Powerlifting and Strongman

**SonOfDoom** · 01-25-2009, 09:35 PM

Best lifts in a meet are 727.5 - 518 - 705 Single ply in the 308s

Just competed at the L A Fitexpo American Cup. My next few meets are as follows:

Feb 21st USAPL meet, Raw division

Mar 7th, Southern California's Strongest Man

Possibly a powerlifting meet in April or May

June, California's Strongest Man (NAS Strongman pro qualifier)

July, USPF Men's Nationals

If I don't win a strongman pro card in June, I'll do NAS Nationals later in 09...

I'm sore as hell from the meet yesterday, but I'm getting in the gym tomorrow to do some light upper body work.

**neverfinished** · 01-25-2009, 09:45 PM

damn nice im thinkin about doin that in 4-5 years when im 20-21 idk if i wanna be that big yet but great work man and gl gettin that pro card

**SonOfDoom** · 01-26-2009, 12:53 PM

Still very sore from Saturday.

12" log press from the rack

145x3 strict
185x3
235x1 strict
255x0 strict, just wrecked still
255x1 push jerk
285x1
305x1

Side DB laterals
30s x 10
40s x 10 x 2

Pulldowns
Parallel handles, whole stack x 12
Very wide octagonal steel bar x 7

Ab rollouts, 2 sets

**SonOfDoom** · 01-28-2009, 12:42 PM

Wed 1-28-09

Stepups to high bench with DBs
30s x 5 SEL (steps each leg)
60s x 5 SEL
90s x 5 SEL
75s x 5 SEL
85s x 5 SEL

Grip was burning like crazy on these, could hardly stand it. It's harder than it sounds. I think the hard part is when you step down from the bench each time, it makes the dumbbell want to pull out of your hands. L ham I knew was weaker and I felt it flexing super hard each time I stepped up with L leg. Good.

Bar lunges
135 x 3 per leg
185 x 3 per leg
205 x 3 per leg

Leg curls
50 x 5 each leg
70 x 5 each leg
90 x 5 each leg
110 x 2 negs each leg

That's it. Looks like nothing but it was hard as hell to do the one legged stuff cause of muscle imbalances and just the general difficulty of balancing that weight on one leg for reps.

**SonOfDoom** · 01-29-2009, 05:46 PM

Thurs 1-29

Deep tissue work on pecs, L quad, L glute and erectors. Chiro adjustment and some light exercises on stepup box and side to side with bands. Feel way better.

**SonOfDoom** · 01-30-2009, 02:16 PM

Friday

Banded Squats, doubled up greens. 200lbs approx extra at top. No belt.

Got a little bit of L lower erector irritation during warmups. Prob should have rested today but I really wanted to get in and try out the free standing banded squats I was told about by a super strong friend of mine.

135x5
225x5
315x5
405x5
495x4 (700+ at top)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYzlJ...e=channel_page

Everything felt great and really strong. Getting used to somewhat wider stance so I can get more hips and power muscles into my squat.

**SonOfDoom** · 02-01-2009, 10:10 PM

Strongman event work at Nick Best's house in Las Vegas, NV

Some light overhead work, just strict pressed 220x3 on axle and did a couple reps with a 200 log.

Tire medley.. 6 flips with 815, 1 flip with 980, and drag a 500-600 tire backwards 50ft.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Phj93...e=channel_page

Also did truck pull set up with rope and harness, heavy set up with 500-600 tire behind me with 100lb plate added. Hard pull but I'm WAY better at this kind of set up than last time.

Stone for height. They used a thick tire on top of stone platform which turned out to be very dangerous. Top of tire was 71 or 72. Both times I shouldered the 300 and when I went to load, the tire shifted and the stone bounced off. Stone hit me in the side of the face on both attempts. This is a totally unsafe set up and I'm not doing it anymore. Next time just heavier stones to the solid 56" platform.

**SonOfDoom** · 02-02-2009, 04:26 PM

Mon 2-2-09

Prob shouldn't have went in the gym today but I might get to do legs with Mike O'Hearn on Wed so I wanted to get my upper body stuff done today so I could rest tomorrow.

Illegal wide grip flat BP, 2 in wider on each side

135x10
225x5
315x2
335x5
335x4

Felt a real weakness in my pecs since the wide grip really stretches them out.

Close grip BP

225x3
275x1
315x4

Incline bar, medium grip
135x5
225x5
275x4

Pecs feeling tight.

Pulldowns

Super wide grip
Full stackx12

Medium parallel handles
Full stackx12

Close grip parallel handles
Full stackx7 then decrease weight and banged out 7 or 8 more reps

Pec Dec, light weight. Just to get a good stretch all the way back, slow reps, deep stretch.

Lots of pec and lat stretches to finish.

**SonOfDoom** · 02-04-2009, 01:38 PM

Trained legs today with Mike O'Hearn at Gold's Gym, Venice

Felt tired from the previous 3 heavy leg workouts I've had in the past 7 days so this one really finished me off.

Squats, no belt, no knee sleeves.

135x10
225x3
315x2
405x2
495x1
545x1
605x1 Kind of dumped forward a little but still fought it up fine. I sometimes forget to keep my head UP. Keeping the head up prevents any dumping forward.
585x1 Felt much better
455x10 Bit of a gasser

Leg press
6 plates a side x 12
8 plates a side x 12
10 plates a side x 12
12 plates a side x 3 LOL I was dead after the other crap already. Heart rate super high..

Inverted leg press (Arnold style)
3 plates x 20
4 plates x 20
6 plates, Just unracked it and it felt like total sh!t so I didn't even bother.

Leg extensions, full stack, 3 sets of 12.

Almost couldn't walk to my car after this workout. This was a workout that Tom Platz had put Mike thru when Mike was 22 or 23 so he decided to share it with me today!

Got a ton of vid... will edit it into one big vid and post ASAP.

**SonOfDoom** · 02-09-2009, 10:34 PM

Max effort: Incline bench close grip

225x1
275x1
295x1, all felt VERY explosive but pecs felt like total crap from doing bench stuff with Louie Sat and Sun so I didn't wanna push anything today. I should have rested but I didn't. I was stuck on campus with a few hours to kill so I just trained. L pec felt like it was gonna blow off.

Overhead triceps
185x5
155x5
135x10

Seated chest supported rows
1/3 stack x 10
2/3 stack x 10
Full stack plus every rubber weight I could find to sit on top x 10
Same x 10

Tried to do some speed squats but legs still feel like sh!t from last WED. Bunch of morons in the gym pissing me off too so I said the hell with it. Nose all stopped up from a little cold I got in Sac over the weekend. I couldn't breathe for sh!t and these clowns kept closing the gym door so I was like choking on the hot air in there. UGH.

**SonOfDoom** · 02-11-2009, 01:20 PM

Wed 2-11-09

Stiff Leg Flat back Sumos (Louie Sumos)

135x10
225x1
315x1
375x1
405x1 Pretty hard, like ALL hams.

Dimel DLs, double overhand
225x20
275x20
275x20

DB lunges, 100s for 2 steps each leg. I was kinda wrecked after the previous stuff so these felt like crap
75s for 5 lunges each leg.

Side step ups onto bench with 20s in each hand, 5 steps each leg x 3 sets

Gravity boot hanging sit ups
2 sets of 10 reps.

Almost killed myself getting up there one of the times. This is a GREAT exercise for general spine and body health but it's a REAL biatch getting up and down from the pullup bar I hang from. Got a giant lower ab cramp one of the times getting up there, good times...

**SonOfDoom** · 02-13-2009, 01:58 PM

Fri 2-13-09

Hang powercleans (kilos)
20x10
40x5
70x5
90x3
90x3
110x3
120x3 Felt like crap. I have no technique on these and I couldn't get my legs into them.

Hang power snatches
70x5 Now we're talking, these felt great
90x3 for 3 sets. Not too heavy but I hardly bent my legs under these.. they were shooting straight up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4dv3...e=channel_page

Stair sprints, 6 runs. Vid added cause I can't stop laughing at it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgQBT...e=channel_page

Reverse hyper, roller model
90x10
180x10
270x10
360x10

Ab rollouts, 2 sets

**SonOfDoom** · 02-14-2009, 12:08 PM

Last bench workout before meet in 7 days.

Flat bench

135x10
225x3
275x1
315x1
365x1 All with pauses. Felt very good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1wfa...e=channel_page

Standing military press with green bands.
45x5 Wow, these feel insane.
95x3
95x3
115x3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPzTb...e=channel_page
95x6

Lat pulldowns
Super wide grip x 10
Parallel handles x 15

Pressdowns with V-handle
3 sets of 10-20 reps, last set of 20 with full stack

3 sets of 20 curls with the green band to pump some blood in biceps. Recovery.

**SonOfDoom** · 02-19-2009, 05:05 PM

Hot tub and light stretching today, then 20min of swimming, legs only for a few laps then 2 laps as fast as possible. Went home and did 2 sets of 20 reps reverse hypers w 45lbs. Feeling AWESOME for saturday.

For saturday, the lifts I have to beat are 650sq - 451bp - 710dl, all raw, belt only. Those are the 125kg+ American records for open men

For squats I want to go 580 620 655 or 661 depending on how 620 felt. 655 would be the record but 661 is 300kg, which is cooler.

Bench I'm going 370 401 4?? As long as I get 400 I will be happy.

Deadlift I'll open at 600 then go 660 then 715 for the record.

**SonOfDoom** · 02-22-2009, 09:35 AM

USAPL Regionals. Raw division (belt and knee sleeves, no wraps or suit)

During squat warmup, everything felt really heavy. Only had 5 hours of sleep so I was like half dead anyway. 225 315 405 all felt terrible in warmup. All out of form and feeling heavy on my back. 495 almost killed me. 495 usually feels like nothing on my back but this day it felt like a freight train.

Was even nervous opening at 585 but if I couldn't dunk at least that, I should just go home and chop off my head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcLc5...e=channel_page

Got it, but 618 stapled me twice. Later, a really experienced lifter was telling me how you need a much closer stance when you go back to heavy raw lifting as compared to the somewhat wider stance I had gotten used to with my suit. I used to squat really narrow before I ever used suits so I know he's right. I just felt "empty" in the hole.

Bench warmups felt OK but not great. Opened at 370 but foot shifted on first attempt. Got it easily on my second attempt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OOdF...eature=channel

Attempted 385 (which felt light) but went a little out of groove and the spotters just grabbed it before I could fight it back.

Deadlifts were a mess too. Warmups felt HORRIBLE. 315 felt like a house. I was just not myself today. Opened at 600 (I don't even know how I did that) and it flew up. Went for 661 as the 2nd attempt and I had like nothing left in my hams for whatever reason. It was like the hardest DL ever for me.. my hams felt empty and I had a ****ty "lockout" that got red-lighted.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpTRk...eature=channel

Feeling like total crap I got 585 370 661 in a super strict USAPL meet with 2 of the judges being IPF Worlds judges.

Now to go insane for two weeks and go win Southern California's Strongest
Man March 7th.

**SonOfDoom** · 02-23-2009, 10:40 PM

Mon 2-23-09

Reverse hypers

45x50
90x40

The second worst low back pump of my life. This totally blew up my whole posterior chain. Took 25 minutes before i could move... totally cramped. Not much weight but after 30 reps on ANY weight on RHs burns like HELL.

Ab wheel, 3 sets

Leg extensions
1/3 stack x 30
2/3 stack x 30
Full stack with added weight x 30 for 2 sets

Excellent endurance work and low back tractioning from RHs.

**SonOfDoom** · 02-24-2009, 03:26 PM

Tue 2-24-09

Push press with green bands double looped at bottom

Strict press
No bands, 45x20
Add bands
45x5 (Already hard even with empty bar)
95x1
115x1
135x1 Hard

Add leg drive
155x1
175x1
200x1 Not easy with the bands!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyAsp...e=channel_page

Close grip flat bench press, green bands triple looped
135x10
185x10
225x10
245x10
245x8

Tris were smoked after this, whole upper body totally pumped up.

**SonOfDoom** · 02-25-2009, 06:01 PM

Wed 2-25-09

Chest supported rows, straight handles

2 plates x 15
3 plates x 5
4 plates x 5
5 plates x 5
6 plates x 5 for 2 sets

One arm pulldowns
Don't remember weight
3 sets of 5, 3, then 10 reps each arm. This was AMAZING. Worked me in ways I've never done before. Even my abs on each side were ripping apart.

Dumbbell hang cleans
55s x 3
70s x 3
85s x 1
100s x 2
110s x 2

12" Log curls
95x10
115x10
145x10

Tried some deadlifts to work a little on form but they felt like total sh!t. My hams are still torched from rev hypers monday. Did one rep with 420 and felt pain in the L erector during the lift. As soon as I locked it out, I felt a cramp in my glute. Obviously the low back if pinched can affect things down the leg. I am going to need to lay off heavy squats and deads for awhile to let everything in my lower back put itself back together. In the meantime I will still hit the heavy step ups (involves zero low back and blasts the legs and hips) and reverse hypers (which traction, pump up, and strengthen the low back like crazy as well as building awesome hamstrings.

**SonOfDoom** · 02-26-2009, 07:55 PM

Thurs 2-26-2009

Front squats
135x10
255x1
335x1
385x1
425x1 Felt kinda hard but i have to re-train the groove by doing these regularly. Poundage should go up quickly. Low back felt great during these though and F.Sqs have increased my deadlift a ton in the past, same with a lot of other guys. Just want to keep increasing static power without continuing to irritate my back strain. Good thing about these is you have to stay totally upright. No leaning forward and ripping apart the erectors.
Full neg with 475
Half neg with 525

Leg extensions
1/3 stack x 20
2/3 stack x 20
Full stack x 20 Feeling a little pinching in the L outer quad.

Dumbbell farmers stair course (pick up DBs, walk 100ft to stairs, go up stairs 2 steps at a time, the slowly back down stairs then 100ft walk to replace DBs on rack)

Did the course with 25s, 60s and 100s. The 100s were real hard, especially to hang onto them for so long.

Reverse hypers
90x20 for a few sets
180x20

**SonOfDoom** · 02-28-2009, 12:36 PM

Sat 2-28-2009

Flat bench with cambered bar, allowing 5" extra ROM, wide grip. I'm assuming bar is 45lbs but it's prob 50 due to extra bar length.

135x10
185x5
225x2
275x2
305x1
315x1 Super easy
330x1 Pretty hard.

Seated DB military
Worked up to one set of 95x8

**SonOfDoom** · 03-02-2009, 09:26 AM

Sun Mar 1 09

Reverse hypers
90x20
90x50 Not a TERRIBLE pump but pretty good..
90x20 to the side to traction my left side

**SonOfDoom** · 03-02-2009, 02:50 PM

Mon 3-2-09

Kinda felt like crap today. Just some random stress and no caffeine to fight it.

Step ups to high step up box, 3rd hole setting.

Bodyweight x 3 steps each leg. Even this felt hard. I'm just cramped up from all the training.

135 x 3 steps each leg for a few sets till it felt easier
155 x 2 steps each leg for a few sets, L leg alot stronger. Means there's some kind of weakness in R leg/glute/hip somewhere.
185 x 1 step each leg. Pretty much all out.

Axle clean and press
Brought my super long axle to the gym. 7 feet long or so. 20lbs empty.
115x3
165x2 singles
215x1
265x1 Still very light, just going thru the motions.

Felt fine. Should have worn a loose belt to support the lean back at top of clean. I think all the heavy axle cleans in 05 helped bring my deadlift up 80 pounds in a year. I only deadlifted 3 or 4 times from the floor that whole year too.

Felt very sapped of energy at end of workout. Probably time to stop the lifting until the show. Wednesday I'll go in and do some stair sprints and depth jumps to tighten everything up.

3 hours later:

Reverse hypers
90x8
180x8
270x8 for 4 sets

**Mikael92** · 03-02-2009, 04:36 PM

very interesting journal....i like it

never seen push press with bands before...very cool.

**SonOfDoom** · 03-04-2009, 01:55 PM

Thx. The OHP with bands is insane. Be careful if you try it.

Speed box squats to parallel with a ton of band tension at top

135x2
185x2
225x2
275x2
325x2
325x2
295x2
275x2

Speed flat bench with a ton of band tension. Narrow grip, pinky on ring.
95x3 for 10 sets

Speed DLs from 13" in the rack
265x1
355x1
375 for 8 more singles. Felt AWESOME. Flew up and my back didn't hurt one bit. I was ripping on these SUPER hard. Used straps so I wouldn't tear up my hands for saturday

Reverse hypers
90x20

**SonOfDoom** · 03-10-2009, 01:51 PM

Tue 3-10-09

Log flat bench press, starting at bottom position.

Warm up then
185x10
275x3
325x1
365x1
405x1 (PR) went up easy
425x0 Went out of groove and couldn't fight it back up.

Chest supported rows
2 plates x 15
4 plates x 6
5 plates x 3
6 plates and a 25 x 3
6 plates x 3

Seated DB military
95x10 (PR)
85x10

Lat pulldowns, very wide grip
Half stack x 12 to warmup
Full stack x 10
Full stack (maximum width grip) x 6

Log curls
Empty log x 10
Log + 40lbs x 10
Log + 60lbs x 5

**SonOfDoom** · 03-11-2009, 01:14 PM

Wed 3-11-09

Banded front box squats to parallel bench with bands triple looped at bottom
135x2
185x2
185x2
205x2
235x2
255x2
255x2
235x2
205x2
185x2

Low back felt kinda crappy because I had flat shoes which makes you lean more forward with front squats. This was even more exaggerated when sitting back onto the box, so from now on I'll wear oly shoes when doing these to a box.

Speed pulls from 12-13"
225x1
315x1
365x1
385x1
385x1
405x 6 more singles with about a minute's rest. Back felt OK but still weird from doing those box fronts. 405 wasn't as explosive as I wanted but it was still jumping up. Goal is to use between 50-70% 1RM for these according to Louie.

Reverse hypers
180x20
Back felt fine after this

Resting 2 days and heavy training coming up on saturday.

**xingjitsu** · 03-11-2009, 08:31 PM

F U Slb

**SonOfDoom** · 03-12-2009, 01:24 PM

Thurs 3-12-09

Had the bright idea of going in today.

Front squats to box with band tension triple looped at bottom
135x1
225x1
275x1
315x1
345x1 Hard with all the bands

Back felt like crap after this

Rack pulls from 13"
135x5
225x1
315x1 Already felt like crap
405x1
495x1
585x1 Felt like crap, didn't go heavier.

Back felt awful at this point and I was getting bad spasms in glutes

Decided to finish with step ups to high box, which has never caused pain. Just did a few triples with 135.

Decided that I need to stop squats and deads for at least a month. Whatever is wrong with my back is not going away. It's been bothering me off and on for a YEAR. That ONLY happens if you keep aggravating whatever is wrong, which I'm obviously doing. Going to take the next month or two and do nothing but heavy step ups and reverse hypers.. neither of which ever irritate my back. I wish this thing would just go away. Heavy step ups and reverse hypers are AWESOME for building complete low body power, so it's not like I'm doing sissy exercises.

Reverse hypers (roller model), between every other set I do 10 reps ab wheel rollouts
90x10
180x10
270x10
360x10 for 3 sets. No pain (except muscles burning!)

Finished with some homemade GHRs from hooking my legs under the couch...

**SonOfDoom** · 03-15-2009, 05:21 PM

Sun 3-15-09

Barbell lunges
135x5 (each leg)
175x5
205x4 Already feeling VERY ripped up from these in glutes and various inner thigh muscles (that don't usually receive much work from just squats and DLs. Prob could have done a better job warming up though. Not much weight used here but like Louie says, make light weights hard so the heavy weights will feel easy.

One legged squats, 5 squats each leg, 3 sets. R knee was acting a little funny on third set.. Next time will prob just do split squats with back leg on bench.

Roman chair extensions. These ripped up my hams SO MUCH MORE than reverse hypers ever could because I can keep my knees locked the whole time which puts like ALL the weight on the hams. Got a huge low back pump and hams were shredded after these. I have found my golden exercise for hams, which will be the secret to unlock my true potential. 3 sets of 12-15 and I was staggering out the gym door...

Was going to do some banded speed benching but the damn gym was closing at 5pm so I had to leave.

Reverse hypers, 90x20 for 2 sets. Tried to keep legs straight but the reverse hypers is #1 low back, #2 glutes, and #3 hams whereas the roman chair is #1 hams, #2 low back, and #3 glutes. It just distributes the weight so much differently because of the positioning.

**SonOfDoom** · 03-17-2009, 02:29 PM

Upper

Warmed up with empty bar for 20 reps no bands
Push press with bands. Previous PR was 200 with bands at top.
45x3 with bands
65x1
95x1
115x1
185x1
215x1 (PR) Stopped here, low back pinching. Should have done RH at home.

Chest supported rows
1 plate x 15
3 plates x 10
5 plates x 10
6 plates x 10

Flat dumbbell bench
65s x 10
100s x 20
120s x 7 (Dead from the previous set)

Lat pulldowns
Shoulder width grip, full stack x 10
Extra wide grip x 5 or 6 reps, was already dead

Log curls
Empty x 10
With 25s x 3, felt like crap, biceps dead from all the rowing
10s only x 10

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