Avast me hearties! My strongman training facility is finally OPEN! 'tis called THE STRONGHOLD and has everything you could possibly want and need to become POWERFUL! That isn't to say you need to be strong and mighty to come along: it's designed to increase your power no matter what point you are...
Continue reading ...
After feeling like a combination of wrestling and Westside Barbell was going to kill me, I opted for something a bit more focused on my athleticism as well as my strength. The Juggernaut method is a vast and expansive all around athletic development program. It’s based on the idea that strength...
Continue reading ...
Coming out of trying 531, I wanted to get back into heavy weight training, so I looked into Westside. The Westside Barbell program was developed by Louie Simmons, and uses Eastern European principles of weightlifting. Unlike most powerlifting programs that focus purely on moving fairly heavy weights...
Continue reading ...
My God, 531. I swear I nearly gave up on life itself whilst reading up on 531. The sheer about of “debate” that exists online concerning the program must be crushing to anybody trying to work out whether or not it is for them. Every possible question has been asked and answered, and every answer...
Continue reading ...
This was the first proper lifting program I ever adhered to. Why? Because it was simple. Other programs had dozens of variations of exercises and convoluted combinations of sets, reps and percentages of maximums, to the point that I always felt I spent longer reading and planning than training. ...
Continue reading ...
After a LOT of consideration, I have decided to try Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 training program. It took a lot of thinking because, after 4-5 months of Faleev's 5x5 training (5 sets of 5: if you succeed, put the weight up 5kg next week), Wendler's approach seems ludicrously light. You see, traditiona...
Continue reading ...
QUICK OPENING NOTE: I've been documenting some of this on Instagram at @edgamester, in case you're thinking about trying it out for yourself :) For the last 12 weeks I've been doing a strength-based routine designed by Alexander Faleev. It came to my attention via an article written by former Sov...
Continue reading ...
The Good News My powerlifting raining is progressing slowly, but surely. At the end of week eight of dedicated training, my lifts currently stand somewhere around: Squat: 170kg (based on a 7 rep max of 140kg) Bench: 120kg (based on a 4 rep max of 110kg) Deadlift: 215kg (based on a 7 rep max of...
Continue reading ...
I have spent the last six weeks in the novice phases of learning to powerlift. That may seem odd, given that my last post declared (self-righteously and with no real grounds for doing so) that powerlifting isn't a great test of strength because the ability to perform those movements doesn't necessar...
Continue reading ...
I've never really been into powerlifting as a sport. It's presented as test of strength, but I've always felt like strength should imply the ability to perform a variety of physical feats - not just three highly practised movements (squat, bench press and deadlift). I mean, if a man can bench pr...
Continue reading ...
It's brainless, really. There's a bit of biology, physiology and simple maths, but weight training is pretty straightforward. For me, that's its appeal. The simpler the better, too. Three lifts: deadlift, squat and bench press. Do one of them correctly every day, and you'll get stronger. ...
Continue reading ...
Aaaaaaaand, we're off! My 2014 training has started and, thus far, it isn't going too badly. After a trial run of DDP Yoga at Christmas, Vikki and I did our first 'official' session on Sunday: the Diamond Dozen followed by Energy. Honestly, it is excellent. I already feel more limber after doi...
Continue reading ...
Today was nothing special - just a standard chest session at Immortals Gym in Sheffield. It is taking me a while to recover my chest strength, but this is nothing unusual - I tend to overcompensate using my arms and shoulders, which are disproportionately strong compared to my chest. The big lif...
Continue reading ...
Today was my first dedicated leg session at Immortals Gym in Sheffield. I didn't go too overboard, however, because I have a gig later this week and I need my legs in order to leap around as pictured. With squats being my main big exercise for the day, I decided to go for a few sets at 100kg. At...
Continue reading ...
In an attempt to get marginally stronger again, I have considered following this Guildsman's Strength routine. The problem, however, is that is starts out quite easy. Three sets of eight reps at 60% of my one-rep maximum doesn't feel like it is doing anything. I know it is, I know that I will w...
Continue reading ...
I have not been squatting as I should. In fact, since I went travelling in March I may have only done two squat sessions... So it was that, after a mighty Volbeat gig the night before, I awoke in the same house as fellow Guildsman Simon Lowe and thus resolved to lift mightily after a fine breakf...
Continue reading ...
My third session at Immortals Gym in Sheffield was quick morning chest session. Once again, I probably started too heavy to get through the number of sets I had in mind. Lacking any dip bars, I used chest press instead and finished the session with some extra work on my right side, which is lagg...
Continue reading ...
My second session at Immortals Gym in Sheffield was a quick session, focusing on back and biceps. At the end, I did some leg curls out of sheer guilt. Once again, the lack of weight markings on the plate stacks means I have had to record the number of plates rather than the weight for some exercis...
Continue reading ...
My first session at Immortals Gym in Sheffield was a chest and triceps affair. Then I threw in some squats at the end, for fun. Being one of my first sessions backs after months and months, I overestimated myself and started far too heavy. As a result, I failed to achieve the number of reps and...
Continue reading ...
Today, after dropping my brother at Gatwick airport to go adventuring, I had my first ever training session at Monster Gym in Cheshunt. One of my favourite things about Monster Gym is that, alongside its enormous weights room, dedicated cardio area and boxing/MMA gym (including bags, ring and...
Continue reading ...