Another FB pic you may have missed

Local IFBB pro (super helpful too) Lee Powell from a shoot by Fivos Averkiou:

GMV release worth a look

And the next Flex cover is...

July's mag covers

I like

Review of magazines

Best deadlift video ever?

I never saw this until today... wow! Deadlifts.

Zach Khan injured

From Flex.

Another facebook image you may not have seen

Strongman Champions League Limerick image of Terry Holland and what looks to be a large US truck.

Editing blog posts.... not today!

The Vydex/STC thing continues. Apparently, according to at least two bods, I should edit one of my posts. The one in which I reported the posting of a rumored (note that word) raid by Trading Standards of Vydex premises.

It seems to have passed some by that I also posted the WHOLE letter of Vydex's response a mere day or so later. Balance and counter balance I think. One comment, open to interpretation, of mine was that products sold by the Whey Consortium (I co-own said company) were good to go as it were and were not made by Vydex. Just about as factual as you can get yet some did not like this...

Well 'me no care'. I don't think that there's a single thing wrong with either post and I've yet to have a cease and desist letter from a solicitor. So.... rssppp!

Check the guy in the background... LOL

I have a few of the Ronnie Coleman vids. In one Ronnie is using a pair of 200lb dumbbells to bench with and in the background (bare in mind it's Metroflex - a hard core gym), is a guy barely bending his knees. Squatting one plate a side... just embarrassing. So when I saw this pic, from Flex magazine, posted by IB of some amazing leg separation in Dennis Wolf's legs I initially missed the weight the guy in the left was using. OMG!!! Then I also noticed the huge set of teeny weeny dumbbells. FFS LOL!!

Big Loz qualifies for WSM

In a Giants Live event, held in the Ukraine, Laurence Shahlaei pushed Derek Poundstone to the wire (in fact Ironmind reports Loz was in 1st place until the last event). Placing 2nd when the dust settled Loz has now qualified for this years WSM. Photo from Ironmind. There report HERE

One of three possible covers for next months Flex

Thanks, again, to IB at MT:

Watson's Gym Equipment... more new toys

Me like!!

Some very nice Kai Greene photos

kai One:
Two:

Are whey prices about to triple?

Possibly and possibly just in the US of A (well boo hoo). According to a post on RXMuscle Dante, of True Protein announced:

****Remember 2 years ago when I warned you about the oncoming milk shortage and what it would do to whey protein prices? And across the board whey protein prices rose.....

This makes that look like a blip.

I am forewarning everyone. Two major soft drink company's (here I'll make it easy, they begin with C and P to narrow it down, thats all I'll say).....have pretty much shut down the whey protein industry for the rest of 2010. The one company is coming out with a RTD whey product and the other company and their "Alligatorade" drink (think about it) bought a half a billion pounds of whey protein in which they are going to launch their Ready To Drink protein product. Now to do this they bought up all the raw ingredients from all corners or the earth and even existing product out there to tweak into their product. The other company bought a tremendous amount of whey from Asia which in turn is making a huge shortage here in the United States with manufacturers trying to catch up.

This "Alligatorade" drink company acquisition is going to drive whey protein prices skyrocketing northward. The problem is whey is a byproduct of cheese/dairy and the dairies arent going to start manufacturing more cheese to get more byproduct=whey protein (and throw away the cheese).

So and im strongly warning you on this....STRONGLY...trust me that this is going to happen. They bought up a tremendous amount of raw ingredients of whey isolate to mix into their sugar water. 500 million pounds....The other company bought up a tremendous amount of whey protein concentrate.

Whats this mean to you?

We are going to try our best to hold the line but what we are being told is whey protein could very well go to 2 - 3 times the price per pound of what it currently is. And I mean this across the board from every single protein powder company out there.....and in any and every area of whey protein being sold out there.

We probably are in the process of getting rid of the recession whey protein pricing right today due to this but we are going to try to hold out on everything else as long as we can. You will see whey protein powder prices rise and rise and rise for the next month after month after month elsewhere in stores, in retails sites....everywhere.

Do you still want to "be like Mike"?

My prediction? That sugar water company will abandon this in early 2011 after it fails miserably but the tremendous damage will be done by then.

Current The Beef magazine

Next MD cover

I think...

Bodypower 2010

What a mental hot, mad weekend. More soon!!

STC withdraws products from market

Having had a very long two chats with one of my buddies AND rivals over at STC they have posted this on their website. Some BIG numbers are being spoken off. As was product recall, compensation for customers and so on (see below quote for more).

''STC Nutrition products were designed with the sole purpose of delivering premium grade nutritional products at an affordable price.

This has always been our goal.

However, over the last few days it has come to our attention that the formulations that we specified for the manufacture of our products have been severely compromised without our knowledge. We have been shocked to discover that that at some point over the past few months, our formula have been tampered with by the manufacturers of these products and although we believed we were being supplied premium quality proteins made to British Standards, this has apparently not been the case.

We are absolutely appalled at this situation and are currently taking legal advice.

We would like to apologize to our faithful customers who have stood by us and are in the process of refunding those who have been sold products from these tainted batches.

We have suspended the selling of our products for the short term until we can change to a supplier who can guarantee us verifiable, periodic quality control checks on all our products.

We will be back!

If you need to contact us, email us here but please remember that we are in the middle of pending legal action and may not be able to comment on some aspects of this unfortunate situation.''

In the mean time one of the few companies with products NOT manufactured by Vydex or someone, or another contract manufacturer as above, whose products are straight up is, of course, The Whey Consortium.

July Magazines

The did it or did it not happen raid of Vydex

Lots of claims and counter claims. Thus far and having seen their (Vydex's) open letter yesterday the big issue of the day seems to be that said raid may NOT have taken place and the person claiming it did could be getting a solicitors letter soon. The lesser issue of the Dextralose (TM) not containing asartame but being included in word for word identical product descriptions of a few supplement companies protein products is still on the table.

I've just seen Vydex's letter has been made public so here it is:

Open Letter in reply to the Malicious Attack on Vydex and Others

17th May 2010

You may well, by now, have read the malicious false attacks on Vydex and Others in a number of Chat forums over the last few days.

We have already informed the Trading Standards Office, they are keenly interested in anyone abusing their service and Office to spread defamatory false rumours. The OFT (Cardiff) will confirm that no such action has taken place against Vydex, nor is there any such action pending.

We can, if required to do so, demonstrate that we do not use nor do we hold in stock the sweetener Aspartame®. We can also confirm that the Sweetening agent Dextralose® does not contain Aspartame. Brands such as Coca-Cola®, Red Bull®, and a number of Top name American Protein brands do however contain Aspartame®.

The character assassination attempt on me personally, only leads me to conclude that there are a number of individuals that have failed reach up to my standards of achievement so their only option, as they see it, is to attempt to drag me down to their own shallow standard. I find this quite saddening to be honest, and whilst I feel contempt for their behaviour, I also feel rather sorry for them.

We already know the identity of the instigators of the malicious, false attacks. We know the origins and we also now believe we know the catalyst for them. It appears obvious to us that our business strategy, customer service and high quality products has had an influence on the down turn in trade for the Brands owned by these individuals and their co-conspirators, two of whom, are in the Bristol area! (Nothing whatsoever to do with Prolab, I hasten to add!).

All involved in this spurious plot were indiscrete and even egotistical enough to leave a trail behind them that was so very easy to follow and link up that even a moonshine soaked, old bloodhound could follow!

They set out to cause a chain of libellous and false information to circulate within the Supplement / Forum scene, which they hoped would result in severe damage to out reputation and that of others. These faceless but not so anonymous individuals appear to be under some illusion that they are “clever”. Well it appears that they are not!

What they achieved is the exact opposite. There is now a wave of discussed and appellation building against them, which may well result in a further loss of confidence and thus, demand for their Brands.

There is a very strong possibility that legal action will follow against those involved. If however, a public written full retraction and apology is published in all the forums the malicious attacks were published, we will accept this and move on and put an end to the matter.

Melvyn John MIC.MED. Dip Psychol.
Managing Director
Vydex Corporation Ltd

Industry news... did the shit hit the fan Friday?

This past weekend has seen a flurry of quickly removed posts appear and disappear on various UK and even US Bodybuilding forums. Relating to an apparent (did it or did it not happen?) raid of Vydex. I'll get in my disclaimer now: all is rumor and 'word on the street' until we hear otherwise. But still... what a weekend!

Vydex, as well as making their own branded products, is a contract manufacturer of a few small to medium brands here in the UK who are based in Cardiff. Claims of a raid by Trading Standards appeared on Friday with the word being that TS took away samples of several products. Posts on several of the larger UK forums appeared only to be removed just as quickly.

One giant clue as to which companies they were making products for or providing ingredients too seems to have been the rather foolishly over-looked use of a sweetener they called 'Dextrolose' which is a trade marked name used by one company only. See above. Some of the companies with Dextrolose in their product ingredient descriptions then made the claim that their product was aspartame free when, in fact, Dextrolose is a combo which includes aspartame. It's of interest (and not hard to search for) that Vydex has a few smaller companies which they seem to own interests in so can claim to have supplied ingredients to rather than made products for. A search of former employees and directors throws light upon this.

Rather than me blog who and what I'll let you take advantage of Google and search for yourself. See what brands come up. If they are furiously altering their sites today check out the labels on products in your gym. Google will, of course, take a few days to catch up so even with changes made it'll direct you to their sites. There's a list on one forum which makes it easy to check. As one member commented on Bodybuildingpro 'surely the companies asking someone to make them a product should know something about said product'?

The bigger issue, as indeed it should be, is one of the serious levels of competition that has been piling up the last few years. When, as per another forums comment, your local gym and instructors were producing their own labeled products at prices BELOW the rest of the market questions needed to be asked. Least of all is 'how can they beat the big boys?'. Answer they can't unless they're bending the rules.

It's simple economics. If WPC, as is, costs around £5.00 a kilo wholesale and then you add in flavours etc, add also the usual overheads, margins and so on then anyone offering 2.25kg for £25.00 delivered is selling you magic beans.

Let's see if it goes quiet and blows over or whether people will be talking about which brands CAN be trusted when the industry and consumers meet at Bodypower. See you there.

The best calves in the world line up

From a thread on RX Muscle: Ben Pakulski, Jeff long & Erik

Bodypower 22nd and 23rd May at the NEC

Right ho. First I'll be working with Chris Hart (son of Mick) on the iharts stand. Part of the weekend will include me doing some of the strength display stuff I've done a few times. So expect to see nails bent, books torn and dumbbells lifted. I also had a look at the bodypower expo site this morning and noted, with some interest, that ultimategrip.co.uk will be there and have the HG500 challenge on. Close it and win $500.00. Nice. I'm sure they will have some other grip stuff to try out as will Pullum Sports who are also there. I emailed them both today to see what's what.

In addition, for strength fans, you've got powerlifting and strongman events running over the weekend which include Loz, sometime grip guy, on the Sunday. Go and say hi and get a photo taken with him.

Back on the iharts stand it's Chris's intention to hold 2-3 times a day promo's. You have a chance to win a t-shirt in our 'biggest bender' competition. I'll show how to bend a nail or two and then we see how can do what. Be that a time or a number on a set time and so on. The iharts mob will be promo'ing the strength themed US clothing company Ironville so I'm sure there will be some bargains available.

Whatever you do if you come drop by and say hi.

Johnnie O's traps

Courtesy of IB on MT. These are thick!

The last thick handled dumbbell you'll ever need.

These puppies, made by Watson's Gym Equipment, can be shot loaded to 180kg. That is all (click on image to see whole pic).

Fankhousers cows

I saw Cows cos these are too damned big to be calves...

18th British Grip Championships

18th British Grip Championships... today's the day. That is all.

Another facebook pic you may have missed

One of my FB buddies, Mike, visited the York Museum. This is my fave photo:

Kai Greene: Overkill

He may have been some kind of lazy bum before making his name and there's that grapefruit thing to consider but on the plus side he's become the thinking mans bodybuilder. Add to that that it's a Mike Pulcinella effort (good camera work then) and I can see why Kai Greene's Overkill Volume 1 may, as the blurb has it, been described as 'The best bodybuilding film since Pumping Iron'.

Stuff you miss out on if you're not on facebook

For those of you who aren't fans there are some gems; Kimmo Kokko double over hands a Apollons replica set up with, what he says, is 140-150-kilos.

2009 WSM on Virgin

Hey Derek, why the strap??

Those of you like me, either too poor or too tight, to add Bravo to their TV packages (a little from box a and b please Bob ha ha) will have missed out on the qualifying rounds and then later on the WSM finals. Well now Virgin 1 and +1 are showing the programs previously only watchable on their sister channel Bravo. Yesterdays episode was the Mohegan Sun (part of the Giant series). Derek Poundstone, in front of a home crowd, won 4 and came 2nd on the fifth event.

Steve Angell

If you're on facebook then add Steve Angell if for no other reason than his photos. His monster Zercher lift is worth logging on for. Steve was and probably still is one of the UK's best competitive drug free lifters. Here's one to wet the appetite.

Magazine covers for June

This first one is one of 4 possibles (I chose this one) for the next issue of Flex (thanks to IB of MT):

Moments

Did you miss it? Have you had one? is there ever a time in your training when you are prepared to bust a gut, bleed and lose skin to make the lift. I'm not talking after when you noticed it had happened but a conscious thought on your part along the lines of 'damned if I do so screw it - if it happens!' then you pull or push anyway.

If the answer is no then your not getting all that you might get from yourself.

We've seen it happen to others. The athlete, obviously in pain, maybe bleeding, but carrying on. They don't have to be the winner but the winner turns, sees them ready to die to make it and starts leading the applause for what even he sees as something special. A well known middle distance runner (Colin Jackson I think) appeared in an ad for a soft drink for years where his dad ran on to the track and helped him make the finish line after he pulled a hamstring 100metres out. Obviously that immediately disqualified him but the crowd as one rises to their feet and cheers him the last few meters.

Any athlete worthy of the title MUST have moments like these. I've told the story of pulling 200-kilos in the one hand deadlift with a hook grip and everything fazing out and my only focus was the refs down signal. After both my big toes, having lifted in socks, turned black for months. If the strongest man you know (maybe it's you) has never had this feeling then he has something more he could have given.

Reality bites as NO ONE has these often. But of you apply much of the advice given in the other articles on this site, especially the peaking and cycling ones, then when and if it is needed you can hope to have a few of these a year.

Enjoy them. They're special.

me want!!

Nowt to do with training but what a treat!

Loz joins the elite

If you're on facebook check Loz's page for a video of his 400kg deadlift. It's a small select club.

Dunkster shows true dedication

Some photos from Leg 4 W.O.G super series...

Thanks to 'G' for putting these up on my personal site - click

Zuluglove wrist wraps... updated review

Well I went to the other gym I use this morning and gave the wraps a road test. Part of that included allowing some of the other members to try either one or both wraps on. Without fail ALL stated this are 'full on/brutal/hardcore' (select one of choice). In other words proper, proper, pro level wrist wraps. They are now my new favourites.

Zuluglove wrist wraps... initial review

Well yesterday they said 'there's a sample of the latest wraps in the post' and today they're here. Nice speedy service.

I put one on and compared it to my current favourites, the Titan 'greens' I won as part of the prize package back in 09 at the Chad Woodall event. The Titan's are stiff and very supportive and, if worn for more than a set, uncomfortable so how much more hardcore could a Zuluglove set be?

The answer is VERY! Zulu have said of their products before that they are to be worn ONLY during competition/record breaking/PB attempts. The Zulu 'Defcon' branded wraps are definitely in the 'wear for VERY short periods' class. They are positively brutal.

Now normally such a comment would be seen as a negative but those of you who, like myself on the odd occasion, push the limits of what they can lift to the extreme world record level will know that that actually makes these wraps the new 'Mutts Nutt's. Sure you wont wanna wear them for much more than 2-3 minutes at a time but you'll know that they will offer more support than any brand wrist wraps you care to mention to date.

Recommended (but for PB's only!!)

Zuluglove new range

My old muckers at Zuluglove are back with a new range of kit. Check them out at www.zuluglove.com. Apparently I've a sample of their new wrist wraps to look forward to (3 feet long). I'll be reviewing those here within days.

Me no like 2nd place

Yep, another 'not first place'. Yesterday in what was the 4th and final leg of the W.O.G. Super Series I came 2nd and 2nd overall in the series. But I don't like 2nd. I much prefer first and so will be motivated to, as the saying goes, 'bring game' for the next events or three.

And while I am at it...

Ironman's next cover

Next Muscular Development cover June 2010

Thanks to IB (of MT) here's June's (mind you I had May's arrive last week and we're still in April but...).

Silly headlines 1

Much as I love my bodybuilding magazines they do publish some crackers. Take this month's issue of Body Fitness; according to their headline you can now 'grow while you sleep, yes now it is possible!'.

Wow! You mean to say it wasn't possible before and, as science may have told us before, most growth and repair takes place while we're asleep. Not exactly headline grabber of the century then. I'm sure I'll have a few more 'exclusives' in time.

Motivation - know theyself

From one of my forums an article 'wot I wrote'.

Motivation

Supplement 'brands'... learn to read the label!

I'm not gonna spend two many lines explaining what's what on labels... least ways not today. But if you possess some common sense you'll know what is what and be able to see the value of what's been included and whether or not it is of greater value than another product.

Inspired by a similar thread on a well-known forum I replied that more often than not the greater costs was not down to better or more potent additives but due to said brand names great running costs. These can include more staff, more marketing revenue required and so on.

Learn to read what is included and make your decision not, as many do, on 'me likee label' or 'me likee choc flavour' but on what it'll do. It's only better if you get better, by whatever value that means to you (bigger, stronger, leaner and so on). Higher cost does not always equate to high values.

Loving the mis-load

I've had this happen a few times when I've trained. I remember taking my youngest brother Mike to a gym in Peckham (owned at the time by Gladiator 'Wolf'/Mick Van Wyck) and benching with dumbbells. I was capable of using, so I thought, 90's per hand. However, having managed to push up a rep Mike pointed out one was a 90 but the other... 105! I very nearly dropped it on my face in surprise.

Today, on what is my 2nd only session on one hand deadlifts with the thumb over style in many a year (2+) I thought I was pulling, one hand at a time, 130-kilos left and then 140-kilos right but one of the lads pointed out (always someone else ha!) I was pulling 160-kilos right which meant the left had been 140-kilos. I'm pretty sure my best previously was around those numbers.

In other words, as well as having a great session (rather than drop down I did 4 singles with the loaded weight) I also had proof of the adage - if your mind doesn't know what's loaded it'll pull whatever. Obviously if it had been loads more - not a chance. But a little more?

The only other aspects which MAY have helped was:
1) that the bar is very slightly, and I mean slightly, cambered.
2) I'd had 2 cups of coffee about 1 hour apart
3) I trained later than usual and
4) I was showing one of the lads some 'geeing up' techniques

Don't let your mind be the limiting factor when you lift.

Ronny Rockel

Thanks to IB on MT for a great find. Here's one of many photos of Ronnie taken 10 days after the Arnold (click on image to see full size photo):

Muscle Mag International May 2010

And here's another:

Next Muscular Development cover May 2010

Here ya go:

the worst website for advice I've ever seen

And to make it double - they're serious: http://www.creatine-monohydrate.org has so much mis-information it makes your eyes water.

Among side effects, according to them, is penis shrinkage... why and how is not explained. Another is that creatine 'takes water from the muscle cell' when in fact its action is to pull water in. Another comment was that the body uses amino acids for energy... remind me what carbs and fats are for then!!

They also contradict themselves left, right and centre.

Avoid like the plague.

Well that's embaressing

The latest issue of the UK edition of Flex has Jay Cutler on the cover and a 'a how he came back to tip top condition' article inside. Unfortunately he has been signed, as of last month, with Muscular Development. Can I say 'foot in mouth'? LOL

Lee Priest getting back in shape

Originally set to compete in Australia last weekend he's now looking to do the Atlantic Pro later this year. But here's a sneak preview of his return to form from Oz.

Severn Valley 2010

Got love our local boys work...

Mighty Mitts post 308... finally

Just in case you missed it I finally managed to post my full write up on my new site Enjoy.

Mindset of a champion

I've written loads on this but one aspect is we don't see limits the way some do. I've a few buddies in this grip stuff we do that are, at least by what they say, limited to 90-kilos/200lbs or under and, in their words 'not able to get past it'.

There in lies the rub. I can and do write out plans for increases in my 1 rep max (1RM) usually looking to hit an on-platform PB of 105% (5% more than my old PB). While right now I am using a longer type of program due to the frequency of competitions of about 1 per month I'd usually aim for a big number once a year (around the British).

Whether I'm doing 4, 6 or 8 singles and the more I do the higher the 1RM there's a small but obvious rise in what is added to the bar so that close to the competition, say a few weeks out, I'm doing multiple singles with what last years 1RM/PB.

You can see from that I am not limiting myself to some predetermined number, as in the above example 200lbs, but am constantly looking forward. If there is an upper limit among the elite grip guys at the moment it's 120-kilos or 264lbs. Like 500lbs overhead back in the 70's it MAY be our imagined limit... although I'm hearing hints of in gym numbers a little above. I also know, like the 500, that once it's done our aim will become higher. Equally those struggling with 200 should set out a plan for 205/210 and then I'd hazard a guess once it's done they'll add even more because 200 will soon become but a memory.

There are other aspects to the elite athletes make up which makes them so and I'll touch on one more today. Hunger.

Not the 'feed me now' kind but that which makes them want more, more, more when it comes to weights. At a certain level ALL sportsmen and women push their bodies to places they aren't normally seen to go. So the prevalence and likelihood of injuries rises. Be it a wrenched back or, for grip guys, hand strain, tendons aching or, more usually, torn skin. The elite knows this will happen and is, if not exactly happy when it does, willing to accept the toll. Others are not. They stay at under 200lbs.

Read into this what you will.

Mighty Mitts gallery up

The last few photos etc are still to be added and I'll (finally) get the write up done tomorrow (I've been catching up between rest all week. Go HERE Check the videos too.

Roelly Winklaar

Roelly Winklaar a few days before the Australian Pro

April 2010 magazines

Quick mention for the last/latest issue of Body Fitness as it had a at least 6, if not 8, page forearm training article for da grip boyz. Buy it. Also coming soon are...

Argghh!!

Bloody email. It's a royal pain in the ass sending large data via my PC as I'm trying to send a package of photos over. As and when I do there will be a gallery of the Arnold stuff for you to look at on my personal site.

If there's another 'arrggghh' in the works it's based on the 'paint not yet dry' breakdown of the only just taken place MM event. Mere days have passed and I'd guess some of us (me etc) have yet to fully recover and already it's being picked over. Yet, again as per my own nagging, where's the structure needed in the US? Let's not over analyze an event before we have in place the association needed.

Still recovering...

I'm not even to the end of page one of my Arnold write up and I caught myself having to NOT calculate just how long I was awake from Tuesday am through to Wednesday pm as a result of my hospital visit. Man... it was a LONG TIME!! I'm just about caught up on most of the rest, hence this post, and I'll get it done real soon. The photos have been loaded on picasa so it'll be show time any day now.

12 hours in A&E/ER

What a day... but I'm still coming!!

Bog Loz pulls 382.5 kilos raw.

Nick McKinless image.

Last MM session today

Sunday
Tip of the day. Do not show boat on the last successful attempt and throw down a 200-kilo bar with what was meant to be contempt. Because it'll bite you on the arse by clipping you on the right knee as it goes past. It hurt (and still does) like a BITCH!! Fortunately not in a way that will prevent me competing, just in a 'oh that's gonna bruise nicely' and 'how much skin did I just peel off?' kind of way. Good grief.

@ GN

Double over hand thick bar deadlifts
Bar (35kg) x 12 reps - easy
75-kilos x 3 reps - easy
105-kilos x 1 rep - easyish
135-kilos x 1 rep. All the above done with support belt only
165-kilos x 1 rep. Lever belt as well from this point forward.
185-kilos x 1 rep.
200-kilos x 3 x 1 reps - see note above re whacking the hell out of my knee. I was giving the large one going 'all fucking day' etc only to give my right tear drop / quad muscle an almighty wallop as the bar went past on the throw down. Guess who's a dick. Regardless this is my best ever session pre-competition.

Oh if you've not yet checked it out check my new site Steve Gardener

W.O.G/BHSA Super Series Leg 2

Did ok. Tied for 1st with Loz here and 2nd overall by virtue of David Horne having a better days 2 hand pinching than Loz and I. We had success with 109.99kg and him 112 or so. All three of us attempted more than the current world record so that's a good sign. Loz beat me on the weaver (strapless is BRUTAL) and I pulled the most across both camps on the Rolling Thunder (I think I've only lost once in competition on that) with 107.9-kilos or around 240lbs'ish.

I've also just seen on facebook a guy who works for the company which makes equipment for the WSM (or at least the last one). I'll load some photos as and when he adds me as a buddy. Loving their axles and dumbbells.

Inch walking and snow

Don't mix so tomorrow it is then LOL. It (the weather) has decided to snow, snow, snow (it's been going for a few hours now) so I've changed today into a rest day as opposed to my intended Friday chilling time.

Millennium Press

Dan Harrison, with Odd Haugen witness. Not too sure about the weight (mines 231lbs and he says that ones 229lbs) nor the 'First Deadlift' (one hand deadlifts only have to be above the knee and I did that years ago) but overhead is overhead.

Video

Quick aside: as I type this Robbie is singing 'Millennium' on Radio One!!

More Mighty Mitts training and associated stuff

In Wade Gillingham's Blog we have his Inch Farmers walk training and in 'associated stuff' we have Mark Felix mentioning training the axle today (please not mad heavy ha ha) but also a video link to his attempts at the Millennium (last months FitExpo in LA)... phew! Very low to the ground. The Mark Henry Bell come to papa!!

Wade

Mark

Pheonix Pro

Two of the competitors have let photos of them out for us to wow over. First up is a small but shredded Ahmed Ahmed and then super tall and vascular Toney Freeman.

Axle deadlifts.... my oh my

They don't get any easier but regardless I am in new territory as of today. Even though I am spending more time sitting in the hole getting my head right than will be allowed on stage I still managed 3 x 1 reps (all as ugly as hell) with 190-kilos/418lbs today. There's just enough time to get to the multiple reps with 200kg plus I think I'll need come the day.

Russian Grip events too

Yep. I'm not too sure about going shirtless (moobs ahoy!!) but here is Babelfishes translation:

Maxim Of [baruzdin], which is been the possessor of the title of the strongest athlete of the northern capital, signs participation in the tournament to the force of gallant. “In such competitions of participation yet it did not assume and greatly he would want to try his forces, and I am very glad, what is allowed this possibility” - it described max.
The championship, as information sponsor of which appears the journal “iron peace”, takes place on February 17, 2010. Competition to Maxim will compose champions of other power forms of sport. In particular their participation confirmed the conqueror of the World Cup of [armrestlingu] [Dzambolat] Of [tsoriev] and champion of peace to [popauerliftingu] among the veterans Alexander [Koblov].
“This tournament gives the unique possibility to bring together on one competing platform of the representatives of different power forms of sport - Vasiliy Kuznetsov spoke about the forthcoming battles, the director of periodical “iron peace”, completely to possible the competing platform will leave someone [topovykh] St. Petersburg [bodibilderov] - Sergey Sebald or Artem Ivanov. But those champions, who will arrive as the spectators, I am confident, let in the unofficial test, but nevertheless try their forces!”

Athletes will be able to verify the arms force of their in two exercises on raising of burdening; moreover projectiles are designed so that to maximally complicate this task.

Rolling Of thunder - thrust by one hand with the use of the revolving knob by a diameter of 60 mm. due to the rotation knob transfers basic load on the fingers of athlete.

Euro Of pinch - thrust by two hands of pancake with the burdening, the thickness of pancake 52 mm, necessary to raise burdening to a height 42 cm. pancake is retained only by fingers, pizzicato gallant.

Competitions will pass in the beer restaurant “beer 0,5” with the address: Novocherkassk [pr].33. Conqueror and the prize-winners of tournament wait prizes from the restaurant “beer

Russian Bodybuilding magazines? Da!

Next Flex cover

Thar she blows:

Mighty Mitts post 307

Ok, 306 LOL (might be less he he). I see, having had a 'butchers' (hook = look) that Wade is umming and ahhing in his blog as much as I do in my training logs. Makes me feel better. No matter what level you are it's as much about analyzing your performance as anything.

I also see Mark Felix has posted a YT video of his Inch Farmers walk training.

Is it on? Oh yes IT'S ON!!

The more of this I see the more heat I feel.

Physio tomorrow and assuming she says nothing (or I don't tell her) I think I'm doing Inch walk work myself followed by heavy ass dumbbell deadlifts.

Now that's crisp n dry

Eduardo Correa:

Mighty Mitts... some big names with us.

I'm not much of a fan boy. I rarely if ever ask for autographs, get photos taken with people and so on.... but there are going to be some GREAT names on stage with us. I've just had another update (via Jan Todd this time) and we've also got Dennis Rogers reffing and doing a bit of what he does on stage too.

Given that we've Kaz, Sven, Vasily Alexeev and more... all on stage while we do our thing. Words fail me.

I'm about to do some Anvil stuff and the only black cloud today is it's now to the side and not straddle.

Double overhand 'axle' deadlifts

Good session and on target for the repped 200-kilos or more I want before I go.

185-kilos x 3 x 1 plus 1 rep higher off floor (same height as the bar we will use). I felt good for more.

Another step closer.... to Mighty Mitts

Today is a rest day. Tempted as though I was to make the journey to the gym to train I am biting the bullet and resting up. Yesterday the sense of urgency meant I did a morning session (Inch farmers walk work and thick handled dumbbell deadlifts) and an evening one (2 hand pinching).

The days rest will mean that tomorrow I'm that little bit hungrier to get in and get it done. I'm hoping to see air under 185-kilos/407lbs for a few singles (the plan is 3-4). In my head I MUST be pulling multiple singles with 200-kilos before I travel out to the US. With my first NHS physio session next week (and hoping to get at least one more before I go) I'll have started rehab work on my crooked back.

I see that today the post I was not too happy about and on which even the site admin was involved over on the GB has been removed. As is the way there, nothing is said. It was, as I said at the time, a knock to the ONLY promotion any of the grip guys has sorted. Yeah that's right - a metaphorical shot in the foot to a chance to 'big up' what we claim to love. Maybe sense was seen.

Image from MT photo shoot

Daz Ball looking as vascular as always:

RX Bro's Vs. Pro's

From this weekend: they did a 'who can rep the most with 315?' event. Video I enjoyed it, maybe you will too.