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I won’t be updating this place anymore, but I’ve migrated all of the old posts over to a new server and will be picking up where I left off here, there.

3 Reasons to Be Strong

“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people…and more useful in general.”

-Mark Rippetoe

Aside from the obvious ‘harder to kill’ part, there are plenty of other reasons to be strong. Some are superficial, some are functional and some are both. Here are 3 of my favorites:

• You Get to Know Yourself
  When you’re strong, you approach things differently. ‘Impossible’ becomes a challenge. Instead of something to avoid, it’s something to conquer. Remember that action follows attitude. 

  How strong you are determines your ‘breaking point’ and how far past it you’re willing to go to get what you want. It shows you what you’re made of. And if you’re really strong, you’ll be strong until you die.

• Carryover
  Strength is a way of life. For some, it’s the way of life. It applies to everything–physical, mental and whatever else you can think of. How strong you are determines how you handle everyday situations. 

  The mentally tough get more done than mental midgets. The weak sulk, complain and get nothing done as a result. The strong don’t have time to sulk. At least not for very long. They’re too busy making themselves better.

• The Stronger You Are, The Better
  A strong person will go as far as they can to reach their goals. A weak person will come up with a million-and-one excuses why they can’t–usually before they even try. It’s clear which between them succeeds and which wishes it was them. 

  Excuses are for the weak of body and the weaker of spirit. Once you know what you’re made of, excuses aren’t an option anymore.Strength is what holds you together. The stronger you are, the harder you are to break.

I could sit here and come up with 101 more reasons to be strong. But no matter how long I sit here, I’ll never come up with a legitimate reason to be weak.

02/01/11 Bench

I said in my last bench update that I wasn’t going to do flat barbell bench again for a few weeks. Guess I forgot.

Anyway, worked out with my homie Daniel from high school. We used to eat lunch and play Warcraft together.

Flat Bench (barbell)

45×30

135×10

155×5

185x2x5

205x2x5

215×5 — cake. could have gone 225×5 today but will save that for the next flat barbell bench workout in 2 weeks.

Incline Hammer Strength Machine Press

140×10

180×9

160×9

Flat Hammer Strength Machine Press

90×12

140×10

90×20

Decline Bench (barbell)

135×10

155x2x10

Dips/Cable Flyes Superset

12/12

+25lbs x 10/12

+45lbs x 10/12

Low Position Cable Flyes

3×12

Lat Pull

4×12

Difficulty: 7/10

Not too difficult. Want to keep steadily progressing and I’m not doing too bad so far.

Energy: 9/10

Ate some eggs and rice before the workout…made a huge difference compared to my usual bowl of oatmeal. Felt great the entire time.

Overall: 9.5/10

Getting stronger and feel good. What’s not to like?

1/30/11 Squat day

Warmed up my hips with Joe Defranco’s Agile 8

Squat (weight in pounds x sets x reps)

45×12

135×8

185×5

225×5

245×3

275×3

315x2x3
Romanian Deadlifts

135×8

185×8

205×5

225×5

245×5 –easy as hell. Just need to work on my grip

 

Weighted decline situps and hanging leg raises

don’t remember sets or reps. don’t care.

 

Donkey Calf Raises

3×15

 

Front Squat

45×8

135×5

155×5

185x2x5

185×8 — easy. Need to work on my cardio because that’s what’s holding me back with these.

 

Difficulty: 7.5/10

The last two sets of back squats were a fair challenge even if everything else was relatively easy.  But I’m up one rep on both sets from last time, and I’m getting more comfortable with squatting without a belt. Form is definitely better than it used to be beltless and everything just feels better overall.

 

Energy: 7.5/10

One bowl of oatmeal isn’t enough for me anymore…lol. Better than a cigarette and an energy drink though.

 

Overall: 8.5/10

It was no Smolov day, but it wasn’t a walk in the park either. I got work in that I feel is going to make me stronger tomorrow. No complaints there.

1/29/11 Bench

Bench Press (3×5 = 3 sets, 5 reps; x5 = 5 reps)

45×30

135×11

155×5

185x3x5

205x2x3

205×5

 

Hammer Grip Dumbell Press (flat bench)

60×10

70×10

75×9

80×6

 

Pullups/Dips (superset)

15/15

12/15

10/15

 

Difficulty: 7/10

Not too difficult of a workout. Strength is coming back fast and my bench form is way better than it used to be because I’m more flexible at a lighter weight. Last time I did flat bench I was struggling with 185×5. This time it was cake.

Energy: 6/10

It was 1am and I had been up all day, so I was a little tired. Still managed to pull it together before each set, though.

Overall: 7/10

Not a bad workout. I’ll probably do a few more bench/chest workouts before I come back to regular flat barbell bench again and then see where I’m at with 225.

 

5 Simple Steps to Goal Realization

You’ve probably listened people talk about the importance of setting goals for yourself. And you might have just shrugged it off as ‘something to do…later.’ If that was you, now is later–and it’s time to start setting your goals.

Following are 5 simple (simple doesn’t necessarily mean ‘easy’) steps to setting and achieving your goals.

1. Set ‘Em

Before you can achieve anything, you need something to achieve. Something to focus on and pour your energy into. Without that, you’re just running around like a headless chicken; bumping into stuff and making a mess.

A goal is anything you want to have or do, but can’t have or do yet. You probably have plenty of those. I know I do.

“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up some place else.”
-Yogi Berra

2. Immortalize ‘Em

The very act of getting your goals down in print or some other form of media (audio/visual) takes them from that lofty place up in the clouds and puts them in a very real, highly accessible place.

It’s okay for them to change. In fact, they probably will as you inch closer and closer to the ‘end’. But as each door closes behind you, a new one opens in front of you.

The important thing is that you’re working toward something tangible. Put a list on your bathroom mirror. On your computer monitor. On your desktop background. On your refrigerator. Never let yourself forget what you’re working toward.

3. Be Realistic. Or Not.

What kind of person you are will determine the kind of goals you set. Lofty, head-in-the-clouds goals that mere mortals dare not aspire to? Or tiny little pipsqueak goals that you could achieve in your sleep? (Dreams don’t count.)

I can hear you now, “those aren’t the only two choices, genius.”

Yeah, a healthy medium is usually better than the extremes. But when it comes to setting your own goals, it’s better to aim high. You might surprise yourself by rising to the challenge. I have. That means you can, too.

“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp,
or what’s a heaven for?“
-Robert Browning

4. Start Small. Think Big.

Why not get the best of both worlds? Mini goals are  great way to track your progress. Think of them as milestones. Each should be set with the intention of bringing you closer to your bigger goal.

It’s like having goals for your goals…for your goals. Make sense? Doesn’t matter. Start small. Think big.

“It is not enough to take steps which may some day lead to a goal; each step must be itself a goal and a step likewise.“
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

5. Spread ‘Em

No, not those. I mean share your goals. Tell your mom. Tell your dad and your dog. Doesn’t matter–just get them out there. Not only will the people you tell potentially be able to help you reach those goals, they’ll also be able to hold you accountable if you’re losing steam and slacking off.

Sometimes a simple “Hey, how’s ________ goin’?” is enough to get you back on track.

See how simple it is? Now there’s no excuse, nothing to be done ‘later.’ For every moment you let pass without having at least one goal for yourself, that is one moment where you’re going nowhere. And it’s a moment you’ll never get back.

Not Quite 20 Rep Squats

When I was just beginning to get into strength training, I heard a lot about 20 rep squats. Hardcore bodybuilders and strength enthusiasts alike touted them as not only as a great way to beef up and put meat on your bones, but also as one of the ultimate tests of willpower.

The gist of ’20 Rep Squats’ is this: You load up a weight that you normally only do for 10-12 repetitions. But this time it’s different. This time you keep going until you reach the 20 rep mark. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, as long as you don’t re-rack the bar and you get 20 reps.

Well, I didn’t get quite 20 (though I counted 20 in my head, damnit). I was disappointed at first–all that hard work and I missed the mark by only 1 rep?  But the important thing is that I pushed myself to my breaking point. Sure, I only got 19, but that was my limit that day. I did all any of us can do–my best. And that’s good enough.

*Warning: Video and song do not match each other. If you don’t like Beyonce, just treat it like  MTV–mute the sound and watch the action.You’ll have to watch in on Youtube because the music prevents it from being embedded here for some reason.