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Thread: Powerlifting Past 40: Doing the Best I Can with What I Have

  1. #51
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    Oct 2008
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    Quote Originally Posted by codger View Post
    Wow, more awesome work. Will you be entering the raw nationals in Spokane in October?2018 USA Powerlifting Raw Nationals - Ribic Productions
    Very slim chance this year. I hit the M1 qualifying total, but I just don't think that trip is realistic for me this year (cost & time). I've already penciled myself in for USAPL Equipped (May) and Raw (Oct) Nationals next year. Both will be in Illinois, which I can drive to if I absolutely have to. Mid-Atlantic Regionals in August is going to be the highest I go on the ladder this year.

    I did learn recently that I'm within striking distance of the Maryland state M1, 105 kg records for squat (250 kg/551 lbs) and total (672.5 kg/1,482.6 lbs). I need to improve my squat by 12.5 kg and my total by 30 kg to take the records. I don't know if I can do that by August, but my numbers are close enough that it's not crazy to think about getting those records at some point.

    Skipping the gym isn't going to help me set any state or personal records, but that's what I ended up doing tonight. An unexpected detour to our children's dance school thwarted my plan. I'm going to WWE Smackdown Live after work tomorrow, so I get to celebrate my 42nd birthday in the gym on Wednesday night!

  2. #52
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    Apr 2011
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    I did learn recently that I'm within striking distance of the Maryland state M1, 105 kg records for squat (250 kg/551 lbs) and total (672.5 kg/1,482.6 lbs).
    It's hard to believe you don't already hold the records. I bet you'll remedy that soon.
    Have fun at the Smackdown!

  3. #53
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    Oct 2008
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    Default Catching Up: Turning 42, Fasting, and Other Stuff

    How does a month pass so quickly?

    Quote Originally Posted by codger View Post
    It's hard to believe you don't already hold the records. I bet you'll remedy that soon.
    Have fun at the Smackdown!
    Thank you - I did, as did my 8 year old son! It was something of a dual birthday treat for us, since WWE originally planned a pay-per-view from Baltimore on May 27, the day before his birthday (which fell on Memorial Day this year). Our original plan was for the whole family to go to that. They made an adjustment in their PPV format, which resulting in the cancellation of the PPV. But they scheduled their weekly Tuesday show for the day before mine, and the two of us went.

    Coincidentally, on the next day - my 42nd birthday - I did something in the gym inspired by WWE Superstar and increasingly visible actor John Cena. On his 42nd birthday in April, he posted a video of himself deadlifting 500 lbs for 3 reps. I normally train heady deadlifts as single rep sets, but saw the video and figured I could match him. I ended up doing 5!! This was easily a rep-PR, but that has as much to do with never doing deadlifts for reps as it does with strength. Still, I really surprised myself - so thanks Mr. Cena!

    Here's the video so that you all can see me (pun intended).

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BilTwEQh...y=planet_swole

    Fast forward a week, and Ramadan - the 9th month of the Islamic calendar - began on May 16. For those who are kind enough to be reading this, but aren't familiar with Ramadan, it is a sacred month for all Muslims. The practice that gets the most attention - and the part that's most relevant here - is the fasting that we do, in which we aren't to eat or drink between sunrise and sunset each day of the month. Because of the rigors of my mailman job, and because I'm probably not as pious or zealous as I should be, I have been drinking during the days. But because I wake up after sunrise, I've been going without any food for about 14 hours a day, not counting sleeping hours. On top of the sun setting around 8:30pm or so, and the gym closing at 10:00, I just haven't felt like going all in on training in the past 3 weeks. Until Monday, I'd only trained 3 times since Ramadan started, and that included squatting once, benching once, and no deadlifting. FYI - I've lost a few pounds, but for the last week or so, I seem to be holding at 216-217 lbs.


    Skip ahead again to Monday, June 4. That's 2 months before USAPL Mid-Atlantic Regionals that I'd been planning to do in August. I figured I needed to take an honest appraisal of where my lifts are now, because I've been seriously reconsidering doing the meet. I feel like all my recent gains got lost. My plan was to do the openers from the meet I did earlier this year, and take an honest appraisal of where I am. Those openers were 485 SQ, 303 BP, 518 DL. Here's how that went:

    Mon. 6/4/18 - Openers Test, Time elapsed: 1 hour, 25 minutes

    1. Squat

    135/5; 205/3; 275/3
    335/2 - added mouth guard
    385/1 @6 - added wrist wraps
    425/1 @5.5 - added belt, felt slightly easier than 385
    460/1 @7
    485/1 @8.5 - just a tad bit slower than I'd like an opener to be, but never in doubt, and not especially hard

    2. Bench Press

    95/6; 155/4; 205/4; 245/2
    270/1 @5.5 - added mouth guard
    290/1 @7 - added wrist wraps
    305/1 @8 - got a handoff. Wow - 2 for 2!

    3. Deadlift

    245/2, 2; 355/1, 1
    443/1 @5 - added mouth guard
    487/0 - added belt, but didn't have chalk and didn't use Versa Gripps. Bad idea.
    487/1 @7 - used Versa Gripps. Much better idea. I also need to buy some chalk.
    527/1 @8.5 - This was 9 lbs more than my opener a few months ago.

    Considering that I'm a few pounds lighter, had been to work, had only eaten a banana, and did all of this in less than 90 minutes... I was greatly encouraged by this. I'm still going to wait a few weeks before I pull the trigger on entering Regionals (deadline is 7/4), but I'm leaning back towards doing it now rather than skipping it.

    I guess that's enough for now. If you read through all of this, I can't thank you enough! The next update won't take a month.

  4. #54
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    Default Training More Like Normal

    Weighed 216.6 lbs when I woke up this morning. That's a loss of about 5 lbs since Ramadan began, which isn't too much. One more week to go.

    Meanwhile, after getting a boost to my confidence after my "openers test" on Monday (see previous post), I got a more normal session done last night.

    Wed. 6/6/18, Total time - 1 hour 10 minutes

    1. Incline Bench Press - squat rack was in use when I got in, so I started here

    95/8; 145/6; 185/6 @7 - felt harder than I expected
    205/4 @8 - added mouth guard
    225/2 @9 - added wrist wraps
    225/2 @8.5
    195/6 @9; 6 @9

    2. Standing DB Curls - clearly, the rack was still in use

    20's/8; 30's/8; 40's/8 @8

    3. Squat

    135/6; 225/4; 315/2
    365/2 - added wrist wraps
    405/2 @7 - added belt
    435/2 @8.5 - was hoping it would feel like @8. Just a little too difficult for me to keep increasing weight, or to repeat under the circumstances.
    415/4 @8 - first 2 reps were way easier than I expected, so I went to 4. Looked at the clock and saw that the gym was closing in 10 minutes after this set, so...
    415/4 @9

    Overall, I was very happy with this session. My knees, particularly the left, have been bugging me a lot recently. This didn't make them any worse as far as I can tell. Nothing else got hurt. I'll take it!

  5. #55
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    Oct 2008
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    Default Deadlifts, 5 Weeks and Counting...

    Just when I thought things were getting back to normal, another crazy wave of overtime hit the local post offices (election mail, parcels, employees on vacation/injury/maternity leave, etc). So while training hasn't been non-existent, it has been inconsistent. Meanwhile, a few mornings ago, my wife noticed a post from the meet director of USAPL Mid-Atlantic Regionals stating that there were only 3 spots left in the meet. I don't recall ever seeing a cap on entries, so I'd always been planning on waiting until the last day of registration (July 4) to enter. Since that option was off the table, I figured I'd rather enter than skip the meet, so I got one of those last 3 spots. I'll be competing in the Open and Masters 1, 105 kg (231 lbs) on Sunday, August 5.

    That gives me 5 weeks (including this week) to train before meet week, which I don't count in terms of meet preparation. I have no idea what to expect on 8/5, but to get there, I'm just trying to focus on a few things as I expect to be strapped for time most of this summer. Training sessions will probably have to be 60-90 minutes at the most.

    Meet Prep Gym Plan
    1. Train each competition lift heavy at least once per week.
    2. Strive to train each competition lift "lighter" (65-80something%) at least one more day per week.
    3. Do dips, rows or pullups, and abs 2-3 times per week.


    So here's how this has gone so far (BODYWEIGHT on Mon. morning was 219.6 lbs):

    Mon. 6/25/18 - Heavy Deadlift, total time: 55 minutes

    1. Deadlift - wearing slippers and Rehband knee sleeves

    155/6; 265/5; 355/2, 2
    425/1, 1 - started wearing mouth guard
    465/1 - started wearing Versa Gripps (I need to order some chalk!)
    *480/1 @5 RPE -started wearing belt
    *510/1 @6 RPE
    530/1 @9 - felt strain in left pec, not uncommon for me on heavy conventional DL
    530/1 @8.5 - felt and looked better than the previous set, no strain
    475/3 @9 - felt much more difficult than I expected
    475/3 @8 - thought the first 475 set would feel like this

    * = I misloaded the bar on each of these sets, and didn't realize it until after I pulled the 510. I pulled the 480 thinking it was 500, and the 510 thinking it was 530. I'll blame it on rushing to get done. I didn't get in the gym until 9:00 pm, and they close at 10:00.

    2. Ab Machine (sit-up/crunch)
    110/20
    125/15, 15

    I went to an Orioles game yesterday, and had to get a sink repaired in my bathroom after work today. I'm going to a Ring of Honor pay-per-view here in Baltimore on Friday, and I never get off work in time to train on Saturdays (gym closes at 7:00pm). So, I'll have to train squat and bench heavy tomorrow after work (on my normal day off), and try to get a light(er) session in on Sunday before hitting the repeat button on Monday. With a federal holiday giving me 2 consecutive days off next week, I'm looking forward to getting some work in over the next 7 days.

  6. #56
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    Apr 2011
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    Gallup, New Mexico
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    I ended up doing 5!!
    Congrats, KD! So now another month has gone by--no doubt you're training hard and peaking for the meet. Good luck!

  7. #57
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
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    starting strength coach development program
    How tall are you diesel?

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