My moderately clean DC diet

My moderately clean weight gaining diet - I used this everyday for months a few years ago when I was training DC style. This took me to 255 pounds completely natural.

6 a.m. - wake - 2 scoops of vanilla whey with 16-20 ounces of pineapple-orange juice.

8 a.m. at work - heat up 6 egg whites + 2 whole eggs with turkey and cheese in it, in microwave. Oatmeal, 2 slices of bread with natural pean
ut butter, and a grapfruit.

10:30 a.m. 4-5 McDonalds Hamburgers

12:30 - 2 chicken breasts, 2 cups of rice, 1 bag of mixed veggies

3:00 - protein shake in water and 1 cup of oatmeal

train from 4 - 5 approx

PWO - 2 more chicken breasts or 8 ounces of red meat, rice, veggies

9:30 p.m. - shake in water

Training - Extra Pressing

Don't normally do this but last nights session felt so bad I wanted to get in some extra pressing so I just did a few warm ups and hit the 100's for reps on the seated press.

Seated Db Press -
20's x 50
60's x 12, 8
80's x 8
100's x 20,10

Will be doing conditioning later with some 7 minute abs.

Weekend PODCAST Q&A

We are supposed to have Jim Steel on, so keep in mind he can't answer certain kinds of questions because of his job.  To the pleasure of Faggatron, we will have to keep it mostly training related.

Go!

Training - Press and Upperback

Bodyweight - 244

Close Grip Bench -
bar x40
135x15
185x5
225x4
275x3
315x2
365x1
315x12

Incline Db Press - 120's x 12

Cybex Seated Row - 110 x 5x20
Rear Delt Machine - ??? x 4x15

Notes - Tired.  80%er but barely.

The Lifer Series - Part 5 - I will not care what anyone else can do...

The lifting part of being a lifer is probably the easiest things to define.  You squat, you push, you pull, you do some running and/or banging of some type of thing that gets you breathing heavy.  You do these things over a long period of time, and stay consistent about them, and shit eventually works itself out.  

But the real meat and potatoes of what I think about, when I think about being a lifer, are the lines that run parallel between the chasm that is lifting, and that is life.  

The first law in the chasm parallel is this one -

I will not care what anyone else can do; it affects me not.  

For a long time, I sat and looked at the computer screen at those words, and I thought about what to write.  That I could write about all the years that I spent hating who I was, or better yet, who I wasn't.  I could write about how I never felt like anything that I accomplished never meant anything or that I never measured up to anyone.  I wanted to do something that defined me.  That made people admire me, or at least, admire that thing that I did. 

"Fuck yeah, I need that.  I want that more than anything.  The admiration of my peers and my family.  That will mean I'm worth something.  Something I do that is remarkable, something worth bragging about."

I could write about that.

Or, I could write about how I hated other people who did things that I wanted to be able to do.  That I hated sometimes when they received the adoration of their superiors and peers.  Not all the time, mind you.  Just when it was something I too wanted to be good at.  

"Fuck that asshole.  I hope a dog-man runs out of the god damn woods, full of aids and hate, and bites him in his asshole and tears his kidney out through it!  DIE DIE DIE!!!!" 

Ok so that's not really true.  I know that dog-mans can't have AIDS.

Maybe my hate wasn't really THAT venomous either.  But I do remember feeling awfully shitty about myself, and feeling somewhat jealous towards said individuals for standing in shoes that I so wished to be wearing.

I thought, I could write about all the years that I tried to do so-n-so's routine, because "if I do this assholes routine, I will look like that guy.  Hell yeah.  Champion."  

To my amazement (not really) I never ended up looking like Mr. So-N-So because of his routine.  Nor did I know he had a pharmacist to help him look like that, and of course, I did not.  Little did I know about drugs (little? ok nothing at all), and little did I know about how basic shit does the job.  Not fancy routines or hopes and promised dreams of 30 pounds of muscle from glossy covered muscle rags.

I had not really discovered chalk, blood, callouses, and vomit in regards to training.  Those things were alien to me because I knew not of how important they were.

You can't blaze a trail without knowing the importance of fire.  

I thought I could have written about all the years where I made no progress, and felt very content with myself for no god damn reason at all.  Whether I lost my drive or desire, I have no idea.  However eventually I woke up one day and realized....

"holy shit I've been lifting the same things for years and years now.  I'm not any stronger.  I'm not any better.  Fuck, I'm caught in the weight training version of Groundhog's Day!"

I could have written about that.  I thought better of it.

What I thought I'd write about instead, was how I learned how to grok not caring.

Some people think that's a negative statement, or that it is stained in black, then lacquered in a coat of apathy.

Hardly.

Learning how to not care, eventually gave me all of the things I wanted.  Because it allowed me to let my negative energy dissipate, and made me stop focusing on things that had I had zero control over, and no real meaning in my life.

If some guy deadlifts 850 what does that really have to do with me?

Nothing.

If some other guy looks like a more jacked version of Conan, what did I lose or gain from it?

Nothing.

What?  Motivation to get better?

Motivation is fucking bullshit.

From Strength Life Legacy.............

Motivation
Motivation is bullshit. Getting better should be something you’re already about. Not
something you need to be goaded into. I’m not saying some things don’t light a bigger fire
under your ass than others, but if you have to seek out reasons to get better, you’re
losing. Meaning, If it requires some outside force to resonate with something inside of you,
you aren’t in possession of what it takes to get better all on your own.
How will you CONSISTENTLY get better if it requires the dangling carrot to do make you do
so?
At some point you have to decide that getting better is just a part of what you are. What
makes you, you. When that happens you won’t need “devices” in order to get better. It will
just be something you do. If you were isolated in a room with your weights for 10 years,
would you get better without the influence of external forces? I hope you can say yes to
that. If not, figure out how to say yes to that. 

Think about that never ending vicious cycle that you go through.

You train on a "routine".....
Shit goes well for a while....
You get injured, sick, injured-sick, sick-injured, fuck too much, get shot, whatever....
Training goes into the shitter....
"Daawwg this routine sucks.  I think Immu bout to do that routine ol what's his name posted up.  He's jacked as hellz.  Shit be tigher than a muh fucka.  Gotta get my swole on now."

This kind of energy burns very hot, and anything that burns very hot, will not last.  Motivation is for people who look to something else because they are driven by external stimuli to help get them better.  So what happens when motivations wanes, or it becomes clear that said goal won't be attainable?

You stop getting better.  

All of this....this whole cycle comes back to being motivated by something external.  Some "external device".  Usually, something that has no bearing on you, your life, what you can become, or what you could be about.

You then spend the next many years in this vicious circle, and you become so dizzy from the round and round of it, that all of that time goes by and you never realize........you've never gotten any better.

Why?  Because you cared too much about what others thought.  You cared too much about measuring up to someone else, or something else.

It's possible that you even quit, and became a veteran.  You know, "I used to lift........but"

Everyone who is "lifing" it hates that guy.  Everyone used to be something.  In high school he benched something or squatted something.  Then his training vanishes into the graveyard.  Occupied by the souls of guys who never loved the clanging of plates like they loved their weekend beer, frat parties, and high school prostitutes that were fresh on campus.

That guy didn't care in the wrong way.  He didn't love the iron.  He wasn't a lifer.

When you grok the ability to not care what other people do in the weight room or with their physique, your energy can only go into one place.  WHAT YOU CAN DO.

Now, suddenly all of that energy that you used from "motivation" that burned so hot, cools down.  What replaces it however, is a constant warmth that never goes away.  You're never too up, and never too down.  A bad workout doesn't make you feel like banging yourself in the crotch with a claw hammer.  You understand that the "downs" are there for a reason.

You set realistic goals, because you are now focused on what YOU can do, and what's the best way for you to realize how to make these goals come to fruition.

Confusion dissipates, and it's replaced by steadfastness and an unwavering resolve.  You realize.....

"I'm running a race.  It's not a sprint, but a marathon."

You look around, and you realize, there's no one running it but you.  All the other "competitors" are gone.  There's no one to catch up to.  It's all about you, and your journey.  Those feelings of steadfastness and resolve are now accompanied by peace as well.

"This is really all about me.  I get to run this race at my own pace.  I can set a solid pace, that gets me where I need to be, that's based on my abilities.  I can enjoy this journey.  I can see the end of the race in the distance, but for now, I'm just going concentrate on the road right in front of me, because I know if I do that, I will eventually get there.  Let's do this shit."

The top 4 things you could be doing better - Part 2

In part 1 of this series I wrote about fixing your diet and sleep issues.  The other 2 problems everyone chimed in about was conditioning and mobility.  So let's go over both of those.

Conditioning - 

 There's not a thing in the world, to me, that feels better than being "in shape".  I mean when my bodyfat levels are low, and I can just go and go and go.  That feels fantastic.  It feels even more fantastic when strength levels are solid.  That's when you really know you have training, diet, and conditioning dialed in and you feel like king shit.

That's magic right there.

For those of you who know you should be doing conditioning more, or making a bigger effort to get your conditioning in, let's go over some ways to do that.

Stop looking for great parking spaces - 

Every time you go to the store, park way the hell away from the entrance.  This is an easy way to get an extra 5 minutes or so in, plus walking around the store at a solid clip counts as well.  So don't lounge around walking at a snails pace while getting groceries or whatever kind of shopping you are doing.  Move fast.

So the next time you spent that extra 5 minutes trying to find the best spot near the door, remind yourself that this is a great opportunity get in an extra 5-10 of conditioning, and park way the hell away.

Take the stairs - 

Quit getting in elevators and walk the god damn stairs.  'Nuff said, fatty.

Finish the day up with a walk - 

Lots of people think they can't get conditioning in because "steady state has to be done fasted, blah blah blah".  Not true.  Just do it at night, for 30-45 an hour or so after your last meal, and a couple of hours before bed.  I actually prefer this method more times than not, as it gives you a chance to decompress from the day.

Make it part of your warm up - 

Hit the treadmill or just hit the block for 10 minutes before your training.  Use the first 5 minutes as a nice warm up, then walk like you're being chased by a guy on bath salts for the last 5.

In closing, making conditioning a bigger priority isn't that hard.  Just fit it in when you can and then have day or two set aside during the week where you just concentrate on conditioning work.  If you're really out of shape, remember the motto about "big picture" and just use the conditioning program I laid out in SLL.  Getting in shape is good, and good for you.  Just like doughnuts.  Wait........

Mobility - 

Writing about doing mobility work, for me, is like writing about doing Unix operating system work.  Dull, boring, and monotonous.  Blllaaahhh.

So let's make getting mobility work in easier, shall we?

Red pill or blue pill?  -


In the rehab section of SLL, I laid out a lunges matrix to use for rehabbing IT band problems.  You can use this same lunge matrix daily, or before a squat or lower body workout, or after it.  I suggest you simply write it in as part of your lower body day, and a big part of your lower body mobility issues will be fixed.

How hard was that?  Not hard.  Not hard at all.  Do 5 rounds of 10 of each type of lunge in the matrix after your leg work, and you will be fried.

Stretch after your conditioning - 

Hip flexor stretching is especially important.  Just do the stretching in between the different kinds of lunges in the lunge matrix and at the end of your evening walk.

See how you can combine shit to make it easier?  I know.....awesome.

Stretch before bed - 

Put up a little sign that just reads "mobility" somewhere in the bedroom as a reminder to stretch before you hit the sack.

Foam Roll your whole body everyday for two weeks - 

The first week use a normal foam roller if your shit is all fucked up and everything hurts something awful.

The second week get on the PVC pipe or the rumble roller if you have access to one.

After two weeks you will feel amazing in terms of mobility and/or tightness.

In closing, I want to say I hate all of your for picking mobility so much because then I had to write about it.  So get your mobility work in just in case I ask this question again, so that mobility is not an issue.

Thoughts about life, crap, training, and stuff

So I went and saw the new Batman flick.  It was good.  Solid.  I didn't cum in my pants 14 times as I watched it, but it was solid.

I really can't believe that I haven't read anyone talking about the very ironic parallel between the shooting that happened opening night with this movie, and what happened in the actual movie.  It stuck out to me like a sore thumb.

Spoilers below in case you're one of those faggoty bitches that complains about someone telling spoilers without a "spoilers" warning.

When Bane puts the police below the city, and then arms the criminals, the ordinary citizens were reduced to helpless victims at the hands of the criminals.

When law abiding people are forced to give up their guns, they are at the mercy of the crazies.

The movie theaters and malls have "Gun Free Zone" signs they put up on the doors of the entrance.  In other words, if you have a conceal to carry, you can't bring in.  So you keep the people who have lawfully underwent the process to be a law abiding, gun-toting citizen from having his weapon, and then outlaws walk in armed to the teeth, with no one to stop them.

The sign these assholes should be using

I think it's stupid on a level that is hard to comprehend.  But then again, some micropenis having dipshit weasel bitch said I was the dumbest man on the internet, so what the fuck do I know?  Oh yeah, that was Faggatron reborn.  Either way, I also want to say that I fully embrace my role as dumbest man on the internet.  There's gotta be some money and fame that comes along with being #1 at anything on the internet, right?  Fuck yeah.  

Back to the topic....

I have no idea why people think that gun control is the answer.  Even funnier to me, is that these hypocrites always want to legalize drugs because "the war on drugs is stupid", yet plead to the masses that we need to get rid of guns, and need more gun control.

In other words, a war drugs is stupid but the war on weapons needs more ammo.  Pun intended.

It's no different than any war on anything that you're not winning.  If the shit you are doing isn't working, try something else.

Everyone knows the definition of insanity right?  Keep trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

Gun control laws do NOT stop psychopaths and/or criminals (usually one in the same) from acquiring guns to kill people with.  The people who abide by gun control laws, are the people who are NOT likely to run around killing people with their guns.  This is shit a 3rd grader can understand, yet almost all of one side of our political party, cannot.

The movie theater was Bane.  It forced the law abiding citizens to be defenseless by taking away their protection.

The gunman was Anarchy.  Once Bane put the police underground and freed the criminals, the law abiding citizens were subject to the violence and lawlessness he unleashed upon them.

At some point, we have to get people to understand that an armed society is a polite society.  Criminals think twice about pulling a gun for fear that 4 guns could be staring back at them.  This is where we should be headed as a society, however the fear mongers and spineless pacifists in this country continue to try and neuter us from being able to adequately defend ones self against someone packing heat.

Since I am a Ron Paul supporter...............

In our own country, we should be ever vigilant against any attempts to disarm the people, especially in this economic downturn. I expect violent crime to rise sharply in the coming days, and as states and municipalities are even more financially strained, the police will be even less able or willing to respond to crime. In many areas, local police could become more and more absorbed with revenue generating activities, like minor traffic violations and the asset forfeiture opportunities of non-violent drug offenses. Your safety has always, ultimately been your own responsibility, but never more so than now. People have a natural right to defend themselves.

If you are a gun control support kinda guy, I personally suggest you take a big shot of testosterone, man the fuck up, grab that thing you call your head that is buried deep within your asshole, and pull it out.  

It is not the job of the police to protect you from crime.  Their job is to enforce the law and maintain law and order.  It is YOUR JOB to protect yourself, and your loved ones.  Take the steps necessarily to do that.  If you hate guns, grow some fucking balls and get educated on them.  Go learn to fire them safely, learn how to store one safely in your home, and teach your kids about them.  If a criminal breaks into your home with a gun to kill you, what's that saying about bringing a gun to knife fight?  Yeah.  You need to be able to meet fire with firepower.

Now for the weather.......

That aside, as for the movie itself, sorry but as I mentioned I was not blown away.  There were no "OMG" moments for me in the entire movie.  The story was well done, and I enjoyed it.  But it did not cause fireworks to spontaneously burst out of my ass.  On a 1-10 scale I'd give it a mild 7 to be honest.

Also, there were two kids sitting in front of me snuggled up so close you'd have thought they were former foster siblings that had just been reunited.  They would not stop flapping their gums and after about an hour, I leaned forward between the seats and said "would you two kindly shut the fuck up."  The boy leaned forward and turned around as if he were going to get lippy.....until he saw me.  Then he just said "sorry."  No more sounds were made.

Also speaking of Batman, I wish I had a dollar for every person that told me I should have been cast as Bane.  That's great.  Except for I wasn't, and would have loved to made a few million dollars for just looking like I do, and fake beating people up.  It's not like Hardy had a bunch of Shakespearean lines to recite in this thing.  I think I could have pulled it off.

I could have done this.......better.

The new Strength Life Legacy shirts are for sale in the store now.  They are the best looking shirts I have had made, no bullshit.  Pics do not do them justice.  I only have 30 available after I send all the free ones out with the book, so if you want one you better grab it fast.

Speaking of the book, as soon as it hits my doorstep I will let everyone know, and do my best to get all of them shipped off that day.  I will also put the paperback up for sale that day both here and on Amazon.

I threw a VIP party for some of my friends at Angel's Rock Bar this weekend and we had an incredible time.  Phil Stevens came with his lovely wife, and bought us all dinner.  We then proceeded to party until about 1 or so (I know, I'm weak sauce), and I threw a guy out of our section (literally) for trying to dance with my wife, who had told him "no".

Training feels good again.  Squats felt ok Saturday, and my leg seems to be slowly healing.  Still a slight amount of pain, and I'm so itching to get some weight on the bar but I will be patient.

I will be doing a AMA in the sub-reddit section called "Swole Acceptance".  Basically, to talk about how guys that are "swole" have to endure both sides of the spectrum in terms of positive and negative connotations with how they look.  Look for it Tuesday night at 5 P.M. CST.

There was no CNBYE last night, I think Jamie and I may wait until this Sunday to get back on schedule, or may do one this week.  I know Jim Steel wants to do one with us, and that would be such a privilege to have him on.  I'm sure I will talk to him today and we will get it all worked out.  

I had one of the best weekends in forever so I'm in a pretty jolly mood this morning.  So I hope everyone has an amazing fucking Monday.