Hey Spain, Real Classy!

Wow, what year is it?

Here:

Racism still alive they just be concealin' it... (or not even trying to conceal it at all!)
-K. West

Found My Favorite

Shot from the Contra Costa. I saw Kevin Levrone hit this shot at the 1998 Grand Prix, and I was like, eh, I'll give it a shot.
(Quality's a lil crappy, it's a screen cap from my phone.)

Long Live Sport

I been watching the olympics all weekend, and saw this nike spot. Crazy. I'll be writing more about the olympics later.

Prejudging, May 08

So I've already posted my night routine during the finals, but judging happens in the morning, where there's less fanfare and hooplah, and the judges can take their time and really assess the competitors physiques.

Here is the video

If you cant find work in your meaning...

find meaning in your work.

I've oft flirted with the prospect of training people and helping them achieve their health and fitness goals, but science is my trade.

Today I read that Randy Pausch, who recently died of pancreatic cancer, took 2 drugs, Avastin and Tarceva, that my company discovered.

When he passed I felt a great sadness, but knowing that the effort my company put forth may have extended his life for even one day, but likely many more, brings me peace and imbues my daily toiling with much more meaning.

I believe when you change your body you can definitely change your life; I can't say that I'll never pursue the training gig, but helping a skinny guy get buff or a fat lady get skinny will never hold a candle to giving a good man more time with his family.

I quit

For all who have wondered if they could enjoy the benefits of exercise without the pain of exertion, the answer may one day be yes — just take a pill that tricks the muscles into thinking they have been working out furiously.

HERE:
(Thanks Geoff)

Hard-core:

Hard-core
-adjective

1. unswervingly committed; uncompromising; dedicated
2. pruriently explicit; graphically depicted
3. being so without apparent change or remedy; chronic

This is what minding my own business in my cube looks like, if you needed a visual.

So I'm sitting in my cube on Friday, minding my own business and having another light hearted chat with John. It's my last day of training before I take some time off. It's also my final date with deadlifting 405 (that's 4 plates per side,) which laughed at me last time and hardly moved.

"I've made a decision" says John.
"Oh ya, what's that?"
"I'm gonna come lift with you, need to help you get that 405 up," He responds.

One thing about John is that the guy is a driver. He drives to and from LA like it's nothing. The bay area is practically his second home.

I thought that John would come through, bring some clothes and some protein, and stay a while. But trip is something different: no pleasure, all business.

"So you're going to stay a while?"
"Nope, just here to lift," then back on that 101 to 152 to 1.

Our training program relies heavily on intensity- the guy drove 2 hours to lift with me so I really had to bring it, and as a result beat all of my lifts in reps and/or weight.

405 (see pruriently explicit) escaped me, but I did set a personal record at 385. Can't be mad at that, and another epic battle with the iron went down in the record books.

John Cristobal-
-adjective
unswervingly committed, uncompromising, and dedicated!