Boo

Heard this song driving to work this morning. Haven't been able to get it out of my head since.

Tweaked my program a bit this week. I wanted to work in the four fundamental lifts, at least four strongman lifts, and finish up each workout with a bit of conditioning work. Here is what I came up with: Monday and Thursday: Deadlifts, Bench Press, Sandbag Bearhug Carries, Sandbag Over-the-Shoulder Throws, Sled Pulls. Finish up with fifteen minutes of steady-state rowing on the Concept2. Tuesday and Friday: Squats, Overhead Press, Sandbag Get-Ups, Sled Push. Finish up with four rounds of boxing on the heavy bag.

Between the rain and mud and a delayed shipment of materials, I've spent most of this "work" day staring at the wall.

Try the beef brisket. You won't regret it. Don't ask for pork brisket in Texas. You might regret it.

Congratulations Kris. You are doing great.

Good job Gus. Congratulations.

Might as well get comfortable with the quitter's paradox: "I don't want to be a smoker, but I would like to smoke a cigarette." Quitting smoking is basically making one choice repeatedly. Do I smoke right now and get the immediate and temporary fix that the cigarette offers? Or, do I continue to build on my quit and reap the many long-term benefits that the quit offers. Instant gratification is tempting but everything worthwhile takes time to build. Invest in yourself Tara, you won't regret it.

If I squat heavy in the morning and take the rest of the day off, my legs feel dead the next morning. If I squat heavy in the morning and take a long walk later in the day, my legs feel good as new the next morning. I'm a big believer in active recovery and doing lighter days as opposed to "off" days. Good job Ace.

Congratulations Garry. High five!

Good job Sunshine. Congratulations on two years of freedom.

Welcome aboard Tara. I remember being on that cycle. It was exhausting. Committing to the quit and ridding yourself of that inner turmoil is one of the best things you will ever do for yourself. You can. It's just a matter of doing it.

Yes it is. Lifting weights is one thing. Lifting a weighted object while the weight is constantly shifting makes things that much more difficult. The dissonant voices in my head agreed that the sandbag workout both "sucked" and was "awesome." A little bit of masochism goes a long way.

Good job Katgirl. Congratulations.

This all gets back to the one question. The only question that matters in determining the success of a quit: Did I smoke today? If the answer to that question is "no", you're good to go. If you answered "yes", you're not doing it right. If you craved a cigarette all day but didn't smoke one, your quit is good. If you romanticized cigarettes all day but didn't smoke, your quit is good. If you were cranky or weepy or a little bit of both but refused to light up, your quit is good. Quitting smoking is a one question test that is graded on a pass/fail basis. The degree of difficulty one has in taking the test is not a factor. Not smoking is the only thing that matters in a quit. Everything else is a peripheral issue.

I've been incorporating more strongman lifts into my strength training, e.g., Farmer's Walks, Sled Pushes, Sled Pulls, Tire Flips, and most recently Sandbags. This morning I was pressed for time but really wanted to get in a workout. I did a short but hard sandbag workout: SB Get-Ups, SB Overhead Press, SB Over-the-Shoulder Throws, and finished with Heavy SB Carries. The workout only lasted twenty-minutes, but thoroughly kicked my ass. If you're a glutton for punishment on a schedule and you're looking to get strong...I suggest trying a sandbag workout.

The realization that Chris just described marked the turning point in my quit. I had pledged to dig in my heels and fight like hell. Then I asked myself: what am I fighting? Cigarettes and cravings, an inanimate object and some passing thoughts. The things I was fighting have as much or as little power as I give them. I knew if I smoked again it wouldn't be because the cigarettes launched an offensive and caught me unprepared. If I smoked again it would be because I made the choice to light up another cigarette. The choice was mine and I had all the power. The day I quit fighting was the day I won the war.

Between dirty diapers, a dog that is a voracious eater, and the the donkey pen...I'm sitting on a goldmine here. There's poop in them thar hills!

Yep.

It's my understanding that cooked spinach is better for you than raw spinach. The cooking process does something that makes it easier for the body to absorb the nutrients in the spinach. Admittedly, I don't really know how that works, but a couple of different nutritionist types that I trust have said the same thing. These are guys I'll take at their word. I whip up a pretty good Florentine omelet with spinach and feta cheese. The better half cooks up toasted ravioli with spinach that is fine eating. There are a lot of options with spinach.

Good job Linda.

Congratulations Steven.

Spinach is rich in both lutein and zeaxanthin. Spinach is a bona-fide "superfood." Don't take my word for it. Just ask this guy...

Good job Ace. Look at him go!

High five Robbie.