Max Effort Bench and Max Effort Lower

Not done on the same day obviously, so here goes.

Max Effort Bench:


Worked up to 365 close grip bench for 2 singles. Yes, that is a PR for close grip bench. My triceps strength is not the best in the world, so this was great to hit and relatively easy.

Max Effort Lower:


Done on 2 inch pads:

135/10
185/5
225/5
275/3
315/3
365/3
405/3
455/1
495/1
545/1

Front Squats: 3 sets

GHR: 4 sets of ten

Reverse Hypers: 3 sets of 10

Abs

I was pleased with how the deads turned out. I did something funky though on the way down with 405 and might have strained something a bit but it was no biggie. Throw some Icy Hot on it and keep on rolling.


I feel pretty good overall. The heat went back down to a manageable level and I'm able to eat like I want to without sweating like a hog. Not looking to get over 242 right now. I need to dial in the nutrition a bit more, but the crap foods hasn't been consumed as much as in years past. I remember pulling a Palumbo a couple years ago and just smashing double cheeseburgers like they were going out of style. Those days are long gone thank God.

Dynamic Effort squats

Squats: 315 /2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2

Deadlifts: 405/ 8 singles with 30 secs rest in between

Assistance work.

Got shit done before heading out to Rosemont, IL to help cover the Wings of Strength Chicago Pro thats promoted by Tim Gardner. 76 IFBB pros make this the biggest IFBB pro show to date this year. Lots of heavy hitters in this show and hopefully the amateurs do the same here. On my muscle hustle here in Chi-Town.

Max Effort Lower and Dynamic Effort Bench

Max Effort Lower:

SSB Squats: worked up to 405 for a single

Front squats: 3 sets of 5

Tate presses: 5 sets of 12

GHR: 3 set of 8.

Abs

Dynamic Effort Bench:

Bench: Bar weight was 205 with 2 sets of chain for 9 sets of 3.

DB press: 110 for 3 sets of 6

Lat Pulldowns: 6 sets

Meadows rear delt destroyers: lots of reps and they hurt

Arms

Bar moved nice and fast this week. Looking for a repeat performance next week.

Chicago pro show this weekend too. Should be a good show with lots of thick guys and gals! Cant wait.

Max Effort Bench

Incline press

Bar/20
95/10
135/6
185/5
225/3
295/3
315/3
335/1,1

Bradford Press:
65/10,10
95/6,6,6

Tate Presses:

25/12
30/12
40/12
45/12,12

Chest supported rows:

90/12
135/10,10,10

Face Pulls: I did these for the length of a song with 65 lbs. It sucked.

Arms

Was glad to be done with the deload and have some weight back in my hands. The rest paid off I set out to do a good bit of volume today. Recorded a monster in the form of Kevin Jordan today for Flexonline.com so I was inspired a bit, so thanks Kevin.

Everything is rolling along for July 28th. For those that don't know I'm doing a USPF meet instead of the APF Summerbash. There were a couple of factors but the biggest one is distance. With the APF Summerbash, its in the 'burbs which would require me to get up super early, catch a bus, catch a metra and then catch a cab to the venue. With the USPF meet at Lance's Gym, I catch a train, bus and walk a block (if that) and I'm there. No extra crap or money spent trying to get to the venue. Plus there will be some quality competition there, so thats extra incentive to come in and smash even though my primary goal is to qualify for Raw Unity 6.

I have to set aside time for me and family. I have to be honest, I have not been the best relative since I have been back. I really dont have any excuses to not visit or spend time with people. I have been busy, but I can make time for those that I love. I love my fam just as much as training. I've been busy with work, and my internship so I need to be busy with family.

Max effort lower tomorrow. Time to eat!!

Dynamic Effort Squattius

Squats:

330/2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2

RDL's:

135/10
185/5
225/5
275/5

Pullthroughs:

2 sets of 25 reps

Reverse hypers:

3 sets of ten

I used the roller attachment on the reverse hypers and it was was heavier than expected, so it didn't turn out to be too much fun.

Training and other stuff

Training:

It started off very craptatsic after Junior Nationals weekend, but picked up on Wednesday for speed bench. max effort upper and lower body blew ass chunks so I'm thinking as long as I stay hydrated (this heat is a motherfucker and I have no AC at home) and eat, I'll be able to smash dynamic effort lower. I don't have tons of time before the summer bash, so I need to be anal about how I go about the rest of this prep. Ive added in more carbs for their ability to hold water and lightened up on the protein consumption just a little. I cant eat massive amounts in the summer, so I have to adjust accordingly and not make excuses.

Rest is a constant issue. My sleep patterns are all fucked up so I'm trying to fix it.

Education: 

I got a C and was very close to a B on my spanish exam. Conjugation of verbs continue to murder me and I have to have a better grasp of the vocabulary. I honestly wasn't too worried because I just came off of a bombed Spanish class in Lincoln. I just wanted to move in the right direction. I've decided to retake the Spanish 102 in Lincoln again and get an A or a B in that (fuck C's). I really need to raise my GPA so I can do the things I want to do and also for myself. Interviewed someone and something really hit home for me. Why don't I put my all into school? I just need to do it and quit talking about it.

Professional Stuff:

My internship is going well with Flex and it's only going to get better. I will be covering the Masters and hopefully Tampa also. Have to thank Mike Salazar for the opportunity and all his help in my career, powerlifting and life in general. Appreciate the help Mike.

I was worried about getting an internship all year and I got one, and it's in an industry I love. The pay is ok, but it's money and there are many working for free so I can't complain.

Going Forward: 

Watch the blog, Flex and my twitter (my twitter is somewhat NSFW)

The Dominator Gene

I got this from Steve Pulcinella from Elitefts.com and found it extremely interesting. Some have this gene, some dont. Read and find out what he's talking about.

Aleksandr Karelin. Steven Hawking. What do these men have in common? At first glance, absolutely nothing. Aleksandr Karelin is a giant, who's very appearance is enough to inspire fear in the average man. He is also possibly the most dominant wrestler to ever take the mat. Steven Hawking is a bag of smashed assholes strapped into an electric chair. He has also completely dominated the world of nerdy smart shit for decades. So, the common factor in these two men, who could not be more different in body and personality, is the dominator gene.

The dominator gene is not so much a physical attribute, but an element of will. And it exists, to some degree, in all of us. But, and it's a big but, the degree to which it exists is the key. The "X Factor", if you will. The dominator gene will lay dormant unless it is activated by the will. And, wether it is the will to annihilate and terrify every elite wrestler at your weight on the planet for nearly 20yrs, or the will to stare at a chalk board full of numbers until you figure out things that would make most people's brains explode, it is the same act of will that makes both possible.

Take a group of five high school kids who join a gym together. At first, all five will basically do the same things and spend the same amount of time lifting each week. Now, fast forward one year. There are now three kids left of the original five and one is about to fade into mediocrity because his girlfriend wants him to work at Applebee's with her so they can spend more time together. And then there were two. Lifter A is a hard worker and really enjoys lifting. He will continue to workout hard for the rest of his life and make good gains. He will never win anything. He will never even be the strongest guy in most gyms he walks into. His dominator gene will never be activated to its fullest potential. And, he's fine with that. Now take lifter B. From the beginning, it has been obvious that lifter B is different from the others. First, he is naturally much stronger than the other four. He also goes at his workouts with ten times the intensity. While the others look at the powerlifters and strongmen in the gym with awe and respect, lifter B feels only hate and shame. Every day that he is unable to do what those men do, he becomes more furious and focused. And, he has a belief that is not necessarily based on anything he can prove that he can and will out do all of them. He knows. And, the thought has not entered his mind, as it has with the other four, that what he wants might not be possible. And that is where he unknowingly unlocked his dominator gene.
Lifting, wrestling, space math shit, NASCAR driving, Real Estate, Televangelism. It doesn't matter. The profession usually finds the individual. But, the individual has to unlock the dominator gene. And, the dominator gene is not unlocked by talking or dreaming. It is unlocked by doing. John Rambo did not dominate most of Southeast Asia and part of Afghanastan by talking. Vin Diesel did not dominate the world of dramatic acting by dreaming. It is done by a head first rush that ends in death and failure or total dominance. It happens every day, all over the world. It happens in a thousand small endeavors that are not all as glorious and defeating the Russian army with nothing but a quiver full of exploding arrows and some blue glow sticks. It is purely a talker/doer scenario and without the attitude and force of will required to unlock the dominator potential, the dominator gene will lay dormant and wither like a priest's ball bag. Like Aleksandr Karelin said, "I have trained harder every day of my life than anyone else has ever trained on his best day". And like Steven Hawking said, "I am so fucking smart you would shit your pants and go insane if you could look into my brain for one second". Of course, I am paraphrasing that last one

Now I don't feel bad for wanting to set people who beat me on fire and saying "fuck you". I want to win...........PERIOD.