Breaking The Continuum

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-10-12T14:44:00.002-05:00

That's what I've been lately, yep. Okay, not entirely. I did have a couple of tough weeks with school and some outside things going on, but that's about it. I've had enough free time to blog, but I haven't been, for whatever set of reasons.

I'm back now, though! However, today my content factory has shut down and I have nothing particularly important to say. I'm working on the October newsletter as I type this...I'm sure I don't need to tell you how that's coming along with all of my wonderful content ideas springing to life...or rather, dropping dead on the spot.

Simplicity

2009-09-21T20:27:00.004-05:00

I've been reading On Writing Well by William Zinsser and I have to be honest - I've learned something only a few pages in. In the introduction, Zinsser describes a picture hanging in his office. This picture features a well-known writer sitting at a bench at a table in a boathouse. Aside from himself, the only other objects in the picture are an ashtray, nail keg, typewriter, and paper.

What exactly does this mean? Simplicity. This man has a writing tool, paper with which to write on, and a waste bucket that may be used to discard all of the sentences that don't quite work out. It's all about the simplicity of the writing process.

I understand the representation clearly. However, my oddball mind approached it from a different point of view. My life has been a little complicated lately and I'm trying to find the answers to everything. Maybe I'm trying too hard, I don't really know. What I'm realizing, though, is that simplicity is key. Take the above picture and apply it to the concept of our life on this planet.

The paper is the environment in which we surround ourselves. Your college campus? That's your paper. The town you live in? More paper. Your friends? Endless sheets of paper are ready for action. So how the hell do we write?

You're the writing tool. What you say to that girl in front of you in the hall - you control that. Your participation in an extra-curricular activity on campus - that's all you. Many of us (read: few) are fully functioning human beings capable of higher thought. Considering this, doesn't it make sense that we should be adept at controlling our lives?

What about everything that goes wrong? For some of us, that's a lot of shit. We've gotta split this into two categories. Remember that paper you have? Pull out a new piece for everything you want to consider saving. And that nail keg, your waste bucket? Throw out everything you think is bringing you down.

Simplicity reigns supreme. You people - yeah, I said it - overly complicate 99% of the events that besiege you. Remember, 84% of statistics are true. If you know me well at all, you will know this is what I preach on a regular basis. However, I'm beginning to take this approach even deeper. Stay with me here.

Round One - Say I have a problem with my best friend. He's being a total dick and I'm being a total dick back and it's just a bad news situation. What's the first thing we do here? Don't jump the gun, it's not time for the paper yet. We evaluate the situation and choose what we think is the most effective battle plan. Hours and days and weeks of evaluating is going to bring you to a point that you could reach in ten minutes if you simplified it. Is this guy your best friend? Yes. Is he really your best friend, like really really? Yes. Congratulations, you can now throw down a new piece of paper and save this situation.

Round Two - Let's pretend there's this dude you used to hang out with. He seems like a good guy and is certainly trustworthy. But one day, he pushes your buttons in the perfect sequence and shit hits the fan. He takes a personal shot at you and he's clearly in the wrong. This opinion is supported by many other pieces of paper lying around you. Weeks pass by, yet an apology never comes to greet you, as he can't even grasp the importance of the situation. Instead of worrying your little head over every detail of the situation, grab your waste bucket and do what you know you need to do.

Round Three - Okay, last one. You were just in a great relationship. Like, totally awesome. Unfortunately, something goes terribly wrong with your other half and the relationship fizzles away into nothingness. Days pass by and you still hear nothing. Days become weeks and the other half strangely initiates contact. Two weeks turns into a month and that half decides to open up a little. There's still something there. If there's something there, why is the situation drawn out so ridiculously? It doesn't need to be. Start writing.

The point of all this nonsense is, in essence, simple. Simplify everything. The simplicity of life is covered in a thick coat of complexity. It doesn't have to be this way and that's something I'm learning ever so slowly.

You Annoy Me - #1

2009-09-17T20:32:00.007-05:00

So I'm sitting in Ex. Phys. yesterday morning, relaxing and texting until the beginning of class. Apparently trying to do the same thing, the guy sitting directly behind me was rocking out to some pretty heavy music. I'm pretty sure half the class could hear it, if not the entire class. But does he annoy me?

Of course not - I can appreciate what he was doing. However, I began to notice the girls sitting in front of me and to the sides were giving each other a few rather interesting looks. Clearly, they were either annoyed by this boisterous iPod jam session, or they were thinking he was a complete dumbass for listening to music when it was 7:59am and class was about to begin.

I don't know about you, but if the professor hasn't started talking, class hasn't really started. Girls that were so floored by this guy's actions - you annoy me. Honestly, who really gives a shit? More power to that guy - people like that make me think there's at least some semblance of freedom left in this world.

Chris Madrid's Review

2009-09-16T22:27:00.002-05:00

Chris Madrid’s, a burger place in the wonderful Hispanic paradise of San Antonio, looked to be nothing more than a hole in the wall that somehow managed to make its way onto the travel channel. In my experience, however, hole in the wall eateries are always the best in both atmosphere and taste.

The interior of this burger hotspot reminded me a lot of a pavilion. Instead of the typical 4-seated dining room style tables, longer variations were scattered about. The decoration was original and made me feel like I was really in Texas. Through the back doors I could see that the outside was filled with a nice mix of picnic tables and patio tables. The third section of the inside appeared to be the ordering and meal pickup location.

Standing in line wasn’t a bad experience at all. Although the long line seemed daunting at first, I realized quickly that it was moving much faster than I had expected. Standing in line we passed a large book shelf of Chris Madrid’s t-shirts – and I’m always excited to see a restaurant with its own clothing line. The menu wasn’t much further up and featured seven hamburgers. The choice was difficult, but I figured since I was in San Antonio and I had so far stuck to a Hispanic-style menu, I went with the tostada burger. This particular model included the usual patty and bun, topped with refried beans, chips, onions, and cheddar cheese. I also noticed that there were two size options – regular and macho. Being a macho man, I went with the obvious choice.

After ordering, we selected a comfortable spot in the rear of the outside section. Umbrellas topped many of the picnic tables and rope lights hung stylishly around the cheap fencing surrounding the restaurant - hole in the wall at its finest. Waiting for our orders took a great deal longer than waiting in line to place the orders, however it still beat the pants off the traditional waiter-based restaurant.

Soon enough though, number 52 was called and I rushed excitedly to the pick-up counter. My first thought – “this burger is massive!” I grabbed several bowls of salsa and hurried back to the table. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the bun didn’t actually cover the patty and cheese. One of my biggest burger pet peeves is when the burger is too small for the bun. I was especially happy that my first bite wouldn’t be a matter of getting enough burger, but rather a matter of getting enough bun!

Before I could chomp into this beautiful burger, I first had to figure out the best method of attack. Being my messy self, it only took several seconds for me to choose the straight-away manhandling option. With the first taste out of the way, it was evaluation time. I distinctly remember actually tasting the meat, something I rarely experience at burger joints. Nothing else on the burger, even the massive ½” thick cheddar cheese was able to overpower the strong beef taste. I also managed to crunch a chip or two into the mix on my first bite and noticed immediately. The refried beans were the second best I’ve ever experienced, coming in close behind Bandera’s lard beans. They were creamy, but not drippy.
As far as the fries are concerned, I wasn’t exactly pleased. They were too oily and not very well seasoned at all. I was slightly disappointed, but I wasn’t about to let the lackluster fries keep me from enjoying my burger.

I had no problem devouring the rest of the burger and my initial thoughts were not reversed at all during the process. I did have to break a moment when our lovely neighbors began talking about a man “hanging out” of his pants. While that was fairly disturbing, I was still too entranced by this burger of burgers to care more than just a little. Overall, Chris Madrid’s ranks up there as one of the best burger places I’ve had the pleasure of visiting. The food was excellent, the wait time was even better, and the atmosphere sealed the deal. It’s a San Antonio must-eat.

San Antonio

2009-09-14T21:32:00.002-05:00

It's a beautiful place. And honestly, I've never met more lenient cops. Seriously though, do you find police in Houston that bust a party and just let you go like there's no problem? That's a strong negative. I'm truly intrigued by the San Antonio police. It makes me all giggly-like.

Along with a weekend of party hopping and bad choices came an endless supply of unhealthy food. We hit four restaurants in 24 hours.

Mama Margie's, a late-night hotspot, filled me up with a great plate of beef enchiladas. The smoky atmosphere was excellent.
Habanero's is easily my second favorite burrito place. Although the legendary Chipotle still reigns supreme, Habanero's hand-crafted tortillas gave it a good run.
Chris Madrid's has one of the best burgers I've ever had the pleasure of eating. The Tostada Burger was a real treat.
Chacho's is another great drunk hangout. The King Kong Nachos blew me away. Can you really go wrong with a full platter of nachos featuring multiple types of meat and cheese?

A more detailed write-up of these eateries will follow sometime in the near future. Until then, I'll be daydreaming about the wonders of this great Texas city.

The Ultimate American Road Trip

2009-09-10T19:24:00.005-05:00

With less than four semesters of college coursework left, I'm beginning to get antsy. I've been throwing around ideas of what I'd like to do over the course of my first year out of this place. One of my buddies threw out the option of spending a year working at a ski resort in Colorado. That seemed a fairly lucrative option...until perhaps one of my greatest thoughts ever struck me.

I've wanted to travel the entire United States for most of my life, so why not make it happen after I graduate? 49 states in 365 days - No Hawaii because I'm anti-flying. Yes, I'm that much of a wimp. Don't judge me. I would spend one week in each state, hitting that particular state's most well-known cities. I would spend a day or two in each city, venturing into the best of Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, and all of the other hot spots in this country.

If this trip didn't provide me with a story or two to tell at parties, I would quit life. Of course, it's likely to prove insanely expensive, so I would have to be working on the road. That being said, there's always the possibility of sleeping in my car and showering at gyms. Or staying solely in state and national parks. Extensive planning must be conducted.

It's the ultimate American road trip and I want to make it happen.

"The List" - This, But Not That

2009-09-09T20:08:00.004-05:00

Taking "the list" one step further...prepare yourselves.

-Intensely motivated to succeed in all endeavors, but not so success-driven as to neglect all other aspects of life.
-Distinctive sense of humor and loves to laugh, but not so much as to make me wanna slap a hoe.
-Possesses a true understanding of my unique style of humor, but doesn't attempt to belittle me for the dirtiness that often flies from my mouth.
-Refuses to falter in the face of a sarcastic onslaught, but is willing to give in when true defeat occurs.
-Fair representation of a female athlete with the ability to easily transfer between a multitude of sports, but not so much of a butch badass that she can kick MY ass.
-Recognizes the crucial balance that must exist between a) the significant other and b) the friends, but isn't so OCD about it as to lay out exact time frames for hangouts.
-Possesses both school-smarts and street-smarts, but manages to retain that down to earth attitude so as to exclude her from the snobs.

This should - and I use that word skeptically - be the last version of "the list." We'll see how my weekend shapes up and go from there...

Labor Day Laziness

2009-09-07T22:39:00.009-05:00

Out of the 12 hours I've been awake and moving, I've probably had about 1 productive hour. I'm not entirely sure if that is sad or awesome. Sad because I do have things I need to get done, yet awesome because this marks my 2nd lazy day in a row. It's okay, though - tomorrow starts the productivity once again.

Although I sure as hell haven't accomplished much at all today, I was finally approved to write for Demand Studios. My thoughts so far: I like the interface and the resources are thorough and well-written. I was completely surprised by the amount of assignments available - hundreds upon hundreds. I managed to claim five and finish one earlier this evening. I guess I'll find out just how picky the editors are shortly.

Happy Labor Day!

"The List - Expanded"

2009-09-04T18:06:00.004-05:00

I'm in a relatively good mood today, so let's do something mildly entertaining. This is my modified version of "the list."

-Intensely motivated to do well in school, work, and life. Must have a strong desire for overwhelming success.
-Distinctive sense of humor. Whether trash can humor or general cynicism, she knows how to laugh and force others to laugh.
-Must possess a true understanding of my unique style of humor. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, history, theory, and application.
-Refuses to falter in the face of a sarcastic onslaught. Must stand firm with a straight face, counterattack at the ready.
-Fair representation of a female athlete. Has the ability to easily transfer between a plethora of sports while still maintaining a high level of kick-assness. In addition, should hold herself to a hefty amount of physical activity on a regular basis.
-Recognizes the crucial balance that must exist between a) the significant other and b) the friends. This see-saw of emotion and time spent must consistently remain at a stable level.
-Possesses not only school-smarts, but also street-smarts. Ridiculous levels of intelligence must be accompanied with a firm grasp on the concept of common sense. Should not be terrified of books.

I'm hoping that was ridiculous enough to garner a laugh here and there. I laughed, so I guess all is well in my little world.

"The List"

2009-09-02T23:28:00.003-05:00

For all the guys out there looking for the perfect girl - it's a bitch, isn't it? I'm not entirely sure there's a "perfect girl" in our world. Even if there's one...how's that for some cutthroat competition to win her heart? The Coliseum wouldn't have shit on that epic battle.

I've come up with somewhat of a solution, though. It's common sense, but most guys wouldn't ever think to do this. I have actually talked to a number of women who have...does that make me feminine for copying their idea? Whatever - I'm secure enough in my manhood. Okay, so what's the solution? I call it "the list."

Real creative, I know. It took a lot of effort to come up with that. "The List" consists of 5 to 10 of the most important qualities in a significant other. This list should be entirely based upon personality - we're all a little shallow so must we really waste the time writing something along the lines of "really hot and gorgeous?" Each of the qualities on "the list" should be based off of what YOU deem important, not your buddy sitting next to you. Individualize it or you defeat the point.

What's my list?

-motivated to succeed
-good sense of humor
-understands my sense of humor
-isn't offended by sarcasm
-athletic, outgoing, and enjoys sports
-understands the balance that must exist between friends and significant others
-intelligent and enjoys reading

That's just a quick offhand run-through of my list. I have a more developed list lying around somewhere...but considering we had a hell of a time just finding a bottle of Jack in our house, I don't think I will be running into that list anytime in the near future.

I'm planning on having a little bit of fun with "the list" over the next two posts. Check out "the list - adjective expanded" and "the list- this, but not that" - coming soon to your computer screen.

Transitioning...

2009-09-01T19:58:00.003-05:00

Making the jump from personal training to freelance writing has been a very interesting experience. Not in a bad way, though. I have basically moved from doing something I know and I love to something else that I know and I love. Can you really go wrong with a change like that?

While I do miss working one-on-one with my clients, I definitely don't miss the various kinks of the fitness industry. I do still have a single client on the side, but it's on more of a consultation basis. Being self-employed feels great...minus the taxes. I'm trying my damnedest not to depress myself today, so we'll just skip over that. Instead of reporting back to both my clients and my boss, I now only have to worry about consulting with my clients. Considering I dropped my last personal training job not because of writing, but because of the management, you could say I'm stickin' it to the man. Thinking that makes me feel better - so shove it.

The only huge difference that I'm not so fond of is searching for clients. In most of my personal training jobs, the clients sit down on my door step and wait for me to finish drinking my coffee, reading the newspaper, and wiping my ass. Then we do cool weightlifting stuff. Unfortunately, I now have to find all of my clients on my own. This particular task has proven to be mighty tough - I still have a lot to learn about marketing.

On that note, I will hopefully be receiving some professional marketing help through a university program that one of my roommates is involved in. I knew our Honors program would come in handy at some point!

NaNoWriMo

2009-08-31T18:41:00.003-05:00

Wait, what the hell did you just call me? Chill - it's just National Novel Writing Month. On a whim, I have decided to participate in this amazing event. During the month of November, people of all ages and backgrounds come together to produce a 50,000 word (175 page) novel in 30 days. The work is entirely fictitious and must be written from scratch starting November 1st. Character charts and plot outlines may be written up prior to the start date, however.

Am I a fiction writer? Not even close. Am I insane? Of course. Those two answers are exactly why I have decided to sign up for this year's NaNoWriMo. I have always wanted to write fiction and I have always wanted to write a novel - I figure this is my best chance. As far as the plot outline - I can't reveal that just yet. I have been doing a bit of work fleshing out the characters though, and they are looking great so far. In fact, they're even beginning to wage little battles in my head. That might not seem entirely normal, and it's probably not, but considering I often fight my own self in my head I think it's alright that my fictitious characters are fighting.

Some of my characters are based very strongly on people in my life, while others possess only loose links to my friends and family. I will say that the plot is similar to something I have identified with in the past, but that's all you're going to be able to wrangle out of me right here and now.

I'm both excited and nervous for November, although I think I'm a little more excited than anything. It's going to be a hell of an experience, that's for sure. I WILL write the 50,000 words necessary to complete the event. I WILL be a 2009 finisher.

Rising Tensions

2009-08-28T23:35:00.002-05:00

Have you ever been in that really uncomfortable situation where you were literally just waiting for everything to explode? Like it was just a matter of time until mass amounts of debree were scattered aimlessly over the area surrounding the warzone? Yeah, well, it sucks. My entire house is more or less 1900 square feet of awkwardness. And honestly - 1900 square feet is a hell of a lot of room. I could bottle awkward and sell it to less fortunate countries and quit college right now. It's sad that I'm so tempted by that notion.

How exactly do you respond to rising tensions? Trust me, if I knew I would no longer be trapped in this hell hole. But, alas, I remain clueless. As much as I enjoy tossing more flack into the flames, I'm not entirely sure of the effectiveness of that particular course of action as it pertains to my unique dilemma.

I guess I will just be waiting...

Learning To Query

2009-08-27T21:14:00.004-05:00

As I've learned so far, querying isn't the easy process in the world. I've only sent out a few here and there, but each one has gotten a little more concise and to the point. My very first query was something like five or six paragraphs - a little too long for a busy editor. My most recent query, however, was only 3 paragraphs - and it's the first that I've had answered. It was definitely a morale booster and I'm hoping it turns into something big, but only time will tell.

As I build my clips, I'm also becoming increasingly more comfortable sending out query letters. Now I just have to continue collecting clips to keep my confidence up! As of now, I'm trying to commit to sending out at least two queries each week. I figure with this constant commitment I will eventually land an assignment.

I don't have much on my mind today, so that's about all I can manage. Deal.

Starting Out As A Writer

2009-08-26T21:44:00.002-05:00

I won't lie to you - starting out in this field has been no walk in the park. It has involved a lot of tedious work and a lot of very low-paying jobs. At the very least though, it's been very interesting and exciting.

My first few months were spent writing for free or for supplements. My first by-line was run by John Izzo in his quarterly e-mag, Trainer Nation. My next few by-lines were run by Bodybuilding.com. Although all of my submissions to these two entities resulted in no monetary gain for myself, it taught me a few important lessons and definitely served to boost my morale. Kris, the editor at Bodybuilding.com, had an endless stream of kind words for me. I think above all else that I've done so far in this field, working with Kris was my smartest decision. As far as my article running in Trainer Nation - it felt great to be considered an expert in the field.

After a few of my articles were published for free, I got sucked into the content mill. It wasn't so bad because I enjoy writing about fitness and exercise. And let's be honest - I was just glad to be receiving pay for my work. I wasn't in the content mill long before I picked up regular freelance work for an up-and-coming online magazine and another great private client. I'm still having to fill in my free time with occasional content mill writing, but it could be worse. I think I'm lucky to have progressed as quickly as I have.

I'm determined to have a solid income moving in my direction by the time I graduate. I'd imagine that with two more years of experience, this is entirely doable. I guess only time will tell.

Concerning College...

2009-08-25T16:49:00.002-05:00

Each year it becomes more and more difficult to return to school - especially when I can't figure out exactly why I'm here. I want to write, yet I'm going to school for a BS in Kinesiology. Even if I did feel like I was learning something from my core classes - which I don't - I am certain I'm learning more from constantly reading articles written by the experts in the field. Believe me, Eric Cressey, Mike Robertson, and all of their exercise physiology cohorts have a lot more to share than my physical education-oriented professors.

The Kinesiology curriculum at Sam kills me. Half of my core classes revolve around teaching and assessing the youth population and another third focuses on administration and psychology. So what are my remaining two classes? Exercise Physiology and Biomechanics - yes, a magnificent TWO science-based Kinesiology classes.

Looking over my Exercise Physiology syllabus, there are no terms that I am unfamiliar with. Thanks to my certification, coupled with continuing education on a regular basis, my ex. phys. class isn't going to do much for me at all. Sadly, it's the only one Sam offers. Even our Master's program doesn't offer a more advanced course in ex. phys.

I don't know, maybe I just need an attitude adjustment. But it kinda sucks when I really feel like I'm wasting my time here. My motivation has been slowly dwindling for the past year. As of yesterday, however, it appears to have plummeted.

I suck, but it's okay.

2009-08-08T22:56:00.002-05:00

Clearly I'm exceedingly horrible at keeping up with regular blog posting. It's almost sad, considering the blazing amounts of free time I find available to me. However, this week I have been "blessed" with even more hours of free time than I've ever had to deal with thus far in my lifetime. I have one entire week - seven long, full days - to myself.

How is this possible? Well, that's simple. My roommates are out of town, my girlfriend is out of town, and I have no other friends in this country ass town. My own fault, admittedly. Despite my obviously less-than-happy attitude towards the subject, I am determined to make the best of this unwanted alone time.

Therefore, I will be writing, updating this blog, reading books like I used to, and trying not to become even more cynical and insane over the course of my support group's absence. Good day.

A New Take On Treadmill Fitness

2009-07-16T21:00:00.003-05:00

Honestly, do you think I would really spend my precious time talking about anything involving the treadmill? Of course I wouldn't. But I saw the oddest thing in the gym today. As I was on my way out of the weight room (heading to the racquetball courts!), I noticed a rather peculiar scene. This little guy was moving backwards on a treadmill. Actually, he was running backwards. I don't mean to pick on this guy, but if you're smart enough to understand the benefits of running backwards from time to time, you should possess the intelligence to know that performing this activity on a treadmill is both stupid and dangerous. It's okay, though - I'm sure it was the entire gym's pleasure when he slipped and ate it.

Aside from random backward runner, I have been working vigorously on my newsletter, Breaking The Continuum. I have finally come to the conclusion that continuously avoiding working on it will never ensure its readiness. What a shocker, right? But it's officially done as of a few minutes ago. As soon as I get my butt out of the house and onto campus to convert it into PDF I will have it up and ready to read.

F The System

2009-07-11T21:29:00.003-05:00

So I'm a little angsty, I suppose. It's all due to the damn management. The damn management of my university's recreational sports department, to be specific. You get one on your ass and suddenly they're all trying to squeeze in.

Apparently, I'm a rude little asshole who lets slip such damaging words as "whatever" in the presence of the oh so great Informal Department Head. It probably didn't help that I failed to immediately about-face and bow to extreme lengths, nose touching floor and all. Of course, my mind was on the 465 pound deadlift I had just managed to lockout for a big raw PR. But that's no excuse, obviously. So Mr. Scott and his army of red-shirt supervisors now find it extremely pleasurable to ensure that myself and the powerlifting team that so dutifully represent them are consistently unable to utilize the empty "old weight room." And by old weight room, I mean this room is about 30 by 20 and has just enough equipment for 7 or 8 of us to use simulataneously.

Here's what floors me, though. I didn't do anything wrong. None of us have done anything wrong. It's just that Mr. Scott walks in with a smirk on his stupid face and takes great enjoyment out of kicking our poor little powerlifting asses out. He shows absolutely zero respect to myself as President of the SHSU Powerlifting Team or any of the members who are part of it. I don't do so well with his type - so I fight back and we get punished. He's just the power-hungry monster dick who likes to shove ice cream cones in little kids' faces and smile oh so brightly because he just showed that little rascal who's boss.

So, I say - F the system.

Long Time No Write

2009-07-06T12:26:00.002-05:00

Well, that's not entirely true. I've actually been doing an assload of writing in my free time..and I'm getting paid for it now! Go me. But seriously, I've been writing a lot of exercise and fitness for a few sites and it has definitely been an interesting experience. However, being that it is summer in Huntsville, TX...I still have free time bubbling out of my ass. That being said, I am going to attempt to keep up regular blog posting yet again. We'll see how it goes! ;)

Drumroll please...

2009-05-04T10:38:00.007-05:00

The results:

It's so damn small so you're gonna have to click it to get an image you can actually see. Maybe if I'm not feeling too lazy I will pull those pictures apart and post them up seperately.

Now it's time to make the move into the 181's!

Busy Times

2009-04-29T19:51:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been a while since I have actually sat down and posted up something new. With the semester nearing its end and various other parts of life bogging me down, I have definitely been slacking as far as blogging is concerned! However, I have not been slacking completely in the writing department. I have 3 new articles that will be up on Bodybuilding.com sometime within the next couple of weeks. I will be sure to post a link when they're up!

As far as my training is concerned, it has been going very well. Prior to making the scary jump up into the 181's, I have decided to drop down and lean out a bit. This process officially started 4/4 and was supposed to end 5/4...but we'll see. As for the results thus far:

4/4/09 - 164.8lbs, 31.75" waist

4/29/09 - 157.0lbs, 30.25" waist

The weight drop is a bit unsettling, but luckily I have managed to retain nearly all of my muscle. Measurements have been consistent throughout these past 3.5 weeks. Before and after pictures will definitely be posted when I finally decided I'm at the final product, so stay tuned!

USAPL Judging

2009-03-31T23:06:00.002-05:00

I bombed out at Nationals. All three of my squat attempts at 501 were red-lighted due to depth - and I am very angry. I know that my 2nd attempt was even lower than it needed to be, yet I still get a red from one side judge and the front judge. The front judge can't even truly judge depth, so WHY am I getting a red light from him? Myself and my team had no idea why I was getting red-lighted. And it wasn't just me. A lot of lifters got screwed out of this meet thanks to the inconsistent judging. I saw a lot of side judges looking to the other before clicking their decision...not professional at all. There was also quite a bit of confusion amongst the judges, as well as lifts getting overturned a few minutes after they were passed.

To put it quite simply - I am very disappointed in the quality of judging I saw and experienced at this meet.

Maximum Strength

2009-03-24T15:47:00.003-05:00

Well, I finished Eric Cressey's book this weekend. It was DEFINITELY a worthwhile read. The writing wasn't exactly the quality that I normally get from his articles and blog, but I still enjoyed it. It just felt very...informative; as opposed to the conversational writing style I am used to reading from him. Regardless of writing quality, I took a load of exercises - weight bearing and mobility type - to use for myself and my clients.

Cressey makes use of a number of different set/rep schemes, including stage training and clusters. The phases are well-planned out and creative. If I wasn't training specifically for powerlifting, I would definitely give the program a try after this meet.

So if you haven't already read it, go order it right now!

More Isolation for Athletes?

2009-03-23T18:57:00.002-05:00

Didn't I just talk about this the other day? Seriously, people need to get with the program. I was reading a post earlier by a guy training for MMA (mostly boxing, muay thai). He was asking for critique of his program. I responded with my opinion - basically, lose the unnecessary isolation movements and replace them with something more functional that will carryover better to your sport. Here's the response I got:

"Well I would not say leg extensions and curls are junk...They help the body move in a fluid state. Without the quad the knee doesn't operate properly, if you have a stronger hamstring (verse quad) you may see problems with balance when training for MMA, balance is key. I would also suggest that you intergrate different excericises, but keep the extensions and curls and add some functionality to the session. Make sure you are actually strengthing, so do full, half, three quater lifts to give the legs strength in many different positions. Why? If you are in a certain position with little wiggle room,and you need to get free those half and 1/3 lifts will come in handy."

So the first thing this guy does is make an attempt to educate me on balance by talking about quadricep vs. hamstring strength. Of course the balance he is talking about as it relates to the sport makes us look past simple quadricep/hamstring strength and actually at posterior chain vs. anterior chain. Maybe I'm crazy, but I wouldn't call using the hamstrings independent of the glutes "fluid?"

He advises the utilization of squats to all different points. Now don't get me wrong here, I'm cool with Cosgrove's quarter squats in the New Rules program, but half and 1/3? Really? There is no reason to recommend these movements to an athlete who obviously is not yet at the point where he can do his own programming. The full squat is going to provide him with all of the power he needs to dominate the situation, regardless of body position.

Just a little rant for today!

Training Smart

2009-03-20T23:22:00.002-05:00

I've got a new article up on Bodybuilding.com! Check it out: Training Smart.

I've actually been doing quite a bit of writing tonight and just sent off another article...so we'll see what happens!

I'm also in the process of reading Eric Cressey's Maximum Strength - and so far it is nothing short of awesome!

The New Rules of Lifting

2009-03-19T22:30:00.003-05:00

Courtesy of Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove. I've got about 20 pages left that I'm about to sit down on my comfy couch in our nifty new "game room" and finish off. Seriously though, this book is a great resource whether you're a beginning lifter who has no idea what in the hell three sets of ten means or an elite level beast.

The simplicity of it is amazing - the programs are based on a number of simple, yet effective and proven concepts. The "new rules" are so extremely refreshing. Schuler takes old concepts and brings them a new, blinding light. And Cogrove's programs...creative and inspired, to say the very least. In addition, all of the programs' movements are completely outlined; each movement even has its own dedicated chapter!

Okay, okay, so I talked that up pretty good. But in all honesty - this is a book that NEEDS to be read. Please do yourself a favor and go pick this gem up ASAP!

Powerlifting Meet Preparation

2009-03-18T20:21:00.002-05:00

I'm only 10 days out from USAPL Collegiate Nationals now...only 2 workouts left! I hit my squat opener today (500) without too much of a problem. It was a bit tougher than I would have liked, but my wraps were very loose so I'll attribute it to that. With nothing else on my mind today, I figured I would talk about meet prep. Every lifter seems to have their own individual way of going about it...so I'll share mine.

My last "heavy" week is generally the 3rd week out. I'll usually work up to heavy singles. I then hit my openers on the second week out. I would have liked to hit my last deadlift 11 days out, squat 9 days out, and bench 8 days out...but it didn't exactly work like that this time around. My squat opener is 10 days out, bench will be 9 days, and deadlift 8 days. The last week out is pretty much complete rest. No cardio, no GPP...lots of foam rolling. I'll do a light workout on maybe tuesday or wednesday to get the blood flowing and then it's meet time!

Counting down the days...!

Isolation for Athletes?

2009-03-17T13:39:00.009-05:00

As per the usual, I was doing a bit of reading during class this morning (man I've used that line way too many times lately). In Mythbusters: Vol. 2 by Nate Green, one of the myths included states that "athletes don't need isolation movements." The mythbreaker is Performance University's Nick Tumminello. I can't honestly say that I agree with his reasoning.

He asks, "why wouldn't the football player, who needs to protect the football when bigger and stronger players are trying to rip it away, do isolation exercises that are specific to the situations he'll encounter on the field?" I'll tell you why. The nature of sport is dynamic. You have to be ready for anything. I just don't see how a few isolation movements are really going to help a football player, or any athlete, better perform his or her job.

Let's just keep rolling with this whole "protecting the football" idea. Do you think a few sets of hammer curls with the intention of building up the forearm muscles in order to prevent the football from being ripped away are really going to make the difference? I sure don't. How about something that transfers a little better...sandbag or stone carries for distance. We see this as the husafell stone carry in strongman. So what do we get from a stone carry that we don't from a hammer curl? Oh I don't know, maybe...movement under pressure, serious gripwork, and a full body beating? And from the hammer curl...a nice forearm/biceps pump (yes, I am aware of the hammer curl's role in elbow health, but that's a topic for another time)?

Take your pick.

Car Versus Tree

2009-03-16T22:17:00.002-05:00

Spring break started off great, but went down the shitter in no time at all. West Texas was a lot of fun...and a LOT of food. But late last week I was eating dinner with my mom and girlfriend and I got a call from my roommate/best friend's sister - he had gotten into a very bad car accident and had to be lifeflighted to a hospital in Fort Worth. No good at all. He's doing good, but is still in the ICU. I won't go into the gruesome details, but he got pretty messed up. I've just been trying to answer everyone's questions about it and clear my mind a bit...to explain the lack of bloggage.

Normal writing resumes tomorrow! (probably)

Spring Break Randomness

2009-03-06T17:27:00.002-06:00

Well, things are finally starting to get back to normal here. We have most everything moved and we now have internet! Spring break starts for a lot of people today, myself included...so I am heading to west Texas for the next few days with my girlfriend to relax, get some sun, and maybe even do some kayaking.

Without further ado, here's some of the stuff that has been on my mind this week:

1. Weighted pullups. I haven't gone heavy on these in a long time and I was just randomly in the mood for them today...and ended up with a big PR of BW+110x3.

2. Somewhat related to the above point, go with your gut. Your instincts are more powerful tools than you might think.

3. I hate moving training days around, especially when I'm this close to a meet. But in all honestly, moving a couple of workouts back a single day probably isn't going to make or break my meet performance. So west Texas, here I come!

4. Read, read, and read some more. I don't think I even want to know how many articles I have read over the course of the past month or so, but DAMN have I learned a lot.

5. I really do LOVE summer. As much as I bitch and whine about how it's too hot and that I would be perfectly fine with 40 degrees year round...summer is just awesome. If you're thinking duh, but it's not summer yet...I'm aware of this. But it is a beautiful, hot, summer-like day today here in Huntsville, Texas so just let me rant!

6. 5 seemed like too boring of a number, so here's 6. I'm working on a new project for SHSU's personal training program...I will talk more about it soon!

Why Are YOU Training?

2009-03-03T20:45:00.005-06:00

I was reading an article this morning by Nate Green. He outlined some of the things that younger lifters are often doing wrong. There were a few good ones, but one in particular stuck out to me.

"You haven't established why you're training."

WHY are you beating yourself up in the gym day in and day out? Something as simple as, "oh...I enjoy it," isn't gonna cut it here. If you don't know what you're training for, how can you effectively train for it? Would a bodybuilder preparing for a competition start himself on a 4-week peaking cycle designed for a powerlifter preparing for a meet? Hell no. You have to establish your goals in order to choose the right program to achieve them.

I'm a competitive powerlifter. I want to gain strength. Having established this, my training program consists of a number of quality compound movements, plenty of posterior chain work, and is based on the squat, bench, and deadlift performed at a very high intensity.

See what I did there? It's really not that hard. If you haven't already laid out exactly why you're training, I highly suggest you get on that asap.

Moving...and Service Transfers

2009-03-02T14:54:00.003-06:00

I hate moving. And I hate transferring service. Entergy screwed up our electric and AT&T screwed up our internet. Due to the internet screw-up...I will not be posting for a few days unless I can find the time while I'm on campus.

That is all!

Outside the Box

2009-02-27T20:29:00.003-06:00

Shamelessly stolen from Sarah Rippel's blog, "Outside the Box Training." Definitely an interesting exercise...I can see this in one of my future conditioning phases!

Postural Analysis Part I

2009-02-26T15:51:00.011-06:00

Yet another Cressey-inspired post...But without further ado, I bring you: my self-postural analysis! We're going to look at pictures of myself from the (1) Front, (2) Right Side, (3) Left Side, and (4) Back. If you have sensitive eyes, here's your warning. I sure ain't the prettiest thing to grace this planet!

Note: This was actually supposed to be done in a table...and I swear I tried to do that, but it just didn't fit.

Front:
1) I can make a straight line through my feet, knees, and hips...so apparently I'm off to a good start.
2) You can't see my feet here, but I'll just let you know that I am flat footed. So there's a check for externally rotated feet.
3) From my knees down, my lower legs and feet turn out a bit. So there's another check for externally rotated feet.
4) From the hips to the knees, do the knees turn in and the kneecaps point inward? I'm gonna have to say no on this one. So no worries about internally rotated femurs.
5) Last one. Look closely at the backs of my hands...they are turned toward the front big time. That will be a strong check for internally rotated humeri.

Side:
1) I can't quite draw a straight line through my feet, knees, hips, acromion process, and mastoid process..it get throwns off a bit at the acromion process (part of the scapula).
2) My knees look slightly bent from the left, but locked from the right...so this one is a toss up. Flexed knees are a sign of internally rotated femurs and externally rotated feet.
3) The waistband of my shorts leans slightly forward. This points to anterior pelvic tilt and subsequently, lordosis.
4) I'm gonna have to say there is a pretty exaggerated curve in my lumbar spine. So there's a check for lordosis.
5) My arms are most definitely carried in front of my body. That's another check for internally rotated humeri.
6) It looks like my shoulders are rounding forward just a little. Yet another check for internally rotated humeri.
7) I can see some of my upper back...hello kyphosis.
8) My head appears to be leaning forward just slightly, but nothing to worry about.

Back:
1) It is hard to tell, but it looks like my scapulae have a slight anterior tilt.
2) Lateral rotation of the feet is definitely confirmed.
3) And another check for internally rotated humeri...

Yeah...I've got some problems. Don't judge. But seriously, here's a list of the issues that were repeatedly found:

-Externally rotated feet
-Internally rotated humeri
-Lordosis

In addition, we did some some signs of slight kyphosis. It looks like I've got my work cut out for me...In the next part, we'll go over what exactly all of this means.

Client Success and the Step-up

2009-02-25T15:52:00.006-06:00

So I just have to brag a little about one of my new clients. I've been working with her for just about 4 weeks now and we have made some pretty solid progress. Her waist has dropped a respectable 2.5" so far. While I'm happy to see that, I am even happier with the progress we have seen in her knees. I'm not gonna lie, this lady has some killer knee issues, but we're slowly fixing them. I'm a big fan of using box step-ups when I get a client that has problematic knees. Over the past 4 weeks, she has progressed from stepping up onto a stack of 5 45lb plates to stepping onto the full box (9-10 plate height). In addition, her knee pain is becoming increasingly less noticeable in her day-to-day activities.

While we're on the subject of knee pain...I have recently taken a new approach to joint pain. As strength coach Mike Boyle stated in a past article about joint-specific training, most joint pain is caused by either the joint directly below or directly above. In the knee's case, this would be the ankle or the hip. She's got fairly good ankle mobility, so we immediately went to work on the hip. Many hip issues stem from the glutes. Weak glutes cause the hamstrings to lengthen in an attempt to take on part of the glutes work load. As the hamstrings lengthen, the pelvis is pulled up and the body is forced into anterior pelvic tilt. This is no good.

Fortunately, we have the box step-up to help us correct this issue. While the first part of the step-up is hip flexion, the second part focuses on hip extension. This is where the glutes come in. They function as the main mover in this exercise, with the hamstrings right in there to act as dynamic stabilizers. As well as targeting the muscle we want to strengthen, the step-up functions as the beginning progression to both the squat and the lunge. So if you haven't been incorporating the step-up into your client's programs, especially those with knee problems, consider it!

RDL's and Force Couples...Oh My!

2009-02-24T15:09:00.005-06:00

More specifically, single-leg RDL's, Mike Robertson inspired. As per the usual, I was reading an article this morning during class - Hips Don't Lie: Fixing your force couples, by Mike Robertson - and I must say that I was quite intrigued. He talks about the anterior and posterior force couples and how each contribute to anterior and posterior pelvic tilt. Myself - I've definitely got some anterior pelvic tilt going on (did that sound a little weird to anyone else?). So my stubborn hip flexors are pulling the pelvis down in the front and the spinal erectors are pulling it up in the back. I wish they would stop fighting already and give my poor pelvis a rest!

But seriously, what does all that crap mean? As Robertson outlines in the article, anterior pelvic tilt means that my hamstrings are lengthened big time and working at more than full capacity because my glutes and abs are too weak to hold their own (say hello to the hamstring strain). What it comes down to is that something needs to be done to strengthen the hamstrings, glutes, and abs; and something needs to be done to stretch the hip flexors.

On the strength side, this is where RDL's (Romanian Deadlifts) come in. Also included in the exercises recommended were the sumo deadlift and pull-through. As I am primarily a sumo puller and I have already implemented the pull-throughs on my deadlift day...the RDL's were the last option. And I've gotta say...what a workout. I've got respect for the people that can make those real pretty looking (in other words...not falling all over the place). It is definitely going to take me some time to master these.

So if you know or suspect that you have a pelvic tissue, check out Mike Robertson's article and maybe you will learn a thing or two!

John Izzo's Trainer Nation!

2009-02-23T15:38:00.007-06:00

For those unaware, personal trainer John Izzo puts out a free quarterly e-mag, Trainer Nation. It is comprised of a series of articles from fitness experts around the country. Here's the line-up for this issue:

The Bodyweight Exercise Revolution - Adam Steer
The In-Home Trainer's Toolbox - Sarah Rippel
3 Steps to Injury Prevention - Andy Chasse' (woohoo!)
Pointing Out Glute Atrophy - John Izzo
A Clash of Philosophies - Brian Ayers
Kettlebells 101 - Victor Crawford
Strength Training for Baseball and Softball - Bill Vasko
HIIT the Track, Jack! - Rick Karboviak
Building a Fitness Business - Chris McCombs

As you can see, there are a wide variety of articles from a wide variety of writers. I had a chance to glance through it this morning and let me be honest with you...it is well worth the download!
Get your copy of Trainer Nation asap!

Speaking of John Izzo...check him out live tonight at 8pm EST as he is interviewed by Bill Vasko of Coachbook!

Active Recovery

2009-02-22T16:54:00.002-06:00

I've been real big on recovery techniques lately and I have written a couple of articles about it. Check out my newest one: How to Effectively Recover From a Workout.

Deadlift Diagnosis

2009-02-22T10:47:00.006-06:00

So instead of learning how to draw the structure of glucose in Organic Intro on Friday...I read about the deadlift. Probably not my smartest decision, eh? But I took in some quality information for sure.
Deadlift Diagnosis, an article written by Eric Cressey a few years back, details a "diagnosis" of the three main sticking points in the deadlift. I'm a sumo puller who has a lot of speed off the floor (very surprising, considering I can count on one hand the number of times I have ever performed speed work for the deadlift), but my lockout is horrendous. I just can't get my hips forward.
Of course the section pertaining to my lockout problem is pretty far into the article, so I'm maniacally flipping through the pages hoping for the miracle solution to my problem. I'm not entirely sure that I found it...but here are Cressey's three reasons for a weak lockout:

1. Weak glute max.

2. Weak upper back.

3. No head extension.

Immediately, I crossed off number 3. I'm pretty sure my head extension is right where it needs to be. As far as weak glutes, I've known this has been a problem for a while. Weak glutes are often a result of tight hip flexors, something that I know I have. I've spent the last several months beating up my hips with set after set of bulgarian split squats in a desperate attempt to change this. While I feel like they aren't quite as tight anymore, I'm still failing the deadlift at lockout.
So reading through Cressey's article...I came across the phrase "If you can't fire the glutes..." And then it hit me. For me, it may not be so much about glute weakness, but glute activation. So this past deadlift workout I have implemented dynamic flexibility (quadruped, over-unders, reverse lunges), motor control (scorpions, floor bridges, birddogs), and strength (pull-throughs - an attempt to teach my body to fire the hips forward) exercises for the glutes.
We'll see what happens.
As for number 2, this I have also known for some time. To work both the scapular elevators and retractors, Cressey recommends some sort of shrugging motion or snatch grip deadlifts and heavy rowing movements that focus on pulling toward the shoulder, rather than the hip (seated row to neck).
I've got 5 weeks until Collegiate Nationals...so we'll see if I can't just get my lockout looking a little prettier by then.

New Blog Location!

2009-02-21T10:42:00.002-06:00

Well, after some thought...I've decided to move my blog over here to blogspot because let's be honest, it's pretty nifty. The content is going to be a little different, though. We'll have a little bit of everything in here, along with some of my own training.