Still Breaking In -

I'm still breaking myself back in - I wonder if I'll ever get over this stomach thing. Yes, it's still off and on plaguing me after 3 weeks. I'm barely tipping the scales now at 153 - 154. I just can't seem to get set straight with this weight gaining program!!! Not because I haven't been including lots of food or my Little Debbie Cakes, because they have once again become a daily staple, but my body is just plain ol' rebelling against wanting to gain weight... I'm still doing a bit less volume all around in my training. We did rack pulls the other night - I'm not really into them. I betcha, however, that in the long run they will benefit me, but even with close to 600 lbs, they just don't provide me with that overall exhilerating, body thrashed feeling I get from deadlifts. My weak spot on the dead is off the floor, not mid-point. We'll be doing these every other week to see waht happens. Deadlifting every week is counter productive for me. GW will benefit from the rack pulls, especially, as his weak link in the dead is the mid-point. My upper abs did get very sore from the rack pulls. My hips were saved alot of grief, however, and hopefully will be fresh on Monday for squatting!

The pics are of GW, Beth Beitzel and I pulverizing our legs on my last training session the Sunday before the Masters.
The Duo Squat machine is just a heck of an incredible piece of machinery. I relied on those when I could no longer push through regular squats. The sissy squat "machine" - to me, not really like a sissy squat, more like an altered front squat.
Good stuff, but manual sissys still rule - funny that they would even make a machine to try to simulate a sissy - one of the few excercises you can do any time, anywhere without a piece of equipment...????
We've all been trying to encourage Beth to compete - she's got all of the tools necessary - looks, physique, personality. She jumps in to work out with us from time to time, and she's also got alot of strength she either doesn't know she has, or is hiding....not sure which. She would be a force in figure, fitness, or bodybuilding....maybe someday, Beth??????
OK, every time I post, I'm going to try to thank one person whose influence has made my foray into bodybuilding and powerlifting the grand experience it has been and hopefully will continue to be for some time to come...
Mark Collins. My old beau during the time I was going to the Art Institute of Philadelpia, and was the first person to ever take the time to show me and explain to me what weight training was all about. I haven't seen nor spoken to him in 20+ years, but he got the ball rolling for me in the basement of a friend's row house in South Philadelphia with a set of plastic filled weights and a cheap bar. Thanks Mark.