Bigger Stronger Fatter

robert · **Posted:** Wed Mar 04, 2009 1:58 pm

Well done in your contest! I really enjoy seeing you around on the forum and watching your videos, reading your posts, etc.

It's great stuff!

I love heavy weights too......all the best!

Lean and Green · **Posted:** Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:26 pm

Dude AWESOME love this stuff. Nice work brother. I just flipped did tire flips myself for the first time yesterday. ALOT of fun. I loved when you were pushing the hummer more than anything the way your body was positioned. That was sick.

Keep it up man; you're only going to get stronger

I look forward to learning some strength stuff from you; i'm sure I will after my comp is over and it's time to bulk up and lift strong!

Tasha · **Joined:** Mon May 21, 2007 3:25 pm **Posts:** 3410

welcome done on your contest
I really enjoyed seeing it on you tube

ralst · **Joined:** Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:29 am **Posts:** 261

Cheers all.

I remembered this log a few days ago, and thought about reviving it as I get ready for my second strongman contest in April. Now, since apparently there's interest (much appreciated!), I guess I'll do that

First off -

The contest I'll be competing in is the Golden State Strongman Challenge in Fresno, CA on April 18th. The events are:

1. Yoke and Farmer's Medley. 50 feet each. The yoke will weigh 600 lb and the farmers will be 250 lb per hand.
2. Log Clean & Press for reps. 230 lb log.
3. Car Deadlift
4. Arm-Over-Arm Pull
5. Stones for Reps. 300 lb atlas stone.

I'm coming into this contest a bit more confident than last year. I know I won't zero in any event (except for possibly the car deadlift - the weight is TBA on that). My goals for each event are:

1. Yoke and Farmers - Finish the course. Secondary goal is to finish the course quicker than at least one other person

2. Log Clean & Press. I'd like to get at least 3 reps.
3. Car Deadlift - ??
4. Arm-Over-Arm Pull. In training so far I've sucked at this. But the weight at the contest is also to-be-announced, so I can't make a prediction. Going to train this hard until April and hopefully get better at it by then.
5. Stone. 3 reps.

Ok, with that out of the way, here's my training so far this week:

Monday

Box Squats
3 @ 145
2 @ 195
2 @ 235
belt:
2 @ 285
belt + knee wraps:
3 x 2 @ 325

Log Press
5 @ 113
5 @ 157
1 @ 177
2 x 5 @ 190

Deadlift against doubled purple bands
5 @ just the bands (guessing they added around 100lbs of resistance at the top of the lift)
5 @ bands + 135
5 @ +225
2 @ +275
tried to pull a bit faster:
2 @ +225 - much better
2 @ +275 - better than the first 2 @ 275

Wednesday

Yoke
2 x 50' @ 275
2 x 50' @ 375
belt:
2 x 50' @ 475
2 x 50' @ 525

Farmers
100' w/ turn @ 115/hand
100' w/ turn @ 165
belt:
50' @ 225

Cable Low Row w/ Rope Attachment
10 @ 120
2 x 10 @ 140
leg drive:
5 @ 180
5 @ 200

DB Bench
10 @ 40s
10 @ 60s
3 @ 70s
3 @ 80s

robert · **Posted:** Thu Mar 05, 2009 7:08 am

I look forward to reading this journal!!!!!!!

ralst · **Joined:** Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:29 am **Posts:** 261

Not a great workout today.

Squat - wide stance
5 @ 95
5 @ 135
3 @ 185
2 @ 225
belt:
2 @ 275
1 @ 315
f @ 335 = not happy

Rethinking continuing to do squats with a wide-stance because: A) I'm not good at them, and B) I thought they'd help with hip strength for the yoke, but I think just doing the yoke every week is enough.

Chain-Suspended Good Morning
5 @ 95
5 @ 135
3 @ 185
belt:
2 @ 225
1 @ 245

Really should have done more volume on the lower-body stuff, but I just couldn't muster the energy for it.

Bench
5 @ 95
5 @ 135
1 @ 185
1 @ 205
1 @ 225
f @ 245 - close, but not quite
2 x 10 @ 135

2-Board
5 @ 185
2 x 2 @ 225

BO Row
5 @ 135
5 @ 185
2 x 5 @ 155

Cable Row
2 sets of 25

Not pleased at all with this workout. Ate lots of tofurkey sausages afterward; felt better.

I went back in the gym this afternoon to coach Emelia and I did a little bit of grip work and some chinups.

MollyMormon · **Posted:** Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:14 pm

You are SO COOL!!! Great videos.

ralst · **Joined:** Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:29 am **Posts:** 261

Thanks Molly.

A little bit of training today:

Went in with Em this afternoon for some medley stuff. We both, but mostly her, did tire flip/box jumps/chain drag circuits; I flipped the 800lber for a couple sets of four, which was enough to get me sweaty. And then I did a little bit of stone loading: singles to 45" platform, up to one @ 285 and one @ 300. The 300 gave me a bit of trouble, mainly because I haven't done stones in a while and kept gripping it off center, but when it went it went easily.

Squats/Log/Stones on the menu for Tuesday. Front Squat/Strict Press/Rack DL on Thursday. And Yoke/Farmers/Arm-Over-Arm on Saturday. I *should* be able to hit all the events of the upcoming contest every week and still keep the workload at a manageable level.

ralst · **Joined:** Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:29 am **Posts:** 261

Tuesday

Squat
5 @ 105
5 @ 145
2 @ 195
1 @ 235
5 x 5 @ 265 PR for 5X5 - first two sets done without belt

Log Split Jerk
5 @ 157
1 @ 177
3 x 5 @ 203

Stones to 46"
2 x 2 @ 285
2 x 3 @ ~240

ralst · **Joined:** Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:29 am **Posts:** 261

Thursday

Not the best day. Studying all day yesterday and this morning for an exam, so I couldn't make it to the gym till 6pm, and then I had to rush through everything. Overhead went ok. Still need to learn to train smarter...tendency to max out every workout is strong, but often ends badly

Log - 1-Motion
1 @ 157
1 @ 177
1 @ 190 PR - missed this a couple weeks ago, went up well today

Log - Split Jerk
1 @ 210
4 @ 234 rep pr
3 x f @ 254 - should be in the bag. I went for this without much rest after the set of 4. Second and third attempts amounted to little, but made the cleans.

Front Squat
3 @ 135
3 @ 185
3 @ 225
1 @ 275
2 x f @ 315 - stupid, barely resting between sets, should have just nailed some reps around 260.

Rack Pull - had about 4 minutes left
5 @ 135
5 @ 225
5 @ 315
3 @ 405
2 x 1 @ 495 - hard. Need to get better at these before the competition - the car deadlift is supposed to be about 500lb in hand.

Fallen_Horse · **Posted:** Fri Mar 13, 2009 1:41 am

You do anything special to prevent injury?

ralst · **Joined:** Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:29 am **Posts:** 261

What do you mean? What type of injury?

Today I dropped a 210 lb log on my foot, and then a 254 lb log on on my leg...generally I try not to do stuff like that, if that's what you mean

sosso · **Posted:** Fri Mar 13, 2009 3:17 am

That made me chuckle.. I hope you didn't hurt yourself

ralst · **Joined:** Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:29 am **Posts:** 261

Nah, no major injuries or anything, just feeling stupid

Saturday - Events

Decent training today.

Log Cleans
5 @ 113
5 @ 157
5 @ 179
5 @ 201
5 @ 221
2 @ 241
3 @ 231

Yoke + Farmers, 50' Each
1 @ 375 + 1 @ 125/hand
1 @ 575 + 1 @ 225/hand - NICE! No drops on either one - slightly off contest weight, but still a PR for me, and only took ~40 seconds.
1 @ 625 + 1 @ 250/hand - contest weight for the farmers, 25lb over contest weight for the yoke. But slow and hard - yoke was ok, three drops but quickly repicked each time. Farmer's...pretty bad, dropped immediately after picking them up. Rested a couple minutes, then, with more drops, finished the 50'.

Work to be done

Did a couple long sets of thick-handled farmers with only 125/hand. The thick-handles we have are nice because once my grip gives out, I just rotate the handle over and there's a regular handle to pick them up with

This was a good "finisher" - not real taxing to anything except my grip, and that's what needs work.

A few sets of GHR and home.

ralst · **Joined:** Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:29 am **Posts:** 261

Here's the video from Saturday's session:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRjJ3NU-Y5o&fmt=22

Also, I feel compelled to note that today my order from trueprotein.com arrived: 5 lbs of rice protein for me, 2 lbs of soy protein for Em, and a few assorted pounds of rice/soy for friends and family

Just tried the orange juice indulgence flavor with a 75g of rice protein shake...not bad at all

Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Bigger Stronger Fatter

Who is online