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.

Read More

"Grant us your powers of annihilation. Crush the skinny fat prophet, death to fad diet faith!"

Many hails to all my fellow die-hard servants of the Iron Underworld. I'm coming in hot on tonight's post. Armed to the teeth with motivation, purpose, direction, and dark sided pictures to look at. A lot has been happening in the BMF camp as of late. Eager to spread the gospel with all my brethren. So lets start spilling blood right now.

There is plenty of light to shine toward the mortal figures of man. The summer harvest of gains and thickness has been bountiful this season. The seeds of rusted iron that we planted in the throes of winter have now fully blossomed and are ripe for picking. The Weightlifting Lords have heard our cries and accepted our offerings. In return the Iron Lords have rewarded our devotion to the Barbell Temple with new PR's, new max's, better form, stronger diets, chiseled physiques, bigger muscles, stronger minds, and improved focus. If you are reading this post I hope you are one of the peasants who struggled day in and day out through winter anticipating this summer. This is your season to flex on the weak betas and false alphas of this shit planet. Enjoy your harvest. You fucking earned it. If you are disappointed in your harvest and wish you planted more seeds and tended to your crops properly then I must say to you "preparing for failure is the same as failing to prepare."

TO KNOW THE ENEMY IS TO KNOW THYSELF.

I assume you have identified the poisonous people and threats to your well being. I hope you have shown your enemies no remorse, no mercy, with pity for none and hate for all on path to carving the giant that is your frame. I also hope you have provided help, coaching, motivation, while mentoring your gym brethren. The light of physical strength is there for all who choose to see. All you must do is open your eyes. For we are nothing without each other. Our enemies will not speak of our strength, they will speak of our weakness and exploit it to eliminate us. THIS is why we spend our waking hours and channel all of our energy into heavy weights, strange food, and mirrors. We must give our enemies nothing to speak of. They will speak with the words of a mute that will fall on the ears of the deaf. They will only tear themselves down while we build ourselves up and protect our hunt.Let all those who stand in our way of physical and mental strength gains be vanquished and shallow buried into unmarked graves. We have no pity for those who oppose in the same way we have no pity for the weights. We are trained to kill both.

Caravaggio was calling for heads back in the 1500's. goddamn if did he didn't paint some vicious depictions of enemies getting served cold. murder boner achieved.

USING THE TOOLS TO BUILD

Tools are needed to build an empire. We must lay our heads down before the creators of human history and give them praise. They have suffered so we can survive. You may ask yourself "what tools?" I speak of infinite resources at your disposal. Its 2015...WE HAVE THE NET. The internet is alive and well. Everyone can become an expert on anything now. no excuses. If you workouts suck, your progress sucks, your not getting the results you want. consult the net! find out something. anything. Its a fucking wormhole of information. Everyone is always talking about how every fitness article or advice contradicts every other article or advice. I wont argue that is incredibly true but that is not a free pass to say "fuck it. Im confused and I don't wanna try so I am out." 

What worked for the other guy may or may not work for you. Weightlifting is all about learning, growing, trying, and pushing. You gotta think like you are playing a chess game with your body. Your body is fucking Garry Kasparov and you are nobody. You must find ways to beat it and constantly reinvent yourself to stay one move ahead.  Men who do not lift, their bodies control them. Men who lift seriously, they control their bodies.

There will come a point your body will stop responding to your lifts because its part of its routine. This is when you zig instead of zag. Get out there and sniff out new lifts, new workouts, new gyms, new meals, or new ideas. Be open to anything that may improve your physique. If something doesn't work cross it off your list and move on. Ask my close friends and they will tell you I am always saying "its all relative" and really it is. if somethign doesnt feel right research it and try to self correct. If you cant seem to hit that 315lbs bench max get on the laptop and start searching tips on how to improve bench max. Try them. If they dont work then try something else. I feel like I really shouldn't need to type that. You must understand I am not trying to talk down on you. I am trying to remind you that what you need is there. You just have to do the footwork.

Whether you lift with a tight group of experienced brothers or are the only person in your entire backwoods village in the butt hole of Indiana who even attempts to lift weights. (all alone) The results you make are on you. All the support, knowledge, and friends in the world wont make you strong. You have to do it yourself. You ultimately do every single lift, curl, push, press, pull, squat, and pause all by yourself. Its you versus the everything. Get that in your head now. Its your fight. Time to fucking finish it. GET SOME!!

Here I am doing Lat pulldowns at my gym (ROCKWEL BARBELL CHICAGO IL) with three of my absolute best friends/blood brothers with me. I love these men and they have helped me so much but, as you can see from this photo, I am all alone. I am the man who has to pull that weight. none more powerful than me. I am an island. photo by: Chris Fowler

At the risk of being melodramatic being in the weight room is like survival. You have to adapt if you wanna stay alive. You must evolve, adapt, and overcome. Try everything you want (and a few you dont) to make yourself stronger and smarter. 

How I feel when I am walking into the gym on a Friday night. A night when everyone else is spending money they don't have, at bars they hate, with people they don't really know. I am the masked intruder ready to break and enter the gym. I will walk to the weights with the mindset of a violent thief. I will take what I want. I am GOD.

If you ever wanna light a fire under your nubile ass and be ready to fucking crush the weights then do yourself a favor and watch this incredibly "real talk" speech given by Alec Baldwin from Glengary Glennross. Even if you have seen it already. Give it another view. I promise it gets better with every watch.

"The leads are weak? The fucking leads are weak? Your weak!"

  

aye dude thanks for collecting all your excuses on why you aren't in the shape you wanna be in together in this pile. I got the answer to all your excuses.... *proceeds to light the excuses on fire and then stab the fire with a knife.  His buddies keep things entertaining by reciting ritual chants of Lucifer and all his magnificent power.

 

 If you need to convince yourself that your lack of progress is someone elses fault (i.e work, being poor, being fat, not knowing where to start) then you have a lot of work if you want to run with the herd. The rest of the world is moving fast and you are standing still. Letting the strong wolves get ahead of you while you drift into the back. 

In a group of wolves the slowest and weakest wolves make up the rear end of a pack. When they are threatened they flea together. The predator will seek chase. The wolves in the rear will be the first to die in the teeth of the predator. They couldn't keep up and because of that they paid a heavy price....their life. No other proof is needed to get strong and stay strong. If you are not in the front you better be as close as you fucking can to leading the herd. Because when the hunt is on and your instincts kick in if you cant maintain with the alpha, you are fucking dead.

Where do you see yourself in this pack?

go on.....

Life Goals.

Relationship Goals.

The founders/employees of Rockwell Barbell. Chicago's premier rehabilitation center. Dedicated to transforming yesterdays skinny fat, bar crawler, beta boys into tomorrows bar bending, battle tested, men of the future. Ready, willing, and able to lead from the front.

wanna share this quote my buddy Eugene dropped today at Rockwell Barbell during our Floor Press burn outs. "We want to take people from being at the bar to being under the bar."

Read More

SATANIC GAINS. some exercises you may be missing out on.

Of the nine circles of Hell the weight room is by far by favorite.

 This post is a collection of some of my all time favorite lifts. Exercises that I always try work into my long range routine. These lifts have either helped me over come injury, improved muscle imbalance, enhanced my physique, or helped me reach a new PR on the REAL lifts. All of the featured lifts here I highly encourage you to try em out. They worked very well for me and I hope the same for you. I will be excluding the Big Three from this list because if you are not tracking those lifts are mandatory for real strength gains then you are hanging out with the wrong people or reading the wrong books. Get new friends and burn your books. 

V BAR PULLDOWN

in this photo the meathead is facing out for photo purposes. When you do this please face toward that machine. Its not necessary to draw attention to yourself in the gym. Let your muscles speak for themselves. BMF does not support the "water cooler runway". Stay in your corner, stay focused, and build your temple.

I rarely see anyone doing this in the gym. Well, I guess I should say "used to." At Rockwell Barbell the boys there know the drill. Before I lifted here I spent many years lifting at all kinds of gyms. Mainly military gyms on post, Cheetah Gym in Chicago, and Anytime Fitness in Olympia WA. Able to get a good read on dudes who were serious and who weren't. Anytime I saw a guy reaching for the v-bar I knew he was die hard.

This variation on the lat pull down has been a blessing for me. I give this exercise almost all the credit for sculpting my back, which I believe to be my strongest and best looking feature of my body. Watch the video below about proper lat pull down technique. This video was very helpful for me. Its short, contains no filler, he knows how to properly speak, and most importantly he is right. The dude hits the nail on the head with his explanation of the best form and why the V-Bar pull down builds a wider lat than the classic pulldown. He spends the later half of the video praising the merits of close grip pulldown and I could not agree more with him.

Another pro for this lift is you can move considerably more weight vs. classic lat pull down. So many guys sell themselves short on their back lifts. You will be surprised at how strong your back actually is. Test yourself and treat this like a deadlift. Get pumped up and dialed in. Attack the lift with hatred. This lift is incredibly satisfying mentally when you move that pin closer and closer to max capacity. 

RECOMMENDED FOR: making your traps cast shadows, making your friends yell out "Shredded Wheat" when they see you from behind, and getting that "tree stump" muscle in the middle of your back.

PRO TIP: Don't get into the mindset that accessory lifts are easy lifts. Treat every exercise as an extension of your strongest lift. Get serious and make yourself sweat. No exercise you preform in the weight room should be treated as Hotel Collection 1,000 Thread Count Egyptian Cotton 4-piece Bedding Set.

REAR DELT MACHINE 

Dude is so buff his head is fucking outside the frame of the photo. Muscles that transcend space and time....IM MIRIN'

Its not often that I give praise to the machines so if I do then you know its legit. This one really helped me overcome a nagging shoulder injury. For about a year and a half I could not do flat bench barbell work. Even 135lbs sent my shoulder screaming. I was forced to admit that the pain was to real and severe to push through. The cruel and unforgiving Iron Lords banished me to the wasteland of dumbells. Toiling among common folk, 5- day biceps bros, and iPhone curlers. It was weird and it sucked. Being robbed of glory from one of the "Original Six" lifts was embarrassing. I was turned onto this lift from one of my elite Army brothers. It is fun to do because after just one set your entire rear delt looks like a tumor. This muscle just activates and grows immediately.

My shoulder injury actually healed early on but I did not realize it because I was still feeling pain. Turns out I had over developed front delts. This is actually quite common. I spent three weeks incorporating this lift on all shoulder and chest days. Its like i was touched by the noodley appendage of the Spag Monster himself. I was cured. I went back to the flat bench after 18 months off and it was like someone gave me a new shoulder. Since then I have been very conscious over my rear delts and always keep them active. 

You can do DB bent over lateral raises if you do not have access to this machine but I warn you if your form is even a little off you will completely miss the rear delt. R. delt is a tricky son of a bitch. You gotta walk your rounds onto the target. Its different for everybody because every persons build is unique (not special snowflake neat. you are not special or important. Dont confuse my use of unique for your vein attempt to express yourself.) I like the machine because you can adjust the seat and toss a few reps around to zero in on your target muscle. 

RECOMMEND FOR: anyone who has nagging shoulder issues, over developed front delts, people not afraid of machines, men looking to make their T-shirts wear them instead of you wearing the T-shirt.

2 Kettle bell Front Squat

Kettle bells: the new yoga mat.

I am very green to the ways of the kettle bell but I have a keen interest in trying to incorporate them into my future routines. The first and only time so far I have ever used one was for this exercise. Crossfitters have shit and pissed on this vintage piece of strongman iron for the better part of a decade. What use to be synonymous with chest hair and communist Zangiff's in their backyard selling bootleg VHS tapes of their routines has now been reduced to a neon colored paper weight with foam comfort grips and soundproofing padded bottoms that fence walkers swing between their legs for "time" on a padded mat with their coach. Good to see some workhorses taking this back" bag of iron" from those busters.

Absolutely fucking killer. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. This lift fucked me up with some truth that my midsection was weak and my core is a bag wet bread. You feel this activate your entire core on the first rep. Its awesome. Not bullshitting you this is one of the harder exercises I have encountered in all my time in the weight room. Tough to do but man is it rewarding. 

CHECK THIS SIMPLE AND INFORMATIVE WEBSITE FOR BENEFITS AND PROPER EXECUTION OF THIS LIFT.

RECOMMENDED FOR: deadlift and squat improvement, core stability, building midsection stamina for big lifts, someone looking to shake up their routine and add something new to the fold. Also suggested for sadomasochists who need to get watery eyed in pain when they jerk off in most positions.

SPRINTS

Rugby butts drive me nuts. Im getting inside of that scrum and never leaving.

I don't really fucks wit cardio. I'm not fast-n-hard anti-cardio, I'm just more along the lines of it has its place and time. That being said if you are craving a sweat sesh after a hard nights drinking, a running junkie who refuses to quit cardio, or looking to turn up your heart rate then sprints are for you. 

Sprints are incredibly beneficial because they directly apply to real world situations and greatly enhance your rate of survival. In your life you will NEVER have to run 6 miles in one direction for ANY REASON other than because you want to. You may at some point in your life have to: sprint from someone trying to attack/rob you, sprint away from gun fire (or toward it depending on profession), sprint to catch the train before it leaves, sprint to the aid of your family or friends when they are in distress, sprint toward your enemy when you spot him inside you sector, sprint toward the TV's at the local mega chain store on black Friday, sprint toward the goal line in football or rugby, sprint off a cliff to get maximum air when you land in that body of water. Do you see what I am getting at here? There is one reason for long distance running. Just one. But just listed of like 7 things for short and fast running. Off top.

Sprints are not a hard sell. They are vital to our survival as a species. Its primal. Its ingrained into our goddamn genetics for fucks sake. (fight-or-flight response)

RECOMMENDED FOR: People who want to live, those who want to enhance the human species,  and poor people.

most of my friends life story.

WEIGHTED PULL-UPS

Further proof that lifting accessories are overrated not necessary to achieve strength.

If you cannot do a single pull-up than skip this lift and reevaluate you entire existence. Weighted pull ups are not only fun but provide just the right amount of challenge. I usually use a 25 or 35 pound weight or dumbbell. You can wrap chains around your neck if you wanna go Prison Yard style, you can hold a dumbbell between your feet, or tie the weight around your waist. so man different ways to do it. If you can do a few pull ups and you want to be able to knock out more than fart out a couple of these every list session despite what muscle group you are hitting. After like wo weeks when you go back to regular pull ups you will feel dramatically lighter. A great way to trick yourself into doing more reps than you think you can. The mind is a very weird thing. Your mind is what holds you back from making a lift 85% of the time. I truly believe that.

RECOMMEND FOR: people who wanna take photos of themselves looking hard, pull-up improvement, and sculpting/building abs,

CHAINS ON FLAT BENCH

Any excuse to use chains in the gym should be taken. They work best with flat bench IMO. I love throwing some chains on the end of the bar after a long bench session. Looking for that burnout bonus. Helps you get past a sticking point you may have in your attempt to achieve a new max. The weight gets lighter as the chains coil on the floor but as you push up the weight increase. The odd size of the weight really makes things interesting when your grinding out the last few reps. Get some!

RECOMMENDED FOR: everyone.


DUMBBELL TRICEP PRESS/EXTENSION

Is this Dana Carvey?

This is a great way to build up intimidating thickness in your arms. Ive been doing these for a long time. I can hit 110lbs. If you have any elbow issues I would either steer clear of this one or only hit a medium weight. Again, this is a lift best served heavy.  You can aggravate your elbows fairly easy when moving heavy weight. I prefer seated because it takes all other muscles out of the picture. You can do this one standing if you'd like. It will activate some of your core and legs. Keep your midsection tight when lifting it while on your feet. That way you are getting a 2-for-1 deal. Don't sell yourself short. Everyone's triceps are incredibly strong and resistant. If you wanna make your arms "fill out" and connect with the other arm muscles for that thick looks then add this to your arsenal.


CLOSE GRIP DUMBBELL PRESS

I don't know whether to place this into triceps or chest. Regardless it hammers each of em. You can almost feel your sternum stretching and widening with each set. My Unholy Trinity brethren Dan (IG: @grateful_dan) and Marino (IG:thatsalotofblood) turned me on to this move. Keep the weights together then move them slow on the downward and explosive on the push up. You can go incline too if you are feeling frosty. These are a good addition to the end of workout. No necessarily a burn out but really requiring every fiber to activate. I get a better pump and burn out of this when I go heavy. I suggest you grab a weight that is about 70% of your ability. In my experience the light weight, while still tough,  just didn't give me the same intensity.

RECOMMEND FOR: end of workout jam session, people who want to build that medial crease in the pecs, people not afraid to die.



"Some people would rather live in shit than be seen holding a shovel. I am not one of them. Pass me that fucking shovel."

screen shot of my mind en route to the gym.

vintage hammer curls.

It just wouldn't be a BMF blog post without a Mad Max, weightlifting, metalhead laying down the heavy metal law among his slave babes. When will this trend cycle back into fashion? The youth need weightlifting metal mentors now more than ever.

The Rockwell Barbell Squad cutting loose on the 4th of July. From left to right: Me aka Satanic Royalty, Marino aka The Muscely Medic, Hugene, Dan aka Prison Wallet or Mexican Henry Rollins, and Lawerence the heart, the black soul, the architect of Rockwell Barbell aka Lars, Big L, or Papa Pump.

 If you are a serious weightlifter, powerlifter, or a beautiful woman who is stronger than all of your girlfriends in or around Chicago and looking for a new weight room applications for the 2015 season to become a Prospect at Rockwell Barbell are now being accepted. Follow us on Instagram if you are trying to sniff out the kind of mentality we are carving. RB is trying to bring some new faces into the fold. Serious inquires only. If you can deadlift a horse or overhead press a human corpse we want to talk to you!  IG: rockwellbarbell

Even if you aren't looking for a new gym come follow us. If you are passing through the city and interested in getting in a few sessions shoot me an email and we will welcome you as our guest. Show this independently owned and operated blue collar gym in Chicago some love. share the profile with all your gay jock cockboy friends who need to get their ass into the proper mentality to build a cold hearted killer.

End of demo.

STAY GRIM AND HIT THE GYM.

Read More

VERBAL PREWORKOUT

you are required to read this out loud before your next lift.

Respect not pity or weakness, for they are a disease which makes sick the strong.


Test always your strength, for therein lies success.


Seek happiness in victory – but never in peace.


Enjoy a short rest, better than a long.


Come as a reaper, for thus you will sow.


Never love anything so much you cannot see it die.


Build not upon sand, but upon rock


And build not for today or yesterday but for all time.


Strive ever for more, for conquest is never done.


And die rather than submit.


Forge not works of art but swords of death, for therein lies great art. 


Learn to raise yourself above yourself so you can triumph over all.


The blood of the living makes good fertilizer for the seeds of the new.


He who stands atop the highest pyramid of skulls can see the furthest.


Discard not love but treat it as an imposter, but ever be just.


All that is great is built upon sorrow.


Strive not only forwards, but upwards for greatness lies in the highest.


Come as a fresh strong wind that breaks yet also creates.


Let love of life be a goal but let your highest goal be greatness.


Nothing is beautiful except man: but most beautiful of all is woman.


Reject all illusion and lies, for they hinder the strong.


What does not kill, makes stronger.”

– Codex Saerus, Order of Nine Angles

Read More