“Freedom!”
10/25/22
I don’t care anymore, and because of this – I thrive.
A year has been spent military pressing outside.
A little pointed focus and finally I got to a 225+ military press.
As I currently lay off from the weights, a first for me to do by choice as my history is long on compulsion to lift, I expect when I go back to run a bent row centric period.
A bent row centric period is back building, my upper back development being to me a narcissistic joy, and the building of a more stable base for launching the press skywards.
After the period of bent rows would be a pressing period again, a drive to 255, from a point that has more than likely not back slid from the recent PR of 230.
Bent row feeds into the clean, the clean the more challenging aspect for me of the press, considering that I press many reps from just one light heave or clean per set.
…..
After every shift of a dead end job, one I approached the other day with a laugh and a “damn is this shit simple – never a reason to stress”, I have swung tree branches like a mace.
That was the year’s temporarily rigid PT requirement.
“If I am not going to the gym after work I will swing this tree branch mace without exception!”
An interesting builder of hands, back, and biceps it is – I intend to keep doing it, and am now mixing in work with the heavier of the two branches.
…..
While I am on what is nearly a 6½ year active streak of daily pushups, I broke a compulsion to have to do 100+ “reps” each day.
Like lifting, all these rigidities, I have pointedly looked to, and done, break the compulsion – the past couple months.
Years of “woody woodpeckers”… right now I’m doing strict nose to floor pushups.
No rep count requirement, just good sets while feeling with my very being how this builds me up.
My upper back looks great.
My only aesthetic concern truly a performance thing – I have implemented neck bridging for a thicker, sexier, stronger, more manly neck.
I’d say my #1 movement right now, moreso than pushups as my minimalistic fall back option, is the old school deep knee bend.
Take the arm motion out of the hindu squat!
I hold my fists against my chin in a peek-a-boo guard, and pointedly reverse breathe…out as I go down, in as I rise – with power, this breathing pattern very much the makings of a human piston powering through the movement pattern.
There’s value to having visualization and/or thoughts of “power”, “brute strength”, and related as you actually do the thing.
Not to exercise mindlessly, but to be focused on the result of what you are doing as you do it.
With deep knee bends I want to smash through 100+ reps quickly, each rep the picture of power, yet the legs too well enduring.
That’s up on the “video in a few months” queue.
Might as well do some outdoors in winter training videos.
…..
I have done very few pullups this year, while dreams of pullup ability have been a regular occurrence.
Very likely a hint.
…..
Ironically (considering the above written hours earlier, of being on a lifting layoff), after a full two weeks off, after yesterday on a whim surprising myself with a wall handstand pushup, today having listened to a track I usually PR to – I got amped up, dropped what I was doing, then pressed and snatched.
A light rain, very high humidity, singing along (in this case terribly) to the headphones between the few sets :
Press
5×185
2×205
Snatch
1×135
1×155
An abbreviated yard weightlifting session, enough to remember why I lift…
BECAUSE IT MAKES ME FEEL FUCKING PHENOMENAL
Got a lat and bicep pump actually, good form on cleans oddly, when I snatch I do so well within my limits but still account the bicep pump to the movement – I’m sure I’m arm pulling.
…..
Weightlifting Related :
Warming up into it does let you lift heavier and smoother.
The thing is, by skipping the warm ups you have a thumb on, accurately, what you are always capable of.
It amuses me much how pressing 185lbs is baked in – has been for years.
At a no longer open gym I regularly would press the 185lb rogue yoke on my way in and out – makes me desire having a yard yoke for this exact purpose, in passing, high frequency, displays of “I am stronger than you.”
Likely good for it should I actually warm up into it, I will be pleased when I finally press 10×185 in this no warm up manner.
More pleased when 10×225 no warm up is my walk around, more especially if it be done on a thick handled axle.
…..
axles > barbells
There is nothing to be said otherwise.
I was fond of the thompson squat bar at 65 or 75lbs, thicker than a regular barbell.
The thickness of bar often a plus to smith machines as well, the smith machine, gasp, being a better bench than a barbell bench in three out of four categories.
…..
This physical stuff is so simple, it’s not worth obsessing over (good luck), nor at present worth putting more than 10 or 15 minutes a day towards.
Smash into the high reps like a piston on deep knee bends.
Strict pushup doing as many strict nose to floor as you can.
Do some neck bridging.
You’ve got a few minutes of daily PT right there, while it’s the honest effort into the simple thing that carries you.
Lift when the mood is there, staying within your means, every so often increasing the numbers.
Without pullup bar access (weighted on a playground maybe), occasionally do total gym pullups like the pushups or deep knee bends.
Dive into simple, a 300lb sandbag takes a reinvestment of maybe $15, and travels well – with it you’ve got shouldering, and at least the option to include training partners when lifting at public parks.
Training partners which, like fit chicks as well, seems hard to come by right now GOD DAMN IT! :)-
…..
Daily exercise is worth doing solely for the mood elevation.
Your legs always a tad muscularly sore from a deep knee bend habit, makes any and all bullshit out to no sweat off your back.
…..
There’s no reason I can’t open my own gym, fill it with good people, and have a blast every day in every way.
Build up a good culture in the place, be the owner/management to therefore dodge that hassle, and just get wicked strong, playing around, while paid, and able to teach in person – where it helps the most.
-J