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I am back!  holly molly its been a while, where do I began.  well I just got back from the Arnold Championships and they went great.  Still the number one 94kg weightlifter in the USA, put up a Pr total and a pr clean and jerk at the Arnold on friday witch was good. Plus I aksed my girlfriend of four years to marry me on stage after my last lift, and she said YES!  I AM VERY EXCITED. I could have done some better lifting witch lost me some sleep the last few nights, missing my last clean and jerk and a snatch that could have put my total way up there, but what can i do now but to keep on training, training and more training.  I have made this years Pan Am games in Mexico representing the USA for my second time witch feels great, I love giveing back to my Country and representing it as best I can.  I have always felt bad for not joining the Millitary, I feel like I should have put in my time fighting for the freedom of the United States, or maybe I still should.  I feel guilty that there are men and women ovear seas right now fighting for my freedom to do what I am doing now.  I get to do what I love everyday becuase of our brave soldiers fighting and protecting us, it makes me feel guilty.  But being on team USA and fighting on the platform makes me feel good, makes me feel like I am fighting like the soldiers are. 
             My training working up to the Arnold was the hardest training I have ever been through, and it paid off.  It just shows me how training hard everyday pays off.  It just shows me how Coach Pendlay is the greatest coach in the whole world, how california strength is the best place to train, it just shows me how much I love being apart of this program.  But this is just the begining, only three years in the sport its not even half time baby, I have to keep trucking along.  I have to keep fighting on with my team mates, listing to my coach, and keeping my eye on the prize.  The bright lights, the fame, the show, the victory, the game is now over and its back to the cold gym.  Its back to my whole body in pain everyday.  Bed early, eating so much food that I want to throw up, I hate this sport but I love it at the same time. 
            I will be writing in this journal everyday, keeping people in touch with how the training is going, a good movie I watched the other night, and just other random stuff that comes to my mind.  I really feel this sport is starting to grow and take off in the USA so I am excited.  Jon North 2012

the champ is back! the champ is back!

congratulations Mr. North on the engagement! Ms. West will soon be Mrs. North… awesome!

Man Jon, It’s been a while! Some inspiring lifting at the Arnold bro! Too bad things did all work out, but that’s the way things work. It was a pleasure to meet you and the guys too, definitely a great group. Too bad you all had to leave on Saturday, I had my session and did 131/166 3-6 which was alright with pr’s in everything, but not what I exactly had hoped for. Then I trained a couple hours later by myself. Anyways, good luck with the training and the wedding planning. Been there, done that, have the life! Peace

Congrats on everything man, sounds like a hell of a competition for you! When is the next one?

Today was hell.  I thought that we might get our first week after the arnold off, but nope.  Not only are we training this week but its hard hard hard, volume volume volume!  wtf!!  I just got out of the cold tub, then jumped in the hot shower, took my supplements and eat my big chicken sandwich!!  I am getting worked on soon, then goinhg home to eat a big dinner then off to bed I go getting ready for tomorrow.  I should have picked up golf!  or became a pro poker player, but no, I npicked the hardest sport on earth!   lol  We did doubles  in the snatch and cj, all the way to max and then back down for more, squats, more squats then we did it again at 2.  I am tired, I guess thats what I get for takeing three days off after the arnold, it felt good though, I havnt taken three days off ever sense I Pendlay became my coach. 

You made us real proud at the Arnold Jon. We’re glad to welcome Jess to the Cal Strength family too! I can’t believe it’s only been 3 years, although the time has really flown by. Keep it up! Jon North 2012

OMG, you proposed to her on stage?! That’s soo cute! She’s lucky to have such a great guy Jon ;o).

The site is up!   I just launched my brand new site last night around 2 in the morning.  go to www.wix.com/jonnorthattitude/2012   “what is a light day”?  t shirts with weightlifter down the spin on the back.  Every month we are going to be comeing out with new saying that I scream in training, meets and just evryday life.  The Shankle ti shirt is comeing out next month witch I am very excited for!
       Training has been going very well but very hard.  Last week traibning was hell, but this weeks training makes last weeks training a walk in the park!  I didnt think we would be going this hard right after the Arnold chasmpionships, but I guess we will be even stronger at nationals in a few months.  we did both litts for 5 sets of doubles in the pwers witch sounds easy, but is not. 

I competed at the PWA championships last night in San Fran and it was a very fun and well put together meet.  The whole California strength team went down and lifted, and everybody did pretty good, me myself not so much.  Even though I got best male lifter and took gold in the 94kg weight class I was hopeing for a lot bigger numbers.  I snatched 152kg again, good lord two meets in a row now snatching that easy weight, whats wrong with me!  I really need to start getting that snatch over 160 or atleast in the upper 50’s, asap.  I clean and jerked 185kg which broke my previous record at 183kg.  This is not a pr for me, just a new PWA record.  Then I broke the PWA total record in the 94kg class, so on and all not to bad, I just could have done a lot better.  Donny Shankle cleaned and jerked 204kg!!  Holly molly, this also was a new PWA record in his weight class at 105kg weight.  All the other Cal strength soldiers did well also, but there is way more weight to lift so now its back to training, back to coach yelling at us to put our shoes on, finish more, and then do it all over.  Today Its back to the grind, more snatches and more clean and jerks , and then we will throw some squats in there to make a drink called strength!  William Pendlay went 6 for 6!!  He was on fire out there, he snatched 22kg and clean and jerked 30kg and he is only 9 years old!  He is good for way more next meet and so on.  look out for this kid in the Olympics very soon, lol who knows maybe even 2012!  There is one more meet till nationals and we are going to have our revenge that meet, then we will go crazy at nationals!  I got to go train now, I will be back after our second training to tell how it went, and who hit what.  north 2012

Today the workout was power snatch to max and then drop down for three doubles in the pause power snatch, then same with the clean, no jerk.  I smoked a 135kg power snatch for a PR!!  I have been trying that for months but I always catch it to low counting as a full snatch, but not today!!  I love the Pause lifts, its a great way to get me and keep me in possition, then I can explode at the top like a champion!  I also like the pause lifts becuase holding the bar in low hang like that gets y back freaky strong!  then when we just do the full lifts withoutthe pause I move fatser than Ali! Same with the clean.  Plus I wont lie, it feels good to do something different!  I am excited about our next meet at F.I.T barbell on may 26th, then after that meet its game time at Nationals where I will take my national Tittle.  Now I have to go eat becuase Coach keeps yelling at me! lol  I Just had a big protien, creatine, surge, fish oil shake, but i guess the good old coach wants some food in this belly of mine as well.  north 2012

Great job at the PWA’s Jon. Way to come back and make 152 on your third attempt. That 185 jerk was also pretty dang sweet considering how fatigued you were heading into the meet (training through it). A 337 total with no taper is pretty dang good if you ask me!

Thank you Jared, the only reason how I came back and made that 152kg snatch is because I was wearing my new Tyson hips Ali fet wrist bands!!!  check em out on my website jonnorthattitude.com  I think you can snatch 200kg with these wrist bands! 

Hey where’s the next meet before nationals for you? 

Hey Kaleb whats up buddy, yea my next meet is the nor cal open and F.I.T barbell down south from us.  I am going to start treating these locol meets more seruise and try putting up some big PR totals at these meets before nationals and Pan Ams.  Loal meets in my opinion are the best way to get ready for big national meets.  People who train through local meets don’t make a whole lot of sense to me, they are great ways to practice for a big meet.  For example I learned a few things about what I need to do better at meets from the PWA championships last weekend, I am glad I learned it from that meet and not nationals.  Plus the way I look at it its just another hard training day, train hard everyday right?  are you going to nationals?  whens your next meet before nationals?  any new Pr’s??       What is your program like?

I definitely agree with that. The Bulgarians used to hold mock meets for that same reason. Better to get things figured out during a local meet than a national one. Hopefully we’ll have a local meet the middle of May other than that I think that’s it before nationals. I’ve been really trying to focus on my squats both front and back to increase overall strength. I’m up to 230 and 200 and they’re both feeling good. I also do both of the lifts each day whether power or full. tuesdays and thursdays are more power as well as saturday. On the other days it’s up to as much as I can and depending on the day doubles or triples. That’s basically it.

Thats a very good training program, a lot like ours. I know its good becuase its basic, you even said “thats basicly it”  and thats what I training program needs to be, simple but very effective, its not the training program that makes you all that good, its how hard you work and how much you beleive in it.  Everbody wants the magice diet, the magice pill and programe, no bobody wants to just put in the work.  I know a lot of people do put in the work, but I run into a lot that is always on the look for the easy gains. 

What is the hardest workout Glenn has ever had you do?

Thats easy my friend 4 sets of 8 in the back squat with 190kg!  This is a true story, i actualy started crying on my last few reps, no joke, I still get shit for it to this day!  lol have you ever heard of anybody crying while squating!    what about you, whats the hardest workout you have ever done?

Today I powercleaned 171kg for a pr!  I tried 175kg but it put me in the whole counting only as a full clean….:(  next time.  Yea training today was pretty damn easy, glad nobody saw me training in my “what is a light day” t shirts!   lol   I full snatched up to 140kg and then coach said to move on, i was very upset because I wanted to keep going!  the workout oly lasted about an hour, I wish it was longer, I guess it was just one of those days where my body was actually feeling kinda good and I wanted to go crazy!!   dosnt happen a lot!    I blame coach for me wanting to keep going in training, he trains our bodys to get use to a very hard and high volume training program, its all my body knows, so when we go easy and have a short work out its almost like my body gets confused and lost!  My body is looking for hard training like a crack head looking for CRACK!  I need that hard training, I need that high volume training, I NEED TO GET STRONGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4 sets of 8 is nothing compared to the squat work out Glenn made me try. I had 3 sets of 9 on monday, 4 sets of 7 on wens, 5 sets of 5 on friday, and 6 sets of 3 on saturday for 3 weeks straight.

Very nice job on that 171 power clean. Thats a strong pull. It must be those tyson hips and ali feet

Did you see him fold up like an 8th grade love note on 175kg?

I will power clean you Mr Pendlay, right off a big hill into a mud bath that pigs roll around in!  You son of a bitch!  Thank you Rob, you are looking good yourself, you have a lot of fight in you, and a long ways to go in this sport, I am excited to see your progress.
        Training today was ok, nothing to exciting or crazy, Just a good hard workout in the gym, thats it.   I snatched 150kg very easy, but kept missing 156kg for the win! The weight felt pretty good, I just need to stand up with it!  I really feel thats it time to start snatching in the 160 rang every meet, I have been in the 150’s rang for to long, its time!     I clean and jerked 180kg, then went on to cleaning 190!!  I tried to hit 195 but…well….didnt go so well.  I feel strong, I am excited for the Norcal open next month on the 22. 

Jon 150kg snatch is not 95% hahaha

lol damn!  well I guess my career is over, I am throwing in the towel!   or wait…….I am going to leave coach Pendlay, go to London and have David woodcock be my new head coach!  its easy, I get to only train twice a week, and the rest of the time I get to play video games!    hell yea!   david woodcock for President!

Today I power snatched 130kg and it felt very strong.  I then moved onto power cleans and smoked a 160kg power, chessecake people.  Then we moved on to the not so fun stuff…..squats!   lol and not only squats, but volume squats!   3 sets of 5 squats.  we are going to be doing this for 6 weeks, and every week we are going to be going up in weight.  Today I started with 170kg, next week 180kg and so on.  Coach is at a meet with Jared today, so we all are cheering for our team mate way out hear in california, nice part is that coach is gone!  I dont now why its nice, it just is, I feel like the parents are out of town!!  

Twice a week training sounds like a great way to get strong. I have no idea why we traing 6 days a week. I think we might be OVER TRAINED. hahaha.

This morning I singled up to 135kg, then dropped down to 120kg for two doubles.   Singled up to 160kg in the c&j, then did two doubles at 140kg, then done.    Second training at 2:00 is game time, talk to you then. 

I’m sure you know the results of Collegiates and that Jared F. barely passed you. What are you going to do about that?

Tonight I snatched 145 for a single, then dropped down and did 3 doubles with 130kg.  I then moved onto clean and jerks and they felt very good.  I hit 1 very nice, head through, locked out 185kg, then went onto to cleaning 195 but missing the jerk out in front, damn, I will get that on friday though.  It was weird not haveing coach there, at first it was kinda fun, but now I think I might even miss the big guy!!  who would have thought!  Now I am sitting at home while my angel of a fiance is cooking a big new york steak with mash potos!  holly molly I lover her, coach wil be happy becuase this is a great recovery meal before tomorrows training.  o and dont forget the four glasses of ice cold red cap milk baby!