# My strongman experience with big pete



## Ellis (Mar 18, 2006)

This past saturday I decided to go down to the yard which is the strongman training camp at portsmouth. Have been thinking about trying a strongman comp for a while so thought I would go down for some event training.

Some very impresive lifters there of all sizes and weight.

Met a freind that most of you know from here big pete.

Starting with thick bar deadlift (i think its called an axle bar) anyway its about 4 times the width of a regular oly bar so very hard to grip. Was deadlifting with it using a double over hand grip to work on grip strength. Worked upto 140x1 then couldn't do the 160x1 couldn't grip the bar at all, what a difference a bar makes considering 2 weeks ago I did a 300kg deadlift on a regular bar in training.

Then was log press, clean and press.

Did down to single to 105kg then tried 120 cleaned to chest easy but couldn't lock it out so left it there.

Impressed with pete's pressing he seemed to rep the 120 quite nicely.

Next was super yoke, 2 lengths of the yard first approx 20-30 metres total with 220kg. Felt strange wabling all over the place.

Then went to 320 and manages approx 15 metres total, one and a half lengths and then my legs were ****ed and really pumped couldn't go anymore.

Next was a tyre flip, hoping they would choose the smaller tyre the 350 but got the 440kg tyre out. Managed to flip it once, could easily deadlift it up of the floor but then getting the knee under the tire to flip and then push it over is the hard part. One of the big boys rob managed 6 flips with it, very impressive.

Next was farmers walk but without the walk, so just the hold for time.

went 80kg each hand (total 160kg) for 15 seconds, then 130 each hand (total 260kg) 15 seconds, then to 170kg each hand (340kg total) just manages to get it off the floor and hold for a few seconds before grip gave away.

Then a few wanted to go for 200kg each hand (400kg total) we needed assistance to pick them up but then just tried to grip it for as long as poss, managed about 2 seconds and then it went wrong for me left hand went and felt a ping in my bicep, result, tear in my bicep. Iced and wraped straight away. Now its black and blue over bicep and forearm so hope for a fast recovery.

Unfortunalty due to this couldn't finish off with trying the stones but will be back down there as soon as bicep heels up.


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## robdog (Dec 2, 2003)

Nice one mate i think strongman is a brillian sport and i hope you take ip up and do well like pete has.


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## big pete (Mar 23, 2004)

TBH Ellis, the tear wasnt *your* weakness, the chap spotting behind hadnt got the farmers fully elevated, so you were starting from a very prone position.

it was a very good session down there mate, and considering it was your first time with the strongman equipment, you really held your own (and raised a few of the others eyebrows,lol). with practice, and motivation, you can only thrive in that environment. the level of performance you were putting in, would be alot of open competitors even as you are. your a brute!

i hope you heal up quickly, cos its coming towards comp season for both sides of the sports.

really enjoyed it, and when funds allow, will meet you down there again!

Ps, il try and get the photos that Chalky was taking down there, there could be some amusing expressions on our faces


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## Magic Torch (May 30, 2005)

Yeah bump for pics, I love the strongman comps its so impressive some of the events you see. I like the one where they put barrells in a cart on your back one at a time and you squat with it - tho I would prob fail at the cart on its own 

Would be good to get to one in the summer if you boys are in it


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## Ellis (Mar 18, 2006)

is that what it was, who was the poor spotter behind me then?

I think i will improve quickly like you say with regular sm training which I plan to do.

The bruising is still coming out over my arm, its already from lower bicep down forearm almost all the way down to the wrist. Its now starting to travel up my bicep more towards the shoulder, its a real site. Its really hit me now whats happened and im really ****ed of, the first few days its like **** an injury but theres hope of it clearing up quick now more and more bruising is coming out and its painful. I think itll take sometime.

Was due to train today but no chance of that, I hope to squat saturday and then if im lucky some light benching next week but deadlifts and back work is out of the question. Going to do some pinch grip exercises and the grip machine we have at the gym as neither should effect bicep, at least I can work hard on my grip doing these exercises for the next couple of weeks.

I will be back and bigger, stronger and more determined. Even if I have to miss the euros PL comp now meaning a yearwithout PL and just wait and do SM comps throughout June, July onwards. Its weird its like I have a personal vendeter to this strongman training and comps more now becasue of the injury, to prove to myself I can come back and do some good lifts.

If you can get some pics that would be great would be good to see.

Not long to your comp now pete, you going to start easing of a bit, give your body a rest the week before or so?


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## big pete (Mar 23, 2004)

im not sure of his name, but when he did the farmers holds, he went for astupidly long duration!

sounds daft, the bruising is a good thing.

lol, you got a grudge against it now!!!! thats the spirit, treat it with respect though.

heavy (relatively) squatting tonight and sunday, then light deads and squatting with overhead work next week. rest up for a few days before and ramp up the carbs. atleast thats the plan


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## Ellis (Mar 18, 2006)

Oh I know who you mean.

Sounds like you have a good plan then, hope it all works out on the day, im sure you'll raise to it on the day, everything you did in training on sat looked comfortable with more in the tank.

Yeah got a real grudge againstit now, I get a bit like that. Its like when I damaged my ITB last august and couldn't squat for 5 weeks, my first squat session I could only do 140x5, I was so determind and went from 140x5 to doing a 350kg squat in the wpf worlds at the end of november. Which also was 25kg on my PB which was 325kg previously.

Within 6-12 months I wana have the 200kg on each farmers again, deadlift it of the floor and hold for 10-15 seconds! Thats the challenge.


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## big pete (Mar 23, 2004)

sounds like a good plan! and obtainable. itll be enough to keep you wanting more, but still within grasp.


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## leanman (May 29, 2003)

Hope the arm is improving mate


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## Ellis (Mar 18, 2006)

yeah its getting there, nearly all the bruising has gone, managed to do some light deadlifts with it thismorning just 150x10 but felt fine, felt different when benching and overhead pressing wednesday, suprising how much you use your bicep as a strablising muscle when pressing, left arm was just lagging behind so was doing real slow reps. Theres no real pain there so hopefully it'll be back to normal soon and ready for some more strongman.


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## big pete (Mar 23, 2004)

good good, its healed up nice and quick then!


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## Ellis (Mar 18, 2006)

yeah its getting there, some more ultrasound today, deadlifted sat and didn't get any pain from it but only went upto 140x10 using double overhand grip on oversized squat bar. Hope to go back down pompey on sat 31st if you fancy it. Got my name down on the list for the bexhill comp on the 29th april.

Just read about your comp, well done mate, 4th place only just missed out on top 3 then. Impressive times and distanced for some of the events. Read you struggle on the log, why do you think that was, you did about 5 easy on 120 at pompy wasn't it?

Whats next comp now?


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## big pete (Mar 23, 2004)

spot on, glad youve got your name down for the comp!!

yeah, the log was a real toughy. it was a smaller diameter, so wasnt as easy to roll up the chest, the pressing was hard also, just didnt feel right. it was just a non starter. it didnt help that there was no warmups either. it was just a case of 'theres the log, heres your number, when your called you do the reps' so goin into it cold didnt help. but thats bye-the-bye, cant do anything about ti now.

next comp is May 7th, in Lichfield. its another qualifier, but its gonna be harder. but im after experience for a while, im in kinda too much pain to be serious right now.


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## Ellis (Mar 18, 2006)

That must prove difficult no warm ups. Not suprised it was a struggle even if your warm from an event before to go in at that weight without using the equipment must be very hard.

Hope you recover from it nice and quick so you can get back into training.

Like you say tho good experience and only just out of the top 3.

Providing my arm is ok i will go down to pompey again on the 31st so if you can make it come down again, need to have some expeince doing the events on the list for the bexhill comp.


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## big pete (Mar 23, 2004)

i wont be able to make it down pompey any time soon, purely on cost. its a good £60-70 with fuel/entry etc etc, and not too flush at the mo,lol.

but get your **** down there, just keep asking Rob frampton questions on form/technique and you really cant go wrong!


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## big pete (Mar 23, 2004)

happens to the best of us mate.......


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## Ellis (Mar 18, 2006)

lol, thats some monstrous deadlifting. I Cringed as he went to do the 400 deadlift. He's just a fucing monster! good clip.

I thought that might be the case with you getting down to pompey being such a long trip. I will get my **** down there tho and nag rob about technique, form etc on the lifts.

What other training camps do you go to? If you let me know where they are I maybe able to come up to nearer you sometime for a session. Only prob I have is with working shifts and weekends it doesn't mean I get many weekends off to train.


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## hackskii (Jul 27, 2003)

Ellis, was that a complete tear?

Did it tear from the bottom or the top?

Is there a noticible low area where it tore?

I have a bicep tear on the outside head of the bicep where it attaches to the delt.

That was over a year ago. Right now there is very little diffrence in dumbell curls between the arms, strange how the body makes up for it somehow.

Once in a while tho when I twist off a top for something I get a cramp in that bicep.

It actually has a better peak now but it is smaller due to the tear.

TBH tho, I dont notice it at all but I do have a complex as it is noticible to the eye and does not look all that good.

The thing about the tears is the bicep attaches pretty damn fast to what ever it likes to attach to. Massaging the lump twards the tear will help it attach closer to home.

But there is a very small window here and id guess within a week.


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## big pete (Mar 23, 2004)

Oli is a deadlift specialist who happens to be a freak at all other events too!!!

i go down the WCHQ mostly (gloucester) its only 45mins down the road, and has all that the yard has too. im gonna try and get down there every week this month (possibly wont be able to, but gotta aim for it) to get used to the events. shall see


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## Ellis (Mar 18, 2006)

hackski, the tear is at the bottom of the bicep, I didn't think it actually tear away but now its heeling up not sure, I can now tense my bicep which I couldn't do at first but no when I do the bicep is shorter than the right bicep so there is a smaller peak and also when I tense it the lower part feels all soft like its just some skin there were as the right bicep is hard from top down to wear it connects into the elbow/forearm.

I did some bicep curls yesterday as now pain and bruising has gone but there is no strength to curl in the left arm, I did 7.5kg in each arm obviously felt extremly light and easy in the right arm but the left arm got pumped real quick from it.


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## Ellis (Mar 18, 2006)

Pete, do you know the exact addy of the HQ in gloucester then I can route finder it see how far it is and how to get there.


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## hackskii (Jul 27, 2003)

Damn, that really sucks bro.

I did a bunch of IGF-1LR3 injections in that bicep that was torn in the low area and I do think I noticed some localized growth there.

I actually think that the IGF-1 aided in recovery too as my shoulder has been my achilles tendon forever, that is now gone.

Pec tears and bicep tears are common, I see dudes all the time with bicep tears, hell my identical twin brother tore the same bicep in the same arm as me but not as bad.

Freaking crazy the genetic disposition of things in twins.


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## Ellis (Mar 18, 2006)

yeah it is annoying, I also know a few people that have torn biceps, I can still use it now so im feeling a bit happier about it. Managing to bench now but weight down a little, same with overhead press, and doing some back work, light slow pulldowns and dumbell pullovers. Will try some heavier deadlifts sat last week have done very light deadlifts just to 140k for repping sets. See how it goes this week with around 180-200. Have had ultra sound etc so is heeling quickly but dont want to risk doing it again.


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## big pete (Mar 23, 2004)

Ellis said:


> Pete, do you know the exact addy of the HQ in gloucester then I can route finder it see how far it is and how to get there.


aii, its on 'Hopewell St' in Gloucester, i dont know the postcode sorry


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## Ellis (Mar 18, 2006)

just checked route planner says 2 hours, so sure I could do it in 1hr 45mins or so, not too bad, will try getting down there soon then


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## big pete (Mar 23, 2004)

sounds good!! very friendly bunch and some great info there too, not as much banter as pompey but still stimulus!


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## Dandy-uk (Apr 12, 2009)

i am so desperatly wanting to get in to strongman its more for me but i dont know how to get in to it ...i need somwhere i can go any adive big pete or anyone ??

it stresses me out as i know i can lift heavily i just cant afford the weights atm my max weight is 100kg and its soo easy to dead and bench and shoulder press .....


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## TAT 70 (Jun 26, 2005)

Those are some very impressive weights for a first go mate.

Strongman is an adictive creature but it can also be a dangerous

creature as u found out.

Portsmouths Strength Tech is a quality place filled with good lads

who know their stuff & like a laugh.

Wheyhouse is a bit of a different set up as people tend to generaly

do what they want.Still a top notch place to train tho.

Good luck in your strongman training.

:thumb:


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## Dandy-uk (Apr 12, 2009)

thanks mate


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