2011 World's Strongest Man - Brian Shaw

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Shaw_(strongman)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Shaw_(strongman)

Chose Rolling Thunder because it doesn’t aggravate my forearm tweak (right arm) and it’s pleasant to train.  Did some light kettlebell work before that but it wasn’t taxing on the grip, mostly just Goblet Squats and Halos. 

ROLLING THUNDER

-166×1-both hands     Paused at the top for a second, just like I would in a contest setting. 

-181×1-both hands     Paused at the top again.  Felt strong both hands.  A bit stronger righty than lefty, which is the usual. 

-192×1-right hand, -MISS-left hand     Strong lift righty, with a pause at the top.  Got only 2″ of air lefty. 

Obviously a very short workout.  My wife came home after the set with 192 and I ended the workout.  Could’ve done a lot more sub-maximal pulls but no reason since I’m not training for a grip contest anymore. 

Great news! 

Since then I have:

• Jogged a few times.  A mile was the farthest.  1/4 mile the other time.  I much prefer the 1/4 mile jog, although I didn’t have any knee pain on either of them. 

• Done some “beach work.”  Light dumbbell curling and some low volume parallel-grip pullups. 

• Played with my kettlebells a bit.  Kept it simple, short, and light.  Some one-hand swings, two-hand swings, goblet squats (no knee pain), front squats, halos, and figure 8s. 

• Did a few gripper workouts and realized that my right forearm tweak is apparently never going to heal to the point where I am at my top-end strength of a few years ago on the no set gripper action.  I’m dealing with that by trying to put the grippers out of my mind for the most part. 

Don’t have any desire yet to deadlift because that will test my knee more than jogging or squats.  I always feel sumo deadlifts in my knees (never injured them deadlifting, but they sometimes feel a bit tender after a hard deadlift session) so I’m holding off on doing any for a bit.

I had planned on doing the USAWA Grip Championships but due to some family health issues I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it. 

I definitely have a new appreciation for having working knees so I plan on making use of them and doing more goblet squats, short runs, and other physical pursuits that don’t involve just lifting a weight while standing in one spot. 

Have been walking much shorter distances than what I was doing from the previous few months just to let it heal. 

Wouldn’t be a bad idea to focus more on some upper body work for until summer and just do some light prehab and maintenance work for the lower body to make sure all is well.

1-5-11, Thursday

INDEX FINGERS DEADLIFT

ONE-HAND THUMBLESS-GRIP DEADLIFT

ONE HAND AXLE DEADLIFT

LOADABLE INCH DUMBBELL DEADLIFT

The entire workout was mediocre at best poundage-wise.  I understand why though and it doesn’t bother me.  At the start of the new year I began doing more cardio, kettlebells, and more “beach workouts.”  So at this point I’m rescinding my contest goals for the USAWA grip contest.  And leaving them blank.  Whatever happens is going to be fine with me.  I’m still training but at reduced frequency and intensity on grip.  And enjoying adding some variety into my training again.

Bodyweight was 214lbs this morning.  On track to hit 209lbs by the contest on February 11th at least.  Even that isn’t necessarily a “goal” – if I make that weight I do.  If I don’t, then I don’t.  No harm done.

Sometimes you have to let valuable possessions go on the way to achieving your goals.

Ran a mile today. Started cutting weight for the February 11th USAWA grip contest. Was 220.0lbs a minute past midnight on the 1st.