My Strongman Log. First Comp in August

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
21

[quote]bwhite829 wrote:

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
Cool log, keep it up![/quote]

Thanks. I was very hesitant for a while about going to a strongman gym because of my low numbers, esp compared to my weight…I was expected to get laughed out and told to come back in 2 years when I am strong enough to do the events. Instead I got much of the same response as your response. Nothing but positivity from the coaches and strongmen that I train with and encouragement to keep giving it 100%. Seems to be a uniting thread of comradery with SM and PL that you don’t see in many other sports.
[/quote]

Ya man, I think outside of the internet, most groups are happy to welcome and help anyone that’s interested in what they’re passionate about.

I think it’s awesome and might join a strongman gym myself. I’m actually about to dig an area of my yard up for a sand pit I can do strongman stuff in. It’s a lot of fun!

22

just came across this. I’m doing my first strongman comp this Saturday. Will be following your log :slight_smile:

23

Cool good luck!

What events?

24

truck pull, keg toss, crucifix hold, max log press, and car deadlift for reps. I chose to enter this competition sort of based on the events. These seemed, for the most part, easy to train for without having access to much strongman equipment.

I’ll be competing in the LW(175) class.

25

Sounds like fun. This comp will be novice HW for me but next year I want to do a couple V-diet cycles to get down to MW. If I can get to around 225 and keep getting stronger, I’ll be looking @ 2x bench(will probably crossover and do a PL meet or 2 next year as well), 1.5x OHP, 3x dl, and 2-3x squat next year so will do a bit better in that weight class I think.

This year will be more of a learning experience more than anything.

26

Before I get into my workouts today a little bit about my exercise choice:

I’ve noticed after kegs, stones, tires, and logs that many of the strongman lifts are based around triple extension and explosive power. Each Saturday event session so far has had a deadlift in some form or fashion so with that said here we go:

-I’ve dropped DL through the week, we’ll probably do axle DL this saturday since we won’t have the car dl frame.

I did power cleans today, for the first time in 10 years. I worked up to 205, nailed it, and pulled 225 to my chest. I’ve apparently got a mental block that is giving me issues with the catch due to 2 acl repairs. I know without that mental block, I would have managed to get the catch and complete the lift w/ 225. When I used to do power cleans 10 years ago, even though I wasn’t doing full oly cleans, I could make the catch easily if it came to my lower chest region. I think I’ll be ditching power cleans for high pulls instead…anybody that’s read TNation for a while will understand why I think. So today’s workout was:

5/3/1 power cleans, working up to 150x3 160x3 165x4 185x 1 205x1, using 205 as my est 1rm and 185 as my TM…it was a guess but it appears I nailed it.

4x12 power shrugs(actually a jump shrug i guess, it wasn’t a quarter squat to shrug which is what I see alot of “power shrugs”)…i focused on max explosiveness and triple extension into a shrug with every rep.

6x3 snatch grip high pulls.

Next week will be clean grip high pulls 5/3/1, 6x3 sghp, and then 4x12 shrugs.

27

Well today was a good workout all things considered. Unfortunately, the buckle for my lever belt(to be unnamed as I don’t want to slander the brand. I’ve got an email out to customer service to have it replaced)…

I borrowed a harbinger belt and we did car deadlifts, kegs, and yoke.

After ripping my calluses again, I’ve decided to take some time to work out w/ the powerlifters on their saturday DL sessions to learn how to A: deadlift without tearing my hands every time I lift heavy and B: get my technique down.

Did kegs. Last week it took me 3 tries to get the 200 over a 40"ish bar, this time I got it over a 51" bar on my 2nd attempt…then after watching another guy get a 250 for a couple reps, it pumped me up so I chalked up from head to toe and hit 250 over the bar for a single.

Then did yokes:
-200 lb(empty) yoke for 100 ft
-380 lb for 100 ft
480 for 10-15 ft, then finished off the rest of the 100 ft w/ 380.

28

As I haven’t updated this week, so far it’s been a good week, made another tweak to my lower body session as I’m still feeling out what exercises I can leave in and what to exclude to give me best recovery:

Mon-Squats was 5’s week so I did 75%/80%/85%/80%/75% of my TM for 5’s. I’m dropping the volume to 3x5 for the time being. After the comp I’ll go back to doing down sets on 5’s week.
Also, stiff leg deadlifts and static holds. Since I ripped my calluses off on Saturday I strapped up for SLDL and used plates and did pinch grip holds instead of BB holds to let my hands heal.

Wed was a short upper body day since I had an early dr appt:
OHP 3x5 @ 75%/80%/85% TM
Pendlay rows, same as above
Z presses 6x3
hammer curls(w/ a bit of body english to help w/ log clean) 10,8,6,4,2.
finished off w/ a set of krock rows: 1x20

Thurs:
Clean grip high pulls 3x5
rack pulls: 6x2 @ 90% TM
power shrugs: 5x5

I don’t have my log in front of me so don’t know the numbers right off hand. I don’t see how anybody seriously wanting to progress doesn’t keep logs. If nothing else its soooooooooo motivating to see the gains over (X) time frame. I’ve decided to add rack pulls in since the bottom rack position is slightly above my knees. It’s more upper back than lower body so I don’t see too much issue w/ doing that and car deads on Saturday. I’ll be doing the rack pulls on my squat workout on Mondays(2 days after strongman day) however instead of DE days(2 days before strongman) to ensure that I’m not going very heavy a couple days before the event training. I’ll be switching those up w/ SLDL in the future, so Thursdays will be high pulls, SLDL, and power snatches. I think that’d be more rounded instead of clean grip high pulls followed by snatch grip high pulls and then power shrugs.

29

first workout in and its a week of PR’s. Saturday was a PR as far as how easy the 250 lb keg load is getting. I did a carry for the first time w/ teh 200 and 50 ft killed me. the comp is max distance in 1 min w/ unlimited drops.

Today I hit 315x3. First attempt I had at repping 315. I’ve done it repeatedly for easy singles and I feel like I could have gotten a few more reps but I was feeling on top of the world so wanted to hit a rack pull PR. My prev PR was 495 w/ rack pulls at the lowest setting @ my gym’s squat rack. I know its not alot but I gotta start somewhere. I hit the 495 in early April and 515 wouldn’t budge. I hit worked up to 545, I did it once and right at lock out, the bar started slipping even w/ wraps because my hands were so sweaty. so I regripped and it slipped more, put chalk on nailed it. went to 565 and nailed it. Its satisfying to finally be able to bend the bar w/ a lift, albeit a rack pull. I’ll be pulling it from the floor next year so it was exciting.

Tomorrow will be OHP. Depending on how I feel, I’ll be going for 225x5

30

Well I hit a PR today. Didn’t go for a rep PR w/ 225, instead I went for(and hit) 235 for a 10 lbs PR. Felt like I had a good 10 lbs left but want to save it for the competition next month.

After that it was pendlay rows and z presses. I called it a day after that because of my thumb.

31

Awesome job lately, rooting for you next month.

32

Thanks for the encouragement Vinny.

Yesterday’s workout was one of those days where everything felt heavy and despite a good breakfast I felt hungry throughout the whole workout so I just did the minimum and got out so I could have my PWO and eat some food:

5/3/1 High pulls. Everything, including warm ups felt heavy in a sense that I couldn’t get explosive.

8x2 stiff leg deadlift working up to 295 for a double. Most I’ve ever done on that lift so I was hesitant but my back has gotten alot stronger in the past year so everyting felt good.

5x5 shrugs: went from 315-355.

After shrugs I finally started to feel better and was no longer really hungry…I started considering doing some deadlift and work up to a PR considering my 70 lb rack pull PR from Monday but decided against that as that will do nothing to make me stronger and will probably take away from event day tomorrow.

33

On Saturday, nobody was there for strongman and due to liabilities and the fact that people don’t clean crap up, there is a rule about no strongman training w/o one of the 2-3 guys that do it. I am not complaining about the rule as I understand where they are coming from, just the people who ruin it for us all. I just did deads(had a powerlifter who works @ the gym watch and critique my form. He advised me to bring my feet some since off the floor is my weakest spot. I did it and although I didn’t notice a difference, he told me I looked much more explosive. Also did some light bench and some squats and called it a day.

This week I’ve got a SM session today, Thurs, and Sunday, then tues/wed/fri will be deload and no more training until my comp on the 19th. That’ll give me about 8 full days of recovery.

Today was Yoke and keg carries. by the time I got done with those, dehydration was kicking in big time and almost collapsed a few times between sets. Thursday, I’ll be drinking much more water during the day. We tried keg loads w/ 250 and then 200 and both of us(2 guys training and 1 guy that was coaching us completely blew his quad tendon in a pl meet in april and had surgery so he’s not doing SM currently) failed. It wasn’t the weight so much as it was the sweat at that point was so bad, I was covered in chalk and couldn’t lap it w/o it falling.

I’ll be bringing a towel and change of clothes for each event to make sure I’m as dry as possible on the day of the comp.

34

Today we did keg loads and log presses. We’ve not spent too much time on the log so I’m happy w/ my 200 lb clean and press. I know I’ve got the shoulder strength for a 225+ log press if I can rack it. All the logs felt heavy today. I’m taking the words of my coach about a guy who dominated kegs/stones in jeans because of grip and going to give it a shot on Sunday. Even w/ loads of chalk I sweat so much to be able to get a grip on the keg. I threw 250 over the bar for a double before but today I couldn’t even stand up with it. I did about 3-4 reps w/ the 200 lb keg though.

35

Calling out Vinny and others keeping up with this:

Once I finish my comp in a couple weeks, you all know I’m going back to the higher volume I was doing before. I was thinking about making a new thread but this way I’ll be able to ask specifically those who saw the volume I had before. Here’s what I’m thinking to get my conditioning(which I sorely need, I’m up to 275 and no doubt I’ve gained alot of muscle since October but I doubt it’s been 30 lbs of muscle) up to par:

-10k KB swing challenge by Dan John peaked my interest. I rest 5 min between LB main lifts (both main lifts @ the beginning and double’ sets @ the end) and 2 min between BBB and 3 min between UB main lifts, 2 min between BBB, and 1 min between any other accessories. I’ve been using it as complete rest, but I’m thinking about making each “rest period” a mini EDT session w/ KB swings. I doubt I’m at heavy enough weights that I’d be hampered too much w/ my strength gains at this point, they might come a little slower but I figure it’d be worth it to take my conditioning to the next level. So a monday workout would be like this:

5/3/1 squats(joker sets on 3 & 5/3/1 wks, minimum reps w/ down sets on 5 wks)-5 min break/EDT swings between each set
BBB deficit deads-2 min break/EDT swings
5/3/1 squats w/ using 90% of my normal TM as my new TM for the last(so I’d just do the 5/3/1 workout again, essentially w/ 81% of my 1RM as my TM but no joker sets or down sets, repping out weeks 3 & 5/3/1 and minimum reps on 5 wks)

I did a cycle of this previous to dropping the volume for the comp without the swings and felt great and will be returning to this in August. I think EDT swings with a minimum of 10 swings each set would be a great self-regulating tool. I figure eventually I’ll work up to 600-700 swings in a workout between my 13 sets which would give me about 2400-2800 swings/week. I’ll probably start w/ my minimum of 10 and work up from there, with a goal to hit an EDT once a week(whichever day I’m feeling like I can crush the world).

36

Today was last SM event day before comp. I’m feeling beat up as I’ve had 3 event days this past week. I’ll be deloading this week, working up to around 80% TM(so roughly 72% of my old 1rm) for a single on squat, dl, and OHP and that’s about it. Not going to be hitting any assistance. Next week will be my off day and Friday will be my last workout(deadlifting session, so working up to roughly 280).

I did smash my PR’s today. My previous car dl max was about the 3rd setting from the frame all the way out w/ handles up(regardless of car…we’ve done a saturn, v8 grand prix, my nissan altima, and a hyundai) and I’ve not even come close to hitting what I hit today. I was doing what I thought was my warm up set(all the way out and up) for 3 easy reps and after I finished everybody was like…so PR? I was like what? and looked and was like dang. thanks for not telling me it was set like that, so i did 3 more sets of 3-5 so I felt amazing. I also hit a 210 log clean very easy. I think now that I got my technique more refined after repping it out last Thursday I should be good to try 220 at the comp. I missed the press but it is the first event in the comp and after I rest a week I should be good. I hit the 200 press on Thurs easily. I’ll open w/ 180, go 200, then go for 220(max log, 3 attempts w/ wessel’s rule in place, starting @ 160 for novice and 20 lb jumps)

37

Today was last SM event day before comp. I’m feeling beat up as I’ve had 3 event days this past week. I’ll be deloading this week, working up to around 80% TM(so roughly 72% of my old 1rm) for a single on squat, dl, and OHP and that’s about it. Not going to be hitting any assistance. Next week will be my off day and Friday will be my last workout(deadlifting session, so working up to roughly 280).

I did smash my PR’s today. My previous car dl max was about the 3rd setting from the frame all the way out w/ handles up(regardless of car…we’ve done a saturn, v8 grand prix, my nissan altima, and a hyundai) and I’ve not even come close to hitting what I hit today. I was doing what I thought was my warm up set(all the way out and up) for 3 easy reps and after I finished everybody was like…so PR? I was like what? and looked and was like dang. thanks for not telling me it was set like that, so i did 3 more sets of 3-5 so I felt amazing. I also hit a 210 log clean very easy. I think now that I got my technique more refined after repping it out last Thursday I should be good to try 220 at the comp. I missed the press but it is the first event in the comp and after I rest a week I should be good. I hit the 200 press on Thurs easily. I’ll open w/ 180, go 200, then go for 220(max log, 3 attempts w/ wessel’s rule in place, starting @ 160 for novice and 20 lb jumps). Also w/ the kegs I switched to jeans for more friction. It’s no longer sliding all over my lap but now I’m having trouble dragging all the way up to lap it. I’ll not be using chalk w/ the jeans in the competition and I should be okay.

This’ll be my last update until the comp in 2 wks.

38

[quote]bwhite829 wrote:
Calling out Vinny and others keeping up with this:

Once I finish my comp in a couple weeks, you all know I’m going back to the higher volume I was doing before. I was thinking about making a new thread but this way I’ll be able to ask specifically those who saw the volume I had before. Here’s what I’m thinking to get my conditioning(which I sorely need, I’m up to 275 and no doubt I’ve gained alot of muscle since October but I doubt it’s been 30 lbs of muscle) up to par:

-10k KB swing challenge by Dan John peaked my interest. I rest 5 min between LB main lifts (both main lifts @ the beginning and double’ sets @ the end) and 2 min between BBB and 3 min between UB main lifts, 2 min between BBB, and 1 min between any other accessories. I’ve been using it as complete rest, but I’m thinking about making each “rest period” a mini EDT session w/ KB swings. I doubt I’m at heavy enough weights that I’d be hampered too much w/ my strength gains at this point, they might come a little slower but I figure it’d be worth it to take my conditioning to the next level. So a monday workout would be like this:

5/3/1 squats(joker sets on 3 & 5/3/1 wks, minimum reps w/ down sets on 5 wks)-5 min break/EDT swings between each set
BBB deficit deads-2 min break/EDT swings
5/3/1 squats w/ using 90% of my normal TM as my new TM for the last(so I’d just do the 5/3/1 workout again, essentially w/ 81% of my 1RM as my TM but no joker sets or down sets, repping out weeks 3 & 5/3/1 and minimum reps on 5 wks)

I did a cycle of this previous to dropping the volume for the comp without the swings and felt great and will be returning to this in August. I think EDT swings with a minimum of 10 swings each set would be a great self-regulating tool. I figure eventually I’ll work up to 600-700 swings in a workout between my 13 sets which would give me about 2400-2800 swings/week. I’ll probably start w/ my minimum of 10 and work up from there, with a goal to hit an EDT once a week(whichever day I’m feeling like I can crush the world).[/quote]

Hahahaha, I’m not sure I entirely understand this post. Part of it is the vast amount of initialisms/acronyms that I just can’t seem to decipher.

But…anything with 10,000 written before it seems legit.

so…

39

[quote]strongmanvinny wrote:

[quote]bwhite829 wrote:
Calling out Vinny and others keeping up with this:

Once I finish my comp in a couple weeks, you all know I’m going back to the higher volume I was doing before. I was thinking about making a new thread but this way I’ll be able to ask specifically those who saw the volume I had before. Here’s what I’m thinking to get my conditioning(which I sorely need, I’m up to 275 and no doubt I’ve gained alot of muscle since October but I doubt it’s been 30 lbs of muscle) up to par:

-10k KB swing challenge by Dan John peaked my interest. I rest 5 min between LB main lifts (both main lifts @ the beginning and double’ sets @ the end) and 2 min between BBB and 3 min between UB main lifts, 2 min between BBB, and 1 min between any other accessories. I’ve been using it as complete rest, but I’m thinking about making each “rest period” a mini EDT session w/ KB swings. I doubt I’m at heavy enough weights that I’d be hampered too much w/ my strength gains at this point, they might come a little slower but I figure it’d be worth it to take my conditioning to the next level. So a monday workout would be like this:

5/3/1 squats(joker sets on 3 & 5/3/1 wks, minimum reps w/ down sets on 5 wks)-5 min break/EDT swings between each set
BBB deficit deads-2 min break/EDT swings
5/3/1 squats w/ using 90% of my normal TM as my new TM for the last(so I’d just do the 5/3/1 workout again, essentially w/ 81% of my 1RM as my TM but no joker sets or down sets, repping out weeks 3 & 5/3/1 and minimum reps on 5 wks)

I did a cycle of this previous to dropping the volume for the comp without the swings and felt great and will be returning to this in August. I think EDT swings with a minimum of 10 swings each set would be a great self-regulating tool. I figure eventually I’ll work up to 600-700 swings in a workout between my 13 sets which would give me about 2400-2800 swings/week. I’ll probably start w/ my minimum of 10 and work up from there, with a goal to hit an EDT once a week(whichever day I’m feeling like I can crush the world).[/quote]

Hahahaha, I’m not sure I entirely understand this post. Part of it is the vast amount of initialisms/acronyms that I just can’t seem to decipher.

But…anything with 10,000 written before it seems legit.

so…
[/quote]

Lol I wrote it at the time of night that I was about to go to bed so I figured it’d be incoherent…Basically, between each set, my “rest” would be kettlebell swings, no set reps, just a minimum of 10, with a weekly goal to hit a new TOTAL swing PR. Basically over the course of my training cycles, my density and work capacity would shoot through the roof, thus increasing my conditioning.

40

Back to the grind stone…had the week before/after competition off so this is my 1st heavy barbell week in 4 weeks or so. jumped in with the boring but big just where I left off, but switching deficit deads instead of sumo deads and oly squats vs zercher squats for my BBB assistance.

Today was 3’s week of squats:

240x3
265x3
295x4
305x3 singles
315x1 single
(295, 305, 315 were done unwrapped. trying to break in my knee sleeves that I just got)
Deficit Deads:
160x5x10(first time doing these. I am just going off of my sumo dl weight as it is substantially lower than my conv deadlift max…wasn’t expecting the pump in the quads that I got and it also fried my lower back towards the end. I racked the bar to finish squats and collapsed on the floor)
3’s using a new TM of 90% of actual TM used above:
210x3
240x3
265x3(wasn’t sure if I had more so I just called it @ 3…there’s always next week to smash this PR)