Peter Rundberg - becoming strongest in Sweden

[Peter Rundberg]

Hi ya'll.

In this thread I will try to keep you guys updated on my path to become the strongest man in Sweden. My closest upcoming competition will be the Sweden's Strongest Man competition (Swedish championships) on the 10th and 11th of december, 2005. Hopefully I will be able to place in the top and start to make a name for myself, at least in Sweden.

My current stats are the following:

Height: 199 cm, 6'6"
Weight: 155 kg, 341 lbs

Best squat: 350 kg, 770 lbs
Best bench: 230 kg, 506 lbs
Best deadlift: 320 kg, 704 lbs

/peter

[Jay Hagadorn]

Good luck Peter! I look forward to checking your progress out.

[Mike Westerling]

I look forward to reading your journal. How about a little training and competition history? What's your basic training schedule and what have you competed in personal bests at the events etc...
-Mike

[Paul Neuhaus]

Dude, forget Mike's questions. We all want to know if you train with Magnus!!!

Sorry Mike!! :B:

[Peter Rundberg]

I just came back from a conference in the US that I attended with work. I stayed for 10 days in Seattle and managed to get one gym session and two event sessions in. Big thanks to Grant Higa and Pete Marcoff that took me in and let me train with their equipment. :YR:

Today was my first day back in the gym at home. This workout was kind of a catch-up session trying to do all the things I have neglected the last week and a half.

Squat with no belt:
8x60kg (132lbs)
5x100kg (220lbs)
5x150kg (330lbs)
5x200kg (440lbs)
3x250kg (550lbs)
2x275kg (605lbs)

Deadlift:
5x150kg (330lbs) no belt
3x200kg (440lbs) no belt
3x250kg (550lbs) no belt
2x290kg (638lbs) with belt
1x300kg (660lbs) with belt

Overhead press (stiff legged)
6x100kg (220lbs)
5x100kg
3x110kg (242lbs)
5x100kg

Some leg curls at the end to wrap up.

Mike:
I have been lifting for 15 years (32years old now). I played American Football up untlil the season 2003 when I started doing powerlifting and strongman instead. I played football at high school in the US (senior year as an exchange student) and then continued in Sweden. I played one season in the NFL Europe (Frankfurt Galaxy) and then decided that I had come as far as I could in football and got a real job instead. This is when I started playing around in stongman and last year and I placed 12th at the Swedish championships. This year I expect to do much better though.

Best events: Anything with leg strength. Truck pull is perhaps my best event even if I never train it.
Worst events: Over head lifts. My pressing strength could be a lot better.

This year I have done 5 competitions as qualifiers for the Swedish cahmpionships and placed 3rd, 2nd, 3rd, 7th and 1st. I hope to get a podium finish at this years Swedish cahmpionships, but the competition is tough with Magnus Samuelsson, Anders Johansson and Jörgen Ljunberg ranked as the top three.

Paul:
No I do not train with Magnus. We live about a 4 hours drive from each other so it is not so practical. But I know him somewhat, and he is a really nice guy.

/peter

[Paul Neuhaus]

Congrats on your placings in the qualifiers. Damn nice work!! And good luck at Sweden's Strongest! I look forward to reading your post on the results.

What about Magnus' brother, Torbjorn? Will he be competing there as well? I wasn't sure if he still competes or not.

[Jay Hagadorn]

Peter-

Nice workout. What does your weekly routine look like at the core of it?

[Mike Westerling]

Thanks for the history. Do you mean to say you have a WSM winner living only 4 hours away and you don't make the trip out to train with him once in a while? Just kidding (kind of). I know how hard it is to travel that far when you have grown up responsibilities though. Sometimes I have trouble getting into my basement and it's only 20 feet away from me if I'm in the opposite end of the house-lol.
-Mike

[Peter Rundberg]

Paul:
No, Torbjörn will not be competing. He has more or less retired it seems like, and is taking care of the family farm. I do not know if he is going to make a come back next year though.

Mike:
Yes, I know. I have been thinking about driving over to Magnus for a workout many times but something has always come up. Will have to get it done soon though. It would be really cool.

Jay:
My weekly routine is basically the one of a powerlifter/bodybuilder and consists of the following:
Monday: Legs (squats, frontsquats, leg curls, good mornings)
Tuesday: Chest and shoulders (Bench, strict shoulder press, push press)
Wednesday: Back (deadlift, pullups)
Friday: Arms (triceps extensions, narrow grip bench, bicep curls)
Saturday or Sunday: Event training

/peter

[Peter Rundberg]

Went to the gym on my lunch break. I do this sometimes and after each time I say to myself that I shouldn't since I really suck when I do. Training on the lunch break always get hurried, not the way I like to train. Also, training early in the day does just not work for me. I need to have had at least three meals before I go to the gym to get any good results. I am sure it is mostly a mental thing, but anyway it is a thing.

Anyway. Here it goes.

Benchpress:
10x60kg (132 lbs)
10x100kg (220 lbs)
5x140kg (308 lbs)
5x140kg (308 lbs)
4x180kg (396 lbs)
3x180kg (396 lbs)

Narrow grip bench:
5x140kg (308 lbs)
6x140kg (308 lbs)

French press:
10x60kg (132 lbs)
10x60kg (132 lbs)

Bicep curls, straight bar:
10x60kg (132 lbs)
10x60kg (132 lbs)

/peter

[Paul Neuhaus]

Also, training early in the day does just not work for me. I need to have had at least three meals before I go to the gym to get any good results. I am sure it is mostly a mental thing, but anyway it is a thing.


Peter,

I used to be the same way, always workout later in the day after a few meals. The problem with my schedule is that I drive concrete mixer, so in the summer months I put in some long days. On those long, hot, sweaty days, I'd skip the gym and go straight home.

April 2005 was when I started Strongman training for my first contest. I knew that the ONLY way I'd never miss a workout would be to get in there in the morning. My workouts start somewhere between 3:30 and 5:00 AM, depending on what time I have to be at work. It's very tough at first. I puked a couple times, and it took about a month to get used to it. It really is just a mental thing.

Like you, I'm a big eater, eating 6-7 times a day. All I have in the morning now is a small shake.....8oz Gatorade, 1/2 cup oats, 1 scoup vanilla whey blended. Then I head straight to the gym. It sounds like nothing, but it's really a matter of adapting. I drink plenty of water every evening, so I'm well hydrated in the morning.

I found that my appetite is much better now. I slam a huge shake loaded with carbs and protein after my workout, and I'm hungry just an hour later. My day goes by so much better, as well. My workout is done and over with.

Sometimes I'm at the gym deadlifting at 3:30 in the morning. And on the days that I want to turn the alarm clock off and go back to bed, I just say to myself, "My opponents are training today". I drag my ass out of bed and get to the gym.

Now, I wouldn't suggest you make such a drastic change with your big contest coming up. But, I'm sure that if you give it a try for at least 1 month, you'll be hooked.

Neuhaus

[Peter Rundberg]

Paul:
I will have to try getting som morning trainings in, but I will not mess with it until after the contest. If I can get some morning training sessions every week, I will have a very happy GF. She is not exactly thrilled that I am either off at work or off at training during her waking hours.

/peter

[Peter Rundberg]

Today I went to the gym with one goal in mind. To set a PR (150 kg) in the push press. Everything starts out fine, but as the weight gets higher I start to feel that it something is not the way it should. I have no leg drive at all (I usually have a really bad leg drive, but not like today) and the lockout is not there.

Well, I did train bench and triceps yesterday and my legs are sore as hell, so that may have something to do with it, but still I was quite dissapointed.

Here it goes:

Push press:
5x60kg (132 lbs)
5x100kg (220 lbs)
3x120kg (264 lbs)
3x130kg (286 lbs)
0x140kg (308 lbs)
0x140kg (308 lbs)
3x120kg (264 lbs)

Strict press:
3x10x60kg (132 lbs)

Did some abs at the end to wrap a crappy workout.

/peter

[Peter Rundberg]

Did my last event session before the competition yesterday. It was the worst session I have ever had. It was well below freezing in the warehouse were I have the equipment. I thought that it would not matter too much, but it did.

I did some light farmerswalks followed by the vertical lift with what I believe is the weight we are going to have in the competition (150kg, 330 lbs). Then I did some stone lifting (160kg to 150cm / 352lbs to 59 inches). This was not fun when it was this cold. The tacky was rock hard and the stone felt slippery as hell. Actually I did not get it up once, even though I usually do this... well not easy, but at least I do it.

Hope this is not indicative of my performance in the competition. Will have to recharge mentally now and get back to my old mental image of the stones being easy.

/peter

[Paul Neuhaus]

Hey Peter,

I know this is a long-shot but, I know a female athlete in Sweden. Her name is Sabine Dumas. I don't suppose that name rings a bell.... I know she runs track but, I'm not sure what part of the country she lives in.

[Peter Rundberg]

No I don't know her. You don't happen to know anything else, like in which city she lives or the area code of her phone number?

/peter

[Paul Neuhaus]

No I don't. The only other thing that might ring a bell is the fact that she sings. She sometimes performs, and I think she produced a couple CDs out there.

[Peter Rundberg]

Well, now it is over. I placed where I hoped I would but still I am not completely happy.

First of all: I am now the fifth strongest man in Sweden. Not too shabby.

14 guys started the competetition and the last couple of guys were dropped along the way.

The events were:

Safelift (284lbs overhead for reps) (14 starting): I placed 7th with 5 reps. Not very happy with that.

Conan circle (14 starting): I placed 11th. That sucked. 6 or 7 guys within a 10 meters, and I placed last in that bunch. Well, will have to work on that.

Vertical lift (pull a 350 lbs weight about 6 to 7 feet up in the air using a rope) (12 starting): I placed second after Magnus Samuelsson. Felt good.

Stones (350 lbs stone to 55" platform for reps) (9 guys starting): I did 7 reps and placed 3rd. Very happy with that.

Truckpull (6 guys starting): I placed 2nd after Magnus. One of my best events.

Benchpress in machine (about 410 to 420 lbs) (6 starting): I placed 3rd (split with one other guy) with 4 reps. Was happy with that since bench is not my strong point.

The last two events (farmers walk and deadlift) was for the top four guys, and since I placed 5th I did not do them.

Will have to fix my bad events, press and conans, and come back even better next year.

/peter

[Paul Neuhaus]

WOW, nice job Peter. You should post this in the "Contest Announcements and Results" section so that people see it.

Where did Magnus place?

[Peter Rundberg]

Magnus won, as usual.

The first six guys were (don't know if you ever hear of any of them except Magnus):

1st: Magnus Samuelsson
2nd: Anders Johansson
3rd: Robert Brolin
4th: Kalle Lane
5th: Peter Rundberg :)
6th: Stefan Bergqvist

I will post it under "Contest Announcements and Results". Tahnks for the tip.

/peter

[Paul Neuhaus]

I have heard of Anders, because he competed at WSM, just don't remember which one. Taking 5th in your country is a great accomplishment. Will anyone EVER beat Magnus? Was Anders even close? Not that I want to see him lose. He's already a legend. It's amazing to see how he continues to dominate the sport the way he does for so many years.

[Peter Rundberg]

Thanks.

Anders was not really close. But we are a bunch of guys closing in. The next couple of years will show if anyone will beat him.

/peter

[Patrick McGuffin]

Congrats! That is a solid placing.