Leva's Strongman Training Log

Training Logs
1

Hey everybody,

Figured I’d make a log just to get some insight from other strongman lifters.

I started lifting a little over a year ago as a way to turn my life away and stop feeling sorry for myself. I went from 290lbs in Nov 2011 to 213 in December of 2013. I started lifting in March of 2013. I started lifting with the goal to not be fat anymore, but be huge and buff. Then I decided I wanted to be a strongman/powerlifter.

I started 5/3/1 shortly after that. I wish that I had done SS, but thats in the past now, no use crying over spilled milk haha. I was doing 5/3/1 BBB since august of 2013 with lifts of

Bench: 195x2
Squat: 225x3
Deadlift: 260x6
Overhead Press: 135x3

I did BBB for 6 or so months and took almost 2 full months off because I started boxing and doing calisthenics, big mistake. All my lifts suffered. Just a minor setback. After dropping my rep maxes 3-4 months , I started again with BBB, but I couldn’t handle the monotonous lifting. I switched over to Wendlers Full Body Full Boring template and have been doing it for 2 months. Ive seen amazing strength gains, far better then my 6 months on BBB. recently tested maxes are as follows.

Bench: 200x5 (5/20)
Squat: 260x2, 265x1, 275x1 (5/17)- after working up from 235x5 to 265 in 5lb increments doing doubles
Deadlift: 365x1(5/17)- from 315x3, going up 10 lbs pulling doubles
Overhead Press: 150x1 (4/28)

(note: My squat is lower then it should be after a year of lifting due to my first 7 months of lifting having only access to a smith machine to squat with.)

Thats my lifting history up until now. Now on to the Strongman stuff!

I was going to spectate at a local Strongman competition the end of july just to see how I stack up against the other people there, but my friend pushed me to contact the organizer and ask about the different weight classes and such. I am entering the novice open class which is open for first timers, or people who feel they cant lift the weights in their class.

This class uses the womens heavyweight weights.

The events are as follows

1.Super Axle clean and press away:
event will be timed 60 second limit.
Clean axle once and press for max repetitions. Chalk allowed no tacky.
Must wait for Judge for down command
120lbs

  1. FRAME HOLD:
    Athlete will have 30 seconds to get in position and hold for max. time(
    No Straps or Tacky).
    250lbs

  2. Sandbag Carry max distance timed:
    Sand bag lifted from floor carried
    for maximum distance in 60 second. (NO Drop allowed)
    150lbs

  3. Keg over Bar for reps:
    bar set at 48 inches NO Tacky 60 seconds
    150lbs

  4. Deadly Medley:
    (Wheel barrel/Frame)after testing it will be either wheel-barrel 50ft
    OR Deadlift for reps. Load Keg and Sandbag into bucket 90 second time
    limit.
    HW 125 SB 10ft/150Keg (10FT).

Next post I will outline my training and diet.

2

Im training every other day, following the Full Body Full Boring Template. Which is

Main lift: 5/3/1 set for the week
Squats: 5x5 for 60,70,80,70,60 % of my training max
Bench: 5x5 for 60,70,80,70,60 % of my training max
Overhead Press: 5x5 for 60,70,80,70,60 % of my training max
Deadlift: 3x3 for 60,70,80 % of my training max

I do box jumps, standing long jumps, agile 8, and different throws for mobility work.

I alternate between core work and escalating density training.

Day one is something like this. Im working on increasing the number of sets I can do this. currently Im up to twice.

Hanging leg raises x10
Weighted situps x10, sometimes decline
Ab roller x15
Side bends 100lbsx20 each side

I combine the 5/3/1 set for deadlifts and overhead press on one day so that I can keep the template 3 days a week. Every other week, there is 4 lifting days. On this day, I work on the different cleans.

I pull my deadlifts double overhand, and only switch to mix grip for rep max sets on my deadlift day.

As far as conditioning goes, I am really only walking around with my weighted vest. I generally set it to 40lbs, sometimes more, sometimes less. day depending. I do a 2 mile walk roughly every other day. Some days I walk to work, that is a 2 mile walk downhill one way, and 2 miles uphill on the return trip.

Back work is included in almost every workout. I superset it with my lifts. Bench Press gets Pendlay Rows, Overhead Press gets Krok Rows, and Squats get Lat Pulldowns with a neutral grip fat handled bar.

Nutrition wise, Im not really doing anything special. Im following a modified version of Chaos and Pains Apex Predator Diet. Its cheaper for me to buy pot roasts and slice them up, or chicken legs then it is ribs and tbone steaks. But plenty of red meats and chicken. Im throwing in broccoli and cheese for some fiber, along with a fiber supplement.

Supplement wise, Im taking creatine, fish oils, D3, and an EC stack. Im going to be getting the Animal Pak for a multi soon, and a fat burner.

Next post will be about my strengths for this competition and how Ill be training these next 2 months.

Thanks for reading so far!

3

Awesome. Will be cheering you on and here to hopefully help. Very strong you are.

4

The axle clean and press should be a fun event. Could potentially be my second strongest event. Ive been pressing 120 for the past 2 months and its fairly easy even fatigued. Well rested will be no problems. My gym owner is actually getting me a 7ft steel pipe the diameter of oly plates so I can have a fat bar to train with. Im not sure the weight of the bar, but I will be training with 135 for the next 2 months.

I can clean 160 for multiple reps, so cleaning wont be the issue, it will be the axle. Until we get the bar at the gym, Ill be duck taping the two foam pads to the barbell and cleaning and pressing that. I was doing it today with 120 fine. Ill be moving the weight up to 135. Its easier to train heavier and blast out the lighter weight!

The frame hold is a grip strength exercise. What I do for grip is mostly farmers walks with dumbells, or I hold my deadlifts at the top for as long as possible before releasing.

Sandbag carry for distance. Ill be going to Home Depot and buying some sandbags and a lot of duct tape.

Keg over bar for reps. More sandbags. My dad has access to some 55gal blue drums. Ill be getting one and putting sand in it and picking it up and over a bar.

Deadly Medley. By far my strongest event. Ill be continuing my deadlift routine and should be all set for this.

Conditioning for the event will be mostly carries, the weighted runs and my mobility routine.

5

Measurements as of 5/22
weight(lbs): 229.5
height: 6’2"
belly button:39"
waist: 39.75"
wrist: 7.25"
upper forearm: 12"
bicep: 15"
neck: 16.33"
thigh: 26.25"
chest 44.5"

768×1024 50.6 KB

768×1024 54.9 KB

768×1024 46.5 KB

6

My Training yesterday

Deadlift/Overhead Press day

Box jumps 2.5ft 3x5
Hammer holds 15-20lb hammer, 3x failure(roughly 40 secs)

Deadlift
270x5
310x3
345x7
Overhead Press
105x5
120x3
135x7
120x5
120x5-fat grips
120x5-fat grips
Bench Press
140x5
160x5
180x5
160x5
140x5

No real back work or accessory work today. Was more focused on my main Pulls

7

Looks like you’re on a good track, man. I’m another newbie and your goals are similar to mine, so it’ll be interesting to see your progress. I plan on entering a powerlifting competition next year. I’ve thought about trying out strongman as well, but I’m going to focus on one thing at a time. Hopefully the strength base I build over the next year will serve me well if I decide to broaden my interests.

Good luck, and I’ll be cheering for you.

8

Thanks guys! Steve, think about entering one sooner. I wasnt planning on entering this one, but I asked a few questions and got good enough answers to test my muscle against other new comers.

Im slightly lactose intolerant, or I used to be, and I am every now and then. Right now, I seem to not be for some stupid reason :frowning: Ive havent quite dumped carbs completely hoping a pint of ben and jerrys will run through me and clean me out until the fiber sups kick in. No such luck yet.

9

My day tomorrow is going to look something like

5/3/1 Squats
210x5
235x3
265xX (as many reps as possible)
235x3
210x5
Lat pulldowns- neutral grip fat handles
170x6
180x6
190x6
180x6
170xX

Bench Press
140x5
160x5
180x5
160x5
140x5

Pendlay Rows
135x10x3
140x10
145x10
150x10

Deadlift
235x3
275x3
310x3

Overhead Press- If the gym owner hasnt gotten the steel pipe in yet, I will be duck taping the foam pads to the bar again
135x5
135x5
135x5
135x5
135x5
135x5x5- May be push pressing at this point. Will be doing my best to keep it strict.

Probably going to do my Ab routine and some cleans. Got a mountain to hike either saturday or sunday, so theres my cardio for tomorrow. As far as conditioning goes, Jumps, throws, and probably battle ropes!

10

Today did not go as planned. I spent almost all day cleaning and unpacking so by the time I got to the gym, it was 1140 at night.

Got in the gym, did a few box jumps, and then decided today was not the day for it. I felt super sluggish and heavy. Grabbed a jump rope instead and jumped for some time. Did some med ball slams (3x20, 12lbs) in between warmups for squats.

Squats
210x5
235x3
265x4
235x3
210x5

Lat pulldowns
170x7
180x7
190x7
200x7

Bench Press
140x5
160x5
180x4

Pendlay Rows
135x10

Overhead Press
135x5

Push Press
135x5x5

It was a shitty workout. I didnt have the energy I needed at all to do what I wanted to do. But with the finish of the 5/3/1 squat day, I get to move on to my next months lifts!! I will post the weights in my next post!

11

544×512 153 KB

what my lifts are going to look like for the month!

12

[quote]levalexi wrote:
Thanks guys! Steve, think about entering one sooner. I wasnt planning on entering this one, but I asked a few questions and got good enough answers to test my muscle against other new comers.
[/quote]
I’d love to, but I’m coming off surgery to reattach my left pectoral muscle, and going too heavy too fast is how I end up hurting myself in the first place. I’m not as young as I used to be. I’m forcing myself to slow down and progress slowly, to allow my connective tissue time to get stronger… my muscles get strong faster than my tendons and ligaments, and I’m not cautious by nature when it comes to pushing myself.

13

I’m thinking of trying to find a raw powerlifting federation in my state with some meets near me too. Wouldn’t be too different training

14

Getting some sandbags today after work and a ruck sack to put them In. Going to do carries and holds for conditioning today

15

Today was amazing. I decided to do bench today

Band stretching, box jumps 3x5. These were super easy today, I wish the gym had a higher platform. Time to start adding weight to my ankles. and I did some 10lb med ball tosses in the air.

Bench
145x5
165x5
185x10
165x5
145x5
supersetted with
Pendlay rows
135x10x5

Squats
185x5
215x5
245x5
215x5
185x5
supersetted with
lat pulldowns, neutral fat grip bars
170x7
180x7
190x7
200x7
210x7

Overhead Press
100x5
110x5
125x5- put on my make shift fat bars for this
110x5
100x10
supersetted with Krok Rows
70x15 (each side)x3
80x15(each side)x2

Deadlifts
245x3
280x3
320x3
supersetted with
Arnold press
40lbsx6
40lbsx7
40lbsx8

16

Did some brief stuff with my newly made sandbag. I bought some 40lb sandbags from homedepot and duck taped them up. Then I threw them into an old military rucksack that I had laying around. Add rain on top of that and it was fun!

Did mostly clean and presses with 80lbs, and then cleans with 120lbs. Threw the weight on my shoulder and ran around my apt building for a few laps. Will be more fun when its not raining and 11pm at night!

Im going to try to just do sandbag work on my off training days.

Ive got a tough mudder on saturday, so Tomorrows my last training day before that. I may do some light stuff friday.

17

You’re doing well, keep it up.