Day 377

Contest Day

Last in my division.

In all fairness, I gave it my best, honest to God, effort.

Had a great time seeing some old friends and meeting some new.

I love the competition, I love to hear "take your grip!", I love to hear the whistle blow, I love to give it all I've got for the next 60 seconds, I love finding my limits and watching others find theirs.

Strongman is my thing, but it has passed me by, I'm not very good at it, but that's ok, I know PLENTY of terrible golfers.

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Many, Many "thank you"s to

Scott Helms and Dane Garreau for a very well run, and fun contest. All of the Georgia crew really, they are fun to compete with.

"The World's Strongest Alabama Fan" Brad and Kim "Team Mom" Stanford, although we were accused of trying to turn the contest into "Barner Convention", I am always thankful for the encouragement and coaching I get from someone who is older and has more experience than me. Your wise words and perspective ("you beat everyone who was too scared to sign up") is what keeps me coming back. Thank You.

Zack Roberts, a Renaissance man if there ever was one. From theology to politics to economics to weightlifting to life there is scarcely a topic that you cannot discuss with authority, and I am thankful to have shared much of that as we traveled the road early Saturday morning and late Saturday afternoon. I'm better for your friendship and can't say thanks enough for doing an awesome job with the contest photos.

Will Bagley, The 265 class was eliminated and you didn't even flinch. The lightest man in the Super Heavy Weights by 30lbs. and you deadlifted 805lbs without gear when everyone else had on suits... I cannot be more impressed with your drive, your strength, and your character. You are still young and stupid, but I imagine that will ease off over time. I'm glad I'll be around to see it and help you grow.

And with that I'm I think I'm going to hang it up for a while unless a contest just falls in my lap. Time to lose some weight, work on some weaknesses and focus my efforts on some other areas of life...  First on the list, relax and have some fun, and enjoy training when I'm able to do it.


Husband, Father, Strongman, always, always, in that order.

Day 376

My wife left this afternoon to take the kids to her parents in Hoover for a visit. Now I'm in a quiet house with nothing but my anxiety and nerves to keep me company.

I packed all my gear, ran through my checklist twice.

Gonna try and get some sleep, going to be a long day tomorrow. 

Day 375

Fed the Baby, played with the little lady, and hung around the house this afternoon. I printed a checklist for my gear/supplies to take to the contest. It's pretty comprehensive, and helps to have it all written down.
Not long now.

Day 374

Took a nap no training, just getting ready for Saturday. 

Day 373

Shoulder warmup x a little extra

Log Press
empty x 8
175 x 2,2,2

Light band lat pulldown x 3 x 10

Well, the hay is in the barn so to speak.  I'll question everything I've done to prepare between now and Saturday. I'll turn myself into a head case (I'm my own worst enemy in this regard).

But I can lift what I can lift, and I can do what I can do.

And not a moment of preparation for Saturday's contest will have come at the expense of my family's welfare or failure to pull up the bucket from the well of life and drink deeply of it's fleeting joys. In that, I am satisfied.

I stop philosophizing now...

Husband, father, strongman, in that order... always.

Day 372

Morning training session today for a change. Had to go into work late.

Squats
bar x 3
135 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3

Deadlifts
275 x 2
325 x 2,2

Day 371

Sunday school and big church, then a fine father's day lunch provided by my lovely bride. Then a much needed extra long nap. Then I finally go the rest of the dead tree I cut up put out by the road for the city to pick up. It was good to get outside and get the blood flowing. I'm going to try and keep moving this week and keep loose. 

Day 370

Got up early, and fed the baby. Finished off a pot of coffee and watched cartoons with Rebekah. Then about 11am we went over to the pool at the house where my sister is house sitting and swam with my neice and nephew. Then came home for lunch about 1pm-ish and ate and took a nap.

Got out about 3:30 for my last day for training that matters.

Shoulder warmup

Log Press
empty x 8
155 x 2
175 x 2
205 x 2
225 x 2 (nerves started to kick in and I wanted to keep going up just to "make sure I could", this is not the plan so I intentionally pulled off a 10lb. plate from each side so I didn't shoot my wad before next week.)
205 x 2
155 x 6 (w/speed)

-Very glad I didn't go up for a heavier single, this was not the time for that, 225 felt light and fresh, and that is good enough.

18" Deadlift w/chains
bar x 5
135 x 3
225 x 2
315 x 2
405 x 2
495 x 2 (just right, same principle as the log press)

Stones w/ light tacky
215 x 1,1
240 x 1,1
300 x 1,1 (this is my 20"er that I poured last year, this flew off the ground and full extension felt good and easy, very pleased with this)

I skipped kegs because it just is what it is and there is no point in wearing myself out or opening myself up to injury. May do my light keg first of the week for a rep or 2.

Then back to the pool for more fun and we ate supper out on the back deck.  It was a great night!

Strong people are more fun at the pool

Day 369

I kept the kiddos this afternoon while mom went to the store. We were thinking of heading out of town, but changed our minds on that. Just hung around the house and sat outside on the swing for while, had a good supper and a quiet night at home. 

Day 368

Got out in the garage for a little something.

Squat
-I chose to squat today mainly for basic strength retention/skill practice leading into the contest, plus it doesn't drain the CNS like the deadlift for me. So being that I'm not much of a squatter means it's self limiting (i.e. I won't be able to ruin myself pre contest.)
bar x 5
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 3
365 x 2
405 x 1

Incline Press
bar x 10
135 x 10
185 x 8
225 x 5
255 x 3
285 x 1

Band Lat Pulldowns
20,10,10,10 (10-15 breathes b/w sets... I tried to breathe slow ;-)

My sister is house sitting for some people... they have a pool....

Swam + jumping off the diving board x too much and now I'm waterlogged. Plus I decided to do a front flip which ended with me slapping the water as hard as possible with my lower back.... Then I did the ye olde dive through the inner tube trick and then I realized I'm not 18 anymore and it would take days for my head to stop hurting and my ears to dry out.

Rebekah did several cannonballs that were of technically perfect form, I was proud. And when she is swimming, she is so slender she glides like a water snake. Girl can swim.

Day 367

Took a short nap and fed little Ruthie Bess her afternoon bottle. Then me and Rebekah got out and she played while I sprayed vine killer all over the back yard.

No training today, honestly the hay is in the barn as far as that goes, just going to keep it semi-heavy to stay in that mode. 

Georgia's Strongest Man 2013 entry is in the mail today. 

Day 366

Work beat me to death.  I came home, took a nap, and it was outside for event training.

Shoulder warmup

Log Press
empty x 8
155 x 4
235 x 2,2

Frame Carry
440 x 50ft. x 2 (just a light carry to keep the pumps primed)

Keg Press
150 x 4
240ish x miss, miss, miss (really disappointing day on this, really frustrated. I played with a few different techinques, but at the end of the day you've got to be strong enough to clean and press without re-gripping. This event will be a wash for me, hopefully I can just get through a few presses, no way I see the loading portion)

Stones
210 stone x 5 (no tacky, still mad about the keg, left bicep be Da****)

Today was a run through in full sleeves and belt. I really can't express to you how sweat soaked I was. Hung out with the family the rest of the evening, helped get the youngin's in bed. Then I layed ice packs all over me and thought about how unimportant my silly hobby is in comparison.

Day 365

Well here it is. One year later.

I'll have to wait a few more days to compete, as they have moved the strongman show back a couple of weekends.

Just glancing at my training log from a year ago I can't help but laugh, as A.) I forgot what trainwreck I was physically a year ago. and B.) I don't really think I'm much stronger, which, frankly, is a little discouraging.

But you know, I guess if I just hold the line maybe I can set some fresh pr's soon and prove to myself that I am (ever so slowly) improving on some level, but at 34, it's clear that I am hitting a ceiling of sorts.

No training today. Work is killing me, and other life issues have my attention. But from where I stand it was a  Big Year indeed.

Day 364

Woke up early, sat out by the water, drank coffee. Took a morning nap, ate lunch and headed home. Too short a weekend, but I'm glad to be back with my babies.

Took another nap after I got home, and did some light chores outside. It was a great weekend. 

Day 363

Spent the day by the lake, caught the world's smallest fish. Took a nap, me and my lovely are headed out for dinner.  Great day!

Day 362

Got out in the garage for a little something before our trip, I've only had time for two training sessions this week.

Shoulder warmup

Log press
empty x 8
155 x 3
205 x 3
225 x 3
245 x 3

15" deadlift with chains (+60lbs at the top)
135 x 3
225 x 3
315 x 3
405 x 2
475 x 1
500 x 1
525 x 1

Dumbell rows
140 x 15 each arm, was going to be 3 sets of 5 but ain't nobody got time for that

Stone trainer
140 x 5
185 x 5

Then my parents got in town and we packed up and headed to Lake Martin for the next couple of days. Woo Hoo!

Happy 10 year anniversary to us!

Here's to 2 solid days of strict rest.

Day 361

Tomorrow is my 10 year anniversary so I stopped by my go-to buddy jeweler and bought my bride a little something.

We are headed to a friends lake house tomorrow, just the two of us. My parents are coming into town to keep the kiddos, it's pretty awesome. training in the morning.  

Day 360

Just hung around the house and ran a chainsaw for a little while cutting up the dead tree some more.

Just some good old yard work.

Day 359

Squat
bar x 5
135 x 3
225 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 3
405 x 3

Incline bench
bar x 5
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 3
250 x 3
275 x 2,1 (tried to get three but after the second rep it was a no go on the third and I'm too old to miss reps, racked it, rested and made the last one in strict form)

Band lat pulldowns x 18,15,12 (12 breathes between sets)

stone trainer 140 x 5, 175 x 5 (trying to get my left bicep/elbow back up to par, still giving me fits / painful)

Day 358

The afternoon the guys from a tree cutting service came and cut down a dead ~60ft. pine tree in my back yard. It was cracking in spots and making me nervous. He used a bucket truck and topped it, and it came down with a thunderous crash.  It was pretty fun to watch.

That was our afternoon entertainment. I got out the chainsaw and began cutting it up. putting the huge chunks in my trailer was a nice little workout. 

Day 357

Church then a nice big nap. Then in a cruel and unfortunate twist of fate I had to go to work for a bit. Oh well, my Monday always seems to begin on Sunday afternoon.

Day 356

Will joined me in the backyard for some training today.  Before we got started my friend Nick and his daughter Chloe stopped by to pick up a stone mold.

While there Chloe lost a tooth in the back yard and it was high drama there for a while.

Shoulder warmup

Log Press
empty x 5
155 x 3, 205 x 1, 225 x 1, 255 x 1,1

Stone Trainer
140 x 3
175 x 3
210 x 1,1, 1 (shouldered this one)

Frame Carry
440 x 50'
570 x 50'
710 x 15' (pumped about this, the heaviest carry I've ever had)

Then we discussed some technique for the keg press, as will was demonstrating how to press he dropped it and it fell on a pile of Gracie's (my dog's) crap.  So after I hosed it off I decided to call it a day, no keg work.

Then Will sat in the swing and talked about girls for about 30 minutes...

In all seriousness, he's gonna make a good husband and daddy one day, proud of that young man.