The Miseducation of Jimbo Slice

Hanley

Just wrote tomorrow's email. Going to share it here. If you don't like it. Don't comment.

"It's 10pm, my eyes are vibrating and I'm depressed.

Have you ever felt like a panther on speed with an electric prod up its arse??

I have. It's how I feel right now.

It's 10pm and I'm writing this mail with my eyes spinning in my head and my heart beating at about 694 beats per minute.

No exaggeration.

What the hell is going on you may ask?

Well I'm just home from squatting. I'm on the first day of my final week of my squat cycle.

165kg 4x9 tonight. It was hard, but I survived.

I MAY have overdosed on stimulants tho.

Why the hell was I squatting at 9pm with enough stimulants in me to revive a coma patient?

Because I'd no choice.

My diary said train. So I trained.

That hasn't happened in a long, long time.

See I spent quite a few years bummed out on training.

I was the Irish Drug Free National Powerlifting Champion in 2010.

The OVERALL champ. Best lifter in the country. And I was only 23.

I'd broken national records. European records. And even a WORLD record.

I was the first person under 23 in Ireland to bench press 200kg in competition.

And then I just quit.

I quit because I fell out of love with it. Sometimes that happens.

Sometimes you give SO much of yourself up for something that once you reach the end point, it's just time to leave.

For me, that end point was Sunday 28th March 2010 in Tullamore, Co Offaly.

When I first started powerlifting back in 2006 I said I wanted to break the national junior "total" record (the sum of your best squat, bench press and deadlift).

That record had stood for over 12 years.

And in March 2010, that national record fell. Mine. Goal achieved. What next?

Nothing. I'd peaked. And my body was ****ed.

I spent the last 4 weeks of the training cycle with the worst elbow tendonitis imaginable. Sessions were spent lying in the fetal position on the floor of the gym.

Tears in my eyes with the pain.

KNEELING OVER A BIN DRY HEAVING BECAUSE THE PAIN WAS SO BAD I WANTED TO PUKE.

I went further than you could even imagine for that record. And I got it.

And that was that. No more motivation. Nothing for years.

…and now it's back.

I went into tonight's session exhausted after 4 hours of coaching.

Wanted to go home.

No energy. No motivation.

And then it came back.

What happened? I have no idea.

All I know is that the burning desire that took me to the top of the Irish powerlifting ranks in 2010 is back.

All I know is that something ****ing crazy is about to go down.

All I know is that anyone who ever doubted me is about to eat there words.

All I know is that I don't really know anything.

I just know it's time.

The competition landscape is more competitive now. But **** it. Who cares.

Nobody is going to out work me.

Game on.

Stay tuned.

James "****'s going down" Hanley
"

RidleyRider

Hanley wrote: »

Just wrote tomorrow's email. Going to share it here. If you don't like it. Don't comment.

"It's 10pm, my eyes are vibrating and I'm depressed.

Have you ever felt like a panther on speed with an electric prod up its arse??

I have. It's how I feel right now.

It's 10pm and I'm writing this mail with my eyes spinning in my head and my heart beating at about 694 beats per minute.

No exaggeration.

What the hell is going on you may ask?

Well I'm just home from squatting. I'm on the first day of my final week of my squat cycle.

165kg 4x9 tonight. It was hard, but I survived.

I MAY have overdosed on stimulants tho.

Why the hell was I squatting at 9pm with enough stimulants in me to revive a coma patient?

Because I'd no choice.

My diary said train. So I trained.

That hasn't happened in a long, long time.

See I spent quite a few years bummed out on training.

I was the Irish Drug Free National Powerlifting Champion in 2010.

The OVERALL champ. Best lifter in the country. And I was only 23.

I'd broken national records. European records. And even a WORLD record.

I was the first person under 23 in Ireland to bench press 200kg in competition.

And then I just quit.

I quit because I fell out of love with it. Sometimes that happens.

Sometimes you give SO much of yourself up for something that once you reach the end point, it's just time to leave.

For me, that end point was Sunday 28th March 2010 in Tullamore, Co Offaly.

When I first started powerlifting back in 2006 I said I wanted to break the national junior "total" record (the sum of your best squat, bench press and deadlift).

That record had stood for over 12 years.

And in March 2010, that national record fell. Mine. Goal achieved. What next?

Nothing. I'd peaked. And my body was ****ed.

I spent the last 4 weeks of the training cycle with the worst elbow tendonitis imaginable. Sessions were spent lying in the fetal position on the floor of the gym.

Tears in my eyes with the pain.

KNEELING OVER A BIN DRY HEAVING BECAUSE THE PAIN WAS SO BAD I WANTED TO PUKE.

I went further than you could even imagine for that record. And I got it.

And that was that. No more motivation. Nothing for years.

…and now it's back.

I went into tonight's session exhausted after 4 hours of coaching.

Wanted to go home.

No energy. No motivation.

And then it came back.

What happened? I have no idea.

All I know is that the burning desire that took me to the top of the Irish powerlifting ranks in 2010 is back.

All I know is that something ****ing crazy is about to go down.

All I know is that anyone who ever doubted me is about to eat there words.

All I know is that I don't really know anything.

I just know it's time.

The competition landscape is more competitive now. But **** it. Who cares.

Nobody is going to out work me.

Game on.

Stay tuned.

James "****'s going down" Hanley
"

Love it. Can't wait to see what goes down in the next months/year. Best of luck with your training cycles.

kevpants

Alf Veedersane

Tullamore has broken many a man alright.

Alf Veedersane

Hanley wrote: »

I spent the last 4 weeks of the training cycle with the worst elbow tendonitis imaginable. Sessions were spent lying in the fetal position on the floor of the gym.

Tears in my eyes with the pain.

KNEELING OVER A BIN DRY HEAVING BECAUSE THE PAIN WAS SO BAD I WANTED TO PUKE.

I went further than you could even imagine for that record. And I got it.

And that was that. No more motivation. Nothing for years.

…and now it's back.

I went into tonight's session exhausted after 4 hours of coaching.

Wanted to go home.

No energy. No motivation.

And then it came back.

What happened? I have no idea.

All I know is that the burning desire that took me to the top of the Irish powerlifting ranks in 2010 is back.

Happened across your log from back then. Some bad bad elbow pain was going down alright. Congrats on relighting the burning desire. The rest will look after itself from there

Hanley

W3D2

Squat:
175kg 5x7

Bench:
60kg x5
87.5kg x5
100kg x3
112.5kg x10 - wahoo
87.5kg x20
67.5kg 5x10 @ 40X0 s/s band pull apart

Front Plate Raise:
10kg x100

Barbell Curl:
Roxanne and Sally

Very very good day for me ther. Really happy with it.

Hanley

W3D3

Car Ride: 90 minutes

Mobilise: 30 minutes

Squat:
60kg 2x3
100kg x3
120kg x2
140kg x1
160kg x1
185kg 7x5 ...pretty easily

That was weird. WAY too easy. Never had it this easy at this point in the cycle. STILL really fighting the idea of doing a fourth week. And also thinking about how dumb it might be... Decisions.

If I can find someone to train with on Sunday I'll probably test.

I always lecture the LIA students about riding to the peak of a strength wave and not testing on the back end.

...also something about how even if you do test on the "up" phase, you still have a later peak to retest. Whereas testing on a "down" phase really has no upside.

****it. I might just do 195kg x max reps tomorrow on my last set instead.

dartstothesea

I haven't read through your previous experiences with Smolov but even people who train well don't usually feel like it's this easy at all, let alone add 10kg both weeks. What do you reckon it's down to? Put in a conservative 1RM / put on 10kg bodyweight / top-secret diet, mobility and lifting technique that can't just be given away for free?

Hanley

dartstothesea wrote: »

I haven't read through your previous experiences with Smolov but even people who train well don't usually feel like it's this easy at all, let alone add 10kg both weeks. What do you reckon it's down to? Put in a conservative 1RM / put on 10kg bodyweight / top-secret diet, mobility and lifting technique that can't just be given away for free?

I pretty much write free content all day, every day

I started with 94% of my max.

Have gained around 5/6kg.

Started squatting consistently in a belt for hte first time in years.

Started squatting multiple times per week for the first time in years.

Food QUALITY is better than ever.

Food quanitity is excellent too.

Am using 10g creatine daily.

Have started experimenting with Carnosine.

Stress levels are thru the floor, and sleep quality is outrageous.

Mobility and movement quality in general is great too.

Overall work capacity is well in excess of old "normal" levels as well.

It's one of those. Or all of them...

Hanley

Here's my all time raw squat PR from CrossFit Ireland's total competition in December 2010.

I've my first legitimate chance of beating that on Sunday. I'm both scared and excited.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zdCKr2qBlY

Alf Veedersane

I'm not sure which was better: the squat or the smile at the camera after it.

Hanley

W3D4 of Smolov didn't exactly go to plan today.

Finished with;

Squat: 195kg 8x3...

...and 1x6 cos it was after 10pm and I didn't wanna do 2 more sets

Scariest part was despite that, and no psyche up at all, I still had 2+ reps in the tank

kevpants

Just ride straight into the intense phase after a few days break.

My theory, your ridiculous capacity for reps has come to the fore again and you'll find the intense phase more of a challenge.

Hanley

kevpants wrote: »

Just ride straight into the intense phase after a few days break.

My theory, your ridiculous capacity for reps has come to the fore again and you'll find the intense phase more of a challenge.

It appears my work capacity has returned.

You think no test??

kevpants

Hanley wrote: »

It appears my work capacity has returned.

You think no test??

Maybe a near your max single. Wouldn't be looking for a lifetime PR. You're going to be quite sick of squatting at the end of the intense. You have days such as

90%x3x3, 95%x3

to look forward to. You'll know if you you're stronger at that point, you won't need to refer back to a test between the cycles.

Hanley

kevpants wrote: »

Maybe a near your max single. Wouldn't be looking for a lifetime PR. You're going to be quite sick of squatting at the end of the intense. You have days such as



to look forward to. You'll know if you you're stronger at that point, you won't need to refer back to a test between the cycles.

Shut up talking sense.

Hanley

Retest time... took off all training since Tuesday.

Did a mock gym meet and came in at 94kg.

Here's the breakdown:

Squat: 220/230/235
Bench: 135/137.5/140
DL: 230/240/250x

Happy out with that. Feels weird being semi strong again. Lot's of pressure on now.

disappointed the DL missed, mighta had an all time PR in the tank on the squats and probably coulda do 142.5kg on the bench, but satisfied enough.

250/147.5/260 would be EPIC at my December retest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6UOmnURw10

amazingemmet

Beast mode engage

Ant11

That DL looked easy.

Mr. Manager

Private for me..? What's that about?

Hanley

I Love PPPP Longtime wrote: »

Private for me..? What's that about?

Odd... try again, just unlocked it, I think?

Oregano_State

Hanley wrote: »

Odd... try again, just unlocked it, I think?

twas private for me earlier on my phone, but grand once I switched to the laptop.

Hanley

Oregano_State wrote: »

twas private for me earlier on my phone, but grand once I switched to the laptop.

Probs a third party content youtube copyright nazi issue so.

Mr. Manager

Beast

Hanley

Trained in Loughlinstown Gym tonight with the pig...

ITYWs:
3x20

Sumo stance high bar squat:
60 x10
80 x10
100 x10
120 x10
140 x10
120 x20

Pull ups:
Bodyweight 2x10

Double OH BB holds:
100 x30s
110 x30s
120 x36s - no chalk on those

That was a fun oul day.

Trying to load up the hip as much as possible. Really felt a major hamstring weakness on my squats yesterday.

Losing pulls below my knee too which is a combo of hamstring weakness and poor tekkers.

The squats were funny easy. Not even on my radar. Was nice.

Pull ups were great. Been a while since I did em. Shoulder felt ok too.

And back to grip work... I've a lot of strength in my legs again. It's time to get the DL back on track.

Pig squatted 75k 4x9. Serious start to the cycle.

WHIP IT!

Looking at how easy you pulled 240, it's a surprise you missed 250.... maybe it was the beard??

amazingemmet

Just watched the video, I'll give you an extra 5kg on your total for choice of song. Its my I'm going for a PR song.

Alf Veedersane

amazingemmet wrote: »

Just watched the video, I'll give you an extra 5kg on your total for choice of song. Its my I'm going for a PR song.

Not a bad choice alright. It's on my playlist...but Firestarter is the PR song.

Blacktie.

WHIP IT! wrote: »

Looking at how easy you pulled 240, it's a surprise you missed 250.... maybe it was the beard??

Beard make him miss 250? I'm surprised it didn't cause him to rep it out!

Agreed 240kg came up nice and quick!

Hammar

Awesome beard genetics.
The lifting wasn't bad either....