Catching up!

I haven't had time to lift due to the holidays, nor have I had the energy to do so.  I'm just simply exhausted, so a few days off are badly needed!  I did play some basketball on Monday which left me sore, and ended up shoveling for quite a while after a beastly snow storm, so coupling those two things, there was no way I'd be lifting any time soon.

Tomorrow it sounds like I have to help a friend move, but hopefully come Friday I can get back into the swing of things!

With that, a Merry Christmas to everyone, and thanks for reading!

Shoulders

Just a quick post catching-up for yesterday.  Here was my lift...nothing too crazy!

Standing rows 75 lb bands (one per hand)

125 total reps over 4 sets

Abs for 275 total reps

Full shoulder routine 750 reps

Captains of Crush (T) 300 reps

Hamstring kickbacks with 75 lb bands

150 total reps over 3 sets

Calf raises on 155 lbs 100 total reps

In better news, the Steelers lost...sorry Thayne!

Pressing!

As I already posted today, here is today's actual workout:

3 warm-up sets on bench

     115 x 8, 205 x 6, 225 x 4

5 x 2 on 70%

     295 lbs x 2 reps x 5 positions moving out on the bar

5 x 3 on 60%

     245 lbs x 3 reps x 5 positions moving in on the bar 

3 sets of purple bands decline press (20 reps per set)

2 sets of overhead lockout

     155 x 15 reps x 2 sets

3 sets rack pulls

     155 x 8 reps, 245 x 6, 315 x 6

1 burnout straight-leg deadlift

     155 x 15 reps

150 reps of abs

No big lift tomorrow as I have a swollen knee and could use a few days off!

Squat day

Thayne and I lifted yesterday, and mixed things up a bit:

5 sets of back squat (light)
1 set of front squat (light)
2 sets of zurcher squat (light)
2 sets of incline bench with the axle
3 sets of bent rows with the axle
1 set of straight-leg deadlift with the axle
200 reps of abs


Nice pic of Thayne squatting!

It was basically a squat day, with a random assortment of other lifts, and rounded out with 200 straight reps of abs which was probably the toughest part of the lift.

Today is bench, so tune back in later! :)

A brand new lift!

I've "invented" a new lift to help my training.  I call it, pick the bar up and stand with it for an extended period of time.  I basically take the axle, load it with a reasonable amount of weight and hold it in the front pressing position off my shoulders.  I did this for 5 minutes yesterday really to start to get a better feel for having weight in that position.  When I'm log pressing, it just feels heavy, makes it hard to breathe and really gets in my head, so I'm hoping this tactic will combat that somewhat.  While my shoulder make-up isn't that conducive to pressing like this, there is room for improvement!

In addition to the 5 minutes of front holding that I did, here is the rest of the lift, carried out around 10 pm last night, so a lackluster performance:

15 minutes of stretching
Thinker curls 30s x 10 x 3 sets, 40s x 10 x 3 sets
Thinker hammer curls 40s x 12 x 3 sets (come to rest on shoulder at top)
Bar holds for grip (overhand and reverse)
Standing decline presses with purple bands 2 sets of 20
Some abs

I also really like what I did in the way of standing decline pressing.  It works out to feel like a combination of decline bench and a decline fly all in one, as you press from the back but can then pull together in front as you are using bands...good lift!

With that, I'm hoping to have some energy for today and hit a squat workout.  I'll post on that later if I have time to make it happen!

Shoulder workout

Brian came here today and we lifted shoulders with some auxiliary band work for hips and hamstrings.  We didn't go heavy on anything other than overhead lockouts.  I wanted to focus on form, volume of reps and hitting some things that get overlooked with main strongman events.  No video today, but here is the workout:

Overhead pressing
	Lockouts on axle
	75 lbs x 20 reps
	125 lbs x 10 reps
	175 lbs x 8 reps
	195 lbs x 6 reps
	225 lbs x 5 reps
	Top tier lockouts
	225 lbs x 8 reps
	225 lbs x 8 reps
	Seated pressing from chin
	125 lbs x 10 reps
	3 sets at this weight
Hamstring kick-backs with 75 lb bands
Shoulder super-set with DBs
	2 x seated press, 2 x seat fly
	1 x front raise, lat raise, stand press
	2 sets
Triceps burnout 100s
Abs using rubber bands 110 reps

Heavy Event Training - 700 lb farmer's carry!!!

I trained yesterday with Brian and Van in Mapleton at the local crossfit gym where Van has set-up shop.  We hit a couple events and tied up with deadlift.  Here is a video of a painful PR for me on farmer's carry - 700+ lbs!!!

And here was the workout:

Log press - 100 lbs up to 255 lbs
       I'm still having difficulty on the lockout, but let's give it time
       My cleans are coming along well - no issues getting to my shoulders!
Farmer's carry - 460 lbs up to 700+ lbs (estimating just over 700!)
       Multiple sets; speed on lighter weights, getting thru it on 700
       Hands performed well, now just need to improve balance and speed on heavy carries
Deadlift overhand on axle to grip failure
       145 x 3, 255 x 2, 300 x 1, 345 x 1, 390 - made it halfway and grip failed
       390 lbs x 10 reps using straps, once grip failed

I left feeling pretty beat up, but I'm thrilled because I'm getting a lot stronger.  My back has gained quite a bit, cleans are much better, speed is up on yoke and farmers.  My shoulders continue to hold me back as I can't put my arms back far enough when extended overhead...more stretching I guess.

With that, thanks for reading!

Lockout training

Today was almost all about shoulders, and more specifically, lockouts.  I started with triceps lockouts, did overhead lockouts, with some other auxiliary work, and finished up with abs and some band work for hips and hamstrings.  Here is a video of the overhead lockouts which were targeted at assisting my log pressing:

And here is today's workout:

Shoulders (cord work)

       Total reps on equiv. 25 lbs – 700

Triceps lockouts using bent bar (combo with pull-overs)

       25 lbs x 75, 45 lbs x 50, 55 lbs x 50 x 2 sets

Overhead lockout press (barbell, strict pressing from seated)

       (Axle) 75 lbs x 6 x 2 sets, 125 lbs x 6, 175 lbs x 6, 195 lbs x 3
                   225 lbs x 3, 245 x 3

Front raises (bar)

       55 lbs x 12 x 3 sets

Hamstring kick-backs with 75 lb bands – 100 total reps

Abductor inward sweeps with 75 lb bands – 70 total reps

Abs – 110 total reps

Squats and deadlifts

Brian and I lifted yesterday with almost complete focus on lower body.  Before I delve into the workout, I want to show you my beautiful breakfast:

Looks appetizing, yeah?  This was super healthy and actually didn't taste too bad!  Here's what was in it:  4 cups of spinach, about a cup of berries (blueberries, raspberries and strawberries), half a banana, some OJ and some vanilla yogurt.  Blend that baby up and it is a good source of some greens, vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, etc.  The whole thing probably only had 10g of protein but I get that in other ways.  The purpose of this was to get the things I tend to miss!  I've also been eating more salads with fish to alter my protein sources and get the leafy stuff I don't always make room for.  In the long-run, this should balance my diet enough that I'll keep my cholesterol low while I continue to gain weight for strongman.

With that rambling done, here is yesterday's workout:

Warm-up set (squat, good-mornings, calf raises, stretching)

Zercher Squats – 115 x 8 x 2, 165 x 6, 205 x 3 x 3

Hex deadlifts – 230 x 6, 340 x 4

Hex deadlift with purple (75 lb x 2 in addition to weight) bands –

       230 x 4 x 5

 

Hip thrusts with 200 lb bands –

       25 reps x 3 sets    

Still sick...

I had something bad to eat this week and it has been plaguing me for the last 3 days!  I couldn't make it to Van's workout today with Brian and company, so I did what I could at home.  I focused on hands and shoulders:

1750 total shoulder reps
     1,500 with cords and 250 with kettlebells
200 total reps on the Captains of Crush trainer
6 minutes per hand palming a 6 lb medicine ball
450 total reps of abs
A bunch of stretching

I also worked in some cardio to keep pace with my weekly goal.

Not much of a strongman workout, but it keeps my shoulders healthy, and hands are critical to everything I do.  Cardio has pros and cons as I feel it makes me lose weight and strength, but without sufficient cardio, you can't succeed at strongman.  There is a balance in all of this that I'm still trying to figure out, and I am getting better, so even if I haven't found the apex of strongman training routines, I think I'm doing pretty well!

I got some interesting instruction from some old 80's videos of Kazmaier training that I found on Youtube.  I'm looking forward to implementing his triceps routine in hopes of getting a better log press here soon!

With that, thanks for reading!

Log pressing

I've had a somewhat boring week thus far.  Since Tuesday I've just done a light shoulder workout, and then rested as I had a sore knee, and some questionable sushi that left me down and out for a day!  I'm also taking today off so I have some juice for tomorrow at Van's.  Here is a video taken last week of a sorry attempt at a 235 lb log.  I failed before I finally got it.  My shoulders are just flat weak, to be honest.  I've been nursing them along for so long that I have no pressing power.  Watching this makes me realize I have more in me, so hopefully tomorrow I'll have a better showing!

Thanks for reading!

Zurcher Squats!

If you haven't ever tried a zurcher squat, I highly recommend it.  Here is a video of what we did today:

This hurts your arms, makes it hard to breath and feels as awkward as it looks, but I can tell it isolates the back and hips in a very unique way.  I'm hoping this will help me with my atlas stones, and will generally strengthen my back and hips.

I lifted with Brian and Roger and we had a fairly long workout.  Here's the rundown:

Back squats with pause on bench
     135 x 12, 225 x 8, 275 x 6, 315 x 4 x 2
Zurcher squats with axle
     115 x 8, 165 x 6, 205 x 6, 255 x 4, 275 x 4, 205 x 8
Zurcher squat using black bands
     150 lbs of resistance on 2 bands, 3 x 12
Hip lockouts/thrusts
     200 lb mega rogue bands, 2 x 25
Abs
     75 lb bands, 100 crunches, 80 lateral crunches
Various plate holds for hand strength
     Extra thick 45s, 55s and Rolling Thunder 118 lbs

So that will do it for today.  As always, thanks for reading!!

Strongman event training

I went with Brian down to Van's crossfit gym in Mapleton today.  Here is a video of something I'm fairly proud of - 330 lbs per hand on farmer's walk!!!

We had an event-focused day, with some auxiliary work, too.  Here is the lift:

Superset for warm-up
     100 lbs - 8 reps of each of the following, 2 sets
          Upright rows, standing presses, hang-cleans, bent rows
Log-Press
     105 lbs, 255 lbs, 215 lbs, 235 lbs (clean and press on all weights)
     reps varied by weight
Straight bar clean and press
     135 lbs x 2 sets, 185 lbs
Farmer's carry
     230 lbs per hand (460 total) for 2 lengths of approximately 50 feet
     330 lbs per hand (660 total) for one length (PR on pick and walking)
Atlas Stones
     250 lbs for 4 total reps, 310 lbs failed
"Cool-down" superset for shoulders
     Clean and jerk for 10 reps on 135 (5 cleans, 10 presses) then
     Kettle-bell lift from between legs to overhead 72 lb bell for 10 reps
          We did this combo 2 times
     We burnt-out on standing press for 12 reps on 135

After this, I rode the bike for 30 minutes to log 3 miles towards my weekly goal (3 bike miles = 1 for my record keeping).

That is it for today...thanks for reading!!!

Personal Record - Rolling Thunder

Where is a camera when I need it!?!

Last night started as me teaching the Boy Scouts the Personal Fitness merit badge.  They like to come over twice a year and use some of the workout equipment - fun night.

What should have been just them exercising turned into me being compelled to beat them at everything...handily, of course! :)

I had to bench 205 for 25 reps.  I wasn't done but it was good enough to win the debate.

I had to do some chin-ups.  I beat most of the boys there, but I weigh over 3 bills, so not really a fair fight!!!

And we did rolling thunder...and I hit a PR!  198 LBS!!!!

With that, I'm nearly to my RT goal for the year and it feels really good to make that big of a jump!  While I didn't catch it on camera, I did have 7 witnesses.

A day at Gold's

I went with Brian to Gold's, yesterday, to hit some machines that we can't quite replicate at home.  Here is a video of Brian, and I'm in it periodically, mainly standing awkwardly, or as the guy in the background doing the lady's abductor machine to work on my hip area!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWPKFX_WX10&feature=g-all

We stayed mainly on legs, but hit a little bit of back (lats) too:

Leg Press
     405 x 10, 495 x 8, 585 x 6, 675 x 5, 675 x 5
Box Squat with full stop on box (hard as you start from nothing at bottom)
     225 x 8, 315 x 5, 405 x 3, 505 x 3
Leg extensions (weight is per leg)
     60 x 12, 90 x 10, 130 x 10
Abductor machine
     100 x 100
Outward rotator machine for hips
     100 x 50
Leg Curls
     110 x 10, 190 x 6, 190 x 8, 110 x 15
Lat pulls
     Wide grip - 175 x 12, 205 x 10, 235 x 8
     Superset - wide, tight, reverse, 110 x 10 x 10 x 10
Seated rows
     Low - 130 per hand x 8 x 2 sets
     High - 50 per hand x 20 to burnout

As always, thanks for reading!

Cardio, shoulders and hips

About time for a video - here is a crazy superset!

Today's workout:
2 miles jogging
500 total cable shoulder reps
Shrugs (straight bar)
     135 x 15, 295 x 10, 135 x 15
Shoulder Super-SUPER Set with 10 exercises
     15 lbs per hand, 15 reps each per exercise, all without stopping
     Upright rows, lateral raises, half presses, front hammer raises, shrugs, bent rows...
          back flyes, rotating lateral raises, front raises, half presses
Hip thrusts
     200 lb resistance rogue bands
     3 sets of 30 to max extension
Abs - 75 total reps

As you can clearly see, hit some cardio, then mainly shoulders, with some hips and abs, as well.  Nothing too extraordinary, but felt good!

Thanks for reading.

Over the weekend

We had quite a crew over at Brian's on Saturday.  I was there (obviously) along with Brian, Roger and Cameron.  They did a little bit of yoke to warm-up but I abstained as I see no reason to hurt myself mid-recovery.  I spent the time stretching, instead.  We focused on back, and didn't get that many sets in, but did go heavy.  I forgot my camera, but here is the workout:

Frame Deadlift
       340 x 4, 440 x 3, 520 x 2, 620 x 2, 694 - failed...too much that time!
Axle Deadlift
       135 x 12 warm-up, 315 x 4, 405 x 2, 455 x 2, 505 x 1

All of the axle and frame lifts were done without wrist straps, which makes it pretty tough!  I ran out of time as Britt and the girls came to pick me up and saw the 505 lb lift.  They had been to see Santa, and it was time for dinner, so that was the full workout on Saturday.

Thanks for reading!

All about stretching...and ice

So I quite nearly broke down and got a massage today.  Fortunately for my wallet, the few places I tried were closed or booked-up! :)

I did the next best thing which was my workout as follows:

1.5 miles jogging
Full body stretch for 40 minutes!
15 minutes on the roller
       Heavy back focus to work on some knots
       A very uncomfortable roll for my abductors and outer hips
       A bit of everything else from the feet up to the neck

I feel really good right now.  My abductors aren't bothering me terribly, so I am getting better.  I do need to continue to be careful though.

I really need a day like this every week, and need to make it a goal to ensure it gets worked in.  While I'm definitely improving at all my lifts, I'd bet a dime to a dollar that I'm holding myself back a bit by not treating myself well enough in between lifts.  Without proper recovery, sustained gains will be difficult.

I also place quite a bit of emphasis on ice - a gift from the heavens!!!  I LOVE ICE!  Here is a pic of my nightly routine.

First of all, I know you love the socks!  Secondly, and I don't know why, my left leg looks oddly small in this picture...peg leg!!!  I use the red packs on my shoulders and upper arms, the blues are for legs, primarily, and the black one wraps around my arms (usually elbows).  Getting beat up in the gym all the time, the ice is crucial to cutting inflammation, and thereby easing pain and allowing for quicker recovery...and a quicker return.  Thus, ICE = GROWTH!

With that gem of info, until next time!  Hopefully tomorrow...

Strongman training, cardio and shoulders

Yesterday was strongman training with Brian at Eastside.  Here is a video of the log press work we did.  We've been hitting seated log press, on a steep incline to work on locking-out. 

We did a few more sets after this and I actually did 250 without much trouble, as well.  Here was the workout:

Seated log-press
     110 x 12, 160 x 6, 180 x 4, 210 x 3, 230 x 2, 250 x 1, 210 x 4
Bent rows using log - 1 set on 110 x 20 reps
Bent rows using axle
     145 x 8 + 8 upright half-rows for a semi-super-set, 145 x 8, 195 x 8 x 2
Truck push (big Ram heavy duty)
     3 sets, 1 starting on incline going for distance

Today was basketball for some light cardio.  When I say light, I mean really light, due to my abductor pull.  Still good to get out and jog a bit and break a sweat!

Then today after basketball, a hefty McDonald's breakfast and some errands followed by some shoulder rehab stuff, and more stretching.

Token trip to the gym

I almost never go to the actual gym anymore, mainly because time doesn't allow, but also because I feel a bit out of place with mainly 80 year old men wiping down the machines and not breaking a sweat.  But I can't hit everything at home, so today off to the Holladay Rec Center to get in some machine work!  I didn't overdo it so that I'd have something in the tank to lift with Brian in Draper tomorrow afternoon.

Here is today's workout:

Leg curls (focused on arching back towards feet like reverse hyper):
     100x15x2, 125x12, 150x10x3
One-armed tricep extensions with rope pull-down
     60x15x2 (left and right on all), 70x12, 80x10, 90x10, 110x8x2
Equivalent of pec-pull-overs (mainly for chest, a bit for outer part of triceps)
     110x15x3
Arm bike with 50 lbs of resistance for 250 rotations
Stationary bike for 20 minutes

Tomorrow will probably be more event-specific so I'll try to upload a video.

Thanks for reading!

Arms workout

After a few days off nursing an abductor pull on my left leg, I decided to get back to it today.  Nothing too crazy, but here is today's workout:

Full body stretch - 20 min
Dumbbell curls
     20 x 20, 25 x 15, 30 x 12, 35 x 12, 40 x10, 45 x 8, 50 x 8, 40 x 10, 30 x 12, 20 x 20
Calf raises
     135 x 20 x 4
Rolling thunder
     30 second hold both hands two times, 40 second hold all sets on 65 lbs
Full body stretch to cool down - 10 min

While the abductor (for those of you who don't know, that is a fancy name for groin!) is feeling a bit better, it isn't ready to squat or deadlift, so I'll probably need to lay off those types of lifts for a few more days.  Stretching is helping it, so hopefully with some ice, rest and stretching I'll be back to normal here soon.

Thanks for reading!

The last two days

I haven't done anything that interesting in the last few workouts, so no videos to show.  I did lift yesterday with Brian, and today with Dave, Paxton and Nate.  Yesterday's focus was on log-press and a bit of yoke.  Today was mainly about grip with some side-work on shoulders (rehab type) and biceps/forearms.  Here are the last two day's workouts:

Wednesday
Static yoke lifts
       100 x 15, 280 x 12, 380 x 10
Log Press (seated) - highest incline before military position
       100 x 10, 100 x 10, 130 x 8, 160 x 6, 180 x 6, 180 x 6

Today
Shoulders - 220 total reps
Standing rows - 75 x 25, 75 x 35, 75 x 50
Shrugs - 135 x 25, 135 x 25
Axle hold - 115 x 60 seconds, 115 x 85 seconds (max time)
Hammer curls - 20s x 25, 20s x 25
Axle curl - 25 x 40
Reverse axle curl - 25 x 40
Rolling thunder - 65lbs for 77 seconds per hand

Both days also had warm-ups and stretching.

Hopefully I'll have something more exciting to report tomorrow after I go to Disney on Ice with my daughters!

Bench day

Football season is over for the high school kids, so Nate hit bench day with me on Monday.  We didn't overwork ourselves but did enough to get sore.  In good news, Nate has passed his 2 compatriots on bench max so Paxton and Nathaniel have some work to do!  Here was the workout:

Flat Bench
225 x 6, 275 x 5, 315 x 4, 335 x 2, 115 x 30, bar x 50

Incline with dumbbells
Fly 35s x 15
Hammer press 35s x 20

Plate supersets
Descending 55 x 35, 35 x 35, 25 x 40
Ascending 25 x 40, 35 x 35, 55 x 35

I also did some stretching as my back has been really tight lately.

The rest of the week - log day and a day of pain!

I got a bit behind this week!  On Thursday I went out to Brian's and we did log-press on an incline working up to a few sets of 6 on 230.  Here is a video of Big Brian, as opposed to me, Little Brian as I barely clear 300 lbs of body weight.  I didn't film myself, but this will show Thursday's main lift, at least, and not to worry, as I walk into frame at the end to prove I was really there!

Yesterday, Brian and I drove down to Springville to lift with Van.  Much like last week, I left feeling like a pansy.  The good news is I am getting stronger!  Here is what we did:

Clean and press medley
     warm-ups, up to 260 on log and 215 on axle (quite a few sets!)
     I pressed the axle, but never tried on the log as I didn't want to hurt my shoulders
Deadlift
     warm-up on 245 on straight bar and 235 on axle
     356 x 3, 456 x 2, 546 x 1
     Deadlift and hold for time on axle with 300 lbs.  I had my hand taped so barely made 24 sec.
          This was done with both hands facing backwards which made it very tough!
Strongman Cardio Medley
     Each set as follows:
          Using 115 lbs - 6 cleans, 6 squat presses, 6 upright rows, 6 bent rows (never drop)
          10 heavy kettle bell pull-throughs up over shoulder
          10 squat then throw 40 lb medicine ball to about 12 feet against wall
     We did this twice and at that point, Van and I were beat, so we called it!

If we hadn't done so many sets on the clean and press of both the log and the axle, I wouldn't have been so tired, but by the time we got to deadlift, I had nothing in me, so I was pretty happy to get as high as I did there.

On the hold for time, I simply couldn't compete as I had my hand taped-up.  On Wednesday, when I did deadlift lockouts, I ripped a callous off my hand, so I had it covered with tape which just slipped when holding the bar.  Brian held the axle for 25 seconds and Van for 30, so while I didn't get slaughtered, it wasn't a great showing...next time!

I've got some cuts and bruises...left hand callous, groin pull, forearm welts, etc, but mainly just sore all over the body...I'll pull through!!!

As always, thanks for reading!

Push-pull: Bench and deadlift

Today started as a Kazmaier lift - bench with shoulders.  I like to periodically find guys' lifts and replicate them to see how I do.  I did really light weights on the upper body stuff as my shoulders were a bit stiff today.  As the lift went on, I had energy, so I added some deadlift, and some rehab work, along with some abs that left me cramping by the end.

Here is a video of the deadlifting I did.  I call these lockouts.  Some people call them rack deadlifts.  I situated myself so that the bar was mid-kneecap which is a point of weakness for me.  This is an awkward position from which to generate power as you have no speed from the low end, no acceleration and are really just powering through a sticking point...fun stuff!  I felt pretty good about doing 2 reps on 585 since I tore a callous off my left hand on the final rep...no choice but to stop there for the day!!!

And here is today's full workout:

Thur		11/7/2012
Lift	Weight	Reps
Full warm-up (stretching, shoulders)	n/a	n/a
Wide grip bench (incline)	100	10
	100	10
	100	10
Narrow grip bench (incline)	100	10
	100	10
	100	10
Front shoulder raises	20	16
	20	16
	20	16
	20	16
Dumbell seated press	35	20
	35	20
	35	20
	35	20
Side shoulder raises	15	20
	15	20
Lying french press	75	6
	25	15
	25	15
	25	15
	25	15
	25	15
Deadlift lockouts	200	10
	245	8
	245	8
	295	8
	345	6
	415	3
	485	3
	545	2
	585	2
Abs	60	180
Shoulder rehab work	25	320
Stretching/cool down	n/a	n/a

Video from Saturday

Here is a video of me deadlifting 535 on Saturday...felt good and was quick.  I tried for 605 and missed, but I'm coming for it!!  Thanks to Brian for filming this!

I needed an ice bath!

I went to a cross fit gym in Springville, today and lifted with Brian, Roger and Van Hatfield.  Cool to finally meet Van...made me feel small!!!

Had a really good workout:
Log clean and press up to 210, clean only at 260
Deadlift up to 535, attempt at 605 but missed
Super yoke up to 620, then back down to 560 for speed
Atlas stones, multiple reps on 249 stone
Keg pick (both keg and stones onto a 53 inch platform!)

By the time I got home I was so beat I had no choice but to hit an ice bath!  While I am getting stronger, this is kicking my butt!  I'm going to stick to it as I want to see how strong I can get, but I definitely need to be eating better, icing better and resting more if I want to continue to progress.

I came in a little light on miles this week, but continued with my weight goals.  Thanks for reading and please keep my in your prayers so I can walk tomorrow, and lift on Monday!! :)

A bit of everything today

Let me just start with...I HATE FRONT SQUATS!  Make sure to check out the video of my front squats below.  They hurt my shoulders, feel unbelievably awkward, but I know I need to do them every once in a while, so why not on Halloween!?

Here is today's routine:

Warmed-up with some cardio on the treadmill
Warm-up reps on shoulders mainly, full body
Lower body stretch
Seated super-set consisting of 20 forearm curls, 20 half curls (bar only)
Seated super-set, reverse of above (reverse forearm curls and reverse curls - bar only)
Front squat: warmup, 100 x 6, 150 x 5, 200 x 4, 240 x 6
Hammer curls: 50 x 30, 60 x 20, 60 x 30
Abs: 75 lb resistance for 70, 60 lb resistance for 70
Cool downs and stretching

Incline bench workout

Yesterday I lifted with Paxton and we focused on incline bench with some light shoulder work:

8 sets building up to 200 x 3 on incline bench
1 set of flat bench on 135
Burnout shoulder set with:
       Standing presses (100 reps)
       Lateral raises (50 reps)
       Front raises (50 reps)
       Shrugs (50 reps)
       Back fly (50 reps)

Not too heavy on anything, more to focus on motions.  The burnout worked great as I'm pretty sore today, and will be focusing on lower body later.

Thanks for reading!

Frame deadlift personal record

Here is another video from Saturday of me pulling 620 on the frame!  This is the first time I'd ever tried it, and it felt really good!

Catching up on this week!

I missed posting on Thursday, but Dave and I hit calves and back and then yesterday I helped a friend move his household for the better part of 6 hours, so with that, I was pretty sore going into today.

I lifted with Brian, today, at his house and we did the following:

Farmer's carry
145 x 2 (down and back)
200 x 2 (one way only)

Frame deadlift
340 x 3
440 x 2
520 x 2
560 x 1
620 x 1

This is the most I've ever deadlifted although on a frame and not a true deadlift.  It actually felt really good!  I'll post that video tomorrow.  For now, here is a video of the farmer's carry.

And after this, I logged 10 bike miles, or 3 for accounting purposes to stay on track.

Good week!!

235 lb sandbag over 48 inch bar...for reps!

Here is a video of sandbag over a 48 inch bar, from Tuesday...enjoy!

Video from yesterday

Here is today's workout, and below a video from yesterday which I just uploaded:

Wed	10/24/2012
Lift	Weight	Reps	Total Weight
Warm-ups	various	various	4500
Shoulder with cords	25	355	8875
Half shoulder presses with axle	135	8	1080
	145	4	580
	165	3	495
	185	2	370
Shrugs w/ axle	245	12	2940
	295	10	2950
	345	10	3450
Shrugs (DB)	100	30	3000
	100	40	4000
Single arm presses (DB) for practice	100	4	400
Hammer curls (one are at time)	60	20	1200
	60	20	1200
	60	20	1200
Shoulder with cords	25	200	5000
Stretching and cooldowns	various	various	3500
Abs	75	90	6750
Day's total		51490	lbs

 

Event training - yoke, sandbag

I worked out with Brian, yesterday, at his place.  Here is the workout:

Yoke
Warm-ups x 2
280 x 2
380 x 1
460 x 2

Lock-out deadlift with axle
325 x 5
415 x 3
415 x 3
505 x 3
505 x 3

Sandbag over 48 inch bar
160 x 8
160 x 10
230 x 6
230 x 4

Pretty good lift.  It was really cold so as you can see in the video, I actually wore both long pants and a long sleeve shirt!  Pretty soon we're going to be stuck indoors, but I actually prefer that.  Without further ado, here is a video, courtesy of Brian:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCRziffc-1Q&feature=g-all-u

I can't get it to link up here, so please follow the link.

Thanks for reading!

Calf, shoulder and yoke workout

Today started as one of those "I'm not sure what to do today" lifts, but then I thought step-ups...then just decided to do a stationary sort of super yoke.  I worked up to 505 lbs for 40 steps.  It is hard to keep your balance doing these, but a great way to strengthen periphery leg muscles, and ankles.  You do have to be very careful, though, which is why I had the supports raised up nearly to shoulder level in case I needed to set down the bar, quickly.

For fun, I did some light shoulder presses with the axle towards the end of the workout.  My shoulders didn't hurt doing this which is good.  I do need to continue to err on the side of less being more with anything overhead.

Here is a video of the axle stationary stepping/walking:

And here is today's lift:

Fri	10/19/2012
Lift	Weight	Reps	Total Weight
Warm-ups	various	various	2500
Shoulder with cords	25	250	6250
Calf raises	185	20	3700
Walking with axle (2 steps/rep)	185	30	5550
Calf raises	275	15	4125
Walking with axle (2 steps/rep)	275	30	8250
Calf raises	325	12	3900
Walking with axle (2 steps/rep)	325	25	8125
Walking with axle (2 steps/rep)	445	18	8010
Walking with axle (2 steps/rep)	505	20	10100
Calf raises	505	10	5050
Standing axle presses	115	12	1380
Calf raises	115	35	4025
Walking with axle (2 steps/rep)	115	60	6900
Pec-dec using 75lb band	75	24	1800
	75	24	1800
	75	24	1800
	75	24	1800
	75	30	2250
Shoulder with cords	25	200	5000
Stretching and cool downs	various	various	4500
Abs	75	120	9000
Day's total		105815	lbs