01/06
Another wonderful day on the training front...
Stone
240 * 0
Yeah, that was fun. I can't keep my left hand cocked to hold the stone. I quit therapy after the accident because she was moving too slow for my strength level, even with the injury. But do you think once I quit that I kept working on it to get it stronger? Of course not. It's better of course, but without tacky in Jan, and my groin not fully healed, I doubt I'm going to hit a single rep.

I spent the rest of the workout on my forearms and wrist. Wrist curls, static holds, Rolling Thunder, levering, and the gyroscope ball.

Now my groin is sore from trying the stone yesterday.
Front Squat
135 * 5
185 * 5
225 * 3 Groin was starting to pull
275 * 1
295 * 1
I was happy I got the last single, but now I'm afraid I'm using alot more on my right leg to take it easy on the groin on my left so...

One leg squat off plyo box
No weight, just did a few sets on each leg for 12 or so. (2nd box, maybe 16"?) My left leg is weaker, but nothing like my arms.

Plyo jumps
To the 3rd box, 22" maybe. Not nearly high enough, but it's all I have at the moment. Did half a dozen sets of 5 of these, working up to a pair of 25lb dbs in my hands. Still not hard or tiring.

Still legged DL
135 * 8
225 * 5
315 * 5
365 * 3

Warmup
1 arm DB clean & press
55 * 5
75 * 3
85 * 1 Took a few tries to stabilize the weight enough in my left hand
95 * 1
100 * 1
The last singles were very easy in my right hand, didn't even make an attempt in my left. I was more interested in how I would do for the contest in March. My grip should hold up in my right hand so the only thing going to slow me down on that event is my conditioning. Better get started. With any luck I can squeek out one or two with my left to give my right hand a break. Have a few weeks to work on it.

Bent over rows
135 * 8
185 * 8
225 * 8
275 * 3 That was too big of a jump

Pulldowns
Did a few close grip sets to whatever weight

DB Farmers
Grabbed the 100s (heaviest) and ran the gym. Made it from one end to the other in no time and then just stood in place holding them. Managed the whole set for 60 secs.
Second set was just a hold for time and managed 45 secs.

Wrist curls
Don't remember the weights but by now my entire forearm was on fire.

Hammer Curls
Don't usually do these so I was unsure of the weight.
Worked up to 65 * 3

Nice job with the dumbbells. Are you using a thick bar for those?

Yesterday 1/10
Overhead
I couldn't make up a good seated press at the gym so I did the usual pressing.
135 * 7
185 * 5
225 * 3
245 * 2
265 * 0
Went back and forth between 245 and 265 for a while but still can't do it.

Switched to standing strict overhead.
Worked up to 185 * 3
My press completely dies a few inches over the top of my head. For kicks I loaded 225 and could press it to the same spot without thinking twice.

Incline close grip
Worked up to 225 * 3

Dips
Worked up to BW+45 * 5

Keith,

Is it the injury that's limiting the OHP? If not, try doing some hang snatches. Just doing them once helped my jerk press tremendously. They really force you to learn how to get under the bar. I'll definitely keep doing them.

It's the injury indirectly. When I took some time off after Nationals in '07 the first things to go were my triceps and hamstrings. Just as I got them back up to speed I wrecked my car. After being away from training for soo long they're slow to come back, especially my triceps. I'm still 20-30 lbs off my best OH and close to 50lbs on my CGBP.

When it gets a little warmer out and I can get back into my garage to train a little better, I'll bring my tris back up.

Thanks for the snatch idea. I was looking for something to do today. Maybe I'll make it a power day and work on dipping under the bar more.

I won't complain. All the 231s were good competitors. I'll be back soon enough.

Overhead
I was going for 245, 265, 285, and was proud of myself for hitting 265. That ends up a contest PR. (My previous record in training is 275, so I'm almost there)

Deadlift
This has always been my weakest and yesterday was no exception. Only managed 3(475lbs), previous best was 6. At this point in my lifting I should be well past that, but again, I haven't had the easiest year. I'm going to beat 6 at CSM(my previous best at this weight).

Farmers
275, only held it for 27secs or so. I did the same in Dec but haven't really trained my grip much so what do I expect?

Keg Carry
And here's where it REALLY went south. Naturally in the interest of saving time, I try to turn quick and just barely break the mat on the ground. In Dec that backfired and I missed the mat and had to go back. So I asked my training partner to stand at one end and guide me until my feet were close enough. If I was short, a simple "TAKE ANOTHER STEP" would have done wonders. Well, that was too much for him to handle so on my third stretch I missed the mat, made it about 15ft in the other direction and had to go back. I couldn't even carry the keg by the finish...I had to toss it a few times until I crossed the finish line.
About the misstep: I was told by more than one person that I actually kicked the mat, but Nick Keaty didn't give it to me. Based on my usual scores lately, I would have got 3rd in this event. But based on my previous events yesterday and my negative expectation on the stone, I didn't question it. Even looking at the scores now, the best I would have done is tie Karia, but he would have edged out the final placing because of his higher placings on more events.

Stone
Since I couldn't do this the other day I was expecting 0, and actually managed 3 reps, another contest PR. I could feel how slow I was moving with the stones...my hip power wasn't there. If I was moving faster I think I still could have muscled a few more, but each rep took some time to get my arms correct since I haven't done stones in forever.

Overall, I did great. I did a helluva lot better than I thought I was going to. After this contest I'm pretty satisfied with my progress back. I'm not nearly as far off as I feel sometimes. My groin is a little tight today, but I think it will loosen up in a day or two. Thankfully, I'm not nearly as sore as Chris is, so I should be back to it on Mon or Tue

Nice job yesterday. Sounds like you had a very good day

Keith,

From my vantage point from across the building it looked as if you had stepped on the mat however Nick was down there and had a better view. Anna told me you had few choice words with George, hahaha.
That WAS a tough group.

Tony

Keith,

If it means anything, I was right there next to Nick. You missed the mat by less than an inch. I know thats what killed you on that event, you were going a good pace. Congrats on getting back your overhead!

Shon

Tue 01/20
Seated DB presses
Think I worked up to the 80s * 5

Face Pulls and Pull Aparts
I could feel my shoulder blades seperating on 285 at the show, and since I see Walsh do Pull Aparts all the time, I did some research on their function. Decided I'm going to incorporate these for a while to help keep my middle back area healthy and stable when I press.

Lying Extension
Think I did a few sets of 100 * 7

I did some other stuff but don't remember now.


Friday 01/23
Rack pulls
The supports in my rack are at about 20", so I decided to stand on a pair of 100s to raise myself to a better height.
Got to 515 * 2
Think I tried 565 but couldn't budge it.
Moved the 100s and pulled it for 2.
Went for 605 and got it moving but couldn't get it very high.
I'll need to do better than this in March, but I have no complaintsw anymore considering my intensity level up to this point.

Axle Cleans
Did a few singles with 185.
This was really just to show George how to continental. He's going to come with me for the Record Breaker by Tony in April. I MAY try to break my record of 250.

Did some random grip work, including my Rolling Thunder to simulate the wide grip I need in March.


Saturday 01/24
1 arm DB cleans
Standard DB
Worked up to a couple sets of 100 * 5 with my RIGHT ARM. I pressed a few random reps without trouble.
Could only get a few random reps of 85 with my left. I may have to do the whole thing in March with my right.

Rest of the day was more direct back work, shrugs and rows type of stuff.

Today was an excellent workout. I kinda left George behind. I'm getting tired of his lack of intensity. I stepped it up today and he couldn't keep up. By the end of the workout he was exhausted and sweating like a pig. I moved some big weight today (for me) and I'm going to continue with or without him. I've got alot of goals and alot of competitions coming up. He wants to try to compete as a LW at the ILSM. Currently he's 285. Can't carry the keg for 5ft. Pulled 365 for 5 yesterday, but couldn't do 315 without straps. He's not going to make it and he's slowing me down.

Time to step it up

I think this was only my 2nd workout since last Saturday; couldn't tell you what it was though.

Snatch
95 * 5
115 * 5
135 * 5
155 * 2
165 * 1
175 * 1
I got that 175 over my head, but I didn't catch it fully extended. I was short a few inches. Still happy though.

1 arm DB C&P
Worked up to 100lbs on both arms.
Could quite catch the weight correctly on my left side, made it to the shoulder but couldn't keep it in position to hold it there.
DId a few sets of 4-5 c&p with my right, full press each rep. Providing my grip wlll hold up I'll be able to do this for the full minute by the contest in March.

Rack Pulls (from about 21", best I can do at the gym)
Worked up to 495 * 3, no straps. Wanted to do more, but need to work on grip also.

Squats
Tried 225 in my normal wide stance, and almost aggravated my groin again. I didn't pull it and I'm sure it's healed, just way too tight. I couldn't get to parallel. After a couple attempts, I narrowed the stance, but now I was sore so just did a few sets of 5, ass to the floor.

Left George in the dust again. He's not going to make it for ILSM so I'm going to start encouraging the Sept show in Manteno instead.

Did some overhead/upper chest/tricep stuff today. Nothing really worth mentioning.

The only thing I want to mention is that I had some trouble with the Incline DB presses. The gym only goes to 100s, so while I was using those, but the 2nd or 3rd set, I was having problems even holding the weight in my left hand. It wasn't just my thumb either. My grip had completely died, to the point that I thought I was going to drop the weight on my chest. Completely distracted from the set. I still managed a few sets of 5-7, but it was really difficult to concentrate on that grip issue.

I'm really hoping it was just a one time thing.