Earlier this week, I issued you a challenge, and said “Go talk to someone bigger and stronger than you.” So did you? I know at least a few guys have, and have already reported back to be with some pretty rad tales. I’m looking forward to hearing your stories. Hell, if you can write real, real good, have a compelling tale, and you feel like you can get 500-1000 words together about it and a picture or three, shoot me a full submission. Cya.
Mark Marotta submitted an excellent and comprehensive overview of the various big (raw) powerlifting feds. It’s a work in progress, but something we can refer to in the future as more of you guys enter meets and represent the community whilst destroying PRs. He’s already given me some more info today, so I’ll be updating that shortly.
When he’s not building an entire family of atlas stones, Mike B has been absolutely on point about answering all the questions you guys post on our facebook page, so I hope you’re thanking him properly (you can find his email address on here if you need to send nudes). This week he covers some Texas Method stuff, some conditioning, some pressing tips, and a few other things. Check it out.
I still have a few more emails full of your beautiful (?) 70sBig faces, so I’ll get to it.
Victor sent in a whole damn gallery, but I hand selected my favorites. 70sBig photobombs are ALWAYS good. That’s a dece birthday glass, too.
For some reason, I’m particularly enjoying this picture from Nick. Maybe it’s because, like me, I can tell this guy’s goals at least in some way include the words “scare everyone when I walk into a room.” I feel ya, brother. “The Face” is all about contorting your stare and confusing the weak. This guy gets it. Now stop looking at me, bro.
This is my boy Dave. He lives in Australia, has a sweet home gym, keeps a log over on my LiftHeavyShit forums, benches 3 hunge on the reg, and eats MULTIPLE racks of ribs at the same time. He should be famous, right? Well, now he is. You’re welcome, Dave. Also, you look pretty skinny. Might want to order a third rack next time.
Charlie’s the guy on the left. This picture might not seem like anything special at first, but then you realize – HOLY SHIT, Charlie isn’t even LOOKING at the camera, and he’s still dropping the 70sBig face bomb all over the place. That’s a glass of straight whiskey in his hand. Not a fuck was given. Believe it.
And with that, I’m officially out of pics. If I missed yours, don’t get butthurt, just resend it, or realize it was really terrible, or over 1MB in size. I really did try and post them all and not miss any, but hey – I’m just a man, I’m not perfect. Just a big, beautiful, bearded man. That’s perfect.
Post up your PR’s and have a great weekend. And for the love of all that is holy, if you don’t at least call your Mother this Sunday and thank her excessively for all that she has put up with in your life, I will find you and burn down your freaking house.
PRs this week:
Squat: 210 kg (~ 463 lbs) x2
Bench: 140 kg (~ 309 lbs) x4
Press: 82 kg (~ 181 lbs) x1x5
I guess I can post a PR this week, for “worst quality youtube video ever.” Here’s a 635lb reverse-band deadlift (the bands help ~100lbs off the floor) filmed with a potato, a pretty big PR since I switched to sumo and started ignoring the technological miracles of the 21st century.
That was a sumo of great beauty. Any chance of an AC-esque sumo deadlift write-up? The “pulling back” aspect is sumo is really throwing me for a loop.
Gracias.
I keep starting a sumo article and getting distracted, but I’ll get it done. I’ll get some pics from a nice Nokia phone, too.
The “pulling back” is really important, so at least you know that part so far. But yes, it’s tough to learn properly.
Nice job man. Spot?
Thanks, it was Dece. One of my 181s (the grainy fella that trap slapped me) will pull the same weight for a double, raw, and conventional tomorrow. So there’s that.
There is not much better in life than a sweet DL pr. Nice work dude!
Snatch 120 Kg. C+J 150Kg. Total 270Kg.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBG4sqeQUmQ 0
Nailed it.
Points for aggressive bar slamming and for those shorts
Agreed.
Been a while since I have tried to find new 1RMs, but I have been hitting some heavy singles after my work sets to try to figure out my attempts for the NC Championships in June. In doing so I hit 2 new 1RM PRs this week:
Squat: 422#
Deadlift: 510#
Had a meet last sunday. SQ 460 B 355 DL 540 for a 1355 total weighing in at 206. All meet PRs. Ive put 105 lbs on the total in 6 months, which is when i switched to TM from 531. This was my second meet, and i need to realize how much meet day adrenaline adds. I smoked all three of my final attempts. And speaking of meet rules, i was wearing just some walmart compression shorts under my singlet and they poked out of the bottom if i didnt have them pulled up. The meet director said it was not allowed but would allow it because it wasnt a huge meet. This is with RAW United. My next meet is USAPL so i will have to find something different.
Good stuff
Brent has lifted without underwear before. Ask him how that was. Great job on the meet, btw.
Nice bench, especially for a second meet.
It kinda saddens me that I might have to do a post on men’s underwear.
Thanks guys.
Have been back lifting for 3 weeks after a pcl tear about 3 months ago. Starting to get up into decent weights. Squat 330x5x3 bench 225x5x3 press 150x5x3 power clean 215x3x5
That last picture would be pretty great but the White Sox shirt invalidates any potential it may have had.
Squatted 355×5, benched 225×3 after a myriad of problems including bicep tendonitis and having to take a month off of benching anything heavy a while ago resulted in my bench being horrifyingly lagging. Trying to pull 455 today.
Squatted 445 last week. Finally power cleaned 315. Wish I could squat clean it but I’m too much of a pussy to get under the bar much over 285. The mind is willing but the body won’t obey.
Finished off the week w/ a new 20 rep max back squat of 315 (HBBS). I don’t do 20 rep maxes very often but I love the mental grind that it is.
315×20 SuckS with capital S’s. Good job.
Been coming back from a messed up hip flexor or something..not really sure. Anyway, no PR’s to report this week. I did managed to complete a snatch for the first time yesterday, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Worked up to 85 lbs for a bunch of doubles or triples or whatever. Just was screwing around, pounding snatch.
Haddaway is never going to know what love is. And Foreigner couldn’t help either.
Squat 150kg x 3, on the way to 2xBW squat
Snatch 80kg
Bodyweight 80kg and rising
Pulled 585×2 two weeks in a row – i think my body is ready for 600+
Oh, and freak PR this week because i set my dead down loadly the desk girl came over to yell at me and had second thoughts when she saw the bar loaded and didnt say shit.
Hit a Snatch pull + Hang Sn (2+1) PR of 75kg. Nothing ground breaking, just trying to work my squat back up. Started using the OWU but varying FS/BS. So if today is my back squat day, I’ll warm up with front squat, hit a heavy single, then do my working sets on back squat. Not sure how smart/effective this is but it doesn’t take much longer than warming up regularly and it seems like a dece way to get some extra squat work.
Also worth noting, I saw some guy curling with a football bar…in the squat rack! I would have taken a picture but I don’t carry my phone with me in the gym. Why? Because I don’t have time for that shit when I’m squatting as if my ass depends on it!
Low Bar Squat: 480 x 3 (3RM)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCVsLlWoN68
Bench Press: 350 x 3 (3RM)
Pulled 395 DOH, no chalk no straps no hook no mixed. Failed 405, but these were overwarmups, so whatever. I’ve got some manly fucking paws.
Unfortunately, there are only 8 or so people at my University gym who are legitimately stronger than me, but I sought them out on day 1 and have learned a shitload from them. Backgrounds in PL, WL, Sports, and Gym Rattery. There’s nothing quite like the presence of those who hold you accountable, keep you hungry, and call bullshit the second they get a whiff.
PRs this week:
145kg x 3 DL up from a puny starting point of 70kg x 5 just over two years ago :)
50kg x 5 Press
Also managed to do pain free full range of motion dips again for the first time since pulling some shoulder muscles (rotator cuff, front delt) a couple months back. Win!
Finally decided to sign up and post after about fifty years lurking on here. Due to the lack of popularity of strength training here in Ireland, this site’s been a great resource so I though I’d get involved.
After hitting bodyweight x1.5 on my lp I’ve switched to Madcow and hit 130kg (286lbs) x3 on my squat and 75kg (165lbs) x3 bench today at a bw of 80kg. Not that impressive around here but I’m keeping at it.
hell yeah, Swole time in Ireland. That’s a bummer that more people aren’t interested.
Hell yeah man, keep gettin that money. Fionn mac Cumhail would be proud.
Hit 405 on the squat last week, which was about a huge milestone for me. Also starting doing shoulder mobility enabling lp on my lagging bench press for the first time in a year.
Bench PR 265x3x2 I’m almost an adult male.
I hope to total at least 1200 raw at my usapl meet in August.
Life PRs this week.
Saw Sick of It All last night for the first time. (The best bands sell gym shorts at their shows)
Oh and tomorrow I will finally graduate college. Next week you’ll get a cap and gown 70’s big face.
Congratulations on graduating!!!!!!!
Competed in a home meet last Saturday and got two new competition PRs and a total PR.
Snatch: 68kg
C&J: 97kg
Total: 165kg
My total also qualified me for the Senior Nationals Championships in July.
Video of me and the rest of the ladies (I’m last): http://youtu.be/buPjJ1tfQgQ
Holy crap, you pretty much power snatched that. Nice lifts!
Thanks!!! It was a fun meet!
nice lifts! If I lived in Cali I’d wanna train with you girls…
If you lived here, we’d gladly have you!
Plenty of PRs in the past few weeks. In no particular order:
Deadlift 385# x 1
Deadlift 355# x 2
Deadlift 325# x 5
Power Clean 115kg x 1
Hang Power Snatch 70kg x 1
Hang Power Snatch 65kg x 2
100m dash in 12:28
Finally back to where I was before getting sick:
Squat- 335×3 (3RM)
Bench- 245×1
Also, graduated with my BA last Saturday, and got accepted to Vanderbilt for graduate work. So, life PR!
Jerk PRs:
1 x 91 kg
3 x 80 kg
I am back to squatting after not doing any full squats since Dece.mber. I squatted Monday – Friday this week, hitting at least 100 kg every day. Hit 107 kg today, which is only 5 kg off my PR. Knee feeling good. Tried the Voodoo Bands, and I think they might actually work. I am also getting Rolfed once a week.
solid lifting.
earmuffs on the rolfing.
u guiz r stronk.
Squat 325×8
Deadlift 485×2
shitty pressing. My left shoulder has been hurting whenever I press. Gonna rest a bit this weekend.
PL Meet June 8
I competed in my first PL meet this past weekend. I’m fairly happy with the results, and know I’ll crush at the next one once I can get my bench up.
Final meet numbers:
Squat 385
Bench 195
Dead 452 (7 lb PR)
I took advice from 70s big and didn’t cut at all for this meet. I weighed in at 207, competed in the 220 class, and took 1st in the Novice division. Once the bench is higher, my numbers will be pretty solid in the 198/187 classes.
Hey Man, great work! All solid looking lifts. Props for picking Atmosphere for song too.
Snatch PR: 72kg
New 3RM squat PR, 225×3.
On Thursday, I got a new PR of pins pulled from my broken hand (2!) following a rugby injury five weeks ago. This has allowed me to start pressing again with very light weight, so I was very happy to do 5×5 at 95 pounds on Friday. (That’s about 50% of my 1RM, and I plan on just going up 10 pounds each week until I am back to my old weights. I can start pulling things again in another three weeks or so.)
This is a picture of the pins they pulled from my hands. Not for the faint of heart:
https://twitter.com/abumuqawama/status/332515078266032131/photo/1
PR’s:
Deadlift: 1 x 5 @ 370# (this was actually last week, but I didn’t post last Friday)
My back felt like it was rounding a little too much on my set of five, so I decided to reset this week. I’ve recently reset on all my lifts so there won’t be much to post here in the way of PR’s for a bit. Probably a good time to reset anyway, even my squats after the reset feel like shit. Nutrition and sleep haven’t been so great with finals and stress level is obviously high. Also, getting my right shoulder checked out this Thursday because it’s been bothering me a bit. Hurt it during rugby last semester but it got somewhat better. I graduate next Sunday, so I’ll be spending the next few months stuffing my face full of meat and veggies, getting tons of sleep, playing with my dogs (including the stray that I adopted this past week) and looking for a job.
Snatch 153 lbs, clean 251 lbs
Realized my snatch grip was too wide PR
Press 220×7
Dude. Come to Austin and train at HPG sometime, please. I want to see the beast in action.
Best fucking idea I’ve ever heard! I will let you know when I can make it up there in the next week or so. I will try to grow a beard before then.
Squat 150kg for 5×5. FINALLY.
Bench 105kg. 11 reps, aimed for 5×5. This was my opener at my last meet.
Deadlift 175kg for 5×3. Still have to work on that fucking back round. FUCK. Shoulders back. Meet is June 15th. 5 weeks now. Cutting down the volume.
PRs
Squat 405# finally
Bench 240# (recovering from AC joint injuries)