Press Day

Posted on February 28, 2013 by tosabarbell

It was Press Day at tosabarbell on Tuesday. The press is my favorite lift, not my best lift, just my favorite. I don’t know why, probably because it’s a lost art. Sure there are bunches of people running linear progression who start pressing but once it stalls out, many put it to the side.

Another popular trend I’m seeing in recent press videos around the www. is to use just a little, itty, bitty part of a knee push in some big presses. Sorry luv, you can’t produce force out of the knee’s and still call it a press or a strict press. Knee use=push press. They are good push presses, but not a thing called a press. If you want to go old school and use an Olympic style press with a lot of hips at the beginning go right ahead. But no knees. Not at all. Not. At. All.

Personally, I’m working towards a “big” press (the “big” means big for me, obviously), 2-3 kilos at a time. I run 531 for three weeks and during my deload week I run up to a heavy single. I know, I know: Deload, I’m doing it wrong. This week I wanted to go from 55kg last month straight to 60. The bar had other plans. I hit 58 and I’ll take that, it’s still a PR. The nice thing is that my coach video taped the lift (ok, it was Oz. But he jumped in and said what I told him to at the correct point so we’ll say for that moment he was my coach.)

This also gives me a chance to see why I was missing 60. See how I push the bar slightly out instead of up towards my nose? Rookie mistake, I’ll know better next month. Hips. I need to use more hips also.

After, a new client came and pressed and is also falling in love with the lift. His reconstructed shoulder that hasn’t been put to use properly for years is finally feeling good and he can actually reach behind himself and be a useful human. Nahhh, he’s pretty useful already. The point is, he feels better than he has in years just from Pressing. Yup, it’s that good.

Then the Bigg man came in to work up to a slightly heavy double after that. Or what I thought was going to be a double. Memo to me, don’t stop taping until the bar is re-racked. Another rookie error. Anyways.

348# for three (but you only get to see two. MyBad.) I know, 348 is a weird number, it’s just how the iron and kilo plates ended up and we’re not douches so we don’t fudge the numbers. See? No Knees. Makes it a press. Cuz he’s not using his knee’s. No one does here actually and gets to call it a Press.

The best activities for your health are pumping and humping.

Arnold Schwarzenegger 

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Snow Day!

Posted on February 27, 2013 by tosabarbell

snowday

Growing up in the Minneapolis suburbs always meant enjoying at least one Snow Day each winter. Once a heavy snow started, I’d stay glued to WCCO tv or radio with fingers crossed in hopes of a sleep in and jammies day in front of the tv. There was one day where the cancellation was called late. The roads and sidewalks were all ice but ‘CCO didn’t say those magic words so I made my way over to my friends house. More than double the time it usually took me and many falls later, I made it to Sandy’s (I’d walk to her, we’d walk to Kim’s, and then walk the rest of the way together) where her Ma promptly told me that Sandy had gone back to bed because school was cancelled. Awesome. I got to walk back home in that crap the whole while thinking of all the nasty things I’d say to my Ma for making me go! But then I got home and she had pancakes waiting for me. Syrup heals all wounds.

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Living in the middle of cornfields in Minnesota when the kids were growing up meant a couple of guaranteed Snow Days. If the buses can’t get to the country kids, the city kids benefit. Yeah country kids! I still had WCCO on the radio then, waiting for Hutchinson to be called. One morning, they called us late so I woke up the Princess of the World (Za) to get moving. As she was coming out of the bathroom I ran up the stairs calling “Snow Day! Snow Day!” She bolted for her room and jumped back into bed, pulled the covers over her head and I didn’t hear anything else from her until about two in the afternoon. The Princess can sleep.

When we moved back up north to Wisconsin, Oz made it clear that he expected at least one good Snow Day. But the locals quashed that idea. See, all the schools in our little ‘Tosa are within walking distance. So Snow Days are a rarity.  In fact, Bigg doesn’t even remember having a snow day. But last night’s snow hit hard. And fast. We shoveled, in the snow, and knew the next morning wasn’t going to be pretty.

Bigg woke up early to start shoveling while Oz and I slept in (awwwww, I know rights?!) I snoozed my first alarm when I noticed I had a voicemail from 5:47am from a local number. Who would be calling me…wait a minute…Snow Day??? Yup. I guess since there’s no ‘CCO in Tosa they actually have a call system to let you know.

So Oz gets to sleep in and I get to drink coffee in the quiet peace of heavy snow.

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I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.

Mae West

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Monday Bacon: Strongman Facts

Posted on February 25, 2013 by tosabarbell

Top Ten facts of living with Super Heavy Strongman:

1. The house must have two bathrooms, one for him and one for the rest of the house. (Yes, the fact that this is #1 has meaning.)

2.  All recipes will be tripled/quadrupled the protein sources. Plan accordingly.

2.1 All leftovers belong to said Strongman, 6000 calories per day needed don’t make themselves.

3. Gym bags (those holding arm or knee sleeves especially) MUST be kept away from any air supply ducts as to not allow the air quality of the home to become toxic.

4. It MUST be understood that if a heavy snowfall comes the day after a heavy training session, well, they’ll do their best. (You chicks without snowfalls have it easy.)

4.1 ALL training sessions are heavy. Duh.

5. NEVER stand in your Strongman’s blindspot. A blindspot is defined as any space under six feet tall and not directly looking into said Strongman’s eyes.

6.  Understand pre-dinner. Pre-dinner is the food to go you get when you’re on your way TO dinner. Never allow your Strongman to enter a restaurant hungy.  Normally patient and kind, your hungy Strongman will scare waitresses and you’ll never get served.

7. Accept that the heat in your Northern home will NEVER be set over 65 degrees, heat vents in bedrooms will be closed and windows will most likely be cracked.

8. Accept that these giant men have giant hearts and are much like puppies; i.e. Feed them and love them and they’ll be loyal to you forever.

9.  The top of your refrigerator WILL look like shelves from the Vitamin Shoppe… with the addition of a 5# tub of Peanut Butter that must always be in stock.

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10. The hugs you get from Strongman are the best. They’re enveloping; they’re honest; and there’s few places in the world that are safer.

HONORABLE MENTION: They make me look dainty!

If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible and die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor and that of his country-victory or death.

William Barret Travis

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Friday Jams

Posted on February 22, 2013 by tosabarbell

Alabama Shakes. Hang Loose. Simple, musical, real voices. I don’t know how they’ll make it in this gutter of a music business today, but I’ll do my part.

Enjoy the weekend.

If you lose this game, you’ll take it to your fucking graves.

Herb Brooks

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