bob g goes TM

[Mark E. Hurling]

Heh, did you have a hard time with the entry visa and the Chicago accent when you first moved up there? As an Illinoisian for the first 30 years of my life (I consider myself the same now too just part of the diaspora) I know how IL license plates and vehicle occupants can be greeted a little frostily until they discover from your accent you are a Chicagoan. Then you're under polite but vigilant scrutiny until you establish a verifiable track record. Of course that same thing would happen in downstate IL too. Moreso as you got south of Springfield.

[bob g]

Heh, did you have a hard time with the entry visa and the Chicago accent when you first moved up there? As an Illinoisian for the first 30 years of my life (I consider myself the same now too just part of the diaspora) I know how IL license plates and vehicle occupants can be greeted a little frostily until they discover from your accent you are a Chicagoan.

The scrutiny was tougher when I came home from college in central Iowa. My buds were locals and I picked up their talk. Home town friends thought I'd spent the semester in Texas or some danged place.

...Of course that same thing would happen in downstate IL too. Moreso as you got south of Springfield.

Ain't that the truth, southern Illinois has more in common with Tuscaloosa, weather and culture wise, than with anywhere in the northern half of the state. In my coaching days we played a game near Springfield. The necks were a deep shade of red with little appreciation and open, verbal disdain for the darker complected ball players on our team. This came from the stands, the coaches, the officials etc.

[Mark E. Hurling]

I went to SIU in Carbondale. It was not really wise to get too far out of town if you didn't have the local twang in your accent. Murphysboro and Marion were relatively OK, but Northerners were distinctly unwelcome. I didn't have the Great Lakes accent shared by urban residents of Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, etc. being a rural downstater myself, but then again I didn't sound like an extra from Deliverance either. As such I was suspect but deemed kind of OK.

[bob g]

Saturday Mar 19 - Volume

I only had a half hour window due to a travel commitment so:

Squat warm up steps through 225
Press 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x2, 162.5x3x3

Then, off to the weekend's fun.

Mon Mar 21 - Recovery

Squat 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 225x5x2
Bench 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x2, 180x5x2

Now, I eat. I need to pass Mark up on the press on Wednesday. It's good to have a little friendly competition among the greybeards.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Good luck on your lift bob.

[bob g]

BW Press +

(BW is 226 or so, depending on time of day)

Press 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 190x1, 225x1, 230x1, b/o 185x5

I got to the gym late and only had time to press. But what a press night. Like Mark H last week the BW rep, 225, was too easy so I waited five minutes, cycled some tunes, added five pounds and nailed 230. I subscribe to the notion that you only attempt PRs a couple times a year; my last PR was 215 in late January. So, +15 lbs on the press was very cool.

I want to thank Rip, Mark H., Oldster and all of you who encourage all of us to do our best.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Excellent work bob! Congratulations on your PR's. Isn't it incredible how even some incorporeal communications over the internet can be so motivating.

[bob g]

Saturday Mar 26 - Volume

Squat - 45x5x2, 95x5, 155x3, 225x3, 255x1, 290x3x3
Bench - 45x5, 95x5, 155x3, 205x1, 227.5x5x3 then a back off finisher of 185x12

Today was my best squat day ever. I don't know if it's due to skipping heavy 5x last week, nailing press PRs on Wednesday or what but I move up the prescribed 5 lbs and just felt great. I had a good stretch at the bottom, I was deeper than the last couple of sessions, the chest was in the right place and the tempo was spot on. I went 3x3 instead of 3x5 because of some not quite right recovery timing after the last couple of volume days. I believe I will ratchet the increases as: +5 lbs for 3x3 then stay at that weight the next week for 3x5, the following week add 5lbs for 3x3 etc.

[bob g]

Monday, Mar 28 - Recovery

Squat 45x5x2, 95x5, 155x3, 230x5x2
Press 45x5x2, 95x5, 130x5x2

The recovery day weights just inched up a touch. Wed will be heavy bench, 5x or 3x we'll see. If my recent press improvements and their carry over to BP are any gage I should be at 3 wheels for a single by mid to late summer.

[bob g]

Wed, Mar 30 - Intensity

Bench 45x5x2, 95x5, 155x3, 205x3, 245x1, 265x5, b/o 205x15
Deads 95x5, 135x5, 225x3, 295x2, 355x3, 295x5

265x5 is a current era best on the bench - 355x3 is a PB for 3RM deads. I guess it was a pretty good night.