Now that the Arnold is over, I have 1.5 weeks to get my cardio up to get ready for "THE BIG CLIMB".
This is the 2nd year that I have done this event, and its the hardest physical thing I have ever done.
I would rather pull a semi-truck in a Strongman contest. Seriously. However, its a great cause for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Seattle.
Last year, I finished 2 seconds under 22 minutes. I am trying to do this under 20 minutes this year.
I stopped at the 27th floor, then the 40th floor last year. I hope I don't stop at any floor this year, but that is going to be a challenge.
My team raised over $2,600 last year for this great cause. We are on track to beat that mark.
1,311 steps of pain.
However, its nothing compared to what a person that its going through chemotherapy for these blood cancers. Thats what my motivation is.
Keep you posted! March 21st is coming up soon!
HIGA MONSTER
Very killer brother! Great cause and great challenge. All the best of luck bro and i'll be reading from here on out!
Very killer brother! Great cause and great challenge. All the best of luck bro and i'll be reading from here on out!
Thanks Razor.
Alot of my clients do the Climb with me, but I get a hard time cause I weigh 305 lbs and have to go up that much steps.
Like I said before, I'd rather pull a semi-truck. Hell, I might add the 405 lbs for reps that we did at The Arnold to that list too.
Its the most physical thing I have ever done. No joke.
I ve pulled trucks in thw parking lot, draggged 4 45plates 100 yards.. its def a awesomes condtioning drilll.
hmmm i tihnk its time to up the ante on the squat... 405 for 2 yrs ,,time for new weight,,,i say 500lbs for reps... sets the men from the boys.... lol
Higa. I am disappointed I didn't get a chance to meet you down at the Cage last weekend. I will definitely make a point to do so next year. Nice job in the squat competition. I was in awe as you picked up that big ass rock and carried it around the Cage.
I was reading a post you made on Phil's Cage Recap about how you helped them out with squat form at Metro. It made me think about how bad my squat form is. I have really just started the last few months squatting regularly and I feel completely off balance, falling forward/backwards, and never feel like I am going deep enough. I have tried watching videos and reading articles online, but I am finding contradicting theories like how wide of a stance to take, look up/look down/look straight ahead, hip drive, etc. I know form will vary from person to person because of height and size, but the basic form and movement shouldn't change, right? I am 6'2 and 195 lbs by the way. I figure who better to maybe give me some pointers than a strongman.
-Derek
"Obsessed is merely a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated"
"The only way to bag a classy lady is to give her two tickets to the gun show...and see if she likes the goods"
-Ron Burgundy
You are one strong...VERY STRONG GUY, super nice and very cool to work-hang out with...Your wife is also a beautiful and supportive lady...you two are great for each other...Hope we can hang out sooner and spend more time in the cage-training-eating next year!
Continue to better your self..and do what you do best!
Higa. I am disappointed I didn't get a chance to meet you down at the Cage last weekend. I will definitely make a point to do so next year. Nice job in the squat competition. I was in awe as you picked up that big ass rock and carried it around the Cage.
I was reading a post you made on Phil's Cage Recap about how you helped them out with squat form at Metro. It made me think about how bad my squat form is. I have really just started the last few months squatting regularly and I feel completely off balance, falling forward/backwards, and never feel like I am going deep enough. I have tried watching videos and reading articles online, but I am finding contradicting theories like how wide of a stance to take, look up/look down/look straight ahead, hip drive, etc. I know form will vary from person to person because of height and size, but the basic form and movement shouldn't change, right? I am 6'2 and 195 lbs by the way. I figure who better to maybe give me some pointers than a strongman.
-Derek
Derek,
IMO, there are 3 rules that you need to apply while doing a proper squat.
1. Always keep you chest up while going up & down in a squat. Its kinda like spreading your breastbone. The moment you look down, you end up using your lower back and start to either good morning it, or not making the lift. Plus, you risk injuring your lower back.
2. Hold the abs in tight at all times. Hold your navel up & in towards your spine while performing a squat.
3. HINGE at the hips when you start to squat. Alot of people make the mistake of shooting their knees forward as they start to squat. You need to make sure that you hinge the junction where the top of your thigh meets your hips, like you are going to sit on an imaginary chair.
Don't start squatting with your knees and tuck your tail like a "scared dog". Does this make sense?
Best of luck with your training. Let me know if you have any other questions.
HIGA MONSTER
Originally Posted by BigAnt
You are one strong...VERY STRONG GUY, super nice and very cool to work-hang out with...Your wife is also a beautiful and supportive lady...you two are great for each other...Hope we can hang out sooner and spend more time in the cage-training-eating next year!
Continue to better your self..and do what you do best!
Big Ant,
It was great to meet you and work with you in the Cage. Thanks for the kind words, and I hope we can meet up again soon brah. Thanks again for the positive comments. I'm glad to be a part of Team Animal.
I ve pulled trucks in thw parking lot, draggged 4 45plates 100 yards.. its def a awesomes condtioning drilll.
hmmm i tihnk its time to up the ante on the squat... 405 for 2 yrs ,,time for new weight,,,i say 500lbs for reps... sets the men from the boys.... lol
Are you pulling Tonka Trucks at World Gym? That doesn't count "Freak". LOL
Dude, I know that driveway at your gym is a beast. I would hate to drag something up that incline. I remember watching a trainer take a client up that driveway at the "California's Strongest Man" contest 2 years ago. It was brutal!
500 sounds great! Lets see what Corporate decides next year. Maybe, it will be who wears the most hairgel contest...you would win hands down. Then Rage would be a distant 2nd place. HAHAHA!
Derek,
IMO, there are 3 rules that you need to apply while doing a proper squat.
1. Always keep you chest up while going up & down in a squat. Its kinda like spreading your breastbone. The moment you look down, you end up using your lower back and start to either good morning it, or not making the lift. Plus, you risk injuring your lower back.
2. Hold the abs in tight at all times. Hold your navel up & in towards your spine while performing a squat.
3. HINGE at the hips when you start to squat. Alot of people make the mistake of shooting their knees forward as they start to squat. You need to make sure that you hinge the junction where the top of your thigh meets your hips, like you are going to sit on an imaginary chair.
Don't start squatting with your knees and tuck your tail like a "scared dog". Does this make sense?
Best of luck with your training. Let me know if you have any other questions.
HIGA MONSTER
Thanks Higa. I think I was definitely starting to good morning it some trying to accomplish hip drive. It seems like I went from one extreme to the other...from squatting totally with my knees to looking down at the floor and using my lower back to get it going. I don't hit legs again til next week, but I will definitely use your rules next lift.
-Derek
"Obsessed is merely a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated"
"The only way to bag a classy lady is to give her two tickets to the gun show...and see if she likes the goods"
-Ron Burgundy
Thanks Higa. I think I was definitely starting to good morning it some trying to accomplish hip drive. It seems like I went from one extreme to the other...from squatting totally with my knees to looking down at the floor and using my lower back to get it going. I don't hit legs again til next week, but I will definitely use your rules next lift.
-Derek
Another cool trick to improve squat form, is to squat facing a wall.
Start being 1 foot away from the wall and focus on keeping the chest up and hinging at your hips.
If you hit the wall with your forehead or your kneecaps, your form is improper.
Follow the same 3 rules I told you about earlier, and do it facing the wall. Proper squat form will not make you touch the wall with any part of your body. It will skim right in front of you.
Another cool trick to improve squat form, is to squat facing a wall.
Start being 1 foot away from the wall and focus on keeping the chest up and hinging at your hips.
If you hit the wall with your forehead or your kneecaps, your form is improper.
Follow the same 3 rules I told you about earlier, and do it facing the wall. Proper squat form will not make you touch the wall with any part of your body. It will skim right in front of you.
HIGA MONSTER
Interesting technique. Definitely gonna give that one a try.
I have a feeling a might land on my ass a few times before I get this one down...LOL!
-Derek
"Obsessed is merely a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated"
"The only way to bag a classy lady is to give her two tickets to the gun show...and see if she likes the goods"
-Ron Burgundy
Thanks Higa, the video helped. I actually snuck off to the bathroom at work to give it a whirl...shh! I can see that I am gonna need to practice. It went pretty well when I had my arms hanging down, but when I grabbed a broomstick and threw it across my shoulders and tried it, I kept falling backwards at the bottom right before parallel. Maybe I let my abs loosen or something. I will keep working on it.
-Derek
"Obsessed is merely a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated"
"The only way to bag a classy lady is to give her two tickets to the gun show...and see if she likes the goods"
-Ron Burgundy
Since I am doing the Big Climb on 3/23, I wanted to do some light cardio stuff at the Warehouse today.
635 lb Yoke for 72 feet, 185 lb stone carry for 72 feet, then a brutal 450 lb sled that I couldn't even use my legs to drag.
I was just rowing the sled for 48 feet. That sucked ass, cause I wanted to get more of a leg burn, but I had too much weight from the kegs in the sled.
The kegs were 290 lbs in the back, and a 160 lb keg in the front of the sled.
Jersey Animals
"In the end, we're all just chalk lines on the concrete, drawn, only to be washed away. For the time that I've been given, I am what I am."
225 Front squat x 10 reps, 225 back squat x 10 reps, 143 lb Axle stiff legs x 15 reps, Back Extensions x 15 reps, 10 second plank on BOSU x 3 sets. (feet together, cross 1 side then cross the other side)
Trying to do some light weight training, cause I am doing the Big Climb of Seattle this Sunday 3/21.
Gonna do some stair climbs tonight in my work building, so didn't want to kill my legs today.
Hit legs today and squats went much better. I have been doing the wall squats a few times a day. They are a really good teaching technique. I figured out that your first 2 rules that I wasn't following were the ones really holding me back. Looking up definitely helped my chest up. But I believe my real problem was my abs. I was letting my abs loose at the bottom of the squat so it was very hard to keep my body tight to push the weight back up in a smooth motion. So I was way off balance.
I will keep working on it and hopefully the weights will go up as my form improves.
Thanks Higa
-Derek
"Obsessed is merely a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated"
"The only way to bag a classy lady is to give her two tickets to the gun show...and see if she likes the goods"
-Ron Burgundy
Hit legs today and squats went much better. I have been doing the wall squats a few times a day. They are a really good teaching technique. I figured out that your first 2 rules that I wasn't following were the ones really holding me back. Looking up definitely helped my chest up. But I believe my real problem was my abs. I was letting my abs loose at the bottom of the squat so it was very hard to keep my body tight to push the weight back up in a smooth motion. So I was way off balance.
I will keep working on it and hopefully the weights will go up as my form improves.
Thanks Higa
-Derek
Solid man!
Good to hear. Better to work and improve on your form, before going up with crazy weight and risk injury.
Keep me posted, and I'm glad to help.
HIGA MONSTER
Just got back from the Warehouse...this will be my last workout until Sunday's Big Climb of Seattle.
675 lb Yoke for 96 feet;
204 lbs in each hand Farmers Walk for 96 feet;
694 lb Tire flip for 48 feet (I fuckin slacked & ended up flipping 1 more time cause I didn't break the finish line. Idiot Higa...)
10 plyometric jumps onto the Tire. (25.5" tall)
Yea, my plyos suck. However, I'm trying to improve them. And my legs were pretty shot after the previous 3 exercises in the circuit.