Training 4/28

Feeling really run down. My shoulders are still aching deep in the joints from the DB last week. Probably ended up doing too much on what was supposed to be my deload week. I've worked just under 40 hours the past 3 days and I'm not used to it and feeling tired. Alone tonight and tough to get motivated.

Figured I'd stop being such a pussy and go lift, light to get the blood flowing but still accomplish something. Did the whole workout in 35 minutes. All rest times kept below 45 seconds.

5-way band shoulder complex
redX30 each way
purple X30 each wayX2 times

Strict Clean and Press (this is like a clean and press from a standing position, but only using upper body with zero knee or hip bend)
45X10
65X10
85X10X5
85X10/65X10/45X10

Fat Gripz pull-ups/Blast Strap Scarecrows
bwX5/X10 for 5 sets total

Barbell Curls, again, just trying to get blood into my arms and get rid of the soreness.
45X20
65X20
45X20
45X20
45X20

Band extensions
2 purples X40/30/30

Off to bed now, ended up making my shoulders feel a TON better. Always good to do SOMETHING, no matter how crappy you feel.

Training 4/26

Phil is out of town and Vinny stopped by. Holding off on the usual routine for Phil so our progresion can be right for the contest. Fun short day doing something different.

Deads
135X10
245X5
245+EFS Short Orange Bands (80lbs at top)X3
345+bandsX3
405+bandsX3
515+bandsX1 (not too bad, but cut it short, not pushing too hard here)

Keg Load
292X1
292X5
292X5

Grip stuff

Called it a day and I am now off to bed!

Summer Cardio

Bought I bike today. My wife has been wanting to do some more biking, and my good friend is really into cycling and he talked me into doing Ragbrai, which is a ride across Iowa, this summer. Haven't really riden for much distance since I was 14. I got an entry level road bike, we'll see how it goes. Should make for some fun cardio this summer besides the boring treadmill.

I don't think they sell many bikes to guys close to 300 lbs. :)

training 4/23

Very beat up and sticking with the deload team. Just did a bodybuilding style workout to fill the body with blood and heal the joints as much as possible.

Nothing worth writing. All new movements for me so who knows on the weights. The leg press felt crazy easy and worked up to 1000 for 10. Not too bad but who knows how hard it should be on that machine.

Felt good though to do something different for once.

Training 4/20

Again, deload week so took it pretty easy today. We loaded up the slater monsterbell to 135 and decided to give it some runs in 60 secs.

Didn't record all sets, but....
Hit 6 reps in 60 secs left hand only
3 with right, and 1 with left, couldn't get my right hand to work....
And did quite a bit of work with the DB, my shoulders are KILLING today.

Followed it up with some BB Rows, not much to report here.

The Gus Lohman in June may be our next show, and it has a circus db as well C&P in 60 secs. I believe I'm good for 6-8 reps easily, maybe more by show time.

Training 4/19

Deload week, so decided to get some stone work in and have a quick one.

Front Squats
wu
135X5
185X5
225X3
275X3
275X1

Stones
238X5
270X5
325X6
296X5
270X4

Done mostly as singles, some doubles. Rested only long enough for Phil to load and unload a stone then went. Whole stone workout done in around 20 minutes.

Training 4-16

Finally got a keg and filled it with concrete and scrap. Only had enough scrap to get it to 292. But I'll take it.

oly squats
52Xwu
142X10
192X5
252X5
252X5

Just warming up

Keg loads to 47"
292X1
292X5
292X5
292X1 (working on height, as high as I could get it)X3

Tire
650X20 minutes of back and forth with Philip, TONS of flips.

Keg felt easy. Will start hitting sets of 10 next week to get ready for Missouri.

Training 4/13

CG Bench to 2 board
95X10
135X5
185X5
225X4X4
260X2
290X2
315X1

t'n'g
225X8

Fat Gripz Pullups
4 sets of 5

Fat Gripz Shrugs w/ farmers
140 X8
140X8
140X8

BB Curls
barX 200 reps, however many sets it took

OH Tricep Extensions
BarX100 reps, however many sets it took

Tricep Strength is coming back. First time since my shoulder operations going over 300 on any sort of benching, only did the 315 for that reason. This lift should continue to go WAY up as it has been. Stopped at the minimum 8 on the t'n'g set, but in 2 weeks will probably try for 30 with 225.

Training 4/12

Deadlifts
135X10
245X5
335X3
395X1
425X4X4
485X2
525X2
605X2 (raw PR, first time over 550 without a belt)
4" Deficit T'n'g
425X8

GHR
1 purple bandX10
2 purple bandsX8
2 purpleX10/1 purple X 5/bwX5

Training 4/9

Box Squats- Box set about 1/4" below parallel, w/ Buffalo bar
52X wu
142X10
252X3
252X3 Added briefs (single ply titan briefs for hip support)
302X2
342X2
342 +Purple Bands(about 70 lbs at top)X2X3

Log 13.5"
88Xwu
154.2X5 Viper
204.2X3 Viper
254.2X1 C&P
274.2X1
204.2X 3

Fat Gripz farmers (light weight for back, but working on grip and speed)
120X100'X4
120X166' turn at 100'

Training Template

I wanted to explain our training template at MVB, it is a little different compared to the standard templates everyone uses. But since employing it we have seen tremendous gains.
Our template is based on getting stronger both statically, while improving our strength speed at the same time. We base our progressions off of three week waves. We layout our program on a 4 day split.
Day 1-Posterior Chain
Day 2-Pressing/Upper Back
Day 3-Recovery/Rehab accessory movements
Day 4-Speed Strength
Day 1
In strongman competitions, posterior strength, or more specifically the deadlift is of the utmost importance. So our first day of the week is based entirely around the deadlift. The following is the wave we use, which is the same wave used in the Benni Magnusson routine.
week 1
warm up
4x4 at 70%
2x2 at 80%
back to 70%-Off of a deficit. Try to get 8 as long as you do 8 or more you go up 5kgs next week. The final set is touch and go.

week 2
warm up
4x4 at 70%
2 reps at 80%
2 reps at 90%
8+ reps at 70%-Again off of a deficit, t’n’g.


week3
warm up
4x4 at 70% +10
2 at 80% +10
2 at 90% +10
8+ with 70% +10-Again off a deficit, t’n’g.
We used Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 progresion for an influence on Benni’s percents. We took our true maxes, and start with a projected max at 90% of our true number. If we stall out on the program, we take our current true max and start over at 90%. In doing this we have found you can operate your progression at a much lower % then your true max and continue to improve your max. Currently I am operating at about 50 lbs behind my true max on my projected max. So for example if your true max is 600, you’d start the program with a projected max of 540. After each wave we increase the projected max 5 kgs.

After the deadlifts we hit GHR’s, and a second hamstring movement, and finally abs.
Day 2
For the second day we have tried to emphasize our lockout power. Philip and I are both weaker on lockouts and have designed our program as such. So we begin our day 2 with close grip 2 board presses. We use the same progression as outlined for the deadlift, but we use press commands, and the final set is t’n’g. After this we do an upper back movement, OH strict pressing 5X5 at a low %. And follow that up with high volume triceps/biceps work for tendon strength.
Day 3
On our third day we use this as our active recovery day. We hit movements we feel have merit, but do not have a place on our other days. Each movement is supersetted with Abdominals. An example of this day would be;
Pullups/Standing Abs
Calves/Weighted Crunches
4-way Neck/GHR Abs
Shoulder Girdle movements/Leg Raises
This is not a strict day as far as movements are concerned. We simply work hard and fast to get done what we need to that week. This day is never the same week to week, and we focus on our needs at that current moment, whatever is feeling neglected or sore, we put some work into the particular body part.
Day 4
Our 4th day is our event day. We always start with speed box squats. Sometimes we use bands or chains. But we always focus on speed and work 5-8 sets depending on how we feel. We follow this up with an OH event. Usually log or Axle clean and press. But it changes week to week. We then do 1-2 moving events followed by 1 loading event.
Wave Progression
On every fourth week we take a total break from our core movements. No deadlifting, no benching of any kind. Depending on where we are pre-contest we will take a max squat of some kind, and really hammer events throughout the week. But the main key of the fourth week is that is is completely different. And we only do 3 lifting days that week.

So I’ve written a ton, I hope I’ve explained our program a little so when you all read my training posts they make some kind of sense.

Thanks,
Colin

Introduction

Welcome to Midwest Viking Barbell!

MVB is a private key gym out of Jesup, Iowa, run by me, Colin Wetlaufer. We specialize in strongman training and currently all of our members are active strongman competitors. On our blog I will talk about our training philosophies and log my own training. My lifting partner Philip J. Martin (PJ) will also log his training here. Thanks for checking us out and feel free to post or email any questions/topics.