From my 3rd Strongman comp earlier this month, 1 year after my first comp. Only 1 other guy in my weightclass, we were tied going into the final event of stone over bar (300lbs for 176lb/80kg class)
Other guy couldn’t crack it off the ground, I lapped it twice for some cool pics but couldn’t get a rep. He took the win because he won 1 more event than me.
3 consecutive last place finishes, focusing on bodybuilding for the rest of the year, will do strength stuff when Jan hits. Been consistently getting better but can’t seem to not take last, oh well.
My sense is that we have two varieties of old and broken. One is the variety we’ve chosen (c.f. “my arm is falling off my body, I think from kettlebell swing challenges”). The other is a slow, atrophying decay into mush.
When I was younger and everyone looked relatively healthy, people used to carp at me about destroying my knees. Running DOES fuck with me, I’m not gonna lie. But most (all? maybe yes, ALL) of the knee surgery people around our age I meet are sedentary and overweight.
Means he got it off the floor and onto his lap, but didn’t manage to get it over the bar. So a ‘half rep’ in the context of the lift rather than complete failure of not getting it off the floor.
This is something we discuss fairly regularly. I get issues with my shoulders, hips, elbows and ankles. For some reason my ankles in the morning are terrible. I have to walk stiff legged for a while until they warm up.
However, like you wrote, what’s the alternative? We pick our poison. At least I look good while my stuff is aching. Also, I’m one of the few people my age that is not on any prescription medication. I’m sure a lot of that is good fortune but the rest is hard work.
I run on an ambulance in an area that is a retirement community, and is a small town, over the past 2 years I have seen absolutely zero of the geriatrics (65-95) that come to the gym 2-4 days a week in the back of my ambulance, absolutely zero. 90% of our calls are for geriatric falls and issues, and not one has been one of the 20-30 that come here regularly, it’s one of the coolest things I’ve noted while running this gym.
Don’t sweat 2nd place in a hard fought show against just 1 other dude. At the end of the day, all that actually matters is that you’re continuing to improve. Overall, that will allow you to place better in future shows. I promise you won’t take last forever if you keep working hard.
And 300 lbs lapped is no joke either! I’ve seen PLENTY of LW guys unable to break the ground with 300 lbs, or less for that matter. Even on the national level. At USS nationals last year, there were a handful of guys who couldn’t get 280. You’re doing great man. Keep it up!
When I go to the orthopedic office, I might see the occasional high school aged kid, but other than that, I’m the only person who isn’t sedentary. Whether it’s old and sedentary, or young, obese, and sedentary, damn near everyone is weak and frail.
I’m way too familiar with the doctors at this place, but I have no regrets. We are all going to fall apart and die at some point. Being active gives us a higher quality of life.
I like the T-Nation meme that appears periodically.
“Squats are bad for your knees. False. Being fat is bad for your knees.”
When I was in my early thirties, one of the older gym members told me “We all end up at the doctor; your just deciding if it will be the cardiologist or the orthopedic”.
Implying my lower body doesn’t! For real though, growing legs is the #1 goal the next 4 months and I think it’s progressing well.
I was joking around with the guy I was competing with after saying I was going to argue for half a point. The show is kinda known for being heavy, lots of 0s on lots of events across all weightclasses
That would have really helped my argument
I hit 280 almost exactly 50% of the time in training so thought 300 was in the cards, especially because I didn’t use tacky for 280. Not sure if I was just tired or if the 280 gym stone isn’t really 280 but when I tried to stand with 300 it just stuck to my lap and wouldn’t come along for the ride.
54in is pretty far for me too at 5’6, it’s almost up to my neck. Here’s a pic from the frame carry, thought it would go well but the frame was way too wide for me. Strongman isn’t kind to manlets.
I appreciate it. Most mornings I roll out of bed feeling old af and broken.
