Trap Bar Deadlift 550 Single

Just a short clip of a lower body training session last week. Working up to heavy singles and doubles.

A Little History Lesson

Here I am this morning sitting in MSU’s Waterfield library. I should be studying for my advanced exercise physiology 6 chapter test (that’s a lot of information!). Instead I am writing this blog. I was doing good and deep into study mode. Then it hit me, the Spike I had drank earlier this morning had already ran through my system and I had to pee. Normally I wouldn’t blog about such a thing but while I was in the restroom there was this laminated sheet above the urinal. I went ahead and started reading it while I stood there and one thing stood out to me

“Weird Fact: Abraham Lincoln’s mother died from drinking cow’s milk from a cow that had eaten poisonous mushrooms.”

Now you may wonder why that sticks out to me. Well it just makes me think about all the foods we consume being health conscious and body composition minded. A big portion of our daily diet (chicken, beef, eggs, yogurt, milk etc.) are pumped full of steroids and pesticides. Some may think the organic stuff is just hype. I may have been guilty of that when I first started hearing word of it. In the past year I have changed my thinking drastically I buy organic almost every time possible. And if you don’t maybe you can learn something from ‘Ole Honest Abe’s Mother. Remember you are not only what you eat. You are what you eat, eats.

What's Your Excuse?

You Can Lead a Horse...

“You can lead a horse to water, but can’t make it drink” - John Heywood circa 1546

“You can lead a horse to water, but can’t make it drink. I guess you could drown him though.” – Chase Karnes circa 2009

First of all I don’t agree with drowning horses. I don’t want Pamela Anderson showing up at my doorstep with PETA for that quote. That was a quote from the gym floor today and it was also a joke. But the reasoning behind the quote and the conversation today really got me thinking.

That is a very true statement (the first quote, not mine). You see this all the time in life. Someone has an opportunity of a lifetime and they piss it away. Maybe it isn’t their fault. Maybe they don’t have what it takes deep down inside. I really don’t know the answer. I’ve known people who have had stuff almost literally handed to them but somehow find a way to mess it up. Whether it be a career path, school, or even athletic ability. One I see a lot is also workout and meal plan execution. Some people just don’t get it. They continue to look for the “perfect” meal plan or workout. I think 9 times out of 10 this can be fixed with one word:

EXECUTION

In life the person who gets out there and gets the job done goes the farthest. Let’s take two lifters for example. We will call them Lifter #1 and Lifter #2. Lifter #1 can have the best meal plan and training program in the country but if he doesn’t execute it then he has no progress and gets no where. Now let’s take Lifter #2. Lifter #2 has a half ass program out of some Muscle and Fiction magazine and decent meal plan from some website. He definitely doesn’t have the best resources but he has a plan and is willing to follow through and complete it. He is willing to execute. After a month or two he is bigger, stronger, and leaner than he has ever been. It is all about getting it done.

As Nike says, “Just Do It!”.

NSCA Sports Specific Conference - Nashville TN

A Day in Photos (Food Edition)

The following is a day in my dietary habits. This is a weekend when most of my meals where eaten at home. During the week these meals are in tupperware and with me wherever I am. Sometimes they are replaced with a protein shake for convience. I currently weigh 198 pounds and I am trying to gain a little more muscle. So I am in a calorie surplus. Also, my current activity level is pretty high with 3 hours of resistance training a week and 2-3 hours of strongman training a week.

Here is my first meal:

Omega-3 Eggs
Lowfat cheese
Salsa
Slices 100% whole wheat bread
Smart Balance light spread (from olive oil)
All fruit (strawberry)
Glass of organic milk
Spike



Here is my second meal:

Omega-3 Eggs
Extra Lean ground beef
Tukey bacon
100% whole wheat toast
All fruit (strawberry)
Slice of cheese
Banana
Organic milk



Here is my third meal:

Oatmeal
Blueberries
Tomatoes
Steak
Omega-3 Eggs
Green Tea




Here is my fourth meal:

Pre/Peri/Post Workout Shake
Whey protein (hydrosylate)
D-Glucose
Maltodextrin



Here is my fifth meal:

Steak
100% whole wheat bread
Tomatoes
Spinach salad with olive oil and vinegar dressing
Pomegranate Green tea



Here is my sixth meal:

Extra lean beef
Cheese
Tomatoes
100% whole wheat bread
Avocado
Honey mustard
Broccoli
Cherry Coke Zero



Here is my seventh meal of the day:

Cottage cheese
Diced apple
Peanut butter
Mixed nuts



So there you have it. A day of my eating. Let me know some of you favorite meals and/or questions in the comments.

Congrats!

I would like to congratulate clients Judson and Zach Pitman from Paducah Tilghman. Judson won the 145-pound class regional wrestling championship and Zach finished 2nd in the 125-pound class. They have worked really hard in the gym and on the mat this past year and their hard work has paid off. They will both be wrestling in the state championship this next weekend.

Strongman Training

I am currently training for my first strongman competition. It is 10 weeks away on April 25. Here is a short clip of me training one of the events. It is called "Max Yoke Squat". I broke that PR a few weeks later with 680.

A to Z

This blog was originally written and was supposed to run during the ice storm. Without power thought it is hard to post a blog. So here it is:

Due to the inclement weather today I am stuck inside (for now at least). As I was checking out my favorite websites and blogs I came across the post blog that inspired the one I am writing. Nate Green put up a blog about what is on his iPod. I decided to copy that idea and list what is currently on my iPod in A-Z format. Also listed is where I would normally be found listening to this:

A. Alice in Chains – Training; working
B. Ben Harper – Relaxing or at the lake
C. Corey Smith – Hanging with friends; enjoying a few beer
D. Damien Rice – Relaxing
E. Eazy E – Training; working
F. Foo Fighters – Pre Training
G. G. Love and the Special Sauce – Hanging with friends; The lake
H. Howie Day – Hanging with my fiancé
I. Incubus – Pre training; working
J. Johnny Cash- Drinking a beer; Remembering the old days
K. Kings of Leon – Driving; training
L. Lil Wayne – Training; driving
M. Metallica – Training; working
N. North Mississippi All Stars – Camping; the lake
O. O.A.R. – The lake
P. Pantera – Training (especially heavy lifts); working
Q. Queens of the Stone Age – Driving; pre training; working
R. Royal Bliss – Training; hanging out
S. Saliva – Training
T. T.I. – Training, The lake
U. Usher – With my fiancé
V. Vanilla Ice- Ok not really, just need a “V”.
W. White Zombie – Training
X. No band starts with this letter
Y. Yung Joc – Training; The Lake
Z. Zakk Wyldes’ Black Label Society - Training

Got any new music? Let me know in the comments!

In the Kitchen

Last week Paducah KY (where I live) was hit by a huge ice storm. Unfortunately nearly everyone lost power. I lost power for 9 days (it could have been worse; many are still without). The worse part of the whole ordeal was losing so much food thanks to no electricity. However; I try to make the best out of any situation I face. So I actually enjoyed cleaning it out (actually my fiancé did most of the cleaning) and heading to the grocery to stock up on all new healthy food.



View of the freezer before:



View of the freezer after:



Sirloin steak, mixed garden vegetables, broccoli, asparagus and blueberries

View of the fridge and door before:




View of the fridge after:



Natural peanut butter (it stores better upside down), half drank Spike, avocados, extra lean ground beef, chicken breast tenderloins, turkey bacon, 2% slice cheese, deli chicken and turkey breast, omega-3 eggs, cherry Coke Zero, Lowfat cottage cheese, turkey sausage, organic tomatoes, Brita water, organic 2% milk, spinach, organic fat free plain yogurt, pomegranate green tea, pomegranate, coffee


In the door after:



Red hot, honey mustard, lime juice, lemon juice, Newman’s Own vinegar and olive oil dressing, Worcestershire sauce, A-1


Now you have seen the inside of my fridge and freezer. As you can see I practice what I preach. Stay tuned for my next blog where I show meals I have prepared using the groceries from my fridge (and some stuff out of my pantry).