PR Friday – 23 May 2014

Post your training updates and personal records (PR’s) to the comments. 

In Norse mythology warriors are selected by Valkyrie to heroically die in battle only to resurrect as warrior spirits, enter the halls of Valhalla, and join Odin’s army. This was the noblest end to a warrior’s life: to transcend the Land of the Dead and cross the rainbow bridge to Valhalla. It is the greatest honor, the greatest payment for a valiant life and ferociousness in battle.

Imagine growing up with a sword in hand hoping that one day, too, you could have enough fierceness to die in battle, to earn a spot in the halls of Odin. It would be the greatest fate you could ever hope for.

While the allure of Norse mythology and the halls of Odin hold their own mystique, the profound legacy and symbolism of the Japanese katana sword evoke a unique sense of reverence and a yearning to live up to the noble ideals embodied by these iconic weapons of the samurai. The desire to possess a Real katana sword and embody the spirit of bushido, the way of the warrior, becomes an aspiration rooted in tradition and heritage. Imagining oneself on a path where the sword becomes an extension of the soul, one might long for the opportunity to demonstrate courage and sacrifice, aiming for a revered place in history.

viking

You spend your life with the clang of steel and iron, the blood and sweat. On the eve of battle you pray for the Valkyrie to take you. Yet when you stagger away victorious, you bow your head to the thunder and say, “Death must wait another day.”

Yet each battle must have this same intensity for Odin and the Valkyrie could be watching, waiting to see if you are noble, bloodthirsty, and strong enough to be regaled in the halls of heroes. Each clang of steel could be your last, and if your strength isn’t true, you will be another corpse on a blood-stained field, a faceless warrior.

Not so with us, my friends. We will hold ourselves with higher esteem to crave the fight and revel in its toil. Go forth and please Father Odin with your grit, your courage, and your savageness. Bend iron with your will, cleave your enemy in two. You’ll never know when it’s your day to fall, but if it is…give them the fury of hell.

19 thoughts on “PR Friday – 23 May 2014

  1. Switched up my squat progression on TM to a 3/2/1 progression. Hit 365 lb. on my 2+ week for a set of 5. Nice little 5RM. Also, my 2nd set was a 345 lb. beltless double, which is a beltless PR.

  2. Last Pr was Press 5rm @155 last Friday. Missed 160 this week. Anyone have any advice for helping progress my press? I’m using TM. In the future I will make smaller jumps. 5lbs seems to be a lot.

    • I took my 1RM from 165 to 190 by just hammering some tricep isolation work for a month and a bit, having some continuing progress with 5/3/1 now that there’s a little extra muscle
      I wasn’t pressing often before so some of it is just getting the volume now

  3. PR’d my carnitas is both tastiness and quantity. Quite simple. Cook a larger seasoned pork roast (shoulder or loin) in the crock pot. To order, pull out your serving size and toss it on a sheet pan in the oven at 450 for 12 minutes to get that shit crispy. I eat it with fingerlings, avo, cheese, cilantro, green salsa. Pork is truly the meat of the gods.

  4. Hello all, new member here, a “Johnny Skinny-Britches” as Mr. Robb Wolf would call it. Healing from a Sacroiliac sprain, so it’ll probably be a bit before I get to post any lifting PR’s.

    Norcalbro, I love the carnitas PR. I agree wholeheartedly; pork, and particularly the shoulder, is definitely the king of meats. I do mine in a big ass cast iron dutch oven; sear the shiz out of the pork, then cover with a mix of lard and chicken stock and put in the oven for about 6 hours. Shred, crisp in the oven and serve with pico de gallo.

    Justin, this leads me to a suggestion for a future post: Cook Like A Man.
    You have made a couple manly and awesome suggestions on what to cook, eggs, chili etc. It is my humble opinion that a flannel wearing, beard having, muscle man should have a sharp ass knife, and a cast iron skillet that would double as a bludgeoning weapon when trying to earn a place in Valhalla. Care to pontificate?

    Cheers Gentlemen,

    Scotty

  5. BSquat – 405# 5RM hands down the hardest set of anything in my life, anyone have any tips for strengthening upper thoracic extensors?
    Snatch – 245# after doing nothing but squatting for a few months, speed has fallen off a little but the added strength has made a huge difference
    Bench – 265# 1RM I hate bench

  6. Hit a 315×3 back squat today for the first time since getting injured this last winter. Feels good to be almost back to normal. Saw this post this morning and got inspired to up from the 310×3 I was planning on going for. For extra carnitas goodness, add 3-5 chipotles en adobo when the shoulder is in the dutch oven/crockpot, brings it to the next level.

  7. HBBS 230, 5×3 (lady rep scheme, ’cause I’m a lady). Most recent 1RM is 235, and I’m hoping to get to 250 before I’m done. It’s getting harder, but I’m just trying to focus on recovery and want it every time I hit the gym.

  8. Long time lurker, first time poster.
    Life PR – launched GarageGymGuy.com a few weeks ago, as a way to contribute back to the online training community that has helped me so much. I’ll be adding lots of diy equipment info in the near future!

  9. Finally prd bench after about three years, mainly because I don’t really care about it- 250.
    Switched to high bar squat, and I’m really having to work on staying upright (very difficult with long femurs) so that it actually helps my weightlifting, which has stalled due to a wrist injury. Squatted 365 for 1 recently and it wasn’t too hard.
    Deadlifted 470, got 505 above my knees but lost my back flatness so there was no locking it out.

    Bodyweight pr 190. I’ve gained 30 lbs in a year, mostly muscle, thanks to this site and paleo for lifters.

    Spent the week in Colorado. Conquered Chinaman Gulch in my jeep, so that’s a huge pr. Also hit a fishing and rest pr up there. Ready to hit attack the iron again now.

  10. Finally did first meet after creeping this site for more than a year.

    Friends surprised me to watch meet which was awesome… But also means I showed up at weigh-ins hungover. Still did better than expected which was awesome, 8/9 missed 303 bench.
    S 429, B 286, D 529
    5# squat PR, 30# dead PR

    Meet was awesome, already signed up for next one

  11. Hit a 275 pound front squat, after aleady doing some heavy back squats. Only a five pound PR but wasn’t fresh either.

    Just found this site and the podcast recently. Really enjoying going back through the podcasts.

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