Scott's Blog

2009-01-30T05:54:00.000-08:00

Blogs Have Been Relocated!!!!!

If anyone is still following my blog here, please be advised that my blogs have been transferred. Here are the links:

Scott's Extreme Conditioning & Fitness Blog:
http://ssecf.wordpress.com/

Scott's Training Log
http://sspts.wordpress.com/

Thanks!!!
Scott

2008-10-09T07:35:00.001-07:00

Southeast Regional Kettlebell Sport Championship

Meet information is up and posted here:http://www.atlantaironsports.com/events.html

For more information contact Scott at: scott@extreme-fitness.org

Thanks!!

Scott

2008-09-19T05:49:00.000-07:00

Building Ferrari's and Aligning and Balancing the Wheels and Tires

Dr. Lou Pack pictured with Olympic Gold Medal Pole-Vaulter, Tim Mack.

Ok, it's not another car blog! This is actually about sport performance enhancement and injury prevention.

I had the very good fortune to meet a brilliant man, Dr. Lou Pack, about 2 years ago at a seminar at the Dunwoody Country Club. Doc was doing a presentation on sports performance enhancement and injury prevention. About 2 minutes into his presentation I thought the guy was a genius. 10 minutes into it I KNEW he was. Doc is the first person I have come across in my industry that actually looks at the feet first.

Let's back up for a moment. How many of you reading this are trainers or serious trainees who actually consider the proper mechanics associated with exercise and training? How many of you people who squat hear these same comments all the time "sit back! push out on the knees! arch your back! head up! big air!" No doubt, these are ALL very important things to consider when squatting. But what about our feet? What if we were a MAJOR pronator with a leg length discrepancy? Don't you think this would affect our performance of the squat or our ability to lift a maximal weight, whether it is a personal record or a world record? Don't you think having a faulty structure could potentially lead to an injury that otherwise might have been avoided? What about a sprinter, or a football player getting timed in a 40 yard dash? If one of these athletes pronates, this will cause their foot to spend more time on the ground than if they were able to push off in a more neutral position (subtaler neutral to be exact). Doesn't it make sense that the faster athlete's feet spend less time on the ground?

Doc has built his entire system, his business, around identifying these "structural abnormalities" in athletes and general fitness enthusiasts alike, assessing the problem, then correcting it.

The end result? Athletes see immediate improvements in strength, speed and power, as they now have a better foundation and are more properly aligned on their "vertical axis" (look at a person head on, now draw a perfectly straight line from the ground up through the top of their head, most people who have a structural abnormality will be leaning more to one side, whereas those who've been corrected by Doc are much more close to being perfectly centered.) Overall this will raise the bar on all of their athletic abilities.

This also has much benefit for the general fitness enthusiast - less wear-and-tear on the joint, thus preventing injuries and avoiding surgeries like joint replacements. Not only will they get greater benefit from their exercise, they will be healthier throughout their life as a result.

As professional trainers we owe it to the clients and athletes we train to learn the best possible methods that will improve performance and enhance health. I firmly believe you are doing a disservice to your clients and athletes if you are not assessing and correcting their physical structure before loading their bodies with exercise and training. Now granted we can't put a gun to their heads and make them get treated - however, we must help them identify structural abnormalities, inform them of what may result due to the abnormalities, then refer them to Doc to get fixed.

Doc's a car nut! He loves to say - athletes and clients are Ferraris and our job as trainers is to build the ultimate Ferrari - his job is to align the wheels and balance the tires (the athlete/client's feet). It's that simple!

For more information on Doc I strongly urge you to visit his website and contact him directly at http://www.drloupack.com/ Be sure to tell him Scott sent you!

2008-08-20T06:14:00.000-07:00

Training montage of some of our athletes and clients!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl9npQXHJfA

Enjoy!

2008-06-20T10:48:00.001-07:00

The Lamborghini Test-Drive...

Man, it's been about a month now and I can't stop thinking about this thing. Fortunately I am lucky to be married to a HUGE car enthusiast, my wife rocks! Lisa was in the market for a new Porsche (she had a Cayman-S and took it into our Porsche dealer for a routine service and saw a GT-3 on the lot - she was hooked immediately!) Our friend Malcom found her a GT-3 at Lamborghini of Atlanta and told Lisa about it. She went down to take a look at it and wasn't a big fan of the color. However - with this place being a Lambo/Lotus dealer there were PLENTY of cars she was interested in. I'm getting ready to leave work and I get this text message from her "I'm about to test drive a Lamborghini!" My response was "I'm there in 10 minutes!" Fortunately ATL traffic wasn't too bad - I got there and Lisa had already gone on the test drive of the Lambo and a Lotus and was eyeing a Ferrari 360. Now the Lambo has been my dream car ever since I was a kid drooling over the Countach and I have to admit, walking up to the Gallardo I was about to test drive felt like I was walking on egg shells. We got in and the sales lady took me for a ride and explained the ins and outs of this 10 cylinder, AWD, 540 horse-power beast. Then she pulled over and it was my turn - man, to FINALLY be getting behind the wheel of the car of my dreams was amazing, then to let off the clutch and take off.... To say that my expectations were met would be an understatement - they were obliterated! This thing was amazing. It BEGS to be driven. It was an incredibly smooth riding, amazing handling, totally insane experience. To say I wanted one before is an understatement and now I am hooked. It WILL be my next car. The one we drove was yellow w/yellow and blue interior (I could overlook this but Lisa convinced me not to settle and eventually get the one I want - black w/black interior - possibly the Nero edition w/black wheels too.) We asked the sales lady if they had an black ones for around the same price and she said they didn't. So we ended up with the supercharged Jag XK-R to replace the Porsche. Soon though, very soon, we'll have a black lambo sitting in the drive!

2008-05-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

Why AKC Pro-Grade Kettlebells?

Despite what some manufacturers of "authentic" Russian kettlebells claim - there IS a reason the Pro-Grade kettlebells endorsed by the AKC and WKC as well as the kettlebells used by basically every country outside of the US are designed the way they are. Optimal performance. Take the "leading" brand for instance, they manufacture bells that come in a variety of sizes. The lighter weight bells are small and as the weight increases, so does the diameter of the bell. Why is this a problem? Easy. Try putting the bell in the correct rack position in order to perform presses, jerks, push-presses, etc. You can't. The bell needs to rest between the wrist and the shoulder in the crook of the elbow. You cannot accomplish this with the "leading brand" kettlebells until you get up to the 32kg-40kg bells. Great if you're an advanced lifter, but since there are literally so few people in the US that should be working with 32kg bells or better for reps (sure, most strong people can grab a 70 and press it a couple of times - but I'm talking about REAL kettlebell lifting) most people will find they have to change technique as they increase in bell weight due to the difference in diameter. The smaller bells manufactured by the "leading brand" do not sit well on the arm either, anything 16kg and below sits uncomfortably on my wrist making it very hard to put the bell in the correct rack position. The thicker handles of the "leading brand" can be of great benefit for grip work - however, in my opinion, there are much better grip tools out there than kettlebells. Williams Strength makes a whole line of fat barbells and fat handle attachments for cable machines and Ironmind carries just about every grip tool imaginable under the sun. We use kettlebells for repetition lifting. Kettlebells are fixed weights and are not very heavy, even at 48kg - that is only 106 lbs people. If I want strength work I'm using my texas power bar and iron plates. For rep work, strength endurance and GPP - I'm choosing kettlebells, and in addition to my sled, prowler and battling ropes kettlebells will whip you into shape faster than you thought possible. There's no reason to perform circus stunt exercises with a higher risk to reward ratio - unless of course you want to impress someone. Stick with the core kettlebell lifts - swings, cleans, snatches, presses, push presses, jerks, clean and jerks and all the variations. It is these lifts that the Pro-Grade style of kettlebell reins supreme. First, the thinner diameter handle allows you to use the finger lock technique on swings and snatches - something that is crucial in preventing your hands from getting torn up. No reason to be lame and use gloves or cut up tube-socks on your hands people. Learn good technique and don't worry about ripping your hands and callouses up. Next, the diameter of the bell is the perfect size for sitting in the proper rack position. Think about it, there's a reason this style of bell evolved over time - it works better. I am a car fanatic. My wife and I have had numerous corvettes (including the awesome Z06 and currently a 2008 coupe), a porsche and in addition to the 08' vette we have an awesome 07' Jag XK coupe and after test driving a Lamborghini last week that will be next on our hit list. While I think the first generation corvette is an awesome piece of machinery, it can't hold a candle performance-wise to our 08' vette. Cars evolve into higher performance machines. Kettlebells have evolved as well. There's a reason I love our top of the line high performance sports cars - it's the same reason I love my top of the line high performance kettlebells.

That's why AKC Pro-Grade bells.

-Scott

2008-05-20T10:42:00.001-07:00

American Kettlebell Club Kettlebell Coaching Certification 5/17/08-5/18/08 Atlanta, GA

Friday 5/16

Eric, Jon, Marty and Valery got into Atlanta Friday evening. They met me at my gym just after I finished my last client for the night. We talked a bit then Valery became interested in the stones I had in the gym. Valery, Eric and I all took turns shouldering the bigger of the two stones I had, then we played with some grip tools and headed off to Ted's Montana Grill for a late dinner. My friend Svetlana and her husband Danny met five of us at Ted's. Svetlana is from Russia and I wanted to introduce her to Valery. Dinner was great, I opted for the Kitchen Sink burger - bison w/grilled ham, fried egg, bacon and cheese, YUM! I highly recommend it. Marty, whose dietary habits are odd to say the least, went with the crab cake appatizer, then surprisingly went for the crab cake entre. Marty, Marty, Marty.... Plus he washed it all down with an old fashioned root beer float. We're convinced he ran to the bathroom to regurgitate - he's gotta' keep that svelte 153 lb. physique somehow... Dinner was great then they went to check in to the hotel and get some sleep as we had two days of kettlebell instruction and lifting beginning in a few hours.

Saturday 5/17/08 - Day 1

The cert was held at Francis Fong's Martial Arts Academy in Norcross, GA. Thanks to my buddy Eric Froncsak for hooking that up as I wasn't sure my gym would be ready in time. The dojo was awesome. After some last minute setting up we hit the ground running. Valery and Marty began by introducing everyone to the AKC method of kb lifting as well as the basic outline for the weekend. The main point here people - there is NO kettlebell lifting style - there is only technique. And like everything there is GOOD technique and BAD technique. AKC is NOT about kb sport. KB sport is merely the pinnacle of kettlebell lifting just as a marathon is the pinnacle of distance running. Do people run for non-competition reasons such as fitness, recreation, health, etc? Sure they do. Do they PURPOSELY make their running technique harder? Only if they are a moron. Should the same apply to kb lifting? One would think. Now I know, here come the power lifting analogies. But Scott, box squatting is a way of making the squat harder. Special variations of the main lifts used on max effort day are designed to make the lift harder and exploit and build weaknesses. Well, I agree. HOWEVER, the TECHNIQUE is still done with one thing in mind - absolute perfection. You do not use sub-optimal technique in any variation of any lift - this is why we teach and learn the technical aspects of kb lifting that should apply to everyone - from the fitness enthusiast all the way up to the competing professional. It's kb lifting people, it's not rocket science. Stop overcomplicating it. If you want strength - lift barbells, kb's ain't heavy. A note on kb's and strength - Valery and I talked about this in Vegas as well as at the cert - kb's don't make you strong. Kb's improve your recovery and boost your GPP as well as build aspects of typical weak points which increases your strength potential. For powerlifters? Valery recommends short 2-3 minute sets at the end of the workout - no more, as he says "as your endurance goes up, your strength goes down. As your strength goes up, your endurance goes down." In speaking with Eric and Valery, they told me they felt one could get to a fairly high ranking in kb sport and powerlifting concurrently - but at the point when one is ready to progress to the highest attainable level, specificity rules. Therefore I feel, that with proper training, one could realistically achieve and MS ranking in kb sport and a class 1 or master level in powerlifting. Should one want to progress to MSWC in kb sport or Elite ranking in powerlifting, one discipline will have to be put on the back burner. This is all I have to say about this topic, now it's time to get the work done. I'm experimenting with the template right now and will have something worked out in a week or two. Stay tuned. While I will not give away the specifc details to the certification process this past weekend as it is not my place to give out the info for free that so many people paid good money for (if you really want to know what we do go to a cert for yourself you cheapskates). I will however give a brief overview of the cert and the topics we covered. Day 1 included specific work on the swing, clean, press, push press, and jerk. After instruction in each lift was given, we grouped up with either Jon or Marty and individually performed multiple timed sets (usually in the 2-4 minute range) so that we could get our technique corrected. Valery walked around and worked with everyone. There was MUCH more hands-on work involved with this certification than when I attended in March of 2007. Eric, Jon, Valery and all the coaches from the AKC are doing a great job at evolving this beast while keeping true to the methods they are trying to teach without having to create "new and exciting" exercises to sell the program. In addition to the instruction on Day 1, Marty demonstrated the long cycle w/ a pair of 32kg bells by doing 37 reps in 10:00. He also did a short-cycle jerk set w/ a pair of 24kg bells going 60 reps in 5:00. Valery performed a long cycle set w/24kg bells going 50 reps in 6:00 and Jon demonstrated the short cycle jerk with an awesome 88 reps in 10:00 w/ a pair of 24kg bells. A brief note on Jon - he's a super cool guy and probably one of the most underrated people in the AKC. This cat can lift the bells and his technique is amazing. Some highlights on day 2 included lunch at the Polish restaurant and dinner that night at Rusans in Buckhead, great sushi. Plus it was cool to catch up with some fo my friends who came to the cert and meet some new people as well.

Sunday 5/18/08 - Day 2

Day 2 consisted of work on the long cycle and the snatch. There were more demonstrations and a lot more talking about training philosophy, how to set up a training plan, key points for all the lifts, supplementary work, Q&A's, discussing the attributes of a kb lifter, Valery's recommendations on things such as speeding and program planning and Marty detailing his journey from starry-eyed kb newbie to becoming the 1st American male to achieve the rank of Master of Sport in kettlebell lifting. Day 2 demonstrations included Jon performing a 6:00 1-arm long cycle set w/32kg bell for 48 reps and a 10:00 snatch set w/the 24kg bell going for a total of 140 reps. Marty did the 1-arm long cycle w/32kg and got 100 reps in 10:00 and did a snatch set of 84 reps in 6:00 w/1-hand switch. Valery did a 10:00 set of snatches w/ 1-hand switch w/24kg going for 160 reps. He also performed an amazing feat of strength - bottom's up clean a 16kg bell, stack another 16kg bell on top and press, freakin' awesome! We wrapped up the cert with a written test, more Q&A group and individual photos and Valery and Eric presented attendees with certificates.

It was definitely a much improved certification since the last one I went to and something any aspiring kb lifter should attend. I like to tell people training and learning about KB's from Valery would be like getting basketball coaching from Michael Jordan - when you have a chance to train with the best, why let that opportunity pass?

Thanks to everyone who came out to the cert and my friend Eric Froncsak for co-hosting with me and really getting the ball rolling for this certification workshop. Thanks to Eric, Valery, Jon and Marty for doing a great job instructing and of course a special thanks to my good friend Marty for giving us all something to laugh at at lunch and dinner daily! Com. Marty is the man!!

Next up is the AKC affiliated meet I will be hosting at my gym, the Atlanta Barbell & Kettlebell Club, on Saturday December 13, 2008. Stay tuned for details!

-Scott

2008-02-25T08:23:00.001-08:00

Henry Rollins.

This past Saturday, 2/23/08, Henry Rollins came to Athens, GA on his spoken word tour "Provoked". Big Derrick an I made the trip up for the show and it was freakin' awesome! At 47 this guy is still kicking ass. He came out and talked for a little over 3 hours about everything. His trips, shows, views on government, music, people and Van Halen fans. Freakin' awesome stuff. It was funny, there's an internet discussion forum I check out occasionally and some "self proclaimed worlds greatest trainers and fat, fat-loss experts" were on there were slamming him cause' they don't like his show he hosts and calling him a pussy and a liberal, blah blah blah. It's so hip to slam him nowadays because he's "done the same thing for far too long". Why? Because he does what he wants and doesn't give a shit about what other people think? Whatever. He goes out and lives his life more honestly and with more fire and balls than most do. Like Henry says, "knowledge without mileage is bullshit." I've been a fan for a long time and it was awesome to finally get to meet him and shake his hand. Big Derrick was pretty stoked too. Good times!

"I'm like a katana blade, thrust into the fire, rolled and hammered. The longer I go the stronger and sharper I become." -Henry Rollins

2008-02-22T06:19:00.000-08:00

The Vegas

Lisa and I just got back from our first trip out to Vegas and had an awesome time. Here are some highlights and some photos:

-stayed at the Luxor, aside from being chased down by timeshare representatives the whole weekend a great place to stay

-got to see filming of an episode of Mindfreak with Wilmer Valderama (Fez from That 70's Show) as Criss Angel's guest. Also got a ton of cool pics, got to meet Criss and Wilmer and was in the front of the crowd when the camera filmed us all screaming "Mindfreak" for the end of the show, hopefully the shot with me in it makes the cut for the final show! Look for the bald guy with the grey Adidas shirt looking like an idiot!

-Carrot Top's show at Luxor - Freakin' Hysterical! You gotta' see this guy.

-Penn and Teller at the Rio, a good show, but Carrot Top killed it for anyone I see after him.

-gambling at Luxor, Mandalay Bay and Rio - we came out ahead thanks to Lisa and I did really well at my first Blackjack experience. Good times!

-Shark Reef aquarium at Mandalay Bay - awesome!

-Seeing Criss Angel and Carrot Top just "strolling" around Luxor and Mandalay Place - wow, I guess they are just real people. LOL!

-Working out at Luxor gym

-The two rock climbers who were trecking through the dessert for 3 months on a climbing expedition we shared the cab to Rio with. Cool guys, climbed boat rock and rock town in Atlanta. They were going for the buffet man! LOL!

-The water fountain show at the Bellagio - very cool and very patriotic.

-The idiots slapping the call girl cards at us as we walked the strip.

-Sushi at Tao (Thanks Sveta!)

-Texting Sveta all week to tell her about all the Criss Angel sightings only to find out she thought I was joking around with her when I got back! Good thing I got all the pics!!!

-Meeting up with my cousin Michelle and her husband for dinner, hadn't seen her since we were kids, this was very cool.

-The burger at the burger bar - awesome food!

-Criss Angel's choppers and rides - freakin' sick!

-Erik coming down to Akron/Canton on our layover to help us kill sometime.

-The steak, shrimp and ribs trio lunch at Rainforest Cafe at MGM - freakin' awesome!

-All in all a great vacation! Can't wait to go back!

If you want to check out all the pics from the trip go to my myspace page, click on pics under my profile pic and check the Vegas and Mindfreak photo albums at:

myspace.com/scottpl613

2008-02-08T19:27:00.000-08:00

The Importance of CPR/AED Training

An article I wrote for the American Kettlebell Club on this very important topic:

http://www.americankettlebellclub.com/blog/?p=90

Thanks for setting it up Eric!

2008-02-01T10:38:00.001-08:00

On My Way to the Cage

Anyone who's EVER done a real squat training session can certainly appreciate the lyrics to Henry's "On My Way to the Cage"......

On my way to the cage

I'm getting taught a lesson

On my way to the cage

I'm choking on the medicine

On my way to the cage

I'm stepping hard on four leaf clovers

On my way to the cage

I'm learning the same thing over and over

On the way to the cage

I heard the crowd roar

Thoughts of you were long behind me

I couldn't ask for more

The lights are almost blinding

Come closer,

see yourself in my eyes

Fear me

On my way to the cage

The taste of blood is in my mouth

On my way to the cage

The fear is in their eyes

On my way to the cage

My animal blood is pure

On my way to the cage

No regrets and no last words

(Chorus)

I've got your world inside my fist

I've got your mind on a string

I've got your soul on a leash

You put yourself above me

But there's something that you've missed

You always say you hate me

But you watch me anyway

It's a pain you can't resist

On my way to the cage

I'm larger than life, laughing at death

On my way to the cage

I'm tripping on pain and feeling fine

On my way to the cage

You're paying your price and I'm paying mine

On my way to the cage

I'm watching you cry and wave goodbye

2008-01-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

Excuses... What are yours?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obdd31Q9PqA

So why couldn't YOU train today?

2007-12-18T00:41:00.000-08:00

York 45 lb Plate Hub Lift

http://www.youtube.com/v/H0K7JOcy7R8

Here's a video of a couple of my York 45 lb plate hub lifts. This has been a long time coming for me! Thanks to Derrick for adding the badass Rollins Band background noise and posting on YouTube.

-Scott

2007-12-14T07:01:00.000-08:00

The Warrior Creed
by Robert L. Humphrey (Iwo Jima Marine & Bujinkan 10th Dan)

Wherever I go, everyone is a little bit safer because I am there.

Wherever I am, anyone in need has a friend.

Whenever I return home, everyone is happy I am there. "It's a better life!"

Robert L. Humphrey 1923 -1997

2007-10-29T02:30:00.001-07:00

Congratulatons David! #3 114 lb class!

One of the lifters I train, David Cohn, recently made Powerlifting USA's top 100. A 400 lb squat, 275 lb bench press, and 425 lb deadlift combined for an 1100 lb total put David at #3 in the top 100 of 114 lb lifters in the country. A mere 79 lbs shy of the great Ervin Gainer who holds the #1 spot, and 29 lbs out of the #2 slot.

Since training with me David has totalled elite twice in single ply gear. His first meet he made a 1069 total with a 374 squat, 265 bench and a 430 deadlift. His second meet he made his 1100 lb total with a 400 squat, 275 bench and 425 deadlift. He weighed in at 111 lbs in both meets and he missed a 10 x bodyweight total by only 10 lbs at his last meet.

David trains 4x per week. We utilize the maximal effort method, dynamic effort method and repeated effort method in his training. Box squats, rack deadlifts, goodmornings, board presses, floor presses, bands + chains, LOTS of tricep and late work, and glute/ham raises are all staple exercises in his program. For conditioning and weak point work we have been using kettlebell swings and 1-arm long cycle clean and jerks with kettlebells the "AKC-way".

David is finishing up his meet prep cycle for the November 9-11 WNPF World Championships here in Atlanta. I don't want to jinx him but he should be in the 405-425 squat range, 285-300 bench range and 440-460 deadlift range. He's made a solid 300 bench in training so I know he's capable of it.

Congratulations on your accomplishment David!! Onward to 1200!!!

Scott

2007-10-25T05:51:00.000-07:00

Rollins

Big Derrick and I had an awesome bench workout last night jamming Rollins "Clockwork Orange Stage". This quote really stuck with me after big D nailed an easy 455 bench (about a month or so ago his bench PR was 315).

"There's a lot of choices you can make. But it all boils down to two. Either you do, or you do not do. Some people came to play, some people came to drive away. Some people came to rock this muckerfucker, some people came to talk about rockin'. I think you know the difference by now. Animal inside, animal outside to. Animal inside, I'm an animal just like you." -Henry Rollins, from 'Thinking Cap' live.

There you have it folks. Shut the fuck up and lift something.

Scott

2007-10-05T07:17:00.000-07:00

Keeping it Simple

I've been thinking alot about training lately, my training as well as the training of my athletes and clients. When I first started training people the exercises and training plan were simple. Use basic exercises like squats, deadlifts, presses, chins and rows and try to do more reps or more weight every few workouts. Want to get big and lean? Eat a lot of clean food. Carrying too much bodyfat? Eat less food. Keep junk food to a minimum. Add in some intensive cardio. We ran and marched a lot in bootcamp, and ate 3 balanced meals a day. There wasn't one fatass in my company, although there were 5 that could be considered overweight when our class convened on day 1.

As I started to learn from other trainers, coaches and experts in an effort to increase my knowledge base the exercises and training program became more complex to the point it gave me a headache trying to progress. Complex exercises, uni-lateral, ipsi-lateral, cuff complex, neuromuscular junctions, synaptic facilitation, tempo prescription, optimal carb to protein ratio shakes, branch chain amino acids, blah blah blah.

Now that I've learned from alot of trainers, coaches and experts the training program and exercises are simple. Focus on squats, deads, presses, chins and rows; get as muscular and lean as possible; train freakin' hard; eat a lot of clean food (if you count calories you're a dipshit, instead just try backing off on the coke a cola and snickers, I don't think you have to worry about eating too much chicken or spinach); listen to your body and know when to back off.

I've really taken the simplistic approach to training my athletes.

For strength, power and speed: we use barbells (sometimes with bands and/or chains on certain exercises), dumbbells, medicine balls, various odd objects, and different types of jumps and shock training. We use the maximal effort method, submaximal effort method, repeated effort method, and dynamic effort method.

For speed - we perform max effort sprints.

For agility - we work on maintaining speed during change of direction and we learn how to decelerate properly.

For conditioning - we perform tempo runs, sled drags, prowler pushes, high rep kettlebell work (the basic traditional exercises), and battling ropes.

We build and maintain both active and passive range of motion.

When we're feeling good we push it, when we're not feeling good we back off a bit.

When weaknesses emerge, we work hard to bring them up.

The younger the athlete and the earlier in the off-season there is more general and less specific work. The older the athlete and the later in the off-season there is less general and more specific work.

We learn from experts who've achieved real results and ignore charlatans with little experience and big internet balls.

It ain't freakin' rocket science.

2007-09-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

The Evolution of Kettlebell Lifting in America - by, Mike Stefano

This is a GREAT blog written by AKC coach Mike Stefano that discusses the history of kettlebells as well as kettlebell training in America.

http://firefightersworkout.blogspot.com/2007_09_23_archive.html

Good stuff Mike!

2007-09-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

A Simple Approach to Training

Due to my hectic professional and personal schedule lately I've had to make some changes in my training. I had been training 4-days per week - squat/deadlift on M/F, bench on W/Sa. I usually try to get up early in the morning before I start training clients (around 4-4:30am) and do some light cardio (20-30 min. of walking or jogging) and joint mobility and flexibility work. Unfortunately due to long work days and working 6-7 days per week my body felt like it has not been recovering that well between sessions. I have a powerlifting meet coming up in November and I also have the goals of stonelifting (travelling to Scotland and Iceland and trying my hand at some of the manhood and testing stones located in these countries) as well as improving my kettlebell lifting and achieving a high ranking in the kettlebell sport. Due to the fact that two of my goals are heading in opposite directions on the strength spectrum (powerlifting and stone lifting are more about maximal strength whereas the kettlebell sport is about strength endurance) I've had to reevalute my training plan. Here's what I've come up with so far.

Eliminate unnecessary crap and focus on what will be most effective for my goals. Current goal - hit PR's in the November PL meet (planning to go 475-500 squat, 315-335 bench, and 475-500 deadlift); while doing this I need to do maintenance work for my kettlebell lifting and stone lifting. My lifts need to be focused on building my squat, bench and deadlift and accessory lifts to address weak points while working in maintenance work for my stone lifting and kettlebell lifting. I also need to ensure I am getting enough down time for rest and recovery as my job is far from sedentary and I work 6 days per week from early morning until late evening.

Here's the training schedule:

Monday
4-4:30am - light cardio 20-30 min. + joint mobility, spineworx and flexibility

7pm - Squat/Deadlift training with my training partners Malcom and Derrick

plan A (weeks 1 and 3 of a 4 week cycle)
1. max effort squat: work up to a max single in a squat variation (high box, low box, SSB, etc)
2. GHR, good morning or RDL: 2-4 sets of 3-7 reps
3. heavy 1-arm KB jerks w/24-32kg bell: 1 set of 10-20 reps on ea. arm, a second and possibly third set of half the reps of the first set
4. 2 heavy ab exercises: 2-3 sets each for 6-12 reps

plan B (weeks 2 and 4 of a 4 week cycle)
1. dynamic effort box squats: 8x2x50-60% plus bands or chains
2. max effort deadlift: work up to a max single in a deadlift variation (pin pull, reverse band, etc)
3. same as plan A
4. same as plan A

Wednesday
4-4:30am - same as Monday

7pm - Bench Press training with Malcom and Derrick

plan A (weeks 1 and 3 of a 4-week cycle)
1. max effort bench press: work up to a max single in a bench press variation (2-4 board, floor press, reverse band, etc)
2. heavy triceps lift: 4-6 sets of 5-7 reps
3. light triceps lift: 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps
4. lats: 4-6 sets of 6-12 reps
5. upper back: 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps
6. heavy 1-arm kettlebell swings w/24-32kg bell: 1 set of 20-30 reps per arm, followed by 1-2 sets of half the reps performed in the first set

plan B (weeks 2 and 4 of a 4-week cycle)
1. shirted bench press work - full range, heavy triples and singles to master the groove of the shirt
2. db bench press: 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps
3. triceps lift: 3-5 sets of 6-10 reps
4. same as plan A
5. same as plan A
6. same as plan A

Friday
4-4:30am - same as Mon/Wed

3pm - Supplementary work for kettlebell lifting and stone lifting
1. kb jerks w/16-24kg: timed sets get a total of 10 minutes regardless of how many sets it takes
2. kb snatch w/16-24kg: one timed set
3. kb "feat of strength" lift (focus on various presses, bottoms up, chair press, bottoms up chair press, pinky press, etc.)
4. stone lift to chest, shoulder, press, carry, etc..
5. low back work: 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps
6. extra abdominal, neck, trap and grip work

Saturday
9am
1. kb snatch w/16-24kg: timed sets get a total of 10 minnutes regardless of how many sets it takes
2. kb jerk w/16-24kg: one timed set
3. chin ups/pull ups: varied sets and reps
4. sled dragging
5. battling ropes conditioning work
6. extra abdominal, neck, trap and grip work

So there's the plan. This is allowing for a full day off between training sessions. My body usually feels good and ready to go by Monday. Nutrition is important but doesn't need to be rocket science. I am eating clean about 80-90% of the time then whatever the hell I want 10-20% of the time. If my bodyfat starts creeping up too high I'll eat less and move more. Simple stuff.

Plan for after the meet in November will change some. I'll be doing more KB specific work on the M/W workout and basically just doing the main PL exericise with Malcom and Derrick following with 1 or 2 supplementaries for them as well as more conditioning work and leaning up and I'll document the program changes when the time comes.

That's it, nice and simple. Training doesn't need to be super secret rocket science. Lift some stuff, add more weight to the bar and lift some more stuff. If you're doing rep work, add more damn reps. If you're goal is to lift stones, lift stones. Always strive for technical proficiency in the lifts and learn from what the best do - not charlatans who are out to make a name for themselves.

Train hard!

Scott

2007-08-28T09:01:00.000-07:00

Video Review - "Never Enough: Squat and Deadlift Edition 2007"

In one word, awesome. This is hands down one of the best training videos I've seen. This video is narrated by Mark Bell, former pro-wrestler and current elite level powerlifter, that many know of as "Jackass" from the Elite Fitness Systems Q&A. Mark does a great job explaining the various lifts his powerlifting team, Supertraining, uses to build the squat and deadlift. Mark mixes a definite element of humor into this video that makes it as entertaining as it is informative.

It is great to see various members of his team who are lifting at different levels and have different body types. This team is definitely focused on one goal - getting stronger. One of the most important aspects of the video that comes across loud and clear, is the importance of having a team of like minded individuals in the gym pushing each other to excel.

Other great features on this video are the guest commentary by elite lifter Chad Aichs and the documentary of Scott "Hoss" Cartwright's exceptional performance at a USPF meet in which he totals over 2,200 pounds in single-ply lifting gear. GREAT stuff!

About the only thing I can say about this video is if you don't have it, get it now!

Order here:

http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?m=PD&cid=182&pid=2264

-Scott

2007-08-15T01:43:00.000-07:00

Roger Davis lifts the Inver Stone!

The brotherhood of stone, as the great Bill Crawford and Erik Suave like to call it, is growing! Congrats to Roger for wrapping his arms around history and heftin' it to his chest.

Read about it here:

http://www.powerropes.com/public_html/forum36/showthread.php?t=387&page=7

Roger, I'm raising a pint in your honor this weekend brother! Well done!

-Scott

2007-07-31T10:27:00.001-07:00

Spine-Worx

This thing is freakin' awesome. I think Tom Furman posted something about this a while back. Check it out at www.spineworx.com and thank me later.

2007-07-25T02:18:00.000-07:00

Optimal Strength Training and Conditioning for Military, Law Enforcement and Fire Fighters.

“Optimal Strength Training and Conditioning for Military, Law Enforcement, and Fire Fighters” by, Scott Shetler and Steven Mosley is NOW available!

http://stores.lulu.com/sshetler

This book is a MUST HAVE if you work in any of these professional services! In addition this book is perfect for combative athletes and those who want amazing levels of health and fitness.

The authors of this book have combined their years of experience in the fields of training military, law enforcement officers, tactical operators, fire fighters, combative athletes, athletes, and clients from all walks of life to give you a “no BS”, easy to follow, effective program that will get you lean, mean and in the best shape of your life.

For HALF the price of a personal training session this book WILL teach you:

-The correct training methods for your profession…
-Why kettlebells, battling ropes, full-body exercises, and odd objects are superior to bodybuilding, machines, and spinning classes!
-The best strength training exercises…
-The best conditioning exercises…
-Implementing these techniques for department and team fitness testing…
-Get stronger!
-Get leaner!
-Get faster!
-Build the strength-endurance and work capacity that will allow you to keep going when others are tired and crying for mama!
-Ace any department or unit PT test!
-Develop a tough-as-nails, no-quit attitude!
-Your job depends on your fitness, and this book will teach you a world of fitness you didn’t know existed!
-Order now!

http://stores.lulu.com/sshetler
____________________________________________________________________
What people are saying about “Optimal Strength Training and Conditioning for Military, Law Enforcement, and Fire Fighters”:

“This book covers all the bases for fitness for those of us who rely on our fitness to perform our daily jobs. As a Sergeant on patrol and a former S.W.A.T. Team leader, I have personally utilized the concepts discussed in this book. I have implemented them as the foundation for measuring fitness for the S.W.A.T. operators on my team. The key is "functional fitness." Anyone in law enforcement who tests this program will see the old days big bench, big weights and hours in the gym are ineffective and dangerous to what we do. I look forward to the release of this book so I can personally utilize the programs and recommend them to my fellow officers!”

Sgt. Thomas Williams - Duluth Police and former S.W.A.T. Team Leader

“Steve and Scott have put together a true masterpiece of functional training. You now have a road map to follow to take yourself to the next level of physical and mental readiness. I highly recommend their training methods for anyone who needs to be physically and mentally prepared for the battlefield.”

John Brookfield - Multiple world record holder - author of mastery of hand strength - creator of the Battling Ropes system.

___________________________________________________________________
Our DVD “Optimal Strength Training and Conditioning for Military, Law Enforcement, and Fire Fighters will be available soon! Stay tuned!

In Strength,

Scott Shetler & Steven Mosley

2007-06-21T06:52:00.000-07:00

Why do some coaches think strength training should be as complex as neurophysics?

I've been pretty busy lately. We filmed footage for 3 instructional DVD's a couple weeks ago, training people full-time (since when is full-time 7 days a week?!?!?) and trying to wrap up some projects, books, a couple companies I formed with some colleagues, etc. Just a lot on my plate. I actually was able to rearrange my schedule a bit and have all day Saturday off which is nice, working 7 days was a bit of a drag for a while now, thankfully I love what I do. Despite all this work I do try to make time to learn and read up on stuff whenever I can. Love the internet, lots of great training info and lots of great people willing to share it. Unfortunately there's also a serious amount of BS polluting the internet as well and tons of egos. Some of these articles written by the latest and greatest strength coaches leave me scratching my head. Sometimes I think these guys write to impress upon their captive audiences the fact that they own a thesaurus or a dictionary. One of the best pieces of advice I've ever received was in a high school creative writing class. Mr. Anderson told us, "When you write, make sure you are writing so that a fourth grader may understand you."

Why does training info have to be so "advanced" or require a degree in neurophysiology? Does it need to be so complex? One of the strongest men in the world, noted for having the strongest hands ever, trains with simple tools in his backyard - ropes, buckets, kettlebells, rusty iron plates, stones and sledgehammers. No actuarial calculator required. Whatever happened to the good old days of training? Just lift the damn bar. Squat it, press it, deadlift it, throw in some pull ups, hammer the abs, call it a day. Simple and effective. There were a lot of hard, strong men back in the dark days of bodybuilding. I read somewhere recently the only difference between bodybuilders and strength athletes back then was diet, bodybuilders were tuna and rice, powerlifters were milk and pizza, but they all lifted the same, heavy. Beautiful. Look at the forefathers of "physical culture". These guys lifted heavy things and had amazing physiques. Perhaps we need to go back and re-evalute our approach. I love the sport of powerlifting and all powerlifters, but I think the gear is getting out of hand. I've become very interested lately in stonelifting, it is raw, primal and tough. Lift it or don't. No arguments on depth, pauses, lockouts, etc. Get the damn stone to your waist, shoulder, or overhead. Simple as that. No tacky, no belts, no squat suits or press shirts.

Zach Even-Esh writes some great articles about old school training and I think he's doing an awesome job with his whole underground gym movement. He has one article about the intensity of training in an old school gym where you pay your dues everyday. It's very motivational and makes you want to go lift some weight. No talk about reps, sets, tempo and other nonsense many coaches use to sell their programs. Just lift the damn weight.

Jim Wendler, from Elite Fitness Systems, has written some outstanding articles at http://www.elitefts.com/ that outline some very simplistic approaches to getting strong. I love the way he researched this stuff, talk to the strongest people out there and find the common denominator - lift heavy, and eat. What? No Soviet secrets? No %'s? No talk of tempo training? Could it really be as simple as putting a lot of damn effort into the basic lifts that have been making people strong for years? Beautiful.

I have no clue where this blog or rant is going. I guess if I have to sum it up, keep it simple and work freakin' hard. I think it is far more important to workout hard and consistently then worry about what type of program you're doing. I am a rank novice in the world of strength training and I think the bulk of us out there are. Chances are we just need to get strong. Lift something heavy, eat a ton of good food, repeat. Work hard, work consistently. Can it really be that simple?

2007-05-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Malcom!

Congratulations to my training partner Malcom Gunter for making Powerlifting USA's Top 100! Malcom's 501 bench press at the 2006 AAPF/APF GA State Powerlifting Championships puts him at #78 in the top 100 of all USA competitive lifters in the 198 lb. weight class in the competition year 2006. Malcom is drug-free and is a great example of what hard work and a laser-focus can do. Nice work!

2007-04-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

Apr 14, 2007
Saturday Meet Report

WNPF GA State PL Championships

Weighed in at 212 lbs morning of...

SQ - 405/425/450-(20lb meet PR) 9 white lights, squats felt solid, probably 25-50lbs left on the platform.

BP - 265/285-(tied meet PR)/300-missed, got it halfway then ran out of gas.

DL - 405/435/465-missed, would have been a meet PR.

TOTAL - 1170 a 35 lb meet PR.All in all a pretty good day. Squats are coming along very nicely, but my dead is not where I want it. Back to work in a few days.

One of my lifters I train, David, had a GREAT meet. Here's his report:

BW - weighed in at 111 lbs!

SQ - 360/400-missed/400 (26 lb meet PR!)

BP - 265-(reds cause the handoff guy was in the judges way)/265/275 (10 lb meet PR!)

DL - 385/425/435-missed, would have been a 5 lb meet PR

TOTAL - 1100 this was his 2nd elite total and a 31 lb meet PR and ALMOST a 10x bodyweight total! David won his division in both full powerlifting and deadlift only, and won best lifter in both full powerlifting and deadlift only! GREAT job David!

2007-04-03T06:14:00.000-07:00

Optimal Strength Training and Conditioning - book NOW available!

Click the following link to view information for and purchase a copy of my new strength training and conditioning book. For half the price of a personal training session this book covers, in detail, the best exercises for huge gains in strength and muscle mass, alternative conditioning methods and energy systems drills to improve conditioning and body composition, factors to consider when building a training program and much more!

http://stores.lulu.com/sshetler

Thanks and I hope you enjoy the first edition in my upcoming series on Optimal Strength and Conditioning methods!

Scott

2007-04-01T04:49:00.000-07:00

March 31, Mastering the Football Combine Tests Hands-On Clinic...

This was the first clinic I've ever offered to help prospective pro-football players enhance their performance in the combine tests. We had four athletes register and it turned out to be a great day. Over 4-hours we covered the 40 yard dash, 20 yard shuttle, vertical jump and bench press. As a bonus we added the "L" drill and the broad jump. These athletes are participating in a Pro-Scout Combine that only tests the 40, shuttle, vertical and bench, but I wanted them to know the correct way to perform the "L" and the broad jump as well.

After our dynamic warm up I had the athletes perform each test their way. We then corrected their technique and practiced the drills then we took new times, everyone improved across the board! They are still not where they need to be for their combine, but at least they have 2-months of practicing the correct technique and will now stand a much better chance of putting up the numbers they are shooting for. Here are our results:

Player 1 - OLB:

40 yd dash - trial 1 = 4.72, trial 2 = 4.47 (dropped almost .3 seconds!)

10 yd dash - trial 1 = 1.57. trial 2 = 1.49

20 yd shuttle - trial 1 = 4.37, trial 2 = 4.29

vertical jump - trial 1 = 28.5", trial 2 = 31.5" (a 3" gain!)

bench press - 18 reps w/225

Player 2 - WR:

40 yd dash - trial 1 = 4.98, trial 2 = 4.54 (dropped .44 seconds!)

10 yd dash - trial 1 = 1.49, trial 2 = 1.38

20 yd shuttle - trial 1 = 4.90, trial 2 = 4.81 (we need some work here)

vertical jump -trial 1 = 30", trial 2 = 31"

Player 3 - WR:

40yd dash - trial 1 = 4.95, trial 2 = 4.71 (dropped .24 seconds, needs to come down still)

10yd dash - trial 1 = 1.59, trial 2 = 1.41

20 yd shuttle - trial 1 = 4.38, trial 2 = 4.30

vertical jump - trial 1 = 29.5", trial 2 = 31.5" (2" gain!)

bench press - 11 reps w/225

Player 4 - WR:

40 yd dash - trial 1 = 4.98, trial 2 = 4.79 (dropped .2 seconds, still needs to come down)

10 yd dash - trial 1 = 1.65, trial 2 = 1.41

20 yd shuttle - trial 1 = 4.73, trial 2 = 4.63 (needs some more work)

vertical jump - trial 1 = 28.5", trial 2 = 31.5" (a gain of 3"!)

As you see technique made a HUGE difference in their test performance! While the improvements are great, they need to get back to work now for the next 8 weeks and make the improvements they need to put the finishing touches on their scores. They are a group of great and motivated guys and I hope to have the good fortune to work with them more in the future.

2007-03-21T06:45:00.000-07:00

Latest musings, rants and other happenings...

Sorry I've been absent from the world of blogging lately. Unlike some internet training experts who seem to have all day to post on forums and blogs, I've actually been out training, both my clients and myself.

Powerlifting events....
I have a powerlifting meet coming up on April 14, the WNPF GA State Championships. This is going to be a tough meet for me. First my training cycle has been pretty lack-luster lately. I don't blame anyone but myself. I have been slammed with new clients, workshops and clinics since the new year fell upon us. I have been making time for my workouts and thanks to my training partner and good friend Malcom for keeping me honest in the basement. Right now I am hoping to go 475/303/501 in the squat/bench/deadlift at this meet. I'm a little off target, this year I wanted to crack 500 in the squat, 350 in the bench and 550 in the deadlift at about 198-200lbs BW. I'm getting there! Hopefully by the Worlds in November I'll be closing in on those numbers. This meet will mark the end of my second full year of powerlifting competition and third year training for the sport. My first meet I went 375 in the squat, 255 in the bench and 405 in the deadlift with a 1035 total. We'll find out in a few weeks what I've been able to accomplish these past two years!

Wearing two hats....
In addition to lifting in this upcoming meet I have to keep my coach's hat on too. A powerlifter I coach, David, is an exceptional 114 lb weight class lifter. Since training with me he achieved his first elite total of 1069 at 111 lbs of bodyweight at the 2006 Nationals last July. If you want to check this cat out he has a profile on my athlete profiles page of my website at www.extreme-fitness.org. David's best meet lifts so far are 375 squat, 265 bench and 430 deadlift. He's gunning for a 415-420 squat, 280-290 bench and a 450 deadlift at this meet and his second elite total. Good luck David!

What I did this past weekend....
Finally attended my first kettlebell certification workshop. I've been playing with the little iron bells for a few years now and have trained with some exceptional guys. People like Steve Cotter, Marty Farrell and Dave Randolph have really helped me develop my kettlebell skills over the years. I recently made the decision to join the American Kettlebell Club and get certified through Valery Fedorenko's program. Valery is the real deal. A former girevoy (kettlebell) sport world champion and world record holder, I honestly feel there is no better person instructing people in the use of kettlebells in the USA than Valery. It was very educational weekend and I learned many new techniques in the CORRECT kettlebell lifts. From using the right style of kettlebells to proper execution of the lifts, everything was covered in great detail and I look forward to continuing my journey with the American Kettlebell Club both in teaching people the correct way to train with the kettlebells for fitness and helping the sport grow here in America. I want to extend a huge thanks to Valery, Eric and John from the AKC and my friends Steve Cotter, Marty Farrell, Dave Randolph, Jim Eggers and Matt Macnamarra (I am pretty sure I butchered Matt's last name!) for a great weekend. It was also great meeting the other participants of the workshop including Steve Maxwell. I had the pleasure of seeing Steve present at the Wake Forest University Strength Coaches Clinic a couple years ago. It was great to finally get a chance to talk with Steve, an accomplished athlete and trainer, and attend the course with him. Great things are going to happen with this organization! www.americankettlebellclub.com

Football combine preparation continues....
Ahhh, it's that time of the year again. With the major NFL combine over and pro-days underway, college seniors and free agents who weren't able to participate in the combine or pro days are getting ready for Scout Camp regional combines in the hope of making it to the Scout Camp Elite Combine in June at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. I have been fortunate to gain a whole slew of new clients preparing for this event and it has been both rewarding and challenging. Talk about heart! These are the guys who aren't guaranteed to make the NFL and are doing everything in their power for the chance to workout in front of NFL, CFL, and AFL scouts and coaches. These guys are hungry and are a complete joy to train. In addition to working with them one on one and in small groups, I have been consulting for some athletes out of state on their combine prep programs and will be holding a clinic at the end of March to teach optimal performance in the combine events. It is a total honor to work with these athletes and am excited to see what lies in store for them as they try to advance to the professional ranks.

SWAT stuff...
A huge thanks to my buddy Steve Mosley for inviting me to present at the GTOA (Georgia Tactical Officers Association) clinic last week. I had the pleasure of working with about 40 or 50 tactical law enforcement officers and present our brand of strength and conditioning for military and law enforcement types. It was a great day and the LE officers were a true pleasure to work with. Steve and I have big things in store for 2007 in this arena!

Products....
I FINALLY got off my butt and began writing a couple of books. One is going to be titled "Optimal Strength Training and Conditioning for Young Athletes" and will be a training manual to introduce a solid, basic strength training and conditioning plan to the young athlete. The target market for this book will be the high school coach or athlete and anyone who needs a refresher in the performance of the often overlooked, basic strength and conditioning exercises. The second book I am co-authoring with Steve Mosley and will be titled "Optimal Strength Training and Conditioning for Military, Law Enforcement and Fire Fighting". This book, just as the title indicates, will cover all concerns for optimal physical preparation in these demanding fields. Stay tuned for release dates and information. Both should be ready in the next month or so!

New business...
I received a call from my friend Gary a couple months back. He, a couple colleagues and myself are starting a company that will help raise the bar on strength and conditioning and performance training on all levels. We are very excited about this project and hope to "go live" with in by mid May. Stay tuned for details!

Well, as you can see my life has been quite a bit crazy lately! Hopefully I can hold it all together a little while longer and get back to posting a little more regularly.

Scott

2007-01-15T11:24:00.000-08:00

Yuri Vlasov

This is intense! I was watching Steve Jeck's "Stonelifting" video the other day and on it Steve talks about the importance of building your mental arsenal, in this case it came just prior to Steve performing a set of 20 rep breathing squats, no-no-no style, with 415lbs on the bar! The quote he shared was from the great Russian weightlifter, Yuri Vlasov. Repeat this to yourself next time you are stepping up to the bar going for a PR!

“The blood of your fathers has turned to water in your veins. Not your lot is it to be strong as they were. Having tasted neither life’s sorrows not it’s joy, like a sickling you look at life through a glass. Your skin will shrivel, your muscles grow weak, tedium will devour your flesh destroying desire. Thought will congeal in your skull and horror will stare at you from the mirror. Overcome yourself, overcome yourself. I tremble, I seethe, I clench, I seize the haul.”

2007-01-12T04:48:00.000-08:00

Training Articles and Internet Gurus

Sometimes I get the feeling some trainers just like to write to hear themselves talk. I know everyone is entitled to their opinions about training and many things work, but one of the biggest things that bothers me is when a trainer tries to act like the personal trainer, strength coach, physical therapist, ART therapist, massage therapist, exercise physiologist, head coach, dietician, podiatrist, orthopedic surgeon, general medical practitioner, and all around know it all. I don't care how many freakin' letters are after their last name or how many articles they've had published on the internet muscle zine'. There are some great trainers out there sharing info for sure, but it seems that there are a lot of people more interested in making a name for themselves rather than training people. It kills me when you see some internet famous trainer who pumps out articles on a weekly basis on why you need to train your athletes this way, then the only testimonials they have are from their network of trainers they work with. I respect trainers like Joe DeFranco, Jason Ferruggia, Alwyn Cosgrove, etc. who actually show who they've helped on their various websites, they include testimonials from real clients, real athletes and not just their buddies. If I see a trainer I respect and know does good work endorse another, that speaks volumes to me, however I want to see who they've worked with too. Anytime I see someone say they can't reveal their clients due to contract negotiations I put absolutely zero stock in their methods. I don't think you necessarily have to coach great athletes to be a great coach. Heck, anyone can take a gifted athlete and put them on a program and they'll still be great athletes. I respect the guys that can take no-names and underdogs and do great things. I think Joe DeFranco's "Miles Austin project" is incredibly motivating. This kid went from no-name university to making the Dallas Cowboys line-up through smart training and hard work. DeFranco is one of the few people in this industry who really does a great job, in my opinion. I don't care how much someone knows, experience speaks volumes to me. I trust the word of someone who's been in the industry for 30 years more than someone who's been publishing articles for 3 years. Take Mike Boyle, a great strength coach, probably one of the best. Some of his stuff I like, some I don't. This cat's been doing this job and doing it well for a long time. People should listen to Mike, you don't necessarily have to agree with everything he says, but you can learn a helluva lot cause' he has more experience in the field than most. Competitive experience is important, but isn't the be all end all. I've met some really strong dudes, who can't articulate how to do a bench press. A good trainer or coach knows what it's like to get under the bar and push themselves (they don't have to be a world champion though), knows how to set up programming for their clients and athletes based on the trainees INDIVIDUAL needs, can get around their egos and realize they can learn something from everyone, listens more than they talk, isn't afraid to refer a trainee to someone who might be able to help the trainee better, and doesn't try to be the final word on every sub-category in the health and fitness field.

Just a little rant before the weekend, I need a beer!

2007-01-11T05:38:00.000-08:00

Q&A Post

I've been getting a lot of questions regarding how I train my athletes via email through my website recently so I thought I'd share some of them.

Q: Hi Scott,
What have you had the most success with when training your athletes, two lower body days a week or one lower body a week? Thanks.

A: It depends on where we're at in the training cycle. I structure all my athletes programs based on the annual plan. There are different considerations for different levels. The biggest problem I have are multi-sport high school kids. One of my star high school athletes NEVER has an off season. Football in the fall crosses over with school basketball in the winter which crosses over with AAU basket ball in the spring which crosses over with football pre-season camp at the end of summer. For athletes like this we work heavy legs once a week. Usually I go heavy one week (i.e. work them up to a heavy set of 3 or 5 reps in a squat or squat variation - for example front squat, low box squat, etc.) the next week we usually work 8-10 sets of 2 reps with approx. 60% of their 1RM in a parallel box squat with either chains or bands attached to the bar. The next week we're back to a heavy 5 or 3, etc. After the main lift we usually hit a 1-legged squat (i.e. Bulgarian split squat, step up or 1-leg box squat), then a posterior chain lift (we like romanian deadlifts, glute/ham raises, 45 degree back raises, good mornings and kettlebell swings and snatches), then we'll hit abs, neck and grip. If the athlete has a TRUE off season (for instance a college football player or a high school football player who plays no other sports) we will usually train legs twice. One day is the max effort day (i.e. work up in a squat or deadlift variation to a heavy 3 or 5 rep max). The other day is the dynamic effort day (i.e. hit 8-10 doubles off a parallel box with 50-60% of the 1 rep max with chains or bands on the bar). We always follow with a 1-leg squat variation, posterior chain lift, then abs, neck and grip. When we work jumps and various plyos we do them on the dynamic day and ONLY if it is an athlete with an offseason. Athletes who are in-season year round are jumping enough.

Q: Do you find the dynamic effort being as beneficial for a pre-college athlete who needs to put on as much mass as possible?

A: Yes, athletes need to be explosive - once I have an athlete that can squat around 1.5x his bodyweight we begin dynamic work. However, for a youngster or someone brand new to strength training we do a LOT of BW squat variations and BW box squats with a broom stick to groove perfect technique. While we are doing this we are also doing slow negatives and altitude landings to teach the athlete to absorb force, VERY important for the later dynamic work and plyometrics and shock method training. We find that on the max effort day working multiple sets of heavy 5's is quite beneficial for gaining mass AS WELL AS strength, 5x5 with an appreciable load gives you the best of both worlds brother, provided the athlete is getting the appropriate calories in his system.

Q: Do you do any foam rolling, dynamic warm up, or Olympic Lifts?

A: Foam rolling - yes, I am a big believer in rehab/prehab methods, our favorites are: foam rolling, ART (I send people to Dr. Dave Radaszewski at the Soft Tissue & Chiropractic Center here in Atlanta), massage, contrast showers, ice, heat, some static flexibility work, contract relax stretching, etc.

Dynamic warm-ups - YES - HUGELY important, we use a variation of the Parisi School Warm-Up Method (Martin Rooney's stuff is incredible- www.parisischool.com).

Olympic Lifting - I don't do a lot of Oly-lifting or variations. Sometimes I don't have a lot of time to spend with a kid so we go for more bang for your buck exercises, I can teach a kid to box squat in 5 minutes but teaching a kid to clean properly takes longer. If I have a kid for a while and I know his coach is going to make him clean I will make sure he knows the lift well. I like kettlebell variations as in the swings, cleans and snatches the weight swings back behind the midline of the body and your limbs move more in a pattern that replicates a jump allowing you to display force through a greater range of motion, plus the kettlebells teach you to absorb, store and redirect a force - similar (but not the same) to the effect of plyometrics without the shock/impact - GREAT for athletes in season.

Q: Do you think athletes that are in high school, which are not as efficient with their CNS (central nervous system) are affected as much by not having an off season?

A: I feel everyone needs an offseason and if we trained our athletes properly they would be specializing in one sport by the time they are in high school. The early developmental years (up through 9 or 10 years of age) are the time for general skill development - kids should be playing a multitude of different sports and exposing their bodies/organisms to a variety of motor skill development activities. By 9 or 10 dominant traits should begin emerging (i.e. is the child showing traits of power, strength, speed, endurance, etc.) then optimally the child would be exposed to a few different sports in the vein of their dominant skill with the goal of specilization by high school age. I feel this would reduce the number of sport-related injuries, allow the athlete to peak later in their career, and increase the length of the athlete's career, not to mention contribute to optimal levels of preparedness and performance in the athlete's chosen sport.

Thanks for the questions!

2007-01-10T08:20:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of the year again!

My phone has been ringing off the hook and my email box is getting slammed. Between the Jets getting knocked out of the playoffs, new years resolutionists, football players prepping for combines and pro days, my regular calendar of athletes and clients, and future clinics and seminars, as well as writing my magazine articles and book/DVD projects I'm working on, my January-June is pretty much slammed. I probably won't be posting on blogger much, but will do my best!

Since everyone is in the "goal setting" frame of mind right now, I thought I would use this post to share my 2007 goals. First of all, my business has been growing by leaps and bounds and my goal for this year is to get a trainer contracting some of my overflow and open my first satellite location, all this is currently in the works and I hope to have it up and running in a couple of months. My strength goals are as follows:

Gym Lifts (raw - no powerlifting gear other than a belt and wrist wraps):

Squat - 400lbs
Bench Press - 300lbs
Deadlift - 500lbs
Front Squat - 315lbs
Military Press - 225lbs
Pull Ups - 20 reps with no additional weight, 1 rep with additional weight equal to bodyweight
Rolling Thunder Deadlift - 200lbs each hand
Hub Lift - 50lbs each hand w/the Ironmind hub and an old York 45lb plate with each hand
COC Gripper - close the #2 and start working on the #3
Ironmind Head Harness Lift - 200lbs
Stone Lift - 280lb stone lift to chest, 190lb stone press overhead

Those are my goals for the year! Let's get to work!

Stay Strong,

Scott

2006-12-31T13:27:00.000-08:00

J-E-T-S! Jets, Jets, Jets!!!!!

And with today's 23-3 domination of the Oakland Raiders the Jets are 10-6 and heading into the playoffs!!! Congrats to Coach Mangini and the Jets, after a 4-12 season last year these guys are the underdog team to watch out for!!!

J-E-T-S! Jets, Jets, Jets!!!

2006-12-30T06:39:00.000-08:00

The Lift and Carry of Kviahellan (The Husafell Stone)

http://www.ironmind.com/ironmind/Husafell.big3.mov

In order to achieve the title "Fullsterker" (fully strong) one must lift and carry Kviahellan (roughly 418lbs) approximately 50 meters around the old goat pen built by Sira Snorri Bjornsson in the Husafell Valley of Iceland many, many years ago. Erik Suave and Bill Crawford did just that! Congrats guys! Fullsterker!!!

For more information on Kviahellan and the history of this manhood stone visit www.ironmind.com and purchase Steve Jeck's excellent DVD "Kviahellan: The Pen Slab".

2006-12-27T19:54:00.000-08:00

Jon Pall Sigmarsson

Unbelievably cool does not begin to describe this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRe8BDUfzIo

This will most definitely be an awesome movie!

2006-12-20T05:12:00.000-08:00

Tis' the Season for Resolutions.

I had a great conversation with a journalist last night. A freelance writer from California contacted me as she is preparing to write an article for an Atlanta-based sports and fitness magazine. The article is on the "non-resolution" workout. The interview ended up turning into a great discussion on training, motivation, goal setting and making health and fitness a lifestyle choice rather than a resolution.

The one thing we decided was that resolution has such a negative quality about it. Think about it, resolutions for the new year have more to do with self-deprivation and making some type of sacrifice. Why do we constantly set ourselves up for failure? Think about this. You go through the year skipping workouts and eating poorly. By the time October rolls around and we're breaking out the Halloween candy you start making those promises (or rather excuses). We've all made them. "I'll get on track after the holidays because I know I can't eat well through Thanksgiving and Christmas. And New Years? Forget about it!" So we blow it an additional 2 months! All we've done is make excuses and put off dealing with our personal health and fitness 8 more weeks! You've already set yourself up to fail by making excuses!

Why not take a different approach. Don't make a resolution, rather set some goals.

Goal #1 - Instead of waiting until Jan 1st to start my program, I am going to start now.
Goal #2 - I haven't been in the gym in 10 years, so I am going to start slow and build myself up gradually.
Goal #3 - I will begin with three 15-30 minute strength training sessions focusing on bringing up my strength in 3 basic exercises.
Goal #4 - I will perform three 15-20 minute low-intensity cardiovascular exercise sessions per week in addition to my strength training sessions.
Goal #5 - I will start cleaning up my diet by cutting out refined and processed crap. I will enjoy the holidays with my family and enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.

There you have it. 5 simple goals that you should have started at the beginning of November that will, at the very least, do damage control through the holidays and have you ready to begin upping the intensity in the workouts and really cranking down on the nutrition plan come January 1st!

Don't be part of the weak-minded herd that shows up at the gym full of piss and vinegar ready to take on the world Jan 1st and ends up burning out only make the dreaded resolutions again next year. Start now, start small, set yourself up for success and if for some reason you get a little off track, just pick it back up with the next meal and the next workout! Good luck and I hope 2007 is your best year yet!

2006-12-14T04:58:00.000-08:00

Why Do We Do It?

People often ask us why we do what we do. Why do we go to the extreme and not settle for moderation. To me moderation is synonymous with mediocrity. If you're a powerlifter it's all about your 3-lift total, if you're a kettlebell sport lifter it's about taking a pair of 32kg kettlebells for a ride overhead for 10 minutes straight, if you're a weightlifter it's about your 2-lift total, etc. That is what drives us to get better, to risk injury (both temporary or permanent) to excel at our given endeavor. Granted, for some it's about world records, trophies and titles and there is a point of diminishing returns.

I don't buy into the philosophy that says do ANYTHING to get stronger. I don't believe in performance enhancing drug use, and even as a powerlifter I think gear is getting carried away. I don't think it's necessarily right that a 400lb squatter can throw on a suit and wraps and squat 700lbs. Personally I would like to see gear a bit more controlled - maybe nothing more than single-ply poly gear across the board? If the powers that be outlawed gear alltogether I wouldn't lose a bit of sleep over the decision. I didn't get into powerlifting because of the gear. I use it, and abide by the rules of my federation, but would give it up in a second if the fed outlawed it. I would like to see the rules tightened up a bit too. Squats are all over the place - should they be? Is breaking parallel THAT hard to judge that we need new definitions like "convincingly legal depth"? C'mon folks, it's not rocket science! It's breaking parallel, that's all. I think the feds that allow high squats to pass are just as much to blame as the feds that give you red lights even when your calves and hamstrings are practically touching. Yes, humans make mistakes but some of this stuff is utterly ridiculous. Bench presses are all over the place. Some feds allow belly benching, some don't. Some require you to pause for a long time, some don't. Some give you a long press signal, some a quick one some give no press signal at all.

Now, I didn't intend for this post to be a rant on the rules of powerlifting, so let me save that for tomorrow's post! I just want to make it clear that I don't belive drug-use and powerlifting gear equals real strength. Gear is acceptable to me because it is for sport use and the feds allow it. If it wasn't legal then I would be opposed to it. However, I keep two sets of PR's in my logbook - 1. My meet lift PR's 2. My raw (real) PR's. All you gear junkies, don't jump down my throat - but I don't belive my gear numbers are what I'm capable of and I can admit that. Drug use is not acceptable to me period. It's cheating. I won't point fingers and condemn anyone, it's not my place. However if you use have the honor to lift in a fed that is untested, yeah, in a perfect world maybe.

Now, back to why we do what we do. I get this question all the time - why can't you just do things in moderation and train for health. Granted, I want to be healthy and want to lift into my twighlight years. However, I want to push myself to my limits and set and demolish my goals. We are living on borrowed time and our life span, in the big picture, is nothing more than a blink of an eye. I've got things to do while I'm here! Why do we do it? I've only been stone lifting for a few weeks now and already sport the bruised and raspberried forearms. The blood shot eyes that accompany a squat PR. The aching back the day after. Why do we do it? Unfortunately, sometimes the injuries are more extreme. Sometimes they require serious time off, surgery or worse yet, never lifting again. Why do we do it? Because we understand personal achievement and the exhileration that accompanies great accomplishments. Is it really living if we shelter ourselves from experience because of the possibility of injury? Is living in fear really living? I am not suggesting we jump into our chosen sports haphazardly. You have to be smart, train smart and use good judgement if you are to ever succeed and accomplish your goals. Life is meant to be lived, not vicariously through the accomplishments of others, but through your personal experiences. Whether you want to scale a sheer rock cliff, hoist a barbending weight overhead or jump out of an airplane at 10,000 feet above the ground, do it! Don't just imagine it. Don't just watch it on TV. Grab hold of the rock, barbell or parachute. Employ proper safety techniques and never work outside of your skill level, but always strive for betterment.

Don't become a cold, timid soul who sitting in a rocking chair in the latter stages of life looks back and says "I could have". Be the person who inspires younger generations to strive for greatness through the stories and legacy of your personal accomplishments, but most importantly do it because you want to, scratch that, because you KNOW you can do it!

2006-12-13T11:16:00.000-08:00

Journey Into Stone Lifting

I saw a gentleman by the name of Steve Jeck speak at a strength coaching clinic last year. Steve is a pretty awesome guy. Was a thrower in track and field and competed in the Highland Games. Steve became interested in Clach Cuid Fir (manhood stones) and went on to tackle some of the most famous testing stones in the world including the Inver Stone in Scotland and Kviahellan, the Husafell Stone, in Iceland. If you are lucky enough to own Steve's videos or the book he co-authored with Peter Martin "Of Stones and Strength" then you know of his accomplishments and should have a good understanding of the history of stone lifting. If you aren't familiar with him, get over to www.ironmind.com and get familiar! Steve uses stone lifting as part of his presentation, presenting a lesson then a corresponding lift, for instance Steve speaks of the importance in using one's head in life as well as lifting - he then attaches a head harness to a 225lb stone and lifts the chunk of granite with his head!

Here is the beauty of lifting a stone - it is raw, simple power and strength at its best! As a competitive powerlifting I always hear arguments about squats not being deep enough, benches not being paused enough or a lifter's knees weren't locked out in the deadlift. This fed is TOO lenient, this fed is too strict, blah blah blah. I'm only a class 4 lifting and I am already sick of hearing it. I am not in danger of setting any world records and all I care about when I take the platform is getting personal records and supporting my fellow lifters. There is no debate in stone lifting - either you get the stone off the ground and pull it up to your waist or you don't. either you shoulder it or you don't. Simple as that!

I love the distinction Jeck makes between barbells and stones in his essay "The Choice" from Milo and his book: "The barbell is designed to be lifted... No, I'm in no way saying that lifting barbells is easy. The distinction I'd make is that barbells are heavy while stones are defiant." This is beautiful and yet very true. While my best deadlift is 463lbs, I found that pull to be MUCH easier than the first time I hoisted a 200lb stone to my chest!

While my strength levels are not where they need to be to try my hand at some of the famed testing stones resting "across the pond" in Scotland and Iceland - one day they will be. Fortunately I've been able to converse with some very accomplished stone lifters and I have been able to construct effective workouts to help me on my journey to lift these immortal stones. Stones that have been here long before you and I arrived on this earth and stones that will be here long after we're gone.

2006-12-12T04:57:00.000-08:00

Change things up a little...

Last night after hitting a couple PR's in some rack deadlifts I wanted to do some type of squat exercise for the supplementary lift. I opted for front squats. I haven't done a front squat with a barbell, aside from demoing the lift to trainees with an unloaded bar, ever. Since I don't have a powerlifting meet on the horizon and since I just started focusing on stone lifting I decided to add the front squats into my program. An accomplished stone lifter recommended this exercise to me as it more closely resembles stone lifting with the load in front of the body and not on the upper back. My favorite front squat variation is with a pair of kettlebells racked at the chest, however you are limited to the total amount of weight you can lift. A barbell is necessary to increase strength on this lift. My best competition squats in powerlifting gear are 425 at 198lbs and 430 at 217lbs. Let's just say my first attempt at front squats humbled me beyond belief! I went 95lbs for 5 reps/2 sests, 115lbs for 3 reps/2 sets, 135lbs for 3 reps and 155 for 2 reps. Right now my goal is to get a single rep at 275lbs in the front squat and go from there. Just holding the bar on the front of the body is a challenge. You have to keep the torso erect and not lean forward at all. This is tough for me as I tend to lean forward when I back squat. Adding front squats into my routine can only make me stronger. I feel by training what is weak can only make me stronger all around. However, the ego has to get put away for a while as my training poundages will be significantly reduced. I think if more people subscribed to this methodology, they would see greater faster increases in strength. Work outside of your comfort zone and your favorite lifts for a while, I bet you will set new PR's in all your pet lifts as a result!

2006-12-11T07:37:00.000-08:00

Six-Pack Abs, Functional Training and other Musings for a Monday Morning.

I got an email this weekend that really got me thinking. A person who works for a local sports and fitness magazine had emailed me a questionaire pertaining to exercise and nutrition methods on how to get that 6-pack going. The questions were good. Most had to do with exercise methods, equipment recommendations and training protocol for sculpting the envious abdominals. A couple of the questions related to food choice. Here's the cliff notes version of what I recommended.

Strength Training - perform strength training workouts 3-4 times per week, utilize "big bang for your buck" exercises (i.e. squats, deadlifts, presses, chin ups, rows) focusing on moderately-heavy to heavy weights. The goal for the strength training workout should be building strength and muscle. Building muscle is probably the best non-nutrition related thing you can do for fat loss as lean mass requires more calories to sustain itself, even at rest, than fat mass does.

Cardio/Energy Systems Work - perform 3-5 sessions per week. If you are really out of shape and new to exercise lower intensity forms of exercise should be used. If you are in good shape and have a good base of GPP (general physical preparation) higher intensity drills may be used. Exercises that should be implemented are, but not limited to, walking, sprints, sled dragging, battling ropes drills, high repetition kettlebell exercises, BW calisthenics, etc.

Nutrition - granted I am not a nutritionist, nor do I play one on TV. However, is this stuff really that difficult to figure out? Eat as fresh, raw and whole as possible, avoid refined and processed crap and when you grocery shop stick mainly to the outside perimeter of the grocery store. Most people know what to do, they just lack the discipline because, well, Pop-Tarts taste oh so good.

This email got me thinking. What works hasn't changed since the dawn of physical culture. Look at the physiques of the old time strongmen like Arthur Saxon (pictured above left). Saxon sported this awesome physique before steroids, pilates, and body pump class. That's right faithful readers, no wobble boards or balance discs were used by Saxon or the rest of the founding fathers of the physical culture movement. They lifted heavy weights and ate much cleaner foods than we eat now.

Why is it then that so-called professionals are trying to convince us to give up our barbells and dumbbells in favor of balance boards, balls and other "functional training" equipment? Functional training as defined by today's "experts" is a crock! To them the only way to activate your "core" (I get sick saying that word) is to stand on an unstable surface. I suggest that putting a barbell twice your bodyweight across your upper back and shoulders will activate your "core" much more than standing on a piece of foam.

All training can be "functional" and all training can be "non-functional". The application is what is important. There are too many pencil-neck weenies who can't squat or deadlift their way out of a wet paper bag in this industry. They can't squat twice their bodyweight so they come up with a circus trick variation of a squat, label it "functional" and sell it to the unsuspecting public. Then they label those who actually know how to get stronger meatheads using outdated methods. It's crap and it makes me sick.

If you want to get stronger and bigger add more weight to the barbell and put more food on your plate. If you want to get leaner put less food on your plate and burn more calories than you are eating. This simple formula has worked for a long time and it will continue working long after wobble boards and balance balls are out of "vogue".

2006-12-07T09:26:00.000-08:00

The Underground Strength Training Movement

Any of you who know me know the current state of the strength training and fitness industry makes me sick. There are those of us - trainers, coaches and hardcore lifters affectionately known as "the darksiders" - out there taking matters into their own hands. No, you don't find these people in flashy mega-fitness centers with neon lights, cardio-bar, pump and burn aerobics and fancy weight machines. You'll find these people, these "darksiders" in garages, basements, backyards or "hole in the wall" gyms that you would need special directions to find as they are usually located in storage spaces or warehouses. People in this industry I respect, guys like Zach "The Underground Strength Coach" Even-Esh, Smitty & Jedd from the Diesel Crew and my good friend Steve Mosley are all doing a great job of this.

These guys are out there showing what can be done outside the confines of the mega-fitness centers. They are operating out of garages, backyards and basements and using barbells, kettlebells, sand bags, stones, ropes and the hardcore basics of training - getting people results.

I had a pro-basketball player contact me and come out to my "dungeon" training facility (the picture at the top of this article). Apparently he wasn't impressed cause' it didn't look like the Ritz, and not even considering the quality of training I could provide him he had obviously made up his mind. When I asked him what he was doing for training he said smith machine squats, leg extensions and leg curls at the local fitness empire. Some people just don't get it. He never came back. Oh well, his loss.

I have been fortunate enough to work with athletes on all levels from recreational to high school, college and professional level. The one thing they all have in common is their desire to succeed, to get results. They are realizing it is not the facility, but rather the intensity and attitude put into their training that produces results. Judging by the recent trend in the commercial fitness facilities to cancel memberships for grunting under a heavy load we can safely say noone is getting strong at the local McFitness centers. What do you need to get strong, powerful and dominate your competition as an athlete or someone who is serious about their training program? The underground!

Granted it is only a movie, but who doesn't love Rocky?!?! Remember Rocky 3, after training in the flash and flair of high profile fitness centers and stationary bikes Stallone gets his ass handed to him by Mr. T. Then Carl Weathers steps in and gets Stallone ready for a re-match. Just where does Apollo take Rocky to train? The gym he grew up in, in downtown LA. It was beautiful! Water leaking from the ceiling, dimly lit and hardcore! Did you notice how tough those other fighters training there were? Watch the movie again and look in their eyes during that scene when Rocky and Apollo walk in dressed in their 3-piece suits, it would make your average fitness-center-going-metrosexual crap his pants!

If you want to get strong, tough and make serious progress you need to train like an animal. You can't do that at Pump 'n' Burn Express or wherever else your bank account gets debited monthly while you watch CNN. So forget about the corporate fitness empires and get back the basics of training. Take yourself outside of your comfort zone and fight the war on metro-sexuality. Bring the sweat, blood and tears back into training. What happened to those days? Remember those pictures that inspired you to pick up a barbell for the first time? The black and whites of Arnold, Franco and Lou training at the old Golds in Venice. Remember how intense that looked? Remember how it lit that fire deep in your gut and you couldn't wait to join a gym? What happened to those days...

They are around you, you just have to look for them. Look for the kid dragging a weighted sled through his yard, or someone hoisting stones overhead. Look for the dimly lit basement gyms full of rusty barbells and cold iron. Look for people with hard, jacked physiques and the look of a stone-cold killer in their eyes and you'll find it. It's the underground and we're taking over!

2006-12-06T07:46:00.000-08:00

I have decided to stop posting my training log as a blog and will rather use this space to try my hand at "witty anecdotes" about the industry I've come to loathe, er uh, I mean love! If you want to see what I'm doing for my training look over at my links list as I've provided a direct link to my online training log. Please feel free to leave feedback or even to just tell me what a jackass I am.

So, here' my first stab at fitness literary "genius"..... enjoy! BTW - I'm not the most politically correct writer so if you are easily offended you may want to skip my blog!

The Mediocrity that is the Fitness Industry.

I spend the better part of my day working as a personal trainer. I train people all day, everyday. Some people I train are hardcore athletes and some are concerned simply with general fitness and health.

Regardless of who I train they are expected to get better and work hard. We train out of my basement gym - no neon, chrome, tanning beds, gimmiks, or smoothie bar. There are no mirrors on the wall to check out the bicep pump after a set of curls. All we have is a pile of weight, some bars and some pieces of equipment I deem absolutely necessary to improve strength and function.

It burns me up when someone comes up to me and starts a conversation with "Oprah says..", YEAH that's where I go to get my fitness info. Training is basic, it's simple. Today everyone is looking for a better way to workout. I think there are a few reasons:

1. People have the attention span of a gnat. They lose interest in something after a workout or two. Notice the cyclical nature of cardio classes, spinning, kickboxing, pilates, body pump, etc.?!?! One thing is popular one week then something else takes it's place.

2. People are too influenced by what "celebrities" are doing. I don't care if freakin' Madonna is doing kabala-yoga-lates or if Demi Moore drinks Red Bull to supercharge her cardio-bar workout, or that Oprah does 300 crunches every morning because her trainer (who is published so he knows what he's talking about) tells her to. Guess what? You ain't Madonna, Demi or Oprah. You need to find what works for you and it may require a little professional help. In short - don't go to celebrities for fitness advice unless you have an entourage of trainers, cooks, nutritionists, hair and make up people and everyone else these people have kissing their pompous asses on your payroll.

3. People like to be coddled. Go into a gym today and you'll see women decked out in high flash fitness fashion, complete with fresh hair-do and make up or yuppies jabbering away on cell phones. No one likes to freakin' sweat. Guess what, if you want to make progress you have to work friggin' hard. Do yourself a favor, go rent Arnold's movie "Pumping Iron" and see what a gym is supposed to be.

4. People lack discipline - the following statement will sum this up "New Years Resolutionists". You see them every Jan 2 in the gyms and don't typically see them after Feb 1. One old-timer who works out in a fitness center I run calls them "new shoes".

5. People are too sensitive. Why do we have to be so PC? Some people need to be told that they are unmotivated, fat and going to die. Perhaps that would light a fire under their collective asses to do something about it.

I don't know why people make the process of getting into shape so difficult. There is no magic formula. It's as simple as this:

1. Lift progressively heavier weights to build muscle and strength, focusing on the big basics, like squats, pushes and pulls.

2. Get in shape - keep your bodyfat low, this doesn't mean you need to be sportin' a six-pack, but there's no excuse for becoming a fat-ass.

3. Eat right. Eat fresh, raw and whole as much as possible. Get rid of the refined and processed shit. Eat to fuel performance and build lean mass. Every now and then eat something bad - in addition to not being a fat-ass you don't need to be a tight-ass either. Lighten up and have some pizza or a snickers every now and then.

4. Don't wear lycra.

5. Don't listen to Oprah or any other self-proclaimed "gurus" on exercise.

Pretty simple right? What's your excuse?

2006-12-06T04:16:00.000-08:00

Dec 04, 2006
Monday

ME SQ/DL

warm up - mobility

1. SSB Low Box Squat - 115x3, 135x3, 155x3, 175x3, 205x3, 225x3, 245x3

2. SSB GM - 115x5, 135x5, 155x5/2

3. KB Snatch - 16kgx8+8, 24kgx6+6, 32kgx4+4, 40kgx3+3

4. RVS Sit Up - 3 sets

5a. Neck Harness - 3 sets
5b. Rolling Thunder DL - worked up to 130x1+1

Cardio - 25min. Treadmill Intervals

Squats felt much better than the previous week. SSB is a great bar.

2006-12-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

Dec 02, 2006

Saturday

DE Bench Press

1. Speed Bench w/bands - 95+mini bandsx3/6

2. Sushi Style Bench - 135x3, 155x3, 185x3

3. Pin Press (#10 pin) - 225x3, 245x3, 275x3

4. Bent Over BB Row - 135x7/2, 155x5/2, 185x4, 135x10

5a. DBL KB Shrug - 24kgx20/3
5b. BB Curl - 70x8/3

That's it. Speed on band benches was great and the set up was tight. Time for Christmas shopping, fun fun fun!

2006-12-01T18:24:00.000-08:00

Dec 01, 2006

Friday

DE Squat/Deadlift

warm up - mobility

1. Box Squat w/bands - 135+green bandx2/6

2. Box Squat - 185x2, 225x2, 235x2

3. DBL KB Clean - 24kgx5, 32kgx5, 36kgx5

4. Stone Lift - lift to chest x 4

5. Sled Drag w/ 2 plates - foreward x 2 laps uphill, backward x 2 laps uphill

6a. Side Bend - 32kgx7+7/3
6b. Sit Up - 35x7/3

7a. Neck Harness - 16kgx8/3
7b. Hub Lift - 25x1+1, 30x1+1, 35x1 (missed left hand)

That's it. I am doing these squat cycles raw so I had to drop my training weights based on raw lifts. Stone lifting is freakin' awesome!

2006-11-30T03:17:00.000-08:00

Nov 29, 2006

Wednesday

ME Bench

1. 2-Board BP - 95x5, 135x5, 185x5, 205x5, 225x5, 235x5, 215x5/2

2. Malcom Extensions - 65x7, 95x5, 115x5, 125x5/2

3a. Lat Pulldown - 90x12, 110x10, 140x8, 150x8, 110x15
3b. DBL KB Jerks - 16kgx5, 24kgx5, 32kgx4, 24kgx5/2

4a. Shrugs - 135x15/3
4b. Hammer Curls - 35x10/3

That's it. Had two new guys come over to train with Malcom and I tonight, they did pretty good, hope they stick around. Benches felt strong. It was hard not to want to work up to a single today but I have a plan. 5's this month, 3's next month. I haven't done rep work like this in a while so I should build some muscle and have a nice 8 week accumulation phase and higher volume.

2006-11-27T17:31:00.000-08:00

Nov 27, 2006

Monday

ME Squat/Deadlift

warm up - mobility

1. SSB Low Box Squat - 65x5, 155x5, 175x5, 205x5, 175x5/2

2. SSB Good Morning - 115x5, 135x5/2

3. 1-Arm KB Snatch - 16kgx8+8, 24kgx6+6, 32kgx4+4

4. Reverse Sit Up - 8/3

5a. Neck Harness - 16kgx8/3
5b. Rolling Thunder DL - 90x5+5, 115x3+3, 125x1+1

That's it. Safety Squat Bar came in today, this thing will kick your butt! It really throws you forward and overloads the lower and upper back. Good stuff.

2006-11-25T09:11:00.000-08:00

Nov 25, 2006

Saturday

warm up - mobility

1. Bench Press - 135x3, 155x2, 185x1, 205x1, 225x1

2. Push Ups - 33 reps (50sec)

3. Pull Ups - bwx4

4. Chin Ups - bwx4

5. LC C&J - 16kgx5, 24kgx3, 32kgx6

6. Battling Ropes Underhand Wave - 60 sec

That's all for today. Basically I wanted to test some of the lifts and exercises I plan to use for conditioning work for this cycle (i.e. ropes and LC C&J's) to get an idea as far as volume etc. It was tough taking raw training maxes this week having just peaked in a PL meet last Saturday, everything was about 20-40lbs under my best raw maxes thus far. Going to see the Gladiators play tonight. Good times.

2006-11-24T08:45:00.000-08:00

Nov 24, 2006

Friday

Back to work, sort of...

Squat/Deadlift

warm up - mobility

1. Squat [deep and raw, someone might even mistake me for an Oly lifter today! ;-)] - 135x5, 185x3, 225x1, 275x1, 305x1

2. Deadlift (conventional) - 135x3, 225x2, 275x1, 305x1

3. Hang Clean - 135x2, 155x2

4. Sit up - 31 reps

cardio - 14 minutes, intervals

Some explanations, I am still participating in a study on weightlifters and Udo's EFA oil so I have to test my raw training maxes this weekend (perfect a week after a meet eh'?) also I have to perform a 1 minute sit up test and a 1 minute push up test and do body comp, this is my 6 week off the oil check point. I go back on the oil for 12 weeks test, off the oil for 6 weeks and test one final time. Now, the hang cleans. I am going to start working some serious stone lifting (with the goal of Scotland and Iceland in the future) and need some supplementary exercises to help out, this will be one of them. I have a couple garden boulders sitting in my side yard to start playing with too. Fun stuff!

2006-11-11T15:18:00.000-08:00

Nov 11, 2006

Saturday

DE BP

warm up - med ball and mobility

1. Speed Bench w/chains - 95x3, 135x3/6

2a. KB Extension - 16kg'sx6/3

2b. Seated Row - 110x10/3

That's it until the meet... 11/18/06...

2006-11-10T17:28:00.000-08:00

Nov 10, 2006

Friday

ME SQ

mobility warm up

1. Squat - (ACE on straps down) 135x5, 225x3, 315x1, 365x1, (straps up) 405x1 [straps too tight barely hit parallel] 365x1 (loosened straps and sank it)

2a. 45 Degree Back Raise - bwx12,10,8

2b. Band Pulldown Abs - 3 sets

Will probably go 375/407/430 for a 5lb PR in the squat and 430/475/501 in the deadlift. Light benching tomorrow then that's it. 11/18/06...

2006-11-08T18:07:00.000-08:00

Max Effort Bench Press
Nov 08, 2006

Wednesday

ME BP

warm up - mobility stuff

1. 1-Board Press - 135x5, 185x2, (loose 46 Fury on) 225x1, 275x1, 300x1

2. Malcom Extensions - 65x7, 95x5, 115x5/2

3. KB Extensions (paused on floor) - 16kg'sx7/3

4. Lat Pulldown - 5 sets

5. Face Pulls - 3 sets

That's it for the heavy days this cycle. All the weights went up well today in the loose shirt. Plan is to go 270, 292 (7lb meet PR), 303 (18lb meet PR). Since this is my last meet of the year and won't do a meet until summer/fall next year I want to stay conservative and get this 300lb meet bench monkey off my back. I've hit 315 in training about 6 or 7 times easy, but I just can't seem to bring it together on meet day when it counts. If I hit the 300 I'll be 50lbs BEHIND my year end meet goal, I suck! That's ok, it'll happen. Malcom was finally back from his vacation, great to have my training partner back. Squattin' on Friday, speed bench on Sat then it's resting and mental work all next week baby. 11/18/06...

2006-11-02T12:34:00.000-08:00

Dynamic Effort Squat/Deadlift
Nov 02, 2006

Thursday

DE SQ/DL

warm up - mobility stuff

1. Box Squat w/chains - 135x2, 25x2, 245x2/4. 275x2/2

2. Speed Deads - 315x1/3

3. Stone Lifts - 170lb stone to waist x 3 reps, 125lb stone to chest x 2 reps

4. 45 Degree Back Raise - 24kgx8,6,4

5. Sit Up - 24kgx8/3

6. Pulldown Band Oblique Abs - purple 2 sets

That's it. I was going to hold off on my new stone lifting venture until after the meet but those two stones have been sitting in my yard taunting me for days I had to get my hands on them for a couple reps. Initial assessment - stone lifting rules! This is something I can see doing for a long time. 11/18/06...

2006-11-01T07:50:00.000-08:00

Max Effort Bench Press
Nov 01, 2006

ME BP

warm up - mobility stuff

1. 2-Board BP - 135x5, 185x3, (46 Fury on) 225x1, 275x1, 305x1

2. Incline DB BP - 30x10, 40x8, 50x7/2

3. Lat Pulldown - 100x10, 110x8, 120x7, 130x7, 140x5, 150x5

4. Pushdown - 110x12, 120x12, 130x10, 140x10

5. Band Face Pull - purple 4 sets

That's all for today. Had to workout on the bad benches at the club cause' Malcom's still living it up in Jamaica. Fortunately he's back for my last heavy bench workout before the meet next week. Even in the loose shirt the 305 was tough but I nailed it. Next week we'll go 275 off 1 board in the loose shirt with the plan for the meet in my 44 F6 - 270/292/303. Time to start doing my mental work and get focused. 11/18/06...

2006-10-31T01:29:00.000-08:00

Max Effort Squat
Oct 30, 2006

ME SQ

warm up - mobility stuff

1. Squat (suit on, straps down) - 135x3, 225x1, 275x3, 315x1, 365x1, 405x1

2. 1-Arm KB Clean - 24kgx5+5, 32kgx5+5, 40kgx5+5

3. GHR - 25x7,5,3

4. Band Pulldown Abs - green band 3 sets

5. Side Bend - 32kg 2 sets

That's it. Suit felt good, with the straps loose 402 will be a good opener, then will look for 429 for a second and 440-451 for a third. Deads will be 429/475/501. 11/18/06...

2006-10-25T10:43:00.000-07:00

Maximum Effort Bench Press
Oct 25, 2006

Wednesday

ME BP

1. 3-Board Bench Press - (Rage-X) 135x3, 185x2, 225x1, 275x1, 315x1 [full ROM] 275xmiss (got it 1/2 way up - not sure this Rage is the shirt for me, still may be too much shirt)

2. Military Press - 95x5/3, 85x7, 65x10

3. Lat Pulldown - 100x12, 110x10/2, 120x8/2

4. Seated DB Clean - 40x6/3

5. Band Pushdown - purple bandx12/4

Had to catch this workout at the club's fitness center. I hate working out here, the benches suck. Oh well. 315 was a strain but it came up, the 275 full ROM I got half way up, I need to spend more time in that Rage-X, I took 1 ply out and it is easier to get down in, I just need to learn the groove better. With the 2-plys my training partner couldn't touch 455 and that is WAYYY out of my league. Right now it's best I stay in my F6 for this next meet. I just need to bring it together on the platform. I've hit 315 5 or 6 times full ROM in training in my F6, I'm due for a 300+ meet bench!! Time for some chocolate milk, don't tell the nutrition gurus! 11/18/06...

Maximum Effort Squat/Deadlift
Oct 23, 2006

Monday

ME SQ/DL

warm up - mobility stuff

1. High Box Squat - 135x3, 185x3, 225x1, 275x1, 315x1, 365x1, 405x1, 430x1

2. Pin Pull (#3 pin) - 225x1, 315x1, 405x1

3. GHR - 25x8,6,4

4. Band Pulldown Abs - grnx20/3

5. KB Windmill - 16kgx5+5/2

That's it. Time for chilli! 11/18/06...

2006-10-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

Dynamic Effort Bench Press
Oct 21, 2006

Saturday

DE BP

warm up - med ball and mobility

1. Speed Bench w/chain - 95x3, 135x3/6

2. 1-Arm DB Bench Press - 75x5+5/3

3. JM Press - 85x5, 95x5, 105x5/2

4. Seated Row - 90x10, 110x8/2, 140x6/2

5. Seated DB Clean - 40x6/3

That's it. Off to the North GA mountains today for Octoberfest after I train my Saturday a.m. athletes. I trained people from 5am until 8pm yesterday, what a crappy business I'm in! LOL! 11/18/06...

2006-10-19T16:29:00.000-07:00

Dynamic Effort Squat/Deadlift
Oct 19, 2006

Thursday

DE SQ/DL

1. Box Squat w/chains - 135x3, 185x2, 225x2/4, 245x2/2

2. Speed Deadlift - 305x1/6

3. 1-Arm KB Snatch - 53x5+5/2, 70x5+5

4a. 45 Degree Back Raise - 3 sets
4b. Sit Up - 3 sets

5. Side Bend - 2 sets

That's it.. 11/18/06...

2006-10-18T17:42:00.000-07:00

Max Effort Bench Press
Oct 18, 2006

Wednesday

ME BP

warm up - med ball and mobility stuff

1. 4-Board Press - (46 Fury) 135x3, 185x3, 225x1, 275x1, 315x1, 275x3

2a. Military Press - 95x5/3, 85x7, 65x10
2b. Lat Pulldown - 90x10, 110x8/2, 130x6/2

3a. Band Pushdown - 3 sets
3b. Band Pullapart - 3 sets

That's it. No partner tonight so I wore a loose shirt to a 4-board. I am just going to work down the boards only to 315x1 plus a back off of 275x3 so 10 days before the meet will be the 1 board then hopefully I'll finally crack 300 in a meet! This will be the easiest thing to do since I won't have a partner back here til' the 1 board day, this way I can use higher boards and rack pins in case I have to ditch. 11/18/06...

2006-10-16T05:58:00.000-07:00

Max Effort Squat/Deadlift
Oct 16, 2006

Monday

ME SQ/DL

warm up - joint mobility

1. High Box Squat - 135x3, 185x3, 225x1, 275x1, 315x1, 365x1, (walkout 455x10sec.), 405x1

2. Good Morning - 135x5, 155x5, 185x5

3. GHR - 25x8,6,4

4. Band Pulldown Abs - 3x20

5. Side Bend - 70x5+5/2

That's it. I haven't had 400 or more on my back since the Aug meet, it was a slow lift but strong and smooth. I had to workout this morning which is never good, but the workout went well despite. 11/18/06...

2006-10-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

Dynamic Effort Bench Press
Oct 15, 2006

Sunday

DE BP

warm up - med ball drills and mobility

1. Speed Bench w/chains - 95x3, 135x3/8 (3 different grips all inside rings)

2. 1-Arm DB Bench (Coach Reeve style) - 65x5+5/3

3. Seated Half Press in Rack - 135x5, 155x3, 185x3, 205x3/2 (PR)

4. Seated Row - 90x12, 100x10, 110x8, 140x6/2

5. Seated DB Clean - 35 x6/3

That's it. Pretty sore today. I presented at the GA State NSCA clinic yesterday and at the end of the clinic Dr. Mike ran us through an 8 minute battling rope circuit workout and it kicked my butt! Good stuff. 11/18/06...

2006-10-13T17:50:00.000-07:00

Dynamic Effort Squat/Deadlift
Oct 13, 2006

Friday

DE SQ/DL

warm up - mobility stuff

1. Box Squat w/chains - 135x3, 185x2, 205x2/4, 225x2/4

2. Speed Deadlift - 275x1/8

3. KB Snatch - 53x8+8, 6+6, 4+4

4a. 45 Degree Back Raise - 25x10,8,6
4b. Sit Up - 25x10,8,6

That's it. Went to a slightly higher box today, back in the Metal ACE w/straps down and I need to break it in again, it is tight as hell! Don't call the gear police! 11/18/06...

2006-10-11T13:03:00.000-07:00

Raw Bench Press
Oct 11, 2006

Wednesday

Raw Bench
*Deviated from plan as I had to work up in the raw lifts this week for a study I am in. Plus I had to do some push ups and sit ups..

1. Bench - 135x3, 155x1, 185x1, 205x1, 225x1, 250xmiss

2. Push Ups - 50 (54sec.)

3. Sit Ups - 34 (60sec.)

4. Pulldown - 100x10, 110x8, 120x6/2

5. Face Pull - 3 sets

6. Dips - 4 sets

*Cardio - treadmill = 12min. intervals 30s:60sx4

That's it. 11/18/06...

2006-10-09T17:10:00.000-07:00

DE + Raw Squat/Raw Deadlift
Oct 09, 2006

Monday

DE+Raw Squat/Raw Deadlift

warm ups - mobility stuff

*Had to abandon my regular workouts today and this Wed cause' I have to work up to a single in the raw squat, bench and dead for this study I am part of. It's the 12-week interval.

1. Box Squat - 135+chainsx2, 185+chx2/4, no box no chains = 225x1, 275x1, 315x1, 355xmiss/2

2. Deadlift (conv) - 225x1, 275x1, 315x1, 345xmiss

3. Ab Wheel - 3 sets

Crappy workout. Off to walk the dogs. 11/18/06...

2006-10-08T05:51:00.000-07:00

Raw Bench Press
Oct 07, 2006

Raw Bench Press

warm ups - mobility

1. Bench Press - 135x3, 165x3/3

2. Seated Half Press in Rack - 135x5, 155x5, 175x3/3

3. Seated Row - 90x10, 100x8, 110x6, 140x6, 110x12

That's it. Kept the volume lower today cause' I had to teach a 3 hour clinic with Steve over strength drills, kettlebells, sleds, energy system work, battling ropes, etc. Clinic went really well. Good times! 11/18/06...

2006-10-06T17:13:00.000-07:00

Raw Squat/Dynamic Effort Deadlift
Oct 06, 2006

Friday

Raw Squat/DE Deadlift

warm ups - mobility stuff

1. Sushi Squat - 135x3, 185x2, 205x1, 235x3/3

2. Bench Press - 135x5, 115x5

3. Speed Deadlift - 235x1/6

4. 45 Degree Back - 25 x 3 sets

5. DBL KB Snatch - 12kgx6, 16kgx4, 24kgx2; 12kgx5, 16kgx3, 24kgx1

6. Sit Up - 25 x 3 sets

*Cardio - treadmill intervals 10min. = 30s:60sx4

That's it. Teaching a training clinic tomorrow with Steve Mosley, should be a blast! 11/18/06

2006-10-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

Max Effort Bench Press
Oct 04, 2006

Wednesday

5am - cardio - treadmill intervals 16min. int=30s:60sx4

ME Bench
warm up - mobility and med ball drills

1. Squat - 155x5, 135x5

2. 3-Board Press - 95x5, 135x3, 185x3, 225x3, 205x3/2

3a. Pulldown - 90x10/2, 110x8/2
3b. Face Pull - purple band 4 sets

4a. Dips - bwx4/6
4b. Scott Curl - 60x4/6

5. KB Side Bend - 24kg 3 sets

That's it. Workouts are going great and the new season of Gilmore Girls started, it's tough to imagine it getting any better than this! 11/18/06...

2006-10-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

Max Effort Squat
Oct 02, 2006

Monday

4am - Cardio - 16min. treadmill sprint intervals 30s:60sx4 (while watching a kick ass Rollins video, makes cardio "fun"!)

ME Squat/Raw Deadlift

warm up - hip mobility

1. Low Box Squat - 135x3, 185x1, 225x1, 275x1, 305x1 (*PR*)

2. Bench Press - 145x5, 125x5

3. Deadlift off Mat - 235x3, 215x3, 195x3

4. GHR - 25x8,6,4

5. DBL KB Cleans - 16kgx8,24kgx6,32kgx4; 16kgx7,24kgx5,32kgx3

6. AB Wheel - 3 sets

That's it. Good workout tonight. Shoulder is still feeling good and hit a raw low box PR, good stuff. 11/18/06...

2006-10-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

Raw Bench Press
Oct 01, 2006

Sunday

warm up - shoulder mobility and med ball drills

1. Bench Press: 95x5, 135x3, 165x3/3

2. Seated Row: 90x10, 110x8/2, 140x6/2

3a. Seated 1/2 Press in Rack: 135x4/2, 155x4/2, 165x4/2
3b. Hammer Curl: 35x4/6

4a. Band Oblique Pulldown abs: 3 sets
4b. Lateral Raise w/External Rotation: 3 sets

5. Hub Lift: 25x2+2, 30x1+1

That's it. Will probably walk the dogs tonight for some light cardio. Back on it this week. The back off week was good, I have no more pain in my shoulder from the bad bench at the last meet. 11/18/06...

2006-09-21T10:41:00.000-07:00

Raw Squat/Deadlift
Sep 21, 2006

Thursday

Raw Squat

warm ups - mobility stuff

1. Squat - 135x3, 185x3, 225x3, 275x3x3

2. Deadlift - 275x1x4

3a. 45 Degree Back Raise - 15,12,10
3b. Ball Sit Up - 25,20,15

4a. Rolling Thunder - 3 sets worked up to 120x1+1
4b. Neck Harness - 3 sets w/16kg KB

That's it. This next week is a back off week and I'll be in FL on vacation so it works out. Will do some mobility stuff, unilateral stuff, KB complexes and bands, plenty of snorkling, oysters and beer too. Shoulder is feeling much better today, so I skipped the light bench presses I had planned just to give it some needed rest. Hopefully it will be ready to go after next week. Meet's getting closer.. 11/18/06...

2006-09-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

Max Effort Bench Press
Sep 20, 2006

Wednesday

ME Bench Press

warm up: med ball and shoulder mobility

*Shoulder really started feeling jacked up today. Great..

1. Floor Press: 95x5, 135x3, 155x1, 185x1, 205x1 (shoulder gave a warning twinge), 185x3

2a. BB Extension: 85x5x3
2b. CG BP: 85x4x3
2c. BB Extension: 85x4x3

3. Pulldown: 100x10x2, 100x8x2

4a. Face Pull: 3 sets
4b. Lateral Raise w/ External Rotation: 3 sets
4c. Russian Twist: 3 sets

Dealing with injuries sucks. Will continue to watch the shoulder and see what happens. Doing trigger point therapy, mobility, ice/heat, etc. 11/18/06...

2006-09-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

Maximum Effort Squat & Deadlift
Sep 18, 2006

Monday

a.m. - Cardio = 22min. Treadmill intervals

ME Squat/Deadlift

warm ups - mobility stuff

1. Low Box Squat - 135x3, 185x2, 225x1, 275x1, 295x1 (PR)

2. Bench Press - 155x5, 135x5

3. Pin Pull (#3 pin) - 135x3, 225x1, 275x1, 315x1, 335x1 (PR), 365xmiss

4a. GHR - 15,12,10
4b. Reverse Sit Up - 15,12,10

That's it. Didn't do much accessory work cause' I was feeling pretty spent after maxing on the low box and pin pull. BTW-I am staying out of gear until just before the meet so these are all raw max effort lifts unless otherwise noted. I need to work my weaknesses and in deadlift it is conv. stance no gear, squat is low box no gear. Hopefully we'll see some carryover when I put the cheater suit on. Two more workouts then FL on Fri baby!! 11/18/06...

2006-09-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

Raw Bench Press
Sep 16, 2006

Saturday
Raw Bench

warm up: med ball passes and shoulder mobility - used hot rub on shoulder and elbows and it helped a ton.

1. Bench Press: 135x3, 155x3, 185x1, 195x3x3

2. 4-Board Press: 205x3, 225x3, 245x3, 275x1

3a. Seated Row: 110x10x2, 120x8x2
3b. Shrug: 155x10x2, 155x8x2
3c. DBL KB Military Press: 16kgx7x4

4a. RVS EZ Bar Curl: 60x8x3
4b. Zottman Curl: 30x6x3
4c. RVS EZ Bar Curl: 60x6x3

5a. Band Oblique Pulldown Abs: 3 sets
5b. Neck Harness: 3 sets

That's it. Beginning of week 3 so I'm pushing it hard this week. Week 4 actually ends up being Lisa and my anniversary week so we are heading down to Destin which is cool cause' that is my back off week. Will do some uni-lateral work and maybe some KB and band work that week. 11/18/06...

2006-09-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

Raw Squat/Dynamic Effort Deadlift
Sep 15, 2006

Friday
Raw Squat

-warm up: dbl kb swings (sumo) - 16kgx10x3

1. Sushi Squat: 135x3, 185x3, 225x3, 245x3x3

2. Bench Press: 145x5, 125x5

3. Speed Deadlift: 245x1x5

4a. 45 Degree Back Raise: 12,10,8
4b. Ball Sit Up: 20,15,12

5. Med Ball Ab Circuit: 2-circuits

That's it for tonight. Been thinkin' about the November meet and I don't think 440-451/303-308/475-501 is out of the question. 11/18/06...

2006-09-13T16:53:00.000-07:00

Dynamic Effort Bench Press
Sep 13, 2006

Wednesday

4am - cardio, treadmill intervals = 22 min.

645pm - DE Bench Press

-warm up: mobility and KB circuits

1. Squat: 185x5, 135x5

2. Speed Bench w/KB's suspended from bar by JS bands: 12kgx5, 16kgx3x8

3a. BB Extension: 80x6x3
3b. CG Bench Press: 80x4x3
3c. BB Extension: 80x4x3

4a. Pulldown: 95x10x2, 95x8x2
4b. Face Pull: purple bandx10x2, prpl. bandx8x2

5a. Lateral Raise: 3 sets
5b. Russian Twist: 3 sets

6. 4-Way Neck w/ball: 2 sets ea. way

7. Hub Lift: 25x2+2, 35x1+1

That's it. Those speed bench presses with the KB's suspended by bands were no joke! I plan to work these on DE day this cycle and see how it goes. They force you to get freakin' tight and control the bar's path. Good stuff! 11/18/06...

2006-09-12T03:03:00.000-07:00

Dynamic Effort Squat
Sep 11, 2006

Monday
DE Squat

warm up:
-mobility and lower body kb circuit

1. Box Squat w/chains: 205x2x8

2. Bench Press: 145x5, 125x5

3. Deadlift off blocks: 235x3, 215x3, 195x3

4a. GHR: bwx12,10,8
4b. Reverse Sit Up: bwx12,10,8

5. DBL KB Swing (outside legs): 16kgx10x3

6. Med Ball Ab Circuit: 2 circuits of 3 drills

That's it for today.

2006-09-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

Extra Workout
Sep 09, 2006

Saturday
Extra Workout

Went out to drag the sled with a defensive back I train, he did 185 for 10 sets of 3 on bench some KB work and pulled a 35# PR of 405 in the deadlift (not bad for a 15 year old!), then we went out and did this with the sled:

8 trips up a steep hill with a 45 and 25 lb. plate on the sled, forward drags. We only rested while the other was pulling. He kicked my ass!

2006-09-09T07:02:00.000-07:00

Raw Bench Press
Sep 09, 2006

Saturday
Raw Bench Press

warm ups:
-shoulder mobility and upper body KB circuit

1. Bench Press: 95x5, 135x5, 175x3x3

2. 4-Board Press: 195x5, 235x3

3a. Seated Row: 105x10x2, 115x8x2
3b. Shrug: 145x10x2, 145x8x2
3c. DBL KB Military Press: 16kgx6x4

4a. Reverse Grip Curl: 55x6x3
4b. Zottman Curl: 25x5x3
4c. Reverse Grip Curl: 55x5x3

5a. Band Pulldown Abs (oblique): purple x 3 sets
5b. Neck Harness: 25 x 3 sets

That's it. Increased either weights or reps on supplementary/accessory work. Will go out and drag the sled with my football player who's coming to train in a bit. Then it's up to the North Georgia mountains with Lisa, I love the fall in Georgia and October fest is even better!

2006-09-08T18:07:00.000-07:00

Raw Squat - Dynamic Effort Deadlift
Sep 08, 2006

Friday
Raw Squat/DE Deadlift

warm up:
-hip mobility and lower body KB circuit

1. Squat: 135x3, 185x3, 225x3x3, 185x3 (paused)

2. Bench: 135x5, 115x5 (all paused)

3. Speed Deadlift: 225x1x6

4a. 45 Degree Back Raise: bwx10,8,6
4b. Ball Sit Up: bwx15,12,10

5. DBL KB Swing (sumo): 16kgx10x3

6. Med Ball Ab Circuit - same as Monday

7. Rolling Thunder: 90x1+1, 110x1+1, 140x1+1 (20lb PR right, 30lb PR left!)

That's it for the day. Squats felt nice today, granted they were light but I'll build up over 3 weeks. I'm new to this raw day stuff, ahhh I miss my Metal squat suit.. The rolling thunder was pretty cool tonight, nice to hit a PR on that, grip stuff is fun!

2006-09-06T04:56:00.000-07:00

Max Effort Bench Press
Sep 06, 2006

Wednesday

ME Bench

warm up:
-joint mobility full body
-KB circuit:
1. Push Ups: bwx3x2
2. Renegade Row: 16kgx3+3x2
3. DBL C&P: 16kgx3x2

1. Squat: 205x5, 185x5

2. Floor Press: 95x5, 135x3, 155x3, 185x3

3a. BB Extension: 70x6x3
3b. CG Bench Press: 70x4x3
3c. BB Extension: 70x4x3

4a. Lat Pulldown: 90x10x2, 90x8x2
4b. Face Pull: purple bandx10x2, purple bandx8x2

5. Lateral Raise: 3 sets

6. Russian Twist: 3 sets

7. Ball 4-Way Neck: 2 sets each

That's it. I don't really care for working out in the morning like this, but I have to go to the docs for a physical and to get this potential hernia looked at so I am going to work a little later and didn't want to have to do this when I got home. Now, if any of you who actually read this log could do your "don't worry Scott it isn't a hernia" dance now's the time to do it!!

2006-09-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

Dynamic Effort Squat
Sep 04, 2006

Monday

DE Squat

warm up:
-KB Circuit:
1. DBL Snatch: 16kgx3x2
2. DBL Clean: 16kgx3x2
3. DBL FSQ: 16kgx3x2
-Hip Mobility drills

1. Box Squat w/chains: 185x2x8

2. Bench Press: 135x5, 115x5 (paused)

3. Deadlift off mats (conventional stance): 225x3, 205x3, 185x3

4a. GHR: 10, 8, 6
4b. Reverse Sit Up: 10, 8, 6

5. DBL KB Swings (outside legs): 16kgx10x3

6. Med. Ball Ab Circuit: 3 drills x 10 reps each

*Lisa and I walked our malamute and border collie for 35 minutes in Atlanta's beautiful smog.

That's all for today. Time to go eat some burgers and watch the sentinal. Will have a few Road Dog brews too!

2006-09-03T15:25:00.000-07:00

Raw Bench Press
Sep 03, 2006

Sunday

Raw Bench

warm up:
-shoulder mobility/stretching
-KB Circuit:
1. Push Up: bwx3x2
2. Renegade Row: 16kgx3+3x2
3. DBL C&P: 16kgx3x2

1. Sushi Bench Press: 135x3, 155x3x3 (paused)

2. 4-Board Press: 185x5, 225x3

3a. Seated Row: 100x10x2, 110x8x2
3b. Shrug: 135x10x2, 135x8x2

4. DBL KB Military Press: 16kgx6x3

5a. Reverse Curl: 50x6x3
5b. Zottman Curl: 20x5x3
5c. Reverse Curl: 50x5x3

6. Band Oblique Pulldown Abs: 3 sets of 10

7a. Neck Harness: 2 sets of 10
7b. Hub Pinch Grip: 2 sets of 5s. holds w/ 25 lbs.

*Biked for 35 minutes with my wife in this lovely Atlanta heat.

That's it. I used wrist wraps on the 4-boards, shhhh, don't tell the GEAR POLICE! Plan is to do the Nov 18 WNPF Battle of the Countries. I am seeing my Doc on Wed for a physical and to get my possible hernia checked out. If it isn't a severe hernia (which I doubt it is) I will schedule my surgery for right after the Nov meet. I only have 10 weeks for the meet and I don't think it will cause any more harm. Will see what the Doc has to say though. Fortunately she's an athlete. Squattin' tomorrow. Back on it...

2006-08-27T05:26:00.000-07:00

AAPF/APF GA State PL Meet
Not the day I wanted but at least I didn't bomb out like last April.

First of all, there were about 100 lifters at the APF GA State and one plat - 4 flights of squats, 6 flights of bench and 4 flights of deads. Lifting started at 10:30am and I left after my dead flight (the first of 4) at 8pm. Meet was over by 10:30pm from what I hear. A LONG day. I was first flight in squat, 3rd in bench and 1st in deads. Here's how it went down.

Squat - warming up and Marc Bartley's running my monolift, very cool and slightly intimidating. Super nice guy. He was there handling his lifters and selling his Spud Inc. straps and KB's. Out for the flight and the great Steve Goggins is my back spotter, no pressure what-so-ever..

Open - 402 blasted it up, 2 reds on depth (APF is VERY strict on depth)
2nd - 402 smoked it and got a lot of props on my depth
3rd - 429 (4lb PR attempt), took it down nice ended up bottoming out and had no drive out of the hole. Not a good start, but I'm in the meet.

Bench - Joe Ladnier is the head judge, a very intimidating looking man. I was not about to step onto the plat until he called lifter up. LOL!

open - 270 easy
2nd - 292 (6lb PR attempt) missed the last 4 or 5 inches as I pushed toward my belly, srong off the chest.
3rd - 292 a repeat of the last lift, strong off the chest, pushed to far forward and not back over my chest. Not where I wanted to be, but at least I get to deadlift at this meet.

Deadlifts -
open - 402 easy
2nd - 440 easy (10lb PR)
3rd - 463 didn't get tought til' the lockout, might have had 10-15lbs more in me (33lb PR)

Day went 5 for 9, total-1135 (15lb meet PR) and had a freakin' blast. The judging was strict, fair and consistent, nothing like the anti-APF rumors you read on the web. Despite the insane turnout I think Jon Grove ran a hell of a meet and he is a great guy. Alwasy made it a point to walk around, talk to lifters, etc. Judges were always coming backstage to tell people what they were getting called on, great communication.

Thanks to my friend Z for coming to handle me and drive me to the meet, Z also had a heck of a deadlift workout as he did the handoffs for my training partner Malcom, Chris and Joey.

Malcom finally got the 500lb monkey off his back! He missed 502 on his 2nd attempt after opening with an easy 440 and came back and smoked it on his 3rd! He's a 198 too and in a way loose shirt, congrats Malcom!

Joey Troup had a GREAT meet and he better give his report cause' he was making it all look too easy, here' his spoiler 8 for 9 and PR's across the board!

Highlight of the meet - seeing the amazing Sam Byrd break his WR squat in the 198's twice! He opened at 930 something and it was easy, then he made a solid 1003! The first 198 ever to do it, it was legit, below parallel and a solid lift. He came back and took 1030 about half way up before the spotters took it. The guy is a freak! Kara got tons of videos of it so I am sure you will see them on the net soon.

What I learned:
I need more specific lift work. I need more raw bench work and more raw strength across the board. Deadlifting is not much a problem for me compared to the other two lifts. I got tons of compliments on my squat and dead form so at least some things are going well. I may try to add more lift frequency in my training to get more practice on the lifts.

Squats - more paused work, more raw doubles and triples, more low box work, more speed work

Bench - more raw triples and board work, more shirted triples in a loose shirt, adding reverse grip presses on light days

Deadlift - more low back work

I feel like a freight train hit me today. This week is off, then I see my Doc next week for a hernia check, then it is either a minor op or back to work!

-Scott

2006-08-25T09:55:00.001-07:00

Rollins Band in Atlanta Last Night!!!
The only thing that could possibly top a PL meet this weekend was seeing Henry Rollins and the original line-up of the Rollins Band rip Atlanta a new one last night at the Tabernacle downtown! They opened with "On My Way to the Cage" (gotta' love a guy who can make a song about going to the gym to pay his dues in the squat cage!) and basically destroyed Atlanta with everything of the Weight and Come in and Burn albumns. AMAZING show!!!

-Scott

2006-08-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

AAPF/APF GA State Meet Tomorrow
Alright, just got back from weigh-ins. Screwed my weight up and didn't make the 198's this time, 204.9, crap. Oh well, no biggie since I am not in danger of breaking any national or world records. This will be my first AAPF/APF meet and from what I hear Jon Grove of North Georgia Barbell usually puts on a top-quality meet. My training partner Malcom and I went up to Stacks Gym to weigh in this morning and ran into the great Sam Byrd - if you've never seen Sam you need to pay attention to this guy. He is that rare lifter who is at the top of the PL game and could easily walk onto a bodybuilding competition stage, the guy is jacked. He holds the all-time 198 squat record, with a 918 lift I think and had a pretty exceptional performance at the NERB raw meet squatting over 700. I am pretty psyched to see this guy lift and there will be a boatload of other high-caliber talent there as well. Intimidating to say the least. I heard a while back that Donnie Thompson may be guest lifting, but I am not 100% sure on that. Will be hard to block all this out and focus on my lifts, but I'll do my best. My training cycle for this meet has been crappy at best and I think I had one point where I actually had a full 4-week mini-cycle so I am not expecting much and staying way conservative. Squats and deads have been progressing pretty well this training cycle, but the bench has been in the crapper big time.

Openers will be VERY light, seconds will be for small PR's and thirds will be played by ear depending on how seconds go.

To add to my lack of focus I noticed a small, puffy bulge in my left groin this past week, could possibly be an inguinal hernia, no pain so far so that is good. Have my regular physical with my Doc on Sept 6th so will get it diagnosed then.

Here's the plan:

Squat (meet PR - 425): open=402, 2nd=429, 3rd=440-451

Bench (meet PR - 285): open=270, 2nd=292, 3rd=303-308

Deadlift (meet PR - 430): open=402, 2nd=440, 3rd=462-501

Main thing is I would like to break a 1200 total, meet PR is 1120 right now.

I know the deadlift 3rd is a wide range, but because I bombed on my bench at the first meet this year I don't know what I could have pulled. I was gunning for a 475 at that meet and never got the chance. My training lift (indicators) are on track for a high 400 pull if things go well, so we'll play it by ear and have some fun sharing a plat with some of the best lifters in the game.

It's all just liftin' weights, right? Good times!

-Scott

2006-08-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

Max Effort Bench
Aug 18, 2006

ME Bench

Last one before the meet. Sent the application in today.

1. Reverse Band Bench Press (greens): 135x5, (44 F6 on)225x2, 275x2, 315x2, 365x1, 405xmiss

2. Lat Pulldown: 110x8x4

3. BB Extension: 90x5x4

That's it. 8/26/06...

2006-08-18T04:47:00.000-07:00

Dynamic Effort Squat
Aug 17, 2006

Thursday
DE Squat

1. Box Squat w/chains: 225x2x5

2. 45 Degree Back Raise: bwx10x3

3. Hanging Leg Raise: bwx10x3

8/26/06... We'll see what happens! Last big bench workout tomorrow.

2006-08-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

Dynamic Effort Bench
Aug 15, 2006

Tuesday
DE Bench

1. Speed Bench w/chains (2-grips): 135x3x3, 155x3x3

2. Dips: bwx5x3

3. Seated Row: 110x8x3

4. Band Pushdown: purple band x 50

That's it for today.

2006-08-14T17:10:00.000-07:00

Max Effort Squat/Deadlift
Aug 14, 2006

Monday
ME Squat/Deadlift

Working up to the openers today...

1. Squat: 135x5, 225x3, (ACE on straps down) 275x1, 315x1, (straps up) 365x1, (add wraps - loose) 405x1 (easy - will open with 402)

2. Deadlift: 225x2, 315x1, (straps up) 405x1 (easy - will open with 402)

3. GHR: bwx12, 10, 8

4. Sit Up: 45x10x4

That's it. Will probably go squat - 402/429-435/440-451; deadlift - 402/440/463-485 depending on how things go. Bench will be - 270-275/292/303-308 depending how things go. Good times! 8/26/06, the only thing cooler will be seeing the Rollins Band the 24th baby!!

2006-08-11T23:03:00.000-07:00

ME Bench
Aug 11, 2006

Friday
ME Bench

1. Bench (Rage X double): 135x3x3 (touch), 185x2 (touch), 225x1 (touch), 275x1 (touch), 315xmiss, (1-bd)315x1 miss (was spent)

2. Tricep Extension: 90x5x5

3. Lat Pulldown: 4x6-10

4. Fat Boy Pullup: 2x8xbw+purple band

5. Band Extension: purplex15x3

6. Shrug: 3x15

That's it! Drinkin' at the Leprechan!

2006-08-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

Dynamic Effort Bench
Aug 08, 2006

Tuesday
DE Bench

1. Speed Bench w/ chains: 135x3x8

2. 4-Board Press w/ chains: 185x5, 205x3, 225x3x2

3. Seated Row: 90x15, 110x10x2, 140x8x2

4. Double KB Military Press: 35'sx8x3

5. Band Pushdown: purple bandx15x3

That's it. Felt tired, but speed was really good and strong lockout on bench today.

2006-08-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

Max Effort Squat
Aug 07, 2006

Monday
ME Squat/Deadlift

1. Box Squat (1"switch to free squat straps up 365x1 (a ways above parallel), 405x1 (parallel)

2. Goodmorning: 135x5, 185x5, 225x5

3. GHR: bwx10, bwx8x2

4. Sit Up: 45x8x4

That's it. Wasn't feeling that good today, probably should have done a bigger warm up. Next week will work up to find my opener, I'm guessing around 407-418 will be a safe opener. Hoping to go opener: 407-418, 2nd: 429-435, 3rd: 451 in the squat.

2006-08-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

Extra Workout
Aug 06, 2006

Sunday
Extra Workout

1a. Double KB Swings Sumo Stance: 35'sx10x4
1b. Stationary Bike: 5 min. at a moderate pace x4

2006-08-07T18:42:00.000-07:00

Extra Workout
Aug 05, 2006

Saturday
Part 2 from yesterday

1. Close Grip Bench: 95x10, 135x5, 155x5, 185x3x2

2. Lat Pulldown: 90x15, 110x10x4

3. Double KB Military Press: 35x8x4

That's it, didn't have time to finish last night as we spent the whole hour benching.

2006-08-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

ME Bench
Aug 04, 2006

Friday
ME Bench

1. 2-Board: 135x5, 185x2, 225x2, (F6 on) 275x1, 315x1, (Rage X on) 350-no touch, 365-no touch, 4-BD 350x1 (first thing I got to touch in this shirt), 3-BD 350-no touch.

That's it for tonight. Will do some tris, lats and delts tomorrow. It's looking like I won't have this Rage X broken in by the August meet. We'll keep working it and hopefully I'll be ready in it for the WNPF Battle of the Countries in November. I probably should have went with the 50 Rage X instead of the 48 since it's a double, but once this shirt gets broken in a little it will be a serious shirt!

2006-08-04T06:08:00.000-07:00

Dynamic Effort Squat/Deadlift
Aug 03, 2006 EditDelete

Thursday
DE Squat/Deadlift

1. Box Squat w/chains: 225x2x8

2. Speed Deadlift: 245x1x8

3. 45 Degree Back Raise: 35x10x3

4. Hanging Leg Raise: bwx10x3

5. Side Bend: 53x10+10x3

That's it. Suit is actually starting to break in well, took a while. Speed was good off the box, technique felt pretty good too. Getting a better arch and flex off the box, it's allowing me to stay more upright. Groove on deads was nice, but 245 ain't that heavy! LOL! We'll see what happens when the bar is loaded.

2006-08-01T01:30:00.000-07:00

Max Effort Squat/Deadlift

Jul 31, 2006

Monday
ME Squat/Deadlift

1. Reverse Band Deadlift (green bands): 135x5, 225x3, 315x1, 405x1, 455x1 (20lb PR), 475x1 (40lb PR), 500x1 (65lb PR!!)

2. GHR: bwx12, 10, 8

3. Sit Up: 45x10x3

4. Sled Dragging: 1 lap up the hill in my yard and back down of each weight - 45, 90, 135, 180 --->this had me gassed and I will feel my legs tomorrow!

That's it. Helluva good workout tonight. In the numerous past crappy workouts it's nice to get a big workout like this occasionally!

2006-07-29T11:03:00.000-07:00

Dynamic Effort Bench
Jul 29, 2006

Saturday
DE Bench

warm up: mobility stuff with med ball drills and chins and push ups (not quite X-fit style but it warmed me up)

1. Speed Bench w/bands (3 different grips all inside rings): 95x3x8

2. 4-Board Press w/bands: 185x3, 205x3, 215x3x2

3. Seated Row: 90x12, 110x10, 140x8, 160x6x2

4. Band Pushdown: purple bandx12x3

5. Upright Row: 70x12x2

6. Sled Dragging: forward w/ chest pressx45lbsx3 short trips, 3 long trips; backward w/ high rowx45lbsx1 short trip, 2 long trips --->neighbors LOVED this..

Good workout. Speed on bench was right on. Just got my new Elite Fitness sled yesterday and had a blast using it. This shit is no joke man. Even with the little 45lb plate this kicked my ass.. Maybe it was the 1000-degree 1000%humidity 1000%smog Georgia day....

2006-07-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

Dynamic Effort Squat/Deadlift
Jul 28, 2006

Friday
DE Squat/Deadlift

1. Box Squat w/bands: 225x2x4, 245x2x4, 275x2, 315x2

2. Speed Deadlift w/bands: 225x1x4, 275x1x3, 315x1

3. 45 Degree Back Extension: 35x10x3

4. Hanging Leg Raise: bwx10x3

5. Side Bend: 53x10+10x3

That's it. Good speed today. Everything felt pretty good.