Been on Vacation so: Training Log: the week so far!

Monday 12/26/11

Christan: had to bench because her neck was giving  her trouble
Bench
45 x 10
65 x 8
85 x 5
95 x 5p
105 x 3
115 x 6p
115 x 6
120 x 3fp
115 x 4p
115 x 5

Wide Grip
105 x 7p
105 x 7

3 ct Pauses
100 x 4p

Pete
Squat: Focused on getting the bar on the shelf: the right spot on my back. Felt like I had been setting up too low
bw x 12 x 2
45 x 10
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 5
405 x 5
465 x 3
520 x 5... only had to get one, wanted two or three, but got the five. My knees are getting too old for this.

Walkout: wrapped
610

Speed pulls: Conventional
3" Deficit
225 x 3
315 x 3
350 x 3 x 3
Floor
350 x 3 x 3

RDL
315 x 8
335 x 8
355 x 8

Standing abs
120 x 10
130 x 10
140 x 10

Calves
45 x 15 x 3various

Tuesday 12/27/11... HBTM.HBTM.HPDP.HBTM.

Christan: gets to...
Squat
45 x 10
95 x 5
135 x 5
160 x 3
185 x 2
200 x 1
210 x 7... PR!!!
Walkout: 275... looked good

Speed Pulls
Floor:
Sumo: 175 x 3 x 3
Conventional: 175 x 3 x 3

Leg Press
185 x 10
225 x 10
315 x 10

Calves
315 x 12 x 2

Pete
Shoulder Warmup!!!

DB Press
25 x 10
45 x 10
65 x 10
75 x 10
85 x 10
95 x 7

Floor Press
75 x 8
85 x 8
95 x 8

BB tricep Extensions
45 x65 x 12
85 x 10
105 x 8
115 x 1... shoulder
95 x 12

Rope Pushdowns
100 x 10
120 x 10
140 x 10
160 x 10

Preacher DB Curls
25 x 10 x ea
30 x 10 x ea
35 x 10 x ea

Wednesday 12/28/11
Pete
Seated DB Shoulder Press
25 x 10
40 x 10
60 x 10
75 x 10

Face Pulls:
150 x 15
170 x 15
190 x 15
210 x 15

Pullups
BW x 4 x 4 sets

Suitcase DL
135 x 8 x ea
155 x 8 x ea
175 x 8 x ea
185 x 8 x ea... and I thought I was going to die. But I didn't.

P-Rows
225 x 5
245 x 5
265 x 5
285 x 5

Shrugs
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 10
315 x 10
315 x 10
365 x 10

Front Delt Raise
5 x 12 x ea
10 x 12 x ea
10 x 12 x ea

The Further Adventures of Proto-Mechanic

The Vehicle: 2002 Ford Focus, aka The "Frankenfocus"
The Job: Check front brakes because of a weird noise, replace rear brake shoes
The Place: The Proto-Mechanic Garage
Estimated Time: 5 hours

So, for the last month I have been hearing a sound from the front of the car. It sounds like brakes grinding. Got up early Sunday morning to get a good start. Had the first front tire off at 9: 30. The front brakes look fine.  On to the rear brakes. Fun Fact: Apparently Proto-Mechanic has issues with the direction a clock goes in. I was pretty sure I snapped a lug... and then proceeded to almost do it on the next one. I should have know that this was an inauspicious start.

It took me thirty minutes to get the jack stands set where I was happy with them. Removed both back tires. It was at that point that I could have turned back if I wanted to. My out was there, but I did not take it, because I am an idiot.

First anticipated issue: Drums won't come off. No sweat, I'll tap 'em with a hammer. No joy. I was expecting this. I'll just un-tension them and...

First unanticipated issue: Unlike the last brake job I did, there is no little hole in the drum to get to the tensioner. Alright, let's have a closer look. I see nothing except rust, brake dust and bolts.

First call to Master-of-Sport-Mechanic-and-All-'Round-Great-Guy, My-Personal-Mechanicing-Lifeline, Terry.

PM: "There is no hole to tension the shoes."

Master of Sport Mechanic: "Sure there is. Look for a rubber cap."

PM: "I don't see one."

All-'Round Great Guy: "Are you sure?"

PM: " Yes, I'm... wait. There it is."

Terry: "Just work a screwdriver in there and loosen 'em."

PM: "No dice, bub. I have two inches of clearence."

Terry: "Well, see if there are four bolts on the back side."

PM: "There are."

My Mechanicing Lifeline: "Well, just loosen them."

PM: "Is there a size between 11mm and 10mm."

Terry: "No, why?"

PM: "'Cause nothing fits."

Terry: "Is it a six point or twelve point nut."

PM: Counting "Six."

Terry: "And Nothing fits?"

PM: "No. Wait... those arn't bolts. They are round, like rivets."

Terry: "Well, that's weird."

PM: No shit. "Yeah."

So, against my better judgment we have to take the bearing cover off.

Terry: "Just pop the cotter pin out."

PM: "There ain't one."

Unanticipated issue number two: Terry: "No cotter pin?"

PM: "Nope."

Terry: "Well, what is holding the nut on?"

PM: "Looks to be a clip with six flanges, one around each side of the nut."

Terry: "Well,... um, I guess just bend the flanges back."

PM: "You guess?" That's comforting.

Terry: "Yeah."

I hang up and bend the flanges back and reveal the nut and find that, of course, I have no socket near big enough to fit the nut.


Terry: "It should come off no problem."

PM: "It won't budge."

Terry: "What about needle nose pliers?"

PM: "Nope."

Terry: "The guy takes it off with his hand in the video I am watching."

PM: "Unless he's the Hulk, it is a dirty trick of smoke and mirrors."

Awesome. Guess where I'm headed?

Off to the Zone... Dunta-Dun-Dunta... Auto-Zone where I drop twenty three bucks on  a 1-1/16 socket and the next two sizes up. Then we have to do a bit of stuff in town. When I get back the nut comes off and lo and behold it is not one nut it is two. The first is just a wee slip of a thing. so, I bend the flanges out some more and... the 1-1/16 socket will no longer fit. METRIC!!!

Back to the Zone... Dunta-Dun-Dunta... Autozone, where I swap the larger SAE sockets for a 26 and a 27mm socket. I get back. The two nuts are actually three nuts. I keep going. The three nuts is actually four nuts and the flange will no longer bend without breaking.

Second Call to Master-of-Sport-Mechanic-and-All-'Round-Great-Guy, My-Personal-Mechanicing-Lifeline, Terry.

Unanticipated issue number three: Terry: "Four nuts? I never saw anything like that."

Whenever a guy with 50 years experience, ASE qualifications out the wazoo and smarts to boot says, "I never saw anything like that." You know you are in over your head.

Terry: "Break the clips."

PM: "Do they sell them seperate?"

Terry: "I imagine. Hey, did you check the bearings I sent you to see if they come with the clips?"

Lesson: Always check the boxes of parts. You never know what you will learn.

This had not occured to me. By the way, Terry sent me a set of break shoes and a coupla bearings that he just happened to have laying about that actually fit the Frankenfocus. So, lesson learned: check the boxes first.

PM: "Yes, they do."

Terry: "Just break 'em off and the drum should come right off."

Then  Master-of-Sport-Mechanic-and-All-'Round-Great-Guy, My-Personal-Mechanicing-Lifeline, Terry had to go do some actual work himself and so left me to my own devices.

I broke the flange clips and the last nut came off. A couple of solid whacks with the hammer and the drum came off.

Repeat with other side, except now I just broke the flanges and took all four nuts off at once. EPJ.

Now to the shoes.

Well, they came off easy enough.

I am goin to buy a set of brake spring thingy's before I do... IF I do shoes again. Logan and I grunted and strained but finally got both sets of shoes on with only a moderate amount of fuss. I followed Master-of-Sport-Mechanic-and-All-'Round-Great-Guy, My-Personal-Mechanicing-Lifeline, Terry's advice of doing one shoe at a time, leaving the other side exposed as a guide. This was a solid idea. Glad I though of it.

So, except for bent pin that bent because I put it in the wrong hole even though Logan thought it went in the hole it actually went up going in, it was not a big deal.

Unanticipated issue number four: Then we had to put the drums back on. Remeber that there was not a hole to get to the tensioner? Well the tensioner sits betwixt the shoes and I can't figure this out to save my life. I look it up online and I get:

Hit Number 1: A video of a brake job on a 2001 Focus where the guy chews a lot of gum and does not actually show the brake job, he just tells us that he did the brake job. Asshole.

Fuming.

Hit number 13: A video of a guy doing a brake job on a 2002 Ford Something Else where he just fits the drum back on like breathing. Smug bastard.

Let the simpering begin.

Hit 39: A diagram of a brake job on a 2002 Ford Focus that says to seperate the small cam to loosen the shoes. I have no idea what this means.

I am swearing AT myself now.

I go outside and Logan has figured out what that means. You have to press a screw driver between the unmoving small cam and the moving larg cam that is not round but shaped like a "Q" and a "G" looped together. Damned if this does not work. Drums go on like a champ. Smug bastard asshole that I am, in my joy I forget that with the clamps on the nuts on the cover for the bearing, I do not have a socket big enough. Sigh.

I have to go to a concert for my Mother-in-Law. After the concert I swing by the Zone... Dunta-DunDunta... Auto-Zone! to swap out my last unused socket. And they are closed.

But Oh-Oh-Oh-O'Reilly's... Auto Parts is open! Go figure the six dollar SAE socket does not fit as well as the 30mm at 9 bucks. 30mm. Prolly need that again next week. Get home and fit it all back together.

Brakes work fine.

The noise is still there.

Son of a bitch.

Thing I learned:
1. A hammer is a good friend.
2. It is better to stay calm.
3. A calm son is good to have in a pinch.
4. Master-of-Sport-Mechanic-and-All-'Round-Great-Guy, My-Personal-Mechanicing-Lifeline, Terry still has me beat. Smug bastard.
5. Check your parts boxes first
6. Avoid doing brake shoes.
7. Buy a damned spring tool.
8. The internet SUCKS!!!

Total time with breaks for shopping, parts runs and a Christmas Cantata... Eleven Hours. OMG!!!

Update and a Poem Drops

We have been in "hell week," the last week of rehersals/first week of the show. Christan is directing "Uh-oh, Here Comes Christmas" down at WACT. This is her first directing gig. As such, I had to come out of retirement to act, paint sets and listen to her get mad.

I have not gone to the gym or done anything except work and go to the theatre in literally a week, so I am prepared to do very little today.

Opening night went pretty well for everyone but me: I sucked it up. Of course, the big crowd of 17 people was pretty dead. Second night went much better and the crowd was really into it. Two down, five to go.

My poem, "Picking Over Sortes that We Might Understand" dropped in The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature along with an inexplicable picture of a tractor.

Meet Write-Up: 2011 Southeastern Cup Powerlifting Championships

Well, start at the weigh in: Gage weighed in at 180.5 and I was 240 on the nose, so we both made weight. I was determined not to be under weight for the meet so I immediately ate a sammich, some chips and a gatorade then we went to Family Pizza House in Valdosta by the base. The food was very good, it was decently priced and I drank three glasses of water and three of soda. Continued to drink water and eat carbs the rest of the night.

We got to the venue at 8:20 or so and the first order of business was rack height. I used a tape measure to get the height of the racks at the gym. The both measured between 52 and 3/4and 53 inches. When we measured the rack at the meet this translated to a rack height of 1. This was the second lowest setting on the rack. And it looked very low. This led me to realize something. I think I have been going on feel in the past, setting the rack height where it felt right, but it has invariably been higher than where I have been training. So, no matter how it felt, I kept the height at 1 for both Gage and me.

Warmups would continue to be a pain in the ass the whole day. There were only 18 lifters, but because Joe Norman was opening with 870, they opted to break us into two flights. The good news is that Gage was the last lifter in the first flight, but regardless he was in a seperate flight from me. His warmups went well, so we stuck to the gameplan.

Gage Squat
Warmups:
45 x 10
135 x 8
185 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 1... but we had only about 20 minutes to warmup.

First attempt: 303... three whites. He killed it. We started low so to take nerves out of the equation.

Second attempt: 341.5... three whites, but it looked a tad slower than I would have liked, still...

Third attempt: 363.7... miss, I mean, just missed. 358 would have gone.

Gage had the largest squat in his flight.

In the meantime I was running back and forth between Gage lifting and me warming up and Joe Norman moving back and forth from my rack (I was there first, I claimed it!). Norman's crew was very helpful breaking down and adjusting the bar height, so it was all good. Still I was rushing and there was no break between the flights.

*Note of note: Mamie Jackson, a friend from the theater came to the meet. Just awesome. This is something I will never forget. Mames has never seen a meet and had no reason to come except that she is our friend. The meet was filled with the call and response of "Mames!" and "Petey!".

Pete Squat
Warmups:
Bw x 12 x 2
45 x 10
135 x 8
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 2
495 x 1
545 x 1... all raw. Last warmups felt heavy, but I simply had no time to care.

First attempt: 600.7... three whites. No problem, but it felt heavy on the walkout and my right knee was aching a bit. They were not holding to the one minute lifter time limit. This caught me off-guard on this lift and I had to re-wrap.

Second attempt: 633.7... three whites. I went a bit conservative with my knee ache. I bent forward just a tad and the lift was a bit of a grind.

Third attempt: 655.7... three whites. Because of the grind of 633, I went a tad lower than I originally wanted. I did decide to froth up my lather and get psyched. Result: I absolutle destroyed the weight.  It was really nice to go three for three on the squats and to live up to the training weights. My second biggest squat at 242 and my largest meet  squat since 1996. Oh, yeah and I freaked out afterward. I was very excited.

Spotters and loaders did a good job with a few bad misses.

Like last year, they held a raw bench meet in conjuction with the full-power meet. Last year they had the benchers do their thing then did the awards for the benchers, then the full power folks benched. I assumed they would do the same thing. As such, we waited to go to the warmup room unitl the end of the second attempt benches. This proved to be a mistake.

Gage Bench
Warmup
45 x 10
95 x 5
135 x 3... they came in at that point and said they were starting the flight one benches. We had to rush.
185 x 1
225 x 1

first attempt: 242.5... good lift. Easy.

Second Attempt: 264.5... good lift, but it was a grind. He had nothing left, he just did not know it.

Third Attempt: 275.5... no lift. Not really close.

I had to rush to warmup, but it was no big deal as I was opening light.

Pete
Warmups
45 x 10
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 2p

First Attempt: 314... good ligt. Easy, token attempt, but my shoulder was screaming.

Second attempt with shirt: 407.7... two whites, but should have been three reds. A gift I will take. I forgot to get really tight and I went negative.

Third Attempt with shirt: 429.7... no lift. Lost it toward my head. I felt tight and had great speed off the bottom, but I was concerned with my elbow.

They rolled right into the deadlifts, but gave us a ten minute break. Gage smoked his warmups.

Gage Deadlift
Warmups
135 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 2
315 x 1
365 x 1... all were easy and with a terrible bar.

First Attempt: 402.2... three whites. Easy lift.

Second Attempt: 429.7... I had questioned it, but in retrospect it was a smoth lift. Three whites.

Third Attempt: 446... A damn shame. No lift. He snatched it off the ground like a champ, but got rocked forward and lost his balance.

So, my goal for him was to total over 1030 and he got 1036. Six for nine, biggest squat and bench in his flight and second biggest deadlift. A great first meet.

Warmups on deadlift felt like shit for me, but I was so busy with Gage that I never let it bother me.

Pete Deadlift
Warmups
135 x 5
225 x 3
315 x 2
405 x 1
495 x 1... used a stiff bench bar to pull. Slow Grind.

Oh, while we were warming up, Joe Norman told me his hamstring was pulled so he was only going to take a token deadlift. It was still enough to beat me in the total, but it caused a miraculous event.

First Attempt: 584... three whites. A bit slow. I had not trained conventional deadlifts for speed and so I suffered because of it. Harder for me to get the slack out of the bar conventional as well.

Second attempt: 622.7... all-time personal record attempt. Three whites. A slow, grinding pull, but a good one. I was physically and emotionaly spent, but I took a third.

Third attempt: 644.7... no lift, did not budge it. I will learn my lesson next time. open light, heavy second. third attempt PR.

The miraculous event was that I had, for the first time in 21 years of lifting, had the largest deadlift in a meet. I don't count the backyard meet in South Carolina in March. But I hit 622 and the closest to me was 584. Felt kind of nice.

Wound up with second biggest squat by 55lbs over the next guy's 600 and 204 lbs over the closest squat with just wraps (451). Joe Norman had by far the largest squat with his singleply+briefs 870+.

My goals were:
1) 3 for three on the squat... check
2) PR Deadlift... check
3) biggest ever total... half check. While it missed the mark by 39lbs off my 275 PR 1725, it was my best ever total with gear at 242, by 146lbs.

Very happy with the day.

All videos can be found on my youtube channel: here, right here!!! 

Going to be dropping some weight and doing some maintenence lifting until revving up the training in late March for a meet in July.

Until then, Power Socks Inc. sleeps the sleep of the content.

A big thanks to Jeffery and Jenny par for their sponsorship. Another huge thanks to Mames for showing up. I appreciate Gage showing up and being there this whole cycle.

But the biggest thanks goes to Christan for beeing there for the ENTIRE 21 year ride. she was there at the first meet (425/265/405/1095 @198) and was there this weekend. She has been a rock for my up and down lifting career.

Year in Review
Adel: November, 2010:  579/363/600/1544 @ 237

South Carolina: March, 2011: 615/370/565/1550 @241

Pelion: July, 2011: 600/365/615/1580 @ 238

Adel: November, 2011: 655/407/622/1686 @ 240

Left nothing in the gym for the year on squat or deadlift. Shoulder took my bench out of the equation. Looking at July and November/December next year.

Some Pre-Meet fun! I may have posted some of these already. If so, enjoy again.

Yeah.

Not fair. My man retired in 1996 to raise his kids.

Pure holiday magic.

Pure birthday horror.

Classic.

Classic-er.

It took me a few minutes...

Just. Just awesome.

I never wanted to be a rock star this badly.

Not funny, just wicked cool.

Check out The Firm where Wilfred swears.

Happiness is finding your skate key and then watching it reject you.

I think we are right.

I love this one.

Live free or die with a fox pelt on your crotch.

Creepy city.

Lol.

This is, to me, demonic beyond words.

I will leave this one for Berry and Mike.

Many have tried. Many have failed.

 Tastes like homemade grandma!

Ready, willing and able.

Awesome.

Picture taken by my wife in one of our meet hotel rooms.

Cool shot.

Freakish.

Behold it, sir. Behold it.

Har.

Great picture... and true!

Oh, no you didn't!

Regardless, it is awesome.

Damn! Right!

Epic fail.

Wow.

WOW!!!

I don't care who you are, that's funny right there.

He looks like my grandfather.

One of my all time faves.

Ditto.

Thing is, the monkey looks guilty.

And now Easter acolyte, you will die. You. Will. die.

Meet Plan and deep within the weight cut, aka water poisoning.

Two gallons of water a day sucks. That is all I have to say about that. It's Tuesday and I am ten pounds off where I want to be. Will not panic until Wednesday. I actually think I am fine. The melt does not usually start until Wednesday. Only myself to blame. I ate for shit this cycle.

Meet Plan
Gage
Squat
Opening very light at 303
Second attempt: 341.5
Third: want to go 363.7. This should be right at his max.

Bench
Opener: 242.5
Second: 264.5
Third will depend on his second, but he wants 275.5. I really think he has it in him, but 270 is an option.

Deadlift
I am going all out on this, but reserve the right to lower all attempts to accomodate how he feels.
Opener: 402.2
Second: 429.7
Third: anywhere between 435.2 and 451.7

Pete
Luckily, my heart is really not in this one, so there is no real pressure. I would like to get my best ever total, but that would require a 9 for 9 day. I have never, in 23 years had a 9 for 9 day. With injuries and with Gage lifting, I am just going to try to focus and lift strong and have fun.

Squat: wraps
Opener: 600.7
Second: 639.2
Third: 661.2... this is way off what I wanted, but it is way closer to what I think I can get.

Bench
Opener: raw: 314
Shirted Second: 407.7
Third: if elbow holds out, 424.2 to 435.2

Deadlift
I assume I will go conventional.
Opener: 584
Second: go for a PR: 622.7
Third: go for broke: 644.7

This would give me 1735, ten pounds over my best total, but it is assuming much.

Story drops Today! Squat night goes good for all... excpet me!

My short story "The Irrevocable Voice Lost but to the Stars" is now available in Independent Ink Magazine. Indink is available as a Kindle download on Amazon. Also works for iPhone, iPad, etc. Kindle apps.

Monday Night Squats

Jacob
Squat
45 x 10
135 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 3
215 x 3... called it at this; his groin was bothering him again

Overhead Press
45 x 10
95 x 5
115 x 3
125 x 3
130 x 3

Gage
Squat
45 x 10
135 x 8
185 x 5
225 x 3
270 x 3
285 x 3... TPR!
305 x 3... PR!! by 20lbs

Overhead Press
45 x 10

95 x 5
115 x 3
125 x 3
130 x 3

Christan
Squats
45 x 10
95 x 5
115 x 5
135 x 5
165 x 5
190 x 5
205 x 5... PR!!! Last two were prolly a scoche high, but she really pushed like a champ.

Pete
Squat
bw x 12 x 2
45 x 10
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 5
405 x 5... nothing is feeling right
455 x 5
535 x 1
575 x 2... tight belt all other sets loose. I had to set up twice. First walk out I lost my footing. Took it back in and set up well.
595 x 1... it was a bit high. I got distracted and on the descent did not spread my knees. Turned into a quad dominant squat and I torqued my hip something fierce. Really hurts today. As such, I opted out of work sets. It pissed me off last night, but in light of my hip pain, it was the right decision.

Really pleased with everyone's effort, but especially with Christan. 165 x 5 was rough. !95 x 5 looked great on 1-3, but 4 and 5 were rough. she really dug down deep for that 10lb PR 205 x 5. Last week of fives.

I am not sure what I am going to do. I know I will go with Deload this week. No real choice. I am simply not feeling it as I have for the past year. Just don't want to do  it right now. Been a miserable week in the gym. It's tough becuase the last squat workout was so productive.

Ah, well.