I'm Nuck'n Futz

something to listen to before you hit the weights

Nothing to do with fitness- Meathead Bachelor Party

So last Saturday a couple of my friends helped me move into my new place and also threw me one hell of a bachelor party.

Beer, intense yelling outbursts, steak, burgers (seasoned with some ridiculously good steak rub), fries, vegetable ka-bobs, and more yelling... i mean i couldn't ask for more to walk out on the single life. I also got a shirt from Cook that read GAME OVER and had a happy bride standing next to a sad face groom with a ball and chain on his foot that I got to wear to the bar that night.

We were able to watch a perfect pre-bar movie (300) and listend to a perfect pre-bar song, which is below.



So by this point, the 1000lbs of meatheads that were pacing around my buddies apartment was ready to power walk around the bar. the night included a slightly buzzed irish jig from me and amon to the song below, a couple bottles thrown, and an overall unmatchable experience.



no one got arrested, puked, got in a fight, or broke anything of value... solid night

Louisville's New Dance

swonk's first try at sumo deadlift

Not bad for the first set of it, check him out at www.swonkdiesel.blogspot.com

MEATHEAD DEBATE Vol.1: Absolute versus Relative Strength

A new series on ASP... THE MEATHEAD DEBATE. I am going to randomly cover controversial topics that come up while I'm lifting or in my office. Whichever the case, I am in my gym. These topics could range from differing points of view and education of both parties, to ridiculous ignorance and one party "sitting down and shutting up," or to eventually agreeing to disagree.

First, I need to make sure all of you are on the same page. Absolute strength would be defined as the heaviest possible weight being pushed or pulled through an entire range of motion. Relative strength would be defined as comparing the amount of weight lifted to that individual's body weight (BW). Confused? Let me elaborate...

Guy 1: Nic Nak
Weight lifted: 205lbs
Nic's BW: 140lbs

Guy 2: Perilous Humphrey III
Weight lifted: 295
Perilous' BW: 210

So, examining the information above... paying close attention to the amount of weight lifted (we will just make these weights lifted for barbell bench press) and each lifter's BW and little attention to their names, we see that Perilous is a bigger guy. Looking at the amount of weight lifted by each meathead shows that Perilous is stronger than Nic, in an absolute sense. He lifts the heavier weight.

Let's assume these are one rep max numbers. To figure out which athlete is stronger in a relative sense, you take weight lifted divided by BW, and multiply by 100.

Weight lifted
BW x 100

Nic= 205
140 x 100= 146.4%
Nic Nak can bench 146% of his BW... let's look at Perilous.


Perilous= 295
210 x 100= 140.5%

Perilous can bench only 141% of his BW. This is when two scenarios could play out... Nic could swiftly kick Perilous in the balls and tell him he is relatively stronger than him. Or Perilous could pick him up and proceed to bench press him several times.

The Debate begins...
So I was watching a guy lift the other day in the gym and he asked for a spot on bench. His name actually happens to be Nic. So we shoot the shit as he reps out his weight... a relatively heavy weight for his body weight. Of course, shooting the shit turns into talking shit.
Conversations lead to some of the following comments:
"Nice weight, little guy"
"Wow, I wish I weighed 215 and could only bench 300 something"
"Hey, are you going to be around later, I need an extra dumbbell"
"When are you going to compete against people in your weight class?"

As the jabs go back and forth, I figured I would cover my thought process in the argument. The most important things are that we both are in the iron game and we both are trying to beat our worst enemies, ourself the last time we lifted.

I want to be as relatively strong as possible while still seeing my absolute strength increase. BW is not a big concern for me. I don't want to go on the McDonald's Supersize Me Diet, but I don't cut weight either. I eat healthy most of the time. Nic is a previous wrestler and his goals focus mainly on being as strong as possible while at his current weight. His absolute number will really only ever top people in his weight class because of his low BW, so his relative strength is very important.

He wants to be strong for his size, I want to move mountains. I believe a combination of the two is important, but they don't have a "World's Relatively Strongest Man" show. However, on the real show "The World's Strongest Man," the largest competitor is Terry Hollands (409.2 lbs or 186kg). A combination of the two, both relative and absolute strength, is vitally important in competition because Mariusz Pudzianowsk, a five time winner of the event, is not the biggest guy, as far as BW goes. But obviously, that hasn't hindered him in competition at all.

I believe a combination of the two strengths is important. I do not compete so my relative strength has no barring on my ego. However, my relative strength is average for a competitor, but I am not to the level of picking up a trophy at a competition. I also am not competing in a weight class where I could show up and set a record because of lack of participants.

Be huge, regardless of your weight.

Directing a Facility

I just started a new job at the University of Kentucky this week. I am the Director of the Underground Fitness center and our attendance is mainly from campus housing. Since 99.3% of campus housing has deserted Lexington, we are left with very few attendees per day. Now the normal, lack-luster human being would take this time to relax, maybe sleep, and add adipose tissue to his body... just happy that he has a job that has a relatively slow start.

I would call the normal, lack-luster human being a lot of things, but mainly smile because he can't keep up in a workout. I'm going to find ways to occupy my time. Reading articles, perfecting my for on various exercises, learning about nutrition and injury prevention, setting new goals, etc.
It doesn't matter if you know me or not, 10 seconds into a conversation (assuming you will meet me) with me and I can guarantee to energize you. I'm like that oxy-clean guy, but for fitness.



this guy could sell somebody cancer. I feel that enthusiasm, intensity, and speaking in a yell at all times are the only way to talk about lifting while lifting. now you can approach me when I am sitting in my office, increasing my knowledge by reading articles through the library database or at www.t-nation.com and I probably won't start a conversation by yelling... but don't put it past me. I can have an intelligent argument with you, but if you repeatedly say ignorant things with nothing to back up your argument except "It's true, Jillian said it." my responses are going to be laced with reasons why everything you just sputtered out to me is wrong.

And lastly, a ridiculous show of human strength is on the video below... for those of you that follow milder sports like cross country, golf, or olympic jump-roping, lifting raw means that the lifter is not wearing a bench press shirt and is only equiped with MASS. check it out

Dedication Statement Concocted Post-Lift

After I hit the weights... this definition of dedication hit me. I immediately put it in my phone's notepad to save my exact thoughts.

Some call it an addiction when act differently without your "fix." Others call it an unhealthy obsession when you have a consistent routine that trumps every other activity. Some people even term it the Adonis Complex or Muscle Dysmorphia when you are completely focused on gaining muscle mass, even though you know that you can never have enough muscle. The true lifter calls these thing dedication.

Muscle is like money... you can never have enough

Importance of Unilateral Training

Uni-what? Unilateral training is a particular way to exercise one group of muscles on one side of your body. Any exercise that does not utilize either arms or both legs or utilizes dumbbells so the movements of both limbs are separate is unilateral training. Unilateral training increases strength of the weaker limb, which leads to an overall heavier lift and a more balanced body. Some examples of unilateral exercises are dumbbell bench (incline, decline, or flat), one-arm dumbbell bench (any variation listed before), step ups, one-legged leg curl, one-legged RDLs, one-arm dumbbell shoulder press, dumbbell row, one-arm lat pull down, etc.

Unilateral training allows for a person to notice strength deficiencies. We have all heard of some one that says their left leg is stronger than their right leg or seen some one on bench press that consistently has the bar concentrically moving up first on the left and the right follows. Even some one that is trying to push evenly on both sides will push more from their stronger side.

Bilateral training would be back and front squat, barbell bench (incline, decline, or flat), barbell shoulder press, etc. Bilateral training is used exclusively in strength competitions because who care how much a person can press with just one arm or leg. However, strengthening your weak points by utilizing unilateral training will help increase you weights for bilateral movements.