7/17/17 - Bw 218
Log Clean and Press
110x5,5,5
160x3,3,3
210x5,5,5,3,3,3 GOD AWFUL but first time doing them. Still sucky because they felt SO bad. It felt like how 250 felt pre-last contest.
Overhead Log Walks
110x50’
110x50’
110x100’
110x50’
110x50’
110x50’ all about 90 sec rest, very hard.
DB Tri Extension
40x8
40x8
40x8
40x8
Face Pull
x15
x15
x15
x15
x15
7/19/17 - Bw 219
Beltless FS
135x3,3,3
185x3,3
225x3
275x3
365x3
365x3
405x2
405x2 pitiful
Step Ups Circuit w/ Lying Leg Raise (slow and controlled+paused)
95x30/x15
95x30/x15
95x30/x15
95x30/x15 these are with all the freaking blood in my legs
Oblique Crunch
x15
x15
x15
7/21/17 - Bw 215
Farmers Deadlifts (straps+belt)
170 per hand x15
210 per hand x15
260 per hand x15
270 per hand x15 very difficult+hand tore
GM’s (constant tension)
95x15
150x15
220x12
220x12
220x12
drop set
150x20
7/23/17 - Bw 215, hands tore up, had to tape it, not really a nice session. Felt fatigued. Left hand is pretty fubar.
Strict Press
175x8
175x6
175x6
175x6
175x5 triceps have nothing in them today
175x5
Incline Bench
185x5
185x5
185x5
135x10
135x10
Banded Tri Extension (destroyed w/e was left of my tris)
x15
x15
x15
x15
x15
Band Pull Apart
x20
x20
x20
x20 for some reason getting a weird pain in my collar bone
I have access to everything now, boss. Axles, stones, log, farmers handles, and other goodies.
Do you have any problem with me popping in now and again to ask about implement technique and programming?
Hell no, shoot away man.
Also, congrats on that, feels like a fat kid in a candy store, eh?
I almost cried when the owner gave me a key. He is okay with me coming in any time of any day. All he asked is to not do walking implements (yoke, carries, etc.) during classes.
Is there a lot of backwards lean for log pressing? Primarily in the upper bsck?
If that’s what occurs naturally, then so be it. Just do NOT go out of your way to make that happen just because someone else does that. Try to dial in fundamental pressing rules but do not become meticulous with the log.
Try to get the log up a notch onto your shoulders, similar to having the front squat bar behind the “mound” of your delts and not on top of it. Basically jack the damn thing up pretty high without entirely choking yourself out and push back.
Now with a dip in mind, just try extra hard to keep the log from dipping under. I find also that excessive dipping, that of which you’d employ in a push press with a bar or axle won’t work as well because of compromised positioning encumbering your ability to keep the log from sliding off your chest as you drive. So keep it short and explosive. The log has the benefit of a lot of surface area contacting you at all times IF you do what I said. This means you can press a lot more than you’d think if you hone that factor. I think I’ve done 340 on the log out of the rack? A 340 axle is not even easier to me tbh. Just find that sweet spot.
Makes a ton of sense. While I’m trying to build static shoulder strength, I do hope to really utilize my stronger lower body rather than Big-Z-ing the weight up.
How to manage bicep health?
I found out the weights for my next comp. The weights seem really light. Any recommendations on prepping? More cardio/conditioning, working with higher than contest weights, etc?
I’d avoid bicep intensive strongman stuff too often, firstly. Secondly, I don’t train my biceps directly, just rows and pull ups and stuff. If you MUST do bicep destroying stuff often, try to only push high intensity on one event at a time, and try to train the other stuff more intently and focused around light weight for reps or focus on technical proficiency. Above all, monitor how your biceps feel. The most egregious thing you can do is not listen to your body, but you probably already know that with your experience.
For the contest, if the weights are light, then you can probably get away with not training it too specifically at first, given you’re 10+ weeks out. If you’re like 8 weeks out or less, you might wanna just slowly peak for it until you cap out around a few weeks out, then taper down and/or deload completely.
7/25/17 - BW 216. So today was the 10th anniversary of Jesse Marunde’s death. Now, I never knew him, but I sometimes like to treat this day like a gut check. To hold myself to the standard of giving it 100%, then giving more, not because you HAVE to, but because you fucking can, so why not? Millions of people suffer in ways I cannot fathom. The least I can do with my freedom, is torture the living hell out of myself a bit every now and again, because lets be honest, training should not be fun.
Tire Flip SS w/ Back Squat ( I like to do these in conjuction with the flips to warm myself up a bit more thoroughly)
700x10/135x10
700x10/135x10
700x5/135x10
These sets also got the GALLONS of water out of my tire. Plus, had to let the water on the streets dry in the sun a bit.
THE WORKOUT
700 Tire Flip x 20
Back Squat (axle) 230lbs x 20
I’d love for someone to give this a shot. I believe anyone who follows my log to be strong enough for it, but it definitely takes some mental fortitude to finish. The last 5 on the squat sucked hard. Looks easy on paper, not so much though when you do it!
Ha! That’s where you’re wrong kiddo… 
The biggest tire I have access to is lighter than that. Should i do 30 reps instead of 20, a set of squats before and after, or more weight on the squats?
Isn’t really high rep, low weight bicep work also really common in strongman for tendon strength and recovery? I know poundstone started the whole poundstone curls thing, and basically the only other strong man that I know the training of (Clint Dardin) was really into bicep work. Strongman also normally tend to have really freaky looking biceps in general (triceps too, but not to the same degree) I’d assume to stabilize all of the weird, heavy shit you guys pick up and carry, press, hold, or put back down.
Well, Derek tore his bicep like 19x so…
Honestly, I don’t see how training super high reps is gonna strengthen a tendon. If it does work or not, I feel like my biceps get used plenty from rows and pull ups. Maybe I’ll add those curls in though, who knows.
He did? Jesus. Maybe that’s why he started doing them, or maybe they’re bicep killers. lol
Research supports that high rep work is supposed to be very good for tendon health, and I know the westside guys do a lot of high rep work for that. A lot of other strong guys do high rep work for the same reason (Jim Wendler, Paul Carter, Mike Hedlesky, etc pop into my head immediately). When I did powerlifting I was also fond of really high rep pump work (curls and band push downs ) as a finisher if my elbows were achy from all of my heavy benching/extension/pulling.
What in the flying fu$%?
I have a tire that weights 559lbs, and I’m certain I couldn’t flip it 20 times. I was doing sets of 4 flips with it last week and that was killer.
Nice job man, inspiring for sure.
Tire flips were the first event I ever practiced. It’s been like 6 years that I’ve been doing it now and I guess it’s one of my good events, though it’s basically retired from strongman at this point honestly. IMO one of the better tests of overall strength.
7/27/17 - Bw 216
Stiff Leg Sumos (beltless)
135x10,10,10
225x10
315x10
365x10 annnnnd hand tore open.
Cannot do anything. To be honest though, my lower back is killing me. I need a deload even though I feel like a massive pussy.