i like this thread. good stuff.
ryanc- you are 110% right. i love my training schedule and its working for me. i wont change a thing... unless my body breaks down on me or i start feeling sick, which tells me hey russ your not doing something right. then i'll take a look at my past week or so and see what could of changed that would be giving me trouble.
bench, just like any other big compound lift, i'll mix in on my weight training blocks with squats and some compound back exercise. frankly my weight training blocks are rest for me cause they arent very intense for long periods. being able to throw up a big deadlift 5x5 i see as a great gainer to strengthen my lower back and legs so i can be stronger later on in my runs and swims. same goes with the other big lifts.
feddoc- thats awesome about the creatine. also i think there is a study out there to prove any point. you have do a study on yourself and see what works for you; all bodies are different and what works for one won't necessarily work for another. i'll keep taking creatine because well... it works for me. drinking all that water and allowing the creatine to pump my muscles full of the nutrients they need to heal is a worthwhile expense.
these supplements that i'm on work for me. i've taken the time to research, buy the right product, and then use it for a while and see if i notice gains or feel better. its not like im going into gnc and saying hey give me the entire shelf please and swipe away on my amex. this stuff has taken me roughly 5 years to learn about and use and prove to myself that they work.
i love the human body. i think it is an awesome machine and i love testing the limits of it. if i was smarter then i would definitely go become a doctor because i eat this stuff up. i love spek's point and others have made that the human body is a great adapter. give me a biomachine that can make it through bud/s or a marathon or climb everest and i see a machine worth investing anything in. if others can train at such a high level and come out on top then i can to... and i'll bust my butt and do whatever it takes to get there. i think i owe it to myself to strengthen my being mentally, physically, and spiritually and become the best person i can be.
GO NAVY baby!