Monday

Pin Squats: up to 565x1. 

Pin was at #21 which is about 4" higher than parallel for me in the squat.  This is usually the spot where I miss a squat.  I'm OK coming out of the hole, but sometimes struggle pushing through the middle of the movement.

Squats: 285x20

RDLs: 4x6

Real quick session today.  All the above took me about an hour.  All the squats were done with a wider power stance and in my flat-soled rasslin' shoes.  They all felt good and I didn't feel that my mobility was at all a hindrance.  The storm of the century is coming tomorrow.  Of course, the century is only 10 years old.  We're forecasted to get 8-20 inches of snow.  Either way it's a lot and I'll be doing a bunch of shoveling/snowblowing in the next couple days.  Should be fun on the ol' lumbar spine.

I think this week is going to be a Slayer week.  They've been dominating my workout playlists as of late.  My first offering.

Song of the Day:

"Double-shot your guns and give 'em Hell." -Zachary Taylor

Sunday

Clean and Jerk: worked up to 264 where I proceeded to puss out on three separate tries.

Single Arm Deadlift: worked up to 308 with straps

Not the best training day today.  Motivation was low going in.  Probably would have been in my best interest to take today off and hit it hard tomorrow.  Oh well, live and learn.  I'm trying to push hard for the next three weeks up until I go to Wausau for the Circle of Friends trip.  When I'm there I'll take a few days off of training and dieting.  That trip is always good for my recharging my batteries and restoring any lost motivation.  I'm really looking forward to the trip.  It's always a fun time with the kids and other chaperones and nurses.  I've got tomorrow mapped out and I'm going to use today's shittiness as my motivation for getting better tomorrow.

Song of the Day:

"Man is a rope connecting animal and superman-a rope over a precipice...What is great in man is that he is a bridge and not a goal." -Friedrich Nietzsche

Thursday

Close Stance Squat: 475x1, 500x1, 520x1

Fat Bar DL: 450x1,1,1

45` Back Extension: 3x12

Straight Bar Decline Sit Ups: 3x12

Another successful session today.  I was looking to get something in the 520-525 range on my squat.  Next week I'm going to go back to flat soled shoes and a wider stance.  I'll have to probably spend a bit of time getting getting my hips used to the ROM but it shouldn't be too bad. 

As some of you may know Jack LaLanne passed away at 96 years young.  This guy was definitely a pioneer in the strength and nutrition world.  He started the first franchise gym in America (after he sold them off they would become Bally's Total Fitness), he was a bodybuilder, and had the longest running fitness show of all time.  He kicked shit in during a time when doctors thought lifting weights would lower your sex drive and ruin your body, and give you heart attacks.

He also did some pretty crazy shit as an elderly fellow as a way to tell Father Time, "You can fuck right off."  He would swim distances of over a mile with boats loaded with people and other weights attached to him.  He was also handcuffed and shackled many times.  I once open water swam 400 yards during a "sprint" triathlon.  Even with full use of my arms and legs it still tested my desire to stay among the living.  And I was only 24.  Not some geriatric that qualifies for AARP discounts.

Oh, he also bested Arnold Schwarzenegger in a push up/pull up contest.  This was also when Arnold was 21 and LaLanne was 54.  Fifty-goddam-four!  We could all take a lesson from LaLanne: just because you are advanced in age doesn't mean you have to waste away into uselessness.  Train hard, eat right, and live while you are alive.

Song of the Day:

“I can't die, it would ruin my image.” -Jack LaLanne

Tuesday

Fat Bar Bench: worked up to 285x2

I think this is a rep PR for me.  Not 100% though.  I tried to do some dead bench after this but my body was not having it.

Fat Gripz DB Sgl Arm Press: four sets of three at 60, 70, 80, 80

Fat Bar Bent Row: 2x3 at 225

Fat Bar Reverse Curls: 4x5

Wrist Roller: 4xup, 4xdown

Heavy Bag Carries: 840 yards

Great session today.  I was feeling a bit groggy going in but bench felt awesome.  the 285 I'm pretty sure is a PR using any bar.  Everything else went great without any real struggle.  I think having 2-3 upper body days is really paying off.  My strength gains have been pretty consistent.  I think the one thing that has allowed this to happen is that I haven't used any weights that I couldn't handle.  I think I've only missed one or two reps in the last month or so.  Missing weights is not only damaging to the psyche but can screw with your central nervous system as well.

Song of the Day:

"You may hate gravity, but gravity doesn't care." -Clayton Christensen

Monday

Power Clean: 3 singles at 264

Bottom Position Rack Squat: 525x1

Squat: 280x20

Farmers Walk: 140 in each handx30 yardsx10

Pretty good session today.  I didn't push too hard on the cleans because I wanted to keep a little extra gas in the tank for squats.  Last week I missed 515 twice and this week 525 wasn't too bad.  I think I had it one notch up but that is more where my sticking point is.

20 rep squats were brutal...again.  They always will be.  They will never be easy, but that is why they are good for you.  I haven't done farmers in a while and my knees are feeling it tonight.  Nothing bad, just a little soreness.

Today at work I gave Jake and Lance and the interns a good amount of ribbing for the Packer's win yesterday.  This will continue until I feel the threat of violence is a real possibility.  Even then I might continue.  I can hold my own.

Definitely one of the top bands of all time right here.

Song of the Day:

"Like tourists huffing and puffing to reach the peak we forget the view on the way up." -Friedrich Nietzsche

SUPER BOWL!!

Today was definitely in the top 5 best days of my life.  I sat on my couch with my dog, ate a bunch of food, and watched the Packers hang on to beat the Bears to go to Super Bowl XLV.  I don't know how it could get any better than that. 

I decided to watch the game by myself and away from my Bears fan friends.  I didn't even talk any trash during the game.  If the Bears had come back and won that would have been too much crow for me to eat.  I would've choked to death.  Once the deal was sealed I was all over that shit.  My favorite types of trash talk are the backhanded compliments.  My favorite so far is, "Lovie Smith is going to be a great coach for the NFC in the Pro Bowl."  Holy shit is this sweet.

The Steelers just beat the Jets to win the AFC.  I've got nothing bad to say about them other than their QB is a fucking dirt bag.  I don't care if he's cleaned up his act he's a turd that very well could be in jail right now. 

Other than that I like the way the Steelers play defense.  James Harrison is a weight room warrior that built himself into what he is today.  And that is a bad, bad man.  I definitely wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley.  Troy Polamalu flies around and makes football plays.  Casey Hampton is a beast in the middle and, Brett Keisel's beard is impressive to say the least.  Here is a side by side comparison of Keisel's and my best attempt at a beard.

OK it's a little less than side by side.  Either way his beard puts mine to shame.  Mine took five months of growing and not being able to eat yogurt.  His has to be at least eight months strong.  He's got the kind of beard that just by having it gives you a leg up on surviving in the wilderness.  The kind of beard that wins arguments on it's own.  He's got the kind of beard that makes me want to be a better man.

Enough man/beard crushing.  Time to focus.  I'm going to wear Packer's sweatshirts to work for the next two weeks and whenever I address a Bears fan I will make sure to do the Aaron Rodger's championship belt move to remind them of what went down today.  I see a lot of this coming in two weeks.

Song of the Day:

It's from 2008 but, whatever.

"Adversity doesn't build character, it reveals it." -Vince Lombardi

Saxon Wolfsblood

Pictured above is Saxon Wolfsblood Dequaine.  His name is not an arbitrary amalgamation that I just thought sounded cool.  Nay, his name has deeper meanings than that.  He is of hound/ German Shepard descent and this is partly taken into account in his name.  The other aspects taken into account are my love of strength sports, punk music, and not sucking.
First up, the name Saxon.  This name has a double meaning.  The first meaning, which is entirely historical, is the ancient Germanic tribe called the Saxons.  The Saxons were originally from mainland Europe but were allowed to settle in southern Great Britain to protect Britons from invasion of the Irish and others.

The warlord Hengist shit-talked the then British king, Vertigorn (I know it sounds all kinds of Harry Potter but I'm not making these names up), into giving them more land and allowing in more settlers.  This led to the creation of four Saxon regions: Essex, Middlesex, Sussex, and Wessex (you should be able to figure out where in England those are).  Eventually the kings of Wessex unified the country into what is now the kingdom of England to protect themselves against Viking hordes.

The second meaning comes from the old-tyme strongman Arthur Saxon.

Weighing in at around 200 lbs. this guy was a brick shithouse.  His nickname was "The Iron-Master" for shit's sake.  He was born Arthur Hennig and performed as a strongman and circus entertainer in the late 1800's and early 1900's.  He was famous for his world record bent press.  This is where a barbell is cleaned to the shoulders, taken in one hand, the performer then lowers the upper body and extends the arm at the same time, then stands upright.  Using this technique he put a record 371 pounds over his head with one arm.  There are some who say he did 385 pounds in training.  Either way I would call that a metric fuck-ton.

Some other reasons to like Arthur Saxon is that he believed in heavy training to get stronger, lighter training to practice technique, loved to eat massive amounts of meat, drank his weight in beer on occasion, sometimes lifted naked, and invented a "health drink" that consisted of "dark lager beer, Holland gin, an egg yolk, and plenty of sugar."  I wouldn't be surprised if he tossed some gun powder in there for shits and gigs.

Needless to say Arthur Saxon is the epitome of not being a pussy.  He drank hard, lifted heavy (sometimes at the same time), ate a hell-of-a-lot, and broke egos and world records like it was no big deal.  Fucking A.

Last up, the Wolfsblood.  This is an homage to one of the first punk bands I ever listened to.  I had just had surgery on my knee and was laid up on my mom's couch.  My friend Greg lived a few blocks away and came to visit.  With him he brought The Misfits Vol. 1 for me to borrow.  This cd changed my life.  I was hooked upon first listen.  I had never heard music with so much balls to it.  The lead singer is named Glenn Danzig and for my money he might truly be able to gaze into one's soul and then tear it apart.  Songs like Bullet, Death Comes Ripping, and Die Die Die My Darling have and always will be go to songs when I'm about to hit a PR.  He actually has two songs that could be about demon dogs.  Hellhound, which is based on an old horror film, and Wolfsblood, which is about a guy becoming a werewolf (I think).  Both songs, along with the entire Misfits catalogue are ten times more kick ass than anything you'll hear on the radio today.  I highly urge you to check them out if you aren't into music that just might turn you into a eunuch.

So there you have it.  A badass name for a badass dog.  I think it's time for a walk.

Song of the Day:

"One very useful trick which the weightlifter should adopt is a wisely moderated contempt of his weight." -Arthur Saxon

Friday and Saturday

Friday:
Fat Bar Standing Press: up to 205x1, missed a PR of 210 about four inches from lockout.  Piss.

Fat Bar Bench: 3x6 at 225

Single Arm Row: 3x8

Fat Bar Curls: 3x3

Then I did this twice on each side:


Saturday:
I haven't actually lifted yet.  I'm going to head down into the basement and just do some random stuff.  Probably a lot of grip work.  The dog is sleeping on top of me right now.  He is a very violent fall asleeper.  He gets whole body twitches and starts snorting like he's possessed.  It's quite comical.  Later today I'm going to do a write up on how he got his name, Saxon Wolfsblood.  There's going to be invading armies, old-tyme strongmen, and lots of hardcore punk.  Stay tuned.

Here's a song to give you a taste of things to come.  GOT A HELLHOUND DOG!  THAT HELLHOUND'S GONNA RIP YOUR FACE OFF!

Song of the Day:

"I was bringing my attitude as a regular person 'cause this is my attitude." -Glenn Danzig

Thursday

Medium Stance Squat: worked up to 517 for two singles

I used Olympic plates today for my squats.  They are in metric foolishness so I didn't really know what I was lifting until the end when I counted it all up.  The first single felt OK, kind of slow through the sticking point, but the second one was brutal.  I barely got it up, but got it up nonetheless.

RDLs: 4x5

Weighted Chins: 4x3 with 45 lbs.

Prowler and Sledge Hammer hits for conditioning

Pretty good session today.  Last week I only got up to 500 for squat.  I'm going to do one more week with the medium stance and Olympic shoes.  Next week will be wide power stance with my flat wrestling shoes.  This is usually where I'm strongest and I'm interested to see if there is any carry over from the medium stance.  Hopefully my mobility is still there.  I'll probably have to spend a little extra time loosening up my adductors.

Getting pretty pumped for the game this week.  There is a lot of talk about it in the gym. Mostly me asking kids if they are Packer fans and what they think the score will be.  If they aren't or if they think the Packers are going to lose I kindly ask them to leave.  That's not true.  I just make them push the Prowler for the entire duration of their session.  Also not true.  I still think it's going to be 13-7 Packers in a low-scoring, defensive battle.  Go Pack Go!

Song of the Day:

I am so confused by this video.  There are more black people in this video than I have ever seen at a Packer game.  I don't really like rap but I like this.

"The favorite disease of the twentieth century is fear of life." -William Lyon Phelps

Tuesday

Fat Bar Bench: 290x1, 275x1,1,1

Max Effort Dips: worked up to body weight + 135x1, bw+90x3,3

Fat Bar Bent Over Rows: 4x5

Fat Gripz Hammer Curls: 4x5

Sand Bag Carries: 200 total yards

Another good session.  290 was about my previous PR on regular bar bench.  Doing it with a fat bar makes the movement a bit harder so who knows where my regular bar bench is at.  Who really cares?  I like doing that fat bar stuff and I feel my gripp is already getting stronger in just the two or so weeks since I've switched to using them.

I specifically remember when I was a chubby 185 lb. freshman in high school and I couldn't do a single dip with just my body weight.  Being able to do one with that much extra weight kind of puts where I'm at now in perspective.  I'm not anywhere near where I want to be, but I also feel I've come a long way.

I'm so excited for this weekend's game.  Seeing as how most of my friends are Bears fans and know my propensity towards a "sour grapes" attitude when the Packers lose to the Bears, I don't think I will handle losing very well.  Not that I'm worried.  If the Packers can stop the run like they did against Atlanta and make Ghey (homonym for 'gay') Cutler beat them they will be fine.  As well as he played on Sunday he did have a few woopsies.  Also, with the Packer's pass rush playing at a high level this might be his new helmet:

Song of the Day:

"You can't just beat a team.  You have to leave a lasting impression in their minds so they never want to see you again." -Mia Hamm

Monday

Power Clean: couple singles at 264

Really worked on my technique today.  Mostly just getting comfortable dropping under the bar on the catch.  It's all mental, kind of going back to when I tweaked my knee on front squats.  It felt good though.  Got underneath without much of a problem.

Pin Squat: 495x1, 515x0x2

Got the bar off the pins on the 515 but couldn't finish it.  Not too concerned.  I was wearing my Olympic shoes and had a narrower than normal stance which has generally been a weaker position for me.  Pushing the bar off the pins makes it much harder than starting at the top.  I don't get any benefits of the stretch reflex out of my muscles.  I'll get it next week.

Breathing Squats: 275x20

The whole premis is to pick a weight and get 20 reps no matter what.  You can stop and take a few breaths (hence the name) between reps, but you can't put the bar down.  I'm going to keep doing these once per week adding five pounds to the bar each time.  These are going to make me sore as shit tomorrow.

Keg Carries: 2x90 yards, 2x30 yards

In other news, the shit talking continues.  All Bears fans from Chicago are gangsters and probably do drugs.  Plus they all smell bad.  And don't ever let them touch your valuables.  They'll get sausage grease EVERYWHERE!

Song of the Day:

"Success cannot be guaranteed.   There are no safe battles." -Sir Winston Churchill

DAH NAH NAH DAH NANANANAH GO PACK GO!

Why do the Packers not have these chicks anymore?

The Packers absolutely destroyed the Atlanta Falcons last night 48-21. The Bears beat the just-happy-to-be-here Seahawks today 35-24. As Scooby Doo would say, "Ruh Rooh." I heard that the last time they met in the playoffs was like 1940 or some shit, and if I hear one pundit bring that up as a possible factor to the game I might never watch pre-game shows again.

Exhibit B of why I might never watch another pre-game show. Emmitt Smith.

Anyways, I'm more excited than a Chicago Bears fan about to "pounce" on a 250 lb. fat chick. I'm going to talk so much shit to all of my friends they may hate me for a while. Hopefully we can all get together to watch it. If they lose though, I will instantly pout the shit out of everything, probably throw a huge fit, and crumble to the ground with a broken heart. And then I will become the biggest fan of the AFC Champion because I am the sorest loser on earth. But that scenario is a bigger "if" than Jay Cutler's cavernous, weepy mangina. Boom.

The Packers are playing lights out right now and the Bears just beat a 7-9 playoff team. Handily, for sure, but still, 7-9. I any case it's going to be a great game. Oh, I almost forgot. There may be a puppy bowl between Saxon and my friend Al's micro black lab, Butters, to predict the winner. Saxon will be going on a steady diet of cow blood, bear meat, unicorn tears, and lots of hugs and kisses in preparation. He's going to bring his pl-A-y game to this thing. Cannot wait.

Song of the Day:




"The Green Bay Packer never lost a football game. They just ran out of time." -Vince Lombardi

Saturday

Well, the dog park with Saxon was very successful.  It took him a little time but he eventually opened up and started playing.  Him and I were meant to be together.  I took him out to make a two before we left and he did a "good job."  When we got to the dog park I had to use no less than four bags to clean up his dirt.  He must have been super excited because it defied logic.  There were a few instances when he didn't like a particular dog and showed his teeth and growled but other than that he was a total sweetheart was told that on numerous occasions.

After the park Eric, Lance and I got our swell on at NX Level.  Here's the break down.

Bear Complex Singles: last set was at 242.  I took a video with my phone but I'm not sure if I'll be able to get it on here.  If I can get it to youtube I'll post it up.

Editor's note: Here's the video.  Sorry for it being sideways.  Lesson learned.


DB RDLs: 5x5
w/
Fat Bar Curls: some singles

After training was steaks, fries, trail mix and ice cream.  Pack play tonight and it doesn't get much better than that.

BITCH! YOU KNOW WHAT I WANT!
I WANNA TALK TO SAXON! 
FLY ME TO THE MOON LIKE THAT BITCH ALICE KRAMDEN!

Song of the Day:

"Few men grow to manhood without at some time during their early life passing through a period where their greatest desire is to be a strong man..." -Bob Hoffman

Thursday and Friday

I took Wednesday off to come home and take Saxon for a walk.  I don't really have a set training schedule right now.  I'm just lifting when I feel like it. 

Thursday

Olympic Squat: worked up to some heavy singles ending with 500.

The main difference between Olympic squats and regular squats is my footwear and my stance.  I wear Olympic shoes with a raised heel and keep my stance relatively close.  This more evenly distributes the load on my legs putting more on my quads than with regular squats.

Squat Partials: last single at 605

I've been reading some stuff on the old tyme strongmen lately.  One of the things they did to build their impressive strength was partials.  They did this not to necessarily build their muscles, but to build their tendon and ligament strength.  It's the tendons and ligaments that transfer the force from the muscles to the bones and also hold everything together.  I'm going to try them and see how it goes.

Double Overhand Grip Deadlift: not sure what my last single was.

Friday

Fat Bar Standing Press: worked up to 205 for 3 singles

My previous best on a regular bar was 205.  I'm pretty happy about this as my increased volume on pressing movements is slowly but surely moving my maxes up.  I've got goals on both standing and bench press that are well within reach.

Fat Bar Bench: 3x10, 2x8

Fat Bar Chins: 3 singles with 70 extra lbs.

Timed Keg Holds: 3 sets
w/
Standing Calf Raise: 2x10

Jake and I made one of the kegs at work heavier by adding a bunch of sand to it.  It now weighs 270.  She ain't quite a lady ('casue she ain't 280) but it's still heavy as all hell.  Holding it for time works my finger strength and my back strength since the load is out in front of me.

Eric is in town today and we are going to train our balls off in a few hours.  I think I'm going to take Saxon to the Dog Park before hand.  He's been around other dogs and has done well but I'm still a little nervous.  I'm not sure how Dog Parks are run but it should be fun to watch him run around a bit.  After training there are two rib eyes in my fridge that will be waiting for us upon our return.  Should be a great day.

Song of the Day:

"There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world: and that is an idea whose time has come." -Victor Hugo

Ketchup

A one Saxon Wolfsblood Dequaine is taking up a lot of my time these days and my training has been a little harried.  I wouldn't have it any other way though.  He is adjusting nicely to my house and having me as his master.  I'm just being patient with him and only giving him a few "No"'s here and there.  He's probably seen some shit in his first few years of life and it will take some time but his trust will come back.  Plus, with a face like that how could you get mad at him?

I actually think that my inability to train decently is somewhat of a good thing.  It's given me a chance to get some good recovery in that I was in need of.  I was able to get some solid training in on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  Thursday was heavy squat, Friday heavy bench, and Saturday was rep squat. 

I just finished reading the book Manthropology by Peter McAllister and it was a real eye opener.  The author, a paleo anthropologist, set out to write a book on how today's man, Homo masculinus modernus, as he calls us could outperform previous generations (and species) of men.  It turns out he was wrong on epic proportions.  The first chapter-BRAWN-is the one that really stood out to me.  He details how through certain scientific measurements he could predict the force output of a Neanderthal female and compares it to the 2004 world arm wrestling champions output.  The results aren't good.  More than likely the Neanderthal girl would have won.  He then goes on the describe how we are far weaker in body than even men of a few generations ago.  The feats strength of the famous strongmen of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries have not been touched by modern men. 

McAllister postulates that this is not necessarily because of poor training techniques.  It is more of a case of easy living when we are in our prime time for physical development and adaptation.  This time is about 8 to 14 years old for males.  I couldn't agree more.  As someone who sees the products of this easy living on a daily basis I'm worried for the future.  I'm not saying we should put kids back in factories and foundries but there is absolutely no reason and able bodied youth can't cut the grass or chop some fire wood or do some other hard labor.  Doing this strengthens the bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles.  And it also teaches them the value of hard work. 

When I was a lad I helped my dad move furniture, cut the grass, haul firewood, and we wrestled around a lot.  He even got me interested in strength training.  For my 12th or 13th birthday I asked for and received a weight bench with 100 lbs of weight.  They were the plastic weights filled with sand and I remember benching, curling, squatting, and pressing them in a fashion that showed that I obviously didn't know shit about it.  I didn't care.  I liked to do it.  It was a challenge to me to do more just as much then as it is today.

I kind of digressed from my main point but if you have young kids or might in the future don't let them be soft and weak.  Don't reward mediocrity in anything they do.  And don't, DON'T, in the name of science, let them poison the future gene pool. Get them to do some hard work.  Ship them off to a farm for a summer.  Have them read "The Iron" by Henry Rollins.  It will pay dividends in the future.  If I ever have kids they will grow up on a steady diet of hard work and discipline.  That was how I was reared and I like to think I turnd out pretty ok.  And on a side note if you are an adult and are soft and weak, shame on you.  There is a better way.  There is always a better way.

Song of the Day:

"Each morning puts a man on trial and each evening passes judgement." -Roy L. Smith

Catching Up...

Haven't been able to post recently due to the fact that I've been busier than a rooster in a hen house.  This past weekend was non-stop action.  My buddy Mike Farley came up from Lakeland, FL (Southern suburb of Chicago) to spend the weekend.  We had a crew of ten or so guys from college head down to Chicago for New Year's Eve.  The bar we went to was $60 all-you-can-drink.  And did I ever.  I drank a lot of whiskey and vodka, lost a little dignity, and had an awesome time.

Saturday we made our way north to Green Bay for the Packer/Bear game on Sunday.  Much fermented hops and barley was drank on Saturday.  I haven't been drinking beer lately and I had a shitstorm of a hangover on Sunday.  The tailgate was awesome, the game was even better with a big Packer win to seal a playoff spot, and we had a nice dinner (thanks Aunt Patti) back at my mom's before we hit the road.

As I type this I've got my new best friend laying on my living room floor.  His name is Saxon Wolfsblood Dequaine and he is going to be the bitchingest dog ever.  He is a very timid and submissive right now as he is adjusting to the house and me being gone for 5-6 hours at a stretch.  He is doing better and better though and I'm excited for the future.

It was a great weekend but I'm looking forward to laying low for a while with my main canine Saxon.  As for training I took a few days off to rest up this weekend.  Tonight I hit it fast and furious in the basement and will work my way back into things. 

Incline bench: 5x5
w/
RDLs: 5x5

Just getting some work in then getting out.

Song of the Day:

“Remember this, - that there is a proper dignity and proportion to be observed in the performance of every act of life." -Marcus Aurelius