Author Archives: Justin

70’s Big Females – Pretty Strong

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Every Monday 70’s Big features women who quite clearly show that lifting weights isn’t something that women should shy away from. Pretty Powerlifting is a powerlifting team started by Vanessa and Sara in New York. Their message is pretty much the same as what 70’s Big reverberates: women who strength train are healthy in body and mind.

The roommates fell in love with strength training and powerlifting and started the site and team to encourage women to train hard, get strong, and be healthy. Their mentors and role models in the sport are women such as Sioux-z Hartwig Gary, Jennifer Thompson, and Ellen Stein.

Here’s a video that features various Pretty Powerlifting team members.


These girls are pretty strong, but they will no doubt aim to continue getting stronger. Pretty Powerlifting fits with the 70’s Big mindset of not being an emaciated and weak female, but a strong, beautiful woman.

Sarah (left) and Vanessa (right)


Harder, Better, Smarter, Stronger

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Getting strong and muscular isn’t something that happens easily. There are no shortcuts. You’ll learn a lot from getting under a bar, but you’ll learn more by being under that bar consistently. Don’t destroy your body and make sure to give it rest. Establish a solid strength base if you haven’t already. Don’t constantly switch programs. Avoid large amounts of volume. Read about programming, understand why the coach does that for his people, but understand how some of the principles can be generally applied. Don’t be a diet groupy. Don’t be or act like a zealot. Always get an informed opinion, but understand the difference between a blatant opinion and an educated guess based on the circumstances (you’ll find the latter here). Learn about basic anatomy and physiology. Keep an open mind. Always learn. And for fuck’s sake, have a good time doing it.

We’re all here to get Harder, Better, Smarter, and Stronger. Cheers.

Happy PR Friday
Post PR’s or training updates to comments. Welcome newcomers.

Podcast – Ep. 4 – Johnny Pain: Programming

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This podcast begin as a basic podcast on how JP would progress the deadlift and turned into a very interesting and useful programming podcast. You know someone is a good programmer when they are asked about a program, they ask an avalanche of questions like

How old, tall, and heavy are you?
What are your lifts at?
What program have you been doing?
How many times a week do you train?
What is the set/rep scheme?

Programming is an organic art. Listen to this podcast to learn how to do it effectively.




LINK (right click and “save target as”)
30:32 long. Also available on iTunes.

Note: 70sBig.com has gotten too 70’s Big for it’s current server and will be switching to a new server in the next few days. If the site is down, it will be back up in a few hours.

Stop giving a shit

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Observe this public service announcement from Spencer at California Strength:
(this was supposed to be a PR set of five)



I want to point out that the red and black NWO has been dead for years, but Spencer doesn’t give any shits; Wolfpack 4 Life. Secondly, Spencer was all set to squat 235kg (517 lbs. for you uncultured Americans) for a set of five. And then he went insane AND FUCKING DOUBLED IT UP. He’s the type of guy who says, “Ma’am, that’s not nearly enough pancakes.” He’s the type of guy who lays down six aces in a friendly poker game. He’s the type of guy who is still shredding the air guitar after the song is over. He doesn’t give a shit.

It’s not like he doesn’t care about getting better or getting stronger; he clearly cares about that. But he’s not worrying about the minutiae in the moment and when it’s go time, he fucking brings it. Trying to hit a weight, and then summoning all your energy to fucking annihilate it are two very different things. When you’re hitting a set, get reckless.

Did you watch the ending of that video? Spencer isn’t allowed to take dbol, so he makes his own…by being a fucking man.

70’s Big Females – Christine

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Christine has run the blog Munchies, Muscles, and Mischief for about a year. She has competed in a figure competition yet has transitioned into strength training and powerlifting. Her site ranges from ramblings to powerlifting, from training philosophy to female body image. Christine is, yet again, a prime example of a girl who is strong and looks great as a result of lifting weights.
Christine is 5’2″ and currently 140 lbs. (but cutting a bit of weight); not exactly skinny. While she has a musculature physique, she is certainly not in danger of nuclear levels of “bulkiness” that most women seem to be terrified of when discussing weight training.

Here is a video from Christine’s most recent powerlifting meet in which she grinds out a third attempt squat at 260 lbs.


Strong girls can do pull-ups anywhere

Christine missed her third attempt deadlift at 292 in that meet (an issue with her set up), but has pulled 290 in training recently. Here’s a routine set of five she did in the gym:


I hope that the continued features on strong girls like Christine helps the naysayers realize that lifting weights develops strength and the optimal female figure. It’s my sincerest hope that women don’t think that emaciation or skinniness is the female archetype, but instead aspire to be physically strong and capable women. Strength training helps generate an ideal metabolism and refines musculature that augments the lovely female body. Male readers, I urge you to share this with your girlfriends, wives, friends, family, and co-workers, but do so in a respectful, non-threatening way.