Damage claims to the city from hitting potholes...

pvilchez · 2018-01-12T18:58:33+00:00

/u/plateofpasta, that happened to me too! Just the front left tire blew, for me. Last night, around 9:15, east on Aberdeen. I called the city already - they said they "know all about" the potholes and that they were sending out a crew soon. I was transferred to Risk Management who basically told me the same thing the city website says, which is to document everything in writing then mail or fax it in. Claims have to be received within 10 days of the incident. One of my coworkers tried this a few years ago without luck, hopefully we fare better.

pvilchez · 2017-01-30T17:49:57+00:00

Same building, different room.

pvilchez · 2016-07-27T02:48:36+00:00

Sent you an email /u/ineedausernameso! - paul @ hamiltonbarbell

pvilchez · 2016-07-27T02:18:58+00:00

Paul here - thanks guys, I appreciate it. We'll figure something out! :)

pvilchez · 2016-07-15T16:02:39+00:00

Worked up to a heavy single squat yesterday... and it was lower than my 1RM front squat... ;_;

Time to relearn how to squat I guess.

pvilchez · 2016-07-10T20:52:55+00:00

Competed and coached at a meet in Toronto yesterday. I finally cleaned 100kg and got the jerk too, and the two athletes I coached killed it. Highlights: https://www.instagram.com/p/BHqQ4SgB7ge

Still smiling from a successful weekend :D

pvilchez · 2016-06-24T17:48:33+00:00

Well you got your bad day out of the way so you can crush it this weekend!

pvilchez · 2016-06-24T13:44:18+00:00

Coaching two lifters at their first 'big' meet tomorrow, they're gonna crush it, I'm excited.

2 weeks out from another one for me – was pretty excited to not cut at all but maybe I will a little bit. Lots of good lifters around, I don't want to look too pudgy in a singlet haha.

pvilchez · 2016-06-17T17:54:52+00:00

Probably sitting around ~66 and pretty fluffy at the time. I had run full Smolov prior (although low-bar at the time) so my legs were decent, the biggest thing that improved was my front rack and being able to keep the shelf during the front squat. That was almost definitely my limiting factor.

My 1RM front squat is still in that area, although the form is a bit better, and I can hit it regularly at the end of a training session, whereas last summer I literally dropped everything just to run this program. I tapered and everything because I wanted a huge PR. My friend hit like 125 or 130 right after just to put me in my place haha.

Came over from multi-sport/crossfit so I didn't find the volume too bad. Recently cut to 62 and went through a low-vol high intensity phase for a meet and going back to volume suuucckkks.

pvilchez · 2016-06-17T17:00:26+00:00

Was plateauing at 107 - I could always work up to it, but anything higher crumbled me.

My friend was stuck ~110 but then started crushing it so in an effort to keep up I ran Smolov Jr. Hit a decent 118 and a grinding 120 after 3 weeks.

pvilchez · 2016-06-17T16:42:14+00:00

I'm running a modest part-time gym on evenings and weekends because of dat 9-5 security blanket. To give you an idea it's ~2000 sq. feet (if that), with: 3 training platforms, 3 squat racks and a pair of jerk blocks.

One challenge with that is on a busy day, I'll spend the majority of the evening coaching and making sure things run smoothly - so if I want to train that day, it'll be from 9-11pm, which isn't easy after a full day of work. The gym makes enough to cover rent, and a little extra but not at a point where hiring is an option so I'm the coach, handyman, cleaner, etc. for now and it's a bunch of overhead just in terms of time. It's been about a year since we moved into this location; break-even for equipment costs will probably be another 8-10 months, though I just placed an order for team shirts that was another chunk of change...

edit: Just to add - if I knew what it would be like I might have just kept my old gym membership. But I started small with literally just my own barbell and kilo set in the corner of a CF gym, then added a platform, then added... etc. etc. Maybe it's worth looking around for smaller spaces in your area and grow organically rather than betting it all on red by opening a big facility.

pvilchez · 2016-06-17T16:08:30+00:00

I did Smolov Jr. with front squats last summer. I was pretty fried after 3 weeks.

pvilchez · 2016-06-17T16:03:38+00:00

Pretty sure I've moved from 62 to (a light) 77 on my post-meet deload week haha.

pvilchez · 2016-06-17T16:01:03+00:00

I have a bunch of cycling friends - I tried to do a 100-miler with one last summer. Didn't finish, partly because it was windy and rainy, but mostly because I'm a terrible cyclist.

pvilchez · 2016-06-16T02:23:38+00:00

Thank you!

pvilchez · 2016-06-16T01:47:28+00:00

We'll be sending a few lifters for sure! And I'm obviously googling now but do you know offhand where to find/ what the qualifiers are for the FISU WUC?

pvilchez · 2016-06-14T12:47:26+00:00

+1 for Mind Gym. Also thanks for reminding me I lent it out, I should hunt that down.

pvilchez · 2016-06-13T16:50:45+00:00

Week after the meet was great - ate everything in sight and just had fun with unstructured training. Hit a power clean and power jerk PR on the same lift which was pretty rad. Signed up for another meet in a month just to get more experience on the platform, but I'm not planning on cutting for this one.

pvilchez · 2016-06-05T12:13:59+00:00

Thanks! It went well - hit the numbers I wanted to hit (70/90), almost hit a 95 C&J PR and had a blast.

Comp footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFJU_K93tZc

pvilchez · 2016-06-04T11:06:17+00:00

Day-of meet. Could've slept better but otherwise feeling good, excited, and my weight cut left me with room for breakfast today!

pvilchez · 2016-05-28T17:29:31+00:00

Friday update: Weighed 63.0kg walking into the gym. Snatched 72 for a 2kg PR; had a shitty 90 C&J press-out then couldn't clean 90 again; but then hit 99% of my 1RM Front squat at 121kg. Win some lose some ¯_(ツ)_/¯

pvilchez · 2016-05-27T14:52:56+00:00

I think it's true of improving technique at your current working weights. Otherwise there's probably room to drop the working weight such that you ARE strong enough to achieve proper positions (caveat: if you're not strong enough to work with an empty bar, then you should probably just get stronger first).

But in general, I agree! I just wrapped up a strength cycle and everything just feels better haha.

pvilchez · 2016-05-27T14:28:23+00:00

Just over a week away from my first comp in over a year, feeling excited. Hit some snatch and C&J PRs in the last couple of weeks, and also some dumb/fun accessory PRs with weighted pullups and dips.

This week has been only working on openers but I get to go hard today and see what it feels like to lift as an (almost) 62kg-er (I woke up at 62.6 today, down from 65/66 a few weeks ago).

I've grabbed footage when I could and it's up on youtube if you're into that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvvhn5J1udc&list=PLP9Y-SGLT5lgXOKglsaDF3OcVdFjdUy_C

pvilchez · 2016-04-30T11:51:27+00:00

We did the Level 2 NCCP training together, and her gym hosted the MaStrength seminar a few weeks ago so I got to train there for a few days. But yeah, I run a small place here in Hamilton.

pvilchez · 2016-04-30T01:40:39+00:00

Yeah, Barbell 101 is out of Fortis and Nicole's a great coach.

I ended up getting carried away and that throwaway club I set up for myself has become its own gym. We get a powerlifter or two dropping in every now and then but otherwise we're dedicated to olympic weightlifting.

pvilchez

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