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A Hebridean Diary

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Martin1956Icon...20-05-2026 @ 20:07 
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Old Age Presser
Member 75, 8170 posts
SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200
400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq
Wayne_Cowdrey said:Hope the comp goes well Happy

Out of interest, what's the world record for your class?


Thanks Wayne. Unbelievably, 192, Stanislaw Mentel, who's been a beast for years. British record is 162.5 from Tom Collins, which used to be the world record. WDFPF World record in the 100 kg class 142. British record 140, has stood since 1997.

To put Mentel's lift in context, I think it was in Bratislava in 2008 that the first M3 to bench 182.5 EQUIPPED happened. Fast forward twenty years and an M4 is doing 10 kg more than that UNEQUIPPED. Mind blowing!
Martin1956Icon...25-05-2026 @ 17:34 
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400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq		I made it down to the Scottish Bench. 7.00 am ferry on Friday and two buses got me to Perth about 4.00 pm. Got a lift from Perth to Coatbridge 8.00 the next morning. Felt good. Warm up went well, finished on a single with 100. Opened 105, moved so fast some people gasped. New Scottish record. Went 115 for my second, hardly slowed down. Thought of maybe 125 third, but stuck with the plan, went 120 - and missed it. And I can't really tell you why. Yes, it was a long journey, but I felt better competing than I have in training for some time. Wee buzz, a few goose bumps, all the good stuff. But it flew up near lockout, and then just stopped.

The good stuff. Both good lifts were Scottish M4 records (previously 67.5) both classic and equipped. Great to make a competition again. I miss them. The championship was done in age groups, because it was a championship. So I won the 105 M4 title, unopposed. And I won the M4 best lifter, unopposed.

I had also been worried that my right arm didn't quite straighten completely, but I had an honest conversation with the officials beforehand and the lifts were passed. I honestly think the speed of the opener probably helped. I was worried that it might be my final SP comp for that reason, but I live to fight another day. I'll work on stretches, of course, but very enciouraging.

I have to come off creatine for a while now because of the kidney disease. So the target is to maintain 120 creatine free, and hopefully get up to 130 when fully loaded again. Easy to write, harder to do. I also have a small bladder op and six weeks of chemo coming shortly. I delayed it until I had done the comp. Haven't got a date yet, but have my pre op tomorrow morning. Also hoping to play some golf soon, even if it's not a full 18 holes, so I'm resigned to the numbers going back a bit over the summer.

My next competition will probably not be until next year, unless I win the lottery, but this weekend qualifies me for the British Classic and Equipped Bench Press Championships to be held next February. Holding both over the same weekend makes travel more viable, but it depends where it is. But that's for the future.
b15ape1Icon...26-05-2026 @ 00:28 
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Member 450, 2079 posts
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817.5 kgs @ 150kgs Eq		Welldone Fletty, 10 out of 10 for effort mate Wink Grin
BillwestIcon...26-05-2026 @ 19:00 
Member 541, 5397 posts
SQ 192.5, BP 120, DL 222.5
535.0 kgs @ 92.8kgs UnEq		Well done, Martin. Excellent that you can still do it despite the obstacles you are facing. Best of luck for future comps, too!
Martin1956Icon...27-05-2026 @ 21:47 
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Post Edited: 27.05.2026 @ 21:50 PM by Martin1956
b15ape1 said:Welldone Fletty, 10 out of 10 for effort mate Wink Grin


Thanks Andy. As you know from my log posts, it is what it is. All I can do is keep plugging away and hope for better numbers ahead. I planned to train yesterday (Tuesday) but fell asleep in the afternoon, so clearly I wasn't over all the travel. Today was about cleaning out the car before its MOT, and on the way in I stopped off at a music event and was invited up to do a couple of songs. So hopefully some bench tomorrow... I had my pre op assessment yesterday, so the next op is clearly close.
Martin1956Icon...27-05-2026 @ 21:49 
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Billwest said:Well done, Martin. Excellent that you can still do it despite the obstacles you are facing. Best of luck for future comps, too!

Many thanks Bill. I got so much appreciation from the young bucks at the comp that it was all the motivation I needed to keep going. Happy days.
Martin1956Icon...29-05-2026 @ 23:45 
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Post Edited: 29.05.2026 @ 23:45 PM by Martin1956
Friday Bench

Tried to train yesterday. Took all my supps, washed down with an energy drink, and fell asleep. Today was much the same, but I forced myself out at the back of 4, with a plan to just quickly run through the gears.

Bar for 10 x 3 sets
40 for 6
50 for 5
60 for 4
70 for 3
80 for 2
90 for 1
100 for 1
110 for 1
115 for 1
Finish

After the 100, I planned to stop at 110, but the 110 felt better, so went one more. Not sure 120 would have been there, but 115 wasn't right at my limit. Pleased with that. Hadn't trained for nearly two weeks, feeling tired, and now off creatine. I expect that to have an impact, but, frankly, avoiding dialysis is more important. If I can maintain 120ish off creatine, should get a wee boost if and when I go back on it.
Martin1956Icon...01-06-2026 @ 23:09 
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400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq		Monday Bench. Had to do stuff in town this afternoon, but also had to train today because I have an ophthalmology appointment tomorrow and I may be getting eye injections, so trained really late for me. Started 7.30, finished 8.45. I used to train at this kind of time, but then I also used to lift 200+.

Felt tired when I got back, so had a long rest before I went out. No real plan, just lift something rather than nothing.

Bar for 10 x 3 sets
40 for 6
50 for 5
60 for 4
70 for 3
80 for 2
90 for 1
100 for 1
110 for 1
100 for 3
90 for 5
80 for 8
Finish

110 was worryingly close to my limit, but not got many reps in in recent weeks. Not great, but another session under the belt. And some reps.
Martin1956Icon...04-06-2026 @ 18:18 
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400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq		Thursday Bench

As I lay in bed in the early hours a couple of nights ago, I planned out my training for the coming months. Basically, three sets of five plus a couple of higher volume sets, with a variety of different bands, and without a band. So today, I started with the green band, the strongest one I'll be using in this cycle, which adds 35 to 40 at lockout. Probably worth noting I'm off creatine for the time being, which of course will make gains more difficult. I'll hope to go back on it six weeks before my next competition, whenever that may be. Possibly February.

Bar for 10 x 3 sets
Band on
Bar for 6
30 for 5
40 for 4
50 for 3
60 for 2
70 for 1
80 for 1
85 for 1
65 for 5
65 for 5
65 for 5
55 for 8
50 for 10
Finish

Thought I'd only get to 80, but that was easy so did 85. Pleasantly surprised. Then dropped 20 for three sets of five, then dropped ten for a set of eight, and a further five for a set of ten. I was right on my limit with the last rep of each set, so obviously chose my numbers well. Same again next time, energy permitting, but with a slightly easier band.
b15ape1Icon...04-06-2026 @ 23:18 
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British bum sex champ
Member 450, 2079 posts
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Martin1956 said:Thursday Bench

As I lay in bed in the early hours a couple of nights ago, I planned out my training for the coming months. Basically, three sets of five plus a couple of higher volume sets, with a variety of different bands, and without a band. So today, I started with the green band, the strongest one I'll be using in this cycle, which adds 35 to 40 at lockout. Probably worth noting I'm off creatine for the time being, which of course will make gains more difficult. I'll hope to go back on it six weeks before my next competition, whenever that may be. Possibly February.

Bar for 10 x 3 sets
Band on
Bar for 6
30 for 5
40 for 4
50 for 3
60 for 2
70 for 1
80 for 1
85 for 1
65 for 5
65 for 5
65 for 5
55 for 8
50 for 10
Finish

Thought I'd only get to 80, but that was easy so did 85. Pleasantly surprised. Then dropped 20 for three sets of five, then dropped ten for a set of eight, and a further five for a set of ten. I was right on my limit with the last rep of each set, so obviously chose my numbers well. Same again next time, energy permitting, but with a slightly easier band.


Nice session Martin...Is there a particular reason your not staying on the creatine mate?
Martin1956Icon...05-06-2026 @ 13:48 
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Old Age Presser
Member 75, 8170 posts
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400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq
b15ape1 said:
Nice session Martin...Is there a particular reason your not staying on the creatine mate?


Thanks Andy. I have kidney disease and low kidney function - a consequence of high blood pressure, which in turn is a consequence of diabetes. The creatine is either reducing my kidney function, or giving false readings that it's worse than it is (it's gone from 27 to 19 this year), so a time off will be revealing, and possibly life lengthening. Creatine is perfectly fine if your kidneys are functioning properly, but less so if you have kidney disease.

Losing 7% of my strength will suck, but having dialysis will suck even more.
b15ape1Icon...05-06-2026 @ 18:32 
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British bum sex champ
Member 450, 2079 posts
SQ 315, BP 212.5, DL 290
817.5 kgs @ 150kgs Eq
Post Edited: 05.06.2026 @ 18:32 PM by b15ape1
Martin1956 said:
Thanks Andy. I have kidney disease and low kidney function - a consequence of high blood pressure, which in turn is a consequence of diabetes. The creatine is either reducing my kidney function, or giving false readings that it's worse than it is (it's gone from 27 to 19 this year), so a time off will be revealing, and possibly life lengthening. Creatine is perfectly fine if your kidneys are functioning properly, but less so if you have kidney disease.
Losing 7% of my strength will suck, but having dialysis will suck even more.


With you Martin, totally understandable!!
jtIcon...05-06-2026 @ 22:37 
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old age traveller
Member 332, 8076 posts
An easy choice I would think.
Wayne_CowdreyIcon...07-06-2026 @ 00:20 
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Still got a little bit of strength
Member 400, 22990 posts
Good work at the comp Happy
Martin1956Icon...08-06-2026 @ 02:16 
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Old Age Presser
Member 75, 8170 posts
SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200
400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq
jt said:An easy choice I would think.


Absolutely. Still frustrating, but priorities...

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