John Stone's Picture Gallery and Video Archive

[John Stone]

Originally Posted by guava

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without the black tank top.

Hey, at least I waited until after dinner was over this year!

Originally Posted by JoeSchmo

John, with your history of shoulder troubles, do you worry about incorporating upright rows into your shoulder routine?

Well, I do now! Thank you very much for bringing this to my attention - I'd never heard that before. It doesn't seem to be causing any immediate problems, but according to what I just read the effects are cumulative. The last thing I need to be doing is anything that will further harm my shoulders. I'll probably substitute that exercise with an extra exercise for one of the three delt heads and rotate those every three weeks. Thanks again - great info!

P.S. I know this is off topic, but what were your thoughts on the Kennelly vid? (you mentioned awhile back that a review was coming...not sure if I missed it).

Kennelly's a true badass, let me make that clear right up front. However, I did not care for the DVD at all. The music was good, and some of the lifts were exciting but that's about it. Maybe powerlifters would enjoy it, but as a non-powerlifter I found it's 100+ minute running time overly-long and boring. It could have done with some serious editing. The content was very repetitive and not very compelling to me. There were technical problems such as the camera losing focus and re-focusing over and over, most of the dialog was unintelligible (mostly people standing around between sets talking anyway). There was lots of footage of people struggling into lifting shirts, which I found unintentionally humorous at first, and repetitive after that. I wanted to find out more about what makes Ryan tick, but there was very little, if any, compelling content in that area. During a rare glimpse of Ryan's life outside the gym he makes a protein shake but doesn't say a single word. What I found very irritating is that the program is interrupted 2 or 3 times with commercials for clothing or something (I fast-forwarded them). That's inexcusable on a DVD that costs $30.00 bucks.

I doubt my review will win me any points with my sponsor, but I'm not going to tell everyone I loved it when I didn't. Please keep in mind that AtLarge did not have anything to do with the production of this DVD. I still stand behind their fine products.

Originally Posted by SwoleCat

Those tricep comparison shots are GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!

I got I kick out of seeing those pictures side-by-side, too!

[Gordo]

I agree about the everyday look being more impressive than the gym look. A lot of the pictures of people working out that we see in magazines and posters have been airbrushed. The famous models don't look like "that" in real life, so to see someone who DOES look like that in real life is amazing. (In other words, John, you're more impressive than a model. )

Are you sure John isn't airbrushed a little in most pics....I heard they captured a photo of him when he wasn't looking....supposedly, this is the "real" John:




j/k of course...

John's pics are fun.....gives us all something to aspire to to go the next step.

[John Stone]

Gordo,
That's exactly how I look in the morning before my coffee.

[John Stone]

Half my body aching right now: my legs and glutes are so sore I can barely walk, my shoulders are on fire and I just destroyed my biceps and triceps. I've never seen my forearms so pumped.

I had to force myself to do tonight's workout. My legs are really hurting and I just didn't feel like doing much of anything. Once I got going and my body warmed up everything started clicking. It was a brutal workout.

Here's the new routine for the next few weeks:

BICEPS/TRICEPS (SUPERSETS)
4x12 Alternating DB Curls/4x12 Decline Skullcrushers
4x12 Ez-Bar Preacher Curls/4x12 Seated Ez-Bar Tricep Curls
4x12 Concentration Curls/4xBurnout Weighted Bench Dips

My left shoulder (the one that normally is OK) is hurting right now. I'm not worried about it, the pain is tolerable and different than the pain I feel when my right shoulder is acting up. I'm going to go shower and ice it down.

Just one picture, too tired for more. I'd say I'm about 17.8 inches in this photo. That glorious 18 inch mark is slowly rolling into sight!

[Gordo]

Originally Posted by John Stone

Gordo,
That's exactly how I look in the morning before my coffee.

No way....me too

[JoeSchmo]

Originally Posted by John Stone

Hey, at least I waited until after dinner was over this year!


Well, I do now! Thank you very much for bringing this to my attention - I'd never heard that before. It doesn't seem to be causing any immediate problems, but according to what I just read the effects are cumulative. The last thing I need to be doing is anything that will further harm my shoulders. I'll probably substitute that exercise with an extra exercise for one of the three delt heads and rotate those every three weeks. Thanks again - great info!

You're very welcome -- I am certainly glad I could help! I injured the rotator in my left shoulder in the summer of '04 -- Not terribly bad, but enough to put me out of commission for a few weeks. Since then, I also have to be careful with what I do...and in the end, had to quit doing upright rows. I loved doing them, and got some great results, but decided that for the sake of long-term shoulder health, it wasn't worth continuing the exericise. I am glad to hear that your shoulders are holding up during your bulk -- I imagine that Milos-style training is probably much easier on the shoulders than Max-OT, and it obviously seems to be working very well for you.

Kennelly's a true badass, let me make that clear right up front. However, I did not care for the DVD at all. The music was good, and some of the lifts were exciting but that's about it. Maybe powerlifters would enjoy it, but as a non-powerlifter I found it's 100+ minute running time overly-long and boring. It could have done with some serious editing. The content was very repetitive and not very compelling to me. There were technical problems such as the camera losing focus and re-focusing over and over, most of the dialog was unintelligible (mostly people standing around between sets talking anyway). There was lots of footage of people struggling into lifting shirts, which I found unintentionally humorous at first, and repetitive after that. I wanted to find out more about what makes Ryan tick, but there was very little, if any, compelling content in that area. During a rare glimpse of Ryan's life outside the gym he makes a protein shake but doesn't say a single word. What I found very irritating is that the program is interrupted 2 or 3 times with commercials for clothing or something (I fast-forwarded them). That's inexcusable on a DVD that costs $30.00 bucks.

I doubt my review will win me any points with my sponsor, but I'm not going to tell everyone I loved it when I didn't. Please keep in mind that AtLarge did not have anything to do with the production of this DVD. I still stand behind their fine products.

Thank you for the honest review. I don't think this in any way reflects badly on your sponsors -- Any more than buying a book you dislike reflects badly on Barnes and Noble. Unlike the other products, which are objectively excellent (given the reviews), the DVD content is judged subjectively, and is therefore a reflection of individual tastes. The fact that you honestly say that it didn't appeal to you lends that much more credibility to those products that you DO whole-heartedly endorse. We know that you aren't afraid to say when you dislike something.

I've read lots of opinions on that particular DVD, and I have found that people either love it, or absolutely hate it. I suppose it depends on how closely it resonates with your own interests (as you suggest). In any case, thanks for presenting your take on it.

BTW, I can't believe that you actually have 18-inch arms with a pump ... especially with such low bf. Hell, by the end of this bulk, you might actually be approaching 19 inches with a pump! Pretty soon you'll have to start getting the sleeves to your shirts altered so your arms can fit

[chicanerous]

Originally Posted by JoeSchmo

BTW, I can't believe that you actually have 18-inch arms with a pump ... especially with such low bf. Hell, by the end of this bulk, you might actually be approaching 19 inches with a pump! Pretty soon you'll have to start getting the sleeves to your shirts altered so your arms can fit

19" definitely by the end of this bulk! And then you know what's next...!

[The Abdominal Snowman]

On the subject of dangerous exercises and shoulders, are you still doing dips? The bench dips are especially risky! I can't believe you could actually do upright rows. Have you located which of the shoulder muscles is acting up? For me, high rep low weight exercise is actually helping to diminish the pain...

[John Stone]

Originally Posted by JoeSchmo

BTW, I can't believe that you actually have 18-inch arms with a pump ... especially with such low bf. Hell, by the end of this bulk, you might actually be approaching 19 inches with a pump! Pretty soon you'll have to start getting the sleeves to your shirts altered so your arms can fit

Funny you should say that. Lisa bought me a couple of shirts for Christmas, and she wanted me to try them on last night after my workout/shower to make sure they fit. My arms were still slightly pumped - about 17 inches - but not as big as they will be unpumped by the end of my bulk. The shirt fit fine except in the arms. It was very tight just standing relaxed, but when I bent my arms I honestly thought the shirt was going to rip! Same deal with the other shirt. Needless to say they are going back. We're going to go shopping together for my clothes from now on, I guess. I think Lisa was a little annoyed (she really liked the shirts), but I have to admit a certain perverse pleasure in seeing those shirts almost come apart.

Originally Posted by chicanerous

19" definitely by the end of this bulk! And then you know what's next...!

Maybe 19" pumped by the end of the bulk, but even that's going to be tough! I really don't want my arms much bigger than 17.5" unpumped, so I'll probably never hit that 20" mark... but don't hold me to that.

Lisa, if you read this, I'm just kidding. I'm never going to get bigger than 17.5". Really. *ducks*

Originally Posted by The Abdominal Snowman

On the subject of dangerous exercises and shoulders, are you still doing dips? The bench dips are especially risky!

I do light weight (body weight + a 45 pound plate), very slow and very controlled dips. I do them as a high-rep finishing move to completely annihilate my already fatigued tris. I did them last bulk, too, and had no problem with my shoulder. I think the way I do them is safe.

Originally Posted by The Abdominal Snowman

I can't believe you could actually do upright rows.

Didn't hurt a bit!

Originally Posted by The Abdominal Snowman

Have you located which of the shoulder muscles is acting up?

The official diagnosis is chronic tendinitis with impingement syndrome. I don't think it's a muscle-issue at all. They are hanging in there so far.

[Nico]

20 inches is unthinkable for most mortals.

[John Stone]

Originally Posted by Nico

20 inches is unthinkable for most mortals.

I'd have to be almost 19 inches cold to hit 20 inches pumped. I don't see that happening:

A) I don't want arms that big.
B) Even if I did want arms that big, I don't think my genetics would allow me to hit a cold 19 inches naturally (although I suppose it's possible).
3) Lisa would disown me.

Again, I think 17.5 inches cold and totally shredded is the look I'm after as far as arms go.

[Dew]

John,

Whats that fancy looking tape measure you are using? Looks like something I need.

[John Stone]

Originally Posted by Dew

John,

Whats that fancy looking tape measure you are using? Looks like something I need.

http://www.johnstonefitness.com/php/faq.php#0380

[Dew]

Great thanks!

[wh0rume]

I saw that!

[John Stone]

Originally Posted by wh0areume

I saw that!

Of course you saw it, you refresh the forum several times per second.

I decided that old jokes are not worth dying over.

[wh0rume]

do you have actual statistics of how many times a certain IP visits the forum index?

[sc7389]

I saw it too!

[John Stone]

Originally Posted by wh0areume

do you have actual statistics of how many times a certain IP visits the forum index?

So far this month (and this is just from your two work IPs, I didn't bother checking all your home IPs) you've...

... loaded 6,650 individual pages from the forum
... logged 21,905 hits on the forum
... consumed 467.46 MB of bandwidth

[wh0rume]

I wonder if doordude has me beat?

EDIT: