Saturday

Last real session before my meet on December 4th.  Just wanted to work up to my last warm up set, hit a few accessories, and get out.

Squat: 315x1; 365x1; 405x1; 455x1

DB RDLs: 3x10

Leg Curl: 3x10

That's it, that's all, that's all there is.  This coming week is going to be a lot of mobility stuff.  Nothing heavy (worth writing about).  I'll try to think up some interesting topics to touch on in place of normal training stuff.

Song of the Day:

"To be prepared is half the victory." -Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Happy Thanksgiving!

Got a little morning training in on this, the greatest day of the year.

Bench: up to a single at 265

Inverted Rows: 3x10
w/
DB Shoulder Press: 2x10

Cable Scarecrows: 2x12
w/
Cable Triceps: 2x12

Volume is a lot lower.  Saturday will be my last real training session before my meet on December 4th.  I feel like I'm peaking well and it should be a great meet.  Now it's time to eat until I feel guilty about how big of a glutton I am.  Nom nom nom!

Song of the Day:

“From too much love of living,
From hope and fear set free,
We thank with brief thanksgiving
Whatever gods may be
That no life lives for ever;
That dead men rise up never;
That even the weariest river
Winds somewhere safe to sea"
-Algernon Charles Swinburne

What I'm Thankful For

In case you just crawled out from somewhere tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  It's a time to reflect on all the positives in one's life.  Normally I would prefer people to do this every day of the year, but I'll let it pass on account of the awesome meal.  Here is what I'm thankful for this day and everyday:

• My health and the health of all my loved ones
• My family and friends
• My career as a performance coach and all the great people I work with
• My blue-collar attitude towards life that was instilled in me by my father
• The troops
• The roof over my head
• The clothes on my back
• The food on my plate

Now that I've got the important stuff out of the way here are some of the less vital things I'm thankful for:

• Budweiser, Jameson, and all of the other tasty, tasty alcohols
• Nitrous to get me through getting my cavities filled
• Fast cars, loose women
• Huge beds
• Iron weights
• Books
• Democracy
• The Internet
• Loyal dogs
• Underwear fresh out of the drier
• Back Rubs
• Caffeine
• Rock 'N' Roll (Punk, metal, classic rock, etc)

There are countless other things that I'm thankful for.  These are but a few off the top of my head.  The point is is that I've got it pretty good.  There are very few reasons why I should ever be in a bad mood and the only ones that I can think of involve someone dying.  So on this day think about what you are thankful for and keep it with you every day going forward, not just until the end of dinner.  Speaking of which, I'm going to eat so much fucking turkey.

Song of the Day:

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving." -W.T. Purkiser

Tuesday Tuggin'

Power Clean: 242x1x3

Deadlift: worked up to 528 for a fast and easy single

Glute Ham Hypers: 2x15
w/
DB Shrugs: 2x15

Weighted Bridge Holds: :20 on, :10 off for two minutes

Today went awesome and has given me tons of confidence going into next Saturday.  Last week this weight on deadlift felt heavy as shit.  Today it went up fast and smooth.  I don't think 600 is out of reach.

I've almost forgotten but Thursday is the best day of the entire year; Thanksgiving.  Food, family, and football.  Life doesn't get much better than that.  Tomorrow I'm going to run down all the things I'm thankful for.  There is a chance it might get kind of vulgar.  I like some weird stuff.  Stay tuned.

Song of the Day:

"You need to overcome the tug of people against you as you reach for high goals." Gen. George S. Patton

Weekend Breakdown

Friday night Lance and I made an executive decision and decided not to go to Chicago for a concert.  Eric drove up after work and we started out the night with a Four Loko each.  In case you haven't been watching local news Four Loko is the energy drink/malt beverage that has been labeled as "Blackout in a can."  Apparently they've killed a few people that can't handle their liquor.  I went with Lemonade, Eric had Watermelon, and Lance had Blue Raspberry (total girl flavor).  I was tired going in to the night but not after finishing the Four Loko.  The rest of the night is a little sketchy but I'm sure it was a good time.

Saturday after drinking as much water as possible we headed over to NX Level to train.  Eric dead lifted, Lance did strongman, and I did my last heavy squat before my meet in December.

Squat: 455x1; 500x1; 525x1

Lower Body Circuit: Reverse Hyper, Glute Ham Hyper, TRX Fallouts; all 3x10

525 is probably going to be my opener.  I just wanted to work up to it to see how it felt.  It wasn't super fast on the way up, but my technique didn't break down which means that I've got a good amount left in the tank.  At the meet I'll be using a monolift as well so I won't have to walk the weight out.  In my opinion this can mean a lot.  You don't waste energy getting your feet right.  It could add an extra 10-20 lbs to my squat.

After training we headed back home to meet up with Lance's parents.  They cooked Thanksgiving dinner for us and it was delicious.  Highlight of the night was as Eric and I were in line at the food table Eric made me laugh and I drooled into the green bean casserole.  I struggled to breath from laughing for about the next four minutes from the joke Eric made and the fact that I had just drooled all over the food.  There have been a few moments in my life were I've done something that made me think what the hell am I doing with myself.  This was definitely one of them.

The Barilow's left a little after dinner.  Another Four Loko and a few beers later we were all to stuffed to go out.  Lance, Eric, and I stayed up for a bit talking about and solving America's problems.  Problem number one: reality TV.  Problem number two: the fact that if you can sign your name you can get by in this country. A whole lot of nothing was actually solved but it was a great weekend either way.

Now I've got a date with my couch and TV.  Boom.

Song of the Day:

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Thursday

Bench: worked up to 275x1; 225x12

Weighted Dips: 5x5

DB Military Press: 2x10
w/
Bicep Curls: 2x10

Cable Scarecrows: 2x12

Bench felt good today.  275 was a smoke show.  Easy.  225 for 12 I think is a PR at that weight but it doesn't really matter.  I'm thinking 275ish is going to be my opener for my meet.  We'll see though. 

This weekend is going to kick ass.  Eric is coming up tonight.  Training Saturday morning.  Then, Lance's parents, Doug and Bonnie, are coming and making us Thanksgiving Dinner.  By far the best meal of all time.  I know a lot of people had to die in order for me to enjoy turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed taters, and all the rest, and I appreciate all of their brave service to this, the greatest holiday of all time.

Song of the Day:

"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor." -Vince Lombardi

Funny Story

No training today, but I had a funny conversation with a female client.  Fellas, listen close.  Jenny (name changed) came in this morning around 10:30 and she had make-up around her eyes.  She's a college soccer player so I jokingly asked if she had gone out last night.  She tried to tell another trainer and I, "No" but we eventually got it out of her that she had gone on a date.  After a bit of razzing Jenny and I continued with the training session.  During Jenny's workout she hang cleaned 140 twice and narrowly missed 154.  Jenny is probably one of maybe 5 females in the place that could pick up 154 double overhand, let alone attempt a hang clean.  As we were taking the weights off the bar I asked her, "If you found out that you could hang clean more than your date would you still date him?"  She replied with one of those I-don't-knows that is about 90% hell no and about 10% maybe.  Definitely no "yes" in that answer.  The only better answer would have been a flat out "No."

 
Fellas, even women want us to be stronger than them.  For the most part they don't give two shits if we have abs.  They want us to be able to move furniture and kitchen appliences for them.  And this skinny jeans, metrosexual bullshit needs to stop.  I'm all for dressing nice and what not but shit, man the fuck up already.

Tuesday

Power Snatch: worked up to 186 for two singles

Deadlift: worked up to 520 for two singles

Pull Throughs: 3x15
w/
Pull Ups: 3x5

Glute Ham: 3x6
w/
Face Pulls: 3x15

Abs: three sets

Deadlift went ok.  My knees have been killing me lately and I could feel them on every rep today.  Instead of push it hard I worked up to a weight I was comfortable with and cut it there.  I've been adding in more volume via increased exercise frequency (I train more days per week) and I think this is why they are sore.  They just need a little down time.

Song of the Day:

“Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit. You are what you repeatedly do." -attributed to Shaquille O'Neil.

Saturday Strongman

Log Clean and Press: worked up to some heavy singles.  I think in the 215ish range.

Tire Flips: 600 lb tire 2 sets of 5; 1 set of 10

Yolk: Five pounds less than the amount of weight it takes to crush vertebrae for 20 yards

Stones: 240 over a 46" bar a few times.  280 picks a few times

Jake was kind enough to help Lance and I out today.  He's a professional, card-carrying, strong man.  He gave us a lot of good pointers on the yolk and especially the stones. 

I was shot after this.  Knees are sore, back is pumped, moustache is ruffled.  Burritos, ice cream, and beers are in due order.

Song of the Day:

“As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters." -Seneca

Fancy Friday

Clean and Jerk: up to 262x1 (PR)

Single Arm Dead Lift: Regular grip up to 242x1 each side; hook grip 262x1 each side; straps up to 338 for two singles on each side

Rope Pull/ Bag Carry: 3x25 yards

Didn't really have a plan in place going in.  Kind of just went with whatever tickled my fancy.  Took about an hour, got my heart rate up, got a sweat going, got the H.E. double hockey sticks out.  Boom.

Song of the Day:

“Thou wilt find rest from vain fancies if thou doest every act in life as though it were thy last." -Aristotle

Thursday

First and foremost I'd like to give a big thank you to all veterans past and present.  You sacrifice what many of us simply will not.  Thank you for your service.  Whether or not you believe in the conflict the troops are what really matter.  Thank you again for making the USA A-OK.

Bench: worked up to 275 for 3 singles

Bench: 3x10 @185
w/
V-Grip Chins: 3x10

Shrugs: 3x10

BW Dips: 3x15
w
Curls: 3x10

Rotators

Not a bad day.  Bench felt smooth and somewhat fast.  I'm thinking somewhere in the 290 range is where I'll be come meet time.  Just need to keep my nose to the grindstone.

Song of the Day:

“It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle." -Norman Schwarzkopf

Tuesday

Squat: 455x1; 405x5; 425x5; 455x3

Axel Dead Lift: 485 for two singles

Blue Band Good Mornings: 3x15

Glute Ham Hypers: 3x12

Abs: 3 sets

Twenty-six years ago today I sprang forth from my mother's womb like a pink throw pillow being pushed through a door that's only been opened about 2.5 inches.  Patton Oswalt expresses perfectly my feelings towards today.



"I'm 26!"
"Who gives a shit?  Go to work." 
Thank goodness for pop culture.  Saying things much better than any of us could.

Either way I was pretty happy with the training today.  Squats felt good, deads felt good, accessory felt good, etc. etc.  But seriously thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes.  I'm very lucky to have such great people in my life.  I tried to keep my birthday under wraps but some people just had to go and be nice about it (tongue-in-cheek.)

Song of the Day:

“The older the fiddler, the sweeter the tune." -Pope Paul VI

Strongman Saturday

Log Clean and Press: 5x5 with a bunch o' weight

Tire Flips: 4x5 flips with 600 lbs. of widow-making vulcanized rubber and radial steel

Yolk Walk: 5 trip of 200 yards with a weight that only Rain Man, a supercomputer, and/or J.C. his/herself could count to.  Not really, it was like 500.

Keg Cleans: 21 reps with the big 'un

Stone Picks: bunch of reps with the 240 lb. little boy.  Going to maybe bring the 280 lb fat man inside soon.

Saturday Lance and I were picking up heavy shit while ya'll was making breakfast for somebody.  We had to be somewhere at ten so we got in early and got out a little later.  Just a bunch of strongman events that are old hat to Jake and the like, but are tough as shit for Lance and I.  I know a little bit about the technique on certain events, enough to be effective, but knowledge is what we crave since neither of us is all that good at any of them.  Perfect practice makes perfect though. 

After a morning of spine crunching weight exorcising we made 2 lbs of sloppy joe's and finished it up with a turtle cheesecake.  There were no survivors except for four buns that weren't going to be used anyhow.

Song of the Day:

“Nothing is more dishonorable than an old man, heavy with years, who has no other evidence of his having lived long except his age." -Senca

Tuesday

Squat: 455x1; 495x1; 525x1

Clean Pulls (fast deadlift): singles at 350ish

High Bar Deep Knee Rock Squats: (yam bag to the ground) 185x10; 225x10x2
w/
Glute Ham Hypers: 3x12

Pretty good day today.  The last squat was slower than a turtle going through peanut butter but I got it.  Walking out and squatting 525 to depth gives me a lot of confidence going into my meet.  I'm thinking in the 560ish range.  It's a bit too early to start prognosticating though.

Song of the Day:

“High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation." -Charles F. Kettering

Monday

Axel Clean and Jerk:  some reps with some weight.

Farmer's Carry: 20 yards x 200 lbs. x 4

In case you are unfamiliar with the axel, it is a 2" thick hollow bar.  It weighs about 35 lbs.  The main purpose is to make your grip and shoulders work harder since your hand is more spread out.

Farmer's carries require specially made cylinders with handles attatched that can be loaded with weight.  You then pick them up and walk for a specified distance.  Imagine a farmer carrying two calves by the scruff to the slaughter house.  Simple as that.  The 200 lbs. is 200lbs. in each hand for 400 lbs. total.

Good day today.  Got a sweat going.  Handled some heavyish weights.  Got out in about an hour.  Boom.

Song of the Day:

“Forgive, O Lord, my little jokes on Thee, and I'll forgive Thy great big joke on me.” -Robert Frost