Here at 70’s Big, we released the new tank tops for sale on Monday. If you missed it, you can still check them out and buy one here. AC also started his “Wednesday Interview series” this week, first up was Callahan.
2 weeks ago we presented a new challenge for our readers, to submit photos of themselves pressing random objects (or people). Only one person submitted a picture, so the challenge still stands. Send in your pictures, and we’ll post them here next week. In the meantime, here’s Matt:
“Dug up a tree. Pressed tree. Job done.”
Mike’s also been doing some technique analysis for some of you guys, here’s his most recent video, with an analysis of Adam’s Axle continental clean
Check in and let us know how things are going in the comments today, and leave any questions you might have for Justin or any of the gang, and they will answer them when they get a chance.
Today you are presented an interview with Callahan, or dubbed by Mike, “Sting”. For clarification/social purposes he is not to be confused with the real Sting. Callahan seems to be a fan favorite amongst several of the readers. He often sneaks in videos and makes an appearance spotting. He has helped many, including myself (A.C.), reach numerous goals in strength training and competitive powerlifting. Callahan has also trained alongside several world class athletes, but he doesn’t just teach you about sports he teaches you about life! Over the years I have known him he has been a consistent influence to those around him. Always encouraging and willing to help. Once you see past the intimidating exterior you see more than just a swole stuck-in-the-80’s Metal-Head.
The following video is part one of a three part series.
Attention: Do not click refresh when ordering the tank-tops. It will send multiple orders.
Today is the first day of the rest of your tank top wearing life. If you read “Take Back the Tank Tops“, then you’re ready to express your masculinity. Behold! The 70’s Big Throwback tank top:
The throwback drawing is by Al Viquez, who runs Crossfit Inland Valley (you can also find the image on t-shirts at the 70’s Big Spreadshirt Store). Spreadshirt didn’t have any viable tank top options, so we’re doing it on our own. They are 100% cotton Canvas tank tops with a high quality print job. Tank tops will be shipped via flat rate USPS with a whole lotta love.
The cost per tank is $22 plus a flat rate shipping cost of $5.60 for up to six tank tops (7 to 12 goes to $11.20 for shipping). If you have any questions, contact AC@70sBig.com. Order directly below.
Glenn Pendlay recently posted an article on his blog explaining how he trains the Muscle Driver USA Olympic weightlifting team (article).
It’s your standard fare of doing the competitive lifts, doing power and other variants when necessary, and getting stronger with presses and squats. There are some peculiarities that help distribute the work load throughout the week, like making the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon workouts the heaviest days, doing doubles and power variants in the morning sessions, and always trying to improve the squat.
Glenn sits with his beard at the National University Championships
Pendlay also mentions using the Texas Method to push the squats. For those of you who never read my Texas Method e-books, the style of programming was coined when the Wichita Falls Weightlifting team fell into it with Pendlay as the head coach. It’s a good general approach that can push an Olympic weightlifter’s squat without interfering too much with the competitive lifts’ training. The way I program the Texas Method is more for general strength trainees and raw powerlifting, but a weightlifter will have success with the core program of using a volume day, light day, and intensity day.
Anyway, check out Glenn’s article; his system is a simple outline that he dials in for specific lifters depending on what they need, whether their weaknesses are in squatting, overhead strength, cleaning, snatching, or jerking.
My name is Andrew Watson, I’ve been a long time reader of the site ever since the short short article caught my interest, in the past 5 years there’s close to a 2:1 ratio of days I’ve squatted vs days I have not, so I feel that any shorts that fall past my mid-thigh is a crime to society since these thighs should be shown to the world as we are all better for seeing them.
But Back to Raw Nats, I currently hold the Open Squat/Dead/Total American Records for 67.5kg in the USAPL and go in very confident, although recently I have been training more for weightlifting, my meet pr total is about 10kgs above my biggest competitor Shawn Fasquillo(National Champ and World team member last year), and I’ve been doing nothing but squatting as and despite knowing my bench is down I still believe I can walk out with a win. I weigh in at 65.2 the next day and lifting begins shortly after.
Squats – I fucking love to squat, I squat every possible moment, so much so I’ve earned the nickname Squatson at my gym at home. I open with a moderate 200kilo, get it up easy(that’s what she said) , but I beat the rack command and get redlighted, rookie mistake, I have some jitters. Same Attempt for attempt two and smoked it, but did not feel as easy as I would of liked, me being light, still in the process of rehydrating and deciding to stay conservative I just do a 5kilo jump on my last lift, hit it easy, and come out of the squats in 1st overall with 205kilos.
Bench – Bench is stupid and I don’t like it, I hit 127.5/281lbs. Fasquilo hits 150/330, and I go into a 12.5kilo hole.
Deadlifts – This is where it becomes interesting, I am down by 12.5kilos, needing to tie since I weighed in lighter, and will have the last dead of the meet. I know his results from worlds about 2 months earlier and he pulled 232.5kgs on his third attempt there he went 3/3 so I believe he is capable of more, he knows what I am capable of, we all have a general idea of what each other will put up so competition can get pretty intense. I open with 230kilos, Shawn 215, putting me in the lead by 2.5kilos, next attempt, Shawn hits 227.5 I hit 242.5, this lift breaks my own dead American Record and keeps me up by 2.5kilos. Now onto thirds originally Shawn has his attempt listed at 240, so I put down 252.5. My handlers(Mike Talyor and Arain Khamesi from FSU, also Kristi Polizanno another worldteam member comes back to help with changes on dead as I have barely done this before.) drop my attempt to 250kilos after he drops his to 237.5, per usapl rules you are allowed 2 changes to your last dead attempt, with this pull I will win nationals and I will be heading to worlds. I walk out to the platform to the biggest ovation I have ever had for a lift in my life, screams, and my teammates behind me cheering me on. Holly fuck I am pumped, I begin my pull and immediately knew something was up, my ass shot up and the bar got slightly infront of me, for what feels like 3 mins but in reality less than a second I struggle with the weight right by my knees and it comes crashing back down, it happened, I missed the last dead, on a weight I have hit before and that’s it for me, tough fight but I come up short. For this meet I was a member of Team Unconquered, noteables on this team were Rob Trettin and Mike Hedlesky both members of Team USA for this past worlds. We placed third in team scoring.
242.5kg dead
250kg attempt
After crying hysterically all night I come back the next day and watch some lifting, I see Jen Thompson and Kim Walford lift, who are two of the strongest women in the world. Kim deads 507 at 140lbs which is insanely impressive for anyone at that weight male or female, which was the loudest I’ve ever seen a pl crowd. LS McLain and Dave Ricks have another awesome battle at 93kgs, and I watch via live stream Blaine Sumner vs. Williams. This was an insanely well run meet, Robert Keller the meet director deserves some props for this as this had to be very strenuous to put together.
For me I’m going to continue being an asshole and training both for wling and pling going up to 74/75kgs for pl and will make the cut to 69 for wl, hope that somehow I get a call from the usapl about being an alternate to worlds, and now I’m planning a local wl meet, the American open (Weightlifting), and the arnold for powerlifting in the future.
