Hey guys, Nate here. I'm proud to announce that I'm now the Program Director of Scrawny To Brawny. From now on all of my blogs and articles will be posted on the brand-new Scrawny To Brawny Blog. So if you enjoyed what you read here, please go check it out. (It's awesome, if I say so myself.) I'm keeping the NGE website alive for resource reasons, but will no longer be actively updating it. The best way to get in touch with me is through leaving a comment on the Scrawny To Brawny blog or by posting on the S2B Facebook page. See you guys over at the new blog!
Nate's 8 Essential Gym Tools
Tools of Torture and Recovery Elixirs
"What's in there?"
I had just sat down at the protein bar in Gold's Gym and the kid behind the desk was peering over the counter at my gym bag. He was maybe 19 and slightly muscular in that Tobey Maguire in Spiderman kind of way. A week earlier I'd watched him and his girlfriend try deadlifts for the first time. They were on the right track.
I opened my bag, took everything out, and laid it on the counter. He looked confused. Another guy sat down on the stool next to me. "What the hell is all that?"
It was then I knew I needed to write about my essential gym tools and how they help me. (Since this blog gets tens of thousands of hits per month, I know there are bunch of people who could use the inside scoop.)
Let's get one thing clear: the stuff in my bag isn't just stuff. It's essential stuff. It helps me get bigger, stronger, and leaner. It motivates me. It get the knots out and make me pain free. Plus it gives me an excuse to carry around a cool-looking bag without conjuring up thoughts of a man-purse.
So let's go through each item one by one. (If you don't have any of the items I mention, I highly suggest you pick them up.)
Foam Roller
Imagine a muscle as a rubber band. Now tie a knot in it and pull it tight. You have dozens of these little knots (called "trigger points") throughout your body and they're negatively affecting the way move and feel.
Trigger points exist when the muscle fibers can't release from an active, contracted state. They can be very painful, or you may not even know you have them (until you touch them, that is). The best way to become pain-free is to get rid of the knots and "release" the muscle by using a foam roller.
I prefer the short and stubby black one to the long, slender white one. (Read that sentence out loud if you want a good laugh at my expense.) You can buy a badass foam roller here.
The Stick
Another way to release trigger points, although it's not as intense (which some physical therapists believe is a good thing.) Kind of reminds me of a rolling pin. You can get one here.
Chuck-It Tennis Ball
I use the tennis ball to get the spots on my glutes, chest, and upper back that the foam roller can't get to. Don't buy a wussy yellow one, though. You want something harder. I prefer the Chuck-it ball which is a very festive-colored ball made specifically for dogs. Trust me, you'll be barking once you hit a trigger point "hot spot". Pick 'em up here.
Jump Stretch Mini-band
I use this for stretching, activation (like X-band walks), adding a little more difficulty for push-ups, and as a replacement for the triceps extension rope. Also good for snapping at people who crowd the squat rack. Pick one up here.
Anaconda and Mag-10 blend
High-quality protein, creatine, and other good stuff to replenish protein stores and help with recovery and muscle growth. A good, less expensive alternative is Surge Recovery. Pick them both up here.
Jump Rope
I'm not a huge fan of treadmills, bikes, or ellipticals. I'd prefer to flip tires, drag sleds, or jump rope. I prefer the light-weight ropes that hurt like hell when you whip yourself in the big toe. Also, try jumping rope for three minutes straight and tell me it's not a workout. Grab the one I use here.
iPod Touch
I prefer the Shuffle when I'm training at Gold's or any other commercial gym, but when I lift at the Missoula Underground, I plug in my Touch and make the walls shake.
Favorite lifting songs as of right now:
- Till I Collapse by Eminem
- I Made It by Kevin Rudolph
- Anything off Jay-Z's Blueprint 3
- Anything from the Deftones
- Anything from He is Legend
UnderArmour
I swear I should be an UnderArmour sponsored athlete. I wear UA compression shorts, UA Shorts, t-shirts, hats, and sweatshirts. I even have UnderArmour socks. It's just comfortable stuff. One thing I don't do is color coordinate or accessorize. I mean, I'm not John Romaniello or anything.
+++++
What do you think is missing from my gym bag? What kinds of things do you have in yours? Let me know in the comments!
Comments for This Entry
-
Nate - You talk a lot about thing you do for flexibility and mobility such as foam rolling.
Could you maybe post a video demonstrating some of these things? -
@ Scott
Sure thing! I'll see what I can do. -
Ditto what Scott said: I have only heard a little about foam rolling, but would like to see a more detailed explanation of the benefits and some demonstrations. I had never heard of it until I started reading this blog.
I will have to try Under Armor. I keep hearing great things, but just am a skeptic about how different it could be from a regular t-shirt. -
I second Scott's comments, would love to see a guide to foam rolling to ensure myself and other people do it correctly!
-
Of course that book.. build for show, and it never hurts to bring some chalk to the commercial gyms. Fat Gripz are awesome too.
Keep up the good work! -
+1 for Scott's request. We have foam rollers at my gym, but I don't know the first thing about using them.
My bag contains a jump rope, Ipod touch, mouth piece (for sparring sessions), various bandanna's (I don't perspire, I sweat rivers), a couple of towels, and a couple of sets of hand wraps.
I dress at home as I hit the gym around 6:15am, so the rest of the stuff in my gym bag is work or hygiene related. -
Maybe I'm an idiot, or a masochist, but I replaced the tennis ball with a baseball in my bag.
For anyone curious: Yes, it sucks. As does "foam rolling" with a medicine ball. -
Hah, at first when I saw a stick I thought that you are one of these stick spinning guys))))
-
The baseball is very effective, but the seams can be a bit of a pain and don't give you a true roll. I use a lacrosse ball, it's hard as a rock and smooth so it hits all of the areas effectively. I also carry a golf ball to use on the soles of my feet, the smaller size and dimples give you a great massage.
-
Currently:
2 notebooks (one for me, one for the wife)
CW Huge in a Hurry for quick reference
1 Red Jump Stretch Band
1 Purple Jump Stretch Band
2 Green Jump Stretch Bands
1 Black OPTP Foam Roller
1 Stick
1 Tennis Ball (the wife)
1 Lacrosse Ball (me)
Water bottles, pens, etc.
When I take the bag to Karate, I throw my cup in it. -
I'd keep a digital timer, a mixer, and a captains of crush gripper in there as well.
-
Baseball for soft tissue work, weightlifting belt, rope and a carabin for dips and chins, chalk, logbook, pen, straps, wrist wraps, shower gel, razor.
-
Yeah Nate any chance of putting up a video showing what you can do with the foam roller, the chuck it tennis ball is awesome for the back especially around the infraspinatus area.
Like it the way you had a pop at Romaniello..ha ha ha ha -
Chalk, fat grips, belt, iPhone (for music), PWO supps, and log book.
I'm not big on manual SMR and prefer joint mobility instead. Same results without the pain associated with foam rolling and such. -
That's some stash you got there Nate! Great tools! Here is my essential gear which I haul around in a small sachet-type bag (think Indiana Jones not metrosexual fashionista).
1.) My training log and a pen. I've been doing a lot of Charles Staley's EDT work lately, so I definitely need to log my progress.
2.) A timer (see above)
3.) A ziploc baggy with Lysol wipes. The gym has their own spray and paper towels but it's a pain to go back and forth-and they don't always keep it stocked. Yes, I try to wipe down almost everything I touch at the gym-but since my workouts only involve a few pieces of equipment (usually just dumbbells, olympic bar, pull-up bar, dip station, and rowing machine) this doesn't prove to difficult. After wiping, I proceed to killing it!
4.) post-workout powder mix (whey plus maltodextrin and cinnamon)
5.) My stainless steel water bottle. Just picked up a new one, and like those nifty beer bottles, it changes color when it's cold!
P.S: I use a tennis ball to work hard-to-get-at knots in my shoulder and my traps, but I never thought to use sturdier one-thanks for the tip. I'll definitely pick one up, and it'll double as a fetch toy for my canine companion! -
I love this type of post, I get to compare and contrast. I think I've slowly added most of the items in the last "what's in the bag" post from a while ago.
Right now I've got:
-lacrosse ball (my gold's actually has the firm black 'perform better' foam rollers, we must be advanced. I'm also one of two people in the gym that uses it, the other is my wife.)
-"Maximum Strength," "NROL," or "Built for Show" depending on what I'm doing, along with written program and pen
-blender bottle with Grow! and creatine
-ipod shuffle (MUST be fully charged or else it's going to be a long afternoon)
-underarmour shirt/shorts/underwear/socks
-sneakers
-black theraband (i need to spring for a superband, but the therabands (used by PTs) are working for now
-chalk
At first I felt very awkward carrying out the band/lacrosse ball and doing my drills, and the weird looks are tough to deal with, but that gets old fast once people see how well it works, especially compared to what others are doing. which is mostly nothing. -
Definitely agree with Scott. Also, a discussion on the difference between mobility and flexibility, that's a concept I haven't gotten yet.
Onto my gym bag:
The always list:
Xtreme Gymnastic Rings
Chalk ball
iPod Nano
Notebook
Copy of 5/3/1 (added yesterday)
Huge printout of bodyweight CrossFit workouts
Theraband for stretching
Lax ball for trigger points on my feet
Alternates:
Perfect Pushup V2
Metolius Rock Rings -
+1 for form rolling.
I brought one the other week, I can only find correctional stuff for specific issues, ideally I'd like a preventative routine that could be used a few times a week. -
what about a workout log? that seems pretty essential. how can you monitor your progress if you don't record your workouts?
-
Homemade "perfect pullup" handles (since I can't use a straight chin-up bar)
Weight-loading belt for chins, dips, etc
Karate sai
iPod Nano w/ headset
Log book
Short Foam roller (thinking about getting PVC pipe cut to length) -
A gripper or some kind of pinch grip device for grip strength and forearm work. ;)
-
Cool stack Nate!
I carry my own barbell pad for hip thrusts. And of course, I can never go wrong with anything from BIOTEST ;) -
Foam rolling is def a staple to my workouts. The gym I go to has them and have one at home so I don't carry one, same with a jump rope. i do keep a sled and harness in my truck though. My brother made it for me and I didn't give him dimensions so it's huge! Also good to know no matter what comes up I can get a killer workout done in 15-20 mins!
Always in my gym bag are:
- My Belt for Heavy Squat and Deadlift Days
- My Nike Frees 7.0
- Workout Clothing
- USPlabs Jack3d
-VPX NO Synthesize
- Ipod Nano..been listening to RED, Coheed and Cambria and old school Queensryche Operation Mindcrime -
For all those asking about foam rollers, here's Eric Cressey's video demonstrating some movements.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8caF1Keg2XU -
I use my foam roller on a daily basis, 10 minutes when I wake up, during my warm-up and cool-downs as well. I have a simple routine that hits every area for 20-25 rolls and keeps all the knots and kinks out.
I have also started to construct my own foam rollers, the white and blue ones are too soft and cost way too much. It's simple, 4" PVC pipe comes in 8 foot lengths for about $12 at the Home Depot, then take various thickness yoga mats depending on your tolerance, glue the crap out of the mat and trim it to fit the piece of pipe that you use. I typically cut the 8 foot piece into one 4 foot tube for home use, a 2 foot piece, and two 1 foot pieces. I have one of the 1 foot pieces uncovered for the days I want to feel like jello. All in all it cost me about $25 to build 4 different sized foam rollers. -
I'll definitely be adding the foam roller to my bag soon. After the massage I had earlier this week, I now know where a lot of my own trigger points are. My other gymbag essentials:
1. Workout Log
2. Converse Hightops
3. A tasty protein shake
4. Gymboss - great tool for interval finishers after a good strength session
5. iPhone for music. A couple of my fave tracks are "Someday" & "Champion" by Flipsyde, "I'mma Shine" by Youngbloodz, "Rise Today" by Alterbridge, and always "Til I Collapse" for those rough patches in a workout. -
I have my Excel spreadsheets of 5/3/1, PL belt, wrist wraps, knee wraps, lift straps, 2 Purple 2 blue Jumps stretch bands, gum, Fat Gripz, pen, chalk, lax ball, PVC roller.
http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_repair/feel_better_for_10_bucks
Search Joe Defranco on Youtube for Lacrosse Ball Rolling. You can pick one up for under $5 at Sports Authority. -
IGood kit NAte. If you like the foam roller then check out the Grid from TPT. Like a roller only better and more durable. I have been using the grid for about 3 months and it is awesome.
Interested to know what you have on your feet. My favourite shoe is the Onitsuka Tiger 81. It has a thin sole but enough structure for serious lifting.
All the best
Rannoch -
I walk in wearing what I need.
I bring in a logbook and some tape for my finger.
The gym provides everything else.
Why can't you change in the car or before/after you get there? Much easier than carrying around clothes. I guess I'm lucky the gym I go to has foam roller, chalk, etc. Kind of crazy needing a big duffle bag to go to the gym. -
Where's your styling gel?
-
I am known as "bag boy" around my gym for always having a bag of shit (sorry for the pun).
1.Jumprope ...as portable as a water bottle and 10x more effective than most cardio methods...like it in between sets
2. Tiny tupperware with BCAAs for workout supplementation
3. Tiny tupperware with 2 scoops of protein and creatine
4. 1 Banana
5. Wraps for heavy deads (if needed)
6. Belt with Chain for chins/dips
7. Deodorant
8. Extra Sweatshirt -
...oh, and iPOD (that's a given)
-
Gonna go ahead and put it out there. And this is only after having checked out the photo-stream on Flickr for the clothing line you're reppin, Humblecock. I noticed that you have very over-sized arms. Seemingly on the brink of steroid use. I'm not accusing anyone of anything, I'm just admittedly curious. Either a) you are short with great upper arm building propensities, giving the illusion of massiveness b) you possess some very arm-specific specialization training protocols c) juice So what's happening? Would honestly like to hear some measurements as I suppose it could just be some camera angles, but I gotta say, your arms seem disproportionate. And your pictures from before to now indicate a massive overhaul of your physique that while not impossible, seems unlikely without steroid or anabolic use. Your training, as you outline it, just doesn't sound very upper-arm specific, so I'm surprised by the disproportion of your physique.
-
Along with the foam rolling, do you still only do leg swings, lateral over-unders and t push-ups as prescribed in BFS?
-
1) Black coffee
2) Periworkout Protein
3) Tennis ball
4) Foam roller or PVC pipe
5) Weight belt
6) Old school mp3 player that has an arm band. Kinda gay, but I've broken too many good mp3 players.
7) Some kinda toque or hat
8) Led Zeppelin or Jimi Hendrix sweater. -
Thanks for the comments guys! I've got to add a few things to my bag. But a baseball? Screw that.
@ Robert
For some reason, people think it's me wearing the Humblecock shirts next the newsletter and in the photostream. It's not; it's my friend Mike. And no, Mike doesn't do steroids. He's just a big boy with great genetics and badass work ethic.
Thanks for the comment, though!
-Nate -
Don't forget your shaker bottle!
-
Ah, thanks for the clarification. Any insight on his program? Specialization?
-
currently:
straps
ipod shuffle
water
headbands (long hair) -
Fat Gripz, Dipping Belt, Gloves and sometimes a pair of Haulin' Hooks :) Accompanied by Defrancos "Built like a Badass" workout...
-
1) I find that coordinating my outfits increases strength by no less than 3.08% on upper body exercises, particularly those where I get to look in the mirror.
1a) On a related note, I find that working out without my shirt increases said benefit by a factor of of 4.
1b) Yes, I workout without a shirt sometimes, because, fuck it, it's MY gym and I'll do as I please.
2) I don't have a gym bag, I have a utility belt, and on that belt I have my iPhone (listen to music, shoot video, take notes and i actually pre-write my workouts on there), my chalk, and a lock of Vince's hair.
3) The rest of the implements of intelligent training are kept in private closet at the gym--okay...it's more like a cubby, but still, it has a lock--and in that cubby I have my foam rollers, lacrosse balls, and jump rope...as well as hair product.
@ Cody - a karate sai? really? Awesome =) -
Vibram Five Finger Shoes. Anyone else using these? They replaced my Chuck Taylors.
-
@Kyle, I use them and love them.
@John R.: Have you mastered the innocent "I'm going to casually wipe my brow with the bottom of my shirt while flexing my abs in front of the mirror" move?
I tend to notice that the more coordinated a Dude's clothes are, the more often he does this :P -
Nate, there's an article on tmuscle with detailedexplanations and pictures of everything to do with foam rolling. Instead of posting vids or something you can give a link.
-
My bag usually has the following
Nike Free 7.0
TRX
Jump Rope
Versa Grips
Reg lifting straps
Weight Belt for heavy deadlift & squat days
Note Pad of some sort
Ipod chubby nano- May update to video nano to record certain lifts.
Underwear
Wash Cloth
Body Wash
Deodorant
I go to the gym on my lunch break so I don't want to go back without a shower -
@ David - I don't know what you're talking about. I certainly didn't invent that move in 2001.
-
In my drawstring bag I have:
1. Workout Plan printed out with load parameters
2. Weight Belt for weighted dips/chin-ups
3. Digital Watch for timing rest periods
4. Vibram FiveFingers
5. Shaker Bottle full of whey protein and milk
6. Steel water bottle
7. iPod Touch -
@Nate: hey Nate, when do you know if you need to roll out knots? Is muscle soreness an indication? I don't have any idea if I have knots in my muscles or not, because I don't feel pain. Except for doms.
Personally, I don't bring any special gear to the gym. I lift heavy for supersets and some specific strength work and end of with a metabolic finisher on some days. On the others, I go outdoors for interval work, sprinting at 9.5/10 intensity. I'm not big, nor do I want to be, but I aim to get ripped and fit. In my opinion, you don't necessarily need to carry a baggage around to get fit. But I do applaud those who make the effort to pack gear to bring to the gym, as long as they're not flaunting their gear but can't back it up with good strong lifts. You know the kind I'm talking about... -
Great post, Nate -
One question: what do you use the stick for vs. the ball or roller? I routinely make use of foam roller and lacrosse ball and was just wondering if it would be worth investing in the stick as well?
Thanks! -
Dude, ENGINE NUMBER 9 by DEFTONES will have you ripping PR off the deadline everytime - I have been cranking that solid since 1996 or so!!!!!!! actually, anything off adrenaline rocks, that is by far their best album and really the only thing you need to listen to while lifting.
-
Same old stuff in my gym bag
1) water bottle
2) training mitts for sparring
3) Towel
4) mp4 player with bad ass beats normally favorites of the moment include mastodon and jay z moment of clarity
5) training log to see how awesome am becoming :D -
I, too, would love to see a guide - including general info on how much to do and timing - for foam rolling
-
@Buck: I use the stick when I'm feeling lazy and don't want to balance on the ball or foam roller.
Also, it's a lot easier for me to hit my hammies with the Stick than with the foam roller and/or ball. It also works well for the lateral aspect of the low back (think lats, thoracolumbar fascia) without going over the vertebrae.
Also, if you travel a lot, The Stick takes up little to no room in your suitcase so it's great for that purpose as well.
And for everyone asking about the foam roller, again, I highly recommend Eric Cressey's video. The speed and timing he's using would be appropriate for a warm-up. For a cool down and general maintenance, slow down each area to about 1.5-2 minutes per spot and go deep with the pressure. Here's the link again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8caF1Keg2XU -
Definitely essentials! The foam roller and tennis ball have greatly improved my muscle tissue quality and helped me to overcome old injuries.
A cheap way to get a foam roller is to use one of those foam floating toys they sell to kids. You can find them at K-mart of Wal-mart in spring/summer.
They look exactly like your short, stubby black one :) ... except they are longer and usually blue, orange or green! The only difference is they have a hole in the middle of them, so I cut a wooden dowel and put that in there as a core.
$5 of 6 bucks total! Works like a charm. -
David and John Roman (I enjoy your blog as well!) --love the sweat wipe off move...thats some funny shit!!!
Liftin w/out a shirt...HELL YES -
My gym bag includes:
- Lacrosse ball instead of a tennis ball
- Surge!!
- Foam roller w/ pvc piping in the middle. (www.performbetter.com)
- ab wheel
- dip belt
- chalk
- Nike Frees
- Nike Compression shorts
- iPod
- Workout log
- jump rope
- jump stretch band
- soon to add a gymboss -
A few additional things I like to have close by:
--Watch/stopwatch to ensure proper rest between sets
--Straps for deadlifting
--Chalk in ziplock bag: you can usually by a cheap block at REI for a few bucks
--Small band for stretching
--Weightlifing shoes (for squats/deadlifts) they easily add 5-10 pounds to your squat vs. running shoes. I am loving my "Do-wins" http://www.muscledriverusa.com/wesh.html -
Test E
-
I'm an old fart. In my bag, there's a change of clothes for after my post workout shower, a deodorant stick, and sometimes some shave gear.
I've never gotten into some of what seems like this new stuff to me, but I'm slightly teachable, and I think I'll look into at least some of it.
Nate, you didn't describe your gym bag. I'm guessing from the photo it's black Under Armour. I use an old black leather Tumi in the shape of a true, oldschool gym bag. They stopped making this model a long time ago. It has the hell beat out of it, but I like the look of the genuine wear. I've used it for about 25 years. Thank God it can't talk.
Noone mentioned a jockstrap in their gym bag. Don't you younger guys use one? Us old guys are indoctrinated. Back in the day, the gym teacher did a random jock check about once a month. If you weren't wearing a jock, you got a swat with a paddle - and it stung like hell. -
nate, my bag has pretty much the exact same stuff (band,foam roller, anaconda, big stick, jump rope and my ipod) but i also got some chalk in there, creepy how similar guess ive just been reading your stuff a lot.
my question though is i use a lacrosse ball instead of the "Chuck-It Tennis Ball", do you think one is better than the other? -
@ Rannoch,
I used to rock some Converse Chuck Taylors; they were fine for deadlifts and squats, but I didn't like them for athletic movements. Since then I've been going barefoot or using Nike Frees.
@ Clementi
I think it's pretty much a given that you have some built-up scar tissue and trigger points. Hop on a foam roller and I bet you'll be very surprised. :)
@ zac
Honestly, I've never used a lacrosse ball; from what I've heard it's brutal.
-Nate -
A must have for Mr. Go Hard is the following:
CD
Jump Rope
Bands
Pre Workout Drink
Running Sneakers
Printed Workout
Ready Mind
Stop Watch
Flip Camera -
My bag:
Banana
CLA
Fishoil
Jump Rope
Chalk
Stop Watch W Heart Monitor
Note Book
Nike Frees 5.0 -
Interesting thread!
Ipod (Who, Small Faces, Northern soul....)
Training journal
Tiger balm
knee brace
Straps
small towel
28 oz water bottle
padlock and key (for the locker)
...will try the roller and tennis ball ideas asap! :-) -
oh yeah . . . forgot to add something to my list . . .
-Vibram Five Finger Shoes (best shoes ever made)
Ever since I started using these, my squat form went through the roof! (right now I cycle through bulgarian split, front, and back squat variations)
I listen to music before I train--all metal. -
@Rob - HAHAHA! OK, but seriously.
A) B) and C) are all incorrect. Let me give you some insight and specific measurements.
My arms are 19 1/4 inches untrained, 20 1/2 trained (pumped). I'm 6'1" 250lbs give or take 5 depending on the week. I'm also kinda fat. About 11-12%, so I should weigh about 235, but I've been real busy eating cheese cake.
I don't do arm specialization routines EVER! Not to say I won't do a few curls every now and then, but even that is very rare. I lift heavy most the time. Rarely lift to failure. Almost always lift Upper one day/ lower another on a 4 day split. Sometimes 3 full body days. Haven't done a bps in 2 years.
I don't train to grow, I train to move, a little something I learned from Mr. Green. Just so happens growing is a nice perk to doing things correctly, consistently.
@Nate - thanks for the compliments. You're a real peach! -
Something I cooked up this morning on the subway ride in to work. See how it grabs you.
It's
A little
militant
but of that
I do not repent.
Peace.
****
All the things
That you do
How many serve
Only to distract you?
Your strength
Focus
And resource
To dissipate?
To what I'm saying
Can you relate?
Everything
Becomes a major
Decision
you're scattered
No precision
of vision
This is a tool
Used against you
If you're unfocused
Don't know
what to do
You're easy prey
Ripe for manipulation
By
Users
Industry
The governments
of your nations
Part of the masses
Reactive and passive
Mind
on cruise control -
who needs it
anyways?
These days
You're getting by
on what Simon says
I hear the excuses
Every day
In living like this
You choose
To be this way
No one is gonna
Wise you up
To this way of life's
fundamental defect
There's too much
to loot from you -
your money
Health
And
self-respect
If you're gonna
get wise
You need
to realize:
external influences
can't win
Unless,
When they knock
you let them in
It begins with you
You don't need me
In this way
The path to free
Is difficult
And easy
Is not
Misery the lot
Of a restrained
and imprisoned
Spirit?
Or are you so resigned
And defeated
That you just
Won't hear it?
Your chains
need breaking
Easy to recognize
- they are of
Your own making
If you permit it
Your heart,
mind
and spirit
Others will continue
to bleed
Many
will follow
But some
Were meant to lead
Uncover
Your slumbering
And humiliated
face
Rise up
With dignity
Retake
Your rightful place. -
thai boxing linament... rub it on your muscles before a hard workout to draw blood to the area, numb any soreness, and relax tight spots. i used it before training sessions for my last muay thai fight and have been using it ever since. run a search for "muay thai oil" and buy the kind in the tall yellow cylindrical bottle.
-
I'd like to go ahead and deliver you a super HI-FIVE (of doom) for the following:
- Anything from the Deftones
It's not that I'm the biggest fan, (I'm not the smallest either, but that's aside from the point) but about 10 years ago I was listening to Adrenaline when my cousin walked in to the room and said "wow, this would be great work out music."
Ever since then, I have always had to have Deftones on any playlist I listen to when I'm working out. There is nothing quite like the deafening whisper that is the Deftones, that will get you to squeeze out those extra reps when you hit that wall.
I think you've blogged before about what you listen to when you work out, and I've found that finding new music is a great way to revitalize a work out when you're bored with it, but really should stick to the routine to maximize results. After a while the same old thing will just end up becoming white noise, which I think tends to make you work out at a lackadaisical pace.
I could probably wax scientific about this, but instead I'll just leave a few recommended songs that are on one of my playlists (which I tend to develop to coincide with my workouts and the altering moods I need to be put in for different stages in my workout):
Freestylers - Don't Stop the Rock (admittedly a weird choice, but this is just a personal favorite to listen to as I'm just about to start warming up)
Beastie Boys- 14th St. Break
Primus - Wynonas - Big Brown Beaver
MF Doom - Nausea
Aesop Rock- None Shall Pass
Roots Manuva Feat. RIcky Ranking - Seat Yourself
Deftones- Root
Pennywise - Broken
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Break So Easy
Sizzla & Immortal Technique - Lean Back (remix)
DJ Danger Mouse (Jay-Z) - What More Can I Say
Rage Against the Machine - Year of the Boomerang
The Mars Volta - Ouroboros
Deftones -Engine No 9
World Inferno Friendship Society - Just the best Party
Between the Buried and Me - Arsonist
Public Enemy vs Benny Benassi - Bring the noise
Dj Shadow - Organ Donor
K-Os - CatDiesel
Mos Def feat. Slick Rick- Autitorium
- Am -
In my gym bag:
Training Journal
Surge Workout Fuel
Peri-Post Workout Shake
BCAAs (because they where free)
Olympic Lifting Shoes
Chuck Taylors
Nike Frees
Asic Running Shoes
Rock Climbing Shoes
Ipod
Tennis Ball
Foam Roller
Rehband Weight Belt
Knee Sleeves
APT Wrist Wraps
Lifting Straps
I don't use everything every workout. Hell, most of the stuff I only use on strongman event days. It wasn't until this last year that I added a ton of the stuff. I used to be all about going raw as possible. Then I finished 2nd to a guy wearing some of that junk so I started experiementing with it on strongman events. When 1st and 2nd place can be 5 pounds or .1 second these things matter. I don't recommend all of this stuff for most trainees however.
And as for the shoes, I have more pair in my gym bag than a man should own. I use the Olympic shoes on O lifts and log clean and press. I use the chucks on yoke squats or outside deadlifting events. (I squat and deadlift in socks indoors). I use the Nike Frees on stone loading. I use the asics on tire flips, farmers walks, and most moving events. And the rock climbing shoes on truck pull events.
Oh and the lifting straps? I normally don't use them EXCEPT when training for a specific competition with a deadlifting event. In strongman you are allowed to use straps. You practice like you play - so I'll use them then. -
great post again nate. i've been looking at starting to add some pre-workout and post-workout shakes to my diet and I was wondering if you or anyone else can tell me a good one to start out with (my goal is to get toned, not add on muscle yet). keep up the great articles man!
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Gym clothes, weight belt, straps, bandages, whey, cofeine, vitamin c, vitamin e, dextrose, notebook and pen LOL
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That's great, I never thought about the stick that way. I just assumed it was something to be used after a hard run instead of something to be used before a workout to get my muscles prepped. Thanks for the tip!
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Anaconda & Mag10? I see you are on the "I, Bodybuilder" program at T-Nation.
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fat grips must be in everyone's gym bags. www.fatgripz.com or www.elitefts.com has a new one called "grip 4orce"
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Nate,
You seem to be popular with the Air Jordan's crowd. Do you have a pair in your gym bag? -
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Why we pick out MBT? Because MBT is totally diverse with other footwear. MBT is very special, it provides a positive on the entire body, not just the feet. MBT shoes actives your muscles instead of undermining them. It is unstable, not stable. The only is curved, not flat.
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Scott 10:42am Mar 23, 2010