Exodus

[Lord_Suston]

got a question for you. Since you use to bodybuild, do you still find some of your muscles are still non-functional??? Sometimes I feel like I am fighting myself when doing events, and it sucks.

For the conan wheel, you think i should front squat that bastard or go conventional style???

any help here would be appreciated

 

[Exodus]

got a question for you. Since you use to bodybuild, do you still find some of your muscles are still non-functional??? Sometimes I feel like I am fighting myself when doing events, and it sucks.

For the conan wheel, you think i should front squat that bastard or go conventional style???

any help here would be appreciated

what do you mean by non-functional???

and when you mean front squat or conventional on the conan's do you mean carry it the way Bfold does(conventional) or brad pitt(front squat)???

X

 

[Lord_Suston]

non-functional. For the last feew years I have bodybuild or at least attempted to, but over the last year I have been working out to nonfailure and compound excercises. I was ok in size about 187lbs and all upper body, but now I weigh about 210 and much bigger legs and I am much stronger in an explosive sense. hard for me to put into words but, after you bodybuild were you strong like now?? I mean how long does it take to fully train one's muslce to be fully adapted to strongman and powerlifting type movements?? confusing question I know...

Conventional- b-fold style
Front squat- pitt and myself

 

[Exodus]

ok............

well i dont really know how long it takes to make the full switch from bodybuilder to strength athlete. thats a really good question.

ive kinda always been a strength athlete, being as i started working out for wrestling. so we have been testing our maxes from the time i started working out.

but i was a bodybuilder for roughly 4 years with a wsb 8 months stint thrown in for fun.

as dedicated and focused as you are i would say within 6 months top, you would unlearn your bodybuilding ways, and get a better concept on becoming an explosive athlete. you seem to pick up and adapt to things very quick. you may even be less than 6 months, that was just a ball park figure.

im still learning, i know that. i have been back to training strength since april 12th. so im approaching my 6 month mark. and let me tell you, the only reason i remember how to be a bodybuilder, is becuase my best friend still is one and we talk all the time.

but i think i finally reached a better understanding on tuesday. i was supposed to do 6-8 sets of 8-12 reps on the 4 board close grip press with 185. well set 4 got hard. and set 5 i paused a little slower on the boards, and i finished withing 2-3 reps of failure. set 6 was very hard, my from broke down so my elbows were flaring on reps 8-12 and there was virtually no pause. my bodybuilder friend was spotting me. he knew how many i was going to do. so i got up and told him to rack the weight. he was like but you got 2 more sets common you can push threw it.

and he's right, i could have, but i would have been doing bodybuilding, going to failure, bad form, etc etc. but it was like a switch that just went off in my head. i just got it. i said, no , my form already broke down and i will hit failure if i do 1 more set. so i stopped.

instinctive training. im starting to get it. its taking a little bit of getting used to, but i like it much better, and so does my body.

just keep reading learning and putting all that info to use, and you'll be fine suston.

as for the conans walk. you have to try both out and see which works best for you. i talked to pitt, he has done the conans wheel in the conventional posistion. he said he doesnt like it as much. when you start in the front squat position the bar has a lot more room to slip, so you can hold onto it longer when its slipping. however with the conventional, theres not a lot of slipping so you get to concentrate on the event. when it starts slipping, you know its crunch time.

X

 

[Lord_Suston]

thanks man, just the kind of advice I needed to hear. Yeah it is hard to go to failure now beside the dinner table,lol.

We'll see about the conan's maybe I will train both so when the bar slipps from the delts I can go right into a conventional style and eek out a few more feetr

 

[Exodus]

We'll see about the conan's maybe I will train both so when the bar slipps from the delts I can go right into a conventional style and eek out a few more feetr

yeah, or just start conventional. less slipping means less concentration on holding the bar instead of walking fast and steady.

anytime bud, i've always got your back.

X

 

[Lord_Suston]

yeah I need to work on speed on this event, all the other ones I am pretty fast but the wheel i am slow for some reason. BTW give me a pm where you live cause I would like to train iwth you folks once or twice in the winter

 

[kingc_79]

i thought about tryin the front squat way myself. i think i will give it a try and see how it feels bc it does tend to slip some w/me with the regular way..i need to work on the weight tho bc i've never even tried 550 for a run

 

[Exodus]

yeah I need to work on speed on this event, all the other ones I am pretty fast but the wheel i am slow for some reason. BTW give me a pm where you live cause I would like to train iwth you folks once or twice in the winter

ok.........i'll pm you.

slow on the wheel, here is the only thing i can think off.

you did the yoke walk fast at dardenfest with what 450lbs on your back why??? because the bar sat in the same position that you were used to from squatting. and you get around that weight for reps right........ so it was not that big of a stretch

however the conans wheel was 400 for you at dardenfest, but it sits as a front squat/ zerchers.......... and you dont go near as heavy as 400lbs on your front squats or zercher squats.

so you see, your body is not conditioned to having that much weight in that postion, where as the yoke is somewhat familiar.

X

 

[pwr_machine]

give me a pm where you live cause I would like to train iwth you folks once or twice in the winter

Exodus, keep us posted. I'm ready to flip some tires again. lol

 

[JOKER47]

If I may be so bold.....

When I did the Conan's Walk, I did it conventional. Myself and several others I spoke to that carried it the same way, said the hardest part was the breathing with that weight right in your chest.

I would tend to think that doing it "Front Squat" style, would make it easier to breathe.

Of course, it helps if you are comfortable with front squats in the first place, which I am not, unfortunately.

Just my .02,
Joker

 

[Lord_Suston]

joker good point, and your advice is always welcome

 

[Exodus]

good point joker,

but i did have the advantage of having bfold help me with my breathing on the conans. take short quick breaths threw your mouth. big breaths from you nose cause your diaphram to move to much, and with that kinda weight sitting on it, it doesnt feel good.

the only down side to doing the conan's with the front squat style is that it puts a lot more torque on your low back, so you have to be careful of that.

X

 

[Lord_Suston]

good point joker,

but i did have the advantage of having bfold help me with my breathing on the conans. take short quick breaths threw your mouth. big breaths from you nose cause your diaphram to move to much, and with that kinda weight sitting on it, it doesnt feel good.

the only down side to doing the conan's with the front squat style is that it puts a lot more torque on your low back, so you have to be careful of that.

X

Guess I need more lower back strength

 

[Becoming]

Exodus and Sust- Nice posts...

 

[JOKER47]

good point joker,

but i did have the advantage of having bfold help me with my breathing on the conans. take short quick breaths threw your mouth. big breaths from you nose cause your diaphram to move to much, and with that kinda weight sitting on it, it doesnt feel good.

the only down side to doing the conan's with the front squat style is that it puts a lot more torque on your low back, so you have to be careful of that.

X

I guess that's the one part of the Conan's Wheel that someone didn't drop a hint to me on.... (The breathing...)

I agree with the lower back stress from the Front Squat style, that was the one part of me that wasn't as fatigued by the time I finally dropped it. Neither way would have been any better on that day though, my legs gave out before the rest of me.....


Joker

 

[revexrevex]

How much can you do on Conan WHeel, if you can carry 315 lb bar around?

 

[JOKER47]

How much can you do on Conan WHeel, if you can carry 315 lb bar around?

I've zercher squatted 315x1, and did almost 2.5 turns with 500lbs on the Conan's Wheel.

Not sure how much of a direct carry over there is, though. The Conan's Wheel is very different from zercher walks.


Joker

 

[revexrevex]

For me the grip on the bar failed before anything else... we were actually discussing how to get the zercher grip stronger so not to lose the barr and the concensus was to do heavy barbell curls... what do you think

 

[JOKER47]

For me the grip on the bar failed before anything else... we were actually discussing how to get the zercher grip stronger so not to lose the barr and the concensus was to do heavy barbell curls... what do you think

Probably wouldn't hurt, but my arms were the last thing to give out, and I never work bi's directly.

More zercher work would be more effective, I would think. That, and make sure you have a strong core. That allows you to lean back a little more, taking the direct stress off of your arms. Also, try to lift your arms up, not lay flat. That will also help take the bulk of the load off of your arms.

I've only done the Conan's Wheel once, so there may be someone else with more experience that might have some better suggestions.


Joker

 

[Exodus]

For me the grip on the bar failed before anything else... we were actually discussing how to get the zercher grip stronger so not to lose the barr and the concensus was to do heavy barbell curls... what do you think

to be truthful. i would say more front shoulder raises.

think about it. if your doing a zercher hold, or front squat hold with the conans wheel, you try to keep your arms high, becuase the further it goes down, the more chance you have of your back rounding and dropping it.

so front shoulder raises will help you keep the bar more upright. and i think bicep training would be a great thing, especially when your at that last little bit.

joker your right, powerlifters dont have to train quad, calf and biceps......... but strongman competitors do have to.

X

 

[b fold the truth]

I've never been to a contest (except mine) where people were allowed to carry the bar on top of their shoulders like Brad did. Had I known that he was going to do that...I would not have allowed it.

They do not allow it in the Pro's and I don't expect them to allow it in Boston at all.

The problem with the breathing on the Conan's Wheel comes when you allow the bar to rest on your solar plexus. It either needs to be higher or lower. The arms rest on the lats...the bigger they are the better the platform that you have to do this with. The bar should also be able to trace a line from itself to your hip sockets to your heels.

With the front squat style...if the apparatus moves any at all...you WILL fall over and be done. It will be VERY hard to controll a heavy weight on your shoulders like that. Also...you will find it nearly impossible to pick up 550 from a DEEP front squat. There is a HUGE difference between 400 at my contest and 550. Heck...there is a HUGE difference between 400 and 450.

Also note...that my Conan's Wheel is the ONLY one that I've seen in a contest that was adjustable.

B True

 

[JOKER47]

I've never been to a contest (except mine) where people were allowed to carry the bar on top of their shoulders like Brad did. Had I known that he was going to do that...I would not have allowed it.

They do not allow it in the Pro's and I don't expect them to allow it in Boston at all.

The problem with the breathing on the Conan's Wheel comes when you allow the bar to rest on your solar plexus. It either needs to be higher or lower. The arms rest on the lats...the bigger they are the better the platform that you have to do this with. The bar should also be able to trace a line from itself to your hip sockets to your heels.

With the front squat style...if the apparatus moves any at all...you WILL fall over and be done. It will be VERY hard to controll a heavy weight on your shoulders like that. Also...you will find it nearly impossible to pick up 550 from a DEEP front squat. There is a HUGE difference between 400 at my contest and 550. Heck...there is a HUGE difference between 400 and 450.

Also note...that my Conan's Wheel is the ONLY one that I've seen in a contest that was adjustable.

B True

Thanks for the info. That's really good to know.

Funny thing though, up here in the northwest, I haven't seen a Conan's Wheel for any contest. Only down your way.....


Joker

 

[b fold the truth]

General exerpt from the IFSA rules...

"§ Belt backwards…chalk only, no tacky…sleeves allowed, rubber coated only
§ Bar must be resting in between the athlete’s forearm and biceps.
§ At the lift command the athlete has 60 seconds to lift the wt. and begin the walk.
§ If an athlete puts the apparatus down at anytime after it has been lifted from the ground they are finished
§ Athletes must walk in a clockwise direction
§ When an athlete puts the apparatus down they are finished and their distance is measured.

 

[t3c]

interesting posts

on a side note...i found that doing conans walks with the 3inch bar felt EXACTLY like the conans wheel itself. well at least the breathing and holding part of it. These made me VERY VERY sore everywhere

there is a big difference between using a regular bar and a 3inch bar on these...a very big one

 

[Exodus]

interesting posts

on a side note...i found that doing conans walks with the 3inch bar felt EXACTLY like the conans wheel itself. well at least the breathing and holding part of it. These made me VERY VERY sore everywhere

there is a big difference between using a regular bar and a 3inch bar on these...a very big one

yeah thats why i started using my log. same pricinpal as grip. if you work your grip wider than you would in your chosen event. ie, you work with a 3 inch thick bar, when you get to the regular bar, your grip is a lot stronger.

well by practing the conans wheel with the log, its about twice as thick as the actuall conans wheel, so it will hopefully be easier. the only problem is not being able to load suffecent weight, but we will see.

X

 

[JOKER47]

interesting posts

there is a big difference between using a regular bar and a 3inch bar on these...a very big one

Dat's da fact, Jack.

I love my 3" bar set up. Makes a huge difference with all zercher style lifts.


Joker

 

[jasonaa97]

Pitt used the front squat style at Nationals and beat me on the conan's wheel. The weight was approx. 600 lbs. I've never tried the front squat style, but it seems to me that you can lean back better and get your hips out in front more with the conventional style. Just my opinion.

 

[t3c]

off topic but how did you guys place. who came in first in the lw, mid, and heavies? was there a teen division?

how did brad place btw

 

[jasonaa97]

We didn't know they had the placings posted at the awards banquet so we still don't know.
This is what someone posted on the anvil.
175#
1st James Boyle (un-freakin-believably-good performance)
2nd Scott Hughes
3rd Travis Pardue

200#
1st Cameron Gardner (LW Overall Champ)
2nd Kevin Webber
3rd Jason Adamski

225#
1st Kirk Nowack
2nd Bill Gergosky
3rd Christopher Berry

250#
1st Cervenka (?)
2nd Shawn Taylor
3rd Ryan Brown

275#
1st David Ostlund
2nd Fred Cordova
3rd Josh Thigpen

300#
1st Corey St. Clair (HW Overall Champ & new Pro!)
2nd Derek Poundstone
3rd Sam McMahon

SHW
1st Van Hatfield
2nd Brice Gimbel
3rd Dan McWhorter

 

[brian747478`]

pitt had a rough time getting it up, but when he did he flew with it.

 

[Lord_Suston]

pitt had a rough time getting it up, but when he did he flew with it.

Man there must have been some strong bastards there if Pitt didn't place

 

[b fold the truth]

Man there must have been some strong bastards there if Pitt didn't place

For some reason people just fail to believe me when I tell them that Brad is FAR from being even the top 200 pound guy...even in St. Louis alone.

The talent pool out there is amazing. At any point when you start to think that you are doing really well, making progress, and that you are one the heels of winning...you get a quick reality check of what the competition really is.

Remember...as you progress...so does everyone else

B True

 

[brian747478`]

there were some VERY strong bastards there, the overall winner came out of the 200 pound class.

 

[Cuthbert]

Pitt is strong; but in a contest like this year's nationals his height hurt him too much.

Plus I don't think people realize how hard it is to do a true front squat on Conan's Wheel...

 

[Lord_Suston]

For some reason people just fail to believe me when I tell them that Brad is FAR from being even the top 200 pound guy...even in St. Louis alone.

The talent pool out there is amazing. At any point when you start to think that you are doing really well, making progress, and that you are one the heels of winning...you get a quick reality check of what the competition really is.

Remember...as you progress...so does everyone else

B True

shit man, I don't know if I can get any stronger staying under 200lbs.

Brian47897u0709668760970- good job bro- I would like to comp[are myself against the best to se how i place

Cuthbert- height is a big factor sometimes, especially on stones when it is for height

 

[revexrevex]

did I just see it or I am hallucinating

stop fucking around you gona get stronger whether you want it or not

shit man, I don't know if I can get any stronger staying under 200lbs.

 

[b fold the truth]

Brian47897u0709668760970- good job bro- I would like to comp[are myself against the best to se how i place

THAT is an amazing attitude man!!! I have the same one. I've got nothing to lose. I'll probably never win another contest for the rest of my life...but I'll always know where I stand compared to the best in the Country...and the World.

B True

 

[Lord_Suston]

THAT is an amazing attitude man!!! I have the same one. I've got nothing to lose. I'll probably never win another contest for the rest of my life...but I'll always know where I stand compared to the best in the Country...and the World.

B True

Funny you mention that, but it seems to me that the best athletes have a common mentality to compete against the best. Years from now I don't want to be lying in my bed thinking what if, while regretting the chance I had to be among the best. I personally think it takes true strength to realize that you might lose and still go out and give it your all...

 

[JOKER47]

Years from now I don't want to be lying in my bed thinking what if,

That very thought goes through my head every time I am in the gym.......



Joker

 

[Exodus]

That very thought goes through my head every time I am in the gym.......



Joker

me too, and every time i lay down, even though i know i gave it my all, i wonder, is there some way to give more!?!?!?

X