Anger Can Be Power, Don't You Know That You Can Use It?

"Be aware of yourself, as you are, without judgement. See What Is. If you can do this, then you have no further problems." - Krishnamurti via Alan Watts

One of the things that drew me to Zen Buddhism are the concepts of reality and truth. These are two of the main (and only) "goals" of the practice of Zen Buddhism. You seek the truth and accept it. Sounds good but incredibly difficult in practice. @FAKEGRIMLOCK has a pretty excellent Ted Talk that addresses the subject a bit. One of my all-time favorite talks.

I define frustration as the difference between reality and what we believe reality "ought" to be. Wait But Why has a good read here on reasons why Gen Y (my generation) is generally a bit unhappy with their place in the world. I'm more interested in looking forwards than looking back, but I think it's important to understand that the major things addressed in the article are issues of perception and perception and thought processes can be refined and conditioned.

I don't have a fantastic solution or new way of thinking that's going to magically end frustration, nor would I want one. A world of "enlightenment" or "liberated beings" would probably be a bit boring and nothing would get done. On the contrary, friction will (and SHOULD) always be there and it is healthy. Friction and frustration generate anger and, as the Clash told us many years ago, anger can be power. Anger is the sort of thing that leads to real behavior changes. Behavior changes when the pain of changing hurts less than the pain of not changing. This is productive anger.

Productive anger gets you up at 5am to train before going to work. It gets you to work a little earlier during the week so you can hang with the kids on the weekend. You burn Friday night studying instead of doing keg stands. It gets you to do all that extra stuff that 90% of people don't do because you're clawing for every little advantage you can find to do whatever it is you want to do. Like Al Pacino said in Any Given Sunday, those extra inches we need are all around us. People don't see them or they choose not to reach for them, but they're out there. To use a term from Steven Pressfield in Turning Pro, those inches are the difference between being an amateur and being a professional.

Unproductive anger is snapping at someone for chewing too loudly, yelling at the dog for being a dog or snapping off at a kid for just being a kid and doing kid things. This is displaced anger due to some friction or a perceived wrong in some other aspect in life; the proverbial shit rolling downhill. This is the stuff that doesn't matter. To paraphrase Chuck Palahniuk in Fight Club: let that which does not matter truly slide.

Things that truly matter are the greatest sources of friction and need to be addressed in some way, shape or form. These are the big things that trickle down into all of the other aspects of your life. When we address the big things, we don't even notice the small things; they'll have already slid away.

The Week That Was - 3/18 - 3/24

Look and Listen:
-Glenn Pendlay and Team Muscledriver has a new podcast series here. The discussion on nutrition in particular is a really good one. Glad to see elite level weightlifters and coaches advocating a high fat diet and getting down on heavy cream and butter in coffee.
-Josh Brown sez we've learned nothing
-Free CFA study materials here. (also some subscription stuff)
-Thick McRunFast: The many nicknames of David Ryder from Mystery Science Theater 3000
-One of my favs from The Gaslight Anthem
-The Book of Awesome by Fake Grimlock (I'm a backer)

Deload Week(ish; I got after it on Saturday and Sunday but five good days of light lifting)
3/19
Sots Press
Snatch + Below Knee Snatch - up to 70 for a couple sets
1+2 for down sets
Clean Pull + Below Knee CJ up to 100x1
Clean-Clean-Jerk - 3 sets @ 90
Back Squat 70x5 100x5 130x5x2

3/20
Sots Press
Pwr Snatch up to 70kg for some doubles (this is awkward as hell)
Pwr Clean up to 100kg for some doubles
Jerks - Two front jerks + two back jerks at 100kg for some sets
Chins + Standing Abs - Three sets

3/21
Snatch from High Blocks to 70kg for some doubles
Pendlay Snatch Complex (Snatch + Hang Snatch + OH Squat + Drop Snatch) two sets @ 60
CJ from High Blocks to 90 for some doubles
Klokov Complex - two sets at 90
Front Squat 60x3 80x3 100x3x2

3/22 - Roller. Got on a scale for first time in months: 216.6lbs (98.4kg). Perfecto. Just clean the backloads up a wee bit and that'll come off real quick.

3/23 @ Centennial Crossfit/Weightlifting
Snatch up to 205lbs for four singles, then missed 215 twice
CJ up to 260lbsx1 275x1x2 no jerk
-The full lifts both feel shitty but they're getting less shitty, so that's a step in the right direction.

3/24
Muscle Snatch + OH Squat (2+2) 50x1x3 60x1x2
Back Squat barx5x2 70x5 100x4 120x4 135x3 150x3 160x5
Pause Squat 140x2x4
Front Push Press 50x5 70x5 80x5 87x5
Chest Supported Machine Row - buncha sets
JM Press and Grappler Abs - buncha sets
Barbell Hip Thrusts and Banded Hip Thrusts- buncha sets
Band Traction