...and that old Kansas song came in right on cue when you were setting up for DL.
...and that old Kansas song came in right on cue when you were setting up for DL.
Congrats on the win, Kyle! I got a few alternate/1080p views of your squat and deadlift attempts. Let me know if you want me to send you the files:
Squat 1st attempt (500): http://youtu.be/lbdoAR_Q7Z0
Squat 2nd attempt: (550): http://youtu.be/GczMsWQ5DpM
Deadlift 3rd attempt: (650): http://youtu.be/k4zvHHZIU_w
Lisa and I enjoyed meeting you. Thanks for letting me warm up the bar for you before that last deadlift attempt!
Thanks, everyone. It was nice to meet many of you, and everyone I met is welcome to train with me if you're ever in Nashville.
Matt, don't worry about sending me the files. You have a 600 lb pull in you soon. Even your third looked like an opener.
Manimal, I don't think the platform made a difference on press. I was just too drained from squats and didn't have any gas for the press. I do wonder if it made a difference on the squat, perhaps partially explaining my walkout fiasco. I've never had anything like that happen in training. I also wonder if being so low on carbs the week of the meet had anything to do with it, although I didn't feel light-headed or anything.
Yeah, about that Kansas song...lol. As I gripped the bar for my final deadlift attempt, there was dead silence. I was focused and ready, but just as I was about to pull, "Carry on my Wayward Son" started to play. I heard someone in the audience laugh, and then I started to laugh. You can't see it on video because I'm looking at the ground. I considered walking away from the bar to regroup but didn't know if that was ok since I'd already put my hands on it. I mean, I love Kansas as much as the next guy who loves Old School, but not while I'm trying to lift stuff that is, at least for me, heavy lol.
On the subject of music, one of the highlights of the trip was the drunk Australian guy (a drunk Australian, I know, how cliche) back at the hotel bar. I got him to sing that "I Come from a Land Down Under" song by Men At Work for the entire bar. We then got into an argument about vegemite, he extolling its virtues, I condemning it as unfit to feed even my dog. I've always wanted to hear an Australian sing that song at a bar, so cross that one off my bucket list.
Nice job Kyle. I've been following your log for a while now and you did awesome work at the Iron Fest!
Thanks, Tom.
Thanks, Kyle! I definitely noticed the carpet on the platform on the press, and think I mentioned it to Manimal after my first attempt. I'd picked a conservative opener (a 3x5 working weight), and had just done it easily on the concrete while warming up. When the bar got a little behind me on the first try, I couldn't just keep my weight balanced like I normally would, and had to take a step back. As I locked out the second attempt, I could feel my feet wobbling a bit underneath me. Likewise, I couldn't get as much of a forward hip bounce as I normally would on my third attempt due to some give in the floor, which probably helped contribute to me missing it. I later mentioned it to Darren as well. So, I wouldn't be at all surprised if was related to that bounce you had going on with the squat.
That deadlift was a real beaut though.
10/28
Speed deadlift 338+150 band tension - 10x2
2 sec pause squat 345 3x5
GHR 3x10
Prowler 20 yd runs x 8
Hey Kyle, can you give me a little insight to your experience with hook grip? You said you really liked it. Do you have relatively long thumbs? How much thumb do you try to cover? i.e, is it covered by just the index finger, 2 fingers, 3 fingers?
I've never had any luck and was wondering if I'm just doing it wrong.
I cover my thumb mostly with my middle finger, but also get some index finger over it as well. As I squeeze the weight off the ground, the hook really seems to "set," and then it feels like I can hold onto anything. Were I to try ripping the bar off the ground as fast as I possibly can, however, I believe that my hand would still come open. So I have to be a little more deliberate off the ground when I use a hook. The upside of this is that I'm in a better position to finish the lift.
I have average length thumbs. The rest of my fingers are short, and the spread of my hand from thumb to pinky is pretty much on par with the measurements I've seen from NFL DE's.
10/29
Bench 335x1 (paused), 275x8,8,8,8 (not paused)
Pulldowns 3x20
--Kept volume down because I'm having some biceps tendonitis.