BEYOND STRONG

05/25/08- squats and deads

Did not deadlift this week due to being away for training for work.  So, plan today was to de-load squats then pull a couple singles in my Marathon deadlift suit.

-Box squats: no bands, worked up to an easy 435 belt only.  Then struggled for 15 minutes to get the ACE on.  Discovered it is one size too small.  Hopefully I can get a hold of Dave or Jim Tuesday and get them to send one out as this one is in transit back to them.

-Conventional Deadlifts: hit 610 x1 belt only real easy.  Suited up and smoked 660 x1 so fast it bounced at the top.  Said fuck it, put 735 on.  Got it knee height then the curtain started closing on me so I dropped it.  The Marathon suit is the same suit I wore at 217.  Basically, it takes a great effort just to get to the bar, but once I am there I have no air left.  So, if the weight comes up real fast, I am good.  If it comes up slower and I am grinding, I have no air, so I start to black out.  I damn near went out with 735, but I decided I would save the black out for the meet.  I am confident with 700 for this meet, and then I will go for 725-740 based on how I feel. 

2000 total, HERE I FUCKING COME!

That was it, drank a shake and went home.  Very good "de-load" day.  Hopefully the ACE will get here in time for next Sunday, if not I will go ACE briefs and pro suit.  Full gear next 3 weeks...hang on for the fucking ride!

-Rick

05/24/08- bench

-Bench: 405 x1, 455 x1, 475 missed at the very top.  I couldn't get set up right, having troubles with the new bench belt.  My right foot came out from under me right at the top and I tipped.  On the plus side, the weight was easy and felt light in my hands.  I had Cullen wrap my wrists extremely tight and it helped a ton.  Went to 495 and again missed at the top.  Everything was right this time, belt was good and I was driving my belly up good.  I was about 1/2" from touching and I had to lower it a bit and the bar went off the bubble of the shirt.  I reversed it and came close, but couldn't lock it. 

Overall I am pretty happy about this.  I am now 100% confident with 455 and 475.  5 more training weeks to go, I am going to focus on getting my triceps up more.  500 is going to go at Worlds!!

Cullen did reverse bands with the greens and hit 695.  His bench is coming up tons and I have a feeling he is going to be good for 550-575 at his next meet.

-Beakers: 135 bar weight, 66 pound kettle bell hanging from bands on each side of the bar x6, x6.  Pretty intense, hammered the tris hard.

-Kettle bell floor press: 88s x10, x8, x10.  First time I was able to get 10, and to tell the truth it wasn't too bad.  This means my triceps are coming along.

-Chest supported row: 90 x10, x10, x8.

-Reverse flys: blast straps, bodyweight x6, x6, x6.

Done.  De-loading squats tomorrow and working up to 650 or so in the dead.  Maybe more if it feels light.  Got my ACE squat suit, can't wait to try it out!

-Rick

My left elbow is giving me grief right now. I'm pretty sure it's the heavy chins but we'll keep on eye on it for now anyway.

Hip Belt Squats - 135x20, 231x15, 300x10. Was hard!
Calves - 1platex20, 2px15, 3px12, 4px10
Hammer Incline Press - 4 plates (2 each side)x15, 6px10, 6 and 1/2px4
Hammer Pullover  - 4 plates (2 each side)x15, 6px10x10
Jump training
Supination/Pronation - 2" loading pin plus 2.5kgx20x20, plus 3.75kgx15
Plank with 110lbs platex1 minute

Nick

United Flight 93

While I was away for training these last couple days, I had the chance to finally get to see the temporary Flight 93 Memorial and take some pictures.

Flight 93 was the plane that crashed in a field in the Somerset, PA area.  This was the flight where 40 courageous people fought back.  40 people made the decision that the lives of possibly 1000s on the ground were more important then their own.  Knowing they had 2 choices, fight like hell, or sit idly and allow the deeds of monsters over power free will.

   

Imagine, if you can, calling your wife, husband, children, and telling them that you are on a hijacked plane.  Imagine telling them this while they know that 3 other planes had been hijacked and crashed, killing 1000s of innocent people.  Imagine saying your goodbyes to your loved ones 32000 feet above the ground, knowing that you had a job to do, and that job was to sacrifice your own life to save others.

 

I know I can't.  I can't imagine being in that position, and I can't imagine the heart, courage, and REAL STRENGTH that it took to rise up from their seats and confront evil head on.  I stood there in the rain Wednesday afternoon, trying to comprehend why.  Trying to look deep into myself and wonder if I would have had the courage to stand up.  If I would have had the heart to face evil head on knowing that the only consequence was a certain death and knowing that I would never see my beautiful wife and children again.

These 40 brave souls exemplified what America is and ALWAYS will be about.  We cannot thank them enough, and we cannot sympathize with the ones they left behind enough.  7 years later and the memories of that day are still fresh in me, so just imagine how hard it is on those who lost a loved one.

I get so pissed when I hear these "9-11 Conspirators" talk their babble about how this didn't happen and it was all a government cover-up.  I have ZERO patience for that, so if that is what you believe, please get the fuck off my blog and do not read it any longer.  I have no need for scum bags who think that shit and who spread that propaganda.  If you believe that this was all faked, you are an idiot, and I would gladly get in line to put my boots to your skull.

When you visit the memorial it is extremely emotional and gut wrenching.  So many letters, pictures, notes from people from all over the world.  There are military banners, flags, hats, shirts, pics, stones, and writings everywhere in memory to these brave 40.  Hopefully this summer I can make the trip down again and take my wife to see it.

LET'S ROLL!

-Rick

It's been a busy week so far. I have managed to train just not had time to upload it until now.

Friday
Bench - 180x12, 242x8, 310x3, 340x1, 350x1.
One Arm Rows - 135x8/8, 155x7/7x7/7
Decline Tri Ext - 55'sx8x8x8
Front Raise - 55'sx8
Side Raise - 55'sx8
Seated Inc Rear - 35'sx15

Saturday and Sunday I did cardio which was the Eliptical plus a 30lb weight vest for 25 and 30 minutes

Monday
Press - 135x10, 180x5, 190x5x5
Chins - 45x8, 90x5, 110x5
Dips - 135x8, 190x5x5
6x1min30 sec rounds of bag work

Nick

The eagle has landed

Well, actually the eagle has landed nearly two weeks now, but anyway.. I am happily here in Bali, and been busy scouting for a nice job. Things are looking good, and I have two job offers/ internships (cause I am still a student) at international schools. Now I am sorting out the details concerning a work visa, and I am all set. Hopefully within a year I can get a full salary as an expat, and with an income like that I can live ' generously'  in here. Just for example, we went out with our scooter a few days ago, and got a flat tire. We got it fixed at a local shop, and paid less than a dollar for that! I try to train a little, in the morning.

Sometimes a small walk, run, and at home her dad has some home made barbells with concrete and pipe. I do a lot of reps circuit wise, so military presses for 20 reps, upright row, ab wheel, db curl, pushups, one leg deads etc.. Gets a sweat going, but to say I put in a lot of effort at the moment, no. Next month my KB's will be arriving, and we are trying to get up a pull up bar in the garage so then I am all set. Since we live as one big family here in Bali, but the house is ours, I did some cleaning with her dad. They still take out the garbage in here the old fasion way, and here you can see how ;)

Theo

05/19/08- Prowler and pacemaker check-up

Had my 6 month check-up today with my pacemaker doctor.  Everything checked out 100% and she actually turned the juice down a bit on it.  She said my numbers are so good that I don't need as much power anymore to produce the pace, so she turned it down.  This will help me get more battery life out of it.  Could it be the Prowler?  The fish oil?  The powerlifting?  Who knows, but I like good news when I see her.  The first thing she said when she saw me was, "You didn't pop the damn thing out of your chest yet did you?!?"

10 Prowler trips today.  Grass is high and dry, ugh.  Had 2 spikes in the 200s and was suffering pretty good, but I stayed on my feet despite the blackening grass.  It is actually starting to get easier...I think.

I have training for a couple days so I won't be posting.  Please don't comment a bunch of dumb shit about how I never finish anything or I'm not training.  Trust me, I am training harder then you think...

I will be back posting possibly Thursday.

Till then, watch this and GO GET IT!

-Rick

05/18/08- Squats

-Box Squats: 2 choked blues, 1 choked green a side.  This was so much band tension you couldn't even walk the bar out.  You would take it out and it would be next to impossible to move your feet.  I took some pics of the band set-up with my cell phone for those asking for pictures:

Those yellow things you see around the bad in the first pic are the Spud Inc. suspension straps.  They basically keep you from getting fucking crushed in the event that you miss or something goes wrong.  I can't even count how many times they have saved us ALL.

Anyway, did 245 bar weight x2, x2, x2.  Then 340 x1.  Then 410.  Now, when I unracked 410 it felt like more pressure then I have ever experienced.  A couple years back I did a quarter squat with 1225, and I can tell you honestly that 410 with the 6 bands felt like more pressure pulling down on me.  It felt like my feet were going to literally go through the platform.  I took it down, paused, then came up about half way were I stalled and had to be saved by Cullen.  His attempt was the same result.  That was so much weight, but next time we do this, I am going to fucking smoke 410 like it is 135.  Mark my words.

-Speed deads: added 120 pounds of chain to the bar, 185 bar weight, then draped a blue band over it and put a 2"x10" over it.  Like so:

That made a world of difference as far as band tension went, and I was a little raised so it was beyond the range.  Did 2 singles with 185 bar weight, then 3 more singles with 135 bar weight.  Had to pull VERY fast to get it to lockout.  I am going to keep these in from here until the meet.  I need a little more pop in my lockout.

-Reverse-Hypers: 380 x8, x8, x8.  Time to start pushing these up again.  So hard to get motivated to do these after squatting so much.

-Glute-hams: bodyweight x10, x10, x10.

-Standing abs: 120 x10, x10, x10.

Done.  Whew.  Tough workout.  Next week we de-load, then it is 3 straight weeks of full gear.  I am going to have to get very motivated and I am out of ammonia caps so I need to make a run to get some.  I have my 6 month pacemaker check-up tomorrow afternoon in Pittsburgh, so I have the day off from work.  I can sleep in and try to recover.  There are 2 big chickens in the crock pot and mash potatoes on the stove.  Time to eat...

-Rick

Protein Factory

If you use protein powder, then you already know that the price has gone up.  I used to be able to get 10 pound bags of Gold Star whey from Optimum for about $70.  Now a 5 pound can costs nearly $60 with shipping.

Cullen turned me to www.proteinfactory.com.  I got 5 pounds of the following mix for about $50.

25% Aussie Caseinate
15% Egg white powder
20% Hydrolyzed 1400
40% Whey protein concentrate

Added stevia for sweetener and got chocolate.

Just a heads up if you want an awesome protein powder that won't break your bank account.

-Rick

05/17/08- Bench Press

-1 board Bench: worked up to 475lbs, got weird with it first attempt and missed it.  Got my head right and smoked it second attempt!  This is a 20 pound PR from my best off a 1 board straight weight.  Put 495 on and had it within 2" from lockout and my wrist was just bent to far and it caused the weight to shift.  I was so close to getting it, but I know the strength is there. 

Mr. Walker went to the Cross-Roads
so the legend goes
he left with an Elite Total
but the devil took his soul
the devil took his soul...

Oh, by the way, fucking Lance SMOKED 605 off of 1 board.  Lance is now about 1.5" away from being an official 600+ pound bench presser.  We are stepping our number game up in the Basement of Pain.  I predict by 09' all of us except young Trevor will be Elite.  Trevor pulled 275 for 2 singles last week, at 130 bodyweight and 12 years old.  The kid is going to be STRONG.

-5 board close grips: 225 x20, 275 x16, 315 x7.

-Blast strap push ups super set with mini band piston push-downs:  20 push ups/15 piston push downs, 20 push ups/15 piston push downs.  Terrible.

-Chest Supported row: 100 x5, x5, x5, x5.  Alternated grip each time.

-Blast strap reverse fly: body weight x5, x5, x5.

Done.

My friend Adam Glass is back to posting his blog and I couldn't be happier.  We are completely different in our styles and motivations, but Adam is fucking strong and he does his thing and tells it like it is.  I enjoy that, because the guys I lift with are much the same.  He let the internet ass clowns get to him for awhile, but he has since seen the light and now is a lot like me: He just doesn't give a flying fuck anymore.  I don't use fucking forums for that exact reason, bunch of weak pussies running others down.  If you to talk dumb shit, go to fucking IPA Worlds June 29th and I will do my talking on the platform.  Check out Adam's blog at: http://adamtglass.blogspot.com/

Squats tomorrow.  2 blues and 1 green each side, choked.  Then we are going to keep adding bar weight till we fail.  I am stoked for it already.  Today I will eat and play NCAA Football all day in preparation for the tomorrows battle.

-Rick