mightstone2k answers the call of the wild

[mightstone2k]

Mock PFT results:

• Body composition:  33.25" waist = 20 points (35" is the cutoff for full points)
• Push-ups:  35 reps = 5.5 points (33 reps minimum)
• Sit-ups:  44 reps = 6.5 points (42 reps minimum)
• Run:  10:43 = 56.6 points (13:36 minimum)
• Total:  88.6 points (retest in six months)

In two weeks, I added five push-ups and four sit-ups to my max.  The easiest way to get 1.4 points (which means retesting in a year) is to add 3 sit-ups (+1.5) or 2 sit-ups and 2 push-ups (+1.5) while keeping my run time the same.  Matt commented that I was still too controlled in my pace on sit-ups.  Understandable critique, because I was.  But I'll take this.  I passed.  Had I not, I would be freaking the f*** out right now.

 

Tomorrow will be a day off from PFT events.  Perhaps I'll do a full Super Joints session.  Then I start the two-week cycle again.  Starting reps:  11 push-ups and 13 sit-ups.  Run the cycle, and my next max out day will be 15 May, which is my testing day.

 

As for monthly goals, I was able to pull the site reports for the Tax Center.  Those reports are missing a lot of state return information.  For example, my personal state information isn't being reported, which is likely because I paper-filed my state return.  And I can't find a way to report how much we actually saved people in preparation fees.  But I have divided the information by preparer, can consolidate the two lists, then run through the program itself and manually plug in the information I need.  So it's a solid start for the first of the month.  I feel like I disregarded important work to do something relatively mindless and simple, but I'm justifying it by telling myself that my volunteers deserve that information.  Gotta take care of my peeps.

[The Most Loathed]

Man, what a great couple of posts. So much stuff, so much good. 

First, what changed? Leading up to the post with coffee pictures everything was fear and anxiety but you've obviously turned a corner. Not knowing it ok too but I wanted to ask. 

I'm pretty sure that you've posted the buffalo chicken casserole before and I think I always want to make it but man, that looks great. Also, I've been thinking about trying my hand and mayo lately.

The coffee shop sounds amazing. I don't often feel any jealousy towards people who live elsewhere, I figure everywhere has some great things and not so great things but I felt a little spark of that when reading about it this time. I'm not quite sure why. 

 

[mightstone2k]

20 hours ago, The Most Loathed said:

Man, what a great couple of posts. So much stuff, so much good. 

First, what changed? Leading up to the post with coffee pictures everything was fear and anxiety but you've obviously turned a corner. Not knowing it ok too but I wanted to ask. 

I'm pretty sure that you've posted the buffalo chicken casserole before and I think I always want to make it but man, that looks great. Also, I've been thinking about trying my hand and mayo lately.

The coffee shop sounds amazing. I don't often feel any jealousy towards people who live elsewhere, I figure everywhere has some great things and not so great things but I felt a little spark of that when reading about it this time. I'm not quite sure why. 

 

Honestly, I can't say for sure what changed.  It clearly wasn't the mock PFT result, because that was on Monday.  Coffee pics were Saturday.  I was just okay with not being on this weekend.  I hit a state of Zen about PT prep, things have smoothed out between Cassie and I (more behind the spoiler), and, well... I dunno.  I'm not feeling the frustration I was before about the two biggest things in my life - training and the Lady - and I can't say why.  Granted, I'd much rather be moving toward Simple/implementing AC's PT manual and not on the other side of the Pacific, but the not-doing those things just doesn't have the same hold over me that it did.

 

And the mock PFT was an added perk when Monday rolled around.  Right now, I'm just cooking and working and reading.  Life in a nutshell.  The casserole was pretty stellar.  You should definitely make it.  But if you double the recipe, go with a slightly bigger pan.  Maybe an 11x14, or whatever the next biggest size is from a 9x13.  I seem to have overflow problems with my 9x13.

 

Spoiler

As I mentioned last time, trying to get through to help Cassie - or even to talk to her - felt like I was running into a wall for the past couple weeks.  I was pretty unnerved by it, and feeling helpless and frustrated.  I talked to my boss, who told me she supported me taking leave at the drop of a hat and getting on a plane to go to California and basically be a homemaker if that's what Cassie needed.  She's in a similar boat in her personal life - high stress job, intercontinental relationship, etc. - and her boyfriend basically told her "I have a ticket, I'm coming out, deal with it."  And proceeded to clean her house while being "verbally abused" for a week about how he shouldn't be doing that thing.  And she appreciated it under all the thorniness.

 

Well, for lack of any better idea, I was willing to give it a shot.  At least I'd be doing something, and it would be something actually supportive instead of just warm and fuzzies over the phone.  So I told Cassie on Thursday that I was cleared to get on a plane as early as Saturday, and what day would be better for me to arrive?  We talked about it Friday, and mutually concluded that it would be less beneficial for her headspace if I was there and she was at work/studying all the time (she would feel outrageously guilty, which would not help her with the black dog), so I ended up not going.  But the conversation was a breakthrough, apparently.  She's been reaching out a bit more since, including by FaceTime instead of just text, and I've even gotten a smile or two out of her.  So the communication is flowing more, and she even seems genuinely excited to come out later this month (thank God).

 

Tl;dr - Cassie has stopped withdrawing into herself quite so much, and I don't feel like I'm trying to get blood from a stone by trying to get under her shields.

 

[mightstone2k]

Ways in which my boss made me feel punchy today:

1. This morning, called me into her office to discuss something brief.  Whilst there, this conversation ensued:
   • Her:  "How are you?"
   • Me:  (considers) "Fine."
   • Her:  "Really?"
   • Me:  "Yes, ma'am.  I mean, there are ways in which life could be better, and ways in which it could be worse, but I'd say I'm baseline fine."
   • Her:  "How could life be better?"
   • Me:  "Well, this PT test could be over so I--"
   • Her:  "You're a young male, you don't need to worry about the PT test."
   • It appears to be irrelevant that I simply wish it to be over so I can get back to doing things that I genuinely enjoy doing and wish to pursue as personal goals.  Silly me.  I should not have answered her questions honestly.  Whilst the thing no longer scares me, that does not mean I enjoy it.
2. This afternoon, summoned me into a meeting that was largely irrelevant to me, and retold stories that I have heard before, thus keeping me from actual work.
3. Repeatedly tells the attorneys - all young males - that we essentially know nothing, and the paralegals - who know all - supervise us.  And does this in front of others.
4. Has tasked my NCOIC and I to plan a trip to provide legal assistance to a detached unit that has no need of us to come.
5. Came into my office and asked what I was doing (I was crunching the tax reports).  She then asked why, to which I replied I needed to get my volunteers their information.  Her:  "You have an NCO for that."  Me:  (thinking that I can run these numbers and really don't want to keep piling menial tasks on my NCO, who is getting ready to leave and has personal stressors of her own) "She's outprocessing."  Her:  "Why does everyone keep saying that like it's a thing?  I'm leaving."
6. Expects us to read her mind and know what she considers important.
7. Sends us mixed messages about what kind of freedom to act we have.  Does not act like she trusts our judgment, but tells us to exercise it.
8. Tells us to do "staff work" without ever explaining what it is she wants.  "Staff work" has meant everything from "review this and come talk to me" to "prepare a blue folder and take this up to the commander for his signature."

*sigh*  In twelve duty days, I will be able to take a break from her nonsense.  In exchange for spending five days of leave, I will be out of the office for eleven days, eight of which will be spent with Cassie, one other of which will be spent on a mountain, and perhaps one more of which will include quality time with an SFG.

 

PT today:

• Push-ups:  5x11 EMOM, max set 11.  My arms didn't want to work despite yesterday's full rest day.  It's fine; they'll get full rest over the weekend.
• Sit-ups:  5x13 EMOM, max set 23
• Ran an 8:13 mile with Matt.  I was pacing him.  Tomorrow will be my personal run.

Then I stopped at the commissary and bought spaghetti squash and a pork sirloin roast.  I have two McCormick slow cooker sauce packets (BBQ), so Saturday morning I will throw those and the pork in the crockpot before going on a hike.  I'll cook the squash when I get home and have shredded BBQ pork over spaghetti squash.  I need to pick out another recipe for next week.

[The Most Loathed]

Your boss doesn't value you as an individual.

Looking at the exchanges, replace 'her' with 'him' and it starts to look a lot like a very pointed example of how sexism was rampant in the '60s and '70s but so institutionalized that no one would even acknowledge it. It could be a gender bias but I suspect she treats women the same way and is just a dick in general.

[mightstone2k]

21 hours ago, The Most Loathed said:

Your boss doesn't value you as an individual.

Looking at the exchanges, replace 'her' with 'him' and it starts to look a lot like a very pointed example of how sexism was rampant in the '60s and '70s but so institutionalized that no one would even acknowledge it. It could be a gender bias but I suspect she treats women the same way and is just a dick in general.

We'll find out how she treats ladies.  We're getting a female LT in a few months.  Today I was able to hide myself away in my cave and not deal with her.

 

I took the day off from training.  Waffled about running, but ultimately decided against it.  I'll do all three events tomorrow and hike Saturday.  I did read a very interesting article on programming seasonally.  Basically, you break the year down into four blocks and program different things into each block.  I might give it a crack after the PFT.  I have a small variety of training interests.  Enough to make cramming it all into my life at once would be a dicey proposition at best.  It's something I need to give more thought to, but my initial reaction looks something like this:

• Block 1:  Simple & Sinister training (swings, TGU)
• Block 2:  Rite of Passage or bodyweight (push-ups, pull-ups, and pistols)
• Block 3:  the other of Block 2
• Block 4:  likely a shorter block of something (maybe a six-week program like this, the 10,000 Swing Challenge, or combining S&S with strength aerobics), followed by a one-month cycle of PFT prep (what I'm doing now)

That assumes I score 90.0+ on this test and have a year until I test again.  I also need to dig into Al's PT manual to see what he recommends and how I can incorporate his training guidance into my programming.  Every few months I start to feel like I'm dragging with my workout anyway; this would provide structure to that.  It forces me to think long-term, obviously, but I'm okay with that.  I can just reassess at the turn of the calendar year (right about the time I'm starting my new BuJo) and program for that year based on last year's goals.

 

Once I hit Simple, I could consider transitioning to these overspeed swings for my swing training, rather than pushing on to Sinister (saves on buying more iron).  Maybe Easy Strength for a block.  So many options.

 

Simple.  First.

[Elastigirl]

On 4/30/2017 at 2:46 AM, mightstone2k said:

That has been one thought for working those in.  How many times a week do you do them?

Well there was a bit when a made it into my routine and did it at least 2 x a week. Now it's just sort of when the mood strikes me. When I did it routinely, it really upped my grip strength.

[Sloth the Enduring]

I've restarted S&S. You're far ahead of me, but even still it's hard not to think too far ahead.

[Elastigirl]

Woot for the mock PT test! I'm not surprised, I knew you could do it, still glad you know it now.

Also glad you were  able to encourage Cassie. Just knowing you would be there for her sounds like it helped a bunch.

[mightstone2k]

9 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

I've restarted S&S. You're far ahead of me, but even still it's hard not to think too far ahead.

Isn't it?  I think it's partly due to the program's simplicity.

 

9 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Woot for the mock PT test! I'm not surprised, I knew you could do it, still glad you know it now.

Also glad you were  able to encourage Cassie. Just knowing you would be there for her sounds like it helped a bunch.

Yes, I suspect that was what she needed.  Which is weird.  I still ended up not doing anything.

 

Today was a bit of a sh*t show with eating.  We had a potluck for someone's going away, where I didn't do too bad.  It was the ten or so fun-size Butterfingers afterward that killed me.  But i went and trained anyway:

• Pushups:  5x12 EMOM, max set 13
• Sit-ups:  5x14 EMOM, max set 16
• Ring rows:  3x15
• Run:  nope.  I was about 75% through the first lap, and I was stiff, not springy, and not feeling anywhere above mediocre.  So I called it off and went home.  It's too close to the test for me to push through the poor performance.  Next week I'll go back to alternating strength and running days Monday through Thursday, do all three events on Friday, and total rest over the weekend (with a possible Saturday jaunt into Tokyo, like this past weekend).

Tomorrow is a hike.

[mightstone2k]

The article about seasonal programming, and my subsequent rambles about training stuff got me thinking that I should set some lifetime training goals.  Shout out to @The Most Loathed too, and his recent post about cheevoes (I don't get that reference, but I'm using it anyway).  Here is my initial list:

• Achieve Simple (100 one-arm swings (sets of 10) in five minutes with 32 kg bell; 5 Turkish Get-ups per arm (sets of 1) in ten minutes with 32 kg bell)
• Achieve Sinister (100 one-arm swings (sets of 10) in five minutes with 48 kg bell; 5 Turkish Get-ups per arm (sets of 1) in ten minutes with 48 kg bell)
• Pass the Rite of Passage
  • Press - 1/2 bodyweight (one arm) for one rep
  • Snatch - 200 reps in 10 minutes with 24 kg bell
• Get SFG certification
• Get SFB certification
• Complete the 10,000 Swing Challenge
• Complete a full PLP cycle
• Do a set of five pistols on each leg without a weight or counterbalance
• Do a set of five one-arm, one-leg push-ups on each side
• Become a Beast Tamer (one rep each of strict military press, tactical pull-up, and pistol with 48 kg bell)
• Deadlift 2x bodyweight for one rep
• Do a set of five strict hanging leg raises
• Double kettlebell press with a pair of bells adding up to my bodyweight (one rep)
• Double kettlebell clean and jerk with a pair of 32 kg bells (number of reps equal to 10% bodyweight (rounded up))

[Sloth the Enduring]

Does@Machete pop in here? He's the local StrongFirst guru.

[mightstone2k]

Does@Machete pop in here? He's the local StrongFirst guru.

He does, on occasion. He has been helping me a ton with my PFT prep.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Elastigirl]

Nice set of goals. Is the article on seasonal program the one from Strongfirst? It made me feel less guilty about putting S & S on the backburner and doing rings for a bit. I think it would be cool to cycle, rings, Rite of Passage, and S & S. Weirdly, I've already met one criteria for RoP as ladies only need to press /4 of thier BW. Still need to hit the snatch though, and I'd love to work on my 35# press. And maybe a cycle of really focuing on rowing too.

[Machete]

Awesome to hear that the EMOM has been working out for you. Keep doing what you're doing and keep the goal the goal.

 

Awesome goals. It kind of follows Dan John's progression of goals (which I always refer to and recommend because (1) it's what I followed, and (2) I'm on the background on one of the pictures. Haha). I patterned with 10'000 Swings, then achieved Simple, then ROP (but only 5 minutes snatching), then just followed the prep programs on the main site. I'm back hammering S&S now, aiming for the 40kg. I was just told of a 140+ pound Beast Tamer, and figured I'll eventually work on that after Sinister, but no sooner. Keep the goal the goal.

 

If you have the option, I would recommend starting out with the bodyweight stuff though, like Karen's OAOLPU program, and working Pistols, Pull-ups, HSPU, and HLL. The SFB is all about teaching you maximal tension, linkage, and the grind movements, and will definitely carry over to the TGU. (It will also help you get really comfortable with having to regularly pass PFTs, just by having a large strength reserve.)  HSPUs have a tremendous carryover to the Press (later for ROP) and the mobility you develop building your Pistol is what all that Goblet Squat work is for anyway. I do believe the SFB is meant to be an intro for the SFG.

[mightstone2k]

 

6 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

 

 

Nice set of goals. Is the article on seasonal program the one from Strongfirst? It made me feel less guilty about putting S & S on the backburner and doing rings for a bit. I think it would be cool to cycle, rings, Rite of Passage, and S & S. Weirdly, I've already met one criteria for RoP as ladies only need to press /4 of thier BW. Still need to hit the snatch though, and I'd love to work on my 35# press. And maybe a cycle of really focuing on rowing too.

 

 

 

It is that article.  It was a bit of a breakthrough for me, really.  I have always had a bit of an obsessive "blinder" mentality.  If I have a goal, I need to work toward it until it is done and then I can move to the next one.  Cycling them during the year lets me pursue multiple goals without beating myself up about not getting one and without trying to do them all at once.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 hours ago, Machete said:

 

 

Awesome to hear that the EMOM has been working out for you. Keep doing what you're doing and keep the goal the goal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Awesome goals. It kind of follows Dan John's progression of goals (which I always refer to and recommend because (1) it's what I followed, and (2) I'm on the background on one of the pictures. Haha). I patterned with 10'000 Swings, then achieved Simple, then ROP (but only 5 minutes snatching), then just followed the prep programs on the main site. I'm back hammering S&S now, aiming for the 40kg. I was just told of a 140+ pound Beast Tamer, and figured I'll eventually work on that after Sinister, but no sooner. Keep the goal the goal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have the option, I would recommend starting out with the bodyweight stuff though, like Karen's OAOLPU program, and working Pistols, Pull-ups, HSPU, and HLL. The SFB is all about teaching you maximal tension, linkage, and the grind movements, and will definitely carry over to the TGU. (It will also help you get really comfortable with having to regularly pass PFTs, just by having a large strength reserve.)  HSPUs have a tremendous carryover to the Press (later for ROP) and the mobility you develop building your Pistol is what all that Goblet Squat work is for anyway. I do believe the SFB is meant to be an intro for the SFG.

 

 

 

Haha that article was one of my starting points for the list.  I'm good about knowing what I want to do, but terrible about identifying a measurable metric for it.  The list isn't strictly in order, although it's relatively close.  Hadn't really thought about which order to do SFB/SFG in, but SFB first makes sense (and you should read "take the kettlebell/bodyweight courses" as intermediate steps toward the certs).  Are OAOLPU, pistols, pull-ups, HSPU, and HLL* the "big five" bodyweight movements?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*I don't know what HLL means.  I'm reading it as a typo for HLR (hanging leg raises).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As far as programming, the rest of the year is fairly easy.  I'm dividing it into two blocks after the PFT.  Block one is S&S, with 3/week loaded carries, 1/week 1-3 mile run, and 1/week ruck (hike).  The carries, run, and hike are add-ons based on Al's PT manual and the transcript of a Gray Cook lecture I read recently.  I'm going to reread S&S and contact the local SFG next week, after the PFT.  Block two, which will include travel to a friend's wedding and the holiday season, will be bodyweight stuff.  That is slightly trickier to program, given that I'm now thinking about training five movements (although HSPU will be starting with just handstands).  Is this the OAOLPU program you were referring to?  Saw it, filed it away, and don't know how to integrate anything else into it.  I've also saved this and this to my library of "programming by someone else that I could use."  I could always plug the OAOLPU program into those as the push movement.  I have a little more time to play with that idea, given that it won't kick off until August/September timeframe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now for the weekly report.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly rule of 3 for 30 April - 6 May

 

 

1.  Test out camping stove

 

 

2.  Hike ... somewhere

 

 

3.  Read to page 525 in The Civil War:  A Narrative - Fredericksburg to Meridian (vol 2)

 

 

 

 

 

Well, snap!  All three achieved, and then some.  I tested my stove last Sunday, and it worked.  Simple enough.  Yesterday, I hiked from Mt Takao to Kobotoke-Shirayama.  But not in the snow like that gentleman did.  The hike felt oddly familiar for the longest time, and then it clicked.  I had done that hike last year as part of my attempt to get from Takao to Mt Jinba.  Part of it, at least.  After Kobotoke, I turned off on the path to Shirayama, which was different from last time.  I was up early, so I was able to get on the mountain around 0700, and was back on the train by 1130.  The hike was fairly easy, and started and stopped at train stations.  Exactly what I wanted out of it.  I did not want to do something like Mt Gozenyama, which was brutal when I did it last year.  I did it in reverse from the linked article, so where he says the "final plunge . . . was the most arduous," I came up that way.  That drained me for about half the following week.  And the reading... well, either I didn't give myself enough credit, or having a goal really spurred me on.  I read to page 675, a full 270 pages.  Only about 300 pages to go!

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly rule of 3 for 30 April - 6 May

 

 

1.  Plan menu for Paleo picnic

 

 

2.  Go to the Pokemon Store

 

 

3.  Read to page 869 in The Civil War:  A Narrative - Fredericksburg to Meridian (vol 2)

 

 

 

 

 

Okay.  The picnic planning is for when Cassie is here.  It's an actual planning goal because I need to motivate myself to sit down and start searching for good food that will keep in a backpack all day until we decide to eat.  The Pokemon Store is this week's adventure goal (the Mega Tokyo Pokemon Center).  I want to do a repeat of last weekend, where I go into Tokyo and just be low-key on Saturday.  Get out, get walking, but don't tax myself ahead of the impending PFT on Monday.  And I can't come to Japan and not go to a Pokemon Center.  That is my childhood, or at least my on-ramp to nerd-dom.  I went from Pokemon to Yu-gi-oh to Magic:  the Gathering and Warmachine/Hordes as a gamer.  And my reading goal is more ambitious than last week, but less than my actual production this week.  I don't want to get overly ambitious and commit to a goal of finishing the book (just under 300 pages).  I feel like this past week was abnormal in terms of reading time.  So a 194 page commitment will be fine (that takes me to the beginning of chapter 9), and anything extra is gravy.

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday I had BBQ shredded pork over spaghetti squash.  I put a sirloin roast in the crockpot covered with McCormick's BBQ slow cooker sauce and let it go all day.  Shredded it up, mixed in the spaghetti squash I cooked as dinner neared, and served.  Simple.  Tonight I'm too lazy to cook, so I'll stick with a smoothie, but tomorrow I'm making beef stew.  I chopped the carrots and onions earlier, and it looks like I'll either make some rice to serve it over, or I'll stop at the commissary and buy some potatoes.  I can boil them when I get home from the gym and serve it up.  The potatoes are wiser from a calorie:volume perspective, but I actually have rice in my cabinet.  I'm a cheapskate, so I'll probably go with rice.

 

 

 

 

 

Saw Guardians of the Galaxy last night with a co-worker and his wife (third wheeling ftw!).  It was pretty good; not Captain America, but pretty good nonetheless.  This Friday at 1730, King Arthur:  Legend of the Sword is showing on base.  I plan to go, because (1) it's Guy Ritchie, and (2) it's Arthurian lore.  Not classic Arthurian lore, but still.  I'm a sucker for it.

 

 

Edit to add: and, to show I'm not just a fitness-obsessed workaholic (although it mostly feels like I am), I spent this morning volunteering. The Knights of Columbus on base host an annual "pre-Mothers Day" breakfast the weekend before MD. I signed up to help out, largely as a way to force myself out of the house this morning. So I spent the morning serving pancakes and stealing bites of ham. I don't go to the KofC meetings, and very rarely do anything with them. Perhaps I should change that.

 

[mightstone2k]

Some pictures from my hike. The snow-capped peak is Fuji.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sloth the Enduring]

Hiking and Pokémon store look awesome. You're spending your time wisely.

[Machete]

17 hours ago, mightstone2k said:

It is that article.  It was a bit of a breakthrough for me, really.  I have always had a bit of an obsessive "blinder" mentality.  If I have a goal, I need to work toward it until it is done and then I can move to the next one.  Cycling them during the year lets me pursue multiple goals without beating myself up about not getting one and without trying to do them all at once.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haha that article was one of my starting points for the list.  I'm good about knowing what I want to do, but terrible about identifying a measurable metric for it.  The list isn't strictly in order, although it's relatively close.  Hadn't really thought about which order to do SFB/SFG in, but SFB first makes sense (and you should read "take the kettlebell/bodyweight courses" as intermediate steps toward the certs).  Are OAOLPU, pistols, pull-ups, HSPU, and HLL* the "big five" bodyweight movements?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*I don't know what HLL means.  I'm reading it as a typo for HLR (hanging leg raises).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As far as programming, the rest of the year is fairly easy.  I'm dividing it into two blocks after the PFT.  Block one is S&S, with 3/week loaded carries, 1/week 1-3 mile run, and 1/week ruck (hike).  The carries, run, and hike are add-ons based on Al's PT manual and the transcript of a Gray Cook lecture I read recently.  I'm going to reread S&S and contact the local SFG next week, after the PFT.  Block two, which will include travel to a friend's wedding and the holiday season, will be bodyweight stuff.  That is slightly trickier to program, given that I'm now thinking about training five movements (although HSPU will be starting with just handstands).  Is this the OAOLPU program you were referring to?  Saw it, filed it away, and don't know how to integrate anything else into it.  I've also saved this and this to my library of "programming by someone else that I could use."  I could always plug the OAOLPU program into those as the push movement.  I have a little more time to play with that idea, given that it won't kick off until August/September timeframe.

 

The blinder mentality is a very good trait for StrongFirst, especially during the beginning. (You can pretty much blinder your way to Simple--I think that's the idea behind S&S, and why people at the main site forum will probably just tell you keep doing your Swings and Getups, comrade. I doubt most of them do it.) Of course they're trying to accommodate a bigger demographic, and there's nothing morally wrong with wanting a bit of novelty every now and then. If your attention drifts with short, intense burst of interest, I'd say take advantage of that and double-down on the intensity of how you work on it (while trying your best to maintain the enthusiasm for as long as possible). Make hay when the sun is out. But the very successful ones seem to have this tendency for single-minded obsession, like one I saw on a 159-pound Beast Tamer I was able to learn from.

 

They're actually doing this new thing of giving you a discount for a certification if you take the user course within the year, which I think is a sweet deal. And yeah, as S&S forces intermediate competence in the Swing and the Getup, the SFB narrows the focus even more on tension techniques. The OAOLPU is essentially the pinnacle of the RKC Plank, which you snap into at the top of the Swing, Clean, etc.

 

Hanging Leg Lift/Raise. Or strict Toes-To-Bar. Same thing. Haha. Yeah, those are the 5 moves you work on in the SFB. I started with 10'000 Swings and S&S and progressed quickly, but come to think of it I already had all 5 BW skills at I'd say at an intermediate level before I even started. (I had read The Naked Warrior and Relax Into Stretch years ago.) So yeah...

 

I'd say as far as programming, do as little as possible. You're young; you have plenty of time. Strength is a long game, that's why strength records are broken by people in their 30s-40s. Keep your runs, hikes, and carries; but use your blinders and work on one program at a time. Who is your local SFG over there?

[mightstone2k]

9 hours ago, Machete said:

 

The blinder mentality is a very good trait for StrongFirst, especially during the beginning. (You can pretty much blinder your way to Simple--I think that's the idea behind S&S, and why people at the main site forum will probably just tell you keep doing your Swings and Getups, comrade. I doubt most of them do it.) Of course they're trying to accommodate a bigger demographic, and there's nothing morally wrong with wanting a bit of novelty every now and then. If your attention drifts with short, intense burst of interest, I'd say take advantage of that and double-down on the intensity of how you work on it (while trying your best to maintain the enthusiasm for as long as possible). Make hay when the sun is out. But the very successful ones seem to have this tendency for single-minded obsession, like one I saw on a 159-pound Beast Tamer I was able to learn from.

 

They're actually doing this new thing of giving you a discount for a certification if you take the user course within the year, which I think is a sweet deal. And yeah, as S&S forces intermediate competence in the Swing and the Getup, the SFB narrows the focus even more on tension techniques. The OAOLPU is essentially the pinnacle of the RKC Plank, which you snap into at the top of the Swing, Clean, etc.

 

Hanging Leg Lift/Raise. Or strict Toes-To-Bar. Same thing. Haha. Yeah, those are the 5 moves you work on in the SFB. I started with 10'000 Swings and S&S and progressed quickly, but come to think of it I already had all 5 BW skills at I'd say at an intermediate level before I even started. (I had read The Naked Warrior and Relax Into Stretch years ago.) So yeah...

 

I'd say as far as programming, do as little as possible. You're young; you have plenty of time. Strength is a long game, that's why strength records are broken by people in their 30s-40s. Keep your runs, hikes, and carries; but use your blinders and work on one program at a time. Who is your local SFG over there?

That discount option sounds pretty awesome.  Something to keep in mind as I start actually thinking about making the courses/certs a reality.  The closest ones to me now are in the Republic of Korea, so I'll probably just wait a year until I'm back home.

 

As for training future in 2017 (after I had slept on it and let my overexcitement settle), my line of thought was - post PFT - do S&S + run + carry + hike until early September (16 weeks).  I have ten days of leave planned then, which I would take as a training break.  When I get back, do Karen Smith's bodyweight strength training experiment.  It hits the bodyweight big 5, I don't have to program, and it's a training break from KBs.  Do that until the end of the year, or perhaps only for the eight weeks she recommends as the max time, and switch back to S&S if I haven't hit Simple.  If I have, then I can look at my other KB options.  But is it a fair interpretation of your advice that I should stick with S&S until I hit Simple?

 

I'm not opposed to that idea.  Frankly, there are a couple things at play here.  One is my desire to achieve Simple, dammit.  Another is my desire to get bodyweight strong, and be able to truly train as a naked warrior (given the amount of TDYs I went on this past year, it could be damn useful).  A third is my respect for your advice.  I don't consider myself much more than a dabbler in strength training knowledge or ability (my BW skills are not near intermediate level).  You are the Qui-Gon Jinn to my Obi-Wan here.  I keep feeling like I'm flailing in the dark when it comes to getting really strong.

 

My local SFG is Daren Epstein.

 

Today's training:

• Push-ups:  5x13 EMOM, max set 14.  God, these are getting harder every session.  The first set is easy, but after that... phew.
• Sit-ups:  5x15 EMOM, max set 19.  The area with the sit-up bar was in use, so we used a decline sit-up bench.  It sucked.  I did it anyway.
• Pull-ups:  2x3.  My training buddy overheard some guys talking about a recent case we had, so he was casually eavesdropping.  I stayed in that room and decided to do pull-ups instead of ring rows.  I have not done them in many months, and it showed.  Yowza.  They were hard.

Then I came home, boiled rice, and had the beef stew.  It was phenomenal.  I highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to follow the link to it.  Your heroic efforts will be rewarded.  Now for sleepy time.  After dishwashing time and reading time.  But basically now.

[Machete]

15 hours ago, mightstone2k said:

That discount option sounds pretty awesome.  Something to keep in mind as I start actually thinking about making the courses/certs a reality.  The closest ones to me now are in the Republic of Korea, so I'll probably just wait a year until I'm back home.

 

As for training future in 2017 (after I had slept on it and let my overexcitement settle), my line of thought was - post PFT - do S&S + run + carry + hike until early September (16 weeks).  I have ten days of leave planned then, which I would take as a training break.  When I get back, do Karen Smith's bodyweight strength training experiment.  It hits the bodyweight big 5, I don't have to program, and it's a training break from KBs.  Do that until the end of the year, or perhaps only for the eight weeks she recommends as the max time, and switch back to S&S if I haven't hit Simple.  If I have, then I can look at my other KB options.  But is it a fair interpretation of your advice that I should stick with S&S until I hit Simple?

 

I'm not opposed to that idea.  Frankly, there are a couple things at play here.  One is my desire to achieve Simple, dammit.  Another is my desire to get bodyweight strong, and be able to truly train as a naked warrior (given the amount of TDYs I went on this past year, it could be damn useful).  A third is my respect for your advice.  I don't consider myself much more than a dabbler in strength training knowledge or ability (my BW skills are not near intermediate level).  You are the Qui-Gon Jinn to my Obi-Wan here.  I keep feeling like I'm flailing in the dark when it comes to getting really strong.

 

My local SFG is Daren Epstein.

 

Today's training:

• Push-ups:  5x13 EMOM, max set 14.  God, these are getting harder every session.  The first set is easy, but after that... phew.
• Sit-ups:  5x15 EMOM, max set 19.  The area with the sit-up bar was in use, so we used a decline sit-up bench.  It sucked.  I did it anyway.
• Pull-ups:  2x3.  My training buddy overheard some guys talking about a recent case we had, so he was casually eavesdropping.  I stayed in that room and decided to do pull-ups instead of ring rows.  I have not done them in many months, and it showed.  Yowza.  They were hard.

Then I came home, boiled rice, and had the beef stew.  It was phenomenal.  I highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to follow the link to it.  Your heroic efforts will be rewarded.  Now for sleepy time.  After dishwashing time and reading time.  But basically now.

 

Korea seems to have a large SFG population. They've also been expanding to Taiwan lately.

 

You could probably hit up your local SFG for coaching and/or post regular form check vids (i.e. what I did) as you work on Simple 3-5 days a week. (It's pretty straightforward, and probably built to be achieved with minimal guidance.) Then pick one skill you want to GTG to a desired level of proficiency before eventually moving to another. I wouldn't worry too much about other programs, focus on the principles of the skills. Karen Smith has a Youtube account with great tutorials, and also on GGS.

 

Beef stew is the best. I usually eat it with a good scratch sourdough when I make some. Beef stew is very comforting to me for some reason, I even like the MREs, especially with Tabasco.

 

P.S. You better be training hard to be able to slice Darth Maul in half after he stabs me to death then.

[mightstone2k]

 

 

 

Korea seems to have a large SFG population. They've also been expanding to Taiwan lately.

 

 

 

You could probably hit up your local SFG for coaching and/or post regular form check vids (i.e. what I did) as you work on Simple 3-5 days a week. (It's pretty straightforward, and probably built to be achieved with minimal guidance.) Then pick one skill you want to GTG to a desired level of proficiency before eventually moving to another. I wouldn't worry too much about other programs, focus on the principles of the skills. Karen Smith has a Youtube account with great tutorials, and also on GGS.

 

 

 

Beef stew is the best. I usually eat it with a good scratch sourdough when I make some. Beef stew is very comforting to me for some reason, I even like the MREs, especially with Tabasco.

 

 

 

P.S. You better be training hard to be able to slice Darth Maul in half after he stabs me to death then.

 

 

 

MREs were pretty tasty for what they were. I was the guy at COT who would take other people's unwanted food and stash it away for later. There was one girl who refused to eat her MREs. Gold mine, right there.

 

 

Okay. So focus on Simple. Start with a session with the SFG, then post regular form checks with occasional revisits to SFG as needed. Nothing else. Yes?

 

 

And then start training the bodyweight skills after achieving Simple, by picking one and GTG it until achieving the desired level of proficiency? But... that can't be all, can it? Or is the GTG in addition to further KB training? I cannot fathom the idea of having my training consist solely of one movement in GTG fashion.

 

 

Sith-killing is my specialty. You can rest assured that you shall be avenged.

 

[mightstone2k]

Today was a run day.  I ran 1.5 miles in 10:30.  Yes, that's a 7:00/mile.  And I ran the first mile in 6:59, so it was a consistent pace.  Hopefully I can repeat that on Monday, or come close.  Then I came home and got lost in picnic food ideas.  Here is what I'm considering:

 

Protein

• Salmon balls
• Pork carnitas
• Buffalo chicken (sans the salad)

Sides

• Broccoli salad
• Potato salad
• Curried egg salad

I'm thinking one protein and two sides will be easy enough to put together and take in my GR1.  I have some small containers I can use to keep cold stuff cold, so the mayo-based salads don't faze me.  And I have a mayo recipe I can use!  Victory.  Cassie loves broccoli, white potatoes, and curry, so all three of those sides are viable options.  Hmmm... I must ponder.  I have all the recipes saved, so that's no bother.

 

During the last hour at work, peanut butter M&Ms magically appeared on our break room table, so I helped myself to two fun-sized bags.  That prompted some reflection on my part, which I journaled in my BuJo when I got back to my office.  It was the second time I've used it for journaling, and it's relevant to the purpose of the forum, so I'll reproduce it here:

 

"I need to bear down on my eating habits.  Recently, I've developed a tendency to snack unnecessarily, and not on good things.  My goal was to go Warrior Diet-esque:  undereat during the day and have a compressed eating window at night.  That expanded to eating two meals, lunch and dinner, with the goal of eating one protein bar in the morning.  That became two protein bars.  And now I'm peppering in snacks, whether more protein bars or candy, because I feel hungry or bored.  I need to recommit to a healthy eating routine, whether it's Warrior Diet, intermittent fasting, or just eating natural whole foods.  And controlling the amount!  Eat when I'm really, truly hungry.  Not when I'm bored or see something available (like candy).  Once or twice wouldn't be a big deal.  But it's becoming habitual for me to eat outside the lines."

 

I'm not bothered by the fact that I'm not following strict Warrior Diet rules.  What came out as I was writing was the creep.  I started with a plan and the boundaries slowly crept and crept until I got to here, where I'm grazing, and on more junk than not.  That was what I need to rein in.  No judgment in that entry, just observation.

 

As an aside, I did find some homemade protein bar recipes while I was surfing the picnic food ideas.  I might give those a try as my stash of bars at work runs low.  I bought some egg white protein powder that is literally one ingredient, so it will clean up the ingredients quite a bit.  The bars tend to include 1/2 or so of added sugar, usually maple syrup or honey.  But divide that among the recipe and you end up with something like a tablespoon of added sugar per serving.  That's pretty darn good.  And, of course, it lets me indulge my cooking habit.  I may be flailing in the dark when it comes to getting strong, but damned if I'm not decent in the kitchen.

[starpuck]

Those pictures are beautiful.   I feel like such a dork sometimes, that when I see bits of Japan, I feel a weird nostalgia for the scenery, based only on how much anime I have seen.   I know that's a far cry from the actual sites and history and culture, but man, it makes me want to visit there some day.

 

The beef stew sounds good - what are the macros?   I hunger for stew.  I LOVE MEAT!

 

[mightstone2k]

Those pictures are beautiful.   I feel like such a dork sometimes, that when I see bits of Japan, I feel a weird nostalgia for the scenery, based only on how much anime I have seen.   I know that's a far cry from the actual sites and history and culture, but man, it makes me want to visit there some day.

 

The beef stew sounds good - what are the macros? [emoji3]  I hunger for stew.  I LOVE MEAT!

 

Not dorky at all. That was one of my first reactions when I got here too [emoji1] macros? Uhhhh... I didn't plug it into anything. My sense is more protein and fat than carbs, at least until I served it over rice.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk