Recent Web Log Entries By Ben Nadel
Thoughts And Goals For 2011
Posted: January 2, 2011 at 2:43 PM by Ben Nadel
Another year has come and gone and it is time once again to take a step back and make sure that my priorities are in proper alignment with my goals. This is something that I try to do more often; but, I love the ritual of the new year's resolution and the conscious effort that we can apply to making our lives better. I've got a good feeling about ... read more »
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Project HUGE: The Last Workout Of 2010 Starts With Personal Best
Posted: December 29, 2010 at 7:05 PM by Ben Nadel
2010 has been a rough year for Project HUGE. I made some very quick progress on my few new years resolutions, hitting 405lbs on the deadlift and 315lbs on the squat; but, those victories quickly gave way to aches and pains and loss. The latter half of 2010 has been spent trying to mend one joint or another. As such, for the last workout of 201... read more »
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Troy Valberg And The Powerlifters Of Equinox
Posted: December 17, 2010 at 8:55 PM by Ben Nadel
Last Saturday, I attended the APA Apollon Winter Iron Bash powerlifting competition out in Edison, NJ. I've never been to anything like that and I have to say that it was just awesome. Not only was the lifting inspiring, so was the diversity of competitors; men, women, young and old were there all there, paying their dues, squatting, benching, and... read more »
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Project HUGE: Deadlifting With WSF's Griptech Rubberized Lifting Straps
Posted: August 14, 2010 at 5:02 PM by Ben Nadel
After watching some of my Project HUGE videos on YouTube, someone from WSF - World Standard Fitness - contacted me and suggested that I might enjoy their new Griptech Rubberized Lifting Straps . Unlike ordinary lifting straps, these ones from WSF have a rubber layer on one side that adds additional friction between your fingers and the strap. T... read more »
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Project HUGE: Half Way Through 2010
Posted: June 25, 2010 at 8:47 AM by Ben Nadel
Project HUGE has been somewhat quiet lately; and, it's half way through the year, so I'd thought I'd drop in with a little update. So far 2010 has seen some highs and some lows in my fitness journey. In the beginning of the year, I set the lofty goals of getting my deadlift back up to 405lb and my squat back up to 315lb. And, amazingly enough, ... read more »
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Project HUGE: Hit A New Years Resolution - Deadlifts At 405lbs
Posted: February 20, 2010 at 5:17 PM by Ben Nadel
Before I went to the gym today, my lower back was feeling a little bit tired. I had done squats at 275lb on Thursday (2 days ago) and was still feeling it in my quads and lower back. But, my back didn't feel weak, it just felt tired; as such, I thought I would try some deadlifts just to see how my body reacted. I had quit my deadlift workout the w... read more »
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Project HUGE: Deadlifts At 385lbs And Natural Hamstring Raises
Posted: January 29, 2010 at 6:08 PM by Ben Nadel
After deadlifting 365lbs two weeks ago , I was eager to try and push myself a little harder. Today, I built up to three work sets at 385lbs. After I hit the first set, I was super tempted to jump up to 405lbs (my new years resolution weight); but, it's a good thing I didn't - my form at 385lbs definitely leaves something to be desired. In the fol... read more »
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Project HUGE: Trying Barbell Front Box Squats For The First Time
Posted: January 22, 2010 at 6:50 PM by Ben Nadel
Today at the gym, I tried an exercise that I have never tried before: Barbell Front Box Squats. I've tried and enjoyed box squats for traditional squatting so I thought I would see how a front-loaded squat felt. I went into this thinking that it would put a huge stress on my lower back, especially at the bottom when I sit on the box; but, I'm happ... read more »
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Project HUGE: Barbell Deadlifts - 365x5 With A Concentration On Form
Posted: January 17, 2010 at 2:57 PM by Ben Nadel
Yesterday was my cheat day as far as food goes; so, that meant I had a large General Tso's Chicken with broccoli and brown rice powering my lifts today. As such, I was feeling particularly randy and wanted to try and push my body out of its comfort zone. My first exercise of the day was Barbell Deadlifts. I worked up to two sets at 365 lbs for fiv... read more »
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Project HUGE: Barbell Back Squats - Shaky Form, But Getting Stronger
Posted: January 15, 2010 at 5:19 PM by Ben Nadel
So far, a dedication to getting back in the gym is my most successful new year's resolution . My strength is slowly starting to come back; but, I'm still not pushing my shoulder or wrist too much. Today, I tried to go up in barbell back squats a bit, building up to two working sets with 225 x 10. I feel like my depth is OK, but it could be better... read more »
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Project HUGE: Waking The Beast And My First Video Of 2010
Posted: January 9, 2010 at 5:57 PM by Ben Nadel
After months of not working out , I have spent the last 2 weeks really trying to get back into the gym with consistency and enthusiasm. I'm not following any particular workout program at this point, I'm just going in every other day and doing an exercise for legs, push, pull, and a little bit of arm work. For the first few workouts, I was really... read more »
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Thoughts And Goals For 2010
Posted: January 3, 2010 at 1:28 PM by Ben Nadel
I know there a lot of people who don't believe in new year's resolutions; I am not one of those people. As much as I think it is important to take stock of your life on a regular basis, I appreciate the tradition of taking extra effort to do so at the start of a fresh calendar year. And so, here are my thoughts and hopes on what this upcoming year... read more »
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Project HUGE: 2009 Fitness In Review
Posted: December 27, 2009 at 4:33 PM by Ben Nadel
2009 has been an interesting year for Project HUGE. I have had some personal bests and some major set backs. The first half of the year was great - I discovered Chad Waterbury's Huge In A Hurry program , and enjoyed his diverse, full-body workouts. The second half of the year was rather disappointing as my workouts continued to become more and mo... read more »
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Project HUGE: Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein - The Best Tasting, Best Mixing Protein Powder
Posted: August 10, 2009 at 6:40 PM by Ben Nadel
Earlier today, on Twitter, I was asked what kind of protein powder I would recommend as a workout supplement. I'm sure as most people who work out do, I've tried a million different proteins over the years, constantly searching for that one drink that's the right combination of nutrients, taste, and cost. The good majority of the protein powders t... read more »
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Project HUGE: Huge In A Hurry - Get Big - Phase 3 / Week 3
Posted: July 19, 2009 at 3:59 PM by Ben Nadel
I am almost done with the Get Big program in Chad Waterbury's Huge In A Hurry workout . I have been really trying to stick with it; but, as I have gotten farther into the workout, I have started substituting a few of the exercise choices. This last week, Week 3 of Phase 2, I decided to substitute Barbell Box Squats in lieu of Bulgarian Split Squa... read more »
