8/10/20- bw 234 Gotta kick this diet into high gear. Starting to look at all my old best lifts from the last year and I seem to be in the 219-225 weight range. I just feel and perform better idk why. I think on deadlifts it is especially due to leverages. At 230+ I hold a lot of fat in my belly and it just makes me immobile and shitty at lifting stuff.
Log Clean and press (press once)
110x3,3,3
160x3
210x2
230x2
250x8 yikes, I am ambivalent about wearing oly shoes during log press.I feel like it helps but then again it feels like it puts my thoracic spine into massive extension. Idk. Things didn’t fire good.
250x6
250x6 better
8/14/20 - bw 231 yay two days in a row at 231 tho i surmise much of it is water weight. Good start.
I am opting to bringing back my old training method of deadlifting once every two weeks and training bodybuilding back and post chain on the alternating week.
Bent Over Row
135x6,6
185x6,6
225x6
275x6
belt on, straps on
315x6
315x6
315x6 tough, lost some quality on these reps but it’s to be expected
belt off
275x10 amazing quality reps here, pleased
1 arm DB Row (no straps or belt, free standing. Goal is to not put the DB to the floor on any of the sets. Major pain training)
55x20
100x20
100x20
100x20 Not fun, strength is huge as the first sets felt easy but my muscle endurance is down
8/17/20 - bw 234 pretty unreasonably upset about this session. I just feel like my upper body mobility is completely gone. I’m gonna ditch most upper body accessory work, if not all. My upper body is just so tight and my scapulas have zero mobility. I spent probably 45 minutes doing mobility work. Lat stretching and rolling, pull overs, and various other drills to no avail. I’m forced into massive thoracic extension to just get the log centered overhead.
Burpees to Pull up to KB Swing circuit (1 min rest between rounds, not gonna lie this blew me up pretty good)
x12/x10/x12 x 3 Rounds
Log Clean and Press (clean once)
110x3,3
160x3,3 horrendous, drenched in sweat already
210x2
230x2
250x2 felt decent
270x2
280x2 oof this was not easy. Clean was a joke and the weight felt light in my hands, just struggling with my press atm.
250x6 oof+oof=OOF. Prefatigued, but garbage still. This is a weight that should move way better. Better days to come still, can’t be too upset.
Seal Row (flat bench)
40x15
55x8
55x8
90x8 tough
55x8
40x10 w/ intermittent pausing at full ROM
Zercher Thoracic Extensions (did these a lot a few years ago, might keep them in)
135x10
135x10
185x8
135x10
Reverse Crossover Flye
x10-15
x10-15
x10-15 light band tension on these. I’ve done such high tension band pull aparts all this time and I think it’s put too much tension into my traps and not enough into my rear delts.
8/20/20 - bw ?? didn’t weigh myself. Have been carbless in the mornings recently.
Pause Front Squat
135x3,3
185x3
225x5
275x3
295x5 easy, keeping front squats primed a bit while giving them a lay off at the same time.
Deadlifts
135x3,3,3
225x3,3
315x3
405x3
495x3 double overhand
585x1, impressed myself with how smooth this was. Definitely had plenty more in me but I called it here.
500x4
500x4 double overhand, every rep got better than the last. I really gotta make sure I drive my hips forward into the bar and “wedge”.
GM’s
135x15
135x12
135x10
135x10 focusing on maintaining neutral trunk position and not fully locking out any reps. Familiarizing my lumbar spine to bracing under load in a high TuT fashion.
Tomorrow is big event training day, saving myself for it.
8/21/20 - bw 229 cant tell if water weight or just losing fat. Today was a huge gut check. Ended this week with some balls to the wall training. Next week will be 60-70% comp weight mimic/choreography followed by a final week of comp weight mimicing, then an obligatory deload to wrap it all up.
Farmers (turn at half)
120/hand x 100’
170/hand x 100’
210/hand x 100’ x2
260/hand x 265’ no drops, pretty solid considering the turn at around 140 feet in
Sandbag Carry to Arm Over Arm Truck Pull
200x80’/x50’ x 3 sets. This was tough.
DB Rows
100x20
100x20
100x20
Took 4 hours. Doesn’t seem like much, but this was a brutal session involving a lot of moving of weights back and forth. Glad it’s over.
8/25/20 - bw 229 been on some hella low carbs lately, so my training has been a bit down but i will taper back up soon
Burpees to Pull Up to KB Swing Circuit
x12/x10/x10 x 3 rounds, this certainly got easier but still got me sweating like crazy
Farmers (turn at half)
120/hand x 120’
120/hand x 120’
170/hand x 120’ x 3 sets, core felt a bit shaky, otherwise easy work
Log Clean and Press (clean once)
110x3,3
160x1 one motion, x4 presses
210x1 one motion, x3 presses
210x8 one motion on first rep
210x7 one motion first
belt on
210x7 decent for post fatigued but really pitiful log work. It felt good but just not happy with weight moved
Pull ups
bw x 10
bw x 8
+50lbs x 8
+50bs x 6
+50lbs x 6
Log Clean and Press (clean once)
110x3,3,3
160x3,3
210x1 one motion
210x2
230x2
250x8, why not 9? because fuck my stupid left shoulder. I busted out these reps in record time though.
Sandbag (horizontal carry)
200x40’
200x40’
275x40’ drop and repick carry 40 more feet, drop repick, 40 ft more.x 3 rounds. Sandbag was pretty chill. I worked on speed and agility with these runs. I had to rechalk on some picks due to 93 degree heat making chalk borderline useless.
275x80’
200x80’
Banded Overhead Rack Lockouts (bar at forehead, Green band)
175x4
175x4
175x4
155x5
135x4 rest pause +2
One Arm Axle Row (no straps)
105x8
140x8
150x6
160x4 tough, only got two without putting it down
140x6
110x10
110x10
110x10 holy shit
9/1/20 - Bw 233 super carb loaded. Yes. MONSTER session in the books.
Farmers (turns at 50’=miserable)
120x200’
170x100’
260x100’ wobbly, turning at 50 ft is not fun. Picked up too much speed and just forced myself to slow down abruptly for turn
260x150’ better, had another turn and 50ft but saving myself for log
Log clean & press (clean once)
110x3,3
160x3,3
210x3
250x8 called it at 8, had a 9th but saved myself. Strength improving since last week+after farmer
250x8 yes! fuckin lets gooooo. So happy to have hit this for a second set of 8.
250x6, had the strength for 7 but my core was toast.
Pause FS (no belt)
145x4
185x4
255x3
275x4
365x4 core did not like these but they were not too bad. This is what I get for barely training squats since PRing recently
Tire Flip (using this to sort of simulate truck pull)
700x3
700x4
700x3
700x8 some one motions and some normal flips. Tire is wet and it’s quite difficult
700x3
700x3 just fighting this thing at this point due to slickness. Decent work though.
9/4/20 - Bw 231. Final heavy session for comp. It went exceedingly well. I wanted to feel conventional axle deads as it has been some time since I did them and it went horrible. Today I felt ferocious. Things went exactly how I needed them to go.
Axle Conventional Deads
135x3,3
225x3,3
315x3
365x3
455x3
505x3 and honestly had 10 reps but I shut it down early. I pulled the bar with intensity that I had not had in many years. No fear. Conversely, my entire last deadlift cycle was ripe with slow methodical timid pulling that amounted to some pretty low weights lifted, but definitely gleaned me some good technique.
Sandbag Carry to Arm over Arm Truck Pull
200x50’, x50’ pull 33 seconds, chill run.
200x50’, x50’ pull 26 seconds
200x50’, x50’ pull 24 seconds, all I had. Basically ran with the bag before I even stood all the way up with it. Did not sprint to arm over arm but fast jogged.
One Arm Axle Row
105x10
140x6
140x8
140x6
140x3
140x3
140x3
GMs
145x10
145x10
145x10
145x8
Calf Raise
95x10
95x10
95x8
95x8
2 or 3 more light sessions left next week. Only had a month to prepare but things feel solid. I feel healthy and strong. Most importantly. I don’t feel like I pushed it too hard too soon.
9/8/20- Movement day. Low carb, zero caffeine. Tired as fuck. I ramp up carbs soon. Bw 229.
I’m a bit heavier than I want to be before comp, hopefully no water cut as I do not enjoy the stress of having to reweigh for a comp.
Burpee to Pull Up to KB swing circuit
x10, x10, x10 x3 rounds 1 min rest
Front Squat (no belt)
135x5,5,10
185x3
225x3
225x3
225x3
Farmers Speed runs (staggered stance, turning at 7 foot, working agility and speed on pick)
120x15’
120x15’
120x15’
120x15’
Log Clean and Press away
160x3,3,3
210x3 felt light but my presses were kinda off
160x3,3,3 messy, not how I want these to feel but I am super tired and under peculiar circumstances
Light ab circuit and I’m done. I’ll probably just stretch and do active mobility/movement drills for 30 minutes each day until comp.
Ties off the bow for this month of preparation. I don’t feel at my best but I feel healthy, and that beats anything.
I am also preparing for Beast of the Bluegrass in December. Arnold+nats qualifier, so my sights are high. This coming up contest will be a good warm up for that, if nothing else.
Frame Carry to Deadlift Medley As per usual, something is loaded heavier than advertised. Frame at 485, axle at 455 (??), and 13 inch 3 inch diameter axle at 485. Some people went straps, some people did not. Those who went strapless could not hold onto the frame. Very difficult frame. Handles rotated with such volatility it was hard to hold onto. One thing I did was grip in my fingers to avoid the rolling effect upon the pick (those who curl hands under like farmers handle tend to deal with the rolling effect on the pick). Did thumbless mixed on 3 inch. I had the fastest time by far even though I ran to the wrong implement.
Fire Truck Pull Yeah, this was absurd. I won this event as well, but only moved it about 10-15 feet. It was SO heavy. I’ve never exerted myself to such extremes before.
Max Distance Farmers 290 per hand for 130ish feet. First place. Was supposed to be 240 per hand but lets just add 50lbs on a whim.
Sandbag to Arm Over Arm (fire hose) Won this event as well, narrowly. Almost lost the bag toward the end. Picked a bit too fast.
Log Clean and Press Away Flopped hard here. For some reason I didn’t wear a belt and I got no-repped. I hit 6 (5 counted). 240 was the weight, but I should have had like 7-8. My log training has been a lost cause lately, fortunately even when I bomb to my own standards I still won, though it was close.
All in all I overcame so much internal doubt with this comp that I am thrilled. Elated, really. I had such nausea and dizziness before many of the early events that I told the judge (on farmers) “No, I’m not ready” and he just yelled GO in my face and the whistle was blown.
Thanks T-nation crew for the pushing. Appreciate y’all. Onward.
The parking lot almost has to run downhill for this. That’s fantastic for running MW size, a lot of heavies would lack enough bodyweight leverage for something that heavy. Excellent man.
And get used to no notice weight changes, especially if guys like Schoonie are around and involved. I don’t know if he was, but he lives in Gary. It happens, that’s why I tell guys to try and train heavier than the advertised stuff, LOL. MVM and Schoonie weree throwing random extra weight at a contest I did. Like a couple of 100lb plates extra on the Stone Circle (Conan’s Wheel) and something stupid added to the Hercules Hold. I think they like to see guys scratch.
You are looking excellent, don’t sweat the Log Press.
