MUSCLE CHURCH: Our Father, the Iron

Not ashamed to be the worst and most infrequent blogger of all time. Life happens. My biggest problem is that deep down inside I don't like to brag or boast about things. My little accomplishments or things that I do well, eh, I tend to like to keep them to myself. People that know me would laugh at that because they see how much I like to make people laugh and how I'll puff my chest up and antagonize people. Guilty, guilty and guilty again. If I'm guilty of anything, it's that I like to make people laugh or I like to make them think. If I can ramble on about something and that makes someone think about their problem a bit differently, and it helps them, well that's time well spent. Otherwise, I don't care to talk much about myself-of at all, if I can help it. But, when there's an audience...oh man it there's a microphone...I just can't help myself! It's the ultimate dichotomy; I'm an introvert and an entertainer. I live and dream about b...

Short shorts and tall socks, my favorite gym outfit! What's yours?

A lot of experienced competitors, OG Iron Addicts or folks otherwise well-versed in the iron game might look at my sorry, cheap lycra wrist wraps and shout, "dude, seriously?!" And they'd be right! These things are terrible. They never really get clean, they warp the first time you use them and they were ripped coming out of the package. There's no defending them. At all. However, I've had these wraps for a decade...at least. When Harbinger made these motherfuckers they broke the mold and at least two or three times a week I unroll these sad things to go back into the iron jungle and do that the fuck I do. Now when I got serious about competing a few years ago I went and got some nice, fancy, STURDY wrist wraps that cost about thirty bucks and those are good too, but they aren't MINE. But maybe, just maybe...there is some dreaded OVERTHINKING going on! As long as I've been in this game I've noticed that when something works, you do it...

Lately online there has been some serious back and forth about the deadlift. There is a pretty vocal contingent in the powerlifting community that balks at the sumo deadlift while over in the strongman world the sumo deadlift is regularly frowned upon. Which made me think, when is a deadlift NOT a deadlift? In the powerlifting world the bench press is one of the three main lifts, and in gyms across the world on Mondays between 4 and 10pm the flat bench is king. However, so is the incline bench, the decline bench and for many, so is the close grip bench. No one ever complains that one or the other is NOT a bench press, just a variation of it. Though the squat is not as widely practiced by the gym-goers of the world, no one ever looked at World Record Powerlifter Ray Williams and said “that bar is too high.” Conversely, no one has ever gone to multiple time World’s Strongest Man Brian Shaw and given him grief for bar placement either. Yet, there is rarely confusion over high o...

It's that time of year, you guys all know it. The gym is crowded like a club on half price drink night and you're lucky if you get to bench at all during the week. The masses are adorned with the brightest of yoga-like material and the smell of fresh New Balance trainers and discount Amazon "fitness hoodie" is like a low-hanging cloud over the gym. Those of us who visit the gym 12 months out of the year know that January is impossible, February is complex and March is usually the end of the line for the Resolutioners, but I'd like to submit that there is something we can all learn from them. It's easy to get wrapped up your own bullshit. Even if you're a successful lifter or competitor, it gets very easy to start believing your own hype. I like to think I stay pretty grounded but this New Year I had to take a step back and it was good for me. Why do people make resolutions and why do they fail? This isn't news at all, but it's so simple the less...

So only about, what, 9 months between posts. Not bad, right? Well here I am, back again to underwhelm and disappoint with my tales of woe and injury.  At least, that's what the testosterone fueled, excitable and immature young adult version of myself would say. The mature, injured and somewhat refined man that sits here typing on this ergonomic keyboard feels very different. The truth is that I am injured, pretty badly. I have a minimum of two hernias, at least as of my last MRI/X-Ray which went down about 16 months ago. I also have diastasis, which is essentially a tear in my abdominal wall that probably won't go away. Aside from that, I still battle with problems in my surgically repaired left knee which has very little cartilage left, arthritis in both hands and a little tear in my left Achilles tendon that flares up once I put in too much cardio. Fortunately, the worst of my problems, my stiff, nearly straight neck with precious little space between discs, is the least ...

I went in with every intention of doing some deadlifts but my good friend Sciatica had other ideas. The problem with being and old war horse is that sometimes those old war wounds dictate your future battles! However, I managed to shift to a shoulder routine that would keep me from standing so much, but ultimately pain won the day and it got cut short. No regrets though, shit happens and you have to improvise, adapt and overcome. I'm not quite at the level where I can 'redesign, rebuild and reclaim' but I'm getting there. Hoping to post a new video this week and update the columns on the site.With that, enjoy this moderately heavy shoulder workout! Stretching 8-10 minutes Elliptical 20 minutes Side Raises 15/12 reps x2, 20/12 Seated Overhead Press 105/15 x2, 155/12, 195/10, 215/8, 230/4 Shrugs (Neutral Grip Apparatus...I'm sure there's a better name) (add about 30 pounds for the apparatus) 270/20, 360/15, 520/15, 660/15 (with a reverse grip) 270/15 ...

Today could be called an 'assistance day' or to some 'chest day.' I'm not really into that mode of thinking. I like doing one bench press and some bicep and tricep work all together. My chest is so big now I don't like to do too much for it because it's just too big and I gotta live in this world! My biceps are growing too and following this workout I legit popped a seam in the sleeve of my Hulk shirt! What can I say? As C.T Fletcher so famously said, I commanded them to grow!  Poundages were about 60-75% of where "I am," for those that keep track of that. I train instinctively unless there's a contest on the horizon so the pounds kinda just are what they are. Certainly nowhere close to maxing out on anything.  Enjoy! Always start with some real good stretching for about 10 minutes! Elliptical, steady for 20 mins Ab Crunches 50 x2 Side Bends w 35lb plate 20 x2 Incline Bench 135/15 x2, 225/12, 235/10, 240/10 Close Grip I...

I can't put it into words most of the time. Sometimes when people give me that look that says, 'why do you put yourself through all that' I just don't have an answer. I just smile back and say 'it is what it is' and the conversation falls away. I even had the idea that I'd create a website to try to tell the world why I do it but the truth is I really couldn't tell you. There are moments that stick out. I can remember workouts from years ago like they were yesterday and I remember how I felt and the moments when I broke through a barrier or in some cases, and perhaps even more rewarding, helping others break barriers. I guess in a way I look back at my lifetime in the gym thus far and I feel like it's a career of sorts and there are times when I realize that my life has been more defined by my time under the weights than anything. I remember the first time I loaded six plates on the military press and how it was so easy and looked so impressive! ...

Well I guess funny things happen all the time right? So, as you may know from following me, I'm kind of on a half-rehab, half-diet thing now and I'm not doing any heavy training. Cardio. Stretching. Heavy bag. More cardio. Annnnnd the most dreaded two words in the world...light weights. I know, I know heavy training burns more calories yadda, yadda but you guys don't wake up with my knees and ankles everyday, a break is past due. Indeed. Time to take a step away from the heavy training... ...okay it's been 3 weeks, that's enough right? I can't put into words how miserable I feel right now. I've posted on here a lot about how the concept of 'muscle church' is something that transcends lifting weights or competing, it's something so close to my core that I haven't always been able to separate the workouts from the man. My identity is wrapped up in the iron and anytime I have to step back, even just a little bit, it's literally t...

An old pic of the guy I used to be! There's the old saying, 'the more things change, the more things stay the same.' Sometimes I think it's true because we don't venture too far from our roots, and when we do, we come back when things go haywire. Maybe not even haywire, just when things get to be sightly off-center we revert to what is learned because there's comfort there and something proven. That familiarity allows us to settle down, regroup and still feel like progress is being made. If you follow my post you know that I'm in a weird sort of limbo right now, and it looks like my career as a strongman is on hold for a wee bit. However, that doesn't mean I can just give up training, and in fact I need to get in even better shape to help me take care of the situation I have now. So I found myself thinking, 'what kind of training should I be doing?' The answer came to me quickly, and it was Jeet Kune Do. Now to be fair, I don't have a...

So since around April of this year I have been training hard for some contests this year. I had the Minuteman Muscle Challenge in West Virginia in July, South Carolina's Strongest Man in September and in the preliminary stages of planning to toss my hat in the ring at the Lee Haney Classic in Atlanta in October. And then... Well I don't care for going to the doctor, like most guys. Doctors usually suck, they don't care for patients that know their bodies well and few understand the stress that training and competing take on the body. I trust my chiropractor and that's about it. So I visited him and he gave me the usual 'yeah you're falling apart but I can try to help you' and then I asked about this odd protrusion in my belly...well, long story short I spoke with him and then saw the doctor affiliated with him and they were of the opinion that I probably had a hernia and needed to pump the brakes on everything. Needless to say I was concerned and then refe...

Big Loz just practicing for carrying the groceries in! Oh look at you! Big strong man! Strongest man in Europe? Oh you mean The Mountain??? WRONG! Ha ha! Europe's Strongest Man came and went and while Eddie Hall's amazing world record deadlift stole the show, the real winner of the weekend was Laurence Shahlaei who came in spectacular fashion to win the contest and set a new record in the Car Carry. Laurence, or Big Loz, as he's known, is a hell of an athlete with quite a story. Just a few years ago he was sidelined with a host of injuries that took him out of the World's Strongest Man. He was seen famously laying on the doctor's table with ice packs on both torn biceps saying, "I think it's over for real now." Only to come back from that and tear his quad, in the process losing lots of size and sponsorships. Loz maintains a crazy positive attitude and through all of it he kept posting encouraging messages on social media and cheering on othe...

Thor's shirt really makes a statement! Hey everyone I’m back with two updates today, both featuring 2 time Europe’s Strongest Man, Hafthor Julius Bjornsson AKA The Mountain. What a lucky guy to get such a cool nickname…and the paycheck that surely comes along with being on one of TV’s hottest shows! Well, while he is strolling around collecting paychecks and challenging for World’s Strongest Man later this year, I am trudging along in my gym getting ready for my next contest in under 4 weeks! I’m not a huge fan of publishing my training journals because the pounds you lift in the gym don’t always correlate to what you can do at a contest. Oh let’s say a 700 pound squat in the gym when you're fresh and rested might only equate to 600 at a contest held outside in the summer and after a truck pull! I’d like to start sharing some more of my specific training theories though, but after this first contest when I can really sit down and analyze how my preparation related to m...

The Man from Coldwater, Michigan...that line just reads like a crazy action flick! Dan "The Beast" Severn...yeah, he's kinda good When someone mentions the name Dan Severn, my ears perk up. Not that Dan would ever need me to defend him, but I’d take anyone to task for not agreeing with me that he’s one of the hardest, toughest, meanest fighters of all time and certainly among the most underrated wrestlers in American history. He’s also kind of a teddy bear and I once ate nachos with him while he was in his underwear. Let that last line sink in for a minute, ha ha ha! Back in the early 1990s MMA didn’t really exist and the UFC was a very small entity that had promoted a few shows and gained a dedicated but small following. Dan Severn had emerged as a very blue-collar, no-nonsense kind of man which fit the rough and tumble image that the UFC had during that time. His trademark grey shirt, handlebar mustache and grimace as he walked to the octagon became...

My first strongman contest was a learning experience every step of the way. I guess you want, or at the very least need, your first time doing something to be educational as much as you want it (or need it, remember that word) to be rewarding. I thought I had done everything I could to prepare for what was to face me on that cool West by God Virginia morning, but I forgot to bring one thing…my A game. I had studied the events and knew where my weaknesses laid and what my strengths were. I knew that the overhead press would be good and I tied for second, just like I knew the Atlas Stone could be disastrous and I failed to even lift it. I wound up coming in last place, by only a few points but still, LAST PLACE. Normally that would infuriate me and I’d write journal entries about how motivated I was to come back stronger and blah, blah, blah but in reality I took my picture with Phil Pfister (truly a large and silly man) and went to Ruby Tuesday and ate a little steak and some d...

Sometimes talking about strength gets to be a little too self-serving for my taste and well, sometimes it gets to be a bit much. I'm not one to boast or brag because there is always someone bigger, stronger or faster but every now and then you find yourself in a situation where you just need to do something silly to get the job done. I present to you Exhibit A, "the stack!" I'm a big fan of using cables for assistance work, namely working my triceps and biceps. On my bench day I typically do one cable exercise for my triceps Today I was doing pressdowns with the V bar which I love but there's never enough weight on the stack. However, I found this tiny chain...(which I promptly forgot at the gym, but I digress...) And suddenly this stack that only goes up to 250lbs, became a much better stack that I went up to 295lbs on. However, not everyone understands that this stack doesn't fit my needs and next thing I know I got two of the so-called "trainer...

I love the sled leg press. With a burning, intense passion! No shame in my game, I love it and as I have progressed in terms of strength over the years I’ve found it to be an indispensable part of my leg training routines. My latest trip to the sled leg press, 1288lbs for 9 reps. Now there are some among you, general the less hardcore or perhaps those nursing injuries, who sing the praises of the leg press over the back squat because it is easier on the knees…allegedly. On the other side of course you have the hardcore strength athletes who never met a machine they liked and think the leg press just takes away from your squat time. Well to be clear I’m not advocating ANYTHING over the back squat, which is the 2nd best exercise known to man, after the deadlift of course, but I am advocating for greater inclusion of the leg press to the hardcore lifters and perhaps a reevaluation of leg training for the squat-less. My focus these days is strongman and will be for the foreseea...

Few characters have inspired me during my life as the fictional slugger Clubber Lang. Made famous in Rocky III, the iconic character was heavily based the actor that made him famous, Mr. T. (Don't forget, the T stands for "tough!") Lang's tenacity and braggadocio spoke to me as a kid who was bullied and alone but as an adult the character's behavior had a deeper meaning to me that I've had to revisit in the last few months. "I live alone. I train alone. I'll win the title alone." In the movie Lang said those words to a reporter while calling out the champ, while Rocky's nervous compatriots watch on. One day in the distant past I was watching Rocky III for the millionth time and realized that those words are true and they apply to me and many others out there trying to make themselves champions. Look, training is a solitary endeavor and there's really no way around that. Even if you have a dedicated training partner and you ...

How's it going out there everybody??? I want to talk a bit today about specificity and why it's important to you as an athlete and how you communicate certain things to a non-athlete. It's important to make that distinction here because A) I don't know how many people come here who compete and who doesn't and B) I think sometimes we get tunnel vision when we talk to non-athletes and alienate people who would otherwise be interested in what we're doing. For instance, I give you the King of Exercises, the deadlift! And by 'deadlift' I mean 'Conventional Floor Pulls with A Standard Bar.' I posted on Facebook a few weeks ago (link is to your right, btw) that I failed at this weight which is 485 and why I thought that was and how I planned to not fail the next time I tried this exercise. Now, to the average person they might think I 'deadlift' every week, and they'd be right, but I won't be doing these again for a...