1) Years ago, living in Tokyo, while I was: seeking my independence, reading as much as I could about training, philosophy, psych, and the classics....training as hard as I always have and discovering the qualities and virtues of people I admire and aspire to be like in shaping my own character.... I came across one of the most valuable sayings: "YOU ARE THE SUMMATION OF THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE MOST." I believe it fully. Whether the person was your childhood friend or even your favourite uncle...if they have more negative qualities that you despise and very little beneficial contributions to your character...eliminate. And is someone fills your life with light, motivates you, and shows you how to be ambitous to your desires...keep em. period. Like choosing goals, choosing heroes, mentors, and even 'enemies' is equally as important.
2) As the second saying on this blog is: "HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO RUN WITH THE WOLVES AT NIGHT IF YOU SPEND ALL DAY STUNTIN WITH THE PUPPIES."
This saying is from the HBO series THE WIRE and spoken by a character named Omar who was simply one of the most badass motherfuckers with the audacity or gall to rob the dealers on a regular basis. The saying is self explanatory and I could not agree with it more fully.
I would rather be a gorilla with a couple hairs turning silver and constantly getting put in my place by the Silverback/Alpha...than a fucking Chimp amongst baboons. A pitbull amongst other pitbulls, rotties, dobes, german sheps, pres canerios, mastiffs, bulldogs etc....than a retriever amongst pomeranians and chihuahuas.
If I, one day, decided to take up MMA, I would seek out the baddest motherfuckers, who were bigger, faster, stronger, and technically the best...who no matter how hard I tried, I could never beat them.... because that is how one gets better.... any idiot could find a bunch of kids to kick the shit out of...but I'd need to learn how to NOT GET MY ASS KICKED. "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger." Is the Neitzche quote at the beginning of the first movie I ever remember watching....CONAN.
Relating this to my present chosen discipline: POWERLIFTING.
I have 2 training partners. Willie Albert (181lbs) and Kade Weber(242lbs). Willie and I squat well over triple bodyweight and Kade is close(he's 21 and hit 640 at his last meet, give him another month). We all bench over double bodyweight. And we all deadlift well over triple bodyweight: Me-744, Kade-750, and Willie-727 >> 4 times his bodyweight.
When I first started powerlifting, less than 3 years ago my squat was my best lift at 640lbs, my bench decent at 407 lbs, and my deadlift was my worst at 617lbs. Training with a fucker I outweighed by 40 lbs and him pulling 683 at the time was very humbling. And then going to Russia and competing against Belyaev, I crossed an ocean and didn't even win a medal. Belyaev showed me that whatever notion I had about limits on myself, whatever my standards were, needed to RAISE THE FUCK UP.
Focusing on powerlifting, my squat has since then continued to rise as I added 76 lbs over 2 years to my squat, 56 lbs to my bench, and 127 lbs to my deadlift!! Train with one of the best deadlifters....your deadlift will go up. I consider myself to be one of the best squatters and all of our squats go up. Kade holds the WPC Junior World Record in the 242 class for, the SQUAT, DEADLIFT, AND TOTAL. Is that any surprise?!?!?! He trains with two of the best squatters and deadlifters in the country.
Greg Doucette IS Canada's best bench presser...and his protege Scott Bernard...Junior World record in the...yup BENCH PRESS. These are not coincidental. Technique isn't the only thing that is contagious....attitude is. Like the bulgarian weightlifting program...those who could handle it became champions, and those who who couldn't quit...and they were replaced by future champions.
There are those who like being the big fish in a small pond...they are the same fish that shrivel once being exposed to the open waters. There are big fish in big waters who never back down to anything...and in these waters there are also big fish seeking other big fish to test themselves against.
My very first powerlifting meet was at the Canadian Powerlifting Federations National Championships(Raw & Equipped). I remember stepping on the scale at 231 lbs and Clint Harwood(800+lbs equipped bencher), saying, "231 right smack dab in the middle of two weight classes." to which I replied..."YUP." I didn't care, I just wanted to post some numbers.
But I remember hearing something despicable. A friend whom I defriended for many reasons, (most to do with not wanting to surround myself with characteristics I do not wish to posses), was whining because a friend did not make his weight cut and they would be in the same weightclass. This guy was whining because he wouldn't get a medal handed to him... all I think is...."baby need a bottle?!"....BE A MAN....in trying to get better we should be SEEKING OUT COMPETITION.
There are those who like being the big fish in a small pond...they are the same fish that shrivel once being exposed to the open waters. There are big fish in big waters who never back down to anything...and in these waters there are also big fish seeking other big fish to test themselves against.
My very first powerlifting meet was at the Canadian Powerlifting Federations National Championships(Raw & Equipped). I remember stepping on the scale at 231 lbs and Clint Harwood(800+lbs equipped bencher), saying, "231 right smack dab in the middle of two weight classes." to which I replied..."YUP." I didn't care, I just wanted to post some numbers.
But I remember hearing something despicable. A friend whom I defriended for many reasons, (most to do with not wanting to surround myself with characteristics I do not wish to posses), was whining because a friend did not make his weight cut and they would be in the same weightclass. This guy was whining because he wouldn't get a medal handed to him... all I think is...."baby need a bottle?!"....BE A MAN....in trying to get better we should be SEEKING OUT COMPETITION.
I remember wanting so badly to break the 700 lb squat. It wasn't until I found out that SAM BYRD would be at RUM IV that I got nervous about not being able to squat enough to keep up with the competition. I knew I needed to squat more to not let him pull too far away because our benches would be close and I'd need to out deadlift him. He got injured and didn't post his best numbers.... But I posted a PR squat and a PR dead....
Although this sport is an intrinsic sport, a YOU vs YOU sport...the level of competition still plays a major role. I will never understand people who go to small meets and win their trophy and then call themselves a champion...it doesn't make any sense to me nor should it. To me it requires the person to either be extremely stupid/naive...or have a high capacity to 'doublethink' in order to say "I am a champion because I avoid facing any real competition."
That is why I love the idea of what Jason Manenkoff, his uncle Gary Branfman, and Chris Pappillion are doing with Team Branfman.
Jason Manenkoff
Noriko Kariya
Chris Pappillion
Adam Hires
Sam Byrd
Jay Nera
Shae Jones
Scott Smith
Garrett Griffin
Noriko Kariya
Chris Pappillion
Adam Hires
Sam Byrd
Jay Nera
Shae Jones
Scott Smith
Garrett Griffin
A pack of large hungry wolves who aren't scared to go hard. Every single dude in this picture will fight for that last piece of meat down to the bone of the carcass when it's feeding time. One cannot take a feast for granted. So we will all make each other step up our games....
As for the hot chick...we all lift better when there's hot chicks around.
As for the hot chick...we all lift better when there's hot chicks around.
As a part of this team.....Now I know that every meet I go to, whether I compete in the 220's or the 242's that any squat less than 700 is unacceptable, any bench less than 450 is unacceptable, and any dead less than 700 is unacceptable...AND I'M TALKING ABOUT OPENERS.....YES OPENERS.
We all love animal stories: The Defeated Lion
THE LEADER OF THE PRIDE LOST THE BATTLE AGAINST A STRONGER, MORE AGGRESSIVE AND SUPERIOR ALPHA LION....
HE WOULD NO LONGER LEAD THE PRIDE...
AND SO HE WAS CAST AWAY....LIMPING, BLEEDING, SCARRED.
ON HIS PATHLESS JOURNEY HE CAME ACROSS A GROUP OF FIERCE HYENAS...
THE HYENAS FEELING STRONG IN THEIR NUMBERS PESTERED AND TOYED WITH THE INJURED LION....
THE LION SEIZED ONE OF THEM AND SEVERED IT'S SPINE BETWEEN HIS JAWS....CRUSHING IT, KILLING HIM INSTANTLY
FEROCIOUS VIOLENCE AND EFFICIENT POWERFUL AGGRESSION.
THE ONCE FIERCE HYENAS WERE NOW STUCK FROZEN WITH FEAR.
AND SO HE KILLED THEM ALL....ONE BY ONE.
"FOOLS!" THOUGHT THE LION, "NO MATTER HOW FIERCE THEY ARE AND DEFEATED I MAY BE, THEY ARE STILL HYENAS AND I AM STILL A FUCKING LION!!"
RUM V BABY!!! NOTHING BUT CHAMPIONS VS CHAMPIONS!!!...
We all love animal stories: The Defeated Lion
THE LEADER OF THE PRIDE LOST THE BATTLE AGAINST A STRONGER, MORE AGGRESSIVE AND SUPERIOR ALPHA LION....
HE WOULD NO LONGER LEAD THE PRIDE...
AND SO HE WAS CAST AWAY....LIMPING, BLEEDING, SCARRED.
ON HIS PATHLESS JOURNEY HE CAME ACROSS A GROUP OF FIERCE HYENAS...
THE HYENAS FEELING STRONG IN THEIR NUMBERS PESTERED AND TOYED WITH THE INJURED LION....
THE LION SEIZED ONE OF THEM AND SEVERED IT'S SPINE BETWEEN HIS JAWS....CRUSHING IT, KILLING HIM INSTANTLY
FEROCIOUS VIOLENCE AND EFFICIENT POWERFUL AGGRESSION.
THE ONCE FIERCE HYENAS WERE NOW STUCK FROZEN WITH FEAR.
AND SO HE KILLED THEM ALL....ONE BY ONE.
"FOOLS!" THOUGHT THE LION, "NO MATTER HOW FIERCE THEY ARE AND DEFEATED I MAY BE, THEY ARE STILL HYENAS AND I AM STILL A FUCKING LION!!"
RUM V BABY!!! NOTHING BUT CHAMPIONS VS CHAMPIONS!!!...
