The majority of dudes and chics that read my blog probably aren't going to step up on a stage, pour salad dressing all over themselves and flex in front of people. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I actually do respect the amount of hard work and discipline that bodybuilders put into their craft. But unless you plan on competing in a show, you do not need to worry about these OCD eating philosophies. But even some comments on my blog have me worried. You don't eat low carb to gain mass. Period. End of story. Carbs are the fucking machine behind gaining mass. Protein and carbs. The repair process requires protein but the energy source used in it, is driven by carbs. If you've ever had surgery, you might think about afterwards, how much you craved candy, cake, pasta, whatever. That's because the body needs to heal, and it needs energy to heal. It's too much damn work to break down fat for energy, and your body is an efficient machine. So where is it going to get this energy? Glycogen, the same fuel source it uses for lifting too. Olive oil and nuts and fucking flax seed blah blah blah, yeah that's great and you need it or lack it, but a low carb diet is never going to build mass like a high carb diet will. Fact. FACT.
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| No one built mass with this as their diet staple.... |
If you want to lose bodyfat, just take in fewer cals than you are using each day. Get in conditioning 3-4 times a week and get IN SHAPE. The rest will take care of itself. If you want to lower carbs, fine. You will feel like shit. If you want to lower cals overall but keep carb intake medium to high, it will still work. Yes it will. Getting lean is still only about calories in vs out. That's it. This carb hating bullshit has gotten on my last damn nerve. I also love fat guys who are "carb sensitive". I wonder if they have bad PMS too?
Ok enough food ranting....maybe.
I am working on a 5/4/3/2/1 back off spreadsheet with some percentages based on my own lifting over the years. More than likely it will be a 4 week cycle that also figures in your estimated max throughout the cycle. This I find handy because I want to know if my programming is in fact making me stronger. When you pull sub-max singles you're not always aware of that, which is why back-offs have been my bread and butter for so long. That's where the real strength is built at I believe. In getting REP PR's.
Ok so my elbow problems were all related to my stinkin mattress. I guess that's what I get for keeping a mattress twice as long as you're supposed to. Everyday the elbow gets a little better. Here is hoping for a 405 incline and 450 bench in the next few months once I'm completely healed up.
Squatting sucks right now. I hate that. More than anything, when my squatting is going good I feel like everything is right in the world. The grass is greener, the snow is whiter, the dog shit you eat at work doesn't taste as bad. I know it's partly because I am limit my cals and because I'm dropping weight, and until I settle in this will happen, but it still doesn't make it any easier. On a good note, my dead seems to be doing ok. So I guess that's something. Whatever.
Man it felt good to do some dips again this past week. It's been a while with the elbows and all. It's always funny how much you appreciate a lift when you can't do it for a long time because of an injury. Maybe I should overhead press again?
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| Oh how I missed thee... |
We sold our sleep sofa yesterday. It was hilarious watching these two skinny dudes try to pick that thing up. It's heavy as hell. I finally helped them move it out. I heard them saying they had no idea how they were going to get it up all of those apartment steps. Dayum!
On the flip side of that, our new sofa, a sectional, was delayed so I won't get it until Monday. This sucks ass. I had been excited all week to get that thing. Oh well.
Watched season 2 of The Wire. Super AWESOME. The second season is what I was expecting from the first season. The first season was too centric on the main plot with very little else going on around it, and it moved at a snails pace. I loved season 2 and can't wait on season 3. Omar has probably become my favorite character. I expect to be the butt of many gay jokes now, pun intended.
Some more Thy Will Be Done since it was such a big hit.........
And to follow up that awesomeness, a hot babe of the week............
Keira Knightley. I know, she doesn't fit in with the usual built/great ass/great legs type I put up, but there is something about her I find extremely intoxicating. Maybe cause she's hot. I bet that's it.
I'm so pissed off with this weather. We had multiple days of 60's and 70's and then when I need to get my SRT8 serviced, I can't take it in because of the freaking snow. I hate the midwest so freaking much.
Men, I'm going to tell you something right now. I have watched two separate friends undergo divorces in the last couple of years. If you don't want your woman finding some other guys dick you better be taking care of business. And I don't just mean in the bedroom. Women are emotional creatures and we are logical ones. So stop trying to use logic on something that doesn't need it, or want it. 99% of the time your women doesn't want your logical solution to her problems. She just wants to vent and talk, and get her emotions out. If you let her do that, then she will listen to logic. It's sad to see the people I care about go through this shit but in both cases it was the guy who didn't understand how to cater to the needs of his woman. Men want to feel respected, and women want to feel loved. That's the be all end all of it. And if she doesn't feel loved, she'll find someone else to fill that void for a while. So don't be pissed off at the guy or her when that happens. Take a look at yourself and figure out why it is, that YOUR woman went looking else where to fulfill a need. Beating that guys ass won't fulfill her need either in case you didn't know. And I can tell you from experience it won't take the pain away or make you feel better either. The only ass you should be kicking in these circumstances, is usually your own.
Front squats are coming back. That or the strive squat on non squat days/deadlifting days. I just feel like I need to be squatting more often right now after coming back from the injury. I think that'll prolly happen. Maybe even this week.
Hope all you bitches have a fun and safe weekend.
Thanks peeps.
Are seriously telling me you have never had the urge to pour salad dressing all over yourself and start flexing in front of people? Have a nice weekend fella.
ReplyDeleteSteven.
Of course I have. But liquor was involved....
ReplyDeletePaul,
ReplyDeleteFunny how you commented about dips. I was going to leave you a message about how much you have helped my dipping (?)
I have been using a 1x10 set up for my body weight exercises and when I can do 10 reps in a row I add weight, normally just add a plate (25s, 35s, etc.)
My size and strength have shot through the roof. A good friend of mine does 50 reps a couple times a week on chins and dips and is stuck at the same amount. I made him read your site about having to suck it up and kick your own ass sometimes.
I appreciate what you put on here. It has made a huge difference for me.
BTW, any chance we get to download your 5/4/3/2/1 spread sheet?
Gary - great to hear about the progress.
ReplyDeleteLooking through logs and shit daily to really figure out about where my percentages were for each.
Once I get it figured out I may expand it for both offseason hypertrophy work and a section for strength/powerlifting.
I'd love to be able to download the spreadsheet too.
ReplyDeleteA friendly tip - don't make the comment about the ads again, the big G people really don't like it and can crack down on you badly, maybe even pull your account.
ReplyDeleteThey are paranoid and will suspend accounts for slighs both real and imagined. There is a paragraph in their policy that states this sort of "soliciting" is not kosher, and they don't have to explain or prove their decisions. They are the Big G, after all :)
Just sayin'. I had an account suspended over similar bullshit.
Good points too.
Fatguy - I got no idear what you're talking about. ;-)
ReplyDeleteBlake - will get it out soon.
Tonight I finally finished the last few episodes of the Wire - it is well worth your time. Slow in places and lacking in happy endings - but a fine piece of work.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the 5/4/3/2/1 work.
if you aren't touching her mind and her heart, she's not gonna get anything out of you touching her body. if she doesn't feel like she's worth risking it all for, she ain't gonna go out of her way for you, and you can't fake that. women are too smart to be fooled. love is an action word. it takes sacrifice. i hope everybody reading this asks themselves afterwards "am i giving my lady a reason to believe that i love her? or am i just asking her to take my word on it?" or maybe even "am i willing to give up anything for her?" lifting and all those aother things that are interchangeable with it as hobbies, those things fade. promises are forever. some things can't be taken back.. like paul says, be a man. own it. thanks paul for standing out on this stuff. more people need to hear it than either of us knows.
ReplyDeletePaul, I have begun the training template you set up last week and I have been really enjoying it. I will be the first in line for that spreadsheet if you make it available. And I will definitely donate if you don't charge for it. Your blog has been a breath of fresh air in the world of BS peddlers.
ReplyDeleteTo add Adam, I always tell people love is tangible. You can see it and touch it. In the clothes my kids have on, to the food in the cupboard, to the bills that are paid. You can mark it on the calendar by the flowers sent for no reason other than being who she is.
ReplyDeleteLove isn't just a "feeling" it is something tangible. If your woman asks you to prove your love to her, you should easily be able to point out all the things you have done that speak volumes about that.
Boomer - Not sure if I will charge for it or not. It's possible I will a couple of bucks because I really want to get some t-shirts up for the blog, and I want the blog to be able to support itself.
ReplyDeleteProbably another week or so and the template will be out.
Paul
ReplyDeleteAn e-book with all of your articles would be well worth a few bucks (pounds here !) - a few additions (like the 5/4/3/2/1 stuff) would be good.
Not a terrible idea either phil.
ReplyDeleteMauro Di Pasquale mentioned using 5/4/3/2/1 when he competed and I also remember an old Ironman mag article from the early 80's written by John Kuc that incorporated it. Both those guys new how to get strong, I'll be interested to hear how you apply it.
ReplyDeleteLet me chime in on the e-book and t-shirt ideas: I like 'em both. Paul, you have great training experience and success and are good at analyzing and applying what you experience. Then you have the skill to communicate that in a written form that is interesting and entertaining. Thanks man.
John Kuc was the man!!!!
ReplyDeleteI have two ways I plan on putting it out there for people. One is based around hypertrophy, and basically it's used to prime the system to make you break rep PR's more easily. The second way would be based around the emphasis on 1 RM strength.
Thanks for all of the rest of the comments. I appreciate them very much.
Yeah, I had to buy Thy Will be Done. I picked up their first album, but I may be buying their second one, too. Definitely sounds a bit like Lamb of God. There's on Gojira album I'm considering buying, too called "From Mars to Sirius." It sounds nothing like the two aforementioned bands but thought I'd pass it along as I usually don't buy music but like this particular album. Oh and Blood in the Gears and Backbreaker, both from The Showdown, are equally awesome. They sound more like Thy Will be Done.
ReplyDelete