How was your year of training? What did you accomplish?
I find it tremendously useful to reflect on and learn from the past…so that you can do even better in the future.
So I’m doing exactly, that I’m showing the best of what I accomplished in 2019.
Bent Pressing
My best is 165 lbs on my right arm with a barbell. 135 lbs. for my left, weaker side. Also did a 60kg or 132lb. kettlebell (which is a very awkward sized weight).
My goal is 185 lbs. on the strong side so I have a bit further to go. This will likely take a few more months, but it should be achievable in 2020. By the way, this goal I believe will make me the best modern day bent presser out there, pound for pound (…though no where close to the greats like Arthur Saxon).
Hanging By Rope
I do not recommend this feat to anyone else! It is obviously dangerous, even deadly. And it’s been controversial, pissing off many people by me posting and talking about it.
But I was looking for a challenge and knew of a number of strongmen that had pulled it off. After months and months of training I was able to successfully do it here. Since then I have done about a ten second hold. My goal is thirty seconds.
Turkish Getups
One of my big goals was to lift a 135 lb. barbell in a getup. Mission accomplished!
In addition to the barbell I did this move with human weights for the first time. I even had the opportunity to perform this feat in front of a crowd.
Kettlebell Juggling
I didn’t seriously work on kettlebell juggling this year. Just a bit of dabbling. Even so I’m quite proud of pulling off this move, a 40kg (88lb.) kettlebell toss over the shoulder.
I also got inspired by another juggler and tried it out while doing some fancy footwork. Not shown here was the first time I ever did blindfolded kettlebell juggling.
Card Tearing
The main feat of grip strength I worked on throughout the year was card tearing. Doing so I pulled off a few different new PR’s. My main goal was eighthing a deck of cards.
Right now I’m working on stripping a deck which is quite tough. I did three strips, but now am working on the significantly harder four strips.
Handstand Pushups
I worked on handstand pushups most of the year, though these were not priority with bent pressing and getups. Still I managed new PR’s.
Full range with legs bent for 10 reps.
Full range with 40 lb. weight vest for a single.
Full range with legs straight for 7 reps.
Not the PR itself but these videos show earlier attempts at the straight leg full range handstand pushups and weight vest HSPUs.
In the new year I’m refocusing on freestanding HSPUs in various forms.
Dragon Pistols
Early on in the year I pulled of 12 reps of the Dragon Pistol on each leg. Since then I’ve transitioned to various forms of weighted front and back squats for me legs.
Hanging Leg Raises
One of my goal was five reps of one arm hanging leg raises each side. Very ugly but still proud of accomplishing. This video doesn’t show the record, but the first time I pulled off the move this year.
I also pulled off much nicer, stricter, slower two arm full hanging leg raises.
Vsit
After I stopped working on hanging leg raises I went to Lsits and Vsits for a while. I made some good progress, pulling off my best ever Vsit as pictured here.
Pullups and Chin-ups
While I hit several rep PR’s for weighted pullups and chin-ups I didn’t break new all-time PR’s with heaviest weights. Much of the other training impacted this. But I’m planning on making this a higher priority in the new year, especially after the bent press goal is accomplished.
Below is 8 reps in the chin-up with 24kg attached. I later beat this out with a new record of 9 reps.
Conditioning
One of the conditioning methods I was working with was various forms of burpees. In doing this I was aiming for 100 reps in an unbroken set. I accomplished this was squat thrusts with a pushup involved in this set.
There were certainly many other PR’s from grippers and block weights, to squats and carrying, but that covers the highlights and then some.
In 2020 I’ll be continuing on in quite a few of these, some towards the same goal, some towards different variations. And always some new ideas come up that take me in altogether different directions.
Once again, how was your year? If you’d like feel free to share in the comments below and you can link to any videos you have as well.