A Gym Dream :
dreamt of an odd gym…
The owner was weak, seriously so, didn’t bench his bodyweight, and expected all members to buy his programming – beginners being expected to rotate lifts, percentages, and use all the bands (bells) and chains (whistles lol) you could imagine.
The staff was the owner and his wife, the wife very popular a trainer for all the fit women going there, which seemed to be almost the entire clientele.
In the dream my buddy had told me this place had all the equipment you’d ever want, then was hazy as to why he wasn’t going there – I ended up checking it out.
There was some odd machine, cables but meant to simulate the powerlifts.
Different. Unnecessary. EXPENSIVE
I had been using it to deadlift, everyone kinda shocked as I went up plate by plate, eventually found a barbell, and the owner being like “what are you doing”, I told him, and asked if the place had an axle…
“You’d have to go much lighter. Are you going to use it for back offs?” and he smirked.
“No, I’ll keep upping weight. I’m only at 405 right now.”
The wife/co-owner, a cute 5’9″ fit woman in her early 30s with pink and neon green dyed hair, says in dreamy tone “but no one pulls that heavy on an axle.”
“I do”, and she makes “the look”
The husband/co-owner (auto correct wanted me to type clown there) “no one pulls even 405 on an axle.”
“I’ve pulled 500” I state.
“That’s impossible!” he knee jerk blurts in condescending tone.
505
“It was mix grip. 315 double overhand.”
“But no one even pulls 205 on an axle.”
I woke up at that point
…..
10, 5
…..
It struck me that if you were to do something like kickbox, row (erg), and hike (quickly with a pack) that you’d end up very very solid, with size simply dictated by calories.
…..
•two packs ramen w/grits
•pb
•cheese
•butter
•cranberry juice
added umami and a bunch of garlic powder to the ramen/grits mix
this is about the cheapest 1000+ calories you’ll ever get
sometimes I think it’s mostly energy, not the particulars that matter
…..
Sometimes I look in the mirror and see a fat guy.
Sometimes I look in the mirror and think “damn bro you’re jacked”.
Reality is that I carry too much body fat at present.
This is fixed by improving run performance (spring/summer/fall or even rocky style in the snow), and getting stronger as cardio improves.
…..
Often it’s best not to have the information on a physical ability, to practice it without outside influence…because there are no mental barriers that way.
…..
scraped ice simply to enjoy the fresh air
…..
It’s not habit again, but I’m starting to do calf raises with frequency.
For a good part of high school I did 100 a day, started at 25 daily for a week, added a set of 25 til I was at 4×25 on the fourth week, eventually compressed it to 3×35, 2×50, 1 x amrap 1x remainder, and once capable of 1×100 would just rotate between these 1-3 set variants, usually doing 3×35 cause I found it most fun.
Needless to say I had good calves.
But I know of two with larger calves ;
My buddy, who’s mom never learned to drive, and grew up in the homeless lifestyle walking/jogging EVERYWHERE, well for the fun of it he’d do HIGH REP calf raises, I’d seen him go to the 500s in a set, and at around 5’8″ 160 he had probably 19″ calves.
My uncle 5’9″ and stocky, he has his plumber’s forearms from youth, and actively tries to lose calf size.
He habitually hikes. It’s his hobby.
His calves are known to massively cramp nightly – they get massive activation with all the walking he does.
…..
You put on shoulders real quick with frequent pressing.
…..
There’s value in looking sharp.
Buzz cut and beard.
Why do I never stick to clean dieting?
…..
Could I go a month without lifting weights?
I went over a week multiple times last year.
Wow was I bummy in 2022.
…..
•two donuts
•milk
…..
Phone in hand I’m too focused on the screen.
Look wider.
…..
•donuts
•chicken noodle casserole
•milk
watched another movie with this meal, choosing not to stress if I watch some stuff – just not too much, it’s not worth the mental effort of stressing
…..
Lift :
Side Press
12 each side w/75lb dumbbell
I really like the side press. When I do one arm pressing I don’t stress how loose my form is, hence side presses. It’ll be cool to have a similarly weighted kettlebell soon.
I very well may stick to the db & kb for lifting for a little while – a pair of 75 dbs is worth 185 on a barbell, whether one or two arm, or see saw pressing the 32kg kb and 75lb db will be an interesting change to just barbell pressing.
It’s only 32kg-75lbs either way, I’d be able to do the same with a 100lber – just don’t have access, and know the bell work will up my barbell work.
…..
When that kb arrives it’s gonna be daily, I’m amped, and it’s either going to be front squats bookended with swings, or I realized I could ladder clean-front squat-press to good use, again likely bookended with swings.
Kettlebell one arm presses could end up an expensive hobby, I might have to start trainings people to afford equipment.
I see no reason I couldn’t get from a 32kg press now to eventually the 203lber.
A kettlebell habit could make a weightlifter out of me.
Finances!
…..
25
…..
Drank a lot of water today, over a gallon.
There is such thing as too much, but the body likes water, and I did this instinctively.
…..
Eureka!
I love tilapia.
It’s probably still cheap at walmart…
No reason not to grill in the winter…
Aluminum foil, garlic powder, and butter – my buddy showed me the aluminum foil on the grill with tilapia thing YEARS ago.
This could be the time to make use.
Garlic butter tilapia could be my fat loss diet answer. I really like the stuff.
…..
The problem with kettlebells is that 32kg/70lb is only 32kg/70lb – it’s not that heavy.
The same problem applies to the Sig Klein challenge ; a pair of 75lb dumbbells is only 150lbs.
There’s a whole lot of room for growth.
Push your reps into the stratosphere, and work every possible movement – treat your set weight implements like the old time strongmen did.
It’d be genuinely cool to have access to a pair of kettlebells from every jump starting at 16kg/35lb to the 92kg/203lb.
Someone out there could clean and press a pair of 203s.
…..
35
…..
•big bowl of cereal
•pb, b, cheese, & j
•milk
make two sandwiches, the second to start tomorrow with – learned that in cali making them for ravenous real late feedings, the extra in the off chance I wanted to eat before bringing my grandma to all her appointments
…..
Remember when bugenhagen did 20 rep squats daily?
…..
35, 15
…..
Persistence & Tenacity