4/16/24
Lunch hour lift, one set, right hand – bottoms up clean & press 26x16kg, one set left hand 15x16kg.
PR set right, followed by a purposely moderate effort set left handed.
My fingers cramped partially curled shut strongly on the right hand set.
The limitation on the high reps this light is grip endurance.
A handful of months of this progression, and I’m going to have some serious forearm development.
Lots of reps. Lots of volume.
A contrarian kettlebell way of bodybuilding.
It’ll likely transfer to sledgehammer levering whether I practice them or not.
Soccer ball immediately after the kettlebell.
Such a fun combination.
Hoodie on, skullcap off for kettlebell.
Skullcap on, hoodie off for soccer ball.
(keep my head from burning, while getting lots of vitamin d this way)
I tried ladders like from kettlebell with the soccer ball dribbling.
Bounce it, 1ct left, bounce it, 1ct right, bounce it, 2ct, etc.
Pretty much only would get to 3s, but that’s improvement with the left foot.
And plus this is ALL skill improvement, and keeps me on my feet, active, in the fresh air, and today the sun.
About twenty minutes of soccer ball.
…..
Online I see a lot of this term “hybrid athlete”, it’s strikes me as funny (yet again) that everything has to have a trendy name.
Firstly are any of these “hybrid athletes” actually professional or are they all just internet famous (like admittedly I desire to be), and secondly what ever happened to just being like “yeah I didn’t make it in sports in my youth, so in adulthood I’m just gonna make myself an all around athlete that I should’ve done earlier cause we’re human and meant to be active”.
Just be athletic.
No need to name it.
Run, sprint, or play a sport.
Do some burpees and jump rope.
Lift kettlebells in every manner.
Lift weights if you desire.
Jump, or play a sport.
Grapple. Box. Or don’t.
Why’s it need an internet name?
I’ll be outside kicking the soccer ball and pressing the kettlebell.
…..
It’s still cold at nights but is getting warm during the day.
I’ve tended to sleep overdressed, heck training overdressed too.
Long sleeve shirt and skull cap to bed.
Hoodie on while I lift, though I pull it off to kick around the soccer ball.
Maybe I’m sweating more with the sleeves on, but I notice in the mornings that I look, leaner, sucked up, like the more fat in my diet, and just goofing around with the kettlebell and soccer ball is working for being on the path to getting lean.
…..
Pressed the rock right handed on the flat again, reps were only 5, while 10 is PR, I’ve gotten into the heavy pressing “dark times” ala john broz now on both sides lol.
That’s why high rep 16kg buc&p is the primary press for a time.
I’ll continue to press daily.
…..
Early dinner ; 10 chocolate covered coffee beans, 2 slices american cheese.
(I consider this a snack that is on diet on the sausage & onions diet, though I doubled up the initial portion – got to feel the caffeine, again, as I’m a squirrel with no caffeine tolerance)
…..
BUCP
10+10+5+3+2/side w/16kg
alternating hands, unbroken – one long set, h2h swing as transfer, 30/side, 60 reps c&p total
maybe I’m greasing the groove here, or maybe I just love the minisessions
ended it with a bit extra soccer dribbling, got decent cardio effect from 60 reps of clean & press – good wind, good pump, it’s fine that it’s “only” 35lbs
And a bit more soccer ball after a little bit of yard work, and after those…a few handstand attempts.
I think a month of grinding handstands an hour a day would build something.
Working on freestanding handstands daily, and on wall hspu twice a week or so could easily be “heavy press” to go with the volume buc&p at 16kg, could alternate handstands with soccer ball dribbling as active recovery for each, and really…why am I not doing a bunch of 2h swings with my 40kg bell?
I could easily set up a few stations, jog between them, get all my strength and conditioning done together.
But, know this ; I can get to be a performing strongman with the continued bottoms up press, kettlebell juggling, and with the addition of sledgehammer levering.
…..
Oh man what a good hearty robust dinner!
A big baked potato chopped up, mexican mix cheese atop it, then the sausage & onions mix atop that.
Milk to drink.
A big bowl may not be the fanciest presentation, and I’d rather home fries than a baked potato (though that’s more prep involved) but this my friends is a good meal.
…..
It’s really getting in my head that I can do performing strongman with the kettlebell, sledgehammer, handstands – that I’m not too far from there.
…..
So much of this bottoms up work leaves me with upper back cramps come evening…
= Gains
The set of 60 bucp was mint, may have to train long sets ala the bastard child of hardstyle and girevoy with it.
The left mobility is a limitation on heavy, hence the long progression starting at 16kg, before the 20kg, then the 24 & 28 purchase.
…..
Late night, just after the night’s pushups, just before showering up – I again, after having eaten the sausage & onions meal within the past hour or two, look monstrous!
Persistence & Tenacity
P.S. Man! Looking in the mirror, that forearm development is new! High rep bottoms up clean & press baby!
I highly suggest it.