USAWA

After working up to a 255lb Clean, did some Box Squats. Gave Middle Finger Deads another go. Got 225!! Up 40lbs from last week!! Could get 245 barely off the floor. Figured I’d finish with One Handed Barbell Deads. Got 245 relatively easy but 265 barely cleared the floor. The bar was knurled in the center and I used a hook grip. Never done these with a bar before. I like ’em.
The one hand Deads sure work the side delts(caps). Would think they’d be a good heavy exercise for a bodybuilder to do before moving on to Lateral Raises.
I swear I could live to be as old as Methuselah(sic) and never be able to hit all the great exercises you could do with barbell/dumbell(s).

Aw man, Thumbbless,come on. If this grip stuff is a test of manhood, I keep testing as a fetus. Thumbless, really?! Man I got my work cut out for me.
BTW have you ever noticed that Tee “Skinny Man” Myers who Deads 750+ in his 50’s @ 180lbs ish uses a thumbbless grip???

Was SUPPOSED to only do some technique work tonight but as the T-shirt says,”Screw it, I’m maxing out!”
Played with my adjustable and spotterless board press set-up(cost me about 15$ to buy and put together) tonight to work some lockout. Afterwards, I decided to give Dumbell Swings a try. Worked up to 86 1/2 lbs. NOT hooked grip, arms and legs straight. Man glutes/lower back/delts/traps nailed HARD!! Really wanted to hit 100+. I will… SOON. What the heck, the pain’s starting to feel good. Let’s go after some middle finger deads. Got 225(pr) last Sunday. Nailed 235, hard but good. Went 246, flew right up, lots easier than 235!!! 257 also jumped right up. 268 told me to take a leap. A 32lb pr this week!! Man, I’ve GOT to get those swings up!!

I don’t know if it’s because I’m honest with my gym lifts or what, but I also see a pretty good increase in a meet. I’ve seen plenty of other competitors wind up getting numbers that are much LOWER than in training. I could NOT handle that. Putting all that time in training,planning, maybe taking time off to travel, plus trip itself just to not PR=no way.
This is my 3rd middle finger dead workout and I’m suprised how my hands feel fine. When I first took up Olympic Lifting, it took 6 WEEKS for my hand to feel ‘normal’. Felt like my palms got wider.
What’s also helped is that I’ve changed to a shorter/quicker Deadlifting style. Funny how pain feels good?!?! Maybe that’s why we call ’em odd lifts? Does that make us “odd-lifters” or if we do it long enough “odd-lifers”. Yeah, that’s it. I would be proud to be known as an ODD-LIFER.

Technique work with Snatches followed by some Middle Finger Deadlifts. Big pr tonight. Tried 315 twice and it told me to go take a hike. Dropped down to 300 and missed twice. Got mad. Ain’t going to let a weight talk to me like that so I nailed it the third try-YEEHAW! Skin is for wimps!!

came off floor the first time.

Video of 300 lb barbell middle finger Deadlift on you tube now.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4afofIfNPQ

DON’T even know how I figured that out!! Give it a spin.

Yeah, well I’m kinda stubborn at times. If I get in my head that it’s going down…. it’s going down!! Nothing like a bad marriage to give you that attitude!!