VIOLENCE ON VIOLENCE: ANOTHER YEAR AMIDST OUR TRANSFORMATION.

surveying the landscape. we are looking thick and strong. this pleases me greatly.

And so once again we find ourselves in the early morning dawn of yet another year closer to death. This time of year is always exciting. One of the few moments in our lives we are encouraged to look into our past and audit our successes, failures, bright spots, and dark moments. To reflect on all of them and try to teach ourselves how to find the right balance of all of them so we may push into the new year ahead of the herd. Self -reflection is optimal when the horizon of something new is within reach. Auditing successes and failures too soon creates a disturbance in our balance and even if one is incredibly successful with no failures to recall, resting on your laurels will easily force one off their chosen path. 

Think of a successful marathon runner. When the runner steps off he or she is not looking back after 40 steps and say, “ Ah, remember when I took off for this run? That was nice.” The runner only begins reflection of the entire race as the finish line comes within site. They remind themselves how far they have come and remember certain miles or sections of the race by their location, fatigue, 2^nd wind, and passing other competitors. This is what separates the elite from the idle.

2015 was personally a memorable and enriching year for me. Quite possibly the most exciting  year of my life. I left the Army, moved back to Chicago, welcomed my daughter Baroness into our family, completed three semesters of full-time college pursing a Nursing degree, and was fortunate to be an integral piece in the transformation and establishment of our gym Rockwell Barbell. We went from a warehouse basement with no heat, water, or AC to a legit store front with solid business and increased membership of die hard lifters. These are my successes of the year. My failures were equally as memorable but I have already made peace with them and have corrected my path.

Envision all of your defeats, failures, and losses of the year. dwell on them internally. Learn from your errors. Let it burn hard. Make it hurt. Let it upset you. Now dig your grave and drop them into the earth. Make your peace and move out. Continue pushing forward on your path. Carrying these failures into the next chapter of your existence is poisonous and will only weigh you down. It will create less room for load bearing your accomplishments, achievements, and goals. Always forward never backward. TOWARD THE LIGHT WE MARCH. UNTIL DEATH ALLOWS US TO ASCEND.

You already know the weight loss resolutions are boiling over and gyms coast to coast will be littered with cherry part timers frothing at the mouth to get in on the action. We also know their odds of success are incredibly low. Almost always due to inefficient/late game planning, goals set well above their experience level, lack of motivation, and general disinterest in transformation when the scope of how difficult physically transforming becomes. People like things easy. It’s always easier to quit. Trying is hard. Trying requires effort. Trying requires action. Trying requires motivation.

I let them have their moment. Allow them to continue the illusion of change. Even though deep within myself I do want them to succeed, I have been at this for too long to expect anything less than quitting. As I have said before “anyone can climb to the top of the mountain, only the elite can stay there.” 

The die-hards doing damage control and disposing of the infected corpses of the quitters. This will not become a quarantined sanctuary. DISPOSE OF THE INFECTED.

The “new year, new me” is an airborne viral outbreak that infects once a year. You can literally set your watch to it. Unless a person continues taking their prescribed anti-bionics and following the preventative care plan they will succumb to the virus. Their body will coil back into the weak shell it was from the start. The survival rate of quitters is 0%. Quitting has a 100% kill rate and there is no cure for quitting. Once they have passed their memory will only live on in the form of monthly bank statements of mega gyms and fad diet prepared meal plans. A parasite taking a piece of the host's finances once a month. Imagine those quitters like a tombstone in a graveyard and once a month the parasite  will honor their memory by automatically withdrawing $50 dollars from the account. Such a tragic, meaningless death. The worst part is it was preventable.

PRO TIP: A strong way to weed out the weak-hearted new years crowd is by performing shirtless bicep curls with chains.                                   If your gym allows shirtless lifting than you have found the right sanctuary. Welcome home.

X

My life for the next few months is focusing on my true self. I wanna become "The True Werewolf" like my good buddy in the photo above. I mean this in a very intimate way. Weightlifting is so cathartic to me. It is a part of who I am. As long as I am still breathing I will still be lifting. I enjoy going to the gym. It is my opinion that if you hate working out or loathe your gym time then you are in the wrong line of work. Why would you do something you hate that you don't have to? It's a thinly veiled and lame attempt at validating your failures or slip ups of the week. "I went to the gym today so I can have this pizza." WRONG. If your only reason to gym is giving yourself the satisfaction of self improvement when you sleep then this blog does no welcome you. This community is designed only for the committed and the intense. 

My gym ritual right now is hitting on all sixes. I stretch and open up my lungs and my mind by breathing. Then I have a hard and heavy lift set at the core of my session which is book ended by intense body builder type exercises that get my heart rate up, create perspiration, and warm the muscle group of the session so its primed and ready to hit hard. 

FUCK THE UNIVERSE!

CURRENT LIFTING ROUTINE

I. Pick what muscle group to hit and then determine the climax lift or "hard and heavy" session.

 Back day: Dead Lift. 

Chest day: Flat Bench

Leg day: Barbell Squat

Shoulder day: Barbell shrugs or One Arm Barbell Press (photo below)

One Arm Barbell Press

II. I get loose by stretching out neck to foot, selecting the right jams, concentrate on exhaling deeply and inhaling efficiently. I liken it to meditation. I visualize my exhale as a thick cloud of black smoke carrying all the stresses and toxins accumulated from the day. I force them out like smoke from a burning building. Then I inhale cold, fresh, "white" air that coats my body in positive light. each breath in gets me stronger, each breath out creates the room for strength possibilities. This doesn't take very long. I do it for a minute or two as I stretch out. It clears my mind and opens up my psych for what lies ahead. It really does wonders for my energy too. I come in at 30% and the breathing and stretches put me at 60%. Once lifting commences I am in the red near 100% ready. 

III. For example, its back day. I'm going in with lat pull downs hitting 8 to 12 reps and increasing the weight with each set. Once I'm tapped out I'll switch the bar from lat pull down to V-bar. Now I'm hitting the top and inside of my back with heavy weight and I keep bumpin' up till I hit 4-6 with some what of a struggle. At this point I begin the dead lift by hit sets till I reach my working set. knock out 3-5 reps for however many sets. 

IV. Whatever I have left in tank I use to attack the rest of my back. My favorite thing to do after I finish the dead lift is weighted pull-ups. Pull-ups are awesome for core strength too. I like bring my old backpack and throw a 10 pound plate in there and hit some AMRAP (as many reps as possible) for a set then bump up the weight by 5-10 lbs. Keep grinding them out till I'm gassed out. 

Some other ideas for lifts after the "climax" lift are single arm cable pull-downs, dumbbell rows, bent over dumbbell flys, or some seated rows. Really the gym is yours so do something that hits that back that you like. Most dudes have a favorite back exercise. Use this opportunity to get it in.

BRING US PAIN. BRING US DISGUST. BRING US INFINITE SUFFERING. DISPOSE OF OUR WEAKNESS. WE DEMAND PAIN, SWEAT, AND FATIGUE.

Below are other examples of specific exercises I do before and after the climax lift.

Chest:

Incline barbell press.

dumbbell flat bench.

 incline press.

 floor press w/ chains.

 

cable cross overs (10-20lbs Max).

Shoulders:

T-nation shoulder shocker

Dumbbell delt raise. Alternate 1 rep each arm from the side for a set then hit front delt raises doing the same thing.

 Shoulder thrusters with dumbbells (palms facing ear).

Bent over flys (10 lbs. max).

Shoulder press using a barbell (I don't go too heavy on this one because of a nagging shoulder injury).  Really focus on squeezing you core for this lift. Don't use your legs during this and you should be seated on the floor.

If you have access to chains I love doing single arm raises holding the end of a chain. Instead of shoot my arm out straight in front I like kind of drag the chain across my stomach and chest and lift it up over my head till my arm locks out. Control the weight as you lower it following the same path the. Hit the other arm.

135 lbs. on the bar, stand shoulder width apart, lock out the bar above you head. Keep your glutes tight and see how long you can hold it above your head. This is a great finisher. Really brings the smoke.

One of my custom shoulder exercises I do that I've mentioned before is getting on the treadmill holding dumbbells or plates. Set the speed at a steady pace. I usually go 3, 3.5, or 4 mph. Put the treadmill at a challenging incline (6-10%) and take broad steps while holding the weight by your side. Imagine you are carrying 5 gallon water cans. Do a minute, rest for 30, repeat as needed. 

PRO TIP: Increase the suck! Go up by 5 pounds every 2 minutes. 

Legs:

Hamstring curls into quad curls is a great warm up. Go from one immediately into the other then rest. This could also be used for a finisher

Single KB squat. Using both hands from a dead lift style position. Squat down till the weight hits the ground then lift it up. 

Another variation of the KB squat is to hold the KB in front of your chest with your thumbs hooked into it. Squat down till parallel then push up with your heels. This mimics a front squat movement. 

PRO TIP: Challenge yourself by holding the KB upside down. Your core comes into action to help steady the weight since you are basically balancing the KB to stay upright. 

Weighted sled pushes with 1-2 minute rest between the push. Aim for the weight of your wife, brother, close friend, parent. This tricks your mind into pushing past failure because the number tied to the weight has meaning. Srs.

Single leg box step ups using dumbbells or a plate(s). I prefer a single plate.  

PRO TIP: Looking to get that extra smoke? Hold the weight above your head. 

(For beginners I recommend holding the weight by your side).

outdoor plague bringing baseball bat air guitar.

 

 

STAY GRIM. HIT THE GYM.

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STRENGTH ROOTED IN PUNISHMENT

FIRSTBORN OUT OF HELL!

Accountability. I ask of it from you often. From me you will get the same. I had an idea a few weeks ago about creating a super strict food log for one week. I kept track of exactly what I ate and when I ate it. It was enjoyable writing my meals, snacks, and drinks along with the exact time. The purpose of this experiment, if you will, was to have undeniable proof of any flaws in my eating habits. It showed me what parts of my nutrition needed to be addressed or tweaked. I will not deny that although I eat responsible and fairly strict, I do not consume nearly enough calories as I want or should. 

The #1 reason for the lack of caloric intake is side effects of my prescription medications I take daily. They put my appetite on mute. Sometimes it physically pains me to eat. My mouth just wont produce saliva and eating becomes a battle. I wind up shoving food into my mouth and chase it with water just to get it down. I also rely heavily on liquids for sustenance like different types of protein shakes, almond milk (for calories), green vegetable shakes, and greek yogurt. 

Even with my appetite struggles I still manage to get enough of the nutrients I need to build stronger muscles. I have been working on ways to bypass my appetite woes since I recorded this 5-day food log and so far its working. I have gained roughly 6lbs. over the last two months. I am currently sitting at 6'2 and 213lbs. My short term goal is hitting 215. My long term goal is by end of year to be comfortably at 220.

Before I go any further go ahead and read through my food log. This is more or less a typical week in my life. I was in between semesters of school for this week so the open ended days and nights made it a little tougher to maintain a strict food rhythm. I find that I eat better and on time when the semesters are in session.

TUESDAY
0940: Protein shake and 1 cup of coffee
WORKOUT - CHEST
1200: 4 egg white and chicken breast wrapped in whole wheat tortilla
1355: 1 bacon cheese burger from Burger King (mustard only, no bottom bun)
1400: handful of natural almonds
1600: 2 oat, peanut butter, and chocolate protein muffins (home made. low sugar, whole wheat)
1720: 1 cup 2% cottage cheese
1800: iced coffee with 20oz of un-sweetend vanilla almond milk
1915: 1 lean turkey breast patty, 1/2 bag of spinach (tossed in olive oil, salt, and lemon), grilled zucchini and eggplant slices
2100: half bag of kettle corn and 2 glasses of red wine
2330: 1 cup cottage cheese
0020: 2 large spoonfuls of peanut butter and chocolate protein shake with skim milk.

WEDNESDAY:
0700: 3 fried eggs (1 whole egg/2 egg whites) in whole wheat tortilla w/ little cheese, 1 cup plain greek yogurt, 1 cup of black coffee
WORKOUT - LEGS
1030: 1 and a half homemade protein muffins.
1120 - 1 can of tuna (seasoned with dill, lemon, and mustard), 1 cup of cottage cheese, 1 large handful of almonds
1400: XL glass of milk
1440: 1 protein muffin, handful of almonds, blue corn chips and all natural black bean dip
1605: protein shake w/ van. almond milk, 2 large scoops of natural peanut butter
1800: 2 salmon fillets, cabbage, mushrooms, 1/2 of a toasted everything bagel
0000: Lifters Gruel (1 scoop choc protein, peanut butter, 1 cup cottage cheese, splash of honey and Hershey's lite syrup. frozen.

THURSDAY:
0800: 3 fried eggs in whole wheat tortilla w/ light cheese, 1 toasted everything bagel with canola oil butter, 20oz. un sweet vanilla almond milk
1030: protein shake w/ skim milk
WORKOUT - DEAD LIFTS, ABS, LIGHT LEGS (during workout 1 banana, handful of almonds, 1 and a half homemade protein muffins
1430: protein shake
1515: 1 can of tuna (seasoned dill, lemon, mustard), 1 whole wheat tortilla, 20 oz. unsweet vanilla almond milk, 1 cup plain greek yogurt, 1/2 can of pineapple
1900: turkey burger (no bun), 2 slices of polenta, sauteed peppers and mushrooms, handful of black beans, 1/2 everything bagel toasted.
2240: Lifters Gruel (same as above)

FRIDAY:
0515: 20 oz skim milk, 2 fired eggs, 2 cups of coffee
0700 - Subway 6" sandwich double turkey w/ olive oil, lettuce, tomato, and lite mayo.
0915: protein shake w/ almond milk
1050: 1 cup plain greek yogurt
(3 hour nap)
1400: large bowl of Kashi cereal with skim milk
1540: 2 can tuna (seasoned same), 1 whole wheat tortilla, 1 homemade protein muffin, handful of almonds
1800:  16oz hi-speed green juice filled with all green veggies (no sugar, no juices, all natural), half a chicken breast, several scoops of peanut butter.
WORKOUT - WEIGHTED SPRINTS, ARMS, ABS (during lift: Gatorade, almonds, protein shake)
2050: 20 oz. unsweet van. almond milk
2110: 4 scrambled eggs w/ 1/2 chicken breast, 1 half of avocado
2330: Lifters Gruel (same as above)

So as I said. Is not perfect, but since I did this I improved little eating habits throughout the day. I am a better, stronger, and smarter weightlifter for doing this.

Got the coven going up on a Tuesday.

no caption needed for The Kliq.

 

So last week Rockwell Barbell (@RockwellBarbell on IG) made the jump into an official gym space. We now have almost triple the room we had at our previous dungeon. Ill post more about the new gym in another post but for now this new space gives us the room to do my all time favorite workout.

SLED PUSHES! I cannot get enough of these. Im doing them twice a week on top of all my other training to make up for lost time. This exercise is great for real world strength. Its a bastard mixture of intensity, cardio, endurance, and strength. It makes you wanna puke and does a lot of work in just a little bit of time. I recommend these for people who love to squat but their lower body tells them that its not a good idea to squat three times a week. I have a lingering knee issue that keeps my squatting sporadic. To combat this, I do other lower body exercises like hack squats and sled work.

When Im fucking with the sled I like to do pyramids with one direction slow and then on the turn around I sprint as hard as I can. I start light on the weight at first and go up by 10-25lbs. I usually work up to 265 for my last set right now. I want to monitor my progress and eventually watch myself pushing heavy and hard weight. I highly recommend adding these into your leg days. Mix things up a bit and have some fun. There is nothing to it but pushing the weight with your legs. Its pretty hard to do it wrong.

Eyes on the prize. What I channel when pushing that sled. Give me the legs of the Gods!

When pushing that sled remember "The Wheel Of Pain" from Conan.

One last thing before I sign off....

Merchandise has finally been designed. I commissioned my good friend from Germany known as HELL IS REAL and he delivered some seriously punishing images. Cant wait to unleash it upon all of you. Do me a favor and check out his Facebook page on the link posted on the side bar.  I am working out the last of the logistics before I send off the first run. First up is a limited run of Black Metal Fitness Ranger Panties and stickers.The first run of BMF ranger panties is limited to only 50. Each pair comes with 2 BMF stickers and a handwritten pact and prayer card you must sign before the silkies adorn your flesh. Pre-orders will be up by this weekend on my merch store. I will unleash the link once I receive the first sample. The items will ship at the end of the month. Just in time for the start of October. The klvtest month on the calendar.

STAY GRIM, HIT THE GYM!

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We are Approaching that time of year again! Here are some tipe for setting and achieving Health and Fitness Goals!

It is that time of year again.  As this year is wrapping up we are thinking of our accomplishments and what we need to achieve for the next year.  Fitness and health are many times at the top of the list.  Here are some tips from Allyfitness to help you set and ACHIEVE those goals.

Flip through fitness magazines and look at before and after pictures of significantly overweight, unfit, real people who transformed themselves through exercise and changes in their daily eating habbits.  Shape and Fitness Magazines generally have a section on this every month.

Read about real people who have achieved great success in accomplishing their goals, like my friend Cindy Corn who went from sedentary and unfit to hiking over 100 miles a year now in the Smoky Mountains! These are real examples. If they can do it, what’s stopping you?

Getting fit is an ongoing process that takes consistency and work.

Tip 1 - Ensure Your Fitness Goals Are Achieving what YOU Want to Achieve
Don’t set your goals to please someone else. Think about what getting fit means to you and how it will make your life better. Don’t do it because someone tells you you’d look better if you lost ten pounds. That’s the wrong motivation.  I find it help to tie the goal to a Health Benefit you want.  For instance, do you want to be more active with your kids or grand kids?  Let's add life to our years.

Tip 2 - Be Specific and Make it Measurable!
Do you want to decrease body fat, build lean body mass, get stronger, increase your endurance and stamina? Focus on one goal at a time so you can pursue it with laser-like intensity. Once you know your main goal, narrow it down. For example, “I want to drop a pants size.”

Tip 3 - Be Realistic
It may sound like a great idea to hit the gym for an hour a day, but it may not be realistic if you work, have a family and other obligations.  If you goal is not realistic, you will not stick to it and you will give up.

Tip 4 - Put a Date to it and make it Time Based.  Have a Plan for the Week and Month!
It is a proven fact that putting goals on paper helps with  accountability. Once you’ve written down your main goal, break it down into smaller steps – like and action plan for the month and each week.  Make sure the steps you plan will move you towards your goal.

I suggest folks try to get 3 to 5 workouts in per week and limit fast food.  That is achievable and measurable over a 7 day period.   Then build a plan for the entire month.

Tip 5 - Get an Accountability Partner or Coach
Did you know that you are 50% more likely to be exercising a year from now if you do it with a Friend or Family member? 

You can also hire a health coach to help you develop your goals and action plans and stay on track. 

AllyFitness has many tools and services that can assist you on your journey to be more fit and healthy!  Check out the health coaching services and the vitabot online meal planning software. 

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