DEstrength's Strongmanish Training

Did conditioning games, it was tractor pulls, sled drags, and farmer walks. I dominated all of those, but we just had bad accidents like the harness’ carabiner snapping on sled drags and the plate (for whatever reason all of these are very light and more power production and endurance than strength and endurance) slipped out of another guy’s hands during farmer walks. We got third, but I am very happy with how my team worked even though random shit just kind have happened.

I am trying to get rehydrated/keep very well hydrated to prevent rhabdo. I am not sure if doing all of this training in such a short period of time can cause it, but I am going to go ahead and up my water and electrolyte (potassium, sodium, calcium etc to make up for any losses from the water increase) consumption to try to play it safe.

7/9/15

I haven’t been training for a little bit, I had been feeling tired and I’ve been having a bad time trying to sleep.

Max effort deadlifts
rack pulls from mid shin
135X3
225X3
275X3
315X3
345X2
365X2
375X2

kroc rows
120X35 R 2 minute rest
120X35 L

single leg back extensions
bwX10 per side 1 minute rest
bwX7 per side
bwX5 per side

shrugs
255X10 1 minute rest
255X10
255X3 (grip was shot and I felt like doing a dropset since I needed to take weight off the bar anyway) 205X5, 135X8

strict curls
50X23 1 minute rest
50X14 45 seconds rest
50X7

7/10/15

Did team conditioning on the beach. Started with a jog, then indian runs, then carried each other (it is so fucking awkward to carry someone on your back then run on an unstable surface, I fell on the first run and landed hard on my quad), and a bunch of other stuff. My aerobic endurance is definitely improving, but… I am not exactly sure what the hell we need it for (it literally gives nothing to the sport or to the lifting aside from helping your recovery time between plays/sets).

7/11/15

Event day

Zercher carries
135X100ft
185X50ft
185X50ft
205X50ft
205X50ft

waiter carries
30X50ft per side
60X50ft per side
60X50ft right side
60X50ft left side

Medley Time:

plate hug 90X50ft
sprint back 50ft
DB rack carry 80X50ft each side

This was both really fun and rough to do. The Zercher carries were supposed to mimic conan wheels, the waiter carry was just shoulder stability/variety, and the medley was just conditioning since my conditioning while carrying shit is lacking.

Next week I am going to do some type of farmer carry (DB or suitcase, I need to order a pair of farmer handles), some type of pressing event, and hopefully a heavy weird object to carry like a husafel stone.

7/14/15

Max effort overhead press day
Clean and jerk

95X3
145X3
175X2
195X1
205X1
220X1 15 pound pressed it out a little, but since this is for strongman I don’t really give a crap

weighted dips
45X5
65X8 2 minutes rest
65X8
65X5

DB incline press
70’sX8
70’sX6
70’sX4

DB seated clean and press
20X12
20X8
15X10
10X12
10X10

DB one arm overhead tricep extensions
40X8 per side
35X8 per side
30X8 per side

I really like how my training is going. I forgot to do my squat workout last night so I’ll work it in sometime tonight or next morning.

7/16/15

Dynamic effort squat day

Front squats
205X3 for 6 sets, 1 minute of rest

high bar squats
255X8 2 minutes rest
255X8
255X8

leg exensions
100X14
100X14
100X13

3 sets of calf machine

I’ll do hip thrusts and suitcase deadlifts later today.

Very late last night/early this morning I did the following:

Single leg hip thrusts
45X15 per side
45X10 per side
45X8 per side

suitcase holds
185X10s L
185X10s R
185X6s L
185X6s R

7/17/15

Headed over to the beach and did some conditioning with my teammates. It sucked to do, but that’s to be expected for longer term energy systems conditioning (still have no idea why the coach would have us do this) the day after squatting.

Also, I need to start hitting some band pullaparts/external rotations. I am going to start developing “computer posture” with all of this free time since so many of my leisure activities involve sitting at a desk either doing stuff (normally reading or watching something) or reading a book.

Nice work, looks like you definitely know what your doing, but your imgr picture did not work just to let you know

Keep training hard

1.5 inch deficit deadlift
normal height 135X5
deficit 135X5
225X3
315X2 (felt heavy so decided to rep this weight out instead of 365)
315X10 2 rep 15 pound PR

Deficit SLDL
225X10 2 minutes rest
240X8
255X6

fat grip chin ups
bwX10 1 minute rest
bwX8
bwX8

1 arm rear delt raises
30X12, 8, 6, 4 back to back between each arm

I am going to do my curls and shrugs sometime late tonight/early tomorrow. The summer heat is making it near impossible to get all of my work in one session for squats and deadlifts.

[quote]Captain Wheels wrote:
Nice work, looks like you definitely know what your doing, but your imgr picture did not work just to let you know

Keep training hard[/quote]
Thanks, I will. Also I guess I’ll have to take another or just reupload the picture.

repetition effort overhead press day
7/20/15

seated db clean and press for warm up
10’sX15

clean and press
45X5
95X5
135X5
170X6 PR, I was using a little bit of leg drive/hip movement, but no where as much as a push press

DB bench press
80’sX12
80’sX7
80’sX7

DB overhead press
70X2 each arm (stupid I know, but I wanted to play with them)
60’sX6
45’sX8

DB laterals
10’sX20
15’sX18
20’sX16

seated rows
130X20
130X20
130X10

tricep extension and strict barbell curl superset
95X15, 10
95X10, 6
95X10, 3

note: I feel like dick the morning after sleeping from this workout and the deadlift workout. Front squats are going to suck so bad to do, but shouldn’t be too terribly affected.

7/21/15

Max effort squat day

3 second pause front squats
45X5
95X5
135X3
185X3
225X3
255X3
275X2
290X2 previous best front squat was 295X1 without a pause, I hit 290X2 with about 10 pounds to spare

step ups
135X10 per side
135X5 per side
135X4

One arm DB swings
70X10
70X10
70X6
70X6

GHR sit ups
10X10
10X10
10X10

standing machine calves
3ppsX25
3ppsX25
3ppsX17
3ppsX12

This was a good workout, I am very eager to test my deadlift next week. After that I think I’ll just take a deload and not touch a barbell for a week to let my joints recover. I talked to my coaches and found out chalk is allowed as long as I’m not a dumbass about it.

Dynamic effort deadlift day

1.5 Mile run

Cleans
175X3
175X3
175X3
175X3
175X3

rack pulls right below the knee caps
285X5
285X5
285X5

weighted pull ups
25X10
35X7
45X4

seated rows and GHR’s with the foot rest raised completely
180X10, 8
180X8, 7
180X6, 5

shrugs
255X14
255X12
255X8

I decided to do something fun so I grabbed one of my friends, load a barbell up to 75 pounds then just keep doing sets of 10 or to failure if we can’t do 10 reps back to back until one of us can’t move the bar. We ended up doing 150-200+ reps with it.

7/27/15

Max effort squat/deadlift day

conventional deadlift
135X5
225X3
315X3
365X2
405X1
435X1
465X1 20 pound PR
475X0 tried it once and I was too far forward and reset and tried it again with proper positioning and broke it off the floor

GHR with foot rest all the way forward and up
bwX10
bwX8
bwx5

ab pull downs
80X6
80X6
80X6

lat pull downs
150X10
150X10
150X10

back extensions
70X10
70X10
70X10

I did some sprints from the lineman stance with my friends, I forgot how many but it was something like 10 10 yard sprints. Then I grabbed a friend for sled drags and some other friends followed.

sled drags from between legs
2 platesX2 trips
2 platesX2 trips
2 platesX2 trips

Edit: fixing this section

I am changing my training focus back to powerlifting. I know that it’s kind of lame to try strongman work for like 9 weeks then quit, but my ankles are getting brutally wrecked. I am going to go back to a basic westside template, and really focus on my DE work.

Some comments on deadlift

Weaknesses: speed, glute activation, form
okay: abs, lower back, hamstrings
Strengths: quads, grip, upper back

I missed the weight because I was too slow and because I was in front of the bar instead of over it. I need to work on getting my shoulders in the proper position next time, and also on speed.

[i]Training cycle for squats and deadlifts: [/i]

I already know how to address all of the this shit so will be the easy part.

squat variations

  1. low box squat
  2. average band free squat squat
  3. wide parallel box squat
  4. reverse band free squat
  5. front squat

deadlift variations

  1. average reverse band conv deadlift
  2. doubled light+a set of chains conv deadlift
  3. sumo deads
  4. deficit deadlifts

goodmorning variations

  1. deadlift stance good morning
  2. deadlift stance suspended good morning

[i]Rotation:[/i]
Week 1. Average band squat
week 2. parallel box squat
week 3. average reverse band conv
week 4. suspended good morning
week 5. low box squat
week 6. lots of GHR, sled drags, abs, and lower back
week 7. doubled light+ chain set conv deadlift
week 8. front squat
week 9. average band squat
week 10. deadlift stance good morning
week 11. deficit deadlift
week 12. wide parallel box squat
week 13. average reverse band squat
week 14. lots of GHR, sled drags, abs, and lower back
week 15. max squat
week 16. max deadlift
week 17. go from there

Suspended good mornings goes up to max triples, normal ones go for heavy sets of five.

DE work:
1-3 spd str cycle 1
4-6 spd str cycle 2
7-8 str spd B
9-11 chains
12-14 spd str cycle 3
15-17 competition style

DE and ME work is followed up by some type of hamstring/glute work (normally GHR, pullthroughs, etc), then abs, then upper back (none on DE day), afterwards lower back and sled dragging.

max effort bench

wide grip bench against doubled minis
45X5
45X5 add bands
95X5
135X3
185X3
205X3
225X1
240X1 PR, very easy
255X0 I really misjudged this jump, I kind had forgot that if you aren’t lightning quick you aren’t going to finish your rep against this tension
225X1

rack lockout
275X5
275X5
275X5

Pull ups
bwX15
bwX7
bwX6

front raises
25’sX20
25’sX15
25’sX10

I am going to do my facepulls and hammer curls later today.

Notes: This felt good, I am experimenting with a wider grip, it seems to be nice and stable. I have forgotten how much fun this training style is.

Way to not spare any details in here man. I admire that. Also, get some videos man, especially for an incoming 500 pull, yo.

[quote]strongmanvinny wrote:
Way to not spare any details in here man. I admire that. Also, get some videos man, especially for an incoming 500 pull, yo. [/quote]
Thanks mang. I use the log to write down my thoughts and any notes that are relevant in case I need to see what I did right or wrong.

Also I will definitely try to record more. I actually started recording when I tried the 475 attempt since I thought I was going to hit 485-495 (damn rep calculators always making me disappointed), and I would feel stupid only posting the lift I missed. I’ll get you a video of my next ME day as compensation. haha

7/31/15

DE squat/deadlift day

wide stance parallel box squat against light bands
215X2 for 8 sets, 1 minute rest
255X2
275X2
290X2

conv pulls against 2 doubled lights (fold in half over bar then stand on them)
235X2 for 5 sets, 45 second rest

Sumo SLDL
255X5
255X5
255X5

suitcase hold
185X15s
185X15s
185X10s
185X10s

erector extensions
10X5
10X5
10X5

notes: I felt very good so I decided to work up to a heavy ass double. For the first five sets I wasn’t focusing on drive the weight up hard enough through all of the lift, but I fixed that on the sixth rep and afterwards.

8/1/15

Extra workout

100 band pushdowns with light band broken up into 5 sets

Goal is just to introduce extra workouts back into my training and to get extra work in for my triceps/aid in keeping my elbows healthy. I’ll try to keep the extra workouts in as long as I can into the season.

8/3/15

DE bench against doubled minis
155X3 for 8 sets

tricep extensions against doubled minis
45X8 1 minute rest
65X8
75X8
65X8

strict DB rows
100X10 per side
100X10 per side

plate raise, light band pull apart and DB curls circuit

A bunch for a lot.

note: doubled micro minis are way too little tension for me at this point unless I use the same percentages as I would for chains or straight weight.