Tony's training log. 2009 the year of Grip.

Tuesday 31/3/09

Warm up – 2 mins dual action bike, light dumbbell complexes + stretching

2” FBBC Vbar
18kg x 5 r + l
33kg x 5 r + l
48kg x 1 r + l
63kg x 1 r + l
78kg x 1 r + l
93kg x 1 r + l
103kg x 1 r + l
113kg x 1 r
115.5kg x 1 r http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPz5iC6ow00
90kg x 5 r + l

FBBC 2.5” Crusher
20kg x 1 r + l
35kg x 1 r + l
50kg x 1 r + l
55kg x 1 r + l
57.5kg x 1 r
60kg x f

Hub lift
45lb plate r + l
45lb +1kg r
45lb x 3 r + l
Felt weak on these so I called it a day

Cardio
30 mins recumbent bike.
T

Tony you're as bad as me. It is still a feat of strength to be able to hub lift a 45lb plate yet we're hungry for more. So when you feel weak having done several reps it's still a good day

Yeah Steve I think its just frustrating when you have done something easy before and then next time you cant do it. I have found that my grip can vary a lot depending on the day. Some of my lifts are up and down at the moment mainly blob and grippers I did my half a 45kg legacy first time no problem and then added weight to it as well but recently I cant even budge it. With grippers some days I cant even shut the no2 and then the other day I shut a no3 out of the packet first time ever trying one.

I think it may be because I am doing to much at the moment but I find it difficult to cut back. I was going to have a rest day today as I have not had one for a few weeks but it was such a nice day I did some training outside when I got home from work. Even though I was shifting a load of 2 man paving slabs at work today.

Wednesday 1/4/09

Warm up – 2 mins dual action bike, light dumbbell complexes + stretching

First time I have had my strongman toys out this year so I dusted the cobwebs off my stones and the bird crap off my yoke and kept it light.

Yoke
30kg 12m x 2
110kg 12m x 2
150kg 12m x 6

Atlas stones
80kg to 4ft
80kg to 4ft 6” x 10 singles

Keg bear hug and carry
Half full of water keg for 72m

Cardio
30 mins recumbent bike.

T

Some of my lifts are up and down at the moment mainly blob and grippers I did my half a 45kg legacy first time no problem and then added weight to it as well but recently I cant even budge it. With grippers some days I cant even shut the no2 and then the other day I shut a no3 out of the packet first time ever trying one.

I think it may be because I am doing to much at the moment but I find it difficult to cut back. I was going to have a rest day today as I have not had one for a few weeks but it was such a nice day I did some training outside when I got home from work. Even though I was shifting a load of 2 man paving slabs at work today.

Tony,
Give yourself a target, maybe a contest or a feat or something. This way you'll plan something for this, and kep to it.
Blob - if your hands are not warm, or you haven't warmed up this can make it tougher.
Gripper - can be very technical with the sets, and this can have an adverse effect on your big closes, but probably less on your lower weight reps.

Thanks David, I think I have given myself too many grip targets at the moment as I am still very eager and trying to improve on everthing at once and that I need to concentrate on just a few for the moment. I did better on the blockweights today so will make my HGT25kg my main target for this month.

Todays training 2/4/09

Warm up – 2 mins dual action bike, light dumbbell complexes + stretching

Lat pulldowns
25kg x 10
45kg x 10
65kg x 10

Assisted chins with a IW red band
3 sets of 5

T bar rows
15kg x 10
25kg x 10
35kg x 10
45kg x 10
55kg x 10
65kg x 7 (bar flipped up out of the corner on me will have to try and sort this for next week)

1 arm dumbbell rows with straps 2” dumbbell
43kg x 10 r + l
63kg x 5 x 2 sets r + l

Cable curls
10kg x 10
15kg x 10
20kg x 10
25kg x 10,
30kg x 10, 20kg x 10, 10kg x 10 drop set

2” dumbbell hammer curls
13kg x 10 x 3

Blob work
HGT 20kg r + l http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcTNSX4fiM8
Half a 45kg legacy right hand and HGT 20kg left hand same time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO5ye1jLBjk
HGT 25kg fail then assisted lift then right hand hold at top and negative
HGT 20kg r + l

Pleased with this first real time giving my new HGT blobs a try hope to get the 25kg soon.

Wrist curls on bench
15kg x 20 x 3 sets r + l

Reverse wrist curls on bench
10kg x 20 x 3 sets r + l

Cardio
30 mins recumbent bike.

Stretching
T

Friday 3/4/09

Warm up – 2 mins dual action bike, light dumbbell complexes + stretching

Keg clean and press
Not sure on the weight of my kegs I have 6. I will weigh them tomorrow and make them set weights so I can warm up without adding extra water/sand

Keg 1 x 8 alternating grip each lift
Keg 2 x 4
Keg 3 x 2
Keg 4 x 1
Keg 5 the bung came out and spilt water everywhere then my left hand slipped straining my thumb back slightly.

Strict Viking press legs locked
140kg x 10
150kg x 10
160kg x 10
170kg x 10

Standing side laterals
5kg x 10
10kg x 10
15kg x 10
15kg x 10, 10kg x 10, 5kg x 10 drop set

Bent over laterals
10kg x 10
15kg x 10 x 3

Neck extensions
Forward 10kg x 10 x 3
Back 10kg x 10 x 3

Rotator cuff work

Cardio
30 mins recumbent bike.

Stretching
T

Tony Coward wrote:Strict Viking press legs locked
140kg x 10
150kg x 10
160kg x 10
170kg x 10

shit. strong pressing.

can you give me any info on support bands for chins? I'm in desperate need of one or two and the only ones I've found were on londonkettlebells.co.uk , but a lot of them are OOS.

Hi Aaron, thanks mate but its not that much really as each machine in different due to leverage so you cant really compare. I use my standing calf machine with shoulder press handles inserted into the ends meaning the weight is much closer to the pivot point and it is quite easy. It probably works out about 80kg free weight barbell press.

The bands I have are Iron woody band from america I bought from ebay. I bought a whole set of different strengths back when it was $2 to the pound. The problem is mine are uneven lengths so I cant use them in pairs properly for pressing, squat, deads etc. For chins I loop one over the centre of my chin up bar and then hook it down under one knee which works well. It helps at the bottom and then not much at the top. I started with a stronger band and am working my way down to the lighter one till I can do them without.

Hope that helped mate.

T.

thanks Tony, I've just messaged iron woody asking whether they'll get in the traditional pull package again ($75) as I don't feel like shelling out over £90 for the ones they have up right now. They look to be good quality.

Saturday 4/4/09

Warm up – light dumbbell complexes + empty grip machine

2HP to 18” trying 48mm this week. All my plates are calibrated but I only add up exactly for the top set.
26kg x 10
46 kg(approx.) x5
56 kg(approx.) x1
66 kg(approx.) x1
76 kg(approx.) x1
86.3kg got it up there but grip slipped at the top. Will make the crossbar 16.5” next week as I think I would have got that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6aP-GuOZqM
66 kg(approx.) x5

1HP wanted to just try my 2x45lbs plate. 65mm width
2x45lbs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC6AgguNtvw

Grippers
HG100 x 20 r + l
HG150 x 5 r + l
COC 1 x 1 r + l
COC 1.5 x 1 r + l
COC 2 x 1 r + l
COC 2.5 x 1 r + l (PB for left hand)
RB240 fail right hand

Vulcan
CCS
Level 3 r + l
Level 6 r + l
I can’t remember if I did level 9 CCS before I went to 20mm or not.

20mm block set
Level 9 r + l
Level 10 r

TNS
HG150 x 10 r + l

Bending
Giving my new wraps from David a try much better than my old ones did not feel a thing.

DO not too high just above chest level
6” 6mm threaded rod
6” 6mm bright mild steel
8” 8mm threaded rod

DU
6” 6mm threaded rod
6” 6mm bright mild steel

Reverse style then crushed down DO
6” 6mm threaded rod
5” 6mm bright mild steel (felt really easy but left it there as it was my first time bending in a while)

Need to find something around 7mm to progress to. Any ideas guys?

Grip machine
4 x10 on each of the 4 different handles adding weight each set

Rubber band extensions

Cardio
30 mins recumbent bike.

Stretching

T

Good stuff on the pinch lift.

Ben Edwards and Paul Knight are members here, and are superb steel benders. They will give you advices with the bending when you need it.

Remember not to do too many things.

Are you going to do the Brits?

David Horne wrote:Good stuff on the pinch lift.

Ben Edwards and Paul Knight are members here, and are superb steel benders. They will give you advices with the bending when you need it.

Remember not to do too many things.

Are you going to do the Brits?

Ahh the advices... shall we?

Sunday 5/4/09

Warm up – 2 mins dual action bike, light dumbbell complexes + stretching

It was such a nice day I decided to train outside.

Atlas stones
65kg to 4ft x 2
80kg to 4ft
90kg to 4ft
110kg to 4ft
120kg to 4ft

Deadlifts with Olympic bar and car wheels so bar starting height 9.5”
50kg x 10
90kg x 5
130kg x 3
160kg x 1
180kg x 1

Front squats
40 x 5
60kg x 5 x 5

Leg extensions
10kg x 15
20kg x 15
30kg x 15

I had to do a lot of moving around to get my stones and weights out so I was shattered by the end of it so no cardio. Pleased with the 120kg atlas stone as it is only the second time touching my stones this year.

T

Monday 6/4/09

My elbows are really playing me up so I decided to have a rest day today. My first one for a few weeks now. So much to do, so little time. Not a real rest day as I still have to move furniture and boxes around all day a work which does not help.

Also I weighed myself and have lost 2 stone in 2 months down from 18st (115kg) to 16st (102kg). I have cut my calories down from 6000 to just 2300 at the moment and am doing extra cardio. I still want to loose another stone whilst improving on my grip training.

Don’t know about competing anytime soon David. I know everyone has to start somewhere and I would not mind coming last but I don’t feel ready yet as I have only been doing this a few months now and some of the events I have only tried a couple of times and don’t have the technique yet and I know I could do more with a little practice but find it hard fitting all the different training into a week.

T

Decided to have a few days off as my elbows are hurting and I generally feel really week.
It does not help being on low calories and training and doing cardio everyday.

Just doing cardio this week 1 hour a day. If it is nice weather I will do some strongman training over Easter weekend and back to it next week hopefully.

T