Tuesday Press Etc: Getting Somewhere

MORE weight and more reps than last week, on the money sets and across the board. Upper body-wise, things are feeling good and I'm keen to see where I'm at in another five weeks, when I'm overhead pressing 100 and benching 130 for reps.


As far as lower body goes, stuff is holding together. Foam rolling and thorough quad stretching before and after squats have gotten me this far. Next session it's 195 for three sets of five; near enough 200. And if I squat all 15 reps, that (I think) would be the most repetitions I've ever done, at that weight, in one session.


Assault bike: 5 mins @ 50 rpm
Stretch


Bench press:
20 kgs x 10
40 kgs x 8
60 kgs x 5
70 kgs x 1
80 kgs x 15


Axle OHP:
30 kgs x 8
50 kgs x 5
65 kgs x 1
75 kgs x 3 x 7 TPR


DB bicep curls (left only):
9 kgs x 4 x 10 TPR


DB front raises (L&R):
8 kgs x 4 x 10 TPR


super-set w/Face pulls:
Plate 9 x 4 x 20 TPR


Triceps pushdowns:
Left
plate 4 x 20
plate 5 x 20
plate 6 x 15
Right
plate 9 x 15, 13, 12


HS chest press (L&R):
30 kgs p/h x 3 x 10

Quaid Hates Squats

WHICH is a shame for him, coz I'm just starting to enjoy them again. I'm cinching my belt higher to hold him in, but he really is quite noticeable now. It's possible he's getting bigger and will herniate eventually. The prospect of exploding like a xenomorphe host crossed my mind a couple of times today. It didn't happen, which means I'm not squatting heavy enough.


Hopefully I can continue with this 3x5 set/rep scheme for 195 kilograms, then 3x4 of 205. I'd like to finish up with something like two triples of 255... but maybe I can follow it all the way through to 275 for a significant new personal record.


FRIDAY APRIL 21st
Assault bike: 5 mins @ 50 rpm
Stretch & foam roller


Cambered bar squats:
55 kgs x 10
95 kgs x 5
135 kgs x 5
165 kgs x 3
185 kgs x 3 x 5 TPR


HS seated rows:
left: 20 kgs x 4 x 10
right: 40 kgs x 4 x 10


Axe swings:
l&r plate 6 x 4 x 10


DB bicep curls:
left only 7.5 kgs x 4 x 10

Training Update: Rueing the Day

I'M PISSED about the state of my right arm. The heavy dumbbell curls I've been doing lately have properly buggered it. Between this and my rehabilitating left tendon I have no working upper limbs anymore. It's fortunate I can still squat.


The cambered bar is an odd beast; it's microscopically asymmetrical and weighs 44-something kilograms. I've always stuck some microplates on it to make 50 the base weight, but I've also been using spin locks lately, which means it was 175 that I was squatting on Saturday. It's nothing special, at all, but it's the heaviest thing I've moved in a long time and it made me feel a little sick afterwards... sick, but keen to go heavier next session.


Forgot my Inzer belt at the gym and was relieved to find someone had left it near the pigeon holes when I came back Monday afternoon. I'm on leave right now so am looking forward to getting more training done. Providing my frigging body doesn't break any more. The tennis elbow messes with bo kata but pressing and, so far, rowing movements appear to be unaffected. 


Saturday April 15th
Assault bike: 7 minutes @ 50 rpm
stretch


Cambered bar squats:
50 kgs x 10
80 kgs x 10
110 kgs x 5
150 kgs x 5
175 kgs x 3 x 5 TPR


Monday April 17th
Assault bike: 5 minutes @ 50 rpm
stretch


Bench press:
bar x 10
40 kgs x 10
50 kgs x 10
60 kgs x 10
70 kgs x 10


Axle OHP:
40 kgs x 10
50 kgs x 10
60 kgs x 10
70 kgs x 3 x 6 TPR


DB bicep curls:
left only 7 kgs x 4 x 10


DB front raises:
7.5 kgs x 3 x 10


super-set w/Face pulls:
plate 8 x 20
plate 9 x 2 x 20

The ASA / PTC Perth Strongman Comp: Fast & Furious

THE COMPETITORS (left to right): Peter, Ian, Shaahni, Renee, Ryan, Kezia, Louis, Kong, Steve, Martin, Alex & Matt.

SUNDAY was the day of reckoning for the PTC Strongman team. Highlights of the event have been immortalised on PTC Perth's Instagram and several competitors arrived with camera crews en tow, so I'll link you all to as many of the gutsy and spectacular feats as I can find pics and videos for.

We had 12 competitors who made it through the four events in three hours flat (this is something I'm actually quite proud of) and pace kept the audience and spectators alike engaged throughout. Well, all except the biggest hitter of the day, Matt Lynch Blanch, who one crew member described as 'a caged animal' pacing behind the curtain during the rising bar events, waiting for it to get heavy enough to challenge him. Or at least warm up with.

Some novice competitors needed a bit of instruction when it came to the use of straps during the axle deadlift, and one actually wrapped himself underhand which I only noticed during the pull. It's not a disqualifying method, it's just not smart if you want to keep your biceps tendons attached. After the lift I had a quick chat with him about it.

The highlights of the day included Renee almost flattening herself under an 80 kilogram log, Shaahni pulling all her deadlifts without straps (and her valiant struggle with a 170 kilo axle), and Matt's awesome 150 kilo log and 330 deadlift. And I have to make special mention of all the PTC Strongman members who hit new personal records across the board, as expected. Steve's 275 axle deadlift and finessed 115 log. Alex's 260 axle deadlift and under 10 second yoke walk. Kong's 8 second farmers walk and 250 axle deadlift. And Ryan's lightning fast 6.76 second farmers walk (the quickest time of all competitors) and 235 deadlift. Everyone excelled.

I have to, again, thank the guys behind the scenes - Gabor, Mathew and Jarek - who helped with loading, timing and scoring, and made the comp run as smoothly as it did. The Ruccis and PTC Perth for hosting the event. The Australian Strongman Alliance for sanctioning it and giving grassroots competitors more opportunities to advance in the sport. Loaded Lifting for providing prize packs to the winners of each division. And, of course, all the competitors for showing up and giving it their best.

Tuesday April 11 - Press & Upper Body
Stretch

Bench press:
20 kgs x 10
40 kgs x 10
50 kgs x 10
60 kgs x 10

Axle OHP:
40 kgs x 10
50 kgs x 10
60 kgs x 10

DB bicep curls:
L&R 6 kgs x 4 x 10

DB front raises:
L&R 7.5 kgs x 4 x 10

Super-set w/Face pulls:
Plate 6 x 20
Plate 8 x 3 x 20

Triceps pushdowns:
Left: plate 4 x 3 x 15
Right plate 10 x 2 x 15, 1 x 11

HS chest press:
Left 15 kgs x 3 x 10
Right 45 kgs x 10, 40 kgs x 10, 7

The bike was in use, which was all the excuse I needed not to do 5-10 mins of cardio to start. Little niggles have been annoying me this week. The curls I've been doing have caused tennis elbow on the right, which is why I stuck to just 6 kilograms on each arm. I used to suffer from this real bad when I was a labourer and brah-trainer; it took years of *not* doing near-pointless things, like heavy concentration curls, to allow the issue to heal itself, so I may have to scrap this exercise before too long. And the recent return to something approaching heavy lower body training has aggravated the muscles of my lower posterior chain, which in turn has aggravated the impinged nerve I have there. Each time I sat up between bench sets was a painful experience.

Countdown to Comp Day: Meet Mick

IT WAS Markos, of all people, who reminded me that I needed to finish this post. He asked how my rehab was going. It has been going; disjointed and differently-abled, but going. I will add more to this later because my training, while only really ramping back up again this week, is pretty uninteresting when compared with all the other things that have been happening at PTC strongman lately.


BIG LADS: Kong, Mick & Ryan. Oh, and Steve.


First and foremost: the ASA / PTC Perth Strongman comp is almost here! This Sunday April 9th will be only the second strongman comp PTC Perth has ever run, and the first at PTC v3. This 1000 square meter lifter's paradise is, by far, the best equipped strength gym in the state and provides an excellent venue for athletes and spectators alike. I'm extremely proud of the PTC Strongman team for committing themselves to the simple program I wrote them. They are all in the best condition of their fledgling careers and I look forward to seeing new personal records set across the board.


The team has another new member - a towering behemoth called Mick. Mick doesn't know how strong he actually is just yet, and is what people more knowledgeable than me would call an 'untrained state'; in need of some basic mobility work to get him to a 'trainable state', and from there he will be introduced to the sweet science of strongman. If he commits himself, like the rest of the team, he will also be a formidable athlete in a couple of years. I have no doubt. Utilising his untapped potential is my newest and possibly greatest challenge, as a coach.

The shed has been erected! And it's got our stuff in it! Considering the time and effort the guys put into it, and the frustration Bunnings caused when they failed to provide the missing parts needed to complete the job, This is about as chipper a response as I can give on the subject.

Getting to my training. Things have been feeling good so far. This week just gone I've been feeling more capable than in previous sessions, so I pushed the tendon more than I have done previously. By the end of my pressing session it was feeling strained, but undamaged. If I continue with the gradual increase in my loadings, I may be able to begin deadlifting et cetera in a month or so.

Bored with not being able to deadlift, with the cambered bar I can at least squat safely, and this has become my go-to apparatus for lower body training. I'm also using the hack squat machine fairly regularly without knee issues, which is excellent. Though I am in dire need of some dry needling and will have to get properly pinned soon if I expect this trend to continue.


Since the tendon detachment I've gained about 7 kilograms from sitting on my ass, and this has provoked my diastasis recti  (also known as Quaid) to reappear. So I've added 'axe swings' back into my regular training, to restrengthen my abs and force Quaid back into hiding.


Ryan & Steve build while Kong and Mick train.

I was, prior to this, the leanest and strongest I'd ever been, after coming back from quad tears at GPC states in September. I have no doubt that I will do the same again this year, though whether or not I'll compete is another question. If I do, I'll be aiming for something towards year's end. If I can get conditioned in time I might even enter the ASA Static Monsters, an internationally syndicated, strongman-oriented, push/pull event comprising Log clean-press and Axle deadlift. It will be good to get amongst it again.

April 6th

Assault bike: 8 minutes @ 50 rpm, 30 sec @ 75 rpm
Stretch

Cambered bar squats:
50 kgs x 5
80 kgs x 5
100 kgs x 5
120 kgs x 5
140 kgs x 5

HS seated rows:
Left 15 kgs x 4 x 10
Right 60 kgs x 2 x 10, 50 kgs x 2 x 10

Hack squats:
50 kgs x 3 x 10

Super-set w/Axe swings:
Left & Right Plate 6 x 3 x 10

April 4th

Assault bike: 5 minutes @ 50 rpm

Bench press:
20 kgs x 10
30 kgs x 10
40 kgs x 10
50 kgs x 8 - stopped here due to a pec strain

Axle OHP:


Almost done.

20 kgs x 10
30 kgs x 10
40 kgs x 10

DB bicep curls:
Left 2 kgs x 10, 5 kgs x 4 x 10
Right 22.5 kgs x 4 x 8

DB front raises:
Left 3 kgs x 3 x 10
Right 10 kgs x 2 x 10, 7.5 kgs x 10

Super-set w/Face pulls:
Plate 5 x 3 x 10

Triceps pushdowns:
Left plate 2 x 3 x 15
Right plate 10 x 3 x 15

Super-set w/HS chest press:
Left 5 kgs x 10, 10 kgs x 2 x 10
Right 40 kgs x 2 x 10, 35 kgs x 10

April 1st

Assault bike: 10 minutes @ 50 rpm

Squats w/cambered bar:
50 kgs x 10


The Strongman Equipment Shed is Finally Finished. Hooray.

80 kgs x 5
110 kgs x 5

Cambered bar GMs (low pick):
90 kgs x 3 x 5

March 21st

Assault bike: 10 minutes @ 50 rpm

Seated DB curls:
Left 3 kgs x 4 x 10
Right 20 kgs x 4 x 8

HS seated rows:
Left 5 kgs x 4 x 10
Right 40 kgs x 4 x 10

Tri-pushdowns:
Left plate 1 x 3 x 10
Right plate 6 x 2 x 20, 20, 10