Day 294

He is Risen.

Great Easter Sunday with my family.  I am so blessed to be where I am.

Plus a 3 and a half hour nap was a huge blessing too.

Day 293

Got out in the garage to wreck some stuff

Band warmup

Log empty x ?
175 x 2, 2
205 x 1
225 x 1
245 x 1
275 x darn lockout strength...

For the record I had no business trying for a PR, I just felt good and I wanted to give it a test to see what was up. I still insist that I am too old to miss a lift.

Bench lockouts a la Jimmy Whisman and Bradley "Roll Tide" Stanford
worked up to 365 x 2, and 385 x miss

Frame deadlift

380 x 5
540 x 6
650 x 1 + a 30 second hold

Keg press and carry 150lb keg x 4 (I'm pretty sure carrying it in the lockout overhead position is the easiest way)

210 stone x way to aggravate my bicep

more kids screaming, and family fun was had by all

Day 292

My oldest sister and her family came into town. And being that I live around the corner from my other sister and her bunch everybody was over at the house to see the baby (my wife and I adopted another little girl for those of you following at home, it was a sudden and crazy thing that I don't generally recommend, but she is a complete joy)

ANYWAY. So all the cousins are running around my house screaming and we're all full from the ginormous meal we just at and I'm going to bed. 

Day 291

I was supposed to deadlift today, but I just didn't have the time.  I'm just going to piggyback it on Saturday's training.

Day 290

Band shoulder warmup

Standing Barbell Lockouts w/ chains
bar x 5,5
115 x 3 x 8 (dynamic, trying to push the bar through the ceiling)
135 x 1
165 x 1
195 x 1 (just enough)

I invented this next exercise ( I think). I took my single rope attachement and hooked it to my two sets of chains and then did overhead tricep extensions with the chains coming off the floor.

This x several sets

Band tricep pushdowns x several sets

Light barbell curls x 25 x 3
(hate to sound optimistic here, but my bicep is getting a little better)

Day 289

Had a great dinner / evening with some friends that have come into town to visit. It was a great night and even got a nap in this afternoon, built a fire since it was so cold.  It was a good time. 

Day 288

18.5" box squats
bar x 5
135 x 5
225 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 2
405 x 2
435 x 2
465 x 2
Today was max effort squat day, but I've decided to rarely do max singles in the gym, it's not worth it and it takes to much out of me for the next training day.  So I'm going with max doubles and triples in some of the big lifts when it calls for it.

Marty Gallagher once said - "I lift heavy twice a year, at Nationals, and at World's." I'm saving "all out" for contests. Plus I don't need to miss lifts, ever. Ain't nobody got time for that.

Calf raises 225 x 15 x 3

Arch Back Good mornings (narrow stance) 135 x 8 x 3

Day 287

Had a great morning with the family, we watched church on TV. Followed by a delicious lunch and a nap.

Late this afternoon got out and did  my sled drags.

8 trips total for biceps and triceps. 

Day 286

Ran a few errands to Tractor Supply and Home Depot, got some good ideas in mind for improving my squat rack and a few other projects.

Then I was able to get out in the garage and do some things

Log clean and strict Press
empty x several
175 x 5
200 x 4
210 x 2
220 x 2

Lots of shoulder movements with bands x a lot

Barbell Strict press
135 x 5
155 x 5
185 x 5,5

band rows x 4 sets

wrist roller x 6 sets

Day 285

In laws are in town helping with the new baby. Me and mommy took a nap this afternoon and then just hung out with the family.

Good day of recovery. Glad for the weekend.

Day 284

Got a short nap in, had to set my alarm, because I could have slept until tomorrow.

Then off to the garage.

Speed deadlift
bar x lots of movements until I warmed up
145 x 5
215 x 3
305 x 2
335 x 2
365 x 2
405 x 2
425 x 2
365 x 2,2

Band lat pulldown 3 x 10

Barbell curls 5 sets various weight, left bicep still killing me with heavier weight or reverse grip.

Day 283

Took little blonde mop top to horse riding lessons at Storybook Farm. She had a great time as usual and got a solid hour of riding in with the horse they assigned her, Corduroy.

Great sunny afternoon. Then home to the rest of the family. Tired, but things are alright.

Day 282

Bad day in the garage gym, lots of company and distractions with the new baby.

incline bench w/ light bands off pins (w/u to a 3 rep max)
bar x several
135 x 3
155 x 3
175 x 3
185 x 3
195 x 2 (tried for three but it was a no go)

One arm Dumbell Press (these were done with each arm, I can't believe how weak an event this is for me)

60lb x 5,5
80 x 3,3
90 x 2,2

band pushdowns x 3 sets

barbell curls x 3 sets

Day 281

The good thing about a home gym is that you have all the conveniences of home available to you... Including a working toilet. The bad thing about it...  You also have all of your homes obligations distracting you from training.

Today was a good day though. My oldest daughter, Rebekah came out to play while I lifted in the garage.

Squats
bar x 5 x 2
135 x 7
225 x 15 (it was rep squat day, still getting back on track so I kept it light)

Helped Rebekah ride her bike and tried to get the kite in the air, but it never would take.

~40yard sprints. x 6, started out slow and worked up.

Calf raises 225 x 15 x 3

Day 280

Rebekah wanted to play in the hot tub (her heated pool) so while she did that I went out in the back yard and got re-acquainted with my tire sled that has a old 45lb bumper plate on top.

Did several trips for biceps and triceps and shoulders, these felt really good on the bicep and I'm going to try and do that more. Very therapeutic.

Day 279

Weightlifter buddy came over and we did some strongman stuff we each chose two movements.

Him: barbell complexes

worked up to a short complex with 145

Me: rack pulls against bands and chains for max double

worked up to 405lb bar weight, bar just below knee

Him: frame carry

two trips with 360lbs. (working on foot speed, kept these light, it's been a while)

Me: 540lb. tire flip

4 sets of 5 (felt good, arm didn't bother me too bad, worked on running through the tire and being fast)

Day 278

Tried to stay awake, played outside some this afternoon, and then some friends brought us dinner and we hung out with them and their kids. A good time was had by all.

Day 277

Another Day in my Garage. 

I really am starting to like it. If there's something out of place or the rack is all janked up I got nobody to blame but me. Plus it was fun having Tinkerbell join me with some sidewalk chalk and her new Barbie kite. 

Lots of Band warmup and rotator cuff exercises x 10 minutes

Floor press with 1 set of chains (cause that's all I've got)

Bar x 10

135 x 10

185 x 8

235 x 1, 8

It was upper body rep day I took a good shoulder width grip and just went 'til I couldn't go anymore. Did the first rep just to prime the pumps.

Barbie Kite Flying x 20 minutes

Axle overhead lockouts

empty x 10

90 x 10

160 x 12 (to failure)

Band pushdowns x 15 x 4

Barbell Curls x 15 x 4

a few more light band exercises after that.  

Day 276

Of course, sleep is really going to become an issue now with the new baby, at least for a good while.  I did get a nap in and try to help out a lot this evening.  I think my main job is to try and keep our "off the walls" active 5 year old out of mommy's hair.

What a journey.

Day 275

Finally got back under the bar today.

Speed Squats (just trying to move the bar fast)
All sets + 1 set of chains
bar  x 5
135 x 3
225 x 2 x 8
---
to a 16.5" box
275 x 2
315 x 2

Standing Calf raise
135 + chains x 20 x 3

Squat Jumps x 3 x 6

Enjoyable first day in the home gym. Now getting my pre-workout bowel movement out of the way is no problem.

Baby is doing great and sleeping a little more each night, she's a cutie.

Day 274

Was supposed to begin the cube method today, but as you've read, life had other plans. 

Oh well, the weights will be there when I get to them.

I did get to do a little organizing and make some more sense of all my junk. So at least that's something.

Baby had a great checkup and is doing great.

Day 273

Big thanks to all the people who continue to love on us and help us.  Today was good. I spent most of it trying to entertain Rebekah and show her some attention. We went outside to play and I was able to clean up in the garage a little more and get my platform secured.

The new baby is doing great, she is adorable and did pretty good in the night.

What a crazy last few days.

Day 272

What a day.

We found ourselves in the Nursery of a hospital a couple hours drive. 

My parents met us and took Rebekah on a little excursion to the nearby mall.

We met our new daughter and her birth mother in what was a very good, much needed, very emotional day.  I have the utmost repect for her and her decision to give this child the best life possible.

What a day...

My mom drove home to help us for the next few days. There's two carseats in the back now...

What a day...

Day 271

Went to work a half a day and then came home and put together a crib, moved some furniture and brought a bunch of baby stuff we had been saving out of the storage building.

The wife put the APB out for some help with girls from her bible study and people have been dropping stuff off all day. I don't kow that I could ever thank folks for all the help we've recieved.   It has been amazing.

Tomorrow should be something.

Day 270

Today was a difficult to describe.  We drove to Helena to meet with our adoption agency to finalize our paperwork and officially begin "waiting" for a child to become available for adoption.

Well, about 9pm tonight we got a phone call that I child had been born in a nearby hospital, and the mother wanted to place the baby for adoption, and we were first on the list.

What usually takes months took only hours and now we are emotionally exhausted and drained and we have got a LOT of getting ready to do. We pick the baby up on Saturday.

Day 269

Picked up a little more wood for the squat rack platform and went and ate mexican with the family. Going to visit our social worker tomorrow, we've been working on our home study for a domestic adoption for the last few months, got all our stuff finished.

Day 268

Worked in the garage to get things better organized, but not much. I've got a good bit more stuff than I planned.

Need to sell some stuff and throw some stuff away.

Hoping to start the cube method for strongman next week. It isn't very different from what I've already been doing in the past, and I think it is a good general way to organize training.

Day 267

Blood Pressure: 136/81 [This creeps up when I let the bloat come on.  If I low carb I can get under 120.]
Bodyweight: 295.2 [somehow I've lost 5 pounds... must be that box of girl scout cookies and 3 quarts of milk I had the other day]

Well, the last stone rolled out of my little private gym today. Half of it is in the garage, the other half in the back yard.

If backyard training was good enough for Paul Anderson, it's good enough for me.

Will I miss the gym? Meh, a little. Will I enjoy getting my home setup complete? Sure.  Honestly  I feel pretty neutral about the whole thing. It's time for something different, and it's that something different I'm looking forward to.

Day 266

Woke up and got the fire stoked good and we just sat and visited this morning and drank a bunch of coffee with the In-Laws. 

Then church, Real Good.

Then a good lunch brought to us by my perfect bride.

Then I had to go to work for a while and fill a gap in the schedule.

Then I came home and hung out with my favorite 5 year old.

It ended up being a pretty good day.

Still no training, I've got to get my home gym set up, so I'll be doing that this week.

Day 265

helped Tim get his squat rack and plates to his storage unit.  Then went to a weightlifting meet at All In Crossfit in Auburn and watched my buddy Zack compete. He did real well.

Then went back to the gym for more. 

You know what is hard to move?... Things that are intentionally heavy. We got my yoke, my tires and the rest of my plates...  I have a lot of plates...

My In-laws are in town, and I about worked my father-in-law to death. It's amazing all the things the gym Accumulated

Oh, and it also snowed at one point...  So thanks for nothing, March..

Day 264

I hooked up the trailer and met a buddy up at the gym.  We unbolted and dragged rubber mats until out fingers hurt..

If I ever promote a strongman show it's going to have a horse stall mat drag medley....  They are the hardest thing to move.

Anyway, we got the first load on the trailer and took it back to my garage.  I'm already exhausted and we've got a bunch more trips.