January 16, 2011 - Events

Dynamic Warm-ups

18" Pick Farmer's Deadlifts
2" Handles
140x5
230x3
320x1
370x0
1" Handles
370x1
390x0

Comments: Should have just stayed in bed today. A lot of things contributed to an awful event day. I slept in late, rushed to leave, not motivated with my head cold and finding out I'd be using much lighter weights at my competition and picking a poor exercise to start with in light of my training from yesterday. Everything felt heavy, even 140lbs. Just crap. I switched to 1" handles but that still sucked. Shut it down after missing 390lbs. Very disappointed and frankly disgusted at my weakness. Need to rest and get some more sleep. Hoping I feel better tomorrow.

January 15, 2011 - DE LB

Dynamic Warm-ups

Safety Squat Bar Squats w/IW#3’s dbl
No Bands
60x10
105x2
155x2
205x2
255x2
Add Bands (+285lbs)
60x2
105x2
150x2
190x2
190x2
190x2
190x2
190x2
190x2
190x2
190x2

Leg Presses
650x5
750x5
850x5
Concentric Style
950x0
850x3

45-degree Safety Squat Bar Hyperextensions
215x8 PR+5lbs
215x8
215x8
215x8

Weight Swings
180x12 PR+5lbs
180x12
180x12

32 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Didn't do anything yesterday, the little cold became a big one. I spent most of the day reorganizing my training for the Plat Plus in Georgia. I got a hell of an idea for my training after seeing Terry Hollands' deadlift training schema. Combined with Dave Ostlund's pressing ideas, this could be the turning point for me in terms of my deadlift and overhead. So I was very excited to piece it together. Even though I felt like crap today (I was hoping that a good night's sleep would cure it), I went to the gym. One of the big changes was no more box squats. Speed squats were weird until the later sets when I figured things out. My narrower stance and higher pick height increase the band tension a bit. Then I did leg presses. I haven't done these in a while and it showed. I did the reps with pauses at the bottom. The right side of my hip was bugging me. I kind of had an epiphany after my first set with 850lbs. I had noticed that the start point for the leg press was only 3" away from where I'd be at the bottom of the lift and that starting from a dead stop would be much more beneficial to me to help with breaking weight off the ground. Obviously 950lbs was too much for that style so I dropped it back down to 850lbs to see if that was possible. Very hard three reps. Now I have a weight to work with and base the other sessions around that. Then on to ssb back extensions. These felt great today. Only sets of eight but it felt pretty easy. Finished up with weight swings and stretching. My quads were very sore. Hoping I feel a bit better for events tomorrow. Possibly my last one before Battle at the Barn.

January 13, 2011 - ME UB

Dynamic Warm-ups

Axle Push Presses w/ Chains
No Chains
75x5
105x5
Add Chains (+50lbs)
85x3
Add Chains (+72lbs)
90x3
Add Chains (+116lbs)
90x3
115x3
135x1
155x1
175x1
195x1
215x0,0,0
215x1
230x1 (scary)
240x0
196x2

Suspended Swiss Bar Zydrunas Presses
105x3
125x3
145x3
165x3
185x3
205x3

Neutral Grip Pullups
bw+25x12 PR+5lbs
bw+25x12
bw+25x12

37 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: This little cold I have is just not going away. Took a bit to get set up as I had to bring all the chains into the gym from my car and then reconfigure the leader chains. Shoulders felt off at the start. 195lbs went up like nothing but I messed up with 215lbs and missed it three times. I got angry and focused and it went up super easy. I looked at the video and it appears that I did a little jerk with the weight instead of push press. That made me mad too. So I added more weight and gave it another shot. No jerk this time but I lost my balance and started to walk back and hit the rack. Even though I started to kind of black out, I recovered and locked it out and stabilized the lift. Unfortunately, I wasn't aware of where I was so when I brought the weight down to rack it, the one side bounced off the pin and swung down, hitting the ground. All thumbs today. I cleaned up the mess and put the bar back and added some more weight. Couldn't get enough drive into it as my shoulders were just shot. Only two reps on the downset. Even though it was messy, I'm happy with my overhead strength improvements. The weight was roughly 346lbs at the top of the 230lbs single. Moved on to Swiss bar z presses and didn't have issues there. I started light like I did with the axle z presses I did a month or so ago as I haven't tried strict pressing with the Swiss bar and it puts the weight far out in front of my body. So I was very pleased to match the weight I did on the axle. Pullups were tough but I managed to get all my reps with them. Then stretching.

January 12, 2011

Walking – 32 minutes

Comments: Cold and windy today. A bit tired from yesterday but a nice walk helped me clear my head a bit. Eight more hard workouts to go.

January 11, 2011 - ME LB

Dynamic Warm-ups

15" Rack Deadlifts w/ Monster Mini Bands quad
No Bands
135x5
185x5
225x3
275x3
Add Bands (+275lbs)
45x3
95x3
135x3
185x3
225x1
275x1
Add Straps
315x1
365x1
405x1
430x1
365x4

Wide Stance Zercher Harness Rack Lifts
315x3
365x3
405x3
455x3
495x3 PR+30lbs

Strict Reverse Hyperextensions
150x12 PR+10lbs
165x12 PR+25lbs
180x12 PR+40lbs

32 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Super duper! Very happy with how this workout went, especially considering how beat my back felt from stones on Sunday. Second time pulling against this band tension. Mike lent me his thick latch belt to try out (it doesn't fit him anymore). I was skeptical but after today, I love that belt. Hit 20lbs over my goal for the day and got four reps with 365lbs. Zerchers went well, even though I did them two weeks ago. I sorted my schedule around and it made more sense to do the straight weight version of these on the workouts when I do rack pulls against bands. Had a little hiccup with 495lbs as I lost my balance a little on the second rep and had to catch the sides of the rack. Number three was a bit hitched and I had to fight the lockout for a quite a bit. I held it to make sure. Really hit my hamstrings hard. Everything is getting stronger. My plan on reverse hypers was 3x12 with 150lbs but it felt so easy, I increased it. That wasn't so bad so I boldly went with 180lbs for my final set. It was a fight but I got it. 40lbs PR on that. I'll do all three sets with 180lbs next time. Went home to stretch and eat pot roast.

January 11, 2011 - DE UB

Dynamic Warm-ups

12″ Log Push Presses w/ IW#2’s & #1's clinched
No Bands
90x5
90x5
130x2
Add Bands (+55lbs)
105x2
Add Bands (+100lbs)
90x2
120x2
Add Bands (+155lbs)
105x2
105x2
105x2
105x2
105x2
105x2
105x2
105x2

Neutral Grip Incline Dumbbell Presses
85'sx10
95'sx10
105'sx10 PR+1 rep

Seated Rope Cable Face Pulls
140x12 PR+20lbs
140x12
140x12

44 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Yesterday's workout hit me hard today. My back muscles were so sore that taking a deep breath made them ache. My hamstrings were also twitching all day. And that was just from the stone. I have bruises right under my knees from the duck walk and my right thumb pad is bruised from oil drum. But I still had a good workout. Push pressing went well. Got ten reps on the dumbells with 105lbs. I nicked my left thumb so how and that started bleeding a bit and had to get a band-aid. I was going to do 130lbs for the face pulls but it felt like nothing on the first rep so I added another 10lbs. Really surprised considering how much those muscles had to strain yesterday. Tons of stretching after that. Also, Dave Ostlund commented on my stone load from the other day which was unexpected and very awesome. I guess I getting somewhere.

January 09, 2011 - Events

Dynamic Warm-ups

Duck Walk
210x20'
300x20'
390x20' PR+45lbs
435x20' PR+90lbs
480x20' (2 drops) PR+135lbs

Atlas Stones
No Tacky
240x3 to 51.5"
324x1 to 51.5"
385x1 to 51.5"
505x0,0 to 44"
505x1 to 44" PR+53lbs

55 Gallon Oil Drum Bear Hug Carries
121x50'
166x63'
211x63'
256x0
256x0
256x63' PR+25lbs & 11'

Comments: Well, today was the day. I had a bit of good luck as my friend Mike Jenkins finally came out to train. He's getting ready for the Arnold Strongman Classic and not many places nearby have heavy stones. Joe was sick and Wes was in Jamaica on his honeymoon so it was just Mike, Bill and Zack and my dad. Bill and Zack were finishing up on duck walks so I did those first (I don't like doing just one event). Never gone heavier than 345lbs on these (second time) and it definitely gets a lot harder with more weight swinging like that. Then it was stone time. Mike had easily done my 452lbs stone to the low platform (44") for couple singles and doubles. He was just killing it so of course he was game for the 505lbs one as well. I only worked up to 385lbs no tack before giving 505 a try. Mike had gone first and just barely missed. He has an interesting 'rocking horse' like technique for getting more hip drive into the stone. That style wouldn't work for me but it obviously works for him. So I went next knowing that it wasn't impossible. I picked up easy but I wasn't center and it dropped back down as I tried to lap it. I refocused and gave it another shot. This time I lapped it, had to push off the platform to keep the monster from escaping. Heavy is the best word I can use to describe it. It felt like it was crushing my soul just sitting there. I positioned myself to the platform and tried to drive it off my lap. No luck. I would have called it there but Mike wanted another shot. And sonofabitch if he doesn't get it. Now I have to try it again. Not only was he the first to touch my stone, now he's the first to load it. I stewed in my anger and focused, muttering to myself I can do it. I got setup again and lapped it easier than the last time. Still heavy haha. I square up to the platform and give it all I got. I feels just like the last time but I just keep fighting. I kind of crapped my pants but I keep going and finally, it moved up a bit, then a little more. Enough to get a bit on the platform and I shove it. Still not all the way and it starts to come back down. NO! I'm too close now and I shove my whole body into it. It still hesitates before I land the final blow and put the beast in its place. Success and exhaustion. Mike and talked about training for the next few sessions and I went up to finish up my training. Definitely looking forward to more sessions with Mike. I did the oil drum bearhug carries at my house. The first set was awful since I had a long sleeve warm-up on (cold out and the win was vicious). So I had to take it off for the other sets. I missed picking up 256lbs twice before I got it. I feel wrecked but I feel I accomplished something.