PDA

View Full Version : The Bear Awakes: Let's lift some weights!



The Bear
04-04-14, 10:19 am
Hé Guys!

I'm Tim aka The Bear, started lifting weights after the summer of 2012 and haven't looked back since!
Found out rather quick that I had a decent amount of strength to begin with and focused the power lifts ever since!
Just trying to improve my strengths, and of course weaknesses, on a weekly basis inside and outside the gym.

Always been the "heavier" rather "slow (no endurance)" kinda kid during high school...
Was fast though with sprinting and also kinda strong compared to my classmates during those times.
To bad here in the Netherlands (Europe) we aren't really stimulated by society to go and lift weights in gym.
Played tennis for 11 years during this time, but had to give that up because of lower back pain when I try to serve...

Now after all that time, relatively speaking since I'm just 23 years old, I finally found the sport that really suits me!
The first time I entered the weight room a whole new world opened up right before my eyes!
Had the luck that my new classmates, also started a new study (Nutrition/Dietetics) after the summer, were already well know in the gym.
They showed me how to lift and made me start with Starting Strength from Rippetoe.
Went form 0 to a 310 pound squat, yes below parallel hehe, in 3,5 months but injured my back a few days before...
Had to lay off the heavy squats and deadlifts (which I like the most) for 3-4 months after that.

In the meanwhile I went from weighing 230 pounds (fat) to 190 pounds (lean), so I was feeling kinda okay during these sad times.
Afterwards I went back on track and keep pursuing my goal of becoming stronger (and bigger) then I would ever deem possible.
Decided to do a amateur bodybuilding show last december for "the fun of it", because I wanted to crown all my hard work during my first year!
Didn't went as planned (dieting just isn't my thing I found out, as is bodybuilding) and ended up weighing 200 pounds on stage.
Finished outside the top 10, but was proud for getting up stage and letting the whole world (~1000 people probably, hehe) see what I had accomplished!

Afterwards I decided, and really found out the harsh way, that bodybuilding just isn't my thing...
During my contest prep I was more excited about lifting heavier weights then getting lean...
Which reminds me of the 440 pound deadlift after 10 no carb days and 2 hours sleep the night before, crazy times it were!

Now I just wanna become as strong as I can be and wanna pursue the world of RAW powerlifting!
Hope to learn a lot from you guys, since a whole bunch of my new found idols are part of the Animal team.

PS.
they call me The Bear, because I'm a real social cuddly friendly kinda guy outside the gym but angry and strong when I hit the weights.
Or is it just because I'm hairy as fuck if I wouldn't trim it all down from time to time, who knows......

knotahumanbeing
04-04-14, 10:22 am
Welcome man..Good luck on your lifting journey!

Stay Hungry
Rob

The Bear
04-04-14, 10:37 am
First training to log so here I go!

Injured my wrists two weeks ago during the deadlift...
Started at 375 pounds and kind got worse when I did a 485 sumo deadlift PR.

Decided to took 1.5 week off and didn't do anything to taxing outside the gym...
Didn't improve really but the initial pain did lessened during this time.

Entered the gym again last tuesday for a bench only session.
Wrist felt okay during workout and I was even possible to hit a 235 pound paused PR (with powerlifting commands)

Today when I entered though the pain felt worse again at the beginning, but lessened during the workout it self...

Squat
3 x 110
3 x 155
2 x 200
2 x 245
2 x 285
2 x 325

2 x 355 paused: 1st rep ~3sec, 2nd rep 5sec+

5 x 380 5RM!

Paused front squat
3 x 220
3 x 220
3 x 220

Bench press
5 x 110
3 x 135
3 x 155
2 x 180
2 x 200
2 x 215

2 x 235 paused: ~3sec

4 x 250 with spot, so don't know...

DB Bench
13 x 90


My squat PR was 385 for 1 rep, so I was pleasantly surprised when I was able to get 5 reps rather simple with only 5 pounds less.
Have mock meet coming up next week on saturday which I planned with some friends to celebrate my 24th B-day!

Hoping to hit a 1150 pound total, but it al depends on the health of my wrists...
Won't be pulling / rowing / chinning these days to give myself some time to heal, but I'm kinda anxious to deadlift...

Now it's weekend and I always have saturday's and sunday's off to rest and have some fun!

The Bear
04-04-14, 10:40 am
Welcome man..Good luck on your lifting journey!

Stay Hungry
Rob

Thanks Rob, I will!
Hoping to reach elite level some day!

The Bear
04-14-14, 3:37 am
Didn't had the chances to update my workout from last week.
Been way to busy studying and all... but here it is!
This was my last workout before the mockmeet.

Squat
3 x 135
3 x 180
3 x 220
3 x 265
3 x 310
2 x 355
1 x 375 with ~3sec pause
3 x 400 PR!

Bench
3 x 110
3 x 155 paused
3 x 200 paused
3 x 220
3 x 240 last with spot

Was a good day, but I still need to find out the right way to bench...
Some one got some tips or advice about that?

The Bear
04-14-14, 3:42 am
Had my B-day mockmeet with some mates!
Weighed in at ~225 pounds, so decided to cut some weight again these coming months!

Squat
1: 375, good lift
2: 405, good lift
3: 430, good lift (PR)

Bench
1: 230, good lift
2: 245, good lift
3: 260, no lift

Deadlift
1: 465, good lift
2: 495, good lift (PR)
3: 540, no lift

Ended up with a total of 1170 (PR) and a wilks of 320.18 (PR).
Finished first based on total and second based on wilks.

Ed Eliason
04-14-14, 9:53 am
Nice mock meet!

The Bear
04-16-14, 3:58 am
Nice mock meet!

Thanks Ed, was pleased myself!
Only thing I really need to work on is my bench.
Need to activate my legs better to drive through the bar.
Always get stuck at the upper part of the lift, because I can't drive through it.
Also still working on the right grip width for me and my proportions...

The Bear
04-16-14, 4:00 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7aTfgGTh54

Yes, I know the bar placement is way off...
Been a common problem for me and nee to work on that!
This was my 2nd attempt at the mockmeet, didn't get the 430 pounds on film...

The Bear
04-16-14, 4:04 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB00BhtIcSo

400 pounds - 465 pounds - 495 pounds

Need to work on pulling the slack out of the bar...
Instead of yanking which could set me up for injury.

Only lifting for 1.5 years now, so still got a lot to learn!
Hopefully I'll get it right the next time!