be HEAVY in Vegas...meanwhile in the land of "old" (I'm 66 in November)

l locked myself out of my apartment during the pouring rain yesterday....

i was in my stocking feet--and i closed my apt door hard--I went to put 2 mags in the recycle box downstairs and slip the rent under the laundry door...(inside building from apt. proper)

i then realize I've locked myself out of my apartment

(I always take my keys--always--but not this time )

BUT I have my wallet-

-in my wallet is a car key.

..and in my CAR

is keys to apt.

(old keys may or may not still work)

.....so I walk OUT in the pouring rain thru deep puddles in my stocking feet down the alley

a block up to PINE street where my car is parked...

get into my car--drive with my bare feet, an eerie feeling--

park in front of my apt. rustle for the hidden keys....

do they work???..

heart pounding...

near stroke in sore head

.....they work--I'm in !! but i'm drenched head to foot...and my socks have just been thru the alley of scuzz drenched and ice cold.....

i take them off and toss em....

Alzheimer's...or just not paying attention??

nope, gods way of telling me to change my socks...

true

who?

wha?

are those my keys?

Heavy to 617

Today was my first day back training since Saturday 13th--and it was HEAVY work with the shirt (and reverse bands) but as usual, raw warm ups:
225 X5
260 X 3
308 X2
330X 1
350 X 1

The I had Nancy and Bruce help me into my loosest oldest Katana and I did
485 X1
507X 1

Now we put the blue bands on in reverse mode and did 550
568
573
600
600
and 617
the 600's were good and solid and I felt strong once I got past the strain of feeling big weights on me, after that 7 days rest !

a good workout !

Nancy lifted well and did numerous heavy raw sets--then switched to bands..her weights are graduating upwards at a rapid rate--even tho' she LOSES bodyweight (she has a very active job--lifting and science all in one career)

Bruce did his usual shrugging a few thousand pounds, doing lift offs for us all.
Then in reverse band benches he did 330 rather nicely and a warm down of 225 for 40 rapidly...then he went to basketball...

My next meet is the WABDL Worlds November 12th--there are a few positions left on the Canadian team...are you a lifter who has competed and has either a good bench press or deadlift?? and can get to Las Vegas Nov 12 to 17th? if you want to have a great lifting experience and vie for a place on the team email me robotalk@shaw.ca --entries have to be in soon, so minds have to be made up and entries sent soon (by Oct 4)

So far --team Canada is

Blair Fisher
Jon Wolbers
Gary Bobrovitz
Warren Orr
Robert O. Smith
(Nancy Carpenter and Jody Cranston are still trying to arrange the time off work, expense etc.)

all categories are available --masters-open- elite-law fire-submasters--if you're drug free and GOOD at the bench or dead..contact me soon !

Gus promises this Worlds will be an epic event ! with more coverage in POWERLIFTING USA magazine than any of the 'world' meets !

CLICK FOR INFO

600 Pound Bench Press Attempts @ 65

In Tumwater Washington, at theWABDL Pacific Open ...I have NEVER been so excited and happy about a failed lift...I actually lifted 600 pounds in the bench on my first try ..but it clearly dipped, then continued.
The judges HAD to turn it down...
then I tried it again ..this was a cleaner attempt..
but it stalled at the top, and the spotters grabbed it before it fell 'faceward' !!

Other news from my team ...Jody Cranston at 181 and submaster benched 375 and Deadlifted 568 !!! Read Jody's NEW BLOG for a creative, Personal view of this meet !

Nancy Carpenter lifted at 147 pounds and blew away a 198 Pound Bench press and 2 near misses with 209the Pacific open was a small meet, but there were 6 World records made there ! and some AMAZING performances !! here she is with Bull Stewart !
Another Great lift from Leamon Woodley !
Here is one of the top teen competitors from Saturday !
The facility in Tumwater Washington

CLICK THIS for MORE PICS !

600 to the pins n' back

It is one week from the meet...
today we took the training wheels off the bar.
(the blue bands-in reverse mode--gone !)
I needed to feel 600 in all it's 'gory' today--the idea, warm up raw as usual, get into my newest shirt, a 50 Katana from Titan..

(it was used ONCE to get me 573 in Olympia August 2nd)

--and hit a few 600 hold outs, and bring them down part way, and see if they would come back up...the Problem?

We don't want to kill Bruce Everett (or myself ) in the process, we really should get 3 spotters for this...but we didn't.

So we put the safety bars in at 7 holes which I then 'belly up to the bar' and bring the weight down to and pop back up--
yes--
good idea YOU !
reading this, you're saying why not board press?...

well, this IS our board press, or 'our partial' or our visit to the pins...

but it does two things--saves me IF I get stuck--frees up Nancy to shoot the video...and measures about how much more I need to go--to get a touch of the chest in the meet...

So, into the shirt--wow, it is tighter than I remember...but it goes on in 3.5 mins...

BUT my arms again cant grip wide...
the first rep with 500..Bruce has to do ALL the lift off....
then on 550, I get under it better and can give him a few pounds of push--that goes down all the way AND back up easily and the shirt is breaking in well...

then it's 578--which we video...LOOKS good...cept' for my gut arching up like Alfred Hitchcock meets a VW Beetle...

Then we do 600 and marvel of marvels--it feels so heavy-but I seem to 'handle' it--- I liken it to the first time I felt 500 and just concentrate on pushing--and it is NO problem

Partial with 600--
John Lee Hooker Music in back ground

I did one more and it was smoother on the way down..but the lockout was 1/2 inch short---later I did some more raw benching for circulation...speed..and pause work..

all in all, it makes me less afraid of my first try at the Big 600 in the Tumwater meet next Saturday ! kinda like being in the wading pool before swimming !

Bruce did a great job of handing these HEAVY weights out for me...in his training he did some great benches with the reverse bands...after all the shrugs he did helping me and Nancy with our heavy day...as usual, Marathon man did Basketball after lunch !

Nancy did some work in her new Phenom and might open with her previous BEST bench, if the gods are with us, there could be WABDL records for all next Saturday ...of course Jody Cranston is driving us there, and he ALWAYS gets records in his lifts...so wish us luck...here's 'where it is"
VALLEY ATHLETIC CLUB click here
these things usually start at 9:30 am or so !