Three Things

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1. Here is an interesting article that will be useful for a very small percentage of you. I’ll explain why in a later post, but it’s an interesting read.

2. I’ve explained this in a comment, but not everyone reads all of the comments.
I’m not hurting for writing ideas. When I write something for the site, I’ll write out my draft, then go back through it at least once and edit it to make it more concise and vigorous. The process of writing a simple post takes, at the minimum, 30 minutes for a useful and entertaining article (the average time would be over an hour). There are times when I a) don’t want to spend my night writing a post, b) don’t have time to spend my night writing a post, and c) am not in the mood to be moderately entertaining in the post. Hardly any of you care when I write about something in a dry manner (although its application is very useful for you — example). The two posts with the highest page views and individual visitors are this and this. The first post is me in a speedo and the second is Rachel in a sports bra. That’s totally fine with me (I’m amused by the former), but the reality is that hardly any of you will give a hoot unless I’m thoroughly entertaining.

If one of the above reasons occurs and I’m not planning on writing a proper article, then I’ll usually post a video, picture, or story as a filler. I’ll remind you that this website has posted five days a week for over a year, and I don’t have much compensation aside from the fact that I’m helping a lot of people. I’m not asking for anything, I’m just pointing out that it’s a variable in deciding whether or not I’m going to spend an hour or two out of my day providing daily content.

Luckily you can do something about this. You can send me videos, pictures, stories, questions, testimonials, and the like that have anything to do with 70’s Big (literal or allegorical), strength training, food, conditioning, fitness, women who train, etc. This will give me “filler” content in between posts where I actually do write out an original article/post.

3.

31 thoughts on “Three Things”

  2. You could just create a post with just the title “Brent’s Traps…” once a week, that will be filler enough for the entire week, if not years!

  4. So I guess this means no monthly challenge this month…..

    Just bustin balls. We appreciate the time and effort you put in all of the posts, even if some of the jagoffs don’t always seem like it.

    Thank you.

  7. Well put.

    I thought it was common knowledge that you were not low on ideas and you are just spreading them out over the year.

    WannaBBurly

    Thats an awesome vid!

  11. Love the site. Would totally buy more merch “sweatshirts,beenies. speedos, etc.” Spent along time doing CrossFit and fell into the site. Now I love doing strength training bias. I feel OK about my size and I’m sure that this resonates with a lot of other readers. I would be stoked to see your take on strength bias oly programming. Would also dig another West Coast seminar tour. Stay Big

  12. Nate – check out Justin’s December 25, 2009 post. He posted a program that will “not only help a novice to increase their strength, but their performance in the Olympic lifts as well.”

    Monday — Clean and jerk (heavy), Snatch (light)
    Tuesday — Squat, Press, Chin-ups
    Wednesday — OFF
    Thursday — Snatch (heavy), Clean and Jerk (light)
    Friday — Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift

  13. I’ll second the request for a “70’s big” take on Olympic lifting training… or rather I suppose something more along the lines of a 70’s big program for those of us who like being good at both powerlifting and olympic lifting. Although that probably qualifies as a fairly time consuming article.

    If you’re pressed for time how about an “a week in the life” post? What does a typical week in the training life of Justin Lascek look like? Or Brent, or A.C., or assorted posters…you get it.

  14. Monday — Clean and jerk (heavy), Snatch (light)
    Tuesday — Squat, Press, Chin-ups
    Wednesday — OFF
    Thursday — Snatch (heavy), Clean and Jerk (light)
    Friday — Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift

    I did this program over the summer. My oly lifts and squats went pretty smoothly, but my press/bench stagnated and my deadlift went up a little slower than I would have liked. I was doing PPAN prior to this so I wasn’t used to deadlifting after a heavy 3×5 squat which probably had something to do with it. If I could go back I probably would have left out the bench entirely and just pressed twice a week. I think it has better carryover to the oly lifts and if you’re chinning and pressing it’s practically impossible for your bench to go down.

  15. “… but the reality is that hardly any of you will give a hoot unless I’m thoroughly entertaining.”

    You can’t say you didn’t see this one coming.

  16. So the Dec. ’09 program has sets across of the powerlifts two days a week 3 x5? Do you try for 5-10lb increases with a back-off when stalling 1-3 times? I tried the Starting Strength program and it didn’t work for me. I guess I am no longer a novice. I have been doing 5-3-1 for the last 5 months and have been seeing good number increases. I was thinking of switching to a Texas template after I stalled on all four lifts. I miss the O lifts and am considering switching to a strength program from Greg E.’s book but I’m worried about the technique flaws that could stall progress. I am not willing to sacrifice strength for bumble-fucking around with the snatch variations.Any suggestions for an intermediate strength template?

  17. Justin

    One space filler idea might be a 70’s big Halloween costume contest. People can submit pics/ideas for costumes. With the goal of it being 70’s big and somewhat recognisable by ‘normal’ people.

  18. Justin,

    don’t sweat it, nobody is forcing you to make an article a day. Take your time, I’d be more then happy if you posted once a week. You are doing a great job!

  19. Im not a frequent commenter. But visit the site everyday.

    Your posts on programming highly interest me (especially your conditioning/strength hybrid.) I think a lot of us have varying training goals aside from pure strength (Im training for the tough mudder). Understanding the pursuit of strength is a long term goal, I hate the idea of abandoning my strength training, or the idea that its completely futile to do, while training for other fun and beneficial activities. So, yea, I dig the programming stuff.

    Additionally, I thought your post on football S&C programs was extremely entertaining and elicited a lengthy dialogue from the community. Whether I agreed or not is inconsequential, you brought to light a perspective that I found entertaining.

    The highly in depth form break downs tend to make my eyes glaze over because my knowledge of anatomy ends with the female genitals (and mine of course).

    Just my two cents. Pics of chicks lifting in sports bras is fucking awesome though. Perhaps a competition is in order? Or weekly submissions?

    Love the site, interesting link today as well.

    My post was fucking long, I’m out.

  24. I actually find everything on this site to be very useful to my training. I just don’t have much to say/offer in response to anything. (Especially while I’m at work!).

    To be honest, I avoided the site for a few days after the speedo pics were unleashed. And I don’t remember anyone in a sports bra.

    Regardless, the information regarding training, programming, technique, food, recipies etc… has been huge in helping me get stronger.

    I started this adventure at 150lbs, gained 50lbs in 3 months. A few months after that I’m at around 210-212. I’m a LOT stronger than I was before, and have a new/productive passion in life.

    I pay attention.

  25. Brent Kim once insulted Chuck Norris’ moustash, informing him it was up to 70’s Big standards. Chuck was thoroughly pissed and attempted to round-house kick Brent, but he shrugged it off!

    Justin keep up the good work, this site is deadly!

    I love the Speedo pics (no homo), I dream of one day frollicing on a beach in Florida like that!

  27. Ok so maybe I’m the only dude that read the article but I thought it was very interesting. One question: why wouldn’t a heavy single or triple on deadlift transfer into better explosion on the clean? The author says he prefers body weight for the explosive side of PAP over strength-speed stuff but doesn’t really give justification. Still a great article.

  28. Justin,
    This is bullshit! The millions you make from this international phenomenon that is 70’s Big should give you plenty of capital to hire another writer. Perhaps 5. I demand 2 posts a day! Long ones too.

    PAP article was interesting. I’m going to squat 500 then see if I can dunk right after. I will be quite let down if it does not happen. Fisrt I need to find a basketball hoop. I can not think of any out where I live. Crap.

    I laughed at the dunking comment. I imagined an exaggerated behind the head dunk.

    –Justin

  29. X2 on.what homer said.

    There is a lot of good material on here. All you gotta do is find it, which isn’t that hard because google makes it effortless.

    Also….as soon as I made my dumb ass dead lift video to get comments, I got a comment stating” dude you are skinny as hell, eat a sandwich.”

    Which one of you guys was it?

  31. Hey Justin, what’s up from your UCLA fan club. We actually cite your work extensively in our efforts. If you want to see people who’ve been plagued by decrepitude from a life of sitting suddenly come alive to deadlift a couple hundred pounds, we can make that happen. Keep the goods coming!

    We’re dealing with a similar issue on our end. People are starting to think they’re strong enough and are dropping off the radar. So we’re trying to figure out a better retention program. Perhaps incentives for prs might work…

    AC had this problem. He’d get people strong and then they would think they had it all figured out and bail. Getting a club that does some local meets might work. Good to hear from you guys (I think one of you e-mailed me last year or earlier this year).

    –Justin

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