Bullitt's Journal

[Teemu I]

MM2 will go down!

[Guest Bullitt]

Back squats and Zerchers tonight with my gripper closes in between.

Can't go into detail on the routine because I'm still doing Bill's experimental RRBT program, but it went very well.

Highlights were several solid closes with my adjustable BBE set in mid 160's. Tried to make sure I showed set before each close. Was also able to overcrush my easy #3 for 25 seconds which is close to a record for me (might be). Strength on grippers seems to be peaking quite nicely. Hopefully I have enough for the MM2. This was all done 2 days after a pretty brutal training session with Jedd and the boys, so even better.

Also did several high pulls with Eaton's 42# blob with my left hand and got air 3 times after that with Jedd's 50 pounder. My left forearm didn't feel quite recovered from Jedd's on these so I shut it down.

Edited October 27, 2009 by Bullitt

[Joefrey]

Reading this, I'm sure that you'll close thoses handles shut!

[FrankyBoy]

Sounds good Mike!

I'm confident you'll do it!

[Guest Bullitt]

Thanks guys! I'm feeling much better about the attempt after my last few workouts. If i don't get it, it won't be because i didn't give it my all during training. It will be because the gripper is just stronger than I am. I welcome the challenge.

[Guest Bullitt]

Did some benching tonight. Never felt strong. So I messed around with different grip widths with 245 on the bar. Nothing felt right so I bagged it after awhile and superset skull crushers with barbell curls and called it a night.

[RPGoodfellow]

Did some benching tonight. Never felt strong. So I messed around with different grip widths with 245 on the bar. Nothing felt right so I bagged it after awhile and superset skull crushers with barbell curls and called it a night.

No worries, Mike. We all have off-days and workout-washouts. You'll rebound on the bench next time it pops up in your workout cycle.

[nickr104]

If i told you what my workout turned into yesterday You wouldn't feel so bad. We all have those days.

[barbe705]

Did some benching tonight. Never felt strong. So I messed around with different grip widths with 245 on the bar. Nothing felt right so I bagged it after awhile and superset skull crushers with barbell curls and called it a night.

you wouldn't feel so bad if you saw what my bench is like on a good night.

[Rick Walker]

I would be happy to just be able to bench again.

My ortho told me to stay the heck away from the straight bar bench press. With my shoulder he said I would be messed up again in a matter of weeks.

[barbe705]

I would be happy to just be able to bench again.

My ortho told me to stay the heck away from the straight bar bench press. With my shoulder he said I would be messed up again in a matter of weeks.

I wouldn't take 1/2 that much convincing to give up flat bench. I just don't like it. If I had one of those dumbell benches I'd do dumbells 99% of the time.

[Guest Bullitt]

10-29-09:

Push Press:

Haven't done these in awhile because the ceiling in my house is too low. So I hauled the squat stands Jedd gave me out onto my deck last night. Didn't go heavy, just wanted to get a feel for the lift again. Had trouble getting leg drive and press coordinated. Many of these just turned into presses, but that got better as the workout progressed. Also noticed that not all of my leg drive is getting transfered to the bar, so I need to work on getting the bar in on my shoulders and collar bone tighter to get a good transfer. Finally i noticed that my abs seem to be a weak link in the exercise, so damnit, I guess i'll have to start doing some ab work.

bar X 10

95 X 10

135 X 10

185 X 1 X 1 X 1 X miss (got all discombobulated), X 1 X 1 X 1

Then I hauled out my pipe axle and hit onarm and DO axle deadlifts:

one arm DL:

110 X 5 each hand

175 X 2 right, X miss left

200 X miss, miss, miss right (just under knee level for 1st 2)

DO axle DLs

200 x 5

250 x 3

300 x 1

345 x miss, miss

Then I went inside and did a few hub lifts and hub high pulls on Barbe's 45 he lent me.

[Guest Bullitt]

Squats, grippers n romanian deads:

Warmed up way more than usual:

Bodyweight squats: 1X10

Bodyweight lunges: 1X10

Goblet squat w/ 20lb kettlebell: 1X8

Bulgarian split squats (bodyweight): 1X10 each leg.

Overhead squats w/ bar: 1X8

Stretching

Goblet squat w/ 60 lb kettlebell: 1X8

Arse in the sod back squats:

barX10

95X10

135X8

155X 2 sets X 8 reps (big improvement - wasn't able to go deep with 135 last time without bending way forward. This time I was able to do 2X8 at 155 with decent form going all the way down.

185X 1 (couldn't go deep without starting to lean forward so I stopped)

Quarter squats:

225 X 10

275 X 5

325 X 3

Then one more set of goblet squats w/ 60lb KB to set my muscle memory on last set with the feel of going deep upright.

Grippers (in between squat sets): Singles with my adj. BBE set at about 168. Closed first one, and the rest were assisted. Then did some BFNs and overcrushes.

Romanian deads

barX10

135X8

135X8

Then i did something I haven't done since basketball coach used to make us in college - stretched for about 10 minutes afterward.

[Guest Bullitt]

Crappy gripper workout, good pinch workout.

Tried something new as an experiment and did extensor work with a rubber band, then picked up my gripper and tried to close it (BBE adj. set at about 168#). Didn't work for me. Thought maybe working the antagonist muscles might help. Nope. Anyway, did a few attempts (got second one about 1/16 away) but never closed it. I then did a 4 rep, grind the handle set (was inspired by Gabriel and Frank) with my easy #3. Got it on video, but the camera barely picked up the grinding, so I'll try again after the MM2. Left hand was a different story. Now that my tendon issue has improved, my gripper strength is improving as well. Was able to get my #3 down to a couple mm on 3 solid attempts. One more gripper workout before MM2 this Sunday. That's the only training I'm doing between today and then.

Pinch:

Was able to hub Barbe's 45 with 5 lb added. Was also able to get it half way up with 7.5 added, but the damn plate kept tilting and the weight fell off. With +10 it barely got any air.

With my left hand I was able to get Jedd's 50 lb blob lifted a few times and actually got about 1/2" of air with 5 lb added.

Finished up with 2HP. Didn't push it as the skin tear I got at Jedd's on my right thumb is still a little tender.

[Guest Bullitt]

Good final workout before MM2.

Set the adj BBE at ~ 164#. Paused MM set singles: X 1, X1, X vvn, X1

Speed closes:

#3 X 1

Filed #2.5 X 1, X 1, X 1, X 1, X 1, X 1

Over crush for 15 seconds with filed 2.5

Pretty happy with this workout. No squats, no real warmup, no extra caffeine and no cert adrenaline. Biggest problem is a sore and stiff index knuckle on my right hand. I hurt it setting my #3 for a left hand close Saturday. Doubling up on Cissus, fish oil, and borage oil. I'm also gonna do contrast bathes Thurs, Fri, and Saturday. Just chilling until then and letting the ol' CNS rest up. Looking forward to the attempt with Goody on Sunday!

Edited November 5, 2009 by Bullitt

[Shoggoth]

You'll smash it Mike! Rinky-dinky little gripper for you now bud!

[Guest Bullitt]

You'll smash it Mike! Rinky-dinky little gripper for you now bud!

Thanks bro! Gonna give it everything I have!

[MANTHOS]

That MM2 is already closed but it don't know it yet!

Smash it Mike!

[bencrush]

The MM2 should be quaking right now.

[rico300zx]

Good luck with the mm2 Mike

Rico

[Sher]

I bet the hardest part will be waiting for Sunday! Hope you get to grind some dust off it too!

[IROC-Z]

Best wishes for Sunday! No problem for you guys!

[Joefrey]

Good luck with the MM2 ! Give it a hard crush !!

[Guest Bullitt]

Thanks everybody! I'm starting to get pretty freakin pumped. Finder is feeling OK, so that shouldn't be a factor. It will just be a fair test to see who is stronger: Me or the MM2. May the best dumb hunk of metal win!

[FrankyBoy]

Kill it Mike!