t's been a spell, ain't it? This update has been a while coming, but its delay is not without reason.
Got back in town last Sunday from an unexpected trip to Richland, Missouri, where my last surviving grandparent, Mary Virginia Scheerer, passed away last week. I won't dwell on it much here as we all have our pains and our sorrows but, save for some difficulties close to the end, she had a good run. Eighty six years is more than some folks get, and she made good use of them. In situations of long sickness and diminishing health I can never decide if death is a good or bad thing, but we can be assured that she is at rest and her struggle is over.
She was a good lady and she will be missed.
As to training last week or so, pretty decent stuff overall. Press has still been a sumbitch, but that is to be expected for a while.
Forgive my brevity in this sesh posting, not feeling overly illustrative currently.
A2A - ME Squat, 8/8/2014:
- Warm up, stretch, little foam roll action - about 10min
- Safety Squat/Yoke bar to low box - 5x262lbs + 2chains/side, box at 2nd hole
- SSB good mornings 3x8x132lbs
- Rev Hyper 3x10x115lbs
- Toe turn outs w/doubled over micro mini band, (one rep = both x1 then left x2) - 3x15
Decent work in this sesh overall. Hips still pretty tight, but getting a bit better. Got my desired goal in to beat last week's work and managed to keep the handles down a little better- not perfect, but better. Started with the toe turn outs, as listed, to help with the external rotation, so yay.
A2B - ME Bench, 8/10/2014:
- Floor press w/ football bar - up to 155 straight weight x5, 2x155+2 chains, 3x155 +1 chain
- Neutral wide lat pull down - 10x100lbs, 10x120lbs, 10x140lbs
- dumbbell bench - 10x35lbs, 10x45lbs, 10x50lbs, 5x60lbs, 5x55lbs, left - 3x5x35lbs
- Band pull apart 4x15
- overhead rope triceps extension - 4x10x60lbs
Not even going to lie- this session felt like the butthole. First mistake, of course was using the football bar instead of the Swiss Bar like in last sesh, but c'est la vie. This just reinforces the fact that bruh needs some triceps and back work, ya heard? Talked with Porter and Christian a bit on it, decided to add in the overhead triceps extensions listed above. Dumbbell bench and band pull aparts and/or the shoulder series will remain as mainstays for... well... probably forever.
And I think we may need a musical interlude right about now.
Carry on.
A2C - DE Squat, 8/12/2014:
- Warm up, stretch - about 10 min
- Squat - 230lbs + 2 chain/side to box at 3rd hole + mat (parallel)
- Deadlift - conventional 225lbs w/doubled over red bands x3
For these skwatz, for whatever reason, I decided to roll with a medium stance and back in the Romaleos. I neglected to get video, but they felt pretty good overall despite the left shoulder still being a little tight. Also, thanks to the volunteerism of Austin (selfless, charitable young'n that he is), I got to work back in the monolift, which was nice, like visiting an old friend.
The em effer of this session, though, proved to be going back to conventional deadlifts for the set of three.
Hips. Hips. Hips.
That and upper back.
I pulled a handful of sets of five before this video, working up to a set of five at 275lbs straight weight, and decided to throw bands on at that point for the triple. That mother trucker barely wanted to budge past half way to the knee, so I backed the plate weight down to 225lbs for the banded set. Pulling these sumo, with a more upright posture, doesn't feel so bad. Conventional, though, with my back rounding over my belly, is a murf to pull correctly. That band tension catches up quick and with the rounded upper back, I tended to get stopped just short of lock out.
More work to add to the check list.
A2D - DE Bench, 8/15/2014:
- Band stretching, traction - about 10min total
- Bench - 8x3x135lbs + chain/side
- Paused V handle (narrow grip) pull down- 10x90, 10x110, 4x7x130
- Dumbbell bench - 3x8x50
First of eight sets on the bench, checking speed with the chain set up:
I really liked that bar. Need to get a hold of them thar folks and find out which one it is.
... and it shook when he benched like a bowlful of jelly. I gots plans for that belly.
I really liked that bar. Need to get a hold of them thar folks and find out which one it is.
As you may be able to tell from the video, this sesh happened on the road as my grandmother passed away on the 13th, shortly after which one of my brothers and I hit the road and headed up to Missouri. With a few errands needing to be completed beforehand in a bigger town than Richland for her services being held on the 16th, I headed to Springfield the day previous and dropped into Strong Gym amidst said errands.
Part of the powerlifting room at Strong Gym
Strong Gym is nestled in the bosom of Springfield, Missouri. One of the first things that strikes you upon entering the gym is that it is very nice, very clean. The front doors open to the lobby, where a long bar/help desk (stocked with various supplements, and sometimes... shirts) stretches across a big chunk of the room, facing a lounge area and HD TV. I signed in and got a quick tour from Dylan, who ran me through the stuff that, while I may not necessarily care too much about, caters to a broad client base. As their Bookface page says, they are basically several gyms in one- a general fitness/lifting room, a MMA room complete with sparring cage area, a powerlifting room, and several other miscellaneous lifting and cardio rooms, and restrooms/locker rooms that include
what may be the smallest shower stalls in existence.
But that's not important right now.
You can check out their video tour on their website here.
Aside from Dylan, I got to talk briefly with Matt, one of the owners, and a couple of other guys there, Ryan and Thomas, if I remember correctly. Everyone was very friendly, helpful, and informative. Really super nice folks and a great facility. Can't say it enough.
Another fun thing that I am going to go out on a limb and say that nary a one of you hosers will enjoy as much as I did, but they are located LITERALLY right across the street from one of the several elementary schools I attended as a yute, St. Agnes Elementary.
This was the view through the powerlifting room window, LITERALLY across the street from the school:
Parking lot and playground. When I went there for 4th through 7th grades, that parking lot was a playground and the current playground was a volleyball and basketball court. Once, during a winter recess, I fell and slipped down short little hill and got my ankle stuck in that fence.
Madness, I say.
View of the gym, as seen from the corner just right of that picture:
Pure insanity.
At any rate, did the sesh as listed above, showered, ran the errands I needed to run, and met up with my brohams for some McSalty's pizza. Good stuff, and a time honored tradition when we are in the area. If you're in Springfield, grab a bear pie there and stuff your face with
Next day was grandma's funeral, which was a nice service as far as these things go. The local minister was newer, having just joined the congregation a few years ago, so he had never known her before she was sick. He did a good job considering the relative brevity of their shared experience. We got to see some family we hadn't seen in years, and the church had a reception "supper" (little late for lunch, little early for dinner), which was nice. After a time we all headed back to the house at our various paces. I took a nap, which was apparently my thing whilst on this trip. I woke up sometime around 8:00 or so for a phone call home, dinner, and a memorial game of Scrabble (another tradition when we are up in Richland), then back to sleep for the return trip home.
Home, sweet home.
Next update should be coming along shortly. It will be a quick and dirty one - yet safe for work - as I missed a few days with coming back in, getting work back to rolling, etc.
Go forth and hug your granny if ye're able to.
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