What’s Next???

Now that the Heartland Challenge is over with I have nothing else on my calendar.  That is both good and bad.  The main reason Josh and I started competing in contests was to give our training more purpose.  When you are training for a contest you are more serious in your training and everything is kicked up a notch – I like that!  The down side is that sometimes it seems like you’re always training for something and you can’t relax or focus on your own goals.

So Josh and I sat down tonight and made out our new lifting schedule.  We tried to make it a little more detailed than we have in the past.  We are both looking to get stronger, but still allow for some rest and recovery time.  The training will be geared towards powerlifting, as we hope to do a meet this spring.  I’m excited, I know last year Josh pushed me really hard and that brings out the best in me.

2008 Heartland Challenge

I slept for 6 1/2 hours the night before the contest, which is good for me.  I woke up at 5:30, played on the computer a bit, ate some oatmeal and layed on the couch until 8:00.  I got going and headed to the contest site and made it there at 9am.  I try to stay relaxed and didn’t start warming up til 9:45, and the contest started up at 10:30.

 

Max Log – I opened with 290, strict pressed 310, and nailed 330 with more in the tank – 2nd Place

Deadlift Medley – I really enjoyed this event.  Being down in the points I wanted this event bad, and I nailed it perfect – 1st Place

Yoke – This is a great event for me, my only regret is that I set the cross bar too high and didn’t have enough clearance from the ground – 2nd Place

Farmers – I get more nervous for farmers then I do for any other event.  Alot of guys were finishing with good times.  I made my turn and started going sideways, but I decided to finish that way rather than wait for them to straighten out – 2nd Place

Stone Load for Reps – At this point I was in first by 2 points and I knew I need to at least tie Chris Canada to get the win.  The good thing is that I was up last, he went right before me and got 6 reps.  I had only got 5 in training but I wanted to win this thing badly.  The reps came a lot easier than they did at Jobes!  I got my 6th rep and then 7 to tie for first place, I knew that was all I needed to win the contest.

Leading up to the Contest

Since I had taken it easy the past two weeks, I decided to workout hard the week leading up to the contest.  A lot of guys like to take that week off, but I can’t do that.  I also know that on a regular week that I would work out hard and do events on Sunday, and do them well.  My point is I don’t want to be wore out going into competition, but I also don’t want to be sluggish.

I hit some good numbers in the gym this last week:

Bench – 395×4

Squat – 495×3, 545×3

Deadlift – 595×1

Ready to Compete!!!

The birth of the SUPER GYM

Worked chest yesterday at Golds.  It was a good bench day 315×5, 345×5, 375×7, 395×4

Sunday – Super Gym

Worked back today and it went pretty well

Pull Downs to Chest- 4 sets of 12

Fat Man Pullups- 3 sets of 10

Bent Over Rows – 4 sets of 12

T-Bar Rows – 3 sets of 10

1 Arm Rows – 2 sets of 10

Finished up with deadlift.  I haven’t really deadlifted since last spring, so it was nice to get back to it.  I worked my up to 590# – that was all the weight we had.  Need to purchase some more plates!

 

It was nice to work out with good music, high intensity and no distractions!

1 week out

It’s been a while since I’ve posted…again.  Last weekend was Josh’s contest, so we took it easy.  Basically just getting the blood moving everyday, nothing too strenuous.  But back to the body building contest – What a tough day for Josh.  Leaving home at 6:45am to make to a 7:30am meeting, then not knowing for sure when you’re going to take the stage (Ended up being around noon).  Trying to go home and relax a while before the evening show, which ended up being more of the same.  Show up at 4:30pm and not perform until 10:00pm.  I think might bodybuilding might be the most grueling and mentally tough sport that there is.

 

Josh is finished with the contest now and is back in the business of getting big and strong!  So it was good to get back after it in the gym, but most of the week my mind was missing from the workouts.  We had inventory going on at work and it was physically and mentally draining for me.  I did manage to make to Jesse Jobes on Thursday for a quick event day. 

Practiced opening up with 300# on the log and it was fairly easy, but tried 320# after that and couldn’t get it.  I think my legs were fried from squatting, or at least I hope so. 

I made a decent run with the 260# farmers and actually feel like this will be a good event for me.

Finished with the stone load for reps.  I was hoping to beat the 5 reps that I’d got a few weeks back, but that didn’t happen.  I got 5 reps in about 45 seconds and then I was out of breathe.

All in all things went okay last week - I’m just ready to compete again!