I’m an amateur strongman with a couple contests under my belt. I competed a couple weeks ago at the Lift for Autism in the 165 weight class and am currently training for NY Strong-est on July 30th where I’ll be competing in the 181 class. I train using Lily’s Cube template with events done on deadlift day. I have a poverty press so it needs a lot more attention than Thigpen’s template gives.
Volume press
Axle form the rack: 8s from 40 to 120, 10 pound increases
superset with
Weighted ring chins: 5x5 +25
Strict press: 11, 5, 3 @ 95
Yates row: 3x12 @ 145
Close grip floor press: 10@135, 10@145, 8@135
superset with
Really fat DB hammer curl: 3x15 @ 15
There wasn’t anything really remarkable about the day. I could have ramped faster on the axle but I haven’t done it for more than triples in a couple months so went slow.
ME squat
Front squat: triples to 225, 245x1, 255x2, 13@135
Suspended SSB good morning: 5s @ 135, 225, 245, 255-rep PR
Circuit:
GHR 2x7
Weighted roman chair sit-ups: 2x10 +10
DB side bend: 2x10 @ 50
Hanging knee raise: 2x10
I haven’t front squatted heavy in a long, long time and my shoulder really wasn’t happy about it. Last week I did 20 reps at 95 and figured I had 20 at 135 today. Everything was fine with it except that my shoulder really started getting pissed so I called the set at 13. I’ll hit it next week.
Suspended SSB GMs have been a staple for the last couple months and they are progressing well. I’m finding a lot of carry over to my deadlift and how clean my farmer’s picks are getting. I think just learning how not to get pitched forward is the big take-home from them.
I just started doing GHRs again after letting it collect dust under my bench for about a year. I got one more rep than last week although it was crampy and a little ugly.
Assistance day
Axle bench: 2x10, 1x8@150
superset with
Ring chins: 3x8,2x7
Close grip Slingshot bench: 10@135; 10,8@155
3-way raise: 3x10 @ 10
superset with
EZ bar curl: 20,16,15 @ 45
Speed Deadlift/Events
Conventional pull: 10x1 @ 315 plus a couple +EFS average band
Farmer’s walk: 2x75’ @ 125 - 9.36, 9.44; 2x75’ @ 130 - 9.32,10.18
Tire flip: 3x6
Bands were too stiff for me to use them for speed work. I snapped a short mini a couple months ago and my second monster mini is missing so it’s straight weight for speed work until I get around to ordering some new bands.
Farmers were a big improvement on last weeks time, shaving about 1.5 seconds on average and adding 5 pounds per hand. I’ll see how 130 goes next week and keep incrementally going up until I don’t average sub-10 seconds. I’m using them to work on my foot speed before transitioning over to sandbag carries in a few weeks. Tire flips sucked a big dick. The yard is sloppy wet and the tire was full of water. By the time I got my first set done the tire was soaked and muddy which made gripping it a pain. I wanted a fourth rep but it started pouring and I was about done for the day.
I just went to a log yard today and picked up 10" and 12" logs. The log I train with now is an octagon made of 2x8s and while it has gotten the job done up til now, I’d really like something closer to a contest implement. The logs were $50 each stripped and cleaned up pretty close to cylindrical. Adding in the steel I should be able to build them for about $75ish each which is a big savings over the Strength Shop 12" at $295. The 10" is for my wife but she’s got a while before she’ll be able to use it for reps.
ME Press
DB jerk: 5s @ 40,50; 3 @ 60, failed to clean the 70s
superset with
Weighted ring chins: 3x5 +25
Strict press: 12,4,2 @ 100 rest-pause rep PR
Yates row: 12s @ 145,155,165
Close grip floor press: 10s @ 135,145; 6@135
superset with
Fat axle hammer curl: 3x12 @ 20
Between a shitload of overtime at work and some pretty big mechanical projects at home I ended up taking a forced week off.
DB jerks were harder than I thought they’d be but they felt pretty good. I tried cleaning 70s but could only get one up at a time. Everything else was pretty uneventful.
DE squat
Front squat: 8x2 @ 155
Walking lunges: 2 laps across the back yard, 2x40ish
Circuit:
GHR: 7,8,7
Weighted RC sit-ups: 3x10 +10lbs
DB side bend: 3x10 @ 60
I pulled something gnarly in my upper back on my fifth set of front squats. Over the last three sets it felt better but when I loaded up the SSB for 20 rep squats and good mornings it got really angry again. I put the SSB away and did walking lunges instead and I think they’ll be replacing 20 rep squats for the foreseeable future. I was wicked unstable as I got fatigued but the quad pump is pretty sick.
Assistance day
Axle close grip incline: 8@110, 3x8 @ 120
superset with
Ring chins: 5x7
BTN push press: 5s @ 95, 105, 115
Skullcrusher: 1x20, 2x15 @ 45
superset with
Incline curl: 2x12, 1x10 @ 15
It was a busy day around the house today with some repairs on the lawn tractor and some brush clearing in the orchard. I ended up going on an accidental climb up to the ridge behind my house which is a solid 100’ climb at almost vertical. There’s a great view and I’m pretty sure I found where I’ll be sitting on opening day of deer season next year. All that’s just a long winded way to say that I was shot by the time I dragged my ass out to the gym tonight but I’m not upset about my performance at all.
Nothing was really note-worthy except for BTN push presses. They smoked my shoulders pretty good after inclines but I’m really just not feeling them. I don’t see being able to get a lot of volume in on them before either form goes to shit or grate every scrap of skin off the back of my neck. I think I’ll try Z-presses next week and see how they feel.
ME press
Log press to a single at 175 - matched PR
superset with
Weighted ring chins: 5x5 +25lbs
Strict press: 12,3,2 @ 105 rest-pause Rep PR
Yates row: 12 @ 155, 2x12 @ 160
Close grip floor press: 10s @ 135,145; 9@145
superset with
Fat axle hammer curl: 3x10 @ 25