I love the looks on people's faces when..

[view]

..lets say you are preparing for the 3x3 on bench press.

you cooly do:
bar x 10
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 1
275 x 1

and here they think you are about to go for a single

and you do 305 x 3. and they are all like what the fuck? thats impossible, he could only do 275 for 1 but 305 for 3?!??!

makes my day everytime.

p.s. i tried explaining to someone not to waste energy repping out light warmups, but they just don't fuggin understand.

 

[Klown]

I really want to hit four plates on deadlifts, cause it seems that that is about the point where the bar starts to bend... looks very badass. Plus one side makes a good seat afterwards, which also looks badass.

 

[Distortion]

do other people actually pay that much attention to you when your lifting?

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

Even though my gym is a commercial piece of shite, it has a pretty nice powerlifter area and some of them guys routinely squat and dead 500-600lbs or more and bench 400+ so you gotta really be pushin some weight for people to actually stare.

 

[needsize]

I get that a lot as my last warm up is always a triple, so it looks like the next set will likely be a max. The other day some dudes that were new to the gym watched me squat 405 x 3, and they looked really impressed(I can tell they dont get out much). So when I went to 5 plates(495), and hit 5 reps, they actually stood there with their mouths open. It would have been funny if I hadnt found it distracting

 

[dsh89]

Well Needsize I saw your video of your squats, and I gotta say, I would probably be gawking too!

 

[Mithrandir]

The squat bar seems to bend after around 250--I love legs, and esp. when the bar is bending over your traps

 

[blut wump]

The squat bar seems to bend after around 250--I love legs, and esp. when the bar is bending over your traps

That always annoys me. I do a set of 1 plate then 2 plates with easy walkouts. I then go to 3 plates and have to make an effort to get the bar clear of the hooks. At first I thought my spine must be getting compressed then it finally dawned on me that the bar was bending.

 

[needsize]

Well Needsize I saw your video of your squats, and I gotta say, I would probably be gawking too!

thanks, its funny though, I remember first time I saw somebody squatting 5 plates a side for reps, it was the craziest thing I ever saw. But now when I do it, I look at it and think it aint shit, that I need to be lifting much more

 

[JKurz1]

do other people actually pay that much attention to you when your lifting?

not that, do YOU pay that much attention to others watching you?????

 

[d3track]

thanks, its funny though, I remember first time I saw somebody squatting 5 plates a side for reps, it was the craziest thing I ever saw. But now when I do it, I look at it and think it aint shit, that I need to be lifting much more

yeah right now, as work towards 500# in the squat and dead, it seems huge
but i'm sure it'll be like 405, once i did that all that i wanted to do was see how much growth i could get at 455.......

 

[Madcow2]

yeah right now, as work towards 500# in the squat and dead, it seems huge
but i'm sure it'll be like 405, once i did that all that i wanted to do was see how much growth i could get at 455.......

Hence the term "The Iron Game." Very addictive stuff.

 

[needsize]

yeah right now, as work towards 500# in the squat and dead, it seems huge
but i'm sure it'll be like 405, once i did that all that i wanted to do was see how much growth i could get at 455.......

so true, every big milestone like that seemed so huge on my way to reaching it, and every time I hit it, that very day it doesnt seem like much at all. Its kind of depressing sometimes

 

[Madcow2]

so true, every big milestone like that seemed so huge on my way to reaching it, and every time I hit it, that very day it doesnt seem like much at all. Its kind of depressing sometimes

That brings up an interesting and semi-philosophical point. People spend so much time in life trying to get to someplace or focused on some goal further out there. While it's important and crucial to set and achieve your longer and intermediate term objectives, the overwhelming majority of your life is spent on the path rather than at the destination. Frequently, arrival at the destination leads to a mild celebration and looking off to determine the next destination or goal which in some ways is a let down. The point being - enjoy the path and journey, look around, soak it in, you will never be hear again, this is no dress rehearsal - this is your life.

It probably useful to remind yourself of this multiple times a day until it really soaks into your being. I find myself getting lost in bullshit far too much and as I get older I realize that while I'm lost in some bullshit or minor annoyance, pissing time away, or just not being as happy and thankful as I could be my precious time here continues to dwindle on. I think I'll print this out and stick it on my desk in front of me.

 

[cwpick]

That brings up an interesting and semi-philosophical point. People spend so much time in life trying to get to someplace or focused on some goal further out there. While it's important and crucial to set and achieve your longer and intermediate term objectives, the overwhelming majority of your life is spent on the path rather than at the destination. Frequently, arrival at the destination leads to a mild celebration and looking off to determine the next destination or goal which in some ways is a let down. The point being - enjoy the path and journey, look around, soak it in, you will never be hear again, this is no dress rehearsal - this is your life.

It probably useful to remind yourself of this multiple times a day until it really soaks into your being. I find myself getting lost in bullshit far too much and as I get older I realize that while I'm lost in some bullshit or minor annoyance, pissing time away, or just not being as happy and thankful as I could be my precious time here continues to dwindle on. I think I'll print this out and stick it on my desk in front of me.

That is good stuff. You seem to have it together Madcow, not only in your training philosphy, but life to. I enjoy all your posts. It's refreshing to read post that have thought behind them. Some people speak with nothing to say.

 

[musketeer]

I was warming up in my gym with a quck set of 25 reps of behind the neck pulldowns with about 40lbs just to loosen up my rotators before I went on to benching or something and this guy I know who's seen me doing 600lb rack deadlifts and spotted me on the bench with 3 plates comes over with his eyes wide and says: "Surely you can do more on this?" He was being genuine! He couln't believe that I was only using 40lbs for the pulldowns.

People often think that Im about to max when I squat:

bar x 20
95 x 15
135 x 6
185 x 4
225 x 3
275 x 2

Then I'll do something like 295lbs for 20 reps and their scratching their heads wndering if I'm caught in a time loop as I keep banging the reps out!

For some reaso this one guy really annoys me:

He looks pretty good, not a bodybuilder but a pleasant athletic physique. He'll spend 15 mins on cardio at a low pace, 10mins of very carful but correct stretching and then he'll go into the freewights area and right away put on 195 and bench it for about 8 reps to failure. Rest repeat, rest repeat. Then put on 205 get 4 reps and leave. No cooldown, no stretching! He's been doing the same workout for 2.5 years with no change in apearence or poundage.

 

[needsize]

madcow, very true
intellectually I know all that, but I've been obsessed with training for so many years, that its almost impossible to keep that in mind sometimes. My last pr was a great example....going back a fews years, I remember seeing someone squat 5 plates for a set, and thought that was the coolest thing ever, but realistically I would never get there. Then this year, that was my goal by July, and I got it 3 months early, so I should be happy as hell, but as soon as I did it, I looked at it and thought it really wasnt that much
I'm a social worker and have worked with people with eating disorders, so I know the nature of the beast I face...but i dont know if I'll ever truly get a handle on it

 

[Madcow2]

With time comes wisdom but the real challenge is always to incorporate your knowledge into your daily life and disrupt suboptimal routines and emotions. Change is hard. This is why I printed it and put it on my desk, if left to my daily routine I loose site of what's important the net result of which is less happiness, fullfillment and balance because my actions, emotions, and thoughts (basically my life) don't reflect my knowledge at it's deepest level. This is actually a strong point for prayer and meditation as they serve to disrupt the daily routine and allow for detatchment and rebalance. It need not be religious in nature at all it just helps to disrupt one's mindless routines so one can get consious and back on track. This is without doubt the hardest thing to do in life. I don't know why the mind puts up so much resistence when you are really only trying to put it at peace (a clear mind resolves many issues and attachements) and be happy. I actually had a watch countdown every 15 minutes during the day so I could better monitor what I was doing - unfortunately my son (1.25 years) took it on day 3 and I haven't seen it since. Little bugger.

 

[b fold the truth]

You guys need a better squat bar. Mine doesn't bend with 700 on the bar...

I bark a lot when I train and believe it or not I get the attention of all the dogs in the neighborhood...lol.

B True

 

[d3track]

lmao @ barking
i have a hard enough time not falling over and vomiting, much less communicating with the neighborhood pets
thats some sweet multitasing bfold

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

Definitely can feel what you guys are saying.

My PR bench of 275 raw and 315 raw full squat were kinda like "hmm, great. Ok, 315 and 350 next."

It's that next highest peak and once you bag it you set your sights on an even higher or harder peak.

 

[b fold the truth]

lmao @ barking
i have a hard enough time not falling over and vomiting, much less communicating with the neighborhood pets
thats some sweet multitasing bfold

I tend to somehow let out a little bark/growl before some of my more intense sets...lol.

B True

 

[Tom Treutlein]

Madcow, good posts. I'd give K, but that's not an option right now.

 

[Tweakle]

watched me squat 405 x 3, and they looked really impressed

lol

I had one guy compliment me on my 4 plate deadlift warmup single... the look on his face when I went to 605 was priceless.