Getting Warmer

Gym Temp: 52 degrees yeeeaaa!

Music: Still Remains, Of Love and Lunacy

2” Axle Deadlifts

160x2, 270x2, 360x2, 470x2, 490x2 I still feel a little weak as my bodyweight is still dropping. Only 16 more pounds to go……. The enemy will come and say, “You can’t do it, you’re too weak.”  Exclaim back in his face Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

There are few things better than thick bar training for overall body and grip strength.

 

My homemade thick bar

The Circus Dumbbell in the foreground was made by Mike at Landrich Power Systems. He makes awesome strength tools that are a blast to lift.

EZ Bar Curls

65x8, 115x3, 135x3, 150x3

Kettlebell Swings

55x250 ouch……pain…….sleepy time.

Powerlifting Rankings

The 2012 100% RAW Powerlifting Federation World Rankings are up.  The Strength and Shield Power Team did pretty well.

In the Women’s 97 lbs. Weight Class, state and national record earner Addy got

# 3 in the Squat                      

# 6 in the Bench

# 5 in the Deadlift

# 3 in Total

In the Men’s 105 lbs. Weight Class, national record earner Dom got

# 9 in the Squat

# 12 in the Deadlift

# 14 in Total    

           

In the Men’s 308 lbs. Weight Class, I got

# 6 in the Squat                      

# 17 in the Bench                   

# 10 in the Deadlift

# 6 in Total                 

 

In the Super Heavyweight Class, I got

# 1 in the Squat                      

# 8 in the Bench                     

# 2 in the Deadlift      

# 1 in Total

# 4 in the Strict Curl

I did much better as a SHW....... The bigger I am the better I am ; )

NEED FOOD!!

Gym Temp: 50 degrees

Music: Onward to Olympus, This World is Not My Home

Decline Bench (contest grip)

135x5, 225x3, 275x3, 315x3, 365x3, 387.5x2 should’ve gotten 3 reps, but I have no energy to strain.

Ab roller between sets.

Barbell Complexes 85 lbs.

Snatch grip deadlift x 6 reps

Snatch pull x 6 reps

High row x 6 reps

Power snatch x 6 reps

Reverse lunge x 6 reps each leg

Push jerk x 6 reps

Jump squat x 6 reps

Each exercise done one after the other without putting the bar down or resting for a giant set. Rest 90 seconds then repeat 3 more times. I’m completely wiped out and in need of calories!! Even eating my chicken breast and greens was exhausting.

Stick to the Plan

Gym Temperature: 49 degrees

Music: Sleeping Giant, Dread Champions of the Last Days

Felt beat down today since I’m still dropping weight.

18” Box Squats

135x3, 225x3, 315x3, 405x3, 495x3, 550x3…..Not so good, it seems I’m losing a little strength in my legs. I’m confident my strength will return.  It seems “so far” that only my legs are being affected by the weight loss as my bench and deadlift are still OK.

Did leg raises between sets of squats for abdominals.

15 minutes of kettlebell work with 30 seconds rest between sets:
Halo chop 50x10, 10
Press 65x8, 8 each arm
Windmill 50x3, 3 each side
Clean and jerk 65x5, 5 each arm
Turkish get-up 50x1, 1 each side
Snatch 65x10, 10 each arm............my conditioning is definitely off due to the weight loss.  I'm sticking to the plan though in hopes my strength will level out once my body is used to the lower weight.  The plan is to get to 300 lbs. then stay there a month or two to get my strength back up.  If that works then I'll drop another 10.

Fun with cold steel

Gym Temperature: Silly Cold!

Music: Becoming the Archetype, I Am

I had to trudge through knee high snow to get to the gym today, and then dig my 100 pound plates out of the snow.  I left them outside a few weeks back thinking it was going to warm up.

Farmers Deadlifts (weight in each hand)

110x3, 220x3, 270x3, 325x3 this was a PR (personal record). My grip felt pretty strong today….either that or my hands were frozen to the bar.

Yes, that’s snow on the plates.

EZ bar curls

65x5, 115x5, 140x5

Kettlebell swings

50x300 reps…….AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Pain!

Gym Temperature: A balmy 50 degrees

Music: Demon Hunter, The Triptych

One of my favorite Bible verses in times of triumph or turmoil is 2 Samuel 22:33. “God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect” (NKJV). I say this verse out loud a lot.  Its one thing to read it and quite another thing to speak it…..and believe it. There is power in the spoken Word of God.

I felt much better today even though calories remain low.

Incline press with a 12” log

90x5, 180x5, 270x5, 320x5, 345x5!!! This was actually a PR (personal record) for me as I beat my best by 5 lbs.

I used the Ab Roller (probably one of the best inventions for abdominal strength) between sets of presses.

Barbell Complexes a la Alwyn Cosgrove (check out his article Metabolic Acceleration Training on elitefts.com)

These just plain hurt. 12 minutes of pain! I only used 120 lbs.... but ouch!

Deadlifts x 6 reps

Romanian deadlifts x 6 reps

Bent over rows x 6 reps

Power cleans x 6 reps

Overhead press x 6 reps

Overhead push presses or jerks x 6 reps

Back squats x 6 reps

Goodmornings x 6 reps

These are done with a barbell and each of the exercises done one after the other, non-stop, without setting the bar down, for a giant set. Then rest 90 seconds and do it again. I did 4 total giant sets and then lay on the floor in a heap of agony. For several minutes after this I saw Hostess Suzy Q’s dancing around my head, mocking me. Weird…………….

I Hate Cutting Weight!

Gym Temperature: a blustery 48 degrees
Music: As I Lay Dying; An Ocean Between Us

I feel really drained today due to lack of food! Even with "As I Lay Dying" blaring I just could not push myself very hard.

Top squats (Dave Draper's device, davedraper.com) on a 14" box (this is parallel for me)
135x5, 225x5, 315x5, 405x5, 455x5 wow, really weak today........threw in some leg raises between sets for abdominal work.

The Top Squat really saves the shoulders when squatting and also changes the placement of the bar a bit to add a different feel.

15 minutes of kettlebell work with 30 seconds rest between sets:
Halo chop 45x10, 10
Press 60x8, 8 each arm
Windmill 45x3, 3 each side
Clean and jerk 60x5, 5 each arm
Turkish get-up 50x1, 1 each side
Snatch 60x10, 10 each arm.............went pretty light as I said I just feel drained.

A New Season

I competed in 4 powerlifting and 1 strongman contest last year. That is the most competitions I’ve ever done in a year before; not bad for a master lifter.  I competed in 3 federations last year; the Anti-Drug Athletes United, 100% Raw Powerlifting Federation, and the North American Highlander Association. This year I plan on cutting weight and dropping from the super heavy weight class to the 308 lbs. weight class. Ideally, I would like to stay at about 290 lbs. That way as a powerlifting competition nears, I don’t have to diet. I would actually be able to increase my weight a little and still make weight. My plan is to only do a couple competitions this year and really focus on cutting weight while maintaining my strength. My program for the next few weeks is going to be very basic:

Day 1) Squats 5-6 sets x 1-8 repetitions

            Abdominal work

15 minutes of heavy kettlebell work

Day 2) Bench Press 5-6 sets x 1-8 repetitions

            Abdominal work

            Barbell Complexes

Day 3) Deadlifts 5-6 sets x 1-5 repetitions

            Curls 5-6 sets x 1-10 repetitions

            High repetition kettlebell work

I might throw in some grip work in there from time to time ; )

Thank You Lord

Since I was a small child, I’ve always been fascinated with strength. I used to love watching those old “World’s Strongest Man” competitions of the 1970’s on T.V. and still do to this day.  I can also remember watching Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting on "wide world of sports" and being in awe of the incredible strength and power being displayed.  Even as a child I knew I had to pursue this endeavor; the endeavor of strength and power.  I did not know then as I do now, that God put this passion in my heart from my creation. Not for my glory, but for His.

My dad built my first weight bench out of wood when I was about 12 years old.  We had those old plastic weights that were filled with sand.  I still have some of them to this day believe it or not.  Like most people I started lifting weights for sports; mainly football and throwing events in track and field.  After college football, I continued lifting weights and dabbled in body building, however, over the past 13 years I’ve been competing in powerlifting and strongman.

I have always dreamed of having my own gym; a place where I could train whenever I wanted- however I wanted; a place where I could make as much noise and use as much chalk as I wanted without being asked to leave.  I wanted to have the right equipment with no frills, no chrome, and no mirrors, just cold iron, stone, and steel.  I also wanted to be able to pass along all that I have learned in my 30+ years of the iron game to others.  It’s taken a long time but I finally obtained enough equipment and space to fulfill my dream.

Strength and Shield Barbell is my private “garage” gym dedicated to strength, conditioning and athleticism through hard work, discipline, and the exaltation of Jesus Christ.  I came up with the name from Psalm 28 verse 7; “The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusts in Him and He helps me.  My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him” (NIV).  Worshiping God is so much more than going to church on Sunday and saying a prayer once in a while.  It’s about a relationship with a Holy God that encompasses every single aspect of one’s life; your church, your work, your home, and your play.

I want to live for Jesus Christ in everything I do; not because I have to earn something from God, but out of gratitude for what he’s already done for me.  I don’t always do the right thing and I sin like everyone else in the world; but the fact of the matter is that I know I am forgiven.  Jesus Christ died for my sins and I have faith that he paid the FULL payment needed for my sins making me righteous with Almighty God.  Now I can go boldly before God and praise him in everything I do.

That’s what this gym is all about.  God gave me this passion and I aspire to use it for the glory of his name. The name above all names: my Lord, my King, and my God; Jesus Christ.