wannalift

alex,

probably the best thing you could do would be to start lifting at a gym. i assume your highschool has one? don't be turned off by lifting with the school jocks either. they will respect you just for trying. try get on a routine that has you lifting 3-4 days a week that comprises mostly of compound exercises (barbell bench press, overhead press, barbell rows, squats, deadlifts). someone there should be able to help you out with proper technique (maybe, maybe not). just focus mentally on getting stronger each week, train hard, and your body will adapt physically. a couple cardio sessions each week and a clean diet will help you lean out, but focus on strength training to see the best results. good luck.

oh my god i spelled science wrong in my email. so much for my credibility

i'm sorry you all have to see this, but its in my local newspaper today. i already sent an email to the "journalist". here's the a link to the article and below was my response to it. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06086/677179-115.stm

Ms.Srikameswaran,

I read your piece today about the concept of consuming "healthy pig fat" in the hopes of attaining Omega 3 fats without the risk of mercury contamination. Did it ever occur to the "brilliant researchers" that people can obtain all of the healthy Omega 3 & Omega 6 fats simply by consuming flax seed/oil? It seems extremely wasteful and unnecessary to go about it through their research techniques, especially since they even point out that the pigs are being fed a diet of flax seeds. I don't mean to come across as rude, but it baffles me that this entropic approach is the standard for modern science. More like "mad sicence".

Sincerely,

David Good

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3-26-06, dynamic bench

speed bench (#2 bands)(12): 45x5x2, 45x3, 65x3, 65x3x8

5 board close-grip bench (4): 135x3, 185x3, 225x3, 275x1-F

rolling tri ext (4): 20x10, 30x10, 35x8, 40x4

lat pulldown (4): 130x10, 160x8, 180x5, 200x3 (bb form)

face pulls (3): 90x15, 100x12, 110x12

2 hand tri pushdown (3): 85x10, 100x10, 110x10

flat dumbbell bench (4): 50x5, 65x5, 75x5, 85x4-A

pretty long workout. used the #2 bands for a change. i guess they weren't as hard as i thought they were going to be, but i didn't use much barbell weight. close grips with 5-boards were a little embarrasing. i had a lot of trouble keeping the weight balanced and it made me plop the 2nd reps at 275 too high. was supposed to go up to a weight that i wouldn't fail at for a triple. dumbbell bench was even better than last time. used 85s for a new PR in weight. got 3 quality unassisted reps before needing assistance. i'll be pushing 100s sooner than i thought.

don't squat like that. you are putting too much pressure on your knees and they will eventually give out. if you are going to squat like that, go all the way down butt to heels. if you are squatting to parallel, as you should be, you want to unlock your hips, push your butt back and let your knees come out. its best to have at least a moderately wide stance. here is some info on proper squat form. http://www.dieselcrew.com/articles/cleaningupthesquat.pdf

vince mcmahon never stopped doing steroids. triple H obviously did. lashley is a freak, i doubt his build is "natural". not even trying to demean them, but there is usually a pretty easy answer as to why people look superhuman.

3-24-06, dynamic squat

speed box squat (#3 bands) (10): 145x5, 185x2, 205x2x8

dec glute/ham raise (4): body x 12 x 3, body x 8

band pulldowns (#4 band) (3): to failure

once again i had to quit early as my back was totally fatigued. at least this time it was a result of pushing my speed box squat up to a new high. was going back far at first, but i think i'm feeling better not going back as far. puts more stress on my hips, but it spares my back. also i get way more speed out of it. got a couple extra reps on the dec glute/ham raise, but not enough for 4 sets of 12 yet. went up to the next band on pulldowns and didn't skip a beat.

i pointed this out a while ago. i blame rap videos for giving fur so much free advertisement. also tv shows such as "will & grace" (or should i say "will & grace + guest star") have some kind of deal with the fur industry. you can't even throw paint anymore or you'll pretty much be charged with being a terrorist.

i love how "soy elevates estrogen levels" have gone from a baseless hypothesis to a certified fact. it must be nice to be able to bypass the scientific method or better yet to ignore the fact that meat contains real mammal estrogen. as if there wasn't enough disinformation alreday. all that person proved was how uninformed she is.

3-22-06, max effort bench

3 board bench (7): 45x5, 135x3, 165x3, 195x1, 215x1, 235x1, 245xF

inc tate press (4): 20x10, 30x10, 35x6x2

hammer high row (4): 90x12, 180x10, 230x8, 270x5

2 hand tri overhead machine (#3 band)(4): 15x10, 30x8, 45x8, 60x6

seated barbell overhead (3): 45x5, 135x3, 135x2-F

getting stronger. got 235 with not too much strain. definitely had enough to do 245, but during my setup i kind of pulled something in my hip. had to regroup, re-setup, and wasn't nearly as tight and failed a couple inches off my chest. despite the poor setup, i was actually pretty close to getting it. the tricep overhead machine is very tiring. happy to get some more weight moving, but it had me zapped for my overhead work. that combined with my shoulder fatigue lead me to not pushing very much on overhead.

no way man, 4.5 years at pitt gave me plenty of reasons not to be a pitt fan. plus i like wvu because they are percieved as trashy and i identify with white trash culture.

GO WVU!!!

3-20-06, max effort squat

good mornings (7): 45x10, 95x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225x1, 245x1, 275xF?

glute/ham raises (4): +25x8x4

band pulldowns (2): sets then quit

rev hypers (3): 275x8, 300x8x2

hard session. good mornings went well. kept a pretty sturdy arch throughout. didn't go down very far at all at 275, at least not enough to count it. 4 sets of 8 @ +25 on the glute/ham raises was good accomplishment. real good session on the rev hypers. they got a new strap, a little smaller, and i was able to keep the strap tight. not as much pop as with lighter weights, but pretty good. those exhaust me completely and i was glad the session was over after my last set of those.

3-19-06, dynamic bench

speed bench (#1 bands)(12): 45x5x3, 75x3, 95x3x8

rolling tri ext (5): 20x10, 25x10, 30x8, 35x5, 35x6

lat pulldown (4): 130x5, 160x5, 180x5x2

2 hand tri pushdown (4): 85x10, 100x10, 110x10, 120x5

inc dumbell bench (4): 40x5, 50x5, 60x5, 70x5-2A

strong session. not much speed at 95 on bench. technique wasn't very consistent either. first 3 assistant lifts were good. went heavy on inc bench for first time in a long time. surprised i made it to 70s. got the first 3 reps solid, but had a lot of assistance on the last 2. good start though.

3-17-06, dynamic squat

speed box squat (#3 bands)(10): 145x3, 175x3, 195x2x8

dec glute/ham raise (4): body x 12 x 2, body x 10, body x 8

band pulldowns (3): to failure

that was it. my back was really sore after the squatting (still hurts from mondays rev band pulls). the squats themselves went rather well. good control, fairly explosive. i am going to try for 205 or more next week just to see where i am with them. thought i might get 3 sets of 12 on the glute/ham raises, but not enough. i was so sore my back was even hurting on these

sorry, i guess i read your post wrong the first time and thought you said "leg extensions" and that the "i like legwork" remark was sarcastic. anyway, think of my last post as just a reminder to hit your legs even harder.

you need to seriously overhaul your leg routine. over 40% of your muslce is in your lower body. think of your legs as your attitude and as the cowboy in Mulholland Drive said, "a man's attitude determines to a large extent how their life will unfold". you need to do squats (knees parallel to hips), some type of deadlift (stiff legged or perhaps good mornings as a substitute), and lower back work (back hypers). i would give you more advice, but proper lower body work is the most important.

another pittsburgh girl, nice

3-15-06, max effort bench

2-board bench (6): 45x5, 135x5, 155x3, 185x1, 205x1, 225x1

flat tate press (4): 20x12, 30x10, 35x10, 40x5

one arm row (3): 55x10, 65x8, 75x8

45 deg tri pushdown (4): 85x10, 95x10, 100x10, 110x8

face pulls (4): 90x10, 100x10, 110x10, 120x10

hammer strength super inc. (3): 150x8, 190x5, 190x4-F

good session. progress in every lift. most happy about the the tate press as i finally got up to using the 40s. did one arm rows for a change of pace. got a a couple extra reps on the super inc since last week.

thanks rob & nat. i will follow your advice rob about the golfing. either that or fake an injury.

needless to say i haven't heard anything encouraging from that interview. thats actually good news because it lead to the interview i had today which i can only describe as a "dream interview" with one of the best environmental engineering firms in the country. it went so well it doesn't even seem real. i originally responded because they had positions open in atomospheric source testing, but while i was being interviewed the vice-president told me how he had a lot more in mind for me. it was as if somehow my resume matched exactly with the criteria and personalities that they were most interested in. i saw 4 or 5 different people and was told i would hear back from them very soon. finally some good news in an otherwise downhill year for me. i'll keep you all updated as to what transpires.

hey man, nice bike. i ride too, but i prefer rural outback roads to highway/city riding. cheers.

3-13-06, max effort squat

rev band pulls (#4 bands)(5): 135x5, 225x5, 315x3, 385x2, 445xF, 445xF

glute/ham raise (4): body x 8, +25x8x3

band pulldowns (3): to failure

rev hypers (eccentric only (3): 50x10x3

side bends (2): 75x10x2

pull throughs (4): 80x8, 100x8, 120x7, 120x8

arggh, had use semi conventional statnce on the band pulls. the bands weren't set very high and gave out right at the bottom of my knees. i came real close to lockout on both attempts at 445, but my back was too culred up to do anything without jacking the bar. deadlifts are so frustrating to me as i have seen the least technical improvement in this lift. i see the pros do it, and i am just not keeping my back straight. and when i go non-sumo, its really bad. everything else was strong. did the eccentric only rev hypers. very hard. spends you in both directions since you have to slow the swing down. finished with some pull throughs and these were a lot tougher than i imagined them to be. mainly a balance isssue.

what can i say jonathan, "the heart wants what it wants". you know what, come to think of it my calves are looking a little small. maybe i'll do an extra session this week for calves and throw in some cable crossovers for good measure. why not, i already do hip abductor and adductor work sometimes.

okay, don't tell jonathan or buzz, but i have started (resumed) a cardio program to lean out a bit and get the definition back in my, well...chin i took some time off from martial arts and now that i'm going back, the falloff in stamina and athletic ability is quite sad.

i am a huge supporter of interval training, so for now i am going 7 days a week with 4 days being interval training (25 min) and 3 light days for distance (30-40 min). yesterday was my 6th consecutive day and i feel great already. who knows, i might even take it to a 6 pack if i feel so inclined. then i'll get a tan and start powerlifting shirtless. the possibilities are endless