1/24/23 Journaling – “Have You Thought About Stopping Lifting Weights Yet”

shoveling (again)

do I want to be in california?

in the past few days it’s become winter

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I just discovered there’s a weightlifting gym near me, and promptly thought “nope”.

Gym dues have gotten ridiculous.

Powerlifting places charge $60-70/month (still wishy washy about going there), small “specialized” facilities tend to be over $100/month – it’s absurd.

I don’t need to blow that many dollars to be forced to follow the group workout.

Maybe the fact I’m not making a bundle complicating lifting weights is where I’ve gone wrong.

To be able to separate gym as career from gym as personal passion so as to make $$$$ from it.

Can you make it as a trainer truly helping others?

I’m good at programming for others, and easily talk people past their preconceived limits.

It was cool as hell getting him out of the 4×10-15 area on the leg press and him repping to almost 80 before a distraction ended the set.

Same weight. Never had thought to “not count” before.

“Dude, that’s light. You’re not nearly going to your limit with sets of 10, 15. You’ll break 50, maybe over 100 reps. Don’t count. I’ll count for you. Clear your mind. Go!”

And throughout the set gave encouragement “you’ve got more”, then count down “10 more, 9, 8…, okay, 5 more, okay 5 more”, “turn the brain back off”, just keeping him going.

An acquittance came up and talked to him conversationally mid set. That is what ended it.

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I look at my midsection in the mirror and think “partial front squats will thicken it right up = crazy six pack as I lose fat”.

And we’re either at the powerlifting gym, purchasing some form of rack to throw outdoors or fricken moving.

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•chicken quesadilla

I make myself a lot of quick mexican food.
Rotisserie chicken is a food prep cheat code.

I’m at frequent eating at present.
That feels right.

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shoveling
not heavy today, a light 3″ left over from last night/this morning

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This old timer is hilarious.

Bout a week ago, same time of day he’s coming off shift.

Looks at a college blonde behind me in line who had impulsively picked up, then set back a valentine’s candy, repeating with a smaller one, and deadpan says to her “you forgot the card didn’t you”.

Today as I walk into the store he looks at me, and says roughly “have you tried stopping lifting weights yet”.

I laughed, stopped, looked at him, and told him “you know I haven’t been to a gym in about a year and a half”.

He said something else which I didn’t quite catch, maybe “you’re plenty big now” and repeated his first comment. Either way I got a good laugh out of the exchange.

Possibly a curmudgeon, I wasn’t really catching his tone of voice either time, but found his comments funny both times.

The uninhibited old timer.

They tend to be amusing to interact with, more alive than a bunch of the miserable youngsters.

“have you thought about stopping lifting weights yet – you’re plenty big now” ← him (there it is)

The funny thing is…

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Upon returning home STILL HAVE DAYLIGHT

so we lift
Lift :

Press
12×165 close to strict
10×165
9×165
6×165
6×165 STRICT

ALL BRUTE FORCE HEAVES!
EASY PRESSES!
VOLUME BABY!

most reps strict or near it, not a loose form rep out session

I guess I didn’t stop lifting – it would’ve been a good video, singing, dancing, ice scraping during my rest periods – cleaning up the gym every session goes without saying right now, etc

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London broil $3/lb, kielbasa 2lbs are $8, the former is, and the latter is nearly precovid price.

The guy in line in front of me griped grocery costs, while I had the least inflation purchase in awhile.

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•three donuts
•milk

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What would I have to do to dunk a basketball?

I’d dreamt of doing backflips last night.

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•.6lb steak
•three donuts
•milk
•american cheese

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10, 15

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You can compare yourself to others or not at all – that’s mostly irrelevant. Lifting is your personal journey however you go about it.

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That old timer’s commentary earlier has me thinking :

Press a bunch works well for plenty big and strong.

I know I’ve the ability to add high rep squats back in, in my back pocket to take it to another level.

Lower body horsepower adds to upper body potential.

I want to be able to heave 300lbs to shoulder as easily as I did 165lbs today – no jump, no foot movement, almost a bent row into a bar floating good morning and the bar is shouldered, then press it for double digit reps STRICT with pause at top and bottom.

The ugly heaves are why I have big biceps.

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When the kb arrives I could press mismatched weights and implements for a time, get some variety past barbell.

75lb db and 32kg kb – use all variants – two arm, one arm, and see-saw presses

Oh man, some two hands anyhow!

See saw in particular gets you a lot stronger than you’d expect based on bell weight – I’ve experienced that in the past.

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•two cheese sticks
•big bowl of cereal
•milk
•cranberry juice

I’m going to have to start cooking pounds of meat, always having some cooked on hand – practicality reasons this = beef stew, and purchasing more cheese which is the center of my work, breakfast, and snack foods.

Meat and/or cheese is more nutritious than a big bowl of golden grahams in the 11 o’clock hour.

I like to have meat with most feedings, whereas cheese, though animal product – the good protein and nirvana that is saturated fat…it’s not meat.

I stand by eating before bed. Sleep better that way I’ve found.

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10, 10 (pushups – no need to state it from here on out)

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Persistence & Tenacity