One Arm Dumbbell Rows (straps) 145x12/12 PR+5lbs 145x12/12 145x12/12
35 Minutes of Stretching
Comments: Okay day, certainly getting better at benching exercises (should carry over to log press). Never benched with an axle or done full range presses with the chains. The axle is quite a bit friendlier on the wrists, but tough to lockout, like the Swiss bar. I set the chains up so that they were off the ground at lockout to add a stability issue. Should teach me to be more efficient in my lifting by cutting down on wasted movement when I unrack it and when I press. I got off balance with 245lbs so 255lbs went up about the same. Should have just went to the down set but it was very close with 265lbs. Triceps and pecs sore after fighting that rep haha. JM's sucked, not much to tell there. I'm going to switch to suspended presses on the floor (z-presses) as the supplementary lift on my benching days. Rows were heavy, sloppy and hard. Didn't help that the middle of my upper back is still feeling that halfton yoke walk from Saturday. Finished up with stretching. I believe I have the goodmornings situation figured out as well as the z presses, just a few tweaks to get a good schedule set up and it's a go.
Suspended Arched Back Cambered Squat Bar Goodmornings 245x3 295x3 335x3 385x0 355x1
45-degree Safety Squat Bar Hyperextensions 205x12 PR+2 reps 205x12 205x12
32 Minutes of Stretching
Comments: Let me preface this workout with some other junk first. I've been keeping an eye on how I've been doing since the BSG session as it combined a lot of stressors: lots of traveling, not sleeping in my bed and heavy, heavy lifting (especially yoke). Obviously some things recover faster than others but I have noticed some things like upper back soreness on the left side (happens with HAF yoke stuff). I've been working on recover by sleeping in a little and walking to work to get blood flowing to my legs and lower back (bruised toe not too happy about this though). Ok, on to the workout. Never done chains with the ssb and never done chains to a box so a lot of firsts here. Felt strong. Really happy with how this went as I managed to do just 5lbs less than my max to this box height with the chains (technically 1lbs more as 6lbs of the chains don't deload). Over 510lbs at the top which is fantastic. I'm really learning to grind out the squats. However, gm's were not as awesome. Everything felt heavy and I got mad when I couldn't get 385lbs off the straps. Didn't feel like doing back extensions but I was able to calm myself and rationalize that I had pretty much just done the same exercise with the box squats. Good thing I kept on trucking as I smashed 205lbs on back extensions (last time I had to fight to get 10 ugly reps) getting 12 on all three sets. Went home to stretch. I need to do some thinking in regards to gm's. With the addition of zercher harness stuff the following week (2 of the 3 variations are wide stance) I'm most likely going to do shoulder width stance instead of arched back gm's. Like I said, time for the thinking chair.
Bent Over Rear Delt Dumbbell Raises 75'sx12 75'sx12 75'sx12
42 Minutes of Stretching
Comments: I started the day pissed off. Didn't help that the leader chains were missing (I found them) from the chain box. I'll be keeping them in my gym bag from now on. My rage seemed to melt away as I was lifting. Push pressing went well. Two more weeks with this band tension. I'll be using a mini and monster mini clinched instead of the bucket loop setup. That should be 155lbs of band tension. I felt sloppy on incline but whatever. Definitely getting stronger. Sixth rep was one of the ugliest reps ever. Did my rear delt stuff. Then things turned around for me. I tried out a different viking press setup for the power rack and it works, even with the 45lbs plates on it. Excellent. I went home and did a ton of stretching. After hearing quite a few people telling me check the stone's weight again (as it was within 1% of 500lbs). It turns out that the last time it was still resting on the support board we used to roll it on to the scale. This time it was off and it came in at a marvelous 505.6lbs. Hell yeah, I have a 505lbs atlas stone!
Barbell Hip Thrusts 385x5 455x5 525x5 595x5 PR+10lbs
Belt Squats 395x12 PR+15lbs 395x12 395x12
37 Minutes of Stretching
Comments: Didn't feel too bad considering the workout the day before. At least until I got around to weighing my new stone (ended up being 494lbs). My biceps just cramped right the hell up just rolling that thing. Luckily I wasn't doing anything that would need my arms for lifting today so I went as planned. Used the next level of band tension (285lbs) and that was a trip haha. My lower back and hips were beat to hell yesterday so I wasn't expecting anything out of the hip thrusts. I guess my lower back was more fatigued than hips since I got all the reps (slight readjustment for the last rep with 595lbs). Belt squats were tough, felt like my quads were keeping lightining contained and any moment would shoot bolts. Didn't realize it was that big of a jump from the last time. Got 11 on the last set, sat down, got mad and took a breath and got one more rep. Unfortunately as I was unloading the loading pin and putting weights away, a 75lbs plate landed on my right foot. That smarted but nothing is broken, just a little swollen and bruised. I was a bit worried when I saw some blood leaking through my sock but it was only a little spot. Should be fine in a few days.
Atlas Stones No Tacky 250x3 (18") to 56" Add Tacky 250x1 (18") to 56"/300x1 (20") to 52"/330x1 (20") to 49"/381x1 (20") to 49"/440x0 (21") to 40" 440x1 (21") to 49" (PR+9") 250x1 (18") to 56"/300x1 (20") to 52"/330x1 (20") to 49"/381x1 (20") to 49"/440x1 (21") to 40"
Comments: Heaviest training day ever. I went down to Andy's place Friday night after work (about four hours) and crashed on the couch. I woke up feeling like crap but felt better after an hour or so of being awake. Drove down to Brute Stength Gym (2.5 hours more) and arrived a little late at around 12:00. First thing set up was yoke. Me and Andy were going heavy. Mark said he wasn't (totally did). Also met Dave and Luke. Andy and I both had a goal of walking with a grand. I felt crappy warming up but I felt better. This yoke is a fantastic yoke to train super heavy on as it stays very balanced. Obviously not one to exclusively train on but great for an overload or kick in the pants session. The pick with 900lbs beltless felt super easy. Mark did 1012lbs first with no drops. Sick. Andy went next and made it look agonizing with multiple drops and a bloody nose about half way into it. I asked him how it felt compared to the pick he had done with 900lbs. He said the 112lbs extra were just concentrated death. My turn was next and he was right. It was jut awful, awful. Took a little over two minutes and five drops but I got 50' for an 87lbs PR. Awesome. Everything was sore from this, triceps and forearms were even sore. Up next was heavy frame carry. The frame is normally 19" but since Andy and I have heavy frames coming up that are 22", we set it up on 3" blocks to simulate contest conditions. We both wanted to go over 750lbs (my contest is 750, his is 800). Andy did 802lbs well and did a prowler drag (his event is medley). Awful to watch but awesome. I just did 802lbs on the frame. Got a little wobbly at the end but good. I shouldn't have to worry about this event and I can focus on working low picks for a while. To say my lower back was dead at this point is an understatement. I set up a three part medley using the wheelbarrow, a sandbag and a chain drag. I only did it once as it was a pain trying to move the wheelbarrow back around with 1130lbs on it. Then it was stones. I knew even with the warm-ups that this was going to be a tough and horrible time with stones. I tried out the Spider Tacky again and it works a lot better at room temperature. Still, very tough working with super dusty stones and a fatigued lowerback. I went right to the series I had planned to simulate the Battle at the Barn series. But I couldn't even lap the 440lbs stone. Stella tried to get me angry by saying if I can't get this one, how am I going to get my 500lbs one. I gave it another go but it was no good. I decided to try the 440lbs by itself to the 49" platform. It was a struggle to get it off my lap but I got it. A PR for that particular stone. Then Mark had to go and push me. He went through my stone series and loaded all the stones. Now I'm mad. Tired or not, I'm not going to be beaten. I got ready and went through the stone series again. I got the first four easy and then retacked for the 440lbs. Easy lap but hips and lower back were dead. I managed to get it onto the low 40" platform. Progress. Heavy series are a bit of a weakness so I will be hitting stone series for most of my stone training. Either that or reps. I got home late and went to bed. Hopefully I'll make it down there sometime between now and mid March for another fun one.
Comments: I was quite sore from the day before so I wasn't sure how I would do. I actually was contemplating switching to log strict pressing instead of push pressing due to my worries that I would do subpar. Overhead has been such a thorn in my side (as well as deadlift). I made myself do push pressing and I'm glad that I did. Big improvements on my shoulder and triceps strength. I got off balance on the first go with 285lbs so I knew I could get it in the next attempt. Almost had 295lbs the first try. Also one of the few times I've done reps (without a clean every rep) with a decent weight (I really suck at getting leg drive on log press). The fourth rep with 252lbs was just an awful grind with literally no leg drive. Granted I'm still a long way off from where I want to be on this lift but I can't be too upset with a 35lbs improvement. I think in a year I could hang in the Plat Plus shows in the overhead events if this keeps up. Always need to strive for more. Lockouts with bands were different. Unlike last time where 45lbs was an unwieldy thing, I was in control from the start. Could only get two with 235lbs but three shouldn't be an issue next time. Did pullups with a neutral grip again. While not a PR, (matches my PR) they were easy on the first set. Actually, it is a PR for this body weight as I was around 45lbs lighter when I was doing these for reps. Did a lot of stretching and packed for my trip to Brute Strength Gym this weekend.
Glute Ham Raises bw+15x12 PR+5lbs bw+15x10 bw+15x8
34 Minutes of Stretching
Comments: Definitely a learning experience workout for me. Two new lifts, rack pulls against quadded light bands and lifts with the zercher harness. The band tension with quadded lights was a trip. My original guess (as I don't have light bands to test on my own time) was that they'd provide about 345lbs of tension. I was way off. Even the bar wanted to jump out of my hands double overhand. I actually broke out the straps for the last rep with the bar as it was already tearing off calluses. My forearms are still pretty beat from Husafell stone work from Sunday and with heavy frame planned for this Saturday I figured why fight it. I also plan on doing my rack pulls like my stiff legged sumo lifts; double overhand until it gets hard and then bring out the straps. I have no issues holding on to deadlifts and I want to work on getting my whole back stronger as well as keep me from twisting to one side. I tend to do that with rack pulls but not with deads from the floor. Back to the workout. I didn't know how much tension was on the bands but I knew it was a lot. Hard to tell as band tension tends to feel "heavier" than straight weight. Possibly because it wants to murder me. So I knew it was more than 345lbs and less than 500lbs. I was kind of worried I'd go out like a punk on these. So much pressure at lockout. I managed to lockout 265lbs and it took everything to push my hips through. Immediate soreness in my upper back. I was debating for a while for the down set whether to do 195lbs or 225lbs (still didn't know band tension) and Chad suggested 205lbs. Ended up being perfect (both weight wise and percent wise once I tested the tension). I felt like a I was wearing an angry backpack after that one. Tension ended up being 405lbs. Next was zercher harness stuff. Never used it before but I had already planned to incorporate different exercises using it to hit weaknesses. I'm really not sure what to call these but they seemed to look a lot like wide stance romanian deadlifts but with a harness. I had it on the low setting for the lower pins (has a high pins and low pins, low pins have two heights). First few sets were awkward and then I got into a groove. I worked very hard on keeping my back arched and pushing the glutes back. I always shorten the range of motion by rounding on pulls/bar in hand lifts so this was perfect. I estimated I'd not get to far into these but I was wrong and got in a lot of working sets. 455lbs was a sonofabitch to lockout for one, let alone three reps. I have two over variations for this harness that I'll be using but they will both be with the high setting on the lower pins which should be even tougher on the core. I have claw marks on my back from the harness haha. Decided to just go with 15lbs on ghr's even though 10lbs was tough last time. I fought tooth and nail for all of the reps. Obviously I'm staying at that weight for next time. I was pretty beat and went home to stretch.
I’m a little taller than 6′6″ and I really like to lift weights. I’m a competitor in amateur strongman contests. My hope is to become a competitive professional strongman. Currently I'm doing off-season training before starting prep for Natural East Coast Qualifier in Eatontown, NJ on January 16, 2027. I’m not a major competitor yet and I have a long way to go but I’m having fun.
