I've actually gotten quite a few requests from people for me to write about my experience with quitting drinking. so here it is.
Where do I begin? The last time I had a sip of alcohol was probably around 3am on the 27th of June. How do I know this? Well, for one, it was the weekend before the 4th of July, but also, if you've had the long run with booze like I had (about a solid 14 years), then you really fixate on when your mind can start to think clearly again.
I used to drink, a lot. Not often, just every single weekend, and when I drank... I DRANK! I know what you're thinking, "dude, I drink a lot too".... well, I'm just gonna go out on a limb here and say, put your baby shit away.
I'd like to preface this next sentence with the notion that in no way at all do I think the amount of how much I was able to put away in a night is something to be looked up to or emulated. When I talk about drinking a lot, I'm talking about something in the ball park of maybe a 750ml bottle of vodka or an 18 pack of Guinness... to pregame, and then, I'd go out to the bar and more than likely, have about 8-10 beers, or else I'd go straight for the Jim Beam and cokes... doubles, just a spritz of coke, for about 6-8... and all of that isn't counting possible shots that I might take... although, I'm not big on doing shots... I mean, come on, I do have my limits
Oh yea, I also forgot to mention my affinity to buy about 2 or 3 Four Lokos around midnight, when I'm slowly fading away to "see you next week" land, and slam those so I could hang for a couple more hours.
I know what you're thinking.. "bullshit" and I wish I could say that it was bullshit, but its not.
I'm not proud of it at all. Now that I'm sober and look back on it, I'm actually pretty ashamed. The sad fact is though, I've been drinking like that since I was in high school. I used to carry a 30 pack around with me at every party I'd go to, and I've been known to finish it on more than several occasions.
So fast forward to June 27. I woke up the next morning, and after several months of hating the way I was, I made a decision. I decided to quit drinking. I mean, sure, I had a lot of good times going out with friends, but I put it into perspective. Any time I actually had a good time, I wasn't that drunk. (You know how good of a time you can have when your little buddy won't wake up? not a very good one)
I know that most people would just say, "Why don't you just not drink as much?" Well, lets take a look at my life. I joined the military at 17 and decided to jump out of planes. I got out, moved to Ohio and took up a sport that has put me through injuries in 3 years than I ever had in the entirety of my life beforehand, I threw on 60lbs of body weight in less than a year, and now I'm going through poverty so I can make my dreams of never having to work a 9-5 job come true... I'm not one for moderation.
I don't understand the concept of moderation. Fuck moderation, its stupid. Either I'm doing it, or I'm not. I don't do anything "once in a while". I'm stubborn as fuck and I love to do things to the extreme, which has its downfalls, but I guarantee you'll never have to question my commitment toward something, whether its a friendship, relationship or sport. So on that note, I had to quit cold turkey, otherwise, I wasn't going to quit at all.
Don't get me wrong, I definitely miss going out and getting a buzz going, but I have bigger fish to fry. You know what its like to have a 4 day hangover and to try to be productive? And I'm not talking about the 4th day just being a day of lingering effects... its still a full on hangover. It sucks.
Oh yea, lets not forget that I smoked about a pack of cigarettes, if not more, every night that I drank. It was horrible. I constantly felt like shit and had the audacity to wonder why my training wasn't going anywhere.
I was blowing smoke up my own ass. I was telling myself that I was a strength athlete when in all actuality, I was a drunk who participated in a sport.
I hit my own version of rock bottom and it was awful. Thank God my version of rock bottom is only fucking up my grades and not going anywhere in my sport. It could have been a lot worse... lets just say, I'm happy I never had to suck a dick.
Well, lets fast forward to today. I feel great. I'm a lean, mean, machine. My priorities in life have changed drastically. Once I stopped focusing on what I was going to drink that coming weekend and started focusing on working toward goals to get my dream going, doors began to "magically" open. Its amazing what happens when you start to actually work hard instead of just wondering why shit never goes your way.
I'll admit one thing though. Its a lonely road. If you're going to make a decision to change your life like I did, make sure you have a good support system. I have a great support system, but like I said before, I'm a "face things head on" type of guy and asking for help isn't exactly my strong suit, but I know its there and I'm thankful.
Being on a college campus doesn't make things any easier. I might as well be a fucking leper. I'd like to say I don't care, but I'll always have that feeling like I'm missing out on something. My only saving grace is the fact that I'm a narcissist and I know that the work and dedication I'm putting into the moves I'm making now, are going to pay off in the future.
I mean, lets face it... I wish I was out every night chasing down hot college broads and getting shitfaced with my friends, but I also know that in 5 years, when I'm on top of the world, none of that shit will have mattered... those college broads will be telling there friends how in one point in time, they knew me and I'll be laughing in my bath tub full of hundred dollar bills (yes, I'm going to bathe in money when I get rich)
I dunno... my experience is just like any other decision. You just have to do it.. not "want" to do it, JUST FUCKING DO IT. Making the decision to do something is 99 percent of accomplishing a task... the actual execution is easy. (I should site Dave Tate here, since I got this idea from one of his articles.)
If there is something not going your way in your life, or you're wondering why things aren't going your way, take a look in the mirror and wonder why that is. For me, it was because of alcohol. What's your "excuse"? How are you holding yourself back?
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Wishing in one hand, crapping in another
Recently, I've been making some moves, emailing some people about possible projects and working my ass off so I can make this whole "being strong" thing and the knowledge that I've attained over the past 14 years become lucrative for me. I'm not exactly the 9-5 job type of guy.. I'd rather have a bullet in my head.
So, in order to put my name out there, I made a fan page on facebook and I've gotten some criticism about it from a couple of people, which is fine, I could care less. I'm a fan of criticism... just read my last blog. I realize that I'm still just another schmuck at the bottom of the barrel, scratching his way to the top, but I'll tell you this.. I guarantee I will be on top. Go ahead, doubt me, it just adds fuel to my fire.
There's an old saying (I think its old anyway) "Wish in one hand, crap in another.. see which one fills up first"... its true. Everybody wants to be on top, but no one is willing to do the work. Keep wishing though, one day you might win a scratch off, but until then, if YOU don't get out there and promote yourself, then nobody gives a shit if you're the next great thing, regardless if its at your job, in your sport, or any other endeavor in your life.
The difference between me and other people? I know I'm the next best thing and I'm gonna hype myself up as such, but I also realize that if I don't bust my ass to live up to that hype, I'm going to crash down hard and fast. Its a risk, but without risk, there is no reward.
This whole process that I've been going through pretty much encompasses my entire belief system. I realize that I need the help of everyone around me, because lets be honest, I don't know shit about being a responsible adult, I need to get stronger in certain areas of my sport and when you give up everything else in your life to chase a dream, poverty goes hand in hand. Conversely though, I'm stubborn as fuck and will quit when I'm dead. Plus, I don't give a shit what anyone outside of my "inner circle" thinks about me. This world has 6 billion people in it, I don't plan on walking through the pearly gates with out pissing off at least a few people. On that note, bury me upside down so that anyone who doesn't like me can kiss my ass.
I realize this sounds like me defending my choices, which it partially is, but its also a wake up call to people out there wishing that they had a better job, were a better athlete, or just had a better life. Here's a tip... GET OFF YOUR FUCKING ASS AND GO MAKE IT HAPPEN. Quit crying like a bitch about "how hard you have it" and make some fucking changes.
So, in order to put my name out there, I made a fan page on facebook and I've gotten some criticism about it from a couple of people, which is fine, I could care less. I'm a fan of criticism... just read my last blog. I realize that I'm still just another schmuck at the bottom of the barrel, scratching his way to the top, but I'll tell you this.. I guarantee I will be on top. Go ahead, doubt me, it just adds fuel to my fire.
There's an old saying (I think its old anyway) "Wish in one hand, crap in another.. see which one fills up first"... its true. Everybody wants to be on top, but no one is willing to do the work. Keep wishing though, one day you might win a scratch off, but until then, if YOU don't get out there and promote yourself, then nobody gives a shit if you're the next great thing, regardless if its at your job, in your sport, or any other endeavor in your life.
The difference between me and other people? I know I'm the next best thing and I'm gonna hype myself up as such, but I also realize that if I don't bust my ass to live up to that hype, I'm going to crash down hard and fast. Its a risk, but without risk, there is no reward.
This whole process that I've been going through pretty much encompasses my entire belief system. I realize that I need the help of everyone around me, because lets be honest, I don't know shit about being a responsible adult, I need to get stronger in certain areas of my sport and when you give up everything else in your life to chase a dream, poverty goes hand in hand. Conversely though, I'm stubborn as fuck and will quit when I'm dead. Plus, I don't give a shit what anyone outside of my "inner circle" thinks about me. This world has 6 billion people in it, I don't plan on walking through the pearly gates with out pissing off at least a few people. On that note, bury me upside down so that anyone who doesn't like me can kiss my ass.
I realize this sounds like me defending my choices, which it partially is, but its also a wake up call to people out there wishing that they had a better job, were a better athlete, or just had a better life. Here's a tip... GET OFF YOUR FUCKING ASS AND GO MAKE IT HAPPEN. Quit crying like a bitch about "how hard you have it" and make some fucking changes.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Everybodies an expert
It amazes me how many "experts" there are on the web nowadays. Go into any forum, for any subject, and every schmuck with a keyboard is the grand shirpa of knowledge. Its ridiculous. Somewhere in between searching for porn and facebook, they've figured out everything there is to know about anything (wait, you're telling me that the internet is used for things other than porn and facebook?)
Well, I'm here to tell you that you don't know shit. I don't know shit. Most of us don't know shit. We think we do, and yes, some of us may know a lot, but unless you're constantly learning and proving yourself wrong, then you my friend, are not going anywhere but in circles.
I wanted to write this now while its fresh in my brain, because it happens to me often. I figure out, or rather, someone else shows me something new and I have a "duh!" moment. It makes me remember that, even with 14 years of under the bar experience and more hours spent with my nose in training books than I'd ever care to admit to anyone (lets just say I should have a pocket protector), I'm still just a grasshopper making his way through the world, trying to become a master. But, without a doubt, in 2 months, I think I'm the shit again, and I'm wrong. (Savor this moment, because I am one stubborn fuck and I very seldom admit that I'm wrong)
So the question stands, how do we keep ourselves from becoming arrogant fucks? Well, its simple, but it requires a lot of humility. First, you must seek out people who are better than you. That's right... you need to swallow your pride and become a rookie again. I know, it sucks.... I'm going through it right now at Westside Barbell. I went in there seeking some help with my squat and bench and I found out that I suck at deadlifting... and squatting and benching. (By strong people terms... I'm still more awesome at all three than 99.9999999 percent of the population.. do the math)
You know what happens when you go into a place like that and people start giving you those little cues like "push your knees out" or "squeeze the bar with your pinky"? After enough repetition, something finally clicks and you go "duh!". All of the sudden you have shit all figured out again... well, you think you do. Shit, even the way I've put on my wrist wraps is different now because I saw someone else do it a different way and I was like "wow, that works about a million times better and is so fucking simple"
I went through that 2 years ago when I started doing strongman (and I still do every weekend... blunt criticism is the name of the game, and I am more than thankful for that). I thought I was strong. I mean, I was stronger than everyone else in the gym, so why wouldn't I be good at strongman? Oh wait, because my scope of knowledge about strength sports was limited to nothing but muscle mags and the shit that I unfortunately learned in the gym. (I've managed to replace most of that garbage with some good knowledge).
Now, you might be asking yourself "scope of huh?", and I'll explain. Before I started training for strongman, I had a limited scope of knowledge about strength sports, or, in lay man terms... my view (scope) of what being strong was, was small and warped. It happens a lot and its nobody's fault, but when you're stuck in a cave for forever, you think you're an expert on shit because you've never had anyone tell you differently, because more than likely, you share the same scope of knowledge as the people around you.
Quick example, and an obvious toot of my own horn, but when I was the "strong guy" in the gym, what I thought was a lot of weight then, has now become not so much weight. Deadlift 405lbs? Pfffttt, chhhhh... how about my goal for an axle clean and press within the next six months.... whats the weight of the deadlift for that competition? oh, a mid sized car.
Ok, I know I'm sounding cocky as fuck, but in all actuality, that's what runs through the heads of a lot of the people I train and compete with... I still find myself in awe of it when I go onto a forum of my fellow strongmen and they're talking about how its "only an 800lb yoke" or you see guys that are 230lbs running with 350lbs in each hand. Recently, my scope has grown again, after witnessing several times, people benching over 700lbs. Its crazy, I know, but when you begin to grow and learn, it becomes normal.
And here is my last point. You need to be able to take criticism. Forget all that bullshit you learned in school about everyone being special. You're not special... you're just another dumb fuck who's taking up my oxygen. You need to go into your trophy room and throw away all the trophies that say "participant" or "most spirit" because you know what? You didn't earn them... participating in something isn't an accomplishment.
I know, its a harsh reality and I'm a prick, but if everybody had more pricks in their life telling them the truth instead of blowing up their head like they're going to be the next great fucking CEO (even though they can't form complete sentences and use abbreviations like "lmfao"), then we probably wouldn't have so many shitty people who think that the world owes them something.
So, in closing your honor, I had no clue that there were 15 illegal immigran... oh wait, wrong closing argument... In short, if you don't have people that are better than you showing you things, giving you blunt criticisms and helping you to constantly grow, then all you can hope for is being good on a whim and that's like sticking your dick in a glory hole... it might feel good, but most likely, there's a dude on the other side of that wall.
Well, I'm here to tell you that you don't know shit. I don't know shit. Most of us don't know shit. We think we do, and yes, some of us may know a lot, but unless you're constantly learning and proving yourself wrong, then you my friend, are not going anywhere but in circles.
I wanted to write this now while its fresh in my brain, because it happens to me often. I figure out, or rather, someone else shows me something new and I have a "duh!" moment. It makes me remember that, even with 14 years of under the bar experience and more hours spent with my nose in training books than I'd ever care to admit to anyone (lets just say I should have a pocket protector), I'm still just a grasshopper making his way through the world, trying to become a master. But, without a doubt, in 2 months, I think I'm the shit again, and I'm wrong. (Savor this moment, because I am one stubborn fuck and I very seldom admit that I'm wrong)
So the question stands, how do we keep ourselves from becoming arrogant fucks? Well, its simple, but it requires a lot of humility. First, you must seek out people who are better than you. That's right... you need to swallow your pride and become a rookie again. I know, it sucks.... I'm going through it right now at Westside Barbell. I went in there seeking some help with my squat and bench and I found out that I suck at deadlifting... and squatting and benching. (By strong people terms... I'm still more awesome at all three than 99.9999999 percent of the population.. do the math)
You know what happens when you go into a place like that and people start giving you those little cues like "push your knees out" or "squeeze the bar with your pinky"? After enough repetition, something finally clicks and you go "duh!". All of the sudden you have shit all figured out again... well, you think you do. Shit, even the way I've put on my wrist wraps is different now because I saw someone else do it a different way and I was like "wow, that works about a million times better and is so fucking simple"
I went through that 2 years ago when I started doing strongman (and I still do every weekend... blunt criticism is the name of the game, and I am more than thankful for that). I thought I was strong. I mean, I was stronger than everyone else in the gym, so why wouldn't I be good at strongman? Oh wait, because my scope of knowledge about strength sports was limited to nothing but muscle mags and the shit that I unfortunately learned in the gym. (I've managed to replace most of that garbage with some good knowledge).
Now, you might be asking yourself "scope of huh?", and I'll explain. Before I started training for strongman, I had a limited scope of knowledge about strength sports, or, in lay man terms... my view (scope) of what being strong was, was small and warped. It happens a lot and its nobody's fault, but when you're stuck in a cave for forever, you think you're an expert on shit because you've never had anyone tell you differently, because more than likely, you share the same scope of knowledge as the people around you.
Quick example, and an obvious toot of my own horn, but when I was the "strong guy" in the gym, what I thought was a lot of weight then, has now become not so much weight. Deadlift 405lbs? Pfffttt, chhhhh... how about my goal for an axle clean and press within the next six months.... whats the weight of the deadlift for that competition? oh, a mid sized car.
Ok, I know I'm sounding cocky as fuck, but in all actuality, that's what runs through the heads of a lot of the people I train and compete with... I still find myself in awe of it when I go onto a forum of my fellow strongmen and they're talking about how its "only an 800lb yoke" or you see guys that are 230lbs running with 350lbs in each hand. Recently, my scope has grown again, after witnessing several times, people benching over 700lbs. Its crazy, I know, but when you begin to grow and learn, it becomes normal.
And here is my last point. You need to be able to take criticism. Forget all that bullshit you learned in school about everyone being special. You're not special... you're just another dumb fuck who's taking up my oxygen. You need to go into your trophy room and throw away all the trophies that say "participant" or "most spirit" because you know what? You didn't earn them... participating in something isn't an accomplishment.
I know, its a harsh reality and I'm a prick, but if everybody had more pricks in their life telling them the truth instead of blowing up their head like they're going to be the next great fucking CEO (even though they can't form complete sentences and use abbreviations like "lmfao"), then we probably wouldn't have so many shitty people who think that the world owes them something.
So, in closing your honor, I had no clue that there were 15 illegal immigran... oh wait, wrong closing argument... In short, if you don't have people that are better than you showing you things, giving you blunt criticisms and helping you to constantly grow, then all you can hope for is being good on a whim and that's like sticking your dick in a glory hole... it might feel good, but most likely, there's a dude on the other side of that wall.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
you don't know how shitty you actually feel till you stop feeling like shit
As a lot of you know, I've spent the last few months on a diet, cutting some body fat so I could not only be more agile in my sport of strongman, but also because I'm not a fan of being an unhealthy, fat, slob who has to take 5 minute breaks in between tying each shoe. I went from a fat 315 to a pretty respectable 300. My strength has sky rocketed and I've never felt better... well, thats not true, I felt great when I was 20, in the Army, about 9 percent body fat and could run 10 miles at the drop of a hat, but I digress... check out the progress in the link below.
Anyway, after my 12 weeks of the diet was over, I, being the the stupid asshole with no will power that I am, decided to start adding some foods back into my diet. I even went out and bought the same protein powder (I won't say which one, but it rhymes with Onster Ilk) I used to drink before I started my diet. What can I say? I wanted to EAT! Something horrible happened though... I started to feel the way I did before the diet! I felt (and still do as I'm writing this) awful! I began to reintroduce foods that were making me feel like shit in the first place.
You see, I never knew how awful I actually felt until I started to feel great. When I cut out all the shitty foods, booze, and other factors that were adding to my demise, I started to feel awesome. A lot of people go through life feeling like a complete tub of goo without even knowing it. They wake up feeling like shit, they drive to work feeling like shit, they come home feeling like shit and they go to bed feeling like shit. The sad part is though, they're so used to it, that its just, normal.
Its kind of like the allegory of the cav... uhhh, that might go over some of my reader's heads... Its kind of like the Truman Show. He never knew anything but the world that was presented to him and that was his reality. So many people have felt like shit for so long that they never know what feeling good ACTUALLY feels like.
Don't believe me? Give it a shot. Cut out the big food antagonists like dairy, wheat, alcohol and sugar for two weeks and then let me know how you feel. I'll bet you feel about 100 times better than you do now. Then, if you want, start to reintroduce those foods.
I learned that I can handle dairy very well, but wheat gluten makes me feel like doo doo brown. Its because of this, that I'm going to be going back to my "diet" and do another 12 weeks... my guess though, is that I'll be following this regimen for the duration of my competitive streak.
Believe me, when I get to the point that my ego no longer dictates the decisions in my life and I no longer want to, or probably, will be able to compete, my diet is going to be very simple. Can you say only 4 meals a day consisting of meat and vegetables? How easy is that?
Anyway, give an elimination diet a shot for 2 weeks and then let me know how fucking awesome you feel compared to the way you feel now.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=234095&id=749848174&l=477f82c02d
Anyway, after my 12 weeks of the diet was over, I, being the the stupid asshole with no will power that I am, decided to start adding some foods back into my diet. I even went out and bought the same protein powder (I won't say which one, but it rhymes with Onster Ilk) I used to drink before I started my diet. What can I say? I wanted to EAT! Something horrible happened though... I started to feel the way I did before the diet! I felt (and still do as I'm writing this) awful! I began to reintroduce foods that were making me feel like shit in the first place.
You see, I never knew how awful I actually felt until I started to feel great. When I cut out all the shitty foods, booze, and other factors that were adding to my demise, I started to feel awesome. A lot of people go through life feeling like a complete tub of goo without even knowing it. They wake up feeling like shit, they drive to work feeling like shit, they come home feeling like shit and they go to bed feeling like shit. The sad part is though, they're so used to it, that its just, normal.
Its kind of like the allegory of the cav... uhhh, that might go over some of my reader's heads... Its kind of like the Truman Show. He never knew anything but the world that was presented to him and that was his reality. So many people have felt like shit for so long that they never know what feeling good ACTUALLY feels like.
Don't believe me? Give it a shot. Cut out the big food antagonists like dairy, wheat, alcohol and sugar for two weeks and then let me know how you feel. I'll bet you feel about 100 times better than you do now. Then, if you want, start to reintroduce those foods.
I learned that I can handle dairy very well, but wheat gluten makes me feel like doo doo brown. Its because of this, that I'm going to be going back to my "diet" and do another 12 weeks... my guess though, is that I'll be following this regimen for the duration of my competitive streak.
Believe me, when I get to the point that my ego no longer dictates the decisions in my life and I no longer want to, or probably, will be able to compete, my diet is going to be very simple. Can you say only 4 meals a day consisting of meat and vegetables? How easy is that?
Anyway, give an elimination diet a shot for 2 weeks and then let me know how fucking awesome you feel compared to the way you feel now.
Friday, September 24, 2010
My top 10 foods for bulking
I've gotten a lot of requests to give my two cents on a bulking diet... I don't know why, I'm just a schmuck with a keyboard, but ehhh, what the hell.
Personally, when it comes to gaining weight, it should be common sense, eat more than you burn, but... for some reason people can't grasp that concept. Eating a lot means, A LOT! 3 big meals a day won't cut it. You should shoot for more like 7 big meals a day.... lets just say, you should never not be full.
Now, before I get into my rant, you're probably wondering whats up with my new writing style.. ie, short and choppy sentences. Big Lou Costa told me that paragraphs don't keep people's attention, so I'm giving this a shot... I think he's doing it to sabotage me because he's jealous that I'm a lot more better looking than he is, but who knows.
Anyway, back to binge eating.. err, bulking. I know you think you eat a lot and for some reason, be it genetics, or otherwise, you just can't seem to gain weight. I'm gonna take a guess and say that you eat like a bitch... a whiny bitch at that. I'll give you my top 10 foods and then I'll write up a sample menu based on a 200lb guy and hopefully, it'll give you an idea what I mean by eating a lot. These will be in no particular order.
#10- Whole Milk
Whole milk is awesome.. I mean, 150 calories per cup, some good testosterone producing saturated fats, some sugars to refill your glycogen, and lets not forget, a great source of complete protein. Shit, just a half gallon a day is an extra easy 1200 calories. If you're lactose intolerant, get the lactose free version, or just deal with it... pussy.
#9- Oatmeal
Another great, calorie dense food, full of nutrients and fiber and will keep you fueled for those long hard days in the gym... but if you need someone to tell you how to get big, then your workout probably sucks anyway.
#8- Ground Beef (or any other type of meat)
I don't care if its 80/20 or 95/5.... just eat red meat. I like ground beef because its easy to cook and extremely versatile, but all meats are welcome.
#7- Eggs
Eat the whole god damned thing. Mother nature wasn't stupid, thats why she made eggs with a white and a yolk. The yolk is so damn nutrient dense, its ridiculous. Oh yea, forget about all that bullshit you learned about cholesterol and how its bad for you, nothing could be further from the truth.... sugar causes heart disease, not fat and cholesterol.
#6- Heavy Cream
Again, just some good animal fats and calorie dense. You should really eat fat with your protein because they work synergisticly. Think about it, mother nature isn't an idiot.
#5- Green vegetables
I know what you're thinking, "they're not full of protein and calories! how can they be good for bulking?" Because you need to eat your fucking vegetables. You still need to have a balanced diet and get your vitamins and say your prayers, brother!
#4- Nuts
Again, full of fiber, protein and good fats that will keep you fueled and give you some good calories. Plus, there have been studies shown that people who eat certain nuts are less likely to die prematurely... whatever the fuck that means.
#3- Fatty fish
Salmon is my favorite. Make sure you get it with the skin on.... want to know how to make the skin taste like bacon? Heat up some oil in a frying pan (preferably olive oil or coconut oil) and butter the skin side of a salmon filet... don't be a bitch with the butter either. Put it in the frying pan so the butter and oil hit each other, cook till its pink halfway through and then flip and cook to your desired doneness.... the skin will be your new favorite part. Oh yea, its also full of fat and protein... notice all the good healthy whole foods that are dense in protein are also full of fat... again, thats nature telling you something.
#2- Yogurt
Yogurt is good because not only does it have some good complete protein, but it also has little friend guys that like to keep your gut in check. Plus, who doesn't like yogurt? Communists, thats who.
#1- Whey protein
You need protein and its a great way to add extra protein into your diet. Plus, there is a myriad of other benefits whey protein has for your body. Just take my word for it.
Wow, coming up with 10 foods was harder than I though. Really, any food is good for bulking, as long as its nutrient and calorie dense and you're focusing on protein! Protein is our friend, but you knew that already.
Now, here is a simple meal plan I would do if I was a 200lb guy trying to put on size.
First, I'd make sure I was getting at least 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.. so thats 400 grams per day.
A lot of people say that to gain weight, you need to eat at least 18-20 calories per pound of bodyweight a day. I personally, find I can gain a lot of weight with a significantly lower number. But lets start with 18 calories per pound, per day. Thats 3600 at the MINIMUM you should get a day. I'm not going to get into any fancy numbers, but I would focus on protein and let the rest of the macro nutrients fall into place... you're bulking, not trying to rub yourself down with oil so you can fit into a speedo... although, that might go hand in hand for some of you.
Sample Menu
Meal 1
4 hardboiled eggs
2 cups Oatmeal
16.oz Whole milk with a scoop or two of whey protein mixed in
(You could also just mix the whey protein with water and add a cup or two of yogurt here)
Meal 2
2 cups whole milk
2-3 scoops whey protein
1 Tbsp. mixed nuts
Meal 3
12 oz. ground beef
A sweet potato with some butter
a cup of Broccoli
Meal 4
2 cups whole milk
2-3 scoops whey protein
1 Tbsp. mixed nuts
Meal 5
12 oz. Salmon
Sweet potato or regular potato with some sour cream or butter
Spinach salad with your choice of salad dressing
Meal 6
2 cups whole milk
2-3 scoops whey protein
1 Tbsp. mixed nuts
Meal 7 (Switch it with any meal for your post workout shake)
3 scoops whey
70-80 grams waxy maize
5-10 grams creatine
This is a simple 6 meal diet plan. There is a half gallon of milk in there and tons of protein. Notice there aren't any processed foods in there and that its low on sugary products. Yea, potatoes are starchy, but it ain't a fuckin slurpee. Should you eat like this forever? Absolutely not, but if you eat like this for 12 week consistently, rock it in the gym and you don't gain weight, then I don't know what to tell you
Also, drink lots of water. Water is your friend and dehydration is bad.... and on that note.. I'm going to bed... peace out bitches.
Personally, when it comes to gaining weight, it should be common sense, eat more than you burn, but... for some reason people can't grasp that concept. Eating a lot means, A LOT! 3 big meals a day won't cut it. You should shoot for more like 7 big meals a day.... lets just say, you should never not be full.
Now, before I get into my rant, you're probably wondering whats up with my new writing style.. ie, short and choppy sentences. Big Lou Costa told me that paragraphs don't keep people's attention, so I'm giving this a shot... I think he's doing it to sabotage me because he's jealous that I'm a lot more better looking than he is, but who knows.
Anyway, back to binge eating.. err, bulking. I know you think you eat a lot and for some reason, be it genetics, or otherwise, you just can't seem to gain weight. I'm gonna take a guess and say that you eat like a bitch... a whiny bitch at that. I'll give you my top 10 foods and then I'll write up a sample menu based on a 200lb guy and hopefully, it'll give you an idea what I mean by eating a lot. These will be in no particular order.
#10- Whole Milk
Whole milk is awesome.. I mean, 150 calories per cup, some good testosterone producing saturated fats, some sugars to refill your glycogen, and lets not forget, a great source of complete protein. Shit, just a half gallon a day is an extra easy 1200 calories. If you're lactose intolerant, get the lactose free version, or just deal with it... pussy.
#9- Oatmeal
Another great, calorie dense food, full of nutrients and fiber and will keep you fueled for those long hard days in the gym... but if you need someone to tell you how to get big, then your workout probably sucks anyway.
#8- Ground Beef (or any other type of meat)
I don't care if its 80/20 or 95/5.... just eat red meat. I like ground beef because its easy to cook and extremely versatile, but all meats are welcome.
#7- Eggs
Eat the whole god damned thing. Mother nature wasn't stupid, thats why she made eggs with a white and a yolk. The yolk is so damn nutrient dense, its ridiculous. Oh yea, forget about all that bullshit you learned about cholesterol and how its bad for you, nothing could be further from the truth.... sugar causes heart disease, not fat and cholesterol.
#6- Heavy Cream
Again, just some good animal fats and calorie dense. You should really eat fat with your protein because they work synergisticly. Think about it, mother nature isn't an idiot.
#5- Green vegetables
I know what you're thinking, "they're not full of protein and calories! how can they be good for bulking?" Because you need to eat your fucking vegetables. You still need to have a balanced diet and get your vitamins and say your prayers, brother!
#4- Nuts
Again, full of fiber, protein and good fats that will keep you fueled and give you some good calories. Plus, there have been studies shown that people who eat certain nuts are less likely to die prematurely... whatever the fuck that means.
#3- Fatty fish
Salmon is my favorite. Make sure you get it with the skin on.... want to know how to make the skin taste like bacon? Heat up some oil in a frying pan (preferably olive oil or coconut oil) and butter the skin side of a salmon filet... don't be a bitch with the butter either. Put it in the frying pan so the butter and oil hit each other, cook till its pink halfway through and then flip and cook to your desired doneness.... the skin will be your new favorite part. Oh yea, its also full of fat and protein... notice all the good healthy whole foods that are dense in protein are also full of fat... again, thats nature telling you something.
#2- Yogurt
Yogurt is good because not only does it have some good complete protein, but it also has little friend guys that like to keep your gut in check. Plus, who doesn't like yogurt? Communists, thats who.
#1- Whey protein
You need protein and its a great way to add extra protein into your diet. Plus, there is a myriad of other benefits whey protein has for your body. Just take my word for it.
Wow, coming up with 10 foods was harder than I though. Really, any food is good for bulking, as long as its nutrient and calorie dense and you're focusing on protein! Protein is our friend, but you knew that already.
Now, here is a simple meal plan I would do if I was a 200lb guy trying to put on size.
First, I'd make sure I was getting at least 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.. so thats 400 grams per day.
A lot of people say that to gain weight, you need to eat at least 18-20 calories per pound of bodyweight a day. I personally, find I can gain a lot of weight with a significantly lower number. But lets start with 18 calories per pound, per day. Thats 3600 at the MINIMUM you should get a day. I'm not going to get into any fancy numbers, but I would focus on protein and let the rest of the macro nutrients fall into place... you're bulking, not trying to rub yourself down with oil so you can fit into a speedo... although, that might go hand in hand for some of you.
Sample Menu
Meal 1
4 hardboiled eggs
2 cups Oatmeal
16.oz Whole milk with a scoop or two of whey protein mixed in
(You could also just mix the whey protein with water and add a cup or two of yogurt here)
Meal 2
2 cups whole milk
2-3 scoops whey protein
1 Tbsp. mixed nuts
Meal 3
12 oz. ground beef
A sweet potato with some butter
a cup of Broccoli
Meal 4
2 cups whole milk
2-3 scoops whey protein
1 Tbsp. mixed nuts
Meal 5
12 oz. Salmon
Sweet potato or regular potato with some sour cream or butter
Spinach salad with your choice of salad dressing
Meal 6
2 cups whole milk
2-3 scoops whey protein
1 Tbsp. mixed nuts
Meal 7 (Switch it with any meal for your post workout shake)
3 scoops whey
70-80 grams waxy maize
5-10 grams creatine
This is a simple 6 meal diet plan. There is a half gallon of milk in there and tons of protein. Notice there aren't any processed foods in there and that its low on sugary products. Yea, potatoes are starchy, but it ain't a fuckin slurpee. Should you eat like this forever? Absolutely not, but if you eat like this for 12 week consistently, rock it in the gym and you don't gain weight, then I don't know what to tell you
Also, drink lots of water. Water is your friend and dehydration is bad.... and on that note.. I'm going to bed... peace out bitches.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Having a solid foundation
Let me begin with a scenario that we've all seen. You walk into a gym and low and behold, there are dozens of dudes gettin their swoll on with bicep curls and bench presses. They're hitting their inner "pecs" with cable crossovers and they're doing drop set cable curls so they can make their "peaks" really pop. Now, here is the other half of the equation. These dudes are usually about 160lbs with no real muscle mass and they're trying to isolate muscles that aren't even there! Look, if my wrists are larger than your biceps, then all the concentration curls in the world aren't going to save your puny ass.
What am I talking about here? A solid foundation. If you don't have a solid foundation of muscle mass to work with, then why the hell are you trying to isolate groups and doing these bullshit muscle mag workouts? The farthest thing from your mind should be how to isolate a bodypart. Do you want to know a secret that these magazines don't want you to know? If you're a beginner, you really only need about 6 core exercises to get jacked and gain a significant amount of muscle. I'm going to go over these exercsises, how to incorporate them, and why they are THE foundation to adding size to not only your frame, but inches to your arms and legs.
First things first though. You need to get your mind away from those fucking muscle magazines and the bullshit they have in there. Pretending to be a pro bodybuilder is a horrible idea if you don't understand the basics. For instance, a couple days ago, I was on a popular forum and I spouted off at the mouth that I could get someone jacked with a program using only 6 exercises. All of the sudden, my inbox was flooded with inquiries and people asking me to write them a program. I obliged the first person who emailed me and gave him a simple out line. What was funny though, was even after I gave him an outline of only 6 exercises to do... HE ASKED ME WHAT ELSE HE SHOULD DO! Apparently he didn't grasp the concept that we were only going to use 6 exercises. Now, you're probably asking yourself as well, "Only 6 exercises? Thats like half of my bicep routine"... forget all those fancy ways to make your guns huge in a month and all sorts of other bullshit claims. If you're a beginner with the iron, regardless of future goals, you need to build some solid muscle before you go tweaking it. You wouldn't build a car without a chasis would you?
Ok, before we get into the exercises, lets go into why they're this shiznit and why we're using these to make you look buffer than Brutus the Beefcake. First off, all of these exercises are going to be "compound movements"... say it with me, COM-POUND MOVE-MENTS. What that means, is that the lift, or "movement" is going to utilize more than one joint in your body. Why are we doing this? Because, whehter you want to believe it or not, your body works as a system, a system of systems actually. When you're lifting weights, your body has no clue that you're trying to get jacked so you can nail that hot chick in your class, the only thing it knows is that there is weight trying to crush it and it needs to adapt so that it can survive. Don't get me wrong, the workouts you use in a magazine will work for a little while, because your body is always open to adapting to new stimuli, but to really pack on the muscle, these movements are your bread and butter. Think about it this way, in order for you to add an inch to the diameter of your upper arm, your body has to gain a certain, and significant, amount of muscle mass ALL OVER! I forget the exact numbers, but they're out there. Again, you might add some size at first when you begin training, but it will, without a doubt, always stagnate unless you add more muscle mass to the rest of your body. By utilizing compound movements, your body works as a whole to add muscle mass all over the place, so that muscles work synergistically.
Are the big words getting you? Ok then, lets move on to the movements. My top 6 movements for adding mass, and some people might disagree with me on specifics, but they'll all agree that compound movements are the best, are the squat, deadlift, press variation, pull up variations, heavy rows and explosive movements (snatch or power cleans). If you did only these movements for the next year, heavily, I 100% gaurentee you that you'll go from a giant pussy "someone shoot that cunt with a bazooka!"... to a stud, or a hot chick.. depending on gender.
Before we go further, lets break those down into lower and upper body movements.
Lower body= squats, dead lifts, explosive movements
Upper body= press variation, pull up variation, heavy rows
Now, I'm going to just give you a basic outline of what I would give to a beginner.
Monday- Lower body movement- 5 sets of 5 reps
Tuesday- Upper body movement- 5 sets of 5 reps
Thursday- Lower body movement- 5 sets of 5 reps
Friday- Upper body movement- 5 sets of 5 reps
Yea, its that simple. I didn't add warm ups in there, because they should be a given, and if they're not, then your a stupid face dumb dumb. Also, you're asking yourself right now "ZACH, WHERE ARE ALL THE BICEP CURLS!"... fuck them, do this set up and watch your arms turn into pythons.. i mean, pythons that will let you rip a yellow wife beater off of you until you're a blonde haired senior citizen. Also, you're probably asking yourself, "where's all the volume?!" Well, if you're doing it correctly, and by correctly, I mean lifting heavy enough that it kicks your ass, you won't need, nor want to do any accessory work. Not at least until you're a little bit more of an advanced lifter.'
Now, I can hear the questions already blairing off in your head, "but shouldn't I be doing a 3-0-1-0 tempo so I can utilize time under tension and elicit an increase in GH and IGF-1 and blah blah blah, Muscle and Fitness, and blah blah blah?" dude, shut the fuck up first of all. second of all, when did you become the next Ronnie Coleman? No, you shouldn't be doing that, you should be lifting heavy ass shit so your body grows, because these heavy exercises utilize more than one joint in the body and if you're doing them heavy enough, will release all those silly hormones to make you grow so that you can learn to handle the weight and the prehistoric part of your brain can tell itself "damn, we won't need to worry about being crushed by that weight again"... and honeslty, we're all laughing at you when you're doing bicep curls with those tiny 13" arms.
One last thing. I know chicks are probably thinking "but I don't want to get huge".... This can not be reiterated enough... you don't possess the hormones to put on a significant amount of muscle mass like a man, so stop crying and lift some god damn weights. All those high volume leg presses you're doing are going to make your legs "over muscular" a lot quicker than a 5x5 squat program. Plus, have you ever seen the ass of a chick that squats and deadlifts? GOD DAMN! Make you wanna marry a (instert explative here).
What am I talking about here? A solid foundation. If you don't have a solid foundation of muscle mass to work with, then why the hell are you trying to isolate groups and doing these bullshit muscle mag workouts? The farthest thing from your mind should be how to isolate a bodypart. Do you want to know a secret that these magazines don't want you to know? If you're a beginner, you really only need about 6 core exercises to get jacked and gain a significant amount of muscle. I'm going to go over these exercsises, how to incorporate them, and why they are THE foundation to adding size to not only your frame, but inches to your arms and legs.
First things first though. You need to get your mind away from those fucking muscle magazines and the bullshit they have in there. Pretending to be a pro bodybuilder is a horrible idea if you don't understand the basics. For instance, a couple days ago, I was on a popular forum and I spouted off at the mouth that I could get someone jacked with a program using only 6 exercises. All of the sudden, my inbox was flooded with inquiries and people asking me to write them a program. I obliged the first person who emailed me and gave him a simple out line. What was funny though, was even after I gave him an outline of only 6 exercises to do... HE ASKED ME WHAT ELSE HE SHOULD DO! Apparently he didn't grasp the concept that we were only going to use 6 exercises. Now, you're probably asking yourself as well, "Only 6 exercises? Thats like half of my bicep routine"... forget all those fancy ways to make your guns huge in a month and all sorts of other bullshit claims. If you're a beginner with the iron, regardless of future goals, you need to build some solid muscle before you go tweaking it. You wouldn't build a car without a chasis would you?
Ok, before we get into the exercises, lets go into why they're this shiznit and why we're using these to make you look buffer than Brutus the Beefcake. First off, all of these exercises are going to be "compound movements"... say it with me, COM-POUND MOVE-MENTS. What that means, is that the lift, or "movement" is going to utilize more than one joint in your body. Why are we doing this? Because, whehter you want to believe it or not, your body works as a system, a system of systems actually. When you're lifting weights, your body has no clue that you're trying to get jacked so you can nail that hot chick in your class, the only thing it knows is that there is weight trying to crush it and it needs to adapt so that it can survive. Don't get me wrong, the workouts you use in a magazine will work for a little while, because your body is always open to adapting to new stimuli, but to really pack on the muscle, these movements are your bread and butter. Think about it this way, in order for you to add an inch to the diameter of your upper arm, your body has to gain a certain, and significant, amount of muscle mass ALL OVER! I forget the exact numbers, but they're out there. Again, you might add some size at first when you begin training, but it will, without a doubt, always stagnate unless you add more muscle mass to the rest of your body. By utilizing compound movements, your body works as a whole to add muscle mass all over the place, so that muscles work synergistically.
Are the big words getting you? Ok then, lets move on to the movements. My top 6 movements for adding mass, and some people might disagree with me on specifics, but they'll all agree that compound movements are the best, are the squat, deadlift, press variation, pull up variations, heavy rows and explosive movements (snatch or power cleans). If you did only these movements for the next year, heavily, I 100% gaurentee you that you'll go from a giant pussy "someone shoot that cunt with a bazooka!"... to a stud, or a hot chick.. depending on gender.
Before we go further, lets break those down into lower and upper body movements.
Lower body= squats, dead lifts, explosive movements
Upper body= press variation, pull up variation, heavy rows
Now, I'm going to just give you a basic outline of what I would give to a beginner.
Monday- Lower body movement- 5 sets of 5 reps
Tuesday- Upper body movement- 5 sets of 5 reps
Thursday- Lower body movement- 5 sets of 5 reps
Friday- Upper body movement- 5 sets of 5 reps
Yea, its that simple. I didn't add warm ups in there, because they should be a given, and if they're not, then your a stupid face dumb dumb. Also, you're asking yourself right now "ZACH, WHERE ARE ALL THE BICEP CURLS!"... fuck them, do this set up and watch your arms turn into pythons.. i mean, pythons that will let you rip a yellow wife beater off of you until you're a blonde haired senior citizen. Also, you're probably asking yourself, "where's all the volume?!" Well, if you're doing it correctly, and by correctly, I mean lifting heavy enough that it kicks your ass, you won't need, nor want to do any accessory work. Not at least until you're a little bit more of an advanced lifter.'
Now, I can hear the questions already blairing off in your head, "but shouldn't I be doing a 3-0-1-0 tempo so I can utilize time under tension and elicit an increase in GH and IGF-1 and blah blah blah, Muscle and Fitness, and blah blah blah?" dude, shut the fuck up first of all. second of all, when did you become the next Ronnie Coleman? No, you shouldn't be doing that, you should be lifting heavy ass shit so your body grows, because these heavy exercises utilize more than one joint in the body and if you're doing them heavy enough, will release all those silly hormones to make you grow so that you can learn to handle the weight and the prehistoric part of your brain can tell itself "damn, we won't need to worry about being crushed by that weight again"... and honeslty, we're all laughing at you when you're doing bicep curls with those tiny 13" arms.
One last thing. I know chicks are probably thinking "but I don't want to get huge".... This can not be reiterated enough... you don't possess the hormones to put on a significant amount of muscle mass like a man, so stop crying and lift some god damn weights. All those high volume leg presses you're doing are going to make your legs "over muscular" a lot quicker than a 5x5 squat program. Plus, have you ever seen the ass of a chick that squats and deadlifts? GOD DAMN! Make you wanna marry a (instert explative here).
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Why mentality is everything
We've become a society of complacency. Everything, every product, issue, and it seems, much to my dismay, every new bill or law passed by congress, is made for us to be comfortable and make life easier. Sure, I love the fact that I can write this blog in my big leather chair, while listening to my iTunes and enjoying shelter from the elements, but it disgusts me how mentally weak we've become as a society. So many people feel as though they're "owed" something. People complain about how they can't afford health care and how the government should give it out for free, but they then they seem to be able to afford brand new smart phones, 100 dollar shoes, Ed Hardy t shirts (my disgust for Ed Hardy can't be described in words), jewelery, nights out at the bar, and a myriad of other luxuries... luxuries being the key word. Do I believe that everyone should be able to afford health care? Sure, but I don't believe that it is a necessity to have a cell phone, so you have to pick, do you want health care or the new iphone ? Sure, there are people that are truly struggling and deserve some intervention from someone who can help them, but unless you're a single mother raising a plethora of kids and working 2 jobs to give them whatever you can, then I don't know how sorry I feel for you. Ok, enough political discussion, lets get to what I'm talking about. We've become complacent, seeking comfort where there is struggle. This isn't a good thing. We've fallen into a rut, one that I try to fight every damn day of my life. We're born, raised with the notion that if we work hard and do good in school, get into a good college and find a good job, we'll live happily ever after, but thats not the case. Its the easy way out and thats the reason it has been ingrained into our minds all of out lives.
What does this have to do with training? Well, because of the way we've been raised and shown to find the easy way out, a lot of, if not the majority of people in the world go to a gym, hop on a treadmill everyday (I'm being optimistic here) and put it on a setting they KNOW they can handle, with a goal they KNOW they'll be able to reach and then they get off and feel like they've accomplished something. They go through their whole day, satisfied that they challenged themselves and that they've been productive. Here's my question to them... what did they accomplish? I wake up and piss every morning because I KNOW I can do it, but I haven't accomplished anything. Its a routine, it isn't a hurdle. People get so complacent that they make their workouts "routines" and that is antithesis of what a good training program should be.
I'll admit, I've been guilty of this myself, or rather, I was a long time ago. It took me a long time to realize that when you are training, or "working out", that every time you're in the gym, it should be a challenge. Go to any hardcore gym, preferably one where they allow chalk, death metal, heavy ass lifting, and big meatheads, you'll notice that almost every time these guy and gals train, that they are setting new PR's (or personal records). They push themselves past their comfort zone so that they are always pursuing bigger and better things. If you never step out of the box and try to push yourself past the limits that you think you've set for yourself, then you'll never move forward. People get stuck in a circle. They get upset with the way their progress is going, try something different, but not challenging, maybe see some results and then 6 weeks later, they're angry at their stalling progress again. Its maddening, I know. I did it for years, that is until I started working with people who are stronger and better than me in certain areas that I learned that I needed to improve. For instance, for the first year that I was training strongman, I went in and I never really pushed myself on training overhead pressing. I though, "Damn, I'm pressing in the 200's, thats pretty bad ass", until one day, I was pushed to hit 300. I did it for a double. And then, my training partner Brad said he was going to attempt 350 for an axle clean and press. I thought to myself "man, I wish I could hit that weight" and then after he did it successfully, I was egged on to give it a shot. Here is my first attempt:
Sure, I failed, but I failed while trying to do something I've never done! I had never even imagined pressing even close to that weight until that day... Hell, I didn't think I'd make it over 300lbs! This showed me that it was possible, that it was attainable, and this is the result when I said fuck it, and tried it again:
I made a PR that day but I never would have even come close to that if it hadn't been for the people I train with, egging me on to get outside of my comfort zone and PUSH MYSELF! And because I knew that that sort of weight was attainable and that I was able to unlock a mental barrier, a few months later, this happened:
I hit 370 and I never looked back. I'm chasing down records for the overhead press and I will get them. I know it and thats all that matters. I've unlocked that portion of my mental drive that allows me to realize that crazy, unimaginable things are more than attainable.
Now, another portion of mental training, which can be applied to life is realizing that there is no one else to blame but yourself. If the world is shitting on you, its your fault. No one else's. Excuses are for assholes. You want an excuse, I have a list of them in my gym bag. Sure, I keep it in their as a joke if I miss a lift... I can just point to one and feel better about myself, but at the end of the day, you and I both know that I can't blame anyone for a missed lift or a failed attempt at something, but ourselves. I hear it all the time from people "I'm just don't have the genes to be good at this" or "well, that guy is good because he's a natural". Are you fucking kidding me? All those "naturals" out there probably put in more work toward their sport or talent in a day than you do in a year and THAT'S why they're better than you. If more people started taking responsibilities for their own actions and overcoming their own insecurities, this world would be a much better place.
My last bit of information is something that I've read about recently and I've probably talked about, but I'll reiterate. A lot of people I talk to will ask me about strongman and my training and then say something like, "Damn man, I wish I could put on size as easy as you do" and I just laugh. Easy? You think that this has been easy? You think that I, or anyone else out there that is into strength sports came across this stuff easily? You're right, I love staying in every weekend so I can wake up before the sun to train, instead of going out drinking with my friends and chasing hot college tail. I love force feeding 7 meals down my throat a day so I'll grow. I love waking up, feeling like I've been hit by a truck everyday, with pains from injuries that would probably have most people layed up in a bed in the hospital. I love going to a party or watching a football game with friends and watching them drink beer while I'm down protein shakes. I fucking hate doing all those things, but guess what, I LOVE the sport that I compete in and I make those sacrifices so that I can excel in them. It amazes me that people sit there and eat complete shit everyday, drink their asses off and get barely any exercise and then have the gall to bitch and wonder why they aren't athletes or why they're not like those "lucky guys and girls" out there who are bigger, stronger, faster, and thinner than them. Here's an idea, get off your fat fucking ass, put down the pizza and pick up some weights and some chicken breasts and stop making all these fucking excuses.
What does this have to do with training? Well, because of the way we've been raised and shown to find the easy way out, a lot of, if not the majority of people in the world go to a gym, hop on a treadmill everyday (I'm being optimistic here) and put it on a setting they KNOW they can handle, with a goal they KNOW they'll be able to reach and then they get off and feel like they've accomplished something. They go through their whole day, satisfied that they challenged themselves and that they've been productive. Here's my question to them... what did they accomplish? I wake up and piss every morning because I KNOW I can do it, but I haven't accomplished anything. Its a routine, it isn't a hurdle. People get so complacent that they make their workouts "routines" and that is antithesis of what a good training program should be.
I'll admit, I've been guilty of this myself, or rather, I was a long time ago. It took me a long time to realize that when you are training, or "working out", that every time you're in the gym, it should be a challenge. Go to any hardcore gym, preferably one where they allow chalk, death metal, heavy ass lifting, and big meatheads, you'll notice that almost every time these guy and gals train, that they are setting new PR's (or personal records). They push themselves past their comfort zone so that they are always pursuing bigger and better things. If you never step out of the box and try to push yourself past the limits that you think you've set for yourself, then you'll never move forward. People get stuck in a circle. They get upset with the way their progress is going, try something different, but not challenging, maybe see some results and then 6 weeks later, they're angry at their stalling progress again. Its maddening, I know. I did it for years, that is until I started working with people who are stronger and better than me in certain areas that I learned that I needed to improve. For instance, for the first year that I was training strongman, I went in and I never really pushed myself on training overhead pressing. I though, "Damn, I'm pressing in the 200's, thats pretty bad ass", until one day, I was pushed to hit 300. I did it for a double. And then, my training partner Brad said he was going to attempt 350 for an axle clean and press. I thought to myself "man, I wish I could hit that weight" and then after he did it successfully, I was egged on to give it a shot. Here is my first attempt:
Sure, I failed, but I failed while trying to do something I've never done! I had never even imagined pressing even close to that weight until that day... Hell, I didn't think I'd make it over 300lbs! This showed me that it was possible, that it was attainable, and this is the result when I said fuck it, and tried it again:
I made a PR that day but I never would have even come close to that if it hadn't been for the people I train with, egging me on to get outside of my comfort zone and PUSH MYSELF! And because I knew that that sort of weight was attainable and that I was able to unlock a mental barrier, a few months later, this happened:
I hit 370 and I never looked back. I'm chasing down records for the overhead press and I will get them. I know it and thats all that matters. I've unlocked that portion of my mental drive that allows me to realize that crazy, unimaginable things are more than attainable.
Now, another portion of mental training, which can be applied to life is realizing that there is no one else to blame but yourself. If the world is shitting on you, its your fault. No one else's. Excuses are for assholes. You want an excuse, I have a list of them in my gym bag. Sure, I keep it in their as a joke if I miss a lift... I can just point to one and feel better about myself, but at the end of the day, you and I both know that I can't blame anyone for a missed lift or a failed attempt at something, but ourselves. I hear it all the time from people "I'm just don't have the genes to be good at this" or "well, that guy is good because he's a natural". Are you fucking kidding me? All those "naturals" out there probably put in more work toward their sport or talent in a day than you do in a year and THAT'S why they're better than you. If more people started taking responsibilities for their own actions and overcoming their own insecurities, this world would be a much better place.
My last bit of information is something that I've read about recently and I've probably talked about, but I'll reiterate. A lot of people I talk to will ask me about strongman and my training and then say something like, "Damn man, I wish I could put on size as easy as you do" and I just laugh. Easy? You think that this has been easy? You think that I, or anyone else out there that is into strength sports came across this stuff easily? You're right, I love staying in every weekend so I can wake up before the sun to train, instead of going out drinking with my friends and chasing hot college tail. I love force feeding 7 meals down my throat a day so I'll grow. I love waking up, feeling like I've been hit by a truck everyday, with pains from injuries that would probably have most people layed up in a bed in the hospital. I love going to a party or watching a football game with friends and watching them drink beer while I'm down protein shakes. I fucking hate doing all those things, but guess what, I LOVE the sport that I compete in and I make those sacrifices so that I can excel in them. It amazes me that people sit there and eat complete shit everyday, drink their asses off and get barely any exercise and then have the gall to bitch and wonder why they aren't athletes or why they're not like those "lucky guys and girls" out there who are bigger, stronger, faster, and thinner than them. Here's an idea, get off your fat fucking ass, put down the pizza and pick up some weights and some chicken breasts and stop making all these fucking excuses.
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