Deadlift

Today I will be working on 370lbs. for 5. This will be a PR for me on my road to 405lbs.

Training:
Work Hang Power Snatch technique
Then
5x1 Deadlift

Long Term Lifting

Lifting is very challenging. The most challenging part for me is to keep with it. After I push my self I sometimes shut down and can't find the motivation to keep going. This typically happens when I have set a hard goal, reached the goal, and can't find the direction after that. This is poor planning. When setting goals try to think past the hard goals. The point is to have long term direction so when that day comes when you want to shut down you know how to defeat it. To know what ignites that motivation to keep pushing is key. These video's are one of those ignitors. Found it on Ross Enamait's web page.

Squats

Today felt extremely heavy. It was my normal 5lbs. increase. After squatting I went and weighed myself. Lost 4 pounds. This would explain one of the reasons it felt heavier. I also could be reaching the point where I will start increasing by 2lbs. each squat day, not 5lbs. I will find out thursday. Until then I will be grazing.

Training:
5x3 Squats
5x3 Press
3 rounds max pull ups

Deaflifts

I've been trying out a couple of gym around town just for the heck of it. They all pretty much offer a one week trial so I figured why not. It just reaffirms why I like my own personal home gym. The biggest reasons is that I can be as loud as I freaking want, throw what ever weight I want, and immediately go drink a tall beer after I'm done. Yesterday I went to do squats at a gym and everyone is looking at you like "why is he going so "deep" (just going to squat depth), what's that chalk on his hand, tell him to quit yelling, and don't drop the weights please." Today I'm going to a local university and try out there facility. It is deadlift day and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get fun looks/a talking to by staff and members. This is not because I'm some amazingly strong lifter or go in with the purpose of pissing people off. Lifting is not easy and if it is then you're not lifting enough. Loud man noises will come out of you. If only everyone in the gym was deaf/mind there own business, life would be a lot better in a lot of gyms around the country. Damn it.... I'm out of coffee. Here's some vids.

Training:
5x1 deadlift
then
Lift something moderately heavy and move fast.
You pick the workout. Get creative.

Notice the music in the background.

Texas Pt. 2 from A.C. on Vimeo.

Dylan Deadlift from A.C. on Vimeo.

Proud Sponsor

Found on the flickr photostream of Lunchbreath

Burger King

Alright, so I'm on the road to gaining a 200lbs. body. How do you do this? For someone that sits on the couch all day that has no physical output whatsoever, this is something that is easy to come by. Me on the other hand, not so much. Eat Eat Eat; when I'm not lifting I'm eating. This is very costly and right now I'm not in the financial position to spend my non-existent paycheck on all the meat/groceries that I want to be eating. What does this mean...... BURGER KING. Come to find out that eating all that meets the eye is expensive wherever you go. Triple Whopper with cheese "Value" meal cost about 8 bucks, and it tastes like shit. I know what your thinking..... "it's Burger King, why would you think your getting a good meal." Lets look at the positives. The "burger" alone contained 71 grams of protein and 1200 calories. It has a surprisingly low amount of sodium to what I was thinking it would have; it is 1380mg. I was thinking in the 2000+ category. Anyways, the positives do not ultimately out weigh the negatives. Negatives consist of being way over priced for what you receive and it tastes absolutely horrible. If you're going to eat a completely unhealthy meal it should taste amazing..... this did not.

Training:
5x3 Squats
5x3 Press
3 rounds max pull ups

Power Clean

I'm looking forward to working these today. Every week I never know what I'm going to get out of my performance with this movement. My goal is not to keep bumping the weight right now; it is to become consistent with good technique.

Training:

5x5 Power Cleans
then
50 push ups
50 sit ups
50 box jumps

Squat

I've been lifting for about 5 years now and just today started video taping myself. If you do not have a coach watching every lift you have to tape yourself. This will allow you to find your faults. Just after watching my first set of squats it showed that I wasn't going as deep as I thought that I was. I definitely was not high, but it wasn't the depth that in my mind I was reaching.

I am still moving my weight up 5 pounds every squat day. It always seems more intimidating then it actually is. The weight never seems light, just consistently heavy. For example, Jan. 14 I was squatting 225lbs. A month later I am squatting 270lbs. This thursday will be 275lbs. That's a 50lbs. increase in about a month; but each squat day does not seem any heavier then the last, just consistently heavy. This is for a couple different reasons. First, I have a great lifting program that I follow by Tim Favreau. Second, I shove as much milk, triple cheese burgers, pounds of salmon/meat in general into my face every chance I get. I am still a novice lifter, lifting a novice amount of weight. The goals that I have will take time to achieve.

Training:
5x3 Squats
5x3 Press
3 rounds max pull ups

BEASTLY!!

Thirsty Thursday

Stay thirsty my friends!! The milk is going down a lot smoother. Today was squat day AGAIN, and it went great. My press is a very slow progression but its coming along. Check out Favre's post on career training. I run into the problem of wanting to be the best right now with power cleans. It is going to take some time to become consistent and I need to accept that. If you push it too fast then you will just end up being pissed off and throwing shit. At least, I tend to act like a baby when I can't figure out my lifting problems. Keep working at it, as recommended by Farve, and I'm sure a lot of other coaches, video tape yourself and the problems will show themselves to you. This is something that I have not been doing. As the weight advances so does the precision of your technique.

Training:
5x3 Squat
5x3 Press
3 rounds max pull ups

Power Cleans

Last week my power cleans were on point. Jumping at the right time, fast elbows, and meeting the bar perfectly. It was a big confidence booster. Today was the complete opposite. I used the same weight as last week to engrain the movement and couldn't even finish the third set. By this point I am completely pissed off. I dropped the weight a little bit and moved back to hang power cleans. I performed them beautifully with no problem whatsoever. Not really sure why my timing was off today but it was.

Training:
3x5 Power Cleans
then
6 Turkish Get Ups
100 rope turns
5 rounds

Not power cleans but fun to watch.

Somebody has a case of the mondays.

Really excited about todays squats. I'll be working with 260lbs. today. I haven't worked with more then 250lbs. in a couple of years. I really hit the milk and triple cheese burgers hard this weekend, so I'm confident that I will get my lifts. I squat without any spotters or safety rails which is typically not the smartest way to go about it. Does anyone know of a cheap way to build safety rails?

It wont let me post the video but here is the link. This girl will make you feel weak.


Training:
Squat 5x3
Press 5x3
3 rounds max pull ups

Friday

Right now I feel completely drained. It's deadlift day so I'm gonna have to man up to get the weight that I want. Milk, eggs, triple cheese burgers, anything that has a high amount of protein will be consumed in the next couple of hours. After I lift the eating process will continue with beer thrown in.

AC Deadlift 495x5x1 from A.C. on Vimeo.

Training:
Deadlift 5x1
then
Whatever conditioning you want.
Have fun, be creative.

Thirsty Thursday!!

Drinking a gallon of milk a day is absolute insanity. I've been working at getting down a half gallon and it is a workout all in itself. Drinking milk paired with a lot of meat will turn you into a smelly monster that will make anyone close to you hate life. I was casually releasing some flatus while updating the blog when my wife stepped in and almost threw up on the spot. Then she threatened to throw away the milk I just bought..... I responded with more flatus. Honestly, if you take on a heavy amount of milk and meat you are going to have to be carful with the potency that you now carry. I recommend air fresheners shoved down the back of your pants. It is tough work but the benefits are proving to be outstanding. I feel very solid in my lifts; they are increasing consistently. As mentioned on 70sbig.com; your stomach will round out, and you may look like a skinny fat guy with small arms/legs until you keep pressing out the programming that you have committed too. When it seems like I can't take in that next glass of milk or that extra bite of food I remind myself of my lifting goals, then I throw my face back into the trough.

"I was in tenth grade the first time it happened. I un-racked the bar on my front deltoids with my elbows high. I stepped back a few feet, got my stance set, and squatted down. I heard a very peculiar ripping sound, and then a quasi-delightful breeze tickled my butt crack. It took a minute or two to realize that I had blown out the back of my boxers front squatting. That was the first time my ass became too big for the clothes I was wearing." (70sbig.com)

"It’s a badge of honor to accidentally (key word here) rip through old clothing. How many seams have you busted today?" (70sbig.com)



This is the best 1036lbs. squat i've ever seen.



Training:
3x5 Squat
3x5 Press
3 rounds of max pull ups

What the girls did:
5x5 Squat
5x5 Press
3 rounds max pull ups

Get Pumped!!

The music alone should get you pumped to lift big!!

AC's Powerlifting Meet from A.C. on Vimeo.

I hit a PR yesterday, blew my undies out at the bottom of my squat!! Luckily someone was there to witness it.

Training:
Power Cleans 3x5
then
50 swings
50 push-ups
50 sit-ups
50 squats
Fast as possible
(as prescribed by Hybridfitness.blogspot.com)

You're Not Big Unless Your 70's Big

New experiment time!! I have recently been introduced to 70sBig.com by the great Tim Favreau. That guy is an encyclopedia of knowledge. 70's Big has some really great stuff and would recommend everyone taking time to read a little bit about what they promote and stand for. I am not big on subscribing to one specific ideal for eating. Not to say that I haven't before, this is why I would recommend working with your body. Taking knowledge from a lot of different areas will make you more knowledgable in the do's and don'ts of eating and what your body needs for the type of workout your are doing. Once again it all comes down to your goal. I am going to take in more whole milk a day and focus on a higher protein intake. This will also come with CARB'S. That's right I said the big bad word everyone wants to avoid. Protein is for building, fat is for repair/recovery, and carb's are for fuel. If your goal is to lift heavy then you will have to eat heavy.

Love this video. Work hard play hard. Don't lose sight of why you started lifting in the first place.

Texas Pt. 2 from A.C. on Vimeo.

Training:
Squat 5x3
Press 5x3
3 rounds max pull ups.