IRON & STONE: Adventures of an Amateur Strongman

[mouse]

Nickel City Gramsplosion...

[Wilhelm]

Great work, @mouse
Nice looking hardware too.

[bobmen10000]

Awesome performance. 700 is not too far off.

[augeleven]

Cracking good work, sir!

[mouse]

Haha thanks guys...

So I got to hang out with Pritchett for a couple hours today. We worked a bit on deadlift and log. About 8-10 of us or so there. Worked up to around the low 400's on the deadlift and just an empty log (145) for everybody. Jerry didn't really have anything at all to say for me technique wise, and he was definately quick to point out some stuff with the other guys so I'll take that as a good sign haha. Got to pick his brain on a few things from programming to rehab (knees!) so it was a productive morning. I take it all with a grain of salt because I'm not obviously going to start training "like" Jerry would, but it was cool to see where we lined up on ideas and what he thought of some things I threw at him (I.e. Bench and where it fits in strongman, snatch grip vs deficit deads, etc). Cool guy for sure, fun stories, and just a good way to spend the morning...

[mouse]

K probably not a true "pivot week" but I like to call it that...

Gonna work on finding some starting weights, test drive some new movements, and get an overall feel for how the next 12 weeks or so will go...

I was all over the map a bit these last 12 weeks so I'm gonna try my best to ya know... not do that. Gonna try and avoid heavy shit for at least the first month or so and just focus on my volume and some new technique adjustments (pronounced "I'm going to try and learn to push jerk"). Overall goal is to try and remain SMART through the whole block (no fucking up my knee trying to clean something crazy, listening to my body so I don't tweak my back again, etc). Squatting will be particularly dodgy as I assess my left knee. I might try a few of the little movements Pritchett recommended this week and see if I can fit them in at the end of the day or something.

For the first time ever in my training life, regular flat bench will be completely ELIMINATED. This is an experimental phase to see if my overhead work continues trending up or (hopefully) speeds up. Depending on the results I am considering picking a bench slot after this 12-weeks that I will rotate week by week with flat bench for maintenance (this was another thing I picked Jerry's brain on, and how he uses the flat bench). Log incline is in one slot even though I will be doing no log work, basically treating it like a swiss/football bar. Other "bench" slots will be Z-Presses and (pending a test drive) JM presses with my SSB.

Deadlifts will remain for the most part unchanged (conventional for 3's/5's, SLDL for 6's, etc)... gonna test drive deficits but I'm on the fence (again, after talking with Pritchett) as to whether I might just use snatch grip again... rows are probably back in, but probably lighter and less cheaty... we will see... (kinda thinking I want to try rows like I saw @stenson doing... what with his point about low back fatigue and all)

Anyway you can see how the whole thing came together here:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2795

[Stenson]

(kinda thinking I want to try rows like I saw @stenson doing... what with his point about low back fatigue and all)

Yeah I really like those, I've had a series of low back/SI joint tweaks and have a poverty deadlift so I figure it's probably better to save my low back for, ya know, actually deadlifting. If you don't have a TRX band thingy you can also use a barbell in the hooks.

[mouse]

(kinda thinking I want to try rows like I saw @stenson doing... what with his point about low back fatigue and all)

Yeah I really like those, I've had a series of low back/SI joint tweaks and have a poverty deadlift so I figure it's probably better to save my low back for, ya know, actually deadlifting. If you don't have a TRX band thingy you can also use a barbell in the hooks.

I've been all over the place as far as my opinion on rows. I've played with a few different ways but always found myself coming back to heavy cheaty rows for whatever reasons. They're fun for a while but I found myself skipping them a bunch of times the last month or so for various things...

[mouse]

7/23/2019

Log Incline Bench - 265x4x6
-little on the heavy side, gonna start here next week

Strict Press - 185x5x5
-axle width grip, focusing on full control, tight strict reps

Z-Press - 115x8x3
-holy craaaayup I forgot how hard these are lol

Chins - 3x5
- thinking I may replace this with a density block

TKE Left - 15x3
- just to see

Went in today with some planned numbers, but overall just wanted to comfortably hit volume, let the numbers fall where they may. If things got too shitty I'd bail.

Log is probably a touch heavy, but I haven't had volume in weeks so maybe it's in my head.

Press felt really good, 185 isn't like crazy heavy weight but I liked the new grip on a straight bar and the reps felt solid and clean, which is what I want here.

Z-Press is where I got my ass handed to me and it wasn't unexpected. I was HOPING to get to 135 because I haven't done them in forever and maybe I'm stronger... I'm not lol. At least not on z press. Wanted 4 sets but the third was messy and nearly a missed last rep. So screw it. Come back next week, add a set.

Shoulders and traps... hammered lol

[mouse]

7/25/2019

SSB JM Press - 170x6x4

Deficit Snatch Grip Deadlift - 405x4x4

Nixed box squats because traffic put me about half an hour behind. Meh whatev. JM is a weird movement but I like it. Think I'm gonna swap it with the Z-Press and train Z's on Thursday. Less redundant (strict seated press after strict press?) and should let me train the Z's heavier I hope.

Deadlifts went OK. I should commit to a wider grip and lockout didn't feel great. Knee and ass felt... weird. Other than that fine. Doing them from a slight (0.75") deficit just cause...

[mouse]

7/26/2019

Axle Jerk - 205x6x4
-well... kinda... trying to learn lol...

SLDL - 365x6x3

Sandbag to Shoulder - 220x3x3

Tried a setup for the Stenson style rows... kinda hated it lol. Probably just stick with lighter strict rows next week. Way too lazy to set them back up so I just played with the sandbag a bit...

[mouse]

7/29/2019

SSB Box Squat - 290x6x4

SGDL - 365x4x4 (now with 100% more snatch grip)

Rows - 225x8x4

Squats are to the bench for now, so a little high... the plan for now is to take a weight on Monday, and add 2 reps on Thursday, then add 5-10lbs and repeat... so 290x6x4, 290x8x4, 295x6x4, etc... don't know if it'll work but I'm looking for improvement in my leg/knee...

Snatch grip weight took a small hit because I stopped being a pussy about my grip width... see IG for rationale...

Focused on just keeping the rows strict, minimal drive from the legs, just a tight back and pull it up. Went to straps the last set because the last couple were a hair short (grip was tired). Gonna stick with that for now... Lotta reps Lolz...

[mouse]

7/30/2019

Log Incline Bench - 265x6x4
-little more comfortable this week... onward...

Strict Press - 190x5x6
-added another set, 2 minutes between sets, let's see...

JM Press - 170x6x4
-didnt add weight because I was sure how they'd feel after the bench and volume press work, felt fine, also onward...

Ditched the chins today, think I'm gonna move them to Saturday and might play with weighting them. I'm on a mission to be able to hammer through these weekly sessions in an hour or less... fingers crossed I don't flame out lol

[mouse]

8/1/2019

SSB Box Squat - 290x8x4
-knee felt pretty stable today

Z Press - 135x8x4
-now it was prolly too light

Deadlift - 495x5x3
-felt so hard, looked OK lol. It's been quite a few weeks now, I got started at 8 frickin AM, and looking back this is where I left off 5's before I went to 3's... didn't realize I was starting on the "high side". I'll see how next week feels.

[mouse]

8/3/2019

Axle Press - 215x6x4
-felt pretty good, trying to dive under quicker

SLDL - 370x6x4
-gonna keep em light and just add a set I think

Sandbag Carry - 220x240ft / 220x120ftx2
-my conditioning is WRECKED lol, yuck, approx distance I didn't measure

Chins +25lb - 5/3
-played around weighting them but it took a while to rig up a dip belt, I was wicked tired, it was wicked early, and my lack of confidence in my rig made me go super slow so I just called it... density block it is I think...

[mouse]

8/5/2019

SSB Box Squat - 295x6x4

SGDL - 375x4x4

Rows - 230x8x4

[mouse]

8/6/2019

Incline Bench Log - 270x6x4

Strict Press - 195x5x5

SSB JM Press - 175x8x4

Sacrificed a set of five on the press to fit in the 4 JMs and I think that was a mistake haha. JM was surprisingly hard and grindy by the bitter end. Think I'll stick with 6x5 on press and 8x3 on JMs

Tricep pump was real tho

EDIT: 8/13, how am I this dumb? I was doing JM's for 6's... not 8's, that's why those were grindy... OOPS...

[mouse]

8/8/2019

SSB Box Squat - 295x8x4

Z Press - 140x8x4

Deadlift - 500x5x3

~60 mins, thought I might die. The weights aren't necessarily too heavy on their own but in my time crunch they're pretty damned challenging. Early this week I volunteered to help with coaching my kids' flag football team, so that means Mon/Tues/Thur I'm waking up at 3:30am, working until I get home a little after 4:00, immediately training as fast as I can, shoving food into my face as fast as I can around 5:15 or 5:30, then I'm on the field from 6:00 to 7:30-8:00... bed around 9:00... these are long... frickin... days haha...

I'm considering doing a top set of 5 on the pulls, with ~10% backoffs... I don't really want to, because with some more time I don't think they'd be as hard as they are... if I do I will probably be more aggressive with the top set...

I also might cut the Z's to 8x3... I'm doing plenty of overhead and assistance, and the reps in the last set only stay clean for about the first 4... last rep I got way off balance... no bueno...

[mouse]

8/10/2019

Axle Press - 225x6x4
- felt good, some could have been a little faster under the bar but overall good, maybe another 5 lb jump out of the rack and then I'll start working on cleaning them from the floor

SLDL - 375x6x4

Sandbag Carry - 220x4x2 @60ft
-single pass runs, fast resets, working on the pick and initial speed...

Sooooo I am concluding I can't train chins on Saturday lol. After the push pressing/jerks, stiff legs, and probably the bag most of all my upper back/shoulders are just... shot. Even 5 strictish chins felt like hell. Just not enough gas in there. So if anyone reading has any sweet ideas for supplemental arm work (because I'm all about show mooscles) feel free to drop them in here...

Speaking of sweet ideas... I haven't pulled the trigger on a new pair of farmers yet because money is tight... but I've been thinking of "simulating" the keg carry with... my log? Might be a cool way to work grip and change up Saturdays week to week...

[mouse]

Rolled a frying pan and did some bending for the kids (and parents) today at the football/cheer picnic... couple other coaches asked me to bring some stuff next week to do a few more so there will probably be some video lol