Up, Up, and AWAY!

Saturday - 2/11/17

Bodyweight - 216

20 minutes treadmill walking


18" deadlifts (up to)
635x1
675x1

RDLs
545x7
455x10


Circus DB - RH/LH (easy handle)
60x3/3
80x2/2
100x2/2

Competition handle
120x1/1 - positioning was different, needed more time to groove it so I dropped down
80x3/3
100x2/2
120x2/2 - Finally found the right shoulder position
150x1/2
150x3/2 - Definitely felt good about this set as it was official comp weight and implement and besides some fatigue in the triceps and legs from frame carries and deads, the weight felt good.

Off to work.
 
Tuesday - 2/14/17

1.5 hours treadmill walking

Squats tomorrow hopefully.
 
Saturday - 2/18/17

1 hour treadmill walking



Sunday - 2/19/17

Bodyweight - 214

Low bar BS

315x3
405x2
455x1
505x1
555x3 - a few inches above parallel but again no spotter and squatting outside the cage. Belt only, no knee wraps. Felt really good I just didn't feel comfortable dropping into the hole without a spotter 4 weeks out from the competition.


Edit: 1 more hour treadmill walking tonight.
 
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Monday - 2/21/17

I had 20 minutes before work, so it had to be quick. Decided to work on some Hussafel carries, that setup didn't work well and only worked up to 180 lbs, and was super-setting them with frame carries, with the emphasis being foot speed.

Frame carries

165x100ft
255x100ft
345x100ft
435x100ft
435x100ft - video. Very happy with foot speed here, especially belt less and after heavy squats yesterday.

 
Monday - 2/27/17

Bodyweight - 211 finally coming down!

Lots of treadmill walking and running over the last few days, and streamlining calories to drop weight.

Today

Good mornings - not coming all the way vertical to keep tension on the lower back.

Warm-ups
Beltless

225x10
275x10
210x20
210x25




OHP later if I have time. Definitely treadmill walking tonight to loosen up hamstrings after that beating.
 
Thursday - 3/2/17

Bodyweight - 210

Good mornings, beltless, up to

185x10
235x10
315x10

Ran out of time.

Good mornings on Monday left my hamstrings preposterously sore, and calories are down to 900/day to get to 200 lbs in time. Lots of treadmill walking the last few days.


 
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Monday - 3/6/17

Bodyweight - 207

Still hitting ~900 calories a day and an hour of treadmill or misc. cardio a day. Weight is dropping well, hopefully I hit 200 by next weekend and I can up my fat a little.

Super fast workout before work.

Beltless good mornings up to:

365x5




I didn't do as many sets of 10 reps with lighter weights and I realized I get a good sitting back deep groove when I do them and couldn't find it as easily today. Next time make sure to hit the prior sets for 10 reps or until I feel/find the groove.
 
Thursday - 3/9/17

Bodyweight - down to 206.4

The calorie cutting is taking a toll on my upper body strength apparently, today was not awesome.

SOHP

Bar X 10
95x8
135x5
185x3
235x0 - So frustrated. Decided to drop and get some volume in.
185x5
185x5
185x7

I'm going to up the calories a little bit and add in more treadmill work. I definitely don't want to be tackling the competition with the same energy I felt today.
 
Saturday - 3/11/17

1 week out from the competition. Bodyweight 208. I upped the calories a little and will just do a light water cut the night before weigh-ins. Added carbs (1/2 c oatmeal, 1 scoop glycofuse) to my breakfast before strongman event training today.


Hussafel carries

Up to 315 for 100 ft. Last round was the best once I repositioned my grip.


Circus dumbbell

There's still confusion about which DB they'll be using at the comp, so today I just the one that for me is the most difficult because if it happens to be any of the easier ones (which we think it will be) I'll just be all the better for having done the more awkward one. Worked a lot on technique today and made some big progress with the bad DB. Ended up with comp weight (150) for several doubles. The trick for me is left arm is dialed, but right arm needs to keep more external rotation/elbow slightly more in front of the body.


Atlas Stones

Excellent work with this today, I was apprehensive about my right biceps since I popped it last time we did stones, but I worked to keep speed high while still not pulling with the biceps. I told my training partner last night to not let me go into the 300s today no matter what, and he complied. That was frustrating because I felt a night and day difference in my strength on stones compared to last time, and can feel the influence of the good mornings I've been doing. I worked exclusively all day with the 255 stone and it felt as light as an empty barbell. I was throwing it for one motions, two motions, multiple sets of 5 and 6 reps. It presented zero challenge or strain, and was great last stone training before the competition. Also no biceps pops which is huge.

I have some weight to drop, some good mornings and OHP to do, and a lot of right shoulder pre/rehab this week, but overall I'm feeling very confident going into the competition.
 
I fell to temptation last night and had a big cheat meal. My body was craving fats like crazy so I had a bunch of food. Woke up today at 210.4, so back on track today with the PSMF and walking. Also going to start hyperhydrating so I can hypohydrate Wednesday and Thursday, then hopefully a small water cut Thursday night, wake up on weight Friday morning and drive to the comp (3 hrs) and weigh in, then reload calories and electrolytes.
 
Contest write up/video.


Most of my thoughts are in the youtube description, but I'll copy them here for ease of reading. What's not included is the misery that was the water cut/mostly the water rehydrating. If you've ever wanted to know what NOT to do with a water cut, read below.

I think the primary issue I had all day during the competition was the LENGTH of time I was dehydrated.

Because I've never done a water cut before, I overdid it in terms of how soon I started and (I eventually learned) how far I cut. I started by not drinking past 6 pm Wednesday night even though I normally pee and drink several times over the course of a night's sleep, and Thursday morning I woke up at 210.6 which really concerned me since I didn't know how much I could lose by weigh ins the next day at 4. So I went aggressive with my prep: only two water based shakes on Thursday, and virtually no extra water throughout the day even though I worked a full day. I got home and was around 209.4, so only down a little over a pound even after a full work day and no real fluids or food other than two shakes. I began my water cut with a series of ultra hot baths for 25 minutes each or so, with weigh ins in between. After 3 segments I was down to 207 on the dot. I'd planned to go to bed around 203 if I could, but I wanted a breather from the water so I switched to our treadmill while we watched some UFC fights. By the time I finished the 3.3 miles it was 11:30 pm and I was down to 205. I decided to call it good there and see where I was in the morning. I'd also taken some MiraLax earlier in the evening but since I hadn't had much to eat or drink all day nothing was coming out yet. I got a terrible night's sleep and had several productive trips to the bathroom around 3 am and 6 am, which took me to 202.6 when I got out of bed around 830 am. We packed up and hit the road and after getting to the hotel 3.5 hours later at 1 pm I was sitting at 201.4, so back into the hot tub for another water cut. By this time I think my body understood what we were trying to do and I dropped a surprising 2 pounds in 30 minutes bringing me down to 199.4 (or so I thought). We decided to head over to the venue early for weigh ins in the hope that someone would be around, but no such luck. We did, however, find the scale they'd be using for the competitors sitting by the check in station, so I hopped on and it turns out my scale read heavy or theirs read light, but either way it had me at 197 pounds even. I immediately took a few sips of pedialyte and we decided to head back to the hotel for the next hour and a half until we could return for weigh ins. At this point I'd been dehydrating/dehydrated since Wednesday at 6 pm, ALMOST A FULL 48 HOURS. What a goddam mistake. We got two pizzas, a slurpee, some gummi bears (came in handy the next day, that's for sure), a few Reese's, and my three pedialytes, and I started trying to consume everything I could. That ended up being another mistake because obviously fats slow down absorption, so over the course of the next 7 hours I ate and drank as much as I could but I wasn't rehydrating at ALL. My scale reads bodyfat/bones/muscle mass/and water %, and I couldn't get my water % to increase. I was bloated in my stomach but had bad dry mouth still, it was an odd and terrible combination. This unfortunately led to another awful nights sleep and increased nerves since I knew my body wasn't feeling right at all. I continued to drink water through the night, but to little result. In the morning I was back up to only 208 but I could tell it was all in my stomach since I still hadn't urinated more than a tiny, very very unhealthy yellow amount. I tried to choke down an oatmeal/protein shake I'd make the night before, but my stomach still felt bloated and getting anything down was a challenge, and I still had dry mouth. My forearms and hands were feeling swollen and weak, and my calfs and quads were feeling shaky as well, and I was so angry that the rehydrating was going this way/that I'd done such a poor job at this. Why didn't I do a practice cut a month out? This general feeling of being ultra dehydrated, cotton mouth, swollen forearms and hands and weak grip, and shaky legs, persisted until around noon, then started to settle down a bit. At this point I still could barely urinate and it was still a dark yellow. Muscularly I just couldn't generate any power and barely any stability, and I felt a heavy fatigue and lethargy. I was so frustrated, but determined to do as well as I possibly could, knowing that I have a habit of thinking my way through situations sometimes when I should just ACT instead. My wife continued to make me take sips of water and eat gummy bears here and there. Around noon I took a half a preworkout supplement (ECA stack) and the water was starting to get into my muscles. Right around the husafell carry I started to feel a little like myself, but made the error of wearing a tight belt during the event. This is the event I have very little experience with and I paid for it heavily because I couldn't breathe at all during that run. The pick up felt smooth and easy, and the weight in my hands felt oddly light (my grip strength/power was finally coming back), but I was getting first half and then quarter breaths throughout the run. I knew going into the husafell that I was in the lead by 1 point and I did NOT want to drop that lead, but sure enough I missed 1st and 2nd place by around 35 feet. I truly feel that I could have gone another hundred feet, weight wise, had I not had the belt inhibiting my diaphragm. Serious live and learn moment. So going into stones I was in a tie for 1st Place and I knew I was starting to feel like myself more and more every minute, and that I needed to do everything in my power to take the event so I could take the competition. I was able to pull out the stone win and the competition 1st by being the only one in our class to get the 4th stone.

For next time, if I ever have to do a water cut, I'll be so much more prepared and understand that I can cut more than enough the day of weigh ins and to not compromise myself for the 48 hours before. Finally, as a big woohoo and also lol: I was able to have redemption on the 605 deadlift that beat be two years ago at this contest, and did so while forgetting to lever my damn belt closed. With all the weight I'd dropped, the belt would have been a little loose even levered closed, an unlevered as it was it may as well have not even been on. So major PR for my on that event with a double at triple bodyweight axle with no belt!



(Copy and paste of the YouTube description)

1st Place in the 200 class. Made several mistakes and learned a great deal from this competition. Came in severely dehydrated and performing at 70% power until around 2 pm when my body finally rehydrated and woke up. Went into stones tied for first and was able to pull out the win by loading the 305 stone.

List of mistakes for future reference/other competitors:

Rickshaw - Trying to sprint from the start. It was too heavy for that, so when I took a step and it didn't come with me my grip opened up. With lighter weight this wouldn't be an issue, or if my grip/forearms weren't so dehydrated. Next time: Either way, doing a practice pick with closer to competition weight would have helped a great deal.

Circus DB - I was too amped up knowing how compromised my power output was and didn't drop under it the 2nd and 3rd attempts. Once I switched to my right hand my instinct to drop into a jerk took over which is why I got those two even though my right shoulder wasn't as put together. Next time: just drop under and jerk instead of push press.

Deadlift - I didn't even tighten my belt. It's a lever belt and it was loose/may as well have not been on. I was so intent on getting at least a single rep here since I zeroed on it two years ago at this contest that I forgot to lever it closed. Mistake. Still very happy to pull a double with triple bw on the 16" axle with essentially no belt. Next time: just close the belt.

Husafell carry - The exact opposite problem, I shouldn't have used a belt, it was a major error. The pick and transition to bottom loaded carrying position was super easy and my body felt like it was finally waking up and I was pumped, until 10 steps in to the carry run when I realized I could only take half breaths at best. I wasn't leaning back so it wasn't the husafell itself, but rather my belt completely shut down my diaphragm. I'm surprised I got as far as I did and went until tunnel vision set in and I was about to pass out. Next time: no belt.

Atlas Stones - No real mistakes here other than I should have one-motioned the first stone. One good thing was putting extra tacky on the top of my hands because by the time I hit the 4th stone the tacky was mostly gone since these were very dusty/gritty stones. My right hand grip was slipping on the pick and the load portion on the first attempt at the 4th stone, but after reapplying the tacky from the top of my hands it went up no problem and felt night and day different.
 
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Congrats on the win! Do you plan on competing at nationals this year?
 
Congrats on the win! Do you plan on competing at nationals this year?
Thanks man! I'm not sure. I know my plan right now is to bring up my squats and deadlifts, and redevelop my OHP and bench to somewhat respectable/prior levels. There's another strongman comp in July by Seattle that it looks like I might do, and then yeah I may give Nationals a shot. I just get so damn nervous about competing since I have very little experience doing so overall (compared to say athletes who competed in sports in HS which I didn't really), I REALLY don't enjoy the act very much but I know how good it is FOR me. If I do compete at Nationals, I have a feeling it'll be in the 231s instead of the 200s, but who knows. I know there are 250+ lb Giants that cut to 231 to compete at Nationals, so I'd need to put on some serious size and strength, and not make any of those kinds of bonehead mistakes I made this time while competing.
 
Wednesday - 3/22/17

Starting a new training block soon so I wanted to get an idea of where my maxes are. Such a bad idea this soon after the competition, but there you go.


Deadlifts (conventional, from the floor)
Up to:

525x1 (Easy)
590x0
590x0
565x0 close but the back gave more than I was comfortable with so I called it.

525 it is I guess. I should have just hit the 565 after the 525 and I believe it would have gone. Leg and hip strength feel good, but the lower back gave away a little, and I've learned the hard way to not push through that point.
 
Monday - 3/27/17

Bodyweight - 215


SOHP

95x5
145x3
185x2
235x1
255x1
185x12


RDLs

315x3
405x2
505x4 - Belt
455x5 - Beltless
455x1 - Beltless


Well my back isn't 100% recovered but it's basically pain free, I can tell it's still fatigued from the comp and the deads last week. I'm going to take at least a month if not two and build back up my OHP strength and shore up my lower back again. Lots of RDLs and GMs, and I'm going to be emphasizing releasing hamstrings and adductors so I can get into the start position of a deadlift without such a fight and with a more secure lumbar position down there.



 
Thursday - 3/30/17

5 minutes for squats in sneakers/work clothes between patients. I just needed to squat because I haven't in too long and I was getting antsy.

135x5
225x5
315x3
405x1
 
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