20110129
I have a new website related exclusively to training!
Without even notifying me or asking what URL or domain name i would prefer, Movement Minneapolis owners/operators Adam T. Glass ["T" = Thor, T-Rex, The Man, etc.] and David Dellanave purchased www.authenticstrengthtrainer.com and surprised me with an email during the NHL All Star Fantasy Draft telling me to 'hurry up and change the password' and to enjoy the new Word Press site.
Many thanks mates. I am very much looking forward to hanging and training come early March, when i visit Minneapolis for the Gym Movement level II & III education courses.
This blog will now serve as a page which houses 'hey look at my other site' posts and stream of thought not always related to training. Like today's post.
"An English afternoon"
I visited my local comic shop today. It was in between the rail station and the wine store, and, well, i had 20.00 smoldering in my pocket and my only brother's birthday coming up in a few weeks. I purchased Alan Moore's "V" for Vendetta for Joseph Raymond Williams, born 1984. And knowing his tastes [he works at a bookstore and is as paranoid as i am], he will enjoy it.
Yet before i wrap it in today's news and fork it over to him, i am going to read it. And as i type this, "OK Computer" floats from my meager speakers, and some light snow has arrived, falling into the street and melting but dusting the huge piles of snow plowed here and there after Wednesday's two-pack of storms. I have not had a bottle of wine to myself in quite sometime. The last few times i imbibed i was sampling various brands of bourbon, which i have come to enjoy the taste of in the last few months. Prior to having a glass of Blanton's after having my arm tattooed in November of 2008, i only knew of bourbon as the stuff i drank when i was in the service which mixed well with Cola and delivered me to an escapist state right quick. These days i can detect subtleties and notes less than obvious in brands such as Eagle Rare, Blanton's, Basil Hayden's and even Knob Creek.
Alas today is not a whiskey day. With the metabolic flexibility testing i am running for the next week or so, my food intake is animal free or light animal matter, and before i enjoy an exact repeat of last night's evening meal, a glass or three while reading "V" For Vendetta sounded like a wonderful idea. After Alan Moore's book i may activate "The Filth and The Fury", which is in wait on my DVR.
Looking back across the pond has long been a hobby of mine. Today satisfies the urge and rewards the efforts of late, shoveling, selling training, etc. Tales for those "who don't turn off the news", indeed.
Best,
Eric "Will" Williams
Ardmore, PA
Many thanks mates. I am very much looking forward to hanging and training come early March, when i visit Minneapolis for the Gym Movement level II & III education courses.
This blog will now serve as a page which houses 'hey look at my other site' posts and stream of thought not always related to training. Like today's post.
"An English afternoon"
I visited my local comic shop today. It was in between the rail station and the wine store, and, well, i had 20.00 smoldering in my pocket and my only brother's birthday coming up in a few weeks. I purchased Alan Moore's "V" for Vendetta for Joseph Raymond Williams, born 1984. And knowing his tastes [he works at a bookstore and is as paranoid as i am], he will enjoy it.
Yet before i wrap it in today's news and fork it over to him, i am going to read it. And as i type this, "OK Computer" floats from my meager speakers, and some light snow has arrived, falling into the street and melting but dusting the huge piles of snow plowed here and there after Wednesday's two-pack of storms. I have not had a bottle of wine to myself in quite sometime. The last few times i imbibed i was sampling various brands of bourbon, which i have come to enjoy the taste of in the last few months. Prior to having a glass of Blanton's after having my arm tattooed in November of 2008, i only knew of bourbon as the stuff i drank when i was in the service which mixed well with Cola and delivered me to an escapist state right quick. These days i can detect subtleties and notes less than obvious in brands such as Eagle Rare, Blanton's, Basil Hayden's and even Knob Creek.
Alas today is not a whiskey day. With the metabolic flexibility testing i am running for the next week or so, my food intake is animal free or light animal matter, and before i enjoy an exact repeat of last night's evening meal, a glass or three while reading "V" For Vendetta sounded like a wonderful idea. After Alan Moore's book i may activate "The Filth and The Fury", which is in wait on my DVR.
Looking back across the pond has long been a hobby of mine. Today satisfies the urge and rewards the efforts of late, shoveling, selling training, etc. Tales for those "who don't turn off the news", indeed.
Best,
Eric "Will" Williams
Ardmore, PA
20110127
Have you enrolled in my new class yet?
Visit the web page for the designer who created the slick looking logo you see here on my page. Jason and i have known one another since high school and he came through big time when i asked him to reinterpret my old company logo. Jay lives in Ardmore and lifts weights and surfs when he is not busy aiding merchants with brand identity and other design requirements in this world of eCommerce and customer service.
Thursday debrief
I got to the studio on time. Early, in fact. Yesterday's two pack of storms derailed any hopes i had to train clients, and around 730PM last night i had the itch to get out of my home. I woke up earlier than usual today and was out the door as soon as the dishes were done.
Towards the end of December i offered a deal to people on my mailing list. Purchase ten 45 minute sessions at Kettlebells 4 U to be used before April and receive 8 sessions free. Yup, i sold a few packages.
So these folks train with me twice a week for 9 weeks. Pretty good deal. here is what The DA has done in 8 sessions with me and a few workouts each week on his own.
Since January 4th: Body weight down 4.6 pounds.
Neck down half an inch [.5"]
Shoulders down 1.75"
Chest down 1 1/18"
Navel down .25"
Waist up 1/8"
Hips up 1.25"
Left thigh up .25"
calf .5"
Right thigh even
calf up 1/8"
Left arm up 1/8"
forearm even
Right arm up 3/8"
forearm down 1/8"
So he lost some inches, lost some pounds, and the leg and arm measurements moved him towards symmetrical numbers left to right. He trains using the Gym Movement protocols and the kettlebell is his primary tool. We have altered his lifts in that he now pays attention to the elements of effort as yellow and red lights for his sets. He has a 'beefed up' selection of drills. DA rolls into work with a VW Passat full of motivation. Dude regularly has about 9 bells on him. He'll go to the park at lunch and swing, snatch, etc. DA has a great physique. Tall, abs, broad shoulders, etc. He has been away from free weights for sometime, so in keeping with degrees of contra specificity, we test many free weight exercises before we test the kettlebell as a tool. His barbell work is nice. Deadlifts, push presses, push jerks, hang cleans, all test well and look fast and effortless. The cable stuff we crush, rows, pulldowns, pressdowns, i needn't teach him anything about the lifts-he understands that many lifts can be considered straight lines and it is safe to ditch anything which does not improve the route the weight takes on it's designated path. We have ditched tension and breathing as feed forward mechanisms and use them as 'yellow' and 'red' lights.
So the DA, ditching the elements of effort, has done cool things with his body and lifts in about four weeks. He uses asymmetrical foot position and various leads and speeds for his primary kettlebell drills, clean and push press, double KB suitcase deadlift, double snatch, bent rows, etc. He is happy, i know he is, and that is the most important factor. I aim to make sure that most, if not all, of the list below is in play when someone coughs up 500 sheckles to train with me.
Are/were you in pain? Is it worse/better?
Are you happy?
Can we prove that what you are doing works [body measurements and traceable data from workouts]?
Can i have more money?
Drop a line, let me know what improvements you have made recently. And they needn't be numerical! Are you not in pain anymore? Did your kid finally stop stealing money out of your wallet? Is your workday more productive for any reason at all? Holler at this white guy.
New Classes start soon: Tuesdays, Lower Merion High School
It is no secret that personal training can cost a penny or two more than your mortgage payment for 10-20 sessions. Heck, at my studio in Paoli, PA i charge 8% more for one hour of private instruction compared to 5 weeks of Main Line School Night.
I am not a stranger to the costs of learning. I pay a coach to teach me things. I am traveling to Minneapolis in the beginning of March to learn about pain and nutrition from three of the biggest brains i have ever met. This trip alone is costing me 3G and a few days of missed sessions. Yet, it is important to me. It is important that i lean what i can about how to avoid, recognize, manage, and eventually resolve pain issues as they relate to orthopedic and musculoskeletal anatomy.
Now, armed with that knowledge, with the knowledge that a single hour of my personal time cost more than five hours of group instruction at the lovely and expansive Lower Merion High School, i hope to see your name on the list within 12 hours.
Click through to enroll!
My snow days were wonderful, and i hope yours were as well.
Cheers!
Will
20110124
2+2=5
After leaving the previous post up for almost a week It appears that some people of influence had taken a look at it, judging by the feedback the post received on Facebook and on an Internet forum which promotes itself as "overflowing with foul mouthed ignorance". A fiercely accurate description!
Here is something lighter and chronologically appropriate, as I just finished reading "Nineteen Eighty-four" and have decided that I should share with you what Radiohead shares with me. And this is not even one of their better songs.
Check out this video on YouTube:
Will Williams
Authentic Strength Training
610.883.7455
Sent from my iPhone
Here is something lighter and chronologically appropriate, as I just finished reading "Nineteen Eighty-four" and have decided that I should share with you what Radiohead shares with me. And this is not even one of their better songs.
Check out this video on YouTube:
Will Williams
Authentic Strength Training
610.883.7455
Sent from my iPhone
20110114
Guest post by my business associate, a "MUST READ"
Make up your own mind. Gary certainly did enough thinking to formulate his own opinion.
Wonderful job, GB, thank you for this.
"My 95 these to the Russian Kettlebell Challenge"
I present this for your consideration and possibly for your amusement. Again, I have no intention to change the RKC System. I am more than happy to walk away quietly into the night. Many of the things I list below where things that always bothered me but I dismissed them and went against my gut instinct. Other things have come out as I’ve grown as a trainer and RKC has grown as a commodity. RKC II was a huge eye opener for me. I was really shocked at how many people were injured and how many didn’t move very well.
Wonderful job, GB, thank you for this.
"My 95 these to the Russian Kettlebell Challenge"
This is an e-mail I sent to a DD executive that I believed might listen. He did listen and did agree with some but not all. Apparently some of this was forwarded to the Great One [Pavel Tsatsouline, the man who brought the kettlebell to the United States, and gave it a bad name- Will]. This was sent in November.
I present this for your consideration and possibly for your amusement. Again, I have no intention to change the RKC System. I am more than happy to walk away quietly into the night. Many of the things I list below where things that always bothered me but I dismissed them and went against my gut instinct. Other things have come out as I’ve grown as a trainer and RKC has grown as a commodity. RKC II was a huge eye opener for me. I was really shocked at how many people were injured and how many didn’t move very well.
Movement:
What I’ve seen over the last few years in myself, my clients and my fellow RKCs is that a majority of us were starting to move worse as our training progressed.
If a system (RKC) is so traumatic to the body that it needs a system (CK-FMS or Joint Mobility/Fast & Loose) to correct it, how good is that system?
It is inefficient to train in a system that needs high maintenance. Ten minutes of movement prep and joint mobility before a fifteen minute workout doesn’t work for most people.
Fast & Loose drills “shake out” residual tension. They wouldn’t be needed if there wasn’t residual tension.
CK-FMS wants to show me videos of babies moving around. Great, if you want to base a training system on a newborn’s motor learning then you have to acknowledge two things.
Babies learn without coaching or reverse engineering.
They also learn from gross movement first then fine (maybe the movement prep should be at the end?).
It seems like everyone has a problem with one or more of the following: “dorsiflexion mobilization”, “t-spine mobility “, “gluteal amnesia” and “valgus collapse”.
Outside of the get-up the RKC System keeps the ankles pretty rigid (even with squats???), maybe that has something to do with a lack of ankle mobility?
Sitting in a hunched over position at a keyboard will definitely lead to t-spine immobility. That shoulder position seems eerily similar to that of the two arm swing. Could too many two arm swings lock up your t-spine?
We had the best solution for gluteal amnesia, tough love. A good swift kick in the ass took care of that (or a love tap from Toomey). I haven’t seen anything else that tops that, the rest of it is too complicated.
Using the squat as an afterthought may have something to do with higher incidences of “valgus collapse”.
Reverse engineering what the strongest do naturally should mean finding out what makes each person the strongest. The strongest do what they do naturally, because it is NATURAL to them. That’s what makes them the strongest.
The Get-up is a mess. It’s a fun exercise that has many benefits. It doesn’t need to be micro-managed,
Doing a get-up with 75% of your body weight will exposed some imbalances and weaknesses without the high hip bridge.
Is weighted joint mobility a good idea?
All of the FMS tests are unloaded for a reason, using a loaded movement as a diagnostic tool can be dangerous.
It is the only three dimensional movement in the RKC system and they are trying their hardest to make it two dimensional.
Instead of a new topic about rolling patterns, I’ll include this hear. My son rolled with both his arms and legs at the same time from the beginning. He did everything he had to do to roll over.
It is being lost as a great strength exercise.
Using it as a “smoker” (i.e. THE FURNACE) is stupid and dangerous.
Staying in a loaded half kneeling position for an extended period of time is going to hurt.
Slowing it down is just the same as speeding it up. Fatiguing the stabilizers while in motion with a weight overhead doesn’t sound like a good idea to me.
Teaching/Training: I don’t see RKC candidates being prepared very well to train the general population. If a candidate has no other professional fitness experience, all they are really qualified to do is to prepare someone for the RKC Certification Course.
Wall squats are harder for anyone to do than anything in the RKC curriculum. It’s not a progression if no one can do it.
There’s too much emphasis on the swing and the get-up. If somebody comes to you for an intro and all you teach them in one hour is two exercises (and chances are you won’t fully cover both of them), then you are going to have a frustrated client.
“All you need is swings and getups” is ridiculous. That would imply that every human being on this planet with their own different histories, injuries and stressors would need the exact same two exercises. If that’s true, the CK-FMS is not necessary. Just teach everyone the swing and get-up and they will be all set.
The RKC Core Six have so many requirements now that most human beings would not be able to “do them right”.
As the system has “progressed” it has done so at the sake of scalability and accessibility.
I believe that so many standards are being set not for safety or performance but to make it seem like the RKC Instructor has a keen eye for detail and has some intuitive knowledge of the human body.
The general population has no interest in being a power-lifter. They don’t need to train to be one. Most of them want to look different.
An exercise system that makes their goal “incidental” isn’t for them.
Being told that they can’t move towards their goal until they’ve meet certain standards isn’t for them either.
RKC Course Volume: This actually never sat well with me when I’ve went through it or when I’ve been back to assist. The RKC Certification Weekend violates many of the safety guidelines it professes.
It doesn’t take two thousand swings to learn the swing, it is used throughout the weekend to “smoke” people or punish them.
Candidates are taught that it is harder to make someone stronger than to just make them out of breath. They spend a majority of the weekend fried and not stronger.
Using the swing or other exercise as punishment is dangerous, degrading and unproductive. Even the US Army would agree with that.
Do not use extra training and instruction as punitive measures. You must distinguish extra training and instruction from punishment or even the appearance of punishment. Soldiers should have extra training or instruction only as long as they need it to correct deficiencies. If they perceive the training or instruction as punishment, all training and instruction will be degraded and their value jeopardized.
-US Army Field Manual 27-1 Chapter 7
The15:15 VO2 max protocol is about as simple as it gets. Practical application isn’t necessary and considering the volume that the candidates do, it is excessive and dangerous.
The snatch test is a joke and equally dangerous.
The whole weekend, instructors will stress that form is paramount to safety yet they will allow some pretty creative snatches during the test.
Why keep increasing the number when people aren’t even going to do them right?
You want to look for “a base level of conditioning and shoulder mobility”.
Isn’t the entire weekend a test of a base level of conditioning?
Shoulder mobility can be tested with one press each arm or a get-up.
What happens if they fail the test? They have proven to lack sufficient conditioning or shoulder mobility yet they still continue with the rest of the weekend.
The Grad Workout is a lot of fun to participate in and watch. It can be responsibly designed and potential for injury can be reduced. I can also be incredibly dangerous. Shouting out “you are still being tested” doesn’t help much to reduce the risk; the workout should be designed to be challenging yet still safe.
CK-FMS: is too complicated and convoluted. I have no observations, only questions.
How many people have actually met the requirements?
How long does it take for the CK-FMS talk to fizzle out on the forum after each new cert?
How many candidates actually leave understanding what they’ve just been taught?
How many candidates not having met the requirements and without an adequate understanding of the material are now running around claiming they can prevent injuries or improve athletic performance?
HKC is the greatest marketing I’ve ever seen. People are paying $500-$600 to learn three exercises. Awesome.
Responsibility: For years I have heard members of the RKC criticize the professional fitness community. I hear about how fitness professionals are “stupid”, “dangerous” and irresponsible.
Many RKCs aren’t qualified to train people professionally.
There is no requirement for an RKC Candidate to know anything about the human body nor do they have to have any experience as fitness professionals. This is fine as long as you aren’t touting them as the elite of their field (that they just joined).
Being hazed for three days straight while having your movement nitpicked to exhaustion doesn’t qualify someone to be a fitness professional and surely doesn’t make them one of the best. (I say that from experience, RKC was my introduction to this profession. I had much more to learn after that weekend).
More and more candidates are going into the weekend with less than one year of experience training with kettlebells. Many have been using them less than six months. I didn’t send any of my clients to the Downingtown RKC this year because they probably know more about training with kettlebells than some of the candidates.
This is just some of the stuff I’ve had bouncing around in my head and in multiple drafts of my over-dramatic resignation letter that I know nobody wants to read. I can’t teach the system as it is anymore and I surely can’t hold people to standards that I believe are either dangerous or ineffective.
Gary J. Berenbroick
Owner, Instructor
17 S. Valley Road
Paoli, PA 19301
(610)647-4956
info@kettlebells4u.com
Call or e-mail to set up a free consultation and introductory session. Private, semi-private or group training is available with Main Line Life's 2008 Best Personal Trainer on the Main Line.
20110111
Single leg squats at 257.4lbs of bodyweight
In my last post i said that i would not post until i had done something phenomenal in the gym.
I did something phenomenal today.
Listening to frankie Faires and Adam Glass teach 'how to lead a movement' helped me figure out what to do about this curious right leg that i own. The right leg which has a moody tibial tuberosity [?], a really talkative quadriceps group, and a surgically repaired hernia at its origin. I am right handed. I do all things with my right hand. For awhile i was convinced that it was my responsibility to balance out my asymmetry, and that working on small movements was going to get me 'centered'. Well, now that i know what i know now, it appears more realistic that i can get closer to centered by training in asymmetry. And the guiding light is The Test.
My left leg can do anything. It can pistol [single leg squat]
It can shave, sign a check, and even cook dinner.
But its brother can not do jack. It cannot lunge, pistol, pick up chicks, or do laundry after a rough night.
Until today!
The Gym Movement 'order of operations'-
1. Test the test and establish baseline Range of motion/dynamometer reading.
2. Pick a movement, test the movement [unloaded]
3. Change the movement to see if the movement can test better
-Change the speed
-Change the lead.
-Change the position
4. Test the tool [kettleweight, barbell, etc.]
5. Test the load.
6. Test the reps.
7. Scale and drill
8. Test the recovery between sets.
"Change the lead"
A movement can be lead, or cued from a sensory standpoint, from different body parts. Example? Sure. My pistol has, in the past, been cued from the hip. Pull the hip down, cramp the hip muscles, and press up from the heel. This does not work on the right leg. My left leg pistol is effortless, the definition of "quality movement". My right leg pistol was constantly failing and though it tested well, it was an incomplete rep.
Thanks frankie, thanks Adam. I changed the lead of my right pistol to begin and finish with my head, and today i got a set of two. And it tested well.
To pistol right, i elevate my heel roughly two inches from the floor, and look towards the ground beneath me fast while descending. Once i hit the bottom i look at the ceiling and ascend. Simple, effective, and customized to my needs. No local muscular focus, no feed forward tension, no driving through the heel. A simple angle change did the job. And with the education i received at the Gym Movement Biomechanics Level I course, i can guide myself towards better, using my own system.
I am the textbook, the subject, and the lab.
Now go read this:
http://www.adamtglass.com/2010/06/06/i-am-stuck-but-i-am-getting-better-everyday/
I did something phenomenal today.
Listening to frankie Faires and Adam Glass teach 'how to lead a movement' helped me figure out what to do about this curious right leg that i own. The right leg which has a moody tibial tuberosity [?], a really talkative quadriceps group, and a surgically repaired hernia at its origin. I am right handed. I do all things with my right hand. For awhile i was convinced that it was my responsibility to balance out my asymmetry, and that working on small movements was going to get me 'centered'. Well, now that i know what i know now, it appears more realistic that i can get closer to centered by training in asymmetry. And the guiding light is The Test.
My left leg can do anything. It can pistol [single leg squat]
The Gym Movement 'order of operations'-
1. Test the test and establish baseline Range of motion/dynamometer reading.
2. Pick a movement, test the movement [unloaded]
3. Change the movement to see if the movement can test better
-Change the speed
-Change the lead.
-Change the position
4. Test the tool [kettleweight, barbell, etc.]
5. Test the load.
6. Test the reps.
7. Scale and drill
8. Test the recovery between sets.
"Change the lead"
A movement can be lead, or cued from a sensory standpoint, from different body parts. Example? Sure. My pistol has, in the past, been cued from the hip. Pull the hip down, cramp the hip muscles, and press up from the heel. This does not work on the right leg. My left leg pistol is effortless, the definition of "quality movement". My right leg pistol was constantly failing and though it tested well, it was an incomplete rep.
Thanks frankie, thanks Adam. I changed the lead of my right pistol to begin and finish with my head, and today i got a set of two. And it tested well.
To pistol right, i elevate my heel roughly two inches from the floor, and look towards the ground beneath me fast while descending. Once i hit the bottom i look at the ceiling and ascend. Simple, effective, and customized to my needs. No local muscular focus, no feed forward tension, no driving through the heel. A simple angle change did the job. And with the education i received at the Gym Movement Biomechanics Level I course, i can guide myself towards better, using my own system.
I am the textbook, the subject, and the lab.
Now go read this:
http://www.adamtglass.com/2010/06/06/i-am-stuck-but-i-am-getting-better-everyday/
20110105
Free Personal Training in January has begun!
And this is what i did today:
Clean and Jerk [split jerk]
Volume 3,545lbs.
Intensity range 60-77%
Density 27.24%
16:50
T-Bar Rows, left hand supinated, right hand at a tapered grip position:
Volume 4,850 pounds
Intensity range 58-83%
Density 45.52%
7:35
Dumbbell Press
Volume 1,350lbs.
Intensity 66-83%
Density 24.69%
5:00
1 arm rope pressdowns, from 1/2 kneeling and standing
Volume 4,545lbs.
Density 37.60%
6:15
Nothing impressive, but it all felt good.
Clean and Jerk [split jerk]
Volume 3,545lbs.
Intensity range 60-77%
Density 27.24%
16:50
T-Bar Rows, left hand supinated, right hand at a tapered grip position:
Volume 4,850 pounds
Intensity range 58-83%
Density 45.52%
7:35
Dumbbell Press
Volume 1,350lbs.
Intensity 66-83%
Density 24.69%
5:00
1 arm rope pressdowns, from 1/2 kneeling and standing
Volume 4,545lbs.
Density 37.60%
6:15
Nothing impressive, but it all felt good.
20110104
"Torch Song"
Today i posted a PR in my single kettleweight clean and push press. The movement tested well, and the 44lb. bell tested better than the 53 or 35 pound kettleweights, so, in accordance with the test, i tested my reps with the 44lb.'er. High rep tested well. I started the clock. When i finished, i had performed 119 reps [59 right, 60 left] and was in no pain. Though, the fatness under my shirt was stinging the heck out me because, as a fat man, i am unfamiliar to exercise.
(total work done)Volume = 119 reps/5,192lbs.
(relative difficulty)Intensity = 50%
(work/rest ratio in percentages)Density = 49.87%
This was a volume/density improvement over any numbers in the kettleweight push press since i began training again in June. When i refer to a PR, or Personal Record, what i mean to say is that i have improved myself and my performance with quantifiable data resulting from training a movement that tested well using biofeedback in the Gym Movement protocol. In this instance, i pushed 5,192lbs. of kettleweight in less time than i have before. That is why i listed it as a volume/density PR, or, a total poundage improvement in less time. It is also known as PREveryday, or as i call it, Gangster.
Hank Williams is telling me that the memories will always last, and that he could never be ashamed of me. This is good news as i have recently eaten my way up to 259lbs. and if i do not stop, you may soon see me in the WWE. I am hardly kidding! How else will i feed myself if i am not getting paid $10,000.00 per body slam?
September 29th- 239lbs.
Today- 259lbs.
Try not to vomit on your type pad. I had no choice but to make this public, or else i will continue to order pizza and eat cupcakes. I am going to stay dark for a few days/weeks. If you do not see me posting on Facebook or here on the blog, it means GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING. It means i am off my ass making things happen. If i do something truly sexy in the weight room i will let you know.
In the meantime:
(total work done)Volume = 119 reps/5,192lbs.
(relative difficulty)Intensity = 50%
(work/rest ratio in percentages)Density = 49.87%
This was a volume/density improvement over any numbers in the kettleweight push press since i began training again in June. When i refer to a PR, or Personal Record, what i mean to say is that i have improved myself and my performance with quantifiable data resulting from training a movement that tested well using biofeedback in the Gym Movement protocol. In this instance, i pushed 5,192lbs. of kettleweight in less time than i have before. That is why i listed it as a volume/density PR, or, a total poundage improvement in less time. It is also known as PREveryday, or as i call it, Gangster.
Hank Williams is telling me that the memories will always last, and that he could never be ashamed of me. This is good news as i have recently eaten my way up to 259lbs. and if i do not stop, you may soon see me in the WWE. I am hardly kidding! How else will i feed myself if i am not getting paid $10,000.00 per body slam?
September 29th- 239lbs.
Try not to vomit on your type pad. I had no choice but to make this public, or else i will continue to order pizza and eat cupcakes. I am going to stay dark for a few days/weeks. If you do not see me posting on Facebook or here on the blog, it means GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING. It means i am off my ass making things happen. If i do something truly sexy in the weight room i will let you know.
In the meantime:
20110101
Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are
The Black Keys
Aragon Ballroom, uptown Chicago, new years eve.
Dan Auerbach takes the stage and he represents with a shave and a haircut.
Thickfreakness
Girl is on my mind
10AM Automatic
The Breaks (I knew it)
(Intro)Stack Shot Billy
(Another beautiful intro) Busted
Act nice n' gentle
Strange Times
Encore
I have seen the Black Keys play twice before, once as recently as July in Philly.
Unlike July, however, my date and i were on time for the opening band and, though the "line ride" took around 20 minutes, nabbed a good spot upstairs and stayed in the same spot for the entire two hours. We did not purchase drinks or visit the lavatory.
The two men, and the party that later joined them, were on-stage from 1120PM until 1230. This show really belted me with the new material. The setlist from their Penn's Landing show in July reflects a similar order to the plugging of the songs from their May 2010 release "Brothers" on Nonesuch Records. They were, again joined by two additional gents playing bass and organ, as they were in July (denoted in text). From my 6'3" visibility i agonized as the opening band nailed their instrumental responsibility, and still offered not one appetizing verse with regard to vocal integrity. It sounded bad, and what's more, the singer/guitarist wore his hair long and unshaven looking very much like Dan Auerbach's shaggy unshaven self. After the act departed, the Black Keys were onstage in less than 20 minutes, a great courtesy that i would like to thank them for.
Dan walks out on stage clean shaven with short hair, stopping me in my thoughts before i spoke of the irritable similarity i associated to the opening singer. And then they ripped a hole in the night.
The Black Keys
Aragon Ballroom, uptown Chicago, new years eve.
Dan Auerbach takes the stage and he represents with a shave and a haircut.
Thickfreakness
Girl is on my mind
10AM Automatic
The Breaks (I knew it)
(Intro)Stack Shot Billy
(Another beautiful intro) Busted
Act nice n' gentle
Everlasting Light
Chop n' change
Midnight!!!!!! Balloons drop, Patrick gets off the drum kit and Dan pops champagne into the first row, etc. Next girl
Howlin' for you
Tighten Up
She's Long gone
Ten cent pistol
I'll Be Your ManStrange Times
Encore
Sinister Kid [also from "Brothers"].
Your TouchI have seen the Black Keys play twice before, once as recently as July in Philly.
Unlike July, however, my date and i were on time for the opening band and, though the "line ride" took around 20 minutes, nabbed a good spot upstairs and stayed in the same spot for the entire two hours. We did not purchase drinks or visit the lavatory.
The two men, and the party that later joined them, were on-stage from 1120PM until 1230. This show really belted me with the new material. The setlist from their Penn's Landing show in July reflects a similar order to the plugging of the songs from their May 2010 release "Brothers" on Nonesuch Records. They were, again joined by two additional gents playing bass and organ, as they were in July (denoted in text). From my 6'3" visibility i agonized as the opening band nailed their instrumental responsibility, and still offered not one appetizing verse with regard to vocal integrity. It sounded bad, and what's more, the singer/guitarist wore his hair long and unshaven looking very much like Dan Auerbach's shaggy unshaven self. After the act departed, the Black Keys were onstage in less than 20 minutes, a great courtesy that i would like to thank them for.
Dan walks out on stage clean shaven with short hair, stopping me in my thoughts before i spoke of the irritable similarity i associated to the opening singer. And then they ripped a hole in the night.
20101224
Desicion Points: The Memoirs of Eric "Big W" Williams Jr.
What i did not like about 2010:
I failed myself in a few areas which were very important to me, and i can not reclaim the chance i was given.
I had lower renewal rate with clients this year than was expected, simply because i got lazy in November.
The delay in passing the Zadroga bill stripped me of any faith i had left in this country.
I concluded that some friendships, which are not reciprocal, are not friendships.
My parents wrongfully appropriated $30,000, which was every penny of my inheritance, and moved to a trailer park in Delaware. True story.
I saw My Morning Jacket three times, in three separate cities.
I will have seen The Black Keys twice by year's end [the July show at Penn's Landing was sublime], as i am traveling to Chicago to see them on New Year's Eve. . . .
With the same crew i saw Social D three times in 11 months, in three different cities.
Boardwalk Empire & The Walking Dead.
The Flyers' entry into the playoffs and run to game 6 of the Cup was incredible.
Satisfying the sinister, vindictive Philly kid within me was the beating of a NY Rangers team in a shootout, in the final game of the regular season, to enter the Stanley Cup playoffs as the 6th seed, and then to dispose of the NJ Devils. Yet, the rally to beat Boston was sight unseen. Never in my young life has a team i care about mounted a sustained comeback which lasts four straight games.
The repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law is a spiritual victory. I like women, as you may know, but the repeal was a triumph for millions of Americans and a benchmark for the Obama administration. I love women. I desire them. I fantasize about them. I crave the life of the family man here at age 31, but in order to have that one must have sex with a woman. I also crave that.
I visited my lovely aunt in Georgia for Thanksgiving.
Several of my friends had 'snow babies', so congratulations. Snow Babies are mysteriously named, as their birth 9 or 10 months after the back-to-back blizzards we had here in February clearly has nothing to do with the moniker attached. . . .
Welcome to the world Danny and Jameson [JR].
Segue! The historic Philadelphia Eagles comeback against the NY Giants, which i will refer to as "8 great minutes in professional sports", happened only a few hours after JR and i met. I hope that my relationship with his parents facilitates and uncle/nephew dynamic, so that i can take him to Flyers playoff games with me in the spring to see, you know, if we a magical duo or something. . .
The great revelation of my love for country music earlier this year.
Someone cool and i discussed that Johnny Cash is the gateway for many headbangers and punks. In my case it was true. 1999 i began to listen to Social D. Johnny Cash from there. Waylon Jennings and Hank III took me further. The Dixie Chicks satiate the desire for female vocals and bluegrass remnants. The renowned soundtrack to the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?, which i have owned for nearly ten years, tipped me over the edge. Numerous compilations and bluegrass records later, i wandered back to Hank III and he pointed me towards Lefty Frizzel and Buck Owens, whose names you may not know simply because George "No Show" Jones is more popular. There is much left to taste, and Pandora Internet Radio just served me a plate of Merle Haggard with a side of Marty Robbins and a steaming hot cup of Johnny Cash. Breakfast of champions.
Segue. I finally read "Breakfast of Champions", by the inimitable KV. Do you like comedy? Do you like to laugh out loud? Do you appreciate intelligent and tactfully placed racial humor as much as i do? Read this book.
I attended and completed the Tactical Athlete Instructor Course/Crossfit Kettlebell Instructor Level-I in Knoxville, TN. Met some excellent men and women and trained with old chum Jeff Martone.
Through the persistence of Adam T Glass, world record holder in the "grip strength" sport of vertical bar dead lifting, i got OUT OF PAIN and reclaimed my place as a personal trainer who is fit-for-duty.
People in my life are generous and kind and caring, and they remind me that, though humanity is ultimately deserving of the self inflicted annihilation it will suffer at it's end, there are more than enough people out there who spread good. But we will all perish in flames, do not kid yourself.
I departed the cult i was in for about 5 years and realized that the moment i ceased asking questions about weight training was eerily close to the point in my life where my orthopedic pain levels increased to an intolerable level.
On the initiative of the named party, my relationship with James Sjostrom of Crossfit NRG, [SLC Utah] seems to have been repaired. James was the bigger man and told me to stop being stupid and angry at him. Thanks Jarhead.
The Gym Movement protocol and the Movement Model [how to teach the GM protocol] proved to be every bit as good as the testimonials claim it is. For me it was far beyond 'as good as advertised', as the success is relative to the individual user and is therefore subjective, yet always surpasses previous experience with any "program" visited upon them from any magazine, or web post.
In a prediction of the future, i will tell you that after a nice Xmas morning with these two,
i am going to 'lose my shit' tomorrow evening in the movie theater during "True Grit".
And in my favorite moment of 2010, at long daggone last, my homeboy and true friend of over 12 years Justin Garfield visited me, and the Beast coast, for the first time.
Short of filming a sextape with Rashida Jones and flying to NYC on rocket skates, Trusty and i had as much fun as two aging Jarheads can have. Drug and jailhouse free, unlike Waikiki 10 years ago.
So there are many of the events which shaped my year. If you know me, you know that my favorite subjects are healthy eating and weightlifting, Batman, music, hockey, movies, and literature. So, in place of the 6,000 words i can drop on those subjects, i will list for you the efforts which most impressed me this year.
My top records of 2010:
1. "Diamond Eyes", Deftones.
2. "Brothers", The Black Keys
3. "How I Got Over", The Roots
Top Films:
1. "Inception"
2. "Crazy Heart" [released in December 2009] is so good that it counts for this year.
3. "True Grit", and i have not even seen it yet.
Top Sports Moments
1. Flyers erase 3 game deficit to play the Bruins in game 7, and down 4 goals to ZERO in the second period, they summoned the great spirit and sent Boston's black and gold hockey giants home in straight up shock.
2. The Eagles aforementioned "8 Great Minutes Of Professional Sports".
3. Two words- Cliff Lee.
Make it a wonderful weekend for yourself and those who love you, for you know it or you don't, 'tis true, life is what we make of it.
I failed myself in a few areas which were very important to me, and i can not reclaim the chance i was given.
I had lower renewal rate with clients this year than was expected, simply because i got lazy in November.
The delay in passing the Zadroga bill stripped me of any faith i had left in this country.
I concluded that some friendships, which are not reciprocal, are not friendships.
My parents wrongfully appropriated $30,000, which was every penny of my inheritance, and moved to a trailer park in Delaware. True story.
What i loved about 2010
I saw My Morning Jacket three times, in three separate cities.
I will have seen The Black Keys twice by year's end [the July show at Penn's Landing was sublime], as i am traveling to Chicago to see them on New Year's Eve. . . .
With the same crew i saw Social D three times in 11 months, in three different cities.
Boardwalk Empire & The Walking Dead.
The Flyers' entry into the playoffs and run to game 6 of the Cup was incredible.
Satisfying the sinister, vindictive Philly kid within me was the beating of a NY Rangers team in a shootout, in the final game of the regular season, to enter the Stanley Cup playoffs as the 6th seed, and then to dispose of the NJ Devils. Yet, the rally to beat Boston was sight unseen. Never in my young life has a team i care about mounted a sustained comeback which lasts four straight games.
The repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law is a spiritual victory. I like women, as you may know, but the repeal was a triumph for millions of Americans and a benchmark for the Obama administration. I love women. I desire them. I fantasize about them. I crave the life of the family man here at age 31, but in order to have that one must have sex with a woman. I also crave that.
I visited my lovely aunt in Georgia for Thanksgiving.
Several of my friends had 'snow babies', so congratulations. Snow Babies are mysteriously named, as their birth 9 or 10 months after the back-to-back blizzards we had here in February clearly has nothing to do with the moniker attached. . . .
Welcome to the world Danny and Jameson [JR].
Segue! The historic Philadelphia Eagles comeback against the NY Giants, which i will refer to as "8 great minutes in professional sports", happened only a few hours after JR and i met. I hope that my relationship with his parents facilitates and uncle/nephew dynamic, so that i can take him to Flyers playoff games with me in the spring to see, you know, if we a magical duo or something. . .
 |
| Jameson Ryan Lyons |
The great revelation of my love for country music earlier this year.
Someone cool and i discussed that Johnny Cash is the gateway for many headbangers and punks. In my case it was true. 1999 i began to listen to Social D. Johnny Cash from there. Waylon Jennings and Hank III took me further. The Dixie Chicks satiate the desire for female vocals and bluegrass remnants. The renowned soundtrack to the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?, which i have owned for nearly ten years, tipped me over the edge. Numerous compilations and bluegrass records later, i wandered back to Hank III and he pointed me towards Lefty Frizzel and Buck Owens, whose names you may not know simply because George "No Show" Jones is more popular. There is much left to taste, and Pandora Internet Radio just served me a plate of Merle Haggard with a side of Marty Robbins and a steaming hot cup of Johnny Cash. Breakfast of champions.
Segue. I finally read "Breakfast of Champions", by the inimitable KV. Do you like comedy? Do you like to laugh out loud? Do you appreciate intelligent and tactfully placed racial humor as much as i do? Read this book.
I attended and completed the Tactical Athlete Instructor Course/Crossfit Kettlebell Instructor Level-I in Knoxville, TN. Met some excellent men and women and trained with old chum Jeff Martone.
Through the persistence of Adam T Glass, world record holder in the "grip strength" sport of vertical bar dead lifting, i got OUT OF PAIN and reclaimed my place as a personal trainer who is fit-for-duty.
People in my life are generous and kind and caring, and they remind me that, though humanity is ultimately deserving of the self inflicted annihilation it will suffer at it's end, there are more than enough people out there who spread good. But we will all perish in flames, do not kid yourself.
I departed the cult i was in for about 5 years and realized that the moment i ceased asking questions about weight training was eerily close to the point in my life where my orthopedic pain levels increased to an intolerable level.
On the initiative of the named party, my relationship with James Sjostrom of Crossfit NRG, [SLC Utah] seems to have been repaired. James was the bigger man and told me to stop being stupid and angry at him. Thanks Jarhead.
The Gym Movement protocol and the Movement Model [how to teach the GM protocol] proved to be every bit as good as the testimonials claim it is. For me it was far beyond 'as good as advertised', as the success is relative to the individual user and is therefore subjective, yet always surpasses previous experience with any "program" visited upon them from any magazine, or web post.
In a prediction of the future, i will tell you that after a nice Xmas morning with these two,
 |
| My exotic princess and her trusted steed |
And in my favorite moment of 2010, at long daggone last, my homeboy and true friend of over 12 years Justin Garfield visited me, and the Beast coast, for the first time.
 |
| Mexico 2006 |
Short of filming a sextape with Rashida Jones and flying to NYC on rocket skates, Trusty and i had as much fun as two aging Jarheads can have. Drug and jailhouse free, unlike Waikiki 10 years ago.
So there are many of the events which shaped my year. If you know me, you know that my favorite subjects are healthy eating and weightlifting, Batman, music, hockey, movies, and literature. So, in place of the 6,000 words i can drop on those subjects, i will list for you the efforts which most impressed me this year.
My top records of 2010:
1. "Diamond Eyes", Deftones.
2. "Brothers", The Black Keys
3. "How I Got Over", The Roots
Top Films:
1. "Inception"
2. "Crazy Heart" [released in December 2009] is so good that it counts for this year.
3. "True Grit", and i have not even seen it yet.
Top Sports Moments
1. Flyers erase 3 game deficit to play the Bruins in game 7, and down 4 goals to ZERO in the second period, they summoned the great spirit and sent Boston's black and gold hockey giants home in straight up shock.
2. The Eagles aforementioned "8 Great Minutes Of Professional Sports".
3. Two words- Cliff Lee.
Make it a wonderful weekend for yourself and those who love you, for you know it or you don't, 'tis true, life is what we make of it.
20101217
The Most Dangerous playlist/Am I Viking?
When you plug in, you plug in. Me too! Rarely does anyone wearing headphones in any situation, desire to be 'bothered' by another person. On a train, aboard a plane, in the health club, running on the trail, running the art museum steps, or while shopping at Trader Joe's, i desire not to abandon the world i'm living in at that moment to discuss anything with anyone.
I was not bothered by anyone today. Not a soul grabbed my attention while i was at the gym, which may be a great thing as the world i lived in for 100 minutes today was a violent world.
The most dangerous playlist i have made in recent memory:
Avenged Sevenfold "Critical Acclaim"
Sytstem of a Down"P.L.U.C.K"
Shadows Fall "To ashes"
ASSJACK "No regrets" note- i am wearing my new ASSJACK Shirt right now :0
System of a Down "X"
Slipknot "Me inside"
Pantera "Hellbound & Death rattle"
System of a Down "Know & Sugar" anyone who owns the first album should know that these songs must be played back to back, similar to Led Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker" and "Living Loving Maid"
And here is where it got lethal: Slayer/Ice-T "Disorder" from the Judgement Night movie soundtrack.
The Misfits "Devil's Whorehouse"
40 minutes of metal, fueling the nice upper body testing/training session i had. It made me want to smash windows, rip people's faces off, set fire to buildings, and pillage/plunder until my belly was full and the thirst for blood slaked. So nice i listened to it twice.
If i were a viking. . . .
I was not bothered by anyone today. Not a soul grabbed my attention while i was at the gym, which may be a great thing as the world i lived in for 100 minutes today was a violent world.
The most dangerous playlist i have made in recent memory:
Avenged Sevenfold "Critical Acclaim"
Sytstem of a Down"P.L.U.C.K"
Shadows Fall "To ashes"
ASSJACK "No regrets" note- i am wearing my new ASSJACK Shirt right now :0
System of a Down "X"
Slipknot "Me inside"
Pantera "Hellbound & Death rattle"
System of a Down "Know & Sugar" anyone who owns the first album should know that these songs must be played back to back, similar to Led Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker" and "Living Loving Maid"
And here is where it got lethal: Slayer/Ice-T "Disorder" from the Judgement Night movie soundtrack.
The Misfits "Devil's Whorehouse"
40 minutes of metal, fueling the nice upper body testing/training session i had. It made me want to smash windows, rip people's faces off, set fire to buildings, and pillage/plunder until my belly was full and the thirst for blood slaked. So nice i listened to it twice.
If i were a viking. . . .
. . . . this would be my trusted partner.
He appears friendly, and he is a big giver of love, but if he were trained to obey his instinct and kill me a boar for evening chow, he would not photograph so nice, eh?
Recently, great things have been happening in and around your host, Bigger Will.
-My client Doctor Bravo is smoking PRs like dry rubbed ribs every time she deadlifts or performs lat pull-downs and chest pressing.
-Presicion Kettlebells' Mike Barbato just squatted 290 with at least one more set in the bank, and deadlifed 435 last Tuesday. He weighs 197 lbs.
-Renee has lost over 100 lbs.
-Mike Rush USMC/MNPD has gained almost 23 pounds of muscle since April.
-I hit intensity Personal Records in my clean and jerk on Wednesday, and on my hang cleans this morning.
Details: Wednesday the barbell clean and jerk tested awesome so i moved around to see if it would test better. I took a stance with my hips rotated slightly out, my right foot staggered 2-3 inches back from my left, and my right hand slightly wider on the bar than before. The result?
135-145-155-165-175-185-195-205 for singles. 205 was my one rep maximum lift, or, the absolute most weight i could lift with no effort. And then. . .
210-215-220-225 for singles. Yes, a 15 pound increase in my one rep maximum strength with no effort. Or, a 7.3% increase.
Today? Your buddy Large Will performed all reps of the hang clean, with the same asymmetrical stance, at 88.5% relative intensity for 10 minutes. A Personal Record in reps performed at a higher intensity than previously known.
The plan?
Just consumed 8 eggs and two sausage links. 6 hours of sessions tonight at Kettlebells 4 U, Flyers Vs. Rangers tomorrow at 1300 hours, all my X-Mas shopping is done, and i am 140 pages into Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. If i am half the beast he is, you should fear me.
Just kidding! Go make it a great weekend.
20101215
Free Personal Training for January 2011, do you qualify?
I am sure to sound like Crazy Eddie, or a carnival barker as i promote this, but this will be the first time i offer a sales package like this so allow me some room for goofiness, please.
The studio i train out of in Paoli is located one block from the Paoli train station and offers free parking around the clock. We never have more than three clients in the studio at any time, so as to maintain the intimate environment a private personal training studio is known for.
The studio is named Kettlebells 4 U and it houses my business, Authentic Strength Training. My hours of availability are Monday, Wednesday Friday from NOON-830PM, and Tuesday/Thursday from 0930-1PM. I have been a successful personal trainer since September of 2002 and my recent experiments with clients have proved thoroughly effective. My client Renee has lost over 100 pounds in 2 years and 36 pounds from this April through last week. Astounding!
As part of the promotion to, in all honesty, drum up business and make money [what else?] my partner Gary and i have agreed to offer 8 sessions free in the month of January with the purchase of ten 45 minute sessions to be used from February 1st-March 15th. It is quite a simple stipulation: purchase ten 45 minute sessions at the standard rate of 500.00 and after completion of the complimentary 8 sessions, we will begin to run through your purchased sessions. Our aim to provide a ten-week training module that will allow you to springboard onto the path of a righteous, sexier body and improved quality of life through the training of quality movements and the use of the amazing Gym Movement protocol.
I am sure you have been tantalized. And i am sure that major financial decisions are made after the convening of heads-of-household and checking the bank books. Please marinate on this offer and email me for more information: kettlebelltrainer@gmail.com
If you are interested in bringing in a partner to slice the cost of the ten-pack of sessions by 20%, please confer with your intended compadre and notify me of your interest via email or phone call.
I will be making sales for this offer available to debit/credit card purchase as well as checks from 15 December to 5 January, only. This is a "steal of a deal" and there are no stipulations other than the sessions purchased being used by 15 March.
Enjoy your week, and get back to me when you have time.
Thank you so very much for your previous commitment and i hope to see you again soon!
Best,
Will
The studio i train out of in Paoli is located one block from the Paoli train station and offers free parking around the clock. We never have more than three clients in the studio at any time, so as to maintain the intimate environment a private personal training studio is known for.
The studio is named Kettlebells 4 U and it houses my business, Authentic Strength Training. My hours of availability are Monday, Wednesday Friday from NOON-830PM, and Tuesday/Thursday from 0930-1PM. I have been a successful personal trainer since September of 2002 and my recent experiments with clients have proved thoroughly effective. My client Renee has lost over 100 pounds in 2 years and 36 pounds from this April through last week. Astounding!
As part of the promotion to, in all honesty, drum up business and make money [what else?] my partner Gary and i have agreed to offer 8 sessions free in the month of January with the purchase of ten 45 minute sessions to be used from February 1st-March 15th. It is quite a simple stipulation: purchase ten 45 minute sessions at the standard rate of 500.00 and after completion of the complimentary 8 sessions, we will begin to run through your purchased sessions. Our aim to provide a ten-week training module that will allow you to springboard onto the path of a righteous, sexier body and improved quality of life through the training of quality movements and the use of the amazing Gym Movement protocol.
I am sure you have been tantalized. And i am sure that major financial decisions are made after the convening of heads-of-household and checking the bank books. Please marinate on this offer and email me for more information: kettlebelltrainer@gmail.com
If you are interested in bringing in a partner to slice the cost of the ten-pack of sessions by 20%, please confer with your intended compadre and notify me of your interest via email or phone call.
I will be making sales for this offer available to debit/credit card purchase as well as checks from 15 December to 5 January, only. This is a "steal of a deal" and there are no stipulations other than the sessions purchased being used by 15 March.
Enjoy your week, and get back to me when you have time.
Thank you so very much for your previous commitment and i hope to see you again soon!
Best,
Will
20101213
Hank III birthday hollerin'
Sunday 12 December was Hank Williams III's 38th birthday. Here are two videos that give you insight into what the Texas-born, east Tennessee resident rebel gets into at his live shows.
Hank III and the Damn Band
ASSJACK, some of the same musicians as the Damn Band but it is the harder side of the crew. Their 2009 CD is sick. Straight up Slayer-status death metal.
And in a third plug. here is a look at how the man lives when he's not on the road keepin' it real.
Hank III and the Damn Band
ASSJACK, some of the same musicians as the Damn Band but it is the harder side of the crew. Their 2009 CD is sick. Straight up Slayer-status death metal.
And in a third plug. here is a look at how the man lives when he's not on the road keepin' it real.
20101211
Villainous Ascension
"The Wolf at the door" Dr. Daniel M. Kane MD
"The Dark Place" Brett Jones MS CSCS
"Section 8" -old military term
All of the aforementioned phrases can describe what i feel from time to time. What you may have felt, or may even feel right now.
"Numerous studies have pointed to people's feelings of happiness correlating to how much control they feel they have over their lives" -frankie Faires.
"Just Do It" -Nike slogan of the 80s and 90s.
"Don't worry, be happy"-popular song and phrase related to Bobby McFerrin.
But what if the rising of the villain within, the knocking of the Wolf at the door, or the ability to Just Do It seems so freakin' out of reach that the option to retreat into one's self becomes the chosen path? I have said before that i feel as though i am always exactly where i am supposed to be. And i still believe it. I continue to think that progress every day is a possibility and though we may make progress in a different direction each day, we can be better than before if we choose to.
But i chose to retreat.
The last few weeks have been tough. They have been tough due to a few simple factors i have absolute control over yet i have chosen to "slip". My nutrition has been defined by a caloric abundance, not great for a guy who really needs to stay within the 230-240 pound window.
My sleep has been chaotic as i have stayed up late and watched too much TV since Halloween.
My business has not taken in the desired amount of sales revenue and has therefore suffered.
And when compiled, and looked at under the microscope that is my own harsh self judgement, i appear to be one big 256 pound disappointment. I have to right the ship. I have to use foresight. I gotta get back 'in the groove', one move at a time. If everything is a shit test then i am a C student for this semester. Average. I am on par with all the other times in my life where i slipped. I see it now, as it happens, rather than not seeing it until i am deep in the hole, but i am even more dissatisfied with myself as i know what i am doing wrong, i simply have chosen NOT to bring it back around.
The only thing i could do today in order to put myself in a place where i feel like i have control was to challenge myself with a goal and try to meet it. A simple goal. Add some stress and hope that my body resolves it.
Since i latched onto Gym Movement protocols and took the safe route to a better body and mind, i have only disregarded the elements of effort once. In June i performed a ten minute kettlebell snatch test with a 24kg bell and went past the "Elements Of Effort". I scored 202 reps in about 10:45. Not bad.
So today, i used the minimum amount of distress and pushed into the elements of effort for 5 drills in my workout session in order to lift 30,000 pounds as fast as i could. I tested and recorded all the data. I was breathing hard, grunting, pushing past tension, and squeezing reps into sets that should have ended before any of that stuff happened. But i knew that this was not common for me, in fact it is wholly uncommon these days, and even though i was intentionally distressing myself, most of the sets tested well.
Enough about my sad, sad state. Here is what happened when i invited the Dire Wolf into my cabin.
Two handed triceps extension from high cable pulley:
90-130 pounds, 7 sets, 6:20 time.
Volume 7,840lbs.
Intensity 60-86%
Density 24.47%
Clean and Jerk with an asymmetrical stance:
135lbs. for 5 sets of 5, 9:18 time.
Volume 3,375
Intensity 65.85%
Density 56.47%
1 Arm dumbbell rows from a supported lunge position:
45lbs, 5 sets of 10 reps each arm, 4:23 time.
Volume 6,750 lbs.
Intensity 45%
Density 49.06%
1 arm kettlebell press from scissor stance:
44lbs, and 35lbs., 5 sets of 10-12 reps each arm, 7:05 time.
Volume 4,290lbs.
Intensity 46-58%
Density 48.23%
1 arm kettlebell snatch from asymmetrical stance:
44lb. bell, 10 reps each arm for 220 reps/11 sets, 15:01 time
Volume 9,860lbs.
Intensity in reps/minute pace = 90%
Density 49.83%
Total Volume in 50:00 32,035 pounds.\
I feel better but working out is such a minor thing that i can only tell myself that unless i pull it together and use this as a springboard, none of the work means anything.
And since it was competition day, where i disregarded the Elements of Effort, i cannot count any of these numbers as Personal Records. And they will only mean something if i am better tomorrow than i am today.
Thank you for dropping in. For a true view of a PR visit my previous post!
Time to hit the showers and keep looking up. . . .
"The Dark Place" Brett Jones MS CSCS
"Section 8" -old military term
All of the aforementioned phrases can describe what i feel from time to time. What you may have felt, or may even feel right now.
"Numerous studies have pointed to people's feelings of happiness correlating to how much control they feel they have over their lives" -frankie Faires.
"Just Do It" -Nike slogan of the 80s and 90s.
"Don't worry, be happy"-popular song and phrase related to Bobby McFerrin.
But what if the rising of the villain within, the knocking of the Wolf at the door, or the ability to Just Do It seems so freakin' out of reach that the option to retreat into one's self becomes the chosen path? I have said before that i feel as though i am always exactly where i am supposed to be. And i still believe it. I continue to think that progress every day is a possibility and though we may make progress in a different direction each day, we can be better than before if we choose to.
But i chose to retreat.
The last few weeks have been tough. They have been tough due to a few simple factors i have absolute control over yet i have chosen to "slip". My nutrition has been defined by a caloric abundance, not great for a guy who really needs to stay within the 230-240 pound window.
My sleep has been chaotic as i have stayed up late and watched too much TV since Halloween.
My business has not taken in the desired amount of sales revenue and has therefore suffered.
And when compiled, and looked at under the microscope that is my own harsh self judgement, i appear to be one big 256 pound disappointment. I have to right the ship. I have to use foresight. I gotta get back 'in the groove', one move at a time. If everything is a shit test then i am a C student for this semester. Average. I am on par with all the other times in my life where i slipped. I see it now, as it happens, rather than not seeing it until i am deep in the hole, but i am even more dissatisfied with myself as i know what i am doing wrong, i simply have chosen NOT to bring it back around.
The only thing i could do today in order to put myself in a place where i feel like i have control was to challenge myself with a goal and try to meet it. A simple goal. Add some stress and hope that my body resolves it.
Since i latched onto Gym Movement protocols and took the safe route to a better body and mind, i have only disregarded the elements of effort once. In June i performed a ten minute kettlebell snatch test with a 24kg bell and went past the "Elements Of Effort". I scored 202 reps in about 10:45. Not bad.
So today, i used the minimum amount of distress and pushed into the elements of effort for 5 drills in my workout session in order to lift 30,000 pounds as fast as i could. I tested and recorded all the data. I was breathing hard, grunting, pushing past tension, and squeezing reps into sets that should have ended before any of that stuff happened. But i knew that this was not common for me, in fact it is wholly uncommon these days, and even though i was intentionally distressing myself, most of the sets tested well.
Enough about my sad, sad state. Here is what happened when i invited the Dire Wolf into my cabin.
Two handed triceps extension from high cable pulley:
90-130 pounds, 7 sets, 6:20 time.
Volume 7,840lbs.
Intensity 60-86%
Density 24.47%
Clean and Jerk with an asymmetrical stance:
135lbs. for 5 sets of 5, 9:18 time.
Volume 3,375
Intensity 65.85%
Density 56.47%
1 Arm dumbbell rows from a supported lunge position:
45lbs, 5 sets of 10 reps each arm, 4:23 time.
Volume 6,750 lbs.
Intensity 45%
Density 49.06%
1 arm kettlebell press from scissor stance:
44lbs, and 35lbs., 5 sets of 10-12 reps each arm, 7:05 time.
Volume 4,290lbs.
Intensity 46-58%
Density 48.23%
1 arm kettlebell snatch from asymmetrical stance:
44lb. bell, 10 reps each arm for 220 reps/11 sets, 15:01 time
Volume 9,860lbs.
Intensity in reps/minute pace = 90%
Density 49.83%
Total Volume in 50:00 32,035 pounds.\
I feel better but working out is such a minor thing that i can only tell myself that unless i pull it together and use this as a springboard, none of the work means anything.
And since it was competition day, where i disregarded the Elements of Effort, i cannot count any of these numbers as Personal Records. And they will only mean something if i am better tomorrow than i am today.
Thank you for dropping in. For a true view of a PR visit my previous post!
Time to hit the showers and keep looking up. . . .
20101209
Intensity [relative difficulty] Personal Record
Doctor Bravo:
She hits PRs again, and again.
How does a woman who weighs less than 135 pounds and spends most of her time in a lab coat and goggles deadlift 206 pounds for two reps and rock out to Social D in her Batmobile? I can only tell you about the former. The latter might have to do with her upbringing in the gritty city of Columbus, Ohio.
Monday 12_6_2010 @ 1815 hours
Sumo deadlift 5,154lbs. in 4:57 for a Volume/Density PR at 32.25% work time in a 5 minute block for 5,154 pounds in only four sets [the volume is her total weight lifted, the density is the % of the TOTAL time spent working].
Wednesday 12_8_2010 @ 1715 hours
Sumo deadlift Personal Record for 100% Intensity/1 repetition maximum lift is 200 pounds.
We tested her movement and made sure that the loads [weight on the bar] were appropriate and we took off!
146 x 2
151 x 1
156 x 1
161 x 1
166 x 1
171 x 1
176 x 1
181 x 1
186 x 1
191 x 1
196 x 1
201 x 1 PR, new 1 Rep Max!
206 x 1 Another PR, a new standard for her 1 rep max [1RM]
206 x 2 [1 rep, rest :15, another rep] Holy multitudes Batman! 206 for two? PROVE IT.
Fine, here it is.
Oh and by the by, we use Gym Movement protocols to find out what movements are worth training. . . . .
She hits PRs again, and again.
How does a woman who weighs less than 135 pounds and spends most of her time in a lab coat and goggles deadlift 206 pounds for two reps and rock out to Social D in her Batmobile? I can only tell you about the former. The latter might have to do with her upbringing in the gritty city of Columbus, Ohio.
Monday 12_6_2010 @ 1815 hours
Sumo deadlift 5,154lbs. in 4:57 for a Volume/Density PR at 32.25% work time in a 5 minute block for 5,154 pounds in only four sets [the volume is her total weight lifted, the density is the % of the TOTAL time spent working].
Wednesday 12_8_2010 @ 1715 hours
Sumo deadlift Personal Record for 100% Intensity/1 repetition maximum lift is 200 pounds.
We tested her movement and made sure that the loads [weight on the bar] were appropriate and we took off!
146 x 2
151 x 1
156 x 1
161 x 1
166 x 1
171 x 1
176 x 1
181 x 1
186 x 1
191 x 1
196 x 1
201 x 1 PR, new 1 Rep Max!
206 x 1 Another PR, a new standard for her 1 rep max [1RM]
206 x 2 [1 rep, rest :15, another rep] Holy multitudes Batman! 206 for two? PROVE IT.
Fine, here it is.
Oh and by the by, we use Gym Movement protocols to find out what movements are worth training. . . . .
20101205
24 hours of unremitting rants: Facebook cartoon profile pictures
OK, i just read the news about how cartoon characters as Facebook profile pics will raise awareness about child abuse.
Read more about the goal here
Excuse me, but, well, i don't think so.
There is someone i know, a user on Facebook whom i used to live with, and she will attest that there was a child who was being abused right under our noses and we had no idea. No idea at all. This little girl was beaten to death on Christmas eve in the town home we all shared for months until she and i broke up and moved on, prior to the final incident.
My input? Pay attention to your surroundings and maybe don't be scared to say something. Offend your friends, neighbors, or in our case, roommates, if you think there is something evil happening. And no i am not a Christian but i do believe in Evil. Corporal James Clark and i had a discussion about this at range 407A.
I'm not so sure finding out what TV show you liked as a kid may result in anything more than some people feeling good about themselves. Have you ever felt responsible for a child's death? Have you ever watched a person's life disintegrate after they take their child off life support on Christmas morning? I know a bunch about the former and my old girlfriend/roommate knows about both the former and the latter. What i can tell you, what i am clearly asking you, is to evaluate any situation which alarms you and involves someones safety.
My dad claims that he was abused pretty hardcore as a kid, and i know that i was abused, in an indirect fashion. My dad slapped the shit out of my mom at least twice that i can remember. That is simply what i can recall. The verbal 'abuse' my dad laid on my mom is what shaped me more than anything else. Also, the man who was my godfather is an accused child molester who has been in hiding for almost 20 years. I have no recollection of any abuse to me and he never had time alone with my only brother, but i do recall my mother, father, and grandmother sitting me down and asking me if there was anything i could recall in 'uncle' Bill's behavior that hurt me. I can't recall anything and do not feel as though i have buried anything.
My buddy was raped by two men when he was at school overseas, as a child. Another pal was raped by a man when he rode his bicycle to the shop to purchase what he hoped was a rookie card from a famous MLB outfielder.
Neither of these chaps pressed charges or made the information available to their parents, yet they found enough strength to tell me.
If there were a stipulation that Facebook founder Mark Z. was going to donate a $hitload of coin to child abuse awareness research, or something, if everyone on the site changed their pic to a cartoon character, i would be less indignant. And i know you changed your picture because you believe it will help, but please think about what i have said and reevaluate the effectiveness of what you did. I like the fact that it makes you feel good, and that you care enough to have read the news and made the switch.
But in truth, you likely have changed nothing but your belief in yourself.
And for the record, my favorite animated character was Raphael from the TMNT.
Eternally though, my favorite character who is a drawing is Batman.
Read more about the goal here
Excuse me, but, well, i don't think so.
There is someone i know, a user on Facebook whom i used to live with, and she will attest that there was a child who was being abused right under our noses and we had no idea. No idea at all. This little girl was beaten to death on Christmas eve in the town home we all shared for months until she and i broke up and moved on, prior to the final incident.
My input? Pay attention to your surroundings and maybe don't be scared to say something. Offend your friends, neighbors, or in our case, roommates, if you think there is something evil happening. And no i am not a Christian but i do believe in Evil. Corporal James Clark and i had a discussion about this at range 407A.
I'm not so sure finding out what TV show you liked as a kid may result in anything more than some people feeling good about themselves. Have you ever felt responsible for a child's death? Have you ever watched a person's life disintegrate after they take their child off life support on Christmas morning? I know a bunch about the former and my old girlfriend/roommate knows about both the former and the latter. What i can tell you, what i am clearly asking you, is to evaluate any situation which alarms you and involves someones safety.
My dad claims that he was abused pretty hardcore as a kid, and i know that i was abused, in an indirect fashion. My dad slapped the shit out of my mom at least twice that i can remember. That is simply what i can recall. The verbal 'abuse' my dad laid on my mom is what shaped me more than anything else. Also, the man who was my godfather is an accused child molester who has been in hiding for almost 20 years. I have no recollection of any abuse to me and he never had time alone with my only brother, but i do recall my mother, father, and grandmother sitting me down and asking me if there was anything i could recall in 'uncle' Bill's behavior that hurt me. I can't recall anything and do not feel as though i have buried anything.
My buddy was raped by two men when he was at school overseas, as a child. Another pal was raped by a man when he rode his bicycle to the shop to purchase what he hoped was a rookie card from a famous MLB outfielder.
Neither of these chaps pressed charges or made the information available to their parents, yet they found enough strength to tell me.
If there were a stipulation that Facebook founder Mark Z. was going to donate a $hitload of coin to child abuse awareness research, or something, if everyone on the site changed their pic to a cartoon character, i would be less indignant. And i know you changed your picture because you believe it will help, but please think about what i have said and reevaluate the effectiveness of what you did. I like the fact that it makes you feel good, and that you care enough to have read the news and made the switch.
But in truth, you likely have changed nothing but your belief in yourself.
And for the record, my favorite animated character was Raphael from the TMNT.
Eternally though, my favorite character who is a drawing is Batman.
20101203
Proliferation of Progress and the distraction of sex
I got all wrapped up in some serious messiness. All i can think about today is sex and my approach to training at 1100AM was skewed. I was up late last night watching football and my first client required me to leave my house at 0525. I certainly ate enough last night to fuel today. My goodness. And i ate some chicken breast with a Moroccan seasoning that is making my sweat smell very. . . . distinct.
But in accordance with the Holy Grail of Perpetual Progress, the Gym Movement product line, and the laws in place long before i was in the womb 32 years ago, i hit a Personal Record in my lifts.
If you do not believe in progress every day, let me give an example: The DVD
I thought to myself about halfway through my session, "You are tired, you won't PR in anything today, though movements are testing well". It appeared as though i was going to dishonor The Movement, i was going to let my people down, i was going to cop out, as i have done so many times in my life. Even my dog would have been disappointed in me.
That is not how it works, and i did not leave the club when i felt tired. Nor did i run bull-headed towards another drill and force myself, with loads of effort, to do more work. Nope. Not today.
Today when i got tired i just tested some flexibility stuff, trained some body weight drills, drank some water, and then went back to the iron.
I recalled a photograph that i saw on the internet today, of a personal trainer in such SICK shape that it was what sent me to the health club in the first place. I recalled and thought to myself "Does every session begin with the goal of a PR?" The answer is 'no'. The session, or lesson, begins with a set of movements to test, and beyond that the Gym Movement Protocol takes over. Data collection, analysis, reformulation, execution. Find what tests well, change what you can, to see if it may test better, and then train the heck out of it. The physique in the picture reminded me that more is at stake with my training than honoring a school of science i now study under.
My mood, my appetite, my pain levels, my self image, my happiness [directly related to how much control i believe i have over my choices], my sex drive, my schedule, my income, my choices, etc., etc.
These are all associated with how weight training proliferates and today i saw something previously unseen. Or maybe i was viewing it from angles i had not visited prior.
It is not about hitting a PR every day. That shit just happens :)
It is about following the protocol. Observe the signals, record the data, make the adjustments. Personal Records and Perpetual Progress markers will follow.
So when i almost quit, i did not. That may even be a PR.
1 arm dumbbell rows, from supported position, using different weights and speeds from left to right:
Density 26.66%
Hang Cleans with an symmetrical stance, staggering the hip i had surgery on:
Cable shoulder extensions, from a lunge position [I rest my belly on my front thigh], different loads on each side:
Density 20.87%
And i wrapped up with Pantera on my iPod and dinner on my mind. Tonight, more chicken breast [it's cheap!] with Moroccan sauce [it's unique and yummy], watch last night's episode of Fringe on DVR, and go to bed early.
Tomorrow, i am testing myself at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Who wants to join me?
But in accordance with the Holy Grail of Perpetual Progress, the Gym Movement product line, and the laws in place long before i was in the womb 32 years ago, i hit a Personal Record in my lifts.
If you do not believe in progress every day, let me give an example: The DVD
I thought to myself about halfway through my session, "You are tired, you won't PR in anything today, though movements are testing well". It appeared as though i was going to dishonor The Movement, i was going to let my people down, i was going to cop out, as i have done so many times in my life. Even my dog would have been disappointed in me.
That is not how it works, and i did not leave the club when i felt tired. Nor did i run bull-headed towards another drill and force myself, with loads of effort, to do more work. Nope. Not today.
Today when i got tired i just tested some flexibility stuff, trained some body weight drills, drank some water, and then went back to the iron.
I recalled a photograph that i saw on the internet today, of a personal trainer in such SICK shape that it was what sent me to the health club in the first place. I recalled and thought to myself "Does every session begin with the goal of a PR?" The answer is 'no'. The session, or lesson, begins with a set of movements to test, and beyond that the Gym Movement Protocol takes over. Data collection, analysis, reformulation, execution. Find what tests well, change what you can, to see if it may test better, and then train the heck out of it. The physique in the picture reminded me that more is at stake with my training than honoring a school of science i now study under.
My mood, my appetite, my pain levels, my self image, my happiness [directly related to how much control i believe i have over my choices], my sex drive, my schedule, my income, my choices, etc., etc.
These are all associated with how weight training proliferates and today i saw something previously unseen. Or maybe i was viewing it from angles i had not visited prior.
It is not about hitting a PR every day. That shit just happens :)
It is about following the protocol. Observe the signals, record the data, make the adjustments. Personal Records and Perpetual Progress markers will follow.
So when i almost quit, i did not. That may even be a PR.
1 arm dumbbell rows, from supported position, using different weights and speeds from left to right:
Volume PR 8,080lbs./11:00
Intensity 60-70%Density 26.66%
Hang Cleans with an symmetrical stance, staggering the hip i had surgery on:
Volume PR 2,295lbs./8:30
Intensity PR old 1RM was 150, new 1RM is 175, trained today at 77-95%
Density 10.98%Cable shoulder extensions, from a lunge position [I rest my belly on my front thigh], different loads on each side:
Volume PR 3,455lbs./11:35
Intensity N/ADensity 20.87%
And i wrapped up with Pantera on my iPod and dinner on my mind. Tonight, more chicken breast [it's cheap!] with Moroccan sauce [it's unique and yummy], watch last night's episode of Fringe on DVR, and go to bed early.
Tomorrow, i am testing myself at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Who wants to join me?
20101202
Yo! Microphone check 1-2 what is this?
Big Willy in the health club with the roughneck business.
-Lift against gravity
-Had too many cavities
-Got more muscles than an Irish catholic family
No need to sweat a kettlebell to gain some type of fame
No shame in my game, but i'll never be the same
Pounds upon pounds upon pounds is what i hoist
You want to hate on Willy cause your girl is getting moist
I lift weights in bare feet so i can feel it in my calves
Messing 'round with Willy gets you sliced all up in half
I never partial rep 'cause i'm not a partial rep'er
I drink a lot of soda, call me Diet Dr. Pepper
Refuse to compete with some whack competition
Your game is lacking cred so double-check your game commission
I never ride the rails thinkin' it's all about Willy
Even though deep down in Philly City Hall can get chilly
I just do my best to like, go all out
Some might even say this massive white boy's buggin out!
Wednesday 1 December, check in at 2023 hours
Clean and Jerk
All single reps tested better and better and better until i found where my body wanted to train.
135lbs., 155, 165, 175, 185, 195 all singles reps, testing awesome.
So i went to my 1 Rep Maximum number [205], my 100% intensity, and one reps tested better than anything yet.
So then i tripled it. Yes, i did three reps with my 1 rep maximum from October.
So then i put more weight on the bar.
My new 1Rep Max is 210 lbs. Thank you very much Gym Movement.
Volume/total weight lifted 2,850 lbs./16:00
So then i worked the cleans and hit another PR. I took an asymmetrical stance, with my right foot [hip] staggered back a few degrees.
195 x 2, x3, x5 [PR], x5, x5
Volume = 3,900/10:45
Intensity = All reps at 92.8% [Personal record]
Density [percentage of the total time spent lifting the weight] = 27.02%
So then, i went Hollywood and did some weapons maintenance
Alternating block of 1 arm and 2 arm rope press downs [triceps contraction/elbow extension] and varied grip chin ups:
Press downs Volume 6,510 lbs. [Personal record], Intensity = Most reps at 71%
Chinning Volume [reps x body weight of 245lbs.] = 7,105lbs./29 reps. [PR in speed of reps for one set where i pulled 5 reps in 9 seconds]
Total block density for 14:15 is 21.32%
As you can see, i am clearly buggin' out. Multiple PRs. That is simply what we do.
-Lift against gravity
-Had too many cavities
-Got more muscles than an Irish catholic family
No need to sweat a kettlebell to gain some type of fame
No shame in my game, but i'll never be the same
Pounds upon pounds upon pounds is what i hoist
You want to hate on Willy cause your girl is getting moist
I lift weights in bare feet so i can feel it in my calves
Messing 'round with Willy gets you sliced all up in half
I never partial rep 'cause i'm not a partial rep'er
I drink a lot of soda, call me Diet Dr. Pepper
Refuse to compete with some whack competition
Your game is lacking cred so double-check your game commission
I never ride the rails thinkin' it's all about Willy
Even though deep down in Philly City Hall can get chilly
I just do my best to like, go all out
Some might even say this massive white boy's buggin out!
Wednesday 1 December, check in at 2023 hours
Clean and Jerk
All single reps tested better and better and better until i found where my body wanted to train.
135lbs., 155, 165, 175, 185, 195 all singles reps, testing awesome.
So i went to my 1 Rep Maximum number [205], my 100% intensity, and one reps tested better than anything yet.
So then i tripled it. Yes, i did three reps with my 1 rep maximum from October.
So then i put more weight on the bar.
My new 1Rep Max is 210 lbs. Thank you very much Gym Movement.
Volume/total weight lifted 2,850 lbs./16:00
Personal Record [PR] Intensity, new 1RM.
So then i worked the cleans and hit another PR. I took an asymmetrical stance, with my right foot [hip] staggered back a few degrees.
195 x 2, x3, x5 [PR], x5, x5
Volume = 3,900/10:45
Intensity = All reps at 92.8% [Personal record]
Density [percentage of the total time spent lifting the weight] = 27.02%
So then, i went Hollywood and did some weapons maintenance
Alternating block of 1 arm and 2 arm rope press downs [triceps contraction/elbow extension] and varied grip chin ups:
Press downs Volume 6,510 lbs. [Personal record], Intensity = Most reps at 71%
Chinning Volume [reps x body weight of 245lbs.] = 7,105lbs./29 reps. [PR in speed of reps for one set where i pulled 5 reps in 9 seconds]
Total block density for 14:15 is 21.32%
As you can see, i am clearly buggin' out. Multiple PRs. That is simply what we do.
20101129
Cost of Living [happy holidays]
Team,
I actually selected "Classical Christmas" from Pandora Internet Radio last night and today. The inspiration is not a love of the holiday season, but a means to walk in the shoes of the world. I have the eyes of the world, and from time to time i act upon what i think may better us all, yet there are so very many things elemental to life which i have not tasted, spat out, viewed, heard.
Death is one of them.
I served in the USMC and was deployed twice, first with the mighty 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit [MEU] during the peace time Clinton administration. And again in August 2001 with the 13th MEU. I sat eating pizza in Darwin, Northern Territories, Australia when the twin towers were demolished.
My unit served as airfield security in two countries related to Operation Enduring Freedom and not once was a shot fired on either side of our 360 degree defense. We came home safe. 100% of Battalion Landing Team 1/1 was alive. One Marine from Bravo Company took a bullet to his leg near _____,________.
President George W. Bush declared Mission Accomplished. I was honorably discharged at the end of my contract. I wanted to make 50.00/hour as a trainer and chase girls around. It was clear to me that the war was short and bittersweet, just like the Gulf conflict in 1991. Maximum effect, minimum casualties.
No one i went to boot camp with, or infantry school with, or deployed with, was KIA or MIA that fall, 2001. I got out summer 2002. Went to Atlanta to chase a girl. No one died.
My mother's mother died 18 December, 1992. The only relative i have ever known who has passed away. I was 13 years old. She drank every day and smoked every day for 37 years. I was numb, too numb to be sad yet certainly not surprised. Vodka and Viceroy does not always equate to long life. Her name is Janey Lynn Smithgall. She is 58 years old eternal.
Two of my classmates from Haverford Senior High, class of 1996, passed away. I knew them yes, liked them for sure, but was not close enough to have been invited to view their bodies or be affected greatly by their passing. But i will forever remember the days they announced that Gabe and Patty has passed.
So here i am at my computer, the very same place i was last night when i learned that on October 6th of this year my client of 2005-2006 Tracey Turner Winter passed away due to rampant cancer spread from her liver. She is 36 years old forever.
So i think to myself last night that there are few people who have impacted me so greatly that i can name them and the related situation from said influence. Yet there are many, many more whom i have not recalled or documented properly, and millions who have had a butterfly effect upon me that i may never meet. Millions dead who have contributed to my life, and yet very, very few people i have ever had a relationship with [in any form] have passed away.
My name is Eric Junior, people call me Will, and i have a Nate Fisher complex.
I do not even think of death as the end of life. I think of death solely as something the living must bear. Death does not seem to bother the dead. Dying, however, can be felt by both the passing and the breathing. What would i know of this? As mentioned, nothing. Nothing at all.
So why is that? I do not have desire to learn the answer.
Perhaps no one i know closely has passed so that i may only know the sadness that i afflict myself with though cycles of depression and disappointment. Perhaps no one close to me, no one i have ever loved, has passed so they may live to mourn me when i pass before them? I do not know. I was engaged in a conversation this summer about thinking in terms of causation vs. terms of association. I associate detachment and numbness with death. I associate fear of dying to a television character i have similarities too [and a man-crush on the actor Peter Krause who played him expertly]. When i hear that someone has passed away, it is nearly always someone close to someone else who i did not know or even meet. I feel nothing but i detect the impact it has upon the living who are tied to the dead. Detachment, numbness, Nate Fisher.
In this case, i knew Tracey was sick. I reached out to her through Facebook, as her 'care page' was blowing up and there was an event held for her the weekend i was in the Twin Cities talking about causation vs. association with fF and ATG. I told her i could not attend, and typed to her that she could reach out to me if there was something she needed or wanted that relied upon me being be the appropriate one to deliver. She hollered back, clearly in good spirits due to the number of exclamation points and :)s located in the message. That was July. I never even thought of her again until i visited her Facebook page last night and saw that the most recent posts on her wall were from friends detailing their means of dealing with her absence.
Yes, i found out that Tracey Turner Winter, age 36 for the rest of our lives, had passed away because i went to her Facebook page. Other than come to life in front of me there is nothing FB has not done for me since becoming a member in 2008. I have not physically seen her since I was working as The bouncer in her neighborhood pub in 2006.
And i felt something other than a lack of feeling, or detachment this time. I felt a connection to the rest of her world. I felt a small measure of the anguish her friend detailed on FB about recently having a dream in which Tracey "came back to us all", and how she awoke in tears. Moreover i detected something else. I realized the professional caliber ability i have to bury feelings i don't want to feel until they ascend at a point where it is time for me to feel them. I recalled the phone call that the girl i chased in Georgia, 2002 [remember that] made to me on Christmas night of that year, to tell me that Victoria Grace, age 2 forever, had passed away that morning. I recalled how quickly the inaudible 'slam' shut that the cold, intangible chamber i summon unconsciously when i need it, made as she spoke the words though the phone. Victoria Grace was the daughter of our roommate when we all lived together, in a 3 bedroom town-home, east of Atlanta. Her mother chose to take Victoria Grace off life support on Christmas morning after she was taken to the hospital the night prior, for injuries which were at the time of unknown origin. It was determined shortly there after that Victoria's mother's boyfriend had beat her to a condition leading to her death on Christmas eve.
Phone call, chamber, no feelings, Nate Fisher.
As never before, i am placing myself in a spot where i am aligned with the mentality of the masses. Holiday decorations, shopping, stress, hustle and bustle, get the kids to the game, get to the mall, pay the Visa bill, go to the gym. Things people do every day. Things i do not relate to. If you ask me, i will tell you that i am on an island and the only one on this planet who feels what i feel. I am the only one who feels depressed, sad, pain in my joints, financial despair, overweight, lazy, unrested, stressed, or any combination of said situations. If you ask me i can tell you that i feel everything when it hits yet not everything has hit me.
I put on Pandora Internet Radio's "classical Christmas" station because i need to be outside of my head, my body, my apartment, my life, right now. I can not explain why but i feel the need to be connected to the pulse of the upright primate throbbing mammalian mass right now in order to discover something. Something outside myself and my life linking me to something within me.
As the saying goes "life is too short". As the record label told us "Life is . . . Too $hort". And as i tell you now, not really knowing why, my life is too short to be disconnected and stuck inside that chamber. Certainly when something calls to me to leave it.
Tracey Turner Winter, age 36
I actually selected "Classical Christmas" from Pandora Internet Radio last night and today. The inspiration is not a love of the holiday season, but a means to walk in the shoes of the world. I have the eyes of the world, and from time to time i act upon what i think may better us all, yet there are so very many things elemental to life which i have not tasted, spat out, viewed, heard.
Death is one of them.
I served in the USMC and was deployed twice, first with the mighty 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit [MEU] during the peace time Clinton administration. And again in August 2001 with the 13th MEU. I sat eating pizza in Darwin, Northern Territories, Australia when the twin towers were demolished.
My unit served as airfield security in two countries related to Operation Enduring Freedom and not once was a shot fired on either side of our 360 degree defense. We came home safe. 100% of Battalion Landing Team 1/1 was alive. One Marine from Bravo Company took a bullet to his leg near _____,________.
President George W. Bush declared Mission Accomplished. I was honorably discharged at the end of my contract. I wanted to make 50.00/hour as a trainer and chase girls around. It was clear to me that the war was short and bittersweet, just like the Gulf conflict in 1991. Maximum effect, minimum casualties.
No one i went to boot camp with, or infantry school with, or deployed with, was KIA or MIA that fall, 2001. I got out summer 2002. Went to Atlanta to chase a girl. No one died.
My mother's mother died 18 December, 1992. The only relative i have ever known who has passed away. I was 13 years old. She drank every day and smoked every day for 37 years. I was numb, too numb to be sad yet certainly not surprised. Vodka and Viceroy does not always equate to long life. Her name is Janey Lynn Smithgall. She is 58 years old eternal.
Two of my classmates from Haverford Senior High, class of 1996, passed away. I knew them yes, liked them for sure, but was not close enough to have been invited to view their bodies or be affected greatly by their passing. But i will forever remember the days they announced that Gabe and Patty has passed.
So here i am at my computer, the very same place i was last night when i learned that on October 6th of this year my client of 2005-2006 Tracey Turner Winter passed away due to rampant cancer spread from her liver. She is 36 years old forever.
So i think to myself last night that there are few people who have impacted me so greatly that i can name them and the related situation from said influence. Yet there are many, many more whom i have not recalled or documented properly, and millions who have had a butterfly effect upon me that i may never meet. Millions dead who have contributed to my life, and yet very, very few people i have ever had a relationship with [in any form] have passed away.
My name is Eric Junior, people call me Will, and i have a Nate Fisher complex.
I do not even think of death as the end of life. I think of death solely as something the living must bear. Death does not seem to bother the dead. Dying, however, can be felt by both the passing and the breathing. What would i know of this? As mentioned, nothing. Nothing at all.
So why is that? I do not have desire to learn the answer.
Perhaps no one i know closely has passed so that i may only know the sadness that i afflict myself with though cycles of depression and disappointment. Perhaps no one close to me, no one i have ever loved, has passed so they may live to mourn me when i pass before them? I do not know. I was engaged in a conversation this summer about thinking in terms of causation vs. terms of association. I associate detachment and numbness with death. I associate fear of dying to a television character i have similarities too [and a man-crush on the actor Peter Krause who played him expertly]. When i hear that someone has passed away, it is nearly always someone close to someone else who i did not know or even meet. I feel nothing but i detect the impact it has upon the living who are tied to the dead. Detachment, numbness, Nate Fisher.
In this case, i knew Tracey was sick. I reached out to her through Facebook, as her 'care page' was blowing up and there was an event held for her the weekend i was in the Twin Cities talking about causation vs. association with fF and ATG. I told her i could not attend, and typed to her that she could reach out to me if there was something she needed or wanted that relied upon me being be the appropriate one to deliver. She hollered back, clearly in good spirits due to the number of exclamation points and :)s located in the message. That was July. I never even thought of her again until i visited her Facebook page last night and saw that the most recent posts on her wall were from friends detailing their means of dealing with her absence.
Yes, i found out that Tracey Turner Winter, age 36 for the rest of our lives, had passed away because i went to her Facebook page. Other than come to life in front of me there is nothing FB has not done for me since becoming a member in 2008. I have not physically seen her since I was working as The bouncer in her neighborhood pub in 2006.
And i felt something other than a lack of feeling, or detachment this time. I felt a connection to the rest of her world. I felt a small measure of the anguish her friend detailed on FB about recently having a dream in which Tracey "came back to us all", and how she awoke in tears. Moreover i detected something else. I realized the professional caliber ability i have to bury feelings i don't want to feel until they ascend at a point where it is time for me to feel them. I recalled the phone call that the girl i chased in Georgia, 2002 [remember that] made to me on Christmas night of that year, to tell me that Victoria Grace, age 2 forever, had passed away that morning. I recalled how quickly the inaudible 'slam' shut that the cold, intangible chamber i summon unconsciously when i need it, made as she spoke the words though the phone. Victoria Grace was the daughter of our roommate when we all lived together, in a 3 bedroom town-home, east of Atlanta. Her mother chose to take Victoria Grace off life support on Christmas morning after she was taken to the hospital the night prior, for injuries which were at the time of unknown origin. It was determined shortly there after that Victoria's mother's boyfriend had beat her to a condition leading to her death on Christmas eve.
Phone call, chamber, no feelings, Nate Fisher.
As never before, i am placing myself in a spot where i am aligned with the mentality of the masses. Holiday decorations, shopping, stress, hustle and bustle, get the kids to the game, get to the mall, pay the Visa bill, go to the gym. Things people do every day. Things i do not relate to. If you ask me, i will tell you that i am on an island and the only one on this planet who feels what i feel. I am the only one who feels depressed, sad, pain in my joints, financial despair, overweight, lazy, unrested, stressed, or any combination of said situations. If you ask me i can tell you that i feel everything when it hits yet not everything has hit me.
I put on Pandora Internet Radio's "classical Christmas" station because i need to be outside of my head, my body, my apartment, my life, right now. I can not explain why but i feel the need to be connected to the pulse of the upright primate throbbing mammalian mass right now in order to discover something. Something outside myself and my life linking me to something within me.
As the saying goes "life is too short". As the record label told us "Life is . . . Too $hort". And as i tell you now, not really knowing why, my life is too short to be disconnected and stuck inside that chamber. Certainly when something calls to me to leave it.
Tracey Turner Winter, age 36
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