Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Pull+ Tuesday: Easy, Tiger

I NEEDED to quit some sets on the last two accessory exercises tonight as my favoured tendon was feeling the strain of the last couple of sessions. No matter: all is still on track. This session was my last one using a 4 x 10 set/rep scheme. June is a four week block of 4 x 8, loading from 90 to 120 kilograms. Then July is a block of 3 x 10, loading from 130 to 160. Finally August is 3 x 8, from 170 to 200.

By the end of August I will be pulling 200 kilograms for three sets of 8. If everything goes according to plan, they will be performed from the same deficit I'm at currently, without straps, and double-overhand for as many reps as possible.

In other news, the spud truck pull harness arrived today! This is a highly valued piece of strongman training and competition equipment, and the
PTC Strongman crew are all keen to have a crack at simulating a truck pull; a massive event I am hoping to organise to coincide with the Static Monsters in late October.

PULL+ Tuesday May 30th
Stretch w/foam roller
Deficit deadlifts:
60 kgs x 10
80 kgs x 4 x 10
Bent-over BB rows (underhand):
80 kgs x 4 x 10
Meadows rows (l&r):
30 kgs x 4 x 10
HS seated rows (p/h):
42.5 kgs x 2 x 10
super-set w/Face-pulls:
plate 9 x 3 x 20
Cardio:
assault bike 5 minutes @ 50 rpm

Monday, May 29, 2017

Events+ Saturday: Safety Rails

BEATEN UP, but happy. Walking and sitting have become hard to do of late; I joke about installing a safety rail in my bathroom for days like these... I'm only half joking though. The good news is my appetite's back, so I've been scarfing down food since Friday night. Bodyweight has in fact jumped up to 133.5 kilograms as of the time I write this (early evening, Monday May 29th), an increase of 3 kilos, which happened quick; I have been sitting on 130 with a steadily worsening body fat percentage since the start of February, after popping my tendon. But now the body fat percentage is also dropping. Fanboy Stephan tells me I'm looking better. Now I just need to make sure that translates to being a better athlete on the day. Which day? That is the big question.


The pressing et cetera I did through the week, and the inclines I added into this session were enough to make me rethink log clean-press today... but I will probably do some log work with the new piece during my press routine later this week. It was very encouraging to get feedback from the guys who tested it out today. Kong is especially happy with the difference its larger diameter makes to the clean.



EVENTS+ SATURDAY May 27th

Stretch
Yoke walk:
130 kgs x 2 x 20 meters
210 kgs x 2 x 20 meters
250 kgs x 20 meters
Incline bench press:
bar x 10
60 kgs x 10
70 kgs x 10
80 kgs x 6
Meadows rows (l&r):
25 kgs x 10
30 kgs x 10
32.5 kgs x 10
35 kgs x 10
Axe swings (l&r):
plate 7 x 4 x 10
super-set w/DB front raises (p/h):
8 kgs x 4 x 10

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Squat Thursday: Gains & Migraines

THINGS DIDN'T feel quite right tonight. Breathing is still a little inhibited. Appetite is still poor. I arrived dehydrated and undernourished, and quickly developed a headache thanks to whatever the fuck that noise was on the stereo.


Jeremy Hogg was training, so of course we had a chat. I told him I was working on a blog piece exploring some of the concepts we discussed during events last weekend (I guess now I have to finish it, or make a liar out of myself), and he gave me a rundown of his current training regimen. In short, it's nuts. The man is planning on doing shot put at the Commonwealth games, so there's a large amount of mobility and speed work on his plate between then and now. PTC Strongman look forward to seeing him bring home the gold.


My session was certainly not gold medal material. On the second rep of my last set, something felt off. I wavered on the way up, the bar swung just a bit too much and there was a strain in my right hamstring as I corrected.


I shakily re-racked and decided I'd wait for my heart rate to come down a bit before at least finishing the last two reps. Problem was, my BPMs didn't drop below 125. I waited for maybe ten minutes, till my quads had gone cold and my knees were starting to sing about their efforts. Still, my heart rate wouldn't slow.


Again: 2200 calories consumed, 5100 calories expended. This is not how you train, and definitely not how you get stronger. Disappointed, I went home.


SQUAT THURSDAY May 25th
Stretch w/foam roller


Squats w/cambered bar:
50 kgs x 10
95 kgs x 5
135 kgs x 4
175 kgs x 3
205 kgs x 4, 4, 2

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Press+ Tuesday: Wheezer

MOTIVATION was low tonight. I'm still coughing up colourful goop and finding breathing a challenge. For some reason I was also not hungry most of the day, resulting in a significant drop in energy. I crammed some tuna on rye and a protein shake in before heading off. All up I reckon I consumed only about twenty-two hundred calories through the day, while my Fitbit tells me I burned well over five thousand. If I were to keep this up, the gut would disappear soon enough, along with my ability to get stronger. And I'm not doing all this for more visible abs, or to be 'shredded for Stereos' (LOL, anachronism), so I better find more easy-to-consume food sources.

With the energy deficit and blocked airways I just didn't have the stamina to hit all intended reps on bench tonight, but I did make my numbers on OHP, so it's not all bad. And I had a brief play around with PTC Perth strongman's latest toy; a 10 inch log used in last year's Australia's Strongest Man at the Arnolds. It's a tidy unit indeed, and weighs the same as our next-biggest log, the pink 8-incher we picked up from former WA's strongest woman, Asha Tracey. The crew are all itching to have a go.

I skipped my cardio tonight. Even so, the session was a solid two hours. Eating dinner post-training at around ten o'clock, followed by lights out, is fast becoming standard practice.

PRESS+ Tuesday May 23rd
Stretch
Bench press:
bar x 10
60 kgs x 5
85 kgs x 3
105 kgs x 1
120 kgs x 7 FAIL
Axle OHP:
40 kgs x 8
70 kgs x 3
90 kgs x 4 x 4 PR
Seated French press:
30 kgs x 10, 5
25 kgs x 10, 7
super-set w/Triceps push-downs:
full stack x 3 x 20
full stack x 15
DB front raises (p/h):
10 kgs x 4 x 10
HS chest press (p/h):
32.5 kgs x 3 x 10
32.5 kgs x 9
super-set w/HS bicep curls (l&r):
10 kgs x 3 x 10

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Pull+ Sunday: Cold Introspection

WHAT'S that saying about the best-laid plans? I had my new template finalised and was eager to get it underway when the cold struck and laid me up for half the week. But it has given me time to ponder the possibility of reprising my story... and the only reason I'm even thinking on this subject right now is thanks to the spectre of my high school's 20 year reunion in October, bringing it all back.


When I was thirteen I started writing a story; a horror story. I never finished it. It grew in complexity over the years, but I never saw an ending to it. I just kept building the characters and sub-plots. A stand-alone chunk of it I worked into a novella called 'Buried Vengeance', and paid an editor to look over. I remember having only had my P plates a few months when I drove out to Fremantle to see her and get feedback. In short, it wasn't very good. I still had a bunch to learn about narrative structure; how to use correct tense and flashbacks effectively. The novel, and 'Buried Vengeance' were thrown in a dusty drawer and forgotten about while I tackled early adulthood as a forklift operator, with a Marlboro red in one hand and a can of Export in the other.


I reprised the story at twenty-two, as a mature-age undergraduate at Curtin university. There I reworked the original handful of chapters, plus several new pieces, which served as short stories for my creative writing unit. It still never reached a conclusion, and eventually the story and it's new pieces were returned to that dusty drawer.


That was fifteen years ago. And now, for the first time since, I'm thinking this is something I need to complete. Not let it be just like the other pieces of art that I began and never finished. I want to be able to say that I took a real shot at becoming the actual, published novelist I aspired a lifetime ago to be.


PULL+ Sunday May 21st
cardio: assault bike 5 minutes @ 50 rpm
stretch w/foam roller


Deficit deadlifts:
70 kgs x 4 x 10


Bent-over barbell rows (underhand):
70 kgs x 4 x 10


Meadows rows (l&r):
25 kgs x 4 x 10


HS seated rows (p/h):
45 kgs x 2 x 10
40 kgs x 2 x 10


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


Axe-swings (l&r):
plate 6 x 4 x 10

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Press+ Tuesday: Stepping Up

IT'S FAR from a precise amount, but generally speaking my routines have between twelve and eighteen sets in them. That has been the ballpark for years now. Tonight's program called for thirty. I managed twenty seven, and only dropped the last few sets as they were bicep curls and my tendon felt strained after the first one. It would be a profoundly stupid thing to detach that tendon for a second time.


The only real negative was the bench press for max reps; I programmed 12, touch and go, but only managed 10 (thanks to Perry and Jarek for the spot). Rather than spaz out and do a bunch of doubles, like last week, I left it there and focussed on the axle press. I was actually pretty happy to *almost* complete all 20 reps programmed... after the first set it honestly didn't feel like I'd get that far. As it has in the past, inevitably one press will be given greater priority than the other in the future. It all depends on when I return to competing, and in what discipline. But right now I'm chuffed to be hitting new numbers on axle press.


The tendon issue is why I am going to stick with the cambered bar for my squats for a little while longer. And, obviously, I'm not entertaining things like Farmers walk, Atlas stones, or heavy cleans or deadlifts... well, there's a whole bunch of fun things I'm not entertaining right now. But there's an ever-increasing selection of things that I can do.


I've decided to take a broader and more serious approach to my training. Not having the use of all my limbs for those months has lit a fire under me, so to speak. My passion has been reinvigorated with the recent conclusion that - yes - I am still able to train effectively and even hit new numbers in this, still incapacitated, state. But the more capable I get, the more I want to do.


Some of the accessory work tonight I had to scale down a little thanks to the arms blitz I did Sunday. I really enjoyed the Meadows rows, amongst other things; another tip of the hat to Tim for giving me the idea. This row variation I've done only once or twice before; it doesn't tax the bicep tendon, as the arm is never fully extended, and it's a good stand-in for bent-over dumbbell or Kroc rows.


I have a lot still to do. I may have to train again tomorrow night.




PRESS+ TUESDAY May 16th
Warmup/stretch


Bench press:
Bar x 10
60 kgs x 5
90 kgs x 3
110 kgs x 10 FAIL


Axle OHP:
35 kgs x 5
65 kgs x 3
85 kgs x 3 x 5
85 kgs x 4 So close! Program FAIL, still a PR


Seated French press:
30 kgs x 10 - too heavy
20 kgs x 3 x 10


super-set w/Triceps pushdowns:
full stack x 2 x 20
full stack x 2 x 15


DB front raises:
9 kgs p/h x 4 x 10


super-set w/HS chest press:
35 kgs p/h 8 - too heavy
30 kgs p/h x 3 x 8


HS bicep curls:
10 kgs p/h x 10


Cardio: assault bike 5 minutes @ 50 rpm







Sunday, May 14, 2017

Alm Sunday

Bicep scrutiny
THE FOURTH training session this week means I'm definitely out of the slow lane and back on the road to getting stronger. Today I wanted to dick around with a selection of new exercises that I pilfered from Tim. Tim has been displaying some enormous upper body mass of late, and since my own has withered a little over the rehab period, I figured I'd ask for some details on his current program.


I actually attempted some dips with the new Hammer Strength apparatus but that lack of cartilage in my right shoulder still makes this movement prohibitive. Most of the other stuff I did - beginning with Meadows rows - I cribbed straight from Tim's template. There would have been some DB flys too, but again, my shoulder (the left one, this time) does not like those at all. Likely the bursitis. No matter; by the time I was done my arms felt thoroughly blitzed. This is the first time I've programmed a session purely around a body part since, like, 2012. And I've never trained *just* arms before. That's brah trainer stuff. Well, that's always been my attitude on the subject. But right now I think a bit more arm-specific training is warranted.


SUNDAY May 14th
Cardio: assault bike 5 minutes @ 50 rpm
Stretch
Meadows rows (l&r):
20 kgs x 4 x 10
Seated French press:
30 kgs x 4 x 10
DB front raises:
9 kgs p/h x 4 x 10
super-set w/Triceps pushdowns:
Full stack x 4 x 20
HS seated curls (l&r):
10 kgs x 3 x 10

Saturday, May 13, 2017

Out of the Slow Lane

Yeah, that's enough of a deficit
FINISHING the training week on a high note. I couldn't get to my pulling routine till Friday night (which made yoke the following day that little bit more fun), and was so excited I walked straight past the assault bike to the back of the gym and collected a texas bar from the rack before I'd even warmed up. I also got two sets in before remembering I was supposed to be doing them from a deficit.
 
 
New deadlift socks to mark the occasion

This was my first time deadlifting since just before the tendon injury in January, and then I was only working my way back from the quad tears I suffered at the Perth Cup in September last year. So I'm back to week one, again, and there's no way I can accurately state when I'll be pulling over 300 again. After speaking with Jeremy about Eben le Roux's recovery time - who sustained the same injury not long ago - I can hope to be somewhere near full strength by early next year. Maybe sooner. I'm planning for sooner. 

The only thing that didn't go exactly to plan was the seated rows; after the other stuff, my still-recently reattached tendon was beginning to feel taxed, so I skipped the fourth set. And after completing the rest of the program I doubled back for my 5 minutes of cardio.

Atlas stones! Just one of the new strongman events at PTC Perth
THEN all of a sudden it was Saturday, and yoke walk was my next challenge. I worked up to a slow and uncomfortable 300. I'm finding that my right ankle, which I fractured in two places being foolish last year, gives me a bit of hassle when the weather turns cold. I'll probably have to get an ankle brace.

Alex was already in the middle of his training when I arrived. Clinics start at 12 noon now, but with the new program that Carl has written him, Alex is gonna be in the gym a whole lot more than the rest of us. He asked for a hybrid PL/SM template, and Carl gave him one. He'll come out the other end strong as fuck, if he survives it.


The rest of the crew got themselves busy with a variety of events. It was great to see the whole playground being used.


FRIDAY May 12th - DEADLIFTS
Stretch w/foam roller


Deadlifts:
60 kgs x 2 x 10
Deficit deadlifts:
60 kgs x 4 x 10


Bent-over BB rows (underhand):
60 kgs x 4 x 10


HS seated rows:
40 kgs p/h x 3 x 10


Face-pulls:
plate 9 x 4 x 20


Assault bike: 5 minutes @ 50 rpm


SATURDAY May 13th - EVENTS
Stretch


Yoke walk:
130 kgs x 2 x 20 meters
210 kgs x 2 x 20 meters
270 kgs x 20 meters
300 kgs x 20 meters


Log clean-press:
45 kgs x 2 x 10


Assault bike: 5 minutes @ 50 rpm

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Making a Mess of the Press

TONIGHT was a little disappointing. It's not going to jeopardise the entire program, what I did. But it wasn't the right thing to do. The right thing to do was 13 reps of 100 kilos on bench - 13 reps only. I misread the template and busted out 12, racked it, realised I'd fucked it up, and pressed it for a double less than a minute later. Then, a minute later, I did another double. And another double a minute after that.


Why did I do this? Because I was pissed about missing that last repetition. But I should have stopped after the first double and this is why, when it came to axle overhead press, I couldn't perform the required reps. Not by a long shot.


When I knew it was done I dropped the weight to 55 and repped it out. As I said, this won't have ruined the program as it's still early. But I learned a valuable lesson tonight about sticking to what I've set for myself.


Assault bike: 5 minutes @ 50 rpm
Stretch


Bench press:
bar x 10
60 kgs x 6
80 kgs x 4
90 kgs x 2
100 kgs x 12, 2, 2, 2 FAIL


Axle OHP:
35 kgs x 8
65 kgs x 4
75 kgs x 2
85 kgs x 4, 3, 2 FAIL


DB front raises:
9 kgs p/h x 4 x 10 TPR


superset w/Triceps pushdowns:
full stack x 4 x 20


HS chest press:
30 kgs p/h x 4 x 8
55 kgs x 10

Monday, May 8, 2017

Raising the Deficit: Squat & Pull Template

THAT'S RIGHT, deadlifts are back on the menu! Below are the money sets for my squats and deficit deadlifts, from now through till the end of the year. I am doubtful of my abilities when it comes to completing the squat template (it's pretty ambitious), but the deads will be fun and easy. For a while. They will eventually become a challenge, but they will be completed.




I have also programmed progression into my accessory movements. On squat weeks it's axe-swings, curls and calf raises - some pretty light stuff to balance out the heavy squats - and on deadlift weeks I've added underhand bent-over barbell rows, seated rows and face pulls.


...this shake-up means my earlier Press template is a little incorrect now.




Cambered bar Squats:
1st week May 195 kgs x 3 x 5 COMPLETED
3rd week May 205 kgs x 3 x 4
1st week June 215 kgs x 3 x 4
3rd week June 225 kgs x 3 x 3
1st week July 235 kgs x 3 x 3
3rd week July 245 kgs x 2 x 3
1st week August 255 kgs x 2 x 3
3rd week August 265 kgs x 2 x 2
1st week October 275 kgs x 2
3rd week October 285 kgs x 1


Deficit deadlifts:
2nd week May 60 kgs x 4 x 10
4th week May 70 kgs x 4 x 10
2nd week June 80 kgs x 4 x 10
4th week June 90 kgs x 4 x 10
2nd week July 100 kgs x 3 x 10
4th week July 110 kgs x 3 x 10
2nd week August 120 kgs x 3 x 10
4th week August 130 kgs x 3 x 10
2nd week September 140 kgs x 3 x 8
4th week September 150 kgs x 3 x 8
2nd week October 160 kgs x 3 x 8
4th week October 170 kgs x 3 x 8
2nd week November 180 kgs x 2 x 8
4th week November 190 kgs x 2 x 8
2nd week December 200 kgs x 2 x 8
4th week December 210 kgs x 2 x 8

Pressing Matters: the rest of the Press template

AS OF THIS WEEK, DEADLIFTS are a thing again! I've made the decision to resume pulling, as the tendon is feeling strong. Nothing even approaching heavy to begin with, of course. But with the deadlift back on the menu I've had to review my basic program (again) and make it less basic. And if I want to continue squatting fortnightly, it seems logical that I reintroduce DLs on the alternate week.

The remainder of my pressing program looks like this:

1st week of May COMPLETED
Bench press: 90 kgs x 14
Axle OHP: 80 kgs x 4 x 6 PR
Bicep curls (left only): 9 kgs x 4 x 10
DB front raises: 8 kgs p/h x 4 x 10
Face-pulls: plate 9 x 4 x 20 PR
Tri-push: full stack x 4 x ME
HS chest press: 30 kgs p/h x 4 10

2nd week of May
Bench press: 100 kgs x 13
Axle OHP: 85 kgs x 4 x 5
Bicep curls (left only): 10 kgs x 4 x 10
DB front raises: 9 kgs p/h x 4 x 10
Face-pulls: plate 9 x 4 x 20
Tri-push: full stack x 4 x ME
HS chest press: 35 kgs p/h x 4 x 10

3rd week of May
Bench press: 110 kgs x 12
Axle OHP: 90 kgs x 4 x 4
Bicep curls (left only): 12.5 kgs x 3 x 10
DB front raises: 10 kgs p/h x 4 x 10
Face-pulls: plate 9 x 4 x 20
Tri-push: full stack x 4 x ME
HS chest press: 40 kgs p/h x 4 x 10

4th week of May
Bench press: 120 kgs x 11
Axle OHP: 95 kgs x 3 x 4
Bicep curls (left only): 12 kgs x 3 x 10
DB front raises: 10 kgs p/h x 4 x 10
Face-pulls: plate 10 x 4 x 20
Tri-push: full stack x 4 x ME
HS chest press: 45 kgs p/h x 4 x 10

1st week of June
Bench press: 130 kgs x 10
Axle OHP: 100 kgs x 3 x 3
Bicep curls (left only): 12 kgs x 3 x 10
DB front raises: 10 kgs p/h x 4 x 10
Face-pulls: plate 10 x 4 x 20
Tri-push: full stack x 4 x ME
HS chest press: 50 kgs p/h x 4 x 8

2nd week of June
Bench press: 140 kgs x 9
Axle OHP: 105 kgs x 2 x 3
Bicep curls (left only): 12 kgs x 3 x 10
DB front raises: 10 kgs p/h x 4 x 10
Face-pulls: plate 10 x 4 x 20
Tri-push: full stack x 4 x ME
HS chest press: 55 kgs p/h x 4 x 8

Saturday, May 6, 2017

Rehab Don't Mean Light Weight #3

SEVERAL years ago, while rehabbing my first strongman-related injury - torn shoulder cartilage - I had to get real familiar with the cambered bar. I did, and worked up to this set of 5 two hundred kilo good mornings. When my quad tears from GPC Perth Cup last year meant I couldn't use my legs, I started stiff-leg deadlifting for the first time, and worked up to this set of 7 x 200 kilograms.




This rehab I've hit a new personal record for reps on axle press and now what I'm pretty sure is a personal record for reps on squat. Not just cambered bar - this was more than I've done with that weight on any bar in a single session. And I have to say, it took a lot of effort to get it done, both mentally and physically.





I have a lot of self doubt, especially when it comes to squatting. My track record is not great. I will never abandon the squat completely as it's a valuable training exercise. But whenever I do it, I want to be able to do it properly. And so I've fought my shitty, arthritic knees in order to carry this weak movement along. Ever so slowly developing better form, hitting more depth, more comfortably. This has always been the aim, even if it then takes me a fortnight to recover enough to continue the program.






My SBD sleeves have been fantastic. By far the best sleeve I've used. I don't ever plan on using knee wraps; my knees don't agree with them. But these I am hopeful will allow me to get a little closer to that golden 300.


SQUAT FRIDAY May 5th
Stretch and foam-roller




Cambered bar squats:
50 kgs x 10
90 kgs x 6
130 kgs x 4
165 kgs x 2
195 kgs x 3 x 5 PR




Assault bike: 5 minutes @ 50 rpm




HS seated rows:
40 kgs p/h x 4 x 10




super-set w/Axe swings:
L&R plate 6 x 4 x 10

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Training Update: Holy Shit, That's a PR

THIS last week of training has been pretty solid. I got back under a yoke for the first time in several months, aggravating my right ankle which is still feeling the effects of those fractures I put in it last year. This, in addition to the state of my knees, has caused me to put off squatting till later this week. I may have to return to fortnightly squatting, but soon I will begin deadlifting again (and I'm counting the fucking days) so I'll have more variety to keep me interested. Not that I'm bored currently. Not at all.


In spite of the fact that I'm rehabbing, I'm still progressing. Granted, I haven't used periodization in my press routines very much, but 24 reps of an 80 kilo axle is definitely more than I've done in one session before, and a full set more than I had programmed. Now I need to rewrite the template. I'm also breaking new ground with some accessories, like face pulls... and I'm no longer using reduced loadings on the left arm.


In fact, with the exception of bicep curls (which I'm keeping to the left arm only), the rest of my programming will be back to normal by the end of the month.


Core & Cardio - Wednesday April 26th
Assault bike: 10 minutes @ 50 rpm
Stretch


Yoke walk:
130 kgs x 2 x 20 meters
210 kgs x 2 x 20 meters
250 kgs x 2 x 20 meters


Axe swings:
L&R Plate 6 x 4 x 10


Assault bike: 5 minutes @ 50 rpm


Press Etc - Tuesday May 2nd
Assault bike: 5 minutes @ 50 rpm
Stretch & foam roll


Bench press:
20 kgs x 10
60 kgs x 5
80 kgs x 2
90 kgs x ME 14 - on track for 130 x 10


Axle OHP:
30 kgs x 8
60 kgs x 3
80 kgs x 4 x 6 PR - one more set than programmed!


DB biceps curls (left only):
10 kgs x 4 x 10


DB front raises:
9 kgs x 4 x 10 TPR


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


Triceps pushdowns:
Full stack x 15, 12, 10


super-set w/HS chest press:
30 kgs p/h x 10, 10, 9