Crap squat workout and an interesting take on gun control from a CNN contributor

Had one of those training sessions last night where nothing felt right once I got into working sets. Last night was squats and since I am off of team programming I have started a loose 5/3/1 program. Warm ups were good, depth good, back good, hips warmed up, etc. When I got to working sets, however, everything just felt... off. Couldn't get my knees out like I wanted or get back how I wanted without feeling like I was falling out of groove. Weird. Got my working sets done, couple accessory sets to test weight, knee opening, etc, and called it a night.

Looking back, I think it was a combination of a few things.

Fatigue - Long day at work and with a lack of reps lately, I think my CNS is starting to wussify. Also realized that I haven't really done any deadlifting of note since I first buggered my shoulder up in July. Two months with maybe three not so serious sessions in. Ungood.

Hip weakness - some of this is tightness robbing the hips, some of it is weak abductor muscles. Need more accessory work here. Time to get after some band abductions, side drags, side raises, etc.

Core weakness/miscue - some of the overall "off" feeling I think had to do with breathing and not tightening the abs and low back correctly. Just out of sync. More core work, need more reps, probably should do some overload unracks to build the CNS here.

Boom. 

So I am at work yesterday, doing my thing, and my wife randomly sends me an email with a link to an opinion piece on CNN.com by LZ Granderson. If you have never read any of his pieces, one of the first I read was this piece on dressing our children. While I don't agree with everything the man says by far, I have previously found a lot of his work to be insightful, somewhat even handed, and entertaining if nothing else. Had I known who had written the piece before checking out the link I would not have been so surprised, but I was immediately intrigued by an opinion piece on CNN titled...

Wait for it...

Gun control is not the answer

I KNOW, RIGHT?!

Surprised? I certainly was. Check it out. I found it to be a refreshing take on the matter versus the vigorous hand wringing on either side of the debate- someone actually taking the time to THINK on the matter and coming to something of a logical conclusion versus pushing an agenda and banning this and that. 

And this coming from a gay black man. 

Let that sink in for a second. The type of person your typical conservative is the quickest to disregard or denigrate has one of the most balanced opinions on the other side of the aisle. 

There may be hope for all of us yet.