How much mobility have you done today? In the last few days? Last week? Mobility is but one of the helpful and necessary aspects of recovering and training well. After seeing the mobility capabilities of my new friends in Chicago, I realized that they suck. Badly.

I hope that regularly bringing up the topic will a) remind you to do mobility, b) influence you to do if if you don’t, c) simplify the complicated realm of mobility, and d) show you some alternate techniques to improve your ‘mobility’. It’s important to include this kind of stuff regularly because they can help prevent some common injuries or tweaks that are associated with bad posture, lifting technique, or general tightness over time. Everyone has individual body dimensions, muscular structure, and tightness, so each stretch may not effect the same tissues on you as your friend.



As always, visit MobilityWOD.com for hundreds of quality mobility videos.
Here are some other videos that you may have missed:
3 Stretches For Lifters
Making Mobility Easier
Mobbin’ With Brent

Post mobility questions to comments. What stretches have helped the most? Which do you hate?

I just got home from the 70’s Big Workshop Weekend in Chicago. We had a really good group and it was a fun weekend. I want to thank Greg from Bulldog CrossFit for hosting the lifting portion on Saturday and Ellee from Acupuncture for Athletes for hosting the programming portion on Sunday.

As we talked about programming on Sunday evening, I thought of a concept that would be relevant to readers of this site. I could talk for hours about programming (as the attendees observed on Sunday). I could write thousands of words on it (and have in the TM E-book and FIT). I will continue to not only write about aspects of programming, but the other forms of content on this site: mechanics, nutrition, curls, supplementation, recovery, mobility, curls, sports, curls, lifters of yore, and, of course, curls. I put a lot of thought into programming and helping you in various ways to help you program, but when you sit down to actually do it — for yourself or others — keep it simple.

I showed a few programs to the attendees that will be in upcoming e-books as well as templates that I have and currently use on myself. I gave them reasoning for the placement of every item and rep scheme. However, I don’t want them to have sensory overload or over-think the process when actually doing it. Simply focus on what your goal is, pick a rep scheme that would work towards that goal, and utilize the basic barbell lifts into a weekly template. Sprinkle in a few assistance exercises or conditioning activities and you’re set. Don’t feel the need to over complicate the process just because I give many details and reasoning.

Trapeze
Last Friday I did trapeze by the lake in Chicago. I regret to inform you that it is not in my speedo. Yet we hung upside down from the bar, did back flips, and got caught when upside down by another trapeze dude — you know, the thing that happens in Batman and Robin, except I didn’t die (couldn’t find that scene on YouTube). I also had tremendous pain in the proximal gastrocnemius from hanging upside down from my knees. It wasn’t Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness; it was Immediate Fucking Soreness.

Unfortunately some of you thought this was related to the Misc forums. I’m not edemucated about that, but here are a few smaller topics.

PR Friday
Remember that whole community thing from yesterday? Well, this community likes seeing how you do in training. Did you hit a lifting PR that you’ve been chasing? Are you reaching your body composition or weight gaining goal? Did you help people push their truck out of the road (something I did twice in 18 hours when in Texas — I forgot to mention it)? Tell us about it in the comments.

Chicago Workshop Weekend
I’m traveling to Chicago tomorrow to do the Workshop Weekend (Lifting on Saturday, Programming on Sunday) in Chicago. I worked on and improved the lectures on both days, so if you’re still interested in coming, there are a couple spots still open. CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION AND PURCHASE.

When I travel I post things on the Facebook Fan Page or Twitter, so check those out. I am going to cry myself to sleep because I’ll miss a portion of the football games. I’ll just have Jacob Cloud text me drunken updates.

Conan
I’ve held an exact replica of Conan’s sword that was made by the son of the guy that made it for Arnold (in Spain, I think). This replica was sharp, heavy, and usable. It was also owned by a guy named Conan (I’m not making this shit up). It’s the same thing that Arnold used; at first they gave him some kind of lighter crap-sword, and he basically said, “Fuck that, I want the real deal.” In all of the scenes, Arnold is using a real, razor sharp sword.



Tactical Strength Challenge
Every now and then I drop the ball with something. For example, that whole trying to make several fantasy football leagues thing? Yeah, I dropped the ball there (here’s the actual league with some of the guys from the site including Cloud, Briskin, Chris, Kittensmash, and Stroup). But I didn’t realize how soon the official TSC was…it’s this weekend. Go to www.tacticalstrengthchallenge.com to see the ruling on this even that has a three attempt max deadlift, maximum pull-ups, and max kettlebell snatches in a 5:00 time period. There are varying divisions for men and women (including weighted pull-ups and a heavier KB for the men’s elite division) as well as gyms holding official events this Saturday. I scrolled through and saw various acquaintances or friends in Sacramento, Denver, and Fort Wayne. The TSC is an interesting way to test yourself.

Deficiency
As far as recovery and nutrition are concerned, what are you deficient in? This could be sleep, water, protein, carbs, fat, vitamins, minerals, mobbing, etc. What is the thing that you need to improve?

70’s Big Turns 2

On September 22, 2009, the first post of 70’s Big was published and had fewer than 100 page views. The first few posts were named after Chicago songs, and KittenSmash was the first person to comment (second post). The concept of 70’s Big swelled after six months of joking around with the Chris, Brent, AC, and Mike — guys that you regularly see on the site (their training logs are linked on the left side bar). I figured the jokes would make an entertaining and educational website, and so started the process in September.

In that first year there was a heavy emphasis on lifting big, eating big, and getting big. Yet, year two saw the site shift into quality over quantity, emphasizing the finer points of programming, diet, conditioning, and even health. As you get more experienced, so should your ability to tweak your program and dial in your diet to lift and look Herculean. And don’t forget the committed intensity and fervor necessary to not just achieve, but elbow drop your goals.

This site has always aimed to a) entertain, b) educate, and c) have a fun time doing it. In order to garner and harness your attention, I have to do really weird shit
There is no zealotry in recommendations, only that strategies are derived from a baseline of anatomy, physiology, and the body’s adaptation to stress. There is no 70’s Big diet or workout. I guess sometimes we make fun of bodybuilding, but usually directed at a bro who is acting like a goober. CrossFit probably receives a jape every now and then, but I’m sure their skin is covered with plate armor made of $100 dollar bills papier-mâchéd together. The point is that this is a community that is open to new people, helps people, and has a good time along the way.



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In this podcast I answer questions submitted by readers on the 70’s Big Facebook Fan Page. Topics range from rehabbing SI/lumbar injuries to deadlifting programming, powerlifting to Robert Baratheon.


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