Sunday, September 23, 2012

Events Training Saturday: Last Session Before Am Nats

shoulder warmup

Deadlifts
10 reps @ 60 kgs
8 reps @ 100 kgs
6 reps @ 140 kgs
2 reps @ 180 kgs
1 reps @ 220 kgs
4.5 reps @ 250 kgs / 551 lbs PR

DB OHPress
10 reps @ 20 kgs
5 reps @ 30 kgs
left 5 reps @ 40 kgs
right 3 reps @ 40 kgs - feeling better, but still just not feeling right at the top
left 1RM @ 50 kgs PR

Yoke
15 meters x2 @ 205 kgs
static hold: 10 seconds @ 285 kgs - felt fine
static hold: 20 seconds @ 365 kgs ...eh

*Clean-pressed an 80-85 kgs axle here. Bad idea.

Farmers walk
25 meters @ 60 kgs p/hand
static hold: 25-30 seconds @ 140 kgs p/hand PR

PRETTY buggered after that. Stamina just wasn't there today. Ate like a fiend last night, and even inhaled a burger about an hour into training. I feel I've at least caught up on the rest of the week I missed. And getting under a heavy(ish) yoke and walking away not broken was a definite bonus... just hope I can manage something on the day.

That fifth rep at 551 lbs I pulled to about my knees, but it wasn't budging further. Very happy with the 4 though - an even tonne moved in 4 reps is proper, heavy ass lifting no matter how you cut it. The only man I know personally who could call it 'mediocre' (and did) is WA's strongest man Daniel Macri.

Thanks Dan.

So one of my coaches has advised that I not do any training at all this week. I had hoped to hit one more squat PR on monday, but alrighty then. I'll just spend the next few days psyching myself out on the couch.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

You Know

I get pretty fucking sick and tired of being sick and injured. I hate more having to dwell on that shit, because it's not getting me any further ahead. But seeing as I'm pretty much stuck here I might as well do a recap and then it's recorded and I can move the hell on.

I got food poisoning monday night, after my squat session. I eat so unvaried, such basic and trusted foods that I am rightly annoyed this could happen anyway. It must have been the frozen mixed berries in my PWO shake. The only other thing I'd had at that point was 2 litres of milk, and for dinner I ate some chicken that I'd had the night before and was still fresh and good, though my stomach at this stage was feeling odd so I only ate a little... not good for gains, I know.

What was worse for gains came next; leaking and projecting from both ends all night and over the next 2 days. The vomiting stopped about 7am, after I'd retched up what I guess was every seed that had been in that shake. After that I could take a sip of water and keep it down.

To add to the drama, this happened the night before my appointment with the Orthopaedic surgeon who, I mistakenly thought, would be performing an MRI. Turns out that takes at least 3 weeks to organise. I walked out of his office short a couple hundred dollars, but with an Xray and an inconclusive 2nd opinion which had nothing to do with the rotator cuff, something he called 'general instability' which amounted to *scratches head* duh-I-dunno. Just to make sure I go ahead with that MRI, coz that will diagnose and solve my issues finally.... right? The only solid assertion made by the surgeon was that, for a strength athlete, I have "pretty small" humeral ball joints.

That was Tuesday. Wednesday I spent half of on the can and the other half drinking sachets of salty orange flavoured crap and popping Imodium. Last night and today I've been getting solid food in me and am feeling more or less back to normal, but still too weak to justify training. I lost 3 kilos in 40 hours, along with my PWO nutrients and, presumably, most of my gains from Monday night's squat PR. I need to eat more first.

So this has been almost all of the second-last week before Amateur Nationals. I'm going back into training saturday - my last events training session before the big one - even weaker and more behind than I was when the week started. Literally.

But here's the take home piece: This doesn't change my goal. It won't stop me from competing, it won't stop me from getting stronger. It's a slice of my sometimes sandy vagina, and it amounts to one emo side note amongst years of solid gains and positive improvements on my road to being truly strong.


Monday, September 17, 2012

Squat Monday: 200 Club Card Carrier

Shoulder warmup

Squats w/cambered bar
12 reps @ 30 kgs
8 reps @ 50 kgs
6 reps @ 70 kgs
4 reps @ 110 kgs
2 reps @ 150 kgs
1 reps @ 180 kgs
4 reps @ 200 kgs PR

Good mornings
8 reps @ 30 kgs
8 reps @ 70 kgs
6 reps @ 110 kgs
5 reps @ 135 kgs
5 reps @ 155 kgs PR

Pinwheelz
12 reps @ 20 kgs
12 reps @ 22.5 kgs
12 reps @ 25 kgs

THAT last set of 4 was the best set of 4 squats I've ever done. The fourth was strong, but I knew it was my last. No gassing, no failure. All new territory in terms of strength. Also, my GMs are all to good depth, and are stronger now than virtually anyone else's at the Pit... other than Dan. Of course.

Finally: gotta luv them pinwheelz, for a jack3d bicep pump for the drive home. I like to roll up my sleeves and flex at the lights for people in the other lane.

210 for at least 3 next week :)

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Semi-Training Saturday

Shoulder warmup
Front raise,
Side raise,
Bent over rev fly,
OHPress,
12 reps each with 4 kgs DBs

1 Arm Db OHP (strict)
l&r 10 reps @ 20 kgs
left 5 reps @ 30 kgs
left 3 reps @ 40 kgs
left 2 FAILs @ 50 kgs
l&r 10 reps @ 20 kgs

Seated row
12 reps @ 10 plates
12 reps @ 15 plates
12 reps @ 20 plates
10 reps @ full stack

45 degree back raise
10 reps @ BW
10 reps @ +24 kgs KB
10 reps @ +32 kgs KB

Pajero +sled drag
20 meters @ Pajero +200 kgs
20 meters @ Pajero +240 kgs

I TRIED to stay busy without doing anything that was going to mess with my shoulder.. and ran out of ideas pretty quick. I handled the baby log at 45 kilos, but one press and I knew it wasn't a good idea I do more.

Deadlift Thursday: Heavier

Deadlifts
10 reps @ 60 kgs
8 reps @ 100 kgs
6 reps @ 140 kgs
2 reps @ 180 kgs
1 reps @ 220 kgs
5 reps @ 240 kgs (530 lbs) PR

Bent over rows
10 reps @ 60 kgs
10 reps @ 80 kgs
6 reps @ 100 kgs
6 reps @ 110 kgs PR
6 reps @ 115 kgs PR

AND NEXT week, I'm gonna rep my current 1RM at least 3 or 4 times!!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Training with Injury Week 1: Squat and Press

Squat Monday September 10th: Nearly Awesome

Squats w/cambered bar
10 reps @ 30 kgs
10 reps @ 42.5 kgs
6 reps @ 85 kgs
5 reps @ 110 kgs
2 reps @ 150 kgs
1 reps @ 175 kgs
4 reps @ 190 kgs PR

Good mornings
8 reps @ 30 kgs
8 reps @ 70 kgs
8 reps @ 110 kgs
5 reps @ 130 kgs
5 reps @ 150 kgs PR

VERY happy. Repping 200 kgs *with proper depth and form* is just around the corner.

Tuesday Press Focus September 11th: Keeping Left

*shoulder warmup

OHPress strict with barbell
10 reps @ 20 kgs
10 reps @ 30 kgs
10 reps @ 40 kgs
10 reps @ 45 kgs

DB OHPress (left only)
5 reps @ 30 kgs
5 reps @ 40 kgs PR
3 reps @ 45 kgs PR

I was a bit lost in terms of structure tonight... options were limited, but I was surprised at how easy the 40 kgs DB felt. I'm looking forward to a full routine next week, and hopefully repping that 50 kgs DB. That really will be a milestone.

Taking 2nd Helpings of the Good with the Bad

I’ve been here before. Comparing the good with the bad, I mean. Everything is finite, prone to change, and never guaranteed.

I got some bad news last Saturday, the morning of what was to be 6 glorious hours of events training. For several weeks now I’ve been having regular physiotherapy sessions, which typically include dry needling. My physio told me that he was 99% certain the ongoing issue I’ve had with my right shoulder is damage to the rotator cuff tendon.

It isn’t clear whether it’s just inflammation or a tear, and I won’t know till I’ve got an MRI scan performed. The best scenario is a second opinion from a sports physician ($) recommending a cortisone injection ($), which might enable me to continue on and compete at the Strongman Amateur Nationals. But it would also likely result in further damage to my shoulder, consequent surgery ($$$), and months and months of rehab.

So I’ve pulled out of the competition for this year, lost several hundred ($) in non-refundable airline tickets, and anticipate losing more in the coming weeks as the bills for consultations, referrals and treatments roll in.

But the upside… the upside of all this is pretty good. In fact there's a lot of good to look back on... it has been a long while since I used this process to assess my situation; actually taking the time to write down what’s really going on in my training, in my diet, in my overall direction and ethos. 

When the invite to nationals arrived I weighed in at 125 kilograms, and had been sitting there for a couple of weeks, from memory. My progress in most things had slowed, in some cases to a barely perceptible crawl. It was there, but you had to look for it.

The invite made me re-prioritise. I wanted strength and mass. I needed to be as big and as strong as possible. And I went about it in grand, grand style. First I doubled my daily caloric intake. My weekdays were still somewhat constrained to the two litres of milk, with roast meat and veg lunches whenever I had the time and spare cash. But in the evenings I would gorge on protein shakes, extra helpings of dinner (usually dead animal with some vegetable matter) which now often included rice, berries and cream or ice cream for dessert and even cake – through the week! I was in heaven. As of tonight I weigh 133 kgs – an increase of 8 kilograms in approximately 6 weeks! And the results show not all of it is fat.

Instant gratification aside, the more important strength gains that my 4000+ calories p/day diet provided were soon to follow. Progress on my favourite exercise – the deadlift – increased at a rate I’m still coming to terms with, and my squats have also really turned a corner! Looking back on my previous months of training logs, it’s hard not to see at least some of it as treading water. If I’d been 100% strength-focussed from the outset I’d possibly have that 300 kgs deadlift already. But there’s still time for all that.

So now where am I? Having bowed out of the Amateur Nationals for 2012 and heading into possible surgery and rehab, I cannot make the claim that I’m a nationally competitive Strongman anymore, only that I want to be one. But there are things I used to aspire to be that I now am, and things I wanted to do that I’ve now done. I’m looking better, feeling better and (when not injured), I’m stronger than just about any lifter I've met outside of the Muscle Pit. Stronger than I thought was even possible when I started brah-training all those years ago.

So yeah, 2013 will be my year. It will make 2012 look like arrested development… partly because it was. 

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Deadlift Thursday: Heavy Ass Repping

Deadlifts
10 reps @ 60 kgs
8 reps @ 100 kegs
6 reps @ 140 kgs
2 reps @ 180 kgs
1 reps @ 210 kgs
6 reps @ 230 kgs / 507 lbs PR

Bent over barbell rows
10 reps @ 60 kgs
8 reps @ 80 kgs
8 reps @ 90 kgs
6 reps @ 100 kgs

TIME constraints prevented a more thorough session tonight, but I got what I needed done. And done well. Soundly repping over 500 pounds is something I've only known truly strong people to be able to do. I don't want to welcome myself to the club just yet... but it feels at least like my name is on the door now.

Seeing my physio saturday morning, and then several hours of events training... I wonder how much of it I'll be able to handle this week?

Squat Monday September 3rd: Solid

Squats w/cambered bar
10 reps @ 30 kgs
10 reps @ 70 kgs
6 reps @ 110 kgs
2 reps @ 140 kgs
1 reps @ 160 kgs
4 reps @ 180 kgs PR

Good mornings
10 reps @ 35 kgs
8 reps @ 70 kgs
8 reps @ 105 kgs
5 reps @ 125 kgs
5 reps @ 145 kgs PR

45 degree back raises
8 reps @ BW
10 reps @ BW +20 kg kettlebell

IT'S not much of a PR, but all squats were performed with proper depth and I've really turned a corner with my form. Shoulder was screaming at me all through it, even with the cambered bar. But I got it done.

Events Training Saturday September 1st: OhWTFagain

Yoke walk
2x 15 meters @ 205 kgs
15 meters @ 245 kgs
15 meters @ 285 kgs*
static hold 10 seconds @ 365 kgs*
*Both of these felt shithouse. Right shoulder damaged again. fml. But in spite of this, I tried out some axle clean-pressing, and messed with it a little more.

Axle clean-press
2 @ 75 kgs
...didn't think it was wise to keep this up.

Truck pull / sled drag
15 meters @ Pajero +240 kgs sled
25 meters @ Pajero +290 kgs sled

Log clean-press
3 reps @ 60 kgs Yeah. Nah.

Farmer's walk
25 meters @ 60 kgs p/hand
25 meters @ 100 kgs p/hand
25 meters @ 130 kgs p/hand

Atlas stones
2 reps @ 115 kgs
0 @ 140 kgs stone*
*And on attempting this lift, something in my left forearm felt like it detached from it's insertion in my elbow, or something like that. Yeah, and I'm also injured here now. Woot.

SO... I've been putting off this entry because it's just so much fail. While my farmer's walk with 130 kgs was far from my PR at the national qualifiers for time, it's good to know I can still do it after that frigging truck pull. The truck pull was also a highlight of the day. It destroyed me.

But I'm injured again, and in new places. I couldn't raise my right arm above my head without some interesting pain for a couple of days after this session. And I will have to wait till the weekend to see my physio... the guy is getting pretty popular.

I also had to continue with the cambered bar for squats on monday night.