Saturday, July 27, 2019

Template 2, Week 14: More Solid Squats

EVEN with the de-load, it feels like I'm reaching the end of my overhead press template. I'm likely going to drop the weight and go for massive volume as from next week. I'll ride the clean-press for another few weeks, before that reaches it's end also. Then it will be time to hit up Kelvin for some instruction, I reckon.


While my press is petering out, my squat continues to improve. I had another great session Saturday. My best ever squat still stands at 250 kilograms: 250 with a competition barbell at CAPO states in 2015, 250 again (and again with a competition barbell) a little over a year later, and more recently, 240 with an axle late 2018. The frequency of training and the relatively low volume repetitions are proving to be just right, allowing me to progress without knee issues. Everything is on track for a new one rep max sometime this year, and I'll continue setting new personal records along the way.


Right after squats I made the snap decision to deadlift... not something I've ever done before (or likely will again), but I threw it in there to give my right arm more underhand pulling experience. I've been pulling double-overhand up till now and I didn't want to suddenly jump back into my current deadlift program using alternate grip. Also, relying on straps at this stage would be weaksauce.


All things considered, it's been a pretty good week. EDIT: and I've thrown in some screen grabs from my Fitbit stats, as they are more evidence of healthy progression. My resting heart rate - which ordinarily hovers in the high 60s - has gradually slowed to the low 60s, and I burned another 6,500 calories on Saturday, which is my second best recording for a training day since July 6th. More sessions like this are to come. The DOMS from Saturday is going to be memorable.

Another good Saturday
Successfully lowered heart rate

EVENTS Week 14, Template 2 - Saturday July 27thAxle squats:
50 kg x 10
90 kg x 5
110 kg x 3
130 kg x 3
150 kg x 2
170 kg x 1
190 kg x 4 x 4 PR
Deadlifts:
70 kg x 5
100 kg x 5
130 kg x 5
160 kg x 5
Zercher carry w/yoke:
115 kg x 4 x 2 x 10 meters


PRESS Week 14, Template 2 - Tuesday July 23rd
Axle OHP (strict):
20 kg x 10
50 kg x 5
70 kg x 3
80 kg x 1
90 kg x 1
100 kg x 1
105 kg x 4, 3 FAIL
Incline barbell press:
50 kg x 5
70 kg x 4
90 kg x 3 x 60
Skull crushers w/mini swiss bar:
29 kg x 3 x 10
Preacher curls w/EZ bar:
19 kg x 15, 10
DB front raises (p/h):
10 kg x 3 x 10
Cardio:
Assault bike 5 mins @ +55 rpm

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Template 1, Week 13: A Bit of a De-load

EVENTS Week 13, Template 1 - Saturday July 20th
Yoke walk:
130 kg x 4 x 15 meters
190 kg x 4 x 15 meters

PULL Week 13, Template 1 - Thursday July 18th
Deadlifts (barbell):
70 kg x 10
120 kg x 5
160 kg x 5
70 kg x 10 - double underhand grip
Leg extensions (p/l):
22.5 kg x 3 x 15 TPR
Meadows rows (l&r):
45 kg x 3 x 10
Seated rows (l&r):
75 kg x 3 x 10
Face-pulls:
49.5 kg x 3 x 20
DB side raises (p/h):
10 kg x 3 x 10

PRESS Week 13, Template 1 - Tuesday July 16th
Axle OHP (strict):
20 kg x 10
50 kg x 5
75 kg x ME 12 PR
Bench press (paused):
20 kg x 10
60 kg x 5
85 kg x 3 x 10
Triceps pushdowns w/rope:
63 kg x 10
49.5 kg x 3 x 10
DB curls (l&r):
15 kg x 3 x 10
DB front raises (p/h):
10 kg x 3 x 10

Sunday, July 14, 2019

Template 2, Week 12: Focus on Form

THIS week has been evidence that my new program is beginning to pay off. The axle squat and clean-press, which have historically been two of my weakest events as a strength athlete, are both steadily improving.

My clean-press technique employs a more rigid curvature of the lower spine, which is placing more strain on my lower back. And I've been training at least one, if not two, variations of overhead press every week for the last two months. As a consequence, I really wasn't coping with the fast-twitch requirements of power cleans come Saturday, so I cut them short and moved on to squats.

The squat - especially with a straight bar - has never been a comfortable lift for me. I have come to view heavy squat sessions much like army pilots view landings: any one you can walk away from is good enough. Well, whatever was causing the quad issue I'd had last fortnight (while measuring box heights) didn't make a reappearance this weekend, which I was very happy about. I was equally happy about the squats themselves. They were some of the best I've done, and a personal record for total reps at that weight. Not with a cambered bar (which has typically been my preferred squat bar) but with my dinky, bent old axle.

It makes sense why it's taking me this long to recover from Tuesday's largely upper-body press session: a combination of (probably getting older and) pushing myself to get back to peak strength levels as soon as possible by increasing training intensity, along with the new technique already mentioned. The conclusion to draw is that I've overworked press and now may be the time to de-load - or even take a break from - that movement for a week.

I'm already excited to deadlift next week.

EVENTS Week 12 Template 2 - Saturday July 13th
Axle clean-press:
45 kg x 8
65 kg x 5
85 kg x 2
Axle squats:
50 kg x 10
90 kg x 5
130 kg x 5
160 kg x 3
180 kg x 4 x 5 PR
Zercher carry w/yoke:
95 kg x 4 x 2 x 10 meters
Hamstring curls (p/l):
20 kg x 2 x 10

PRESS Week 12 Template 2 - Tuesday July 9th
Axle OHP (strict):
20 kg x 10
50 kg x 5
70 kg x 3
80 kg x 1
90 kg x 1
100 kg x 3 x 4 TPR
70 kg x 10 TPR
Incline barbell press:
50 kg x 3
80 kg x 3 x 6, 5
Skull-crushers w/mini swiss bar:
29 kg x 3 x 8
Preacher curls w/EZ bar:
19 kg x 2 x 15
Cardio:
assault bike 5 mins @ +50 rpm

Saturday, July 6, 2019

Template 1, Week 11: More Good News

A familiar face showed up during events training Saturday. Kelvin Hall is another multi-disciplined strength athlete who dabbles in Strongman, and also remembers a time when competitors in the lighter weight categories were few. Before all the Crossfit virtuosos got amongst it, packing the under 80 and under 90 kilo divisions with talent.
Since he was going to be at Legendary Lifting on a regular basis in the future, I asked him if he'd be able to instruct me in the aspects of Olympic lifting that carry over to Strongman - chiefly, push-press. While I can strict press 120 kilograms for reps, I need to be able to clean-press that and more, comfortably. And some Olympic finesse has long been missing from my repertoire. Happily, he agreed.
A bunch of good things happened this week. To start, this week I reached parity with the exercises I have been loading differently from left to right. While my right arm is not yet as strong as it needs to be, it's almost there. I did notice my right's grip strength struggling a little during the second set of axle clean-press, but other than that, the only big difference is aesthetic. It's still smaller than the left one.
While Kelvin isn't competing this year, he is coaching four athletes who are entering the next WASM qualifier in early August. Which brings me to my next piece of good news: August isn't my last opportunity to qualify for the state finals! WA Strongman is holding another round sometime in September / October, which suits me down to the ground. I'll be primed by then.
My lower back was so wrecked from Thursday that I wasn't willing to try my money sets on yoke during events. My first properly punishing pull session since the injury was a good one, but it also reminded me how much further I have yet to go.
For convenience as much as anything else, I loaded the farmers picks ten kilos heavier than programmed. Like last week, I did the runs in two sets of four, which was not as challenging to my grip as I was expecting... but it did show up my cardio. My heart rate reached more than 170 beats per minute after each set of four runs.
Since I wasn't able to do the yoke and I also didn't do a dedicated press session this week, I added the second half of my Press+ template 1 to my events session, and did some slightly higher-intensity cardio than usual to finish.
Then, after I'd gone home to shower and change, I drove out to Midland for a tub of ice cream from my favourite ice creamery.

EVENTS+ week 11 Template 1 - Saturday July 6th
Kelvin Hall

Axle clean-press:
50 kg x 5
70 kg x 4
80 kg x 1
90 kg x 2 x 4
Yoke walk:
130 kg x 15 meters
210 kg x 15 meters
250 kg x 15 meters
290 kg x 15 meters
Farmers walk (p/h):
75 kg x 2 x 4 x 15 meters
Triceps pushdowns w/rope:
72 kg x 3 x 15
DB curls (l&r): - parity
15 kg x 3 x 10
DB front raises (p/h): - parity
10 kg x 3 x 10
Cardio - assault bike:
60 sec @ 55-60 rpm
60 sec @ 45-50 rpm
20 sec @ max effort 95-100 rpm
100 sec @ 45-50 rpm
60 sec @ 55-60 rpm

PULL week 11 Template 1 - Thursday July 4th
Deadlifts:
70 kg x 10
100 kg x 5
130 kg x 5
160 kg x 3 x 10
Leg extensions (p/l):
20 kg x 3 x 15
Meadows rows (l&r): - parity
42.5 kg x 3 x 10
Seated rows (neutral):
left 75 kg x 3 x 10
right 52.5 kg x 3 x 10
Face-pulls:
49.5 kg x 3 x 20
DB side raises (p/h): - parity
10 kg x 3 x 10
Cardio - assault bike:
5 mins @ 50 rpm




I actually burned over 6600 calories Saturday July 6th. That's a record for a non-competition day, I think.


Monday, July 1, 2019

Template 2, Week 10: Simulating the Axle Squat


After clean-press, much of Saturday  was about getting the right height for the axle squat. In the process I also managed to pick up a fresh niggle which caused me to stop the session before I got to Zercher carries. My right quad developed some pain while doing paused singles of 180. Come the next morning, it was swollen and not much fun to bend. I am hopeful it's not a major issue.

https://www.facebook.com/abaddon.quinn/videos/vb.1223146239/10219573988239970/?type=3

EVENTS week 10 Template 2 - Saturday June 29th
Axle clean-press:
50 kg x 5
70 kg x 5
85 kg x 3 x 4
Axle squat:
50 kg x 10
90 kg x 5
130 kg x 5
160 kg x 3
180 kg x 4, 1, 1, 1

PRESS week 10 Template 2 - Tuesday June 25th
Axle strict OHP:
20 kg x 10
50 kg x 5
70 kg x 3
85 kg x 1
95 kg x 4 x 4
70 kg x max effort 9
Incline barbell press:
50 kg x 3
75 kg x 4 x 6 - programmed sets of 8 here but too fatigued from ME OHP
Skull-crushers w/mini swiss bar:
29 kg x 3 x 8
Preacher curls w/EZ bar:
19 kg x 3 x 10
DB front raises (p/h):
10 kg x 3 x 10