You can do better than this, from my understanding: you don’t need to worry about pretty reps body English is acceptable, breathing and brief pauses are allowed, just get the reps in anyway you can without putting the bar down.
I know an axle is significantly harder, but you’ve got more in you, at least double, it’s a mental battle more than physical, just got to press on through the burning!
Yeah 100%. I kept them fairly strict. So with a big of swing I’ll improve. And I was well off giving 100% to them.
This was a throw away work out. The competition was cancelled, so I’m a bit flat right now. I’m also hiring a coach and will have his plan Monday.
So it was hard work to get pumped pumped. And workballs out.
Good news weight was 101.5 this morning. I’m keen to see 99.something before the end of the month. That’s the goal. And then 96.something before the end if December.
Yea always going to flatten you out a bit having the comp canceled, but you’re focusing on other goals for now so that’s great, relighting your fire!
New programme - new coach. I’m keen for that.
And the fat loss is going smoothly. Really seeing a bit of difference in my appearance. That’s exciting.
1 more strong man work out to do. Axle clean and press deadlifts for time and yoke all on sunday. Then bam. New start.
So event day. But again just treading water waiting for the new programme.
Axle (edit) clean and press - 80kg reps in 60 seconds.
2 sets. 4 reps each time. This is a new exercise so there were some technical issues. AND I kept getting the weight stuck in the mud. Happy I could get more. Next time I will do this on the hard standing with crash cushions.
Yoke
210kg x 20m x4.
Felt easy. Most of the issues were around the ground being so un even. But this added to the work out.
Over all happy that I would have bossed this at the comp.
Front loaded carry
12x12x48inch hard wood block. About 80kg.
4 runs.
Loaded off of a car tire. The pick up is hard. But to be expected.
Edit
“This is too easy. I need something heavier. Or a way to make this heavier. I might cargo strap 10kg to it.”
Today’s world out is a “Dan John”.
Pick up heavy stuff from the ground, put heavy things over head, and carry heavy objects. This is strong. Or similar. Wise words.
You miss a 1 off the front of that 80kg deadlift?
No - it was a clean and press… Not sure how that happened. Dead lifts on the brain!
So - got the programme for my coach.
12 (yes 12) x 3 dead lift…
I opted for a lower than I thought I might need weight of 158. And I think that was wise.
paused front squat 3x6
78kg - goo pause on this.
Goblet squats (over head) 10kg - need to work out a way to fashion a 20kg weight
lunges - 3x12 body weight.
REAL issue with my left leg. AS in shot to shit. I’m going to have to monitor this.
Stiff leg and Dimmle dead lifts
3x12 - both at 108kg - becasue its easy to have on the bar
Edit work out took well over 1h. Close to 90mins. Had to move equipment from up stairs to down stairs back and eaten less than 2000 calories today (by accident).
Tough day - but i’m on a new road. So I’m happy
So - rereading the last entry - I can safely say I was not in a good place.
REALLY low energy level and dehydration. My English is very poor my sentences are a shambles.
However - it was a rough day.
Thursday was better.
5x3 push press - opted for 80kg. I thought maybe this was too light. As I can press this 8 times (ish). however this was very hard in the end. I had to really work the top part of the lift. I could not accelerate fast enough to get it smoothly to the top.
Press 60kg - 11,7
Below par as well to be fair.
Then a load more that I forget. Lots of pressing and some flies.
Rows and rear flies in there.
Todays work out
Squats - 8x3.
Really struggling at the moment. Not sure if its the bar still (axle) - or if I’m legitimately suffering with something. But I made 165kg 5x5 3 months back. And I was in trouble 160kg 3x8. Its the same number of reps. In shorter sets - more rest. Less weight.
I think its all in my head. I hope it is. We shall see. I’d ope that after lock down I’m back to my normalish numbers. 4 weeks should be enough to gt used to a new bar?
Perhaps @strongmangoals, @hardartery @T3hPwnisher Any insights on my lifts (as in squats and presses) being lower on the axle than standard bar.
I think I know - its a mix of no bar flex, new bar positions (be bar is x2 as thick) and some of the lifts I’ve not done for a while.
Buts its frustrating. I was working on a 200kg squat - and now it feels like I’d struggle with 180kg…
Zercher squat
100kg 3x8
Stiff legs DL
100kg 6x6
Lunge 25kg - 10 reps a leg
Glute bridge - 20kg 3x15
Oblique land mine twist 3x15
Crunch 3x15
calf rises 2x25
First, that is probably about right if you could do 8 reps fresh on the first set. That’s one of the benefits of multiple sets, it beats you down differently than one all out set.
Your sticking point is triceps. Accelerating from the bottom is great to break a sticking point, but that means you are relying on your strng point to overcome your weak point. You should, in fact, bring up the weak point. Do some triceps assistance. And stay out of your own head over it. We all have good days and bad days, we’re not robots. Next time is next time.
Squatting with an Axle causes a slightly higher bar position, which will negatively affect your Squat if you are a low bar squatter. The lack of flex can help or hurt, depending. Personally, I prefer less flex when squatting as the whip can bother my elbows.
I’ve got a new programme and this is the biggest change to the training. Lots and lots of volume through lots and lots of sets. I’m not really used to it.
Nothing you’ve said surprises me. Bar position is feel is a big one. Especially on the front squat. But even tonight back squatting (I’m quiet a high bar squatter) I had a few squats where the bar moved 2-3 inches as I started. And I had to adjust my self to “catch” the bar.
But thanks for the advice. I needed to hear it. I’ve had a few crappy weeks and now it feels like my lifts are regressing. I think I really needed to hear this:
I give the whole - “one bad work out doesn’t mean your weaker” speech to others. But I never listen to it myself.
Thank you.
This, and adjusting to volume takes a toll, temporarily. But, you need some of that volume training for Strongman. Events can really grind on and test the conditioing.
Seated press - 60kg 6x6
Floor dead press 5x8 80kg
Paused incline flies 3x12 10lg plates
Skull crusher 3x12 40kg
Land mine row 3x15 45kg on the bar.
Fat man pull ups - 3 sets to failure
8 7 5
Curls and crunches for ??? Stopped counting
Dead lift
165kg 10 sets of 3
Front squat
110kg x6
90kg 5 sets of 6
Over head goblet squat
3x12 25kg
Bw lunge
3x12
Stiff leg dead lift
2x12 130kg
Dimmel deadlift
2x12.
Last 2 were meant to be 3x12 but I was fucked
So I thought I’d edit this. As its just a list of numbers and there was a marked improvement this week to last.
Last week I struggled through this work out and didn’t do all of the exercises. This week I monstered it. I felt great. More weight on every exercise. Partly due to eating more but also - I’ve become aware that I get new work out slow down. Even if it’s movements I have done before I go very slow on a new work out.
I’m also feeling it. I have good doms - not the crippling kind. But the “just an reminder you work hard” kind. Its nice.
I’ve upped food a lot. I’m not able to lose weight on this workout. Its too much volume. Weight loss can wait. I’m gonna get massive!
Feeling all sorts of good tonight.
Push press - 8x3 at 80kg. But much more snap. Not so much struggle at the end. Great to see the extra sets did not kill me either.
Press 58kg - 13 and 8. Whoop whoop. Better than last week.
JM press - 6x6 at 40kg. Struggle here.
inc flies paused
3x12
snatch grip BOR
85kg
Pull over
And extensions super set with 25kg
Lat rear and front rises 3x12
EDITED this again. I work out so late now I just want to finish and sleep.
So push press was much better and my press went up. I’m struggling with the JM press. I feel like there is more there but the lower range of the movement is weak. My triceps need lots of work. I should be doing dips but I can’t as my shoulder hurts.
Squat session on Saturday. Time to improve disaster that was 8x3 at 160kg. I have 6x3. I want to get to 170kg at least. This would seem to be a good level. Maybe 175kg? I guess I will find out.
So I swapped my leg day for upper body. Leg day tomorrow.
Seated press
4x6 at 62kg - these are hard to get in position for. I feel back once and got trapped. Quiet funny TBH.
Dead stop floor press. Ony doing the top 50% of the press - but i can feel it hit my tri’s hard.#
5x8 at 80kg
Incline fles
3x12 at 11kg
skull crusher
5x8 at 42kg
Land min row
47.5 on the bar 3x15
Fat man pull ups
10,8,8
Tri set all 3x12
rear delt flies 5kg
truck drivers 10kg
Axle curls 20kg
Over all a good day. Much quicker than before. I’m really happy. My body aches a bt but this is a good ache. The kind where you know you’ve done some hard work. and you’ll be sore tomorrow. But its not totally destroyed you.
This 6 sets of 3 or 3 sets of 6? If it’s sets of 3 then I reckon you’re good for 175! This tomorrow’s session?
6 sets of 3. Yeah tomorrow.
I feel confident. The axle is an odd thing to squat with. The total lack of movement of the weight throws me. I’d never noticed how much I used it before. But I’m aiming high tomorrow. 175 - 6 sets of 3. I want it. now that you’re running off with 192.5kgx2…
That was deadlifts, squat is going decidedly average, but just building back to it for a little while, starting lower % wise ok 531 to have a longer run!
Typing as I work out…
Set 1
170kg x3 - 1 or two issues and a stick. BUT I had another rep or 2.
Set 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
175kg - VERY happy. TBH - at set 6 I could have squeezed out a 4th rep. But I really did not want to.
Put my belt on also. This helps.
Zercher squat
2x8 at 80kg
2x8 at 85kg
SL deadlift
6x6 at 95kg
Plate lunge 10kg
3x12 - some pain in the left thigh
hip thrust
3x12 at 80kg
Figure of 4 stretch
Land mine twists
Leg rises all done - no weight but done!