2009 Recap

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“So what are you guys doin’ tonight?”
“Eh, just gettin’ 70’s Big.”

Edit: Damn it, it is PR Friday. Forgot to add it to the post. Body weight, weight lifted, clothes ripped, girls lifted over head, food eaten, etc. Post it all to comments.

70’s Big started this year on September 22nd and has grown from an inside joke to a thriving community of people focused on getting strong. One of our primary goals is to help change the mindset in people that skinny is not good, and being strong and useful is. I can’t think of any reason why being stronger would be a bad thing, and last time I checked, when a guy presses his girlfriend overhead, she giggles with glee.

I write the majority of the content for this site. While I’m not very good at it, I think I get the message across (even though some of you can’t understand when I say things tongue-in-cheek). My friend Gant always chimes in with insightful posts and interviews, my friends Chris and AC always give me sources of inspiration, and I just want to say Brent’s name so he doesn’t get upset again. Rip and co. have also been willing to help answer any questions that I have and make sure that my head is on straight.

My emphasis on this site always will be that getting stronger is going to help whatever it is you are trying to do (at the very least, living life). In order to get stronger, you must get bigger. This message has brought (at the time of me typing this) 417,620 total page views with the daily average now above 5,000 on a weekday and over 3,000 on both days in the weekend (Note: This is not the same as individual visitors, just individual page views). 70’s Big has been linked in Denmark, Germany, the UK, Australia, in the far reaches of North America, and probably some other European countries (I got an e-mail that was entirely in Czech the other day). A few days ago we were linked in the comments on the Huffington Post, which was amusing.

70sbig

Since this community continues to grow, I want to clarify that everybody is welcome on this website regardless of background. Lots of bodybuilding forums link to us, usually while shooting our philosophy down, but I still welcome that demographic if they aim to get stronger. Regardless of your goal or sport, if you are getting stronger, then you have come to the right place. This website will be most helpful if you are an obnoxiously skinny dude who weighs less than 200 pounds, but I assure you we will have more interesting stuff in the coming months.

I’d like to thank the readers/posters because you all have helped garner the idea that we are supportive of anyone trying to get strong. We are not a community that thinks we are better than others and we certainly are not locked into some ridiculous singular mindset (err…other than that stronger is better). Anyway, enough of this kiss-assery, I just hope you learn something beneath all of the eggnog and brisket.

With that being said, everyone is welcome to submit material to the website at any time. Videos and pictures are always welcome, but make them interesting enough to be posted. Content is always welcome from experienced lifters or competitors as they can give an insight into lots of things that us younger guys don’t understand yet. At the very least you will help me get through those slow days when it is 10:00 PM and I’m staring at the laptop screen irritated as hell. Fortunately I have an uncanny (or bullshit) ability to improvise.

Anyway, let’s get crackin’ on the new year. Whoever you are; right now, you are not strong enough. You are not big enough. You have work to do, especially if you are going to lift your girlfriend overhead.
Note: For the girls reading this, you’ll just be hotter when you’re stronger. If you are in a relationship where you can lift your boyfriend overhead, then you need to leave him and call me. Soon.

Oh, and this is your New Years present:

95 thoughts on “2009 Recap”

  1. Good stuff guys. I gained 40+ lbs in the two months I”ve been on the SS program, started Nov. 1 at 160 lbs now weighing in over 200 lbs with plenty of room to grow.

    I am a novice trainee working out at home with considerable gains all around. My only concern is not having enough weight to load on the bar.

    2 mos. of training:
    300# squat
    300# deadlift
    175# bench
    125# press

    I feel these are all great PRs to start the new year, that and last nights chop down. Keep the good stuff comin” and I”ll keep getting stronger.

  3. No PRs… I have actually lost weight over the break. I have no set schedule down here in the jungle, and food is relatively scarce.. Also, couldnt really get a 3-week contract at a gym down here.. Im going to train again full-blown as soon as school starts.

    Great website!

  4. Way to go DrMcFacekick! Something happens to you when you get your first pull up, you”ll never feel the same way about yourself again :) Good luck!!
    PR this week-
    Added 30# to my Front Squat- 165# 3×1
    Also set a few Rowing interval PRs- I think its because my Deadlift is getting stronger!

  8. @ Justin Shit I didn”t think I was even bein subtle!

    @MkingW Just a little knee bounce Push press and Kelly will go right up! She does need to put the fork down and start doing table presses though!

    Do the work!

  12. A new adult male signing in…

    1st Jan 2009 PRs
    Bench Press: 5 Reps @ 80kg
    Power Cleans: 3 Reps @ 60kg

    Im still on the linear progress, and have only been cleaning for the last few months – but wished i had started sooner.

    But better late than never, thanks for the site guys myself (and the wife) are looking forward to me getting 70s Big!

  13. Squat 340 x 3 x 5
    Deads 365 x 1 x 3
    Cleans 205 x 5 x 3
    Press 155 x 3 x 5
    Bench 245 x 3 x 5

    Best time to work out is during a deployment. Finally coming home and hoping I can keep it going. Deadlift sucks because I always do it last. Last 1×5 work set was actually 345. Tried 365 for a triple and almost crapped my pants.

  14. Hey guys, I don”t know any of you but Gant, who turned me on to the site. I would consider myself a very novice lifter. Anyhow, even though it”s 1.2.2010, I will post my PR”s of the day:

    1) Front Squat – 275
    2) Clean – 225

    I just started a program that includes lifting heavy and some oly lifts. The rest of it is a hodge podge of other crap that I think works.

  16. 25lbs increase in squat
    5 lbs increase in press
    10lbs increase in power clean
    4lbs increase BW

    missed friday workout again, luckily no holidays till easter.

  17. PRs for the week:

    Bench- 190 3×5 with ease. After fixing my shoulder and form issues the weight is feeling light probably gonna bump my progressions by 10lbs next week.

    Press- 140 4,4,2 could not get the god damned 5th rep and the last set was embarassing, I probably drank too much the nights before.

    Deadlift- 325 for 5. Was light.

    No squats this week because there wasnt really anytime and I was a pussy about it.

    Binge drinking since dec 23, tonight will be the last time I party, til the next time.

  18. No PRs this week. Shaking the first sinus infection of the season (damn you mountain cedar) sans anti-biotics. Everything fires back up on Monday. I am starting to work in C&J, front squats, and snatch. Justin, I will be coming back up soon for some work on the snatch.

  22. Solid week:
    Squat 245×10(up from 230×10 last week)

    DL 315×11 (up from 295×11 last week)

    BW 168(shitty but starting a cut for a BB show I dont wanna do anymore. FML)

  26. havent posted PRs in a while.. things have been damn good tho. been drinking icecream protein oats fruit peanut butter nutella shakes. since then ive gone from barely over 200 pnds to a good 210.

    squatted 320 3×5 easy
    benched 265 3×5 easy
    deadlift 320 1×5 easy (chalk is king)
    press 165 3×5 pretty hard gonna do it again till i feel good about it.

    justin. any pointers on how to get your elbows up in front more on power cleans? cant seem to stretch them out as far as they should go.

    Too little info. This may be a grip-width issue. Are you inflexible to do so, or can you just not catch it with your elbows high?

    –Justin

  27. prs:

    squat 245x5x3

    bench: 165x5x3

    dead 290×5

    pullup- bw + 50 x5x3

    bw = 155.. slowly on my way. height 5”8..

    let me say that this site is a real inspiration to keep doing what i”m doing when people all around me say things like “dude.. you should start isolating” or “look at that strongman.. i bet that guy curls a ton”

  29. [cha0sblader]:”How come you guys dont have any men’s medium size 70’s Big shirts? I drown in a large.”

    They do have Medium; that IS the women”s size. That is part of your humiliation for still being a medium, you have to purchase from the women”s section. Sorry.

    It is the same shirt btw.

  31. Bench 185 5×3
    Press 120 5/5/4
    Squat 250 5×3
    Dead 265 5×1
    Body weight 189 (Gained 8 pounds over my three week break)

    Leg is now fully healed and my lower body strength is almost back to my previous peak.

  33. thanks a lot for clearing that up, justin. looking forward to all the great info and laughs, and to getting bigger and stronger..

    happy new year, everybody!

  34. This is a little off topic but I would like to nominate Krom as the official deity of 70s big. For those who do not know, Krom is the god of steel worshipped by Conan in the movie Conan the Barbarian. In the (fictional)days of Conan, good steel made the best sword, today, good steel is used to make the finest barbells and like Conan we can pray to Krom, strong in his mountain, when we do hard things that make us stronger!

  35. Squat: 380×1
    Bench: 275×1
    Deadlift: 410×1

    All pretty easy. Was going for two reps on Bench, but had an over-eager spotter. Still a 5 lb PR.

  36. first post. i”ve trained with the esteemed AC before though, so that should give me some immediate street cred lol

    current pr:

    Squat 280 3×3
    Deadlift 280 1×5
    Press 137 3×5
    Bench 205 3×5

    Weight: 205

    2010 Goals:

    Squat 315x3x5
    Deadlift 405x1x5
    Press 185x3x5

    I finally ordered an EliteFTS Retro belt today too..

  37. Too little info. This may be a grip-width issue. Are you inflexible to do so, or can you just not catch it with your elbows high?

    –Justin

    @justin.. sorry bout the lack of info thanks for gettin back to me tho. it seems a flexibility issue. i have tried a few different widths nothing too drastic i think. is wide or narrow the better way to get the bows up? the main problem is i cant get my arms to fold all the way down so my elbows raise up to the appropriate height. ive tried fixing it by gowing down a substantial amount with no real solution. any ideas? haha thanks mang

  39. height: 6”4
    BW: 230
    bench: 255×5
    squat: 315×10
    deads: 375×7
    press: 155×7
    dead hang chins (after pressing): 15
    dead hang chins (fresh): 23

    my last squat day sucked, so i went with the previous weeks.

    food PRs:

    dinner last night was an entire whole, roasted chicken with cubed potatoes and carrots.

    dinner tonight: two prime rib philly french dip sandwiches with sweet potato fries, all of which was homemade.

    should”ve taken pictures.

  42. I was recently introduced to your site and I try and check it daily. I””m a CrossFitter from Oklahoma. I love reading your posts! I dont normally post on random sites, but your disclaimer about the note to to girls and “if you are in a relationship where you can lift your boyfriend overhead, then you need to leave him”. I recently had a situation like this. I””m not quite to overhead, but pretty close ;) It made me laugh and I wanted to share. Keep up the good work!

    Note: Oklahoma is close to Wichita Falls. I live there. Just sayin’.

    –Justin

  45. Lifting since Feb 2011 5’10 270

    Benched 315, 320, 325, 330 and 335 for singles last week

    Pressed 190×2

    Dead lift 350×5

    Lost 4-5 lbs this week cleaning up my diet and pants legs getting tighter and tighter. I give a lot of credit to this fine website. Thanks for all the info and motivation!

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