OH MAN !!!!! Not GUS !!!!!!

I got off the phone last nite shocked and dazed --was I the only one that didn't know about Gus Rethwisch's triple by pass ?? This guy who basically lives for Powerlifting ! actually finished his write up of the WABDL Worlds in Las Vegas..before he went into the hospital for his operation...he had a leg infection which he is past..and has been resting for 3 weeks...his doctors say.."DO NOTHING"

BUT Gus wont let his lifters down so he is driving the weight set, benches. platform and trophies...to Pasco Washington...from Snow covered Minnesota Gus and Bench Bozo

....This year there is competition from other meets THIS weekend there is an APA Meet in the tri-cities...the week before his meet there is a USAPL meet in Tumwater...Gus arranged to get me a ride to Pasco from Everett with Joe Mickelson, WABDL'S Washington State Chairman... Joe Mickelson benches in WABDL
So, I am entering the meet March 14th --hopefully I can break from my partials by then...

Yesterday--I did a 'placeholder' workout at Target Fitness on Broadway in Vancouver..nothing special just some raw Benches with lots of speed on the bar--also I worked on my form....
135X12 --225 X4 2 sets--275 X4 --295X4 speed on the bar--315 X2 --then singles with 345 345 355 355 360 360 --these were very easy --and more like following an arc on the way to the chest and then just shoving the weight up and BACK into the rack....felt OK... and told my body I wasn't on vacation...

now what about the 20 pounds I have to knock off before the 13th???....
YIKES-- have I called Jenny Yet ??

In Vancouver, the Powerlifting USA Magazine with Full coverage of the WABDL Worlds is not on the stands yet...but 2 weeks should get it here. The coverage is huge with 60 color photos from Vegas !

Prayers for GUS OK????

Heavy shirt to 600X 2 partials

Used the shirt and hit a nice 600, at what might be a 2 board level ...felt pretty strong today...here is the best of the singles with 600 pounds---



The test will be to get a real lift together...today I did a pretty nice 'gym' rep with 550 but it felt like it was going to get away from me at the chest ...so to practice a full meet style workout soon, will be important to seeing me succeed in my first meet this year...

the workout was as follows, warm up 135 X20 225X 8X2 308+330+330+350
then the Katana was put on--with a 440 'shirt loosening rep' 507 for a touch n' go--550 for a touch n' go---

then 573 in the safety racks THEN 600 in the safety racks for 2 partial singles...the video shows the best single about 3 inches from touching and going back up...

I did a lot of reverse band reps with Bruce and Nancy and really felt that work ...as I attempted to fire the weight up ballistically !!--all in all a terrific workout.
Now, today's celebrity guest !!


click to play-sound on-

Back to 400 Raw Pin Press !

I've been doing heavy pin presses in the rack, at chest height, for some time now--and at a 'peak' I get 400 or 405 max in this lift --but--usually train up to 390- or -395 to not 'wear' the joints or pec tie ins...it seems in the last few heavy solo days I've been hovering under the 400 mark...so today...

I warmed up --225 X 5 for 3 sets 315 X3 for 2 sets--then I hit singles with 365 385 390 395 and 400--for 2 singles--the 400 went well and next pin press workout I'll do a 405 as a slow progression back to a peak....

THEN, I put the pins higher so that the bar traveled only 8 inches or so...and did 405 X2--455--460--465 for easy Lock outs...

than was todays workout...I had done a light day on Thursday that I purposely made easy so I could recover and raise my lifts a bit---Shirt day happens Saturday 21st...I'll try to get a safety bar 600 in then !!

Vancouver Powerlifting USA Readers---the NEW issue with Donnie Thompson is in at Mayfair Magazines on Broadway (it's marked Jan 2009)

Good Heavy Day to 584 !

Today I switched to my competition shirt --to test where I was in real strength, say if I was to do the WABDL Iron Gladiators in Pasco Washington March 14th---

The test was good...I warmed up the usual way to 350---put on the shirt..tried to get the kinks out of the sleeves with 440--

it was a nice partial...

then 507 for a good bench

and 540 for a well controlled lift...

then I wanted to try something over my current WABDL World record--so Bruce loaded the bar to 584---and I put the safety bars in the squat rack at 7 holes--which for me is close to chest height "maybe a 1 board?"(this is strictly so it doesn't get out of control, and become a ponderous knurling sandwich.)with a side order of toothlessness.(note ----no reverse bands today )

So I did this partial to see how close I felt to getting at least 584 in a meet---of course this does NOT equal a lift in a meet --but I felt secure enough with this attempt..to think I'd have a good chance to move the lift up a bit..if I chose to compete soon...

What happened to the "600"???

I didn't try it today...my idea is to work up to it.. 2 weeks from now.
I know the set up you see is getting old ... but it is pretty much the only way we can train with only one spotter when the bar is so heavy...so, EEEEUUUH ! I guess it's 'belly up to the bar' until we hit it in a meet, and can show a clip with a less porky angle.

Thanks to Nancy who hit a 160 pound raw bench today, training nonchalantly --and to Bruce our work horse...who is hitting high reps and weights in the reverse band bench.

Next really heavy shirt day on the 21st

Today Jane Smith (IPF World Masters competitor) traveled from Chilliwack BC to Nancy's gym for a training day--the progress was amazing...here is Jane before--
And After !! amazing results I think.....

Just a Workout !

Today a heavy day..no bench shirt...pin presses at chest height in squat rack...
warm up with lotsa reps with empty bar and then 135--

tried to get the shoulder to feel good--

225 for 6 FAST reps--
315X5+ 315X5--

then 365 for 2 easy fast reps.

then singles with, 385 + 385+390+390+ 395...

then I raised the level of the bar three inches off my chest, and did 405 for 2...
and singles with
425+435+435
and that was it !
Can't wait to get under the heavy iron in a shirt next week with Nancy and Bruce !

I will use my recent competition shirt
(tighter than the latest one I've used for training)
and try for a 550 or so complete single, and then a partial with 600--this time no reverse bands...

If I see a coming meet feasible, (travel+expense+readiness) a few weeks later I'll 'break- in' my Super Katana to see how that effects my form and power for the platform ahead !