Very tough time with the calves tonite, going to have to take some time off for things to re adjust, which basically means still squatting, doing zercher squats, and really use those to push me into the hole, they allow an extremely upright posture, on max attempts I get pulled forward, and it's more like a deadlift, for reps, I'm hoping this will help me get more on my heels. Or I'll do safety bar squats. Or something, but lay off front squats for a bit, keep the intensity and volume medium-ish... just use it more as a warm up before pulls, and add in something after pulls if I'm feeling more energy. I'm not feeling a big urge to go back to back squats. I'm looking forward to the push pull in Belleville, and I may not even back squat until a short peak before Canadians... this is just a good time to add some size as Paul suggested and work on that. I've finally gotten my glutes into my pull, Evan Dunn suggested a form change, and since i've done that, my pull has felt amazing. Lockouts feeling very strong, I'm looking forward to trying so heavier weights, I think chains will work really well with this.
I'm slowly and slowly finding out all the things I don't even know I don't know. It's fun. It's supposed to be fun. If it's not, change something until it is fun. I tell myself this quite often, but talking to Paul reminded me this is the first priority. I've watched that guy train with just a scarey intensity... To the point where I just wondered how he could ever enjoy it. But that was a while ago now, and when I think about it, he was a winner back then... but now he's a champion... so maybe that's a lesson he learned, or maybe I wasn't paying attention. Or maybe I was just stressing myself out so much. To be honest, back then his goal was to win OSM and prove everyone wrong... That people would even question it a little just pissed him off. People think they've seen what Pauls like when he's in competition, but Pauls rarely ttired in competition. It's not until that guys exhausted, and just did two events, and we didn't just do it once... we'd do a long first even warm up, then a walking, and that just murdered me, then stone time... then Paul was maybe getting tired, he'd usually gone way past failure on the walking... meaning I was way past failure... and if you started a walk, and couldn't return it, Paul was usually the one to return it... and that shit was scarey man, then he'd do his run, and you'd just sit there praying to god he makes it. That's when Paul gets deep, he'll keep control until he's exhausted, then it's just get out of the way, I wouldn't even talk to him, I'd try not to look at him unless I was going 100mph. It was also most definitely not the time for chit chat, or questions, or much more than either resting as hard as you could, or loading plates, or yelling something.
I'm telling you, when it was stone time, I've nevere cheered for anyone the way I cheered for Paul, if he had a bad stone day, He'd tire us into the ground, he'd just take everyone on for flips, and basically run the entire garage into the ground himself. Or we'd do farmers deadlifts like effing crazy. Or just something, but if it was a good day, then it'd be stones for like an hour staight, and he'd always be the last guy standing, and generally pissed everyone tapped out. I think i was 50/50 for lasting as long as Paul... It was rough, you'd either go until you fail, and if you fail, you get to stop, but if you get it, you wanna keep going.. I had the weirdest marks on my arms for like 2 years straight.
After the wash up, everyones ass was dragging, and from that point on, Paul carried the training session. He was first to go in everything, and loaded whatever people needed, that guy has loaded more plates for me than anyone in my whole lfe... no joke, I was never sure if it was because he wanted you to get better, or if he just demanded you do your best to push him further... Either way, best plate loader ever. But if you'r loading... oh man, it's like a pit stop at nascar.. When we loaded our log we had to use a socket something or other to do up the clips, because no clips fit, and oh man.. 1. you'd better help, cause if you don't Paul will, and you're supposed to give back to his training... and did I mention all those scarey moments? 2. You have to be going as fast as you can all the time. 3. don't talk, train. 4. if you go slow, and throw off the rhythm... you either get the glare at the ground, that he's too polite to kill you with, or and I only got this like twice, you get the "Come on man." and you threw him out of his rhythm... that one just pierces right to the chest, you feel shame, and you'd better re fucking focus immediately and get your shit together. 5. Seconds count, you're supposed to be going as fast as you can.
Despite whatever strongman results I achieved, I don't think I ever botched an event, I generally went to the end, I only ever couldn't perform due to strength, Paul always felt I got too fired up, but I was generally comfortable... I think the shake thing was from the freaky hip tightness from being a hockey player, and adopting the exact opposite posture you want if you want to be strong. I don't shake now unless there's a lot of hip strain, and I tend to flex my hips on my pulls, rather than my glutes, but I've gotten better.
As soon as training was done though, Paul was also the guy carrying the conversation as we jumped in the hot tub, and was a totally different guy... It was all those times that made Paul able to just be a complete lunatic, and we were totally ok with it... That was what he was training for, we all got it. Now he's pretty big time.
Anyways.
front squat
275.315.335.345, 345,
-ouch
pulls standing on grrens.
475 1x3
Needed the night off.
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