.jpeg)
A Forest Through the Trees: A Cave Cast
A powerlifting podcast that talks about the good, the bad, and all the things that have kept us going. Raw, Real, and done in one take.
A Forest Through the Trees: A Cave Cast
Ep.8 S-3: "Hodgepodge House Clean"
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In the comeback episode of the Season 3 Cavecast, Carl and Travis return to fill in everyone with busy lives, updates, and PL news.
And we're going somewhere. We're going.
SPEAKER_02Oh, quick. Hurry up.
SPEAKER_00All right. It's now podcast Fridays as opposed to podcast Tuesdays. So when people hear this, it'll be podcast Saturdays.
SPEAKER_01Yes, we figured it out.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we figured it out. After a prolonged period of time, we are continuing to do the podcast. Not that we didn't want to do the podcast, but um a lot of life changes, a lot of things in motion right now. And uh we could not find a good set day during the week to continue our normal Tuesday routines to release on Wednesdays. So here we are now. On a Friday. On a f like yeah, on a Friday, dude. On a Friday. Um, episode 34, 8 of the new Ur, third season. Um, yeah. 3.5. We can call it. We can 3.5. It's been extended. We would have been done this season already. Should have been done this. The goal should be to have this season done by the end of summer.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. That'll that'll be pretty good. It's technically not a new season, but it's been so long since the last one that it's just a 3.5. It is pretty much.
SPEAKER_00And all the things that have torn me apart, nothing has made me honestly. This first sentence is really hitting home right now. So a lot of shit has been torn apart. Uh, nothing has made me more whole, covering the good, the bad, and the shit that keeps us going from straight from the head refs table. I'm your host, Travis Papa Bear Rogers, and you are listening to a Force Through the Trees, a cave podcast, here with the strongest man in the gym and the only one that keeps me going. Carl the Master. That's right. Philly, that's a pretty solid intro. I love it. There's been some ones where I a shit on your parade really rained on it. That was that was a pretty solid one, though. Um I enjoy the good ones. I should have said the man with the plan and the fire extinguishers. Saving us. We have we have a fire marshal inspection next week, so uh Carl knows a guy that knows a guy.
SPEAKER_01My experiences came in clutcher.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so we have fresh tanks readily available for inspections, we are good to go. Um but let's talk about some stuff. We've had a lot of stuff talk uh a lot of stuff happen. Powerlifting's been very busy recently. It has been. It has been. Good and bad. Our lives have been very b busy recently as well. Yeah. Yeah, we're very true. Super busy. So how do you want to start this out? I don't know. Um I'll tell you what I've been doing. I've been painting. You've been painting. I've been painting. I've been painting a lot. Painting your ass off. Yeah, painting my ass off. So uh I had a a job opportunity kind of like plop in my lap towards the end of last school year. I started kind of like painting uh cards, which is kind of like my other hobby. I play Magic the Gathering. I'm a very big nerd into that. If you don't know what that is, it's basically like Dungeons and Dragons, but on cardboard format. Um and uh I feel like that's a good way to explain it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's like less geeky, same same nerd aspect, but less geeky. Uh no, it's pretty geeky. Yeah. Well, one, you're not like doing voices and okay, you don't you don't have to do voices. That's the geeky part of it. Okay, yeah. That's the geeky part of it.
SPEAKER_00So less geeky, more collector. Yeah. Yeah, okay. Yeah, it's um more marketable. Okay, so I was painting altars for people. So if they had like a favorite card, you could like send me the card or whatever. I would paint like a one-of-a-kind rendition of it, ship it back to them, blah, blah, blah. Kind of as like a little side hustle. I was having fun with a couple people liked my art and wanted to do it. Uh, so this summer I was doing that some more. Um, and I found this Facebook professional altars group page, and I was like, ah, whatever, like I'll put myself out there. And I had a couple friends that really do, you should really put your stuff out there. And so I did, and like overnight it blew up on Facebook, and uh, I got offers from all these people, and then I started getting offers from like bigger like Magic the Gathering YouTubers and stuff like that, who stream and do Twitch, and like it just kind of snowballed, and so as of like four weeks ago, I've been non-stop. I think I'm booked all the way until November now. You're going hard in the paint right now. I'm literally going hard in the paint. So I've been I've been painting like three to four cards a day, full arts for people, drying and shipping them back to everybody. Uh, I've done a couple pretty big YouTubers and stuff now. Um met a lot of friends who are into the sign card market, so now we're getting like artist proofs of stuff that's very like niche and hard to find. So uh it helped me put a down payment on the new car. That's really fucking cool.
SPEAKER_01That's pretty cool. Yeah, I didn't know that. That's a that's a really cool dude.
SPEAKER_00I mean, yeah, like the first time you clear enough money to put a down payment on a car using your art, yeah. Using a book, I felt like I was like, is this what it feels like to not be a starving artist? Like, is this is this like what it's like? Like, I felt pretty fucking cool. Oh, that is really cool. I didn't even think about that. Yeah, yeah. Because I was like big congrats on that. Yeah, yeah. Uh, I got rid of the truck, I got the boogermobile. Um, it is a Hyundai Tucson uh in like a gremlin of like a really dark, like gremlin greenish. I like it. I like it I like the color green, but we called it the boogermobile, the snot rocket, whatever have you. Uh, I just really was looking for the family man car because I wanted something that folds down um because our dog Ruthie was used to the extended cab Ford F-150, so she had like tons of room in the back and she had her bed and all that stuff. Um, so I wanted one of the ones that has the fold down, and you get like the dog net and stuff for it, so she could have free room in the back. Um, so that was kind of like my first thing, and then of course, like gas mileage and stuff too. Plus, my truck was out of warranty because I've been having it for a while. We don't really pull the trailer often with that, and if we do, Matt pulls it with its diesel, so I'm like, fuck it. It's time to trade in, get back in warranty, and do the whole thing. So, cards and cars. That's what I've been doing, bro. Um, and I've been bodybuilding for like the last month.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, not a lot of barbell movements over there.
SPEAKER_00Uh uh, none to be exactly. I what? Oh shit. Oh yeah, bro. Uh I forgot a time. Dude, such a dumb story. Uh if you if you're not watching the YouTube, the reason the reason the reason Carlos gasping on your Spotify or however you were listening to his headphones is he just looked at the side of my face where there is a small divot/slash hole where I had recently had my dermal redone, and now he just noticed it is not in my face anymore, and now there's a small tiny crater. It looks like somebody stuck in with a pencil right there. It's because it was a hole punch, it was like a surgical tool. Um, yeah, so I was taking a shower yesterday, yeah, and the water literally touched it and it fell out on the floor in the shower, like at my feet.
SPEAKER_01So does that mean like you're done? I'm done.
SPEAKER_00I'm done. I and the guy who did it is great at his job. I just think it's like the accumulation of scar tissue there, just I don't know. Yeah, dude, you're fine. And he's like, we should try. And I was like, dude, I love you, but I'm good. Yeah, I'm done.
SPEAKER_01Go back to your like glitter tattoo idea. I think that was a good idea.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, well, uh now I have a hole there, so I can't really glitter tattoo the hole. Um, so yeah, I I will not be having face thermal. I was super buttered. It only lasted like what, a week and a half, two weeks. Yeah, you had a band-aid on it the first like two days I saw you, and then you had to go to the- I know I was sleeping with a band-aid, yeah. I was trying really hard, like I was doing all the right shit for it.
SPEAKER_01It wasn't even it was like a cool gem, too. It was like a it's an opal, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So uh that sucks. Yeah, so that fell out. So big sad, big sad on the um, but uh in powerlifting stuff that happened. Um I got my WPO invite.
SPEAKER_01Hell yeah.
SPEAKER_00So I I think when the last time we did the podcast, we were talking about essentially waiting for that to happen.
SPEAKER_01Yes, it was like it was like a week before you like knew what was gonna happen.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. So I got a phone call from Wayne and I did get the official invite for my uh I think it was 556 or 557 uh Wilps. Glossbrenner, Gloss Brenner, yeah, for uh the WPO. And then uh Carl, however, though, signed up for what?
SPEAKER_01Uh I signed up for the meet in conjunction with it, the World Cup, uh the day before. So that's that's the WPO World Cup held at York Bartlett Museum on the 17th.
SPEAKER_00Yes, so we will be there this 17th, and then the next day is 18th, right? Yeah, dude. I took off like four days. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I already got my school days organized, bro. Um can't tell me nothing. I'm taking off. Fuck them keys. Um, so we will be up there. I will be handling Carl. We will be next day. Um with Anthony and the boys and Roman and seeing everybody from TWC and seeing older new friends. And uh, we will be at York Barbell for WPO this year.
SPEAKER_01I mean, I'm not the only one of your clients that's gonna be doing that. Uh you are absolutely correct. Who else is doing that one? Can we get a drummer on? You should you should introduce her now.
SPEAKER_00She wants to hear you say that.
SPEAKER_01Shout out to Elise for doing the WPO. It's awesome.
SPEAKER_00Uh so dude, actually, I was uh in there doing legs, right? Yeah, and she texted me, and she had had like this terrible mix of stuff with like her medication she was taking. Okay, and uh like um she had to be on medication and then she I think she got a dose of prednisone. Okay, and something mixed bad, and she was like, dude, I'm gonna have like a fucking heart attack. Uh-huh. Like, so when she texted me again, I thought it was the same thing, so I fucking panicked. I'm like, oh my god, are you good? Are you okay? And then she sends me a picture of her WPO invite, and I was like, dude, don't do that shit to me. She's like, I'm sorry, I was so excited. I'm like, I'm so excited and proud and hype for you, but like I thought you were gonna fucking like hey, this is gonna be my last text to you before I die in the gym. Like, I was like panicking about it. So congrats to her. We're super proud of her and very excited to have everybody. Did she get that invite off of the last one she did? Correct, yes. Off of uh Nationals, which we talked a little bit about last podcast or the podcast before, because our podcast had been so spaced out. Yes. So yeah, she got her WPO invite as well.
SPEAKER_01That's so sick. Well, did I guess I don't know if it was that one or the uh all the awards. I don't know if they go by.
SPEAKER_00No, no, she she got hers off of Nats. And her Nats one was higher. Gotcha, wow. It was higher. Yeah, because we walked away with four PRs. I mean good for her. That's awesome. Yeah. Um, and then on other news on the cave front, besides for fire marshal inspection, um, I have agreed to come out of semi-retirement. Oh. For meat directing. Uh, so I have talked to Bobby Bolin for MPL. Uh, he helped us run our last one uh so that way I could coach and stuff. And he ran everything for um King of the Cave during the summer when we first started the summer, and then we are talking about bringing back the quick draws. If you don't know what a quick draw meet is, it is like a flash meet. It is done on a Saturday, same day weigh-ins, untested options only, because we cannot afford to run a discounted meet with discounted staff and also pay for your unruly drug tests.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, those things are yeah, plus if we like big money for not a big meet. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00That would be that would pretty much offset all of the costs. Yeah, um, so it's run on a skeleton crew, hand picked by me, staff and spotter loaders picked by me. We run like a core group of eight. Um, of course, we'll probably also have a helpful hand back here on the computers who I will personally teach how I would like everything to be run, uh, as well as an announcer back here. If you're that person, you're probably doing both. So in reality, we're probably running on like a 10, 9 to 10 person staff.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, like five on platform, two on handling computer stuff.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. So usually that person or me will run mic at the same time, or I'm up there running mic at the same time.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So uh it's 15 lifter max, one flight. Um, rules are looking like this. We're gonna weigh in from, I think I wrote down.
SPEAKER_01It's a two-hour weigh-in, isn't it?
SPEAKER_00Technically, it is 9 a.m. on Saturday to 11 a.m. Saturday, right? Rules at 11.05. Right? So 9 to 11 weigh-ins, rules at 11.05, lifting starting at noon, 12 o'clock p.m. sharp. Yeah, right? There is a 40-minute break in between each of the three lifts, no more, no less, and then we are all wrapped up before three o'clock with awards. It's a crazy fast pace, but they're it's a great me and Carl actually did one of our own meets. Uh we test ran it pretty much. We test ran it. I had somebody else um sign up as the meet director to run everything while I was on the platform. It's that way me and Carl could test it, and we actually even were a gear. That was in single platform me. Yeah, say I switched like four fucking suits in two or three hours. It was a lot. Um, but it was a lot of fun, it was very fast-paced. Um, it's for those looking for uh a qualifier to spitball an SBD day Saturday or Sunday, like you'd normally do in your training, but you just wanted to count, to figure out where you are, to compete real quick locally and not have to travel far. It's offering all these advantages at a discounted price. And I will have the full tentative schedule, what bars and equipment we're using, we're gonna be using a mono. Um, so that way you either have the um you can either utilize the mono with the scorecards by either marking an M as mono as in you're taking the mono arm or W as in walk out, which will allow the spotters and referees to know what you're doing at the time. So you have either of those options, whatever you feel most comfortable with. It is all Texas brand bars using 55 squat, 45 power, 45 deadlift, um, and of course kgs and kg collars. Um, there is one best lifter only, and that is out of everyone, um, out of the fit flight of 15 by dots. Could be girl or guy. If we have enough, we can do girl and guy. Uh, just totally depends. Um, and then of course, I always do the Meet Director's Choice Award as well. And that is sponsored by us at the Bear Cave and also, of course, Zone Smelling Salts, which is also one of our great sponsors here for the Cave Cast. So, yeah, it's gonna be a really good one. I'm gonna have all the details and a flyer probably coming up this weekend. Uh, I'll probably have it out Monday at the latest on my personal Instagram and the Bear Cave.
SPEAKER_01Is this like a one per month thing or is it every couple months?
SPEAKER_00We're gonna do like one every other month. Every other month. So we're looking at our first one we're looking at, I believe I sent Bobby was September 26th. Okay, so it's the end of September, it's the last weekend of September. Right, right. About two months until we have our first one over here. Yeah, yeah. I figured that was enough time and give us a little more. I didn't want to make it any earlier than that because then I feel like we'd be pushing a lot.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. No, those are a great time. I really enjoyed the the the one I ran. Um, you know, being in gear, they work quick, but um, if you can manage that, you can manage a regular meet, no problem.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. If you if you can pull it off here, you can pull it off anywhere. Plus, it's a lot of fun. You can get to, and if you want to do it with like a group or if you have like a team, like I know some of the guys from Diamond State, they'll sign up like five of them together and running the whole thing as like a team. That's strongly encouraged. Like, we love having that, we love having people down. So um it's gonna be under NPL. I will be handling all meet directing, all recording, and all uploading purposes, so you don't have to worry about that. I will be very diligent digilant about email, schedule, all that stuff, like I usually am as a meet director. So anything you liked about us running meets as the cave beforehand, look forward to it because it's gonna be run with the same equity, honesty, and the quickness as we used to. Nice. So super exciting. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um what do you want to talk about now?
SPEAKER_01Well, I'd like to go off on a little tangent real quick for the meat that I have uh signed up for. Sure, go for it. Let's go. Let's do it. You can call me a dork if you want. No, no, no. I'm like very much looking forward to this one because this is the first one I've had that actually has a competitive roster.
SPEAKER_00I thought you were gonna say because it's the first one you don't have to go against me.
SPEAKER_01It's not, alright. You weren't in my weight class last time, so that's right. That's right. I was I was in the little boys' club. That's right. Um, I've been watching the the roster like a hawk. And like each day I'm checking in, like, okay, who's on there now? Who's on? There's like 12 lifters on there. Okay. And this is the first one I've seen where like there's four guys that have the ability to like put up a total that's like really close to mine.
SPEAKER_00Right. So everyone's kind of like, it'll be a tight race, which is what you want. I'm super. Everyone's gonna push each other on game day. Another thing to be said though, I know everyone's like, there's only 12 lifters. Uh this is a 30 lifter cap.
SPEAKER_01This is uh yeah, 30 lifter cap, so it's only two flights or three flights a 10. I think it's three flights a 10. Yeah, yeah. It's a very, it's very limited. Um, but I'm super stoked for it. There, like I said, there's like four or five.
SPEAKER_00What was the what was the you had to have a qualifying no no no qualifier?
SPEAKER_01Not for this one. Okay. No, not for this one. Um I saw like a couple dudes. I'm the only one. No, there's other there's another um 100 kilo uh lifter there. But there's like two 110s, a couple 125s, and they're all like I've looked, I even I I dug them up on open just to see what they're doing. This guy. And I'm like, okay, well, this person like totaled slightly like four forty, fifty pounds over me. They're a weight class or two weight classes up, so my my gloss is like maybe 10 to 15 points higher. But in that meet that they qualify or they they put up their last one, they missed like a secondary or a half. So they have like a chance if they make that up, it'll be right there. Yeah, so I'm like, oh geez, I gotta put like another hundred pounds on my total just to be like I'm not trying to talk shit, but like your deadlifts have been looking good.
SPEAKER_00We might be able to, we might it might be the deadlift meet for you. I can't wait. I really hope so. I think I think our training philosophies and what we've been doing for you right now, especially with your new position, has been working really, really well.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So the last meet that we ran, we were talking about running five by fives on the way up. And the whole reason we want to do that is because like there's you know, studies and and words of that like glycogen levels replenish faster for like lighter weight guys, and we're like lighter weight guys. We're not like the super advanced fat guys in powerlifting.
SPEAKER_00So super advanced fat guys.
SPEAKER_01Well, I mean, like regular people think big weight, they're like 220 is like a fat guy. But then you look in powerlifting and you're like 220 is like middle to lightweight. Yeah, yeah. You got like three or four classes above you, yeah, yeah. Um so like we started running five by fives, and my conditioning I think is gone up crazy amounts, and all the speed days we're doing, I'm doing fives.
SPEAKER_00I was like, you're like my conditioning's gone out. I was like, has it, Carl? Has it you wouldn't know, you're not training with me. That's true. That's true.
SPEAKER_01Sorry.
SPEAKER_00How's that GPP?
SPEAKER_01Okay, so it's going well for me. I'm really enjoying it. The five by fives, I think, are working for me. I've been in two full blocks, so like eight. I'm going on eight weeks of doing five by fives. I cannot wait to get back to my doubles, triples, and whatever. But um I mean the five by five's been doing great. Everything I changed with my deadlifts, I started like talking with you and Rachel, or going over like my positioning with my rotating out with my hips button.
SPEAKER_00Getting more external rotation before you begin.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. And Matt actually gave me a really good cue. Um, who do you say it came from? Uh Amber. Hansen? Yeah, no, Don. Don, okay. Um he g he gave me a cue that was like, I want to load it back into my triceps. Or not my triceps, uh my hamstrings more. I want to load back into my hamstrings more, so I was having a problem like putting hamstrings, the triceps of the legs. Kinda? Yeah. I'll let you get away with it. Okay. Um I was having trouble loading back into my hamstrings, and it was all going towards like the lower side of my back. Right. Um, so he was like, well, just imagine yourself on your toes when you're getting down to the bar, position your knees where you need to, and then sink back in as that wedge, and then you're shifting the weight from your toes to middle foot when you're dropping into it.
SPEAKER_00That's literally what I've told you the whole time and using your body as a counterweight.
SPEAKER_01Okay, but you didn't say it the way it clicked for me.
SPEAKER_00I didn't say stay on your toes. Now slightly lower the pressure and rock back in. Yes, of course.
SPEAKER_01Oh my god, this isn't your first rodeo. Yes, guys. That's just like coaching. Sometimes you're not saying you're saying the same thing, but you're not saying it in a way where it clicks for the athlete. You know what I mean? Yeah. We've been over that before. I know. But that whatever that did click for me. Okay. And it's been working really well. Like anything I've been I've been what I what'd I pulled last week? I know it's nothing crazy, it was in the fours, but yeah, but for you for DE, like that was really good. That wasn't even D E though. That's the thing. I moved it like it was. Not the last set. Okay, I thought I did.
SPEAKER_00It was PR.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but it was still quick.
SPEAKER_00Ish, not for DE.
SPEAKER_01It wasn't supposed to be DE. So it was like somewhere low, mid-4s with chain weight for a set of four. And to be honest, all this like the max effort lower we've been running, not a lot of that I've been pushing like a super max effort right now. Because we're well, I was like 15 or 14 weeks out. There's no reason to be like gunning it right now. I I'm kind of like switching between like hammering accessories and then hammering the compound movements. And right now I'm in that transitional period where I can start hammering the main movement now and dialing back the accessory work to keep myself maintained. Um but I'm smashing weights on on deadlifts that I didn't think I'd be doing in just like half kit. I'm al I'm only wearing briefs. Yeah, it's all it's all coming together right now. I can't wait to see what happens. I'm pretty f ahead of where I should be right now.
SPEAKER_00You are, you are. I will give you that for sure, for sure. Um because this weekend coming up, what do you have?
SPEAKER_01It's this weekend's a fun one. It's gonna be uh triples against uh uh double blues or you know, the blues for uh squat duffalo.
SPEAKER_02Hell yeah.
SPEAKER_01Which is a fun one for me. Yeah. Um I think last time we did doubles, last time I was in rotation, so it's up a rep and I wanna keep it the same weight, so I'll just you know, add a rep on top of it.
SPEAKER_00Will that be the last one of your block?
SPEAKER_01It depends. What do you oh yeah. But it depends if we're going back into like wraps next session. Right. Yeah, yeah. So this is the last one in sleeves. For this block.
SPEAKER_00So you gotta make it count.
SPEAKER_01Right, got to. Cool. I think it'd be cool to I haven't taken six with the blues for more than a single. So I think if I could take it for a triple, that'd be really that set me up for a good start for the next one.
SPEAKER_00Understandable. Um what are some other stuff? Uh oh, I bought a new uh you will get to see this this weekend. I haven't seen it yet. Yeah, it's called a it's called a back bull, like B-U-L-L. Yeah. And it's weird. It reminds me of our like uh our hooks we have, the Havoc hooks. Right. But it's like it's like a row, and it's it's it's way smaller than I thought it was. Okay. So like I I was imagining it like this wide, it's like this wide.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00Okay, and the the handles are angled and it's all one welded piece, and then the front it's got two hooks like this. It can hook onto a barbell, it can hook onto bands, it can hook onto like overhead hanging bars, and you can like turn like anything in the biggest. Yeah, it's really wild. Because I my first thing was since I haven't been doing the pull-up since I got injured, I was gonna use it for reverse grip rows.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Because you provided a longer range of motion because you could boost the bar at a higher point and then have the closer handles, so you get a full extension. But now I'm seeing it, I'm like, bro, there's a lot of shit you can do with this. Like our banded uh barbell rows we were doing, yeah, yeah. Dude, it's already it's already got the hooks on the front to like connect to the that's what I was thinking of first.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's a good idea. Yeah, what were you gonna say about that? It's just a funny story with those banded barbell rows. So when I was in here benching the other day. Oh, is this with Ethan? Those two doofuses, him and Bo. Oh god, yeah. I mad props to you for dealing with like helping Ethan with positioning because for the love of like for the life of me, I could not like shift him in a way where it looked natural to do a barbell row with the bands. I love that man.
SPEAKER_00I love that man so much, but there's there's not a lot of natural movement patterns occurring.
SPEAKER_01It was it was too funny. I mean, I I mean there he he was get he was it was getting it by the end, but like I was like, okay, you gotta you gotta you gotta stop all this. Step off the platform and then restart doing it.
SPEAKER_00Just do what you're doing there, but not at all. Do the opposite of what you do. Do the opposite of what you think you're doing right. Yeah, it's it's pretty gnarly. So I've actually been uh I've been uh the Sherpa. Yeah. I've been the Sherpa for a back on your Sherpa train. Yeah, I'm back on my Sherpa Sherpa mode, uh training some new guys at the gym. And when I say new guys at the gym, I mean like not new to powerlifting. I mean like fresh off the boat, like new to the weight room. Yeah, like what does this do? What does that do? What is body awareness? And the answer is none. You that's you have no body awareness.
SPEAKER_01That's something like not a lot of people don't think of. Like, it's not even a weak thing when you first get into the gym. It's like a where is your body in space and playing?
SPEAKER_00It's not that you're not strong enough to do it, it's just like you don't know how to load what or how to separate things in isolation. Like you don't understand, like, I need this part to move and that part not to move. Yeah, you say hinge at the hips, and they're like, What? My brain just did a backflip. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Or like, dude, I I always I think the hardest one, the hardest one a hundred percent. And I and I only say this because at PF Chang's, yeah, uh yesterday, me and Jess were having a ball because we were like, if you ever sat at PF Chang's, you just have to stop what you're doing and just people watch for like 30 seconds, and then you'll be happy again, then you go back to what you're doing. The next trip we take, we gotta have a PF Chang's because I have to experience dude. It's hysterical, man. So I'm watching this kid, and he's like, he's way young, bro. He's probably like 16, 17, um, probably like a junior. Um, definitely one of the kids in my classroom, like I would have made fun of if I saw this shit at school. But like, was trying to do tricep pushdowns, but his other buddy, like, who clearly had like a little more idea of what he was doing, totally not like helping him and making him understand, like, you don't want the shoulder joint to move. Right. So this kid is like starting in a position here, right? Going here and going here, and then riding the whole thing back up. It reminds me of like a roller coaster when you throw your hands up and you're going down the steep part. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was like that, like every single time. And I was like, Jess, this kid's gonna fucking like remove his shoulder from the joint here. And what was he trying to do? Tricep pushdown on a ball handle.
SPEAKER_01He he's just he's you know being an overachiever. He's trying to get the lats into it. It's like a new and then, you know, super set.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, all at one time. Super set. He's actually ahead of the curve, super duper set because he didn't stop in between. This is that new job. Opposing muscle groups, you know. Yeah, I'm not I'm not into it. It must be that science-based, science-based lifting stuff I'm unaware of. Yeah, but uh, yeah, man, like I just had to look around. I'm like, anytime I'm like, man, my body's like really fucked up. I just look around, I'm like, it could be worse. It could be I could be that guy. Which is terrible because it is a judgment-free zone. I'm just saying, like look at this teenager, you don't know the fucking. Well, like, okay, I know that I know that's very judgmental, but the worst part is they have TVs everywhere that have like little animations of guys doing the workouts, and I'm like, I want to just be like, look at that.
SPEAKER_01Don't they got it like a picture of a little man on the street?
SPEAKER_00I'm like, I'm like, look at the fucking look at the fucking TV. And like, I know you're 17, so your whole life revolves around screen, so like look at the screen. Like, look at the guy's doing it. The guy's fucking doing it right. Uh not riding the roller coaster, bro. Ridiculous. Dude, it was fucking terrible. But um, but yeah, that I don't even know how we got on that subject, but oh man, I saw something funny.
SPEAKER_01I took a trip down to uh the local commercial gym on Saturday last week.
SPEAKER_00Which one's that for you?
SPEAKER_01Uh it was the North uh Pier, OC.
SPEAKER_00Oh, okay, okay.
SPEAKER_01And uh we were doing our our regular uh accessory day then, and I was like, man, where are the ropes at? There's like a ton of case. Like battle ropes? No, like just for tricep ropes. Just doing you know, yeah, regular ropes. And uh this dude, look over. He's got like a set of ropes sitting next to him, not being used, like right by his feet. Like he had them and took them off. And then he's got the other two sets clipped up to the hook, and he's doing extensions, but with like it like the head. Oh elongated him, so it's like two. Yeah, it's like the dude's got all three ropes, and they're like, there's other people that want to use these. I was like, are you serious?
SPEAKER_00You don't know that technique, no, dude. I don't know that technique. The double dickering? That's where you have both ropes elongated, so then you can you you're practicing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, dude. You've never seen that technique? I've never seen that technique before.
SPEAKER_00Bro, what are you doing with your life? It's like not that. That's like the fucking secret Padawan Jedi technique, bro.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00The double dickering.
SPEAKER_01I'm so spoiled here not going to commercial gyms. I'm so I'm not used to it when I'm talking about it.
SPEAKER_00But you gotta admit, they're like, it's entertaining as fuck. That's the only place you can see that kind of shit.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, the dude would be like doing like a set of like 30, and then he could go talk to somebody for like 20 minutes and then do another set of 30.
SPEAKER_00This this is gonna be our most rambled podcast ever. This is just like a hodgepodge of shit. But uh, I know we've talked about the dick sucking machine on here before. Yeah, yeah. Haven't we talked about it on here?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, well, okay, if you don't know, it's it's the what is it, the ab crunch machine. Yeah, yeah, that's what that's what we mean by that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because it's like every set you get a little closer. Yeah, and like if you can, if you're across the gym, you can whisper words of encouragement to people. I'm like, you're almost there, buddy. Three more sets. And so, like, a guy was doing this in front of me. Um you know how I had that little pinch in my adductor like two weeks ago, right? So I'm doing the good girl, bad girl. I'm clam slamming. Oh no. Right? I'm getting my coochie crazy strong, and the and the and the dick sucking machines, like, there's a lot of shit going on. There's like dick sucking machines like 20 feet away this way, right? So I can see that in my ferrifules. So I'm squeezing, I'm squeezing, guys, guys DSing over here. He's DSing. And like it just struck me, and I was like, I wanted to just ask him. I'm like, when the fuck have you ever seen with a person with the core you want do the dick sucking machine? Ever. Ever, dude. I don't know. Ever. I don't know. I I like okay, so you know how we've talked about guys we admired like growing up watching fitness stuff. Sure, sure, sure. Mike She, like, I love like watching that kind of stuff. Like, I never watched him. I was like, that motherfucker did the dick sucking machine. It's making the dick machine popular. Peddling that machine. Which machine, which one of you motherfuckers is doing it?
SPEAKER_01Well, someone's responsible and I want to know. I think that comes back to like people just walking through the gym. If they don't know what they're doing, they're like, look at the pictures and like, oh, I want to work this month. That definitely works.
SPEAKER_00Or like the side to side one. Yeah. Where they just go like this, yeah. And I'm like, who who the fuck has a good core that's done that? No one. I've never seen one dude get off of that machine. I'm like, that's the torso I want.
SPEAKER_01Well, it's even better when they have the ones that are like the the knees like rotate and it goes up and around.
SPEAKER_00Oh yeah, like yeah, like it's on like a little track.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you're like on a little, you put your quarter in and you're on the line.
SPEAKER_00But like, seriously, like imagine if you're an if you're a newer lifter and you're listening to this, ask yourself that question before you do any exercise. Who have I seen that I want to look like do the exercise I'm about to do? Yeah, I feel like that's a good gauge.
SPEAKER_01I now, you know, I haven't thought about it, but like really, I don't know if I've ever seen because I'm on Instagram a lot, all right? I'm of that generation where I, you know, the fitness influences.
SPEAKER_00It's so funny you're saying that because me and Jess just talked about this. She's like, Are you on TikTok a lot? I'm like, not really. I said, I'm on TikTok because I like Carl's stuff, but Carl's on TikTok more than I am. She goes, It's because of his generation. It's true, it's true. I got a whole decade behind you guys. Yeah, you're you're a you're a TikToker. It's okay.
SPEAKER_01Uh, okay, I wouldn't go that far. I just happen to scroll on the air.
SPEAKER_00You're uh you're not an influencer, you're a man of influence.
SPEAKER_01It makes it sound better. Yeah, it does. Um, but like I've never seen somebody that posts gym content post anything uh involving those crazy ass machines. Like like on in your even in like the like, oh, I'm doing my workout, follow me work.
SPEAKER_00That's never something like that. Okay, so like even on your TikTok adventures, you've never seen someone, you're like, there's the culprit. Like that's the guy that's putting this out there. No, you know what? I'm gonna start doing it on TikTok so you can blame me. You'll find me and you're like I'm all for that. Who the fuck's this guy? And you'll be like, oh fuck, it's Travis.
SPEAKER_01And then you gotta be like, lift up your shirt halfway, like if you want abs like these. Dude, right? Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00That that's gonna be I'm gonna be the guy. I'm gonna be the guy. I'm I'm all for that. I think I would I would promote that. In a judgment-free zone, I feel like I need to say something. I feel like the next time I see this, this it'll be this weekend for sure. I will be like, hey man, I don't mean any offense. I would love to help you. Can I ask you a sincere question? Who are you watching that does that that makes you go, I gotta do that to look like that guy? Like, just tell me. If you can name one, if you can name one, then I'm like, oh yeah, you're right.
SPEAKER_01I'll let it go. And then they're gonna say a name, or you're gonna look them up and be like, this person doesn't even look like they work out. Right, yeah, exactly. That's my thought, too.
SPEAKER_00That's my thought too. Also, um, other things that make me smile at P.F. Chang's moaning. Lots of moaning in PF Chang's. I'm sure it's a loud place, bro. It's crazy. Yeah, like there's one girl that throws a yoga ball at the floor, right? It's like a really shitty version of like med ball tosses. Wait, a yoga ball? Like a big inflatable one? Yeah, yeah. She should be using like a medicine ball.
SPEAKER_01Right, that yoga ball's gonna go everywhere. Yeah, yeah. That's that's the best part. That's why I like that's why I like works.
SPEAKER_00That's why it's pure entertainment. I'm like, oh, she's gonna take this one to the face because it's gonna ricochet off the floor because it doesn't have enough weight. I was like, at least he's like the five-pound or ten-pound medicine ball. But like, bro, sometimes she'll hold it and just like tap it on the floor. Okay. So this is like the DS a machine, but like if you made one yourself with your body, right? It's free weights, dude. It's free weight DSing. And so she's bending over, like, touching this big yoga ball to the floor, and she, dude, she lets out the craziest noises. And like, me and Jess tried to look away, and you know my wife, dude. Like, we can't we can't keep it together. No, you're not hiding it. No, we're not hiding it. I have to like literally face the fucking wall. So, like, if anyone turns around and looks at me at the gym, it's just me like this in a corner. Because I can't face anyone because I'm gonna laugh too fucking hard. This girl goes, it's like one, and you'll hear her kind of count, she'll be like, three. And I'm like, What? You you know you're making that noise. Like, she moans audibly.
SPEAKER_01Dude, you have to make like an entire like block full of weird shit that you've seen that you now have to do and run it.
SPEAKER_00You know what I really want to do? You know how you can get your own soundboards? Yeah, yeah. Just record shit. I want to secretly record like eight different ones, and when you and me run the podcast, instead of running like the like the fog horn or like the people clapping, it's just like really random moans and grunts and stuff I pick up from PF Chanks. Right. I think that would be fucking awesome.
SPEAKER_01That'd be nice, yeah. Yeah. Now, on the flip side of that, if one of those people came in here and they saw you like in your full diaper suit, you know, wraps everywhere, holding all your joints together, and they're like, dude, look at this fucking loser. I know, right?
SPEAKER_00I know, I know, because this is not a free judgment zone. You have to judge me. Yes, you'd have to judge me.
SPEAKER_01This is a overflowing full of judgment.
SPEAKER_00I know I'm talking mad shit on PF Chang's, but dude, I love Club Purple. Yeah. Club Purple's the shit. The machines are super smooth. The respect to it because you go there a lot. I do go there a lot. I own a gym and I go to PF Chang's. You're never too good for PF Chang's. You're not, bro. You're not. We get some looks in there. Like, you know how I heard a comedian talk about one time where it's like he saw like a guy that was really in shape, and then they were at the gym and he was like, What the fuck are you doing here? Like, you already won. Go home. Like, you don't need to be here. Look at you. You can go home. Yeah. And I feel like we get that look a lot. That's what it is, though. Yeah, we get that look a lot. And there's a lot of like uh, there's younger kids, like 15, 16, they travel in packs, they're like wolves. It's real crazy looking.
SPEAKER_01Now when they maxing out the leg press and shit. They they ask you, like, what the hell are you doing here? Like, you've already you you've obviously been going to the gym for a long time. Why are you coming here? Is that the the question?
SPEAKER_00No, I just get stares a lot. Uh when I do get asked questions, it's normally by pretty like nice people. Yeah. Um, I do get touched frequently. Oh, like on arm touch? Oh, dude, all the time.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, the arm touch is big.
SPEAKER_00Uh we're in well, we are in sick tat season right now.
SPEAKER_01It's true.
SPEAKER_00I and I have I do indeed have some sick tats. You got some sick tatty. So I I get some sick tatty touches. Like a lot of a lot of the bro, where'd you get that? Yeah. A lot of touch and prodding. I'm trying to get one of these, like yeah. A lot of a lot of a lot of provoked poking. Poking and prodding. Yeah, yeah, a lot of weird shit. A lot of weird shit. So uh yeah. PF Chanks.
SPEAKER_01A lot of unprovoked touching.
SPEAKER_00It's like, I think Jess pays like 20 bucks for the black membership, right? Which means you can have a friend of any time. I am said friend.
SPEAKER_01You're the friend.
SPEAKER_00Um, actually, uh, best term I've ever heard, husband and wife, couple ever. Hottest homie.
SPEAKER_01Hottest, okay, that's good. I'm just as hottest homie.
SPEAKER_00She's mine, yeah. So the hottest homies go work out together for 20 bucks. Hottest homie. Yeah. I did not, I did not coin that though, so that's not mine. Okay. I heard it from someone. I just care. You know me. My memory's shit. I can't remember who says what.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So yeah. Um, damn, we've talked about a lot of random shit. Um, what else? Oh, American Pro this weekend. Yeah, do you want to go to some powerlifting news?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, sure, sure, sure. Okay, so one, the pros happening very soon. It's either this this weekend or next weekend.
SPEAKER_00Okay, and who's the two big main battles right now?
SPEAKER_01John Hack and the names that I know are not much. I don't know really who's doing it. I don't know if there's a lot of people that are following who's doing it. But I know Hack is doing it and I know Kyle Curvey is doing it. Okay, because Kyle won last year. Kyle did win last year. Because you I took you to last year's, right? Last year, was that last year?
SPEAKER_00Or was it the year before?
SPEAKER_01That was the year before.
SPEAKER_00Has it been that long?
SPEAKER_01It was right after um Cave to the Grave, 2024. Damn. Did they hold it last year? They did. Dude, I don't know anymore. What okay, whatever. They're holding this year. This is really bad. I don't even know. Um Hack is doing it, and Kyle's doing it. Kyle just said in like uh one on one of his like videos he put us a post on Instagram, he's going for like some big 300 key bench, and he might actually do it. It's like the top is like 640 in a meet or 639, and he just blistered 640 in the gym. That's fucking good. So that'd be really cool to see. I think if he pulls around a good total, like he's a high nines squatter, high nines uh puller. So if he can somehow manage it, I know he just came off with like a squad or hamstring injury, um, he's already squatting in like the sevens and eights again, so I don't think he'll have any really big problem with that. But um he might be like the only one being able to compare himself like dots-wise to the hack at this one, even though he's like two or three-way classes over.
SPEAKER_00But his total makes up for it.
SPEAKER_01Right, he's pushing like a 25 or 26. It's fucking nuts, dude.
SPEAKER_00It's fucking nuts. Um in sleeves nonetheless. It's so weird how like I and I don't want to be like super negative about it, but like this is the only way I can choose to describe it. Like, it's crazy how irrelevant the pros become. And and I don't know if it's necessarily the pro, but it's like it's it's like I always said, it was like because of all the meets staggered out and no one having a true laddered schedule, that it makes other things irrelevant. Because, you know, we just had the big ABS showdown, we had like a bunch of other shit. ABS has been doing stuff across.
SPEAKER_01There's another ABS happening real quick with uh Steffi's competing again.
SPEAKER_00Oh, right, and I've I've been seeing the uh the interviews, like the shit talk videos and stuff pop up like they did they did last time. But it's like because of all that stuff and no one being on a real laddered schedule, it's just made so many events that used to be like so hype, like American One Pro Pro 1 and 2. Yeah, like everything's just so washed out.
SPEAKER_01I know it's crazy. It's really weird to see the state of raw powerlifting is something it's in a spot that it's ever been before. Because one, the numbers are stupid right now.
SPEAKER_00They are.
SPEAKER_01There's like men and women doing numbers raw now that if you told me like four years ago, I'd be like, fuck no. You're lying, that's not true. But also, there's shit like that where it's like this big meet, and we don't even know who's doing it really.
SPEAKER_00Because there was just another big meet, and then there's another big meet coming up, and it's like instead of getting the best people at one place, you're getting them like bits and pieces everywhere.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and then you got guys like Colton that are going to Russia because they have some big money meet out there, which is great. I mean, like that's yeah, yeah, yeah. If they're putting money, it's like whatever the WRPF out there. Right. Um, they they're they did a huge money meet. It was like a weekend uh where they did a full power meet the first day, and the second day they had a strict curl and top deadlift with straps, which is that's a cool event. They did it like uh like a exhibition. Yeah, yeah. And the dude put up a 2700 pound total at 275 or no, was he 275 or 308? He was a heavier weight class. It was a 2700 pound total. He skipped over the 26s, and then the very next day he pulled something crazy like 505 kilos with straps and curled to 243. That's like that's like almost the world record, and he just had a full power meet the day before. That dude's a in his own league. Yeah. Um and then you got dudes like uh Devontae Lewis that are putting up world record squats when they're on their third or fourth meet. So it's it's really cool to watch the the you know the big numbers right now, but I don't think there's good competition in raw lifting right now.
SPEAKER_00So one of the other big things we should we could probably talk about is like all the crazy stuff happened in the IPF.
SPEAKER_01Oh, you want to dive into that? Yeah, go ahead.
SPEAKER_00We could talk about a little bit.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, IPF is some hot water. No big news there, I guess. That seems to always happen.
SPEAKER_00But uh it's usually like one or two solid ones a year. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01They have like little sprinkle sprinkle like minor things.
SPEAKER_00And by me saying this this one's pretty bad, that would be like understatement of the year. Yeah, yeah, I think so. Pretty bad as an understatement.
SPEAKER_01So what was it? How did it start? I mean, it was this was all involving the Lithuanian uh IPF branch, right? I believe so. Um it was at Worlds. He was on the world stage, I don't know. You know, short story side spotter. Yeah, he was a side spotter. Uh uh, what's her name? Sunita. She was taking a world record squat, one of the heaviest uh women's sleeve squats of all time, and the spotter like moved his knee inward and it and the weight like hit his knee, stopped her from hitting depth.
SPEAKER_00You can see it in the video, like it even shifts the bar. Right, yeah, totally. Yeah, like pinwheels it a little bit.
SPEAKER_01And then he went on Instagram saying, like, oh yeah, that was me. I'm like a you know a racist. I you know, I hate crazy shit.
SPEAKER_00Like totally owned it.
SPEAKER_01Crazy shit. I did it on purpose. And then you dive into like his you know social medias and see like what he's posting. Swastika. There's no like yeah. How'd you all not see this? And you're putting them on the platform like to help at a worlds meet? That's crazy.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I mean, but like IPF has always had bad spotters and loader problems. It's like I know, it's like no different than I mean, way different in a different sense, but I'm saying no different in the fact that like they've always had spotter loader issues, uh, whether it's like the caliber of it, the people, the age. Like, I mean, dude, I'll never forget like the one squat where the guy gets stuck under the bar and has to come up through the front. And then the spotters are like 160 pounds soaking wet, and the squats like eight or nine hundred pounds.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that was a big one. That I've seen the video that that's a scary.
SPEAKER_00It's terrifying, dude. It looks like it's gonna break his arm because he can't get out and the kids can't hold it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And I'm like, why would you have but I mean, again, that's that's typical IPF stuff we've seen.
SPEAKER_01Stupid stuff. Like, how do you not like vet and and find the the you know, do the bare minimum to find the food you're putting on your platform?
SPEAKER_00If I can vet people. At our local Bear Cave gym meet with no funding. How the fuck can you not do that for the IPF?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, with uh how much gazillion dollars of funding.
SPEAKER_00Right, that's fucking insane.
SPEAKER_01I know insane. And and like she wasn't the only victim of that either. There was like multiple other people on the platform that got like lifts taken from him because like there's he's moving the bar this way, like or keeping his hand too close and it touches his arm and moves the bar, shifts it.
SPEAKER_00And I actually commented on Greeno's post about it and said something, and I I was saying, like, you know, and obviously what happened needs to be dealt with, it needs to be vocalized, people need to come forward about it and talk about it to make sure things like this, and again, make sure feds know to vet and background check more thoroughly and investigate who's on their platforms professionally, but also like tons of people coming forward and being like, Oh, well, just don't support that Fed. Like, that supports the like that fixes the issue. Yeah, that's my issue because like I think what a lot of people don't understand is there is no safe Fed. No, there is no safe Fed. Every single Fed has skeletons in the closet, whether they've done shit or just haven't been caught with it yet. So, like, and it'll be so weird because like you'll see people be like, don't support the IPF then because they do this, and I'm like, you check their thing and they're like, I'm like, bro, you live for USPC, yeah. Or like the same the same little set will be like, hey man, um you know, you shouldn't support USPC, and then they live for RPS, right? And I've seen just as bad shit happen in RPS, like it's it's it's every single fucking Fed. And don't even get me started about fucking USPS.
SPEAKER_01No, I don't have to, you do it yourself, yeah. Like, I mean, like, do you get yourself started on it? Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Like every single Fed has shit they're covering up and covering each up for each other. Like, people don't understand that. So, like, it is the reason I said that on Greeners Post is because it's part of a much larger conversation that needs to happen. Because it is, I mean, but it's just like any sport, like it's prevalent in all sports, yeah. Like sexual, uh, gender, like all kinds of different misconducts, right? It's popular widespread through all sports, right? Baseball, football, wrestling.
SPEAKER_01The larger the stage gets, the more issues that are bound to happen and come across come across.
SPEAKER_00Correct. But I'm just saying the unfortunate part of what happened at this event was it was obviously racism, but like at the same time, the reason we know about it was because it's the one that got caught. Yeah, that's very there's so much other shit like that that goes on that you just don't know about yet.
SPEAKER_01Like this guy was so widely outspoken about it, but like how many people are.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. So if like if he hadn't said some shit about that, like and was widely obviously off his rocker about it, like nobody would have fucking probably known. Yeah. So like it's not like oh the IPF, it's like, no, this is the one that got caught at this time. Right. I mean, shit, I've worked for four different feds. I've seen everyone get caught for every fucking thing. And that's why I don't fucking work for a fed.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, there's a reason there's no like Fed, you know, yeah, like uh ties around there.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, there's no more Fed ties. Like, dude, there is no Fed loyalty. Like, all these motherfuckers are covering something up, and if they tell you otherwise, they're fucking lying to you and taking your money anyway. And I'll be the first one to fucking say that. Like, I've seen it fucking all.
SPEAKER_01So, well, I mean, basically what the what it comes down to is like there are feds that are lifter friendly and non-lifter friendly, and then there's feds that, well, I shouldn't even say that. I don't know. I it's such a it's it's it's a I'll say it's it's a bleak topic, dude.
SPEAKER_00I'll I'll say it in the best way to understand. It you make your personal choice and you pick the lesser of the two evils, but guess what? There's more than two evils, and all of them are evils. Yeah, so you're picking whatever one that which flavor evil do you want to do. Yeah, yeah. Which which one just doesn't tickle your fancy as much? Like it's it's basically that, unfortunately. Right. And I wish it was as simple as saying, can we just lift weights, but it's not because there's like bigger issues at play. Well, you know, it's because there's money involved. Yeah, if there's money involved, shit's gonna go down, period. Yeah, and that's how it is. Um, but yeah, uh hopefully like that does start a conversation about because I mean, obviously, in the last couple years with all the different things coming to light with like SA and a bunch of other things and misconduct and uh domestic abuse, uh, a lot of things changed with like vetting referees and staff for events, but now it needs to be to the point where like you're background checking your spotters or loaders or stuff like that, right? Right. Because I mean that was a big push forward for you know background checking staff and referees, but now it's like shit, dude. You can't even get like this, like you can't even get spotter loader volunteers, yeah. Yeah, without you know, having some wild shit come down. Yeah, yeah, some some hidden motives, right? Which is crazy. Crazy times, but it it is crazy times, man. People are fucking nuts. Um so how many weeks out are you?
SPEAKER_01Uh I am currently this week gonna be 11 weeks out. 11 weeks out.
SPEAKER_0011 weeks out. So that's like a peak and a block and a half. Pretty much. With a deload in between?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, there's gonna be a well, okay, so if I'm getting in if we're gonna talk about it, I think uh we should probably have some sort of deload before I start getting back into wraps and stuff like that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So that means you would take this weekend and next weekend would be the deload, and then we're back in wraps the following?
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00That makes sense.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. How do you want to run this one going up to it? You want to change anything from last time? I don't know, man. You had a really good peak last time. I if I could make one adjustment. Bro, I'm all years. I'm all years. I always have a tendency to run my bench into the water before I get to the platform. Like, I always like have a crazy bench peak and then I don't have it on the platform.
SPEAKER_00So you need to reel either reel it back sooner or start it in later.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah, so I have to I'd we'd have to work together to find out which way we want to take that regarding how we want to keep the squat waves, because the squat waves worked.
SPEAKER_00The squat waves were good, and your deadlift is looking great. I think this volume for deadlift has really paid off for you.
SPEAKER_01Um I've had uh some secret bench activities that are are uh paying off here.
SPEAKER_00Some secret bench activities? Yes.
SPEAKER_01That I'll explain to you later. But um Okay. Okay, this is news to me. News to me. Uh I th I mean I think it's all going well. But um, if we're gonna waive the squats the same, I think we should probably position the bench off of the the last squat, like taking like the last touch or something like that. Okay. Before the squat. Gotcha. That makes sense. That makes sense. You know? So it's like somebody here. I don't know what that is. Do you hear the banging?
SPEAKER_00I do. Fucking weird. That is weird. I heard the it's a ghost of my quads. They're coming out of the mirror, bro. They're kind finally coming to get us. Yeah, the haunted mirror's coming to life, dude. If anybody doesn't know, the mirror I always flex in at the gym, we uh we are convinced it kind of looks like the mirror from Oculus. So we always say it's got the the ghosts of all my previous entries and tendons trapped inside the mirror.
SPEAKER_01So it's kind of risky for us to be podcasting so close to it.
SPEAKER_00I know, dude. I might pop something sitting here at this table. Stand up too quick. I'm gone, bro. Just late, just roll if something happens, just roll me under the table. Okay. Leave me there under the table. Don't take me out back, just put me under the table. Fair enough. Yeah. So cool, man. Well, I think our next podcast is we're gonna be talking a lot about like how to prolong your powerlifting career, which I feel like I'm not the greatest person to talk about that, but obviously, no, perhaps we can look at it this way you can learn from my mistakes. That's what I'm doing.
SPEAKER_01I'll I I could talk on that forever because that's exactly what I do every single day.
SPEAKER_00I'm not upset about it. I'm not happy about it, but I'm not upset. You can't be mad at that. I'm not mad at that. I mean, it makes sense. I wanna I wanna lash out at you, but at the same time, you are indeed correct.
SPEAKER_01If you were in my position, would you not do the same?
SPEAKER_00No, I would. And I I often tell you face to face, I'm like, Carl, I've already made this mistake for you. Yeah, I do tell you that. So, um, so yeah, next one we're gonna be working on is talking about reclaiming your range of motion, how to prolong your powerlifting career, some training movements and things that help with joint angles, all kinds of stuff like that. So we're gonna attempt to keep a schedule going to podcast on Fridays. Yeah, podcast on Fridays.
SPEAKER_01We got the dates settled. We know our days of the week, how they're gonna lay. So we're set in stone now. Cool.
SPEAKER_00All right, yeah, all right. All right, we can do this.
SPEAKER_01All right, we can do this.
SPEAKER_00Go team go. You want to run the outro then? Yeah. Um since we've been off the air for so long, please, please, please give a welcome, warm shout-out to Zone Smelling Snaws. Oh, we actually just released a new one. It's our athlete edition. I did the new locus for it. Talk about it real quick because I saw one post on the show. Yeah, it's in all gold. Each of the athlete editions is signed by the athlete and has a specific flavor of their choosing in the all-gold skeleton skull helmet bottles that I designed by hand because I'd be painting. I thought the bottles were pretty sick.
SPEAKER_01Thank you, man. And the signature on there, like the one I saw posted. Like, yeah, it's cool.
SPEAKER_00Like they sign an incursive at the bottom, it's pretty dope. Um, also, big shout out to our local Virginia sponsor, SUP Dogs, Chris Northern over here, supplying us with the best STEM, non-STEM. I actually really like the um the uh fat burner. I've been taking that in the morning. I'm not a big coffee guy, so I like to take one of those in the morning before I go to school. Have you used the sleep aid they got? Uh I did. It knocks me the fuck out. Oh, good. Yeah. Does its job then? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I sleep way too hard, like drooling hard. Oh, Jesus. Like I'll I'll wake up and be like, uh in a puddle. Yeah, in a puddle. And then uh, of course, our excuse me, our boy, John Flag. Foundational strength. Make sure you shout him out. I know he's going through a little bit of a rough spot right now. They're switching up some stuff at the gym. Um, I think they had to get a new building. No way. Yeah, a lot of stuff going on. We had to reach out to him. Uh, plus, uh, dude, I got the cutest video from him. I know him and cute don't really go in the same sentence together, but it was from his daughter. Okay. And it was her talking to the camera to me, yeah, with John in the background, asking me for my permission to let her come train and compete at the cave. That's cool. She's really cute. She's like fucking seven or eight. Eight years old. Yeah, yeah. She's really young. That's all. So she wants to come train with Dad and alongside her sister. So shout out to John, Missy Bro. Hope everything's going okay. We're thinking of you. So, um, with that, I think we're gonna be done. We'll cut this one a little early. 55. That's not bad.
SPEAKER_01It was a good starting point to come back to it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah. Especially for us just kind of like doing some stuff off the rip, letting everybody what know what's going on in powerlifting and in our lives. So, um, with that, with love and grumpy paws, we out. And if you catch the TikTok bandit that's pedaling all the DS and machines, let us know because we're looking for who's to blame. I want to blame someone. Who's the culprit? Who is the culprit?
