Conditioning - Antler's Hotel Colorado Spring

Monday, July 23, 2024

Antler's Hotel Colorado Springs

1730

Treadmill

3x3 min at 5 mph, rest 1 min between rounds.  This felt rough.

Biceps Curls

8x25

8x30

8x30

Behind the Neck Lat Pull Downs and Box Jumps

Calf Extensions

30 minutes total workout.  Nice facility.  Kind of dark and hot, but a nice mix of machines, dumbbells up to 55 pounds and cardio equipment.  The PowerLift box jump was a nice surprise

Track Workout

Sunday, July 21, 2024

D'Evelyn High School Track

1230

Easy 800 meter jog

Track Workout

4x400 meter runs

IN 2:30 ON 4:00

2:19

2:18

2:20

2:17

Cool down walk

25 minutes total workout

Elizabeth Celtic Festival and Highland Games

After a long off season and not much games practice, I showed up in Elizabeth ready to throw at a Highland Games.

My results were mixed across the board.  Values in parenthesis are from 2023.

• Braemar Stone - 18'-9.375" (15'-10.25 to 17'-6.5") PR!
• Open Stone - 23'-3.625" (20'-5.375" to  21'-8.625") PR!
• Heavy Weight for Distance - 15'-3.625" (15'-1.25" to 15'-11") no improvement
• Light Weight for Distance - 23'-4.125" (18'-2.125" to 24'-10.25") getting worse
• Heavy Hammer - 38'-7.375" (38'-0" to 37'-0.25") no improvement
• Light Hammer - 41'-9" (45'-0" to 51'-7.875") much worse
• Caber - 12:15 (30 degrees to 65 degrees) finally flipped PR!
• Sheaf Toss - 16' (estimated 13' to estimated 14') finally cleared the standard PR!
• Weight Over Bar - 10' (10', 10') no improvement

I PR'd the Braemar and Open Stone.  I lost about 6" on the HWD and 12" on the LWD.  I PR'd the heavy hammer, but lost 10' on the light hammer.  I finally flipped the M1 caber and posted a score of 12:15.  I finally cleared a bar on sheaf and my WOB has been flat at 10' for all three games.  Numbers in parenthesis are from Thornton Celtic Festival and Colorado Scottish Festival in 2023.

Despite the improvements, I am still well behind the men's field.  I would need a roughly 25-50% improvement across the board to crawl out of the cellar.

We started with stones and I was moving well.  Coaching cue to get my elbow up.  I wore a wrist wrap and elbow sleeve.

Next we moved to weight for distance and I was moving poorly.  I really need to work on my footwork.  I wore a leather glove.

Then we we went to hammers and I thought I was doing OK with heavy hammer.  I had a late release followed by a couple of good tosses.  On the light hammer, I had a late release, scratched my second attempt and then barely had any speed on it for my third attempt.  I did not wear any support equipment.

We then broke for a lunch of pulled pork which was very good.

Following lunch we started with WOB.  I made 9' and 10' on my first attempts, before missing all three attempts at 11'.  I wore a leather glove and a lifting belt.  My peers were at 12' and up.

Then it was time for sheaf.  I had yet to clear the 16' standard the past two games and was thrilled to make 16' on my 3rd attempt.  When the standards were moved to 18', I missed all three attempts.  My peers are all 20' and up.

Finally it was time for cabers.  The master's men selected from the following four cabers:

• 15'-2.75" 45 pounds
• 17'-0" 51 pounds
• 18'-0" 62 pounds
• 18'-0.25" 76 pounds

I got a flip on my first attempt with the light caber and then failed all three attempts on the 17' caber.  My peers were all posting scores with one of the 18' cabers.

Overall, I am very happy with my performance.  During the competition, I was a little frustrated being at the back of the pack, but still enjoyed my grouping.  I threw with the Grand Masters (Craig, Skip, Wayne and Al) and a couple of the Masters (Josh and Tyler).  Josh and Tyler managed 5th and 6th respectively.

The next event is in two weeks at the Colorado Scottish Festival.  I definitely want to focus on hammers and light weight for distance.

BSAG Leg 7

Tuesday, July 16, 2024

Garage Gym

1330

Warm Up

Reverse Hyper

Crossover Symmetry

Hip Hammy Flow

PVC Pass Throughs

Press

Warm up with 45, 95

115

125

Dumbbells Anyhow

Warm up with 70

90

100

Knealing Clean & Push Press

95

115

Alternate Grip Snatch (x4)

4x75

Alternate Grip Snatch (RAMPAGE)

9x65 = 585

Total workout time was just under 40 minutes.  It was nice to be invited to participate in BSAG and it is a good variety of events.  I have not received the rulebook, but Kim was kind enough to give me pointers.  I made a point of not using any supportive equipment and filmed all of my lifts as well.

General Conditioning

Monday, July 15, 2024

CDOT

1230

Treadmill

0.5% incline

2 min walk

6 min 5 mph

1 min walk

3 min 5 mph

1 min walk

3 min 5 mph

2 min walk

--

18 min total (1 mile of jogging)

Calisthenics

5 rounds of

10 air squats

5 push-ups

Med Ball Sit-ups (8#)

10-9-8-7-6-5-5 = 50 total

Alt DB Biceps Curls

3x8x20#

40 minutes total workout

Dub's Grip Classic

I was fortunate enough to secure a spot in Dub's Grip Classic sanctioned by GSI, hosted at Barratt Strength Premier Strongman and Strongwoman.  The event drew (16) athletes and was sponsored by Arm Assassin Strength Shop, Nemesis Grips, Cannon Powerworks and Ironmind.  Barratt Strength even had a food truck and supplement company on hand to support the athletes.  It was above and beyond my expectations.

The event was in Colorado Springs and drew athletes from across the state of Colorado and Wyoming.  My drive from Denver was just over an hour.

The event would include:

• Max Gripper Close (Various rated brands)
• Two Hand Napalm Nightmare Saxon Blocks (Arm Assassin Strength Shop)
• Apollon's Axle (Ironmind)
• Shallow Mini-Inch Pinch (Arm Assassin Strength Shop)
• 2" Vertical Bar (Fat Bastard Barbell Company)

On the grippers, I opened with a comfortable 66 RGC on a CPW adjustable gripper.  My second attempt at 77 was good also.  I also closed 83 pounds to go 3 for 3.  I was beyond excited.  I have grippers at 71 and 92 RGC at home and have not been able to span that gap.  PR!  This event was tough as a spectator.  It was hard to see if the gripper was closed and harder still to appreciate the technique, focus and strength to close grippers above 150 RGC.

Next was the Napalm Nightmare.  I opened way to light at 75 pounds.  I wanted to get a feel for the implement.  I then made lifts at 91, 116, 126, and 136 before missing 146.  My plan is usually to get 2 warm-ups and then 3 legitimate attempt (5 total).  In this case I failed the 6th attempt, but felt good about the effort.  PR!  This event has records ranked on gripsport.org.

Next on deck was the Apollon's Axle.  I have trained with thick bars before, but never a proper 2" barbell.  Typically, I have used a 1.9" painted pipe.  The seasoning was good, but less grippy than I had hoped.  I opened at what I thought was a reasonable 151 and followed that with 180, 200, 226, 241 and 251 before missing 261 (7 total attempts).  I was very pleased with this result as it approached the 253 pound mark I set with a Fulton Bar.  PR!  This event was probably the most exciting for spectators.  It also has the most impressive records having been contested since 1994 with Carl Myerscough and Lyudmila Galduchenko taking the top spots at 237.5kg and 137.9kg respectively.

Fourth up was the Mini Inch Pinch.  I had fortunately trained with this exact implement at home and matched my performance in the basement making 20, 25 and 28 pounds before missing 30.5 pounds.  This was the only case where I made the appropriate number of attempts (4).  This implement is relatively new and there are fewer records on gripsport.org.  The listed records were very much challenged by Dub's Grip Classic.

The final event was the 2" FBBC Vertical Bar.  This was a mere 2" lift and the implement was very well seasoned.  I opened at 103 and followed that with 133, 153, 168, and 189 before failing 204 pounds.  I got greedy wanting to break 200 pounds, but felt good about the effort.  PR!  This is another one on gripsport.org with records going back several years.

The athletes were the usual suspects from King Kong and Rolling Hills and included Kelsie Sherman, Sarah Chappelow, Colton Storm, Jeremy Everding, Jaland Worley (host), Jesse Hagendorn, Jonathan Hamrick, Steve Millard and myself.  Newcomers included Kayla and Haley Witt (junior), Shelby Delp, Clint Cook, Brandon Barratt and Konrad Sherman.

I am curious to see the official scores when they are posted.  Sarah set some overall women's world records and several athletes set weight class records.

While scores were being tabulated the sponsor prizes were awarded including a gripper set from Cannon Power Works and gift cards and posters from IronMind.  A gift from Nemesis Grips was given to our junior lifter who was crushing it all day on the platform.  The final set of gifts from Arm Assassin Strength Shop will be announced post competition.  An interesting teaser was from Michael Thomas, who donated $50 to the winner (in this case second place as Jaland was not accepting prizes) on the mini inch pinch.

Gripsport.org/lists:  93kg

• Max Gripper Close (Various rated brands)
• Two Hand Napalm Nightmare Saxon Blocks (Arm Assassin Strength Shop) - 136 lbs (15th)
• Apollon's Axle (Ironmind) - 251 lbs (outside top 25)
• Shallow Mini-Inch Pinch (Arm Assassin Strength Shop) - 28 lbs (2nd)
• 2" Vertical Bar (Fat Bastard Barbell Company) - 189 lbs (outside top 25)

Final Results

Back Squat

Thursday, July 11, 2024

Basement Gym

1130

Warm Up

Bike Erg - 5 min

Hip Hammy Flow

Back Squat

8x45

8x95

8x115

8x135

8x135

Felt much better than last week.  Need to stay engaged with squats more regularly.

Pull-up Finisher

5x1

40 min total workout

Squat Snatch - Metcon

Monday, July 8, 2024

Garage Gym

1300

Warm Up

Foam Roll

Reverse Hyper

Crossover Symmetry

Hip Hammy Flow

PVC Pass Throughs

Abbreviated Burgener

Squat Snatch

5-4-3-2-1 Touch and Go for Load

5x33

4x33

3x39

2x44

1x44 pounds

This felt rough as well as it should have considering how long it has been since I snatched.  It still felt good to move and prime the shoulders

Metcon ("Karabel")

10 Rounds for Time:

3 Power Snatch (135/95)

15 Wall Ball Shots (20/14)

I scaled this aggressively and was still taking long pauses between movements.  I did 5 rounds with power snatch at 55 pounds and used an 8 pound med ball.  I finished in 9:03 and got a poignant reminder that all-round weightlifting, grip, powerlifting and monostructural swim-bike-run is no substitute for intensity.

Programming was from Vintage CrossFit

Pull-up Finisher

EMOM 5

1 strict pull-up

Dub's Grip Prep

Saturday, July 6, 2024

Home Gym

1700

30mm Gripper

59

64

66

71

92

Apollon's Axle

117

197

247

217

217

Saxon Bar (sub for 3x4" Napalm Nightmare)

75

85

95

95

Shallow Inch Pinch

20

25 (right ok, left miss)

27.5

27.5 (right ok)

2" Vertical Bar

67

77 (right ok, left miss)

87 (right miss, left ok)

RMRR Stonehouse 2M

I enjoy this race because it is close to the house, it is a small field and it is a flat, fast course.  The RMRR (Rocky Mountain Road Runners) includes this as part of their Trophy Series where runners are staggered based on their predicted finish.

The last race I participated in had me at 11:25 pace so I started at 0:00.  I finished in 22:17 (roughly an 11:05 pace) which was much faster than predicted and good enough for 12th place in the Trophy Series.  While a 22:17 two mile is nothing to write home about, it was a nice effort for me.

RMRR also made the call for new board members.  As an all volunteer organization, they depend on volunteers to step up and keep the club running.  They have been running together for 65 years now.

Back Squat

Friday, July 5, 2024

USAFA Fitness Center

1200

Warm Up

Hip Hammy Flow

Reverse Hyper

Squat Warmup (8x45; 7x95)

Back Squat

8x135

8x135

6x135

Plan was 3x9 on 3 minutes at 65-70% of max.  Cut the last set short as my hamstrings were starting to tighten up.

General

Air Bike - 5 minutes

Jacobs Ladder - 4x1.5 minutes with 1 minute rest between rounds

Sit-ups - 10-10-8-4-2  (I was planning 5 sets of 10, but core started tightening up)

60 minutes total workout

Two Fisted Challenge

Finger Lift, Left Index - record open, ALL 135

Finger Lift, Left Little - record open, ALL 54

Finger Lift, Left Middle - record open, ALL 230

Finger Lift, Left Ring - record open, ALL 84

Finger Lift, Left Thumb - record open, ALL open

Finger Lift, Right Index - record open, ALL 135

Finger Lift, Right Little - record open, ALL 54

Finger Lift, Right Middle - record open, ALL 170

Finger Lift, Right Ring - record open, ALL 205

Finger Lift, Right Thumb - record open, ALL 54

Deadlift, No Thumbs - record open, ALL 474

USAWA One Arm Lifts

1. Bench Press
2. Bent Press
3. Clean & Jerk
4. Side Press
5. Snatch
6. Deadlift, Ciavattone Grip
7. Deadlift, No Thumb
8. Deadlift
9. Hack Lift
10. Zercher
11. Bent Press - Dumbbell
12. Clean & Jerk - Dumbbell
13. Curl, Dumbbell, Cheat
14. Side Press - Dumbbell
15. Snatch - Dumbbell
16. Swing - Dumbbell
17. Press - Dumbbell
18. Deadlift - Dumbbell
19. Deadlift - Fulton
20. Deadlift - Fulton Dumbbell
21. Deadlift - Inch Dumbbell
22. Pinch Grip Deadlift
23. Pinch Grip - Strict
24. Vertical Bar - 1 Bar - 1"
25. Vertical Bar - 1 Bar - 2"
26. Finger Lifts

(26) lifts are contested using just one arm.  (10) are barbell lifts, (8) are standard dumbbell lifts, (8) require some special equipment.

I would argue that the barbell lifts are most aligned with classic weightlifting.  

The dumbbell lifts are variations on the them to make the barbell movements easier.  An exception should be noted for the dumbbell curl and swing.

The special equipment lifts are relatively modern movements with an Axle bar, Fulton Dumbbell, Inch Dumbbell, Vertical Bar lifts and Pinch Grips.  An exception would be the finger lifts which are truly impressive and aligned with old time strongmen.

Getting Carried Away with USAWA/Grip/Highland Games/Deka - UPDATE 2024.07.03

I originally made this post in January 2024, but it is time for an update because I have still been on a spending spree.

I have been able to dabble in USAWA/Grip/Highland Games/Deka without too much additional expense.  After a spending spree in January, there has been a slow but consistent trickle of expenses on USAWA ($35 + $110), Grip ($820), Highland Games ($0) and Deka ($1,150).  $2,115 in six months.

I would like to claim that I am done.  My short wish list for USAWA equipment is likely on hold unless opportunities present themselves.  I will still purchase grip toys from time to time.  I can live without a 22# hammer and blades for Highland Games.  I am all done buying Deka toys.

**

To date (2022-2023), I had only spent $70 on USAWA specific equipment.  $20 on an old barbell for the sleeves, $30 for a Fulton bar and $20 for an anchor ring.  In January, I have purchased a Roman Chair, Cerberus Dinnie Trainer, 1" v-bars, Fulton Dumbbells, Inch Dumbbells, Neck Harness and fabricated a Hip Belt ($110 supplies) for an additional $825.

Phase 1:  I am prepared to buy a heavy lift bar and hand & thigh bar from Arm Assassin for $210, but would prefer to just borrow Kim's as required.

Phase 2:  3.5" dumbbell from Arm Assassin for $50 and a 3" axle bar from Titan Fitness for $130.  $180 Total.

I would need a Saxon Plank, Trap Bar, Harness Lift Harness & Hand Rails, Regulation Roman Chair and Vertical Leg Press to build out a USAWA fully equipped gym.

**

To date (2019-2023), I had only spent $741 on grip stuff.  In January, I have purchased Ironmind Little Big Horn, Rolling Thumber and BSS Flask for an additional $355.  As of July, I am up to $1,896 in grippers, contest implements, blobs and misc.

I am prepared to buy an Oka DaBloom for $50.

**

To date (2023), I had spent $585 on Highland Games equipment.  In January, I purchased a 42# WOB for an additional $200.

I am going to hold off on a 22# Hammer and Blades.

**

To date (2023), I had spent $50 on Deka.  In January, I purchased a 44 pound Deka RAM for $130.

Since January, I have purchased a bike erg ($900) and tank ($250) for an additional $1,150

**

Roman Chair

Roman Chair from Dino Gym

Roman Chair from Clark's Gym

Vintage Commercial Roman Chair

Custom Fabricated Roman Chair

Roman Chair Layout Exercise

Variety of Abdominal Exercises

Frank Zane on Roman Chair

My interest in an old school Roman Chair is to contest (4) USAWA lifts.  Hardly a good return on investment, but what is an athlete to do.  The unique feature of the vintage benches is a flat pad that does not allow for support beyond the buttocks.  Modern Roman Chair/Hyperextension benches have pad with a 15 degree angle and while ubiquitous are not suitable for All-Round Weightlifting.

The Dino Gym Roman Chair is the most elaborate with a safety in case the lifter goes below parallel unintentionally.  It is big, heavy and unsuitable for my garage.

The Clark's Gym Roman Chair is by contrast much simpler and appears to be a commercial unit.  It may have been fabricated.  I like this design for the simplicity and size.  I could set it up anywhere.

Buffville contests Roman Chair lifts using a flat bench and the safety pins on a power rack.  I could do something similar with an Abmat Abmigo as a foot catch.

In a perfect world, I would find a vintage commercial unit.  I intend to wait for that eventuality rather than modifying a modern Roman Chair.

2024 USAWA National Championships

I returned to Columbia, MO for my second USAWA National Championships again hosted by Clark's Gym at the American Legion Hall in Columbia, MO.  This time I took the luxury of flying to Kansas City and driving the 2 hours to Columbia (instead of 9 hours from Denver).

16 athletes were in attendance.  9 Senior Men, 4 Senior Women, 2 Junior Men and 2 Junior Women.

After weigh ins and rules we kicked things off.

Clean & Press - Fulton Bar

This is a pretty good event for me and I was happy to go 3 for 3 at 105, 115 and 125.  That was within 5 pounds of my 130 pound personal best and a record in the 50 year old 95kg men (was OPEN).  It was a far cry from the 95kg All age record of 161 pounds.  Not an IAWA lift.

Pullover & Press

This was going to be a tough event for me as my left elbow has been angry for a couple of weeks.  I conservatively went 3 for 3 at 95, 105 and 115 pounds.  This was again a record in the 50 year old 95kg men (was OPEN).  It is a far cry from the 95kg All age record of 275 pounds.  Does not beat the 105kg IAWA record.

Hack Lift

I felt good about this lift, but my Hack Lift is a fraction of my deadlift.  I managed 195, 215 and 235.  The 50 year old 95kg men's record stands at 360 pounds and 540 for All 95kg lifters.  Does not beat the 200kg IAWA record.

Record Session

Record Session was fun.  I knocked out all (5) of my lifts in short order, typically only taking one attempt.

Teeth Lift - 75 pounds (I did not count the loading pin) - USAWA and IAWA record

Saxon Snatch - 57 pounds - USAWA record (not a IAWA lift)

Squat, Lunge - 95 pounds - USAWA record (IAWA record is 95kg)

Side Press, Left - 45 pounds - USAWA and IAWA record

Side Press, Right - 45 pounds - USAWA and IAWA record

We wrapped everything up by 2:00 PM and I spent some time chatting with Eric Todd (judging only), Denny Habecker, Clint Poore (judging only) and Steve Gardner (of the Gardner lifts) who traveled down to visit with us.  Chris Todd came out to support his family.  Bill was the emcee.  Ajax traveled with Beth down from Pittsburg.  (4) spotters and loaders including Douglas and Emmanuel (taking photographs).

Dinner was a very enjoyable BBQ buffet at D. Rowe's.

The national meeting was a bit of a production.  We were brought to order at 6 PM and adjourned by 8 PM.

• New Award - Dolores Clark Award - Available to all strength sports
• Chair Reports - accepted
• Video Committee Report - taken under advisement
• Knee Sleeves - failed
• Allow knee sleeves on Squat, Front and Squat, 12" which allows wraps - passed
• Level 2 Certification - passed
• Move to OTSM Inch Dumbbell - passed
• Upper Body Covering - failed* modified to elbows must be exposed, tank tops ok passed
• Saxon Snatch use metal bar - failed
• New Lift - Bavarian Lift - passed
• Increase Dues to $35 - passed
• New Lift - Bench Press 2 Dumbbells - passed
• 1.33 Gender Adjustment - passed
• New Lift - Saxon Deadlift - passed
• Split Secretary/Treasurer - passed
• New Record Director - Abe Smith
• New Secretary - Beth Skwarecki
• New Awards Chairman - Tony Lupo
• 2025 Nationals - Awarded to Buffville Gym in Albany, KY

I got a good night's rest and Day 2 was underway.

Deadlift, Fulton, Ciavattone

I went 3 for 3 at 225, 245, 260 besting the 50 year old 95kg record I set back in February at 253 pounds.  All age 95kg record is 353 pounds.  The bar was well seasoned and I felt good.  Not an IAWA lift.

Snatch, One Arm (Right)

I went 3 for 3 at 45, 55, 65 pounds.  While good for me, the lifts did not come close to the 50 year old 95kg record of 121 pounds which is the All age record as well set by John Vernacchio in 1991 and the IAWA record.

Zercher

I went 3 for 3 at 185, 205 and 235 pounds.  This is the lift I was most proud of.  I beat my personal best and had a good fight on a big stage.  The 50 year old 95 kg record is 375 pounds (also set by John Vernacchio in 1991 for the USAWA and IAWA record), but the All age record is 420 pounds set by a junior lifter Brad Almond in 1994.

Total = 125+115+235+260+65+235 = 1035 pounds (Age Adjusted Lynch = 1035.5)

Overall, I set (8) age/weight class USAWA records and (3) IAWA age/weight class records.

Trying the Saxon Plank took me to 123 of 192 lifts attempted.

Exhibition

Weaver Stick

Left and Right Hand to IAWA/USAWA standard = 2.5 pounds (USAWA record and IAWA record)

Annual Awards

Lifter of the Year - Abe Smith, Runner Up - Beth Skwarecki

Leadership Award - Clint Poore, Runner Up - ?

Courage Award - ?, Runner Up - ?

Newcomer of the Year - Jeff Wenzel, Runner Up - ?

Sportsmanship Award - Sanjiv Gupta, Runner Up - ?

Club of the Year - Clark's Championship Gym

The top three male and female lifters along with the top male and female junior lifters and the winning club received plaques.  Everybody else received certificates.

Then came the loading and unloading of the plates which was not too bad.  We needed a lot more plates last year with the hip lift.

I was actually even more excited to finally read Bill's draft manuscript and visit Clark's All-Sport Championship Gym.  

His manuscript is around 350 pages and includes countless intriguing details.  I will just digitize the few notes I took:

• First US marathon outside of New York and Boston was in Columbia hosted by Bill
• 1890's Centurion Club - Walk 100 miles in 24 hours
• Chains original used to add more weight as sleeves were maxed out
• 2018 fire destroyed a lot of the archive
• Peary Radar helped Junior Nationals come to Columbia (beating out York Barbell's bid)
• 1956 Bird Dog scout ($100/contract and $1500/majors)
• Masters Track & Field - no result on the Pole Vault at 40 years old
• 1976 All Female Lifting contest
• Joe Widdel of Denver Barbell Club
• 1978 World Championships, athletes smoking under no smoking sign
• 1984 British Championships featured 24 lifts
• 1987 Membership was $6/year
• Adrian Blindt suspension after throwing belt and yelling at official?
• 1991 AIDS epidemic raised awareness of biohazards and blood on bar or platform
• Ed Zercher (Elbow Squat origins unknown)
• Ed Zercher Self Loaded Leg Press - 250 pounds and 81 reps at 200 pounds at 81 years of age
• Competition age based on birthday or age you will be by December 31st
• 1994 new lifts added One Hand Thumbless Deadlift, Trap Bar Deadlift, Arthur Lift
• 1st Rule Book contained 160 lifts
• Million Pound Workout - John Carter
• Brian Osterman US Air Force - Walking Weaver 75 feet with 355 pounds, bested by his friend at 425 pounds
• Travis Challenge
• IAWA lifts for Worlds

The Saxon Snatch bar was 2x6 of roughly the inside collar length of an Olympic Barbell 2 layers thick.  Standard pipe compatible with 1 inch plates used as the flanges can be accommodated by the 3 inch Saxon Plank.

Clark's Championship Gym is as charming as described.  It is dark with low ceilings and ceiling tiles missing in spots for overhead lifts.  Temperature is set by mother nature and box fans.  There are York Globe dumbbells from 5-100 along some racks that date back to the second World War.  There are some racks, benches, hack squat, roman chair and a variety of bars including a Mike MacDonald camber bar that was purchased from MacDonald.  There are also heavy lift bars along with the various harnesses and belts.  It is truly an old school gym which would only be negatively affected by a good wash.  Most of the athletes train there sans belt, wrist wraps or any other supportive equipment.

Along with lots of old photos and trophies, I was struck by the record boards that featured a variety of lifts including but not limited to:

• The Deck - 340 reps completed at the pace determined by a deck of cards.  A Jack is 10 unbroken reps an Ace is 1 rep
• Mansfield Lift - with only 3 records
• 250 pound Deadlift - Women
• Power Cleans with Bodyweight - 10 reps or more
• Bodyweight Snatch
• 500 pound Hacklift
• 350 pound Steinborn
• 2000 pound Harness
• 1500 pound Hip Lift
• 500 pound Squat
• 300 pound Neck Lift
• 500 pound Deadlift
• 1000 pound Hand & Thigh
• 350 pound Leg Press - Women
• 1500 pound Back Lift
• 1,000,000 Pounds
• Hospital Harry - ?
• 100 Tons
• 300 pound Zercher
• 400 pound Bench Press
• 300 pound Bench Press

These are all done on white poster board in a variety of colors going back to some dates as early as 1987 all the way through 2024 with Jeff Wenzel adding his name to a couple of boards.

Tony Lupo - Clark's

Jeff Wenzel - Clark's

Abe Smith - Clark's

Philip Marlin - Clark's

John Carter - Clark's 

Denny Habecker - Habecker's

Everett Todd (junior) - KCSTRONGMAN

Leroy Todd (junior) - KCSTRONGMAN

Sanjiv Gupta - High Country Vigour

Randy Smith - Clark's

Lance Foster - KCSTRONGMAN

Allison Lupo - Clark's

Stacy Todd - KCSTRONGMAN

Lisa Gore - Clark's

Beth Skwarecki - Habecker's

Lilly Todd (junior) - KCSTRONGMAN

Phoebe Todd (junior) - KCSTRONGMAN

Clark's represented with 8 athletes (including the top 3 men and 2 of the top 3 women)

KCSTRONGMAN brought 6 athletes

Habecker's had 2 athletes

High Country Vigour had 1 representative

USAWA Nationals Prep

Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Home Gym

1130

Warm Up

Reverse Hyper

Crossover Symmetry

Hip Hammy Flow

Teeth Lift

25

50

75

100

85 slipped when carabiner shifted, lower tooth tug

80

75

Side Press

33

39

44

Fulton Clean Complex

Clean-Press-Jerk

75

105

115

Hack Lift, Fulton

115

165

215

With the Fulton lifts, I am at 122 of 192 lifts attempted.

Treadmill - Push-ups

Monday, June 24, 2024

CDOT Fitness Center

1200

Treadmill (0.5% incline)

2 min @3mph

12 min @5mph

1 min @3mph

6 min@5mph

2 min@3mph

Push-ups

10x5 EMOM

Good to get moving again after a four day layoff due to travel and lack of motivation

Open Water Swim

Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Bear Creek Lake

0800

800 Yard Swim

4x150

1x200

--

800 yards total (24 minutes)

It was overcast, but a pleasant 59 degrees so I decided to go through with my swim.  The water was chilly, but warmer than a couple of weeks ago and I had my old Zoggs, latex swim cap and vivid sleeveless.

First length, less than 5 second pause

Second length, 1 minute rest

Third length, 30 second rest

Fourth length, 1 min rest

Then sighted on buoys out to 100 yards and back

Good swim but a little anxious.  The overcast conditions and my shaded goggles made for rough sighting.  Also breathing a little heavier than usual. 

Hosting Feather Crush?

19mm Crimp Plate - $41 + $22 shipping - $63

Add Roussin Twister - $82 (5% discount) and shipping is only $25 - $141.85 (works out to $78.85 more for the twister)

I could probably get Kim to come out and maybe some of the Wyoming crew for a fun little throwdown.

If I had more than 10 people it could get crazy.  Otherwise, I think it would be OK.

Need to order Zolex hand cleaner also

Grip Workout

Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Basement Gym

1200

2-3/8" Napalm Nightmare

150

195

220

230 pounds

then 4 reps at 208

Vertical Bar

53

78

88

88 pounds

Shallow Inch Pinch

14

16.5 - made left, missed right

Grippers

Standard Tin - 49

COC Trainer - est 54

GHP Level 2 - 59

Standard Zinc - 59

COC 0.5 - est 66

Programming based on Elite Grip Society comp on the napalm nightmare.

Followed by prep for Dub's Grip Classic on Vertical Bar and Shallow Inch Pinch.  I am looking forward to getting the actual implement, because surface area matters a lot on this one.

I did do Apollon's Axle using a Axel Bar yesterday and got up to 225 pounds.

Dub's Event will feature Ironmind & Standard Grippers with ratings of 51, 60, 66, 73, 77, 80 and up all the way to 212 pounds.  I will probably take all 3 attempts and go with 51, 60 and 66 pounds.  It is unlikely that I will make 73 pounds.

Could have added 3x4 Saxon work.

USAWA Nationals Prep

Monday, June 17, 2024

Garage Gym

1800

Warm Up

Reverse Hyper

Crossover Symmetry

Hip Hammy Flow

Deadlift, Fulton Bar, Ciavattone Grip

115

165

205

255

225

Felt pretty good about this, will probably open at 225 and then go up in 10 or 15 pound jumps.

Snatch, One Arm

33

44

55

65 (right ok, left miss)

This was tough, especially in terms of the balance.  I will declare right arm and probably open at 45 or 50 pounds.

Zercher

135

165

185

I like this lift, but felt a little beat up.  I will open at 185 and go up from there.

USAWA Nationals Prep

Sunday, June 16, 2024

Garage Gym

1800

Warm Up

Reverse Hyper

Crossover Symmetry

Hip Hammy Flow

Pass Throughs

Clean & Press Fulton Bar

25 (empty bar)

55

115

125

135

Clean was fine, but could not press 135#

Pullover & Press

75

This put a strain on my elbow during the pullover.  Press was OK.

Hack Squat

135

185

225

255

225

Moved my feet at 255, need to work on set up and positioning

50 minutes total workout

Tribe WOD Dark Elf Hybrid Bells

On Amazon, these things are going for about $5/pound individually and are surprisingly out of stock from Tribe WOD where the whole set could have been purchased for $600.  These are being listed on Facebook Marketplace for $400 for the set 10-15-25-35.  170 pounds for $400 works out to about $2.35 per pound.  Not bad, but not great either.  

Conditioning

Saturday, June 15, 2024

Basement Gym

1530

Conditioning

EMOM 25

160 meter Ski Erg

20 Abmat sit-ups

320 meter C2 Bike

8 Alt Rev RAM lunges (44 pound)

8 push-ups

This was a tough little mover loosely adapted from Vintage CrossFit "Midline Blitz" which called for ski erg, abmat sit-up, echo bike, single kb front rack tall kneeling to standing,and hollow hold along with rest intervals.

Ski Erg, sit-ups and bike took about 50 seconds, lunges took about 30 seconds and push-ups took 10 seconds allowing for a little rest before starting the next round.  Originally programmed as 4 rounds, but added a 5th round mid workout

Conditioning

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Garage Gym

1600

Conditioning

4 Rounds for Time of:

6 burpees

400 meter run

Finished in 15:43 and felt good about the effort, pre-exhausting the runs with burpees was a fun challenge.  

Finisher

6x1 pull-ups on 40 second interval

Elite Grip Society - Online Comp

Week 1:

3x4 Saxon Bar:

Max Lift - 103.5 pounds * I did not officially enter this, I needed to send a separate video

Max Reps at 50% Bodyweight (207 x 0.5 = 103.5) - 3 reps

Load - Max/Min - 275/151.5 pounds (12 entries); Reps - Max/Min 32/3 (7 entries)

Week 2:

IronMind Hub:

Max Lift - 25 pounds

Max Reps at 20% Bodyweight (207 x 0.2 = 41.5) - 0 reps * no entry

Week 3:

2 3/8" Napalm Nightmare

Max Lift - 220 pounds

Max Reps at 100% Bodyweight (207 x 1 = 207) - 4 reps

Week 4:

Any registered gripper from a credit card set

Max Close - 64 pounds

Max Reps - 49 pounds x 16 = 784 pounds

Conditioning

Monday, June 10, 2024

Garage Gym

1700

Warm Up

Reverse Hyper

Crossover Symmetry

Hip Hammy Flow

Conditioning

Every 4 Minutes, 4 Sets

6 Hang Power Snatch (65#)

12 Box Jumps (20")

60 Rope Skips

This workout was adapted from a Vintage CrossFit workout (Dos Amigos) which called for Every 6 minutes, 4 Sets:  200 m run, 12 power snatch 95/65, 24 box jump 24/20", 12 T2B, 48 DU.  As that was clearly, not happening, I picked a good volume for today and modified the interval length finishing in:

2:22

2:25

2:31

2:33

I like these movements and have been neglecting them.

Finisher

EMOM 5 min

1 pull-up

5 decline sit-up (on new bench)

Nice bit of core volume and pulling strength

USAWA Q2 Postal and Clark's Gym Record Day #3

Sunday, June 9, 2024

Garage Gym

1000

Warm Up

minimal, some movement prep

Push Press From Racks

115

125#

Hack, One Arm, Left

115

125

135#

Bent Arm Pullover

70

80

90#

Jerk From Rack Behind Neck

115

125

135#

Anderson Squat

225

255

275# (had more in the tank, this is an interesting partial squat)

Hackenschmidt Floor Press

165

175

185#

Zercher, One Arm, Left

75

85#

Zercher, One Arm, Right

75

85#

Jarrod, Elijah, Diya and Nisha lifted with me.  Overall 15 Stars of Tomorrow lifts, 15 Q2 Postal lifts and 9 record day lifts = 39 lifts took just over 4 hours.  8 lifts per hours sounds slow, but is probably correct if rack heights need to be set and folks need a rules briefing (13 different lifts were contested).

Calisthenics - USAWA

Friday, June 7, 2024

Garage/Basement Gym

1230

Calisthenics

Every 90 seconds for 10 rounds:

8 air squat

6 push-up

1 pull-up

This was good volume that I was finishing in about 40 seconds and had a 50 second break each round.  Next time add some reps and go every 75 seconds.

USAWA

Squat - Lunge

PVC

25

44

55

75

95#

All lifts were performed on left and right leg and I still had a little bit in the tank.

Pullover Straight Arm

15

25

30#

Allen Lift

15

25#

Really need a judge to make sure arms are straight and bar does not go in front of head.

This takes me to 118 of 192 lifts attempted.*

I did Weaver Stick 2 lb and Weaver Stick facing backwards 1.5 lb.

The 2024 swim/bike/run gear I use list

I last put a list like this together in 2012 and a few things have changed.  After active racing through 2015, I took a hiatus until 2012.  New items highlighted.

The biggest changes have been retiring the power meter and adding the Garmin Fenix 6.  All on the technology side.  I tried some different goggles, but nothing earth shattering.  I got a great deal on a Cervelo P2, but have not raced it.  Just a few training rides.

Nearly all of my gear is holding up well and aside from me being a little heavier, there was no need for replacements.  I did the Littlefoot sprint distance triathlon in 2022 and 2023 and have registered for this year.  Late season racing is always a little exciting given the unpredictability of the weather.

Swimming:

Swimsuit:  Speedo Square Leg Drag suit (no change still have green and red pairs).

Goggles:  Tyr Nest Pro Performance.  Got these in 2022 and they are fine.  I hate that my pool goggles always fog up.  I still have the Sable goggles as my primary backup.  For open water, I switched to Zoggs Predator Polarized.  Love these.  I still have the Aquasphere Kaiman as a back up pair.  I ordered the Zoggs Predator Titanium and will give those a try this season.

Swim Cap:  Race caps from events

Swim Watch:  I retired the swimsense and now use my Garmin Fenix 6.  It records well for pool and open water swmming.

Drills:  Finis Pull Buoy, Finis Agility Paddles, Tyr Crossblade.  No change.  I never use these

Open Water:  Westsuit - Xterra Vivid Sleeveless.  New in 2022 as my old wetsuit was too tight.  Blue Seventy Swim Socks and Gloves.  Tyr Warm Wear Cap.  Body Glide.  Tyr was ear plugs  (No change to accessories)

Swim Bag:  I still have the same Speedo Backpack

Bike:

The bike:  I still race the Gios Compact Pro.  I bought a Cervelo P2 ($600) on the secondary market, but I am not really fast enough for it.

Power Meter:  I removed this and do not train with power.

Race Wheels:  Still NA, I am 35 pounds over my "race weight" of 170 pounds.

Regular Helmet:  Giro Aeon

Aero Helmet:  Giro Air Attack (free with Cervelo P2)

Bike Clothing:  No change, I bought some CDOT logo'd gear from Pactimo and a Liberty logo'd jersey.

Bike Case:  Still NA

Bike Trainer:  TravelTrac 2000 still going strong.

Bike Computer:  Still using Cateye Strada Wireless, but not wrist is Garmin Fenix 6.

Run:

Running Shoes:  Saucony Guide 13 is the latest iteration.  I still have the Saucony Fastwitch 5 race flats, but rarely wear them not that I am over 200 pounds.  I have an older pair of Saucony Guide with the racing stretchy shoelaces.

Running Shorts:  UA (wearing for about 5-6 years now)

Running Socks:  UA phenom crew (wearing for about 5-6 years now)

Running Watch:  Garmin Fenix 6

Long Run Hydration:  Still have the Nathan and Fuel Belt, but rarely use

Cold Weather:  Still have Saucony, but added GoLite top; Still have Under Armour pants, but added GoLite pants as well.  Running Gloves, still use jersey gloves, but also added fleece mittens (convertible to fingerless).

Misc:

Rudy Duffle Bag - Great bag, keeps me organized

Rocky Mounts car roof rack - Great for getting my bike to races

I still always race with a visor and Oakley sunglasses.  I wear gloves on the bike.  With sketchy weather, I have thrown on a rain jacket and added toe covers.  

810 yard OWS

Thursday, June 6, 2024

Bear Creek Lake Park

1300

Open Water Swim

270 yards out and back

135 out

135 back

135 out

135 back

--

810 yards total (~25 min)

I spent an hour trying to find my OWS goggles and eventually settled for pool goggles.  As Coral Sea was unseasonably warm, I took a chance at Soda Lake with just my Vortex3.  I was comfortably, but my left ear was getting angry about the cold water.  I should have thrown in ear plugs.

Out and back felt pretty good so I recovered for a minute and took off again.  This was a little tougher and I decided to do lengths of 135 yards just to get some yardage in.

After going through all of my swim totes, triathlon totes, looking through bags and boxes in the basement, closets and even the garage, I finally found my OWS gear hanging on a hook behind my disc golf stuff.  Beyond frustrating.  Even worse, I dropped $40 on new Zoggs Predators.  Fortunately, I went with titanium instead of polarized and they might be better in certain light conditions.

This is the earliest I have got out in the past few years.  2023 opener was June 15.  2022 opener was June 18.  But the water was definitely warmer.  In years past, I definitely needed gloves and booties.

Odd Pick-up

I am a sucker for unique, vintage and occasionally homemade equipment and physical culture items. 

Rick had listed the bench a few weeks ago for $50 on Craigslist.  He has developed spinal stenosis and can no longer use it.  I confirmed that it was homemade about 30 years ago based on a design him and his training buddy saw.  They made four of them for different people.  It is stable and has a remarkably small foot print for what it does.  He took $40 for it.

When I casually asked if he was selling anything else, he pointed out this wacky rotating massager.  I propped my calf up on it and was immediately impressed.  It felt like Swedish body work.  When I asked what he was looking to get, he said he was not sure, but paid $225 for it (most of that was shipping).  I offered him $60 and am excited to incorporate it into my recovery.

Arriving home, I researched Vita Master and the brand is still trademarked.  They made fitness equipment starting in the 1930s including the crazy Boss Hogg belly vibrating deal, stationary bike, steam machines where your head sticks out.  The massagers trade hands on secondary markets for between $50 and $100.

I current iteration of the concept is being offered by Roller Original for $5,849. The Vita Master version only has one speed, but is a rock solid very simple design.  It would work well to help clear a forearm pump also.

Rick was an interesting guy who worked for the phone company designing high speed self healing circuits.  He trained with his special forces friend and also had stonemason and carpentry skills.  They are selling their place and moving to Florida.

Row House

Tuesday, June 4, 2024

Row House - Ken Caryl

1630

Signature Class

I arrived about 15 minutes early and got checked in with Cassie and introduced to Samantha.  There was one other new person in the class of 10 athletes.

Prior to the start I was given some coaching cues.  Feet should be lower in the blocks at the 3 pegs.  Do not engage body until the handle is past my knees.  Hold the handles wider.  Keep the elbows higher.  Keep my toes engaged on the platform (this was the most difficult).  Finally, the damper setting is recommended between 3 and 5 (I set to 3.5).

During the workout we rowed as one boat with all of us maintaining the same strokes per minute and initiating the stroke at the same time.  We had 3 paces including paddle, push and power.  Paddle was supposed to be a 60% RPE cruising pace, push was around 75% (0:20/500 faster) and power was 85%+ (another 0:20/500 faster).  For me that looked like 2:50, 2:30, 2:10.  All of this while remaining in synch so it is really power driven by the legs.

We started with pick drills and then went into paddle pace.  After some paddle pace, we stepped up into interval efforts and push and power.  Then we did body weight movements with arm circles and trunk twists for about 5 minutes.  Back on the rower we did sprint efforts without staying in synch, but collectively as a class trying to hit x:xx/500 targets.  The next 5 minute block of movements were with medium dumbbells (I appropriately selected 8 lbs; they had them from 3 to 20 lbs.  We did lateral raises, front raises, rear delt raises and after two rounds of those finished with reverse lunge twists.  Our last round on the rower included distance efforts for 1  minute, 1 minute and 2 minutes.  Then we finished with the reverse pick drill.

The class wrapped up in 45 minutes.  It was very engaging and fun.  The music was good and the room goes dark for the sprint intervals.  Glancing at some of the other rowers screens, I have a lot of room for improvement rowing.  She passed out wet wipes to wipe down the rowers which looked brand new despite mine having 13M meters on it.

I would go back again, but it seems pricey.  Not more expensive than any other boutique gym whether that be CrossFit, Yoga or Orange Theory.

$89/month for 4 classes

$149/month for 8 classes

$179/month for unlimited classes

Cassie offered me a buy 1 get 2 free deal which would be 3 classes for $29.

After class they sent me an e-mail with some data.  Apparently, I rowed 5860 meters in class, average split was 2:54 and best split was 1:58.

Littlefoot Triathlon - REGISTERED

Well it is somewhat official and I plunked down my $105 entry + $15 USA Triathlon 1 day license + $10 tax to compete in the Littlefoot Triathlon hosted by Without Limits.  

Last year, I registered before the April 1st price increase so I was only in for $85 + $15 + tax.  This year, prices were up $10 across the board and I waited until June to register.

While I do have a potentially busy September, I did not want to let the multisport season come and go without participating in an event.  

It seems like there used to be more events in Colorado with run-bike duathlons sponsored by Racing Underground and a swim-run series at Cherry Creek Reservoir.  The big events like Stroke & Stride and Boulder Triathlon Series (sprint, Olympic, 70.3) are still contested along with Steamboat and Loveland Lake to Lake.

The open water swim calendar is still pretty good with the Mountain Swim Series.  One can still train at Union Reservoir, Boulder Reservoir, Bear Creek Lake and Chatfield Lake.  New for 2024, you do not need to be a member of COMSA or another organization to swim at Chatfield.

The bike racing calendar is going gang busters and it seems like there are more events now than there have ever been.

The running calendar has been pretty stable with some new events and some classics.  My own racing is limited to local 5K events.

This will be my 3rd year entering the Littlefoot Triathlon.

Arm Blast

Monday, June 3, 2024

CDOT Fitness Center

1200

Arm Blast

Alt DB Biceps Curls

10x15

10x20

8x25

Triceps Press Downs

3x10

Cable Shoulder External Rotation

3x8

Med Ball Sit-ups (10#)

15-12-9

After running I like mixing things up with a 15 minute accessory workout.  These are fun and add a little variety to my training.

Jujimufu at Big House "Joe Kenn" Power

Joe Kenn coaches athletes and his two single bay garage gyms are a testament to that.

In his first bay he has a power rack, variety of barbells, dumbbells (including roundheads and globes), kettlebells and center of mass bells.  He also has strongman logs, bamboo poles for oscillating kinetic energy and a lat pull down / low row.  Finally there is a mess of bands, chains and cable attachments on the walls.

In the second by is lower body machines featuring a Kell standing leg curl, GHD, Reverse Hyper, leg curl, leg extension, assisted Nordic curl and a pendulum squat.  Another highlight is a massive pair of 100 pound chains.

In addition to coaching athletes, Joe Kenn is also getting into grip sport and has a variety of grip implements scattered throughout the gym.

One word of advice is getting to know a local fabricator.  Custom equipment is an expensive joy, but certainly fun to get exactly what you want.

Joe piecemealed his gym over the decades by purchasing equipment from other gyms, new from Dynamic Fitness & Strength, receiving equipment in exchange for coaching services and finally secondary markets like Facebook Marketplace.

The athletes he has supported in addition to his own career are reflected in the decor which is a testament to his knowledge and methodology.

Thick Necks Cash Checks!

USAWA Lifts

Sunday, June 2, 2024

Garage Gym

1500

Warm Up

Reverse Hyper

Crossover Symmetry

Hip Hammy Flow

Hackenschmidt Floor Press

8x75

3x125

155

165

175#

This kind of felt like a 2 board press, but without any leg drive.

Jerk, From Rack, Behind Neck

75

95

115

125#

A little sketchy using the York Squat stands, but a fun little lift.  I might have had some more in the tank.

45 minutes total workout.

This takes me to 115 of 191 USAWA lifts.  It is still really fun to try the new lifts and see where I am at, especially for lifts that are rarely contested.

Track Workout

Saturday, June 1, 2024

D'Evelyn High School Track

1800

Track Workout

800 m easy run

6x200 in 1:05 on 2:00 (finished between 1:01 and 1:06, felt sluggish)

400 m walking cool down

Metcon

Thursday, May 30, 2024

Garage Gym

1200

Warm Up

Reverse Hyper

Crossover Symmetry

Hip Hammy Flow

Inversions

3 kick-up attempts (failed)

2 kick-up and hold for a few seconds

Metcon

AMRAP 20

400 meter row

200 meter run

2 pull-up

I finished 5 rounds in 22:30.  This sucked today.  I felt sluggish and lethargic, but it felt good to get moving.  Programming was adopted from Vintage CrossFit which called for 450 meter row, 300 meter runs, 15 foot handstand walk and pull-ups 5, 8, 11, etc.

Swim

Friday, May 24, 2024

Carmody Rec Center

1100

Swim

1x600 FR

1x150 BA

1x150 BR

1x100 FR

--

1000 yards total (30 min)

Metcon

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Garage Gym

1430

Mopped the main floor area prior to starting the workout

Metcon

4 Rounds for Reps of

4 Minutes Work 2 Minutes Rest

400 meter run

Max BBJO (20 inch)

This one looked interesting when I read it on Vintage CrossFit (VCF). The VCF version included ring muscle ups in addition to BBJO.  I scaled the height of the box and eliminated the muscle ups.

Over the 4 rounds, I managed 4, 5, 5, 5 BBJO which I was quite pleased with.  The rest interval was perfect and allowed for a full recovery.  I was finishing the runs in about 2:50 and had 1:10 for BBJO.

Chad Prep

100 Box Step-ups (20 Inch) - 7:55

40 minutes total workout

Short Steel Bending

I finally busted out my short steel beginners bending kit from Short Steel Bending.  I think I actually requested these over a year ago, but then chickened out trying to use them for fear of wrecking my hands.

Upon reacquainting myself with the kit, I found 3 bars marked 120 pounds and 3 bars marked 140 pounds.  Both appeared to be 3/16" cold rolled steel, but the lengths were different.

After a couple of attempts wrapping with the Cordura wraps, they felt reasonably secure.

I tried double overhand, then underhand, and finally could get a kink with a reverse grip bracing with my left hand and moving my right hand.  On the 6 inch stock, I could sweep this way as well and then did a two handed crush.  On the 5 inch stock, I switched to a double overhand for the sweep and then was able to crush it as well.

120 lbs - 3/16" by 6 inch success - Reverse Grip

140 lbs - 3/16" by 5 inch success - Reverse Grip, switch to overhand, switch to underhand

I would like to throw this in on a regular basis and have some stock on hand to play with.  After exhausting my beginners kit, I will probably order 30 pieces of 3/16" cold rolled steel (20x6"; 10x5.5") from FBBC for $21 plus shipping.

Short Steel Bending sells 10-packs of rod stock in various lengths and diameters for a $20 plus $10 flat rate shipping.

Fat Bastard Barbell Company sells 10 packs and price is based on diameter.  Not sure what shipping costs.

Eat Chalk Get Big has limited stock and is pricier at 5/16" 10 pack 7 inch lengths costing $30 plus shipping.

Metcon

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

Garage Gym

1330

Metcon

AMRAP 20

30 knees-to-elbows

1000 meter row

I scaled the core work to hanging knee raises and it was still a grind, but a good grind.  I finished 3 rounds in 22:18 (row time 16:34) well in line with the Crossfit.com guidance of 2+ rounds. My core will certainly be lit up tomorrow and it was a good reminder to work in toes-to-bar and knees-to-elbows some when I am doing EMOM work.

Bike Erg - USAWA

Saturday, May 18, 2024

Home Gym

1400

Bike Erg

20 minutes - 8295 meters

USAWA

Pullover, Bent Arm

44-55-65-75-85#

Hack Lift, One Arm

95

115

135

155 L, R

Hack Lift

225

245

I am not up to 113 of 191 lifts performed.  I have attempted 116 of 191 (failed Leg Presses and Judd C&J).  17 other exceed my current mobility (9), equipment (6) or strength (2).  It is fair to eliminate total poundage as well.  That leaves 57 that I need to try.

Pull-ups

2-1-1-1-1

banded 2-2

Concept2 Bike Erg

Mike Zee listed a bike erg right by the house for $920.  Since Nisha was home and I could check the saddle height, I went ahead and decided to take a look.  The adjustment was sufficient for her and hopefully goes low enough for Ratna as well.

LogBook Summary

Meters:  2,342,437

Time:  96:16:14

Number of Workouts:  468 (going back to 2019)

The desk attachment is actually pretty cool.  It is a product called Wally Board and comes in Black, Natural, Walnut and Raw Wood.  The stained ones are $180 and the raw wood is $160.  

The Venzo K1304 pedals are flip flop and will work with Shimano SPD cleats (mountain bike) if I were interested.

He was willing to take $900 cash which was fair as far as I am concerned.  Aside from the random $800 listing, most are listing around $975 and the last one sold for $940.  This saves a few bucks ($1100 +$60 shipping + $60 tax = $1,220 to the door retail) and was very close to the house.  

The desk is worth another $50 easily and I am not remotely concerned with getting my money back or worst case selling for $800.

My wife did not think the saddle was very comfortable.  A new one can be attached without much issue.  The problem will be finding one that she likes.

Other accessories could include:

T27 6-Lobe Driver - $2.50

Toe Clips - $5.50

Right Pedal - $13.80

Left Pedal - $13.80

Banner - $30.00

UPDATE: 7/5/2024 - We have had a few sessions on the bike and am really happy with the purchase.  I did go ahead and order the pedals, toe clips, (2) drivers and (2) phone holders.  The parts themselves were really inexpensive.  I was just trying to maximize my $10 shipping.

C&J Complex - Metcon

Friday, May 17, 2024

Garage Gym

1200

Warm Up

Reverse Hyper

Crossover Symmetry

Hip Hammy Flow

PVC Pass Through

Weightlifting

Every 2:00 minutes, 6 Sets

2 Low Hang Squat Cleans + 1 Split Jerk

Starting @ 70% and increasing by feel today to around 8 RPE

45-65-75-85-95-105-105#

This actually felt really good.  105# was a good weight for me and at the 8 RPE level.

Conditioning:

“Frantic”

5 Sets

2:00 minute AMRAP

6-7-8-9-10 Thrusters

15/12 Calorie Row

-Max Strict Pull-Ups in the Remaining Time

Load: 135/95lb, 61/43kg

I scaled this aggressively and still had a tough go.  I went with 25lb thrusters, 10 cal row and managed 1 strict pull-up each round.  I had about 20 seconds breathing room round 1 and just finished with a few seconds to spare on the last round.

Programming was from Vintage CrossFit.

Blobs/Block Weights on GripBoard

Hex Head

Half 110 - $120

Half 90 - $100

Half 85 - $90

York

Half 45 - $75 shipped

Half 55 - $80 shipped

Half 60 - $85 shipped

Half 65 - $90 shipped

Half 75 - $110 shipped

Prices seem high, but are fair.  Platinumt85 actually knocked $10 off the listed price after a couple of days and you have to figure $10 shipping.

I have a half 50 that is perfect for me.  Half 55 would be a goal and Half 45 might be suitable for cleans or hand to hand transfers.  A "full" set for my strength and aspirations is probably 40-45-50-55-60 and at $2.50/lb, we are talking about $250 to fill out my set.  I could get the 45-55-60 from Platinumt85 for $210, maybe a little less and probably not use them anymore than my current 50 that I dusted off.

I would still prefer other grip toys over blobs.  I want to get a 19 mm crimp and a Roussin twister from Nemesis Grip.  Even an 100ish pound inch replica for $300 would be preferred to a full blob set.

Ebay Grippers

Another small lot of grippers

122 Tetting Super Master (started at $100, sold $207.50)

137 Tetting Grand Master (starting at $100, sold $204.50)

136 GHP 6 (starting at $30, sold $157.50)

171 GHP 8 (starting at $60, sold $68.00)

183 Tetting Elite (started at $100, sold $204.50)

These would all be too heavy for me, but 122# Tetting would be a nice aspirational gripper.  I am still working on closing a 92# Grip Genie 3

Turns out these are being sold by Steve Mallard (WorksInAPinch) who is a great guy and I am happy he is cashing out on these at great prices.

Jujimufu Home Gym Cross Country Trip

I started watching Jujimufu's home gym tours after James Fuller was featured.  I have connected with James and strongman_archeology in the past as he has competed in USAWA and is a pretty impressive athlete.  Aside from getting me excited about learning to bent press, his gym is really old school without a lot of bells and whistles.  Just everything you need including a lot of obscure items for health & fitness.  The theme of his gym was technical skill and movement in a range of motion that is not appreciated in today's lifestyle.

My next stop was Pat McNamara's home gym and it was quite the contrast.  Certainly it followed the theme of an outdoor, gritty, hard nosed environment.  His theme was working in the transverse plane.  One key difference I noticed was the modern and unique equipment that I had not heard of:

Core Strength 1 Full System Bench - $3,995

Exxentric kBox Pro - $3,510

CinderFit Blocks - 15, 25, 35, 45, 55 lb - $1000

BAMF Hammers - 5-15kg online (all sold out), Pat Mac had some heavier ones

He also had normal stuff like bar/plates, Concept 2 SkiErg, Sorinex off grid rack, bands and center of mass bells.

I considered adding CinderFit blocks to my arsenal until I saw the price point.  $150 for a 15 pound block seems ridiculous, but there is a lot of welding involved in making these.  I do agree that the solution is ideal when combined with bands the bench.  If I were just looking for weight, I could get a cinder block from home depot that weights around 38 pounds and costs $3.

I am even more excited now to watch the sequence with Central Park Joe.

I am still amazed that Juji has 1.44M subscribers.  He is certainly an amazing athlete and has a very friendly, supportive online persona.  I have never met the man, but that is hard to fake.  A quick google search indicates youtube earnings of around $100K per year which is definitely well earning.  Combined with partnerships and what not, I would think he has a sustainable business bringing in better than $250K/year.

Spring GarageGym Competition

Saturday, May 11, 2024

Basement Gym

1100

Sanjiv

Squat

 

225

240

250

Bench

185

190

190

Deadlift

315

325

Nisha

Squat

45

55

65

Bench

35

40

45

Deadlift

65

75

85

While I was disappointed to go 5 for 9, I was happy with a 750# total.  On par with my previous powerlifting benchmarks, but nearly 10 pounds heavier (not muscle).

Total 250+185+315 = 750 (GGC 5/11/2024) 206.9

Total 245+180+335 = 760 (Lakewood 11/11/2023) 197.1

Total 245+185+325 = 755 (GGC 10/28/2023) 197.9

Total 242+165+341 = 748 (AFA 7/29/2023) 193.4

Total 235+170+325 = 730 (GGC 5/19/2023) 196.8

Total 240+195+330 = 765 (GGC 11/12/2022) 193.4

Total 235+190+325 = 750 (GGC 5/15/2022) 190.9

Nisha's first outing was impressive as well going 8 for 9.

Total 65+40+85 = 190 (GGC 5/11/2024) 85.2

USAWA Prep

Thursday, May 9, 2024

Garage Gym

1300

Warm Up

Reverse Hyper

Crossover Symmetry

Hip Hammy Flow

Clean & Press, Fulton Bar

30

80

120

125

130#

Zercher, One Arm (Left & Right)

65

75

85

85#

Clean & Seated Press Behind Neck

75

80

90#

Clean & Seated Press

95

105#

Finish with 5x1 pull-ups

60 minutes total workout

I am now up to 111 of 191 lifts

3" x 4" Saxon Bar

After extensive debate and hem hawing, I finally decided to order the Sorinex Saxon bar with raw finish.  My debate was (a) I do not need this bar (b) it is bulky and hard to store and (c) it is expensive when you figure in shipping.

I had competed on the Saxon bar at Rolling Hills and it will be contested for the Armlifting USA Super Series.  The Elite Grip Society online challenge is what put me over the edge.  Unfortunately the lead time is currently reported as 8-10 weeks, but hopefully it will be faster.

I considered the Arm Assassin and Sorinex models.  I opted for Sorinex for two reasons (1) strong name brand and potentially better resale (2) raw finish which should season well.

List price is $204, but I found a discount code for 5% off.  Shipping was another $65 and tax $20 which put me at $275 to my door.

The bar arrived at my door in perfect shape despite the suspect packaging.  Basically heavy fabric (almost like moving blanket wrapped around the bar with heavy cardboard tube to protect the ends and it was all shrink wrapped.  The bar looks great and I am looking forward to getting it seasoned.

Day 1 (5/14/2024) - Worked up to 95 pounds.