105kg champion of champions competition report

[JP]

A report from the Champion of Champions comp held in Swindon yesterday.

The comp was a collection of beasts, top guys from UK were invited, some inevitably couldnt make it, and i got in via reservers based on my last yeasr performance (8th at UKs finals was only good enough for a reserve place!).

The events were pretty much a collection of my weakest events As in, i am not staticly as strong as the top guys, so i always knew it was going to be tough going.

MAKING WEIGHT

The competition had a day before weigh in. I needed it because after being in berlin for few days eating so much junk food it made supersize me dude look like a health freak, i tipped the scales at 112.9kg on thursday night. Stopped food and fluids 7pm on friday, and took a hot bath and normal water shedding techniques. I was still over 108 in the morning so the 2.5 hour drive down to swidon was pretty hellish with many layers of clothes on heater full blast.

Still didnt make the weight though and had to put on even more layers and hit the elliptical and treadmill - 40 minutes of that was more steady state cardio i have done in a year. But it did the trick.

THE COMP

Very well run comp in a good venue, Pro Strength and Fitness gym. The fellow competetors looked big and strong and i was feeling nervous about being out of my depth. In such a field of beasts it is hard to stay afloat, personally managed to reach most of my goals but that didnt give me many points.

I had a great battle throughout with mike and phil, with different strengths and weaknesses we were taking each other over all the time. This made the comp more interesting! The big beasts were out of reach anyway.

Event 1: Max log press - warm ups felt heavy and sluggish, but the minimum opener of 120kg flew up directly to straight hands without needing to press it. Next attempt of 130 felt solid, and had there been a possibility for 135 i would have had confidence with it. 140 was bridge too far, couldnt even clean it.

Event 2: 380kg yoke for 20m - went up first, and to be honest in retrospect feel like i copped out of it. My knee has been playing up lately and i was worried about hurting it more this close to moving contries and all it being such a crazy heavy weight. So i just took it safe, small steps and high pick up. Last place, and deserved it because of lack of proper attitude.

Event 3: 18 inch deadlift for max weight - went apeshit with the 320kg opener and got it for a pb 18 inch pull (which i wont count because the bar was so bendy), but the weight went up to 360 next, lol! Pulled it with all that i had, but as my intestines felt like creeping out of my mouth and no power, had to admit failure.

Event 4: block press - tricky as fuck and lack of practise showed, got the 90kg block but 100 was a no go, last place

Event 5: farmers walk 140kg per hand for 40m, drop and turn at 20 - Training has been up and down, mainly down.... but I had those rare moments of getting fired up, got the distance but in a really bad time due to few drops. Placed ok anyway, maybe mid table?

Event 6: atlas stones - The stones were to really high platform first one being above my head. I headbutted the first 110kg stone to the highest, two next ones (i believe 120 and 135) were ok, fourth one of 155 I lapped but had no chance of loading it.

8th in the end out of 11 (shouldnt count harri who had to pull out due to injury though), so in all, a good day out.

Will post some videos and pictures as i get them.

[xJimx]

Awesome

Mate you should be proud even to be competing & holding your own against such beasts. Some of the weights being thrown around at this comp wouldn't have looked out of place at WSM a few years back e.g. 170 log in a 105 contest is just crazy.

[JP]

aye mate,

not too long ago yoke was less than 380, and farmers were lighter than 140 for 40m in worlds...

stones were worlds level of old too.

what can you do eh

thanks tho man!

[Konstantin]

Like xJimx, I was thinking them weights are crazy heavy so amazing performance to hold your own with them. Well done and thanks for the report.

[JP]

thanks

couple pics from the day:

120kg log:



140kg farmers start:



almost mid way:



and almost finished, feeling like dying:



first stone, 110kg:



second 120kg:



third, 135kg, still really high platform!

[rattus]

Great effort.

Great pics.

Great results.

[Orkje]

Well done, JP! The weights you talk about are massive indeed!

[vegan hal]

FANTASTIC! great job Joni. look forward to some videos too.

[thestoatyone]

More importantly; the hair is looking awesome!

[Lordmuppet]

like a boss! Your placing was above what your goal was right?

[Goob]

Awesome! 8th place in that comp is beastly.

[knackers]

Nice work man!

Sounds like it was a very tough comp and field, good effort to knock a couple off.

LOL at the weight shedding, whats that almost 8 kg you dropped in less than 24 hours ? ..far out

I bet you ate like crazy after the weigh in ! A couple of burgers in the car on the way home

[kallefs]

Well done and nice write-up.

[JP]

deepest thanks

knackers, actually after the weigh in i was not hungry at all, more like a bit nauseous. The trick is to start slowly, fluids first, water, sport drinks, chocolate soya milk. Then small bits of this and that, i ate some crisps, candy, bananas and a fruit mix, after a while yoghurt and a builder bar.

Then i hunted down a chinese who said they have tofu, but they used eggs in the batter so i was stuck with vegetables (!) and rice. Nailed that and hunted down another chinese with tofu which was a result, and nailed that too.

Then more yoghurt, protein shake and some other bits and bobs, and i was pretty heavy already by the bed time

Not all that hard i guess, but just really uncomfortable without the help of sauna.

[JP]

Voice of Strongman (excellent grassroots strongman TV, well worth subscribing to!) filmed the event, and here is the first vid where you can see my 120 and 130 log (plus an appearance in the beginning with the 135 stone!):