Danny January: Blog

I've had quite a few people ask about my gym. There are a lot of guys providing solid advice and it depends on your goals and your budget. My goals over the years have changed from preparing for competition to retaining strength and endurance (and a little competition).
There are only a few things that remain from my early gym. I've kept a lot of weight plates. They never go out of style. The same with Olympic barbells. For those of you that are inexplicably still curious. I had some especially good counsel in building this gym - an orthopedic surgeon who has helped teams from Atlanta to Boston develop their own gyms. I also had what most people would consider, an outrageous budget. Here's the key parts of my gym.

Rogue Monster Cave - this is the heart and sole of my gym. It's more than a power rack or cage. It has plenty of features, not the least of which are fully adjustable pulleys.

Rogue leg press.

Captain's chair - for abs, pull-ups, dips, etc.

Roman chair - back hyper extensions

Versaclimber and Concept 2 rowing machines for cardio.

Tons of free weights, both plates and fixed dumbbells.

Box jump - it's 40 years old but it still works.

And last but not least, motivational posters of Mike Mentzer and Rachel Mclish. They are still very motivational.

That's it, guys. Consistency is key. Jeff Cavalier from AthleanX is my go-to guy for advice on lifting (not diet) and he has youtube videos for everything. I recommend his worst to best videos.

For those of you wondering, Centerfield will have 23 chapters and conclude with the end of the school year.

The last chapter of Summertime was posted November 2022. That's almost 2 years ago. That's how long it has taken to write the next two chapters - one school year - and have them edited and reviewed.

Here's what goes into these chronicles. I write, then review and edit. I send the chapters off to a couple of great editors who edit. I review and accept edits. They go back to the editors for a second pass. Once the entire story has been written, edited, and reviewed, I post.

My editors and I really work to put out clean material, free from error. I still get input from readers and I welcome that. Those edits are generally pretty minor. However, I did have a comment from a reader, prompting me to look over the story and discover an entire chapter missing - Crashing the Prom. That was a pretty big deal.

I've started on "Tourist Season," which is the summer story. Once it's finished, I'll start the reviewing and editing process. It takes a while.

As always, I appreciate your comments and emails.

The aftermath of Hurricane Helene probably looks a bit different for horse owners than it does for other people. Quite a few horses have been rescued and there is a drive to provide hay and other necessities to feed horses. It's a massive undertaking, made so much more difficult because of impassable roads.

At the same time, horse owners, and mule owners, are bringing supplies to people. Horses and mules can go where cars and 4WD can't go. It's an interesting dynamic and one that I don't remember ever seeing before.

Horses and people alike, have been victims and heroes. We have few equestrian friends in NC but they have been busy and appreciate help. I have no idea when it will slow down.

There are a lot of scams popping up, and FEMA seems to be among the biggest, which is a shame. If you live nearby and would like to help, here's a link.

https://www.resort.tryon.com/press/hurricane-helene-update-october-2

Moderator - they need all kinds of help and aren't asking for money. I hope this is okay.

What is it that stirs up memories for you? Is it a place? Some people say it's smell. It has a special connection to our limbic system and maybe that's it.
All kinds of things can trigger memories for me. Music is pretty near the top of my list. All I need to do is put on The Rolling Stones album Tattoo You, or Emmylou Harris' Roses in the Snow and I'm right back in 1982.
It's hard to believe that Michael Jackson's "Thriller", Roxy Music's "Avalon", Prince's "1999", Toto IV, and Duran Duran's "Rio" all came out that long ago.
What brings back your memories?

As I write this chronicle, I can enjoy reminiscing, and a bit of nostalgia. I can also compare my current abilities with those of days gone by.

I swam a bit of distance the other day. I'm not as fast as I once was and I wear out a bit easier. I spent a day on the mat with a bunch of other black belts and we had a great time, but by the end of the day, I was done.

I'm stronger and hopefully, smarter than I was at 16. I also tire more quickly and recover more slowly. Perhaps one or two of my readers can relate to that.

I'll never see the energy, quickness, speed, or endurance I had at 16 or 20 again.

However, I can be the best me at this age today. One day, I might look back at the good old days when I was only 50 something, or 60 something.

The weather is beautiful, the pool is a crystal clear 87 and there's no reason I shouldn't swim a mile, then go for a bike ride.