Record Of Strength

[foggymountainmuscle]

06-06-05 accurate date this time

Grip and bending

Filed my trainer even more and filed my #1 today. The handles touch at the CoC inscription on the handles of the trainer, bottom of the dogleg is gone and over half of the other leg is filed. The bottom of the dogleg on the #1 is pretty much gone.

Warmed up with my Chinese balls

Warmed up with some light squeezes on the trainer.

2 sets of 4 reps 1/4 no set (the name Eric Milfield gave them and the kind of closes I normally do unless indicated other wise) Forced the close on each rep (except the last rep on the left hand which I couldn't). Could not physically bare more than 4 reps. Possibly my greatest accomplish to date on the grippers was on the first rep of the second set with my right hand I OVERCRUSHED the severly filed trainer!

Did some static holds, 2 sets, with the filed trainers at the close, lasted about 10 seconds each hand.

My grip was fried, I wasn't going to do any good with the #1 and #2 tonight.

Did some goosenecks as I call them with 2 bricks on the back of my fingers for 2 sets. 3 set I just held 3 bricks on the back of my fingers for about 10 seconds. Had trouble balancing the stack with my left.

Tried to finish off some of my zinc plated steel, but only broke some pieces with their center grinded. Put a big kink in the piece I wanted to bend, but I lost the battle.

Cooled down with Chinese balls.

[foggymountainmuscle]

06-07-04 Last entry was the 100th reply in this topic; I lit some fireworks. Not really.

Upper body

Did some cleans and presses with my barrels, but I broke one and moved on after nearly breaking the other. I was suprised at my precision form for something so ackward, too bad I couldn't hold onto the things. This got me soaked.

I found two parallel strands of rope from an old swing on I tree. I wore leather gloves, the plastic rope was frayed and I knew it would prick me all over. Did the pull ups with my legs raised to make it harder, it was also the only way I could do them so my feet wouldn't touch the ground. To my suprised I could not grip the rope well and my hands slid down to the knots at the bottom of the rope. I was further suprised that I could only get 8 reps. The last two sets got about 5 reps. I have never done pullups in such a challenging manner before. On a normal bar I can get close to 20!

Did some brick lifting 6 bricks wide. 5 reps with 6 bricks, 4 reps with 7, 3 reps with 8, 1 rep with 9, tried 9 again and got 3! Couldn't do any more after that. Balance was a problem that caused some inconsistancy in the sets. If you guys haven't brick lifted before I really reccomend it. My hands and lower arms were taken to exstremes today.

Finished with 2 sets of 10 second holds with 2 barrels doing the cruisifix. Not much weight at all. Didn't feel like doing them but forced myself to.

[foggymountainmuscle]

06-11-05

Took me a while to get a good lower body workout. Earlier in the day I did some wood chopping and sawing. Cleared out alot

Truck pull I pulled my brother's truck in neutral down our road. First run was easy, level pavement for a warm up. The next 3 times I pulled it got real hard real fast as the incline of the road started to increase. The last set I didn't make it very far.

I then went and pushed his truck through the same streach, made if farther because pushing is easier, but it was still very hard. I hope to do this next week, very challenging and I hope to do better.

I was exhausted. When I would stop, I just fell to the ground. My calves would just give out from under me. Burned real bad, ever afterwards.

[bencrush]

Have you deadlifted with a ring handle lately? Thought I saw a an old post regarding you and ring handle deadlifts.

[foggymountainmuscle]

yesterdays workout was some steel coiling and steel scrolling. I had a 3/16th flat piece 3/4" wide and 48" long. (Wider widths are easier if you have not bent flat bar. Anyway I coiled the piece nice and tight, then straightened it out as best I could. Then I proceeded to scroll until I obtained a rather pleasing design. I would like to get a picture but I might rework the bar before that happens. Anyway picture a flat bar, with both ends looped, then folded in the middle so that the loops go into each other. It is similiar to the symbol for Eric Millfield's avatar. I throughouly enjoyed it.

I haven't been on or posted in a while because of computer problems, more specifically a modom that won't work. I am using a library computer now.

No bencrush, I have not gotten to work with my R-ring lately. My gym at home closed down, I have no access to weight plates. I am dissapointed how I still do not have enough money to buy the supplies I need to put new handles on my farmer walk impliments. This summer has not been much fun so far.

[foggymountainmuscle]

Page 4 has the workout of my one handed deadlifting. I maxed out at 290. Very deep range of motion.

I almost forgot a lower arm workout I had a few days ago. I got some zinc plated steel 1/4" 6" long carriage bolts from TSC. Felt like licorice in my hand. Cut them down to 5.5 and it was still rather easy. Took a peice of steel that stopped me dead last workout and made it fall like it was nothing. The challenge and fun of the session though was some 3/16" square stock I found called key stock, it's zinc plated. I managed to bend one 6" long and kinked one at 40 degrees towards the end of the workout. This is some good stuff for you guys like me who are inbetween the green and yellow.

For crush I did 3 sets of timed holds, about 12 seconds with my ax and sledge hammer, just like holding two sledge hammers facing the opposite direction. It would be better to use 2 sledge hammers, trust me. I finally got to do some pinch gripping. I used a sledge hammer. I put the head of the sledge past the edge of the counter and would depress the handle to lever the slege up. Good for you guys who do not have the TTK. Try to use a thin counter surface in order to get a better range of motion.

I also came up with what I hope will be a good inch trainer. Take a piece of pipe about 2.5" in width and weld 2 legnths of chain on each end and loop the weights around the chain. Now pick up the bar with the welded links facing up or slightly towards your palm. This should similate how the inch wants to roll out of the hand. Now load it unevenly and you have something that doesn't want to stay in your hand at all. I thought to myself after trying to hold on to some branches I cut and how they rocked back an forth how great it would be to mimic the resistance of something that's squirelly and fights no matter where you push or pull. At the end of the day this idea emeriged. I thank the lord for the idea and I hope to tell you guys how it goes sometime soon.

[foggymountainmuscle]

Well I was at Tractor Supply Company today getting wire for my wrist roller and wood screws for my farmers when I got a great idea. Hey-hook kettlebells! Get a hey hook, weld and/or succure plates to it! Haven't done it but sure plan to sometime!

[danegarreau]

Foggy, are you still working out at the gym now that school is out?

[foggymountainmuscle]

Dane, nope, the gym down where I live and used to go to closed down. Owner took the money and ran. My school is not near where I live. Basically I'm trying to build up a home gym and make some more equipment. I'll be going into the IL record breakers competition not having touched a barbell in a month! Luckily I do have enough stuff to train for all the events.

06-19-04

Finally got my new handles for my farmers walk impliments! 1.5" diameter handles. Anyone have a rough idea how much a railroad tie weighs? Their two railroad ties with a 1.5" pipe nipple as a handle. Feels like bucking thunder in my hands, hard to keep level. Farthest I managed to get on the grass was about 60 feet. It's just so hard to hold onto, I hope to be able to go 200 feet by the end of the month. They sure feel heavy to pick up, they'll make for good deadlifts.

Tried doing some suitcase deadlifts, a few singles that I couldn't keep under control. I then loaded up two sandbags on my shoulder and walked with them for some core work instead.

I duck walked my farmer impliments back to their correct spot, a good lift I'll have to do next time.

I then did some squats 3 sets of 10 with the winter traction back on the front of my head and back of my head. Only got 5 on one set in front of my head, just couldn't shake the fatigue.

[foggymountainmuscle]

06-20-04

Long bending + short bending

I bought a 6 foot section of 3/8" round zinc plated steel. I kicked off the days festivities with some steel coiling on the 3/8" bar. I snapped a photo of the coiled 3/8 and my 3/16 flat scroll work. I hope I find a scanner to show you guys eventually, excellent designs that I am proud of. I then did some easy short bending using a few different styles. Bent a few carriage bolts with slim style, double underhand, and Brookfield style. I then undid my scroll work, and what a mess it was. It was very wrapped up in itself and I must have gotten stronger since last time to have been able to get the bar back close to straight. I then got down to business killing some of my key stock, which proved tough at the crush down due to the poking of the square ends. I was able to break through my previous tension barriers a few times with some grit that helped me get a few more degrees than normal. I finished off a bend I didn't get the last workout. I only did 3 of the 6 inch 3/16" square that I had total, but they took a while, were good fights and I was working on uncoiling my 3/8" inbetween sets. This must be helping my upper body strength, looking at my arms now my bicept heads are starting to split!

[foggymountainmuscle]

06-22-05 Last entry should have been the 21st.

Did some duck walking with one of my farmer impliments, the slightly heavier one. 5 sets, no added weight first run, of about 100 feet, 30 extra pounds on the second run of about 100 feet. Added 20 more pounds for a total of and extra 50 pounds and I had to work hard to get 60 feet with multiple drops. I was so dead after the last run, but I forced myself to go on.

I did some one handed deadlifts with the farmer impliment, 5 reps each side no weight. 3 reps each side with and extra 30 pounds. A single each side with extra fifty pounds.

I was acheing, but I did some pinching. 4 10s, one of my "10s" was significantly bigger than the rest, making it heavier and interfearing with my grip on the stack. Got it on the first few reps of each set, but had some assistance in the other reps. 1 set of 4, one set of 5, one set of 6 each hand. I'm going to have to work on 5 10s soon!

[foggymountainmuscle]

I looked at John Brookfield's grip tip of the month and it was plate curls. He would place some fingers in the hole of the plate. Is this how they are usually done? I have not done them that way, I thought it was cheating so I never tried it. It would explain why I can't plate curl a 25 pound olympic plate but I have strong wrist.

[tspinillo]

Foggy,

It is just a variation. Notice his thumb is not wrapped on the edge of the plate.

It looks like the emphasis is to stress individual fingers.

T!

[foggymountainmuscle]

02-24-04 Upper body and lower arm

Started the workout right with what looks to be a 4" timber tie, U'd. Warmed up on some filed trainer squeezes, didn't want to fully close it for a warm up. Did 4 reps of forced filed #1 closes. Did 4 reps of forced #2 closes, left hand doesn't get that close. I still got 3/4" to go on it off a quater no set. The set is not much of an improvement. Went back on the #1 and did a long negative. Ended on the #2 with some spring held crushes. I wanted to train two different ranges on my crush, hence my back and forth useage of the grippers.

Did some static holds for about 15 seconds with 2 bricks on the back of my finger for 2 sets. Last set I did three bricks. Kept my fingers close together this time.

Did some bending, got a piece of steel from about 2 weeks ago that I didn't get first try. U'd 2 pieces of my square 3/16" stock, kinked another pretty good. I think the gripper earlier on killed my slim style bending which I use to get into the crush down, so it changed my bending a bit. U'd a bolt Brookfield style for a little cool down.

Moved on to some brick lifting, did about 5 sets I think. Bent over rows with 6 bricks wide. Added some brick fragments 2nd set. Added a full brick the third set, added two bricks the 4th set, and did two singles with an extra 3 bricks and broke it off the ground in a last attempt.

My bending is taking off, I need more work with my grippers, and more bricks keep getting added to the pile.

Edited June 26, 2004 by foggymountainmuscle

[danegarreau]

Foggy, good luck at the record breakers competiton. You should do very well, i expect to see a big record out of you on the log clean and press for reps.

[foggymountainmuscle]

Thanks Dane, I expect a big record too. I'm going to do one last training session before the competition tomarrow. Since the weight is so light I'm thinking of cleaning the log straight to my shoulders and jerking the log up from the catch. I hope to pull at least 425 at the competition in the deadlift. I'm looking to beat my best in the conan's wheel, maybe get 150 ft. ?? I want to take the farmers for a little stroll, definately want to have to make a turn on the 200ft track. And I just want to get all the stones up on the platform. Did you get stones up to 300 at the Music City showdown? The heaviest I've encountered was 225 or something.

[danegarreau]

The stones at Music City were 175-235, i got all of them very easily. I have never tried a 300 stone, so i'm not really sure what i could do with it.

[foggymountainmuscle]

The stones I lifted before were pretty easy too, even easier than yours, all I can say about that 300 pound stone is TACKY! At the cost of my leg hair I at least have to try.

06-29-04

Started off with some bending, didn't do too much, just got a piece of 3/16 square I kinked last time. Didn't accomplish much else, need to get more stock, I used up the stuff I can bend. Moved onto the grippers. I'm very close to a no set in both hands with my filed trainer. I find I do worse with the set, probably some hand positioning training/feel thing from the way I work with the grippers. Did some forced positive and tough negatives on the #2, I used a counter edge to put my body weight into the close. I had to anchor myself, the gripper was pushing me back! Did 3 sets of 3 of them. Really tough, really heavy, but didn't want to go farther, the pressure of fully closed #2 is a megaton in my hand. But I feel this will be key to my close of the number 2.

Did some brick stacking, kinda like the IM stacker, but with bricks. Got up to 4 bricks with the hand to the side. I stopped because it hurt to extend my thumb, but it's better now.

Later today I did some strongman work. I warmed up with one sand bag, then two, then I did 3 sandbags at once for 5 reps with a fair amount of ease when before it was a nut buster to get it up once. And today was the day that I lifted my giant husafell stone from the ground with no support equipment; I've had this thing for over a year! I got it up about 3 times in total, walked with it twice, the first time it was about twice as far as I've ever done before! The third and first time I didn't make it so far because I couldn't ajust the grip of the stone up higher on my chest. I was done with the stone. I moved onto deadlifts with my farmer impliments, from a platform of 9 3x4s. I did 3 sets of doubles and ended on a triple, I just went for broke on the last set and I got it. Each rep was a slow battle, so the triple suprised me.

That's the last real workout before the Illinios record breakers.

[chrisof4]

Best of luck in Illinois, Michael! I am looking forward to reading about your results. I know you will do well based on how hard you have been training. Show them how it is done!!

[foggymountainmuscle]

07-03-04 Strongman Competition

Just got back from the Illinios Record Breakers Strongman Campetition. Ran into the Peterson clan from MN, nice comrodery to have. The day before the competition they had a little rolling thunder competition with a money pool. I pulled 145 in a warm up but couldn't pull it when it counted. Jeff Peterson walked away with the cash, well under his best lift. It was a brand new rolling thunder too. Dan Peterson was in my weight calss, making it more interesting. We started with the deadlift. I opened with 395, got 425, and ended on 455. (record) They moved the weights up in levels, hence the weird numbers. Next was the log clean and press for repsat 150lbs., I got 8 reps in 75 seconds. (record) I didn't clean it like a log, just right to my chest so I could go faster, it was light enough to get away with that. I went 348ft. with the 120 farmers, but Dan blew me away with 457ft. Last was the conans wheel. The bar was way too high, I watched 4 competitors before me drop the weight before they even got tired because the impliment caught the ground. So I grabbed the thing closer to the center hoping to get at least some distance. Only made it like 1/3 of a turn. At Xenia I got 2.5 turns, what a bunch of crap. The stones were canceled because it had been raining since the farmers started. I one two events, Dan won two events, the tie went to the competitor with the lower bodyweight: me. Whew, close one.

I walked away with a first place trophy, a dagger (for breaking a record), some protien bars, and free wrist supports.

[FrankyBoy]

07-03-04  Strongman Competition

Just got back from the Illinios Record Breakers Strongman Campetition.  Ran into the Peterson clan from MN, nice comrodery to have.  The day before the competition they had a little rolling thunder competition with a money pool.  I pulled 145 in a warm up but couldn't pull it when it counted.  Jeff Peterson walked away with the cash, well under his best lift. It was a brand new rolling thunder too.  Dan Peterson was in my weight calss, making it more interesting.  We started with the deadlift.  I opened with 395, got 425, and ended on 455. (record) They moved the weights up in levels, hence the weird numbers.  Next was the log clean and press for repsat 150lbs., I got 8 reps in 75 seconds. (record) I didn't clean it like a log, just right to my chest so I could go faster, it was light enough to get away with that.  I went 348ft. with the 120 farmers, but Dan blew me away with 457ft.  Last was the conans wheel.  The bar was way too high, I watched 4 competitors before me drop the weight before they even got tired because the impliment caught the ground.  So I grabbed the thing closer to the center hoping to get at least some distance.  Only made it like 1/3 of a turn.  At Xenia I got 2.5 turns, what a bunch of crap.  The stones were canceled because it had been raining since the farmers started.  I one two events, Dan won two events, the tie went to the competitor with the lower bodyweight: me.  Whew, close one.

I walked away with a first place trophy, a dagger (for breaking a record), some protien bars, and free wrist supports.

Congrats Michael,

excellent job!

[danegarreau]

Good job Froggy!! That is a nice deadlift. Too bad you didn't get to try out the stones.

[DAN PETERSON]

It was a fun contest. For some reason I always thought Foggymountainmuscle was an old guy but as it tunrs out Mike is my age. We talked before the contest and he was giving me some of his PRs. He was like yeah I have deadlifted in the 400s and done a 200+ over head. So in my head I just cancelled out my chances at winning the deadlift and log events. The Conans wheel was rough for anyone under six feet tall since we had such low clearance oh and th mild hurricane that blew past the contest didn't help either. I guess all I can say is I hope I don't run into Mike at a contest with more core strength events because he will definetly beat me.

[foggymountainmuscle]

Thanks for the compliments guys. This week has been an off week, more due to college visitations than the recovery of the contest. I plan to hit my farmer walk impliments and my big stone to prepare for the giant weights at Nationals along with a week long membership trial at the local Y for some gym time. Maybe they don't want people to finish the events since the weights are so heavy? Tough crap that 210 log is mine. Might have to make a yoke though.

Wanted to get some training so I hit grip and lower arm today. I did 4 sets of 3-4 reps on my "brick plate curls". If plate curls are funtional for arm wrestling then these are three times as functional. The 4 set was negatives. I alternated those with the exact opposite movement. I did overhead raises with my palm facing down while holding the bricks. 4 sets of 3-4, 4th set negative. I just thought of those right then and there and they're going to be a keeper. Works the thumb too. I did 2 sets of 4 reps on my filed trainer while wearing a thick leather glove. Misc. attempts and work were done with my other grippers, trial and error stuff. Did 3 sets of 4-5 hammer twist, last reps were so cheap but intense nonetheless. I then did one set of partial reps each direction for each hand. Some TREMENDOUS tension that I'm sure will build lots of wrist strength. Did 2 sets of finger walking and 2 sets of reverse finger walking. Cooled down with figure eights on a small sledge hammer behind and infront each hand.

[foggymountainmuscle]

This weekend I was down at my Aunt's house in Indianapolis along with my uncles to help her paint. Basically I pulled 2 double shifts this weekend for a total of 32 hours of work over a period of 48 hours. The last few were sheer misery. We went to bed at 1:30 AM, got up at 4:00 AM today and got back home at 7:30 AM. Then to top it off I worked 4 hours again today and will have to work more tomarrow. I just have to say I learned a hell of alot about work, even though I work harder jobs than any of my friends. Basically I had to work like a working man. Bust your ass all night working in the house only to get up early the next mourning for your paying job. Now maybe when I can do all this and still workout, then I'll be a man!

I bought a box of 60d timber ties. These are sweet. Tough, but they will allow for some volume in my bending. I'll see if I can upload some iron coiling and scroll work I did soon since I got the pictures back today.