UGSS from Orlando Barbell

Last week, I hit shoulders on Wednesday and arms on Thursday. I flew out to Orlando Barbell Club for an elitefts™ UGSS over the weekend and trained legs on Saturday and chest on Sunday. Rather than post all my training log details, I will touch on all my first-time experiences from this past weekend.

For the first time I...

• ate at the Tilted Kilt
• ate a Shepard's Pie (Schwab's request). This was more like a bowl of meat mixed with potatoes, so I'm not sure where the "pie" part comes in.
• tasted some shot that I was told "tastes like a fire ball." It really tasted like shit as I expected. (I don't drink because it all tastes like shit to me). Apparently these guys don't eat as much candy as I do because that shit didn't taste anything like a real fire ball.
• had my hip set off the metal detector at the airport. This was followed by a very strange 10-minute interrogation and pat down. I am now screwed no matter what line I go in. I can't lift my arm over my head so I get pulled whenever I go through the scanner and now my hip sets off the metal detector.
• visited Orlando. This did not involve going to a park.
• watched Chad Walker pull his first raw 800-pound deadlift (with crappy form).

Chad Walker Pulling his First 800-pound RAW Deadlift

• saw an 1,180 squatter on the floor rolling from side-to-side, flopping his elbows (kind of like what you see the seals do at Sea World). So I guess I was kind of at a theme park.
• watched an UFC fight.
• trained at Orlando Barbell Club.
• had both legs cramp while drinking a grape POP in a swimming pool as a 330-pound powerlifter killed a pool blasting can opener with two high school girls watching with a giant WTF look on their faces.
• realized that if you are from Florida, the hotel pool water will make you break out and itch, but being from Ohio makes you immune.
• came back to my room to find a baby play pin (for no reason).
• was given a free first-class upgrade, only to sit next to an asshole.
• learned that Adam Driggers has the exact same pain as I, that starts in your neck and goes up your head and wraps around your eye. He started the weekend with this and mine kicked in on the flight back. I think it spread from Adam to me.
• ate at Chipotle and had to have Brian Carroll explain to me how it worked. When it was my turn to order I just said "same thing" and got the same order as Driggers so I didn't have to think at all.
• realized Brian Carroll is great at "slinging meat."

As you can see in the picture, Brian was kind enough to be our waiter for the evening.

• rode in Bob Young's new car.
• drank an orange Amp drink. I'm sticking to the red. Plus, it seems the orange can explode and blow people out of their sandals and stain your porch.

Brain Carroll getting blown out of his sandals.

• witnessed people (I know) outside my gym, see how bad I sweat when I train.
• to see Brian Schwab's new back-ham rack attachment. This will be very cool when it's ready for the market.
• was told to shave my back.
• saw Jo Jordan's forehead bleed (for no reason)...while squatting. The awesome thing about this is, "he was CUT." This proves Santa is "just a man" and is real.

   

• heard Chad Walker's date-night story. This one is still a bit confusing to me but I am working through it.
• learned that you can DIE if you train at Samson Barbell. They have black widows, scorpions, and BULLS that frequent the property. Yes, I said BULLS.

 

• saw Brian Carroll host a back-(ER)-size class.
• talked to Adam Driggers about being a father of two boys close together in age. I'm not sure if his advice and stories helped me or made me even more uncertain. To be honest I'm now kind of scared what the future will bring.
• realized Chad Walker's son has a better deadlift than I do.
• trained in Florida, in a gym, in summer, with the AC out, full of lifters making it 3,000,000 degrees. On Sunday, Jo Jordan made it rain so I decided it was a good idea to go out in the rain to cool off. Minutes later everyone was looking at me like I was from another world while some were taking pictures.

Jo Jordan making it rain.

• was told if you ask for a roll of toilet paper at Samson Barbell there is a chance all your shit will get torched in a wheelbarrow.
• got caught wearing my raw gear in front of Bob Youngs. I know he will not let me off the hook for this one.
• got my picture taken in front of the OBB logo. Trust me this ISN'T as easy as it looks in all the pics Brian Schwab will post.

Chad Walker was the smart one and ducked in the bathroom to avoid having to wedge himself behind all the equipment.

• still think I heard Chad Walker say light percents are just exercise.
• met the producer of "Behind the Iron." This will become a very cool documentary.

Overall, it was a great weekend. I had a great time. While I did have many first-time experiences, there were also many other things that were NOT firsts.

I am honored to be part of a team...

• made up of people who care about more than just lifting weights.
• made up of people who have professional careers and not just a bunch of guys living from one session to the next.
• who can spot a technical, physical, or mental weakness in a heart beat, as well as, knowing what to do to fix it.
• who listens to each others advice and as a group become better.
• who cares about how everyone else does.
• who is made up of lifters who are strong as F**K.
• who I learn new things every time I am around.
• who knows how to have fun and not take things so seriously.

The best part of all this, for me, is realizing this is only one region of our team. We have three other regions made up of people just as great as these guys. As a final note, I want to thank Brian and Trinity Schwab for having us. Having hosted several of these, big and small, I know all of the extra time and work that goes into this and appreciate it greatly. Thanks for a great weekend.