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Crash
04-29-07, 12:44 pm
In October of last year I turned 30. It was a significant event because neither of my Grandfathers had lived past 60. It was from then until recently that I was very very angry. The past 30 years of my life have been one cluster fuck after another.

I am in a job that I have no particular passion for. It's just a means to pay the rent. And this is by no means the first line of work I've been in. I've been married and divorced three times. And so on and so forth.

Since I was young enough to remember I have been searching. Searching for something to quench my thirst. Something to drown out the Chaos inside me. Then one day I walked into the gym.

This is by no means the first time that I have walked into a gym at all. I have been an off and on gym rat since I was 23. But there was something about all the dumbells lined up on the rack so neat and orderly; The Benches with 45's sitting on them; The power rack and the leg press sitting there waiting. And in that moment I had my vision of clarity.

I may had wasted 30 years of my life. But I still have at least 30 left. So the question remains "What are going to do?"

No one knows when God is going to pull your ticket. But until he does, how you live your life is up to you. I will make my mark on the wall. It is irrevelant if it is big, small, light, or dark. It will be there for all to see.

I may still be angry, I have that right. I can blame no one but myself for the choices I made. But now my direction is clear. And I will continue on this Journey till I have paid my dues. Till the anger is no longer there. Till I can walk away, and no longer hear the Iron calling me.

SweatHog
04-29-07, 6:45 pm
I hear you Crash.

Crash is the name of a young guy I used to train 10 years back. We both viewed life as a series of cluster fucks.

Today I see em as lessons.

The iron taught me a lot of things, everytime the pain gets too much I learned to overcome it from something inside myself. The focus of energy upon one aspect of my life began to spill over into others. All of us are more than we could imagine when we first step into a gym.

I been down and back up again many times. Falling over don't mean shit, it's dusting yourself off and getting back up, that's what marks the man.

Got your back bro

-SweatHog.

lil ox
04-29-07, 8:03 pm
I keep telling myself "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger". Keep focused bro.

Big Jawn
04-29-07, 9:12 pm
It ain't over til its over.
There isn't a reason why you won't live well past your grandfathers, you've got the passion now focus it into your training, nutriton and supplementation...prove your critics wrong bro, you control your destiny.

Tron
04-30-07, 12:40 am
Life is a "series of cluster fucks?" Kind of a sombering way of looking at things.... actually it's downright depressing. I guess as long as you still make it that's cool hahaha.

gnoll5
04-30-07, 12:06 pm
life is what you make it bro, and it sounds like you are going to make it a good one from here on in. someone once said "if you find a job you truly love, then you won't have to work a day in your life". its so true. only you know what you want to do with your life, unless we have the silver spoon in our mouths we gotta work, but anyone can do what they truly want to. the resources are there to learn, to educate ourselves to better ourselves. it takes a lot of courage to make the first step, but it could be the best thing you ever chose to do.

Crash
05-03-07, 2:11 pm
Recently in an effort to shake up my program, I started doing my carido at 6 in the morning. This way I would have my heart rate up twice a day instead of only once. I am fortunate enough thT my gym has a pool which allows me to swim laps, thus addding another option to my carido selections.

I was taking a momentary break to grab some water, and I noticed how all the thrashing I was doing in the pool was making waves throughout the whole pool. As I was thinking about this and the relevance it had in my life I happened to look up and see a gentleman watching me through the window.

He was middle aged and not in the best shape that he could have been. Yet here he was at 6:30 in the morning, a time when most are still crawling out of bed, trying to better himself. We aknowlaged each other, then he went off to do whatever it was doing, and I went back to doing laps.

As I was going back up to the dressing room thirty minutes later, I saw him again on the stationary bike, sweat pouring everywhere. He was really putting effort into it.

Now I know it would be vain and arrogant to think that I inspired that, But when I stoppped to think about it, I too watch people in the gym all the time. There is a click in my gym of younger guys, in their early twentys, that are moving much more weight than I. Each time they work out, I watch to see how much poundage their using, what form thier using, etc. Obviously they are doing something right. When I see them doing their thing, It motovates me. I think about adding 10lbs. I think about squeezing out 2 or 3 more reps on a set.

On the flip side of the coin, there are two other guys in the gym who are moving massive amounts of weight. The problem is that their form is shit and they only move the weight a little bit. It may work for them, but in the 8 months I've been at this gym, I have not seen their physique change any.

I don't know if I helped motavate that guy that morning or not. But I realize now that we all make waves when we are in the pool. And these waves affect everyone in some small way; whether it be positive, negative, or simply taking up space. How you contribute to "The Ripple Effect" is up to you.

Bigarexic
05-03-07, 3:25 pm
i used to notice others as well now i work out at a gym that is stricly by appointment and i am allowed a key and able to work out late in the day.

MO_500057
05-03-07, 3:35 pm
I am a young man, 23 to put a number on it. I understand where you are coming from, we are all here to motivate one another that's why this is a brotherhood. We're all brothers in arms or iron if you will. Every day I hit the Gym I see more people like me. People who are hungry, granted we all have different appitites, but we all need it. To push it pull it break it. Every day is a new barrier smashed. Good luck to you.

Crash
05-09-07, 10:54 pm
The other day I was reading some article in a magazine. In it, it stated that if you drank your water ice cold; that in order for your body to warm it up, you would burn an extra 64 calories, which meant that you could have a fat free cookie guilt free.

First off WTF? Never in my life have I had a fat free cookie. I know that I am blessed with an extremely small craving for sweets, but when I want a cookie I want Mom's home made Chocolate Chip, or Oatmeal Raisin cookies. Damn the sugar and calories, just get the hell out of my way.

Secondly, If I can burn 64 more calories by drinking my water cold; then I have just burnt 64 more calories. Excuses are like noses and assholes, and they are everywhere trying to get into eveyone's business.

I am currently cutting to see the man inside me. I have cut away my bad habits. I have cut out my non-supportive associates, I have even cut out my hobbies and activities that interfere with the goal I have. In a little under seven weeks I will step onto the beach at 10% bodyfat. It going to happen. And what drives me is Fear and Guilt and a Determination so intense that it envelops everything.

Brothers, we are given but one life in this world, and when it is your time to "Exit stage Left" you are done. Time is the only element in life that we cannot recapture, that makes it's the most precious element of all. It's from that statement that comes one of my core values "Either go all the way, or don't go at all. If you are not giving 100% in everything you do then what the hell are you doing it for?

I guess what it comes down to is this. If you want a fat free cookie, then drink your water cold. I will continue to eat my tuna out of a can, rice cakes, eggs, oatmeal, and my special meat loaf; cardio by day and weights by night. And come June I will see you at the beach.

Crash
05-15-07, 2:52 pm
I started my cutting program 12 weeks out from my vacation, and now the time has come to rotate my routine. Monday was the first day, and never did anything else suck ass more.

I was on the incline bench on my first real set (I do two to warm up, and three all out), and I paused at the top of the eighth rep for a 3 second rest, so I could force out 1-2 more. I got the first one, but when I lowered the bar the second time; I just couldn't do it. I tried to rack the bar on the lower pins, but could only get one side up so I sat lay there pinned against the weight, till I could rack the other side. Embarrassing.

Then, to make matters worse, when I was on the flat bench to do my dumbell presses,I didn't flip the weight up correctly off my knees. It damn near took me to the floor.

Despite it all, I finished my chest routine strong. And as I left the gym, I vowed that tomorrow (today) would be a better day. Failure may happen to me from time to time. But nothing, Absolutely NOTHING will ever make me quit.

Crash
05-24-07, 10:35 pm
Here lately in the Forum, there has been an uprising because some members have felt that the Forum has become to PC. Then there were the multiple posts on bashing the younger generation. (Myself included) Through it all I have noticed one constant. The Gym is Waiting.

Full ROM or Partials, The Gym is Waiting. Keto Diet, or Carb Cycling, The Gym is Waiting. Whether or not you have the right to call yourself a bad motherfucker, The Gym is Waiting.

There is no better Forum to prove who you are, and what you believe in; than in the Gym. As someone once said. "200 Lbs. is always 200lbs.". They also have big mirrors in there. Mirrors never lie.

I care very little about who is right, who is wrong, what is better or worse. I know what has been working for me, and what hasn't. I know what I want to experiment with, and what I want to stay away from. But through it all, I know that The Gym is Waiting.

And within those walls I will give everything.

So, Let the Saga Continue. You know where I will be.

Crash
05-29-07, 6:05 pm
It happens to us all. We set goals for ourselves, then strive to achieve them. Sometimes we make it, Sometimes we don't. Failure is inevitable. It's going to happen; to Me, to You, to Everyone. The real question, is what you are going to do when it happens to you?

Apparently the scale I was using was a pound and a half off. This translated into an incorrect measurement of my bodyfat. so instead of being at 12.4%, I really am at 14. Normally this would not phase me, but with only 3 weeks to go until my vacation, It has come down to crunch time, where errors are costly.

So the real question is, "What are you going to do?" Dennis Hopper said it best in Speed "Pop Quiz Asshole... ... ... What are you prepared to do?" I'll tell you what I am going to do. I will drag my Fat Fucking Ass back in that Gym and I will train. I will stay my course, and give 110%. Then, when it is all said and done, I will leave it all on the Gym floor with no regrets. For in my Mind, in My Heart, in my Soul. I have become the man I was meant to be.

Crash
06-06-07, 11:19 am
I know what the boy in the bubble feels like; drowning in a sea of people. Day after day I crank up my headphones and walk through my gym. No one talks to me, save a few of the guys who give me the nod of aknowledgement and we go about our business. I drown out the shitty house music that plays. (I swear to fucking God I heard Britney Spears the other day.) I drown out the conversations of others. I have no desire to hear what your fucking problems are, how many chicks you’re banging, how you’re going to get fucked up in the club Friday night. Do you ever notice the difference between Friday, and Monday how full the gym is? You know why? Gotta work off that Beer and Pizza.

Well I say fuck that.

Drowning in a Sea of Solitude, yeah I can handle that.

Crash
06-08-07, 1:14 pm
This is to all the people out there who say it can't be done.

This is to all the people who bitch and moan about how tough their life is.

This is to all the people who latch on to people and suck them dry because they are not strong enough walk in their own shoes.

This is to all the people who want everyone to be just like everybody else.

...Fuck you...

The Rage still burns inside of me.

7
06-08-07, 1:26 pm
Some weighty words in here Crash. Weighty and powerful.

Crash
06-12-07, 3:03 pm
As I near the end of this stage of the Journey (Cutting till vacation); I find that it is not the destination that I am going to enjoy the most. Rather it was the Journey to get there that I have relished.

Adjusting my schedule to get up at 4:30 to do cardio, Zero Carb Days. High Carb Days, the Disipline that comes with food and weights and times to eat, these are the things that I think of constantly. The fact that I can now go to the beach and take my shirt off without being embarrassed; It's mearly an afterthought. In fact, my vacation hasn't even started yet, and I am anxious for it to be over. I will cut for one more month to see if I can get that Bodyfat down into single digits. Then the Bulk begins. And I mean that this will be a long, slow meticious bulk. That will propel me into the 200's.

Aerosmith sings that "Life is a Journey, not a Destination", and that is true. One-seventy whatever with whatever percentage bodyfat will be nothing but a fleeting memory with a couple of photos to show for it. Stacking those 45's on the bar, cranking the music up till it feels like my ears are going to bleed, the pacing on the gym floor between sets, the feel of the iron and steel, the lessons that the gym has, and will teach me. That will last forever.

Enjoy the ride.

Crash
06-12-07, 10:11 pm
How many people do you know that are interested in immediate results. When they see something they want, they want it now. I too have been guilty of that from time to time. I think the one exception of that, is in the gym. Don't get me wrong, It will be a cold day in hell, when I piss in the wind on purpose. But lately I have seen more posts here about wanting the "edge". My question to you is why?

Should you choose to use an artificial substance, and it does whatever the hell it does, what then? How many contests can you enter? How many times can you put on a tee-shirt 2 sizes too small and walk around with ILS trying to pick up girls, or intimidate the guys until you get bored?

No, the Journey is better. Everytime you walk in the gym, excited, pumped, tired, sick, apethetic, whatever, you earn a little more. You earn a little more respect for all the hard work you do. You earn a little more character for the dedication you have, You earn the right to hold your head up a little more.

I am not saying that your Destination is not important; just don't forget to smell the sweat and iron along the way.

Crash
06-15-07, 2:23 pm
True Bodybuilding
Close your eyes and imagine you're all alone on a deserted island. There's no hope of rescue, of ever seeing another person again in your life. In the middle of that island is a squat rack and a pile of plates. Down the beach, there's fruit, water, warm sand and an easy life. What do you do? If, in this dream, you choose a ball-busting quad workout, then you have an idea what hardcore is all about. On the other hand, if you tell yourself, "What's the point? No one will see my quads anyway," then walk away. You just missed the point.

This is from Machine's log Life is a Freakshow on the main site. Today is the last day before my vacation. I have been wrestling with myself over what I am going to do with this whole week. Today was not even an option. I did my Carido this morning, and you can bet your fucking ass that I will be in the gym tonight working the "Gun Show". But what about then? Do I say fuck it, and spend the entire week trying to rest and recooperate? If I do, I am sure that I will loose a little of the cut that I am on. Does it matter? I am not ready to get up on stage in my underwear yet (If ever).

It's all about priorties, and where your heart lies. Fuck whoever said that "Until you Step on Stage you just lift Weights.". Give it to the Beach Muscle Crew. Bodybuilding is a Lifestyle, and when it becomes part of you, your whole life revolves around it. You plan your diet, you plan your workouts, you review your progress (or lack thereof) until it truly becomes an obsession.

Push-ups and Pull-ups, plus something heavy to squat. After all it IS a vacation. That, and with all those miles of beach down there; someone has to run on it.

Crash
06-25-07, 5:21 pm
Vacation is over Time to get back to Work. I have been catching up on what I have missed here and I have just a few things.

1. Be Your own Man/Woman While I am greatful for the Watchmen, Henchmen, Gladiators, and the Pros; I'd like to remind you that they are simply men and women in their own right. They have a vast amount of experience in this field, and that is it. They can be wrong too. I don't need a tee-shirt that says "Go Away" or "Shut The Fuck Up and Train" You can tell that by my demeanor whenever I am in the Gym. The next post I read that kisses Machine's, Ox's, G-Diesel's etc. Ass. I am going to fucking puke. We know that they all have good points. Guess what, They know it too.

2. Quit Bitching For every problem that you have, I can assure you that there is someone else out there that has it worse. I saw a thread about some dumbass complaining that he didn't have any milk. What the Fuck? Another was asking if he had potiential? Thank God somebody stepped in and told him to look at the mirror. Potiential is for those who have no Fucking Balls. If you want something, Grow a Set and GO GET IT!! If you need Machine go to your log and tell you to bust your ass harder; get the fuck out right now.

3. GET YOUR ASS IN THE GYM You go to the Gym to Break down your Body, then you Eat and Rest to Build it back up. Quit trying to reinvent the wheel. You want Motovation? Look in the Mirror as you walk by. You want to see if you have Potiential? Get your ass to work.

More than half the Year is already gone. Do you know what Time it is?

Crash
06-27-07, 8:58 pm
Ever notice how Bad Days at Work translate to Good Days at the Gym? Today was a bad day at work, I was never more ready for 5:00. On top of that it was Back Day, not a day to be taken lightly.

I do Deadlifts last. I feel that by then, with all the other exercises I do, that my back is as ready as it's ever going to be. So I was in my first real set, pounding them out, and off to my left I hear this comotion. I try to ignore it, but then realize that some Curl Jockey is yelling at me; IN THE MIDDLE OF MY SET! I give it one more, but he won't stop. So I drop the weights, take my headphones out, and walk over to him. He begins to tell me that I don't need to drop the weights so hard, that I will break the gym floor.

"Isn't it Concrete?"

"Yes."

"Isn't there Rubber flooring over it?"

"Yes, but you still can break it,"

He then tells me that he doesn't know what my problem is, that every day I walk in with a chip on my shoulder. I ask him what he means, by chip on my shoulder, and he sidesteps the question and tells me again not to drop the weights. I look at him for about 3 seconds, then utter a single word.

"Ok"

Now this Out of Shape, Sack of Monkey Crap wants clarification on these two letters. So I say.

"You told me not to drop the Weights, I will take it under advisement."

I then stick my headphones back in and turn away.


Now....


Was he right?


Yeah he was. I was letting the weight drop way too hard. Perhaps it's bad form, but I was wanting the bar to go completely dead before my next rep. For my last three sets I lowered the bar more gently (I.E. Under Control). I felt like my form suffered, in that I was jerking at the bottom of the rep, and not keeping my back under constant tension, but time and practice will smooth that out.

As for the Chip on my Shoulder, that was a better compliment, than the one I got the yesterday from someone I actually respected. He came up and asked if I was cutting. When I affirmed his question, he told me that I was really looking good. Everyday I walk into the gym, I crank up my MP3 player and drown. I drown out the Curl Jockeys, I drown out the ESPN on the TV. I drown out the beach bunnies. I drown in the sea of iron, and rage and intensity. Maybe, just maybe I should get one of those Animal Shirts that read "I'm not here to talk" or "Shut the Fuck up and Train" (See how many Curl Jockeys and PC Yuppies complain about that.). So that everyone will not have to stare at my face to see the "Fuck Off" expression inscribed there. I have no friends, especially none at the gym. I do not go to socialize, discuss current events, watch ESPN or look at the scattered ass. I go to the gym to train.

Leave it to a Curl Jockey to put things in perspective.

Crash
06-28-07, 2:28 pm
I Will walk my own Path. I Will Stand for my Beliefs. I Will Humble myself to those who are more Knowledgeable and Wiser than I. IWill Enlighten those who wish to know me and my Path. I Will Respect everything until given a Reason not to.

Should I fall in my Ignorance and False Confidence, then may You gather round me and Pity the Poor, Broken Bastard that Lies Fallen. But until that day, I stand Battle Ready; Armor on my Chest, Sword at my Side, and Courage in my Heart. I am ready for what comes before me, for I shall Give it my All; and let the Chips fall where they may.

Strength and Honor

Crash
07-02-07, 11:20 am
Do you ever watch bees? They go about their mindless jobs, doing what they were born to do. No complaints from anyone about anything. In fact, you would hardly notice they were there unless you interfere with them. Then, they show you just how pissed off they can get.

Remember this thread?

http://forum.animalpak.com/showthread.php?t=7465&highlight=snowboarding

Where is it now? Not even on the fucking list. There were 160 replies to Machine's post, and 2185 views. The last reply was on 06-09 and there was no resolution, nothing. It just fell away as the bees went back to work. Everyone wanted to jump on the bandwagon, (or Machine's back), until there was real work proposed.

I love this thread:

http://forum.animalpak.com/showthread.php?t=2027

To read it, it would seem like we were a Mob ready to go to Fucking War. So where is it? Where is the Revolution? Nowhere. Do you know why? Because we have become so Complacent that we now must have fucking tv's and dvd players in our automobiles. A twenty minute ride with our thoughts is too much for us now. Holy Fucking Shit. What mindless Gerbils we have become. Where is the individuality? Where are the free thinkers? Where is the Spirit to see what we want in this World, and go and Fucking get it. NO MATTER THE COST.

There is a bumpersticker. It's supposed to be funny, but I believe it hold alot of truth:

"Friends help you move, Real Friends help you move Dead Bodies."

Nothing will ever let you know exactly where you stand with somone, more than them having to exert effort for no return. Cruising the boards, I keep seeing the phrase "A Place at the Table". I guess that means that when others feel that you have paid enough dues, that you get to join them in whatever it is that they do.

...Fuck That...

I have my own table. I sit at the head. I care very little if I sit alone. Solitude has been my best friend for a very long time now. It will be a cold day in Hell when I measure myself by someone else's yardstick. And it will be here that I sit; Feasting on the Rage set before me. I hope one day for the table to be full to the point of standing room only.

But for now, I will sit, and watch the Bees.

Strength and Honor

Crash
07-02-07, 10:00 pm
This really pisses me off.

http://www.nwarkansasnatural.com/results.aspx

I am having a hard time making the transition from Ball Busting Workouts, and Extreme Nutrition to stepping on stage in my underwear and saying "See how Pretty I Look?"

But after seeing this...

I see alot of sleepless nights ahead.

Crash
07-03-07, 3:28 pm
Father Time is a Relentless Bastard. No matter what you do, Time ALWAYS marches on. In fact, in the time that it has taken you to read to this point; You have just wasted 3 seconds of your life. That's the problem with numbers, they always add up. And before you know it; you are 30 years old, with bad knees, and a whole lot of bad choices under your belt.

Don't get me wrong, if you think that I am pulling out my Security Blanket, and crying over spilt milk, I put that shit away a long time ago. What I am telling you, is to take charge of your life. Stop what you are doing right now, and question everything. What you're doing, where you're going, EVERYTHING. Make some decisions right now, and then make plans to aquire those goals. We get so caught up, in the day to day bullshit that is life. Work, School, Home, Family, Curl Jockeys at the Squat Rack, Some asshole that cut you off in traffic, (you get the idea) that we lose sight of what is important to us. You get to walk down this road one time, and one time only. If you are not progressing down the path of your choice, you're dying.

Everyone know what "Carpei Diem" means. I am telling you to go beyond that. Don't just sieze the moment, grab that fucker by the balls and ring every last ounce out of it. Why? Becauase once it's gone, you'll never have it back. No one knows when, as Machine puts it, God will pull the trigger. How you spend that time is up to you.

The year is already half over.
Do You know what Time it is?

Crash
07-09-07, 1:14 pm
Next time you are about to do some carido alone (I.E. with no one else around) do yourself a favor and leave your MP3 player, or Walkman at home. See we all have this little voice inside of us (Some of us have more than one), called a conscious. Most of us also haven't listened to it in quite awhile. I admit it, I'm Guilty. There are going to be some changes made around here. Time to put some plans into action.

Crash
07-10-07, 9:10 pm
God I love this life. If they put it in a box, I'd get some and pour me a big heaping bowl full. Eat it up with a spoon and a shit faced grin. Every day I am confronted with people's perception of reality, and reality itself. I took off my Rose Colored Glasses a long fucking time ago. Call me Cynical, I don't care. Call me an Asshole, or a Fucking Prick, you think I answer to You? Call me lazy, and I will personally invite you down here to roll with me. I will take anyone step for step, Rep for Rep. I will never fucking quit, even if it kills me I'll never quit. I love this life because you get out of it, what you put in to it. And at the end of the day the only person you can hold accountable is you. Point your finger at a 45lb. plate or a chicken breast and say: "It's all your fault", and see how far that gets you. You want to be ripped, jacked, stacked, built like a brick shit house, and stronger than an ox? Then strap on your fucking boots, and let's get to work.

BIG BOSS DAWG
07-11-07, 6:36 pm
My Life Is Not Horrible But I Have A Void Inside My Self That I Fill With This Iron Ware Fare.......you Can Make It Way Past Your Grandpas If You Practice What I Was Introduced As The S.t.d. It Stands For Supplementation, Training, And Dedication.....if You Have That Bro.......i Got Your Back..........cause On Here We Are All

Brothers..................

Crash
07-12-07, 1:08 pm
My first car when I turned 16 was a 1977 Ford Thunderbird, with a big block 400 under the hood. For the most part I hated that car, because it looked like a Grandma-mobile. But you could not dispute the power under the hood. The drive home from my part time job, was a two lane highway called 112. At the beginning, it was curves and switchbacks, and at the end it was a straightaway. It was five miles from where I got on to where I got off, and every night I raced the clock, Pushing myself to beat my last time. I wrecked that car twice (although not doing that). Hell once I rear-ended an ambulance. While thankfully no one was in it. It's just another funny tale of ignorant youth.

My first "real" job was in a factory that made the aluminum faces for buildings. I was in the shipping department. I got to drive every piece of mobile equipment in the plant. And I wrecked every single one of them. That is how I got the name "Crash". It was not that I was in a hurry, or trying to show off. Rather it was a quest for the "Feeling." You know what I am talking about. That "Feeling" you get when you take something to the edge, is like nothing else. I've never been much of a guy who crusies. I've always had it in 6th gear, taching 7000, and bouncing off the rev-limiter.

Thankfully, as I have gotten older, I have learned the value of driving better. I just have moved that feeling into the gym. On my 3 to 4 "Working Sets" I'm never sure if I am going to make my last rep. More than once, I've had to dump bars, or drop dumbells. But the feeling you get, from taking it to the edge, the fear, the excitement, the pump, and the rush; that feeling is like no other. I strive for it every time I workout.

There is some bullshit notion out there that you should not train to failure all the time. I say fuck that. Train to Failure Every Time. You might not get another chance.

Crash
07-14-07, 9:41 pm
"When one door closes, another one opens." I read that somewhere in one of the many books I have read. That is all to very true. On Thursday of this week I closed a door. It may have been premature to the goals I set before myself, but crying over spilt milk hardly accompishes anything, except to make you look like a bitch.

"Learn from the Past, Live in the Present, and Look towards the Future." I read that somewhere too. I ended my cut early, but that's okay. I learned that my Chest, and Legs need work. Who gives a fuck, if I didn't get down to single digit bodyfat percentage. I found my weak areas, and that's what I wanted to do. Failure is common in this life of ours, I failed to acheive a goal I set before me. So, let's put this one in the Samsonite, (Along with all the others), and put that fucker back squarely on my shoulders where it belongs.

It's now time to open another door, and continue my journey. I will choose my path wisely, for I will be the one to walk it, crawl it, even blaze it if necessary. I will become an unstoppable force. For while some may bring their victories, I will bring my defeats. For by studying them, learning from them, growing beyond them. I will truly be the man that stands above all else.

Yeah, that chip on my shoulder is probably my best friend. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Crash
07-18-07, 3:19 pm
It used to be that some people couldn't see the Forest for the Trees. Now they can't see the Forest because they are too busy looking for the fucking Leaves.

Let me break it down like this. I don't own one solid Trophy, Award, Plaque, Certificate of Gratitude, Nothing.

What I do have, is a little "Trophy" that wants to shave his head so he can be "Just like you Dad."

Fuck your $37 piece of metal and plastic.

7
07-18-07, 3:22 pm
Good stuff in here Crash. Respect.

Crash
07-19-07, 5:22 pm
I hate to tell some people this. But you are full of Shit. I don't know if I am qualified to rant on this subject(s). But here we go.

1. My brother is overweight. He is also one of best mechaincs that I have ever known. He can tell you what is wrong with your car by having you describe the sound. He spends reads car magazines, manuals, etc. by the dozen keeping up with his "chosen lifestyle". You have no fucking right to call yourself a better man than him because he might get winded going up the stairs. Fuck you. He could acheive "Great Things" like working for NASCAR if he wanted to. But he prefers to spend his time fishing. So fucking what. He is a leader and a good man in his own right. He is not missing out on life because fitness is not his first priority.

2. There is nothing wrong with being "Squared Away". I wear clothes that fit. They fit well. In the job I have, I deal with the upper class, all the way to the richest people in my community. How far do you think I would get if I wore jeans that were 3 sizes to big and a t-shirt that said "Fuck you". I'll tell you, not very fucking far. I wear jeans that are my size, an undershirt, and an overshirt with a collar. I also wear boots that have had more miles put on them than some people's honda. I am not afraid to get my hands dirty. Personal Hygeine. I shower three times a day. Once when I get up, and once after each gym session. Why? so I don't fucking stink, that's why. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. I want people to think that I am intelligent, strong, and honest. How are they going to see that in ripped jean shorts and a stained t-shirt, smelling like shit? You complain how they don't recognize Bodybuilders as intelligent atheletes. Well look at what you are fucking wearing. How can we be smart if we can't even operate a washer or dryer? There is a time and a place for everything gentlemen. In the Gym I wear shorts and a cut up t-shirt one size to large (Muscle Dysmorphia in action) But as soon as I step into "public view", I am squared away. Shaving? My Mach 3 is one of my best friends. I shave twice as much as the next man? Why? Because I fucking want to. I shave my head, my stomach, and my chest. Want to call me EMO, or a Pussy. Try dragging three blades over your dome that has been sunburned so bad that it blisters. Fuck you. If you look good, you will feel good. If you feel good you will do good.

One last note before I get off my soap box. If you have all this "Extra Energy", And a lot "Less Stress" then perhaps I need your workout program. I've been sore for 4 days in a row after doing legs. I could use some fucking "Extra Energy". I also have this "Lifestyle" in addition to roles as a "Father", "Husband", and "Employee". I have lots of stress. I'm not saying that I want you to give me my Blanket and a fucking Cookie. I'm saying get off your high horse, stop looking in other people's garden and tend your own. You might be surprised to find what's growing there. If your tending other people garden, then your nose is not to the grindstone enough.

Crash
07-23-07, 3:12 pm
As the days go by, I can feel the anger comming, every encounter, every time I read, everywhere I look. I have one message. STOP YOUR STUPID SHEEP'S WHINING I swear to god the next person that tells me what they can't do, or how they fucking hate this, or fucking hate that, I swear to god I will smack them upside their head.

1. It's not about what you CAN'T DO, it's about what you CAN DO. "Can't" in my book reads "won't". It means that you don't want it bad enough. If you "can't" find a way. Fucking make a way. Absolutely nothing should stop you from acheiving your goals. If you can't Run, Walk. If you can't Walk, Crawl. If you can't Crawl, then Inchworm your way to the nearest handicapped device and get you ass in gear. Time waits for no one, and it sure as hell doesn't feel sorry for you if you have "Issues", "Difficulties", or "Situations".

2. Everyone hates something. I personally hate Laziness. If you "hate" carido, then perhaps you should take up boat carving. I see Carido as an invaluable tool. It help me lose fat, and burn excess calories. When I do my road work it helps me take stock of where my knees are at. You fucking think you hate carido? Try running 5 miles on worn out knees, and see where that gets you. The ONLY thing I dislike about Carido is how the recumbant bike makes my back hurt after an hour. Carido also allows me to listen to that inner voice, we so often block out. I have learned more about myself during my last cut, than I have in ten years.

3. Remember that we're Special, just like everyone else. It's great to be different, but don't think for one fucking minute that you are better than someone else because you have committed your life to fitness. Perhaps I am not as "Swole Up" as ya'll, or as "Hardcore", but I have yet to have someone ask me to explain my lifestyle to them. Or why I eat every two hours? Or why I get up at 4am? Honestly, I am sure they don't fucking care. And that suits me just fine. You go play in your sandbox, and I will play in mine.

Just to get things straight, I am not looking for a pat on the back, or an "Atta Boy." I learned a long time ago that if you were man enough to make your own bed, you need to be man enough to lie in it. I will continue to bust my ass, and do what ever it takes to acheive my goals.

Crash
07-24-07, 5:54 pm
I am a Simple Guy. I absolutely thrive on the KISS philosophy. Why make things more complicated than they really are. I guess that is why the iron game appeals to me so much. I mean, either you lift the fucking weight, or you don't. There is no middle ground. I, too, see things in black and white. It's all or nothing. You've either got you foot buried in the gas, speed shifting, tach bouncing off the redline. Or you've stopped, because you've won, or crashed.

It's not easy being all black or white. Mostly you have really, really good days. But then again, sometimes you have really, really bad days. I don't advocate this lifestyle to everyone, it will fucking beat you to death. But there are some things that I can advocate:

1. Simplify, Simplify, Simplify. Take a look at you average day, and cut out all the unnecessary bullshit. Anything that doesn't further you toward your goals, is wasting the most precious element you can never recapture time. Let me put it to you like this. I get up, go to the gym, go to work, go home to change, go back to the gym, come home, eat dinner, take care of what's needed around the house, and I am in bed by 9-10PM. I haven't played a video game, or sat straight through a movie in 6 months.

2. Don't be afraid to tell it like it is. I use the "Firm but Fair" philosophy. People who know me, know that I will "kick the real deal" without putting sugar on top, whether it be good or bad. For some reason, alot of them choose not to listen to me. But that's okay. If I had a 5lb plate everytime I could have told someone "I told you so" I'd be benching 1000.

3. Hold you, your crew and everyone you depend on to the highest standard. I learned in the Used Car, and the Granite business that Quality goes alot father than Quanity. If I tell someone that I will be somewhere, or take care of something, the only way it doesn't get done, is if I die. My Word is above reproach. I hold my family and my friends to that standard too. Again, quite strangely, I have only one "Aquaintence", and no real friends. But, fuck it, I lower my standards for no one.

4. Respect. Respect others as you wish to be respected. With that said, there is a big difference in respecting some one and kissing their ass. This goes to your property and surroundings too.

5. Don't Fucking Waste Time. Money, friends, Significant Others, Toys, etc. etc. etc. They all come and go. Sometimes more than once. Once that fucking second ticks off the clock, it's gone forever. So stop fiddle-fucking around, and get your ass to work. Make goals, make plans and steps to reach that goal, and go get it. There will be plently of time to lay on you fat ass when you are taking the big dirt nap.

Strength and Honor, Gentlemen. That really sums it up doesn't it?

Crash
07-26-07, 5:52 pm
Everyone else in here was writing about Motovation, and I thought I'd add my own little spiel.

I can't really tell you what first motovated me. Wait a minute yes I can. I got tired of being pissed on. See in High School, I knew I was different. I just didn't know where I belonged. I was an outsider. Then I tried to go to College, twice. I didn't quite make it. What I did make it with, was alot of women. Yet for some reason my relationships never lasted more than a year, don't ask me why. The current opinion I get, was that when they first saw me, they thought I had potiential. They thought they could mold me into whatever they wanted to. I'd let them go about as far as I wanted, and then it would be like a cow to an electric fence. That really pissed them off, because everybody thinks the grass is greener on the other side.

So, with a dismal High School experience, two failed college attempts, relationship failures beyond numbers, (I've been married four times), Oh, and a shitty childhood (I didn't tell you that). There was just one day, when I ground everything to a screeching halt, and said "FUCK THIS!" It was that day that the steam roller stopped moving, I stopped digging my own grave, etc. etc. etc. (Insert you own anology here). I told myself, that if I was going to live, I was gong to live on my own fucking terms. I would not let sitautions define me, I would define my own situations. By God I was going to grab life, by the fucking short and curlies, and squeeze for all its worth.

My Motovation comes from all the people who told me that I can't. That it can't be done, You can't do that, it doesn't work that way, blah, blah blah, fucking blah. Keep those words of wisdom to yourself, So-crates, I'm fucking busy.

Nothing in this world is more powerful, than someone's made up mind. Remember that. I made up my mind a long time ago, that no matter what comes my way, I'm going be pro-active not reactive. I don't care what it takes, I don't care how long it takes, I don't care about the price I have to pay, I don't care if I have to work until the day they bury me six feet deep, in a fucking pine box. I will die with my boots on, knowing that I rode that motherfucker till the fucking wheels fell off.

It's not about; IF You'll Let Me.

It's about; WHO's Going to Fucking STOP ME?

ARE YOU READY? LET'S GO!

ncsu06
07-26-07, 8:32 pm
crash man i love the shit you write brother...especially the last one you just wrote...grabbing life and living it on your own terms..i just recently made this decision...i was the same way you were in the relationships..but i have only been through one broken engagement and the reason why it was broken was b/c i chose to live MY life! i'll tell you this..i have never been happier than living my life for me...yea i get bullshit all the time about how selfish i am and stuff, but i am still a nice guy and i still care about people but i make my decisions for myself and live for myself..once again good shit in here crash...keep it up brother...good luck brothers

dIdDy
07-26-07, 10:35 pm
good writings in here man. keep it up

Travis
07-26-07, 11:16 pm
yo. good reads.

Crash
07-28-07, 7:00 am
Even though they make some shitty shoes, (I prefer New Balance myself) Nike has the best slogan in the world. JUST DO IT. It really is that fucking simple.

You want to run 5 miles today? Just do it.

You want to get in 6-8 quality meals before you go to sleep? Just do it.

You want to break that new PR on squat? JUST MOTHERFUCKING DO IT.

Who cares what you did yesterday? That was then, this is now. You'll your 15 minutes of glory when they speak at your eulogy. Quit living in the past. Live in today. What about tomorrow? I didn't see a note from God excusing yourself from life today, Get to Fucking Work. In case you didn't know, Tomorrow is promised to no man.

Just Do it. See when you start negoiating with yourself, you are opening that door to failure. If, I feel good enough, If, I got a good night's sleep. If, I get laid. I hate that fucking word. Just do it. Whtever it takes. Run as long as you can, then walk the rest. That's 5 miles isn't it? 3 meals, 3 shakes, 2 snacks, that's 8 meals isn't it? Load that weight, get your fat fucking ass under that bar and ride that bitch for all it's worth. Do whatever it takes to do it, but Just Do It.

Yes Gentlemen, it is that simple. The only thing that can stop you, is YOU. Now get to fucking work.

Crash
08-01-07, 11:04 am
Yeah, that's right. Put down the weight, the chicken breast, the protein shake, the pills sitting there in your hand. Put them down, and just walk away.

This is not a game motherfuckers. There is no Reset Button, or Mulligans, or Do-Overs. When your turn is over, it is fucking over. You have no right to this lifestyle just because you were born. I fucking love those little PC, yuppie bastards. They want everything everyone else has, but they don't want to fucking earn it. Being a a part of this lifestyle is a privilage. It is a rare gift bestowed upon we lucky few. Nothing is this world is free. And neither is this.

So if you are tired of Eating, Hitting the Weights, Carido, the Disipline, the Dedication, the Sacrifice, simply walk away. Who's going to miss you? Life is too short to piss it away on things that you are not willing to commit 100% to.

As for Me, God has granted me a rare vision. He told me that if I bust my balls, eat like I am supposed to, and give up all the "comforts" of an easy life; that I will still fucking die like everyone else. I can handle that.

Strength and Honor

Medford
08-01-07, 12:50 pm
I had two days off from my jobs. I "chose" to spend the two days off in pain. I did my legs, specifically the quads, on Monday night. I'm not sitting here wondering if it worked...the pain in unbelievable, a special kind of fire inside the muscles that let me know that I absolutely beat that muscle group down but good. Most people would eat drink and be merry on their days off but I needed the recovery time to give my quads there all, to spend the muscle so much that the simple act of walking pain free would be out of the question for a day or two.

Yeah, my plans for my two days off? Intense daystopping pain. Nothing like it.

Can't wait till my next day off.

Crash
08-05-07, 10:02 pm
Call me "crazy", "insane", "a wanna be", "a should of been","a never will be".
Look at me out of the corner of you eye.
Make fun of me and my style when you think my back is turned.
Don't try and understand me. What I have to Prove. Who I do this for.
Hate me.
Hate my KISS philosophy.
Call me Selfish
Call me Stupid
Let me be that White Elephant in the Room.

Today is the day that Fear stops being that double edged sword. I will fear what will happen if I quit. What will happen if I give less than 200%. What will happen, if I fail.

I will no longer fear you, who you are, or what you think.

And if you don't like me, because I am different.

Line forms to the Motherfucking left.

...96/670...

Crash
08-10-07, 12:39 pm
“Keep your Friends close, and your Enemies closer.” That’s the famous saying anyway. Fuck, if I did that, I wouldn’t be able to move. I’ve made a lot of Enemies. Since I roll solo, I prefer to think of it in terms of Accomplishments, and Failures. Thus, “Keep your Accomplishments close, Keep you Failures closer.” I like that idea. It keeps me grounded. Don’t get me wrong, I was happy when I earned the right to put 135 on the Bench or the Squat Rack. But now I have 225 staring me in the face. I can’t put 225 on either bar. Living with that failure is bad enough. Then I have to watch the Curl Jockeys come in and bench 225 like it is nothing. Seeing that makes me want to kill them, or me; luckily I haven’t decided yet.

No, keeping my Failures close to me, let’s me know that I have a long way to go, and a lot of time to do. For 14 years, my life was one screw up after another. I was flying by the seat of my pants, trying to keep my head above water. Now it is time to pay the fucking Piper. I don’t want to say it is easy, because it sure as hell isn’t, but one does get a certain satisfaction from seeing the numbers pile up in the log book. It’s kind of like marks on the wall you see in those old prison movies. Thirty down and Life to go.

It would be so easy to drop that suitcase. Hell, that the main theme in some religion. Commit your life to whatever, and all past transgressions will be forgiven. Being “Reborn” they call it. I just don’t think I’m ready for that “Get out of Jail Free” card yet. What would I have learned if I took it? I learned nothing when I could put 135 on the bar, except that I could put 135 on the bar. The fact that I can’t put 225 on the bar yet, tells me that I have a lot of fucking work to do. It stretches out endlessly before me, and that says I need to get off my lazy ass and get to work. Because after 225, there 315, then 405, then the almighty 500. It never ends. Maybe after 1000, I can pat myself on the back, and say: “That’s enough, you can put that suitcase full of guilt down now.” But probably not. One day, one rep, one plate at a time. That’s how I choose to do my Penance. I’ll see you on the other side.

...95/672...

Crash
08-14-07, 1:09 pm
Tunnel Vision. There are those of us that have it, and those of us who need it. When your mind is so focused on what is in front of you everything else ceases to exist. There are times when I think to myself; How could this take up so much of my life? Then, when I am in the weight room, it all seems so fucking clear, that I start chastising myself for not dedicating enough time and effort to it. The battles are everywhere around me. From the battle to drag my ass out of bed at 4:15 despite being sick as a dog (A rather large battle), to the battle of inches.

I have mentioned before that I use a Rest/Pause style Rep method. What that means is, at the end of your set, you stop at the top (just before lockout), grab 3-5 quick breaths, and then squeeze out 1 more. You repeat this till you cannot do anymore reps. I believe this is called Training to Failure. There are some, (As well as many Gun Bunny magazines), who don’t advocate this. My question is, Fucking WHY? What are you saving it for? Never have I had the need to Press, Squat, or Lift anything on my way home from the gym.

Moving on, it’s these last few reps that really shows me what true Tunnel Vision is. During those times, EVERYTHING but the weight ceases to be. Seconds become hours. Inches become Miles. All I can focus on is the battle to get that weight to fucking MOVE. Then, after what seems an Eternity, you get past that sticking point, and you continue your Journey.

Why? Why do we do it? Some do it for the Looks, some do it for the Lifestyle, I do it because so many people have told me that I can’t. “You can’t work out today your sick. You can’t keep working out with this schedule you’ll be old before your time. You can’t keep training to failure, your CNS will never recover.” Motherfuckers, I AM doing it. You may not want it that bad, but I fucking do. I can see 315 on the bench. I can smell 500 in the cage. I can feel a 600lb DL. I want my body to look like it was carved out of pure Granite. There’s only one person in the world that can hold me back. And, the last time I talked to him, he said…

Crash
08-25-07, 12:38 pm
Not having the opportunity to bury myself in my workouts, gives me the opportunity to actually look up and take stock of my surroundings. I read, I watch TV (unfortunately) and I listen to my scanner (Better than CNN). And I am here to tell you that there is too much fucking Hero Worship going on. Don't get me wrong, the people that we idolize have accomplished some fantastic feats, and done some amazing things. My question to you is, since when did they become the end all, be all?

I am telling you right now. Don't measure yourself by someone else's fucking yardstick. You will always come up short. Arnold, he was the fucking man, Cutler, Ronnie, Machine, Ox, Lad, G-Diesel, I can go fucking on, and on and on. You get my point. They are all great guys with great physiques, no doubt. But you know, I don't want to be like one of those men. I don't want to have Arnold's Biceps, or Ronnie's huge presence, or Machine's Wheels, or House's Calves. I want to be Me. I want to be 5'9, at least 250lbs. of pure athletic machine, ready to kick ass and take initials. If I have massive Arms, or Shoudlers, or Lats, or Calves or Wheels, or Whatever, Great. But if I don't so what? The only limitation I place on myself, is that I will have everything in proper proportion. What good is a 52" chest, if you have a dunlop stomach, or wheels that look like broom handles? There are already enough Gun Bunnies in the World, thank you very much. The X-frame is the way to go. Massive Chest, tight Waist, huge Wheels.

I'm also going to do things my way. That's not to say that I am going to do things the Right way, or the Wrong way. I am going find what way works for me, to acheive my goals, and I am going to drive that motherfucker till the wheels fall off. Then I am going to find another way, get back on that horse, and again drive it like I stole it.

Bottom Line is, don't let anyone or anything keep you from becoming the fucking Animal that is your Potiental. Tell them to take their Limitations, Qualifications, Exceptions, Genetics, and their Little Bottles of Miracles, and shove them directly up their fucking ass. Hard Work builds Champions. Now let's go get Some.

Crash
08-31-07, 2:43 pm
There are two types of people. Those who enjoy down time, and those who don't. For the past week and a half, I have had down time. And never more was I more Agitiated, Miserable, and just is General Pissed off as Hell. Nothing is more frustrating, than having the desire to go out and take the World by storm, but having to sit on your fat fucking ass. It did allow me, however, to re-examine some goals, and methods (of training and eating), as well as some philosphy, motovation and dedication.

Through it all, I found out that my mentality is right where it needs to be. I like being that white elephant in the room. You know, the one that no one wants to acknowledge is in the room. Then when his back is turned, you talk about him; What a poor, pitiful, crazy bastard he is. Ignoring me, allows me to do what I want to, without burden. Then when, my time comes, I will step out of the shadows, with a big chip on each shoulder and my middle finger to the masses.

My training methods could always improve, but Clean Bulking is still my goal. I like that constant state of readiness. If it takes me twice as long, who gives a fuck. I only remember one deadline.

With that said, Time is wasting Gentlemen. This is a forced break, not a voluntary one. And I am going to come back Meaner, Harder, and Hungrier. If I were you, I'd get to Fucking Work.

Crash
09-07-07, 10:16 pm
Tomorrow is normally Chest and Wheels. However, in addition, I will do some roadwork tomorrow morning for a close friend of the family. You know why? He can't do it because he is fucking dead. You know how he died? He was so overweight, that he turned over in his sleep, and smothered himself because he couldn't turn back over.

He leaves behind a wife and two kids. Now, I am going to have to take on some of his responsibilities because he can't anymore. I am not angry because of what I have to do, I am angry becuase I HAVE to do it. It is not my place be a male influence in their lives, but I will because he would have done the same for me.

So don't tell me you are sorry for the loss of a human life. Get pissed. Get Fucking on Fire and recommit yourself every day to giving 110% and don't fucking leave until the job is done. Because for one man, that opportunity is gone.

Strength and Honor

Crash
09-14-07, 11:41 am
The other day I was talking to my boy Maximus. During the course of the conversation, the subject of Max-es came out. I told him that I have never maxed out on anything, and that I never planned to.

You see, I'm not a straight Power Lifter. The numbers are VERY important to me, though, as the more I push the bigger I'll be. If there ever comes a day when I start lifting in a "maintence" mode, I hope God fucking strikes me dead by the third rep. I don't Lift, or Run to maintain anything. My Bodyfat percentage is never low enough, The pounds of weight I use is never high enough, I can't run far or fast enough, and I am not big enough. Will I ever be satisfied? No.

To this end, anything less than four reps to me, is a waste of my time. Before you try to hang me on a "Bullshit" call; again let me tell you that I know how my body responds. If I lift something, and get less than four reps, then my ego has just written a check my body can't cash. And I had better strip off some weight, because I still have more work to do.

It all comes back to the Numbers. That and your Ego. I really care less if your benching 225 and squatting 315. I'll out work you with 165 and 205 all fucking day long, and if you think that I am going to be happy when I get to your "Almighty" 225 and 315, you've got a another thing comming my friend.

Maximus answered the question best:

"How much do ya' bench?"

"Not Enough"

Crash
09-18-07, 3:02 pm
This is to serve as a wake up call. If you want a Miracle, and you think that some almighty powerful figure is going to snap their fingers and make it happen, I've got some sad news for you.

If you really want a Miracle, then you had better be the first one out of bed, bust your ass all day long, and be the last one back in. And God-fucking-forbid you need someone else's help to accomplish this. If it turns out you do, then be fucking prepared. Nothing is worse than having being asked to accomplish the impossible and find out that it wasn't important as they said it was.

Crash
09-23-07, 9:14 pm
Speak Softly, and Carry a Big Stick. It one of my Core values. Some one once told me that "It's better to keep Quiet, and be Thought a Fool; than to open one's Mouth and Remove all Doubt." I found it to be sage advice. Another one from my High School days is "Attitude is Everything". I agree with that 110%.

These three tie together in, "I'm Not that Guy." I'm not the guy who wishes to make his presence known. Acceptance or Attention from others is not a necessity for me. I'm not the guy who's going to brag about his accomplishments, or how fucking hardcore or badass I am. All I know, is that I have expectations of myself. There are things that I want to accomplish, and I am willing to do WHATEVER it takes to accomplish these things. I personally don't view myself as Hardcore or Badass. I prefer to think of myself as Dedicated. Others would call me Obsessed, but fuck'em. You live your life, I'll live mine, thank you very much. I'm not the Guy who's going to tell you about war and blood, and scarifice, and all this gloom and doom, and medevial shit. Never in my life, have I thought of myself as going to WAR with the weights. I'm not that Guy. Rather my workouts are like Pennance. I'm not the guy who views everything as positive. Save it for the Zellies. I have a dark side, and I have to pay for that side. If I ever become content with my life, I hope I choke on the next fucking breath. I'm not the Guy who is addicted to Pain. To me Pain is a tool. Sometimes it tell me I have done enough. Sometimes it tells me not to do it any more. But mostly, it let's me know that I am still alive.

Popeye said it best. "I am who I am." Whether that be Good, Bad or Indifferent; that is not my place to say. All I know is that I have alot of Plates, and alot of Weights to Move. Time to Stop Running my Fucking Mouth and Get to Work.

OldeIron
09-23-07, 9:46 pm
Hey, love readin all this...Keep it coming.

Crash
09-27-07, 3:35 pm
Priorities. They always seem to fuck us in the end, don't they. My job has been really stacking it on lately. That's the problem with broad shoulders, everyone sees it as a place to set something. I've been fucked twice this week by my job, causing me to miss three workouts. I am going to "entertain" this Bullshit for the rest of today, and tomorrow; just because committments are a hard thing to break for me. However, next week, I fucking care less if I have to get up at 3:30 to get my carido done; I am on point. Just because it's the end of this split cycle, does not give me the right to fucking slack off. In fact, I did 36 sets for Wheels on Tuesday, and am not as sore as I should be. This is fucking bullshit. It is time to up the intensity, and the insanity.

A little word to the wise, if you think that you can pull "X" workout from wherever, apply it to yourself, and get the "Fantastic" results that it promises you; I hope you brought a rubber and so vaseline, because you are about to get fucked. You have to add the personal element. Which means that you need to add exercises that your body responds to, and drop the ones that it doesn't. See real Monsters are not found at the "Do It Yourself" section at Wal-Mart. To truly create a fucking beast, you have to be like a Mad Scientist, who has volumes and volumes of notes. Then he goes down into the Lab, and mixes two parts everyone else's advice, three parts his own, tosses in some Rage and Intnesity; and whips up something truly Diabolical. Otherwise we would all have a 52 inch Chest and 22 inch Arms, eating Big Macs, Hamburger Helper, and singing "I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Weiner"

I am going to suffer this split for two more weeks. This should give time everyone at work to finish piling it on. Then when my Daughter is born, we are going to shake it up for a week or two, Lifting Weights in the AM, Carido in the PM. From that time till the New Year, we are going to get truly fucking evil training all bodyparts twice weekly. Carido will be limited to 2 days a week, and we are going to up the calories using whole eggs. Hope you brought your Balls. Gentlemen.

Strength and Honor

Crash
10-16-07, 8:08 pm
At 6:23 this afternoon, my Daughter Savanna made her way into this world in true Animal fashion. After spliting her mother wide open, she immedately announced her presence by asking for her mother and food. Her present plans are to rest so that she may begin to run her parents ragged, with her continued flury of activity.

Another one joins the ranks.

Strength and Honor

Frank Cass
10-22-07, 2:19 pm
Congrads brotha and some good readings!!!

Crash
10-31-07, 2:59 pm
I guess this would be the Time and Place where I am supposed to write something Thought Provoking and Inspirational. Well, truth be told Brothers, I can't fucking do it. I am just down right sick and fucking tired of it all. And now it is trying to cut into my weight training, and this really pisses me off. You want Inspiration and Motovation, sorry Today is not Your Fucking day. You want to Whine and Bitch about how tough you have it? Sorry, not your day either. (If you ever had one.) Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time to get to fucking work.

Crash
11-07-07, 5:19 pm
The Seasons are changing, as we all must do. For if we are not changing, we are not Living. If we are not Living, we are Dying. Beware those who offer you an easier path. Often we get to the Destination and find that our true Destination was the Journey all along. Every time the seasons change, I feel it in my knees. Time to get a little colder, for I have now grown a little older. That Tingle in my knees, renews my sense of urgency. Old age is around the corner, and I am going to beat that fucker back till he kills me. I will become more than I am. I refuse to let my surroundings define me. I will live my life on my terms. And I will pay for it. I'll even pay double. For when the time comes to settle the bill, eveyone will know that I was not afraid to play the Game.

...Strength and Honor...
...583/82...

Crash
11-19-07, 1:37 pm
The Chains of Mediocrity surround me. They threaten to bring me down. Let this serve notice that I will not Bow to that Master. My Time is comming. I will take these Chains, let them become my Companions. For they provide Resistance, and the Resistance makes me Strong. My Time is comming. My Words and Thoughts may fall on Deaf ears, but my Actions will be seen by the World. You cannot Deny me, for I will not Deny myself. My Time is Comming. I will be Patient, I Will be Humble, I will Keep my Head Down and Stay Focused. My Time is Comming. I will never stop Fighting for that Inch. I will Make my Own Way. I will Become more than anyone ever thought possible...I Can...I Will...I Am...

...Strength and Honor...

Crash
12-04-07, 10:20 pm
Yeah, I know it's overdue. Been keeping my head down lately. In the Trenches, with the mud and the blood. Getting back to the basics. Eat, Sleep and Train. Well, two out of three ain't bad anyway. But what the fuck are you going to do? You are your biggest limitation. You are also your best judge of yourself. Beware of the Back Slappers and Coat Tail Riders. Pretty soon, you'll start to believe the Hype, and then you will be truly fucked. Confidence is a shaky ally in this game. Never stop believing in yourself, but at the same time; Never believe that you have done enough. There is always more to be done. One more Rep, One more Set, One more Meal, you get the idea. The Walmart mentality; Good Enough is Good Enough. Bullshit. How bad do you fucking want it? How fucking bad? Go ahead and wait for tomorrow, no need to take it to the max today. Better yet, let half of them train smart; The other half train hard. I'd rather train Smart and Hard, and we'll see who's ends up at the finish line. In the Trenches. That's where I belong. I have a lot of work ahead of me, and this shit doesn't get done itself. So if you don't fucking mind, go tell someone else they had an "Awsome workout", or "You really smoked that shit"; I'm sure they need it. Me, I'm too busy in the Trenches.

...Strength and Honor...

Crash
12-13-07, 9:41 pm
...The proof of one's true self is evident in their actions...the year is ending and everyone is looking for new beginnings in the year to come...Fuck that...Stay the Fucking Course...I'm not done with this year yet...Do you know what I want for Christmas?...The time to Train Legs that day...New Years Day, my Resolution?...To fucking Train Legs that day too...No one in my family ever wonders where I am at...I am at Work...At Home...Or in the Fucking Gym...Groceries on Sunday...Chest on Monday...Stay the Fucking Course...Just another fucking day...Another Brick in the Wall...I may not be as big as some...I may be bigger than others...But I am moving...And every fucking day I will gain ground...I will not waste one second...I will Stay the Course...


...Strength and Honor...

MClouser
12-14-07, 5:40 pm
Crash...mad respect bro. I read all of your threads and wow, everything u said was everything on how I really feel. I thought maybe I was the only one, I am glad there is someone out there to voice their true feelings towards themselves and others. I am a very humble person, but I am an animal and will never stop training, fuck it, failure everytime, bring that mother fucker on!!! You are an inspiration to me, thanks for doing what you do bro.
MC

brutal
12-19-07, 2:14 am
word. mad respect, crash. congratulations on giving birth to a healthy baby. good luck with the new split.

break the chains.

Toni69
12-19-07, 2:47 am
At 6:23 this afternoon, my Daughter Savanna made her way into this world in true Animal fashion. After spliting her mother wide open, she immedately announced her presence by asking for her mother and food. Her present plans are to rest so that she may begin to run her parents ragged, with her continued flury of activity.

Another one joins the ranks.

Strength and Honor

Congrats Crash! A beautiful baby right at xmas time too...thats awesome! Beautiful name, Savanna. Im happy for you..although Im glad I dont have any daughters..a son is enough trouble! LOL Im sure you will handle, your one tough dad! And an intelligent one, she will be daddy's little girl for sure!

I love reading through your thread here too. I dont post often, but Im here. Your thoughts are fascinating!

Nightshift
12-19-07, 5:17 am
Congrats on the birth of your daughter!! Take care and best of luck to you and your family!!

brutal
12-20-07, 12:40 am
Vacation is over Time to get back to Work. I have been catching up on what I have missed here and I have just a few things.

1. Be Your own Man/Woman While I am greatful for the Watchmen, Henchmen, Gladiators, and the Pros; I'd like to remind you that they are simply men and women in their own right. They have a vast amount of experience in this field, and that is it. They can be wrong too. I don't need a tee-shirt that says "Go Away" or "Shut The Fuck Up and Train" You can tell that by my demeanor whenever I am in the Gym. The next post I read that kisses Machine's, Ox's, G-Diesel's etc. Ass. I am going to fucking puke. We know that they all have good points. Guess what, They know it too.

2. Quit Bitching For every problem that you have, I can assure you that there is someone else out there that has it worse. I saw a thread about some dumbass complaining that he didn't have any milk. What the Fuck? Another was asking if he had potiential? Thank God somebody stepped in and told him to look at the mirror. Potiential is for those who have no Fucking Balls. If you want something, Grow a Set and GO GET IT!! If you need Machine go to your log and tell you to bust your ass harder; get the fuck out right now.

3. GET YOUR ASS IN THE GYM You go to the Gym to Break down your Body, then you Eat and Rest to Build it back up. Quit trying to reinvent the wheel. You want Motovation? Look in the Mirror as you walk by. You want to see if you have Potiential? Get your ass to work.

More than half the Year is already gone. Do you know what Time it is?


greatest post ever

stumblin54
12-20-07, 11:27 am
Good writing here Crash, and congrats on the birth of your daughter.

Stumblin

Crash
12-22-07, 11:05 pm
Well now that we have all gotten in touch with our inner-selves; can we please, please get back to fucking work? I really care less if you dress as black as Death himself, or a pink fucking tutu. You can be a complete gentleman, or a total ass. Bottom line is You get Your's and I'll get Mine. I stopped Measuring Myself by Your Yardstick a long time ago, and by the same token stop trying to tell me that mine is too tall or too short. Absolutely Nothing is this life is free, (for even in Life, we owe a Death) and we all have got a lot of fucking Dues to Pay. So if you don't mind, I'll leave my "Emotional State of Well Being" with Oprah, Dr. Phill, Montel, and Maury to figure out. I've got a lot of plates and a lot of weight to move. And it's time to get to fucking work.

Crash
12-28-07, 12:24 pm
There is but four days before the New Year is upon us. Not one to ignore the trends of our time, I think that it is time to make some New Year's Resolutions of my own.

I Resolve in the year 2008 make no Changes.

That's fucking right. I will still give 100% when it comes to Weight Lifting, Eating, Dieting, and Carido. That stuff will be the first thing on my mind when I get up in the morning, and that last thing on my mind when I go to bed at night. I will continue to bust my ass and constantly strive to work harder than the next guy. No matter how bad you could possibly want it, I want it even worse. And I will do whatever it takes in order to acheive my Goals. Let everyone else bitch about pink collared shirts, what body part hurts this week, what new program they are going on, or how everyone needs to get along. I will continue to keep my head down, with my boots in the mud, and dirt on my hands. I will not be afraid to give you the answers you need, not the one's you want to hear. Opnions, Impressions, and Approval mean Nothing. Results mean Everything. I understand what my Position is, for now. Don't think for one fucking second that I am happy here. Patience will pay off in the end.

...Strength and Honor...
...532/75...

Crash
01-09-08, 4:29 am
It is a sad day indeed Brothers when I see a post "Mind like a Bomb" saddled next to "My fart almost gave my daughter gave me brain damage" Due to work committments I have not been able to get to the gym like I need to these past couple of weeks, and the place of Solace that I seek in desprate times has turned into a High School Locker Room. What I wouldn't give for someone to give me $50,000 so that I could simply Eat, Sleep, and Train for one year. Nothing is far worse than then need to practice one's obsession, yet not having the opportunity.

I guess it's easy to lose focus when you are at the top. I don't know I've never been there. Yet during this stressful time away, my hunger has been growing; refining itself to a sharpness that is only seen in Japanese steel. And when I come back, I am coming with a Motherfucking Purpose.

Crash
01-21-08, 2:25 pm
I am not the most popular guy in my gym. This is not to say that everyone doesn’t know me, but I am usually refered to as “That Guy”. I’m sure you’ve all seen him before; He’s that you look at out of the corner of your eye, and shake your head, while thinking to yourself “There’s a Serial Killer in Training.” I guess it’s hard to slip under the radar when you have as big a chip on your shoulder as I have. And I can accept that. Fortunately, I am mostly looked at as an object. I.E. “That Guy is occupying the Squat Rack doing Good Mornings (Truly a lost exercise in my gym), so we will have to do our Barbell Curls in the Cage.” That attitude suits me just fine. I am not your friend. When I step into the weight room, everything else ceases to be. This is my time, I certainly do not want to fuck around talking to you about “How’s it going?” I have 31 sets for Wheels today, a lagging Chest, and six weeks before I start Cutting, Just how the fuck are you doing? Yeah, I am sure everything is just great. Is today, Chest or Arms?

I got a late start in life, and I can accept that. I have no fucking choice. That means that I have no time to dick around. I have Plates to Move, and Plates of Food; why don’t you go and chat somewhere else. I am perfectly content to stay here and covet. I covet a 225 Bench, I covet a 315 Squat, I fucking covet a 375 Deadlift. And each time you fucking do it in front of me, I renew my resolve to work harder than you. So, go ahead and look at me like I am “That Guy”. If assumptions are the Mother of all Fuck-ups, then you just got a double helping. Your First Mistake was Thinking that I needed your Permission. Your Second was Thinking I need your Approval.

...Strength and Honor...

Crash
01-22-08, 9:00 pm
You stand in front of the cage, looking at the bar, plates on both sides. Your lower back hurts for some reason, probably your shitty form, but it is so tight that you have trouble sliding the 45's on the bar. You are five sets in with four to go, and that's just for Squats. What do you do?

Crash
02-06-08, 2:02 pm
All too often we place those whom we idolize above us. Because they possess something, be it physical or metaphysical, that we desire; we place them on a higher plane and almost put them in a mythical status. While I have been one to give credit where credit is due, I have never been one for Hero Worship. Way too many times I have seen, that with Fame and Notarity comes a certain amount of ego and arrogance. I assume that is because they are believing their own hype.

Not to long ago, a place that I work at hosted a charity event. For $350 a ticket you got the opportunity to mingle with “celebrities”. This is not to say that they were by any stretch of the means inferior, only that they were not “A-list” individuals. They were still paid to play, and a few had even attended the former World Series, which in my book is not so fucking bad. Aside from the obvious absence of the aforementioned Ego and Arrogance, there was one other thing that I could not but help notice: Besides their list of accomplishments, there was nothing spectacular about them. There was not a man jack among them that I would not be afraid to go Toe to Toe, Pound for Pound. They all ate the shitty food served, (Of which I abstained) and all drank bottled water (that I do not condone). So that leaves three things that put them in the position they are now.

Talent

Work Ethic

Opportunity

Let this serve as notice that no man is so high, either by his own virtue, or by the adorations of others that he cannot be brought down with a healthy dose of reality. The Heroes are as popular as we make them, but even then they are mortal. By that fact, Indestructible is a Character Trait that is honed by the determination to succeed no matter the Obstacle. Thus we are all creatures of our own making. So I ask the question: Are you the Sclupture, or the Artist?

..Strength and Honor...

Brute
02-06-08, 3:37 pm
Subscribed.

Crash
02-20-08, 9:32 pm
If something gets said enough times; then Fiction becomes Fact, Myth becomes Reality, and Falsehood becomes Truth. People become so blinded by perception that thay fail to see the Truth as it really is.

Genetics are defined as your body's predisposition as determined by DNA. That is fucking it. If you choose to live the lie that you cannot be somebody because you have shitty "genetics" then so fucking be it. Stay on the ground with the bottom feeders and the Gun Bunnies. In all reality, Genetics are useful as the show us the weak, and strong parts of our muscular anatomy. To give an example, because of my "genetics" my Calves are naturally big. By the same token, for whatever fucked up reason, my Chest is naturally small.

So what do you do? Do blame it on "genetics", and start working your calves twice a week? I say fuck that. No one, not even my own DNA is going to tell me what kind of body I am going to have. In this Bulk, I have not done one Calf specific exercise. Not until the size of my Arms catches up. On the flip side I have done every single thing I can think of to bring my Chest up. Pre-exhaust, Exercise rotation, etc. etc. etc. I even got a dirty on my diet. And it is fucking working.

If you want to Play the Cards that you are Dealt, then that is your business. I'll take the whole fucking Deck, Play the Cards I want, and let see who comes out on top. Don't let "genetics" pervent you from stacking the deck in your favor.

...Strength and Honor...

Crash
03-20-08, 1:47 pm
Choices. Life is all about them. At any given moment in time you are required to make a decision that will affect your future, as well as that of others. The question is how committed are you to the choices you make? There are some that have got to be the most athletic people I know, considering how many times they jump on and off the latest bandwagon. Still others, I have never seen stronger people, as they have committed themselves, and allow nothing to stray them from the path.

Three weeks ago, I was given a choice. No that's not right, I was given an ultimatium. Quit the Animal Lifestyle or else. You may think that this was limited to just lifting weights, and while that was a big part of it, there was also a second job (On the Weekends), and helping out with the Special Olympic Powerlifters. I chose "Or Else". Now before you go and pat me on the back let's take a look at the damage.

1. A pending divorce.
2. Loss of my Primary Job (Where I earned $32,000, which is not bad for our area with only a H.S. Diploma)
3. Loss of my Children (At the current time I can only see one, and it is under supervised visitation)
4. Pending Charges.
5. Possible Jail time.

I went from a 3 bedroom brick house, to an old farm house. I still have my truck, my part time job, and my gym membership. All because I said "No", And now the other party is determined to bury me.

So my question to you is; "Do you really have what it takes?" The cost of Food, Clothing, Supplements; That is nothing compared to the Cost of Living, Possibly the Cost of your Freedom. Look deep inside you brothers and sisters. Are you willing to sacrifice it all just to live for "Strength and Honor"? I have made my stand. I don't know what the outcome will be, but I will not stop fighting for what I believe in. I hope that you are never placed in the position I have been, but even more I hope that you have an answer ready should you be. Oppression is all around us, and it will not tary nor relent in trying to Crush the Spirit inside you, to become that which you have dreamt to be and more. Stay The Course.

...Strength and Honor...

hatebreedXXX69
03-20-08, 5:00 pm
[QUOTE=Crash;106855]True Bodybuilding
Close your eyes and imagine you're all alone on a deserted island. There's no hope of rescue, of ever seeing another person again in your life. In the middle of that island is a squat rack and a pile of plates. Down the beach, there's fruit, water, warm sand and an easy life. What do you do? If, in this dream, you choose a ball-busting quad workout, then you have an idea what hardcore is all about. On the other hand, if you tell yourself, "What's the point? No one will see my quads anyway," then walk away. You just missed the point.

mmm yeah i like that but it ould have been different for me. see true bodybuilding:

you get on the deserted island on your own, no chance of rescue bla bla bla...you look around, you see trees, big ass rocks, wild animals.....fish, fruit etc.....

no freaking squat ack or big barbells, just you and nature. what do you do???lie on thebeach and cry in despair or get off your ass and pump some rocks???lift yourself up some trees???breaksome branches and curl em???shit i would, cos thats true bodybuilding. no matter the place be it prison, hell, jungle, desert, freaking alien spaceship, being abl to take whatever n use it to get muscle, thats the art, the passion....


apart from that i got nothing to say. you have all sai what i feel already. im gonna shut the fuck up and lt your words sink in. feel my soul like fire and give me new found strength

Toni69
03-20-08, 5:23 pm
Crash, you know I understand what your feeling and going through cause I was given the same ultimatum not too long ago. You remember all you told me? You shed a lot of light on my situation when we spoke last about what I was going through here.

Im not about to go on about people and their power struggles in wanting to control and intimidate others because their life is so damn miserable..so they pick at you and tear into you over and over until what keeps trying to form a scab cant cause its continuously left open to bleed.

You make your choice and you stick by it...you may think life was convenient and comfortable the way it was and you can just close your ears to the noise around you. You and I both know that no matter how hard we cover our ears, the noise still creeps in...like a radio station with no reception, just that sound of a static blur. I know you know what Im talking about.

“Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.”

Brute
03-22-08, 11:01 am
You make your choice and you stick by it...you may think life was convenient and comfortable the way it was and you can just close your ears to the noise around you. You and I both know that no matter how hard we cover our ears, the noise still creeps in...like a radio station with no reception, just that sound of a static blur...

Not directed at me, but man do I know what you're talking about.

Stay strong Crash, and props for sticking to your choice.

Crash
04-01-08, 2:12 pm
If you've read my log I am sure that you are all familiar with the Leg Room. That is the area that almost no one goes in, unless they are doing barbell curls on the squat rack or stepping on the scale to weigh in. I can think of maybe a dozen boys (And a few girls) who actually go back there to squat and less that half that who know what a Deadlift is. But I digress. As I was back there actually Deadlifting, my own space was invaded by a monster scream of effort. After my set was done, I pulled my headphones off and walked to the edge of the Leg Room to see what all the comotion was about.

Over in the Bench area these two young kids were posing. I don't mean bodybuilding posing, I mean they had 375 on the bench. One would get under it, the other would spot, and they would lift it off the bench with this monster yell. Then a girl would snap a picture, and they would rack it again. This was probably for their "MySpace" or "Facebook" or some other such nonsense. I dismissed them, and went back to my own world.

However, As I stood back in front of the bar, I noticed that I too had 3 plates on each side. 315 for reps isn't impressive by any standards. But the knowledge that I can do it is. I never got art in school. I just always viewed them as paintings, and bad ones at that. Sculpture, is nice, but unless it's like "David" what is the point? I can cut holes in sheet metal too, doesn't mean that I am an artist. But I understand the Art of Powerbuilding. I have said before that "Form without Function is Nothing". I believe that. Why be a big motherfucker if you can't be strong as hell too? A sculptureist sees the image in the block of marble, he just removes the unecessary pieces. I look in the mirror and see the man I want to be. I just need to fill in the gaps.

It will be a cold day in Hell, before I pose like those kids were that day. But I understand what they were getting at. True satisfaction, is a rarity. and when one finds it, they need to ride that ride till the wheels fall off.

...Strength and Honor...

Crash
05-26-08, 10:11 pm
To those who told me when the time is right.........


The time is right now.


...Strength and Honor...

Crash
05-27-08, 10:54 pm
If there is one truth in this world, I believe it to be: that when we are fortunate enough to wake and face another day, that the slate has been wiped clean. By human nature and evolution we have given ourselves commitments, and obligations, that carry from one day to another. (I must go to work every day, so that I might have money for bills, food, shit that I want, etc.) Yet the truth of the matter is, no one forces us to make that decision. We make it voluntarily, because we have been told time and time again, that is the way the world works.

What people fail to realize, is that we are limited only by ourselves, and our grasp on reality, priorites, and the brain washing that we get from everywhere. I remember one time running in the city of Houston, and I passed the city limits sign. I had left the city of Houston, and nothing could stop me from going further, I was the master of my own destiny.

Sometimes Chaos is a good thing. Not the little Anarchists who run around all in black screaming "Fuck the Man". They only shout that when it suits their purpose. I am talking about a Chaotic event that stops us in our tracks and makes us evaluate our very existance, and purpose on this dirt clod. We become so caught up in the Chains of Compromise that one day we turn around and wonder who is staring back at us in the mirror. Certainally not the person that we set out to be 10, 20 years ago. Sometimes, if we are very fortunate we can break those chains. Lucky be the few who never accept them at all. There are two things that you can control in your life; Yourself and your actions. No one has even given you anything that you did not take of your own free will. So I put forth to you the task of improving your self-awareness. Take nothing unless you are ready to pay the price. For that is the chain that binds us all.

...Strength and Honor...

sjfou
05-29-08, 7:16 pm
Good post OP. Ive been through a rough patch in the few months. Now ive decided to harden the fuck up, instead of getting down, im getting angry & focussing my aggression on the weights.

Peace.

Crash
06-02-08, 10:39 pm
Within forty five minutes of where I live reside two civil war battlefields. Neither were great battles that you might read about in the history books, however they are there nonetheless. I asked someone one time what purpose they served, and they told me that they preserved not only the history of our country, but served as a reminder. Before you go asking that million dollar question, let's fast foward to the present.

I was talking to an aquaintence of mine that I hadn't seen in awhile. These past few months, my gym sessions have been lacking in a consistent time frame, and we had missed each other for quite awhile. We were talking about how his plan was going, what he was doing and how he was progressing.

"The Basics man," was what he said. "Taking it back old school. More weight, less reps, compound lifts. You know something about that don't you?" I just smiled and placed my mouth guard back in and went back to the leg press.

Old School...That is the way for me. Heavy weight, Pyramid sets, Compound lifts. I've been lifiting every other day, Legs on day one, Chest on day two, Back on day three, with the gunshow being thrown in sporadically on the weekends.

Leg Day is squat day. Five sets on the leg press to warm up, followed by 9-11 sets of ball busting squats, alternating every other week with front squats. Then, if I can still move, I'll super set leg curl, and extensions.

Chest Day, now it's time for the bench. Alternating Dumbells, and Barbells, Again 9-11 sets of both Incline and Flat, Then add some front Delt work, and finish it off with some Dips for a good old fashioned burn.

Back Day, my second Favorite. Now we are talking the Dip Grip and Rip, alternated every week with Rackpulls, after we warm up with supersetted pull-up and pull downs. Little Trap work, followed by middle and rear delts.

Working the Gunshow, requires Skullcrushers, Barbell Curls, Dips, and Dumbell work.

That is old school. None of this shit, where you bounce from station to station doing twenty reps with 10 fucking pounds. Or Benching with your feet off the floor to improve your stabilizer muscles. Believe me, squeezing three reps on the second to last set, then burning for 15 on the last, is all the stabilizer work I need thank you very much. I recently stopped reading a well known magazine, because I saw that they were no longer advocating the free form squat, or the traditional deadlift. Why? Don't fucking know, don't fucking care. But those are staples in my line.

If you want to get caught up in the wave of the future, be my guest. Without it we might still be stuck in the stone age. But remembering where we came from, and what we had to go through because we yearned to get things done; that is the K.I.S.S. Philosophy in a nut shell. So maybe, just maybe a little history is a good thing.

...Strength and Honor...

FourThirty
06-05-08, 7:51 pm
^ Amen.

Crash
06-09-08, 1:49 pm
Days pass. And one day you look up and wonder where the last ten years of you life has gone. It seems Ironic that the day you were born, you begin to die. Time is the Tie that binds us all. It knows no Social, Economic, Political, Gender, or Biological Bounds. We are all bound to the stardard that after "x" many days and a wake-up, our time is up. It is what we do with the time that we are given that separates the winners from the losers. We all get the same amount of time. 24 hours in a day, 7 days a week, 365 and 1/4 days a year. People constantly chastise me, because I am always doing something. They constantly ask me where I find the time. I find it the same place as you do.

I find that most I know, seem to be on this self preputating walkway. The comfort zones that they have created in their lives, move them from one place to another till their time is up. They become lulled by their own comfort, not knowing that if they were to break that chain, what they could be capable of. They fail to realize that each and every morning, is a brand new opportunity to take what is yours. That each and every time you draw a breath, you can stop, and evaluate your course, move on your path to Destiny, not conformity. The true evils in the world today is Conformity and Compromise. A little is good, a lot will kill you.

If I impart on you nothing else, be it that this is your life. Take what is yours and pay for it in full. Live with no regrets. Die with Honor. And perhaps along the way we can learn to be the Women and Men that we were meant to.

...Strength and Honor...

Crash
07-01-08, 3:58 pm
Everyone knows what we are made of. Some are born with it others aquire it. It does not make a difference how you got it, as long as you have it. Of course the other key factor in in the equation, is holding on to it at all costs.

There are very few reasons that should distract you from your goals, and you should know what they are. All too often however, we are misled by short term complications. Very few look on every day as a gift, and few still the reality of just how short time is. Procrastanation is truly a silent enemy. I challenge you to reevaluate your priorties, and re-hone your sense of urgency. Take your rightful place at the table, and Make your Mark on the Wall. For after you are gone, how do you want the world to remember you?


...Strength and Honor...

Crash
07-07-08, 1:39 pm
Struggle is a part of everyday life. If everything was easy, we would all be millionaires with a trophy wife/husband, and a porsche sitting next to the jag in the garage. However, Life is not fair. In fact, if you let it, it will down right take your ass to the ground and shit on you for good measure. So like the Twelve Steppers say "Change the things that you can, Accept the things that you cannot, and seek the wisdom to know the difference."

Distractions come in many forms and disguises. Their purpose is to take away the importance of your goal. We, on here, share a common bond in that we think a different way. It is vital that we hang on to this premise as it forms the base of things to come. Perhaps one day you will find out that Weightlifting is not about Weightlifting at all. Why do we do this? To stand on stage in our underwear to say "Look How Pretty I am?" To have the right to wear a T-Shirt that says "I lift heavy things?" What good is it? What good will it do you when you turn 70, and you have more shit hanging down than you can hold up? How 'bout those Biceps now boy?

The true purpose of weightlifting in not to look good, to pick up chicks or be healthy. It is refinement of the soul and mind. We are the ones dedicated to doing more than the average man. We overcome obstacles set in our paths to acheive the dreams that we have sought. We blaze a trail into the wilderness, and wear that path smooth by the repetiveness of the journey. We set the standard by the morals and values of those who lived before our time. In today's Starbucks and McDonald's generation, our society as a whole has become lost in a sea of Housing Market Crashes, Oil Barrel Prices, And who farted on whose head in the next reality tv show. What ever happened to the time when, Honor and Rightousness ruled the world. When the disrespect of another man's wife brought down the right hand of "God" to Bitch Slap those Motherfuckers straight? It all became lost in the struggle. In became lost in the "here" and the "now". And now we few must struggle for every inch, we fight for to regain and restore what the world has forgotten.

I, myself, have become lost in this struggle. Not at 2pm, when everyone is fired up, and ready to go. Even a Fat Man will do a sit-up if you place a doughnut at the end on the table. My struggle comes at 5am in the morning as I strive to do my carido, after laying down a mear 6 hours ago, from working my ass off. There never truly seems to be enough hours in the day, when you work 7 days a week. Everyone wants just a little piece and there never seems to be enough left over for you.

Well I am telling you right here and now, that ends today. No more will I sacrifice myself for everyone else's "greater good". I have been gone far to long, and let my "Machine-esque" quality fall to the victim of compromise. Let us take the next hill. I will lead the charge.

...Strength and Honor...
...Crash...

Crash
08-07-08, 10:50 am
I am an Athlete. I have never competed, I have never placed, I am not a member of any team, save my own. There is one thing that is on my mind at all times; Victory over those which oppose me. I Eat, Sleep, and Train like it is my full time job because it is. Everything that I do revolves around me becoming bigger and stronger. You may be bigger than me today. But I will be bigger than you tomorrow. I want it worse than you. I will Train harder, Eat more, and Sleep efficently so that I may attack the day with the all the fury I can muster. I will not deviate from the program, because it is all I know. If it does not exist in my world, then it does not exist.

Call me insane, call me demented, call me a loser. I will eat that shit up with a spoon. For at the end of the day, I will be more than you ever could be.

...Strength and Honor...

Crash
09-16-08, 3:23 pm
I love that word. Fucking Love it. In fact, if someone came out with "Can't" breakfast cereal; I'd eat two bowls every morning, with a half gallon of milk. As I journey futher and futher along in my road to redemption, I am more and more finding that word/philosophy thrown in my face. Sometimes, it seems to be my ownself that whispers that into my ear, taking on the form of constant fatigue, numerous nagging inconvient strains, and the always lack of resources needed to further my journey.

However, nothing gets me off more than the look upon their faces, right after they get done telling me. For the instant I hear that lovely little word, an evil shit-eating grin spreads across my face. For you have just drawn a line in the sand that I am going to fucking cross.

When you tell me I "can't" do something, you have just committing me to doing that very fucking thing. And I will strive to do it better than you, just so you know that I am the one that makes the fucking rules around here. I stopped measuring myself by your yardstick a long time ago, mainly because it's to fucking short.

"There is nothing more powerful in this world than the made up mind." I have forgotten who said it. But I will never stop believing in it. One Day, One Set, One Rep at a time.

...Strength and Honor...

blahblahblah
10-15-08, 2:33 pm
If you seriously think that the ultimatum you were given was asking you to choose between your gym lifestyle and your family, you're insane. You were asked to choose between your family and ALL of your extra-curricular activities. You cheated on your wife. MULTIPLE times. You made babies with other women while your wife sat at home and took care of your children. You got arrested for assaulting your wife. The choice she wanted you to make was to make your family your top priority, not to give the gym up. But you would have been a lot better off if you had given up all the other women and hadn't beaten the shit out of her, wouldn't you?

Crash
10-16-08, 1:24 pm
We, as individuals, are chained by the secrets that we keep. Because we feel as though they are not inline with the “status quo”, we harbor them internally so as to have “our best foot forward” attitudinal approach. Yet, we become so caught up in the web of lies and denials spun by our skeletons in the closet that we become slave to the very things that we would like to bury.

In breaking these chains, we must face that which we fear the most; ourselves. We are our own double edged sword, in that the self-confidence and determination to succeed despite the overwhelming odds can be our greatest asset in our endeavors. Give me a "whatever it takes" attitude any day. However, overconfidence in the form of arrogance can bring us crashing down to reality when we realize that we are as mortal as the next man, and that we have our own chains. Our “better than” attitude serves to perpetuate the machine that we created by bringing to light other’s faults and weaknesses and minimizing our own.

What the above individual (who is obviously someone close who is knowledgeable about the situation) said is true. All of it. I placed my athleticism extremely high on my priority list. I was unfaithful to my wife multiple times, and of that, I impregnated two women who has born, and will bare my child. I was arrested and convicted for domestic battery against my wife.

The question that is now presented, after the fact, is: “Now what?” Now that my failings as an individual have been presented and confirmed in the court of public judgment, they have lost what little influence they might have had over the decisions I choose to take their confidence in. They have no place to judge me, as I do not value their opinion. One must be careful with whom they choose to listen to. All too often we find that the sugar-coated pill of truth from those with whom we hold a positive emotional attachment is a bitter to pill to swallow indeed. One might be better served in holding court with those who oppose you most, provided you can see through the cloud of hate they bring. At least they have the propensity to be honest about your failings and weaknesses.

If you take anything from that which I have imposed upon you, be it that You are the Master of your Fate. In the choices we make we control the direction and the dynamics of our lives. And in that aspect, we are truly free men.

...Strength and Honor...

Crash
11-11-08, 1:36 pm
...Here recently, it has become cold enough for long sleeves to become the normal around here. I say that only because it served as a reminder for me to look at the calendar. With only a month and a half left in this year, I am begining to reflect on the events of this year. Sadly, more I have encountered more negative than I have positive. Yet, I am still here...

...I read once where someone once said that 80% of the world's work is done by those who are tired, sick, or don't have enough time. I believe that now. Everything happens for a reason, and I know that I was personally taught several lessons this year. I learned that I am not as young as I used to be. In some aspects I need to act my age, in others, not so much. I learned that sometimes the price you pay for something, can be way more than you expect. Was is worth it? I don't know. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I do know that I am living my life on my terms, and I can accept that...

...I learned that sometimes, winning means simply holding your ground. This year was an extremely shitty year for my program. I might get to the gym three or four times a week, time off for injuries (that apparently are not going away), and a constant battle of the apathy that surrounds me. Still, I make the best of my time that I am allowed, even if it means being so sore that I walk around for four or five days with a fucked up gait and a fucked up smile...

...I will never stop fighting. I will fight for the privilage and the honor to step in the weight room once again on a consistant basis. I will fight through the pain, the weakness, the doubt, and those who stand against me. For not only am I fighting for those who never had a chance; I am setting the example for those who said it can't be done. And that, in my book, is good enough for me...

...True Strength is not only the one who stands tall in the storm, it is also the one who when faced with failure, says "I will try again"...

...Strength and Honor...

Crash
12-22-08, 11:18 am
...December strikes me as a sentimental time of year. From Thanksgiving through New Year, it is filled with events of family and friends. For me personally, it is also a time of review. I use this entire time to reflect on the choices I have made in the past year, as well as plot and plans my goals, and means of attack for next year.

I have to admit that this year was a very challenging one. In fact it almost threatened to break me. But I am still here. There were some doors that were closed this year, some very important ones. But there were also some very important doors that were opened that I might not have noticed otherwise. Call it fate, call it God, call it nothing at all. I mean at the end of the day; it is, what it is. Right?

I believe the thing that I have learned the most from this year, is that nothing in this world is free. Absolutely nothing. The problem is paying the piper when the bill comes due. Not all of us are cut out for this lifestyle. I remember a few notables who used to be held in high regard around here now gone. Was the price to high? Maybe it was. I put more value on the person who keeps his shoulder to the wheel, no matter the cost. At least they are consistant. Even when you are being pushed backward, you are still moving. And as I have said before; we must always be moving. Give me the man who is trying and failing, rather than the one on the sidelines.

Now for the year upcomming. There are big plans in the works. Now that Anarchy has reigned for awhile it time for the pendulm to swing the other way. For out of Chaos comes Order. As U-Rep would say... Stay Tuned...

And for one final thought before I check out for 2008. Above all else, keep your eyes on the prize. Remember what is important. It does not matter whether or not you wear your goddamn sunglasses in the gym. At least your there. Right? If you measure yourself by everyone else's yardstick, you will always come up short. if you want to live life by your own rules, just make sure you can afford the cost...

...Strength and Honor...

Crash
01-13-09, 4:37 pm
..."Necessity is the Mother of Invention". That phrase has withstood Time and Tide that have washed others away. It was the application of this phrase that brought me to the "Newest and Biggest" World's Gym this year. It seems as though I need to commit my evening hours to other activites, and this gym is much closer to work and home...

...Everone knows that walking into the gym for the first time, is like walking into the wolves' den. The place is barely a month old, but I can already smell the testerone, and sweat of those chasing the exuberance of their youth, or at least vainly trying to hold onto it...

...Now I am not a big guy...213 under 20% i am sure...And my numbers are pathetic...But I can feel eyes as I search in vain for a cable pulldown station to warm up my lats..."How much does he bench?"..."What's he doing here?"..."What shit is he on?"...Random messages that come at me as I catch the looks of the corner of my eye...The real kicker here is, they are asking the wrong question...

...The real question is Why am I here...I'm never going to enter the Olympia, or a Powerlifting meet...I am not currently involved in any sport, save a monday night bowling league, and summer softball...So, why am I here...

...The truth of the matter is...I am fighting what has already been preordained...Struggling in vain to be the Master of my Fate...From the moment we are born, the (insert you deity here) has already placed a gun to your head...And when your time is up, its up...How is a 315 bench and 6% bodyfat, going to help you in a head on collision at 70 mph?..Few are gifted to know when they are going to die...The rest of us must live every day as though it were our last...

...So I put it you...It's not what you did yesterday...Or what your going to do tomorrow...What have you done Today?..

Crash
02-05-09, 5:33 pm
...Everytime I start something on here, I end up not finishing it...Probabally because I am overwhelmed...I can't talk to you about Cosmic Forces and Clandestine Molecules and relate to the gym...Neither can I talk to you about walking with the Gods...God only knows that I am to grounded for that type of etheral thinking...

...Yet what I can talk to you about is rising at 3:30 to get my workout in the mornings...I can't seem to do it everyday yet, but I am getting better...I am confident that is called Dedication with a little bit of Sacraifce...

...I can relate to waking at 1 AM with pain in your joints from heavy Squatting or Deadlifting earlier...The feigned imortality of my teens has long since past...And while I am far from what I would consider an advanced age, sometimes these screams are too loud to ignore...

...I can attest to eating the same shit day, after day, after fucking day...I believe that Machine once said that is Butcher bill runs $200 a week?...Not on this man's salary...I know ground beef, and Sliced turkey Breast...and Tuna...Fuck I have eaten so much tuna, that my teeth actually hurt...And yet I still pack two cans everyday...

...I know about hitting the Gym at 5...To be at work by 7...To be back at the gym at 5...to get home at 9...To get in bed by 11...So that you can get up and do it all again...I think that is Dedication again...The Weekends?...Oh did I mention the second job?...Yeah...Friday, Saturday and Sunday Nights baby...

...Selfish...I've been called that more than once...It's cost me more than one relationship...Selfish...No...I am Dedicated...I am Loyal...I am not the biggest...My time has past to don the jewel smugglers...No, I am searching for something...Something inside...Maybe it's the man I am meant to be...Maybe it's the man I can never be...But I am going to find out...One Plate...One Day...One Rep at a time...

...I ain't here for hugs....Or pats on the back...Your First Mistake was Thinking I Needed Your Permission...Your Last Mistake was Thinking I Needed Your Approval...

...My Path...Your Path...Our Path...It is the Iron Path...Every Jouney has a Beginning...Ours has just begun...Are you Ready?...Let's Go...


...Strength and Honor...

Bartles
02-05-09, 5:42 pm
...So I put it you...It's not what you did yesterday...Or what your going to do tomorrow...What have you done Today?..


Great line right there, kind of reminds me of the last line in the movie Wanted, " What the fuck have you done lately?"

Or as dime said, "Yesterday don't mean shit. "
Take each day as it comes, and hammer it out like it was your last.

Good stuff bro, getting me thinking.

sodapop
02-05-09, 9:47 pm
Good post, Crash. I liked the part about being "selfish". Good shit.

Crash
10-12-09, 11:43 am
...Two and a half years have past. I know that I am not that same Angry man that joined the boards then...So Angry...So full of Hate...Yet Intensity comes in many forms...Primarily the form of Desire...Is it good enough to just have lived and died?..I say nay...We are all given the opportunity to bequeath our offering to the Gods...Will you rise or will you fall?...For far to long, I have battened down the hatches in an effort to weather the storm that is my life...It is only under the pressure of the stone, that the steel is honed to a blade...One must welcome the strain...The load placed upon one's back...After all; Yesterday is but a Memory, Tomorrow a Dream...But Today...Today is Forever...Now is the time to cast off the Shield and Armor...To Live without Fear...Immortality is but a Journey away...


...Strength and Honor...

Crash
09-19-10, 7:41 pm
...Yes, it has been awhile. Oh, the drama and the stories I could tell. But to what end? Judging by what has been posted here, you certainly do not rely on me for your entertainment. It is funny, as the quote "the more things change, the more things stay the same" is prevailent here. I believe a few need a lesson from Nike...

...I thought for the longest time on the proper course of action in my life...I was the creator of my Gordian knot, would their be less honor in simply cleaving it in two, instead of untangling it? Then of course, Honor is subjective is it not? Enter the Odds and the Gods, giving me the opporunity I could not pass up...So I took it...

...I now find myself 75 miles south of my den of inequities...I guess you could call it a compromise of the two, as I am away but not to far...

...I have found a new home, a new weight room, and almost a new life...It is now time to concentrate on that which is most important to me...Wall and Chalk baby...

...Strength and Honor...

Rusk08
01-28-11, 6:01 am
Goodf stuff here man..
Subbed

Crash
10-21-12, 8:57 pm
...There were two presents that I received for my 36th birthday this year. One has nothing to do with anything here so we will leave that to your imagination. The other was in the form of a plastic tote coated with dust. I opened it to find what I thought was long lost. The memories that came back to me and feelings that it invoked, are again nothing that has to do with here. But seeing that black beanie with the "A" on it brought me back to the Forvm...

...Yes, I have fallen off and gone away. Yes, my training has not been what it should be. Yes, I have failed. Yet the very definition of success is getting up one more time than you fall down. I have never left the weight room. I have had my career try to consume it, yet I always kept being drawn back. I have thought about my life's purpose, and while I will never be a pro athlete. Athleticism will always be in my stable...

...Alot has changed since that angry lost man found this place 5 years ago. Will I be back? I don't know. Will I be in the weight room? Your Goddamn right I will be. Will I ever find that space to exist and be who it is I need to be? I don't know that either. But Monday you can guan-fuckin-tee that I will have my Animal Beanie on. Hood up, Dead Down...

...Strength and Honor...

Cellardweller
10-24-12, 3:04 pm
Very inspiring stuff in here Crash. Welcome back.

Crash
08-12-13, 10:06 pm
...I was surfing the internet the other day, and had come to realize that I have now been in the iron game for 7 years. That’s 2555 days with an opportunity to better myself in someway. As I look back, I would be lucky to say that I effectively used half of them to my advantage. Of course the fault of that, lies squarely upon myself. The basic, no bullshit of it is, that every second we draw breath, we are given an opportunity to make a choice in our life. And as with everyone else, I too fell victim to the pretty shiny things that provide instant gratification, instead of keeping my eye on the ball and squirreling my nuts away for another day...

...Well that stops now. Sometimes it takes a life changing event (or a series of them), to rattle your very core and make you wake up. Nothing in this world is guaranteed. And as Bruce Lee said “the key to immortality is to first live a life worth remembering.” That day begins today. So let this serve notice to those out there. “I’m back.”...

...Strength and Honor...

Crash
09-28-13, 8:02 pm
Failing to Succeed


“Gentlemen, we will chase perfection and we will chase it relentlessly; knowing all the while we can never attain it. But along the way, we will catch excellence” — Vince Lombardi

More often than not, I have been criticized for having to high of standards. Most of the time I shrug it off, as I do most everyone’s seemingly endless opinions. But then there are times, in the deep dark of night when I am alone, that I rationalize and justify it to myself.

The old me still remembers that I have one shot in this world; seven years, and the mark still isn’t big enough. The newer, seasoned, wiser me, distains and seethes at our societal trend today. I absolutely fucking hate the fact that we accommodate for everything today. We are so concerned about being politically correct, and how someone else will judge us, that we have compromised many of the core values that got us where we are and made us who we are.

People today are afraid to fail. They do not realize that while our successes may define us, our failures create us. Through our failures, we learn to be tougher, smarter, and work harder. Failures fuel our motivation and desire. After all, when we succeed, our job is technically done. Isn’t it?

I guess that’s where my reality perspective comes into play. I have stood on my mountain tops, and relished the taste of victory. Yet I found that the seasoning of the dish came mainly from the failures and obstacles overcome to achieve said victory. In the end Bruce Lee said it best: “Do not pray for an easy life, instead pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.”

Strength and Honor