GoRuck Challenge Review

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Justin

People ask me, “Was the GoRuck Challenge fun?” I’m not exactly sure what to say. Fun is laughing with your friends, shooting guns, or riding jet skis really fast. Let’s just say I’m glad I did it.

The Go Ruck Challenge is a unique, challenging team event that emulates the training of Special Operations Forces (SOF).

The GORUCK Challenge is a team event, never a race. Think of it as a slice of reality found in the most elite schools in Special Operations. Leadership is taught, leadership is demanded. SOURCE

Attendees show up with a pack (AKA “ruck”) with six bricks (4 for women), water, and food/supplies and are put through a challenging night of physical stressors through a major city. It’s more than just a road march; each team is given an objective of reaching a well known check point in the city, yet there’s typically a catch. A mission may demand carrying a tree, other people, or something special like Indian running or racing another team. Each team also has a couple of “team weights” that must be accounted for. There are rules that must be followed with the implements and with the missions, and if the group doesn’t adhere to the standard, then they’ll receive a lesson to help them remember why (i.e. getting smoked). The end result is about a 12 hour event that starts at night, finishes in the morning, and travels a distance of 15 to 20 miles. Good livin’.

Post GoRuck with guys from CF Annandale. L to R: Jack, Ray, Justin, Tony, David, and Andy

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This is why we do it

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Justin

Mondays are dedicated to females and training. We have a lot to cover this week, including the GoRuck Challenge and IPF Raw Worlds, but the ladies look forward to this day’s dedication.

I first met Ben at the 105kg weigh-in at 2010 USAW Senior Nationals. We got along immediately, joked around, and his coach at the time, Paul Doherty, helped handle me at the meet. Ben and I stayed in touch, he let AC and I stay at his house when I did a local seminar, I encouraged him to start his awesome training log, and I still intend on helping him finish a really cool children’s story he wrote. Throughout all this, Ben has continued weightlifting and got into coaching. His stable of lifters has grown, and it’s been really cool to see the coach and lifters excel.

He recently handled 5 lifters at the Midtown Classic weightlifting meet at Midtown Strength and Conditioning and wrote a really good post on it. I know how it is to handle five people in a meet, and I know how it is to see them have success and failures. I also know how it is to be physically and emotionally drained at the end of the meet because of funneling all of my energy into those lifters. To have that moment when someone you train with, someone you care about, someone whose success means more than your own…to have them finally hit that lift, that mark, that goal that they’ve been working towards…it’s an indescribable feeling. I watched this video of CC, Ben’s friend, training partner, and lifter, hit this ballsy 98kg clean and jerk (below); it’s an amazing effort. But the part when she makes her way to Ben and gives him a hug…it honestly made me well with tears.

I know that feel, bro. Good work CC and Ben. Here’s to more of the same.

Q&A – 30

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Justin

PR Friday

Post your mudda crunkin’ training PR’s, PB’s, and DD’s to the comments. Add in ‘yo training updates too, son.

Weekly Challenge

Last week’s challenge was to “add in a day or two of conditioning after your training session(s)”. Anybody do this? How’d you feel? Not something that’ll interfere with training, eh? Think it’ll help with regular daily activities or fun?

Next Week’s Challenge: Eat vegetables in at least one meal every day.
Not very 70’s Big? Where’s the burgers and ice cream? I’m not afraid to say that I want to set an example for everyone. Honestly? Honestly? HONESTLY? I want you banging your wife at 80 years old after you do a powerlifting meet. That’s what I want. If you eat like someone who doesn’t do the “purge” part, then we aren’t accomplishing anything. This is an EXTREMELY simplified way to say this, but: a cleaner, higher quality diet is going to reduce your overall systemic inflammation and allow you to recover better. That means better progress. That means your wee wee in the hole hole when you’re a FOG. Cha-CHING! Do eet.

Weekly Recap

On Monday I wore cool sunglasses and gave weak-backed ladies and guys something to do at the end of training. On Tuesday I released the BIG KAHUNA, the biggest even of everyone’s lives, the ravishing, the outstanding, The Texas Method: Advanced book that will remove three inches from your shorts and turn your skin eight shades darker upon purchase. No lie. Wednesday I got to drive all day, but Chris is a champion and Nolan is competing at IPF Raw Worlds. Thursday I pointed out that a 300 pound squat for a guy is unimpressive. Every man can squat 405; it might take more effort for some than others, but it’s doable. I promise.

Oh happy day!

I’m travelling to Washington DC to get kicked in the balls at the GoRuck Challenge starting at 9PM. It was probably an excellent idea to travel and then do it. I told the fine folks at GoRuck that I was going to do a post on training for the GoRuck. I’m still gonna do this, but I figured a post of the aftermath would be more sufficient given that I’ll know what I did or did not do correctly. I’m sure the event will teach me a lot, but at the very least clarify the stressors that are similar to the first day in most military SOF selection courses. How do you prepare for a kick in the balls? You can’t; you just smile when it happens.

I thought it was really funny to see former infantry guys say, “Why the fuck would I want to do that? I had to do that for 4/6/8 years in the Army/Marines.” I get it, and they’re right. But something like this is a test of mettle for someone who hasn’t done it. It’s also apparently good at team building. At the very least, it’ll allow someone to learn or remind themselves what their limits are (instead of doing a 25 minute workout and feeling empowered). Should be fun. Interesting? I’ll let ya guys know.

Q&A

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Every Man Can Squat 405

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Justin

Brent was telling me about some dickhead somewhere on the internet that was making a big deal about squatting 300 pounds. I can’t recall exactly what quote Brent used, but the guy apparently said it was “AMAZING” or something. It’s really not. It’s kinda amazing for a girl to do that, but not a guy.

I coached a 14 year old kid a few years ago. He had hypothyroidism, which means that his metabolism was super slow. They had him on some meds that provided thyroid hormone, yet his dose may have been a bit high. This made his metabolism super high. Therefore, he was a smaller, thinner kid. But god damn did he want to be big and strong — he’s still one of my favorite people. The first day of training, he squatted 95 pounds for some sets. Less than half a year later he squatted 305. I don’t have video of that, but here’s old an video of him squatting 275×5 (there are two more sets, this was the first).

This 14 year old kid was able to work up to a 300 pound squat. It’s pretty good for a 14 year old, but I certainly wouldn’t call it “amazing”. For a grown-ass-man, it’s not a big deal. People have been accidentally squatting 300 for 50+ years. Every man can squat 405.

This, of course, assumes a healthy individual with no existing pathology — anatomical or otherwise. A regular guy can squat 405. And when he does, it may only be amazing if he was a weak-ass dude when he started. I’d be proud if “less genetically gifted guy” squatted 405, but I still wouldn’t call it amazing, or breathtaking, or whatever stupid thing the stupid under-achieving guy Brent was talking about said.

What should you do if you can’t squat 405 yet? The simple answer is to squat twice a week and don’t stop until you squat it. If you garner the accumulated work of squatting twice a week for a year, that’s 104 squat sessions. If you do that for 18 months, it’s 156 sessions. Two years is 208 sessions. It doesn’t have as much to do with set/rep schemes, or volume/intensity; it’s just that you continuously get the acute and chronic stress of squatting.

It’d make the most of your time to emulate a linear progression for several months at first, then a volume/intensity approach (like the Texas Method), and then tweak it from there. At the end of the day, it only matters that you squatted.

I’m not asking you if you think it’s possible, I’m telling you: Every man can squat 405. If this is a goal of yours, then get started yesterday. There are plenty of factors that would effect the success of this goal, but none of them are more important than just getting under the fucking bar and doing it. Then do that consistently. Don’t lower your standards for yourself or to make other people feel better about themselves. You’re not a beautiful butterfly, chocolate starfish, or whatever. 405 will make a statement, one that says, “I am average, but I busted my balls to do this, so eat shit guy in the corner who is doing wrist curls with the smith machine.”

Do eet.

Nolan to Worlds

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Justin

Quick post today due to travelling.

NolanPower
70’s Big reader Nolan Power has gone to Sweden for the first ever IPF Raw World Championships. He decided to cut down to the 93kg class (the weight classes are different nowadays in the IPF). You can read his post about his planned attempts HERE; it’s part of his training log. The stream for the meet is in the post, and he lifts some time on Friday. Good luck, Matt.

Criley
I just learned this morning that Chris is now considered the first place winner in the 120+ weight class from the 2012 NAPF Raw Challenge that occurred at The Arnold Sports Festival in March. This means that he won his first international IPF meet, and it also means he is the North American Champion! The guy who won the weight class tested positive for some kind of PED, so he was disqualified.

To celebrate, here is a video of how Chris trains bench press:

In case you missed them in the Facebook/Twitter feeds, here are some videos of Mike and Chris training recently. Mike squats 530×3 pretty easily and then reverse band deadlifts 615×6; Chris rack pulls up to 675×3 about a month and a half after injuring his lower back. Oh, and this video was part of Chris’ “rehab” of working back into things; I’m linking it cause Mike says something funny at the end.

If you’re still hankering for more vids, then review the “hip torque” concept: