I sadly imagine it won’t be worse than North Dakota was. -60 outside with windchill. Hands would stick to the metal. I miss it, haha.
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PM WORKOUT
Axle bench press 306
1x10
1x8
1x7
Close grip axle bench 256
1x10
1x9
1x7
Swiss bar incline bench 205
3x10
Dips
1x41 (PR for this training approach)
2x31
Standing ab wheel between sets (2x6, then 5s for the rest)
Notes: 2:25 between sets. My palms ache for some reason. Don’t know if it’s from the stone or holding on for the reverse hypers yesterday. Maybe even from my grip slipping on the handles of the SSB. No real impact on the training, but it was annoying. In that “survive” part of the bench cycle, but holding out well, and predicting some good movement once I get back to longer rests. The swiss bar keeps moving well.
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I’ve been eyeing a Swiss bar a lot here lately. I’ve never used one and had a couple questions, if I may.
I’ve been doing some close grip bench work to bring up my non existent triceps. It seems to be the that only move I’ve found where it really punishes my triceps and doesn’t bother my elbo or shoulders.
Would I benefit from the Swiss bar in that regard? Or is it more of a tool to get stronger in more positions that would help a strongman competitor like yourself? Or both?
I like new gym toys as much as anyone but after reading your article on your blog about all the equipment you’ve bought and no longer use… I’ve gotten a more frugal outlook on things 
I’m not Pwn (or as strong or experienced) but from my use of the swiss bar, it’s awesome for the triceps. Really felt mine a lot when using it. But I hated benching with it - however, I bench to be a good bencher. Not to develop my tri’s, or pecs or whatever. I’m sure if you can find a good groove with it though, you can make it work for you and get stronger with it. I think I read Wendler saying he only uses specialty bars anymore (swiss bar, SSB, trap bar).
So if your goal is to take it easy on the joints and hit the triceps hard, it definitely can help. Whether or not you get stronger at comp. movements with it depend on how well you can make it work for you.
Again, just my 2 cents. Pwn’s will probably be more helpful, with the longer experience and everything.
While I can’t deny the fact that I want to be strong, at the end of the day I’d rather look strong. Luckily they tend to go somewhat hand in hand.
Would you recommend a bar with different angles or one with just parallel bars?
I got mine from Rogue. It’s got 2 parallel bars and the closest set is angled. I think it works fine - haven’t used any other though.
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Honestly, were it not for the incline bench, the swiss bar woulda been on the list of regrettable purchases. The only reason I use a swiss bar on incline benching is because, historically, whenever I try to use a straight bar my shoulders begin to ache profusely after a few weeks. My right shoulder is a total horror flick, and I can typically find a way to get it to play nice in just about everything else, but not barbell incline pressing. The swiss bar solves that.
HOWEVER, benching with a swiss bar feels awful. The handles tend to be on the longer side for most swiss bars, so you put a good deal of torque on the wrists because you’re always trying to balance the load, and this ESPECIALLY comes through when you’re unracking the bar. It’s amplified by the fact that the bar has no rotating sleeves on it, so the weight always wants to fight you the whole way. And then, on top of all that, hand spacing is fixed on a swiss bar. Yeah, there’s 3 places to put your hands, but if none of them are ideal for you, you’re compromising in some way and can jack yourself up based off your body structure.
Floor press actually feels decent with the swiss bar, and I think it’s because you’re better “rooted” when you’re laying on the earth vs a bench. Having your elbows come in contact with the floor also probably helps.
Regarding the “get better at strongman”, Kalle Beck has taken to referring to swiss bar pressing overhead as “deficit log press”, and I can totally dig that. Makes sense. And pressing a swiss bar overhead doesn’t feel awful.
So all of that being said, in regards to using it for close grip benching, I’d give it a pass. I’d stick with a straight bar. Could always look into board pressing as well. And don’t discount direct tricep work either. I don’t do any of it with my current approach, but when it was a part of my programming, I was a big fan of band pushdowns for 100 reps. Very therapeutic to the elbows.
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This 100% seems like reasons that would make you use it all the time, for the pure degree of suckiness haha
It’s just unproductive suckiness. Not being able to adjust grip width really makes it poor. At least with a log, the reduced ROM balances it out.
That was my experience with the stupid thing. I tried it on incline because my shoulder was cranky and it was worse. The widest handle is still a close grip for me, and I don’t like close grip. I do bench and incline for pecs and direct tricep work for triceps. I have no use for pressing work that hits my tri’s. My shoulders are too sensitive to waste reps on my arms.
@Frank_C I feel like an interesting compromise would be a supracurl styled bar for pressing, but I also wonder if that would just be wildly unstable. Dumbbells are probably the easier approach.
Some solid news: I’ve officially signed up for my next competition. Will be in October, with an axle clean and press away, deadlift for reps off the floor, sandbag/farmer’s medley, conan’s wheel and stones. I will be a middle weight, so giving up about 20lbs (guess here: need to start weighing myself again), but it’ll be good to get back in. I’ve already been training as though this is going to happen, but about the only real changes I’ll need to make are getting in some time on the farmers and working the continental. Otherwise, the rest should be good.
The other bit of great news was a fantastic find on the facebook marketplace: A 13mm Inzer Forever lever belt that is a size larger than my current one. This means I’ll now have the option to wear my rehband soft belt under an Inzer belt, AND I finally have a belt that will fit with my deadlift suit.
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I know you’ll do really well at the competition in general, but I got a feeling you are going to blow everyone there out of the water in this event.
Thanks man. It tends to be my strong point. I’ve been hosed a few times though. If they’re deadstop off the floor, the speed of the judge to give me the “up” command and for me to hear it has been a factor. I’ve had judges that couldn’t sound off, so I’d be waiting for a command I already got and would end up losing reps on time. Another time, I was so focused on waiting to hear “up” that I couldn’t hear that the judge was telling me the bar had drifted too far and he wasn’t going to give me the command until I got situation (said it was becoming a sumo dead because one of my hands was now in between my legs).
But otherwise, it’s where I shine. I’ll be going up against big dudes, so there’s that, but I tend to deadlift about a weight class above where I am.
MAX EFFORT LOWER
Deficit axle deadlifts against short bands
5x136+bands
2x226+bands
1x316+bands
1x406+bands
1x436+bands
1x456+bands
GIANT SETS (dead-hyper-squat)
(4) Axle deficit deadlifts (deadstop) 316
3x10
Reverse hyper 320
3x10
Buffalo bar squat 195
3x10
Notes: 3:45 between heavy deads, 2:00 between giant sets. Remember that lesson I learned last ME movement? I sure didn’t. Went for more after the PR and failed on it. BUT, in fairness, last week’s shutdown was due to gear issues, and when I used the right straps (Why Our Way instead of Figure 8s), things went very well. That 456 was fascinating. Definitely couldn’t hitch my way out of it. I’m going to rotate out again, just because 2 weeks is the right call, but I’m glad to have this figured out.
Just about tapped out during the giant sets. Did have to take a knee between reps 8 and 9 on the final set of deads, and had to talk myself through the rest of that giant set as well. Almost cracked open the garage door, but that would be an admission of defeat. My body is turning beet red after these training sessions. I think that means I’m turning into the Red Hulk, so that’s cool.
4 mats is again where I stop on the deficit pulls, because 5 mats will be having the bar literally on my feet. I’m adjusting VERY well to deficit deads, which is funny considering I swore them off for so long since they always hurt. I’m trying my hardest to get my hips under my shoulders, but sometimes I go back to old habits and just stiff leg the hell out of it and still get it through. Either way, I’m getting strong, so that’s cool.
Thinking about doing some mat pulls with the deadlift suit on next ME cycle. Now that I have the new belt, it should be good to go. Hoping to get some ridiculous overload out of it.
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Absolute animal!
I gotta say, I was re-reading your blog post about lifting like an RPG and it really got my thinking,
Like if I’ve only got limited stat points why spend then on things that aren’t important to me
Keep doing what you do mate, you’re an inspiration
Hey thanks man. I appreciate it.
I’m going full RPG mode in that, not only am I NOT putting points in things that don’t matter, but I’m also not putting points in things that probably DO matter because I don’t want to play the game that way, haha.
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Farmer’s Walks w/185lbs
5x72’ (36’ with a turn)
Notes: First time hitting farmers in like 3 years, and it showed. Felt about a million years old on the first round and the implements were heavy as hell. Dawned on me that I didn’t do any sort of warm-up, so that could be part of it. Found my rhythm on the second set. Doing these on my driveway, which has a slope downhill and to the side but a flat part at the top, so I have to turn at the end and run them back uphill or else they’ll slide down to the bottom of my neighborhood. Good incentive to get good at turns. Makes me stronger anyway.
Hot as hell outside. Lots of sweating. Still, felt good to be moving again. 5 rounds wasn’t much, but with this being the first time hitting real events in a LONG time I played it safe to see how my body reacts. Right hamstring was starting to be a little achy at the end.
I’m definitely slow, but that’s not a shock. Thankfully, there’s only 1 real moving event in this comp, but so far I’m 1 of 3 competitors, so if I can get fast enough for second place, that’ll be worthwhile.
Was thinking more this one
But that other one is interesting. I dig how his toes are all the same length. Very interesting mutant power.
And yeah: some Rogue side loaders. Very no frills, but for being part of a package deal I’ll take them. Before that was some DIY ones.
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I always liked the grey hulk best, it was like a cross between hulk and goodfellas