Woah

Posted on November 30, 2009 by Justin

Stranger things have happened

Before I left the Seattle seminar, I informed Billy that he needed to weigh 240. He was 220 at the time. Well, he is on his way with his self-proclaimed “Feast Fest”.

Here is a picture of a five egg omelet with bacon, sausage, and cheese, hash browns, toast, biscuits and sausage gravy, and three additional scrambled eggs. Billy brought his lunch pail, cause he’s goin’ to work.

Nice

————

Hey Justin,

I’ve been following the linear progression for about 2-3 months, and working on doing things right like in Mark Rippetoe’s book. I train at a “fitness gym” (because they have child care, but I hate the place). I’m 180lbs and 5’9″, not naturally strong. I am at 250 on squat (started around 200), 280 on dead lift (working on 300), and 130 on press ( started at 115). I’m not the strongest guy but I’m working on it.

The other day I was going for a PR on deadlift and this guy yelled at me from across the room and tossed a 45 lbs weight at me. He went on and on about how he much he used to lift and that my weight was “chicken shit”. All this while he was doing leg presses. He told me I was an insult to people like him, tearing up his gym, and making too much noise. This is a guy who does curls inside the squat rack.

A few days later I was looking in my notebook to see what my work set was going to be he yells at me across the gym, “Hey you need me to sign off on that? Holy shit that’s a lot of weight. Man, you might need a spot!” This is while he and his friend were doing press with the smith machine by the way. All this has really discouraged me lately, because picking a fight would cost me my career in law enforcement. There is not a whole lot I can do but keep getting stronger.

I tell you all this to say that it was really hard to ball my fist around a barbell and lift when I wanted to just walk out. I just wanted to thank you for making this website. I know a lot of posts are funny, but a lot of the posts put some fire in my ass to go lift in spite of idiots like him. So thanks, it really helps a lot. OK, I’m gonna go drink some milk.

–Russell

This is an interesting e-mail. I can’t believe that the guy in the gym would be that much of an asshole, but stranger things have happened.

My suggestion to Russell: ignore that silly goon. Get your shit done, and get out. There is no sense in having any kind of altercation. Aside from potentially getting your ass beat (2 vs 1), it would allow yourself to fall into the douchebaggery that he exudes.

Which brings me to an important point that I have wanted to cover for a while. 70’s Big does not equate with cockiness. Any kind of “my penis is bigger” attitude quickly reduces you to a jackass. I don’t want a community that gives off an aura of superiority. I want us to have a community that is enthusiastic about the common goal of increasing strength and working hard to do it. Whether it is Russell, who is squatting 250, or a guy who squats 600, they are equally important to me. Who would want to stay in a community that belittles others?

This has, and always will be, a place to learn. I don’t get paid for any of this. On a daily basis I post on this site, I answer the questions of at least ten people via e-mail, and I go out of my way to help the people in our gym — all of it to make others work hard in order to get strong. I would hope that this supportive helpfulness resonates within this particular community.

Thomas Jefferson puts it much more eloquently:

“We confide in our strength without boasting of it; we respect that of others without fearing it.”

Thanksgiving Feast Fest

Posted on November 26, 2009 by Justin

Hi, mom

This is the day that we all have been waiting for. This is the day when everybody that you know will be building (yes, building) and eating lots of food. Thanksgiving is a 70’s Big holiday.

For those seeking a truly unique experience this Thanksgiving, Hell in a Cellar offers an adventure like no other. The attention to detail and the innovative challenges make it a top choice for groups looking to push their limits. You’ll find that the experience is not only exhilarating but also highly satisfying as you work through intricate puzzles that bring out the best in everyone. Whether you’re searching for something new to try or want a thrilling activity to share with friends, book your time at Hell in a Cellar and see how well you can escape when the pressure is on.

Everyone we know is going to be eating lots of food?!? And they are going to be giving away leftovers?!!? My friends, it is raining calories. If you need a temporary refrigeration equipment to store your leftover food, you may contact companies like Rental Chillers to rent a chiller.

This was the best picture I could find.

I know some of you bigger guys may be trying to reduce your carbohydrate intake for the sake of body composition, but I think we can all agree that you should exempt yourself from such annoyances today. Realistically speaking, everyone should do the same. The malnourished Zone Dieters need this day just as much as we do. It will let them feel human again.

Go forth on this day and eat comically massive amounts of food. Enjoy the company of your friends, but don’t let them get between you and the next plate of food.

Unfortunately I won’t be eating with my mom today since I am in Texas. Her Thanksgiving smörgåsbord (to use the term again) sets the standard for all 70’s Big meals. Nothing compares. Miss ya, Mom.

———-

Here is another video from the WFAC. On November 13th I squatted 485 for a set of 5. It was the intensity day on the Texas Method, and I think I could have driven the 5RM up to 500 had I not altered my program for an Olympic weightlifting emphasis. I intentionally did not edit this video so you can get an idea of what goes on before and after the set.

After I come out from under the bar, Rip tells me my stance was about an inch wide. The tendency to widen the stance is exacerbated by an increase in weight, and some times a lifter may have to think about keeping it more narrow than they would want it. My reps are kind of slow in the beginning, but they increase with speed as I use my bounce a little better. The knees click in on the fourth rep (which I felt), but the 5th rep looks pretty good, given the stance.

As always, you can send in your own training videos.

HB Recap

Posted on November 25, 2009 by Justin

Guess the quote:
“I simply gave (them) a nudge out of the door.”

Time to recap our trip to Huntington Beach, CA for a barbell seminar this past weekend.

On Friday night Welbourn had our little crew over for dinner. “Little crew” is ironic because Johnny Pain weighs over 240, my buddy Josh is 235, Rip is at or a bit below 225, and I am at least 225. Not to mention Welbourn is almost 6’6″, 300 pounds. I caught a little bit of hell for being “the runt of the group”.

Me (225), JP (240+), and Josh (235).

JP and I usually have one thing on our mind during these seminars: food. It had been a few hours since we got into town (we went from the airport to the hotel, then to the gym, then to a store, then off to Welbourn’s), and I was seriously worried about JP’s well being. A guy who is trying to get yoked can’t go that long without eating; he was getting 90’s small before my eyes. I assured him that “Welbourn will make us a 70’s Big worthy meal, just you wait.” I tried to make myself believe it. Not for my sake, but for JP.

Welbourn delivered:

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Grass-fed beef

This wasn’t the first time I had met Welbourn, but the first time I got to hang around him for more than a few minutes. Aside from being a behemoth, he is both highly intelligent and damn funny. John told us some amusing stories from his time in the NFL and is friends with a lot of 70’s Big football players. You’ll here more about Welbourn in the coming weeks, especially if he keeps cooking like this:

Cooked meat. Note the wine in the background.

The seminar itself went well. There was the usual collection of skinny fellas that need to gain >30 pounds, and I hope we reached some of them. Matt, I hope to see you in Wichita Falls next summer. In the mean time, be a good boy and drink your milk.

There was someone at the seminar who was actually quite large. After about an hour into the lecture on Saturday morning, a giant walked in wearing all black, short shorts, and combat boots. He was probably 6””””””””””””””””5″, 265 (somebody verify this for me) with an estimated 12% bodyfat. The dude was huge. Pete bent down to fill out his registration, and I walked over, hit him on the shoulder and said, “What the hell are you doing here? You’re not a CrossFitter.” He looked at me and kinda laughed, but I was still genuinely curious. In any case, Pete was a large human being, and we later found out he plays rugby. He also had been eating a paleo type diet that unfortunately caused him to lose between 30 and 40 pounds — when you are that big, you are gonna have to eat something more than just “Paleo” to maintain get enough calories. In such a case, Welbourn recommends eating “Paleo” + milk. This should be substantial to maintain a given body mass, depending on the training.

Later that night (when Pete ordered two entrees at the restaurant), he was a bit malcontent about losing all of that muscle. I was glad to hear that he was on our side, because he can easily conquer several small villages.

JP and I were able to make a milk run to sustain our caloric needs during the (nearly) 10 hour-a-day seminar. Milk and eggnog did the trick.

I do not recommend the dulce de leche eggnog. At all.

This made us happy. Very much.

Lat spread, front double biceps, and the crab.

Drinking milk in groups becomes synchronized much like the menstrual cycles of female roommates:

It’s science.

Our pal Rachel was some how convinced to drive one of those silly little eco-friendly cars that resembles a go cart. Hilarity ensued.

I still don’t know how Josh fit into the back.

Now, I don’t want you women thinking that some of you are allowed to be painstakingly skinny either. My pal Pooja got a head start by drinking milk with her coffee on Sunday morning.

Good girl.

In other news, I’m pretty confident that I convinced Sean and Ruth to compete in weightlifting. They both have comical amounts of potential in their athletic ability, and I can’t wait to hear about their competitive conquest. It’d be a shame to see that talent untapped, so hopefully I gave them a nudge out of the door.
You two are obligated to stay in touch.

Ruth and Sean: the weightlifting couple.

This pictorial wouldn’t be satisfactory without the inclusion of Michael, our Danish friend who traveled all the way to California to attend the seminar. Mike is an all around cool dude, and we all hope to see him again.

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Juli, Michael, and I

We ate at Welbourn’s again on Sunday night, but we brought a smörgåsbord of stuff to eat from Trader Joes. After eating I was exhausted and some how managed to fall asleep on Welbourn’s couch when Predator was on tv, so I missed out on a lot of good story tellin’. Oh well. Thanks for the hospitality, John.

Well, it was another successful seminar. We always aim to educate and help as many people as we can. There is never enough time or space to mention everyone, but I’ll get a quick summary in:
Pete, send me your e-mail and stay in touch. Julie (not the one pictured above), let me know how getting stronger improves your Olympic lifts, and good luck at your next meet. Thomas, get your boobs problem situated and continue getting strong (and start thinking about how you would program this stuff). To everyone else, implement this material into your practice, never stop learning (we won’t), and remember…you’re never strong enough.

Holiday Weaponry

Posted on November 16, 2009 by Justin

The power of Thor is in your hands

The size of our audience is broad on 70’s Big. There are guys who are admittedly 90’s Small, and another guy requested a 4XL shirt the other day. There’s also some good lookin’ females sprinkled in the mix. However, the majority of guys who are strength training are underweight. And I have good news for these fellas.

The Holiday Season is upon us.

Here’s the thing: if an average house wife accidentally gains 5 to 15 pounds during the holiday season, then I hope to god you little goobers can do a little better than that. Large holiday meals + succulent treats around the house + colder weather that keeps you indoors = tramping along the path to 70’s Big.

And here is your secret weapon in this venture:

Eggnog. Consider eggnog to be your Mjöllnir in these wintry months; smiting your enemy with terrible power. There is a whopping 210 calories in half of a cup. A half gallon of the stuff has 3360 calories and 80 grams of protein. That’s a thousand more calories than a gallon of milk with half of the volume, and there is more protein in eggnog compared with the same volume of milk. Don’t you see…THEY ARE GIVING CALORIES AWAY!

———-

I got an e-mail from Quint at Primal Fitness in Washington, D.C. They recently had a 70’s Big themed CrossFit Total meet (squat, press, conventional deadlift). Check out the pictures.

It’s difficult to look bad in our shirt

Quint (pictured above) squatted 300, pressed 165, and deadlifted 373 — all significant PR’s. And Quint is desperately working on filling out his shirt, so lay off of him. Nice work Quint, and nice work Primal Fitness for not only making lifting fun, but getting gals to wear some high socks.

qrandi-

Brisket

Posted on November 4, 2009 by Gant

A Texas Treat

The following post was written by Gant

BBQ in Texas means brisket. And brisket is the featured item in the inaugural edition of the 70’s Big Cookbook.

Brisket might be the ideal 70’s Big food because it has massive amounts of protein, a good bit of fat, and no carbs until you break out the Stubb’s BBQ sauce. Brisket comes from the tough underside of the cow and must be cooked for a long time at low temperatures to break down the collagen and other fibers to make it tender.

The following video shows me preparing a brisket and removing it from the smoker 20 hours later. The first segment runs about five minutes because I talk about the virtue of brisket as a 70’s Big food. Yes, I could have simply written these comments out and saved you four minutes of viewing, but you will be a better person for having stared at 24 pounds of red meat.

The second segment shows me removing the meat from the smoker and includes cameos from pork ribs and sausage, as well as a little post-cooking commentary.

The total yield from this cook, and their respective smoking times, is two briskets (20 hours), pork ribs (6 hours), and sausage (3 hours).
Brisket is easy to make and good to eat on damn near anything. Like linear progression, there are no secrets to good briskets. It simply takes raw flesh, a willing participant, and TIME.

Happy eating.