GRIP WORK

I'm not one to re-invent the wheel, so as far as grip work is concerned, I direct you to Brooks Kubik's DINOSAUR TRAINING and John Wood's web page: http://www.functionalhandstrength.com/blog/

I can testify to the fact that one-armed deadlifts and power holds have made it to where people do not want to shake hands with me. No, it's no because I am an asshole. Ha. Ha.

Best,

Scotty

MORE MONSTER MANGA/ANIME

A work buddy of mine shared some really kick butt anime with us to-day, and I was interested to see the manga from which the anime originated. I found volumes 1 and 2 in English from Yen Press:

The anime is available online from Baka with fan subtitles (Disclaimer: I'm not responsible for anything you download and do not recommend bootlegs.) 28.6.11 (28 June 2011) the DVD will be released of the first season, and there is an officially licensed version airing on Anime Network. I'm pretty sure you can stream it there.

Highschool of the Dead (HOTD) is quickly becoming one of my new side favorites to watch when I am not immersed in Bleach or Death Note or Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

It is like George Romero was plopped down in Japan and decided to write a manga. Do I really need to say more than that?

Another manga gone anime I am interested in is Blade of the Immortal:

That's all for now. Time for food and relaxation before going beddy bye. ;)

CHANKONABE/SUPER ORIENTAL MARKET

So, I made an excursion to the local Super Oriental Supermarket (that's its name--I jest you not) and found a lot of goodies.  Unfortunately, I ate a lot of my haul before I could take pictures for you all. I found some especially tasty instant udon noodles. I went all Sandra Lee  

on them and jazzed the soup up with fresh vegetables and tons of meat, then put an egg in it. It's not chankonabe, but it was easy to make.  Aside from the fried tofu and chrysanthemum greens, the ingredients for chanko are not too difficult to find. I scored big and found some chrysanthemum seeds at the Super Oriental Supermarket, so I'll have greens real soon. Yum.

Anywho, here is a nice video on how to make chanko:

   

MONSTER ANIME

On the days I do not exercise, I enjoy immersing myself in anime and eating tons of food. I also nap periodically between eating and watching anime, much like a cat would.  This is how I recharge my batteries and keep centered. I know that a lot of people out there hate the popular anime series, like Bleach and Full Metal Alchemist, but I judge each anime purely on its merits. If the anime brings me enjoyment, then that is all that matters. Below are some of my favorite anime series:

FULL METAL ALCHEMIST

FULL METAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD

DARKER THAN BLACK

ELFENLIED

FULL METAL PANIC

BLEACH

KAZE NO STIGMA

GHOST IN THE SHELL

NINJA SCROLL

GHOST IN THE SHELL: STAND ALONE COMPLEX

Okay........that's just the tip of the ice berg. I'm aware of all the classic stuff like Akira, Vampire Hunter D, etc. I like those, too. Just figured everyone already knows about those.    

MONSTER LAIR

They say that home is where the heart is. One's home should definitely be a happy, clean, and organized place.  Out of all the cultures I have studied, the Japanese have the best mindset about merging aesthetics and functionality in regards to home keeping.  If you are wondering how the heck this ties in with Operation Human Monster, there is a method to my madness. Be patient, grasshopper. 

The fundamental mindset of someone who works out is that he has his life in order and is happy doing his own thing. Focus and concentration flow from this wellspring of organization, cleanliness, and happiness.  Your home is a reflection of yourself, so if it is in order, then the rest of your life is likely in order as well. At least, one hopes so! To the contrary, a disorganized, unclean, and sad home will likely seep into other areas of your life, and people will notice.  Basically, HYST (Have Your Shit Together).

I have to admit that I used to not be the best home keeper. So I can attest to the perils of letting clutter seep into every other aspect of my life. Admittedly, it is not my disposition to be a neat freak, but I do possess discipline, so I can make myself do whatever is necessary to achieve my goals. It just so happens that everything starts at home and spreads outward, so I have taken this lesson to heart.

Here are some of the things I have borrowed from the Japanese to keep my home clean, organized, and happy. If the eyes are the gateway to the soul, then the entrance to your home is also very important - it is the face of your home.  Thus, the genkan, an area where one removes his shoes and stores them facing the door or in a getabako.  I do not need a getabako, so I merely store my shoes in the genkan.

How the genkan works is straightforward. You remove your shoes in this area, then make sure your feet do not touch it. So take a shoe off, place it on the floor of the genkan. Step over with the bare foot to the clean side of the floor. Then remove the other shoe and step over with it to the clean side of the floor. You get it. The idea is to not step on the genkan with your bare feet, because this is a high-traffic area that is dirty. Most Japanese homes have the genkan as a depression in the floor so that you step up to the clean side, but if this is not an option, just a designated area you will not walk across barefooted will suffice.  

As for the restroom, I keep a pair of crocs in there. So when I enter the restroom I put on the crocs making sure not to touch the bathroom floor with my bare feet.  So I've gone Howard Hughes on a lot of stuff. Nothing wrong with that. At least the place is clean!

As for other areas of aesthetics in the home, I am working on collecting a lot of authentic Japanese woodblock prints and screens, and I really like this site: FUJI ARTS

Any who, I always feel weird when I visit some one's home and am allowed to wear my shoes indoors. No-one has visited my home since I implemented the no-shoe policy, but they simply won't get in if they insist on wearing outdoor shoes indoors. Not going to happen.  

EDIT:

In regard to maintenance workers, and how to deal with them, I figured out a pretty classy way to not offend them and still keep my floors spic and span. (I rent, so the last thing I want to do is make the maintenance folks angry! I might need their help someday!)   Set up a telescoping pet gate that closes off the genkan. Arrange a small table with a bowl of candies and shoe covers, aka, booties. Put a note on the table stating: "Please wear the shoe covers past this point. Thank you, and take some candy for your kind cooperation."   

MONSTER SUMO DIET

MONSTER SUMO DIET ARTICLE

CHANKO-NABE RECIPE

I will test pilot these recipes, then try to convert them to crock pot cooking as much as possible. Just an FYI, I do not think this is a feasible plan for me, because I like to eat stuff that takes as little work as possible, but the whole 20,000 calories a day tactic is gold.

MORE ON SUMO DIET

MORE RECIPES

ANOTHER ARTICLE

MONSTER EATING TIPS

My boss used to play DL under Mack Brown at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. When he first arrived, the S&C coaches told him he had to put on more weight.  We were discussing what all he went through to gain weight, and he had some really good basic tactics I'd like to impart.

This fellow is by no stretch of the imagination a "hard gainer," he just needed to be bigger like most high-school players who matriculate to college football. So don't go thinking this is the Holy Grail of weight gaining!  He shared this information with me when I told him about how I'm trying to become a monster. I've taken it to heart and am eating as I type this...and drinking lots of milk!

1. Graze throughout the whole day. 
2. Eat so much that your jaw hurts. Otherwise you are not doing it right.
3. Eat to the point that you feel like you are going to vomit, but stop eating before you do. Then pick back up eating as soon as you can.
4. Start researching the diets of Sumo wrestlers, tactics, etc. 

MONSTER READING

I used to read A LOT of really high-level, highfalutin stuff, but usually at the end of the day, after staring at a computer screen, etc., the last thing I want to do is strain my eyes and brain trying to decipher something really serious. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have what can politely be called a "book problem." So this whole not reading "much" is slightly out of character.

I do read obsessively, however. I've just started what can be called a "saturation job" on weightlifting books and manga. The manga are my entertainment books. The lifting books are my practical books (but there is only so much someone can learn from a book--and I've kind of moved on from reading the books and implemented what they say). (Tell. Show. Do. Observe. Follow-up. How many folks are subject matter experts on stuff they never get out and try to master?) You won't accomplish jack holed-up in the cloister, is what I have discovered.  

I like manga because, duh, it has pictures and is easy on my eyes. Also, I enjoy how something totally dark and violent can be happening in manga, then there is some lighthearted comedy thrown in to keep it fresh. DeathNote is an example. I also am a total BLEACH freak. I know some of the purists out there hate on Bleach (the anime and the manga), and are aesthetic snobs. That's great. I just go with the stuff that I find pleasurable. External justification is not my bag.