Squats Cure Cancer (The Saga of big val)

[Rich Knapp]

Deads are gooking great Val.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by big valsalva

This week has turned into an impromptu week off. No big deal. I just needed a break. There was some family matters and there was just no way I could fit in a regular lifting week. So I bailed.

I was able to lift last Friday. Nothing remarkable, but something very interesting happened at the gym. I will post that up later.

Today I have a scheduled checkup at the Mayo Clinic. I'm a bit apprehensive. I'm feeling fine. In fact this is the best I've felt in over a year. It's just that I've had some "issues" recently. That and the last time I was in (February) they noticed my right tonsil was more prominent than my left. They weren't alarmed, just curious. If it isn't back to normal today, I'm sure they may want to do something.

I'll keep you posted.

big val out.

Please do.

Looking forward to seeing you creep back to 270 and beyond on those squats. 275 will feel good, adding those 25ers to the bar.

I think we are coming to Minnesota (Mall of America) next week. If my wife spends all my money I might be calling you for gas money, or a ride back home.

[big valsalva]

Originally Posted by Carl1174

Good luck with the check up, Im sure you'll be fine.

Keep us posted Val

Carl.

Thank you

Originally Posted by Rich Knapp

Deads are gooking great Val.

Thank you.

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

Please do.

Looking forward to seeing you creep back to 270 and beyond on those squats. 275 will feel good, adding those 25ers to the bar.

I think we are coming to Minnesota (Mall of America) next week. If my wife spends all my money I might be calling you for gas money, or a ride back home.

Aaaaaaand Thank you.

All went better than expected today. I arrived at my appointment a half hour early. Saw my doctor. And was on my way back home five minutes before my scheduled appointment time. It seems a drag to make a three hour round trip for what amounted to 25 minutes in the building, but such is life. I guess I'm lucky to have that resource so close to me. People from all over the world get treated here. Some even have to uproot their lives and move here (at least temporarily) to receive care. The doctor said my surgery site looked good. My tonsils were back to normal. I fel like I have a new lease on life. The take home from all this is that big val needs to sleep. big val needs to quit burning the candle at every conceiveable end. big val needs to reevaluate some priorities. When I'm rested, I feel great. When I get run down, Uggggggh. It doesn't take much for me to get fried either. I've noticed even this week without the rigors of training that by Tuesday night I was already going, "Hummina, hummina, hummina." Much like a concussed Troy Aikman.

I'm going to take the rest of the week and sleep. Stay out of the gym. Next week I'll go back in and maybe test some singles just to see where I stand. After that I'll try to decide on MAB-a-palooza.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by big valsalva

I'm going to take the rest of the week and sleep. Stay out of the gym. Next week I'll go back in and maybe test some singles just to see where I stand. After that I'll try to decide on MAB-a-palooza.

You said some good things that hit home with me. I'm never good with putting myself first.

Rest up Val. Good to hear all is well.

[big valsalva]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

Please do.

Looking forward to seeing you creep back to 270 and beyond on those squats. 275 will feel good, adding those 25ers to the bar.

I think we are coming to Minnesota (Mall of America) next week. If my wife spends all my money I might be calling you for gas money, or a ride back home.

If your wife needs help spending money, I can send the soon to be 11 year old up. Call me or something.

[big valsalva]

Chapter 300

Sunday, 6/12/11

I've been off for just over a week. I didn't really get a chance to rest up. Silly me. my band had a show last night and I was still a bit blown out by this afternoon.

I needed to get back to the gym though. I'm approaching a crossroads. Is the pursuit of strength a worthwhile goal, especially at my age? I feel like life is pulling me in so many directions. I may have to loosen my grip on something.

I took a walk through a nearby park just to get the body warmed up and the mind focused on establishing a couple of 1 rep maxes. The walk helped me clear my mind of some crappy band garbage that kept me awake until almost 3 a.m. I got my lifting clothes on, grabbed my gym bag and headed downtown.

Squat
45x5
135x5
185x3
225x2
260x1
285x1 - beat my previous PR
300x1 - PR!! No belt or anything.
315 (fail) I got greedy, but at least I tried. It was an honest to goodness fail too. In the hole. There's no shame failing in the hole.

OHP
45x5
65x5
75x5
85x1
95x1
105x1
115 fail
I am determined to make this a good lift. It should be fun. I'm gonna nail it, or die trying.

Tuesday or Wednesday I'll test bench press and maybe deadlift. We'll see how I feel. I'm figuring about 200 and 400 respectively. 900 pound total, meh. Gotta start somewhere. The weekend of MAB-apalooza is clear on the band calendar. If I can get 400 or better on my deadlift, I'll be more inclined to sign up.

[big valsalva]

Guess I'm Not as Strong as I Thought

Wednesday, 6/15/11

I skipped watching Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals with my daughter in order to test 1RM's in BP and Deadlift. Bad mojo. If there were a "Crom," he was punishing me for skipping out on my kid.

I had in mind 200 and 405. This would give me a 900+ pound total, and a good starting point for dipping my toe into the world of competitive powerlifting. As it is, I remain a weak bastard. Guess I'm not as strong as I thought.

BP
45x5
95x5
135x5
165x1 (fairly easy)
185 (new PR attempt) - fail (unless you call gently setting the bar on my windpipe a success)
170x1
175x1
180 - fail

Deadlift
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x2
315x1
345x1 (explosive)
370x1 New PR! - easy
405 - fail
rest a minute
405 - fail

MAB-apalooza is in doubt.

[Bodybygamma]

Failure, all I read where SQUAT & DEADLIFT PR!!! Remember you just hit a Squat pr and it probably effected your CNS for Wednesday, don't get discouraged. I didn't fail any Squats before my last meet and I did horrible at the meet for Squats, the last 2 meets before that I nearly died 2x with heavy squats but smoked them at the competition.

[big valsalva]

Thank you, Tony for the encouragement. I was disappointed because I could taste new PR's in both lifts. Benchmark numbers and such. I walked away...meh...

How would you have played the deadlift? My wife chided me for not progressing to 375, then 380, and such. I thought about doing it that way, but was so focused on eight plates. I figured any intermediate attempt would just tire me out and prevent me from attaining 405. The 370 really was easy.

[Carl1174]

You WILL get there Val, remember where you have been and where you arwe going. You SMASHED a DL PR and the bench looks solid too. Trouble is sometime we are in such a hurry to hit a certain 'milestone' we forget all the little milestones and success' along the way.

You are rocking and rolling along and hitting PB's so you are doing things right, the 4pps DL will come (as it will for me), but it just takes time. As with most things in life lots of little baby steps wil get you there quicker than trying to take big leaps.

Keep killing it brother

Carl.