Take it Ehsee

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I’m so pissed off about the “occupy” movement that I can barely think right now, so let me see if I can get this going. 70’s Big is all about training hard and kicking ass. Everyone is trying to get better whether it is improving their squat, getting more muscular, being a better weightlifter, or even using strength to support their job or hobbies. No matter where you are on the continuum of strength, you’re one of us if you a) train hard, b) want to learn, and c) have a sense of humor. You won’t be chastised for being weak because we’ve all been there, and it’s more about the process of making progress that’s important.

In the end, we realize that the capabilities we have are a direct result of the intensive effort we’ve put into it. We are strong or weak because we have done things that make us strong or weak. Our successes and failures are dependent on our commitment and devotion to get better. This is what bonds us, and it’s a lesson that fucking hippies everywhere need to learn.

Chris deadlifting 625×3 (go to :42 for start of set)



However, we all need to keep in mind that zealousness can go too far. We can train too hard and too much. Sometimes I call this “driving your dick into the ground”, but it just means that you are chronically doing too much work to the point that your body can’t recover from it. If a hard training session or week reduces you below baseline, and you can’t recover back up to and exceed that baseline before the next training session, then you are in a deficit of training. Do this consecutively and your deficit deepens and deepens. Eventually, you are in such a deficit that it’ll negatively hit your performance. The hard and frequent work becomes the thing that prevents success, and this is a weird and hard lesson to learn to committed trainees and lifters.

You can also have a situation where you are toeing that line of having a “training deficit”. Each week you may be close to the limit your body can handle given it’s available recovery capabilities. Most of the time the trainee can do something to improve his recovery via eating more protein, quality food, sleeping better, or hittin’ a mob. But there might be a few trainees who have lifted hard and haven’t really given themselves a break. This week is a perfect time to do so.

I am an example of someone that will benefit from a short break. In the template I created, I essentially had three heavy days that had a heavy squat/pull and press each day. It went pretty well for a while; I hit PR’s and gained muscle. But last week I noticed things petering out. I couldn’t snatch or clean and jerk very heavy and the squats were harder. So I lightened last week’s sessions so I could push press 300 yesterday (below), and I’m taking the rest of the week off…and I think you should do the same.



Thanksgiving typically involves spending time with your family while eating and drinking. I encourage everyone to take advantage of this. I eat paleo with occasionally some beer and even less frequently bread (almost always with a burger), but you can bet your ass that I’m going weapons free on Thanksgiving. Let your guard down and enjoy the holiday. Take care of your body, hit some mobs, enjoy the feast and drink, hydrate, and come back next week ready to work. You’ll have about four solid weeks of training before the week of Christmas and New Years where you’ll have another break, so take advantage of this and plan your training to peak before Christmas accordingly

My friend Gant has always said, “I’ve never rested too much” and my friend Eva Twardokens touts rest as the most important variable for athletes, especially as they age. Take it ehsee this week.
Besides, you need to get ready for the 70’s Big Thanksgiving Food Challenge where you weigh yourself pre/post eating on camera and upload it to YouTube (the most weight gained will get a t-shirt).

Mike pulling 620×1 (go to 1:00 for pull)

57 thoughts on “Take it Ehsee”

  1. In regards to the whole Occupy thing, I thought this was an interesting read:
    http://spfaust.wordpress.com/2011/10/15/repost-letter-from-a-liberal-to-a-young-marine-that-53-guy/

    Roger. Reading now.

    Second edit:
    I admire the way the older guy approached the situation. It certainly gives some perspective with the whole ‘occupy’ thing, but it doesn’t validate a bunch of goobers lounging around the city (although I admit it’s one way to garner attention for the cause, but I spent twenty minutes yesterday trying to figure out what their “cause” is and came up with nothing). Unfortunately for a liberal who can present the case like this, there are ten other silly people that fit a stereotype that works against any change they could ask for.

    I don’t have a good understanding of the intricacies of how “wall street” can manipulate the economy to their favor, although I know their decisions effect it. I also don’t understand how a movement like this is going to have any kind of effect since there is no direction whatsoever. I also don’t understand who supporting the left or right spectrum of government is going to improve upon the issue of ‘wall street affecting the economy’.

    However, I don’t think this is the place for its discussion, but if a lot of you want it to be then that’s fine.

    –Justin

  2. not sure what this has to do with occupy wallstreet lol.

    I wish I could take this week off but I’ve had too many short weeks lately due to some unfortunate and uncontrollable circumstances. I’m actually looking forward to going hard tomorrow then eating til my dick grows on thanksgiving then crushing on friday.

    baller achievement Push Pressing 300 lbs too dude.

    Brian can link a video of the Boston stuff, and there are clearly some goofy fucking hippies there. There is no direct relation, yet a large portion of the population of the ‘occupy movement’, if we’ll call it that, are acting upon something without demanding anything specific (therefore there is no way for anyone “of power” or the government to make a change to please them since there is no specific demand). Some kind of portion of them are wanting things given to them, like jobs or opportunities, instead of making it for themselves. Another portion admits that they have enough money where they can spend time to do this protest, but that’s neither here nor there (just hypocritical). The first two paragraphs point out that as lifters, we toil away to garner progress, and this is representative of life success. Work hard to get better, and you will. We don’t get stronger under the bar by being passive and whining. The bottom line is that successful people do things to make themselves successful while unsuccessful do things that make them unsuccessful. We see that in lifting, and “it’s a lesson that they could learn” (as I said in the second paragraph).

    –Justin

  6. I live in downtown Oakland, and I am happy to report that most of Oakland’s occupiers are frail vegans who will break like twigs when the revolution comes. So, you know, let that give you peace of mind.

  7. Damn, those are all some impressive lifts. I am thoroughly aroused.

    Is the Thanksgiving contest going to be video taped, or pic?

    Fuck hippies. I’ll refrain from a political rant and just leave it at that. I’m currently occupying the shitter.

    Details on Thanksgiving for specifics, but I think videos would work best. Otherwise we’ll just have pics of the scale itself. It’ll still require some honor system, but the videos give a chance for silliness.

    –Justin

  11. I live in DC, and based on what I’ve seen of the little, whiny, usless protesting hipsters is that they’ve never understood what it means to work their butt off scratching and clawing their way toward success let alone do so under a heavy barbell.

  12. You caught me at requirements a,b and c, and you sold me at 70s Big Thanksgiving Food Challenge.

    I got scrawny for the first time in my life by eating Paleo (that was actually a goal), and once I realized I looked like a hippie vegan I knew I had to lift some weights. I’m taking weightlifting serious for the first time in my life and putting on some weight with Starting Strength and trying to minimize the fat by continuing to eat Paleo. The thanksgiving challenge gives me a nice excuse to down as many pierogi as possible.

    Oh man, my family doesn’t eat peirogis, but it sounds amazing right now.

    –Justin

  15. Great lifting videos!

    On the subject of recovery, I got a question on how to deal with prolonged lower back and ass cheek soreness.

    I deadlift three times per week, changing the movement every session during two weeks (rack pulls, sumo, SLDL, trap bar, sumo with added ROM, conventional) and I really like that set up.

    The deadlift is by far my preferred lift, and progress is steady and solid (eating like a horse helps).

    However for the last three weeks I’m dealing with chronical lower back and upper legs/ass muscle soreness. I’ve increased fish oil intake, ice my back daily and do a shitload of mobbing but it still isn’t gone. I sit a lot at work so that is surely not helping.

    Training has been solid through this, once I’ve done a few reps the soreness gets better and one the last sets it is barely noticeable. However after training, especially while driving home, it is BAD.

    Anyone got an idea on how to get rid of this? Thanks in advance.

  16. I’m hoping the title of the post is a Nacho Libre reference. Have you ever been in love with a nun?

    I think you’ve gotten to the heart of the issue–too many people love being dickheads ever since it became cool: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVmmYMwFj1I

    I’m against assholes and idiots of all kinds. Assholes like Tea Baggers and Occupiers who claim to be for addressing the common, legitimate grievances of the working class, but end up dividing themselves based on their own Narcissism of Small Differences, and the result is nothing gets solved. Most of these people are just totally naiive and have no clue how business and politics actually works. I’m not saying to let them eat cake, just saying they’re not going to be effective with their current tactics.

    I’m really annoyed that some of those guys keep comparing themselves to the Bonus Army too. That’s just ignorant.

    I’m not sure why you’re so pissed about the occupiers today but may I just fuel your fury… I went by McPhearson Square last week and that place now literally smells like shit. Of course last year I drove by it and saw a homeless guy literally taking a shit in broad daylight in that park, but that was rare thing then. It’s always been a nice park with ducks and hot secretary types in skirts before now.

    For me holiday weeks are the best time to train because I get extra rest, sleep and food. And because I can usually lift during the day, which is way easier than lifting after a long day of work. Fiance and I plan to do a heavy squat workout on Thursday morning.

  18. So far this thread has done an okay job of ignoring the political shit. How about we keep this comment thread about training, questions, or Thanksgiving food and you guys can discuss the political stuff (or attack me) on the Facebook thread.

    If you don’t have Facebook, then too bad.

  19. I think it’s easy for a lot of us to get carried away with our training; hell, I’m as guilty as anyone else.

    The long and short of it: I’m heading down to my GF’s house for TDay and was originally planning on getting a 7-day membership so I can train while I was there. Thanks to this post, I’m saying “fuck that” and am going to eat, rest, and eat til my heart’s content.

    I’ll probably chime on about this whole occupy bolney on FB.

  20. I have actually noticed through the progression of my training, that the less training I did(IE going from 5 days a week to 3 days a week) I became more in tune with my body during lifts. For example, this last week I was going to deadlift 390×3 which is actually a reset weight. However, when I went to lift, I had trouble. When I went home, I was beginning to recover and realized that my hammies weren’t sore or tight at all. Its then that I realized I was starting way to low on my deads and causing a difficult lift due to lack of tension in my posterior chain.

    All that being said, I did not notice things like that when I was overtrained, because all I noticed is that I was dying. When I backed off and really focused on recovery, things started to stick out to me that hadn’t before. I am no making more gains than ever and feel much better than I did before. Its interesting how resting can even help identify errors with lifts.

    BTW, much of this improvement is thanks to Justin and the awesome consultation he gave me. If you have not gotten one, you should. Definitely worth the money and you get some great info for achieving the next set of goals in your life. Happy turkey day everybody, eat yourselves to death, I know I will.

  22. Killer lifts, fellas. I think Big Chris could have had 4 if that what’s he wanted out of the set. Those first two looked EZPZ.

    I also think Zac has a great T-shirt quote there.

    I’m hitting it pretty hard this week – can’t afford to take a week off since I have a meet Dec 17th.

  28. Justin,

    1. That power clean & push press was insane!
    2. In the vids you’ve posted of Chris’ pulls he always goes double over, does he ever mix his grip, or is it just to beastly?

  30. @Ryan: I lol’ed when I read your comment, because you hit the nail on the head, however I continue to make progress (i.e. lift more weight) from week to week, so I assume that it isn’t a recovery issue.

    Maybe I need to try some new mobility stuff to make up for the fact that I’m sitting on my ass for 11+ hours per day now (day job + studying the nights I’m not training and on the weekends).

  31. @Zac and @Jacob the Cloud:
    I’d buy that t-shirt. I’d love it so much I’d buy it twice.

    Timely post. I’ve been fretting about where to lift when I’m home. I’ll just shut up and eat.

  32. Pete you wanna beat up hippies together?
    We can compete to see who can incapacitate the most of them within a time limit and who can fuck one up the most with out killing it.

  33. Puke, you should probably skip the beatings. In Toronto a lot of the occupiers are probably gay vegan hippies. Do you really want to be covered in AIDS blood?

  35. We’re leaving town for the holiday this week and I was getting bummed about not being able to train for seven days. I don’t particularly need some rest time, my training hasn’t been too intense or frequent, but I’m glad I’ll get it.
    Will try to do a few days of hill sprint intervals, play on the rings, mob work, etc. Keep it fun, ya know?

    Oh, and brutal lifting y’all.

  37. karibot and zac, I made my 30 second attempt and put it on the 70sbig facebook wall. Someone take that, make it better, and let’s make a shirt happen. Because we MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.

  38. My wife should have a baby PR soon. The doctor just predicted he will be between 9.5 – 10 lbs. if he goes the full 40 weeks. They estimate he’s 8 lbs. now at 37 weeks.

  40. Yes! I love the shirt. Jacob the Cloud, your artistic skills are far better than mine. I like it.

    Cloud and zac, let’s do this! Let’s effect some real change in this country! PS I’ve updated my Facebook status appropriately.

  41. I don’t really have much of a problem with the “Occupy Wall Street” thing (in that I find myself not caring about what those kids are doing).

    What I DO have a problem with is everyone posting all over Facebook about how supposedly awful the “police brutality” has been. If half a dozen out of, uh, thousands of your fellow protestors get maced you are NOT justified in acting like you’re in Birmingham, Alabama Circa 1963 and the fire hoses and dogs have been turned on you.

  45. Unrelated to OWS, but I dd my Movember Liftathon today. I did one squat at 315 for every 10 bucks I raised; 110 squats total. I did 22 sets of 5, with 3 minutes between each set. Tiring but fun.

  46. Justin, after a warm up is it better to do static or dynamic stretching before a football game? I wish to perform optimally in the Turkey Bowl on Thursday.

  49. Its easy to dismiss occupy if you call them all hippies. I have friends who were in the Marines who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and have read about a number of former police officers, who participate in the protests due to whatever beliefs they have. They are neither lazy nor hippies. Or if they are hippies, they are hippies that have defended their country and are pissed off at what happened while they were gone.

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