Month: November 2022

11/29/22
I prefer sldl to conventional, and with this setup I’m not really going to pull sumo, which I never used much anyway.

An axle is preferable to a barbell for everything, though with pulls it should all be double overhand anyway.

Boiled down I’d make the same argument for straps as for double overhand – you’re not in a powerlifting meet, you’re training.

So mostly don’t mix grip whatever your approach.

My preference is to skip warmups.
Personally I don’t much need them.
Occasionally I’ll purposely use them, but it’s not my regular manner of doing things.

Today I pressed 10×185, a PR, on the first set.

As far as labor, I’d be happier than a pig in shit throwing hay bales.

The question is what path do I take out of the kitchen.

I like lifting, wrestling, being physical, and outdoor barbell has been far better than indoor lifting.

I don’t much like working indoors, though I’d like to try bartending (moreso than waiting tables), and sales would likely be the best pay outside of making something happen self employed.

My problem is wants, not musts, not needs.

Personal training out of a barn would be an enjoyable blending of many worlds for me.

…..

A plus to gyms is all the available equipment – you can hit many angles.

A quick, little equipment, full body session covering enough angles is power clean & press plus walking lunges.

I’ve started to press a little more volume, a little heavier, add in some minimal volume deadlift variation, and some walking lunges.

It bugs me to only lift half the days each week.

…..

I prefer pulling snatch grip to regular on the sldls I’m doing, but it’s worth doing both, as well as an occasional conventional (usually regular grip) for the full body tension effects.

Funny to prefer snatch grip deadlift variations, but never power snatch – just lots of presses off a power clean.

…..

When you honestly approach deadlifting, you get to reasonable pretty quickly.

I’ve been tacking on an sldl set of 10 or so at the end of each lift’s barbell time, and genuinely know it’s not a long time to 30 x the 300lb weight set (probably conventional).

From there I can start looking for double overhand 10s adding weight.

I have 500 available lbs. I can get to the strongest around without ever buying another piece of equipment or ever stepping foot into a gym again.

Freeing this notion.

I like the outdoor lifting sessions.

As dictator of earth I’d have proper height pullup bars, proper height dip bars, and lifting platforms everywhere for the good of the proletariat.

Fitness trails and parks are far too few, and crummy, when found in real life.

As dictator of earth I’d remedy this.

And have (mandatory) “optional” 0500 burpee PT for the health of the people and glory of the nation.

Prowler sprints for many too.

…..

I miss concept2 rowing machines.

$1045 shipped to the continental us – they’re awesome big man cardio.

…..

The “dip odyssey” is a far cry from the “press outdoors” of this period, and both work.

There’s a commonality…

“Effective training comes from passionate effort. You use passionate effort when the training method feels right. Design your own program, those always feel right.” – me

Persistence & Tenacity

“You were on a mission, I didn’t want to be in your way” the cashier, a cute though flat chested brunette of between 18 and 21, said to me when I came back to checkout.

(One of my food packages was open, I noticed at the last minute, and had turned around to get a new one.)

I mention this being said to me to the girl manager at work (25yo) who replied “I can see that, you always go around like that, you’re always like that- you’re intense”.

They must see this just cause 6′, muscular.

I don’t see it – especially now as I progress into my old age, the senior citizenship of 28 lol – whereas I feel like I’ve visibly chilled over the past few years.

Heck, one buddy said he saw that happen in the year from 26½ to 27½.

Reality?
Mine that is…

I’m a jokester, a big light hearted goofball, and I flip a switch somewhere from introvert to outgoing when I’m anywhere but alone (50% of the time, it has been, and needs be higher – talk to everyone, especially the cute college chicks).

Flip switch. Click. ✓

When my buddy and I moved to vegas everyone thought I was the one who was prior service.

I wasn’t. He was.
20 vs 22
People just notice that I’m wired, squared away, often easily enough on “up time”.

Up time!

Cali can be funny.

First it’s “what branch were you?”

“Marine Corps? Oh, you were army.
No? Neither?” They’re surprised.

Then it’s…

“When and where did you do time?
No?” They’re surprised again.

Big islander with airborne tats, fit black dude compton and crip tats blasted all over him – just respect nods as I pass.

Don’t know the vibe I have.

The gym out there, this GIANT black guy, 6’8″+, probably 400lbs, muscular (I don’t think it was Shaq, yes I’m confident it wasn’t Shaq) – we’d nod and fist bump.
Him leaving, me entering the gym floor.

Never spoke, just nod, fist bump, as the gym floor “crew/shift” changed.

Got a spot from one of those crips, broke “prison politics”, it visibly blew his mind, but I’m a civilian – in the civilian world.

All the blacks there gave me respect, watched me power clean -respect for that too.

A conversation with one chick, another chick witnessed, and seemingly ALL the chicks there became interested.

“Hey! Yo! We’re not done talking. Get back here.”

Gave her my #, “text me your name in a bit”, THEN she left.

That deliciously hipped and naturally blonde latina witnessed me doing that which was more exciting than her and two guy friends taking instagram photos for each other, decided she was smitten, and it snowballed.

“Dude, do you know her?” The redhead dude from detroit training with me asked.
“Nope.”
“Well that wasn’t for me.”

She had walked the entire way across the gym “to grab a plate” (either 2½, 5, or 10lb) from right next to me, an accented “excuse me”, with a huge smile up at me as she squeezed by before I could initially move, just radiating a smile as she came back by instead of going around the other equipment “thank you”.

We both recognized that as her making an obvious, chick hitting on guy, pass at me.

Cops tend to be tense around me.
It’s 50/50 on whether dudes who’ve been to prison will be chill or tense.

…..

Occasionally I do my daily pushups as 4ct reps.

Did so today, bout 1245am.
Got them out of the way still up after midnight.

Worked bout 8am to 930pm yesterday – a long weekend restaurant day.

Our reserves, our energy – it’s as high as we want.

I laugh as I hip check the doorway.
Yeah, 12 hours in the kitchen. Dehydration. Affects balance.

The mace workout. Last night’s extra pushups. Today’s early pushups.

4ct militant.

4ct Militant :
I count off the reps 1, 2 , 3 ,1, sometimes in my head, sometimes aloud – the whole set but the “and for good measure” 4ct, those words ALWAYS aloud.

AND FOR GOOD MEASURE!
aloud

I get more out of these reps, and sometimes will sound off.

Like picturing benching 405 for reps as I do pushups, the 4ct makes the vanilla pushup more valuable than just repping, done in these styles they’re done strictly vs what form police would forever “no rep” – the “woody woodpeckers”.

Persistence & Tenacity

About three years ago my car was totaled.

Being the king of improvised training every night that I wasn’t able to get to the gym during the brief period it took me to get into a used car – for that month or six week every night not at the gym I’d swamp lunge down and back, down and back, enjoying the fresh air – knowing NOTHING CAN STOP ME

I’ll always train.

…..

I’ve realized thigh bulk would be the #1 assistance to my pressing.

At present I’m just not getting under the bar for high bar or front squats, really doing the clean and press to the near exclusion of all other lifts.

I intended to snatch grip deadlift today after pressing.

All I did was press.

Which by itself, I always press off of a clean or heave, is enough for most purposes.

…..

At present state of mind I’d have to get into a gym again to truly get into regularly doing other lifts.

Later in the day, outside enjoying the fresh chilly air – I realized walking lunges, swamp lunges!

Eureka!

Then did 20 total, remembering the joy of the thing in the past, recalling how even further back lots (60-150 total) of lunges 4x a week built me solid p4p squat strength for 8 reps.

Maybe this is going to be habit for a time.

I enjoyed it.

And there is an answer here :

Not able to logistically, or are unwilling to squat?
Walking lunge, or swamp lunge instead.

It builds good pound for pound strength taken seriously.

And it’s always there with you.

That’s the simplest way. Use what is always with you.

-J

11/15/22
Yesterday was 6½ years of daily pushups.

Today, off work, waking up real early (am I a werewolf affected by the moon?) I went to the kitchen and had a small meal of polish-mexican fusion (I just wanted to write that lol – kielbasa sliced thin into corn tortillas with melted cheese), then going back to bed to sleep way in – early afternoon I lifted.

Press
2×210
6×195
6×185
2×200

I’m guessing I was done in under ten minutes, the right aggressive attitude as I approached, cleaned, and pressed the bar fueled by mexican gangbanger rap and walking with purpose to grab the bar – no dillydallying at the bar either.

Arrive. Reach down. Grab. Pull. Explode. Shouldered. Press. Press. Press.

Today’s One Track Playlist :

“so ruff so tuff in la remix”

Whatever the official start date, and though there’s no snow yet, the past few lifts have been cold enough to break out the little black winter gloves.

Lifting in cheapo beat up soft soled skate shoes, wearing those little black winter gloves, the platform a piece of particle board and pair of rubber patio tiles = ideal gym.

It does, as lifting matters to me.

Right now I’m on a kick of “what can I clean and press no warmups”.

Then I’ll hit a few more sets, maybe all back off, maybe waved in weight.

Today it was pressing 2×210.
Tommorow I’ll hit 215, or maybe not.

There’s a commonality between the grocery store and gym for me…

I never walk out with exactly what I expected to.

No list, I always forget something.
No program means the lift happens as it happens.

The session NEVER ends up being exactly the session I walked in having planned.

Ha, walked in. Right now it’s technically stepped outside!

I own 500lbs of weights.

Plenty have cleaned it.

Through 1972 it was pressed by a bunch too.

I could milk yard lifting to elite international weightlifter level.

The bar and plates are there.

…..

The #1 thing I could do to greatly improve the press would be to build a massive pair of thighs.

I realize handstand pushup work would be great shoulder work, but it and the press are not exactly the same.

Pressing big overhead, it’s a plus to have massive superheavyweight thighs.

Handbalancing would prefer little skinny jeans legs lol

I’m still more into “press big weights”.

However I’m also still unlikely to do that requisite high bar/front squat work in the yard, and still leaning a pretty strong no as to joining the local powerlifting gym.

So it continues to be a half week each week of americanized bulgarian training for the press.

No thigh size building… 😉

Three days in a row, all the days off of work, occasionally a fourth lift some weeks before work on the day of a short shift.

This winter I may experiment with lifting in those thick outdoor yard work type work gloves.

Any glove is a grip strengthener, and I bet that thicker leather will last as opposed to tearing up pair of gloves after pair of gloves as they disintegrate with barbell use.

Those gloves will build grip with those fat leather fingers.

I can only laugh at how awkward deadlift style picking up a bar is right now.

I’m used to setting up for cleans.

It’s not the same positioning.

…..

“The strong do what they can. The weak suffer what they must.”

The above quote, I apply it to my ugly catches, my not bothering to warm up, etc.

Because I can.

And it’s not without precedence. Occasionally you hear stories.

Not that you need precedence.
Go out, do you.

Do you. Always.

That’s it.

I lift because I choose to.
I enjoy pressing. The fresh air is nice, even better with the winter’s chill to it.

I suggest you do it right – there silly disclaimer mentioned lol

Whereas I’m nobody, yet a damn good one at that, forever running a never ending n=1 self experiment in what is my interpretation of bodybuilding.

My interpretation of bodybuilding in the way I choose to run it.

Which means clean and press broski. Lots of press.

Far from lab settings, barely, often not, logging, doing this thing in my real world.

IN MY REAL WORLD

My way, though guided to a degree by present circumstance.

I’m willing to press some to every day each week, and am pleased… tasting the nearness of a 255lb c&p upon the back of my tongue.

It’s cool to just grab a 210lb bar as it’s 40° outside, easily clean it, press it for two – maybe call the warmup being content in the knowledge that the tacquitos and apple cider I’d just bought would taste good being ready to eat after my brief lift.

…..

A reoccurring thought today was “all american day”.

That was what kept popping into my head.

I’ve had a good vibe recently – I attribute this to 6+ weeks of heard growth, the same porn free, the same masturbation free.

A real good walk around vibe.

This was carrying over to :

A nicely thick college chick clearly double taking on me, the plain though rather friendly college aged cashier having a pretty good, enjoyable conversation with me (next time should I ever end up in her lane again I’ll have to tell her she should waitress – as bubbly as she is in conversation she’d make much better pay than cashiering which to my understanding is about as low paid as it gets), an older cashier who views me as a regular smiling and waving…

And that’s just today.

I even really enjoyed the taquitos and apple cider.

My one meal, kinda.

I function better leaning towards fasting, eating if necessary earlier, but stacking the majority of my calories as late as possible.

Be big and strong.
Have a beard.
Don’t masturbate ever.
Never watch porn or anything else for that matter.
Approach the entire world with an honest appreciation for/enjoyment of EVERYTHING

BE THANKFUL FOR EVERYTHING

Do what others won’t.
Part of that is to enjoy it.

Check in. You’re blessed.

Do right. Walk with your head high.

Until we speak again,
Persistence & Tenacity

Frank Sinatra – My Way

11/14/22 ~530pm
With those sets I just completed 6½ years of daily pushups.

Last night I realized I hadn’t done one of these every six months of daily pushup posts for a couple of intervals, almost started to write this while expecting to post, then realized it was a day early.

I type while eating immediately after the two, thus far, sets on the day.

(I’d say 8+ sets, 300+ reps by the time I’ve continued to write at 815pm)

It’s cool to say I’ve done pushups every day since late June/early July of 2012 with only one (possible) missed day.

Even more sweat to be able to say it’s been a decade or longer unbroken.

6½ in, 3½ more to say it.

Active Streak :
May 14, 2016 – Present

I’m still going.

…..

I’ve long wanted to make a video of weighted pushups with a good looking college chick standing on my upper back.

My uncle and I were discussing a possible western road trip a few days back – I’d like to make that same video on four corners.

…..

Dude, I pray you’re out there in cali, doing well, still doing your pushups.

I realize we haven’t seen each other since summer 2012, nor spoke since late 2014.

I still think of you and yours – I wish you all well.

I’ve got my pushups.
I hope you have yours.

In Your Dad’s Memory :

It was really cool that night when we were about 7, 8 years old and your dad did the “family pushups” almost everybody laying on his back.

I still remember his circuit, 30 or so pushups, 30 or so crunches, 30 or so calf raises, 30 or so seconds of shadow boxing, a bunch of times through.

It seemed to me he did it every afternoon.

I know he alternatively swam or jogged before work each morning.

This all stuck with me over the years.

He was a real good influence, both for what to do, and for what not to do, for health and fitness.

…..

6½ years

Persistence & Tenacity