Thanks for the recommendations, somehow I always thought Fitgiant only made supplements. So, I guess it’s between Fitgiant and Rebel Strength now. Fitgiant would mean a 4+ hour drive each way, guess I’ll contact Rebel Strength and ask about shipping, their websites says they need up to a month for delivery outside the UK, that means Brexit will have already happened. If I end up with the Fitgiant one, I’ll definitely tell you. I live between Mainz and Frankfurt currently, where are you at now that you’ve left Munich?
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I currently live about an hour south of Hannover
So, time for another update. I have my eyes on several competitions coming up. One that I definitely want to do is on June 20th and I may also do one in Berlin a month prior. Events are posted and registration is open six weeks before each contest. Three aditional contests that are within a reasonable driving distance are currently scheduled as planned, but without a proper date. If they are confirmed and I can make them schedule-wise before I have to sign up for Berlin I’ll do those/that instead, since Berlin would likely mean two nights away from home so much more of a hassle.
In terms of training, I’m on the Juggernaut Method again (at least for Squat, Bench and Axle OHP) since it’s worked well in the past. Currently beginning week 3 of 10’s phase and smashing rep-PRs. For deadlift, I’m giving ROM-progression a try and while it’s too early for a judgement call, I think it was a good move. Certainly has me moving higher weights than Juggernaut would have me do, so I’m staying used to those.
@Koestrizer: Shipping from Rebel Strength is pretty expensive, so I guess I’m going to make the drive down to Bavaria pretty soon to get the Fitgiant Log. Don’t quite know when I’ll be able to squeeze roughly nine hours of driving around into my schedule though.
Current training layout is as follows:
Day 1: Deadlift
A) ROM-Progression Matt-Pulls: One all-out work set + a rest/pause set.
B1) Squat variation (Zercher right now, moving on to Front Squats next week)
B2) Abs (Ab wheel right now)
C) Farmer’s or Yoke, alternating each week (light farmers, light yoke, heavy farmers, heavy yoke, repeat)
Day 2: Overhead
A) Axle Continental Clean & Press, working up to a heavy-ish set of 5, 3 or 1. Will switch this to Log as soon as I have one.
B1) strict Axle Press, Juggernaut sets & reps
B2) Pull Ups, same number of sets or one more than press
C1) vertical Pressing assistance
C2) Row variation
D) Sandbag work, mostly runs + load over Yoke
Day 3: Squat & Lower Body assistance
A) Squat: Juggernaut sets & reps
B) Romanian Deadlifts
C1) Unilateral Leg work
C2) Ab work
Day 4: Bench & Upper body assistance
A1) Bench: Juggernaut sets & reps
A2) BB Row: same sets & weight
B1) Overhead variation
B2) Vertical pulling or something that puts a nice stretch on the lats, like DB Pullovers
C1-3) Giant set for rear delts, triceps and biceps.
Things are moving in the right direction, especially overhead. I credit that to stronger triceps, JM and Dick’s presses seem to be working for me.
I’ve had to work on my squat a bit. For a long time, I was squatting super deep, ass to grass, which put my lower back in a compromised position. Since I’ve started recording more sets and squatting to just under parralel that has gotten much better and my squat is finally moving up again after a long time of being stagnant. Good times.
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Good news about the comps! I am sure you’ll have a good start into the sport. I am pretty surprised that the third league turned out to be bigger than the 2nd. Well, interest is ever rising.
I don’t know what that is and you left out sets, reps and intensity on assistance stuff but generally looks pretty good.
Yeah that’s definitely a hassle. How good are you at crafting? A guy I know said those fitgiant like logs are supposedly rather easy to make but I myself am not very talented in that area, haha.
The Juggernaut Method consists of four phases where you do 10, 8, 5 and 3 rep sets respectively. Each phase lasts for three weeks with more sets and lower weights at the beginning and fewer sets and heavier weights at the end of the phase. Last set is always AMRAP and how many reps you get on the last week of each phase determines how you adjust your training max.
Didn’t really list sets & reps because I typically let the exercise dictate what I do there. Example: I know from experience that if I really push DB Pullovers towards failure my shoulders are going to suffer, so I’ll do more sets for those and stay a few reps shy of failure. On the other hand with something like a walking lunge I know I can abolutely annihilate my legs in just one set, so I might just do one set to complete failure. All assistance exercises rotate in and out of the program independently from each other, I try to progress on each one in some way from week to week and if I can’t anymore I’ll switch to the next exercise that fits the same purpose.
A handful of exercises stay in the program nearly all the time, for example romanian deadlifts. On these, I’ll just change the rep ranges or the way I do them, slow negatives etc, to change up the stimulus.
Not good at all I’m afraid.
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Hey buddy, someone is selling a Fitgiant log on eBay Kleinanzeigen right now. Near Heidelberg. He is also selling some plates. Maybe you can negotiate a good price.
Hey man, thanks for the heads up. Somehow I couldn’t access the forums for several weeks, saw the E-Mail notification for your post, tried a different browser and now it’s working again. I messaged the guy already, Heidelberg really isn’t much of a drive for me, could get it on friday if things work out.
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My pleasure.
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Agreed on a price, just waiting to find out when I can go and get it.So, if you’re ever in or around Frankfurt and want to do some log pressing, hit me up, I owe you a beer for the tip.
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Gonna take you up on that if I ever come to the area.
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I got the log last saturday and have trained with it twice now, feels good so far but I haven’t gone heavy yet. I’m going to use the same method I used when I first did Axle Clean & Press: Work up to a heavy-ish set of 5 one week, then 3, then 1, then Axle again for three weeks before my main pressing work. Also, I’ll do higher rep log strict press for a while as assistance after benching.
The cats seem to like it and I’m really happy I can train at home right now…
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I like that approach. I am currently using the same + some lighter back off sets (-20%), which I would recommend for you as well, especially if you’re not used to the technique yet. Be sure to post a video if you’d like a technique review.
Oh the joy in times like these!
You’re propably right about getting a few more reps in to drill technique.
Time for another update.
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I really hope that with the whole Covid19 situation there’ll still be some competitions in summer and/or autumn. It’s been announced that large events (attendants in the 1000’s) will be banned until the end of august, so maybe smaller sporting events like a strongman show could take place before that. I’d be thrilled if the comp I had my eyes on for late june was still on, but I don’t really dare hope.
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Weights are still moving in the right direction. While my deadlift and overhead press moved up nicely for the second half of 2019, right now I’m happy that for the first time in a long long while, I’m making real progress on squats again. Since my setup at home doesn’t allow me to squat with safeties I won’t test my 1-rm at the end of this training cycle, but I’m pretty sure I’ll break my previous PR organically in training before long without it being an all-out 1-rm. The squat has been a real struggle for basically the last few years, I did my previous PR sometime in 2017 if I remember correctly, then I moved, couldn’t train at my previous PL club anymore and my technique went to shit. Also, I think my training intensity wasn’t where it needed to be for a long time after that. Been rediscovering that since I’ve had the home gym.
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Since all weight classes use the same weights in competition here and I don’t have a shot at winning any of the weight classes, I’ve decided I won’t make an effort to get under 90kg for whenever a comp will happen. I’m reasonably lean as it is at around 91-92kg right now, so I guess this is the smarter choice long term.
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Some numbers from last week, I’ve deadlifted 170kg for 7, squatted 140kg for 6, benched 105kg for 7 and strict pressed 67,5kg for 7 on the axle. I haven’t yet gone over 70kg on Log clean & press, but I enjoy using the log and I’m sure there’s more there and by the time the comp comes around I won’t zero the log if there’s one in it.
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That is the correct decision. There is no point in starting u90 kg. Even less if you have an aspiration to eventually start in the 2nd league because there is no u90 kg in that. Don’t worry at all about your weight for the competition. Just go in at whatever bodyweight you are that day.
I am pretty sure you’re not going to. If I am not mistaken the log will likely be around 80 kg in comp. That isn’t far off.
Also: Solid numbers, keep it up!
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Right now I don’t really have a lot of aspirations, or expectations for that matter. In my mind, my first “competative season” is entirely about a) gaining experience and b) having fun. Looking at how my numbers would have stacked up in last year’s competitions, I’m not going to be near the top, so any thoughts of going up a league can wait until this first year (if it ever really starts) is over. 
So, yesterday I did some farmer’s walks with 100kg per hand, heaviest I’ve done so far and it sure wasn’t fast, but the grip held up. Will be a while before I go that heavy again, don’t want to train to be slow.
Also, I used straps to hold on to for front squats for the first time, ususally I go with crossed arms, clean grip is out of the question. Felt good, more stable than expected, I’ll stick to this.
I also did nordic hamstring curls for the first time in ages and for the first time here at home. Don’t know why it took me so long to try this, hammies are a weakness for me, so more options to get them stronger are always welcome, especially since I don’t have the space for a GHR or similar. Knees hurt a bit with just a towel on stone, I’ll have to get one of those fancy knee pads. But for now, it’ll do.
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Today was a good day. It was the start of the last week of this run-through of the juggernaut method, worked up to 182,5 kg in deadlifts for 6 reps, which is a rep-pr. Then front squats, another rep-pr at 100 kg x 6. Followed that up with sets of five.
Next on the schedule was heavy yoke walks, had the choice of multiple trips at 220 kg or one heavier one, 200 moved quicker than ever, so I put 230 kg on (most I’ve done so far) and it moved alright. Not really fast, but decent for pr weight. Finished up with nordic hamstring curls.
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This was yesterday’s top set of 72,5 kg / 160lbs x 5 with the Axle. Bit crooked, my left shoulder has been achey for a good week and a half, but I’m happy I got five reps. Squats tomorrow are going to be interesting as well, we’ll see how it goes.
So, the head of the national strongman federation just said that, depending on how regulations change, some contests may be happening in September. Nothing certain of course, but that would be nice. If everything goes to plan our first child will be born in october and I’d be happy to get a contest in before then.
He has? I must have missed that.