Taking it up a notch

Five weeks of training left for Iowa…I’m feeling better now than I was two weeks ago.  Things in the gym have been going great, still tearing it up with JoshB.  My event training is coming around as well, today was my best training day by far. 

Here is what I did today at Jobes:

Farmers Walk- 208 for 80 feet, 300 for 80 feet, 328 for 24 feet

• I need 325 for 80 at ISM

Axle Clean and Press- 200, 230, 260, 290 – Not quite locked out, but I know its there.  Technique is much better now.

• 290 Axle is part of a press medley for ISM

Yoke Carry- 650 for 60 feet, 750 for 60 feet, 850 for 60 feet

• 850 is the weight of the yoke at ISM

So I’m to a point now where all the events are doable, and that’s good.  I think I still have enough prep time though that I get to where I’ll be competitive, and that’s even better!

 

Do the best you can?

I think in all competition people have a goal of doing the best that they can.  I once talked to a strongman competitor that didn’t care what anyone else could do, he was just going to do the best that he can.  It’s true that regardless of your result and/or placing if you do the best that you can, you have achieved a personal victory.  I do believe that to a certain extent, but I think part of being a competitor is always getting better, improving yourself, and making yesterday’s best a memory on the way to a new one.

 I remember squating 4 plates for the first time, I thought I was the man…and maybe for that day I was, but I didn’t stop there.  I didn’t retire, I didn’t say “Well that’s the best I can do, no sense trying to do anymore.”  I enjoyed my moment, but I knew there were other guys doing more and I knew that I could do more, so I kept training.

So I guess what I’m figuring out is that we set our own limits for what we can and cannot achieve, and I still haven’t done the best that I can.

Saturday/Sunday

After feeling shitty for a few days Saturday I was ready to hit it hard.  Worked chest and triceps with Josh, we only hit 3 exercises a piece-but the intensity was there with all of them.

Bodyweight 273

Bench Press: 315×5, 345×5, 365×5, 385×3

Incline: 185×5, 225×5, 275×5, 285×3

Hit some dumbell decline and good tricep work to finish up!

Sunday – Jobes

Started with some silver dollar deadlift.  This is an all new event for me, but that is why I’m training early.  So nothing too extreme today: 450, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700-miss

Super Yoke – 40 foot runs

650×4, 700×2, 770×1, 820×1 – Really happy with that!  Iowa is going to be 850, so I’m not too far from that.

Axle Cleans:  Still trying to work on form, watched some videos as well today.

7 Weeks

7 weeks of training until the Iowa Strongest Man-Platinum Plus show.  That should be plenty of time to get ready for this extremely heavy show.

I really want to perform well at this show, for a couple of reasons:

1. For myself, to prove that I belong in this game and I can hang with the bigger guys including the juicers
2. To make up for my Nationals performance, conditions were bad and I know I’m better than that
3. For my friends and family, I want to put on a good showing

There are 30 heavyweights competing and my goal is to finish in the top 20.  There are 5 events total and I need to work on all of them, some more than others.  So Friday will start off the event training again, and the gym routine has been tweeked to help me with my pressing.  I’ll see where the coming weeks take me!

 

Monsters of the Mall

Monsters of the Mall 2008

Max Log Press:  I always like to open light, just because everybody’s log is different and I want an easy attempt to break through all the jitters.

• 270 – Pretty much a strict press – 300 – Easy – 310 – Played it smart, just enough to win it

550 Deadlift for Reps:  I hadn’t really trained this event, and it was every bit of 550.  I was happy with 10 reps as reps are not my strong point. Winner had 14, 2nd had 12.

Farmers Hold for Time:  Grip is my weakest event. 270 in each hand-winner got 62 seconds, I think I had 36.

Load Medley:  Finally something I’m good at!  I had a good run but stumbled with the stone costing me time.  Winner had 16 seconds, I had 17.

Keg Load: 250-325  The guy before me had a great run, just not as good as mine. 15 seconds! I was flying!

The top 3 guys in my group, including myself all tied with 10 points!  So that takes it tie breaker, who had the most 1st place finishes.  That narrowed it down to 2 of us, myself and Brad Johnson-(Lightweight Pro from the tv show Last One Standing) and we both had the same number of 1sts, 2nds, and 3rds. So that takes it the final tie breaker, bodyweight.  I weighed in at 263 and he was 265….That means I WIN!!!!  I was pumped, it was tough day with good competition, and it was cool to win such a tight race! 

This past week

This past week I didn’t post.  Partly because I was getting in a contest mindset and partly because I was drained from cardio and light eating.  I did cardio everyday but Tuesday and Friday and managed to drop down to the low 260s which is where I needed to be before the contest.

My training partner Mac and I made the 4 hour drive to Salina Friday afternoon.  He had been fasting since Wednesday and I had been eating minimally this week, so the ride took forever and we couldn’t wait for it be over so we could chow down.  Made to weigh ins and kicked my shoes off and the scale read 263 – good enough.  We then hit Wendys for 3 hamburgers, then Red Lobster an hour half later for a meal and then Sonic for dessert.  I was feeling good and full after that, and ready to rest up for tomorrow.

 

Saturday!

I haven’t posted since Tuesday, but I’ve been getting my cardio in everyday (I took Friday off though) and continuing with good workouts.  Bodyweight Friday was down to 267!  I hope to be below 265 by next Saturday so I don’t freak out on the ride down to Kansas.

Saturday – Chest

Bench Press: 135×10, 225×10, 315×10, 365×4 – Just trying to get more endurance strength

Dropped the weight to 295×7-245×5-195×3-145×5-95×6 *No rest/continuous set*

Smith Machine Decline: 185×10, 225×10, 275×10, 205×10

Chest Press Machine: 3 sets of 10

Finished with cable flies from the bottom and pec dec.  Then jog/walked 4.3 miles in an hour, finshing bodyweight 269.

Event Training

Got up 5am this morning to do some cardio.  It sucked.  It was cold, but I ran/walked about a mile and half.  This afternoon did some event training.

Log Press: 270×1, 300×1, 320×0, 320×1 – I’d hoped to do more today, I blame it on the weather and the slow pace of the workout

Farmers Walk: 210 – Each hand 75′ x 2, 260 – Each hand 75′ x 2, 300 – Each hand 75′ x 2 – Personal Best!

It’s Monday Again

We hit back on Monday.  I went into the gym early to get my cardio done and over with.  It’s too hard for me to do it after I lift, because by then I’m very tired and fatigued.  So I went for 35 minutes – every little bit helps, I still have 8 pounds to lose.

Bodyweight 272

Cable Pulldowns: 3 sets of 12

T-Bar Rows: 3 sets of 12 and then 2 drop sets of 12

Hammer Strength Pulldowns: 3 sets of 12 and 1 drop

Seated Rows/One Arm Supported Rows: 3 set of 10 each -

I was out of gas after that, but the back was pumped up good!