3/29 Upper

Jump Rope Tabata type thing
50 jumps, 10 seconds rest - 4 rounds
100 jumps, 20 seconds rest - 2 rounds

Foam roll/ stretch

Bench
135
225
315 x 5
335 x 3
365 x 2

I need to get back on some sort of program on these, although I'm pretty happy with getting 365 for 2.

Press
225 x 1
235 x 1
245 x 1
255 x fail
225 x 1
225 x 1

I just wanted to do 5 heavy singles. These were all done seated, and the 245 was a very easy PR of 10 pounds.

Blast Strap Push ups
3 sets of 10
I need to have someone around to train with so we can do these with chains. They are easily my favorite exercise for pecs and they hit triceps pretty well too.

Hills
I decided to just do one more rep per week when I started this and see how far I could get.

This week was 7. They weren't all that bad.

Battle in the Barn

Jesse and I went to ET's House of Iron and Stone to compete in a USAWA competition yesterday. The events were Appollon's Axle (max axle), Goerner Stroll (like a farmers walk but carrying two barbells), Crucifix, and 18" max deadlift.

Appollon's Axle
300 good
325 good
355 good and a PR

The weight that made this a famous old time strongman event was 365, and I am not far from getting that. I also think this is supposed to have a little bit higher pick than a normal axle like we were using so that would help too.

Goerner Stroll

This is a 16.5' course.

I had only tried this once, and it was with two bars that weren't the same, so I wasn't sure how this would go.

410 (205 per hand) good
520 (260 per hand) I touched one bar about 2 feet short on the first run, so I had to do this again within the minute limit, but I got it.
570 (285 per hand) This would have been the most ever done on this event. I picked it up easy, and ended up having one bar tilt forward right at the end of the walk so I missed it. I think I could get 600 on this event if I work on it a little.

Crucifix

60 good
80 good
90 fail

This event is very humbling. It is also not suited for people with long arms at all.

18" Deadlift

I hadn't done anything heavy on these without straps, so I wasn't sure how it would go.

605 good, very easy
655 good
705 good and a PR
I tried 725 just for the hell of it and was out of gas.

I really enjoy doing the USAWA competitions. There are a lot of people who have been in the sport for a lot of years that come to these and it's always a pleasure to get to meet them and see them compete.

I ended up winning the heavyweights by quite a bit I think, and overall too. Jesse was close on the overall, but had I got the 570 Goerner I don't think he could have been able to catch me.

3/20 Squat and Dead

Squat
225 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 3
405 x 1
455 x 2

I want to try to Coan Phillip deadlift routine on my squats. I'm not sure if it'll work out, but I like low reps.

I decided to deadlift as assistance instead of more squatting.

Deadlift
315 x 3
435 x 7
435 x 3

I wanted to do one set of 10, but my entire back was still pretty beat up from heavy farmers on Sunday so I fatigued out and had to split it up.

Hyper
BW x 15

Leg Curl
couple low rep sets

I did't do any ab work or anything else Tuesday, but on Wednesday I did some cardio and abs after yoga.

3/18 Events

Today we did the events for the USAWA Eastern Postal Meet.

Feet in the air bench.

315 - good
345 - good
365 - good, PR

I've obviously forgotten how to use leg drive when my feet in the air bench is within 10% of my regular bench.

Front Squat

370 - good
420 - good, PR
460 - fail

I should have taken a slightly smaller jump. 420 went up pretty easy though.

Continental to Belt
If there is one lift that I will probably never, ever train and only do in competitions when I have to it is this one. I hate it.

370 - good
410 - good
430 - fail
I tried 430 again just to see if I could get it and got it without too much trouble.

Overall I feel pretty good about the lifts. If I would have taken a little bit smaller jump on the front squats and got it and got the first attempt at 430 CtB I would have won the BCC this month. I suppose that I can't fell too bad about it when I outweigh everyone by around 70 pounds and I have been very close to winning, even with coefficients, the last couple times.

Farmers walk with heavy handles
245 x 60 feet
295 x 60 feet
345 x 20 or 25 feet. I should have walked the other way down the driveway to see how far I could have gone, but I ran out of room. I'm also going to call this closer to 350 a hand, because I think the handles are actually 247 or so a piece.
This was probably the highlight of the day for me. 6 months ago I would not have been able to pick these up, the pick wasn't fast by any means, but I think I even had a little more left in me.

Prowler
5 sets of 60' down and back, low handles down, high back.

Ab strap
4 sets of 15

Pulling 3/13

Snatches
95 x a bunch
up to 135 by a couple per set

Deadlift (Coan Phillipi week 2)
worked up to 495x1 using Ciavatonne grip (double overhand, no hook)
505 x 2
405 x 3 x 8 sets

These suck, but my body already feels better than it did last week the day after, so maybe it'll help condition my lower back.

Accessory Circuit
Straight Leg Deadlift - 275
Bent over rows - 275
Underhand lat pulldown - whatever 2 plates and 2 25's means on Jesse's lat pulldown
Goodmorning - 235

3 sets of 8 reps per exercise performed as a circuit with probably too much rest between sets (I would say 1-2 minutes. This really shows that I have been lacking in the intensity department and probably volume too on my accessory work when I am breathing heavy and ready to be done after one round.

I really like this routine. I have never got much out of pulling heavy reps. Pulling heavy singles or doubles is always what has gotten me a little progress, so this hopefully will pay off.

Events (Kind of) 3/11

Snatches
95 x some
135 x some
155 x some
185 x 1

I need to start doing these a lot more, even if I just do really light weight for lots of reps.

Axle C&P
worked up to an easy single at 300
tried 350 and just couldn't get it

Farmers
used 200 pound oxygen tanks
4 or 5 60 foot runs

I wanted to do a lot more of these, but my achilles on my bad ankle started to get really tight so I didn't.

Crucifix
40 - pretty easy
60 - felt terrible, but I think I could get them with a little work

Zercher - starting from the ground
Jesse wanted to do these, and it was a dumb idea
I worked up to 1 at 385, which wasn't too hard, but I don't think I'd want to do a whole lot more unless it was in a competition.

That was pretty much it. I should have done a lot more, but it was raining and everyone was kind of having a shitty day so that's all that happened.

3/6 Deads

I did some light rows and snatches to get some blood moving.

Ciavatonne grip axle deads
280 x 3
300 x 3
320 x 1 x 2

Coan Phillipi DL week 1
475 x 2

385 x 3 x 8 sets

I'm not sure why exactly I didn't do the right assistance lifts, but I decided not to.

Front Squat
I just wanted to try these with knee wraps. Doing them after pulling is dumb.
up to 365 x 1 pretty easy.

Good Morning
225 x 5 x 2 sets

18" Deadlift
605 x 1
655 x 1
705 x 1
725 x miss

I was spent after that and so I just called it a night and went and ate a whole bunch of wings.

Events 3/4

I haven't been very good about keeping this up to date, but nothing really important has happened.

Axle C&P
worked up to 300x3
I wanted to do 5+, but I think the benching and other stuff I decided to do on Friday was affecting my pressing strength.

Jesse also bet me that I can't do 325 for 5, so it looks like I've got to start doing some heavier rep sets.

Crucifix
As far as I'm concerned, I got the 50's. I think it would pass in a meet.

Yoke
450 50 feet or so
540
650
750

These suck, a lot. I think I'm going to start doing at least a few runs with 400-500 every week to get my back, core, and legs used to having the load on them.

Goerner Stroll
These are in an upcoming USAWA comp, so I figured I would give it a shot. I only wanted to do one run because my thumbs are not conditioned for hooking.

240 x 16.5'

Stones
405x 2 singles
I wanted to do a little more, but the stones were dirty and I kept slipping. I still kind of have a mental block on these I think and once I started slipping I just stopped.

Pinch Grip
2 25 lb plates
we decided to go for revolutions around our bodies
10 reps
15 reps
6 reps (I started laughing)
Troy was a dick and did a set of 25 revolutions.

1" V Bar
I think I got 200. I am not that strong on these.

Standing abs
one or two sets

Plank with a band row
3 sets of 10 per side

This seems like a lot, but it was pretty low volume on everything so I didn't feel like I did very much.