Maple Syrup Strength (littlesleeper)

[Koestrizer]

@littlesleeper

I need to pull the trigger at some point and see what happens…

THIS! I am certain you will surprise yourself and have a great time.
Also as a learning experience it is invaluable.

If you can, try to shoulder the sandbag. Hugging it will likely make breathing the limiting factor.

Go for it, mate

[oldbeancam]

@littlesleeper

I’ll give this a watch tonight, but I have done a few weeks of triceps rolling on the barbell (as pictured) and using the foam roller. I’ve done lots of band dislocates, stretches, etc and I’m maybe 1/2inch closer to a front rack?
Too many damn priorities in the gym at the moment…

I posted the same video awhile back. I really think it’s a great way to open the triceps and forearms. Elliot hulse did a video years ago as well talking about stretches for front squats that helped me a lot as wel, but I definitely recommend that video

[littlesleeper]

@oldbeancam

I posted the same video awhile back. I really think it’s a great way to open the triceps and forearms.

I thought it looked familiar, ok, then I have watched it. I did do some of those stretches explained but maybe I just need to stick with it a little longer. I think I did them every workout session for close to 3 weeks with little to show for it, so they kind of fell of my short list of mobility movements. I’m not opposed to taking another stab at it though now that it has moved up my list of priorities in training.

I’ve pitched the idea of the competition to my wife, so tonight will be a proper discussion on how we can make it work.

[oldbeancam]

Yeah I feel you man. I’ve personally gotten more out of doing the hand stretch against the wall and turning my body away throughout the day and doing what was in the video right before I front squat. Sometimes I’ll flex and unflex my triceps on a lacrosse ball right on the tendon near my elbow in between sets. Seems to help a lot as well.

I was the same way with the priorities too. I front squatted before, but not as intensely or with mug intent, but ever since Ive noticed a ton of improvement with my deads and my overhead pressing since front squatting two to three times a week, I’ve started stretching more vigorously for a clean rack. It took me about 3 months of hard stretching my forearms, triceps and wrists before I saw much improvement. Also, try and stretch your neck from all angles as well. Having a tight neck can make your elbows drop considerably. Sorry for the long post, but hope it helps!

[littlesleeper]

I needed that man. It’s good to hear others who have worked through the same issues, as I’m less likely to just accept poor shoulder/forearm mobility.

GOAL HAS BEEN SET: By the end of 2017, I will be able to hold a comfortable front rack position!

[isdatnutty]

@littlesleeper

GOAL HAS BEEN SET: By the end of 2017, I will be able to hold a comfortable front rack position!

Front Squat, Front hold with your whole hand wrapped around gripping the bar. Doing this got my front rack position secure really fast. You’ll feel your back being activated even more. It’ll suck in the beginning, but as your mobility improves you’ll notice a big difference.

[littlesleeper]

@isdatnutty

Front Squat, Front hold with your whole hand wrapped around gripping the bar.

This is the goal! If I could do either of these things I wouldn’t have a problem lol

The bar is either on my shoulders with maybe the tip of my index finger under it, or the bar is in my hands. So when trying a push press, the bar is just in my hands and isn’t making contact with my shoulders. It’s more of a lean back and I hope my chest nudges it on the way up to help.

[Frank_C]

@littlesleeper

This is the goal! If I could do either of these things I wouldn’t have a problem lol

The bar is either on my shoulders with maybe the tip of my index finger under it, or the bar is in my hands. So when trying a push press, the bar is just in my hands and isn’t making contact with my shoulders. It’s more of a lean back and I hope my chest nudges it on the way up to help.

It’s nice to know that I’m ahead of you in at least one weightlifting related thing!

[isdatnutty]

Hey man these 3 stretches will help your mobility fast in the front squat. You can have a homie or your wife do this for you.

Front Squat Stretch (Bodyweight+Flexibility)

Monkey Method Partner shoulder stretches 3 & 4

My wife every night does a variation of the 2nd video for me (learned it from a chinese weightlifting video) where I clasp my hands behind my head (like I’m getting arrested) and she puts her knee in my mid back and pulls back my arms from my elbows. Flex your abs. Its made my snatches perfect, but your hella muscular, so I’m sure your pecs/shoulders are a lot tigher than mine. So it’ll REALLY open that area.

[littlesleeper]

Awesome, thanks so much man. I’ll definitely give these a go and let you know how they feel!

[oldbeancam]

Thank you so much for posting this! I think this will help me as well and probably a lot of other people. The second video for sure!

[littlesleeper]

07/27/2017

DAY OF FUN!

A bunch of band pullaparts and bar hangs, also worked in a few sets of shoulder mobility movements.

Log Press (Clean Once and Press Away)
80lbs x 10
110 x 10
150 x 20 in <60s @brady888
150 x 12
150 x 10

Atlas Stone Squats (I got this idea from THIS link)
145 x 10
175 x 10
175 x 10
145 x 10

This movement is kind of funny looking in the video. I try to keep the movement controlled and put a brief pause at the top. Nothing too heavy, but wanted to wake the atlas stone muscles up and put a little volume into them.

Fire Hydrant Carry (~155lbs)
100ft…just once and boy oh boy. I was sucking wind for more than 5mins after this one!

NOTE:

It looks like I won’t be doing the strongman competition in 2 weeks. I did a full list of pros and cons and weighed my options, but that weekend isn’t ideal and it would be the only competition I could make this year. I WILL REGISTER FOR THIS STRONGMAN CIRCUIT NEXT YEAR. It has multiple competitions around the country and you accumulate points based on how you finish to qualify for provincials/nationals.

After looking at the previous competitions it looks like there are a few that are significantly closer to me earlier in the year (hoping this holds true next year). So I think it’s best for me at this point to just keep working hard, start mixing in some of the strongman events that come up frequently in these competitions and then Jan 1 I will purchase a membership for the circuit and hopefully be able to compete in several competitions.

---

Vid of yesterday’s work:

July 27, 2017 Log Press 150lbs x 20 in 60s and Atlas Stone Work

Vid of Wednesday’s bench press top set (315 x 5):

July 25, 2017 Bench 315 x 5

[Despade]

Sweet plaid shirt! #oldschool #canadianAF haha love it

[littlesleeper]

Also, I want to leave this here because apparently I have issues with what weight the log is…
Only excuse I have is that my scale has one leg that falls off of it sometimes and will give some wacky readings. So maybe this is what caused the incorrect weighing last time? Who knows.

Weighed it at the beginning of the session to confirm, and it was almost 80lbs so that’s what I used it as to calculate weight.

Here is some more of my meals from this week just to spice things up a bit:

Venison, ontario chicken and local grass fed beef

EDIT: Log Weight Log Weighs Strongman Log Homemade Log Weight
(This is for future reference when I forget what the damn thing weighs…I should probably just write the weight on it…)

[Koestrizer]

@littlesleeper

150 x 20 in <60s @brady888

This sounds like a worthy challenge to introduce my new log to my training. Although I won’t end up anywhere near you.

[littlesleeper]

07/30/2017

Strongman Fun Schtuff

Axle Clean and Press (Clean every rep)
Double Overhand
55 x 5
95 x 5
115 x 5
145 x 5
Added belt here and did the rest continental style
185 x 3 x 4sets

The continental movement is a bitch. The 185 was an easy strict press once I got it to the top, but the hand switch requires 100% bracing and leaning back awkwardly. I didn’t struggle with a rep, but not a single one felt light or easy.

Farmer’s Walks
185lbs/hand for 100’ x 6

These walks felt surprisingly heavy. I have not put much time into farmer’s walks but everyone speaks so highly of them so I need to start incorporating them into my training more consistently. I had only planned on doing 3-4 sets but even though they felt heavy I seemingly didn’t feel fatigued after resting a minute or two. So I just kept adding sets. It was about an hour or two later when I started to feel like I got my ass kicked. I’m not sure if others feel similar when it comes to farmer’s walks? (as in not seemingly too draining during the movement, but that it takes more out of you than you think) I need to work on my turns BIG TIME. My turn took the same time it did for me to walk it 50’.

---

Woke up at 206.2lbs (I ate an early dinner, went to baseball and had NO beer at the game and NO food afterwards - so this is nearly a lb lighter than I have been waking at recently).

I’m starting a 4 week mini cut today with this Saturday being a ‘refeed’ day. This is our annual shit show fishing derby/horseshoe tournament and to be honest, is higher on my priority list than losing fat right now.

Cottage week starts August 25, so I’d like to enter the week being a little more carved up than I am right now.

I’m happy with where I am right now in training. My knee is feeling pretty good, no unusual aches or pains touch wood and strength is still here. I’m going to be doing the same program that @brady888 laid out for me but focus on getting some decent strongman work in every week as opposed to finding an excuse to deadlift instead.

I WILL BE ENTERING THE CAASA STRONGMAN CIRCUIT IN 2018.

S.M.A.R.T Goals:

1. Lift the 245lb atlas stone I have at home, and feel confident with this weight (245lbs is the heaviest stone I have seen in the past competitions for the MW class - so this will be a good weight to get comfortable with).
2. Make the 80 kilos to 89.9 kilos = middle weight class for the strongman competitions (<198lbs). This means staying under 210lbs through the year to comfortably make weight without a crazy cut. I know it isn’t recommended by everyone to worry about what weight class they’re in, but I’m too damn competitive to walk in as the lightest in a weight class and get run over. I’d rather get run over in a class that I have a chance in (being at the top of the weight class).
3. Work on mobility (specifically shoulder front rack mobility). I’m currently doing 10mins of yoga most mornings and will be doing some of the stretches/movements that my crew has suggested above. Specifically triceps rolling (video that oldbean and brady posted) and the nightly “Monkey Method” partner stretches (video that isdatnutty posted).

Those are my specific goals outside of the “get stronger and not get too fat” general goals.

[Despade]

@littlesleeper

as in not seemingly too draining during the movement, but that it takes more out of you than you think

Yup. The classic, “Hey, this isn’t nearly as hard on my conditioning as I thought!” flash forward to, “My god what have I done…”

[littlesleeper]

@Despade

Yup. The classic, “Hey, this isn’t nearly as hard on my conditioning as I though!” flash forward to, “My god what have I done…”

Haha, this is EXACTLY how I felt!

I could barely focus by the time I went to baseball last night. I felt like I was running off about 5% battery.

[brady888]

@littlesleeper

(245lbs is the heaviest stone I have seen in the past competitions for the MW class

At my first competition, the lightest stone for the LW’s was 240. It was dumb.

[oldbeancam]

@brady888

At my first competition, the lightest stone for the LW’s was 240. It was dumb.

Holy shit that’s crazy. What was the heaviest stone there??