Ahh, a stream of consciousness,
Some Job Conversations :
“So what do you bench?” – coworker
“325, 335. It’s been a while. My best low rep set was 315×3” – me
(Now that I think about it, it likely was x4.)
15 minutes later…
“He’s the perfect guy for this, he benches 365.” – coworker
“325, 335” – me
“Ok then, he’s the perfect guy for this, he benches 335.” – coworker
“Man, that doesn’t matter at all here.” – me
We proceed to get shit done, and with the task finished another coworker, whom I know from the gym, and I have this conversation :
“Dude, all the gym strength, it doesn’t mean anything”
“You did good.”
“Still, there’s almost no carryover”.
“Though you still did good. But sad isn’t it, all those hours”
He seems to agree with me. The gym doesn’t mean much on the job.
I’m stronger lifting heavy weird shit than deadlifting, though I’d murder most coworkers if we had a barbell contest. At the same time a lot of these light and middleweights out perform me with light or medium shit. It’s kinda random, basically you just have to put in effort. The coworker is strong as hell at work not nearly as much in the gym, though he has crazy leanness. I’m I’d define as ok, above average, in both.
I’m saddened that I’m not stronger at work. He’s saddened that he’s not stronger at the gym.
And We Transition To Shoulders :
Now I recently wrote about machine to barbell carryover.
I knew this guy. Probably 6’2″ 320 with weird ass measurements. Giant shoulders and traps. Giant quads. Big triceps.
He trained machine only. I’m not sure how much steroids he took, though he flat out told me he uses, to which I have mad respect for the honesty. He had basically a healthy bodyfat percentage, similar to mine, just HEAVIER.
On a hammer strength shoulder machine he’d be repping with like 5 plates a side. Remember I said massive shoulders at 320lbs.
Now here I am at PF where the stack on their shoulder machine is 155lbs. 3 plates and change.
I’m usually going many sets of 10-15 reps, one arm at a time on that machine.
I’ve already seen the development a shoulder machine pushed hard can give.
I’ve experienced the carryover from the machine to barbell press.
One arm at a time keeps the midsection thick, strong, and muscularly engaged.
By engaging the core via one arm at a time you bypass the possible lack of carryover from machine to barbell. The support is still firing, it’s more similar than expected.
When I’m going 10×10 or better with the stack one arm at a time my free hand out to the side, not as support on my thigh, full range of motion, and firing the reps up…
(I’ll be at this level soon enough.)
My military press will be much stronger. 225, 255, or greater without direct training.
Conclusion :
Manual labor is necessary for men, and the gym is a decent pastime.
Squatting ain’t as functional as it’s touted. Loaded carries, and shockingly a low (not high) step up. Short chopppy steps boys, short choppy steps.
We carried a piano up a sandy hill, me going backwards today.
Persistence & Tenacity