Royce's rants and stuff

Jim Wendler on fitness...

2011-04-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

Moving North of Vag
I can’t take credit for this name. I wish I could, but both the idea and the name come from my good friend Jim Messer. Jim and I have been friends since junior high, and we have the kind of friendship that doesn’t require us to talk every week. Or even every year. This is more of an idea. A concept, if you will.

Jim started training with the 5/3/1 method without my knowing it, and he’s had great success. He emailed me and let me know about this. Here’s part of an email he wrote to me:
I feel compelled to tell you that after a few months of using the now-legendary 5/3/1, I have now moved somewhat north of being an utter vag. I f**ked my body up pretty badly last winter, stopped all physical activity, and thought that was pretty much gonna be it. Just another skinny f**king wimp. It’s been a really long time since I’ve felt this good physically. By God, last week I puked in my mouth and almost blacked out squatting. I’d thought that time in my life was over.

After I stopped laughing, I began thinking about his statement and about how many people seem to be moving and staying well south of vag. To quote Black Sabbath, this is a symptom of the universe. Then I started to contemplate how one stays in the Northern Hemisphere of the Holy Holes. What followed was the training template I’ll show you now. It’s very simple to follow:

1. Warm-up: foam rolling, static stretching and jumping rope (or something similar).

2. Lift Weights: 5/3/1; keep it basic and strong.

3. Condition: Run hills, push Prowler.

That’s it. Do this 3-4 times a week and you won’t fall into the trap of being normal. You’ll be strong, healthy and in shape. You won’t make New Year’s resolutions because you’ll be living it every day. You can eat that final piece of pie and not count carbs because you just ran 20 hill sprints for the third time this week. You can wake up and not feel like shit because you’ve actually taken the time to foam roll and stretch. You actually have some traps from deadlifting. You don’t fall for fitness trends, because you know what works. You stop caring what people say on the internet, because you’re always making progress. You’re always moving forward toward something.

People ask you how to train, and you answer, “I look at what you do, and then I do the exact opposite.”

You’ll actually be able to move because your feet will be fast from jumping rope. You won’t be out of breath all the time. You’ll be able to take on any physical activity you want. You’ll be different once you’ve spent time straining to get a rep PR in the squat or pushed a Prowler for 40 minutes. Dealing with the idiots at work or your boss will no longer be an issue. It’s hard to bring a man down after he’s had three weeks of personal records in the gym. It’s hard to get mad at the guy who cuts you off in traffic after you’ve left your lunch on top of the hill after bear crawling up it. Who cares about all that meaningless stuff? When your training and your life are moving forward, you certainly won’t.

It doesn’t take a lot to do this. You already give 8-10 hours a day to your boss and to your work. To boredom and to people and organizations that couldn’t care less about you. Then your family and friends get the rest of your time.

What about you? Do you really think so little of yourself that you can’t sacrifice an hour or two, 3-4 days a week, for yourself? This “me” time isn’t spent shopping, watching TV or getting on the internet. You’re spending it reinvesting in your body, building strength, and building character. Kicking ass and training consistently – and with some balance – will do wonders for both your body and your mind.

Get rid of all the meaningless crap in your life and your training. Get rid of the things that bleed your energy in the weight room and in life. What’s better for you? The Prowler or a stroll on the treadmill? What do you think is going to make you better?

Don’t fall for the crap that people are peddling on message boards, in magazines or on TV. Get your shit in order, and get your training in order. Start kicking ass, and take out the crap that doesn’t matter. Start doing and believing in the stuff that works, and do it today and forever. You want science and studies? Fuck you. I’ve got scars and blood and vomit.

This is a call to arms for some of you. It is for me, too. Stop all the things that make you a pussy and steal your energy. Get your life back.

workout 1-31

2011-02-01T06:53:00.000-08:00

we only have a few machines and dumbells in the apartament gym
bench machine did a few sets
knee supported rows a few sets
arms

just enough work to get sore

tonight tempo runs
im planning 10x50 yards at about 70% effort.

I need to get my lungs in shape in a hurry, nothing like wind sprints 3 times a week for a few months to do that.

Starting the blog back up

2011-01-30T16:11:00.000-08:00

Don't have much to say today. I'm going to start logging my workouts again. I'm also learning to trade forex.
I'm hoping to do it full time at some point in my life. So I may blog about that too..

To all the mommies

2010-05-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

Happy mothers day!!!

True benefit of hunger

2010-05-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

I've been letting myself get really hungry between meals and I've learned something very cool. Most diet books tell you to look at food as
Fuel. And people who don't are ususally racked with guilt once they eat something non-diety. So either eat food you don't like or hate yourself for eating food you do like. Been there done that. It's dietary hell.

I found if I excersize and eat only 3 meals a day and only after I'm truly hungry I enjoy my food immensely. Plus I get cravings for fairly healthy fare like salmon and lentils. But even if I eat a burger, it tastes like the best burger I've ever had. Eating is fun now.

Food addiction

2010-04-26T16:07:00.001-07:00

Ok moment of truth for Roycie. I was doing low carb/low cal. Wich sucks. Workouts suck. Elizabeth suggested the no s diet wich I looked at. I like the enforced moderation of the whole concept. It looks like a truly simple lifestyle change. So I decided to give it a try in conjunction with kettlebells as opposed to his ( very cool ) sledgehammer training. It's all about portion controll and moderation. Move more eat less. 3 meals a day no snacks no seconds. I thought it would totally be easy to implement. I like protien, I like veggies, and I get to have some moderate carbs too. WRONG.
I cannot believe how addicted I am to food and constant grazing, I was in the kitchen about 10 times today mindlessly looking for snacks. I just drank water between meals and didn't cheat. But my god!! I'm
Going crazy. Un-freaking-believable. Really, I'm shocked. I have no idea how much I was eating like that even with low carb.

Kettlebells and meat society, first meeting.

2010-04-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

Went to the park today with the kids and Pat. Me and Pat go way back. I feel very fortunate to know Pat. Through all my fuckups he's been a true friend. Never judgemental, and he never comprised his integrity either. When I was doing drugs he always kept away from them.

Anyway due to the constraints of both our hectic lives we don't get to see one another very often. That is going to change for the better. We grabbed some kettlebells and the kids and went to the park, I paid Sidney to babysit and me and him just did some freestyle cattleballing. This really really reminded me of why I wanted to get into kettlebells in the first place.

In another life ( it seems ) I had a strong back and rough hands from real honest to goodness Manuel labor. I've done construction clean up/ demolition, landscaping in the Arizona heat, air conditioning duct work and sheet metal work, I worked for a paint factory where I would move 1000 5 gallon buckets of paint a day. I had callouses across my fingers you could put out a cigarette on.

I got tired of working myself into the ground and went into the medical field and immediatly put on 80 lbs. Sure I lifted a few weights or jogged a little now and then. But I never felt "put together" like I did when I was working.

Then I saw kettlebells. Farmers walks, cleans, rows, swings, snatches, jerks, squats, thrusters, presses, single or double kettlebell. Done work style. Do it rest some do some more pick another drill do it some rest some. I just wanted to mimick work to some degree.

Then came the great achyball debate where I sorta got depressed and gave up on bickerballs for a while. Actually I spent to much time on the Internet and not enough time swinging. No excuses I chose a bad path.

But today reminded me of two very important things. 1 working out with someone is crazy fun. 2 kettlebells rock. Don't matter what style you choose. It's the effort not the tool.

I had no set plans for the workout, what it ended up being for me was a strength test followed by a set of ballistics. I squatted and pressed double 70's swung double 70's . H2H cleaned a 70 bottoms up cleaned 70, DARC swung the 88. Snatched the 88, and did several sets of ballistics beside that. Kind of a tough set followed by an easy set. We were there for an hour.

My lungs, hips, grip, abs and shoulders are pleasently toasted.

This is what I enjoy, random practice. Some sets all out some easy, while trying for PRs in strength AND volume and endurance. I think I will constantly try to push the volume with the smaller bells and every month when me and pat meet up go balls out with the heavier stuff. But still keeping it random and working on the basics seeking out my weaknesses and trying to improve them.

Damn do I feel good right now.

Workout caveman style!!

2010-04-13T18:04:00.000-07:00

Ok Tom I'll give you this much. You can get a damn tough full body workout with natural movements and stuff. I worked out for 18 minutes. I jogged some hills, I bear crawled some small hills ( wich is way tougher than I imagended) I did some front squats deadlifts overhead presses and rows with various rocks I came across and I carried a rock up a fucking hill to finish shit off. Actually I just played. Worked up a good sweat and I feel like a million bucks.

Edit: must grow tougher hands.

Javorek is the devil

2010-04-12T18:22:00.000-07:00

Kettlebell plus javorek inspired circuits=hell

Clean and press 1,2,3 x 3
Swing 5/5
Row 5/5
Clean 5/5
Squat with kb by horns 10
Snatch 5/5
Lunge 5/5
Jerk 5/5
Upright row 2 hand x 10
Swing 5/5
Dl x 10.
All done with a 53

Clean and presses not a problem. Javorek
Circuit was fucking nasty. Took me 1/2 hour just to be able to type. When I can hit 4 circuits with only a couple minutes rest in between I'll report back. That might take a month or two though.

Christine

2010-04-03T22:10:00.000-07:00

Protein sparing modified fast is a very low calorie diet comprised of just protein. Lyle macdonald has a great book called rapid fat loss. His site is bodyrecomposition.com. Be forewarned if you try it it's tough. You have no energy. Zero. None.

Workout post

2010-04-03T22:02:00.000-07:00

Been hiking around and moving. Carrying furniture up stairs ect. Down a few lbs. But I need to do more. So I broke out the bickerballs. Then I got schweatyballs. Lol.

53 lb kettlebell one hand swings. Sets of ten.
Set the timer to ten minutes. Made it to 3 minutes. Strength wasn't an issue lungs were.

Cheat day

2010-03-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got a fish burrito. It made me violently ill. Next cheat day is Tuesday. No fish burrito.

Bajeebus

2010-03-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

294.6 this morning, down 14lbs. It's cheat day too, I'm getting a fish burrito. I've actually been dreaming about one.

Had 2 seperate doctors tell me you can't lose weight...

2010-03-24T19:10:00.000-07:00

If you are diabetic. Basically their explination was that as long as your post perandial and fasting sugars were high it was impossible. Being the ornery contrarian I am I thought to myself "Horseshit!!" If I didn't eat for 6 months and only drank water and took vitamins I would still be 300 lbs???

I think what they mean is the average person WONT do what's needed to lose weight. They look at overall statistics and say that it is physically and psychologically very improbable that people in general will ever totally revamp their lifestyles. So medicinal management is the only real long term solution.

I have generally fit that description my whole life, I let myself get stuck in ruts and pretty much stay there.

However I have dropped a tad over 12 lbs. My weight was 308.8. I am 296 dead nuts right now. My goal is 190 by 3-17-2011. Right now I'm doing Lyle macdonalds version of a protien sparing modified fast. It sucks green monkey nuts, but I've only got 11 more weeks to go. If I can't make it through 11 tough weeks how am I ever going to adopt a truly healthy and moderate life in the long term??

I'm not making any promises though. I generally follow a nutrition program for about 2 weeks and screw it up.
So in that regards the dogs are right.

Huh...

2010-03-24T09:25:00.000-07:00

I didn't drink the day before St. Pattys day and haven't yet so that's what...8 day.
Hell no wonder I feel better.

Hell yeah.

2010-03-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

Broke 300 lbs. I'm 298 with my
clothes and shoes on. And after I
chugged a ton of water this
morning. I can immediatly tell when I get over 300. I feel like ca-ca.

Protien sparing modified fast.

2010-03-22T21:40:00.000-07:00

Trying this again, just to kick start the weight loss. was really good today. Took 7 grams of fish oil, was going for ten.

With this move everything feels different. The kids seem like they want to be around us more.
The kids and money situation bother me one hell of alot less. I
was in withdrawl today and didn't snap or get angry with anyone. I had a little woodpecker in the back of my head hammering at me to get a drink, but I didn't. And I worked out. Simple little workout smith machine squats 3 sets, lat pulldowns 3 sets, incline dumbell press 3 sets. Nothing impressive. Lyle macdonald says that twice a week on the psmf is about all a person can handle. I've got
a head full of ideas as usual but I'm going to keep them to myself for now. I'm
going to blog what I actually do, cause a hard lesson I've had to learn is this. Daydreaming has got me no fucking where in my life.

'sup?

2010-03-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

Hey Christine I can't reply correctly with my phone, wich is how I'm blogging at the moment. But thanks for the welcome back.

2010-03-18T07:56:00.000-07:00

No issues with my shoulder or elbow. Wich is good. Legs are more sore than my upper body, go figure.

Workout post

2010-03-17T21:50:00.000-07:00

Been a while. We got the keys to the apartament today. I checked out the apartament gym. Bench machine worked up to a top
set. Then did some rest/pause benching. Lat pull down worked up to a top set and did
some rest pause pulldowns. Left elbow and right shoulder acting up either it was the machine wich I don't like anyway or I shouldn't have done rest/ pause only first workout in a while. I just wanted to get sore and get it out of the way.Well anyway then I decided to do something productive so I did 4 sets of thrusters with 2 30 pound dumbells. Those suck ass.
I'm 297 lbs today, I was 308.8 and my fasting glucose was 138. The doc
is going to put me on metformin I think untill
I get my blood sugars in the normal levels. He says I'll drop weight rapidly for a month or two on the meds. We'll see....

Permanent access to the internet

2010-03-02T10:35:00.000-08:00

Finally, a permanant link to technology. Barb got me an iPhone for valentines day. I'm still figuring this bad boy out. I swear it smarter than me.

workout

2009-10-27T20:10:00.000-07:00

Squat 135 4x10

side bend with 70lb kettlebell 1x8 each side

Doing a 12 week experiment

2009-09-06T12:35:00.001-07:00

Actually broke down and bought a nutrition book.

I will be keeping pics and workouts in another blog, afer 12 weeks I'll open it up to everyone, and I'll keep blogging on this blog.

workout this am

2009-09-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

swing 5/5
reverse lunge 5/5
jerk 5/5
bent over row 5/5
clean 5/5
press 5/5
snatch 5/5
OH squat 5/5
clean and jerk 5/5
goblet squat 10

100 reps without putting the bell down.

53 lb bell

I found that if I rested in the rack or overhead or whatever for just a second or two I could still get the next rep.
Then I had a little epiphany, just because I'm breathing like an asthmatic mule doesn't mean I can't move. It sucks ass, but I can still do work in an extremely winded state.

Back in the saddle........sorta

2009-08-30T14:33:00.000-07:00

Ok it's been a while since I last blogged. As always in life both good and bad things have happened in the interim.

I aced all my pre-reqs for nursing school, aced the nursing entrance test and then couldn't get financing for school. It was a private nursing school and the requirements for financing were a hell of a lot more stringent. So I wasted several months for nuttin'.

Must have taken it harder than I thought too, started drinking a lot and didn't work out. I was doing pretty damn good to with the contest with Christine Petty. I was down to the low 250's or high 240'S I don't remember the exact weight.

So fast forward to know. I was going to start all my pre reqs over the traditional way this semester, but I'll have to start next semester.

Thats the bad shit. The good stuff is that Barb isn't drinking at all I have cut way back and really need to just stop, but I have cut WAY back. I have a really good job in a doctors office, it's cush. Me and Barb are doing one hell of a lot better, alcohol is just so destructive sometimes.

I used to have all these really lofty workout goals, now I just have 2. Maybe that will change.

One: don't put any carbs in my mouth for 6 months, Two: do kettlebell circuits at least 3 times a week.

I sat down and worked out a pretty lofty circuit for my fitness level or more accurately my lack of fitness level. I made it through one circuit. and it was rough.

Todays workout.

bodyweight 287.4

53 lb kettlebell

Swing 4/4
Sumo dl 8
Clean 4/4
Push Press 4/4
Snatch 4/4
Front Squat with KB held on chest 8
Bent over row 4/4
Jerk 4/4
Good Morning 8
2 Hand Swing 8

Heart beat had to be approaching 200.

And of course I felt amazing for an hour afterward.

80 reps with out putting the bell down, this was rough, I was really surprised I made it through.

Of course I'll attempt to add rounds and reps and then weight ala a heavier kettlebell.

Peace out for know.

Yeesh

2007-12-10T21:03:00.000-08:00

Something you shouldn't do even if you can do them. The 400 swing just about crippled me. My hammies and traps are STILL sore................

Had a serious headache yesterday

2007-12-06T18:59:00.000-08:00

Felt like throwing up. I Just benched and did some face fulls

bench 205 6x2
face pulls 5x20 blue band ( got a damn good trap and bicep pump lol )

well today I was feeling guilty about not swinging and I was feeling better so I swung.

1-20-1 2 hand with bulldog HUGE Pr for me. 400 swings. Took 93 minutes.
17.6 tons of work. Kettlebells babey!!!!!!!!!!

workout post

2007-12-03T14:58:00.000-08:00

Squat 205 8x3 1.5 minutes rest between sets, enforced with gymboss.
VO2 max 20 rounds 160 snatches, then 24 sets of 10 all done with 35. i learned something today towards the end of the workout, I was trying to snatch the 35 like it was an 88. Only breathing out at the top to keep up IAP. I stopped doing that and I had much more endurance. The 35 is so light I can breathe as I need to to get the reps.

One more reason heavy swings are a good idea, I don't want to loose the skill of keeping my abs tense under load.

healthy comfort food

2007-12-01T14:44:00.000-08:00

I'm figuring out healthy cooking better and better.

Soup today.

Took a few big cans of tomato sauce ( looked for the stuff with no added sugar ) added a few cans of diced tomatoes that had green chilies in them. Added 4 big chicken breasts and some water and started simmering. Chopped up a bag of organic celery and carrots threw them in the pot. Garlic, Italian seasoning, S&P, onion powder and red pepper flakes to taste. total prep time like 15 minutes. Simmered 4 hours.
Damned tasty, and it's 60 degrees and raining here. I just sat on the front porch and enjoyed a large guilt free bowl while watching the ran. Perfect.

I won't have a computer for another week or so

2007-12-01T12:53:00.000-08:00

But I had to blog about this....

Did Vo2 max after light bench today, got 20 rounds like always then started sucking wind like a asmathic mule having and allergy fit. I put the bell down disgusted and walked back in the house. Then I had an epiphany. If i'm working towards 400 snatches why not just do 400, i finished off the rest of the 240 snatches in sest of 10 with mucho rest in between. It all felt really really good. Like a sprint to start the workout then a jog/walk to finish it off.

so Mon and Sat are going to be VO2 max as many rounds as i can get and then finish off the workouts till 400 snatches. Wednesday will be 2 hand swing ladders as I'm really starting to like these.

My computer has a virus damnit

2007-11-28T15:43:00.000-08:00

So I'm posting from another computer. If I don't log on fro a little while I didn't go anywhere. Just computerless.

Bench
225
1x2
5x1

heavy 2 hand swing w/88
1-15-1 19008 lb workout.

Freakin Crap.

2007-11-26T15:22:00.000-08:00

I can't shut a IM CoC #2 anymore, with either hand. This pisses me off a lot. i could shut the damn thing from a full sweep for a couple of reps with my right hand and once with my left before I messed up my right hand. I could damn near close the BBSM with CC set, that fucker feels like a #4 now. My pinkie hurts too when I try.
I'm going to EASE back into grip stuff. GTG the #2. I still want to close the #3 but i have a feeling that's going to take a while.

On a better note
Squat 135x5
185x1
225x1
275x1 ATG
Max that one was a little hairy, had to grind trhough it. Amazing how much strength gets knocked off below parallel.
22 rounds of Vo2 max.
I'm going to just add 2 rounds every time I do it.

Elbow and knee feel tons better

2007-11-23T08:03:00.000-08:00

my left shoulder bothers me a little. But Fuck it I hate missing workouts. What better to do than heavy swings on the first day back?

2 hand swing with 88 ascending/descending ladder.

1-15-1

tougher than I thought. I just added it up it's 216 reps. pr on swing volume with the 88.

More Mobius stuff

2007-11-22T14:54:00.001-08:00

Stunning

2007-11-22T14:49:00.000-08:00

I love everything that has a definate conclusion.
I am no where near this level of education or advancement, but the concept still ROCKS.

Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T09:19:00.000-08:00

What I'm thankfull for.

My wife
My kids
my friends
Our freedom in the country
a good steak
a cold beer on a hot day
Nursing School
65 degrees and cloudy
kettlebells
The ocean
a bed to sleep in
October 30th ( this one only Barb knows about )

Sometimes I cook stuff and it's good

2007-11-21T17:50:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's shite. I'm just a former latch key kid and bacheleor when it comes to food. Simple is good.

Tonoght I took a Sirloin steak and browned it in a pan on both sides with a little oil, nice and brown, then tossed in some garlic. Sweated the garlic down to almost disolving. Then added water and turned down the heat.
I chopped up a whole sweet onion and sauteed it down to a very deep brown, tossed it in the water with the beef. Then added mushrooms, chopped cabbage, bay leaf, onion and garlic powder, fresh ground pepper, pearl onions and sea salt. i cut the steak up in little chunks like stew meat and simmered it all for a few hours.
Damned tastey and completely low carb.
This one's a keeper!

Cool stuff.

2007-11-21T13:17:00.000-08:00

I read a rumor that a Shaolin was going to fight in the UFC a while back. Must have been a fairy tale. Watching this I would like to see what happens if they did.

guess this is back off week.

2007-11-20T05:42:00.000-08:00

I got in a car wreck last night, some young pizza delivery dude made a U-turn as I entered an intersection and t-boned me. Cheyenne and Syd were in the car too. We are all fine just banged up. My left side including my elbow and knee got a little banged up. Fortunately we were all wearing our seatbelts and Cheyenne was in a car seat, so it could have been worse.
I was up till 2 AM with Syd in the ER cause she said her neck hurt right after the accident and she banged her noggin on the window. She was released, the doc said there was nothing abnormal on the x-rays.

How do you define a good Martial Artist

2007-11-19T09:19:00.000-08:00

This dude is traditional TKD. Wich I never thought was effective. But he makes it so.
Is a good MA simply one who has studied one technique a thousand times not a thousand techniques one time? Is it body type? Is it agressiveness? Is it just staying with something untill mastery?

Opinions anybody. Please.

OK. "Decide means to cut."

2007-11-18T19:01:00.000-08:00

I know a lot of people who read this will think I'm a low-life, but I'm not. I swear. I am at home in bars, strip clubs, and pool halls. I like book stores, coffee shops, concerts, good resteraunts, and such too. But ya' know something about pool halls and half naked women that gets me. But they are culinary toxic waste dumps. Add beer to hot wings and fries and damn, you have the average american body.

I cannot sit in a strip club and not drink. Beyond my self-control. and if I have one or two "skinny-mixes" IE vodka tonic or light rum and diet coke my inhibition leaves and I get beer. Cause I pretty much can't stand hard alcohol. Then I wake up about 2 lbs heavier ( I'm extremely carb sensative ).

I decided no more bars, strip clubs, or alcohol. Not forever, just not right now. Decide means to cut.

So I decided this a little while back, that and to go back on strict no carb ( I hate it but it works for me the best ). Decide means to cut.

So I've dropped 11 lbs in the last few weeks ( water weight I'm sure from no carbs ).

So tonight I was STARVING and we have no low-carb food in the house and we're broke untill tommorrow at 8am. It's like that a lot around here. 7 people 1 income.
There is a whole Peter Pipers pizza in the fridge. Extra large even. Whole. Just sitting there mocking me. So I break down, brag 2 slices, toss them in the microwave, heat them up, pull them out and take a huge bite.
I chewed it up to the point of swollowing and then just thought. Decide means to cut.
So I spit it out, and tossed the pizza in the trash and filled up a big glass of water.

New goal 198 by may 6th, my birthday.

wo

2007-11-17T17:03:00.000-08:00

light bench 185 6x1
one arm row knee braced on bench with 70 10/10 x 4

couldn't help doing a little KBs
10x20 swings with 53

Short and swwet

2007-11-16T13:06:00.000-08:00

pulled up to 365x1 to base my %s off of
I have a feeling my form is holding me back.

red band+bulldog 2 hand swing 10x10
That was rough. The 88 has never moved that fast he-he me likey.

so my Peets addiction is thouraghly out of control.

2007-11-16T07:58:00.000-08:00

I prefer to make my coffee from distilled water, boiled on the stove or in a teapot, then hot water and coffee grounds placed in a coffee press. I am not pretentious about it, and probably couldn't tell the differance if you handed me a cup of coffee made in a coffee maker. I just seem to enjoy things more when I put more care into making it. Like chilli for example, if I spend all day making it it usually turns out much better.
I have had a coffee press around off and on for several years, they have always been single serving presses because nobody else in my immediate family drinks coffee ( except my mom ).
However I think it's time to get a multi-serving press. It will save time between cups. YEESH!!

The girls friend stayed over last night

2007-11-15T06:24:00.000-08:00

Her mom just kinda dumps her off on people and doesn't really take care of her. She has kinda bonded with our family. BUT. Syd was up every couple hours with her convinced there were coyotes after her cat. We do have coyotes in the neighborhood ( there is a greenbelt leading right up to a couple mountain parks near hear ) so they come down for water at night.
And crazy neighbor lady let all her dogs out at like 2:30 in the morning, so her dogs and my dogs went on this long drawn out barking spree.

Long story short this is like the 4rth night with under 4 hours sleep and even that is all broken up. I'm a cranky fucker when I don't get to sleep.

Punch the clock workout today

2007-11-14T15:12:00.000-08:00

shit that makes it sound routine. Been missing sleep cause of the damned cats meowing all night long. Really getting ready to use them as Rottweiler food. Seriously.

bench 225 6x1 was going to try to add a double in there on the 6th set to make it one more than last workout, but it went up too damned slow and I have no desire to get stuck under the bar in my garage with no spotter.

Row
205 5x5

V02 8 snatches per set
18 rounds
pathetic, those limited rest intervals hurt like hell, but hey when i work up to 50 sets twice a week I should be in pretty good shape.

Squat Template, Thanks to Rif.

2007-11-14T08:22:00.000-08:00

Week One 70% 8 sets of 3 1 min /sets
Week two 75% 8 sets of 3 1.5 min/sets
Week three 80% 6 sets of 2 2 min/sets
Week four 85% 4 sets of 2 2 min /sets
Week five 70%x2 75%x2 80%x2 85%x2 90%x2x2
Week six 70%x2 75%x2 80%x2 85%x2 90%x1 101-103%x1

This is how everything stacks up so far.

Monday
Squat using template above
KJ's 15/15 V02 Max

Wed
Heavy bench
Startng at 6x1 and working that weight into 5x5 into as many weeks as nessicary
heavy back
KJs VO2 Max

Friday
DL using a template
Heavy Band swings

Sat.
Light bench
repitition back
optional accesory work ( close grip bench SLDLs ect )

Workout post

2007-11-12T11:22:00.000-08:00

I am in the middle of chores today, I walk out to my garage and lift. Damn it feels good to do that. No traffic, no BS, no waiting for nuttin. Just me and some iron.

Squat 225 4x3
PBN/stretch ( got this idea from Beyond Bodybuilding, toss in a few light BB presses to help stretch out the shoulders. )
85 lbs 5x3 held the stretch at the bottom. easy, but it was supposed to be.
KJs V02 15/15 with the 35
20 rounds/140 snatches.

Gotta keep this archived.

2007-11-12T04:42:00.000-08:00

old indian club book

Reading about clubbells on IGX and Rifs blog is making me think.............
No plans to buy one yet cause I need a squat bar and a beast and a Sig .357, yeesh I just need to graduate already :-)

Been thinkin' a lot lately about training.

2007-11-11T21:08:00.000-08:00

I never did BB OHP below the top of my ears and usually bounced the bar off my chest on bench. This caused a serious shoulder flexibility problem and I can only squat with my hands outside the supports on my cage. Wich means if I fail on a squat my hands will be trapped between the bar and the pins. Not good. I will not stop squatting as I love this movement. But I'm going to take up a renewed interest in shoulder flexibility, mobility and stability.
I completely covet a Texas Squat Bar but at $485 it'll be a while.

Just livin' and learnin'.

Vacation pics

2007-11-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

Our vacation

workout post

2007-11-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

Rack pulls 405 6x1
light bench 185 6x1
bands swings 2pood plus red band
10 sets didn't count reps just terminated the set when the speed slowed down around 10 reps pers set. 60 seconds rest between sets

Traps and hips are FRIED. Band swings are very very cool. that bell gets moving

Just struck me as funny. I've even never been this drunk and that's saying something.

2007-11-08T09:45:00.000-08:00

I think the worst I've been was the night I applied for a job at the Mill Ave Beer Co. I know beer. So I figured it would be a good deal. They were looking for a bartender/manager that could intelligently sell the higher end beers. I can't stand bud/miller/coors ect so I thought it would be a cool job. And it was.
BUT, the lady the owned the bar had owned and worked in bars for 20 years,to say she was heavily acclimated to alcohol is an understatement. And I was like 26. We drank flaming Dr. Peppers through the job interview (yeah holy shit I was lit before it was done). Then when she hired me ( on the spot ) we drank different beers and shots trying to come up with some high end combos. Like what scotch would go with what beers, then we wrote all of this stuff down. Of course in the morning it was just illegible scribble, but I digress. Then when we got done with all that she closed the bar for the night and she sat and drank till 3am with all her new employees. Shots, beer, wine whatever, on the house. I rode a mountain bike at the time. I flowed out of the bar to ride home and realized it would be impossible to ride the 6 or 7 miles home. So in all my drunken glory I scaled a fence that blocked off an empty building, found a hidden little niche on the second flor and promptly passed out till about 8 am. I woke still drunk as hell and decided I could make it home. The problem is that I couldn't climb the fence back out. It curved outward at the top so I had jumped up, grabbed the top and kinda swung myself over. But it was slick and I was still buzzed and I just couldn't get out. This sounds funny now, but trust me it wasn't. So I ended up climbing a tree near the fence and climbing out on a branch over the fence, of course the branch couldn't hold my weight and well I fell. Bruised, scraped 1/2 drunk 1/2 hung over I rode home.

But hey at least I didn't pass out in a fucking urinal.

workout post

2007-11-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

Hiked with kids today.
Later bench 225 6x1
pendalay row to sternum. 225 5,5,4,3,1

vastus medialis

2007-11-07T09:06:00.000-08:00

are SORE today. Feels good actually.
bench/row/V02 snatch later today.

Fine call me a pussy. I'm gunna workout my way.

2007-11-06T11:42:00.000-08:00

Warmup TGU with 53
2/2

Squat below paralell
225 3x3
I think I could do 5x3 , but i'm going to work up to 5x5 then add weight.

I have to thank Aaron for this aproach, easy does it. I wanna move some weight, But I want to be conservative about it. I ain't 20 and I have no desire to get hurt bad.

One arm jerk with 70, done HS and as explosevely as possible

5/5, 6/6, 7/7 x 3 108 jerks done in about 40 minutes Legs feel like RUBBER. This is got to be a volume PR on jerks in one workout.
My goal with this move is 3 ladders 5/5-10/10

Swings, snatches and jerks will be my conditioning.

Squat, bench, DL, various OHPing and rows will be my limit strength stuff.
Simple and brutal.

Back-off weeks every 4rth week.

workout post to follow

2007-11-06T07:44:00.000-08:00

Right now this is my current Pete's coffee recipe. A little scoop came in the bag, the instructions say one scoop per 4 oz of water. I boil my water put it in a coffee/tea press and 2 scoops per 6 oz let it steep for 5 minutes, press pour and drink. Nuclear strength lemme tell you. I need to get the whole beans and do a course grind though if I'm gunna keep using the press. 2 cups this morning and I'm wired like crack. :-)

So normally I drink iced foo-foo coffees.

2007-11-05T15:09:00.000-08:00

I switched to sugar free a while back, but really anything sugar free tastes like ass. So I decided to buy a coffee press and go back to plain old black coffee served nuclear strength, just like me dear ole' mother makes.
I picked up some Peets coffee, first time I've ever tried it. Good shit right there lemme tell you.
Major Dickinson blend or some such thing.
I highly recomend Peets!

Hell yeah. Great quote.

2007-11-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

"It is contended by many that ours is a Christian government, founded upon the Bible, and that all who look upon that book as false or foolish are destroying the foundation of our country. The truth is, our government is not founded upon the rights of gods, but upon the rights of men. Our Constitution was framed, not to declare and uphold the deity of Christ, but the sacredness of humanity. Ours is the first government made by the people for the people. It is the only nation with which the gods have nothing to do. And yet there are some judges dishonest and cowardly enough to solemly decide that this is a Christian country, and that our free institutions are based upon the infamous laws of Jehovah." [Robert G. Ingersoll]

How freakin' hard is this for people to understand. Keep the 10 comandments off the courthouse lawns.

The past 2-3 days have been nutso

2007-11-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

up really late. like 3-4 hours sleep each night. Very hectic around here. Mentally drained, Like I need a vacation from the vactaion I had. I love my kiddies, but I swear they age you too. YEESH

Yesterday's workout.

TGU w 70
10 reps one at the top of each minute.

KB burpee plus deadlift 2 70's
20 reps
( man I really like these )

RR row 2 70's, swing 25 reps
3 rounds ( this had me caughing and my lungs were burning )

workout

2007-10-31T20:34:00.000-07:00

worked out today plus did Halloween with the kiddies. Will post in the morning. Daddy needs a mental break right now.........

Goddamnit KBs are dangerous.

2007-10-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

Well not really. I almost lost a shin today cause I didn't pay attention to what I was doing. Yeesh. I missed a double clean with 2 70's and aborted the move and jumped back a little. My cheap knockoff DD 70 has a rubber pad bolted on the bottom, fuckin thing actually bounced a little back towards me and nailed my shin. Fortunately I was not standing still at the time.

Thrusters with 70's
21 reps PR

RR/pushup on KB double s 70's
20 reps

5 vups
5 burpees
20 swings

x 3 rounds.

This is one of those days I truly appreciate the flexibility of a home gym and kettlebells

2007-10-28T18:27:00.000-07:00

Barb is working a triple, that's right 36 hours straight. Sort of. She was the only experienced nurse on today and she worked last night and she is scheduled for tonight. But the new hospital she works at is extremely cool, they let her sleep all day today on the clock and if anything walked through the door the new nurses couldn't handle they would wake her up. So she had a residents schedule today.

Anyhow I had a lot of errands to do today and with kids you figure out how long something should take then double it :-)

I didn't get home till 6pm today and did DWs interval A

snatch 1:00
jumping jacks 2:00
x 4 rounds.

I actually counted reps today cause I was curious what 1:00 of hard snatching would get me. 27 reps

I got 27 on both sides the first 2 minutes and 20 a side on the next rounds cause I was resting at the top ( not GS mind you just plain old survival ).

94 snatches in 12 minutes, not so bad.

workout

2007-10-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

Clean and push press double 53s
7x5
2-3 minutes between sets. Good little workout.

Sickening stuff.

2007-10-23T18:54:00.000-07:00

Most of the times I keep my political and religious opinions to myself simply because they are contoversial and after 22 years of being a Jehovahs Witness I have absolutely no desire to shove my opinion down anyones throat or have theirs shoved down mine.

Watch the video, americans did not die in the explosion but they have in similiar ones. Our sons and daughters are dieing over there.

Here is where I have a serious problem, I don't think it's just for oil although that is a big part of it.

In 1948 the US helped train and outfit the Isreali nation to fight a war of independance, thus putting them at odds with the muslim nation.

Let me be clear I an not pro radical islam espscially the ones that claim this is the 3rd great jihad and it's gods will that they rule the world. They and their gods better stay the hell off US soil. Nor am I anti-semite. I find jewish culture really cool.

But i believe that all US presidents have been rapture christians and believe an independat free Isreal is required for the rapture to occur. Wich means if I'm right ( and most people who read this will call bullshit on it as most people do ) the US started the religious war with the muslims.

My solution, get the hell outta Isreal. Do over the course of a few years. Give citizen-ship to any jewish citizens wanting to leave before US support is withdrawn. That is only fair.

Next get off foriegn oil, switch to hydrogen. Yes I know it won't solve global warming without a "green" way to manufacture it. As of now we don't have a way to do it on a massive scale. Fine use non-green ways to manufacture it and have the oil industry do it. That way the political/financial powers that be will still get to keep their money and look like heros in the process.

We ain't gunna win over there, might as well try to make US a muslim theocracy. And if shit gets real dicey China will step in and that's a whole 'nuther scary scenario.

Flippin' good fun

2007-10-23T18:40:00.000-07:00

Did something fun tonight.
Tire flip 8 sets of 5
The last time i did this with any regularity 2x5 had me winded pretty bad. The thing just seemed light. Fun. Maybe later this week I'll try 10x10!!

OK my motivation has been in the toilet lately

2007-10-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

Daves circuits are HARD. I will start them then waffle. Then restart and waffle again. I hate hate HATE oxygen debt and his double work puts me ther in all kinds of a hurry. This has always been my problem with fitness ( not strength wich is actually fun for me to train ) but overall fitness, of wich "cardio" is a big component. I get to a certain point wether it's KBs, running, dumbell circuits, hiking, or any of the various other things I've tried and not stuck to in the past. I get to a point where it's gets hard, then I drop out. Even if you are in good shape thrusters with 140lbs is MONSTER work.

This is my dragon, my white whale, my snake headed demon. I will ride out and kill the dragon and mount his head on my wall. For the rest of this week I'm going to do some stuff I made up. Then Sunday I will start Daves circuits again. I'm tired of banging my head against this wall.

Edit: for someone who actually Aced my english class I write like a 3rd grader :-)

Got home last night at 3 am.

2007-10-17T08:49:00.000-07:00

Yeesh. Fun vacation, I needed that. Fell in love with Carpinteria again :-). This will probably be the last week or so long vacation before I'm out of school.

Workout post

Thrusters with 53's
30 reps 3 at the top of every minute
RR/pushup
30 reps 3 at the top of every minute
5 v-ups/5 burpees/20 swings
x 4 rounds

Yeah so I had the idea that this workout would be easier because I was using the 53s not the 70s. It's not as heavy but it burns more.

I'll upload vacation pics later today.

Vacation

2007-10-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

Took Barb all the way to Solvang Cali. She has never been north of LA. I showed her Carpinteria. She showed me Sea World. Awesome.

OK huge victory for me

2007-10-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

Went and played pool last night with ZERO alcohol. i think I'm done fucking around.
food yesterday
steak
bacon cheeseburger sans bun
2 large salads.
Drank plain ole' ice tea in the bar.
Workout yestrerday

double kb snatches/walk-jog 1/8 mile
8 rounds

did 10 snatches per round.

Gunna workout later today, It's Lyndsey's birthday so we are having a little party. Then tonight we are going to scoot over to San Diego to go to Sea World. I'm taking a 'bell with me to workout on vacation.

ARRRGGGGGHHHHH

2007-10-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

Enough bullshit. I'm hungover right now after I told myself last night I wasn't going to drink. Now I'm just angry at myself. I'm going to go punish my self with a little HOC.
Fuck this lifestyle, I hate feeling bad. Tossing back a brewski or two with amigos is coolness defined. But this is horseshit.

Starting over......again

2007-10-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

268 as of today. I'll post pics tommorrow. Nobody here to take pics today. The competition is over on Dec 1st. i'm going to continue to post pics at the end of each month. I will beat this fat thing.

workout ME bench
bar x 20
135x5
185x5
225x2
wow out of practice. Keeping tension was hard, setting up was hard. Cool to do it though

3 hours later

thrusters with 2 70's edt for 10 minutes
18 reps ( damn hard stuff, I can't believe someone actually did 142 jerks in the same time I did 18 thrusters )

RR edt 2 70s
( shoulders and chest fried by this point )

17 reps

5 vups
5 burpees
25 2 hand swing

3 rounds.

Workout notes. 2 months of partying really hurt my performance. I think I'm going to do bare minimium ME DE stuff in the morning and consider my KB stuff as my accesory work. We'll see if this works. I'm going to keep trying to shed fat after the competition. KBs hit everything so they should make for good accesory work for now.

Life notes. Barb had basically 2 months off work and we had a 36 thousand dollar deposit in our bank account. Lots and lots of that went to bills and fincial obligations.
But we basically had 2 months of "free" time. We never really dated, we used to joke that we had 3 dates and then got married. There was always a child and more than likely children with us everywhere we went. We spent a lot of nights together at her ( now our ) house. But always after getting the kids ready for bed, and at any moment one or more kids could interupt us.
I think this is the first time where Cheyenne had a babysitter and the other kids were in school. So this was the first time in 5 years we could go and spend time together alone. I think we went a little crazy. The one good thing is that we got to actuall "date". I feel about 100 times closer to her now. It also makes me realize that I love her and would have fallen for her weather we dated for a long time or not.

Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife

2007-10-05T11:16:00.000-07:00

Here is to being 37
looking 27
and acting 17

Love you hon, I'm so glad we get to spend the day together

OK so it turns out

2007-10-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

that I have a more serious problem with alcohol than I thought. I had many controls in place. Most of those controlls were removed temporarily. They are pretty firmly back in place as of today. But the last 2 months have been really really counterproductive. You know what scares me? Someday I'll be retired, the kids will be grown, and I will have zero responsibilities. If I can't get a handle on this now I'm going to have a miserable life when I'm older.

1 We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.
2 Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3 Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4 Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5 Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6 Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7 Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8 Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9 Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10 Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11 Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12 Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

I sorta agree with number 1, numbers 8 and 10 are just good humanity. However, I'm athiest so the rest won't work for me.

I really am a little concerned obout this. I played pool for an hour yesterday, had a damn fine steak and 4 glasses of water. I haven't drank today. If I'm quite on the blog for a while it's soley because I'm trying to get a handle on this stuff....

HS/GS

2007-09-28T17:32:00.000-07:00

I'm going to start a fitness system based on scraping up flooring and replacing it with tile.

I'll start selling boxes of heavy tile that are unwieldy for exorbitant sums of money.

I'll do 3 day tile seminars in BDU pants, and call my system the Russian Tile Certification (RTCtm).

I'll get rich.

Of course a master tiler from another country will come over and show everyone how he was taught to tile.

Then one of my top instructors will become jealous of my success, leave me, and start giving me all kinds of hell over the internet.

He will then help market a competing brand of tile and floor scrapers.

It will all be ok though. Because I'll still be rich.

This is my first, only post on IGX. I was thinking about how much this flooring job is kicking my ass, and had the offhand thought that I should have people pay me to finish my job for me. It sorta turned into a way to make fun of the GSrs for being the all "one true wayish".

food log

2007-09-28T14:13:00.000-07:00

cheeseburger sans bun
protien shake with milled flaxseed
cheese and sasauge off of 2 slices of pizza.

Need to go to Whole Foods to get some veggies. I already feel better dropping my carbs.

I feel better, I perform better, this should be enough to keep me on track. I'm going to find a pool hall that doesn't serve alcohol............

Workout post

2007-09-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

TGU with 70
on the minute for 10 minutes
1/1
1/1
1/1
1/1
1,1,1,1,1,1
Failed on the last rep on the left, my shoulder gave out.

rest 2 minutes

double burpee and 2 kb DL with 2 kbs
Surprised the hell out of myself
got 28 continious reps, my heart rate had to be close to 200 though
I mean hell that's 28 burpees and 28 deadlifts with 140 lbs

rest much longer than 2 minutes

renegade row 5/5 with 70's
25 2 hand swing with 70
x 2 rounds

That double burpee, DL combo is brutal, brutal, brutal. It is instantly one of my favortes.

Stupid asswipe bitch

2007-09-26T23:18:00.000-07:00

Me and Barb went to go shoot pool tonight. I was at one end of the joint and Barb was at the other, she was putting money in the jukebox. The two chics that stole my wallet were being asked to leave right behind her. Barb made eye contact with me and I pointed to the women behind her, she immediatly followed them. I walked across the room rapidly to see what was happening. I turned the corner to the hallway just in tme to see one of the girls punch Barb in the face completely unprovoked. This irritated me. That is an intentional understatement. I forked my index and middle fingers under her chin and yanked upwards pulling her off her feet ( she was in the middle of a third punch to Barbs face ). I got the unimaginable pleasure out of watching her cranium bounce off the cement.
That isn't evolved of me? I should be better than that? Too bad. Nobody fucks with my family. Ever. Period.
I grabbed the house phone and started calling the police, the two "women" (and I use the term loosely) were getting in their car. Barb darts out and runs across the parking lot to get their license plate number, she gets to the back of the car while I'm talking to the cops. I notice she has chased after the car as she gets to the back of the car. This gang-banger cunt gets out of the car and runs towards Barb and nails her two more times in the face before I get to the car. I chase her. She makes it back into the car before I get there. This is very lucky for her. That isn't evolved of me? I should be better than that? Too bad. Nobody fucks with my family. Ever. Period.
The only witness to this whole ordeal is a Somali dude who speaks very little english. Turns out the cop that comes out is the only Arabic speaking police officer in the Phoenix-metro area. He immediatly puts the Somali dude at ease and gets a statement from him.
I will absolutely prosicute this bitch when they find her.

Workout/food log

2007-09-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

Supposed to be a rest day. Yeah right! I've got to pull up old tile and vinyl flooring. Already got a nice little blister from using the scraper :-) Tough job, I have respect for tile guys now. When I worked at the flooring store the carpet dudes used to make fun of the tile guys " You guys working with your sissy little pieces, we have to work with a whole roll of carpet." They were wrong, it's hard.
Plus I'm sore as hell, those thrusters with 2 70's is harder than I expected!

Food log
went to hometown buffet today
several pieces of baked fish
meat patties
some salad
controlled portion of ice ream for dessert ( this was planned )
the rest of Cheyenne's mac and cheese ( this was a cheat )

I've pretty much shot myself in the foot on my diet for a while. It's really stupid and now I feel really dumb, I could be well below 250 right now and I'm closer to 270.

It's a setback, and I think I know the problem. I so totally view restricting my food intake as deprivation. I know there is about 100 reasons why this is a dumbassed feeling. But it's there, and if I ignore it it won't magically go away. I don't want to get diabetes like my mom, or cancer, or just live a miserable fat uncoordinated unhealthy existance.
If i eat better I feel better, look better, and feel better about myself.
Time to go do some learning and growing and conquer this food demon.

workout/food log

2007-09-25T12:50:00.000-07:00

Modified EDT sessions

PR Zone 1 double kb thrusters ( squat to push press )with 70's
21 reps
PR Zone 2
Renegade Row/ pushup on KBs
20 reps

Giant set as many rounds in 10 minutes
5 V ups
5 burpees
20 2 hand swing with 70

3 rounds.

This doesn't look like shit on paper. Try it though......

food log
4 ounces marinated salmon ( started the day out good )
snack bag of Doritos ( making the kids lunch I ate it without thinking, stupid )
2 horchatas ( basically sugar cinnamon and rice milk )
rice and beans
tamale
enchilada
This was what I ate prior to working out I felt drousy and bloated before I touched the weights.
Post workout
60 grams of wey protien.

Why did I eat bad today? Because I'm starting to fall back into what's easy or convenient. Out for the day? need food? why bother going to sprouts or whole foods when there is a fast food joint close. That's why I'm restarting my food log. I need it again.

Yesterday was nuts from the time I woke up till I went to bed

2007-09-25T09:02:00.000-07:00

1 Woke up took Barb to work and kids to school
2 came home worked out
3 Went and had drivers license replaced casue it was stolen Friday night ( If I ever find that trifling bitch............well just think windshield)
4 went to bank
5 drove to various places to give money away to bills
6 went to store bought lunch stuff for kids
7 made lunches and took them to the kids
8 took lunch money to beautiful wifey
9 ate lunch with wifey ( this was very nice )
10 paid another bill
11 got kids from school
12 got Barb from work
13 had 1.5 glasses of wine with Barb ( mine and half hers, this was VERY nice no overindulgence )
14 Barb took Tyler to wait in line at the store for HALO 3
15 I went out at 1:30 in the morning to get him
16 slept for only 4 hours and have to pretty much do it all over again, except today I have to work out with double 70's and I'm seriously dreading it with only a tiny bit of sleep.

Workout yesterday
set gymboss to 3 seconds
snatch with 53 one rep every 3 seconds for 20 reps a minute
then light jog/jumping jacks/ walking around for 2 minutes
rest 3 minutes
x 4 rounds
This was harder than it was supposed to be, I've let my nutrition slip and too much alcohol over the last month hasn't helped either.

So I am going to start a food log again, I need the accountability.

KBs, tile, money and manuel labor

2007-09-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

So me and Barb have lived on the financial edge for so long when we got a little money we sorta went a little crazy. too much partying going on. Not enough focus on the important things like health. Neither me nor Barb use any illegal substances, but alcohol is another story. I'm deliberately leaving out details because although I want to be honest on my blog I don't nesicarrily feel the need to give out all the details. No denial.
We have done some really good things with the money too. We are in the middle of tiling the kitchen, living room, dining room and hallway. The dining room had vinyl flooring down, I'm in the process of pulling it up. The glue they used is TOUGH shit so I had to buy a floor bully scraper and am having to muscle it up. It's a tough job and the manuel labor feels really really good. My hand has about 95% of it's previous flexibility although it's much weaker now. I can't come close to closing an IM #2 gripper, in fact it causes me pain to try. Of course it mostly hurts all the time now, I hope that goes away sometime or another.

KBs tommorrow AM before the kids get off to school, then the rest of that vynil, and if i have time, i am going to pull all the old tile out of the kitchen. And the old tile out of the hallway. Hopefully I can have the floors prepped and ready to start doing a dry lay with the tile by Wednesday and have the project done by next monday.

I watched an episode of "Flip This House" where a lady and her family remodeled a hurricane damaged house. It was stunning afterwards. I've worked in paint industry, flooring industry, ran my own landscaping company, been a furniture mover, ect ect. A little knowledge in a lot of things but master of none. But I got lazy with this house, it needs so much work that it was just overwhelming to me. So I haven't applyed myself to it. But this is my family and I can help make this house beautiful for them. If I don't then I'm a slacker.

I need to rehang doors in the house, then replace old drywall, then landscape the back and front, replace the cabinents in the kitchen, finish off the garage into another room, fix our plumbing issues ( or have them fixed I clueless with plumbing stuff) and who knows what else along the way. All while going to nursing school with 5 kids and trying to get in top physical condition. See overwhelming. But it's all worth it :-)

Kids are so funny

2007-09-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

I never know what to expect from my kids.
Cheyenne got bit by an ant and it was stuck between her toes it bit her a few tines before I could get her sandal off and remove it. Fortunately is was a little black itchy ant not the bastard red ones. But Chy Chy freaked out, I took her inside and was helping her feel better. Where she informed me in ger cutest little kid voice.
"Ants are Loosers."

I almost shit I was laughing so hard.

You ever had a WELL DUH moment

2007-09-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

I have them all the time.
After my workout my tris are freakin FRIED big time, I've supersetted rows and floor press or row and side press with the 88 before so I couldn't figure out why my tris are still shakey.

WELL DUH
I was doing renegade rows and floor press, I did 10 sets of each arm of things that nailed my tris. YEESH

Did a Mahleresque workout today

2007-09-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

Double 70's

A1 Renegade row 5x5
A2 floor press 5x5

done as supersets 90 seconds between sets

rested 5 minutes

B1 front squats 5x5
B2 double swings sumo stance 5x10

supersets 90 seconds betwen sets

Notes
As usual Kbs are much more difficult than you would think. 140 lb floor press looks like nothing but it hits the tris pretty damned hard. sets of 10 in double swing was brutal. Taxed my wind and strength.

Oh yeah I should mention too

2007-09-19T20:07:00.001-07:00

That Barb has been wanting a snake for a long long time, she went and bought a tank, heater, book, and various items to take care of a snake. She also bought a little baby boa. It's so freakin' cool, it is maybe 18" max right now. The thing is beautiful! Snakes are so fascinating to watch.

Got myself some more KBs today.

2007-09-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

2 35's
1 53
1 70
Dave, I start the circuits Sunday.

I now have 8 kettlebells. Double military set, one 44 and one 88.

Dave I messed around with double KB thrusters and burpees just to see what I'm getting myself in for.

Double thrusters with 35's
10
8
5

Double burpee and DL with 70's
5
5
5
5

Dave these workouts are going to be prison rape nasty................

Super cool technology

2007-09-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

goota remember I'm not 20 anymore

2007-09-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

yoga hit the trap area ( that damn half plank move )
renegade rows hit the trap area
heavy one hand swings hit the trap area
guess what my trap area on my right side feel like it got hit
not just sore but it stings a little on the inside, it is very minor but after injuring my hand twice with grippers I'm just paranoid.

Barbs swing workout

2007-09-17T00:44:00.000-07:00

My babey's getting pretty serious about getting in shape. She jogged for a mile this morning, did yoga later and then swung to top the night off.

swing with 8 kilo bell
15/15
15/15
15/15
15
15
8
12
15

155 swings total in 14 minutes.

Good job babey!

Ashtanga yoga

2007-09-16T23:31:00.000-07:00

Me and Barb did a little Ashtanga tonight. I rarely totally completely overwhelmingly suck so fucking bad at a new physical activity. First time i picked up a KB is snatched, cleaned, and jerked it with no instruction. Form was bad I'm sure but it was definately recognizable as the activity It was intended to be. I was invited to spar with the more advanced students in karate. I look like a constipated yak trying to check out his own ass to discover the problem doing yoga. BUT........
It's cool and it exposes a whole hell of a lot of flexibility/mobility issues I have, and it takes more strength than one would think. The transition between downward dog and upward dog is a movement that is half plank and half close grip bench press. Its a static hold for a few seconds. It is hard lemme tell ya. It's peaceful too. KBs/strength training and yoga Ying and Yang. Cool stuff.

Workout post

2007-09-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

Renegade row with 88 ( non moving hand resting on 70 )
6x2/2 3 minutes rest in between
swing EDT style with 70
5/5 at the top of each minute for 15 minutes
150 swings. This was much harder that I have been pushing myself lately the compressed rest periods really really SUCK. But it's what I need to do

Not a muscle in my body left untouched, little nauseus :-)

figured out an important part of renegade rows today

2007-09-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

The key I was missing actually. RRs had me completely stumped even with my feet REALLY wide. I need to actively push down with the non moving arm, the harder I push down the easier the movement becomes a 70s used to give me serious problems. now it's pretty easy. Later tonight I'm going to do some RRs ( pulling the 88 but resting my non moving hand on my 70 ) then swings. Me and Barb are going to do some yoga too, kind of a spiritual thing for me and her.

I have program ADD ( just musing on paper )

2007-09-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

I always have about 9 different programs running around in my head, this is one of the reasons I liked the idea of Pavels free-form training. Me and Christine came up with this crazy contest to loose weight and David Whitley helped my with some brutal circuits he designed. Both the contest and DWs knowledge is really cool. I will finish the contest, but I have made a descision, no matter what I weigh Dec. 1st I start powerlifting again. A lot of different things appeal to me. The TSC, to bodybuilding, to highland games, to amatuer strongman, to GS. But the thing that has ALWAYS stuck in my head is the numbers in the big 3. I will regret it for the rest of my life if I don't seriously pursue it, I can chase whatever hobby I want after I meet those goals. But everyday I don't move toward them I don't feel right. I love the idea of using KBs as GPP and some accesory work too.

My plan is not to use Pling as an excuse to eat aything I want and get in terrible shape, I want to stay in a range, eat enough to gain muscle then wehn i reach above a certain weight add more swings, snatches, sled work ect into my routine and drop down slowly to a point below where I was at. The up the calories and start over. This way I will both get stupid orangatan strength and improve body comp. I want to maximize the amount of lean mass I carry at a given weight. KBs and Pling together with a sensible diet sounds good to me.

Barb says I'm missing the filter between my brain and my mouth.

2007-09-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

I say that it's not true cause 95% of what I think I don't say. This scares her a little :-)
However after today I am inclined to believe her. This is a little embarassing to me, but hell it's funny too and if somebody can get a laugh then cool.
I was at Starbucks, I ordered a coffee with Orgeat flavoring. The barrista says " Not many people order that flavor."
My filter was offline at the moment and I respond almost by instinct. " Well I like it because it sounds like orgasm." Yup, that's what I said right in public. So of course I'm thinking it's going to be awkward untill I get my coffee and leave.
An older black lady behind me says "Put some of that in my coffee too, I haven't had one of those since 1986."
My curiosoty just overrides my filter and self-emarassement.
So I turn around and say "That's terrible! Why so long."
her: "Well my husband died in 1986 and I'm to old to get anther one."
me: "Well what about a battery opperated boyfriend."
her: "Oh honey, my husband was huge and all those things are too little for me."
me: "Have you ever went shoping for one? They come in all shapes and sizes from really tiny to big enough to scare a horse."
her: "Really?"
me: "Yup you should totally go to the castle on 44th and Mcdowell it about 2 miles directly south of here."

At this time I look up and see 3 SNOBBY women standing in line behind my new friend they were very very red. These are the kind of women that stop at the Target Starbucks where we are at so they don't have to tip the barristas. They walk in buy the coffee and walk out being arrogant and usually RUDE the whole time. I don't totally regret making them uncomfortable, but then I see the 2 barristas behind the counter they are kinda red and shifty too.
My filter slowly starts coming back online.

I say "Oops I think we are making averyone very uncomfortable, but you should totally check that place out."
She responds loudly "Why is everyone embarassed? It's just sex!"
my filter dies again respond "AMEN sister, that's exactly how I feel." "The world would be such a better place if people were as uncomfortable with violence as they were with sex and were as comfortable with sex as they were with violence."
We chatted for a few seconds longer went our seperate ways.

By the time I got to the car I was laughing pretty hard at the craziness of the conversation. I recounted the events to Barb.

She said "I love you, but I'm glad I was in the car."

workout

2007-09-13T16:53:00.000-07:00

Clean and long push press with 88
3x3 each arm 3 minutes between sets

2 hand swings 10x15

Not a spectacular workout but damn did it feel good to press and clean :-)

Alright my hand is really on the mend.

2007-09-12T14:51:00.001-07:00

I can snatch and I can press. Dave the gym that has KBs here won't let me bring mine in. so I don't have access to doubles. In a few weeks I was going to get another 24 anyway and I just might be able to get another 70 off e-bay at the same time.
KJ's snatch protocol tonight YEEHAW......

Movie post

2007-09-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

Kick ass movie with Albert Brooks. "Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World."
I'm watching it right now, it has one of the most poignent lines I have ever heard in a movie.
I'm paraphrasing but a senator told Al Brooks that they have tried all the usuall ways to understand Muslims, war and spying. These didn't work so they decided to see what made the muslim world laugh. On a side note he actually wrangled permision to film in Pakistan too I believe. So obviously he's Jewish and he still goes to Pakistan. He's my new hero, dat dude got brass ones!!

Sore in all the wrong places today

2007-09-10T06:56:00.000-07:00

Actaually not uncomfortably sore today, wich is surprising, but cool. I am sore however in my glutes. I thought for sure it would be my quads and Vastus Medialis. Nope. Glutes it is.

Special kinda hell today.

2007-09-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

My knuckles are tender from snatching yesterday and a little swollen so I decided not to push anything that required grip, but I wanted to workout. This workout has a name. The Sisyphus.

Pushed the minivan 3 x 528 feet. I didn't think this would be that hard, first trip wasn't actually, second trip sucked monkey nuts, third trip was really uncomfortable. I wanted to get 5 x 528. Next time maybe.