Saturday, June 30, 2012

Another trip to the Strength Guild and backyard meet write up

So I made another trip out to the beautiful land of Topeka.  Land of milk and honey and big succulent tittays.

Ok so I am exaggerating, Topeka kind of sucks.    

Except for The Strength Guild and my buddy Phil Stevens, and those things are awesome.  

Let's just say this about the weather.  It was mother fucking HOT.  102-104,000 most of the day, and Phil did his little back yard meet in The Strength Guild, which if you did not know, is his two car garage turned gym.  Phil also likes to keep the doors open you know, so the eleventy billion degree air can flow freely through the place.  



I drank more than 20 bottled waters, and might have pissed twice from 2 P.M. to 9:30 P.M.  It was that fucking hot.  

Anyway, all complaints aside, I had an awesome time and really loved watching his group get after it.  There were no world records at threat in this meet, however you wouldn't have known that if you were just judging by the enthusiasm.  

I also want to take a minute to prop up my oldest.  She went 9 for 9, hitting PR's in the squat and deadlift.  Weighing in at 115, she went 85, 105, 115 in the squat.  In the bench she went 65, 75, 85 and then went 135, 155, 185 in the deadlift.  She probably had a shot at 205 in the deadlift.  


Even more spectacular was Phil's little girl who dunked a 45 pounds squat........at 5 years old.  And it was textbook.  She also hit a couple of nice benches, but I don't recall the weight.  She also can do chin ups.  Talk about a little powerhouse!

The meet was long, and exhausting and my hat is off to all of the men and women who showed up and competed hard in a very tough environment.  It was my honor and privilege to be a part of it, and I plan on spending part of my meet prep there with Phil, later on in the year.  

After the meet was done, Phil broke out the burgers and hot dogs (2.5 of which he let fall on the ground) and taunted me with bacon bread and funeral potatoes (you read that right).  However, I stayed true to my diet and choked down a couple of chicken breasts, a jar of baby food sweet 'taters, and some home grown zucchini.    

The trip home was incredibly quiet, and I think by the time I arrived back at head quarters I was the only one awake.

Many many thanks to Phil and his wife for having us out, and we look forward to many more.



Training - Back, Hams, Biceps

Bodyweight - 244  wtf?

Behind the neck pulldowns - 20,20,15,12,10,8
Rear Delt Machine - 10,5,10
Seated Leg Curls - 100x5x20
Curls - 5x20

Just machine stuff, however I am thinking the behind the neck pulldown could be very valuable in regards to another movement..........

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

More on Klkov presses.........

Since this is everybody's pet exercise right now........


From Roscoe.........


I'm curious: what has everyone been doing in terms of poundages on the Klokov presses? I fucking struggle like a motherfucker with 105 lbs. I can BTN with 225 but yesterday, I did 1x3x105, 5x3x95 on the Klokovs then said fuck this noise and went and did seated smith machine presses. I was fucking bushed.

Paul, you doing 185x9 on the Klokovs is fucking retarded. I can't believe it. I hope your asshole falls out.

What's everyone else been doing??

Training - Lt. Dan

Bodyweight - 239

Fronts -
135x,5,5,5
225x,5,5
315x,8,8,8

Superset - speed skaters/ab roller - 10,12,20/10,10,10
Leg Ext - 3x20
1 legged calf - 3x20

Notes - Tired as fuck.

Using biceps in the eccentric portion of overhead pressing

For those of you who did not understand it............

Fixing your overhead press

Yes, anyone who has read my shit knows I am a self professed natural at overhead pressing.  This is true.  I can remember repping with the 90's on seated db press when I was 17 and 170 fairly easily.  Since then I've done the 100's for 20+, cleaned and pressed 275 strict for a triple, regularly do press behind the neck with 225x10 easily, and the same for clean and press.  I can manage most of these lifts without doing them very often.

Sometimes I go months at a time without overhead pressing, rather opting to incline press and some close grips once a month.  That's about it.  When I do try and overhead press, it's like humping your ex-girl again.  You know where all the good spots are, and exactly what's going down.

So how the hell could I speak technically about overhead pressing?  Well, that's a good question.  I will give it a shot though, and explain why overhead pressing feels natural to me, and what happens when I do press some shit overhead.

Notice I say overhead pressing.  Not jumping under a god damn bar like some kind of circus monkey.  Jumping under a bar, is not putting weights overhead to me.  This is an area where I am sometimes met with resistance by other strength fuckers and such, but I care not.  Snatches and jerks are snatches and jerks.  To me, putting weights overhead signifies that you pressed that shit overhead.  Again, this is just my opinion.  I admire the shit out of Olympic lifting, mainly because I suck at it, and have a huge man crush on Klokov.  

So you will find no Oly lift hate here.  However, to me, putting weights overhead in PC land is all about pressing it over your head.  Not jumping under it.

To add fuel to this fire, I am not a fan of push presses.  Again, this hurts some peoples vaginas but I don't care.  It's generally the guys that push press a lot but can't strict press a lot that get mad about this.  In other words, they hate for me to crush on their ego lift.

To me the point of overhead pressing is to either develop shoulder and overhead strength, or demonstrate it.  Push presses are like chest bounced bench presses, or maybe board presses.  Neither of these lifts really say how much you can strictly bench press, and push presses don't really say a god damn thing about how strong you are at overhead pressing.  I've known guys with 300+ pound push presses who could not strict press what 250.  Case closed.

So what does that leave us with?

Standing military press, either cleaned or off the rack.  Press behind the neck of various types, dumbbell pressing, machine and various apparatus pressing, like the Viking press.

I really wanna get one of these for my basement......before you tell me how to set this up in the rack, I'm joking


Go thumbless - 


I go thumbless on all of my pressing.  However for overhead work, especially on the military press, it makes EVERYONE press more.  I've never had a single person that pressed the same or less, after they switched to a thumbless grip for overhead work.  It's an immediate improvement.  This is because it move the bar just slightly closer in to your body, and in a much stronger path.  It sits in closer to the center line of your body, and gives you a better "shelf" to press off of.

For every one guy that says it didn't do anything for him, I will show you a liar who didn't try it.

Ok I'm overstating it for humor, however I'm not far off.  If you didn't get more out of military pressing thumbless, you did something wrong or are doing something wrong.

Squeezing your biceps -

One thing that most guys don't think about, or do, when they military press is to squeeze their biceps.  You can practice this as you read this.

Put your hands in front of you like you are doing a military press.  Now, curl your hands into you.  That grip, is where your hands should be on the bar when you press.  Squeezing the biceps, or allowing them to work in a more effective position as the antagonist in the movement.  Many guys just let their triceps sort of "hold" the weight isometrically.  This will make pushing the weight off of the bottom much harder, than if you get the biceps involved from the bottom portion of the press.  This might require a video later, so if this confuses you, I can always add one.

Use the proper grip - 

If you are wide in your military press, bring that grip in.  If you think you are wide, you are.  If you think you are narrow, you are probably just right.  Generally, your thumbs should line up just outside of your anterior delts.

As anyone can see via the Klokov press, the wider you get on a military press the more difficult the press is going to be.  So get the grip in closer if you have a wide grip.  The only exception here might be those t-rex armed guys who do so well pressing naturally, then it doesn't matter as much.

If you are doing press behind the neck however, you need to get your grip out wider.  Not as wide as the Klokov press, however the PBN CAN fuck your shoulders up if you try to do them with a "parallel" grip (forearms straight up from the ground when you are at the bottom of the press).

Your forearms should basically be at a 45 degree angle on the press behind the neck.  Try to think about pushing your hands up in to the corners of the room.

Do singles, doubles, and triples to the front, 8+ to the side and rear - 

For the standing military press, I have found that most guys, myself included, respond really well to singles, doubles, and triples in regards to making that lift move fast.  It doesn't mean I don't knock out a rep set of 10 now and then.  However, if you are talking about really building your top poundage for military pressing, stick with sets in the 1-3 rep range.

When it comes to dumbbell pressing and behind the neck pressing, I have found that moderate and high reps seem to progress faster than lower reps.  Your mileage may vary in this regard, but this is what I have noticed.

Press more often - 

If your overhead work is really in the shitter, press twice a week overhead.  The shoulders seem to have a very fast recovery time, so pound those fuckers into dust twice a week.  1 heavy day pressing to the front, and the second day pressing more moderately from the side and rear.

Learn how to stabilize -

If you are off balance pressing, it means you have a problem stabilizing in your back and glutes.  This is not a STRENGTH issue.  This is a technique issue.  No different than guys not knowing how to setup on bench.  Squeeze the fuck out of your glutes when you press overhead and see what happens.  That's right.  Your ass should be pinned to the floor because your erectors and upperback will kick in like a mule hopped up on crank.  

These are some of the things that could help you out.  I also want to add that ultimately, for most guys, big pressing is something that just comes over time and consistency.  The lower body responds fast to squats and leg work, but pressing can be a long struggle for some guys.

Remember, big picture.  If you press it, it will come.  The weight, I mean.  













Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Strength Life Legacy is VERY fucking nigh!

Guys (and gals), I am about to piss my pants with excitement.

Jen is fine tuning everything and I PROMISE that Strength, Life, Legacy will be available to you by tomorrow.

I have worked my guts out on this thing, and Jen didn't want to put out a crappy looking product.  This will NOT be like my former e-books where I was a one man gang.  Jen has made this thing look fucking bananas awesome.  When she got me the first few screen shots, I won't lie I got a bit misty.

This has been such an undertaking for me, and to see how awesome Jen has made it look was a bit overwhelming to me.  I can't say enough about her and all the awesome work she has done.  To hold you over for a few more hours here are some shots...........

Table of contents



Fuck yes.........

........more awesome

This shit right here?  This shit right here?  

Another meet write up/testimonial

Awesome testimonial from Donald Deiwert!  He continues the trend of hitting PR's and going 9/9 at meets using the strong-15.  I keep telling everyone, good PROGRAMMING is the key.  Not blindly walking into a meet HOPING or guessing what you can hit......

======================================================================
I’m a 40 year old lifter whom been back at it for a little over 3 ½ years after a seven year layoff. I am currently a Lifetime drug free and unequipped In NASA and the USAPL. Since I’ve been back at it I have dicked around with several different programs such as Westside and others, with alright results.
Except, when it came to meet time.
Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to fully transfer my numbers from training to the actual meet platform. This was becoming a major fucking headache and pain in my ass. Luckily, I become aware of Paul from his appearance on Iron Radio a few months back.
At the time I was looking at competing in The NASA USA Nationals in Ohio the coming June. So I visited Paul’s blog. I realized his approach and philosophy regarding training matched closes to my own before I allowed outside influences to poison it. Well I decided to take a chance and got his E-book and ran Strong 15 for my June Meet.

To begin with I started to run it as such. Squat, Bench, Dead days. After the first 3 weeks I had a rude awakening that I’m a old bastard and I wasn’t recovering from doing squats and deads in a seven day period.
I ended up having to combine the two days as Paul has listed in the strong 15 routine. So for the final 6 weeks the template looked like this.

Sunday: Squat and Deads

First off I did a slight modification from the original protocol. Instead of doing pause squats as the back off I went with doing the dead protocol.

Squats – as written minus back off

4 “block pulls

Deads from floor using back off protocol

Standing band crunches



Tuesday: Bench

Bench – as wrote

Incline bench: 2 x 8-10

Standing behind the neck press: 2 x 10-12

Skull crushers: 2 x 10 -12



Thursday: other shit

T – Bar or Kroc rows

Pull downs 4 x 8 – 10

Shrugs: 3 x 10 -15

Arm curls: 2 x 10



Going into it I had a conservative idea going into the routine of my attempts following Paul's outline. I made adjustments when needed based on my projected maxes based on my performance on the end of the three week blocks.

The final outcome was this.



Squat:






1st attempt: 474 …no issues went up easy

2nd attempt: 513….Meet PR. Ok, I had to decide to stick with original planned 3rd attempt or bump up another 15 for 550. I played it safe and stuck with my original attempt.

3rd attempt: 535…Meet PR; I would have, in all reality, gotten the 550 if I took it but I’m fine with my decision not to try for it.



Bench:

1st attempt: 355…..easy

2nd attempt: 386….not too bad, noticed I was having issues on the eccentric portion

3rd attempt: 413…Meet PR; lost tightness had to grind the bastard up.



Dead lift:

1st attempt: 474….blew it up

2nd attempt: 518 …easy

3rd attempt: 551…Tied Meet PR, had at least 25 or 50 lbs. left in the tank easy.



I well I met all my goals which I set out to do when I started peaking for this Meet.

1. Exceeded all my numbers from the Last Meet in October. Over 89 more pounds on my total

2. Went 9 for 9 which was the first time ever.

3. Set 4 different Meet Pr’s

All in all it was good meet. First time I’ve done one that my meets numbers have reflected my gym numbers. It pretty much boiled down to properly picking good training numbers with a solid plan to peak at the right time. Which Paul’s Strong 15 does delivers.



Donald “DOG” Deiwert

Monday, June 25, 2012

Fixing your low bar squat hand and elbow positioning

If you suffer from elbow pain and squat low bar, I can explain why.  I also explain how to fix this from a technical standpoint.

Training - Heavy Press

Bodyweight - 240

Clean and Press -
bar x 20
95x5
145x3
165x3
185x1
205x1
225x1
245x1
275x1

Close Grip Bench -
135x10
225x5
315x1
335x1
365x1
385x3

Superset -
ez-bar extensions/upright rows - 4 rounds @ 65 pounds x 20

Notes - If I were worth two shits at cleans, I could go for a 300 strict press.  But that clean takes a lot out of me.  Either way, my best is 275x3 at around 265 so 275 for a missed double isn't too bad.  Maybe I need to work on cleans or find an Oly guy to teach me how so I can try for 300+?

Thoughts about life, crap, training, and stuff

So I know everyone is excited about the book, and it's SO close.  My graphics design chic says she made need another day to finish up, so Strength, Life, Legacy won't be ready today for distribution, but it's no more than a day or two away.

In the meantime.......



I've been watching True Blood since Game of Thrones is over, and well, let's just say there is no comparison.  TB is pretty campy and can't be taken serious in any way, shape, or form.  I FEEL like I'm watching a TV show, where with GOTs I feel immersed in what is going on.  However, TB is interesting enough to keep me entertained so I'll finish it out.

So while I was taking some downtime from strep throat, I started plotting out my plans for the next few months, and picked out a meet.

I will be going back to the LRB Template for a little while.  It is, without a doubt my fave/best overall "offseason" template because it covers so many things at once.  Starting August first I will switch over to the new big-15 template with a LOT of perceived intensity work on big movements.  That will continue up until September 15th, when I start training for the UPA meet in November.  I have numbers in mind, but most importantly, I just need to show up.

Even with the release of the book, I'm going to be writing a series based on being a "lifer" and what I feel the code around being a lifer is about.  From a lifting standpoint, to being a man.  If you listened to the podcast or read 5 articles here, you'd know I think we are in a sad state of affairs when it comes to young men.  When you have a cult following for a stripper and do nothing like Zyzz, we have gone wrong somewhere in what we are propping up for young men as what a MAN is.  Wearing make up, doing your hair, hanging out in womens clothes......none of this is manly.  Please save me the liberal mindset that everyone should be able to do what they want to do if they aren't hurting.....blah blah blah.  I agree with that, however my concern here is that there are too many young men that look up to someone like Zyzz, who literally did NOTHING.

If you don't like my opinion pieces about it.....don't read em.  You got the wholllle internets to yourself to avoid me.

So Wandy lost another fight.  My heart sinks for him.  It really does.  But every athlete falls off the cliff at some point, and Wandy fought wars for years and years, and his time as just passed.  I hope he retires soon.

I will be visiting Columbus, Ohio in a few weeks to stay with my buddy Jason Pegg.  I am going to get Pegg on a podcast very soon as he's a god damn hoot and knows a fuck ton about training.  Jason is a very smart technician as well, and is a tremendous resource to anyone who wants to know how to get better.

They are coming out with Taken 2!  Fuck yes.  I loved the first one as a "smart" action flick.  I'm sure this one will be just as good.  Big Liam Neeson fan here.......



Again, it's Monday so I don't have a ton to write.  As soon as the book is ready it will be up.

Just to let you know, Wendler got an early copy of it and he texted me "it's one of the best things I've ever read.  No bullshit."

I am going to have a video up tonight talking about low bar squatting and why so many guys end up with fucked up wrists, elbows, and biceps from it.  It's because they do it wrong, and I will show you how to correct this.

Fuck your Monday!


Sunday, June 24, 2012

Chaos and Bang Your Ears 9!!!!

Topics of discussion include.........

Squatting -
Marky Mark -
Zyzz -
Violet Erotica -
Drinking and Lifting -
Zombies -




Friday, June 22, 2012

Weekly, AND PODCAST Q&A

Leave a name and you get ONE question.  Not multiples.  You're not my girlfriend.

Also need to note whether or not it's just a Q for me, or a Q for the podcast.

Smile mother fuckers.....it's Friday!  :)

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Back in Black.....and pink

Shirts are in, and out..........shipped.  

The order was split in gray and black.  So if I ran out of the gray, I'm just sending you a black one rather than making you wait.  If you hate the black one (who would?) send it back, and when the next order of gray comes in, I'll ship you a gray.  But so far, I've only had to swap 1 out.  For now however if you make an order, you're ordering a black one.  If shirts are still flying off the rack, I will make a larger order next time and make black and gray an option.

So if you want a shirt quickly, you better make an order now while I have stock.  Everyone who waited has been sitting on back order for two weeks, and I sincerely apologize and appreciate your patience.  Your orders have now been shipped!


Who doesn't want it in black????
And for the ladies, or YOUR lady...........


Is that fucking cool, or what?

I literally have ONLY 20 of the tanks.  And I'm not sure if I will order more.  All depends on how popular they are.

I will also be making a doods tank with the following on the front..........


.....so that way you can show off the guns during the summer.  That, or get that awesome tank top tan that looks so sweet.

So if you ordered a shirt, have no fear they will hit the post office tomorrow and as usual, I expect people to send pics or tag me on Facebook with em.



More on being a lifer - Digging your own grave

“Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes.”  ~ William Gibson

I love this quote, and used it as my facebook status last night.

One of the key tenants about life control, is understanding that you get all of the power in how you let things affect you.

At first this sounds very simple, almost like one of those sayings I hate, such as "everything happens for a reasons" or some such bullshit.

It's not.

Life is 10% of the shit that happens to you, and 90% of the way you respond to it.

The great thing in that is, YOU get to decide how you are going to respond.  There will always be things that happen to you over the course of your life, that are completely out of your control.  However, the great majority of your life, you get to decide what kind of life you are living everyday, from a mental or emotional standpoint.

For example.....

You've been busting ass everyday at your job for the last year.  You put in for a promotion that you know you deserve.  Then your boss brings you in and tells you that it was given to someone else.

What is your reaction to said news?

Anger, sadness, bitterness..........

And you tell yourself that you are justified in feeling that way.

Of course you are!  Why not?  You busted ass for a year for that promotion.  You know damn well you were qualified.  You also know that this assclown of a boss has a personal vendetta against you, as well.

Now you're really pissed off.

But you really make a decision to be pissed off about it, don't you?

To hold a grudge.  To be bitter about it.  This is your CHOICE.  And that's ok.  If you want to make the choice to hold a grudge, to live with venom and bitterness, that's fine.  Just own up to the fact that you are making the choice to do so.



You could just as easily say "well, that's that.  I have decisions to make.".  You could give zero fucks about it, and not let it ruin your day.

When you decide, DECIDE, to let it stress you out, you put the shovel in the ground, and help death dig your grave just a little faster.............

From the mayoclinic -

The long-term activation of the stress-response system — and the subsequent overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones — can disrupt almost all your body's processes. This puts you at increased risk of numerous health problems, including:
Heart disease
Sleep problems
Digestive problems
Depression
Obesity
Memory impairment
Worsening of skin conditions, such as eczema

That's why it's so important to learn healthy ways to cope with the stressors in your life.

Basically, choosing to be stressed out, pissed off, and butt hurt kills you.

Literally.

This shit can just as easily be applied to training.

You've trained your ass off for the past 3 months trying to hit this goal.  You go into the gym, feeling good, feeling psyched.  LET'S DO THIS!

You go for it..........and miss.

If you have trained long enough, you've had this day, and you've also probably let this failure do all the same shit to you, that ol boy who didn't get the promotion do to him.

Pissed off, stressed out, mad at the world.  Day ruined.

Why?  Over a god damn PR attempt?

Was that it?  If you didn't make that attempt your family got killed?  Did you contract cancer because you missed it?  What happened other than a missed PR attempt?

Oh wait, NOTHING.  It's a missed lifting attempt!  Something you can try again the next day if you wanted.

Chalk it up as what it is.  A missed PR attempt.  It's not the end of the world, or even the end of training.  It's just a learning experience.  Quit sweating bad workouts and missed PR attempts so much that you literally allow to steal hours or even days of joy from your life.

Worth dying for - 


Stress management can be pretty easy, if you want it to be.  Part of your code to live by.

Just ask yourself a simple question.......

Is this worth giving up a piece of my life over?

Is a job worth dying early over?

"Missed a PR attempt?  I shall come early, then"



What about the break up of a 6 month romance?

Someone who cut you off in traffic?

A creditor calling your house?

Missing a PR attempt?

Not being as "big" as you want to be?

Not being as lean as you want to be?

Defending your loved ones?

The death of a loved one?

Watching your son leave for war?

Giving your little girl away in marriage?

What is WORTH giving up a piece of our life over?

Do you see how some things clearly stand out, and others seem quite stupid?

Now step back, and realize how stupid it is to let certain things ruin minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months of your life.

This is a lesson I am learning daily myself.  This is not a "preach" session.  I write most of my opinion pieces as reminders to myself.  How I need to be living, and what is worth giving a shit about.

And part of being a lifer, is learning how to decide how much energy we are going to put into the things we cannot control.  This is why I always talk about not giving a shit about what someone else can do in the gym, or how they look compared to you, or any of that shit.  You have ZERO control over it.

So why the fuck invest energy into it?

Deciding to be apathetic doesn't mean you are lazy.  It means you just decided to give a shit about the things only YOU can control.  It is NOT the "average joe" mentality.  Every Average Joe gives WAAAAY too much of a shit about what everyone else is doing.

A lifer is elite.  Because he trains without a care as to what anyone else is capable of.  Because it doesn't pertain to him.  He trains to perform at the highest level he can.  He constantly asks himself how he can get better.  Not how he can be as good as the next guy.  Because there is someone better than the next guy....and there is someone better than him.  It pertains to him not.  So his world is his own.  And he trains to dominate there.

Part of dominating in that landscape, is making choices as to where your energy goes.  It's hard to be a fucking lion when you're all butthurt because you missed a PR attempt or aren't as jacked as the guy you saw doing curls in the squat rack today.

Never seen an engraving that read "still kicking ass"

Stop giving a shit about things you have zero control over.  It only ends you early, and it's hard to kick ass in a grave.

Back to the quote......

The next time you think your life is in the shitter, that you suck and your life sucks and your job sucks......ask yourself how much of your life REALLY sucks, and how much of it sucks because you think it does because you CHOOSE it to be.

Those are very different questions.

Ask yourself if you have people around you that make your life better, or if the people in your life bring you down and want you to live in the emotional abyss they do.  Remember that misery loves company.  Most people don't want to watch you rise above them, and above the place they CHOOSE to live in.  Leeches will always choose to try and hang on, all the while sucking your life out of you.

Cut them off.



And then make a choice, A CHOICE, to decide what is worth dying for in this world.


Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Strength, Life, Legacy is being reviewed.........

........by some very close friends right now.

Early responses have been pretty overwhelming.

Yes, they are friends.  But these friends are not ass kissing types or ego feeders.

They don't have the final versions that are all "pretty", but the meat and potatoes is there.  I can't wait to finish this thing up and get it out to you guys.

Monday night, as promised, it will be available.


Shirts will be in tomorrow!!!

Confirmation on delivery.

I have the order split in black and gray so if you ordered a gray in a size I ran out of, let me know if you are ok with getting a black one shipped.

I will put up pics of the black ones tomorrow when they arrive.  I personally think they are going to be even more bad ass..........

I am also home with strep throat and will be for a few days.  Oh how I love being sick in the summer time!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Training - Small Session #1

Lying Extensions - 85x4x20
Poundstone curls - barx100

241 pounds.  Nice session.  Went to Red Lobster after and ate some Rainbow Trout.

Thoughts about life, crap, training, and stuff

I've been dieting for two weeks now, down to 239.8 pounds in the morning from 252-253, and evening weight is now 243 down from 255.  So in two weeks that's a solid water and glycogen drop with some fat, however I've adjusted to the low cals and energy has returned a bit.  That usually happens to me the first week/week and a half into a diet.  Things will be readjusted after this week as well.  Since I am opening with a thought about the scale I want to address an interesting question that came in that I wanted to touch on a little more............

Paul, what would you recommend to an intermediate trainee that had a good strength base, was around 200-210lbs @ 15% body fat/5'10 height (natural) and was stuck at a road where they felt like if they cut some fat, they'd be too skinny, but if they gained, it may get messy? I find myself stuck at this point often despite recommendations to cut the fat back when you're around that 15% cutoff point.

For me, I start to get vascular and have some solid ab definition around 185lbs when cutting from that point. But I feel like a fucking swimmer/bean pole in a t-shirt. On the other hand, having a layer of goo canceling out any vascularity and having feint abs when flexed sucks. This weird weight/status as a natural lifter just makes me want to load up the syringe and go to another level where one can be lean and jacked in a t-shirt.

Input?

My input on this?  This is what 5'9" 185 pounds ripped looks like..........


That's pretty fucking jacked.

The one thing that continues to plague guys about how they look or feel about themselves is when they decide to strip off bodyfat, they begin to realize they don't have as much muscle as they thought they did.

The 230 or 240 guy is shocked when he's not just RIPPPPED at 210.  The one thing about the internet is that you get a look at every freak that is pretty much walking the face of the Earth.  The other 99% see this, and think that's within their grasp.  Then reality comes slamming down like a 16 pound sledge hammer when they realize after a few years of training, they aren't the living embodiment of Thor they thought they were.

Here's some harsh fucking reality.

If you're in the 5'9 to 5'11" range, you're probably not going to be 210+ ripped.  The very elite "natural" bodybuilders are generally within that range.  And those guys are the elite, truly genetically gifted, and probably using just a little sauce to boot.  Skip Lacour, through my own conversations with him, competed usually at 213 pounds or so, and Skip is TRULY a genetic freak, and I'm not 100% convinced he's lifetime natural.  But for sake of conversation, we will pretend he is.  He pretty much owned the natural bodybuilding circuit for years.  Do you have those kinds of genetic?  Doubtful.  Very fucking doubtful.

I was at a bodybuilding show a few weeks ago, and I saw LOTS of big FAT guys.  You know, the guys that don't have a single ounce of visible separation in their arms or shoulders.  None of which impressed me.  I was 280 at one point, and looked just like that.  The most impressive guy I saw on stage was a guy that was 5'8" 208 pounds.  And he looked beastly.  I'm sure after a good carb up, he'd be 220-222 or so, but you get the point.  And this was not a natural show.

Here's some more harsh reality.

No matter what some board guru tells you about bulking up to some gross degree, you cannot force feed muscle growth, nor will you exceed your muscular potential by doing that.  It's a waste of fucking time.  I know.  I've done it.  So this isn't me talking out of my ass about it.  I bulked to 280 for an extended period, and when I dieted back down, I actually ended up smaller because it took so long to get the weight off.  This is pretty much backed by every guy that has done this, from Dave Tate to Jim Wendler to Shelby Starnes to Alex Raymond.  Getting grossly obese through bulking does NOT take you to some new fucking level of big.  It just makes you fat.

Here's some even more harsh reality.

You're probably not going to sport 18 or 19" arms.  And when I say sport 19" arms, I mean, LEAN 19" arms.  Having 18" fatceps ain't shit.  I've seen eleventy billion pics of a guy holding a tape measure around a 18" fatcep that looks like an obese grandma arm.

Regardless of what you read on message boards, or some dumbass tells you, a 17" arm RIPPED, is fucking impressive looking.  It's also something you may never achieve if you don't have the genes for it.

Saw a lot of this shit at the BB'ing show


What it really all comes back to is that.  Your genes.  Like it or not, you are stuck with em.  And no amount of food or training can get you past that.  The only thing that will is darksidin.  That's it.  That's all.  And the other fact there, is that there are plenty of "look like nothing" guys that darkside too.  TRUST ME on this, I laugh a LOT, at guys who take a freak ton of shit, that don't even look like they fucking lift.

This is why I pound the point of training hard and being consistent over a long period of time, and learning lessons to get better.  With that knowledge, nothing else matters.

Now of course, there will be lots of vaginas hurt, lots of egos bruised, and lots of "men" who turn into little bitches about all of this, but that's reality.  You're not going to bench 600 either.  There.  I said that too.

Most of us are just regular dudes.  Some of us train harder than others, and are smarter than others.  Some of us are a little more blessed, and some a little less blessed, genetic wise.  Just because Joe Fatboy or Joe Muscleman down the street was able to do X, Y, or Z doesn't mean it's possible for you either.  This again, is part of being a LIFER.  You shouldn't be concerned about what they did, or are capable of because it has ZERO bearing on what you are capable of.  Stop propping up other people as examples of what is possible for you.  It has ZERO correlation.  Ronnie Coleman won a shit load of Mr. Olympias.  You aren't going to.  Andy Bolton and Benni deadlifted a grand.  You're not going to.  Andy pulled 600 the first time he ever walked into a gym.  It took him 20 years to add the next 400 pounds.  And lots of guys pull 800 at a young age, and never pull 900.  Lots of guys go pro in bodybuilding at a young age, and never win or even place top 5 in the Mr. O.  

This is not meant to brow beat or tell you how limited you are.  This is to get you to stop looking at genetic outliers and guys who use obscene amounts of gear in order to get to a certain level of physical prowess, and using them as the base for what is "acceptable" for you.  You should always try to get better, but you will have physical limitations, that will probably be very similar to the guy on the bench next to you at the gym.  We aren't special snowflakes for the most part.  If you happen to be an Eric Lilliebridge or what have you, that's awesome.  If you aren't, that's ok too.  Eric has come to me for training advice and pointers many times, even though Eric is obviously plenty stronger than I am (except on incline!).  One of the things that makes Eric great, is that he doesn't let his ego get in the way, and thus he keeps getting better.

Be strong, be in shape.

Eat quality food.  More of it if you are trying to gain, less of it if you are trying to lose.

Do conditioning.

Lift more this week in something than you did last week.  Try to repeat that the next week.

Let the chips fall where they may.

Happy Monday mother fuckers.





























Sunday, June 17, 2012

PoTP fixed.....

Issues with FetchApp are cleared up.  Good to go........

Training - Big Session #2 Lower Body

Bodyweight - 244

Deadlifts - 
135x3,3,3
225x1,1
315x1,1,1
405x1,1
495x1
515x1
545x1

Deficit Deads (on plate) - 405x,3,3,3

Speed Skater Squat - 6 sets of 10
Leg Curls - 2x15
Calf Stairs - 80 reps

Notes - Did this on 4 hours of sleep.  This is the start of me using the strong-15 short cycle, but broken up into 2 weeks.  So 1 week I will pull, the next week I will do my pause squat cycle.  

Shirts are still on back order and other misc........

I'm getting e-mails from guys asking about shirts.  The newest shipment has still not arrived.  As soon as it does, the shirts will be out the door THAT DAY.  I will also have black shirts coming in as well.  So as soon as this happens I will post about it.

AND SPEAKING OF SHIRTS!  You wanna see what the new shirt designed by Mike D of Killswitch looks like????




Also, I've gotten some e-mails from people about the spreadsheets that come with the PoTP e-books.  You can open those with Open Office or Google Docs version of excel.

Also, please check your spam folder if you make an order and did not get a link.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Small Session #3

Kettle Bell Rope Upright Rows - 6 set of 12-15 with 36 kilo? bell

God damn, this was so much harder than I expected!  

8 minutes straight of pushdowns with rope and db curls

242 pounds and I felt awesome.  Turned the corner.  Whew.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Contact with Jason Statham achieved......

...........sort of.  I managed to get ahold of his publicist and get a request in for the podcast.

I said I was serious.  Will it happen?  Probably a better chance of one of his ex supermodel girlfriends blowing me while we do the podcast, but you never know, and you can't win if you don't try.

Remember how I am always telling you fuckers to do SOMETHING INTERESTING WITH YOUR TIME?

This is just an example.

Now, do something interesting this weekend, bitches.


Thursday, June 14, 2012

Awesome testimonial......

Wanted to share the e-mail I got.  Big props to Jamie for this guys progress as well..........



Paul,


How´s it going man?
I´m glad to see the blog running so well. It seems that more and more people are seeing how valuable the stuff you write is. Awesome, keep it up.
Also, the podcasts with Jamie are just fucking fantastic.


Anyways, I´m just writing to give you a little update on my deadlift progress. I´ve hit a huge PR and I´m stoked.
After reading your stuff about how begginers could and should lift with higher frequency and after applying some stuff from Jamie´s deadlifting series, I started to pull more often.
I had a goal of pulling 4 plates till July, and since I felt I had it, I went after it this saturday.
Pulled some 5s, some triples and then loaded the bar with 405.
Guess what? It fucking flew up.
I was shocked at how fast it went up, so I loaded the bar with 20 more pounds. Bam ! Easy stuff.
It was still feeling easy, so I went for 435. Took a deep breath and fucking destroyed it.
I was pretty tired after it, but I might have 440-445 fresh.


Just wanted to thank you, since your writings played a huge part on me hitting this goal.


August 2011 - started training at 121 pounds BW, malnourished, couldn´t Incline Press the bar for 8 reps.
June 2012 - 435 deadlift at 163 pounds BW.


Thanks, man.

Thoughts about life, crap, training, and stuff

Lack of calories sucks donkey cooter.

I feel ok just walking around, and a single feels fine, but a soon as I go to rep something boy watch out.  Flip the switch right off.  It's not so much that the weight feels heavy, just that I have no "go".  Yes, I've been through this a million times before, and everytime I feel the need to bitch and moan about it.  Everyone who has cut calories knows how strength loss can fuck with your head.  I have a plan though, and I intend to stick to it.

That plan is.......

Get as lean as possible over the WHOLE SUMMER.  I have no idea what weight that will put me at, and I'm sure I will be weak as a kitten soon enough however the rest of the plan requires it.  Namely......

Eat up for a meet in Winter.  That means a lot of "kill-babies" style mass training over fall, and partly into winter.

My training plan for the rest of summer will still be to train 2 big sessions a week, and many smalls ones (usually 4).  Since my leg/hip is still not quite 100% I will be doing LOTS of pause squats on Saturdays or Sundays, then doing 4" block pulls the next week.  A shit ton of lunges or speed skater squats will be done after.

I wanna do more hamstrings but I hate hamstring work like my dog Buster hates squirrels.  And he kills the fuck out of those.

I also know I still need more traps and upperback.  But I have already put so much effort into getting those up to par, I wonder if any more would just be a waste of time.

I will be using the pause squat and block pull program that will be in the book.  However I will just be splitting them up (alternating them), week to week.

One of the really fucking awesome things about the new book and all of the templates in it, is that you can get creative with the programming and do something more individualized, rather than have to follow cookie cutter programming that everyone else does.

I will explain....

You could easily use the short cycle strong-15, and space that out over 10 weeks or so, squatting one week, and pulling the next, while alternating bench and incline (like I do) or bench and overhead.

You could use the block pull program, but do the back offs from the strong-15 deadlift routine instead of the speed pulls and stiff legs that follow it up.

You could grab the pause squat routine, and follow the pause squats up with the stiff legged deadlift section that comes from the block pulls.

Basically, there is enough programming in S-L-L, that you can really get creative and individualize programming to fit your specific needs, instead of just plugging numbers into the same spreadsheet everyone else does.  I'm not just excited for you guys, I am excited about this for myself, because I have so many options for so many different situations, based on what I need.  You guys are going to find the same thing once you start looking through it.

Now back to my plan.......

The plan has been for a long time, to be VERY lean at 242-245, and total more than 1800 beltless.  This is where I want to compete at, and stay at.  I feel I am very close to accomplishing these two goals.  I want to be able to eat up to that over a few months for a late winter meet, then possible continue on to 255-260 and hold that until spring, when I would start dieting to do a bodybuilding show (possibly....not sure after hearing all the horror stories over this past weekend from my BB'er friend).

I just want to write something I've written before.

Don't shun your friends aside for a chic.  They won't like it.  Especially when you've taken off work, put family time aside to take care of them, fixed them up on dates, and done all sorts of shit to make them feel better about their life.  That's all I'm going to say.

Shirts should be arriving any day now to go out to those who are on back order.  Also coming in with that shipment, is a shipment of black T's, and some ladies pink tanks.  I also may do a mens black tank with a different version of the fist and logo.  We'll see.

I also have a buddy that is asking me about doing posters.  I have no idea if anyone would want a poster.  I may get one for myself though.  I think it would look badass on my basement gym wall........

Poster?
The weekend is almost upon us.  Make plans now to do something spectacular with it!

Oh and I almost forgot, because of all of the questions Jamie has gotten in, we will be doing a CNBYE 8.5 tonight, a small half hour to 45 minute one, just covering a ton of training questions he has gotten in.  So look for that to be up in a couple of days.











Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Training - Big Session #1 - Upperbody

Bodyweight - 245

Pulldowns - 6 set of 12 to get loose

Incline Press -
bar x 20
135 x 10,5
185x5
225x4
275x3
315x2
365x1
315x8-4 50% set ugh.......

Cable Rows - stack x 5 sets of 12
Machine Dips - stack x 20

Notes - Tired as FUCK.  Low cals are taking a toll on rep strength for sure.  The 365 single felt fine but trying to rep 315 felt awful and after about rep 5 I could feel I didn't have a lot in me.

Book excerpt - Staying the course


Staying the course
In training and in life, sometimes, things are just going to suck. 
The breakup of a romance, the death of friends and loved ones, plateaus in lifting, and a whole smorgasbord of things that will take a toll on you.  I call it the shit Tsunamis of life.

Sometimes life can make you feel like this guy


There are times when it absolutely overcomes you, and you feel like there will be no end to it.  You are drowning in life’s misery and dreadfulness.  There is nothing but black and gray, and not a speck of light can creep through it.  You can't find your way because the sorrow, anger, bitterness, and strife make it impossible to see.  Makes it seem impossible to grasp ahold of the things you use to cling to.  Like being steadfast and patient. 



The parallel here in life and lifting, is that without a code and without goals, you will start to sway and wander from who you are, and what you want to be, or become.  You can one day wake up, and find that you have drifted endlessly for months or even years, suddenly realizing how much time has passed you by without making any progress in either endeavor.  The tsunami shit wave can continue if you allow yourself to be pissed off that you let so much time to go by without accomplishing anything. 

Generally we lose our way because we lose our code, and we stop asking ourselves the right questions.  The latter being the one we are usually the guiltiest of. 

Here is a fact.  The shit tsunami will eventually subside. 

What you do during the time that it is upon you, defines who you are at your core.  There is a saying that goes "hard times don't build character, they reveal it".  And when those hard times pass, you need to be able to look back and say you held steadfast to the things that make you who you are.  And you won't have anyone to blame for your poor decisions during that time.  No one likes to hear someone passing the buck.  You know why?  Because you get all the power over your OWN actions.  So own the shit wave, deal with, and be a fucking man about it.  
 
The whole point of having a code is so that when things are hard, you have a compass.  Things that you know to be right and true and can cling to, no matter how high the waters rise.  Things that say you live your life with strength and honor. 

I got this.....


Training is no different.  When you shit the bed because things aren't going well, and you have no training code, what do you have to get you corrected?

Another "routine"?  Fuck no.  You should always have a training code or philosophy that keeps you on track, and headed in the right direction.  So that when shit breaks down, you can return to the things you know will put you back on track.

“Squat, push, pull, condition.”

“Start light.”

“Set goals.”

“Be patient.”



When you have a code that you adhere to, you seldom get lost.  When you do, finding your way again is as simple as asking yourself one question…..  
  
“Am I staying the course according to my code?”

If you aren't, get back on the course and be steadfast. 

If you are, be patient.  You will be rewarded for doing so.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Small Session #1 and PR

Poundstone Curls - barx100 this is a PR.

previous best was 81

Skulls - 65 x 5 x 20

Vid.........

Two simple ways to make training more productive

Reduce Complexity - The less shit you do, the better you are going to get at the things you are doing.  The best squatters usually squat a lot.  The best deadlifters usually pull a lot, and the best benchers usually bench a lot.  The rest of their shit is usually irrelevant.  I have no idea what Konstantinovs can overhead press because everytime I see a video of him he's deadlifting and benching.  And guess what?  He's pretty fucking good at those things.

It's pretty simple, if you want to get really fucking good at a lift, do that lift.

The same holds true with eating.  I still see people arguing over keto, paleo, IF, CBL, and everything else.  While I enjoy trying new diets out, when/if I do a bodybuilding show I will do a very simplistic bodybuilding style diet.  And you know why?  Because that shit works, and has for decades and decades.

Anytime you find yourself stuck in a fucking rut, eliminate as much bullshit from your training as possible and you'll find yourself moving weight and making progress again.

Narrow down your big movements to the ones you can move the most weight on, that you can do injury free.  Throw in a handful of small movements to round it all out.

As far as eating goes, eat good quality food, get quality protein in, lots of vegetables, and clean complex carbs.

If you want to shed bodyfat, just keep the above going and reduce calories where needed.

It really is that simple.

Moving weight vs making muscles work - This is something that you can really only learn over time, but there is a total difference in making muscle work, and moving weight through space.

If you haven't been paying attention, in small workouts you should REALLY be trying to make the muscular area work.  If I had to make a list of movements where you are just moving weight through space.....

Squats, Deadlifts, Bench, Overhead Pressing of any kind, Incline, lunges.

Making muscles work.....

Side laterals, face pulls, curls, tricep work, lat pulldowns, rows, shrugs, uptight rows, leg curls, leg ext, flyes.

Neither are all inclusive lists, it's just an idea of how movements should be used.  And some of these can even be swapped out.  For example one could use the bench press to make his pecs work, however switching over to a machine or db's for that would work even better.

Use the right tools for the job.  The lat pulldown machine shouldn't be used to lean forward and then rock back so you can get the weight stack moving.  You should use it to work your lats.  Same for rows.  Why the fuck are you doing a sloppy as shit row?  Aren't you just trying to hit your rhomboids?  Well you may or may not be doing that when you monkey fuck the bar up, rather than pull it into you and squeeze your back together.

People may not know this, but I will give this little secret.  You can get big as fuck doing that.  Just a little FYI there.  Learning how to make a muscle work will also help you if/when it comes to rehab something.  Trust me.  It behooves you to learn the difference in these two techniques.  Yes it takes some time, but if you put an effort into learning that with the right movements, it will pay big dividends.

  Apply these two principles to your current training paradigm and see if it doesn't help you tremendously.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Chaos and Bang Your Ears 8 (it doesn't matter if it's really 8)

I can't say for certain if this is our best show, but I think it might be our most entertaining show ever.  Almost 2 hours.



Download link..........
http://www.4shared.com/mp3/R28P9Hjj/CnByE8.html?refurl=d1url

Here are the dominating topics...........




Training - Big Session #2 Lower Body

Bodyweight - 247

5 second pause squats -
135x5,5
225x3
315x3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3
405x1,1
455x1

Uhhhhhhhhhhh these are god damn brutal.  Quad is slowly getting better.  Might be back to full strength by the end of summer.  Still a very slight amount of pain but nothing that is keeping me from having to think too much.

Deadlifts -
225x1
315x1
405x1
495x1
605x1

Lunges - 2x10

Notes - Pretty worn the fuck out after deads.  Ate and drank too much last night, but still had a solid 80%er.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Small Session #4

Bodyweight - 242 weight is dropping like a rock

Incline Db Curls - 5 sets of 10 w 30's, 3 sets of 10 w 40's
Parallel Grip Bar Pushdowns - 5x10
Overhead Rope Extensions - 5x10

Cardio - 25 minutes at 4 mph.

Notes - Weight is dropping fast.  Feeling better.  Not going to worry about strength for the summer, that's what fall and the winter meet is for.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Even more on small workouts.........and ETA on Strength-Life-Legacy

Another installment of small workouts, and this time I wanna give some examples of all different types of small sessions.

To start, I wanna emphasize again that to me, a small session should allow you to leave the gym feeling better than when you walked in.  You should be able to do a small session while feeling like shit, hungover, or after getting kicked in the balls by the Black Stallion, or your ex-wife.  

Point being, these sessions are not "hard" in the way big sessions are.  30 minutes max.  And during that 20-30 minute time frame, you should be moving almost non-stop.  

For example I often just throw a couple of 25's on each side of the ez-curl bar and start doing upright rows.  I do as many as I can, then put the bar down long enough to shake the burning out, then go right back at it until I hit 100-150 total.  After that I'll hit some rear delt work, like the reverse tit machine, for another 100 reps with minimal rest.

Now it's pretty easy to decide what weight to use when you are doing to knock out a quick 50-100 reps.  

A light one.  

So some quick answers to some questions that have come in about small sessions.....

  • No, you don't want to do a top set to failure after all the volume.  The whole point is to NOT impede recovery, yet still get some growth inducing work in.  
  • Big movements that tend to lend themselves to being friendly with lots of plates on the bar are not good options.  Even dumbbell movements don't often do that.  For example, db bench press, db overhead press, etc.  Not good options.  
  • Soreness is fine.  I still get sore from light weights if I do enough reps, with little rest between sets.  
  • If you need long rest periods between sets, get your fat ass into shape.  
  • Pick 2 or 3 movements to go after and basically for the next 20-30 get 250-350 total reps in for the session.  Or something in that ball park.  
  • It hurts.  It ain't cancer bitch.  Deal with it.  

Small session examples/options - 

Traps, rear delts, back stuff - 
#1
upright rows - 45-65 pounds x 100-150 reps (as many as you can on the first set, then wing it from there)
bent laterals - 20 pounds x 100-150 reps, i.e. 4x25

#2
rear tit machine - something light x 100-50 reps, 4x25 or 5x20
side laterals - 15-20's x 100-150 reps

#3 
Prone bench rows - light as shit x 100-150 reps
Band Pull Aparts or Cable Face Pulls - 100-150 reps

Pecs - 

Light Flyes of any kind - 100 total reps

Biceps/Triceps - 
#1
empty bar curls - 100-150 reps
ez bar skulls - 65 pounds x 100 reps, 5x20 or 4x25

#2
rope pushdowns - 100-150 reps 4x25
incline db curls - 100-150 reps 5x20

Lower Body - Since I really didn't go over this much.  But, not a lot to work with here either, as most lower body movements can be systematically taxing.  

Leg Curls (any variation) - 100-150 total reps, 
Leg Extensions - 100-150 total reps
Calves - Pick something and go bananas.  

Closing - 

Small sessions are used to fill in the gaps.  Don't worry about progression so much as just being consistent with getting them in.  If you find you are getting stronger and stronger on what you can use for the total reps, that's awesome, but it's not overly important.  

Also, if you have a terribly shitty bodypart, it's fine to hit it almost every small session.  Remember, this is about prehab and filling in the blanks.  

Strength, Life, Legacy - 

Book should be out in 2 weeks.  I'm probably more excited than any of you about it.  

And for the love of God, do something fucking cool this weekend.  I don't care if that means eating a whole bottle of blueberry jelly.  Have something worth talking about and LIVE an experience.    










Thursday, June 7, 2012

Small session and the official LRB Facebook page

Well like Jamie, I finally bit the bullet on this one.  I hated making this thing, and I explain why on there.

Here it is.....

Lift-Run-Bang on Facebook

Here was tonight's small session -

Bodyweight - 247

Upright Rows  - 65x110 reps total
Side Lateral Machine - 100 reps total
Face Pulls - 3x25

tired as shit.  low cals and all.  but diet is working.


Shirts are now on back order

I didn't expect such a run.  I already put in an order for more.  So anyone who made an order after we sold out, just hang in there.  I should have a new batch in by next week and I will get them out THAT DAY.

Thanks a bunch for all you guys support.  Means a metric fuck ton to me.

And wait till you get the shirts.  They look fucking bananas good.

UPDATE - Shirts are already being printed and will have then out ASAP.  So if you make an order just be patient on it arriving.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

You asked for em...LRB Shirts are IN!

On the right to order...........

In limited quantity.  I don't say that to pull a marketing scheme on you, I think everyone knows me better than that now.  I say this because it's true, these were a little more expensive to get.  So grab one if you want one.


Training - Big Session #1 and the challenge.....

Bodyweight - 248

So Jamie and I had a challenge this week.

Max single on the klokov press, and then 185 for max reps.  On the rep set, all reps had to be paused before attempting another one.

Here is how shit turned out for me........

Klokov Press - 230




Klokov Press - 185x9





After this I was pretty spent, but still managed..........

T-bar Rows - 2 plates x 20, 3 plates x 20, 4 plates x 20, 5 plates x 10, 6 plates x 10, 7 plates x 8





Dips - Body x 40


Notes - Good session but energy was low from lack of food.  That's ok.  That's what I'm doing.


And guess what arrived at my house today fuckers..................will have the store set up for them by this evening.......


"Weekly" Q&A

Leave a name and a question.  And please, 1 question per person.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Small Session #2

Upright Rows w ez-curl - 115 x 6 sets of 15

That's it.

Chaos and Bang Your Ears 7

LOTS of training talk on this one.  One of our more quality podcasts in regards to training.......

Beating Cancer by Staying Fit


This article was sent to me by David Haas.  He wanted me to post it, so that people could get an idea about how exercise can help people as they go through cancer treatments, and people with cancer in remission. 




Beating Cancer by Staying Fit

When it comes to fighting cancer, research studies clearly show that fitness is
directly related to survivorship. Staying active, even when you not feeling well may
improve the changes in appetite, sleep, mood, nausea and fatigue received from
chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Fitness also lowers the chances of your
cancer returning.

Exercise Helps Both Young and Elderly

Exercise affects every part of the body. It can change key structural proteins within
your muscles and tendons. In fact, work in the field of bioenergetics at Indiana’s Ball
State University has found that older individuals who remain active have better
aerobic capacity than those who are young and sedentary. Age has little to do with
the way the body responds to exercise. That’s good news for both the young and
elderly who might be going through treatment for mesothelioma or lung cancer
because muscle and lung capacity can quickly increase when you become more
active.

Even Light Activity Improves Survival

Adding healthy activities to your day can be difficult when you’re feeling tired. You
know it’s important to take better care of yourself, but when daily life feels like a
battle, it’s difficult to find any motivation. Feeling emotionally drained doesn’t
encourage activity, yet exercise can make a major difference in the outcome of the
type of cancer you face.

A Nurses’ Health Study found that walking one to three hours per week resulted in a
reduced risk of death from breast cancer by 25 percent. Those who walked more,
between three and eight hours per week, had their chances decrease by 50 percent.
The study shows that even those who have undergone surgical intervention for
cancer can help improve their chance for survival. While you may having to start
slow, a short walk around the block every afternoon can greatly improve your odds
of winning the fight.

Staying Mentally Fit

Fitness is more than just exercise. It involves making lifestyle attitude adjustments
as well. If you approach fitness plans with the attitude that you are only exercising
because your doctor recommended it, you’ll quickly slip back into your old habits and
sedentary lifestyle. Fitness is as much a state of mind as it is activity, so staying fit
for your own reasons is extremely important to the outcome. Incorporating exercise
isn’t meant to make your life uncomfortable.

Try to shake things up now and then. Variety will help to prevent boredom and give
you something to look forward to. While walking the dog might be an essential every
day activity, it doesn’t have to be the only thing you do. Staying fit for yourself means

having fun. When you’re fighting cancer, not everything in your life has to be
stressful. Learn to appreciate the small things you often overlooked before. Take the
time to listen to the birds sing or watch the sun go down. Make every day special in
some way.

Staying Fit by Replacing Old Habits

When you’re trying to improve your odds for cancer survival or reoccurrence, even
small changes in your daily routine can amount to substantial differences. Just 30
minutes of moderate daily activity five times per week is enough to meet current
recommendations by the Cancer Society. Moderate activity involves many day-to-
day living activities you might not think of as exercise:


  • mowing the lawn
  • pulling weeds
  • gardening or yard maintenance
  • home repairs
  • scrubbing the bathtub or shower


Moderate activity doesn’t mean you have to break a sweat. Your heart rate should
increase slightly and you should breathe more heavily, but you should still be able to
carry on a conversation. While more intense activities such as digging, jumping rope,
swimming or playing a sport are all good ways to stay active, the type of cancer
you’re fighting and your current stamina and endurance levels will define the type of
activities you can realistically include in your life. While some people will have to
begin slowly by taking a gentle walk around the block, others with less aggressive
forms of cancer will be able to do a little more.

The important thing is to not allow your current condition to coax you into feeling
sorry for yourself. While you might not be able to do the things you could before your
diagnosis, when you focus on beating your cancer by staying fit, you open yourself
up to new possibilities you never had before.

Small workout #1

This was done last night......

bodyweight - 253
incline db curls - 35 x 4 x 15
ez bar skulls - 65 x 4 x 20

That's it.  

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Mountains and assholes


One of my greatest hurdles in life, as a man, was overcoming the need to meet other peoples expectations.

What I mean by that is, I stopped worrying about doing things to "prove" myself to someone else.  Who that person is, is irrelevant.  Could be my dad, or it could be some fat/skinny/weak jealous asshat sitting behind his computer.

I set a goal, for myself, and I go after it.  Not because someone says I can't do something, or because they tell me whatever it is I do isn't good enough. Fuck them and fuck that.  I refuse to walk a path decided by someone else, because he/she feels like I need to prove myself to him.

To these people I tell you, I owe you nothing.  NOTHING.

As a lifer, the only person I have anything to prove something to is myself.

Sound familiar?  It should.

It's the same speech that Fortune gave Rudy when Rudy talked about quitting the team.


You're 5 foot nothin', 100 and nothin', and you have barely a speck of athletic ability. And you hung in there with the best college football players in the land for 2 years. And you're gonna walk outta here with a degree from the University of Notre Dame. In this life, you don't have to prove nothin' to nobody but yourself. And after what you've gone through, if you haven't done that by now, it ain't gonna never happen. 

Rudy was was so blinded to all the things he had accomplished, because everything was for someone else.  He wanted to PROVE this to his dad, and PROVE that to his brother.  He failed at truly being able to breathe in the things he had accomplished because he was doing all of those things for all the wrong reasons.

Tell that bitch what's what, Roc....


Some might say "well without those people telling him he couldn't do it, he probably doesn't."

Perhaps.

And perhaps not.

But the ability to get it done was always there.  That isn't even up for discussion.  How he channeled it was the issue.

But in the end, someone had to point out all of the things he had accomplished, because he was so blinded by a negative energy to please other people.  People that never had to walk a single fucking step in his cleats.

Ahhhhh, there's that big empty destination I wrote about once before.

Evolution - 

Was I always like this?  Did I always posses this ability?

No.  Of course not.

I used to really care what people thought or said about me.  So much so that it fueled my training, my goals, my energy.

I think every young man grows up wanting the approval of his father, for example.  When your dad never acts proud of the things you accomplish, it can eventually wear on you.  And you wonder why it is that the man that brought you into this world, can't be pleased by anything you accomplish with great success.

You don't think I haven't been there?  Of course I have.  I was in my early 30's still trying to make my father proud.  And he was, he just didn't say it very often.  And eventually, that was ok.  And you know what happened?  Our relationship got better.  No longer when I called to talk, did I feel the need to talk about how much ass I was kicking at my job, or how much bank I was making, or what I lifted, or anything else.  We just shot the shit.  And we grew closer.  You know why?  Because I stopped giving a shit.  I don't mean in that in a negative way either.  I mean, I quit giving shit about qualifying myself to him.

Bam.  Instant gratification.

Over the mountain........

One of the most rewarding feelings, in all of life, is EARNING a long, hard fought victory.  Reaching a goal that you have bled for, had angst about, maybe even cried about at times.  To hit that mark.....fuck, you can't really put that emotion into words, can you?  And that's one of the best parts about it.  Is that it's all for you.  You don't have to share it with a single mother fucker on the planet if you don't want to.  It was something YOU set out to accomplish, and finally did.

You finally cleared the top of that particular mountain.

And there is nothing worse than to clear that peak, and have some asshole tell you how "you aint shit" or "that aint nothing".

Go eat a bag of Snuffaluffagus dicks.

More times than not, these words are from someone who needs to belittle others to make themselves continue to feel superior.

Did I used to do this?  Yes.  Of course.

When was it?

When I was constantly trying to prove myself to others as well.

See what a vicious circle negative energy creates?  Nothing is ever good enough.  No one you are trying to please is happy with your shit, so you'll be god damned if anyone else get any pleasure out of reaching goals and hitting milestones.  Fuck them, and fuck the world!!!!

This will kill you.  And by kill you, I mean it will kill your heart, and your spirit.  And don't tell me I'm getting to zen like for you.  I know what I speak of here.

It behooves you to release yourself of the need to prove your accomplishments to people because they will never have to live a single minute inside of your skin, or carry your soul.  If they choose to be proud of you, that's awesome.  But it's extra.  It's the hot model sitting in your Aston Martin.  It doesn't make the car any cooler, but it doesn't exactly hurt your feelings either.  However, you bought the car because you always wanted to have one.  Not because you wanted a gold digger sitting in the passenger seat.

Think about that.

I write this now because I know how living in that shitty existence can feel.  How it can wear on you.  And I can tell you how fabulous it feels to break through that existence, and live to prove things to yourself.  God damn, that's an awesome feeling.

Everyone else can go eat a bag of farts, all the while, you're killing it.

Killing what?

It doesn't fucking matter!  That's the best part!

Whatever it is you're becoming boss of, it's all about satisfying goals you want to achieve.  Things that you want to do.  And it's all coated in a positive energy that gives you constant feedback, that shit you do matters.  Fuck yeah.  That's called winning.  That's boss.  That's championship shit.

Now say championship shit 7 times real fast.    

Eliminating negative assholes -

Before you ask yourself if you really have low self esteem, or low self worth, you must first diagnose how many assholes you have in your life.  Some people don't realize it, but they surround themselves with assholes, and then think they suck because said assholes always tell them that they do.  This could be message boards assholes or your girlfriend or asshole friends who just suck in general.  It can be asshole family as well (and often is).

If this is the case, you must first rid yourself of people in your life that roshambo you at every single possible moment.  From urban............


roshambo1115 up339 down
a game; to kick each other in the balls over an object, last one standing wins.


You must also ask yourself, if you are one of the assholes that is surrounding other people that also act like assholes.  Basically, a large collection of asshole can never breed anything worthwhile, because assholes don't work that way.  Assholes only release shit, and get unnaturally fucked.  Does that sound like your life right now?  Hope not.

If you are an asshole, which you could be, you need to stop being a fucking asshole, and change your attitude.  How do this is described above.

Stop caring what other people do.  When you do hear about it, be happy for them.

Start caring what you do, FOR YOURSELF.  Don't give a shit if anyone else is happy about it BUT YOU.

This doesn't mean to isolate yourself either.  Far from it.  If anything, this attitude will make you a hell of a lot more level headed and enjoyable to your company because they won't have to hear you qualify yourself over and over again, about shit you have done.  You'll just bullshit and have a good time.  And they will too.

You don't have to be a record holder to have the power to shut mother fuckers up.  You don't even need to shut them up.  When someone asks you what you have accomplished you should be able to say what you have accomplished.  And when they say "well that's nothing", you can say "it's everything to me.  And that's all that matters."

You know why?  Because that's the god damned truth.  The mother fucking gospel.

You just have to have the power to not give a fuck what they have to say about it.  And that shit is EASY.



The tsunami shit wave of life can be brutal sometimes.  We all get one now and then don't we?  But remember that you will eventually get over that mountain top.  And when you do, remember that there is always the possibility, that the first thing to greet you over that mountain top, could be a fucking asshole.

Ignore assholes, and keep moving forward.  You got shit to accomplish while they stand there doing nothing aside from being assholes.

I write this not just for myself, and not just for my readers, but for a good friend dealing with some rough shit.

Cheers.