threadbare

so much of how i am feeling is in that song. worn and threadbare, practically transparent....
this is tough....waiting for..everything....mail, email, phone calls. just need a good word, a miracle.
had a real interview today. hope it works out...it would give me hope. i also had to cancel my gym memberships.
can't justify the cost even though i love it. i also have to contemplate giving up my dog. that will be harder. he is like my 3rd child.

well in all this i did manage to get in a workout today...

smith seated shoulder press 135, 155, 185x 5  205x3, 225,3 245x3 +7
smith seated press 135x10 5 sets
dumbbell side raise  20x10 5 sets
rope upright rows 100x10 5 sets
pushdowns 100x10 5 sets
rope extensions 100x8 5 sets

life is pain

hope everyone enjoyed the holidays...actually it was a decent day for me. had dinner with the family and enjoyed insane time with my nieces....so glad that stage of life is over for me. miss my kids dearly though...

well as things would go life hits the crapper like a tourist drinking water in mexico....i found out today that my unemployment claim is under review because i was fired. wonderful state of florida...4 to 6 weeks...which means after i pay my rent i have no money left. yay for me...life can be cruel but this is unusually cruel. i would rather be waterboarded in gitmo. why pay into it if they won't give it to you? not like i quit of my own free will...oh well i press on. i apply to everything under the sun even for jobs in afghanistan, really what else do i have to lose?

this news of course took the wind out of my sails today. was supposed to train but that didn't happen. ifi feel up to it i will go tomorrow. might be my last time in the gym anyway...one more love stripped away from me.

reborn...

bench day...

close grip bench 185x5, 215x5 245x5 +5

iso 1 arm row 90x10 5 sets

rope pulldowns 100x8 5 sets

iso wide chest 1arm 90x10 5 sets

good workout but everything felt extra heavy today. triceps were sore from the shoulder workout too.
happy with the results. what is weird is that i am pressing less than normal so i feel a little self conscious about it.


now it is time to enjoy the holiday...well as much as an unemployed man can. have a good christmas everyone!

in over my head?

maybe i am! well i did squats today...295, 345, and 395 5 reps each with an extra 5 on the last set. i went a little under on the weights and was happy for it. the first 2 sets were ATG. the last set was below parallel and that was good for me. after that i did front squats 135 5x5. went fast with these and push through on the top so i literally was on my toes. next were hack squats 230 5x8. went from a wide stance to narrow. ended my workout with smith lunges 115 5x10. those were brutal....

a few observations from the gym....a powerlifting belt is not necessary for bicep day, serious. legs are an essential bodypart, even if you only play basketball. and i heard a new description for legs....t-rex legs. haha...as long as i never have t-rex arms.

on the job front...more apps out. i just patiently wait. but i did step out and ask about covering strongman for RX Muscle. the sport is my passion and i want to see it covered in the mainstream. i have work cut out for me though. have to bring in sponsors to cover that section of the forum.

when death smiles at you...smile back

ah well i need to say that the gym is my place to regain sanity...it is my refuge and sanctuary....my arena!
i went back again this time with a plan. decided to dig out Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program. since i won't be competing i need a goal and reason to get in there. well why not build up the 4 lifts i need as a strongman...deadlift, overhead press, squat, and bench.  i went conservative on my maxes but i think that was still too much..haha!

so today was overhead press...week 1 is supposed to be 3 sets 5 reps, 65% / 75% / and 85%
so i went 135 and 155 for 5 reps, 185 for 5 plus 4 more. then i went to the Hammer Strength ISO shoulder press 270x8 3 sets, 270x5 1 set, 270x4 1 set....think i went too high on that.  next were dumbbell raises 30x10 5sets, not bad but right shoulder does not like them. went back to the shoulder press for 1 arm presses, 45x10 8sets...that thoroughly fried my delts.


jobs sucked today...nothing listed anywhere, must be the holidays. of course i could apply for a work from home  scam..i mean job...well i will keep pressing on. if anything i get my butt in school and get educated.

deads for sunday

got in the gym today....decided it was a good day to do deadlifts. paying for it though, head was on alright but my body was not having any of it today. warmed up with 135, 225, and 315 all for 5 reps. loaded 405 and pulled 3...they felt heavy! so i stuck with that for 4 more sets of 3.

was heaving and breathing like whore on dollar night. i decided to jump on the squat machine and do reverse squats. 420 5 sets of 10. rather easy but my hams and groin were screaming at me. but that was all i had in me...

where ever i stand....

sometimes we just need to hear a good word or two. the people that matter the most should be the first to offer it. yes sometimes it is tough even for them, they are not sure how to handle the situation. but communication is the key to it...ask questions, prod...but never nag. please dear jeebus no nagging!
we never know what the effect we might have on someone...even a stranger. one word or a smile just might keep the ma few inches from the ledge.

being friday the jobs out there were scarce...lot of work from home oppurtunities..haha! did recieve notice on how much my benefits will be, if i get them. apparently getting fired from a job can get you denied unemployment benefits....hoo-f'in-ray. i persist and carry on anyway.

i have realized how insane i can get when not in the gym...back there tomorrow. stomach was not doing well today. last thing i want to do is crap my shorts in the gym..

sink or swim

yeah that is how i feel....time to dog paddle. amazing though that just a kind word and a sympathetic ear make the best floaties. right now that's all i can ask for and maybe a job lead or 2.

oddly i am feeling artistic. pulled out the paints, a canvas and brushes....helps to pass the time and give me something tangible to do. emailing resumes and waiting on phone calls just isn't demanding enough. also this cold snap has been keeping me locked up inside. warm enough today i just might go out for a walk. strange that i never thought i could get cabin fever in florida...

training is in the crapper...i will have to make my way there sometime this week or weekend. just not feeling the love for iron right now.

movin' on

another day...more resumes and applications. so much i have forgotten to eat today. probably not a good thing...but i don't know if my stomach could handle anything. nervous wreck, scared, frustrated. so tough out there to find anything. lot of oppurtunities but the pay stinks, the jobs are overly specific and requirements are beyond possible to fill. yet i persist...

i can't  fall into the trap of thinking about the choices i made through my life. i have never lived with regrets or focused on the past. i moved on... if forgiveness was needed i gave it. even if it was tough to do. i try to ask god why these things happen to me...i wait for the answers.

life's ups and downs

am i afraid? yes...unemployment is not a good thing. not knowing if you will get anything, competing against the 11% unemployed people in this county...wondering just how long i can survive, what would it be like to live on the streets...i now spend all day sending out resumes, hoping to hear something back. i check to see if i will get compensation...or will i be denied? i pray a lot too...

the upside before that was i had the possibility of getting on fulltime at the company i was working at. also i finally met someone that gets me. funny how these things work...i sometimes think i am living the life of Job. have everything only to watch it all get taken away, fall apart, and disappear. it is frustrating and somewhat depressing but good friends know how to walk me off the ledge. i have to learn how to take this and make it work for me.

training and competing will be a little off. have to focus on other priorities right now. that is what really hurts though...one thing i love to do will be set aside.

well back to job hunting....

get a grip....

barbell rows 315x2 4 sets
shrugs 405x10 5 sets
hi-row/t-bar 140/90 8/5 reps 5 sets ----damn t-bar apparatus is heavy
wide grip pulldowns 150x8 5 sets
cable rear raises 15x10 5 sets

2 handed grip machine 100x10 5 sets
1 handed grip machine 50x10 5 sets
wrist curls over/under 135x10 5 sets
hammer curls 100,90,80,70,60,50 3 each arm 40x5, 30x6, 20x10 each arm




well after all that has gone on this week it was much needed. just when you think things are going your way the world take a nasty steaming dump on you. time to polish up the resume and get my life back on track....let me tell you one thing, you certainly find out who your true friends are.

slave no more

ya know somedays we can go from the high of highs to the lowest depths of hell. there are people out there looking for their own gain, those that think nothing of themselves. the backboneless sludge living pieces of crap that think the everyone needs to crawl with them in the filth. these are the people that use the system, the ones that think speaking your mind is against the law or even a sin. dare i say it? these are the PC crowd...pathetic c****. i have 2 fingers for you...

so i had to go to the gym otherwise what i just typed would have been a lot worse...

push press 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 245x1, 275 3 attempts all about halfway.

smith lockouts 275 5x3

smith reverse incline press 225 5x5

dumbbell clean and press 90x2 6 sets

side raises 30x10, 40x10, 50x10, dropsets 40x10, 30x10, 20x10, 10x10

pushdowns 60x15 8 sets

rain rain go away

go figure that during dry season it would rain all day...ok at least most of the morning. waited it out impatiently and rode to the gym. was jacked for leg day...

front squats 225x2 5 sets
trap bar romanian deads 410 5x5
reverse hacks 450 5x5 drop sets 360, 270, 180, 80 5 reps each
pull thrus 80x10 10 sets
standing leg curls 100x10 2 sets drop sets 90, 80, 70, 60, 50 10 reps each

huffing and puffing from that brutal training...

on a good note....i received a call about a job i applied for. have my first interview tomorrow. wish me luck and say some prayers.

brutal...

started late today. sleeping in is so nice. when i did wake up i was feeling like hell. joints and muscles were aching...really did not feel like going anywhere. got some motivation through music and some well placed comments from some good people, BIG THANKS!!

but when i got ready the skies open up with some rain....was not excited about riding 30 minutes in the rain.
so i called the gym down the street and their day rate was reasonable. pedaled over there in the sunshine...go figure it is florida. actually signed up for the gym. good rate and it is only 5 minutes from the apartment.

so the brutality commenced....

close grip press 315 1x1, 4x2, 1x1

reverse grip press on smith  225 6x5

cable tate press 40x10 10 sets

pushdowns 50x20 8 sets

cable curls 50x10 8 sets

zombie sunday

oh jeebus i am sore...set up like concrete last night watching ND kick Army's ass. which was an amazing game and a true show of sportsmanship when ND stood for West Point's Alma Mater and then then Army did the same for ND. watched the Illinois/Northwestern game too. what an awesome game. The Illinois running back was everywhere. 300+ yards rushing.... loved seeing Wrigley transformed into a football field.

shoulders are aching, hands hurt and feel swollen, quads and knees are trashed....yes it was a good training day. combine that and the rainy outlook here i think i am staying inside and watching movies and TV all day...walking dead, anime, the office, and whatever else i can think of. walking dead was cool. the first episode captured me...it takes the focus off the zombies and makes it personal. you really get sucked in by the characters.

event day....

was a good event day. the crew was there and training hard. was pretty busy though with a community garage sale going on. 
happy with the events and how i felt today.  the biking is paying off big time. legs stay under me when dragging and walking the keg. now if my elbow can survive i might do well on the press.


farmers walk 220 40'
farmers walk/truck pull 50' each 245/6000lb truck
---surprised i was not gassed.

keg carry 215 50' /250 50'
----this had me heaving

stones
230 48"
270 52"
300 48" 3 reps

the animal inside...

shoulders today.....

full clean and press 135x3, 185x3

push press 185, 205,225, 250---got it once missed other 2 attempts

seated smith lockouts 135x5, 185x4, 205x2, 225, 275, 295, 315

seated smith press 205 5x5

side raises 30 10x10

1-arm dumbbell clean and press 100, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50

__________________

appropriate for the way i feel. been in a crappy mood lately....the let down after a comp? the thought of all the crap i have been through lately, the people that have aggravated and hurt me, the liars and thieves, the greedy and selfish....woke up today with the resolve to put it past me. time to focus on a another competition and do what is right for me. 

well rested and fed i got out to the gym. felt wonderful and much needed. the numbers were down a bit but i am satisfied with where i am at. 

extra gravity saturday

well i went to do some training this morning, played hooky from work for a few hours. coworker is leaving early to catch up on schoolwork.....




was extra gravity in the air today...



log press 140x3, 170x3, 200x2, 220x1, 240x1---the 240 came up easier than the 220. speed is the operative word!



keg carry/duck walk 250keg 50'/235 duckwalk 50'/ran back and walked the 250 keg 20'--this was a gasser! felt the legs on the duck walk. keg pickup was easy.



farmers/truck pull 215 50'/truck 50'---was surprised how easy the truck was. legs were good on it.



---these first 3 evens we did in about an hour.



stones 230 to 48", 270 to 52" 2x----too cold for tacky to be effective today. felt like plastic!





overall i am happy with today.

dazed and confused

so i have had some time to contemplate my place in the universe. am i the salad fork, soup spoon, or butter knife? what is god's plan for me and how do i launder my karma?  ok really i am just thinking about my next competition. january 22nd in clearwater...yes a long way off but oh so close. with my schedule and transportation issues it will be here very quick! 


press....220x3 log, 240x3 axle, 260x3 log
carry....250 keg, 275 duckwalk, 275 keg
farmers/ sled....260 each hand/ 550 sled
tire...1000 5 flips
stone....310 over 52" bar




all very doable events with the exception of that monster tire. going to be a very cardio/endurance intense competition. i better work on that and some intestinal fortitude! 


now back to the serious matters....

competition

well it was a good day yesterday.

let me tell you the gym was amazing. warehouse gym that does crossfit, strongman, and mma. easy to find and surprisingly a great venue! nothing can be said but thanks to Dave Beers, Wayne Meyer, The Training Box, Tom Mitchell and all the competitors for a great day!
friday i go down there early and weighed in. was standing in parking lot stripped down to my underwear just to make weight...231.5 have to say i hate cutting weight. the trip down was horrible and waiting around unbearable. thanks to my friend for putting up with me.
after that i headed to mcdonalds for 2 cheeseburgers, 2 mcchickens, 2 mcribs, large fries, large coke, and large iced coffee. later there was a dinner for the competitors at a bbq place called MacDaddys, conveniently next to the hotel i was staying at. good food there! caught up with another competitor i have not seen in awhile, Master competitior Wayne Meyer.

saturday started off with a trip to Fort Myers beach....very cool. wish i had more time to hang around. off to the comp....what a crowd we had there. was nice to have the amount of people there watching. Bob Chicirello showed up to MC the show. good amount of competitiors...3 women, 4 masters, ton of novice, 4 lights, 4 middles...boo friday there were only 2 of us....2 heavies. 
the events went quick and other than a misloaded axle for the masters things were tight. 
the axle, trap bar dead, and farmers hold were inside the gym. tire flip and stones were done outside. thankfully because by that time of the day the gym got sauna-like and sweat sock smelly! 
most of the classes were half to a full point separating the 1st and 2nd places. intenses and brutal....but the heavies were the attraction. ended in a complete tie. went to a tie breaking event, viking press. came down to 16 reps versus 15 reps....with 310lbs! amazing competitors, one of the guys was already missing a callous. 


for the curious...it was PR's all day for me. 230 axle for 7 reps, 450 trap bar dead for 16 reps, farmers hold 250 each hand 45 seconds, 750 tire 22 seconds, 280 stone 7 reps.

who i am

****WARNING****

WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ IS ME WITH MY FILTER COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. IF I OFFEND ANYONE, TOO BAD. MAYBE YOU NEEDED TO BE OFFENDED!

 for the past 7 years i have lifted rocks, pulled trucks, pressed logs and generally put myself through pain and torture. for what? a couple trophies, t-shirts, a few sample supplements....for a pro-card? get real, i am not a beast. glory and fame? haha....

i do this because i love it. ever since i picked up my first stone i knew i would do this till they carted me off drooling and broken. i make no money at this, heck i lose money, but i keep going at it. strongman defines me and shapes me, literally into who i am and want to be. i have faced my darkest demons and won a few times sometimes it is a draw. do i quit? never....

i have seen them come and go in the past 7 years...you know the next world's strongest man. arrogant, full of themselves, and cock strong. win a few times but can't hang when the crap spatters off the fan. i have also seen enough of the "i just want to try" crowd to fill a stadium...ok maybe a clown car. cuz really they are clowns.
to quote my favorite lil green guy "do or do not there is no try." yes give it a shot, but one time lifting a stone does not make you a strongman. what makes you a strongman is when it is the last stone, you are exhausted and your pride is on the line. you won't win the competition but you won't let this rock beat you.

know it alls....oh yeah love them. can't tell them squat about anything, even if you are trying to help them avoid getting hurt by correcting their form. how bout the ones that only see things from their perspective, your opinion doesn't matter. hell your experience doesn't count. how long do you have a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent? time to walk away and let the idiots fall...

ain't it fun....

getting up early on a sunday and going worship in the church of stone and iron???







was surprised at how sore i was this morning...nothing a little old man cologne and a hot shower didn't fix.
caffeined up and rode on over to my training partners house for some event training. i wasn't going to do any log but i decided it would be a good warmup. went to 190 and did 3 reps full on clean and press in one move.
walked out the farmers but was not running with it. wore my oly shoes and that was like ice skating. no traction in those things so i watched. brought out the tire i did a few sets 5-6 flips. the bike riding is paying off, i was barely breathing hard on those. finally what i showed up for...stones! popped the 200 up with just chalk, then the 230. went to do the 270 but i needed tacky...did it once but was too far from the platform so i had to get under and push. did the 270 one more time.
this was a decent day with less than a week away from the comp...nothing to do now but rest and work. what was really fun  is that we had a young kid join us to train. his mom and dad were there and it was just plain fun to  
help out and hopefully encourage someone to get into the sport.

one week...

rode to the gym...damn a headwind all the way there. think my legs were worked well! and thank jeebus for the padded bike shorts...my culo thanks the inventor of those things!
decided to hit the 2 events i can train in the gym, deadlift and farmers hold. did both on the hammer machine.
love that thing! it really mimics a car deadlift but is wonderful for farmers holds, romanian deads and deads for reps.

deadlift on machine
180x5, 270x5, 360x5, 500x10, straps on and did 5 more.

farmers hold
550 30 seconds, 20 seconds, 10 seconds

squat machine--facing in
450x5 6 sets, drop 360x5, 270x5, 180x10

wrist curls over and under
115x10 5 sets each way

herc hold
200 40 seconds

rope hammer curls
100x30, drop 80x20, drop 60x15, drop 40x10, drop 20x5

c is for cookie....

i think i could eat a truckload right now. since i started riding my bike everyday my appetite has gone through the roof. not a bad deal but i have to make weight on the 30th!
on the scale yesterday i was about 240. easy to get the last few pounds off over the next 10 days. a coworker and the gym manager did both make the comment that i do look leaner...i did notice the extra veins appearing on my arms and shoulders yesterday. ok,  narcisstic moment over but i can have just one.
i plan to throw on the cold gear under armor and sweat the rest off...should make me tired and miserable. hoping it is worth it and i get to throwdown at the competition as a  lightweight!

bout damn time...

finally made it to the gym....made the time worth every second.

shoulders and tris

seated smith press
135x5 185x5 205x4 255x3 295x2 315x3 singles

1 arm dumbbell clean and press
50x2 70x2 90x2 100x3 singles

dumbbell side raise
20x10 10 sets

close grip press
135x5 205x5 225x5 3 sets

pushdowns
110x10 10 sets

extensions
110x8 5 sets

cable curls
80x8 5 sets

hammer curls
50x10 5 sets

weight is about 240




i guess the bike ride is hampering the strength a bit. no worries though....lets hope it helps with the weight. one thing really bothering me is my left elbow. damn old tendons...between the pain and popping i fell ancient. oh well nothing like a little ache to make me feel alive!

more cowbell

well someone wanted more....

as of saturday i will have 2 weeks before i compete. working till monday, thats 6 in a row, will train tuesday, thursday and saturday next week. saturday will be my only event day. just need to hit stones. am i nervous about not getting in all the training? sort of...but i do this stuff for me. trophies, you just have to dust them. if i give 100% of myself that day, 1st or 50th place i will be happy.


tuesday i will get an idea on my weight. hoping the 90 minutes of bike riding will get me close to my weight. plan to head on down friday to weigh in. if i need to i will pull out the bag of tricks from wrestling...sweat the weight off and refeed after weigh ins.

have to give some love to Primordial Performance i am a rep on RXMuscle for them. all started with me logging about the Fat LossStack what a good bunch of people there and some outstanding products!
been using PreMax, EndoAmp, Toco-8, and Arginocarn recently. the combo has helped me through some grueling workouts and now fuels my bike rides to and from work.

tilting windmills

i should be stressed to the gills but i am not. i should be freaking out but i won't. after all that has gone on the past 2 weeks i guess i would be a good candidate for the funny farm...

picked up a new bike after junking my car....got 2 flat tires 2 days in a row, so i missed the gym both days.
grumbled my way through the rest of the weekend. one good thing is i got inspired to put a story together and do it as a comic. what inspired me? "The Man of La Mancha"



somedays i really feel like Don Quixote....where is my Dulcinea?

pedaling my tail off

so i have done it...biked to work and the gym. one thing about a 50 minute trip on a bike, the appetite has gone crazy. no worries as long as i can make weight.

it feels good and a little responsible but it is a bit of a bummer. i mean who wants to date a guy that  does not have a car? also real tough to just get around everywhere i like to go. oh well....what real sucks is that i just can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

so on to better things....

went to the gym and did shoulders and triceps.
push press i worked my sets with 5 reps. 135, 155, 185. then 205 for 3 and finally 225 for 5 easy reps.
next i hit the smith machine and did reverse grip presses, 205 5x5. like these for the benefit they will give me when cleaning the bar. moved over to side raises with 35's. did 10 reps 6 sets. triceps came next, pushdowns and extensions. 100lbs 10 reps 6 sets on pushdowns and 60lbs 20 reps 3 sets with extensions. decided that i needed to do some hammer curls...80lbs 5x5.

a strange beginning

well things have gotten weird in my world....i decided to get back to school and pursue a dgree in forensic psychology and get my life put back together. "really?" you say...yes, my life is a disaster. bill collectors, student loans, crappy cars, crazy women....well as the universe would have it something or rather things will go wrong when i put my life in order.  first on the list, a blown head gasket. yup car number 4 in the last years has bit the dust! do i have the money to take care of it? no! how bout buy a new car? hell no! gues i ride my bike....next up! i cannot get money for school. apparently i defaulted on a $500 loan when i was attending devry...o h yeah let me tell you about those crooks! took their money then told me i was on probation and threw me out of school. now i owe 13000 bucks and barely attended 1 semester....fucking crooks!! when i wanted to address the situation the hung up on me. anyway...so i have to consolidate the damn thing and hopefully start school by the end of the month.

so my training has been going well along with my diet. the competition is coming up october 30th and right now i am weiging in at 237lbs. amazing what stress will do...but i have also been good with eating and doing cardio. speaking of cardio i began riding my bike to work, 60 freaking minutes. that is more in one day than i do in a week.

lifting has been good but not spectacular. one nice thing is that most of the events are trainable in the gym.
did some seated smith presses with 245 and lockouts with 305. went in the other day and did deadlifts...455 for 3, not so hot but satisfied. won't deadlift till the comp now. i still need to hit stones and see how many i can rep.

The universe has a sick sense of humor

just when i plan to get my sh!t together and my life back in order here comes the universe to depants, atomic wedgie, and nutshot me. 2 weeks ago i dealt with a car that fell apart, pushed through and took third in my competition. this week as i plan to compete on the 30th, go back to school, and get myself a hottie...the piece of crap car i own blows the engine or a head gasket....either way it is more than i can afford and more than the rolling hunk of scrap is worth. let me thank the idiots that convinced me to get this piece of crap....F__ U!!

if i died tomorrow i would surely go to heaven and if i did go to hell i would take over. i am in hell right now. 4 cars in three years, alone and loveless, bill collectors out the ass, scrape by every freaking week, no insurance... need i go on? oh yes i have a lot to be grateful for...friends, family, a job. but i would like a reprieve from god's version of punk'd.

at some point i feel like throwing in the towel. i feel so done it is pathetic. most people would say that really is not like me, but a man has his limits. have i reached mine? i do not know but the edge of the cliff is close....

gloomy....

it is outside and how i feel today. been thinking too much lately....the past, my present, and what the future holds. wish it would all blow over and go away like this storm. but it all hovers around and just when i put the umbrella away it dumps on me.
dieting does not help either. this is when i question my sanity. why do i want to eat another piece of dry ass chicken? the ben and jerry's is so much tastier than the yogurt....BEER!!!! i want a stinking beer...going to take every fiber in my body to make it through this.
training, surprisingly going well for my mood. strength is up, endurance is there, but for how long? hopefully i can get an event training day in soon. lucky me the events for the next comp are easy and can mostly be trained in the gym.

just a few of those days...

dieting sucks, making plans to please everyone sucks, people that can't tell time suck, bill collectors and liars suck, need i go on? the list is endless...

oh it all fueled some heinous training which now has me in pain. not the kind i love, you know the sore tight musclular sweet pain that tells me i am growing. no it is the kind that keeps me wondering why and how long i can keep this up...why? i plan on competing one more time, october 30th. fairly easy comp but a long strange weekend.

been doing cardio in the mornings and fasted. 40 minutes total. elliptical and treadmill. the elliptical is intervals and the treadmill is low intensity. gym days have been back and triceps so far. will hit legs tomorrow.
back was brutal. zerchers with 315 5x3, rows 315 5x5, cleans 175x8,  did rope rows and pulldowns too. higher reps and sets for both. tricep day was fueled with hate and pain....close grip 315 5x2, reverse grip on smith 255 5x5, did tates with cable and pushdowns, again both with lot of volume.

it's personal this time....

anyone that knows me well understands that i do not lift and compete for trophies. i do this stuff for personal achievment and challenge. but yes the trophies are nice and so is the recognition that goes with it. that being said...ok typed...i have some stuff to work on....

the axle is my nemesis. i was surprised at the deadlift from saturday do now worries, but that damn clean and press has aggravated and scared me since day one. well no more! time to get to work. this is priority number one...getting the clean and press with the axle. going to work clean pulls and hang cleans.

next on my list is grip strength. goes well with the axle but also will help wih all other events. going for ovrall grip strength. going to combine static, pinch, and forearm work.

surprise  surprise but next is endurance....this is a twofold demon. strongman combines muscular endurance with cardiovascular endurance. so part one to combat this evil is more volume in the gym. have to work past that nasty burn which will stop mere mortals. cardio will have to be the HIIT variety....yes the nasty high intensity intervals. going to work this three ways, elliptical, stiarmaster, and tire flips.

now for some goals.....

#1...press 300lbs overhead
#2...deadlift 600lbs raw
#3...put up a 350lb stone

now for the vain and narcissitic portion of my blog. i am approaching 40 and think to myself, damn i look good...people still think i am in my 20's. i like that! but what i don't like is the keg i carry around. a personal goal over the next few weeks is to make that keg into a couple 40 ouncers. i have made some decent progress. with the Fat Loss stack from Primordial Performance i can actually see the bottom of my obliques.
so i am going to up the cardio, watch my diet, and put in some hard work....

leg day....

again why did i go into the gym? sensible people would say take the week off, rest and relax....me? hell no!
no rest for the wicked and stupid.

squats 135,225,315,405,495x5

squat machine facing in  450x8 6 sets drop sets...360,270,180,90 8 reps

romanian DL on machine 270x10 7 sets

stairmaster 1 minute 5 sets

calf raises 140x100 rest pause reps

one more for today

went to the gym and did shoulders....

push press 135x5, 185x5---those 2 sets were actually strict press, 205x3, 225x1, 245x3

smith seated press 300 5 singles

dumbbell side raise 35x10 10sets

dumbbell clean and press 100x8---if it was a comp only 7 would have counted.

treadmill 25 minutes

was it worth it?

take that breath and make that step....don't know why but the Stone Sour song is resonating in my head today.
says a lot about me and what has gone on lately.

saturday was intense. i was ready mentally and physically. had all my stuff ready and headed out. wouldn't you know the universe stepped in to smack me down bright and early. halfway to the comp my car takes a dump on me. busted radiator hose and lost my belt. lucky i was near my mom and dad. called them to find a place in town to fix my car. limped it there and let my training partner i was not competing. then i thought "what the hell....all this effort, time, and energy to waste?!?" borrowed my dads car and headed over. made the call back to my training partner and told him to let the promoter know i was going to be late. funny thing is the i was early, we started the comp late...

first event was the press medley. 220 log, 250 log, 275 axle. 220 went up in one motion ala Derek Poundstone. tried that with the 250, had to reset it and push press. nearly passed out from holding my breath as i set the log down hard. went after the axle. let me tell you i hate axles...cleaned it nice and high but could not get under it. bums me out cuz i think i can press that. well i have work to do...

next was the axle deadlift. did i already say i hate axles? it is the fact that i cannot wrap my hands around the bar. this event replaced the conan's wheel, an event i am good at. oh well...just do it right?! this was a last man standing event and my weight class jumped in at 450lbs. 450, 475, 500,525 all went easy. the big test was 550...my gym best was 545. i pulled it, felt slow but locked it out! there were 2 of us left in the middleweights so next one to pull successfully wins the event. my opponent missed...and so did i. the bar was not moving. so an event win but a tie.

yoke/keg carry was next. 625lb and 260lbs 60 feet each way. i was  surprised by the yoke. felt light and went smooth, but i was not setting any landspeed records. picked up the keg and began my run, ok stroll..
got about 15 feet and stopped but i was not putting it down. rested in my lap and kept going. did that one more time wuth 5 feet to go....i was not going to fail!! i took the last 2 steps and set that beast of a keg down.

easy event next, or so i thought....farmers walk with 260lbs each hand 100 feet...picked up and took off with it. feeling really good. 30' left and i feel it slip from my right hand. set it down and go to pick it up...then i notice the blood and hanging skin. i tore a freaking callous...done on this event. had to clean up the hand and peel off the skin. that was painful.

the last event was atlas stones. my favorite! 240 to 60" 260 to 54" 325 to 48" and 350 to 48"  i tackied up and went to it. 240 flew up and so did the 260. 325....only 2 people got this so far....i picked it up. it slipped a bit. thsi sucker was big too! reset my hands pulled it tight against me and stood up. pushed that monster on the platform. i went over the 350 and just tried but it was going nowhere...i will take this as a win too. no one else in my class got 3 stones. this win also pushed my into a tiebreaker on points. because i had 2 event wins i was able to walk away with a third place trophy.

3 days....

here it goes...getting close. thinking about the drive, the events, what i need to take, food, blah blah blah...
attempting to concentrate on work, but sll i can think about is saturday. i have put so much into this i cannot fail. personally i won't. i can accept someone showing up and doing better but when i step up to the bar, log, stone, yoke and farmers it is personal. will the blood, sweat, and callouses have been worth it? am i worth it?

7 days....

Accept challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory. 
       -George S. Patton



















today was my last training day before the competition. my body is feeling battered. the rest will be welcome.
nothing spectacular today, just did some cleans on the log and axle. walked with the farmers and yoke. threw up some stones.
food, shower, nap and college football...time for round 2. the irish will be on in a few minutes.

what does a bored strongman do?

so i was sitting around all morning. bored outta my skull. nothing to watch, even with a few hundred movies and shows that i have saved on hulu and netflix. rain pouring, so the pool and beach were out of the qusestion.  i said the hell with it and headed to the gym.




decided it was a good day to do triceps.

close grip press
135x5, 205x5, 255x5, 295x5, 315x3, 385x1---PR! yeah that what a bored strongman does!

pushdowns
80x10 10 sets


that's it! short sweet and to the point.

resurrection

after the last couple days, this is what i needed. a complete resurrection of attitude, strength, and resolve.
i figured out i was tired, underfed, and very distracted. the event change threw me off, but oh well...
10 days and no time for that stuff. pulled out the heavy hardcore music and got down to business.

deadlifts 245x5 315x5 405x3 495x1 545x1--no straps  585--2 attempts but it was not going anywhere.

romanian deads on machine 360x5 7 sets

smith lunges 115x10 5 sets

stairmaster 2 minutes level 3 5sets---serious nasty pump in the calves

and some more fun stuff....got on the scale and liking what i see. 237!! also i have to admit a little vanity but the Dermatherm is awesome! why? i am seeing  the bottom of my obliques. and believe me that is something i have never seen before! got to say the Fat Loss stack from Primordial is the deal...

enough of my rambling...i am hungry.

when it rains it pours....

well training last night blew ass....i was feeling good about pressing. until my right forearm and bicep started throbbing. aggravated from the cleans the night before...not something i needed 2 weeks out.




thought i could move on to machine presses but that was worse. adjusting grip width didn't help either. called it a night and went home. threw on some horse liniment, wrap, and brace.

dull ache today but no serious pain.

will take a crap sandwich with a side of steaming dog turds

main course
for the past few weeks training has been great. weights moving, strength off the charts...then last night happened. i was tired and unmotivated all day. but so what? i still took myself to the gym. i trudged through my warmups and started to feel the fire burn. good mornings were tore up! when i did 5 deep and easy with 405lbs i knew...495 for doubles 5 sets i owned it. lucky i was alone in the gym. i was intense.

zerchers came next, by now i was insane....put the bar at knee height. took one with 225 for a ride. easy.
315 2 reps 5 sets..yup those were good. now i wanted to do rows but thought, there was my downfall, i need to get some cleans in. so hang cleans it was. 135, 185, 205...not bad pretty fast and smooth.

225, now the doubts crept in....too heavy, going to hurt, pain, can't do it...pulled one, yup i missed. decided i needed the speed off the floor...didn't make it either. i was not letting this go! went with an over under grip and attempted to continental this bitch! first pull was low and when i transferred my grip i dropped the bar on my thigh. one more time...higher and made the transfer. but could not get it to the clean position.

lesson from this...train the movement constantly. i needed work on this and let it slip. also cleans at the end of the workout are not supposed to be heavy...school is out.

side dish
checked the NAS board this morning only to be horrified....event change 2 weeks out! the promoter is replacing the conan's wheel with an axle deadlift. great...anothe lift i have neglected. and i am killer on conan's wheel. a bright spot to this is that my last deadlift was a PR after a long layoff. so this might be to my advantage.


tasty meal but the waitress gets no tip...

not you fat jesus....

ever have one of those days? not wanting anything but the world to stop, complete utter silence, left alone to your own misery...yeah that was me today. i just thought tired, rest, go to the pool...hell no i knew i needed to do legs. instead i dug up some motivational videos and got my ass to the gym. not being totally convinced i figure it would be good to push the boundaries....

squats 405x5 5 sets
squat machine--facing in---450x5 5 sets, drops sets 360, 270, 180, 90 all for 5 reps
leg press 450x8 7 sets
--by now my low back was screaming. legs were on fire with a skin stretching pump, thanks ALRI for WTF!!
smith lunges 115 did rest pause reps till i hit 50 total. had to sit down a few times to ease the tension in the back.
stairmaster---calf work---2 minutes 3 sets my god this was intense! very nice feeling in the calves.

i must say i am feeling good. went to see the parents and my mom remarked about me losing weight. guess the Primordial supps are working, along with some heavy duty training and cleaned up diet. got on the scale today and i am about 239! also noticing the waist is looking tighter...really like the Dermatherm.

counting down....

3 freaking weeks left! i am excited this time around to compete. things have been firing on all cylinders. training has been phenomenal. today was no exception....

close grip bench 135, 225, 275, 315x5  365 5 singles---that is a PR

tate press with cable  40,50,60,70,80,90,100x5 dropsets 90,80,70,60,50,40,30,20x5

pushdowns 50x20 8sets

needed some curls for the gurls....
cable curls 40,60,80,100,120,140,160x5 dropsets 130,100,70,40x5
reverse cable curls 80x10 5sets

ate good last night, double burger which was about a pound of meat and peanut butter pie. cannot beat a good cheat meal...

screaming into the sky....

yes this one got me going this morning. a good song before stones....

have not done much the last 3 days. 2 i worked but went straight home to eat and sleep. yersterday was complete laziness. ate a boatload of pasta and watched movies.

this morning i was raging to get events in. had a full crew there. couple extra guys came down to train.
started with log 160, 190, 210....very easy. the yoke and keg were setup. i picked up the yoke 3 times but didn't move it. wasn't my plan today. picked up the heavy keg...250lbs. then i took it for a couple runs. first was 50' the next one was 80'. felt very nice. then came the fun...stones! i put the 250 to 60". rested and popped the 300lber to 48" then repped it 2 more times.

that was enough for me.

ghosts....

been haunted the last few days. feelings of my past, hurts and pains, reopening old wounds. is this the devil talking to me? giving me doubts and distractions?  haha....gonna laugh at him then. no dterrring me now.


ate well and slept better last night. woke up with legs on my mind. hit the gym ready to do battle...
had a convo with one of the meatheads there, recommended some Primordial products and ALRi stuff.
yeah i am a promotion machine, but only for stuff that works.

so leg day went something like this....

squats 135x5 225x5 315x5 405x3 495 5singles
---was very happy with these. got nice and deep on 4 of the 5 singles.

squat machine--facing in--- 450x5 6 sets

leg press 270x10 8 sets

single leg extensions 50x75 each leg

will be walking funny tomorrow.


all done with Humapro, back to the shakes till i get paid. lets see what happens now.
still kicking it with the Androhard and Dermatherm. Forgot my Androhard last night and i feel a little bloated today. seriously this stuff makes me feel harder....

how will i wash my hair?

doing triceps and heavy pressing always gives me that dilemma, along with needing to just feed at a trough. i don't think i will be lifting my arms soon...

close grip press 135x5 205x5 245x5 295x3 315x1 345x 5singles
tried something new....
tate press on pulley 60x5 6sets
---used a rope and went across my body. set at nipple height.
pushdowns/extensions 50x10 10sets

calm like a bomb....

certainly describes my day and training. woke up with and evil feeling, a nastiness welling up that only iron could dissipate. maybe it was the song stuck in my head from the night before....thanks to the cute bartender at Meg O' Malleys.... i will not mention the song, it finally was eradicated from my memory. speaking of Meg's. if you go there i recommend Norm's platter...i get the seared tuna with mashed potatoes and mushrooms....

ok so back to the evil....

got done with a messed up day at work. honestly i know i am scheduled for the day but who wants to work on saturday? left work and got to the gym. on the way i started listening to Rage Against the Machine....that helped a ton. back was on the menu....

good mornings 135,225,315x5 deep! 405x5 5 sets
zerchers 225,315 from knee height  405x5 singles from hip height
barbell rows 315x5 5 sets last set almost had me puking!
low row/rope pulldown 80x10 8 sets

i am beginning to ache everywhere. a few cramps too....think i might be chugging gatorade tomorrow.
the supplements from Primordial are showing some results. i can feel more energy and endurance from the Androhard. the green tea is nice, keeping the does at 2 per serving. i do rhink i am seeing results with the Dermatherm. judgment will be out till i finish it.

love the combo of Chain'd out and Humapro. seriously i feel great and use those to replace a meal and shakes. when i do that i use fish oil or some nuts to add fats. when's payday? i need more Humapro....

necessary evil

dammit do i hate cardio....necessary evil. went to the gym after work and did abs too.

5 sets total, cable side bends and ab pulldowns. 3 work sets with 200lbs. then 20 minutes on the elliptical, interval setting. like that but i need to up the workload. also did 20 minutes on the elliptical on wednesday too.

gym was packed last night. didn't feel like being there...tonight is off night. going to get some tuna at the pub.


still liking the Androhard and Dermatherm....i will have to compare my gut to the first pics i took. really dreading running out of Humapro....the stuff is gold! anyone notice a slight beef taste?

4 dollar movie review

bored on a tuesday afternoon i head to roxy's cinema grill. 4 bucks gets you in to see a movie. how could i pass this up, epsecially with "the expendables" in theaters. i mean c'mon...stallone, statham, li, lundgren, austin, rourke, willis, arnold, throw in terry crews and randy couture for good measure. what you get is an explosive return of the action movie. part rambo, part cobra, part commando...this takes me back when it was BIG! oh yeah this won't win any oscars unless the academy adds an explosive dismemberment category but it will get your adrenaline and testosterone flowing. in a way this movie passes the torch to guys like statham, who continues to play one of the baddest dudes on film.
ladies...let your man see this flick. go with him but you wont see too many shirtless scenes. so sorry. this is truly a guy flick. enough of me going on, here is the trailer....

making of nasty tree trunks

yeah f'ing TOOL!!!


leg day...pondered what to do. no squats, just wasn't feeling them today. so i concocted a torture session that would make redwoods shake....

leg press 720x30 reps
squat machine---facing in  450x5 6 sets
romanian deadlift on machine  270x8 5 sets all my low back could handle at this point
smith lunges 115x5 6 sets

then i did my dreaded walk on the treadmill. helped loosen up the back. 30 minutes. went to mcd's and got my liquid crack. noticed i need to hit abs. so that will be my thursday torture session....
took 5 humapro after training and chugged some chain'd out with it. starting to run out. i am wavering about buying another tub or use up the isolyze that i have left. upped my green tea dosage to 2, 3 times a day and dermatherm to twice a day.


i am trying to focus on this contest and my goal is to win. training has been off the chart and i improve every week.  i have other distractions though...a girl haunts me, dammit if i don't feel like some high school kid with a crush. wanting to hear about a job that i applied for, would mean some big and good changes for me. right now i can only think of the next 5 weeks...i have to.

good training good food

so i took sunday completely off. went to spend time with the family. was a nice day, but a hot drive...picked up a cool chair at target in the process. went to panera for breakfast on my way out. had a bagel...lunch was steak and shake, then dinner was homemade chicken marsala. man does my mom know how to cook. got home watched some movies and went to sleep. i have to keep my focus, 5 weeks of training left. can't get someone out of my head...








hang cleans 135x2, 155, 185, 205

dumbbell clean and press 100 5 singles each arm. need to watch my free hand, couple times i assisted the press. 1 minute rest on these.

seated smith press 315x2 5 sets. used elbow wraps. these felt sooooo easy. i set the bench at a slight incline. got this idea from superhuman radio. allowed me to pinch my shoulder blades together. felt very stable in this position.

dumbbell side raise 20x15 8 sets adjusted my position on these and felt them deep in the side head. 

walked 30 minutes on the treadmill




jumped back in with the androhard, dermatherm, green tea and humapro. sometiems i think we need a break from supps too.

let the bloodbath begin...

cardio yesterday...one hour total 20 minutes on treadmill twice and 20 minutes on elliptical


events today.... farmers walk 190 30', 260 pickup, 260 50' 2 times
keg walk 215 50' 2 times, went for a third but was so sweaty the keg slipped.
stones 220 to 60", 250 to 56", 270 to 52", 300 to 48" all back to back, then i took them down.
conans wheel 345 for 2 revolutions, nonstop!






feeling a bit mean and nasty lately. i am so glad i had events today. i have 5 training weeks left. i posted up my cardio from yesterday too. that was a grueling torture session. lucky for me i listened to superhuman radio.

got on the scale after and i was 244. very happy...think the Green Tea, Dermatherm, and Androhard are helping. i know most of that is water but that is what i needed. felt bloated and quite like a parade balloon. the green tea acts as a diuretic along with the thermogenic properties. much easoer to swallow a pill than drink all the tea...

gotta say that i am loving the Humapro from ALRi   i have been taking 15 tablets a day. 5 in the morning with fish oil, 5 in the afternoon, and 5 after training. if it is an off day i take them before bed. slug them down with my Chain'd Out and i am good to go. beats chugging protein shakes.