Close enough?
If you aren’t strength training already, I highly encourage it. The benefits are many: increased physical attractiveness and general physical health, potential rehabilitation of old injuries or addressing impairments, increased performance (possibly as it relates to “sports”), and finally, it’s just a damn good time and feels great.
I don’t care if you’re a bodybuilder, a weightlifter, a strongman, a crossfitter, or a couch potato; you need strength training in your life.*
I’m not going to get into a really involved post about which program you should follow, how many sets or reps you should do, or how often you should do cardio. You can make progress following just about any program, and any program worth the time it takes to read will tell you all of those details. I have made good progress with 5/3/1, and Mr. Riven is excelling under Starting Strength. I’d recommend either, but obviously Starting Strength is the way to go if you’re new to the barbell.
There are four main barbell lifts: the overhead press, the bench press, the back squat, and the deadlift.
Single arm overhead press…basically
The most approachable of these (to me) is the overhead press. It’s a pretty simple movement. You hold the bar in a modified front rack position…and simply press it over head. When I say modified, I mean that the starting bar position for the overhead press is not the same bar position that you would use for, say, a front squat or a jerk. So there are some technical points you’ll want to review before you try this for the first time. Proper form is absolutely essential–if you lift improperly, there’s a good chance you could damage yourself. And you’ll never get through the Swolly Bible if you’re constantly injured. That said, I’ve included some links below to help you out.
I invite you to watch this video, if only because it’s taught by an honest-to-goodness, real-life Ron Swanson. Protip: it’s called The Art of Manliness, and they have a video for each of the big four if you’re the kind to study ahead of the class.
I also like this one, but I don’t use a thumbless grip, personally.
If you’re more inclined to read like some kind of weak-wristed intellectual, as opposed to the clearly superior videos that speak to meat-heads a la Zardoz, here’s an excerpt from Starting Strength. There are pictures, too, so it might be worth browsing over even if you don’t read it.
Next time: the deadlift.
*Disclaimer: always consult a physician before starting a new fitness routine.
I think you’re right; the overhead is the easiest (maybe tied with the bench press), but I hate it. I think mostly because it is the lift I’m weakest at doing. looking forward to the rest of the series.
I lift – mostly the “big 3” – squat, deadlift, and the bench press.
I like to break up my exercise routines – I normally do a 3-way split through the week – but consistency is the most important part. Just keep on hitting those body parts, eat well, and you will see some gains. And also – don’t over hit the biceps – it’s not that big of a muscle and is hit by a lot of other standard exercises.
I tore a bicep last year. Getting old blows.
Yep. Those old injuries that you used to walk off have a habit of coming back to haunt you. I’m not yet in my dotage but fucked if I could lift my own weight over my head. Stupid football, stupid hockey and stupid getting old.
I prefer the seated overhead to isolate the shoulders and triceps.
That is my go to as well (when I am not being a lazy fuck). I don’t have a bar, or rack, only a bench and dumbbells.
Seated press is good, but only if you have no lower back issues. With lower back issues it can be a problem.
Being a lazy fatass, I find that getting out of a seated position numerous times has given me quads of steel.
I dove and tackled a calf today, think I got my exercise.
In all seriousness though, I do need to amp up my routine. Strength training would be a great way to do that.
Yeah, I’ve tried exercise before. Never lasts more than a couple months.
Art of Manliness is a pretty solid site, +1.
For any other minimalists who want to get into strength training, I would recommend checking out body weight fitness programs. Overcoming Gravity is a very good resource. It probably won’t get you Warty Hugeman gainz, but you don’t need a gym and I at least find the exercises more varied and fun.
This has been my go to routine when I try and re-start a fitness plan.
Minimal equipment required. I didn’t realize that was 15 years old now. Wow time flies.
I use an old weight bench that I bought many years ago – but the “cradles” or whatever you want to call the part that holds the barbell, can be extended upward for squat purposes.
I also use just a plain bench and a dip/pull-ups station. And other than different bars, bands, and weights – that’s my only gear.
I use Muscletech premium whey powder because it mixes well, tastes like yummy chocolate cake mix, and is cheap at Walmart. I’m not that big into supplements, but I’ll take some Muscletech pre-workout and post-workout drink mixes. Don’t know if they do anything, but the pre has a nice caffeine kick which is good for those blurry Sunday mornings.
I don’t have a long bar anymore. Just the dumbbells, a few plates, incline bench, chin up bar bolted to the wall, bands, a Jungle Gym XT strap thing, perfect pushups, and an ab wheel. And a mtn bike I need to get my ever enlarging butt onto.
I almost bought a long bar and plates a few years ago. I wish I had. Maybe in a few months. The rack I could make no problemo.
But I don’t own a surfboard nor a paddle nor some random beach-bum. Whither then?
You have to read the work outs, not just look at the pictures.
Ugh, too much work!
I’ve had to modify my routines immensely as I’ve aged — at 58-going-on-59 years, muscles aren’t the real challenge; connective tissues (tendons, ligaments) and cartilage are. They’re much more brittle than they were even 20 years ago, and if you injure ’em, game over. They cannot heal themselves, as they basically don’t have any blood vessels any more. You need surgery. I’ve already blown the medial meniscus in my right knee (for which I got arthroscopic surgery) and had a right-side inguinal hernia (more connective tissue, which also needed surgery).
I’m much more interested in straight strength, as well as making sure that harder-to-train structures (such as the rotator cuffs) get adequate work to protect ’em from the daily insults of life. And of course, I’ve developed some longer-term chronic issues (such as a “golfer’s elbow” on my left side that won’t go away even with aggressive therapy [multiple modalities]).
Enjoy your bodies while they’re young and strong. As the saying goes, “Growing old ain’t for sissies.”
Oh, and as for supplements, if you live in Canada and find yourself disheartened by the prices of supplements either from the States or our “national” chains, try these folks. Their quality’s excellent, you can get YUUGE amounts if you’re into bulk purchases, and their prices will convince you that capitalism is a Good Thing. 😉 Oh, and free shipping if you order more than $99.00 CDN worth of stuff (not that hard to do at all).
Full disclosure: happy customer only. There’s no place I can find that sells cheaper Creapure™ creatine.
Similar situation myself.
Some wear and tear from playing rugby into my early 30’s, and then letting fitness slide (a lot) means I’m now at the stage where I have no acute or chronic problems, but I really, really want to avoid getting any, matched with an overall need to improve my core strength (as well as lose some weight). I’d go for a modest strength regimen along the lines of Rippetoe, but I’m acutely aware that the most important prerequisite is going to be access to a good and reliable trainer to ensure I have good form – but this place is full of Zumba, pilates and spinning classes.
There are a few Crossfit places that might have a trainer who might actually *just* train me on weights (I have no desire to, or have any interest in rolling tractor tires around) – but I haven’t found any yet, but I need to do something or I’ll end up modelling the next Harkonnen suit for a remake of Dune.
Depending on what you’ve got for a home setup, I would recommend giving video workouts a try. Some of them are cheesy as hell, but they can get the job done if you can’t find a trainer. I did the Body Beast (I think that’s what it was called) which is a lot of weight training, that’s the majority of it. Other ones too that are good, but I’d recommend the Beast one if all you want are weights.
Well, I also don’t have a great environment for weights, but I guess I can just increase my kettleball regime and put more resistance on the rowing machine.
Body Beast looks pretty cheesy, looks like you can go from “Regular Joe” to “Jacked” in 90 days. Be much more useful to know if you can go from “Fat slob” to “Regular Joe” in 90 :/
That and a new diet regime. I can handle the vastly increased amount of red meat and cruciferous veggies and correspondingly reduced carbs, but the portion control is the real killer.
Enjoy your bodies while they’re young and strong. As the saying goes, “Growing old ain’t for sissies.”
True that.
So you are a creatine fan?
Indeed I am. Turns out it’s more useful for you the older you get, as it goes a long way to suppress muscle wasting related to aging. In fact, if I never weight-trained again, I’d still take a couple of grams of that stuff everyday in my morning coffee.
on doctors orders I inject 1 ml of testosterone evey 2 weeks.
it also does wonders for anti aging and being married to a 31 yo ballet dancer/instructor health nut it comes in very handy at age 60
Just had my T-levels checked about 2 weeks ago. They’re fine — most of the men in my family line seem to lose their “normal” adult T-levels later in life than average. I’m sure it’s coming, though . . .
I will look into it. I have never taken it. I am a three mornings a week Protein shake drinker (with water, no milk). I haven’t lifted for a long time though. I broke a bunch of ribs late last summer and am now just getting to where I think I need to get back at it.
I just do a routine of six exercises two or three days a week at home with two dumbbells (plus crunches and sit-ups) but I’ve seen results. I do cardio two or three days. I can’t be bothered with supplements and I won’t give up beer, so I’m in decent shape but will never be ripped.
Listen up mammals, here’s a little safety tip if you are on a regular NO and creatine regime. Go easy on the booze, like nothing above bud light or corona. Unless you want to experience hangovers that grow worse as the day goes on.
Mammals sneer at the very possibility of hangovers. Blue Play-doh blob monsters, even less so.
What is, “regular NO”? Some lizard supplement? And how many bud lights and coronas are we talking here? I usually try to keep it under fifteen when drinking those.
Nitrous oxide?
Yes, I just didn’t feel like typing it out. Also I just realized I forgot the ‘2’ on the chemical symbol.
Er, you sure you don’t mean nitric oxide? People get nitric and nitrous confused all the time; they have very different effects on human biochemistry.
One of the four singers of today’s national anthem at the Final Four was University of Oregon women’s volleyball player Taylor Agost.
I can’t remember the last time I was so insta-smitten – and I’m not even a blonde enthusiast.
Not insta-smitten, but damn. HM can keep the Thiccs, That’s more my body type right there.
Thicc Thursday should have a contrapunctual Thin Tuesday. Some of us like our women more lithe rather than blythe.
The fact that Thicc Thursday continues to be the feature that generates the most controversy on this site amuses me to no end.
Still, I’ll take Thicc vs. Thinn over Cosmo vs. Yokel any day.
I’ve been a tennis fan for decades, watching both the men and the women going back to the Chrissie v. Martina days. One of my favorite players to watch was Justine Hénin, and I can’t tell you how many people responded by saying what amounted to “Why would I want to watch her? She doesn’t make me want to masturbate.” Of course, they didn’t quite phrase it like that….
There’s something about the hubba-hubbaing around both the Thick Thursday and the Manly Monday posts that I find tedious.
Not complaining, Citizen! De Gustabus blah, blah, blah.
I think at this point, the site would get a little lonely without it.
Heh. I have a 15 year old son who’s on his HS volleyball team. Some of the girls that play at his school will be quite something when they get on college teams. They’re – *ahem* problematical now.
I had the same response to the female hurdler a year or so back who was all over the internet doing a little warm up dance before a race
Slate had a five thousand comment freak-out over the pole-vaulter. They actually closed comments which was a first.
Coincidentally, I just got back from paddling the canals with a neighbor and our kids. She works out obsessively and is an insanely fit 5’6 / 150lbs. (She’s the size of a 120lb girl, but she’s solid muscle, so 150 it is.) She kindly wore her bikini for the day on the water.
So yes… I highly recommend that everyone lift to enhance their physical attractiveness. She’s a super nice lady who clocks in at a solid 7 on a ten scale, depending on your taste. But then she’s in amazing shape, so you add another 2 bonus points. Then you add in the “she’s into sports and lots of guy stuff” two bonus points. And then the “grading on a curve because she’s pushing 40 and she’s a solid 15 on a bad day. Plus you could toss in a couple for being so ridiculously nice.
She’s kinda hard to deal with, to be honest. It gets annoying when people get to be too far above the curve.
But still…. do some lifting. It makes a difference when you hit your 70’s and 80’s too.. You won’t need one of those stupid lift chairs to get up for snacks.
Neil Gorsuch is a bloody professional and a gentleman, because I’d be getting quite pissed during these hearings.
Al Franken may be the biggest POS in a Senate with a good number of of POS’s.
A real POS’s POS, you might say.
He keeps trying to piss down Gorsuch’s back but Neil seems to have coated himself with that paint that repels moisture, sending it straight back onto the shoes of the urinator. It has been a delicious bit of theater.
I have mostly avoided watching any of the Gorsuch hearings. the few clips i’ve seen just remind me what a joke the whole process is.
Most of the time the senators ask questions, then immediately look bored and disinterested and impatient and wanting to stop any actual answer. they don’t care about the answers – they just want to get their opportunity to talk “at” the guy. They’re creating clips for the TV, not actually trying to Q&A anyone.
Just vote already and get it over with. It’s not like the Dems are going to put up any serious opposition to it.
Hmm. I lost a lot of weight and started working out when i moved back to Denver. Then I gained half of it back.
My problem is getting injured. Like, I was running the stairs at the light rail station every day, but then my ankle started hurting and I’m wearing a brace.
Also, I have some weird thing with handles and bungee cords that seems to work pretty well.
I used to do 180 push-ups every other night: 3 sets of 20 at the different arm positions. But then I got lazy.
Summer is coming though, guess it’s time to get the sex machine back in shape.
I was running the stairs at the light rail station every day
The Po po chasing?
Those fat lazy donut munchers take the elevators. I could take off and run the stairs two at a time and I’d be on the top parking level while they were still waiting for the elevator.
That’s why they have radios. You try running down some “yout” when you’re carrying 250 on a 175 frame. I think they should be issued with bolos so they can take them down “Argentina Style”.
I lift weighs and do strength training once or twice a week, in addition to Army PT 4 days a week. I do pull-ups, sit-ups with a kettle bell, a curl/press combo, bench press, leg press, and dead lift.
I’m 32, and while there have been times in the past when I was a couch potato, I’ve been very active over the past 2 years. I continue to be amazed and grateful for my lack of injuries. I think it’s because I exercise almost everyday but am careful not to push myself too hard.
Unless you’re training for the Olympics or a body-building contest, it’s better to do more reps with less weight than to try to max out. Of course, for some people, maxing out and pushing your limits is the fun part. For me, I prefer to avoid injury. I say this as a guy who a few years ago had the brilliant idea of drinking a 12 pack of beer and then trying to max out my bench press. I had a sore rib for a few days after that stunt.
You guys only do PT 4 days a week?
Yes. In basic, we did it 6 days a week.
We have to spend so much time in class, I guess that’s the reason they go easier on it. Maybe.
I used to lift about fifteen years ago when I was training in jujitsu on a regular basis. Deadlifts and squats were my wheelhouse thanks to skateboarding miles a day every day through middle and high school; on the other hand, overhead presses absolutely killed me, and still do. After I blew out my knee I stopped training and between one thing and another got out of shape. Not terrible, but definitely suffering from dad bod.
In order to get back into martial arts I’ve been trying to both lose weight and do some strength training. I ran pretty regularly for a few years but it’s so damn boring and it did my already shitty knees no favors. I don’t have a bench or space for weights. And besides, I’m mostly interested at this point in developing strength and mobility rather than bulking up, more one-handed pull-ups and high jumps than lifting a Volkswagen. So, I’ve been concentrating on body weight exercises. I’m doing a modified version of the “300” routine that involves a lot of HIIT, and on off-days or when I have to rest a strain I work the other parts using the so-called “greasing the groove” method, prisoner squats or pull-ups depending on what I’m resting.
That sounds similar to the old Outside link I posted above. Same for me when I was doing that. I just wanted to be able to ride my bike in a race and not die, as well as do other sports and not feel so much pain. Is HIIT the bursts of 100% at short intervals?
Yeah, it stands for “high intensity interval training”. The plan I’m using is similar to Insanity, if you’re familiar with that. So like Friday as a for instance I did thirty seconds max reps each of burpees, jump lunges, push ups, v-ups, squats, and planks, with 10 seconds of rest between each, and repeated three times. The whole thing takes like 15 minutes max, and by the end I’m completely spent. Like not-quite-nauseous spent. It’s nice because I can do it at home and it doesn’t take long so there’s a low barrier to entry, most of the exercises are full-body so there’s a lot of bang-for-the buck, and it’s too short and varied to get boring.
The down side is there aren’t easy days; like every workout is brutal. That’s why I do the “gtg” stuff on the off-days, so I’m always warmed up and some of the more challenging exercises become mechanically easier. So, as another example, I tweaked my left shoulder and strained an ab, so I’ve been resting those and avoiding the main workout. Instead, I’ve been doing 200 squats a day, 10 every 30 minutes while I’m doing other stuff. I never get tired, and nothing gets sore, but it helps make the squat movement easier. No cardio improvement, but steady strength improvement without the pain of training to failure.
A true one-handed pullup is an astounding feat of strength.
Ya, only rock climbers and kung fu masters do that stuff.
In high school they had a peg board and there were only three of us that could get to the top and back down.
Really? We had that. I think there was maybe three or four guys who couldn’t do it. They were in band.
We weighed fuck all back then though. I couldn’t do that now.
I hope Michael Neuwirth is OK.
Pressing is awesome. For extra awesome, clean the bar from the floor before your sets instead of using a rack.
I remember the joy i felt when I was able to clean press my bodyweight. Especially since I was pushing 270 at that point. Benching 405 like a big boy felt nice, but not *that* nice.
OT: So apparently when Charles Murray was a teenager, he and his friends set on cross on fire, KKK style, as a prank. This is what gets trotted out that he is a secret racist.
For some reason, the fact that he spent a few years in Thailand in the Peace Corps and married a Thai are never mentioned by his critics.
http://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/26/opinion/in-america-throwing-a-curve.html
The NYT article I found citing this goes on to say that Murray is right when he says that the average IQ of US blacks is 15 points lower. I was surprised they would print that.
Then the author says that this is because legacy of racism, yadda yadda. OK, but the Jews have faced more persecution than perhaps any other group of people, yet their intellectual achievement as a group is second to none. I did read once that Jewish immigrants from eastern Europe started coming to the US, they tended to score near the bottom on IQ tests.
I’m pretty sure the author is distorting Murray’s thesis. Murray didn’t say the situation is unalterable. He did observe what the current situation is and what the consequences of that situation will be.
I know that a smart person will not turn into a dumb person even if they get treated like hot garbage for 30 years. The reasons for lower academic achievement in different groups are entirely cultural.
Go to a science fair or a spelling bee and compare the number of Asians to the number of Blacks. Now go to basketball game and do the same.
Guess who’s going to do better on the SAT? Guess who’s going to go to college on a sports scholarship? Of course, there are exceptions, but there are also strong trends.
Different people have different priorities.
I read a really fascinating book once called Intelligence Can Be Taught. The gist is “being smart” basically boils down to a checklist of habits. My dad gave it to me many years ago. I think he tried to use it as a guide when raising me and my siblings. John Stuart Mill’s dad did something similar. He forced the young Mill to spend his free time studying Greek, Latin, and logic. Mill became a great philosopher although he also said he wished his father had not pushed him so hard.
I did read once that Jewish immigrants from eastern Europe started coming to the US, they tended to score near the bottom on IQ tests.
Check out IQ tests from earlier in U.S. history, a bunch of them are bloody goofy. Makes me question any data from IQ tests earlier than the 1950s.
“Legacy of racism” is a bullshit answer of course, no one is willing to criticize a black culture that institutionalizes a hatred of the intellectual field as ‘acting white’.
I’d had so many Africans rant about how bloody stupid African American culture can be.
Who’s Bill Cosby? Chopped liver?
There’s plenty of criticism of BET/Baller culture from within the African American community.
Fair enough, I was too broad. I meant in the sense that in the wider culture arguing that ‘African American culture’ is consciously diminishing and attacking intellectualism is met with cries of ‘racism’ or the ol’ ‘legacy of slavery/racism’ argument. It’s not like people like Sowell haven’t directly criticized it, more that the criticism is not widely accepted as valid.
I will add that the national voices like Cosby over the last few decades haven’t been in sync with the “on the street” culture.
In my youth I knew several black kids who were exceptional. And the “black society” around them – consisting of a bunch of teenagers – were uniformly opposed to their success. They got called names like “oreo” and were told they were trying to act white.
So they shunned their potential and tried to keep it quiet.
One friend of mine was much wealthier than most of the kids in our mostly poor school – white or black. His parents drove the only two Mercedes at the school. He was exceptionally well spoken and very smart…. when he was talking to me. But when his black friends would walk up he would just turn away and start talking in a completely different dialect. He didn’t want to be ostracized.
He had scholarship offers to places like Duke University. But he decided to go to the Historically Black College at NC A&T. This era was Peak Derp for the black nationalist movement. Spike lee was soon to be at the height of his powers. And loud voices were telling him that he had to be in an all-black environment to be successful.
I fell out of touch, but I’m sure he is very successful. He was exceptional and he was going to be a success anywhere. But he sure could have gotten a couple of legs up if he had gone to a top school and made those rich kid contacts instead of going to a place like A&T and being a big fish in a little pond.
That is what culture does. It guides people in what to prioritize and where their path lies.
Nobody has given a crap what race anyone is for at least 40 years. (where “nobody” means a very large majority of the people. You still had old overtly racist folk 40 years ago. Now you only have fringe nutters acting that way)
Let’s not forget that IQ testing really didn’t exist in any form whatsoever before the 1920’s, and the nature of the test evolved over at least 40 years, AND it was developed by a bunch of Northern Europeans, before we even get onto the more contentious issue of whether members of culture X has a meaningful intellectual deficit compared to members of culture Y.
Recently moved to Charlottesville VA from the coast for work…and I’m amazed by the number of 24 hour gyms around here. I’ve probably got at least half a dozen within 20 minute drive (the one I go to is about 5 min away). Talk about convenient. Pay a little extra at the time of sign up to get a trainer to help you set up a workout that works for your personal goals and you’re pretty much set for a few months until you want to reassess things. Less than $40/month for 24 hour access and all the convenience you want.
I’ve generally gotten myself into a little setup where I get about 20 min cardio, followed by 5 exercises (leg or upper body alternated by day) and at least one day of 40 min+ cardio.
I like the treadmills/ellipticals that come with their own tv screens (although I have enjoyed the treadmills that have running routes through Germany, NZ, etc).
My mom was pretty seriously thinking about getting one of those Peloton exercise bikes with the running routes. Price tag was too high, but they’re actually pretty cool machines.
Not sure about the bikes – I don’t like the “networked” concept as far as “internet of things” crap – and you’d need to buy a custom seat. With any of the default ones, you need a couple folded towels on top to prevent them from going right through you.
treadmills are decent though.
Yeah, it’s definitely not my thing. If I’m going to do cardio, I’d rather just do an at home workout, or get on my mountain bike and ride an actual trail.
I wrestle killer whales.
I read that The Bear Went Over the Mountain thing you linked to the other day. Great stuff.
Highlights:
-USSR chose to compensate lack of infantry with more firepower; sound familiar?
-USSR once used dummy paratroops to trick enemy into opening fire; that was clever
-one time the Soviets had a big inspection. Some local saw and knew it was sign they were going to attack soon
-radios worked poorly in mountains; the guys on Operation Redwings learned that lesson the hard way
– USSR had 2k dead and 1k vehicles lost from mines; 1/7 of the deaths and about half the vehicle losses
-USSR couldn’t seal borders with Iran and Pakistan; so no matter how badly they whooped the mujahideen, there were always more coming
-USSR reluctant to take losses; sound familiar?
-USSR kill ratio very favorable
-In contrast, 3 millions US troops in Europe at end of WW2
-General pattern: report of enemy, attempt to seal off area, prep with arty/air
sweep
-12 dead taliban per day in 2014
-20k dead taliban since 2001
-poor USSR discipline- guards asleep, garbage left behind, conscripts shy to fight
-couldn’t use a lot of choppers because of lack of fuel and parts
-Soviet tanglefoot excellent obstacle; the slinky of death
-enemy recognized USSR commander vehicle from antennas; Soviets did nothing in response
-rear area soldiers got hooked on opium, sold stuff
-USSR uniform sucked
-tactics for european plains- bombardment and encirclement
yeah, its interesting reading.
part of the point of my recommendation was to note that simply being “more brutal” doesn’t necessarily work any better. (i think the joke you – or someone- used was, “it doesn’t win hearts and minds when you build orphanages…. and then fill them up”)
I don’t know how much of that book (if any) was really taken into account when we went into Afghanistan. i think i learned about it when it was referenced in Steve Coll’s “Ghost Wars”
Killing lots of people is a necessary, but not a sufficient step, for winning a war. The reason the mujahideen kept going even though they got clobbered over and over is because they knew they had safe heavens and were in no danger of running out of men, weapons, and supplies.
You can’t win if refuse to attack your enemy’s source of strength. If the Russians had sent in way more troops (something which they may not have been able to do) they could have sealed off the borders and won the war. They would also have to leave a large force behind to keep the mujahideen from coming back.
It’s sort of like how the US managed to get North Vietnam to come to the negotiating table only after the bombing of Hanoi and the invasion of Cambodia.
More broadly, when one side knows or suspects their enemy is less determined to win, they are willing to take higher losses and fight longer. If the Japanese had a more accurate appraisal of American determination, they would surrendered sooner.
“We aren’t here to win hearts and minds. We are here to win the war.”
– a guy I used to know
“I wake up, our lord”?
Huh, must be some church music.
Still not clicking.
I tried to accelerate your gainz.
You can’t fault me for trying.
It sounds like a Swiss mountaineer with a theremin falling into a crevasse.
That’s the sound of Nazis dying.
behold the glory of diversity:
Germany: Muslim parents on ‘warpath’ over gay teacher
Cognitive dissonance is a beautiful thing.
What to do? Lets have a look at our progressive stack to see which animal is more equal than the other.
Ohhhhh…I feel a great disturbance in the Derp. I fear something terribly stupid has happened.
Rachel Dolezal Claims She’s “A Woke Soul Sista” in New Autobiography
I feel like i need to buy a copy just as a historical-document, so that many years from now it can be referenced for insights into how the world first began to lose its mind.
Honestly, Talcum X is crazier than actual crazy people I have known.
Classmate Who Picked Up Her Pencil of ‘Racism’
Late to the party, but I wanted to say nice job, Riven!
I, too, enjoy 5-3-1 (with oly shit thrown in) and learned a lot from Starting Strength.
As an aging (49) athlete, my shoulders were pretty fucked, but I started lifting seriously again about five years ago. Anything overhead was basically impossible at first. I just started easy and kept at it and I have zero issues today (other than being old).
The thing I like best about the big lifts is the bang for the buck. Instead of 42 different exercises and 3 hours at the gym, you can hammer it and be out in an hour.
It’s good to be strong. Looking forward to your deadlift article!
BTW…in light of those gorgeous pics on the article, just an older link I bookmarked a while back. Classy ladies.