November 16, 2013 Squats

Not to bad of a day today. The plan was some heavy doubles. That went prett y good and did a top set at 510. I'm still breaking in my new briefs so I threw them on to hit a few more doubles.  One of my training partners Chris starting talking crap so I went a little further...  I ended up hitting 700 for a single. It was OK, a little slower than I would have liked but not terrible. After that we did some front squats.  They pretty much suck and I can't ever keep the bar from rolling down my front delt. Some parking lot lunges were up next then finished off with some extensions and some core work. Just a couple more weeks of this raw crap and then I can start getting ready for the RPS Nationals. Looking forward to New Jersey in January...

November 13, 2013 Playing Catch Up

I have totally sucked at keeping my log up to date. But raw training sucks and it's hard to get excited about writing what's been going on. My volume has been in the three-five range the last few weeks on the lifts. Bodybuilding type accessory volume. Wow. Exciting stuff. I have been playing around with pulling conventional though. I borrowed a Metal King Pro from Chad Walker and I want to see how it feels in gear. Tonight I pulled sumo raw, which always worries me some because I've strained my hip flexor more than once doing it. It felt pretty good tonight though and my top set of five was at 455. 

Brian decided to try a short meet prep since I'm coming off a meet. So I'll only be doing a six week prep. I'll do better at logging my training once I'm back in gear...  

Squats, New Briefs, and a Reenactment of Hellraiser

Saturday was squat day.  Since I have decided to the RPS Nationals on January 25-26 my whole program is out of whack.  I had gotten some new Overkill briefs in the middle of my training for the Semis.  When I had sent my measurements to Rudy I was a about ten pounds lighter.  Come to find out my hips were 1.25" smaller than they are now...  I tried them a couple weeks ago and couldnt get them over my ass.  Well, I talked to Rudy and he told me a couple things to try and I stretched them out overnight Friday and poured boiling water all over them.  I got to the gym Saturday and warmed up and then spent the next hour hanging, twisting, and squirming my way into these briefs.

I finally got them pretty much on.  I worked up to 520 for a couple sets of 2.  They weight felt heavy on my back but it moved really good.  Surprisingly I got down pretty good without my knees going to far forward.

Video of Squats

It only took about 5 minutes to get the things off.  I did pause squats, walking lunges, and a couple core exercises.  A good day.  I am liking the way the lunges are feeling.  I know that my biggest weakness is my glutes and hams so I am focusing on that.  Between GHR, lunges, and leg curls I think they may get right.  I will not allow my deadlift to keep going the way it has.  Even if my squat and bench have to stay put to get it moving I am willing to do that.
Things are going pretty good for the website and magazine.  Picked up another meet sponsor and advertiser today:    powerbellygear.com

Please go visit our website  redemptionpowerlifting.com  and take part in our forum, we will get a couple pro lifters for a Q&A next week.  Remember that you will have to switch to the web version if you have trouble bringing the forum up your mobile device.  Also, if you haven't already please go to our Facebook page and like us -

 Redemption Powerlifting Facebook Page

Powerlifting Training, Commercial Gym Douches, and RPS Nationals

The last couple of weeks have been all over the place. I had to work in Islamorada, poor me, for a week and I also got to take the family. We had a blast. That got my training off schedule and we only got to half ass train last Saturday. We went to a local "gym" and I think we would have been better off not training. They had a squat rack but the safety catches were so high we had to walk all the way out of the rack, about six feet or so. I did notice that there wasn't any plates around the rack, they were all by the benches. Guess it doesn't get much use. I was supposed to work up to a top set of six but that wasn't happening. I stayed at 405 for a couple triples and called it. Now the whole place was looking at Mindy and me anyway but when we started doing walking lunges with a barbell this one "trainer" started freaking out. He was yelling 'you can't do that' and I was looking around trying to figure out what he was talking about. I finally realized he was yelling at Mindy so I asked 'she can't lift weights?'  He replied that what she was doing was dangerous...  To which I replied 'seriously? lunges? so what your saying is we can't train here?'  He started mumbling and walked off. We finished our lunges with his dirty looks motivating us to do an extra set for spite. Real douchebag. So, I highly recommend steering clear of Froggys Fitness if your in the Florida Keys. I missed my bench day Monday, so I benched and Deadlifted Wednesday. On bench I worked up to 355 for my last set of 6. Then did some conventional pulls up to 405 for 3x6. Then 405 for 3x3. After that I did various accessories. If you haven't seen the XPC website the Finals are now a two day event and the amateur meet I had planned on doing is up in the air. I don't like the unknown especially with what gets put into meet prep physically, mentally, and financially so I have decided to compete at the RPS Nationals on January 26 in Newark, NJ. Brian isn't exactly thrilled but I want to compete again soon. The subpar performance at the Semis is really pushing me. So that means I'm 13 weeks out. A couple transition weeks and right back at it. I'm excited and feel pretty good. After this meet I may have to have my umbilical hernia taken care of so I will have some down time before I go back after it at next years Semi Finals. 

I would also like to invite everybody to check out Mindy and I's website:

redemptionpowerlifting.com

This is a project that has evolved from wanting to put on kick ass meets to now having a magazine scheduled for January...  We also have a forum on the site that we will be having pro lifters come on for q&a's every couple of weeks and to also be able to interact with other strength athletes. I'm going to try and moderate it to keep some of the things that turn people away from other forums. Right now there is an issue and the forum isn't available on mobile devices, so you will have to switch from mobile to the full web version on your phones, etc...  Please give us feedback on things you like and especially things you don't like. This project is for lifters so we want it to be the best experience possible. Email us at: publisher@redemptionpowerlifting.com

with any issues. 

10/12/13 Some Leg Training

First day back since the meet. My back is a little tight but no pain. I'm not touching a barbell for a couple weeks but I got a little work in. 

Leg extensions 4x20

Leg curls 4x20

Leg press 4x10

GHR 3x6

Bird dogs 3x30 seconds

The weight was light. Just enough to make the last few "burn" a little. 

2013 XPC Semi Finals Meet Write Up

Saturday I competed at the XPC Semi Finals. I had an awesome training cycle and had very high hopes going into this meet. I flew up Thursday afternoon and met up with friends and are really good. I had moved up from the 275 weight class to the 308's.  I wasn't worrying about my weight. Friday morning I weighed in at 290.something. That had been my average weight and my gear had been fitting perfect right there. I was with Mick, Drew, Justin, and Brian from Omaha Barbell and we went on an eating mission Friday. That night I weighed over 296...that's the most I've ever weighed. But, I felt really good. We had went to the Elitefts Compound for some pre-meet training and my body was ready to lift right then. I didn't get a lot of sleep with the anxiety of the meet.Saturday morning I was pretty worked up already at breakfast. I ate a little bit and started to hydrate the best I could. During warm ups I could feel myself letting my knees drift forward in my squats. I thought it might just be the lighter weights and my heavier bodyweight. I got to 715 which would be my opener and took it down and my knees went forward again, so bad I had them take the weight. I was very frustrated and concerned with what was going on. Brian changed my opener, which caused a brief argument between us that he did win...It's hard to argue with facts... I was sucking ass that day and I needed to go out and be OK. I took my opener squat, 760, and it was nice and smooth. Knees were forward but not to bad. Went for a PR of 810 on the next and got it pretty good too but I felt a strain in my lower back and oblique on my right side.

 We decided that I would take 830 and unrack it and see what it felt like. I did, and when I broke at the hips all of those muscles told me they weren't cooperating with me so I racked it. Disappointed because I have more than that but it was a PR. Bench warm ups felt spot on. Opener was 575 and it was smooth and easy. I went to 605 which would be a 5lbs PR. I set up and took the weight down pretty good. When I got the press command and drove with my legs my left foot slipped about 6" forward. That threw my balance off and I dumped it. Very annoyed... Took it again and pressed it easy.

So with the squat and bench being off just a few pounds it all added up to a bigger than I wanted necessary pull. I would have to pull 675 to qualify elite and make it to the Arnold. My training had actually been going very well up until four weeks out. I was going to open with 6 and then get my total and if things were OK try for a PR. But by meet time I knew the dead was trying to fall apart. So I opened with 575 which I got OK but wasn't as easy as it should be. I came to qualify so I went straight to 675. Went after it twice and both times stalled at the knees. This sucks... I hate you Deadlift!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, I'm trying to figure out what to do. I'll probably do the open meet that's either Friday or Sunday in Columbus. I love going up for the Arnold and Mindy is going this time. I have to seriously look at everything with Brian and make some big adjustments. It is my main goal to PR my dead in March. The list of thank you's is long. Brian Carroll, Ria Carroll,Clint Smith, Brian Mull, Mick Manley, Justin Graalfs, Drew Kleymann,Chad Walker, Greg Staruk, Torey Haun, John Romoser, Phil Halliwell, and I know there's many more. Especially my mother Joye Cole for the help and support. But, most importantly, and without your support and dedication none of this would happen - Thank You Mindy! Thank you.

Mindy Underwood at the RPS End Of Summer Bash

I wanted to put something together regarding Mindy’s meet Saturday, September 28.  She will put together another amazing meet write up but I wanted to say a few things too.  If you don’t know that much about Mindy she is one unbelievable person.  She is the mother of four, a three and four year old full time and a thirteen and sixteen year old part time, she goes to college full time, she works part time, she is a powerlifter, and the most challenging of all she is my wife…  

This was her third full meet.  She had done a meet a couple years back in some old too big gear for fun and I have no clue what she totaled but she had fun.  This year she started training seriously and competed in June in the raw modern class.  She did really well totaling 800lbs.  She thought it was terrible; she served nine years in the Marine Corps and has a way of only comparing herself to men…  I showed her the numbers and told her she was very close to being in the top.  Reluctantly she started looking at it that way.  She decided after that meet that she wanted to go to RUM VII after the knee wrap division had shown that there should be quite a turnout of top raw lifters.  She needed to get an 860 total to quality so we decided to go for this September meet.  Her meet prep started at about 9 weeks out.  She took a week off from the June meet and pretty much went right back into prep.  We tried a few new things and didn’t really like how she was responding so we went back to what had worked best last time.  When she was about four weeks out her bench just crashed… that was weird because that is her best lift.  She was really discouraged by it but I told her to just train with the strength she had at all out intensity and come meet time it’ll be OK.  Her squats and pulls were thru the roof and we knew that was going to be some really nice PR’s.  At two weeks out the black plague hit our house.  This seems to be becoming a tradition at our house, the last four meets I have done this has happened including this one.  She was SICK.  And I don’t mean not feel good.  She had a high temperature, cough, congestion, throwing up from both ends, it was terrible.  We thought about throwing in the towel when the symptoms hadn’t really gotten that much better on Tuesday before the meet.  That night she really went thru it and broke the fever and started getting a little better Wednesday.  By Friday morning she could move around but the congestion and cough were still kicking her butt.  She made the decision that she was going and we would see what happens.  So, we drove over Friday evening and Saturday morning she wasn’t too bad.  She was still congested but mostly she was nervous.  We ate breakfast and headed over to the meet site.  Warm ups went pretty well and she said everything felt good.  So we stuck to the plan, we had three goals.  The first was a qualifying total for RUM, the second was a 900 total, and the third was to sweep the RPS world records in the 181’s.  Her opener squat was 300, easy.  Second was 325 butt shot up a little but easy lift.  Third was for 340 and a 65lbs PR – smoke show, best squat of the day and probably had 20lbs left in the tank.  Bench, here we go.  We cut her opener because of all the problems to 185 and it looked like air.  Second was to 200 and it moved nice and smooth.  Her third was 210 and a 5lbs PR and it was a grinder but she got it.  Deads are her favorite right now.  Her warm ups looked spot an and she felt ready so we changed her opener to 310 which would give her qualifying total and have that out of the way.  She pulled that like nothing.  So she needed 350 to get the 900 total and she took that on her second and it moved really good, 30lbs PR…  She needed 375 to take the record and that’s what I called even though she said not too.  She got it to her knees and that was it…  I was wrong on the call but it was worth the shot.  She had an awesome day.  So very proud of her for going thru all the sick crap right before the meet.  I am fighting the same crap right now just five days out from the XPC and after watching her I know that there is no excuse to not go and do well.  She set the example that if you’ve prepared and your heart and mind are there to fight you can overcome anything.  Congratulations mama and know that me and the kids are so very proud of you and love you so much.

Bert