I AM's Training Log

Inspired by @Alpha, @T3hPwnisher, and @strongmanvinny2 inny, decided to give strongman a try. Best decision I’ve made in a while.

Currently training out of Global Strongman Gym in Brooklyn, owned and operated by Hans Pirman. Dude is a fantastic person to be around while lifting and the gym is easily the best in New York.

I’m 5’8", 180lbs, working on getting to 195. With little to go on re: how to train for strongman, I started out copying Chase Karnes log (adjusting numbers for my own strength) in December while still in Washington state. Switched in early February to a three day Lower/Upper/Events split. For presses, pulls, and squats I’ll work up to a daily max, then do some 3-rep work at 80% for volume. I try to do the same with logs, stones, farmers, and yokes, but am still learning these events and and have lately (as you’ll see in today’s write-up) been doing lighter singles to solidify my technique.

I’m starting this log both as a way to pay tribute to the help I’ve received on this forum (both through convo but also just by reading others logs) and in the hope that those smarter than I (and that’s all of you) can point me in the right direction re: programming.

My goal’s to compete in nationals at the Under 200 class as soon as possible. So here goes.

3/12/16 – Events

Circus Dumbbell – 80x3, 90x3, 110x3, 135x1; volume: 5 sets of 3 @ 110 (each arm)

Stones to 48" – 175x3, 210x3, 240x1; volume: 1 single @ 210 every 60 seconds for 10 minutes. NOTE: I’m still working on technique; this was my second time ever doing stones. I was happy with the 240 since my first time I barely got 210, so I dropped back down to it here and did a little early conditioning.

Tire Deadlift – 3 sets @ 550 for time (60sec); 22 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps. NOTE: wanted to do the yoke, but multiple people were duck-walking, and I hadn’t deadlifted due to a slight lower trap issue for almost two weeks, so I jumped on it.

Power shrugs – 3 sets @ 225, 20 reps

Grip work – pinched 45’s between thumb and forefinger and walked til they dropped; 3 rounds.

Thanks again and looking forward to being stronger than @Alpha (in twenty years)

Happy to see someone else inspired by strongman and wanting to follow through with competing. I’ll be sticking around.

Good to see some more strongman stuff here dude. You got a contest signed up for in the future?

Yessir, there’s a contest in upstate New York late April. Can’t remember off the top of my head what it’s called but I’ll be there competing in the under 198 class. Events are: Log and Axle (210lbs, 60 sec), Farmer’s Walk (180 lbs each, 60 sec), 200lb Husjafell (100 feet/75sec), Car Deadlift (for reps), and stones.

To date I’ve never got a 200lb log off my chest, so that should be interesting. The stone weights go up to 295, but those have been going well so far so I’m not too worried. Everything else sits around my training numbers.

Am running a 4-day deadlift/upper/lower/events week. I’m actually running Coan’s Philippi program, because while that 550-tire frame lift was no problem, I’ve never cracked more than 525 off the ground in a powerlifting meet. I want that to go up immediately.

3/14/2016

Deadlift – 1 set of 2 @ 430
8 sets of 3 @ 345 w/100lbs band resistance (90 sec rest between sets)

Circuit:

Stiff Leg Deadlift 315x8
Bent Row 185x8
Lat Pulldown #14 x 8
Good morning 135x8

90-sec rest between exercises, 3 min rest between sets

3/16/2016

Upper days are on a conjugate plan. Today was supposed to be max effort but I threw in some extra volume work because press is my weakest event and I need all the help I can get here.

Log: 90x3, 135x3, 160x1, 180x1, 200 miss, 180x1; volume: Z Press with Log, 5x3 @ 135. This killed.

Swiss Bar Bench Press 1x6 @ 160lbs

Incline Bench 90x3, 135x3, 185x1, 210x1, 200x3, 200x1, 200x1, 200x1

Banded Lateral Raises w/35lb band – 3 sets of 10 each side

Circuit x3:
20 face pulls w/75lb band
20 tri extensions w/75 lb band
amrap dips

Ab-wheel rollouts, 3x10 w/45lbs on back

Dynamic Effort Lower 3/18/2016

Thanks to Generation of Vipers and Norma Jean for this workout. First time really focusing on speed, and I loved it.

Paused SBS to 15"box, 6 sets of 2 @ 225 + 135lbs bands

SBS + 135lbs bands – 250x1, 250x1, 250x1, 275x1, 275x1, 275x1. Was supposed to go up after that first 275, but I felt my upper back round out on it. That definitely had to do with the bands, but wanted to get two solid reps in of it, so did it again.

Front Squats – 8 @ 205, 5 @ 215, 2x2 @ 240, 1 @ 255

Kettlebell Swings – 20 @ 100, 20 @ 100, 15 @ 100

3/19/26

Events
3/19/16

Log Press/Axle Medley — 156 log, 180 axle amrap in 60 seconds, 2 sets. Both times got 3 each.

Stones — 275 stone over 48” bar, AMRAP in 60sec, 2 sets. Got 5 and then 3.
3x3 Stones to shoulder @ 175.

Farmers with 185 each hand, 100 feet, turn at 40 feet. 2 sets. Completely forgot to get a time for these. Felt fast, no grip issues.

Notes: I initially set up the log and the axle with 180, because that’s the competition weight for April and because my push-press generally sits around 225. My first run I failed the log on its second rep with about 30 seconds to go. I’m having a hard time getting it close/high on my chest after the clean, and it stalls even before the stickpoint. Frustrating, because that’s a number I can hit fairly easy with an axle. My guess is I’m both not leaning back far enough and I’m not getting my elbows high. In any case, I dropped the log weight to about 85% and ran the circuit again. The axle exploded up and over my head, the log was just plain hard every rep. Will take video next upper day, hoping some problems/solutions can be found.

First time doing stones to shoulder! Wanted to work on getting that stone high — I’m pretty short so I got to or else the damn thing hits the bar. The 275 stone gassed me, and Hans (the gym owner) gave me 1 minute of rest between that first set and the second “because you’re not getting any better by taking a break.”

Currently 4 weeks out from competition. The events are:

180 log/axle medley, 60 sec

180 farmers walk, 100 feet for time

Car Deadlift

200lb husjafell carry, 100 feet/75sec

220/240/260/280/295 stones, 60 sec

Other than the log and the car deadlift, these are numbers I’m comfortable with. I’ve been told to expect the car to be “heavy as fuck” and to further expect it not to budge off the ground. Will get that log video up asap.

3/22/19

Deadlifts

135x5, 225x5, 315x3, 405x1, 460x2

8 sets of 3 @ 365 into 200lbs of bands, 90 sec break

Circuit: Stiff leg @ 365x8, Row @ 180x8, Lat Pull x8, Good Morning @ 155x8, three times

3/23/16

Upper

Log/Axle Medley @ 165, amrap in 60 sec, got 4 each. Three times

Z press @ 125, 5 sets of 3

Close grip bench, 205x10, 8, 6

Circuit: Amrap face pulls, tri extensions, and dips, 3 times

3/25/16

Max Effort Lower

Front Squats, 135x8, 225x5x2, 295x1, 315x1, 345x1, 365x0, 275x3x3

Pause Front Squats 225x3x3

Max High Bar Single into 200lbs bands – attempted 405, settled for 365

Zerchers – 225x5x4, 225x12

Front Holds, 405 for 12 seconds, 3 times

Hey, front squat holds are some good shits man. You’re fucking killing it in here. Get that 365 front squat dawg.

Thanks man, just trying to get on your level. Stopped posting here because A) the contest happened and B) I got a 12 week conjugate cycle written by a fellow Strongman here that I’m going to hammer now. Want to spend a significant amount of time building some serious strength before another contest.

Speaking of, it sure was an experience. Lifted the car 8 times which shocked the shit out of me, and was one of 6 outta 18 to finish the stone series, but fuck did I get hammered on the press medley and the speed events. Plain wasn’t mentally or physically prepped for any of those. On to the next one.

Will be waitin to hear about your 500 front squat!

Yeah as soon as I posted I saw the old date on the posts. Kinda ruined muh day. Either way, glad to hear of the contest. Hope your next contest goes better man. And yeah, we’ll see about that 500 front squat, got a bunch of smaller weights in between to hit first lol.