sensless

You must have some sort of weakness in your hamstrings and arse, possibly the abs as well that cause you to reinjure your back constantly. I'd advise you to see a good trainer with a kineseology background to get your back straightened out. Something is wrong with your body if you can't squat, as it is a normal movement that the body should be able to do without injury. Glad to see you're still working hard though! Regards, Sensless

and how wonderful camera tricks are. I have seen females dead lift the end of a car. It really isn't that hard. You just have to be able to dead 400 ish or so. boliver It depends on the apparatus used, as that will cause great variances in the amount of weight you actually have to pull. Some apparatus used will load you up to close to 1000lb at the top of the lift and some will only be around 600lb at the top. Criss Angel is simply a magician, but it's cool that it has motivated you to get after it again. Regards, Sensless

I'm back at NX Level training again (with VE) so I'm not going to be able to brutalize my body with this for awhile. However, they are putting us through the wringer to get our work capacity up so I'm hoping that in about two months I can go for this and see if I can hit somewhere in the 40-50 rep range with 225 (or more if my weight goes up, I won't bother reducing the poundage because I can't tell the difference between 210 and 225 on my back). Honestly I doubt it will happen, but if I can break 30 reps on anything I'll be a happy man. At least by the time I try I'll be used to puking, as they made me puke already today! Regards, Sensless

With the thigh hitting or waist hitting the bar, it does allow you to move more weight. That was a rule change made in the early 60's for the olympics (allowing the bar to touch the body) that caused the poundages moved to increase dramatically. It appears you don't activate your hips at all. Squeeze your butt and jump to help pull your hips forward. Takes a fair amount of practice. Regards, Sensless

I'm about 217lbs right now. I'm certainly larger than ever before, but I have a pretty solid power belly to go with the increase on the rest of my body. I am heading back to NX Level (training facility) to start training there twice a week again and that will knock some of the body fat off but I think I will try to maintain 215lb or heavier (shouldn't be hard to do). I'd like to get my bodyfat back around 10% or so. I feel strong at 9 or 10% bodyfat. Regards, Sensless

I'll give it a try this weekend. I'll see if I can get a video of the puking this will cause. There is no way I will touch 50 reps, especially coming off of pneumonia. I'll probably just use 225 as I'm too lazy to load the bar to my exact weight. Regards, Sensless

When are you going to start barbell squatting? Does it scare you? He he, Sensless

For some reason I was under the impression that you were in your mid-20's (26). I suppose it doesn't matter much anyway! I used to work hang cleans a lot but now i prefer doing stuff from the floor mostly. Regards, sensless

I'm glad to hear my chiding was useful! Ryan has suffered through it for years and anytime he really wants a good workout he calls me up so I can make him suffer again and motivate him (that's why he often gets PR's when training with me, the hatred!). Perhaps sometime we can try to train together. Get some solid abuse with the iron in. Good work on the decline. I used to use that (when I benched on a regular basis) to get comfortable with heavier weights in my hands and it helped my flat bench increase dramatically. I look forward to the frequent updates again! Perhaps if I start training with any sort of plan I'll start posting a journal again, but with the wedding planning going on my training is sporadic and unorganized at best. After the wedding it will be the solid effort I enjoy. Regards, Sensless

I don't know what to label my training. I think it is more of a "whatever I feel like doing today" method. Since I train just for the fun of it I don't mind doing it this way. If I was 10 years younger I'd likely be more serious about my training for competition, but meh. Are you working the olympic lifts at all? I find those to be pretty fun for "hybrid" training as you call it. Hope the back gets better!

This was the motivation I had in high school, though they were the runners on the track team and soccer team, not the CC team. I have never gone ten minutes though, that's outstanding. Regards, Sensless

I think that as long as you treat supplements as SUPPLEMENTS then all is fine. Depending on your goals, you may never need to take them. Watch your progress and your recovery times, if your progress is quite stagnant then perhaps some dietary supplementation will help or if your recovery rates are super slow then definately eat more and possibly take some supplements to help boost the calories. Some people use them as a crutch and forego actual food, which I think impedes their progress. Some people don't use them and make plenty of gains, some people use them correctly and really maximize their potential. Regards, Sensless

We're all of those people Vegans? I thought they were vegetarians but I am pretty ignorant. Otherwise a pretty successful bodybuilder of the past that was a vegetarian was Bill Pearl, just as another name to toss out there. If you make a trading card of Ryan I want one. I think you need to have a recognizable object in the photo with him so his size is readily apparent. Regards, Sensless

And how exactly would you suggest to do that? Start squatting with me and VE? Regards, Sensless

How's the training going? Haven't noticed an update in quite some time. Regards, Sensless

Hey! You should have noticed by now that you can't take anything for serious that VeganPotter says! Since I spend my time wandering around with VeganEssentials I always feel small, so you'll get no reprieve from me! Ha! Sensless

I never noticed this contest. I may have to give it a try on a day I feel like puking everywhere. My endurance is so poor I don't know if I can go above 12 reps regardless of weight on my back. Regards, Sensless

Get those boys in the squat rack pronto! Can't have a walking lightbulbs flexing about. ha! -sensless

I guess it makes sense that it all depends on the stone. Regardless, stone lifting is quite fun, don't you agree? Sensless

Thanks for keeping the log! I've been reading it when you update it. Have fun training with VE (fatty) in DC. Wish I could go out there as well. Though I'd likely ditch most of the conference to hang out with my cousins I'd still be around for the training. Get some good photo's of the event and your training sessions. Regards, Sensless

What are you going to do for the leg day? I'd be happy to hit with you if you want. I haven't back squatted or heavy squatted in eons. -Jr.

Rock lifting is great. I think atlas stones are harder to lift than natural stones now that I've had a decent chance to try them both. Have fun! Regards, Sensless

24 handstand push-ups! Now that's impressive. Did you perform them free-standing or against a wall? Regards, Sensless

You can also check out www.veganessentials.com. They sell lots of shoes there and it is a fellow board members company. Regards, Sensless

Yes, the squat clean will be nice. When my knees are healthy I can get down for the bar, but my timing isn't there yet. I find when I try to squat clean I end up not pulling as hard and I try to catch it in a full squat position instead of halfway down and then descending into full squat. It is something that will just require practice with the light weights before I can do it with the heavy stuff. If I can get the squat clean down and my knees actually feel good for jerking I think I can hit 165kg or more next summer and have a shot at winning best lifter. Regards, Sensless