"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." - Stephen King

Daily Bible Reading JOSHUA chapter 5

John Henry's Tale

Daily Bible Reading JOSHUA Chapter 4

On Weightlifting: A Personal View

Chapter 10
On Knowing Your Way Around The Kitchen
By Donny Shankle CPT

"Diet is the most important factor." - Anonymous

Grilled Louisiana Hot Wings

3lbs. Chicken Wings

1 Stick of Butter (cut in thirds)

Louisiana Hot Sauce (1 bottle)

Their ain't no tricks here now and for every wing you put down for supper then that's 1 kilo more you'll be lifting your next training session. Wings are great both fried and baked but I like mine grilled. Grilling wings gives them a great smoky flavor which when combined with the hot/butter sauce is the best thing you ever put in your mouth good. If you do fry up your wings and are trying to get a little smoky flavor to come through then try adding a pinch of cumin to the sauce. 

Get your coals on the grill blazing hot and have enough to last you about a half hour. Wash your wings off with warm water, and be sure to spray your grill grates with non stick oil. Give your wings about 3-5 minutes each side over a direct fire until you see some nice char marks. Transfer the wings to indirect heat and close the grill. Let em' cook slowly for about 25 minutes or until the internal temp reads 165 degrees. Put one pound at a time in a mixing bowl along with a third of that butter. Start pouring on your hot sauce (as much as you like) and give them a couple flips. This dish is served best with an ice cold root beer and Frito's during a Monday night football game. Enjoy!

Daily Bible Reading JOSHUA Chapter 3

...only be strong and of a good courage. - Joshua 1:18

Daily Bible Reading JOSHUA Chapter 2

Rosa

Rosa is a 6ft. long red tailed boa constrictor and has been a part of American Weightlifting/California Strength longer than I have. Isn't she beautiful.

Daily Bible Reading JOSHUA Chapter 1

On Weightlifting: A Personal View

Chapter 4

ON THE BENEFITS OF SUBORDINATE EXERCISES

BOTH IN REGARDS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BODY AS WELL AS THE WELL-BEING OF THE MIND

BY DONNY SHANKLE CPT

                                                           "Familiarity breeds contempt." - Anonymous

17

SQUATS

(pt.3)

 

The back squat and overhead squat are performed the exact same way as a front squat with the exception of the placement of the bar. During a back squat the bar is placed on the upper back and is in line with the center of the feet. For the overhead squat the bar is held locked out overhead resembling the completion of a snatch also in line with the center of the feet. With these basic mechanics in mind I will refer to the front squat in my description.

ECCENTRIC

At the eccentric phase of a front squat the elbows and chin should be pushed up even harder than you held them at the concentric phase. Initiate the squat by pushing the hips back and dropping your butt in between your feet. At this point the weightlifter is in what is called a “bottomed out” or “rock bottom” position. This position is also known as the “receive” command during a clean. Once your hips have gone below your knees and you feel the stretch reflex you have reached the full eccentric phase. The stretch reflex is a natural occurrence which takes place in the hips and legs which when trained will help the weightlifter come up from a heavy clean and snatch. At this point be sure you keep your chest up, breath held tightly in, knees in line with your feet, and eyes looking straight ahead. Always keep your feet at a placement where you feel strongest and at a width which allows you to go all the way down while keeping your back straight.

Lower back flexion at the bottom of a squat should not take place but, biomechanically this is difficult to do for a weightlifter with long femurs. Still, even a weightlifter with long femurs can avoid lower back flexion depending on back strength and the amount of repetition put in the squat rack. Forcing the body to hold crucial positions with repetition will eventually make these positions permanent as adaptation takes place for anybody. After much repetition, hopefully early on, lower back flexion at the bottom of a squat will be eliminated as the body becomes stronger and more flexible. Think of the Chinese women a hundred or so years ago who painfully had to endure foot binding at a young age. This is the same sort of principle when learning to squat, however, the process is not tortuous and you do not necessarily need to begin squatting out of the crib. Does deep squatting early on give an athlete an advantage? Absolutely but, the human body is remarkable when it comes to adaptation no matter when you begin applying the stress. Gradually it will shape itself to the stress placed on it while at the same time grow into what you are training it to do so long as you keep doing it consistently. Not all weightlifters have short femurs, and not all great weightlifters begin squatting/training early on. Sticking with the recurring theme in this book that strength triumphs all, you must learn to play to your own strengths to become a champion.

Daily Bible Reading Deuteronomy Chapter 34

And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face - Deuteronomy 34:10

The Hot Violinist

I came across this video a couple of days ago and thought it was quite beautiful. Both the girl and how she plays her violin are very hypnotizing to me and soothing to watch. The best part is when she closes her eyes and loses herself in her music. This video brought back memories of when I initially started weightlifting with WFW or the Wichita Falls Weightlifting Team. I am guessing that was because we used to blast the Last of the Mohicans soundtrack to maximum whenever we were training. Things were cheaper back then and personal records came a lot more often. I dedicate this video to my coach and all the men and women who trained with me back in Texas. I pray you are happy and living your dreams wherever you are. WE ARE LIONS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGwQ4TOIt3g&feature=grec_index

Daily Bible Reading Deuteronomy Chapter 33

Daily Bible Reading Deuteronomy Chapter 32

On Weightlifting: A Personal View

 Chapter 4

ON THE BENEFITS OF SUBORDINATE EXERCISES

BOTH IN REGARDS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BODY AS WELL AS THE WELL-BEING OF THE MIND

BY DONNY SHANKLE CPT

“Familiarity Breeds Contempt.” Anonymous 

 17

 SQUATS   
(Pt. 2)

Before I clarify my meaning behind physical density and psychological infrastructure we must first look at the squat both concentrically and eccentrically. The primary squat you will use as a weightlifter, who is a non-beginner, is the front squat. The front squat is the most specific squat to your needs while being the least demanding on the body. The back squat, although a great exercise to improve strength, is less specific and very demanding on the body. The overhead squat is used by many weightlifters to help develop strength, stability, and confidence in the snatch but, is purely a beginners exercise to be used only in the first year of one's training. Any other variation of squatting outside of these three is superfluous and a waste of time. As skill improves and you become more efficient at the lifts the front squat should be the only squat used. Eventually, all squats should be taken out of training completely or used very sparingly. 

CONCENTRIC

  

To set yourself up in the concentric phase of a front squat take the bar out of the squat racks by putting two to four fingers on the bar. How many fingers you have on the bar is determined by your wrist flexibility and is different for everyone. How you have your hands spaced and positioned on a front squat should be exactly the same as how you have them when “standing” from a clean. Step under the bar and push the bar right against the throat. Many beginners fail to place the bar in the right place and leave it to low on the shoulders. The bar should be sitting across the clavicles so close to the throat the head must be pulled back to keep the windpipe open. Once you have the bar against you begin to rotate your elbows up as high as possible and lift the bar from the rack. A little chalk on the fingertips and shoulders works well here. Take a step back from the rack and place your feet shoulder width apart or slightly narrower as you keep the weight over the center of your feet with your knees locked. STAY OFF OF YOUR TOES WHEN SQUATTING! Having the feet too wide during a front squat keeps you from dropping the hips low enough at the bottom. The chin should be lifted up pointing in the same direction as the elbows while the eyes are looking straight ahead. Your toes are either pointing straight ahead or turned outwards slightly. Before your begin the squat fill your lungs and stomach with as much air as possible by breathing through your mouth. Hold your breath until you come out of the squat past the sticking point.

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."- Thomas Edison

Daily Bible Reading Deuteronomy Chapter 31

The Old Show

By Jon North

http://jonnorth.blogspot.com/ 

Daily Bible Reading Deuteronomy Chapter 30

And the chief captain answered, "With a great sum obtained I this freedom." And Paul said,"But I was free born." - The Acts 22:28

Daily Bible Reading Deuteronomy Chapter 29

Supernova

 

By Donny Shankle 

I feel you flowing through my veins

A burst of energy which can snap Hells chains

Like the death strike from a cobra

I like to call it a SUPERNOVA!

Shit gets mighty real

When their are those who try and steal

With a big lift and a claim to fame that its all ova'

Sit down weakling you ain't felt my SUPERNOVA!

I brought you into this existence

My example taught you the meaning of persistence

By confidence in myself and glorious praise to Jehovah

I am able to convulse your world with a mighty SUPERNOVA!

Soon enough you will dwindle and dissipate

Only to fight like a mother fucker and have others anticipate

While they try and seek peace with pansy ass yoga

Peace does not come that way my friend it comes with a SUPERNOVA!

Like an energy which radiates across the galaxy

A bursting star of competing love and brutality

The gods lived forever by dipping their lips in ambrosia

As a man I find my immortality by creating a SUPERNOVA!

Its the completion of something special

Without question it is suspenseful

I could care less about consistency and not give one iota

I am more interested in winning with a SUPERNOVA!

A cause for introspection

And the venom to your competitions perfection

Scholars do it by earning a diploma

Weightlifters do it by slamming down a SUPERNOVA!

Like an orgasm on your wedding night

It paves the way for more like dynamite

Say yours prayers in darkness like faithful Jonah

Then get off your ass and make a SUPERNOVA!

A moment you patiently fight for

It makes me feel as arrogant as Thor

I'll put you in a coma

Once you feel my SUPERNOVA!

It feels better than making love

Unless I guess if she came from above

Don't come to the gym with tears and pneumonia

I ain't got time for that shit I am a SUPERNOVA!

More powerful than a Volcano across God's Oceans

Or the sun's gravity keeping the planets in dizzying motions

Sit down and take notes while you sip your cola

You'll need them when writing about the man who could make a SUPERNOVA!

(Supernova: An exploding star which is immensely luminous that briefly outshines an entire galaxy before fading from view over weeks and months. For a weightlifter it is a lift on the platform either in training or competition that awakens you to more possibility. It is the personal record that keeps you going. In Shankology the term supernova is the lift others will remember you for because for a moment your light shined brighter than anything imaginable. For a moment you were beautiful by accomplishing something hard you passionately love. The supernova will fade slowly away but, be persistent and you will feel it again, and again, and again.)