“Before we eat we do PT, before we eat we do PT”, though this wasn’t the mantra repeated all night by the half of the instructors who napped during the day so as to keep all participants at the summer camp from hell I chose to go to at age 15 – I can hear it in one of their voices…
Presenting :
BEFORE WE EAT WE DO PT
find & utilize your own personal inner cadre
I’m on a bit of a writing mania, typing this up immediately after the last post, the inspiration while hitting deep knee bends after neck bridging before the bowl of broccoli topped with ground beef topped with a slice of pizza and a tall cup of eggnog.
Okay, the microwave is angry.
Another set of deep knee bends.
…gets food out of microwave…
Now I type ; intuitively, and scientifically – the body is better at nutrient partitioning with higher levels of activity.
At 19 or so I watched a documentary/docu-drama/reality show where americans as contestants went to a stone fort in the north african desert, and with former french foreign legionaries/legionaires (which is right!!!) as simulated cadre had the simulated ffl boot camp experience.
One thing that stuck out to me was that before entering the chow hall, right next to the chow hall entrance in fact, was a pullup bar where a set of 10+ was expected, the contestants expected to “PT before we eat” by an angry little napoleon of an american who had been an nco for a while in the legion before a brief us army enlistment.
…..
Now, I eat – having done some PT right before doing so.
And we know it’s another set of deep knees bends after plus the night’s pushups.
You’re better off with a mini session before every meal.
-J Persistence & Tenacity
hey, at least it’s a bunch of calisthenics instead of a run + there are people who walk a mile after every meal
However, with this being my viewpoint
I’m lukewarm as to whether I am okay with the level of effort or not.
On the plus side obsessive tendencies have me doing this much.
On the minus side I could be more conditioned, leaner, stronger.
In physical training at some point you go full circle and find yourself standing as either a very strong crossfitter and/or as a highly conditioned strongman.
The emotions of not socializing along with my training hurts, though I’m close to past caring.
Lifting at home, alone, forces me to get back to my roots, to where I was in headspace exercising from my junior year of high school til a few months after my 21st birthday immediately preceding when I rejoined a gym after what was a 10 month hiatus.
Music choices even reflect this.
It’s a weird time.
That headspace combined with an extra 7-11 years of experience, well I know that I don’t need to push to have a 405+ squat and 495 deadlift alongside an ever increasing bench.
I also know the ways I can push with what I have.
I could stop doing mostly 3s on overhand fat gripz sldls, and really push the reps per set here looking for a 30rm, bump it 10lbs, continue [as a 30×275 deadlift is a strong person however you swing it – speaking from experience here 🙂 ], or I could go hog wild, full retard, mix my grip fat gripz or otherwise, and aim for 30s as heavy as possible every 4th or 5th day or so.
I even know the value of all the light stuff done right.
the mantra “a human crane” with the original blue fat gripz – I definitely have this in a rough draft somewhere
You really don’t know how much I don’t need to bench.
I pushup religiously.
If I had people standing on my back regularly I’d be getting pretty specific heavy bench stimulus, but I’ve been getting good at grinding on high rep military press, which is increasing that 1rm should I decide to test it (as I did recently)
My foot just fucking cramped!
,and lately I’ve been doing what I call the “york combo” a clean, into some presses, widen my grip, drop the bar controlled like to my back, do some squats, then btn snatch grip push jerk it back overhead, catch and hold it at lockout, then lower controlled – this, even for minimal reps, covers both the “press & squat daily” requirements I’ve been holding myself to, particularly lifting real hurry up style immediately before work.
My progression standard here is a good 10-12p+~10sq with a solid catch and hold of the btn jerk, then up it 10lbs.
205lbs, for at least 10p+≥10sq if not 20p+20sq is not far, the combo a kinda “stronger than you think” thing easily underestimated.
Which is somewhat the reaction I’d expect to video of this (better yet with a walk and turn) which feels on the table this winter – yes I expect to continue lifting outdoors this winter, unless I leave the area, as the localest strongman gym recently changed ownership meaning it lost it’s 1.5x life sized murals of crossfit games champions (a good thing I say), and IT’S STRONGMAN’S EQUIPMENT (obviously bad), so it’s outdoors that J continues to c&p in varied permutations.
But hey – lift outdoors, by yourself for awhile.
You get some answers.
A simple one being that centering your physicality about picking something up off the ground, pressing it overhead a bunch of times, and nicely setting it back down (sometimes after going for a walk with it) is simple and solid.
I realize with eggnog on shelves again something I felt instinctively as a high school wrestler “I’d rather up my activity and eat, than diet”, while actually eating around dead end job in the kitchen may be my nemesis at that moment, moreso than having to do the york combos before work.
I’ve lightly started food prepping, ground beef and broccoli on the menu every day, at present having no intended end in sight (this is good).
I think my ideal would be to have the bodybuilding or strongman lifestyle without a day job while activity and downtime are balanced at a level of 6000-7000 calories as maintenance consumed every day.
I genuinely debate buying a second 300lb weight set solely to stash at work and get more pressing in on lunch break.
Hmm, a pair of kettlebells or dumbbells may make more logistical sense here.
My 75lb dumbbell could become my car bell 🙂
Another direction would be ez curl bar and plates to ~100lbs as a work stash option.
yep
Some who work there bring in food and drink cause they don’t like what the restaurant has to offer, while I’m thinking about creating a little courage corner in the area where everyone aside from myself takes smoke breaks – L O fucking L
Where is my head at?
In this moment, I’m antsy for tomorrow’s york combo – I’m really looking forward to it, whereas now it’s to the kitchen to finish a pizza with a side of ground beef & broccoli/cauliflower/carrots/mushrooms, and open my second half gallon of eggnog in under 36 hours.
“Comrade ; in soviet military every base from rat infested and shelled out afghanistan fob to luxurious comrade general’s headquarters in moscow, every base, every base has courage corner – in luxurious comrade general’s headquarters in moscow “courage corner” is many full sets of kettlebells set collecting dust amongst 10,000 ft² of capitalist dog machines to in rat infested and shelled out afghanistan fob “courage corner” is three kettlebells set in only corner of building still intact covered in sweat of heroic soviet soldier’s glorious efforts plus the blood, guts, gore, and fur of rats smashed with same bells – every base has courage corner for strong soviet soldiers to build themselves ever stronger for greater glory of soviet union.”
(maybe I took some liberties summarizing)
pictured : a courage corner setup while on field exercise
I realize with my total gym, pushups, deep knee bends, and a pillow or mat to bridge on – I have a nice little courage corner for myself.
20:00 a day, giant sets of wrestler’s exercises and that bicep heavy total gym pullup = awesome me
I realize with the fat gripz sldl and deep knee bends – I have a nice little courage corner for myself.
20:00 a day, supersets of fat gripz sldl and deep knee bends = awesome me
Find your courage corner.
-J Persistence & Tenacity
P.S.
You don’t need to deadlift heavy, you can treat it as a builder of wellness.
I’m only pulling light, sldl, with the fat gripz double overhand…and it feels great.
My experience now is that it’s entirely unnecessary.
Lift heavy upper body, then train legs with the same weight.
Heck, the training effect, you can get it at just 70-80% 1rm, even less, meaning you don’t have to lift heavy most of the time for upper body either.
Dude, you respond stupid well to FEELING the muscles fire (to the point you think you’ll fall over/look woozy/drunk/out on your feet) with silly silly light weights.
Say you REALLY want to do a heavy squat…
Well if you’re limiting yourself to bar weights you can clean and press, better be able to press it.
500+ lbs has been done.
You want to squat 405?
Earn it by having built yourself to living beast mode by only doing it after you’ve cleaned and pressed it.
Press a number, then you’re allowed to hit some back squat 10s or something with the same weight.
Bro, get to the 300lbs weight set like this, THEN evaluate what equipment you “need”, what gym you would “possibly” go to, etc – you’ve won the big & strong game.
9/23
Television has no draw to me, and I’ve noted that when I participate in that spectation that I’m more likely to participate in what had been my problem vice – porn.
A day ran right doesn’t include time to watch garbage, it only has time to do.
Long hours at a dead end job can be a gift.
You have to approach it right.
Use your current circumstances, milk them for all it’s worth.
It forces you to either waste time, oversleeping, under living, and having a cry about it, or…
It forces you to live with purpose and structure.
IT FORCES YOU TO LIVE WITH PURPOSE AND STRUCTURE!
Every day I am doing PT and lifting.
I HAVE TO do my daily PT and lift.
It may be highly condensed, but each day I am able to say that I pressed, squatted (lifting), did pushups, neck bridge, and deep knee bends (PT).
Swing that tree branch (mace) after work.
Just this morning, I, no shit, did a 3+3 press and squat “York Barbell Complex” ;
GOT THAT LIFT IN!
Had to. Couldn’t not.
It was gonna happen.
Then I go to work 12 hours of food prep and line cooking.
Or not at that job – I’m lifting close to dinner time, going to the store to buy dinner, come home, cook dinner, eat something nutritious that I just made.
I’ve been taking pride in cooking meals lately.
Looking more jacked.
Looking leaner.
I’m not eating “clean”, but it’s going that direction, while in the moment it’s “feed the beast” with enough nutrition on a very varied daily calorie intake.
The large quantity of milk I drink in the evening has been earned, and cause I’m drinking it while so wiped out…that cold glass of god’s gift to mankind in fluid of bovine’s form is FAR MORE refreshing than in general.
I don’t know what’s next.
I’m having a hard time seeing past right now, having a hard time envisioning something better to come…SO I’M ENJOYING THIS MINUTE! THIS SECOND!
Living in the moment.
Getting into it with a smile.
Singing with the food prep guy to Hatebreed, country, and the women manager’s chagrin.
Wait staff goes “whoo” kinda loud?
I “Ric Flair” back! WHOO!
Not participating in bullshit.
Taking this job for what it is – being paid for 40 hours on my feet with half the week free.
Hitting my daily lift. Doing my daily PT.
CAN’T STOP ME!
Frank Schofro, american heavyweight weightlifting champion in 1944, did deep knee bends with 400lbs on his shoulders – notice the quad development at the knee
Deep knee bends, I like em, in the past I’ve used them to build work capacity quickly – like pushups they’re zero excuses, able to be done anywhere.
Kaz was said to view himself as a hydraulic piston while smashing the weights – lifting that shit EASY!
The deep knee bend is old timey, and here’s a trick I’ve found – with this particular movement I’m breathing in and out every rep, but the out is on the down.
With deep knee bends I’m breathing out as I descend.
In this manner the reps have speed to them, and I’m getting into the zone seeing myself as a human hydraulic piston as I pump away, losing myself in the moment, and doing, not counting reps.
(Video Placeholder)
I’m doing deep knee bends with my hands generally in a peek a boo boxer’s guard (cause I don’t like the arm motion of hindu squats, and that’s what I’ve found comfortable), sometimes supersetting with pushups or total gym pullups, and doing the movement daily.
Do whatever bw squat or lunge variant you prefer regularly, it’s a simple way to build work capacity, and get some athleticism, some spring in your step, into your legs.
Bodyweight squats keep you young physically.
With deep knee bends, breathe out/down – I’m lost in the moment, getting another mini session in.
Today (9/19/22), during a rather press centric period – I military pressed 225lbs (230 exact). This had been a long time coming, considering how long ago (10/23/17) it was that I pressed 205 for the first time.
I have video of that 🙂
Not today’s though :)-
I started this as a rough draft eight days early.
What works for me, for the military press, has been high frequency. To not give the body the opportunity to get away from it’s strength.
Mostly high reps, high frequency, some volume.
A normal day would be a set or two of 8-12 reps with 155-165lbs.
I’ve pressed everyday this month, and today after running some unexpected errands, breaking an almost 18 hour fast with a bag of snyder’s of hanover cheese pretzel sandwiches, the cheese version of why I was a fat middle schooler in peanut butter flavor which to my chagrin no longer seems to be made, in the mist and light rain – I pressed.
(only a couple hours after I intended to lift, an earlier pump session of total gym pullups and deep knee bends getting my mind right and in the mood to do so – and then finished the lift an hour before it downpoured, good timing)
The Session :
Overhead Squat
21×65
Press 135-180
singles at every 5lb jump
4×200 = PR, a rep or three in the tank, had I approached this set right it could’ve been an 8-10rm, an easy one became four with more in the tank
1x…230, I decided to simply put all the plates I had outside on, as after an easy PR set I realized “fuck it” it’s guaranteed regardless of 220, 225, or 230.
= PR !!!
I had been debating hitting 220lbs/ 100kg to save 225lbs for another day, then I flipped the reasoning, and went +5lbs to goal, set up for a good clean, hit it, and with only moderate effort, pressed 225+ lbs for the first time in my life.
Some 12yo kid was walking a yellow lab, and was totally gawking looking/hoping/wanting to watch as I was at around 170lbs – overhead lifting really fascinates people.
Through 175 were just heaves, real easy/felt real light, which probably should have been a hint towards the end of the session.
180, and 200 were basically perfect power cleans.
230 my feet went slightly wider than perfect form in the catch, and slightly back, I stepped the inches forward, recentering myself on the particle board “platform”, steadied myself – motionless, got tense, and pressed.
The press was barely moderate, a little slow about ¾ of the way to lockout, but easier than some of the 155lb presses I had grinded out two nights back.
Funny to note ; shirtless, wearing soft soled ancient cheapo skateshoes [instead of barefoot – cause rain (sorta)], track pants, in misty to a light rain, the session from about 545pm to 610pm.
A 225lb press was something I’ve long wanted, probably since I first hit a military press, a lift I’ve been looking for for a decade or longer.
At 20yo I could jerk anything I could clean, never past 205.
At 21 I got my first 225 power clean, 4 (!!!!!) gyms (plus a few no gym periods) back.
205lbs press at 23
225+ press at 28
I lifted with my mouth guard in. The thing is $2 performance enhancement.
I did not scream in celebration, no “ric flair” (WHOO!), simply held the bar at lockout for a LONG time, lowered it under control, then decided to leave the session on that note instead of hitting any back off AMRAP presses or curling.
Funny that I almost didn’t lift today.
Noteworthy that it was on day 19 of military press everyday, whereas my lifetime 515 deadlift PR was on something like day 21 or 24 of deadlifting daily.
Frequency really works for me, a moderate amount of work gets you strong, though that moderate approach can be highly varied. It was a whim to do low reps today instead of 155 for amap like would be the usual. I got here quicker than expected, I had been expecting to press daily for more than another full month 🙂
Cool.
Persistence & Tenacity
nor was I this surprised
Now, I need to focus more on the power clean on my trip to a 255lb press
For a couple days in a row now I’ve pressed both before and after work.
Lazy two a days, one set, no warmup, just getting in a good set each time.
At one gym I went to there was an 185lb yoke – I’d press it on the way in and out.
The current isn’t without precedence.
With whatever the bar is currently loaded to, it’s nothing to simply press a set multiple times throughout the day.
And we all know that I generally get my best results with high frequency – because that’s what I buy into most.
Right now every set is in PR territory.
If I’m not mad unhappy and burnt out [or lacking a gym membership :)- ] I’m lifting daily, multiple sessions when simple logistically and/or the mood strikes.
A chance urge as I drove home from work kinda early the other day saw me press twice.
Leaving the bar loaded, ie no warmups, bypasses my stressing setup/breakdown.
I’m wholly in useable strength this way too.
Days on work a set on the way out the door, a set upon arriving home.
I could go back to moving in addition to the kitchen.
Days off work – probably 5 sets twice a day, give myself a good gap between sessions, and get some clean volume in on one or both.
With the c&p at present I am not ready to rejoin a gym…though one that has stones?
That could happen anywhere from November to January.
It’d be a good spot for making lifting youtube content.
Without content creation, I’m pretty content as far as lifting to just keep pressing, pressing, pressing as I am now.
I’m digging the military press, and with the oddity of how I train – my quads are getting larger.
with zero leg work lol
something about leg work
Somehow this is happening from driving the bar into the sky to shoulder it from the dead hang or via the higher momentum uglier heave.
Heaving the bar is different than any form of clean. There are various degrees of prettiness to the cleans as well.
You can yank the bar from the floor.
You can slowly leg press it to around knee height then explode with or without the pause there.
A bunch of manners to shoulder the bar.
I know that a c&p focus is a godsend for trap and shoulder development.
I actually can not tell you why I am doing this, this madness of c&p right now past an explanation of because.
Why do this?
Because.
It sets me up for life better.
I approach the world better having done my lifting, than had I not.
#1 reason to exercise right there
At work today (9/11/22) I was in the best of moods, call outs/staffing issues meant I was solitary at my station a good part of the time – the manager would check, realize I had it handled, and well, the shift just went smoothly (in my little slice of line cooking, not necessarily for the entire kitchen)
I was telling the fit, kinda into the gym, manager that lifting before work, while new for me, makes all the difference.
Not stressing anything right now, I pressed today, I’ll be pressing tomorrow, and you know what?
Today I’d woken up from dreaming about handstand pushups.
That is the bulk of my thoughts, “can’t wait to press tomorrow morning! Thank you! I’ve got olys!”
Yes. I am dodging bigger things by #1 in life being a barbell lift.
This dead end job I’m working?
Head down, it’s nearing the year, press tommorow morning.
Days of stubble?
It’ll be months of beard soon enough, I am not fucking it up -press tommorow morning.
I’ve given myself something tangible, within close reach, not a hard to see ways off to get out of bed in the morning for.
I had needed that.
The rest?
I’ll figure it all out as I go.
It’s gonna be sweat hitting 225.
So close. I taste it every time my hands grip iron.
Follow the method ;
No warmup, press the weight for amrap, once it’s 10-12 reps, up it 5lbs, repeat tommorow.
300lbs on video soon after.
Trust the method.
(Press. Hang clean.)
I’m doing what is necessary for that.
Building that strength!
Eating for it.
Lifting for it.
(military press amraps, hang clean amraps)
Into lifting outdoors, in the moment, just me and nature, my spot a piece of particle board and a pair of rubber patio tiles, chomping down into that two buck mouthpiece, headphones blaring, press time!
Get some! Whooo!
Ric Flair baby!
Live the passion. Love it.
Have purpose.
Persistence & Tenacity
P.S. Damn does cold turkey no television make a difference. I advise anyone to cut that shit out. You’ll have other things to do, the brain will find you better.
You’ll get brutally strong with nothing but a barbell.
No one, and I mean no one (outside of maybe Klokov or similar), has truly maxed out a 300lb weight set.
if even
It’s better to think outside of the weight room, and realize that hard labor has made more men strong through human history than the gym ever has.
The barbell deadlift carry is a wonderfully awful thing, as is how the forearms are trained with high rep hang cleans.
I pressed 150lbs for 10, then did a couple sets of hang cleans.
“Only 150lbs” many would say, I’d up the ante daring them to match my sets.
Most aren’t going to overhead press worth a damn, which is a shame, as the iron game was a better place before I was born when people regularly put weight overhead.
As dictator of earth I’d make everyone clean & press.
At present my #1 training goal, and possibly #1 thing in life is to press 225lbs.
It’s a weight room goal I’ve long long long had, still unachieved.
It’s close.
The approach is working ;
One set of presses each day at a minimum, more than one set when the mood strikes, and to tack hang cleans on when that mood strikes.
Heck, I could do a set once in the morning, once in the evening easily enough.
A major perk of having weights at home.
The pressing is getting easy.
Since I do everything from the ground, it’s actually more important for me to diesel up my power cleans.
I am built to press.
Thinking labor strength, thinking brute force, the answer here is hang clean for reps.
I keep it simple, just doing some with whatever weight I happen to have pressed.
If I am to feel really fancy I’ll have done some plate pinches before the olys.
That works for me as a serious primer for the grip.
To all who think one weight across all barbell lifts is not weighing it down enough, I raise you the fact that ANYONE with a 300lb c&p is going to be strong enough to get away with never going past 300lbs.
They won’t need it.
Realizing this, suddenly a 300lb weight set, and some ground anywhere is a gym with unlimited potential.
Blend that barbell with old time weightlifting, girevoy, and you’re really onto something.
bigger #s on video soonest
Persistence & Tenacity
Notes To Self :
•every lift feels 10% easier while chomping down on a $2 mouth guard
•dude, you lift like a fucking caveman, you’re brute upper body strength, try actually squeezing your ass and thighs
•hang clean – more, more, MORE! bro
•this pointedly eating thing is working nicely, this typed up, it’s time to cook some delicious delicious red meat with, if we’re being honest, pierogi.
I feel like a ground beef, onions, and gravy poured over the stuff.
