@kpsnap I believe that this gym is a gem. The owner made a wonderful impression on me. He wants to create a space for serious lifters of all types to excel. I was complimented on my squat workout and made to feel entirely welcome. It is midnight and I’m still awake. I’m all keyed up right now. I’m sure you get it.
@The_Myth You are correct that it wasn’t a random invite. I actually heard about this place by word-of-mouth. I reached out to the owner on Facebook last Friday. He told me to show up on Monday to meet him and talk. He gave us our access cards after we squatted. Also, I didn’t weight myself tonight at the new gym. I didn’t look for the scale.
@max13 I have no immediate plans to compete in powerlifting. These guys were all geared up in wraps, squat suits, monolifts and VERY wide squat stances. I’m still first and foremost concerned with being less of a fatass whilst staying reasonably strong. This means that pursuing something like geared powerlifting is going to have to wait. That doesn’t mean I’m not thrilled to be lifting with people who are excelling in that pursuit.
I grew envious of your new nirvana today as I dodged dumped dumbbells from noobs obviously handling too much weight, and threw elbows just to clear space around my work area (when I could secure one) in my severely impacted commercial gym.
@FlatsFarmer I’d like to think that I’m more than just a large kettlebell to the new gym’s gym people. For starters, I have agreed to give the owner cash each month for dues. I’ve also got a pretty decent deadlift that’s right up there with the PL’ers. Plus there was all of those blowjobs I gave back in the alley during my interview. That’s gotta count for something.
@bigjeff68 Your jealousy makes me feel a lot better about myself after giving out all of those blowjobs. I really appreciate it!
@biker Due to unfortunate circumstances with the main bouncer, I’m working the door for 4 consecutive nights this week. I’m also due for a deload, so I’ll get back to the weights next week when time is back on my side. I thought you’d like to know that dander girl was very drunk last night. She was having me do bodyweight squats with her for some reason. A guy from my day job saw this and said that I could probably squat her. Not one to back away from a challenge, I tossed the lovely trainwreck on my back and squatted her for an easy set of 5.
I learned two valuable lessons from these antics.
Picking people up is just so easy now. I knew this already, but last night I realized that once you get a firm grip on the inner thigh they will just fly right up.
I never would have guessed that physically picking up a woman is a great way to metaphorically pick up other women, but it sure seems like it is. I don’t typically manhandle people except in private or when I’m bouncing, but tossing a drunk girl around like a ragdoll in a bar sure seemed to plant certain ideas in the inebriated brains of some of our customers last night.
I’m wiped out already but I’ve got three more nights of this ahead of me. I’m really looking forward to next week!
I suppose that’s better than taking it in the backdoor over the reverse hyper apparatus…I mean, you wouldn’t even be able to hear yourself fart afterward…
@biker Thank you! Its nice to know you can appreciate a good blowjob joke.
@bigjeff68 I’m just glad to lift at a place where being sodomized on a reverse hyper is a real possibility. We’ve also got a GHR and the best hamstring curl machine I’ve ever used.
@scoots2 Thanks for the kind words scoots2. The plan is indeed to ride the wave and enjoy.
Monday 10/17/16
BW ??? 270-ish I think. Need to find the scale at the new gym or buy one.
Squat
135x5
225x5
315x3
405x1 (beltless paused, yes I may have been showing off a bit)
455x1
405x7
315x10
225x20-ish
Leg press
Four plates x 20
Five plates x 20
Hamstring Curls
3 sets of 10
Notes: 405x7 is a PR for sub 300 BW I think. I was quite a bit chunkier when I hit 410x8, and I think my knees were wrapped too. Partner had a weak showing today, but still managed 495x1 and 405x10. On my last set of 225 I lost count. My partner said I got at least 20. I paused the last one for style points.
This gym and its members are just fantastic. The owner was kicked out of my old gym, so he seems glad to have plucked us out of that place.
@kpsnap There’s nothing funny about lifting in a room full of rugged men with thick Maine accents who could, if they had the mind, overpower this bouncer and do all manner of unspeakable things to me on the reverse hyper.
@max13 Well I’m originally from a part of Indiana known as Chicagoland, so I speak like a normal human. I’m not quite sure what the difference is between someone from Maine and a Canadian outdoorsman. The Mainer is probably better armed and on more drugs, but not quite as drunk as the Canadian. That’s about the best distinction I can draw.
@2busy That video is a mostly accurate portrayal of masculinity in New England’s farthest reaches.
@biker I think I need to get to know the owner a bit better before I start bringing bar girls into the strength club for demonstrations of bar girl squatting prowess. But I’m pretty sure he’d be cool with it.
Tuesday 10/18/16
BW ??? Still don’t see a scale at the new gym. 270-ish.
One plate for 10
Two plates for 10
Three plates for three sets of 10
Cable Circuit
Tricep Pushdowns
Curls
Facepulls
3 rounds no rest
Notes: I’m learning all about the many special bars I now have access to. It turns out that some are heavier than others. For example, my partner and I did our whole workout today thinking that we were loading plates on a 45 pound bar. Well we weren’t. We were loading plates on a Texas Bench Bar, which I was told weighs 55 pounds.
I suppose I PR’d on a few sets, so these special bars were a pleasant surprise. When I was lifting today I thought everything was 10 pounds lighter. Fool me once, shame on me…
Here’s a video of me bench pressing, shot from the most vulgar angle imaginable.
Notes: My partner failed 585, but followed it up with his usual antics by banging out 495x10 afterwards. Looking at my video, I should have had three reps with 585! Once I get a better feel for the fantastic Texas Deadlift Bar I think I can start to build a more respectable pull.
This gym rocks and so do all of the people I’ve met there. I know for a fact the owner has already denied membership to several local douchebags who are extremely strong. It really seems like he’s trying to build a really special place. I love it!
Notes: No partner today. I got to watch some of the powerlifters pulling today. They were all pulling sumo with very good technique. I may switch my schedule around so I can pull with them too, but I could really use more help on my bench, which they do on Wednesday.
On the other hand, I really like my 4 day layout right now. Decisions, decisions.
Do the powerlifters at your gym follow a Squat/Bench/Deadlift split M/W/F or a more traditional westside system with squat and dead days mashed together? I used to go to a powerlifting gym that followed the former, so I am wondering how common that is…
Just saying. But, it cracks me up how it’s not really a big deal to you. In the Summer, when I go on vacation, I spend three weeks in a cabin with no scale and it takes me a week to get use to it. Whenever I go into town, I’m looking for a public scale. Last Summer I chose to work out at a CrossFit because they had a scale and the other gym didn’t.
@max13 I’m not quite sure what system they run. I just met everyone last week. I know that right now, leading up to their meet that’s in a week or two, they are lifting three days/week and hitting lots of singles. The owner and one other very large, very strong fellow have trained with Louie Simmons (as well as other notable trainers) and I’m sure a variety of methodologies are known to the group.
Here are some of the totals from the gym board. Don’t quote me on this, but I believe these are all APF single-ply totals.
@The_Myth I just confirmed yesterday that there is no scale at the gym, so I’ll be getting one for home soon. Like most very large men, I’ve gone years without stepping foot on one, so a few weeks is nothing to me. I think the absence of a scale says a lot about this gym. You can also infer the owner’s priorities by examining the cardio room, which doubles as a kitchen. It has three lonely machines and the lights are never on in there. I’m pretty sure the fridge sees way more action.
