A Lifter's Iron Log...

[moya]

all this talk about pistol squats and atlas stones is getting me excited....

in your opinion, would one be able to pick up a stone as heavy as one could zercher squat, or a bit less?
i do like your plan for the squats, i tested my squat the other week and the deads have kept it up pretty close...

 

[Andalite]

Your back squats will not drop.

I think you should work on hip mobility (not the convention foam rolling BS by itself but ACTUAL hip mobility) and Pistol Squats. Along with Pistol squats I think you should also start doing some Front Squats.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

Andalite what hip mobility exercises would you recommend?

I'm at the point that I want to drop down to 205-215ish, be strong, fit, flexible, look good and have strong cardio. I'm happy with the strength I built up after a solid year of training, but don't like the way I look and feel. I can already feel my jersey fitting abit better in the mid-section and my cardio improving.

I am definitely interested in improving my mobility.

Moya, I don't think you could pick up a stone that was the same weight as what you zercher without having done some regular stone lifting. The reason I say this is because lifting the stone takes a very strong contraction of the pectorals like a hard dumbell flye, but also really hits your open palm grip hard. The fingers just don't want to hold the weight.

If I remember right you can zercher +300. I would be impressed if you could lift a 200-250lbs stone because of the specific grip requirements. That said I think you have the strength to lift a stone that heavy in all your other body parts and could develop the specific strength required to lift a heavy stone pretty rapidly.

 

[Andalite]

Here's a link for all stuff Mobility

I suggest you choose 10-12 exercises and do them as your standard warm-up.

It has videos, etc so you don't have to worry.

I do the following or variations of the following:

IT/FL Band Stretch
Supine Bridges / Hip Raises
Ankle Mobility (there are 2-3 exercises for this)
Bird Dog / some Glute Activation Drill
Seated 90/90 stretch or Cradle Walk
Pull Back Butt Kicks
Warrior Lunge / Walking Lunge or something along these lines
Unilateral RDLs with no weight
Squat-to-Stand
Squat-holds (this one is done after a workout)

 

[moya]

i will have to call up Super Training Gym in sacramento and see if they are set up for strongman at all... its a very popular powerlifting gym and only about 2 hours drive from here... i could make it up there once a month if i tried...

so much i want to do, but its impossible to do everything and excell...

 

[Tblock1]

i will have to call up Super Training Gym in sacramento and see if they are set up for strongman at all... its a very popular powerlifting gym and only about 2 hours drive from here... i could make it up there once a month if i tried...

so much i want to do, but its impossible to do everything and excell...

I know I hate it! I want to be as strong as possible for my bodyweight, be a good fast and distance runner, be able to backpack quickly and easily with weight, have great grip strength, great bw exercise endurance, be able to rock climb well, and have excellent balance. Most of those goals are completely conflicting haha!

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

5-25-2011

Kettlebells and chinups today. See if I can remember this:

Started off with a 25lbs kb and worked cleans and snatches for a couple reps each side.

Then grabbed a 52lbs kb and did:

20 alternate one arm kb swings
12 fast pushups
3 chinups to upper chest
one arm kb clean and press each arm twice for singles
one arm snatch each arm once

Then hopped onto a large tractor tire about 8x

Grabbed a 70lbs kb and one arm clean and pressed it for 2 singles each arm, snatched it each arm
10 fast pushups
2 chinups to upper chest

Completely 2 leg leaped over the large tractor tire about 4-5x throughout the course of the workout for explosion.

grabbed another 52lbs kb and 2-52lbs kb alternate press and jerked them for a set of 8-10 reps

52lbs kb alt one arm swings for 25 reps
8 fast pushups
3 chinups to upper chest

Hopped onto the tractor tire 8-10x

Grabbed the BEAST. It's a 106lbs kettlebell. A few log posts back I mentioned pressing it and I did even though I wasn't sure how much it weighed at the time. I leaned a tad to the side to engage the lat more, but it was more press than side press when I pressed it. That was technically probably my best pressing feat I think. BOOYAH bitches! Today I tried to press it, but no luck. I actually got it about half way up, but no dice. Sad face Anyhow I know as my training method is changing, being off even a pretty low dose of testosterone and losing bodyweight that I will lose some top end strength, but it's all good. I feel better already and am limbering up.

Hung for 10 seconds on a thick rope switching hand positions so 2-10 second hangs.

And that was the workout. Did light shoulder dislocates with a pvc pipe before the workout and after the stretching. I stretched for about 10 minutes after and am getting close to the full splits.

I can only guess the crossfitters see this 235-240lbs guy almost doing a full split and thinking that's just not right/fair lol.

 

[ExtraMile]

i will have to call up Super Training Gym in sacramento and see if they are set up for strongman at all... its a very popular powerlifting gym and only about 2 hours drive from here... i could make it up there once a month if i tried...

so much i want to do, but its impossible to do everything and excell...

Do it!!! I bet Mark Bell could really help bring your bench up too. I bet with a high bench you could be totalling some awesome weights

 

[SPEKTOR-AAA]

i will have to call up Super Training Gym in sacramento and see if they are set up for strongman at all... its a very popular powerlifting gym and only about 2 hours drive from here... i could make it up there once a month if i tried...

so much i want to do, but its impossible to do everything and excell...

Moya where you live bro?

Im 25 mins from Sacto

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

6-1-2011

Rather than try to list the exact order of my workout I'll just write it all down in whatever way I can remember.

kettlebell 25lbs, 3-5 each arm, couple snatches and presses
52lbs, couple cleans each arms, couple presses, couple snatches
62lbs, couple cleans, presses and snatches
70lbs, couple cleans, presses and snatches

2-52lbs kettlebells jerks, 12-13 reps
2-52lbs kettlebells alternate presses 14 total reps

2 hands anyhow with kb's:
clean and press 52lbs, bend down and grab, curl and press 52lbs kb
clean and press 62lbs, bend down and grab, curl and press 52lbs kb
clean and press 70lbs, bend down and grab, curl and press 52lbs kb

10 fast pushups

3 sets of 3 chinups to upper chest
2 sets of 3 pullups to just under chin

light jump up to rings and couple of kick ups into upside down hanging position

5 parallel bar dips smooth and slow

couple of starting rings position holds(top position of a dip)these are really hard for me atm

1 set of alternate swings with 52lbs kb 30 reps

2nd set of like 10 alternate swings, this was later in the workout and my cardio was giving up on me lol

That's about it. I pushed the pace pretty decently so I was huffing and puffing through most of the workout after the initial one arm kb clean rotations

Finished out with stretching for about 10 minutes, lots of lowerbody stretching though I need to extend this to about 15 minutes and get more upperbody and back stretching in as well, getting real close to full splits, also did some light arm dislocates.

Bodyweight 234.5lbs, haven't changed diet at all. I've lost about 10lbs. Could be some from the legs as I have not squatted hard in weeks, but I need to get this left hip fully recovered. I'm thinking 2-3 more weeks and then I'll test out the squats again.