Experience teaches only the teachable: An Amatuer Strongman Log

[DE_58]

"Most competitors follow their base training methods with an extra day thrown in to practice the events or just switch their events in for like exercises in their normal routine. With the success seen by their peers it’s hard to argue with results and so they figure this must be the best way to train.

Or is it?"

- Mike Westerling, Strongman: A Complex, Mathemetical Problem
URL: http://ironmillstrong.com/strongman-...roblem-part-1/ http://ironmillstrong.com/strongman-...roblem-part-2/

I am a 20-year old strength athlete who knows enough to know he doesn't know enough. This journal will serve to share my experience in deviating from the dogma I've absorbed through peers in the strength community and most importantly, my ego, in my search the 'best way to train'. I recently have been training under very experienced strongmen in my preparations for teen strongman nationals. I came to my current trainer in search of the best possible peak phase for this contest and got a whole ****load more than I had been looking for. Through serious and joking criticism he (and other strongmen mentors) has helped me see the light and realize it is smarter - not HARDER - training that will lead to a longer, more successful, and injury-free strongman career. I will be emphasizing things like control, technique, speed, and flexibility and allowing strength to build by not beating my body into submission. I STRONGLY recommend reading the article that caused me to see the error of my ways (linked above).



My first full week of training (after nationals) went like this:

Monday
Close Grip Bench Press - 170x15
Pushup/Handstand Hold Medley - 3 x [20/:40]

Wednesday
Deadlift - 225x5 275x5 315x14
Bulgarian Split Squat - 3x12 @ BW
Pullup Medley - 3 Wide, 3 close, 3 neutral, 2 Wide, 2 close, 2 neutral, 1 wide, 1 close, 1 neutral
Face Pulls - 2x20 @ 80
Hanging Knee-ups - 2x12 @ BW

Thursday
Overhead (mix of push press and push jerk) - 135x5 155x5 185x5 200x10
Medley - 2 x [50 Dips, 50 Jump-ropes, 50 Burpees]


Also, here is my video from Teen Nationals victory on July 7th. Bruce is your reward for reading my journal

[bigfor15]

Subbed for sure. Time to push your strength through the ceiling!

[kaoslegend]

yo DE im subbed to this! watch for some big numbers in here!

[DE_58]

Saturday Events

Full warmup

10 keg tosses - half kegs

Car Deadlift Apparatus 16" pick - 500lb tire 5x1

Picked the husafell a few times and held it for time

Atlas Stone - 260 6x1


7/23

Standard foam roll and warmup

Shoulder mobility stuff (TRX shoulder rotations and legs in front to planche on dip stands) - 4 sets of 2 each

Superset of Hang Power Shrug/Hang Snatch - 5 x [3/3 @ 95lb]

Close Grip Bench Press - 185x6 205x6 210x6x2

Kettlebell High Pulls - 3x10

Medley - tough energy systems work based around KB front squats, wall planks with one leg and arm in the air, KB lunges, mountain climbers, an ab movement I can best describe as the rainbow, and wall burpees. I literally sweat a full-size likeness of myself onto the gym mat - complete with completely legible logos of sponsors from the contest shirt I was wearing.

Completely soaked after this workout. Nutrition was not all that bad today.

[DE_58]

7/24

Normal foam roll/warmup

Hang Clean - 10x2 @ 135

Box Squat (roughly 12" box) - 135x4 155x4 185x4 205x4 225x4

KB Goblet Lunges - 12kg 16kg 18kg 20kg all for 8 reps each leg

Medley - Side to Side Jumps over ball/Floor GHRs/Hanging Knee-ups [21/21/21, 15/15/15, 9/9/9] completed in 7:15

Form was great on squats. They were light but deep, and I kept them perfect. This foundational phase I'm going through won't have me going ridiculously heavy for a while.

[DE_58]

7/26

Normal foam roll and warmup

Speed Jerk - 10x2 @ 155

Strict Press - 125x4 135x4 140x4 145x4 150x3
Failed the last rep of the last set, supposed to be 5x4

Pullups - Wide grip x 8, chin grip x 8, neutral grip x 8

Medley - Inverted Rows (feet elevated)/KB Swing (weight unknown)/KB Snatch (weight unknown) - 3 x [20/20/20] (3:00 rest in between)

[beardymcbeard]

In in in! Happy birthday for the other day! When/what is your next comp?

[DE_58]

In in in! Happy birthday for the other day! When/what is your next comp?

Yes! Thank you!

I am supposed to compete on 8/11 but my trainer advises against it. He wants me to run through the entire foundation phase uninterrupted by the process of deloading, cutting weight, and recovering from competition before I move back to school and out of his reach in a few weeks. I tend to follow his logic and agree. I may be qualified for Men's Nationals (11/2-3) but I do not believe I am ready for that level of competition yet. My plan as of now is to bring up weaknesses until I am well-rounded, strong, and athletic enough to drop into any amateur contest with minimal notice and specific training.

[DE_58]

7/31 AM Training

Warmup - Rolling and such

Power Clean/Snatch Superset 5 x [3 @ 135/3 @ 95]

Deadlift 255x6 275x6 295x6 305x6

Bent Row 135x10x3

Medley - Dips/Jump Rope/Burpees - 2 x [50/50/50]

[DE_58]

7/31 PM Training - had to double up to make up for missed training on Monday.

Normal rolling/warmup

L-sit to Planche on dip bars/TRX Shoulder ROM movement (no idea what to call it) - 4 x [6/6]

Close Grip Bench - 195x6 205x6 215x6
I've been working on my bench form a lot since I've been training. Specifically, the arch and leg drive off of the ground has been stressed to hell from my coach. It had been nonexistent in the past. I guess I never understood what those terms meant and it has definitely held my pressing strength back. Interested to see where I'm at after another month of this foundational work.

KB High Pulls - 28x8 32x8 38x8 (kg)

Medley - KB Swings/TRX Inverted Row/Ball Slam - 21/21/21, 15/15/15, 9/9/9 finished just a little under 6 mins

[DE_58]

Doing a demo for fun at a county fair tomorrow morning. Dumbbell pressing, car DL, and keg toss or husafelt stone carry.

[BigBoss2]

solid close grip bench D

EDIT: happy belated birthday too!

[bigfor15]

Doing a demo for fun at a county fair tomorrow morning. Dumbbell pressing, car DL, and keg toss or husafelt stone carry.

Sounds like a fun alternative to the typical event day.

[thom2355]

Subbed.

Congrats on Teen Nats. That is awesome. Looked like a great contest. Killed that DB man.

[LegosInMyEgos]

i thought your log was in lbs at first, and I was like "hahaha", and then I realized it was in kg and I was like "okay, that makes a lot more sense"

[DE_58]

solid close grip bench D

EDIT: happy belated birthday too!

Ehh... always looking to increase the press strength with such long arms. The improvement in form will do me good.
Thanks KB

Sounds like a fun alternative to the typical event day.

It should be a great time, gonna be helping with the local fair-goer contest and then competing in a little mock contest done as a demo.

Subbed.

Congrats on Teen Nats. That is awesome. Looked like a great contest. Killed that DB man.

Thanks for the sub!

i thought your log was in lbs at first, and I was like "hahaha", and then I realized it was in kg and I was like "okay, that makes a lot more sense"

That awkward moment when.....
the light poundages (yes, pounds) are due to a few things:
1) Foundation phase - hitting light numbers to build back up
2) improvement of form
3) whole philosophy of not killing self in the gym and leaving the big #'s for contest

4) Not very strong to begin with - nothing impressive in the static strength department.

[LegosInMyEgos]

Ehh... always looking to increase the press strength with such long arms. The improvement in form will do me good.
Thanks KB


It should be a great time, gonna be helping with the local fair-goer contest and then competing in a little mock contest done as a demo.



Thanks for the sub!



That awkward moment when.....
the light poundages (yes, pounds) are due to a few things:
1) Foundation phase - hitting light numbers to build back up
2) improvement of form
3) whole philosophy of not killing self in the gym and leaving the big #'s for contest

4) Not very strong to begin with - nothing impressive in the static strength department.

Wow.... I really thought they were in kgs. I remember your thread about winning teen nationals... i feel like a dick now.

[DE_58]

Wow.... I really thought they were in kgs. I remember your thread about winning teen nationals... i feel like a dick now.

No worries!



Strongest Man at the Fair was fun yesterday! Killed a 10 keg (3 quarter/7 half) series over a 13' bar and showed off my dumbbell a little in front of a big crowd. All for a good cause - a charity focused on sexual abuse and violence.

Back to training tomorrow... gonna be high frequency for the next couple weeks.

[DE_58]

8/6 - morning session

Normal foam roll/warmup

Sprinting Arm Drills (just arm movement to warm up shoulders/lats/etc) 3x30 of increasing speed
Sprint Form March 1x60'

Squat Clean 8x2 @ 115

Press 135x4 145x4 155x4 (two of them were serious grinders, coach used a trick of grabbing elbows and squeezing some tendon)

Pullups 3x8 @ BW (Wide/Narrow-Palms facing me/neutral)

Medley - PVC Dips/Jump Rope/Ring Knee Ups/Frog Burpees - 2 x [50/50/20/20] finished in just over 14 minutes

[DE_58]

Rest of 8/6

Hiked nearly 2.5 miles in the mountains nearby with my dogs

PM Workout

Normal rolling and warmup

Hang Clean 8x2 @ 135

(Very) Low Box Squat 175x4 195x4 205x4 225x4

KB Goblet Lunges 3x8 16kg/20kg/24kg

Medley - Thrusters (135lb) to Pullups (AKA Fran) - 21/21, 15/15, 9/9 - don't remember how fast it was completed, this was hard though. Really pushed it on each of the medleys today and got some serious output.


Hating the light squats but if I can hold PERFECT form to a DEEP box, parallel squats will never be done with broken form again.

[DE_58]

8/7 - Early Morning Benching

Rolling & Warmup

L-Sits, attempting to hold legs up and controlled off of dip bars 3x10

Snatch Grip Hang Clean/Hang Snatch - 3 x 3 x [1/1]

Close Grip Bench Press - 195x4 205x4 210x4 220x4

KB High Pulls - 3x12 @ 32kg

Medley - Handstand Partial Pushup/Ab Wheel/TRX Inverted Row - 21/21/21, 15/15/15, 9/9/9; 10:00

[WakeNBake]

about time I found your new log!!!!!!

[DE_58]

8/8

Rolling & Warmup

Snatch Grip Clean to Snatch (both off floor) 4 x (3 x [1/1])

Deadlift 3x6

Bent Row 3x8

50lb sandbag carry - 1 mile

[DE_58]

about time I found your new log!!!!!!

F'in right!

[DE_58]

8/9

Rolling & warmup

Thrusters 8x3

Superset - Pullups/KB Goblet Lunges - 4 x [5/5]

Medley - Ab Wheel/Ball Slams/KB Swings/Jumping Jacks - 50 each in 10 min

[WakeNBake]

Do you feel you are getting any conditioning benefits from these medleys? What could be like a basic one I could implement?

Did you have fun at the lake buddy?

[DE_58]

Do you feel you are getting any conditioning benefits from these medleys? What could be like a basic one I could implement?

Did you have fun at the lake buddy?

Absolutely. Give FRAN a shot, 21 thrusters/21 pullups, 15/15, 9/9

And hell yea bro, killed it for a week straight up there.



8/10

Hang Shrug/Hang Snatch 3 x (3 x [1/1])

Close Grip Bench Press 215x3 225x3 250x1 275x1 PR

KB High Pull 3x6 @ 40kg

[DE_58]

8/13 - AM Squats

Warmup + Rolling

Hang Clean 6x2

Box Squat 225x3 250x3 275x3 300x2
Was supposed to hit 300 for a triple, but based on the improvements I've made in form and depth I'd call this a sort of PR. Very deep box as its been all cycle, no belt/etc.

KB Goblet Lunges 40kb 3x5(each leg)

FRAN - 21/21, 15/15, 9/9 of 90lb thrusters/BW Pullups, 14:30 finish time

[DE_58]

8/14 - AM Pressing

Rolling and Warmup

Squat Cleans - 6x1

Press - 150x3 160x3 PR

Pullups - 3 x Wide Grip 3 x Underhand medium grip, 3 x neutral (3 seconds up, 3 seconds at top, 3 seconds down)

Medley - V-Up/Hip Thruster/KB High Pull/Pushup - 2 x [25/25/25/25] in 10 min

[DE_58]

8/20 - missed a few days due to T-Spine pain

Deadlift up to 365x3 405x1 no belt/gear
Bent Row 3x6
Medley on the battle ropes