Irish Strength, the unorthodox strongman log

Played with the globs(irregular but basically round heads of old york globed DB's) that I bought from Brent today. Did some holds, cleans, lifted them in all sorts of different positions. Lifting these things REALLY worked my R&P well. I didn't really pay attention to what I was doing so I can't write down repsxsets and such but it lasted almost 4 dragonforce songs so it must've been a good 15-20 minutes.

I also did 30 assisted lifts with my Blob50 and with my fatman 45 blob. Then proceeded to do at least a dozen negatives with my slick 40lb blob and a handful of lifts of the 32.5 blob.

SQUATS!!!

135x10

225x5

225x5

225x5

225x5

225x5

225x5

225x5

225x5

225x5

225x10

Box jumps to a 36" box - 5x5

I did another 16 lever on vid earlier today, much stricter than the previous vid but still with a bit of a dip. I also played with my globs a bit and made another failed attempt at 5 10's. Also closed my RB260 again.

Blob work: I got the 40 york off the ground with both hands, pulled the rusty 40 a bit higher but still not a full pull. Then I went to my usual alternating 2 fingers+thumb and full hand lifts with the 45 and 50 blobs.

Fatman 45x30 2 handed lifts

Blob50x30 2 handed lifts

Press day, it was crappy and I couldn't really get into it today.

2DBOHPress

75'sx3

75'sx3(both sets were prs as I have never strict pressed 75's once, let alone for 2 sets of 3)

CGBP

135x10

225x3

Flat Bench

245x2

245x2

245x1

Incline bench

205x1

135x5(I think it was actually 10, but I've forgotten. So I'll put 5) paused

155x8 paused

My usual pullup/chin circuit(felt weak on these today)

H-Rolls

20'sx10

20'sx10

20'sx10(these next two sets involved some swinging)

20'sx10

Squats

135x10

225x5

275x3(easy)

300x2(easy)

325x1(pr)

330x0(really, I moved slightly out of the groove and just set it down)

275x3

275x3

275x3

275x3

275x2(just didn't have that last one in me)

I gave my #3 another go right after and took to the farthest I ever have and again once I got home. This thing is really annoying me now.

Also put my 110kb overhead solidly today.

I did a lot of sledgehammer levering work and a bit of blob work. I lifted my rusty 40 york for the first time today.

Press day

2DBOHPress

75'sx3

75'sx2(failed the 3rd 3/4 up and thought to myself "crappy workout ahead"... wrong)

Incline bench

135x5

155x5

205x1

225x1(very easy, 2nd rep fell out of the groove and was a no go)

185x5

185x5

CGBP(focusing on keeping my elbows right on my sides and keeping them strict)

135x10

185x5

205x2

135x10

Wide grip bench

225x3

225x2

Wide grip Pullups

BWx10

+10x8

+25x5

+25x3(chinups)

BWx8

BWx3(close grip pullups)

One arm BB rows-strict

100x10/10

100x15/15

100x15/15

H-rolls

20x10

20x10

30x8

15x20

Rack pulls, all done from 1" above the knee cap.

Regular grip

315x10

405x10

475x10

Snatch grip rack pulls

315x10

365x10

Actually used my 2HP device for the first time(finally got some collars... sort of).

91x1

111x1

141xa few singles(less than 10, more than 4)

146x1

161xbroke

146x1 hold ~3-5 seconds

146xa few singles(less than 5)

141 for a few more singles(less than 5)

Squats today. My head wasn't in the game and I had a small headache and I had to do these literally in a shop with no lights at 7:30 at night then drive home 30 minutes. It sucked, but I did it. No excuses.

205x20

205x10

155x20

135x20

225x10

My lower back is extremely tight and painful right now. Time for a warm shower and lots of laying down.

Nice and strict this time.

I did some levering and grippers yesterday. Almost got my easy 300N.

Deadlifts today, just to see where I'm at. (all sumo, all with straps, all with a 10mm belt)

225x1(conv.)

315x1(conv.)

405x2

405x2

405x2

405x3

My back was twinging a bit when I tried for heavy conventional pulls and apparently my hips and back have become stronger. I didn't hurt my back either btw, just didn't feel comfortable doing conv. today.

Inspired by Derek's recent success, I did do some Vbar today as well. I pulled 215, which ties my all time pr. So I've basically not improved on this lift since I started with it. First time I touched it I pulled 190 easy, wasn't long before 205 went up and 215 and it's been there for awhile. Curse these small hands.

2HP with my loose, unseasoned Scott George device

141x1

161x1

161x1

166x1

171xnot even a hover!?!?!?!?

161x6" or so, not a full deadlift

Been working with my 126lb 2.5" solid DB as well. I'm getting better with it, I actually stopped the rotation today as well during negatives which represents a huge leap in strength.

2 3/8" loadable DB

77x1

97x1

107x a few singles each hand

97x a few singles

2.5" DO axle deadlifts

120x1(and a clean also)

210x1

230x1

250xhover

230x3-5 singles(don't remember exactly)

210x a few singles after I couldn't lift 230 anymore

Bench day today, felt great.

CGBP

135x10

225x3

250x2+1 with spotter's help

235x3

225x3(paused on the chest)

Flat bench

225x2

Decline bench

225x5

275x1

275x1

275x1(3 singles= a volume pr)

Seated Incline DB press

75'sx7

75'sx7

75'sx5

Pullups/chins

BWx10(wide grip pullup)

BWx8(close grip pullup)

BWx5(chin up)

DB rows

75x20/20

75x20/20

Halbert raises

15x10

15x10

20x10

Squats

135x10

245x5

245x5

245x5

245x5

245x5

245x5

245x5

245x5

245x5

245x5

I always feel naseous(sp?) after doing squats now. I'm lightheaded, I have a minor and non-irritating headache, feel like I might throw up, yet my heart wasn't really pounding out of my chest, more like a steady and fast beat as if I were on a fast jog uphill, while my legs are barely feeling these squats. If you ask my legs and back, these squats were easy, throw 275 on and do the same. If you ask the rest of my body, it says "Whooooooooooooooooooooa."

Played with my 45 hub tonight. Pulled 50 pretty easily, got 55 and 57.5 off the ground then pulled the 45 for a few and had some good negs lefty. I did manage to pull it off the ground lefty but couldn't get a full pull. My left index finger is still bugging on me a tiny bit, but it's almost fully healed.

I'll attempt another Huge sometime next week. This hole in my palm needs to heal first.

Bench day- I've entered a little backyard bench comp at my local Y and the comp is this saturday. I didn't want to blow my CNS today and go too heavy, that is why it looks like a dismal workout.

CGBP

135x10 Paused

Flat Bench

225x1

265x1 Paused (This was the ugliest bench ever, but it went up and no one touched it)

225x2

After that, I pretty much just stopped. I went too heavy on that 265 and the result wasn't pretty, but it was a massive paused PR. The Y bench comp is just a touch and go, so I'm hoping for 275. After the bench, I did some reverse curls with 80lbs and left.

I also decided to bring my #3 gripper in and see if I could close it in front of a crowd. I have shut this before, but the first time was only 2 days ago(thankfully on video) and I wasn't sure if I would get it today. I handed it around to a few of the guys(regulars who are in there when I am), they all got it to parallel, one guy even took it past parallel. Then I had a go at it and slammed it shut so easily I went for a 2nd mini-rep and missed it by a hair. I closed it again once or twice throughout the workout with several hair-misses.

Congrats on the # 3 gripper.

akrajen said:

Congrats on the # 3 gripper.

Thanks! I've been working towards this one for quite awhile.

Squats

255x5

255x5

255x5

255x5

255x5

255x5

255x5

255x5

255x5

255x5

This only took 19 minutes overall and that was with ample rest between sets. The first few sets I could've done 10 reps for sure. I took longer "breathers" so that I wouldn't be so lightheaded at the end of the workout and it worked. I was still a bit dizzy, but I didn't feel naseous, lightheaded or wobbly.

Did some 2HP afterwards...

141x1

161x1

171x1(pr)

176x1(pr)

171x1

161x1

163.5x1(backloaded

166x1(backloaded)

Changed my grip from comp ready(which tears up the thumb web something awful) to my thumb-lock grip. Basically, the comp grip is with my hands stretched over the implement as much as I can get them with my thumb webs taking a beating. The thumb-lock is with only my fingers on the implement and my thumb twisted to it's side more to save my web. It emphasizes the thumb a bit more and I pull less weight as a result but I don't have to deal with skin tears as often.

141x3

151x3

156x1

161x1

166x1

171x1

I then taped my thumb web up with electrical tape and attempted 141, an easy weight for me, and failed miserably. This type of training will be a staple from now on.

I got a strict lever of my 18.5 with the 2.5 taped ON TOP of the 16 hammer today. Before it was loaded below the head so gave me some extra leverage. Not so this time.

I also bent a St. Croix Plain Reg 3 just to see if I could right now. I think I said it before, but it would appear that gaining weight has changed my mechanics around enough that shoe bending is a different animal for me now. I still try to use the same positions but I don't feel comfortable with them anymore, particularly the transition through 90 degrees. I was 185 and was a bending fool, stopped for awhile and started squatting, gained 10lbs, and tried shoes again and can't get the same power into the shoes I did before. This was only a 1 month or so period. I've had stints where I haven't bent shoes for much longer and still came back either stronger or at least comfortable with the movements. Not so this time. Frustrating.

I've decided that I'll be using that 10x5 squat session regularly. It's just enough to push me mentally right now and I like the combo of explosiveness(low reps) and endurance(LOTS of low reps). It wont really help me out for super high rep sets(50+) but it will help my conditioning and make me stronger mentally while at the same time increasing my max squat. I was thinking about squatting today, but that was a no go. My calves are super sore, just started feeling them yesterday, and I developed a slight twinge in my lower back that I dare not test. I'll just continue with my regular stretching and leave my lower back largely alone until it feels 100% under load(which by the way is totally different than simply feeling 100%). Once I heal up, I plan on hitting a 10x5 every 3-5 days depending upon how I feel, and adding 5lbs each workout. Basically the 20 rep squat workout with more rest time and using 10x5 instead.

Bench today

DBOHPress strict(one arm this time)

75x5/5

CGBP

135x10

225x2

225x2

225x2

Decline bench

275x1

280x1(pr)

275x1

260x2

260x2

260x3

CGBP

135x10

Wide grip bench

135x10

Flat bench

135x10

Squats today

260x5

260x5

260x5

260x5

260x5

260x5

260x5

260x5

260x5

260x5

I've had a twinge in my left lower back these past 2 weeks and I was hoping it would go away. I haven't squatted until now because I didn't want to test it until I was sure I could without doing more harm.

Did some pressing but my whole body is exhausted from this weekend and the squats earlier today, I didn't bother going heavy. I felt like I had a huge pump just walking in there. Then again, I did put 20lbs more overhead with either arm yesterday than I ever have before(that 60kg AKC booth challenge), so I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised.

DBOHP strict

75x3/3

Flat Bench

135x10

CGBP

225x2

Incline

135x6

185x3

185x3

185x3

225x1(sloppy, it was a "one arm at a time" lift today)

205x2

205x2

Hammer Curls

50'sx5/5

55'sx5/5

45'sx5/5

55'sx5/5

55'sx5/5

Full hammer curls(I perform them the same as my regular curls, but go up until I touch my shoulder)

40'sx10

I noticed the other day that my arms are all triceps. I'm going to work on my biceps a bit more.

Dude!!! :shock:

That's massive :!:

I remember when I did Oly lifting I usually trained twice a day, 3 days a week and the fourth day was about 2 hours on Saturday with the Oly-crew. I remember on one occasion, flipping this gargantuan tire around the parking lot. I was working front and back squats on different days. The first workout of the day alternated between Oly lifts, clean and jerks, or snatches, then the second was squats, and other pressing/pulling exercises. I remember on one training day of the week I would start with 1 slow, deep set of 20 squats (a high volume, low training weight set, which for me I think was between 100-125 lbs). This stone lifter by the name of Steve Jeck got me on to that. As I recall, it could take close to two minutes and I usually felt sick afterwards. I would then go on to do 3 or 4 sets of 145-160 for 5 or so reps (front squats were ~ 155 at the time) and then some doubles and singles at higher weight. My max dead was about 253 (I weighed then what I do now). My other two days were usually between 30-60 minutes of rowing. That was the hardest that I trained, and I thought it was pretty hard (in terms of volume; other people obviously are a lot stronger than I am).

Following your log, I see your training is just wicked sick huge, man.

Thanks! Is that you in your avatar doing the cross?

I can't fathom training twice a day regularly :shock:

akrajen said:

Dude!!! :shock:

That's massive :!:

I remember when I did Oly lifting I usually trained twice a day, 3 days a week and the fourth day was about 2 hours on Saturday with the Oly-crew. I remember on one occasion, flipping this gargantuan tire around the parking lot. I was working front and back squats on different days. The first workout of the day alternated between Oly lifts, clean and jerks, or snatches, then the second was squats, and other pressing/pulling exercises. I remember on one training day of the week I would start with 1 slow, deep set of 20 squats (a high volume, low training weight set, which for me I think was between 100-125 lbs). This stone lifter by the name of Steve Jeck got me on to that. As I recall, it could take close to two minutes and I usually felt sick afterwards. I would then go on to do 3 or 4 sets of 145-160 for 5 or so reps (front squats were ~ 155 at the time) and then some doubles and singles at higher weight. My max dead was about 253 (I weighed then what I do now). My other two days were usually between 30-60 minutes of rowing. That was the hardest that I trained, and I thought it was pretty hard (in terms of volume; other people obviously are a lot stronger than I am).

Following your log, I see your training is just wicked sick huge, man.

Is that you in your avatar doing the cross?

yup, that's me on the pulley rings.

I can't fathom training twice a day regularly

By volume I don't think it was as much as your doing, plus breaking it up into two workouts gave a nice rest between the Oly-lifts and the others - slightly different focus too. Keep up the good work.