Month: May 2024

5/11/24
It’s been like 21 months since I worked with the guy, but I was just laughing to myself at our running gag in the kitchen of me pressing his 5’6″ 200ish lb stocky muscular ass of polska genetics overhead by the back of the armpits.

It was a significant show of real world strength for me. The first time I pressed him he came down laughing unable to finish a sentence saying stuff like “I can’t believe you just manhandled me as if I was a wee babe – I’m not small”.

And friends that is why there are weight classes.

It too is why in professional wrestling picking another man up overhead is a show of force, a show of dominance…

My dad’s coworkers at his labor job are ballpark my age, speaking with him the other day he was saying something about “alpha males” and I laughed “you’ve been talking too much with your coworkers haven’t you – the dudes are all roughly my age right”…

Yep.

One dude he worked with recently is like 6’3″ low 300s and coming down. Dude says he feels so much more able to move – had been in the 400s, fully 100+ lbs heavier at his heaviest.

Whereas in the past I worked with a guy who was like 6’2″, at least 280lbs who showed me a pic that vaguely looked like him but two or so years earlier – all jowls and shit…at, I think he said his top weight was, 450lbs working in a school, before moving and getting into a physical job.

Dude might not have worked out, but you could tell he was strong on the fact he was on his feet all day working, able to carry himself like that, and his thighs + calves had a lean sumo wrestler type development.

I’ve been reflecting lately on my having been just a handful of pounds under 300lbs just under a year ago – thinking to myself that certain muscles as I loose weight will show that I’m not walking around at my peak weight class.

I think the limbs show maximum development while the torso shrinks down to accomplish current weight.

My buddy, starved down in depression years back – from a strong 6’1” 240lbs down to like 165lbs – he still had biceps, thighs, glutes, and once he got part time work, reentered the gym, and upped from 1500 to 3500 calories (basically eating clean the entire time – yes even at peak conspiracy theory reading, netflix binging, couch sleeping on depression) he was back to 235lbs or so in a few months, looked like a pale gorilla in the low 250s a few months of bulking after that.

I’m pretty excited about this stage of my journey.

Daily soccer ball dribbling, brief daily walks, and daily though rather unstructured kettlebell training – random other stuff there, but not too much, and just seeing where I end up.

My arms are looking good, particularly forearms which are hypertrophied.

My torso looks tighter.

My upper back and shoulders both are knarly. Certain stimulus definitely adds to my traps…

I think what I notice most is on camera that my glutes are much more muscularly thick, off camera that my quads are far more dense though only a small bit smaller.

The kettlebell does amazing things – develop it into your own habit.

…..

thinkin bout you – dustin lynch ft lauren alaina

Tearing up man, tearing up – it’d have that effect if it was going while I lift on camera.

Pushups :
5×5 strict, fairly quickly – 2:00 or 3:00 minisession to the above song then drink some cherry pepsi post workout

…..

I feel like whether it’s an overhead press or not that each day I should do some movement high volume, in bodybuilding parlance a “day”.

•one arm rows
•c&p
•one arm snatch
•swings
•dkb
•deadlift
•burpees
•reverse curls
•curls

There was a time where I did both squat every day, trained full body, and trained a body part split with my training partner.

I call the body three categories; push, pull, legs, and want at least two, and preferably three categories done in the session.

Simply I’d do leg day, back day, and shoulder day with him, tacking on a little bit of the other two as he was doing some exercises I didn’t care to bother with or he was on the elliptical to end.

Arm day I’d skip half of both the triceps and biceps exercises he did, and do like squats, pullups, incline press during.

It worked well.
The daily full body session with volume on one part, minimal on the other parts, with which is what rotating is a way I enjoyed to train.

“The full body body part split.”

I “should” be doing something like this with a focus on an exercise, mostly but not exclusively one from on the list above, in addition to my minimal full body.

Heck, I’ve already a by feel rotation of how much soccer ball, walking, and lifting goes into each day.

A real lazy, minimal, just get the bare minimum in session is 5:00 of soccer ball, about a half mile walk, and one set of kettlebell pressing.

Yet too I could spend hours of my day, every spare moment really, at some combination of walk/soccer ball/lift.

…..

pizza and cherry pepsi

soccer ball on video (some of it) – also took shots on goal and then had the extra walking of the chase (no netting), five pullups (carried solely by kettlebell – fairly easy considering haven’t done any in a while – it’ll improve by increased kettlebell performance), walk

here here

VIDEO EDIT

more soccer ball (now barefoot at home)
it’s harder to control barefoot – requires a more sensitive touch, more control both to calibrate harder and lighter

pizza, buttered toast, honey roasted peanuts, cherry pepsi

my weekend cheat really could be simply some baked beans, buttered toast, honey roasted peanuts, milk, maybe some rice – pretty much clean wholesome foods but with carbs

there is the idea to simply enjoy whatever is on the plate in front of you, to cherish it all

…..

did two kettlebell minisessions after dark
presses and swings with the 24kg

if you dropped the $500 to $600 on a pair of up to 32kg adjustable kettlebells you could train a very long time with those

it may sound funny, but I feel more wiry of arms – it’s the kettlebell – mostly using the adjustable bell set to 24kg I really see how that kettlebell wth effect exists – a few pullups without issue, every kettlebell session tends to dip into the conditioning zone, while it’s training full body anyway – that’s not to be underestimated – I wonder what I’m going to look like in three months, four months, six months – it’s gonna be good, why…cause I’m consistent, and there’s little that stops me from doing any of my daily habit things

…..

might as well lift barefoot as often as possible

I’ve been rather enjoying half my time on the grass being in the grass

…..

Pushups :
x25, x30, x15

great seconds to midnight pump

Persistence & Tenacity

5/10/24
Did last night’s pushups just before midnight, and now just after midnight am doing duolingo, and a bit of video editing while drinking a can of iced tea.

I really enjoy a can of iced tea after exercise.

~40g carbs

Though I’ll likely fast from this til somewhere between 5-8pm, then go HIGH CARB then.

I’m looking forward to it, and tomorrow, but it may stay mild – real mild, just frozen meatballs and cheese instead of a free for all, but it could be a free for all.

Put a question mark with “let the donuts commence”.

Either way, I should get in some kettlebell swing volume today.

And I resteeped the cold brew tea from a few hours ago as well.
Theoretically that’s no additional carbs, just a hint of berry and tea flavor in cold water.

Pushups :
x20, x10

…..

It’s maybe a couple weeks of eating cleaner, and being clean shaven I can see less of a double chin.

Looking in the mirror my back is awesome.
For a second I start to think “if only I had a bunch of machines to train volume with”, then I laugh at myself ;

1. That’s an excuse pure and simple.
2. I’m not deadlifting.
3. I’m not doing pullups.
4. I’m not doing any rows.
5. It’s really being carried by the kettlebell habit.
6. If I wanted to really improve my back I’d simply add twenty minutes a day of rotating movements with what I have available.

On that note ; go to a pullup spot, do 50 or so before leaving – do lots of one arm rows with the equipment I have – do lots of barbell rows – actually deadlift (any variation for volume) – use the salvaged forearm forklift as trx row as intended when I snagged it before it went in the dumpster…

There’s no excuse but to do the work.

And often lately I realize I’m doing no burpees, nor have I tried to join any pickup basketball, nor have I ran any…

But I’m CONSISTENT with at least ; five minutes of soccer ball, one set of pressing, a couple sets of pushups, and a ten minute walk each day, and that well rounded daily consistency is working for me.

Somewhat related ; as I walk I tend to get to a place of thinking good thoughts, and while there I keep hearing “keep daily posting for forever – you have a message, and will help others”.

See, I’m a financial wreck.
I’ve been a social wreck.
A lack of local opportunity for me, something snapping in me the last time I lost a job – it got me online.
And that’s worldwide.
The paths we walk…
(to greater destinations)

Film what I’d be doing anyway, and get monetized on youtube (fix my finances with it as side effect) by showing people everywhere how simple it is to be strong.

That’s what I’ve long taken issue with in all the programs, all the workout advice online, all the gym culture, etc – there’s very few who just pointedly simplify.

Do the work.
Do anything consistently.
Equipment is nice, equipment is spice, but no equipment and personal ingenuity make it so you can fly so long as you decide to.

I used to say “I make gym floors wherever I go”…while really it’s ; “I am the gym wherever I am…and I can teach you to be too”…

What a good midnight to 1am hour.

…..

I find it hilarious that I’m craving buttered toast and baked beans – I’d not even need to do keto, I could just eat normally fairly low calorie and be set!

…..

Breakfast :
~2.5oz honey roasted peanuts
16oz milk
~40g carbs

I was RAVENOUS – got this in quick
Will eat reasonably free today, looking like eating big tonight.

It was interesting going four full days without milk – very rare for me.

Early Afternoon

Lift :
goofing around trying to hub lift first a 25lb plate, then 10lb plate – then pinch c&p a 25lb plate then a pair of 10lb plates smooth side out

I have a long ways to go with grip strength, but it already seems like the sort of thing I can do lots of, without much regimentation, which frankly is what I like.

immediately after this a
can of iced tea
~40g carbs

120g carbs on the day thus far and it’s not yet dinner

Soccer Ball :
5:00

Lift :
playing with bumper plate pinch grip clean & press

today’s video of that

Walk :
thought it’d be ten minutes, but my capita half mile walk at the usual turn around point – I completed it in about eight minutes instead of about ten minutes – walking pace is increasing back to the ~15:00 mile it used to be (from ~22:00/mile)

this portends well to at some point starting to jog/run/spring with the walks – my thirties are going to be far more fit than my twenties

note : that grip focused clean and press was quite fun – it’d be fairly quick to get the double 25+10 bumpers pinch c&p successfully

…..

Dinner :

•half a takeout pizza
•orange juice

Man that was filling, probably don’t need to/won’t be able to go all out on junk food this weekend.

•chocolate bar
•milk

…..

Pushups
x10, x10

…..

Lift :
barbell c&p
30×1 w/135lbs every :24 on :24

used a whole lot of grips and stances – was ugly on purpose

Today’s barbell c&p was without mouthpiece – the form was all over the place, bad on purpose – I have the feeling I can brute force my way while losing weight to doing a 300lb clean and press, plus doing workouts like these in the 225 59 255lb area.

The barbell felt like a toothpick in hand, ridiculously thin – not only would I rather be using an axle, but continued kettlebell is only going to make the barbell when I touch it feel like that more and more.

In some ways I have decent grip, and the kettlebell is probably the only normal enough gym type route to really give you strong hands…it’s ballistic nature alongside all the volume shore up the grip as if it was manual labor, and NOTHING gets the hands strong like years of certain jobs/trades/tasks in the manual labor world.

Second Dinner (quite late) :
•baked beans with cheese
•buttered toast
•milk
•cherry pepsi

The beans and toast I’d been craving on the low carb, particularly the real low calorie carnivore days.

Carb cycling would be real easy.

It was interesting today that about as soon as I’d entered high carbs into my system that I HAD TO step back outside for another lift.

Wanted to IMMEDIATELY go burn off some energy.

The next few months are gonna bring some good things on body composition, strength, and fitness.

Pushups
x10, x10

w/x10 dkbs in between

Persistence & Tenacity

5/9/24
Was having trouble sleeping, and I had made it past my three day zero carb challenge…

245am
•ten slices american cheese
•~5.5oz honey roasted peanuts

that’s ~50g carbs, but too is ~70g protein – not the lowest carb choice especially in the middle of the night with the entire day ahead, but it’s in the spirit of limiting carbs, and it’s not like I won’t train today

if anything it’ll probably have better energy, therefore including more volume, kettlebell swings, not just minimal pressing, maybe a bit longer on the daily walk

maybe I’ll just not have any oats today as I’ve already had one plant food source, and maybe I’ll skip the milk – let the meatballs and mexican mix cheese fill up the carb count

relatedly – I’ve only a little bit of pork rinds left, eating almost the entire 4oz last night before the steak which I cooked last minute and surprised myself by finishing…I’m going to try at least three filled with cream cheese, and realize I could jerry rig keto avocado toast, or top the cream cheese with an olive, pepperoni – hor dourves

the more “ballpark keto” I come up with, the more likely the average day will lean that way and the easier it would/will be to limit cheat windows, to minimize them

…..

Lift :
BUC&P
12x24kg left

I was thinking to myself how years ago I said the #1 lift is hang clean and press.

Well I’ve worked my way to it.
Even if with a different implement.
shrugs

…..

opposite end of the day

Soccer Ball
30:00

Walk
25:00

the soccer ball dribbling involves a surprising amount of movement – mostly bouncing around in one spot, then walking after the ball, occasionally a sprint all out to stop the ball – it’s skill development, playful, and we should view physicality as fun

will I ever play soccer – maybe not, but it’s simply a skill to develop, to enjoy the process, to be outside – loving the whole thing

as adults we SHOULD develop skills like this, instead of television, video games – lifetime but particularly in adulthood, could’ve developed all these skills in youth, instead we’re blessed to have the journey now

soccer ball, juggling, handstand – any skill of procipation (spelling), physical, basic gymnastics, dance, movement – just something, regularly

put on a wim hof podcast for the walk
it was either that or scourby kjv – maybe that next time I walk with headphones – mobile data can be used as a blessing

half an hour later, making these about twelve hours apart
Lift :
BUC&P
18x24kg right

and drank a can of iced tea immediately after, figured I’d enjoy that more than some carbs with dinner
~40g carbs

two PRs on two sets in two minisessions on the day, plus about an hour of soccer ball and walking combined – not a bad day – it’s all going to work out my friend

P&T

it’s a beautiful existence, all of it – and in the end we all have to laugh, we all just have to laugh…it’s all all too human

Lift #3 :
Waiter Press
100lb plate attempts, success with push press – right hand

Dinner :
a little leftover chicken on the bone
(dang it’s week old rotisserie lol)
the last bit of pork rinds with a bit of cream cheese

I’m looking forward to carbs, carbs, carbs!
lol – we’ll see what I cheat with the next couple days

Second Dinner
•three eggs
•five sausage links
•two packs of cold brew tea in cold water

theoretically zero/incidental carbs

was quite hungry – so ate this

TOMORROW I can start high carb cheating

… while out for the walk I had a really interesting thought “this (playful skill, walk, kettlebell) to lean and mean – possibly down to 175lbs) to at 30ish be back down to where I was at 15…”as if bulking never happened “, then I laughed to myself – if I was fighting, grappling that light I’d be scary strong for the size having spent lots of time much much bigger.

Pushups :
x5, x10, x25, x10, x10

Persistence & Tenacity

5/8/24
Defecation on keto/carnivore – they’re way smaller, really only once daily, and tend to be quite clean – this was the first morning it wasn’t a semi solid log, but, again all I’ve eaten the past few days really has been fried eggs with a little meat.

Eggs can occasionally cause the consistency, and I’m on super low calories overall.

Yesterday I ate around 2000.

…..

•pork rinds

The crunch, the salt – it was very much enjoyed, and it got me through the third zero carb day.

10:00 walk
10:00 soccer ball

a couple 24kg flips right hand then
BUP
25X24kg right

Hilariously low on energy overall…not keto related, but the fact I’ve had under 6000 calories combined across the last three days –
I am looking forward to some carbs tomorrow, drinking milk, eating meatballs and/or onion

video editing
•pork rinds

These are so clutch on these strict days.
Keto carnivore is a strict day – zero carb.
Ballpark the same where there may be more incidental carbs from meatballs is the next step less strict.
Third level is limiting carbs adding in onion, while drinking small amounts of milk, eating cheese
The step after that is including stuff like peanuts (high in everything like milk is, and extraordinarily affordable), small amounts of grain.
The free for all is the weekend, where I get to eat whatever I choose

a little more presses (x15,x5, x5, x5 w/24kg/side) and a bit more soccer ball as steak cubes cook – soccer ball is skill practice – skill practice is best done as often as possible/every spare moment – every extra overhead pressing session means I’ll have more walk around/baked in press strength, like I am with pushups and bench press via my king term daily pushups habit

I may be training with 24kg oap right now, but over time I’ll be toying with far heavier than the 40kg bell I currently own.

…..

Dinner
1⅓lbs steak cubes, I even drank the cooled down dripping out of a soup cup.

Pushups
x10, x20

It’d be quite fun to push the reps on heavy one arm clean and press stuff – man would I like a 60kg kettlebell!
Picture a one arm kettlebell properly weighted grace wod.

bic scalp, shave clean

Pushups
x25

Persistence & Tenacity

5/7/24
Pushups
x5, x5, x5

these were all just after midnight, all done super strict – a tad slow on the negatives – letting all the muscles fire, as EVERYTHING is activated from yesterday’s three kettlebell sessions (the last at around 9pm)

at this point I wish I could be doing ONLY WEIGHTED pushups – I know there’s some plate loaded vest with a japanese sounding name – I’m not willing to pay a few hundred dollars and would prefer to load the heck out of pushups on a less creaky floor (lol)

still, kettlebell activated everything, SOMETIMES you do your pushups real strict, and know this – IF YOU CAN do weighted pushups they’re one of those “gorilla strong” things

HAVE PEOPLE STAND ON YOUR BACK
being able to do that likely means you’ve done a lot of reps over time and put on a lot of muscle to do it

…..

Rant Time!

It’s funny all the things a forum will say a kettlebell “can’t” do (and this applies to everything else too).

“Kettlebells aren’t good for chest and biceps”
Not my experience re biceps, if anything they’re absolutely nuts for both lats and biceps – both in strength and development/size – hence they carry/maintain or improve pullups, and these fifteen months, and the deeper and further I go with kettlebells the more arms I have.

“You need to swing with a straight arm”
I prefer how a rightly weighted swing, whether two hands or one, feels with a slight bend in the elbow – feels better this way to me (particularly re bicep tendon), though I could see this going the other way as well meaning it’s an individual preference DO WHICH IS BETTER (safer) FOR YOU

All the bottoms up pressing has likely given me the best triceps of my life.

For the zillion who say the kettlebell isn’t great for hypertrophy…I’m really thinking they haven’t brought six months of intensity and honest fuckarounditis effort to it.

That’s right NO PROGRAM TO BOOT!

Everything looks more and more dense on me.

Were I roughly 100lbs lighter, time traveled back to 15yo again, which the knowledge I have now $250 (probably less as it’d be ~2009) in birthday present money would be going to an adjustable kettlebell (every other penny into bitcoin – man did I blow that by not figuring out how to buy some of it)…I’d expect doing what I’m doing now to bring me up to a well muscled 235lbs or so (which is basically what I’m expecting this to do right now in the opposite direction of 285 to 235)

…..

Early AM – I’m wired, maybe not drinking coffee with the eggs and meat meals is how it “should” be.

But, so long as I have a little of some form of meat with the eggs I’m pretty content to eat 6+ eggs twice a day, and at walmart prices 18ct is under $4, meat added to the fried eggs is only another buck or two, three tops really.

$50/week fat loss diet.
Since I’m not eating so much – movement seems to come more naturally – I don’t want to sit inside ever, heck – I’d rather sleep in a tent.

Could I find some cheap land somewhere and live there with a tent and rented portapotty – preferably wooded, film THERE…

Not just kettlebells, but going for a 300lb barbell clean & press (I think I’ve a good shot of getting there soon ish)

…..

I went just over two weeks without watching porn.

It’s bullshit that I don’t stay disciplined here.
I’m going to restart the beard again – I truly prefer being able to say “I’ve grown my beard while porn free”.

So in the next couple days I’ll shave clean again THEN regrow some form of beard (probably long, maybe short and trim)

Relatedly I enjoy the act of shaving my head, with a razor colloquially known as “bic’ing” or “bic’d” and much prefer how sharp that looks to the balding thing that’s been going on since I was 19,20,21.

…..

•instant coffee

I may do a 24hr fast, it’s at about twenty hours as I type – too much caffeine yesterday, but forgot that I’d skip today, and had a small spoonful in a glass of water before reading awhile, that before the day’s
soccer ball, walk, kettlebell press.

Took a poop first, keto and caffeine poops – cleaner, smaller, a more pleasant experience.

15:00 soccer ball
10:00 walk

decided to drink a glass of cold water instead of another small cup of instant coffee then read for a while before a simple off camera kettlebell workout

…..

If squirrels are omnivore as I found out the other day – that means they store nuts and seeds like humans have grain throughout history.

They’ll eat meat, but nuts keep them through the winter…

This means I could argue that if humanity was to go extinct squirrels could possibly develop agriculture, ranching, civilization taking over humanity’s role in the world eventually.

Simpsons big brained pets pic (ehh, couldn’t find it – if you can picture the reference you can picture the reference)

……

Almost 24hrs between meals.

•sausage links – a dozen or so
•eggs – nine

no tabasco sauce, no ketchup (again I’m challenging myself to have zero carbs yesterday/today/tomorrow), just the meat and eggs, cold water to drink, that cup of cold water instant coffee earlier.

It’s funny – I don’t much like eggs.
Fried eggs are about the only appetizing preparation to me, and really it’s the meat with the eggs that gives me enjoyment of the dish…
(I really like the meal heavy on the sausage links – and look at that, I’m still a little kid at denny’s)

It’s GREAT nutrition, the most affordable protein source other than milk (and honey roasted peanuts).

It’s only tuesday and I find myself thinking A LOT about the weekend’s carbs.

Hilariously so.

But it seems pretty clean – the idea of donuts is leaning towards the slices of buttered toast I didn’t have with eggs for dinner.

I might try a diet soda, I’ve almost never drank them, but soda maybe skipped entirely for just a bit of oj and (obviously) some milk
(I’ve surprised myself by not having any these two days now)

The past few days I’ve enjoyed instant coffee far more than I ever have, maybe no iced coffee cheat come weekend.

It’s too early to see mirror and scale differences, but I’m genuinely excited…and know it’ll work.

The 32kg adjustable kettlebell just gave me a whole lot more as well.

Suddenly with 24kg I like one arm swings.
Mentally I’m more willing to do an extra session of them than 40kg two hand swings, and it’s that volume that adds up and already has me feeling very solid.

My kettlebell workouts are essentially random, I win cause I do them daily and often multiple times daily.

Today’s was silly brief.
Yesterday I did an extra swing workout after dark.
Tomorrow? Tomorrow we’ll find out as it happens/as I’m doing them.

In this moment I’m surprisingly sore of trap/sterno tie in.

Who knew getting built was answered by a kettlebell habit as the chisel that every other training tool and force feeding built.

I actually see myself going much harder into grip stuff, the walks progressing to a run naturally over time, the pullups ignored but carried by ever improving kettlebell work.

…..

Pushups
x5, x8

Persistence & Tenacity

5/6/24
Kettlebell Swings & Deep Knee Bends
mixing the influences of 🏋️ & 🤼…

Set an interval timer.

Start silly easy, probably two reps per thirty second interval – alternating exercises each interval – kettlebell swings and deep knee bends.

Build up over time.
You’re a unit.

…..

It’d be fun to do a few heavier swings, kick the soccer ball for distance, then run after it – repeat.

…..

•six eggs
•rotisserie chicken (a small amount)
•instant coffee

fried up together, zero carbs – coffee on a whim

…..

1h Swings 24kg
2×10/side
BUP 32kg
x1,1,2,4 fail 5 right
1h Swings 24kg
3×10/side
Jog/Run
200m, barefoot, on grass

video of it

…..

just over five minutes soccer ball, 23ct today’s best, lots of 12-14ct, lots of foot to foot, and using the left foot’s laces far more – felt this session was showing good improvement.

twenty five minute walk

five minutes more soccer ball

…..

Press 24kg/side
x12, x13, x7,
64 presses total
soccer ball between/after all sets

Dinner
•eight eggs
•seven sausage links
•tabasco sauce
•instant coffee

While I was out for the day’s walk I reflected that I had no craving for carbs, had rather enjoyed the earlier meal – decided to go no carb for three days (monday through wednesday), then hours later having had a good day of physicality – I made essentially the same meal over.

Zero carb day.
We’ll see how all the instant coffee affects me.

On the second workout note ; man, the adjustable kettlebell is an awesome tool to have – you can really build the massive volume and high reps base with it, the 24kg setting a nice one arm swing training weight, a nice weight for one arm press extra workouts, etc – and the ability in minutes to juggle light (I haven’t done any with it yet) to go up to 32kg for stuff that needs it.

I almost want to buy a matching bell and go a little nuts with every third workout or so being high volume double bell, but really – I don’t need it at the moment, and I genuinely think my next bell purchase would be something seriously heavy (not 48kg, 48 is light – I’m thinking like 60kg minimum, maybe heavier)

…..

THIRD WORKOUT OF THE DAY!

1h Swings 24kg
20×7 e:45o:45
140 total swings

dinner’s caffeine was in me, the carnivore – the walks – the caffeine ; it’s all aimed for fat loss…

So it was THIRD WORKOUT OF THE DAY!
THIRD WORKOUT OF THE DAY!
after dark, great sweat going – now, after fifteen months, now ; with the right weight bell…I’m into swings…and that’s a good thing.

Watch the body transformation over the next few months…

…..

And everyone should be working out three times a day!

The hardest aspect of the kettlebell swing really is the wind in the moment, and that can be moderated out by setting an interval timer just a tad slower than hard.

The movement is spread over everything, everything is working efficiently – you’ll see trap, lat, forearm, bicep, ab, glute, hamstring, and quad gains.

Full Body!

And by going moderate ; in weight, in volume – your recovery is mad quick, you recovery very quickly, so it’s nothing to have a twenty minute or less minisession three times a day to keep your body primed, building muscle, burning off unnecessary fat…

Three times a day, some instant coffee in water, some eggs, some meat – zero carb weekdays.

How could it not work!

…..

Throwing in that on grass jog (probably a run ~6:15 mile pace (I don’t know how to move slower other than walking)) was a blast – I think I’ll mix kettlebell stuff with some lackadaisy on grass barefoot running off camera –

1. it was fun
2. fat loss
3. kettlebell wth effect mixed w/vaguely specific to mile run – the yardage could add up if I’m doing this for an hour
4. being heavy – all the conditioning just makes me surprisingly all around, underestimated, I’ve been there before – it’s gonna be cool to see where I’m at all around come bout september/october

…..

Pushups
x30, x10

shower up

four way neck flexing/dynamic tension looking in the mirror as I drip dry

…..

Pushups
x15, x5

Persistence & Tenacity

5/5/24
Midnight Snack
•chocolate bar – 50g carbs
•32oz milk – 48g carbs
~100g carbs

Generic chocolate bars are quite affordable, and having a handful of squares a day is a joy.

Breakfast :
•meatballs w/cheese
•coffee milk ~100g carbs
~125g carbs

…..

eight minute walk before

BUP 24kg
x1+2+7 left
lose it, reclean it, press again, repeat, etc
One Arm Swings 24kg
x10/side
10×7 e:50o:50 alternating hands
2×15/side

150 one arm swings total
five minutes of soccer ball after

about forty minutes total
I have to laugh, about a year ago I told the guy who gave me the 16kg and 20kg bells he no longer used that a 24kg would probably be the right one arm swing training weight – yep, definitely felt that today.

Man, while competition bells aren’t really built for two hand swings, a pair of adjustable competition bells allows for basically unlimited one arm swing progress and double bell ballistics, really training towards double 32kg bottoms up stuff

I’m pumped, literally and figuratively.
Physically from the workout.
Mentally to be able to slowly progress from 24kg to 32kg by small jumps one arm swinging and with high reps bottoms up – with an adjustable kettlebell these are what strike me as the two main movements, bot high rep, both aiming to get to high reps at 32kg :
•one arm swings
•bottoms up clean & press
•bottoms up press

(that’s technically three, but it’s your choice whether you’d select two high rep ballistics or one ballistic one press as the two main – either way there’s ballistics for reps and some to high rep presses)

½can of iced tea ~20g carbs

…..

More soccer ball (in the rain now)
•fifteen minutes dribbling
•fifteen minutes short shots “on goal”

The dribbling can be done in a manner of almost running in place, and simply walking around repeatedly after a ball you kicked at an old salvaged office chair – these are standing, there is some movement, it’s all inherently more a fat loss activity than simply sitting around.

Will I ever play soccer?
I didn’t growing up, not pickup (this is america) nor organized.

I’m treating it as a coordination drill.
Training need not be serious, it can be playful – we can develop skills for no reason past the enjoyment of journey, and it’s known that things like balance, coordination they’re good for not only you physically, but for your brain as well.

Stay young.
Play.

That’s likely a big part of all the natural movement and movnat type stuff.
Just get movement into your life.
It isn’t all about being a comically stiff and narrowly focused lifter.

1½ can of iced tea ~60g carbs
(this split over a couple hours between immediately after the first period of movement and after this one

…..

The zoos where you can tug of war the big cats, lion, tiger, liger – whichever – if I lived nearby I’d get a seasons pass TO TRAIN.

Seriously, go to the gym often to tug of war.

The zoo is sad as shit, these majestic creatures locked up, but at the same time it’s a way far more accessible to see them up close and personal without going halfway around the world…

And damn it I’d love to try tug of war against a big cat!

Tug of war, mas wrestling, and similar should all be more often participated in.
Far more primal than a seated row or lifting weights, plus good fun.

Or maybe I’m just bitter (lol) all these years later that at the high school pep rallys all four years – my class, the team of which I was on (or was I not there as a senior?), came in second each and every time.

…..

I see a bit more muscular separation between my right bicep and shoulder.

Am I getting bicep hypertrophy from the kettlebell swings?

Whatever the case, kettlebell pressing, kettlebell swings, soccer ball dribbling, and a daily walk + being conscious of carbs…
This is working in every way.

…..

Dinner, just about 48 hours of carbs now

bowl of corn pops w/milk ~40g carbs
can iced tea ~40g carbs
rotisserie chicken, cheese, three tortillas ~85g carbs
~165g carbs total

And with this til at least friday night is going to be low carb.

Milk could run out, and I may stick to meat, eggs, some onion when that happens – looking at a negligible amount of carbs from ketchup on my eggs this week as I alternate it and tabasco sauce on fried egg dinners.

I’ve got half the rotisserie chicken for tomorrow night, then two pounds of the philly cheese steak sausages, a package of meatballs, PLENTY of eggs, and a package of breakfast sausage links that could last if I only lightly mix them with eggs…

Forgoing milk and carbs I could make it to next friday night’s free period.

Didn’t touch honey roasted peanuts or have any soda this weekend – maybe that’ll be next weekend.

I think week by week each week will pretty naturally get a bit cleaner, and it’s fat loss by lightly eating in the first place.

I’m getting serious about health, cardio, while the kettlebell volume is upping, kettlebell strength is upping, and in some aspects my training is going the performing strongman route.

Pushups
2×5

…..

A bunch of swings and pushups would make a nice workout.

The adjustable bell set to 24kg feels the right training weight for one hand swings.

And the right training weight feel makes you get more from it.

My biceps are surprisingly sore from them.
Chalk it up to the kettlebell does everything.

…..

Pushups
x10

……

Pushups
x35

surprisingly easy, but then again… kettlebell

…..

Pushups
2×25

Persistence & Tenacity

5/4/24
I think that the two most striking workout tools as far as long term rugged strength are properly weighted kettlebells and heavy sandbags.

People bag on high rep barbell cleans, high rep barbell deadlifts…if you care about the opinion of others…then don’t do them.

However it’s long been my opinion that the highest results do not come from traditional lifting protocols of sets and reps but moreso chunk of time density training or gutting it out emom protocols.

Boiled down men are lifting weights due to a lifetime of ease and missing manual labor, missing physical play – all that in this modern world.

The kettlebell cuts through the air in workouts often over the 100 reps mark.

It’s all of $30 to $50 to assemble a heavy sandbag, and that really is best trained as strength involved conditioning.

“Strong Conditioning”
↑ did I just coin this?

You want to be lifting moderately heavy weights with lots of density.

You want to be doing all these weird movements where you move a good deal through space – the flopping of burpees, the repeated hinging of kettlebells, the down and up and down and up of sandbag shouldering as you wrestle the thing up your torso, the joy of the tire flip…

I couldn’t tell you my powerlift numbers.
Presently I’m unwilling to go lift barbells in a gym.

But I’m more than willing to tap into the feel of how the kettlebells affect me.

I’m building a lot of strength in stuff I wasn’t hitting much inside gyms.

The kettlebell done right does a lot of “armor building” and hits a lot of the grappling and labor muscles.

I keep putting off rebuying a roll of duct tape, a package of contractor cleanup bags, and 300lbs of sand…to density train heavy sandbag shouldering.

…..

EARLY AM
•two slices american cheese
•half chocolate bar
•12oz milk
~40g carbs

…..

530am
BUP 24kg
x2,3,6 left
x24 right

That’s a PR on both hands.

745am
•two microwave chicken sandwiches – 85g carbs
•two blueberry muffins – 90g carbs
•16oz milk – 25g carbs
~200g carbs

…..

Soccer Ball :
30ct about ten minutes in

called it on that high note, was in flow state from about counts fourteen to twenty eight

twenty minute walk soon after

…..

If I made 2lbs of ground beef into meatballs, or a 50/50 mix with ground turkey – spiced them nicely – I’d be content to go carnivore on THAT as my daily ration.

It’d be $50/week for 14lbs of ground beef, I’m not sure how large a batch I could make at a time.

A week’s worth would be rather nice.

As is I’ve been enjoying meatballs lately, at at around $8/lb for the quality (actually meat) precooked kind it’s not really all that affordable.

2lbs of relatively lean meat, nothing else is definitely cutting, but that’s the way I’m headed – not bulking to super heavyweight (though I’m sure I’d be mad strong that way too).

We can regroup as an all around athlete at, probably still heavier than, 235lbs.

……

Dinner
•half chocolate bar – 20g carbs
•my fill of a mix of both beef meatballs and turkey meatballs
•can of baked beans w/cheese – ~115g carbs
•milk
~150g carbs

Have you ever eaten a can of beans cold?
I was camping, it was fall – the only options for eating out that time of night were dairy queen and mcdonald’s, fast food isn’t so affordable, plus I wanted food that’d be there for waking up early the next morning.

But there was a grocery store open late, and for some reason beans sounded good to me.

For under $5 I bought two cans of beans, and a generic half gallon of lemonade.

Ate one can, drank half, repeated five hours later.

….

Pushups
x5, x15, x5

Persistence & Tenacity

Gym Dream :

5/3/24
Waking up I realize I dreamt this, as I clearly woke up in bed (rather sore – particularly heavy legs), and have not in fact swung the kettlebell so far…

Well unless I did this sleep walking or something lol.

Simply I did two hand swings with the 40kg bell, and on the tenth set I called an audible and kept swinging…it was either 50 or 100 reps when I stopped.

I genuinely was dreaming of being strong with a high level of fitness between sets of decently high rep and unbroken rep sets of two hand swings and burpees.

I dreamt of kettlebell swings and burpees!

…..

ten minutes soccer ball
ten minute/half mile walk

BUP
1x24kg/side
10x16kg/side

…..

Early friday night cheat meal dinner – quick carbs ;
•two lemon poppy seed muffins – 100g carbs
•buttered microwave pack of coconut jasmine rice – 85g carbs
•two tall glasses of milk ~32oz – 50g carbs

This after about a week of definitely low carb, under 100g a day, and borderline keto – around 250g carbs in this sitting, low protein.

Interestingly it was far more filling, and I had to force feed the second half of the rice, then yesterday’s 16oz glass of milk with a 1lb package of meatballs.

All the carbs and junk I just bought ; I’ll enjoy them tonight and tomorrow, but I’d say this early on, wanting carbs is more mental than physical.

Now follow the dream…
I’d went to bed thinking about this to boot.

2h Swing 40kg
10×10 in 10:00/emom

Yes!
That’s a challenge workout I’ve just checked off.

A basic entry point to the real craziness.

long form video – the entire workout unabridged, there’s also a short of the 10th set

…..

You know there is plenty of human history where simple fare of bread and beans, maybe some milk, a few oz of meat would be a normal laborer’s fare.

We’re incredibly lucky to have modern agriculture and ranching industry, factory farms and all that.

When I was at the store last I was looking at all the selections of cheese, seeing if any popped out to me, noticed chicken (bone in fatty cuts) was a good price, chicken breast on a good sale.

Three chicken leg quarters (3lbs of bone in meat), a can of baked beans, a loaf of bread (generic, lower price point), and a gallon of milk would be ~$9.

That’s hearty, simple fare.
Instead you eat at chain restaurants where it’s $30 a plate for a soybean oil laden trash.

Man it’s nice to not be in the kitchen (restaurant) right now/anymore. 630pm, friday night, I’ve frozen pizza in the oven.

I don’t have to spend the next hour swamped, stewing in my own sweat, plating crap out of the oven with a bunch of miserable and angry human beings working to my right.

I can go kick the soccer ball a bit (again) now that I’ve recovered from the kettlebell swings almost an hour and a half ago.

Fifteen minutes of soccer ball – way flashier, more left foot – rotating in a circle to a degree – more performance

Second Dinner :
•frozen pizza – 200g carbs
•quart blueberry milk – 100g carbs
•small glass milk – 10g carbs
•can iced coffee – 40g carbs

Almost 600 grams of carbs today after five to seven days of under 100/day – and the thing is this isn’t so crazy for the standard american to eat like – no wonder it’s an obese nation.

…..

The next swing workout is probably 15×7 emom, that’d be the next “lose ten seconds off the interval” progression there – typing hours later…my fingers feel fatigued.

That’s a kinda new feeling, and a bit humorous honestly.

I’m not yet willing to drop the money on a 60kg bell (though indefinitely want to go heavier with kettlebells) for two hand swings, heavy bottoms up work – I’ll up the volume and workout time with the 40kg two hand swings.

There’s crazy potential to “armor build” turn your torso into a shield of thickly developed strongman like muscle with the swings.

Blocky. Not pretty bodybuilding v shaped.
Think strongman.

Cool.
I’ve long been okay with having my giant gorilla torso, and thickening all of it while dropping fat is good.

…..

Pushups :
2×10

…..

Pushups :
x10, x15 in the last minute before midnight

Persistence & Tenacity

5/2/24
Three summers ago I both hated my job and in another way felt on top of the world.

Now?
Now it’s rebuild myself (my psyche – from a whole lot of pain), and physically transform.

Daily walks.
Daily kettlebell.
Eating clean.

My stomach definitely hurts on a delay after eating oatmeal, which was why for years I didn’t eat oatmeal.

Sitting here on the toilet typing, just after midnight, feeling the oats turning my stomach – I flashed back to how uncomfortable it all was at the beginning.

A teenager with his stomach turning from the newness of it all – the training, the eating (lots of eating the wrong food choice at the wrong time of day as well – our stomach are an individual thing – and in the opposite, a right choice for me was chicken breast tenderloin, buttered white rice for breakfast as a high school wrestler – it was the only thing I could stomach in the morning at that time)

Heck, as a beginner, and to this day lactic acid affects my stomach, makes me nauseous, eventually makes me need to shit – I’ll feel this with certain conditioning type stimulus, felt it a bunch as a teenager not pacing my all out mile runs, feel it to this day with harder conditioning.

Though who cares?
Either you’ll do the work or you don’t.
Most won’t, like I can’t work out for my giant 6’7″ ish fat boy cousin.
Bro don’t even walk his dog GERMAN SHEPHERD!
Like Rich Piana always was saying “whatever it takes” though I’m not willing to juice.

Saw a dude at the grocery store yesterday, recognized him side profile as he walked away from grabbing his eggs, prior to that just saw a noticably big very muscular and fairly short dude.

A year or so ago (walking by him in the store) he had ;
•full head of hair
•big arms, like an xl pair on an otherwise large frame – dude always did a million cable arm supersets, lots of arm days, and I got the feeling he was not only doing high frequency, high volume, but hard contractions with good mind-muscle connection (back when we went to the same gym)

A stocky, muscular, dark skinned asian, 5’7″ or so, probably always over 200lbs, now heck he must’ve been 250 and almost lean.

A year ago, full head of hair, normal neck, big arms.

Yesterday?
More tatts, giant arms (probably over 20″ – xxxl on a now xl development on a large frame), and double the trap size, double the neck size.

The moment I recognized his face I thought to myself “he must’ve jumped on the juice in the last nine months”.

Late last summer he still looked as I remembered him from a gym floor a few years back – NO ONE gains like that that quickly.

But that’s enough steroid and natty, natty or not bullshit – simply an observation I made while buying my clean foods.

I shrug. I’m a folklorist, a story teller, observing the world around me.
“Doomed” to the choice of not dabbling in the dark side, “doomed” by my choice to stay forever natty.

Still gonna eat my daily cup of oats for a little longer – maybe my stomach will stop turning on a few hour delay, we’ll give it a bit longer.

I’ve been enjoying them otherwise.
Porridge with some brown sugar – takes me back to about five years old – I remember my dad and I making it on saturday mornings.

…..

It just took time, not a developing of discipline, to get to a relatively clean diet.

I’ve been exploring recipes online, and think I’ll cook myself either meatballs or meatloaf from scratch.

Pork rinds as suggested binding agent was a breakthrough.

How difficult would it be to cook a 2lb/1kg brick of spiced ground meat as a days ration every one to three days at a time.

I’m not much into ground turkey, but I think just like having steak with chicken breast – a 50/50 mixture of ground turkey and ground beef would work for me.

…..

On “Weird” Food Combinations :

If it’s good together to your taste buds, the fuck do you care if it’s a “normal” combination (in your part of the world, somewhere else in the world, or otherwise) or not.

Just eat it.

I don’t think there’s a single hot food I wouldn’t add mexican mix cheese to for instance.

…..

430am
•reeses – 24g carbs, 210 calories
•12oz coffee milk

This is preworkout, kettlebell swings coming up at 5am.

Amping myself up inside in cookie monster voice “wearing a sweater that has cooking, cookies, no cooking stains on it”, headphone up to “why should I worry” (oliver & company – lifting music it is – olive oil stains on the sweater “shit” lol), gave that about two listens as I got outside, then switched to a playlist of two songs “hard lessons” by terror and “demonstrating my saiya style” by rise of the north star

(both songs porting from 17yo lifting sessions to my current 40kg 2h swing sessions)

demonstrating my saiya style – rise of the north star

515am
2H Swings 40kg
15×7 in 1:10 intervals
BUP 16kg
x8/side

then for a thirty three minute walk, slightly longer than yesterday’s in distance – amazingly close in total time

all in all, 510am to 610am, then drink some nice chilled water in the shockingly chilly (I could see my breath) May morning.

7am
•12oz coffee milk
•last night’s meatball and egg dish leftovers with ketchup

…..

Don’t worry of the training is the most efficient, or approved by some coach or website or influencer…

If you enjoy it, just do it.
Cause what you enjoy you’ll put more effort into.

And that’s what drives progress ; the effort.

So go be all around, train movements and rep ranges that don’t generally go together, train skills that interest you/are fun to you, play whatever sports you want – don’t identify as some internet term “hybrid athlete” (unless it brings you joy to identify as such and makes you put in more effort), but just go out, and enjoy being all around.

Maybe I’ll add bjj or boxing or mma.
Maybe I’ll add pickup sports.

Maybe I won’t. That’s what the smart money bets.
I’ve been putting off and putting off some more multiple athletic avenues.

As is I’m very into the kettlebell ; mostly bottoms up work, but too some other heavy and high rep ballistics (two hand swing more than clean now interestingly – this is new to me), and developing the skill of soccer ball dribbling.

Maybe I’ll work the handstand skill again soon. Maybe not.

It doesn’t really matter.
I SHOULD purchase that 20lb sledgehammer.

Then choke my way down the handle with high rep sets on a daily basis til I’m easily levering it with either hand from both the side angle and the front angle (maybe even a third angle – 45° halfway between the two)

…..

What are my hobbies?

kettlebell bottoms up press – this is passion level, higher than just hobby

youtube – probably a step or two below the kettlebell bup, higher than just hobby – I want it to be career to support everything else

soccer ball dribbling – a silly physical skill that I genuinely enjoy as a “enjoy the journey” laissez faire challenge, something like handstands could be added or replace this in the future in the same approach/outlook

russian язык – self teaching for no reason past the challenge – I doubt I’ll ever be able to go to the russophone world due to present politics, will probably never be in an american enclave where there are native speakers, will probably never be paid for my knowledge of it (which at this point is AT BEST equivalent to maybe a toddler’s fluency – though I doubt it – in spanish I’m confident in my ability to speak as well as a toddler, maybe even a tad older than that) – maybe I’ll take a course just to improve – honestly maybe I shouldn’t picked polish – there’s no weirdness about going to poland, my childhood best friend was born to polish immigrants so I had some exposure in youth, but as a teenager I thought “I’ve interest in learning a eastern european language” and rationally picked russian as it’s the most spoken slavic language, interestingly my 11th grade spanish teacher thought this a cool interest as she knew a little from her mom’s side being ethnically russian – one thing I can say though is that learning russian does allow more understanding of slavic language youtube kettlebell content

…..

Ten minutes of soccer ball – 14ct (not yesterday’s 26ct PR dang it)

…..

Dinner ; 1lb package of the same precooked meatballs as yesterday – baked them in the oven to get a browning, ended up having to microwave them as they were still a tad lukewarm, and enjoyed them by themselves far more than cooked into eggs like last night.

Finished the quart of coffee milk.
Tomorrow night – Friday night, and Saturday I’m going to allow myself to cheat.

Probably cherry pepsi and a pizza.
I’ve got plenty of eggs, sausage, onion, and a cold rotisserie chicken which are all on menu.

If bw x 12 is real low calories, that’d be 285×12 = ~3400, and right now, having eaten twice today at ~5am and ~6pm, I’m at only ~2200 calories.

These are weight loss days, and awesomely psychologically I’m into this.

After dinner wanting activity fifteen minutes of soccer ball (and better with my left foot) then 50 total reps of 24kg bottoms up press right – this against the clock, the whole thing from 645pm to 715pm.

I am smoked with legs all wobbly.

815pm
•chocolate bar
•16oz glass of milk

this is about 800 calories, brings me to ballpark 3000 today – with two kettlebell lifts, a thirty three minute walk, and twenty five minutes of soccer ball dribbling

Frankly I was really enjoying those meatballs.

Two packages, 2lbs would cost $17, a bit over the $15/day I try to keep food costs under, but hey – they’re definitely a quick healthy option, and I could experiment with making meatballs and meatloaf from scratch.

Food prep those.

Still got a zillion eggs in the house, breakfast sausage, philly cheese steak sausage, rotisserie chicken – this eating clean thing seems easier than it ever was.

Skipped the cup of oatmeal today, we’ll call this sorta postworkout chocolate bar and milk a replacement for that.

Interestingly it added about 250 calories, the chocolate bar vs a cup of oats, but a negligible difference in carb content which is what matters more to me right now.

…..

Pushups
2×10

…..

It’s weird some of the posts or whatever they’re called in youtube that pop up – it says “india landed on the moon for less than the cost of making interstellar”.

I assume that’s a movie.
A country can do great things for less than a hollywood production budget?
Doesn’t surprise me (if true) one bit.

Great things can come about with lots of effort and low dollar cost.

You want to be built?
Son, get your ass outside and do your burpees, pushups, flutter kicks, and lunges
RIGHT NOW

Take a little off your grocery bill, drive a little less, stop wasting money eating out, on video (whatever form you’re spending on), and put that towards a kettlebell fund.

~$250 gets you a 16-32kg adjustable kettlebell.

That could be YEARS of high rep, high volume base building progression.

(~$30 to build a up to 300lb sandbag.
Ditto YEARS of high rep, high volume progression.)

Little bits here and there for heavier bells.
What’s a bell every so often if you’ve no gym dues anyway?

People don’t have hobbies but television, cause they say everything is so damn expensive, but man – taking your health, strength, and fitness serious (and playfully) is mandatory, and…AND! It’s something that DOES take up time.

Fuck your netflix.
Panting after some burpees (cause you’re at stage poor or just chose to do them) or after some kettlebell workout (cause you made the investment) that’s a better five, or twenty minutes spent by a long shot.

What if you really went all in on getting FIT with these accessible for life tools, and didn’t place no limit on how far you can go.

Is it nuts to think you may hold a girevoy record almost by accident, by surprise of purely consistency and effort?

Is it nuts to look at the largest bottoms up presses online and think “I could get there – likely surpass that”.

Is it nuts to say “I don’t care where life takes me – if I was on the streets with nothing level homeless I’d be banging out my daily pushups regardless!”

It’s a choice.
Fat boy wants to be fat.
People don’t make transformations cause they lazily dabble instead of going nothing can stop me beast mode.

…..

Pushups
2×10

Persistence & Tenacity