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Thoughts

March 3, 2014, 1:16 pm
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Oh man, it is tough to understand people sometimes. And not just in training but in everything. How they act, react. How they lie and fake their way through life. Yeah, they do it with training. Yeah, they do it with diet and they do it with lots of stuff. I am starting to believe that the key, the absolute key to life is knowing thyself. Because once you do, you will be happy.

I know myself. I have so many faults that I can't even list them. Faults according to society, I guess. If I don't want to do something I simply don't do it. I will not attempt it if I can't give it my all. Skiing? Nah, that's alright. High rep cleans? Nah, you can have it. Hip- Hop music? Nah, I'll stick with my Metal. More power to ya. Fixing stuff? Yeah , if you want me to break it.
Weddings and funerals? Banquets? Don't even bother asking me. I don't have a suit, won't wear one unless my Mom asks me to. Visiting people? Never for more than a few hours, and never visit anyone who I don't respect. Make new friends? I'm good. I have enough and half the time, I go weeks without talking to them. I'm old. Not that old, but I'm good. Just fine. Train, coach, family, a few friends. I have a phone because I have kids. No kids, no phone. Talking during training? Just to count reps. I can't do it and I won't do it.Useless meetings with my staff? None. I talk to them all the time, why have a formal meeting? When I was a football coach, we used to have an expression, "Let's meet just to meet." Crap. Have just one slice of pizza? Nope. If I am gonna eat it, it's the whole pie. Diet? All or nothing. Good or bad, you have it laid right out in front of you.

That's one thing I admire about my Dad. No fuss. Comes to my house, sits in the front yard, plays with the Grandkids. Hands me 20 dollars for hoagies and some sodas. Leaves after a few hours and drives the 120 miles back to Maryland. Doesn't even go in the house except to use the bathroom. Never stays the night. He has to play tennis the next day. Why would he miss it? I love it, I admire it. He knows himself.

I love to train, teach and write and train dogs. I guess that is teaching also. I love reading a good book and watching a good movie or TV show. TrueDetective is so good that it keeps me up at night thinking about it. I thought that I discovered it. I was wrong.

I am rambling here, and I like it.Another thought here: My staff is so cool. Tracy, Cristi and Stephen. I trust them totally. We cover for each other, We take care of each other . I worry all the time that I will lose them. I look forward to seeing them everyday. I love it when Cristi and Stephen fight, and then they end up hanging out at night. I love teaching them stuff that I know and I learn plenty from them also. If any of us were in trouble, we would help each other out in a second. And we are all different. Stephen is a Christian rapper for god's sake. Believen' Stephen. And no, I didn't know it when I hired him. And he is a first class coach. Tracy is so driven that she goes beyond her duties all of the time. She takes care of everything. And Cristi is the free spirit, but loves strength and conditioning above all else. We text each other constantly with articles and videos about our field. Because we love it, we don't think of it as work.

What else? I just finished XXX Shamus. That's a good book. It is an X rated crime novel, and very good. I am gonna see Marty Gallagher and Kirk Karwoski and Chuck Miller this weekend. That's always good.
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Stephen's Squat Workout

March 4, 2014, 7:48 am
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This is a good way to set up a squat work out.

Stephen did 6x1 at 485 (off a competition max of 525).  On the singles he is treating it just like in a meet--perfect set up, good depth.  Then after his 6 sets another good way of increasing the intensity is to do pause squats.  He went down to 370 for a set of 6.  Pause squats are great for maintaining posture in the hole.  In the bottom position he is not getting lose--he keeps tension. 

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How To Be A Godsend To Your Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach

March 5, 2014, 1:12 pm
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By Cristi Bartlett

In light of summer being just around the corner and some high school athletes gearing up for their transition into collegiate athletics, a guideline of sorts may be needed to make the transition to college easier.

 
Here’s some helpful info:

 
1.  Don’t try to impress anyone. Nothing is more irritating to a coach than hearing about what you did “back in the day”. You are too young to have a “day”. If you were taught correctly how to perform the lifts, it will show.  Chances are you are going to learn a different way to do things, since as a college s/c coach; we have to preserve your bodies for 4 years and produce athletes at the same time. Remember that your are an investment and we have to make sure that you are conditioned and healthy enough to do what you do best, to display your skills. Strength and Conditioning is THE foundation of your athletic career.

 

2. Master the basic lifts and movements. A pull up, push up, bench, squat, overhead press, deadlift and a box jump. Not necessary, but if you can perform a clean without making me want to claw my eyes out, that is always a plus. It amazes me how some Kids make it through their entire high school career, without performing a proper pull up, squat, or push up but can tell you and try to show you all the different variations of the bench press and how it makes you a better football player. There is no expectation of you to be able to squat a house or pull a ton of weight. Be proficient in the movements before you even begin to touch extremely high loads.

 

3. Respect your coach. Respect the title. None of that yo man, what's up, or yo< insert first name>. It's Coach, Coach <whatever name you are permitted to use>. Period.

 

4. Listen!Shut your mouth and take it all in. The information that you will get will save you from a pec tear, or low back injury that you'd have to deal with for the rest of your life. So listen closely and apply it to the best of your ability.

 

5. Be Coachable. When a coach tells you something, don't do the opposite on the next rep. Try your very best to get it right. Example: if I say exaggerate the shrug on the clean, then I expect on the next rep to see you try to touch your shoulders to your ears.

 

6. Retention.Week 1-8, there will be a lot of information, coaching cues, and instruction thrown at you. Remember it. There is nothing worse than having to repeat something that has been stated over 100x during week 1-3, at week 22. Retain the info!

 

7. Effort. Try your hardest. Go as hard as you can all the time, no matter what. Had a bad day, push it aside and train as hard as you can. I'd rather have your intensity level at 100% all the time and have you poop out half way through a training session than have you go 60% and make it the entire way. Train like hell.

 

It is all about getting better. Look at every repetition of every set, or every step within every run or every cut in every drill as a means to an end, to be great. Have fun with it, do it because you want to do it, do it because you want to be better than mediocre. Training is fun, so even after and during all of the instruction, sometimes harsh words and grueling sets, enjoy the process and get better.

 
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Ask Cristi , Ask Steel

March 9, 2014, 9:38 am
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New Hats are in!

March 10, 2014, 4:11 pm
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Bas' Barbell Club black and camo FlexFit hats are for sale!  



These hats are awesome!  We only ordered 24...Check out the store or click here to purchase your hat.    


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Don't Feel Guilty, You Are Being Efficient

March 15, 2014, 5:00 pm
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I have the attention span of a freaking gnat. After an hour, I am done. To be honest with you, after a half of an hour I am usually done. And if the person talking to me is boring, well, my eyes get glazed over and I am thinking of something else all together, like cheesesteaks. And a class? If its longer than an hour, schedule it for another day. Im nodding my head, bored. I have been to seminars where they make it long just to...make it long so that they can charge more money. That's backwards. I would pay the same for a badass hour long seminar. Man, I went to a class one time for a certification and I was popping caffeine pills and ephedrine and chugging coffee and it was so boring and dumb that I still fell asleep. And it took 2 days. I was nodding in and out both days. Maybe I have an issue. 

Anyway, I have done a bunch of stuff;powerlifting, bodybuilding, Muay Thai. Rarely , if ever, have any of the sessions taken over an hour and usually a half hour. I trained Muay Thai with Rigel Balsamico in Philly and he used to murder me in about 30 minutes. I would be lying on the ground in a puddle of sweat. I would be gagging while doing pad work. It was great. No way that intensity he demanded could go for an hour. Well, maybe for some, but not many, and not ALL OUT.

 I see people training for long periods of time and they say, "Man, I was going hard for 2 hours!" Yeah okay. You were talking and messing around. Try to not say a word except for counting reps. Not allowed to talk about your girl. Not allowed to talk about a damn thing. Just count reps. See how long the training takes. Do 15 sets in 30 minutes. Then leave. You will feel refreshed and have a great pump. Actually if it is leg day and you do fifteen sets of squats, you won't feel refreshed , you will feel nauseous, but you will grow, grow, grow. 15 sets of 12 . Thats BARBELL squats, not goblet squats or belt squats. You can use the Hatfield Bar. That's allowed. You go and your partner goes. No rest. And the first time, you will be sore for a week. Then you will adjust . And you'll never train another way.

I know that I am being unrealistic, that some people use the gym as a social place. Ugh. That's your thing. Just don't say it is training. So what I am saying is that if you work your tail off, and the training takes 30 minutes, don't feel guilty about it, feel happy. You are training efficiently, and purposeful. Give it a shot.
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Ask Cristi, Ask Steel

March 17, 2014, 12:44 pm
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Check it Out

March 19, 2014, 2:24 pm
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Program Writing With Johnny B

March 21, 2014, 5:32 am
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My great friend Johnny and I discussing his programming needs-



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Question about Kettlebells

March 23, 2014, 9:14 am
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 I received a question the other day about kettlebells and how and why I have incorporated into training.

I do them everyday, at least a hundred a day. Sometimes 300-400, usually with a 55 pounder or a 78(?) pounder. 100 is the minimum. Sometimes 100 in a row, usually sets of 10-20. I got HKC certified just so I know what the hell I am doing. Its nothing fancy, but fancy is not where it is at anyway. Fancy.

 Here is why-

1. It reminds me of chopping wood, shovelling dirt, working in the yard, manual stuff that I miss doing. Just put- your -head- down -and- go type of stuff

2. It feels good to my back.

3. It blows my forearms up

4. I am bored with bodypart splits and having to do certain exercises each day. Randomness is fun and more real. After training since 1979, one must keep it fresh.

5. It replaces the bike which I despise

6. It feels athletic, with the hip extension

7. I get bored doing the same old stuff and this is a nice change.

8. No, I have not drunk the Kool Aid that it replaces the Barbell. But I am open minded and its a nice change. If you are strong, it comes easier- Cristi did a Turkish Get Up on her first try with a 55 pound kettlebell. And yes, she is a strong person from barbells.

9 . Plus I can do it anywhere...throw one in your car and you are good to go.
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Book of the Month and Some Stuff

March 25, 2014, 6:44 pm
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Mike Monson has come out with a new book, What Happens In Reno, and it is very good. I first read Monson through his short story collection, Criminal Love and Other Stories. 

How would I describe his work and especially his new book? 

Twisted, shocking, no-holds-barred. Just when you think that you have his characters figured out, he throws you for a loop with some sick and depraved stuff. It's great. And never boring.

The main character, Matt Hodges can't seem to get his stuff together. He has a wife that is sleeping with a criminal ( And I mean a criminal. This guy is awesomely bad news), a stepson that likes the criminal more than his stepdad Matt. And to top it all off, Matt drinks like a fish. He can't stop lying and drinking and then he falls into some money and the plot really thickens. Pick up this book. It is only 2.99 on Kindle through Amazon. To me, that is a crime; that is much too cheap. But maybe in this world of heavy competition , it is a good idea.

What else? the 20th anniversary edition of FarBeyond Driven by Pantera just came out today. It is one of my favorite albums ever. Hard and heavy but still grooves . The deluxe edition at Best Buy comes with a tshirt. What metalhead could pass that up?

Also, regarding training, when it comes to bodybuilding, I think Ben Pakulski has it pretty much figured out- squeeze, perfect form and time under tension. For bodybuilding. And the question is, how did Ronnie Coleman get so big using sloppy(some say sloppy)form? Well, his genetics are nuts, but he did at least 10 reps for everything and plenty of sets, so although he wasn't going crazy always squeezing, his time under tension was pretty good. And...he is Ronnie Freakin' Coleman.

For Powerlifting and Strength and Conditioning? Fred Hatfield has always been my man, and all the stuff that he was talking about in the 80's is coming back around, especially Compensatory Acceleration.

Been reading a lot about IIFYM(If It Fits Your Macros), and it seems like Weight Watchers for lifters. Hey, of course it works. Is it optimal? Maybe. One thing is does is discourage the dreaded BINGE eating that usually occurs after denial, denial, denial of sugary foods, or the pizza and burgers that are usually off limits. And I love reading about how everyone is saying that it won't work and you'll get fat, and what it is...is that it will put the Gurus and the supplement folks out of business if everyone does it. Stay tuned, it is interesting. Of course, it gets silly after awhile, when put in perspective of what is really important in life, but its fun going back and forth with it.
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Training Today

March 26, 2014, 2:44 pm
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Did some back stuff today-

Yates machine rows,  5x12

Two arm dumbell support rows, 6x12

Lat pulls to the front, 4x12

10x10 Kettlebell swings with 32 KG

Bike for 32 minutes

Music was Pantera, Far Beyond Driven 20th Anniversary Edition
 
 
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Ask Cristi, Ask Steel

March 28, 2014, 11:49 am
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Change

April 2, 2014, 5:53 pm
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Change up your training when you get bored.

There are no rules, man.

Lift whatever you want to lift.  Train however that you want to train.

Pick up some logs, run some hills, box, jump on stuff.



Run through the woods with your dog on a beautiful day and think about everyone in their well lit gyms on treadmills and ellipticals.

Squat and then deadlift. Deadlift and then squat.

Do 100 kettle bell swings and then squat until your legs quiver. Do some pause squats. Take short rests and go again.

I remember Mike Webster's son, Colin telling me that his dad would squat as many reps as he could with like 500 pounds, drop it off of his back and then deadlift it for as many times as he could.  That's some great stuff right there.

Do 100 heavy bag punches as fast as you can and time it and then try to beat it next time.

If you are training for a meet, sure you have to squat, bench and deadlift, but if it is the offseason, do whatever you want to do training-wise. Have some fun.

Get up extra early and train before sunrise. The feeling when you are done training and the world has barely begun to stir is a great one.

Randy White told me that he used to run in cut down cornfields in construction boots and also that he would run on dirt roads, running telephone pole to telephone pole. And he lifted weights in his barn.

If you usually train 3 days a week, try training every day, but make yourself finish in half of the time
that it usually takes you.

Or your diet. Tired of eating chicken and rice?  Scale not moving at all? Eat a steak, some tuna with mayo(oh no!) and some bacon and eggs. That scale may begin to move.  Dr. Mauro Dipasquale is no dummy.

                                                               Anabolic Diet Maestro

When it is time for specificity, get specific. Until then, try switching it up a little.




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Just Ramblin

April 5, 2014, 5:26 am
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I was thinking today about how life is never just smooth. How there is always something. Everyone has battles to face, problems to deal with, problems to solve.  A sunny day is usually followed by a cloudy one, so to speak.

 I was lying in bed with my son last night and we were watching an ESPN special on my Kindle about the Baltimore Colt's Marching Band. On how they stayed together even though there wasn't a football team. And folks are crying as they talked about the Colts and what they meant to the town. And how Baltimore was in mourning when all of that went down. Of course, it messed with my head, being from Maryland and all. And while watching the show, something just clicked in me, some kind of swelling of love for my sons, and I had a realization that my love for them is stronger than anything I can even describe. It's so strange because they are so vulnerable, and then I thought about how messed up the world is and how I don't want them to see any of the things that I have seen. And then I also thought that they will learn about life and how it is wonderful at times, but there are such bad times that sometimes, sometimes, you can not remember the good times.

Man! How a father just wants to smother them and never let them see the world. But you can't, you just have to take it day by day, minute by minute, hoping that they turn out alright.

 Can't think of the bad stuff or it will tear you up. I usually start to exercise and my mind clears, and then it stays that way for awhile. And then something comes on the news and man, there is such, I don't know, such, awfulness around. You just wanna squirrel away in woods somewhere and build a fortress or something. Fortify it against all that is evil and bad.

And-

 You wonder about people, you wonder about the way people are, how they act, why they act a certain way. My god , sometimes you want to say to people, ok, speak the truth now, you know you are lying, I know you are lying, so SPEAK it, tell the truth about what you really want to say, right now, say the words.

Thats why the weights are true, they never lie to you. Henry Rollins wrote that one time, I believe. And my Labradors while they are working. The joy of seeing them retrieve a duck? True.

I could never be in sales. Lying, schmoozing, smiling that fake smile. Love fakeness.  The art of the fake.

Ugh. Shake hands, oh yes, I haven't seen you in so long! How are you? How was your vacation? Have a great weekend! How's the family? How's your training? Oh, You haven't been able to get to the gym? Oh, there are no gyms where you were staying. Were you in the Amazon?

 Ok, well, do your best, ok, yep, doing only cardio is great.  Yes, weak is good. Yes, I know lifting is tough and uncomfortable.  And you used to bench 485. Oh, it wasn't really 485, it was 405. Oh, it really wasn't 405, it was something that you always wanted to do, that benching of 405. And now that you only do kettle bells you know that you can bench 405. When is the last time that you benched? Oh, 5 years ago. Ok. Yes, I believe you. No, I'm listening. Sorry, I was picturing you benching 405. No, No, I know, you don't want to get too big and protein is bad for you and meat is bad for you and while you are talking I am pondering how, just how, I can exit from your presence. Yes, I know, you will start on Monday... Get jacked! Have I heard of that type of workout routine? No, I haven't. Oh, I am sure that's great for you. When are you starting? Oh, Monday, that's right. Why don't you just say that it hurts too much to squat ,deadlift and press? I know that's what you are thinking. And you know that I know. Ah, the charade. It is so wonderful to play it out. Oh, yes, you will get stiff and muscle bound! Of course you will. Yes, I know, honestly, you just don't have the time.Yes, too much pressure to get to the gym. Oh the pressure! That's a lot of pressure right there! Just like being a soldier or a cop or a surgeon. Gotta get back into it. Gotta get back into it. Yes I know you are on vacation so you need to eat and drink and gain 10 pounds! I know, I hate it when you get off of the plane and there is that mystery person who stuffs cake and daiquiris in your mouth.  And Easter is coming up and then that birthday party and then Memorial Day and then your sister is coming to town...right, start right after that, or the Monday after.

 You must not set yourself apart!  And yes,  all lifters are dumb and not well read, and deep down inside you sorta want to be strong but what if people , gasp, people in the gym are looking at you? That would be awful because when you are on your death bed, that is what you will be thinking about, that day in the gym when some guy in a wind suit was was watching you deadlift. That is it!

I know, I just. I just. I just don't understand. But I really don't want to.  Gonna just smile the fake smile, and moooove along.





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Commit

April 11, 2014, 8:59 am
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This is a column from 2013, but I got a lot of positive feedback when it was published so I decided to repost it.. It may speak to you.
Today is the day

You feel bad about yourself. Too much of everything bad: Junk food, alcohol, staying up late.

You realize that you can't get away with what you used to get away with when you were 18 years old, when you could eat everything and stay in shape.

Or you just have lost your focus and you need a kick in the butt, something to get you going. But you need it to be simple. And you don't have much time to get it done.

I am here to tell you that now is the time. Not tomorrow morning, not Monday, not after that special occasion or holiday. There will always be a special occasion, always an excuse to cheat on your diet or not get your workout in for the day.

You don't need a special class or a dvd that promises you the world or a guru to help you or specialized equipment.

You may need a good pair of walking shoes, and you need a barbell and some dumbbells, a squat rack and a bench. If you have a recumbent bike, great. If not, you can just walk.

The plan here is to just do a little each day, nothing that takes longer than an hour at the most. Sometimes you can get away with a half hour. You definitely have the time for that, a half hour.

Lets start with the cardio portion first. Walk fast for a half hour 6 days a week, or ride a bike or walk on a treadmill or the elliptical or something similar. Try to do it as soon as you wake up in the morning. Slug down a cup of coffee or a shot of espresso (or 2) and just get going. If you are out walking, put on an audiobook or some thrash metal or any other type of music that motivates you to move. Just work up a sweat, don't kill yourself. Just start, just start, just start. Slow at first. And then when that caffeine kicks in and the sweat breaks, you will get going just fine. And if the half hour is too much, get in 15 minutes minimum, 2x a day. That is not complicated, right?

For the lifting? Three days a week.

You must perform these exercises once a week, 5 sets per exercise, 6-12 reps.

squats or leg press or front squats
press
bench or incline bench press or dumbell bench press
bent over rows or one arm rows
pushups or dips
deadlifts or trap bar deadlifts
lat pulls or chinups
curls
pushdowns or triceps extensions


So if you are running short on time because had a meeting that ran over, and you have to pick your kid up from daycare by 6 and its 5:25, walk into the gym and squat and leave.

Then on Saturday morning when you have 45 minutes , pick more exercises and take more time.

How about the weight? You can go up in weight each set, or you can pick a weight and stay at that weight for all of the sets. It is up to you. It is important that you up the intensity, that you progress in weight. Even if it is 5 pounds every other week, the weight must increase some.

Also, there should be no fooling around. Many folks say that they don't have time but they end up talking instead of training. Force yourself to focus on the task at hand. Everything can wait. You must be in deep concentration. Once you do that a few times, you will look upon others with disdain because of their lack of commitment. This is one of the most important things I can leave you with: Focus, focus, focus for just that short period of time.

Diet? Nothing magical here. If you are trying to lose weight fast, lower carb is the best way, but for most it isn't the easiest way. If you can handle it, go the Atkins way. If you can't, and I want you to be honest with yourself here, then eat with some basic rules in mind.

1. Eat your bodyweight in grams of protein each day(chicken, beef, turkey, fish)
2. Eat 3 servings of veggies each day minimum
3. Eat a small serving of "clean" carbs at every meal(rice, potato, sweet potato, grits, fibrous fruits, etc)
4. Never let 4 hours go by without eating

Don't say that you don't have time to prepare the food. Throw some rice in the microwave and buy a few pounds of turkey, a rotisserie chicken and some apples and you are set for a few days.

If you screw up, just start again. It isn't the end of the world. Just hop back on and don't feel guilty about it. Eat a small junk meal once or twice a week. Try to control yourself when it comes to junk. After you eat it, you will realize that it wasn't that great anyway.

You can do it, tons of people have, and they are no better than you are, they don't have some magic that you don't have. If they can do it, you surely can do it. Why not you?

Commit. And keep me updated on your progress. You can and you will do it. Now.
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Ask Cristi, Ask Steel

April 11, 2014, 12:08 pm
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It's out of focus but still pretty good...
 
 
 

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Real Work

April 13, 2014, 1:28 pm
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I was online today looking at "Warhammers" by different companies. Basically these are rubber sledgehammers that you can use to get a workout in.

 Rubber sledgehammers. You put weight in them and swing them.

How about buying a real sledge and a grenade/splitter and cracking a stump? Or an axe and splitting some wood? I know not everyone can do that , I guess. Going to a gym is more, convenient. I reckon it's convenient.

I was just real fortunate to grow up with a hundred or so acres behind my house. Some was owned by people, some by the Park System, some by the Army or Navy. They actually tested bombs back there, underground. One actually shattered a window in our house. "They" came by fast to replace it. Some "Area 51" things were going on back there we always assumed.

Anyway, there were always stumps to split with splitter/grenade and sledge and then wood to split with an axe. I had no idea that chopping all that wood would become a staple of so many workouts.
It was GPP or MPP or PPP or OPP . Who knows?

I just know that my Dad told me to do it and if he didn't, I enjoyed the hell out of doing it anyway, so I just did it. I wonder when he let me do it on my own? Seventh grade? Something like that, I guess. I loved surprising him by having a bunch of wood done when he got home. I'd leave it scattered in the yard, all split up so he could survey my work.

I have to admit that the best was when Dad had a few tons of dirt dropped off at the top of the hill at the road above our house, and I would have to wheelbarrow it down the hill, about 50 yards, into the backyard and spread it out to build up his garden.

When my first Labrador, Dutch, was a puppy, he ran up and down and up and down the hill each time I used the wheelbarrow, and by the time I was finishing up, he lay belly down in the dirt garden , exhausted. The dirt was cool on his belly.  And he had enough. Maybe that is next!? The workout of shovel and dirt.  Fake dirt and a shovel made of rubber. Folks are already using wheelbarrows filled with weight.

I think that the best way to do all of this stuff is to actually do it. Find some stumps and split 'em.  Use an axe with a finishing purpose. It seems much more rewarding than hitting a tire. That actually just made me giggle. It is a sign of society being one more step away from stuff being real.  Thank Odin for my Father and real work.

When the wood is split, you can use it. Burn it, stack it or build something with it.

I have been doing a bunch of kettle bell swings, everyday. I like them, they make my back feel great. But the real reason is because it reminds me of doing work in the yard in Maryland. But, really, it is not the same. Being outside and seeing the work done and working and working on a stump and then driving that sledge into the splitter, deep into it and cracking it in two is much more rewarding. That is work.

And you don't have to put a name to it. You just do it and relish the sweat and the burning of your forearms  and lungs and  you wonder why everyone doesn't really do the work. It is much more rewarding.


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New

April 14, 2014, 3:02 pm
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He walked without fear
for the first time in many years.

Today

the decision was made

to just

change.

Mighty was his resolve.

He renamed himself.

He began to chant and

he vowed

To never be afraid again.
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You Have The Wrong Idea

April 15, 2014, 5:03 pm
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I had a buddy. He had a health scare a few years back.

He used to squat, bench, deadlift. He was muscular,  he had boundless energy, and he was strong, even competing in powerlifting into his late 40's.

After the health scare? NOTHING! I guess someone told him that being strong wasn't good for you, that he would be healthier on the cardio machines and jabbering away while he did some machine benches. Squats??

Who needs them?

Too old for that stuff. Meanwhile, he went from a guy who was semi-formidable to a guy who couldn't protect his family or who wouldn't garner a second look from a passerby on a sidewalk.

Before he would roll up his sleeves and show off his arms. Now he just conforms to the crowd. Another hiding, scared sheep, walking in the pasture of a weak life.

There is nothing "healthy" about being weak and small.

You aren't healthier. You are not more "fit", whatever that means.

You are slowly disintegrating.

 Descending down...into the softness of endless elliptical sessions and your clothes hanging off of you.

Grab your manhood, put on some Black or Thrash Metal and place a bar upon your back.

I know that you won't. But I had to write about it.
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