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Although I love weightlifting, and it is a very important part of my life, I am also a busy person with many other interests outside the gym. 5/3/1 allows me to get in, get the work done and get out in a reasonable time, while still making excellent progress over the span of the year.

I had decided January 2016 that I was finally sick of it. I had jumped on the crossfit train for several years and it ended with stupid injuries that were avoidable. I had tried power athlete for a while, but don't have 4 1/2 hours to workout everyday.

I returned to 5/3/1 but modified it depending on my work schedule. The only hardline constants I focused on was hitting the numbers for that day...

The USPA Oregon State Powerlifting Championships, run by long-time friend and Forum member Ric Rabourn, was held on December 3-4, 2016 at Hallmark Resort Newport. We sponsored the meet and had special N.O.V awards for two lifters to be decided by Ric not necessarily by pound for pound success but by overall excellence.

Without a doubt, the strongest and best lifters in the world have consistently busted their ass in the weight room. For decades. Not weeks, not a year, but decades. There are genetic freaks out there that achieve a high level of strength quickly, but comparing yourself to them is unfair and will probably drive you out of the sport and into a 10-year Pop Tarts & Vicodin bender. Now, consistency doesn't always mean they're going balls out, every day. It means they chip away slowly, but surely.

One of the keys of doing grip work is to make it economical - there is no point in doing direct grip work when you can EASILY add to an exercise you would already be doing. And the BIGGEST excuse is "but I can do more weight if I don't use overhand grip or X". Well, guess what? If your grip ain't strong, it won't matter what you can tug. You are simply WEAK. Get over your own ego and do things right.

Basically, we kicked the rest of the world’s butt, stole their lunch money and slept with their girlfriends when it came to track cycling. When the performance director was asked by the outside media about the key practices they had implemented in pursuit of this success, he told them with a bone dead straight face that they had super round laser cut wheels which gave them a major speed advantage. The morons lapped it up. The foreign newspapers printed the story. Everyone laughed...

For years, people have championed a gallon of whole milk/day as a great way to get stronger and bigger. And it works. Very well. Growing up and learning about training, I was pretty well insulated from training knowledge. We had to use our limited experience, common sense and work ethic as well as actively seeking mentors. I never really heard of the milk theory until well into college. At that time, if I was going to drink anything it was going to be a beer or a shot. So I wasn't going to waste time with milk. However, I did need to eat, and eat I did. Like most young men into training and football, I never ate for pleasure (yes, there was a time eating wasn't an emotional or moral issue with people.) I ate for a purpose and that purpose was to get bigger, stronger and to ultimately get better at football. And with a small budget...

Question: Just got done reading your 531 book. Looking forward to doing this. One question for now. What the heck is vag?

6 Week Training Template for size: So this template is not easy but it is very doable – but only if you are dedicated to making it happen. “Dedicated” doesn’t just mean that you want to do it; it means you are dedicated to doing what it takes to get it done and that means EATING right. I had 4 people run this and all of them ate like champions – all ate at least..

I started lifting at 16 (now 22) and so far you have gotten a naturally skinny kid with no athletic potential from 155lbs to 200lbs with a 250lb bench, 440lb deadlift and 375lb Squat. You even inspired me to compete in my first meet last year which was a great experience.

But there is another thing that makes a person with passion so damn awesome: They tend to stay the hell out of your business. This is because they are too damn busy to gossip, to force their shit down your throat. Their ego isn't so big that they claim to know what to do with your money, your time, your beliefs. Hell, there are actually adults out there telling OTHER ADULTS what words they can or cannot say. The ego on people these days. Unbelievable.

This the second half of the Instagram Q/A - lots of questions and my soft, gentle answers.  When in doubt: squat and run hills (or just run).