Pol/Fir/Mil NATs '13 - 2 Weeks Out: Last Look & Heavy Liftin'

This weekend was my last chance to get heavy work in before P/F/M Nats. About a year ago I was training heavy for a Dallas Plat Plus show a week out and fucked my back up when pulling my 750 pound 'Doomsday Frame', an injury that haunts me to this day. With the recent 'hard cramp' of two weeks ago, I don't want to take any chances but, I needed a 'last look' before the show.

Failing at 303

DTG: 27JUL2013/1000
LOC: Brownfield Residence
Events: Axle Clean & Press, Arm / Arm Pull, Tire (Chain) Drag, Car Dead Lift

Today was a Team Big Sac extended family reunion at the Brownfield residence. The Barrel Doug Carroll came up from Santa Rosa, Brooks brought a few guys doing the Novice class at Northern Nevada's Strongest Man down from Chico and Fred Larson, Ty-lor Shelgren and Zach rode up with me.

I got some work in on the Axle while everyone else was working with the BiggDogg Logg. I worked up to 303 but I missed it twice. My best good rep was 283, 300+ will sadly have to wait until after VA. I did two sets each of Arm Over Arm Pull / Tire Sled drag with a 220 pound stone in the tire, both times the second go felt better than the first.

My real reason for heading to the Brownfield Residence was to get my hands on his Car Dead setup again. The pick on my Car Dead is about 6" higher than his and the one in VA, and it damn near crippled me last time I used it. I wanted to have another session with it, and be able to walk away from it, before heading out. Today, for my last set, we had a Corolla on the platform w/ 100 pounds of dumbbells in the trunk, with each rep one of the guys threw in a 60 pound sandbag. My 5th rep was my last, with an additional 240 pounds of sand in the trunk... And I walked away from it without cramping or tweaking it. Good training day.

DTG: 28JUL2013/1200
LOC: Fortress of Solitude
Events: Log Press, Keg Press
The sun has been relentless this summer and I was pretty burnt out after my day in Oroville. I decided to omit Frame Dead and 18" Dead today, after the Cad Deads, I didn't want to chance it. I got my whole workout in today in about 45 minutes. I went slightly above event weight on the Log, cleaned it once, pressed it for 4 reps. Not as good as I've done before but I also hadn't done Axel Press / Log Press on back to back days before. I'm going to chalk my weak Log work up to that.

Kegs have been an issue for me lately, mostly because I haven't trained with them enough. Today I worked staggered grip and hit the 207 with the left and right, also the 230 with the left and right. My last rep was a single with the 250, left hand on the top / right hand on the bottom, if that makes sense. Honestly, I was surprised that I hit it today, a 240 is going to be a chore at the end of the push-pull.

Last Two Weeks:
I have 12 full days until the competition. This morning I was 246.8, I have to cut 15.4 pounds. Here's my plans for the final days:

07/29-08/05: Last week of lifting. No max attempts at all. Any static events practice done will be capped at 85% of event weight. Try to hit conditioning every other day first thing in the morning, switching between 20 minute steady state sessions and hi intensity interval training.

08/06-8/08: Rest, rest, rest. Get adjustments and take massages. If any work needs to be done for cutting purposes, keep it very low-impact. Travel day is 08/08, I get in early enough to find a sauna or steam room if needed.

08/09: Wake up, check body weight, cut any final weight that I may need to, head to Brute to weigh-in as early as possible (1100 per entry form) and then hit Waffle House like a wrecking ball, get back to Brute to feel the equipment out, pizza/pasta feed at Regino's with leftovers 3 hours later.

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~SAVAGE~

Pol/Fir/Mil NATs '13 - 3 Weeks Out: Active Recovery

DTG: 20JUL2013/1100
LOC: Fortress of Solitude
Events: Arm/Arm Pull, Sled Drag

Since last Saturday's back injury I've taken 3 days off, got a massage, seen a chiropractor and spent a lot of time on the ice pack. I felt good enough for a little active recovery today...

I only had about an hour to get a combat quick turn mission in, and then was just enough to roll the tire, move the frame out, unravel my lead rope, hook some chains up, get in my workout and put everything away. 

I was sitting in the tire, I didn't have anyone to pull my rope so the tire it was today. It took a lot of the leg drive part out of it, also the shackle dragging behind the frame killed any inertia that may have been there. After recovering I grabbed the shackle and did a backward drag, trying to keep a good pace with short, choppy steps. The rope's about 90 feet, I was probably going 80 feet each way.

Doomsday Frame = 350 Pounds
Chain = 30 Pounds
Shackle = 45 Pounds
Rope = 90'

All I had time for was two sets of each Arm / Arm Pull and Chain (Sled) Drag. I wanted to finish with some work on the rower but, I didn't have time today. 

The back's feeling pretty good. What the Russian massage girl said was it wasn't injured, just really tight and the chiropractor confirmed it. The Car Dead was a lower pick than I'm used to using and when I stiff legged the groceries I most likely cramped everything in a nasty way. Doc also said, even with light things, bend the knees. 

I'm going to go get another massage and another adjustment and then start smashing weights again.

DTG: 21JUL2013/1330
LOC: Fortress of Solitude
Events: Log Press / Axle Press (Both Clean Once, Press for Reps)

I wasn't going to hit the weights today but, I had an epiphany. I'm back to work full time, I have a 7.5 week old newborn and my 11 year old daughter has soccer games on the weekends; I need to get my sessions in when I can. I had about an hour today so I decided to hit Overhead.

Last time I hit the log, I got 4 reps with 240 pounds, I had let it go too long between visits to Doc Ellyson and I heard pops and clicks all the way down my spine while catching the 3rd rep. Today I when up to event weight (250) and hit it for two sets. I wasn't very solid with my first set, the first few reps were a littl off kilter, the last few felt better. I wasn't happy with it so I changed from my Oly shoes to my wrestling shoes and gave it another go, I didn't get as many reps on the second set but it was a better set.

Thinking forward to Open Nationals... IF I qualify for Open Nats... Overhead will be my biggest challenge so I followed up my Log with some Axle work and knocked about seven triples with 213. And with that I was out of time. I should have done some Keg Press and I should have practiced for the Conan's Wheel record but; I was out of time.

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~SAVAGE~