22 May 2013- Ohio, LTTS 6,Chalk Bowl to the bar...Day 2

Getting up the second day was easy. I was so damned pumped to get to the S4 EFS Compound to train. I had seen plenty of video and pics but another element came into play today. Something i really did not see coming. We arrived at around 9 am and i figured we would be getting there in time to see the coaches finishing up. Nope. They were in full swing.

We were quickly told things would be delayed until 1030. That was perfectly accpetable to all the participants showing up to be coached. It was organized chaos. Loud heavy metal. Tons of weight being pulled, pushed, and squatted everywhere.
Harry walked by me at one point and slapped me on the shoulder saying "Just let me finish up and we will get to it"
That was when it hit me. These guys were here for US. This is a Charity event for the Make-A-Wish Foundation so they are all donating there time, for free. That alone is awesome beyond words.

Matt Kroc Squatting, Julia Ladewski working the Monolift

But for them to be there to help all of us improve was nearly overwhelming. Then for some odd reason i thought back about all the blood, sweat, and tears i had fought for the past 7 mths. Yeah i have pushed hard. Really hard because in my mind there was no stepping down or giving up. Their never is. i got that from grandfather when i was really young. "Just grow a bigger set of nuts and do it" -this coming from a D-day Dodger.
Anyhow, I remembered that this was an unwritten but spoken goal before Surgery with my girl. I was going to this seminar and here I was. I had to go outside for fresh air, TWICE. I had crossed a major thresh-hold /goal just by being in this compound and being able to do what i was about to do.

In the middle of all this, Chad Aichs is Benching 800 lbs

Dave Tate had said it best the day before during his presentation:
"Life is what happens when you go from the Chalk Box to the Bar. There is going to be adversity. Train to be ready for what happens between the box and the bar. When you get to the Bar, Don't NOT show Up. Make it, Miss it, or get hurt. You are going to learn"

Dave Tate Squatting Hard and Heavy, blocking out everything.

I have definitely learned these past 7 months and i was about to learn a metric shit ton more.

Mtn Dog John Meadows Squatting

Jeremy Frey helping out Josh McMillan w/his Deadlift Suit

The Chaos 

more...

Now just add Heavy Metal and you might have an idea of the intensity

So after all this around 1030 things spooled up for us participants. First on the docket was how to Squat w/ Coach X Buddy Morris, along with Julia & Matt Ladewski.
I discovered how bad sitting for 2.5 days really is for hip Mobility. I really should have attempted some of my normal warm up. I did start to warm up and eventually hit depth with my Low back in the proper position . Buddy also showed us an easy Hip Mobility series that we have been doing multiple times a day since Ohio and i am starting to feel A lot better over all.

Harry was coaching his group next to ours with Intensity and Panache!

When i wrestled that buffalo to the ground this is how i tied him up!

They also went through the basics of Squatting to a box and what to focus on. As i came up to be one of the last squatters of the session Buddy points at my knee.
Buddy "You have ACL surgery? Patellar Graft?"
Me "Yes. 7 mths ago"

Coach X explaining how an NFLer was never to play again but all of last season doing what he is recommending to me.

He rolls his eyes and then goes on the most informative rant, lecture, speech i have had in ages. I am now more aware as to what has been done to my body. he also touched on how to fully protect my knee with some things i had only briefly been doing in limited quantities. The next 8 weeks of my leg trg are now changed. I will be hammering my technique but first things first before i add weight to the bar. Get my knee even closer to its original state.
Buddy "How old are you"
Me "36"
Buddy "Just a young pup you will be fine"
My Girl "It is his birthday tomorrow"
Buddy "well happy birthday there is my gift to you."

Happy birthday!

I immediately went outside and made notes. If what he recommends only works half as good as he said it would (which is doubtful) i will be smashing my PR by the end of the year for sure. what he told also explained A lot of anomaly's I have been experiencing.

From the Squat we went to Lunch.

Front gate

Pulled Pork and Corn Bread!

Stevie P and Ed Coan imparting Knowledge

So after lunch i went down the Warehouse to pick up our order. Their was a slight mix up with our order but the Customer service at EFS is beyond awesome. The ladies in the Warehouse were more than nice, they invited us in to watch while they printed our shirts and talked to us. My girl was super impressed with how friendly and generally awesome they treated us.

I also ventured back in the gym to see Harry. We had unfinished Business. Exactly as i had run the scenario through my head Harry put me on the spot and in a competition type atmosphere. It was show time. Up to the bar. I raced to 12 and then stalled. I ground out 6 more Pull ups but had nothing left in the tank. My grip was there for days but there was no more pull to be had. 20 Pull ups was not falling on this day. The journey for that PR continues. Harry was still very proud of me. It meant A lot to me just having him there for that attempt. The next time i am in that facility there is no doubt that 20 pull ups will be crushed.

My Proud Coach and Friend Harry.

So with Lunch over it was back into the Gym to start training /learning Bench or The Bench Press. This time we had Team Ladewski (Matt and Julia) along with Mandy Bennett and Bret Carter. As a group we started a little slow but once we got into the swing of things it went really well. I must also say Mandy and Bret really impressed me. Both very professional and confident.
Mandy took some extra time helping a few of the girls talking them through their set up and explaining what she does when she sets herself up to bench.
Julia also talked my girl through her setup. By the time Julia was finished with her, My girl new EXACTLY how she should feel when she got her set up near perfect.

Matt coached her up to 95 lbs which she handled stronger than she ever has. Matt also convinced her to go for 105 lbs which she handled very strong. Strong(her) than she handled 100 lbs back in Nov 2012, but her butt did come off the bench so it is a no lift. But it did prove to her the strength is there in probably just a few more weeks of training.
For me, I now feel like i have the beginnings of a solid Bench Setup. I finished with my Opener for the Toronto Super show which is 2 June 2013 in Toronto. Handling it felt extremely good.

Hand Off from Mandy, Julia Coaching me along.

Two other major improvements for me came out of this session.
1. Matt Showed me an awesome way to wrap my wrists for Bench. I have enough time to solidify and get the technique down in time for the meet.
2. Julia spotted my sticking point. The exact point where i got stuck with 260 lbs a yr and a half ago. She told me how to fix it. This will take a little longer but by 20 June in Ottawa i should have it hammered out.
Most raw Benchers have issues off the chest. For me it is right at lock out. The only conclusion i am can come to is that nearly 2 decades of doing Thousands of push ups for my job has paid off in an odd way.

Mandy Spotting and Bret Coaching 

So from here despite everyone being tired and grimy we pushed onto the Deadlift. Mandy gave invaluable cues for setting up the Sumo Style Deadlift. For my girl i know her direction was invaluable and she has alot of new direction to work with. Bret gave direction for the Conventional DL.
He corrected my damn near Oly Snatch grip width. On his direction i brought my hands as close as i could with just enough room for my knees.
 Matt also watched on gave cues where it was required. At one point it became clear that i was protecting my knee which despite being able to still pull 365 with this flawed technique, it needed correcting.

Myself, JL Holdsworth, My Girl, Dave Tate (CEO of EFS & Visionary behind the whole weekend)

It just happened JL Holdsworth was walking by. Matt Grabbed his attention, had him watch me. JL took me aside and in less than 5 min i felt like Thor approaching the bar it felt that powerful. He altered and adjusted my setup so as i lock onto the bar 315 lbs damn near starts to hover. What he did is show me how to apply my physical leverages to the bar.

ME "So i am just using brute strength to get it off the floor?"
JL "DUDE, it's all Brute strength. What you need to do is change your leverages."

JL "When i do this 225 lbs hovers, 135 lbs i just have to look at it and it levitates."
So i am very excited to soon be smashing my Deadlift into new levels.

Harry Coaching Deadlift set Up. When he yelled "UP!" guys tore the weight off the floor with speed and aggression.

So after the Deadlift wound down which was insane because guys were smashing PR's all over the place. Participants had brought their "A" games like Dave Tate had instructed the previous day. Finishing strong.
From here all the Coaches gathered at one end of the gym for a Q&A session.

Steve Pulcinella had everyone in the room in stitches with one of rants /stories. I thought Dave Tate was going to burst a blood vessel he was laughing so hard. At one point Steve Goggins and Ed Coan were asked what they had done for their longevity. Steve Goggins answered first and said he had never been seriously injured. Again half the coaches nearly died. What he really meant is he never has had an injury requiring surgery. But the initial reaction was priceless.

Team Ladewski & Team Harsh-Steel

My Goal is to learn more before the next Seminar so i know the questions to ask. I know i don't have all this figured out but worse still i am still learning the questions to ask.

A true Legend in Powerlifting Steve Goggins

Dave thanked us all for coming and said Once again he had learned even more as a coach than he thought possible.

Harry and my Girl

The Weekend ended with a very tear jerking moment when Marshall Johnson asked for a moment of silence.  The Relentless Powerlifting Meet raised money for a young boy with cancer. That young Boy passed away the weekend before. Marshall was very close to him.Marshall's message to us was take advantage of the time you have with family and friends.
Will i go back? Of course. I had an excellent time and it was a phenomenal experience.

Keep Moving Forward, Keep Getting Strong(er)