starting strength gym
Page 265 of 275 FirstFirst ... 165215255263264265266267 ... LastLast
Results 2,641 to 2,650 of 2742

Thread: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

  1. #2641
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
    Posts
    1,912

    Default

    • starting strength seminar april 2024
    • starting strength seminar jume 2024
    • starting strength seminar august 2024
    Great work, BD! Enjoy the taper week (sans caffeine) and work on keeping that ass nailed to the bench. We're looking forward to a solid 9/9 lifts!

  2. #2642
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Western NY
    Posts
    3,040

    Default

    2/4/23

    Mayhem Prep - m4 / w2 reps/sets

    Monday -
    Squat singles at 120kg *3; Bench singles at 82.5kg *3; Deadlift singles at 145kg *3. Some Rows and Dead Bugs for successories...
    Meh, a little tired due to caffeine withdrawal.

    Tuesday -
    Slow conditioning on the AirDyne, and the Assault Runner. Then a session of soft tissue work with my "body repair shop"...

    Wednesday -
    Squat doubles at 117.5kg *2; Bench singles at 86kg *2; Deadlift singles at 150 / 160kg. IYTs and LTE/Curl circuit for successories...
    Felt like shite after all the soft tissue work...a normal response.

    Thursday -
    Squat single at 115 kg; Bench single at 85kg; Deadlift single at 145kg. Some light RDLs, Pulldowns, and Hammer Curls for successories...
    Finally feel good, knees and hips cooperating.

    Saturday -
    Light conditioning on the AirDyne, and Assault Runner...

    All done but the doing now. I'm rested and ready, making weight is not an issue. A couple of Aleve and a scoop of "Pre" and I'll be ready to go!

    The attempt selection as proposed:

    S: 140 / 150 / 155-60kg
    B: 87.5 / 92.5 / 95-7.5kg
    D: 190 / 205 / 217.5-222.5kg

    I'm fairly confident with the Squat numbers. I'm hoping that I can move the bar fast enough on the Bench at 92.5kg, that we load 97.5/100kg for a third...one of these days. Deads, well I seem to rise to the occasion on that third pull, I pulled 215kg last April, and my training was nowhere close to what we've been doing these days, so 217.5/222.5kg doesn't seem to be too much of a reach...besides I have to fill in the sequence between 215/227.5kg.

    For those of you so inclined the meet will be livecast on YouTube: Mustache Mayhem 6, starting at 9:00am. I'm in flight "B" so we won't hit the platform until 9:45 or so.

    The meet can be found on LiftingCast as well: LiftingCast

    Chas Maloney - Raw Masters 3 / 100kg

  3. #2643
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
    Posts
    1,912

    Default

    Knock it out of the park, BD!

  4. #2644
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Western NY
    Posts
    3,040

    Default

    2/6/23

    Post Earthquake, Mayhem Recap -

    Damn, no one really expects an earthquake here in WNY...and at 6:30am to boot. That, was an experience...must have been caused by all the heavy Deadlifts done at the meet yesterday.

    Anyway, it was a fun day (even having lost my mind some time during the wee hours of Sunday morning, more on that later). Lot's of very strong kids just blowing up 3rd attempts like they were openers. 45 or so lifters, and a one platform meet. I showed up having dropped weight, which was not my intention at all. I thought that I had eaten well, and felt like i had drunk the equivalent of Lake Erie the previous 72 hours.

    As I was saying, I let my mind get away from me in the dark hours of the night and didn't get any sleep. By the time I got to the gym, I had fully convinced myself that I couldn't even hit my openers...***sigh***. I felt good, but I had severely damaged my confidence...for all the lifts. Fortunately I had a good handler who has had a lot of platform experience, and is kinda of a Zen master. I was also fortunate in the fact that I had an accomplice who I love lifting with, in front of me in the flight sequence. They were immense in getting me through the day.

    Squats-

    140kg 2/1 ...good lift. Swear to god I had butterflies the size of pterodactyls. But as my handler reminded me: One and Fun...get the first one in, and the rest is just for fun.

    150kg 1/2 ...no lift. Not that I'm arguing depth calls, but it sure looked good on video (and a number of folks who usually judge these meets told me privately that they though I should have gotten credit for the lift...oh well)

    152.5kg 2/1...good lift. Thrilled the crowd with a really long, and totally unintended pause in the hole. Spent a lot of energy...too much energy making this lift. First time in any competition where I got white lights from both side judges. I always get flagged for depth, or soft knee on my left side. Had to be a legit white light as that side judge is a notorious "mean girl".

    Bench -

    87.5kg / 92.5kg / 95kg all good lifts. Coach gave me an option of what I wanted on my third attempt: go for it, or build the total. I chose the total...and upon review, 97.5kg was there, 100kg was not.

    Deadlift -

    190kg / 205kg...3/0 good lift. Upon completion of my 2nd attempt, my coach asked me how I was feeling, giving me the option of a third attempt between 212.5kg - 220kg. I chose 215, as I admitted that I was tired, and he thought it was a good choice.

    215kg 1/2...no lift. It was a great grind. I have no issues with the red lights. I was short of lockout by a hair, and my shoulders weren't back. I'm happy to have pulled, and ground out 215kg, given how scared I was coming into the meet of blowing up my back (it really was in my head all through warm-ups...for no good reason). I had re-discovered where to wear my belt (higher, into the rib cage area). Unfortunately, I forgot how to breath and brace correctly for that placement, and ended up a little lightheaded on that 3rd pull. If I had pressed to lock out the lift, I would have blacked out. That's a technical error that won't happen again...

    So, it was a meet that didn't produce the results that my training would have allowed. The issue(s) weren't really strength related.

    I really need to work on my mental game, I did not respond to the pressure that I was putting on myself to perform. Losing all that sleep and confidence the NIGHT BEFORE THE MEET...just silly.

    Squat was probably good for 155kg if I was on my game. Bench was good for 97.5kg...again, if I was on my game. Deadlift....ahhhh, 220kg was there, even tired, it was there with the new belt placement.

    Lots of good things to build on. A few important things to address and correct as well.

    For all kvetching about this and that, I really enjoyed the day with my teammates. I love the encouragement and support they always provide...in and out of competition, and that's really why I step on the platform.

    So it's off to Raw Natls I guess, unless we look at that International Masters meet in Texas in June?

  5. #2645
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
    Posts
    1,912

    Default

    It's great to read the words and get the feeling and explanation behind the red blocks on the screen yesterday, which tell nothing other than go/no-go.

    Thinking back to my HS track/cross country days, we always knew that sleep the night before a bit meet was going to be crap. That's just what it is. So we focused on solid sleep the night before that (so Friday night for you). If you go into the night before well-rested, you'll make it through the event just fine (in that respect). I held that concept throughout my adult racing years and it seemed to hold true. As far as quieting your mind, there are many different ways to try and tackle that.

    Thanks for the rundown. Even with the reds, it looks like you got a lot out of the meet, overall.

    Keep at it!

  6. #2646
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    New Jersey
    Posts
    5,471

    Default

    I know you're disappointed BD (and Gaia clearly is too, given her rumbling later that day) but with all you've fought off these past 6 months or so you kicked some serious ass.

  7. #2647
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    New York
    Posts
    3,368

    Default

    Nice work, at least you got all 3 in.

  8. #2648
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Western NY
    Posts
    3,040

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BrooklynJerry View Post
    Nice work, at least you got all 3 in.
    Thanks...The necessity of hitting that first Squat is sooooo important, it sets up the whole rest of the meet.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Bingley View Post
    I know you're disappointed BD (and Gaia clearly is too, given her rumbling later that day) but with all you've fought off these past 6 months or so you kicked some serious ass.
    Thanks Mr. B...it's been a journey to be sure.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Anders View Post
    It's great to read the words and get the feeling and explanation behind the red blocks on the screen yesterday, which tell nothing other than go/no-go.

    Thinking back to my HS track/cross country days, we always knew that sleep the night before a bit meet was going to be crap. That's just what it is. So we focused on solid sleep the night before that (so Friday night for you). If you go into the night before well-rested, you'll make it through the event just fine (in that respect). I held that concept throughout my adult racing years and it seemed to hold true. As far as quieting your mind, there are many different ways to try and tackle that.

    Thanks for the rundown. Even with the reds, it looks like you got a lot out of the meet, overall.

    Keep at it!
    Thanks Bill.

    Normally I sleep really well prior to competitions. I rarely have such a mind glitch that close to a competition.

    I ran track in HS and college, and my biggest issue was always confidence...I was fast, but I over thought things. It's only been through powerlifting that I've really addressed the mental side of competition.

    Looking back at this last meet, and all the other completions I've entered post cancer, divorce, suicide attempt and then the thyroid issue - basically end of 2019 through June 2022, there's been a lot of issues that have weighed me down...and I refused to really acknowledge that fact.

    After the heights of Chicago 2019, each subsequent meet I've entered I've been betrayed by my body. MM4 was my first meet back after the cancer/covid shutdown, and I had no real expectations, and any regression was expected. Next was the Daytona shit show a few months later, where my body refused to cooperate. It was another 10 months until I competed again, and that's when my thyroid started going haywire. And while we addressed the thyroid issue, and seem to have it under control...how was I to know how I'd respond under pressure.

    So last Saturday night I catastrophized.

    That won't happen again. Chalk it up as a learning experience. My body is as good as it's gonna be. It can handle the stress of training and competing. I just need a another meet under my belt, and I'll be right as rain.

    Let me get to Raw Masters 4...

  9. #2649
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Chicago Burbs, IL
    Posts
    1,525

    Default

    Great work at the meet. Thanks for sharing.

  10. #2650
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Western NY
    Posts
    3,040

    Default

    starting strength coach development program
    3/11/23

    Howdy y'all...

    As we just completed the first month of a 4 month training cycle, I thought I'd hop on the page just to recap what's up.

    Our intentions are to compete a Raw Nationals in Memphis this coming September. My coach has broken the training cycle into two distinct portions. The first portion will be volume based, and the second portion will build in intensity...peaking come competition time.

    While my training coming into the February meet was good, it wasn't "enough". I got tired towards the end of the day, which is never a good thing, as I count on my Deadlift to make up for a weak Bench, and a mediocre Squat.

    So this first month has focused on three sets of 7/8 (depending on what day it is), with more successories. Safety Bar Squats get backed up with Belt Squats; Bench gets a goodly amount of chest and shoulder work for successories lifts; Deads focus on Big Wheel Pulls, and then regular pulls from the floor, along with all sorts of Rows. SBD Saturdays feature sets of three across the board, trying to keep the rest periods to 5 minutes to build some endurance.

    The first week was eye opening. That type of volume was atypical for the last 2/3 years, and it required I eat a bit more than I have been. Weeks two and three were not as much of a shock to the system. Week four was as good a week of training as I've had since 2019.

    My Squat has been agreeable...no knee or hip issues, and I'm hitting depth without too much of an issue (who is this guy). Playing around with letting my head come off the bench on my Bench sets, and it feels stronger. The Big Wheel Pulls are right in my sweet spot in terms of setting up and pulling with power. The volume is in the Goldilocks territory as well. I've re-discovered my proper hinge movement and my back has not complained at either bar height.

    SBD Saturdays have been a proper work out. I'm tired, but not wrecked. Today's session was as good an SBD Saturday as I've been able to put together in ages.

    All in all, an encouraging month of training. Not sure where we're going with the next cycle...will it be 6's or 5's...who knows. All I do know is there will be a lots more sets than what we've been used to over the past few years.

    And there we are. Hope you're all doing well with your training...

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •