This week's post is sponsored by a few fortuitous finds for fueling future feats. All alliterations aside, I was able to procure for myself a brand new power rack, a full-sized keg, and an elm log. I am especially excited for the log. As a project implement it requires quite a bit of work but it will be the perfect addition for overhead log presses. At the moment I have a 10 in. diameter steel log, but I have been looking forward to using one that is "full-sized" at a 12 in. diameter.
The 'how' of purchasing the 5+ feet of elm wood was quite honestly the best part. I was initially hoping to find an already felled tree in the neighborhood and ask the owner if I could take it off their hands. However, fallen trees aren't exactly a regular occurrence in the middle of the city. My next option was to buy 4x4 posts and build an octagonal log. But fabricating a log from finished lumbar just seems counter to the whole essence of lifting a big piece of wood overhead. So, I opted for making some phone calls.
I started by calling a local lumbar company only a mile from my house. They immediately redirected me after I explained I was looking for a raw log. Now, I knew Urban Lumber Co. (Urban Lumber Company | Kansas City locally harvested hardwood lumber store) existed prior to being directed to them, but I didn't realize just how amazing their business really is. First, their customer service was like a breath of fresh air. Tim and Tony were incredible to talk to about my procurement and were genuinely interested in the log's final resting place. I asked them if I could share this story to my blog and they both graciously supported it. Fellow strong-creatures, if you are in the Kansas City area and you need some locally harvested wood, Urban Lumber Company is the place to go. Seriously. Their prices are fair, their customer service is impeccable, and their showroom floor is impressive.
All this talk about creating my own implements brings me to the primary topic of this week's post. To train with specificity or to not. The argument that I have seen among 'strongman' communities is whether athletes should train competition specific implements as a build-up to meets, or to train for overall strength without regard for any apparatus specificity. Anecdotally, I believe the divergence is primarily due to experience and intent. However, I would argue that even experienced athletes should train for specificity to mitigate unnecessary strain and potential injury on competition days. Arguably, an experienced athlete will have trained on most, if not all implements at some point during their tenure within the sport. Furthermore, I imagine a large cohort of my peers train on as many, if not more 'strongman' specific implements as myself, therefore negating the need to incorporate implement specific training leading up to a competition. Regardless, I believe that if there is any question as to the completeness of your own muscle memory on an implement, apparatus specific training may be an intelligent option for incorporation in your programming.
Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Remember to train smart, train hard, and look to your own local communities for resources. Strength and honor, friends, Strength and honor.
