4/13/24
For about a week now I’ve bic’d my scalp right before every night’s shower.
It looks sharp, and looking sharp is better than not looking sharp.
…..
Looking in the mirror before bed, not only is my mid back bonkers, my upper back impressive…I saw an increase in lower back thickness.
Really, the answer is get strong on kettlebells – and my programming isn’t programming.
It’s spur of the moment, whims, essentially randomized…but the effort is there.
That’s the important part.
The effort.
You put effort into kettlebell lifting equals you get gains.
Your midsection is all sore? Your abs smoked all the time? That means you’re gonna be stronger.
It does for me.
My abs shaking has always led to gains, and I’ve never really let my abs fully recover – I simply kept doing compound lifts, weighted calisthenics, one arm stuff, have people stand on my back, etc.
Never fully recovered, and quite strong.
…..
I have this joke I use in real life, I’ll say “studies have shown”, then make up the most absurd “fact” on the spot.
“Studies have shown ___”, and people have this hilarious tendency to buy into it.
Once I explained it to a coworker as I drove him home, then used it…and he bought it.
“Dude! Think about what I just explained”, “oh man, you’re right, wow – I automatically deferred to the studies”.
I came up with the concept as reaction to how much “studies” are referenced as far as whether something training will work or not.
Because I’ve long cared more about human anecdote, what worked for them, than anything that came out of a laboratory setting – especially considering that those in the lab are still human, it’s not as if they’re any more inherently perfect.
Not as if a study can’t be inherently flawed.
Studies can be flawed.
Most don’t realize this.
Personal experience is what someone experienced.
Personal experience, it happened, and plenty of people have had success with what “couldn’t possibly work” – remember science says that the bumble bee can’t fly by science, yet them things are still flying around.
So you can get jacked doing it your way.
There are guidelines, but the rules are grey.
Just like I like to read some guy say how he got jacked in less than ideal circumstance, I too, like a folklorist, personally would rather hear you tell your life story than to spend an equal amount of time watching some show that someone wrote and that didn’t truly happen.
These things put me in an opposite stance to the many, solely because I want to be rooted in the real world, not in the world of televised “reality”.
…..
Did soccer ball a bit later than I’d usually, and today it was approached more with a grind mentality – made myself just do the five minute minimum, hey we’re human – this was the first time “I didn’t wanna”.
It wasn’t warm enough to get the sun shirtless, though I did it shirtless anyway under overcast skies (and ironically it became sunny when I pulled hoodie back on right after).
A 9ct using both feet, mostly right was the best in that period of otherwise 5s at best…
Like I wasn’t warm.
Still did it.
Type a few minutes.
Drink some water.
I’ve nice leftovers (pizza and cherry pepsi) ready to eat from last night.
Okay, cool – I’ll kick the ball more now that I’ve taken a few minute break.
…..
11ct the best, better with foot to foot this period as well, an extra 12:00 or so, ending with 8ct alternating feet – my best like that yet I’d say, and ended it in that high note.
Bottoms up clean & press immediately after the soccer ball.
With 16kg ; 12l+12r+6l+6r+3l+3r, one long set switched hands with a swing, not setting the bell down – aiming the kettlebell more towards similar to long cycle even if with one bell, bottoms up, and a press.
Frankly I like this combo, buc&p looking for cardio (it still gives a good full body pump), and the soccer ball.
Were I to deload it’d be lifting like this with a skill to progress alongside, whether that stays a soccer ball or changes to three ball juggling, handstand work, etc – we’ll see.
I write it over and over – you could over the long haul just train buc&p light, every so often jump up 4kg in weight and within a decade you’d easily bottoms up press 48kg.
Likely sooner. Training weights are never your maximum.
That progression is more and more reason to make the bell purchase, stock your life with unlimited access to kettlebells.
It makes sense to, right now, really push the reps on buc&p with the 16kg.
Persistence & Tenacity