Never Go Full Strongman (or Bikini)

Training Training Logs
81

Howdy @Koestrizer

Well i hope someone big uses them a bunch so i can call them “kaz deadlifts” or something next time haha.

Well for the the stones the first pull so to speak basically feels like a shorter rom stiff-legged deadlift (hips drop before lockout), but you to straddle the stone and hoist from there, so that’s that portion. I used the Axle since it taxes the grip so much more. I felt it in all the right places, but in thinking about it the actual hand placement is more like a zercher, so i may do a zercher axle semi-sumo stiff-legged deadlift in the future, and will hopefully move back to stones soon so i can just say “stones” lol.

82

Haha that would come in handy :smiley:

Okay sounds logical! I wish I could practice stones. I assume I would have gotten the stone at my competition if I had have any practice or any idea what I was doing. I for example tried to squat/ conv. deadlift the weight up (the small diameter of the stone was part of the reason too) and it didn’t work out well. Would like to get revenge on that thing!

83

Haha, yeah the first time i touched it it literally didn’t move a millimeter; I think i tried to squat it up but went nowhere really fast. I can only imagine the frustration if the first time i used it was in a competition. Unless you’re a monster and cam one-motion the thing, for me it feels like two pretty distinct movements: before and after the knee line (stiff leg before and vertical torso squat after). You could always get a heavy sandbag!

84

COMPETITION UPDATE
2016 Hill Country Strongman, Austin, TX

Keg toss: series of 8 kegs for 15’
30/30/30/30/35/35/35/35

18" Tire deadlift - max reps in 60 seconds
500#

Truck push/pull medley
TBD

Log Clean & Press
Max single - Men start at 140# and increase in 20# increments

Atlas Stone ladder (head-to-head)
175/205/240/275/300

Notes
Glad to finally see the weights so I can coordinate my training better. I feel pretty good about most of these, but that 500# tire dead is going to be tough.

Friday’s training.

Axle press: 100x5, 115x5, 130x5, 100x5x5

levers: 50 reps

Z mechanical drop-set: 3 rounds

10 minute EMOM hill sprints.

85

4-19-16

ME
SVR Variant: 5s week

Deadlift: 235x5, 275x5, 315x5, 235x3x5 (pause at 18")

Fat Bench: 155x5, 175x5, 195x5, 155x5x5

Levers/pull-ups: like 30?

Notes for me: Once this cycle is over I’m going to increase the specialization.

HER
SVRII mod

Deadlift (cycle 2; 3s week)
110x3, 125x3, 145x6 (PR), 110x10

Bench press (cycle 2; 5s week)
45x5, 55x5, 60x5, 45x5x5

Notes for her: she’s following the guidance of her nutritionist closely and doing frequent conditioning, but she can’t seem to loose any weight. I want to keep her on 531 to continue building her base, but I need to do what I can for her programming-wise. I think I’m going to have her run “531 crossfit” found in the 2nd edition for her next cycle, albeit with the 351 sceme.

4-21-16
ME

Stone throws overhead: 8

10 minutes EMOM hill sprints. Tried doing this w/ the vest but the weights fell out quicker than I could load them up so I ditched it.

86

4-23-16
ME

Axle strict press: 115x5, 135x3, 145x1, 155x4 (pr), 185x miss (at forehead)

Axle Push press: 185x2, 195x2, 205xmiss

Axle Clean & press: 185x3, 155x5, 135x8

Paused Front squat: 125x5, 145x5, 165x5, 135x5x5

87

4-25-16

ME
Deadlift:
135x5
225x5
275x5
315x3
345x1
365x6 (PR)
315x3x5

*did doh up to 315, then straps & belt for all subsequent sets

HER
High pulls: 3x5 w/ bar

Deadlift:
warm-up
110x5
125x5
140x5

conditioning her/I
13 minutes EMOM (starting at 0:00)

even minutes: hill sprint
odd minutes: abs

88

4-27-16

ME

Fat-grip bench:
45x5, 175x5, 200x3, 225x1, 225x4 (PR), 175x3x5

Axle bench:
5x5-8 w/ 135lbs + 60lb chains at lockout

Superset w/ curls & pull-aparts

HER
45x5, 50x5, 55x5, 65x9 (PR)

Notes
Me: I need to work on my lock-out strength. Wrapping up this cycle and moving onto 351 w/ singles & jokers using the triumvirate assistance.

Her: she’s just knockin’ PRs out of the park!

89

Friday:
ME
Worked up in triples to a 275x1 paused (3 count) front squat that was really, really ugly.

Then dropped weight to 225 for 4 triples and 1 single.

Then 2x8 stiff-legged deads (no touch) with 315.

90

HER
Worked with box squats since her knee is bothering her so bad. she felt pain with 95lbs but fine w 75.

After she did
5x10 hip thrusts
5x10 reverse crunches

91

5-2-16

ME
351 cycle 2, 3s week

Deadlift
135x3
225x3
265x3
300x3
340x9 (PR, est max 440) (straps & belt)
315+50lbs chain at top 3x5 (supper-setted with c&p drop-sets)
315+50lbs chain timed hold: 20 seconds

Swiss bar clean & press
45x5
95x1
135x1
185x1
205xmiss
205xmiss
185 5x3 (supper-setted with chin deadlift)
135x10

Notes: I keep failing at lockout so either I need to improve my leg drive, triceps strength, or likely both. As lousy as the leg drive is it’s almost hard to call it a push-press, more like a hip-snap assisted strictish press. Happy with the deadlift though, and at least I’ve got a TM for the swiss C&P.

HER
351 cycle 2, 531 week

High pulls
65x3x5

Deadlift:
120x5
135x3
150x1
160x4 (PR! est max 181)

Push press:
45x3x5

Notes: She’s getting really good & strong at the movements and is blowing away PRs. I’m going to have her push the weights & PRs in bench & deadlift, and work on speed & technique in the squat & push press at lighter weights. However, she wants to focus more on aesthetics, no next cycle will be 351 triumvirate style set-up but with additional minor assistance. Also the incorporation of HIIT+steady state as a “stubborn fat” cardio solution.

92

5-4-16
ME

15 minutes of overhead rock throws.

Notes: went down to the jetties nearest to my house where there are thousands of rocks ranging from pebbles to boulders and gathered a few that were around 20-40 lbs and heaved them overhead for 15 minutes. Probably threw 50.

1 Like
93

The rock throws are fuckin priceless hahaha. Love that you’re doing that.

At my old construction job, if I’d get back to the shop late and knew it’d be too late to do a workout at home, I’d just lift shit at the yard, since it was technically a strongmans paradise. Massive tires ranging from 600+lbs to 1400lbs+, a huge pond with tons of rocks around it to lift. Random big ass pieces of uncut steel. I would drive a track skidsteer back to the tires and just haphazardly stick the forks through the center and maneuver the tires out to a place where I could flip them. These tires were NASTY. Muddy, asphalt tar on them, mosquitos breeding in them for years, but I’d flip them anyway. We even had junk skid steer wheels (rim and all) that were just lying around, probably weighed around 150-200lbs and about 30 inches in diameter. I’d clean and press those…fuck I had fun! Quite a random admission in your log but you reminded me of some good old times. It’s interesting how hard I used to train and how rough I’d treat my body. I was always in pain, but looking back, I loved it.

94

Haha, thanks @strongmanvinny2

You described that construction site so well i could practically smell the asphalt lol. Man that sounds awesome. Did you have half a mind to keep your hard hat on for the skid steer wheels? I’m a little embarrassed to admit but the first time i planned to do rock throws i brought mine home (didn’t pan out though due to a storm rolling through). The world is the best strongman gym! And helping friends move i guess.

95

5-6-2016

I had stone gpp planned but it was too beautiful to be inside any longer, so we did some hill sprints and like a 2 mile walk.

Going to double down today.

96

5-7-2016

ME

(AM)
Cycle 2, 3s week

Front squat (235 TM):
Warm-up
165x3
190x3
210x5

Semi-sumo stiff-legged deadlift:
185x20

Fat-grip Bench:
160x3
185x3
205x7-8

Kroc rows:
90lbsx20

(Midday)
A couple hours of bodysurfing, swimming, & skimboarding. Waves were too choppy to surf though.

(Evening)
Used a jackhammer to rip up some concrete

HER
(AM)

Box Squat
60x5
70x5
75x5

Bench:
50x3
60x3
65x10 (PR! 86lb est max)

Goblet squats
A few sets

Rows, arms, leg curls, leg extensions

5-9-16

ME

Axle clean & press:
95x1
135x1
185x1
225x0

Deadlift (Double Over Hand)
135x2
225x2
315x2
405x1 (Double overhand PR)

Superset (4 rounds*):
3 x 315 deadlift (doh)
3 x 185 axle clean & press
*my hands were thrashed from the jackhammer, so I cut these a set short in lieu of a penalty.

Penalty Superset/dropset (no rest)
225 x 8 paused back squat
185 x 2 push press
185 x 8 paused back squat
135 x 5 strict press
135 x 8 paused back squat

Notes:
Totally deviated from the program today but oh well, I felt good enough to do it. I’m progressing well with 351 but am a little worried as basically 3 of the events are going to be max effort & I want to get a little more comfortable with maximum exertion

HER

High Pull: 5x3 w/ 65lbs

Deadlift
115x3
130x3
150x7 (PR! Est. max is finally the big 1-8-5. Very proud of her)

Push press (clean once): 5x3 w/ 45lbs

Shoudlers, legs, back isolation stuff

Notes: Her form is getting very clean on the explosive lifts, and she’s knockin’ PRs out of the park. She want’s to keep working on physique though. Think we may do the 351 crossfit variation after my comp (using SM implements for myself of course)

97

5-10-16

HER & I

Hill sprints EMOM for 10 minutes
20-30 minutes biking

98

5-13-15

ME
random workout…

A) Ramped to 185x2 power clean from pins set above-the-knee

B) 10 reps of the below complex with 165lbs:
-Powerclean from above-the-knee pins
-Paused Front Squat
-Push Press

C) 225x10 paused back squat

D1) 225x5 paused back squat
D2) 10 lateral raises
D3) 10-15 face pulls

E) 45lb Axle curls: rest-pause for 40-50 reps.

99

5-16-16

ME

Clean & Press (barbell)
45x3
135x2
185x3
205x1
225x0
185 x 10 reps total

Deadlift
135x2
225x2
315x2
405x2
405x5x1
315x10

Shoulder isolation work

100

5-18-16

ME
5s week

Paused Front Squat:
45x5
135x5
155x5
175x5
200x5

Back Squat
225x5
245x5
275x5

Pull-ups: about 50 reps

DB Incline press: about 30 reps

Notes: No word on when the strongman section will reopen. May have to take the gym lifts all the way on this one.