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.