Here's where I always lose it !

Lately in meets, if I miss performing a lift...the bar is going to the left OR right at the top of the stroke and spotters have to grab it...last meet it was simply bad form--and a hurried set up, that left me in that position....

Today I wanted to work back slowly to touching an opener type weight in a good relatively new Katana...because in the last meet...I didn't put enough weight on the bar to correspond to the toughness of the shirt...and taking 20 seconds to touch...sent the bar flying all over the place on the up stroke...making my opener (altho UP ) a 'do over'...so, today I warmed up with very good RAW weight and put the shirt on...440 to loosen it (a partial on purpose) a 507 an inch from touching...and a GOOD legit 518 with a very smooth path--constant push--no throwing and catching...

Now on to 'torquing' that same shirt and putting on 550 --it was a partial and it came up well--but I remarked to Bruce and Nancy..."Man that is heavy...can you believe I lifted that in a meet???"

(it was more like can I believe I lifted that in a meet)

Then we put the safety bars at 7 --and not to kill the lifter and one lone spotter...

Then I did a great 574 --it tapped the safety racks and came up in the same slow -worthy press movement...

now

--the 'torque ' is loosening on the shirt and I know if I want to go up --I should adjust the sleeves...but to be 'brave' we don't--so the bar is loaded to
580 and I try the partial
(you can see how close the pins are to touching)
and UNLIKE the other successes I've shown you....here...I fail right at the top as in meets lately...notice, I put a white tee shirt over my bench shirt so you can see in the dark --how close the bar usually gets to the chest..when gently clanking the pins...

Here is the rep



After the Real Rep of 518 and the getting more used to HUGE weights 574 (success)
and 580 (fail)
I do more reps for practice of set up--arch--bar path and some heavy reverse bands bench presses for reps and 8 or so extra sets...all in all a great feeling workout...and an eye on getting more real reps in week after week...

Back to the drawing board---and the crayons are all there !

Back to the Gym !

First day back after the Pasco meet and I went heavy and did my usual --pushing the bar right from my chest (on the pins) rack lockouts with varied weights...I had worried about my right shoulder, but all seemed to be fine once I warmed up--I did a good workout with...
225X12
315X5+3
365X2+1
385
385
390
and
395
Bar felt good...and I seemed to feel stronger than I did at the meet...

Over at my "experimental humor" site --Thorndike Pickledish...I did a rant about today's workout...it's about those little things that rub us raw at the gym --give us a look and listen by clicking this> Sorry Ass Gym Rant Animation

thanks--see ya next time...and if you haven't seen the Pasco pix--scroll below AND check the link to my other power site at the end of the feature !

Did Not Pass Go !

Just back from Pasco and boy are my pecs tired....The WABDL Iron Gladiators World Record Breakers was a fine, fun and exciting meet...my results weren't up to Robert O. Smith's normal standards so for this report I'll be Robert Q. Smith...as you know, all I seem to care about is the big 600 pound bench at 66 years of age...after lifting it at Tumwater last year (but it didn't pass the judges)..I thought I'd be ONE meet away from getting it...well, not so--didn't get it at at the worlds, altho it was close and in Pasco..I didn't even have the balls to try it....Yeah, I won a great sword and a FANTASTIC Medal--but only got my opener with 523 poundsI got 562 up fairly far, before it went all zig zaggy and the spotters had to take it !
So, my first meet this year was a disappointment to me...but it made me respect weights in the high five hundreds again...all is not '6' in this world !!--It was a long story of reasons and miscalculations but it fires me toward improving my techniques and taking it easier on the road to my "Big Goal" --

Jeff Place Deadlifted 600 to open !
Joe Mickelson did 600+ a few weeks ago--but at Pasco Pulled an Sword winning 529--Joe lost 12 pounds in one day to try to get in a lighter weight class...Joe helped many lifters AND drove me and 2 other thru the pass to our destination...

And on the return trip--
he defeated the tough Snoqualmie pass snow storm
4 tires to none...
GOOD JOB JOE !!Here, Gus Rethwisch, President of WABDL congratulates James Crawford on his best lifters Bench of 749 --BTW--just like me --James wasn't happy with his own results ...hah..who wouldn't LOVE a 749 Bench Press?--James is closing in on WAY over 800 !
Here is Adam Cotti deadlifting, and at The OUTBACK. He took home 4 first place swords for a great day of lifting..he even Benched, lifted off for me and Joe in the bench..then had enough to do a great deadlift in the meet...He is from Lake Charles, Louisiana but is stationed in Everett in the Navy...and trains with "Mr. Joe" this guy is one nice person and a very strong lifter indeed ! The highlight of the contest for me was riding to and from the Tri Cities with Joe and Adam !!--great conversations during the long trip !--Here is team Garbush ! Jake in the middle--recently hit a 556 Deadlift--he's trained by his dad (at right) who helped me with my shirt...if it hadn't been for him, I'm sure no one else would've volunteered to shove a Hippo thru the eye of a needle ...big thanks to these friendly people who not only lift or coach but help others...makes Powerlifting the great sport it is !
Jeff Place Helps in the warm up room.
This is the man behind CSS Photos--he took pictures of all the lifts Saturday and is selling a video of the meet ! HERE IS HIS SITE Click
He has a great staff and provides action shots that have appeared in all the magazines.Skip Sandberg benches big in the masters !
James Crawford Best Bencher !
The women did some huge lifts !
Some pretty interesting weather zapped a bit of our fun--a few lifters went home late Sunday..only to find the pass closed due to a huge snow storm...they had to re-route thru Portland and back up I-5 to get home ..that is the long way around...I had worries of that exact thing happening when the bad weather hit months ago--and on MY drive back to BC --I had a storm front following my car all the way home....hate to think I 'showed it the way'--
BUT the lifting made it a good meet right up to the last Barbell Standing There is more on the trip--original pictures, and more about the contest on my regular web page IT'S NOW UP 'CLICK HERE '

The Cover, February 2009 PLUSA !!!

Today I did a light Bench Workout at Target Fitness on Broadway in Vancouver...just 8 sets of very fast reps (4 per set) with loads from 225 to 345 and the bar was very fast ..good energy for this, the last workout before The Pasco meet !--Light--with emphasis on form, and getting a bigger arch.

On Saturday, Weather willing I lift in the WABDL Iron Gladiators World Record Breakers...Man...that is a LONG way from Hawaii (where the "Record Breakers" originated)

I want to show viewers the cover of the Latest Powerlifting USA..it is the one that reports the WABDL Worlds from November...I was astonished at how well our individuals on the Canadian team did...reading through I found mentions of a 557 Deadlift from Jon Wolbers of BC --Warren Orr was listed in 2 categories he benched 451.7
other names
Like:
Fisher -584- DL
Stirling 369
Lamonica 436
Foreman 424
Bobrovitz 298 WR Bench masters 54-60 age 132 bodyweight
Olofinbo 342 DL @ 148 teen
were in the results of 545 lifters from 9 countries.

Also in the issue the IPF Worlds and some pretty fine articles !

Hope I have great stuff to report after this weekend's meet !
I feel strong ...
and enthused...
but, on edge about the drive to 'Fiasco Worshingtun'
(Pasco Wa.)

World Record Breakers 7 days out !

The New Super Katana Shirt from Titan---OK this is us putting it BACK on because we forgot to take a picture--so the shirt is lopsided and not set for use....but in the break in session we hit nice bar speed with 595 and no EXTRA torquing.

It may or may not see use yet in Pasco next week...

The New issue of POWERLIFTING USA is out (and in Vancouver, at Mayfair Magazines) the issue is mainly the WABDL Worlds report--I was happy to see my mention-
( small mention --500+ lifters to write about)
-as best heavyweight in the 61-67 age group...and how, out of 16 teams --Canada was 12th in the standings--and we didn't even have a FULL team---so it is a joy to read about the team, and the event --and the highlights of the lifting on the days I couldn't be there.

Today--Heavy work in the shirt(s)

warmed up from 225 to 350 without the shirt as is usual...very fast speed on the bar today--stuff flew...

Then into my current competition shirt--440--shirt loosener rep--
507 fast single--
529 single-- like a rocket !

Then we put on the Super Katana--initially the arms are so close that only a close grip rep could be done--so we broke in the shirt with a rep only 2 inches in range--that spread the arms enough to "get a grip"
then to 550
then 595 --the shirt let the weights close to the chest and popped the weights right back up...so it's a tough shirt with lots of stored power...but I'm not absolutely sure I'll use it next week...

So--my attempts might be 523 opener--
then 573+ the record breaking chips for a 2nd attempt (And World Record)
and a 'do over' or 584 to 600 for a 3rd (and if earned a 4th attempt to break record)

My Horoscope sez so....


The rest of the work out was me following Nancy and Bruce through their workouts and during reverse bands benches-- I just followed their weights but WITHOUT using the bands--so it was fast reps with weights from 225 thru 350 as almost warming up twice raw...but with more ease and more speed on the bar the 2nd time around--Both Nancy and Bruce had Personal records in shirtless work today !

a Perfect workout for a week out !

Was I sposed to go Heavy today??

Today I went up to Target to do the 'Shirtless Pin Press set up' you've come to know, and be bored by...but as I warmed up, my upper pecs felt strained...ouch ...very tender..hmm... I worked moderately hard on Thursday...maybe I should let my body do only what feels comfortable?...so I warmed up with
-- 225 for 12--
315
2 sets of 3
--365 for 2
--then 385 for a single...
felt heavy...wha !!??....and there was that 'sore' feeling so I did one more 385...
it too wasn't so 'light' either so I tried one more single --
and POW the 385 went up fast ...more of the 'slow warmer upper syndrome' here...
and my final single 385 again POW another easy one...maybe in Pasco...I should do 2 classes...warm up (lifting) in one...and lift (compete) in the other too...yeah, well some lifter's have...
and WABDL could always use the extra entry money....
click on toon for a larger version

This was a cartoon I did in 97....based on getting too damn fat as a lifter/bencher...and connecting the dots of your 'stretch marks' to save money on your tattoo ( not MY tattoo) --somehow, I wonder if Bench Phenom of the time Jamie Harris, ever saw this....oh wait, I'm still alive so I guess he hasn't.