Thoughts about life, crap, training, and stuff - UPA weekend, mass gain, weight cutting edition

This past weekend I drove up to potentially bench and pull at the UPA Power weekend in Iowa.  Nevermind the fact that I tore my quad two weeks ago, I did in fact pull 635 x 3 from a deficit a little more than a week ago, so I figured "what the hell, I can go bench 400 and pull 700 and hang out with my buddies."  Seemed like a solid plan at that time.

On the drive up however, my leg got achier and achier and my overall feeling of well being deteriorated pretty rapidly.  By the time I woke up Saturday morning I had a splitting headache and felt like I had bean beaten half to death by a meth and hate fueled Snuffaluffagus.  Nevertheless, I decided I would still go give it a shot.

I took a token squat of 170 then sat around for the next 459 hours waiting to warm up for bench.  By the time my flight was warming up I knew something was not right.  My body ached and my head was pounding to the tune of a drum that not even 16 ibuprofen could quiet (that's not embellishing either.  I had taken 16 by that point).

On bench warm ups, I knew something was very off when I could barely unrack 275 and press it without pain and weakness.  I texted my best buddy Pegg and told him of my concern.  He texted back two words that rang with truth.

"Stop.  Now."

I knew what he was telling me was right, but like most guys that compete in powerlifting or really any sport, my mentality was to push through anything.  To give my right leg if I had to in order to compete.  The problem was, I had already given my right leg two weeks prior in Detroit.

"Do you want to be rehabbing a pec AND a quad at the same time?  Shut it down." he told me.

So with a heavy and reluctant heart, I did.  It was the hardest...and smartest, decision I had ever made in regards to a meet or competition.

You see, there are definitely times when you have to get fucking stupid, and despite all odds, finish by destroying through whatever obstacles have been put in your way.  You must will yourself to overcome the pain and the feeling of being defeated, and embrace everything you have left to give and empty yourself out.

And there are times when you need to weigh up the odds, and options, and say "there's nothing to win here today by doing that."  And that's what I came to the conclusion of.  That if I tore a pec or a hamstring that there was nothing to win.  Not with myself, not with anything or anyone else.  I needed to, for once, be smart and shut it down and go back to the drawing board so I can set myself up for bigger and better things down the road.  It won't be the last meet I ever do, so what did I have to gain?  Just another injury.

With all of that said, I did enjoy helping my little brother Pete Rubish.  I've said for a long time that Pete had it in him to total big, if he'd just quit being stupid.  Well, this time I was there to make sure of that.  Though he was still stubborn Pete listened to me for 95% of the day, let me call his numbers, and he ended up going 8 for 9 with a 1851 total, and hit about 1,239 PR's.

And you know what?  They count now.  They are in the books.  Not on youtube, and not because some stupid bitch on his Facebook wanted to jack off to his lifting videos.  Pete got his best day ON THE BOOKS.  And I am humbled to have been a part of helping to make that happen.  Now to just keep his head on straight so he doesn't keep doing stupid shit in the future.  I think Pete could total 2K no wraps in the next couple of years if IF IF he doesn't get stupid in training.  So...that's a big IF.

My other buddy Ernie Lilliebridge Jr, went 1900+ at 220, which is ridiculous.  I've said for a long time that Ernie Jr. is the most underappreciated dude in all of powerlifting and I think he proved that very well this weekend.  His brother broke the all time world record for the squat....twice.  In wraps of course.  He did 925 in a day he could have done 950.  I know big E was pissed about his last pull that didn't get passed but he still had a great day and a great meet, and I know he'll eventually calm down and realize that.

My other buddy Swede Burns went 1800 with a severe upper respiratory infection.  Was really proud of how he gutted through that.

Oh and Dan Green broke the 242 total record...again.  Ho hum.

My plans -

After this past weekend I decided I need to do what the Base Building Book is all about.  Get back to growing and setting up the next layer of a foundation in terms of mass, so that I can grow into the 275's effectively.  I'm not a 242 anymore, and all of this weight cutting I believe, has been a big part of why my training and meet results have been so hit and miss.  During training, I get strong when I'm not worried about my weight, and eat.  Not junk mind you, I just let myself eat more.  Then when I have to dial it back, food wise, for the meet I feel a bit of that "umpf" come off.  The weight cut then tends to effectively kill that "umpf" and I feel like shit.

I'm not saying you can't weight cut and break records and be strong and all that jazz.  I'm just saying it hasn't bode well for me to the point.  Cutting 30 pounds for relentless, I feel, set my up for my injury.  So I'm just not going to worry about that anymore, get back to breaking rep PR's, doing 50% sets, and building as much lean tissue as possible.

As Wendler told me after the meet "stop getting in your own way."  Well that's the plan.  I will be detailing more of what I am going to be doing later this week.

I hope everyone is having a dog shit Monday!