The Official Powerlifting and Strongman Family Appreciation thread: Part XVI

[mstngvic]

Didn't someone here train with Sohmer?

I did.

Here is my original post on the subject of Matt Slowmer: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...post1253510441

I used to train with Matt Sohmer, know him pretty well actually.... he's very, very strange. And he literally NEVER benches. 3 times a month sounds high for him, believe it or not. He won't even acknowledge it if you ask him about benching. He calls it the "b-word", no joke. It's pathetic. The first week he trained with us, he hit 700 on the squat in the gym and told us he couldn't even bench 275, his own damn bodyweight. Wouldn't bench in front of us.
He would only show up on squat and deadlift days, did absolutely zero accessory work unless we guilted him into it. Kid can't even do a pullup and was panting and exhausted from doing 10 mins on the elliptical at a jogging pace.

...

We ended up kicking him off of our team and out of our gym because he's an arrogant, selfish, self-entitled douchgebag. Yeah he's definitely a freak at squatting and pulling but he absolutely refuses to take criticism or advice, and absolutely refused to be a team player. Wouldn't spot or run the mono or do anything to help, he basically just wanted us to be his personal training squad, here to serve him. That didn't work. We were training out of a commercial gym at the time, so when he got sick of us having the nerve to want him to be a team player, he would come in and use our mono and equipment when there was nobody else around. He ended up dumping 700+lbs off his back and it scared the gym owners so we had to get rid of him. It was actually a big part of the reason that the commercial gym eventually kicked us out and we had to start our own facility. Shame, because he was strong as hell, but he was more trouble than he was worth for sure.

The only way I can accurately describe Matt is retard strength (squat/dead) combined with extreme laziness (bench) and egotism (I suck at benching so rather than work on my weaknesses I'll just pretend they don't exist).

I'd love to see what that dude could do with some proper coaching but he was so douchey and uncoachable when I knew him, I really don't see it happening. Shame to see someone pissing away a potentially awesome total because they're too lazy and stubborn to up their bench game.

If anyone has any specific questions about him or anything let me know. I'm sur eI could come up with a few funny stories

[Kaarliitis]

How much that Alex Kang guy totals?

[michael_xyz]

Remember reading that post about him now.

Still blows my mind. It's a bodyweight bench press. You can say he benches once a blue moon but... it's still a bodyweight bench press. Not like he has stick arms either.

[ErickStevens]

Anything is possible, but I've heard he underperformed in meets for a little while and had higher gym numbers than at meets. I think around raw nats last year he had benched 405 in the gym or something close to that, for example. I want to believe at least...

No one insinuated anything. Why the need to point it out?

^^^ Do you even read, bro?

You some kind of Filt Apologist?

[darren.dugan]

I did.

Here is my original post on the subject of Matt Slowmer: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...post1253510441



The only way I can accurately describe Matt is retard strength (squat/dead) combined with extreme laziness (bench) and egotism (I suck at benching so rather than work on my weaknesses I'll just pretend they don't exist).

I'd love to see what that dude could do with some proper coaching but he was so douchey and uncoachable when I knew him, I really don't see it happening. Shame to see someone pissing away a potentially awesome total because they're too lazy and stubborn to up their bench game.

If anyone has any specific questions about him or anything let me know. I'm sur eI could come up with a few funny stories

Wow, such a shame that natural world class talent is wasted on someone like that. Hopefully he can get his head out of his ass before he get an injury, because it certainly seems like he would not have the perseverance to come back from one.

[michael_xyz]

Thoughts on attempt selection between: light/medium/PR and medium/small PR/bigger PR?

Most seem to do the former and open with something you can triple for first attempt, in between what you want and first attempt as second, and then PR. However, I've always wondered how much sense that makes.

Isn't it better to try hit a PR or your goal number on second attempt, meaning if you miss you still have another go at it? Obviously tough to fail a lift and get it afterwards, but with a 1RM it may be a small technical error that fails you.

[psychodiver9]

Any tips on not getting legs caught up on bad during ghr?

Also today i saw high wrapped smith squats and belted ham curls

[Kaarliitis]

Misha is really stepping up his youtube game, i'm so glad that i understand a bit Russian, one of my favourite youtubers theese days.

[jsullivan93]

pretty insane. does this guy do full power? would be a pretty monster total

Nguyen master race



I just love how the pull synced up with the hype music hhnnnnngngngngng

[martin_mathers]

Misha is really stepping up his youtube game, i'm so glad that i understand a bit Russian, one of my favourite youtubers theese days.

Misha is God. Can't wait to see what he puts up at GPA. And that frisbee video is just amazing.

[Kaarliitis]

Misha is God. Can't wait to see what he puts up at GPA. And that frisbee video is just amazing.

yeah, he seems to post both, fun and educational videos. I loved his video with Kiril and Andrey.

[martin_mathers]

And its here

Spoiler: high

[arian11]

I did.

Here is my original post on the subject of Matt Slowmer: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...post1253510441



The only way I can accurately describe Matt is retard strength (squat/dead) combined with extreme laziness (bench) and egotism (I suck at benching so rather than work on my weaknesses I'll just pretend they don't exist).

I'd love to see what that dude could do with some proper coaching but he was so douchey and uncoachable when I knew him, I really don't see it happening. Shame to see someone pissing away a potentially awesome total because they're too lazy and stubborn to up their bench game.

If anyone has any specific questions about him or anything let me know. I'm sur eI could come up with a few funny stories

Were you part of his 100% natty lifters coalition or whatever it was called? I don't remember all the details just that 1 of my friends got contacted by Sohmer about joining his crew. I think he explained it like Westside or JTS but for natty lifters and they were gonna have t-shirts and take over the world lol.

How much that Alex Kang guy totals?

He totaled 625kg @ 66kg class at equipped nationals this year and he's been on the USA National Team once.

^^^ Do you even read, bro?

You some kind of Filt Apologist?

I thought the Fam insinuated awhile back that if a lifter hits much better numbers in the gym than they do in a drug tested competition, then...u know. So it would seem he is doing quite the contrary to what you bolieve bro.

Thoughts on attempt selection between: light/medium/PR and medium/small PR/bigger PR?

Most seem to do the former and open with something you can triple for first attempt, in between what you want and first attempt as second, and then PR. However, I've always wondered how much sense that makes.

Isn't it better to try hit a PR or your goal number on second attempt, meaning if you miss you still have another go at it? Obviously tough to fail a lift and get it afterwards, but with a 1RM it may be a small technical error that fails you.

It's very different from person to person and meet to meet. And not even talking about someone's personal thoughts on how to pick attempts. But if you are doing 2 meets close to each other and you haven't made much progress, you will probably pick attempts quite differently than someone who has taken 6-12 months off and made considerable progress. Like at my push/pull meet last month, my opening bench was a PR because I hadn't competed in 10 months. Usually I ask people a few questions when deciding how to pick their attempts. Like what are their competition PRs, gym PRs, what have they hit lately in training, are they cutting weight, are they traveling, etc.

And its here

Spoiler: high

[Hamzzza]

inb4 powerlifters' meet preps become pay per view

[ErickStevens]

I can't believe Zahir was able to squat so soon after beating the Big Show!

[xRequiem]

it's more than deep enough for GPA

[martin_mathers]

it's more than deep enough for GPA

I really hope the judging will be tighter than that. It would suck to have high squats passed at such a high caliber meet.

[michael_xyz]

It's very different from person to person and meet to meet. And not even talking about someone's personal thoughts on how to pick attempts. But if you are doing 2 meets close to each other and you haven't made much progress, you will probably pick attempts quite differently than someone who has taken 6-12 months off and made considerable progress. Like at my push/pull meet last month, my opening bench was a PR because I hadn't competed in 10 months. Usually I ask people a few questions when deciding how to pick their attempts. Like what are their competition PRs, gym PRs, what have they hit lately in training, are they cutting weight, are they traveling, etc.

Yes, very good points made.

I guess I meant it just more generally than that even though. I know it's probably very tough to miss a second attempt and get it on your third, but you have a tiny insurance, and that has value however improbable. I guess the only issue with doing it that way is you're more likely to bomb out or something, but that's still unlikely if the first attempt isn't too stupid.

It kinda means doing your "first attempt" as last warm-up and then everything is slightly shifted. Okay, you won't get 9/9, but that doesn't really mean anything either. A miss is hard to recover from, but with one rep form is a massive and even a slight change (you forgot to keep chest up as much as usual) could mean difference between getting it or not.

[thom2355]

I can't believe Zahir was able to squat so soon after beating the Big Show!

SPOILER AlERT BRO!

[arian11]

Yes, very good points made.

I guess I meant it just more generally than that even though. I know it's probably very tough to miss a second attempt and get it on your third, but you have a tiny insurance, and that has value however improbable. I guess the only issue with doing it that way is you're more likely to bomb out or something, but that's still unlikely if the first attempt isn't too stupid.

It kinda means doing your "first attempt" as last warm-up and then everything is slightly shifted. Okay, you won't get 9/9, but that doesn't really mean anything either. A miss is hard to recover from, but with one rep form is a massive and even a slight change (you forgot to keep chest up as much as usual) could mean difference between getting it or not.

I think Matt Gary has looked at meet results from a ton of international, national and state meets. I think the statistics show that if you miss your opener, there is ~67% chance you'll miss your 2nd or 3rd and ~33% chance you'll miss your 2nd and 3rd. Seems like the probabilities would move even further against you if you shifted your attempts over as you are suggesting. Would be more of a high risk-high reward situation like Efferding bombing out on squat cuz he opened with the WR.


EDIT:

Who dis nikka bee?

[ErickStevens]

I think Matt Gary has looked at meet results from a ton of international, national and state meets. I think the statistics show that if you miss your opener, there is ~67% chance you'll miss your 2nd or 3rd and ~33% chance you'll miss your 2nd and 3rd. Seems like the probabilities would move even further against you if you shifted your attempts over as you are suggesting. Would be more of a high risk-high reward situation like Efferding bombing out on squat cuz he opened with the WR.


EDIT:

Who dis nikka bee?

mirin 750lb SLDL

fuark

[michael_xyz]

I like how he almost gets it off the floor twice before actually pulling it.

[CowardBrah]

He's a miscer

srs

[arian11]

Haven't gotten a haircut or shaved in awhile so I was gonna be lazy and be The Dude for Halloween. But now I got a job interview setup for Wednesday, so I guess I gotta at least trim and make things look nice.

[runtocatch]

I should clarify. I don't have a problem staying tall in the hole. Its my hips shooting up before my chest rises

I don't think its a mobility issue but I have been wrong plenty of times before.

You don't think its just an issue that your back is stronger than your legs?

Is there any way you can arrange a sanctioned fist fight with me and that stupid f*ck? I'll cut down to 148 for that and make sure I do it USAPL natty just for that purpose.

I would like that.

Fine....I will cut down to 148....wait a minute....

I would like to see that cut.

[arn710]

You don't think its just an issue that your back is stronger than your legs?

That's very possible but something I hadn't considered. I have been working hard on bringing up my leg size and strength. I plan to keep working on it .

Thinking back on my training, the issue didn't seem as bad when I was doing more pause squats. My plan of attack right now is more volume on front squats and replace my high bar volume work with high bar paused squats after my low bar squatting

[jshaw5]

What can I do to stop folding over and having to good morning my heavy squats?

My legs feel strong as chit. Its like I can't get my hips forward to get my legs to actually work

I have the same problem, I'm hoping some time with SSB squats will help.

Looks a bit high. I doubt he'll squat much more than 400 at GPA worlds

Maybe it's the USAPLer in me, but that's incredibly high. I know most feds aren't as strict as IPF/USAPL for depth, but does GPA's rules have different wording regarding proper depth?

[TrettinR]

What are people's pre-workouts of choice? Preferably on the website here because the shipping is crazy fast and I'm all out. My last order was the Arnold series stuff because it was on sale, but I wasn't a fan.

[arn710]

What are people's pre-workouts of choice? Preferably on the website here because the shipping is crazy fast and I'm all out. My last order was the Arnold series stuff because it was on sale, but I wasn't a fan.

I always thought plain ole EC was the best preworkout available. Not sure if ephedrine is on your banned substances list though

Those powdered mixes always turn up my stomach

[breathinglife]

it's more than deep enough for GPA

Why do you say this?
I don't think so. GPA is lax in regional/national comps, but at worlds? They redlighted Malan for a very similar squat.



So no, not "more than deep enough" for GPA.