New to Highland Games at 53 years old

[samurai69]

Hi, I have been training all my life for 1 sport or another, for the last 5 years i have competed as a 105kg Masters Strongman and this year I got invited to compete at a highland games competition.

I am Really enjoying the training and have already set my sites on 2 more comps

However at my age changing from something very linear to something with much more spinning/circles has not been easy.

I was lucky enough to have some coaching (2 hours) with a decent HG competitor right at the start, but have been working on my own for the last few weeks. I probably left it too late really for my first comp as i have only really managed 6 weeks of any HG training, But every week does seem a little improvement

As a relative newbie and a Masters competitor what sort of realistic distances should i be looking for in the events as most of the video clips i see are hardened athletes and experienced masters and Im getting close to the comp

I have kept all the techniques very basic, 2 swing WFD, shuffle shot put etc and as i train more will add in more technical movements

[Taskr]

All the best in competition!

[Alan H]

I'm 59, reasonably strong from 5 years of throwing-focused weight training but not terribly strong, and I've been doing this for ten years. I'll tell you what my numbers are, and were.

In the Braemar STone it will depend upon the weight of the stone, as they vary. When I started I would throw about 22-23 feet. Now I'm throwing 25-26. In my best year, 2013, I got several 26's and a 27.

In the open stone, 16 pounds, I'm right about 30 feet. However, this is my worst event. At my best I could count on 31 feet, my PR is 35 and change. It took me three years to break 30 feet, though.

Heavy Hammer; 22 pounds. I'm throwing about 63 feet. My PR is 71 feet and I've thrown 69+ about 4x ever. When I started, I was throwing 58-59 feet.

Light Hammer; 16 pounds. I'm throwing about 78-79 feet. I hope to break 80 a few times this season. My PR is 87-something. When I started I was throwing about 70-72 feet.

Heavy Weight for Distance: IN the UK this isn't contested as much, and I don't believe you'll see a 3-stone (42) pound weight very much at all. When you do throw this, it will be a 56 pound weight. This event is by far, physically the most demanding event, and it requires, absolutely requires flawless technique. Right now I could probably get 20 feet. In years past I've thrown 22-23 feet, maybe a 24, once.

Light Weight for Distance: This event is always contested. It took me 2+ years of not-terribly intensive training on my own to learn how to throw the thing 40 feet. In 2013 I threw over 50 feet, three times. In 2014, twice. Now I'm throwing about 44-45 feet.

Weight over Bar: In my first Games I cleared 9 feet with the 56 pound weight. I can clear 10 feet now, no problem. I cleared 10' 6" at a Games in Scotland where they let me try the 6-inch interval because they're nice and there was no way I was going to threaten to win anything. That was a knockoff bar, so that's my "Knockoff Bar PR". . I have actually cleared 11 feet but it was at a Games in 2012 with a fixed bar and that was the ugliest weight over bar, ever. As a Master, I don't throw the 56 very much, just in practice now and then for a strength exercise. I cleared 10 feet no problem, last week.


Hope that's helpful.

[Alan H]

For an overall strength measure, In 2013 I did a powerlifting competition and *just* got 1,000 pounds between the three lifts.

Right now my 1RM flat bench is probably about 265. I havent' tested it in months.

I'm coming back from some knee and lower back issues right now and I squatted 3 x 255 yesterday. My goal is 3 x 275, and then I'll say I'm "recovered". Two years ago I dropped singles at 315 at several workouts, including that powerlifting comp.

Deadlift, I've pulled 400 a couple of times with straps, but mostly I try for triples at 345 or 355 with straps. I have a hard time holding on when there are more than three big plates per side. My grip strength is *meh*.

Hang Clean; last season I did a lot of it and topped out with a hang clean and front squat combination at 200 pounds for a single. Right now I probably could clean and squat about 175, maybe 185..

Atlas Stone...I can load 205 and 225 stones, but can't even get a 268 stone off the ground (couldn't budge the Inver Stone).

This is me, giving a go at the Inverness Stonemasons Stone in 2014. I'm the first guy up, couldn't move it, and tried so hard that I almost passed out when I stood up afterwards. I also did a number on my forearms, as that attempt was just 3 days after trying the Inver Stone, which is like 40 grit sandpaper. Stonemasons Stone is a 252 pounder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgYVw-bPC58

[samurai69]

I'm 59, reasonably strong from 5 years of throwing-focused weight training but not terribly strong, and I've been doing this for ten years. I'll tell you what my numbers are, and were.

In the Braemar STone it will depend upon the weight of the stone, as they vary. When I started I would throw about 22-23 feet. Now I'm throwing 25-26. In my best year, 2013, I got several 26's and a 27.

In the open stone, 16 pounds, I'm right about 30 feet. However, this is my worst event. At my best I could count on 31 feet, my PR is 35 and change. It took me three years to break 30 feet, though.

Heavy Hammer; 22 pounds. I'm throwing about 63 feet. My PR is 71 feet and I've thrown 69+ about 4x ever. When I started, I was throwing 58-59 feet.

Light Hammer; 16 pounds. I'm throwing about 78-79 feet. I hope to break 80 a few times this season. My PR is 87-something. When I started I was throwing about 70-72 feet.

Heavy Weight for Distance: IN the UK this isn't contested as much, and I don't believe you'll see a 3-stone (42) pound weight very much at all. When you do throw this, it will be a 56 pound weight. This event is by far, physically the most demanding event, and it requires, absolutely requires flawless technique. Right now I could probably get 20 feet. In years past I've thrown 22-23 feet, maybe a 24, once.

Light Weight for Distance: This event is always contested. It took me 2+ years of not-terribly intensive training on my own to learn how to throw the thing 40 feet. In 2013 I threw over 50 feet, three times. In 2014, twice. Now I'm throwing about 44-45 feet.

Weight over Bar: In my first Games I cleared 9 feet with the 56 pound weight. I can clear 10 feet now, no problem. I cleared 10' 6" at a Games in Scotland where they let me try the 6-inch interval because they're nice and there was no way I was going to threaten to win anything. That was a knockoff bar, so that's my "Knockoff Bar PR". . I have actually cleared 11 feet but it was at a Games in 2012 with a fixed bar and that was the ugliest weight over bar, ever. As a Master, I don't throw the 56 very much, just in practice now and then for a strength exercise. I cleared 10 feet no problem, last week.


Hope that's helpful.

Thats great, thanks, gives me a rough idea of what to aim for in training, once i have completed a comp i can go on my comp results and then its competing against my own numbers but until then its good to have a goal....... Mind Im only a few days off from my first comp, with 5 weeks throwing practice under my belt.

[samurai69]

For an overall strength measure, In 2013 I did a powerlifting competition and *just* got 1,000 pounds between the three lifts.

Right now my 1RM flat bench is probably about 265. I havent' tested it in months.

I'm coming back from some knee and lower back issues right now and I squatted 3 x 255 yesterday. My goal is 3 x 275, and then I'll say I'm "recovered". Two years ago I dropped singles at 315 at several workouts, including that powerlifting comp.

Deadlift, I've pulled 400 a couple of times with straps, but mostly I try for triples at 345 or 355 with straps. I have a hard time holding on when there are more than three big plates per side. My grip strength is *meh*.

Hang Clean; last season I did a lot of it and topped out with a hang clean and front squat combination at 200 pounds for a single. Right now I probably could clean and squat about 175, maybe 185..

Atlas Stone...I can load 205 and 225 stones, but can't even get a 268 stone off the ground (couldn't budge the Inver Stone).

This is me, giving a go at the Inverness Stonemasons Stone in 2014. I'm the first guy up, couldn't move it, and tried so hard that I almost passed out when I stood up afterwards. I also did a number on my forearms, as that attempt was just 3 days after trying the Inver Stone, which is like 40 grit sandpaper. Stonemasons Stone is a 252 pounder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgYVw-bPC58

Its raining which makes it all the tougher, I lapped the inver stone back in October 2010, this year we went back to lift some other stones, my friend lapped and nearly chested the inver stone, i gave it a half hearted attempt after lifting stones for 5 days solid but i only just managed to break it off the floor, I have just got some leather stone sleeves which save the arms a little...... I have lapped a 150kg stone with tacky on last year, but seem to struggle on anything over 120kg with tacky in competitions and without tacky struggle as i have two torn biceps.

I was lucky enough to lift the Dinnie stones back in 2010 and all the practice for lifting those has left me with quite a strong grip..... best deadlift with straps is 245kg and i have managed a double over hand without straps at 210kg


.

[samurai69]

well i competed this past weekend and hit PBs on all events except the Caber and that was my first try at it as not had anything to trin on

happy with the day and now have some targets to aim for, hopefully will keep improving as i learned some bits from the guys all happy to help with tips and pointers