SQUAT!!!!

Not just good ole back squats, do variations, and do them heavy. The past few weeks ive been hammering away at squats and today I started to see some progress. Not just an increase in weights, but my "hole shot" (ascent) was a lot stronger and faster. How is this so? By breaking myself several times a week. What do you mean "variations"? Yes the best way to get better at squatting is doing it, but, bottom position squats and lock outs help you work through the sticking points and get your legs jacked.

Bottom position squats first. The name tells you what its. When your doing this lift there are three positions you should work from, below, at and above parallel. Your obviously gonna need a squat cage so you can move the pins to the right height. This lift is tough so if your scared then go do leg extensions or something, and let the people who want to get better use the cage. so once you get the pins where you need them and your bar racked, get underneath the bar, and PUSH. What weight and rep scheme should you use? As heavy as you can for singles or triples. How many sets? I do 15 for singles and 7 for triples. So what is the benefit? Well starting from the bottom, you don't have the "coiled stress" on your muscles, so you have to recruit more muscle fibers to move the bar. If your gonna do triples, unload at the bottom so your don't build tension on your muscles and have to recruit the maximum amount of tissue for each rep. The more you do it, the more comfortable you will feel in the hole, and your going have a more explosive hole shot. Your gonna have to take my word for it, ill get you the science behind it later.

So on to lockouts. This variation works the very top of your squat but also carries over to your lift off. For the set up, set the pins 8-10 inches lower then where you normally start from. Overload the bar big time. And if you feel like being considerate, get a bar that is already curved a little bit. once you get all the plates you can handle, lift. thats it. Your gonna feel like a beast with 600lbs on your back trust me.


So there it is. Get off the leg press and squat.

Its been a long while

   So once again shame on me for pretty much blowing off posting for a long time. I think im gonna start trying to go a different direction with my posts. More journal-ish than write ups. Got my diet right, ive managed to cut from 225 to 198, but i haven't got my body fat measured so not sure where im at with that. Got transferred to another station so the gym there is even less equipped than the station i was at, so i got a membership at golds. Its been pretty cool, havent gotten yelled at yet for lifting to much haha.

   So as far as programming goes, its broke down into four primary days, Bench Squat Deadlift Military Press. 7x3 for the core lifts and 6x6 on the assistance lifts. I wing it with those to keep it interesting, although i do have a few I keep like pull ups, shrugs and rows. Obviously my goals are to get lean and stronger than an ox. But I really want my traps and back to grow. Traps have always been a week point for me. so this was yesterdays routine.

Bench- 245, 255, 255, 265, 265, 270, 275
Close Grip Bench- 185- 6x6
Tricep Press- 100, 120, 130, 140, 140, 140
Tricep Extensions- 45, 50, 55, 60, 60, 60
Wide grip Pull ups- 10, 10, 8, 5, 5, 4, 5
Shrugs (front and rear) - 225, 235, 245, 255, 265, 275

Run a mile
weighted sit ups, 3x15 with 30lbs

Today is squats.

Planning to make a plan.

Well as you already know its been several weeks since I have posted anything. Shame on me for slacking. Ive been hitting the weights hard, and its been paying off. I changed it up a little bit and there have been notable muscular endurance and size gains. Its crazy how much a little tweak can affect things. Ill give you an example now, and ill outline it more in the training section. Instead of doing regular pull-ups, try throwing a towel over the bar and gripping that, or using the square frame of a smith machine instead of the regular round bar. Ive been slacking on my cardio, but once my sinus infection goes away and I can breath again, I'll be picking it up again.

I have six weeks left of juggernaut, than I'm due for some 1rep max attempts. I have to say my hopes are up. My working max's so far are 480 Deadlift, 310 Bench Press, and 180 Miliitary Press. I want my 500lb+ deadlift BAD. Probably more than anything out of this program. So with that its time for me to start planning what do do next. I think taking a "break" from heavy lifting would be good for my body and prepare me to go back into another cycle of juggernaut. so here is the though process. After i do my 1rep max lifts, role into a speed and endurance program, while doing enough lifting to maintain my PR's. So doing that for eight weeks should also help me cut some body fat since ill be focusing on MetCon.  So thats where im at right now. Ive made a plan, that I need to plan. What do you guys think? Any good ideas for me? Where are you at with your programs? I owe a quality post, so next time your gonna get one.

Wait......What?......That Cant Be Right. Diet/Weight Control.

First and foremost, sorry for downtime between posts.  Fad diets and exercise made easy gimmicks are everywhere, and people fall prey to them all the time. Look at the list of diets and count how many you have heard of or tried.

- Low Carb
- Low Fat
- Liquid Diet
- Detox Diet
-Calorie point systems

Don't hate yourself if you have tried any of them, just think about the success you had on them. It was probably a waste of time. All those weeks starving yourself, drinking nasty juice blends only to gain the weight back after you finish. There are a few reasons why they don't work, but to understand why, you need to understand how your body processes your food.

Contrary to popular belief, carbs are not the enemy, your body needs them for energy. But just like everything, to much of a good thing can be a bad thing. So there are two types of carbs, simple(sugar) and Complex(wheat based breads and pasta). During digestion carbs are converted to glucose, which then enters you blood stream. Like I already said, carbs are good for you but you have to be consious of what type you are consuming. Anything made with white enriched flour is loaded with simple carbs, which is basically sugar. The sugar is digested and turned into glucose also. Your body can only handle so much glucose, so the extra is converted to fat for storage. With that being said, sugar (sodas, candy,  seems to be the culprit, not carbs. Whats the statute of limitations on that?

Fat intake is another angle to look at. Your body needs fat, and should be up to 30% of your calorie load, with no more than 10% as saturated fats, which are derived from animal based foods like meat and milk.  (caloriecontrolcouncil.com, 2011). Fat is an essential component of your diet because it helps tranfer vitamins A,D, E, and K. Also, your body does not produce fatty acids, so it is essential that you consume them. And just like everything else you eat, if you eat to much, your body will store it on your belly, hips, and thighs. 


So now that we went over a couple of the most popular targets when it comes to dieting, lets lok at why fad diets don't work. Fad diets are also know as deprivation diets. Basically you cut your intake in half, and your body eats itself to make up for the lack of intake. And once the diet is done, and you start to eat a little bit more, your metabolism is shocked by the extra intake and stores it all as fat, because your body doesn't know when its going to get another decent meal. So this brings up another good point. When you deprive your body of what it needs where does it get energy to sustain itself? Yea you will burn some fat, but fat doesn't have the essential vitamins your need, so you canibalise your muscles.

Arnold said it best. Burn more than you eat and you will loose weight. That is  paraphrased of course. But remember, not all calories are created equal. 100 calories of protein will be used different than 100 calories of sugar. So loose the cakes and pies, and eat a steak and potato instead. Your body will thank you for it. 

I would certainly listen to his nutritional advise, but definitely not his relationship advise.

What....What?....That Cant Be Right....Testosterone.

In todays world, there is a war against Testosterone that we wage daily. To understand the premise of that statement, we first need to look at what testosterone is. Testosterone is a naturally occurring hormone, that also happens to be an androgen steroid. It is produced in both males and females in the respective sexual organs. Testosterone levels directly effect day to day life, and can have negative effects if too low.

So lets look at the effects of low test levels and what can cause it; although little is known about the long term effects of low test levels, it can drastically effect day to day life in men. Low test levels have been linked to, but have not been proven to cause obesity, diabetes, depression, and possibly cardiovascular disease(WebMD 2010). Men with low testosterone can experience fatigue, mood problems, low sex drive and E.D. None of those things are good. The decrease in test levels over time is known as andropause.  Don't feel left out ladies, its your turn. Low test in women causes flabbiness, hair loss, lack of sex drive, low energy, weakness, poor coordination, and dry skin.  

So what causes this decrease? Men over 40 show drops of 1-2% a year. And it happens to everyone. It is the most common cause of low test, and there are many other medical reasons. But I wont get into that, because I don't want people to start loosing their minds thinking "holy crap I've got that!" So I will point out common external factors that we can change. These apply to women also.

A big one that seems to be popular is eating less red meat. It can be argued that red meat causes GI issues, it is packed with protein and fats that the body needs. These proteins help raise test levels. Being in a long term relationship or getting married can tend to lower test levels, but on the flip side, married men have less health issues. (Strayer, ehow.com) One that people don't think of, is drinking too much. A couple of drinks a day isn't bad, but drinking in excess can block test development, as well a mess you up in other ways. Also, eating soy based foods not only lowers test levels, but it raises estrogen and can cause men to grow boobies. Not Cool.

So the reasons stated have some pretty obvious fixes, lets look at some things that can make your test levels go up. First things first loose the gut. Extra body fat boosts estrogen (Zmunda 2000). Get your diet right.  Everyone knows, six meals a day helps elevate metabolism and loose weight. But with your metabolism boosted, hormone production gets elevated and regulated. Sleep More! Sleep is needed to help your body recover from the rigors of your workout and stresses of daily life. Lack of sleep can drop test levels by up to 40%.  Have sex, and plenty of it; Sex raises endorphin production which aids in increasing testosterone. (ehow.com, 2011) Of course there are plenty of supplements available, but taking them is considered doping in most sports, and some are illegal. Believe it or not, posture plays a role as well. Having an expansive, dominate style posture alters hormone release, and can actually make you feel more in control (Bures, 2010). So stand up straight, roll your shoulders back and push your chest out! Weightlifting and strenuous exercise, as you know, increases muscle mass which in turn boosts test levels. So the harder you lift, the more you get. 

So, as you can see contrary to popular belief, testosterone doesn't just make you aggressive and angry; it make you jacked, aggressive, and gives you an awesome sex drive! So whats not to like about that? So go eat a steak, pick up something heavy and posture up like your the man and you know it!

Stallone has it right. The posture and everything. And he is old!

Soooo.....What do you think? Good? Not Good? Something to add or take away? Let me hear it!

Wait......What?......That Cant Be Right. Intro.

So today I'm just gonna come out with it. If your on a fad diet and think carbs are the enemy, I hate to break it to you but your wrong. Just because the root word of diet is die, doesn't mean you need to feel like you are when your eating healthy. Pop culture glorifies anorexic looking women with sunglasses the size of the windows on your car, and men wearing womens skinny jeans and rhinestone shirts.

Someone get her something to eat!

Metro or Pre-Op? You tell me. Either way its wrong

Last time I checked, women with curves was desirable and men argued about who could drink and lift the most, not who had the smallest waist. As you may have guessed, this is an introductory posts. The following series of posts will touch on misconceptions in dieting/ obsession with weight, why testosterone is the root of everything good, and why low intensity long term cardio really isnt worth bothering with. Working on making some quality posts so bear with me, hopefully I wont take to long.


Something on your mind? Think I'm off base with the direction I'm going? Looking forward ro hear whats coming up? Let me hear it. Also, the training section will be updated soon.

Flexibility Prevents Injury Pt.2

So last time I talked about the benefits of stretching, and gave you proof that it is effective. So today I'm gonna get into the how when and what. Ive heard a lot of back and forth about it, and honestly, a lot of the "science and studies" that have been told to me were from people who couldn't touch their toes. Soooo....... yea. I could show you what researches say will work, but I think ill show you what has worked for me, the guys that work out with me. I'm in no way saying that what I do is the end all be all of stretching and mobility drills, play around, try different things and do what works for you.

So when should you stretch? People say never stretch cold, do a warm up then stretch. That way you can hurt yourself during your warm up. So lets try this. How about a stretch, warm up then stretch again? So you know to stretch before hand to loosen up, but why stretch when your done? When your performing any type of strenuous workout, your muscles burn oxygen and glucose and muscle cells become acidic, causing a burning painful sensation. This is your bodies natural defense mechanism to keep you from overworking.(Roth 2006) So that's the cause of the pain that peaks up to 72 hours after a hard workout isn't it? Actually, nobody really knows what causes it, because lactic acid disperses very quickly. So though we don't know what causes it, everyone agrees that stretching can decrease the pain and stiffness because it increases bloodflow which helps the muscles repair themselves.

Choosing stretches is totally up to you and what you like. Keep it simple. Like these.

Toe Touches (hamstring stretch). Can be done seated or standing. Feet together, knees straight and reach for your toes.

Isolated Hamstring Stretches or Sprinters stretches are demonstrated on the below picture.

Done on each leg

Shoulder stretches.- Each arm hugged across your chest, and then behind your head

Behind the head.

Calf stretch. Prop your foot up against something stationary and lean forward.

Quad stretch. Kneel and over extend your base. lean forward. switch legs.
doubles as a hip stretch.

So those are a few basic ones, which are the beginning of my routine. They are good building blocks and can get you ready for more advanced stretches. So know that you know a few you dont have an excuse anymore.