5-12-14 – Max Effort Floor Press

Hot and heavy session with Mike this morning. Yes, I was training with my husband, but it was 85 degrees and I was doing max effort. Get your mind out of the gutter. Perverts! The goal was to work up to a heavy single today. That ended up being 110 lbs after I had failed that same weight on the previous set. My downset went well, but definitely struggled for those last two reps. Accessories felt good. It was one of those days when you were completely drenched in sweat by the middle of your training session, but you felt good to sweat because that means two things, you know it’s getting warmer outside (in Chicago, this is the BEST after our harsh winter) and you know you were working hard.

My mother-in-love (my mother-in-law, but I don’t like using that term because it seems so negative) came in to train and reminded me of how awesome it is to have this facility and how much we are family-oriented. She floor pressed right along with Mike and I today. I wish I had something like this for my mother when she was alive, to keep her healthy. My dad would’ve LOVED it! We had a full gym in our basement in the house I grew up in. He welded all the equipment himself, and my mom upholstered everything by hand. The equipment was all black with red vinyl padding. The walls were lined with magazine pages of famous body builders and weight lifters. All four walls had mirrors covering them, and little messages all over, “no pain, no gain.”, “if it hurts, it works.”, “pain is temporary”, and so on. A stereo with four large speakers were plenty to bump energy into that 300 sq ft room. He loved to lift, but even if he was too busy with his business to get time in the gym, he stayed in shape from his daily work, construction. His forearms were giant! I’m gonna try to find some pics of the gym and more of him and add them to this post later.

My father, circa 1992, being silly and posing for my mom (taking the pic) while building a deck in my aunt's backyard.

My father, circa 1992, being silly and posing for my mom (taking the pic) while building a deck in my aunt’s backyard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Floor Press
Warm Up Sets
1x5 45 lbs
1x5 65 lbs
1x3 85 lbs
1x3 95 lbs
Working Sets
1x1 97.5 lbs (misloaded)
1x1 110 lbs (failed)
1x1 110 lbs (got it!)
1x5 95 lbs (down set)
Accessories
3x12 touching DB bench press
4x10 one-arm DB rows
3x10 kneeling one-arm DB shoulder press
3x15 tricep pushdowns w/grenades
3x12 DB hammer curls