So as Christmas day is winding down I am realizing that this christmas has been one of the most rewarding in awhile. Let me rewind a few days and start out with when I got home, I went to my best buddy Parker's house as soon as I could and had a great time there we chilled, we watched zoolander (incredible movie), we went in the hot tub, we slept. The usual stuff. Then on tuesday before Christmas I finally got my new phone which is awesome its a samsung exclaim, blue, very nice. And I also hung out with my other best buddy Luke the week leading up to Christmas, I went with him to a tacky christmas sweater party and he forgot to tell me that, so I came in my t-shirt and swishy pants, little did I know I was going to meet some cool people that night. That night was fun, I came away with a few new friends many of which are coming to western kentucky next year...I'll have to show them around. Oh and happy birthday Jo ;). Then Christmas eve came, I pretty much just sat around all day textin folks and watchin movies and what not, the ralphie in Christmas Story is still the most relatable kid in movie history and my sisters still like watching White Christmas after the third time. OH I ALMOST FORGOT...the epic competition between me and my sister every year...unwrapping the manger scene. Now let me explain the rules of said competition, every year we have the miniature manger figurines wrapped up in news paper in a box and we all compete to see who can get mary, then jesus, then the angel (dont ask me why that is the order...) and then joseph. Now, my sister have been doing this competiition since i was still biting ankles but once I finally came of age I wanted in, I have been dominating ever since. My oldest sister Sarah Beth claims that I have only been in the competition for the past five years and she is mistaken. Needless to say this year...I MAAAYYYyyy have gotten mary, joseph, and the angel. I mean I mean to brag, but it's hard to be humble when you are this good at unwrapping figurines, some say its talent, I prefer to think of it as a gift. After that we went to bed, and my Sarah Beth, who is my oldest sister woke me up at 8:30 the next morning.....why? We open our presents and I got pretty much everything I wanted, which is easy becuase I kinda forgot to ask for things this year because I can never think of anything when my mom asks me. We ate breakfast, waffles and sausage I had plenty. Later that day we went to the old folks home to visit my grandma and meet our aunt and uncle and cousins for christmas dinner. Don't get me wrong, I like seein family and all, but sometimes it's just awkward. I'm not sure what to say since I see these people (minus my grandma) once a year but this year was different, It was fun. But the best part was that my family sang to some old folks who did not have anyone to visit them, we only sang a few songs, my dad read a christmas story, and my sister prayed for them and it was not much but they all enjoyed it ergo I enjoyed it too. After we ate and chatted for awhile, we all piled into the van and headed home I slept part of the way but was awoken from time to time by texts from various folks and my sister trying to steal my phone from my grasp while I slept, but other than that it was a quick ride home and a good Christmas.
p.s. next week is packed with stuff so I shoudl hopefully have something more interesting to write about, plus I have been eating better and so Ill update on weightlifting
Friday, December 25, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Gym Ettiquette
Hopefully this will not turn into a rant, but no guarantees folks. With the opening of the new gym at the preston center and more folks coming in to see what all the excitement is about, I feel like the issue of gym ettiquete needs to be addressed. So, I am going to lay out a few scenarios and then discuss the correct way to handle them.
Scenario #1 - An acquaintance, but not a friend approaches you and wants to chat, now I understand the gym is a place make friends to an extent, but its purpose primarily, and almost soley, for me is to get down to business. I don't like to be real chatty while im gettin swoll and if your serious about lifting, you shouldn't either. So when someone comes up and starts talkin your ear off about the weather, or about the nice smell the gym has since it's new, what should you do? The answer is simple, act like your falling asleep. If they are telling you a story, stare them right in the eye like your doing your best to pay attention, then just "doze off" right where you stand. It's safe, effective, (which is more than we can say about supplements these days) and it sends the message that now is not a good time. A more orthodox way of getting someone to leave you alone is to say, "Hey buddy, can I talk to you about this some other time because I am trying to focus" This way is a little more direct but will also convey your message effectively.
Scenario #2 - (True Story) Your standing between sets and at the power rack and the guy in the power rack right next do you is doing deadlift on the floor. You are minding your own business and happen to be somewhat in his area, but not really affecting his movement, after all gyms do get a little crowded, then he grunts at you as if he is Ronnie himself, "Get out of the way." Then proceeds to deadlift with 3 plates on each side and then gloatswith pride afterwards like he just lifted the house or something. What do you do? My first instinct was to punch him in the face, but that would be socially unaccaptable, messy, and waayyyyy over the top, but i'm not gonna lie, it crossed my mind. I was shocked at his boasting and how rude he was acting. Then my next idea was genius. Knock him off his "high" horse. Thankfully his horse is not THAT high that a mere lifter such as myself, just trying to get by, could not do the job by myself. So, I put a bar on the ground put on 3 plates and a 25 on each side (5o more lbs than him) and cranked out a few reps. After that, the gloating was quiet....actions speak louder than words, but i'm still not convinced about punches...
Scenario #3- We all know that ONE GUY that always works out, and bless his heart he pours himself into his workout, but also pours sweat too and for some reason does not think that his shirts smell like a pile of horse crap after repeated sweat and use. Well it seems that they always workout about by me and at one gym there was this guy that was so awful smelling, I almost gagged. So what does one do in such a situation? The first option is to start doing it yourself and see if he will be grossed out enough to go away. However creating a problem to fix a problem is never the best solution. A better option would probably be to exclaim boisterously to your workout partner or to anyone for that matter, "Alright...WHO CRAPPED THEIR PANTS?!?!" and hopefully the message will make its way down the ear canal, past the ear drum, through the anvil then the stirrup, the circle its way arrounnndd the cochlea and then down the auditory nerve and into the ol' noodle. Yeah.....that should probably do it.
Keep these important life lessons in mind when dealing with a sticky gym situation next time...
To be continued..
p.s. Hey Madalena
Scenario #1 - An acquaintance, but not a friend approaches you and wants to chat, now I understand the gym is a place make friends to an extent, but its purpose primarily, and almost soley, for me is to get down to business. I don't like to be real chatty while im gettin swoll and if your serious about lifting, you shouldn't either. So when someone comes up and starts talkin your ear off about the weather, or about the nice smell the gym has since it's new, what should you do? The answer is simple, act like your falling asleep. If they are telling you a story, stare them right in the eye like your doing your best to pay attention, then just "doze off" right where you stand. It's safe, effective, (which is more than we can say about supplements these days) and it sends the message that now is not a good time. A more orthodox way of getting someone to leave you alone is to say, "Hey buddy, can I talk to you about this some other time because I am trying to focus" This way is a little more direct but will also convey your message effectively.
Scenario #2 - (True Story) Your standing between sets and at the power rack and the guy in the power rack right next do you is doing deadlift on the floor. You are minding your own business and happen to be somewhat in his area, but not really affecting his movement, after all gyms do get a little crowded, then he grunts at you as if he is Ronnie himself, "Get out of the way." Then proceeds to deadlift with 3 plates on each side and then gloatswith pride afterwards like he just lifted the house or something. What do you do? My first instinct was to punch him in the face, but that would be socially unaccaptable, messy, and waayyyyy over the top, but i'm not gonna lie, it crossed my mind. I was shocked at his boasting and how rude he was acting. Then my next idea was genius. Knock him off his "high" horse. Thankfully his horse is not THAT high that a mere lifter such as myself, just trying to get by, could not do the job by myself. So, I put a bar on the ground put on 3 plates and a 25 on each side (5o more lbs than him) and cranked out a few reps. After that, the gloating was quiet....actions speak louder than words, but i'm still not convinced about punches...
Scenario #3- We all know that ONE GUY that always works out, and bless his heart he pours himself into his workout, but also pours sweat too and for some reason does not think that his shirts smell like a pile of horse crap after repeated sweat and use. Well it seems that they always workout about by me and at one gym there was this guy that was so awful smelling, I almost gagged. So what does one do in such a situation? The first option is to start doing it yourself and see if he will be grossed out enough to go away. However creating a problem to fix a problem is never the best solution. A better option would probably be to exclaim boisterously to your workout partner or to anyone for that matter, "Alright...WHO CRAPPED THEIR PANTS?!?!" and hopefully the message will make its way down the ear canal, past the ear drum, through the anvil then the stirrup, the circle its way arrounnndd the cochlea and then down the auditory nerve and into the ol' noodle. Yeah.....that should probably do it.
Keep these important life lessons in mind when dealing with a sticky gym situation next time...
To be continued..
p.s. Hey Madalena
Exams and Lifting Lately
Christmas came early this year, that's right, only one exam. I kept hearing this phrase from my teachers "Well, I'm gonna not have a final because I'm sure you all will be busy studying for your other exams" and so this trend continued until my schedule was whittled down to nothing but one exam. This was no "mere" exam however it's my nutrition exam. Let me go back first and state the Big Three (the three reasons this class sucks).
1. The teacher does not speak english
2. The teacher does not speak english
3. The teacher does not speak english
Now that you have that necessary background information, I can continue in my explanation about this exam. This teacher, who's name is Yen, feels it necessary to instill all the knowlege about nutrition in her head, into our heads. The only problem with that is, she has a PhD. and this is a "100 level" gen. ed. course. She is having troubling grasping the concept that we are not all nutrition majors and this is not a 300 level course. Her exams are rediculously in depth, and this final exam consisted of learning 10 vitamins and 10 minerals, their function (which was around 4 things per mineral/vitamin) , the recommended daily intake, what happens if you take too much, and what happens if you take too little. That is just part of the exam but that is the hardest part. All those numbers of daily recommended intake is enough to make my head swim. Being in the weightlifting scene, I have a slight interest in the subject already, so I do catch on quicker than other, but still there is no reason for learning so in depth in this level of a course, that's what reference books are for...
Lifting lately, to say the least , has been crappy. I have not been eating right at all. I have been lazy in my lifting, and I have yet to make a new routine. I was on a bodybuilding routine, then that was up so I went back to my old powerlifting routine that is completely exhausted. I needed a new routine and a new inspiration. Just when the situation was looking pretty dire, the new weightroom in the Preston Center (my schools gym) opened. This place is legit, to say the least. I walk in and in a matter of seconds I start feelin pretty, you know, like a bad ass. (I try to keep the profanity to a minimum, but this was neccessary as there were no other words to really convey my message). The thing I am most psyched about though, is the new barbells in the gym. They are skinny. I have small hands, to put it into perspective, my hands are probably comperable to that of a garden gnome. So at times gripping the bar without straps is quite the task. With these new barbells that have a much skinnier grip I feel like I can lift more and control the weight better. On bench press for example, becuase my fingers actually wrap around the bar now it gives me a psychological advantage and my mind tells my body that I am in control of the weight. I did bench the first day it was opened and I was kickin' names and takin "A". (It was not neccesary this time). I started with 225 and hit it a cool 6 times. Then I bumped up to 240 for 4 reps then 250 for 3 then 255 for 3 then 265 for 2 and lastly 270 for 1. Not a personal best, but for not eating right lately , not bad either. Christmas break is coming for me tomorrow, and I am going to commit to eating better so I can come back in good condition for next semester. Hold me to it.
Quote for today ~"What we do in this life echos into eternity"
This quote means alot to me because it is one of the truest quotes around. I truly believe that the way we live and who/what we let be the lord of our lives not only affect people around us now but also where and with who we will be for the rest of eternity
1. The teacher does not speak english
2. The teacher does not speak english
3. The teacher does not speak english
Now that you have that necessary background information, I can continue in my explanation about this exam. This teacher, who's name is Yen, feels it necessary to instill all the knowlege about nutrition in her head, into our heads. The only problem with that is, she has a PhD. and this is a "100 level" gen. ed. course. She is having troubling grasping the concept that we are not all nutrition majors and this is not a 300 level course. Her exams are rediculously in depth, and this final exam consisted of learning 10 vitamins and 10 minerals, their function (which was around 4 things per mineral/vitamin) , the recommended daily intake, what happens if you take too much, and what happens if you take too little. That is just part of the exam but that is the hardest part. All those numbers of daily recommended intake is enough to make my head swim. Being in the weightlifting scene, I have a slight interest in the subject already, so I do catch on quicker than other, but still there is no reason for learning so in depth in this level of a course, that's what reference books are for...
Lifting lately, to say the least , has been crappy. I have not been eating right at all. I have been lazy in my lifting, and I have yet to make a new routine. I was on a bodybuilding routine, then that was up so I went back to my old powerlifting routine that is completely exhausted. I needed a new routine and a new inspiration. Just when the situation was looking pretty dire, the new weightroom in the Preston Center (my schools gym) opened. This place is legit, to say the least. I walk in and in a matter of seconds I start feelin pretty, you know, like a bad ass. (I try to keep the profanity to a minimum, but this was neccessary as there were no other words to really convey my message). The thing I am most psyched about though, is the new barbells in the gym. They are skinny. I have small hands, to put it into perspective, my hands are probably comperable to that of a garden gnome. So at times gripping the bar without straps is quite the task. With these new barbells that have a much skinnier grip I feel like I can lift more and control the weight better. On bench press for example, becuase my fingers actually wrap around the bar now it gives me a psychological advantage and my mind tells my body that I am in control of the weight. I did bench the first day it was opened and I was kickin' names and takin "A". (It was not neccesary this time). I started with 225 and hit it a cool 6 times. Then I bumped up to 240 for 4 reps then 250 for 3 then 255 for 3 then 265 for 2 and lastly 270 for 1. Not a personal best, but for not eating right lately , not bad either. Christmas break is coming for me tomorrow, and I am going to commit to eating better so I can come back in good condition for next semester. Hold me to it.
Quote for today ~"What we do in this life echos into eternity"
This quote means alot to me because it is one of the truest quotes around. I truly believe that the way we live and who/what we let be the lord of our lives not only affect people around us now but also where and with who we will be for the rest of eternity
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
THE BCS and SUPPLEMENT REVIEW- SUPERPUMP 250
Ok, So today I'm sitting in Psychology doing what I normally do....reading the headlines on ESPN.Com and I come across an article about the BCS that says "House Subcommittee Ok's playoff bill" ...upon reading this I think to myself..."What the?..." I click and find out that the house really is trying to interfere with college football, now I dont know the ins-and-outs of government, so I won't pretend too, but I do know one thing, I don't want my government getting involved with college sports or any sports for that matter in any way. I'm not a fan of big government, never have been, probably never will be, and the more I see government wasting their time and taxpayer dollars talking about issues such as the BCS vs. Playoff System the bigger government gets, and the more ludacris it looks. Seriously, Rep. Democrat from GA, John Barrow, said it best, "with all due respect, I really think we have more important things to spend our time on." Amen Brother. Right there with you on that one. It is an insult that they are wasting their time on this, we elect them to do important stuff, not talk about sports, that's what ESPN analysts and color commentators are for.
All this to say, I am not opposed to a playoff system, in fact, I am cozy to the idea, if I was elected to the house of representatives and was going to waste my time and people's money , I would make it so that there was the Top 8 teams played in a playoff, and everyone else who did not make the cut would be in a "bowl" game of some sort, Sponsors Make money, a real national champion is proven , everyone goes home with a smile. On second though..., I would probably just do that if I was in charge of NCAA Football, becuase I wouldnt waste people's time and money as a Representative.
Onto the supplement review - SuperPump 250- Gaspari Nutrion
I buy some lifting straps from BB.com the other day and a few packets of NitroTech (Cookies n' Cream - delicious) and a Pack of Super Pump comes along with the straps. Great Success! So I try out the Superpump on a chest day since that happens to be one of my favorite pumps, and it works like a charm. I was supercharged, now I am not a hype guy, I tried NO-Xplode twice, didnt do crap, I tried Jack3d, made my face really tingly and my feet itch...unfortunately my tingly feet won't help me lift more, point is...it didnt help. I take superpump, I blow up like a baloon, My arms were pumped like nobody's business, chest too, I could probalby squeeze out a few extra reps, but I'm more of a strenght guy anyway, so only a few exercises would my goal really have been to squeeze out a few extra reps anyway. No matter, SuperPump250 was the only supplement along with Animal Pump that has given me a legit pump that was actually useful, The great thing about both of these supps is that they are cheaper than BSN crap and comparable with other supps on themarket, but have better benefits (To my Body...every body is different) I encourage you all to try out a few, find some samples online, they are out there, and then choose the one that blows you up, and helps you lift.
That's all I got for today- Silas
All this to say, I am not opposed to a playoff system, in fact, I am cozy to the idea, if I was elected to the house of representatives and was going to waste my time and people's money , I would make it so that there was the Top 8 teams played in a playoff, and everyone else who did not make the cut would be in a "bowl" game of some sort, Sponsors Make money, a real national champion is proven , everyone goes home with a smile. On second though..., I would probably just do that if I was in charge of NCAA Football, becuase I wouldnt waste people's time and money as a Representative.
Onto the supplement review - SuperPump 250- Gaspari Nutrion
I buy some lifting straps from BB.com the other day and a few packets of NitroTech (Cookies n' Cream - delicious) and a Pack of Super Pump comes along with the straps. Great Success! So I try out the Superpump on a chest day since that happens to be one of my favorite pumps, and it works like a charm. I was supercharged, now I am not a hype guy, I tried NO-Xplode twice, didnt do crap, I tried Jack3d, made my face really tingly and my feet itch...unfortunately my tingly feet won't help me lift more, point is...it didnt help. I take superpump, I blow up like a baloon, My arms were pumped like nobody's business, chest too, I could probalby squeeze out a few extra reps, but I'm more of a strenght guy anyway, so only a few exercises would my goal really have been to squeeze out a few extra reps anyway. No matter, SuperPump250 was the only supplement along with Animal Pump that has given me a legit pump that was actually useful, The great thing about both of these supps is that they are cheaper than BSN crap and comparable with other supps on themarket, but have better benefits (To my Body...every body is different) I encourage you all to try out a few, find some samples online, they are out there, and then choose the one that blows you up, and helps you lift.
That's all I got for today- Silas
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Back from thanksgiving...
I j ust got back yesterday from thanksgiving, which turned out to be surprisingly rewarding, Thanksgiving is normally a day that I am reminded about how our family is not particularly close, but this year was different. My sister ran a 10k up in Cinncinatti and finished under an hour and I am very proud of her, then we took my sweet grandma to eat then we finished the day eating with just my immediate family back home in LaGrange. All this to say, the inevitable weight gain that ensues around Thanksgiving for many people every year, yea not so much for me. I step on the scale yesterday before my usual Monday chest workout and I have lost 2 lbs over the break. I was elated because I expected to lose more....yes...more. How could any one possibly lose weight over thanksgiving? I'll tell you how...When I go home, there is no feast, there is at the actual thanksgiving meal but after that the house becomes void of food. This is the problem I encounter every weekend I go home. My family just does not keep enough food in the house for my eating habits. I have become accustomed to having a full plate of eggs , two bowls of cereal a tall glass of mlik and a few biscuits every morning for breakfast here at school, at home...ehhh, not so much, at home my meals look a little more like a bowl of cereal and some orange juice, assuming I get up before 11 am...Anyway moving onto my monday chest workout.
I hit the gym, like I mentoined earlier and step on teh scale, it reads 170 so i'm pleased, then i head for the Dumbell Bench, hit 45's for a warmup then jump straight to 95 and hit a clean 3 sets of 8 then a toasty fourth set of 8....the gym is exceptionally crowded righ tnow and so I get slightly annoyed, I head over to decline bench, nothin serious, the I get to squat which I also do on chest days, and i work my way up to 405 and crank out 5 reps on my final set of that, I do a few more things and call it quits, includin the pec deck which I am not a huge fan of, but it's growing on me...All in all, for eating awfully and sleeping poorly over the break, my workout wasn't half bad.
I hit the gym, like I mentoined earlier and step on teh scale, it reads 170 so i'm pleased, then i head for the Dumbell Bench, hit 45's for a warmup then jump straight to 95 and hit a clean 3 sets of 8 then a toasty fourth set of 8....the gym is exceptionally crowded righ tnow and so I get slightly annoyed, I head over to decline bench, nothin serious, the I get to squat which I also do on chest days, and i work my way up to 405 and crank out 5 reps on my final set of that, I do a few more things and call it quits, includin the pec deck which I am not a huge fan of, but it's growing on me...All in all, for eating awfully and sleeping poorly over the break, my workout wasn't half bad.
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