WSMWANNABE's path to (not) becoming a pro strongman

[malfeasance]

as measured by a bodpod.

I just wanted to say congrats on actually using a method of measuring body fat that has a degree of accuracy.

If I saw another post about "calipers" or one of those stupid bioimpedance scales, I was going to shoot my computer screen.

 

[Silentlemon1011]

I forgot about the hunger aspect. I have a hard enough time putting down the sweets as it is. I can't be hungrier lol.

I am not sure in which weight class you compete, but maybe you should be bigger if your body is trying to put on more weight. You could probably say the same for me, but strongman is a little different. I am strong enough to compete at 231, I am not strong enough to compete at 265 AND be competitive. As you may or may not know, all weights are pre determined and set for each weight class.

I already cut once last year from 265 to 241 in 14 weeks, and got stronger during the cut. Now I am trying to go from 248 to 240 in 14 weeks (and I am still getting stronger during this cut) which should be much easier. Luckily there has been some progress. I am as lean or more lean at 248 this year than I was at 241 last year, which is obviously a positive. I am shooting for 238-240 @ 11-ish% BF by nationals in October, which will make me fairly big and still pretty lean. and make my water cut to 231.4 much easier. But it all depends on how my body performs being that light/lean.

So if you hit your weight earlier than expected...
Will you just enter a strength phase for competition?

 

[Silentlemon1011]

I just wanted to say congrats on actually using a method of measuring body fat that has a degree of accuracy.

If I saw another post about "calipers" or one of those stupid bioimpedance scales, I was going to shoot my computer screen.

I find the most accurate method is to ask a Bodybuilder

Their eyeballs are more accurate than any readily available machine I've seen lol

 

[wsmwannabe]

This photo may be a bit much lol, but I blued out my junk so hopefully it’s not too bad. I think I hold a disproportionate amount of fat in my mid section, or maybe I dont. I’ll let y’all chime in. I’m actually blown away by how I look in this photo. I weighed 243.6 this morning and I’m leaner now than I was at 247, so probably lower than the 16.7% reading I got at 247 back in March. I was surprised at how big and vascular my legs are. I’ve never taken a pic like this before. I’m only running my TRT dose right now.

 

[wsmwannabe]

So if you hit your weight earlier than expected...
Will you just enter a strength phase for competition?

I’m actually trying to slow down the process a little bit just to make sure I’m not cannibalizing too much muscle. But if I hit 240 earlier I’m actually gonna shoot for 236 by mid august and from their focus solely on my nationals prep and just run maintenance cals.

I’m not so lean that I can’t be in a deficit AND run a strength block. I’ve done that plenty of times. But if I get down to 236, It’ll be harder to run a strength block in a deficit and I’ll just work on recomp during my strength block. I know most people on here hate that word, but being a weight classed athlete recomp is “necessary”... if that’s the right word?

 

[Silentlemon1011]

Looking solid.
Quads are fucking massive.

Your log is making me want to try Strongman lol.
Maybe I'll give it a shot in the future, once I've reached a respectable total in PL.
Would be cool to try it, seems fun... and I've been a fan of the sport for such a long time.

So much equipment required through lmao

 

[wsmwannabe]

Looking solid.
Quads are fucking massive.

Your log is making me want to try Strongman lol.
Maybe I'll give it a shot in the future, once I've reached a respectable total in PL.
Would be cool to try it, seems fun... and I've been a fan of the sport for such a long time.

So much equipment required through lmao

Yea I didn’t realize they were so big until I took this photo. Not that I’m “lean” but I’m a lot leaner than I see myself.

check out starting strongman by Kalle Beck. He has lots of information on how to train for strongman with just regular gym equipment. And you don’t have to be “strong” to compete in strongman. In fact I would argue that at pretty much any amateur show, it’s rare that the strongest guy wins. It’s usually the most explosive guy that wins.

Before I got into strongman I REALLY wanted to get into powerlifting. And I kind of begrudgingly tried strongman. Now I have no desire to get into PL’ing.

 

[Worf]

Pretty lean for a strongman. Good job. I think there some guys that do really well at both strong man and powerlifting but to be excellent at either it would require an amount of dedication that would probably compromise one thing or the other

 

[wsmwannabe]

Pretty lean for a strongman. Good job. I think there some guys that do really well at both strong man and powerlifting but to be excellent at either it would require an amount of dedication that would probably compromise one thing or the other

I can’t imagine being able to build the explosiveness and endurance needed for strongman AND the strength needed for powerlifting. John haack is pretty incredible in both powerlifting and strongman, but he’ll never make it past amateur level strongman competitions with his current (poor) level of technique with strongman movements. He makes the amateur mistake of relying solely on strength, which works for him now, but not if he wants a pro card

 

[malfeasance]

Quadzilla!

 

[wsmwannabe]

6/5/21 BW: 246.6

1a) Log strict press from rack (no belt or elbow sleeves)
1x4 @ 225 (RPE 7.5)
1x4 @ 185 (3 second eccentric)
1x2 @ 155 (3 second eccentric)

This was supposed to be 4x4 @ 185 for the eccentrics, but My upper pec/shoulder was acting up from my last deadlift day and I had to cut the OHP short. I am however ECSTATIC about the top set. I remember when I was wishing/dying/training to bench 225 for 1 rep, and now I am pressing it overhead with relative ease.

1b) cable face pulls
3x20

2) BB incline bench
1x5 @ 225 (RPE 3 or 4 (it's hard for me to judge RPE's this light), this was supposed to be an RPE 6 but the shoulder/pec were the limiting factor)

4x5 @ 185

3) seal row machine I's and T's
3x10 each 5 lbs/hand

4) T bar row
3x15 @ 90 lbs

5) Weighted Side planks w/25 lbs
4x30s

6) BFR Bicep curls
7.5's 30, 15, 15, 15 w/15s rest between sets

7) BFR tricep rope pushdowns
40 lbs 30,15, 15, 15 w/15s rest between sets

I think I am in a decent place with my log right now. Nationals has a last man standing log event. I think I need to hit 295 to be mid pack (which is doable) and 315 to be top 1/3 (which is a stretch right now, but is a real possibility in October)

 

[wsmwannabe]

6/7/21 BW: 250

1) Trap Bar Deadlifts (15" pick height w/straps, no belt)
1x5 @ 550 (RPE5)
1x5 @ 528
1x5 @ 505
2x5 @ 461

2) Hack Squat
3x12 @ 50 lbs (going full depth but only coming up 3/4 to light up quads)

3) Banded GHD back extensions
3x12

4) BSS w/ 3 count pause in hole
3x12 each leg

5) Seated Hamstring Curl 3-1-3 tempo
3x12

6) T Bar Row
4x8 @ 115

7) Reverse Hyper
4x20 @ 90

I was blown away by how easily I was able to deadlift with the trap bar today. After this last competition with the max axle deadlift, all of a sudden EVERY strongman in the gym (that did that competition) is an EXPONENTIALLY better deadlifter lol. Something about deadlifting with an axle just seems to make deadlifting any other way so much easier.

I am still in awe of the progress I am making on TRT alone

 

[wsmwannabe]

6/9/21 BW: 248

1) Seated box jump
16" seat, 30" box
4x2

2) 5-10-5 shuttle runs
4x

3a) Axle strict press from rack
1x5 @ 225 (RPE 7.5-8)
1x5 @ 195
3x5 @ 175

3b) Machine rear delt fly
3x20

4) Supine banded pullover
3x15

5) banded snow angels
3x15

6) Cable tricep pushdown
3x25

 

[Silentlemon1011]

6/9/21 BW: 248

1) Seated box jump
16" seat, 30" box
4x2

2) 5-10-5 shuttle runs
4x

3a) Axle strict press from rack
1x5 @ 225 (RPE 7.5-8)
1x5 @ 195
3x5 @ 175

3b) Machine rear delt fly
3x20

4) Supine banded pullover
3x15

5) banded snow angels
3x15

6) Cable tricep pushdown
3x25

Didnt know shuttle runs were for strongman.
Brings me back to my football days a few decades ago lol.

Really goes to show the agility and explosiveness in strongman

 

[wsmwannabe]

Didnt know shuttle runs were for strongman.
Brings me back to my football days a few decades ago lol.

Really goes to show the agility and explosiveness in strongman

Shuttle runs are necessary for slow strongmen. I am strong enough to be moderately competitive in any amateur show at this point, to include nationals. What is holding me back right now is my lack of explosiveness.

In the middle weight class, speed/explosiveness is what really sets apart the good from the great.

I'll never be FAST in the traditional sense, but I can improve a lot at the strength-speed and speed-strength components of strongman.

 

[NLM36]

Awesome log man. Good work. How hungry are you 2,530 cals?

 

[SkankHunt]

Thanks for your service first off. Secondly nice quads. Feels weird to say to a grown ass naked man but I’m calling no homo.

 

[wsmwannabe]

Awesome log man. Good work. How hungry are you 2,530 cals?

I have been using the RP diet app, and it actually helps me curb my hunger enough, through meal/carb timing, to make it maintainable. Yea I am a bigger guy but I work at a desk so I don't expend much energy outside of the gym.

Also, on training days I get 150-200 more carbs (additional 70 with my post workout meal) which really helps with recovery and curbing hunger even further. As of last Friday, I was down about 4.5 lbs from the start of my diet 2 week prior.

 

[wsmwannabe]

Thanks for your service first off. Secondly nice quads. Feels weird to say to a grown ass naked man but I’m calling no homo.

Lol thanks man, I can't believe how big they look. Unfortunately it makes other things look smaller in comparison

 

[Silentlemon1011]

Lol thanks man, I can't believe how big they look. Unfortunately it makes other things look smaller in comparison

My wife says my small balls make up for the discrepancy with my large legs

So it balanced out