I'm 40-plus, I work 60 hours a week, and I train in my basement. No fancy gym. No excuses. Just a barbell, some iron, and a goal that's been staring me down for months: the 1,000-lb club.
Right now my total sits at 935. Squat's at 340. Bench is 225. Deadlift's 370. That leaves 65 pounds between me and four digits. Sixty-five pounds. That's it. And I'm coming for every single one of them in December when I test for the Rogue 1,000-lb club.
Here's what a training week looks like. Saturday through Friday, I work around a 60-hour work week, so there's no wasted time. Every session has a job. Squat day, bench day, deadlift day, and accessory work to keep this old frame held together. I train early or late — whenever the basement's free and the kids don't need me. Some weeks it's five sessions. Some weeks life happens and it's three. But I show up.
The thing about chasing 1,000 pounds after 40 is that recovery isn't what it used to be. I sleep when I can, I eat like it's my job, and I listen to my body when it talks back. Progress is slower, but it's honest. Every pound I add now, I earn twice.
December's the test. 1,000 pounds across three lifts. I've done the math a hundred times: I need 65 more pounds. A little on the squat, a little on the bench, a little on the pull. It's there. I just have to go take it.
This brand was built in that basement, between sets, with chalk on my hands. Every shirt we make is for people who train like this — real work, real life, no shortcuts.