Category: Uncategorized

5/3/23
Playing.

The way I’m using the kettlebell isn’t very rigid.

I do a handful of reps with a violence each set, then I rest.

I’ll go back and forth between the kettlebell and barbell, or I’ll goof around in a step between what I consider work and what I consider rest – a step of playfulness – I’ll do a burpee, I’ll kick into some handstands/handstand attempts, duck walk, cossack dance, do what I think of as the almost stomping heavy footed tribal around the fire/kill/circle dance

It’s all more primal movement.
It all is surprisingly anaerobic.

You’re out of shape.
So am I.

I’m looking for my place.

How I can have the people I want around me around me.

How I can make money, enough to live well.

Where do I need to be?
What do I need to be doing?

…..

As I exercised it was misting to lightly raining.

I’d decided, being a bit grimy from work also factoring in, to exercise barefoot and shirtless.

This in a misty overcast 50°f.

A tad of a shiver as I type.

I’d sat there indian style after the exercise, just breathing, thinking of the above that I desire – just feeling peaceful.

The external world blissfully irrelevant in the moment.

Relisten to a Wim Hof podcast.

Meditating on how to live as an uninhibited, joyous shaman.

…..

What I would give to hear the ubiquitous “what muscle does that train” question, as at this point I’m kettlebell snatch primary for exercises.

Lats. Glutes. Hands. Wind. Lower Back…
ALL OF IT!

It makes sense to me that I’m again bulling my way through 10 pullups, even at this bodyweight in the 290s – the kettlebell trains everything.

I might’ve dropped a pound in the past week.

Kettlebell. Metabolism.

I’m racking up the minisessions. No sooner than I end the session do I feel a whole bunch warmer.

Again – kettlebell metabolism.

I highly suggest one incorporate hard, brief, kettlebell snatch minisessions throughout the day.

What is a few months of this going to do?
I’m expectant. I’m without expectation…
I’m doing.

Persistence & Tenacity

P.S. I don’t have access to, yet daydream of ; this works real well when you’re heavy…

Low rep, lightly weighted pullups.

You build an amazing base for both settings bw amrap PRs and weighted PRs simply doing bunches of sets of 1-3 reps at bw+10 or bw+25, not pushing the pace, and just doing this til it’s stupid easy.

I’d like access to a rig of some sort capable of supporting a 600lb pullup, as it wouldn’t be long for me to hit bw+135 as in the 290s while seriously out of practice I’m beastings 10xbw with muscle memory for weighted pullups when in 2021 in was doing loads of them.

5/2/23
“Yeah the thing is ; after this I’m going to go home and lift.”
“In this?!?!?”
“Yeah, though instead of barbell it’s going to be kettlebell.”
“You’re crazy. Lifting outside in the rain.”
“It’s been a year and a half of lifting outside for me. Rain. Snow. It’s no longer a consideration to me.”

It’s been raining today, at times an absolute downpour. I’ll lift after work.

I like lifting, so I do.
Look at it this way ; lifting weights is simulating the hard work we don’t get in the modern world – hard work has generally been outside in human history – hop, skip, and a jump…I’ve rationalized my outdoor lifting in any and all weather.

…..

My skullcap went on an interstate delivery…without me.

I’m hoping to get it back in a few days.
It is after all my stretched out for putting over headphones and lifting skullcap.

…..

I lied.

When I got home I dug out the rickety bench.

Caffeine in me – I’m going to amrap 205lbs.
Front yard benching, ghetto stereotype.

Though I’m maybe the redneck version..

Which I’m sure is quite the show to all who saw me doing this, while upon reflection I should’ve sang additionally.

…..

Got 20 reps on the first set benching 205lbs on this rickety setup.

Not far from 20x225lbs for a combine score.

…..

I think I’ll bench once or twice a week for a time, keep the weight at around 205lbs, and aim for 50+ reps at the weight.

~50×225 is an nfl combine record, and I see no season I couldn’t be ballpark this strong and enduring.

Everyone should look at college football and the nfl and think “I’ll be similar to that in ability”, weight room, being able to sprint well, not being fat, etc.

Pursuing 50×205 ; I’m pretty sure this’ll hypertrophy my upper body, push top end strength up some, while most importantly building a big base to build strength off of.

There’s nothing wrong with just doing everything for high reps, getting strong at them, and having no idea what your one rep maxes are.

…..

About two hours later I did a brief kettlebell minisession.

It’s sprint stimulus. I expect my wind to improve, and to get lean as I continue the kettlebell path.

…..

Most of my kettlebell minisessions truly are minisessions – playing around with the 16kg bell, getting a pump, getting my heart rate up…and being done in around 5:00 – go do something else.

With just a couple weeks of these I feel more solid, athletic, see my wind improving, and realize certain aesthetics are improving with it in addition to the performance increases.

There is no protocol to what exactly I do in a minisession – I just go til it feels right, playing with whatever I come up with in the moment, pointedly trying for stuff as I do it.

I’ve been digging ;
•clean
•flip
•catch high at crotch immediately into a high hang snatch
•a few snatches ripping the bell down

Then either set the bell down, or toss the bell to the other hand and repeat.

It’s a kettlebell, get creative with it.
-J

singing in the rain

Part 1 – Training Thoughts ie The Title – Massive “Inefficient” Action In Training VS “Training” (Researching) Efficiently :

5/1/23
There’s a neat ability with the kettlebell to lift it in very contrasting styles.

There’s hardstyle and girevoy, like the difference between powerlifting and an 800m dash though using the same implement.

I haven’t read too much on the kettlebell, and when I had – it was before I had access to them.

One groks more, practically, fully, truly when they are implementing, taking action.

So I get it better now with a few months of kettlebell usage, and in my eyes I have yet to go hard…though that’s the training path I’ve started on at present.

I’d say I’m using a hardstyle approach, though with a light bell, I’m making it heavy.

The lifts are in quick bursts. It feels like I’m sprinting.

I could let momentum do the work, partially doing the arc for me both up and down .

I can really pop my hips to throw the bell upwards in that arc.

I can rip the bell downwards from the top in reverse down that arc.

I’m learning how to put the preceding two effectively into the same reps.

Think wrestling ; one’s a snap down, one’s smashing your hips into them on a sprawl.
…..

Right now I’m doing most of my lifting with a 16kg kettlebell, building a base – having EVERYTHING done be in the realm of weighted conditioning.

…..

Where I’m different than a lot of the material I see online is ;

I have zero desire to go get certified with a tool, whether that’s bodyweight, kettlebells, barbell (in whatever form).

Personally I’d rather research… BETTER YET experiment.

When I first got the kettlebells I purposefully was not reading kettlebell material ; desiring to figure it out myself as I go.

With all things gym related this is a healthy approach, it’d be better for many if they walked the path in this manner.

It’s a matter of passion for one to do so this way.

…..

Gladly I’ll teach you.

What I’ve come to realize is many never will do this gym thing without some degree of external guidance.

What percentage of humanity is not the kind to test their own theories?

…..

Recently I’d been thinking about how I lost weight as a fat 14 year old.

It was extremely misguided in both exercise and dietary methodology, but since I threw enough effort at the problem the task got done.

Action taken in an inefficient manner ends up far more effective than forever searching for how to take action efficiently – therefore being inefficient by lack of action.

You’re not Drago with the power of top soviet labs and top secret sauce chemicals backing you.

You’re Rocky with what you’ve got.
Act as such.

Take massive action.

…..

At 14 I threw a lot of movement at the problem.

Now in my late 20s, this time around I know that it’s the anaerobic stuff and lifting that will best help.

Think of it this way ; do you want to look like a marathon runner or someone who lifts heavy things in bursts, can carry stuff all day, is built in a manner which signifies card carrying membership in a nation of linebackers.

I don’t want to “chronic cardio” my way to skinny fat. Did that once.

It’s lift and condition – the commonality being that throwing myself into a million minisessions works for me.

Having a small bit of kettlebells fits this bill perfectly.

With the 16kg bell I’m racking up minisession after minisession, muscles worked, out of breathe as if I’d ran a 300yd shuttle.

I expect great results.

Why?
Cause I came up with it, it’s playing to my desires, and is what I’ve “bought in” on.

…..

Part 2 – The Groceries :

5/1/23
“Did you just come from the gym?” she asks, her being a very petite, short, and short haired blonde woman in her 60s working as cashier.

“I just lifted at home. Man, do I smell that bad? That noticable?” I reply as I think to myself of how I’ve worn these sweats off and on for a week straight of both work and workouts.

(The clothing was getting a bit grimy.)

“No no no, I just noticed you’re purchasing a bunch of electrolytes, a lot of protein – I figured it’s for workouts.”

“Oh. The gatorade is more for work than workouts, and I’m going to make chicken stew with that mix of breast and thigh. I have some celery and carrots at home that I need to use, hence stew, and the steak – well it’s on sale this week. Gotta get steak.”

She then asked me a bunch about making soup, particularly how I thicken it and what goes in aside meat, I told her of my standard of carrots/celery/potatoes/onions, said “a bunch of garlic in this one”, then ended up using all the spices after all
– I answered how I make stew – she said she normally makes soup with the dutch oven, “I have one too, but crockpot stew is the lazy method. 6 hours on high it’ll be ready for tonight.”

“I’m sorry if I was intrusive.”
“No it’s fine. Have a good day.” I smiled as I walked away having enjoyed the conversation – funny that she felt the need apologize for it.

…..

Now I’ll get at least half of the meals for two days, probably three or four, out of this one set and forget crockpot prep.

3lbs of chicken, both cuts at $3/lb, so it’s $9 of meat in the pot plus whatever the onions/carrots/celery/potatoes that I had on hand had cost.

I hadn’t thought about how I too had three cans of tuna in the purchase when the cashier and I spoke of making stew and soup.

Her comment “a lot of protein” – yeah, 3lbs chicken, 1 or 1½lbs steak, plus three cans of tuna.

…..

I went with the lowest costing chunk light at 3 for $5 recalling on the opposite end of my 20s paying 49 or 50¢/can, stocking up on cans by the ~100 everytime they went on sale at that price.

Back then three cans of tuna and two packs of ramen (the craving I went with for lunch), 100g of poverty protein cost me about $1.85 and was one of my main meal options alongside chicken stew.

Today that meal cost me about $5.70, which compared to back when it cost only a $1.85 is actually a bit higher than my average daily food cost was then.

The poverty food isn’t poverty food anymore.

(Your most affordable meals will be chicken stews, ground beef, milk, potatoes, rice, maybe a big ole beef roast – and big cuts of pork, though I haven’t went there myself in quite some time, I have noticed that pork never upped in price from covid inflation.)

In 2023 top ramen and tuna aren’t as affordable anymore.

Alongside a cherry pepsi this stereotypical poverty meal was actually a splurge, however lately I’ve just been paying whatever it costs for the inflated priced foods – preferring to eat well to going without.

The kettlebell makes it all better :), besides the stew is going to be ready for dinner.

And that is hearty, nutritious, and keeps costs low.

Note : though I used two cuts of chicken, I should’ve seen what pork was available, had some of that in there too.

I’m a big proponent of getting multiple meats into your meals.
-J

4/24/23
Man I have it easy!

At 290lbs I keep getting compliments, and you know what – as I continue to work, with all the stairs climbed carrying boxes, and continue to train with the kettlebell – I expect both bodyweight and aesthetics to be acceptable when my physical performance is what I consider acceptable.

I have this realization that ; it might be at a higher bodyweight than I’d expected.

…..

I continue to eat with the appetite, and having to admit the bonkers things I do are only maintenance level calories – you’ll find me eating dessert every day after dinner, which alternates between steak, chicken breast, frozen pizza, and breaded chicken.

At some point a cashier is gonna ask me how many whoopie pies I eat weekly.

It’s a big guy badge of honor to have a grocery store cashier(s) view you as a regular.

I’ll never forget one looked at me one day and said “where’s the grape juice”, she having noticed I always bought many half gallons of the stuff – it at the time being part of my “trying not to starve mover’s diet”, then part of the forever dirty bulk.

Mover’s diet is, right now, the aforementioned dinners, copious quantities of milk, and the new england exclusive the whoopie pie.

…..

I’d never had a whoopie pie til late elementary school when we moved to new england.

I very much remember being in elementary school, and putting one down before dinner, and my mom occasionally allowing me two.

The one I just ate says 740 calories.

It makes me wonder…

How many calories did I eat as a growing child!

…..

The first summer I worked as a mover, me desperately trying to hold onto bodyweight – I’d eat eight corn dogs every night alongside half a gallon of milk, and a liter of soda.

A teenage (at the time, I work with him again now…he’s 25) coworker – 5’8″ ish, back then only 130lbs or so was aghast “eight corn dogs every night – I’ll eat two, maybe three if I’m real hungry”, and I think back to being eight years old and eating five or six pretty regularly.

So as a growing kid, one destined to be pretty big in both height and weight – I was out eating normal sized teenagers.

…..

I get it now – that’s why many times growing up the adults around me were amazed at the calories I’d put down.

Because this little kid (then pretty large middle schooler) was easily out eating all the adults.

…..

Some of the biggest dudes I know have similar experience, as well as the force feed experience at 17yo – where they, myself included, decided to get big whatever it took, dirty bulking with caution thrown to the wind.

If I inadvertently got from ~265lbs to 290lbs, yeah – I could eat my way to 308lbs.

But would I want to powerlift that heavy?

And would I be willing to structure life in a way so as to weigh that much.

Factoring health completely out of the equation, one is far more easily fed at a lighter bodyweight.

Once you’re a certain size you’re going to have a different relationship with food than most…

You’re gonna either meal prep or be at the grocery store daily/close to it, and really milk makes 5000 calories so much easier to consume.

The fat of america drink soda.
A good deal of the xxl powerlifting and strongman crowd drink milk.

xxl – keith anderson
which interestingly came out when I was about to enter middle school

…..

All that said ; training is skewing kettlebell now.

-J

I’m thinking aloud ;

You see that gut hanging out on video?

Doesn’t matter.

80/20 rule or whatever, I’m taller than 90% of humanity, stronger than 90% of humanity.

And pretty regularly complimented on how I stand.

I have real good standing posture.

Also, I hear lots of apologies in public, almost annoying really – to the point I’ve used “if hearing sorry was a drinking game” as one of my standard jokes.

Something minor like the fat man’s gut on me doesn’t matter.

I prefer being bearded, bearded with a buzz cut, and I’ve for years had this compulsion to shave clean if/whenever I watched porn.

Never strongly defined if this compulsion was there for watching television, which I’ve been watching normal american hours of the past few days.

(ie ~4 hours/day)

Doesn’t matter. I shrug.
I’m underachieving that’s for sure.

Not working out nearly enough.

I’ve got plenty to workout at home with, and I’ve been barely doing the thing.

However, I had a creative idea ;

Drop all of the normal stuff!

Ie that’s ; not lifting the barbell for a time, not caring about pushups (lol still gonna do them).

A coworker gifting me a 16kg and 20kg kettlebell last week…

Well the 20kg feels better to me than the 32kg for most stuff.

I could for a time not lift…barbells.
I could use that 20kg kettlebell to get in shape.

Some of the stuff I can do with it is downright fun.

•bottoms up snatch
•one arm swings (feels good this light – the 32kg was a tad heavy for the bicep tendon – strength over time via tendon that’s a road to discuss sometime)
•kettlebell flips (and progressive kettlebell juggling)

I feel like I could get some hands and forearms out of the deal.

The Bud Jeffries swing odyssey is precedence for it being serious body recomp.

Working out can be the in the moment purpose you give yourself.

It’s comical how little effort it truly takes, again see that 80/20, better than 90% thing said above.

I couldn’t write and not make a kettlebell juggling video today. Being bearded on video here helps keep me not on xvideos (cause then I’d have to shave)

Thinking again on kettlebell instead of barbell for a time ;

Combining a low level of body fat with kettlebell use, especially the less gym like/more rotational/real world labor like “juggling” is a way to look very good with rather simple training.

You’re getting lots of “weird” abdominal and back work with the implement.

A cool effect is that you get huffing and puffing rather quickly, that the kettlebell lend itself to both sets as long as, and volume as high as you feel like going – it’s a very good fat loss tool.

The best fat loss tools are those with a muscular component.

This keeps you strong, the muscle on you as you lose fat…fat only.

The idea I have is to put the kettlebell in hand daily, and to simply do lots of unorthodox lifting with it during a set period of time, say five minutes.

Then rack up minisessions as often as I desire on top of that.

For a time it’s kettlebell play primarily, almost exclusively.

If Bud Jeffries dropped 100lbs rather fast with swings, I can get lean and mean dropping 50lbs or so with this tool.

Funny that today’s video wasn’t the best flow, there was one with no failed bottoms up presses, just a success on the first try and a bottoms up snatch with the 20kg…but I’d accidentally turned the camera off as I set it down.

Soon I’ll be looking for video of a 20kg bottoms up turkish get up, and off camera be practicing the tgu up and down…get a barbell and really load that.

What’s the heaviest tgu online?
I bet I could get in it’s vicinity if not be the one who does it.

Maybe the kettlebell and one arm barbell stuff is my “success with physical culture path”.

Making video is giving me purpose.

Still haven’t made that “girl pushups” (weighted pushups with fit chick STANDING on my upper back) video.

lol

Persistence & Tenacity

P.S. Like and share the videos. Thanks, -J

3/12/23
I comfortably juggle the 20kg kettlebell, able to flip it for reps with either hand, and from hand to hand.

The kettlebell flip is a surprisingly effective exercise.

Probably a video in the next few days.
Right hand. Lots of reps. Another short.
It’s possible I can actually flip the bell for longer than :60.

Hitting upper body in a weird way,
you get a good trap/upper back pump, while I’m confident doing it for lots of reps will very quickly diesel up your forearm/grip strength…or break you.

This is the first time in years I’ve had kettlebell access.

Now owning single bells at 20lb, 16kg, 20kg, and 32kg.

My mom bought me the 20lber when I was 14 and starting to workout.

A coworker gifted me the middle two bells a couple days ago.

I bought the 32kg bell about a month and a half back.

…..

The 32kg bell is now on the back burner.

The 20kg bell, though a tad light feels good for training weight/training effect on one arm swings, the movement being the initial reason to purchase the 32kg bell.

The 16kg bell is attached to my neck harness, where I push reps to 50+ before upping weight.

Thus far it’s in the low 40s.

…..

I picked the tree branch mace back up, mixing it with the kettlebell swings.

For a time I’ll be doing more and more kettlebell swings while also squatting (something I’ve long neglected).

I expect body recomp, and “what the hell” effect carryover in all physical modalities.

…..

Training is just building up volume and density.

In my eyes I’m out of shape, so it’s supersets, giant sets, doing more volume, and working out more/longer – make myself good again.

…..

Today is the first warm day this year.

I’m writing outside, shirtless, hearing the birds chirp.

It’s nice.

…..

Been writing this one over and over in the shower for a few days, finally remembered to get it typed up.

March 2023 Flow :
Lifting in the yard I no longer subscribe to many ways of the gym.

•If I deadlift I want a pump.
•I’m not going to mix grip, and I’d prefer not to throw on my pair of long neglected spud straps.

The other day I pulled some one arm deadlifts, the bar holding 25lb bumper plates.

Frankly I was surprised by the high level of full body tension on something so light.

In the same session I found that between the barbell one arm snatch, or maybe the kettlebell snatches before it, probably both most honestly – that my two arm barbell clean had improved, there was significant added power to my pull.

Easily I found the bar at the shoulders.

Long one arm pulls give both explosive pop and horsepower strength to two handed shorter pull variations.

…

Instead of the ability to max at home with a load of 500lbs, with my most recent gym equipment purchase I can now load a barbell to 620lbs, plenty of weight to set deadlift PRs past the 515 lifetime PR I pulled in summer 2016.

However, I no longer desire to mix grip, and would prefer not to pull with straps.

Heck I honestly don’t much want to pull heavy, but recently I realized that the heavy deadlift now scares me to a degree, therefore making it worth doing again.

The recent enough past has shown me I get very strong on pulls with lots of light, high tension, massive pump work on pulls.

So doh for anywhere from 2 to 15 sets of high tension 3s at 205lbs is worth and equal to 455+ lbs.

I can likely pull more from lower.

The precedence is that I made an ugly 495lb pull at the end of 2021 after sets of 2-4, at 2p25 tops, usually 3s, often enough 2s, at less, 2p mostly but even 1p25 in the smith machine…

I can pull high from pulling low (weight).

But those 95lb one arm deadlifts the other day intrigued me.

High high full body tension. Yet only the doh equivalent in the hands to double it on paper.

Reread the smith machine statement, what if I get to pulling one handed 185, 205, more?

That could very well be 545+ doh conventional.

Yes, I’ll be doing one arm olys and presses as parallel training and in support of the barbell c&p on which I want to hit 275lbs this summer.

All the olys are pulling work and carry over to the deadlift as well.

Add in some one arm deadlifts treated as a moderate to heavy movement, two arm deadlifts light for a glute pump on conventional and as more moderate movements on snatch grip, sldl, and the movement only I do…snatch grip sldl, all these things occasionally at a deficit of the bar starting at toes…

I’m basically building a deadlift I could’ve had years ago with the finnish deadlift approach.

I see no reason not to pull, some variant or other, on a regular basis.

Just build massive work capacity that way.

And see if this calendar year I’ll pull the entire 620lbs I have available with an overhand grip.

I’d be a whole lot more “walking the walk” credible (in my own eyes) this way. I am strong. My total does not much support that, though the pressing has been getting better and better.

10×185 is nearly any given day, 8+ is, while 2×205 is as well.

And only a few years ago those were either PR or very very nearly so, today they’re any time, any day, baked in numbers.

I want my conventional deadlift to get to the level of my press which too I am taking higher.

A barbell and the ground is enough to get you very strong. I’ve been living it the past year and change.

Persistence & Tenacity

Today’s Lift & Video :

3/1/23
The entire session was this ;

OAS
95 1x r, l
115 1x r, l
fail 145 r
OAS + Side/Bent Press + OHS w/115 r (the video)
fail 125 r
OAS + Side/Bent Press + 2 reps OHS w/115 r (should’ve been video)
Press
~8×145 while walking around the yard with the bar overhead

Under 20 reps total, but of high tension, mostly one arm, “weird” lifts.

I tell you this ; bout an hour later I felt SWOLE, my lats getting out there into ils territory had I been imaging lats instead of actually having grown them a decade or so back.

Great cross body/cross back activation and tension.

These high tension lifts are worth more than they seem on paper.

Note : if a short won’t upload in wordpress – grab the youtu.be link from the video in browser itself – took me a bunch of url variants to get a good link here, the standard shorts protocol wouldn’t link

Man, seeing the video I thought “damn, my fat fuck gut is hanging out, and how many chins are unhidden without the beard”.

Lesson : The Time Is Never Perfect – Do The Work Now :

That note to myself at the end of the video, there is no perfect time, do the work now.

Being on a few days of stubble isn’t excuse not to make content.

What I filmed wasn’t what I expected to, I was looking to one arm snatch 145 today which would’ve been a PR.

As is the one arm overhead squats with 115 were both PRs.

I’m really digging all these weird one arm and two implement lift variants.

I’ve done a turkish get up with a 95lb barbell, a two hands anyhow with the same and a 75lb dumbbell, and I bet I could with 115bb & 75db already.

Lifting Going Forward :

This is the path my lifting is taking ;

•work on the isabel wod, currently PR 2:10 w/95lbs, 3:00 w/115lbs, as #s hit the 2:00 vicinity then I bump the weight

eventually I want that time of 2:00 one armed at 135+

• both all the one arm, and two arm multiple implement lifts in every combination by whenever the mood strikes just looking to do better and better

one arm snatch is 50/20, though more honestly 50/15, protocol ala bryce lane reps done equally each side

though the idea has struck to do one side only some workouts for even more day to day variety

one arm presses – I’d like to see 185 strict each side, 10+ at 135+ strict, I just bend while training to get more training stimuli than strict alone

walking around with weights at lockout, sometimes at rack/front shoulders

I want to tgu, up and down, 205+.

match alexeev on the one arm snatch

…..

Pointedly kept myself in a good mood all day, shoveled snow more than necessary, and ran errands both before and after lifting, heck took the video too – all for a sense of accomplishing something today.

A day can be good or bad, it’s how you approach it, look at it, and in the actions you fill it with.

…..

Taking Pride In One’s Work :

And I’ve been writing and rewriting the following, it’s a point I want to make ;

The “dead end job” I work (delivering houses), had a good lesson, I got real value from philosophizing on yesterday’s shift.

The company had to waste 8 unbillable man hours to send two of us to, literally and figuratively, clean up a different crews mess.

Part of the service offered is unpack/assemble/remove debris.

Some customers want these to various degrees, some don’t.

The customers wanted all three. The crew before us refused, basically ran to the truck and gunned it away, doing none of the three.

It was about 3½ hours of truck time for us to go back, spend maybe 15 minutes taking empty boxes out of their house, and finish the job.

The customers had done the unpack and assemble themselves. We were on cleanup, square away, smooth over status – the customers surprised me with how cordial they were, and having done the first two steps themselves.

They honestly thanked us for coming back and taking the trash.

The other crew, and I’ve heard these dudes say it – they “ain’t tryna” whatever.

↑ even used their vernacular

None of us like unpacking/assembling, but honestly it’s easy pay – not physically challenging, and simply takes time.

We’re being paid to complete a task, that’s the service we provide.

The customer pays us and tells us what steps up to and including all of them that they want us to accomplish on their dime.

No one makes any of us work as movers.
Some of these guys just bitch and bitch and would rather be home smoking weed.

They’re not taking pride in the task at all.

I realized, rerealized I should say, that I feel better emotionally, know I’m a better man by not uttering a single complaint, being cordial to every customer, putting my head down and just carrying whatever, wherever it needs go.

The other day the driver told me to start emptying the basement into the living room as he and the other helper repositioned the truck.

Eventually he asks me “and the basement”, “clear” my reply, and he said “good job” a look of surprise on his face.

A couple of the items were borderline two man, but I carefully sidewards walked up the stairs carrying them myself.

The time it took to reposition the truck was just barely what it took for me to clear the basement without a second pair of hands.

There’s nothing wrong with honest work, and Man needs to get his hands to work, real work – labor, honest labor.

I enjoy carrying boxes, at the end of the day I did something tangible – this was moved from a to b to c.

To my stoner coworkers, the guys who cut corners when they feel like it, I can only say thank you – sometimes I get more hours cleaning up your messes, but more importantly you showed me the value, really showed me it spelled out, of taking pride in doing honest work, and working hard without complaint til what needs done is done.

No job is truly dead end – you can grow from the lessons gained with open eye and heart from anything anywhere.

Persistence & Tenacity

(One Of) Today’s Lift Music :

kollegah – alpha (again)
was reading the lyrics translated into english – real pump up cocky

“fuck lines of cocaine” (you interpret it dude – fuck watching porn, take pride in being clean again – and that image at the top is admittedly temptation)

Many would’ve said start at a 35 or 53lber (16 or 24kg).

I started at a 32kg kettlebell (70lbs), already able to bottoms up press it – done a handful of times over the years, but lacking kettlebell experience.

It’s purchase was to get strength training with a wind effect, particularly having in mind doing lots of one arm swings.

Hilariously I haven’t liked the movement, and don’t much care for the two hand swing, though I prefer it to the former, and do it occasionally.

The first move that clicked for me was one arm cleans.

Peripherally I press with a pair of mismatch bells, this 32kg kettlebell and a 75lb dumbbell.

Occasionally I’ll see saw with this, but mostly the double bell is a two hands press.

The one bell front squat too was a seller for the kb for me.

At first I couldn’t hold rack for a full squat, I’d lose the bell. I’m now into the double digits on both sides.

While seriously debating when I purchase a heavier kb to jump bell size – firstly on this movement.

Kettlebell front squats a simple way to run squat every day, and we all know squat every day is magical witchcraft voodoo for, well a lot of good things.

Note, with a heavier bell I’d likely work in mismatch two bell front squats and heavier mismatch presses.

That’s how I roll.

I am well aware that the last few sentences are a matter of training just about only I would do.

On the one bell kb front squat there is more than one rack position.

I’ve found a vertical forearm is very easy to maintain, the bell supposed by the line of bone, basically a super sized hand in how it feels.

Having the handle of the bell nearer your sternum, the ball of the bell on your shoulder – that’s harder to balance for me.

Curling the wrist inwards, “arm wrestling” the bell helps here.

It took me a little to like the kb snatch.

It clicked for me when I mentally decided “old school dumbbell swing” and started putting it overhead in one big arc.

I like this better than the one arm swing in kettlebell sense.

To enjoy the kb snatch it has to be in that old school dumbbell swing context for me.

I think of the kb snatch as swing-snatch.

I have no idea what the proper kb snatch bar path is. If it’s similar to a barbell snatch my brain doesn’t grok it.

On purpose I have not read any kettlebell material since it’s purchase.

Take other’s brains out of it.

Only MY thoughts on the thing influencing MY practice.

There’s value to spending lots of time in the one kb rack, whether that’s holding f sq bottom position, doing front squat reps, holding the top position, or walking bell at rack.

It starts getting to you. Feels similar to when I hold, even light, deadlifts for time.
My body freaks out.

It’s a game changer stimuli. Torch fat. Get wiry strength.

I forgot to mention the thruster is on the table. I only rather recently realized this.

It took til today (2/22/23) for me to have headphones playing while I lifted the kettlebell.

Here I could go aside and discuss how I benefit by not sticking to these little challenges I do, instead being more chill, not obsessing.

Once the snatch clicked it opened up complexes.

I don’t do the exact same kettlebell workout each day, stuff varies, but most days I am getting my hands on the bell.

It is PERFECT LOGISTICS.

Own a kettlebell. Step outside. Put it overhead and/or to shoulder.

Have car? Kettlebell will travel.

The implement is strength AND conditioning. I suggest everyone own at least one fairly heavy kettlebell.

-J

And some cocky music to leave with!

kollegah – pharaoh

Persistence & Tenacity

The kettlebell as a new tool has some interesting effects.

Using it for a brief workout daily since it’s arrival two and a half weeks back I’ve had an almost unbroken feeling of muscular activation, which I define as a light and good type of soreness which makes you stronger, somewhere in my upper/mid back near the lats, as well as a similar feeling in my biceps.

The tendon of which went from some job related tightness to indestructible in this time.

The one arm kettlebell clean is the bicep armor builder.

It may have put on a tad of size, but I did not take any measurements.

The upper/mid back however – it feels like explosive growth.

Visually I am more muscular in appearance around the whole shoulder girdle, front, back, both sides.

32kgs, light, as a kettlebell is worth more than it’s 70lbs in function.

The front squat, bell held one side at the rack was my nemesis. I can now do handfuls of reps without losing the rack.

EVERYTHING with the kettlebell is an upper and mid back builder, while too the implement demands much use of the hips and thighs

“You can’t gym bro out with a kettlebell. It’s a ruggedness builder.” – Me

The fact everything turns into complexes is a huge plus. Every quick session turns into the cardiovascular equivalent of a brief sprint session.

This is great in winter time. No dealing with 300yd shuddles, as standing stationary you’ll be huffing and puffing having moved the bell every which a way.

Both home based and travelable, a kettlebell is useable everywhere – this leads to frequent mini sessions, so you’re giving your body that anaerobic warrior stimuli alongside muscular pumps most often three times a day.

That’s good for you!

A kettlebell, properly heavy (I started with a 32kg bell and will purchase a 100lber and 124lber as soon as available) is going to be a warrior’s physique builder.

Using the thing right you’ll have to get strong and in shape.

All that Pavel Tsatsouline writing about the “what the hell” effect, saying soviet soldiers who only did kettlebells got just as good PT scores (pullups at bw+10kg, broad jump, mile run, pushups – something like that battery) as the soldiers who had to do specific event PT, but with the plus of also getting powerlifting type, pure strength, stronger…

Start using a kettlebell, well enough weighted, with purpose – you’ll know the truth of the above right quick.

I don’t think I can rightly suggest a man ever start below a 53lb/24kg bell for this.

He’s have to be rather weak I should say (nothing wrong with that, we all start somewhere).

I stayed with a 32kg, and had bottoms up pressed a 70lber on multiple occasions over the years.

The day it arrived I got a bottoms up press.

You have to realize one kettlebell isn’t really a heavy thing for the main three strength moves of ; press, clean, snatch.

With the set implement you’re quickly going to gravitate to complexes, density training, high reps, and what have you.

Whatever bell you start with, you get good at that as you await the arrival of the heavier bells when you realize “I’m gonna be one f*&#@%$ strong individual when I do this one bell, clean, front squat, snatch, press complex , with a 124lb kettlebell”.

I have no matched pair, thus far using a slight mismatch of 32kg kettlebell and 75lb dumbbell, as the pair for two arm bell pressing, and see saw presses.

My future bell purchases are aimed the one bell and mismatch route.

I’m okay with using two different implements for this work. It’s another ruggedness builder, then the next set I’ll switch which bell is on which side evening it up.

I don’t see the point in going and buying a pair of 53s, lighter than my one bell starting point, matching the 32kg, then getting into heavier.

I’ll get a 100lb kb, a 124lb kb, and just clean, press, front squat the mismatch pairs, as well as do heavy one bell work, which I feel is the most valuable.

Get a HEAVY kettlebell, use only one bell, but do every movement with it!

That’s my kettlebell advice to you,
-J

Persistence & Tenacity