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!