The hip clean is a mysterious creature that seems to stay hidden in the dark away from the world to see or talk about. He is the fastest and most explosive creature in all of the land. His arms are bent like a T Rex, his hips plow into the bar like a punch from Mike Tyson. The sound the hip creature makes rattles the poor now half broken bar that echo's throughout the gym for all to here. It’s a chilling sound that gives you goose bumps from head to toe. The power the hip cleaner creates will make even Chuck Norris feel in fear for his life. He is a patient creature, one that waits a long time before he attacks. He waits on the pull like I wait for my wife to get ready to go out to dinner. His shoulders stay over the bar like a sling shot being pulled back, or like Tiger Woods setting up to launch the little white ball into outer space. A longer pull...yes , but much more explosive than the rest? Most definitely. His upper body is asleep when he kills his pray, his legs and hips do the snapping of the necks, they are the ones who bring home the bacon.
I have tried over and over to become a hip cleaner...but every time I am reminded by the weightlifting Gods that I was meant to kill with my thighs. I live in thigh land with most of the other Olympic weightlifting warriors. We think the hip hitters are elitist know it all's, and are full of themselves! They say they are stronger for being able to bring heavy weight into a higher finish position, and I say nay. We the thigh hitters say that we are just as powerful and such good athletes that we can get under any weight. It’s a back and forth battle, but at the end of the day we are all still friends and still lift heavy weight. "There is more than one way to get to the top of the hill"- Glenn Pendlay. There are just as many Gold medal hip creatures than there are thigh creatures.
The hip creature may live in you, he just might be hiding in the dark corner at the gym you train at without you even knowing. He lives in Spencer Moorman, Caleb Ward, and many others.
He even lives in Donny Shankle, pictured here.
But the one who has the most kills is the man in the video below....the Olympic record holder, World record holder, Olympic Gold medalist and my favorite lifter....the one..the only...ANDREI ARAMNAU!
Which one are you? I would love to get your feedback and what you think works better and why. I also put the legendary Dmitriy Klokov below as well performing the thigh clean. Enjoy and Attitude Nation salute!!
A family of hard workers, hard workers and professional mess-a-rounders. Great people who made the job even greater, and finalizing it with the crown of "best job I have ever had". It was a job I will never forget, a job that to this day makes me smile from great memories. It was a job that made me excited and alive while I drove to work, a job that I looked forward to every morning. It was a second home that brought me comfort, stability, and a meaning to my life. A band of brothers is what my co-workers were, brothers in arms who I couldn't wait to mess with and sell more than. 24 Hour Fitness was a fucken blast, and also the start of the most hated man in USA weightlifting, Jon North.
Walking into work at 24 hour fitness you would think the busy bees and bright lights never shut off for closing. It was an ongoing coffee break without the break. I looked out to a sea of money through the window my desk sat by everyday, a desk crushed next to many other desks like bunk beds full of sales people...wait no, sales friends, while people and cars past by. Grumpy elf is what we called him, grumpy in a good way I should add, a funny "ok ok boss man I will get back to work and stop playing table football" way. I should also add even though I got yelled at for messing around with the triangle piece of folded paper, grumpy elf was the one playing with me! I think it's because I was winning that made him snap out of fun time and back into work time. The best boss, leader, friend, and all around person that I have ever met, Greg Husten. Thank you Greg for hiring me and taking me under your wing when I needed one so very badly. Thank you for everything you have taught me in sales and in life. I looked up to you then, and I still do now.
Greg Husten aka the boss man
Charles Shipman, yes you might know this name; he is a weightlifter, and my best friend. Charles's first day at 24 was my second day, and we hit it off right away. Beat boxing and free-styling was not unusual. Actually, we sold more memberships after a good rap battle. Nice cloths, gelled hair, coffee in hand, and the world at our feet. We were membership salesmen and we were damn good at what we did. Well.....Charles was, I was too busy watching Shankle videos on my phone at a time before I ever met Donny, or became part of the Cal Strength Mafia. Wow.....just thinking about the 24 hour fitness days seems like a lifetime ago, but then again I can remember everything so clearly. I was a firecracker back then, keep in mind this was right when I first became a weightlifter. If you think I am crazy and wild now, then you should of seen "Jumping Jonathan North" back then.
Charles Shipman
It was never about the commission, it was about beating Charles and Greg in sales. When a client walked in it was all business, the gym changed into a white house meeting. All three of us concentrating on our sale in front of us, but always with one eye cocked to the side seeing how Greg, Charles and any other rookie (not apart of the cool crew) was doing. Either high fives at the end or throwing of a pen or clip board. Sales was a lot like weightlifting, a bitch. But at often times a high that kept you coming back for more. I have smoked meth, and done my fare share of coke back in my party days, and I will be the first person to tell you that making a big lift or landing a membership sale is the exact same high. Having my boss Greg tell me "good job" made my day, and only made me want to sell more. I loved Greg's style of leading, very much the same style as my coach Glenn Pendlay. They let me breath, they lead from behind, and they both let me create my own style of training or selling. A leader who leads from behind has always pushed me more, and made me want to achieve the goal at hand, not only for myself but for them as well. Working with Greg and Charles was a lot like training with my weightlifting teammates now; there is very little difference the more I think about it. A lifestyle full of goals and hard work, intertwined with a healthy dose of laughter and fun, which in my opinion is the key for success in anything.
A statue of a strong buff man holding the world over his head some how climbed itself onto Greg's desk. I think it was a sales award he won, and a well deserved one at that. Greg was magic when it came to selling. Greg is not the type to go showing off, but one morning the statue was just there, sitting on his desk for all to see. Lol, just writing this blog is hard because I am already laughing so hard from the image I see in my head. I see Greg sitting there, typing at his desk with his long chin stuck out as he types so relaxed and confidently. I walk in a few minutes late like I have been known for still to this day. He does not stop typing, but his eyes look over to the side giving me the "your late look". I sit down at my desk scrambling to begin my work day trying to show him that I have a "busy" day ahead, even though we both know that's a lie. He finally stopped typing, and this time his whole head turned with his eyes along for the ride, he said, "glad you could join us today Jon boy". It was so hard to keep a straight face with Charles at his desk quietly laughing at the situation. Before I even gave him an excuse or told him, "sorry it want happen again" line, I looked at his overly big and bright statue and without thinking replied, "hey look, statue looks like me". LOL!!!!!! I slightly laughed while looking back and forth from the statue to Greg, waiting to see his reaction. But there was none, he just stared at me for a good minute until he slowly turned back to his computer screen and began typing again. I looked over to see Charles's reaction, and yes, Charles was almost on the floor laughing.
Ever since that morning anytime anybody would walk by Greg's desk, he would say very loudly and cartoon like "Ooooo yea, statue looks like you". And then he would come back into himself and under his breath say, "God dude, get over it," The best part about this was that the people Greg joked with never said anything about the statue, or even knew about the inside joke in the first place! The poor guy would just walk away scratching his head. LOL!!!!! I am dying laughing, and if you don't think this is funny that I am sorry, I guess you just had to be there, or I am not writing this correctly. At the end of the day Greg would crack a small smile and tell a joke, letting you know that deep down he was just messing around.
After a year went by we all got broken up and went our own ways, but we all still stay in touch, and are very good friends to this day.
24 Hour Fitness 2016 Charles Shipman 2016 Greg Husten 2016 Pre pay 2016 Two Week Pass 2016
Max out Friday with more team commentary! First 160kg snatch since coach has been gone, and killed a 185kg c&j before making a gutsy jump straight to 195kg......which looking back now, I would have made the smart jump to 190kg. But what can I say, I had that SHANKLE Blood in me!! Plus, Saturday's squat workout is at the end of the video. I smoked a BIG 10 kilo PR in the back squat at 250kg before dropping down to complete my sets of 5. Yes, sometimes when coach is gone we will have a little fun and go for a max squat, but still always move on to complete the actual workout at hand. I hope coach is reading this so I can get some brownie points. Here is the video below. SLAM BARS AND KILL PR'S!!!!!!!!!
Weightlifting Talk was fun today. First Solo show without the Lion Killer or Mr Black Beard. The show had a different feel to it, a different flow that I really liked. I didn't know how I would do, or where the show would go, but I thought the show went very smooth. TOPICS: Training without coach and Shankle. Great call about the bottom position and catching the bar too high. Self motivation. The presents of a coach, Punching a kid, American Open, Training alone, Coach, Diet, Freak athletes, Jeff Wittmer, Why no program? Why the show is called Weightlifting Talk. (below)
Here is Wednesdays Team MDUSA video below. 154kg snatch, 190kg clean and jerk! I really feel that this wide grip in the jerk can lead me to 200 plus....maybe even sooner than I think. Who's knows, I guess more coffee, more training, and more Shankle. LETS GO!
Plus: NEW YORK! Calling New York! September 30th PortCrossfit in Setauket is kicking off the 15th Attitude Nation Certification Seminar! Get your tickets now at www.Portcrossfit.com/our-store.html
More bad days than good young rookie. Understand this, and you will go far. Hold onto your dreams tight young rookie, or this sport will snatch them from you. Always stay focused young rookie, or you will be forever lost in limbo. Understand you are a rookie, this will help you become a vet. Everything you learned before weightlifting throw away, nothing applies to this alien sport. Stop with the thinking young rookie, for this sport doesn't make any sense. The minute you try to figure out this sport young rookie, is the minute you will end up in a straight jacket. Walk at night to clear your mind. Wake up early to a cup of coffee while the news softly plays in the background. Take a shower, not to get clean, but to wash away the frustrations of the day. Let the water hit your face, giving your hands a rest from hitting the gym walls. Listen to your coach young rookie, on and off the platform. Your coach is not just a coach, but a path to success...... the only path to success. When you become a vet, then you can spread your wings with your own ideas and opinions. For now, you have no opinions, no ideas, you have no rights, no control, no freedom, shut up and do what your told. Lay down your sword, break down your wall, and become a slave to this sport and your coach. A slave is what you are, and will always be if you don't succeed. This doesn't just go for weightlifting, but for life as well. You must live weightlifting to conquer weightlifting. You must cry tears of pain before tasting tears of joy. Learn to love the pain and you will never feel the pain again. Adapt, adapt to a new you, a new outlook on life. No one cares what you did before weightlifting or what obstacles you've had to overcome. The only thing that matters young rookie is how much weight can you take from the ground to over head..... that's it. The day you understand this is the day you will lift big weight from the ground to over head. Don't listen to anyone but your coach. Stop reading this article, unless your coach says it's okay. Become a robot. Learn how to sit when coach says sit. Train your body and mind to react without thinking. React when coach says lift, react when coach says eat, react when coach says more weight, react, react, react. Train your body to understand two things in life, snatch and clean and jerk. If you can do more than 10 pull ups then some thing's wrong. If you can still bench press over 300 pounds after a few years of weightlifting, then get the fuck out of my gym and stop wasting my time. Become the weakest person on earth, but the strongest weightlifter in the world. The minute you understand that there is no such thing as over training, is the minute you will learn how to train. The minute you learn how to train, is the minute your body will finally break down. The minute your body finally breaks down, is the minute you will rebuild. The minute you rebuild is the minute you will become a monster. The minute you become a monster is the minute you will become numb. The minute you become numb is the minute you become a weightlifter.... or better yet...... a vet. This takes time and dedication. This takes a lot of trust, for your body will tell you different. Your body disagrees with this blog whole heartily. The devil in a red dress will try to make love to you, will you? Or will you punch her in the throat and trust my words, trust your coach, and not trust yourself?
The day the bar body slams you into the platform from falling on your back is a good day, a day that gets you just that much closer to becoming a vet. Young rookie, the day you bomb out at a meet, is a great day, a day and feeling you will never forget. A bomb out is a day that will harden your skin, harden your hook grip, harden your heart, and harden your mind. Living broke only to spend the money you have on food for recovery is a rich day, a day that will make your training even that much better when you have rubber band stacks in the trunk of your car to spend on better food, massages, etc. Coming from the bottom always tastes better when you reach the top. Young rookie, I am not done yet. And I hope you asked your coach before reading this because my words mean nothing compared to your coach, I'm just another schmuck online typing words.
Let's talk haters. The more people who hate you, the better you will become. Bath in the negativity, love it, dream about it, inject it in your veins, and then go train with it. Taking a negative and turning it into a positive = vet. Taking negative feedback and looking at it as negative = young rookie. Remember young rookie, the only thing that matters in life is coach, everything else is just.... fuel.
Becoming numb is one of the hardest parts to becoming a vet. Becoming numb is teaching your mind to stop sweating the small stuff, and then big stuff, and only focusing on training. Stop thinking about how you did yesterday, or even last rep, to become numb means only focusing on the lift ahead of you. Nothing else matters. Learning how to clear your mind to only focus on each lift is one of the hardest things I have ever had to learn, and am still working on to this day. Young rookie, stop...... and just lift.
Learn how to get your balls broke. Train with me, and I'll break you down like a mother fucker. I'll be talking so much shit in training you'll want to run home crying. I'll call you out in front of the whole team and coach. Why you ask? I'll tell you why, it's what Donny did to me, and what I will to do you, young rookie. The day I took it, is the day I learned how to get off my high horse, face reality, face life, face people stronger than me, face myself, and the day I became a man. If you can't take some shit talking from a few vets, then this sport will have you for dinner young rookie. Shut your mouth, learn how to take it, put your head down, and train. The day will come when you have a good enough resume to break a rookie down only to build him up. Thank you Shankle for breaking me down and yelling at me to get the fuck out of your gym. It's the best thing anyone has ever done for me. Guess what Shankle, I never left, and now because of you, this once young rookie is now a vet.
Thank you to my coach Glenn Pendlay, and my teammate Donny Shankle for graduating me from young rookie to hardened vet. Salute to all the young rookies out there. Put your heads down and become champions.
Friday max out day! The first video with team Commentary! We miss you COACH black beard!
ATTITUDE NATION!!!!
The Blog written below is by Brandon Petersen, the owner of CrossfitFree. Thank you Brandon. I have nothing else to say, I am speechless..........Fucken thank you brother.
A Saturday in North Country…
Let’s start by saying this past Saturday with Jess & Jon North was nothing short of amazing. The Seminar has its reputation for being energetic, knowledgeable and somewhat out of control. It far exceeded its reputation. It calls for PR’s and that’s what is delivered. People learn. They enjoy every minute of this seminar and things hit home. This is what you want for your athletes and what you hope is delivered. We can attest- it is, in surplus. 8am Saturday Morning. Dylan arrives at my place to join me in picking up Jess and Jon at their hotel. Yes, Dylan is considerably early, but this I figured, being picking up Jess and Jon North prob ranks as the top 5 moments in Dylan’s life (somewhat joking. But whether they know it or not, Dylan is Attitude Nations biggest fan BY FAR). We arrive at their hotel at around 8:15 or so, about half hour early. At this point, we decide to geek out on Attitude Nation YouTube clips in the car, getting completely pumped up for this day and what it was to bring to our community- why message; we are early, no worries. . . I message them we arrived a few early at like 8:35. 8:45 Jon messages down they are running a few late, sorry. Be down in 5-10. “slept in”. Jon, are you serious? First off, sorry? Come on now. Attitude Nation, *uck time. . . it’s your show. In all seriousness . . . there was no apology needed. But yet he did, showing me that his popularity hasn’t gone to his head. Our first face to face meeting with Jon and Jess, we knew this was going to be a day to remember at CFF. Super energetic, down to earth . . . just great f’n people! We head straight to load up on Miss Brown Eyes before heading to the gym. The questions start… and unlike some people at high levels in certain sports, Jon & Jess are not selling a secret solution with a spin. They believe in what the preach whole heartedly and carry it through. Every question asked, was answered with an honest answer and in some cases, an “I don’t know”. We arrive at the gym about half hour to 15 minutes early. Naturally people are looking to introduce themselves, shoot the shit, etc. Prior to starting the seminar, Jess has to get her squats in. . . Shooting for a few PR’s today. The girls watch in awe as she starts to climb in weight . . .Hell, the guys watch in awe, as she out lifts most of them probably with her lifts. Some amazing strength shown by Jess and was awesome to kick the day off with people seeing just what was possible! Right from the opening introduction, you can see how passionate Jon is about Weightlifting… Very open minded, very personal and very informing. He explains where he came from, paths he had chosen, the good the bad, the great people, along with the pricks he encountered along the way. From the opening of the seminar, you cannot help but be fired up. His energy spreads through the room very quickly. You can see people starting to get antsy. . . the more he talks, the more they want to slam bars and make these lifts. “*uck!!!!! Jon North is here; get a barbell in my hand!” Yet, you continue to listen to the stories, the intro, and the information and take it all in. Things hit home for a lot of people as Jon describes some of the obstacles he has faced and overcome. Some great one liners are thrown out there; some great laughs and people are ready to go! The technical side of things starts with the Snatch. We spend most of the day working the Snatch, breaking it down, step by step (all 3 to be exact). The Group A/B method with this seminar works PERFECTLY! Hell, the competition within the seminar was already starting, and we had at most a 45# bar in our hands. The Shit talking had begun! We run through drill after drill. . . step after step. Jon and Jess run this so smooth, it’s unreal. That is the unexplainable part with this write up; you will simply have to attend their seminar to see how easily you can learn these positions and steps. (Granted, you will have to spend tons of time mastering them, but that’s life. Suck it up, get some coffee and get on the *ucking horse. Jon and Jess wander the room, watching mostly all lifts. It’s amazing how they coach and que. They never over coach, which I think is the magic in their coaching. They seem to know exactly what to say and when to say it. We had so many PR’s within our group I can’t even count. People who were NEVER introduced to this way of weightlifting, still carrying on with their scarecrow/pull and pray method- set PR’s with their first introduction to this way of lifting. Can you believe it? Our members are fortunate that we have been moving this way for quite some time. Teaching these methods, “BACK BACK BACK, not UP, wtf! It’s not 1960 anymore. . .come on!” That’s me venting via post here. Lunch breaks after a Max Out session with the Snatch.. . naturally, we choose Chipotle. The fact that Jon and Jess were big fans of Chipotle, pretty much just solidified our Weightlifting Wednesday routine was the way to go and we will live by this ritual till we die. Typical New England though. . . a 15 min car ride turns to 30 each way, due to random car accidents (most likely people who didn’t have their miss brown eyes as of yet). Following lunch, it’s Clean & Jerk Time. People are now looking to nap following lunch, but the second Jon calls everyone in, fire lights up in the eyes. Another movement, more awesome tips and more bar slamming; we are all in! This segment runs like the first, seamless. . . great one liners (see our twitter for a lot of them that were shared real time). The drills and que’s are so well laid out; no one seems to be missing a beat on these. Even the people who came in with very little experience in the Snatch / Clean & Jerk, are finding a rhythm with these drills. They are “getting it” and loving every minute of it. Following the drills and technique work, its MAX Out time once again! Just like the Snatch session, PR’s are being called out left and right! This is unbelievable. We end up running late with the seminar due to the number of PR attempts by so many people …many of which were made lifts, may I add? The show wraps up with the handing out of the Certs, Picture time, some Q & A and goodbyes. The energy doesn’t stop till the bay doors close and all are gone. Dylan joined me in dropping Jess and Jon off as they were flying out that night. Some great conversation on the way regarding particular views on certain subjects; business, shoe preference, training preference, old versus new etc. Like I said in the beginning, it’s not a closed book and I think that’s what people in the seminar appreciate most. Honesty! Unbiased opinions, open mindedness and passion beyond imaginable for the sport of Weightlifting. I am attending another Attitude Nation Seminar in MA in November, simply for more time under the barbell with Jon and Jess. We are also having them back up for a 2nd Attitude Nation Seminar at CrossFit Free early next year! We will continue to grow our Weightlifting Club and follow Attitude Nation/MDUSA on their journey. Attitude Nation Salute to Jon and Jess for running an amazing seminar, leaving everyone looking for more and with the bug of weightlifting taunting them daily now. CrossFit Owners, Strength & Conditioning Facilities – BOOK an ATTITUDENATION seminar within your place. Help grow the Weightlifting community around the US the RIGHT way. Your members/athletes deserve it. . . and so does USA Weightlifting! SALUTE!
Time to write. Hello, Dark Orchestra. It's good to see you again. The steam from my tea swirls with an orange glow from the little candle I light before I type. A light that I cannot write without. A feeling that goes hand in hand with pulling out your stomach and throwing your guts against the wall. A feeling which you had no idea was there in the first place. Music, tea, coffee, and now this flickering light are not just mood setters, but necessities. Dark is good, black is comforting, the night time is my peace from war. The light piercing under the door makes me glad I am in this dark office, and not out in the normal chaos we call life. This is when I am most alive, right now with you, on this dark fucken stage that echos my thoughts to the second story where the skeletons play our life's soundtrack. A smokey mirror that reminds me where I came from, and what still lies inside me. A stage full of beds where monsters play chess. A place where vodka tears fall from our eyes while we watch home videos. Hand prints on our faces from "I wish I could do it over" moments. Play time with thousands of airless footballs. Incomplete puzzles leading back to middle school. Something as simple as asking her to dance, but never committing. Or as powerful as losing a friend you loved so dearly. Scattered splashes of beer stain the black stage floor while reaching out for your ankles, screaming to stay, and to never leave the party. A glass house is what surrounds this orchestra, a fragile reminder of what lies outside those doors. Who we truly are, and what we are capable of doing. A scary thought that explains why we volunteer ourselves to this slave labor we call weightlifting.
Slam this bar with pride young man. Kick the weights 'til your toes bleed. Smear your bloody hands all over the platform. Cover your face with chalk as you cover your face from crying. Let it out! This is not weightlifting! This is counseling! Come on kid, slam this bar, go ahead, it's ok, let it rip! Fuck your old counselor, and guess what, fuck you. Yea, I said it. It's time for someone to break down that over sensitive wall you have built around yourself. It's time to learn how to break balls and break these weights. Break your bad thoughts and your self doubt. Break your meth pipe and that bottle you have in your hand. It's time to break you down to build you back up. Just like Shankle did to me. Now it's my turn to fuck you up, and make a man out of you. It's the weight's turn. Everything else failed.... right? Now it's time for these weights to fall upon your back only for you to stand stronger. Get beat down, go through the pain, bleed, fight, cry, bath in your own self pity, go ahead, get it out of the way. Your new role model is you and this bar. Nothing else. I don't care about your other dreams, shut up and lift. Lift this weight while lifting your head high, higher, higher, fucken higher! Good, now drop the weight just like your father dropped you! Slam this bar 'til you puke all over yourself. Get the demon out, smash your fucken head against the wall until you taste your blood dripping down your face. Learn how to love your own blood, learn how to love yourself. Find yourself by beating yourself. Find you while you break this bar. Yes! THAT'S IT! Now grab this violin and play with the skeletons on the second floor. You will play music you never knew you could young man, I promise. Raise your hands and become you. You are you and you love it. Lift this weight the same way you are going to lift life. Smash this weight the same way you are going to smash your demons. No one will understand you better than this bar. No one will support you more than this sport. No one will be more truthful than these weights. Nobody loves you more than you. You young man, welcome to the Dark Orchestra, welcome to your new life.
Welcome to Strength not weakness. Welcome to more bad days than good days, and learning to deal with bad days to get to good days. Welcome to a bad day meaning good, and not just a wasted bad day you call yourself. Take this step away from yourself, and enter the no comfort zones. A house of pain, a bed of nightmares, but a life of achiving. A life full of team mates you can now call brothers. A coach you can now call a father figure. A support group that will never let you fall, but will always let you fail, for failing is apart of this sport, apart of life. Your old veiw on failing has now changed forever. Failing is good, its real, its the best advice you could ever recieve. A wise man named Adam Hall once said, "I am the greatest contracter in the world, and I love it". This changed my life forever. Thank you Adam for your always motivating words and actions. Thank you Shankle for breaking me down to build me up. Thank you coach for not only being my coach, but fulfilling another role I need so desperatly. Thank you mom for etending all my soccer and football games. Thank you Jim for the values you taught me. Thank you Lexy for being happy. Thank you to my lovely Wife for saving me and loving me. Thank you Dark Orchestra for giving me a home. Thank you for readin this.
Writer's block. Wait....... hold on now...... yes, this song is the one. Let the goose bumps rise! Let me turn up the volume, good...... prefect. Now if you could give me just a second to finalize the mood while I take my first sip from miss brown eyes' lips so that the Dark Orchestra style of writing can activate in full effect. Here we go........................................................ ah, thank you. Now let me smash my fucken head though this computer screen. I will pop my head through to say hello, hello. Good moving on. Now I will drink 5 pounds of N.O. Explode while training at my old bodybuilding gym back in college. All by myself, with so much built up thoughts, drive, ideas and emotions that I could only show through the mirror in front of me. Curl, curl, curl, ha, ha, ha, ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So mad I was, but why? The weights make a thud as they hit the rubber floor below me. Get the fuck off me bro. Mean I tell you, mean is what I was and still am. I had no idea what I wanted to be, no idea at all. Get off me bro. A lost kid with the world in his chest. They didn't like me, fuck it, I didn't like them. I'll tell you what though, the weight room likes me. The weight room is my dad, coach, role model, classroom, bedroom, cry room, a fuck you world room, a get off me bro room. Always on my last and toughest rep I would think to myself, just one day I am going to get you life, grab you by the fucken neck and kill you. One day this angry kid will rise, and when I do, I am taking everyone down, and the ones who cared for me, with me. Every tear that fell down my face, a mirror broke from my hand, and every hand I broke, I had to pay the gym owner back. But I always came back. Hello you sons of bitches, the freak is back, the daddy issues kid has arrived, and I am ready to punch the bag in the corner, jump rope 'til my nose bleeds, and get MY FUCKEN BRO DAY ON BABY! HA! Back and bi day, chest and shoulders, more N.O. EXPLODE, more Cutler videos, more pumps, more food and more mirror smashing. More fights I got into, more protein powder that I swallowed down by using the water fountain. Disgusting, but who cares. The taste never bothered me, because the nasty taste in my mouth throughout the day was 10 times worse. A big F on my forehead is what I was reminded of everyday. A failure in school, a failure in football, and a failure with my father. Tah, Protein...... get off me bro, are you serious with this shit? I worked at a supplement store once, and I thought I was going to jump on the back of the next "tough guy" that asked if I had grape in stock yet. Get off me bro. Are you serious?
Treadmill walking while the local news played behind me. 1AM and for some reason there is always you and that one last guy in the very back of the gym, still training, still crying, why are we crying you ask? Well I'll tell yea, because me and this other sad guy are in the gym at 1AM on a Friday while the rest of the world is cheering at the bar or watching a movie with their family. Isn't it funny that the last guy in the whole gym never speaks to you, never says a word the whole time working out and while leaving? When the place is busy during prime time, everyone says "hey". This has always intrigued me. Why don't the lost and sad individuals like myself ever speak to me........ shit..... but then again, I never spoke to them. I am them and they are me. Holy shit this is fucken crazy. I wonder what the "last guy" thought about me? I wonder if he is at home writing a blog about me........o shit...... wait........... or better yet, reading this blog! Hello are you out there! If you are reading this, if it's really you out there, let me say just one thing to you Mr. Last Guy in the gym with me who never spoke to me and always seemed to walk past my treadmill about 5 minutes before I left making the gym creepy and even more depressing, I am here for you if you ever need me. I hope you feel the same towards me. We must stick together, even though we don't know each other, because the world doesn't understand us. We understand each other, better than we both might ever imagine. Our goals might be different, or paths of life might lead in different ways, our movie taste might not be the same, but we are always the last two guys in the gym for a reason, and that reason is...... I don't know. I can't answer such a huge question like that, it's beyond the human mind. Or maybe just beyond this F stamped mind school has labeled me as. All I know is that we have an understanding that no one can take away, or understand. I will never get a chance to talk to you, why? Because if we talk to each other we are breaking the gym rule, and the gym rules are everything. Break them, and you have no home. I will see you again as you walk past me, and a small smile will come over my face as I confidently drink more coffee.
The Dark Orchestra lives in the late night gym. We train better when the "social butterflies" leave to go grab their fucken grape protein shakes. Turn up the local news that has played over and over again. Let the vacuum from the janitor bring you peace while you curl your pain to your chest while you sway back and forth with that look of "get off me bro" on your face. This is BRO NATION, this is ATTITUDE NATION, this is when bodybuilders and weightlifters come together and take over the world. We can all relate to being freaks, outcasts, emotional basket cases, and YES........ the LAST MOTHER FUCKERS IN THE GYM.
Brand new episode of "Weightlifting Talk". We had fun on this one. Plus, Wednesdays training below of a very tired and beat down team, but still pushing through to grab a few PR's.
This is the first week in a while where the Attitude Nation is not conducting a Cert. Even though I am sad not being able to slam bars with my fellow Attitude Soldiers, I am excited to take this weekend to do absolutely nothing.......nothing at all.....just typing the word nothing puts a smile on my face. Salute, and have a great weekend.
A great picture of my old team mate Caleb Ward, and of course the black beard himself...Coach.
Last but not least, My beautiful and always strong Wife Jessica gets a 91kg C&J PR!
