As we wind down another cycle and Derek looks to sport-specific rugby training, Scott found willing lifters to go for max lifts on Thanksgiving Day.

Tuesday, 11/24/09

Axle Push Press, w/2 mb: 65×5/105×5/135×3/160×3/160×3/175×3/. Bands were wrapped around the bar twice.
Front Squat: 95×3/135/. Ok that’s all for the front squat. Apprehensive about doing any weighted squats, so instead, I did,
Barbell Step-ups: 135×10, each leg/185×8/185×8/.
Plyo Box Jumps, 24″. 3 x 7.
Single Dumbell Rows: 75×8/90×8/90×8/90×6/.
Front Plate Throw, 35#: 3 x 8.
Standing Cable Crunches: 100×10/110×10/110×10/110×10/.

Just about everything I did was preceded by a tentative movement to calibrate for an injury. Front squats were eliminated.

Thursday, 11/26/09

Looks like a deadlift and bench press ME day.

Power Cleans: 113×5/113×5/133×3/. These were put in toget the CNS ready to deadlift.
Deadlift ME: 245×5/295×5/325×3/345×3/385/415/440/462.5pr/475f/470f/. Gave it all @ 462, which is the only set I could count the weight of the collars!
Bench Press ME: 135×3/165×3/185×3/205×3/250/260 pr/270 pr/275f/.

Saturday, 11/28/09

Saturday was a big-time sick day. Sometimes you finish big, other times not so.

Thanksgiving is the day to acknowledge all we are thankful for and so in that spirit, as I wish all the readers of MFBB a Happy Thanksgiving, here is what I am thankful for from the perspective of health and fitness.

• I am grateful for my good health. I recently got the results of my physical with blood test and passed with flying colors!
• I am thankful for all my gym friends, freaks, acquaintences and training partners who can take a share of credit for my successes.
• I am grateful for my personal bests over the year.
• I enjoyed competing in my first, (and possibly last) Highland Games.
• To the Moynihan Institute for all the smack and humor.
• I am very happy that our gym found a way to not only stay open but to upgrade the facility.
• I am grateful to have a gym that has allowed me to bring in my bumpers and do Olympic lifts.
• I am fortunate to have found good teachers to help me with Oly lifting, kettlebells and powerlifting.
• I am happy and grateful to have enough equipment to be able to train independently of the gym if I desire.
• As I expressed to Nico Coetzee, I am thankful for all his hard efforts in keeping Met-Rx open during the lean times.
• I would be remiss in expressing gratitude for a relatively injury-free year.

Recalling all the things I have gratitude for is all fine and dandy, but their are some turkeys that need to be called out and get the Scraggly Turkey Award.

• To the trainer who dropped a Silent But Deadly fart while training his clients and gassing out the rest of us. He may have even shit his pants for all I know. It was nasty!
• To all the trainers and their clients who are too lazy to rack their plates and put things away when finished.
• To gym management for making me remove my bumper plates.
• To the knuckleheads who walk perilously and obliviously close to me while I am snatching or kettlebell swinging.
• To all the chatterboxes who distract those of us who are training hard.
• To all the mirror narcissists and big egos.
• To the crappy music the gym generally plays.
• To the dweebs who use the squat racks to do bicep curls.
• To trainers teaching and allowing lousy technique with their clients.

Mostly, though, I would like to thank all of you who read this blog and hope you continue to check back often. Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving!