1st Lift :
Bent Row
12, 10, 8 w/165lbs
Deadlift
10, 12 w/205
Press
13×165
……
Those deadlift sets could’ve been pushed to 30 reps.
At 205lbs it’s less than 50% 1rm – thing is I get a great pump out of lighter weight, and right now with higher reps.
It’s like my body decides to respond well to whatever is available to throw at it.
“Gains” are a given…
Too, and more importantly, high reps force you to use effort.
Low reps are done in seconds, high reps, especially against the clock/density training protocols are long.
In all honesty the past few years I’ve been more spinning my wheels than not.
And the longer I’m at The Cold Air Barbell Club the more I go back to earlier in the journey, when I had what I had, and the hunger to make it work.
Sometimes we have to get back to the points where we were committed, where nothing could stop us – internal drive & hunger, fire in the eyes.
…..
It’s ridiculous how little effort you can put into lifting, and still get further than the large majority.
It’s easy to reap the benefits.
That however is not excuse to slack off.
…..
All those high rep challenges, what if you did that as training, not as an occasional challenge?
The human body will thrive on everything when the mindset is there.
Realize the romans worked their slaves to death in libyan mines – good luck getting anywhere close to that level of physical work, and since you’re blessed to be able to do so, simply feed yourself good nutrition as you attempt (and fail – modern world, rationally not gonna happen) to get to physically too much.
You’re not an indentured servant starving/working to death in the plantation’s fields on naught but corn and brackish water – you can go to the grocery store and eat better than the kings of history!
So be thankful, and use what you have.
Steak and baked potatoes up soon for me, it’s basic, healthy, nutritious food – and between work and lifting in the yard I’m ramping up the work I do.
This year, no more fat guy, no more horrible work capacity, no more inability to run a good mile.
…..
While you’ll get plenty of respect being burly – big, strong, yet kinda fat – you’re lying to yourself when you can’t run a fast mile, work all day at a quick pace, or bang out many pullups.
When you have wind it ends up being that you have more ability to lift volume, more frequently, with more density to your work/workouts, and have a higher ceiling to your top end strength.
I’ve seen plenty older than me with great physicality to know it’s not age, but action, that allows you to be properly physical with robust physicality and high energy.
Energy is shit when you don’t do shit.
Energy is high when you’re high activity, active, being awesome.
…..
Around 40° outside I lifted, then wrote, shirtless – I’m pretty comfortable with this.
…..
Three days in a row having eggs.
(Eggs instead of steak again this meal – it’s the craving.)
A bunch of unnecessary carbs (tortilla chips, chex mix) alongside it though.
Milk to drink.
Yesterday, today were not as clean with food choices – I can much improve here.
It’s a matter of making a choice, then sticking to it.
…..
Long nap through the afternoon, had nightmares, but felt a message in it :
“Go back to Cali”
I had this vision of me powerbuilding, training people, with a wife, kid, and a second on the way.
Message inside a nightmare.
…..
2nd Lift :
Overhead Squat
15 x bar
1 Arm OHS
1 x bar each side
As the ohs set progressed I narrowed my grip more and more into press spacing – a feel good flexibility thing to play with.
Before putting the bar down from the one arms I lowered it to shoulder, below shoulder really, a deep side press stretch which really loosed tight upper/mid back musculature.
…..
The above lift was to get into good headspace.
I was groggy from a three hour nap, a bit parched, thinking negatively, and knew a lift and the fresh air would do me well.
It did.
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It’s better to lift outdoors than indoors.
Mother Nature is invigorating – I recall during my last gym membership going inside, canned air, synthetic light, and thinking “this is stifling, unvital “, and still lifting indoors causes that’s where the equipment is.
Now I’m loving the fact every lift involves fresh air, often sunshine while stripped to the waist in more weather than most would do so in, and am genuinely considering a kettlebell which would travel well while allowing me to strike more of a frequency itch while still outdoors.
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Late meal was burger, fries, steak, leftover tater tots, broccoli, and cauliflower, tortilla chips (again), grape juice
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Today was a snow melting day – a sad excuse to not run bleachers or do step ups.
$30 at the hardware store bypasses the logistical issues.
Hard to skip something set up in your yard.
…..
There’s value in simply touching your toes, reaching for the sky – you could say I purposefully stretched today.
The above with a few 10 pump burpees in the kitchen.
Deep squats pulling myself down by holding the bar during the first lift – working on being tall in the spine.
Deep squats as part of the exercise with the second lift while again purposely being tall in the spine while narrowing my grip width every handful of reps.
I think the curve of the bar being bent helped get into the press grip on the overhead squats.
Though I power snatch into my heaviest overhead squats, and with the empty bar simply out it overhead – best overhead squat grip width is where you can apply tightness to the back most effectively.
One cue is pull the bar apart with your hands.
I think I’m shrugging a little to set the entire back as well.
…..
Persistence & Tenacity