The Unknown

Welp, I just left my stable, medicore paying job last week, which officially makes me Unemployed.

San Diego is officially off the table for now as I didn't feel I was making that decision for the right reasons.

Ultimately I was in a job that made me feel unhappy and decided that enough was enough. Life is too short to show up everyday and dislike your job more than you actually like it. There were definitely things I enjoyed about the job, largely the people. The day to day work just isn't for me and isn't what I want to do for the rest of my life, so I left.

What do I want to do next? No idea, which is the hard part because companies like to hire someone who knows what they want to do. I understand that but at the same time I don't.

How can anyone truly know what they want to do unless they've actually had some experience doing it? Maybe being transparent is a little too much for the interview process, should I just bullshit my intentions to get a job? Nah, thats not who I am or what I want to do.

Maybe I'll hire myself if nobody else will. Lord knows I'll pay myself like nobody else will. Let me take something that I'm genuinely interested in and good at, and package that information to help transform their bodies and lifestyles. That kind of sounds like something I'd like to do...

-Cj

Real

Life is hard. Embrace it and take action with intention.

Leg Day light work

Stormy and muggy day today in the great NW. Quite unusual for this time of year, but I will take the cooler weather given it was about 82* in my room this morning at 2 AM. 

Legs are hurting today from the workout yesterday. It’s crazy to me how much of a difference missing a leg session or two makes. A lot of people inquire about what I do for leg day at the gym so I figured I should probably start to keeping track of it (maybe there is value there I can eventually monetize).

Before I go into further detail let me explain three things: 

1) I've been doing this consistently for the past 7 years. I don't use a belt, pads, straps, braces etc... I started with proper form at lower weights and have worked my way up from there.
2) I use a box when squatting to help control how low I go. I tend to go more than parallel without the help of a box so using one helps keep me at 90*. When I increase weights I place a 35 LB plate on the top to give me an extra inch or two of leverage, which makes quite a difference. 
3) The only supplements I take are BCAA's or amino acids, because I typically lift on an empty stomach, and occasionally creatine, although not in a while. 

So here is what a typical leg day for me looks like:

Squats -

•  1x5 @ 135 

Box Squats - 

• 1x3 @225
• 1x3 @295
• 1x3 @ 315 
• 1x3 @ 365

Box Squats with 35lb plate -

• 1x3 @ 385 
• 1x3 @ 405 
• 1x2 @ 405 

Cool down - Box squats (no plate)

• 1x5 @ 315 
• 1x5 @ 225

 Hamstring Curls 

• 4x5 each leg @95 lbs 

Various Plyometrics (will explain these in more detail in the near future) 

So as you can see, it's nothing too complicated. Sometimes I feel like people make things like getting in shape to be so complex when in reality it’s not at all. I like to think that L.E.S. is more, and by LES I mean lift, eat, sleep, and repeat. If you have those things in check, it’s tough to oppress results. 

-CJ 

PS: Here is why people tend to ask me about what I do for leg day-

Back wearing the 45 like Jordan & leaving no risks on the table

Can't believe its been a year since I posted last...Hoping my next post comes a little sooner before then lol.

Its been an interesting year to say the least, including plenty of hi's and low's. I've learned a lot and that's a plus, but I definitely feel like I left a lot of 'risks' on the table. Some might see that as a positive, but in my shoes at this juncture in my life, I don't want to let that happen again.

I've come to realize that a lot my ideas/realizations, great or not, have just been those and nothing more. Meaning the execution on these revelations has been very poor to say the least. I'm tired of that. I don't want to spend the next 20 years of my life, wishing I would have actually applied all of the revelations I've had over that span. So I'm not.

After living in the great state of Oregon for the last 25 years, I am officially taking my talents, or lack thereof, to Southern California and San Diego this fall. I'm excited, nervous, and anxious, but the one thing I know I wont be? Regretful.

See you soon SD...

-CJ