Month: December 2022

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OADL, P Sn, OHS Play
w/135lbs

Fat Grips SLDL
10×165

Press
14×165 = PR tie, yet to hit 15 reps to my knowledge, a bit better pacing could’ve seen 17 reps

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12/21/22
Yesterday dinner was 8oz steak, spiced with plenty of pepper and pink salt, a bunch of cranberry juice to drink, milk & oreos alongside – it all hit the spot.

Tonight’s dinner will be near identical.

I’ve got enough leftover, actually having cooked more than one dinner in the pan last night.

The body needs saturated fat, and the less processed the meat the better.

You want to eat steak fairly regularly, cooked to around medium (at most) – it’s just worth more to your body than ground beef in effect.

Ditto to bone in meat, which is how I tend to eat chicken – when you eat chicken eat “dirty” – the wings, drumsticks, leg quarters – dark meat requiring eating with your hands.

However, chicken prices are stupid right now, inflated more than beef – so splurge with steak, kielbasa, italian sausage, hot dogs.

It might be worth making big ole turkey legs for a similar dish – check the prices dude.

Splurge. With these prices:
Might as well make the cooking real simple, red meat and already fully cooked sausage variations meaning ~10 minutes to pan fry the night’s fatty protein source(s).

Hot dogs are better cooked in a pan after the steak.

Probably better to stick to kielbasa, though oddly hot dogs sit real well – have we as humans evolved to processing junk foods well – think about that.

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The Importance Of Barbell Play :

I’m really liking this play period to start the session.

Thus far it’s looked like :

•left hand deadlift
•power snatch
•overhead squat or two
•right hand deadlift
•power snatch
•overhead squat or two

And I go through this a handful of times, enjoying it, and noticing that it primes me for the clean and press later in the session.

Other than noting the poundage used, I am not counting the rounds, nor if it’s exactly as written above.

I really like the idea of a 205+ one arm deadlift with each hand.

I view this routine listed above as something not to stress, but enjoy, with plenty of potential to be pushed far.

…..

I too played with handstands a little an hour or so after lifting.

Persistence & Tenacity

OADL, P Sn, OHS Play
w/135lbs

Fat Grips SLDL
8×135
15×155

Press
1×155 – off a heave
1×185 – off a heave
3×205 – off a no foot movement power clean

The one arm deadlift primes the body for everything from the overhead squat during the play period to the clean & press during the session.

The three movements – one arm deadlift, power snatch, and overhead squat was a great giant set – I may have to specify the latter two were two handed as I have one arm scratched 135lbs on a few occasions.

proof

The overhead squat as well as the one arm deadlift are both one stop shops for being one piece, strong, and well held together.

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12/20/22
A dozen oreos, a little over a quart milk – the preworkout, I felt like having something in me.

The lift, then spending time outside enjoying the fresh air with the lift over, then dinner planned – a couple corn dogs and leftover kielbasa (in hot dog buns with relish and cheese) to tide my appetite as I cook a lb lump of steak, plenty of milk, plenty of fruit juice to drink.

I didn’t plan out baked potatoes to go with it – shrugs.

The lift making life right.

I really liked using the three movements during the play period before getting into the session.

…..

My lifting is pull focused at this point.

All the pulling from the floor carries the legs and shoulders along with it.

You can do mostly lots of pulling, whether one variation or a million variations, and be set.

Today’s lift was a little more freestyle than it had been.

…..

It feels so good to be outside in the fresh, cold, air.

In fact, I prefer the winter outside to the winter inside.

Part of this is being heavy, part of this is being outside for hours, part is not caring that it’s cold – ignoring it.

As long as I’m still line cooking this winter the contrast of the weather outdoors is very enjoyable.

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I’m a little peeved not being able to purchase a titan kettlebell as rogue is much more expensive.

However, I still would like to have a concept2 rower.

It’s funny, I’m partly thinking aquire equipment in line with having an actual gym.

Sticking to no new equipment, no gym membership as I’d written yesterday, well – a concept2 rower and good sized kettlebell would be cardio I’d actually do, and home based without logistical issue.

As is I was thinking of buying a sturdy 18″ step stool, $20-30 or so – for home based cardio.

Step ups are great.
I’ve never done them consistently enough.

Interestingly enough, holding my foot next to a yard stick it looks that around 18″ high is where my foot is with my thigh parallel to the floor.

An 18″ step stool would be just about perfect height from the muscular standpoint for step ups.

Persistence & Tenacity

Press
20+5 rest pause w/140 took ten deep breaths
Lateral Raises
25×2½s
Press
6×185
Lateral Raises
30×2½s
SLDL
10×185

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12/19/22
It’s too easy to be big, strong…and stiff.
You gotta move, play, do athletic things.

I’d been reading of Doug Hepburn.

Noticing the commonality of these brutally strong men, he, Bert Assirati, Paul Anderson – one and all capable of handstand pushups.

Also recently having read of an early 1900s wrestler doing 100yd handstand walks, plus recalling a reading of as heavyweight boxer (Archie Moore?) doing much the same.

Handstands have been on the mind between reading of these feats, and recalling how at the end of 2020/start of 2021 treating handstand work as a 7+ hour/week hobby, and into summer 2021 still incorporating a bit daily – saw me nearly locking out a full freestanding handstand pushup weighing somewhere in the mid 200lbs.

All this leading to an hour or so after the lift my kicking up into maybe eight handstand attempts.

Two were good lengths of time, especially considering I had not kicked into one in months, nor had I been in a period of consistently practicing for them in 1½-2 years.

It’s not something I ever considered baked in.

…..

This was something of relearning “There’s More To Strength Than Lifting Weights 101”, while at the same time a bit of a display of the “what the hell” effect most usually found online as reference to kettlebells.

Kettlebells, of which just today a 90lb titan one was sold out right from under me as I hit add to cart – maybe I am not gifting myself any equipment for The Cold Air Barbell Club for Christmas this year, which I am taking as a sign that 2023 shall be more clean and press alongside much more handstand work.

And though both prowler sprints and stair climbers call my name as gym dues requiring indoor (coddled warmth) cardio, as I sat outside I instinctively felt “the majority of the fit through human history did not require such sissy conveniences – you shall make do without”.

It pleases me to see that the thought which I have just typed above is my brain going to where my cousin has complimentarily called my “inner conan the barbarian”.

I had needed to have the rougher circumstance for my passionate pursuit of fitness.

That’s one of the past year’s lessons.

Maybe my cousin (the same as above) will meet me with his truck in an empty parking lot for to push said vehicle around.

We have not met up for such a manly unnecessarily laborious activity in years.

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I have a sneaking suspicion that nothing will hypertrophy the upper body, turning it into one solid unit, like freestanding handstand pushups, handstand walks, combined with a big clean and press.

Handstand = big upper body.
Big c&p requires big, strong thighs.

The two compliment and feed into each other.
…..

For 2023 :
•freestanding handstand pushup
•handstand walk a football field
•backflip?

These can be practiced just about anywhere.

No gym is a blessing!

Without one, I have to get…athletic.

If Doug Hepburn was good at handstand work, so can I!
……

kicking into the handstands to

jason derulo – ridin solo
which took me back over a decade to an interesting mind state – where I was smashing the weights with uninhibited joy, laughing at life’s pain, chin up, eyes a sparkle, smiling, looking to an unknown and hopeful future

I was jogging in place between kick ups – reminded me of how I enjoy doing burpees – ahh, tennis court workout ideas – here I come

Persistence & Tenacity

12/13/22
If it fits your macros lol – I don’t keep track of anything, I just wanted some food into me quickly before buzzing my head, showering up, and establishing the beard line on a few days worth of stubble.

Even saying to forgive myself, still if I watch porn I shave clean – maybe that’s just habit for life for me.

Unbreakable discipline on shaving the beard – it keeps me honest.

However, a few days ago it didn’t feel like compulsion, no it was something different, it was simply preferring to be able to say that I had not watched porn at any time while growing my beard.

Therefore at present I have days of stubble after what was a ten week beard, which coincidentally takes ten weeks to grow back despite taking just minutes to shave.

I type as I drink a raw egg shake, made of ice cream, some milk, three eggs, and a ½c oats, plus eat two small bowls of tortilla chips.

It’s all IIFYM when you’re not counting them.

I should be doing some food prep, simply a week’s worth of meat in a go.

I’ve been real needy lately about wanting meat immediately on hand, even eating burger king – fast food being real rare for me.

With the food access we have in this country we all should be eating far better than we do.

What does it take?
$10/day, an hour here and there to cook.
…..

Front Squat
10×135
3×185
C&P Every Rep
4×185
SLDL
15×185

…..

The above was today’s lift.

The three movements what I’m gearing up to treat as this winter’s lifting.

I can recall an early morning front squat of 185lbs for a set past 20 reps.

This winter I look to far surpass it.

Personally I enjoy doing movements you’re not supposed to for high reps for high reps.

I get a lot out of them.

Both philosophically and real world a high rep squat is worth more than a low rep squat.

The front squat, cross arm “bodybuilder” style, is the every man’s squat – there is no form excuses that people metamorphosise out of thin air like with the (back) squat.

Keep your cross arm elbows high and bury the reps!

Pause them ass to ground (grass, whatever) too if it floats your boat.

I like pausing buried front squats.

…

After the high rep squats you go into the clean and press.

For pulling horsepower and wind reasons you clean every rep, press every rep, back to the clean, repeat all day long 🙂

In 2022 I’d been lazy with this, only cleaning the first rep while the biggest thing I can do for my press is more/improve cleans.

…

To finish the session you deadlift.

I’m partial to the sldl – preferring it to conventional, as it’s more “feel good”, it’s a muscle and a great pump vs a movement.

Occasionally or everytime, whichever frequency you desire, use snatch grip.

Note : I’m talking snatch grip sldl.

I too expect these pulls all to be pulled double overhand.

Since it’s me all done in little black winter gloves.

I was impressed today that I was pulling those cleans sl, a little hip pop when the bar hit power position, and it’s shouldered.

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The programming above?

I’m excited.
This is hard.

It’s not easy to front squat, clean & press, and sldl all for high reps!

I need the challenge.

It’s winter. I doubt I’d run 20-30lbs of fat off. The high reps were partially chosen for the wind effect.

As it is I’m not running, not going to a gym, whether that gym is with or without a prowler/yoke/etc, not pushing my car or a friend’s truck, not doing any form of combat sport – so high reps make sense to one stop being so damn chubby.

Plus high reps done earnestly have very high strength potential.

You can put a lot of weight up for 10, 15, 20, 30, 50+ reps!

This gets you jacked.

And the rep count pushed real high with honest effort gets you fit.

…..

Could you do 104 squats whether weighted or not?

Dude, do your high rep squats consistently.

Persistence & Tenacity

The one thing I’d say is advantage to a commercial gym over home based, park based, even strongman gym based (to some degree – despite atlas stones) training is the sheer quantity of options for angles whilst training back.

Yeah, you can do some pullups, a bunch of band pull aparts, and get real creative with dumbbell and barbell options – it’s still simpler to jump on a bunch of machines and use the cables as conventionally or unconventionally as you want.

(In addition to barbell pulls, pullups, preferably weighted, and dumbbell options.)

I miss the seated row, and I miss the concept2 erg.

Even with my current economics the $1045 price tag sounds more and more reasonable.

I always believed there to be some hypertrophy stimulus from the rowing erg – it’s not “just” a cardio machine.

Notably I’ve seen a bodybuilder type use a ski erg as a triceps tension exercise one arm at a time.

Two more things equipment wise – 7ft 45lb axles and 7ft 45lb ez curl bars.

I know both to be in existence, though they both should be, and are not, a common sight.

This society, in a far more awesome – imaginary utopian version, would have a strongman type gym, culture and equipment, be the norm instead of the mamby pamby no chalk, shoes on, shirt required, mirrors everywhere, pop “music” playing, overly cleaned, to use Brooks Kubik’s term “chrome and fern” type travesties that are common.

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12/11/22
Today I did not lift.

I had the time yes, though ended up spending the day with food and a nap.

It’s fucking bullshit how much my psyche has been conditioned to “need” a gym to commute to, to function more powerfully at life.

The yard doesn’t cut it!
Yet The Cold Air Barbell Club is a gift!

I have to make shit happen with it, whatever it is.

…..

Tomorrow I lift, buy groceries, etc.

My psyche has this deep yearning to do “bodybuilder” properly.

My take that is.
(Natural, “powerbuilding”, a bunch of unconventional training with it – weighted pushups, every strongman implement, etc)

Persistence & Tenacity

Anything you can pull sldl you can, by default, pull conventional.

I prefer the sldl, and am all for using it as the primary.

To me the deadlift is best done, in no particular order, as an sldl, a snatch grip sldl, or as a snatch grip deadlift.

I too prefer an axle to a barbell.

Treat the movement as a health lift moreso than as a lift.

I suggest only pulling double overhand.

Deadlifting in the smith machine, when I hit my power clean PR, and a 30 rep deadlift phase all have taught me the value of light to moderate loads.

In the smith machine with just insane levels of muscular activation, really locked in – letting the frame work for me – going with it – allowing me to pull firstly backwards and secondly upwards, again just locked in being one with the machine…I pulled my first 495 deadlift in years (raw, mixed, conventional) after anywhere from 3-15 sets of 2-4 reps at, I kid you not, generally 2p, maybe 2p10, sometimes 1p25, firing everything so hard that I’d be damn near falling over, looking punch drunk, appearing out on my feet from the thing.

Power cleaning 275 for the first time was done after lots of crisp singles at 225lbs, a moderate load.

Firstly I pulled 30 reps at a weight in as few sets as possible.

Once I pulled it as a straight set I upped the weight a little.

This is an amazing approach all around – strength, endurance, work capacity, fitness.

A guideline for what I’m starting with a 205lb sldl right now.

I’d been needing more pulling than just a clean into my press sets.

There is no reason not to have pull centric lifting programing.

As I intend to be sldl centric, the front squat is a good idea as the sldl is a more posterior chain deadlift variant – conventional makes use of more legs.

And again – pull double overhand.

Persistence & Tenacity

the hu – wolf totem