April 30, 2010

Walking – 30 minutes

Comments: It was a hot one and quite stressful at work so I waited until after to walk. Still hot outside. Hoping the weather holds until we finish tomorrow. Leaving bright and early.

April 29, 2010 - Pre-Contest Deload

Walking – 30.5 minutes

Dynamic Warm-ups

Squats
45x10
115x5
165x5
205x5
246x5

Barbell Jerks
45x10
75x5
113x5
142x5
170x5

Deadlifts
155x5
218x5
272x5
327x5

33 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Easy lifting. Again some aches, not much soreness. Last one.

April 28, 2010

Walking – 30.5 minutes

Comments: Allergies were bad but still trying to relax and minimize stress. Walking felt good and refreshing.

April 27, 2010 - Pre-Contest Deload

Walking – 30 minutes

Dynamic Warm-ups

Squats
45x10
115x5
165x5
205x5
246x5

Barbell Jerks
45x10
75x5
113x5
142x5
170x5

Deadlifts
155x5
218x5
272x5
327x5

38 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Easy lifting. All the soreness of the past month is getting me now. Always happens on the deload week. Nothing difficult, just noticing aches and what not. Lots of stretching. One more gym workout this week.

April 26, 2010

Walking – 31 minutes

Comments: Just trying to take it easy and relax this week. I want to be mentally and physically rested come Saturday. I've planned out my possible competitions for the rest of the year:

May 1 - 1st Annual Iron City Strongman Classic
May 22 - Battle of the Bad Ass VII
June 6 - Summit Sports Training Pro/Am
June 27 - Cradle of Iron II
July 23 - Strongman Battle of Champions
August 28 - 2010 American Cup

This is of course barring injury.

April 25, 2010 - Events

Dynamic Warm-ups

Hip Snatches
45x10
95x5
135x3
155x3
155x3
155x3
145x4
135x3

Viking Presses
90x10
135x5
180x3
225x3
270x3
250x5

Zercher Yoke Picks
440x3
490x3
540x3
590x1

Tackyless Atlas Stone Loads
240x4 to 51"
290x2 to 51"
290x2 to 51"
290x2 to 51"
290x2 to 51"
324x2 to 51"

Comments: Kind of ho-hum training, mostly light and form work stuff. A tad fussy since I wanted to go hard but Joe was the voice of reason reining me in. Hip snatches were nothing to write home about. I did get pissed that I had to slightly press out 145lbs and then raged up the next three. Viking press felt good, I really wanted to go for 310lbs but I was told to keep it light so I did an easy five with 250lbs. Felt really good. Only thing that we went heavy on was zercher picks. Felt good, a little miffed to only get one lift with 590lbs. Stones were ugly. I hate the 290lbs granite stone, it's so small and I hate having to lap it. I one motioned the first three doubles and they were craptastic. Especially the third double. Lapped and loaded the next double and it was much better. I did one double with 324lbs and called it a day when I had to slightly struggle to extend. I look forward to resting this week. Made a video of my training for Iron City Classic and Battle of the Bad Ass 7.

April 24, 2010

Walking – 30 minutes

Comments: Slept in late and figured I take a rest day. Contest next weekend and I figure it would be better to get in a decent event day tomorrow. Knee is feeling better and my right shoulder isn't too achy (from BTN jerks). Looking to do both Iron City Classic and Battle of the Bad Ass VII in May.

April 23, 2010 - DE LB

Walking – 31.5 minutes

Dynamic Warm-ups

13.5” Box Squats w/IW#3’s dbl clinched
No Bands
45x10
Add Bands
45x2
95x2
135x2
185x2
215x2
215x2
215x2
215x2
215x2
215x2
215x2
215x2

Yoke
440x75'
550x75'
660x75'
660x75'

Farmer's Walk
181x50'
231x50'
281x50'
331x50' PR+5lbs

Dimel Deadlifts
205x20 PR+10lbs
205x20
205x20

25 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: I have been irritated lately, not sure why. Maybe allergies, stress or not enough sleep. I'm going to be doing box squats with increasing weight rather than increasing band tension. Felt pretty good. Yoke felt awful the first three sets and slightly better for the last one. It kept wanting to slide down my back when I wanted to go fast. I may need to invest in some chalk for at home. Farmer's were good. I had a slight issue with 231lbs due to the deposits of gravel at that end of the street from the storm last week. I swept it away for 331lbs. I really had to fight to pick up 331lbs and I was worried I would only stagger a few feet. But with each step, I felt more and more confident and made it 50' no problem. I could have gone farther and or held it for a decent bit but I didn't. Finished up with dimels and stretching. I had to keep the bar away from my body on dimels so I wouldn't graze my knee. Long, long day.

April 22, 2010

Walking – 30.5 minutes

Comments: Just walking, didn't bother my knee that much. Allergies have been really bad these past three days.

April 21, 2010 - ME UB

Walking – 31.5 minutes

Dynamic Warm-ups

Behind-the-Neck Jerks
45x10
95x5
135x3
165x3
195x3
225x1
245x1 (hit my knee)
265x1
285x1
305x0
305x1 PR+5lbs
320x0
320x0
275x5 PR+1 rep (near disaster)

12" Log Floor Presses
110x3
150x3
190x3
230x3
270x3 PR+2 reps
310x6 PR+50lbs & 1 rep

Snatch Grip Bent Over Rows (straps)
305x12 PR+5lbs
305x12
305x9

Bent Over Rear Delt Dumbbell Raises
52.5'sx15
52.5'sx15
52.5'sx15

39 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Mixed bag today. I felt good but sore in the hamstrings. My allergies weren't too bad in the morning they turned out to be even worse than the day before. Stressed and irritated. Did not feel comfortable with btn jerks and I won't be doing them again, too risky. On the 245lbs single, I brought the weight down in front and messed up the rack and had to drop it and it grazed my left knee. That caused my the bursa sack on the top of my knee to swell up a lot. It's not painful to walk or do anything but it does hurt to poke it. It was already slightly swollen from the axle incident at Viking Fest. Just ice and compression when I'm home and anti-inflammatories when I can. I was getting pissed off when I got up to 285lbs and it didn't get any better. The down set with 275lbs was a mess. The weight was easy but it almost slid down my back catching the third rep. It really was a clustersuck. Log floor press was much better. My goal weight of 270lbs felt way too easy so I went to 310lbs. That felt good but I didn't want to do another set so I just repped it out. Really surprised to get six reps when last time I did these 300lbs was my best single. Rows went well but I kind of lost steam by the third set and stopped at nine. I was getting tired. Lots and lots of stretching. I need to rest and recover.

April 20, 2010 - ME LB

Walking – 30 minutes

Dynamic Warm-ups

Rack Assisted 13.5" Safety Squat Bar Box Squats w/IW#3's dbl
No Bands
60x10
105x5
145x5
185x5
225x3
275x3
315x3
Add Bands (+285lbs)
80x3
120x1
170x1
210x1
260x1
300x1
350x1
390x1
425x1
455x1
381x5

3" Platform Sumo Stiff-legged Deadlifts
295x3
335x3
385x3
425x3
Add Straps
475x3 PR+20lbs
515x1 PR+60lbs

Safety Squat Bar Goodmornings
250x12 PR+15lbs
250x12
250x12

Unanchored Spread Eagle Situps
45x20
45x20
45x20

28 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Long workout. I didn't eat much yesterday for dinner since my abs and ribs were sore. Probably from tire flips or atlas stones. Allergies were really bad, everything still sore and slightly irritated. Still a very good workout. I severely underestimated how much I could do on the rack assisted box squats with bands. I was thinking that going to a box would make it considerably tougher than without but I was still very surprised to go over 300lbs so easily. Sumo stiff-legged deads felt a little off so I kept adjusting the makeshift platform. Thighs keep getting in the way. Felt strong which is why I went for 515lbs. I got the second rep up about halfway but I stopped when it became apparent that I'd have to hitch it to complete the rep. Really feel these in the glutes and hips when I get up to 400lbs. GM's were good and tough. Despite my abs being sore, situps went swimmingly.

April 19, 2010

Walking – 30.5 minutes

Comments: Ribs sore and so are my ankles. Good to have a rest day. Got some ideas from reading some internet discussions and will be incorporating them into my training.

April 18, 2010 - Events

Dynamic Warm-ups

Sled Pulls
800x50'
1150x50'
1150x50'

Zercher Yoke Carries
440x50'
440x50'
440x50'
440x50'
440x50'
440x50'

Tire Flips
860x6 - 32.95 seconds
860x6 - 28.54 seconds
Add Tacky Towel
860x6 - 22.96 seconds

Atlas Stone Loads
240x3 to 57"
290x3 to 57"
324x3 to 57" PR+1 rep
354x3 to 57" PR+2 reps
385x1 to 57" PR+31lbs

Comments: Training was at the Stable in Chambersburg today. Nice weather outside and I really wanted to make up for the bed crapping of last week. Lou came out this time, he had been sick last weekend. We did sled pulls first. 800lbs was really easy but 1150lbs was incredibly tough half way. It had been on a different part of the parking lot last week and had been a steady pull but this time it went up a little halfway into it. I did another set with 1150lbs and the start was fantastic but then I slipped a little at the halfway mark and had to really fight it to finish. No where near as dead as last week but still pretty tough. I felt like I was having trouble picking up the yoke for zerchers so I stuck with 440lbs to do form work. I did three sets with both belts and three sets with just the rehband. While two belts make the pick harder as the bar sticks off my arms more it does feel more stable than just the rehband. I'll need to test it out at the contest. Tire flips were good, really happy with how easy the 860lbs tire is for me now. First set I did slow to warm up, the second a bit faster but not super fast and then I used a tacky towel and murdered it. I think this type of training will be beneficial, doing most sets without the towel and then my main set with it. Then it was stones. I didn't feel super awesome doing these but I tried to be explosive with the lighter stones. I think I used too much tacky for the 385lbs stone. I came close to loading it three more times. The picks were really easy. Not too bummed as those reps would easily clear 52". Good training today.

April 17, 2010 - DE UB

Dynamic Warm-ups

12″ Log Presses w/IW#1's
No Bands
90x5
Add Bands
90x2
126x2
156x2
186x2
186x2
186x2
186x2
186x2
186x2
186x2
186x2

2 3/8” Dumbbell Two-Arm Clean One-Arm Presses
80x6/6
107.5x6/6
127.5x6/6
127.5x6/6

One Arm 2 3/8” Dumbbell Rows
75x4/4
100x4/4
125x4/4
150x4/4 PR+10lbs

Barbell JM Presses
170x15 PR+5lbs
170x15
170x15

36 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Nothing to really report for today. Everything felt tight. Log pressing just wasn't as speedy as it usually is, probably since I did a max against this band tension earlier this week. May have to adjust my training so I do pressing for speed without bands the weeks I go for a max lift using the log. I misloaded the first set of dumbbell presses and the first set with 127.5lbs was craptacular. The second set was much much better. Hands were kind of sweaty but still managed to get four reps with 150lbs on my thick handle dumbbell. JM's were tough but doable. Did lots of stretching.

April 16, 2010 - DE LB

Walking – 31 minutes

Dynamic Warm-ups

13.5” Box Squats
45x10
95x2
135x2
185x2
225x2
225x2
225x2
225x2
225x2
225x2
225x2
225x2

Chain Yoke
367x75'
487x75'
607x75'
727x75' (3 drops) PR+50lbs

Farmer's Walk
166x100'
206x100'
246x100'
246x100'

Dimel Deadlifts
195x20 PR+5lbs
195x20
195x20

28 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Knees were felling much much better today. Box squats went well, unfortunately a severe thunderstorm was coming through so I was unsure if I was going to be able to do chain yoke or farmers. I did get them setup in the garage which would be 15' of room but I decided that when the storm had died down enough I'd rather do it outside. First three sets of chain yoke were easy but I had issues with 727lbs. I picked it up uneven and had to set it down after a few feet and then started walking again. The bar really is slick and likes to roll when you get up in weight. Got ugly at the end but I did finish. The rain had stopped by the time I got to farmers but it started up something fierce when I was doing my sets with 246lbs. Felt slow and grip was barely holding up. Finished up with dimels and stretching. Long day.

April 15, 2010

Walking – 30.5 minutes

Comments: Nice out but my allergies were acting up. Lots of aches in my knees and soreness in my upper back from snatch grip deadlifts, which is actually a welcome surprise. Not the the knee thing. Almost up to 260lbs on this scale at home in the morning.

April 14, 2010 - ME UB

Walking – 31 minutes

Dynamic Warm-ups

12" Log Presses w/IW#1's
No Bands
90x5
120x3
Add Bands
90x3
120x3
145x3
170x1
190x1
210x1
230x1
245x1 PR+5lbs
255x1 PR+15lbs
265x0
225x3 PR+8lbs & 1 rep

Close Grip Barbell Incline Bench Presses
120x3
150x3
180x3
210x3
240x1
240x1

Snatch Grip Bent Over Rows (straps)
300x12 PR+10lbs
300x12
300x12

Bent Over Rear Delt Dumbbell Raises
52.5'sx15
52.5'sx15
52.5'sx15

24 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Pretty good lifting. First couple of singles on log press it felt like my skull wanted to escape my scalp. 255lbs went up pretty good but 265lbs was not to be today. Probably should have tried for 260lbs instead of 255lbs. Finally got more than a double on heavy log presses from the rack. Still need to work on it. Incline presses I haven't done in a while (due to frustration) but they were feeling good. I didn't realize until 210lbs that I was using 10lbs more than I had planned. Everything was going well, until 240lbs that is. The sticking point is like a force field once I hit it and it sucks. I gave it another shot and I was much closer to a second rep on that attempt. I will beat it. This was the best incline has felt for me so I am making progress at least. I made up for it a little by upping the weight for rows to 300lbs. I ache, rest should do me some good.

April 13, 2010 - ME LB

Walking – 31 minutes

Dynamic Warm-ups

Squats w/IW#2's dbl
No Bands
45x10
95x5
135x5
185x3
225x3
Add Bands
70x3
110x3
160x1
195x1
225x1
250x1
275x1
300x1
325x1
273x5

Snatch Grip Deadlifts
225x3
275x3
315x3
365x3
Add Straps
405x3
455x3

Safety Squat Bar Goodmornings
235x12
235x12
235x12

Unanchored Spread Eagle Situps
45x20 PR+5lbs
45x20
45x20

31 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: All things considered, a good workout but a long day. My calves were still very tight from sled pulls on Sunday and my left hip joint was bothering me all day. So pretty much everything below the waist was hurting. Never done free squats against band tension so it was different. I have done this kind of tension (205lbs) for box squats but only up to 225lbs for some doubles. My goal was to get 250lbs and I'm pleased to exceed that by 75lbs. I really like using a belt for squats. I had some trouble racking the weight on my down set. I guess I was contemplating going for another rep or racking it and I missed the rack on one side and had to fight it a little. Snatch grip deadlifts were a surprise in how easy the weights felt. Everything after 365lbs was techinically a PR but I didn't use straps last time I did these. My PR with 365lbs was two reps and that was with a hook grip and I did these with double overhand. I am glad I got 455lbs for three, even though I hit the bench press bar behind me on the first rep and had to move over slightly. GM's were easy but I forgot to add 2.5lbs to each side (I was planning on doing 240lbs). They were really easy so I'll just make a big jump next workout. Abs went well, I used a 45lbs plate but I'll probably switch back to a dumbbell next time. Stretching and then done.

April 12, 2010

Walking – 31.5 minutes

Comments: The weather has kind of gotten back to normal. Still a bit of pollen around. Calves and hips are very sore. Walking loosened them up a little. Sent in my entry form for The Iron City Classic this morning.

April 11, 2010 - Events

Dynamic Warm-ups

Sled Pulls
800x50'
800x50'
1150x50'
1150x50'
1500x30'/1150x20'

Zercher Yoke Carries
440x80'
620x20' PR+80lbs/530x20'/440x35'

Weight Tosses
47x4 over 9'6"
47x3 over 10'
47x5 over 10'9"

Chain Yoke Presses
55x10
105x5
145x3
195x3
245x1

55 Gallon Oil Drum Carries
227x50'
277x50'
324x46' PR+5lbs

29 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Training was a bit off today. Started out in Chambersburg at the Stable with sled pulls. I was trying out my new rock climbing shoes and they suck on gravel. I tried getting low on the pulls and I'd lose my footing so I switched to my wrestling shoes and it made a world of difference. After the set with 1500lbs, I was dead. I had trouble getting up and it took a lot out of me. Joe gave me a Propel packet to mix in water to see if that would help and it did a little. I crushed 440lbs on the zercher yoke carries but since my sled pulling had taken up a lot of time, I only had time for one more set. I jumped to 620lbs and I barely got it up and walked about 20'. I wanted to call it there but luckily Joe and my dad kept me going and I did a drop set with 530lbs and then 440lbs. I felt tired, sore and like a canvas bagged full of smashed buttholes. I was pissed off with my sluggishness/weakness (I haven't felt this off since Clash of the Titans in January). So I was kind of stewing on the drive back home and felt that I couldn't just leave it at two events. So I did some random crap. We have a volleyball trainer that is adjustable to an extent so I took this duct taped ball of plates and threw it over it. That went pretty well, besides the one time it slipped out of my hands. I wanted to do some pressing so I set up my light thick bar on the chain yoke. Apparently this is going to be in a contest (not one I'll be doing). Really unstable, especially when I tried to get leg drive. Probably a better idea to just strict press this in the future. Then I brought out the oil drum. It is an awful thing. I almost got to 50' with 324lbs but I just couldn't repick it. I tried three times but I couldn't get it up high enough to put it in my lap. Long day, did stretching afterward.

April 10, 2010 - DE UB

Dynamic Warm-ups

12″ Log Presses
90x5
127x2
157x2
187x2
187x2
187x2
187x2
187x2
187x2
187x2
187x2

2 3/8” Dumbbell Two-Arm Clean One-Arm Presses
80x6/6
105x6/6
130x6/6
155x6/6 PR+5lbs

One Arm 2 3/8” Dumbbell Rows
70x8/8
87.5x8/8
105x8/8
105x8/8

Barbell JM Presses
165x15
165x15
165x15

Yard Work – 24 minutes

25 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Nothing awesome and nothing terrible so an okay day. Tested out to see what my light bands doubled for reverse band presses would need to reach chest level (185lbs) before I did any lifting. It was nice to take a break from bands overhead. First two sets of dumbbell presses were good but I had issues with it for the next two sets. With 130lbs I kept having it roll in my hands on my left side and with 155lbs it was sliding on my right. Still got the reps. Rows were pretty straightforward. JM's were odd as the pain in my right wrist was worse the first set and almost nonexistent on the third. They've gotten really tough. Went and did some yard work when I got finished. We have garden plot (8x8) that I usually til the soil for but this year we wanted to move it down closer to the fence. So I had to move the dirt from the old plot and put it in the new one. Wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I forget how peaceful stuff like that can be. Light stretching and done.

April 09, 2010 - DE LB

Walking – 31 minutes

Dynamic Warm-ups

13.5” Box Squats w/IW#3’s & #2's clinched
No Bands
45x10
95x2
135x2
Add Bands
45x2
95x2
135x2
185x2
185x2
185x2
185x2
185x2
185x2
185x2
185x2

Chain Yoke
442x100'
442x100'
442x100'
442x100'

Farmer's Walk (turns at 50')
151x100'
201x100'
241x100'
291x100' (2 drops) PR+10lbs

Dimel Deadlifts
190x20 PR+5lbs
190x20
190x20

28 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Okay day, it was windy and much cooler than the past several days, which was a welcome change from the heat induced crockpot I had in my gut. It had rained last night so most of the pollen was out of the air. I feel I'm getting better at box squats so really no complaints there. I haven't done chain yoke since early January so my first set was a little off. I felt better each set and managed about 13.5 seconds for the last set. My picks were slow on farmer's and my turns were not very good. This is immediately evident in the 291lbs set. Some how I was able to repick it twice to finish it. Dimels felt the best they've ever felt for me.

April 08, 2010

Walking – 32 minutes

Comments: Allergies suck and being in the 80's doesn't help either. I don't feel overwhelmed but it is annoying. Just walking, did some thinking as far as changes to supplemental lifts on ME UB day.

April 07, 2010 - ME UB

Walking – 30 minutes

Dynamic Warm-ups

Rack Axle Half Presses
75x5
105x3
135x3
165x3
185x1
205x1
225x1
240x1
250x0
215x5

Close Grip Barbell 6-Board Presses w/ IW#1’s dbl
135x3
175x3
215x3
255x3
295x3

Snatch Grip Bent Over Rows (straps)
290x12 PR+5lbs
290x12
290x12

Bent Over Rear Delt Dumbbell Raises
52.5'sx15 PR+2.5lbs
52.5'sx15
52.5'sx15

31 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Wasn't feeling it today, might have been due to the heat or allergies. The point is I wasn't feeling so well all day. 240lbs was bad from the get go so instead of going for 255lbs like I had planned, I went to 250lbs which got off the pins and that was all she wrote. The down set with 215lbs was the only set that felt good. I have also noticed that it seems hard for me to warm-up on strict presses as the first lift, whether it's standing, incline or half range partial. These kinds of lifts seem to work better as the triple/rep sets than singles. This might mean I need more tweaking for this part of my workout, possibly changing out this exercise. 6-Board presses were tough, 255lbs felt like a million pounds and 295lbs felt like a million and forty pounds. Back lifts went well.

April 07, 2010 - ME LB

Walking – 30 minutes

Dynamic Warm-ups

13.5" Safety Squat Bar Box Squats w/IW#1's dbl
No Bands
60x10
105x5
145x3
185x3
Add Bands
80x3
110x3
140x1
170x1
200x1
230x1
255x1
277.5x1
285x1
305x1
320x1
275x5

18" Rack Deadlifts w/IW#1's quad (straps)
225x3
275x3
315x3
365x3
405x3

Safety Squat Bar Goodmornings
235x12 PR+20lbs
235x12
235x12

Unanchored Spread Eagle Situps
40x20
40x20
40x20

25 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Good workout today. Very hot today, even in the gym at the start of the workout. I haven't used bands with the ssb or gone for a max against doubled bands so it was interesting. I misloaded the two sets (277.5 was supposed to be 275lbs and 285lbs was supposed to be 295lbs) but I still got in above the weight I was expecting. I may have had a few pounds in the tank and maybe one rep for the down set. I feels like I'm finally getting my squat form down as far as sitting back, keeping the knees out and arching off the box. Rack pulls were tough, even with 225lbs. Quaded bands are way tougher than any other setup I've used. My hands were sweaty and the bar had little knurling so I just went with straps from the get go. Just about crapped myself locking out the last rep with 405lbs. Techincally a 90lbs PR but last time I did these I didn't have straps. GM's were a little tough on the first rep of the first set but went smoothly. Doing sets with 225lbs had been my goal since I started doing them with a ssb. It wasn't until I had finished the second set that I realized I was using 20lbs more than last time instead of 10lbs. Finished up with abs, some stretching and ate lots of steak.

April 05, 2010

Walking – 30 minutes

Comments: Just walking today. It got up to 80 degrees today. Not feeling to beat up in the legs besides my calves. I'm still surprised a day later about how much something like a tacky towel can improve a lift. I would honestly have had no idea that the issue was grip related like when it came to tire flip speed for me.

April 04, 2010 - Events

Dynamic Warm-ups

Makeshift Viking Presses
45x10
90x5
135x3
180x3
225x3
270x3 PR+2 reps
300x1 PR+30lbs
250x8 PR+4 reps

Tire Flips
750x5 - 23 seconds
750x5 - 23 seconds
Add Tacky Towel
750x5 - 16 seconds

Sled Arm-Over-Arm Pulls
225x45'
315x45'
405x45'
655x45'

Sled Drag
655x90'
405x75'/315x75'/225x75'

Hiking - 60 minutes

Comments: Training was at the Stable in Chambersburg today. It was just me lifting today since Joe was out doing family things for the holiday, Wes broke his finger and the Zack and Bill had done a contest the day before. Viking press felt awesome and I held back a little on the set with 270lbs since I really wanted to get 300lbs. Really happy to get a lot of reps with 250lbs. Next was tire flips for speed. My goal was to get five flips in under 20 seconds which proved tougher than I had thought. It was hard to grip. For my last set, Wes gave me a tacky towel, something I've never used. I squeezed it for a few minutes and went at the tire. The tire felt like nothing. Got five flips in 16 seconds. I couldn't believe how much time I shaved off just by having a good grip. I was also surprised how much easier it was to flip with a good grip. Might need to rotate between tacky towel and no tacky towel on tire flips. I haven't done arm over arm pulls in a while and decided to see what I could do. I used a thinner rope since I had done thick dumbbell rows yesterday. The first set was too easy and it was pretty much just arms and each set I got more and more legs and back into it. We ran out of room for plates I said screw it and we put the 250lbs sandbag on top. That was a good deal tougher. I got a nose bleed right after I was done. Not sure how that happened haha. I was going to do tackyless stones but since that would take up time (Wes had to be somewhere at 12:00) I decided I would do something I hate; sled drags. Now I would have done zercher carries but my knees and shins had taken a beating with heavy yoke two days before. I started out with 655lbs and got a slow 90' with it. Then I amped up the suck by doing a dropset, taking off 90lbs every 75'. That was awful. After training, I went on a family hike for Easter.

April 03, 2010 - DE UB

Dynamic Warm-ups

12″ Log Presses w/ IW#1’s clinched
No Bands
90x5
Add Bands
90x2
127x2
157x2
187x2
217x2
217x2
217x2
217x2
217x2
217x2
217x2
217x2

2 3/8” Dumbbell Two-Arm Clean One-Arm Presses
85x8/8
85x8/8
85x8/8
85x8/8

One Arm 2 3/8” Dumbbell Rows
60x8/8
85x8/8
110x8/8
135x7/7 PR+5lbs

Barbell JM Presses
165x15 PR+5lbs
165x12
165x12

35 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Low energy today, I should know by now that going to the gym after going to the movie theater in the afternoon is a recipe for lethargy. Knees were tender and that was to be expected considering yesterday. Sloppy pressing all around. It felt much easier the last time I did this weight for log press. Nothing much to report other than this was the first time I haven't been able to finish all the reps for JM presses.

April 02, 2010 - DE LB

Walking – 30 minutes

Dynamic Warm-ups

13.5” Box Squats w/IW#3’s & #1's clinched
No Bands
45x10
95x2
135x2
Add Bands
45x2
95x2
135x2
185x2
185x2
185x2
185x2
185x2
185x2
185x2
185x2

Yoke
460x50'
600x50'
740x50'
880x50' (3 drops) PR+30lbs

Farmer's Walk (turns at 75')
166x150'
166x150'
166x150'
166x150'

Dimel Deadlifts
185x20 PR+10lbs
185x20
185x20

36 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Tough workout. Squats were good. Nice, crisp and strong. Yoke was good for the first two light sets. On 740lbs, I had a bad start and the darn thing slid down my back making for an awkward and slow run. 880lbs was a bear. I didn't really feel it in any place other than my shins which thought I was doing something stupid by walking with the weight. After the first pick and drop, I thought I would be lucky to get 25', but my second pick was much better and I got pretty far. I was close so I knew it had to be finished. Two more hellish picks and I reached my goal. Ugh. First set of farmer's were slow and then rest were decent speed. Dimels I went up by 10lbs because I didn't feel like bring the 5lbs plates downstairs. Lots and lots of stretching.

April 01, 2010

Walking – 30 minutes

Comments: Just walking today. Must have been tired because I accidentally slept in a half hour today. It was quite warm out today. Thinking about what upcoming contests I should be training/planning for the rest of the year.

March 31, 2010 - ME UB

Walking – 32 minutes

Dynamic Warm-ups

Close Grip Barbell 3-Board Presses
45x10
95x5
135x3
165x3
195x3
225x3
255x1
285x1
305x1
325x1 PR+5lbs
340x1 PR+20lbs
306x5 PR+31lbs

Barbell Strict Presses
100x3
130x3
160x3
190x3
220x3 PR+5lbs

Snatch Grip Bent Over Rows (straps)
285x12 PR+5lbs
285x12
285x12

Bent Over Rear Delt Dumbbell Raises
50'sx15
50'sx15
50'sx15

33 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Pretty good workout, back and hamstrings were tight from yesterday. I haven't done a heavy 3-board press in some time. Last time I did some light pressing with one, I missed the board I was so used to 4-board height haha. It went well. I swear it feels tough but looks smooth on video. 340lbs was a bit of struggle and decided to call it there. But with how easy 306lbs felt, maybe I should have tried 350lbs. Strict pressing went well. I used the rehband to keep my back warm and used my thick belt for the last set since my back felt touchy on the previous set. It's good to see that my strict press is improving. I'm really digging using belts for the rows as it doesn't kill my spine like it used to and I can focus on just moving the weight forcefully. Rear delts were good and I'll finally be moving up in weight on them.