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Well, IT certainly has been a solid minute.

For what seems to be an abundance of new members, I am simply "Cole". According to my profile, I've been a member for a solid nine years or so. Most of those years were spent as a highly active member, who's passion for participation died as the site underwent various changes. Most of them were neither good nor bad, just changes. But, more importantly, my participation waned with the changes within my own life. So much has changed since I last posted anything meaningful, most of which are good. But, as I've come to learn, change simply is. It's neither good, nor bad, & ultimately only time will tell.

I'll start with my last multi-ply powerlifting meet, which was in Texas towards the end of 2016. Flew out to Texas with my buddy, who was sick with a stomach bug. I managed a decent 804 squat, 529 bench, and was robbed a 705 deadlift. I closed the day with a 1994 total, going 804/529/661. That 705 pull was officially the heaviest I have ever pulled, and I'm still sour over having turned down. Long story short, the side judges didn't think I held it at lockout long enough...which is probably the truth. However, the head judge gave me a white light. THAT is what peees me off: the guy giving the "down" command believed it was a good lift. Whatever.

Around April 2017, I asked a girl out and started a 1.5 year long relationship, that has frankly been the best thing to have happened to me. It sparked a "growth" spurt of sorts, as I have continuously had to redefine my comfort zone. The last two years have been the most positive growth I have experienced PERIOD.

Around May 2017 I was asked to take up a coaching position at a local CrossFit gym. Their powerlifting coach had bailed on them, & one of the owners approached me personally at Metroflex. After getting approval from my own Coach, I took the job at CrossFit Reality. I still coached at Metroflex, but I began to implement my own programs and my own philosophies about training, & this sport called powerlifting.

Early July 2017, I got a bad case of bronchitis and found myself in urgent care at 4am on a Wednesday. For the first time since I was four years old, I had an asthma attack. My blood pressure was 180/110, & I was promptly put on a stronger inhaler and prednisone. Sometime before that, my girlfriend asked me if I was aware of how often I stopped breathing when I slept, which confirmed my suspicion that I had sleep apnea. However, I didn't know I stopped breathing THAT much. Follow that up with my asthma attack, I needed to make a change.

July 30, 2017 was my last meet as an "untested" lifter. I weighed in at 267, and competed in the Raw (knee sleeves only) division for the first time. I put up a respectable total, going 551/380/650 for 1581. BUT, i fumbled my own attempts and missed out on the goal of qualifying for Worlds. Everything needed to change, & the time was right.

I "cleaned" myself up, & began focusing on my work, & doing what I can to grow Long Beach Power Co.

November 2017, my best friend began working with me at CrossFit Reality. We came together with a specific vision: a gym ran the way we see fit. No bullpoo. No drama. Just two meatheads doing what we can to help people.

December 2017, he sat me down and asked me how come I haven't moved everyone I was coaching over to CrossFit Reality. My old coach at Metroflex was out of the pciture, & drama at that gym was at an all-time high. Plus, moving everyone over would have been financially beneficial. So, I began the process of removing myself from Metroflex, & making my name at CrossFit Reality, more specifically Long Beach Power Co.

January 2018 I moved everyone over to LBPWRCO, or as many people as I could. Some resisted the move, but not the one's I expected. The whole process was a lesson in lip service, & people doing one thing and saying another. I want to say I had never felt more betrayed in my life, as these people gave me their word, but in all honesty I still feel like it was a failure on my part. A failure of mine to prove myself as a coach, & thusly the didn't buy what I was selling. Some people did, though. As time wore on, and the anxiety levels settle down, I was finally told the one thing I wanted more than anything else: that I was doing a good job. Some of you may understand that, most of you won't. But, that meant the world to me. It still does.

March 2018, LBPWRCO participated in it's first meet as an actual team. Everyone won their division, & set some records along the way.

April 2018, celebrated a year with my girl. We closed out March by taking a road trip through Nevada, Utah, & Arizona. Zion thoroughly captured my heart.

June 2018, I competed in the USPA Oregon State Championships. It was a trip with two purposes: compete and meet my girl's parents. I put up a respectable total, going 441/330/551 for 1322 at 233. That's right, I went and lost some 35 pounds. I jumped on the keto bandwagon, & haven't looked back...save for some special cheat occasions. All I know is, my skin cleared up, my asthma is almost nonexistent, & my ass don't smell. Don't care about nothing else, lol. I did fall in love with Oregon on this trip, though...just not Portland. Portland is weird.

I turned 30 in July 2018. I got six bottles of whisky for my birthday lol. My how times have changed.

November 2018: one of my lifters, @fitnessmama_of_twins competed in the IPL World Championship, & won the open division, beating out girls half her age (46). She also set a world record or two in the process. I also fell in love with tiki bars while I was out there.

11/19/2018 I finally moved out of Mom & Dad's house.

So there, basically the last two years in a nutshell. I've also watch more pro-wrestling than I ever have to this point, & have gone to three shows out here in Long Beach/LA. The first NJPW show, the most recent NJPW: Strong Style Evolved, & this passed NXT: War Games. And Chef moved to Florida, but I don't talk about that...



Anyways, this is my log. Follow it.

Welcome back, and congratulations on all the improvements in your life.  Life happens, how we choose to react to it is what makes us who we are......  To bring back an old one.   "I'm in"

Congrats on everything, nice to see you back

11/26/2018

https://youtu.be/SxUUES47JX0

Chesticles

Met up with my buddy for a quick bro-session back at Metroflex. 

Nothing special to report, worked up to an easy 245x10 on the fat bar.

Metroflex got a new plate-loaded pec fly machine that we were determined to play with. We ended up loading four plates per side for a bro-tastic AMRAP set. Finished with cable crossovers til the titties didn’t work anymore.

I also listen to country music now. Like, a lot.

Fav country jam atm:
https://youtu.be/WtVrDud1gZM

Man so glad to see how you are doing Cole!! Welcome back

11/27/2018

Squat & Deadlift


I did a stupid last week, & thought it would be a great idea to go max volume with 330, THEN go for a max single on my conventional pull. Big mistake as my ass just started working properly Sunday.

Managed 2x355x3 for squat, felt it all in my ass and hamstrings in all the wrong ways. Tried not to throw a temper tantrum, cuz "there's nobody to blame but me."

Dynamic Effort deadlift went so much better, 15x385x1 was about as smooth as it could be.

Ran short of time, so this morning:

Rev. Hyper: worked up 3x270x8-10

GHR Leg Curl: 5x5

GHR Back Raise: 1x AMRAP

Leg Extensions & Leg curls to finish before a client comes in.


Don't know how many of you remember Samoa Joe before WWE, even before TNA to a point, to his Ring Of Honor days & time on the independents. As my buddy likes to say, "there's a reason they chant 'Joe is gonna kill you'". Here is against one of the all-time greats, Kenta Kobashi from 2005 in Ring of Honor. From that first slap Joe throws, you know its on. Also, I have never seen a crowd so into a match. WWE is great & all, but the passion lives outside of the corporation.

https://youtu.be/TzJLff2oRTo

We have a reverse hyper and I swear when I use it , my back hurts so bad the next few days and not in a good way

We have a reverse hyper and I swear when I use it , my back hurts so bad the next few days and not in a good way

How are you using it? Like, what are you doing, how are you mounting it, what’s your range of motion, etc. Your back shouldn’t be wrecked like that after using it, unless there’s an underlying cause.

Well I have watched numerous videos, and try to mount it and use it correctly. I use very light weight and still about 3 days later... Hell.
I like the way it makes me lower back and glutes fire but still I feel I'm doing something wrong.   The gym owner who swears by it says I'm doing it right so I don't know.

I usually have my hip bone up on the pad, or rest.  Hold the bars and have my legs hanging ,. Pad high on my calf and start the movement. , I do not let it swing wild I try and control it  as much as possible. I try to control it down and squeeze it up. Keeping the legs slightly bent but straight so I don't activate my hams .

Does this sound right? It kinda hard to explain when typing it out. Ha

Well I have watched numerous videos, and try to mount it and use it correctly. I use very light weight and still about 3 days later... Hell.
I like the way it makes me lower back and glutes fire but still I feel I'm doing something wrong.   The gym owner who swears by it says I'm doing it right so I don't know.

I usually have my hip bone up on the pad, or rest.  Hold the bars and have my legs hanging ,. Pad high on my calf and start the movement. , I do not let it swing wild I try and control it  as much as possible. I try to control it down and squeeze it up. Keeping the legs slightly bent but straight so I don't activate my hams .

Does this sound right? It kinda hard to explain when typing it out. Ha

I try to keep my hips off the top of the pad as much as possible. I pretty much just lay my gut on top of the pad, then keep the edge flush with my quads.

Some momentum doesn't hurt, in fact it might help. Controlling the eccentic is still crucial, but don't be afraid to color outside the lines.

Always squeeze your butt cheeks at the top. Pinch that turd off, or keep that dick out of your ass. Whichever analogy works better for you.

Pad angle is another consideration. Some machines have the pad tilted down (away from you) which places a greater emphasis on the lower back. Tilting it towards you places more emphasis on the glutes.

Also, worth noting, most of my taller athletes just don't us it. I'm talking anyone 6'3" or above (I coach two who are 6'9"). They're just too tall, & it's too awkward.

I'll try and snap a few pics of how I have all my athletes set up on the reverse hyper.

Thanks.  I'm 6'3 so that maybe the issue then .  Ha

11/30/2018

https://youtu.be/V96by8p8jrc

Bro-Tastic Douche-Baggery

Met up with a couple friends, & we just did what we could to be giant douches. Talked poo to each other the whole fooing time, & had a blast doing it.

Bench
135 + 96lb chain x6
135 + 152lb chain x6
135 + 208lb chain x6, 8, 10, 12, 13
The goal was to work up in chain weight via sets of six reps, then add two reps each set until failure. Pooped out around 13 reps, gunning for 14 reps. Whenever we get on a Thompson Fat Pad, I bench feet up since the pad is too thick for my stubby legs. Really could have used some leg drive on that last set lol.

Plate Loaded Pec Dec:
3x10-20 "pulsing reps"
Drop Sets: 3x10

Decline Bench:
135x10
225x6
2x185x10 (paused)
Been forever and a day since I last decline benced, & I still hate it.

Incline DB Press:
3x75x8
75x8, 50x8, 35x8

Triceps Machine
3x25

Cable Pushdowns
10x100x10

Met up at a local place afterwards for pizza & a patty melt. No beer this time, since I wanted food. At this stage in my life, it's either beer or food. I just get too bloated.


https://youtu.be/BlOk5wV0DRo

I always enjoyed your logs Cole. Glad you back doing your thing.

https://youtu.be/RC4Gh-JTS40

Had a big group in today, as Saturdays are pretty much a cath-up day or a shoulder/arms/cardio day. It's laid back, easy going, usually a quick in & out day.

Shoulder workout I had the group do:

1) Seated DB OHP x12
*"pulsing" reps; half rep + full rep = 1 rep

2) De Franco 3D Lateral Raise x20
*band tethered to a post, & looped around your hand. Tension pulling your arm forward & down (once you start the raise).

3) Arnold Press x12
4) DB Lateral Raise x15
5) Band Face Pull (to forehead) x20

6) TRX Face Pull to Fly x10
*one face pull + one rear delt fly = 1 rep

5 Rounds; 555 total reps performed.

12/3/2018

https://youtu.be/DMdqsS0a9tY

Squat & Deadlift

Made up for last week.

SQ
4x355x3

DL
16x315x1
Switched off between conventional & sumo, so every other set was sumo.

Everything just felt & moved better today. Diet was on point over the weekend,  & I'm madly in love with Halo Top Ice Cream.

Will find some time this week to finish of the leg workout.

If you're in the SoCal area, check this place out:
https://www.lostspirits.net/home