10/28/07 ME Bench - PR

2 Board Press 205x5, 245x3, 285x2, 325x1, 365x3, 385x2, 405x3PR
3 Boards + a Yoga Mat Press 405x4x5
Justin Harris Rows 120x3x8
Monster Mini Flyes/Pullover Complex 3x30

405 turned out to be a PR in the 3 rep range. Felt pretty good on it, with it being the first week of this movement I stopped and left some in the tank. Hopefully its a sign of good things to come.

3 Boards + A Yoga Mat Press was different. My triceps were kiling me by the end. I chose to do this because I didnt feel like the 4 Board Press or the generic 3 Board Press. I saw the yoga mat sitting there looking pathetic and this popped into my head. Well, it was good enough to stay in the rotation for 2 more weeks.

Justin Harris Rows killed as per usual, I recommmend anyone out there that wants to add some falre to your lats to perform these, simply brutal. The monster mini complex sucked ass too, but it had my shoulders burning so I wont complain....Da, da-da daaa....Q&A Times folks...

Andrew from NY asks:

"I notice you keep short rest periods between your sets on speed day, what kind of rest periods do you use on Max Effort day?"

Powerlifting Etc Answers:

Hello Andrew,

On Max Effort Days, I always use the following sequence when warming up

50%x5
60%x3
70%x2
80%x1
90%x1-3
95%x1-3
100%x1-3

I will go with a 1 minute rest until I hit the 90% or above weights, at that point I go with a 2-3 minute rest between. Just enough to recharge and hit it again, but not too long that I lose focus of what I am trying to accomplish. I time these with a stop watch as well. I find by doing it in this fashion, it keeps my workouts fast and efficient.

Hope this answers your question, thanks for asking.

Now I would like to say that the Boston Red Sox Rule!!! & lets not forget those New England Patriots, they aren too shabby either...

Keep it dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

10/26/07 - Max Effort Squat

SSB High Box Squat 235x5, 285x3, 335x2, 380x1, 430x1, 455x2x2
SSB Suspended Good Mornings 245x4x6
GHR's (Home Made) 4x6
Monster Min Wood Choppers 4x12

Had an alright day. My ab strain seems to have resurfaced, had a real hard time keeping arched. I did it, but not without discomfort. I had originally planned on hitting 475-500 today but recognized the fact I just didnt "Have It" on this day. Enter the Volume...455x2x2 coupled with the single at 430 accounted for 5 lifts at/or above 90%....good stuff for a bad day of powerlifting...

Next up was the Safety Squat Bar Good Morning" suspended from chains. Now good mornings are bad enough with a straight bar, but done with the SSB, ugh. First off, getting under the friggin thing is misery, then you have to get started while having the bar try to choke you out, reminded me of training old school MMA with my buddies, I absolutely hate the feeling of being choked!!!

Glute Ham Raise was the poor boy rigged up version. I basically took average bands, choked them on top of the cage, set a barbell low to anchor my feet, and did them off my bench. One of these days I will put together an eBook of all the crazy contraptions I have come up with to mimic these high ticket items (or even a cheesy video might suffice)....Anyway, these suckers killed my posterior chain, eveything was cramping, good times, good times....

Gather round, its Powerlifting Etc Q&A Time Kiddies...

Dave from MA asks:

What advice do you have for a lifter when their Deadlift is higher than their Squat by alot?

Powerlifting Etc answers:

Knock Knock....Who is it?

Its me Dave.

Who? (Looking at the talking picture of Jesus)

Sorry, crappy reference to an old Cheech & Chong Movie, man I used to love that shit. Back to reality. Dave, I think you are in the same boat as 90% of the lifters out there. However this question depends heavily on a couple of things.

Is the lifter using gear and still lagging in the Squat? If so, Practice the gear, Strengthen the core, and dont skimp on the accessory work.

Or, is the lifter a RAW lifter. In which case, I think it is totally normal for the Squat to lag the Deadlift, I havent seen too many people where this isnt the case. But that doesnt mean you have to settle for it either. Keep hammering away at it, put in the effort, and eventually your squat should come up. Not saying it will pass the deadlift, but to at least within 50-60 lbs.

Lastly, what is the disparity between the lifts? If your talking 100-200 pounds then my advice would be to just plain Squat!!! All too many times I have people ask similar questions, and when asked what their squatting schedule looks like, I kinda get to doe in headlights look..."Like once a month if I can squeeze it in...", or sometimes after deadlifting if Im not too tired...." etc.....Bottom Line, if this is the case, then get under the bar, sit down, then stand up....lather, rinse, & Repeat with heavy weights....I hate putting in the effort just as much as the next guy, but its a necessary evil in the sport of Powerlifting, unless you plan on being a bench or deadlift specialist that is. But thats a whole other rant I will save for a rainy day, wait a minute, it is raining out....uh oh. Just Kidding.

Now, this is a tough question to answer, and Im sure this is not the end all, be all answer some people look for. There could be a myriad of issues with the lifter ranging from bad back, one leg shorter than the other, or maybe they are like Cotton, Hank Hills father on King of the Hill, where they chopped out his shins and re-attached his feet to his knees....you follow? That being said, I hope this helped to answer your question, if not, shoot me another email and I will give you a more personalized answer.

If You Are This Man, You Are Excused From Squatting


Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

10/22/07 Dynamic Effort Squat & Deadlift

DE Squat w/Chains (No Box) 290x8x2
Speed Pulls 365x12x1
Supersetted
Monster Mini Leg Curls 4x12
Ab Pull Downs 100x4x12

Well, motivation was an issue for this session, I didnt have it!!! So, to punish myself for not being into it, I limited rest between all movements to 30 seconds. This ensured I got my workout done faster, and got me back to the couch quicker.

I opted to go with Dynamic Effort Squats w/Chains but no box, for this mini cycle. I figure this will work the form and keep me honest. Speed was good, the tweaked knee from hiking doesnt seem to be bothering me...so, all is well.

Speed Deads went well, everything was fast and the speed felt dialed in. On some of the reps it felt like I could have snatched the weight over head (though I highly doubt I could have, but it felt like it...). Luckily, the unmotivated feeling left me by this point, though I stuck to the 30 seconds rules I set...My lungs were hoping I wouldnt...

The rest was what it was, accessory crap done to simply support the main lift, nothing more. Though my hamstrings felt like a guitar string wound too tight, ugh....thats it, time for Q&A:

Iz from Ohio asks:

Have you ever thought of using deadlifts as your main exercise on Dynamic Effort Day?

Powerlifting Etc Answers:

Hello Iz,

I had thought about using Deadlifts as my main movement years ago before I learned the effects on the Central Nervous System. Im not sure how long you have been lifting, or your experience in powerlifting, but I think you would find you might get a bit run down deadlifting that much. I know for myself that would be the case, especially where I try to throw in a fairly heavy Deadlift variation on Max Effort Day.

Now depending on your experience level, you may be able to get away with it. If you stick to the 50%-60% range, yet only have a max Deadlift of 300, you could probably get by with Deadlifting everyweek in this fashion, the intensity of this day is dependant on your 1 rm.

The higher the 1rm is the higher your Dynamic Effort day percentages are gonna be. I know for myself, performing traditional 8x2 at 50%-%60 would eventually wear on me, assuming I would still be performing Speed Squatting and hitting a variation on Max Effort Day...

I guess what I am trying to say is experiment. Try it, and if it works, keep it. conversely, if you start suffering symptoms of overtraining, then back off....Good Questions though, thanks.

Well all, thats it from my neck of the woods.....

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

Deload Bench & A Question....

Bench Press 135x5, 185x3, 225x3, 275x3, 305x3, 325x2, 345x2, 365x2
CG Foam Press for Reps 225x3 Sets of Dunno, Stopped when tired.....
One Arm Seated Rows 50x3 Sets of Dunno, Stopped when tired.....

Saturday
Climbed Mt Uncanoonuc and lifted, threw, and handled rocks for around 20 minutes straight, killed the shoulders....

That was the end of my deload. My bench was just a simple work up, nothing too stressful, which is good. I dont ever remember doubling 365 as not being stressful, guess I'm Making progress. Now, onto Q&A.....

Isaac from PA Asks:

"What do you do on Deload Weeks? How do you choose your exercises?"

Powerlifting Etc Answers:

Hello Isaac, my deload workouts vary and are realy picked at the last second. I just make sure not to go too heavy or get too crazy with the volume, whether it be squat, deadlift, or bench. I like to take these weeks as time to experiment with other lifts, training styles, or conditioning activities. Below is a more traditional deload program I used to do and recommend to anyone:

ME Bench Day Deload - Accessory work only, no main movement. Hit the Triceps, Upper Back, and Shulders then call it a day.
ME Squat Day Deload - Accessory work only, no main movement. Hit the Lower back, Hamstrings, and Abs
DE Bench Day Deload - Do your normal workout. I wave Dynamic Effort Day independant of ME Days
DE Squat Day Deload - Do your normal workout. I wave Dynamic Effort Day independant of ME Days

or even this....


ME Bench Day Deload - Main Movement Only, Work up to around 70%, Then get some volume in with Doubles or Triples, use this day to work form on the actual lift, Practice with your gear if you like, No Accessory work.
ME Squat Day Deload - Main Movement Only, Work up to around 70%, Then get some volume in with Doubles or Triples, use this day to work form on the actual lift, Practice with your gear if you like, No Accessory work.
DE Bench Day Deload - Do your normal workout. I wave Dynamic Effort Day independant of ME Days
DE Squat Day Deload - Do your normal workout. I wave Dynamic Effort Day independant of ME Days

These are just recommendations and not set in stone, I know of people that will not even go to the gym for deload weeks, so go figure. At the end of the day you need to sit back and find what works for you, Experiment!!! My deloads are bit on the eccentric side by including mountain climbing, rock throwing, complexes and experiments. But its what keeps me sane and motivated for powerlifting. So I suggest you experiment a bit, find what works for you, and get stronger. Hope this helped.

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy

10/17/07 Deload Squat

Regular Old Squat 135x5, 225x3, 275x3, 315x3, 365x3, 405x3, 435x3
Monster Mini Leg Extsions
Elevated Lunge Jumps 4x6
Ab Wheel 2x20

Tonight was deload squat. Its always nice to have these, you can take it easy, nothing intense, thenmess around with other crap. Highly recommended for anyone in the powerlifting world.

Squats were done in the Dyanimc Effort vein, with the SE percentages. Emaphasis was put on speed during and between sets. Actually turned out to be wuite a little workout.

Monster Mini Leg Extensions was an experiment, not very good, will try to figure something out with these. The Elevated Lunge Jumps on the other hand, ugh. I hate lunges to begin with, this jst solidifies it. Lunges Suck, of any variety...

Thats about it for that, Question Time kiddies, gather around:

Melinda from Texas asks:

Do you prefer wide stance or close stance squatting? Why?

Powerlifting Etc answers:

Melinda,

I personally use a medium stance, I tried wide stance squatting, but where I dont use aggressive gear I found my hips took the brunt, and didnt like it. Narrow stance just plain felt weird, so I settled on the medium stance. Just outside shoulder width, maybe a bit more. With the single ply gear I currently use, and it aint flashy, I seem to get decent support, hit depth easy, and have no hip pain. So there you have it.

I personally think squat style is subject to the person. If you are comfortable with an ultra wide stance, knock your socks off, olympic stance, go for it....Medium stance, well then your just looking up to me as a super hero and I like that (Just Kidding). Powerlifting styles and methds are very subjective, what works for some does nt for others, and vice versa, experiment. Go with what feels right and allows you to push the most weight.

This is me on vacation....


Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

10/15/07 ME Bench Press

3 Board Press 205x5, 255x3, 305x2, 340x1, 385x3, 405x3, 425x2x3
Supersetted
D-Handle Chain Extensions +20lbs 4x6
Seated Rows 195x4x6

Lifted alone tonight and had a quick one (like 35 minutes), but got some good volume in. Wasnt feeling it too much, me thinks the 11 Sams Octoberfest and poor sleeping had something to do with that. But hey, the Patriots won, so all is well in the world of powerlifting. Back to the workout...

3 Boards Felt alright, my set up was shaky, but apparently good enough to get by. You see, in the colder months my basement gets pretty cold, which then make the bench and rubber flooring a little on the slick side. So when I perfrom any sort of reps with heavy weight, I tend to slide up the bench, which flattens out my already piss poor arch. Such is life.

I figure if I can get strong under these conditions, then I should be fine in the real world. Plus it makes me feel like Conan the Barbarian when he is stuck outside on the Wheel of Pain in the winter, or even in 300 when that poor sucker is buck naked in the mountains, freezin the oblongs off and has to kill the wolf for food and clothing...yeah, that is gay, but I bet 99% of you reading this get that imagery.

Okay Q&A Time Folks,

Kenneth from LA (not Los Angeles) asks:

"How do I get Strong?"

Powerlifting Etc answers:

Alright, at first I thought this was a joke. I figured my buddy Rick was playing a joke on me, but I checked out the IP and originating location and it turned out to be legit, so here goes.

I remember when I first started lifting all those years ago I thought the secret to getting big & strong was to be found in muscle & fitness or flex magazine, then I though it was in some bottles at GNC, then I finally discovered the secret after finding conjugated periodization, referred by my friend Rick as the "Switcheroo Method".

The secret wasnt necessarily the method iteslf, but the approach I applied to the method. I found that the simple formula listed below, with minor tweaks and modifications along the way are what will increase your strength and muscle.

1. Eat
2. Lift Heavy Shit
3. Eat
4. Rest
5. Lift Lighter Shit w/Force Usually reserved for Heavy Shit.
6. Eat
7. Rest
8. Lather, Rinse & Repeat over the next couple of years....

and after time incorporate 9. Evaluate progress, keep what works, discard that which does not.

Simple really, but patience is required, hell if I can do it anybody can do it as I am not the most patient man walking this world. In case you were wondering, the "Switcheroo Method" is really just the Westside take on conjugate periodization, try it sometime for a month or two and I bet you'll love it.

Thats it from my neck of the powerlifting universe, thanks for the questions, I am truly overwhelmed by the number of questions I have received thus far, keep them coming...

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

10/11/07 Max Effort Squat/Deadlift

Low Box Squat w/ Champion Suit Bottoms 275x5, 330x3, 385x2, 440x1, 505x3, 525x1.5 Mental Miss, 525x2x3
Band Assisted Deadlift 455x3, 505x3, 525x3, 570x3

Just two movements this night, but man, I am beat. The powerlifting would be proud. Despite sore knees (gonna cut down on all this hiking), and a severe miss at 525 initially, I smoked 525 for 2 sets of 3 to blow away my volume from the previous two weeks. The miss was a result of my losing concentration due to outside interference. But, I recuperated, came back and hit what I intended to do so I was happy.

Band Assisted Deadlift was a new movement to me. Out of sheer laziness I have never really thrown these in. Troy wanted to give them as he used to do these with Greg Panora up in Bangor Me back in the day, and Greg aint no slouch!! Worked up to 570 for a triple, it is quite evident I must invest in more weight If I plan to continue down this path....Man, was I beat after those.

Well folks, its Q&A Time here at Powerlifting Etc so here goes.

Brent from Iowa asks...

Q: What would you recommend for a Max Effort Squat routine? I dont have any specialty bars & only have access to high & low boxes.



Powerlifting Etc Answers...

A: Hey Brent, no problem, I was once in that predicament so I feel your pain. Check out a 2 month Cycle you can easily perform below:

Wk 1: High Box
Wk 2: High Box
Wk 3: High Box
Wk 4: Deload with Submaximal Free Squats (70% of RAW Max)
Wk 5: Low Box
Wk 6: Low Box
Wk 7: Low Box
Wk 8: Deload with Submaximal Free Squats (70% of RAW Max)

A couple of cool, cheap ways to get in more variety would be to get either a Manta Ray, or the Sting Ray. Though I would recommend the Manta Ray first, seems to translate to the regular squat better. When I first started putting together my home gym, the Manta Ray was one of the first accessories I bought to get variation. Add this to the above and you can easily have a basic 16 week cycle. Hope this helps....Until next time...

My Mind During the Miss...


Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

10/10/07 Dynamic Effort Bench Press

Speed Bench w/Monster Mini's & Chains 135x4x3, 145x5x3
Band Assisted CG Floor Press 315x8,8,6
Pendalay Rows 255x4x7
Chain Complex 3x10

Speed was spot on tonight, tonight was the last workout with Monster Mini's & Chains together. I definitely got faster from week one, that first week was brutal!!! Next wave of Dynamic Effort Bench Press will consist of Straight Weight for 3 weeks in a 55%, 55%-60%, & 65%. Cant wait.

Band Assist Close Grip Floor Press had the triceps burning, they were bad enough after the speed work, but absolutely painful now. will probably leave these in for one more week as well as the rows and chain complex.

Okay folks, a new feature here at Powerlifting Etc, a bit of Q & A to answer subscribers questions. The questions of the day will be related to the type of day it is. So for instance, Max Effort Bench Press Day will have a Max Effort Bench Press Day related question. And as always, your identity is protected and information is safe here at Powerlifting Etc....

Erick from Michigan asks:

Do you really think Speed Work is necessary to get strong?

Powerlifting Etc Answers:

Hello Erick,

Here's my experience with Dynamic Effort Bench, I think for the development of strength it helps. DE training teaches the body to fire correctly when under a load, its also a great time to practice your form. I think where the confusion sets in is the percentages used. I know of many people that base the traitional 50%-60% percentage off a shirt max. This, I believe, is where the approach goes south for most beginners and intermediates.

Base your Dynamic Effort percentages off the 1 rm max for the movement you are doing. So for example, if you are doing DE Squat Low Box Squats RAW, then base your percentage off the RAW Low Box 1 RM. This may hit the ego a bit ut sometimes you gotta check the ego at the door. Follow this simple bit of advice and you'll do fine.

One final note, keep the percentages within the %50-%60 percent range, towards the higher end for beginners. Remember, this is not Max Effort Day!!! Possible wave below:

Week 1: 50%x8-10x2
Week 2: 55%x8-10x2
Week 3: 60%x8-10x2

Well, thats about it, hope you found something of use here and thanks for your question. For anyone else oute there that has a question, shoot me an email at powerliftingetc@yahoo.com, if you dont want your question public, just say so and I will reply offline.

Now, Good day to you!!!

10/07/07 ME Bench

3 Board Press 210x5, 255x3, 300x2, 340x1, 385x1, 405x3, 425x3, 435x3, 445x1, 460xMISS
Chain Extensions +15lbs 4x8
Seated Rows 190x4x10
Double Mini Band Pul Aparts 3x12

At the time I wasnt happy with myself, but typing it in now I feel a bit better about my 3 Board work, hindsight is 20/20 in everything you do, including powerlifting. You see, my original plan was to just work up to 425 and hit a bunch of triples, but apparently my ADD kicked in and I changed course for a PR on the 3 Board Press. Now bear in mind, if Im feeling my oats on a certain day, I will got for it, but today wasnt the case and I went for it anyway, and failed. But, to put a positive on things, I did learn that I should stick to my plan, it was there for a reason and should have been followed....

So, the 3 Board Press was good and strong on all lifts except the 460, I was not even close to being focused. I controlled the weight down perfectly, kept tightness, good speed....but then the fit hit the shan....Upon reversal I just lost all tightness, misfired with the leg drive, dipped to the right for some reason (my whole body and not just the bar)...just a powerlifting train wreck all around. But, liek I said, lessons learned in no certain order:

- stick to your plan (if its a sound one of course)
- Dont lift heavy ass weight unless you are totally focused and into it
- dont get discouraged when you miss a weight, analyze it and beat it next time

So thats basically it, not gonna go into the finer points of the accesory work other than it got done and thats it. Oh yeah, did I fail to mention the Patriots rule? Cuz they do....Look out Dallas, theres a storm coming.....

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

10/05/07 ME Squat

Low Box Squat w/Suit Bottoms 275x5, 335x3, 385x2, 440x1, 505x2, 525x2, 555x2x2
Low Box Seated Good Mornings 225x8, 250x8, 275x8
Supersetted

KB Swing Throughs 63x3x10

Ab Wheel 3x10

Wasnt feeling it today, but figured I would beat last week on volume, even if its only 20lbs. The flu or something is going around, I only got the hot flashes/headache portion of it, no muddles from the bum bum, thank god. There's no room for the hershey squirts in powerlifting

I will say one thing, everything over 500 felt uber-light, was a bit unsettled when the warm ups without the bottoms on felt heavy, slow, and ugly. Even still, my form felt like doo-doo, just couldnt seem to stay as tight as I would have liked....oh well, theres always next time.

Seated Good Mornings absolutely killed me, lower back was sore as hell all day today. I guess thats a good thing though. Will keep this movement in the mix for 2 more weeks, forgot how good it was.

Due to my shitty-ness, I just super-setted the last two exercises to get done and rest. Nothing really intense, just accessory....

Thanks for stopping by, Got Max Effort Bench Press coming up next, hopefully it will go better than last week. Seems its just one thing after the other around this joint, oh well....just keep lifting I guess, it comes with the territory known as POWERLIFTING.

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

Need to Build Muscle?

I know, this aint my normal powerlifting related entry. But it is however related to powerlifting in that you need muscle to move weight right? Its almost a prerequisite if you will.

Well, I stumbled upon this cool eBook by Jason Ferrugia. Many of you know him through T-Nation and the Elitefts Q & A. Now this dude nows how to train people, and he nows how to pack muscle on peeps. His eBook Muscle Gaining Secrets is just what folks in need of muscle need.

I will place a link in the side bar where you can buy it as well as this link here:

>>> Click Me to Preview <<<

So if you are in need of muscle, check it out. Tune back in tomorrow for your normal station where I will recap todays Max Effort Squat Session.

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

10/03/07 Dynamic Effort Bench Press

Speed Bench w/Monster Minis & chains 135x4x3, 140x4x3
Close Grip Band Assisted Floor Press 315x8,6,6
Pendalay Row 255x5x5
Chain Shoulder Complex 4x7

Speed Bench went much better this week as opposed to last. Last week this movement felt a bit on the slow side and really awkward. This week, the awkwardness was still there due to the totally deloaded chains swinging around, but the speed was much better. If you really want to spice up your speed work, try them with totally suspended chains for that swinging feeling. Simply brutal....

The rest was ho-hum, Pendalays kicked my arse again as did the band assisted floor presses. My triceps were pumped beyond belief after the speed work followed by Close Grip Band Assisted Floor Press....Not much else to say....take care....

10/01/07 DE Squat & Deadlift

Speed Squats 285x4x2, 315x4x2
Speed Pulls 365x12x1
Monster Mini Alternating Leg Curls 3x15
Monster Mini Wood Chop/Ab Pull Down Complex (Lost track of Sets/Reps, but alot)

Tonight was good, speed was dead nutz on. I think I actually got faster on the 315 for some reason. Speed powerlifting? in Are You Crazy Man?

Todays approach was the first half of the speed work performed with 55% of my 1RM 525 in the RAW Squat, and the second portion represented 60% of my max. Next week to end the cycle I will do all sets at 60%. So to recap:

Wk 1 - 8x2 @ 55%
Wk 2 - 4x2 @ 55%, 4x2 @ 60%
Wk 3 - 8x2 @ 60%
Wk 4 - 8x2 @ 55%
Wk 5 - 4x2 @ 55%, 4x2 @ 60%
Wk 6 - 8x2 @ 60%

My previous speed work always rotated around 50%-55%, So I am hoping with the added intensity (poundage), will translate into a bigger squat. Will repeat this cycle over the next couple of months in a wave type form and see what the results are. Stay tuned for experiment results.

BTW, My goal is to ncrease my RAW Strength which in the past has translated to Gear increase, I lift in single ply at the moment, not for any particular reason other than at this strength level I am being a cheap screw. Once I get stronger, hit elite in single ply I may move up to the better gear, who knows, who cares...It's all powerlifting!

Speed Pulls were nice, I took 30 second rests between pulls. Walked away from the bar, regained composure, then attacked the bar again, and again, and again...I was quite winded by the end of it, but the speed held up. 365 represented 60% of my projected max of 600, why 60% percent you ask? No good reason other than I read somewhere its good to do speed pulls at 60%, and it seems to work for me.

Monster mini work kills me for some reason, I didnt realize I performed these puppies last week with regular minis. So I was a bit surprised when I hit the 10 rep mark on my way to 15, the hamstrings were on fire, and those wood chop/pulldown complexs were no walk in the park either. Good Stuff, need bands? Go here...

I was Fast, But Not This Fast...


Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy...