Ahh I get ya. Haha, perhaps it’s your body’s survival mechanism to prevent even more blackouts.
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I used to exclusively use the cross arm approach as there was no way my fingertips could touch my shoulders (I wish this was due to massive biceps…), but this spring I worked hard on my shoulder mobility, wrist stretching, even rolling out my triceps regularly. It did improve (slowlllyyyy), but still pains both shoulders and wrists to hold a front rack. I think I need to get back in the habit of including some of those stretches into my daily warmups. Fortunately my shoulder health has been great over the past few months, face pulls, band pullaparts and shoulder dislocates I think have helped me with this.
But I might have to try out the axle front squats sometime soon. I like how you’re using the axle for a variety of lifts, I really don’t use mine enough. Although you have a really nice one, mine is a 7’ piece of 2" pipe from a steel recycling joint in town.
That’s interesting man. How much weight can it hold? Or have you not really put it to the test?
@T3hPwnisher sorry mate I shouldn’t have posted on your log without introducing myself first. Forgot I hadn’t posted here before. It’s easy for me to lose track of which logs I post in and which ones I just lurk in haha.
I’ve been following this for some time and I have to say that you sir, are a beast. This log is a goldmine for anyone rehabbing an injury of any sort. It wasn’t my ACL, but I did slice through my EHL tendon a couple of years ago, get it surgically repaired and come back stronger than I was - just like you say people do (although I did a lot of stupid shit along the way). I just wish I’d had this log while I was healing.
Anyway keep up the good work dude 
@littlesleeper It’s amazing how much having pretty toys entices you to use them more often, haha. When I had a pipe axle and a Rogue one I didn’t use it much, but once I got the Ironmind one it appeared in my training a lot.
@TheWolfMan No need for an apology dude; I’m really happy to have had you following along. I appreciate the compliment, and I’m hoping that others see the log in the same way. I’ve linking a few other lower limb injury sufferers this way in the hopes that they can pull something from it. I know I sure needed something like that when I started, because everyone made it sound like my ACL was a death sentence, haha.
Hey brother, I know you’ve discussed this before but I couldn’t find anything in your log. What’s your philosophy on belts? I remember seeing you using one in a lot of your videos. I’ve been trying to avoid belting up with my deadlifts where possible, but it definitely makes my lower back feel a lot safer. Do you have set weight thresholds for using one? Or purely for max attempts? Or are you quite flexible with it? Many thanks!
Hey dude, always happy to re-attack a question.
If I had to do it all over again, I’d have worn a belt from the beginning. The belt does an awesome job of teaching you how to brace and stay tight, and quite frankly allows you to lift more weight in training, which I find has a great carryover to lifting more weight OUTSIDE of training.
I’ll occasionally go through phases where I’ll be beltless for my lower body assistance work, but usually that will be as I’m recovering from an injury. It’s partially to get my mind off of comparing previous PRs, and partially as an artificial way to limit how much weight I can lift post injury. I don’t see a need for a weight threshold or some sort of “level” to reach before employing one. I won’t use it for the first few warm-up sets mainly because I use a 13mm belt that is so stiff it will actually prevent me from getting into a good position unless there is enough weight on the bar, but once I hit about the 300s I’ll belt up. Lower body assistance work, it stays on until it gets too light.
Hope that helps!
Strongman suicide medley
50’ with 182lb keg
50’ to start line
50’ back to keg
50’ with 182lb keg
50’ with 200lb sandbag
4 rounds of the above
Notes: Thanksgiving workout. Wanted to do something to justify the feast. Breaking up the medley the week before the show just to have a little restoration, will hit the prowler on Sun. My conditioning is right where I want it to be; none of this phased me. Yeah, I was sucking wind and hating myself, but I was ready to go quickly after each time. The 200lb bag was a good challenge, but I’m thinking it was the right call to exclude it from the training phase. It was better to refine my technique with the kegs vs just go for more weight, as the bag IS different, and moving with it wasn’t too challenging. My left elbow tendon is getting beat up from all the front carries; I think I’ll spend more time with the prowler in the off season to give it a rest.
Woke up at 194.0.
EDIT: Oh yeah, forgot to mention, yesterday I held a Captains of Crush #2 closed for a minute each hand. The first 25 seconds were agony, and then it got worse from there. Finding how to tap into my inner reserves there; think it’s going to pay off for the Hercules hold.
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Awesome thanks a lot man, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear haha
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Always happy to help dude!
Yoke 50’
2xYoke
2x320
EMOM yoke 50’
10 minutes with 410lbs
Notes: Week away from the show; wanted to keep the weight light and focus on speed. Was taking around 10 seconds per round. Distance is a little closer to 60’. This isn’t fast, but it’ll be fast enough to at least catch a few unprepared folks. I’m expected middle to bottom middle of the pack on this, but that’s pretty normal for me. It doesn’t feel fast or good, but apparently I’m doing ok.
Woke up at 193.4 this morning. Fasted too much yesterday and didn’t eat much. Made up for it with a for real cheat meal. Had the best burger of my life; ciabatta bread, 2 1/3lb patties, topped with bacon and sausage, mozzarella and cheddar cheese and thousand island dressing. Side of onion rings. Legitimately one of the best meals I ever had in my life. Don’t feel like I need to eat again until 2017.
AM WORKOUT
(2) Axle Mat Pulls
5x136
5x226
1x276
1x366 (mixed grip)
1x456 (mixed grip, grip and rip)
8x546 (straps, rest pause, touch and go)
10x456 (straps, deadstop)
38 second DOH hold of 276
Notes: A good strain, but nothing too serious. A week out from the show; don’t want to push too hard. The mixed grip set of 456 was awesome; I approached it just like I would in the show. Ran up to the bar, set feet, grabbed and locked it out. If I can do that here, I’ll be good.
GHR sit up w/25lb plate behind head
3x8
1x6
Buffalo bar squats
5xBar
5x100
5x140
3x190
30x230
Notes: Kept the weight light and went for stupid high reps. Not my record, but a good effort. Felt like I was going to puke during warm-ups; second time that has happened. Not sure what is going on there.
General notes: Woke up at 195.4. There will be early weigh ins for my show, so I’m really in a good place.
Dude, I am so stoked for you and seeing what is coming next. Go get after it man!
That means so much coming from you dude. Having you in my corner has really done a lot to help get me through. I’m excited to bring a little redemption to this log.
Also, those mindset challenges videos have been awesome! Definitely stealing some of those for my off season.
Prowler reverse drags w/250lb
4x50’
Notes: Just a quick workout to get the blood flowing and legs healing before the show. My speed is moving real strong on these and my technique seems solid.
Woke up at 195.0. I’m letting my diet loosen up this week, as I can’t really get too fat at this point, and maybe the extra calories will do me some good.
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What days do you like to have carries/stone loading situation on? Is it more of a post leg training or post back/deadlift training? Or opposite end of the spectrum and doing it while more fresh in the posterior chain after pressing?
Carries I prefer to do on their own day, as part of conditioning. I’ll combine a carry and load sometimes, like this
If not on it’s own day is an option, I’d most likely throw it in on the end of a press day. Generally, I try my hardest to blow my brains out on deadlift training days that I shouldn’t have enough left in me to do any sort of carry work.
All the best with the competition man!!!
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Thanks dude!
AM WORKOUT
Axle strict press
5xAxle
5x66
6x136
5x166
3x191
1x211 (+1 push press)
Axle push press
2 attempts at 256
1 attempt at 256
Axle strict press
10x166
Notes: The topset of 211 was one of the smoothest reps on strict press I’ve had in a while. Good to see my strength isn’t fading there. I think I’m still going to prioritize it after this contest. Those attempts of 256 were some of the best I had, and on the very last one I was SO close to breaking past my sticking point and locking it out. I didn’t wear elbow sleeves for any of this, and that alone mighta been what I needed. Didn’t get to hit it before the show, so I’ll have to impress myself come gameday, but I’m more confident now than when I started at least.
Did sets of 20 pull aparts between everything else on this workout. Last workout before the contest; didn’t want to do anything too stupid.
Woke up at 195.4 this morning. Had a dental appointment where they took my blood pressure and heart rate. Down to a resting heart rate of 52, and that’s after a Rockstar. Been happy to get that back down.
Training/Review youtube channel??
Sorry if I missed it elsewhere, but are you using the sandbag as a substitute for a stone, or is it an entirely different beast?
As for pull aparts, don’t underestimate them. Last few weeks I’ve been doing high rep sets between warm up sets of pressing, and those lifts already feel more solid. My shoulders feel ‘healthier’ too, somehow. Should have started years ago.
And, all the best for the contest. I’m sure you’ll crush it.
That sounds like fun, but a LOT of work. Grabbing video of training isn’t tough, but being able to sit down in my home and find enough peace and quiet to do an earnest video is pretty rare, haha. If people lay out some price ranges though, I can talk to quite a few things.
AM WORKOUT
Axle front squats
5xAxle
5x66
5x136
3x186
1x226
1x276
1x316
1x366 (+30lb PR)
10 reps of 226
Notes: This was getting close to my limits. Hit a slight stall midway through the rep I had to power through. I’m really liking the way I’m training this and my squats in general. I think this might work for a bit. My hands are getting beat up from the rack position; I think I might make it a policy to do the ME sets with the rack position and the assistance work with the front squat harness, if not just the whole thing with the harness. That is, of course, assuming I actually get it. With my contest allegedly happening on Sat (some drama happening there), I didn’t want to push too hard.
Reverse hypers 330
4x12
Standing ab wheel
4x8
Notes: All performed between sets of front squats.
General notes: Woke up at 196.2. Had a lot of foodmass in the colon. Slightly pulled something in the right glute on a set of reverse hypers, but nothing too terrible.
So the show was technically canceled by the promoter, BUT, another gym has stepped up and is willing to host the same events. It’s gone from a sanctioned show to an unsanctioned show to an unscantioned get together, but there are still weight classes and competitors, so f**k it, I’m there. At this point, it’s not even about competing; it’s about proving that I CAN.
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That’s annoying man, but it doesn’t really change anything. Get in there and kill it!