Boulders and grip

11/28/11


Seated Axle overhead press (5,3,1+)
65x10
105x5
130x5
145x3
160x2 


Defranco Shoulder Shocker
25# plate, 12.5# DB
3x12

Grippers
Warm-up
T x20
#1.5x10
#2x5

#2.5 (choked to 1") explosive singles w/2 sec. overcrush
5x1

#2 (choked to 1") triples w/2 sec. overcrush
5x3

BlobZilla (Iso's x6 seconds)
5x1

1hp-wide pinch
5x10's loose x2 both hands

6 dimes trainer
3x1 both hands
+2.5x1 both hands
+5x hop both hands
I stopped here because it was hurting my thumbs too much between the joints.  It feels like it's trying to pull the skin off my thumb and becomes more of a pain tolerance issue than anything else so I'm going to stop training this width for a while.  I'll go back to working 5 dimes with weight added since it's closer to the width of BlobZilla and doesn't hurt the thumbs.

Gripper certification displays

Here's an idea I was messing around with for displaying my gripper certifications.  I've had a few people ask how hard the gripper was to close for the different certs so I figured I'd just use a shadow box and put a gripper in it that is about the same strength level as the one used for the cert attempt.  For the Mash Monster 1 cert I have a MM1 replica that feels pretty much identical to the actual cert gripper so that's the one that is in the shadow box with the cert.  I'll do the same with MM2, etc.  For the HOSS certs the CoC grippers I own are all within 1 lb. rgc as the actual cert grippers so this works out pretty well.

My original idea was to use a normal wooden frame with a hook underneath to hang the gripper from but this I think will work better because there's less chance of losing the gripper or it getting separated from the cert.

Here's the Mash Monster level 1 cert display:

Here's the HOSS 3 cert display:

These both actually are in only one shadow box since I only bought one as an experiment but I like how it came out so I'll probably get more for the other certs I have.  

Squats, grippers and 2hp

11/26/11


PL Squats
45x10
135x5
185x5
220x3
250x3
285x10 (PR by default)-I've never tried more than 8 with 285
I stopped on the last set at 10 so I wouldn't be too gassed out to max on reps @225

High bar squats (225 max reps)
6-my lower back was tight so I stopped at 6.  Pretty pissed about this but there's no reason to risk injury.


Good Mornings
45x10
95x10
135x10
135x10
135x12 (PR)


Grippers
Rich 3.5 (choked to 11/16")
5x1-one close righty (PR), none lefty

#2 (choked to 1") with 2 second overcrush
5x3 both hands

2hp (58mm)
50x10 second hold
120x10 second hold
140x1
150x1
155x1
160x1
165x1
170x1 (PR) on my 2hp
I'm not sure if I'm happy with this or not.  Granted it was after grippers and I haven't pulled 2hp in quite a while and it was a PR...barely, but I thought I would get more than this.  Oh well, a PR is a PR so it's still good I guess.

BlobZilla (Iso's x6 seconds)
5x1

All in all I'd say this was an OK workout.  I got PR's on squats and good mornings but it was more by default since on both exercises I've just never tried to do that many reps with that weight even though I know I can and have been able to do more for a long time.  I'm pretty disappointed that my lower back was a bit tight because I wanted to go for max reps with 225 again but after about 6 reps my lower back was just not having it.

Just choke the foo!!

No, I'm not talking about choking anyone out in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class nor am I talking about domestic violence so put down the phone.  I'm actually talking about a form of partial range of motion training using grippers where you apply a hose clamp to the handles of the gripper in order to set them at a certain width.  This way you can train that specific range of motion without using a lot of energy getting the gripper "set" to that point.  In the past I've read a lot about the benefits of choker training and have done quite a bit of it myself (both in BJJ class and with grippers) and I've always talked about how effective they've been for me.  Over the last few days however, I've been thinking about it and started wondering just how effective and if at all it's actually been.  When I've done choker work in the past I always had good gains in strength but how much of that, if any was due to working with grippers choked and how much was due to just plain getting stronger using the other ranges of motion as well?  You see, I generally use chokers, MMS, CCS, max singles and explosive singles in my training depending on what the purpose for the particular workout is so it's hard to actually attribute strength gains to any one particular training style.  Well, over the next month I plan on putting choker work to the test, literally by doing nothing but choked training...with the exception of my warm-ups which will be MMS.  This way I'll be able to definitively determine how effective working grippers in a choker is...for me and to then see how much carry over it has to MMS closes.  I'll continue to do heavy singles, explosive singles and explosive triples but all will be performed in a choker set at different widths.

Here's a picture of Rich 3.5 choked down to 11/16":

Why is this called "Rich 3.5"?  Well, because it was loaned to me by my friend Rich so this is how I'll differentiate this particular 3.5 from my own.  Rich 3.5 measures 183 lbs. on the rgc which is 9 lbs. harder than mine so I'm hoping that working with this (in a choker of course)  will help me to get ready for the HOSS 3.5 certification from Benders Battlefield. 

Here's a choker workout I did the other day.

11/22/11

I'm going to start using Rich 3.5 (183 lbs.) in a choker to get prepared for HOSS 3.5 cert by the end of this year.  HOSS certs utilize a 1" block set and the HOSS 3.5 gripper measures 174 lbs. on the rgc so I'm hoping that being able to work up to closing Rich 3.5 with the choker set at or close to 1" will have me ready to close the HOSS 3.5 with a 1" block set.  Once I can close it set at a particular distance for 5 straight singles I'll open it up about 1/16" and work with that until I can close it there as well, then open it up again.  I'll also be using other choked grippers:  Big Nasty, my #3, #2.5 and possibly even my #2 for active recovery work.

Warm-up

Trainer x20

#1.5x10

#2x10

Rich 3.5 (choked to 3/4")

5x1-no closes either hand

Rich 3.5 (choked to 5/8")

5x1-all closes righty and very close lefty.  I'll now open it up to 11/16" for the next workout with this gripper.

Axle Deadlifts with a PR

11/23/11


Today was axle deadlift day on 5/3/1 and during warm-ups my hands were feeling so good that I decided to attempt a PR during the warm-up sets.  I also decided to try doing sumo since I've heard a few people say pulling sumo is easier on their grip using the axle.

DO Axle Deadlifts
105x3
155x3
210x3
270x1, 315x1, 350x1 (sumo) PR 
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77hcnGFeSPE
240x3
270x5-grip started to give out on 5th rep.


Pullups (narrow, neutral grip with FatGripz)
2-stopped here because my left shoulder wasn't having it today.


Axle Bent-over Rows
105x5
135x5
155x5
185x5
185x5-my grip was toast at this point and I barely got the last rep.


BlobZilla (Iso's x6 seconds)
5x1

Boulders and 1hp

Boulders=Big Ass Shoulders
11/22/11


Seated Axle Press-non back supported
15x10
65x10
105x5
125x5
145x5-the last rep was hard
These felt heavy due to not training overhead press in a long time but my shoulder felt great with no pain whatsoever!

Defranco Shoulder Shocker
25 lb. plate, 12.5 lb. dumbbells
10,10,10

Band Pull-aparts (green band)-100 reps
34,33,33

1hp (2x35's)
x1 both hands
+2.5x1 both hands
+5x1 both hands
+7.5x1 both hands
+10x1 R, hop L
+12.5x1 R, 0L
+15x hop R, 0L
+15x0 both

2x35's alternating hand deadlifts
x10 each hand non stop-stopped here because of web tear on right thumb.

BlobZilla (Iso's x6 secs.)
5x1
On these Iso's I squeezed as hard as I could for 6 seconds and pulled just enough to stress the hands the way they will be when attempting a lift but not to try to actually lift the Blob right now so my hand wouldn't slip off.

DE Grippers

11/18/11

Grippers-DE
Warm-up
#1.5x10, 10
#2x10

#2.5-explosive singles+2 sec. overcrush
5x1

#2-explosive triples+2 sec. overcrush
5x1

IMTUG 5-max reps
Rx9, Lx3-PR righty
Rx14, Lx11-PR both hands
Rx22, Lx15-PR again both hands
I figured out how to set this thing for reps.  It squirms around A LOT so the set has to be right and a lot of chalk is needed.  Also, all my reps are full reps not MMS or partial reps.

#2.5-max reps @20mm then max sets to 40 total reps
21,5,5,4,4,1
Tied my PR with 21 reps but doing as many sets as necessary to reach 40 total reps was a BAD idea!  The workout itself was more reps than I usually do and the extra reps just killed my hands.  I'll back the max reps to maybe once a month or so instead of each workout.

Squats, squats and more squats!!

11/17/11


I finally got a baseline for 225 x max reps.  Strength wise I was good for many more than 25 on the first set but my conditioning is non-existence and I couldn't breathe.  The goal is to get 40 consecutive reps with 225 so my work is cut out for me.  The last 5 reps were probably the hardest (mentally) 5 reps I've ever done with weights.


PL Squats
45x5
135x5
185x5
205x5
235x5
265x5

High Bar Squats (225x max reps)
25,10,5
Here's the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXRB-bWLm08

Shoulder Rehab Protocol-Circuit #2

11/16/11


Today before work I decided to take my daughter out to just spend some time together so I didn't have time to do a workout.  Plus she has a winter dance recital coming up in a few weeks so I took here to an extra dance class today on my way to work so she could get some extra practice specifically for the recital.  I did, however do my shoulder rehab circuit when I got home from work.  In case you missed yesterday's post I ran across the Diesel Crew Shoulder Rehab Protocol which includes 5 different shoulder re/prehab circuits.  Here's the video demonstrating all the exercises in each circuit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0ONHZmsFec

Circuit #2
DB Cuban Rotations
Band External Rotations
Band Pull-Aparts
Band Dislocations
Band Press
I used a 12.5 lb. dumbbell and a red band
3x15

My shoulders feel great after doing this tonight!!  Whether you have shoulder issues or not I highly recommend giving this a try.  It only takes a few minutes but works amazing.

Shoulder rehab and...stuff

11/15/11


I found this Shoulder Rehab Protocol on the Diesel Crew site and it looks right up my alley with rehabbing my shoulder so I thought I'd give it a try along with the Defranco Shoulder Shocker that I've been doing.  Here's the video of the Diesel Crew circuits that I'll be doing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0ONHZmsFec

Diesel Crew Shoulder Rehab Protocol+ reverse band pulls
Circuit 1-DB Retractions, DB Protractions, Posterior Capsule Stretch
20 lb. dumbbells and green band
3x20
This felt pretty good, expecially the posterior capsule stretch.  I did the retractions, protractions and band pulls before the posterior capsule stretch.  I'm looking forward to Circuit 2 tomorrow.

Tabata's on exercise bike-4 minutes

Flat DB Fly's
20x10
20x10
20x10
I went very light on these to try to get some blood flowing to the shoulders and test how it would feel.  No pain but was a little tight.

Tabata's on exercise bike-4 minutes

Pushups
3x10
I felt some twinges in my left shoulder on these so I still need some more time before any chest pressing movements.

Bodyweight Rows with 2.5" grips
3x10

Tabata's on exercise bike-4 minutes

Highway to Heaving

11/13/11

I can't think of a better or more fitting title for today's workout.  Let's just say that some strange things happen to the body when you follow high rep deadlifts with 5 sets of 10 reps of good mornings!  Since my shoulder has been feeling good the last couple days I decided I would give some deadlifts a try since it's been a while since I've done any.  Besides, I've been wanting to pull something somewhat heavy off the floor lately :)  In order to keep the weight down I figured I'd do some 2" axle deads instead...besides thick bar is one of my main grip priorities at this point anyway so why not kill 2 birds with one stone, eh.  I'm also going to start a round or two of 5/3/1 to ease myself back into weight training consistently.  I'll be doing the "triumverate" which is basically the base lift and two accessorie lifts. However, one of the accessory lifts for the time being will be either squats, deads or bench @225 for max reps since on my 40th birthday I want to do each of those @225 for 40 reps.  Today I finally got a baseline for deads@225 and hopefully I'll get the squats baseline later this week.  I'll wait for bench until my shoulder is completely healed, though.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings, here's the workout:

2" DO Axle Deadlifts
105x5
155x5
195x5
225x5
255x8-grip started giving out because I sweated all the chalk off my hands at this point

DO Oly bar deadlifts (225 max reps)
20-my conditioning gave out on me here.  Strength wise I was still going strong, same with grip.  I just couldn't breathe anymore.  I'll be hitting conditioning real hard so this shouldn't be a problem much longer.

Good Mornings
45x10
95x10
115x10
135x10
135x10

Let's get it on!!!

11/12/11

Rich came down from Flagstaff today and we threw down in the Grip Pit for about an hour and a half or so.  I have to give Rich a big thanks for bringing down his 183 lb. CoC 3.5 for me to borrow so that I have a smaller step up from my 174 lb. #3.5!  It was a great time seeing him again and getting some training in...not to mention someone else having a chance to get humiliated by BlobZilla.  My overall grip strength seemed to be down today but it was still a productive workout.  Here's some of the highlights I remember as far as what I did.

-BlobZilla-I was only able to lift it with 37.5 lbs. on the deloader.  The Zilla was being extra stubborn today.
-Grippers-I closed Rich's RB240 N, missed his 3.5, adn closed a couple others that I don't remember what they were.  I also closed a 2.5 display gripper at the Sports Exchange we went to after training.
-45# hub-we both did this a few times and I also got it with an extra 5 lbs. added.  Nothing big here.
-Rolling Thunder-Rich has never tried an actual RT so we started loading up some weight on it.  I think he did 141 and change and I pulled 172 lefty.  At this point my right wrist was starting to hurt so I didn't attempt much righty.  I believe this may be a PR lefty.

A couple hours after Rich left I decided to do a workout so here it is.

Seated Axle OH Press-non back supported
15x10
35x10
55x10
75x10
95x10
I went light on these because I wanted to see how my left shoulder would feel and didn't want to overdo it.  I'm happy to say it felt great with no pain at all during these.

Pullups-narrow grip with Fatgripz (20 reps total)
4,3,3,3,3,2,2
I suck at pullups so with these low rep sets I decided to start with a total of 20 and each time I'll increase the total rep count by 5 until I get to 50 total.  I only rested a few seconds between sets.

Defranco Shoulder Shocker-25 lb. plate, 12.5 lb. dumbbells
10,10,12
I'm going very light on these as well due to the shoulder but again, there was no pain so that's good.

Rear band pull aparts-red band
50,50-I only rested about 10 seconds between sets.

Burgers are good...mmmm kay

Here's one of my favorite burger recipes that I spent a lot of time perfecting.  You can use any ground meat you want including ground turkey, etc.  I like the flavor combination of ground bison and mild/medium Italian sausage.

Here are the ingredients:
-1 lb. ground bison (you can use ground beef, turkey, etc.)
-1 lb. mild Italian sausage (the kind with the thin skin that can be cut off)
-chopped onion
-a couple hand fulls of bread crumbs or crushed saltine crackers
-Rosemary
-2 eggs (I use one egg per pound of meat)
-2 packets of powdered ranch dip mix (I use one packet per pound of meat)-this is the key ingredient to the amazing flavor of these burgers!

Break up the ground bison then remove the thin skin on the sausage and break it up as well.  Put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and let the fun begin!  Moosh everything together...my 4 year old daughter is actually better at this than I am.  Once everything is mixed together nicely I make a bunch of 8 oz. meatballs out of it.  I like to have 8 oz. of protein per meal but you can adjust the size to whatever amount you want.  

Once you have all your meatballs made smoosh them into burger patties.  I like to make a crater in the middle so that when I cook them the center doesn't rise way up and basically turn it into a ball.  Now they're ready to throw on the grill, stove or in the oven.  For those that you aren't going to eat right away you can put the patties in a ziploc baggie and freeze it.  Then just thaw it out when you're ready to eat it and cook it up.

Once it's cooked you can garnish it with whatever you want, however I just add some cheese, lettuce and sometimes tomato.  I usually just eat if off a plate with a fork instead of in a bun because I figure if I leave off the bun I can eat more burger :)  

The Dr. Pepper bottle in the background is only there to try to make the photo more interesting.  Give me a break people, I'm new to this whole creative photography thing.

Hands sore and tight? Set a PR!

11/8/11


My hands were tight and a little sore from the grip workout the day before so when I got home from work I grabbed the trainer and did a couple sets of 10 to get the blood flowing to them.  I then decided to see how many 20mm block set reps I could get with the CoC #2 and ended up setting a PR with 35 reps.  I just missed the 36th rep and I blame it on still fumbling a bit with the new block set technique.  It's getting much better than it was, though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh5H-obrFFM

A deloader for BlobZilla

Here's the deloader I built this past weekend so I can start really training to lift BlobZilla.  I built it to work with my power rack but you could always just attach it to an overhead beam in the garage or back patio as well, or make a 2x4 frame.  Here's a couple pics of all the parts I used to build it.

Here's the list:

-one 5" long 2x4

-2 hooks to hang the pulleys on

-2 pulleys for 3/16" cable

-2x3/16" clamp sets for the ends of the cable

-one 10" length of coated 3/16" cable (cable length will vary depending on how high your pulleys will be mounted)

-4x18" lengths of chain

-4 quick links-to attach the chain to the eye bolts

-4 eye bolts

-2 medium sized carabiners

-1 piece of 1x6x12" wood for the blob platform.  This was just a piece I had lying around but you can use whatever you want for the platform.  I'll experiment with a piece of rubber matting to see if I like it better.

-a 1" or 2" loading pin to hold the weights.

Instructions for the build:

Drill 4 holes in your platform material and attach the 4 eye bolts.

Attach the 4 lengths of chain to the eye bolts using the quick links and clip the upper ends of all 4 chains in the carabiner.  Now pull the chains taut and measure the total height from the floor to the top of the carabiner (You will need this measurement later).

Screw the 2 hooks into the bottom of the 2x4.  I went in 18" from the ends so it would fit nicely inside my power rack but you can go any distance you need to.  Just make sure that it's wide enough so that the weights won't come down on top of you when you're lifting the blob.  Also make sure the hooks are pointing out because the pulleys will pull in toward the center and will pull off the hooks if they are backward.

Next slide the pulleys onto the hooks (this is the easiest step of the whole process)

Attach a 3/16" clamp set to one end of the cable and tighten it down nice and tight so it won't slip.

Slide the straight end of the cable through both pulleys;  this step is important because if you attach both clamp sets first you can't fit the cable through the pulleys.

Before attaching the second clamp set to the cable you need to determine how long the cable needs to be.  To do this I attached the carabiner to the one end and clipped it to the loading pin.  I then pulled the other end of the cable taut and stood up with my hand in the full deadlift position with my hand in a fist.  Mark the cable where the knuckles of your fist are and subtract the total length of the chains that you measured earlier.

Attach the clamp set to the end of the cable with the bottom of the loop being where your mark is.  Now clip the platform and chains to the cable with the carabiner and put the blob on it.

Add some weight to your loading pin and lift if up to clip it onto the carabiner.  Lift the blob to full lockout and  if the loading pin with weight touches the floor before lockout then adjust where the clamp set is on the blob side to shorten it a little.  If you did your measurements correctly it should be pretty close.  If no adjustments are needed cut off the excess cable with bolt cutters and start Blobbing!

Here's a quick video of my deloader and BlobZilla in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZoKKwBuO6k

Run fatboy, run!!

11/7/11

I was feeling pretty good tonight at work and wanted to kick Project MiniMalice up to the next level and go running at lunch with a guy at work.  We decided to only go half a mile but at a fast pace and everything started off well until the second half.  That's when 4 surgeries on my left knee plus too much fat decided to make itself known with extreme pain.  I couldn't live with myself if I didn't finish so I just slowed down a bit and limped across the finish line.  I want to continue running once or twice a week at work so I'll give it another shot when I drop 10 lbs. and see how it goes.

Grippers
Warm-up
Trainer x10
#1.5x10
#2x10
#2.5x1

#3.5 (20mm)
4x1-no closes either hand.  Got down to a paper thickness away righty and at or below 1/4" each rep lefty which is a PR of sorts.

This was pretty disappointing because my hands felt great and very strong during warm-ups but apparently not for heavy singles.

1hp
2x35's
x3 both hands
+2.5x1 both hands
+5x1 both hands
+10x1 both hands
+12.5x1 righty, hop lefty
+15x0
+15x0
+15x0
+15x0-on all these attempts I got at least half way up righty and a hop lefty.
+13.5x1 righty-PR, hop lefty

2x35's (hand to hand transfer)
18 times before setting it down.  A guy at work tried to get a vid on my phone but "forgot" to hit the record button...grrrrrrrrr

#2 (CCS) max reps
27 reps-PR


RT wrist curls
20x10
25x10
30x10
30x10
My right wrist was still a bit tender so I didn't up the weight but it's MUCH better than it's been lately.

Axle reverse wrist curls
35x10
45x10
50x10
50x10, drop to 35x10, drop to 15x25
The drop set on the last set was brutal and left my extensors feeling swole and great!!  This drop set is going to remain a mainstay from now on.

Jelly Legs/Spaghetti Arms

I was feeling a little froggy today so I decided to dust off an old total body strength and conditioning routine that pretty much turns the whole body into one big pile of jello.  It's pretty basic but very effective.  This is a timed workout so record your times and try to beat them the next time you perform this workout.  I did Jelly Legs in 13:12 and Spaghetti Arms in 11:15.  A good goal is under 10 minutes for each if you're in half way decent shape.

Here's the breakdown of the workout:

Jelly Legs--------------------------------Spaghetti Arms
Burpees-Squats------------------------Pushups-Body Rows
             1-10                                                 1-10
             2-9                                                    2-9
             3-8                                                    3-8
             4-7                                                    4-7
             5-6                                                    5-6
             6-5                                                    6-5
             7-4                                                    7-4
             8-3                                                    8-3
             9-2                                                    9-2
            10-1                                                  10-1
             9-2                                                    9-2
             8-3                                                    8-3
             7-4                                                    7-4
             6-5                                                    6-5
             5-6                                                    5-6
             4-7                                                    4-7
             3-8                                                    3-8
             2-9                                                    2-9
             1-10                                                  1-10

Start with Jelly Legs and do 1 burpee followed immediately by 10 squats.  Then do 2 burpees followed by 9 squats, etc.  Keep doing this until you reach 10 burpees followed by 1 squat then go backward until you get back to 1 burpee and 10 squats.  Only rest as much as needed with the goal of not stopping until you finish the routine.  Then rest a few minutes and follow the same protocol with Spaghetti Arms using pushups and body rows...or pullups if you can do enough of them.  You can use any combination of exercises you want, these are just what I used for this particular workout.  You can also use any number of reps so long as you use a ladder type protocol.
           
Give this workout a try and post up your times in the comments.

Big Nasty comes to The Strength Pit!!

Who's the biggest, meanest, nastiest SOB ever to step into The Strength Pit?  He goes by the name Big Nasty...and let me tell ya folks, he's just that!  I first met Big Nasty about a year and a half ago and I knew right away he was like none other that I'd ever met.  I'm talking about 365 lbs. of pure power who likes nothing better than to break hands and spirits at every possible opportunity.  Before we go any further let me post a picture of Big Nasty so you can see what I'm talking about:

What?!  Did you think I was talking about a person?  Hahahahahaha, come on people we all know that I'm the baddest person in The Strength Pit...however, this bad boy has already kicked my butt twice in only two workouts so I thought it was time to introduce him to everyone else.  I WILL get my revenge someday, though because I will be putting Big Nasty through it's paces at least once a week until those handles click together.

Here's the two workouts I've done so far with Big Nasty:

11/3/11


Grippers
Warm-up
Trainer x10
#1.5x10
#2x5
#2.5x1

Big Nasty #4 (choked to 1/2")
5x1-righty got down to about 1/8", lefty down to just under 1/4".
The last time I choked this gripper to 1/2" I wasn't even able to budge the handles at all so this is big progress.

11/4/11


Big Nasty #4 (CCS)
8x1-no closes but righty down to 1", lefty down to 1 1/8".

Meet BlobZilla, half a 130# York Legacy dumbbell

This was posted by my friend Daniel Reinard:

After much thought and discussion I've found a project blob, a half 130# York Legacy db.  I chose this size to be the US equivalent to the 60kg Legacy's that are out there.  So far, to my knowledge, no one has lifted a half 60kg or half 130#.  (Note:  the half 60kg blob has been lifted to full lockout by Laine Snook.)

This thing is massive, and has been appropriately named as BlobZilla (by Russ Farver).  The dumbbell arrived this last Friday and after cutting the number side off, which will be sent to Russ in AZ, I have had two days of attempts on it.  I will be keeping the York side.

Thoughts so far:
-The shape is gnarly.  In the vids you can see less of a biting edge on the blob and a huge finger side slope.  This causes a difficult shape to pinch and an inbalance that is tough to control.
-Texture is good, but it gives a false sense of security right before the attempt.
-The true height wasn't fully seen in the video as I believe the flat bottom to be deeper than a regular blob or fatman, so the full diameter isn't shown standing up.  A face lift on this monster will need matching monster sized hands.
-Having tried a deloader today it did come up quite nicely until tension was almost lost.  At that point BlobZilla leaned to the finger side, something not really felt on a 2nd Gen Blob.

Is this the next landmark in blob badassery?  Who will be the first to lift BlobZilla?  If you are wondering how expensive this is or how difficult it is to find one I will say this, there are no excuses here.  This bad boy is still in production and costs less than $200 for the dumbbell.  And a blob fits in a medium flat rate box.  It seems 50# blobs are being lifted by most who put in their training time.  BlobZilla is on another level, something that will be an elite blob lift.  It appears possible but make no mistake, this will fight you the whole way.  This being said by someone who lifted a blob on first meeting, and face lifted a fatman the day it came in the mail.

A video intro and first attempts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ykjXTAs ... re=related

Negative attempt then blob farmers walk comparison
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulGgyFEf ... re=related

Deloader attempt, Project BlobZilla day 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACltdX7m ... re=related

Lifting for 11/2/11

PL Squats
135x8
225x8
275x8
275x8

DB Bench
Couldn't do it due to shoulder pain...grrrrrrrrr

Bent-over rows
95x8
115x8
185x8
185x8

Good Mornings
135x8
135x8
135x8
135x8

EZ Bar Curls
65x8
75x8
90x3-stopped due to shoulder pain and lowered the weight back down to 75
75x8
75x8

I'll do the DeFranco Shoulder Shocker when I get home from work because I ran out of time today.  I just got back from checking the mail and BlobZilla was in there as well as the Mash Monster level 2 cert gripper.  My grip is a bit smoked from doing bent-over rows so I don't know if I'll attempt the cert tomorrow or wait until Friday.

The Magic 50

This is a strength and conditioning workout created by Ross Enamait @www.rosstraining.com.  It's normally done with burpees but since the downstairs neighbor is home I used squat thrusts instead.  Also, I used a 40 lb. dumbbell for the snatches and swings which is much less than I used to use but I'm so out of shape right now it was still intense.  If you want to try this but want to up the intensity use a heavier dumbbell and do burpees instead of squat thrusts.  I only managed a wimpy 12:45 for the time but anyone with even halfway decent conditioning should easily break the 10 minute barrier.

The Magic 50
5 dumbbell snatches per arm
5 dumbbell swings per arm
10 burpees

Repeat the sequence 5 times total for time.  It's called The Magic 50 because you will do a total of 50 db snatches, 50 db swings and 50 burpees.  This is a relatively quick workout but will blast your whole body very, very hard and get you breathing like never before.

Give it a shot and leave your time in the comments!

October 2011 in review

Every month I'll do a review here of my progress in strength gains and body transformation as well.  I've never looked back over a previous month before to see what I accomplished strength wise.  Now that I have I see that it is a very valuable gauge, especially if I'm feeling that I haven't really made much progress.  I recommend everyone do this at the end of the month so you can see where you started and where you are now.  I'm really looking forward to reviewing the whole year come January 1st to really see where I've progressed and where I need to focus more.

Project MiniMalice is off to a good start so far.  I'm down 4 lbs. this week...don't know about bod yfat or measurements because I didn't check them last week but from now on I'll keep track of those as well.

The crowning achievement for the last 3 months was taking 1st overall in AZ @ World's Strongest Hands and 15th overall worldwide out of 124 competitors.  Not only that but setting PR's in different feats of strength after each leg was very motivational.

Strength PR's
Pinch
-2x35/2x15kg loose plate pinch
-2x35+12.5 lbs. added
-5x10 loose plate pinch
-6x10's trainer +5 lbs. added
-40 lb. hex dumbbell deadlift
-50 lb. hex dumbbell deadlift
-45# hub +17.5 lbs. added
Thickbar
-Axle deadlift 340 lbs.
Grippers
-#2.5@20mm x21 reps
-#3@20mm x5 reps
-#3.5@20mm x1 rep
-IMTUG5 x8 reps
-Vulcan level 17@20mm

Overall it was a great month for grip strength but I am disappointed to see nothing for all around strength.  I guess that's because I didn't really do much weight lifting last month.  That changes starting immediately, though.  I'm going to get back to lifting consistently as well as working hard on my strength and conditioning.  I was hoping that the Mash Monster 2 gripper would have shown up so I could add that to October's list of accomplishments but I guess it'll just be the first of November's accomplishments instead :)