Lowcountry Strength has started meet prep for the upcoming RPS Backyard Bash in NC on June 9th.  Lots of different things going on right now.  The team is progressing well through the prep while I’m working with Zane Geeting for my training.  Pretty cool to see quite a few different things happening for all the folks here. 

Check out my latest article on Power Rack Strength about trying to Learn to Suffer.

As always, a big thanks to Inzer Advance Designs and Captain Jacked for their continued support of TeamPRS.

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Training last week called for taking an opener to touch and 1bd a 2nd attempt.  I missed my opener twice (first video).  It was my first bad bench day all training cycle.  But like any hard headed lifter, one training session makes or breaks a cycle.  Am I right?!  At least I thought so.  I had myself a good little pity party and talk to a few good friends and of course, Zane.  They all talked me off the ledge and helped me pull my head out of my ass.

Looking back, I wasn’t tight enough and I had jacked the shirt entirely too much.  And whether it got in my head or not, I just didn’t have a good feeling going into the session.  I couldn’t tell you what it was but I’ve been jacked up to bench all training cycle.  This was the first time I absolutely did not feel like getting under the bar.  It’s hard not to let it get to you and just let one training session destroy a great training block.

After having a couple conversations with several folks, I pulled out a looser shirt, lowered my opener, kept the shirt only slightly jacked (you’ll notice no belt in the 2nd video where I had a belt on in the first).  It made a world of difference.  Easy touch, easy press.  Zane gave some good recommendations for setting up the looser shirt for a 2nd attempt and maybe taking a third in the tighter one or just cranking the loose shirt hard and letting it ride for the third.

No matter what I do for a third attempt, this shirt will be the one I open with and take a 2nd attempt in.  As it is in this video.  I’m not fucking with it.  I need to learn to rely on what I can do first, then use the shirt.  I shouldn’t be relying on the shirt first and my ability 2nd.  My ability isn’t always up to handling what the shirt can and that’s not always an easy pill to swallow.  Even after competing for over 10 years, I’m still amazed at the shit I mess up.  Another good reason for me to always have a coach.

Thank you, Zane!