Thanks dude! Appreicate the support as always. We have a great strongman community here.
AM WORKOUT
Viking Squat
5xBar
5x95
5x135
3x185
1x225
1x275
1x315
10x225
20x135
Notes: Feeling real good, but apparently still recovering. I actually felt stronger for 315, but I lost the bar and it fell onto the pins on the second rep, and I figured that was a sign to just take it a little easy. I was gassed hard after 10x225.
GHR
4x10
Standing ab wheel
4x8
Notes: Performed between sets of squats.
Reverse hyper 50lbs
2:00
General notes: Woke up at 193.4. Pulled my right shoulder blade; most likely on the falling viking squat. Nothing too awful, but something to watch out for. Debating buying a weighted vest to prep for Murph. I could also just wear some chains.
AM WORKOUT
Axle bench press
5xAxle
5x66
5x136
5x186
5x226
5x256
10x291
20x226
Notes: Feeling better everyday, but still keeping it light and easy. Hit both goals for the topset and the FSL. Right shoulder blade still a little pissed off.
DB rows 105
4x10
DB lateral/rear later 15
5x10
Notes: Performed between sets of benching.
GIANT SETS
Log clean and press away 125
4x8
Pull ups w/30lbs
5x8
DB hammer curls 40
4x8
Notes: Shoulder blade didnāt like the log. Conditioning is still shot post competition; was sucking wind. Gonna focus on pull ups for this month to prep for Murph.
General notes: Woke up at 193.6 this morning. Gonna have some time off over the next few days, so might get in some afternoon training.
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AM WORKOUT
1.5 mile track run
12:43
Notes: Did this first thing in the morning with no warm-up. Consequently, the first 2 laps, my left knee didnāt to open up, and it was more a shuffle step than a run. Lesson learned; need to get in a brief warm-up to get the knee firing. This was way slower than I wanted, but a consequence of taking a month off for my contest. I think I might bump running training up to twice a week leading up to my fitness test/Murph, and then scale it back to once a week to get more strongmanny.
Woke up at 195.4 this morning. Was 193.0 yesterday. Been having a lot of sodium with company over for the next few days.
Is your work using Murph as their fitness test or are you doing it as preparation for it? Also do you plan to do the pull ups strict or are you going to learn to kip?
Looking forward to seeing how it goes.
Fitness test is 18 May, Murph is on 25 May. Just the way my schedule worked out.
If they allow kipping, Iāll kip. I gotta watch my hands, as Iāve torn a callus from deadlifting before, but I donāt think Iām too prone to tears. I know a bunch of super hardcore folks are against kipping, but I get the crossfit paradigm of making it more a full body exercise.
I figure being against kipping in a situation where they let you is like not wearing a belt in a powerlifting meet to be extra hardcore.
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Great showing in your competition! If youāre ever down in TX there are a lot of shows with 175#, although, I probably shouldnāt tell you that as my defeat would be assured lol.
Haha, I appreciate that dude. Iām on the complete other side of the country at the moment, but there are some potential job prospects near Texas in the future. Would love to come compete alongside you someday.
AM WORKOUT
(7) Axle Mat Pulls
5x136
5x226
1x276
1x366 (mixed grip)
1x456 (mixed grip)
15x506 (straps, touch and go, rest pause)
10x456 (straps, deadstop)
Notes: I realized I forgot the girp work. Iām out of practice. That said, my glute is finally healed, and I was able to attack this workout just like I used to. Iāve brought the weight way down so I can focus more on submax training and accumulating volume; should set me up for success down the road. Already got a bunch of blow out blood vessels; good to be back to normal.
Buffalo bar squats
5xBar
5x100
5x140
3x190
20x230
6x230
Notes: Goal was a super high rep 230 set, but left knee is pretty pissed off from the run yesterday. Gotta get used to all the various demands Iām placing on my body.
General notes: Woke up at 195.0. Ended my celebratory week with my burger and onion rings at the local place. Been a good recovery week from my competition; time to start ramping up the training.
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Whatās Montana like for day to day living? Iām fascinated by the US, especially the big empty parts, and Iād love to explore more of it. Montana and Wyoming have always struck me as particularly cool, although perhaps not much going on. Texas obviously too.
Also I never commented earlier (just liked, which doesnāt feel as personal) but awesome job in your strongman showing! Very cool stuff!
Hey I have another question for you if you donāt mind.
I remember you saying that you donāt enjoy your training so what is it that motivates you to do it? I donāt particularly enjoy the conditioning side of training, honestly because itās hard, but I know itās something that will help me achieve my goals.
Iāll touch on this, because his blog post he wrote a while ago resonated with me. Similar idea, though it might vary person to person. Anywayā¦
For me, like all pursuits done over a long period of time, habitually, becomeā¦tasks.
The excitement is there some days to just go in and lift heavy, but most of the time I do this because itās like a heroin withdrawal or something. If I donāt lift with the intent to get stronger every single day, then I feel like Iām stagnating and Iām not who Iām supposed to be. Sometimes I seriously donāt want to do anything but I force myself to, because I have. to. be. stronger.
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Thanks for that. I definitely feel like Iām missing out or weird if I donāt do anything for a while. I think a lot of it for me will just come down to toughening up and doing what I have to.
@caesium32 The part of Montana Iām in isnāt bad. Definitely a smaller town, but Iāve been in worse. Itās got everything I need for day to day stuff, but Iām a pretty simple guy. Not a whole lot of excitement, but the people are friendly and the food is good.
Appreciate the kind words on the competition.
Regarding why I train; itās purely for the results. I would say that what I have isnāt a motiviation, but a disease. There is something inside of me that tells me I HAVE to be big and strong. Itās a call Iāve felt since I was 4. I have no understanding of why this need exists; just that it does.
I donāt feel guilt for missing training nor do I feel accomplished for doing it; it is simply a thing I do because it gets me that goal. For me, itās akin to brushing my teeth so that I donāt get cavaties. There is a desirable end goal, and a means to accomplish it.
This is a paradigm flip that took me a while, but once I figured it out, things got a lot better. If youāre using willpower to get through training, something is wrong. Thatās a testament that you actually donāt want the results. In situations where we desire something bad enough, we have zero qualms doing whatever it took to get there. If you hate eating veggies, you have to sit down at a table and will them down your throat. If I tell you Iāll pay you a billion dollars to eat a plate of vegetables, you most likely coudlnāt shovel them down your throat fast enough. Zero willpower was needed; the incentive was simply strong enough to overcome any aversion to the task.
This ends up being how I get through training and nutrition. I donāt consider the negative feelings, because I want the end result so much that the means to get there are inconsequential.
Hope that helps!
@strongmanvinny2 Appreciate the assist dude. Always happy to see the shared perspective.
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Thank you that makes sense and itās really interesting to see how your approach it. Itās given me something to think about.
It was actually @furo asking about Montana.
Oh wow, good catch on @furo. I saw your post say āanother questionā and my mind just assumed that the above was written by you.
Glad I could share my perspective. Thanks for the question.
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You are definitely wired differently than me but I still admire anyone who can figure out exactly what they want, how to get it, and then pursue it relentlessly.
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Thanks dude. I admit itās very Kierkegaardian, but as someone with a Punisher avatar I am sure you get that, haha.
Treadmill run
Incline: 1
Speed: 7.5
Distance: 1.5 miles
Time: 12:00
Notes: Did this off 3 hours of sleep at work. Much better than the track run. Knee was happier as well. My conditioning is fine for this, just a question of getting my knees to match my lungs.
No weigh in this morning as I spent the night at work.
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Arenāt you working middle management or something? What kind of middle management needs to do Murph as a PT test haha.
Nah, 2 different things. The PT test is on the 18th, Murph is on thr 25th. The latter isnāt a fitness test; just a little memorial workout to participate in. Seemed like a good test for me.
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