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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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