Squat Rx

Skwat! T-Shirts

2012-01-22T22:00:00.002-06:00

I still have some t-shirts left. Send me an email if you're interested to check availability. Profits will go toward Miles For Mandy and Andew Read's efforts for the Jodi Lee Foundation. I'm out of Mediums and XXLs (actually, I have ONE). Shirts are $25 each, shipping included. Thanks everyone.

Ponder This...

2012-01-18T19:00:00.004-06:00

It is no use squatting for strength unless you have (the) strength for squatting.

Easy Strength

2012-01-12T22:00:00.001-06:00

Easy Strength Training For Athletes: 10 Rules of Thumb

1. Use a limited number of "big bang" exercises - for example, the deadlift and the floor press from Power To The People!

2. Lift two to three times a week.

3. Keep the volume around 10 reps per lift or 6 when using only singles - for example, 5 x 2, 2 x 5, 532, 3 x 3, 343, 424, 1234, 4321, 12321, 6 x 1, and so on. You may stay with the same weight or vary the weights from set to set.

4. Keep the reps in the 1-5 range, emphasizing doubles and triples

5. Rest about 5 minutes between sets. Practice Fast & Loose relaxation drills in between.

6. Train in the 80% to 95% 1 RM intensity zone. Always leave a rep or two in the bank.

7. Go for a PR, single or rep, when you are feeling exceptionally strong, but stop short of an all-out max. Set a "sort of max." Always back off after a PR.

8. Vary the intensity every workout, either through Power To The People! cycling or through less structured advances and retreats.

9. Don't stop strength training in season, but reduce the volume by two-thirds to one-half. For example, do 3 x 2 instead of 5 x 2 or 3 x 2 instead of 3 x 3.

10. Finish your workout feeling stronger than when you started. Stop the workout if your performance is less than perfect, and come back another day.

- Easy Strength (pg. 86)

In 2009, I was assisting at an RKC instructor certification and wandered into the lunch hall, looking for someone to sit and eat with, and the first person I see, all by himself at a table, is Pavel Tsatsouline. Time to chat with Pavel? Fuggedaboutit! Later, we were joined by Dan John. I know - who gets that lucky? Me. It went down as one of the best lunches I've ever had, and I don't remember what we were eating at all. Our lunch conversation focused on books and a little strength and conditioning research. Talking weights and training casually and unrushed with two people who are so experienced, well-read, and in demand in the field almost never happens to most of us, even when we seek them out. Trust me, I realize how fortuitous that lunch was.

Naturally later, when I found out that the two were working on a book, I was excited. And then later, when I was given the opportunity to read and offer suggestions on a manuscript, I was ecstatic and tremendously honored. It was dynamite and most of the 4 pages of notes I sent to Dan and Pavel after reading the manuscript read like:

"Muscle Joy" - Awesome!

"...most guys who train to look good naked nearly have to be naked before you can tell they even train" - Awesome!

The book's layout is as if Dan John and Pavel are having a free-flowing conversation. The topic is started, and Pavel injects research and anecdotes, and then Dan adds his own thoughts and experiences. It is the closest most of us will get to being a "fly on the wall" during a conversation between two master trainers talking shop in a focused stream-of-consciousness fashion.

There are too many gems, "Of course!" moments, and "a-ha" passages in the book to mention. Way too many.

What does it cover? Well, it covers just about all the programming knowledge that most of us need to get strong without breaking ourselves. A random sampling of topics include GSP, SPP, the application (mis-application, really) of plyometrics, Dan John's 1979 squat workout, ladder rep schemes, "the quadrants", Strength and Speed-Strength Complexes by Verhkhoshansky, the genesis of the "goblet squat", defining an "elite" athlete, many training cycles, workout set-up, the hip displacement continuum, routines, cycles, examples, and plenty of "do-this" lists and bulleted points.

For the self-coached strength athlete it is a must read.

For the trainer or coach that is trying to improve their athletes' strength it is a must have.

Easy Strength

Squat Rx Posts On Breathing

2012-01-07T00:00:00.000-06:00

I've done a few posts here about breathing over the years. Though the thoughts are sometimes a bit scattered, there are some real gems and wonderful references among them. If you haven't already, take some time to look them over.

The Centrality Of Breath
The Centrality Of Breath (Part II)
The Centrality Of Breath (Part III)
The Centrality Of Breath (Part IV)

Breathing (Squat Rx #10)
Breathing (The Essential Lessons)
Specificity & Posture
"Hypoxic" Training
Doing Nothing: An Introduction To Meditation
Relaxed But Alert

Elite Fitness' Grenade Balls

2012-01-05T00:00:00.002-06:00

I bought a pair of 3" grenade balls from elitefts.net. I think they'll be a lot of fun as a grip tool and just to change things up a bit from time to time. I think they were on special for about $22 each + shipping when I ordered them, but they are a little more now. I've known people that have rigged up grip tools using baseballs and softballs, and that's essentially what these are (but made of metal).

What exercises will I be doing with them? Tonight, I did some light deadlifts with the grenade ball(s) connected by a small chain to kettlebells. I think they will also be perfect for light reverse and hammer curls, light rows, shoulder raises, and bent-over laterals. Pull-ups will be a challenge with these, but I'll give them a try soon.

The Shadow Knows...

2012-01-03T00:00:00.001-06:00

From What It Is Like To Go To War by Karl Marlantes

THE ENEMY WITHIN

In 1968, while I was still in Vietnam, I recorded in my journal the first instance of a recurring nightmare that, along with similar dreams, took me over twenty years to lay to rest.
   Somehow the gook* and I were left isolated right next to the river. I had only my kabar† and it looked as if he was unarmed. He saw me and we went at each other. My kabar was dull from chopping branches, so instead of slashing I tried to stab him in the throat. I hit him someplace but didn't stop him and then we were locked together and rolling into the muddy tepid water. I found out then that he wasn't unarmed. In his right hand were two razor blades. He got me right across the wrist in a slash, and in the warm water I could feel my blood draining, mixing with the warmth around it, robbing me of energy, of life. I stabbed him in the Adam's apple and felt the hard resistance like a carrot. The knife was too dull to tear his throat, so I pulled it out and stabbed again and again in a mad race against the blood mixing, mixing in the warm brown water. Finally I could see no longer. My mind whirled. My body twisted and spun after my blood, joining it in a dance of entropy, cooling and spinning to the universal semi-warmth of the river.
   The doc pulled me out and I awoke on the bank with an IV tube in my arm.
   This dream is not about Vietnam. It's about what got me to Vietnam. I've been fighting that "gook," the enemy inside me, in one form or another , for most of my life. It represents the parts of me I despise. Not only don't I want other people to see them; I also don't want to see them myself. These are my weak parts, my indecisive parts, my violent parts, and probably a few parts so deeply buried I can't name them. The enemy, however, pops up in various forms in dreams. Sometimes he's a shiftless vagrant. Sometimes he's a frightening murderer or a crazy person.
   Sometimes real people, not just dreams, catch this enemy within, acting like an unrecognized reflection in a mirror. Rather than realize it's my own reflection, I prefer to think that what I see is really them. This causes troubling encounters. For example, if I see fat people I immediately think badly of them. I myself was a bit fat as a child. I got over that through waging a fierce war against that fat little boy, training hard, running a lot, playing the toughest sports. But I still like to eat ice cream and lie around, so the fat little boy is still with me, stuffed inside where I don't have to think about him anymore. I can have a negative reaction to a fat person, but when I start to remember that fat little boy I used to be, my reaction becomes more neutral. Eventually it took certain painful war experiences, represented and played out in the repeating dream I just described, to finally make up a nightmare strong enough to get my attention and make me realize that something wasn't altogether sound at home. There was indeed an enemy within.
   Everyone has his or her equivalent of "the gook inside." It's what Carl Jung called the shadow. People who say they don't have one have an even bigger one.
   That NVA soldier and I were fighting by the Ben Hai River, the dividing line between North and South Vietnam. This is the dividing line between this world, the world where everyone, especially me, expects I'll be good at football and get a powerful high-paying job, and the other world, the world where I hide, and then forget, the parts of me I despise.
   Although we all have shadows, we all have different ones. My own shadow has many masks. I'm a strong man - my shadow is a weak effeminate whiner. I'm a hard worker - "Sarge" visits me in dreams, a lazy, marijuana-smoking deserter and lover. He's got two sensuous sleek women friends. I'm not afraid to take on a challenge - my shadow constantly fears failing. What better way to fight these shadows than to join the Marines and prove to myself that they don't exist? After I left the Marines, I found other similar things to do, over and over again. I made myself enough brilliant light to keep the shadows at bay and blind myself in the process.
   This dream soldier is slashing my wrists with a razor blade, an image of suicide. The more I try to kill him, the more my own blood drains out of me. When I returned from Vietnam I lost some old and dear friends and one woman I loved. I lost them because they said I had become cold. When asked how I was, I'd answer, "I'm cool." And I was. I was holding down a full colonel's billet at Headquarters Marine Corps* and had enough medals to excuse any wayward behavior, and I took full advantage of the situation. Everything looked fine. But I'd died inside.
   ...Shadow issues come around and around. There is no defeating the shadow. We have to live with it. It is part of us. But having this shadow is neither bad nor good, although it is very troublesome. If I have lazy Sarge in there, smoking marijuana every day, lying on a couch, this hurts nobody. It's when I start screaming at my kid because he is loafing on the couch, just the way I'd like to loaf myself, that someone gets hurt. Then what I'm doing, because of shadow, is bad. I'll never get rid of Sarge. Calling Sarge bad and trying to stuff him even further down in my psychic baggage will only mean it's more likely I'll scream at my kid or anyone else, people on welfare, for example, who "catch" my Sarge when he pops out.

Reading this passage, I think to my own shadows - the demons I'm trying to exorcise every time I get under the barbell. I think to the shadows of all those who point at others with weight and fitness issues and say "Well I did it! What's YOUR problem?" When I see TV celebrity trainers screaming at the people they are supposedly saving from a life of obesity, I wonder what shadows they are projecting on their charges...

Short Days and Long Nights - What I've Been Up To

2011-12-22T18:30:00.000-06:00

Things around here have been busy and I'm sorry that writing for the blog has taken a hit. Work is always frantic this time of year, isn't it?

*Minimalist training is always a good idea, but there's can be a tendency when overwhelmed to rationalize "trimming the fat" from our training to the point that we are doing almost nothing. Sometimes, less is not more - sometimes, less is just less. I'll be revisiting some of my thoughts on minimalist programs.

*Easy Strength - It's great! I will give a more complete review soon.

*Gray Cook's FMS: Applying The Model To Real Life Examples (DVD) - Looks amazing. I will be reviewing this soon as well.

*I recorded an audio lecture about squatting for the Drapers. It's a new medium for me so it wasn't as smooth as I would have liked, but I think there's some good content in it. I'll let everyone know when it's available at Dave and Laree Draper's site.

*I have some Skwat! t-shirts in. Quantities are limited, but if you are interested in purchasing one (or more), send me an email or PM. Shirts will be $25 each (shipping included). This time around, I'll be putting profits towards Mile For Mandy, Andrew Read's efforts for The Jodi Lee Foundation, and back into fund-raising for charities that help tsunami victims.

Thanks everyone!

A Squat To Watch

2011-12-05T23:00:00.000-06:00

A 320kg squat brought to you by Behdad Salimi, the new world record holder in the snatch.

No Classes At The Gym

2011-11-27T00:00:00.002-06:00

Maxim #33

NO CLASSES AT THE GYM

BARBELLS. DUMBELLS. THE BENCH. THE TREADMILL. That's it. That's the list of authorized gym equipment. No giant rubber bouncy balls that look like they've been stolen from Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. No thigh masters. And above all else, your trip to the gym may not involve a class.
You're not quite sure what happens in those so-called classes, but they seem to include lots of spandex, lots of pink, and lots of women writhing on the floor like they're auditioning for a Christina Aguilera video.
You view these classes with deep suspicion, lumping them in the same category as cricket, ska music, and imported cheese that doesn't need refrigeration. The one thing you know is that each class has only one guy. And it's not you.
Five classes you want no part of:

(1.) Cardio Kickboxing. You like the idea of kicking something... as long as it's to crack a dude's ribs or bust down a door. Granted, if you were in Will Ferrell's truth tree (the one in Old School with the little birds), you'd concede that you've never kicked anyone - much less broken down a door - but you understand, instinctively, that kicks are reserved for violence and bloodshed, not opening up chakras.
(2.) Pilates. No man's exercise should focus on "centering." It shouldn't be about your core. Exercise must involve powerful, brutish, injury-inducing motions that build raw muscle. You might be tempted to infiltrate the women's class so you can be that "sensitive guy." Good idea. Here's a better one: pretend to use the same gynecologist.
(3.) Yoga. (See MAXIM #36.)
(4.) Step Aerobics. Like Rocky, you frown on precise, sophisticated training that can just as easily be performed outdoors. If you want to climb steps, you'll sprint up and down the bleachers, dammit. If it gives you pneumonia or shatters your ankle, so be it. Better to get fat and injured honorably than get trim, healthy, and attractive the wrong way.
(5.) Pole Dancing. No.

MAXIM IN ACTION

It always begins the same way. You're having trouble hitting the gym on a regular ("regular" meaning more than twice a baseball season) and your buddy tells you about this awesome class that toned his abs, dropped his weight, and ripped his delts. You're intrigued. You remember what it was like to have abs, all those many years ago. You're not quite sure where your delts are, but you know they could be a little bigger. So you go for it.
Once you're in, you're in. Soon you're signing up for "Abs boot camp" (boot camp is for the Army, Navy, Marines, and nothing else) and "Jazz Aerobics." You drink wheat-germ shakes. You start matching your workout tops and bottoms. (You've long since stopped calling them shirts and shorts.) And none of this strikes you as weird.

MAXIM EXCEPTIONS

This is a gray area and somewhat controversial, but you are allowed to join a cycling class. True, it's better to do this alone - on a real bike on a real road - but if you absolutely must take a gym class, you may save face in this torture chamber. Why's this different? Because there's nothing patronizing or emasculating or gimmicky about it: the goal is to sweat. And sweat and sweat until you're Ted Striker from Airplane!

From The Maxims of Manhood

Vasily Alexeev RIP

2011-11-25T20:00:00.002-06:00

When I was very young, I used to watch Vasily Alexeev lift on ABC's Wide World of Sports. He was the last international weightlifting superstar.

534.5 pounds Clean & Jerk

I wish I spoke Russian - this looks pretty good!

ABC's Wide World of Sports Intro

Strongman

2011-11-16T22:30:00.000-06:00

Who doesn't like to watch strongman contests? Fun stuff. The cooperative lifts (loading and log) were really interesting in this contest.

A Christmas List For 2011

2011-11-09T00:00:00.003-06:00

Rudolph, I bought you a brand new squat-rack for Christmas!

The local easy-listening radio station has already started playing Christmas classics, so I've decided to put this year's Christmas shopping suggestions out for everyone a little earlier than usual. As always, I've tried to include items that work with a range of budgets.

Chalk - $12.95 + S&H
This is one of those supplies a lifter could always use more of...

Dan John's "Mass Made Simple" (book) - $19.95 + S&H
I did a review of this product here. If you have someone in your life that, despite their best efforts, can't put on muscle mass, then this book is for them.

Pulling John (DVD) - $24.99 + S&H
Arm wrestling is one of those very primal strength sports that every meathead enjoys doing, or at least watching. John Bryzenk is a arm-wrestling champion for the ages and this video documents his attempt to stave off young bucks trying to dethrone him. The DVD looks fantastic and it's on my personal list for Santa this year.

Easy Strength (book) - $39.95 + S&H
I reviewed an advanced copy of this book by Pavel and Dan John and it was great. Research and anecdotes, and Dan John and Pavel talking shop - what more could you want? I ordered a paperback copy late last week and I can't wait to read the final version.

4' x 6' x 3/4" Rubber Mat - about $50/mat at your local farm supply store
Most of the stuff online seems overpriced, but if you are looking for affordable, durable floor covering for lifting, this is what you need. Put a layer down on top of concrete and unless you are dropping Olympic medal-level weights from overhead with regular metal plates, your floor is probably safe.

Dragon Door 1.5 Pood (53lbs) Kettlebell - $118.75 + S&H
I have kettlebells from 10lbs to 88lbs, and I still use the 1.5 pood for most things. For me, it's not so heavy that I dread using it, and it's not so light that I need to wonder if I've worked hard enough. Most of the time, it's "just right".

Rouge 2" Axle Bar - $125 + S&H
I bought one of these this year and I've enjoyed it. I generally lift light with it, but friends have loaded it up to 400lbs and put in some reps with it and it's held up just fine.

Dan John's "Intervention" (DVD set) - $129 + S&H
I reviewed this DVD set here. Folks, it really is great. If you are a strength and conditioning coach, or a trainer, it's a "must-have". Yes, I've said that before, but it's more true for this product than any other. Get it if you can. If you can't, borrow it.

Shopping Lists From Previous Years:
Holiday Shopping List 2008

Holiday Shopping List 2009

Holiday Shopping List 2010

RIP Joe Frazier

2011-11-08T17:00:00.001-06:00

RIP Andy Rooney

2011-11-05T09:30:00.000-05:00

I was always a huge Andy Rooney fan. When I was a young kid, we'd eat Sunday dinner at my grandparents house and, seated in the living room with our "TV trays", we'd watch Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and Disney. Sandwiched between those two kid-favorites, was 60 Minutes - I didn't watch the news segments, but I loved Walter Cronkite and Andy Rooney as much as the adults.

If Andy Rooney had been a blogger or tweeter, he would have been one of the best. His writing was clear and concise, humorous with a point and a lesson, often moving.

The following is one of those pieces that you read now and think to yourself "This guy's a genius!!!". At least I do. Thank you Andy for all the wonderful wit and wisdom you've given us over the years.

The Andy Rooney Upside-Down Diet
   The biggest sellers in any bookstore are the cookbooks and the diet books. The cookbooks tell you how to prepare the food and the diet books tell you not to eat any of it.
   The quickest way for a writer to get rich is to write a diet book. A cookbook is more difficult. With a diet book all you need is one bad idea and a lot of statistics on what has how many calories. If you want to make the book thicker, you put in a whole series of typical meals that adhere to your idea.
   As someone who's been eating too much all his life, I think I'm as qualified to write a diet book as anyone, and as a writer I'm twice as ready to get rich. Not only that, I have an idea. My book would be called The Andy Rooney Upside-Down Diet Book.
   My theory is based on the idea that the average overweight person has to change his eating habits drastically. The overweight man or woman has fallen into a pattern of eating that is making him or her fat, and the only way that person is going to lose weight is for him to turn his eating habits upside down.
   The appetite itself (I'll say in the Foreword to my book) is a strange mechanism. Our stomach often signals our brain that it's ready to have something sent down when our body doesn't really need anything yet.
   As I understand it - and you don't have to understand things very well to write a diet book - the appetite is depressed as the blood sugar level rises. The trouble is that the blood sugar level rises slowly as your digestive processes start taking apart the food you've consumed, so that you can still feel hungry for quite a while after you've had enough because your blood sugar level hasn't caught up with your stomach.
So much for theory. Here, in brief, is my diet. You'll want to buy the book later, I imagine.
   Basically, what I'm suggesting you do is reverse the order in which you eat things at a meal, and change the habits you have in regard to what you eat for what meal.
   Forget cereal, pancakes or bacon and eggs for breakfast. We're going to start the morning with a bowl of chicken soup. Chicken soup will serve a dual purpose. It's nourishing, not fattening, and because it's a hot drink you won't need coffee. If you don't have coffee, you won't need sugar. No one is going to be tempted to put sugar in chicken soup.
   The beauty of the diet - and I want them to make this clear on the jacket of my book - is that you don't have to deny yourself anything. Eat absolutely anything you feel like eating. The magic of my diet is in making sure you don't feel like eating much.
Before dinner many of us consume what we call appetizers. Don't take appetizers off your diet if you like them, just don't eat them first. In our Upside-Down Diet Book we'll be laying out more than one hundred weight losing model meals. A typical breakfast might consist of half a grape, a bowl of chicken soup and plain butter, no toast.
   Lunch might consist of ketchup, a Fig Newton, two Oreo Creme Sandwiches and lukewarm Ovaltine. In other words, Eat All You Want, but Change What You Want.
   Your main meal will be dinner. Classic cuisine has called for an appetizer first, soup, a fish dish, meat, vegetables and potatoes, followed by cheese and then dessert. We're going to ask you to shake that up if you want to lose weight.
   Each of our Upside-Down Diet meals will start with a bowl of ice cream or a chocolate eclair. Follow this with a small fish dish or oyster, clams or shrimp with a chocolate sauce. This will have the effect of raising your blood sugar level abruptly, and by the time the main course of oatmeal, corn flakes or Fruit Loops with buttermilk comes, you might not want any at all.
   I don't want to be greedy, but after the book is published I have high hopes that it will be made into a movie.

- From And More By Andy Rooney

Discipline

2011-10-27T00:00:00.003-05:00

If you have the time, I highly recommend this video. It is about the test for 8th dan (eighth degree black belt) in Kendo. I have met prefectural champions, national-level competitors, and high-ranking practitioners of Kendo - have the chance to speak with them was always educational and fun. Of all the martial arts in Japan, Kendo and Kyuudo, are among the very few that have managed to maintain their traditional roots with regard to commitment to propriety, respect, and discipline.

Enjoy!

"120 Second Battle Of The Spirit"

P.S. - Thank you Gin Master!!

The Law of Diminishing Returns

2011-10-21T23:00:00.003-05:00

Image from: The Personal Excellence Blog

Let me be honest and say that, in my first year at college, I didn't learn a whole lot in the classroom. I was too busy with athletics and doing things I shouldn't have been doing to get overly concerned about something like book-learnin'. There were a few moments and lessons, however, that still stand out and I distinctly remember the grad assistant who led our discussion group for Intro to Microecon talking to us about the law of diminishing returns and marginal utility as applied to beer and (chewing) "gums".

Simply put, the law of diminishing returns is this: the more you "consume" the less and less benefit you derive until, eventually, it begins to affect you adversely. For example, if you decide to start lifting weights, initial benefits from a thrice weekly program reap you great rewards of improved appearance, increased vigor, and reduced stress. Excited by this, you start training four times a week, but the benefits do not rise in direct proportion to the added time. You bump up the training frequency and volume until you are training daily (and sometimes twice a day)... training starts to become an addiction; a chore. What were simply occasional minor aches and pains when you were training intelligently, begin to become chronic conditions. While you used to look energized, you now look haggard. What was once a pleasurable and beneficial activity has become a source of pain and stress.

You can get too much of a good thing. Macros, micros, diets, supplements, exercises, routines, exercises, intensity, volume, density, sitting, squatting, standing, walking, running, you name it - you can have too much of it. Yes, there are keystone exercises and we have talked about them a lot here, but change is good, and change is inevitable. It seems to be a paradox to say that you need consistency AND change to improve, but that's exactly right! Planned, purposeful change will introduce chaos to the system and, as it seeks a new homeostasis, it will adapt, grow, and find increased stability.

Related Post: Adaptation Paranoia

Synchronicity

2011-10-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

I love it when a plan comes together...

The Eagle (sort of)

2011-10-07T18:00:00.000-05:00

A demo video of "The Eagle" - I only do two sets, but it demonstrates how it should look:

Time On Task

2011-10-05T00:00:00.001-05:00

I believe that the single-most important ingredient to success in any field is time on task. "Outliers", et. al talk about the magic 10,000 hours. The Talent Code calls this "deep practice". Yes, time on task should be focused, but it doesn't always have to be so - sometimes simply putting in your time is enough.

I think I've mentioned this before but, if you are trying to lose weight, for example, one reason to do an hour or more a day of walking is to keep yourself away from the tube and mindless snacking. The time on task walking equals time OFF task eating, and that is time well spent. In addition, walking is readily accessible, and less likely to severely impact recovery - you can do it more often than, say, burpees...

Words Of Wisdom - Thomas Edison

2011-10-04T00:00:00.001-05:00

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

- Thomas Edison

How many opportunities to be better do we miss because they look like work, or difficult, or uncomfortable?

I Saw This In A Muscle & Fitness In The 80s...

2011-09-22T23:00:00.000-05:00

Forget squatting... My new goal is to lift 7063 and 4/5ths by 2012!

Three Squatting Lessons Courtesy Of YouTube

2011-09-20T00:00:00.002-05:00

Learning from the mistakes of others can be informative, and sometimes fun. Here are three lessons from our friends on YouTube:

Lesson #1: Combining gymnastics and powerlifting is not a good idea.

Lesson #2: Squatting on the Smith is (generally) not recommended.

Lesson #3: Squats won't cure stupid.

Never Regret, ALWAYS Reflect

2011-09-16T23:00:00.000-05:00

Never regret. Always reflect.

This is one of those mottoes that applies to training, and to life. Regret and self-flagellation don't make a better you - they just make a more broken you. Reflection, on the other hand, in both good times and bad, make a you that's better prepared for future action and reaction.

One of the greatest tools in your toolbox should be your training log. Without a log, any potential reflection on your training is going to be severely limited. Keep a log handy and record sets, reps, weights, exertion, and other notable stressors and restoratives. You don't have to live in it while you're at the gym (I see my share of people who seem to spend more time staring at their notebooks than actually lifting weights), but spend 10 minutes or so to record the sessions numbers and add a few qualitative notes. The reflections will help you make sense of subtle dips and crests that emerge over time. It will also help you make sense of those times when (heaven forbid) you find yourself in plateau-land or on the DL - helping us look at the bigger picture when it's especially hard to step away from the "WHY ME?" mind-set.

10 Books About "Mastery"

2011-09-13T00:00:00.002-05:00

Mastery is a re-occuring theme here at the blog. I've read a number of books on the subject, but here are a few that leap to mind. Although not all of them are, strictly speaking, about "mastery", they all speak to the importance of passion, practice, and the development of an iron will. I think I've quoted all of them in the blog at least once, and they are all, in my opinion of course, absolutely fantastic reads. If you're looking for reading material, here are 10 suggestions:

Outliers: The Story of Success
Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment
Overachievement: The New Science of Working Less to Accomplish More
The Genius in All of Us: New Insights into Genetics, Talent, and IQ
Body Mind Mastery (Millman, Dan)
The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How.
On Combat, The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace
Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen (Vintage)
Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You

Replies To Posts

2011-09-12T22:00:00.000-05:00

I appreciate all replies to posts here at the blog both positive and negative. Anything older than a week goes into the "moderation folder". I do this so that the replies don't go unnoticed as I do not generally reread my posts regularly.

Occasionally, Blogger will send a reply to the spam folder without my knowledge - I make an effort to check it from time to time, but I am not very diligent about this.

Tonight, I noticed a long reply (that looked to be a very spirited one disagreeing with me) to the caffeine fasts post in my spam folder. As I moved it out of the spam folder, it was somehow deleted. I was looking forward to reading it and replying to it - I am very sorry to whoever wrote it. I hope that you will re-post it if you can, or send me an email.

Thank you.

Sunday

2011-09-06T11:00:00.001-05:00

Sunday will mark 10 years since the attacks of 9/11, and the sixth month since earthquakes and tsunami ravaged eastern Japan. We're still raising money here for the American Red Cross. Please give when you can.

What Will YOU Try For 30 Days?

2011-09-05T00:00:00.002-05:00

I watched this video recently: It's a very short presentation for a TED talk.

Good stuff.

In 30 days, what improvements could you make? What sustainable efforts could you implement? What will YOU try for 30 days?

Training For The Truly Overwhelmed

2011-09-03T00:00:00.002-05:00

This week has been "one of those weeks". Except for a few random pockets of 10 minutes here and there, it has been wall to wall activity.Work, family, house, paperwork, and a new puppy have kept me consistently busy from the time I wake up at 5:15am until 9 or 10 at night. I conk out in bed at about 11 pm. A lot of quality training time is just NOT going to happen during patches like these. The best I can do during a super busy week is to add very short sessions here and there to blow off some steam, feel better, and stave off detraining.

Minimalist training is something I've done a lot of over the years, but watching Dan John's Intervention DVD gave me some fresh ideas for a solid week (or two) of shortened training. Including the basic movement patterns of push, pull, hinge, squat, loaded carries, and Turkish Get-Ups, this week I did the following:

Workout #1 = The Eagle (for 5:00)

Workout #2 = Push-Ups (for 5:00)

Workout #3 = Turkish Get-Ups (for 5:00)

Workout #4 = Chin-Ups/Pull-Ups (for 5:00)

Workout #5 = Axle Romanian Deadlifts (for 5:00)

Should I go longer? As I wrote in my last birthday post and A Quick and (Relatively) Painless Way to Add Training Volume, 5:00 is enough for a lot of things. No, it's NOT a fast-as-you-can-metcon. Just work steadily, and take breaks before form starts to break down appreciably. Of these exercises, "The Eagle" and Turkish-Get-Ups are the only two that I would probably feel a need to go longer on, but you could always just add weight - "The Eagle" for five minutes with a pair of 32kg bells will make time slow in a hurry.

How heavy? As heavy as you want but, if you're getting less than 10-15 reps, you might consider lightening the load or modifying the movement. Dan John recommends 8 sets of 8 for The Eagle - I can get five or six sets of five squats + 20 meters in five minutes w. a pair of 24kg kettlebells. Again, this is working at a steady pace, NOT frenzied.

Can I substitute exercises? Of course. You might decide to do goblet squats + one-arm farmer walks, military press, partial TGUs, bent-over laterals, and kettlebell swings, for example. In my opinion, you should try to include all six of the basic movement patterns, but it may or may not be crucial to your training short-term.

The Eagle

2011-08-31T23:00:00.001-05:00

A few years ago, I discovered the simple combo called "The Eagle." Our school mascot was the Soaring Eagle, so the name was a natural. It combined the simplest of the Loaded Carries, the patterning movement "Farmer Walks," with the basic grinding Squat, the Double Kettlebell Front Squat. I am going to say "simply" here, but the workload is incredible. Simply, we had the athlete do eight Double Kettlebell Front Squats, then drop the kettlebells to his sides and Farmer Walk for twenty meters, then another eight squats and repeat until you complete eight circuits. That goal is often not met. (From Dan John's The Four Steps blog post)

"The Eagle" is an awesome combo. Really. Try it.

SQUATTING IS...

2011-08-30T23:08:00.000-05:00

SETTING & BLOCKING

Kouji Murofushi - World Champ At 36

2011-08-30T00:00:00.001-05:00

Kouji Murofushi, 2004 Olympic champion in the hammer throw, just won the event at the World Track and Field Championships for the first time in South Korea this weekend. I've always been a huge fan and it's great to see him continue to be awesome even as he approaches 40.

Strength, Footwork Propel Murofushi To Hammer Gold

Related Squat Rx Post:
Kouji Murofushi Competes In "Muscle Ranking"

You Can't Build A Reserve If You Constantly Empty The Tank

2011-08-29T00:00:00.002-05:00

Yes, it's true that you have to spend money to make money, but you'll never save up a million dollars if you are constantly running into the red.

It's also true that, in training, if you are constantly "emptying the tank" you will run out of gas and likely break yourself.

I know many who think that if you aren't nervous going to the gym, then you aren't training hard enough. Every session must be a battle. The brutal truth is that those people have more testosterone than brains and only some combination of youth, drugs, talent, inexperience, and dumb luck have kept them in the game this long. They are often the same people that believe that there is no such thing as overtraining, only under-recovery (and/or under-eating).

Words Of Wisdom (Satchel Paige)

2011-08-25T00:00:00.001-05:00

Never let your head hang down.

Never give up and sit down and grieve.

Find another way.

And don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines.

- Leroy "Satchel" Paige (Neverisms)

SQUATTING IS...

2011-08-22T00:00:00.002-05:00

PARALLEL?

SQUATTING IS...

2011-08-19T00:00:00.001-05:00

(Picture from Mike Fitch's article Resurrecting The Squat)

SQUATTING IS...

2011-08-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

A GOOD CHEST BUMP

SQUATTING IS...

2011-08-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

A SWIMMING TURN

Caffeine Fasts

2011-08-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

CAFFEINE IS STRESS IN A CUP. IT IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU. Sure, I like it, and I can get a lot of desk work done when I'm "using", but no amount of research will convince me that daily intake of 500mg or more long term is not harmful to your physical and emotional health. As I've written before, I believe that the American's average intake has (at least) doubled or tripled over the past 20 years. We will eventually link caffeine abuse to many chronic illnesses but, then again, finding such a link would not be profitable so perhaps not...

Americans love choice, but few exercise that power when it comes to diet. Americans love familiarity. Americans very quickly fall into dietary ruts. When it comes to caffeine, "use" can very easily become "ab-use" for me (and many of you too). What starts out as one coffee or soda a day, quickly turns into a half dozen. I like coffee, tea, and sodas too much to give them up completely, so I've taken to implementing periodic "caffeine fasts" of two to four weeks duration. Although it is not much fun for the first week, I find that after that initial week, I sleep MUCH better and am generally a nicer and more mellow person to be around. And, in the weeks following my fasts, I need caffeine less and get a better "response" from caffeine if I do decide to have some before work or training.

If you are a "heavy consumer" and decide to try a fast, I would recommend weaning yourself off incrementally rather than going cold turkey. Substituting decaffeinated coffee, teas, and sodas is a good start. During fasts, I drink a lot of sparkling seltzer water to satisfy my cravings for carbonated beverages. When you crave something sweet, flavored teas or decaffeinated coffee with a little sugar will hit the spot.

Canada Dry Sparkling Seltzer Water (Lemon Lime)

Related Article:

Caffeine Withdrawal Is Real

All She Can

2011-08-11T12:00:00.000-05:00

This movie looks promising! Apparently it is in theaters now and will be released on DVD in late September, 2011.

All She Can

SQUATTING IS...

2011-08-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

SITTING WITH FRIENDS

(from Ursula's Weekly Wonders)

SQUATTING IS...

2011-08-10T00:00:00.002-05:00

CRAP! ;)

About The Skwat! T-Shirts...

2011-08-09T22:00:00.000-05:00

I've been getting quite a few emails from people interested in buying the Skwat! t-shirts. I'm very flattered but, honestly, I don't know if I'll be "selling" them again - they don't make money and I don't like the feeling of thinking I'm somehow "entitled" to make money from them anyway. I made the shirt because I loved squatting and I wanted to share them with friends - once I started selling them, it became "about the money".

Since I've started fund-raising for the Red Cross and Japanese disaster relief, I've been eating the cost of making the shirts and donating proceeds and I'm much happier. I don't know if that makes any sense, but that's where things are right now.

Our raffle raised over $300 for disaster relief in Japan and here at the site and through a drive at school, we've raised well over $2000 total. All proceeds were donated to Red Cross America and Red Cross Japan. I would like to do another raffle sometime in the near future.
Boris

SQUATTING IS...

2011-08-09T00:00:00.003-05:00

CUTE

SQUATTING IS...

2011-08-09T00:00:00.002-05:00

STAIRS

Photo by Paul Chinn (online article: Firefighter Stair Climb Helps Burn Victims)

SQUATTING IS...

2011-08-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

SUMO

Koushien

2011-08-07T19:00:00.001-05:00

There are two national high school championships a year in Japan; one in March, the other in August - both are televised nation-wide. Many high school stars become household names and are drafted to the pros soon thereafter. The high school championships are often called simply called "koushien" (the name of the stadium where the championships are held). The field is considered sacred ground and high school players will often fill small bags with dirt from the infield to take home with them after their games have ended. In the U.S., every young ball player dreams of winning the World Series. In Japan, every young ball player dreams of going to the koushien.

If you could imagine your state sending one team and everyone in the state pumped up to see your champion represent your state with respect, and an energy and love for the game that only the young can bring to the field - if you can imagine this, then maybe you can appreciate the passion and pride with which Japanese people relish the games.

This year is an especially emotional koushien, especially for areas hit by the earthquakes and tsunami. It's hard not to be moved to tears watching a high school team play their hearts out, knowing that many of them lost their homes and loved ones less than 6 months ago.

Iwate prefecture's Hanamaki Higashi lost on the 66th anniversary of the bombing at Hiroshima.

The team's catcher lost his home and grandparents in the tsunami on March 11th.

The following video is in Japanese. It is a short documentary of the Touhoku High School's run at the spring championships.

SQUATTING IS...

2011-08-07T00:00:00.001-05:00

A GOOD THRUST KICK

SQUATTING IS...

2011-08-06T00:00:00.002-05:00

CRAWLING

SQUATTING IS...

2011-08-05T00:00:00.002-05:00

CURIOUS

SQUATTING IS...

2011-08-04T19:36:00.002-05:00

CLIMBING

Some Posts People Seemed To Have Missed...

2011-08-01T10:00:00.001-05:00

The Genius In All Of Us (book) - I quote a passage concerning the Kenyan running machine. The book is short and an easy read. If you like books in the "mastery" genre, you will love this one. Lyle McDonald began a series about Why The US Sucks At Olympic Weightlifting (Part I) - I love Lyle and you can never be sure what he's going to say next, but I'm guessing he'll draw the same conclusions that this book does.

Can You Lift A 150kg Ricecake? - There's something very appealing about feats of strength performed by people who don't specialize in them.

Walk It Out! - Does your cool-down consist of crumpling up on the floor in a moaning, sweaty mess? You should rethink that - you really should...

Adaptation Paranoia - I posted this a couple of years ago when I noticed that the old Weider principle of "muscle confusion" seemed to be making a comeback. Adaptation is a GOOD thing. Really!

55 Ways To Cook A Squat

2011-07-29T12:00:00.005-05:00

Squat (high bar)
Squat (low bar)
Squat (w. Manta-Ray)
Squat (w. Top Squat)
Squat (goblet)
Squat (Jefferson)
Squat (Hack)
Squat (Zercher)
Squat (trap bar)
Squat (cambered bar)
Squat (safety squat bar)
Squat (thick bar)
Squat (w. hip belt)
Squat (front)
Squat (front + push-press/"thruster"/"long press")
Squat (overhead)
Squat (full)
Squat (half/parallel)
Squat (quarter)
Squat (walk-outs)
Squat (regular stance)
Squat (narrow stance)
Squat (wide stance)
Squat (ultra-wide stance)
Squat (w. chains)
Squat (w. bands)
Squat (w. weight releasers)
Squat (box)
Squat (low box)
Squat (high box)
Squat (pause)
Squat (eccentric-only)
Squat (concentric-only)
Squat (isometric)
Squat (oscillating)
Squat (breathing)
Squat (fast tempo)
Squat (slow tempo)
Squat (varied tempo)
Squat (bodyweight)
Squat (face wall)
Squat (Hindu)
Squat (one-legged)
Squat (pistol)
Squat (Bulgarian split)
Squat (split)
Squat (lunge)
Squat (side-lunge/"Cossacks")
Squat (bearhug w. sandbag)
Squat (shouldered sandbag)
Squat (front w. kettlebells)
Squat (front w. single kettlebell)
Squat (overhead w. kettlebells)
Squat (one-arm overhead)
Squat (drop to overhead)

Training As Escape - When Habit Becomes Addiction

2011-07-27T12:00:00.003-05:00

...a book I've never read
(Does he look like an exercise junky to you?)

The discipline of regular training has always been a time to catch my breath and clear the mind, a "fortress of solitude" so to speak. In this way, time in the gym can be like a steam valve - a healthy outlet for the body and mind to reset.

BUT, for many of the most dedicated gym-rats, training can become more than a healthy habit. You see it a lot in gyms, bootcamps, and affiliates: the training addict. They use physical exercise as a way to escape loneliness and emotional chaos. They use a combination of endorphins and subsequent fatigue to keep their thoughts and emotions in check. Training becomes an obsession in AND out of the gym... marathon gym sessions, conversations on and off-line about exercise, programming, and tools, tools, tools. And here's the kicker: ALL OF THIS WORKS... for a while... until you need more (and addicts will always need more)... until you can't train... until it doesn't. Believe it or not, the SAID (specific adaptations to imposed demands) principle applies here as well; if you lift weights to forget your problems, you get better at lifting weights to forget your problems. Unfortunately, the problems do not dissappear and your other strategies and means to deal with and eliminate stress may atrophy.

Sadly, all of the training logs, food logs, pedometers, heart monitors, magazines, forums, blogs, journals, and body bugs in the world will not fill the psychic void, nor unroot the underlying anger and sadness. None of these address the core issues and is the equivalent of someone putting a lid that is too small on a garbage can of fermenting thought patterns.

There is no easy solution. Yes, weight training can be just the catalyst to turn your entire life around, but it can just as easily become another avoidance strategy. I've seen a lot of both. When exercise becomes a substitute for dealing with life issues, those issues may simply wait it out and come knocking again when you least expect it and are least able to deal with them. They want and need your attention.

Related Posts:
Redemption Center Diaries (Squat Rx blog post)
Managing Depression With Weightlifting. Or, How You Feel Is A Lie (Nick Horton's blog post)
Doing Nothing (Squat Rx blog post about meditation)

I LOVE The Title Of This Post...

2011-07-27T00:00:00.001-05:00

Absolutely! Squatting: An Expression Of Health Well said.

Strength Work and Technique Work Are NOT Mutually Exclusive

2011-07-22T00:00:00.002-05:00

I used to get at least a couple of emails every week from someone who wanted to improve their squat numbers and their squatting technique. Usually, the email would read something like this:

Hi,
Thank you for your Squat Rx videos. I've learned a lot from them. I realize now that I am flexing my lower back as I lower into my squat and I'm not really engaging my glutes or hamstrings at all. My thoracic spine mobility stinks and so does my hamstring flexibility. I have bad posture to boot. I can squat 225lbs x 5 x 5, but I'm going to start squatting only the empty bar until I get my technique right. What do you think? Any advice you could give would be awesome. Thanks.

My canned response would usually be something like this:

Hi,
Thank you for the kind words about the videos. I'm glad you found them informative.
I think that relying on empty bar work is going to be a mistake if you are hoping to bring up your squat numbers as well as technique. My suggestion would be to back off on the weights a little for a few weeks and strive to make every rep as rock-solid as you can. Concentrate on ONE THING (and only one) to improve on with your squat in a given session and make sure you "git'r done". Good luck and let me know how it goes.

I think there is great value in spending time with the empty bar, or even a broomstick for some movements, but here's the thing: you can easily chew up a few months to a year doing nothing but corrective drills and empty bar work, only to find other issues waiting for you when you finally decide it's okay to add weight. Yes, a lot of people need to "work on technique" (and I define technique broadly to include the bar path, inter/intra-muscular coordination, proprioception, range of motion, tempo, etc), but that must not be exclusive of heavy work if your goals include lifting heavy weights. So, at what point is the weight heavy enough? It depends on the exercise and the individual, of course, but for squats, 60% of your one-rep-max for multiple low rep sets is a good starting point. As a general rule, beginners will have greater tolerance to handle higher percentages and volume, while more advanced lifters may use even lower percentages and at times with additional resistance in the form of bands or chains.

Dan John's "Intervention" - DVD Review

2011-07-17T15:30:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's great.

"Intervention" - 3 DVD Set ($129)

The newest DVD from Dan John is his best work to date. In my opinion, it is an absolute must-have for trainers and S&C coaches. I know I've probably said that before about other products and I stand by those, but it is that superb. How does this DVD differ from his others? This one is all about programming - creating an appropriate strength program for you and your clients, whether they are sedentary baby boomers, age groupers, or elite athletes. He runs down just about everything you need, from "assessments", to rep schemes, to exercise selection.

There are three DVDs in the set, each running about an hour. The first disc is good - very "Dan John". The second disc, I thought "Whoa... I need to pay better attention." The third disc had me fumbling for the pause button so that I could grab a pen and crack open a notebook to catch up.

Dan begins with a run down of some basic tools to bring to bear when you first work with a client, then moves to basic human movements, then follows with "patterns", "slow strength", "symmetry", and "the triads" (sounds ominous, I know). The DVD does a great job of split-screen displaying Dan John's notes in a digital format that's easy to read - you'll appreciate it if you have aging eyes like mine! Having said that, I should be clear that Dan John has really done an amazing job of presenting his material in a very slick table/graphic organizer - I rewrote it in my notes and mulled it over for some time with a smile on my face.

In addition to the video content, the DVDs contain a PDF of the lecture transcript and expanded thoughts (which I have not viewed yet), and also an MP3 audio file that you might listen to in the car, or (like me) while working.

It is more expensive than other products from Dan John and the Drapers, but no Dan John fan would feel it wasn't worth it, and any strength and conditioning coach with a clue will reap huge dividends from the purchase. If you are a training novice, then this DVD set will probably be (no offense intended) over your head and you would do better to start with other DVDs that cover exercise execution, such as Dan John: Perfecting Your Kettlebell Form, or Dan John: Olympic Lifting For Beginners.

The real test of whether the product has an impact is whether or not I will be making changes to my own training because of it... YES. Yes, I will. It is just the push I needed at the perfect time (currently a "yellow", but soon to be a "green"). So, a big thanks to Dan John and the Drapers for putting out something very special.

YouTube clips from Intervention:

Dan John: Intervention

Dan John: Basic Human Movements

Dan John: The Hinge Assessment Tool

Dan John: Realistic Reps

A Tip For Pressing

2011-07-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

One tip I learned from powerlifting was to keep the "elbows tucked" when bench pressing. Another tip, learned from a world-class powerlifter and bench press specialist in Japan (which I saw again in Pavel Tsatsouline's "The Naked Warrior"), was to drive the shoulders toward the feet while pressing. In Squat Rx #22, I gave the tip to "Do The Fonzie".

All of these tips, functionally, serve to externally rotate the arm, and engage the lats and triceps into your press and support the extended arm, and can be simplified to the instruction to bend the bar in an upside-down "U" while pressing. It isn't something that anyone should over-apply - for many, a resultant pressure on the outside of the palms is enough to engage the lats and tris. It works for both bench and overhead presses, and is more easily learned with a barbell than dumbbells or kettlebells.

"Bend The Bar"

No Frills and No Excuses

2011-07-08T00:00:00.001-05:00

I spent some time in Japan this summer and, while my in-law's car port is "enough" (2009 blog post), I wanted to be able to return from Japan ready to squat a little heavier than when I was doing the volume binge of one million pounds. So, I managed to find a weightlifting gym.

I don't think most of these men would know a glute-ham bench from an extra-terrestrial...

There were no frills at this one - an assorted mish-mash of plates, barbells old and worn to the point of having no discernable knurling, an early Universal station that probably predates my birth, a power-rack prototype that doubles as a chinning bar, and a few plate loaded dumbbells that collect dust. There's no music, no air-conditioning, no heating, (when I was there) no women, and (as far as I could tell) no collars. A little better than the pipes and cogs gym perhaps, but nothing extra here.

Gym hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 6pm to 9pm.

Cost: about $100 a year.

Active Members: 20-30.

I never saw less than 60 kilograms on the bar in the squat rack or on the bench. It was as if these blue Uesaka plates were never to be removed.

A high-tech chalk box

So, the question is, how does your gym stack up? If it has everything you need to get strong (and no one needs much really), are you exploiting those resources the best that you can?

Be The Squirrel (Part II)

2011-07-04T00:00:00.003-05:00

A few years ago now, I posted about the idea of "mushin" and told readers to "Be The Squirrel". On the same subject, but for clarification, I share with you this video:

Just so it's clear, "being the squirrel" does NOT mean doing what the squirrel does - it is having a "performance mindset", separate and distinct from a "training mindset". The training mindset is reflective, analytical; the performance mindset is not - it is your "go gear". To be successful long-term, you need both.

Huge News - We're Fat Because We Eat Too Much!

2011-07-02T00:00:00.001-05:00

Shocking, I know: Scientists Learn That We're Fat From Eating Too Much

I'm glad we have studies like this to tell us the obvious. I mean, really, do we need a longitudinal study to tell us that we are fatter today because we are eating more than we were 30 years ago? The why is irrelevant, but I think it's safe to say that we have more snack foods than ever and, thanks to a lot more computer and desk time, we have more time and access to said snack foods.

I've said this before, but I'll say it again: Sitting more = Eating more. Sitting less = Eating Less.

Often, we eat because we are bored. Channel and web-surfing are boring activities, and we break up the monotony by snacking.

Want to lose weight? Get off your duff!

In the not so distant future, we're going to be like the humans in WALL-E

Training In Tokyo

2011-06-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month, I spent time in Tokyo with RKC Taikei Matsushita. We had a good time, eating, talking shop and training. We took a couple hours to play in Kiba Park with some kettlebells, while tweaking technique and giving a little instruction here and there to his acquaintances.

I don't get to work with a 44kg kettlebell very often... FUN!

"Buddy, your scaps are HERE!"

Strong Men

2011-06-29T00:00:00.001-05:00

Maybe everyone's already seen this - I don't see much in the way of television but, luckily, someone posted about this series on a forum I frequent. Looks like a fun show!

National Geographic's "Strong Men" (episodes and trailers)

One-Armed Farmer's Walk (aka "The Suitcase Carry")

2011-06-27T00:00:00.021-05:00

So, the past couple of weeks I've been "a travelin' man" and that usually means my regular training takes a hit. I don't mind - sometimes the break is exactly what I need and it forces me to be creative and train things I usually neglect.

Armed with little but a 28kg kettlebell, I revisited some great exercises that certainly deserve time and effort. One of those exercises, is a one-armed farmer's walk, also known as the "suitcase carry". If you've never spent time with this one, do - I think you'll find it surprisingly difficult to carry a weight unilaterally that you would carry comfortably with two-handed farmer's walks. Farmer's walks with a pair of 28kg bells would not be a big deal, for example, but carrying a single 28kg bell, without the twin to balance the load, is a treat.

A little lean is fine if the weight gets heavy, but don't go crazy with it

Related Posts & Resources:
The Secret Of Loaded Carries by Dan John (t-nation article)

Everything's Over My Head - From The Ground Up - Carried Away ($39.95) DVD by Dan John.
It it straight-forward and to the point - if you train, you will probably enjoy it. If you enjoy people talking about anatomy, you probably won't.

Dad Strength Part II: "If You Had To Choose One Exercise..." (Squat Rx post)

The Next DVD I'll Get Is...

2011-06-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

These clips, from the DVD "Intervention" by Dan John and davedraper.com, look fantastic.

Some of it does take time to percolate though - I don't think even 5 years ago I would have heard (really heard) the message in the first clip. Now, it's so freaking obvious, I don't know what took me so long to figure out. I guess, just like most people, I still need lots of reminders.

I've been rediscovering the suitcase carry recently while on vacation with a 28kg kettlebell. It's a deceptively simple, but brutally effective exercise. I'll post about it soon.

Guest Post At The World's Strongest Librarian

2011-06-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

I wrote a guest post for Josh Hanagarne's site, World's Strongest Librarian.

It's a parody piece - hopefully, people will find humor in it. If you like zombies (and certifications), check it out and let me know what you think.

The Certified Zombie Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certification Challenge (or CZSCSCC, for short)

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-17T00:00:00.011-05:00

It's that time of year again. Here are three videos that we've all seen here before, but never fail to move me, and a post I made about Justin Halpern and his old man. Here's to all the pappy's and men who make a difference out there.

On the lighter side... Justin Halpern's Dad

Happy Father's Day!

The Coach as "Trusted Advisor"

2011-06-16T00:00:00.006-05:00

Honestly, a huge part of my job, as a coach, teacher, father, husband, and friend, as I see it, is BEING THERE physically, mentally, emotionally. Being there for someone... anyone, requires you to let go of 'you'; let go of the "me-monster". The Trusted Advisor by David Maister, gives some great tips for recognizing a "me-monster" mindset and how to right things so that you can become your students or athletes' "trusted advisor".

Are you excessively self-oriented? Ask yourself if you do any of the following when working with clients or students, take a moment to think about them, and answer them honestly. This might require a little pride-swallowing and if it makes you defensive then that's something to think about...

Clients recognize excessive self-orientation through such things as:

1. A tendency to relate their stories to ourselves

2. A need to too quickly finish their sentences for them

3. A need to fill empty spaces in conversations

4. A need to appear clever, bright, witty, etc.

5. An inability to provide a direct answer to a direct question

6. An unwillingness to say we don't know

7. Name-dropping of other clients

8. A recitation of qualifications

9. A tendency to give answers too quickly

10. A tendency to want to have the last word

11. Close-ended questions early on

12. Putting forth hypotheses or problem statements before fully hearing the client's hypotheses or problem statements

13. Passive listening; a lack of visual and verbal cues that indicate the client is being heard

14. Watching the client as if he/she were a television set (merely a source of data)

Maister gives many tips for becoming your client, student, or athlete's "trusted advisor" by doing the following things to demonstrate a lack of self-orientation:

1. Letting the client fill in the empty spaces

2. Asking the client to talk about what's behind an issue

3. Using open-ended questions

4. Not giving answers until the right is earned to do so (and the client will let you know when you have earned it)

5. Focusing on defining the problem, not guessing the solution

6. Reflective listening, summarizing what we've heard to make sure we heard correctly what was said and what was intended

7. Saying you don't know when you don't know

8. Acknowledging the feelings of the client (with respect)

9. Learning to tell the client's story before we write our own

10. Listening to clients without distractions: door closed, phone off, email not in line of sight, frequent eye contact

11. Resisting with confidence a client's invitation to provide a solution too early on - to stay in the listening and joint problem definition phases of discussion

12. Trusting in our ability to add value after listening, rather than trying to do so during listening

13. Taking most of the responsibility for failed communications

- The Trusted Advisor

The Only Way Out Is Through

2011-06-14T00:00:00.028-05:00

I hate stagnation as much as the next guy, but sometimes in our search for a way out, we ignore the very thing that we wish to improve. You hear it on the internet all the time:

"Oh, you want to improve your bench? Do dips."
"Oh, you want to get better at squats? Do glute-ham bench."
"Oh, you want to eat less and lose weight? Get a dog."

Listen, dealing with an issue doesn't mean ignoring it. Yes, symptoms and causes can be convoluted - we talked about that here; I'm all for the idea of "same, but different", and I'm a big believer in the use of auxiliary and supplemental exercises.

BUT (and these are important "buts")...

There's "same, but different", and then there's "just different". Yes, there can be a "WTH-effect", but the more disparate the exercises, the less likely they're going to pleasantly surprise you with carry-over unless you get lucky or very intelligently choose the Holy Grail of supplementary exercises.
The SAID (specific adaptations to imposed demands) principle is pretty, well, specific. If you want to full squat 500 pounds, you're probably going to have to spend a good amount of time squatting... with a barbell... on your back... below parallel...

I hope it goes without saying that I am NOT advocating pushing through pain and injury. It might not be comforting to hear, nor comfortable to do but, often, the only way out is through. If you want to get better at benching, you need to bench. If you want to improve your squat, you need to squat. If you want to pull heavy, you have to pull. Simple, but not easy.

Three Months Later

2011-06-13T00:00:00.002-05:00

Three months after earthquakes and a giant tsunami hit Japan, the totals (according to Yomiuri Shinbun 6/12/11) stand at 15,413 lives lost, 8069 missing, and 88,361 homeless and/or relocated.

Please donate, here or at The American Red Cross, if you can.

Can You Lift a 150 Kilogram Rice Cake?

2011-06-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Every February an event is held at a temple in Kyoto in which participants take a turn at lifting a table of giant rice cakes. The goal is to lift and then hold the table (150kg for men, 90kg for women) off the platform for as long as possible. This year, the winning times were 10:01 and 5:30 for men and women respectively.

Keeping the shins vertical seems to be good advice here...

I don't think the monk is helping much.

Related article (in Japanese): Giant Kagami-mochi Lifting Contest (Kyoto, Godaiji Temple)

In Okayama prefecture, at Kenmitsuji Temple, the object is to walk with the giant kagami-mochi which reportedly weighs 180kg! Honestly, I'm not convinced the weight is accurate as this puts the event on the same level as a Husefell Stone carry (a la World's Strongest Man).

A World Of Virgins Studying Sex

2011-06-09T15:30:00.004-05:00

A couple of years ago, I was reading a chunk of books that Dan John had suggested. One of the first I chose from his list was the book "On Killing" by Lt. Col. David Grossman. If you've ever had a loved one or a friend go to war, or even if you haven't but still want to try to "understand", then it's worth your time. It's not what I'd call "an easy read"(emotionally, that is), but I could not tear myself away and it was one of the few books I've read recently that affected me profoundly.

On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society

There are, of course, many insights, most of which seem commonsensical ("Well, OF COURSE that would affect you!") but, in the context of the book and first-hand accounts and logical conclusions, become all the more convincing. It has certainly made me rethink the conversations and recommendations I have had with teenagers in the past about movies and video games, for example.

A point Lt. Col. Grossman makes early in the book is that conversations and research on the subject of killing often are (or have been) like "a world of virgins studying sex". In the strength, fitness, and conditioning community too, you will find many writer-gurus that have not spent much time in the racks and under a barbell. In this regard, they are like a bunch of virgins in lab coats, dispensing advice about sex when, in fact, the only advice they may be qualified to give is about abstinence.

Day 78 - SICK!

2011-06-02T16:30:00.001-05:00

I knew as soon as I had finished squatting to a million pounds that I needed to be careful. I've talked about the Japanese proverb "In victory, tighten your helmet." before - how we tend to be caught by disaster when we've let down our guard after a successful battle. It certainly applies now. On Tuesday night, I was more worried about throwing out my back - I managed to avoid that, but ended up waking up with a head cold the next morning.

Tonight, it's back to training. I'll be staying away from the squat racks a while longer, but Bulgarian split squats, barbell presses, and kettlebell work will be back in the menu for the first time in a couple of months.

Squat To A Million - Day 77

2011-06-01T00:00:00.004-05:00

Tonight, I had about an hour to train and this is what I managed to put in at the squat racks:

SQ: bar x 20 x 2sets
SQ (w. 1 set of chains): bar x 10 x 2sets
SQ (w. 2 sets of chains): bar x 10 x 2sets, 135lbs x 5, 205lbs x 5*, 225lbs x 5*, 245lbs x 5*
SQ (w. 1 set of chains): 205lbs x 10 x 2sets*, 155lbs x 10 x 10sets (last 4 sets low bar), 135lbs x 10 x 2sets, 135lbs x 12 x 2sets, 135lbs x 20*
*= w. low bar position

I had to end it a little early to take my son to a lesson but, honestly, I didn't want to do more. Today, the garage was hot and humid - after an hour of squatting, I was drenched. I left the racks not knowing how much volume I had put in, and knowing that I might have to return to the racks later to finish. I didn't have to worry; volume for the session ended up being 41,570lbs (figuring 20lbs per set of 40lb chains).

Without fuss or fanfare, and after exactly 11 weeks: 1,005,573 pounds down - all done.

A bit anticlimactic really - I had hopes of ending this run with sets well above 300lbs, but it was not to be. While everything above 200lbs felt good and reasonably fast, my body has gotten used to higher reps and lower intensities - right now, anything much over 225lbs just feels heavy. That's acceptable for the time being - I went into this million pounds not having barbell squatted consistently for two years, and I know that following some rest, a few weeks of heavy will bring things around quickly. For the time being however, I'm looking forward to a little rest and recovery, and maybe some KB work.

Thank you everyone for your support and for joining me on this million pound journey. It's been educational and I'll be reflecting on it from time to time over the coming weeks. Fundraising will continue, so please contribute if you can here or at The American Red Cross

Squat To A Million Update: 36,000lbs To Go

2011-05-31T12:00:00.001-05:00

Only 36,000lbs to go. I should be able to finish tonight, but no promises. If I feel good, I'll try to push the intensity up for a few sets, then back it down to a nice and easy weight to pump out the volume.

Please Give.

The American Red Cross

Nearing The End

2011-05-28T12:00:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, after my 73rd consecutive day of squatting, I passed the 900,000lb mark. Barring something unforeseen, I will pass the million mark by next weekend.

Today, after seeing how training goes, I will decide if I will still try a run to finish by June 1st, or on day # 80.

We'll keep at the fundraising, even after the squat to a million pounds is over, so please pass along the word of our efforts here. Thanks everyone.

The American Red Cross

Pain Is A Disease

2011-05-26T19:00:00.001-05:00

A while back, I wrote about how causes and symptoms can sometimes be a dichotomy with limited usefulness. If you've ever had an injury, you may have had nagging pains that should have gone away with time and physical healing. "I should be better now!" you think to yourself as you descend into the hole of pain again and again. Sometimes, you find your groove again, and sometimes you just hang your belt on the j-hooks in disgust. It can be frustrating.

About three weeks ago, I found myself in a pain-rut without a discernible injury that I was not able to squat around. My lower back would scream on the first rep of every set and be absolutely quiet on successive reps. Normally, I'd be happy that I could work through it, but those first reps were torture and when you are after volume, who wants that? Certainly not me. My solution, my "occupational therapy" so to speak, came in the form of single kettlebell squats and barbell box squats - neither triggered pain and after a few weeks, my lower back is now feeling solid again.

No One Said It Would Be Easy...

2011-05-22T18:00:00.001-05:00

Squat To A Million Update

Training has been better. After hitting the three-quarters mark, work-related stress, lawn care, and illness left me 15 pounds lighter. I don't complain about this weight loss to co-workers, by the way - they'd just give me one of those "Oh yeah, it must suck SOOO bad"-looks. Compounding the whole thing was inadvertently quitting caffeine as I could stomach little more than Gatorade for three days.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were essentially only squats with an empty bar, but I've managed to keep hitting the racks every day and feel reasonably good doing so even when I had to run to the bathroom between sets. Finishing by June 1 is looking less and less likely, but I'll keep at it until it's done.

After 68 consecutive days of squatting = 818,733lbs down, 181,267lbs to go.

What's the point? American Red Cross - please give.

Walk It Out!

2011-05-17T23:00:00.001-05:00

Working with high school kids in particular, I notice that a lot of them, after an intense exertion lasting a couple minutes or more, crumple to the ground with looks of absolute agony. Then, after a few minutes of moaning and panting, pick themselves off the floor to prepare for repeat efforts. This is more common with kids who are not serious about athletics, but I see it in sports practice as well. I'm not a doctor, but there are, as I see it, several things wrong with this approach to "recovery":

1) Blood is not shuttled through fatigued muscles and localized lactic acid build up is not removed as quickly as it might be if light movement were continued during recovery. Without a cool down of some sort, blood is likely to pool in stressed musculature.
Tension is fine when it is appropriate to the context. However, tension fatigues and destroys sensitivity - not something you want in repose.

2) Heart rate and breathing take longer to return to resting levels.
I'm not up on current research in this area, but you'd have a hard time convincing me that light movements to "taper off" a hard exertion were not healthier, even if qualitative research demonstrated no time difference in return to pre-exercise heart and breathing patterns.

3) You cannot practice proper posture, breathing, and "readiness" curled up in the fetal position on the ground.
I've worked with some large linemen and many of them just did not understand how to breath properly while trying to recover from efforts. I don't know why that was the case with these young men in particular, but it was the case that they lost their cookies on hill sprints. Keeping them moving and stressing breaths through the nose and "into the belly" equalled less time moaning on the ground, and less time with Pukie The Clown. "Walk it out!" I'd tell them, usually with some light skipping or arm circles thrown in here and there. In a few sessions, they had acquired greater breath control and were more quickly physically and mentally ready for "NEXT".

Squat To A Million Update: Three-Fourths Done

2011-05-16T20:00:00.001-05:00

The longer you train, the clearer you are on the following truth: One session, one set, or one rep will not make you, but one session, one set, or one rep certainly could break you.

With the option of taking days to rest between squat sessions removed, I find myself having to squat through some pretty persistent aches and pains - aches and pains that I don't ignore but, with my mind made up to squat everyday, simply interpret differently than I would otherwise. Whereas normally, I'd listen to the aches and pains and respond with an extra day or two of rest, now I simply respond with more stretching, massage, and icing before bed, and I warm up generously and seek out squat variant options that feel good. Lately, box squats with chains have been nice to me.

The whole purpose of this squat to a million endeavor is awareness and I'm certainly getting new lessons in that. Speaking of awareness, I'm still raising money for disaster relief. Please donate if you can to The American Red Cross, or through this website on the right hand side the page - I will be passing along every dollar to a charity working with disaster victims in Japan.

Skwat! T-Shirt Drawing Results

2011-05-14T14:54:00.001-05:00

We drew 6 names this morning from 70 entries (on my son's count). Together, we raised over $300 with our t-shirt drawing. Thank you and congratulations to everyone who donated. It means a lot to me and I'm very proud to be associated with you all.

I'll have those shirts out to you early next week - thanks again everyone!

Secrets Of Success From Richard St. John

2011-05-10T18:00:00.004-05:00

CRAP is a unavoidable fact of life. It doesn't matter how awesome your job or outlook is. Here is a short TED video about 8 Secrets of Success. Enjoy!

T-Shirt Drawing In One Week!

2011-05-07T22:02:00.001-05:00

Our T-shirt drawing will be held next Saturday. I'd like to set the deadline for entries at Saturday, May 14th, 7am, CST. I will film and post the drawing early on Saturday Morning.

Thank you to everyone who's donated! Corresponding with you all has been a great pleasure! There's still time to get entries in if you'd like to!

Boris

So Far, So Good... So What?

2011-05-05T00:30:00.001-05:00

50 consecutive days of squatting - 639,285lbs down, 360,715lbs to go

Nothing tempers a squat session like knowing that you have to go to the squat racks again tomorrow.

A change of shoes can be a major technical shift.

Same + More of Same ≠ Same

If positioning for low bar squats is a bear, bent-over laterals are great for mobility.

Daily training makes it easier to monitor subtle fluctuations in technique, tension, and sensitivity as they emerge and subside.

Please donate and enter our May 14th drawing, or donate to The American Red Cross.

A Squat Rx PSA...

2011-05-03T18:00:00.001-05:00

A few "public service announcements" from Squat Rx:

If your technique is lacking, doing as many reps as you can in a limited period of time will NOT sharpen it.

If you can't squat properly with bodyweight, then using a loaded barbell with the movement isn't a good idea.

If you can't rack a barbell for a front squat, then you probably shouldn't be doing cleans... at all.

If you are very overweight and your trainer suggests sprinting and plyos (also known as plyometrics), you need a new trainer.

Chuck needs to learn to rack the weight first...

Long Term Mastery Comes From Mastery Of Now

2011-05-02T21:30:00.001-05:00

THIS training session is all-important - understanding that is key. This training session, this set, this one rep may set into motion an ephiphany, a paradigmatic change, a threshold breaking cascade of improvements necessary for future success down the road.

May 14th T-Shirt Drawing Update!

2011-05-01T22:00:00.001-05:00

Thank you to everyone who has donated and entered the Skwat! T-shirt Drawing that will be held on May 14th! If you've donated and haven't received at least one email from me, thanking you for your donation - please let me know. If you'd like to donate and enter our drawing, please do and pass it along to anyone you know who might be interested.

So far, including donations gathered at Squat Rx and with my students, we've raised over $2000 dollars total! All money collected has gone to or will go to charities working with tsunami/earthquake victims.

Thank you everyone! ガンバロウ日本！

Boris

Blogs Of Note VI

2011-04-30T18:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've introduced posts from other blogs, but here are a few recent outstanding ones:

*Presentation Zen*
Garr Reynold's blog is a wonderful source of inspiration for anyone who teaches and/or gives presentations and lectures. This post, The Need For Participation, Compassion, and Community In The Classroom (and lecture hall), presents clips from a documentary "Children Full Of Life". Be prepared to be moved by children's pure emotion and the skill of a veteran grade school teacher as he leads and guides his class towards a more empathetic and compassionate sense of community.

*rosstraining.com*
Ross Enamait's site is full of great resources for fighters and people interested in bodyweight and home training options. I've heard nothing but good things about his books Never Gymless and Infinite Intensity - they are on my list of books to pick up asap. In this blog post, Ross gives a homemade dipping belt recipe: Dips & Pull-Ups - Homemade Belt

*Dave Draper's Iron Online Strength Conditioning Blog*
Dave and Laree Draper's blog has GREAT guest posts from authors such as yours truly and more well-known authors like Dan John and Gray Cook. In this post, Strong Does Not Necessarily Equal Tough, Gray Cook talks about the follow of trying to coach toughness, when what we are coaching is strength - the takeaway is that toughness comes from the strength training, not the other way around.

The point is not to make things unnecessarily hard; it’s to make really hard stuff become easier, safer and more manageable, and then move to something harder. Somehow squatting weight on an unstable surface does not seem that smart or necessary. Balancing on an unstable surface is a great way to train balance reactions, and squatting with weight is a great way to get strong, but combining the activities only reduces the benefit of each in an artificial attempt to be functional. You can’t fool nature; nature knows it’s a stupid exercise. Instead of trying to make our fluffy exercises harder with awkward angles and bad lines, we should pick some hard exercises that are time-honored and technically sound, and learn the art of making them easy.

Other Blogs Of Note Posts:

Blogs Of Note I

Blogs Of Note II

Blogs Of Note III

Blogs Of Note IV
Blogs Of Note V

Squat To A Million: 553,800lbs Down, 446,200lbs To Go

2011-04-30T10:00:00.001-05:00

After 45 consecutive days of squatting, I have logged 553,800lbs. Weekly volume has creeped upward as I've been trying to move things along. Intensity has also kicked up a little - one can only do so many sets with 135lbs, I guess. I'm hoping to finish by June, but doing so will mean daily sessions of 14000lbs+ in May. We'll see.

Please donate to The American Red Cross or to Squat Rx - every dollar will go to charity and every $5 donation will put you in our May 14th drawing for Skwat! t-shirts.

If You Want A Skwat! T-Shirt...

2011-04-24T22:45:00.004-05:00

We're going to have a raffle! For every $5 donated to disaster relief through Squat Rx, your name will be entered for a drawing to win a free Skwat! t-shirt. You can enter as much as you'd like. Every dollar donated will go to disaster relief. Please include a shipping address and t-shirt size when you donate.

On Saturday, May 14th, I will post a video drawing four donor names and then send a t-shirt to each of them. If I draw your name more than once, I will send you more than one t-shirt.

This summer, I will be visiting family in Japan and plan to donate this money raised to a charity in Sendai. So far, all donations have gone to the American Red Cross and I am very happy with that, but I would like to donate to people in Northern Japan more directly if possible. If I am unable to visit Northern Japan due to aftershocks or other circumstances, then I will donate through the Japanese Red Cross.

Thank you so much for everything you've done so far and I hope to hear from you. The raffle will be held on May 14th - please get your name in!

*I've had several people inquire about buying shirts directly since this post - I will likely have assorted sizes remaining after the raffle, but I will be giving many of those to the largest contributors whose names were not drawn. As of right now, the chances of your name being drawn are OUTSTANDING - hopefully many will enter, but so far not so many...

Turkish Wrestling

2011-04-23T23:00:00.000-05:00

This is a yearly event in Turkey. I'd have zero interest in competing, but it would probably be fun to spend a day watching.

Squat To A Million - Day 33

2011-04-17T22:30:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow, if all goes well, I will pass 400,000lbs.

Please donate: The American Red Cross

Guest Post From The World's Strongest Librarian

2011-04-16T22:00:00.003-05:00

When it comes to book recommendations, there are very few people that I have absolute trust in - Josh Hanagarne is one of them. Josh is an amazing man and writer whose blog, The World's Strongest Librarian, covers topics ranging from book reviews, to guitar, to Tourette's Syndrome, to strength & conditioning. He offered to write guest posts for readers of his blog and I jumped at the chance. Here is his review of the book "Emotional Awareness". I will be picking up a copy this weekend without fail. Enjoy!

Emotional Awareness: Overcoming the Obstacles to Psychological Balance

Book Review: Emotional Awareness
by Josh Hanagarne
I first heard of Paul Ekman when I was reading about how to tell if someone was lying by their facial expressions. In his book Telling Lies he really gets into the rampant deceit in the marketplace, in politics, in marriage, and in all of our interpersonal relationships.
I first heard of The Dalai Lama when…well, I don’t know when, but it was probably from Boris, who has recommended several wonderful books of Eastern thought and philosophy to me in the past.
Emotional Awareness is a series of dialogues between these two thinkers. I think this book is the literary equivalent of the East West smackdown from Rocky IV. It seemed like an odd match to me at first, but that passed quickly.
These two aren’t antagonists, and I’m guessing there was no snappy soundtrack in the background during their good-natured verbal checks.
During their discussion they cover…far too many things to discuss. This is a book of deep thoughts that you could drown in if you started meandering. But I’ll tell you what was most relevant to me. Their discussions of what the Dalai Lama calls “afflictive emotions” and afflictive psychological states.
Some of you may have followed my Tourette’s case on my own blog. In Emotional Awareness they spend a good deal of time talking about the “states” we exist in. Our mental and emotional conditions.
These two great thinkers have managed to articulate so many of the things that I have only glimpsed the edges of. Their ideas about “better” vs “worse” align with most of my own—I’m just not as good as talking about it as they are.
Aristotle described the sense of falling in love with someone as something similar to what I call déjà vu. When we met a person we are entranced by there is a familiarity there that Aristotle attributed to (I’m paraphrasing) the remembering of something we already knew—this is a rough notion of Aristotelian pre-existence. That we don’t necessarily learn things, but we remember things we once knew.
The reason I mention this is because it is how reading Emotional Awareness felt to me. Their discussions of contempt, nirvana, parenting, attachment, and other concepts all felt familiar to me. Perhaps this simply means that I used to have common sense and now it’s gone.
Regardless, if you’ve ever enjoyed any of Boris’ or my own reading recommendations, I think Emotional Awareness will be worth your time.
Thanks Boris.

About the author
Josh Hanagarne reviews books and more at World’s Strongest Librarian. He is also The Dean of Dunce Academy, has cured his own extreme case of Tourette’s Syndrome, wishes they made pants in his size, and runs a beauty of an online book club, if he does say so himself.

Why?

2011-04-15T07:29:00.000-05:00

After 30 days and 30 squat sessions, I have logged 346,135lbs. I go to the squat racks everyday without feelings of entitlement or expectation. I hope to squat at least 10,000lbs per session, but I am not attached to that idea. If my knees or lower back are a little more noticeable than usual, I message, I stretch, I use "Atomic Balm", I look for other squatting options - so far, I've done high-bar, low-bar, manta-ray, Top Squat, and kettlebell squats (among others). Squats kettlebells, or with a sandbag shouldered to one side seem to work magic with mobility and for "evening me out".

Thank you to everyone who has donated so far and thank you for checking in on this journey. My goal is to finish by June 1st, but no promises.

Please donate: The American Red Cross

The Few And The Proud

2011-04-13T23:30:00.001-05:00

One of the best training partners I ever had was a man old enough to be my father - Bob was a Marine and a Vietnam War veteran. He never missed a training session. He never skipped a set. And he never, ever complained about training aches and pains. I think the closest thing I ever heard him say what could have been construed as a mild complaint was "I think I'll take an extra 'Aleve' tonight." I try to remember him as I hobble around, feeling sorry for myself.

This video has made the rounds in blog-land, but I thought it was nice. It gave me some new warm-fuzzies towards The Corp and even though I'm a Pride fan, the UFC as well.

One Month Later...

2011-04-12T23:05:00.006-05:00

It's been one month since the tsunami hit northern Japan. I've been squatting for 28 days now. 323,215lbs completed. 676,785lbs to go. I'm going to see if I can finish by June but no promises.

Please donate - American Red Cross

Natsukawa Rimi - Asu To Iu Hi Ga

Words Of Wisdom - Dan Millman

2011-04-11T17:00:00.001-05:00

Body Mind Mastery: Training For Sport and Life

Take this amusing test: A door swings open before you and you see a sink full of water. The drain is plugged, and the water is running. The water begins to pour over the sink's edge. Do you turn off the water and pull the plug, or do you grab a mop?

Many athletes, and others facing the problems of daily life, spend a lot of time "mopping up" - dealing with symptoms. Many couples, for example, argue constantly about various topics when they need to focus instead on communicating more effectively. Developing mental talent involves "pulling the plug" on the primary source of emotional turbulence and physical tension.

One way to appreciate your present state is to contrast it with that of a typical three-month-old. Babies store many of the impressions of movement and energy they perceive in the world. But because they can't talk, and because they don't yet have complex associations, beliefs, opinions, values, and attitudes relative to those impressions, they don't think much about anything. Children don't philosophize, conceptualize, or theorize. Their attention is entirely focused in the present moment, without judgement or expectation. While their intellects are underdeveloped, their attention is also free of the complex fears, angers, attachments, expectations, plans, biases, self-imagery, and self-criticism that characterize most adult minds. Such "ignorance" is bliss.

Babies are body mind masters in their clarity, relaxation, sensitivity, and openness to the environment, and in their simple, direct approach to life - free of mental reaction and resistance. These qualities account not only for their outstanding learning abilities but also for their innate charm and spontaneity.

When you pay close attention to what you are doing, your mind quiets; and in that moment of silence, the symphony begins.

- Body Mind Mastery: Training For Sport and Life (Dan Millman, pp. 41-42)

Man Cannot Live By Squats Alone

2011-04-10T23:00:00.002-05:00

Squat To A Million - Day 26
After the morning session of squats and axle deadlifts, my hips and knees were aching. So, in the evening, I went back for pull-ups, Bulgarian split squats, and Twist Yo' Wrist. Not surprisingly, my hips and knees felt MUCH better after the Bulgarian split squats in the evening- it's like truing a bicycle wheel by tightening some spokes and loosening others.

I have a long way to go on this million pound journey and occasional tune-ups are going to be necessary to finish strong and healthy. To that end, I'll be careful about intelligent exercise selection and the inclusion of stretching and maybe a massage or two if I can.

After Day #26: 290,375lbs down, 709,625lbs to go.

Please give if you can. The American Red Cross

Day 25 - ガンバレ日本！

2011-04-09T17:00:00.004-05:00

I was watching a Japanese news program on satellite tv this morning. It was tough to watch a grown-man who works at the nuclear plant in Fukushima choke up at a press conference as he reported their frustrations. It was tough listening to people relate stories of helplessly watching others being swept away. It was tough seeing people trying to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives after being relocated in school gymnasiums and vacant apartment units.
I had time for a short training session after watching this. I did some higher rep sets and I was about to call it a day when my iTunes (set to randomly shuffle songs) decided to spit out Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up" - it's one of those tunes that always gets to me. Always has - probably always will. Maybe I keep it on my computer just to remind me that I'm not so badass. Whenever it decides to play, I end up fast forwarding through it, but not today...
Please give: The American Red Cross

Training For New And Expecting Fathers

2011-04-08T00:00:00.001-05:00

The other day, I was talking to a colleague who is a new father. It goes without saying that he was feeling a bit overwhelmed. In a nutshell, my words to him were:

"Dude, it's not your fault."

If you've ever been a new or expecting father, you know exactly what I'm talking about, but you didn't hear that from me...

I also have some more useful advice for those that are trying to maintain some semblance of a training life as a new and expecting father. This article, entitled "New & Expecting Fathers: Tips For Training and Time Management", originally appeared in Dan John's February, 2008 "GET UP!" newsletter. Coach John's newsletter has some amazing gems - you can find all of his newsletters, as well as his blog at danjohn.net

New & Expecting Fathers: Tips for Training and Time Management

Fatherhood is a life-changing event. There is “the moment” when the full weight of your new role strikes you. “The moment” may hit others at different times, but hearing that first weak cry when my son was born was it for me. The words “love” and “responsibility” suddenly carried immense weight. From that moment on, I would find myself in a rage when reckless drivers tailgated, swerved, or honked. I’d get angry when people swore around my son. In short, the world became a scarier place that I needed to be able to defend my baby against if the need arose and, in that context, training became an even greater necessity to me.
I can’t prove it, but I believe that becoming a father automatically makes you stronger.
How does this play out in the wild kingdom? Well, take lions, for example; young rogue lions have a rough life - no sex, no pride, no offspring. They have to hang out with other rogue males. They have no pride of their own, which makes hunting harder. When they think they have what it takes, they challenge a pride leader. The king of the pride is probably older, stronger, better fed. If the king loses, he will be stripped of his lionesses, and his cubs will be killed and possibly eaten. Who would you put your money on? Who has more to lose?
The concept of “Dad Strength” is not just “philosotainment” (a term coined by Dan Adams, author of Dilbert) – it actually exists. This may or may not translate to bigger numbers in the gym, but things like being able to open a can of whoop-ass should the occasion call for it, take on a whole new level of significance when you are a father, and not just for lions.
In this modern and sophisticated age, however, your wife probably doesn’t get the importance of being able to pummel young rogue lions (which is your purpose after all, isn’t it?). So, unless you are fortunate enough to be married to someone who shares your obsession with moving heavy things, your “hobby” can take it in the shorts when you are a new or expecting father. There are some things you can do to better your situation and here I present some tips to help you develop or maintain your “Dad Strength” on a limited time-budget.

*Shift Focus
As a new father, you will find out how heavy 10 pounds can really be. Imagine carrying and protecting a raw egg in your hands while trying to do track and field events – how tired do you think your upper body would get? The answer is pretty damn tired, pretty damn quick. The challenge in holding a small child is not the weight – it is in holding it delicately for long periods of time. Developing “Dad Strength” is a topic for another article, but until your child starts walking, your biggest strength assets will be your ability to carry and load your child + car seat. If you are an expecting father, start doing these exercises NOW: farmers walks, suitcase carries, and “Mr/Miss Stinky Pants Carry” (imagine walking and holding a baby wearing stinky diapers and you’ll get the idea) – you’ll thank me later.

*Front-Load Your Training Week
We all have busy patches when it’s tough to get in a single workout, let alone a string of them. We put off training until later in the week and, before you know it, it’s Saturday already and you haven’t done a single rep of anything except maybe some curls with the television remote. A simple (but not necessarily easy) solution to this is to “front-load” your training week. This means planning your hardest and most productive training session early in the week (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday). If you do this, even if you get busy and don’t train for the rest of the week, you still already have one or two good training sessions in the bank.

*Have Your Mother-In-Law Over for a Week or Two
An easy way to save up on training time is to encourage your wife to have her mother over FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. This will curry goodwill from your wife and, if you clean before Mom-in-law shows up, the reward of extra gym-time is almost guaranteed.
There are limits to this though and diminishing returns with respect to the training time gained. My mother-in-law lives in Japan, so when she visits, it’s not going to be for dinner or chit-chat - it will be something longer than a week and less than a month. After about a week, EVERYONE (including mom-in-law) wants her gone and is looking for excuses to go to the gym. So plan on, at best, one or two weeks of good training with this scheme.

*Get Used To Training at Odd Times
It’s easy to find a solid block of time if you are willing and able to train before everyone else wakes up or after everyone else goes to bed. If you have access to a gym at odd hours or you have equipment at home, the only thing limiting your ability to train is your sleeping habits. Notice that I said your sleeping habits, not sleep. Do not sacrifice sleep, because as Dan John says “Recovery is not a drink. Recovery is sleep.”
Once the kids are tucked in, excuse yourself to the garage or the gym instead of cracking one open. Or, skip the late night websurfing and worthless cable T.V., go to bed and wake up an hour and a half earlier to put in a training session before going to work. Will this suck until you get used to it? Yes, but after a while, you will not miss the time you used to waste watching shows you never really liked that much anyway.

*Give and Ye Shall Receive
If you are a slacker in the “home upkeep” department, you have an uncovered mining opportunity to garner training time. Now, understand that time spent on housework is not directly proportional to training time allowed by wives and, as with mom-in-law time, there are diminishing returns. Too much help around the house will reset long-term expectations of you as a husband, so use this tool sparingly, but, as a general rule, being generous with help around the house will yield more training time.

*Experiment with Time-Based Training Plans
Once upon a time, I believed that if you were serious about “strength” (limit strength, that is), you would stick to low-rep, high-intensity sets with generous rest between exertions. Of course, I still believe that, but after numerous injuries put my non-existent powerlifting career on hold, I loosened my views of what “acceptable” training poundages in the squat and deadlifts are, especially with high reps and/or limited rest intervals.
As a father, it is hard to find a solid hour or two to devote to training. Training programs like Charles Staley’s “EDT” (Escalating Density Training), or Dan John’s One-Lift a Day routine, or Dan John’s “Training for the Busy Working Guy” plan, or interval training (Tabata, et. al), will let you get A LOT done in less than a half-hour and even less than 15 minutes if you are really pressed for time.
I have nothing but respect for the “It’s Westside or DIE!” types, and if you’re one of them, keep in mind that most of us (unless we were ramping our way up to 600+ pounds) could probably work up to a max single, double, or triple in a given exercise within 30 minutes if we put our minds to it. You’ll have to skip the supplemental and auxiliary exercises, but you can get the max effort exercise in relatively quickly and it’s a simple matter to do supplemental work with extra sessions if you have access to minimal equipment.

*If You Can Do It at Home, Do It at Home
Get Up! readers know this already, but there are a ton of things that you can do at home, even if you don’t own a barbell. With some bands, an Army duffle bag, and a few hundred pounds of sand, you will be able to do most exercises, or at least some variation of them. Throw in plates, rope, duct tape, adjustable dumbbells, and maybe a kettlebell or two and you have a home gym that is as functional as most commercial gyms. Add a “slosh pipe” and you’re freaking cutting edge!!!

*Remember, in the Gym and Out, It’s ALL Quality Time
Staying engaged in life is something that’s pretty tough with the distractions of the modern age. Finding time to train is easier if you can eliminate the unimportant things that distract us from the things that really matter. Television, texting, web-surfing, and video games can be bottomless pits of wasted time. Avoid them.
Those carefree days of admiring gym eye-candy from the water fountain or while you pretend to catch your breath between sets of EZ bar curls are over. Depending on how forgiving your wife is, weekend afternoons playing lazy-ass on the couch are probably numbered as well. You have responsibilities now and you need to take care of business, in the gym and out. Having a vision of where you want to be longer term is important for your lifting career and your family life – invest some time to creating or refining those visions.

Priming The Squat (Day 23)

2011-04-07T20:30:00.003-05:00

Today, sets of kettlebell squats with a pair of 24kg bells primed the barbell squat perfectly. The low and forward combined center of gravity warmed up the hips and made the Manta-Ray squats that followed a breeze.

After 23 days of squatting:

14,415lbs today.

256,580lbs so far.

743,420lbs to go.

Please give: The American Red Cross