Weight at 103.9 today. Had a VERY relaxed weekend for food. But thats the point. I hit weight early so I could relax.
A lot of it will drop quickly I feel. Going to tighten up this week any way. A few things I’ve liked over the last few days and weeks.
I’m in control of my weight right now. 100%. If I want to add weight I can. If I want to drop weight I can. Its nice to know I’m in control.
A small refeed and o add 4kg to my press PR. Gives me hope for the competition. I should finish all 10 deadlifts.
I feel empty though. Like I have 0 inside of me. Without a water cut this is as light as I can go right now.
Going to squeeze a deadlift day in today. Going to put 180 on the axle and try reps for 60 seconds. Aiming for 7-8.
Axle deadlift
180 reps in 60.
Got to 7. Easily enough. Again on a restricted diet I think I lose a rep.
Drop sets
2x5 at 150 with light chains working speed past sticky point.
Then same weight all in for 7.
Happy enough. I think come competition day with a full belly and adrenaline I’ll get 8 reps in the dead lift. Thats solid enough.
One arm row rack run
50 12
40 8
30 5.
The 50 feels imbalanced d in my hands. I have 1 more rep in there. If only I could keep it balanced.
60kg smith machine bent over row
3x10 - REALLY good MMC.
75kg Log - reps in 60 seconds (max 10 reps)
180kg axle- reps in 60 seconds (max 10 reps)
210kg yoke - 20m drop and return
100kg farmers walk - 20m drop and return
130kg sled drag - 20m
I’m hoping to do well on the yoke and farmers.
Axle and log I dont thingk I’ll get 10. I might get 8 or 9. Sled is impossible to judge.
130kg on a sled can be easy if it’s on a smooth surface. If it’s on a rough surface it could be near impossible. But I’ve got good back strength. I’m hopeful.
Edit - 102.7 this morning. Very happy. Wasnt really hungry yesterday at all. Only ate 2 meals. 6 eggs and a gammon steak, 5 chicken thighs and salad. It’s good my appetite is appropriate for my goals now.
Although I did eat 100g of peanuts. Which always helps keep my appetite down.
Rugby tonight. Some good CV work. Ready for log work Thursday / Friday and event day Saturday.
So I missed a day training. Log today. Farmers and yoke tomorrow.
Also brought 250kg of weight plates so even if the gym is too much. I have a yoke, squat and deadlift indoors…
Log
75x7 in 60 seconds. A pr. My limiting factor now is not my strength. But speed. I mean strength helps but I can only do 9 at 65kg…
These felt much easier though. I mean like EASY. really hopefully for these now.
Pull up - surprise PR 10 reps. My son did 15 on Wednesday night. I’d love to out do him. I know that’s childish. But I dont care.
10,8,5,5.
That’s 28 in 4. 25 in 3 and I jump up to 30 in 3 sets.
Press on axle - 60kg.
3x10. Really like this. Much better than traditional bar.
Thanks @T3hPwnisher
Farmers walk
3x20m & return at 105kg/hand. 5kg/h more than comp.
1st run felt shit. But warm up was quick
2and run felt GOOD. It was the grip that was giving out.
3rd run felt food. Happy with this. Having to take 5 breaths at the turn. But on comp day I’ll ditch these. I’ll be more pumped.
Also hands have been torn apart. Not just at the finger but the palm.
Yoke
2x 20m & return. 210kg.
This is comp weight.
My core felt dead before this. On my single warm up run at 130kg I didnt struggle but i wasnt at the races.
After this I went home.
This weekend been mad.
I’ve played rugby and been the the gym twice each.
Ive got dog training this afternoon. I’m beaten up.
Edit - ate like a pig over this weekend. Still at 102.5kg. The amount of exercise is helping to off set some of my poorer food choices. But I’m at the weight I want. No need to lose more just yet.
Press - 86 x3
Warming up I wondered if 84kg had been 10kg miss calculation. I struggled on every warm up set. I loaded up 84kg gave a quick push press for R1 and felt great. R2 felt smooth and power full. R3 again up no issues. Then I stumbled on the decent of R3.
I tried again squeezed out 3 more. That stumble REALLY threw me. Took a lot of strength to stop the bar falling.
We discussed your experience of Dr Darden’s work very briefly. And I wondered if you wouldn’t mind let me now a bit more. The 30-10-30 protocol seems to hold water - if being a bit too good to be true. 1 x 30min training session a week? No - 2x week at least. If I can do super squats 3xweek you can do 30-10-30 2xweek
Is this the sort of thing you had experience with?
The reason:
The idea looks fun. Really short but really brutal. I could see me using this as quick work out. But like wise IF as the only person of any real training pedigree (I’m aware of) thats used Dr Darden’s work you gave it a good go, and had a poor experience I might reconsider.
It was directly from a book of his published in the early- to mid-80s. (Sorry, I can’t recall its title.) The plan involved a full-body workout, one movement per bodypart. Sets were taken to failure, with essentially no rest time between exercises. I cannot speak to the efficacy of any training methods/plans he has promulgated since.
If you’re contemplating pursuing such a program, I can elaborate on its shortcomings.
I was thinking about trying the 30 - 10 - 30 method on a few lifts.
For example - when time is short I could 30 - 10 - 30
Front squat
Back squat
Press
Bench press
Bent over row
Curl
Today was my first front squat with an axle
Last week I managed 140kg x 4 on a barbell.
Today I was looking for 138kg x5.
I failed the 4th rep.
I’m 100% confident it’s just a positioning issue. I feel the bar roll forward every rep. It’s a whole inch bigger, it would. You can see me adjusting my hips 3-4 times at the bottom of the reps.
Once I get this sorted I’ll be fine.
Front squat:
138x 3
This is a good test weight for a new round of 531.
Drop sets
108kg 3x5
Back squat 128x20
Lunge 2x10 at 25kg
Fyi things are in 8’s as the axle weights 8kg.
I joke of course. The fact its bit difficult to balance is good thing for strong man. Much more true to the sport and the oddities they put in front of you.
An axle was 100% the right call. Cost me £0-00 and much more effective.
Thank you.
I had planned to do 1 set of 5 reps at 108lg to warm up / get bar placement. But during the warm up I struggled and 128kg was off the cards.
So I done 108kg.
I’m going to edit this reply with why I think the axle is harder. And why it’s a good thing. Rather than making something harder by standing on a wobble board etc.
I was going to and then realised I was rehashing what I’d read on “mythical gains” and that plagiarism is wrong.
So my thoughts on the axle.
Its hard work being humbled. But the axle is a better bar for me. As a strong man my gym numbers are second to my events. And the axle is more in tune with the events I will do. Axle clean and press being one.
However even the front squat and back squats – the lack of bar whip and over sized nature of the bar mean that I’m not lifting “clean”. There is technique BUT its less refined. And that’s a good thing.
When I’m saying is – front squatting 140kg with the barbell is great. And it enabled be to clean an 85kg log. But I feel that front squatting the axle with 138kg will enable me to clean the log better. As (much like the log) I can’t get into the perfect position to front squat. The BAR does sit on my wind pipe. There is no flex in the bar (noticeable on the back squats) and its very large so I will need to work on positioning. Like my yoke.
I have an upper body session coming Thursday. And then I’m going to do axle clean and press this weekend. And MAYBE yoke & dead lift if the weather holds.
The axle is having a detrimental effect t on all of my lifts.
18 days ago I got 84x6 on standard bar. Today ground out 78x7.
It’s not a big issue. I get that a slightly different bar will change up what I can lift. AND the other day was just a stellar work out.
Press
3x5 58kg
Incline bench
78
68
58
Didnt count reps but pushed as hard as I could.
Close grip bench
58 3x10
Bent over row
90kg 2x10 - I’m just doing rows. Not gonna stress. Once 4 x10 at 90kg is easy I’ll move it up to 100kg.
Axle curl. Pound stone method. As many reps with the empty bar.
Well empty - my axle is 8kg so I add 10kg to it for 18kg.
30 reps. Pathetic. But 1 rep more each week and that’s 90 reps Christmas 2021.
I’ll try and add faster. But 100 reps sometime in 2021 will be good.
