Last night I went into training a little too fasted and tired and benched 255lbs x 5 for a PR, followed by 4, 1, and 3. Spotter’s head was distracting me on that third set, as in if I fixed my eyes in the usual spot on the ceiling, we’d be making eye contact. I probably could have done better were it not for that, but I’m not mad at him for it, it is my own fault for needing a fucking spotter for 255lbs. I did the last set without a spotter.

I did some shitty high-bar back squats, hitting 405lbs for 1, 4, 2, and 2.

Tacked-and-stretched my distal hams and rolled on high hams/glutes, felt pretty good afterwards. I need to hit the distal hams more often because they need some work, they feel tight doing RDLs, good mornings, and when I wind up into position for the snatch and clean, and I suspect that tightness limits my ability to extend the legs while maintaining my back angle. I also suspect that my ankles/gastrocs need some work as well in that respect since the gastrocs are flexors of the knee.

Tonight I power snatched 210lbs for +5lbs PR, went to 225lbs and then immediately to 245lbs – missed it twice, seems like the height was there but I was being kind of a pussy. It felt doable though. In retrospect, it would have been wiser to go to 235lbs before attempting a PR, but I was feeling hot.

C+Jed up to 300lbs. My split has legit improved. I got driven deeper into the split at 300lbs, typically that means my back foot twists out of internal rotation and the structural support for that side collapses and I can’t hold the bar overhead at all. Tonight I was driven deeper into the split, but the shifting of my hips was small enough that I maintained control of the bar and just turned 30-45 degrees to my left and managed to stabilize and recover. My clean was pretty easy so I suspect I could hit 310lbs-ish if I were to attempt to go max-effort there. I feel like I should be good to open at 130k/286lbs at the meet, which would be a PR on my first attempt c+j.

Good mornings at 175lbs for 3×5, rowed 245lbs x 5, weighted chins 100lbs x 2, did some db lat delt raises and curls.

Someone asked if I was still doing RDLs – I am, but I’m not doing anything exciting with them so. The good mornings are not all that exciting either but I like the lumbar pump and the distal ham soreness I get with them.

Two awkward moments at the gym today:

So I’ve mentioned before that roughly half the people at this gym are geared, drugged powerlifters. We see each other a lot obviously since we spend a lot of time training so we recognize each other’s faces but we’re not at the point where we greet each other or anything. Probably because they are geared, drugged powerlifters and I am some fucking piece of shit newbie who just hit his first 300lbs c+j tonight, BRB 62k lifters c+j 300lbs for their last warm-ups it’s fine. We probably don’t talk because I am like good high box squats in Centaurions and squat briefs and they are like good 225lbs snatch I curl that but I guess it’s “good for your bodyweight” you fucking twink but these thoughts aren’t necessarily voiced between us.

Anyways I was resting in-between lifts and I see one of the regular PL guys walking in, all red-faced with oily skin and retaining a lot of water. We make eye contact for about two seconds, which is one second too long because we both know we’ve seen each other and I’m like well I guess I’ll wave hi. He doesn’t return the wave and does the dbol shuffle to the monolift oohKAY.

Second story is I like the inversion table for spinal compression. Throw in a few twists and some contract/relax of abs and then come back up, feels pretty refreshing. It’s stationed in front of the cardio area of the gym so anyone there gets to watch your show. So I invert, come back up, and dismount, except I don’t quite get my right ankle free from the supports and I end up almost face-planting while muttering “it’s fiiine.” Two old people laughed at me.

squat brah writes:

lol…don’t know what all the hate towards frank is really about here..the fact is that the guy has a huge vertical and great 40 yard dash, and is probably far more athletic than all the guys here….

“Far more athletic” I’m sorry the guy jumps on boxes and is incapable of keeping his hips planted on the bench or holding thoracic and lumbar extension, please raise your standards. Watch him squat in that vid you linked. His knees could be more valgus. BRB collapsed arches BRB I guess he doesn’t give a fucking shit about external rotation of the hip BRB he could spend the time he invests in making these videos into being a better athlete with some mobility BUT HE WON’T, BECAUSE HE’S TOO BUSY BEING AN EGO LIFTER ON YOUTUBE ALSO IT LOOKS LIKE HIS DIET IN TAIWAN RESTRICTS HIS PROTEIN INTAKE TO ABOUT 60G A DAY.

Best writes:

Brent,
Yesterday I Pressed 95kg for 3 reps,
[http://youtu.be/JSH7fR65e_I]
Should I drop the weight down because of my layback and shit form?
Happy New Year, hope you finally take the plunge this year and bang some whoores.

Those were good presses, I pressed 15lbs less than that for a max-effort single with significantly more lay back. I’m not the best person to ask about training advice but I wouldn’t drop the weight down because of that lay back. The only thing I’m banging out this next year is a bunch of curls dude.

Ben writes:

i’d like to know what brobility wod has to say about the benefits of licking one’s fingers before giving a trap slap. care to comment?

Excitation level is a subtle thing to manipulate. In mobility, Kelly talks about just small adjustments in posture (belly button/sternum relationship), or the difference between biasing external or internal rotation a little more and suddenly the drill/soft-tissue work becomes much more painful and effective. When we’re dealing with an athlete’s excitation level, the same little details can produce similarly large effects. But this is a discussion for another episode of brobility wod.

Adam P. writes:

What do you think of Brian Chia? 605 Deadlift with double overhand (no straps, maybe hook grip?) but he is a terrible singer.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fFuL-GriKk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL]

Oh look an athletic Asian who doesn’t have to make psuedo-artistic videos to draw attention to mediocre lifts. 605lbs double overhand makes me want to kill myself. This is in direct contrast with Frank Yang, who’s scrubby c+js and valgus knees/collapsed arches/shitty external rotation in his extra low-bar squats make me happy I’m not him.