Never Go Full Strongman (or Bikini)

Haha. No kidding. With the exception of my shoulders… and back. Well I was going to say running did the same for me but I think it’s just my legs now that I’m thinking about it.[quote=“Koestrizer, post:160, topic:213341”]
As for progression on carries: You could use 5/3/1 for that as well. That is what I plan on doing.
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Man, I like the idea of 531 for progressing on the lifts, but to be completely honest I get lazy with the loading aspect of it when it comes to carries since I have to bring weights from across the gym. And no, the irony hasn’t escaped me, lol.

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Friday 9/2/2016?

ME Upper

A1) Axle Incline Bench

45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5
205 x 1.5* (PR!!. Last time I hit Axle incline on the same bench I could only hit 185 x 3)
*Had a bit of an assist for rep number 2

A2) Krocish rows
4 sets of 8-12 with 100lbs

B1) DB High-incline bench:
like 3x8-12 with the 50s

B2) I dont know, face-pulls?

C) Abs


9/5/2016
ME Lower

Trap Bar Deadlifts (high handles)
135 x 3
225 x 3
315 x 3
405 x 1 - was disappointed in this, so I decided to hit some volume work
315 x 3 x5

Power Snatches:
10 singles w/ 95

Front rack reverse lunges
25 reps each leg with 95lbs

Wrist roller (keep wanting to put a “w” in front of “roller”)

3 sets of sybex/hammer squats for 8 reps each

Cool Stuff
Got in touch with the organizers and they offered that I could come train events with them! Obviously going to take him up on that.

9/8/2016
RE Upper

A) Push-ups:
30, 16, 15

B1) Pull-ups:
10, 10, 5-7

B2) Thick band pull-aparts
3 x 12-15

C) vertical thick band pull-aparts/raises (medial delt)
4 x 12-15

D1) Thick band bicep curls
like 40-50 reps rest-pause

D2) Thick band push-downs (focusing on outer tricep)
like 40-50 reps rp

E1) ab wheel 10 reps

E2) reverse sit-ups with a twist

Conditioning
1 mile run. Hot outside though, heat index is 105f/40c

Saturday 9/10/16
DE Lower

High box squat (solar plex height)
5x3

Reverse lunges
45 x 10 (each leg)
95 x 10
135 x 5
95 x 10
-less then a minute rest between sets

Kettlelbell swings
4 x 12 with 100lb bell

Seated calf raises dc-style

Notes: waited for a bit outside that gym for folks to show and train but no luck, so i headed to golds (my back-up). I like my regular gym but at least golds has a high box and a heavy kettlelbell

Awesome to see you looking at another show dude. Is the fire truck pull an arm over arm pull or harnessed? If the latter, do you have rock climbing shoes? They go a LONG way.

Excited to see how your training turns out for this. That’s some heavy weight for your bodyweight.

Thanks man. To be honest I didn’t even think about it, just assumed it was with a harness since it didn’t explicitly say otherwise… should probably look into that haha.

No, I have Merrell hiking shoes that helped out last comp, but they’re designed to slip-off your foot if there’s too much pull so you don’t get stuck. Great for mud, for pulling stuff not so much. I actually checked out some climbing shoes at REI on vacation (nothing much to climb here except for sand dunes lol). I’ll certainly see if I can score a cheap pair, thanks for the tip.

Haha, it’s gonna be interesting. I’m glad to have you following along!

hah, @Koestrizer I just realized you were probably asking about my log press, not my training log.

To be honest I haven’t been hitting the log lately, my left shoulder was getting torn up controlling the descent. I watched @Alpha’s videos on it and I’m looking forward to the next attempt though!

Haha yes I was :smiley: I was a little surprised by your answer but then got distracted from the running topic :smiley:

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Monday 9/12/16
ME Upper

Axle Incline
45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 1? - Just lost tightness and ended the set
205 x 1 - My left shoulder just totally gave out on rep #2

Swiss Bar Incline
135 x 4 x 8

T-bar row
4 sets of 8-12 with two plates and a quarter

Face-pulls
4 x 10-15

Curls
30 reps rp

Wednesday 9/14/16
ME Lower

A) Trap Bar Deadlift*
135 x 3
225 x 3
315 x 3
405 x 2
*I think this particular trap bar only weighed 37lbs, but even still it’s a 20lb pr (calculator)

B) Clean-Grip Reverse Lunges
135 x 4 x 5 (each leg) < These really sucked

3 Rounds:
C1) 12-15 reps with the 100lb. Kettlebell
C2) 8-12 reps of Hanging Leg Raises

Notes: I’ve got four months and not time to dawdle. I was going to hit grip & neck after the Cs but that super-set had my grip smoked with a crazy forearm pump

Friday 9/16/16

RE Upper

A) Swiss Bar Strict Press with a hard shrug at top
45 x 10
95 x 5-8
135 x 5-6
95 x 10
95 x 8-9
95 x 6-7

B1) Chins of various grips
4 x 6-10

B2) Seated face-pulls
4 x 8-12

C1) Curls 3 x 8-12
C2) push-downs 3 x 8-12

45 degree Decline sit-ups drop-set
8 w/ 10lbs behind the head, 12 with hands behind head

Notes: probably going back to the gym with the lady later tonight. I’ll probably just isolate some weak areas and maybe hit some cardio. I’d like to see if those dudes (and possible ladies) are training tomorrow.

Gym update: talked to some of the folks at the gym and the strongman area should re-open around October. It’ll be turfed, with new implements and heavier kettlebells (please be 100# please be 100#)

Saturday 9/17/16
Events

Finally got to train with the strongman crew today! Great stuff. It’s a team of strongmen, bodybuilders, physique/bikini women, powerlifters… awesome community.

Texas-Shaped Hussafel Stone
100 x 120’
125 x 120’
150 x 120’
175 x 120’
200 x 120’
225 x 120’
250 x 60’
225 x 60’
200 x 120’

Atlas stone to shoulder
3 x 6 with 155# stone

2 x 160# log clean & jerk

Notes. I was really pleased with my speed in the stone carry up to around 225#. 250 was slower than i want it to be but comp weight shouldn’t be much more than that so i really just need to work on speed in that department.

Stones were smooth and it was nice to be able to do some dub-max technique work.

I have a long way to go on the log. I incorporated @Alpha tips and it really helped me with my leg drive. Luckily there’s a fair amount of time to practice it.

Week 5
Monday 9/19/16
ME Upper

Push Press (from rack)
45 x 3
105 x 3
155 x 3 (Clean & press)
185 x 1ish

Decline Bench
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3

High Incline DB Press
40s x 12, 50s x 10, 55s x 8-10

Kroc Row (super-set after 1st set of db presses)
90lb x 20 each arm

Rear delt fly (super-set with the db presses for all subsequent sets)

Axle curls 50 reps rp

Notes: I don’t really understand how my strength in overhead just shelved off? I mean, a few months ago I was hitting multiple sets of 3 with 185 and singles into the 200s, now I can’t even put up 180-fucking-5? I’m thinking this could be from:

-Not peaking my overhead right now
-I weigh less than I did
-I’m pretty sure I have a shoulder impingement right now. I used to behind-the-neck press pain-free and now 20-30lbs hurts. I think this from attempting low bar squats. This could be the biggest factor…

Catching the bar on the descent is no fun right now, and I think it’s keeping me from pushing hard.
So, I’m going to take a page with what’s worked for me in the past and see if it helps. My ME work will be predominantly in the horizontal range, and on repetition day blast the shoulders with volume, isolations, and growth factor work. The injury is different from the last time this worked, but last time I did this I had a big increase in my overhead strength.

Do you have typical impingement symptoms? Can you do lateral raises to and above horizontal level/ 90° without pain? Do impingement exclusion tests show any negative results? For example, touch your opposite shoulder with your hand and then raise your elbow to your face, touching your forehead with your elbow. Does that hurt?
How does your shoulder mobility look? Can you reach overhead with locked out elbows without overextending your back? Can you touch your hands behind your upper back (one arm going from below, one from above) or atleast get somewhat near? What do you do for your shoulder mobility?
Can you get your shoulder checked out by a doctor?

I THINK. An osteo told me that I’ve got type 3 shoulders or w/e. I went when they got so bad I couldn’t even raise my hands above my head. This is a totally different kind of pain though, and gets bothered with different movement patterns. that was around the collar bone area, this feels like it’s underneath the rear delt.

No, it hurts with all but really light weight. Btn presses are painful, and snatch-grip high-pulls are a no go without pain. Both are things I did pain-free before trying low bar.

That test actually feels fine. Touching my mid back hurts though. I’ll check out more tests.

I CAN do it, but i have to flex the hell out of my thoracic. & I can get close but it’s not pretty.

I do band work frequently, lots of dislocates (these don’t feel good), pull-aparts & basic thoracic stretches. obviously not enough lol

Maybe… depending on who I’d have to see my insurance may or may not cover it. Last time I looked for doctors none in my area were accepting any new patients. My fiancee is a nurse and she has nurses & docs in her family, including a chiropractor, perhaps I could bug one of them

I have the same shit happen to me regularly on various lifts. Pain in the ass, but humbling, I guess.

Though I wish you the best with your training of course I’m glad it’s not just me, lol. Oh it is certainly humbling to say the least. Perhaps it’s the lifting gods demanding a sacrifice of some sort…

We are getting to a point that I wish I could speak in my native language, so forgive me if I sound a little weird.

On mobility: Do you do any myofascial release work? I highly encourage you to pick up a lacrosse ball and work on you pecs (pec minor area especially). Aswell as on your shoulder blade and trap area. On top, work your lats and serratus with a foam roller.
I personally find that the trap/ upper back area is best manually massaged. My girlfriend does a great job of that. If your wife is decently strong you could ask her to help you out. Or alternatively ask a training partner.

Do you currently do anything to work on shoulder blade decompression?
Things to try are:

  1. External rotation (yeah, this dumb looking exercise at a cable machine
  2. Sit down on a standard lat pulldown, choose a pretty low weight. Now you let your arms extended the whole time insted of bending at your elbow, like you usually would. You just pull down your shoulder blades while your arms stay extended. You should target your lowe traps with this.
  3. Incline curls, where you let your arms completely hang down

Your insurance system is weird to me.

I could try to go into greater detail with stuff you could try if you like. Right now I am on my phone which makes it a little difficult.

Your English is much better than many Americans’ I know, so no prob there.

I do it occasionally, and I guess that’s a big part of the problem; I need to treat mobility work & mfr work like I treat the rest of my training.

I have a back massager, I could certainly begin using it!

I’ve never done any of this however. I know what external rotation means in a mobility sense, but I honestly don’t know what the exercise is… is it like the opposite of a straight-arm pull-down?

Ha, yeah me too. A common saying here is “we’ve got the best healthcare money can buy”

Thanks man, I really, really appreciate it. I’ll incorporate all of the stuff you’ve listed here, and perhaps bug you again if I need another push lol.

Wednesday 9/21/16
ME Lower

Trap Bar Deadlift
135 x 3
185 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 3
405 x 3 (PR)

Clean-grip reverse lunges
135 x 3 x 5 (each leg)
95 x 1 x 10

Back Extensions
3 x 10 holding a quarter

2 rounds:
-neck extensions w/ harness
-CoC#1 8-10 reps < some closed all the way, some didn’t

Notes: So each week, I’ve added a rep at 405 woth the trap bar. Pleased with that… It could have something to do with ramping up in smaller increments to that weight. I also felt great yesterday. Whatever, happy with the PR.

EDIT I woke up at 176 this morning. 2 weeks ago I was waking up at 173.5. It could have something to do with my cheat meal of pizza & wings last night though lol. To be honest, I’m not gaining much weight, even though I’m hitting close to 400g crabs/day from great sources (almost exclusively rice with a few potatoes). I am getting noticeably leaner though when I cleaned it up and bumped up the carbs.

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