Bottom Position Squats

One of my favorites. If you've never done bottom position squats you should. You can't do as much weight as a normal squat (no stored elastic energy, stretch reflex or momentum), but it'll up your normal back squat a ton. Awesome movement. Played conservatively tonight to make sure the hamstring was good.

The end of the 30 day dip challenge

Ah, it's sad that my personal 30 day dip challenge is all done. Over the last month I've hit at least 100 dips everyday (ranging from normal dips, to reverse grip dips, to weighted dip, etc.) and many times hit between 200-250. I've seen a good amount of change in overall strength, and specifically pressing strength; as well as better chest, triceps, and upper back development and endurance. Great stuff.

Here's a picture from the last day. Hitting the final 10 dips with bodyweight plus 141 pounds (an 88 pound and a 53 pound kettlebell.).

Looking forward to next week when the back off week is over.

The road to 200 continues.

This is awesome.

Four weeks ago, when I started the quest to 200 pounds I weighed in at 182 pounds.

Currently, I'm a larger, stronger, and tighter 191.

Not a bad gain at all. Pretty damn good for only 4 weeks.

A powerful and ripped 200 pounds will be coming soon.

Don't Be This Person!!

Ah, new years time. The time in the fitness world that I hate the most. It's the time when people have made their resolutions for the new year. Which means, tons of people have decided that this year was going to be the different one. This year will be the time to change everything. This year they'd actually make the changes and accomplish their resolutions.

Yes, new years, when scores of people have told themselves that thy were going to really do it this time. They would lose the weight, eat better, get in shape and all of the other resolutions.

Of course, three weeks from now around 90% of those people will have quite. By March, the number is nearly 99%

Ah, what a great time to be in the fitness world.

However, with all of that being said, there is one "most offensive" culprit in the scores of people.

And please, don't be this person.

Don't be this douche bag.

You all know this person, this guy or gal.

They're the person that starts "training" a little bit. They'll hit the elliptical or the treadmill and read their book or watch one of the oodles of televisions on the gym wall and think that they're really training. They're really working hard.

If they're a guy they'll probably throw in the odd set of bench presses (usually on some god awful machine) and a few curls here and there. Because, you know, you have to look good for the girls.

They may even get a little bit in the way of results for the first two weeks.

Then, of course, their body adapts to the pitiful training and they stall.

Then the excuses come in.

You all have heard these, so you can probably even say them with me:

"All those other guys and gals have great genetics, so that's why they get the results that they do."

"Everyone that's getting great results is on 'roids or some other type of PED drug. I'd get results like that if I was on them too."

"Of course so and so looks better and gets better results, it's their job to."

"I don't have enough money to buy the foods and train the way that I should."

"I'm naturally fat so I should just be happy being fat."

"I'm a natural hardgainer so I can't put on any muscle."

and loads, and loads, and loads, and loads of other bullshit excuses.

When you actually mention to them how to train properly for the results that they claim they want they'll all say the same types of things. Things like:

"That's too hard."

"I don't ever want to have to train that hard."

"I'm not a pro athlete."

"It's still genetics, even if I trained that way, I wouldn't get anywhere."

"I could only train like that if I was on the 'roids."

"I'll get sick or overtrain training like that."

and loads more.

The truth, however, is that these people are fat, weak and lazy. They want to mark it in their check off list that they "worked out" today. And, they want to let you know how "hard" they trained and how sweaty they got so you'll congratulate them.

However, they're too soft and lazy to ever actually put in the real, result producing type of work that would get them to the results that they want.

They simply aren't willing to do it.

It's true. Look at the typical gym member. How fit are they? How ripped and impressive are they? How strong are they?

If you're honest, you'll be shocked by how out of shape, unfit and weak they all are.

Now look at the way they train.

It sucks, doesn't it.

Now look at the actual people that are out there getting real results. Look at the chiseled physical specimens that are truly fit and strong. Notice how much different they train than everybody else.

The people that actually get the results are people that are willing to do what the others are not.

They're willing to push through any level of pain, to work on hard ass tough movements like squats and deadlifts, to push passed any preconceived limits that they may think that they have. And, even with no drugs and shitty genes, they get great results.

So, be more like them and less like the douche bags.

Now, go create your greatness.

Why handstand training?

Why handstand training?

Because, screw gravity, that's why!

Gotta love hitting some dips and handstand work to start out the back off week!

 

The bear, modified

From last Tuesday night:  After injuring my hamstring on Monday night I knew that the bear was out of the question but I didn't want to hamper my progress so here's my modification: seated 1-arm KB snatches, seated double KB clean and presses and seated double KB cleans.

Here's the 5th of 5 sets.

Dip chalenge still going strong

From Thursday night: 
Here's the 10th of 10 sets of dips, alternated these with 10 sets of pull-ups. Used bodyweight plus 88 pounds for the dips and got 10 reps on each set. Used bodyweight plus 20 pounds for the pull-ups and got 10 reps on each set. Here's the final set, not the prettiest, but still strong.