Ox's Strongman Return!

Well after being a member on here for long time now I've decided to have a bash at keeping a journal. I'll attempt to keep it up to date as much as possible!
 
Bit of background information for you all. I'm 32 years old and been training since about 15 years old. Up until a few years ago I competed in strongman as some of you may know until i nearly lost my foot in an atlas stone training accident! After long recovery I have switched my training around to bodybuilding and am currently on my 3rd dogcrapp training blast which started monday.
 
After my accident, with 3 months of being in a wheelchair my weight topped out at 21 stone, (had been competing at 19 stone), over the course of two years I've managed to drop my weight down to my current weight of 15 stone 4lbs most of my lifts are back up to and in some cases greater than my strongman training days which I think is down to DC which i've found to be a fantastic training system, and i've had a few over the years! My squatting is slowly getting back to where i'd like it but I also had an injury in my upper back last year which really knocked my training right back but my Chiropractor has thankfully sorted it! I think finally I am currently injury free for the first time in years!!
 
Well, goals for this year , (I hope!), are to compete in my first bodybuilding contest - BNBF central in July. If i'm honest I still don't know if I can do this, (yes I know - be positive etc!), i'll be posting up pics as soon as I get some took for crititicism and advice from those in the know.
 
After pretty much 2 solid years of carb restricting dieting i am currently upping carbs and trying to add a little muscle over my next 8-10 week blast. My average blast length has been about 8 weeks, but this has been whilst severely cutting carbs so with a few more in my system I may last a few weeks more. After this blast I will be starting contest prep dieting for around 20-22 weeks to the contest, (i hope!).
 
So listed here is my current blast routine, I train at home in a reasonably well equipped gym, (yes I know DC protocol dictates DC isn't for home training but I have a good repatoire of exercises to choose from from blast to blast and it's been working, I have a well equipped commercial gym nearby which I will probably eventually turn to for at least 1-2 workouts a week at some point):
 
Standard DC 2 way split, training Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
 
A1,2,3: Chest, Delts, Triceps, Back Width, Back Thickness (In this order)
B1,2,3: Biceps, Forearms, Calves, Hamstrings, Quads  (In this order)
 
A1
Bench Press 11-15 Rest Pause (R/P)
Behind Head Press 11-20 R/P
Floor Log Press 11-15 R/P
Rack Chins 20-30 R/P
Deadlifts 3-6 Straight set (SS) 6-9 SS
 
B1
Incline Dumbell Curl 11-20 R/P
Hammer Preacher Curl 2 x 10-20 SS
Dip Belt Calf Raise 15-20 SS DC style
Lying Hamstring Curl 20-30 R/P
Deep Squat 6-9 SS 15-25 SS Widowmaker
 
A2
Incline Bench 11-15 R/P
Seated Dead Stop Barbell Presses 11-20 R/P
Dips 11-20 R/P
Close Grip Pulldowns 11-15 R/P
T Bar Rows 2 x 10 -15 SS
 
B2
E-Z Drag Curl 11-20 R/P
Pinwheel Curls 2 x 10-20 SS
Barbell Calf Raise 15-20 SS DC style
Sumo Romanian Deads 11-15 R/P
Front Squat 6-9 SS 15-25 SS Standard Squat Widowmaker
 
A3
Incline 'Smith Stretch Press' 2 x 15-20 SS ** 
Seated Overhead Pin Press 11-20 R/P
EZ Floor Skulls 15-30 R/P
Wide Grip Pulldown 11-15 R/P
Pendalay Row 6-9 9-12 SS
 
B3
Standing Dumbell Curls 11-20 R/P
Hanging V Bar Curls 2 x 10-20 SS
Seated Dumbell Calf Raise 20-30 SS DC style
Wide Stance Good Morning 2 x 10 -20 SS
Barbell Hack Squat 6-9 SS 15-25 Widowmaker
 
All exercises followed by a 60-90 second weighted stretch as dictated by DC protocol, If i can go longer I will, the idea is intense pain! Since starting this I have noticed a big difference in how much less sore I get and get better pumps too.
 
Some of these exercises may seem unusual, some are standard DC such as rack chins, some are what i've made up that work in the gym I have that have the ability to work the desired muscle(s) whilst having the ability for much poundage progression, which ultimately is what DC is all about.
 
** This exercise is meant for use in a smith machine, as i do not have access to one, i perform it sliding up and down the front of my power rack. The aim for this exercise is to hit the inner - upper chest by taking a very wide grip and focusing on a big stretch on the negative. Tried these for the first time in my cruise last week and they were awesome so looking forward to seeing what they do for me.
 
Anyway, I think thats everything for now! Probably forgot to put something in here though!!
Hope some of you will pop by from time to time, any questions or advice- throw it in!!
 
Training this afternoon so will try to update!!
 
Cheers people!!
 
 

Good Luck - will be a great story if you get to a competing level for July!

Is it worth doing the shape up challenge too?

Thanks mate.

Hadn't thought about the shape up challenge, maybe worth thinking about!

Cheers.

Good luck in your training mate i'm sure if you train hard you'll make it.

Thanks mate! Appreciated!

Good luck pal, I'll keep an eye on your progress!!

Sweeeeet! Will be keeping an eye on this. I really love the idea of using more typically strength-oriented movements within the DC template (ie. Log pressing, Pin pressing, pendlay rows, etc.) Very interesting!

Cheers guys!

Cheers CK, i guess it's the strongman still in me! My logs been stood up in the corner of my gym calling my name!! Just had to try fit it in in this blast, it really fries my triceps and feels so much better than a close grip bench. To be honest alot of my choices are also down to the fact I don't have a leg press machine, hammer strength machines etc which most certainly have a place in DC training but even if I did i've been so used to doing bog standard basic barbell lifts for so long it would be hard to stop doing them.

I've figured over the years you got to adapt to what you have to hand to train with and get a little creative, I used to make all my strongman equipment too. Think i'd be a little star struck going in to a big gym with lots of choice lol! End of the day though I think the basics always have and always will work.

Really looking forward to this blast, still hugely saw from Mondays session but the cruise has done me the world of good and I can't wait to hit it again today!

Thanks for all your encouragement guys.

Good luck with it Ox, that injury sounded like it was terrible.

Cheers mate. Yeah it stung a bit!! Honestly I was very lucky really. Paramedic on the way in told me I may lose my foot. Not a good feeling. I'm lucky to be back where I am and am making every training session count!

Ox


Thanks mate.

Hadn't thought about the shape up challenge, maybe worth thinking about!

Cheers.

I would, if you were previously bigger and able to get back into it you should be able to add some size easier then others - nice little fair advantage.

good luck with the training, i'll keep an eye out for your pics soon

Good luck with this fella, what were your best lifts?

Thanks for stopping by guys, appreciate it.

Sheeps Clothing - Back when I was into my power training for strong man I was getting around 275KG for deads (300 - 325kg for racks), 150kg for bench (not that I really trained this as didn't need in comps), 225kg for squats and around 120kg overhead log press. These were all singles done drug free, (lifetime drug free lifting), using just wraps where needed. I was up to a 160kg Atlas stone, 450kg Yolk walk, 140kg farmers to name a few others. I was making the best gains of my life when I had my accident and was homing in on a 300kg drug free deadlift which was a lifetime personal goal, (and still is - i WILL get this one day!).

My lifts these days are knocked back quite a bit and I don't train singles anymore obviously as I'm now body building, however the amount i'm lifting for reps is suprisingly the same if not higher for some exercises. It's been tough mentally and physically to get the weights back up to where i'd like them to be and to be honest is one of the reasons I quit strongman. I'm a family man, self employed and I just can't risk an injury like that again to stop me working. I still really miss strongman and I still feel I have 'unfinished' business with the atlas stones!! However I'm relishing the chance I have in bodybuilding now.

Using the DC program I can really see my gains coming back and I think i've conqured the 'fear factor' again. I'm particulary looking at improving my deads and my squats again as for a long time after i was back training I struggled to do these without my foot swelling right up again. Touch wood the pain has gone, no swelling now really and last blast got my squats up to 165kg for 7(to parallel), trying ass to calves squats this blast now as think my foot can take it and did a 125kg for 9 yesterday(not failure) to start my blast, hoping to get this up to around 145 -150kg by blast end for 6 -9. My deads are coming back well and I'm up to 205kg for a comfy 7, hoping to get to 215-220kg for 3-6 by blast end, maybe more!

All in all i'm pretty pleased with my comeback progress since the accident, I've lost a ton of weight, started running 3-4 times a week which I could never do before so my conditioning as gone throught the roof (for me!) and my lifts are coming back slowly and assisitance exercises are back where they used to be. Mentally i'm alot tougher now, I went through some dark weeks while in wheelchair, thinking my business was going down the pan, wondering if i'd ever walk again pain free let alone train but on a daily basis I got my ass out of wheelchair and on the floor and did some dumbell work just to keep sane!! I now tell everyone when they are moaning about how hard training is to relish in it and appreciate the fact you can do it cos one day you may not be able to!

Anyway enough of my ramblings!!

Yesterdays session went well, got some new exercises in this blast and the ones i've kept in because i'm still gaining on them have been knocked back 10% to help bust through plateau. The squats in particular felt good, a long time since I was able to squat that low and felt good to be back doing them, looking forward to really increasing the weight on these.

The belt squat calf raises done DC have completely wiped me out and are very painfull today. These are done with a 15 second stretch, a 3-5 second positive motion, a 5 second peak contraction and a 3 second negative, then repeated. Was meant to be working in the 15-20 rep rep range but only managed 11 with 50kg on belt, the stretch destroys them!

This morning I managed a 20 minute fasted run at 6.00am which was tough as legs are sore as hell but felt fantastic afterwards in a hot bath! All in all the first two sessions have gone well, i'm sore all over which is a good feeling as later on in the blast the soreness begins to lessen and I miss it! Looking forward to my A2 workout tomorrow!

Cheers guys, sorry for rambling on!!

Man my quads are in a mess! I love/hate widowmakers!

Ox


Man my quads are in a mess! I love/hate widowmakers!

x2!!!

danchubbz

Ox


Man my quads are in a mess! I love/hate widowmakers!

x2!!!

Do you do DC too mate? Or do you just add widows into your training?

300kg is also my ten year aim, clean. Actually quite rare to see a 300kg unequipped drug free DL.

Sure you'll nail it and more at some point fella, will be watching your journal.

Cheers mate, yeah a 300kg unequipped drug free dead would be oh so sweet! Even though now bodybuilding I still love the heavy stuff!! Actually I find repping out in deads far more taxing than the old days going all out for 1 rep! Still sore from monday from them! Good luck in your quest too mate, sure you'll get the magical 300 too!

Interesting history Ox. Glad to hear that you are back into things though. It's a great feeling when you have been out for a while and are then able to get back to doing what you love. Will be watching your journal and i need to go and have a read up on DC training as i am not entirely sure wtf you are talking about