Overhead and deads

I learned this workout from Van...thanks Van, I'm extremely sore!

21-Oct
				Weight	Reps
Warm-up and stretch
Shoulder cable work				25	120
Standing rack-press				45	12
				95	6
				145	3
				165	3
				185	2
				205	2
			personal record	235	1
				185	3
				185	10
Block pulls			all double-overhand	265	3
				375	3
				485	3
				535	1
				555	1
Superset x 2
	Romanian			155	24
	Bent row			155	24
	Overhead (rack)			95	24
Cool down and stretch
			5	min cardio

Don't ever stop squatting...

Don't ever stop squatting...

Because starting again is awful!  I haven't really squatted in a couple months.  I wasn't able leading up to Utah's Strongest Man due to a knee injury, and hadn't since the show.  It has now been two weeks recovering from the show with only one light bench workout and not enough stretching.  Results of recovery: muscles are tight, I feel weak and nothing is firing.

I got some video squatting 385 x 2, and 435 x 1, but it looks so terrible that I don't dare share it.  Maybe I'll change my mind tomorrow.  I came up easy enough on 435 to where I know there isn't a strength issue, but I couldn't get down comfortably and bent far too much at the waist.  I also couldn't get my arms in as close as I generally like to.  I'll scratch it up to first day back.

It did feel good to get some blood flowing, and I do look forward to getting back to normal.  Since this was only my second strongman show, I wasn't fully aware of what to expect with my body.  People told me to give it up to a month to normalize, and if today is an indicator, they are right.

Next week I'll try to have two moderate weight days with an overhead day, and probably a deadlift day.  I may work in some light bench, but likely won't squat or do any events.  Let's see how it goes...

As for today, here is the workout:

				Weight	Reps
Warm-up and stretch
Front squat warm-up				100	6
Back squat				45	20
				135	4
				135	4
				225	3
				225	3
				225	3
				305	2
				355	2
				385	2
				385	2
				435	1
Deadlift from below knees (20 in)				135	3
	Superset all 8 in row			225	3
	only stopped to change			275	2
	the weight, all done with			325	2
	double-overhand grip			375	2
				325	2
				225	3
				135	3
Cool down and stretch

Events from Utah's Strongest Man 2014

Here's a video of my events from Utah's Strongest Man 2014 from the Lindon Harley Davidson dealership.  I ended up tied for second, and I'll take it as I went into the comp suffering from vertigo!  Despite a poor showing, I also won the yoke/farmer's medley!

Utah's Strongest Man

I didn't win Utah's Strongest Man, but I did better than last year!  I tied for second, and since I had vertigo the day of the event, I was happy with that.  On my best day, maybe I make a push for first, or a stand-alone second, but October 4th wasn't my best day, unfortunately.  Thanks to my wonderful wife, Britt, helping me all day, I was able to make a good showing, though!

I'll make sure to post more videos, but for now, here is the rising-bar deadlift.  I got an easy 585, then we jumped to 625, and on a good day, my max is about 615, so when I got it to my knees, though I wanted it, I just didn't have the energy, halfway through the competition.

Here are the competition events:

1. Axle (275) then Log (260), axle has to be first - I failed on the axle where I tend to struggle, so never got to the log which would be easy for me.  I took last on this event!  Aahhh!
2. Deadlift, rising-bar - I got 4 successful lifts up to 585, but failed at 625.  This was good enough for 5th.
3. Yoke (700) farmers (600) - I won this event!
4. Stones - 9 total up to around 400 lbs.  I got the 8th which I believe was 385, and good enough for 3rd place.

Not a bad day.  I'm happy with it, given the circumstances.  I should have gotten the axle...next time.  If I hadn't zeroed there, it would have been a much different picture with me probably within 1 point of first.  Also, one more pull at 625 and who knows!  I'll be back next year!!!

I haven't posted in weeks, in part because I took 2 of the last 4 weeks off, altogether, due to illness, and then prepping for the comp by resting.  The other two weeks were...negligence.  I had been lifting, and I need to catch-up on things at some point.

For now, I'll post some more of the events, and then try to get back to some degree of regularity in posting.

My diet 4 weeks out from a competition

I'm not an expert, but I am speaking from experience.  I formulate and sell dietary supplements, professionally, which does give me some insight that others may not have.  As I'm injured and haven't been lifting heavy or a lot in the past two weeks, I wanted to highlight what I'm ingesting with less than a month to go until Utah's Strongest Man 2014.

I've been taking a gainer from GNC, Re-Built Mass, and getting good results.  I felt a bit of a peak a few weeks back, so I've gone off of it for now.  I plan to re-incorporate it in about a week, with the hopes of it helping me re-peak at the time of the show.  Most other gainers get me the calories that I need, but I definitely felt some other boosts from this product.

Now, I'm an MP guy...MusclePharm is awesome!  Unfortunately MP doesn't make a gainer, but their Arnold Series does have its Mass product.  I like it, but it is more designed for a bodybuilder than a strongman.  So in my time off from Re-Built Mass, I'm taking Arnold Mass as a protein source with extra calories.  A bit of a test, but I'll know in a few weeks, if the sub-out helped increase potency of the Re-Built or not!

In addition, here's what else I'm eating/taking each day:

1. MP Amino1 (1 serving per day)
2. MP MuscleGel (This is an isolate goo, basically; 1 serving per day)
3. MP Combat Casein (2 servings right before bed)
1. With the Arnold Iron Mass, MuscleGel and Casein, I'm getting about 120 grams of protein every day, from different sources.  I try to match/exceed that amount from food - lean meats, yogurt, milk and some grain sources, to get around 250 grams, total.
4. Peanut Butter with Flax (Trader Joe's!) - good for EFAs and another 10 grams of protein
5. Animal Pak Multi
6. I'm not really counting calories, seldom do.  I'd guess I'm in the 6,000 - 7,000 range every day.
7. I've cut out creatine altogether, for now.  I'll add it back in with just under 3 weeks to go.
8. No pre-workouts right now, either

My body-weight is holding in the ~300 lb range.  I float about 5 lbs in either direction, any given day depending on how tough my workout was, what I worked-out, etc.  I can't seem to add any more weight, but as long as I'm getting stronger, irrelevant, I suppose.

That's what I'm eating, so stay tuned and we'll see how it works out!  Thanks for reading!

Tuesday and Wednesday workouts

I've still got the pain in my wrists and left knee, so I stayed light, again, today.  I made sure to get some good motions in, and kept the weight light, but logged enough volume that I'll hopefully get something out of the lifts.  Here's what I did yesterday and today:

9/2/2014
				Weight	Reps
Stretching
Shoulder work cords				25	250
Standing press				45	30
				95	15
				145	12
				165	6
				185	4
				115	15
				95	15
				45	100
Step-ups				300	90
				300	60
Abs				60	150
Axle holds				135	120
			10	min cardio
9/3/2014
				Weight	Reps
Stretching
Curls				25	30
				35	24
				35	24
				35	24
			part of super set	25	20
Rack pulls				135	15
				225	12
				225	12
				225	12
				135	15
			part of super set	135	20
Bent rows				95	15
				95	15
				95	15
				95	15
				95	15
			part of super set	95	20
Romanian deadlift			part of super set	135	20
Band rows			part of super set	150	20
Abs				60	120
CoC				170	40

I've been stretching and rolling, as time allows, in the evenings.

Nutrition has been solid.  Today I've had:

1. Re-built Mass
2. Amino1
3. Iron Test
4. Move Free

I've likely had about 180 grams of protein, so far, today.  I'll aim to get to 250 before the day is done.

Tomorrow will be a rest day, with some stretching and maybe light biking if I can.

Thanks for reading, and until next time!

Injured!

I haven't posted in over a week because I went and injured myself.  I'm not hurt badly, but enough that I basically had to take the week off, last week.  It was about 24 hours after my Saturday super-workout that I realized my knee hurt, and attributed it to running with farmers and yoke.  My wrists were carry-over injuries from 2 weeks, prior.

I did manage some stretching and a few light lifts, over the past week, as follows:

MON-TUE: REST
WED: Band work (50lb) for legs, Shoulder rehab bands (25lb), light shoulders, abs
TH: Bench up to 215x15; kept it light, and did volume
FRI: REST
SAT: Swimming and Stretching
SUN: REST
MON: Rolled-out and stretched

My left knee is giving me some issues and both of my wrists hurt.  It is enough pain that I'm trying to be really careful, but the problem is that Utah's Strongest Man is in 1 month (date just moved-up to October 4th!).  I've got a catch 22 on my hands, as I need to minimize training to heal...but I need to be training! 

In the meantime, I'm trying to at least remain limber, and to keep getting enough quality nutrition.  Here's what I'm taking right now (not all every day!):

MusclePharm ArmorV (multi)
MusclePharm BCAA 3:1:2 Watermelon
MusclePharm Amino1 (days off)
MusclePharm Recon (after workouts)
Arnold Iron Test (brand new, just started yesterday)
Arnold Iron Mass Vanilla
GNC Re-Built Mass Triple Chocolate
MusclePharm Assault Pineapple Mango (during workouts)

Seems like quite a bit of stuff, but basically a multi every day, plenty of protein and calories, and recovery/hydration agents.  Hopefully, at least on the nutrition front, I won't be off my game, while my knee and wrists are healing.

I plan to lift today with whoever can make it, so I'll try to post tomorrow.  Thanks for reading!