Doing It All Over Again

I stood heaving leaned over my bar on my last set of squats on Friday and watched a young man (maybe 19) walk into the gym and over to the squat rack adjacent to me, load the bar to 95lbs. and begin what would be the first set of many barbell curls.

Now, I have nothing against the barbell curl, in fact, I could stand to do a few more of them. I have a nagging left bicep injury from a run in with a tire in 2007. And, I try not to get discouraged when I see people like him, just wanting some beach muscle. Those type of people who lift strictly for fitness or "buffness" have as much right to the squat rack as I do. But it got me thinking...

As a beginner, I used to read bodybuilding magazines from cover to glossy cover, and digest every single word of their supplement selling garbage articles. I thought about all the time I spent wasted on eating like a bird, supplementing like a OCD chemist, and trying to get strong simultaneously. I thought about how if I were 17 again I would do it all differently, and build everything on the deadlift, squat and overhead press. I would have been there for the small scale NASS contests, when amatuer strongman was in it's infancy, and people were just figuring this sport. I would have gained experience regardless of strength level, or having never touched an implement before. In other words, some of the things that seem almost un-do-able to me now, I would have been able to grow into had I done a lighter version of them then.

But... Had I been there for all that, and fixed myself on such dedication to strongman... I would have missed out on a whole lot of living. And I've got memories with me now I wouldn't trade for millions of dollars, or hundreds of pounds on my deadlift.

So, maybe my hobbie will amount to somthing one day, maybe it won't. Maybe I'm doomed to be the natural nobody, or maybe my aging body will still let me turn pro by age 40, who knows...

I do know this. The path to strength is not paved by reading glossy magazines, or internet "experts", or taking supplements that only make your urine more expensive. There are no "secrets", magic beans, or miracles to be had, especially here. The only trick is years of steady, thoughtful, consistent training.

By the time all these things went through my mind, the young man was done defiling the squat rack, leaving his plates on the bar, he began wasting his time somewhere else. Had I been him, I would have curled that bar one time, to place it in the J-hooks, and put it on my back where it belonged.

Front Squats and Tomato Sandwiches

Today was a day of firsts. It was the first time I front squatted in at least 5 years (and you could tell). Today was also the day I walked to my garden on the side of the house and picked my first red, ripe, juicy big boy tomato. Now, well get back to the training here in a minute...

I'm born and raised in the south. In addition , I'm a connoisseur of fine southern cuisine. The finest of that cuisine may just be a tomato sandwich.

Now, I'm going to make a bold recommendation to Southern (and all ) Strongmen everywhere - Eat more tomato sandwiches. Here are some easy steps you can follow.

1. get a red, ripe, (not store bought) tomato.
2. get two pieces of white sandwich bread (unfortunately all I had was wheat)
   
3. get some mayonnaise
   
4. slice the tomato
5. apply the mayonnaise to the bread
6. make the sandwich
7. feel the molten hot surge of strength go to your muscles and go deadlift like a Gillingham.

So, back to training. I front squatted and my vastus medialis's are feeling the burn. I plan on alternating these with my band squats. My back has really been giving me fits since the contest, so after my front squats I did some leg pressing just to take the heat off my back. I also threw in some heavy abdominal work just to see if some muscular imabalances might be the issue with the back pain, I'm going to keep these steady in the routine.

Now, go eat yourself a Tomato Sandwich... and some biscuits, and some grits, and some fried chicken, and some watermelon... Feels good to be a Southern Strongman...

Let the Overhaul Begin

As I mentioned earlier, back pain, foot pain, and fatness were some of the problems I wanted to deal with after the contest was finally over. So today it began, sort of. The Overhaul must a happen or I imagine by the time I'm forty, I'll have a host of other problems to deal with.

I decide to spend the next few weeks working on barbell strength and overall conditioning before going back to the heavy events days in prep. for the Contest in TN in October. The only two events I plan on working on during this time are the Log and Stones, my worst two events. I plan on including lots of dog walking, swimming, and stretching and sled pulling for conditioning work. At least that is the plan. Plus I love a barbell, and sometimes the stark cold simplicity of a heavy bar that resists movement is a delight to hold.

I got to the gym around 6:30am and ran into a friend of mine that's done a couple of olympic weightlifting competitions. We talked about the GSM contest, how I came in last, and how it might best be prevented next time. He joked about how at his first Oly. contest last summer he got beat by a girl... Granted that girl went on to place at Weightlifting Collegiate Nationals, but she was still a girl.

I kept things light today, I didn't realize how sore my sinews still were from Saturday's show until I grabbed a hold of that barbell.

AM:

Axle barbell complexes40lb X alot of rowing, upright rows, presses ect.

130lb. x more of the same, several sets of overhead press x mult. reps, and rows of various kinds, I even praticed my continental clean a little, rainbow presses ect.

Lying dumbell tricep extensions 35lb x 15 x 3sets
Hammer low row 180 x 10, 240 x 10 x 2, throw in a few DB curls for my sore lt. bicep 25 x 15

PM:

Walked into Chinese Buffet x 50 feet

Filled Up Plate with Chinese Goodness x 3sets

Fork to Mouth x 247 reps
Pulled handle on Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine x 2

did I mention I needed to deal with the fatness?....

Last Day of Training

Well, today was it. I'm managed to escape my training without any crippling injuries. Now only to eat and sleep and wait for Saturday.

Today looked like this
squats- bar x 10, 135 x 5 x 2, 225 x 5 x 2

2" bar Bench Press
Bar x infinity, 135 x 15, 185 x 10, 225 x 10

Push Jerks 2" bar
bar x 5, 135 x 5 x 2, 185 x 3

Parallel Grip Lat Pulldowns
135 x 15, 180 x 12, 225 x 10

The Week Before

Two weeks ago I couldn't bend down to tie my shoe without a bolt of lightening ripping down my back and left leg. The second toe on my left foot is killing me and goes numb if I stand up too long. Both my knees ache pretty much all the time, a recent development ever since my Earth suit turned 30. And I haven't slept through the night in quite a while due to the fact the to lie down is to drown in my own fat, a phenomenon amplified by the fact that I can sleep no other way than on my stomach, my ever growing stomach...

I am a strongman.

It takes a special form of insanity to put your body through this. An insanity more dignified, noble, disciplined than all the others. Eight months ago I was a svelte 263 pounds, sporting a 40 inch waist (one more size and I could have shopped in the normal people section), my double chin had faded, and I would even get compliments consistently on my weight loss...

Enter the posting on NAS for Georgia's Strongest Man 2009. This was it, my chance to get in the game and do it on a shoestring budget. So training began shortly after New Year's and since then it has been a steady diet of "all you can eat" combined with gym lifting and events training on Saturday's. Twenty Seven Pounds later here I sit, winded from typing, limited to clothing with drawstrings and elastic waistes, only four days from my second debut (we won't talk about my first).

I don't expect to win, I'm realistic about my abilities. But one thing is for sure, I'm stronger now than I've ever been, older than I've ever been, and more excited about the challenge in front of me than I've ever been.

So before I go guzzle yet another Protein Shake here is a rundown of my last events day. Saturday the 6th of June, just wanted to do a dry run and take it easy:

Log - empty x gagillion, 135 x 5, 175 x 3 (working on push jerk>), 205 x 2, 225 x 1, 235 x 1
Frame Carry - 210 x 100ft, 340 x 50ft. x 2 (set down turn around pick up), 480 x 50 x 2 (held it a few extra seconds did some shrugs)(also, did a couple extra deadlifts with it)
Tire Flip (540lb.) flip x 2,flip x 15
Gasped for air and tried not to vomit x 5 minutes
Stones over 54" bar 215lb x 1, 240lb. x 3 x 2
Tried to close my friend's #2 CoC gripper x unsuccessful, wow that is tough


Tonight:
Walked dog x 45 minutes
Watered Tomato Plants x 5 minutes