Ed Coan lifted in APF by the way.

You would crush the classic raw 242, 50-54 (you will be 50 in June, right?) squat, DL and total records in APF and you'd have a shot at bench (385).

Squatting in APF is out of a monolift for raw lifters, unlike USPA, so that could work to your advantage if you can practice that a few times - its pretty easy to get used to. They do allow people to walk out if you dont want to stay in place.

oh, and if you did the April meet, you dont need to put up any significant numbers to qualify for nationals, so if you didnt feel ready to kick ass yet, you could take some token attempts and focus on June.

Cha, Still thinking about it...not sure. I think this year will probably be my last year competing and I just wanted to cap off in USPA. With two meets total..one where I qualify in the open cat at Nationals or worlds and then either Nationals or Worlds.

3/5
BP Doubles Med Paused First Rep From 315 on
135/8 185/6 225/5 275/3 315/2 340/2,2 315/2

3/7 Med Doubles
135/8 225/5 315/4 405/3 495/2 545/2 565/2,2


3/10 Back issue squatting
Did only Lat Pull downs, DB flys

3/15 Took off for back
BP Doubles HVY Paused single from 275 on
135/8 185/6 225/5 275/2 315/2 335/2 345/2


3/17 BS kilos Singles Med

70/8 120/5 170/3 200/2 220/2 240/2 250/1,1,1 good strong reps, back only a little bother but enough to stay at 250 instead of going up

Key points Big arch on back at start of lift keeps the lift easier in the hole, speed on descent is OK but needs to get better

I told my fiance and some of my other team members about you and they'd like to meet you. Several of us are qualified for APF nationals now, including me and my fiance. I plan to register very soon. Top 3 at nationals in each age/weight class qualify for worlds in Orlando in November. I think I will just need openers. I'm 95% sure I'll be at worlds.

8/3
BW 216.2
W4 C2K

DL Singles
Traveling. Gym had a 20kilo DL bar...and a stack of steel 20kilo blues.

60/8
100/5
140/3
180/2
220/1
260/1
pussed out and used 10k plates on next jump
280/1,1

8/6
BP
135/8
185/5
225/5
275/5
315/3,
345/3
315/3

Sup Chin Weighted/Paused
BW/8
+30/5
+50/5


8/8
BS Rehab/Form Change
70/8
100/5
120/3
150/3
170/3,3,3

Skipped CG BP due to shoulder pain

8/11
BW 218
W4C2K

DL Doubles
Tired
135/8
225/5
315/3 no rest to here
405/2 4 mins from here on
495/2
545/2
565/2,2

Did you do that USPA meet? Too busy with life stuff?

No. I haven't done any meets because, back in March, I re-aggravated my existing thoracic disc issue. Kept me from being able to squat heavy. Finally figured out a couple things about that and have changed my form to a more upright position while stretching/strengthening my hip flexors. Taking a long as time to rehab it. I am only at 170kilos 3x3 and I doubt I could single more than 220 right now with the more strict upright form...down from a prior 270 kilos earlier this year. It will come back, I am not stressed about it.

When the disc issue sidelined me, I decided to cut weight. Given I was up to 250, injured, with my lifts dropping and no potential meet to stay at 242...seemed as good a time as any.

I have cut from 250 to 216ish...probably going to go down another 10...it's more about BF% than lbs though. It's gone well. Somewhere in the first couple months I actually pr'd my TnG bench and my DL remains decent.

The travel day I posted above was a work out session...I think I could have hit a 3X there if I had put the weight on the bar and cut the volume on warm ups. As it was, did 618 for 2 sets of 1 and the first pull was good and fast.

Great work - especially with keeping the bench press strong while dropping significant body weight!

+1; sick work man!

noods?

Sorry for slow response....

Here's a partial...7 days post op for hernia repair that I had on 10/24.

Taken in warehouse bathroom. I could charge for that lighting.

Swelling was still there...can see one of the glued up holes from robotic assist.



10/30 Ouch filled session.
Assisted chins 5 sets 1 set 6 BW

Bodyweight squat 1 set
Dumbell Squat 20lbs/5 40lbs/5
Backsquat 20kilos/5
Backsquat 40kilos/5
Backsquat 60 kilos/5


11/2

Assisted chins 3 sets
Bodyweight/6 3 sets

Backsquat 20, 40, 60, 80kilos /5

Deadlift Little pain on deep breath, shakey as a MFr.
135/5 225/3 315/2 405/2, 2, 2

Thiccc, solid, tight; sorry to hear you had to have surgery, but thankfully it seems to have gone well. Glad to see you're back at it so soon afterwards.

Welcome back, man. Glad the surgery went well. Looking good!

Damn, looking jacked

Sucks about the hernia. Hope that heals up quickly.

Thanks guys!

As far as surgeries go, contrary to the you tube videos I watched prior, robotic assist left inguinal hernia repair with mesh was very easy. I was put under at 1ish, awake at 2:30 and back at my office by 4. Pain pills, unopened, went in the trash day 1. It hurt but not white hot can't think hurt. Couple rough nights sleeping. Getting up and down was difficult and going the bathroom was its own special hell. But, otherwise, all good.

I probably pushed it on DL last session (worst night sleeping after that) but other than that, able to train a bit without a lot of difficulty.

Couple points of interest.

First point, Surgeon (who is A+ and did a great job) initially told me I could do anything I wanted after day 1 of surgery. During this conversation, I tried to talk him into doing the right side preemptively because of PL. He said he would look at it and if he could, he would. Post surgery he said he couldn't because no evidence of same issue on right. All good.

At 10 day follow up, I asked how long to heal and he stated 3-4 weeks min. 6 weeks post you will be 100%.

"Oh btw, dont do any heavy valsalva movements. "

Oops.

As the conversation progressed he definitely made it clear that lifting heavy weights is not something he recommends.

Standard.

Second point, anyone hearing hernia with any suspicion that you lift weights immediately blames lifting and looks almost happy about it. When in fact, for me at least, it's bad genetics and age.

In my case, I think I did it when I was cutting up a tree that fell in my yard. I reached down in a twisted position and lifted up the trunk of the tree and slid a log under the trunk so the chain saw wouldn't hit the dirt.

Didn't notice anything at that point.

Finished cutting up tree, moved to curb etc.

Went in the house and got undressed to take a shower. My wife (who is awesomely supportive) was like hey your cut looks like it's going well...and I turned around and was like yeah baby check out all the new vascularity lol

She was like uhm...yeah...nice....but wtf's that? while pointing down...I looked down and see a bulge...ugh/lolz.

Next issue to deal with is right shoulder. Going to see a specialist for that. Been pain egg central for three months...all points to rotator cuff tear. If surgery needed, might as well go now with being off training and insurance deductible paid up.

11/6

Assisted Chins 3 sets of 8

BW chins 3 sets of 6

Assisted pushups/leaning on smith machine bar
various heights 5 sets of 8

BS Kilos
40/8
60/8
80/6,6,6


11/9
Assisted Chins 1 set of 8

BW chins 5 sets of 8 paused

Assisted pushups/leaning on smith machine bar
various heights 5 sets of 8

BS Kilos
40/8
60/8
80/6
100/6,6,6

DL
135/5
225/3
315/2,2,2

Going to keep it chill for another week or two. Then start working back up...unless shoulder surgery is looming.

11/13
Chins SUP BW 8, +40/8,8,8

BS kilos
40/8 60/6 80/6 100/6,6,6

Pain in thoracic. This could be a problem.

11/16
CHINS SUP BW/8 +40/6 +50/6,6,6

BS kilos
40/8 60/6 80/6 100/6 110/6,6,6
Thoracic pain again

DL
135/5 225/3 315/2 365/2,2,2
Thoracic pain here too.

The thoracic paint, do you think that's disc related like before?

gl with shoulder.

I have a feeling that my PRP/stem cell doc would be able to help a lot with both those issues.

Hey Cha, Would like to know how the PRP/stem would help disc issue and shoulder (shoulder I think I understand already).

I definitely think the thoracic issue is disc related. I just recently have been able to find a way to squat without pain. Moving the bar down, keep a little bit of an arch...seems to put it where it doesn't cause the issue. Which is kind of its own issue because I had actually started using a much stricter high bar form for basically the same pain problem...


11/20
Chins BW/8 +30/6 +50/6,6

Back Squat kilos 60/8, 8 80/6 100/6 110/6,6

Dumbell Rows 50/10 70/10 80/10

11/23
Chins BW/6 +30/6 +50/6,6 these felt heavy, last rep tough

Back Squat Kilos 60/8, 8 80/6 100/6 110/6, 6

DL 135/5 225/3 315/2 405/2,2 easy...

Dumbell Incline 30/10 50/10 70/10 able to do with a slightly flared grip/form and no shoulder pain of consequence.

I'll defer to my doc about exactly how it works, but I can tell you that my neck feels better than it has in a very long time since I got those injections a little over a year ago.

He tells me that stem cells work best in joints and PRP works best when injected into soft tissue. He did both PRP and stem cells into both my neck and knee.

Unlike most docs who do this type of procedure, he uses ultrasound to guide the needle with precision into the exact place that it should go. He also does a lot of special things when he treats the blood and stem cells, unlike most other docs who do these injections.

I recently talked to a female powerlifter from FL about this type of treatment. I asked my doc if there was anyone who does similar things that he does around there (there are only a handful who do). The closest one is someone in MD who my doc trained seven years ago. I think there is a guy in the Austin, TX area who is good too. The powerlifter decided to have a phone consultation with my doc and has tentatively scheduled a procedure with him in January.

I'll text you my doc's info if you want to have a discussion over the phone with him. If you do decide to see him for a procedure, I will help you out while you're here (there would likely be a day or two of recovery) and you can stay in one of my spare bedrooms.

You're awesome man. Much appreciated. I will definitely call him and see what he says.

Thank you!