The nonsense that is Monday, and what my training will be in the future.

I am one sadistic dude.

I like Monday's. Yes I do! All that Monday's require.

Stank attitudes, un-happy corporate America types, and the general flow of obviously discombobulated traffic. But it's something in the air with other sick types like me. We grab our coffee and get rolling. You only get one chance at each week. Might as well make it good and solid!

Now, on to training.

I'm lightly debating jumping a weight class, thing is, I would be under the weight class limit, but I would be bigger and stronger(note I did NOT say fatter, theres a difference) than what I am now. However, would I be able to win or be best lifter in my class? That has yet to be seen.

I set out some raw goals a couple years ago, and it's approaching that I'm going to knock down at least one of those goals in two weeks. The other two which is to bench 500 raw and deadlift over 800 raw are at least a couple years off, and should I move up a class to do it.

If PR's are what we are talking about, then I'm going to consult with a couple other people to see what they think.

Random Friday musing before studying

I am amazed on a consistent basis by bodybuilding, powerlifting and strongman. A lot of the stuff I learn from lifting is what I learn comes from these sports. The carryover, so to speak, in real life from the gym is there. But there is one thing that rings true over EVERYTHING.

The hardest worker wins. Smart work is hard work, because the smart ones know that hard work is the key.

No shortcuts

No bullshit.

Just work.

Work on weakpoints is a necessary thing to do in life, school and the gym. Improving a weakpoint is hard, thats why it's weak. It wasn't worked hard enough before. I have to keep this in mind in my school, training and even finances. I'm not one for really sugercoating anything, if you're at a standstill in your life, you're doing something wrong and you're not trying to move forward.

Drop the fucking pity party around you, grab your ballsack and man up(my anthropology teacher hates that term......oh well)

This is a reality check for me included. 2011 is two months away......TWO! Are you going to start making your plans to do something great?

Everything great requires sacrifice, get after it.

Weekend plans

I have my last heavy session tomorrow and it's in the deadlift. I'm looking for at least a 570 opener, possibly heavier. Depends on how fast it moves off the floor.

My only issue is that my brachialis is taking a beating, I'll be lucky if I can get 320 the way my arms are feeling. I'll be doing plenty of icing and rest. It's a two week deload after this week and I cant wait.

Also going to try and push my weight up too. Hopefully go up to 265. Hello Mountain Dog or DC training.....getting swole!!!!

YEAH BUDDY!!!!!

Squat and Deadlift Training.

Monday was something I've been trying to pull off for a bit. I wanted us as a team to train so I could get a "compilation" so to speak. It went well, the rundown went like this

Greg: Greg put together a block format for his prep and was pulling singles at 95% for four singles on the deadlifts. He's on tap to be the strongest he's ever been and he's been fighting his way back to the platform for the past two years because of injuries. He use to be much bigger, but he drank a big ass cup of awesome, and he is dieting with the help of Nate Wolf.

Troy is just strong. Period. This will be his first full meet, so he is chomping at the bit to get it on at Lance's Gym on the 20th. He's handling his deadlift with ease, although me and Greg are still tweaking his form.

Me.......worked up to 550 for an opener on the squats.

Video.......of course!!!

Free style before the lifting courtesy of my man Troy.

Test

Bench

No video, worked up to 360 for "1" the spot was questionable as he pulled it off my chest and then let me complete the last half of the movement.

Arms hurt.....

Refection..........

So I'm sitting here at a transfer/graduation seminar at my school. I'm looking over my sheet and having a meeting with an advisor as to what plan of action I need to take to graduate with my associates.........I have one class left. ONE.

And I really may not even need that one because I just had ten credits evaluated off my SMART(military transcript), and one of the courses listed on my transcript is a requirement. So the SMART credit takes care of that. I am still a long way off of where I need to be.....long way off. But I'm close....VERY CLOSE.

To some an associates means nothing. To me, this may mean more than a bachelors degree.

Let me explain.

All things(well, almost all) things happen for a reason. Me and my wife separated a week before Thanksgiving in 2007. I lost my job that August, my car engine got screwed up and caught fire on the expressway a month before I was laid off. Basically the position I was in, I was NOT supposed to be in. There were reasons for me staying in it, but shit happens(and I know a certain person will read this, it's not anyones fault, although you can call and at least let me know how they are doing instead of not responding to my calls....rant over)

I moved in with family, that didn't work initially. Shit happens, and no ones fault once again, but I swear that God(I really don't care what you believe in, he's MY Lord and Saviour) put me in a position for me to get to know my father before he passed.

I was named after him. His was Larry Basil Brown, and mine was Larry Rassan. No, I don't go by Rassan.

Once again, I was working and at a standstill during the summer of 2008. I was mad, confused, angry. What did I need to do. I went the course I wanted to do for awhile. I went to school in the fall of 2008. Initially, it was fine, but the shit became a grind....a hard grind. Then it hit the fan last fall when my dad had an asthma attack and that proved to be his last one. But that last year and a half with him, I would NOT trade for the world. Bears football every Sunday with pizza, me calling him a cripple(he had arthritis in his back) and him calling me a meathead. Him giving me life lessons, and him motivating me to stay in school(he pressured me for the LONGEST, maybe thats the main reason I went into the military. I didn't want his advice among other things) When I got the call that he passed, it hurt a bit, but he was ready to go. He could breathe, I could breathe not worrying if I was going to get a phone call from him in the middle of the night of him crying because his back went out.

at this point I'm going to tell people with family members on prednisone to make sure they are the right dosage and do they really need to be on it. Question these doctors, because most are full of shit.

But it was hard last fall in school because I was dealing with his death, it got easier the subsequent spring, and now I sit here one class away from an associates. I went through shit emotionally, and academically to get here. I will go through more of the same when I get to Ohio State(and I WILL get there) but I'll be better prepared.

The road to personal goals are long and hard, consider it part of the journey, and relish it. You will get knocked on your ass, and you will cry. But you keep crying and keep getting coddled, you will not move forward in anything. We all have our moments when we are weak and vulnerable, but they are just that.

Moments. Discard the painful one, keep the joyous ones and the ones that you can learn from. If you can only learn from the painful one....so be it, but don't swim in them.

Training post later tonight......I think I've let you into my psyche enough for today.

Dedicated to: Countless people, you know who you are.

Larry