Month: April 2020

Mandatory PT Log : April 2020 Jumping Jacks & Feeder Workout Hammer Curls

Jumping Jacks :

Do you really think I would log something as mundane as the number of jumping jacks I did?

I can tell you this I did at least 50 4 count reps each day as I said I would.

110 4 count reps without rest is the highest rep set I recall, but not the most in a workout.

Sometimes I did them begrudgingly, sometimes I enjoyed them. Counting pyramid or ladder style definitely had me enjoy them more and get in higher volume.

Jumping jacks are a great thing generally overlooked. They burpees, and bodyweight squats mix for good training with zero equipment.

Overall I enjoyed the jumping jacks, I found it a useful practice.

Quietly on the side I did hammer curls daily as an unannounced monthly PT.

That, I did meticulously log.

April Hammer Curls Feeder Workouts :

w/10s 100+ reps a day :

1st – 2 sets of 70 ~30min apart ~9pm

2nd – set of ~125 at 1am

3rd – set of 150 at ~1240am

4th – set of 135 reps 8pm

5th – set of 110 reps 1230am

6th – 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, and some extra reps at 1015pm

7th – set of 150 ~9pm

8th – set of 135 ~5am

The struggle is mentally to get past the first 100 reps, then it’s easier to focus, and start contracting hard each rep. You can make it tougher by contracting hard every rep from the gate, and by keeping good posture by looking forward, not down. There is an aspect of rib box development with this. I’m looking forward to adding weight to the sets of 35, 50, 100+ once back to pf.

9th – x 50, 50, 25, 55, 60
Total reps : 240

Done between 745pm-8pm.
Set 3 was to guarantee past 100 reps, I then decided to break 200 reps total within 5 sets. Set 4 was mental toughness to guarantee the goal. Set 5 was mentally free, to hit the goal all I had to do was beat a pittance (20 reps), so I freely put in effort, stopping at 60 which was slightly challenging. “Freely putting in effort” – that’s a good headspace for performance.

I like 5 sets as a total. Every few days beat the 5 set rep total, or simply slowly build up rep count.

10th – x 100, 100

Done 820pm, 3 minutes between sets, actual count was closer to 230 total, did a bunch extra on second set thinking of banging out this chick, and reps 90+ on that set had the mind focused squeeze.

This works for bigger arms, but I prefer the bar “reverse curls” up at the park.

Moved bells to my bedroom.

11th – x150+

~180 exact at 1240am

12th – x50,50,50 ~730pm
Superset with horse stance

13th – x100, 50 ~9pm

14th – x 146+

I started counting normally 1-10, then decided “pyramid” counting ladder style, at 9 or so I decided continue ladder counting. I went up step 16 in the count. It was one set, no breaks, just counting it in this manner. A ladder through 16 is 136, plus the 10 is 146. I probably did some counts twice.

15th – x153+

Same pyramid counting style 1-17, probably a bit extra via repeated steps. I wasn’t focusing on the squeeze nearly at all, just more of a swinging style rep, same as yesterday.

16th – x 144

Counted 1-12-1 pyramid, paused at about 10 on the down

17th – x~100, 100

First set I called a scratch as loud music was distracting my count, it was 1-10-1 counting, second set I counted 1-9 1 1-9 2 style mostly aloud. It was exactly 100 reps.

18th – ~30, ~50, 150+

Miscounted badly on first two sets. Third set was between 150 and 180 reps.

19th – 100, 87

Both sets were 60 seconds timed, I rested about a minute inbetween sets. Repping as fast as possible against the clock reminded me of timed pushups years back. I found it more enjoyable than just counting reps. Timed sets work well for me. On the second set I was 20 reps 10 seconds in, and at 38 reps at the 20 second mark. I got really good at timed pushups by getting blazing fast reps, 2 a second, to start, and over time I was able to hold that pace closer and closer to the entire minute. The principle can be used for other movements. 60 seconds can be an all out sprint with a movement.

20th – 117

117 reps in 75 seconds

21st – 124

124 reps in 75 seconds

22nd – 129 +3-4

129 reps in 75 seconds, rom may have been too short, however it was a great cramp with a few extra strict reps after the time ran out.

I’m really looking forward to 100+ or 1:00+ sets with heavier than 10s when back to pf.

23rd – 156 or 166 in 1:30 + 7 strict after time ran out. It was exactly 130 at 75 seconds. I’m more motivated on timed sets vs counting without the timer.

24th – 129 in 75 seconds + 1 rep after time, and another set of 35 reps. 165 total

25th – 101, 86 + a few extra reps
2×1:00 timed sets, a little over a minute between. 190 total

26th – 126 reps in 1:15

27th – 128 reps in 1:15 + 7 extra after timer went off. 135 total

28th – 150, 75 less than a minute apart. 225 reps total, no timer today

29th – 112 in 1:00, 63 in : 30
175 reps total, less than a minute a part, :30 is an awesome race time

30th – 91 in :45, 77 in :45, :45 rest in between, 168 total

Curls, Bicep Size, & The Pullup Bar

Archives :
Recently Enough

I’m finding that by doing consistent machine preacher curls that I’m thickening my bicep which in turn has improved my ability to do chin ups.

Heavier bicep development just makes pullup bar work easier.

The difference between those who naturally are good at pullups vs those who aren’t is often not a visible difference in lat development as many would believe, but one in bicep size.

Heavy bicep development only helps with chins.

Powerful Forearms Without Equipment

Archives :
3/9/19

Some ways to build the grip without equipment :

•Make a tight fist. Seriously, now open your hand spreading the fingers as wide as possible. Repeat 5x or so contracting as hard as you can.

•Squeeze your hands like a pinch grip, like shaking hands whatever. Do so for a few hard contractions of a few seconds length.

•In all four directions (two at a time) flex the wrist dynamic tension style. When the knuckles are coming towards the body I open my hand, it simply a better contractions when I do so.

•Now this one is all about speed of movement, and keeping going.
Make a light fist. Now spread the fingers, and come back to the fist repeatedly. This is opening the hands for high reps 101. 100 reps is a bare minimum. 250 is better. I’ve done this for over 1000 before.
It gives a great pump, can be done each hand individually or together, even under water. When you’ve went til the pump is ridiculous you then stretch, I like pulling my hand back by the first three fingers, arms extended, as of I was trying to get the wrist flexibility for the clean.

This would be better as a show not a tell. For YouTube eventually.

Also grip what is around you, I guarantee there’s something to squeeze.

Fitness Costs : Exercise Equipment & Gym Clothing Needn’t Cost Much

While it’s cute the college chicks training ass & abs in color coordinated name brand yoga pants and top, it’s downright comical, sad really how practically the same can be said of the male gym going population.

I used to care about the footwear, wrestling shoes, or hard soled (work boots, the poor man’s improvised weightlifting shoe) only, but as I mature even that slips.

I have a pair of roughly 8 year old Saucony running shoes, practically falling apart, they are all torn up with holes, from 3 years of heavy usage, that are what I walk through pf in with pride.

With the gym closed I’m mostly exercising in beat up $20 walmart work boots, complete with tape on one boot, that were actually hand me downs from an old timer when he moved into retirement apartment complex not needing to shovel any longer a few years back, the tape covering a hole gotten while chipping ice at work.

My track pants are almost all nearing a decade old, my tshirts worn til they fall off.

If you go by clothes I’m the most homeless looking person in the gym. Every article of clothing is beat up, and this is really the best way.

Worn in moves better, and things worn during physical activity get worn down. Use clothing til it’s so dilapidated that it’s no longer functional.

Talking about my clothing and girls a coworker told me I should peacock, if I’m gonna just live in basketball shorts and tshirts at least buy the name brands not the least expensive, “jordans man, not what are those walmart”, I told him in a fully true touche that “my trap muscles are peacocking enough”.

Often the biggest and strongest are just wearing whatever.

I’d see older roid head bodybuilders in only gray sweatpants and gray sleeves cut off sweater, New Balance (the old timers brand if ever there was one) sneakers, only replacing something when it became unusable by virtue of falling off completely.

The men just put in the work, it’s the misguided boys alongside the girls getting dressed up to exercise.

(Ye who be ineth a nightclub.)

The cheapest gym shorts or track pants will last for years, by the time you rip a hole in the crotch demanding replacement (I had this happen last summer/fall) the $7 pair of basketball shorts had lasted over ten years.

(And I joked about it to the cashier, probably the best built cashier I’d ever seen at walmart, I’d guess 19yo, and her response was hilarious. “You were washing them right!?!? It wasn’t 10 years of sweat just building up.”)

Working out can be expensive or as free as you like.

The true cost is in time and effort. You have to pay in hours and sweat.

The dollar cost can be effectively zero.

I train in the footwear and clothing I already have. I pay gym dues only because I like going to the gym. It’s a way to be social, out of the house, and has more equipment. Over time I have bought some equipment to use at home, and when I have to I’m entirely ok with just calisthenics.

Fitness is free.
Get moving.

Persistence & Tenacity

Overtraining Calisthenics Based On Your Leverages

With t-rex arms and short legs I find I can squat and press as often and as high volume as I want without issue.

The only thing resultant is I muscle up when I do so.

I can more easily find the line of too much with pulling volume, it ain’t gonna happen with press or legs.

With the opposite limb lengths, and I have a buddy in mind as I write this, it’s the opposite case.

Those who can press and dip all day long should.

Those who can chin all day long should.

All day long builds your ability to do work and recover quickly up. I can’t tire out my chest anymore.

This is how you build a beast off of calisthenics ; high volume upper body work, the movement based on your leverages, enough leg work, and enough of the opposite upper body movement pattern.

Cardio Calisthenics™ is a wind building endeavour, but you can throw in some jumping jacks or jump rope too to increase that effect.

A few sets of back to back 50 rep sets on pushups and whatever else will have a muscular and cardio effect.

Eat well on top of it, throw in some isometrics, and you have a sustainable travels with you methodology right there.

I’m not stressing no gym.
I’m not worried that some movements may be temporarily down.

I’ll be walking back into the (currently covid closed) gym better, having just essentially trained as if I was in solitary.

I’m mostly doing pushups, jumping jacks, and a grip isometric anyway.
It could be done in a cell, anywhere for that matter.

I could think of the equipment I’ve lost, or I could hit the deck, and improve in a completely unbalanced manner.

Imbalance in training is fine when done smartly. I’ve been doing it smartly for years.

You’re stuck at home without a gym? Overtrain your calisthenics with an imbalance in volume.

Do it right, and you’ll walk back into the gym an animal.

Persistence & Tenacity

Back Pain? Stop Being Weak

Awhile back a coworker talked about his back hurting. I told him that he’s only having that back pain due to his lower back being weak.

Somewhere between 3 and 10 days later he told me seemingly out of the blue “dude, you were right”, and told me how he’d been thinking about what I had said related to strength overriding pain and the possibility of such.

Here’s a few things :

A lot of people are hypochondriac, and/or whatever you would call the equivalent speaking of pain, injury, hurt.

Due to what is the ridiculous rationale of victim culture people desire things to be wrong with them instead of right.

And whether something is legit or not :

•If you don’t think about it often it ceases to exist.
•You could be doing prehab/rehab to fix it whether it’s real or imagined.

Paranoia self dest troy ya – I can here it being sing songed, and it’s true.

Likely it’s more a worry in your head than anything in actual reality.

The worry often causes more negative issue than whatever you’re worrying about.

You can see that.

If you don’t focus on it, it doesn’t matter. I figure if I was to ever get injured it’d only be found out in my autopsy.

I’ve heard an old west actor that did his own stunts upon examination was found to have spent decades doing it all with a broken neck.
He didn’t care. A Man!

Dudes have successfully kickboxed with a broken arm. Handling his shit!

If your back hurts because because because because because…and you’re fat, change that, and it’s likely, 99%+ that the back pain goes away.

Physical weakness allows for a myriad of physical pains to crop up. You want nagging pains? Be weak, you’ll feel the gamut of pains.

Know this ; a lot of physical pain, often most, if not nearly all, is preventable, and IS prevented by the smart and diligent.

The barbaric response of always suggesting “okay then, get stronger” may sound harsh, but it’s actionable, and bears positive results.

If obesity causes a legit pain, stop being obese.

If physical weakness is the cause, get strong.

If it’s paranoia or hypochondria in your head, think better.

When you have the choice between belief in either human capability or human limitation ; choose human capability. You’re better for it.

Note : since 4th grade when my buddy, the only hindu in our school, asked me how I wanted to die as we walked inside from recess, to which I stated via riddled with gun shots, and most recently my answer being stabbed 78 times (taking one attacker with me, crippling one and the third escaping relatively sound of body – if I went all out in the answer) my answer has for about a decade and a half always been an extraordinarily violent one as to how I’d like to go out.

I’ve noted more happiness thinking along lines easily labeled barbaric.

Getting out of my head, and using a conanesque shrug of the shoulders, and with it when required an under the breath muttering of sorcery to explain things is quite simple.

Pain? Fix it.

A lot, most, often neary all is under your control, see the belief in human capability.

A buddy has told me the longer my beard the higher frequency that conan the barbarian like statements come out of my mouth.

“Cause you’re such a pleasure to be around.”

“Yeah, I am.”

So much is tied to our mindframe, our inner workings.

Why choose to be riddled with pain? You can be happy, strong, and healthy.

Focus on your frame. The rest naturally follows.

Persistence & Tenacity

Book Review : Solitary Fitness by Charles Bronson

I first read Solitary Fitness at 17 years old. Over the last week a reread it.

In all honesty I never followed it to a letter, but I’ve definitely absorbed the philosophy, and was inspired by Bronson’s pushup performance to up my volume and eventually get to over 100 reps a minute at 19 years old.

(My pr was 112 or 113 reps in 60 seconds. I personally have a love affair with pushups.)

I like the focus on basic calisthenics, isometrics, using what you have, making do without supplements, and one cannot overlook the “cow punch” chapter.

Do not overlook that chapter. Madness can be amazing for physical ability.

Solitary oil makes sense to me, but some of the dietary advice is somewhat outdated as far as dietary fat. Look to the principles.

Don’t be a lazy sod. Fitness is for all! Do your calisthenics! And don’t eat like a sad pasty-skinned tub of beluga looking lard!

The book is online at archive.org :

https://archive.org/details/BronsonSolitaryFitness/mode/1up

There, I did the work of finding it for you. Now go get in shape you lazy sod!

Persistence & Tenacity

Jaromir Jagr’s Daily Squat Streak

Archives :
10/23/19

If Jaromir Jagr started doing 1,000 Squats per day at 7 years old, and is still doing them, or did them daily til 18 (I’ve read both) no days off, if there’s truth to this…

This is up there with the Great Gama’s training, particularly if that’s still an active streak.

Discipline.

You and I can both up the calisthenics volume and reap the rewards.

The History Of The Plates

Recently I saw a 200kg set of Eleiko plates up on Craigslist. The pictures showed well worn, usable, older bumper plates.

A the SoCal bodybuilding gym they had a pair of York 20kg plates, reds, built with a strange mix of metal and rubber.

My understanding is that both examples are of an early generation of bumper plates.

(The SoCal gym also had some Eleiko 20kg plates, made of a dark blueish strange feeling rubber, the shape a little “off”, just a bit short of height and thicker than quality modern training bumpers, that looked like someone’s pitbull(s) had used them as a chew toy.)

And then there’s my first weight set…

See, I feel there’s some meaning to compounded effort on a piece of equipment.

With the old oly plates, the ones I’ve lifted, and the ones I’ve seen for sale, you have to wonder where they’ve been.

With those Cap barbell plates I know how much sweat has come out of me with them.

(Though I have upgraded to a sturdy yet inexpensive bar, the one that came with the set is warped and bent a great deal.)

I feel something with well worn, older equipment. I’ve been to a gym where it’s a hodge podge selection of equipment, and my gym?

My gym is a collection of plates.

Commercial whitewashed operations stock themselves with brand new and matching everything.

Used equipment, old plates, those are found in the places, and with the people with heart.

An old rusty lipped plate is just as heavy on the bar as a pristine new plate with handholds.

It’s a difference in character.