Per aspera ad astra (strongman Koestrizer)

Not gonna lie, I lost some motivation lately. I compare myself too much to what I should be able to do by now or what other athletes I compete with can do … or just what some 16 year old kid on instagram that I’ve never even met can do. :person_facepalming:

This feeling of inadequacy made me say “I’m about done in strongman, I can’t keep up anymore” to a lot of people this year. While there’s a grain of truth to that with how the this sport is evolving (and how I’m not, haha), it’s still pretty stupid. I get to say when it’s over. It’s my choice.
This weekend showed me a good reason to keep going: It can be a lot of fun and you get to meet great people!

Now I’ll have a looong off season for job related reasons and then I’m looking forward to doing more comps like this as well as GFSA cups again (Well minus the next comp on the upcoming weekend).

Here are some cool pics from the comp:







Had to include the MVP chicken!

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You aren’t kidding, man! You look great and you had a good finish. Lots of reasons to be proud of yourself. Great stuff all around!

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Thank you @SvenG ! :slight_smile:

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29.11.

Last session before comp

1 deadlift
3 x 3 @ 140 kg

2 hurdle jumps
5 hurdles about knee height
5 sets

3 hang power snatch
4 x 2 @ 60 kg

4 45° back extension
3 x 20

5 btn lat pull down
3 x 12 very light

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03.12.

Oben ist oben invitational cup

I was not feeling it starting today. I slept poorly this week and was very tired going in. But the atmosphere was very family-like and nice, so during deadlifts, I picked up the spirit a bit. The score sheet is yet to be revealed so I might do an update on this when it’s available!

Event 1: 18" deadlift with a power bar

Now I have done this 2 or 3 times in preparation for this and mainly after deadlifts from the floor, so I didn’t really have much to go off. In training I pulled 260 kg easy enough.

1st attempt: 245 kg :white_check_mark:
2nd attempt: 260 kg :white_check_mark:
3rd attempt: 272,5 kg :white_check_mark: (600 lbs)

I was definitely good for more, possibly 280, but I’m happy with my attempt selection.

Event 2: overhead medley
Monster dumbbell - keg - axle - small log
45 kg - 70 kg - 80 kg - 95 kg

Light weights for me and I finished fast and smooth apart from the log because the small diameter threw me off on the clean.

Event 3: Yoke walk 300 kg for 15m

Now if you follow my training closely, you know this is the best overall discipline I have in strongman. And I blew it brutally today. Last second changed the pick height (stupid mistake), dropped it once… The whole thing. I finished in 14.something seconds and was more than 5 seconds slower than my average training time!!!
I was fucking pissed! This did cost me greatly and most likely ruined my chance for a podium finish. This did hurt.

Event 4: carry and drag
100 kg sandbag for 15m loaded over 1,20m into drag (unknown weight but lots of friction on the rubber ground)

Did decently, don’t know about the standing yet. Fell on my arse during the drag which cost me time.

It was a really really long day and I was absolutely k.o. before event 4. We started our drive at 8.45 am, met at 11 am for rules and the last event finished at 6 pm. So before event 4 and 5, I was quite cooked.

Event 5: Simulated dinnie stone hold
200 kg in total

Don’t know my time or standing. The pain wasn’t bad at all but the grip was very slippery and kept on sliding and sliding in my hand. Maybe hook grip would have actually been the option here because the diameter of the grips was very thin.

Summary
I finished 4th in the heavy weight class and I did have a great time. I made some stupid mistakes and that ended up biting me in the arse. We took an acquaintance of mine along and she is doing professional sports photography for CrossFit events. She offered to do photos for us and I’m quite excited to get those! :slight_smile:

This concludes my 2022 strongman season and my 14th competition. It’s time for a long and hopefully, despite the upcoming job hussle, productive off season. Thanks for reading and following along.

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Nice work today, my friend, and a solid finish!

So much good stuff here, and I got a chuckle at the end of the video—I think it says a lot about how your day went!—but this:

was probably the best part of it all!

Great job!

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I love reading your post comp write ups. Sounds like a hard but really fun day. Couple of minor mistakes cost you but overall it sounds like you performed well. Enjoy your rest over Xmas and can’t wait to see what you get up to next year.

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@SvenG @simo74 thanks for the support, fellas! I liked the secretly recorded dance video as well, haha. I’m still a bit upset to be honest about how the day went but in the end - that’s sports for ya’!

Well let’s continue with this question then!
Next year I’m going to do my state’s exams for physiotherapy and timing wise that falls right into competition season. So I will probably not do any league competitions sadly. I might do a couple small comps like the ones I just did, if I get the opportunity. That leaves me with a looong off season which I need to utilize to get my static strength way up with the goal to be a little more competitive in the 2nd league. Now we know I struggle a lot with lower body lifts and this year I’m trying to set attainable goals for numbers I want to reach.

Squat - 225 kg (+15 kg). I haven’t done heavy squats in ages, so I think I miiiight be able to make some ground here a bit quicker than on other lifts.
deadlift - 250 kg (+10 kg)
btn jerk/ overhead press/… - 160 kg (+10 kg)
dips - 40 kg x 5 reps (+4 reps)
log lift - 130 kg (+9 kg)
farmer’s walk - 145 kg per hand x 15m (+10 kg)
atlas stones (about to build me some) - 130 kg over 1,20m

All while maintaining a body weight of around 120 kg and improving my gpp.

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I never realized you could see the scar on my chest through the t-shirt if it expands enough (yoke picture).

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Landing on my arse is just a staple of every contest I attend. This time I can make a short story out of pictures from it, haha.




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Great photos mate, you look like you were enjoying yourself.

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05.12.

1 jefferson curls
3 x 8 @ 28 kg kettlebell

2 low bar squat
5 x 5 @ 100 kg

trying to get used to the whole thing again

3a bench press
5 x 5 @ 100 kg

3b Copenhagen plank lift (adductors)
5 x 8

4 cable row
3 x 12

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06.12.

1 hip flexor lift
4 x 8 per leg @ 18 lbs kettlebell

2a low bar squat
5 x 5 @ 100 kg

2b kettlebell windmill
5 x 5 per arm @ 32 kg

3a btn strict press (t&g on traps)
2 x 20 @ 40 kg
1 x 10 @ 40 kg

3b pull ups
3 x 3

4a biceps curl
3 x failure

4b triceps extensions
3 x failure

5 concept rower
10 min - 149 cal

6 assault bike
10 min - 80.9 cal / 5232m

The goal is to get and keep moving and prepare my body for what’s to come. Back is still fucked from the weekend (not in the injured way).

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08.12.

1 leg curls (with dumbbell)
3 x 8 @ 27,5 kg

2a low bar squat
5 x 5 @ 100 kg

2b weighted push ups
4 x 5 @ 25 kg
1 x 12 @ 25 kg

3a rdl
4 x 6 @ 100 kg

3b strict log press
3 x 20 @ 46 kg

4a banded hip adduction
3 x 12 blue band

4b btn lat pull
3 x 12 @ stack 11

5 assault bike
Tabata sprints 8x(20/10)

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09.12.

1 seated log press
Up to
1 @ 96 kg - actually really strong for seated and this angle!!
3 x 3 @ 86 kg

2 squat (low bar)
5 x 5 @ 100 kg

3 dips
BW x 15 - PR, I guess. Probably.
BW x 10
BW x 6

4 one arm db row
3 x 12 @ 35 kg

5 biceps curls
For the pump

Notes:
Next week it’s back to regularly planned workouts, I think. My body should be ready if I don’t start out too heavy.

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Getting in and out of that setup was the real workout, haha!

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:sparkles: I am elegance. I am grace :sparkles:

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11.12.

Weighted vest walk @ 20 kg
3,4 km in 33,09 minutes (-3. Smth minutes)

Push ups
20 reps all out at 20 kg

Good result. Done when I came home from the walk.

Cold. Shins and feet pissed but not too bad. Self hatred and emotional instability pushing me. Will load up heavier next time or push the pace.

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12.12.

1 leg curls with dumbbell
3 x 8 @ 30 kg

2 squat (sleeves)
5 @ 140 kg
5 @ 150 kg
5 @ 160 kg
2 x 5 @ 135 kg

Actually went better than I expected.

3 snatch grip deadlift
1 @ 170 kg
4 x 8 @ 125 kg

4 step ups (barbell)
3 x 6 p.l. @ 40 kg

5 ghd sit ups - 5 kg plate behind my head
3 x 12

Notes:
Puh this was unreasonably hard today.

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13.12.

1 strict log press
5 @ 80 kg
5 @ 85 kg
5 @ 90 kg
5 x 5 @ 76 kg

1b pull ups
5 x 3

2a seated log lift (high incline, dead pin press)
3 x 6 @ 66 kg

2b one arm db row
3 x 12 @ 35 kg

3 face pulls
3 x 15

Did this in lunch break and miscalculated the time. Had about 45 minutes to get something done. Honestly having trouble to get into my off season. Also the programmed weights were probably too heavy today.
May do some push ups tonight as assistance.

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