Rick Hussey of Big Iron Gym passed away this past week. I'm not a gear whore nor do I appreciate or like geared lifting, however Rick made sure his guys got strong without gear as well and used some very basic, proven training methods up there. So I always appreciated the things he did. He will be missed throughout the powerlifting community.
The 'Reem tore through the K-1 tourney. That guy is pretty much unstoppable at whatever it is he decides he wants to do. And he's a self made guy. He's not a guy that was tearing through MMA at the beginning of his career. He's gotten better throughout it. I really don't care about the roid accusations. Everyone from Sonnen to Carwin to Sherk uses. I don't care. It doesn't bother me and never has. When Wandy was tearing through Pride I loved it. I didn't care or give two shits whether or not the guy was juicing. Good for him, and bad for people who look down on guys who will do anything to compete at the pinnacle of their sport. Especially when you are entertained by it. It's not like guys can just take shit, then not train or show up for camp or do all of the things required to still be the best. If anything, I have found that guys that use are usually the hardest workers and most dedicated to their craft. That's because they will do anything to be the best. It's the naturally gifted that tend to be the laziest it seems.
Fly Like a G6 - Worst fucking song I've ever heard and easily the worst song of 2010. For me, possibly all time. For the life of my I can't figure out how or why people will to listen/buy this shit.
Hot cocoa mixed in with coffee = delight
Playoffs are here. Suck it Raiders, Broncos, and Vikings. I also hate the Falcons but somehow they ended up as the #1 seed in the NFC. I don't think they will make it to the big dance however. And the playoff seeding has to change. I don't care what anyone says. You should never be blessed with a home playoff game with a losing record. This is just absurd. And people can say it's knee jerk, but it's not. We've had plenty of years where teams with 10-6 and 11-5 records sat at home while 8-8 teams made it in. That's stupid and ridiculous. This is a simply solution. You need to win your division with a better than .500 record. If you are 8-8 or worse and a division winner, you do not qualify for the playoffs and a team from another division that would have been the last wild card slot, and everyone that was below that division winner moves up one. Easy.
I have been thinking lately about trying some strongman stuff. Just for a change of pace and fun. Strongman kind of incorporates strength in with endurance (well, the WSM stuff does) which is really more of my cup of tea. We'll see. I think it would be fun.
Back in movie watching mode again! Some quick reviews.......
The Town - Awesome. See it.
The Story of Anvil - Very well done, and very depressing if you are a music guy. Depressing if you aren't too. God bless those guys.
Inception - Finally saw it. Wasn't as good as everyone made it out to be, and didn't need to watch it 10 times, but it was incredible solid and worth a watch.
Some interesting discussion I've had this week on muscular development vs strength. Matt Kroc touched on this a few weeks back as well. Look, if you want to get bigger, get bigger. You need to decide if that is the goal. If it is, you can't be a powerlifter first. Powerlifting is NOT the best way to get as big as you can get. It's just not. I've done every style of training you can think of, and good ol bodybuilding wins out on the hypertrophy front. There is a reason that bodybuilders train the way that they do. Training to failure in a medium rep range as heavy as you can wins. Period. This isn't even a discussion anymore. If you want to get big really fast, that's the best path. Conversation over. If you want to get as strong as you can in the 1 rep max mold, lots of singles, doubles, triples, and some 5's will work. However you aren't going to get a lot bigger training this way. Especially in comparison to the other way. Food is still the main driver. However if you are training low rep for power and strength and eating a shit load, you're just going to get fat as hell. Training high rep/high intensity/high frequency will get you the biggest in the fastest possibly manner. Training the big 3 once per week with low reps is not the best way to get as huge as possible. So remember what you are training for. With that said, training for strength will give you SOME size, and training for growth will give you some maximal strength. Doing 1 for the other isn't optimal however. So train accordingly.
Those of you who don't spank your kids...shame on you bitches. Is there anything worse than spoiled rotten ass kid running around in a store, talking shit to his parents, acting like a complete ass hat? No, and it's your fault. Spankings go a long ways. And don't argue, you won't convince me otherwise.
I wrote a novel two years ago. Am now working on part II. I love to write (duh) and I have had all of these stories in my head since I was a kid. My wife, bless her, talked me into writing the first one a few years ago and it was the best thing I ever did for myself. It's been a great outlet for me.
I am getting my first tat. I'm not sure when, but it's going to happen. It will be big too. If I'm going to get a tat, I'm not getting no little shit that no one can see. I am thinking on my forehead. I'm kidding. Something across the shoulder/back/chest wrap around region.
Anyone who reads my blog and likes it please click on the google adsense like crazy.
I'm really toying with this shirt idea. To sell some t-shirts but I want to get something cool done. I will wait until I can pour more time into it.
I think I'm more beat up overall right now than I've ever been. It's not because of anything I've done wrong really, it just comes with the territory. I have plantar fascitis which just jumped up on me. I didn't increase my running suddenly or anything like that. I blew out my adductor on a squat day where I felt just fine. My elbow tendinitis has been going on for years. So.....I can't run....can't squat or pull heavy.....can't press. That pretty much covers the training bases. Agitated? Yes. Depressed? No. I will rehab the adductor, as I have many times. I am being good to my elbow because I want to bench 450 in the next year, and being stupid won't let that happen. I have dealt with plantar fascitis before, so I know with some rest it will eventually go away. Don't let these kinds of things ruin your everyday life. Anytime you have a pendulum swing in one direction, it swings just as hard back the other way. I have found this to be true over and over again. So I don't sweat it that much.
I hope everyone had a happy and safe new years!
Strength Life Legacy
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Training - Stuff???
Well, I can't press heavy. Which sucks the mayo off of an aids sandwich. So I went into the gym tonight and thought I'd hit the actual muscle groups the best I could.
Pec Deck - 5 sets of from 25 reps down to 8 with almost the full stack.
Chest Press Machine Bullshit - 3/4 of stack for 8 with a parallel grip
Side Laterals - 25's x 15, 30's x 12, 35's x 10, 40's x 8,8
Upright Rows - 115 x 5 sets of 10
Rope Pushdowns - 5 sets of 10-20
Moved super fast, resting maybe 30 seconds between each set. I hate this kind of shit. Right now, I can't squat/deadlift heavy, can't press heavy, and can't run. I feel like slaughtering a village of midgets who lip sync pop songs. Super pissed off and agitated right now, but what can you do? It comes with the territory.
Pec Deck - 5 sets of from 25 reps down to 8 with almost the full stack.
Chest Press Machine Bullshit - 3/4 of stack for 8 with a parallel grip
Side Laterals - 25's x 15, 30's x 12, 35's x 10, 40's x 8,8
Upright Rows - 115 x 5 sets of 10
Rope Pushdowns - 5 sets of 10-20
Moved super fast, resting maybe 30 seconds between each set. I hate this kind of shit. Right now, I can't squat/deadlift heavy, can't press heavy, and can't run. I feel like slaughtering a village of midgets who lip sync pop songs. Super pissed off and agitated right now, but what can you do? It comes with the territory.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Training - Deadlift
Squats -
225 x 3 sets of 5
Deadlifts -
225 x 8
315 x 5
385 x 3
455 x 3
505 x 3
Notes - Just getting the reps in tonight. My adductor still hurts pretty bad. So it will probably be another couple of weeks before I can go all out again.
225 x 3 sets of 5
Deadlifts -
225 x 8
315 x 5
385 x 3
455 x 3
505 x 3
Notes - Just getting the reps in tonight. My adductor still hurts pretty bad. So it will probably be another couple of weeks before I can go all out again.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Series Review - The Walking Dead
So several of my friends told me I had to watch this show. I love Zombie flicks (well done ones!) and I was pretty interested in the fact that someone would make a series about the apocalypse.
So I watched the entire series from start to finish and I must say, I was very disappointed overall. Not that it's not worth a watch, but there are just some major holes in the plot that I couldn't let slide.
Spoilers be ahead. So if you hate spoilers don't read.
Ok so the story is about Sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes, who wakes up in the hospital after being injured in a shoot out with some bad guys. He has no idea what is going on, leaves the hospital to see the apocalypse outside, dead bodies everywhere, etc. makes his way back to his house which is now deserted. However he believes his wife and kid made it out alive because all of the pictures and photo albums are gone. He gets some help from a guy and his kid, then goes back to the police station to get some guns and a squad car. The guy tells Rick that there is a stronghold in Atlanta, and that he should go there, that his wife and son could be there. Rick gives said guy a radio and says he will radio him each morning at dawn to let him know what is going on in Atlanta. So off Rick goes........
I don't want to write too much about the series, but I am going to touch on some of the bullshit parts of the series........
So I watched the entire series from start to finish and I must say, I was very disappointed overall. Not that it's not worth a watch, but there are just some major holes in the plot that I couldn't let slide.
Spoilers be ahead. So if you hate spoilers don't read.
Ok so the story is about Sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes, who wakes up in the hospital after being injured in a shoot out with some bad guys. He has no idea what is going on, leaves the hospital to see the apocalypse outside, dead bodies everywhere, etc. makes his way back to his house which is now deserted. However he believes his wife and kid made it out alive because all of the pictures and photo albums are gone. He gets some help from a guy and his kid, then goes back to the police station to get some guns and a squad car. The guy tells Rick that there is a stronghold in Atlanta, and that he should go there, that his wife and son could be there. Rick gives said guy a radio and says he will radio him each morning at dawn to let him know what is going on in Atlanta. So off Rick goes........
I don't want to write too much about the series, but I am going to touch on some of the bullshit parts of the series........
- Rick's best friend and partner, Shane, is banging his wife Lori, 17 minutes into the Apocalypse.
Ok on a timeline scale, we're talking maybe a month has passed since the Apocalypse went down. Rick and Lori have been married for a long time, have a son they adore, seem to have a great relationship from all accounts. Well Shane tells Lori that Rick died at the hospital and a few weeks go by before she's letting him go balls deep up in her.
I tried to somehow figure this out. My wife finally goes "Dozer died 4 months ago and you still get upset and aren't ready for a new dog. This chic is banging her husbands best friend less than a month after he tells her he's dead."
Check and mate.
I mean I could see it if say several years had gone by, but a month at best? No flippin way. This isn't some psycho woman. This is a woman that appears to have, outside of this choice, good character and morals. Yet she isn't mourning her husbands loss at all. In fact she's getting nailed face down, grub-worm eating style in the woods by his best friend, and like a kid at MacDonald's, she's lovin it!
WTF???? Sorry. This is so stupid I can't even suspend reality enough to buy this in a zombie Apocalypse show.
Second, they missed the real boat on this. The story line could easily have been Shane constantly struggling with leaving his very best friend behind. I don't fault him for that one. There were zombies at one end of the hall way, and military at the other end killing EVERYONE. There was no way he was going to get Rick out alive. He barricaded his hospital door to give him protection from being eaten by the zombies, then left. They could have shown the internal struggle he had with leaving his best friend. They could have shown him telling Rick's kid how awesome his dad was, and how he would do everything he could to protect him in his absence. When Rick shows up later, alive, they could have let Rick forgive him and you see an awesome friendship rekindled. But no, they totally fucked it up with this retarded shit.
I could never get past this ridiculous plot in the story.
- Less character development and more action, or suspenseful moments.
There is a scene where two sisters sit in a boat and talk about fishing with their dad. This scene goes on forever and really has no bearing on anything. I am all for character development but this was maddeningly boring, and never endeared me to either of the characters. You can easily build character development, like they did with the father and son who saved Rick, and it not be boring. There were parts through some of the episodes that were beyond boring and seemed like filler.
- Bullshitty moments
Trying to escape the CDC at the end, the one woman decides, with 3 minutes left before they die, to announce that she has the grenade that Rick had on him from the tank in Atlanta. Why has she been holding on to it all this time? Stupid.
Living in the woods? Really? No protection in case the zombies run you over, which happens later. If you are going to live in the woods, how about building some big giant tree houses and some Zombie death traps all around the outskirts? Even better, how about finding a small town to live in, clear out the small number of zombies then barricade the town up and start stocking up on supplies?
No gasoline? Really????? Ok look it's only been a month or so since the Apocalypse happened! There should still be plenty of vehicles with gas and gas stations with gas. Why on Earth are these people having such a hard time finding gasoline? Stupid!
The part where Rick and the Asian kid cover themselves in guts and blood. I liked this part. However when the rain comes, it takes all of about 5 seconds of rain for the zombies to smell them and get after them. Really? What the zombies have a super heightened sense of smell? No, I don't think so. When it rains, you can't smell anything but the rain. It's overpowering! Second, even if it did rain it wouldn't wash off all of that blood and guts in seconds. Just dumb as hell.
Closing.....
This series has potential and I will probably catch the next installment, but they had better stop with the dumb shit or I will be done with it after that.
Living in the woods? Really? No protection in case the zombies run you over, which happens later. If you are going to live in the woods, how about building some big giant tree houses and some Zombie death traps all around the outskirts? Even better, how about finding a small town to live in, clear out the small number of zombies then barricade the town up and start stocking up on supplies?
No gasoline? Really????? Ok look it's only been a month or so since the Apocalypse happened! There should still be plenty of vehicles with gas and gas stations with gas. Why on Earth are these people having such a hard time finding gasoline? Stupid!
The part where Rick and the Asian kid cover themselves in guts and blood. I liked this part. However when the rain comes, it takes all of about 5 seconds of rain for the zombies to smell them and get after them. Really? What the zombies have a super heightened sense of smell? No, I don't think so. When it rains, you can't smell anything but the rain. It's overpowering! Second, even if it did rain it wouldn't wash off all of that blood and guts in seconds. Just dumb as hell.
Closing.....
This series has potential and I will probably catch the next installment, but they had better stop with the dumb shit or I will be done with it after that.
Updated Star Ratings
These are newer with power cleans added. And some changes have been made to other lifts as well.
Squatting x 5 (raw, belt only):
275 - 315: 1 star
365 - 385: 2 stars
405 - 455: 3 stars
495 - 545: 4 stars
585 +: 5 stars
Benching x 5 (raw):
205 - 225: 1 star
245 - 275: 2 stars
305 - 325: 3 stars
365 - 385: 4 stars
405 +: 5 stars
Dipping x 5 (bodyweight NOT included):
40 - 50: 1 star
60 - 80: 2 stars
100 - 135: 3 stars
150 - 180: 4 stars
200+: 5 stars
Deadlift X 5 (no straps, no hitching, conventional style):
275 - 315: 1 star
365 - 405: 2 stars
455 - 495: 3 stars
545 - 585: 4 stars
600+: 5 stars
Military/PBN x 5(seated or standing, no push presses):
165 - 185: 1 star
205 - 215: 2 stars
225 - 245: 3 stars
255 - 275: 4 stars
285+: 5 stars
Barbell Curls x 5 (strict, no cheating on any rep)
65 - 85: 1 stars95 - 115: 2 stars
135 - 155: 3 stars
165 - 175: 4 stars
185 - 195: 5 stars
Power Cleans x 5 (no straps):
1 star - 185x5
2 star - 225x5
3 stars - 275x5
4 stars - 315x5
5 stars - 350x5
Squatting x 5 (raw, belt only):
275 - 315: 1 star
365 - 385: 2 stars
405 - 455: 3 stars
495 - 545: 4 stars
585 +: 5 stars
Benching x 5 (raw):
205 - 225: 1 star
245 - 275: 2 stars
305 - 325: 3 stars
365 - 385: 4 stars
405 +: 5 stars
Dipping x 5 (bodyweight NOT included):
40 - 50: 1 star
60 - 80: 2 stars
100 - 135: 3 stars
150 - 180: 4 stars
200+: 5 stars
Deadlift X 5 (no straps, no hitching, conventional style):
275 - 315: 1 star
365 - 405: 2 stars
455 - 495: 3 stars
545 - 585: 4 stars
600+: 5 stars
Military/PBN x 5(seated or standing, no push presses):
165 - 185: 1 star
205 - 215: 2 stars
225 - 245: 3 stars
255 - 275: 4 stars
285+: 5 stars
Barbell Curls x 5 (strict, no cheating on any rep)
65 - 85: 1 stars95 - 115: 2 stars
135 - 155: 3 stars
165 - 175: 4 stars
185 - 195: 5 stars
Power Cleans x 5 (no straps):
1 star - 185x5
2 star - 225x5
3 stars - 275x5
4 stars - 315x5
5 stars - 350x5
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Running your 5/3/1 template
I have yet to figure out why so many people have trouble with a template that is so easy and straight forward as Jim's 5/3/1.
Deadlifts -
Yes there are a lot of ways you can run the template, but the core philosophy of it is straight forward and simple.
I already outlined how I am running it in another article, however here as some other things you can apply to the 5/3/1/ template...
Running the ladder -
This is one of the things I do in my template. Basically you end up running up and down the 5/3/1 percentage ladder. So you do 5 total sets.
65%x5
75%x5
85%x5
75%x5
65%x5
This is what I do on the weeks that I am just getting the reps in. So I end up doing the 5 total sets for some extra volume. As noted before, if you have programmed correctly, you could have the flu, as I did a few weeks ago, and still get all of these sets and reps in. If you can't, you probably went too heavy.
Strip sets -
Strip sets are a tried and true intensity technique for building mass. So one of the ways you can use the 5/3/1 ladder in order to do them is to run up the ladder to the top set then immediately do two strip sets with the previous weights.
Running the ladder -
This is one of the things I do in my template. Basically you end up running up and down the 5/3/1 percentage ladder. So you do 5 total sets.
65%x5
75%x5
85%x5
75%x5
65%x5
This is what I do on the weeks that I am just getting the reps in. So I end up doing the 5 total sets for some extra volume. As noted before, if you have programmed correctly, you could have the flu, as I did a few weeks ago, and still get all of these sets and reps in. If you can't, you probably went too heavy.
Strip sets -
Strip sets are a tried and true intensity technique for building mass. So one of the ways you can use the 5/3/1 ladder in order to do them is to run up the ladder to the top set then immediately do two strip sets with the previous weights.
65%x5
75%x5
85%xmax reps strip -> 75%xmax reps -> 65%xmax reps
This would take a serious toll if it were squats or deads, so what I would describe as "max reps" is really leaving a rep or two in the tank. For bench and overheads obviously it would not be as tough. I would suggest running this for 1 lift per cycle and then come back to it on the next cycle and run the ladder for a few weeks, then push the top set to see if you can hit a rep PR.
Back offs and change ups -
This one is a classic and fave of mine for pressing. Simply get the reps in all the way to the top set. Then use the previous weight and go all out for a back off. Another thing to do after that is to use the very first weight used in the ladder, but switch it off to a different movement.
For example...
Bench Press -
65% x 5
75% x 5
85% x 5
75% x max reps (back off)
Wide or Close Grip Bench Press - 65% x max reps
Squats -
65% x 5
75% x 5
85% x 5
75% x max reps (back off)
Pause Squats - 65% x 5
Deadlifts -
65% x 5
75% x 5
85% x 5
75% x max reps
Stiff Legs - 65% x max reps
Military -
65% x 5
75% x 5
85% x 5
75% x max reps
Standing PBN - 65% x max reps
Notes - The most important part about any programming is to be smart, and not overestimate what you are capable of. This is why so many programs fail. Guys want to add 50 pounds to their squat, dead, bench, etc in 30 days and fail to see the big picture, which is made up of patience and consistency. Undershoot your max in your programming and then reap the rewards of a higher one down the line because you were smart.
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