THE VIDEO
INTRO
Not just a fantastic quote, but an incredible introduction to a life changing movie
* These
always run stupidly long and I’ll try to prevent that, but here we go: I
competed in yet another strongman competition.
I turn 40 this year, have competed in strongman since 2013, my knees are
absolutely shot and I’m way too damn skinny these days, but I don’t seem to
learn lessons well, so here I am.
* I liked
this competition because of the events: axle press for reps, frame deadlift for
reps, wheelbarrow, sandbag over bar (load, not throw) and max distance sandbag
carry. It was a light show, which meant
it would be conditioning heavy, which just called out to me, and nothing was
terribly technical. In fact, I traveled
over 2.5 hours for this show when there was one RIGHT down the road for me in
my hometown because I liked these events more, which worked out well, because
this event ended up having 5 dudes in my weight class (counting me) whereas the
other show would have only been 3 of us.
I like having a lot of competition.
It turned out to be the right decision, because after I drove home and
had a dinner of a full rack of spare ribs, I checked in on the other comp and
they were STILL competing…and they started BEFORE us. The difference was that there was no novice
division at the comp I was at, so we had fewer people and everyone already knew
what to do, so it went quick.
* I took 4th
out of 5 on this one. I was within a rep
of changing my place in every single event, minus the wheelbarrow (that doesn’t
shock me), which was far more motivating than it was devastating, because I got
to do that “playing the game how I want to play it”, meaning I didn’t have to
cut weight, I didn’t have to balloon up during competition prep, I didn’t have
to slam a box of pop-tarts in the middle of the event, and I got to train the
way I wanted to train leading up to it, while competing with some dudes who
were most likely 10 years old when I started in the sport. I had an absolute blast doing events I liked
doing.
TRAINING
I mean, kinda yeah
* I’ve been
sticking with Tactical Barbell since 16 Sep of 2024, and have just continued
that trend through this. I broke this up
into 2 different phases of Operator: a 6 week block, followed by a 2 week
bridge week as a result of a European Vacation/Cruise, followed by a 5 week
block upon my return, with a bridge week before the competition.
* For the
first 6 week block, I used a 2 movement main cluster of Buffalo Bar low bar
squat and axle strict press from rack, 3 work sets per workout. I made use of bodyweight chin ups (various
grips) in a submax style, focusing on total rep accumulation, to include
training them during the warm-ups and between sets of the main work. This was in contrast to doing heavy weighted
chins as a main movement: I was experimenting with emphasizing volume rather
than intensity with the chins in order to build my back size in an approach I
referred to as “Operation Planet Mongo” (a nod to Paul Kelso’s “Powerlifting
Basics Texas Style”). This back building
priority is also why I settled on 3 work sets vs 5 for the main work: I wanted
to have more time to focus on my back.
* Each of
the 3 training days had a different follow-on workout after the main work: Day
1 was 20 rounds EMOM of dips, chins, ab work and band pull aparts, aiming to
hit the total reps from Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 Building the Monolith Day 1
assistance work (100-200 dips, 100 chins, 100-200 pull aparts). Day 2 used my 6 week ROM progression mat
pull/deadlift approach, and then a 3-5 round circuit of DB rows, reverse
hypers, axle curls and ab work (once again, stealing from Building the
Monolith’s day 2 assistance work). Day 3
was Crossfit’s Cindy WOD (20 rounds of 5 chins, 10 push ups and 15 air squats),
starting with bodyweight and then adding a weighted vest with gradual added
weight over the 6 weeks, in preparation for Murph on the Memorial Day holiday
that fell during the training block.
*
Conditioning work emphasized the rower, once again with a desire to build my
back. I picked workouts that let me get
in a lot of rower work, and would also do rounds on the rower post lifting
workouts if I had time. On Saturdays, I
would do Sandbag over bar with my 200+lb sandbag, typically in an EMOM
style.
* I also
kept my habit of daily carry work, focusing on carrying my 200+ sandbag once a
day for 4 lengths in my driveway (going down and back twice). I also endeavored to get in daily chins on
non-lifting days.
* During my
first bridge week (which was more like 2 weeks), I made it a point to get in
resistance training when I could on my vacation, breaking into the cruise
fitness center and performing the 100 press workout from Dan John’s Armor
Building Formula using dumbbells, along with some general pump work. Beyond that, I got in some bodyweight
exercises. Since it was 2 weeks off of
training, I didn’t want to get too detrained.
The Armor Building Formula is old school AND legit
* For the
second phase of the training (the 5 week block), I shifted back to 5 sets of
main work (4 sets during the heavy week) and swapped the buffalo bar for a
safety squat bar. Emphasis was now
shifted to specifically becoming stronger for strongman. I kept the submaximal chins in the
warm-ups/between sets.
* I changed
the day 1 follow-on workout from BtM day 1 to my “ultimate shoulder circuit”
from my book of bad ideas/the best press training cycle I ever ran. This was a 6 round circuit of a press
(rotating implements each round between trap bar, behind the neck press and
axle press), dips to failure, lateral raises and band pull aparts. Press was part of the competition, and I
wanted to build mine strong. I ended up
keeping day 2 and 3 the same: I was appreciating how fit day 3 was keeping me
in general, and day 2 was still benefitting my deadlift.
* I kept the
daily sandbag carries, but dropped the daily chins, to spare my elbows. I didn’t have time for follow-on rowing post
lifting, now that I was doing 5 sets, but still chose conditioning workouts
that allowed me to emphasize the rower.
One of my favorite adpatations was to take “Devil’s Trinity” and swap
out the heavy bag for rower, going 1 minute rower, 1 minute KB swings, 1 minute
burpees, 1 minute rest for 5 rounds. It
was really solid. I also continued my
weekly sandbag over bar.
* For the
bridge week before the comp, I started the week by finishing my ROM progression
cycle on deadlifts (hit a 10x425 VERY controlled deadlift) and spent the rest
of the week walking on a treadmill or doing some light rower work.
* With this
training block, I was effectively covering every event except for the
wheelbarrow. I figured the time spent
trying to get better at that event would be better spent really nailing the
other 4, because it was such a wildcard that trying to figure out how to
jerry-rig something at home to get it to work didn’t seem worth it.
NUTRITION
When this dude talks, you should listen
* I remained
on Vince Gironda’s “Maximum Definition Diet”, which I have previously detailed
extensively. It remained effective, with
me weighing 79.7kg the day before the competition: VERY comfortably within my
weight class, and having gradually dropped 7kg of bodyweight since the
Christmas holiday.
THE COMPETITION
Always keep your cool
* I got up
at 0530, ate a breakfast of a 10oz piedmontese grassfed New York Strip
slathered in wagyu tallow alongside 4 pastured eggs cooked in the same tallow
and topped with ghee, and then had a “Primal Fudge” keto brick and hour later
during the 2.5 hour drive to the event…and weighed in at 181 with my
competition clothes on. Again: I got to
play the game the way I wanted to play it.
* I warmed
up by doing 2 reps on an axle with a 45 per side, then picked up the frame
twice.
EVENT 1: 185lb Axle Clean and Press
Away
* I got to
go last in the first event, which meant I knew that I had to get above 7 to
avoid getting last place. Highest score was 14 reps with 185. The continental
wasn’t explosive, but the weight felt light. Looking at the video, I wasn’t
using any leg drive at all, which is pretty standard for me. My knees really
hold me back there. I was able to grind out those last 2 reps, which made me
some fans in the audience. I’ve always been good at grinding reps. I missed
co-second place by 1 rep, as we had 5 guys in my weight class, last place had
7, I had 8, and two tied with 9 vs the 14 in first. As I wrote: lost a lot
today by inches.
EVENT 2: 365lb Frame Deadlift
* I went 2nd
in the second event, knowing I had to beat 27, but wanting to set a VERY high
mark to beat. We had to get a down AND an up command, and I did my best to wait
for both, because in the press event I was the ONLY one that didn’t lose a rep
due to outrunning the command. However, that proved to be a poor strategy here,
as the 33 reps I got were a good amount, but I got beat by the other 3 guys who
were willing to take a few no reps in order to outrun the commands and squeeze
in more total reps. This was such a repfest of an event that it really came
down to seconds.
EVENT 3: 450lb wheelbarrow (50’ –
turn – 50’)
* The third
event, the wheelbarrow, I came in dead last by 5 seconds. I’m not shocked by
that: I didn’t train for it and I’m not very fast, and with both of my knees
shot, it didn’t really suit me as far as running goes. Dusted myself off: I was
still in 4th place: not last.
EVENT 4: 150lb Sandbag over 50” Bar
* The
sandbag over bar, I got to go second and knew I needed to beat 12 reps. I had
been training with an over 200lb bag at home, and the competition bag was 150,
so I was able to breeze through it really well. Repeated a mistake from my last
comp though: my fingers got trapped in my shoelaces when I reached down for the
bag. That’s the second time that has happened: time to learn a lesson. That MAY
have cost me a rep, which sucks, because the two guys ahead of me got 14 reps,
once again, an opportunity to share second place on the event. But this meant
heading into the final event knowing I wasn’t going to get last place.
EVENT 5: 150lb Sandbag Carry Max
Distance
* I got to
go second in this event. The guy before me did 4 full laps, a total of 800’. I
knew I was going to beat that. I got to 500’, and, in truth, I could have just
kept going. I’ve done a 5 minute carry before: this was significantly less than
that, and I wasn’t hurting nearly as bad. However, I knew I had no shot of
placing at this point, and didn’t feel like I needed to make myself the center
of the universe by subjecting everyone in the audience to me carrying a sandbag
for 8 minutes, so once I had comfortably beaten the guy below me I dropped the
bag. However, what was cool about this was I went far enough with my carry that
the guy in third couldn’t match it, so I overtook him, AND I set a very high
standard for the next 2 dudes, with one only beating me by 3 feet and the final
guy going 550’ total.
* I know
that, if I knew the distance to beat, I could have beaten it. I am too good at
dealing with the suck.
* When my
effort was done, one of the other competitors asked me “Dude: who hurt
you?” I got a kick out of that. In general, I had a lot of folks come up and
tell me they admired my grit in the competition. That’s pretty much what I bring.
TAKEAWAYS, LESSONS LEARNED, AND THE
FUTURE
Time for some REAL old school progressive overload...
* I would
have liked to have not made those small mistakes and put on a better show, but
I really just had an absolute blast, I’m delighted that I lost by inches and
wasn’t just totally blown out of the water, and my body feels absolutely
incredible. 2 competitions ago, I finished and was completely physically
broken. Now, I’m champing at the bit to get back to the gym on Monday. Knees,
hips, shoulders and back are good to go, and I’m ready to do some eating and
some growing.
* Which, on
that note, I’m sticking with Tactical Barbell, as it’s just serving me
incredibly well. I’ll soon be a full
year on the program. I’m back to the
Mass Protocol, doing Grey Man, but a little different. Instead of A-B-A, B-A-B, it’s just going to
be A-B-A on repeat, squatting and pressing twice a week and benching and
deadlifting once a week. I also intend
to continue my daily carries, but with a twist: I’ll be using my loadable keg,
and increase the weight 1-1.5lbs each day, ala Milo of Croton. While my bodyweight goes up, so will keg
weight, and I’m curious how far I can go with this. If nothing else, a fun experiment. Diet is going to be more of the same.
No comments:
Post a Comment