There was a lot of emotional weight to this one. I wanted
to put my very best performance into this one. I always want to do that and I
treat every contest as the competition. This was a quick turnaround from the
last one. It has been contest after contest since I came back from the 7 month
layoff due to injury. Two competitions last year and four this year with maybe
another one left. Training cycle for this one was only five weeks really. I
wish I had more time to dedicate to this one. I had wanted to do this contest
last year as my first contest back. It spoke to me. But timing didn’t match up
well and I couldn’t have someone with me and it wasn’t a risk to take in case I
had an injury relapse during the contest. So when it was offered again this
year, I signed up first thing. It was also moved from the middle of summer to
the very end which worked out even better. Waiting until midnight to sign up in
late December. I never do that with competitions as risk of injury in training
is high and who knows what is going to happen between then and now when you got
like 9 months out haha. Minor injuries all year what with the biceps strain
after SC Nats, the insparinus issues from last cycle and what looks to be a hip
flexor strain from this training cycle. I’ve mentioned before that Phil Pfister
(no relation) winning WSM 2006 had been that push I needed to try the sport.
And seeing as how this contest was somewhat basing around West Virginia strength
sports and his legacy, I had to do it. I had felt very good up until the last
heavy day of the training cycle. I had been pretty doubt free until that point.
After that, I just tried to sleep and hope I could get the peak right.
This was going to be my first contest in West Virginia. Drove thru it a few times for Kentucky shows. Got up the same time I get up for work since the contest wasn’t starting until noon. I was up earlier than that as I kept waking up about every hour, and then every half hour and then every 15 minutes. Tried my best to sleep a little in the car. Mostly uneventful besides stopping at the welcome center. Someone honked their horn and pointed at me in the parking lot. I forgot I was wearing my “official bigfoot researcher” t-shirt. The sasquatch silhouette looks an awful lot like me too. My dad and I made great time to the venue. Expecting some holiday weekend traffic but nothing. Weighed in at 274lbs. I’m as surprised as you since I hadn’t been walking much the last two weeks due to the heat. It only got under 95 twice last week. It was a nice park area. Visually looked great for the venue. Little water park area, right by the river. Most of the competition was going to be on the main stage amphitheater. I walked around to warm-up and my dad setup a tent. It was going to be hot and humid. I try to learn my lesson once when it comes to things like this. The restrooms were a nightmare as they had no “lids” just straight metal. I shudder thinking about it. The weight class (under 300lbs) had been shrinking by the day but luckily there were five to keep the class with the Arnold invite. I didn’t know much of anything about the other three but I knew that Casey Shoe was going to be the guy to beat. He’d previously been to the amateur Arnold and has won a stacked HW class at the Mid-Atlantic plat plus last year.
The first event was a max block press. 3 attempts, using the Mouser Block. I had bought a Mouser Block when I signed up for this show. I always enjoyed the challenge of natural stone presses and blocks just seemed to be too “out there” to find and have that could be loadable. Pricey but I figured it could be useful. I used it once in January and then waited until end of July to bring it back in. Practice on this was going to be at a premium. Block press can be very tricky and technical and most people aren’t going to have access to train on a block. Even with very little training on one, I found I was already hitting the world record for my weight class so I figured this would be a good event for me. Expected planned jumps were to be 20 and 30lbs, alternating. However, the promoter made special 15lbs weights that fit inside so that got changed a little. My plan had been to open at 240lbs with 270lbs as a second attempt. Least attempts and heavier openers mattered for ties on weight. I felt dizzy on the stage. My left hamstring had a knot in it. I did 3 reps with 120lbs and a single at 210lbs. The humidity and heat was bearing down on me. I saw a lot of people struggle with 210lbs and 240lbs. I didn’t want to miss my opener so dropped it to 210lbs. That meant the jumps would be 240lbs with 20lbs jumps after that as possibilities. I did my thing with 210lbs no issues. People that looked to be struggling before were now pressing no problem. Maybe I had made a tactical error? I couldn’t really tell amongst the bodies who was in my weight class. I knew of three people not in my weight class and two that were. So the rest was guess work. 240lbs was my next attempt. It felt light off the ground which was good. Easy pop to the shoulders and did a Marunde leg lift for good measure. I asked my dad what he thought I should do next and he said 280lbs. This would be just under 20lbs PR for me and 40lbs of the WR in the weight class. Hell, over bodyweight block press. Casey got it before I went so I knew that I had to get it to stay in this with my big jump from my 2nd attempt. I got set and took my time and got into my lap. It felt like more than 240lbs but not as heavy as it has felt in training some days. Explosive catch at the top, bruising my chin (good thing my beard absorb some of the impact haha) and I got ready to press. I had like this with 270lbs in training but this time it went up. Beyond pumped. Yelled, did another leg lift and brought it back down to terra firma and another shout. I couldn’t believe I had just done that. No one got 300lbs (I was out of attempts) and meant I tied setting the WR. They weighed the block (I figured it was going to come out light) and it ended up being 281.4lbs so it was heavier than I thought. Due to the rules, I got 2nd place here due to taking more attempts and opening lighter. But I was on cloud nine at this point.
The next event for the day was deadlift. Max lift with three attempts. No suits allowed but deadlift bars being used. I had been confident in this leading up to the show until my body just started to suck and I missed a 523lbs deadlift in training three weeks ago. Thought I had a hernia or something with my abs on the right side being all tight but it appears it was a hip flexor related issue, which can make breaking the weight off the floor kind of hard. When I thought it was my obliques, I wasn’t sure how things would go with being allowed just one belt (I like the rehband with hard belt to keep my midsection warm) so plan was possibly to use an ACE bandage. But when it appeared to be hip flexor, no amount of wrapping my midsection was going to help that. I knew this was going to be the even I would lose points on, despite my progress. Truth be told, I haven’t actually done a max raw deadlift from the floor in contest. I attempted to do 600lbs on an axle 6 years ago (I had been training for 18” pull but found out day off the tires wouldn’t fit so it was floor pull) so I guess technically anything I pulled today would be a PR. I felt better than I did 3 weeks ago but that wasn’t saying much. Plan going into this had been 525lbs, 585lbs and 645lbs. Warm-ups were tricky. People trying to warm-up while stronger people just wanted to get that damn bar to 405lbs now. Also there was very sociable dog that kept walking onto the stage. I needed to get to at least 405lbs to know if this was a day I could push it as under that is going to move fast on a deadlift bar regardless of how I feel. I got my single with 405lbs and knew I was not 100% so I dropped my opener to 495lbs to get on the board. I was hoping this would be enough to not get last place as my only lift if necessary. I then made a retreat back to the ten to wait until it was time to actually lift. One of the guys in my weight class essentially had to follow himself for his three lifts and he ended with 495lbs for his third. So if I got my opener, I had at least 4th place. Had to tape up my shins as they opened up on the block press. I got set and pulled. Not my best 495lbs but there was more there. Hip flexor and groin on the right side felt tight after that. Needed to pick a smart 2nd attempt that may be my last attempt. I took a gamble with 585lbs. I figured I had hit that raw more than once in training on a regular bar. That would also match the opener for Casey on the off chance he misses his 2nd. I needed this lift. This was damage control. I got set and started pulling. It was slow going but it was going up. Just a long, slow pull. I was very happy to get that down call. Waived my third attempt and headed back to the tent to recover. My upper back was super tense and my obliques were tight on the right side so I had them massaged out. I didn’t know my placing on this until the very end but I managed to get 3rd outright here.
And then the rain came. Some Forrest Gump sideways rain. Not ideal but avoided a lot of it with the tent. The stage needed to be reorganized for the next set of events anyways. I just sat in my chair brooding. Good press, mediocre deadlift. Nursing tight obliques from that stupid hip flexor. Upper back had at least calmed down as I was going to need it for the rest of the day. Same with my grip. This was kind of the halfway point of the contest with three events left. The first two events had been on the main stage with three going at a time. Now the next three events were in separate stations and we were going to rotate through them. I know that some bigger shows would do this but I didn’t expect that this show would. I had fully expected this to be farmer’s walk medley, block carry and then hercules hold to end the day. The script had been flipped. That order would probably have been the best as far managing fatiguing systems if I had to go all out. The order for the fatty boomba lattys was going to be hercules hold, block carry and then farmer’s walk medley. Fatiguing everything to make the last one even harder. This was going to be a tragedy to win this. I figured I was in second at best, third at worst and these were my best events. I had put my entry in first and with how the show was running, I would go last on every event here on out so I had control of my own destiny. I don’t burn out, I outlast. I weathered the storm and was ready to go.
Up next was hercules hold. Hold until you can’t. No idea
on actual weight per hand but 140lbs including the barbells were on each side.
I’ve always wanted to do a hercules hold event. Just looks visually impressive
when done right. But it can be hard to get a cool setup that is practical for a
local show. Even a big show. More of you come to it than you bring it kind of
deal. This was more simple looking setup but it had a nice platform and was
staged in the center of everything so it evened out a bit. This was going to be
the second time I’ve done this event. I had my hopes up when I first did it a
little over five years ago. I ended up being disappointed when the release were
let go and I was just standing there. I was expecting to feel like I was being
pulled apart but it felt like nothing and I let go out of boredom as I had gone
first. So learning from that that it won’t always be like that scene in
Spiderman trying to stop the train, I had a better idea of what to prepare for.
Prep for this had been essentially doing rolling bar hangs with bodyweight for
time and then adding chains as I got past a minute. Now they were allowing for
hook grip on this event today. Never would have been something I’d consider but
with it no longer being the last event, I needed to conserve my grip for the
remaining events. Luckily, my coach has had me training hook grip on some sets
of hangs. I checked to make sure it even worked on these handles. It was still
raining a fair amount. So I had another trick in my kit left to try. I had read
about Olympic lifters and powerlifters putting grooves in their thumb nails to
get just a little more grip. Took my dad’s pocket knife and dug some grooves
into my thumb nails. Every little bit counted. I watched the first two under
265lbs guys exceed a minute and I became worried this was going to be a long,
drawn out thing and that it was too light. I was trying my best to keep my
hands dry waiting to go. The 300lbs class wasn’t going as long though. Casey
had set a time of about 64 seconds so I was going to have to work for this. I
got set (mind, body and grip) and took the strain. I will say this was heavier
than that time 5 years ago but still light. Just kept picturing Phil Pfister in
2001. It felt like a slow 20 seconds but it picked up. At 40 seconds, I knew I
had this. I was tempted to pay homage to Phil but settled for looking around
before letting go about 5 seconds after I passed Casey’s time. I didn’t get my
exact time but I think it was either 68 or 69 seconds. Could’ve held it much
longer. So a win here. My grip wasn’t that taxed but my shoulders and forearms
were so got those massaged right away as I still needed them.
The fourth event was the block carry. 370lbs picked up from the floor and carried until you no longer wanted/could. Course was 32’ from line to line. Shorter than what I was training so more turns which really are what saps you on these kind of carries. At least for me it does. I had no idea what anyone was capable of on this but for whatever reason, I was good at this kind of carry. I can set it low and have secure grip. I won’t win any speed event but as my dad says his basic training drill sergeant would say “Pfisterer can sure hump” (as in Marches with a pack you perverts). No clue what my competition could do but I just had to do more. Picking up the block is the tricky part and with how it is shaped, 50lbs more feels like 100lbs or more with it being out in front of you. 300lbs and under feels like nothing but get into that 320 and above and damn. I was prepared to go as far as I needed. They weren’t giving out distances, just measurements of the current length and keeping track of lengths. Only Casey was able to actually pick it up and start moving. It was frustrating watching people fail picking it up or grabbing it a weird way that was going to have the grip fail or cause the arm to go numb. I tried to give tips but didn’t seem to help. I know it helped someone pick it up so that made me feel good. Even at my most competitive, I want others to succeed. I want to beat them at their best and face me at my best. Casey made it about 3 lengths. I couldn’t remember if he was just short or if he made a little bit after that. I was trying to focus on me. I had nightmares of missing the pickup. Couldn’t have that happen today. If I got this up, I was going to win. Like the block press, I took my time getting set and up it went. Felt better than my last training day with it. Grip was secure and it was a literal walk in the park. At three lengths, I asked the judge if I had won. He seemed unprepared to answer that response and I asked again as I was walking away and he said just keep going jokingly. Better safe than sorry and I just finished the 4th length and set it down for the next person. Only did 128’ but it was all I needed for the win. Hopefully I had conserved enough energy for the last event.
The final event was a medley. Farmer’s walk with 262lbs for 40’ and then run 10’ to a 319lbs keg and load it over a 48” and then back to the farmer’s walk handles with 312lbs now and take them back. I had been looking forward to this one from the start. Granted I had hoped to do it more fresh. This could be tough with all the grip and upper back fatigue of the day. I’ve been working farmer’s walk hard since I’ve come back to training in earnest last year and the shows I’ve done have made 320lbs farmer’s walk routine by necessity. Kept keg training high so that I was still working extensions. Everything was made to make this event easier at the show. This event was on a sidewalk under the shade of an enormous tree. The ground was dry despite rain so that should give you an idea of how dense the foliage was for this tree. I made sure I walked the course to see if there were any issues. The farmer’s walk handles were long so I had to make sure I could grip them like I usually do and not have them hit the ground. Only one drop allowed each way. Handles were a little thicker than normal but that okay, hopefully no calluses will be lost. Just was sitting there, waiting to go. Kept having to wipe the sweat off my forearms with a towel. Someone had attached a batman mask to one of the guard rails. Can’t be distracted, focus. I don’t think anyone besides Casey finished the course so if I finished, I got 2nd. I had to win to have a chance at winning. I had figured that if I had gotten 3rd place on the deadlift, then I could win via countback for wins (3 vs 1) on points. So I just had to do the most perfect run of this medley I’ve ever done. Casey put up a time of 24 something. Everything needed to be right. He could move faster than me on the farmer’s but I could make up with transitions and loading the keg faster. I got set, hair trigger to lift on the go command. And I was off. The long handles meant I had to let them settle before I could pick up speed. Back of the handles allows me to have an easier time on the pickup, the toughest part for me. Made the decision to follow the handles down. This was a risk as if I mistimed it, I would end up just short of the stopping point and have to repick. But my experience showed and I got it right and on to the keg. This keg was nothing after all the sessions and I was back just after they had finished adding the 50lbs to each handle. No hesitation, must go. Let out a grunt as I lifted the increased weight and started to pick up speed. This new “gear” seems to have developed just recently and just in time. I went past the line so that it was setup for the next group. I heard 23 and knew I had just pulled off another win. Didn’t get the exact time as all I needed to hear was not the number 24. My dad told me that the Craig from last year would’ve lost this event by a half a second and that my technical improvements are what won it today.
I had not seen the scores and I just knew I was on the podium again. I had the hope that I had finally won in the back of my mind like an obedient puppy just ready to freak out when given the ok. I knew it was a possibility. I had thanked Casey for the competition as I had a lot of fun and we pushed each other, regardless of the outcome. I also thanked Paul, the promoter for the contest. I have done a lot of shows and with how things ran, it was obvious is love for the sport and wanting to care for the athletes which I can’t say is always present at these things. When it came time for awards, I waited with bated breath. When they announced there was a tie with second place, it was at that moment I knew I had done it. This was my 34th contest and as of this writing I’m now 33. Not many know this but I had started to grow a beard five years ago on a whim. Then Mike Jenkins died and I kept it. I figured that I’d keep it until I did something in strongman that was equal to him in some way. Get my pro card, compete internationally or qualify for the amateur Arnold. 5 years and it finally happened. Not only that, but the show honoring Phil Pfister had my win ending up mimicking his 2006 WSM win. Block press and getting down in points on the deadlift event and then coming back, winning the rest of the events in the rain for the win. This couldn’t have gone better really. Someone recently had told me I needed to go all in as I’m not hitting the potential I could be. I say I’ve been all in and haven’t left there. I got a world championship to train for now.
The fourth event was the block carry. 370lbs picked up from the floor and carried until you no longer wanted/could. Course was 32’ from line to line. Shorter than what I was training so more turns which really are what saps you on these kind of carries. At least for me it does. I had no idea what anyone was capable of on this but for whatever reason, I was good at this kind of carry. I can set it low and have secure grip. I won’t win any speed event but as my dad says his basic training drill sergeant would say “Pfisterer can sure hump” (as in Marches with a pack you perverts). No clue what my competition could do but I just had to do more. Picking up the block is the tricky part and with how it is shaped, 50lbs more feels like 100lbs or more with it being out in front of you. 300lbs and under feels like nothing but get into that 320 and above and damn. I was prepared to go as far as I needed. They weren’t giving out distances, just measurements of the current length and keeping track of lengths. Only Casey was able to actually pick it up and start moving. It was frustrating watching people fail picking it up or grabbing it a weird way that was going to have the grip fail or cause the arm to go numb. I tried to give tips but didn’t seem to help. I know it helped someone pick it up so that made me feel good. Even at my most competitive, I want others to succeed. I want to beat them at their best and face me at my best. Casey made it about 3 lengths. I couldn’t remember if he was just short or if he made a little bit after that. I was trying to focus on me. I had nightmares of missing the pickup. Couldn’t have that happen today. If I got this up, I was going to win. Like the block press, I took my time getting set and up it went. Felt better than my last training day with it. Grip was secure and it was a literal walk in the park. At three lengths, I asked the judge if I had won. He seemed unprepared to answer that response and I asked again as I was walking away and he said just keep going jokingly. Better safe than sorry and I just finished the 4th length and set it down for the next person. Only did 128’ but it was all I needed for the win. Hopefully I had conserved enough energy for the last event.
The final event was a medley. Farmer’s walk with 262lbs for 40’ and then run 10’ to a 319lbs keg and load it over a 48” and then back to the farmer’s walk handles with 312lbs now and take them back. I had been looking forward to this one from the start. Granted I had hoped to do it more fresh. This could be tough with all the grip and upper back fatigue of the day. I’ve been working farmer’s walk hard since I’ve come back to training in earnest last year and the shows I’ve done have made 320lbs farmer’s walk routine by necessity. Kept keg training high so that I was still working extensions. Everything was made to make this event easier at the show. This event was on a sidewalk under the shade of an enormous tree. The ground was dry despite rain so that should give you an idea of how dense the foliage was for this tree. I made sure I walked the course to see if there were any issues. The farmer’s walk handles were long so I had to make sure I could grip them like I usually do and not have them hit the ground. Only one drop allowed each way. Handles were a little thicker than normal but that okay, hopefully no calluses will be lost. Just was sitting there, waiting to go. Kept having to wipe the sweat off my forearms with a towel. Someone had attached a batman mask to one of the guard rails. Can’t be distracted, focus. I don’t think anyone besides Casey finished the course so if I finished, I got 2nd. I had to win to have a chance at winning. I had figured that if I had gotten 3rd place on the deadlift, then I could win via countback for wins (3 vs 1) on points. So I just had to do the most perfect run of this medley I’ve ever done. Casey put up a time of 24 something. Everything needed to be right. He could move faster than me on the farmer’s but I could make up with transitions and loading the keg faster. I got set, hair trigger to lift on the go command. And I was off. The long handles meant I had to let them settle before I could pick up speed. Back of the handles allows me to have an easier time on the pickup, the toughest part for me. Made the decision to follow the handles down. This was a risk as if I mistimed it, I would end up just short of the stopping point and have to repick. But my experience showed and I got it right and on to the keg. This keg was nothing after all the sessions and I was back just after they had finished adding the 50lbs to each handle. No hesitation, must go. Let out a grunt as I lifted the increased weight and started to pick up speed. This new “gear” seems to have developed just recently and just in time. I went past the line so that it was setup for the next group. I heard 23 and knew I had just pulled off another win. Didn’t get the exact time as all I needed to hear was not the number 24. My dad told me that the Craig from last year would’ve lost this event by a half a second and that my technical improvements are what won it today.
I had not seen the scores and I just knew I was on the podium again. I had the hope that I had finally won in the back of my mind like an obedient puppy just ready to freak out when given the ok. I knew it was a possibility. I had thanked Casey for the competition as I had a lot of fun and we pushed each other, regardless of the outcome. I also thanked Paul, the promoter for the contest. I have done a lot of shows and with how things ran, it was obvious is love for the sport and wanting to care for the athletes which I can’t say is always present at these things. When it came time for awards, I waited with bated breath. When they announced there was a tie with second place, it was at that moment I knew I had done it. This was my 34th contest and as of this writing I’m now 33. Not many know this but I had started to grow a beard five years ago on a whim. Then Mike Jenkins died and I kept it. I figured that I’d keep it until I did something in strongman that was equal to him in some way. Get my pro card, compete internationally or qualify for the amateur Arnold. 5 years and it finally happened. Not only that, but the show honoring Phil Pfister had my win ending up mimicking his 2006 WSM win. Block press and getting down in points on the deadlift event and then coming back, winning the rest of the events in the rain for the win. This couldn’t have gone better really. Someone recently had told me I needed to go all in as I’m not hitting the potential I could be. I say I’ve been all in and haven’t left there. I got a world championship to train for now.
Congratulations Craig! I've been following your training back when you 1st started posting it on Marunde Muscle.
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