Media: 2010 Fife Holiday Classic, Deadlifts

Squat	Bench	Deadlift

Deadlift #1: 227.5 kg./501.6 lb.

Deadlift #2: 245 kg./540.1 lb.

Deadlift #3 (FAIL): 252.5 kg./556.7 lb.

Media: 2010 Fife Holiday Classic, Bench Presses

Squat	Bench	Deadlift

Bench #1: 147.5 kg./325.2 lb.

Bench #2: 157.5 kg./347.2 lb.

Bench #3 (FAIL): 160 kg./352.7 lb.

Media: 2010 Fife Holiday Classic, Squats

Squat	Bench	Deadlift

Squat #1: 210 kg./463 lb.

Squat #2: 222.5 kg./490.5 lb.

Squat #3 (FAIL*): 232.5 kg./512.6 lb.

Squat #3 (REPEAT): 232.5 kg./512.6 lb.

5 Days and Counting: Fife Holiday Classic Details

I recently received the final details for my upcoming competition, the Fife Holiday Classic, which is 5 days away. Because of the larger-than-expected number of competitors, the meet was divided into two waves. My wave weighs in at noon, and will probably begin lifting between 1pm and 2pm. This morning I was down to 276.6 lbs., just 1.6 pounds shy of making weight, so my prospects are looking good.

If you'd like to watch me lift, or just see what powerlifting's all about, I recommend arriving at about 1pm. Competition will take place in the Fife High School gym, located at the following address:

5616 20th Street East
Tacoma, WA. 98424

Here is what I'm planning on lifting:

Exercise	First Attempt	Second Attempt	Third Attempt
Squat	210 kg. (462.7 lb.)	227.5 kg. (501.5 lb.)	237.5 kg. (523.5 lb.)
Bench Press	150 kg. (330.5 lb.)	157.5 kg. (347 lb.)	162.5 kg. (358 lb.)
Deadlift	227.5 kg. (500.5 lb.)	240 kg. (529 lb.)	252.5 kg. (556.5 lb.)

If successful on my third bench press attempt above, I will break the latest USAPL Washington State Men's Open record for RAW bench press in my weight class. Likewise, if successful on my third deadlift attempt, I will break the record for RAW total in my weight class. I'm somewhat confident that I'll successfully lift everything above with the exception of my last deadlift; I'm not sure I'll manage that. I'm comfortable with whatever turns out to be the Lord's will.

Day Four, Week Four: Deadlifts

Well I rebounded a bit from last week's disappointing deadlifts, successfully lifting 500 and then 530. However, I did not attempt heavier, as I'm sick and didn't want the pscyhological impact of failing a deadlift days before competition. The good news is I was down to 276.6 this morning, leaving only 1.6 pounds to lose in 5 days, which is well within reach.

Deadlift Day
Exercise	11/8 2010	11/15 2010	11/22 2010	11/29 2010
Deadlift	135x5	135x5	135x5	135x5
	225x3	225x3	225x3	225x3
	315x2	315x2	315x2	315x2
	405x1	405x1	405x1	405x1
	440x1	455x1	490x1	500x1
	460x1	485x1	510x1	530x1
	480x1	515x1	550x1
	500x1	535x1	530x1
	520x1
One-Arm Row	70x12*	75x12*	75x12*	75x12*
	80x12*	80x12*	80x12*	80x12*
	80x11*	80x11*	80x12*	85x10*
Box Squats (Explosive)	245x3†	250x3†	255x3†	260x3†
	255x3†	260x3†	265x3†	270x3†
	265x3†	270x3†	275x3†	280x3†
	275x2†	280x2†	285x2†	290x2†
	285x2†	290x2†	295x2†	300x2†
Rear Delt Fly	20x12*	20x12*	20x12*	20x12*
	25x12*	25x12*	25x12*	25x12*
	25x10*	25x10*	25x12*	30x9*
* Weight is per arm † Used adjustable height box at lowest setting, rather then traditional bench, increasing difficulty

Day Three, Week Four: Heavy Bench Press

On Friday I completed my last bench press workout before my upcoming competition, and although I felt weaker than the week before, I experienced the same problem the week leading up to my previous competition, so I think my prospects are looking good.

Squat Day
Exercise	11/5 2010	11/12 2010	11/19 2010	11/26 2010
Bench Press	135x10	135x10	135x10	135x10
	185x10	185x10	185x10	185x10
	285x5	315x4	335x3	350x1
	290x5	315x4	340x3	340x2
	295x5	320x4	340x2	340x1
	300x7	325x5
45° Smith Press	140x12*	140x12*	140x12*	140x12*
	150x11*	150x9*	150x12*	150x12*
	150x6*	150x9*	155x9*	160x11*
16" Floor Press	135x12	165x12	175x12	175x12
	155x12	175x12	185x9	185x11
	185x11	185x10	185x10	190x9
Triceps Pressdown	90x12 (P)	90x12 (P)		180x12 (Y)
	95x9 (P)	95x9 (P)		190x12 (Y)
	95x8 (P)	95x9 (P)		200x8 (Y)
* Not counting weight of bar (P) Machine used at the PRO Club(Y) Machine used at the YMCA

Mark Your Calendars: Fife Holiday Classic

My next competition is right around the corner, 9 days away. The Fife Holiday Classic will be held on Saturday, December 4th, in the Fife High School gym, located at the following address:

5616 20th Street East
Tacoma, WA. 98424

I have yet to receive flight information, so I don't know when exactly I'll be lifting, but the competition begins at 9am. If you want to see what powerlifting is all about, or if you just want to cheer me on, come check it out!

Day Two, Week Four: Squats--Plus New Personal Best!

Because my gym is closed today for Thanksgiving, I did my squat workout yesterday instead, and managed to lift a new personal best! In competition in June, my third lift was 480 pounds; yesterday, I did two consecutive reps at 490! A successful lift at 520 here in a week and a half seems well within reach.

Also, this morning I weighed in at 279.0 pounds. That leaves me with 9 days to lose 4 pounds. It's really coming down to the wire...

Squat Day
Exercise	11/4 2010	11/11 2010	11/18 2010	11/24 2010
Squat	135x10	135x10	135x10	135x10
	185x8	185x8	185x8	185x8
	380x5	410x4	440x3	225x5
	385x5	415x4	450x3	470x2
	390x5	420x4	460x3	480x2
	395x6	425x4		490x2
Seated Row	140x12 (P)	160x12 (Y)	170x12 (P)	170x12 (Y)
	160x12 (P)	170x12 (Y)	180x12 (P)	180x12 (Y)
	180x11 (P)	180x12 (Y)	185x9 (P)	185x12 (Y)
Hang Clean	115x12	115x12	115x12	115x12
	115x10	115x12	115x12	115x12
	115x10	115x10	115x10	125x10
Back Extensions	0x12	45x12*	85x12*	90x12*
	25x12*	60x12*	90x12*	90x12*
	45x12*	70x12*	90x10*	90x10*
* Plate/dumbbell held to my chest (P) Machine used at the PRO Club (Y) Machine used at the YMCA

Day One, Week Four: Light Bench Press

Last week of training before a 4-day rest leading up to the Fife Holiday Classic! Light bench press workout from Tuesday:

Speed Bench Day
Exercise	11/2 2010	11/9 2010	11/16 2010	11/23 2010
Bench Press (Explosive)	135x10	135x10	135x10	135x10
	185x5	185x5	185x5	185x5
	245x5	255x5	265x5	275x5
	245x5	255x5	265x5	275x5
	245x5	255x5	265x5	275x5
	245x5	255x5	265x5	275x5
	245x5	255x5	265x5	275x5
	245x5	255x5	265x5	275x5
	245x5	255x5	265x5	275x5
	245x5	255x5	265x5	275x5
Seated Shoulder Press	45x12*	60x12*	60x12*	60x12*
	50x12*	65x12*	65x12*	65x12*
	55x12*	70x8*	70x9*	70x8*
3-Board Press	275x5	285x5	295x5	305x5
	280x5	285x5	295x5	305x5
	285x5	285x5	295x5	305x5
Cable Triceps Extensions		120x12 (P)	130x12 (P)	130x12 (Y)
		140x12 (P)	140x12 (P)	140x12 (Y)
		140x10 (P)	145x9 (P)	145x10 (Y)
* Weight is per arm (P) Machines used at the PRO club (Y) Machines used at the YMCA

Day Four, Week Three: (Disappointing) Deadlifts

The good news is I was down to 280.4 this morning, leaving me with just over 5 pounds to lose in 12 days--well within reach. The bad news is, my deadlift workout was very discouraging. I failed at 550, and then again at 530, which is making me wonder how ambitious I'll be able to be in competition. However, I was stuck using a thicker and heavier bar than usual at the YMCA, and my friend failed as well, leading me to believe the bar may have largely been the culprit. We'll see next week when I try the standard bar.

Deadlift Day
Exercise	11/8 2010	11/15 2010	11/22 2010	Week Four
Deadlift	135x5	135x5	135x5
	225x3	225x3	225x3
	315x2	315x2	315x2
	405x1	405x1	405x1
	440x1	455x1	490x1
	460x1	485x1	510x1
	480x1	515x1	550x1
	500x1	535x1	530x1
	520x1
One-Arm Row	70x12*	75x12*	75x12*
	80x12*	80x12*	80x12*
	80x11*	80x11*	80x12*
Box Squats (Explosive)	245x3†	250x3†	255x3†
	255x3†	260x3†	265x3†
	265x3†	270x3†	275x3†
	275x2†	280x2†	285x2†
	285x2†	290x2†	295x2†
Rear Delt Fly	20x12*	20x12*	20x12*
	25x12*	25x12*	25x12*
	25x10*	25x10*	25x12*
* Weight is per arm † Used adjustable height box at lowest setting, rather then traditional bench, increasing difficulty

Day Three, Week Three: Heavy Bench Press

My bench press workout on Friday wasn't as encouraging as I'd expected it to be, but I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, and a couple sets of 340 ain't bad. As for my weight, I went up a pound or so for a couple days but this morning (Sunday) I was back down to 282.6, so I have just under 8 pounds to lose in just under two weeks. Boy, it's really comin' down to the wire...

Squat Day
Exercise	11/5 2010	11/12 2010	11/19 2010	Week Four
Bench Press	135x10	135x10	135x10
	185x10	185x10	185x10
	285x5	315x4	335x3
	290x5	315x4	340x3
	295x5	320x4	340x2
	300x7	325x5
45° Smith Press	140x12*	140x12*	140x12*
	150x11*	150x9*	150x12*
	150x6*	150x9*	155x9*
16" Floor Press	135x12	165x12	175x12
	155x12	175x12	185x9
	185x11	185x10	185x10
Triceps Pressdown	90x12 (P)	90x12 (P)
	95x9 (P)	95x9 (P)
	95x8 (P)	95x9 (P)
* Not counting weight of bar (P) Machine used at the PRO Club

Day Two, Week Three: Squats

Well I'm up a pound from a couple days ago, but that's ok. I'm still confident I'll make weight. Great squat workout today, third set of 3 squats at 460--20 pounds heavier than my second attempt in competition back in June!

Squat Day
Exercise	11/4 2010	11/11 2010	11/18 2010	Week Four
Squat	135x10	135x10	135x10
	185x8	185x8	185x8
	380x5	410x4	440x3
	385x5	415x4	450x3
	390x5	420x4	460x3
	395x6	425x4
Seated Row	140x12 (P)	160x12 (Y)	170x12 (P)
	160x12 (P)	170x12 (Y)	180x12 (P)
	180x11 (P)	180x12 (Y)	185x9 (P)
Hang Clean	115x12	115x12	115x12
	115x10	115x12	115x12
	115x10	115x10	115x10
Back Extensions	0x12	45x12*	85x12*
	25x12*	60x12*	90x12*
	45x12*	70x12*	90x10*
* Plate/dumbbell held to my chest (P) Machine used at the PRO Club (Y) Machine used at the YMCA

Day One, Week Three: Light Bench Press

Saturday morning I was just about 290; this morning I'm down to 282.6! I'm sure some of that is water weight, but having cut back considerably on calories and having increased my energy output via cardio exercise, I'm sure some of it is fat, too. Making weight at 275 in 2.5 weeks is looking increasingly plausible!

Speed Bench Day
Exercise	11/2 2010	11/9 2010	11/16 2010	Week Four
Bench Press (Explosive)	135x10	135x10	135x10
	185x5	185x5	185x5
	245x5	255x5	265x5
	245x5	255x5	265x5
	245x5	255x5	265x5
	245x5	255x5	265x5
	245x5	255x5	265x5
	245x5	255x5	265x5
	245x5	255x5	265x5
	245x5	255x5	265x5
Seated Shoulder Press	45x12*	60x12*	60x12*
	50x12*	65x12*	65x12*
	55x12*	70x8*	70x9*
3-Board Press	275x5	285x5	295x5
	280x5	285x5	295x5
	285x5	285x5	295x5
Cable Triceps Extensions		120x12 (P)	130x12 (P)
		140x12 (P)	140x12 (P)
		140x10 (P)	145x9 (P)
* Weight is per arm (P) Machines used at the PRO club

Day Four, Week Two: Deadlifts

I reduced the number of working deadlifts by one, but the last lift at 535 was still pretty tough (I did make it, though). For the third and fourth week, where I intend to finish at 550 and 560, respectively, I'm going to reduce the number of working lifts by one again. The good news is, I'm confident I'll be successful at my second attempt in competition at 530.

When I got to work I again climbed the 650+ stairs to the top of my building and back down, and over the weekend I did a ton of cardio. Even more encouraging than my confidence that I'll lift more in competition than I did in June, the better news is that whereas a few days ago I was still at 290, this morning I was down to 284.8, which leaves me with just under 10 pounds to lose in about 19 days! This is VERY encouraging, and I'm beginning to think I might just be able to make it.

Deadlift Day
Exercise	11/8 2010	11/15 2010	Week Three	Week Four
Deadlift	135x5	135x5
	225x3	225x3
	315x2	315x2
	405x1	405x1
	440x1	455x1
	460x1	485x1
	480x1	515x1
	500x1	535x1
	520x1
One-Arm Row	70x12*	75x12*
	80x12*	80x12*
	80x11*	80x11*
Box Squats (Explosive)	245x3†	250x3†
	255x3†	260x3†
	265x3†	270x3†
	275x2†	280x2†
	285x2†	290x2†
Rear Delt Fly	20x12*	20x12*
	25x12*	25x12*
	25x10*	25x10*
* Weight is per arm † Used adjustable height box at lowest setting, rather then traditional bench, increasing difficulty

Day Three, Week Two: Heavy Bench Press

Had yet another very encouraging bench press workout the other day. Began at 315 intending to do four sets of four reps at that weight, but after the second set of four I increased the weight to 320 for the third set, and then to 325 for the fourth set and did five reps instead of four! At this time leading into my previous competition, just one rep at this weight was difficult. A record-breaking 358 lb. bench in competition is continuing to come into focus.

The bad news is that as of the morning I completed this workout, I was still at about 290 pounds. So with 3 weeks remaining before competition I still had about 15 pounds to lose to compete in my desired weight class. Fortunately, this morning revealed some encouraging news. For that, see my next post.

Squat Day
Exercise	11/5 2010	11/12 2010	Week Three	Week Four
Bench Press	135x10	135x10
	185x10	185x10
	285x5	315x4
	290x5	315x4
	295x5	320x4
	300x7	325x5
45° Smith Press	140x12*	140x12*
	150x11*	150x9*
	150x6*	150x9*
16" Floor Press	135x12	165x12
	155x12	175x12
	185x11	185x10
Triceps Pressdown	90x12 (P)	90x12 (P)
	95x9 (P)	95x9 (P)
	95x8 (P)	95x9 (P)
* Not counting weight of bar (P) Machine used at the PRO Club

Day Two, Week Two: Squats

Another great squat workout today! There was a teenage kid and a couple of guys staring in awe at the weight I was squatting. Appealed to my ego a little bit :)

Squat Day
Exercise	11/4 2010	11/11 2010	Week Three	Week Four
Squat	135x10	135x10
	185x8	185x8
	380x5	410x4
	385x5	415x4
	390x5	420x4
	395x6	425x4
Seated Row	140x12 (P)	160x12 (Y)
	160x12 (P)	170x12 (Y)
	180x11 (P)	180x12 (Y)
Hang Clean	115x12	115x12
	115x10	115x12
	115x10	115x10
Back Extensions	0x12	45x12*
	25x12*	60x12*
	45x12*	70x12*
* Plate/dumbbell held to my chest (P) Machine used at the PRO Club (Y) Machine used at the YMCA

Day Four, Week One: Deadlifts

Was a little bit of a tough deadlift workout today. My goal in my 4th week is to lift 560, and spreading that out across four weeks meant today I'd lift 520. Because that is not usually approaching 100% effort, I added two more lifts of increasing weight to the three working sets I did last routine, for a total of five successively heavier lifts starting at 440. Well boy, I tell ya, what a difference two more lifts makes. Adding to that, I worked out by myself today so I didn't have as much time to rest between lifts. As a result, that fifth lift at 520 took nearly everything I had. Definitely gonna go down to four working lifts next week.

Also, when I got to work I climbed the stairs to the top of the building and back down again, which I'll repeat around lunchtime. Hopefully my 1,300 step weight loss plan gets me to where I need to be in, wow, less than 4 weeks now!

Deadlift Day
Exercise	11/8 2010	Week Two	Week Three	Week Four
Deadlift	135x5
	225x3
	315x2
	405x1
	440x1
	460x1
	480x1
	500x1
	520x1
One-Arm Row	70x12*
	80x12*
	80x11*
Box Squats (Explosive)	245x3†
	255x3†
	265x3†
	275x2†
	285x2†
Rear Delt Fly	20x12*
	25x12*
	25x10*
* Weight is per arm † Used adjustable height box at lowest setting, rather then traditional bench, increasing difficulty

My 1,300-Step Weight-Loss Program

Well, I may have put off getting serious about my weight until the last minute, but with 14 pounds to lose in 4 weeks in order to compete in my desired weight class on December 4th, I'm not going to go down without a fight. I may be swamped at work and unable to fit visits to the gym into my schedule (beyond weight training), but in a sense I have a gym located conveniently within my building.

Today I climbed the stairs to the top of my building and back down—twice (once in the morning, once in the afternoon). That's twice over 28 stories' worth of stairs, including those of 3 underground stories in my morning climb, for a total of something on the order of 1,300 stairs, up and down. 275, I'm coming to getcha...

Day Three, Week One: Heavy Bench Press

Every workout seems to be more encouraging than the last! As was the case with yesterday's squat workout, I started my bench lifting a certain predetermined amount of weight greater than I did at the start of the previous 5 weeks, but found it so easy that I increased the weight each additional set, lifting 300 in the final set for 7 reps instead of the planned 5! A 358 lb. bench press in competition is looking very reasonable! Oh, and I've FINALLY lost one pound. "Only" 14 more to go, in 4 weeks... Ugh...

Squat Day
Exercise	11/5 2010	Week Two	Week Three	Week Four
Bench Press	135x10
	185x10
	285x5
	290x5
	295x5
	300x7
45° Smith Press	140x12*
	150x11*
	150x6*
16" Floor Press	135x12
	155x12
	185x11
Triceps Pressdown	90x12 (P)
	95x9 (P)
	95x8 (P)
* Not counting weight of bar (P) Machine used at the PRO Club

Day Two, Week One: Squats

Oh man I think I'm gonna kick butt at the squat. Same squat routine as previous weeks (4x5, 4x4, 3x3 and 3x2) but with increased weight. I had intended to lead into the competition having done 3 sets of 2 at 470, which is 20 pounds heavier than the last week of the previous routine, and so accordingly I started today's workout by increasing the 4x5 by 20 pounds, from 360 to 380. But one set of 5 at 380 was pretty easy, so I did a second set of 5 at 385, a third set of 5 at 390 and a fourth set of 6 at 395! A successful third attempt in competition at 520 is starting to look very possible :)

Squat Day
Exercise	11/4 2010	Week Two	Week Three	Week Four
Squat	135x10
	185x8
	380x5
	385x5
	390x5
	395x6
Seated Row	140x12 (P)
	160x12 (P)
	180x11 (P)
Hang Clean	115x12
	115x10
	115x10
Back Extensions	0x12
	25x12*
	45x12*
* Plate held to my chest (P) Machine used at the PRO Club

Day One, Week One: Light Bench Press

Day one of my new workout was two days ago. These are the last four weeks of training before my upcoming competition, and I still have 15 pounds to lose (ACK!).

Speed Bench Day
Exercise	11/3 2010	Week Two	Week Three	Week Four
Bench Press (Explosive)	135x10
	185x5
	245x5
	245x5
	245x5
	245x5
	245x5
	245x5
	245x5
	245x5
Seated Shoulder Press	45x12
	50x12
	55x12
3-Board Press	275x5
	280x5
	285x5
Cable Triceps Extensions

The Fife Holiday Classic: 5-Week Countdown (Give or Take)

The Fife Holiday Classic is coming up, scheduled for Saturday, December 4th. That's 5 weeks from this Saturday. Ack! I still haven't lost any weight, which means I've got to lose about 3 pounds a week to make weight. Please keep me in your prayers!

This week is not really a training week. I'm giving my body a week to recover a bit, and am lifting very light just to make it easier to resume lifting heavy next week. Starting on Tuesday, November 2nd, I'll have about 4 weeks of heavy training to get ready for the competition. Crap, I'm getting nervous already...

Here is what I lifted at the YMCA Seattle Summer Classic back in June:

	Attempt 1	Attempt 2	Attempt 3	Total
Squat	182.5 kg. (402.2 lb.)	200 kg. (440.7 lb.)	217.5 kg. (479.5 lb.)	600 kg. (1322.5 lb.)
Bench	135 kg. (297.5 lb.)	147.5 kg. (325 lb.)	155 kg. (341.5 lb.)
Deadlift	227.5 kg. (501.5 lb.)	245 kg. (540 lb.)	245 kg. (540 lb.)

Here is what I tentatively plan on lifting in December:

	Attempt 1	Attempt 2	Attempt 3	Total
Squat	200 kg. (440.7 lb.)	217.5 kg. (479.5 lb.)	235 kg. (518.1 lb.)	652.5 kg. (1438.5 lb.)
Bench	147.5 kg. (325 lb.)	155 kg. (341.5 lb.)	162.5 kg. (358.2 lb.)
Deadlift	227.5 kg. (501.5 lb.)	240 kg. (529.1 lb.)	255 kg. (562.2 lb.)

Day Four, Week Four: Deadlifts—Plus New Personal Best and Milestone!

What a way to close out a 4-week training period! Before competing in June I managed an unofficial deadlift at 540 pounds, but in competition I received three red lights at that weight for "hitching" the bar up. Today I successfully deadlifted 545 pounds, slowly and steadily without "hitching," which is both a personal best and a milestone (5x45 + 1x25 plates on each end)! As the Fife Holiday Classic in early December draws nearer, I'm very encouraged, and think I may try to lift 560 on my third attempt if successful at 500 and 530.

Deadlift Day
Exercise	10/4 2010	10/11 2010	10/18 2010	10/25 2010
Deadlift	135x5	135x5	135x5	135x5
	225x3	225x3	225x3	225x3
	315x2	315x2	315x2	315x2
	405x1	405x1	405x1	405x1
	455x1	465x1	475x1	485x1
	505x1	515x1	525x1	535x1
	525x1	535x1	535x1	545x1
Wide Grip Overhand Pulldown	165x12 (P)	165x12 (P)	170x12 (Y)	170x12 (P)
	170x12 (P)	170x12 (P)	180x12 (Y)	175x12 (P)
	175x8 (P)	175x12 (P)	180x8 (Y)	180x10 (P)
Box Squats (Explosive)	225x3	235x3	245x3	255x3
	255x3	265x3	275x3	285x3
	275x3	285x3	295x3	305x3
	295x2	305x2	315x2	325x2
	315x2	325x2	335x2	345x2
Lying Hamstring Curls	25x12* (P)	35x12* (P)		40x12* (P)
	35x12* (P)	40x12* (P)		45x12* (P)
	40x12* (P)	45x8* (P)		45x8* (P)
Seated Hamstring Curls			140x12 (Y)
			160x12 (Y)
			180x12 (Y)
* Weight is per leg (P) Machine used at the PRO Club (Y) Machine used at the YMCA

Day Three, Week Four: Heavy Bench Press

I was hoping to do a little heavier than 340, but still, two reps at 340 should be comparable to one rep in competition at 358 with a pause on the chest. Breaking the record is at least within sight!

Squat Day
Exercise	10/1 2010	10/8 2010	10/15 2010	10/22 2010
Bench Press	135x10	135x10	135x10	135x10
	185x10	185x10	185x10	185x10
	275x5	295x4	315x3	340x2
	275x5	295x4	315x3	340x2
	275x5	295x4	315x5	340x2
	275x5	305x4	325x3
Incline Dumbbell Press	75x12*	75x12*	80x12*	85x12*
	80x12*	80x12*	85x12*	85x12*
	80x12*	85x11*	90x10*	90x11*
Smith Tricep Press	90x12**	130x12**	140x12**	140x12**
	110x12**	140x12**	145x12**	145x12**
	130x12**	145x9**	150x8**	150x12**
Seated Tricep Extension w/Rope	120x12 (P)	130x12 (P)	135x12 (P)	140x12 (P)
	130x12 (P)	140x12 (P)	140x12 (P)	145x12 (P)
	130x11 (P)	145x9 (P)	145x11 (P)	150x9 (P)
* Weight is per arm ** Not counting weight of bar (P) Machine used at the PRO Club

Day Two, Week Four: Squats

Boy I'm excited to compete in December after my recent workouts! In June my heaviest squat in competition was 480, and it was pretty tough. Today I squatted 450 twice, 455 twice and then 460 twice, and both of those last two reps felt and looked better than the one 480 rep in competition. I think I'm on track to squat 30 or 40 pounds heavier in December than I did in June.

Squat Day
Exercise	9/30 2010	10/7 2010	10/14 2010	10/21 2010
Squat	135x10	135x10	135x10	135x10
	185x8	185x8	185x8	185x8
	360x5	390x4	420x3	450x2
	360x5	390x4	420x3	455x2
	360x5	390x4	420x3	460x2
	360x5	390x4
V-Bar Pulldown	170x12 (Y)	175x12 (P)	180x12 (P)	185x12 (P)
	180x12 (Y)	185x12 (P)	190x12 (P)	195x12 (P)
	190x10 (Y)	195x7 (P)	195x9 (P)	200x8 (P)
Romanian Deadlift	275x12	280x12	285x12	290x12
	295x12	300x12	305x12	310x12
	315x10	320x10	325x10	330x10
Front Squat	360x12
	360x12
	360x12
Leg Press		360x12*	410x12*	450x12*
		410x12*	450x12*	500x12*
		450x12*	500x12*	540x12*
* Includes plates but not the sled itself (Y) Machine used at the YMCA (P) Machine used at the PRO Club

Day One, Week Four: Light Bench Press

I don't know if I've ever been able to do 40 pushups. Not sure I ever even imagined being able to do that many :)

Speed Bench Day
Exercise	9/28 2010	10/5 2010	10/12 2010	10/19 2010
Pin Press (Explosive)	135x10	135x10	135x10	135x10
	185x5	185x5	185x5	185x5
	245x1	255x1	265x1	275x1
	245x1	255x1	265x1	275x1
	245x1	255x1	265x1	275x1
	245x1	255x1	265x1	275x1
	245x1	255x1	265x1	275x1
	245x1	255x1	265x1	275x1
	245x1	255x1	265x1	275x1
	245x1	255x1	265x1	275x1
Pushups	30	35	36	40
	24	24	24	24
	15	16	16	16
Military Press	85x12	105x12	105x12	105x12
	95x12	105x12	105x12	115x12
	105x12	115x9	115x11	120x7
Dumbbell Triceps Extensions	30x12*	30x12*	32.5x12*	32.5x12*
	30x12*	32.5x12*	35x12*	35x12*
	30x12*	35x11*	35x8*	37.5x12*
* Weight is per arm

Day Four, Week Three: Deadlifts

Awesome deadlift workout today! Successfully lifted 535, and my trainer was there and said it would probably have been good in the judges' eyes. It felt easier than I remember 540 feeling back in June! I can't wait for December!

Deadlift Day
Exercise	10/4 2010	10/11 2010	10/18 2010	Week Four
Deadlift	135x5	135x5	135x5
	225x3	225x3	225x3
	315x2	315x2	315x2
	405x1	405x1	405x1
	455x1	465x1	475x1
	505x1	515x1	525x1
	525x1	535x1	535x1
Wide Grip Overhand Pulldown	165x12 (P)	165x12 (P)	170x12 (Y)
	170x12 (P)	170x12 (P)	180x12 (Y)
	175x8 (P)	175x12 (P)	180x8 (Y)
Box Squats (Explosive)	225x3	235x3	245x3
	255x3	265x3	275x3
	275x3	285x3	295x3
	295x2	305x2	315x2
	315x2	325x2	335x2
Lying Hamstring Curls	25x12* (P)	35x12* (P)
	35x12* (P)	40x12* (P)
	40x12* (P)	45x8* (P)
Seated Hamstring Curls			140x12 (Y)
			160x12 (Y)
			180x12 (Y)
* Weight is per leg (P) Machine used at the PRO Club (Y) Machine used at the YMCA

Correcting the Record: Blotted Out

In "The Results Are In!," I shared my excitement at seeing my name in the Washington State USAPL Open Men's Records, having bench pressed 155 kg (341.7 lb):

Today, however, I am bummed to report that at some point the record was corrected. Apparently, back in March (presumably at the State Championships), someone in my weight class benched 160 kg (352.7 lb):

Technically, then, it would not be accurate to say I ever held the record. While this is admittedly a little bit of a blow to my ego (which is probably a good thing), I've been encouraged by my recent workouts, and I think I'm going to aim to beat that record in December at the Fife Holiday Classic. The next step heavier would be 162.5 kg (358.2 lb), so basically I'll have to successfully lift about 16.5 more pounds. Maybe, just maybe...

Day Three, Week Three: Heavy Bench Press

Every workout's turning out more encouraging than the last! I was to do 3 sets of 3 bench presses, and planned to lift 315. When my friend and workout partner texted me saying he was sick and couldn't make it, I worried that without a spotter I might not be able to lift as heavy as planned. As it turned out, the first two sets were sufficiently easy that I went ahead and banged out 5 reps on the first set, and then did another set of 3 at 325! I'm really looking forward to competing again!

Squat Day
Exercise	10/1 2010	10/8 2010	10/15 2010	Week Four
Bench Press	135x10	135x10	135x10
	185x10	185x10	185x10
	275x5	295x4	315x3
	275x5	295x4	315x3
	275x5	295x4	315x5
	275x5	305x4	325x3
Incline Dumbbell Press	75x12*	75x12*	80x12*
	80x12*	80x12*	85x12*
	80x12*	85x11*	90x10*
Smith Tricep Press	90x12**	130x12**	140x12**
	110x12**	140x12**	145x12**
	130x12**	145x9**	150x8**
Seated Tricep Extension w/Rope	120x12 (P)	130x12 (P)	135x12 (P)
	130x12 (P)	140x12 (P)	140x12 (P)
	130x11 (P)	145x9 (P)	145x11 (P)
* Weight is per arm ** Not counting weight of bar (P) Machine used at the PRO Club

Day Two, Week Three: Squats

Another very encouraging squat workout! At the competition in June I squatted 400, 440 and then 480. In December, I think I might try something like 430, 470 and then 510. I'm lookin' forward to it!

Squat Day
Exercise	9/30 2010	10/7 2010	10/14 2010	Week Four
Squat	135x10	135x10	135x10
	185x8	185x8	185x8
	360x5	390x4	420x3
	360x5	390x4	420x3
	360x5	390x4	420x3
	360x5	390x4
V-Bar Pulldown	170x12 (Y)	175x12 (P)	180x12 (P)
	180x12 (Y)	185x12 (P)	190x12 (P)
	190x10 (Y)	195x7 (P)	195x9 (P)
Romanian Deadlift	275x12	280x12	285x12
	295x12	300x12	305x12
	315x10	320x10	325x10
Front Squat	360x12
	360x12
	360x12
Leg Press		360x12*	410x12*
		410x12*	450x12*
		450x12*	500x12*
* Includes plates but not the sled itself (Y) Machine used at the YMCA (P) Machine used at the PRO Club

Day One, Week Three: Light Bench Press

It's encouraging to see bigger numbers each week, even if only a little :)

Speed Bench Day
Exercise	9/28 2010	10/5 2010	10/12 2010	Week Four
Pin Press (Explosive)	135x10	135x10	135x10
	185x5	185x5	185x5
	245x1	255x1	265x1
	245x1	255x1	265x1
	245x1	255x1	265x1
	245x1	255x1	265x1
	245x1	255x1	265x1
	245x1	255x1	265x1
	245x1	255x1	265x1
	245x1	255x1	265x1
Pushups	30	35	36
	24	24	24
	15	16	16
Military Press	85x12	105x12	105x12
	95x12	105x12	105x12
	105x12	115x9	115x11
Dumbbell Triceps Extensions	30x12*	30x12*	32.5x12*
	30x12*	32.5x12*	35x12*
	30x12*	35x11*	35x8*
* Weight is per arm

Day Four, Week Two: Deadlifts

I was encouraged by my workout today! I "hitched" 515 up a bit, and would probably have failed in competition. But I managed to lift 535 slowly but consistently upward until I stood completely erect. It was tough, but I think it would have counted in competition. Before today I was worried I would not perform as well in the deadlift when I compete in December; now, however, I think I'll do better!

Deadlift Day
Exercise	10/4 2010	10/11 2010	Week Three	Week Four
Deadlift	135x5	135x5
	225x3	225x3
	315x2	315x2
	405x1	405x1
	455x1	465x1
	505x1	515x1
	525x1	535x1
Wide Grip Overhand Pulldown	165x12 (P)	165x12 (P)
	170x12 (P)	170x12 (P)
	175x8 (P)	175x12 (P)
Box Squats (Explosive)	225x3	235x3
	255x3	265x3
	275x3	285x3
	295x2	305x2
	315x2	325x2
Lying Hamstring Curls	25x12*	35x12*
	35x12*	40x12*
	40x12*	45x8*
* Weight is per leg (P) Machine used at the PRO Club

Day Three, Week Two: Heavy Bench Press

I was worried about my bench press having not been serious for a couple of months or so, but today's workout really encouraged me. I'm pretty confident I'll do better in December than I did in June.

Squat Day
Exercise	10/1 2010	10/8 2010	Week Three	Week Four
Bench Press	135x10	135x10
	185x10	185x10
	275x5	295x4
	275x5	295x4
	275x5	295x4
	275x5	305x4
Incline Dumbbell Press	75x12*	75x12*
	80x12*	80x12*
	80x12*	85x11*
Smith Tricep Press	90x12**	130x12**
	110x12**	140x12**
	130x12**	145x9**
Seated Tricep Extension w/Rope	120x12 (P)	130x12 (P)
	130x12 (P)	140x12 (P)
	130x11 (P)	145x9 (P)
* Weight is per arm ** Not counting weight of bar (P) Machine used at the PRO Club

Day Two, Week Two: Squats

I'm really starting to feel strong again, and less winded after workouts. I'm starting to develop some confidence that I'll be competitive at the Fife Holiday Classic in early December, particularly with the squat. I'm looking forward to it!

Squat Day
Exercise	9/30 2010	10/7 2010	Week Three	Week Four
Squat	135x10	135x10
	185x8	185x8
	360x5	390x4
	360x5	390x4
	360x5	390x4
	360x5	390x4
V-Bar Pulldown	170x12 (Y)	175x12 (P)
	180x12 (Y)	185x12 (P)
	190x10 (Y)	195x7 (P)
Romanian Deadlift	275x12	280x12
	295x12	300x12
	315x10	320x10
Front Squat	360x12
	360x12
	360x12
Leg Press		360x12*
		410x12*
		450x12*
* Includes plates but not the sled itself (Y) Machine used at the YMCA (P) Machine used at the PRO Club

Day One, Week Two: Light Bench Press

I'm trying to stay on the wagon, starting off week two of my new routine by getting off my butt and going to the gym for day one's workout, even though it's the one during which I don't have a workout partner :(

Speed Bench Day
Exercise	9/28 2010	10/5 2010	Week Three	Week Four
Pin Press (Explosive)	135x10	135x10
	185x5	185x5
	245x1	255x1
	245x1	255x1
	245x1	255x1
	245x1	255x1
	245x1	255x1
	245x1	255x1
	245x1	255x1
	245x1	255x1
Pushups	30	35
	24	24
	15	16
Military Press	85x12	105x12
	95x12	105x12
	105x12	115x9
Dumbbell Triceps Extensions	30x12*	30x12*
	30x12*	32.5x12*
	30x12*	35x11*
* Weight is per arm

Day Four, Week One: Deadlifts

I'm perhaps most worried about the impact my lack of diligence has had on my deadlift. Lifts of 500 and 520 are feeling considerably harder today than they did in June. I'm going to have to really push hard to meet or beat the number I put up at the YMCA Seattle Summer Classic.

Deadlift Day
Exercise	10/4 2010	Week Two	Week Three	Week Four
Deadlift	135x5
	225x3
	315x2
	405x1
	455x1
	505x1
	525x1
Wide Grip Overhand Pulldown	165x12 (P)
	170x12 (P)
	175x8 (P)
Box Squats (Explosive)	225x3
	255x3
	275x3
	295x2
	315x2
Lying Hamstring Curls	25x12*
	35x12*
	40x12*
* Weight is per leg (P) Machine used at the PRO Club

Day Three, Week One: Heavy Bench Press

I think my bench press has suffered somewhat from my lack of diligence over the past few months. It will take some effort to get back into shape, and to lift as much as or slightly more than I did at June's YMCA meet.

Squat Day
Exercise	10/1 2010	Week Two	Week Three	Week Four
Bench Press	135x10
	185x10
	275x5
	275x5
	275x5
	275x5
Incline Dumbbell Press	75x12*
	80x12*
	80x12*
Smith Tricep Press	90x12**
	110x12**
	130x12**
Seated Tricep Extension w/Rope	120x12 (P)
	130x12 (P)
	130x11 (P)
* Weight is per arm ** Not counting weight of bar (P) Machine used at the PRO Club

Day Two, Week One: Squats

While I feel I've gotten weaker in my bench press and deadlift during my training flakiness, fortunately I don't think that's the case with squats. I'm very confident I'll lift considerably heavier at the Fife Holiday Classic than I did at the YMCA Seattle Summer Classic. Here are my numbers for day two of week one from last Thursday.

Squat Day
Exercise	9/30 2010	Week Two	Week Three	Week Four
Squat	135x10
	185x8
	360x5
	360x5
	360x5
	360x5
V-Bar Pulldown	170x12 (P)
	180x12 (P)
	190x10 (P)
Romanian Deadlift	275x12
	295x12
	315x10
Front Squat	360x12
	360x12
	360x12
(P) Machine used at the PRO Club

Back On The Wagon: Light Bench Press

Well, I've been a bit lazy, practically since the YMCA Seattle Summer Classic. I haven't been meeting with my trainer regularly, haven't been as carefully watching what I'm eating; I just haven't been taking it seriously. But last Tuesday I hopped back up onto the wagon, having met with my trainer and hashed out a plan to compete, not in October's Columbia City Classic, but in December's Fife Holiday Classic. Mark told me he would have recommended I focus only on the latter instead of competing in both anyway, even had I not fallen off the wagon for so long.

I've got about 10 weeks to go and I've got to again lose the weight I lost leading up to the YMCA meet, one of the unfortunate consequences of falling off the wagon for so long. So please keep me in your prayers, I'll start tracking my weight tomorrow morning, and I'll be posting my workouts again as I used to do. Here was day one of week one of my new routine, which I did last Tuesday:

Speed Bench Day
Exercise	9/28 2010	Week Two	Week Three	Week Four
Pin Press (Explosive)	135x10
	185x5
	245x1
	245x1
	245x1
	245x1
	245x1
	245x1
	245x1
	245x1
Pushups	30
	24
	15
Military Press	85x12
	95x12
	105x12
Dumbbell Triceps Extensions	30x12*
	30x12*
	30x12*
* Weight is per arm