I have a question regarding constant pain /numbness in my RH buttock /glute area. It is starting to show in my hamstring too. It has been a problem for months now and seems to be not getting any worse, but not really any better, I can still lift, although I have been spending more time squatting and pulling in a loose squat suit as it sort of helps the area not feel sore. It hurts when I do GMs and RDLs and really exaggerate pushing the glutes rearward. I did heavyish spilt squats on Monday and it took me rolling on the hard ball between every set to get the glutes happy and not too sore.

I was wondering if any of you thought it might sound like its piriformis related, I do a lot of myofascial release with a hard ball on my glute area and it is always VERY tender! I just read up a little on sciatica and I really hope it isn’t that. I ice the area nearly every night and it seems to help.

Have any of you guys out there ever had a similar problem?

If so how did you deal with it?

Looking forward to putting this pain in the ass problem behind me.

Pun fully intended ; - )

I haven't posted this workout as yet, but I did some weighted Pistol Squats on Sunday.

For the last year and a half I have been doing Pistol Squats for reps. But, I've never branched into doing them for weight.

So on Sunday, I decided to venture into unfamiliar waters.

I've never done weighted Pistols so I decided to stick to sets of 3 reps and over.

+20 lbs x 3 reps x 2 sets «— mostly a warm-up because this is what I use anyway
+30 lbs x 3 reps
+40 lbs x 3 reps
+50 lbs x 3 reps x 2 sets «— you could call these the "work sets"
+40 lbs x 4 reps

My question here is: how do you add weight? Holding Dumbbells is a real pain…I have terribly weak shoulders due to my dislocations so holding 50 lbs out in front of me is damn difficult. So to improve my capability of handling more weight (because +50 lbs wasn't all that difficult for me), should I do static Front Raises or something?

Here's my video which I will add to my log later:

Any suggestions on this would be very helpful.

Thanks, guys!

Look, the info in this article is sound. But it's not "significant". Funnily enough most people are missing the conclusions of the author's themselves. This has a lot to do with misunderstandings about science and scientific enquiries. People think that all reviews such as this one are done by the authors to "prove" one central point. Well this is a review. A review is about going over the data and see where we stand, what we know, what we don't know, and where we need to go. Many times authors will make various conclusions but it it not always the intention to say "therefore you should do this or that".

I received this from Jamie Hale:

From Understanding Different Kinds of Beef in Marketplace, 2008 Research and Knowledge Management:

“Research shows grass-finished beef has higher levels of Vitamin A, Vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, and conjugated linoleic acid (Duckett et al., 1993; Smith et al., 1996; French et al., 2000; Grześkiewicz et al., 2001; Poulson et al., 2004; Engle and Spears, 2004; Noci et al., 2005; Daley et al., 2005). Therefore, marketing claims that those nutrients are present in higher concentrations in grass-finished than in conventional beef are correct. However, claims that grass-finished beef is “healthier” as a result are not true, because the differences are not significant for human health.

For instance, to achieve Recommended Daily Allowances and/or daily chemoprotective dietary levels of omega-3 fatty acids a person would have to eat at least 12 pounds of grass-fed beef (Rule et al., 2002; Martz et al., 2004; Guiffrida de Mendoza et al., 2005; Daley et al., 2005; Smith et al., 2005). While grassfinished beef has approximately 1/100 of a gram more omega-3 than grain-finished beef, salmon has 35 times as much omega-3 as grass-finished beef. "

Now there is one problem with the the conclusions there. That is there are no "recommended daily allowances" for Omega-3 fatty acids. At least not OFFICIAL RDA's. However you can get various estimates of good levels "in general". The point stands nicely when you simply compare the levels in grass-finished beef and fish or fish oil.

Another thing is that "grass-finished" is an important part of this. Even grain fed beef is just "grain-finished beef. People mistakenly assume that grass-fed cattle are fed grass all their lives and that grain-fed cattle are fed grain all their lives. This is absolutely not the way it works. MOST beef cattle starts out in pasture then is sold to a producer who usually puts em into feed lots to finish them and they are given a mixture of grains and soy to grow fast and get fatter. The primary difference is that "grass-fed" is finished on grass. People have this misconception that grain-fed cattle spend their whole live in a small feed lot gorging on grains. The whole idea is preposterous because such a scenario would be extremely uneconomic.

From the authors of the review"

Grain-fed beef consumers may achieve similar intakes of both n-3 and CLA through consumption of higher fat portions with higher overall palatability scores. A number of clinical studies have shown that today's lean beef, regardless of feeding strategy, can be used interchangeably with fish or skinless chicken to reduce serum cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic patients.

For starters, I'd like to find out ab rollouts/barbell rollouts/hand walkouts have in common & what separates them. I thought I knew these exercises, but after the discussion on my journal, all I'm willing to say is that, I think they all train the core.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbsSeVr5NSI&feature=related

I am currently weighing 253 pounds and my immediate goal is to reach 200 pounds…any the end of this yeard hit a respectable figure on the big three..

Currently training on a personalized WSB based split.

Raw Lifts:

Squat: 485

Bench: 300

Deadlift: 540

2010 Targets

Squat: 515 Raw & 585 Single Ply

Bench: 330 Raw

Deadlifts: 585 Raw

anyway, enough talk, heres a vid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSNMD03HyLo

btw i love the no-bs approach you guys have

it's very interesting how they did not monitor people who take calcium plus vitamin D. some great comments in the comments section :)

Khristo Plachkov, Bulgaria
David Rigert, USSR
Yurik Sarkisyan, USSR
Yanko Rusev, Bulgaria
Blagoy Blagoev, Bulgaria
Anatoly Pisarenko, USSR
Alexander Kurlovich, USSR
Yury Zakharevich, USSR
Yurik Vardanyan, USSR
Asen Zlatev, Bulgaria
Naim Suleymanoglu, Turkey
Pyrros Dimas, Greece

They also make many ridiculous claims as to the products affectiveness against HIV, Cancer, hepatitis, malaria, tuberculosis…all mankind's "worst diseases" actually.

Here is the FDA's warning:

[Posted 07/30/2010]

FDA warned consumers not to consume or use Miracle Mineral Solution, an oral liquid solution also known as "Miracle Mineral Supplement" or "MMS." The product, when used as directed, produces an industrial bleach that can cause serious harm to health. The product instructs consumers to mix the 28 percent sodium chlorite solution with an acid such as citrus juice. This mixture produces chlorine dioxide, a potent bleach used for stripping textiles and industrial water treatment. High oral doses of this bleach, such as those recommended in the labeling, can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and symptoms of severe dehydration.

BACKGROUND: MMS is distributed on Internet sites and online auctions by multiple independent distributors. MMS claims to treat multiple unrelated diseases, including HIV, hepatitis, the H1N1 flu virus, common colds, acne, cancer, and other conditions. The FDA is not aware of any research that MMS is effective in treating any of these conditions. MMS also poses a significant health risk to consumers who may choose to use this product for self-treatment instead of seeking FDA-approved treatments for these conditions.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Consumers who have MMS should stop using it immediately and throw it away. The FDA advises consumers who have experienced any negative side effects from MMS to consult a health care professional as soon as possible.

Healthcare professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of this product to the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program:

* Online: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm
* Phone: 1-800-332-1088
* Mail: return the postage-paid FDA form 3500, which may be downloaded from the MedWatch "Download Forms" page, to address on the pre-addressed form
* Fax: 1-800-FDA-0178

The point about bicep curls and partial pullups is interesting. Maybe that's why most people in commercial gyms don't deadlift….it screws up their bicep curling, LOL.

This is what I'm using everyday:
Vitamin C - 500mg
Vitamin D3 - 1000mg
Calcium - 1000mg
Turmeric(Haridra) - 800mg (Himalaya Drug co)

Please advice any changes

This is what I did around training:

Before training:
Hdrolyzed whey protein isolate - 30gms (Platinum Hydrowhey ON)
Glucose(Dextrose) - 20 gms
Glutamine - 5 gms (ON)

During training:
Glucose(Dextrose) - 20 gms

After training:
Whey protein concentrate - 24gms (Gold Standard whey protein ON)
Glucose(Dextrose) - 20 gms
Glutamine - 5 gms (ON)

I'm planning to switch to this:

Before training:
Whey protein concentrate - 24gms (Gold Standard whey protein ON)
Glutamine - 5 gms (ON)
1 Fruit

During training:
Whey protein concentrate - 24gms (Gold Standard whey protein ON)
Glutamine - 5 gms (ON)
Glucose(Dextrose)/Sucrose combo - 20 gms

After training:
Whey protein concentrate - 24gms (Gold Standard whey protein ON)
Glutamine - 5 gms (ON)
1 Fruit

I am lactose intolerant. Again please advice any changes.

some of these are just super high in calories.

Creatine Serums are worthless. Don't buy them. I want to talk about one of the products on the report though because it is a case study in "muscle supplement bullshit".

This is Muscle Marketing USA® ATP Creatine Serum™. Bodybuilding.com at the top of the product page proclaims them to be "Inventors of world's only stabilized creatine liquid." Not just bodybuilding.com I'm sure I'm just using them as an example.

Stabilized? There was twice as much creatinine in the product as usable creatine..of which there was very little. But we don't know how much creatine there was supposed to be because the product does not disclose the actual amount of creatine. Instead we have the "proprietary complex":

"250 mg of a proprietary creatine phosphate serum complex per 5 mL serving".

There was NOT 250 mg of creatine in the product..and 250 mg of creatine is a VERY LOW AMOUNT. CL found 20.7 mg in the product. We have a worthless "serum" claiming to be "stabilized" with a marketing bs "proprietary complex". See there is nothing to suggest that this "complex" contains all creatine. You can put a mg of creatine in with 250 mg of vitamin c and call it a proprietary creatine complex. If a product does not list the exact amount it is supposed to contain of the ingredient you are looking for don't buy it!

The proprietary complex or proprietary blend, I'm sure, rarely has anything to do with protecting a proprietary formula. It is usually nothing more than a blatant hiding of the actual amount of ACTIVE INGREDIENT. Many times these complexes contain up to 50 ingredients.

Say you have 2 grams of a proprietary blend with 50 ingredients having something to do with creatine. Say one of the ingredients is creatine monohydrate. You have no way of knowing how much creatine is in the product. And what's more there are so many ingredients that it is quite impossible for most of them to contain a big enough dose to be useful.

There is no such thing as a stabilized creatine serum. Do not buy these either.

The creatine monohydrate powders they tested all contained the specified amount of creatine monohydrate.

http://vactruth.com/2010/07/15/non-disclosed-hyper-allergenic-vaccine-adjuvant/

Wtf….am I the only idiot here who didn't like the movie or felt it just did not rise up to expectations? The reviews on this movie have been so good and everybody whom I've met has said it was awesome so I went in expecting something really good - something like The Prestige. What a disappointment!!! I am surprised how people just loved the movie. It had nothing solid…it was gimmicky to me. What? So you can dream and people can plant ideas in your head and remove them, etc so what?

I am not a huge fan of the Matrix trilogy or the ideology behind The Matrix but I definitely think that the Matrix was far more entertaining and thought-provoking than Inception.

To me, the movie was sub-par. It was not half as mindblowing as people made it out to be and if I compare it to the other 3 movies of Nolan's, which I have seen (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Prestige); this one has to be right at the bottom.

I am probably going to be the only one who feels this way though…

kind of a funny listen…but mostly just unpleasant. :) guy has gone fucking kookie.

Free Weights vs. Machines

People have to get away from the dogma that it's all free weights or all machines. They can have sex. You can do both.

I think this is very important. People restrict themselves to doing just ONE type of anything. You can certainly do machine work and free weights. One can use the best of both worlds if one approaches all these options as mere tools to help you get to your goals.

KISS = Good?

Now with training, everyone's talking about how we're making it too complicated and we need to get back to simple. Really? Simple for who? Yeah, for the 90% of guys who are beginners and intermediates, but what about the guys who are a little bit stronger and bigger? It's not so simple any more.

You now have intermediates and people who are advanced going and doing simple shit and not making any progress. It's all bouncing around on the scale, but most guys don't know where they fall. The trick is to know where you fit best.

Big points.

You gotta have a reason for everything you do

Back in high school there was a group of older guys I trained with. I remember trying to pull 500 pounds on the deadlift for the first time. I got it past my knees but couldn't lock it out. I was one of those morons who didn't know when to stop, so I set it down and got pissed.

Thirty seconds later I tried it again. Obviously it didn't come up. Thirty seconds later I tried it again. I must have tried it at least five times.

Now I'm going insane. I stripped it down to 405 and pulled a double. I set it down, got pissed, and pulled it for another double. This went on for ten minutes. I kept stripping it down and doing reps till I ended up doing 135 for ten. Finally I collapsed on the floor.

As I'm lying there this guy I'm training with grabs my cowboy boots, walks outside and throws them in the middle of the street. He never said a word, just picked them up and tossed 'em.

I'm lying on the floor thinking, what an asshole. The next workout I asked him why he did it. I called him an asshole to his face.

He said, "I'm only a quarter of the asshole you were."

I'll never forget that. You gotta have a reason for everything you do in training. If he would have just said that it wouldn't have stuck with me. I needed to see my boots get run over by a truck.

Exercises are tools.
Progression schemes are tools.
Set-rep schemes are tools.
Rest intervals are tools.
Everything is a tool.
Make the tool work for the goal.

These were some of the good points from Dave Tate's interview.

The Dirty Dozen: 12 Tips for Heavier Pulls

As someone who has a deep passion for Deadlifts, I peeped into this article to have a look at what Tony has to say.

His first tip is regarding the set-up.

Tip #1: If you want to improve your deadlift, you should have perfect form.

The Set Up

1. Your feet should be slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart, and the bar should be against your shins.

2. Keep your chest "tall," get your air (make yourself fat, brace your abs as if you were going to get punched) and sit back into position, arching your lower back as hard as possible while keeping your shoulder blades retracted. I tell my guys to push their hips back until they can grab the bar. Do not squat down.

3. Grab the bar and squeeze the hell out of it while pulling your shoulders back and down to engage your lats. This will also activate the thoraco-lumbar fascia and stabilize the spine. You should feel a fair amount of tension in the hamstrings and glutes at this point.

4. Keep your chin tucked and find a spot roughly 10-15 feet ahead of you on the floor and fixate on it throughout the entire movement.

I think tips 1-3 are reasonably correct. The last suggestion is something I wouldn't do. I always try to keep my head neutral and my eyes focused in front of me - not down. And sometimes, when the pull is heavy enough, one tries to push one's head through the roof…I don't think looking "down" while Deadlifting is a good idea.

The Pull

5. Drive through your heels, and keep your elbows locked. Pull the bar, making sure that your hips and shoulders move simultaneously. (I'll often see the hips come up first; this is just asking for trouble.)

6. As you approach the lock out, make sure to "finish" the movement by firing your glutes and getting those hips through. Many fail to accomplish this last point.

I think #5 has a flaw…you don't lift with your shoulders. You move with your hips. I think what Tony wants to say is that everything moves in synchrony…I don't know what shoulders have to do with the Deadlift's movement other than they should be ahead of the bar.

I do think that #6 is right on the head. One does have to clench the glutes to lockout the lift properly. I don't mean exaggerating the lockout but locking out fully.

The Descent

7. This is the part that tends to be a bit tricky for some. Don't break with your knees, but rather the hips. You want to sit back (think sitting back into the heels), while sliding the bar down your thighs the entire time.

8. Remember to maintain a hard arch in your lower back, and don't allow your shoulders to round forward.

Breaking at the hips while lowering the bar is a great point.

Since Tony is talking about strength training with heavier weight, I think trying for a well-arched lower back is very difficult. However, I do believe that focusing on a straight/arched back is a good idea.

Tip #2: Pull frequently and heavy

Tony has some good points on this matter. He writes:

1.) Pull at the beginning of your training "week" because you are at your freshest.

2.) Pull often as in atmost once a week.

Month One: Trap Bar Deadlift

Week 1: 5x5
Week 2: 4x5
Week 3: 6x5
Week 4: 3x5

Month Two: Sumo Deadlift

Week 1: 4x3
Week 2: 3x3
Week 3: 3x3, 2x5
Week 4: Pull-Throughs, 3x10

Month Three: Conventional Deadlift

Week 1: 3RM (or 1RM)
Week 2: 4x4
Week 3: 4x5
Week 4: 3x4

This progression scheme is really weird to me. The week-to-week look of it is exactly like Eric Cressey's method which is to have a waved loading/volume system: High/Medium/Very High/Low. It makes sense to work from doing 5s with higher volume to doing 3s. However, I don't know why one would want to switch the Deadlift variant from month-to-month. I would just keep it with Deadlifts and then perhaps add a Deadlift variant like Trap Bar Deadlifts after the main lift if I had to. Also, I don't believe that everyone is good at both Sumo and Conventional pulls.

Tip #3: Rotate your movements (just not every week)

This is not something I like doing. I actually believe that what ain't broke don't need fixing.

I am not sure why one has to rotate movements compulsorily every 3-4 weeks as Tony has suggested. I don't think a movement needs to be changed if one can still progress on it. I do think that doing different movements is good but if you're goal is to pull conventional then you should focus on doing conventional deadlifts. You could do more stuff but your key lift is the one pertaining to your goal.

Tip # 4: Fix your weaknesses

This is important however I think people jump all too much on the hyped bandwagon that:

If you're slow off the floor do Deficit Deadlifts
If you're slow at the lockout do Rack Deadlifts

I don't think these are the solution to the "weaknesses". Plus, it also depends on where the weakness is. For example, more often than not, someone will post a max effort pull and if the movement was slow off the floor, he/she will be asked to do Deficit Deadlifts. Or if could be the other way around and if the top of the movement is slow, it is automatically assumed that the trainee needs to do some Rack Deadlifts. I think that is wrong because its a MAX EFFORT PULL. It isn't meant to be easy and effortless!

Tip #5: Take off your shoes

I think flat soled shoes are the key. Some people (like Devraj and Paul for example) love pulling barefoot and I think thats fine. Before I bought my flat soled shoes I used to pull barefoot. I think having your feet flat on the floor is of utmost importance.

Tip #6: Don't use straps

Joe will agree with me on this: you must train your grip to not allow it to become a limiting factor.

This may be a side topic but it is in my experience that even I was using straps, I still find the need to have an over/under position. I cannot pull with an over/over just because I am using straps. It's weird, right?

Tip #7: If you want to get strong you need to train with strong people

I think having positive people around you can make all the difference. I remember when I met Pro Powerlifter Lucas in Dallas a few years ago and he motivated me to hit a 405 Deficit Deadlift. I think having positive people around you can make a huge difference in one's performance.

Tip # 8: Do accessory work

Tony raises some good points with this:

If you want to get better at the deadlift, you need to train the posterior chain hard. Sorry, leg presses, leg extensions, and leg curls won't cut it.

This is such an important point. If you go over to most of these 5/3/1 journals, a lot of people are doing these exercises as accessory lifts and I think this point of choosing exercises which have the best carry over is very important. It raises the issue that exercises, sets, reps, progression schemes, all these details are just TOOLs - tools to help the trainee achieve his/her goals. Getting attached to any one of them is counter productive.

For you, it may be box squats. For someone else, it may be Romanian deadlifts. The point is, you should have another exercise that you can use to "gauge" where you're at.

Another crucial point.

Things like glute ham raises, slideboard leg curls, hip thrusters, and pull-throughs (in my opinion, one of the most under-rated exercise out there) should make up the bulk of your lower body accessory work.

I think GHRs are a bit over used. I am of the same opinion as Tony in that pull-throughs are very effective and under-rated.

Tip #9: Perform single-leg work

I think Mike Robertson's list of single-leg exercises is pretty concise: Single Leg Supplements

Eric has an article on the subject as well: Split Squats, Lunges and Single Leg Squats

Tip # 10: Get those glutes firing!

This is one of my problems which I have addressed. Supine GHRs, Bird Dogs, etc…most of this involves doing a thorough set of mobility drills as my warm-up.

Tip #11: Don't make a habit of missing lifts.

This would annoy me more than anything else. And it would bust my self confidence.

I think progression and loading should be gradual. I have discussed this in my article: Importance of Progression

Tip #12: Do speed work (but not that kind!)

Tony brings up a good point that speed work for Deadlifts doesn't have to mean more Deadlifts. He suggests doing Kettlebell Swings.

I think this was a reasonably good article. Tony brought up a lot of good points and most of what he had to say was pretty accurate.

The general layout:

Day 1: Deadlift Training
Day 2: Pistol Squat Training
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Squat Training
Day 5: Back Training
Day 6: Press Training
Day 7: Off
Day 8: Off
Day 9: Repeat

Deadlift Training
Deadlifts
Core Training
Hand Extensions

Pistol Squat Training
Pistol Squats
Weighted Pull-ups
BodyWeight Pull-ups
Core Training

Squat Training
Front Squats
Back Squats
Supine GHRs
Grip Training
Core Training

Back Training
Weighted Pull-ups
Dumbbell Rows
Cable Rows
Facepulls
Core Training

Press Training
Overhead Press
Unilateral Overhead Press
CGBP
Push-ups
Inverted Rows

I will switch things up once they stop working. But for now, this is the basic layout.
Core Training

Day 1:Front Squats ? Sets upto 3 reps
Cable Wood chop 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Day 2: Off

Day 3: Off

Day 4: Deadlift ? Sets upto 3 reps
Ab roller/barbell roll out 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Day 5: Overhead Press ? Sets upto 3 reps
Swiss ball Jack knife 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Day 6: Banded pull ups ? sets upto 5 reps
Face Pulls upto 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Db windmills 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Day 7: Off

Day 8: Off

Day 9: REPEAT

On the Off days I will do my tennis ball rolling & thoracic extensions.

If I'm pressing straight up & down, then is it okay to tilt the head backwards to let the bar pass?

Here the video again:

I am using a shoulder width grip, there is one problem that I has occurred, is that when the barbell comes down I get cramp(well, more like an intense pump) in my lower bicep, right next to the elbow, in the video above it's the right lower bicep, but it has happened in my left one also, I subsequently widened the grip by an inch & helped reduce it, but not completely. This happens to me with barbells, mostly & in the past I widened my grip till comfortable. Today, the lower bicep just feels really sore, like I did a bicep workout, except for only this localized part & this is the same that has happened in the past. Again no pain, just discomfort, happens with close grip & even with just the bar, even though the shoulders & triceps are fine, also does not affect performance, except with higher loads it pumps even more(did not happen yesterday, since I did not work to a max).

I'm sorry if I'm violating any forum policies by placing these links, but you get the information straight from the source:
http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/dispelling_the_glute_myth&cr=
http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/advanced_glute_training&cr=

Also does it have place in any type of training? Martial arts perhaps? is it safe?

I have in response to this limited my pressing volume & also started keeping a day exclusively for back training, as for the knock knee's I don't have the vaguest idea what to do.

Also, should I submit any pictures that capture these problems, if so then from which angles should I take these pictures(If I am correct a profile shot helps with capturing any kind of issues with hunching). Again please advice me on how to proceed.

Day2: OFF

Day3:
Banded pull ups ? sets of 2-5 reps
1 arm db row ? sets of 4-6 reps
V bar pulldown 4 sets of 8-12 reps
Face pulls 4 sets of 8-12
Db windmills 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Day4: OFF

Day5:
Overhead Squat ? sets of 3 reps
Zercher Squat ? sets 3 reps
Back Squat ? sets 3 reps
Anderson Half Squat 5 reps
Swiss ball Jack knife 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Day6: OFF

Day7:
Overhead press ? sets of 1 rep
Pull ups ? sets of ? reps
CGBP/Weighted dips/Elbows out extension upto 4 sets of 5 reps (Please advice me on which is better in this case)
Cable Wood chop 3 sets of 8-12

Day8: OFF

Day9: Repeat

The ? is there so that I vary my sets according to how I'm feeling that particular
day, Although I do note down how many sets I do a given in my training log.

Also, please correct me if I'm wrong the means of increasing power in our primary
lifts is to lift weights in the 90% + range; making sure we remain in this range,
without sacrificing our form for the exercises. Progress is made by manipulating sets,
reps & weight either 1 or more of these parameters, which are tracked over period of weeks/months.

I ask all this because I was wondering that for the deadlift & the squat is it okay if mt reps drop
below 3?

So, I figured now is as good a time as any to start a new journal :)

I have found a suitable gym which will allow me to record my videos and use chalk. They also seem to be having enough 45 lbs plates to play with hahaha…

So the template I am going to be following goes like this:

Day 1: Deadlift Training - Deadlifts, Core Training and Hand Extensions

Day 2: Pistol Squat Training - Pistol Squats, Bodyweight Pull-ups, Hammer Curls and Core Training

Day 3: Off

Day 4: Squat Training - Front Squats, Back Squats, Reverse Lunges with Unilateral Press, Grip and Core Training

Day 5: Back Training - Weighted Pull-ups, Dumbbell Rows, Cable Rows, Facepulls and Core Training

Day 6: Press Training - Light Front Squats, Overhead Press, Unilateral Press, CGBP, Inverted Rows and Core Training

Day 7: Off

Day 8: Off

Day 9: REPEAT

Let's hope I am able to meet my short term goals sometime soon :)

Deadlift: 525 lbs
Front Squats: 335 lbs
Overhead Press: 205 lbs
Pistol Squats: 20 reps straight
Pull-ups: +50 lbs x 3 reps
CoC #1: 2 reps straight

Thanks for reading!!! :)

http://manybooks.net/titles/wellshgetext94dmoro11.html

BTW I saw this blog post on "Literary Fiction versus Popular Fiction".

Literary Fiction is fiction you're supposed to like and popular fiction is fiction you actually like. Not that some "literary" fiction isn't likable. So many literary critics seem to forget that today's literary fiction was yesterday's popular fiction, much of the time.

I was actually a bit offended by this video. I'm also a bit taken aback by how illogical it all is. I hate "lists" of best and worst food. I really do.

As a born and raised Southerner catfish is near and dear to my heart. On this video it is the NUMBER ONE worst food you can eat! Wait a minute, not catfish but fried catfish.

Because:

1. Catfish is a "bottom feeder".

Not uncommon among the most popular seafoods. Lobster, the mainstay of 4 and 5 store restaurants, is a bottom feeder. Ah but people who live in trailer parks don't eat lobster. They eat catfish.

2. You dredge it and fry it

Ok so is it because it's a bottom feeder and full of "toxins" and "carcinogens" or is it the preparation method. TWO different things. There are many ways to prepare catfish but you can't mix and match your cons like this. So would catfish NOT be on the list if I baked it, grilled it, simply sauteed it? Or would it be further down the list.

3. Catfish doesn't have many nutrients

Bull baloney. It's full of nutrients.

Here is some data for ONE FILLET (about 87 grams) of catfish, and breaded and FRIED:

It also provides a good mixture of the b's. Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, B6, Folate, Pantothenic acid, B12 and Vitamin A.

Let's look at those tewwible fats:

Folks in nutrition circles that is some good fatty acid distribution. Like most fish. Why is fish considered so darn healthy? Gee whiz. And yes a little bit of those polyunsaturated fatty acids in catfish (this was channel cat, btw, which are river runners and lean) are Omega-3 EPA and DHA. Sure it's no salmon but many many salt water non-bottom feeder fishes can also be accused of NOT being salmon. We do not rate the nutrition of fish based on how much it is not salmon.

Is it possible that some fresh water fishes can have more PCB's? Yes. Although as one commenter pointed out the majority of catfish consumed in the states is farm raised pellet fed. Not "bottom feeding". I grew up eating mostly fresh caught catfish from wild sources but even so we weren't above going to the catfish farm.

But let's talk about all those health fats that salmon has that maybe catfish doesn't have so much of. First of all most catfish is eaten at a younger age. Old catfish are fat catfish and fat catfish are not as palatable. You may dream of catching a 50 pounder but he will not taste as good as a ten pounder.

Guess where all those toxins are stored? In the fats. Comparing a relatively lean fish (as consumed) to a very fatty fish and then saying that the lean fish has more toxins because it is a bottom feeder is misleading. The older and fatter the fish the more the potential for heavy metals like Mercury and PCB's, etc.

Don't even get me started on canned soup. I mean, it's not like corned beef from a can. Mmmm….

I am going to seize this time to work on movements which will either help me to maintain my Deadlift somewhere in the ballpark of 400-500 lbs and at the same time keep me engaged and motivated to train.

So, I am going to be lifting 4-5 days a week depending on how I feel and here is what I am thinking of doing. This is all subject to change but I think it is a good start.

Day 1: Full Body Training 1
Day 2: Off
Day 3: Upper Body Training
Day 4: Lower Training
Day 5: Off
Day 6: Full Body Training 2
Day 7: Off
Day 8: Off
Day 9: Repeat

My exercise selection at the moment is:

Full Body Training 1

• Pistol Squats - done for time at the moment
• Pull-ups (bodyweight only)
• Close Grip Bench Press
• Core Training

Upper Body Training

• Unilateral Overhead Press
• Chest Supported Rows
• High Cable Rows
• Core Training

Lower Body Training

• Front Squats
• Unilateral RDLs
• Reverse Lunges
• Core Training

Full Body Training 2

• Front Squats light (some % of what I did on Lower Body Training)
• Heavy Romanian Deadlifts - 4-5 sets of 5-7 reps
• Pull-ups (weighted)
• Incline Close Grip Bench Press
• Core Training

Thanks a lot…I really want to know what genre of music it is. It's like heavy metal/rock mixed with opera/gregorian chants….what genre does this fall into?