T Nation

Road to NAS Nationals 14' (LW <231/105k)

Training Logs
#1

I decided to make it a goal to get to NAS nats this year in the 105k/231lbs class. I’ve competed only once, so it’s a pretty big goal, but I love this sport and I’m pretty stoked to get better.

I’m 20, and I’ve been training for strongman for about 2 years; only JUST getting access to a full set of implements. I’ll be uploading videos as often as I can, and this log will be updated very frequently on my gym and event training. And plus, my old log ‘strongman log’ was just getting mundane and I needed a real fucking title to kick me into high gear!

STRONGMAN ALL DAY!

#2

1/26/14

Yoke (pretty slanted street, both which ways so it’s really fucking with balance)
270x60’
450x60’
belt on
540x60’
680x60’ felt ok
750x60’ PR, three drops, almost folded me in half at the end. I actually planned for 100’+ on this run LOL SIKE!
speed work
540x120’ fast, as was the second set
540x120’
540x120’ felt like shit, starting to feel the strain of multple sets of yoke

Frame Dead sim. (Farmers handles)
120/hand (240) x5
210/hand (410) x5
straps+ belt on
260/hand (520) x1
300/hand (600) x1
350/hand (700) x1 easier than expected
370/hand (740) x1 slow as FUCK! I didn’t think this would be so significantly harder compared to the previous set.

finished the session with 5 or so sled drags

just under 3 weeks out to NC’s Strongest Man. I have one more week of training and then it’s deloads/time off. Looking back at my training, I’d say I got alot better on many things but I still have much to improve on overall.

#3

vinny killed 490,107lbs worth of bear meat on the road to NAS nationals, but he was only able to yoke back 750lbs.

#4

1/28/14 - could not get to the gym today for log because YAY IT’S SNOWING! Push jerks with the axle instead

Push jerks (axle)
125x8
215x3
265x1
305x1
335x1 just feeling out a heavy weight

Floor press
135x5
225x3
275x2
315x2,2,2,2

SOHP (strict overhead press)
135x27

I’m keeping bulk assistance work out of my training at 2 weeks out.

#5

Where in NC is the event?

#6

[quote]GrizzlyBerg wrote:
Where in NC is the event?[/quote]

Morrisville, NC. Like 20 minutes out of Raleigh.

#7

[quote]strongmanvinny wrote:

[quote]GrizzlyBerg wrote:
Where in NC is the event?[/quote]

Morrisville, NC. Like 20 minutes out of Raleigh.
[/quote]

Well hell, that is only an hour from me. Mayhaps I will come cheer ya on.

#8

[quote]GrizzlyBerg wrote:

[quote]strongmanvinny wrote:

[quote]GrizzlyBerg wrote:
Where in NC is the event?[/quote]

Morrisville, NC. Like 20 minutes out of Raleigh.
[/quote]

Well hell, that is only an hour from me. Mayhaps I will come cheer ya on.[/quote]

Come on over dude, it’s got a great promoter, will make for a great show.

1/30/14 - last time i touch a stone till contest. had to load bare today, really sucked. tacky was hard and unmalleable. wasn’t even feeling it to top it off, but sucked it up and got my head right.

Stones to 48"
180x5
253x5 couple one mots in there
320x1 no tacky, felt like poop
tacky on
320x1
320x2
320x1
320x1

stone squats (one lap, then full extension)
320x6, dunno if PR, felt better than last time I did them

One mot. Stones to 50" (no tacky here, just residual grit and dirt, in fact made it kind of difficult as areas on my hand were super slick)
253x5,5,5
180x10,10,10,10,10

ended up with about 80 reps of stones

was planned to do more but just shut it down here feeling spent.

#9

quick core complex to finish workout. entire complex done twice, no rest in between.

front plank
x30s
side plank
x30s
DB side bend
40x15
russian twist
25x20

#10

Last training day before contest. Time to rest up and get a good mindset.

2/2/14 - day after Deadflifts for Mike Jenkins, had to preface my sandbag training with some deadlifts

Deadlift
135x5
225x5
315x3
405x1
495x1 easy enough
495x3 wanted 5, but my hamstrings and lower back are still sore from stones. nevertheless a homage to a great person.

Sandbag carry
205x50’ turn at half
255xfail, bag is just really fucking difficult. the 205 is SO easy. I can shoulder that thing and sprint with it, but 50 more pounds combined with the bulkiness of the bag makes it unrelentingly cumbersome.

timed speed runs with 205 bag
205x50’ super fast, I can take this bag for hundreds and hundreds of feet before dropping. very happy to be able to get good work in with sandbag.
205x100’ 16.9 seconds
205x100’ 16.3 shittier run but somehow faster. the halfway was really dangerous because the patio was extremely wet and I had to slow myself down for the turn very cautiously or else I’d have fallen and fucked myself up.
205x405’, did 100’ in 18.5 knew i wasn’t going to beat the other times so i conserved and stuck out a long run.

Tire Deadlifts tire walk- basically stuck my farmers handles underneath the tire which is a 6 inch-off the ground pick up. this is more unsafe than conducive to strength, but innovation is fun!!!
380x50’
450x50’
~650x1 stuck two 90lb dumbbells, and two 40lb dumbbells inside the tire. this was so fucking heavy omg LOL
650x1 deadlift belt on, this was super dangerous, alot of weight and this pick is insanely low.

#11

FUCK YEAH VINNNNNNNNNNYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY GET EM TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGER!!!

#12

[quote]Jlabs wrote:
FUCK YEAH VINNNNNNNNNNYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY GET EM TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGER!!![/quote]

FA-FA-FA-FA-FUCK YEAH GONNA GO DANDY GORILLA FINGERS ON THIS BITCH.

#13

2/4/14- using this week as a light high rep week. next week will be completely taken off.

Upper body

Seated DB Military press
25x10
40x10
70x12
90x8
100x13
90x11
90x7
drop set
40x30 (broken down in three cluster sets of 10)

Barbell curls
45x8
95x8
115x3
135x3
155x5
drop set
135x5
115x5
95x5
65x8
45x12

poundstone curls (axle)
35x150

#14
#15

OH SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIT

#16

6 inches of snow with ice before a 3 hour drive to the contest. Pretty much everything besides power and my phone are not working. Good start.

#17

2/16/14

Had an outstanding showing yesterday at NC’s Strongest. I made some seriously prodigious improvements and shocked myself with my performance. Took 5th out of 11 overall, originally 4th but some things were misconstrued :/. Some incredible competitors in the 231’s this weekend, I must say. I was more impressed by the performance of the 231s than any of the HW/SPHWS.

Lil write up:

  1. Last man standing Log Press - Alot of guys were bombing hard early with the log which gave me a window to really get the upper hand early on. I opened 235, took 255 super ugly, and punched 275 like a TOY! I had 300 in me that day. This was also my first time really pressing a 12" in contest. Placed 3rd I think, couple of great 231 pressers came in and banged out 300 . The LW 231s actually had higher average log presses than the heavys and SUPER heavys. Dats sillay!

  2. Super Yoke - 710 for 100’, went in cold. I took 5th I believe, this really folded alot of guys. Yoke was not a fun event, and I can safely say it was definitely the biggest drainer for us this day. Went ~76 feet before time.

  3. Max Frame Deadlift - Just as planned, this was my worst event. Hit a PR though with 670. I think Matt Donnelly pulled 820@200. What the actual fuck!

  4. Tire/Frame/Sandbag Medley- 500 tire, 485 frame, 255 sandbag. The former two are very light, but they were fucking savages. The tire was 6’4" tall, and very skinny. Makes for a really awkward and brutal flip. I ended with 2nd or 3rd in this event and I fucking killed it. I was the fastest with the sandbag, ironically I never was able to even LAP the bag in training (lol). Very very pleased with how this event went.

  5. Stones over 48" bar max reps- Choice between 355, 335, or 310 over bar for max reps. I don’t have too much familiarity with big stones yet, so I was sure the 355 wouldn’t come off the ground. I was called up post-haste and blew off taping up and had to resort to using light tacky which really impeded my grip on the stone. Nevertheless, I slayed the 355 for an easy 2 reps. I would have had three, I think the winning reps was 4. Tacky was a serious problem, but a massive PR on stones. Took 4th.

Had an impactful placing in a contest with some strong competition, feeling not so weak right now!

#18

I edited jus a lil for u guise to be hip and in style.

#19

Oh shiiiiiiiiiiiit Vinny was on fiyyyyyyyya. Very fast bruh! Nicely done dowgg.

#20

Awesome contest! That was a heavy ass stone they wanted you to rep lol.