Gillman's Folly of Enthusiasm

[mkgillman]

October 18. Lifting with idlehands and dani who has a log here as well.

I'm just excited to be feeling normalish again

[mkgillman]

3Oct2014

Squat
45x5x3, 135x5x2, 185x2, 225x2, 275x1, 315x1, 365x1, 405x3, 445x2@9 - No problems at all with the bar moving on my today. Took my time setting the bar more methodically before taking it out of the rack, but the fix was even more simple than that: I wasn't setting my abzzzz tight enough. I was thinking about squats at work yesterday, where I have found myself increasingly fantasizing about lifting, and realized that on heavy reps I always have a feeling of pushing hard against the belt right out of the hole. I hadn't been feeling that this past week, so I just thought about getting as tight as possible at the top and everything came together.

Deadlift
135x5, 225x3, 315x1, 365x1, 405x3, 445x3@9.5 - Was contemplating a fourth rep, but was losing my squoze on the last one and I haven't pulled much in almost two weeks. Really pleased with how these went this week. Everything is starting to come together for the 18th.

On the way out of the gym last night a couple of the regular guys were standing around chatting and they all asked, "That's all for tonight?" Just shook my head.

[mkgillman]

6Oct2014

Bench
45xlots, 135x5x2, 185x2, 225x1, 245x1, 275x5x5 - Paused first rep. Set up was giving me trouble again today and everything felt heavy. Got every rep, but had to push for the last one on the fourth and fifth sets. I suspect a lot of it is the "last training week" blues. Ready for the deload and to get to the meet.

CG Bench
135x5, 257.5x5,3,3 - Kept setting up too close and catching the pins. These really didn't feel awesome today.

Tri Pulldown
192.5x15x3

Chins
5x5

[mkgillman]

7Oct2014

Squat
45x5x3, 135x5x2, 185x2, 225x2, 275x1, 315x1, 365x1, 405x5x5 - Wait, didn't I just have to do this two weeks ago? After the mediocre performance last week on volume day, I wanted to make sure that I had everything nailed down going into next weeks taper. Focused on staying as tight and controlled as possible on the eccentric and feeling my abs stay tight through the sticking point. Changed camera angle to check on depth, which I was a little uncertain about from the back, right angle. For the most part everything felt very good today.

Clean Pull
135x3, 225x3, 320x3x5 - Attacked these with what I had left after squats.

[idlehands]

I think you just like the sound of 405x5x5. Makes me laugh when I see folks on facebook say "oh xfit Eva is tough". 405x5x5 now that's a Tough one. Maybe not the realization so much as the run up to it. Well done again

[mkgillman]

9 oct2014

Bench
300x3, 315x1 - first reps paused. This is a two pound bench pr, since the last time I was around this weight was a metric meet. Wanted to try it out to get a feel for my second attempt next week.

Press
155x1, 175x4, 155x7 - didn't want to spend too much time grinding away on press

Chins
2x10

http://youtu.be/128OLDW0cV8

[mkgillman]

10Oct2014

Squat
45x5x3, 135x5x2, 185x2, 225x2, 275x1, 315x1, 365x1, 405x3, 450x1+0 - PR - So, I'm kind of disappointed about squatting 450 which is not something I would have thought possible. I wanted a double, you can see me telling myself I wanted that doube in the video. The problem was I went too deep and got loose on the first rep and then stood there telling myself that as soon as the stars faded from my vision I was going to take another rep. So, for future reference, when you see starts, that kind of means rack the bar.

Deadlift
135x5, 225x3, 315x1, 365x1, Home - I was smoked.

[mkgillman]

13oct2014

Bench
285x3, 255x5x3 - paused first rep. Wanted to check the opener and all was well

Cg bench
225x5x3 - light.

Did some tri pull downs and chins to check my pump, but took it easy. I'm in the middle of the cut for the meet and I hate training hungry.

Squats and some light pulls tonight. Still debating my opener for squat, so may play a bit on it this evening.

[mkgillman]

18Oct2014

RPS Annihilation Meet, Gardiner Athletics

7/9

Squat: 415/455 PR/475 miss
Bench: 285/315 Meet PR/330 miss
Deadlift: 450/485/505 PR

1275 Total @ 205

The meet was a generally successful day. I had given up my weight cut on Thursday when it became obvious that 198 wasn't going to happen without rather drastic measures and even then wasn't necessarily going to be a lock. The lifting session was split into an AM and PM schedule because there wound up being 85 registered lifters at the event. I was a little nervous because I hadn't ever used a monolift or a squat bar before, but I will give Gene and RPS a lot of credit as all the warm up equipment was exactly the same as what was on the platform. Every other meet I have done has had different, and generally mediocre, equipment in the warm up area. Truthfully, I thought that this RPS meet was the most focused on the lifter of any I have done and they certainly got a really solid crowd turn out too.

The afternoon session didn't start until 2:30 in the afternoon and they split all the lifters into two flights. I wound up in the second flight for all the lifts, so I didn't get onto the platform until after 3:00. 415 felt solid as the opener and the plan all along was to go with a slight pr for second attempt. I got too deep on 455, but came back up with the lift. I wanted to take somewhere between 475-500 for my third attempt, but after the 455 I knew that 500 wasn't in the cards. Didn't get 475 because I was too focused on not loosing tightness at the bottom and didn't focus on tightening against the belt enough and the bar rolled on me.

I almost screwed myself by jumping the start command on my bench opener and drew a red from one of the judges, but got lucky with a passed lift. 315 was pretty solid and I had initially wanted 335 for my third attempt, but I trimmed that down to 330. Unfortunately, it wasn't even close; I only got the bar a couple of inches off my chest.

Deadlift was funny. My flight didn't even start until 7:00 and my warm ups were feeling lousy. I really, really wanted to finally get the 500 pound monkey off my back, but wasn't sure that was going to be an option. I opened at 450 and went to 485, a 10 lbs pr, for my second attempt. It wasn't bad at all and had idelhands call my third attempt. I expected him to just go to 500, so when 505 was announced I thought it was the other lifter going first. He just looked at me odd and said he was going for 515 and my clock was running. I dashed out on the platform laughing about how I should have been paying better attention and got the lift clean. I think that I may have been good for 525 yesterday.

All told on squat I got a 38 lbs meet pr and 5 lbs personal best, tied my personal best on bench, and pulled a 30 lbs personal best on deadlift. I increased my meet total from May by 70 lbs. I was pleased with the quality of the officiating and equipment that RPS brought to the meet, though the multi-ply stuff was a bit of a circus. Gene was a very friendly, gregarious man who is certainly a passionate advocate for the sport. There was a pretty impressive group of lifters in both of the sessions and a really fun atmosphere. Like I said, I'm fairly happy with my results and looking forward to blowing bast 1300 at my next meet.

[Dani Wokanick]

You did great! A 70lb improvement since May is significant.