The Legend of the Mad Monk

[Machete]

So lately I've hit obesity-level BMI and I had to register one weight class up in this week's tournament. I'm thinking of skipping it altogether if nobody shows up in my division. The strength-to-mass ratio isn't there, particularly on my Press, which seems weak AF, but all my Squats variations and my Bench Press are at their best. I'll be running GMB's Floor 1 for the next 5 weeks for movement training, maybe get these joints greased up a bit, and perhaps make a breakthrough in my quest for that elusive (consistent) handstand.

 

GMB Floor 1

Phase 1

W1D1

W1D2

W1D3

W1D4

W2D1

W2D2

W2D3

W2D4

(*so far all the same 2 workouts)

W3D1

W3D2

W3D3

W3D4

W4D1

W4D2

W4D3

W4D4

W5D1

W5D2

W5D3

W5D4

[Machete]

The different stimulus of GMB seems to be helping my handstand. And it keeps me stretching, as GB workouts are just too long and focused that it's hard to program it in with other stuff I want to do. I see why @Elastigirl is such a big fan. I'm having quite a difficult time consistently landing the Pirouette and the 360 Jumps. I suppose that's what the 9 remaining workouts are for.

 

IBJJF is coming up. Training hasn't been going as planned, as work has been getting in the way. My last tune-up didn't go quite as expected, but I had some fun with it. I'm debating whether to register or just skip it for now. Either way I'm training to get my cardio up, because it sucks so much right now, I probably couldn't even finish a Snatch Test. I'm between 150-155 with a dadbod, and I haven't really tested my strength levels. So I'm planning on staying at maintenance on calories and strength, get some cardio going, and get some rolls in either way. After that I'm going to shoot for 160-165 to pretty much approach my genetic limits.

 

Training-wise for the next 6 months I'm planning on re-establishing a 24kg Snatch Test, owning a 32kg Pistol, and finishing GMB Floor 1, going on 2. I also have some jiu-jitsu instructionals that I've been procrastinating on studying.

 

This season hit me with a lot of certification renewals. My Precision Nutrition and CrossFit are due on September 2019, my StrongFirst on January 2020 and my CSCS sometime in 2020. PN is an exam, CF is re-attending a course, SF has a bunch of options. I'm going to have to look for CECs on the CSCS.

 

The house needs to be fixed-up because apparently we are hosting Christmas or Thanksgiving. So the living room needs to be cleared, and we have to buy a dining table and maybe a patio set. I have to repair some screens, fix the fence, prune some trees, and get rid of a lot of branches. Then the garage, which is pretty much hidden, would be the final priority.

 

The cars are also way overdue on maintenance. Oil and air filter changes, spark plugs, and I have a tail light out.

 

I also have birthdays and baptisms to attend out of state.

 

Then there's the ever-growing debt... and the business paperwork.

 

It's going to be a busy 6 months. I'm jumping on the challenges to attempt to prioritize  manage things 5 weeks at a time.

 

LIST:

> PN 1 (September)
> CrossFit L1 

> 32kg Pistol

> Nissan Tune-up (ASAP)

> Hummer Tune-up (ASAP)

> Get glasses

> Hummer tail light (ASAP)

> Repair Fence (ASAP)

> Yard Trimmings (ASAP)

> Repair Screen (September)

> Book Flight (September)

> Clean Living Room (October)

> Clean Rooms (October)

> Buy dining set (October)

> Buy patio set (October)

> Optics

> Prune Trees (Winter)

> StrongFirst L2 (January)

> GMB Elements

> GMB Floor 1

> John Danaher Enter the System

> Saenchai Muay Thai

> Bang Muay Thai

> BioForce

> ClinicalAthlete

> USA Gymnastics

> Free+Style

> Overcoming Gravity

> Renew Passport

> Unpack garage

> Update Training log

> 1stPhorm Legionnaire Training

> Beta Test Online Programs

[Elastigirl]

Glad you are enjoying GMB!

[Machete]

Updates:

 

IBJJF is out. Work and an injury got to me. I might do a different one sometime this year, or just take a sabbatical and drill by myself. Floor 1 is also on hold due to the limited shoulder flexion. Pistols are on GTG 4-5 days a week, and are progressing quite nicely.

 

 

[Machete]

On 6/28/2019 at 3:25 PM, Elastigirl said:

Glad you are enjoying GMB!

 

I just purchased Elements to get my shoulder back on track without stressing too much overhead work. I Imagine it would be a good addition as I go back to S&S for a bit and perhaps transition to Q&D.

[Elastigirl]

1 hour ago, Machete said:

perhaps transition to Q&D.

Q and D looked really cool! I wish I was strong enough to do it. Interested to hear how you like it

[Machete]

On 7/28/2019 at 12:08 AM, Elastigirl said:

Q and D looked really cool! I wish I was strong enough to do it. Interested to hear how you like it

 

I'm so excited. I pre-ordered it and Amazon has been teasing me with the delivery. Haha

[Machete]

On the plus side, I hit my 32kg Pistol today. Pretty stoked about that.

[Kishi]

NICE. I can't imagine being as pound for pound strong as you are. That's awesome, dude.

[Machete]

So retrospectively, the 129 hours I put into Fallout 3 seems like a hyperfocused manic episode. I also happened to be irritable in the home, yet surprisingly social outside. Goals kept jumping from one thing to the next, and here I am believing I was going to achieve all of them, but failing to follow-through on any. Spending seemed impulsive, though I'm yet to objectively track it. Most of all, I remember sleeping much less than usual, which kind of worried me but also was very convenient. Textbook mania, which lasted between 2-3 weeks.

 

Of course, ups are followed by downs. I slept like 12 hours a day the past few days, mostly on the couch. Couldn't do anything, didn't want to do anything. I wasn't able to wake up in time and was let go of my CrossFit gig. I totally understand; I pride myself in being reliable, and when that's gone my value as a coach and as a person severely decreases. Anyway, I'm taking this opportunity to get my shit in order and work on getting control of my life.

 

75HARD: A 75-Day Tactical Guide to Winning the War With Yourself, with Andy Frisella - MFCEO290

 

 

I'm declaring this right now here so I can be accountable. Me just dabbling won't cut it--I'm giving myself an excuse to fail.

[Sylvaa]

I know a couple of people who have done it - I never heard about their results though (I'm not sure if anyone actually stuck through the 75 days).

 

When are you starting? Since I follow you on ALL THE SOCIAL MEDIA, I can nudge you (or maybe join if I'm feeling crazy).

[Kishi]

Yeesh. Sounds like one of those things you couldn't have caught except in hindsight.

 

Still, it sounds like it's caught. Is there any possibility of getting some treatment or assistance to help with it?

[Machete]

On 9/6/2019 at 2:18 PM, Sylvaa said:

I know a couple of people who have done it - I never heard about their results though (I'm not sure if anyone actually stuck through the 75 days).

 

When are you starting? Since I follow you on ALL THE SOCIAL MEDIA, I can nudge you (or maybe join if I'm feeling crazy).

 

I've been trying to start, but have re-started like 10 times already. Haha. I think it's the 2-a-days that are killing me. (Also I've been shadowbanned on the Instagrams, so I've been off for a while.

 

On 9/6/2019 at 4:23 PM, Kishi said:

Yeesh. Sounds like one of those things you couldn't have caught except in hindsight.

 

Still, it sounds like it's caught. Is there any possibility of getting some treatment or assistance to help with it?

 

Yeah, I guess I have to pay more attention to it. I think the doc's trying to rule stuff out, and that's why there's still no official diagnosis (I think). The wife seems to be able to handle it well, though I don't know how long she can last. Multiple resources have emphasized the importance of a routine, and that's what I'm trying to establish with this.

 

Right now the biggest thing is getting over this damn rib injury. It's just making everything super inconvenient.

[WhiteGhost]

3 hours ago, Machete said:

Also I've been shadowbanned on the Instagrams, so I've been off for a while.

Ah, I was wondering why I wasn't see you around so much over there

[Machete]

On 9/7/2019 at 8:59 PM, WhiteGhost said:

Ah, I was wondering why I wasn't see you around so much over there

 

Yeah, apparently Charity Witt has been posting a lot of photos lately, and I've been liking way too much, too frequently. Haha

 

So yeah, the progress photos are easy enough. The water is all set up with my labeled gallon jug. 10 pages, is doable. The workouts need to be scheduled. I guess I'm going to have to build habits to be able to build up to 75Hard. It's not the way it's supposed to be done, but I'm a weak-willed individual at the moment, and I need to work on that one step at a time.

 

I'm thinking establishing a morning and evening routine might help, concentrating with the morning one in particular first, when my willpower is fresh. I'm thinking 5 easy tasks to start the day with an early win:

 

> weigh-in and progress photo

> protein shake and meds

> 45-min workout

> feed the dogs

> shower and teeth

 

If I get this down, I'll only have to worry about one more workout for the day.

[Machete]

So I'm still working my shit out. I got into a Fallout Tactics bender that occupied most of my mornings last week, but I did complete said morning routine later at noon on 3 days, and those 3 days felt good. I was able to do 2 Q&D sessions and a rowing workout.

 

Not much news. Still lazy. Still haven't gone back to the CF box to pick up my last check (mostly from shame). No forward progress in my online training. Not much new IG content. I did answer a bunch of Questions on Quora Digest. I should probably start writing again.

[Machete]

Hit a Q&D sesh Monday and some Rowing Ladders Tuesday. Not feeling as down in the dumps. Chicken or the egg thing. Who knows. Time management is still shit, as it's still being done in the afternoon rather than as a morning routine. Also need to drink more water, I'm seeing.

[Kishi]

Training does help. It really, really does. The meme says it's the most under-utilized antidepressant, and I believe it.

 

Maybe training can be the core of your time management stuff? Like if you set aside a specific time to train, maybe you can begin to manage the times around when that time is?

[Machete]

21 hours ago, Kishi said:

Like if you set aside a specific time to train

 

Excellent idea. I'll start with that, then slowly move it earlier and earlier over the course of a few months.

[Machete]

Damn, rough week. I feel a manic episode coming. I'm suddenly walking around at 6 in the morning, annoying my wife, when a few weeks ago she was yelling at me for napping all day after not being able to drag myself out of bed after 9. I'm getting hyperfocused about small unnecessary stuff that I neglect nearly everything. I did a 1000m rowing time trial on yesterday evening before I realized that all I've consumed all day was two cans of Celsius and zero water. In fact, I haven't drank water all day. WTH. Haha. Also did Q&D on Wednesday, missed Thursday, and did some dummy drills at jiu-jitsu on Friday night. Jeez. I gotta drink water. And shower.

 

EDIT. Okay, water and workout done. Q&D getting much easier; it's my hands that seem to limit me.

[Machete]

Productive, but all over the place yesterday. Because it's not Sunday if you're not scrambling to get your life together in 4 hours. Mowed the lawn, got a quick workout in, groceries, took out the trash, cut my hair and nails. Fantastic. My sleep has sharply gone from over 8 to about 6 hours, so I guess I have to work on getting the quality up. Might help by having a routine.

 

This week's goal is setting the routine. Morning workout (got them all planned out to avoid friction) and fill the gallon jug before going on the computer.  Flight also needs to be booked by Wednesday.

[Machete]

Been a big shitstorm of a week. My wife's car took a shit, and I had to drive it three times to the mechanic because they can't figure out what's wrong. I did a big load of dishes on Friday and laundry on Monday, but other than that my shit was NOT together at all. Workouts were all done way after noon. Basically drank no water. 1-2 big meals a day that left me feeling like crap. Showered and brushed my teeth once. Slept about 50 hours, which I guess is not bad. And I got to do some light rolls without crushing my ribs.

 

Next week I'll start with drinking water and making my bed. Those should be good entry points that make me feel good. 

 

Also I saw that I'm fat, and it made me re-evaluate my training and diet.

[Machete]

October AAR so far:

 

Averaged 50 hours of sleep, which is unremarkable. Very productive Monday, where I was able to mow the lawn, sweep, load the dishwasher, do some cleaning,  take a shower, and lift. Though I think it got me quite exhausted, I forgot to be more engaging with our members at the gym. Everything was downhill from there.

 

Q&D and Rowing on Tuesday, Jiu-jitsu on Wednesday and Friday, and Lifting again on Sunday. I remember taking my meds and making my bed for the most part, but most of the days seemed to blend together. Still had the wife's car until Wednesday, so my stuff was all over the place. Lost my glasses sometime, but thankfully the guy at the range found it and I was able to get it back. Did not reach my water drinking or my protein quota all week. This will be next priority, as this will probably make me feel better.

 

I do remember doing an intro session for one of my former youth BJJ students who now is interested in lifting weights. I'm glad his parents brought him to me, because he apparently has gorilla strength and can definitely hurt himself if left unsupervised. 13 years old, 120 lbs. deadlifted an emotionless 178 for a triple on his first day (and only because we stopped there). I hope they buy training.

[Kishi]

Holy shit, that boy sounds like he could be a monster in the best way. He needs the Soviet style badly, or else some bloody football coach is gonna ruin him.

 

In the meantime, I'm sorry to hear that it's been such a rough time lately.

 

I would advise that you not go reaching for too many things at once to go right. I absolutely support doing healthy things that will make you feel good, because S&C stands for Self & Care.  But you run the risk of screwing the development of the first habits in the pursuit of others. I'd say to focus on getting good sleep, taking your meds, and keeping things neat for another month or so. You've got a compulsive training habit; you'll be all right with that. Keep that self care strong for a while, and then start to add and tweak.

[Urgan]

One foolproof way to determine if someone is a genetic freak is to put them on Soviet programming....