IRON & STONE: Adventures of an Amateur Strongman

[mouse]

Congratulations, mouse!

Hey thanks although at the moment it mostly fills me with dread because I think I'm signed on for at least another 2-3 years or nights like these...

If I have one piece of critical advice for would be parents it's never under any circumstances allow co-sleeping unless your insane.

None of our kids so far have been "good sleepers" but at least back then we had cry it out as a last resort. Cry it out doesn't work when they also live in your bed and we're on hour *checks notes* two of a full on meltdown that my other sons may have directly/indirectly caused because they couldn't stick to some simple rules while having a friend spend the night.

Times like this I fantasize about how jacked, strong, or at least we'll recovered I might be if I was ever allowed to have even semi-decent sleep.

[Hardartery]

Breaking News:

It's a boy... again.

Technically my mother in law knows but you all know before our family because I'm pretty sure none of them read this and I have to get it out of my system.

Four boys.

God help us.

Congrats man. My sympathies if your wife wanted a girl, looks like you're only loaded with one kind of ammo.

[mouse]

looks like you're only loaded with one kind of ammo.

Thats what I've been saying but no one believes me.

Don't get me wrong, we both thought it would be cool to have a pink one, but like I keep telling her, four boys at least one of them should statistically produce a granddaughter hahaha...

Playing the long game...

[mouse]

Me: it's contest week and I'm already fat, behave yourself

Also me: Bills are on drink a 5th of whiskey and eat a bunch of Bison dip hey-ey-ey-ey

[mouse]

9/18/2023

Press
225x3x3

Close Grip Bench
225x8, 255x6, 275x5

Pinch Press
100x12x3

Gunslingers*
3x12

*just some random rotator work on my left shoulder but the choice was destiny because I'm sitting on my front porch watching (potentially) my neighbor get dragged downtown because he supposedly got into an argument and started popping off rounds. I heard two shots right after I got home but didn't think much of it... more to come if anything fun happens.

[mouse]

Not that much fun happened... they removed a shotgun and served a warrant later around 9:00 but I got bored and went to bed... still no clear story around town...

Anyway...

9/19/2023

13" Axle Deadlift
525x7, 475x1x5

Step Ups
100x12x2
(oh yeah, I hate these lol)

[Hardartery]

Not that much fun happened... they removed a shotgun and served a warrant later around 9:00 but I got bored and went to bed... still no clear story around town...

Anyway...

9/19/2023

13" Axle Deadlift
525x7, 475x1x5

Step Ups
100x12x2
(oh yeah, I hate these lol)

Well, that's a let down. I need more craziness to entertain me. At least a vid of the Axle DL if I can't see COPS live from Upstate NY.

[mouse]

I intended to do some light stuff today but I'm pretty sure I left work with an ulcer today from all the bullshit I had to deal with so... whatever... maybe tomorrow instead...

Here we are again, at the end of a block/contest... with zero game plan on where to do...

If I were a betting man, I'd tell you to expect lots of lighter rep stuff... maybe even a bro split inspired kind of layout (without all the fun machine work) because I need to buckle down and get serious about getting my BW back down into acceptable fat territory...

I'm kind of a mess right now...

[mouse]

Shaping up to be an alright day but I think it's anyone's game between the top 3 now to be decided by... Cornhole...

Edit I'm a point behind 1st and two points in front of 3rd...

Anything can happen hahaha

Edit: well I would have had a lock on first (pitched three aces) but my fucking left foot picked up on the first toss and I accidentally crossed the fucking line...

Fell to third... lame...

[mouse]

Probably the most fun I've had at a show...

Keg Press... hadn't pressed a keg in roughly two years, the course was 100 to 300 all 25 lb jumps... went to 225 which is where most of us finished. The 200 kinda rolled off the tire and in front of where I needed to be for 225, so I kinda adjusted it... turns out that cost me a first place as the split time between me and first were less than a second...

Stein Hold sucks, especially when ever 10 seconds they add 5 pounds hahaha. Made it to 54 seconds, so better than training, 3rd place points but a personal win!

Keg Basket Deadlift... I botched my foot placement and probably lost a good 20 seconds off my time, once I finally found the sweet spot I got going and was able to squeak out 7 reps (thought I needed to beat 6 for 2nd, turns out he only had 5, first place had 14... fuck that). Implement was 135, kegs total were around 750 I think, plus a 100-150 lb sandbag, plus on of the volunteers sitting on the kegs so let's called it 1100 lbs... I'm fucking cool with 7 reps at 1100 lbs...

Keg Carry... fuck me what a surprise... almost everyone chose to carry it low and canted in front of their hips so that sacrificed speed. I popped it up on my chest, embraced not being able to breath, and basically dead ass sprinted it around the course for 160 ft... turns out my dude Young Steve had a higher tolerance for pain than me, because he gutted it out for 180 to beat me, but at that point in the scoring he was playing spoiler... probably the most athletic I've looked haha... personal win...

Cornhole... man fuck cornhole... super fun, loved it... fuck my toe crossed that tape and my day was done. Blew it on a technical even though I did sink all three bags... way she goes...

Score sheet if anyone is interested...

https://ironpodium.com/events/live/orange-elite-8

At least I know I can still hang...

[mouse]

9/26/2023

Bench
295x5x4, 315x3x2

Press
185x8, 165x8x3

Curls + DB Extensions
3x10 + 3x12

Getting something in even though this week won't really matter as I'll be off again for a week while we're down in Orlando... so...

Sketched up an 8 week cycle with two 4 week blocks... nothing fancy. Upper/Arms, Deads/Back, Upper/Back, Squat/Legs... work up to an @8 single every four weeks to set a max+check progress. Nothing world changing and I'm not aiming to kill myself. Not a shit ton of volume but just aiming to get a good pump at the end of each session. Ideally I'll be dropping weight during this without getting markedly weaker hahaha.

[mouse]

9/27/2023

Deadlift
455x3x6

RDL
275x8x3

Gorilla Rows
50x12x3

Tested these out because I saw Alsruhe doing them and they looked weird. Would probably be more effective with ya know... heavier dumbbells but nothing matters this week. I kinda like em? Probably will use something more effectively loadable though... single arm landmines prolly...

EDIT: worth noting, yesterday I did the full blown planned volume and have felt like hammered ass most of today. So today I did about 80% of the planned main slot volume... when I come back from Orlando I will probably run an intro week with 80% volume but the planned loads, and then jump into "Week 1" hopefully primed to not feel like shit...

[mouse]

9/29/2023

Multigrip Bench (10" Grip)
185x12, 205x10, 185x10x2, 185x9

Curls 2x15/1x21
Pushdowns 3x20
Lateral Raise 3x20

Wanted a really narrow grip bench variation I said. 185 was felt like a "max" (-RPE8) for 12 but looked deceptively quick so I went for 205 and I burned out at 10... back off sets produced a pump unlike I've felt in a very long time, so hopefully I got it right.

[DCR]

a pump unlike I've felt in a very long time

so hopefully I got it right.

I’m confused. Does “right” mean something other than a skin splitting pump?

[mouse]

a pump unlike I've felt in a very long time

so hopefully I got it right.

I’m confused. Does “right” mean something other than a skin splitting pump?

Don't remember my exact mindset when I wrote that but it likely encompasses everything (load, rep range, etc).

Might tweak this day a bit when I come back because my shoulders felt like absolute ass this morning... maybe I'll just adapt... time will tell...

[mouse]

10/9/2023

Bench
275x5x3

Press
135x8, 145x8, 155x8

Barbell Curl
65x10, 75x10, 85x10

DB Extensions
3x15

We back...

Consider this Week 0, and expect a Week 0.5 next week. A week ago I planned to hit targets but with 80% volume, but decided to take a little longer to ramp up... a week off didn't really do any magic tricks for my aches and pains, so I'd rather not pile on too quick and wind up praying for death until like week 3 when I adjust...

[mouse]

10/11/2023

Deadlift
405x5, 425x5, 435x5

SLDL
245x8x3

Meadows Row
55x12x3

Maybe it was going from 85 to 55 in 24 hours but I officially have a cold... ech...

[mouse]

10/13/2023

Box Squat
315x10, 315x6, 275x8

Step Ups
100x12x2

10" Neutral Grip Bench
185x12, 185x10x2

Curls 3x15
Pushdowns 2x20
Face Pulls 2x20


Oh my God, after like any time off my work capacity takes a shit**. This is nowhere near target weights and goddamn, this crushed me.

I'm sure tomorrow I'll be fucking wrecked, but the goal for next week will be to improve RPE's and just get through the planned volume without dying.

**yes, I am technically ill. Yes, I technically only got about 3 hours of sleep. Yes, I took an illegal amount of caffeine and spent 8 hours cutting metal and building an assembly line. These are all valid and easy excuses for feeling like shit.

However, I'm really just fucking too fat and out of shape.

[mouse]

262 this morning...

Holy god this is awful... I know what needs to be done, time to find the will power to do it again...

[mouse]

10/16/2023

Bench
295x5x3, 315x3

Press
155x8x3

Skullcrushers
105x8x3

Barbell Curl
70x10, 80x10, 90x10

Skullcrushers in because I want something more challenging for triceps, straight bar curls probably gonna be out because (maybe I'm paranoid) but my not-as-attached bicep felt kinda weird today... I'll just switch to heavier neutral grip curls and it'll be fine...