There are a handful of exercises that, for whatever reason, just make you feel strong. For me, one-armed dumbbell overhead presses are that exercise. Doesn’t matter what size dumbbell I’m using, I always feel like a freakin’ superhero when I do them. I might wear a cape next week.
Angry monkey face. Not proud of it, but it happens. This is me sucking wind between reps 8 and 9. When I look this dumb, at least I know I’m working hard! Pretty pumped to put up 235×12 tonight, really. The program I’m doing called for max reps on the last set, but only required one rep. If I keep moving those kinds of numbers, I don’t care how dumb I look doing it.
If you think your abs are strong, try the following:
I’d like to redefine the term. Not that I am, but I’d like to. My squat workout today left me feeling pretty jacked. My quads have always been pretty decent, courtesy of pedaling a bicycle for most of my life. But after I do squats and lunges, like today, they feel so pumped it’s like they’re trying to pop out of my leg.
…until “resolution season” is over.
I don’t begrudge people for genuinely trying to make a change in their lifestyle and health. And the ones making an honest go of it are usually pretty easy to spot; they’re the ones working. But the other 75% of the bozos taking up space and socializing… I wish they’d go waste somebody else’s time.
When I look at this picture, I see problems. I see weight that’s too light, the reps I didn’t quite get, underdeveloped forearms and biceps.
But Katie took this picture. This is from her perspective, and she sees me as impossibly strong. Strong, handsome, and almost heroic, to hear how she describes this view to me. Sometimes it’s nice to have that in the gym with you.
Missing a couple days last week to scheduling snafus means a make-up day on Sunday. It also means I had to work out at the creepy old gym by the O Club, which is never much fun. Note the condition of the floor…
This picture is a little interesting to me, because I never realized how much my calves are activated during a squat. Wonder if that means I’m doing something wrong…
My most important piece of workout equipment. It’s a little crazy to me that I got those callouses when I was about 14 from mowing lawns, and they’ve never really gone away.
(Side note: My favorite part of going to the gym in January is watching some of the “resolutioners.” The poor suckers have their heart in the right place, but it’s like they didn’t even bother googling anything before they came. I’ve seen “exercises” over the last week that are clearly the result of just making shit up.)
It’s always good to exceed expectations. It’s better when they’re your own. It’s even better when you more than double them.
The end of my deadlift routine today called for 5×215, and to continue reps to exhaustion. I figured I should be able to hack that. Then I did 12 reps before running out of gas. That’s a hard feeling to beat!
How to get strong:
1. Pick up heavy things. Deadlift them, curl them, squat them, press them, row them. Use freeweights, bodyweight, bands, cable machines, hammer machines, chains.
2. Repeat as necessary until you are strong.
In tonight’s case, it was pressing them over my head. It’s not a lot of weight. There’s nothing terribly impressive about pushing up 105 lbs for 10 reps. But then, I remember when I first enlisted. To qualify for the job I had signed up for, I had to demonstrate that I could lift 50 lbs over my head. At 6′ tall and 160 lbs fully clothed and soaking wet, that was something of a challenge for my spindly little arms. (I also had a 27″ waist. Not sure if that’s good or bad.) So I’m calling this progress, and I’m only going to get stronger.
My new weight belt. There are some who say that using one when you squat and deadlift will leave you with a weak core. I have two things to say to those people: 1. Let’s see whose core is stronger. Planks, decline situps, name your game. And 2. I know what it’s like to be in the hospital with a blown lower back, and I’m not trying to get there again.
The purpose of the belt is not to give your core a free pass. For me, it just acts as a reminder to maintain proper posture and form. It’s like having a trainer with his hand on my abs and lower back while I’m lifting, only a lot less creepy.