The twisted views and life lessons of a gym rat and fitness professional 2010.

As I sit here and ponder daily the many issues that have crossed my plate over the past few months, the past year, and decades that I have spent in the gym as a coach, athlete, mentor and student, I thought it might be fun to write down just a few of the lessons learned. Lessons many coaches, athletes, training partners and facility owners miss the boat on. This is by no means a list that’s has any rhyme or reason to it. It has no order of importance or chronology. It is not all inclusive, and certainly just because I write more on one part doesn’t mean it’s more important of a point, some things are better left unsaid or in minimal. These are just a few things I have seen, and dealt with close enough in the past year that they stick in my head now at this moment as I go to peck this out.


Live life to the beat of your own drum.


























Yes we should all use and borrow the footsteps of others to guide us. There is not much that hasn’t been done, but only the path of those who trekked the journey you are meant to before you. Dont get side tracked down trials meant for others. Walk in the footsteps of those that have been there done that, but don’t fear or delay when it’s time for you to go on that part of the path that is all you, and you alone.

Separate is not equal

Easy enough I don’t need to explain this just read here,

Don’t judge a book by its cover.















This one is deeper than any of you might think, but oh so true on so many levels. I am not talking only about a subject I have written extensively on, that of not judging a person’s worth not by what they look like, but what they can do or have done. Though sadly like no other time in the past that’s what our sick shallow world has come to. I am talking about not judging anyone by how they look on the outside. The way they appear, or the persona they portray to the world. Sadly many times that is a false façade. This has come back to bite me more than once. A person puts out this projection to the world of being this upstanding respected person, only to find out when you dig deeper and get closer they are nothing they appear or project. Keep your doors open to new friends, relations, and mentors, but don’t judge the worth of the house by its paint job, paint can hide a lot of flaws you don’t want a part of.

Joy

Plain and simple it should be first and foremost in all you do. If you don’t enjoy what your doing stop and find something you enjoy. This means all things in life. Relationships, work, and yes training. This was a huge one for me this year on many fronts. I often do see this in training. People trudge away doing what they feel they should in fitness, usually endurance based activity, all the while hating every minute of it. It takes a level of maturity even in fitness to accept and pick what you enjoy. For me that was accepting and enjoying getting stupid strong even if that meant not being uber lean. What happened when I accepted this? I was sure not as lean as prior but for once I was happy, I was proud, I was self confident, and I find passion, progress and joy each and every time I walk in the gym to train. I am training for me, my passion, and my joy, not for what someone says I should do. Find your joy in training, find your one in life, find the things that make you tick and don’t worry so much about what others think. None of their thoughts really effect you and will all not matter one bit when you feel the joys of someone or something your truly passionate about. Start living your life by some I wants and I loves, not I should.


Perfection
















Strive for perfection but also have the maturity and humility to realize and admit you are not perfect. I started to learn this and love this in art graduate school as I worked toward and attained my masters degree in oil painting and then found it as well in training. A love for striving for perfection and an equal joy in knowing I would never reach it. No matter what in art, in training and life there is always more we can do, it’s never perfect. If it were truly perfect we might as well stop as we would never do better. There is always a better painting we can do no matter how good our last was, and there is always one more pound to add to the bar that will trump that perfect lift.

I’ll stop there. I think even those few lessons if learned and lived by all can help to form a great 2011 and life to follow. Don’t continue to miss the boat on such lessons one can learn in the gym but relate so well to the rest of life

Power Update #2

In this episode Mark and I talk Meets, Deadlift, Duct tape, big vs Fat, Chad Aichs DVD, Big squats and more.



Click Here to Listen

Christmas Eve Training

Speed box squat
135 x few
225 x few
315 x 2 x 2
365 x 2 x 2
405 x 2 x 2
465 x 2 x 2

speed DL
315 x 2 x 2
405 x 2 x 2
495 x 2 x 2
585 x 2 x 2


and a nice little holiday Message From Ginger Lady and Christmas Tree. Some of my best editorial production work yet.

Traibning Peaks and Valleys

One Can’t Live at the Summit

Upon getting to the top of one mountain, take a gaze and see what other mountains are within your reach. Just make sure to take a little break before tackling it.1

We all want to be on top of our game. Yet, no matter how much we think we can or want to be, we have to get it through our heads- WE CAN’T BE ON TOP ALL YEAR LONG!

Plain and simple, I don’t care what the fitness magazines and/or the popular media portrays. It is all lies. If you’re training hard and trying to get to the extremes in your chosen sport or profession, you cannot peak all year long. Individuals must realize that the majority of time is spent ramping up or coasting down the sides of a mountain. In between we spend a brief moment at the summit, enjoying the view.

The Journey

At times, you’re going to face hurdles, injuries, etc, during the ascent. During this time period, it may feel like each successive step is like trudging through quicksand. We all have these moments. They are something we have to accept and move past. By overcoming this difficult step, or even taking a few steps back, we can get back on our way towards whatever summit we’re striving towards. Upon reaching the summit, be sure to enjoy it. The view from the top is great. It allows us to see things we’ve never seen before… This includes summits that reach even higher than the one you currently find yourself standing on.

Take Pride but Don’t Rest on One Peak.

You have a few choices upon reaching the peak of one mountain. You can either rest on the mountain you’re on or go after the one you see in the distance. This is a simple choice. You are done if you try to live life on the memory of one crest, one trip to the top. It’s a continuing journey. We must press on to new goals. However, before you can ascend the next mountain, you must first get off the one you’re currently standing atop. This involves a journey back down into the valley for rest and recovery. This is required such that you’re physically and mentally ready to ascend the next, more challenging mountain. In other words, you must stop, step back, and reload before you can reach for those new heights.

Having the ability to accept that your trek now leads to a temporary state of being de-conditioned is key. It’s those who realize and accept this fact that climb the entire mountain range; not just one peak. They learn their mental and physical limits; when to take a step back and when to push on in their training. They are fully aware that healing, resting, and having fun at all stages of the journey, not just the summit, is key to success. This is in contrast to those who never rest in the valley. This latter group often burn hot, burn bright and burn out in a short matter of time. They never really reach what they are capable of accomplishing simply because they never taking a rest from “pressing the limits” in order to break new ground.

A Perfect Example – Elite Athletes

Athletes train months on end to peak for a single day or event. During this time, they are slowly ramping things up, taking their bodies to higher and faster extremes in order to stand at the summit. With each successive step towards the top, they add increasingly greater amounts of stress to their bodies. In return, their body physically adapts in a way that allows them take a swing at the fences for one event or season. Although these moments at the top are nice, the journey to get to that peak level of skill often leaves athletes physically and psychologically drained. Upon completion of the season/event, a period of rest and de-conditioning is needed such that they are prepared for their next trek.

The same goes for a nutrition protocol that has you reaching for extremes. The body can only take so much before it has to begin to break. You can only sport that ripped “veiny” six pack so long before you MUST, take a break. The body will limit you. You will start to lose things. Muscle mass will go, general health, cognitive function, state of well being will as well. It’s just like being obese, the body can only handle it so long before it breaks.

Remember, extreme leanness IS NOT a state of fitness or a marker of great health. One’s body cannot naturally sustain itself for extended periods of time at ultra low body fat. Again I don’t care what popular media or supplement companies portray.

Wrapping it up…

You have to take an athletic mindset to your passions, your work, and realize it has to be a labor of love. Look forward to training, to the next challenge. Take each step knowing that the way to the top is usually not a straight line. There is inevitably going to be a few plateaus or even steps backwards on your journey to the top. When these events occur, keep your focus and refuse to let your eyes drift from that final destination. Similarly the downward journey may be a quicker descent than you’d like. This is not a bad thing. Both physically and psychologically your body needs to recover as it has just been pushed to the point of breaking in order to stand at the summit. Accepting a fall to reach that next top is what separates those who will succeed from those who will continue to widdle away in mediocrity. Upon recharging the mind and body you’ll be ready for your next great ascent. I look forward to seeing you at the top.

References

1 Image taken by Rick Kimpel. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.Image accessed on Dec 23, 2010 from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/18606128@N00/181622538

Separate Is Not Equal

Do you give the same intensity that I do? In my real world, and always in my gym or fitness related world that is all that separates any of us from one another. I don’t care how many plates are on the bar. If I am pulling 800 and there is a young lad next to me trying for his first 135, If he is giving the same intensity, focus, drive and passion as me that’s all that matters, he has my respect.

There are simply too many variables to measure things any other way. Any other way would have you comparing apples to oranges. Jill may be into marathon running, Jack into highland games, Tommy is a bodybuilder, Cheryl is into Olympic weightlifting, Billy is a powerlifter and Joanne is a fitness model. Add onto that each of these people is at a different stage in their development of their respective goals. Then as well let’s say Jill had this injury, Jack was born with this defect, etc. etc. we all have our own hurdles. In the end they are all equal if they aim, shoot, strive, and pursue their passion each and every day with the same intensity as one another. (Just so it is said, to actively and purposely pursuit rest and recovery, and do so intensely, is also part of the game. Many people forget this and you are missing the boat if you don’t. Billy the powerlifter, or Jill the marathon runner may be actively sitting on their butts, eating,and getting massage for a week. That doesn’t mean they are slacking. They are making advances to their goals. Maybe Billy just got done with an intense cycle of training that saw him hit his first 500lb deadlift, and Jill just ran a 50K. Both of them need, and their bodies demand, rest and recovery to advance.)













The sad thing is you won’t see this across the board in the industry. Not from the trainees, athletes, and sadly not from all coaches and facilities. What you sadly see in most is segregation. Segregation not just among the emphasis (ie. Bodybuilder, powerlifter, thrower, crossfitter, runner etc.) but also segregation within a group by skill or strength level. You will not however see this at the facilities that are producing the most astounding results and individuals in mass numbers. The best facilities and gyms I have been in there is a collectiveness, not a segregation. The physically strong are side by side with the weak, the bodybuilder with the runner, the ying is with the yang. You all can learn, grow, and feed off one other. In my mind the perfect facility in much like the ones I trained in during my time in Thailand and much like many I have chosen to call my home since. A facility not of sheeple, not a facility where everyone is trying to fit a singular mold, or a facility of segregation and separatism, but one more akin to an ant colony. A facility full of individuals. ( ie worker, drone, gatherer, soldier, caregiver, all different but all equal) Individuals with goals as varied and wide as our own tastes and passions, and yet a facility where everyone, as long as they are striving passionately toward their own goals at bettering themselves, is held in the same regard, and is seen as someone to look up to, respect, and learn from. It breeds an atmosphere that’s has everyone excelling, everyone accepting and giving constructive criticism for further growth as well as positive praise. An atmosphere that weeds itself, those who don’t have the drive and will power to push to their goals with the same passion, or those who are full of themselves to the point of it being harmful are self weeded.

















What happens when you throw Daniel in the lion’s den? He steps up and becomes stronger than ever. The same happens to Johnny 95lb deadlift when he is thrown in, accepted as an equal, and trains side by side Jimmy 800lb deadlift and Sally 700lb squat. He gets stronger, more confident, and does so in leaps and bounds. When there is a collective nature everyone benefits. When I see an endurance athlete push themselves to their limit in search of their goal it pushes me, it pushes me as a strength athlete to keep doing the same toward my own passion even though it is far different





























In the end we have much more in common with one another than we have apart. Over my years I have lived and learned from all walks of the physical trade. I have been mentored and taught by those physically weaker and stronger than me. I have trained and excelled in facilities that’s work as a collective whole, and seen the passion, education, growth, and community it bleeds across the spectrum. As well I have been in and trained in facilities that shun and segregate those weaker or those of different sects, closing their windows and doors to further growth and seen the mediocrity they produce even among their internal elite. (think globo gym with their segregation of anyone strong enough to pick up a weight that will make a noise when its set down regardless of how much you try to lay it quietly to rest)

Those who grow and excel don’t dismiss, they accept others, others of difference and learn what they can from them, draw from them, grow form them and take what they can use. They breed a positive and proactive demeanor to all they come in contact, and surround themselves with the same. As well, the best and strongest are also the most humble of their ability. The most kind and giving. The most confident and full of pride and first in that’s self comfort to accept others even those of a different feather knowing they can help and learn from them.






















Lose the separatism, lose the chip on your shoulder, realize no matter how damn good you are there is someone better, and no matter who much different someone is or how much stronger you are than the other they just may have faced something that’s gives them the ability to help you learn and grow. Be an ant, not a sheep.

Bench training

easy day

It was a long night with a sick little girl and long day. I went in just long enough to hit an easy bench opener even though I was dead tired and elbows sore

worked up and hit an easy and long paused 380 lbs then called it and hit two sets of inverted body weight rows.

Openers are set

Monday last somewhat heavy day.

squat
just work up close to an opener and find out how the hip will react
135 x a ton
225 x some reps x some sets
275 x 1
315 x 1
365 x 1
405 x 1 easy cheesy
Ill open at 430ish and then hit 500ish and 525 none should be hard and hopefully wont hurt the hip to much. if I can get thriough the pain as well the 525 should have me rank elite on my opening deadlift even with a bum hip

Rack pull at knee
just wanted to feel 800 in my hands
405 x 1
495 x 1
585 x 1
675 x 1
756 x 1
800 x 1 easy cheesy it felt light.

few abs and back extensions

Friday and sat training getting ready for the deload and coast

Friday

I did speed squats
nothing fancy just working the squat vs bands to pretty much parallel

worked up to 405 x 2 x 8
started to hurt less and less as it went on

then speed pulls 3 inches from ground 585 x 1 x 8 vs quaded minis.

I alternated sumo and conventional none of them felt great but not horrible

some abs and hyper extensions


Saturday
just decided to push the strict press again

worked up to another new PR 280lbs thats not bad if I am able to keep this up in 280 weeks I will be strict pressing 1000lbs LOL

did a few pull ups but my elbows were light up so stopped thats after about 5 sets of 5

thats except some stretching.

I was doing some stretching and massage at home as well and has really aided the knee aches.

Adding a picture just to see how much adding this image spikes the page views when I post this on facebook. I know all your dirty bastards will follow the link to view the page when you see the thumbnail.

Chad Aichs DVD Final Review

I will keep it short and simple and use a line I use often and one Chad uses at the end of this 3 hour, 2 DVD set.

"Perfection is likely unattainable, but that doesn't mean I am not going to strive for it on every set and every rep and in everything I do"



Thats what this DVD is all about teaching people what perfection is and how to get that technique. I have some variances from what Chad does here but thats across the board in any coach we learn and borrow and find whats works for us and thiose we work with to get them into the positions we want.

Over all this is a great DVD and I love the huge stress throughout on the importance of form and that yes these moves (squat, bench and deadlift) are inherently simple, but behind the curtain there are all these little things going on and even at the highest level you have one or two ques in your mind at all times while you strive for big weights and perfection and that technique is not something learned in a weekend it's something you work on every singles session as long as you lift.

I really think you all will like this DVD when it comes out,

good work Chad on your first DVD

Chad Aichs New DVD coming up

I'm reviewing it now and will have more thoughts later but for now....

Just a few minutes into it I'm loving his stress on form and technique. That's actually what the whole first DVD is about, not making you strong but technique, technique, technique, and some stretching thats will aid that technique and let your body reach the right positions.

That Strength is good alone, technique is good alone, but neither are great stand alone, Put them together and now you got something.

I firmly beleive this and it is what has gotten me as far as I have, Just hours and hours and days of technique work and its what has lead to people telling me more than once after a big deadlift. "you just lifted more then your physically capable" and its true. I couldn't lift the loads I have unless I fine tuned and continued to fine tune exactly what I needed to technique wise and get in the correct positions for me to be my most efficient.

Bench Training Wednesday

warm up = shoulder stuff

Floor Press
bar x some
135 x some
185 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 1
365 x 1
405 x 1
415 x miss

CG Floor press
185 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 5
315 x 3

incline DB Press
some x 3 sets

inverted rows
some x 6 sets

triceps work right arm
3 sets

Power Update #1

Listen to Hairy and Smelly (AKA. Phil Stevens and Mark Bell) in Power Update #1, Mark and Phil discuss current issues in powerlifting, strength training, CrossFit, etc. in the first of an informal series audio podcasts.













Just what is Mark Looking at On me???

click here to listen

GM's

some warm up crap

Spider bar GM's
135 x some
225 x somr
275 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 1
405 x 1`
455 x 1
495 x 1
545 x 1
585 x 1
635 x 1
675 x 1 epic fail I just folded and aborted see in video below

SSB Supported squat
135 x somer
225 x some
315 x 5
405 x 5

foam step ups
10 x 3 sets

GHR
x 2 sets

abs x 2 set

Iron Radio With Johnny Pain

John (pictured below) joined us to talk shop on Iron Radio.

Click the here to listen to the show



















Next week we have Jesse Burdick from Prevail Powerlifting joining us.

Benchin wednesday

shoulder warm up
various things plate halos, some rows, etc

Chest supported row,
one light set of 5 for each set of bench

Bench pres
bar x some
135 x some
185 x some
225 x some
275 x 3
315 x 3
335 x 3
365 x 3

Bench v Monster Mini bands
135 x 1
185 x 1
225 x 1
275 x 1
315 x poop
255 x 2
225 x 5

DB OH press
4 sets of some weight x some reps

Chest supported rows
4 sets some plates x some

triceps push downs
4 sets

Pull downs
few x a lot

F&%K Average

Pushing anything past that of the average will have negative impacts. Aches, pains, giving other things up to achieve that which you strive. Being the best athlete, the best artist, guitar player, or mommy & daddy. Accepting other some things will suffer is all part of not being average. Simply accept that fact first, ...who wants to be average anyway.

Average is easy and painless, its also passionless and empty.

Two Great Progress reports from clients

I had to great progress reports come in form clients that I have worked with in person and now at a distance.

First John.

His progress is good but very impressive when you consider the fact we had to not work on of his arms at all due to a jacked up shoulder we had to work around and let heal. No pressing and limited pulling with that arm

He was still able to do the following in 12 weeks

Squat from 285 max to 325 max
DL from 315 max to 365 max
Bodyweight down .4lbs
BF% down 1.2%
LBM up 2.55lbS
Waist down .5 inches
Chest up .5 inches
Shoulders up 2 inches
Thigh down .25 inches
Calf down .5 inches
Upper arm up .25 inches

I've also gotten some major thickness in my back, and veins are popping out in my shins and arms. If it wasn't for the shoulder, I'm sure I'd be doing even better.

Then we have Paul the incredible

This progress was frigging amazing to where I had to call Paul and question him.

we added nearly 85 lbs to his bench in 6 weeks and 10lbs to his deadlift and hit all his year end goals three months early.

OK, so now for the bragging. In week 5 I hit 300 on my bench...for 2! ya baby, 3 months ahead of schedule. in week 4 I hit 405 on my DL and Im repping my squats with 205. I havent tried a max on the squat yet but its no doubt up. I cant hit 15 chins yet but I hit an easy 10 strict ones and usually do my 10 sets x 5 reps now instead of 3.

My weight was 195lb, loose 36" pants, 15 1/2" arms, 48" chest. I dont really care about my weight but use it as just a barometer, however I am now 205lbs, loose 34" pants, 17" arms and 50" chest...and I feel great! Stronger than I've ever been. Oh ya, lost 2.5% more body fat. Down to 15%. This is way beyond my expectations and making me hungry for more. :)

UM are you getting that? waist down 2 inches and weight up ten lbs. Up wards of 100lbs added to big lifts in 6 weeks, inch and a half on his arms, Bodyfat % down 2.5% despite his weight going up. and no Paul is not 18 years old, he's in his 40's.

However, with all that said the best thing is..my wife. She really noticed and it turns her on! I decide one day to help her go grocery shopping before Thanksgiving, as were moving along through the grocery store, i'm pushing the cart up ahead of her (you know, trying to speed things up) and she comes up behind me and says, "Wow". Im like, "what"? she says, "man, you should see your back when your pushing that cart, you have muscles popping out all over. That's worth the price of admission right there as far as Im concerned. After 22 years, not much gets her going that I don't already know about. :) This does.

So, you want to throw caution to the wind and eat like theres no tomorrow for thanksgiving with out feeling guilty? I did. I did an A session the day before, ate like a starving Somali on Thanksgiving, did a B session the day after and lost a freaking pound. Nice.



Great work Guys and thanks for the progress reports.

ME lower Training

Zerchers
bar x some
135 x some'
185 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 1
405 x 1

sumo Rack pulls few inches below knee
405 x some
495 x few
585 x 1
675 x 1'
765 x 1
785 x 1
slow as molasses but didnt feel heavy just slow

back extensions
some x some x 3 sets

abs
some x some x 3 sets

glute bridges
some x some

rows
some

700 deficit DL from the other day

Press and Pull-Ups

Pull up ladder
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, 11, 12

strict press
bar x some
95 x some
135 x 5 x 2
185 x 5
225 x 3
245 x 1
265 x 1
270 x 1 PR
275 x 1 PR
185 x some x 2

shrugs, band push downs and band curls,
some x some x some

Speed squat and DL

man I can tell I have been lifting heavy of late things felt pretty damn slow today not heavy just slow.

pull sled x some

box jumps x some

speed squat
me x some
135 x some
225 x some
add briefs and strong bands
225 x 1
315 x 2
365 x 2 x 3 sets
385 x 1
405 x 2 x 1 set
415 x 1

never worn briefs, I tried on Jesse's old worn out briefs, they didnt give me any help I could squat right down in the with nothing on me but just gave pressure on my bad hip. did it help?? not sure but these felt ok On the hip

speed DL from a deficit
135 x 1
225 x 1
315 x 1 405 x 1
495 x 1
545 x 1 x 4
585 x 1 x 2

foam steps ups x 100 reps
1o sets of 10 reps

abs
some sets for some

How did white get so good?

As I sit here and eat white potato to cram in more caloires in a tasty way I ponder the state of white in the world.













In so many things in life white is seen a positive. White wedding dress vs black funeral dress,






























white magic vs. black magic, on and on. Even though its a touchy subject, rightly so, even skin color in our oh so recent past and sadly today for some; pale, white = good, and color, black = bad.

Yet in the food industry white vs color in reality is usually bad, and foods devoid of substance. Much akin to the two colors in the art world. How White is the lack of color and black is all color.

White bread vs your hearty whole grain bread, white potato vs a nice dark sweet tater.. HMMMM??

In the end it's just not a black and white world, food included. No color IMO in anything in life is inherently good, bad, or better than another, white for damn sure included. I know some white things, and people who I wouldn't even pee on if they were on fire.


















To have a full, fruitful, happy, and healthy life we should embrace the gamut of the color spectrum in all aspects of our life. Food, friends, family and surroundings.

I'm just a big ole white boy that's loves to lift heavy weights, and enjoy all things in life from dark green brussel sprouts, to red of blood as it trickles from the nose of a lifter during a max effort attempt, from a purple egg plant, to the golden glow and rich brown that comes from a big hunk of meat cooking over an open flame. Color is the spice and variety of life. Embrace them all and learn to see things for what they are not how they appear. Food included.

There is some interesting discussion going on about this here if you care to read it

Bench Training Wednesday

I was tired feeling ran down beat up. losing sleep and appetite so just came in and did the main move and walked away to get some extra rest.

This close to the meet I didn't want to miss out but know the extra rest will pay off.

Bench
bar x some
135 x some
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3

3 Board
365 x 3
385 x 1
405 x 1
415 x 1
375 x some x 2 sets

Iron Radio With Geoff Starling

Today's Iron Radio show with Geoff Starling
Great show we talked about bouncing back from surgery.


Listen Here

Deficit deadlifts

Glute Bridges by a LOT
one leg two leg cross legged and other wise while Jesse pointed at me and laughed and called me a sissy and inflexible. had my back already getting pumped some came into Dls not feeling 100% but its work I need bad

Deficit DL's
135 x 5
225 x 3
315 x 1
405 x 1
495 x 1
585 x 1
635 x 1
675 x 1 Jeese stopped calling me names after I lifted this which made me feel warm and fuzzy inside
700 x 1 has to be some kind of PR
560 x 5

I was very happy with this as I had no idea what to expect the way i was feeling and since its been so damn long since I did heavy deficit pulls, like several years.

KB swings
3 sets x 1 minute
1 set x 30 seconds

cooked, back locked on right erector due to the pump.

Back extensions
just left leg by a couple sets

had to stop and ice my back with 3 ponds of Alaskan salmon out of the freezer for 30 minutes

then a few lest of left leg reverse hypers

and few sets x some of abzzz and called it a day

good day

should have videos in a few days

Last two days

Speed Squat day

Speed squats vs Average bands
I forgot to write it down but something along the lines of
worked up to 405 x 2 x 8 sets

speed sumo DL vs dbl over average bands
495 x 1 x 8

beck extension and abs
5 sets x amrap

**********************************************************

OH press day

shoulder was hurting so went with Pin presses at forehead to not cause shoulder pain.

Pin press
bar x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5
205 x 3 x 2
225 x 1 x 10

Pull ups x 100 reps
did 20 sets of 5

DB press some x 10 x 5 sets

foam roll

benchin before turkey day

Got a bench session in the day before Eat A Bird Day

YTA's x some x some
Scarecrows x some x some.
Plate halos x some x some

Bench press
Bar x some
95 x some
135 x some
185 x 5
225 x 5

Add reverse bands
225 x 5
275 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 3
385 x 3
405 x 3
425 x 1
445. X 1
455 x 1
475 x miss
340 x 9
I had never done these prior so thats baseline, as usual weak triceps

Db press x 100lbs x some x 3 sets

Tbar row x some x one set for each set above

Incline db JM press x 3 sets

Inverted rows bw x 3 sets.

Db press x a lot x 2 sets

Tri push downs and curls
Some x some x some

PLing 101 seminar

Two great coaches Mark Bell and Jesse Burdick whom I respect are giving a seminar on PLing Dec 5th. If you want a crash course in PLing 101 this is a good place to get it, and hell even the lunch is catered Just make sure you get your before Mark eats it all

check out more details by clicking here

Max effort Lower

Body weight still stuck in the low 260's

DL
Came in not knowing what to expect just that I want to go heavy from the floor.
1) DL
135 x some x some
225 x some
315 x 3
405 x 2
495 x 1
585 x 1
675 x 1
725 x 1 smoked it, easiest 725 I’ve hit and first time hitting it not in a meet 25lb Gym PR
Then it was suck time
2) Foam block step ups
100 reps
I did sets of ten with the safety squat bar on my back, left leg was a bitch, right leg not so bad but still 100 reps sucked

3) sumo stance KB swings
3 sets of one minute with one minute rest
75lb KB
My lower back locked up these blew

4)Lots of reverse hyper one leg at a time and abs 5 sets

5) Cable Rows
3 sets x AMRAP

ended up being another great day at Reactive Gym
800lb DL will fall just like in the image below

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OH Press and pull ups

OK day decided to go up in strict press today and see where it is

Strict press
bar x some
135 x some x 2
185 x some
205 x 1
225 x 1
245 x 1
255 x 1
265 x 1 (pretty sure this is a strict press PR)
210 x 5 x 3 sets
happy with this the hardest thing about strict pressing is getting the body NOT to use even a bit of knee bend just not natural.

Jake and I are going to have a race tyo 315, he is 5-10lbs ahead of me it just started today we will retest in jan.

chins
some (anywhere from 1 - 15) x 13 sets

Rope climb just arms x 1
prob should have done this before all the damn chins

DB OH tricep extension
amrap x 3 sets

band push downs and Hammer curls
amrap x 5 sets

thats it good day

Speed Lower Day

It ended up being a rushed day for me got the speed squat and DL in had to skip the assistance

warm up pull sled a few hundred yards

Speed squat + strong bands
to foam bad
Bar x some
135 x 5
225 x 3
315 x 2
365 x 2 x 3sets
405 x 2 x 4

Speed DL
135 x some
315 x 1
405 x 1
495 x 1
545 x 1
585 x 1 x 6

nice and easy felt good

Great second day training at reactive gym. Jesse told me to try the foam and that shit worked, I was able to get pretty damn low and load some weight on the bar and had no hip pain during it will be interesting to see how it feels over the next two days.

Iron Radio with Dan John

Here is the Dan John episode from today, You can find it on the Ironradio.org web page as well as soon on podcast alley and Itunes

Click here to Listen and download

benching again

OK yhea I am benching two training days in a row. You got a problem with it. To damn bad.

I am changing up training days as I am training with Jesse Burdick and his group now at Reactive-Gym so now wednesday will be ME bench

bench

works up fast as I showed up a few minutes late to an easy 345 x 3

then

Manpon bench
365 x 1
405 x 1 smoked it
425 x 1 fail. I think if I was fresh i had it
315 x 9


DB press and DB rows
2 sets x amrap

pin press and prone rows
2 sets x amrap

Tri extensions and curls
2 sets x amrap

called it there, good day seeing as I had just benched a few days ago

Poopie bench

I was at home with a sick little girl who had it coming out both ends as fast as we could get it in so didnt even want to attempt bringing her to the gym

So instead I broke out the chin bar and black band and got some push ups and chins in. That damn black band when wrapped around your back creates some tension.

chins
sets of 3 x 5
sets of 5 x 7
nothing to hard

Push ups
body weight x 5, 10, 3

black band x 1

inverted push ups with black band
5 x 4 sets
8 x 3 sets

body weight x 33

thats it felt good to get something in while she napped

dling

Speed box squat against dbl over green bands
225 x 2 x 5 sets

Deadlift
Warm up to 630 x 1


Rack pull above knee
315 x 2
405 x 2
515 x 1
625 x 1 x 2
695 x 1javascript:void(0)
713 x 1

SLDL 325 x 20

thats it for today back is smoked

OH pressing assistance work

heavy push press
worked up to
280 x 2
things just werent feeling light today likely due to all the heavy pressing monday I just took what was there and worked hard moved on

then BB strict press
205 x 5 x 3 setsthese are easier each week

DB strict press
2 sets 20

wide grip chins
bw x 5 x 7 sets

wide grip fat man chins
bw x 10 x 5 sets

Press outs, lat raise, YTA’s, and biceps
3 sets

I need to do more YTA's

then due to Mark Bell telling me I had some deep routed jealousy issues of his bloat and suggesting
I gain some pizza weight and get my bloat on. I stopped and got a large pizza.

squat training

Box Squat
Me x some
135 x 10
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 2
455 x 1
495 x 1
545 x 1
405 x 5
Trying to hit this fast and get out all were easy except the 545 which wasn’t hard I just shifted way onto my toes when the hip hurt which slowed it down. Im really tired of this hip thing

Arm supported Safety squat bar squat
335 x 10
425 x 10 x 3 sets
I think I finally found something that will help me stop all the damn leg mass and strength loss. This allows me to get a lot more knee flexion without the hip flexion as I can keep the torso even more than upright and bend more at the knee. I got to find soemthign its hard pushing the squat and leg training at all when squatting to depth leave me sleepless for two weeks due to bone on bone hip grinding. I may just have to go under the knife.
I am going to do more of this stuff to hit the legs but minizmize the beating on my core and low back as I am pushing the deadlift so hard. Might have to lower this day even more Ill see how this effects pulling Saturday


step ups
245 x 5 right leg easy left leg couldn’t even think about doing it so dropped load
155lbs x 5 x 5 sets I could do this with the left leg going to keep these up and try and push the loads

suitcase hold
225 x 20 seconds x 3sets
I hate these but like the resulting strength in the midsection. I have lost some strength here to from not doing these but that’s will come back

Ab work and back extension on GHR
1 set
Not bad in and out body weight holding steady even with all the crap im piling in my face. At least all pressing moves are going up and hopefully deadlift. I’ll make this last run at a PLing meet and that may be my retirement from that sport for a while as I take on highland games full bore. Lower the time in the gym to just maintain strength as I am already strong enough for the most part and get out and just throw a LOT more. It doesn’t kill the injuries I have as much when I'm not pushing those loads.

Its getting mentally taxing on me to have to stop my squatting at low to mid 500’s just fucking sad. I just expect more out of my self and hard to impossible to push yourself hard in pain or expecting pain even if its not there

New Article on Strength Villain

Check out my latest article on StrengthVillain.com click below


"Rock Fucking Bottom"

A nice happy little piece which talks about hitting rock bottom and some steps it takes to get the hell back up.

Finally back to 405

Bench
Test bench
bar x some
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 2
315 x 1
355 x 1
375 x 1
395 x 1
405 x 1
335 xd 1
355 x 1 x 2 sets

Finally and on a shitty bench. I havent benched from a bench in 8 weeks nothing but floor press but it worked I'm back at 405+. it still flew off my chest and ground at the end but it was paused and solid. Long ass arms but no shoulder pain at all. I just need to keep at it and nail the triceps hard


Inverted Ring rows
12 sets x 10 reps

Close grips foam roller press.
225 x 5
275 x 5
315 x 5
335 x 3
315 x 5 x 2 sets

80lb DB press and 70lb DB rows
3 sets x some

Damn good day man it felt good to get back at 4 plates and with no pain. just getting used to benching from a bench again should pay off as well

This weeks Deal

10% off DVD duplication, printing, packaging, and shrink wrapping in qty of 250 or more

Just Cardio wont cut it.

If just cardio was all it took to have the athletic, lean and muscular body then marathon runners would have the greatest physiques in the world,




Yet in reality they look generally look horrible IMO. They are walking masses of bone and fat with just enough muscle to propel themselves at a slow steady pace.

Nothing against marathon runners their physiques fit there sport much like a power lifters physique fits his or hers. I am just speaking the truth and tired of hearing I don't want to lift weights and get big and Bulky, Ill just do cardio and eat lettuce. This usually coming from a 14-20 something males that would have to spend 10 dedicated years under a bar and fork to get anywhere near BIG and bulky.

DLing Not bad

DL day things felt a bit heavier today than I would expect and like them to, if im going to edge near 800 then I cant string to many days where the loads feel like this together but I got quality work in and all in all not bad for just a second day back at heavy weight.

DL
warm up to 630 x 1 from floor

I tried to get up to it asap and just get it in little slower than expected but easy just not as easy as it should be

Rack pull mid shin against DBL over blues bands
315 x 3
425 x 2
535 x 1
585 x 1
535 x 1 x 9 sets
last set was a drag out, the 585 was damn hard as well against those dbl Over bands Mid shin pulling is always the worst

speed squat vs dbl blue bands
225 x 2 x 5 sets'

SLDL
315 x 20 = super easy

OH press in an hurry

got there late and rushed through this but went well, chin numbers down a touch but thats to be expected as Ive gained 15 lbs body-weight in a few weeks

Push press
bar x some
95 x 5
135 x 3
185 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 3

then BB strict press
200 x 5 x 3 sets

DB strict press
2 sets 20

Chins during
bw x 5
bw + 35 x 3
bw + 53 x 3
bw + 70 x 3
bw + 96 x 3
bw x 15
bw x 10 x 2 sets

Press outs
3 sets

db press
2 sets

lat raise
2 sets

curls
2 sets

Don't Fear Failure, embrace it then.

"Go back a little to leap further."
John Clarke

squatting

Squat day
My hip is still aching from going to depth last week so I guess now i know. It hurt today.

Box jumps
some x some

Box Squat
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 2
455 x 1
495 x 2,3
strip set
455 x 5
405 x 5
315 x 3
I gassed just ran out of steam


hang power snatch
145lbs x 2 x 8 sets

Suit case walk
135 x 50’
185 x 50’x 3 sets

these were fun havent done them in a while much harder carrying the load in one hand as opposed to a balanced load in to. Each set was taking 50 feet in one hand 50 feet in the other

Ab work and hip thrusts
3 sets

Its the damn carbs!!

"High carbohydrate ­consumption causes raised
insulin and triggers an increase in cholesterol production in the liver,
makes the walls of blood vessels ­contract so blood pressure goes up and
stimulates the release of fats called triglycerides (linked to heart
disease)."

Finally more PH'd and profs are beginning to say this and not that dietary Fat and dietary Cholesterol are the sources of our problems.

an interesting read.
Can cutting carbohydrates from your diet make you live longer?

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1323758/Can-cutting-Carbohydrates-diet-make-live-longer.html#ixzz14E5gs8Li

zero energy benching

rough day, just one of those days I was wore out and things felt heavy exact opposite of last monday. Told myself if I just eat the meat of the day with no extra bonus reps I would walk away happy. I got it in but it wasnt a cake walk like it should have been

Floor press 350 x 3 x 3

Inverted Ring rows
8 sets

I stepped on the scale and despite my eating efforts I was lighter damn it, Halloween candy seems to have the opposite effect on me as thew rest of the world.

Deal of the week: Note Pads

Deal of the week!!!
5.5" x 8.5" Note pads,
50 sheets per, qty 100 pads,
full color custom printed with your business or whatever,
shipping included at $3.07 per pad
drop me a line if your interested and please spread the word,
Thanks,
Phil


Photo credit: cohdra from morguefile.com

Deal of the week

Evolution of a Gym Goes: Lifer vs. Poser

Which rung on the Evolution Of A Gym Goer ladder are you on?

As is usual for me, when I start writing on a topic I get rolling, get passionate, and my mind starts racing. A page or two in and I start heading off in a related, albeit a bit disconnected direction and end up with something altogether different than expected. On a positive note that is where a lot of true gems can come fro possibly this is one.

When I sat down to write my last article, I’m a Lifer… Are You?, I was planning on writing a short article. However, before I knew it, I was headed off away from just simply defining what a “lifer” was into the evolution of a gym “goer”, and the differences between two very closely related but polar opposite ends of the road for those of us that stick to training and nutrition long term.

So without further ado, here is my simplified version of the evolutionary ladder of a “gym goer.”

The Newbie

We all start out as the “newbie“. We are on fire with a short lived passion; as short as those instant and fleeting gains we made in our first weeks and months in the gym before we hit or first true test, our first small plateau. It is here that we lose about 75% of people altogether, or they simply bounce in and out and become the as I call them, “The New Year” exercisers. This latter group of individuals refers to those individuals who make lofty New Years training resolutions, come to the gym for a few weeks, and then are not seen again until the next year. The rest trudge forward…

The Intermediate

Those that progress to step two, the intermediates, rekindle their fire and begin to read, watch, learn and sponge up all information they can get their hands on; building upon the blank slate they used as a newbie to make those incredible gains. Gym goers begin to realize they knew nothing about training during their newbie stage. They recognize that most of the improvements they saw in performance occurred despite, rather than because of their training/nutrition programs. This stage can last anywhere from a few months to a few years before progressing to the next stage, reverting back to the New Year exerciser or completely quit altogether. Regression on the gym goer evolutionary ladder usually results from a lack of physical transformation, desire to train, or sadly enough, paralysis from analysis. 80% of the intermediate crowd will fail to progress past this point. The rest trudge forward…

The Perpetual State Exercisers
20% of those reaching the intermediate stage will become perpetual state exercisers. After that initial fire, these individuals learn that continued physical progression will take significant effort on their part. Rather than accepting and breathing life into a continuous pursuit of excellence, they relegate themselves to doing just what they know and makes them feel comfortable. We have all seen these individuals in the gym two, three or four days a week. They follow the same routine year in, year out. It usually consists of a bit of time on the treadmill, some pec deck, maybe bench, and some other machine based work and last, but not least, bicep curls. They just pay their penance, never making a lick of progress. Ten years from now they are doing the same passionless, useless crap and look exactly the same; possibly even worse due to a combination of father time catching up with them and a lack of novel stimulus’s to offset this aging process. Only about 1-5% of the starting whole at this will stick to their guns, progressing to the final stage.

The Lifers & Posers

It is this final stage that I feel it the most crucial and potentially dangerous. Falling off the wagon in the earlier stages or going perpetual with a realization that hard training and nutrition isn’t for you is not a bad thing. It’s just not for you, much like dentistry is not for me. The lack of desire to reach this final stage is not a short coming. However in this stage you have a choice of pain and stress or one of positive advancement and progress. The people that have made it to this stage seem to take one of two routes. They have gone through the newbie gains, they graduated to the high school of training where they began to find a passion, they have read a few books, went to a few lectures, learned as much as they feel they could, and have began to figure out what is for them. NOW it’s time for collegiate work, time for them to make a choice of what they’re going to do with the rest of their training years.

Just as higher education is a choice toward your life long career, so is this stage in the gym goers evolution. In making a career choice, some make the right one and choose a field of passion. They select something they already have a love and drive for. They move on to live a life in a work enjoy and excel in. Unfortunately, others take the wrong approach. They jump on and go through higher education, graduate study, all the while hating it. They keep doing it because they should. They were told they are supposed to, or they are obsessed with the idea of it, which is far from a real drive and passion.

The same thing happens day to day with those who choose to go forward to those final stages in the training, athletics and nutrition world. You get two roads, lifers and the obsessed, or the posers if you will. One is sheer joy and passion, the other poison for themselves and the industry I love.


When the road splits, which path will you take?

The lifers have gained a maturity, patience, and with it, wisdom that has been molded under the bar as well as behind the fork. This maturity allows them to go on each day with a relaxed passion for their pursuit of building themselves into something great. You see a very visible love for what they do. Lifers don’t stress over their training and nutrition, they accept, act, learn and evolve. Lifers know they are good, have a confidence and presence in their ability and knowledge. At the same time however, they are the first to seek more knowledge from others. They have a true passion for giving back and helping others who display the same passion, even if their training goals do not match up 100%.

At the other end are those who stick to it out of obsession and negativity simply because they feel that they should. In this group you get those you dwell and stress over the minutia, the exercise addicted. Additionally, in this group you’ll also get the scabs of the industry who are here not out of a true love for the training itself; Rather they’re here to take advantage of the passion of another. They spread regurgitated crap they have likely stolen from another scab like themselves, looking to rob a buck and mislead each new group of newbie’s.

While they both (lifer and obsessed) are in it for the long term, each making dramatic changes (lifers nearly always and in more positive ways than obsessors), they are near parallel opposites. From an outsiders viewpoint obsession and passion are often mistaken for one another. Yet, for those of us on the inside, these posers are easy to spot. They are as different as apple pie and a ham steak. (damn now I’m hungry again!)

Lifers train in joy, lifers have patience, lifers have fun, lifers have a relaxation about them in their progress, extreme physical exertion and dietary habits. They are secure in their training and diet choices and know that there is no magic bullet. They realize that consistency and hard work, along with the learning and experience, will get them to their next destination. You can feel the passion and confidence spilling from their pores as they punch that clock for days, weeks, and years; the whole time knowing that all the effort will pay off not tomorrow, maybe not next month, but rather 5 years from now, 10 years from now….

The obsessed on the other hand bleed insecurity in their daily actions and lives. They consistently show up, but lack patients in nearly all aspects. They question everything in their training, nutrition, and daily lives, and can be seen bouncing week to week from one plan to a next, worried they are missing that crucial piece to the puzzle. The obsessed work more for physical exhaustion than actual progress. They have fleeting moments of happiness as they scrape themselves off the floor, no matter if they have made real progress or not, only caring that they created self pain. They can usually be seen spending more hours of the day reading and trying to be a “lifer” than a true lifer actually does. The problem with their approach is that they are so consumed, stressed and busy trying to appear like a “lifer” they never actually relax and live the life it takes to be one. You can feel the stress and insecurity in every breath they take.

A lucky few can escape the threshold of the obsessed and relax into the lifer as I did. Sadly many crash and burn before that, or continue on living a life of exercise induced negativity for life. For me it was a hard transition. I truly had hit that point where every second of my day was consumed with being “The Thing”. I ate, breathed and $hit training and nutrition, it defined me. I had nothing in life but it, and in that I lost it. By fully consuming and following my passion I lost all else about me, and with losing myself, I in-turn, lost the passion as well. No matter how much you love something it can’t be all you are. It has to be but a part of the whole, or it will consume you, and own you, instead of you owning it.

That my friend is the short and skinny simplification of the evolution of a gym goer through my eyes.

A Few Additional Thoughts…

I’ll leave you with a few other somewhat connected thoughts. As I told you at the beginning they always come up when I write. Maybe they should be a part of another article. Too bad though, you’re just going to have to deal with them here!

Learn to relax, take things in and on your own terms. Breath, sort the cream from the crop. Always strive to learn more, but learn it out of passion, not out of fright that you’re missing some crucial piece. Own your life and choices; blame them on no man but yourself. Have confidence in your ability and knowledge. Make choices and accept them, see them out then learn and grow from them. Nothing but life has an actual ending, just more chapters to learn and build upon. Accept that and have fun on your journey. Train hard, follow your passion, be it in this physical endeavor or whatever suits you best. Figure that out and own it.

Above all LIVE LIFE, don’t exist in it. As Mel Gibson said in the movie Braveheart, “Every man dies, not every man really lives.“ Go sit down with you and learn yourself, who you really are, and who you want to be. Learn you, accept you, and love that as it is you. Love that there is always someone/ something, better, bigger, stronger, more learned, and more powerful in your chosen field than you. Seek them out, accept them, and don’t fear them. Learn from them and grow yourself.

Never stop living, but in order to do that remember you have to start.

References

1 Image taken by SOIR. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Accessed on October 30, 2010 from:http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leiter_Steineberg.JPG

2 Image Image Copyright Andy Potter. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License. Accessed on October 30, 2010 from:http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/258241

Written on October 29, 2010 by Phil Stevens
Last Updated: October 30, 2010

This information is not intended to take the place of medical advice. Phil Stevens is not responsible for the outcome of any decision made based off the information presented in this article.

About the Author: Coach Phil Stevens is an accomplished strength athlete with considerable experience in Powerlifting, strongman competition, and highland games. Phil is the 2007 APA World Champion in the 242-pound class (total). He has held the APF 275-pound class raw National bench, squat, deadlift, and total records. Phil’s marquis lift was his 725-pound raw beltless deadlift, performed on February, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona. He has been ranked in the “Top 10” in the deadlift across all national powerlifting federations. In addition, Phil has in a few short months moved to the A class in highland games with the goal of going Pro. His coaching services are avalable by clicking on the Strength Sport Consultation tab.
Professional Commitments:In addition to his coaching duties, he also serves as the California State Chair for the North American Highlander Association, as well as the founder of Lift For Hope an annual strength competition with proceeds donated to charity. He also runs his own printing business (business cards to t-shirts with everything in between) that can be found at www.bingcolorprint.com.

This article was originally published at CasePerformance here.

2 for 1

I missed fridays training it was a must so this was my attempt to fit two days, OH press/chins and DL day in one went ok


DL
Warm up to 630 x 1

Rack Pull below knee vs double over green bands
425 x 1
535 x 1
555 x 1
575 x 1
595 x 1
625 x 1
645 x 1
thats last one was a drag, pulling against those think bands is hell, non point of the lift like a regular DL does it get easy just harder and harder the whole way up.

Speed box squat against dbl over blue bands
225 x 2 x 5 sets

BB strict press
197.5 x 5 x 3 sets


Chins
some sets of some

Supplement Sham

Just a little rant!!!

The supplement sham companies are just out of damn hand.

56!!! damn Ingredients!!! How can a 20gram serving of a supplement ( I wont name any names, it was a sample sent to me) have 56 damn ingredients and have any one of those ingredients in any kind of volume to make a bit of difference??

My recommendations to ppl

From someone who has been in this industry a bit, is look for as close to ONE ingredient in anything you put in your mouth as possible be it food or supplement, and IMO generally the companies out there putting out quality stuff are the ones thats DON'T!!!! have 500 different products. they have a very few limited ones.

How can a company have a gillion products and then claim at the same time to have years of science and man hours invested in the creation of each and everyone.

Few is good

I wont name good or bad names here just those few guidelines in general


end rant, I don't even feel like writing more on this crap just wanted to say something.