Strongman Progress

The class at TWR is all said an done. My progress has been pretty good so far, both in terms of strength and technique.

Here's an overview:

Log Press: I'm not even training it. Why? I'm a wimp. But seriously, the chances of me doing remotely well at my current state are slim. I'll scratch here, and start training my pressing strength soon after the contest.

Stone and Keg Carry: Just tried this out for the first time at Brute Strength. Seems easy. Gotta be quick to lap the stone, but the kegs weren't difficult. I pretty much ran with a 180# keg. So, I know I can complete this, and I should have enough gas to do well. I'll continue to train this occasionally, but I don't really have a set time standard, so measuring progress is difficult. At least I know I won't make an ass out of myself.

Axle Deadlift: I did what I believe was a single at 405# my first time. I've been training my deadlift like crazy lately. I just hit 370x5 this morning, working on a 2 month long linear progression, hit a heavy set of 5 once a week. Yes, once a week deadlifting is a lot for me. But hey, I'm still progressing, so why do more? I may or may not be able to hit 380x5 next week, so at that point I'll move into a ME cycle, working up to a (hopefully) pr 3RM next week or the following, and again hopefully a new 1RM in two weeks or so. I'm shooting for 470, a little ambitious, but I'm feeling strong. What this all adds up to, is that I plan on doing halfway decent on the axle deadlifting, given that the range of motion is limited, and I have decent grip strength.

Tire Flip/Sled Drag: Just hit this last weekend at BS gym (haha). Their 550# tire felt significantly lighter than the one at TWR. Also, I can see how much the implement and the surface matters when it comes to the sled. 300# on their sled felt like 180 on mine. I need to work on my tire speed, and anticipating the bounce. I'm over the whole losing my cool by the 6th or 7th flip, so that's a good sign.

Stones: Man, I don't even know right now. I've lapped the 285, and gotten the 250 up on Chris's platform. I've shouldered up to 217#. The thing is, lifting the lighter stones is still extremely taxing, so while I may be able to get the 4th stone if I was fresh, I might not be able to get the 3rd if I've already picked up a few. I need to start working the stones in series, and get comfortable lifting the 250 and 285.

Generally speaking, I've hit several PR's on my lifts lately, including a 220# Clean, 205# OHS, 335# Back Squat. Nothing monumental, but all PR's all the same.

That's it for now.