MOTIVATION

motivated for Satan.

Today I wanna talk about motivation.  Motivation is a big part of what we do. IMO it’s the biggest. It is essential for every strongman, power lifter, weightlifter, bodybuilder, hard body, and beefcake to have motivation to tackle the day’s lifts. It is what gets us off our firm asses and into the gym after a hard day of work (or a hard night of drinking.) Everyone struggles with motivation. Even the most chiseled hunk with perfect form and technique has days, even weeks, where they are burnt out and not feeling it. This is a totally normal thing and whether you have weird amounts of motivation or none of it it’s ok. Just gotta get our heads back on track and grind it out.

Let’s face it unless you are getting paid to be in top physical shape then you have another life besides getting huge. Don’t fool yourself. That life is important but it is not as important as getting thick, solid, and tight. I wanna break down a typical workday of mine for you.  Much like most of you I work long days with erratic hours and large amounts of time away from home/gym. I am in the Army. More importantly I am in the Infantry. It’s a physically and mentally demanding job that requires a lot of me as a person.  I am the trigger puller. The front lines in the war. Boots on the ground running and gunning. Not everyone in the Army is killing motherfuckers. Quite the opposite, 98% of the Army is just support elements for what I do. They sit behind desks, shuffle papers, make rules, and move things around so that the Infantry can do the best job possible. It by no means an elite job. Any warm body will do but those who work hard and push themselves create a separation and thus a swagger that is usually backed up by a fit appearance.

I wake up at 4:40am and am at work by 5:50am. At 0630 we do PT (physical training) for an hour and a half. So right away I have got a “workout” under my belt by 0800. I do this every day Mon-Friday. It’s not an option. I have to do it. The rest of the work day is filled with random stuff and training that im not going to bore you with but the workday usually ends for me at 1700-1800 (5 to 6pm).Tthen I drive 30 mins. home and still got gotta get my lift in. I’m at the gym by 730pm. I have dinner and am ready to for bed by 10pm.  Repeat that all over again the next day. It sucks but its life. I know many other people with different professions who also work hard, demanding jobs with long hours so this is not exclusively my problem. Like bros working 12 hour days of hard labor and awkward tan lines or nurses and paramedics who work 24hr swing shifts. The struggle is real.

Sometimes my physical training is a 6 mile run (barf) which isn’t really that bad. That’s usually a chill day. Other times it’s fucking rough. Carrying wooden logs on my back in the pouring rain or snow, climbing walls and ropes, doing stair climbs till I barf, thousands of push-ups etc…. That is not an exaggeration.

Check this shit out. Last week we had a PT event for my company. Roughly 80 dudes all doing that same thing in teams trying to race and out-do one another. This was the event….

17 burpees

17 cruches

17 squats

17 lunges each leg

17 push ups

My 8 man team then grabbed two 10 gallons water cans, a giant wooden tree log, and two bags filled with sand. We ran 1.5 miles to an obstacle course and did all of that I listed above plus 17 pull ups, 17 dips, climb a 30 ft. rope, climb over a 10ft. wall, climb a 30 ft. cargo net, and knock out 17 sit-ups. We grabbed all our stuff, ran a mile, and did it again. After that we grabbed our stuff, ran a mile, did it again. Grabbed our stuff, ran a mile, did it again. Grabbed our stuff, ran a mile, did it again. You see what im getting at? It fucking sucked. At 0800 it was over and I was hurting. But that was just the end of PT. I still had to start the workday at 0930.

This is not me bragging or saying “look how tough I am”. This is just the facts. It’s part of my job. Despite that I still had to make time for the gym in the evening in order to stay on track with my Smolov Squat Routine. You may recall my previous post about the end of traditional cardio. Dont mistake my forced running and crossfit like morning routine for weakness in the powerlifting game. This is shit I have to do. Combating the loss of muscle and size is always an uphill battle when every asshole with rank wants to run a 5k every morning. The army is festering with all kinds of "Master Fitness Leaders". Yes that is a real title. 

 

pre-deadlift max ritual.

Now you can see where the motivation comes in. It’s easier to say fuck it, quit, and post up on your futon watching TV or getting trapped into a wormhole on Wikipedia. It’s harder to take a rest, butt chug some pre workout and throw some heavy ass weight around for 90 mins.

I am not some half assed personal trainer fitness guru who is going to tell you it’s easy. Bullshit. It’s not easy and it’s not suppose to be. Whipping your candy ass into Steak Shape takes a lot of work. You gotta want it bad.  Motivation gets you in the door, but action gets you the results.

  

Here are a few tips and tricks to make your balls drop. I use all of these methods. Some of them will work for you one time and not work the next time. That’s why it’s crucial to have an arsenal of motivational tricks at your disposal. You never know which one will create the friction, which lights the spark, and starts the fire.

The obvious one is is Pre-Workout. Canned motivation.  Pre-workout supplements were designed specifically for people who are gassed from work or life and need that substance ass kick to start moving. They fucking work bros but only if used properly. If you spent your whole workday butt chugging 20 oz. Extreme Green Turbo Arctic Blizzard Moonfrost  Monsters
(with electrolytes) then a pre-workout will do nothing but make you shit and give you an anxiety attack. It’s important to avoid large doses of caffeine throughout the day. I have two cups of coffee in the morning and then that is usually my last caffeine intake until my pre workout before my lift. I use Neon Volt Pre- Workout. Tastes good, doesn’t last too long, and is relatively affordable compared to most pre-workouts.

 Nergal drinking the ultimate pre-workout...blood.

Don’t rely to heavy on pre-work outs. Use ‘em for a few months then taper off. Switch to black coffee and almonds. Its very easy for your body to build a tolerance to them. What once got you high with one scoop will soon take four scoops. Get it together cracky. I see too many guys refuse to lift unless they get pre workout. They convince themselves that they cannot lift without the aid of some caffeine infused pixie sticks. Like the goddamn weightlifting equivalent of Trainspotting or Requiem for A Dream. 

this TV will get us two bottles of the old school Jack3d. i know a guy.

YouTube. A gift to all of us in need of a jolt. I watch videos when I’m feeling BLEH. Videos of my favorite wrestlers (The Rock, Stone Cold, Razor Ramone or anyone from the nWo/Degeneration-X era if you must know), Rugby training videos, college football teams in the weight room, videos of Zyzz, the video of some black guy giving a speech about wanting it bad and filling your soul while black and white footage of some Juicehead is throwing up in a bucket after deadlifting a Volvo, soldiers killing mother fuckers in Iraq and Afghanistan (srs), fucking guys with no arms squatting 400 pounds. Videos along those lines will get your head in the right place. I find they make you start thinking about working out when you were originally thinking about why they stopped making 3D Doritos.

Trolling Instagram is pretty helpful for me. Hashtag searching squats, deadlifts, powerlifter will get you lost in a maze of hard bodies. Once you see some dudes puttin’ in that work and posting their results you’ll get angry that those bros are one upping you in the gains department.  You better hustle up or they might be the next dude at the bar/club/pool/concert that everyone is mirin’ instead of you.

Another really amazing thing about IG is that you can connect with all kinds of lifters from all walks and all places of the earth. Ive found an awesome community of lifters who have been not only inspiring but also incredibly generous with information and ideas. Everyone is supportive of each others gains, PR's, and physiques. I have never even personally met most of them and likely never will but that is besides the point. Its great to meet people from all over who have the like minded weight crushing, muscle building mentality I do.

please put this on my tombstone.

 

Looking at yourself in the mirror and realizing that whether you die a healthy 100 year old man or in a freak gasoline fight accident you are one day closer to death. Not trying to get Dr. Phil deep on here but it’s the truth man. No one likes a guy who says “I use to…da dadada” or “I should have done…da dadada”. Fucking boooring. Gimme the guys who are like “I can do….dadada” or “I already did this and now im going to do that”. Make the most of your time because you aint getting any younger buster. Im 30 now and if I knew half of what I know about health and fitness when I was 21 I could probably just retire from weightlifting and coast out the rest of my existence enjoying my gains like a well invested 401k plan.

The last motivation trick is this….stop feeling sorry for yourself. No one cares. Hike up your skirt, quit patting your pussy, and get to work man. Even if it’s just 30 mins. in the gym that’s 30 mins. closer to achieving what  you want. Stronger everyday is the head game you need to have. Push forward, don’t fall back.  

Shut up, Old Man! I ain't goin' nowhere. Why don't you tell all these nice folks why you been duckin' me? Politics, man. This country want to keep me down. Keep everybody weak. They don't want me to have the title because I'm not a puppet like that fool up there.- Clubber Lang.

  

seriously. don't even think about breaking that oath.

SMOLOV SQUAT

where my wolf pack brethren at?

I have decided to address a very weak link in my routine which is my squat max. I am in the 1,000lbs. club but just barely. The 1,000lbs. club is your max on bench, deadlift, and squat. I owe my membership into that elite club to my deadlift which sits at 510lbs. right now. Im good for 315 on the bench press and then my squat max is usually whatever it takes to throw me on the upside of 1,000lbs.

Ive been turned on to the Smolov Squat Program which is a hellish 13 week program created by some cold blooded Russian who was squatting since he was a fetus. Smolov eventually has you squatting 4 times a week. I am only on day 3 right now and lemme tell you im hurting like never before. The first two weeks are a "warm up" and introduction into squatting hard. In the beginning you squat three days in a row then lunges the rest of the week to "stretch out".  My bitch card may get pulled but not before Im covered in puke at the ER with a prolapsed rectum.

SMOLOV SQUAT PROGRAM

This website above gives you a rundown of exactly what to expect and even provides a fucking awesome spreadsheet. You plug in your numbers into the sheet and it automatically generates your sets and reps for the entire week. Its great to not have to think about what your doing. I just look at the spread and see whats on the table for today. Very Cro Magnon. No think, just lift. *grunt*

This means that I am only doing legs for the next two months more or less. Benchpress, abs, random shoulder workouts, and lots of stretching are thrown in for good measure but from all the reviews I have read from other powerlifters you wont even want to look at anything else in the gym. Your just too tired and too gassed. 

Going to post some progress photos and videos when I'm at the heart of the program. I'm expecting huge results from this. Not only in my legs but also my abs. Ive never had a 6 pack in my life and this may be the closest ill get to it. I enjoy drinking and eating too much to ever make the front 100 pages of Bodybuilding.com's BodySpace. I make no apologies about my social drinking. As much as i love weightlifting and being strong and fit I also enjoy drinking with my bros on the weekends. 

A couple of my Instagram weightlifting bros have also begun this routine. I hope to be able to share their success on this blog in the coming weeks as well.

look were that mirror is at! fucking genius. you only get to see yourself when you get low enough. advanced.

check out that website for the complete rundown. even if this program is not your target its worth giving a read for anyone interested in Squatting.

#realtalk

BACK UP! Its Back Day.

.your lack of dedication is not welcomed in this brotherhood.

Good morning fellow lifters! It is saturday and despite your hangover you are still hitting the gym today. Even if you gotta stay in bed all day drinking water you will be throwing some weight around tonight! Stop lying to yourself now and make the steps towards giving it your all at the gym.

Aside from legs my back is my favorite muscle group to workout. The back, much like the legs, is made up of large spread of muscles. You will be surprised at how much weight you can move with your back. A lot of guys are really strong they just haven't seen their strength in play. The back will show you what kinda power you are capable of. It does a lot for your lifters ego. Plus there are so many ways to stimulate your back when lifting. Endless possibilities. Im gonna give you two lifts that are a must on back day...

1. Bent over dumbbell row.

SKA-DOOSH!

Look at this fucking turd making brick house. With every rep he pulls you can smell the testosterone getting more pungent and thicker. This lift here is the shit man. Its a great lift to do in the gym to claim your territory. When weekend warriors, betas, and chest-n-tris' guys see you pulling this log off the floor over and over again they are gonna stay the fuck away. You can do it with your knee on a flat bench or like Cutler is doing here and rest your hand on the rack. I haven't done enough research to see a significant difference either way so "CHOOSE YOUR FATE".

 One awesome thing about this lift is you can do a pretty large number of weight. I rep with 140lbs. I first starting doing this i didn't know what weight felt right. I was repping 50lbs over and over again thinking that was a lot. I remember one time I did 80lbs and I thought I was king of the ring. then I saw some shrimpy dude a week later bossing out 125 and I was right fully ashamed. Next time I did back I swore I would give that weight a try. If that chiseled Rick Morranis looking bro could do so could I! Needless to say the 125 felt heavy but absolutely do-able. I just needed to break that psychological barrier we talked about last post. Since then I don't pull with anything less than 120. My muscles are thanking me.

2. V-Bar Pull down

 dat stringer tank.

Its rare to see this one live in the gym. A lot of people don't put the pull down machine and V-Bar together. Usually the V-Bar is used for the seated row and the lat pull down bar is used for the pull down. This exercise is awesome for the middle and upper part of your back. A crucial lift in creating those boulder shoulders and forging separation in muscle definition. Much like the single arm bent over rows you can use pretty heavy weight for this one. Check it out though, when doing this one don't swing up and down like you are doing an asshole crossfit pull up. Try to stay planted and firm in your seated stance. You want to only activate your back and shoulders. Near the end of your set you can swing a little bit to get that last pull down. Those kind of cheat reps are OK.

When building a brotherhood of Black Metal Fitness lifters. There are two things you must learn when lifting. Colors are overrated. Death to neon. If its not black or grey then its not OK. I lift in all black because its all I own and more importantly it puts off the message of "don't talk to me. we are not friends."

also if the fabric around your waist is not AT LEAST two inches above then knee then it is NOT WELCOMED!

burn all of these...

there is no room in our brotherhood for people who lift in what is essentially the Amish equivilant of workout gear. Nice ankles bro. We all know you don't do legs buster. Hiding them inside a cape with your knee socks pulled up is fooling no one. its embarrassing. If you own these please fear not. Years of oppression against men who show leg have been hammered into our skulls. We are suppose to feel strange showing off our tree trunk thighs. These haters take the guise of Alpha males but really they are just self conscious, homophobic, Chest-N-Tris guys. They have taken a strangle hold on our gym. Their claims of being "a faggot" if your shorts don't touch your knee are fucking over! put em in the ground boys! Make those shorts high and let those thighs fly.

your long shorts argument is invalid.

even the most out of shape guy in this photo is still more Alpha than 95% of the male population

sorry my shorts aren't long enough I was busy KILLING PEOPLE.

The take away from this post is get yourself some Ranger Panties or Silkies. Dont be afraid to show some skin. Even if you have chicken legs. Putting them out there on display every time you lift will serve as the ultimate motivator to dead lift and squat as much as humanly possible. The true sign of strength and Alpha male status is the size of your thighs. 

STAY GRIM BROTHERS!

CARDIO

The End of Traditional Cardio.

When lifting like this and looking to gain mass and size, cardio can be poison. Putting on all this weight and muscle will be lost if you spend the rest of you time running, biking, yogging, etc…. Think of traditional cardio as melting the muscle off your frame. We don’t want to melt the muscle we want to melt the fat. 

Unless you are training for a specific event like a marathon or an ironman (might as well stop reading now and go hit the elliptical because this advice is not for you) you will never find yourself in a position where you need to maintain a certain level of force or exertion over a large period of time.  In real life scenarios like moving furniture, carrying your girl up a flight of stairs when she is drunk , running from a knife wielding feminist, or beating up some dude bros who are encroaching on your territory, your energy will be in bursts of strength and speed. Pending on the amount of furniture, feminists, or dude bros you may have to rest and do it again.

Here is the only cardio you should concern yourself with:

In the Army we call em 30/60’s and they are the best way to improve your run time. You sprint for 30 seconds then jog for 60 seconds. Repeat until you pass out or vomit. The sooner you do either one the better results you will get.

You don’t have to have a watch for this exercise. You can run around a track. Sprint the turns, jog the straight-a-ways. You can also use light poles or landmarks on your run path ie: sprint one light post, job two.

30/60’s can also work on a stationary bike. 30 seconds on level 20. 60 seconds on level 5. Sounds kinda pussy but it puts your quads to the grill. Good luck trying to walk after 20 minutes of that.

Suicides are my personal favorite. If you have played American football then you should be familiar with them. They’re a great way to bring the smoke. (smoke means heat which means pain which means results). From a starting point sprint 10 yards, touch the ground, light run back to the start. Then go 20 yards, touch the ground, light run back to the start etc…It is important that you turn in opposite directions each time. Also, you have to touch the ground with TWO HANDS. It’s the start and stop intensity that we are honing in on.

  

Lunges! With or without weights depending on your level of Alpha. I say level up buster and grab that 45lb. plate or some dumbbells. No one is impressed with a guy doing body weight lunges. Betas and chicks do that shit. All gains are made faster through weights. Remember that when you are sucking. You could do 30 body weight lunges or 15 45lbs. plate lunges. Cuts your time in half and ups your strength gains.  That is just a rando number I threw out there. Please pick a number that seems challenging but do able. You will learn as you go what number you should aim for.

I recommend saving these kinda things for after your workout.  Make this the last thing you are gonna do for the day. Enjoy walking on those baby deer legs. If you are not lifting that day and don’t want to fully commit to the REST day then these are some legit exercises to do. You can also do it early in the day and then hit the gym in the evening.  Shooter’s preference.

If you even ask about using an elliptical machine then go ahead and smoke yourself right now. DEATH TO FALSE METAL!

 Fruity Rudy. my spirit animal.

ALPHA MALE UNLEASH. PART ONE

ALPHA MALE WORKOUT INSTALLMENT #1






This is a list of my typical workout schedule/advice. Please note that sometimes I will switch lifts on certain days depending on what I did for work, my previous nights rest, my weekend plans, or if im just not “feeling it” that day. So I recommend listening to your body. Dont force a leg day if you spent all day running around at work and expect another hard working day the next. Once you begin building solid strength, a foundation, you will find that you can push through the workouts much easier and with shorter recovery time. So I would say after a few weeks of hard lifting you can get away with putting more work in the gym. This is just a skeleton schedule that I use.






This workout is not for the weak or faint hearted. Its not going to make you some kind of super althete, professional crossfitter, or slim you up for summer. If you are afraid of bigger muscles, getting thick, solid, and tight, or dont want to lift weird amounts of weight then turn back now. Go join planet fitness and do yoga with your girlfriend. Get into long distance running, do push ups and crunches in your room and tell yourself your getting stronger.



But if you want to get noticeably bigger, watch your body change and form muscle fast, obtain energy and testostrone like never before then this is for you. This kind of lifting and eating is inspired by a primal need to protect and provide. This is an Alpha males workout. Thats the easiest way of saying it. I can attest that since taking up heavy lifting and better eating my walk has changed, my mind set has changed, and most importantly my body has changed. I feel amazing and my gains in the gym has transferred into my everyday life. I dont take shit from busters. I feel like I could have anyone woman I desire. I instincvly walk into a room and size up all male competition. My goal is to be the biggest, baddest mother fucker in the room. And If im not....I make a mental note and say “That is my competition. That is who I need to eliminate. That is my motivation in the gym. I want to be stronger and bigger than that guy.”



Welcome to the brotherhood.
Crush all fakes.
Erase the Betas.
Take whats yours.
Fuck the weak.
Get violent....in the gym that is.



First thing. The only lifts you should be concerned about are the big 3. Deadlifting, Squatting, and Benchpress. Get into the old school mind set. All other workouts you do are an accessory to improve these three lifts. All workouts are rooted in the big 3. This is were size and growth are born. Were testostrone is made. Testostrone creates muscle growth.



Im aware that most people are afraid of these lifts. Even though they are so simple they can be intimidating. You dont want to walk up to the bar day 1 and fuck your back up or sprain your knee. So start slow. Master the basic of lifting. Form is everything. When you cheat your rep, dont go all the way down, dont go all the way up....you are cheating your gains. There is nothing more face palm worthy then seeing a guy squat down about 6 inches and then grunting back up. Making a racket in the gym like hes a beast but really hes stunting his growth and potential. Even if hes got some muscle to him hes more than likely plateaued. Im much more impressed with a guy doing low weight and going ass to grass on a squat. Thats the kinda shit that gets my dick hard.



That being said get use to being sore. Its the life of a weight lifter. I am sore or something hurts on me 100% of the time. It sucks but its part of the game. Most of the time being sore is awesome because its like an invisible trophy you carry around. Proof that what your doing is working. Everyone combats knee, back, or shoulder problems. Take some asprin, get some rest, ice up if ya gotta. But dont puss out because your back hurts. Tough shit. Sleep it off and get back in the game. Dont feel sorry for yourself. I promise you will get better at knowing your body and knowing the difference between a “tweaked” muscle and a slipped disc the longer your workout.



Start of the week:



Monday is International Chest Day. Everyone does chest on Monday. Go to the gym on a Monday and you are fighting tooth and nail for a flat bench. Dudes get fiesty trying to infalte their pecs. Avoid all of this and turn your Monday into Deadlifting Day or Squat Day. The best part about having deadlifts and squats making up 66% of your workout is that the equipment you need is almost always available. Its sad how few people do legs. Let em pretend they're strong. Take what they leave.



Stretch out! Get a roller and roll out your thighs and lower back, hit the floor and find some stretchs that make you feel good. I find that if the stretch produces a yawn then you are releasing that slow tired poison out of your body. After your stretched out and feeling loose time to grab some real estate and get to work.

Im not going to go too much into form and technique here. There are literally hundreds of websites and YouTube vidoes instrutcing you how to do proper lifts. I'll link you to a few sites but do the foot work yourself. Seek out the fundementals. I will give you this tip though. When deadlifting and squatting ALWAYS PUSH FROM YOUR HEELS. Keep your feet flat on the floor and push with your whole foot, ankle, calve, thigh, and ass. Dont let your feet raise up and push off with your toes. I did this for so long and had no idea why my knees were so over developed. Learned the hard way and had to correct years of improper form. Turns out I couldnt do as much weight as I thought when I lifted the right way.



The bible of weightlifting is The Enclyclopedia of Weightlifting by Arnold Schwarznegger . Get this book. Is has everything a meathead could want. I learned sooooo much from that book. I dont even own it I just read everyone elses copy or go to a book store, grab a coffee, and start plowing through the pages. Now that I think about it I really should own that book. I think ill finally breakdown and get myself a copy.



I dont do a certain number of sets. Im not going in there with a workbook and say “ Ill do 5 reps of this, then 5 reps of that, then 3 reps of this.” Some find that it works for them but I find that I will limit myself if I do that and settle for a few reps less than what Im capable of. I am more into the mindset of I am going to do the first couple sets pushing myself just a little to get warmed up for the bigger weight. So there isn't a specific number im aiming for. I've been lifting long enough to know what works for me.



When lifting always go up never down. You did 10 reps of 215? badass! Now do 8 reps of 235. Knocked that out and it was a little shakey? No worries knock out 4 reps of 255. You dont have to max it out everyday. You can settle for doing another set of 4. The basic idea here is to build a comfort and confiedence with the weights. A lot of guys are intimidated by the 45lb plate. They can totally do more but they havent broken that psychological barrier that plate has. So test yourself, use a spotter, dont be ashamed if you think the weight your pushing is weak. Having a spotter helps in breaking those walls you hit when lifting.



When I squat, deadlift, or bench the end game is I want to do a total of over 100 reps by the end of the workout. Sounds like a lot? It fucking is. Im walking like a baby deer when my workout is over. Im sweating, panting, and guzzling water throughout my session. Gotta push it hard and take yourself out of the comfort zone. Lifting is sadistic. Its punishing your body over and over again. I want to hit that number to know that without a doubt that I gave it my all. You will learn as you lift that you will have to adjust the weight you move in order to get that exhausted feeling by the time you hit 100.



The basic takeaway from this first installment is pushing heavy weight. Even though I said dont set a certain number of reps to hit. You aint doing shit if your doing 30 reps of the same weight. You want to hit that 10-15 rep set. Again I stress knowing your body and knowing what works for you. As you begin your transformation anything you do in the gym will get you sore and create gains.



Heres a quick idea for the week:
Monday: Deadlift,
Tuesday: Bench,
Wednesday: Squat,
Thursday: shoulders
Friday: whatever hurts the least.
Saturday and/or Sunday: Leg day or REST. Do both if you want or not. Its up to you.



This is part 1. im going to hit you up with more truth and knowledge in the coming weeks. Ill get more into specific workouts that aid in improving the big 3, proper eating not “dieting:, ideal rest plans, supplements, and whatever else I can think of.



NOW HIT THE WEIGHT ROOM!