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When You’re Down and You Can’t Let Go
“Oh look, a deli meat!”
“Nobody should be training if they haven’t had any coffee.”
This was an important lesson I learned from Rip many months ago. A warm cup of joe can rejuvenate your mood, warm your loins, and give you a convenient caffeine energy boost.
In order to be useful, your coffee needs to be bold…like your attitude. And America. And my pal Spence, a fighter pilot who grows stronger to battle G-tolerance and enemies who defy him in the air.
A fighter pilot’s breakfast: coffee with a shot of jet fuel, napalm, and a side of death.
Coffee gives you an extra kick when your mind and body feel tired. In fact, sometimes it’s the only thing that can get you prepped for the stress you are about to impart on your body. You can’t get this done with Folgers; you need something dark enough to produce the kick. Caffeine pills can’t accomplish the same thing either; it must have something to do with the the powerful aroma and the boiling liquid coating your belly. Most problems that occur in training are usually correlated with a lack of coffee.
AC likes joe in his mouth in the morning
70 Comments
December 16th, 2009 at 12:54 am
Nothing like my pre-training cup of coffee and the pre-training shit that follows. I remember Rip once writing, “Don”t deadlift when you gotta shit, and don”t shit when you gotta deadlift”. Coffee is important for training and avoiding those unfortunate accidents on the lifting platform.
December 16th, 2009 at 12:59 am
I don””t drink coffee that often, maybe a couple times a week, but I had a nice cup right before training last week and set a squat and bench PR. Might have to start drinking full time.
That pic of AC is awesome.
I mainly drink it to train, although I like the taste.
And what about the caption that I chose for his picture?
–Justin
December 16th, 2009 at 1:07 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PcoMrwEa5o
December 16th, 2009 at 1:09 am
”black as moonlight on a moonless night”
December 16th, 2009 at 1:10 am
damn.. ”black as midnight…”
December 16th, 2009 at 1:16 am
Quote is from heavyweights
Possibly the best movie ever
December 16th, 2009 at 1:30 am
you should make a t-shirt out of the picture of AC!
December 16th, 2009 at 2:19 am
Am I the only one that noticed AC doing a sasquatch pose in the first picture?
it””s flawless too…he must practice in front of the mirror.
I knew you would catch it. You’re a quick one. Gonna train in January?
–Justin
December 16th, 2009 at 3:11 am
Quick question guys.
I succesfully managed to pull both my glutes and quads on monday doing squats which left todays squats and deadlifts resembling a bad body pump workout and I left after like 20 minutes of fagging up the gym
should I attempt the squats and deadlifts again on friday or just move onto the press/powerclean?
There is not enough information here to help. E-mail me.
–Justin
December 16th, 2009 at 6:11 am
Good observation KMoody.
I recognize that pose from somewhere
Atleast now we know why he”s so freakin strong.
December 16th, 2009 at 6:12 am
I make the coffee so strong that my commander has forbidden me from making it anymore. Obviously, he doesn”t know good coffee, or how to squat, so I generally ignore this and make the coffee anyway.
On a related note, I now weigh 184 pounds, which is a PR by 18 from May.
December 16th, 2009 at 7:40 am
Coffee is also a great way to help get all of that milk down. There”s Nothing like big, coffee-laced glasses of milk to get you through your day!
December 16th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Yes, thank god for coffee. It really amps up my energy and unfortunately, my talking.
December 16th, 2009 at 8:05 am
Shit, and I”ve been using caffeine pills. gotta start making a bold, viscid coffee.
December 16th, 2009 at 8:35 am
Paulie…good call. I spike my milk with coffee too!
December 16th, 2009 at 8:47 am
Coffee is an integral part of my morning/pre-workout ritual. Whole Foods French Roast. Dark and strong.
December 16th, 2009 at 8:55 am
Little known fact: lighter roasts actually have more caffeine per cup than darker roasts. But, light roasts do have less body, which, I guess, is the opposite of what we””re going for on 70sbig (i.e. we want more body, not less).
Which is why we drink multiple cups of the good tasting stuff.
–Justin
December 16th, 2009 at 9:00 am
Loving the site!
I prefer a solid cup of medium roast coffee. Straight up no additions.
Nothing beats a coffee on the way to the gym in -35C weather… Or a nice iced coffee in +20C and above.
The lighter the roast the more caffeine. But light roast coffee is like drinking hot water.
Also can we make a 70sBig Don””””t: Any beverage from Starbucks. Starbucks has got to have the worst coffee in the world. Plus you can””””t just walk in an order a large coffee, it is always a grande half caff double shot mochachino..
Starbucks is overrated, yes, but it can be a decent substitute. They over-roast it, but you can put more in the filter for some decent tasting stuff.
Oh, and a quad espresso in a small cup will do the trick.
–Justin
December 16th, 2009 at 9:18 am
The place I get my raw milk from also sells coffee that this lady brews, right down the street. It is awesome stuff. Some of the best coffee I”ve ever had.
And lighter roast coffee does have more caffeine, but that doesn”t mean it has to be weak, just add more grounds to the filter, and BAM! dark, rich, highly caffeinated coffee.
Personally, I like an express blend.
December 16th, 2009 at 9:33 am
I laughed out loud at the quote. I actually mixed coffee and protein yesterday before my workout. Its not a bad combination.
Milk with that combo is pretty good too.
–Justin
December 16th, 2009 at 9:35 am
Spence,
What do you fly? My brother in law is an A-10 pilot which is a pretty small community so I was curious.
He will fly F-16s. I’ll let him clarify if he wants.
–Justin
December 16th, 2009 at 9:43 am
@ KMoody:
Swish. Missed it at first.
December 16th, 2009 at 10:10 am
“it must have something to do with the the powerful aroma and the boiling liquid coating your belly.”
I read this with Ron Burgundy””s voice…
I typed it in Ron Burgundy’s voice.
–Justin
December 16th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Danny: Can I get a large black coffee?
Barista: A what?
Danny: Large black coffee.
Barista: Do you mean a venti?
Danny: No, I mean a large.
Barista: Venti is large.
Danny: No, venti is twenty. Large is large. In fact, tall is large and grande is Spanish for large. Venti is the only one that doesn”t mean large. It”s also the only one that”s Italian. Congratulations, you”re stupid in three languages.
Barista: A venti is a large coffee.
Danny: Really? Says who? Fellini? Do you accept lira or is it all euros now?
December 16th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Best. Photo captions. Ever.
December 16th, 2009 at 11:33 am
Cafe latte….twist of lemon….sweet n low
December 16th, 2009 at 11:34 am
what if i get extreme headaches from coffee?
I hope you will adapt.
–Justin
December 16th, 2009 at 11:50 am
coffee tastes good, would never drink it regularly though
December 16th, 2009 at 11:56 am
JEP, not a good idea to piss a barista off. We get paid minimum wage with shitty benefits only to be treated like shit all day by customers.
December 16th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Fucking hilarious with AC doing the Sasquatch pose in the background.
Just hilarious.
December 16th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
@ Greg Harris,
I know what you mean…There”s a huge difference in good, black, hot coffee and what I call “officer” coffee. Just like Rip says about beer, I say about coffee…If you can see through it, it ain”t coffee, it”s just warm liquid that”s taking up space.
December 16th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
@Kevin Perry
As a regular at a few different coffee shops, I fully appreciate baristas. It”s a quote from the movie Role Models. Kind of responding to EaseUP about Starbucks.
Just humor, nothing serious.
December 16th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
JEP, awesome quote.
Strong, black coffee is a must. Try the french press instead of coffee maker. Horrible name, but it makes it stronger due to no paper filter. I drink coffee from a local roaster, shit is like jet fuel.
Oh yeah, and Starbucks sucks.
I second the French press.
–Justin
December 16th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
“darker than a black steer”s tuckus on a moonless prairie night…”
December 16th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
I”m lucky that my wife runs a local coffee shop. Its unfortunate that she”s too cheap to give her husband a discount. I”m not sure if anyone outside of southeast Louisiana drinks coffee with chicory, but if you haven”t tried it you are really missing out.
Oh and ice coffee (I mean real iced coffe, not that shit they serve Starbucks) has more caffeine because of the way it is drip brewed.
December 16th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Edward – where”s that? Sounds awesome.
kittenSmash – don”t have one of those contraptions, but my Freedom Press made a helluva cup this morning. Goes great with bacon.
December 16th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Jacob, I get my milk from Dyer Dairy, up in Georgetown. The owner runs a small store there, where he sells local products. The lady brings her coffee to him. She makes some really good stuff.
December 16th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
JEP- Role Models
Elizabeth- Boondock Saints
Oh and AC in the Sasquatch pose is probably the funniest thing ever. I didn”t see it til moody pointed it out and I burst out laughing in the middle of university library…
December 16th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
“What”s the matter with you you don”t drink coffee? Even little kids in mexico drink coffee!”- Mike Ditka
December 16th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
@caseydonovan- yay, you got it.
i might just want a bagel w/ my coffee
That Sasquatch pic is hilarious. i”ve been sitting here at my desk cracking up all day. You guys are funny
December 16th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Dammit, thats the second time i”ve been quoted role models and I still have not gotten to watch that movie yet
December 16th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Anyone a coffee snob? I bought a burr grinder recently and it has been incredible. I only buy whole bean coffee and really prefer single origin coffees like Costa Rica Terrazu and Guatemala Antigua. Anyone else have single origin favorites?
You should try roasting it yourself. Much better.
–Justin
December 16th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Speaking as a person who really loves coffee (I have an espresso machine in my garage gym so I can make that shit real strong!) I love today”s article! I know that caffeine increases a muscle”s ability to contract which is a good thing for lifting weights, also, two new studies came out this very week on coffee. One links regular coffee drinking to decreased incidence of prostate cancer and the other shows regular coffee drinking lowers your chances of developing type 2 diabetes. No cancer, no diabetes, more PRs? Hell yeah!
December 16th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
I love coffee. Fuck Starbucket.
I had an espresso machine too. A wall mounted one that was really nice (expensive).
It fell off the wall and broke. That was a sad day.
December 16th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Yea im training in January…i need to come back from the whole ankle thing to play rugby again.
December 16th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Jacob, that is exactly what I was getting at.
Brandon, I m no coffee snob, but I do only buy whole bean. It is just fresher that way. My fav is this medium roast Peruvian I get from a local roaster. Shit is incredible.
Looking back a few years, I would have never seen myself with a grinder and a Freedom press at home.
December 16th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
You guys don”t have to call it a French Press. The French don”t. They call it a Press! *badump bump*
Joking, it”s called a cafetière you untravelled bafoons.
December 16th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Crouton- I just finished up in the T-38 and I”m going to the Viper (F-16) at the beginning of January.
If you like strong coffee and want to live a little dangerously, check this out: http://www.hotsauceworld.com/wafuupco1l.html
December 16th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
I like the sound of WTFU coffee.
December 16th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
hey justin,
ive gained 15 lbs since 5 months ago and am still having lower back pain, according to ripp, this is normal. is it? my back seems to be rounding even on the lightest of weights.
What do you mean according to Rip? And it appears that you need a coach.
–Justin
December 16th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
@Smed, alright, I was worried my espresso machine would be laughed at! As far as bean choice is concerned, I tend to prefer Columbian beans. The flavor just sits well with me, I think it”s because that”s what my mom always bought at the store when I was growing up. For a serious PR day though I”ll grind up some robusto beans and get weird.
December 16th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
By the way, the title of the post is a movie quote too.
December 16th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
I left a post on his forum called “Lower back issues”
December 16th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
btw, have you ever been to greyskull barbell? i might make a trip there to see if i can get some coaching.
No, but JP is a good friend and a fine coach. Horribly homosexual though.
–Justin
December 16th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
legit homosexual?
December 16th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Todays preworkout coffee was disgusting. My buddy dare me to try some candy cane flavoured coffee.
Big Fail.
December 16th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Cha0sblader. c”mon.
December 16th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
I”ve never met JP either, but I stumbled upon this post on StrengthMill: http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:P3Yh53JknDAJ:www.strengthmill.net/forum/showthread.php%3Ft%3D5904+greyskull+barbell+club+location&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
Instant inspiration.
December 16th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
is the movie heavy weights? about the fat camp?
December 16th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
bluecheese – I”ve had coffee with chicory. It”s awesome! Where can I buy it? I live in Corpus Christi, TX right now and haven”t been able to find it. Actually, I haven”t been able to find it anywhere since a buddy of mine in Colorado brewed it for me. I think he got it from somewhere down south…
December 16th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
@JAB77
Rip is wrong about beer. There are plenty of extremely high quality beers that are light in color. A trip to Germany will prove it
December 16th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Man, AC”s sasquatch pose is the funniest trash ever. I seriously cannot stop laughing about it. Hey, I”d bet dollars to your donuts that the sasquatch is 70”s strong as he is 70”s big. That leads me to my next idea – a 70”s Big Sasquatch t-shirt. If that isn”t funny I don”t know what is. You guys should put a few into production. Besides, every group needs an “inside joke” t-shirt. Crossift has Pukey the Clown. Why can”t 70”s Big have a sasquatch? Justin, I”m preordering mine right now.
December 16th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Oh, and Dan already selected the imprint.
http://iconicphotos.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/bigfoot.jpg
December 16th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Hookgrip_, Rip isn”t wrong, just misrepresented.
Other things…
Robusta has about 2x more caffeine than arabica and robusta commonly forms the base of espresso blends.
Strength of the coffee has nothing to do with its roast profile.
Single-origin coffees are for the same kind of people who”re into single malts. But you lose the character of the single-origin roasts with longer roasts (past full city or just after, which is about what non-coffee people use “medium” to describe).
Chicory can be found for purchase online. Cardamom is also a good additive. Both are great for coffee that is a little bit off.
There better be coffee ready at the gym now…
December 16th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
“AC likes Joe in his mouth”? WTF? Am I at the right website?
Joe = coffee. Pervert…
–Justin
December 16th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Damn, all this about coffee. Never knew coffee was this damn important to everyone. I drink about 2 cups per day of Dunkin Donuts coffee. I have to add an extra scoop to get the strength the way I like it, but I think it”s the best tasting coffee out there. Of course I don”t have a French Press or Freedom Press or whatever the hell else it”s called. I have a Black & Decker that works just fine for my needs. Anyway ladies and gentlemen, have great evening and before you all go to sleep, say a prayer for our troops that are “over there”. Thanks.
December 16th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Justin”s been waiting nearly 24 hours for someone to open up the opportunity for that one. Good perseverance.
December 16th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
nahhh… he”s wrong :p
December 17th, 2009 at 1:52 am
I love coffee… except it stops me from sleeping, and get all 90s emotional and 00s depressed when I come down off it
December 21st, 2009 at 8:14 am
[...] by a post I read while browsing, I took a look into the positive effects of drinking a strong cup of joe [...]