Becoming a HW Strongman

[scott_donald]

solid session... like the simplicity of it...

[Entkommen115]

Deloads...are...supposed...to...be...simplistic...

...

[Black_Spit]

Good luck man.

This Saturday right?

[thom2355]

Contest Write-UP

2013 Midwest's Strongest State

Event 1 - Max Axle

3 attempts, 60 sec per attempt, Wessels Rule

250, 280, 300

*My thought here was to get on the board, get a medium second attempt and then go for a PR on #3. Seeing as how I waited about 45 minutes from warmups to my first attempt (they didn't have you press until the bar got to your weight), I am glad I did this. 250 felt good, but I hurt my wrist on the clean. Something in the outside of my right wrist popped and was something i had to fight all day. 280 was a bit rough, so I went with a small jump to 300, which I have pressed out of a rack before, but never cleaned and pressed, so that was a small 10 lb PR. This was good enough for last place in the SHW class.

Event 2 - Farmer's Walk

300#/hand x 120' w/ a turn

*I made it about 45' (I think) and dropped the handles. They were slick and when my training partner with vice grip hands and usually performs great at farmers events made it 60', I knew it was going to be a tough run. I decided to pick and get moving as fast as possible until my grip gave out. Tried another pick, but my grip just slipped out. Decided to save my back/grip for events to come. I think this put me 5th out of 7....but maybe 6th.

Event 3 - Car DL Simulator

~600# in hand x 60 sec

*Finished with 10 reps. I had more in me within the time period, but as you could hear in the background, I was not going to gain many points. Since I did not have the apparatus figured out, I was pretty much pulling with all back. Combination of me needing another 7 reps to move up a spot and the medley coming up....I called it there.

Event 4 - Medley

260 Sandbag x 120'
500 lb sled push x 60'
500 lb sled pull x 60'

*Couldn't get the sandbag to pop right. Should have practiced a bit more....but yeah. Conditioning could have been better too. It was still good for 4th or 5th place.

Stones

280, 300, 320, 360, 400 to ~50"

*Too slow. Gotta transfer faster and get into position faster. Either way, I ended up taking between 3rd and 5th here. I would like to thank all the other competitors for all the excessive tacky left on the 280 stone....

Overall Thoughts

I had a couple goals going into this contest....and I met them all. I wanted to score in all events, thus not taking any zeros, thus not picking up something and having it be too heavy. Did that, but it influenced some of my decisions, namely the farmers walk and the car deadlift. Another one was to hit a 300 lb axle c&p. Check. The third was to load an unfamiliar 300+ lb stone....check. Not a bad day overall, but the bar continues to be raised in these competitions. Time to get back to work. I am sore as hell and my right wrist is rather immobile right now, but I will be back in the gym either tues or wed to get back in the groove.

[thom2355]

Good luck bud

Thanks.

solid session... like the simplicity of it...

That it was.

Deloads...are...supposed...to...be...simplistic...

...

Huh? complicated = success

Good luck man.

This Saturday right?

Thanks....yes it was.

[LessThanLuke]

Good performance Paul!

[mmorton]

Seems like you met your goals and from what I can remember from one last year this one was a lot better??

Solid work Paul

[csday924]

Yea! No 0's

What is the next contest?

[NC_Tarheel]

Nice!!! Why no tape on the forearms for stones??

EDIT: Isn't it fun to hit a 300 pound overhead and still take last??

[FrmrHoss]

Way to hit all your goals for this one... I'm sure it doesn't feel like it now being all beaten up in the post meet time but you've come a long fuk'in way man.

[Black_Spit]

Hell yeah man, good job.

[thom2355]

Good performance Paul!

Thanks Luke. Your turn next (I think).

Seems like you met your goals and from what I can remember from one last year this one was a lot better??

Solid work Paul

This was tons better than last year. Not too much heavier and it was much better performance. Grant you I am 25ish lbs heavier, but still, much stronger and more able to perform as a HW.

Yea! No 0's

What is the next contest?

Not a one zero was had that day!

Maybe one in April if it gets announced, but definitely going to do that one on 5/3 in Detroit.

Nice!!! Why no tape on the forearms for stones??

EDIT: Isn't it fun to hit a 300 pound overhead and still take last??

I do better without it for some reason? Don't really know why, but the tack on skin works better for me than the tack on tape. I think I will use duct tape next time though....or at least in training.

yeah....fun....bad part is, I would have had to hit 330 on my second attempt, or 340 on my third attempt to beat anyone. They use number of attempts as a tie breaker, so yeah....I am waaaay off still in terms of OH strength.

Way to hit all your goals for this one... I'm sure it doesn't feel like it now being all beaten up in the post meet time but you've come a long fuk'in way man.

Man....I hurt so damn bad right now, lol.

Thanks for that last line. I know I have come a long way, but I have a long....LONG way to go. Something that all of us here can relate to as I am pretty sure nobody that posts in here is really content with staying where you are at strength wise.

Hell yeah man, good job.

Thanks man. Onward....

[csday924]

Not a one zero was had that day!

Maybe one in April if it gets announced, but definitely going to do that one on 5/3 in Detroit.....

I'm waiting to see if it gets announced too. Might come to the Detroit show if I cannot find something closer.

Tape sucks for stones. Keep up the strong work, any chance for nats this year?

[NC_Tarheel]

Of course I sweat like the love child of Patrick Ewing and Chris Farley so tape is a MUST on stones.


I figure by the time I get to master's level, their weights will probably be on par with what heavyweights is now so there's just no escaping the madness!!!

[thom2355]

I'm waiting to see if it gets announced too. Might come to the Detroit show if I cannot find something closer.

Tape sucks for stones. Keep up the strong work, any chance for nats this year?

I should have some dirt on April soon.

There is a slim chance I will qualify for Nats, but I will not go if I do. I would rather use that time to train on improving my strength and go about next year as having that be my peak contest.

Of course I sweat like the love child of Patrick Ewing and Chris Farley so tape is a MUST on stones.

I figure by the time I get to master's level, their weights will probably be on par with what heavyweights is now so there's just no escaping the madness!!!

See....tape just slides right off me. makes cleanup awesome though. However, I may shave my forearms next time to allow for better application of the tacky. That was a b*tch.

No kidding....

[HARRYBEAST]

Damn Paul I am hurting just watching you do all that stuff. How you feelin now?

That was impressive ****

[thom2355]

Damn Paul I am hurting just watching you do all that stuff. How you feelin now?

That was impressive ****

I feel like sh*t. Cannot stand up out of a chair. Cannot push off chair arms with my right arm because my wrist hurts. Cannot stop eating (sooooooooooooo hungry).

Training resumes Wednesday.

[HARRYBEAST]

I feel like sh*t. Cannot stand up out of a chair. Cannot push off chair arms with my right arm because my wrist hurts. Cannot stop eating (sooooooooooooo hungry).

Training resumes Wednesday.

I was feeling like my hips and glutes were overly tight and that squats might be a struggle today after seeing that **** though this should be easy

[thom2355]

I was feeling like my hips and glutes were overly tight and that squats might be a struggle today after seeing that **** though this should be easy

Haha....yeah....do your mobility work and get under the bar!

[HARRYBEAST]

Haha....yeah....do your mobility work and get under the bar!

I will.

[isaku900]

good schtuff.

now have some cake and recuperate.

[thom2355]

I will.

I have no doubt.

good schtuff.

now have some cake and recuperate.

Thanks. I will....and maybe some chilli dogs....and cookies....and ice cream....well, you get the point.

[NC_Tarheel]

I shave my forearms and spray stickum spray on my forearms before applying athletic tape to them before stones. They have never slid off my forearms. Duck tapes adhesive does not like sweat and will slip.

[FrmrHoss]

Thanks for that last line. I know I have come a long way, but I have a long....LONG way to go. Something that all of us here can relate to as I am pretty sure nobody that posts in here is really content with staying where you are at strength wise.

Yeah, I think that's probably something we can all relate to. But I remember watching a video not all that long ago of yours where you took a number of zeros in the events, so there is some surrrrrrious progress being made. Keep up the good work man.

[bigwade800]

Contest Write-UP

Very impressive!

You trained hard, followed through and competed.

New point A, well done!

Where did the tire thing come from for the axle clean and press? I'd love to have one of those.

[thom2355]

I shave my forearms and spray stickum spray on my forearms before applying athletic tape to them before stones. They have never slid off my forearms. Duck tapes adhesive does not like sweat and will slip.

I may try that out. My training partner uses duct tape and does it sticky side out....works pretty well, but you have to cut it off. I got time before the next stones event anyhow.

Yeah, I think that's probably something we can all relate to. But I remember watching a video not all that long ago of yours where you took a number of zeros in the events, so there is some surrrrrrious progress being made. Keep up the good work man.

Yup....that was last July, then again in August. Time to stop worrying about completing events now and focus on getting points and beating other people.

Very impressive!

You trained hard, followed through and competed.

New point A, well done!

Where did the tire thing come from for the axle clean and press? I'd love to have one of those.

Thanks Wade. Better showings to come!

The tire is a home made bumper plate of sorts. They have a 25 lb plate inside the tire/wheel assembly that is drilled out to meet the lugnut pattern of the wheel. The plate is bolted to the wheel and makes one big bouncing assembly. Each wheel/tire/weight combo was 75 lbs (I think). Very nifty setup. A very similar setup with smaller tires can be found here:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...&highlight=DIY

[getout87]

I don't know why I'm not in already, but in and subbed.

[darren.dugan]

Almost motivates me to do presses again. Nice job thom!

[thom2355]

I don't know why I'm not in already, but in and subbed.

Good to have you.

Almost motivates me to do presses again. Nice job thom!

Thanks double D

[thom2355]

K, so....I want to revamp my training a bit. My pressing volume is too low for my liking. I want to have a strict day and a push press/jerk day. I also want to add in one agility day and one conditioning day. Add to that a squat day and a deadlift day with events on Saturday and you have quite a taxing week. So, I have come up with the split below to see if it will work:

Mon - Push Press, bench, triceps
Tues - Squat, upper back (lightish pullups, facepulls, pullaparts, nothing low back taxing), core
Wed - Conditioning
Thur -Deadlift, strict press, upper back (heavy)
Fri - off/agility
Sat - Events
Sun - off/agility

Deads, Push Press and Squats will all be done per Cube as I have been doing. Strict press will be based on a 6-8 week split that tapers volume down to a heavy single.

Agility and Conditioning work will be per recommendations made by Thigpen in the Cube Method for Strongman. Should be short sessions and won't tax me too much (I don't think). Mainly because I just need this work badly now. I have added size (some good, some not so good), but that can be a huge advantage if I can move properly.

Events will be kind of random. Stones at least 2 out of 3 weeks, farmers and/or yoke weekly, perhaps medley work and whatever else the guys are doing.

Any opinions are welcomed.