Training Log: Stan Dickey

I have been involved in powerlifting for about 6 years now. I lift unequiped. No suits, recently no belt, more recently with knee wraps. My max lifts have been 585 dead, 425 bench, 505 squat in the gym. My maxes in competition have been 565 dead, 413 bench, and 315 squat (never applied myself to squat-more of a push pull type).

In 2007 I attended a small local highland games in Camp Verde, and I decided that I wanted to try it. In 2008, thanks to a failed business (real estate industry-land surveyor), I landed a wonderful 9 to 5 (5am to 3pm really), and I had to let strength training take a backseat for a year (best move of my life). After a year at the new job, I had some extra time, so I signed up for the 2010 Phoenix Games C class. The game was rained out. I decided to wait another year.

Towards the fall of 2010 I went to the local lumber mill and bought 2 19 foot pine logs, and I began practicing picking the caber in my yard. In the winter of 2010 I got a notification from Ryan Seckman that Andrew Hobson was holding a clinic. I signed up. The clinic was very helpful, and after two weekends of throwing the weights, stones, and especially the hammers and cabers, I was hooked.

I signed up for the 2011 Phoenix Games, and competed in the C class. My first best throws were Braemar: 25'2", OS: 27'5", HWFD: 18' 4", LWFD: 40'6", HH:60'10", LH: 78'2", WOB:11', Caber 12:00. If I hadn't been hooked before, I definitely was after this games.

I won't go through all of my scores, but I competed in Prescott, AZ and Vista, CA both in C class, but in May I turned 40 allowing me to compete in the Masters Class in Flagstaff. I enjoyed Flagstaff more than the previous games. The masters are fun! I am always impressed and inspired by the commitment made by the older guys to push through the pain and continue this type of training. This applies to powerlifting too.

I tore my adductor in Flagstaff, and I have this board to thank for the majority of help I got in dealing with that issue. I continued to train adding plyometrics, sprinting, tennis, cleans, snatches and jump squats to my routine. In August I began throwing 3-4 days per week single events per day. I continued this until late October taking two weeks off before the Tucson Games.

I saw some significant improvements in Tucson Masters 40-45, and I thoroughly enjoyed this competition. I competed in Masters again, and I have Abbot and Kubota to thank for some helpful pointers/examples of proper technique.

I decided to start a split morning/evening routine 3 days a week in late November and all of December. By Christmas I was seriously overreaching, and verging on overtraining. I couldn't sleep, and my coworkers thought I was juicing because of my rage. I took two weeks off during Christmas, and quickly found myself back in a state of overreaching in late January. Severe bicep tendinitis, insomnia etc. Finally,in late February I figured out that my diet was my problem. I wasn't consuming enough carbohydrates (low carb diet).

Unfortunately, I find I now have to count calories in order to keep my weight down. I went from 255 in Tucson to 280 at the Phoenix Games this year.

I saw more improvement at the Phoenix Games B class: Braemar: 30'2", OS: 35'6", HWFD:26'1", LWFD:55', HH: 72'6", LH: 90'9", WOB: 11' (need more practice)' Caber 12:00(3x). I finally got a first placing. Andy Wooster and Lance Creed were great to compete with. My brother competed with me at this games, and we had a great time.

Six days later I competed in Hawaii where I took third place in the men's open. This was the most picturesque competition I have been to, and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. Here is a video:

Hawaii Highland Games

I am currently training for the NASA Western States Nationals Powerlifting meet, and the Prescott HG. I'll be lifting in the masters 275 division, unequipped powerlifting. Openers bench: 395#, squat: 505#, dead: 565#. I will compete in the Masters in Prescott this year.

I am sorry for the long treatise, but until recently I had no way of consistently logging onto the computer except at work. And I won't do that.

I will be consistent with my log in the future. Here is a video of my OS and LWFD training from last weekend. They suck! I need a lot more practice in both of these events.

Practice 4-14-12

Great seeing you on here! Lot's of fun in Phoenix this year and I must say that you were killing it that day! Really impressive throws across all the events.

Hope to see you in Prescott in a few weeks, it looks like we will have a decent class there. I will be watching this log to make sure I don't get too far behind!

4/18/12

Benchpress

135x5
225x5
315x3
355x2
375x1
395x1 (easy) Shoulders rolled a bit. Will open with 365 at the meet.

Deadlift

135x5
225x5
315x3
405x2
455x2
495x1
565x1
605x1(easy) Will open with 545 at the meet.

Cut my calories since Monday to 2350. Trying to drop 5 lbs before meet. I plan to drop another 15 before Vista Games. Currently 275#. I will increase carbs and calories Friday/Saturday for throwing practice to 4500 calories per day.

Overall feeling awesome and 605# was a raw (no belt no wraps) PR for me of 20#.

Practice 4/22/12

Correction 1 more practice before NASA meet.

WOB

1x 11'

1x12'

Probably could have gone higher. Conserving energy.

45# WFD

3 Standing-Best 21'

3 Singles - Best 33'

1 Full - Best 34+

Last throw-full felt smooth. Could have put more speed on it.

HH

3 Full - Best 72' 6"

I need more speed.

Caber - 1Pick and Pull

Next Throws Practice 5/7/12

Video from today:

Practice 4/22/12

Edited by Stanley - 6/12/12 at 8:23pm

I threw Monday 4/30/12 no problem, and I had about 12 MSA throws with the 16# all of them hitting around 37' which is pretty consistent for me.

Wednesday 5/2/12 I took about 8 warmup standing throws and 3 MSA throws MSA's hitting around 37' again.  Then I decided to take a few more standing throws.  My first standing after hitting the MSA's was 39'.  Then I hit two more at 40' trying to get taller and snapping off the start more.

I had a friend come and try his hand at the stone, and on my last throw I drew back to snap, and we both heard an audible POP. I had a pain at the right back side of my right knee. Then the pain transferred to the belly of my hamstring.

I have torn muscles before, and this seems minor. I have a PL competition on Saturday.

This morning I had a very small bruise on the back of my knee. My leg is a little stiff with no visible limp.

I would like to know what others think about me competing in the PL competition so soon.  Is there an extreme risk of further tearing the muscle, or should I just let pain be my guide. 

I did some light RDL's after the tear last night, and they weren't too painful.  But I could definetly tell there was an injury. I immeadiately iced the injury off and on for an hour last night. I plan to continue icing periodically today and tomorrow, and do some light RDL's, stretching and maybe some slow throwing this afternoon and tomorrow just to go through the range of motion.

Jake,

Thanks for the invite.  I am lifting in the NASA meet on Saturday, but I would really like to attend one of your practices when I am in Phoenix for the weekend.  It looks like the next time will be around June 2nd.  However, I have an afternoon meeting that day, so I would have to try and work it in early in the morning.

Jake,

I'll remeber.  I just checked my calendar, and my meeting is set for 10am on June 2nd.  Is practicing at 7am too early?  It is going to be June and "nasty hot" I am certain. I set myself a reminder.

Thanks.

6am-9am is perfect. That will be even cooler (temperature wise). I have set a reminder 4 days out.  I'll see you at Prescott. 

 

Will do.  No, I am not ready to be crushed yet.  I thought I would try to learn a little more from my elders, so I will be competing in the Masters at Prescott. 

Tempe during the Week (Van Buren and 202), Camp Verde on the weekends.  I am a product of the Great Recession.

In Camp Verde, I have a 25# WFD (VS Sports), a 45# WFD (VS Sports), a 55+# WOB (German Engineering), both hammers fashioned from weights, and a 90# x 16' caber that I boght from the local sawmill.  I have a variety of stones and a 16# shot that I like to practice with because I am certain of the weight.

Edited by Stanley - 6/12/12 at 8:20pm

5-3-12 and 5-4-12

Spent evenings in pool doing water resistance leg curls and icing my knee/hamstring. Attempted an ice bath with 1 bag of ice, and was later told that 1 bag is not enough. Compressed leg with bandage wrap Thursday and Friday night.

I didn't have much bruising Thursday or Friday, but 5-5-12 I woke up with large bruise on bottom of hamstring and top of calf.

5-5-12

I entered the NASA Western States Nationals in the 275# weight class Masters 1 Unequiped Bench Only. This is the first time I have had to sit half a day and watch everyone else lift. It sucked!

At about 2pm I finally got a chance to lift. I had decided to start at 385# because I could pause that weight at least 3 seconds and still complete it. I hadn't really tested myself above 395#, but I felt pretty confident that I was over 410#.

I got my first attempt easy as expected:

First Attempt

I got my Second Attempt at 407.75:

Second Attempt

My Third Attempt at 413.25 didn't go as well. It stalled about 3 inches from takeoff, and I shook my head to signal the spotters:

Third Attempt

I really wanted to get 420 + which would have been a PR, but I guess I will have to wait until later this year.

5-6-12

16# Stone

Warm up with toes at toe board x 3 best of 33'

Warm up with right foot one foot back of toe board x 3 best of 37'

Standing throws x 6 increasing intensity last 2 at 40'

Felt slight twinge in hamstring on last throw immediately iced. Spent an hour in the pool doing water resistance leg curls. Ended the day with massage and ice bath with 4 bags of ice.

I was wrong ice baths = suck!

5-9-12

Deadlift

135x5
245x5
315x4
385x3

Complex deadlift 455x2 1.5 min rest then power snatch 135x4 2 min rest repeat 3x

Hamstring held up and feels much better. Bruising almost completely gone.

16# OS
A x 3 best of 31'
B x 3 best of 35'
Standing throws x 5 best of 38'

Stretching hamstrings, quads, adductors and hip flexors 1/2 hour.

Ice bath 10 min on legs then 3 minutes on forearms and biceps.

Prescott HG 5-12-12 Masters

HWFD - 38'+ 2nd
LWFD - 53' 2nd
HH - 76'+ 1st
LH - 90'+ 2nd
Braemar - 30'+ 1st
OS - 37'+ 2nd
WOB - 15' 2nd
Caber - Wallace 12:00, MacBeth 11:30, William 70 deg? 3rd or 4th
Overall - 3rd

I started the day with a HWFD single at 32' on a severely lumpy down sloped trig. The throw felt good, so on my next throw I went for a full hitting 38'3"(I think) a 1'3" PR and CR for me. My last throw was around 36'.

We switched trigs for LWFD this one was less lumpy but just a sloped. I took a single on my first and pulled out a 53'. I tried fulls but the down slope was messing with my timing, and I couldn't break 50' on my next two throws.

Heavy Hammer started out with a foul on another down sloped trig. I hit the ground on my last wind, but I came back and hit a CR of 3.5' @ 76'+. My last throw was 74', and I was hoping to carry momentum over to Light Hammer.

My timing was off on Light Hammer, and the best I could do was 90+. I seem to be able to get longer with a heavier weight. I need to work on light hammer more. I will start using blades when I hit 80' with the heavy.

1 hour break for lunch a liquid refreshment.

24# Braemar stone was on par with Phoenix earning me a first place. All three throws were within an inch of each other @30'+.

Open Stone was consistent again with 3 throws @ 37'+. A spin throw bought me an inch over my standing throw. I need to work the spin more. This was on par with Hawaii, but a CR by a couple of inches.

My day went to hell at WOB. I had decided to come in at 12', but I let myself get talked into 11'. 11 was no problem, but I missed my first at 12' got my second, missed two @ 13' and got my third, missed 2 at 14' and got my third, missed 2 at 15' and got my third, and missed all 3 at 16' although I think I had the height. It must have been frustrating to watch. My back was shot after WOB. I had muscle spasms in my erectors and both hamstrings, so I wasn't looking forward to Caber.

Caber started with Wallace(I think-I get William and Wallace confused) which I turned easily, but it took me three attempts to turn MacBeth (a caber that I normally turn on the first try). I was gassed after those three attempts and both hamstrings were knotted up good. I took one pull on William and decided to call it a day (before i reinjured my hamstring or tore another one). I haven't turned William yet, but I know I can. I just need to get to it with some gas in the tank.

As usual throwing with the Masters was a blast.

I will be working on speed and stamina until San Diego.

Here is some video from the games. Beautiful setting and beautiful day:

Prescott HG

5-16-12

Back Squats

155x5
245x4
335x3
405x2 reps x 3 sets super set with jump squats @ 90#(2-45#db)x5 reps

Jobes x 4 @ 5#x2db

Open Stone w/ 16# Shot

Ax3 best 33'
Bx3 best 37'
Wheels x 4 best 32'
MSA x 6 best 40+ WHOO PR!

I forgot my tape, but my pacing is accurate +/- 1' and I paced 41' on my best and 40+ on 3 other throws. This is awesome! The throws felt powerful, and I noticed a substantial kick with my right leg which I haven't noticed before.

Stretching See 5-14-12.

Hamstring was pretty knotted where I tore it two weeks ago. I massaged it out after the workout, and ice bath for 12 min. Still getting some tendinitis in my forearms/elbows and some plantar fasciitis the morning after throwing. PF goes away after about 10 minutes of stretching. Will do some more stretching exercises for the PF. I am thinking about getting one of those boots that stretches this tendon.

5-23-12

Jobes

Hang Clean

135 x 3
135 x 3
135 x 3
145 x 3
165 x 2
185 x 2
195 x 1 hamstring let me know that was enough for today. First time I have done these, and whoever said these don't wreck your back is FOS!

16# Shot

Feet at toe board x 3 (a) best 32'
Right foot 1' back x 3 best 35'
Standing throw x 10 best 39+

Experimented today with turning right ankle more perpendicular to trig. I got distance easier, but I seem to have lost some of the left leg block. I realize this is what I was doing when I tore my hammy. But this is how I will get more distance. On my second to last throw my hamstring reminded me again that maybe I should take it easy, but I know I am on to the cause of my lack of improvement. I expect to see some big gains over the next few weeks, if I can get this hamstring healed up.

Ice bath lower 10 min (Fade to Black Live and Mr Saturday Night Special) upper 3+ min (I've got Big Balls). Not anymore.

Back felt like hell trying to clean up at home. Not sure if it was the hangs or the throws or both?