Donati's Log Of Steel Bending, Grip And Powerlifting

[jvance]

Good contest!! 15 seconds w/ the bullet is serious business.. Your crush should be up there.

[Buccos1]

Solid performance Carl! Excellent work with the silver bullet, it's always nice when you surprise yourself,and I'd say your other numbers are pretty darn good too!

Thanks man! I was definitely surprised ... More like shocked. Lol. Gotta keep hitting the axle and getting stronger right at the top.

[Buccos1]

Good contest!! 15 seconds w/ the bullet is serious business.. Your crush should be up there.

Thanks Jon! I'm going to keep plugging away on the grippers, hopefully getting a #3 close in '15.

[Chez]

Great job with the silver bullet hold Carl. That medley was vicious by the way. Chris had to make it tough because Jedd and Andrew were competing. I'm having a medley at my next comp but I always scale is based on the ability of the competitors. You are gaining great competition experience and that will pay off down the road.

Edited December 9, 2014 by Chez

[Buccos1]

Great job with the silver bullet hold Carl. That medley was vicious by the way. Chris had to make it tough because Jedd and Andrew were competing. I'm having a medley at my next comp but I always scale is based on the ability of the competitors. You are gaining great competition experience and that will pay off down the road.

Thanks bro! Still kinda shocked I was able to hold the Silver Bullet that long. LOL Yeah, the medley was tough. There were maybe a few more things I could have gotten, some possibly with more work. A lot of stuff would be nearly impossible for me, no matter what I did in training. But it was a lot of fun! I had to go first too, which made it more difficult for me as I wasn't quite sure how to attack it, and did quite a few things wrong (after watching others go through it).

[Buccos1]

Mon (12/8)

Ironmind Hub - Holds

50 - 5 sec.

60 - 5 sec.

60 - 5 sec.

Rolling Thunder

(1x1) 112.5

(1x1) 117.5

(1x1) 122.5

Rolling Thunder - Holds

112.5 - 5 sec.

115 - 4 sec.

Inverted Hex

(2x1) 40

Blob 35

(2x0)

(1x1)

Grippers - 25mm block

(1x3) #1

(1x1) #1.5

(1x1) GHP5

Grippers - MMS

(1x1) #2.5

(1x0) GHP6

I probably should have waited a few more days after the comp., but wanted to get back into it. Grippers felt weak ... especially the GHP6, which I've never gotten to-date.

[Buccos1]

Tue (12/9)

Bench Press

(2x8) 135

(1x5) 185

(1x3) 225

(1x3) 250

(1x3) 280

(1x1) 315

Bench Press - Sling Shot

(2x1) 350

(1x1) 365

Bamboo Bar Bench Press

(1x15) 75

(3x8) 125

Lying Kettlebell Extensions

(2x5) 35

Dips

(2x12)

I didn't have much time to heat-up the garage today. Bench felt rough on warmups and I decided to cut my top set short.

[Buccos1]

Wed (12/10)

Deadlift

(1x5) 135

(1x3) 225

(1x2) 315

(1x2) 405 - add suit/straps down

(1x1) 475

Deadlift - against doubled mini bands

(1x3) 135

(3x2) 185

Pulling against bands is rough! I've only done that a few times in my tenure and am starting to remember why. One of my long-term goals is to pull 600 or a triple-bodyweight deadlift. But those last 40-50lbs have been elusive the past few years. To reach that milestone, I am going to have to add some things to my training, to target specific parts of the pull. One of these things is going to be adding more work against bands.

[Buccos1]

Fri (12/12)

Speed Bench Press - Axle Bar

(1x3) 110

(2x3) 130

(5x3) 130 - add chains

Axle Bench Press

(1x3) 200

(1x3) 250

(1x1) 275

Grippers - MMS

(1x3) #1

(1x3) #1.5

(1x1) #2

(1x1) SM (126 lbs.)

[Buccos1]

Sat (12/13)

Squats

(1x5) 135

(1x3) 225

(1x2) 315

(1x2) 405 - add briefs

(1x1) 425

(1x1) 455

(1x2) 405

[Buccos1]

Sun (12/14)

1" V-bar

(1x1) 80

(1x1) 115

(1x1) 150

(1x1) 185

(1x1) 210

(1x1) 225

Ironmind Hub

(1x1) 40

(1x1) 50

(1x1) 60

(1x1) 65

Blob

(1x1) 35

Inverted Hex

(1x1) 40

Block Weight

(1x0) 40

DO - IMPs

Yellow Nail

1/4 x 7" Square

Red Nail

The Hub felt really good on the last rep today (65lbs.). It's been hit-or-miss with 65+ the past few months, but it felt solid.

[Buccos1]

Mon (12/15)

Grippers - MMS

(1x5) #1

(1x1) GHP5

Grippers - Silver Bullet Hold

10 sec. -- GHP6

5 sec. -- GHP6

7 sec. -- GHP6

GripTopz Stub

(1x1) 25

(1x1) 30

(1x1) 32.5

Rolling Thunder

(1x1) 67.5

(1x1) 100

(1x1) 110

(1x1) 120

DU - IMPs

Yellow Nail

1/4 x 6.5" Grade 5

DU - BBWs

1/4 x 7" Grade 8

Most of the grade 8s I bend double underhand are the black ones, which rate consistently harder than the gold ones. What I've found is that if I'm not bending these week-after-week, when I finally do one, it just about kills me!

[Buccos1]

Tue (12/16)

Bench Press

(1x10) 135

(1x5) 185

(1x3) 225

(1x3) 265

(1x2) 315

Bench Press - Sling Shot

(1x1) 365

(1x1) 375

Close-grip Bench Press

(2x8) 225

Bamboo Bar Bench Press

(1x10) 75

(2x8) 145

Lying Dumbell Extensions

(1x8) 30

(1x5) 30

[Buccos1]

Thur (12/18)

Dead Bench Press

(1x5) 135

(1x3) 185

(1x3) 225

(1x3) 245

(1x3) 275

Speed Bench Press - Chains

(3x3) 135

(5x3) 155

Axle Curls

(3x8) 75

Grippers - MMS

(1x3) T

(1x3) #1

(1x3) #2

(1x1) SM (126lbs.)

Grippers - Holds

RB 210N - 10 sec.

#2 (107lbs.) - 10 sec.

[Buccos1]

Sat (12/20)

Squats

(1x5) 135

(1x3) 225

(1x2) 315

add briefs

(1x2) 405

(1x2) 425

(1x1) 455

Axle Deadlift - Double Overhand

(1x3) 125

(1x3) 215

(1x1) 235

(1x1) 250

Grippers - MMS

(1x3) #1

(1x3) #1.5

(1x1) GHP5

My hands feel fried from grippers the past few weeks. I know I need to take a break, but it's getting more difficult to pass up ... especially when I see them sitting there in between sets of other lifts. I've actually thought about hiding my grippers, out-of-sight when I'm doing my normal routine, to avoid temptation.

Axle felt strong today. I missed 250 three times at Gripmas, right before lockout. Today, I held it for a few seconds easily at the top. More-and-more, thinking about it, my hands were fried from the Silver Bullet, and I probably should have been more conservative with my first two attempts. 'Cause there is no way I should've have missed 250!

[Buccos1]

Sun (12/21)

Shrugs

(1x8) 135

(1x8) 225

(1x8) 315

(1x8) 405

Bamboo Bar Bench Press

(1x8) 75

(2x8) 145

Axle Curls

(1x8) 85

(2x5) 100

DO - IMPs

Yellow Nail

1/4 x 6.5" Grade 8

8mm x 7" O1 Drillrod (465lbs.) - 4.5"

I finally put together my large powerrack (moved to new place 4 months ago). Because it was in storage, I haven't been able to do a few things that were a regular part of my routine (shrugs, floor press, pull ups), but will be starting these up again.

Due to injuries and other training reasons, I scaled back my unbraced DO bending a few years ago. Mainly, I've been trying to stay at a Red level in single IMPs, week-after-week, which takes some work, but isn't too tough to maintain. That said, I haven't tried anything much more difficult than a Red in a long time. Out of curiosity, I decided to see where I'm at today by wrapping up a 8mm bar at 7". The bar was calibrated by Mike K at 465. I really forgot how much O1 is different than CRS, and the kink was tough. I ended up putting a lot more into the kink, just to get it past the sweep, which took a lot of steam out of me. I was able to get it down to about 4.5" which was better than what I was expecting, especially not having trained with O1 this past year.

Everything feels OK this morning, and I'm seriously considering making a "comeback." I have a few 485 bars at 7" which would be a great short-term goal to recapture. I think as long as I stay away from the shorter O1 stock, which is what did me in a few years back, I might be OK. Seeing all of these excellent bends posted lately is starting to light the fire again!

[Buccos1]

Mon (12/22)

Floor Press

(1x5) 135

(1x5) 185

(1x3) 225

(1x3) 245

(1x1) 275

Bench Press - Sling Shot

(2x1) 365

Lying Dumbell Extensions

(2x8) 30

[Buccos1]

Tue (12/23)

Deadlifts

(2x3) 135

(2x3) 225

(2x2) 315

(1x2) 405

add loose suit-straps down

(1x1) 425

(1x1) 475

straps up

(1x1) 500

[Buccos1]

Wed (12/24)

Rolling Thunder

(1x3) 67.5

(1x3) 92.5

(1x1) 115

(1x1) 125

1" V-bar

(1x1) 137.5

(1x1) 172.5

(1x1) 207.5

(1x1) 225

Ironmind Hub

(1x1) 40

(1x1) 50

(1x1) 60

(1x0) 67.5

GripTopz Stub

(1x1) 30

(1x1) 32.5

(1x0) 35

Blob 35

(2x1)

[Buccos1]

Thur (12/25)

Speed Bench Press

(3x3) 155

(5x3) 165 - add chains

Wide-grip Bench Press

(1x5) 185

(1x5) 225

(1x5) 250

Shrugs

(1x8) 225

(1x8) 315

(1x5) 405

(1x5) 455

Grippers - MMS

(1x3) #1

(1x3) #1.5

(1x3) #2

(2x0) #2.5

(1x1) GHP5

I just missed the 2.5. The second attempt was identical: about 1-2mm from clicking. I'll chalk it up to the cold and doing shrugs right before grippers. Everything else felt pretty good.

[Anthony C.]

Hey carl I know i liked it on facebook but i wanted to personally congratulate you on the birth of your son! Wishing good health for him, and also for your entire family!

[Buccos1]

Hey carl I know i liked it on facebook but i wanted to personally congratulate you on the birth of your son! Wishing good health for him, and also for your entire family!

Thanks buddy! It's been a wild couple of days ... definitely awesome (and totally exhausting ... in a great way!)

[Buccos1]

Fri (12/26)

DO - IMPs

Yellow Nail

1/4 x 6.5" Grade 5

Red Nail -- dedicated to the birth of my son

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mk_NlM4WpA

I was waiting for the "right time" to do the Red in the hospital, as it was almost impossible the first part of the day. But when I got the nurses' schedules down a little, I went for the bend when I thought I had a chance. I knew they'd freak if they saw what I was trying to do! So I tried to keep it clean (ish) and quiet. The bend itself was tough (which I knew it would be). I was exhausted and running on almost no sleep for a few days. Living in the hospital for a few days and just getting over a wild day of traveling for the holiday didn't help my strength or stamina either. I felt like it would be a great dedication and challenge under the circumstances and was happy to do it for my son!

[Buccos1]

Sat (12/27)

Squats - briefs

(1x3) 135

(1x3) 225

(1x2) 315

(1x2) 405

(1x1) 440

(1x1) 455

[Buccos1]

Sun (12/28)

Grippers - MMS

(1x3) RB 210N

(1x3) #2

(1x0) SM (126lbs.)

Ironmind Little Bighorn

(1x1) 77.5

(1x1) 112.5

2-hand Pinch

(1x1) 45

(1x1) 115

(1x1) 135

(1x0) 147.5

GripTopz Stub

(1x1) 30

(1x0) 35

DU - BBW

Yellow Nail

60d Nail (hard)

1/4 x 7" Grade 8