Well, it looks like I've broke all the PRs for all three lifts that I've set during last month's powerlifting meet.
Last week I got a 570 lb deadlift (I deadlifted 562.2 lb at the meet) and this week I squatted 520 lb (previously PR was 518 lb) and paused benched 375 lb (374.8 lb at the meet).
Low Bar Squat: 520 lb (1RM)
Wasn't too hard.
I'm happy that my form didn't break down at a 1RM attempt.
Paused Reverse Grip Bench Press: 375 lb (1RM)
Yeah this was pretty easy. I've started to pause bench 370 lb as my over warmup lately, so another 5 lb wasn't a big jump. It's only a fraction of a pound higher than what I benched press at the competition in June, so this was defininately doable.
I Am A Canadian Powerlifting Record Holder...in something.
Well, it's officially...official.
I am the CPF All Canadian Amateur Raw Full Power 90 Kg record holder for the squat (235 kg), and total (660 Kg)! (The spreadsheet can be found here, under "Men's Raw Amateur Records").
192.5 Kg bench press and 272.5 Kg deadlift...
YOU ARE NEXT!
To be realistic, the 272.5 Kg (600.76 lb) deadlift is probably next because I'm about 30 lb away from that mark. A 192.5 Kg (424.39 lb) bench press is still a LLLOOOONNNGGGG way to go...currently my best is only 390 lb, and that's not even paused! My paused bench press is a mere 375 lb (see above), which is almost 50 lb off from the CPF amateur records. Maybe in a few years.
Even though my numbers are a record, it's still quite low compared to the CPF "Men's Raw Pro Records", and I'm sure it's lower than a lot of 90 Kg records for other federations in Canada and around the world.
Ah well, it's still nice to accomplish something, and to be able making a cheesy picture combining Bolo Yeung along with the spreadsheet.
Modded Rogue Flat Bench With Grip Tape
For the handful of you people who have read my blog and training logs every once in a while, you've probably noticed that I occasionally complain about slipping on the bench during the bench press.
I have tried using an anti-slip shelf liner, which worked OK but not 100% slip proof. Lately I've been having some success with a microfiber towel placed on top of my bench, along with wearing a tight tank top. Not sure why it works.
But a couple of weeks ago I ordered some grip tape from eBay and I got it a few days ago. It's normally used for skateboards/longboards to prevent people from slipping, and it's basically sandpaper with a sticker on the back side.
I applied this grip tape on my Rogue bench, and this is what it looks like:
I have a feeling the grip tape will prevent sliding for sure. It's very abrasive, and my finger tips are scratched up from handling it.
I'm going to wear some crappy shirts when I bench just in case this tears up my clothing. We'll see how it works on Monday and Friday (where I might go for some sort of bench press PR to really put myself in a situation to generate a lot of leg drive in an attempt to slip on the bench...and to see how well the grip tape will work).
Stuff You Should Read
- The Keys to Stronger Deadlifts by Bret Contreras
- This is a pretty interesting look at some of top deadlifters on the planet.