Sunday, August 25, 2019

Template 2, Week 18: Simulating the Truck Pull

300 kilogram prowler pull, loaded with: 4 x 25s, 7 x 20s, 3 x 10s, 6 x 5s

OBVIOUSLY there are several differences between the strongman event 'the truck pull' and an exercise that can be achieved in a conventional setting; the prowler pull. For starter, there is a huge difference in the amount of weight that can feasibly be moved on a prowler versus a wheeled vehicle. While a truck will gather momentum, somewhat assisting with the pull if you can transfer enough energy to the wheels, the prowler is completely inert, wanting to stay right where it is at every step.

Today was a fun session. The prowler pull is something that I don't normally have the energy to do on events days that include stuff like heavy squats, yoke walk or deadlifts (events that are statistically much more likely to crop up in a competition), but I really enjoyed the novelty of it. With some more regularity I'll be prowler-pulling 350 kilograms and heavier in the coming months. If I can anchor a rope to one end of the runway, likely more.

EVENTS (+PULL) Week 18, Template 2 - Saturday August 24th
Prowler pull w/harness:
150 kg x 2 x 15 meters
200 kg x 15 meters
250 kg x 15 meters
300 kg x 15 meters
Push back:
200 kg x 15 meters
Zercher carry w/yoke:
135 kg x 4 x 2 x 10 meters
Hamstring curls (p/l):
15 kg x 15
20 kg x 10
17.5 kg x 15
Axe swings (l&r):
36 kg x 2 x 10
Seated rows (l&r):
75 kg x 2 x 10
Lateral pulldowns:
60 kg x 10
67.5 kg x 10
75 kg x 8
DB side raises (p/h):
12.5 kg x 3 x 10

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Template 1, Week 17: Legendary Strongman's Newest Athlete

Pat did CrossFit, but we won't  hold that against him.
I SAY athlete and not trainee because this fella is not new to the sport. Pat competed in the under 80s division a few years ago. He just recently joined Legendary Lifting and I bumped into him last weekend and asked him if he was interested in training events on Saturday afternoons. Today was his first session.


Pat couldn't stick around for long, but the time he was in the gym was well spent, as you'll see in these two videos I took of his deadlifts. He wasn't expecting to pull 215 for a double today. Before he left I asked him if he was planning on returning to the sport. He told me he was in fact looking at competing this year! That brings the number of 'Legendary' strongmen to three: Pat, Navarre and myself. Navarre is already on track for the WASM state championship, leaving Pat and me to hopefully both do well at the final qualifier earmarked for late September / early October.


My own training went pretty good today, which was my first heavy deadlift session since January. I worked up to a pretty comfortable single of 280. As I'm still treating the right arm a little gingerly I decided to use straps for the last rep. All felt good, and I know I could have pulled 300 or more if I'd wanted to push it. But I was happy enough, and moved on with the rest of the program. The famers walks at the end nearly killed me.





EVENTS (+PULL) Week 17, Template 1 - Saturday August 17th
Deadlifts:
70 kg x 10
120 kg x 5
170 kg x 3
210 kg x 2 - double o/hand no belt
250 kg x 1 - mixed grip & belt
280 kg x 1 - straps & belt
Leg extensions (p/l):
25 kg x 3 x 15 kg
Meadows rows (l&r):
47.5 kg x 3 x 10
Seated rows, neutral grip (l&r):
75 kg x 3 x 10
Face-pulls:
49.5 kg x 3 x 20
Farmers walk (p/h):
65 kg x 2 x 15 meters
85 kg x 2 x 3 x 15 meters

Saturday, August 10, 2019

Two Week Catchup: Ups & Downs

FOR the second time in two months, I've caught a fucking cold. This one hit just in time for last weekend, causing me to miss the WASM qualifier and fucking with my breathing during training to the point I scrapped the session. I lost four kilograms over the following week (I was 136 Monday; I'm barely 132 this morning), which had a significant impact on my strength levels. Last fortnight I squatted 190 kilograms for four strong sets of four. Today, walking out 200 felt weak and uncomfortable. I did a couple of doubles and was pretty unhappy with them, so moved on. The video shows they were far from my best work at this weight.

The past two weeks have been very up and down. My sleeping stats and resting heart rate have continued to improve, and while some weight loss was expected thanks to a more rigid diet I've been following (and total removal of all alcohol, again), the amount I have lost and the speed with which I lost it was an unwelcome surprise, as was the impact it and the illness had on my training.
My resting heart rate has never been this low

Not a great result
I'm going to reset my squats and yoke (again) and attack them again next fortnight. And it's also high time I cranked up the deadlifts. Legendary Lifting has a new set of Wagon Wheels, courtesy Navarre, and I'm keen to pull heavy again.

EVENTS (+PULL) Week 16, Template 2 - Saturday August 10th
Axle squats:
50 kg x 10
90 kg x 5
130 kg x 3
160 kg x 2
180 kg x 1
200 kg x 2 x 2 FAIL - programmed 3 x 4
Zercher carry w/yoke:
125 kg x 4 x 2 x 10 meters
Hamstring curls (p/l):
20 kg x 15, 12, 10
Axe swings (l&r):
36 kg x 3 x 10
Seated rows l&r / underhand grip)
75 kg x 2 x 10
Lateral pulldowns:
60 kg x 3 x 10
DB side raises (p/h):
12.5 kg x 3 x 10

PRESS Week 16, Template 2 - Thursday August 8th
Axle OHP (strict):
20 kg x 10
50 kg x 5
70 kg x 4
80 kg x 2 x 9 + ME 7
Incline barbell press:
50 kg x 5
75 kg x 4
95 kg x 3 x 5
Cardio:
assault bike 5 mins @ +55 rpm

EVENTS Week 15, Template 1 - Saturday August 3rd
Yoke walk:
130 kg x 2 x 15 meters
210 kg x 2 x 15 meters
260 kg x 15 meters
300 kg x 4 x 15 meters - FAIL, programmed 6

PRESS Week 15, Template 1 - Tuesday July 30th
Axle press (strict):
20 kg x 10
50 kg x 5
75 kg x 12, 10, 7
Bench press (paused):
20 kg x 5
60 kg x 5
90 kg x 10, 7, 3
Triceps pushdowns w/rope:
49.5 kg x 10
54 kg x 3 x 10
DB curls (l&r):
15 kg x 3 x 10
DB side raises (p/h):
10 kg x 3 x 10
Cardio:
assault bike 5 mins @ +55 rpm