abar's Strongman contest training

[abarlament]

Ok, the goal here is to train for Strongman contests (starting with the Xenia, OH on Sept 18), and to drop bodyfat to increase performance.

The plan is to take a week to get more acclimated to the higher rep ranges and exercises (Using the implements, stuff other than olympic lifts), then do something along the lines of:

Sunday: Upper endurance, lower endurance
Monday: Upper strength, lower strength
Wednesday: Grip, dynamic strength
Friday: Events

Something like that.

As far as diet, low carbs and fat, moderate protein (1g/lb LBM) during the week, on the weekends a carb-load (around 1000g or so, which is not on the high end, but I'm not doing specific depletion work).

[luke.w]

Cool! I'm interested in reading your journal abarlament!

[abarlament]

Monday July 26

Clean and Press
135 1+7
135 1+8 x2
155 1+5

18" DL
135 1x4
225 1x4
300 1x3
350 1x2
400 1x2
405 1x1

Db hammer curls
30 11/11
40 6/6 x3

Zercher squat
95 1x4
115 1x4
135 1x4
175 1x3

Forearm curls
85 2x10
85 2x12

195g protein
55g carbs
25g fat

Not a bad day in the weightroom, 405 for a single was fairly tough. I was dissapointed in that, I want to pull 500+ for the competition, I have never done these before, so I hope it will shoot up with some training. The hammer curls (for the arm over arm) were fairly tough.

Either this week or next, I'm going to make myself an atlas stone, ~200 lbs or so. Other than that, I'm getting a big tire, already have a sled, gonna have to make heavy farmer walk stuff, gotta make a sandbag, and gotta make a yoke.

[luke.w]

do you have any kegs? cleaning and pressing kegs would probaily be the best way to duplicate the log press. Pressing the sandbags should help to I've never trained with a log but I've heard it's alot harder than pressing a barbell

[abarlament]

I don't have any kegs. I'll try calling around to liquor stores or something to see if they can unload one on me. That's what I've heard too (in relation to the log press) from the strongman guys over at FI. At my contest the weight of the log is 120 lbs.

[Dan C]

I wouldn't bother trying to lose fat unless you're trying to make weight. I think the added strength you'll have by NOT dieting will increase your performance more than losing excess weight. Don't take that as meaning you don't need to work on your conditioning, but your bodyfat is not directly correlated to your cardiovascular fitness.

I'd also spend as much time as possible training the events, or atleast duplicating them in the gym. (The zerchers are perfect! Try picking them up from the ground.)

[rrouleau]

abar......cant wait to see how everything goes in this journal. I love watching the strongman contests on tv so im very interested in your journal. Sept is coming very soon too!!

[abarlament]

Originally Posted by Dan C

I wouldn't bother trying to lose fat unless you're trying to make weight. I think the added strength you'll have by NOT dieting will increase your performance more than losing excess weight. Don't take that as meaning you don't need to work on your conditioning, but your bodyfat is not directly correlated to your cardiovascular fitness.

I'd also spend as much time as possible training the events, or atleast duplicating them in the gym. (The zerchers are perfect! Try picking them up from the ground.)

I can agree with you somewhat, but I didn't list that I'm also dropping bodyfat for personal reasons (going to college in Sept, I want to look good) and for general health. I am using a version of the UD2, which I'm comfortable with (it's a cycled diet) and many people have gained strength on it.

I was goign to do some Zercher DLs today, but nobody came to open the weightroom and I was busy all day! Tommorow I'll try em.

[abarlament]

Originally Posted by rrouleau

abar......cant wait to see how everything goes in this journal. I love watching the strongman contests on tv so im very interested in your journal. Sept is coming very soon too!!

Thanks! I hope you do keep commenting, it's appreciated.

[abarlament]

Wednesday July 27

No training today

180g protein
55g carbs
46g fat

[abarlament]

Wednesday July 27

Deadlift
135 1x8
225 1x8
275 1x16

Clean and Press
135 1x4
185 2x1

Hex bar holds
225 2x1 minute

Zercher Dls
135 1x4 1x6

Close Grip Bench
185 1x4
205 1x2
225 1x2
245 1x1

202g protein
100g carbs
55g fat

Zercher deadlifts are hard. High rep deadlifts make my ass sore and also make me weak for the rest of the workout. I have a weak grip. I need to stop working at Dairy Queen. That's about it.

[Dan C]

www.ironmind.com - plenty of grip toys to bring your lower arm strength up. I'd start with grippers, if you can afford it order the T-#3.

Try this for your deadlifts, take about 80% 1RM and do a single every 30-60 seconds for as long as you can. You can make this your entire workout if you want. My best was 405 x 53 in about 1 hour... my entire body was sore for about 8 days.

I'd drop the benches if I were you, or atleast do them on a steep incline to benefit your overhead strength more. I'm assuming you were using a close grip for your triceps?

[abarlament]

I'm going to order the #2 here this week or next.

That sounds like a tough workout with the deads, I'll try it as a method of "greasing the groove" on my 18" DL.

I'd drop the benches if I were you, or atleast do them on a steep incline to benefit your overhead strength more.

I was actually doing them to help out my pushups, I'm going to be in ROTC this fall and I need to start working my triceps out a bit more. Was just roughly determining my 1rm, now gonna start high-repping.

I'm assuming you were using a close grip for your triceps?

Of course.

[abarlament]

If anyone knows how I would go about filling a keg with water, please PM me or somethign.

[Gibson]

Killer Deadlift set Abar. 275x16! Are you going slowly or quickly on the eccentric? Either way, that's pretty nice.


Also-- That's a very small amount of carbs for a heavy day like that. Have you thought of cycling so that you're only doing low/no carb on non-workout days?