4/20/24
I was on the note of shot put in yesterday’s post, in fact was thinking of it during the second session last night as I rammed that 35lb kettlebell into the sky.
Right hand. Strong side. The side I put the shot with for a few years of high school.
I genuinely wonder ;
•”what if I’d lifted kettlebells then”
•”what if I bought an adult men’s shot and threw now”
…..
Wow!
It’s an angle I don’t usually catch in the mirror – I was brushing my teeth, caught my arm bent at 90° saw how my forearm and bicep come together WOW – HYPERTROPHY
lesson : continue kettlebell
…..
My buddy canceled the am outdoor workout – doesn’t want to be rained on.
So I won’t be doing weighted pushups today ☹️
(genuine sad face – I’d have gotten a decent number of reps with him standing on my upper back – been feeling strong on my (mostly untrained horizontal push), would’ve ran the camera leaned against gallon jug, ball cap providing cover over phone by being sat upon gallon jug of precious precious H2O/agua/вода/water))
But do I lift? lol
(you already know the answer)
……
Pushups as the birds start to chirp.
…..
I’m like a little kid, lifted/pressed/filmed, and had a blast – GOT SOAKED – still dribbled the soccer ball too (while wearing snow boots which meant I tried from the knees some in addition to the feet)
The WORST soccer ball dribbling in days lol (of course – snow boots, soft ground, etc
L O L)
One video of a bunch of thing as far as tricks and juggling with the 16kg kettlebell.
One short of bottoms up clean 10x40kg right (today to ig, on yt soon)
One short of 40kg snatch and hold (vertical anchor) left while leveling my teeny tiny itty bitty weight (8lb) sledgehammer to nose from both the front and to the side.
I’m rather wet – mostly soaked through, and muddy in patches up and down both my hoodie and sweats.
I had a blast, then did the video editing (sitting outside – try to maximize fresh air in your life (it’s good for ya))
Productive Saturday.
…..
Six hours later (after a nice sleep) it isn’t raining, and the ground has dried up enough 🙂 – I went outside for a playful minisession of more soccer ball and light kettlebell stuff.
Mostly 5ct, 6ct – doing decent with foot to foot, the best was an 11ct this again mostly foot to foot.
With the 16kg bell I did mostly those pull with one hand then catch at rack with other and press transitions – did both normal c&p and buc&p like this.
Heavy buc&p would be pretty cool like this.
Competition bells might be better as each side is identical, and with the bells I have I have one perfectly round faced, one with two flats (the best design) and most with one flat, one round face.
……
The leverages of tossing a bell from bottoms up then catching it bottoms up in the opposite hand are pretty challenging – you’ll end up using legs, and a lot of midsection to stabilize anything not caught in the perfect groove.
I get out of breath fast with this freestyle kettlebell stuff.
Even with only 35lbs (16kg) it’s quite challenging.
This session I was trying to nose breathe, to mosey along at a slow enough pace to continue doing so, and had a real slap in the face realization as to how an aerobic base, being in shape, and conditioning allow for the ability to practice physical skills with more density and intensity.
My teenage self would be impressed with how strong I’ve gotten with weights alongside my level of shoulder girdle development (like I pictured at my start in the school weight room) but absolutely disgusted at the lack of conditioning of my present.
I do know this however ; the fact I’m doing something, and always have done something – consistently, is a big plus.
Take some weight off and the conditioning may be there just due to the ease that a lighter bodyweight functions at.
I’m genuinely enjoying this all again.
…..
There’s much value to being physical all day long like in manual labor, and too there is value to instead of having one big chunk of time as training period to instead have multiple, as many as possible, minisessions throughout the day.
The body stays primed that way, stays ready to perform.
When you’re physical often the body just doesn’t need as much warming up, coddling, perfect conditions to perform.
…..
Third session/minisession :
Clean 40kg
x7/side
x15 left
Press 16kg
x10,5,5/side
then a bit more soccer ball
My hips are getting stronger, and my agility increasing from this – which is as simple as trying to keep a soccer ball in control and in the air.
We need more physicality as adults.
There’s no longer ultimate frisbee at that park (would I be able to restart it)
Basketball? I haven’t played in most of a decade (I can recall playing at 21).
Soccer? Where would an adult league be?
Rugby? That’s available soon.
Heck, even if it’s just me kicking around a ball it’s better than just sitting around.
I feel that I’ve an impressive bunch of qualities coming together – just work on them all, consistently, make it happen.
•heavy kettlebells
•handstand stuff
•mile run
•zercher
•soccer ball
•sledgehammer levering
•gripper
Just do them all, you’ll succeed.
…..
Training changes the equation.
If one played sports in high school, but stopped being very physical in adulthood – their sports playing bodyweight really ends up being their largest athletic size.
Dudes may gain weight, but it’s a +50lbs of fat type equation like the guy who played high school football at a fit 180, and by early twenties is walking around with his beer moobs at 220 or 230
Flipside those who need some muscle, never built it – they’re the ones who need it as they age.
I don’t see how the conclusion of inevitable horrible aging is reached.
Why are you choosing pain?
Do you not see a lifetime of television got you to “losing it” (the it you really never developed) and that even now maybe, just maybe, strength training would make a difference.
I think it’s medical malpractice that strength training, even just a milquetoast two day a week thing, isn’t standard medical recommendation.
But the norm is to be unhealthy, the cultural expectation to do anything but really opt into living, the…
Half the country says you can have weed for everything, but doctors can’t tell everyone to back squat?
Strength training changes the equation.
35lbs isn’t much, but really any man who just plays with a 16kg kettlebell on a regular basis would age pretty well.
That’s the power of kettlebell juggling as I see it ; playful, builds you strong enough with wind, is a <$100 one time cost – what’s your excuse?
Throw around a 16kg/35lb kettlebell.
The ballistics would be more strength than he needs for his job (most likely, and yes there are definitely exceptions) and definitely for the yard work, shoveling snow type takes that many (or maybe not many) do.
Yeah I’m gonna branch off on that note ; when I’d visit california in youth after moving to new england I couldn’t help but notice how much tougher I seemed than the suburban kids there solely by little bits of backyard pickup sports and winter snow shoveling.
An aunt’s husband, like 65, did everything within his power to NOT shovel, had those silly shovels with a bend in them, when he finally HAD to shovel it’d be done at the saddest half assed pace imaginable, eventually I’d probably do it – took longer to get over there than to shovel, they had not much driveway, perfectly flat, it was EASY.
Often it’s nice to power through work.
Props to my dad. He’s like that. Powers through, gets it done FAST.
Yard work with him taught me a lot.
Thank you.
Back to that uncle, and the culture at large ;
the lengths that people go to not get five minutes of exercise. Scratches my head.
And a piece of advice ; play catch.
Catch makes you move around in an athletic manner, plus it’s good fun, outside, a bunch of positive things you need.
Persistence & Tenacity