You could definitely say that my exercise lately falls under “mixing it up”.
Pushups, instead of being “woody woodpeckers” recently started being strict, and now they’re being done super slow – I’m trying to genuinely do a thirty second negative, reps anywhere from three in ten seconds to one or two during that half minute countdown timer.
All in all, maybe one flying 30 second set of 50ish blazingly fast reps, then a handful of 30 second slow sets, call it 50 fast, 15 slow reps each night.
meep meep
The kettlebell?
The kettlebell is pretty new to me.
I’m enjoying it.
I’m not doing much more than the press/clean & press sets that you see – the light days off camera, and two hand swings too being done occasionally, call it every third day, off camera.
I often use the 40kg, and am going for increasing high reps, and density of work, but I think the best training effect would be more moderate, the 32kg, and violently swinging it for sets of 3 reps, being well rested between sets.
My lifting takes a grand total of twenty minutes of my day, TOPS, including setup/breakdown, and that on a double session day.
A set of press or clean and press earlier, then 10:00 of 2h swings later = real convenient, daily low time investment, but effective manner of training.
If this ever stops working, or if I find the desire to do more, adding volume, adding time each day is an option…
A great option.
There’s a zillion kettlebell things I could be doing more regularly, more c&p, or cleans alone, or presses alone, or both, more swings, two hand or one handed, bottoms up pressing, snatching in any variant, rows, actually doing walks/carries (at rack is evil, devilish…in a good way), etc…a zillion options.
Strength training minimalism is pretty uncommon for me, but alas still I struggle to find the motivation/drive while training alone to do long sessions.
Shrugs.
I don’t like that state of mind, though I’m making it work for me.
Lifting kettlebells. Filming kettlebells.
I’m GOOD at kettlebells. It’s a matter of time til my channel is monetized and explodes!
And that, gives me a whole lot of freedom to move forward.
While making it so I can do this kettlebell thing with more kettlebells, more effectively, better.
A positive feedback/∞ loop.
Genuinely I can see myself doing press every day for life, years down the road being downright scary with heavy AND high rep clean and press – like heavy sets of 30s, 50s every rep style, well heavier belled than the current pair of 40kgs.
I haven’t been consistent with pullups since summer 2021.
5 reps at a bodyweight of 290 a week and a half ago, I haven’t done a set since.
I expect the kettlebell c&p, swing, and snatch all would carry this, increase rep count on some level…the oft totes “wth effect”.
I can see myself rotating in a barbell clean and press, and a snatch grip deadlift on the same once every two weeks time frame of pullups, of which I prefer that fat bar to my present thinner bar option.
The downside there, the weird shape of that particular playground apparatus, meaning I can do full rom pullups, but not even attempt a muscle up on it.
Yes, at 6′ 290lbs I think about repping pullups, getting muscle ups (technically again – I’ve done two singles YEARS back), think about “the beast tamer”, think about a ≤6:00 mile (last done as a sub 180lb teenager, though as a 195lb teenager I regularly ran ~21:00 5ks)…
Not accepting that 29yo is anything but growing into my physical prime.
I like training.
I’m good at it. Particularly with the kettlebell, which I could see heavy, high rep, double bell c&p being my main training for life.
I laid off the burpees, not that it was at a high volume, just brief and high frequency, and have some interest in possibly acquiring a 40-50lb weight vest and adding that in with the kettlebell.
It’d be lunacy to artificially make myself 330, 340lbs, and crush burpees…
But it sounds fun! Phenomenal!
And that’s what we should go for, phenomenal levels of fun in our training, as then we’ll be consistent, and when we’re consistent we become more and more awesome.
11/28/23
Every desire was to just go back to bed, or maybe to take a hot shower then do so.
However, I’m committed to pressing daily, getting some form of workout video live every day.
So whatever self talk it takes, it takes, then outside I go.
See, there’s an amazing ability to be tired, stiff, and sore…and to have just a moment of exercise take all that away, and give you a positive mental spin for your day.
I actually took a moment staring down at my equipment, thinking to myself ; “I can do a couple reps with the 32kg, kick into a handstand of something, then just post it.”
I talked myself into the 40kg, and like my usual – nothing I did was exactly as planned, but I did SOMETHING (the important part).
A clean and press each side (technically the streak is alive), a snatch which I then overhead squatted each side (now I’ve done it on both sides – in my kettlebell play I hadn’t yet on one side), then for the fun of it, not having done so on camera before, did a few handstand attempts – the last one a solid two seconds…
seen here
Which probably impresses people when you’re 290lbs. But I want it to be a baked in skill, along with handstand walking, and I do want to do a freestanding hspu.
I think to myself “if Doug Hepburn could, so can I”.
When your heart is into it train all day.
When there’s no desire, just so a few minutes, call it good.
You may decide to do more right then, or may go back and do more later.
Basically don’t spend 24/7 as a couch potato – even if it’s a 23 hour and 55-59 minute vs one to five minute split.
Just do something.
Something is better than nothing.
And, get this, you might just be able to do lot with a little.
Wherever you are, whoever you are, buy yourself a kettlebell or three, or build a sandbag, or even with zero financial input – calisthenics…just bang out a little bit of something.
Doesn’t need to be a program.
Doesn’t need to be set in stone.
Just get in a little movement.
You’ll thank me for it.
The long format video from today, out of it I made shorts of the overhead squats and the best handstand of the handful – seen above
…..
After Dark :
50 one pumps in about 10:15
wasn’t really going for speed, could make this WAY FASTER
As I do burpees I tell myself that this is what makes me an absolute beast, an enduring animal – machine like, that never runs out.
I still haven’t gotten to 100 unbroken one pumps.
The 2h swing and burpees practically beg to be done under the lights (haven’t made the purchase yet) as after dark AWESOME content!
11/27/23
My calves are staying sore from day to day.
It’s the kettlebell, for whatever reason they fire harder, extend more on kettlebell variants than they do with the barbell cleans.
It is what it is.
Last night I found a rather fun approach.
I set a timer for 20:00, tried to only nose breathe, and settled into doing the reps, singles alternating hands with rather precise pressing form, as explosive a press as possible every rep.
Once I hit 21/side, I stopped. It was at just shy of 17:00, and switched from the 32kg bell I’d been using for a good set of 5 reps each side with the 40kg bell.
Then I did x3/side front squats with the 32kg again.
It was a great session.
Since I’ve the time, frankly I may do such things twice a day, get real bulgarian with this one bell stuff, real focused on powerful reps.
Last night’s pushups, well my triceps – I knew they were there, and it was a different soreness/activation than when I barbell press well earlier in the day.
I really like the kettlebell, but to do it all out, part of me thinks I’d have to spend a few grand in double bells.
40kg just isn’t so heavy, nor is 48kg (which I’m thinking to purchase in double bell round spring – milking this 40kg single bell til then, letting tendons & ligaments strengthen with the 40kg though I can snatch, probably press a 48kg RIGHT NOW).
…..
That was a difficult session, went into it just very tired.
It’s one of those times a warm up would’ve helped, and last night a bunch of 32kg clean and press singles made x5/side with the 40kg not that challenging.
On a good note I’m good to press the 40kg for 5 reps, either side, at any given time.
I’ll probably do another session later, but for now I feel like I could fall asleep (I could), and I smell like I just cooked (I did).
A big ole, you know the lowest price point was $6/lb for steak, I got whatever wasn’t london broil as I do when they’re both at that price point.
First I cooked it to around medium, then I poured in a frozen section box of fried rice, had added extra frozen chicken breast strips to it.
I ate maybe a third of that fried rice mix, with around⅓lb of steak.
Cracked nine eggs into the remaining portion of fried rice, that’s no longer rice consistency really – but egg first.
I’ll eat off that mix and a little bit of the remaining steak in a moment.
All in all, I’ll have like ¾lb steak, 4½ eggs, and a portion of the fried rice left for later/tomorrow.
$9 for 1½lb steak, eggs went up in price – now like $3/dozen – they’ve gone up in price twice this month, so the pound and a half of steak, 18ct eggs, that’s up to almost $14 for a day of all out keto power diet.
I ate fairly expensively today, what with frozen chicken breast strips instead of cooking from scratch, the fried rice ditto, steak, etc.
Whatever, good food in me – tomorrow I’ll be strong.
A day where the weights are heavy doesn’t really ever last more than one day in a row.
If I have to I’ll just do some light barbell, but was thinking race to 50 press reps with the 185lb barbell.
…..
Or maybe it’s gonna be a bunch of kettlebell cleans, some presses.
I LOVE how my lats feel right now.
PHENOMENAL!
Just like the bicep soreness, I’d attribute this to the drop from shoulder back down on the kettlebell clean.
…..
Ate some chicken tenders and french bread as a soon after, small, dinner.
Some milk and cookies an hour after that.
I realized that today I hydrated mostly with cans of iced tea, some milk, very little water. Shrugs.
…..
I’m gonna have to open a small personal training facility, have like 4-6 clients a day, and THEN purchase the whole slew, the whole lineup of double bells.
I want to be able to high rep two bell clean and press up to the 203lbers.
The pair of 203s are within the realm of human capability!
11/26/23
I genuinely don’t understand people using kettlebells indoors.
They’re so easy to take outside.
They require no setup.
The ground being perfectly flat isn’t so necessary as when lifting a barbell.
That’s backyard weightlifting problems for ya…trying to find level (enough) patches to lift on.
Makes me laugh to recall that gym’s owner perturbed to have a little sheet of mental under both sides of the deadlift platform…not perfectly level…bolt it down after all.
I could work with 48kg kettlebells RIGHT NOW.
It’s a struggle to not immediately purchase a pair.
I’m really into kettlebells, it wouldn’t be long to needing a jump AFTER 48kg for press work.
Really it’s a cost saving thing.
I have the barbells, plates, heavy presses will have to be barbell for a while.
I never would’ve expected to become a kettlebell guy, originally thinking them these goofy light things (hey/heck to a degree they still are), but the main problem being I didn’t know how to make them worthwhile.
However, it disgusts me to read people on forums thinking adjustable 12-32kg kettlebells will be enough weight for life.
Am I that strong simply by not being challenged on low reps with the 40kg the second I laid hands on it?
Knowing I’d make the 48kg snatch, be on the line, real close on a strict press.
The Sig Klein challenge is as written a pair of 75lb dumbbells.
The kettlebell people port it to it’s closest kb weight, the 32kgers.
My opinion?
You asked…
Personally, you want to be doing this, the Sig Klein challenge, a two bell jump PAST those, what he wrote – 48kg KBs, 100lb DBs.
He wrote it around 100 years ago, and was a middleweight.
Look at what professional strongmen put overhead, and set yourself some present day heavyweight worthy goals.
Then, keep pushing the reps – think of the 30s that are the grace and isabel wods, think of 50 rep sets.
…..
My calves are sore, that’s what’s been carrying from day to day with the usage of this 40kg kettlebell.
I’m genuinely loving it.
Will I buy a matching bell?
Will I buy a 48kg or a pair?
…..
Was asked “what size shoe do you wear” on an old video.
Replied “huh, what an odd thing to ask on a lifting channel”, and a moment later the comment disappeared.
Then I looked backend, all traces of the comment gone – I’d seen it multiple places.
Interesting. Did they delete it?
Did a foot fetishist feel the need to ask on my video?
Do I have foot fetishist views?
Shrugs, the internet is a strange place.
It seems I’ll never know.
And it does surprise me when people delete their own comments.
Last year, on the rock one arm push/power jerk video, someone commented about it not being that heavy a rock.
I would’ve left it up!
It’s interesting. The comment system is broken on youtube.
Whether I get notifications for comments is random as far as I can tell, sometimes there are ghost replies I can see in one place but not another, I have no idea what distinguishes a comment be held for review vs auto postings as my settings are thoroughly ignored by youtube itself, and that again – whether I get a notification or not.
I try to reply to all, the channel is small enough at this stage – but youtube apparently wants to make it confusing lol.
…..
Three minisessions on this sunday.
The first on camera.
The third actually a full half hour, the idea to do a bunch of alternating arm singles with the 32kg bell on the clean and press trying to only nose breathe.
I did 21/side in just under 17:00, decided to stop the twenty minute block there, switched to the 40kg which I pressed for x5/side (the left is getting stronger very quickly), the did one bell off center front squats with the 32kg for x3/side.
Everything one bell, when it’s a challenging bell, is extremely core intensive.
I feel the intercostals on the upper ribs very much so when I push the presses.
Enough snatches, moreso with a lighter explosive bell, cause the feeling that is the golden age “rib cage expansion”.
I could go with that, do something like a pullover (mace swings would be my choice) and increase that effect.
…..
1019pm
I was in my own/main account…and for the first time one of my own videos from the channel was recommended to me.
The thanksgiving day video.
Cool.
I’d considered that a milestone as to “when will it happen”, as frankly I’m making my type of video, why wouldn’t youtube think I want to watch my own content.
Sweet!
Plus+4 subscribers today.
(actually happended twice within about ten minutes…by not clicking I made my own impressions rate go down…the horror lol)
11/25/23
I decided last night that I’d do the same 5:00 of clean and press every rep style today with a 185lb barbell instead of the 40kg kettlebell.
So I’m going to bed, sleeping on the knowledge of the day’s filmed workout.
…..
I think “Day #” at the start of the title gives more views, but that’s just think.
It’s not certain.
Youtube analytics doesn’t show all the statistics to you, the creator, when the data is under a certain level.
To a degree, this small everything youtube side is attempted to be done with the idea “it’s fun, and all learning experience”.
However, I do want to monetize youtube, get to that level.
Get to a few thousand a month income from it, and I’m financially free.
It seems like long form videos are doing better for me than shorts, and right now my view hours are at about ⅒ of required monthly hours for monetized, about 75/1000 subscribers, so less than that.
However those stats are a light to me. They tell me that I can, that it’s possible.
The more exposure and the more consistency, it’s a given.
Real cool to be spreading my knowledge to the world.
And maybe I’ll be able to do it in person too.
But right now it’s online, #1 is clean and press performance on video – both conditioning, amap/time style, and low rep maxes.
I laugh.
Saying I’ll clean and press 300lbs within six months is SLOW ROLL reasonable.
The 5:00 barbell every rep style sets alone will get me there.
And this is a video subject, probably I’ve written before, but worth typing up again ;
Strength is gained without specialization.
An early 20s gym floor anecdote – I missed it by moments, but saw the bar left there, my lifting partner told me of it, and I saw the two high fiving/congratulating each other/talking about it.
Two dudes, one my age – 5’7″ 180lbs, and a BIG GUY, 6’2″ or 6’3″ 235-240lbs, both these dudes bodybuilders who work construction – full time labor with a bodybuilding split done hard as a hobby.
They really were 4×10 rep range types.
The smaller of the two didn’t really train legs or deadlifts.
The bigger dude would pull mostly sets of 15 or so, usually 365lb area.
That day the two had a hair up their asses for maxing out on deadlifts.
The smaller, something like 495, off of just heavy upper body workouts, used back machines – back work straining at sets of 10-15.
The bigger, again, pulled like 635, maybe 585, just off of having good strength on squats and deadlifts in the 10-15 rep range.
That afternoon really drove in the fact that you don’t need to go so specific.
There’s a million bodybuilders and crossfitters plenty strong without training for 1rm strength.
Many gymnast types are sick with their ability to hit competitive powerlifting numbers, off of just being small, skilled at gymnastics, and used to high tension.
I genuinely think ; light to moderate, very high tension, which kinda limits the reps and volume, or moderate to fairly heavy – aiming for a rep goal as fast as possible, or as many as possible in a set time period…
Neither of these approaches are specific to 1rm maximum strength, but both work quite well for me on maximum strength anyway…
While giving great pumps, high levels of euphoria (the after workout on top of the world vibe/glow), more fitness, etc.
That’s why I’m just going to have a kettlebell clean and press habit (the awkwardness of the heavy kettlebell is a joyous thing) alongside the barbell clean and press amap in 5:00 approach.
It’s everything!
Good content.
Good effort.
Good pump.
Actually being fit/in shape!
Building strength, top end strength, anyway!
Whether this is negative or not I genuinely think of myself as “the strongest nobody around”.
I’m not telling myself I’m going to win world’s strongest man.
I’m not telling myself that I’d “win the gym” at the nearest powerlifting place…
I’m telling myself that “I have these far from ideal circumstances, but I love lifting, so I do so – and I have the methodology, the ability to soar anyway.”
And I do.
…..
It’s close to 1am.
I just saw subscriber 74 come in.
Build it. Be consistent.
They’ll come.
I’d actually been wondering when I could say “my youtube channel has 75 subscribers”.
Soon. Very soon.
And if the channel keeps 3x in subscribes every month, or goes exponentially…
Well, build this to a level that it allows me the finances to do this better, that’s ∞ growth, a perpetual positive feedback loop.
…..
Positive feedback loop.
I’m coming to know (again) that what you expect of the world you’ll get.
That your inner mind dictates the outer world.
Your mind right, and opportunity comes to you.
Your mind wrong, and you don’t see what’s good, right there, within your grasp.
I could’ve built this, with consistency, from Day 1.
The past is gone.
There’s only now.
You smile, work, and know tomorrow (if it comes) will be better.
I honestly don’t recall the exact time, it was within the last year, the pastor spoke of “God had already forgiven you – the past is wiped to God – the urge to punish oneself, focus on past mistakes/sin THAT is sin, us sinning, and continuing to do instead of looking up, forward for a more godly existence of self.”
That soothes me.
I internally know similar, realize it more and more, live it more wholly, more truly.
Don’t punish yourself. Move on in positive works.
…..
I got 10 reps in 5:00 on the 185lb clean and press every rep style.
Did an 11th rep just after the bell, and maybe a half hour later decided to rep out a 205lb press, curious to if I’d break 5 as rm to 7.
I failed the 6th, though I’d say a set of 5 is probably baked in now.
…..
Filmed the above with 75 and 76th having come in, so three today.
…..
I might eat a real meal later, but for now it’s been around a 16 hour fast.
I’m outside breaking fast by eating buttered french bread, a coffee milk, then indoors two cookies – real simple – practicing thankfulness for all that is life.
Being mindful.
I’ll have a kettlebell workout soon.
Back I go outside…
Music on, so off camera.
…..
Jogged around, played with the 40kg bell – got 7x snatch left – a PR thus far, and found that 2h swings with this 88lber feel better than the movement did with the 70lber at the start of this year, and I’ve done very few swings in the interim.
Running this c&p and kettlebell swing as far as they can go? Maximizing these?
Oh man! How far I can go.
Big, broad shoulders, giant glutes, claws/talons for hands with bowling pin forearms…AND FIT!
Yeah, I’m loving the outdoor sessions.
…..
Spent twenty minutes at play.
Is it time for mat time?
In addition to jogging around forward and backwards, I hit a few sprawls in addition to some shadow wrestling slow motion lunge shots.
And of course the kettlebell snatch, clean and press, swings, plus bw squats that I did.
…..
Success with a barbell overhead, and some kettlebells, even some calisthenics on camera.
My strong suit is that I keep lifting simple, I keep eating simple – I get people results by showing them a straightforward a to b way to make their own progress.
…..
As I put the bell away for the night, then shivered outside watching an eclectic mix of youtube (self sustainability and rugby related)…and though I didn’t follow it…
I had the urge to go for a run/jog…
Get to 300lb press…then simulate a marine corps pft, the 3 mile/5k run and pullups.
Maintain a 275+ c&p, dropping to ≤240lbs, with 20+ (preferably 30, 35) pullups, a sub 21:00 three mile.
Like high school wrestling run ability back again but with 27yo pullup ability, 23yo bodyweight, and lifetime PR upper full body strength.
…..
Dinner (maybe two hours after that breaking fast snack and the twenty minute session, plus an hour of outside shivering, sitting there watching youtube)…
Microwave the frozen chicken breast strips, the breakfast sausage links on top of them in the spaghetti plate.
Pour the warmed contents into the pan on the burner.
Turn that on, let it all brown, then chop it up real small.
Crack in the eggs.
Cook it all up.
Wash the spaghetti plate as it does.
Mix mexican mix cheese in with the half you take to start. Another chunk of buttered french bread on the side.
A tall glass of milk, a can of iced tea to drink.
I’ll probably finish the other half of egg/meat mixture too.
My diet is pretty simple right now, eggs with breakfast sausage, preferably a second or more meat with them, mexican mix cheese stirred in when I want it, buttered french bread, milk, iced tea, coffee milk, an occasional glass of grape juice.
Pretty sure I can set this to a $10/day hard cost, make myself lean out with that, eating this, enjoying it all too.
It’s all good hearty foods our and ancestors thrived on.
…..
I realize this 40kg is my second kettlebell purchase (this calendar year to boot), and I have not done any high number of swings for any length of time.
Being that I liked the 2h swing tonight, maybe 150-500 swings/day run as well as press every day as another all around thing.
To build glutes of titanium, fitness, work capacity, and fat loss, all at once.
…..
You local library, probably, will do such things as an interlibrary loan for books that they do not have.
It’s how I read John Jesse’s Wrestling Physical Conditioning Encyclopedia (more than once).
That’s just a PSA, or a note to self, maybe both.
When did I go to the library last?
What book do I want to read?
11/24/23
While I don’t think it’ll be keto, partly as it’s the holiday season and mom will probably make me another giant batch of cookies round christmas 🙂 (72ct), right now my ideal food is fried eggs, preferably with multiple meats in it.
Being a big guy, with a big appetite, meal prep is somewhat of an annoyance.
I’ve never really done it, generally cooking and eating my day’s food each day, but figuring out the logistics instead of cooking 9, 12, 12+ eggs (total) once or twice a day…it’d be nice to have a bunch cooked in bulk.
Preferably not making round after round after round in a pan.
I figure in the oven I could cook a ham, then some pounds of chicken breast, cube the ham, cube the chicken breast…
It’d be real nice to cook something like fried eggs in the oven.
What exactly is quiche?
You must be able to cook eggs in bulk in a big sheet/pan.
I google search it.
I was thinking it, and the search revealed people have done it before…sheet baking eggs in the oven.
Cool.
How would I go about filling the oven with like two pans, all the cubed meat mixed into like 100ct eggs.
I’m thinking deep wall glass pans. What are those called casserole dishes?
That’d be my week’s protein/meat/eggs… mostly at least.
…..
The above is the most accessible, most all around, effective, and minimalistic weights workout.
One heavy bell.
Clean and press.
Switch hands.
Repeat.
Til the timer goes off.
I’m thinking tomorrow, much the same, but with a barbell – probably 185lbs…
You do enough work like this, well at 185lbs the clean and press both are light…
Once you reach enough volume in the brief period, from there you up it 5lbs, 10lbs, maybe twenty, and repeat the process.
Once the work is plenty sense you up the weight again.
Maybe you’ll never know your 1rm this way, but you’ll sure raise your strength ceiling, you WILL pass your current max, and the way I do this is without warm ups.
11/23/23
3am, I couldn’t fall asleep, so into the kitchen – a few oz of salami, a big scoop of peanut butter (crunchy – the better kind), a cookie, and glass of milk, then I’ll lay back down.
Other than all the delicious (6 dozen) cookies my mom made me the other day, well the egg/keto direction makes sense to me again.
Last night’s dinner of eight eggs with three forms of meat in the pan with them, was right.
I feel that the kettlebell and something in the vicinity of keto will work real well for me at this time.
Maybe push it to 18ct eggs a day, probably 1½lbs of meat across a few types each day.
I’ve already decided it’s gonna be kettlebell volume most days, and keep telling myself how I’ll do them, burpees, and overhead pressing – the three to a high physical level of performance, and to financial/career success.
It’s time.
…..
At 7am not having fallen asleep, well I “went to the gym”, filmed my day’s video.
not bad on any of them
…..
There’s definitely a struggle between filming content vs training.
One thing I want is to get the Sig Klein challenge with this 32 and 40kg pair of kettlebells.
I think I’ll do as many reps as I can get, pause – take a few deep breaths, switch which bell sides, and continue.
I can also do high rep clean and press every rep style with a barbell.
I’ve long had the idea to so a press version of the grace wod, even overweight the RXd 135lbs.
With my assortment of implements start getting into a strength endurance version of girevoy – use that as EVERYTHING rolled into one.
The kicker is I could’ve been doing this for years, now I’m getting there.
…..
No thanksgiving plans ☹️, not having slept – I basically got a night’s sleep through the day.
At about 4pm I went outside with the 40kg and 32kg kettlebells.
I got 3 reps clean and press every rep style, the 40kg in my left, the 32kg in my right (cleaning mismatched, weak side with the heavy bell…if bar path is not on point it’s a gloriously awkward wrestle with the bell into rack position), did a few two bell c&p singles into front rack carries (fun movement – could be a metabolism revver), a couple burpees, a few one arm swings (for whatever reason these heavy are harder for me than a clean or snatch), a couple times I attempted and failed to make the two bell clean whether as a regular c&p, as a gorilla clean (alternating arms) turned one of those into a two arms anyhow attempt – basically played, and gassed way too quick.
However, I know all the work adds up, and I haven’t pushed kb or burpees hard.
Also, 40kg left, 32kg right is for a reason. I’m a righty – this is letting my left catch up…which = automatic extra c&p strength.
…..
Had two cookies before coming outside for this, otherwise hadn’t eaten besides at 3am.
Soon I’ll have a big eggs with meat meal.
I’m thinking 10 eggs, and more meat then last night.
Got some ham that needs eating, plus the usual breakfast sausage, and I still have those frozen chicken breast strips.
I think the kettlebell can serve as the entirety of strength training, that it can cover well enough all modalities – strongman, weightlifting, powerlifting, bodybuilding.
It feels to be like a weights version of grappling strength, to a degree labor strength.
It, and eating lots of meat a surefire way to be an absolute beast.
…..
Ate a decent bit more cookies, had probably seven or eight of what was twelve eggs that I cooked with a decent bit of meat, ended the day (just before midnight) with a strict set of 35 pushups which took almost 30 seconds.
That, they felt euphoric for joint health related to the heavy kb press, but otherwise heavy and slow…only 35 reps in :30! I used to break 100 in a minute!
11/22/23
Now it’s evening, and I’m getting in my first real meal of the day…
Eight eggs, four hotdogs, something like eight sausage links, and a similar amount by volume of frozen chicken breast strips.
Microwave the frozen two for about two minutes, then into the pan.
Today I did need to add a little butter – the pork breakfast sausage dripping not quite enough, so after the hot dogs had a nice browning, these meats all chopped up nicely, a bit of butter, and crack the eggs into the pan it goes.
I may eat half I ate the whole thing.
Other than this meal, with no one doing anything for thanksgiving, no gatherings this year – ahead of time my mom had given me a bunch of batches of cookies.
(I’m talking like 72ct of homemade cookies.)
So today I ate five cookies and a glass of milk before the kettlebell arrived, and now to end the day I’m eating this real meal with a drizzle of ketchup, a glass of milk, after a handful of “I’m hungry NOW” cookies after the kettlebell.
(Maybe I’m back to egg focused eating for power again, could be day 1 of another run – we’ll see. Also +4 cookies more, another glass of milk later, two cans of iced tea – one with dinner, one late night- I love those things.)
…..
I did better with the bell than I’d expected.
I knew I’d make the right hand snatch, wasn’t certain for it with the left, but thought maybe three ish presses with the right, maybe one ish with the left – possibly zero, surprising myself with 10r/4l, knew I’d make the turkish get up, then a little later went back and snatched the bell for reps.
the snatch each side, strict press for reps, and that singular 40kg turkish get up
5r/3l snatches
I’m real pleased to have this bell…
It opens up ease for frequency training, lots of density training opportunity, opportunity to film, opportunity to train in the dark, off camera, etc and frankly I can be real good at the kettlebell real quick from where I’m at.
I could see it being my living both through content and via personal training/instructing.
Cocky?
No. Confidence.
trc – define cocky
I’ve put so much into the gym, it’s time to have it all come together and go my way.
Frank Sinatra.
…..
Cool, saw the 72nd subscriber came in on the snatch short above.
Late night, there’s a bit of doms/soreness/activation in my traps, biceps, the middle of my upper back, low back is a tad sore, and I just felt joy playing with that bell earlier today – really saw myself getting strong, while lean but stocky muscled, fit with it.
Jogged about the yard a bit, had the urge to run joyously.
11/21/23
Yesterday for dinner I had this little premixed pasta thing.
Just after midnight, while watching three stooges and simpsons I had a snack ; a little box of peanut m&ms.
I laughed at the almost identical calories and macros between the two.
Milk chocolate is dairy, and peanuts are peanuts – neither is bad.
There isn’t a male in existence I couldn’t successfully help bulk.
Those little boxes of m&ms are almost 500 calories, average out to $1.50 between stores – you can’t tell me that you couldn’t eat two of those, and drink a handful of glasses of milk in addition to what you’re already eating.
That’s enough to get the scale to move, assuming you’re already systematic – truly eating the same amount each day.
And it doesn’t have to be that.
A pack of ramen and big glob or two of peanut butter does the same for less money, pennies for 1000 calories, seconds to eat.
Whatever food, if you like it, and it’s easy to take in, especially when it’s reasonably nutritious, have at it.
A bowl of greek yogurt.
A bowl of cereal with heavy cream.
Three eggs, in any form, with anything.
A butter, peanut butter, and american cheese sandwich.
Mixing something in with everything.
Noodles and rice ALWAYS have butter and/or cheese with them. It’s just policy.
…..
Okay, now it’s after the day’s sleep.
Coming up on lunch hour, I’ve a little food in me, and am preparing to lift…
Is it gonna be 205lb clean and presses every rep style or 165lb curl grip presses – either way a 5:00 density period.
The density periods are working for me right now, as honestly my motivation is real low, while five minutes is excuse free and like this…effective.
I can always, and often do, go back after dark for that out of breath in the chilly air burpees, and/or kettlebell session.
Last night it was burpees with a bw squat chaser.
…..
Without specific strength protocols ; density training is a way to slow roll your way to PRs, you’re just doing a lot with something that is anywhere from moderate to not quite struggling level heavy, and over time the maxes move up from this and you’re able to do this a bit heavier than before.
Personally I like this approach, takes most of the thinking out of it.
Set a 5:00 timer, pick your movement, and go. It’s effective physically for me and well liked content on youtube.
Cause everyone who finds your content the world over WANTS to see you soar!
…..
Okay, this I what I meant to type instead of the above, I’m prepping to lift – lunch hour, will be lifting in maybe twenty minutes…
It’s an amazing time that we live in.
The cellphone in our hands, the internet, we have a lot of opportunity to make it that just a generation ago didn’t.
My mom tried out for movies, had maybe three extra rolls while college age (forgot I was a cali kid didn’t ya – everyone does)…and that was that.
Me? At 22 I put my first blog post, my first youtube video up.
Here I am at 29 without a penny from it, but this soothing feeling that “if I lost everything, I could make it ANYWHERE with a cellphone, a water bottle, and bw calisthenics.”
See, EVERYONE has a smartphone now, even the poor, even the homeless.
That’s your camera.
A water bottle, a 16.9oz bottle, when full – it’ll hold up your phone’s camera – there’s your tripod!
Some of my more recent calisthenics videos were a gallon jug as tripod, heck my buddy was using it for his filming too!
And you do daily calisthenics anyway everyday!
Gonna make it! Guaranteed.
…..
205lbs is the more challenging option, 165 underhand can be done tomorrow.
…..
Okay, did more talking than training, but I like it.
8 reps of a 205lb clean and press every reps style in 5:00 with plenty of talking.
Eventually, over time, could just run this to ~20 reps in 5:00, THEN have no issue with the press or clean portions bumped up 5lbs or 10lbs.
Day 32 Overhead Press Every Day ✓
…..
Ate another one of those premixed pasta things, right after, an egg sandwich right before the above lift – a couple 16oz coffee milks as well.
Coffee milks – I’m totally a little fiend for those things. Can’t get enough of them lol.
Still haven’t vlogged about a month of egg eating, and right now I’m still resting – higher carb, lower everything else, enjoying way more wheat than is my wont.
Food seems to be going the way of ½GOMAD, a can or two of iced tea, a little bit of pasta with cheese and/or butter, and some buttered french bread, an egg sandwich or two with a couple slices of bacon on them barely seeing this not be vegetarian, though dairy heavy.
…..
I did touch the bar a second time today.
Failed a clean at 235lbs, then on the next attempt successfully cleaned it.
yeah. buddy. WHOOO!
The ground and particle board platform not wanting the bar to sit square/level… I jerry rigged a shim under each of the rubber patio tiles to keep the bar from rolling forward/backward crooked.
You can see the raise at the front of one rubber tile, the back of the other…the shim under each a pine cone picked right up off the ground within feet of the lifting spot aka gym aka backyard barbell weightlifting club aka I love calling a few ft² outside these things!
…..
Well, vegetarian other than two strips of bacon is out the window.
Recently I discovered a microwavable pork chili verde, like those instant rices or indian dishes that you tear open and can microwave in the pouch.
It was $3 or $3.50, advertised as “heat in two minutes”, had like four ingredients, truly was meat, and had no soy or other fake meat protein additives.
So quality, at least on paper if not in taste.
I tend to pour these things out and into large microwaveable bowls, and in doing so ate a bite cold.
Wow! It tastes decent, and is pretty spicy.
After two minutes in the microwave it was plenty hot, kinda liquidy, so I poured in some spuds, stirred, and some mexican mix cheese for more nutrition.
I just found a 75g protein, $5 meal, five minute meal for the time crunched needing good hearty nutrition.
I think I’ll vlog this discovery as an eating vid soon, when I buy another package or two.
Not a bad idea to have on hand.
Basically ready to go pork stew.
Smells like pork rinds, the meat dried out pretty quickly in the concoction.
…..
The 40kg kettlebell is supposed to arrive tomorrow.
I’m damn near waiting at the window for the well’s fargo wagon to come down the street.
11/20/23
Yeah, with day 30 of press every day being today I’m going to continue it, through I’m gonna change the approach.
Once or twice a week it’ll be barbell focused, the majority is going to be density training with kettlebells – the 40kg single bell when it arrives, mixed with going slightly heavy on the Sig Klein challenge with two bells, the 32kg and the 40.
Makes more sense to me, and streamlines past my, possibly never going away, mental issue with setup/breakdown.
Maybe that’s part of why I almost never do warmups – mentally I find it easier just to have the weight sitting there, and to get to it.
Kettlebell based will be better in the snow than barbell, the barbell really requires a level spot, deiced, while the kettlebell can be taken ANYWHERE, standing in snow not an issue in the slightest.
…..
I feel closer and closer to eating right.
Maybe over the next few months, and I will be shirtless in many videos despite winter, you’ll see me get leaner, stockier, built more along the lines of one of the stereotypical kettlebell builds, lats, shoulders, glutes, thighs, fit (can run – think rugby players), and stocky without fat on them.
Despite some popcorn chicken being in my bowl, I’m really craving chicken breast and fried eggs.
It may be within days to go back on the daily eggs, start at ¾lb of chicken breast and three eggs, and build up from there.
…..
I have this sense that I’m going to make it!
Filming myself workout is an investment into making my living from “gym” (even without the gym), while the dollars spent on the 40kg kettlebell I’m antsy for is both an investment into my strength, health, joy/happiness, AND the above!
And you know what ; filming myself is motivation by accountability, purpose, a few things – helping myself out simply by running the camera.
…..
Look at the camera, tell stories, but more importantly share knowledge.
Imagine having a handful of kettlebells and the knowledge to clean and press them violently as habit as a teenage shot putter!
When you see me one arm press you can tell I put the shot right handed, there’s just so much more power there. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
…..
Just after midnight, I’ve a great pushups pump, and some food already in me.
(Light, just some popcorn chicken, m&ms, a glass of milk.)
…..
I’m real obsessive with checking the stats, hoping for subscribers, comments, likes, lots of views.
There are so many things I want to do!
…..
Later in the day…
It’s almost time to workout/film.
I switch into the channel account, this is recommended.
What a beautiful beast!
Sometimes looking at nature’s powerful, the predators above humanity in the food chain, that can be a way to center yourself/amp up for the workout.
I never really know what the session is gonna be til I do it.
Finish up in the bathroom.
Put the phone on airplane mode (cause I’m never losing footage due to a request to update software again).
Outside. Time. To. Lift.
…..
Didn’t go exactly as planned, failing a 235lb clean, then failing a 225lb press, going to failure but not a PR pressing 205lbs, then call the audible…amrap a plate – breaking 20 reps, I wanted that on video, and then a curl grip PR too.
…..
Waited till after dark (if barely), and wasn’t feeling kb snatch, but was feeling the idea of burpees in the chilly air.
Bout 30°f out now, 5:00 EMOM of 5 one pump burpees with a 3 rep bw squat chaser, stopped, then 5:00, maybe 7:00 later, repeated the exact same thing over.
I realize, after dark – once I light up my lifting and filming spot, once snow is on the ground, me often shirtless and playing without gloves/hat/footwear…and being as heavy as I am, getting to it is gonna be quite the burpees content…
There’s no limit to where I can take this!
Just do lots of density training, barbell, kb, burpees, calisthenics, mixed implement/modality…
And thank you to the subscribers!
You motivate me more than you know.
