Thanks

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In the time that I’ve had this website, I’ve been fortunate enough to meet a lot of great people through the internet or in person. Some of you have become my good friends like Al, Tom, Hom, Jacob, Briskin, Ben, and Saul and Becky. I’ve also met a lot of awesome people doing the workshops:

Chicago – Ellee, Cori, Doogie, Cory, and Jay
Canada – My bicepped studs Paul and Chris (with their better halves), Rowan, and Mark
Monterey – Gabe, Nate, Mariah, Bill, Elliott, Harj, and Robin
Australia – Pete (top fucking bloke), Shannon (another top bloke), Harvey (awesome dude — see the trend?), Shane (both of them), Stuart — and all of you other fuckers. You guys were all great.

And that’s just from the past few months. There’s all kinds of great people like Ruth and Sean (power couple), Marcus, and Avelyn from CF Intrepid; Lisa in Santa Monica; Ryan Huseman and the Coffman’s at CF Amarillo; Ian and Allison at CF Centurion. And of course I’ve got homeys like Jacob Cloud, Kittensmash, and Brian who I actually need to meet to prove you aren’t just mouth breathers on the computer (like Tom is). Then there’s a lot of you I interact with in the comments and in the chat room — you all are too numerous to name.

Gabe shirt: You can run but you can't hide. Brent shirt: Unrequited love is for chumps



Lastly there are all of you who are watchers on the wall, never posting but quietly observing. When I meet you guys you always say, “Yeah, I read the site all the time, but never post.” Ah, that’s fine, but I welcome you to interact with all of us all the same. The interaction in this community is one of the best parts about running this site. We’ve managed to learn from each other, remain open to new ideas, accept newcomers, and encourage new lifters. Some of you have gone to meets, gotten stronger, or gotten better. Even though I don’t put up every e-mail that says, “Hey, you really helped me do this, thank you,” it makes it all worth it. It makes me sheepishly smile when some dude says they had a great fucking time at their first meet. The site started to help people with their training and I hope it’s done that for you, regardless of the amount of impact.

This site attracts the most fantastic and nicest people I’ve met in my life and if I believed in silly shit like luck and fate, I’d almost think I was lucky. 70’s Big thrives because you guys are here. My only complaint is that I can’t have a grand 70’s Big gathering to do a whole lot of ridiculous training, meat eating (earmuffs), and ale drinking (or can we…?). In any case, I appreciate all of you. In a hetero way.

I also like seeing your updates and PRs in the comments on PR Friday (which is today). I do read every comment that comes on this site, and I remember more of you than I should. I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. In any case, gg. See you out there.

USAPL Raw Nationals
is this weekend in Scranton, PA. Chris, Mike, Alex, Brent, and I will be there. Brent won’t be lifting because of a recent hamstring injury. Brent and I will be training (i.e. making our lats sing) somewhere on Saturday, so if you have any recommendations let us know here, the fan page, or twitter (the latter will show up on my phone).

93 thoughts on “Thanks”

  1. Figured I’d actually make a comment for once. Thanks for bringing the community together Justin. We all certainly appreciate it. In fact just last sunday I got to meet Jacob myself at the Pendlay seminar, and discovered he’s also a fellow rugby player, on top of being a capital citizen.

  2. Oh, and since it’s PR friday I guess I should post PRs.

    Snatch 115 10k PR (ugly power snatch at the seminar)

    Jerk 160 (ugly again)

    Squat 515#

    Push Press 260# 3×5

    Front Squat 395# 3×3

    Injury PR: caught a clean a little funny two days ago. Felt a huge pop in my right knee. Getting an MRI tomorrow morning. Doc suspects it’s either a sprain or tear of my LCL. Probably from 3 days of going heavy straight from being inspired by the seminar. Hope it doesn’t keep my out too long. I’d like to get back to work and want to make Nationals next year.

  3. Man, I’m tearing up at the computer!

    I haven’t been in gym since April, due new kid and new job. So I’ve been keeping it real down at the park with the gymnastic rings and the fucking big hill. Yesterday I finally nailed a really solid back lever. My handstands are improving, and I’ve put 5s on both L-sit and tucked planche.

    I hope to get back to the gym when it starts getting cold. It’ll be interested to see how my lifts have been affected.

    Gotta do what you gotta do. Antigen likes thinking about ways to stay strong without a gym. Maybe we’ll film some stuff next week.

    –Justin

  4. Great post Justin, we appreciate all the work you put into this site and community!

    No training this week, had a good week last week getting back on track, but so many thing going on this week.

  5. Thanks for the site, Justin. Keep working on the Boston seminar and you can check having met at least two more awesome folks for real.

    Overflow from yesterday’s comments:

    @Justin: profit was a south park underpants gnome allusion. way to miss it :P

    @Stroup: my numbers are tainted by being a completely untrained novice in and around the time I went paleo. we’re friends on facebook, yes? go poke around. I went from 200 to 165 by lifting heavy things and eating “better.” the most drastic change was when i finally gave in and dropped dairy for a month, I lost 9 lbs really quickly. Right now I’m 175ish and struggling to get back to 165 for weightlifting.

    Again, my lift numbers are misleading for a whole bunch of reasons, but my recovery and energy levels are definitely better eating this way.

  8. One of those readers that lurks but doesn’t comment right here. I’m going to change that starting next week after my vacation, but with the lack of Fit as my beach reading. For shamee

  9. I was really hoping to do 400 3 x 5 today and annihilate my goal of 400 1 x 5 for the year before transitioning into TM for squats. As it were, I got a charlie horse in my right thigh during lunchtime football which derailed plans for Wednesday’s workout and I was not able to recover for today (in fact, despite treatment my thigh hurts and now both ankles and my lower back are tight, this is the worst). So instead of hitting my goal this week and doing a reduced volume week next week before my vacation I guess I will do a ramp up set on Monday (I hope) and then pick up where I left off for Wednesday and Friday of next week.

    Oh, and maybe I am preaching to the converted here, but the Texas Method book is legit. I am happy I picked it up.

  10. I’ve been a fan since a year or more ago. Thank you for the solid content and humourosity. New word.

    DL:
    Pulled 405 last week.

    Gym rant PR, in chronological point-form:
    -school chum benches 155 x 2
    -suggests that since going off of creatine his bench has fallen…
    -tells me his new plan for loosing weight is eating a grand total of cereal, two bananas, and apple, one (1) chicken breast and a shake…IN A WHOLE DAY.
    -“Thats the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard” says I. I proceed into rant about passion, inspiration, strength (the foundation of health,) being a viking, and bacon.
    -I’ll turn him around…my plan is very cruel mockery (How’s that Jenny Craig going?) and then placing the poor lost soul under something heavy when it all falls down around him.

  11. About 5 weeks out of ACL reconstruction and partial lateral meniscectomy, I’m proud to say I’m leg pressing 15 pound easily now :D

    hammer grip chins/pull ups: 25×4, 12.5×6 and a final set of 7 BW wide grip pull ups.
    Any advice on how to increase pull up strength?

  12. Another “daily reader, first time poster” here. 70’s Big is my fav blog and as someone new to lifting I have found the site to be really inspirational and educational. Keep up the great work, Justin!

    Conan PR – watched both the Arnie Conan movies and off to see the new one this weekend. Might also watch Red Sonja again…Brigitte Nielsen for the test boost!

  13. Thanks for this site Justin. It has been a great source of information and motivation that has helped keep me training.

    I don’t have any PR’s to mention this week other than recruitment pr’s. I had been training in my garage gym for the past 7-8 months and have recruited some new workout partners who are interested in becoming 70’s big. They had never squatted or deadlifted so it should be fun.

  14. thank you Justin, you do a ton of work and put together a ton of content and all for free. I’ve learned tons from this site that has no doubt made me bigger, stronger, and a smarter, more technical lifter. I no longer just F-off at the gym, I train. And even though you never published my first meet write-up, if it made you sheepishly smile, then that’s cool. haha.

    I don’t know that I could afford a 70s Big workshop, but if you come to Boston for one, I may just have to diaper my children with papertowels and duct tape for a few weeks to make that happen. I can’t have a workshop that close and not attend.

    On to training realted topics: Still not in PR land yet, but plugging along on GSLP. Was on vacation last week and made due with my in-laws light duty weight set 1 day and did a ton of swimming in the pool. Got some nasty food poisoning on the way home. I repeated the previous week’s workouts this week. Which include:

    Squat – 290x5x2, 290×6
    Bench – 200x5x2, 200×7

    Can’t recall my press numbers, and I’m deadlifting this weekend.

    Still spots open in the 70s Big Fantasy Football league, join up at Yahoo!

    League ID#: 383427
    password: squat

  15. Ok I will take a step back from trolling and ballbusting to give thanks to KstarrJr.

    Throughout my brief time training I have ran into all sorts of little injuries first in my tibial tuberosity (I wouldnt ever know that word if it wasnt for Lascek) and then in my low back. Justin helped me through both of those. Each time I asked him for health I saw an immediate gain in the speed at which my strength rose. He did this for free. When I approached other related online coaches I got the take a weeks or weeks off, or just keep squatting pussy mentality. But justin said “hey you got a weak so and so and this needs to be fixed, here is how I would fix it, if that doesnt work try this.” Again. He is clutch as fuck. So yeah.

  17. Awww, what a sweet little post. Bless your heart, Justin :)

    Since I got a shout-out, I figure that I should post some training info . . .

    Bench: 115# 3×5

    Dips at BW: 3 sets of 11

    Dips +10#: 4 sets of 6 (I know. Weird rep/set scheme. We’ll see if Justin disapproves)

    Chinups: Was FINALLY able to string the 6 rep on there. I typically do 4-5 sets of 5 reps and have never had enough ammo left for the guns to crank out the 6th. Looks like I found a second clip :)

    Oh. And thank YOU, Justin!

  18. Justin,
    First time commenter – the subtle Bilbo Baggins reference seduced me out of lurker status.

    Thanks for convincing me to squat twice per week. All metrics are improving as a result, including hip/back mobility and the near disappearance of knee/back pain.

    Here’s a potential post topic/bullet point for you:
    I know absolute strength is all that matters, but when we calculate percentages of our squat, should we factor bodyweight?

    Let’s say a guy can squat 405 for a single, and he weighs 200. When he calculates 80% of his 1RM, wouldn’t factoring what his hips and upper body weigh make sense? 80% of 405 = 325. But factoring in the bodyweight, less the legs, we get: 405+120(bw-legs) = 525*.8=420-120 = 300lbs. Not to over emphasize percentages, but this idea just popped up the other day, and I figured I’d field it.

    I’m geeking out on you here, but you asked for this by asking for more comments. Thanks, – Bryce

  20. Quick question. I’ve read some things and heard KStar talk about reverse hypers to kind of rehab the low back and restore the SI region of the glutes and so forth. Does anyone have a good way to do this movement without the typical reverse hyper machine?

  23. 70sBig is awesome. I credit this site (and therefore Justin) with making me want to be frighteningly strong instead of pretty fit and about as strong as a nine year old. I’ll still be hoiking (heavier) barbells over my head in ten years time, assuming I don’t get eaten by a walrus or something, and that is tremendously cool.

    Anyway, now I’m off to train, along with my wife who is also now lifting after seeing the effects it had on me. Double bonus points.

  24. Saturday tied my overall Clean&Jerk PR at 110, then squatted 145×5 for another PR.

    Last night I beat the AI on “hard” setting in SC2 for the first time. (PvT) (lol)

    Thanks for providing many e-friends and the overall community Justin. I have learned a lot and have made new friends (both irl and e)

  25. <3 you too, man. GG.

    By the way no PRs to report yet because I'm about to start on this new advanced TM program next week. I'll keep erryone updated on that.

  26. @bodhi off a desk or table or anything like that where you can hold your torso horizontally with your hips free to move. The taller the furniture, the more ROM you can get. I’ve found even 1/2 ROM to be useful for recovery. Table should be 70s big though.

  28. This is the fist website I go to in the morning. I enjoy the insights, videos, and humor. It was great meeting you when you were in Chicago. Let me know when you make it up north again.

    PRs this week
    132 kg Clean and Jerk
    87 kg Power snatch from the blocks

    I went for 150 kg front squat this week but couldn’t get past the sticking point. I am close Tomorrow we are maxing on Snatch and CJ. I going to push real hard for a snatch PR. I am competing in the Mid-American championships next week.

  31. First time posting.
    PR Squat: 315×3

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxDDkcCRQOs

    My chest drops quite a bit on the first rep because I hit my spotting bars, which hasn’t happened before. I’ve always had a problem with the chest dropping though. Justin or anyone else, are these reps bad enough that I should reset and work back up, or do you have other suggestions? I just read a suggestion to cue “chest to chin” and “bar over midfoot.” I’ll try that next time. Thanks in advance and thanks for all the help you give on this site.

  32. Awww, look at all the love today. But, seriously, I’ve met some awesome people on this site too.

    I’m in Wichita Falls for the weekend training with Rip and Jim Moser. Had a nice short lifting session with them last night at WFAC. Looking forward to training with some other fabulous weightlifters for the next few days. And, there will be PRs set. Because I said so.

  33. I GOT A MENTION!!!

    Gonna print this out and stick it on the fridge.

    PR: Went out for breakfast yesterday and ordered two separate entrees. Never done that before.

  34. Last night I had a dream that I was hanging out with Brent and Justin and we were metalsmithing. In my dream, Justin grew up on a farm and had a blast furnace in his shed. We were melting nickel to add it to high carbon steel or something. Brent and Justin were really good at whatever we were doing, and I kept fucking up when I tried it myself.

    I’m looking forward to video from Nationals big time.

    Will post PR’s later today, if I get any.

  36. Amlove21 recommended this site to me; he’s a PJ and was (and probably still is?) stationed in England. I’m really glad he did, this has quickly become my favorite website. Thanks for all you do, Justin (and all the other contributors and readers of 70’s Big).

    Also, I’m really looking forward to FIT; is it possible to pre-order it?

    @mattciupak, I raged hard at whoever was video taping your set. Please slap that person.

  37. @Djay, yeah my friends are idiots. the one recording decided it’d be cool to make it look like there was an earthquake going on while I was deadlifting.

  40. Seriously though, thank you for the site man. I’ve been following the it since its birth but only just today set a bodyweight PR of 200 even. Cool.

  42. +1 for the Baggins reference.

    Long time lurker, first time poster… This site is a constant source of solid information and straight up lols. A big thanks to all of the contributors and posters.

    I came into the fitness world two years ago through CrossFit, but was always disappointed with my lack of relative strength. Bodyweight – 148#

    CrossFit era PR’s-
    High Bar Back Squat 1RM: 195#
    Snatch: 135#
    C&J: 185#, (also FS 1RM PR)
    Deadlift 1RM: 275#

    Newer PR’s-
    Press 5RM: 115#
    Deadlift 5RM: 225#
    Pull/Chin ups 3RM: BW +50#
    Low Bar Back Squat 5RM: 155# (no squat rack or bumpers available, so I have to clean and jerk it, squat, then jerk to set it down…)

    I start fall quarter at a school that has a gym I can use and time to burn. Looking forward to advancing my lifts.
    So do I get a prize for being the smallest and weakest male on the site?

  46. I predict record numbers of comments as all the lurkers (like me) are goaded into logging in to thank Justin for his awesomeness. Justin – thanks. Bigger and stronger than ever.

    PRs this week
    BW 219#
    Press 152.5# for 3×5
    Squat 250# for 3×5
    Chins 20@BW, 5@BW+57.5#

  49. Another lurker finally posting. A friend got me to check out this site when I first started lifting earlier this year, and it’s still the only fitness related site I check on a daily basis. Love the solid info and sense of humor that you don’t get on most other sites. I do wish there was a forum though; cycling through all the posts looking for updates and responses means you miss some good info now and then.

    I’ve only been lifting on a program for about 6 months now, so not many PR’s to speak of yet. I did pull 375×5 on Wednesday though, that felt pretty good. Grip strength is lacking though, that last one was tough to hold onto.

    Oh yeah and +2 for Bilbo reference. I swear I don’t have long hair and a thirst for Mountain Dew though.

  50. Only posted a couple times before, but have to say thanks to Justin for running the site. Been a daily reader for over a year now, and it has really changed my outlook on training and eating (I probably make the chili recipe twice a month). And the joy that knowing that Brent Kim exists has been fantastic. On a training note, I am currently transitioning from being a Division 1 soccer player to full time oly weightlifter. Signed up for my first meet in a little over 2 months. Excited/nervous but ready to train hard until then. Thanks again.

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