fa-jing fired me up

[Toby]

His recent personal best brought out the competitive streak in me. I'll start with the bad - failed at 275 bench again this morning. Made 265 x 1.

Then, I was due to finish DL at 155kg == 340lb. I've changed up a few things with my form and been feeling good this cycle so I went for it. Made 165kg == 363.762733lb. So not quite 365, but close. Like fa-jing, my back rounded like a banana but I made it quite easily. After that I was gunna try and round it off with 350 x 4 but I tried and it wasn't gunna happen. I left it at 1 rep and followed up 10min later with 300 x 5 which felt good. All this at 85.8kg == 189.156621lb so I'm pretty happy.

On the down side, some people don't believe anything without photos. I took out the camera and got it taking 5 shots/2s. Tried twice, worked both times. Got my wife out with the exact same settings and did the lift. She managed to take 1 shot throughout the whole lift. I took the camera off her and did 5 shots/2s again, of the exact same frame (except without me in it obviously). I was fried enough by the one lift that I didn't try another. That god**** camera is ****ing me off. Unless it just doesn't like taking shots of me . Anyway, the one shot was crap. I'd just lifted it off the ground and had ****ty form, so you don't get to see it. Maybe next DL cycle ...

[fa_jing]

Congratulations!! You use a belt for heavy DLs, right?

Now, if you increase the weight by 20 pounds, you'll deadlift what I did last night as a new PR.



P.S. Try not to hurt yourself or anything.

[IronFist]

Originally posted by Toby
On the down side, some people don't believe anything without photos.

Yeah. Stop lying.

[FooFighter]

Yo... Toby. It doesnt matter. Your sucess is our success. By the way, where is the picture? LOL.

[Toby]

Nah, no belt. I don't own one and don't want one - I like the lower back development that I get without. Same as I've got straps, but I've never used them. I also like to stay double pronated as long as I can before switching to alternating grip. But thanks for making my puny effort seem insignificant. I'll have to try to up the ante next time again.

No photo because all it showed was my ugly mug all screwed up with effort, my butt too high and the bar hardly off the ground. I would've been happy with a shot with the bar a bit higher, but I deleted it. Plus I was ****ed off at the malfunctioning camera so I deleted all the shots I just took.

[fa_jing]

Well, I use a belt nowadays for the heavier deadlifts. But, I do some warmup sets w/out it and also some down sets. I also do single legged, straight legged and suitcase deadlifts without a belt, plus there is the regular core development from doing heavy deadlifts with a belt - in fact, what I have to focus on for a heavy belted lift is precisely squeezing the sh:t out of my abs and grip.

So, I'm doing alright with the core stuff. I also use a belt for heavy cleans and power cleans, usually. Given that I work a desk job and drive around and stuff, it would be too much volume for my back if I didn't.

I do think it adds alot to the training to do some unbelted down sets. But for heavier lifts, yes it allows me to keep my back straighter.

[Toby]

Just when I thought I was doing well I watched the women's 58kg class lifting last night. ****, they were good. Good argument for explaining strength vs size. The winner (Chen Yanqing) was actually pretty nice looking with a nice face. She totalled 240kg or something. About 105-107.5kg on the snatch and 135kg (equal Oly record) on the clean and jerk. Wow.

[Serpent]

Originally posted by Toby
Just when I thought I was doing well I watched the women's 58kg class lifting last night. ****, they were good. Good argument for explaining strength vs size. The winner (Chen Yanqing) was actually pretty nice looking with a nice face. She totalled 240kg or something. About 105-107.5kg on the snatch and 135kg (equal Oly record) on the clean and jerk. Wow.

I know it's juvenile, but this cracked me up! LOL.

I saw that too and there was some amazing lifts. Did you see the guys yesterday? It's amazing to watch when they first pick up it looks like they're never going to put the weight up, then boom, it's in the air. Amazing strength.

[Toby]

Someone had to get childish ...

Yeah, I saw some of the men's. That little Turkish (?) guy is a freak. Like a musclebound dwarf. I've gotta say, though, they use cheating on their lifts . Look at the bar bounce each time. It's momentum, not strength . *Sulks off to the corner in a jealous mood*

I can't wait for the heavyweight guys. That stuff will be a blast to watch. And thanks to joedoe's tip yesterday, I'm tuned in to SBS all week. Tonight's mens and womens judo finals (dunno what weight classes) from 9:30pm Perth time. 11:30pm for you eastcoasters .

[Serpent]

Yeah, I can't get SBS where I live so I have to rely on Channel 7 coverage. It's so unbelievably bad! Still, I don't get to watch much anyway, so I can't really complain.

As for the cheating, why don't you cheat too and see if you can lift as much as the musclebound dwarf?

[Toby]

Lol! The dwarf guy would kick my ass. I want to get into Oly lifts and have wanted to for a while but I've got an ongoing shoulder problem. I'm dealing with it but it's pretty much a permanent thing (osteolysis == mild osteoarthritis). Lots of PT at the moment and concentrating on powerlifts which can hurt it, but aren't so bad as long as I'm careful with form. The worst tweak I've had for a long time came from MA class. Overhead lifts and shoulder cuff rotations aren't good for it, so that rules out pretty much all Oly lifts. I have to be very careful with weighted pullups too - no shoulder movement allowed. Shrugging == bad. Eventually when I'm rich and famous I'll probably take some time off and get arthroscopic surgery to correct it permanently (chop off the AC joint), but at the moment I don't want to take the time off and it doesn't affect my strength, just ****s me up for the future .

[Serpent]

Ah, future schmuture.

[Toby]

My sentiments exactly .