2015 MM Open Recap

Steph and I competed at the MM Open last weekend. Had a great heavy training day despite traveling to Cincinnati the week before for work.

Weighed in 81.8, can't set record at local meets so all national records are unofficial. Provincial records qualify.

Squats
Warmups were great but the pace of the meet was slower than the other meets I've lifted at as a raw lifter.
1st - 215 - so fast
2nd - 227.5 - National Record. Dropped deeper than I should have, had to grind, bar slowed down and a side spotter grabbed it. Redid my attempt about 5 mins later and hit it nicely. Maybe 5-7.5 kgs left.
3rd - Pass

Bench
Same as squats, warmups were fast and powerful but the pace of the meet was slow. I could have started warming up in the 3rd attempts from the prior flight.
1st - 150 - bullet
2nd - 160.5 - provincial Open/M1 record. Maybe my one chance to beat Josh at anything in raw lifting. Which he will take back on his opener when he lifts at 83 again.
3rd - 165.5x - Maybe good for 162.5 but wanted a shot at the national record of 165. Got it moving but stalled 1/2 way.

Deadlifts
Stef has been telling me to drop my hips and pop them up faster. Experimented the week prior to the meet and missed 250 about 2 inches off the floor. Fixed it this week by not dropping so low.
1st - 237.5
2nd - 253 - provincial M1 record. Beat Rob King's Bronze medal dl at world's. Will be fun trading this one with him for a while. Probably 2.5-5 kgs left
3rd - 260.5 - This was to take Roberto's Open provincial record. Missed it at lockout by about 2mm. Robert cheered when I missed. It was so fun.

Total: 641 - National record

Stef lifted equipped and didn't really cut, weighed in 52.6.
Used my 36 red squat suit with the straps taken in 3 inches. (Thanks Kim Lee!)
sq 142.5-152.5-162.5 Good for 170. Amazing.
bp 85-90-95. Good for 100. Amazing
dl 150-162.5-170. Good for 175. Amazing
Wilks 528
Overall Summary: Amazing

Saturday Training

Trained at Reps with Steph, Robert and Campbell.

Squats up to 200-210-220-230 for a big juicy PR.

Bench 150-152.5-155 paused singles

Deadlift up to 242.5 single

Saturday Training

Trained with Roberto, Fats and the Squealer at MM.

Squats
175x2 HB
180x2
190x2 Belt
205x1 lowbar
225x1

Bench up to 140

Deadlifts
225-235-245-255 for singles

Saturday Training

Trained with Roberto and Fats while Matt lurked from the power rack. Steph was in Montreal spending her inheritance and doing chocolate shots.

Squats
70x5 HB
100x5
125x4
150x3
170x1
180x1
190x1
185x1 Lowbar
200x2 Belt
205x3
220x1

Bench
70x5
100x4
120x3
132.5x2
140x1
150x1
150x3x2
152.5x3 *My best ever is 152.5x5 so closing in on some big PR's

Deadlift - closer stance, shins inside of rings, speed was much better from the floor
145x5
175x3
205x1
227.5x1
237.5x1

Sat Training at MM

Training has been going really well the past month. If the raw dl would start moving I would be almost pleased.

Trained with Roberto, Fats Grandy and the Squealer.

Did the easiest 205x1 lb single beltless, followed by 200x4 belted.

Benched 160

Deadlifted 242.5. The knees are locking a lot faster and stronger but the speed from the floor is non-existent.

Saturday Training

Trained with Steph, Robert, Fats and Campbell

The highlight of the session was Grandy's 170 bench. So sexy.

Squats up to 190x5 LB
Bench 150x1
Deadlifts 215x1

Monday training, 9 am Thanksgiving
Trained with Campbell, Grandy and Steph
Squats up to 160x5 HB
Bench 140x1

Wed Training

Trained with Fats, Roberto and the Squealer at MM.

Squats 175x1 HB and 175-177.5-180x2 low bar. Felt great

Benches 110-122x5 x 8, 130x7, 140x1

Deadlifts 225x1, 245x2

Monday Training at MM

Trained with Steph and Robert. Easterns was held this past weekend so everyone was feeling tired. Managed a 170x1x2 HB set and a 175x1 lb.

Bench up to 145x3, paused what? what??

Saturday Training

Trained with Matt 'Wheels' Wells, Roberto and The 105 lb Juggernaut at Reps. Excellent session. One random gym-goer suffered Roberts wrath after walking in front of Stef pulling her last dl before the meet at 155x1. "Go do your curls in the mirror" is now my ambiguous comment for anyone that irritates me.

Squats up to 200x2

Bench 150x1, arms a shaky so there's an impingement going on somewhere.

DL 215x3 felt strong

Training

Trained at MM with the team.

Squats up to 190x1 HB, 195x2 lowbar
Bench 140x2, 147.5x1 paused
Dls 165x1

Post-meet Training

Keeping everything light this week and I guess I'm going to have to start deadlifting every week, twice a week until World's.

Deadlifts up to 190x1x5
Bench up to 105x8
Squats up to 175x1 hb/no belt

2015 Nationals Recap

Weighed in 73.9, making weight 18 minutes after weigh-ins started. Was in Flight C, so knew I had at least 30 mins but that was a tad too close.

Squat warmups felt great, up to 190 highbar and it felt just like training speed so knew the squat was going to go well.

200-210-215

With maybe 7.5-10 kgs left on the 3rd attempt.

Bench warmups were rockets. Up to 130 in the warmup room.

135-142.5-150

At least 2.5-5 kgs left on 3rd attempt and all attempts were national records. Boom.

Deadlift warmups felt fine too but the speed on the platform is lagging.

245-255-262.5(x)

620 total for a new M1 total with at least 10-15 left and an 8 for 9 day with only straining on the 3rd deadlift. Went Open b/c the CPU doesn't allow multiple age categories, which is too bad. My 446 wilks was the top Master wilks of the meet and I would have received a nice Jelly Bean Row picture. I like medals. Forcing a lifter to choose is annoying but life isn't always fair. And b/c Kojo didn't show this year I wanted to lift with the biggest flight of lifters I've ever competed against at Nationals. And they still couldn't come close to the old guy. My time is drawing nigh to slink into the M1 category for good nationally but as long as I have a shot and there's no competition at Masters, an Open win is glorious.

Next up: Worlds in Finland where I'll look to replicate this performance and add a couple of kgs to each lift.

Wed Training in NYC

Quick training session at Gotham Gym in NYC. Big ole bumper plates looked like I was squatting 500 lbs.

Up to 165x5 hb no belt for squats. 315x1 bench and 465x3 dl.

Training This Week

Benches with Robert and Steph on Monday
(in lbs)
135x5
185x5
205x5
235x5
260x3
270x2
275x2
280x2
285x2
300x2


Trained with Campbell on Tuesday
100x5x2 (Showed up late, climbed under 100 kgs for the first warmup)
122x5 HB
150x5
170x3
180x3
182.5x3 Belt
185x3
187.5x3
190x3

Bunch of light sumo deadlifts up to 185

Storm Trooper Training

Robert and I battled a blizzard to train Thurs tonight.

Squats
70x5 HB
100x5
120x5
140x3
152.5x2
165x1
175x1
182.5x1


Bench
70x5
90x5
105x3
115x3
122.5x2
132.5x1
137.5x1
132.5x3
125x5
115x7
110x12

Recent Training

Have thrown caution to the wind and am pushing the raw lifts a bit harder than I had planned the last while. Up to 217.5x3 sq on Saturday and the first good dl session since Easterns did an easy 227.5x3 dl. Bench has been rocking and back up to 147.5 raw.

Will try to keep this updated going forward.

Saturday Training

Trained with Steph, Roberto, Matt, Campbell and Grandy.

Squats
70x5 Hb
100x5
120x5
150x2
170x1
185x1
192.5x1
200x1 Belt
200x2 Lb Belt
210x2
190x6

Bench
70x5
85x5
90x3
100x2
120x2
132.5x1
140x1
Sling shot on
150x3 Robert did one extra rep
155x5 for the win, Robert topped out at a double. Boom

Deadlifts
N/A groin is tight

Benches With Robert

Bench
70x5
100x5
110x4x3
115x3x2
117.5x3
105x13 (To beat the dirty dozen put up by Robert)

Super Squat Saturday

Trained with Campbell, Grandy, Matt, Robert and Steph. Guest lifter: Kevin Farrell

Squats
70x5x2 Hb
100x3
130x2
155x1
170x1 Belt
190x1
200x1 Lb
215x1
225x1 PR
232.5x1 PR

Bench
135x5
185x5
205x5
225x5
255x2
275x1
300x1
305x1

Deadlifts
145x5
190x3
215x1
225x1
242.5x2
225x4

Monday Training

Trained with Campbell

Squats
70x5/5 HB
100x5/5
130x5/3
160x5/3 Belt
165x6
172.5x6
182.5x6 LB

Bench
70x5
80x5
90x5
100x5
110x3
120x3

Conv deadlifts
125x5
145x5
165x2

NYE Training 2014

Good bye 2014. Same resolution as last year: status quo. My life is boss.

Trained with Matt, Steph and Robert. My forearms were still roasted from the head-to-head static hold contest.

Bench
70x5
90x5
100x3
110x1
117.5x1
125x1
137.5x5 Sling shot
150x3
160x1
100x11 raaawwwwww to beat Robert's 10. Boom.