Blazing Saddles

     Happy Monday everyone (If there is such a thing). I hope you guys got some good rest time in, or good training... hopefully both. Grab your coffee, sit down, and lets ramble (or something similar). BTW, watch the video below.


This guy certainly has a one track mind from Flareblaze62 on Vimeo.

     So what did you think? Is this you, the person you aspire to be, or the one you despise? You're probably going to fall into one of the 3 categories. If you can't view the video, its a stereotypical "meat-head" being thrown out of a "gym". Why is this a bad thing? Why are people that really train smart and hard viewed as such idiots? Top-level individuals in sports such as Powerlifting, Strongman, Bodybuilding, MMA and CrossFit really know whats going on. They have spent years and years perfecting movements and training philosophies. Louie Simmons (ala Westside Barbell) brings in mathematicians and some real egg heads to find out the best scientific ways to train... maybe, the bigger the neck the bigger the brain.

     Now I see how people assume some sort of slowness to a knuckle dragging gym hoss. Even though you look like Mongo from Blazing Saddles, you still are one sharp cookie. Maye its because folks like that (and me) constantly talk about training, hitting weights, and all things in between. Most people will nod the heads and give you a courtesy smile like your a leper that just asked to share the same bed. But, when you run into a guy that ask about your training and helpfully critiques your form and function... you've found a fellow flat head, and he/she really gets it.

     So again, where are you in the spectrum? Do YOU get it? Do YOU have endless Facebook video posts of your lifts and workouts? Do YOU think you are the sane one (because you're right)??? Post thoughts, questions and comments below... and BECOME UNBREAKABLE!!!

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Saturday's Training:

Squatting w/ Metal Pro Briefs:
135# 3 x 5
185# x 5
225# 3 x 3
275# 2 x 2
315# 3 x 1
345# x 1 (PR match, but this time w/o knee wraps)
add knee wraps
365# x 1 (PR)
385# x f (missed forward, so it's coming soon)

Good Morning (w/ pseudo SSB)
135# 5 x 10

Abs
multiple sets and reps

Russian Kettlebells Swings 55#
5 x 10 (focus on hip pop)

Weekend Warriors

     Afternoon folks. It's been long and tiring, but hell... it's Friday. Now its time to unbutton my pants, grab a beer and write a ramble. Seeing as how I'm still at work I'm just going to do the later and not the former. Anyway, I don't know drunk rambles would go... let's not find out.

     Being as we're about to kick the weekend off, how do you spend it? Is it just a free-for-all with pizza and beer? Or are you still training hard and getting in what you need? It boils down to how dedicated you are. Look at the best people in their sport. They are up at 4:30 every morning, they are training hard and eating what they need to be the best in what they do, and they find a way to make all that happen!

Saturday is my normal Squat day, and I will be back to things starting next week (getting over injuries). Once I can feel my low back and legs again that is. And I'll be damn skippy if I don't take every opportunity to train hard, and train smart.

     What does it even mean to train smart? Well, training smart is not sexy, new, or anything. Training smart is mastering the basics. It's practicing your sport day in and day out working on your fundamentals. In the strength and conditioning world that means providing increased stimulus to disrupt homeostasis and come back stronger. What else does this means? It means your going to have to fail to learn to succeed... and you better get used to that.

     So, I just wanted to leave you a little bit to tide you for the weekend. Remember, I will be rambling again on Monday sometime. I want my weekends, and I want you to enjoy yours. So come back next week, train your ass off... and BECOME UNBREAKABLE!!!

Work Out vs. Training

     Good day folks, with keeping the ramblings going I have a few things on my mind. Nothing that earth shattering or even new... but all the same. Let's get rocking!

     Yes, it is the age old "are you working out or are you training" talk today. Some will say that if you have goals, then you're training. However, I would say that both have goals. The difference is what goals you set and how you follow them. Let's break it down now!

     Most people's work out goals are simple and vague like: "I want to get in shape" or "I want to lose weight". They can be a little more specific, but it boils down to the same thing. These folks may go to the gym with little to no plan. With their goal being so vague, it is very easy for them to give up or even convince themselves they've reached the goal. This can be a back and forth action of setting goals, "achieving" them, getting out of shape, and then setting the same goals.

     I'm not faulting people for these types of goals. In the end, they are getting into the gym. That is honestly half the battle in itself. Now if they will stop following bad fads and do some training... they would be set.

     Those training are the ones with set specific goals. These may be finishing a 5k in a certain time, squatting or totaling a certain amount of weight, or even sports training. Not only does this have goals, but a specific road/program to reach them.

     Folks that train like this also know that these goals come right away. A person can work months and even over a year to achieve just part of their goals. It is the drive for attaining all these small achievements that makes a person train so hard. They may hurt, sweat, bleed, puke, pass out... but they will not quit!

     So, what do you do? Do you workout or do you train? Whatever you do, I hope you are hitting goals and setting PRs. Post thoughts, questions, comments below... or just read and think about this. And BECOME UNBREAKABLE!!!

Competition pains

     Look at that, day two is here. I may be rehabbing my lower back, but I am strong on getting my blog back on. I want to put out a few things right off the bat. I am no longer posting exactly at 9 AM. The posts will come when they come on a Monday through Friday basis. Why?... because I like my weekends. OK, the rules are officially over, let's ramble.

     So, last Saturday was the "Fittest in the Metro East" CrossFit competition. I placed 8 out of 9... only because there was a tie... so technically 9th (woo, top 10!!!). The first workout was a triplet with thrusters, pullups and snatch. Coming in with a bad low back injury, it wasn't looking  that grand. After an uber painful fight with 30  snatches I finished with literally seconds remaining. After writhing in pain, a trip to the on-site chiropractor, and writhing in pain again... I had to "prepare" for the 2nd event.

     My preparation consisted of napping right up until my heat. the second was a short battle with the jump rope and handstand holds. Again, this went horrible for me, even though these USED to be my most strongest abilities. The next event I was better prepared for, as it was a strength event. Running coupled with 1 Rep Deadlift, Clean and Hang Squat Clean. My worry here was the cleans, because I injured my back doing these 2 days prior. This still lead to a Hang Squat Clean PR and my only 3rd place finish.

     The 4th event was another triplet of moving a prowler, air squats and situps. By now my quads were toast, so I'm surprised I could even do anything. The finally event was a gargantuan chipper of a whole bunch of movements. It really didn't matter, I couldn't get passed the 3rd movement of overhead walking lunge with a 70lb kettlebell. At this point in the day I couldn't even do an unweighted lunge, so this was just 14 minutes of self torture.

     So that is about as brief as a recap I can give. As horrible as I did, there were some beasts out there in both Rx and scaled divisions. Was I ill prepared? For this competition, yes! Have a done a WOD since March? Not a one. So I've gone from placing 2nd of over 60 people in February, to last out of 9. Have my goals changed since February? Yes! Have they changed since last weekend? No... just more of a fire.

     The non-CrossFitters will say that CF competitions are BS, and a normal "fit" person can't just come in a do well because of the crazy movements. There may be a little truth to this, you do have to practice the movements... just like any sports. Fittest man in the world, Rich Froning, will not be able to go play in the NBA, NFL, or NHL (when it's not locked out) without practice. He is a monster at CrossFit... because he CrossFits!

     Is this the end of my competative CF career? I'm not sure. Do I no longer advocate CF? I still do, but it is not my training plan or goal of mine at the moment. Will this post piss CrossFitters off? I'm not trying to be a dick, I'm giving out my thoughts and opinions. I am not bashing the competitors or competition, because who the hell cares? I don't want to start fights or "hardcore" internet battle. I am, however, saying how shit-tastic that I did. I will soon be back to training the Big Three (Squat, Bench and Deads), going after PRs and blogging away... at training, life, CrossFit, or whatever the hell I feel like.

     Anyway, those are my thoughts. If you don't like them... then you already stopped reading this. If you still are, and you still have a problem then leave any questions, comments or thoughts. So the hell with all this, the competition is in the past. It's time to get stronger, train harder... and BECOME UNBREAKABLE!!!

I'm back...

     That's right, The Rambles have returned!!! I've been wanting to come back for a long time, and I have finally decided to stop making excuses. Excuses are like assholes, everyone has one... and they stink. I'm hoping this bloggin will keep me on track with my training and my goals (more on those for another day).

     Right now I am sick, and I am above injured. Just did a CrossFit comp last Saturday, and not feeling to great about it (which is what I'll talk about tomorrow). I want to get back to my training, make new goals, and  %$^% smash PRs! Just like when you squat, when life smashed you down... you have to stand the hell back up.



I Am A Champion from Brock Weld on Vimeo.


     This is just my welcome back post, I hope all of my "follower(s)" will rejoin and provide some good comments, questions and insight. So let's get this started again, train even harder... and BECOME UNBREAKABLE!!!


"The difference between impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination.”
     - Tommy Lasorda