videos

finally got a big batch of videos, its going to take a while to upload and make sense of them so ill probably just post a few here and there

635 to a one board

some reverse band squatting in briefs cant tell how much

awful deadlift-->it has improved since then, im not going to post the raw sumo pulls they look just terrible

deads

warm up raw

2x5x235

add ACE straps down

425x1

435x1

385x5

335x5 no belt

take off suit and belt, add deficit box

275x5 sumo

255x5 conventional

weighted pullups from top of rack

4x6x45

zerchers to box

225x5

275x6

315x6 PR

seated narrow rows

4x6

noticed an increase in baseline anger, lots of dumb shits in the gym today

650/wk

bwt: 274

Military

Last military workout of this heavy block -

Standing Military - 230x3 (PR), then 185x10 (PR)
Underhand EZ bar row - 245x8,6,3
Seated DB Press - 70x8, 80x8
Underhand Lat Pulls - 250x8,6,3 then overhand, 180x10
JM's - 155x10,6,4

chuck v

From Powerlifting USA, NOV 2002

This was the second year that EliteFTS had hosted the IPA Nationals. While it?s always nice to give back to the lifting community, it?s also a huge task full of months of hard work preparing for the event. Knowing that everything was in order, my wife and I decided to take a vacation a couple weeks before the event. This would allow us time to unwind and get ready to put on the best competition that we could for the lifers.

Right before we left for vacation, a friend of mine and fellow teammate, Chuck Vogelpohl, had the misfortune of rolling his car into a ditch. This happened one week before we left for vacation, and the only way that I knew about this was because he had had the police officer bring him into the gym so that he could train his squat. Chuck was training for the Nationals and didn?t want to miss a single session regardless of the numerous scrapes and bruises he had just received. Not to mention, he still had to find a way home. None of this ever dawned on him. All he knew was that he had to do what he had to do.

We returned from vacation, and a couple days later, I was back in the gym. As I walked into the gym, one of my other teammates came over and asked me, ?Did you hear about Chuck?? I figured this was kind of old news at this point so I said, ?Yea, he rolled his car before I left.?

?No, no, no, Dave. He rolled the rental car three days ago,? he told me with this ?I can?t believe this happened? look on his face.

You?re kidding me, I thought to myself. How in the world can you roll two cars within ten days especially when those ten days also happen to fall within the last two weeks before the nationals? Minutes later Chuck walked in carrying his gym bag and began getting ready to embark on his last bench press session before the meet. Not only was he carrying his bag, but he also had new scrapes, cuts, and bruises to go with the old ones from the week before. I asked him how he felt, and he said, ?Real good. Only one week to go.? We then went onto our training for the day. Not one word was ever said about the second accident.

It never dawned on him to talk about the second accident. All he knew was that he had to do what he had to do.

Six days later, we were at the meet and things were running perfectly. Everything was set up, the lifters were happy, and the women and light weight lifters were getting ready to start. At that moment, Chuck limped in holding a gallon jug of water. He had been there to weigh in and would be lifting the following day. I asked him how the weigh in had went, and he told me that he had made weight and was ready to go. I asked him about the limp, and he told me that he had pulled a glute but that it was no big deal. He should have a good day tomorrow.

I remember thinking to my self, this guy has been in two car accidents in the past two weeks and shows up to the meet with bruises all down his right leg and then somehow manages to pull a glute two days before the meet. Seriously, what the hell is he even doing at the meet?

This of course never dawned on him. All he knew was that he had to do what he had to do.

The next day, I was sitting in the head judge?s chair. Part of my job for the day was to judge as well as run the meet. The only break I would get from judging is when my teammates or friends would lift. At this point, I would step out to allow someone else to judge. I did, however, get to judge all other lifters. As I was sitting in the chair, I glanced up to the lifting order and noticed that Chuck?s opening squat attempt was 900 lbs. Confused, I flagged down Louie Simmons to ask him what the hell Chuck was doing. His best squat to date was 860 lbs, and he was opening with a 40 lb personal record. Louie just looked at me and said, ?Yea, well you tell him.? I have known Chuck for many years, and I can say that there was no way I was going to tell him because he wouldn?t listen.

Regardless of what I would have said, it wouldn?t have mattered. He had to do what he had to do.

Chuck screamed out for his opening attempt, and I mean SCREAMED. He?s known as one of the most intense lifters to ever step on the platform, and while he may not be loud, his intensity is contagious. When he lifts, he has ?something? that I?ve only seen in a couple other lifters. He?s also a huge crowd favorite, so as he approaches, the crowd stands to their feet. His range and intensity can be felt by everyone in the room.

Chuck got set under the bar and began to descend and descend. But he never got back up. He just got, as we in the game like to call it, ?stapled.? Needless to say, he missed the weight. I felt bad for him. After all he had been through to get to this point, to have it end like this sucked. But I figured that he would probably learn from this and pick his openers better next time. As I headed back to the judge?s chair, I heard Louie call Chuck for a repeat. In a meet, you have three attempts. If you miss one, you can keep the weight the same or go up. But you can?t lower the weight. Chuck decided to give it another shot.

After getting ?stapled? with a 40 lb personal record, most would have pulled out, but Chuck just did what he had to do.

As I sat judging the rest of the lifters, I kept an eye on the lifting order board to see what was going on. It was then that I noticed Chuck had increased his second attempt to 950 lbs. This would be the second highest squat of all time and a world record for this federation for his weight class. I was amazed at the call, but he was also a friend and teammate so I was also concerned. Once again, I called Louie over and asked him what the hell was going on. Once again, he told me, ?You go tell him.? At this point, I was about to lose my mind. I told Louie that I wasn?t able to go tell Chuck because I had to stay and judge. I told Louie that he had to tell him.

I reminded Louie that Chuck had been in two car accidents within two weeks, pulled his glute, and opened with a 40 lb PR that he just got SMASHED with. Once again Louis told me, ?You tell him.? So I got my ass up and walked into the warm-up room. As I made my way through all the Gatorade bottles, gym bags, squat suits, plates, and platforms, I saw Chuck with his helpers in the corner. As I approached, they were rubbing out his quads and his eyes were focused on the ground. A few steps later, he looked up and caught my eye.

The look in his eye told me that it didn?t matter what I said. He was going to do what he had to do.

Moments later, the crowd was on their feet again, and the music was cranked. Out came Chuck as intense as I have ever seen him. For a moment there, I actually thought he might have a chance. The crowd grew louder, and he grabbed the bar and set his hands. Next, he set his right foot and then the left. Finally, he ducked under the bar to get ready to unrack the world record weight. He set the weight up and pulled his chest and torso with all the air he could. With one slight hip adjustment, he pulled his head up and began to sit back. As he lowered the weight, I felt a deep pit in my stomach. I just wished that he wouldn?t get hurt. Then he hit parallel and BLASTED the weight back up like it was an empty bar. Literally, this was one of the most impressive and easiest lifts I have ever witnessed.

Chuck went on to call for 970 lbs on his third attempt, which would make the highest squat for his weight class of all time. He later changed it to 1000 pounds! This would make him the lightest man ever to do it. Did he do it? What do you think from the man who just had to do what he had to do? So what do I mean by saying he had to do what he had to do?

This is what I feel is the number one weakness that everyone has. This ranges from the weekend athletes to the professional athletes. The only difference between the two is that the professional athletes do the right things more frequently than the weekend warrior does. Every golfer will tell you about great hits they have made, but the pros do it more often.

Why is this? What separates the two? Like Chuck, the most successful people live in the present. It?s very easy to write out and plan goals. It?s easy to find a diet to follow or a training program to do. It?s also very easy to sit back and ride the glory of the past. But it?s totally different to LIVE it all right now.

The decisions that most athletes focus on are what they?ve done in the past or what will affect their future. However, in all reality, the past in nothing more than a bunch of presents that have already happened, and the future are the presents yet to happen. In other words, you can?t change the past or predict the future, but you do have control over what you do right now.

Are you on a diet? Well, is it time now to eat again? Are you eating the right stuff? When you trained last, did you do what you needed to do or what you wanted to do? You future is made up of all these ?present? decisions.

This is doing what you have to do.

shirt work

woke up feeling pretty good

raw warm up all max width grip

up to 365x1

add shirt

455x half rep

add 2 board

495x2

555x3

605x3

625x3 (PR)

medium grip floor press

295x8

305x8

seated face pulls

3x10

cable tris

2x15

pretty solid day all around. took until the last set to feel right in the shirt again. pretty happy though since the last set moved the fastest

ME squats

so apparently gaining 15-20 pounds since i bought my ACE makes it difficult to use

high box squats (at parallel or an inch above)

raw to 405x1

add briefs

495x2

585x2

add suit bottoms (takes 15-20 minutes)

675x2 ultra high

725x2 ultra high

take off suit bottoms

reverse minis

675x5

literally 1/3 squats at best, might get a bigger suit if i can find a cheap used one

RDLs

225x5

315x5

365x5

405x10

Abs

green band standing abs

2x10

side bends

95lb dbs 2 x 15

"prowler" gym bought a knockoff version

dont know how much it weighed but there were 3x45's and a 25 on there

35 yard sprints on concrete

1 down and 1 back

so hungry

650/week

Squats

Had to squat today as im flying home tomorrow.

Low bar, no belt - 465x4,2. Then 505x1. big PR

Abs

Hi Bar GM, no belt - 295x4,3 big PR

Abs

Hi Bar Squats, no belt - 335x8, 345x6, 385x2

Bench, Wednesday

Close Grip bench, pinkies on inner rings: 335x3,2 then 315x3.

Parallel Pullups - BW + 10 x6,5,4

DB Incline - 115's x11, 8

Facepulls - 150x4x10 ish

Flat Flyes - 60's x10,8

bench day

bb bench
warmup
190x3
215x3
245x8,6

parallel bars pullups
bw+25 x 6,5,4

incline db bench
90x9
90x6

facepulls
flat flys
45x2x10

DE bench

blood pressure before lifting: 120/76 this was a relief

DE bench against short minis

8x3x225

2 board plus half foam roller

315x3

365x5

385x5

405x5

neutral wider grip db bench

2x15x95

standing db military neutral grip-->only way that it doesnt bother my shoulder

1x10x40

1x10x55

bent over db rear delts

2x10x35

cable tris

2x10

Moes burrito to the face and overall feeling awesome

For a deeper squat.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/squat_like_you_mean_it_tips_for_a_deeper_squat

Deads

Second week of deficit work:

No belt, using 35 pound plates for deficit - 495x5,2 PR
Abs
Back Raises - 100 tucked under chin for 8,6,4 easy
Shrugs - 315x15, 405x15

DONE

Deads

looking like im going to compete at the APF michigan state meet so im planning around that. we got a copy of daniel tinajeros (?) training leading up to the RUM where he pulled 650 raw at 198.

basing my sumo max on 550ish (embarrassing)

warm up raw

2x5x225

add ACE straps down

410x1

425x1

370x1

325x1

take off suit and belt, add deficit box

285x5 sumo

245x5 conventional

this was pretty taxing

seated narrow rows

4x8

wide grip lat pull downs

4x8

650/wk

Upper Accessory

Felt a little rundown today. No doubt due in part to the past week of lifting.

Standing Military - 215x5 - PR by default
Underhand EZ bar rows, 25's - 225x8,6 easy
Parallel Grip DB Bench - 100's x 13,10
Underhand Lat Pulldown - 220x10,8
Normal Grip Lat Pulldown - 170x10
JM's - 145x10,8,6 SS with cg bench same weight

Sqwaatz

First workout of the new cycle, low bar:

No belt on all sets: 445x4, 445x2, 495x1...all really easy.
Abs
Hi Bar GM's, no belt - 285x5,4
Hi Bar Squats, no belt - 335x8, 345x6, 355x4

RE bench

end of the deload week and bennet is out of town so i figured id go for a new rep PR. on my last warm up my right pec started to feel a twinge. so in typical fashion i went for it anyway

335x10 PR pec still feels a littler weird but its still attached so im happy. shirt work will help to work around it

very close grip

135x10

incline

wide 135x15

normal 135x10

normal 135x10

seated close grip rows

2x20

deload squat

deload squat, shoulder was bothering me so i looped the hanging ab things on the bar

4x3x315 no belt off slightly high box

wanted to try out the super thick knee wraps bennette gave me

add knee wraps loose-->knees hurt, these are absurd

405x1 flew up

"DE" deads RAWW

4x3x225 alternate sumo and conventional

RDLs

1x10x225

stiff leg deads

1x10x225

Heavy Bench

Went in feeling a little sore in the tri's and shoulders from the heavy military on Sunday..

Close Grip Bench - 325x4, 315x3.... definitely the soreness kicking in. Will take 325 next week for 5,4.

Parallel Pullups - BWx6,5,4

DB Incline - 110's x10, 8 Big PR here, felt easy too

Facepulls - 140x4x12

Flyes - 50'sx1x10

Done.

deload bench

deload bench

225x10

275x10

225x10

db rollers

3x10x40

standing db military

3x10x25

face pulls

3x10

cable tri ext

3x15

pushups

3x10

toying with the idea of moving up to 700 next week

Monday - Deads

1st Microcycle of this block:

Deficit deads using 35's - 465x5,4 with no belt. Had several left in me.

Abs

Back Raises with bar - 45 barx10, 65lbsx2x10

Keeping the volume lower during this heavy cycle. Gonna cycle to 515 off the deficit and gear up for pulling 600+.

cardio is lame

cardio is lame and not strong

20 minutes treadmill at 4mph and knee started to hurt

10 minutes bike at level 8-10

deload deads

raw deads alternating conventional and sumo

4x3x315

bent rows

3x5x225

oly squats, no belt but with knee wraps real loose

315x10

pull ups

3x6xbw

shrugs

2x10x255

ME bench

raw reverse band bench (2 light bands per side)

to the chest

singles to 495x1

add 2 board

545x1

3x3x495

close grip with same set up as above but thumbs on smooth

455x5

db bench

3x10x95 all very explosive

face pulls

3x8

Back at it...Sunday Upper Accessory

Finished up my deload week yesterday. Currently sick, but was feeling strong-ish, so i stayed the course for the first week of the new cycle.

Military - 200x6,4 Had a few in the tank on each set. This is a good sign.

EZ bar rows, 25's, underhand - 215x10,8

Close grip 4 board - 315x5, 365x5, 375x3 - weak at these right now...

Underhand lat pull - 180x10, 200x10, 210x10

JM's - 135x10,8

squat day

been without voice and plus a sore throat for 2 weeks. was feeling kinda shitty and tired but i took down a cup of tea, some alieve, and a rockstar. time to get after it

high box squat-->box was probably an inch high

up to 405x1 raw

add briefs (getting tighter and tighter)

495x2

585x2

615x2

add reverse minis (~45 off at depth)

645x2

every set was at best an inch from the high box. technique is improving. videos should be coming soon

RDLs/high box pulls-->bar just below knee

225x8

315x8

405x10

done. meghan is in town so its time to relax and hang out with the lady

DE bench

DE floor press, purple band draped over the bar

6x3x255 varying grips

1x1x285

1x1x345

medium grip 4 board

315x10

365x10

standing military db

2x10x40

neutral grip seated incline/military (almost 90 degrees)

1x7x85 (bennett was fucking with me)

rear delts lying on bench

2x10x30

useless cardio post

25 minutes cardio at 4 mph

told ya it was useless

deads

my deadlift sucks

raw sumo to 315x3

add briefs

405x3

455x3

475x3

video today, sets looked better as the workout went on, but better is still not good. hoping to get some advice from a guy bennett used to train with at OBB

deficit raw sumo

225x5

275x5

295x5

weighted pull ups

2 sets wide (45x6)

2 sets narrow (45x6)

snatch grip hi pulls or upright rows whatever

3x10x95

chic fil-a

2 chic fil-a sandwiches

1 spicy chic-fil-a delux

1 small peppermint chocolate shake

bw mid workout: 267.5

Got some.

New drink to get swole

+

= JiBR

Deload Military

Military - 135x2x3
Bunch of other stuff done very light - a few

Squats

Last workout of this mesocycle-

Hi bar squats, belt - 475x3,2 (big PR)
Hi bar GM's, no belt - 275x5,4
Hi bar squats, no belt - 365x8,4,2

shirt work

took forever to get warmed up

raw

to 385x half, actually needed a touch of help to get this, was a little concerned, might drop this part for a while

add shirt

455x half rep

add 2 board

495x2

go to 1 board

585x1

635x1

2 board again

585x3

medium grip incline

135x10

185x8-10

225x6

245x6

JMs on the floor

185x6

225x8

standing db side raises

30x10

35x10

car push

2 trips forward

cuban food to the face

squats

voice decided to take a vacation this week. kinda odd considering i feel pretty good otherwise

squats to low box raw

up to 405x1

add briefs

495x2 no where near the box

585x3 " but not that high off from parallel actually

add reverse minis (barely took off anything)

615x3

GMs off pins

135x10

185x8

225x8

hip thrusters superset with abs

135x10/ green band standing for abs x 10

225x10/ ""

broceps superset with db shrugs

1x10x95/ 1x15x95s

1x15x95/ 1x20x95s

was going to push the car but it was getting late so i ate a burrito for the second time

feel pretty good and im pretty happy with how the squats went. weve been video taping so i might post some videos at some point

600/wk

Wednesday - Bench

Wide Grip Bench - Singles to 335x4 (PR)
Wide Lat Pulldowns - 190x12,10,8
Flat DB Bench - 125's x 7, 85's x 13
BB Row, 25's - 145x10, 165x3x10
Flyes - 50's x 2 x 12

DE bench

DE floor press against a lone purple band draped over the bar and slung under my back

6x3x245

1x1x275

1x1x345 (video may be coming if bennet uploads)

incline neutral grip db bench

4x6x95 --> these were done back to back, explosively

upright rows

2x10x135

rolling db tri extensions on floor

3x10x60

seated face pulls

3x10x different weights

lots of distractions in the gym with the new years resolution crowd but got the work in

600/wk

monday: deads

starting to go back to what workouts looked like before the OBB meet.

deads

raw

conventional and sumo switching mid set

315x3 each

365x3 sumo (PR, but bennett told me what i had suspected, my sumo dead is just a slightly bent kneed sumo stiff leg)

add briefs

405x3 sumo

455x3 sumo

these looked significantly better and felt better

bent rows

225x8

185x8 at 90 degrees

225x8 singles within a set at 90 degrees

zerchers full range

225x8

255x8

lat pull downs

3x8

got my body fat percentage done with 3 point electronic calipers, not sure how accurate it is, but it said i was 10.8% im going to say im a little more than that, but not too much (hopefully)

bw 265-->600/wk

extra workout

25 minutes walking treadmill ~ 4mph

cable-ropes

2x50x80 for each, all done back to back

tri extensions, face pulls, standing abs

Upper Accessory

Military - Worked up to 210x5 for a PR. Shoulders still felt a little beat up from Wednesday benching

EZ bar rows, using 25's - 185x12,10,8

DB Inclines - 100's x 17 (PR)

Lat Pulldown, parallel -150x2x10, went light, still sore

JM's - 115x3x10

ME bench

pushed it to sunday this weekend due to traveling and all that.

warm up raw to 385x1 (pec still feels a little odd)

add shirt

455x 1/2

add 2 board

495x1

575x3

605x2

medium grip incline

135x10

2x10x185

JMs super set with standing db military

2x10x185/ 2x10x45

pull overs on a decline bench

2x10x70

not bad for the first day back after shit diet, sleep, and traveling. trying to figure out the next meet to go to, thinking maybe the pro-am amateur day.

600/wk