PR Friday
As always, post your training updates and PR’s to the comments. I like reading about your accomplishments and the things that have helped you get better.
70′s Big-wide goal for next week:
DON’T SKIMP ON YOUR MOBILITY. Do something every day. If you are successful, then let us know in next week’s PR Friday.
Weekly Recap
Monday I gave you a tasty recipe, and readers dropped some of their favorite slow cooker recipes in the comments. Tuesday discussed how CrossFit favors the anterior chain and it’d behoove a CFer to do some extra posterior chain work. Wednesday we talked about the Slingshot again; I think it can be a nice tool even for a raw lifter. Thursday was a post on the possible short film “The Artist & The Olympian“.
Here are two stories that actually recap the week. Wednesday night I was training with my friend Mike (not big AF Mike, Asian Mike). He ended up leaving the gym around 8:00 PM, so I was hitting some dumbbell hammer curls by myself. There was no one else in the free weight section, yet there were some girls using a Roman chair about 30 feet away. I was doing the last set, really cranking them out, when I suddenly and audibly farted. When I was younger, I might have been more concerned. In fact, I remember accidentally letting out farts in class and being absolutely horrified. It was an immediate shot of adrenaline; all my senses would sharpen and I’d just wait for someone (i.e. girls) to acknowledge it. THEY NEVER DID. I’d play it cool. Hey, it wasn’t me that farted, must have been that skinny kid with the lisp. I had a reputation to maintain. The kind that don’t fart in class, son.
Anyway, I look up to see if anyone heard me fart. Either they didn’t, or they did and pretended not to hear. So I continue hammer curling the 50s. Then ANOTHER fart escapes, yet this one was louder. I only have a few more reps, so I try to continue, but I can’t because I’m LAUGHING TOO HARD. I’m by myself laughing at my own farts, and I couldn’t finish the set. I racked the dumbbells, called it a night.
Fast forward to Thursday evening. I’m walking out of a shopping center where I got my hair cut. I’m wearing gym shorts, a tight T, and flip flops. I’m walking by two black ladies in the middle of the street. One of them is around 40. She stops in the middle of the road with her hands on her hips, looks me up and down.
“DAMN. You is SO sex-AY!”
After thanking her and laughing, I realized that some guys might think that this encounter was a result of the hammer curls they did the night before. NOT SO FAST, MY FRIEND. It’s because I’ve squatted twice a week for as long as I can remember. It’s the pressing, the cleans, the snatches; the lifting. It’s also the mobility work, the attention to nutrition, the sleeping, and the hydration. It’s the icing and rest days. It’s everything.
Moral of the story? Black women know what’s up. Or maybe this is the pinnacle of all of the work I’ve put into training. Regardless, if you want to be approached on the street, then get your shit together. It’ll help if you move to the south. And a low income town.
What else do you guys wanna talk about?
DAT ASS
No Pr’s this week. On vacation in Colorado… I miss training though but its nice to have a break from work, the heat(live in the desert), and from the weekly discipline required to maintain training schedule and eating properly (modfied warrior diet). Will get back to the grind of life on Monday…
PR this week –
Worst headache developed in the middle of a squat set. Exertional headaches are a bitch, and I’ll have to take a week or so off of my training until they go away.
PR for me is my first injury a ruptured baker’s cyst that has my my left knee completely swollen. Plus xray and mri show nothing torn, ripped, scratched or missing.
Bonus: My doc says I have extremely big bones.
Black women love sexy white men!
This is known
Made an effort to mob at least every time I trained this week. It was worth it.
I did this. It was a PR.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EpJiTVj6YrI
Here’s something I’d like to see Talked About/Written About.
I’m sure a lot of the readership here can relate to this. We don’t Crossfit. At all. But we’d really like to lift at a Crossfit gym because they’re bogarting all the bumper plates in the continental United States.
Wouldn’t it be cool if someone with a respected voice on the internet sent out the word to Crossfit gyms, suggesting that they open up more space for lifters who want to lift instead of just filling every business hour with classes?
I know from a business standpoint that wouldn’t be a smart move. But hey, I’m selfish.
CURLS FOR THE GIRLS. Funny, the fringe benefits of training… I got hit on too recently, unfortunately it was by a dentally impaired woman at Wal-Mart. Oh well.
No PRs, but I started 5/3/1 this week. Feels weird to not be squatting every single session but I guess I’ll get used to it. Nice to have a program with some moderate accessory work and conditioning again.
My wife got 183# (30# pr) on front squat and a 228# (15# pr) on back squat. No prs for me this week. I’m in the middle of Hartman’s strength cycle, so hopefully I’ll see some when I’m done.
Speaking of getting stopped in a parking lot. I used to work for a WIC clinic and was walking from my car and a lady hung her head out the window and complimented me on my damn fine boo-tay! I died laughing the rest of the morning.
Also, @Penn, nice squat! I agree with you on the CF gym point completely. Often times these are the only types of facilities short of University gyms that have any equipment for quick lifts. The few CF people I’ve hung out with in the past seem to be really nice folks and genuinely interested in strength training. You can always just ask a local affiliate, the worst they can say is GFY.
Hi 70sbig…
long time lurker here…
3rd week of my linear progression: weights are still light and form is getting better.
will take me another 2-3weeks to get into the range of old PR’s.
Monday I was lifting heavier for the first time since the week after the Arnold when I pulled by back deadlifting.
Week 3 of a 351, I was hitting 315#x1, felt great, went for 2nd and I lost my form and tucked my damn ass under me. By Tuesday morning my back was so tight.
Mob’d it every day. Brought my roller and lacrosse balls to work and mob’d at lunch. Feeling great by Friday.
No deadlifts this week, so instead I spent my time curling with the bros this morning.
Running Met Con Blue (metconrace.com) in two weeks with my 14 year old son. Adventure race on the mountain FTW.
Whatta ya think of the adventure race trend? Warrior Dash, Spartan Race, Tough Mudder etc….
What’s with all the farting Justin? Do you have IBS? Try eating activia once a day. The lady in the TV said it would help.
Oh and Brent’s blog isn’t working.
Not sure why I farted that day. My farting frequency and intensity is lower nowadays since I eat better, but it’s still here nonetheless.
Now that I think about it, I think I had two double bacon cheese burgers the day before. I have them once every 10 to 14 days or so. It was at Five Guys, which is not bad.
–Justin
@ J.T. yeah it’s a mixed bag now since there are probably more Crossfit gyms in America than there are Sheetz gas stations. Some places you can work out a deal, some are just totally locked into doing classes only.
About 14 years ago, when I was younger and in much better shape, I was looking pretty jacked. One day I was wearing a tight, ribbed wifebeater style shirt and this black lady – about fifty – said to me, “Damn, I didn’t think God made white boys like that.” Frankly, it was a little embarassing, but felt good to be noticed.
@billybatter
I think you gotta remember who runs stuff like “Tough Mudder.” It’s an “Adventure Sports Company.” They exist for the soul purpose of making money.
It looks like it could be a fun weekend. But I’m not gonna call it a sport. Its clearly just an outdoor activity people go pay to do like River Rafting or Ziplining.
So if you finish one of those things and you dangle it over people’s heads as if it where a legitimate accomplishment, or worse you stop doing a real sport and tell people you’re exclusively training for Tough Mudder, then you’re a jacknut.
@ J.T – Laughed so hard at ‘dentally impaired’.
Lifts for the week, Squatted 350lbs (PR) for a set of 5, Deadlifted 402lbs (PR match) for a set of 5 and benched 225 for 5.
My bench is still pretty woeful, its been stuck for a while, but Ive been doing slingshot work for about two weeks so hopefully some improvement will be made soon.
@ Penn – Some CF gyms are expanding their lifting offerings. I myself just joined the powerlifting club at CrossFit Annandale (Northern Virginia). In this area, there’s a couple of other CF gyms that have Oly clubs and don’t require a full (and pricey) CF membership.
Thanks for ignoring my awesome questions from the slingshot post. I’ve been hoping they would be in the Friday Q&A post. Now I’m just weeping quietly at my desk.
I will make a note to go back to that post. I missed comments in some posts because a friend was in town.
–Justin
Bodyweight down from 250 last week to 239 as of this morning. Sub 231 by June 9th is on like Donkey Kong.
Pulled 550 x 1 with a slight hitch this week, brb not eating enough.
That cartoon at the top of the post made me laugh out loud. Good thing I wasn’t eating anything at the time. You really oughta warn a guy.
Been continuing my quest for 225 OHP. Hit 215 Monday weighing in @ 183. This site is always encouraging for putting heavy shit over my head!
PR incoming…
Last week I farted at the bottom of a squat such that I could swear I sharted myself. The video I took shows me looking at the ground for possible shit. Thankfully nothing.
I doubt I’ll get approached on the streets of San Francisco anytime soon since I don’t fit the local definition of sex-AY: skinny jeans, black-rimmed glasses, trust fund.
PRS: (weight 190)
Squat: 405×3
Dead: 510
Bench: 260×2
Started doing Kroc rows (relatively speaking) 70lbs x 20 x 2… to build the upper back
Also started doing prowler sprints +90lbs for general conditioning but I think it is helping my recovery from squatting as well… absolutely no evidence other than increasing squatting numbers and generally feeling better which is good enough for me
Those stories were fucking hilarious.
Almost PR at 355×3 on the deadlift. Was aiming for 355×5, but didn’t quite get it. Might be time for triples now.
PR
335×5 – squat
225×5 – bench
@Penn – couldn’t agree more. I have no idea why some Crossfit gyms wouldn’t allow open gym/non-class memberships; it’s mindbottling. I lift at a pretty awesome gym but if the opportunity presented itself where I could spend $50-75/month to just use a Crossfit facility’s equipment, I’d do so in a heartbeat.
I laughed out loud at you laughing out loud to the sound of your own farts.
Separate note, does anyone else check behind the shower curtain before they sit down to take a dump?
I admit I’ve done so before, but I’m not that paranoid anymore.
–Justin
I’m not much of an accidental farter, more of a perfectly timed one. I use it skillfully as weaponry in the most vulnerable times of my victims. Christian, I know you are reading this. EPIC. :-) Victoria Secret will never be the same.
Anyway PRs. 185lb split clean. Missed the jerk. 175lbs has become my consistent number so that’s progress.
Regionals are done so I’ve started a strength program to get Stupid Strong/er. I’m not really putting a timeline on it, but I have goals I want to hit. Some I’ll get sooner than others. They are:
Squat 300, bench 215, deadlift 320, snatch 150, Clean and jerk 200.
It’s the Oly lifts that I will have to work my ass off for. Mobility is key. Its gonna happen.
No PR’s but I would say my biggest downfall in training or road block is poor nutrition even in the simplest sense, I have been working on that and the way I feel through out the day has changed.
What I have changed: Eating breakfast this is a huge step I hate eating first thing in the morning especially when I can catch a few extra zz’s before class. Wow what a difference even if it is as small as a banana eating something makes me more alert have more energy and more important for school have a sharper mind.
Spreading my meals out: I have the bad habit of going till I am starving then eating a huge meal and feeling gross for hours and it was not uncommon to do sometimes twice and that was the only meals I had. Well now I eat 3-4 smaller meals with 2-3 snacks, My energy levels are way more even instead of up and down all day, now I am working on a solid burn.
PROTEIN!: Yeah I kind of tend to neglect that but have finally been doing better with addition to some protein powder. I have kind of slacked I guess because I am naturally a big guy with a lot more natural muscle than most guys, I may have the muscle but without the protein it has really stunted my strength gains, who the F cares what they look like if they are weak? Well lots of people but not I not to mention if I do get enough protein because of my natural musculature I can go from big to jacked like a hammer.
Wow that was long winded.
Hey guys.
Got a squat rep PR 295×9 with that there tasty back rounding on the final rep! MMMMMM Herniated discs…
Also got an easy dead PR… Switching from 5’s to triples: 390×3.
I was in planet fitness and the guy said that if he heard the deadlifts he was gonna kick me out… So I put the weights down sooooooooo lightly. Then I truned around and gave him a big thumbs up. Fuck that guy!
Just a life pr, starting all over with the bar on Monday after back surgery. Been doing nothing but bodyweight and walking for a year since I got hurt.
Anyone else having trouble with the links to AC and Brent’s blogs?
Front squatted 315 for 3×3 and back squated 375 2×3 which was a pr. Clean and jerked 105kg cleaned 110 and just missed the jerk. Snatched 90. My oly numbers should be higher vs. my squat but it’s a good time. Most importantly, I did some shrugs and caught a pretty joocy pump. Sh no tears, just traps and ears now.
Close grip bench 215 (10lb pr)
squat 315×2
press 140×5
I can’t get to any of the other blogs either. I guess I have to work today.
Hit my first line drive home run last Friday, almost did it again Wednesday night (bar league softball). In the past I had to get under it to put it over, now I can just muscle it out, which is pretty cool.
Box squatted 275 x 11, 2 rep pr.
I realize using a box is the squatting equivalent of wearing a rubber, but the box mitigates the next day limp (I fractured my left tibial plateau playing semi pro fb in ’05, plate with 8 screws and donor bone), but I’ve been noticing it’s becoming harder for me to make it through a 7 inning softball game without limping (left fielder). I’m only 34, anyone have suggestions on how I can get as many miles as possible out of this knee before it eventually has to be replaced? I box squat for 5/3/1 rep records on Monday or Tuesday, deadlift for 3 work sets on saturday morning; assistance by feel. Mobility is good, I can go atg but it leaves me walking like an old NFLer for a few days. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Pressed 190x1x5 on Monday and hit three doubles of weighted chins with 40lbs. I’ll be hitting 400x1x5 tonight on the squat.
There are no broads at the gym I work out at. Actaully, there’s like 3. It’s mostly just a bunch of huge dudes constantly making jokes to each other about banging dudes in the ass. The more you fart, the less jokes get aimed your way. Nobody likes a stinker.
@baldmandan No suggestions but I feel your pain. I had a similar fracture from a rock climbing fall. It was my talus that messed up my tibia and fibula so I have a crap ankle. I don’t have much dorsiflexion now due to the missing cartilage. I think the glucosamine I am taking now is helping but I still walk like I just had a hip replaced if I do any thing outside of my normal routine(lifting doesn’t bother it since I don’t/can’t front squat).
Good luck
No PR’s this week. Closest I’ve gotten to training is some running and sprints on Monday. Reason being, I’m on call this week, and it being hot, and me being a A/C tech, I’ve been working all night… Got one hour of sleep Tuesday before I had to head back into work… Been eating poorly, too, I didn’t have time for dinner last night before being called out. This week has sucked. But, my runs Monday were done with five-fingers, and I gotta say, even in my leather, steel toed work boots, my ankle, arch, and sole musculature hasn’t been this happy and activated for a while. And I’m a flat foot. Barefoot running is best running.
Recent PR’s –
Weighted chin +80lbs for a single
Deadlift @325# for a single
Powerclean @190# for two singles
I really need to get my act together and start hitting some regular mobility work. I was so much time each day doing silly bullshit that I can spare 10 minutes to do something useful for myself. Upper body feels pretty supple, so I’ll start with hips and work my way down. Thanks for the reminder, Justin.
wed- 152.5kg dead x 3 (fat bsr, hook grip)
overhead press 70kg 3×2 (PR) better than last weeks 2,0,0 with 70
chins -BW (96KG)+ 7.5kg for 5,5,5 last set wasn’t as strict.
Today- Ivanko Super gripper 196.84lbs (6-9 setting) for 3 reps on each hand (PR). Will try to close the Heavy Grips 250lb gripper next week- it’ll be alright.
Lockout with the Ivanko is always really hard- good.
did the 3 stretches for lifters work every day + hip flexor band work good
PRed my squat and clean this week, while in the middle of a leaning out phase. I credit this to improvements in skill and mechanics, and being novice/intermediate, and high protein/ real food despite reduced calories.
vid of weds dl 152.5kgx3 hook grip fat bar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3YCRz-FXM8&list=UUB5TXSWCczLtCqXkSath0PA&index=1&feature=plcp
“And there’s one other thing that I wanna mention. By working out your muscles you’ll be drawing attention from the opposite sex. I think you know what I mean” – Bob Couch, Pump Iron.
Press PR
54kg for two triples.
Squat PR
140kg for 5 singles @ a measly 68kg -don’t worry after my exams I’m going to work on this.
PRs:
Press: 160×5
Deadlift: 380×3
Failed my first attempt at 160 but I wanted it bad
Justin and hydro: I had a similar experience a few weeks back on a heavy deadlift. About three feet behind me was a group of bros working on their abz. Perfect.
PR: 250 deadlift, DOHG. This is only 10 lbs. under my best strapped deadlift. I don’t need those silly things. Also learned to split snatch this week. Was fun.
My first PL meet is in a week. I’m excited, you guys. I’m turning the recovery up to 11.