675 lb squat!

The year is wrapping-up, and I wanted to assess how my squat is doing.  I hadn't lifted in nearly a week as I'd gotten dizzy late last week due to lack of sleep and getting dehydrated.  Today was my first day back, but with tomorrow being New Year's eve, I thought I'd hit it hard.  Brian joined me, so with a spot, I knew I could go for it.  This is a banded-squat.  At the bottom, it applies somewhere between 50-100 lbs of assistance to come off the bottom, but at the top, isn't doing anything.  It feels somewhere in the middle of a normal, full-range squat, and a top-end squat.  If I had to estimate, it would be about 90% of actual max squat.

So with that background, here is a video of my top sets for singles, followed by the workout:

				Weight	Reps
Warm-up, roll-out, stretch, jog
Squat with bands				205	3
				205	3
				295	3
				405	2
				515	2
				565	1
				605	1
				645	1
				675	1
				295	6
Stretch

525 lb bench

I wish!  I did 525 lbs on high-end lockouts, but I'll take it.

High-end lockout bench works on triceps strength and taking the strain.  This is a very short range motion, but it really taxes the shoulders and arms, even just holding the weight for a few seconds.  I also hit full range bench, some intermediate lockout, and some triceps.

I had less than 30 minutes today, so did what I could.  Here is a video of the heaviest set I did:

Deadlift/Back

Not much time to write today, so in summary: rack pull on 725 lbs!  I feel pretty good.  The only thing hurting today is my sternum.  Forearms are marginally good, and shoulders aren't involved today, so I'm in good shape! :)

Here is the workout, and thanks for reading!

20-Dec
				Weight	Reps
Warm-up, roll-out, stretch, jog
Rack pulls warm-up				100	20
				155	20
Bent row				100	20
				155	20
Deadlift with bands (speed)				255	3
100 lbs bands				365	2
				415	2
Deadlift from 3 inches				315	2
				425	2
Quick floor pull				425	1
Rack pulls from knees				425	2
				515	2
				625	2
				675	1
all that fits on my bar!				725	1
				425	6
Bent row, press superset				155	50
with hip thrusts				155	50
Hip thursts				200	25
				200	25
Abs (weighted)				75	60
Stretch
			5	min cardio

Full-body workout

Last week I was both sick and too busy to lift.  I did shovel an inordinate amount of snow, and got a little bit of cardio in, but that was all I could muster.

Yesterday, I finally worked in a nice stretching session with some light cable work.

Today I hit a pretty grueling lift, with constant motion, so my heart rate was up the whole time.  I started on the elliptical, and then, with the exception of a few work breaks, went straight for over 100 minutes.  Here's what I did today:

18-Dec
				Weight	Reps
Warm-ups - cables, bands, stretch
Plyometric work				300	130
Overhead press barbell				45	30
				115	12
				115	12
				115	12
				115	12
Calf raises				205	20
				205	20
				205	20
				205	20
Shoulder fly				15	30
				15	30
Shoulder front raise				25	20
				25	20
Back fly				25	20
				25	20
Skier				50	50
				50	50
Shrugs				205	15
				205	15
				205	15
				205	15
Single Forearm curls				35	50
				35	50
Thinker curls				25	12
				25	12
Single front forearm curls				20	40
				20	40
Hammer curls				50	20
				50	20
CoC work				Various
Abs				75	160
Stretch
			5	min cardio

Max double-overhand pull with Rogue axle

While deadlifting today, I decided to see how heavy I could go double-overhand on my Rogue axle.  I'd done this once, before, lifting with Brian and Van Hatfield, and Van and I both went out on 385 if I recall...it was a while ago.  Well, today I became a man! :)  I got 400 lbs.  For a deadlift, it is nothing, but double-overhand pulling this on an axle is a big deal, if I do say so myself.  Check out the video and you'll see how: a) my hands barely reach around the axle and b) you have to hang on for dear life as the bar tries to rotate towards you.

I did hit a solid lift last week with Brian and then was so sore that I only did some light lifting and a lot of cardio.  We squatted up over 500 lbs on Tuesday, and like a genius, I played football for 90 minutes on Thursday, trying to outrun 18 year olds, and paid the price the next days.  But I'm back at it!  Here is today's lift:

12/5/2013
				Weight	Reps
Warm-ups - cables, bands, stretch
Log standing				85	15
				85	15
				135	8
				135	8
				205	2
				185	3
				185	3
				185	3
				185	3
				185	3
				85	15
Overhand axle deadlift				25	20
				135	10
				185	6
				235	4
				345	2
				400	1
Superset x 2
DB press x 20, OH axle x 10, Log x 10, Medicine ball x 3 x 10
Stretch
			10	min cardio

Thanks for reading!

Training for the #believeinbre fundraiser

This Saturday is a fundraiser for #believeinbre, and our friends at MusclePharm are supporting it with some Combat and Assault - thanks #musclepharm.  I'm going to compete in a single set event that consists of 2 minutes of back-and-forth clean/overhead 185 lbs with deadlift 385 lbs...sounds pretty taxing!  So, today was all about lifting with cardio, and pressing 185 lbs to see where I'm at.  There is a video of that  for 1 minute, so check it out:

11/19/2013
				Weight	Reps
Overhead press standing				45	30
				95	10
				145	6
				185	10
				185	13
Superset rows (2 kettle bell, 2 med ball)				50	100
Superset shoulders (DB and log)				50	100
Superset press, back with bands				50	100
Superset press, hips with bands				50	100
Abs				60	300
Stretch
			5	min cardio

Supersets

Today was all about supersets!  Brian and I were both too beat up from Saturday to hit any core lifts, so we stayed light, hit a ton of volume and really got the blood flowing.  Here is a video of the arms superset that we did.  Weights are light, but give this a try and your arms will be burning by the second sit...the third just gets ridiculous!

Here is the rest of the workout:

11/14/2013
				Weight	Reps
Shoulder superset x3
Overhead standing				95	30
Front raise				35	30
Lateral raise				30	30
Arms superset x3
DB curl				35	45
Forearm curl				95	60
Front forearm curl				45	75
Upper back superset x3
Bent rows				155	36
Single arm rows				65	90
Lat pulls				130	60
Abs				60	60
Stretch
			5	min cardio

After Brian left I tied things up with some abs and stretching.  I'll likely get a good roll later tonight.  Saturday will be our next lift. 

Thanks for reading!

Wasatch Front Strongman Challenge

Yesterday was the Wasatch Front Strongman Challenge, and no, I didn't compete.  My neck has been too sore and I've had some other issues, so the plan was to help a bit and sit this one out.  However, I ended the day twice as tired as I think I've ever been after an event or workout!  I ended up doing the following:

Deadlift the frame and carry it multiple times (minimum 500 lbs)
Run the yoke about 6 times as heavy as 750, and move it another 6
Run sandbags about 40 feet a dozen times
Lift an 850 tire a few times
Move miscellaneous weights around all day including circus dumbbell
And a number of other miscellaneous things

All-in-all a very long day, but the show went well, and kudos to Bronson for winning the heavyweight division and Brian for masters.

If I hadn't also had to do a bunch of work and gotten to play dad yesterday, I probably wouldn't have been quite as tired, but life is what it is.  I ended the day as tired and sore as I can recall in recent history and so, likely won't be lifting for a few days, maybe with the exception of some cardio and stretching.

As always, thanks for reading.  I need to do a better job of updating the blog, and will try to do so this week!

A day of records!

Brian and I ran down to Mapleton, today, to lift with Van and Bronson.  Next week is Brian's show, Wasatch Front Strongman Challenge.  I'm not competing due to the new baby...I'm beyond tired and in no condition to compete.  However, today, I somehow pulled it together and got in a really good lift.

We started on the log, and I hit a new personal record of 260 lbs.  That's a pretty big jump for me!  We also did some single-arm pressing - I used a kettle bell for this.

Next was deadlift.  I pulled 730 lbs on Van's frame.  It felt pretty good, and is the most I've ever done on a frame.  My hand ripped on the last set I did, so I couldn't try for any more weight...another day!

Then we did super yoke.  We went up to about 700 lbs.  It felt as light as ever, and I went really fast with it.  I was really happy that I did as well as I did!

So, 3 lifts, and 3, albeit not all with an objective metric, personal records.  I was really happy with how I did since I'm running on no sleep and still have the nagging neck issue.

That's it for today...thanks for reading!

Past 2 workouts

Life is getting busy, especially with the baby coming on Thursday!  I've been negligent about my posting, so time to catch-up.

On Friday, although sore from Thursday's heavy clean workout, I lifted with a neighborhood kid for the following:

Log press standing, up to 235 lbs
One-arm kettle bell press on 80 lbs
Deadlift, up to 515 lbs
Kettle bell swings
Medicine ball cleans
Triceps extensions
Stretching

Then I took the weekend off as I didn't have time to lift.  Yesterday Brian and I lifted at Eastside with a new guy, Troy, and here's what we did:

Squat, warm-up for 5 sets, work up to 315 lbs
Carry and load medley, 150 lb. keg, 250 lb. sandbag about 50 ft, multiple sets
Axle cleans, up to 185 lbs
Extended lunges with overhead (Phil Pfister style)

The lunges were rough!  My hamstrings hurt today like I can't begin to explain.  The lift really works, so thanks to Phil for sharing that lift!

The plan is to go, again, today.  I hope I've recovered a bit by this evening, because right now, I've got nothing in the tank! :)

Getting better at power cleans

Yesterday was focused on power cleans.  Cleans are by far my worst lift, with overhead in a close second.  Being 6'8 doesn't help and the fact that, based on the video, I basically reverse curl the bar with momentum from the pull.  I guess if, in the end, the bar gets to your shoulders, all is well.  I just need to generate more power off the floor to pull the higher weights.

Here is a quick video of some of my sets working up to about 255:

I hadn't lifted all week on account of my neck, so I worked in some random things, and spent quite a bit of time warming up.  Here is the breakdown:

Warm-ups
Shoulder warm-ups				25	100
Leg warm-ups (swings, plyo)				50	100
Cleans (from floor)				155	6
				185	2
				205	2
				225	1
				235	1
				255	1
Floor rows				205	8
				205	8
				205	8
Lat pulls				150	30
				150	30
				150	45
DB curls				40	16
				40	16
Abs				60	60
Stretch
			5	min cardio

As always, thanks for reading!