Being Proud

I have been lifting weights and such for about 18 years. Now I always lifted but I never really took any of serious until about 8 years ago when I met my wife. Its funny how having someone around who supports you and will tell you if you are doing good or bad really brings out the best in you. I remember shortly after we got married I wanted to turn our garage into my gym and buy some extra equipment to make it better. Now most normal women would have told me to go to hell, but not my wife she fully supported it and now we have a very nice gym and our cars are outside. Now I still wasn't completely serious with my lifting but I was pushing it harder and lifting heavier weights. Now jump ahead to 2006 I decide I wanna try and do my first strongman contest. Now some peoples might have been thinking "Your crazy" this would be a true statement, as I think you have to be a little out of your mind to do some of the things I like do. Again my wife supported me and dealt with me training more and seeing her and the kids less sometimes. I did my contest and got my ass handed to me, in fact over the next 2 1/2 years I did many more contest and got my ass kicked alot more times. My wife kept giving me lots of support and kept telling me not to give up. Finally come 2008 I found what I needed to do and did it. I lost a bunch of weight, figured out what I need to do in my workouts, and I put it all together as a plan. My first contest I didn't win, but I did take 4th place out 12 competitors. Now I knew I was getting closer to what I needed to accomplish my goals. Finally in 2009 I won the Gus Lohman as a 200# competitor, Won the Collegiate Nats as a Lightweight, and won the Nebraska Highlander as a 200# competitor. Without my wife I never could have accomplished any of this. Having solid support is the key to doing well at anything. Good women are hard to find and my wife is living proof, as quite frankly I can be a real pain in the ass if I have a bad contest or even bad training. But when I get bitchy she tells me shut up and deal with it and listens to my rambling. I am proud of my wife and lucky to have her.

Jesse

Strongman Day

Overall today was a good day. My buddy Corey Kenkel is on fire and tore it up today. He pressed a 140# for 1 rep, flew through a 210-310 stone series.

Thick DB clean and press
100# x 12 reps would have been 17 reps had I not screwed up some reps.
120# x 2 reps just my right arm, left arm was not cooperating

18" Deadlift
500lbs x 1 x 5 singles
550lbs x 1 x 3 singles

stones
series of 210-310 this sucked
250 stone x 5 reps

Sledgehammer swings
12# sledge x 20 reps x 3 sets

decline abs wiht 12# medicine ball x 20 reps x 2 sets

Good day, need to rest up.

Jesse

ok day

Was maybe gonna go for a deadlift PR today, but once I started lifting I realized I was not fully recovered from wednesday. But I still had a good workout.

Deadlift from the floor.
135x5
225x5
315x3
405x1
475x1 add belt
525x1 nice smooth rep, but a little heavier than it should have been so I stopped with heavy weight.
405x1x8 sets no belt 20 sec rest in between.

Military presses
115x5
125x5
135x5
145x5
155x5

Rope Pullups
6 sets of 4 reps

Reverse hypers
3x10

Chest supported rows
3x15

Jesse

Lifetime achievment day

I felt like hell all day today, was half tempted to skip my workout completely. But I am glad I didn't as I achieved a lifetime PR today.

Power snatches
95x3
115x3
135x3
135x1x6 sets

Power Cleans
185x3
205x5
215x3
225x1x5 sets 30 sec rest between each

Box squats to 17" high box
worked up then
405x2 no belt PR
405x2 add belt
470x1 15# PR
485x1 30# PR
500x1 45# PR and lifetime PR

Was spent after this and called it a night. Very happy with this as it lets me know the hard is paying off.

Jesse

Upperbody day

Was gonna do a powerlifting meet this weekend, but decided that making money was a smarter idea. Did some different stuff today but should have not benched remotely heavy.

Log presses
log x 8
140x3
180x3
200x3
220x3

These felt decent, I haven't touched the log in around 3-4 months so it is just getting used to it again.

Bench Press
135x5
185x5
225x3
275x3
305x1 way harder that it should have been.

Incline DB presses
3x10

Hammer Curls 4x8 supersetted with Straight bar curls 4x10

Wrist Curls
4x15

Grippers 2x25 each hand.

Jesse

Setting Goals

I have already made my list of goals I want to achieve this year, but I always hear people ask how do you stay motivated. Well it is not always easy, you have to have a different train of thought than most people. I am one of those people that even when I do really well I can find 10 things I could have done better. Last year I won 3 contest, but at 2 of them I won 4 of the 5 events and this made me unhappy. I came away with the win, but I still wanted more. I think this is what separates people who lifts weights from people who train. Every workout I want to set PRs, it doesn't always happen but that is the goal. One way to always keep motivated is know what your PRs are on every little lift. I was feeling a little burned out the other day so I knew I needed something to keep me happy. Well I hadn't done rack pulls from above the knee in a long time, so I did them and set a 25# PR. Hell some weeks I will set a stupid PR on something like curls, DB rows, pullups, etc..... Setting PRs is what keeps me going, that and having something to train for. I am hoping to get to compete this weekend in a powerlifting meet, if I do I will go for a DL pr. My bench unfornately is not where I want it to be but I will still try to set a PR.

Jesse

Somewhat event training day

Had a less than stellar workout on friday, but it was something. Actually it was a good amount of work I just didn't feel all that strong. Had some good training today, and I am happy with how things are coming along. But I need to start working on my overhead pressing strength alot. I am training for a powerlifting meet right now and I am not able to do both without overtraining. So once this powerlifting training is done, it is back to getting my overhead back up to par.

Thick DB clean and press
95x16 reps 8 each arm. I felt happy about his until Corey knocked out 20 reps way easier and faster than my 16. But I did get a PR eating prime rip from the night before and needless to say I was still very full from it.

Axle presses
160x3
180x3
200x7 just out of gas here.

Rack pulls just above the knee.
worked up to 700x1
and then 750x1 which I believe is a PR.

Stones
330x1x5sets
These felt good. Worked on fast lap to load.

Sledgehammer swings x 20 supersetted with woodchoppers with bands x 10 3 times nonstop.

Overall this was a good workout. I am really looking forward to some warm weather to do some outside training. I could be tough and go outside, but screw that I have done it for the past couple years and I don't ever really feel that it has benefited me when I have done it.

Jesse

Upperbody day

Ok day today, didn't really hit the numbers I wanted but it is still early in my cycle. Might do a Bench press/Deadlift contest at the end of the month, I figure it would be nice to see where I am at in my strength levels and then I will know what I have to change for my numbers for my contest in March.

Bench Presses
135x5x2
185x5
205x5
235x3
265x7 almost had 8 reps, but I am having to use a different foot placement due to the rules of the organization I will be lifting in. I don't care for this new way, but I will have to get used to it.

Close grip bench
265x3x2 sets
275x3

Pushups with chains over back
do 5 reps remove a set of chains did 2 sets of 25 reps.

Biceps
6 sets

Forearms
6 sets

Jesse

Strongman day

Had a decent day today. I am finally learning that the battle is not won in 1 workout, just gotta fight to the good fight to keep healthy.

Thick DB one arm presses. Wanted to see where I was with these. Was not happy

60x5 each arm
105x3 each arm
125x1 right arm miss left
135xmiss each arm

This thing just sucks, but I will get better at it.

Axle clean and press. Lowering the weight alot and working on explosion
160x5
175x5
190x10

18" Deadlift
315x3
405x1
455x1
500x4 happy about his working on really driving with legs, I could have grinded out more reps but they would have been ugly and that is not the goal right now.

Triset
axle bent over rows x8, band rows x 10, DB rows x 12 x 3 sets this was a nice burn

Keg load
250 keg x 20 load from lap legs were toast after this nice finisher.

Overall I am happy with how my workouts are coming along. I am 8 weeks out from my powerlifting meet and 14 weeks out from my first strongman comp of the year. Everything right now is mostly about getting back in strongman shape and working on good form.

Jesse

Deadlift day

Really good workout today. Forgot to do some other things I typically do on this day, but it is not gonna kill me to not do them today.

Deadlifts from the floor
All sets hook gripped
135x5
225x5
315x3
355x3
405x3
455x7 these felt great but thumbs were toast after 7th rep.

Stones, was gonna squat but Jason and Mac were doing stones.
310x2
360x1
330x1
Nothing crazy, but crazy enough for just deadlifting.

Reverse hypers
3x10

KB swings
3x8

Rope Rows
3x8

Jesse

Training partners

I was sitting here thinking of what is one of the most important things to me for my training. Everything comes into play with my training how I have been eating, how many sets did I do, did I rest enough, but without having someone to tell me hey you could have done this, or you didn't sink your squat low enough. Without a good training partner workouts can be completely worthless, and the same can be said for a shitty training partner.

I have had alot of people I have worked out with over the years, but none near as good as the group I train with now. Most of the guys I workout with will tell me "Hey your being a pussy today, so could you knock it off!" I come to expect this and they will get the same from me. I have had people come to my gym for one workout only to never comeback as they have said we are too intense or I have told them not to come back as they didn't bring anything to the table.

I have a good group of training partners each one possessing their own unique qualities for helping me out. Corey always pushes me to have better overhead workout as he constantly presses more than me and weighs 30lbs less, Mac pushes me to work harder on my conditioning, loading stones and kegs as fast as him, Zack is a beast and although I can almost never keep up with him strength wise it pushes me to try and get to his level, Jason is all around a threat at any lift and I have to keep on my toes to try and stay ahead of him(But on a side not he is currently kicking my ass of all lifts). These are 4 main friends I lift with, nothing is more fun than some of us getting in a pissing match on who can do what better, faster, or just lift more.

Without great training partners one can achieve great things, but with someone to constantly push you to the limits you can achieve greater feats. To my training partners thank you for always pushing me and helping me achieve greater lifts.

Jesse

Lower body workout

Just had a great lowerbody workout today. Moved very fast through the workout and got alot accomplished in what time I did workout.

Power Cleans
135x5x2 sets
185x3
215x1x10 sets did all 10 in 4 min 23 sec

Box Squats
225x2x2
275x2
315x2x6 sets
335x2
355x2 I believe this is a beltless pr

I did all sets in around 9 min and all no belt.

Circuit done nonstop until 3 sets were completed
pull down abs, KB sidebends, DB sld's, calf raises.

Got the workout done in about 35 min total. Strength is feeling great, for not having a meet anytime close things are looking good. Next week I will probably take a max single or double off the box and then taper the weight back down for 3 weeks.

Jesse

Upperbody workout

Todays workout was a decent one had a late start due to some family stuff with my daughter, but that is the benefit of having your own gym. You can go whenever you feel like it.

Started off with some bench pressing
135x8x2 sets
185x5
220x3
235x3
250x9 wanted 10 reps but it wasn't there today.

Close grip benching
250x3
275x3
295x1

My close grip strength is really in the crapper but I also haven't been doing these enough, so hopefully I can get back to where I was on these soon.

DB flys
4x10

21's
3 sets

Hammer curls
3x8

Wrist curls supersetted with grippers
20 reps on the wrist and 10 reps on the grippers for 3 sets.

Overall it was a good workout, looking forward to the reps going down next month and then peaking for my powerlifting meet come March.

Jesse

What 2010 brings for me....

2009 was a great year and I achieved some goals that I never thought were possible. Here are some highlight to recap last year.

280# push press
350# bench press
570# deadlift
405# stone load
450# box squat
3 - 200# and under competition wins

Overall I got alot stronger and made great progress throughout the year. Currently my plans for this year.
March - 100% RAW Nebraska Powerlifting meet
May - Kansas Strongest Man
June - Gus Lohman(Missouri Strongest Man)
Throughout the year I will also compete in some other powerlifting meets, I hope to do NAS nationals and NAHA nationals. My biggest problem is deciding what weight I would like to compete in. I have gained some weight some good, some bad. But I know where I am at now I am at my strongest overall. But being lighter has some benefits for me also.

Here are some of my goals for this year
300# overhead press
375# bench press
600# deadlift
500# squat
275# power clean
425# stone load
300# each hand farmers walk 80 feet
800# super yoke 50 feet
56# WOB for 13 feet
Braemer stone 26+ feet
Lightweight for Distance 50 feet

There are many more but these are what I am gonna concentrate on. I will add to this throughout the year.

Jesse