Diary of the average Dan.....An Introduction

A week or so ago I was asked if I would start to post in the training logs section of the bridge road barbell website. I’ve spent that time beating round the bush and trying to decide what I’d actually write, should I try and make it amusing? Informative? Thought provoking? Somewhere to jot down and provide some cohesion to my ramblings?

Well realistically I’m not particularly eloquent and judging by those opening lines, I’d probably suggest it’s going to be the last one.

So here it goes and I’d probably better start with an introduction.

If you go to the gym you may or may not know me, I’m Dan Rakauskas I’ve been training at Bridge Road since the beginning of 2012 and for the most part I’ve been fairly consistent over that time.

I’m not going to bore you with a complete training history suffice to say I've been knocking about in the gym environment for 4-5 years. Have I got as far as I should have done in that time..... no, have I made a lot of mistakes.....yes. But I have learnt one or two things on the way and its bought me to where I am now.

I’m 5'9" and 83-85kg in body weight and fairly lean. My best gym lifts in my life thus far have been - 200kg squat, 240kg deadlift and 125kg bench....Average in all accounts –hence the title.

Now you may think that as I’ve listed the powerlifting lifts that I’m a powerlifter and yes I have done a powerlifting competition (1st place with a 527.5kg total @81kg body weight).....but I wouldnt class myself as one.

I've also done a strongman competition......but I'm not a strongman

I've done a bit of climbing.......but im not a climber

I've done some gymnastics......but im not a gymnast

I'm competitive on the dance circuit.......but im not a dancer (more on that in a later post)

For better or worse I simply have an interest in physical / strength work. I don't want to be feeble. I want to be useful and besides (paraphrasing Mark Rippetoe) "Strong people are harder to kill than weak people". Now what this has meant is that I don't have a great focus in any specific area, hence no overall goal and me not classifying myself as anything in particular. I do what I do because I enjoy and circumstances permit me to do so. If I got in a situation where things changed I'd find another so long as I did something.

You many think that this is probably the reason why my progress hasn't been amazing and quite frankly you'd probably be right. But realistically I don't care. I took me a while to realise but I don't need to be the best nor necessarily the best version of myself. I work hard as often as I can but I don't get stressed about what are essentially hobbies as its not worth it. I've been there and I won't be going back.

I don't know quite what direction I'll take this log or whether anyone's going to read it but in my next post I'll highlight what I've done so far this year and what I'm doing for the remainder of it.

Oh and just incase you dont know who I am, here's a picture of me Barbequing on holiday.
See you soon

Dan
 

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