ARMBENDER's Arm Wrestling Journal

[Armbender]

This Journal will help me track my ArmWrestling training and also upcoming competitions along with answer any questions related to them both.

To start, here is my background.

I am from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. I have been training with weights at the gym for 8 years and training for Arm Wrestling professionally for 7 years.

Arm-Wrestling in my opinion will always be wrapped around the stereotype of the whole bar scene Arm-Wrestler / Trucker. It’s a shame but I think the movie Over the Top has given a negative aspect of our sport to the public. I felt that way when I started. I thought it was nothing but strength. I was so wrong it wasn’t funny. This is a very technically, physically and mentally strenuous sport. It’s hard to know what to say to the new people getting into the sport that will not deter them from competing again. My first year of competition was met with many losses. I believe I won my first circuit tournament in the middle of my second year. Now I am one of the most dominating lightweights in Canada. I am a firm believer that “in order to win, you must first learn how to lose”. You have to take your beatings in this sport and keep coming out.

My first real competition was the North American Championships in Ontario Canada. I wasn?t sure what to expect but I knew the competition would be pretty strong. I didn?t need to diet, as my walking around weight was 128lbs. I was competing in the 132lb weight class so I wanted to be as heavy as possible. That early in my Arm Wrestling career, I wasn?t sure how to get prepared for tournaments so I really just walked into it. As long as I made weight I was happy. Now after attending the Worlds and many National competitions, I have a little more knowledge on preparing. As an example, when I was preparing for the World Championships in South Africa, my diet was very strict within 4 months of the competition because my weight was 136lbs and I was trying to compete in the 121lb weight category. I would study videos on the European Arm-Wrestlers, as I knew they would be the more dominant in the lighter classes. My weight training was changed every week to ensure my strength was at its peak during the timeframe of the tournament. During our practices, we would develop our technique based on the European pullers as well, as they have very unique styles. All of this led me to a fourth place finish with a win against Ukraine who took the Bronze Medal.

My current titles are as follows;

6 Canadian National Titles (2 @121lbs, 3 @ 132lbs, and 1 @ 143lbs)
6 Provincial Titles (5 @150lbs, 1 @165lbs)
2 Atlantic Canadian Titles (Both @150lbs)
4th Place finish at the World Championships @ 121lbs
Strong Hand Hold Champion @ a time of 1min28sec.

My training regime will be posted later on along with upcoming matches but to start;

Grip training is a very important aspect of my training. I have my own unique hand and wrist workout, which I have tried to develop over the years to see what works best for my body type. In Arm-Wrestling, I believe that your hand and wrist must be equally strong in order to use them to your advantage. I have to balance these during my workouts

My goal of this Journal is to become the Battle of the Atlantic Champion! and hold the Belt

[Armbender]

OK. today was Back day..

Military Press.
12 x 95lbs
8 x 115lbs
5 x 125lbs
5 x 125lbs

Pullups plams facing each other
15
12
10
8

Reverse cable flies
12 x 40
10 x 40
8 x 50
6 x 50

Front DB raise
8 x 20
8 x 20
8 x 20

Plate Wrist Curls
18 x 12.5lbs
15 x 15lbs
15 x 15lbs
12 x 12.5lbs

Workout was great..Wrist feels pumped!...Tomorrow is Arms Day so I cant wait

[Armbender]

Competion Dates

20 September - Right & Left Hand Elite 3 Class

29 September - Challenge Match - left handed vs Artie MacMaster 5-time National Champion @ 165lbs....
(format wil be best of 6 matches, if a tie, 7 matches...)

[ArchAngel'73]

subb'd!
Lots of championships earned, hope you can make some more happen!

[norinicole]

sub'd.

That's a crazy workout.

[Armbender]

subb'd!
Lots of championships earned, hope you can make some more happen!

friggen right...

sub'd.

That's a crazy workout.

thanks...im switchin all workouts to be more sport specific..my chest workout the ohter days was intense

[norinicole]

friggen right...



thanks...im switchin all workouts to be more sport specific..my chest workout the ohter days was intense

Ooooh! I'm looking forward to trying them after I'm done my comp

[Armbender]

ARM Workout

EZ Curls
10x95, 7x115, 7x115, 7x95

Reverse Curls
10x55, 9x65, 7x75, 10x55

Rope Pulldowns
10x50, 10x60, 8x65

Incline DB Hammers
5x50, 5x50

BB Wrist curls
20x85, 15x95, 10x95

Reverse Wrist Curls
15x15, 12x15

1-Arm Cable Holds in a "Hook" position
30secs @ 50lbs
30secs @ 75lbs
30secs @ 90lbs

At the end I used a cable pully to practice Top Roll hits as fast as possible @ 20lbs

Awesome Workout...left wrist feels a little over trained so no COC over the weekend....

[Armbender]

OK...day off for training today... I have issued another challenge right handed to move up a spot in the Battle of the Atlantic (BOTA)

current standings are as follows;

Right Hand Light - Under 165lbs

Artie MacMaster (Current Champion)

1. Ed McLellan
2. Tim Wrigley
3. Trever Weatherbee
4. Will Sarty
5. Jim McGeoghegan
6. Darren Taylor

Left Hand Light - Under 165lbs

Tim Wrigley (Current Champion)

1. Jim McGeoghegan
2. Artie MacMaster
3. Will Sarty
4. Darren Taylor
5. Chris Rafuse
6. Terrance Wrigley
7. Ed Mclellan
8. Pete Campbell


you are allowed to challenge 1 or 2 spots above your ranking. On the selected date for the Championships, the person sitting in the #1 ranked spot will have a chance to Arm Wrestle the Current Champion for his Belt.

The format is best of 6 matches, if tied 7

Left handed I have Challenged Artie (#2) for the 29th Sept
Right handed I have challenged Trever (#3) for an undisclosed date

[Armbender]

Good weekend off. Left wrist still a little weak..did a lot of shoveling over the weekend...Last Arm Wrestling practice tonight before the tourney on Sat. Should be pretty good.

[Armbender]

Great last practice..took about 1/2 hour just to warm up..wrists are really weak from over training but ill take 5 days off of the gym for my tourney Sat...I should be good by then....

[norinicole]

Good luck on the tourney !!!

[Armbender]

Good luck on the tourney !!!

Thanks!...i feel pretty good...

[ArchAngel'73]

Thanks!...i feel pretty good...

Then you should rock the tourney!
Does only upper body strength come into play during an event?

[Armbender]

Then you should rock the tourney!
Does only upper body strength come into play during an event?

Yes for the most part. Your lower body is only important based on the angle you need your pressure applied. Thats where experience comes into play. If your off balance, you could find yourself in the losing position very fast...even if your the stronger opponent

[R_Bid]

in...

because WOW that's some different stuff to prepare for than anything i've seen previously. i used to be a trainer, and usually had a very easy time putting together sports-specific programs for athletes of various types (usually football and basketball players, a few track athletes, etc)--but i know so little about arm-wrestling that i wouldn't even know where to start. there are a few obvious points, but using a ground-up approach to identifying everythng needed in the power chain, i wouldn't be able to put anything together.

interesting stuff!

[Armbender]

in...

because WOW that's some different stuff to prepare for than anything i've seen previously. i used to be a trainer, and usually had a very easy time putting together sports-specific programs for athletes of various types (usually football and basketball players, a few track athletes, etc)--but i know so little about arm-wrestling that i wouldn't even know where to start. there are a few obvious points, but using a ground-up approach to identifying everythng needed in the power chain, i wouldn't be able to put anything together.

interesting stuff!

Thanks a lot. We are trying to educate some of the personal trainers in our area on incorporating some of our training into there information sessions. Its a very unique sport and requires very unique training...

thanks for your interest

[Armbender]

Alright..another day off...going to do some extensor work for my fingers...usually helps my elbows out...3 more days till weigh-ins so im eating like crazy..roughly 1.5gm protien per pound right now and 3500cal

[Armbender]

So since im not working out 3-4 days prior to a tourney..I usually, throught that week, use my Captain of Crush (COC) Grippers to keep the blood flow up...

Today with #1's (140lbs)

Right Hand
Warm-up - 25sec hold into a negative grip
20 REPS
15 REPS

Left Hand
Warm-up - 25sec hold into a negative grip
15 REPS
10 REPS

Hang Holds in an extended Chin-up position. Fingers flat out on a board (Not curled in a fist position)
This allows for max pressure on the finger tips.

Set 1
45 secs
Set 2
45 secs

Wrists were still weak warming up but felt much tighter after the 2nd set...

[Armbender]

In order to show reasons behind my training, this is what I feel to be the ranking of muscle groups for Arm Wrestling. (I include tendons in this group as this is the major attribute in this sport)

1. Hand & Fingers
2. Wrist
(These must be equally strong in order for them to be in the top 2)
3. Forearm
4. Shoulder
5. Bicep
6. Back
7. Tricep
8. Chest
9. Abs

[Armbender]

The elbow is the key component in the lever of the arm. Therefore, I split the forearm into 4 parts:

1. Lower (area around the elbow)
2. Upper (area just below the wrist)
3. Brachialis
4. Area just above the Brach (centre of arm from wrist to elbow)

Each are used differently corrosponding to the style of pulling....

1. Is used primarily for Side pressure
2. Is used for a Hook position
3. Is used for Toproll position
4. Is used for a Pressing position

[Armbender]

Absolute full day of rest today. Tournement tomorrow and still have a lingering cold....blah....Hands feel good and wrists are healing well...should hopefully be a good day.

[Armbender]

Alright...day of the tourney...i feel awesome!..hands feel strong core strength feels good...im getting some good protein sources into me now...I-pod is def coming today..its going to be an intense weight class....my rival from provincials is going to be there and he's gunning for me after his loss a month ago....

[Armbender]

ok...so official weight today was 139...ended up placing 1st left handed upto 187lbs and 3rd right hand upto 165lbs..

could have done better right handed...a little bothered about it but ill get it back

[norinicole]

Well done!!

That is so cool how you explain it. Thanks for breaking it down. Definitely a lot more than just having big biceps!

Congratulations on your placings

[norinicole]

I almost forgot!!

I thought of you on Friday night - I was working coat check at my bar and this guy (kind of big) said he wanted to arm wrestle me (because really, who doesn't...). I asked him what I would get if I won, and he said I don't know. So I told him that I get $20 if I win.




I lost. But because I actually wasn't easy to beat he still gave me the $20. I totally thought of you and was trying to figure out how the hell I could win, lol.

[Armbender]

I almost forgot!!

I thought of you on Friday night - I was working coat check at my bar and this guy (kind of big) said he wanted to arm wrestle me (because really, who doesn't...). I asked him what I would get if I won, and he said I don't know. So I told him that I get $20 if I win.




I lost. But because I actually wasn't easy to beat he still gave me the $20. I totally thought of you and was trying to figure out how the hell I could win, lol.

haha..thats awesome!..first thing to do when you start out..is keep your hand 1 fist distrance from your shoulder...at all times whether your winning or losing...it will look like your piviting your body...this is where your most strong...2nd...when you grip your opponents hand, place your index finger on top of your thumb instead of below..this helps with your grip...now, look at your hand from the side when you r gripped up, make sure your knuckles are facing the ceiling..this will straighten your wrist out by doing this...then let er rip....just rem to keep everything tight and pull towards you.....

thats the biggest mistake new people make is that they push their opponents arm..Arm Wrestling is all pulling baby...lol...(no lie)

[ArchAngel'73]

Congrats on 1st, and there's plenty of time to get the right arm win. How did your rival do?
Great info to Nori about starting out!
Hope your day goes awesome with the birthday boy over there.

[Armbender]

Congrats on 1st, and there's plenty of time to get the right arm win. How did your rival do?
Great info to Nori about starting out!
Hope your day goes awesome with the birthday boy over there.

Rival didnt go so well...we had a great match none-the-less...he just got the win...

[norinicole]

haha..thats awesome!..first thing to do when you start out..is keep your hand 1 fist distrance from your shoulder...at all times whether your winning or losing...it will look like your piviting your body...this is where your most strong...2nd...when you grip your opponents hand, place your index finger on top of your thumb instead of below..this helps with your grip...now, look at your hand from the side when you r gripped up, make sure your knuckles are facing the ceiling..this will straighten your wrist out by doing this...then let er rip....just rem to keep everything tight and pull towards you.....

thats the biggest mistake new people make is that they push their opponents arm..Arm Wrestling is all pulling baby...lol...(no lie)

Wow! That's awesome!! Yeah, I was totally pushing.

Now I need to find someone to arm wrestle to try it out....

And yes, while I was reading it I had my elbow on my computer desk and was following your instructions, lol.