I should have made a contest or something intelligible, but here are some pics of our readers from Halloween. Debate which is the best in the comments. If you want to submit your pic, then do it on the Facebook Fan Page.
Hydro, who I met in Monterey
Jeremy C.
Cloud, as The Dude with Jesus
More of The Dude with company
Brian G. as...himself?
Unknown
So what else do you guys want to talk about?
Jeremy C. All the way. Costume +495lb DL, legit. Jesus looks the part which is 90s small.
The Rip costume is pretty funny.
Hey man, don’t fuck with the Jesus. He’s about 6’1″ 190. I’m just, like, you know…bigger.
OK, Brian does eerily look like Rip. Awesome.
I was real pissed that I didn’t realize I could put a Randy Savage costume together until Sunday night and go around my school saying “OH YEAH” all fucking day.
R.I.P.
The Dude costume is the best. Last week you mentioned a new theme is on the way for the site, can you elaborate?
Sure. The theme I’m using now was just something random that I found. It has many limitations and isn’t updated. I have some fellas working on a new theme. It will look pretty similar, yet have more space for content and menus. With the new theme I’ll be launching some new features on the site including a collection of good links, a FAQ, updating the food section, updating the Hall of Fame (we need to do a November induction), having a better interface for some products, and having a page that lists 70’s Big meeting groups around the country (Ellee has started one in Chicago). Aside from content, the theme will have a few more widgets/plug-ins that will be better/neat, and threaded comments will make communicating much easier.
–Justin
Today we should talk about #1 bro from Turkey… Naim is 1# weightlifter, but #1 70s big bro is Bunyami Sudas
http://www.ironmind.com/ironmind/export/sites/default/ironmind/sudas_lg.jpg always lifted with some of the greats and put on an awesome show, but never could get that 1st place. I recommend looking at the 2002 World weightlifting championships on franjete’s youtube channel to see him in a all of his 70s big glory
Man I am laughing so fucking hard at the Rip costume. Though your pants should be higher.
I also would like some suggestions for a book series close to the same style as the Song of Ice and Fire books.
The “First Law Trilogy” is right up your alley, judging by last weekend’s exploits. I’m finishing the first book tonight and will be getting the second soon.
–Justin
@Stroup I’d reccomend looking into the Terry Goodkind ‘Sword of Truth’ series.
What kind of series is this? It’s not pussy, is it? I can’t handle pussy fantasy after reading George R.R. Martin.
–Justin
This video was recommended for me on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=Yt9iRKX6Kgg
Holy shit! I had never even heard of a zercher squat before. That’s got to be the most painful thing a man can do in the weight room. Just brutal.
re: strongerthanyesterday
watching video now (2002 WWC)
link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akhsuesak4A
lol @ steiner there, only 105, lifting for AUS, and real young looking. Looks like Germanic haha
also, this: http://julia-rohde.com/
@Stroup- I’d really advise staying away from Sword of Truth unless you like to be bludgeoned over the head by Ayn Rand style Objectivism for the last seven books.
Honestly, if people like sword and sorcery I’d suggest checking out some of the classics like maybe Zelazny, or reading Brandon Sanderson’s stuff.
Also, if you like the epic feel, there’s always Wheel of Time. By the time you’re done catching up the final book will be released.
I heard that after the first four or five books, the Wheel of Time series slows down for like four or five books. I don’t have time for that biznezz. I highly recommend the “First Law Trilogy” as book one, “The Blade Itself” will rock your cock off. If you follow this site, then this book will do it for you.
Tell me about Sanderson’s style (he’s a Mormon, for real this time). Tell me about Zelazny.
–Justin
@Stroup
The Saxon Stories is pretty good. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Saxon_Stories It’s about a Saxon raised by Danes, hates the wussification of the Saxons, but still ends up fighting for them because he doesn’t want to be an oath breaker.
i will check out first law, lascek. I have read excerpts from wheel of time. It seems ok but man does it seem like it would take my 6 months to get through all those books.
@llcrawdord – these saxon stories is it focused on one point of view (the orphan kid)? Or multiple. I can sometimes handle one side but what dragged me into GRRM was how he had 6 or 7 plots all weaving in and out of each other and the differing views of each character. I know he is regarded as the American Tolkien i was just kind of hoping I could find another series close to it to hold me over. Haha. (I sound like a crack addict thinking about doing meth until my crack dealer is back in town)
props to brian g, lol @ them calves doe.
Also the reasons I digged the shit out of GRRM was because it had a lot of dark very little happiness going on but packed with tons of rape, cutting people open, kids getting orphaned, burning stuff, and very little pussy wand waiving magic. (I dont mind some magic, but i like how GRRM almost kept it a mystery, not some weird common practice).
I’m not going to tell you what to read again if you’re going to ignore me, you lout.
–Justin
I read GRRM and enjoyed it more than the Sword of Truth series but I’ve only read book 1 of sword of truth so far. They are both very different. GRRM is definitely more action in my opinion and one could make in argument for the Sword of Truth series being less 70sbig but I liked them both. As enlightenedsnipe pointed out above there is a bit of a libertarian/objectivism theme in sword of truth, although I found it interesting and different as opposed to feeling ‘bludgeoned’ by it. I read book one of sword of truth leisurely in about a week so if someone does not like it then it won’t be too life altering.
I said I would check it out you aurochs fucker!
@ Stroup
“…packed with tons of rape…”
Jesus, dude.
I enjoyed Stephen Donaldson’s Gap Cycle. Sci-fi rather than fantasy, but its all kinda the same anyway. Dark like GRRM, and the first book is quite short so no big loss if you don’t like it.
I agree that Terry Goodkind got repetitive and preachy as the books went on.
Will check out Gap Cycle, thanks for the recommendation.
It’s not that I require things to be dark and gritty, but in the sci-fi/fantasy realm it ensures that it’s an adult story instead of a pre-teen pulp fiction kind of deal. Fantasy books that are goo-goo for magic and avoid plot elements on the account of frivolous magic and what not are not my cup of tea. I like sci-fi a lot too, but I’m also picky. For example, I loved Starship Troopers and thought The Moon is Harsh Mistress was pretty good by Robert Heinlein, but Stranger In A Strange Land bored me to tears and I quit reading halfway through.
Suggestions are welcome.
–Justin
Justin: check out Nine Princes in Amber as a short introduction to Roger Zelazny. I think it’s only about 150-200 pages long.
Sword of Truth series is pretty good but by about the 3rd book, you really want Kahlan and Richard to break up. And then Chainfire comes along and you want them both to die.
Sanderson’s style is hard to specifically describe, though his fantasy tends to be a little more high fantasy (intrigue, end of the world, that type stuff). He writes very well rounded characters, and writes women much more believably than most fantasy writers. I’d honestly suggest grabbing Mistborn, it’s easy to pick up, and go from there.
Another fantasy classic that has magic, but keeps it in the background is David Edding’s Belgariad. It’s sorta “good guys go out on quest to stop evil” but that doesn’t stop it from having wonderful characters and being an enjoyable read.
Also, either for Justin or anyone else. If you have any taste for sci-fi at all, then at least read Dune by Frank Herbert. His son is mining the setting for money with Kevin J Anderson, but that doesn’t take away from the original being the basic archetype for all of Sci-Fi. Also on that vein, Arthur C. Clarke has a huge variety of sci-fi writings that are good.
Before I end up dragging on too much longer, I’ll throw a note in about the Gunslinger by Stephen King. It’s not his usual thing at all, and was his big epic fantasy series. Even if you don’t like King, the original is great.
Finally, if you just want to read about a huge dude kicking ass and banging broads, check out the Conan stories written by Robert Jordan(and yeah, wheel of time is around 3 million words IIRC, and has over 10,000 named characters. That’s how you kill boredom for six months, if you can stand it).
TLDR: Mistborn, Arthur C Clarke, Dune, The Gunslinger, and Conan.
I read the Gunslinger (and liked it a lot) and up to book 4 or 5 of The Dark Tower before I lost interest. I also read the first four Dune books and really enjoyed the first and second, but it started to trail off so I put book five down.
For the record, I’m not against prevalent magic in stories (I read all seven Harry Potter books and enjoyed the last few), I just couldn’t deal with yuppie/pussy stories right now. I have a few books by Arthur C. Clarke, but I don’t think I’ve read any yet. I’ll definitely have to check out Conan. I hope it isn’t slow since it was written in the 30s.
–Justin
@Stroup – the first half of the first book he is an orphan. After that he is an ass kicking, skull stomping, gullet splitting anti-hero.
The books are from his perspective. The plots are not as complicated, but since they are historical fiction you get a realistic account of the battles and a history lesson to boot.
My only complaint is you know he gets out of any trouble, because the story is a recounting of his youth.
Arthur C. Clarke is my favorite science fiction writer. Currently working on the huge collection of short stories book. The 2001 books are all great, but my favorite series I have read were the Rama books. What books of his do you have?
I REALLY dug the “Dune” series. Good and fast reads for me.
@captain ronn – the reason I drift towards the darker side of fantasy is because like justin said. It insures me that I wont have to read through hours of some fucking nerd wanking his dick to love, always winning, and tons of gay magic that makes him invincible to everything.
Nothing better to me when the hero or main character is dumped on his fucking head by some fucked up group of people who enjoy gang rape. Er, or something like that.
Loving all this recommendations I will roll with the first law series and read the saxon dealio at the same time.
Hey Stroup, if you like a series where the main protagonist gets beaten to shit by canny enemies whenever he does stupid things and you like Urban Fantasy I might also suggest the Dresden Files. There is lots of magic but wizards still run scared of big strong things that can rip them in half.
Sword of Truth is pathetic, give it a miss. Lots of idiot plots that just don’t make sense, and the hero is just too good at everything to be believable.
The First Law stuff and others by Joe Abercombie are great, although The Blade Itself was the best of the trilogy, they never really recaptured the quality of the first for me. I haven’t read his latest, The Heroes, which is his latest, I haven’t read yet, but is meant to be very gritty, I’m looking forward to it.
The Harry Dresden books by Jim Butcher are good fun. They seem silly but I always enjoy reading them.
Wheel of Time never did it for me, I stopped after the first 4 – the plot just doesn’t move, there are typically 50 good pages in a 950 page book.
Patrick Rothfuss is worth reading as something new. Justin, you might like some old David Gemmel stuff, especially the Druss books.
Jack Whyte’s Camulod series are probably the best Arthurian series I’ve read, especially the first couple, really trying to imaagine it as it could have been in England as the Roman Empire receded.
Dresden Files probably seem similar since it’s written to be a New York Times best selling book. I haven’t read them, but when I see that, I see it as comparable to the “Prey” novels by pseudonym John Sandford starring the character Lucas Davenport. I was into books like then when I was 10 to 13 years old.
You mentioned some historic stuff and I loved “Gates of Fire” by Steven Pressfield. Anyone know of any books that are comparable to this?
–Justin
I actually read the dresden files. Just waiting on the newest one for those. Haha.
@EnlightenedSnipe
I have to agree with the Wheel of Time series. My Uncle reads them and swears by them. Says if they’re ever to make another Lord of Ring type films those are the books to base it off of.
I’ve just started reading the first book and love it.
Has somebody already mentioned the “Wrinkle in Time” series? Top notch.
Anyways, I am reading the first book in the Song of Ice and Fire and really like it, thanks for recommending it on the site and in the comments. I am curious to watch the HBO series now and was wondering how much season 1 covers of the book/s? I’d like to read the book/s before seeing the series. Does season 1 cover more than just the first book?
The show covers the first book. They are supposed to have signed on to do the second book.
–Justin
Also, I saw somebody at the gym yesterday use straps during his bench press. It seemed so dumb that I started to second guess myself. Could anyone imagine a scenario where that could make any sort of sense?
Ha, I can’t think of any reason to use straps.
–Justin
@Stroup- yeah, I really hope butcher gets back on the April publishing schedule. Ghost story was okay, but I’m more interested in where the series is going now.
@nobody- unless your fingers are paralyzed or something, no.
I’ll have to second David Gemmel’s stuff. Especially Druss. Druss is awesome stuffed with badass, sauteed in axe-wielding, bacon flavored goodness.
Question: What do you do if a group of raiders kill your entire village including your father, and drag your fiance off to the slave markets?
If you’re Druss, pick up your father’s axe Snaga, and go kill all the fuckers. Everywhere. Until you get her back.
@Ragar- I really like Pathrick Rothfuss’s books so far, though they aren’t exactly the fantasy strain people were mentioning.
@smithb9 I really like watching the progression of lifters like Sudas and that fatter venezuelan nug from the 105’s; guys who always put up pretty good totals, lift with crazy intensity, but never seem to win any of the individual lift portions or overall medals. Its also pretty cool to see how guys like that start out at 85 or 94 and continue to 105 as they get bigger and heavier and their careers progress rather than reaching a weight class a la klokov and staying there for most or all of their career. If anyone has some inside knowledge, it would be really cool to know what life is like for a career weightlifter like Sudas and to understand what he does on a day to day basis and essentially what his story is and was. Does the man keep lifting because it pays the rent or does he keep lifting because of the addrenaline rush that it gives him, or because when he steps on the platform, does he feel that no matter what time or place, what competition, he has a shot at nailing his lifts and coming up with Gold. Would be nice to know.
@strongerthanyesterday,
I agree, it is interesting to see the guys come up through the classes. With Klokov, it seems that he has lifted as a SHW before in Russian meets (although that may have been just not cutting weight) but he put up some insane numbers when he did it.
With regards to lifters who keep lifting, I fear that Kolecki may be falling into that category. Supposedly before Beijing his knee had been bothering him, he only trained for 6 weeks or so leading up to the olympics, but fully expected to win. Between Beijing and now he had multiple knee surgeries (like 4-5ish I think) and was finally cleared to lift again this year, but he had lost so much from not being able to train, he decided it wasn’t worth making a bid for worlds/london since he wouldn’t be in shape for medal contention by then. A few months back, the Polish OTC just up and cut his “scholarship” without telling him or anything, he said he went on the computer one day and he was no longer in the system. Pretty shitty for someone who was world champion and still WR holder imo. Anyways, Kolecki said he will make his bid for 2016 olympics, and will train by himself if he has to (he will be 35yo I think by 2016).
Supposedly Kolecki has been training Ilya Ilin for London, which if true could make Ilin someone to really watch – Kolecki said at Beijing he was fully expecting to have to C&J 240 to keep up with him.
+1 on Arthur C. Clarke. He is the absolute best fiction writer I’ve ever read. He beats the Dickens out of Michael Crichton (see what I did there?).
In addition to the 2001 series, “Childhood’s End” is one of the most compelling and interesting books I’ve ever read. It’s amazing how well he was able to forecast the future, and it’s also interesting to see some of the little things he got wrong.
Roger Zelazny’s novel Lord of Light is hands down one of the best sci fi novels ever. Set in the far future on a world colonized by humans, where the crew of the colony ship have used super science to become functionally immortal and assume the powers and identities of deities from the Hindu pantheon, lording it over the descendants of the ship’s passengers, until one among them rebels. It has pretty much everything Peter Falk said in the Princess Bride… Battles, torture, true love (but not mushy and weepy), lots and lots of red-handed vengeance.
Also, in case anyone isn’t embarrassed to read comics, the first four issues of Mark Waid’s comic Irredeemable are as dark as it gets. Who could save us if superman went mad? Answer: nobody.
@smithb yeah I really hope koleiki doesnt fall to the wayside, it is crazy inspiring to see him smack kaki around when he first came on the scene. I am not going to throw stones at US lifting because #1 I am a crappy oly lifter and #2 I love amurica, but its kinda funny to see the early vids of kaki, koleicki, dolenga, amramau, naim, mutlu, etc.. to infinity absolutely crushing at such an early age and then people blowing their loads of mendes. I mean I blew the shit out of my load over him and those youtube vids definitely had me sprung, but comparing him to Salimi and Ruben Aleksayan is pretty tough for us.
The life of a weightlifter (trials and tribulations)- would be a good book to read
If we’re talking straight up sci-fi, Asimov’s Foundation Trilogy is damn good. Big epoch story.
Old Man’s War by Scalzi is a great read too. The basic premise is they take 70+ year olds and transfer their consciousness to genetically modified bodies to fight intergalactic wars. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Man%27s_War
If you like GRRM, try the House of Niccolo series. More historical (like GRRM) than linguistic (like Tolkien).
@ilcrawford
Old Man’s War was good, but I don’t see what the big deal is – basically the “old people out to war” thing is a lame plot device that, although making exposition easier, makes no sense. The whole book is a (fun and entertaining) starship troopers-esque knock off.
Ghost Brigades was better sci fi, as you could explore novel concepts like having a communal mind and being born into an adult body.
I really liked Androids Dream, though.
not that the concepts are novel, strike that word
Both lifting and books in one place…this might be my favorite place ever.
If you enjoyed Gates of Fire then pretty much anything by Steven Pressfield is worth reading. The Afghan Campaign was great as was The Virtues of War. It took me a little while to get into Last of the Amazons but it ended up being good once it was more about the fighting and less about love. Killing Rommel was also good but obviously more modern since during WWII.
I’m surprised no one has mentioned Mickey Zucher Reichert yet. Her Last of the Renshai trilogy was pretty damned good; the later Renshai books turned a little sucky, though.
Also: Harry Turtledove’s “War of Shadows” (or something like that) is a pretty cool intrepretation of WWII. Worth the read, lots of sex and killing.
I’d echo the David Gemmell recommendations, especially Waylander, Legend and King Beyond the Gate.
@I Can Make You A Man
None of your criticisms are unfounded. I guess being given “another chance” resonated with me at 40.
I think of the Old Man Wars as the trilogy. Each one is better than the previous and as a whole pretty good.
I’ll be starting The Forever War as soon as I can get through A Dance With Dragons.
The Sword of Truth series had an interesting start but didn’t produce the results. Same deal with most of the stuff by Eddings and authors of his ilk. I enjoyed reading those kinds of books as a kid, but after reading GRRM they feel like the fantasy equivalent of Mills & Boone. The Runelords is another series that had a good beginning but just didnt quite make it in the end.
If you’re into sci-fi you could try the Gaunt’s Ghosts books by Dan Abnett. They’re based on the Warhammer 40k universe, but still pretty accessible. Otherwise, Gemmell is a great bet. The “Novels of the Rigante” are pretty good, so is King beyond the Gate. The Book of Words trilogy and Sword of Shadows series by J.V. Jones could also be described as “the tits”.
@Patrickstroup; You’d probably enjoy the Book of Words trilogy. There’s a Medieval date-rape in the first chapter of book one.