Quest for Fire

[Erok]

Mon., 11/21. 221.4#. Dangit.

Chins: 3, 3, 3, 2.6, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 = 27.6.

Squat: 45x..., 135x8, 225x5, 275x5, 320x5, 325x5, 330x5. nothing to see here. just another step on the road to 405.

OHP: 45x..., 95x5, 115x5, 135x5, 155x5.

Push Press: 165x3, 175x3, 185 x 2, 3, 4. easier to get the reps in if I can use the rebound energy.


Beef StrongEnuff: I modified Rip's chili recipe to include mushrooms, using beef chuck, different spices, and a thick, creamy roux instead of the flour water.

[Erok]

Fri., 11/25. 225#. Just getting started. It's Leftover Week!

DL: 135x10, 225x5, 275x3, 325 x 10. I think it's about time (way past time) to break these up into sets across.


Sat., 11/26. Bench & Bounce.

Bench: 45x..., 95x8, 135x5, 155x5, 180x5, 200 x 5. 160 x 8,11, aaand we bounce.

Wife squats the milestone 200x1. She's giddy.


Mon., 11/28. 227.6#. Forgive me Brodin for the gains I am about to receive!

OHP: 75x8, 115x8, 145x8,7(or 8; I lost count), 135x8. Eights are hard.

Bench: 45x..., 95x8, 135x5, 155x5, 175x2, 195x1, 160 x 8,8,8. Made up for Saturday.

LTE: 60x15, 70x15,15. The Triceps are evil. They must be punished.

[Erok]

Of course I'm doing it again this year. It's usually the first Saturday in June, so there's only six months to get ready.
The events should be the same as last year:

Log Clean & Press
Sled Drag
Stones
Tire Flip
Farmers Walk

The Goal: somehow be more awesome.

Weak Points: many. Stones were the worst, Farmers walk second worst, sled third worst, log fourth, tire fifth. So, there's five weak points right there.

The Plan: I'm liking the looks of the strongman 4-day split in the advanced chapter of Practical Programming. I think my programming last year was okay (adapted from StartingStrongman.com), but may have been a bit too complex (and it had front squats).

This program is a 14-weeker, with three phases:
1. 4 weeks of 8s, one week deload
2. 4 weeks of 5s, one week deload
3. 3 weeks of peaking, one week deload/comp

With my 26-week timeframe, I'm thinking I can run phases 1 and 2 right now, take a break, then start phases 1,2,3 at the end of February.

Pros: Strongman is fun. Saturday mornings in the gym!

Cons: Saturday mornings in the gym. It should be possible to run some events on Friday if I know ahead of time that Saturday's no good, but Saturday is when the other Strongmen will be there, and I need to soak up their expertise and unique vernacular. Plus, if wife decides she wants to compete (she's showed interest), that will help compliance.

OH, and I need to get a pair of cleats.

[Erok]

Tues., 11/29. 227.4# Feel the gains flow through you.

Squat: 45x..., 135x8, 185x8, 225x4, 275x8,8,8. man, eights are hard. could also have something to do with the fact that the heat & humidity levels in here are equivalent to an armpit.

RDL: 120x8,8,8. gonna have to get used to these.

DEADMILL - oh, my. this really works. it's too hard to look at the clock while I do this, so I count steps: 50 x 3.


Some kind of casserole with cheese, potatoes & spinach, cheese omelettes. Milk.

[Erok]

Thur., 12/01. 226.4#

Log Clean & Press: 90x5,5, 110x5, 130x3, 140 x 2,2,2,2,2. Every two minutes. Gawd, I missed these.

Dips: 3,3,3,3,3. pretty sure these sucked. yep, they sucked.

Wrist Rollers: 25x 1,2,3,4. all focusing on the extensors.


Rip's Texas Chili again, this time with turkey thighs, onion, parsnips, raisins, garlic, ginger, cumin, black pepper, one green thai chili, and a couple curry leaves.

I'm telling you guys, this recipe is the Starting Strength of recipes.

[Erok]

Tues., 12/06. 221.0#. Man, I had a good thing going there for a while. Rough weekend, though - lost a couple days eating while fighting off some sort of bug, and ran out of creatine.

Squats: 45x..., 135x5,5, 185x3, 225x5, 275x2, 315x2, 250x5,5. That's all I got for now. Felt okay, if a bit heavy.

wife squats 160 for fahves across, then notices I've busted some capillaries in my eye. Jeez, it's not easy being weak.


top sirloin with frozen veggie mix over rice with soy sauce - you got yourself a stir-fry! mmm.

[Erok]

Thurs., 12/08. John Glenn is dead. America is officially out of heroes. Godspeed, Friendship 7.

221.4# It's literally insane in this gym. Packed to the gills with brachial bros & bubble butts. I wanted to clean & press, but it's International Sumo Day, apparently.

OHP: 45x..., 95x5, 135x5, 155x3,

Push Press: 165x2, 175x2, 185x2, 195 x 1,
155 x 8, 8, 7.5. Good enough. Probably shouldn't be doing eights with these anyway.



Chicken & peppers in coconut milk. Wife remembered I made a pint of garlic butter, so it's reallllly dank.

[Erok]

Sat., 12/10. 221#.

DL: 135x6,6, 225x4, 295x2, 365x3. Hook grip!

Stones: 175x1,1,1,1,1,1,1. Forgot how hard this is. I taped the back of my fingernail beds, have broken capillaries in my fingertips now.

Milk Can Holds (175# each): not up to walking with these just yet, so I hold them for what feels like an hour at a time, though in reality it's about 10-12 seconds. x4.

Prowler 180#, 60' x 3. Wife joins me for these. halfway down the turf, she notices the warning sticker they put on them. "What's Prowler Flu? Is that a thing?" Keep pushing it, honey.

Sledgehammer Gadas x a bunch.

sledgehammer lever holds x 3 per side, grip at mid-handle. I always think of Abraham Lincoln when I do these.

DB Bent Press: 40x2, 50x2 My shoulder's all good! I can bent press again!

CoC Trainer x a bunch.


Chuck roast steak with roasted parsnips & tater tots.


Sunday: snow! we got 6.5 inches - cleared the whole damn driveway & walk, then filled up a bunch of buckets with sand at the park. I'm all sweaty & breathing hard: this is Exercise.

Making Hungarian Goulash, using Rip's chili recipe. will be ready tonight!

[Erok]

Mon., 12/12. 220.6# Sigh. It's all this damn clean eating. Nobody has any leftover Halloween candy anymore.

OHP: 45x..., 95x8, 115x5, 135x3, 145x8,8,7. Grr.

Bench: 45x20, 95x8, 135x5, 155x5, 180x3, 201 x 3, 165x8,6, 155x8. The Bench is just an assistance lift; it's just an assistance lift. Just assistance.

LTE: 60x12,12,15. There.


Rip's Texas Chili: the Goulashing. Same recipe, just with mushrooms, less chili, more paprika & some anchovy paste. There's nothing this recipe can't do.

[Erok]

Tues., 12/13. 220.0#. I swear, I'm not cutting. #incredibleshrinkingmanlet

Squat: 45x..., 135x8, 225x5, 255x3, 295 x 8,8,8. Eights suck. They just do.

RDL: 135 x 8,8,10. These are starting to feel good already.

Deadmill: 15sec x 4. takes about 1.5 minutes of rest between efforts to get my heart rate from the peak of 185-190 to below 160. During the max effort, though, heart rate goes down to 120. Sure, I trust the grip-mounted heart rate monitor on a treadmill. Why wouldn't I? Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.


Goulash over rice with cream cheese omelette on top. Trust me.