the butcher

ooooh yeah....love that song. either makes you want to have sex or fight. well it made me lift something furious today...

deload week should be easy and fun so that s what i did. walked to the gym for cardio and then hit chest and back. a little push pull thing and then did biceps. i normally do not do them but i felt it was needed.

not sure of the weights but i did 5 sets 8 reps for each exercise.
HS low press, HS Iso Row, machine flyes, rope pulldowns, machine press, shrugs

did these 4 sets 8 reps. a few of the exercises were drop sets.
cambered bar curls, cable curls, reverse curls, hammer curls, wrist curls

walked home and devoured a pizza. the walk was good...lot of time to think.

deload....

this week is it for me...no heavy lifting. and my body can use it. i feel beat up but i am happy with the results.
most of my lifts went up, some to an amazing degree. so what to do this week....train or just be lazy?
what a dilemma!! training light and loose will be fun and it will get me out of the apartment. was thinking light work but with some volume added in for the pump.

managed to write a quick article on grip, hope it gets posted soon... i should paint something too. any suggestions? would love to get a giant canvas and put a wave on it...haha i need a patron, no not the tequila. but that does sound tasty too.

so how to start this week off? what better than sunday undies.....http://www.wjrr.com/pages/sundayundies.html
and a couple fritters with coffee. maybe finish off the day with some movies. but in the meantime enjoy some jack johnson with me...

waves

been really digging the waves lately. always been inspired by Hokusai's The Great Wave off Kanagawa
even though his is a woodblock print i enjoy trying to paint in that style. believe me it is not easy...you just 
have to see the shapes and forms versus the real wave....ok that was my zen moment. so here are the last 2 
waves i have painted...

douchebag dumpster

yeah it has been one of those days...the last 24 hours have left me with a slight vinegar taste in my mouth.
a lot of douches have come out and irritated me to know end. so let me open up the dumpster and toss them in!
a few from last evening...name calling internet warriors, overzealous pompous censoring power tripping douches,
the whiny people to afraid to stand up for themselves (maybe you should re-evaluate your life choices) and finally the hypocrites...in the douche dumpster you go!
now for this afternoons douches...you are the reason Planet Fitness thrives, you puffed up ILS having douche! take off your stupid affliction rip-off t-shirt and quit doing curls in the freaking squat rack! and please shut your effing gaping suck under your nose! wantto comment on how terrible someone's squats are, yet your pencil legs would crack if you got under a bar with your bodyweight on it....please do the world a favor and go home, do your P90-x and jump in the dumpster!!

trash has been taken out...


so onto my training....

squats 390x5 445x3 500x7---hell yes! i needed to go about an inch deeper though.

hack squats 270x8 6 sets

standing calf raise 260x8 5 sets

single leg press 180x8 5 sets

good mornings 315x5 5 sets

and let me tell you i train at the rudest gym in the freaking world. from the members to the employees...

possibilities

so it sums up what i am going through in the gym and life. went to the employment office yesterday for an interview, not for a job though. the lady there gave me a lot of help and some options. actually made my day...
i was also inspired to write a story...think it will be fun....going to use my other blog for that. stay tuned!!

had a late start today...woke up at noon...yes i was a little surprised. guess thats what happens when you watch 4 movies and go to bed at 2 am! well i headed to the gym after an interesting convo with a great friend. surprisingly the gym was empty...all the better for me!

overhead press 175x5 195x3 225x6---yes!! that was my goal.

split jerk 155 5/3/1---think these are helping me get under the bar and press more!

pushdowns 90x10 8 sets

tate cable extension 45x10 6 sets

HS iso press 1-arm 90x8 4 sets

1 arm dumbbell clean and press 120x2 each arm----just showing off!!

y'all want a single?

FUCK THAT!!
haha...perfect song for the gym today. deadlift day!! i went in early to beat the nasty weather heading this way.
supposed to be t-storms and possible tornadoes. so i tredged out early and hit it  hard.

deadlifts 355x5 420x3 470x6---hells yes! 6 was my magic number! did last 3 with straps.

pull thrus 100x10 5 sets

ab pulldowns 100x10 7 sets

reverse squat on machine 360x10 5 sets

thats all folks!

Eat, Pray, Love

yes it is about the movie...http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0879870/

i watched it saturday morning. my dog woke me up early, poor dude was sick. so not being able to fall asleep i decided to watch it. why you ask?
well honestly i have a crush on Julia Roberts but the movie looked good.

no it is not a typical dude movie. it is romantic, spiritual, and a bit funny.
especially when the guy drops trow at the beach and Julia Roberts laughs at him...hope that never happens to me. this movie is really about finding what makes us..."US"!

EAT...we have to eat for survival. but we need to learn to eat for the enjoyment, not gluttony and pigging out. but for the time we can share with friends and family. good food can bring out the best times...share it.

PRAY....not for our selfish reasons but for others needs. let it out into the universe, bless others. a kind word, smile...it all helps. oh yeah, forgive yourself. we often beat up on ourselves for past transgressions, live with no regrets.


LOVE....the toughest part. we have to open up and be honest. something most of us cannot do. it hurts too much. love beyond yourself, give it away...and finally love does make us whole.


a few other side notes....talk with your hands or at least be expressive. take time to really do nothing.
and finally....ruin leads to transformation.

stone cold....

CRAZY!!!!!!!

yeah how i am feeling. thought i would have a great relaxing weekend, watch football, and just loosen up...not at all. woke up really early saturday watched a movie (blog coming about that) took a nap and woke up in the worst mood ever. lasted through sunday too. maybe i can blame it on the bears performance, the weather here, or the fact that i was not competing...oh well.

fixed my mood a bit by watching the latest episode of the office last night. think i will take up Dwight's resolution...watch the show to find out what it was.  http://www.hulu.com/watch/204818/the-office-ultimatum#s-p1-so-i0


anyway i headed to the gym today to start my 3rd week with the 5/3/1 program....this is the big week! see how well the training has paid off...

close grip bench 245x5  280x3  315x4---wanted 6 but i will take it. they were clean and deep.

HS iso row--1 arm-- 115x8 5 sets

Power Cleans 135x1 5 sets

HS iso press 230x8 3 sets x7 1 set

HS iso lo-press---1 arm--- 70x8 5 sets

rope pulldowns 110x8 7 sets

dips bdywt x5 3 sets

eye of the storm

felt like i was there today...

started off slamming a few resumes down along with some coffee and an omelette. the job hunt is extremely frustrating. there are people and companies out there just wasting the time of the unemployed. this is a learning experience....too good to be true jobs, texting about your resume, phony job services...i might as well sign up for a work-from-home job!


hit the gym for shoulders today. somehow i was thinking it would have been worse...the first warmup with 115 felt like i was pressing an elephant. but it got better....

overhead press 165x3 190x3 210x7---seriously a nice set! felt really easy. maybe had 9 in me.

HS iso shoulder press 230x8 3 sets 230x7 1 set-----brutal.

pushdowns 80x10 8 sets

tate extension on cable 40x8 7 sets

wide grip upright rows on smith machine 155x10 5 sets

split jerks 135x2 155 2 singles---trying these out. kind of fun!

keeping sane....

how? other than the gym i have been painting and drawing like, well...a madman!

here is some stuff from the last week or so...

sanitarium

just what i felt like i needed today....





so a few things before i get into my training. was supposed to go for a 2nd interview today. something has been bothering me though...the job was 100% commission. yeah unlimited earnings, up to me....but i want some guarantee. look at the economy...who is really dishing out cash for services they can do themselves? so with a little advice and gut instinct i decided to not go in for it. put out more resumes and applications, actually a few jobs listed today.  another thing...why are employers making it so tough for us to get jobs? really...8 bucks an hour part time and you want someone with a bachelors degree?!!?

well now to the training

deadlifts 335x3 395x3 445x3+2--on number 5 something in my hip/glute area popped! nothing serious actually felt good. decided to stop there. oh yeah all raw except the last 2, used straps.

reverse squat 360x8 5 sets

pull thrus 100x10 5 sets

single leg curls 75x10 5 sets

ab pulldowns 100x10 8 sets

twist yo wrist  20x5 5 sets

behind back wrist curls 110x20 3 sets

hammer curls 100x2 90x2 80x2 70x2 60x2 50x3 40x4 30x5 20x6

grip macine 100x10 5 sets

battle ready

yep better be ready today...

went in early and did bench. had to get home for da bears game!

close grip bench 225x3 265x3 295x3 +3---messed up my first rep and re-racked.

iso row 1 arm 100x10 5 sets

iso wide press 100x10 5 sets

face pulls 70x10 5 sets

dips  bdywt x10 2 sets


now it is time for some football!

monster

squats require a monster attitude. squats need a monster soul. squats create a monster....

guess what i did today?

squats 335x5 390x5 445x5+3

good mornings 315x10 5 sets

zerchers 225x8 5 sets

hacks 180x10 5 sets

calf raises 200x10 5 sets

threw in some curls...
cable curls 100x10 5 sets

courage, strength, pride

well day 2 back at it.....overhead press today. i needed "lionhearted" to keep me going. this was a tough workout. the song also sings to me about what i have been going through.

overhead press 145x5, 175x5, 195x5 +3---all push press
---threw in some split jerks with 135 just to see how they felt. 3 singles..nice!

HS iso shoulder press 270x8x3,  7 reps 1 set,  4reps 1 set

pushdowns 60x10 8 sets

extensions--wide grip  90x8 7 sets

wide grip upright rows 135x10 5 sets---on smith machine

1 arm dumbbell press 100, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40  1 rep each arm  30x10 each arm


the whole time i thought about where i want to be. competing, training, work, life....it was tough and yet motivating.

a welcome sight and feeling

i went back to the gym today. relived that i could re-enter my sanctuary thanks to getting my unemployment.
the despair i felt at giving up the membership weighed on me heavily. i wanted to go yesterday to start my 5/3/1 program but i felt crappy...physically. was sluggish and tired all day. well i was having none of that today.
wanting to make up for yesterday i combined 2 days. fairly easy on this program. all i need to do is hit the main lift. so i did deads and bench today. and it went a lil somethin like this....

deadlifts 135, 225 5 reps  315x5 365x5 420x5 +2 w/straps
---was really surprised how easy these came up. especially cuz my back was hurting the past couple days.

close grip bench 135, 155, 185 5 reps 215x5 245x5 280x5 +2

HS iso row 1 arm  90x10 5 sets each arm

pulldowns with rope 100x10 5 sets

HS iso press 1 arm 90x8 5sets each arm

mission statement

Suddenly I’m on the wrong side, in the middle of nowhere again
I am in your hands and I don’t mind, ‘cuz I don’t understand......











i am sitting here thinking, who am i? what does my life mean? guess you do that a lot when there is nothing else to do. so far i have come up with a few things...father, strongman, Marine, artist, writer...not perfect in any of them but those things make me who i am. from there i can say i am a great friend, open-minded, a little arrogant but humble. i can be brutally honest, i tend to call it like it is, but i will always tell you the truth. yes my mouth has gotten me in trouble a few times but i won't change that. i prefer to be honest. i am strong in body and mind, but i can be scared and do need a shoulder to cry on every now and then... compassionate can be said about me. hate to see people hurting or in need. i am a dreamer too.


i have to put my life back together. piece by piece...

Art....

thought i would share some of  the painting, sketches and stuff...