Thicker is better

It's true! I got my newest toy delivered yesterday and decided to take it to the gym, Fat Gripz Extreme
Was I in for a treat. I know thick bars are the best for grip training but I had no idea what to expect with these things. A bit bigger than the regular Fat Gripz, the Extreme version is definitely for experienced.

I added these on to the HS chest press and was amazed at how much easier it was to press. I was not gripping the handles like a boa constrictor around a small animals neck. I was actually using my hands as hooks. 320 went so easy I decided to jump to 360 and banged out 5 sets of doubles. My next experiment was with Zerchers. This was ok, probably something I might do again. Felt awkward but effective, adds a little different stress to the lift. The final kicker was Behind the Back wrist curls...wow is all I can say. % sets of 6 reps with 135 was all I could handle.

I also did some back and other chest work today. Was surprised at how long I was in the gym which included 35 minutes on the treadmill. Thankfully I was fueled up with Shock Therapy and Atomic 7 from Universal Nutrition. I have decided that I enjoy the simplicity of their products and the fact they work for me.
The company has been around for almost as long as I have, so they must be doing something right.

I checked my weight and bodyfat today. Happy to say I am under 250...248 to be exact. I was surprised by the bodyfat readout I got, 14%. Serious? Really? Well I suppose it could be off since it was my first time. I would guess I am probably about 16%. I will do it again to see if there is a difference.

Like Al Pacino in Godfather 3, I cannot get away from strongman. No, I have not flip flop like Romney but I have decided to do a strongman competition in December. It is for fun and charity and I somehow convinced myself to do it. So if you are anywhere near Bradenton Beach on December 9th come out and watch, Brawn at the Beach.



 

Born to rage...

So I caught this video from National Geographic this morning...




Was certainly a little eye opening for me. Not that I am violent, but I think the "warrior gene" could explain a whole lot about me. Anyone that knows me has probably witnessed a little of my temper. Funny how the gangbangers, Buddhist monk, and Navy Seal all had it. All of them were soldiers in a sense, disciplined in their training, and focused. Yet all could leave the violence and focus on other pursuits.
Strange how much focus and discipline played in all their lives. I find it very similar to my pursuits in the gym. There is a certain level of focus, discipline, and insanity needed to to this stuff.


So grabbing my stuff I headed to the gym fueled by a cream cheese danish, coffee, and some Limp Bizkit. Was shoulders and triceps today.
I was dreading the gym since I took the whole week off after feeling like hell since Wednesday. My feelings were for nothing because I actually did better than I have in a long time.
Shoulder presses were 250 for 6 sets of 6 reps, nailed 5 giant sets of laterals, front raises, and rear laterals. Ended the shoulder session with some high pulls. The high pulls were a little too light so I need to add some more weight next time.
Triceps were brutal. I started with Lockouts on the Smith, 300 for 4 singles! Last time I could not budge 275... Finished the tris off with pushdowns, 50lbs. 20 reps, 7 sets. That was all I could handle, except I did cardio on the treadmill. 30 minutes, wanted to do 45 but my right calf was cramping the whole time. Want to talk about pain?!?!
That's it! Looking forward to watching some football and eating some food...