KB's Log

[Kyle Barbour]

Background: 5'9" 210lb, 24yrs old... I hope to compete Strongman in April '06.

First Training log post...just highlights

Mon: Squat 315x3
345x3

CG Bench 225x5x3

Leg Press 470x10
515x10
560x10

Good Morning 135x6
155x6

High Incline 90x7
80x8
Chins 8/5
Hor. Row 290x6
Side Bend 80x8x3
Shrugs 100x15

[patrick w.]

got any contests coming up?

[Kyle Barbour]

To Sum it up I have been too much of a Pus** to focus on and train for a comp. I guess as a newbie to the sport I want to make sure I don't embarass myself the first time out... Right now I am just working on improving general weight room strength. I am not too sure where I will be next year but I am commited to enter a contest in the spring as a LWT 200lb novice.

[patrick w.]

cool. good luck with your goals.

[Paul Neuhaus]

To Sum it up I have been too much of a Pus** to focus on and train for a comp. I guess as a newbie to the sport I want to make sure I don't embarass myself the first time out... Right now I am just working on improving general weight room strength. I am not too sure where I will be next year but I am commited to enter a contest in the spring as a LWT 200lb novice.
Kyle,
What contest are you doing?

One huge piece of advice I can give you is...... DO NOT just waste your time in the gym trying to improve your strength before you start implement training. I almost made that mistake, and I was glad my friend talked me out of it.

I was committed to my first contest just 4.5 months out. It was a ProAm, so I was jumping right into the shark tank. My friend talked me into just getting into the event training right away, even though I had only been DLing and squatting for a month. (My sumo DL at the time was 285x5) Needless to say, my first training session was pathetic. But, I quickly started learning all the techniques and "tricks" of moving these implements. If I would have stuck to my original plan, I might have gone into the contest with only a couples months of event training. I was able to finish 8th out of 12 in the open LW, and I beat a few guys with experience. Jumping right into event training will surely pay off for you.

You can squat and leg press all you want, but you'll get smoked on the yoke walk if you don't train it. I've heard of 800lb deadlifters that couldn't load a 250lb stone.

Don't waste this time. If you know people who have the implements, TRAIN THEM.

Good luck,
Neuhaus

[patrick w.]

You can squat and leg press all you want, but you'll get smoked on the yoke walk if you don't train it. I've heard of 800lb deadlifters that couldn't load a 250lb stone.

speceficity. ;)

If you want to be a good bencher then bench. If you want to be good at loading stones then load stones.

[Kyle Barbour]

Thanks for the great advice. I have access to Logs, Farmers impliments, tires, Kegs and sandbags. I wish I had some stones or a place to store them once I made them. I typically don't Bench or leg press, But I do squat, SLDL and overhead press with hopes to improve on the events. I hope to find some good field stones to lift and carry. Any advice is great thank you all again.

[Paul Neuhaus]

So...what contest are you planning on doing?

[Kyle Barbour]

I am guessing one of the Illinois contests if I stay in the MidWest, maybe the Snowman(?). I will most likely just wait to find one with a novice division near me. Do more generally get annouced early in the year?

[Paul Neuhaus]

http://www.nastrongman.com/contestinfo/upcomingcontests.htm

Here's the link for upcoming contests. Check out Chicago's Strongest Man. Click onto the "online entry form" to see the events and weights. This will be my next contest that I hit. I really think you should try it. The weights really aren't that hard for the 200s at this one.

As far as I know, the Snowman is being postponed until June or July, because John Beatty is very busy right now getting his magazine going. Plus, the Snowman has NO divisions. Talk about jumping into the shark tank!!! You're in the 200lb class, but you'd be competing against 300lb Pros at this one!!

Contests with a novice div are very hard to find. I strongly recommend the Chicago contest. Like I said...the weights are pretty easy at this one. it'll be a great way for you to get your feet wet.

[Kyle Barbour]

Thanks, That one looks great. As far as the weights being easy I am not so sure, but I guess that is the point of strongman right. Damn' must get stronger!!!

[Paul Neuhaus]

[ You're in the 200lb class, but you'd be competing against 300lb Pros at this one!!

Contests with a novice div are very hard to find. I strongly recommend the Chicago contest. Like I said...the weights are pretty easy at this one. it'll be a great way for you to get your feet wet.
OOPS!! I looked at your intro and saw that you're 210 lbs. That would put you in the 231s. So, either get stronger and bigger, or lose the 10 lbs to get into the 200s.

Either way, you'll have a blast. Good luck.

[Kyle Barbour]

I shouldn't have a problem getting to 200 by april, I gained a bit of weight over the summer and picked up some extra chunk. I hope to be 200 and stronger than I am at 210 now. :M:

[Paul Neuhaus]

Most contests have an extra weigh-in session the night before. So, if you weigh 205, just starve and don't drink any fluids all day on Fri, weigh in under 200, then pig out and spend the rest of the evening rehydrating. You'll get right back up to 205 before the contest the next day, but you already weighed in. So, it won't matter. Lots of guys do this.

But, not me :B: never!

I think I weighed 232 the day of my first contest, but I weighed in the night before at 229.

[Patrick McGuffin]

i had to do that at the wa. strongest man contest, thank god for being able to pig out after the weigh in :D

[patrick w.]

dropping weight for a contest weighin' is pretty easy (especially when you are that close).

This is how I do it and it works for me. You may want to do some trial runs. As an olympic lifter my lifts are completed within' seconds so carbohydrates have not been showen to effect the outcome of single rep maximum effort lifts. However for strongman the metabolic pathways change and the amount of carbohydrates you will need to consume is greater as you have a greater amount of energy output for a sustained duration of time. The night before weighin' will really be great since you can carb up.

Anyway, this is what I do:

Low on the carbs the wed. before a saturday meet. Carbs only in my first 3meals (I eat 6-7 a day). Thurs, low carbs again, carbs only at first meal and meal before workout. Friday no carbs except for fiber, easy on the water and fluid intake. Sat of meet....wake up early and weigh in at home. See how close I am. then, take a shower as hot as I can handle and jsut stand there for about 15-20min. and sweat it out. As I am in the shower I drink a bunch of black coffee (still no water) to try and sweat more, also to help me pee and poop (since it has been showen as a diuretic and aid in consitpation.). After the shower I put on shorts and then sweatpants, a t-shirt, and then a sweatshirt (even if it is summertime) and a winter cap. I then go to the meet (sweating my balls off the entire way). I will also occasionally sit for an extra long time in the NYC subway stop to sweat a little more since it is hot down there (esp. in the winter time). You can sit in your car with the windows up and the heat on too though if you want. Once i get to the meet I then do some warming up with all the sweats on. Usually a circut of jumping jacks, pushups and body weight lunges to sweat some more. Then I go weigh in. After weighin' I immedialty start eating bagels, a protein bar and pound down gatorade. Then I lift....hehe...pretty crazy, I know. :BB:

[Paul Neuhaus]

As I am in the shower I drink a bunch of black coffee (still no water) to try and sweat more, also to help me pee and poop (since it has been showen as a diuretic and aid in consitpation.).
Speaking of pooh!!!

One supplement that all strength athletes should take before a contest is Immodium. I use the Extra Strength. Trust me, it's not uncommon for a guy to crap himself on an event. I've done 2 contests so far, and I've seen it happen to one guy...won't mention names though. I take 2 doses before a contest. It's still in the side pouch of my gym bag, right next to the tape and muscle liniment.

The Immodium is in my gym bag, not that guys pooh!!

[Kyle Barbour]

11/16 Lifted- unmotivated not worthy of typing time.

11/18- ok lift still need to get my a** in gear.

Front Squat- 225x5
245x5
275x3

Good Morning 135x6
155x6
175x6

DB High incline 75x8/85x6
BBShrug 225x6/275x5x2
Hor. Row(hammer) 320x6x2


a few extras. abs, grip, etc.

[Kyle Barbour]

11/21-
Front Squat
225x6
245x6
265x4
285x2

Pullups 10lb x7; Bwx7/6
DB sh. Press 75x8
standing DB sh Press 60x5/8
Leg Press 605x6
DB tri ext. 40x9/7
BB curls 125x2;105x5;95x8
Sh stab. & extras