Strength Sports Gym, where I train, is a little warehouse/dungeon. As the main entrance is a roller door that's open so long as the gym's open, there is no air conditioning, although there are some fans. Here in Australia, it's the middle of summer. The days are either dry or humid, but they're invariably hot. When I left home at about 10:00 this morning, the temperature in my garage was about 32C. I don't know how hot it was by the time I finished up at the gym, but suffice it to say, it was definitely hotter than at 10am.
You might think I'd be tempted to go train in an air conditioned building. It would be a sensible thing to think. But you'd be wrong to think that. In an air conditioned building, I'll find that I'm the strongest squatter and deadlifter in the gym, or at least close to it. It's nice for the ego, but terrible for motivation when you're a 140kg squatter like me. Batman needs his Joker, Superman needs his Lex Luther, Ash needs his Gary, Goku needed his Piccolo (but then he got a Vegeta, and Piccolo became obsolete). And it turns out that I'm benefitting greatly from having other members in the gym to rival. There's something to be said about having someone there, constantly 1-upping you. To many people, this may seem like something demotivating, but I'm finding that being surrounded by guys who squat 150-250kg gives me something to reach for, and it shows me that such strength is really possible, in a way that bb.com e-stats can't replicate.
Is that worth missing out on air conditioning for a couple hours each day? You betcha.
Squats
10xBW
10x20kg
5x40kg
3x60kg
1x80kg
3x10x100kg -- This is a volume PR; the last time I did 10x100kg, it was only for 1 set. Over the next 6ish weeks I'll be working to secure a 150kg 1RM...then Nick's got a 6-wk Soviet peaking program planned for me to do after that 150kg 1RM is secured, to push my 1RM up to a number nearer 155-160kg. I approve.
Speed Pull
5x60kg
3x5x65kg
Tyre Flip
14x140kg
12x140kg
15x140kg -- I was going to try the technique that all the online guides give, which is to get the feet back and drive your chest into the tyre. Turns out that our tyres are a bit too thin to do this, and instead of finding myself in a mechanically advantageous position, I found myself unable to support my own weight. So I reverted straight back to sumo deadlifting the tyre.
Calf Raise/Leg Raise/Side Bridge
2x17x300lb/5/10
Unfortunate that you were unable to make use of the research you did on tyre flipping.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of your stuff is going well, which is great.
Unable to post on normal forum where I see your stuff so thought I would post here and hope for the best.
I may start one of these new fangled blog things myself. I have administered a few and never used one.
Tony aka CrazyOldMan
Thanks, Oldie.
DeleteSSG have enlisted me (and about half of all the members) into an unofficial strongman competition at an unspecified time, seemingly in response my 270kg flip on Friday. It appears that it would be wise of me to flip a lot of tyres, carry a lot of farmers and drag a lot of sleds over the next unknown amount of time if I want to be in with a chance. I'm good with backsquat strength, not so good with dad strength, and strongman events are all dad strength to the max.
The forum's been down on me, too. I've sent a message to admin about it, nothing appears to have been done about it. I've had a few other blogs, and they've pretty much all gone unused. Since I'm using this one to log my training, it's pretty much inevitable that if I make it to the internet it'll be updated multiple times a week, instead of going 6 months at a time between posts.
I might start up one of these blogs myself, rather than relying on forum.
ReplyDeleteNo competitions at my gym. With it being at home this would be a bit unfair.
Lot of core and anrm strength in strongman, especially reach and grip. Good to have something to be working toward though.
Tried finding you on a search and there are some well dodgy geezers with your name so I didn't contact any of them.
Are you suggesting I'm not a dodgy geezer? :P
DeleteNot at all, just that you look less dodgy than the others sharing your name.
ReplyDeleteI am well aware appearnces can be deceptive. When I am meeting customers on behalf of the company, I look like a professional sane individual. Always fun when I meet people that I normally only deal with on the phone, I don't get out of the office much, they tend to expect someone a little different.