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Semyenkovo. Zhukova house. Stove
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Foto panoramica di Alexey Yuzhakov Scattata 22:47, 04/12/2009 - Views
Semyenkovo. Zhukova house. Stove
The museum of wood architecture in the open includes dwelling and economic buildings /peasant's houses, barns, rassian bath-houses, wells, etc./ of the Russian North, which were constructed at the end of the 19-th and at the beginning of the 20-th centuries. Recreated interiors give an idea of the way of llife, traditions, beliefs, ceremonies of Rassian peasantry at the edge of the centuries.
The museum of wood architecture in the open includes dwelling and economic buildings /peasant's house...
The museum of wood architecture in the open includes dwelling and economic buildings /peasant's house...
Just in case you mistakenly heard that it was all ice and snow in Russia, take a peek at the Big Bikini Exposition. This is right on the river Moskva in Moscow!
Moscow has been the capital of Russia for almost its entire history. The exception is during the period of the Russian Empire, which lasted from 1721 until the Russian Revolution 1917. For these two centuries the capital was St. Petersburg. The Russian Empire was the second largest contiguous Empire in world memory; only the Mongol Empire had been greater.
Check out what's happening north of Mongolia these days, in Chita
Although you may not have heard of Sochi, on the Black Sea, they're building up quickly and hope to host the 2014 Olympics.
Other periods of Russian history include the Tsardom of Russia, from Ivan IV to Peter the Great, and the Grand Duchy (14th-16th centuries).
The earliest period of Russian history was ruled by the Novgorod Republic and Kievan Rus, which was the first Russian state dating back to 800AD in Kiev.
Modern Russia remains one of the world's superpowers. They launched the earth's second satellite, called Sputnik 1, and were the first country to put a human being into orbit around earth. (The first one is called the Moon.)
After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia became a federal republic of 83 states.
Text by Steve Smith.


text:
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The Da Vinci Code (2003)
by Dan Brown
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Compact | Rate recommendations
No current Talk conversations about this book.
Wasn't a terrible book but WAY too much hype and WAY too many people taking the content too seriously.
First book I've read on in the genre. It wasn't too bad, but not something I would seek out.
As an historian, the book irks me. As a reader, it was thrilling and fascinating. I read the crap out of it. The history is only irksome because he uses real events/people, but draws links where there are no links, or at least, in most cases, where none can be authenticated.
Top notch mystery and thriller. Dan Brown did a wonderful job. Highly recommend.
Not good enough to allow overlooking all the inaccuracies. Defenestrated it.
Brown's writing is not just bad; it is staggeringly, clumsily, thoughtlessly, almost ingeniously bad. In some passages scarcely a word or phrase seems to have been carefully selected or compared with alternatives
Whenever I read a 454 page book in one sitting, it's probably a safe bet for me to think that other people will like the book. Not that my criteria for excellence necessarily matches that of the literary masses -- but the words "breakout thriller" certainly apply here. Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code is going to make publishing history. Trust me. There are already tables at the local Barnes & Nobles featuring books about the Freemasons, biographies of Leonardo Da Vinci, guidebooks to the Louvre and Renaissance art, all centered around Brown's book. And the book has been out less than two weeks.
The word for ''The Da Vinci Code'' is a rare invertible palindrome. Rotated 180 degrees on a horizontal axis so that it is upside down, it denotes the maternal essence that is sometimes linked to the sport of soccer. Read right side up, it concisely conveys the kind of extreme enthusiasm with which this riddle-filled, code-breaking, exhilaratingly brainy thriller can be recommended.
That word is wow.
The story occasionally strains credibility early on. How could a dying man, one wonders, have time to write out intricate mind puzzles even if as Sophie explains, her grandfather "entertained himself as a young man by creating anagrams of famous works of art." Fortunately, Brown's pacing doesn't leave too much time for questions. From the explosive start to the explosive finish, The Da Vinci Code is one satisfying thriller. I see movie rights being sold already. Pick this one up on a long flight home and you'll never know where the time went.
Den Braun u svom trileru Da Vinčijev kod, kreativno kombinuje mnogobrojne istorijske reference (Da Vinči, Templari, sveti Graal) sa fikcijom. Protagonista romana je, kao i u prethodnom bestseleru Anđeli i demoni harvardski profesor Robert Lengdon . Kada pariska policija otkrije njegovo ime sakriveno u šifrovanoj poruci pronađenoj pored tela ubijenog kustosa Luvra, on postaje njihov glavni osumnjičeni za brutalno ubistvo. Jedina osoba koja veruje u njegovu nevinost je francuski kriptolog, Sofi Nevu, koja mu pomaže da pobegne. Bežeći od policije pokušavaju da dešifruju misterioznu poruku i dolaze do zapanjujućeg zaključka. Ključ za rešenje je sakriven u Da Vinčijevim delima, svima vidljiv, istovremeno dobro sakriven. Put im se ukršta sa vekovima starim tajnim društvom, čiji je član bio pokojni kustos, ali i Da Vinči, Isak Njutn, Botičeli, Igo, kao i sa kontroverznim ogrankom Katoličke crkve. Ukoliko Robert i Sofi ne uspeju da dešifruju kod na vreme, drevna tajna, kao i velika istorijska istina, biće zauvek izgubljena.
Is contained in
Angels & Demons / The Da Vinci Code / The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Angels & Demons / The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
Digital Fortress / Deception Point / Angels and Demons / The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Has the adaptation
Is abridged in
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: The Da Vinci Code • Up and Down the Dales • The Return of the Dancing Master • A Gathering Light by Reader's Digest
Is parodied in
Is replied to in
Breaking the Da Vinci Code: Answers to the Questions Everyone's Asking by Darrell L. Bock
Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code: A Historian Reveals What We Really Know about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Constantine by Bart D. Ehrman
The Da Vinci Hoax: Exposing the Errors in The Da Vinci Code by Carl E. Olson
De-Coding Da Vinci: The Facts Behind the Fiction of The Da Vinci Code by Amy Welborn
Was inspired by
Has as a reference guide/companion
References to this work on external resources.
Wikipedia in English (6)
Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0385504209, Hardcover)With The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown masterfully concocts an intelligent and lucid thriller that marries the gusto of an international murder mystery with a collection of fascinating esoteria culled from 2,000 years of Western history.
A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ. The victim is a high-ranking agent of this ancient society who, in the moments before his death, manages to leave gruesome clues at the scene that only his granddaughter, noted cryptographer Sophie Neveu, and Robert Langdon, a famed symbologist, can untangle. The duo become both suspects and detectives searching for not only Neveu's grandfather's murderer but also the stunning secret of the ages he was charged to protect. Mere steps ahead of the authorities and the deadly competition, the mystery leads Neveu and Langdon on a breathless flight through France, England, and history itself. Brown (Angels and Demons) has created a page-turning thriller that also provides an amazing interpretation of Western history. Brown's hero and heroine embark on a lofty and intriguing exploration of some of Western culture's greatest mysteries--from the nature of the Mona Lisa's smile to the secret of the Holy Grail. Though some will quibble with the veracity of Brown's conjectures, therein lies the fun. The Da Vinci Code is an enthralling read that provides rich food for thought. --Jeremy Pugh
(retrieved from Amazon Mon, 30 Sep 2013 13:26:33 -0400)
The secret Catholic organization known as Opus Dei has struck. The elderly curator of the Louvre has been found dead inside the museum, surrounded by eldritch ciphers in invisible ink. It is up to Harvard semiotician Robert Langdon and his French cryptologist partner Sophie Neveu to decode the cipers, and get to the bottom of an ever-widening mystery. They discover that the late curator was the gatekeeper of the "Priory of Sion", a secret society whose members included Leonardo da Vinci, and that he sacrificed his life to protect a vastly important ancient religious relic from Opus Dei. If Langdon and Neveu do not deciper the clues in time, Opus Dei will get its hands on the relic, and havoc will be wrought.… (more)
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Town Square
Original post made by mary on Dec 26, 2006
on Dec 26, 2006 at 10:50 am
I have been to Scotts occasionally over the years and have found it to be one of the most disappointing restaurants around, both in its present location and where it used to be on Embarcadero. Its reputation for good food really surprises me as I found the quality OK to mediocre and the ambience and service totally lacking.
on Dec 27, 2006 at 1:48 pm
The breakfast service at Scott's is truly terrible. But there is not any real choice anymore at Town & Country Village. And the food is strange. The last time I ordered a poached egg, it tasted so strongly of the vinegar used in the water that it was not platable. I complained to the server and was not offered a replacement. I ended up not paying for the egg. I only go there for the biscuits, but now it's difficult to even get butter and the only marmalade is in the tiny packets. Scott's used to have jars of marmalade. I have no idea if the service is as bad for lunch and dinner. Getting water, yes, I had to ask several times.
When the restaurant was in its former location, I found the service good and some food items very good. I loved the room with the fireplace and loved being able to get oysters and the fish was good.
This is an entirely different restaurant and I don't understand why the wait staff is so consistently poor at breakfast.
on Dec 30, 2006 at 9:23 pm
For a real contrast: I just experienced visiting Manhattan (after many years) and it was very enjoyable plus each and every eatery was very pleasant in terms of food and service - whether a basic diner, deli, or higher-end restaurant. What a contrast to most places around here!!! Plus each and every establishment had holiday decorations (both recent holidays) for a festive feeling. I also noticed (at least by casual observation) a high cleanliness factor.


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i can never seem to take enough..its to many pills..is there a stronger version in pills or a good tasting liquid..i have tried liquid but tasted so bad and slimy i thru it out..my fish oil is 2.8 g fish oil , 1g epa and 640mg dha in 2 pills, want to take more but how many pills can i take?
who takes what? liquid or pill..?
somehow I manage to leave my intelligence and decorum at the door wherever I go. I doubt your journal will be an exception to that - not on the rug
What the F&#* is a decorum? - Mr. Anthony
I take Nordic Naturals cod liver oil. It's in liquid form, but I don't find it to be horribly gross or anything.
Why are you trying to take so much fish oil? Limit your omega-6 intake so you don't need so much extra omega-3's, then you can easily get your ratios fixed up with occasional real fish. The more I read, the less I trust any PUFA's that sit in a bottle on a shelf, even if they're refrigerated. Especially omega-3's, which are some of the least stable fats of all.


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Watch the Ain't Doing It Right video below in all its glory and check out the lyrics section if you like to learn the words or just want to sing along.
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Volleyball - Archives 2014
League teams opened play with a 19-8 non-conference record in 27 opening weekend matches.
Lauren Douglass (Texas Tech), Caitlin Nolan (Iowa State) and Lamprini Konstantinidou (West Virginia) have earned the first Big 12 volleyball weekly awards for the 2014 season.
The 2014 Big 12 volleyball season begins on Friday with second-ranked Texas predicted to claim the 2014 conference title.
All-session tickets for the 2014 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship, co-hosted by the Big 12 Conference and Oklahoma City All Sports Association, at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City are now on sale.
Four Big 12 volleyball teams are ranked or receiving votes in the 2014 American Volleyball Coaches Association preseason poll.
For the fourth consecutive year and seventh time overall, the Texas Longhorns top the Big 12 Conference volleyball preseason poll.
For the second year in a row, reigning Big 12 Player of the Year Haley Eckerman (Texas) has been selected as the Big 12 Volleyball Preseason Player of the Year, while Ainisa Havili (Kansas) was tabbed the Preseason Freshman of the Year.
Big 12 Athlete of the Year candidates will be highlighted each day through July 20. Fans will then be able to vote for their male and female choices from July 20-23. Fan voting will be considered in the final tally for selecting this prestigious award.
The Big 12 Conference has nominated Caitlin Way (Oklahoma State) and Bailey Webster (Texas) for 2014 NCAA Woman of the Year.
Four Big 12 volleyball matches will be nationally televised on ESPNU for the upcoming season, along with one match on FOX Sports Regional Networks, the Conference office announced.


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A youtube video demonstrating co-simulation work done with cd-adapco's STAR-OLGA and STAR-CCM+ software, showing advanced meshing techniques and multiphase fluid flow.
CD-adapco is the world's largest independent CFD focused provider of engineering simulation software, support and services. We have over 30 years of experience in delivering industrial strength engineering simulation.
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Canes captain has surgery to fix muscle injury
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) The Carolina Hurricanes say captain Eric Staal has had surgery to repair a core muscle injury and should be ready for training camp.
General manager Ron Francis said the surgery was performed Tuesday by a doctor in Philadelphia.
He says Staal suffered the injury - also known as a sports hernia - during offseason training.


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Bond has been set for a man charged in the July 23, 2012 shooting death of a 26-year-old Nederland man.
John Mason Broadway remains held at the Jefferson County jail on $3.5 Million in bonds following his arraignment Wednesday morning.
Broadway was arrested by Beaumont Police after detectives from Groves say he shot and killed Cody Hokett, 26, at a house in the 3100 block of Cleveland in Groves.
Broadway is charged with murder. Officers earlier this week said the charges may be upgraded to capital murder because he stole the victim's car.


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The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utility Department notified the public of a break in a sewage pipe near Lake Norman Sunday.
The break was located at 21539 Crown Lake Drive in Cornelius this afternoon.
Crews with CMUD have stopped the leak and are currently working to repair the pipe.
They estimate that nearly 330 gallons of waste had entered Lake Norman, however they have not seen any dead fish in the area associated with this overflow.
CMUD crews maintain over 4,000 miles of wastewater pipe and ask that the public report any sewer problems in an effort to protect the environment and the public health.
Copyright WBTV 2013. All rights reserved.
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Shaun Suisham re-signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday, rewarding him for a career season in which he connected on 14 of 15 field goal attempts and converted all 19 extra points after taking over for an ineffective Jeff Reed near midseason. The move was first reported by Canadian newspaper Chatham-Kent Daily Post and has since been confirmed by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette.
Suisham has now played for four teams and spent time on the roster of five teams. He was actually originally drafted by the Steelers, but never played for them until last year. Over his six-season NFL career, he has hit 80.8 percent of his 125 field goal attempts.
He is probably best known for the four seasons he spent with the Washington Redskins. Despite a decent run of success, his defining moment came on Dec. 6, 2009 when he missed a 23-yard field goal against the New Orleans Saints, who entered the game undefeated. The Redskins eventually lost in overtime and he was cut a few days later.


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Product Recall: Voluntary recall of 260 cases of Velveeta Original Pasteurized Recipe Cheese Products. Click Here.
PLACE all ingredients except crackers in blender or food processor; blend until peppers are finely chopped and mixture is well blended. Spoon into serving bowl; cover.
REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until chilled.
SERVE as a dip with the crackers.


text:
Ugh! I need some help/motivation/anything....
I will start with a little bit of background on why I am coming to everyone from any type of help.
End of October in 2006 I hit my ultimate low, I stepped on a scale and weighed close to 290lbs after weighing 220-230 lbs (most of my life) and at 6'2", 23 yrs old that is probably 90lbs(ish) over weight. Wow was that one of the biggest shocks of my life I swear it just came out of no where one night. I just remember thinking to myself I have gone too far there is no way I can lose that kinda weight, I'm just TOO FAT!
Well two weeks later I broke up with my girlfriend and decided that it was time for a life style change. I am not blaming it on her but she was the 5'4" 120lbs type girl who could eat whatever/whenever she wanted and for the year together I did the same as her, unfortunetly my body was not built that way and I actually do have to watch what I eat. Well 70 lbs heavier than when I met her and a lot of work to do I started building a plan of how I was going to accomplish my goal, I actually recevied a lot of help from this site and just doing searches on the web along with reading books and magazines.
Now to skip ahead to March 2007, I am doing great in just 4.5 months I had lost 40lbs. I was down to 250lbs and feeling great about my progress because I was not starving myself I was trying to eat 5-6 meals a day with lots of water and exercise. I knew the first 40lbs would be "easier" than my final 40lbs however I was feeling good about my progress and was ready for the long haul.
Well middle of March changed my lifestyle, I was out having some drinks with a bunch of buddies and then we headed back to my place. Well on my way into my house I was running and hit a hole on my lawn and strained all the ligements(sp?) in my left ankle. When I woke up the next morning I could not put pressure on it and it stayed that way for about 2 weeks before I could finnally hobble on it. I stopped working out, and began to slack a bit on my eatting habits.
Now the only "good" news that has come out of this is that it is now August and I still weigh 250lbs so I haven't gained any weight however I could be pretty sure I have lost some muscle. I have decided I am going to get back into the lisfestyle I was enjoying so much and have already been watching what I eat for the past few weeks.
Ever since that night I just haven't been able to grab any motivation to work out and am just looking for any help:
- A story if you went through the same type of thing and how you came through it
- Things you do or have that keep you going
- An motivational article
- Some diet/exercise help
- Really just anything you can give me
Here is my Diet Plan, I want to eat every 2-3 hours: Please let me know if you think I should make any changes because I really want to work hard at this & make sure I am doing it right!
- Omelet (6 Eggs)
- Fruit
- Fish Oil Caps
Snack 1:
- Protein Shake
- Veggies (1cup)
- Pork Chops or Chicken (4-5oz)
- Whole Wheat Rice or Spaghetti (1 cup)
- Veggies (1 cup)
Snack 2:
- Protein Shake
- Veggies (1 cup)
- Steak or Pork Chops or Chicken (4-5 oz)
- Potatoes (1 cup)
Snack 3:
- Nuts or Popcorn (not microwave, the old school popper over the stove)
- Fruit
I am trying to give myself variety so I don't get tired eatting the same meals day in and day out. Also I love water, I don't drink anything else except Vodka Drinking the 10(500ml) bottles of water is probably the norm for me on any given day!
As for working out, I want to keep it to about 3 times a week and don't really want to over do it, as I am trying to slim down and not look like Hulk
Sunday: OFF
- Barbell Squats
- Calf Raises
- Deadlifts
- Crunches
- Shrugs
- Curls
- Military Press
- Push Ups
Wednesday: Golf (Almost every Wed.)
- Bench Press
- Bent Over Rows
- T-Bar Rows
- Crunches
Friday: OFF
Saturday: Paintballing (I do this almost every Saturday)
I am trying to set it up so I am not doing too much in one sitting because I dont want to get bored and I want to put as much energy into one work out as possible.
How many reps/sets should I do? How often and how much should I move the weight up?
Another HUGE question I have is if I want to lose 40lbs what do you think would be a good date for me to set a goal? I was thinking my birthday which would be April but does that seem to far away?
Please let me know if you need anymore information that can help you, help me!
THANK YOU in advance to everyone who has read this and for your help.
Last edited by Superman250; 08-09-2007 at 01:54 PM.
6' 2" - Starting Weight(Oct 31/06): 290
Current Weight(Aug 5/07): 249
Goal (April 4/08): 210
My real goal is to GET healthy & STAY healthy!!!
whoot whoot PAINTBALL!
Anywayz, it looks pretty good.
use that to track your cal. intake. Look around this website on the stikies, there is alot of information there. I need to get on a diet too. Just make sure you eat enough so you don't get sick, depending on how much you use to eat, is ho much you should eat now, look around, Im sure more peopl will be around to help you.
yea man same thing here except i was married. She had me eat full meals at like 11:00 at night. I hit my all time high at 247 in Oct. 06. AT that time i went through a divorce and started dieting I have finally got it down to 195. The things i found for motavation was women and i love to ride superstreet bikes and u cant do it at that weight. The diet looks good to me good luck!!
Life's journney is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body. But rather to skid in sideways,totally worn out,shouting "HOLY CRAP...WHAT A RIDE!"
Posted by Chris Mason.
"So, what are you doing for a living these days?" Bob asked me. We're sitting on the couch at one of those tedious holiday get-togethers, you know, the ones where you're supposed to be nice to family members you never see except during major holidays and funerals. I think Bob is my wife's brother-in-law's second cousin or something.
"I'm the assistant editor and a writer for Testosterone magazine," I say. Bob looks at me with a blank expression on his face, as if I'd just told him I sell handmade testicle warmers beside the freeway and was looking to open franchises across the nation.
"It's a bodybuilding magazine," I say.
Blank expression. Deer caught in the headlights. Ronnie Coleman doing trigonometry.
"Oh," Bob finally says, "I heard you were, like, one of those bodybuilder guys or something. So, what's that like, you know, working out every day and stuff? I just don't have time to lift weights all day, but I have been meaning to get rid of this beer belly." He takes another sip of beer. "What do you suggest?" Sip.
At first I was a little offended. I wanted to grab him up and say, "You can't tell I'm a bodybuilder?! Look at my ass! Now, if that's not a nice round squat-built piece of sirloin, I don't know what is! You think that comes naturally? I can crack walnuts with this puppy! Wanna see? Huh, punk? Do ya? Do ya?"
Then I realize this just might cause a scene and could cost me several Christmas presents. I was planning on returning any presents I got and using the money to buy a power rack, so I didn't want to jeopardize this gift getting opportunity. I also realized that old Bob probably had a certain preconceived image of a bodybuilder and I just didn't fit that image. I'm not gorilla huge; I weigh about 205 at 5'11" right now. (When I first started lifting I was a pudgy 159, so that's not too shabby.) Also, I wasn't wearing clown pants, a fluorescent string tank top, a hanky on my head and one of those little fanny packs. And isn't that what real bodybuilders are supposed to wear?
Bob continued to sit there drinking his Natural Light, smoking a cigarette and waiting for an answer, oblivious to the fact that he'd come this close to seeing some serious walnut- crunching ass power. I tried to figure out how I could explain to the average guy what the typical T-Man does and why he does it. How could I get him to understand what it is we do, how we feel, how we live? So I took a deep breath and told him something like this:
"Well, Bob, I guess you could use the term bodybuilder if you really need a label for what it is we do. Most of us actually don't stand on stage and compete, though. We lift weights and manipulate our diets so that we'll look good naked. Sure, it's healthy too, and we'll probably live a longer and more productive life than the average guy, but mostly it's about the naked thing. Truthfully, it goes beyond even that.
"Let's be honest here. We do it because of people like you, Bob. We look at you sitting there with your gut hanging over your belt and we watch you grunt and groan just getting out of a chair. Guys like you are our inspiration, Bob. You're better than Anthony Robbins, Bill Phillips, Deepak Chopra, and Zig ****ing Ziglar all wrapped up into one. We love it when guys like you talk about not having time to exercise. Every time we see you munching on a bag of potato chips, you inspire us. You're my shot in the arm, Bob, my living and breathing wake-up call, my own personal success coach.
"You want to know what it is we do? We overcome. We're too busy to train, too, but we overcome. We're too busy to prepare healthy meals and eat them five or six times a day, but we overcome. We can't always afford supplements, our genetics aren't perfect, and we don't always feel like going to the gym. Some of us used to be just like you, Bob, but guess what? We've overcome.
"We like to watch 'normal' people like you tell us about how they can't get in shape. We smile and nod sympathetically like we feel your pain, but actually, we're thinking that you're a pathetic piece of **** that needs to grow a spine and join a gym. You smile sheepishly and say that you just can't stay motivated and just can't stand that feeling of being sore. (For some reason you think that admitting your weaknesses somehow justifies them.) We listen to you ***** and moan. We watch you look for the easy way out. Because of people like you, Bob, we never miss a workout.
"You ask us for advice about diet and training and usually we politely offer some guidance, but deep inside we know you won't take our advice. You know that too. We smile and say, 'Hope that helps. Good luck,' but actually we're thinking, 'Boy, it would suck to be you.' We know that 99% of people won't listen to us. Once they hear that it takes hard work, sacrifice and discipline, they stop listening and tune us out.
"We know they wanted us to say that building a great body is easy, but it just isn't. This did not take five minutes a day on a TorsoTrack. We did not get this way in 12 short weeks using a Bowflex and the Suzanne Somers' 'Get Skinny' diet. A good body does not cost five easy payments of $39.95.
"We like it that while you're eating a candy bar and drinking Mountain Dew, we're sucking down a protein shake. You see, that makes it taste even better to us. While you're asleep we're either getting up early or staying up late, hitting the iron, pushing ourselves, learning, succeeding and failing and rising above the norm with every rep. Can you feel that, Bob? Can you relate? No? Good. This wouldn't be half as fun if you could.
"We do it because we absolutely and totally get off on it. We do it because people like you, Bob, either can't or won't. We do it because what we do in the gym transfers over into the rest of our lives and changes us, physically, mentally, maybe even spiritually. We do it because it beats watching fishing and golf on TV. By the way, do you know what it's like to turn the head of a beautiful woman because of the way you're built? It feels good, Bob. Damned good.
"When we're in the gym, we're in this indescribable euphoria zone. It's a feeling of being on, of being completely alive and aware. If you haven't been there, then it's like trying to describe color to a person who's been blind since birth. Within this haze of pleasure and pain, there's knowledge and power, self-discipline and self-reliance. If you do it long enough, Bob, there's even enlightenment. Sometimes, the answers to questions you didn't even know you had are sitting there on those rubber mats, wrapped up in a neat package of iron plates and bars.
"Want to lose that beer belly, Bob? I have a nutty idea. Put down the ****ing beer. I'll tell you what, Bob. Christmas morning I'm getting up real early and hitting the iron. I want to watch my daughter open her presents and spend the whole day with her, so this is the only time I have to train. The gym will be closed, so I'm going out in my garage to workout. You be at my house at six in the morning, okay? I'll be glad to help you get started on a weight training program. It'll be colder than Hillary Clinton's coochie in there, so dress warm.
"But let me tell you something, Bob. If you don't show up, don't bother asking me again. And don't you ever sit there and let me hear you ***** about your beer belly again. This is your chance, your big opportunity to break out of that rut. If you don't show up, Bob, you've learned a very important lesson about yourself, haven't you? You won't like that lesson.
"You won't like that feeling in the pit of your stomach either or that taste in your mouth. It will taste worse than defeat, Bob. Defeat tastes pretty goddamned nasty, but what you'll be experiencing will be much worse. It will be the knowledge that you're weak, mentally and physically. What's worse is that you'll have accepted that feeling. The feeling will always be with you. In the happiest moments of your life, it'll be there, lying under the surface like a malignant tumor. Ignore it at your own peril, Bob.
"Don't look at me like that either. This just may be the best Christmas present you'll get this year. Next Christmas, Bob, when I see you again, I'm going to be a little bigger, a little stronger, and a little leaner. What will you be? Will you still be making excuses? This is a gift, Bob, from me to you. I'm giving you the chance to look fate in those pretty eyes of hers and say, 'Step off, *****. This is my party and you're not invited.' What do you say, Bob? Monday, Christmas morning, 6am, my house. The ball's in your court."
Okay, so maybe that's not the exact words I used with Bob, but you get the picture. Will Bob show up Monday? I don't know, but I kind of doubt it. In fact, Bob will probably take me off his Christmas card list. He probably thinks I've got "too much Testosterone," like that's a bad thing. I think Bob is just stuck in a rut, and as the saying goes, the only difference between a rut and a grave is depth.
The way out of the rut is to make major changes in your life, most of which won't be too pleasant in the beginning. The opportunity to make those changes seldom comes as bluntly as I put it to Bob. Most of the time, that opportunity knocks very softly. What I did was basically give Bob a verbal slap in the face. You can react two ways to a slap. You can get angry at the person doing the slapping, or you can realize that he was just trying to get you to wake up and focus on what you really want and, more importantly, what it'll take to get it.
If you're a regular T-mag reader, I doubt you need to be called out like Bob. But maybe you've caught yourself slacking a little here lately. Maybe you've missed a few workouts or maybe you started a little too early on the usual holiday feasting, like, say, back in September. Just remember that the time to start working on that summer body is now. The time to get rid of those bad habits that hold you back in the gym is now. You want to look totally different by next Christmas? Start now. This isn't because of the holidays or any corny New Year's resolutions either. The best time is always now.
Christmas day I want you to enjoy being with your family and friends. I want you to open presents, sip a little eggnog and have a good meal. But if your regularily scheduled workout happens to fall on December 25th, what will you be doing at six o'clock that morning?
That's what separates us from guys like Bob.
Credit for this article to T-Mag.com
Last edited by Questor; 08-09-2007 at 04:00 PM.
Posted by Risk10k:
The Education of a Powerlifter
by Dave Tate for T.nation.com March 2004
Want to know how to become a powerlifter? Believe me, theres no "Powerlifting for Dummies" book at your local Wal-mart. Being a powerlifter is a strange blend of mysticism, drive, strength, and a little bit of crazy. To be one youve got to want it bad; got to want it so bad that youre willing to devote years to its pursuit. Still, as rough as it is, those that are indoctrinated into its strange world rarely leave.
This is part a story about one mans journey into the cult of powerlifting.
Jonathan Among The Giants
When Jonathan walked into the hotel lobby he found himself among giants. Huge men milled around the room, all of them looking like they lifted boulders for a living. What was going on here? Some type of professional wrestling event? A casting call for a gladiator or barbarian movie? Jonathan had never seen anything like it.
He'd come to the hotel to meet a friend for lunch, but as they ate all he could do was stare at these powerful looking leviathans. Finally, he asked the waiter what was going on.
"Powerlifters," the waiter said. "And we're running out of food."
After lunch, Jonathan walked out of the restaurant and noticed a commotion coming from the hotel's grand ball room. Peeking through the door he saw hundreds of people cheering these giants on. He paid the entry fee and found a place in the back of the room to watch what he thought was called the "deadlift event."
Lifter after lifter would approach the bar with a crazed look of intensity and pull with his greatest effort. Each pull would finish with the lifter either making the weight or missing it, but either way they all had a look of pride and accomplishment.
Jonathan didn't really know what was going on here. He'd never attended a powerlifting meet before. He knew only one thing: this was coolest thing he'd ever seen.
Tom Gets His Total
"For the final deadlift of the day, we have a world record attempt," the loud speaker announced. Tom approached the bar. He'd trained his whole life for this moment. Weighing in at a ripped 275 pounds, Tom was ready to go.
With a look of controlled rage on his face, he approached the bar and began to pull with everything he had. The bar slowly left the ground as the crowd all got to its feet, some standing on chairs, some standing in the isle, all cheering as loud as they could. To Jonathan, the scene was unreal.
Tom kept pulling. The tension in his back and hands was insane but he knew if he just stayed with it the lift would be his. Seconds later he was standing with the bar locked out and heard the head official say "down." It wasn't until the bar hit the ground that he noticed the roar of the crowd. The lift was his; the day was his. This, he thought, is what it's all about.
When the meet was over, the lifters made their way back into the warm-up room to exchange stories about the day's battles. Some were excited about their new records; other were disappointed but were already planning their next training cycles. They had all put in countless hours in the gym for this and wanted to extend it as much as they could.
Tom sat in a circle of chairs with friends and training partners. This was Toms day. He'd hit a record squat, bench and deadlift the biggest total of his life. All the pain, injuries, sacrifices and training hours finally seemed worth it.
"What's next?" asked one of Tom's training partners.
Tom didn't have to think about his answer. "Its back in the gym Monday. I know I have more left in me." This is what he said after every meet, what top powerlifters always say. For them, satisfaction isnt an option. When you become satisfied, you become obsolete.
The Decision
Jonathon couldn't believe what he was feeling. Halfway through the giant's lift, he'd found himself up on his chair screaming encouragement to a man he'd never met.
When the event was over he knew one thing for certain: he had to become part of this.
Jonathon was never an athlete in high school and hadn't done anything fitness related since he graduated from college a year ago. He did work out from time to time in college but nothing with any structure or consistency. At his best he was about 185 pounds at 5'11" with a personal best bench press of around 250, but that was years ago. He loved what he'd just witnessed but had no idea where to begin. It was then he made a decision: he had to talk to the giant.
Making his way to the back room, he had no idea what he would say. What would these huge men say to him? Would they laugh and kick him out of the room? Would they make fun of him? Jonathan didn't know, but he had to try.
He found Tom packing up his bag. Hesitantly, Jonathan asked, "Excuse me, but how does one get involved in the sport of powerlifting?"
Tom and the other lifters turned to look at him. Jonathan couldn't help but feel he was being sized up.
"How serious are you?" Tom asked.
"Pretty serious, I guess," Jonathan said. "That was, well, the greatest thing I've ever seen." He waited for the giants to laugh at him. They didnt.
Tom took out a piece of paper and scribbled some notes on it. Sweat was still running off his bald head as he handed Jonathan the paper. "Meet us here Monday at 5:00." he said. "This is my gym."
Shut Up and Spot
Jonathan couldn't sleep at all Sunday night anticipating the Monday training session. He was now going to be a powerlifter. Time couldn't go fast enough Monday, but 5:00 did finally roll around. He was fired up to finally be joining a gym.
As he drove through the commercial developments, he kept looking for the neon sign for Toms gym. The businesses soon turned into residential neighborhoods and he began to wonder why Tom would ask him to pick him up at his house. He pulled into Toms driveway and honked the horn. After a few minutes he began to wonder if Tom was home. Then it dawned on him that maybe he'd been blown off and sent on some kind of wild goose chase.
In a last attempt, Jonathan got out of the car to go ring the doorbell. As he walked toward the house he heard loud metal music coming from the garage. Tom must be working on his car or something, Jonathan thought. When he walked through the door, he couldn't believe what he saw. This was Toms gym. He had no idea what the equipment was but there was nothing in there like he used in college.
"Hey, we thought you weren't coming!" Tom shouted above the music. There were about seven guys crowded around a power rack. They were doing some strange movement in the rack with some type of yolk bar suspended by chains. "One more rep!" shouted Tom as the lifter's face turned beet red under the strain.
Jonathan couldn't believe how great this was. The bar was loaded with more weight than he'd ever seen. These guys were crazy strong and he couldn't wait to become one of them. He walked over to Tom and asked what he should do.
"Your job today is to spot and keep your mouth shut," Tom said.
Jonathan spent the rest of the day loading the bar for all the other lifters. This was still one of the best days of his life. When the session was over, Jonathan was in awe. This place was hardcore, these guys were hardcore and the weights were certainly hardcore. When the last lifter was done Jonathan was ready to learn how to be strong. With little conversation all the lifters packed up the gear and left. Jonathan was left with Tom and asked again what he should do.
"Go home," Tom replied. "Come back Wednesday."
Jonathan knew instinctively not to argue. He drove home still psyched up over the day's events but wondered why he didn't train. Two more weeks passed and Jonathan still hadn't touched a weight. He'd asked a few times what he should do and the lifters kept telling him to shut up and spot. He began to wonder if he was brought in only to load the weights. But he was still excited to be there and was having a great time. The weights these guys were moving were unreal! It was a privilege to be there.
The last time he asked Tom when he could lift, Tom told him flat out that he wasn't ready. Jonathan was a bit set back. He really wanted to be a powerlifter and all he was doing was spotting. This continued on for another week. He was now bored out of his skull. As he sat in silence at the end of one of their bench sessions, Tom walked over and said, "Now you're ready."
"Why now?" Jonathon asked.
Tom explained that when he came in he was in awe of the lifters in the group and that you can never become what you're in awe of.
"It's okay to have idols as a kid," Tom said, "but when you grow up you have to become what you dream about."
Then he said something Jonathan would remember for the rest of his life. "We know what we can do for you; what we really want to know is, what can you do for us?"
Jonathan understood. They already had all the spotters they needed. What they really wanted were lifters. Jonathan was about to become one.
Becoming Bullet Proof
Monday rolled around and from the past weeks' experience Jonathan figured out this was a lower body, heavy day. As he drove to the gym he wondered what they would have him do today. He arrived early at 4:30 and found a few of the guys were already there. Some of them were doing extra abdominal movements, some were dragging a sled and others were stretching out. The one thing that stood out is that they were all doing something different. He would have to ask Tom about this.
Tom finally got there and they all agreed to do some type of good morning movement. Jonathan had no idea what this was but was game for anything. A couple of the guys placed the bar on their back and began to bend over at the waist. He figured this was pretty easy and took his place in the line up. As he walked up to the bar Tom asked, "What the hell are you doing?"
"Good mornings," Tom said.
"No," Tom said, "you're not. You aren't ready. Come with me."
They walked out back and Jonathan was given a weight belt attached to a sled with a couple of plates on it. "Drag this for ten trips down to the tree and back, then come get me," Tom said.
While he really wanted to train like the other guys, at least he wasn't spotting and loading the bar. After a few trips he could feel his legs getting tired and it was getting harder and harder to breathe. He'd do a set, rest, then do another. He could hear the intensity of the session going on inside and wished he was part of it. After he finished, he went back into the gym.
The guys were now into their top sets and he walked over to Tom and asked what to do next. Tom told him to spot and he'd get with him after they finished. Jonathan spent the next ten minutes watching the guys just about blow their heads off under the strain of the good mornings. Jonathon asked Tom why he was spotting again. "Everyone spots with the big weights," Tom replied. "This is part of your job. No one is above spotting and coaching here!"
When the movement was over, the guys split up and began doing different exercises. Once again he wondered why they all did different things. Jonathan was told to do five sets of something called reverse hypers. He was positioned on a bench with a strap attached around his ankles. He began to swing the weight up and was told to arch as hard as he could at the top. He couldn't use much weight at all. The other guys were using around 500 pounds but all he could use was 50. When he finished his lower back felt tied up in knots.
Next he did incline sit-ups and straight leg raises. He did five sets of each with coaching coming from many different lifters. He was taught how to flex and tighten his abs. From time to time they would come over and push their fingers into his abs to make sure they were being held tight.
The last movement he was asked to do was called "band good mornings." For this he stood on a big rubber band, placed the other end around the back of his traps, bent over at the waist and then stood up. He was told to try and feel the movement in his lower back and hamstrings. He could feel it alright.
"Crap" Work
While he thought he'd be sore, he actually felt pretty good. He couldn't wait for Wednesdays heavy bench press session. When he got to the gym he was told once again to hit the sled for ten trips. When he came back in the guys were doing a bench press movement where they would lower the bar down to a couple of boards and press back up. He couldn't wait to give this a shot as he was sure he could handle some decent weight.
To his surprise he was told to do band good mornings and abs again. When he was finished with this he was told to do 100 push-ups and to do them in as many sets as it would take. He had to use good form and with his hands placed on a pair of hex dumbbells. His grip width had to be in the same position he'd eventually bench in.
This was followed up with some work for the rotator cuff and rear shoulders. Jonathan was told that this would be his workout for the next month and that he was to try and do more weight and/or reps on each training session thereafter.
Two weeks passed and he was ready to do some of the movements the other guys were doing. Tom wouldn't budge. The kid had to stick to the plan. Once again he was getting frustrated with this training plan and began to wonder if these guys really knew what they were doing. He already knew that none of them did the same thing. Finally, he asked Tom why he had to do all the "crap" work and why no one else was doing it. He wanted to be a powerlifter and all he was doing was "sissy" movements.
"You see Jim over there?" Tom said. "Jim has weak glutes and is doing extra work for them. This is what he needs to do to get his deadlift to go up. You see Matt over there? Matt's doing extra lower back work. He needs to make his back stronger to keep the bar in a better position when he squats. And Mike over there? Mike's doing extra ab work to help with his transfer of power out of the hole when he squats. You need to do conditioning work to be able to handle the work we'll ask you to do later. You'll never be 100% injury free, but you better be prepared to handle the strain."
Technique, Technique, Technique
It had been six weeks since Jonathan's first conditioning session and he was eager to begin "real powerlifting." This was the day he'd waited for.
As he walked into the gym he saw the guys were setting the rack up to do high box, Manta Ray squats. Jonathan was ready to walk up to the rack when he was stopped in his tracks by Mark. Mark was one of the best squatters in the gym and pulled him aside to let him know he wasn't going to be doing box squats today. Today he was going to squat and squat correctly.
Mark took Jonathan aside and first explained how to do a squat with perfect form; next they watched a few Westside videos detailing squat form. Mark then explained that to fully learn how to squat, Jonathan had to first understand the squat. This is accomplished by hearing the squat explained, then seeing it done properly, then doing it so many times it becomes automatic.
Jonathan was handed a broomstick and given the instructions:
1. Place the bar on the center of your back.
2. Squeeze your hands on the bar as hard as you can.
3. Pull your shoulder blades together and make sure your upper back is tight.
4. Pull your head up and drive it back into your traps.
5. Stand with your feet out wide.
6. Push your feet out to the sides of your shoes.
7. Force your knees out to the side.
8. Arch your lower back as hard as you can.
9. Keep your abs tight.
There were a few other steps but all Jonathan could remember is doing rep after rep while Mark barked at him to squat back and sit on the bench. "Squat back?" he said, "I'm already tired!"
"Look, man," Mark said, "you'll never squat 100%; none of us do. The key is to get as close as you can. Right now you're at 0% and are piss ass weak. Now squat!"
Rep after rep they worked on form. Jonathan must've performed 300 reps that day and actually made his way up to using a 45-pound bar. The weight wasn't a problem, but Mark wouldn't let him use more as long as his form was sub-par. After what seemed to be 45 minutes of squatting he was told to move onto reverse hypers and ab work, then finish with the sled for a few trips.
By this time Jonathan was pretty fond of the sled and asked if he should do more. From the corner of the gym Bob shouted, "Oh no! Not another Mr. GPP!" Tom then pulled Jonathan aside and explained that GPP, General Physical Preparedness, is very important but you don't compete in GPP. What Jonathan really needed was optimal conditioning for powerlifting and anything too much over that is pointless.
About this time there was a knock on the door. Tom answered it and turned around with a huge grin on his face. It seemed Tom had ordered a new piece of equipment and it was here! This was not just any piece of equipment but a glute ham raisenot only a GHR but the best you can get: a professional GHR from Elite Fitness Systems. For the rest of the session they were all doing wide stance GHRs, close stance GHRs, ab work and anything else they could think of.
It was business as usual for Jonathan though. He was to stick with this plan until he got the nod of approval from the rest of the guys. He watched videos and worked on his form any time he could find the time. He even filmed his sessions to compare against the form of the guys on the tapes.
After his form work he was told to train right along with some of the others guys and get used to the many supplemental and accessory movements they were using. He was now beginning to feel his body getting stronger and noticed that he'd already gained 15 pounds. Finally, he was becoming a powerlifter, but he knew he had a long road ahead of him.
The Program
It had been four months since Jonathan's first visit to Tom's gym. He was beginning to become part of the crew and was eager to get on the same program as the rest of the guys. His body was now much bigger and stronger than the first day he'd walked into the garage. He knew he was ready for the intense training he'd been watching over the past several months.
Over breakfast one Saturday, Tom reviewed how the program worked.
"How are we going to get you strong, kid?" Tom asked.
"I guess by following the program you're going to give me, right?" Jonathan said.
Tom explained that a set program isn't a bad thing, but to reach the higher levels Jonathan would have to learn how to come up with his own program. The number one secret all top lifters know is that the best program for them is the one they come up with, not the program someone hands to them on a piece of paper.
"You see, to be the best you have to also be the best at figuring out what works for you. You have to be able to find and fix your weaknesses while always keeping your eyes on the higher goal," Tom explained.
"But how do I know what my weak points are?" Jonathan said.
Tom laughed as he dug into his mountain of food. "Your weak point right now is you don't know how to discover your weak points! So tell me, where would you like to be five years from now?"
Jonathan thought for a moment and replied that he'd like to have his Elite status in the sport of powerlifting.
"Okay," Tom said, "At what weight class? What will your specific lifts have to be? Let's set some long range goals."
They put together a plan that would have Jonathan lifting in the 275-pound weight class (he was currently 245) with an 800 pound squat, 500 pound bench press, and 700 pound deadlift. Jonathan felt great that he finally had goals to shoot for, but he knew he had a very long way to go. Now, how to get there.
Tom explained that there would be two days per week for max effort work and two days per week for dynamic effort training. The template would look like this:
Monday Max effort squat and deadlift day
Wednesday Max effort bench day
Friday Dynamic effort squat day and deadlift day
Saturday Dynamic effort bench day
"The max effort days are intended to make you stronger," Tom said, "while the dynamic effort days are designed to make you faster. Thats it, nothing fancy. Strength plus speed equals new personal records."
Jonathan was then handed a series of articles titled The Eight Keys and was told to read them for the details. All he needed to know would be there.
Jonathan showed up to the gym on Monday fired up about the "Eight Keys" article and wanted to start with the chains and bands. Tom turned to Jonathan and asked one very simple question:
"Can you compute the gravitational force exerted on a mass of two pounds located five feet above the center of a circular disk with a radius of ten feet and mass of three pounds per unit of area?"
Jonathan looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "What does this have to do with training?" he thought. Tom went on to explain that you cant understand calculus without first understanding basic math. The same is true with strength training. No need for chains and bands until you get the basics down first.
"But don't I have to use chains and bands to get strong?" Jonathon asked.
"No," Tom replied, "You have to get strong to use chains and bands! Chains and bands aren't the program; they're only a function of the program. You first must understand the program. The first thing for you is to build a strong base of strength to the point where you can get on a platform and display it."
"Okay," said Jonathon. "I get it."
"Good. Now let's talk about the methods that'll make up your program in basic terms you'll understand."
The Method to the Madness
To explain the dynamic effort method, Tom asked Jonathan to jump onto a small box. Jonathan did this with no problem. Next, Tom asked that he repeat the jump again but this time he had to jump in slow motion. It didn't take Jonathan long to learn this was impossible to do.
"That's right," Tom said. "You gotta have speed to generate force. The good news is this is a component that can be trained. This is what the dynamic effort method is for."
They moved on to what Tom called the max effort method. He set up a 50-inch box and asked Jonathan to jump onto it. Jonathan looked confused.
"I need to be faster to get up there," Jonathan said.
"No, for you to get way up there you'll have to get stronger. We can make you very fast but as long as your strength stays the same you'll only improve your current strength level. Let me explain it this way: you may be strong enough to jump to 21 but now are only fast enough for 18 inches. Speed will help you get to 21 but to go higher your strength will have to increase. This is where the max effort method comes in. See, there's a need for both speed and strength to be developed at the same time."
Jonathans max effort work consisted of the following movements:
1. Good mornings with various bars (cambered, buffalo and safety squat).
2. Low box squats with various bars.
3. Various deadlifts: standing on mats, pin pull and off-the-floor.
Jonathans dynamic squat wave was set up in three-week cycles. He also used a box squat set at parallel for all sets:
Week one: 8 sets of 2 reps with 50%
Week two: 8 sets of 2 reps with 55%
Week three: 8 sets of 2 reps with 60%
On all the days where he felt good and the speed was on, Jonathan did a few extra sets after the first eight sets and added weight on each one. These were never taken to failure, but were heavy enough to get a good feel for where his strength base was. After the three weeks the cycle was repeated.
Jonathans dynamic bench wave was set on a flat cycle using 50% for eight sets of three reps. On all the days where he felt good and the speed was on, Jonathan did a few extra sets, same rules as above.
Leave Jonathan at Home
After some time, Jonathan began to understand the importance of speed and strength but needed to know more. He had to know what to do after the main exercise of the day. He remembered Tom telling him about the weaknesses several of the lifters had and what they were doing with their accessory work to overcome them.
The problem was, he had no idea what his weaknesses were and had no way to find out how to fix them. All he knew was that he was still much weaker than everyone else, so he figured everything was weak and he needed to do everything . He was totally lost.
Later that day they were all doing low box squats with the cambered bar. Jonathan was fired up for this as it would be the first time he was doing a max effort movement for a second rotation. His max effort movement was set up to rotate every three weeks and would later come down to every week like the rest of the guys.
The objective of his first week was to get used to the movement for sets of three reps. The second weeks objective was to set a one rep max while the third was a "balls to the wall" strain lift. He accomplished a 275 max during his first rotation with the cambered bar and was geared up to break this record. His warm-ups went well as he completed three reps with the bar and then 95, 135, 185, and 225 pounds. He then dropped to singles and completed the following sets with 245, 265 and then a record at 285 pounds!
He was jacked up about this and was ready to quit for the day when he heard the loud slam of a 45 plate on the bar. He was called to the bar and noticed three 45's on each side. The crew shouted, "You're up!"
Jonathan felt the adrenaline running through his veins and rage beginning to build up inside. As he approached the bar he heard the battle cries from the crew: "Get this bitch!", "You got it!", "Get ya some!", "Kill this mother!", "Get tight!" and "Come on, J!"
He lifted the bar out of the rack and felt the load bearing down. As he sat to the box the rage kept building. He paused for one second and began to stand up. He left the box fast and at the mid-point began to stall. "Up, Up, Up!" and "Head up!" is all he heard. He pushed with all he had and the bar kept moving. He felt the pressure building in his head. His back, legs, and torso felt incredibly strained, but he pushed on.
When he racked the bar he opened his eyes to see silver lights floating around. He first thought it was chalk in the air but then realized it looked more like glitter. Then he realized he was seeing stars for the first time in his life. He turned to Tom with bloodshot eyes and a huge grin on his face and said simply, "Holy cow."
"Welcome to the world of powerlifting," Tom said. "Today you became 'J.' and Jonathan is a thing of the past. From now on leave Jonathan at home and bring J. to the gym every workout. He's the one who'll take you where you want to go." Jonathan was no longer a guy who "worked out." He was a lifter.
After the max, J. was pretty messed up the rest of the day and could only manage to do some glute ham raises and ab work. He asked how he was supposed to do all the other work for the day. Tom told him he was done and that he had to learn to listen to his body.
"So what are my weak points?" J. asked.
Tom explained to J. that weak point training was a very advanced concept and that he just needed to focus on bringing up the basics for now. For the squat and deadlift these included training for the hamstrings, lower back, and abs. The bench press movements should target the triceps, delts, and lats.
"This may seem very simple, but just do the basics and your lifts will jump," Tom said. As time went on, Tom would teach him that the best way to find weak points was to look at where the lifts break down during max effort lifts. With The Eight Keys Part III and the crew's help, he'd be able to bring up these weak points and his lifts would go through the roof.
The Payback
J. kept training and breaking records with the crew for the next two years. With newfound motivation and determination, he went back to school to become a strength coach. He could no longer train with the crew as the university of his choice was hours away from home, but he kept training and entering local powerlifting meets for the next five years while he earned his degree.
J. was then offered an assistant strength and conditioning coach position and over the next six years worked his way up to being the head S & C coach. The methods he learned from the crew have been the core of his training programs and the results were amazing. J. would call Tom from time to time for the first few years after he left, but then lost touch with him and the crew.
Tom, now retired from competition, has moved the gym from his garage to a small private training center. His center has been producing great lifters for the past eleven years. Toms main goal with all his lifters was to help them achieve their elite status, hoping they'd pass on what they'd learned to the next generation of lifters.
His crew was now gearing up for the Nationals. Tom remembered the last time the Nationals were in his hometown twelve years ago. This was one of the best competitive days of his life, the day he'd set the federation world record for the 275 class.
The Nationals were a great meet for Toms crew and, with no lifters in the last round, he found himself relaxing in the back row watching the deadlifts. The first round of guys took their opening attempts and the final lifter's opener was 100 pounds over the next guy. He didn't know the lifter's name but the guy was "jacked" and had perfect form.
The loud speaker crackled, "The next attempt will be for a new 275 pound class world record!"
The crowd stood and Tom could feel the adrenaline building up inside him. Sure, his record was at risk, but this was what people train their entire lives for. Through the chalk and dust emerged the "jacked" lifter. He had a look of determination and a thousand yard stare that only another powerlifter could understand. As he chalked his hands and made his way top to bar, Tom could hear the lifter's helpers shouting words of encouragement: "Back tight!", "Tight grip!", "Shoulders back!", "Get some!", and "Come on, J.!"
That last one hit Tom like a ton of bricks. He was taken back twelve years ago where he first met Jonathan at this very meet. Tom looked very close at the lifter as he approached the bar and realized that this was the same kid he'd helped bring into the sport so many years back. Now, the "kid" was here and going after his record. Tom jumped up onto his chair so he didn't miss a thing.
J. grabbed the bar and began to pull. Veins began popping out all over his frame. The weight rocked off the floor and began to stall right above his knees. The crowd was going nuts and everyone was now on their chairs. J. kept pulling with everything he had. This was exactly what he got into the sport for.
The barbell kept moving inch by inch until he stood at lockout with the huge load in his hands. "Down!" the head judge shouted. J. held the bar for a few extra seconds to savor the moment. He'd finally realized one of his longtime dreams!
Tom had to make his way back to the warm-up room to congratulate J. for the awesome lift. As he approached, Tom noticed a young novice lifter speaking with J.
"Sir, that was a great pull," said the kid. "I didn't do so well myself. This was my first meet and I really don't know what I'm doing yet."
J. looked the kid up and down and took out a piece of paper and handed it to him.
"My name's J. and this is my direct phone number. Give me a call anytime and I'll help you set up a program for your next meet."
The kid thanked him and walked away with a look of hope and excitement in his eyes. One of the other lifters looked at J. and said, "That was smart. Now that kid will be calling you everyday."
J. looked at the lifter. "I hope so. Someone took the time to help me once. It's what makes powerlifting such a great sport."
Tom heard the whole thing and recognized this for what it was: the greatest gift he's ever been given. J. had become a champion powerlifter and had learned more along the way than just how to bring up his weak points.
Tom made his way over. "You still pulling that sled around every day, J.?"
J. looked up and his mouth fell open. "Tom! It's great to see you, man, it's been a long time! I've been wanting to get in touch with you again for years to thank you for what all you did for me."
"It was no big deal," Tom said.
That's when J. told Tom the story of how he'd been at the end of his rope twelve years before, how he'd quit school and started sleeping all day and drinking and drugging all night.
"You took the time to help me out," J. said. "You gave me something to live for. Training is great, but I also have a great job and family now. You and the crew were a big influence on my life and I can only hope to repay you for this someday."
Tom looked at J. "You've already paid me back more than you'll ever know."
And that's how a real powerlifter gets educated.
click here for Dave's Training Log
Copyright© 2007 Elite Fitness Systems. All rights reserved.
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i have trouble getting motivation cause im just lazy. Mayb u are having other motivation probelms. But even was depressed or w/e no xplode got me in the mood to left or just really pissed off so u can tear the gym up.
If one person can do something, anyone can learn to do it.
Do what you've always done and get what you've always gotten.
There is no failure, only feedback.
"Journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step".--Lao Tzu
Pro-Choice...ON EVERYTHING.
I use a combination of mental visualization and emotion to fuel my motivation. I think of how I want to get in shape, and picture what I will look like, and how cool it will be. Then I use inspirational music to get in the spirit. Listen to the theme to Rocky, whatever it takes! It can be cool to work out to heavy metal music... find what inspires you, and use it!!!
look at HeavyBombers pictures for motivation.
A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government. - Edward Abbey
There is a wide difference between speaking to deceive, and being silent to be impenetrable. - Voltaire
If it can be imagined, it can be done. - Me
273 lbs.
Thanks everyone for your help so far! Keepem coming.
I love the two articles, oh Bob
6' 2" - Starting Weight(Oct 31/06): 290
Current Weight(Aug 5/07): 249
Goal (April 4/08): 210
My real goal is to GET healthy & STAY healthy!!!
I lost about 70 pounds and snapped my ankle playing basketball. Could not do much if anything for 2 monthes but i kept eating right and doing little things like walking and mowing the yard. And now bought a bike to ride around (12 miles last ride) pretty fun Hot right now though
Lost 95 pounds so far
44-46 waist then and now 36
Last edited by bL33d; 08-15-2007 at 05:13 PM.
Height = 6ft
current weight = 205
starting weight = 300


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The contents of this personal blog are solely my own opinions and comments, as such they do not reflect the opinions of my employer(s) past, present or future. No legal liability is accepted for anything you do, think, or consider fact as the basis of articles and links posted on this blog.
"Three to one...two...one...probability factor of one to one...we have normality, I repeat we have normality. Anything you still can't cope with is therefore your own problem."
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It was a simple play, but it was the sign of a different Dolphins team than we had seen in an 0-7 start to the season.
On 1st-and-goal from the Chiefs' three-yard line at the end of the first quarter, QB Matt Moore faked a handoff to RB Daniel Thomas and found TE Anthony Fasano wide open in the endzone.
Finally, the Dolphins discovered they have a pretty good pass-catching tight end who can be utilized near the goal line. And that, with protection, Moore can make plays. And that they have the personnel on defense to wreak havoc.
In Miami's first win of the season, a 31-3 shellacking of a Chiefs squad that had won four in a row coming in, the team clicked on all cylinders and made you wonder, "where has this team been?" The convincing road victory was all that more impressive considering the drama off the field.
The PFW Spin
All the attention in the AFC East, and rightfully so, is on the three-way tie at the top between the 5-3 Jets, Patriots and Bills. But if Sunday was any indication, the Dolphins will be a spoiler candidate down the stretch.
Throughout this tumultuous season, the Dolphins have continued to play hard, holding fourth-quarter leads in games against the Giants, Browns and Broncos, but hadn't been able to close anyone out. The personnel is there, the effort is there, but Miami had yet to play to its potential.
When you consider what was going on off the field, with reports surfacing over the weekend of a suspension for starting CB Vontae Davis for his lack of professionalism, the all-around performance is even more impressive.
Mike Nolan's attacking defense did not attack anyone the first seven games of the season. On Sunday, the Dolphins sacked Matt Cassel five times and hit him nine times.
The offensive line had been a turnstile for seven games, allowing 27 sacks. Against Tamba Hali and the Chiefs' defense, the Dolphins allowed zero sacks and two QB hits. OLT Jake Long had his best game of the season, manhandling Hali on some plays.
The extra protection set up a good game for Moore, who was accurate in connecting on 17-of-23 passes. The Dolphins also found a second tight end and a seam threat in rookie Charles Clay, who had back-to-back long receptions to set up Fasano's second score. Brandon Marshall and Reggie Bush both had big games as well.
Everything clicked for what had been a laughingstock of the league the first half of the season. Resolving the Davis situation will be important going forward, but this team proved it could put it all together, even with a major distraction.
The Dolphins get the Patriots and Jets one more time each and have two meetings against the Bills. It is a big 'if,' to say that the Dolphins can be a spoiler if they play like they did against Kansas City, as it took eight games for them to stop underachieving.
The Dolphins will finish last in the AFC East, but they showed signs of a team that has the tools to be a contender in 2012 with a franchise quarterback and improvements in the secondary as starting points. It will say a lot about the players and head coach Tony Sparano to see how they can build off a nice win it what has been a dismal season.
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WINTERGREEN, Va. (April 12, 2012) – If you're looking for majestic mountain golf, look no further than Wintergreen Resort, with its two distinct courses providing remarkable variety.
Devils Knob offers golf on high — in fact, at an elevation of 3,850 feet, this mountaintop design is the highest in the state (and ranked among the highest, too). The layout provides all the shot-making and visual thrills you'd expect given its dramatic setting, with 50-mile views of the incomparable Blue Ridge Mountains.
Below, in the historic Rockfish Valley, Rees Jones' 27-hole Stoney Creek wends gracefully through a serenely beautiful landscape, using the mountains as backdrop. The combined effect is like playing golf in two different parts of the state
Now, there are two great ways to experience golf season at Wintergreen Resort.
The Stay One, Play Two package includes lodging for one night and two rounds of golf, one day at Stoney Creek and one day at Devils Knob.
Stay & Play Plus at Wintergreen Resort tees up 18 holes of exceptional golf plus a $50 credit* to be applied for soothing services at The Spa at Wintergreen for each night of the stay for each person. The unused balance is non-refundable and non-transferable.
All of Wintergreen's Golf Packages include:
Stay & Play package rates begin as low as $99 per person, per night, double occupancy per bedroom. Stay & Plus Plus packages begin at $144. For rates and availability, please call 800-266-2444 or visit www.wintergreenresort.com.
# # #
About Wintergreen Resort: Wintergreen Resort is an 11,000-acre, four-season resort located in the Blue Ridge Mountains southwest of Charlottesville, Va. This beautiful hideaway is the ultimate vacation and conference spot, nearly 300 condominium-style accommodations; 45 holes of championship golf; snow skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing; an award-winning tennis program; a full-service, destination spa; 40,000 square feet of meeting and event space; and savory dining options. The resort is located adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway in beautiful central Virginia near Charlottesville, just 90 minutes from Richmond, Va., three hours from Washington, D.C. and Raleigh, N.C., five and a half hours from Philadelphia, and eight hours from Atlanta. For more information, guests can call (434) 325-2200 or visit the resort's web site at www.wintergreenresort.com.
Media Contacts:Betsy DunkertonWintergreen Resort(434) firstname.lastname@example.com
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Wintergreen Resort • PO Box 706, Wintergreen, VA 22958
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PITTSBURGH—The Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC)–Boyce Campus in conjunction with the Office of Institutional Diversity & Inclusion will hold several events throughout February to honor Black History Month. Activities include: a 5-part film showcase entitled "Voices of Civil Rights", as well as educational films featuring President Obama and innovators of the African American community.
All CCAC Boyce students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend the film screenings in the Student Union. Members of the press are also welcome to attend. For more information regarding dates and times, please call 412.237.4430.
About CCAC
The Community College of Allegheny County is the largest institution of postsecondary higher education in Pennsylvania. The college serves 30,000 credit students through 170 degree and certificate programs and offers thousands of lifelong learning non-credit and workforce development courses to 35,000 students annually. Incorporating a learning-centered environment committed to the future of the region, CCAC continues to expand its reach through innovative programming and accessible instruction offered via convenient day, evening, weekend and online courses. With four campuses and six centers serving Allegheny County and surrounding communities, CCAC endeavors to fulfill its mission to provide affordable access to quality education and offer a dynamic, diverse and supportive learning environment that prepares the region's residents for academic, professional and personal success in our changing global society.


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The League has to do much more to ensure a safe work environment for gay athletes before asking anyone about their sexual orientation
The former pitcher writes for Mile High Sports that gay athletes may have trouble controling themselves in the locker room
Former Chicago Bears quarterback cites Christians and Muslims as problems for gay athletes in the locker room
The NFL 'quarterback' doesn't announce the reason for his cancellation, but speculation swirls around the church's anti-gay positions
About half of LGBT students say they have been harassed in gym class
Colin Kazim-Richards is accused of using anti-gay slurs during a match and now faces action from the Football Association
Tim Tebow He may have been a bust with the New York Jets, but that isn't stopping Tim Tebow from praising God and rubbing elbows with...
NBA star who used a gay slur publicly two years ago shows how far he's come
Arizona Cardinal responds to the notion that players joke about his sexual orientation
Wade Davis, Esera Tuaolo, Christina Kahrl all lend their voices to the group's push for equality in sports
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Funding opportunities
Transcriptional and Epigenetic Variability in hESC Derived Retinal Pigmented Epithelial Cells
Funding Type:
Basic Biology III
Grant Number:
Funds requested:
$1 078 000
Funding Recommendations:
Not recommended
Grant approved:
Public Abstract:
Vision is arguably our most important sense. While loss of vision is rarely life threatening, there is a tremendous loss of quality of life and there are substantial associated socioeconomic costs. A large fraction of the disorders that cause blindness result from the dysfunction and/or degeneration of retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE). The RPE is a simple monolayer of cells adjacent to the sensory retina that both supports and participates in normal retina function. Recent efforts to restore vision by translocation or transplantation of RPE from areas outside of the central visual field to diseased areas have resulted in marked improvement in sight. Unfortunately, for practical, economical, and technical reasons it is unlikely that this procedure will gain widespread usage. However, with the recent discovery that human embryonic stems cells can spontaneously differentiate into cells that bear marked semblance to RPE cells it should be possible to overcome these shortcomings. Lending further support to this approach is the demonstration that stem cell derived RPE-like cells can restore sight when transplanted into rats with vision loss resulting from RPE dysfunction. As a consequence, significant resources are now being directed at bringing a stem cell based therapy for the treatment of RPE degenerations to the clinic. Despite the promise of a stem cell based therapy for the treatment ocular degenerations, there are hurdles that need to be overcome. Most notably it will be essential to routinely and reproducibly produce large amounts of well characterized RPE cells for the treatment of potentially millions of patients. While initial characterizations of the stem cell derived RPE cells show that they express genes characteristic of RPE cells, our more recent analysis using improved methods indicate that there is more variation between stem cell-derived RPE cells than commonly appreciated. Whether the differences are an inherent property of the non-directed, spontaneous differentiation process used to derive these cells or as yet undetermined variables has not been resolved. This project seeks to determine the fundamental basis underlying the observed variability in RPE-like cells derived from embryonic stem cells and the molecular mechanisms that account for the these differences. Finally, using existing knowledge and information gained from these studies, the influence of potential regulators of RPE differentiation will be investigated to ascertain if they can act to direct RPE differentiation and lead to faithful, reproducible generation of stem cell derived RPE cells. In addition to having direct implications regarding the development of a stem cell based therapy for the treatment of RPE and retinal degenerations, these studies should provide significant insights into the molecular mechanisms controlling normal development and maintenance of the RPE and could lead to the development of novel non-stem cell based treatment strategies.
Statement of Benefit to California:
Numerous disorders resulting in blindness involve the dysfunction and degeneration of the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE), a monolayer of cells that lies beneath the retina that is essential for retinal function and maintenance. The most prevalent of these diseases, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is the leading cause of blindness for those over the age of 60 years. By age 85, upwards of 30% of the white population will exhibit some degree of AMD and it has been estimated that by 2020 as many as 50% of all individuals will be affected by some form of AMD in their lifetime. Not only are there devastating sociological impacts of the disease on a population that is ill-equipped to adapt to a vision loss, but there are enormous economical impacts as well. It can be estimated that the total costs associated with AMD in California are in excess of 5 billion dollars per year. While there is a treatment for a subpopulation of patients with complicating rampant blood vessel growth and anti-oxidant cocktails have shown promise in slowing the progression of the disease, there is no effective curative treatment for the majority of those afflicted with AMD. Recent efforts to replace the diseased RPE in AMD by relocation or transplantation have shown potential for the treatment of all patients with AMD, however the availability of tissue or cells for transplantation is limiting. One promising solution is the use of stem cell-derived RPE cells and it has been shown that transplantation of human stem cell derived RPE can restore vision in the retinal dystrophic rat. It is anticipated that initial clinical trials will begin in the near future. However, before a stem cell based therapy can be of widespread utility technical hurdles related to the large scale production of stem cell-derived RPE will have to be overcome. This proposal seeks to characterize the molecular processes controlling the in vitro differentiation of RPE from pluripotent embryonic stem cells and to identify specific methods that promote the faithful development of the RPE phenotype. In doing so, we hope to provide the framework and basis to enable the application of this promising therapeutic approach on a large scale. In addition to being directly applicable to the derivation of RPE from stem cells, the molecular mechanisms discovered through these studies will likely be relevant to the normal development and maintenance of RPE cells in vivo and could provide the basis for the development of non-stem cell based therapies. It is also likely that the general principles that regulate the derivation of RPE from stem cells will be shared in the development of other cell types from stem cells and will have general applicability, beyond ocular biology.
Review Summary:
Project Synopsis: This proposal seeks to determine the fundamental basis underlying the observed variability in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE)-like cells derived from embryonic stem cells, and the molecular mechanisms that account for these differences. The applicant proposes to identify the molecular basis of faithful and unfaithful differentiation of stem cell (SC)-derived RPE from human embryonic stem cells (hESC) using an integrative systems biology approach. Three aims are proposed. Aim 1 will examine whether variable gene expression among SC-derived RPE lines is an inherent property of spontaneous differentiation; Aim 2 will assess the role of external variables on the development of authentic RPE; finally, Aim 3 will characterize the epigenetic changes associated with SC-RPE differentiation. An overall goal is to aid in the design of procedures for the efficient and reliable production of SC-RPE for therapeutic application. Significance and Innovation: - The applicant makes a case that SC-derived RPE lines will be therapeutically useful for the treatment of AMD, a significant health burden in an aging population, and presents substantial preliminary data demonstrating that variation exists with the current paradigm of spontaneous RPE generation from SC. - Reviewers questioned whether this variation is functionally significant or if it represents an acceptable degree of noise. If there is no observed functional correlate with the variation in expression, it calls into question the significance. Without a better understanding of this fundamental question, reviewers questioned the benefit to be gained from the huge data sets to be generated by the proposed experiments. This was a major criticism of the proposal. - The proposed study has some innovation, as it will use novel bioinformatics to undertake a more detailed assessment of genetic variability in SC-RPE isolates. Feasibility and Experimental Design: - The overall approach is very unfocused and there is no indication of how the investigators will use the information gathered to better understand the generation or fate determination of SC-RPE cell lines. - Reviewers believed the overall amount of work proposed was not achievable in the proposed timeframe given the size and bandwidth of the team. - The experimental design had several weaknesses, in particular, relating to cell purity and the culture conditions. Reviewers pointed out the need for a robust and reproducible, preferably GMP, protocol for generating high quality RPE cell lines. Without a high level of quality control, the study is unlikely to provide useful data. - There was a concern regarding the validity of the preliminary data, as the applicant commented that differences may be due to contamination by non-RPE cell types or to the fact that fetal RPE cells do not represent the adult RPE phenotype. - Specific Aim 3 and its focus on correlating DNA methylation patterns and variability in gene expression is the most interesting part of the application, to identify candidate mechanisms/genes for regulating expression. Those data, if the correlation has sufficient power, would be of value to the field by highlighting potential molecular targets for manipulating gene expression patterns. - The design of the experiments is appropriate to determine whether differences in gene expression represent stochastic consequences of spontaneous generation, source material, or other technical aspects of SC use. However, the reviewers argued that the applicants will not establish the biological significance of the differences. Principal Investigator (PI) and Research Team: - There were concerns about the strength of the team. The PI is primarily a biochemist, albeit with a long record of publication in the area of AMD. The systems biology approach seems to be a recent shift in emphasis and is an area in which the PI has not yet published. - Although a number of talented collaborators have been recruited to the team, there was concern that overall, the team was lacking in necessary expertise. - The facilities available to the PI, and the institute within which the PI is embedded, were thought to be considerable strengths of the application. - The budget appears appropriate. Responsiveness to the RFA: - The proposal attempts to get at the basic mechanisms underlying differentiation of ESCs, and is therefore within the scope of the RFA.