I’m just letting you guys know that I’m with Brent in Monterey, and we’re creating some decent material for you. You’ll probably leave it rather than take it.

Brent and I mobbed the fuck out ourselves before training yesterday. Then we snatched and Brent clean and jerked after. It was my fourth time snatching this year, but I hit 265 lbs and missed a 275 on the account of being tired (and a pussy). My hip is feeling top notch. Brent was kind of a pussy about snatching and missed 225 behind. His cleans were smooth, but his jerk left something to be desired for. He said he felt fucking fantastic after our intense mob session but could have performed better with more food before hand. I don’t know what the fuck he’s talking about because he had a badass burrito, then he had steak and a sweet potato prior to training (in comparison I just had the burrito). If anything, it was the travelling, but of course Brent will blame the food. Everything wrong with his training is the food instead of the “by the pants programming” or lack of fucking hydration. How can a man, specifically an Asian man, improve his mobility when he a) doesn’t eat any food up on waking up in the morning and b) is clearly not hydrating. I hate Brent Kim.

I’m not super into metal, but these are some things that you ought to see.

Austrian Death Machine
The other day I asked Antigen, “Who is from Austria and is a death machine? You have two choices.”

The singer of “As I Lay Dying” made this band and album as a tribute to you-know-who. It’s, at the very least, amusing. Songs like “Get Back To The Choppa” and “I Need Your Clothes, Your Boots and Your Motorcycle” revive some great memories, but “I Am A Cybernetic Organism, Living Tissue Over (Metal) Endoskeleton” is awesome:



However, if you watched some of those videos and noticed that the singer (vocalist, whatever) looks to much like a poon…then this next band is more your style.

Amon Amarth
My buddy Al introduced me to both of these bands, but Amon Amarth left a lasting impression. This band is full of giant Swedish vikings with crazy-long hair and out-of-control beards. They look like they just sacked a village, raped all the women, cooked half the livestock, and torched the rest. It’s called Viking Metal. Deal with it.

I think a lot of you guys will be able to use these bands in your training if you aren’t already. You’re welcome.

I suppose all of you turncoat Americans think today is some kind of special, right? Well, you’re wrong. July 2nd, 1776 was the day that Congress actually voted for independence. John Adams even wrote a sweet letter that said, “Americans are gonna look back 200 years or so and think that this day was da bomb. They’ll shoot things in the air, drink a lot of ale, and eat ribs while shirtless because it’s so friggin’ American.” I think he showed his wife and gave her rump a nice friendly pat.

July 4th was the day that the Declaration of Independence was written, but it wasn’t actually signed until August 2nd. This is basically the same thing as making a big deal about the day Stephen King starts writing his new hit novel (about demons, spaghetti stains, and revolvers — I shit you not, this is in The Regulators) instead of the actual day it comes out. Speaking of which, A Dance With Dragons comes out on July 12th. The day Martin started writing it is irrelevant, but July 12th will make me wet at the tip.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy your day off. Or something. May Zeus, Odin, Apollo, the Warrior, and the old gods bless America.

I hearby announce probably the weirdest and grossest contest on this site, The Shirtless Rib Eating Picture Contest. Inspired by this video, Jacob got the contest started. He’ll be hard to beat, folks. Let’s give this three weeks to run. I’ll announce the winners on either July 21 or July 22 (I leave to go to Australia on those days).

Happy PR Friday
Post your training updates or PRs to the comments.

I’m off to train. Tom put this up on the 70’s Big Facebook Fan Page. The caption was, “Shrug Thug has become a pigeon”.

I don’t really have any recent lifting videos that would be worth watching, but here’s a video of me doing rows with a 150 pound dumbbell for 20 reps.

Usually there won’t be as many fucking videos of myself, but I’m finishing up a project today and haven’t had time for any other material. If you have a problem with that, then watch this.

Additionally Brent and I will be in Monterey for a lifting workshop on July 9. Brent will just be there, giving you indiscriminate looks and I’ll coaching lifting technique. Then we’ll go to eat and hear Brent give us a fucking preface on his diet and training, implying that we need to take care of him like Gizmo from Gremlins.

Let’s get a good convo going in the comments. First I want to point out that I write and do a lot of weird stuff in posts or videos that no one ever comments on. I mainly do it just to see if anybody will say anything, but you guys apparently just accept it as normal. When my mom filmed the “helpful mobility vid“, she goes, “Don’t you want to comb your hair and put on some shorts?” I didn’t hesitate to say, “Absolutely not. If anything it’s better this way.”