Almost Forgot, Again

Almost forgot you lads again. Things have been busier for me at work and I’m trying to spend less time on the compy from home. Nothing personal.

Dumbarton last night
Hang clean
40K 3X5
50K 5
60K 3
70K 2 and a miss
80K 3 misses

Clean
80K 3
90K 2 and a miss
100K 3 misses

I haven’t double checked but I’m pretty darn certain that 100K would have beena PR for me. I really felt I had it in me too but it just wasn’t happening. The last one I was sure I had but I just didn’t catch it evenly so I dumped it.

Bench
225 8
275 3X4
pretty sure I have lost 50lbs off my personal best bench

Pull up
3X3
superset with
Dips
2X10

I was smoked.

Started thinking more and more about my next workout series, after the strongman comp. I think I’ll take a week of active recovery then get ‘er going.

Super Light

after the long day at work yesterday and too little sleep I did some light kettlebell work and a long walk with the wife.
Today is her birthday so I got up late and came to work for only a half day. That made her happy and helped me feel good a fresh. The fact that I only sleep 5 hours on a good night, I believe, is really dragging out my recovery at times. I don’t have a plan to fix it yet.
Todays gym activities will depend on the birthday girl. Right now she is saying Dumbarton is on the ticket but things change with her often. So we shall see.

If you read the comments Dan was talking about his 20 rep squat. I have bailed on these a few times so I guess I will have to tag that on to my list. Not sure for when though.

Posting Late

Sorry, forgot about the blog today
Went to Dumbarton last night, still feeling effects from Sunday.
hangclean
40K 3X3
50K 1X3
60K 3X3
70K 3X1

Got some overhad squats in with the 40 and 60 K weights

tricep pushdown
3X8 80lbs

EZbar curls
3X8 80lbs

that was pretty much it. I had to get up really early this morning so I think tonight will be jsut KB.

Now on to something else. It’s not about lifting, grip, nutrition or anything like that. It’s not even relevant but it is pissing me off and I need to spew it out somewhere so feel free to not read this.
Presentations and Speeches. I love giving these, I know your supposed to be afraid but I really enjoy it as long as I know my subject matter. I gave a presentaion about a month, month and ahlf ago to a bunch of pharmacy techs about barcoding meds in our hospital. I didn’t care, made all my slides in advance and just ripped through it. I ended up with more time than I was supposed to so I stall and joked. I was able to turn a presentation that was supposed to last 10-15 minutes into30 because the other folks just went way too fast. I had fun, everyone else had fun. I got the audience into it. It was, honestly, the best presentation I have ever given.
So everyone goes running back to my boss about how awesome it was. She immediatly puts me on the agenda for the monthly all staff meeting. I have to do it thrice today (two down, one to go) and have a whopping 10 minutes to get it done. None of the techs come so I get a bunch of self important admins and pharmacists. They don’t act and react.
My manager wants me to give the exact same speech as before. Personally I consider each presentation and speech a unique experience. It’s a recipe of the presenter, the audience, the environment and so on. You can’t jsut conjure up the same thing twice. So I am giving my presentations today and they are informative and all but not on the same level. I’m just tired and frustrated.

Light Day(s)

Felt really beat up yesterday so I took it easy. Went with the wife to Gold’s and just did some like Hang Cleans, did some situps from the the back hyper machine, so I was bent over backward, those felt great. Then I hopped on the treadmill at 3mph and upped it by 0.5 mph every five minutes for 25 minutes. Just a rehab workout basically.

It could be because I ‘m still feeling beat down by the heavy weights of Sunday but I am thinking about doing a higher rep/lower weight program after the contest is over. Something using a lot of kettlebell work and circuits. Nothing is really solid in my mind at the moment but I’m thinking something like this.

biweekly strongman
biweekly weekend off (active rest)
2 olympic days (hang clean, clean, snatch and KB)
2 weightroom days (speed squat, pull up, dips, curls, rows)
kb workout 3x weekly

Of course this program leaves no room for my beloved tire dragging that I have done all of once right now. I haven’t figured out where that will fit in future progams I just know I want it in there. I also know that as much as I love moving heavy weights, I’m feeling some love for the outdoor type workouts (tires, sledge, stone, KB). The weather is nice this time of year and I need to enjoy it.
I’m thinking about trying to do something like the above from mid may through the end of June, then maybe try to go real heavy for 6 weeks or so. Then go back to a mixed workout. Nothing is decided and I’m feeling pretty exhausted (part Sunday’s workout, part recent insomnnia, part road noise in my apartment) today so I’m sure that is effecting my thinking.

Strong And Stronger

Went with Luke and Dan down to Waldorf yesterday. We trained on strongman with Graham the guy that runs all the contestes here in Maryland. It was a good time for PRs.
Let me first say that I got to meet some of the strongest guys I have ever personally met. I also have not taught myself to remember names so I can’t tell them to you, sorry. Doesn’t matter though. Graham himself is incredibly strong and comparativly old. Then the guy that trained with us who has been rehabbing his elbow, even with a bum elbow was moving great weights. OF course, Dan and Luke who are both strong as hell.

Anyway, off to the events. we only really worked two events. I threw in about three flips of the tire to round out the day. I found it harder to flip on pavement than grass.

Axle clean and jerk, I don’t recall the weights exactly but
140 3X1 (Axel, tires, tens)
190 3X1 (Axel, Tires, 25s)
195 2X1 (Axel, Tires, 25s, 2.5s)

I don’t remember it very accuratly. I know I made some failed attempts at the 190 and 200 weights. I’d be lying if I told you that the slight change in height from doing it off tires didn’t psych me out a bit. I think my form was not as good as it has been because I got to wrapped up in the weirdness of pulling from just a little higher. It couldn’t have been more than 2 inches but I let it get into my head.

Stones.
Well I managed to place 245lb stone on a platform that was about shoulder height for me. It was awesome. It took several attempts. I got some good pointers along the way. I got it so I could pick it up consistently and Graham helped me get my head game right. Then on the last attmept. I got it seated just right, reached over the top and my fingers hit just right. I stood up and the ball rolled as it should. Soon it was at the top of my chest. The I pressed. Fearing I would miss such a beautiful attempt I pressed too hard and almost knocked a hole in his wall. If he ever needs to repaint, I’ll have to volunteer or something.
I have asked different people for help with the stand up. I’ve gotten a lot of advice, most of it similar but it really is somehting you have to accidentally get right to feel and then go from there, at least for me. I think my fingers found agroove to pull on and I think the stars were aligned and think everyone helped a lot.
It was weird cause it’s not a clean, it’s not a front squat. It’s kinda both but it’s not. Some people talk about rolling the stone up your body but it really seems to be a trick of physics. You kinda roll the stone but even more you have to move your body under the stone. In the end you have to have the very center of gravity going through the center of the stone or a hair forward. I’m not saying anything that will help anyone cause I don’t understnad it yet. Just know that I enjoyted it a lot and hope to do it again soon although I’m not sure I understand it yet.

That was the training for the day and I am sore the day after. IT was good time and has me looking forward to May 13 no matter how that day goes.

Oops

So I was going light tonight, well, supposed to anyway

Hang Clean
40K 2X3
50K 1X3
60K 1X3
70K 3X1
80K 2X1

Clean
80K 3X1
90K 3X1 PR missed the first, so I actually attempted 4

Snatch and overhead squat
40K three snatches, each with five OHS

Unfortunatly I have alread forgotten the name of the guy that was in there offering tips. Either way it was a great workout. I just didn’t plan on going that heavy. Now I’m just plain worn out. Ooops

Dunno

got to the gym last night. I’m not trying to get crazy as Sunday is gonna be killer. Going down to train with the guy who runs the local strongman events. It should be good for me as I am letting some of the weights get to my head. It’s straight intimidating. We are talking about weights that I probably would have never approached in a gym setting. It, wiht much help from Dan and Luke, is making me train heavier than I think I would have ever thought to.
You know I read a post from Chris Rice a while back that suggested everyone should try to compete in some way at least twice a year. At first I thought that seemed unneccessary but I am learning that a lot of people know things I don’t. I don’t always take their advice immediatly but I try to keep it rolling around in the make of my head. This is one of those. I have to admit I agree with him. Until you are willing to stick it out a bit you will never know how you measure up.
okay enough ramble

yesterday
hang clean
95 lbs X 3
135 lbs X3
took it easy on account of oly work the day before and kettlebell work. I am planning to hit some more Oly tonight.

oly squat
225 3X12

dips
3X12

Decided it was arms day
ez curl
3X8 70 too light

close grip bench
3X8 135 also too light

hammer curl
3X8 40 good weight

Rope tricep ext
3X8 90 lbs

reverse wirst curl
3X10 20

Wrist Curl
3X10 40

If I get my way, tonight will be another Dumbarton night. I’ll work the OLy stuff and maybe a little free weight, nothing serious. I’ll take tomorrow off and I’ll be killed on Sunday.

Dumbarton

I went to the Dumbarton gym tonight and took the wife. I liked it, she hated it. Of course that took away a bit from my liking it.

warm up (at home)
KB Snatch
16K 5X10 per arm

hang clean
30K 3X3
40K 1X3(some front squats in there)
50K 1X3(some overhead squats in there)
60K 1X3(presses too)
70K 1X3
80K 3X1(kind ugly felt unhealth)

Clean from the floor
80K 4X1 felt easy and kept pulling the bar too high, i had to bring it back down. I wasn’t really trying to do much with the full clean here

I worked in a couple snatches
50K 3
60K 3
70K 2

Got in some regular lifting too
bench 2X8 225 (shoulders were a little unstable from the cleans and the KB I ddi before leaving home)
dumbell row 3X8 60
military press (db) 2X8 50
pull up 4X2

My hands are feeling a little beat up but I hope to kit the KB some more tonight
Tomorrow I think I will work some speed squats. I’m either going to Waldrof on Sunday to train Strongman or to Philly to compete at Iron Sport Gym (look it up, cool gym, cool contest). I’m waiting to hear for sure from Dan. Either way, I’m trying to not beat myself up this week. Next week will hopefully be a different story.

EDIT
I got carried away after I got home last night. I did another 5X10 on KB and then I did 50 swings per hand for a total of 100 without setting the bell down or switching more than once

Grosse Pointe Blank

I have this movie on right now, it’s one of my favorites, ever. I was reminded of it by my experience today.
If you have seen if you know that Martin Blank (Cusak) is having a crisi of identity after many years as a hit man. PArt of the funniest thing in this movie is that whenever anyone asks him what he does he tells them. They all blow it off, laugh at it. Later when Minnie Driver’s character realizes that he has been serious this whole time, she freaks. There is a bit by here where she screams,”That’s something you joke about, it’s not something anyone actually does” (not an exact quote, I’m not that far into the film yet). That was the look I got today.
Some guys out here on the web have suggsted for some time that I try some sled dragging. Living here I don’t exactly have the environment for it. It was suggested by someone much wiser than myself that I drag a tire instead. Sure enough the gas station next door had about 10 they had to throw out. They let me have 2 for free. They sat on my little tiny porch for at least a month. After my last adventure in the park I was inspired to try this as well.
Today I readied myself in front of the building. A gu I often see around happened by. He looked and had no idea what to think so he opted for pithy of critical. “That’s and interesting way to store a tire”.
“I’m dragging it.”
“Oh yeah?”
I locked on my carbiners and threw the bag with about 100lbs on top and his eyes widened, there is that look. “You’re deadly serious about this draggin thing aren’t you?”
“Yep, my first time doing it, shall we see how it goes?” and off I trudged.

======skip ahead to just arriving home at the same local=====
My down stairs neighbor, a barely over the hill, shut in, old maid, happens by. “Wouldn’t it be easie to rollit?”
“That’s no the idea.”
“Well, the idea looks painful.”
“It kinda was.” There’s that look.
“whatever gets you off.”

The workout:
Sled drag Three city blocks, break each block for a minute or so.

hill drag:
Throw the tire down a 40ish foot him and pull it up using the 1/4″ nylon rope I knotted up(It’s not a good size rope but it’s what I had. I think I may try to buy some climbing rope, it should be cheaper and more durable than the stuff from functional hand strenght. I’m not trying to crap on Johns gear but I’m thinking his stuff is great for climbing but not for dragging around the city and throwing down hills. People are welcome to diasagree.

hill run:
Throw the tire down, link up the harnass and run until the tire is at the top of the hill.

Walk back with the sled

This needs to be a weekly thing for me at least. It was killer. I have some wicker welts on my shoulders, I’m gonna buy some towels to tape around the rope to make the harnass cause a little less damage. Next time I’m dragging two tires but less weight.

I have been researching some new gear. I think I have other equipment that can supplement rather well. I like the idea of firm limb control. The ability to stabalize weight at arms length rather than close to the body. I think the only thing I need is this book from atomic Athletic. I haven’t commited to anythng yet but I’m thinking about it. It realtes to my obsession with the Indian clubs lately. It’s hard trying to stick to a budget.

Rampage

Kettlebell Rampage

warm up
walk 90 minutes (lots of breaks to look at all the snakes that were out and about)
Go to Wegman’s for groceries
A couple hours later…..

KB Rampage
Walked to the park with the 16K and 8K KBs in my backpack.
5ish minutes of trying to learn to juggle the light bell
15 snatches each hand

1 minute rest*
2 minutes trying to juggle*
15 snatches each hand*

*repeat these three lines a total of three times. Totalled 60 snatches per hand.

swings
25left(L),25right®,15L,15R,10L,10R

walked home with the heavy KB in my pack and carried the light. I would like to work up to being able to carry both bells and not needing the bag.

I didn’t think to bring a stop watch or anything so I didn’t sprint, plus I was smoked.
I did get a great idea if I get ahold of some good pulling rope though. the have this very steep hill (too steep to run, I think) Throw a plate to the bottomand try to pull it back up.

Looking at my snatch numbers if felt a lot harder to me than it loks on a screen. Either way I’m glad Idid it. I have been talking about it for weeks and it was better than I thought it would be, plus the homeless guys were really impressed.