Ideal Conditions

We are about halfway through our first 30 days of Glory. Things have not been ideal, which is what should really be expected. If you wait for everything to be ideal before you make your move, it's probably never going to happen. You have to do the best you can with what you have, and not let little slip-ups throw you off your game. The plan is to keep the plan the plan.

Bench 202.5x5-5-10
DB Curl +30x16s-16s
Neck Harness 50x 50-50-50-50
Dips 12-12-12
Squat 275x 5-5-12

Maintain the commitment to CANI!

30 Days of Glory

We are running a 30 day focused "challenge" here at Chattanooga Strength which we have decided to call the "30 Days of Glory." Not the 30 Days to Glory, because this is not about an end date. It is not about finishing. This is about living every day gloriously! It is about doing all the things that you know you should be doing. It means: doing your burpees, not eating junk, getting your protein, and not missing any training sessions.

Measurements and before photos have been taken. Prepare for Glory!


10/17
Bench 195x 5-5-11
DB Curls +30 14-12
Neck Harness 45x 50-50-25-25
Squat 250x5-5-12

10/19
Press 130x5-5-10
Chins +35x 10-9
Neck Harness 45x 50-50-50-50
Deadlift 285x12

Hard work work

Been getting my regular lift on, despite some sort of satanic throat/sinus problem. All the usual lifts are on their way back up, and I am even breaking some rep records with about 20 pounds less bodyweight which feels pretty good.

Still working a lot (Rick Ross Et al).

The music streamed by whatever company at my new job is mostly pop stuff, and luckily not elevator muzak, but I have to listen to Rick Astley almost every day. I can feel it in my bones that someone gets a sick pleasure from adding that in to the mix.

Today
Press 127.5x 5-5-11
Chins 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Neck Raises 45x 50-50
Deadlift 280x12

I work tree jobs!

Bench 175x5-5-12
EZ Curl 85x13-12
Squat 230x5-5-14

Weights are lighter that I would like (although that is pretty normal), but I made a couple rep records.

My work schedule is pretty Bulgarian right now. Although when you are talking about jobs Jamaican is probably the preferred nomenclature.

“Things may come to those who wait…but only the things left by those who hustle.” - Abraham Lincoln

"Every day I'm hustlin." - Rick Ross

Busy Times

The last few weeks I have been incredibly busy, in a good way. I am now moved into a new house and hopefully will be staying here for at least 10 years. I have a much nicer space for training, the new house is just amazing, and I even have room to start a vegetable garden. We have picked up our training with only a few days off due to moving, and have some old as well as new friends training together.

I have been working a lot as well, meeting a lot of new and awesome people. Hopefully some of my diet and training advice that I have rambled about to them will help them out. I get so juiced when other people really want to make a change in their lifestyle for the better, but most of the time I can only hope that they stick it out. Sometimes it's just a flash in the pan, but lately I have had some clients really dive in and get after it. That's why I do this, and I am grateful to be loving what I do!

The 2011 SVTC is over!

The 15th marked 90 days, and the end of the Strength Villain Transformation Challenge. It has been great, and I figured I would post my final "essay" of what I have learned on here. I started out at 200lbs, and finished yesterday at 190. Here is April 15th and July 15th.

My goals for SVTC 2011 were:

1.To continue increasing my size/bodyweight-specifically lean but over 200lbs.

Set the bar too high here. I overestimated my ability to put on lean muscle, and underestimated the ease of losing fat. I came in to the challenge just reaching 200 pounds for the first time. Halfway through the challenge I realized that leaning out would take me below 200 and used the mirror rather than the scale to take me the rest of the way. I feel a lot smaller now at 190, but I know it is a good thing because I am stronger-so that extra weight wasn't doing anything positive for me. I know I can keep getting stronger without chasing the scale PRs, and I can control my diet better now to put on muscle without the extra fat. I didn't seriously reign in my diet until we hit the final 30 days, and I wish I would have sooner. I thought that changing my diet would decrease my strength and energy levels, and I did not want to stall out my lifts so I kept putting it off. Once I did focus on only the right foods and no extra nonsense though I have made a lot of progress, and it only did good things for my performance. I feel like my best results are still yet to come (peaking too late so to speak) which sucks for my challenge conclusion, but is still very encouraging and exciting for me in the grand scheme of things.

2.To continue increasing strength as evident by Weight maxes and Rep maxes.

The one area I thought would suffer turns out to be the one area I succeeded. I ran the Greyskull LP throughout, and although my squatting was PR'd in different rep ranges under the guise of training for VC2, all my other lifts have continuously improved and reached new PR's. I reset my lifts after taking a week off due to the tornado at the end of April, and have increased every workout since and am just now slowing down in press to the 5-5-5 range at 15 pounds above my past PR and reset point, with bench and deadlift still increasing. The 16th will be my first time ever benching (decline or otherwise) 225 for reps, whereas I very distinctly remember failing a single at 225 just a couple years ago.

3.To complete by July 15th Villain Challenges 1-5 (only completed #3 in the past).

To accomplish this I needed laser-like focus on one goal at a time, building momentum and throwing myself wholeheartedly into one challenge until its completion, and then working towards the next. Instead I went full retard and tried a crossfit style approach of doing a little of everything all at once. Surprise surprise, 90 days later I am fucking mediocre across the board. I have made progress on all of them, but 0/5 completed is downright pathetic. Here is what I did get to:

VC#1 Never even got off the ground, just now on 3 sets of 17

VC#2 200lbs x27 reps

VC#3 80 pushups in 2 minutes

VC#4 did 4.5 mile loop w/ 45lb ruck in 1:20:49

VC#5 got 16 chins w/25lbs two separate days

Falling so short of the goals I set for myself really stings, and this is a mistake I will not be repeating.

I have learned that tweaking my workout schedule here and there to work on specific challenges is just as bad as program hopping unless it is a consistent change. Any changes really need to be given time to see if they are working or not. Really that all goes for diet as well. I feel much more confident in my diet and my ability to modify it for different goals after really working on consistency and just being deliberate with it all.

Although I fucked up a lot and did not meet the goals I set for myself, I am determined rather than discouraged. I still learned a lot, got stronger, and look better. This is just 90 days out of my training career rather than a beginning and end. 

I also had a partner that I roped into doing the challenge with me, and he made amazing progress. He gained about 20 pounds and lost a lot of bodyfat at the same time. I am very proud of him and hope that he will continue training with me. He probably has a much better chance of winning this contest than me, and I would post his pictures but due to his job I don't think he will let me. 

Big thanks most of all to Johhny Pain at Strength Villain for putting up his cash for the challenge, and more importantly giving all of us that don't compete in a sport a reason to focus our training and really make things happen. Also it is only with the knowledge and tools I have learned from him that any of this progress has really been possible. Thanks JP!

Goals Part 2: What do you want? (and why?)

In Goals Part 1 I wrote a bit about conducting an annual review, and the need to make an honest assessment of the state of things. Now we will be moving on to how to actually set your goals. Setting goals is a popular subject to write about, and there is a lot of good advice already out there. With that said I am going to briefly go over a few points.

According to the NSCA, goals should be SMART 

• Specific (the more the better)
• Measurable (lose x pounds, not "get in shape")
• Action Oriented (I will rather than I won't)
• Realistic (if it isn't do-able, you won't actually take it seriously and try)
• Time Restricted (give yourself a deadline)

Those are some good general guidelines to start with. Before I continue though, I have a confession to make. I am a big fan of Tony Roberts. If you are 30 or so you may remember all of his tv infomercials, or if you are younger you may just know him from Shallow Hal or Family Guy. I haven't been to any seminars or met the guy, but I have read his books and listened to his audio programs a few times. I have learned a lot of things from him, but some of the most important things relate to goals.

One thing that Tony Robbins teaches about goals is to look at the outcome that you want first, and then plan backwards from there. He calls it an RPM plan, which stands for Rapid Planning Method- or

• Result
• Purpose
• Map (or massive action plan)

Really it breaks down into What, Why, and How.

This may not seem that interesting but it has helped me tremendously. Start with the Result or outcome that you want. Then come up with a purpose or a why, because if you don't really want it, then odds are you won't follow through and do it. Once you have a strong purpose, you can map out all the steps you need to take in order to achieve your desired result- this could include: hire a personal trainer, get a course catalog from your local college, or polishing up your resume'. If you can't come up with a very good Purpose though, that should clue you in that you might want a different outcome.

It doesn't have to be pretty to get the job done.

It is amazing the inspiration and excitement that writing this all out and making a Massive Action Plan can give you. When you really take the time to come up with a solid why and write all the reasons you need to accomplish this goal, it really is powerful. Make sure you WRITE IT ALL DOWN. I feel like this is a very important point, because as you work towards your goal you will be able to go back and read that purpose, and remind you of the reasons you are doing it. Also writing it down makes it real. When you think about goals and things you want to accomplish it is really just fantasy. When you start making plans though, you are taking tangible steps towards achievement. 

Remember: if you have strong enough reasons to do something, you will find a way to make it happen.

Welcome Destruct

I wanted to make a quick post to welcome Destruct to Chattanooga Strength. 

I am really looking forward to working with this guy. If he stays consistent he is going to make some great gains. As long as we can get his work schedule(s) under control and he doesn't get PT'd into the ground; I am expecting him to put on at least 20 solid pounds this summer. He has started his journey into roped and choked territory.

The more I look at this picture the hungrier I get though...

Goals Part 1: Where are you now?

A great blog that I follow is The Art of Non-Conformity. Although one of the main topics for the blog is traveling and travel-hacking (very interesting, but not for me); the author Chris Guillebeau has a lot of other great ideas. He has e-books on World Domination, Building an Empire, How to Work for Yourself, and generally has a great outlook on getting things done. I have learned a lot from his blog, but probably the biggest thing I have adopted is conducting an annual review. 

Instead of coming up with vague New Years resolutions, conducting your own annual review involves looking at the past year to see what went well or poorly and what you may have wanted to accomplish but didn't get to. Then you can set short and long term goals for the next year, and break them down into categories such as finance goals, professional goals, personal goals, or whatever you feel like. Then you create an overreaching theme for the year which can help describe or inspire what you have going on in life, or the kinds of things you would like to accomplish.

This year was the first annual review that I have done. I chose to make 2011 my "Year of Growth" and some of the goals I set included:

• Achieving a body-weight of 200 pounds
• Getting a job as a Personal Trainer at the Sports Barn
• Getting my blue belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
• Getting equipment to do personal training in my home
• Read 52 books
• Pay off my credit cards completely

So far I have reached almost all of the goals that I set for the year. I have hit 200 pounds, got my new job, have a good setup for training at home, and last Saturday I got promoted to Blue Belt. Now that I have done this though, it is time for me to review my goals and that is what I am going to be doing most of the day today. Although I have made great progress this year, there are some areas that I have been slacking in, and today will be a chance to revisit my goals and make plans for the remainder of the year.

This may seem like a bunch of boring and time consuming work, but in reality it is a chance to really get inspired and commit yourself to do great things (big and small). It is important to take a step back and look at where you are in your life every so often. Only then can you figure out if you are going in the direction you really want to be, and decide where you want to be going this year. Most importantly though you can create a plan to get there, which will be covered more in the rest of the Goals series.

Time Under the Bar

Today marks day 50 of the Strength Villain Transformation Challenge. I knew that entering this competition would spur me on to make greater progress, and it definitely has. I had a major slowdown with the storm, but I am back on track and I feel like my training has been better than ever.

One thing I have been working towards is completing the Villain Challenges. For the last few weeks I have been right in the thick of is VC #2. I followed the plan that was laid out on the challenge page, but I think with my level of strength I am not quite there yet. I checked in with Coach Steel on the SV Forums and he set me up with a new plan to work with.


"10-20 sets of 5 with 225,235,245(225 the first week, 235 the second, 245 the third) once a week for 3 weeks"


The first real "high volume" squatting that I have ever done has been working on this challenge, and it has been a definite learning experience. Squatting for a high number of reps in one set is one thing, but multiple sets of 5 is still another. They say "repetition is the mother of skill;" and I know it takes a lot of reps to get comfortable with a movement as well as develop good technique. It has taken me a lot of reps to get where I am now, and I feel like my squat has improved this week just from spending more time doing it. 

Much more work to go, but I am looking forward to it.

Tornado De-load Week

Had some bad storms roll through on the 27th, trees came down, and I lost power for several days. Luckily the trees all fell along the road rather than onto the house. Had a pretty close miss on my car, many others in my area were not as lucky. Cars were confined to the driveway, but the road was open on one side so I had a friend drive over and pick up the housemates and I-as well as all of our frozen and refrigerated foods.

Although my friend didn't have power either, he did have a gas grill so we managed to cook all the food we grabbed before it went bad. We actually got to eat pretty well for a couple days-grilled salmon, eggs, flank steak, even managed to grill a frozen pizza.

Didn't do any real strength training all week, but I did manage to get in some "functional training."

Back to it, time to gain lost ground and momentum!

SVTC Day 3

I may not win this challenge, but I am going to absolutely give it my best shot, and make some excellent progress. I have also talked a couple of my friends into doing it with me and I am looking forward to helping them make some great gains. Just take a look at our top of the line facility, and you will know that we are serious about this.

Behold: the Chattanooga Villain Academy.

SVTC 2011

I am entering the 2011 Strength Villain Transformation Challenge, which starts today. It runs until July 15th and I am stoked. I managed to talk a few friends into doing it with me so that makes it even more exciting. Their goals are not exactly the same as mine but it will be a great process. I will update about my training as time goes on. Also I just hit 200 pounds bodyweight, which has been a goal of mine for several years now. It is an awesome place to start this challenge from.

My goals for SVTC 2011 are:
To continue increasing my size/bodyweight-specifically lean but over 200lbs.
To continue increasing strength as evident by Weight maxes and Rep maxes.
To complete by July 15th Villain Challenges 1-5 (only completed #3 in the past).

To read more about the Villain Challenges check out the main page at StrengthVillain.com.

Here are my before pictures.

10 Days left!

Only 10 days until Pat's Run. Don't forget to make your donations here. It is simple and takes no time, and you can donate whatever amount you can-there is no minimum.

Also if anyone is interested in running with me in Atlanta, you can register until April 8th, so that leaves a couple days from now! It would be more fun to have someone to ride down with as well as run/walk with. Register and get in touch with me if you are interested.

Pat's Run 2011

Pat Tillman played football for Arizona State University and then the Arizona Cardinals. After 9/11, he played out the rest of the 2001 season and turned down a $3.6 million dollar contract from the Cardinals. Instead he and his brother enlisted in the Army. He went on to participate in the initial Iraq invasion in 2003, became an Army Ranger, and deployed to Afghanistan. He was killed there in a friendly fire incident in 2004.

I have an incredible amount of respect for Pat Tillman, and I encourage you to read more about him on his Wikipedia page. You may have heard about his story from the book Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by John Krakauer.


I will be running in the annual Pat's Run shadow run in Atlanta on April 16th. I am running for Team IAVA, and also raising money for the Pat Tillman Foundation here. Donations of any size are appreciated (I am not able to give much myself). The money goes to help Veterans and their families with scholarships. There is still time to sign up for shadow runs (held in several other U.S. cities) or the actual race in Tempe, AZ if you are interested. You don't have to run, you can walk, donate, or even register just to get the t-shirt and show your support (and sleep in as well).

If you are going to be running in Atlanta as well, send me an email so we can meet up.

Consistency is King

When it comes to achieving your goals or mastering any complex skill, consistency truly is the name of the game. If you put forth the effort day in and day out you are going to get where you want to be. Once you start missing training sessions or just going through the motions your progress slows down and you may even regress. Malcolm Gladwell says it takes 10,000 hours of practice for mastery or success. You can bet one or two hours a week isn't going to do it.

Yesterday I was in my jiu-jitsu class and when it came time to practice techniques on the ground I practically drew a blank. I was mixing things up that I definitely shouldn't have. What do you know I have been missing classes.

My deadlift reps weren't where they were supposed to be today. Looking back at my training log I see that I have missed a couple of deadlift workouts  this month, which is a lot when you only deadlift once a week. No wonder I have lost my momentum.

Time to get it back and keep it. I have a few thousand hours to practice.

Content incoming.

I have some good things coming up, so stay tuned.