8-15/16-14 – Training While Out of Town
August 15, 2014
Gina and I traveled to Ohio this weekend to visit her sister. Gina’s sister lives in a part of the country where any strength enthusiast would love to train. Elitefts had a seminar going on the same weekend but unfortunately Gina and I were not able to make it. We knew we had to get some good training done so we made sure we visited our friend, Nick Showman, owner of Showtime Strength and Performance located in Newark, Ohio. His facility is unbelievable! Elitefts racks, numerous specialty bars, strongman equipment and a big strip of turf welcome you as you walk into Showtime. I had a hard time deciding on which Elitefts rack to squat in. I figured I couldn’t go wrong with any of them.
Since Nick’s facility has bars that we don’t have at HPF, I decided on taking advantage of the opportunity and use one of them. I decided to use the cambered bar. Coming off of a tweak in my lower back, this would be beneficial because it will limit the amount of weight that I would be able to use. This bar forces you to stay tight because it forces you to be in an unstable position. You will notice the jerking of the bar in my video. Not wearing a belt made me focus even more to tighten my torso. This will help gain strength in my lower back, as well as my abs. I worked up to 455lbs, the bar weighs more than 45 lbs but I will consider it as 45lbs. It was the hardest 455 lbs squat t
hat I ever did! That bar is wicked! I LOVED IT!
After the squats I did some simple band accessories. Nick, Gina, and I talked shop for awhile. We are always happy to meet up with Nick. He is doing great things in this industry and I only see it getting better. It was a great session for Gina and I!
| Max Effort, Lower Body Cambered Bar Box Squats *Counting the bar as 45lbs Bar 2 x 5 135 - 2 x 5 225 x 5 315 x 3 365 x 1 405 x 1 425 x 1 445 x 1 455 x 1 Down Set 405 x 4 |
| Band Leg Curls 4 x 25 - orange band |
| Band Spreads 4 x 25 - red band |
| Band Good Mornings 4 x 12 - orange band |
August 16, 2014
Today was the first time training in a commercial gym in a long time. I am used to loud music, a hot facility and supportive people all around me. The facility where we trained was very nice, but the atmosphere had nothing on HPF or Showtime.
Gina and I trained together and had max effort incline bench press. My lower back still tightens up on me when I try to go to get in an arch so incline is a good alternative. The weight felt very heavy in my hands and I was only able to work up to 325 lbs for a max single. After my down set I did a few accessories and went on our way. After training, we met Gina’s sister at the pool! Great way to end a training session!
MAKE IT HAPPEN
| Max Effort, Upper Body Incline Bench Press Warm Ups Bar - 2 x 10 135 - 2 x 5 185 x 5 225 x 3 Working Sets 275 x 1 295 x 1 305 x 1 315 x 1 325 x 1 Down Set 275 x 5 |
| Standing DB Overhead Press 4 x 12 - 55 |
| Chest Supported Rows (machine) 4 x 12 - 130 |
| Tate Press 4 x 12 - 35 |
| DB Cleans 3 x 15 - 10 |