Lightning no bueno! I don’t do lightning either. No reason to temp fate.
Pretty much everything I do tempts fate, haha, but yeah, if I can minimize being affected by natural disasters, that’d be great.
186lb Axle Triples EMOM for 10 minutes
This was a much better effort than last week. The first set was rough, mainly because I didn’t warm-up at all, so that WAS the warm-up, but after that I really focused on driving with the hips on the second pull. By about the 3 round, I was really firing on all cylinders, and the weight was a non-factor. Starting to really get a feel for this. Next week will be 193, and just keep progressing from there.
Woke up at 192.0. Cheat meal this week was a PB&J bacon cheeseburger (yes, all at once, and it was delicious) with fries and then a maple donut with sprinkles. Not terribly heavy, but very enjoyable.
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Watched your video and noticed you are using a thumbless grip on the continentals. Why do you do that? I have done continental cleans in the past and can’t come up with a potential benefit myself.
Also I have a general question: Why are you staying in your weight class?
What I am wondering is: You strive to be big and strong. You yourself said that it isn’t about fun for you and that you don’t enjoy your training.You are doing pretty much everything you can to get to where you want to be. You even described yourself on more than one occasion as a psycho and your relationship to you training as an unhealthy addiction. So what is your reason to not go up to, lets say, 242 pounds? You would be obviously a lot stronger and bigger at that weight since you are pretty cut now.
Hey man, good to hear from ya.
Right now, the thumbless is 2 fold. The first is that I press thumbless, and I’d ideally like to end up in that position at the top of the continental. In my upcoming show, there is a 30 second cap on attempts, and anything I can do to ease the transition time is in my best interest. Having the fumble around at the top wastes time and energy for me. Secondly, since the weight is still pretty light, this gives me an opportunity to hammer my grip while I’m essentially drilling technique and conditioning, so it’s multibenefit.
I’m honestly still on the fence about thumbless vs full for the continental. As the weight gets heavier, I’ll have to decide. I’ll most likely have to start mixed grip/switch gripping soon.
As for the weight question, it’s once again 2 fold. The first thing to consider is that I’m only 5’9 (1.75m for you metric types), and @Alpha walks around at a jacked 240+lbs at something taller than that (I forget if it’s 6’1 or 6’3 or something, but I know he’s at least in the 6’ range). Then, for further reference, Matt Kroc is my height and was 240+lbs around his peak in powerlifting, and jacked out of his goddamn mind. I’ve pushed my bodyweight up to a high of 217 once years ago, but was just pretty fat and slow at that point. Along with being shorter, I’ve actually got a pretty light frame on me. I’ve always appeared heavier than I am because of that. I can get up to about 200 and still be leanish, but once I get beyond that, I start getting fat, and that hinders my ability to be fast an athletic.
Secondly, my job requires me to maintain a certain level of fitness for my health insurance, and I take an annual physical fitness test with a timed run component. The heavier I get, the slower the run, and if I fail that test one too many times, I can lose my job and no longer be able to provide for my family. Strongman is a great hobby, but at this point in my life, it’s not worth giving up everything else. Hell, that insurance paid for my ruptured ACL, and cost me nothing out of pocket, haha.
And I guess third fold, being totally honest, I like being lean. I’m 30 now, I spent my 20s being chubby because I was doing “lift big/eat big”, and now while all my peers are getting into their 30s and getting fat, I’m getting better looking over time, haha.
I’m still interested in getting larger, but I’m going about it gradually. With this show, I’m allowing myself to eat bigger to recover, and with an off season after that I might up the cals a bit, but I’m FINALLY hitting my stride again when it comes to moving and events, and I’d ultimately like to bring up my footspeed before anything else.
Really appreciate the questions dude. I’ve been peering in your log as well and seen some of the stuff you’ve gone through. You’re tough dude, and that’s something that can’t be taught. It’ll carry you far.
AM WORKOUT
(3) Axle mat pulls
5xAxle
5x123
5x156
5x226
1x316 (mixed grip)
1x406 (mixed grip)
1x456 (mixed grip)
10x516 (straps, rest pause, touch and go)
12x426 (straps, deadstop)
45 second DOH hold of 225
Notes: Forgot to mention, but I got my flu shot yesterday before my workout, and was feeling pretty sore and crummy coming into the workout. The 10 reps of 516 was a pleasant surprise, as I was sure it was gonna be 1 and done. I held the rep of 456 at the top for a while just to be sure I had it. Don’t think I’ll have any issues in the show at this rate; still got a long time to progress.
GHR sit up 25lb plate behind head
4x8
Buffalo bar squat
5xBar
5x100
5x140
3x190
1x230
1x280
1x320
RESTPAUSE (15 deep breaths between sets)
8x370
3x370
3x370
2x370
2x370
1x370
1x370
12x280
Notes: Goal was 10 at 370, but the very first rep misgrooved and it was just a battle from there. Left and right knee weren’t talking to each other, and I was going lopsided a whole bunch. Could feel myself putting pressure on the ACL, and decided to just cut my losses and hammer a bunch of sets instead. Still a tough workout, and with me helping someone move later today, I’m sure I won’t be in a bad way from it.
General notes: Woke up at 191.0. Wasn’t expecting that. Guy I’m helping move promised me steaks, so maybe I’ll make up for it.
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Thanks for the detailed answer.
I too like to press thumbless for my strict overhead work. However when I push press I always use a full grip out of fear that I might dumb that weight on my head haha.
It makes a lot of sense when you put it that way.
Especially thinking about the athletic component that seems to be getting a lot more important in strongman these days. Or maybe it was always that important? You see the look of athletes in strongman changing in the last years. A lot of guys are getting more jacked and less fat. Even on the pro level the guys seem to be in more ‘athletic shape’. Of course there were strongmen with great physiques before like Mariusz and Sigmarsson but I feel like there is a trend going on.
Thanks for the compliment, coming from you it means a lot to me.
Ya know, it’s an interesting topic to think about. If we’re talking just the pros level, it goes in waves. The very first WSMs seem to prioritize a lot of brute strength and we saw some chubby dudes there, but through Kaz, JPS and MVM you saw some big, jacked and lean looking dudes. Mariusz was the pinnacle, but then at the same time if you look at the weights being moved in that era, they are like 100lbs+ less than what is being moved these days. Basically, the weight of the implements determined the weight of the athletes. Misha Kolyaev actually said he retired from strongman because the weights were getting too heavy and it wasn’t worth the risk. In this current era of super ridiculous heavy weights needing to be moved, we see guys like Shaw, Big Z, Thor and Eddie Hall bringing in the wins, while lighter dudes just don’t have the mass to hang. Granted, Shaw, Z and Thor are both ridiculously athletic and fast for dudes their size, but it’s still different.
And then, I say all this, but if we’re talking in the AMATEUR shows, it’s a whole different ballgame. Strongman is a sport that appeals to a lot of big dudes that like to throw their weight around, and with the novice division, they can win a show easy, so we tend to see some wider dudes at the lower level. However, as things get serious, we find that most of the shows tend to be on the lighter side, which means it prioritizes athleticism rather than sheer mass. If you check out the NAS Nationals show coming up in a week or 2, it’s REALLY light for a nationals show, which means, if you wanna win, you gotta be fast more than you gotta be strong. It’s basically going to boil down to who has the most perfect run.
Part of that is because no one is making money in this sport, so they’re trying to make it more accessible to a larger participant base to bring in revenue, and the other part is that, since it’s just amateur, not a whole lot of folks want to risk their livelihoods blowing out their back on a stupid heavy yoke. There are occasionally really heavy ammy shows, but they’re few and far between. This apparently also makes the transition from amateur to pro pretty tough.
I think there will always be big fat strongman, but I think we’ll see more jacked ones too. The latter are more marketable, haha.
That was a ramble in a half, but I appreciate the conversation dude!
30 minute run on pavement
Notes: Deviated from the plan, but since it’s running I"m not too concerned about it. Just a good day for a run; gloomy, cool, about to rain, wind blowing. Knew I wasn’t going to get a whole lot more of these until the snow came. I was focused on keeping my footspeed up, and my knee didn’t have any issues, so that’s a positive.
General notes; Woke up at 193.0. Helped a buddy move yesterday. He’s a single dude who loves to cook and got short notice that he had to leave, so he had a freezer full of food that he paid me in. Brought home the following
-6 ribeye steaks
-10 bone in porkchops
-5 packages of brats
-10 chorizo sausages
-Misc rib meat, pulled pork, red beans, and various other odds and ends.
-60 cricket based protein bars (part of a kickstarter he supported. They’re more like meal bars. 300 calories, 20+ grams of fat and carbs, only 10 protein)
I don’t think I’ll have any issues with my plan to eat more meat and less nuts with this.
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AM WORKOUT
Axle strict press
5xAxle
5x66
5x136
5x161
5x181
1x226 (push press)
1x246 (push press)
0x256 (push press)
Notes: First time trying this approach. Leg drive was super weak. I think I need to set-up backwards in the rack and walk forward with the weight rather than backwards coming out. Looking at the rack seems to just screw me up psychologically, and walking backwards with the weight throws me off some. I’m happy with what I managed, but I know I’ve got a lot more strength in me than that. Still, 225 was really smooth, and 246 wasn’t awful. I think it will make a decent second attempt.
Dips (upright)
130 reps
Notes: 2 clusters of 65 with rest pausing. Managed 50 in one go on the first one.
Axle curls
1x125
BACKWORK (performed in between sets of everything else)
Lat pulldown 140
5x14
Band pull aparts
5x20
Axle rows 226
3x10
Notes: I’m actually liking the axle rows. I keep them elevated at 7 mats per side and perform them from a deadstop. Hammering the grip decent, but also hitting the lats.
General notes: Woke up at 193.6. This workout wasn’t as intense as other pressing days, but it was good to get some heavy weight. I’m freaking out feeling 250+ on my chest, and I think exposure is the solution. Realistically, I think that means it’s time to start front squatting. I can work that in on my SSB squat day, alternate weekly. Think I may do just that.
Knee is swollen up like a goddamn grapefruit. It’s been raining a lot, and I think it’s the humidity getting to it.
AM WORKOUT
Axle front squat
5xAxle
5x66
5x136
3x186
1x226
3x276
3x276
10x226
Notes: Gave this a try after yesterday’s press workout taught me I have little experience with heavy weight in the rack position. The axle feels very comfortable in the rack position, but I’m still very immobile. I ended up pulling a muscle in my left calf on the first warm-up set, so I wasn’t willing to push too stupidly hard. I think my swollen knee pressed into my calf and caused it to crunch.
It was a slight rest pause for the set of 10. I started cross armed, then switched to rack. For the second set of 3 at 276, I tried using straps, but it put strain on the bicep.
Ultimately, I like this. I think I’ll be rotating it with SSB squats.
Reverse hyper 270
4x12
Standing ab wheel
4x8
Notes: Performed between sets of front squats. Trying to switch things up.
Axle continentals
3x136
1x186
1x206
1x226
Notes: Good day for continentals. Hit everything on the first try. 206 and 226 were brutal, but zero drops. Blacked out a few times; something to watch out for.
General notes: Woke up at 193.2. Knee swelling is greatly reduced at present. Right glute is a little achy for some reason.
I never really considered using the axle for front squats. Makes sense of course, though it seems like with the larger diameter it’d be a real pain to hold it tight at the bottom
One of the benefits of having not front squatted since 2013 is I have nothing to compare it with, haha. I’m sure a proficient front squatter would notice the difference, but for me, it’s just a front squat. Give it a go sometime and see if you like it.
AM WORKOUT
Axle bench press
5xAxle
5x66
5x136
5x186
3x221
3x256
10x286
16x221
Notes: Felt like I got hit by a train. Just wasn’t having it today. Think the front squats from yesterday did more damage than I realized. Glute was pissed off. Set a goal for 10 at 286 and hit it, so that was a plus.
NG chins (various grip widths)
4x25
DB lateral row/bent over lateral 25s
5x12/12
Notes: Both between sets of benching. Wanted to up the chins. The first 2 sets of 25 were done with no pausing, but after that it was a bit of rest pausing. I was sucking wind today, just couldn’t recover.
GIANT SETS
Axle close grip bench 206
5x8
DB rows 105
4x10
1x20
DB reverse curls 30
5x12
Notes: Called an audible and took the benching light for the rest of the workout. Gave me some energy for the rows. Was pleased with myself for gutting out this workout.
General notes: Woke up at 191.2. Need to eat more, as that will probably help my recovery. Planning on a 2 a day today, because I guess I’m just really stupid.
Well hell, perhaps I’ll try it today for my ME Lower work. I was planning on front squatting anyway so why not?
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I tried to talk you in to a weighted dip competition before but elbow issues discouraged you. How about weighted pull ups? Could be max 5 rep set, most reps with a 45 lb plate, or anything else you deem interesting or relevant to your training.
Haha, weighted chins blow up my elbows way worse than weighted dips. I can do them for like 2-3 weeks before it sets me back like 3 months. I’m not that big into weighted bodyweight work these days, especially with a show coming up.
If you ever wanna go for rep max unweighted, I’m doing a lot of that these days. Or @Alpha is a beast with weighted dips and chins.
I’m loving the all axle approach to lifting 
Maybe you should start another powerlifting federation to cater to the axle addicts… On second thoughts, scratch that - might be the final nail in the coffin for unity! haha
Seriously though, keep it up, I love seeing the progress you’ve made post rehab. Great effort as always.
Not to diminish your strength in any way, but I’m a bit intimidated to ask Alpha haha. What do you think you’d be around for bodyweight pull ups in a single set?
@halcj1 Oddly enough, there are actually a few contests like that in strongman. I’ve seen a few that were basically 1rm axle press, squat and dead. I’m a believer now; I wish I had used an axle so much earlier in life. Much more satisfying purchase compared to my texas power bar.
Appreciate having you as a reader. It’s kept me going knowing that all you folks are reading.
@brady888 No diminishment necessary; Alpha is a monster. But I figure that gives you something to shoot for, haha. For pull-ups, if we’re talking strict form, deadhang, chest to bar ultra ate up style, I can get in a solid 20-25 right now I’m sure. Possibly 30 if my life depended on it.
Axle Continentals 193lbs
Triples EMOM
5 minutes
Been a rough day for training. Just wasn’t able to get everything firing like before. I’ll be resting and recovering tomorrow, but I’m happy I got something in. Training when things are bad makes it easier when things are good.
Tried those axle front squats. The larger diameter of the axle certainly posed more of a chocking issue than its barbell cousin, but the thumbless grip countered that.I actually liked it, I felt like I had great contact with the bar, but at the same time actually had to work harder to keep my elbows up
I hit 21 with a 45 lb plate the other day, but they were definitely not paused at the top or bottom, probably a little short of full extension at the bottom as well. I’ll have to try some with more strict form and see where I end up.
Maybe a total tonnage volume in a time constraint competition? I’d be up for just about any movement.
Also, I an signing up for my first strongman competition this upcoming March. I hope you dont mind me occasionally trying to pick your brain for training ideas without access to certain implements.
Oh, and so far the silly amount of upper back volume experiment has been going really well. I’ve done a minimum of 400 reps a day of face pulls and or band pull aparts. My shoulders feel quite good, I’ve PR’d on all of my primary overhead pressing movements, and my neck and upper back have grown pretty significantly.
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Continentals looked brutal.
Do you know if you are allowed to rest the bar on your belt? When I had this event in competition we were actually allowed to do so and it makes things a lot better. Or at least it hurts a little less, haha.
I know on an international level you aren’t allowed to rest the bar on your belt but it might be worth the question for a local show.