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Donati's Log Of Steel Bending, Grip And Powerlifting


Buccos1

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Strong work Carl!

Thanks David!

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Fri (11/27)

Bench Press

(1x8) 135

(1x3) 185

(1x3) 225

(1x2) 255

(1x2) 285

(1x2) 305

Standing Strict Barbell Press

(1x3) 115

(1x3) 145

(1x3) 165

(1x1) 175

Barbell Curl

(1x5) 95

(1x5) 115

(1x3) 125

(1x3) 135

Band Pushdowns

(2x20) Light Band

Grippers - MMS

RB 240N - 124

14 total reps - 3, 3, 3, 3, 2

Overcrush (240N) - 10 sec.

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Sat (11/28)

DO - IMPs

Yellow Nail

5/16 x 7" Grade 2

Red Nail

Ironmind Hub

(1x1) 40

(1x1) 50

(1x1) 55

(1x1) 60

Blob 35

(3x1)

Grippers - MMS

RB 240N - 124

7 total reps - all singles

I was hoping to match yesterday's gripper closes, at least, but had trouble getting singles with my 124lb. 240N. Hands are kinda beat up now, so I didn't push it any further today.

This week marks 7 years since I began my journey into steel bending. It was 7 years ago, that I bought the Ironmind Bag-of-Nails, and bent that first White Nail ... and held up the Red and just shook my head in disbelief, wondering how it was even possible. I have been bending consistently every week since then, and have bent a Red Nail in IMPs every 5-10 days since my cert. in 2010. This Red bend is to commemorate this anniversary, and how steel bending has changed my life (for better-or-worse) :grin:

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Sun (11/29)

Standing Strict Barbell Press

(1x5) 95

(1x5) 115

(1x3) 135

(1x3) 155

(1x1) 175

(1x1) 185

1-arm Dumbbell Rows

(1x10) 55

(1x10) 75

(1x10) 95

-Giant Set-

Front Raises (1x20) 10

Side Raises (1x20) 10

Band Pushdowns (1x20) Light Band

Grippers - MMS

#2 (102) - 20, 15, 15

I set a PR on strict press (185), but it wasn't a strong rep. I got stuck mid-way and fought the last part for a few seconds, see-sawing mostly. Bodyweight right now is a little up after the holiday ... probably 197-198.

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Mon (11/30)

Dead Bench Press

(1x3) 135

(1x2) 185

(1x2) 225

(1x1) 255

(1x1) 285

(1x1) 305

Barbell Shrugs

(1x5) 225

(1x5) 315

(1x5) 405

(1x5) 455

(1x25) 315

Speed Bench Press

(3x3) 155

add chains

(2x3) 155

Pull-ups

(2x5)

Dead bench press felt great today! 305 was solid and steady. (Usually 285-300 feels like a grinder on these.)

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Tue (12/1)

Barbell Curls

(1x5) 95

(1x5) 115

(1x3) 135

Dumbbell Hammer Curls

(2x12) 30

Football Bar Rows

(1x5) 120

(1x5) 170

Bamboo Bar Bench Press

(1x20) 75

(1x12) 125

Decline Kettlebell Pushups

(2x20)

Grippers - MMS

#2 - 114

(5x10)

Grippers felt strong today. I stopped the sets at 10; it wasn't a max, but starting to get hard ... probably could have gotten 12-13 reps on most of the sets.

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Wed (12/2)

Standing Strict Barbell Press

(1x3) 95

(1x3) 115

(1x3) 135

(1x2) 155

(1x2) 175

Barbell Shrugs

(1x8) 135

(1x8) 225

(1x8) 315

(1x8) 405

(1x8) 475

Pull-ups

(2x5)

Finger Walk - 10

(1x1)

Grippers - MMS

#2 - 114

(5x5)

#2 - 102

(1x15)

I found out today that the meet I had been training for the past two months has been cancelled. :angry2: Not too much that can be done. The meet director said that there weren't enough entries, so he had no choice. After I found out, it felt like getting karate-chopped in the back of the head a few times.

The toughest thing about this is that I had planned to do my first "raw" meet in nearly 7 years, and have trained like that almost exclusively. AND, I had big plans to make an attempt at my first raw 500lb. conventional deadlift since the last time I did it, around 2008. I haven't attempted it yet this training cycle, but was planning on making the first attempt at the meet. That was a tough pill to swallow.

It has been tough changing the way I train these past two months, especially the changes to my deadlift routine, which had me pulling every week, as opposed to every-other. But, on a positive, my overall strength has gone up, and I got a whif of that 500 raw mark I never thought I'd see again. :) I actually might do a simulated meet on my own soon, or at the very least, make that attempt at 500.

As this meet was cancelled, it gives me the chance to get LASIK, which I've been wanting to do for years, and had planned to do, but things kept coming up. And if I go through with it, I will have to take some time off ... at least two weeks, and the regression that comes with it. So, my attack on 500 raw continues, with the ending approaching soon. :rock

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Where and when was the meet supposed to be?

It was scheduled for 12/12 in Dubois. So, I was "ready" with my training ... just needed to take my openers a week out then shut it down. Still pissed about it but what are you gonna do?

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You look very good Carl. In great shape brother. Keep it up!

Thanks brother! After we had the baby, my eating habits changed radically. Most of the junk I'd eat before was watching tv/movies, but over the past year, there hasn't been much time to watch TV (aside from Nickelodeon). :grin: This has really cleaned-up my diet, aside from a few pre-planned cheat days.

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Fri (12/4)

Axle Bench Press

(1x5) 125

(1x3) 175

(1x3) 215

(1x2) 265

(1x1) 285

(1x1) 305

1-arm Dumbbell Rows

(1x8) 55

(1x8) 75

(1x8) 95

-Giant Set-

Straight-bar Pushdowns

(1x20) LB

Band Tricep Pushdowns

(1x15) LB

Front Raises

(1x20) 10

Side Raises

(1x20) 10

Grippers - MMS

#2 - 114

(5x5)

Grippers - 1.5" GHP Block

(1x1) HG 200 - 94

(1x1) #2 - 102

(3x1) #2 - 114

Surprisingly, the GHP block sets felt pretty good. 1.5" is pushing it for me on the spread, without me losing a strong position (and with pinky falling off the handle). But, each rep was solid and steady. The axle benches felt strong today.

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Sat (12/5)

Squats

(1x3) 135

(1x2) 225

(1x1) 315

(1x1) 335

(1x1) 365

(1x1) 380

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Sun (12/6)

Deadlifts - Conventional

(1x3) 135

(1x2) 225

(1x1) 315

(1x1) 405

(1x1) 455

(1x1) 500

The raw-conventional comeback is done (maybe)! I've wrote about in the past, how I started off deadlifting in my early-thirties, with a 275 max, which was tough. My original goal was 405, but turned into an almost 2-year push to 500 in 2008. I was never a good deadlifter and am the opposite build of an ideal conventional puller. So the day I pulled 500 raw/conventional in '08 was one of my proudest accomplishments ever ... to this day.

But not-too-long after that, I hurt my lower back and was forced to switch to a sumo-stance, which worked out pretty well, hitting a suited 565 a few years ago. I never thought I'd have a chance to get back to a raw, conventional 500 ever again. Throughout the years, I'd mix in conventional during my warmups for sumo pulls, usually stopping at 405 for a slow, grinder-type pull.

A few months back, I decided to enter a raw meet, and recommit myself to attempting another 500lb. raw deadlift. I changed from bi-weekly pulls to every week, which was tough on my recovery, but necessary if I would have a chance to get back to where I wanted to. I pulled 480 a few weeks ago, in my last heavy session before the meet. But a few days ago, I got a call from the meet director, telling me that the meet was cancelled. I was planning to make my first attempt (raw) at 500 since that day in 2008 at the meet on 12/12. But, after hearing it was cancelled, I felt my momentum slipping away, which I pledged not to let happen. I also scheduled eye surgery for late-December, which put a sense of urgency in my training, as I'd most definitely have to take some time off afterwards, maybe delaying this attempt for months.

So, today was the day, no matter what. My last attempt before 500, was a very slow 455, which almost had me doubting things right there, especially as this weight flew up a few weeks back. But I took about ten-minutes, watched Slayer's new video, which got me pretty amped up, then went at it. As soon as I broke the floor, I knew I wouldn't stop 'till I stood up.

In 2008, I was 34 and about 202lbs. Today, I am 41 and 195lbs. :grin:

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Strong pull! Congrats!

Congrats Carl! You've worked smart for it.

Thanks guys!

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Truly inspiring, Carl! Congratulations!

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Nice!

Thanks Josh!

Truly inspiring, Carl! Congratulations!

Thanks Eric! It was disappointing to have the meet cancelled, especially, as my son would have been there, and I was going to make my planned attempt at 500 raw after all this time. It definitely didn't work out as I had visualized, but all-in-all, I'm happy to get back to that for sure!

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Mon (12/7)

Dead Bench Press

(1x3) 135

(1x3) 185

(1x2) 225

(1x2) 255

(1x1) 285

(1x1) 315

Bench Press - Sling Shot (red)

(1x2) 345

(1x1) 365

Standing Strict Barbell Press

(1x3) 95

(1x3) 115

(1x3) 135

(1x1) 165

(1x1) 175

Dead bench presses felt really strong today. Going back the few years I've done these, I don't think I've ever gone as heavy as 315. Definitely feeling sore (wrecked) from pulls yesterday!

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Tue (12/8)

Standing Strict Barbell Press

(1x10) 95

(1x10) 115

(1x10) 135

Barbell Shrugs

(1x5) 225

(1x5) 315

(1x5) 405

(1x5) 475

Barbell Curls

(1x5) 95

(1x5) 115

--Superset--

Dumbbell Hammer Curls

(2x10) 30

Lying Dumbbell Extensions

(2x10) 30

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Wed (12/9)

Grippers - MMS

#2 - 114lbs.

(5x5)

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Thur (12/10)

Floor Press

(1x3) 135

(1x3) 185

(1x3) 225

(1x2) 255

(1x1) 295

Standing Axle Strict Press

(1x5) 105

(1x5) 125

(1x3) 155

(1x1) 175

Finger Walks

(2x1) 10

--SuperSet--

Straight-arm Band Pushdowns

(2x20) Light Band

Band Pushdowns

(2x10) Light Band

DO - IMPs

Yellow Nail

5/16 x 7" Grade 2

Red Nail

Grippers - MMS

(1x1) #2.5 - 123

(3x1) RB240N - 124

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