Destroy. Erase. Improve. Your legs.

Recently had someone ask for me to post about my workouts. And since I'm a leg fiend, I figured I would post about my favorite day of the week: Leg day.

Brandon Lilly. The inspiration for decimation.

My current program is The Cube Method by Brandon Lilly. If you don't know who Brandon Lilly is, get to fuckin' Googlin'. Definitely one of my favorite lifters. He gives it to you straight, doesn't believe in bullshit, and is strong as fuck. So, why wouldn't you follow a program like his? To give you a breakdown of it, it essentially couples powerlifting compound exercises with bodybuilding-style accessory work. So, your big 3 lifts (deadlift, bench, squat) will all be geared towards strength and power. You alternate the style of lift you do on a 3 week rotation. What that means is your first week would be heavy deadlifts, bench for reps, and explosive squats. Week 2 would be explosive deadlift, heavy bench, explosive squats. So on, and so forth. This continues for 9 weeks, then a deload week for recovery before testing new maxes, or competing in a meet. Then, all of your accessory work will be high reps with whatever amount of weight you can handle for 3-4 sets of 10-20 reps. I try to aim for a moderate weight that will let me reach 20 reps for 3 sets, with the last 3-4 reps being pretty excruciating. This gives me a pretty ridiculous pump, and it promotes muscle growth. So, what this program does is make you stronger, but it also makes you look stronger, which isn't a big part of most powerlifting programs.

So, here's the layout of what my day consisted of yesterday:

Squat: 5x2 @ 285
Olympic Squat: 2x1 @ 305
Paused Box Squat: 2x5 @ 250
Front Squat: 3x3 @ 135
Leg Press: 3x15 @ 320
Leg Extension: 3x20 @ 150
Ham Curl: 3x15 @ 150

The difference between a powerlifting squat and Olympic squat is bar and foot placement. A powerlifting squat consists of a wide stance, outside of shoulder width, with angled feet, and a lower bar. Olympic squats consist of a narrower stance (roughly shoulder-width), and a high bar placement. The difference between the two is that Olympic squats work more of the quads and trunk, whereas the powerlifting squat works more of the hips, hamstrings and glutes. Both are effective forms, and will both serve a good purpose in your squat routine.

I recommend anyone to give this leg workout a try if you want some serious pain and pleasure. And if you want to try out the program, check out the digital copy of The Cube Method, and Black Iron Beast's Cube Calculator to get started.

And as always, keep it grim in the gym.

Back in the saddle again

Come on. You know you wanted there to be a picture of Aerosmith with that title.

So, basically, I've sucked at keeping up on this. I've been really busy lately, which most of you may or may not know. After trying to get into the US Army, and being disqualified because of tattoos (because, let's face it, you lose your ability to shoot a gun once you get a tattoo), I've taken the route of the US Air Force, and I've been getting my ducks in a row for that. On top of that, I've been working my dick into the ground, and training hard. Over the past 3-4 weeks, I ran the Smolov Jr. Squat program. It was fucking terrible, in the best way possible. If you want a program that runs you into the ground and leaves you begging for an off day, but at the same time, makes you strong as fuck and want to push through every physical and mental boundary you have, do this program.

It's kind of like that.

Since this program is designed to add weight on to your max in a very short time, I will be doing just that and retesting my squat max this Saturday. Aiming for a 30-40 lb PR. And in finishing that program, I've moved on to The Cube Method by the one and only Brandon Lilly. Being only two days in, I can't totally comment on the progress, but so far I'm loving it. I'm back on a routine that is giving me ample time to build power and strength, but also size. With the past handful of PL programs I've been on (Smolov Jr, Starting Strength, Stronglifts 5x5), I've gotten much stronger, but not a whole lot bigger in terms of definition and size. I've gained a good amount of weight, but I want to get bigger, and that has somewhat stalled lately, though, I did have to get rid of 7 pairs of jeans after Smolov Jr. Looking at the programming alone, I can tell this will be a fun 9 weeks, and I will be hitting some PRs shortly thereafter.

With all of that being said, and now that you're caught up on what's happening in my life, as if you gave a fuck, I'm letting you know that I will be devoting more time to writing on this blog again, as well as doing more activities on the Facebook Page, and Instagram (@LethalForceFitness), so be sure to check those out. Keep hitting those weights and STAY GRIM IN THE GYM.

Oh, and always try to become Hammers McPligue from Harm's Way. Always.

Failing Is Progress

We've all had it happen. You walk into the gym knowing that you have to put in the work to see the results. That's the only way it will happen. And then you get under the bar. Your feet planted, your muscles tight, your form on point. The first rep goes up. Solid. You come down for the next rep, and coming up you buckle and drop the bar. Your muscles are shot. You're shaking. You're embarrassed.

You feel like this guy.

Not to worry, though. You're not alone. We've all done it, and we'll all continue to do it. The beauty in failure is that you know where your body stands. You've pushed yourself to the absolute limits. Sometimes it results in vomiting, but that's hardcore anyways. Now, that's not to say that other outside factors are not affecting this happening. Lack of sleep and lack of adequate nutrition will bring you to this point far more often than you should be. So, if you're failing like this twice a week, you need to take a step back and reassess the amount of sleep you're getting and the amount of food you're eating. If you're staying up until 1am, waking up at 7am for a full day of work, and then hitting the gym, chances are that you won't be primed for the iron battle, and you're not going to get the workout you need. Sleep 8-10 hours a night, eat from morning until night, and keep your head in the game always.

Now, if you're doing all of that and still failing, you just need to plain accept the fact that you're not at the level required to push/pull the weight you're throwing on the bar. Drop some poundage, keep your form solid, and the weight will come. No need to ego lift, as that only results in bad habits and bad injuries. I'll give 100% credit to a guy who only lifts 135 lbs for 5x5s with solid form, as opposed to the guy who puts on 315 and gives one half-assed rep that looks like he's going to snap his shoulders clean off his body. Calm your shit, you're not cool. Lift for the long-term progress, not the short-term satisfaction until you blow out your pec and are finished benching forever.

Looks fun, right?

To draw us back in to the original topic at hand, don't feel ashamed if you have a bad day once in a while. It is totally normal in the weightlifting lifestyle, and it is to be expected. Give yourself a day or two of extra rest, then jump back on the iron horse and ride. It's better to take some time off, than to push through the pain and cause an injury. But, if you don't use that time to recover properly and eat like a maniac, what good is it? Fuel the machine, keep it well-oiled, and it will work.

Trample the weak, hurdle the dead

I was recently told not to compete in an upcoming powerlifting competition by a friend because I "won't win". Probably not. In fact, I can pretty much guarantee, without a shadow of a doubt, that I won't win the competition. There are guys in 3 weight classes below me putting up 500+ lbs more in their totals. But this still doesn't matter to me. The one reason I started training for powerlifting is to be a better, much stronger version of myself. Before I started seriously training, I was lucky to squat 90 lbs. for reps. Not even 6 months later, I'm squatting 250 lbs for reps, and 301 for a max. And this is after having to reassess my form because I wasn't going low enough. 

I've encountered multiple people in my life who love to tell me that I can't do something. Maybe it's because they don't believe in my abilities, they don't trust that I can give something 100% intensity, or maybe they're just reflecting their own insecurities onto me. Regardless of the reasoning, FUCK 'EM! I'm not training for you. I'm training for myself. If I want to compete and get blown out of the water, why do you care? Let me worry about that.

The overall point is that you need not worry about the affairs of others. If you're trying to do something and someone comes along and tries to put you down, tell them to eat shit. Keep your eyes to the prize. You want to squat 500 lbs? Work for it. You want to buy a fancy new BMW? Work for it. You want to be a great basketball player? Work for it. Don't let anyone tell you you can't do something. Only you can determine that for yourself.

I'm continuously growing and building myself to be an animal, and I know that this is only the beginning. I have a great support system at home, and I've just met a group of guys that I hope to become great friends with, who will help me get to where I need to be. My goal is to compete later this year, and to smash my personal records into oblivion. I will be stronger, because I can be stronger. Keep that mentality with you always. Don't settle.

One-man Wolf Pack

Lately, I've come to the realization that lifting alone has really been my favorite way to lift. I still enjoy going with a partner. My girlfriend is with me the majority of the time, but she often does other exercises. But when I'm alone, I really get focused in on the goal, which is to smash weight and get reps in.

Don't mind me. Just brought some gains for the trip.

Like I said, it's still nice to go with someone from time to time. You get to shoot the shit, give each other motivation, and challenge each other. It could really be useful in getting that 1RM when you have someone else yelling in your face and pumping you up. But for me, nothing is better than putting my headphones in and blasting some really evil, aggressive shit. Stuff that makes you want to break every mirror in the weight room with your face. Recently, I've been blasting Ringworm's 'Hammer of the Witch'. Put that on and try not to get pumped.

Mainly, though, you should do what works for you. If you need another person there to not feel awkward, do it. If you like to lift with a group, do it. Whatever is going to make you more motivated. Just don't be that group of assholes who sit on the bench for 15 minutes between sets talking about whatever it was you were going to say to that girl squatting more than you, but you were too big of a pussy to do it. Get in, get big, get gone.

And that's the bottom line. Stay angry.

PS - We're currently working on some drafts for shirt designs. Keep your eyes on the Facebook and Instagram pages for information. Like and follow us.

Good Riddance, Planet Weakness

Finally out of there, and on to greener pastures. Actually, blacker pastures, since the weights aren't purple and yellow at my new place.

Keeping it grim in the gym.

Now let me preface this by saying that I know PF has a horrible reputation in the powerlifting world, so I should have avoided it in the first place. But before I was bitten by the iron bug, I wasn't planning on getting in the gym 4-5 times a week to push up heavy weights. I wanted to get "in shape" by going maybe twice a week, doing some benching, dumbbells, and cardio. Now, I say death to cardio, give me some heavy fucking weights to move. So, that's my explanation as to why I went there in the first place. Essentially a stepping stone, and now that part of my life is over.

Moving on, my new gym is a small outfit in Milford, OH, called MAC (Miami Athletic Club). By no means is it a powerlifting gym, but they allow PL training there, so I'll take what I can get for the price I'm paying. My lifts were surprisingly higher than I expected them to be, hitting a 245 squat, 255 deadlift, and 165 bench. My squat on a smith machine (BLASPHEMY!) was at 200 lbs., and it was uncomfortable. Not a great range of motion when you're moving straight up and down on a track. I've never really had the pleasure of deadlifting for multiple sets, so it was sort of new to me. Felt good pulling it, though. Bench has always been a weak spot for me, so 165 wasn't too horrible. The last time I was under the bar, I was just doing 135 at 3x8. So I feel pretty great about it.

I sense that being able to move to this gym and hit the free bars is going to spike my gains, and I can't wait. Time to get some strength into these measly muscles and feel the power of the iron gods.

-Stay strong

My new PR, and how I hit it.

NEW PR TODAY! I hit 3 reps of 300 lbs. on the squat rack this afternoon. Since starting my fitness journey, getting into the 300 club with anything was a huge milestone. When you're starting off in the low-mid 100s on things, that seems like a huge leap. And actually, it kind of was. I started off squatting 135 lbs. for 3x10s. I knew this was low weight, but I couldn't do anything about it. Until I realized "Oh…..yeah, I can." If you read my previous post, you'll know that, until recently, I stuck to the stereotype of people who skimp on leg days. Maybe once a week, if I felt like it. But after seeing my buddy Adam Ryan's (Black Metal Fitness) leg progress after getting on the Smolov Squat Routine, I realized that my legs were fucking tiny. And thus, my obsession with legs began.

Ronnie Coleman never skipped leg day. Nor should you.

But back to the subject of hitting PR's. Most people are quick to assume that their PR isn't even worth mentioning unless it's very high. WRONG! Be proud of your progress. You don't have to be a dickhead about it, but if you're proud of your work, don't be afraid to mention it. Be happy about what you've accomplished. And the best way to continue to hit PR's is to add very small amounts of weight to whatever exercise it is you're doing. Want to hit another bench PR? Throw a 2.5 on each side and push 5 more lbs than you did last week. Your PR on bench just went from 160 to 165. That's progress. That's success. Guess what then? Add another 2.5 on each side next time. Now you're at 170. So on, and so forth, until you realize that you're pushing 190 lbs on the bench. Now you think that's okay since you're only 5 ahead of what your previous goal was. But look back at where you started or where you plateaued. 160 lbs. You've added 30 lbs. to your bench. Be proud of that shit!

Just remember that it's not smart to try and jump 30 lbs. to hit a weight that you just really want to hit, even though it's not necessarily attainable just yet. Small steps lead to big moves. So start small. Compete with yourself constantly. Make it a challenge to be better than yourself every single day you go to the damn gym.

It also helps to not be a pussy. Shove this in your ears and go lift some fucking iron!

If you're one of the guys who skips leg days….

Fuck you for perpetuating that stereotype. I, on the other hand, want everyone to know that training legs is fucking awesome. Obviously your highest amount of weight is going to be pushed with your legs. So, why wouldn't you gloat about the fact that you're in the 300 club on squats, or you can leg curl 150 lbs? I understand that you want big arms. So do I. But that shouldn't mean you neglect the largest muscle group on your body just to get an extra day of arm work (that you probably won't let yourself properly heal from anyways).

Don't be that guy…

If you feel like you need extra work on your arms, do your leg workouts, then go do some curls afterwards. It's not going to make you lose all of your arm gains, so shut up and get under the squat bar. I'm currently squatting 3 times a week and it feels great. I'm a small guy and have increased my squat almost 100 lbs. in the past 3 months, and will soon be at 300. And I'll have some tree trunk legs to prove it.

On the contrary, ladies; don't be afraid to do some upper body lifts. A lot of girls focus on the squat rack, then go straight to the ellipticals in fear of "getting bulky". That's not going to happen. At least not unless you start powerlifting. You'll grow a little, but dudes will think that shit is sexy. So don't be scared of the dumbbells.

Sorry, for the short post. Had to get it out of my system. On a side note, I have some news coming soon to the Lethal Force Fitness Facebook (www.facebook.com/lethalforcefitness), so head over and give it a like.

Rest for the wicked

Rest days. Nobody likes them. At least I don't. I sit around, looking at pictures on Instagram of other people lifting and getting big, and I just want to go lift. For example, my day consisted of waking up at 6:30, going to work, getting home around 5:00, taking an hour nap with my dogs, cleaning the kitchen, eating, and now writing this blog. Doesn't sound too bad, right? Well, I see other people getting on social media, talking about how great their workout was, their current weight, etc. All while I'm  thinking "God dammit, I just want to go deadlift!"

But on the contrary, rest is totally necessary for growth. Your muscles need adequate time to repair themselves, especially when doing heavy weight and high volume like my current plan calls for. When I first started getting into fitness heavily, I was thinking "Fuck yeah! Going to the gym 6-7 times a week!" and never wanting to rest. Now, I will say that I made some decent gains in the first couple of weeks. But I don't think I grew to my full potential due to lack of rest. My sets were getting shorter, I wasn't pushing as much weight, and I just felt drained after a couple of weeks, even when I thought I got adequate sleep. But I've since cut back to 4 times a week (which is still a pain in my ass because I would like to see 5), and I give myself 3 days on, two days off, one day on, one day off. Since then, I've started seeing a pound here and a pound there on the scale, when I was stuck at 147-149 for 5 weeks. Now I'm sitting at 152.6 for morning weight. Not to mention that I can up my weights and volume when I go back to work.

Rest days are not a total loss, though. When you're bored, can't think of anything to do, or you just want to stay active, I have two words of advice. FUCKING EAT! Spend your rest days packing in food constantly. On my lifting days, I eat 4 meals. On rest days, I try to eat a minimum of 5. And in doing so, I don't eat like a shithead either. Be conscious of what you're shoving down your throat. Unless, of course, you're dirty bulking. In which case, go to McDonald's, get 3 Big Macs, 3 fries, and two shakes….for breakfast. Actually, don't do that. CT Fletcher is living proof that it will make your heart fail. But, seriously. Cook a few eggs with some fruit for breakfast, two cups of oatmeal for second breakfast, cook up some rice and tilapia for lunch with a salad, have a protein shake, and have some wheat pasta with chicken for dinner. I try to drink at minimum one protein shake every day. You need it. Anyone who lifts needs protein, regardless of whether or not you're cutting or bulking. DRINK YOUR PROTEIN.

Do you have to follow that meal plan above? No. Add some variety to it. I'm a guy who hates eating the same shit over and over. I have a friend at work who literally eats the same exact thing every day. Salmon, rice, and peas for lunch, then chicken, rice, and black beans for second lunch. Every. Fucking. Day. And I can't do that shit. I need some spice in my life. So don't be afraid to look up some recipes and start cooking. It's not as hard as you think.

In conclusion, use your rest days for rest and feasting. They are essential keys to growth and strength. Don't use them to go to the park and run with your dogs. Take your dogs to the dog park and sit and watch them. Don't go swim laps. Wade in the pool. Just Wrest!

Uhhh….I mean rest!

Fuck Mondays?

That's all anyone since the beginning of time has said. "I hate Mondays", "I have a case of the Mondays".

Fuck that. I love Mondays. You know why? It's the first day back in the gym after my rest period. I go back in hungry as fuck, looking to bend iron and smash reps. I look at every single week as a battle in the gym. I start hungry, but weak. Throughout the week I put myself through strenuous tests to push my body further and further each day. When Thursday night comes (my last night before my 3 days of rest), I'm sore as fuck. Battered, bruised, and beaten from war. But I'm the one coming home. I come home stronger, I come home more focused, and I come home better than I was before.

Too many people focus entirely too much on the negatives of going to the gym. "I'm going to be so sore. UGH!" Fuck yeah, you will. You know why? Because you're tearing muscle fiber apart. How metal is that? You're literally ripping your own flesh every time you lift. And that soreness? It's your body rebuilding your muscles from the food you eat. And you know what that means? You're getting bigger. Will you see it tomorrow? No. Will you see it in a week? Probably not. But each time you do this, you're slowly building a fortress of muscle. Arnold, Lou Ferrigno, Flex Lewis, Kevin Washington. All massive guys. They are beasts. But did they start off that way? No. I'm sure they had decent physiques simply due to genetics, but they weren't the brick shithouses that they ended up being.

What I'm saying is that even Mr. Olympia had to start somewhere. Even if you're self-conscious of your image, nobody is going to give you shit for trying. If they do, they're masking their own insecurities and they're weak as a human being. Skinny, fat, short, tall, weak, strong. Everyone has a place in the gym. You will be better, you will be stronger. So, get in the gym, slap some weights on a bar, throw in some angry music (my choice today will be that album below. CRUSHING), and get to work. The iron is calling.

And for those interested, here's my workout for today (chest and back):

Superset:
-Wide grip pullups (5 to failure)
-Barbell press (5x12)

Superset:
-Incline dumbbell press (5x12)
-Seated cable rows (5x12)

Superset:
-Wide grip pullups (5 to failure)
-Dumbbell flyes (5x12)

-Bent arm dumbbell pullover (6x12)


Stay angry.

It Begins….

Hello, fitness freaks, metal heads, scumbags, and otherwise.

Where to start? I suppose I can start off with a bit about myself. I'm 22, in the early stages of my ISSA personal training certification, I love metal, grind, hardcore, and anything that makes me want to punch a wall with my face. I've been in love with a beautiful girl for 5 years, I have two dogs (a pug and a teacup chihuahua. Manly, right?), a fish, and a ball python. I've been in and out of metal bands for the past 6 years, I've played guitar for 14, but I've recently decided to put music secondary to a life of lifting. My goal here, and as an eventual trainer, is to motivate those who need it, even if you don't necessarily want it, as well as learning to express my own thoughts and feelings through my writing. For those who always visualize better, healthier lives for themselves, but choose to remain stagnant? Keep your eyes on this page. Let's turn that shit around together.

Going more in-depth with my fitness obsession, it really started in high school. I was one of the smallest in my class. I think going into high school, I was maybe 5'6" and 130 lbs., and came out not much bigger at 5'9" and 135 lbs. It never really was a huge issue, but little comments from friends and peers always ate away at me. Hanging with guys who were in the weight room for football conditioning kind of puts you down the totem pole a bit. And even though they were in there, I never touched it in fear of being made fun of. Instead, I did the teenager thing. I skated, played guitar, acted like an idiot with my friends, and pretty much ate like shit 90% of the time. But why should I care? My metabolism is through the roof, I weigh next to nothing. There is literally nothing wrong. Fast forward to last December when I really got bit by the fitness bug. I would look in mirror and hate my appearance. I've always kept myself clean, well-groomed, and try to dress as nice as I possibly can on my budget. But looking at myself naked? Ew. You could see my ribs, my hips, and there wasn't much of a form at all. I knew it was time to make a change. So, I did the typical "I'll sign up for Planet Fitness in January, go twice a week, and try to get in shape" thing. Come January, I started going twice a week. It felt good to be lifting weights and making myself stronger. Then, I started buying supplements. The basics like protein, creatine, and multivitamins. I kept this up for maybe two weeks, and instantly thought "Fuck this. I'm not going to get the results I want by doing this shitty workout routine twice a week." I started adding a day…then another day….then another day. Finally I started my routine at 5-6 days a week. It felt great, and I've started to see some minimal growth, but growth nonetheless.

It is now the second week of April and I weigh 151 lbs. base, my strength is exponentially greater than it was when I wasn't working out, and it's kickstarted me into a life of fitness obsession and addiction. So much so that I'm buying the materials for my ISSA certification course today, meaning that hopefully in the next 10-12 weeks I will be a nationally accredited, certified personal trainer, helping people (as well as myself) obtain the bodies and lives they want, instead of sitting on their fat asses doing nothing but complaining about what they want to do, or need to do. After that, I hope to follow my aspirations of opening a warehouse gym. Lots of work and stress, but nothing is impossible if you set your mind to it. So, that's basically my story in a very compact nutshell. I am beginning the rest of my story now, and hope you all care to follow me. I invite all of those who want help to read this blog, or come to me for help. You can find me here, on my personal Facebook, or at Lethal Force Fitness. Let's work together and get fucking primal!


-Stay grind.