Back to work

I took the month of April off from writing for the most part. I didn’t exactly plan for that, it is more of an issue of can do’s and can’t do’s.

The ability to output is a characteristic I value and respect in others. What many people do not often realize is being able to produce often is like being able to lift heavy in the gym; just because you want to does not mean it is good for you at the time.

I sat down in front of this computer everyday, some days several times a day to attempt to crank out some words. Nothing happened. Well more accurately nothing useful happened.

As many things seem to move in cycles, this down stroke appears to be turning out of the bottom. So that’s cool…

Things on my mind…

Physique Transformation

One of the most impressive things about fitness training is how easy it is to change the way you look. Have you ever taken a second to consider how remarkable this is? Someone can spend 10 years putting on body fat, and strip it back off in under 6 months. 10 years of abuse turned around in less than 10% of the time! Consider outside of the biological machine of the body we are completely unable to replicate that with our own inventions.

My training over the last two years has changed dramatically. The first portion of any workout is dedicated to making progress in any area possible for my sport, the rest goes to altering my body. Some days I get in a ton of Grip work. Some days I do 90% of my work as what most would describe as body building.

That word, “body building” is a dirty word to some. I know I know, the functional fitness/fringe fitness communities all say they are training purely for performance. I know how the pursuit of looking a certain way is considered vain and all that other negative shit.

I have an observation.

The better I look, the better I play.

I have all kinds of data which supports this 100%.

I get leaner, I am stronger. I increase measurements, I am stronger. The closer my appearance has moved towards looking like a “meat head” the more my gross athletic and specific sport skills have improved.

You do whatever you want with that. Consider there is no reason for a person to have to choose between looking better and getting better at their sport.

If you are currently following a training ideology which tells you otherwise, I offer an alternative path.

The Grip Decathlon

I am very excited for the upcoming contest. I have had a lot of people who have committed to competing this year. As a reminder, the Movement Minneapolis Grip Decathlon will be on 14 May 2011. The ten events this year are as follows:

1. Two hand pinch deadlift
2. Grippers
3. Axle deadlift
4. 2” Vertical bar deadlift
5. Coin pinch
6. Rim lift
7. One hand deadlift on the Strongergrip Plateau buster
8. Middle finger lift
9. Repetition pinch with plates in 60 seconds
10. A medley

We will feature 3 classes, Open for all comers, Advanced for seasoned grip athletes, and a women’s class for all ladies.

If you have any questions please contact me today.

Summer time approaching, what will be done differently?

A challenge I have set for myself is to break out of my daily routine. For those who don’t know me personally, I tend to stick to a fairly regimented daily grind. To speak honestly on it, I fucking hate how slow I have allowed some weeks to go by.

Challenge yourself daily. I have read that in many books and websites. It evokes many ideas. Two areas which I have not challenged myself lately are learning new skill sets, the other is social interaction. I deal with people everyday, but it is in the extremely narrow context of being at the gym in the capacity as their trainer.

In terms of skill sets, I have a few little silly things I am going to develop. I am not comfortable declaring what will happen, but I will say I am going to take action and something will come from that. Maybe the art, maybe new language, maybe college classes (MGI bill is covering it, might as well) maybe a musical instrument. Fucking something.

Maybe this is a sensation you also feel. A feeling that something in your life is missing. Could it be the excitement of learning?

I think for me that is one of them.

What comes next

A lot of new content. One thing I did successfully do during this slacking off of writing is capture ideas. From a rainy week comes vivid green grass right?

Be easy

ATG