Monday, March 25, 2013

MORE THOUGHTS

-If you want to lose weight or stay on a diet, only use a hand basket when you shop.  You will prioritize high value stuff like meat and veggies over chips and snacks, as the latter takes up way more space compared to how much value it provides.  Also, gallons of milk and pounds of meat tend to smash squishy stuff like bread and twinkies, and will crush your chips.  This also ensures that you eat fresh food and nothing goes to waste, since you will only be able to carry a week's worth of food.  To really drive the experience home, walk to the grocery store instead of drive if you can.

-When you start a new program, pick assistance work that is easy to go heavy (bar weight) on.  Your primary work sets will be light, so you can handle heavier assistance work.  It should auto-regulate such that, when the primary sets get heavy, you stall on assistance work and have to change movements.  Pick something where bar weight is light due to other variables (bands, chains, fat gripz, angles, etc).

-A deadlift is just a weighted hinge.  You should move like one of those mechanical drinking birds.


Seen here
If you feel something contracting, you need to get tighter.  Once you get your whole body tight, it's just grip and hinge.

-This has been my conditioning work as of recently.  10 KB swings-5 dips-5 chin ups.  As many rounds as you can do in 15 minutes.  Real ass kicker, and hits just about everything.

-I haven't locked out a rep since my meet 4 months ago.  I have also put on 20lbs and my joint pain is gone. Coincidence?

-Doing a long set of band pull aparts/pushdowns?  When you reach failure, let your hands drift a little out toward the ends of the band.  Its effectively a drop set.  The less you let your hands drift, the longer the set can go on.

-Are there any 600lb raw squatters running smolov?  I really want to know.

-I am getting to the point where I can't even read about programming anymore.  As cool, unique and nifty everything seems, it's all just lifting weights.

-I am going to be training in commercial gym for an extended period of time due to an upcoming move.  Rather than give up my deadlift mats, I am going to cut 7 of them in half to make "mini-mats" that I can carry in a gym bag.  When there is a will, there is a way.

-My gym hasn't had a mirror in 5 years.  My form is the best it's ever been.  If you are checking your form in the mirror, you are lying to yourself.  Go by feel.

-If one day of bad sleep or one missed meal impacts your training, you have deeper issues that you need to address.

-Almost every deadlift problem can be solved by two things.  1: Bring your feet in.  2: Lose fat.

-Things I don't know how I lived without them.  13mm belt.  Ironmind straps.  Meadows row handle w/landmine.  Texas Deadlift Bar.  GHR.  Reverse Hyper.  Safety Squat Bar.

-If you aren't doing conditioning because you don't know how to do it, you are making excuses.  Do SOMETHING.  Play a sport, go for a walk, drag something heavy, do some yardwork, just be active.  

-People that say they prefer chalk to straps are missing the point.

-Stop looking at movements in terms of pros and cons against each other and just ask if they help meet your goals.  If they do, use them.  If you can't use them now, wait until you stall, and then use them.

4 comments:

  1. "Are there any 600lb raw squatters running smolov? I really want to know."
    Ben Rice
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI14SOahrs4

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    1. Thanks for the link. I got the same video from another forum. I wonder if there are any more.

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  2. "If you want to lose weight or stay on a diet, only use a hand basket when you shop...To really drive the experience home, walk to the grocery store instead of drive if you can." This is such a small item, but it makes a big difference. Much like only buying things with cash, applying small barriers and artificial limits and loads to overcome go a long way in building good habits in life. Plus rucking your food home in a backpack can be it's own little workout. Great after a killer leg day.

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    1. Man, it's almost a decade later and it's still true, haha. I still use this trick.

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