T3hPwnisher's Log

Training Training Logs
601

Ah yes, two other points.

I have chosen Mariusz Pudzianowksi’s 2007 WSM performance as my rage avatar. If you have not seen this, you need to witness it. For context, the year prior, Mariusz lost to Phil Phister in a close contest that was decided at the very end due to Mariusz flubbing the stone. In the 2007 contest, Mariusz came by like a vengeful god and completely dominated the competitive field to the point that he could have completely not participated in the last event and still won.

He of course still participated in the final event and crushed it and won by a ridiculously insane margin. The athletic prowess alone is admirable, but watching Mariusz during the contest is remarkable, as it may be one of the few times you’ll ever witness a human being win a contest through sheer hate. Very much Jack Dempsey’s “Bad intentions” manifested into strongman.

Second point, “Behold the Colossus” is an amazing training song.

602

Yo T3hPwnisher, I know you use PROM style training for your deadlifts, do you have any experience using it for the other lifts, especially the squat? I remember reading on here you’re a big fan of dead squats so I figured, you would probably have some experience with it. To better explain what I mean, it would be like a dead squat to the pins and every week, the pins would be lowered one notch down.

EDIT: Tried it for myself and I can see why it wouldn’t work, still interested in hearing your opinion though.

603

[quote]Benanything wrote:
Yo T3hPwnisher, I know you use PROM style training for your deadlifts, do you have any experience using it for the other lifts, especially the squat? I remember reading on here you’re a big fan of dead squats so I figured, you would probably have some experience with it. To better explain what I mean, it would be like a dead squat to the pins and every week, the pins would be lowered one notch down.

EDIT: Tried it for myself and I can see why it wouldn’t work, still interested in hearing your opinion though.[/quote]

It’s actually how I’ve been training my squat through out this entire training log, haha. Minus the past few weeks due to injury, I’m always using ROM progression, and it’s only in my next cycle where I’m going to be alternating it with some other squat work.

Pins just don’t work for squat ROM progression. At least, not starting from the bottom. Unless you have some crazy mobility, getting under the pins is going to be a bitch once the bar starts getting low enough, and you’re going to expend more energy on that than actually squatting. The solution is to suspend the bar from chains, as this will allow you to move the bar around/wiggle under it better to get to a starting position.

Here is an old video of when I first used ROM progression and got to the bottom of the squat. You’ll note how I pretty much roll under the bar with the chains to get to the starting position at the bottom.

(Sorry for the long build up. This was before I started editing my videos.)

As for how useful it is, I think it’s very viable. This was what I ended up using to rehab a terrible hamstring pull that had me out of squatting for 8 months. The eccentric really hurt my hamstring, so by starting at the bottom I as performing concentric squats, which were much easier.

I have also used ROM progression for bench and overhead press. Bench was successful enough, and I managed to get a 350lb dead bench suspended from chains at chest height. Overhead press limiting factor was that my rack was too short for me to do standing overhead press suspended by chains. I used a seated press, and saw my strength increasing on that movement, but I didn’t have enough discipline to control the incline of my back on it, so it was hard to tell if I was getting stronger at overhead pressing or better at employing angles. I didn’t see the carryover to my standing overhead press that I wanted, so I scrapped it when I got into strongman. I think it would be very useful if one could stay standing the entire time though.

Let me know if I can provide any additional details.

604

Continental clean practice w/axle

Notes: The good news is that I can press overhead with minimal pain to the injury site. The bad news is that I wasn’t able to continental any decent amount of weight. I managed 148lbs with zero issues, but once I got to 198 it would just get stapled to my stomach. I know intellectually what needs to happen, but can’t quite get my body to figure it out. My hope is that I’ll get to compete in my weight class, where I can just muscle clean 185lbs all day with no issues, but if I move up and have to work with 245, I’m just going to use nose tork and sheer force of will to move the damn thing.

Dips
4x25

superset w/

Pull ups
2x20
2x15

Notes: I REALLY like this. Gets a real solid upper body pump with minimal equipment/time. Going to have to keep this going in some capacity after the contest.

Axle curls
1x130

Notes: Had to rest during this, but kept with the protocol of never letting the axle out of my hands. Massive forearm pump.

Average band pushdowns
3x10

superset w/

Band pull aparts
3x20

General notes: Woke up at 190.2 (not sure of what came after the decimal. Something like that at least). Got to use my new rehband warm-up pants. They definitely do a great job of keeping everything warm and are plenty tight. I was hoping for just a little more support, but worse comes to worse I can always just layer the compression shorts. Still hanging around 98% in regards to injury. Eccentrics on deads/cleans seem to be my weak point. Probably just going to do some controlled drops at the contest. May even have to abandon my precious touch and go for a bit when everything is said and done.

Last heavy training day until the contest. May do some speed farmer’s tonight just to see if all systems are go, as that’s what injured me in the first place. Trying to find the balance of eating bigger prepping for the contest without eating garbage.

605

@Benanythng: Why don’t you just unrack your squat like normal, lower it until you gently touch the pins, then just lower the pins each week?

And I am stoked for your competition Punisher, I think you are going to do awesome!

606

I appreciate that Alpha! Hoping I can snag an earlier qualifier to 2016 nationals and get to see you there.

607

[quote]Alpha wrote:
@Benanythng: Why don’t you just unrack your squat like normal, lower it until you gently touch the pins, then just lower the pins each week?
[/quote]

Having tried both methods, I would follow Alpha’s advice. The set up is so much simpler, plus bottoms up squats can be difficult to get into position and don’t seem to translate so well to normal squats. Just my 2 cents.

608

So I lied. My wife had a 2 a day for running today, so I decided to join her in the garage.

Tried to continental again. Still couldn’t get it. Muscle cleaned 198 with zero issue and got 238 just about a few times. I think if I was fresh from not trying to continental, I’d have a shot.

Sandbag 205lbs
4x60’ish

Farmer’s walks 60’ish
2x115
2x205

Notes: Just a confidence booster, wanted to see how I’d handle it. Once again, the big issue seems to be psychological. I was moving very slow off the pick up on the sandbag, and would pick up speed later. After a few attempts, I managed to get over it, and the farmer’s had zero issues as a result. Think I just need more of a warm-up than usual come contest day.

Also, one of the prongs on my lever belt broke off. Belt still functions, but that’s just awesome.

609

Thanks T3hPwnisher and Alpha, I’ll look into trying them out.

610

[quote]Benanything wrote:
Thanks T3hPwnisher and Alpha, I’ll look into trying them out.[/quote]

No problem dude. Best of luck.

Going stir crazy. Got these 2 songs playing in a loop in my head

I have so many things I want to do in my off season. Mind is racing all over the place. Not nerves, but the opposite, eagerness. Have been reading old X-men comics with Juggernaut at work through google image search, just channeling the persona.

I can’t wait for the yoke walk. I wish we were going heavier. I’m going to do 900lbs in the off season at some point. I’m just going to be ridiculous.

611

750×600 59 KB

T3hPwnisher just stopping in to say howdy, great work as all ways man! Good luck on your comp. I know you’ll destroy some sh!t! Also glad to hear recovery is going good.

612

Been a lurker on your log for a while, and I just wanted to say that I enjoy reading the advice you give around the forums, and I really like you’re blog.

Hope the competiton goes well!

613

Good luck man,

I know you’re gonna kill it.

614

Just moved up a weight class. Fuck it, let’s do it.

615

Well, a quick update.

The good news: Moving up a weight class, my partner and I managed to take 3rd out of 4th. Additionally, my glute injury was a non-factor.

The bad news: On the third event (the yoke), my left knee buckled the wrong way and I hear a pop and some grinding. Fairly certain I tore some ligaments. Going to get it looked at on Tuesday and see what it is and plan from there.

I got video of the contest but don’t plan to upload it. I don’t really like sharing injury footage, and there are some folks out there that would take pleasure in it. That said, I’ll do a write-up on what happened.

Moving forward: Going to use this as an opportunity to work on that off-season I keep talking about. Planning on doing some legit bodybuilding training, since I need something to take my mind off of losing strength. Got a lot of stuff to choose from, to include the bodybuilding plan in Matt Kroc’s book, stuff from the Metroflex powerbuilding book, and a few other sources. Going to get creative with the lower body, and once I get rehab sorted out, work it all in. It’s time to build up some size and brute strength in the upper body. Want to get my diet totally dialed in as well. Want to drop a little more weight before I start moving the scale weight up.

616

Really hope its not ligaments! (11 months post ACL here)

Keep us posted on diagnosis.

617

Exactly right about not showing injury videos. Hope you recover well.

618

I ended up moving up a weight class since there was no one else but my partner and I in the lightweights. The only area I saw this being a real issue was for the axle clean and press.

EVENT 1: Axle clean and press (Clean each rep, 245lbs, 90 seconds)

We were told we?d be using the Ironmind axle, so that’s what I warmed up with. I was having my partner help me with the continental, since I had never done one in contest before, but the damndest thing kept happening: everytime I tried to catch the bar on my stomach, it was ending up on my shoulders. Even at 233lbs in warm-ups, I was catching the bar. I figured I’d be good for a few reps at 245 at that rate.

Then, as we were setting up for the event, the promoter had us set up for the Rogue axle. As soon as I grabbed it I realized there was zero play in the axle, whereas the Ironmind one still had some. I was completely hosed. I kept catching the bar high on my stomach/chest, but couldn’t get it turned over. I tried a bunch of times before tagging my partner in, who managed 2 reps on his own. First time I ever zeroed an event. However, Kalle Beck was able to give me a great tip about how I was holding the axle (in my fingertips versus my palm), which was why I wasn’t turning it over any. Once I’m able to practice the axle again, that’s going to be huge. Once again why I find competition so valuable: you learn a ton.

Event 2: Farmer’s walks (245 per hand, 25meters)

Was training with 185 for this, because that was the lightweight weight, but wasn?t worried about 245. We were told we?d be using some blue tank handles, which bonked your shins something fierce and had some sharpass knurling. Then, when it was time to go for the event, we were using Rogue handles. Once again, the old switcheroo.

The Rogue handles we were using were old, the powder coating had all worn off, and the remnants of tape around the handle meant to give it some grip just slid around a bunch. I dropped the handles twice over the course of 25m, whereas I have never dropped a farmer’s in my life beforehand. I made sure to get some quick pick ups to eliminate wasted time, just to watch my partner (and pretty much everyone else) drop the handles 2 or 3 times. We made it before time ran out, but came in 4th here. At least we were all getting screwed with the equipment changes.

Event 3: Max weight yoke (775lbs for us) 60’ total (30’ forward, 30’ back)

This was the event I was looking forward to the most, as I’m slow and love heavy stuff. I just practiced pick ups for the warm-up, wasn’t interested in the movement portion, since it was going to be slow.

Event started, I got set up, and was amazed at how light the weight felt on my back. When I bought my yoke, the guy who built it said it was 120lbs, but I’m starting to think it was heavier, because I hit 750 in training and it felt much heavier. However, my foot placement was much more wobbly, and someone pointed out to me that this was most likely because we were in a parking lot with uneven flooring. I dropped the yoke twice, and focused on quick pick-ups each time. The weight felt so light that I figured I’d much up for lost time just by moving quickly with it.

On the second pick-up, I felt my knee bend the wrong way and heard a pop and some grinding. I immediately let out several "FUCK!"s and then had the good sense to grab the uprights to slowly let myself fall down to the floor. I was mobbed by some fellow competitors who quickly got my knee sleeve off, put me in a chair, got me some ice, and offered me all manner of alcoholic beverage.

Thankfully, they suspended our time, and my partner finished the event. We actually ended up with the second heaviest yoke of the middle weight class, which put us in second for this event.

Events 4 and 5: Stone carry and 495lb deadlift for reps

You’ll forgive me for being brief, but it’s no longer my story at this point. My partner, by himself, beat out one team on the stone carry and 2 teams on the deadlift. Dude was a beast, and I was upset since I felt like I was holding him back in the first 2 events and would’ve contributed on these final ones, but we still took 3rd out of 4th while both giving up 75lbs. Truly a warrior’s day.

Current injury status:

I?m fairly certain I tore some ligaments in my knee. I am in zero pain, but the knee has no stability whatsoever. It is presently swollen to about twice it’s normal size, but with a brace on it I can move almost at a normal speed. I?m keeping positive, using the power of positive thinking to aid the healing process.

Moving forward: I’ve been wanting an off season for a while and now it?s been given to me. I’m going to invest myself full tilt into a bodybuilding program for my upper body, and do whatever I can get away with for my lower body. I bought Matt Kroc’s “Insane Training” book, and it has a completely laid out bodybuilding program in it that I’m going to try to copy with my home gym. If nothing else, I’m stealing the split and the principles behind each day. Going to clean up my diet a touch to shave off the slight amount of fat I accumulated in this training cycle, and then start adding some quality calories to make the most of this increased volume. Once I get an actual diagnosis on the knee, I’ll know where I am going from there.

I’m not done yet.

619

And I want to say thanks to everyone on T-Nation for all the support up to the contest. It means a lot to have you all behind me, and hopefully you’ll find my thrilling tales of rehab just as exhilarating, haha.

620

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
And I want to say thanks to everyone on T-Nation for all the support up to the contest. It means a lot to have you all behind me, and hopefully you’ll find my thrilling tales of rehab just as exhilarating, haha.[/quote]

I think I speak for everyone here when I say that you give much more than you likely get out of this forum. The community is lucky to have guys like you contributing here, not just through your log but with your positive attitude and logical advice all around.

Here’s wishing you a speedy recovery. I expect the bodybuilding cycle will do you some good - again, citing that Dave Tate series, after so long beating himself up with constant heavy powerlifting, he marveled at how good he felt after a few weeks of that type of “pump” work.