4TH LINE MENTALITY

behold the realm of dominance.

 accountability check: how many times have you gone to the gym this year? if you give the answer and follow it with any explanation of why it was not as many as you would like then that is your fault alone. life will always get in the way. life does not accommodate your strength goals. if it did then we would all be elite body builders with the income to match. remember that next time you have to give that number. no mercy. no exceptions.

a couple topics to address today. just a chaotic flow of thoughts I have had over the last week. also couple of things a few readers asked me about. Its in the best interest of this cult for everyone to see the responses. no secrets in this sanctuary. the entire reason for this is movement is to spread the wealth of motivation and knowledge to any seeking the light. 

Anti-Kosmik Weightlifting

1. INCREASING THE WEIGHT YOU LIFT.

I would really like to emphasize the importance of going up on weight when doing exercises. the only way to get stronger is to lift heavier. it is very easy to find a comfortable weight and knock out a few sets of that weight. you rack the weights and walk away feeling like you got a great workout in but after a few cycles of this what happens next? weightlifting is like college, you are always learning. just like in college there are quiz's, tests, and exams. so you have to give yourself a pop quiz sometimes and bump the weight up. even if it is just 2-5lbs. because you will never know what you are capable of if don't try. this goes for any exercise. bench press, bent over dumb bell rows, tricep pull downs, bicep curls, squats, deadlifts, and even pull ups. you have to dig down and grind one out. even if the form is ugly or you need an assist or spot. so many times guys are strong enough to lift more but there mind is standing in the way of there body. you may be surprised at how strong you really are if you do this. you get that one rep at 5lbs heavier than what you normally do and BAM! you know you can do it now. so you will try it again on your next seesh. but say you don't get it. no worries. you have found your stick point and inadvertently created a short term goal that is easily attainable. a max on anything is measured 1 pound at a time. short term goals like this are essential in breaking mental barriers and physical short comings. because when you do get that slightly heavier rep or set you are now 2-5lbs stronger on that lift then you were the day before and one step closer to your ideal max or PR. remember this warriors.

"do you want to find out how much blood in in the human body?"

 2. STICKING TO A STRICT NUMBER OF SETS/REPS VS. JUST LIFTING REPS UNTIL YOU FEEL SATISFIED.

this one is tricky because both have pros and cons. I find it can impede your gains if you say "im going to do this exercise X amount sets, at X amount of reps, at X amount of weight." while having a numerical target to hit you can push you hard to meet it at the same time I often see people hitting those sets and reps too easy. there was no challenge and they likely sold themselves short. it is also pointless to just walk into a gym, throw weight on and lift. how will you ever track your gains? how will you start creating a baseline for progression? 

personally I have created a bastardized version of both. I commit to a number of sets in the first few sets and then near the end bumping up the weight and giving myself a number to aim for. if I cannot meet that number then I get an assist from my spotter. it also very important to note that you have to Learn" your body and really get dialed in to what feels good, what feels bad, what feels exhausting, and what feels painful. if you are a Prospect into this cult of alpha minded weight lifting then I SERIOUSLY recommend you look into the 5x5 Stronglifts Program. an awesome way to condition your body without getting hurt and learning what you are capable of.

STRONGLIFTS 5x5 PROGRAM - go here to learn more.

the only thing missing from this photo is any sort of muscular definition. what could have been a 10/10 is instead given a 4/10. that is how important muscles are to creating the image of Alpha.

3. BEING A LEADER

have you ever been to a gym or seen a 2-3 man lifting group at your gym without a single person taking charge? its fucking painful. they are just an awkward bag of wet bread. do not let this happen to you. take charge! grab the reigns and take that sleigh straight into the 9th circle of hell. be the person in the gym you would want lifting with you. set the example and lead from the front. the only time an alpha male stays back in the shadows is to assess the competition/enemy before killing the "leader of the pack " and controlling it themselves. without a doubt if you get just one motivated person with a sliver of passion in a group the whole unit is entranced. motivation is contagious. this is by far the most truthful thing I have ever written. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I showed up to a lift deflated and out of it and my partner, brother, trainer just pumped me up. I walked in with limp and shriveled just wanting to do 30 minutes of lifting and left two hours later inflated with a murder boner. sometimes it is your job to infect the motivation and sometimes it is the job of your brothers. again this goes back to accountability. everyone has to be there for everyone. this is brotherhood. this is a sect. whatever it takes to get the believers fired it up.

a mental image of your forearms when you are dialed in. a fucking meat eating, hard working, evil heathen hellbent on chaos and utter destruction. gotta wear the armor at all times.

 4. NEW MUSICAL ADDITIONS TO YOUR RITUAL.

nothing beats updating your playlist with some new chants. often times getting some new music in your exsistence is all you need to peel your flat ass off the rug and into the iron sanctuary. here is what I have been listening to lately....

SATANIC WARMASTER - FIMBULWINTER

I have been a huge fan of the Werewolf for a long time now. as much as I love his band his nusic was never gym friendly. poorly recorded and erratic audio volumes made listening to him in the gym a workout in itself. that is not the case now. this album fucking KILLS. excellent production quality, savage riffs, downright diabolical lyrics. this album has it all and completely has blown me away. this album is what newer Burzum would have sounded like if Varg wasnt a total right wing conspiracy cock nose who jerked off to MOOGs and celtic synths. this was the album satanic warmaster was always meant to create. get this now. 

recommended for: the drive/walk to the gym, chest day, reminding you that you are disposable and not a special snowflake.

ARCKANUM - ÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞ

all I should tell you about this album is that it features the guitar player from Watain and Dissection and you will be ripping the torrent before you finish reading this post. truly evil shit. anti-cosmic satanism from sweden. pretty much everything I said about the satanic warmaster album above but this guys entire discography is nearly perfect. this happens to be my favorite album but they are all intense IMO.

recommended for: people who hate their life, dead lifts, mid workout pump up, and wanting people in your gym to stay away from you.

INQUISITION - INVOKING THE MAJESTIC THRONE OF SATAN

if you don't know this band then consider this your official "late pass" you now have an excused absence. their new album is fucking awesome and reeeeeeeally good but I still gotta say this is my favorite one. just read the title of this album and you have gotten a mindset ready to kill the weights. every time I lift weights I am indeed invoking the majestic throne of Satan. I call this Reptile-core im not entirely sure reptiles make vocal noises but if they did this is what I imagine them to sound like. just picture some robed mutant lizard king that looks like a Jurassic Park outcast covered in spikes and chains and you will understand what I mean.

recommended for: everyone who gives a shit about black metal, post workout cardio, strength and conditioning, and men with a disgust for any clothing not black.

in the european circle of black metal the singer for Dissection was considered to be the visual representation of satan. incredibly smart, disturbed, scary as fuck looking, and rather muscular. aesthetics bro. u mirin?

 

DAVE "THE HAMMER: SCHULTZ. NHL record holder for most minutes served in the penalty box in one season. a god among mortals. fucking violent, ruthless, a cold blooded goon, and my personal hero. dude didn't give a fuck about his face, his body, his reputation, or his enemies. all he cared about was his teammates and wining championships by any means necessary, which he did in the 70's with back-to-back Stanley Cups. 4TH LINE MENTALITY. we should all take note if this dedication and follow suite. an inspiration for fellow Alphas world wide.

FEATURED READER OF THE WEEK: Rusty Ratcliff also known as Chainsaw (srs). a committed weightlifter with serious intentions. a good friend from the way way back. you cannot fuck with this look. its an absolute masterpiece of dominance and intimidation. i am forever mirin any man who wear this look without a shred of irony. this is not a costume, this is him. its all the best elements of wrestling, occultism, rock n roll, and testosterone into one Alpha male. so go give him a virtual fist bump and congratulate him. https://www.facebook.com/rusty.shackleford

STAY GRIM. HIT THE GYM.

THE YEAR OF THE ALPHA

the year we burn all establishments that stand in our way. all that tell us what we cannot do.

Men. this is it. its 2015. we are here. there is no "new year a new me" bullshit. that's not what we do. its a different year but its the same you, only better. we unlock the man you want to be, the man you need to be, the man your pack expects you to be. this transformation requires no subscriptions or seminars. there is no monthly dues. it only requires the same things you have been using all your life whether you realize it or not. those things are: FOOD, STRENGTH, and SWEAT. we take these things that are necessary for survival and turn them up to 11. we go all in and leave nothing. we get our priorities of work lined up and we execute. no more distractions. no more diversions. no more weakness. from now on you are allergic to weakness. weakness is a cancer on the mind of a cold blooded killer. time to drink the Kool-Aid boys. were going full Jonestown on our bodies. 

Wolfsblood is the flavor of Kool-Aid you will be drinking tonight.

first order of business is the image. here at Black Metal Fitness the image you portray means everything. which goes without saying that colors are out of the question. this is not a disco, this is a graveyard. black and greys are the only acceptable color palettes. we are not stealth in our strength. we wear it like our ancestors wore the skins of animals they slaughtered for survival. here in Chicago it is winter. game of thrones winter. we are are wearing layers, puffy coats, boots, jackets, hoodies, scarves, and everything else that painfully conceals our gains. to combat this we have to shift focus from our Hollywood muscles (quads/chest) to our "winter muscles". what are your winter muscles? they are your shoulders, your traps, and your back. 

when you make an appearance in public, you do not have the option to hit them with the flex and go sleeveless. because then you are a showboat instead of a tugboat. you want busters to discover your dominance by their own accord. its like a surprise attack. they are moving in close trying to pierce your social bubble. by the time they get too close, its too late. "SKA-DOOSH" they have nowhere to go and they have to take a few steps back and are forced to be humbled. 

the idea here is to give the illusion that you are bigger than you actually are. just like animals in nature. you must not forget that even though we are humans we are still animals and no matter how urban your city is its still an extension of nature. the best way to do this is by acquiring traps you can balance quarters on. your traps are the winter equivalent of biceps.

I once had a wet dream that someone submitted a film to Sundance about my traps. a girl can dream.....

 

 da traps are the only thing people will see in a hoodie or light coat. abs? she wont see them till you are shedding clothes in her dimly lit room and by that time shes in too deep to break contact . biceps? bro, everyone has biceps when they wear five layers. so at the start of every workout put 20 solid minutes on your traps and delts. once the pump-n-burn is established, resume your workout as per usual. these small sessions paired with a 2-a-week back/shoulder day with pay off big time. it is my recommendation do this until roughly April. then shift fire and zero in on the spring break muscles (quads and chest).

He is the reason for the season.

now that you have received a pro tip on braving the winter while saving face, let us go to the most important but sadly the most neglected by lifters....FOOD.

bros, its about to be as serious as Schindler's List. if I meet another dude putting in real work with the iron but admitting even flaunting their diet as "garbage" im gonna puke. booooooring. so mediocre. if you want to be mediocre then join Planet Fitness and pat your pussy on the yoga mat in the gluten-free aisle of Whole Foods. lifting and fitness is a two part deal. what you do outside the gym is just as important as what you do in the gym. only committing to half of that is the equivalent of fence walking. we don't accept fence walking. pick a fucking side. 

as you get older what and how you eat makes or breaks you. I am 30 years old a month away from 31. I watched my metabolism sink like a stone. I use to go on a week vacation and drink and eat myself retarded without hitting the gym once. come back home and resume my lifting and it was but a minor bump in the road. now it practically requires a small hospital stay to get me back to where I was pre-holiday. knowing this I have to make sacrifices. I have to ask myself what do I want more. regret or pride? its 2015 YEAR OF THE ALPHA! we want pride! we want power!

again Junior!

 WHAT YOU WILL EAT:

eggs (1whole egg to 4 egg white ratio)

black coffee

human fetuses 

natural peanut butter

brown rice

lean ground beef or turkey 

black beans

spinach

green vegetables

bananas

pineapples

black/blue/ras-berries

cottage cheese

plain greek yogurt

oats

honey (use to sweeten food instead of sugar)

salmon

tuna

avacados

skim milk

100% whole wheat bread

hummus

almonds

chicken breasts

green tea

protein shakes

lentil soup

CHIPOTLE

sushi

you will eat often and aggressively.

WHAT YOU WILL NOT EAT:

fast food

doughnuts

lunchables

hot dogs

 pre-packaged meals, and/or sandwiches

ice cream

whole milk

fried foods

dark meat chicken

pork

fatty beef

hamburgers

pizza

sugary cereal

soda

almost all juices (beware of sugar)

chinese food

almost all food served at any food court in America

cheese/sour cream

white bread

beer

"cereal snack bars"

Luna bars

ranch dressing or almost any salad dressing really (use olive oil instead)

most food your friends eat

 candy

sugar filled flavored yogurts

this list could go on for days...you get the idea.

 

pray for the skinny fats to find their way to a gym. Mecca awaits.

STRENGTH. my favorite. this is what separates you from others. you can hold the image, you can maintain the eating habit, but without the strength you are about as useful an asshole on an elbow. you are no better than any other alternative looking, bar fly, record collector without muscle. 

 ANTI BETA. ANTI TREND.

this logo holds much potential for customization. stay tuned.

 the heart of the devil is weightlifting. moving big weight and getting sweaty. if you are not sweating you are not doing it right. dig deep and grind it out. think about all the people who have stood in your way. all the people who said you couldn't. think about all the people you hate and the people who hate you. fuck them. they are not important. you must stay focused and look out for number one...YOU! remember right now somewhere out there someone is lifting more weight than you, hes eating better, hes sleeping better, hes looking better, and hes working harder than you. don't get left behind. no ones going to admire your cheat days or your soreness. they are going to admire your results. the best part is results are never finished. they are always getting better if you are always working harder. 

im talking deadlifting, squatting, benching, pressing, pushing, pulling, running, and working all the damn time. every workout is not just another lift its an extension of your mind and work ethic. its a cathartic experience danger close to a ritual. in fact that's what we will call your work outs. rituals.  they are not sessions they are rituals. call upon the darkest parts of your heart and bring them forth to eviscerate the weakness rooted in you. all rituals will be preformed with anger and intensity. exercise the demons. commit to the weights. for once in your life fucking commit to something. commit to it like you committed to that doughnut. become born again and baptize yourself every night in the weight room. its 2015 the year of our lord. one step closer to death or one step closer to the man you want to be?

the only "cleanse" you will concern yourself with is cleansing the excuses and poisonous people you surround yourself with. break from your pack or start your own pack. this is the ritual of death. death to false security. become born again in the rust and iron of strength.

this is what people see when you walk into the room. this is how strangers view your mortal form. a dangerous and violent man who channels those tendencies into strength gains and life gains. you support and help someone as easy as you can eliminate them. ruthless. cold blooded.

4th line mentality. mark howe. DO YOU WEAR THE MARK? blood in/blood out.

STAY GRIM. HIT THE GYM.

 

REBIRTH

now that is a FAT BURNER that actually works.

recently I suffered some kind weightlifting quarter life crisis. I was struggling mentally. not feeling motivated ever and all my medications were/still are fucking up my appetite. It struck when I came home from the southern California desert after six weeks of training. I was eating MRE's and shit food, sleeping outside for a few hours a night, and it was above 100 degrees the entire time. I lost a lot of weight and strength as expected but usually I bounce back hard.  this time there was no bounce back. I just kept feeling depressed and weak. This is a vicious cycle that can be really hard to get out of. every serious lifter has gone through multiple funks like this. its when no matter how much you try you just cant grind that axe.

death to false depth.

I took a step back and kind of re-evaluated my lifting schedule, diet, routine, and mindset. I had to shake things up and shock the body back into life. Something needed to be done because I was falling fast. I decided to follow my own advice and just get back to basics. start from the ground up and see what comes. here is what I did to stay the course

- I stopped just picking a body part per day and went with every session being a total body workout. especial attention is paid to the legs and core.

- I adopted a semi-hybrid version of the 5x5 strong lifts program. 5 sets, 5 reps and the weight goes up by 5-10 pounds every other day. keeping squats, bench press, dead lift, barbell row, and overhead press the absolute core of my routines. this was key for monitoring my strength gains over the next few weeks. pretty much everything I have been doing is focused on the barbell. vanity lifts have been eliminated and accessory work rarely if ever is incorporated. just brute force activating large muscle groups.

- I dropped from a 5 days in a row to lifting roughly every other day. M/W/F/Sat. I still have to do Army PT every morning from 0630-0800 monday through friday but my main lifting time has now been moved to alternate days. this has done wonders for my muscle recovery and mental mindset. naturally my cardio has increased greater than I would prefer because of this increased PT program but this is a part of my job I cannot escape. I just have to adjust fire and make sure im hitting the big muscles with big weight.

- Part of my total body work out idea had to incorporate some elements of crossfit. before you crucify me for selling out you must hear me. the shit I do is not cross-fit roger?! its fucking football style collegiate athlete stuff. dudes have been doing this stuff for decades before some fruit put a brand label on it.  I want to increase my speed, stamina, and loose this flabby midsection that has been cursing me for far too long. I am not PR'ing some bitches name for time. Im not kipping.  Im not doing any wiener body weight workouts or air squats. Im focusing on pushing myself hard with little to no rest, using multiple muscles for different lifts, and maintaining form by not giving a fuck what my time is to complete the routine. If you want to call that cross fit than fuck you go head. I call it getting thick, solid, and tight with lots of sweat.

- Here is my M-F 0630-0800 PT schedule. I created this myself and was approved by my command. my platoon and I have been doing this the last three weeks with me leading all the sessions by yelling at soldiers. reminding them that they are weak and expendable. combat accommodates no man. the mission takes precedence. the enemy does not care if you are exhausted or sore. whatever it takes. by any means necessary. you must keep this killer mind set when training.

 

sandbags are every cold hearted killers best friend.

 Cold Hearted Killer Conditioning Plan

Monday:

Uniform: summer PTs

Two laps (1 mile) around the paved track into 1 wall jump, 1 cargo net climb, 10 burpee pull-ups and 5 toes-to-bar. Repeat until the 5 mile standard has been met.

Tuesday:

Uniform: ACU with boots and IOTV (weighted vest)

soldiers in two teams will run up and down the 4 story staircase without using the handrail. Soldier will ascend and descend the stairwell while rotating between themselves a 45, 35, 25, and 10lbs. plate for appx. 30mins.

Across the 100m field teams will drag a casualty on a sled backwards and forwards while carrying the weights. done until I decide you have had enough.

Requires: skedco, weighted vest, lifting plates

Wednesday:

Uniform: Summer PT’s

50m sprint

9 dead lifts at 155lbs

12 push ups

15 box jumps

5 dead hang pull-ups

50m walk with 45lb plate over head

As many sets as possible in 30 minutes. 

90lbs. tire flips across field until failure. repeated until someone barfs.

Requires: Olympic bars with weight plates, boxes or tires appx. 20-24inches in height, a timer, and some motivation.

Thursday:

Uniform: Summer PT’s and motivation

Upper body strength and endurance. wall climb, pull-ups, bear crawls across rock pit, toes-to-bar, cargo net climb, rope climbs, weighted overhead press, burpees, partner wheel barrows, and water can carries. all done one after the other. carrying the sandbag from one station to the other. bring the smoke. you gotta deal with it.

Friday:

Uniform: Summer PT’s w/ combat boots, IOTV (weighted vest), ruck sack

Ruck march unknown distance with short halts for lower body conditioning exercises of lunges, squats, step ups, high crawls, and suicide sprints in parking lots.

As you can see it borrows heavily from conditioning styled endurance training. this way someone of any fitness level can still get something out of it, because you are not always going to be training with bros on your exact fitness level.

This AM workout paired with my afternoon powerlifting has worked. my body is shocked and is responding much quicker than I anticipated. I do not know why my body is responding so fast but I am very motivated to keep at it. I have trimmed body fat, gained speed, exposed more muscle definition, and have become completely motivated mentally. this does come at a small cost of overall body weight. instead of 222 I am now sitting at 210 but the subtle appearance of abs has eased any hesitations about this program.

remember this image the next time you want to skip a workout because you are "tired". fuck you. get in the gym.

Morgan Penn painted this. it gives me a murder boner. hooligans!

fear not Alphas. the powerlfting is strong with this one. strength is still my number one priority. the heart and passion with heavy lifting is still priority. no way would I ever submit to religious right of cardio and crossfit or the infamous 10 different bicep curls and some crunches routine. I am on a mission. It is to unlock strength and gain achievements by experimenting within all realms of physical fitness. maybe a overhaul or shake down like this might do some of you gorilla juice heads some good if you are stuck in a rut.

 

setting fire to anything that stands in the way of gains.

STAY GRIM AND HIT THE GYM

BANDS IM LIFTING TO.

 

 Super Joint Ritual drank cheap beer and smoked some dank weed nuggets with Dismember at a euro dive bar in Sweden. outside a couple of American dudes were waiting. when the bands were too drunk to fuck they parted ways to their respective tour buses. the Americans snuck in through the back and ferociously collected the half smoked roaches and unfinished back wash beer bottles like precious, vintage, hand numbered, test press, record release vinyl. afterwards they giddily sniffed their seats, took their trophies, and flew back to America inspired. that is how Gatecreeper formed.

this track goes hard in the crease and its not even their best song. the whole EP fits nicely into any bench press or shoulder pressing routine. the real strong point to this release is the quality of the recording. this does not sound like a first release/demo. it sounds like release number three or four of a seasoned band of headbangers at the climax of their crushing career. CAUTION: nothing less than 225lbs on the bar when benching to this. also the riffage is so tasty that it is rumored to add 15lbs to your current set when PR'ing so keep that in mind. highly recommended for anyone who's interest include: cinder blocks, undershirts as outerwear, sledgehammers, industrial strength power tools, and felonies.

bonus points for all five guys in the band taking on metal head persona's. (Ted Nugent southern rocker who is likely the most talented guy in the band, industrial working class goth, old school thrasher, the guy with a beard who likes Pantera, and the pizza party skater looking Asian fisherman) they look like strangers who met on Craigslist a day before the video shoot but somehow still pull it off.

honorable mention for the dark sided hunk singer with his strong Trent Reznor stage presence circa "Hand That Feeds" video.

this album cover is what kids push moshing in a Slipknot pit think they look like. worm two-step and maggot mosh.

the band is Gatecreeper from Arizona. check out their album here or just search them on YouTube like you would do if I didn't include a link.

bring me the heads of all betas and skinny fats.

 Absu. fuck! I cannot get enough of this band right now. I have a murder boner. I practically forgot about them and haven't jammed them in like three years. then I was reminded in a IG post from a buddy who good they are. imagine Skeletonwitch if they took themselves 5x more serious. these dudes are out there man. they are drinking the kool-aid. I picture them sleeping in coffins even when no one is looking. Its one of the only black metal(ish) bands who's lyrics read like a fucking page out of a middle earth spell book. I enjoy their lyrics almost as much as their music. while I celebrate the entire catalog I recommend their three most recent albums which are available on Spotify. GET THESE DUDES IN YOUR PLAYLIST. gains will follow.

scope this Absu album The Sun of Tipharethevery. every possible metal cliche in one album cover. this dude is the bastard child of Bathorys Under The Sign Of The Black Mark.

bro do you even worship?

duh. we all know Behemoth. first, if you lift you will listen to Behemoth. that is not an option, that is mandatory. second, get over yourself if you think its lame to like them because they R lik mainstream and not tr00. the speed and intensity of this album is untouchable. a 240B machine gun is the understudy for their drummer.

I have a special place in my heart for this record because it was all I listened too when I first picked up the weights and joined Cheetah Gym in Wicker Park Chicago back in 2007. I was possessed. honed in and focused. I hope that it will do the same for you. I listened to cheese death-core and crew cut hardcore before this release. I was pg-13 in my music life until this record. When I found this and Decapitated's "Organic Hallucinations" I was a changed man. once again, all records from this band are ripe and ready for picking. not a bad release. they never went through some self absorbed experimental drone/melodic phase. I like to believe that dangerous music still exists. stuff like this that you will play for people and show them the album covers and they will be offended/disgusted at the content. I hope some boring mall core skinny fat kid gets his hands on this record and starts fappin' violently. Behemoth still does it for me bros. she is my mistress. my go to main bad bitch. respect your elders and embrace the face melting qualities of Behemoth's "Demigod" or suffer the muscle mass loss.

we out chea'

is that Charles Manson?!

if social media never existed then how would this man stay relevant in the mating game? I tell you fucking how. feign an allergy to t shirts. I fucking looooove in shape old dudes. they are truly leading from the front and setting the example. old dudes are our leaders. they laid the groundwork for us and expect us to carry their torch. they were getting the gains in before you could document them in photo format to share with the world/anyone who gives a shit. I would Wayne's World kneel at this man Excalibur style and say "they will be mine. or yes....his gains will be mine."

this is an Alpha in disguise. do not take the bait men. while we ideally want to surround ourselves with other like minded Alphas he is one to avoid.  yes, his gains are admirable and yes his forearms match his bicep pump but never and I MEAN NEVER trust a man who pays more attention to his biceps then his legs. if any ladies read this blog please take note. I judge women on the care of their feet. if a girl does not take care of her feet, she will not take care of her man. this is borderline science proven fact. If your toes look like dolphin throw up then BYE FELICA!. don't get cocky bros. your legs better match your attitude. you cant show command and control with legs that look like wet bread.  ladies should judge men on their lower body dedication. #realtalk

stay grim and hit the gym.

50 SHADES OF ALPHA: PAST AND PRESENT

 fucking knee braces OVER his denim pants which are tucked into his white socks which are inside Catapillar boots. The outfit is so advanced that you are completely oblivious there is a fucking full kindergarten class of children on his shoulders. dude went from the iron mill to the weight room and said "rack em up RJ." no prep time. no pre-workout. no ipod. no expensive road sign yellow dri-fit x3 anti-fatigue stretch shirt. just a gnarly dude farting out reps. do I spy a gold hoop earring? you cant tame this wild man! Let it be known that if Guy (capitalized because that is probably his name) in the background was in a separate photo he would have his own caption. He is some wolf hybrid of a 12 year old fat kid, a collegiate rower, and olympic weightlifter. his submission to "kvlt" gym wear is noted and appreciated but its hard to compete with Al Borland of Home Improvement meets New Jersey union worker look.

If anything else....comfort over all else. few know the pleasure of dead lifting a horse in a velour bathrobe. the overalls are strictly for protection of the investment from rusted iron. I didn't even know bathrobes without sleeves was an option.  Obviously they have a taste for the finer things. peep that Oshkosh-B'gosh logo. I feel like someone super imposed the face of a modern day cross-fit/Tough Mudder guy onto the body of hotel room.

of all the alpha looks featured on this post this one is by far the one I want to see in 2014. He is a real life video game character. the dude is a walking Street Fighter Guile. CAPCOM no doubt pays royalties to this man. im still anticipating the bleached flat top come back.

I dont know 100% who this is but im thinking its the dude from Manowar. If ever there was one human who embraced the love of metal and iron equally it would be this man. It physically pains him that he cannot carry a sword every day. he is the next wave of thrash. watch, all these modern hardcore thrash metal bands that are really into bent mesh hats, acid washed jeans, Budweiser and battle vests will start trading that shit for weightlifting, chokers, wrist wear, tanning, and John Stamos level hair. this guy is Black Metal Fitness personified.

not sure who is gayer? the gay porn stars who just grunt fugged each other rotten 10 minutes prior to photo or us gym jock meat heads for mentally critiquing their physiques while simultaneously MIRIN' them gains.  ima let that one marinate.

while on the topic of gay men. let us have a gander at this look of muscle, mane, and mustache. It has taken the mainstream by storm. you see it in every fashion mag and on every girls Pintrest account filed under"my panties are wet. what a hunk".  here is your late pass white America/all of Europe. gays have been celebrating this look for like 30 fucking years. gay dudes are men. they like men. they want men. so in turn they know what men should look like. do you know why gay men have embraced this look? because its fucking mainly. its near perfect blend of clean, wild, hairy, and fit. now mind you is very easy to take this look from Alpha to Asshole reeeeeal fucking easy. unfortunately more often then not its done wrong. the reason this look works is because all three are in place. its a trifecta of testosterone. beard and hair with out the muscle? euro hipster douche. beard and muscle without the hair? just another balding buster with a beard. keep moving tubby there are a million more of you working cubicle customer service jobs.

even though I championed the look of the clean cut metro as being the premier alpha look, there is something to be said about the muscled long hair rocker. I know from my time before the Army when I was a long haired, weight lifting, metal head that this look will get you laid. if you hang around the dive bar, drunk every single night till 4am, "alternative" crowd you're are shoe in for strange talent. you are every suburban girls fantasy. the modern day bad boy! this look says "yeah I care...but I don't really care...whatever just count my push ups so i can win this bet". I always harp on primal and you don't get more primal than this.

well there you have it. a touch of alpha from days past and a touch of alpha from the present. you don't know where you're going if you don't know where you've been. but you dont want to be that turd who only likes "first wave" gym wear. embrace the forefathers of gym wear. pick up where they left off and carry the torch of intimidating masculine appearance so that a new generation of n00bz can bear witness. strength doesn't come from over priced bullshit "athletic apparel". it comes from eating lots of good food, lifting heavy things, and protecting what is yours.

stay grim and hit the gym.

all photos featured on this post were stolen from Tumblr without permission because those photos were stolen and used without permission.  fuck it.

WELCOME TO MY FRIDGE (nutrition)

fire walk with me into my kitchen. I tried to get an accurate representation of my fridge on a normal week. so I didn't plan, pose, or hide anything. We do grocery shopping two-three times a week to keep our fruits and vegetables fresh so its not a vegans wet dream in here but know that I eat veggies with every meal made at home.  I am still learning a lot about nutrition on a scientific level. I'm pretty anxious to begin my next semester at school because all four classes are exclusive to biology, nutrition, anatomy, and chemistry. I hope to start incorporating more reasons to eat certain foods instead of recommendations.

this is my random "fruit and veggie" basket. it stays in front of my toaster. here we have bananas, tomatoes, avocados, chia seeds for protein shakes, chocolate covered acacia berries, and milk bones for the dog.

top of the fridge. this is the American Idol of your kitchen. your putting it all out for the world to see. you gotta come correct. what is put on display here will instantly let the observer know just how serious you are about your diet. never trust a weightlifter who's top of their fridge is more Justin Guarini and less Kelly Clarkson. serious mass protein used for cooking pancakes, shakes, and my "power pudding",  my protein is the Thor of the kitchen. Trader Joe's whole grain O's is next. very pacific northwestern, a jar of no sugar granola I mix in my plain greek yogurt, 100% plain oatmeal, amino energy mix I drink in the morning before PT if my stomach is a little too queezy for coffee, fish oil vitamins, and behind that (not pictured) is a container of long grain rice ready for cooking.

freezer: I have the Amy's pizzas ready for cheat meals or when Im drinking and am too lazy to cook, the entire top rack all the way in the back is chicken breasts trimmed of fat and individually zip-locked. tough to see but trust me there is a shit load of frozen chicken breasts up there,gotta have those on deck. Daves Killer Bread is the best bread ever created. a little expensive but I promise you that after you eat their bread you will never go back 8g of protein per slice! below that is some frozen fish, and of course the booze. two bottles of vodka and a handle of rum that has been there untouched since our house warming party over a year ago. Rum is evil. loaded with sugar its IMO one of the worst things you could drink if you are serious about weightlifting. I drink vodka & ice water. the lowest calorie adult drink you can have while ensuring you are staying hydrated and dodging that hangover.

freezer door: top shelf is blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. also some frozen edamame, high in soy protein and highly recommended snack. bottom shelf is two things of frozen greek yogurt for my pregnant wife, sweet potato fries, and three boxes of frozen mahi-mahi and talapia. I try to alternate between fish and chicken for dinner.

fridge door: low fat cream cheese, canola oil butter, lemon and lime juice,  stone ground mustard, horseradish, low fat cheese sticks, all natural peanut butter, balsamic vingerette, all natural low sugar blueberry syrup, and more mustard in the back. bottom: gallon of skim milk, half gallon of almond milk, non fat vanilla creamer for coffee, random low sugar sauces like BBQ and teriyaki.

here is my pantry: our kitchen is pretty small so this is just above the toaster. whole grain pasta shells and noodles, no butter popcorn 100 calorie packs, Dave's Killer Bread, baking soda, whole fiber pancake ideal for using with protein pancakes,  bags of almonds, low sugar syrup, tuna packs in the far back,  second shelf: Japanese miso soup mix (ideal for broths when you cook with chicken), a box of protein bars for snacking, marshmallows....i love mallows. they are a mainstay in my house. whenever I get a sweet craving i just eat 3-4 of them and that usually curbs my craving, assorted green and black teas. top shelf: more green tea, jar of pretzels, packs of no sugar desert gum, random rices and Japanese spices. that stuff up there is mostly in Japanese so that is kinda my wife's lane.

just a look at the food in my house. maybe you got some ideas or were reminded of something you want to try. I did not take a picture of the inside of my fridge because I honestly forgot. by the time I uploaded these photos and emailed them to myself I was  just too lazy. know that its filled with talapia, checkin breasts, spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, cottage cheese, other random veggies, dozens of eggs, turkey breast slices, some random beers, and 100% natural juices.

killing time in between meals.