Training Log: Entry 1910


Axle clean and press (clean once) 223
1x7
1x4

Notes: Back was feeling pretty fried from all the chins, so the clean was ugly and got caught low on the chest. Still a PR today though, and a positive sign. Leg drive wasn't quite where I wanted it to be: had to do a lot more press outs than usual. If I can get that figured out, I should really start moving some weight on this.


DB Incline press 105
(4) 1x10
(3) 1x8
(2) 1x8
(1) 1x7
(0) 1x6 w/reactive slingshot

supserset w/

DB lat pulldown/kelso shrug combo 90
5x10/5

Superset w/

Band pull aparts
5x20

Notes: Lotta stuff going on here. Really pleased with that 4 incline top set. Also, figuring out the slingshot: wearing it lower so that the center point is on the elbows instead of the upper arm. Alleviates the elbow pain I've been experiencing. On the lat pulldowns, I'd go straight from the pulldown into a cable kelso shrug while seated. I may replace band pull aparts entirely with this on this day and up the reps on it, as I'm very pleased to have found a way to train this movement in an easy to accomplish manner, and it feels pretty awesome.


Axle curl dropset
25
25
20
20
10


Average Band pressdown
3x15

Superset w/

Standing GB kelso shrugs 90
3x5


Notes: Also hitting the kelso's standing, putting my foot on the support beam of the pulldown. Works very well.



General notes: Up to 193.8 this morning. Still seem to be normalizing bodyweight. Going for sets of 16 on the NG pull ups today. Think my back is finally starting to grow after neglecting it for so long with my training.

Training Log: Entry 1909



(16) Chain Suspended Safety Squat Bar Squats
1x455+chains
6x365+chains


Notes: Definitely seeing effects of fat loss: I'm down a notch on my belt.  This meant I wasn't able to get the belt to sit quite as low as I like, so form was a little off on the first set, but still happy with the outcome post contest.  If next week proves to be too heavy, I may either change the movement or the weight.  The dead stop back off set still proved effective.

Standing ab wheel
1x8
2x7

Car deadlift simulator
8x8 plates
10x6 plates


Notes: Love that I'm still seeing progress on this.  From my performance in my last contest, I can tell it's working.  Left lat had no issues.  Could feel my right calf shifting a bit, but nothing extreme.



Reverse hyper 1 plate
1 minute, 5 seconds


Notes: Holy crap this was way harder than I thought.  I'll blame a little of it on being post contest, but this is really just a tortuous movement.  Next time, I'll just put on a quarter per side.  I think this can have some real benefits for the lower back, but I'm somewhat unconvinced on carryover to heavier lifts, so I think I'm going to alternate between this and a traditional loading scheme each week.



General notes: Work up at 193.0.  This is a bit more reasonable, but I may put a bit more weight on as my body stabilizes.  Still, being down a notch definitely shows me that I'm losing fat, and I can see my abs at night before bed, which is another positive sign.  Going to continue with my chins throughout the day (have already knocked out 1 set of 15 as of this writing).  May bring dips back next week.

Training Log: Entry 1908


Chins
30 reps

Notes: Back from contest and starting to rehab my lat. It's feeling pretty good these days, but still going to take things a little light.

Bench 225
5x10

superset w/

Band pull aparts
5x20

Notes: Tried out my Ironmind bench since it was deload week. Think I'm going to stick with it. It's lower to the ground, which means I can get better leg drive, and it has zero padding, which means I can set a decent arch and drive without sinking into the bench. I actually had an arch for the first time in a long time and it felt like I was incline benching. Also forgot to wear my elbow sleeves, so a good sign that my strength is still there, and it means I get to write that this was "raw" in all capital letters.


Shoulder circuit drop set

Notes: Was running short on time and did something pretty fun. Since I use plates instead of dumbbells, I just had a 10, 5 and 2.5lb plate ready to go and immediately switched to the next weight when the movement was over. Got a decent pump.


Low cable d-ring rows 90lbs
8x10

Notes: Just coming back from the comp and rehabbing the lat. Still got a decent pump.



General notes: Woke up at 192.5 today. No idea how that happened, guess I lost a lot of the water I was holding from all the sodium from the junk food this weekend. That makes 10lbs of weight lost, although I'm not banking on the 192 sticking around, but stranger things have happened. I'm not too sure how much more fat I have to lose, but I'm just going to keep riding this wave until it negatively affects my training.

Planning on buying one of those doorway chin up bars for my office on my lunch break and incorporating that into my daily routine as a way to get this lat back up and running. Might even develop a set of lats, you never know.

2015 GLADIATOR STRONGMAN COMPETITION WRITE UP

https://youtu.be/fb8DQpQEkRg

2015 GLADIATOR STRONGMAN COMPETITION WRITE UP

This is my 7^th strongman competition, having started competing in Sep of 2013, so now almost 2 full years.  As always, I’ll detail my background/training for the competition along with the competition itself.

BACKGROUND/TRAINING

The last competition I did was in the 231 class since there was no 200lb class.  I weighed in at 203 in clothes while eating a donut on the scale, but ultimately was pretty unhappy with how fat I had allowed myself to become in a contest where weight wasn’t an issue.  Once that contest was over, I vowed to clean up my diet a bit and try to lose a little weight, so that, when I weighed in for this contest as a 200lber, I’d have plenty of wiggle room and zero need to cut the day before.  About 1 week out from the contest I was regularly waking up at 194lbs and much leaner than before while still seeing all of my competition lifts improving in training.  My bench took a hit, but I wasn’t too concerned.  Additionally, I injured my hamstring about 2 months out of the competition, but was able to force it to heal pretty quickly, and it had no impact on my performance from what I could tell.  I also pulled a muscle in my lat/oblique the week before on some speed yoke work, which didn’t’ seem to heal properly.  Only experienced pain when I twisted, and it was still pretty minor, so I wasn’t too worried about it.

I didn’t take this contest too seriously since it was an unsanctioned competition.  The main draw was that it was in my hometown of San Diego, so it meant my family and friends could watch in person.  Additionally, the events were pretty much all static strength events, so it suited me well.  Here I’ll detail how I trained for the specific events.

PRESS MEDLEY (100lb keg, 180lb log, 100lb Circus DB for reps)

I got a new keg and filled it up to 100lbs to train for this, but honestly did very little practice once it was built.  I found out I could one motion it from the floor, almost like a snatch, and figured that would be my strategy.  For the log, I actually trained with a 235lb log press, in the off chance that there wouldn’t be anyone in the 200lb class and I’d have to play with the big boy weights.  It would’ve been smarter to get better at the viper press to cut down transition time, but I planned for the worst rather than the best.  For the circus dumbbell, I built my own bell using Home Depot buckets, and it worked AMAZINGLY well for how cheap of a product it was.  I trained with 112.5lbs, since that’s what 2 25lb plates per side ended up being.

I never actually trained this medley specifically like I had for past ones.  I trained the lifts individually on different press days during the week, and never trained to clean the DB on each rep simply due to fear of mechanical failure with my equipment.  I still felt pretty confident, as the weights were incredibly light, and I knew that was going to be a rep fest.

Also, point of fact, I scored an amazing craigslist bundle that included an ironmind squat/dip/chin station that I set up as a dip station in my garage.  I made it a habit to hit one set of max reps everyday I returned from work to get some more upperbody pressing volume in.  We’ll see if that affected anything.

CAR DEADLIFT

No idea if this was going to be a light car like my last contest or a heavy one, but I figured I’d do what I did last time since it paid off.  I ended up getting some 100lb plates and some thinner 45s, and was able to work up to 8 plates per side for 5 reps by the end of my training cycle leading up to this.  Conditioning and strength were on point, and THIS time I wasn’t going to quit until the whistle blew.

75’ 550LB YOKE WALK/650LB TIRE FLIP

Actually pretty proud of my training for this: I cycled my yoke for 3 weeks (week 1: 410lbs, week 2: 500lbs, week 3: 550lbs) for the competition distance.  I then would have a 205lb sandbag at the starting point, that I would have to pick up, carry, and then bag over bar with the yoke.  The intent here was to train both the yoke AND the explosiveness necessary to hit a heavy tire flip at the end of the long yoke walk.  Was finally starting to see some speed on the yoke this cycle, and this circuit was decent for my conditioning.

STONE SERIES (175, 200, 235, 290, 335)

Who am I kidding, I never train for stones.  The sandbag over bar I was doing as part of my circuit at least helped with the mechanics a touch, but my strategy was the same as always: come in strong and want it more than everyone else.LWM- 175, 200, 235, 290, 335

CONTEST

Weighed in at 195lbs with clothes/shoes on and a full stomach.  Zero issues making weight.

 PRESS MEDLEY

Most guys were struggling on the log on this one.  The Rogue 10" log is terrible, no question, and training with good equipment makes it hard to compete with bad equipment.  Implements were far apart as well, so I realized footspeed was going to be a factor.  Best on the CDB was 5 reps when I was up.

I took off in a sprinters stance, booked it to the keg, and one motioned it to the air.  I knew that I didn't want to waste any time between implements and be able to take my time on the CDB.  I took my time with the log, just because it was a screwy log, but still got it overhead pretty easily.  Zero leg drive, didn't trust myself.

Got to the circus dumbbell, and was surprised at how easy it went up.  I had been training with my ghetto Home Depot bucket bell, and even though the handle on the Rogue dumbbell was much thicker, the bell felt much easier to press.  I ended up knocking out 11 reps before I started losing steam.  It felt less like I ran out of strength and more like I ran out of coordination, if that makes sense.  I ended up taking second to some guy who banged out 14.  The difference between us is that he didn't use his left hand at all to stabilize the bell in between attempts, and just beated it up.  That's what I need to work on now if I want to be hot stuff.  Still, happy with a second on press, as it's not my strongest event.

CAR DEADLIFT

My last contest, I got edged out of the car deadlift and it's been eating away at my soul every since.  I came into this contest with a vengeance, and swore that I would NOT lose another deadlift event.  So sick of tying for first.  I didn't care what anyone else did, I was going to win.

Got my straps set, settled in, and just let the world go black.  I moved as quickly as I could, and kept a good pace going for the first 20 or so reps before slowing down.  Up until this point, the best score was 13, so I was making a spectacle.  I ended up slightly re-torquing my left lat a touch around rep 30, but just kept pushing.  Ended up with 33 reps, beating the next closest by 13 reps.  Just about killed myself, but met my goal.  I have no regrets/lessons learned on this one.

YOKE/TIRE FLIP

SURPRISE!  The tire is 100lbs heavier!  Now 750lsb.  Not that it mattered, I didn't have a tire to train with.  Up until my point, most folks were struggling with the yoke itself, and no one had flipped the tire.

Been focusing on fast feet this whole time on my yoke training, and it seemed like it paid off.  The front of the yoke skipped just a touch at the start, and I could feel myself wobbling left, but I had zero put downs and got to the tire plenty fast.

I thought the tire flip wouldn't be that touch, and rather than do the smart thing and take off my belt, I tried to do the fast thing and just beast it over.  This was a dumb move, as this tire felt like it was a million pounds.  I got it to my knee real quick, and then just went to war with it for what felt like forever but in reality was maybe 10 seconds.  I eventually abandoned my grip on the rim of the tire and snagged one of the treads so that I could push up with my hands and my knees, got the inertia broken, and finally got the tire over.  Two other folks after me flipped the tire, but I believe I was either first or second on this event.

Sorry, no video of the tire flip itself, but you can see the yoke at least.

STONE MEDLEY

I was in first overall at this point.  People were talking about how the stones were dirty, so I put some tacky on the back of my hands, but otherwise stuck with my normal gameplan of being strong and wanting it.

First 3 stones popped up real quick, but around stone 3 I realized that my technique was terrible and I was probably exhausting how far I could get on brute strength.  By stone 4, I learned I was right.

Around stone 4, I also got to enjoy the fun and dynamic nature of strongman, for as I was bracing the stone on the platform getting ready to load it, I was told that suddenly that wasn't allowed.  I thought this was America.  I MIGHT have been able to get the stone had I just known right away they had this rule, for I wouldn't have even of tried to move as quick as I did with the stone off my lap, but getting this announcement right in the middle of my load attempt hosed me.  When I dropped the stone and tried to relap it, it just wasn't happening.  My tacky was shot, and I was most likely fried.

Biggest lesson is that I need to learn how to do stones.  I can see the exact moment in the video where my technique goes to hell, and if I had my arms over the stone versus under, I could've hit it, since I lapped it just fine.  

THE END?

Still took first place.  Apparently, I still loaded the first 3 stones fast enough to maintain my first place standing.

This was an awesome show.  I still have some things to work on, but ultimately I am satisfied with my performance.

Training Log: Entry 1907


100lb Keg clean and press (one motion) to 112.5lb Circus DB (AMRAP)
3 rounds

Notes: Just wanted to practice some skill work. Really trying to cut down time on the keg so that I can have as much time as possible to pump out reps on the DB. On the final circuit, I was really moving the keg quick, secret was to still try to roll it up my torso on the way up and lean back at the top, so it's more like throwing it on the air instead of pressing it. Didn't go balls to the wall on the CDB, just enough to keep the motor pattern strong. Pinched a nerve in my neck on the final round so I called it. Nothing serious at all, it's the same recurring issue, and at this moment it's mostly painfree.

Not training the log at this point. It's only a 180lb log, and since it's a Rogue 10", it's just going to be a weird log to press. Just going to muscle it up and roll with it.


Squats 232
2x10

Superset w/

D-ring lat pulldown 90
2x10

Notes: Just some light work to keep blood flowing before the contest.


Axle curl drop set
100 reps


Light band piston pushdowns
20+15

Notes: 20 on the knees, 10 standing. I liked these, but they're different from normal band pushdowns. Instead of feeling a pump, I felt a real strong burn in my triceps while I was hammering them out, and then, a few minutes later, they were really blown up. This might be something I alternate w/ normal pressdowns for variety.


D-ring lat pulldown
2x10

superset w/

D-ring Kelso Shrugs on the lat pulldown
2x10


Notes: Oh wow, this was awesome. My lat pulldown is just the right height to really make the Kelso shrugs viable. I might start making it a permanent thing to chase pulldowns with Kelsos. I've always wanted to include this movement in my training.


Neck harness 45lbs
1x25

Notes: Just moved slowly to help with the pinched nerve.




General notes: For a light workout, I sure wrote a lot. Mind is all over the place. I'm just going nuts wanting to do more and grow. Very excited about the contest and competing at home as well. Woke up at 194.6 again, looking lean still. Gear bag is packed. Left lat still has pain in it, but it takes very specific movements to trigger it. The only place I could see it being in pain is on the yoke walk, and even then, it's not enough pain to stop or slow me down, just an annoyance.

Training Log: Entry 1906


Bench 320
5x3

superset w/

Band pull aparts
5x20

Notes: Lat is still a little buggy, and with the contest this Saturday I skipped out on lat work. Happy with the bench, this is unmodified from the start of my plan. No reps were paused, but weight was controlled. Just going to play it by ear at this point, and if it feels like a good day I'll stick with the prescribed percentages. If it feels like a bad day, I'll lighten things up a bit.

Shoulder circuit
3 rounds


General notes: Hit 20 pull aparts in between everything today, just to get in some more work. Another day at 195.4, but weight isn't a concern at this point. I'm definitely going to be good to make weight for the contest, and I plan to binge the day of on simple carbs and Mexican food after the fact. Don't even think I'm going to weigh myself for a week afterwards. Next workout will be Wed, and it'll be the final workout before the contest. Plan to hit the press events just to keep the skill up, and then some squats and GHRs to keep the mobility going.

Training Log: Entry 1905

Deadlifts 585+chains
1x7

https://youtu.be/aJFtXxDkoHk

Notes: REALLY wanted to get 8 this week, but with the pulled lat and a contest next week, I knew it wasn't a smart move to fight for it.  Just going to try to match reps on this one next cycle.  Still, pretty huge, especially considering I'm still dropping bodyweight.


Squats 365
1x15

Notes: Buffalo bar still feels amazing.  Makes me want to squat more often.  That said, I could feel my left hamstring getting a little fast and loose around rep 15, so I shut it down.  Too close to get injured at this point.  Will get stupid and push it post contest.



General notes: Woke up at 195.4.  Good week.  From this point out, going to hit my normal bench workout on Monday, and then a pump workout on Wed and call it.  Gotta be on top of nutrition to make sure I don't overeat with the lack of activity.

EDIT: I completely forgot the most important thing: my cheat meal this week.  Went to Taco Bell, my weakness, and got 2 grilled stuffed nachos (beef), a buffalo chicken loaded griller, and 1 Captain Crunch delight. I still have zero tolerance for sweets, as before that Captain Crunch thing I was ready for a whole nother round of Taco Bell, but after that I had zero appetite.  Bought some off brand Fruit Loops and Pop Tarts for the contest, I'm ready to go.