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Gainz4Dayz_
09-10-16, 11:02 pm
Hello Animal family!

Long time lurker, new poster, and finally I feel that I can contribute around the forums. My name is James Fowler, I am a 198 lbs lifter out of Tampa, FL. I picked up the powerlifting sport, after being a college athlete and then doing a body building show in 2014, in April of 2015 and going on my 2nd year competing. I have always been a gym rat and someone who loves to improve and chase big goals.

I dont think there is a better community than the powerlifting one, I was addicted after watching my boy compete in a USAPL meet at the end of 2014. I wanted to step on a platform and move some heavy weight as well! Hahaha. I was bit by the iron bug, something I think we can all relate too.

I did my first meet and totaled 1380 (wraps), after that the total chase was real. I was a powerlifting addict and wanted to learn everything about the sport! I then competed in the Tony Conyers Extravaganza, where I totaled a 1430 (raw). From there I went to RUM 9 and competed and totaled a 1532 (Raw), then I took a pretty nice off-season where I incorporated attacking my weaknesses and improving before deciding to do Boss of Bosses 3.

My goal for that meet was to total 1700+ and show that I deserved to be among the top 198 lb lifters. I hit a 1720 total and ended up winning the 198's with wraps division. I ended up with a 633 squat (sorry I suck with Kilo conversions, MERICA!), a 414 bench, and a 673 dead. I missed a 700 pull at the top, after my hand got caught on my quad and ripped it open. It has haunted me ever since lol.

It was such an amazing weekend though, something that I still can't put into words honestly. I met so many of my idols and legends there. It was humbling to just share the same room with all these guys, let alone when they would actually take the time out to talk and hold conversations.

So what is next? Well I am going to chase a 1800 lbs total raw now, I'm pretty much done with wraps, I just never get comfortable in them or maybe I am too lazy to deal with wrapping every squat session hahaa. I feel like my heart is in Raw and for the time being I will be staying there.

This Thread which I will update after every training session will be used to document that journey up to my next meet as well, so join the gainz train and lets go for a ride.

Also I will list all my social media's, so if you ever want to hit me up you are more than welcome too.

My first week of training video/Yatubez channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atTUyUD7gBQ

My instagram (@gainz4dayz_):

https://www.instagram.com/gainz4dayz_/

My twitter (@thepg5):

https://twitter.com/thepg5

Gainz4Dayz_
09-18-16, 10:51 pm
Good Evening,

Sorry for being so inconsistent with the updates on a daily basis, life has been a little hectic getting ready to start a new job and just finishing up all the administrative duties for it.

Lift is going to get back to normal here and I was finally able to get around to editing up this weeks training footage!

Week 2 (Yatubez Video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHl2zMiHVh0

This week was the first mental hurdle, not so much physical where I was finally hitting training numbers that I have always dreamed about. For instance this is the first time I have ever used weights in the 500's, high 300's, and 600's for training reps.

This weeks top squat was 525 for 2 sets of 4, which moved great. I followed it with 605 for 2 sets of 4 on deads and then 355 for 2 sets of 4 for bench on Friday. Everything moved great and all the stretching I am doing is really starting to pay off big time. I feel strong and explosive for the first time in about a year.

Tomorrow will be a big mental and physical hurdle as I have 550 for 2 sets of 3, so I am carbing up now and enjoying some football before I head to bed.

I will be updating this tomorrow and as always you can find me on my social medias:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gainz4dayz_/
twitter: twitter.com/thepg5

Gainz4Dayz_
09-21-16, 11:29 am
So Monday came and went, man was it a long one.

I started a new job and with everything comes a new routine, but life is such a blessing and I couldnt be more thankful for it.

After work I was able to hit the gym and it was week3 of my 11 week peaking program, which also happened to be the first real mental and physical test.

I didnt really get to eat during the day because of how much work I had to get done, I forgot to eat breakfast so that way I could get to work early. BIG MISTAKE. I ran home and stuffed a cup of Proats in me, grabbed my bang, and headed out.

Monday:

Low Bar Squat: 555x3x2
High Bar Squat: 445x3x2
Speed Bench: 250x3x4
RDL's: 155x8x3
Banded Good Moirnings: Black EliteFTS bandx25x2
Bicep Curls: 30x15x3
Abs: BWx25x1

Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/BKj6A_pjSQ1/?taken-by=gainz4dayz_

Overall everything moved great, but the gym was stupid hot and a combo of dehyrdration and cramps led to me leaving the gym with quad and forearm cramps. It was a nightmare but I got through it and thankfully it happened post low and high bar squats.

I also think I strained my front delt a little with the bench, just trying to stretch and recover it the last two days. It is starting to feel better, so hopefully it wont bother me tonight.

I will update this tomorrow after my heavy deads today, I cant wait to go kill it.

Talk to you soon Animal Fam!

Gainz4Dayz_
09-22-16, 9:31 am
Good Morning!

So yesterday was a pretty smooth day despite being a little tired from work and little sleep. I was able to prep myself for the gym this time and didnt have any problems over the usual stiffness of working all day.

I made sure to get a good little stretch and dynamic warmup before I started my deads. It really paid off because it allowed my body to feel so much better and I eventually got the blood flow going, while finding my groove.

I made sure to take as little reps as possible leading up to my top sets and treated it like a meet, lots of doubles and singles basically as I climbed to 635.

Yesterday was 91% and 96% for 2 inch off the floor pulls and man they moved like speed work, which I couldn't be more proud of.

Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/BKo5LNKDGaI/?taken-by=gainz4dayz_

Shoulder and chest feel great this morning, I also had no pain yesterday while going through my sets.

I will still do the stretching and Icy Hot on it for the next day because I have heavy bench on Friday and want to make sure that it moves really well.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week 3, Day 2:

Sumo Deads: 635x3x2
2in off the floor pull: 675x2x2
DB Rows: 150x8x3
GHR: BWx8x3
Lower Back extensions: 45lnb+BWx5x3
4 way shoulder: 10lb dbx10x3
Ab wheel: 5x5

I will update this on Friday or Saturday! Stay Strong Animal Fam.

Gainz4Dayz_
09-26-16, 3:16 pm
Good Afternoon guys/gals,

Sorry for taking so long to update this, I had a pretty busy weekend with training and just running around, I also got sick on football Sunday due to some quick weather change. Thank you Florida....

I left with Wednesday's deadlift workout which went great, I had heavy bench of Friday with speed skwats but I was really worried about my strained pec/delt and started doubting myself well before the workout even began.

I have never been a good bencher, I think my sheiko programming has built so much confidence in it though because you just do it so frequenctly, but at a submaximal weights. So when I tend to have to bench maximal weights, especially on bench, I play the mental game hard. Well Friday was a perfect example, 380 for 6 total reps. A 2 sets of 3, up to this day I haven't tripled more than 345 in training.

Well after a pretty decent warm up which was focused on getting some blood flow going, I started benching. It went exactly how I planned.... miserable lol.

At 225, I could feel the strain out. I only really had a problem with it in the hole, so I decided to really sink the bar to my stomach and leave off as much pressure as I could to the pec. After a few sets up to 335, I decided to take my 380 and get it over with. I knew if I took them slow down, I could at least feel it out and if anything felt weird then I would bail.

I kept telling myself to push the negative thoughts out and throw this weight around, a heart of a champion.

and I did exactly that... 380 has never moved so smoothly and so easily as I did. It wasn't easy because I damn near tempo'd the first reps of each set, but when I hit that groove, they flew.

Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/BKuEr6IDLok/?taken-by=gainz4dayz_

My confidence and back, thankfully I will deload this week and wont have to bench heavy again for another 4 weeks. I am glad I finished a great week off with my biggest triple of my short lifting career.

Fridays workout:
365x3x4 - Speed Skwats
380x3x2 - Competition Bench
305x3x2 - CG Bench
50lb DBx8x3 - DB Bench Press
Orange Elite FTS Band x10x5 - Chest Flies
Orange Elite FTS Band x10x5 - Tricep Extensions
25lb+BWx2x25 - Weighted Crunches

Saturday's Workout:
430x3x4 - SSB Squat
325x3x3 - Front Squat
475x12x1 - Paused at the Knees Deads
385x9x1 - Conventional Deads
Black Elite FTS Band x5x5 - Good Mornings
Bwx2x25 - Abs

Overall I am feeling great and the body responded to a great week of training, time to deload and then ramp it up again to bigger and better things.

I WANT THAT 1800 lb RAW TOTAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!