What Happened to 2013?

Suddenly it's 2014.
2013 was full, and fast. I just realised it passed without a single post.
A lot has happened.

Training
I finally managed to buckle down and 'Just Do It'.
I've had Training A.D.D. for a long time, but in 2013 I managed to contain it. Mostly.
This meant that although I didn't push my bench into new territory, I reclaimed the previous PR.
(My shoulder issues are now mostly fixed.)
Deadlift was good. I increased my PR to 180kg (395lbs in old money).
Squat is not going very far, but that is due to a bad knee, that will probably never be 100%.
I can still squat 135kg (300lbs), so it's not awful.

Life
New Child.
Career change.
Family Visits.

2014
I recently purchased Simple And Sinister.
I only have one statement to make after reading it: "Buy It. Read It. Apply It."
I have been using it as my base for a month so far, and I can see the benefits already.
This year will continue the Powerlifting Goal Pursuit.
  Deadlift: 205kg (450lbs). This will be more than 2.5 Bodyweight.
  Bench: 135kg (300lbs.)

I'm interested to see if I can make this work. I have a plan. More to follow...

Changing Goals

Life is a tale told by an idiot. (According to Shakespeare anyway).
I'm not so sure I agree, but in a sense we are all idiots.
We strut around the stage, thinking we have it all figured out, only to prove ourselves wrong most of the time.
If you think back on the different goals that you have had throughout life, you will realise that many have changed.
What you wanted out of life at 5 changed when you reached 10, again when you made it to 15, ad infinitum.

This is neither good nor bad, it simply is. And when I look back on my lifting "career", I realise that I've done it several times.
Certain goals are still there, but the priority shifts and changes like the tides.
Strong...Big...Lean...Big And Lean...Strong And Lean... etc.
Lifting weights is constant. Striving to improve is constant. The finer details shift.
As life happens, things change. Sh!t Happens, as they say. You gotta roll with it.
Do I still want to be strong? Hell, yes. Is that all I train for? Hell, No.
I adapt to my age, my lifestyle, my current desires.
I think Long-term AND Short-term, and try to weave it all together into something meaningful.
But, I may wake up tomorrow with a completely new perspective, and that will change everything.
C'est La Vie.
Don't fight it, just work with it...

Progress On The Ultimate Program

Once upon a time I believed in the ultimate program. I KNEW that if I read enough, researched zealously, and applied myself, I would find it.
Then I discovered that there was no way. All paths led to Rome.
But even that didn‘t last.
Now I believe that there is an ultimate way to train. You won‘t get it from a guru-trainer. It will probably not be a cookie-cutter printout from a website. It might be, but probably not.
Don‘t ask me where to find it. I only know where to find mine.
Unfortunately you are going to have to find your own.
Sorry.

Swimming In The Wild Seas

Life is like a box of chocolates...
I‘m sure that everyone is familiar with that quote. I think it may be a little too Hollywood. (i.e. not based in reality).
I say this because I am currently in the firing line of a business restructuring process. This is a fancy way to say that they want to cut employee numbers. Even a chocolate with orange centre (yuk!) is better than losing your job.
I think life is more like the end-result of a collision between a hardware truck and a confectionery van. Then you really wouldn‘t know what you‘re going to get.
And exercise is very similar. You can train with the best plan, and put in all the effort only to discover that you chose the wrong parents for your goals. Or that you can get sweet rewards from little effort.
The problem is you can‘t be sure your results (or lack thereof) are the result of genetics or effort, until you have really given every option a fair chance. That could take years.
So its better to enjoy both the journey and the destination, otherwise you might never look at what you have as a chocolate and not a screw...

What Is Awesome?

The goal with my current training is to be awesome. Or, in my case, MORE Awesome!
But, what is awesome?
For some it is defined by the size of the biceps. “Sun‘s out, guns out!“ But, to others it is defined by weight lifted from the floor. To still others it revolves around GPP abilities (read Crossfit). That is the difficulty with awesomeness. It is defined in the eye of the beholder. To me “Chuck Norris“ might be the epitome of awesome, but to you he might just be some idiot who went “Missing In Action“ (several times!).
So, I have defined my criteria for awesome, and will measure myself against that. The goal is to narrow the gap between where I am now and “Awesome“.
I invite you to do the same. Choose a level of awesome that is within you to achieve. No point trying to be an Awesome Bodybuilder if you are a skinny-fat hardgainer. That will only lead to disappointment. You have to take your limits into account, but don‘t pander to weakness. EG: Oscar Pistorius made it to the Olympics. Awesome. He did not try to take on Usain Bolt in the 100m. That is beyond his actual limitations.
Be realistic, but don‘t be a pansy.
Awesomeness is within reach of us all. It just takes some dedication, hard work, persistance and cojones (metaphorical ones for ladies).
Become Awesome!

Week 2: 20 - 24 August

FRONT SQUAT	88	x	5	:	103
FRONT SQUAT	85	x	7	:	105
BENCH	83	x	5	:	97
BENCH	75	x	5	:	87
HANG CLEAN	65	x	3	:	71
DEADLIFT	130	x	5

Week 1: 13 - 17 August

A slight change to the plan. Included some 5x5 and dropped Press, as my left shoulder is unhappy with it.
Tired of always having one shoulder or the other complaining. I must be getting old or soft. Possibly both.
With the current split some exercises will be done twice a week. Once 531, and once 5x5.

FRONT SQUAT	83	x	5	:	97
FRONT SQUAT	75	x	5	:	87
BENCH	75	x	5	:	87
HANG CLEAN	60	x	5	:	70
DEADLIFT	110	x	5