If I could release a hard copy of this playlist this would absolutely by my cover choice.
I originally made this playlist for my brother Dan who requested "the curator of the evil and unhallowed" make him a playlist of deeper tracks to get more familiar with black metal. (for the record that title is a direct quote from him but I will proudly answer to it.) I am not going to say I went PG on this list but I made an effort to incorporate tracks that may be a little more palatable to the untrained ear. You have to understand black metal. You have to possess a particular mindset and dark outlook on life in order to truly "get" this genre. Black metal is not music you put on when your bros are over crushing beers and playing pong. I am also going out on a limb here and saying no one has ever gotten laid by bringing a strange girl home and fired up some Nightbringer to set the sexual tones.
OK. Enough filler and fluff. Im not some bunk ass T-mobile employee trying to get you to buy the fucking warranty on a phone that will be out of date in a year. Listen to the goddamn playlist or don't. whatever.
Tracks are in no particular order and I was limited in what I could select on Spotify because the bands I really wanted to include were not available. All of these bands are either my absolute favorites or stay in heavy rotation in my life.
To my loyal readers. HAILS! feel free to email me blackmetalfitness@gmail.com or leave comments, feedback, give opinions, suggest recommendations (music or blogposts), or just shoot the shit. I am out of school for three weeks and have a decent amount of time to internetz.
Many hails to all my fellow die-hard servants of the Iron Underworld. I'm coming in hot on tonight's post. Armed to the teeth with
motivation, purpose, direction, and dark sided pictures to look at. A lot
has been happening in the BMF camp as of late. Eager to spread the gospel with all my brethren. So lets start spilling blood right now.
There is plenty of light to shine toward the mortal figures of man. The
summer harvest of gains and thickness has been bountiful this season.
The seeds of rusted iron that we planted in the throes of winter have
now fully blossomed and are ripe for picking. The Weightlifting Lords
have heard our cries and accepted our offerings. In return the Iron
Lords have rewarded our devotion to the Barbell Temple with new PR's,
new max's, better form, stronger diets, chiseled physiques, bigger
muscles, stronger minds, and improved focus. If you are reading this
post I hope you are one of the peasants who struggled day in and day out
through winter anticipating this summer. This is your season to flex on
the weak betas and false alphas of this shit planet. Enjoy your
harvest. You fucking earned it. If you are disappointed in your harvest
and wish you planted more seeds and tended to your crops properly then I
must say to you "preparing for failure is the same as failing to
prepare."
TO KNOW THE ENEMY IS TO KNOW THYSELF.
I assume you have identified the poisonous people and threats to your well being. I hope you have shown your enemies no remorse, no mercy, with pity for none and hate for all on path to carving the giant that is your frame. I also hope you have provided help, coaching, motivation, while mentoring your gym brethren. The light of physical strength is there for all who choose to see. All you must do is open your eyes. For we are nothing without each other. Our enemies will not speak of our strength, they will speak of our weakness and exploit it to eliminate us. THIS is why we spend our waking hours and channel all of our energy into heavy weights, strange food, and mirrors. We must give our enemies nothing to speak of. They will speak with the words of a mute that will fall on the ears of the deaf. They will only tear themselves down while we build ourselves up and protect our hunt.Let all those who stand in our way of physical and mental strength gains be vanquished and shallow buried into unmarked graves. We have no pity for those who oppose in the same way we have no pity for the weights. We are trained to kill both.
Caravaggio was calling for heads back in the 1500's. goddamn if did he didn't paint some vicious depictions of enemies getting served cold. murder boner achieved.
USING THE TOOLS TO BUILD
Tools are needed to build an empire. We must lay our heads down before the creators of human history and give them praise. They have suffered so we can survive. You may ask yourself "what tools?" I speak of infinite resources at your disposal. Its 2015...WE HAVE THE NET. The internet is alive and well. Everyone can become an expert on anything now. no excuses. If you workouts suck, your progress sucks, your not getting the results you want. consult the net! find out something. anything. Its a fucking wormhole of information. Everyone is always talking about how every fitness article or advice contradicts every other article or advice. I wont argue that is incredibly true but that is not a free pass to say "fuck it. Im confused and I don't wanna try so I am out."
What worked for the other guy may or may not work for you. Weightlifting is all about learning, growing, trying, and pushing. You gotta think like you are playing a chess game with your body. Your body is fucking Garry Kasparov and you are nobody. You must find ways to beat it and constantly reinvent yourself to stay one move ahead. Men who do not lift, their bodies control them. Men who lift seriously, they control their bodies.
There will come a point your body will stop responding to your lifts because its part of its routine. This is when you zig instead of zag. Get out there and sniff out new lifts, new workouts, new gyms, new meals, or new ideas. Be open to anything that may improve your physique. If something doesn't work cross it off your list and move on. Ask my close friends and they will tell you I am always saying "its all relative" and really it is. if somethign doesnt feel right research it and try to self correct. If you cant seem to hit that 315lbs bench max get on the laptop and start searching tips on how to improve bench max. Try them. If they dont work then try something else. I feel like I really shouldn't need to type that. You must understand I am not trying to talk down on you. I am trying to remind you that what you need is there. You just have to do the footwork.
Whether you lift with a tight group of experienced brothers or are the only person in your entire backwoods village in the butt hole of Indiana who even attempts to lift weights. (all alone) The results you make are on you. All the support, knowledge, and friends in the world wont make you strong. You have to do it yourself. You ultimately do every single lift, curl, push, press, pull, squat, and pause all by yourself. Its you versus the everything. Get that in your head now. Its your fight. Time to fucking finish it. GET SOME!!
Here I am doing Lat pulldowns at my gym (ROCKWEL BARBELL CHICAGO IL) with three of my absolute best friends/blood brothers with me. I love these men and they have helped me so much but, as you can see from this photo, I am all alone. I am the man who has to pull that weight. none more powerful than me. I am an island. photo by: Chris Fowler
At the risk of being melodramatic being in the weight room is like survival. You have to adapt if you wanna stay alive. You must evolve, adapt, and overcome. Try everything you want (and a few you dont) to make yourself stronger and smarter.
How I feel when I am walking into the gym on a Friday night. A night when everyone else is spending money they don't have, at bars they hate, with people they don't really know. I am the masked intruder ready to break and enter the gym. I will walk to the weights with the mindset of a violent thief. I will take what I want. I am GOD.
If you ever wanna light a fire under your nubile ass and be ready to fucking crush the weights then do yourself a favor and watch this incredibly "real talk" speech given by Alec Baldwin from Glengary Glennross. Even if you have seen it already. Give it another view. I promise it gets better with every watch.
"The leads are weak? The fucking leads are weak? Your weak!"
aye dude thanks for collecting all your excuses on why you aren't in the shape you wanna be in together in this pile. I got the answer to all your excuses.... *proceeds to light the excuses on fire and then stab the fire with a knife. His buddies keep things entertaining by reciting ritual chants of Lucifer and all his magnificent power.
If you need to convince yourself that your lack of progress is someone elses fault (i.e work, being poor, being fat, not knowing where to start) then you have a lot of work if you want to run with the herd. The rest of the world is moving fast and you are standing still. Letting the strong wolves get ahead of you while you drift into the back.
In a group of wolves the slowest and weakest wolves make up the rear end of a pack. When they are threatened they flea together. The predator will seek chase. The wolves in the rear will be the first to die in the teeth of the predator. They couldn't keep up and because of that they paid a heavy price....their life. No other proof is needed to get strong and stay strong. If you are not in the front you better be as close as you fucking can to leading the herd. Because when the hunt is on and your instincts kick in if you cant maintain with the alpha, you are fucking dead.
Where do you see yourself in this pack?
go on.....
Life Goals.
Relationship Goals.
The founders/employees of Rockwell Barbell. Chicago's premier rehabilitation center. Dedicated to transforming yesterdays skinny fat, bar crawler, beta boys into tomorrows bar bending, battle tested, men of the future. Ready, willing, and able to lead from the front.
wanna share this quote my buddy Eugene dropped today at Rockwell Barbell during our Floor Press burn outs. "We want to take people from being at the bar to being under the bar."
Of the nine circles of Hell the weight room is by far by favorite.
This post is a collection of some of my all time favorite lifts. Exercises that I always try work into my long range routine. These lifts have either helped me over come injury, improved muscle imbalance, enhanced my physique, or helped me reach a new PR on the REAL lifts. All of the featured lifts here I highly encourage you to try em out. They worked very well for me and I hope the same for you. I will be excluding the Big Three from this list because if you are not tracking those lifts are mandatory for real strength gains then you are hanging out with the wrong people or reading the wrong books. Get new friends and burn your books.
V BAR PULLDOWN
in this photo the meathead is facing out for photo purposes. When you do this please face toward that machine. Its not necessary to draw attention to yourself in the gym. Let your muscles speak for themselves. BMF does not support the "water cooler runway". Stay in your corner, stay focused, and build your temple.
I rarely see anyone doing this in the gym. Well, I guess I should say "used to." At Rockwell Barbell the boys there know the drill. Before I lifted here I spent many years lifting at all kinds of gyms. Mainly military gyms on post, Cheetah Gym in Chicago, and Anytime Fitness in Olympia WA. Able to get a good read on dudes who were serious and who weren't. Anytime I saw a guy reaching for the v-bar I knew he was die hard.
This variation on the lat pull down has been a blessing for me. I give this exercise almost all the credit for sculpting my back, which I believe to be my strongest and best looking feature of my body. Watch the video below about proper lat pull down technique. This video was very helpful for me. Its short, contains no filler, he knows how to properly speak, and most importantly he is right. The dude hits the nail on the head with his explanation of the best form and why the V-Bar pull down builds a wider lat than the classic pulldown. He spends the later half of the video praising the merits of close grip pulldown and I could not agree more with him.
Another pro for this lift is you can move considerably more weight vs. classic lat pull down. So many guys sell themselves short on their back lifts. You will be surprised at how strong your back actually is. Test yourself and treat this like a deadlift. Get pumped up and dialed in. Attack the lift with hatred. This lift is incredibly satisfying mentally when you move that pin closer and closer to max capacity.
RECOMMENDED FOR: making your traps cast shadows, making your friends yell out "Shredded Wheat" when they see you from behind, and getting that "tree stump" muscle in the middle of your back.
PRO TIP: Don't get into the mindset that accessory lifts are easy lifts. Treat every exercise as an extension of your strongest lift. Get serious and make yourself sweat. No exercise you preform in the weight room should be treated as Hotel Collection 1,000 Thread Count Egyptian Cotton 4-piece Bedding Set.
REAR DELT MACHINE
Dude is so buff his head is fucking outside the frame of the photo. Muscles that transcend space and time....IM MIRIN'
Its not often that I give praise to the machines so if I do then you know its legit. This one really helped me overcome a nagging shoulder injury. For about a year and a half I could not do flat bench barbell work. Even 135lbs sent my shoulder screaming. I was forced to admit that the pain was to real and severe to push through. The cruel and unforgiving Iron Lords banished me to the wasteland of dumbells. Toiling among common folk, 5- day biceps bros, and iPhone curlers. It was weird and it sucked. Being robbed of glory from one of the "Original Six" lifts was embarrassing. I was turned onto this lift from one of my elite Army brothers. It is fun to do because after just one set your entire rear delt looks like a tumor. This muscle just activates and grows immediately.
My shoulder injury actually healed early on but I did not realize it because I was still feeling pain. Turns out I had over developed front delts. This is actually quite common. I spent three weeks incorporating this lift on all shoulder and chest days. Its like i was touched by the noodley appendage of the Spag Monster himself. I was cured. I went back to the flat bench after 18 months off and it was like someone gave me a new shoulder. Since then I have been very conscious over my rear delts and always keep them active.
You can do DB bent over lateral raises if you do not have access to this machine but I warn you if your form is even a little off you will completely miss the rear delt. R. delt is a tricky son of a bitch. You gotta walk your rounds onto the target. Its different for everybody because every persons build is unique (not special snowflake neat. you are not special or important. Dont confuse my use of unique for your vein attempt to express yourself.) I like the machine because you can adjust the seat and toss a few reps around to zero in on your target muscle.
RECOMMEND FOR: anyone who has nagging shoulder issues, over developed front delts, people not afraid of machines, men looking to make their T-shirts wear them instead of you wearing the T-shirt.
2 Kettle bell Front Squat
Kettle bells: the new yoga mat.
I am very green to the ways of the kettle bell but I have a keen interest in trying to incorporate them into my future routines. The first and only time so far I have ever used one was for this exercise. Crossfitters have shit and pissed on this vintage piece of strongman iron for the better part of a decade. What use to be synonymous with chest hair and communist Zangiff's in their backyard selling bootleg VHS tapes of their routines has now been reduced to a neon colored paper weight with foam comfort grips and soundproofing padded bottoms that fence walkers swing between their legs for "time" on a padded mat with their coach. Good to see some workhorses taking this back" bag of iron" from those busters.
Absolutely fucking killer. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. This lift fucked me up with some truth that my midsection was weak and my core is a bag wet bread. You feel this activate your entire core on the first rep. Its awesome. Not bullshitting you this is one of the harder exercises I have encountered in all my time in the weight room. Tough to do but man is it rewarding.
RECOMMENDED FOR: deadlift and squat improvement, core stability, building midsection stamina for big lifts, someone looking to shake up their routine and add something new to the fold. Also suggested for sadomasochists who need to get watery eyed in pain when they jerk off in most positions.
SPRINTS
Rugby butts drive me nuts. Im getting inside of that scrum and never leaving.
I don't really fucks wit cardio. I'm not fast-n-hard anti-cardio, I'm just more along the lines of it has its place and time. That being said if you are craving a sweat sesh after a hard nights drinking, a running junkie who refuses to quit cardio, or looking to turn up your heart rate then sprints are for you.
Sprints are incredibly beneficial because they directly apply to real world situations and greatly enhance your rate of survival. In your life you will NEVER have to run 6 miles in one direction for ANY REASON other than because you want to. You may at some point in your life have to: sprint from someone trying to attack/rob you, sprint away from gun fire (or toward it depending on profession), sprint to catch the train before it leaves, sprint to the aid of your family or friends when they are in distress, sprint toward your enemy when you spot him inside you sector, sprint toward the TV's at the local mega chain store on black Friday, sprint toward the goal line in football or rugby, sprint off a cliff to get maximum air when you land in that body of water. Do you see what I am getting at here? There is one reason for long distance running. Just one. But just listed of like 7 things for short and fast running. Off top.
Sprints are not a hard sell. They are vital to our survival as a species. Its primal. Its ingrained into our goddamn genetics for fucks sake. (fight-or-flight response)
RECOMMENDED FOR: People who want to live, those who want to enhance the human species, and poor people.
most of my friends life story.
WEIGHTED PULL-UPS
Further proof that lifting accessories are overrated not necessary to achieve strength.
If you cannot do a single pull-up than skip this lift and reevaluate you entire existence. Weighted pull ups are not only fun but provide just the right amount of challenge. I usually use a 25 or 35 pound weight or dumbbell. You can wrap chains around your neck if you wanna go Prison Yard style, you can hold a dumbbell between your feet, or tie the weight around your waist. so man different ways to do it. If you can do a few pull ups and you want to be able to knock out more than fart out a couple of these every list session despite what muscle group you are hitting. After like wo weeks when you go back to regular pull ups you will feel dramatically lighter. A great way to trick yourself into doing more reps than you think you can. The mind is a very weird thing. Your mind is what holds you back from making a lift 85% of the time. I truly believe that.
RECOMMEND FOR: people who wanna take photos of themselves looking hard, pull-up improvement, and sculpting/building abs,
CHAINS ON FLAT BENCH
Any excuse to use chains in the gym should be taken. They work best with flat bench IMO. I love throwing some chains on the end of the bar after a long bench session. Looking for that burnout bonus. Helps you get past a sticking point you may have in your attempt to achieve a new max. The weight gets lighter as the chains coil on the floor but as you push up the weight increase. The odd size of the weight really makes things interesting when your grinding out the last few reps. Get some!
RECOMMENDED FOR: everyone.
DUMBBELL TRICEP PRESS/EXTENSION
Is this Dana Carvey?
This is a great way to build up intimidating thickness in your arms. Ive been doing these for a long time. I can hit 110lbs. If you have any elbow issues I would either steer clear of this one or only hit a medium weight. Again, this is a lift best served heavy. You can aggravate your elbows fairly easy when moving heavy weight. I prefer seated because it takes all other muscles out of the picture. You can do this one standing if you'd like. It will activate some of your core and legs. Keep your midsection tight when lifting it while on your feet. That way you are getting a 2-for-1 deal. Don't sell yourself short. Everyone's triceps are incredibly strong and resistant. If you wanna make your arms "fill out" and connect with the other arm muscles for that thick looks then add this to your arsenal.
CLOSE GRIP DUMBBELL PRESS
I don't know whether to place this into triceps or chest. Regardless it hammers each of em. You can almost feel your sternum stretching and widening with each set. My Unholy Trinity brethren Dan (IG: @grateful_dan) and Marino (IG:thatsalotofblood) turned me on to this move. Keep the weights together then move them slow on the downward and explosive on the push up. You can go incline too if you are feeling frosty. These are a good addition to the end of workout. No necessarily a burn out but really requiring every fiber to activate. I get a better pump and burn out of this when I go heavy. I suggest you grab a weight that is about 70% of your ability. In my experience the light weight, while still tough, just didn't give me the same intensity.
RECOMMEND FOR: end of workout jam session, people who want to build that medial crease in the pecs, people not afraid to die.
"Some people would rather live in shit than be seen holding a shovel. I am not one of them. Pass me that fucking shovel."
screen shot of my mind en route to the gym.
vintage hammer curls.
It just wouldn't be a BMF blog post without a Mad Max, weightlifting, metalhead laying down the heavy metal law among his slave babes. When will this trend cycle back into fashion? The youth need weightlifting metal mentors now more than ever.
The Rockwell Barbell Squad cutting loose on the 4th of July. From left to right: Me aka Satanic Royalty, Marino aka The Muscely Medic, Hugene, Dan aka Prison Wallet or Mexican Henry Rollins, and Lawerence the heart, the black soul, the architect of Rockwell Barbell aka Lars, Big L, or Papa Pump.
If you are a serious weightlifter, powerlifter, or a beautiful woman who is stronger than all of your girlfriends in or around Chicago and looking for a new weight room applications for the 2015 season to become a Prospect at Rockwell Barbell are now being accepted. Follow us on Instagram if you are trying to sniff out the kind of mentality we are carving. RB is trying to bring some new faces into the fold. Serious inquires only. If you can deadlift a horse or overhead press a human corpse we want to talk to you! IG: rockwellbarbell
Even if you aren't looking for a new gym come follow us. If you are passing through the city and interested in getting in a few sessions shoot me an email and we will welcome you as our guest. Show this independently owned and operated blue collar gym in Chicago some love. share the profile with all your gay jock cockboy friends who need to get their ass into the proper mentality to build a cold hearted killer.
Who remembers watching Renegade on late night USA channel in the 90's? Honestly the opening credits are better than the entire show so I never made it past 10 minutes when I was a pre-teen. But looking back on it now it got me all kinds of pumped up. I am considering watching the entire first season with a weightlifters prospective. For you young bucks that ain't tracking its outlaw Lorenzo Lamas as the buff, long haired, mystery hunk, riding a motorcycle and shooting automatic weapons. UR' MOSHIN. tell me that Lorenzo Lamas is not the hardest name you ever heard. Lorenzo is like the bastard offspring of John Stamos and diesel fuel. Spot L wearing the long hair/tucked in tank top combo I wrote about in the summer fashion post two months ago. so advanced. really looking forward to this look making a comeback.
patent leather vest with gold chain.
Before I tackle today's topics just wanna take this chance to showcase some of the baddest dudes walking this earth. The intent is to get you focused and pumped up. Form your "mental male motivator" from these guys. So walk with me as I take you through the halls of the Alpha Male Alumni. Take a knee, silence your phones, and pay your respects to those who came before us. Harness their energy, their attitude, and their look and channel it into your next lift.
First stop is by far the most underrated but thanks to the resurgence of the Mad Max franchise I have a feeling he will soon be adoring your laptop wallpapers and becoming a name thrown around in the weight room very often. the intimidating, haunting, and utterly terrifying...
Lord Humungus
as if this thing wasn't cool enough scope that Misfits tat on the right delt.
when you are so strong your enemies are both scared and sexually confused. Is he gonna fuck me or kill me? which one would I prefer?
strong "Under The Sign of The Black Mark" vibes.
Go watch Mad Max: Road Warrior and root for this villain.
next is an obscure inductee but hes burst onto the scene in the last few months, getting a lot of press coverage. The real life warlord Abu Azrael. His call sign is Arabic for "the father of the archangel of death" (dare you to tell me that doesn't make you wanna war). After looking at his pictures no other moniker will suffice for such a monster. Quick back story on this dude, hes a 40 year old Iraqi University Professor who has a wife and four kids. He quit his university gig and left his home to travel to the war zones in his coutnry and dismantle Islamic State soldiers personally. Hes famous for taunting IS on social media and does interviews laughing, smiling, and giving his position to the enemy, welcoming any IS hadji who wants a shot at the champ. I saw an interview where he was showing off an IS walkie-talkie he took off of one of his kills. You could hear the hadjis talking on it and he was just dialing in randomly and totally trolling the IS dudes. It was absolutely flawless. I may have teared up a little. His prop is an axe that is rumored to chop off the heads of IS militants hes killed. I seriously should not have to even type anything else to convey just how fucking rad this dude is. So refreshing to see someone actually give a shit about their country and do something about it. Here is a link to a more in depth article about him that you should check out. hes a real life fucking commando.
a triple fuck of supremacy. could be the most high speed Iraqi I have ever seen.
never a smile so intimidating in all my life.
Georg Karl Julius Hackenschmidt
this dude looked like this in the 1920's. how is this even real?
inventor of the bear hug and the hack squat.
real quick, this dude was born in 1877. this is what he looked like for most of his life. this man was making gains during the great depression, WWI and WWII. you have ZERO EXCUSES now. none. you should be ashamed of yourself. I AM ASHAMED OF MYSELF! Hafthór JúlÃus Björnsson
Icelandic strongman who plays Mountain in Game of Thrones.
He was on Game of Thrones, hes placed 6th, 4th, 3rd, and 2nd in the Worlds Strongest Man contest, and hes from Iceland. Its just not fair. there was never a chance for you.
Watch his training videos on YouTube. He can dead lift close to 1,000 lbs. the pinnacle of alpha male. Really into Iceland just constantly putting out insanely strong men and women for the last 40 years. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong country. I want to be a product of that genetic drift from one of the strangest/rad countries on Earth.
the fist Black Metal Militia. 70 years ahead of their time.
Lets get to it! Now that we have paid our respects properly to those who came before us time to focus on ourselves in the here in now. I got some great feedback from some fellow readers over the last two weeks. They wanted some more information about some topics that I have not touched on in quite some time. Thanks for the emails men. Keep them coming. Hearing from my fellow darksided weightlifters across the globe gives me great pride in knowing that at any given moment, somewhere out here on this planet is a like minded individual looking to breakout and conquer. Hes looking to crank it up a notch and wants to use whatever tools available to make it happen.
1. Lets update your gym playlist with some recommendations from yours truly.
Chapel - Satanic Rock & Roll
This band is so fucking good. They haven't put out anything in a long time which sucks but they are still active. This album from start to finish is an entire workout. You will never slow down and you will worship every riff. Of all the bands doing the black thrash thing these guys do it better than everyone even Midnight. a must for your playlist.
Gatecreeper - new single/music video "Poisoned Mind"
If my blog has a "house band" its Gatecreeper. Ive been pushing these guys on everyone since their inception and not a soul has turned it away. This band was made to produce high quality, dead lift ready anthems. Aside from how well produced their demo is and how seriously heavy the riffs are bottom line is that they are fucking good songwriters. That is what has taken them to the next level. There are a hundred of these kind of bands but no one can write a goddamn song. they just fart out one riff and then just kinda surf it. boring. not these dudes. everything they create has been A+ heavy fucking metal. its not too late to get on this band. Just like your strength gains this band is gonna blow up.
Sovereign - "Nailing Shut The Sacrosanct Orifice"
The guitar player from Gatecreeper's other band. Sadistic US Black Metal from Arizona of all places. No joke this is one of the best American black metal bands out right now. I put them up there with Nightbringer. No fluff, no experimenting. Just ritualistic, dark, and punishing. I was forwarded this album many months ago in advance and it has stayed in my BM playlist since. This is one of the rare acts where each song stand alone is good and played together front to back is even better. I sincerely hope we get some more offerings from this band this year. Would like to see them get more exposure and infect their truly satanic hymns into other corners of this country.
with the look to match. 10/10
Metallica - "Mercyful Fate Medley"
I fucking love Mercyful Fate. I didn't think it was possible for a cover song to rival the original but this one comes danger close. Its all of the best songs and riffs of The Fate compiled into a nearly 11 minute montage of pure heavy metal done in the vintage Metallica vein. The reason this song is so good for the gym is because its long. Great introduction to anyone who is not familiar with Mercyful Fate. Which I hope is very few because they are the creators of black metal. Shout out to Tipper Gore and PMRC for launching Mercyful Fates career in the United States. Sucks that some of Metallicas best stuff is just a medley of another bands stuff. regardless great tribute and great song(s).
Aura Noir - "Black Thrash Attack"
This is a band that I knew about for the last few years but never listened to them because honestly their name just rubbed me really wrong. I just couldn't get some cheesy symphonic mall metal band out of my head. I know the error of my ways now and enjoy their tunes. Not every album is a home run but this album is my favorite. solid 90's black thrash. almost punk rock in a way. get some!
_____________________________________________________ 2. Trying to juggle my life and my gains.
If you are like me then you stay moving. Your schedule is pretty rigid and you have little time to devote to outside interests. I am in school full time (M-Thur 0800-2000) and that's just classroom/lab time. I still have homework, lab reports, studying, and memorizing to do outside of that time frame. I also am a married man raising a 3 month old daughter. After that then comes my gym time. So I am stretched pretty fucking thin.
The best way to combat the fatigue or life/work/parenting is "trim the fat" and what I mean by that is pick a hobby and drop everything else. In this case if you are serious about getting strong and looking stronger than your only hobby is weightlifting. Sorry but its gotta be done. You have to make it your priority. If it cant fit you make it fit by realizing that your other interests are likely getting in the way of weightlifting. For me it was hard but I love film and I love reading. I am a film nerd. Watching movies and ranking my favorites has been a long passion of mine for many years. In the last 6 months as my life has accelerated I have had to stop watching movies. I just don't have the time and focus that I once had. Im sure later down the road the opportunity will arise where I can fit movies and books back into my schedule. Until then I have to focus on my craft.
Think of it like this. When your life slows down in 20 years and your like, say 50 years old, will you really be able to lift and "gym" the same way you can now? highly unlikely. You will however be able to sit your ass down in a chair and watch a movie or read a book. You will be able to paint a picture or turn a screwdriver on your house project or buy records and listen to music at your leisure. We must strike now. If you wait and put off weightlifting and creating the body you desire for when you "have the time" then you will never have the time! Because it has not been driven into your psych that you must lift weights. Trust me if you lift long enough it just becomes part of who you are. You do it until you can no longer physically do it.
When you are stretched too thin it will alter the course of your strength progression. Focus on your craft when you are at your prime. Your prime is NOW! Remember weightlifting is like investing money into a Roth IRA. The more you put in now the more you will have later on down the road to work with and play with. So when you are older you can still function and be active to pursue your hearts content. I know that sounds really pussy and "deep" but its true. Build yourself today so you may stand tomorrow.
"Sir, when you go to the gym what are exactly are you lifting?"
My next published post I already have in the works. It's gonna dive into some of my all time favorite lifts and accessory lifts that have really helped me grow. A few of them you are probably all familiar with but there is a couple "dark horse" lifts that I don't see dudes hitting. My hope is that it will help you unlock the "dark drive" that you have rooted within you. Maybe you forgot about them and when I bring it up you will be like " oh damn. that's my shit. haven't done those in a minute." I will also reveal a couple more recipes and remedies for eating on the go. When you are hurried with life and don't have the time to properly prep a meal.
you are the snake encircled by temptation. driven by hunger. you have 11 choices. will you succumb to the weakness of outsiders or will you follow progression true and straight?
Ok. I have been meaning to address this trend and I've seen it gaining traction on the ol' Instagram (so we know its serious) but I can ignore it no longer. It's this "candy and lifting trend". The fuck is this lame shit? bacon and bench press? donuts and deadlifts? pizza and powerlifting? sorry but I am not buying. go home.
this is a cop out. This is a meet me halfway approach to weightlifting. eating cake everyday and going to the gym 3 times a week to only do one lift is training wheels shit. that is the stuff busters who first start working out and think that only in the gym is where the muscles are made. this is bush league farm team shit. I AM NOT IMPRESSED. if that is what you think it takes to advance your physique and strength in the gym and then stay away from me because it does not. Don't cry about your gut, your lack of progress, how you cant seem to get stronger, or how you wont ever be able to look like the dudes you wanna look like if you subscribe to this lifestyle.
my buddy Eugene (IG: @thatsalotofblood) and I were ranting about this at the gym last week and we came up with our own tag line. how about this one.... "Sobriety and Booze". How does that one sound? "I love staying sober but I am dedicated to drinking hard and heavy." now all we gotta do is screen print it onto some cheap ass yoga pants and overcharge suckers. the Booze & Sobriety tag line is on the same level as donuts and deadlifts IMO. two things that absolutely contradict each other. it makes my mind hurt but also my heart. I cant comprehend a trend that is supporting one thing that so negatively affects another. unless your donuts are homemade, protein packed, whole wheat, low sugar, versions of donuts then you are wrong.
try to not throw up from how offensive this "workout" shirt is.
look, I'm no fun sponge. I like donuts. I like cake. I like pizza and I eat all of them, I dream about them, and appreciate their beauty and tastiness but I eat one or two on irregular occasions. Its not 50% of my lifestyle and its never a whole pie or a half dozen every other day. I am a firm believer in moderation because after all everything kills you. We all have our vices and we are free to choose our paths and what we carry during our journey. You can get an opinion from any professional on every possible activity or eating habit and they will wind up telling you something along the line of "its not good for you".
Indulge in all the fun stuff you earned when you have made room for it in other parts of your lifestyle and weightlifting routine. Having pizza that night? Well hit the gym harder the next day, punish yourself. get sadistic! Then adjust what you eat the following day to make room for it. It basically the same concept behind the whole counting" if it fits your macros" just without the hard data and food log.
Why do things that gain support always have to be rooted in some bold statement defying the proven sciences of human performance and improvement? I guess I just get disappointed because I rarely meet or see people who are just absolutely committed to the hard road. I mean balls out, glass eating, borderline psychotic into everything and anything it takes to get to the next level. The level they feel they belong and deserve. The level they want to be at. So again I come back to mediocrity and how unbelievably boring it is. oh wow, cool that you are into something that is easy and requires enough effort that anyone can do it, and has an escape clause when things get too hard practically stapled to it when its issued to you.
Let me tell you what is more impressive. What shows more commitment than some half assed mediocre "blended lifestyle"? Motherfuckers on My 600lbs Life. You wanna talk commitment? Bro its right there. These people are doing whatever it takes with complete disregard for everything that stands in their way of eating, gaining weight, and getting bigger. they are so committed to gluttony they literally have a team of people who fucking feed and bathe them when they can no longer move for free. Its so weirdly gross but at the same time its respectable. At least they are no pretending to loose weight or pretending to be concerned with their appearance or health. They are all in. Granted its the other side of the spectrum we want but still... What we want is to take the mental commitment of the 600lb woman a flip it. combine it with the motivation of a cold-hearted gainer.
COMMITMENT.
I watched this video from Vice Japan on YouTube about Tomoko Kanada not too long ago. Shes an impressive Japanese female bodybuilder who almost 50. Shes in absolutely stunning shape and she only started lifting weights in her mid 20's. The video follows her around for a day and she tells her story of how she got into bodybuilding, what her life is like, why she lifts and so on. There is a part where she is in her kitchen cooking her meals for the day and she just drops some truth on busters about eating and lifting.
"of diet, training, and rest. I think the most important is diet. many people watching this probably workout but most people don't end up looking like bodybuilders. I think that is because of diet. Diet is 80% of it."
There is the video. I recommend watching it because its motivating as fuck. Make sure to turn on the subtitles. I realize that my videos do not post if you are reading this on a phone. I am trying to fix it but I'm not very good at computer shit so until I master it ill post the physical link as well.
Side Note: Apologize for the radio silence for the last few weeks. full time school had me by the balls and it was finals week last week so prep time for that was incredibly time consuming. I am now relieved of all school duties until the summer semester starts June 3rd. I have a lot of material already written up so im gonna hit you goons with multiple articles this week. keep checking back.
hit me up if you have any things you would like me to talk about or address. if you have any questions or comments please shoot me an email blackmetalfitness@gmail.com or find me on Instagram @thereisnogod.
Greetings Fellowship! how are we doing? how them lifts looking? getting a tight shot group? Mother Nature is bending over in her low rise jeans. the butt crack of spring is in site. we gotta gear up to start shedding layers and expose a lil' skin. personally I prefer the winter. I take the Steve Reeves approach and clothe my gains in hoodies and flannels but I know many of you form an acute allergy to fabric as the seasons change. which is great. always like the boys wearing their gains as a shirt. you fucking earned it. take pride in it and share it. no shame ever. shame was created by insecure fattys and feminists to block you from having pride. we bow to no one.
with the warmer days on the horizon you gotta adjust your wardrobe accordingly. so I present you...
THE DIRTY BLACK SUMMER COLLECTION .2015.
you are already tight in the right places. thick where it counts and hittin' em with the flex on the reg but what are you gonna wear to highlight your Muscle Ignorance? look no further then the "DIRTY BLACK SUMMER COLLECTION"! here I will highlight some inspiration you can use to make your summer the dirtiest, the blackest, and the strongest.
first out of the gate as expected are the icons of the Black Metal Fitness Fashion mindset....Danzig. Not gonna rant too much on these Gods because you already know, but note the lack of sleeves in this photo. the cornerstone of any weightliftters summer gear. we all have that perfect sleeveless shirt. cut to perfection around the delt to show off the cap, tight but not too slim, length goes just below the belt, a lot of wear-n-tear to maintain its KVLT status. get your ass that perfect sleeveless shirt if you dont already have one. washing it is frowned upon. like Tyga says "make it nasty".
strong submission here. mark my words this is gonna be the summer of the black tank top tucked into black denim. I like this look because your gut has nowhere to hide. so you have to be fit to pull this off. black sweatband offsets possible "washed up chess player with a pony tail" look. which reminds me. GET YOURSELF A BLACK SWEATBAND. get like a 5-pack of em. you cant have enough. there is nothing that pays tribute to the fathers of heavy metal better than rocking THE black arm bands. they go with every outfit. you image search any band that's been riffin since the 80's and you will find one in every stage and promo photo. trust. PRO TIP: also hides skinny wrists making your arms look bigger and thicker.
(aside from my Blackhawks gear) I own no colors. seriously none. socks, underwear, belt, pants, shoes, shirts, jackets, gloves, hats....all black. im all in, but some of you bros do rock colors and if you do then you cannot look at yourself in the mirror this summer and say "im buff and gig ready" without white hi-top shoes. nothing says chain smoking, arm wrestling, headbanging, long hair like these. they say "I commit to no woman. my only concerns are keeping my shoes white with a tooth brush and tuning my guitar". They are the Monolo's of metal fashion. the whiter the better.
you are already well versed in the ranger panties. every lifter must own silikes and quad tattoos. quads are the new biceps duh. when you sit down it should be awkward for others. they dont know where to look. plus if you are rocking ranger panties when you take them off to put your jeans back on no one is adverting their eyes because you are in your underwear. its old news to them. SILIKES ARE THE BIKINIS FOR MEN. DEATH TO AMISH GYM WEAR! BMF regulation shorts must at a minimum be 6 inches above the knee. no compromise.
any opportunity you have be seen holding some form of outdated farming tools you must take. that is like square fucking one.
Samson was light years ahead of their time. Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden's first band. They released a short film in the 80's called "Biceps of Steel". i am just gonna let that marinate for a bit. soak it up. ......*tear gently falls down cheek* "perfection". here is the description of the film. read this and tell me you dont get a murder boner..." The film depicts a 'super roadie'
who fights evil orange jumpsuit-wearing bouncers stopping a rock and
roll crowd from having a good time. He then falls foul of an evil wench
who seduces and cuts his hair in order to take away his strength. At the
end of the concert the super roadie causes the two towers of amplifiers
to fall, exacting his revenge" they sure don't make em like they use to. also will a band please rip off this logo send me a black XL? well call it even for the idea.
poor people are the trendsetters in metal. sleeveless flannels are so advanced that I get depressed when I realize how few people rock this look.
this is the "summer cruise look" of BMF. if i am ever in the Bahamas this is what I would wear. I would eat brunch in it, party in it, swim in it, sleep in it, do coke in it, and fuck in it. getting boner just typing this cuz Lemmy.
summing it all up this is what you should look and feel like every time you step out of the house during prime-time sunshine. look at those tumblr baes throwing themselves to these alpha wolves. like "please Lords of Muscle protect me from my 3k followers on IG and slutz who steal my look off pintrest and claim it as their own." gladly my lady, hold my caribou pelt and pewter chalice as I finish blacksmithing my hammer. then I will carry you into my lair where we will drink red wine and I suck on your toes in front of the fireplace.
BONUS PRO TIP: wearing a long necklace that falls in between your chest pecs increase its mass and highlights chest growth. Its like wearing a neon sign that says "yeah. I lift." this is a good thing. its subtle but glaring. you cannot help but notice the small bends and unique curves of the chain as they drape over your thick, solid, and tight chest. if you have served then dogtags are the standard check wear. if not then go for a custom made upside down cross. no rosarys. this aint a neon, 20 dollar cover, nightclub Brah.
FEEDING THE GAINS
I am real big on never going to bed hungry. In fact my late night meal has now dethroned breakfast as my favorite meal of the day. its crucial to feed your muscles while you are sleeping. going to bed without eating is like skipping two meals. I wanna share my current pre-sleep snack. its basically a healthy ice cream and is cheap and east to make. Im very into eating meals out of bowls. I don't like things separated on plates. takes too long to eat and tricks me into thinking i am full before I actually am. like everything else in my life I prefer primal habits. chunk a bunch of shit I need, mix it up, and serve it to me 1930's Depression Era America style.
I use plastic meal prep bowls so I can eat and not feel guilty about not doing dishes but if you use a ceramic bowl it freezes the feed quicker.
I take a ripe banana and mash it up
add 2 heaping scoops of natural creamy protein
a huge scoop of either cottage cheese or plain greek yogurt
half a cup of plain oats
squeeze in a little honey for sweetness
and a quarter cup or vanilla almond milk or regular milk.
mix it up good then add a scoop of chocolate whey protein
mix it up again then put it in the freezer for about 30 mins to an hour
I take my medication on an empty stomach then after about 15 mins. I devour the entire thing from the comfort of my bed. Its so fucking good man. im addicted to it. I could literally eat it for every meal. you can pretty much take this recipe and tweak it however you like leaving in the "core" of peanut butter, protein, oats, and yogurt/cottage cheese base. Sometimes I add berries for a PB&J taste, sometimes crushed almonds for texture, sometimes I crush up some Oreo's if I feel like I earned it. just get liberal and create your own dish. its like a Bloody Mary because you can put whatever the fuck you want in it and it will still taste good.
give it a try and let me know what you think.
ROCKWELL BARBELL
here's a behind the scenes photo of us building walls at our gym Rockwell Barbell last month. Chicagos best kept secret in ignorant strength gains and barbaric raw lifting. you gotta know someone who knows someone to be invited into this Iron Sanctuary. If you are ever in Chicago look into earning a guest spot to lift with us. you wont be the same ever again.
cult of iron
Current setup of this elite sanctuary. every month new improvements and additions are made. Its remarkable how far we have come in the last 6 months. Its really humbling to be a part of this thing. look forward to making more contributions this year.
ROCKWELL BARBELL. CHICAGO. USA.
no address is given because its "underground" but the rough cross streets are Western and Belmont. you gotta earn a baptism in here. hit me up if you think you can hang.
get familiar with this place. It has become sacred grounds for lifting, motivation, and brotherhood. not a single shred of negativity lives within these walls. just raw emotion and love of weightlifting. they way gym were intended. no showers, locker rooms, saunas, steam rooms, cardio theaters, or ellipticals in sight. you can go do that shit on your own time. we come here to lift weights and get stronger.
my schedule has been full time go on everything lately. I have had no time to even think about anything else that isn't directly related to my well being. which is both good and bad. I got full time college (4 classes, 2 of which are labs), my first and only child. a baby girl named Baroness that my wife and I welcomed month ago, and gym time. I am living in a very tight tunnel of hard work, love, and knowledge.
The baby and school take up most of my schedule so my gym times has become sporadic and unpredictable. To combat this I have gone into a "get in where you fit in" gym schedule. No set times and hardly any predictable lift orders. Its actually been kinda fun. I go in there, fuck shit up for an hour, then go on with my life. I hit bench press twice a week, squat twice a week, and dead lift once a week. then whenever I can i fit in one accessory day a week like a back day or arm day. All the rest my muscles have been getting because of the busy life schedule started creating bigger numbers on my lifts. So I cannot complain too much. just basic lifts, strong eating habits, and rest. the nuts and bolts of any strong motherfucker.
Im walking the walk. I don't just post on here and then expect people to execute. Everything I write is who I am and what I do. So even as life shifts and priorities change I still make the time to improve myself both physically and mentally. this way no matter what happens I am on a linear progression.
I know that many of you are the same. I am no special snowflake. many of you juggle work, ol' girl, and dogs/kids. knowing you dudes still hit the weights keeps me in line. we all struggle together. that kinda stuff motivates me when I am feeling sorry for myself. its a give and take environment. take what you need and give what you can. when I see dudes posting their gym pics and progress I get siked. keep it up you ruthless heathens!
what I have been jammin' in the gym lately:
Nightbringer
Absu
Midnight
Blaze Of Perdition
Judas Priest
new Leviathan
see you in hell my friend.
GO SEE THIS FILM. so fucking rad. killer soundtrack, clutch cinematography, and a beautiful story. you wont regret it. its subtitled so you will actually have to watch the film and not fuck off on IG for 30% of the film.
.jpeg)
