Monday, August 22, 2011

The Legendary Dinnie Stones






In the world of strength sports there "new" school athletes and "old" school athletes. Some compete raw and some use the latest equipment. Some compete naturally, some use supplements to get that extra edge. One thing that transcends everything is a man and his will to push his body farther than before. For centuries man has been on a quest to become bigger and stronger. Many have have become great, few have become legends. In 1860 Donald Dinnie became a legend.

In Scotland,in 1860 Donald Dinnie carried 2 unequal stones weighing 785lbs combined across an old granite bridge that spanned about 6 yards. Then he brought them back and the legend was born.

Dinnie wrote of his feat in 1912, this is a passage from his writings.

"On the granite stone bridge that crosses the River Dee at Potarch there were, and still are, two large stones weighing about 8cwt the pair, placed in a recess. In the early 1830's massive iron rings were placed in them, to which ropes were fixed so that scaffolds could be attached for pointing the bridge. Now, one of these stones was somewhat heavier than the other. Very few strong men of that day could lift the heavy one with both hands, but my father could raise one in each hand with apparent ease, and could throw the heavier stone of the two on to the top of a parapet wall of the bridge.
Those stones are still on the bridge and I myself lifted one in each hand on many occasions and one market day, I carried them across the bridge and back, some four to five yards."

For centuries strongmen from across the globe have made the pilgrimage to Scotland to attempt to match his feat. Many have attempted but few have even lifted the ackward weight. If you would like to take a crack at the stones, they are now located outside the 18th-century Potarch Hotel, on the south bank of the river by the Potarch Bridge in Scotland. Lift the stones and become a legend!

Sunday, August 14, 2011

American Armsport Association





My interest in Strength Sports started at an early age. I started training in middle school with the purpose of improving my abilities on the football field. It wasn't until several years after I stopped playing football that I started to participate in competitive strength sports. My first entry in to strength sports was when I walked in to Bushwhackers Country Bar in Ralston Nebraska the night of an armature armwrestling tournament. I took second place that night with more that a dozen guys in my weight class. More importantly I met Mary McConnaughey, who became a life long friend and was the person who taught me how to armwrestle. For the next 10 years I competed in the American Armsport Association contest in Nebraska and Iowa.

AAA or the American Armsport Association is 1 of the 2 major armwrestling sanctioning bodies in the United States. It was originally called the American Armwrestling Association, but later changed under the advice of the IOC. AAA is the United States affiliate for the WAF or the World Armwrestling Federation. AAA was founded over 40 years ago by Bob O'Leary. Today Frank and Karen Bean serve as the associations Executive Directors. AAA governs the rules and regulations for the sport in the United States and is the largest promoting force for the sport in the USA.


I have not armwrestled since 2003 but maybe in 2012 I will have a one night only comeback!




American Armsport Association
http://www.armsport.com/w.armsport.com/

Email - armsport@usit.net
(423)272-6162

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Looking Back To Get Started




9 years ago, I was asked to write an article for the Dragons Door monthly newsletter about strongman training. Dragon Door was one my sponsors for the Heartland Strongman Challenge. I thought a reprint of this article would be the perfect way to kick off my blog!




Strongman Training: Look Outside the Box



August 1, 2002 08:38 AM

Since becoming the first NASS (North American Strongman Society) State Chairman for Nebraska and Iowa, I have had many people contact me, asking how to get started in strongman. The first thing that they want to know is how to train for a Strongman contest? Now unlike Powerlifting or Olympic lifting, Strongman does not have set events. The events are up to the individual promoters. Now there are some events you will see often, like the tire flip, truck pull, and atlas stones, but you may find contest with events created by that promoter. So strongman competitors can't be one-dimensional. You have to train outside the box. Training more than just the traditional barbell movements is vital.

Now I am fairly new to the sport of strongmen, and I do not claim to be an expert, but I have been fortunate enough to draw from the experiences of veteran competitors. What I have concluded after compiling this data is, strongman training is not an exact science. What I have learned is that you cannot have a narrow focus when training. Powerlifting movements (squat, bench, and deadlift), and Olympic lifts (clean & jerks and snatch) are great base exercises, but there is so much more that is needed. Many people don't realize the cardiovascular conditioning it takes to compete in strongman. I can tell you walking for 10 minutes on the treadmill does not compare to pulling a semi truck 60 feet. I like to refer to cardio training for strongman as 'power-cardio'! Carrying or loading heavy object, pulling or pushing trucks, will build muscle and build the cardiovascular conditioning needed to compete in strongman.

Another thing to remember when training to become a Strongman, is the importance of functional strength. Many of the events require the lifting or carrying of heavy, odd shaped objects. This requires power, stability, and explosiveness through out the whole body.

This year at the Arnold Classic Expo I was introduced to kettlebell training. I was truly convinced this was something I needed to incorporate into my work out. Kettlebells build functional strength! They allow a variety of movements, as well as many options for isometric training. Unlike many exercise implements, Kettlebells come in a wide range of sizes, including an 88lb Kettlebell. Not only did I find Kettlebells to be a useful training tool for strongman, but also a great training tool for Powerlifting, Armwrestling, and Highland Games.




Sample Strongman Workout

Day 1
Deadlift from ground: 3 sets of 5 reps.
Deadlift partials (bar set 18" from ground): 2 sets of 5 reps, 2 sets of 2 reps
Stiff legged deadlifts: 3 set of 10 reps.
Leg Curls: 3 sets of 10 reps
Bent over rows: 3 sets of 10 reps. (straight bar for 2 hand) (kettlebells or dumbells for 1 handed)
Shoulder Shrugs: 3 set of 10 reps, 2 sets of 5 reps.
15 minutes of various ab crunches
Stretch

Day 2
Bench Press: 5 sets of 5 reps
Triceps extension: 5 sets of 10 reps (kettlebells can be used for seated of lying extensions)
Biceps curl (straight bar) 4 sets of 10 reps
Dips (weighted if you can) 6 sets of 10 reps
Power Cardio: Suggestions ?farmer's walk with dumbbells, Carry 100lb plates, carry and load sand bags
Stretch

Day 3
Off

Day 4
Squat or Leg Sled: 3 set of 10 reps, 4 sets of 5 reps
Leg Curl: 4 sets of 10 reps
Calf Raises: 5 sets of 20 reps
Power Cardio: Suggestions -carry and load sand bags, push or pull vehicles, stadium stairs carrying weight
Stretch

Day 5
Military Press: 3 set of 10 reps, 2 sets of 5 reps
Kettlebell Isometric Shoulder Exercises: front raise and hold, side raise and hold. These are great for training for the Crucifix Hold in Strongman
Power Cleans: 3 set of 10 reps, 2 sets of 5 reps
Full Pull with Kettlebell or One Armed Snatch with Dumbell: 3 sets of 10
15 minutes of ab work with a medicine ball
Stretch

Day 6
Build Endurance!
Big Power Cardio Day
Work with Strongman Implements you have or just find some heavy items and lay out a carrying medley

Wind Sprints at 80 percent effort
5 ? 100 yards 5 ? 50 yards (then add as you need)
This is great for building endurance and wind!
Stretch

Day 7
Off
Suggestion: Get a massage on this day












If you would like to get involved in strongman competitions, the NASS (North American Strongman Society) website is http://www.nastrongman.com/. If you would like more information on Kettlebells go to http://www.dragondoor.com/.