Hardcore Essentials2

Have you figured out your openers yet?

Dave, thanks for asking. I am thinking of a 300 opener on the bench, 585 lbs on the squat, and 525 lbs for my deadlift. The strain in my right hip has been hindering the weight I have lifted for my deads lately but hopefully I will be on for the meet. I do deads with my bench and squat bar and it has a bend in it. Yesterday, when I did deads the bar turned in my hand while lifting which through me off pretty bad. I grabbed the bar at the wrong part of the bend. Hopefully, at the meet my grip will hold true and I will pull a lot bigger.

It’s almost here. That sounds like smart openers, based on your training numbers.

Looks like a good plan. What are you hoping to hit for a total?

Thanks Crippler and Dave. I’ll be very happy to hit my openers and then if all is going well I would love to be in the 1,500 lbs total range or better. I’m going to give it my all.

Here is to an awesome meet! Prepare perform prevail !

Thanks OG.
Yesterday I did my final heavy day before the meet. Lifting went just okay and based on that I am going to take a more conservative approach to my attempts at the meet. I didn’t get enough sleep Saturday to Sunday so maybe that’s why my energy was low and I couldn’t seem to get aggressive but all things considered things went well.

Squats:
135 x 10
225 x 5
315 x 1
455 x 1
545 x 1(I wanted more and this was fairly easy but when I put 585 on my back it felt like a ton so all I did was walk it out and put it back)

Bench Press:
135 x 10
185 x 5
225 x 1(pause)
275 x 1(pause)
315 x 1(pause)

So I knew when I squatted the 455 my body(back) was not recovered from the other day and although 545 was easy and a good lift it felt heavier than it should. I kept my but on the bench and feet down for the 315 pause bench so I was pleased with that. I think with good rest and recovery this week mixed in with a bunch of therapy I should be good for a heavier squat at the meet and do a little more on the bench. My openers will be 545 squat, 300 lbs bench, and 525 lbs deadlift.

Good weight choices. You’re gonna do well.

Thanks Biker. Sorry to all about posting but I’ve been incredibly busy lately with work, training, kids, and life in general. Managed to get a small last light lifting in yesterday before the meet on Saturday.

Wednesday(12/9/15-before work)

Squats(raw):
135 x 10
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 3

Bench Press:
135 x 10
185 x 5
225 x 2(paused)
265 x 2 sets x 2 reps(paused)

Standing Crunches:
70 lbs x 20

Less than a half hour of lifting and it was fast and easy. Then 8 hours at Costco nearly wiped me out. All my training and such was a creeping soreness for much of my first day at Costco. I have a real challenge in that I will work both my jobs on friday into the night, compete at the meet the next morning, and then go back to work at Costco on Sunday. I hope I can work out the coffee and therapy time to match this activity.

Good luck at the meet. At least with a busy schedule, your mind will be occupied.

Thanks Crippler, it’s all a bit overwhelming but I’m going to do my best to block all the distractions out and lift big. I’m going for the zen-mind of total being there and nothing else.

Sounds like a solid approach. Good luck GV.

Thanks Dave. So, today was the meet. Have to preempt this report with saying that yesterday I did my lawn business in the morning and early afternoon then I went to work at Costco until 10:30 pm which means I got home just before 11 pm. I’m very thankful my wife made me a plate of spaghetti and chicken to eat when I got home.

I went to bed a few minutes after 12 am but I couldn’t fall asleep for a while. To say the least I was aching all over my body from work and accumulated physical stress but I took a bunch of Tumeric and that helped a bit. I didn’t have time to do therapy which would have been very helpful but them’s the breaks.
Then I was up at 6:30 am and it took me an hour to eat, do intense foam rolling, and prepare my kit for the meet. I drove to Melbourne, Florida to the Strong Life Gym and weighed in for the Raw United Last Chance meet.

My bodyweight was 216.4 lbs. Lifting started promptly at 10 am and I was in the first flight. I opened with a 545 lbs squat but my dumb ass forgot to wait for the squat signal and I bumped into the rack on the assent. My second attempt was 565 but I was called for depth which surprised me because I always try to sink my squats. I think all the standing at work threw me off as my hips and lower back have been trashed lately as well as my feet taking a beating. I am still acclimating to the added work hours on my feet. My third attempt squat was a must make so I took 565 lbs again and I went ass to heels to make sure there was no question and it was green lighted. 565 was a fairly easy lift and I’m sure if I had my damn mind straight I had at least 600 lbs in me.

Next, on my first bench attempt I opened with 285 just to make sure I was on track and I nailed it. I did a fairly easy 300 on my second attempt. Then I decided to take 310 for the third attempt as I felt my strength may have been off. The 310 came off my chest easily but I screwed up on my form and the bar path went into the rack supports which screwed up the lift.

I did some heavy duty foam rolling in between lifts and it paid off for deads. I took 525 for my first dead and it was an easy green lighted lift. For my second dead I pulled 555 lbs easily. Then for my third attempt I did a smooth 575 lbs for a good lift. I think I could have gotten 600 but I was very happy with the 575.
So, my lifts were: 565 lbs squat, 300 lbs bench, 575 lbs deadlift for a 1440 lbs total. I received the best lifter award and I had the second largest total of the meet. I am not happy with my technical errors but this was a learning experience and I am pleased that in spite of a hectic schedule I was able to compete and do fairly well. I believe the next time I will compete will be around April and hopefully I will be able to coordinate two days off in a row to do the meet and I will be more acclimated to my new job. It was a great meet run very quickly and smoothly. There were about 60 lifters and we were done in just over 4 hours with everything. A great day overall.

All things considered that looks like a very good result GV. Wise move on the squats. No reason to bomb out when you were already trying a huge number at 565.

The number of people that all three bench attempts go smoothly for, including myself, seems to be very low. Nice job pulling, you will get 600 next time.

2.7xBW deadlift, 2.6xBW squat, 1.3xBW bench. And you left a bunch on the platform. All while having a full time job, part time job and a young family. Very impressive. I’m not worthy.

Wow! Great job! Very, very impressive numbers. And like the others said, pretty fantastic given your work demands. It’s always fun to follow your training and see how well you’re doing.

Awesome stuff GV, well done

NHLFTR wrote " 2.7xBW deadlift, 2.6xBW squat, 1.3xBW bench. And you left a bunch on the platform. All while having a full time job, part time job and a young family. Very impressive. I’m not worthy."

^2.

Also, best lifter and 2nd highest total after 6.5 hrs sleep. Impressive. Like 2 half squats @ 725.

( NHLFTR is probably worthy anyway.)

A great thank you to everyone and for all the support. You all are part of my base and your word help keep me going. Thanks Dave, NHLFTR, Biker, Old Goat, and kpsnap. Being of a certain age gives us a perspective quite different from those a decade and more younger. I am greatly humbled with the effort and toll of it all. I think working to overcome the stress and challenge of these activities is what makes life great. Meeting a couple of young teenage lifters and encouraging them at the meet was a wonderful thing. I am very thankful to my wife for all her efforts in taking care of our house and children while I was away and acting like a zombie after returning from the meet. I am blessed by my children for their joy and their lives.

Good job buddy. I know the work demands make it difficult at times. All things considered you did great.