NEW LOOK

The the new look of my blog represents my new outlook on training; starting now. 

Simple is what I'm after. 

One thing I know about myself is that if there is any question about what to do or how to do it; I'll do nothing.  Or, I'll go gonzo trying to max out on reps or weight.  In other words, I can be trusted to train myself. 

A trainer I respect advised me to steer clear of programs.  Simply say, "No thank you, I don't need your program."  What I'm sure he must have meant is, "I don't need your gimmick."  I can't see the harm in having a plan, in the form of someones program, so that Matt Cannon is not trying to reinvent the wheel.  Which if I am to be charged with creating a program, it should be marketed it as How to handicap yourself in a matter of weeks!  I'm sure it would go gangbusters if Tony Horton hosted.

5/3/1 is the simplest program I have ever seen.  The reason it appeals to me right now is because it seems like a simple plan that could be called "Weights 101."  It's not really even a program.  He didn't really do anything except show you how make a plan using Microsoft Excel.  It's simple and dummy-proof. 

I am essentially a beginner.  I don't know what to do, really.  I can't move a lot of weight.  I have not trained major lifts since high school.  I need a heaping helping of basic.  And this seems like a plan I can handle.  Three days per week.  If I have to get in, do the major lifts and get out--I think that will still be really good for me.  Because it's better than nothing which is what I've been doing for the better part of 14 years.  (And it's frightening that I've been out of high school that long!)

This is going to be my focus for the foreseeable future.  For the first time ever, I will work in grip exercises when possible.  And guess what--I expect any grip exercise I care about to go up at the same time.  Currently the grip exercises I care about are grippers, 2HP, and axle.  That's about it.  Meat and potatoes.  Basic. 

Finally, my infatuation with Battersea Power Station ties all this together for me.  It's an iconic fixture for my first love in music--Pink Floyd.  It's simple and symmetric in design, built like a fortress, and it's a damn power plant.  For these reasons, when I look at Battersea Power Station, I think about hard work, energy, and generating PRs.  I want these simple things from my training.