Upper body training

Close grip bench presses (paused):

2x10x60 kg
3x4x90 kg
2x110 kg
2x130 kg
2x2x140 kg

Behind the neck presses:

8x40 kg
8x50 kg
6x60 kg
10x70 kg
4x80 kg

Incline dumbbell presses (60 degrees):

8x30 kg
2x8x34 kg
8x36 kg
8x38 kg

EZ skullcrushers:

8x40 kg
8x50 kg
2x8x60 kg

Overhead dumbbell extensions:

2x8x14 kg

Neck raises:

16xBW
12xBW+5 kg
3x8xBW+10 kg

Events training

Trying to beat Gijs' records is an intimidating task no matter how ready you might think you are. I can anticipate the pain and bone-crushing sensation that accompany such a dreadful endeavor. The G-man is a machine with an unlimited reservoir of strength and endurance. Each time I succeed in edging his performances I find myself pasted on the ground like I've just been knocked out into next week, with my body in debilitating pain and genuinely glad that I'm still alive. You never really get used to this shock therapy. I know that in this sport of ours you're only as good as your last training session and every guy in the gym wants to erase you off the record board. That's why you gotta keep pushing yourself in all aspects of "enduring".

I surprised myself with my worst performance on the hercules hold today due to a messed up left biceps. I think I did the right thing by releasing early because it could have grave repercussions if you keep going. Even with this current time I beat everybody else in the gym but it's a farcry away from the 2 minute 10 seconds that I got one month ago. 

Log presses:

2x6x60 kg
6x80 kg
4x90 kg
2x100 kg
1x110 kg - easy
1x120 kg (fail)

Atlas stones:

4x90 kg on 132 cm
2x90 kg on 180 cm
2x110 kg on 132 cm
2x2x110 kg on 168 cm (fail)
2x120 kg on 132 cm
1x130 kg on 132 cm
3x1x150 kg on 132 cm (fail)
5x130 kg on 132 cm (3 out of 5)

Conan's wheel:

160 kg for 720 degrees
310 kg for 360 degrees
360 kg for 1485 degrees (4 laps) - PR (45 degrees more than Gijs) muhahaha

Tyre flips:

2x4x380 kg
8x380 kg
5x380 kg

Viking press:

10x50 kg
6x80 kg
4x100 kg
2x110 kg
1x120 kg
10x80 kg

Hercules hold:

105 kg for 1 minute 43 seconds

Hammer conditioning:

2x(25L+25R)

Hand over hand car pull:

5x10 meters

Upper body training

Incline dumbbell presses (30 degrees):

12x28 kg
12x32 kg
8x36 kg
2x8x44 kg

Incline dumbbell presses (15 degrees):

4x12x34

Incline dumbbell flyes (15 degrees):

12x20 kg
3x10x24 kg

Seated dumbbell lateral raises:

12x12 kg
3x12x16 kg

Front dumbbell raises:

12x14 kg
2x10x16 kg

Dumbbell shrugs:

12x36 kg
5x12x52 kg

Standing cable rows (paused):

12x68 kg
12x77 kg
2x12x86 kg

Triceps overhead extensions:

12x36 kg
12x50 kg
2x12x68 kg


Neck raises:

16xBW
3x12xBW+5 kg

Lower body training

When injured continue training at a high level but play it smart, work your way around the injury. The idea is to maximize intensity to get solid results while reducing the damage to the injured area. This is theory....in practice things get complicated. I tried all variants of squats from high-bar, low-bar, wider leg stance, narrower leg stance, half-squats (90 degrees), and only overhead squats seem to be working properly.

Full olympic squats (paused):

2x12x60 kg
12x80 kg
12x100 kg
5x6x120 kg

Overhead squats (paused):

6x30 kg
6x40 kg
6x50 kg
6x55 kg
6x60 kg
4x65 kg
2x70 kg

Front squats (paused):

4x8x60 kg

Leg extensions:

12x50 kg paused
10x70 kg paused
8x80 kg

Hyperextensions (paused):

2x12xBW
2x12xBW+10 kg
12xBW

Stiff-legged deadlifts (no bounce):

2x20x70 kg

Leg raises:

12xBW
8xBW+6 kg
8xBW+9 kg
2x8xBW+12 kg

Hanging leg raises:

2x20xBW

Calf raises:

16x120 kg
3x14x187.5 kg
3x14x120 kg

Upper body training

Wide grip chins:

4x8xBW

Seated medium grip cable rows:

12x77 kg
12x91 kg
2x12x114 kg


Dumbbell shrugs:

12x40 kg
12x44 kg
4x12x48 kg
8x48 kg + 8x40 kg + 8x36 kg drop set

One arm bent over dumbbell rows:

12x38 kg
12x44 kg
2x10x52 kg

Machine rows:

16x60 kg
4x12x90 kg

Straight arm pulldowns:

4x12x36 kg

Dumbbell biceps curls:

11x16 kg
9x20 kg
8x22 kg
2x8x24 kg

Dumbbell hammer curls:

12x14 kg
2x12x16 kg

Neck raises:

12xBW
12xBW+5 kg
12xBW+10 kg
2x8xBW+15 kg 

Events training

Sled pull:

1x150 kg for 30 meters
2x163 kg for 30 meters

Weight for height (weight and sack): 

4Lx4Rx20 kg for 4 meters
2Lx2Rx20 kg for 4.15 meters
1Lx1Rx20 kg for 4.30 meters
4x20 kg sack for 3.5 meters
2x20 kg sack for 4 meters (1 fail)
2x1x20 kg sack for 4.15 meters (1 fail)

Atlas stones:

4x90 kg on 132 cm
1x110 kg on 168 cm
2x1x110 kg on 180 cm (fail)
1x110 kg on 156 cm
1x120 kg on 132 cm
1x130 kg on 132 cm (fail)
1x150 kg on 132 cm (tried lapping it without any tacky but failed)
2x130 kg on 132 cm (failed second rep)

Log press:

4x60 kg
4x70 kg
4x80 kg
4x90 kg
2x100 kg
1x105 kg
1x110 kg (fail)

Sack carry:

2x1x100 kg for 50 meters
1x100 kg for 90 meters
1x100 kg for 60 meters

Sledgehammer:

4x25 hits

Standing cable crunches:

2x12x40 kg
2x12x45 kg

Upper body training

Once in a lifetime:

I went through my routine as usual, warming up with pull-ups and then proceeded to deadlifts. As I gradually increased the weight my back pain began to surface and after two sets with 160 kg I was already limping. At this point there were three options, at least that's how I saw it. You either stop deadlifting all together, you do the smart thing which is to drop the weight and work on technique or you punish yourself. I chose the latter. I discarded two 10 kg plates and went back to 140 for what I planned to be 10 to 12 reps. It didn't happen like that. After squeezing 8 reps I told myself, just do 2,3 more. I remember reaching 20 and going absolutely insane. In that moment I was transported from a civilian gym on an ancient battlefield. I kept going, 22, 24, 27, 29. At 30 reps I puked in a nearby trash can. By this time I was wobbly on my feet, my vision was blurred, I was sweating profusely and my heart felt like it was about to explode any second. A few more reps, that's all I need, I thought to myself. Every rep after the 30 rep mark was grueling. At 40 reps I could taste blood in my mouth and it was clogging up my nose. Fuck, I knew it, I was about to faint soon. Get 50 reps in and then you can die, quick! For the first time in my life I had to hitch the last reps. When I made the last rep I felt so relieved that I didn't faint. It took me 10 minutes just to be able to walk properly. I drank about 1 litre of water and sat in my own pain. Every fucking rep was done properly, no bounce, no sumo and no fucking belt. As I sit and write this I have problems concentrating, horrible headaches, I hear things in slow motion, pain in my right ear, heartbeat through the roof, very dizzy. I feel like puking all the time. Gijs might be the alpha lion but I'm the hungry young lion who wants to take his place. I might not be as strong as he is but I'll bleed myself dry to outlast him in painful events. There's a line you cross from which you cannot return. After 9 years of lifting weights today I went there, I crossed the line. The closest I've been to death. It is a feeling of acknowledging your own mortality whereas before I was oblivious to it. Your body starts shutting down, limb by limb, brain cell by brain cell. It is a frightening process of total disintegration. I hope I will be alive in the morning for another chance to defy death, another chance to fight.  

Wide grip pull-ups:

4x8xBW

Deadlifts:

3x12x70 kg
8x100 kg
8x120 kg
8x140 kg
2x4x160 kg (back pain)
50x140 kg


Dumbbell shrugs:


12x38 kg
12x40 kg
4x10x52 kg

Close grip pull-downs:

12x68 kg
12x82 kg
12x91 kg
10x100 kg
8x100 kg

Face pulls:

12x36 kg
12x55 kg
2x20x59 kg

Incline bench presses:

12x60 kg
8x80 kg
8x100 kg
7x110 kg
8x100 kg
4x100 kg (with pause)

Prone ab bridges:

1x4 minutes
2x1x2 minutes

Hanging leg raises:

3x8xBW

Lower body training (RPB)

There's nothing like a blood and guts training session to remind you of what it's like to be alive. When you think that you can't possibly do another rep and all you want is to finish the damn exercise that's when your training partners demand a few more. Why? To make sure you're not losing the edge, you know what I mean, that dark, deep, insane feeling of immortality. I believe we train because we want to live forever and if you slide towards mediocrity you're a lost cause. Life with its mundane tasks can really bury you in a state of lethargy and apathy but we'll always have RPB, no matter the circumstances. Raw Power Baarn is forever embedded in my brain as the battlefield of modern warriors. Civilians will never understand what it's like to be a part of something bigger than society's limited view on human interaction. You can hide your true self at work, in a bar or at a party but when you're stripped down of any superficial emotions and you gotta dig deep to unleash those forbidden feelings that's when you find out what kind of blood runs through your veins. RPB is the Purgatory only we're not waiting to be accepted in Heaven, we're marching to Hell on the sound and gory images of clinging plates, horrible screams, puke, blood, sweat and dirt. RPB fills your lungs with a unique feeling of belonging...to the Brotherhood of Pain. All the money and ephemeral things on Earth won't buy you a place here.  


Full olympic squats:


2x8x70 kg
8x100 kg
6x120 kg
4x130 kg
4x140 kg
2x150 kg

Leg presses:

16x130 kg
10x230 kg
5x300 kg
16x280 kg

Overhead squats:

5x6x40 kg
4x4x45 kg
5x4x50 kg
3x1x55 kg (some fails)
10x4x40 kg
4x6x40 kg

Upper & lower body training

Front cable pull-downs:

12x68 kg
12x82 kg
10x91 kg
2x8x100 kg

Behind the neck cable pull-downs:

12x68 kg
12x77 kg
8x86 kg
2x8x96 kg

One arm bent over dumbbell rows:

12x34 kg
12x40 kg
12x44 kg
2x12x52 kg

Dumbbell shrugs:

12x40 kg
12x44 kg
4x12x52 kg

Deadlifts:

12x50 kg
12x70 kg
8x90 kg
5x100 kg
5x110 kg
5x130 kg
5x140 kg
5x150 kg
5x160 kg
1x165 kg with belt 

Calf raises:

16x120 kg
16x150 kg
4x12x187.5 kg

Leg press calf raises:

20x50 kg
16x100 kg
16x140 kg
16x200 kg
2x12x270 kg

Lower body training (RPB)

Get busy lifting or get busy dying is my take on the famous Shawshank Redemption line. People waste their lives trapped in a false reality, blindly following the current trends so arrogantly presented in local tabloids. Wake up and realize that you're been conned...big time. There is nothing more liberating than living for something that you "feel" is the right thing. Like the guys at RPB. You can see that they belong there, it's the closest thing to home they will ever know. Week after week, month after month, in search of punishment and abuse, smiling from ear to ear because every training session that goes by fuels that inner desire and solidifies the overall structure. This shit is for life, once you're in that's it, say goodbye to a normal life, welcome to the asylum.      

Today Gijs was the better man and beat me at the ab bridges. There are no excuses for losing, he was able to soak up more punishment over a longer period of time, it's that simple. Tough, proper tough, the kind of toughness that intimidates even the toughest guys.

Full olympic squats (paused):

2x12x50 kg
4x8x100 kg

Leg presses:

12x100 kg
12x150 kg
8x200 kg
8x250 kg
12x270 kg
50x200 kg

Yoke pick-ups:

20x50 kg
4x16x100 kg
12x120 kg

Farmer deadlifts:

2x12x50 kg
12x60 kg
11x70 kg
10x70 kg

Plate walks:

2x25 kg plates for 40 meters

Bridges:

a couple of minutes

Upper body training

Incline dumbbell presses (30 degrees):

12x28 kg
8x32 kg
8x36 kg
8x40 kg
6x44 kg
7x44 kg

Incline smith machine presses (30 degrees):

12x60 kg
12x80 kg
8x100 kg
8x110 kg
2x6x120 kg

Incline dumbbell presses (60 degrees):

12x24 kg
8x30 kg
2x8x34 kg

Incline dumbbell flyes (30 degrees):

12x16 kg
12x18 kg
10x20 kg
10x24 kg
2x10x28 kg

Seated dumbbell lateral raises:

12x14 kg
12x18 kg
2x12x20 kg

Plate front raises & dumbbell shrugs:

12x15 kg & 12x34 kg
12x20 kg & 12x40 kg
3x(12x25 kg & 12x48 kg)

One arm cable lateral raises:

12x18 kg
8x23 kg
2x8x27 kg

Triceps rope pushdowns:

12x68 kg
12x77 kg
12x86 kg
12x96 kg
3x10x100 kg
2x8x86 kg

Machine triceps presses:

12x70 kg
10x70 kg
8x70 kg
10x70 kg

Upper body training

Barbell bent over rows:

20x50 kg
16x70 kg
12x90 kg
12x100 kg
10x110 kg
8x120 kg

Barbell shrugs:

12x50 kg
12x70 kg
12x90 kg
2x12x100 kg
2x20x70 kg

Straight arms pulldowns:

12x35 kg
12x40 kg
3x12x45 kg
10x45 kg

Front cable pull-downs:

12x68 kg
12x77 kg
12x82 kg
2x12x96 kg

Machine rows:

8x30 kg
12x50 kg
12x70 kg
3x12x80 kg

Face pulls:

12x40 kg
12x50 kg
12x60 kg
4x12x69 kg

Dumbbell shrugs:

30x20 kg
16x30 kg
12x34 kg
2x12x40 kg

Dumbbell hammer curls:

20x14 kg
16x16 kg
12x18 kg
10x20 kg

Neck raises:

3x16xBW

Events training

I would like to say that the highlight of the day was my 120 kg stone on the 168 cm platform but I would be lying. It was when after 25 hammer hits I switched to berserk mode and kept going for 15?? more even as that weak voice in my head was begging me to stop. Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing this to overcome my limitations or I'm just punishing myself.

Log press:

2x6x50 kg
2x4x70 kg
2x4x80 kg
2x90 kg
1x100 kg
2x3x80 kg

Weight for height:

3x2x20 kg for 3.5 meters
2x2x25 kg for 3.5 meters
5x2x25 kg for 3.75 meters (failed)
6x2x20 kg for 3.75 meters

Atlas stones:

2x90 kg on 132 cm
2x90 kg on 144 cm
2x90 kg on 156 cm
2x90 kg on 168 cm
2x110 kg on 132 cm
1x110 kg on 168 cm
1x110 kg on 180 cm (second time I make this height)
1x110 kg on 180 cm (failed with the slippery stone)
1x110 kg on 168 cm (easy)
2x110 kg on 180 cm (failed both)
2x110 kg on 168 cm (failed the second rep)
1x120 kg on 168 cm (PR)
1x110 kg on 180 cm (failed)

Bench press (with stop):

8x60 kg
6x80 kg
6x100 kg
2x120 kg
1x140 kg
4x110 kg

Glute ham raises:

4x8xBW
2x8xBW + small bands

Overhead yoke walk:

70 kg for 30 meters
80 kg for 30 meters
2x70 kg for 30 meters

Hammer hits:


2x25 per arm
25 for left and 40 for right

Upper body training

Pull-ups:

6x8xBW

Nautilus machine shrugs:

20x40 kg
16x80 kg
12x110 kg
4x12x130 kg

One-arm machine seated rows:

12x30 kg
12x50 kg
12x60 kg

Machine seated rows:

3x12x80 kg

Behind the neck pull-downs:

12x68 kg
10x82 kg
4x8x91 kg

Machine shrugs:

12x70 kg
12x90 kg
4x12x110 kg

Close grip chins:

3x8xBW

Neck raises:

12xBW
12xBW+5 kg
12xBW+10 kg
4x8xBW+15

Reversed hanging raises:

12xBW
10xBW
2x8xBW

Laying leg raises:

4x8xBW

Lower body training (RPB)

Solid training session in Valhalla. Always a pleasure to train with determined and insane individuals. It's the people who beat themselves into a pulp day in and day out, willing to sacrifice everything that resembles a normal life that will have a long-lasting influence on your life. The men who pour their hearts out, who carry dozens of injuries and who keep showing up for the daily grind. A few years back I worked with two other guys over 36 hours non-stop, hard labour. I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for those tough guys and the bond created between us will forever be present and cannot be altered. You can't buy that shit and you can't fake it. It's in the wee hours of the night, drenched in sweat, exhausted, dehydrated, all but ready to quit when you realize how beautiful life truly is. Real respect is born out of struggle and pain. I wish these days will last forever because it doesn't get any better. The people that I train with have an aura of invincibility, a heightened sense of urgency and will lay it all on the line for that immortal feeling that only a selected few can experience. I am grateful for the opportunity and I hope I can give back as much as I have learned from them. Fight hard and long because we will live forever even if only in the mind of others.   

Full olympic squats:

2x8x75 kg
2x8x105 kg
8x125 kg
6x145 kg nasty pain in my lower back
6x125 kg

Leg presses:

12x50 kg
12x100 kg
12x150 kg
12x200 kg
8x250 kg
8x270 kg
9x290 kg

Safety bar box squats:

12x75 kg
3x20x75 kg

Safety bar good mornings:

12x55 kg
12x65 kg
12x75 kg
12x85 kg
12x95 kg

Viking press calf raises:

20x100 kg
18x150 kg
16x150 kg

Upper body training

Military presses:

12x40 kg
12x50 kg
10x60 kg
8x70 kg
12x60 kg

Machine incline bench presses:

12x50 kg
12x70 kg
10x80 kg
2x6x90 kg
2x12x65 kg

Smith machine close grip bench presses:

12x60 kg
12x100 kg
8x110 kg
8x120 kg
8x130 kg
8x140 kg
7x140 kg

Close grip dumbbell presses:

8x26 kg
8x30 kg
2x7x34 kg

One arm dumbbell front raises:

8x14 kg
8x16 kg
8x18 kg
8x20 kg
12x22 kg

drop set
8x22 kg
8x20 kg
8x16 kg

Seated dumbbell side lateral raises:

12x12 kg
12x14 kg
12x16 kg
12x18 kg
2x12x20 kg

EZ skullcrushers:

12x25 kg
4x8x35 kg

Overhead dumbbell extensions:

12x10 kg
10x12 kg
2x8x14 kg

Nautilus machine shrugs:

12x80 kg
12x120 kg
12x140 kg
4x12x120 kg

Overhead rope pulls/ Triceps rope pushdowns:

12x51 kg
12x59 kg
12x68 kg
12x77 kg

Dumbbell biceps curls:

12x12 kg
12x14 kg
12x16 kg

Dumbbell holds:

2x7kg dumbbells for 2 minutes
5 kg dumbbells for 3 minutes

Upper body training

Fucking annoying injuries.

Front cable pulldowns:

12x68 kg
12x77 kg
12x86 kg
12x96 kg
2x8x105 kg

Deadlifts:

12x70 kg
8x110 kg
6x130 kg
3x150 kg nasty back pain
2x150 kg more nasty pain

One arm dumbbell rows:

12x34 kg
12x38 kg
12x40 kg
12x44 kg
2x12x48 kg

Dumbbell shrugs:

12x36 kg
12x40 kg
3x12x44 kg

Cable seated rows:

12x59 kg
12x77 kg
12x82 kg
10x96 kg
2x8x105 kg


Face pulls:


12x41 kg
12x59 kg
12x65 kg
2x12x77 kg

Straight arms rope pushdowns:

12x41 kg
12x68 kg
3x12x77 kg

Cable behind the neck pulldowns:

2x12x77 kg
2x8x77 kg

Standing cable crunches:

12x71 kg
12x86 kg
12x96 kg
12x105 kg
12x109 kg
4x8x119 kg

Events training

Box jumps:

5x80 cm
5x90 cm
5x100 cm
5x110 cm
4x3x120 cm

Deadlifts:

2x12x70 kg
2x8x110 kg
8x140 kg
6x160 kg nasty back pain
3x160 kg same story

Deficit deadlifts:

3x6x140 kg

Weight for height:

3x2x20 kg on 3.5 meters
3x2x25 kg on 4 meters
2x2x20 kg on 4.5 meters

Atlas stones:

3x90 kg on 132 cm
2x110 kg on 132 cm
2x110 kg on 144 cm
1x110 kg on 156 cm
1x110 kg on 168 cm (fail)
1x110 kg on 168 cm
5x1x110 kg on 180 (fail)

Behind the neck push presses:

5x50 kg
4x70 kg
2x90 kg
1x100 kg
2x90 kg

Glute ham raises:

5x8xBW