The Comeback: Part 1
By Rick Walker
For www.EliteFTS.com
Where does time go? It’s hard to believe that five months ago I stood up with a 700-lb deadlift—fairly easily I may add—and was the strongest I’d ever been in my life. As I write this now five months later, I’m perhaps the weakest I’ve been since I was 18 or 19 years old.
What happened? Well, for one, I lost my passion. Dave Tate wrote in an article about why he powerlifts, “We do what we do because this is what we do. Our passion has built our character, and our character defines us. Never lose your passion.” It took me five months to realize that. For some reason, my passion took a sabbatical. Maybe that happens to all of us, but in 17 years under the bar, it had NEVER happened to me.
The second reason I “quit” was that I felt beat up. I know that injury and such is part of the game, but it was getting to the point where I just felt like trash all day long. I had no energy, I had a tough time falling to sleep at night, and I was a zombie all day at work. This was my fault—completely and totally.
What did I do? Well, I spent the first three months in an alcoholic haze. That was probably not a real good idea, but hey, it was a fun and strange three months. Jagermeister does strange things to your perception after you down an entire bottle while watching Head Bangers Ball® or Lamb of God’s “Killadelphia” DVD. My wife said I seemed happier, but I guess it’s hard to be unhappy when you’re walking around drunk or hung over. It’s too hard on the head to be angry with a marching band smashing around in your skull.
The booze led to about three months off of any and all physical activity as well. I didn’t do a thing. I didn’t lift, and I didn’t do cardio. Hell, I complained if I had to shovel a couple inches of snow to clear a path to my truck. I was a lazy piece of shit, and I loved it. I didn’t think about powerlifting, I didn’t read about powerlifting, and I didn’t watch any strength-related videos. I cast myself outside of all things physical and just went about my daily routine of work, drinking, and passing out.
On January 2, 2007, I woke up with a nasty hangover and limped my way to the bathroom. There I stood in my birthday suit taking care of the morning duties when I looked into the full length mirror that hangs on our shower door. Who the hell is that? Where did my chest go? Where did my traps go? Where did my triceps and shoulders go? I looked like a pile of dog shit. A steamy pile at that. Enough was enough. I still didn’t have any passion or desire, but I looked and felt like shit so I knew I had to do something. I knew I had to get moving. The goal was simple. I needed to take my 250 plus pound butt and trim some of this slop off of it. Strength and size weren’t even on my radar. Yet.
I needed a well thought out plan, and I needed to change my life and the way that I viewed my surroundings. It was a hard process, but I decided to sell my entire garage gym. For reasons that are hard to explain, I had to do it, but it was a cleansing of the soul. It was a chance to rid myself of the old and the bad and move on to where I wanted to be. I was living my life in the “was” and had no plans for the “what can be.” I found a buyer and sold everything. Every last piece. My garage currently sits empty, and it’s a decision I don’t regret in the least.
The next thing I had to do was take every single trophy, plaque, and award that I had accumulated from lifting and get rid of them. Why? Well, again, that was the “was” part of my life. Those things represented past accomplishments, and if I spent time thinking about them, I wouldn’t put any effort into where I wanted to be. Who cares what you did yesterday? So what? I deadlifted 700 pounds last year. That was last year. The real question is “WHAT WILL I LIFT THIS YEAR?” That’s what is important, not some plastic trophy or paper award. I took them all and deposited them in the trash. From that moment, all that mattered was where I was going, not where I’ve been.
The last thing I had to do was to rid my computer of lifting videos. Video taping yourself lifting is a very good idea so that you can get an idea of how your form is shaping up. It also gives you a different angle on squat depth or deadlift set up. In the age of the internet and “Keyboard Tough Guys,” everyone who lifts weights is called out to prove themselves. Of course, being a meathead, I got caught up in this. I felt it was necessary to video and post my PR lifts. I guess those three months of drinking killed off the bad brain cells and allowed me to think clearer because I realized that this was incredibly stupid.
The internet is great. I’ve learned so much from other lifters simply by logging on and surfing around. However, it took me a long time and lots of wasted energy to realize that 99.999 percent of the internet is a complete and total waste of time. Most sites are full of bullshit advice and tough guys who claim to squat 1000 lbs and juggle flaming chainsaws with pit bulls leashed to them. These people have no life and have spent no time under the bar, but they have perfected the ability to piss people off on a daily basis. I bought into it, and I played those internet games. That was 100 percent my fault, but I finally learned that it was all bullshit and that exerting energy with these assholes was making me just as guilty.
It really slapped me in the head when I read Ed Coan’s quote—“I prefer to do my talking on the platform.” Exactly. It isn’t a coincidence that you don’t see the strongest lifters on the planet getting involved in internet bullshit. They are too concerned with their own lives and their own training to give two shits about what someone else is saying about them. I took a page from their book and quit the internet addiction cold turkey. Don’t get me wrong. There are some great sites out there, and for the sake of the reader, I will list a few: www.elitefts.com, www.dieselcrew.com, www.fatbastardbarbellco.com, www.parisischool.com, and www.southcarolinabarbell.com.
There’s the quick and dirty list of websites that make up the 0.001 percent of the good shit out there! There are more, but you get the idea.
Once I took care of the mental and spiritual side of my comeback, it was time to decide how I was going to train and WHY I was going to train. I knew I had to lose some weight for health reasons but also because I looked like shit and felt worse. The basic premise was to get back into some kind of shape. I forked out the money for a Tread Climber because I didn’t want to run, row, or bike. Walking works for me, and I liked the infomercial so I bucked up and got one. It was a very good investment if you’re curious. It’s low impact, and it’s kind of like pulling a sled except you can do it front of the television and inside which is a plus. At 2.5 mph, you get your sweat on, and you don’t feel like you’re working out. That’s KEY for me when it comes to cardio. I don’t want to feel like I’m doing something. I want to put on a DVD and forget all about the fact that I’m doing something that’s good for me.
I purchased a membership to the local gym, which actually isn’t all that bad. At 6:00 am, there are just a couple of other people there, but it’s mostly empty. I figured if I was going to do this and stick to it, I had to drag the wife along with me. She complied, and we started training. We did basic movements for sets of ten with limited rest and fairly light weights. My passion wasn’t back, but I was lifting again and I was starting to feel better. Each week, we hit the weight room three times a week and did cardio five or six times a week. I quit drinking and started eating half way decent, avoiding junk and processed breads. It worked, and by the end of February (about nine weeks of this style of training), I was down to a svelte 220 lbs from 250 lbs and all of my nagging injuries were gone. And along the way, my wife managed to lose 26 pounds and get her strength back up so it was a win-win situation. I considered pushing it further and taking myself down to 198 lbs, but I decided against it. That’s just too small for a 5’9” lifter so 220 lbs it is.
Now what?
Once I hit 220 lbs again, I decided it was time to dip my toes back into the powerlifting pool. Throughout these last nine weeks, my passion slowly crept back. I started reading again and watching powerlifting videos. I had to sit down with a notepad and a pencil and decide what I really wanted to do. What goals do I have? What approach will I take? How will I go about reaching the said goals? Where am I lacking? Am I mentally up to par to get back under heavy weights? A thousand things swirled around my head, and I wrote feverishly until I had three pages of scribbles and had drunk two pots of coffee.
I hadn’t hit the three lifts hard in months so I knew I was a weak little kitten. My lower back would need a major overhaul, my hips would once again be as soft as drugstore cotton, and my bench press would be at a seventh grade level. (The latter was because I had re-torn my pec back in October 2006. The original tear took place in 2003.) I was a train wreck. I had gotten myself into decent shape and had shed 30 pounds, but I was still wrecked strength wise. One thing I had noticed in all of my years under the bar was that my lower back gets weak FAST. If you aren’t constantly training it, it will go to shit on you quick!
My goals are to hit two full meets in 2007 and maybe a deadlift meet thrown in there somewhere. I don’t think I want to venture back into the realm of multi ply fear, at least not right now. So the meets will be single ply federations or—GASP—raw federations. The first one will be sometime this summer and the second will be in December. The amount of work that I have to do from now until then is overwhelming. However, the most important thing right now is to get my head right and to start believing in my abilities again. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a little timid of the loaded bar right now but that will go away in due time. I need to get my confidence up, and confidence only comes with time under tension.
My workouts are basic and brutal, focusing on current weaknesses and bringing up areas of concern. My squat training is done on Sundays at a gym owned by my good friend. He turned his basement into a training paradise thanks to his allegiance to Elite Fitness. He has everything we need for a brutal workout, and it’s nice to be back under the bar with a competent and strong partner. Motivation is key. Knowing that I have to drive 50 minutes to get there and that there’s a strong dude waiting for me motivates me to get my act together and get my strength up.
Right now, my complete focus is on the Elite safety squat bar. I never used this bar before, but after one session with it and a measly 335 lbs, I realized that this may be the best bar on the planet for making you bull strong. The safety bar that I used before just kind of sat on my shoulders, but the bar that Elite sells is like squatting with a squirming gorilla on your back! I couldn’t believe how much the bar just rolled right into my chest and tried like hell to make me a grease spot on the platform. I instantly fell in love with it. If your back is weak, this bar will force it to get strong. And it helps mentally because you know that if you don’t get serious and push yourself to the edge, you’re going to face plant. I follow these with Romanian deadlifts, glute hams, seated good mornings, and ab work. Sometimes we throw kettlebells into the mix for swings to change it up a little.
On Mondays, I bench for three sets of fives, working on ingraining technique again and getting my body right under the bar. I’m more of a “push straight up” lifter than a “push back over your face” lifter so I need to get my triceps back up to par. Benching felt incredibly hard, and I was weak as hell. I was actually quite surprised at just how weak I was/am. There’s a ton of work to be done in the bench, but if I can get 425 lbs in a single ply shirt by December, I’ll be happy. I do some other chest work to get my weaker pec strong, and then follow it with heavy lat and trap work.
On Wednesdays, I deadlift sumo style for threes followed by either deadlifts standing on a four-inch box for twos or rack pulls for twos. I then do back extension and ab work. This is a quick but intense session. I’ll be pushing the deadlifts up 20 lbs a week.
Finally, I finish my work week with triceps and shoulder work on Thursdays. I need to really bring my triceps back up again, and my shoulders are lacking. Push presses have always seemed to carryover to my bench so that’s what I’ll be doing for fives as the staple of my shoulder work. I’ll also be adding dips back in on a weekly basis. I fell off from these after my first pec tear. However, back when I used to do them, I was handling 385 lbs in the bench in a T-shirt. Nothing big but not bad for a dude with monkey arms.
That’s the current plan of attack. I’ve been through one week of this new training, and I have to say that I’m sore as hell. Rep work makes you sore, but nothing compares to heavy weights. My first squat workout was a success as I managed to get little spotty bruises all over my face. That is a sign that you’re doing things right! As I type this, my back and abs are sore in a good way. My hamstrings are aching, and my glutes feel like they want to relocate to a new zip code. This will get better. I’ll adapt, and I’ll push my volume week to week.
This is the new me, and at 29 years old, I know I have some very good strength years left in me. My short-term goals for 2007 are 700-425-750 in single ply gear at 220 lbs. I know this is very doable, and if I can get my head out of my ass, an 800-lb pull is possible by December. It’s going to take commitment, a positive attitude, and an iron will, but I’m ready and willing.
Let the games begin.
Rick Walker has a bachelor’s of science degree in exercise science and is a certified strength and conditioning specialist through the NSCA. He is employed by a correctional facility in PA as an activities specialist . His duties include planning and overseeing all inmate activities and sports and teaching life skills classes in nutrition, wellness, and strength and conditioning.
Rick began training at the age of 12 for football and has been active in strength sports since 1996. He did his first powerlifting meet in 1996 and his first Strongman contest in 2003. Rick has competed in the USAPL (ADFPA), ADAU, IPA, and NASS. He currently holds squat and deadlift records in the ADAU.
Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the strength training industry by providing the highest quality strength training products and services while providing the highest level of customer service in the industry. For the best training equipment, information, and accessories, visit us at www.EliteFTS.com.