Yes, gyms are finally back in NY state. Gov. Andrew demanded that crowd capacity should be 33%. Some gyms in NY state follow that rule and some ignore it. Even though gyms are back open and even though gym crowd capacity needs to be at 33% or under, you’re still seeing pretty much empty gyms all over NY state. You’re seeing very few people working out there throughout the day…

Why is this you may ask? Well the pandemic and covid-19 certainly did turn a lot of gym members against the gym. A lot of people out there are still scared to death of the virus and take it seriously and many refuse to go back to the gym ’cause they believe it’s not safe. There’s also this other half that are not scared of the virus at all but they refuse to workout with a mask on at the gym. It’s a combination of both reasons why you’re seeing dead crowds at the gyms.

I’m sure gym goers didn’t give up working out, though. I’m seeing many more gym goers building their own gyms at home… or if they have a friend or family member that has a home gym, they use theirs. Either that or some gym goers find other gyms around NY to join. Some may have stopped working out due to no gym access like I did.

Ya know, people would think I might be crazy for going right back to the gym as soon as it opened but I’m not scared of the virus and I’m not taking it seriously when the death count is very low and recovery rate very high. I’m not panicking like most… so I still try to go out and about and enjoy my day.

When this covid-19 pandemic shit is all over with will gym crowds come back? Probably and hopefully ’cause gyms needs its members in order to survive. They can’t stay at low capacity for so long. Some gyms are gonna close for good ’cause they can’t afford to stay open anymore and they’ll lose a lot of money.

I’m hoping the Battenkill Branch won’t close for good ’cause of the pandemic ’cause that’ll suck. I’m sure it won’t, though. Things will get back to normal, I’m sure. I’m predicting the country will fully comeback after the Election like everyone is saying ’cause this lockdown stuff is all about the election.

Anyhow, I’m actually okay with gyms having no crowds ’cause truthfully people fucking suck at gyms: Hogging equipment, not putting equipment back, not wiping down things when they’re done, not picking up trash, etc. I don’t have to worry about waiting to use a piece of equipment when I need to use something and don’t have to put up with chatty people bothering me during my workout… so yeah I’m good with low capacity crowds. It’s more peaceful to workout when it’s all quiet too.

I’m sure it’ll all get back to normal soon, though.

Kev

Uggghhhh… since I’ve been away from the gym for so long due to Pandemic and lockdown bullshit, I really do gotta get used to the gym again ’cause I’m still not used to it honestly. It’ll be a few weeks and then I’ll be on fire again with my powerlifting training.

I was doing deadlift this morning at the gym doing my strength training on that… doing few heavy reps for each set and each rep felt kind of heavy on me so that’s a sign I’m not used to it since I’ve been away for soo long? Yep.

I’m gonna keep doing what I do week after week and then I’ll start training really good again. Just gotta get used to it, I guess. Just keep going and then suddenly, I might get even more gains ’cause of it.

I do miss the gym and glad to be back finally. It’s what I’m supposed to be doing and where I’m supposed to be. I plan to stick with this for the rest of the year and all of 2021, next year. No more time off.

I really want to bring my numbers up on the big three and not going to rush. Take my time.

Kev

2nd week back in the gym and today was leg day. Got chest day and arm day out of the way this week and then got back day tomorrow. So that means since it’s back day tomorrow, it’s deadlifting day.

Well I’m back to my strength training on the big three lifts this week: bench, deadlift and squat. Back to doing heavier sets and few reps. This time I’m gonna train more smart and be even more careful. Definitely stay injury free from now on.

Admittedly I did lose a little bit of “strength” on the big three lifts but nothing too bad. I can get back what I lost easily and quickly. Get even more gains so I’m not too worried about it.

For bench… I’m around 140 lbs. – 150 lbs.

For squat… I’m about 120 lbs. – 130 lbs. p.r.

For deadlift…. I’m about 275 lbs. – 285 lbs. p.r. (maybe a little more)

This week I spent some time trying to figure out where my numbers are at right now and that’s pretty much it, I believe.

For the rest of the year, I’m going to concentrate and focus on bringing my numbers up even more. Continuing my strength training week after week and not missing any lifts. “Missing lifts” in powerlifting means you can’t get that rep.

I really need to bring up my squat numbers ’cause it’s pretty low right now but I had to be so I can squat with the right depth for powerlifting, ya know? The right depth for powerlifting, the crease of the hip needs to be below the top of the knee which pretty deep. I didn’t like squats in the beginning but I’m finally starting to like it more. Getting way better at squats too.

My goal for the big three is to get over 300 lbs. for reps on deadlift… get over 150 lbs. for squats and bench for reps. I can try and accomplish those goals if I stay consistent and I will and not miss any lifts if I want to go somewhere. Missing lifts during training in powerlifting is not good and that was my problem in the past. No more of that.

I want to try to bring my numbers up big before 2020 ends and I believe I can. Hopefully I’ll be able to do a powerlifting meet in 2021… I’m sure the country will be back to fully normal then.

Kev

Well, it’s my second week back in the gym. Ever since I’ve been back, I’ve been wearing facemasks while lifting weights and yes, makes me feel even more uncomfortable. It definitely seems even more dangerous and unsafe too.

While lifting weights, you need air and you need to breathe… a facemask just blocks the air. It’s real tough working out with a face mask on. With a facemask, it makes you feel even more warmer, a sweaty mouth with a facemask on is not good. Working out with a facemask on, you’re almost out of breath after a set and makes you feel you want to pass out.

Check out the video above… the guy in the video above decides to give it a try and show us what it’s like and what he goes through is the same thing I go through.

While King Cuomo mandated masks in NY gyms, some gyms in NY state ignores the “face mask” rule ’cause some NY gyms knows how dangerous it can be but other gyms strictly enforce the facemask rule like the YMCA. At the YMCA, I would workout without a mask on myself but if you get caught without a mask on, you’ll be kicked out of the gym and I can’t deal with that.

That’s why at the gym, I shorten my workout days slightly so I can get in and out for about an hour and a half or so. I don’t want to stay in the gym any longer than that ’cause it’s dangerous working out in the gym for a few hours. While working out in a gym with masks on, I already want to get out of there. That’s why I pick like 4 or 5 workouts to do each day for each body part. Go in and out real quick ’cause I don’t like lifting with these masks on but I do it anyways. Just not stay in there for so long, ya know?

Not only you need to breathe during your workouts, it’s also hard to concentrate and focus with these fucking masks on.

Yeah, I’m anti-mask for sure. I’ve hated facemasks since the beginning. It looks like facemasks will be around until we get a vaccine which is gonna suck. Facemasks won’t be a forever thing, though, they’ll disappear soon. It’s ridiculous that we have to get forced to wear these things. I don’t like it and they don’t work anyways.

Other than that, my workouts and powerlifting training at the gym is going well for the most part. Felt really sore all over my body for several days but the soreness is gone pretty much. Just gotta get used to the gym again.

Glad to be back… the gym is where I belong and it’s what I’m supposed to be doing.

Kev

When asking for advice on how to bring up my numbers on the big three: bench, squat and deadlift… I get the most popular answer… “consistency” meaning unchanging and stay the same. Yup, that means you can’t stop. Gotta keep going. No breaks. No long time off ’cause that’s not gonna give you more gains. You gotta keep going… week after week, year after year. Yeah, the gym may be getting sick of you in there all the time but you gotta do what you gotta do to get those big gains.

So if I want to one day lift the huge numbers on the big three… like say smash a 700 lb. deadlift or be able to lift over 400 lbs. on bench and squat… I can get there with consistency. That’s really the key to getting strong in powerlifting.

If you want to get muscular and big in bodybuilding, you need to stay “consistent” with that too. Never giving up and not stopping. Staying dedicated and you will get somewhere.

There are people out there who don’t really take me seriously as “powerlifter” since I’m only lifting between 100 lbs. – 300 lbs. on the big three but hey, I’m new to this “powerlifting” thing as I have only been into it for a few years now. Started powerlifting in 2018. I may be in a small start but give me a few more years and maybe people will start calling me an actual “powerlifter”??? Real soon.

I’m a 43 year old man and I’m real late getting into powerlifting. I always saw myself as a bodybuilder type of lifter but got into powerlifting real late. Some may say I’m too old to be powerlifting but age is just a number. At powerlifting meets, I see a lot of middle aged men from 50 and above. There are even men who are 70 years old powerlifting and lifting the big ones. If you want to get into powerlifting, do it… no matter the age.

One day I will be able to deadlift over 500 lbs. and trust me, I will get there one day. There are really no magic tricks to getting big gains… consistency is the only trick, I guess.

Gotta be like the Energizer bunny, ya know? Keep going and going and going and going and going and going… ya get the deal. That’s why I can’t give this up. Before the pandemic, I kept going to the gym week after week.

It seems I haven’t lost gains at all during 4 or 5 month time off which is kind of interesting really. If you don’t workout, you will lose gains but not right away. I guess it takes a long time to actually lose muscle.

Kev