Tweet
I hope no one minds me posting a video,as I have not been an active member of the forum since I registered.
I have visited and lifted quite a few Scottish,Welsh and English stones,but there was one stone that humiliated me when we first met,the Ardvorlich stone.
Not a lot of history surrounds this stone,as far as I know.Peter Martin's father lifted it,and more recently my good friend Roger Davis managed to get some air underneath this beast.
My attempts last year were met with frustration and plenty of skin lost on my forearms.It is a big stone,and very smooth,at a guess,I would say 140 to 150kg.Very much like the Inver stone.I came away from our first meeting determined return and at least get a little air.All I wanted was to lift this stone!
What followed was nearly 12 months of focussed training.Nothing except stones and some grip work.Atlas stones with chalk only,and my own natural training stones.Grip work,included using a 7kg steel shotput,that I would drop and overhand catch,from hand to hand for high reps until failure.
I had a opportunity to revisit Ardvorlich house this year on a family holiday to Scotland.My wife parked the car by the lochside and we all made the short walk to the stone.
It's bigger than I remember,I thought,as we turned the corner and the stone came into view.I placed a dry towel on the ground next to the stone,as the grass always seems to be wet in Scotland,and rolled the stone onto it.
Chalked up my hands and forearms,readied myself to lift and pulled,nothing.It did not budge!This was worrying,I changed my grip and tried again,this time a little hop.I managed about 4 more hops all about the same height,but nothing I could call a lift.
By now the stone and towel were soaked and the chalk on my hands was just turning to a slippery mess.Time for a different strategy.I dried off the stone the best I could using the towel,and placed my brand new sweatshirt onto the wet and muddy grass and rolled the stone onto it.
I had remembered seeing pictures of the Criccieth stone being lifted on its end,so maybe that was the way to go.Turning the stone onto its end,I straddled it,and managed to work my fingers underneath,my chin was actually touching the stone,and my arms stretched to the very limit.I closed my eyes,relaxed for what seemed ages,took a deep breath and pulled.It came up,not much,about 4 inch,and I held it for a few seconds.
Yes! By now I had attracted an audience,as the stone is on a route commonly used by hillwalkers.Some rather strange looks from passers by at this madman covered in chalk and mud.
I want to try it once more I said to my wife,who was obviously distracted by my 3 children running about making more noise than me.Ok,but hurry up,the kids are getting restless.
Managed to get the stone into the same position as before and pulled,it came up,more than before and kept coming.Once past my kness,I managed to roll it into my lap and with one last effort partially stood,with the stone pulled into my chest.
One thing I learned from my Ardvorlich visit,is never give up on a stone,keep trying and you will lift it.Of all my previous lifts,this is the one I am most proudest of,not because it is a difficult stone,but because I never gave up in trying to lift it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lagXZLBzkXI
Thank you for reading my post.
Alex
I have visited and lifted quite a few Scottish,Welsh and English stones,but there was one stone that humiliated me when we first met,the Ardvorlich stone.
Not a lot of history surrounds this stone,as far as I know.Peter Martin's father lifted it,and more recently my good friend Roger Davis managed to get some air underneath this beast.
My attempts last year were met with frustration and plenty of skin lost on my forearms.It is a big stone,and very smooth,at a guess,I would say 140 to 150kg.Very much like the Inver stone.I came away from our first meeting determined return and at least get a little air.All I wanted was to lift this stone!
What followed was nearly 12 months of focussed training.Nothing except stones and some grip work.Atlas stones with chalk only,and my own natural training stones.Grip work,included using a 7kg steel shotput,that I would drop and overhand catch,from hand to hand for high reps until failure.
I had a opportunity to revisit Ardvorlich house this year on a family holiday to Scotland.My wife parked the car by the lochside and we all made the short walk to the stone.
It's bigger than I remember,I thought,as we turned the corner and the stone came into view.I placed a dry towel on the ground next to the stone,as the grass always seems to be wet in Scotland,and rolled the stone onto it.
Chalked up my hands and forearms,readied myself to lift and pulled,nothing.It did not budge!This was worrying,I changed my grip and tried again,this time a little hop.I managed about 4 more hops all about the same height,but nothing I could call a lift.
By now the stone and towel were soaked and the chalk on my hands was just turning to a slippery mess.Time for a different strategy.I dried off the stone the best I could using the towel,and placed my brand new sweatshirt onto the wet and muddy grass and rolled the stone onto it.
I had remembered seeing pictures of the Criccieth stone being lifted on its end,so maybe that was the way to go.Turning the stone onto its end,I straddled it,and managed to work my fingers underneath,my chin was actually touching the stone,and my arms stretched to the very limit.I closed my eyes,relaxed for what seemed ages,took a deep breath and pulled.It came up,not much,about 4 inch,and I held it for a few seconds.
Yes! By now I had attracted an audience,as the stone is on a route commonly used by hillwalkers.Some rather strange looks from passers by at this madman covered in chalk and mud.
I want to try it once more I said to my wife,who was obviously distracted by my 3 children running about making more noise than me.Ok,but hurry up,the kids are getting restless.
Managed to get the stone into the same position as before and pulled,it came up,more than before and kept coming.Once past my kness,I managed to roll it into my lap and with one last effort partially stood,with the stone pulled into my chest.
One thing I learned from my Ardvorlich visit,is never give up on a stone,keep trying and you will lift it.Of all my previous lifts,this is the one I am most proudest of,not because it is a difficult stone,but because I never gave up in trying to lift it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lagXZLBzkXI
Thank you for reading my post.
Alex
Comment