My Day WABDL Worlds MORE PIX (scroll)

I was very lucky --at a bodyweight of 283 I benched 534 --a few days from my 67th birthday...this got me the HUGE best lifter cup (which I will use as a bathtub- Photo by Carpenter)
The lifting at the contest was Fantastic !!!!
The Peppermill Hotel was regal and amazing in all ways !
so many pix I split them between here and another site..
there are NEW shots here--and at my OTHER web site --the BIG report is NOW up --see below......

THERE ARE 32 NEW PICTURES AT MY MAIN WEB PAGE click here

And enjoy THESE NEW photos I've JUST added here
Starting with Tommy Overholtzer-who has been in powerlifting since it's invention !!

Here are the Whinstons --in their 80's-- who were our honored guest at this years WABDL Worlds
This is a great lift from Willard Crossen !

AND the Canadians did VERY well--
Nancy Carpenter did a Canadian National Record bench press of 223 pounds
with a shirt that was giving her next to nothing....And Warren Orr from Victoria did both the Bench and deadlift-here is his opening dead-below..Also from BC Jon Wolbers of Abbotsford did a GREAT 600 Deadlift with awesome form--Jon also did BOTH the Bench and Deadlift !! and was astounding in both !This is the courtyard at The Peppermill

Here is one of the HUGE benches on Thursday ( red plates are 55 pounds)


Mr. Titan --Ken Anderson (who was inducted into the hall of fame) and Monster bencher Tommy Harrison !!

There were 530 lifters --I saw Steve Wong-James Crawford-Roger Ryan-Bill Gillespie-Mike Womack and other top luminaries...below--our trophies !!
THOSE NEW PICS AGAIN ARE HERE click

Happy Halloween from the staff of the Peppermill in Reno !! --the staff had a pumpkin carving contest while we were there--
these are just a few of the cool creations on display--
I think the one below is of me...ha ha !

HEY--That no pumpkin--that's super lifter Robert doing his Gary Busey impression !!

----This was a fantastic meet-with lifters as far away as the congo !! (really) another triumph for Gus Rethwisch and WABDL !!!

Last Heavy day before WABDL Worlds !

Probably lifted at 285 body weight in the gym today...and hit some very encouraging lifts..used a loose Katana shirt to solidify form on my openers at the WABDL Worlds in Reno on Wednesday...the old 50 gave me--a perfect 485 and 507 with ease in practice today...
then we used blue reverse bands to replicate what the tighter 48 might give us when we switch shirts--I got a very solid 540 -562 and 573 in that rehearsal--if I get this kind of power at the meet then I will be happy with my outcome...of course, if my fire is lit on the day...I might venture toward that mythical ( or is it Smithical?) 600---but for 3 weeks now...I've written it off as a bit too much for someone who has lost 30 or so pounds so quickly...today tho, things looked back in gear...

I had resisted an idea Nancy had about filling out my looser shirt in the arm area--but today I was happy to try it...between the raw bench warm ups 286 308 330 330 ...I did Hammer curls to pump the forearm area to tighten my sleeves...it worked great...I'll be hammer curling some plates in the warm up room Wednesday...

Nancy's new Phenom shirt arrived from Brent Mikesell's Iron Gladiators shop in Spokane..quickest service ever...Bruce and I squeezed Nancy into it...and it made her 200 pound press look like 100--she will definately get her 225 lb. Canadian National record on Thursday when she lifts...

I'm looking forward to Reno--I have some old friends there and may have a big gab fest during the hours after the meet...
Hal Swift, my old radio buddy turned poet will be one of my pals I will catch up with when there...

I used to do Radio in nearby South Lake tahoe in the early 60's right outta school !--as plain old Bob Smith.

Better Heavy day than expected !

Before the workout I thought it might be a LOW strength day
and I
made another 10 second movie---

yes, I know....

I 'draw' funny !


But even with all my complaints lately...I was getting some good speed with the raw warm ups..308--330 and 340 all went very fast...as if the Bar speed in the bench press had restored itself...

after 10 or so warm up moves...we put on my very loose Katana the one I wanted to see if it was a good "opener" shirt--it was letting the bar down well...so 440--485 and 507 was tried and the lifts were strong --I felt fine...

but...my team said...you're lifting crooked...the bar is locking slowly on the right side...so we did 4 more lifts with 507 --yes, they just needed to be held for longer at the top before beginning--

then concentration on the bar motion...

so this shirt WILL work well for the opener--
to get settled in the meet...
before moving to higher weights--

and then as mentioned last time...the new 48 can be the the BIG weight handler....

so all in all...no eggs were 'faced'

We did lots more lifting-Nancy hit 205 lbs for 4 singles-I did reverse band work to heavy numbers--Bruce worked very hard..and we're less that 2 weeks from the WABDL Worlds !

We workout heavy again next Saturday...
that means we wont be attending our local meet...

The BCPA Fall Classic Oct 24th @ at the Roundhouse at Pacific and Davie in Vancouver...have good lifting guys !

Bench Press shirt test !

Yesternite, I went to Nancy's gym to fit into my new Tighter Titan (Super Katana a/s single ply) as mentioned it's a 48 when my usual shirt is a size 50...but there's that unexpected weightloss (blah blah blah) The shirt fit very comfortably, not always a good sign...I did tricep work with it..that is because I could only get my arms apart a very short distance ...and the shirt seemed to start letting some weight down....so we left the bar where it was in the squat rack-in 'floor press' position for Today !!

Today I warmed up with graduated weights raw to 350--then we put the shirt on and continued til I could get my arms farther apart-- we then moved the bench in --raised the barbell to a 10 hole and started to bring the weight down to a 2 board height...440...500...529...all easy to handle...BUT the shirt wouldn't stay put--it kept riding up and choking me...just as not much BOB in the shirt as before...as you know ...unless a Katana is flush to the body..it isn't giving you what you need...we adjusted the shirt and got a "one board" with 550 then another--this one got caught on the supports and Bruce gave me minimal help to get it back in the rack...the shirt...when flush to my body and anchored will be a great replacement for my looser than loose, size 50 ! then as Bruce and Nancy did reverse blue bands..I did their weights..only with the BANDS OFF...a workout I really felt--gaining weight back yet, robo? --nope, eating like a gorilla..and holding at 287...I like the weight loss....just dont like dropping the Benchin' strength !

Next week I test the old 50 (as I get a good workout too) to gauge it's BEST possible weight..for my opener...drat! the meet is just too damn close now !!--nurse, peel me an avacado !

Shrinking from Doody !

A new "skinnier" Bench Bozo attempts to disguise the name of his preferred Bench press shirt...to keep opponents from knowing his winning secret.

My weight continues to shrink--to 287--and it is still an unknown cause, that allows me to 'foo' more times daily than lawfully possible--last months "full of it" remark sums it up...altho I've wanted to drop weight for 5 years now...dropping it 24 days from a World meet is damn upsetting...and dropping it when not trying is alarming--not to mention gross and boring to talk about...

On Wednesday I did a "RAW" pin press from chest height workout at 289 body weight--the best lift of that session was a 385 --

(down from 405 when I weighed 308 )

Today I did the same set up (altho a speed day with light weights would've been more appropriate) with 315 for 2 --365+365 then 375 for 2 singles--385 and then 390--so I brought it up five pounds from earlier this week...and I was 2 pounds lighter...

Then I used skinny purple bands for 'reverse band' work minimal help from these --and I finished out with 3 sets of 3 reps of 405 then a single of 425 and 430 to end the day--

Tuesday--coming up I will do speed work against the purple bands--

on Friday nite I'll take my new size 48 'Tite ass Santana' shirt to Nancy's gym and do top end partials in it to break it in--then the next day...Saturday..I'll do a real workout in it--testing the feasibility of taking it as my 'save the day shirt' at the WABDL Worlds in Reno on October 28th...for the next 3 Saturdays we'll be having SHIRT workouts at Nancy's with the help of our best lift off technician, Bruce Everett!!

Meanwhile I'm working on gaining 5 pounds back (altho I hate to ) --Doug Hepburn style protein shakes anyone??