Hoss' Heavy Duty Progress Log

Training Over 35 Lifter
1

So this seems to be a good place to set up my training log. Most likely I’ll be the only one reading it. This way if I ever lose my workout binder, I’ll have this as a backup progress record.

Age: 41
Ht: 6"6"
Wt: 390 or so
BF%: No idea, but it’s too much

Goals for 3-29-2011

Deadlift - 600
Squats - 600

All other lifts of comparable increase

Compete in and place (well) in a local strongman competition or better.

Workout will be Mike Mentzer’s Heavy Duty program.

Day 1 (April 06, 2010)

First workout in about a year and a half.

(A warm up set will always precede regular set. This will not be noted after this, as it will be a given)

except for warmup,

ALL SETS OF ALL EXERCISES ARE PERFORMED TO FAILURE. NO EXCLUSIONS.

Chest
Pec Deck 135lbsx9 reps
supersetted with
Incline Dbells press 45’s x 4 reps

Back
Close Grip, Palms Up(?) Pulldown 120 x 9 reps
Deadlift 225lbs x 3 reps *

  • Grip weak, can’t hold bar any longer after this. Do NOT buy straps. You need to get your grip strength up if you’re going to be in strongman.

Also concern over feet/hand placement for Deadlift. with feet at shoulder width and hands slightly wider, my knees are still bumping into my wrists/forearms.

Widening the grip feels a little awkward. Maybe arms INSIDE the legs instead of outside, like Brian Siders?

FIND A SOLUTION!

Palms UP pulldown? The palms either face towards you or away from you when doing a pulldown.
You can’t have your palms facing up unless your forearms are horizontal.
Maybe Mentzer meant palms/IN?

Either way, I’m not getting an isolated feeling in the lats on this exercise. I may switch to seated pullover lat machine.

Total time in gym: 22 minuts.
Total sets: 3

2

Welcome Hoss - you’ll be surprised at your readership

and that’s a really sick avatar…

3

Oh yea. I forgot about that guy. (I have avatars disabled)

I suffer from Cluster Headaches, or “suicide headaches” as they’re called by those of us that get them.

4

Soldog beat me to it. I love the avatar. It reminds me of King Crimson’s first album cover. Is that what cluster headaches feel like?

First impressions: I like the ambitious goals. Why strongman? Looks like you have a lot of hard work ahead of you.

This is a good place to be, in that almost all of us here are goal oriented and work very hard and intelligently towards those goals. Welcome aboard.

5

In case you are not familiar with the King Crimson stuff, here it is.

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Welcome aboard!

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Welcome , nice work, hold on tight its a fast crowd

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You’ll be suprised how many of us ‘old fart’ will actually read your log. Welcome to the ‘old folks home’ :slight_smile:

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Great that you’re getting back to the gym. Sumo deadlifting is the way to go. Good to have you here.

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Thanks everyone! I really didn’t expect anyone to read my log, but I appreciate all the input! I think I’ll like it here.

And Carl, that pic’s almost exactly like my AV. Wonder if it’s a King Crimson illustration?

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[quote]OklahomaHoss wrote:
Thanks everyone! I really didn’t expect anyone to read my log, but I appreciate all the input! I think I’ll like it here.

And Carl, that pic’s almost exactly like my AV. Wonder if it’s a King Crimson illustration?[/quote]

Reminds me of something out of ‘Heavy Metal’…the first one…don’t know why.

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6’6", round 390? You one big mofo. You have any strongman equipment and will you be throwing any specific implement training in? Be sure and check out the storngman forum. Welcome.

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[quote]hel320 wrote:
6’6", round 390? You one big mofo. You have any strongman equipment and will you be throwing any specific implement training in? Be sure and check out the storngman forum. Welcome.[/quote]

Thank you very much, Hel I can’t wait to (I hope) make a little noise here on the local strongman scene.

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April 11th 2010

Legs

Exercise one
Leg Extensions 135lbs x 13 reps
supersetted with (no rest)
Leg Press 5plates on each side x 6 reps (slow)

Exercise 2
Seated toe raises 90lbs x 12 reps.

Notes:

Right leg felt as though it was doing all the work. Not sure if this is because, after such a long layoff (1.5 years) that the right leg has somehow grown weaker (even though this never used to be the case in my 20s and 30s after a layoff) and therefore has to work that much harder to keep up with the left, or if for some reason I’m putting more pressure on the right leg. I’ve concentrated on working both legs equally.

Next leg day (April 26th) Im going to work the legs individually to see if there is a strength difference between them. If theres not, then for some reason, I’m mentally making my right leg work harder. Strange.

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April 19th 2010

Delts and Arms

Exercise One
Dumbbell Lateral Raises 30’s x 8 reps
Bent Over Flys (rear delts) 20s x 8 reps

Should be doing more than that. But not bad for being the first delt workout after a year and a half. Don’t beat yourself up. You’ll get there, and quick.

Standing Barbell Curls 70lbs x 8 reps

Not bad. Right arm felt a little weaker than the left.

Tricep Cable Pressdowns 130lbs x 9 reps.

Decent weight. Good feel to it.

Keep getting your sleep. Keep the food coming. And start walking!

16

You may be already planning on doing them but I’d throw in some face pulls if you start hitting the front delts heavy. Best things I’ve found for evening out the front and back.

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My 2 cents: throw away the HD training, if you would like to do anything like strongman or powerlifting. If you want to do strongman or anything explosive, you have to train explosively. HD training has little to no athletic carryover, and I can speak as one who has training both HIT and DC, and have watched guys try to move over to PL from training that way: long learing curve. Get some stones, a tire, a log, and heave-ho hoss.

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Welcome, can’t agree with Eco on the sumo. Tried it, wish I could. As most of you know my DL form sucks but I love moving heavy shit. Lot’s of good info here, and except for me you have heard from some guys who know. Ah to be 41 again and know what I know now. Good luck and go heavy.
The Missouri Mule

BTW What part of Texas, I am currently in McAllen heading back to Lubbock.

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I would echo what PeteS said. If your going to do strongman stuff explosive lifts are the way to go. Also alot of energy traing is in order. Like Sled work, farmers walks and sprints.

Check out the competition rules beforehand - most will tell you what events they are going to do months ahead of time to give you guys time to train for it.

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[quote]hel320 wrote:
You may be already planning on doing them but I’d throw in some face pulls if you start hitting the front delts heavy. Best things I’ve found for evening out the front and back. [/quote]

What are face pulls?