mightstone2k answers the call of the wild

[mightstone2k]

Height: 72"
Weight: 185.4 lbs
Neck: 15"
Chest: 39.75"
Waist: 33.5"
Hips: 39.5"
Bodyfat: 15.1%

 

It looks like the numbers from two weeks ago were a blip; at least, the waist measurement was (which drove the bodyfat percent down). That's probably due to a week of good, super clean eating. But 15% is not bad, especially after a long weekend in Chicago and a few days with MT visiting once I returned to Oregon. I was back in Chicago for the swearing in ceremony; I became a lawyer on Guy Fawkes Day, which tickles me immensely. And I spent several days with friends, and got to prowl around my old haunt in Lincoln Park for most of the day Saturday. It was a great trip. Most of my support system is all back in Chicago, and I didn't realize how much I missed them until we were able to reconnect in person.

 

On the training front, I've dropped PLP. I missed too many days while I was in Chicago, and was going to miss even more when I went home for Thanksgiving. Yesterday I started Pavel's Fighter Pull-up Program, which I'm also running for push-ups. Simple & Sinister is a great foundational program and covers my lower body needs, but pull-ups/push-ups round things out nicely (and I need push-ups for COT anyway). PLP's lunges were unnecessary on top of S&S. I'm now swinging 1x16L/R, 4x24L/R for 1HS, so I adjusted my training week to increase 1HS practice. Instead of alternating 1HS/2HS days, I'm now doing two days of 1HS and one day of 2HS. I'd like to perfect 24 kg 1HS before leaving for COT, with an aspirational goal of starting to swing 32 kg. Adjusting my practice to increase 1HS days sounds like the best way to do that.

 

And I've started to play Go. It's a two-player Japanese strategy game involving the placing of stones to capture territory. Chess is not quite the right comparison, because once a stone is placed it does not move. It's a game I want to get better at so I can play in Japan (when in Rome...). A friend recommended the SmartGo app. I've been playing against the computer on a 9x9 board (11x11 and 19x19 are also board sizes, with professionals playing on 19x19), and have progressed from having a 7 stone handicap to a 3 stone handicap. In fact, I just won a game with handicap 3. Go requires a different board awareness than chess does, and I stumbled a lot early on reading the board. I still have a difficult time in the endgame of knowing when to pass and when I have meaningful plays remaining. More practice.

[The Most Loathed]

Go is pretty universally regarded as the oldest and also best of the old games. I've not played but the impression I've gotten from people who know is that while Chess is strategically difficult to master, it pales in comparison to Go.

Good luck. I know a guy who'd be great at this, i may have to bug him.

[mightstone2k]

Height: 72"
Weight: 183.8 lbs
Neck: 15"
Chest: 39.25"
Waist: 33"
Hips: 39.25"
Bodyfat: 14.1%

 

Go is pretty universally regarded as the oldest and also best of the old games. I've not played but the impression I've gotten from people who know is that while Chess is strategically difficult to master, it pales in comparison to Go.

Good luck. I know a guy who'd be great at this, i may have to bug him.

Thanks! I've stagnated a bit, ranging between a 3-stone and 5-stone handicap. The trick seems to be to establish a connection to opposing sides of the board, and making sure your front is connected. Doing that consistently without that handicap stone smack in the middle is a more difficult skill to grasp.

[The Most Loathed]

I wouldn't worry about slowing down in your learning curve a bit. Just like chess, or training, any schmuck can improve drastically in his or her first weeks and months. The masters are the ones who've been doing it for years for tiny increments of improvement in the recent years.

[mightstone2k]

I wouldn't worry about slowing down in your learning curve a bit. Just like chess, or training, any schmuck can improve drastically in his or her first weeks and months. The masters are the ones who've been doing it for years for tiny increments of improvement in the recent years.

Yeah, I'm guessing that the real learning curve will come when I start playing human beings. Either way, it's a fun game and I'll keep plugging away at it.

 

I tried to do the Bell Creek Loop Hike today, but the trail had collapsed between the bridges on the Oneonta Trail. So I had to double back, and decided to mosey around on some other trails in the area. Ended up hiking for about four-and-a-half hours before I made it back to the car. I just wasn't feeling it today. Burned a lot of calories and challenged myself a bit (although not as much as Casey Creek). Normally a hike is a chance for me to be alone with myself, but being in my own mind was not as rejuvenating as usual. In fact, the mental commentary was "this is pointless, there's too much deadfall, why are you struggling with this when the primary reason for being out here is to justify eating all the food in your pack? Why didn't you stay home and kettlebell? You're not getting any stronger by doing this." Etc. All negativity and lies, really. But after I turned back and started running into people on the trail, things took a more positive turn (at least, the running thread was not about me sucking). And granted, I did eat a lot of candy and cheese today, but I'm okay with that. Tomorrow I will be bloated a bit and my weight will be up, but clean eating for two days will bring that way down before I go home for Thanksgiving. Plus, I get a solid month plus a week before basic training without travel, so I can take a lot of control over training and food. I'll be just fine when I show up.

 

I'm planning on taking Hagakure and Pavel's Naked Warrior home with me, but I don't know if I need more reading material (coast-to-coast flights, plus a week at home). Should probably throw my Kindle in my pack, just in case, even though there's nothing on there that I'm really dying to read. Maybe a reread of The Princess Bride? That's a quick one.

[mightstone2k]

I'm waiting in O'Hare for my flight to Pittsburgh, and just read Steve's article about the "Holiday Watch." That inspired me to declare my own goals for the holiday period.

For this week at home, I have already decided not to train. I will have very limited opportunities to see my family over the next few years, so I am prioritizing them over working out for this week. My main goal is going to be not eating like an asshole (NELA, with credit to TML and RisenPhoenix for the phrase and acronym). Today has been good on that front: six Quest bars and a couple espressos have held me over. I will probably find more protein/meal replacement bars for the trip back. Thanksgiving will be the only major food challenge I anticipate, but my family is used to a veggie-heavy menu (thanks to my habits).

Once I get back, I am going to resume S&S, and add the Fighter Pull-up Program on top. The FPP can be run for push-ups as well; its effectiveness drops when your repetition maximum exceeds 25. I'm not there yet for push-ups, so it will do. I will continue NELA, which will be made easier because my brother is coming to visit for Christmas. We're both living on the cheap, so dinner will not be a blowout.

That's my plan. I will have a solid month-plus before COT, so this week of no training will have negligible effect on my preparedness.

Game on.

[mightstone2k]

I said I was going to take a week off. I lied. I found a 5-day traveling workout plan, so I did one of the sessions today:

AMRAP in 20 minutes of 10 v-ups (did crunches), 15 push-ups, 20 squats, and 25 mountain climbers. I did 4.25 rounds.

That smoked me. The source was Crossfit-biased, and it reminded me that circuit-style conditioning is a weak point. I started strong, but later rounds saw much longer breaks in between exercises.

I might do two more of the workouts while I'm home; I'm not stressing about it too hard. The R&R feels good.

[The Most Loathed]

The workout/family balance is a tough one. I've tried both extremes and found that for me a balanced approach works best. Doing some kind of light, usually bodweight, stuff makes me feel better  but making sure it's not prioritized over the family interactions. It sounds like your travel workout may have landed you near that. I hope you enjoy the time with your family.

[mightstone2k]

Height: 72"

Weight: 185.0 lbs

Neck: 15"

Chest: 37.5"

Waist: 32.75"

Hips: 39.25"

Bodyfat: 13.5%

[mightstone2k]

Height: 72"

Weight: 183.0 lbs

Neck: 15.5"

Chest: 37.5"

Waist: 32.5"

Hips: 39"

Bodyfat: 12.7%

[Pat]

 

Next time, I might try a fat-fueled hike, mostly meats and cheese, and see how that affects my energy levels. I saw a Primal Blueprint article about relying on fat-burning to fuel a hike; I'll have to dig it up again. But this is play-time, essentially. I get to learn what makes my body happy while hiking, and figure out how to optimize my fuel choices (based on taste, weight, effect, volume, etc). Yay science!

 

Any news with the fat-fueled hikes?

 

I always bring cheese, jerky/salami and nuts when I'm out. It fill you up quite good and pack small. I think the winners of fat fueled activities have to be the Inuits. I have to give a try to this one day but one thing they do is keep little cubes of whale fat (or any fat) on them and simply keep one cube at the time in their mouth to melt slowly. It gives an energy boost and keep them warm at same time. When my gf went to Mongolia she found out they do the exact same thing in the desert, still as an energy source through the day. I really really have to try that one day.

 

Oh and.... ever saw those chocolate covered coffee beans at the grocery? They are good and they are like dynamite for your body. They are and awesome boost when I go out canoeing and I need that extra kick to finish the day.

[mightstone2k]

Any news with the fat-fueled hikes?

 

I always bring cheese, jerky/salami and nuts when I'm out. It fill you up quite good and pack small. I think the winners of fat fueled activities have to be the Inuits. I have to give a try to this one day but one thing they do is keep little cubes of whale fat (or any fat) on them and simply keep one cube at the time in their mouth to melt slowly. It gives an energy boost and keep them warm at same time. When my gf went to Mongolia she found out they do the exact same thing in the desert, still as an energy source through the day. I really really have to try that one day.

 

Oh and.... ever saw those chocolate covered coffee beans at the grocery? They are good and they are like dynamite for your body. They are and awesome boost when I go out canoeing and I need that extra kick to finish the day.

 

No, unfortunately. My last hike before Thanksgiving travels was my excuse to use up the last of my Halloween candy, and I haven't gotten out since. Those are some interesting tips, though. Note taken

[mightstone2k]

Height: 72"

Weight: 182.8 lbs

Neck: 15"

Chest: 37.75"

Waist: 32"

Hips: 39"

Bodyfat: 12.0%

[mightstone2k]

Height: 72"
Weight: 182.8 lbs
Neck: 15.5"
Chest: 37.5"
Waist: 32"
Hips: 39"
Bodyfat: 11.6%

 

Everything seems to be holding more or less steady. Minor fluctuations in the neck and chest, but always within the same band, it appears. Amusing anecdote: I went to buy my uniform items, and it wasn't hard finding things that fit until I got to the service coat and mess dress coat. The woman fitting me for those had the hardest time finding one that fit well. Either it was snug around the shoulders and fit the torso, or it fit the shoulders and was loose in the torso. She ended up settling for ones that were just a hair snug in the shoulders, but fit the torso. And she told me "not to gain another inch."

 

Oops. I didn't tell her that I'm doing TGUs, pull-ups, and push-ups daily, which means what she said translated to "get used to snug shoulders when you're all dressed up."

[The Most Loathed]

Men's jackets are weird like that. There is a range of ratios that they seem to cut everything in but shirts can be adjusted more readily. Jackets, military or otherwise either bag around the waist or want to rip across the upper back anytime you reach your arms out if you have a good proportion.

[mightstone2k]

Men's jackets are weird like that. There is a range of ratios that they seem to cut everything in but shirts can be adjusted more readily. Jackets, military or otherwise either bag around the waist or want to rip across the upper back anytime you reach your arms out if you have a good proportion.

Yep. My civilian suits are all the same way, and I've never had the budget to get them tailored (or the will). Slightly snug shoulders is the better answer, in my mind, because I'm not likely to start busting out pull-ups while wearing any of my suit jackets. Fair trade.

[mightstone2k]

T-minus one week until I get on a plane. My stuff is mostly consolidated in one place for the movers; my carry-on suitcase and backpack are the only things that need packed; and I have five days (including today) left with my pull-up bar, food and bathroom scales, and kettlebells.

Conveniently, I have five working days left in the Fighter Push/Pull Program. I failed on day 5 of the 11 pull block (11/11/10/9/8), so I'm repeating that block. That's fine; push-ups were the primary reason I added this program. That will wrap up on Thursday, which is when I need to disassemble the bar and put it with my stuff. My main goal for these five days is to stay focused and complete the block. No excuses.

I'm in countdown mode. Very little matters to me other than watching the hours flow by. That's not the greatest mindset to be in, in terms of living in the present, but I'm okay with it. This is a reboot. A true, ultimate reboot. I've been working toward this goal for four years, and now it'a nearly here. Now I finally get to put on the uniform. Five weeks at basic, two months at JAG school, and then the rural Western Pennsylvanian moves to Japan. I'll finally go back to martial arts. I can hike and explore Japan to my heart's content. I can learn a new language, with an actual, practical use for it. And I will finally be living free and clear. No student housing looking over my shoulder, no student loans to pay my bills, no employer/? crossing boundaries. Nothing but me and God. Freedom.

It's game time.

[mightstone2k]

Advice sought: I just finished FPP today, and my body doesn't want to cooperate with pull-ups. They have been a struggle during the 11-block, and I'm having trouble generating full-body tension. This carries over into push-ups, which are far more important, considering the impending PFT.

This is the last block. Push-ups are a higher priority, and pull-ups are overtaxing me before I get there. There are four days left before FPP wraps up. I am thinking about dropping the pulling portion. Four days will not be enough to create an imbalance, and I can focus entirely on generating proper tension and getting stronger on the more important exercise. And swings + TGUs should give me enough work on the back and full shoulder girdle to make up for dropping pull-ups.

tl;dr - pull-ups are running me down. Should I drop pulls on FPP and do only push-ups for the final four days?

[The Most Loathed]

As you indicate, you can't do any damage in that time so no matter what you do, you're not wrong.

I've not done this program

My instinctual answer is to pull the pull ups out and break them up, a few reps before, a few reps between sets and few reps at the end. This gives you the reps without the single solid block that is tearing you down so much.

[mightstone2k]

Thanks for the reply. I think I'll do something similar to what you suggest, but spread it across my day. There are five sets of pull-ups to do daily, and spreading it across my waking hours gives me far more time to rest and recover in between without tearing me down

 

Here is the program. A brief summary: it is a 30-day program with five 6-day blocks. Day one of the program calls for five sets: X reps/X-1/X-2/X-3/X-4 (on day 1, X is your repetition maximum; I started at 8 for pull-ups and 12 for push-ups). On day two, you add 1 rep to the last set, so sets 4 and 5 are the same. On day three, you add 1 rep to the second-to-last set. And so on until day five, where sets 1 and 2 are the same. On the sixth day, you rest. So each block is 5:1 work:rest.

 

On day one of the next block, add a rep to the first set. So using X as my RM, the second block would be X+1/X/X-1/X-2/X-3. There is no prescribed rest period, and my rest periods started getting longer and longer in between sets, to the point where I would take 30 to 45 minutes to complete the program. I would do the daily pull-ups first, followed by the daily push-ups.

 

Today, because it's too late to spread the pull-up sets across the entire day, I'm just going to do the push-ups (I could use the rest on pulling anyway, so no harm done). This has been a beneficial program, but I may have been too ambitious with my starting point on pull-ups. This is a thing to remember for when I have control over my training again. FPP was always a secondary focus; S&S comes first, and still does. Even within FPP, pull-ups were the tertiary part of the routine. My push-ups have improved significantly, which means the 30-day experiment was a net positive.

 

This is also good practice for listening to my body rather than powering through the program as written. I tended to do that when I was doing Starting Strength, which led to more significant stalls and deloads while I tried to perfect my form. I'll take that as a net positive also, that I'm training smarter.

 

This whole kettlebell training experiment has been a gamble. Anecdotally, the KBers on the StrongFirst forum have asserted that they were able to maintain or improve their PFT numbers (in multiple services) by following S&S rather than training the PFT exercises (or even running). I chose to train strict push-ups because I've had a mental block against them since my martial arts days, and because S&S doesn't train pressing strength directly. But I haven't bothered training for max reps; the acceptable form for the PFT is not strict, and I'll get plenty of practice with it at basic training before I'm officially tested.

 

I'm in better shape than I was when I was training the Big 5 powerlifts, and my conditioning has improved dramatically without going for a single run. So I'm reasonably confident going into basic. Not destroying myself by powering through with the final pull-up block is a smart call, and I'll sneak in the sets over the course of my waking hours for the next three days. Feeling good about this.

[The Most Loathed]

Am I right in thinking you're going into basic as an officer?

I went through Army basic for grunts in way worse condition than you are and survived. The only thing that can hurt you is the mental game. breath and move and you'l be fine.

[mightstone2k]

Yep. My martial arts instructor's mantra when training us for black belt was "always overprepare." It stuck, and explains how I got through law school and why I'm so type A about being ready (to perhaps an absurd degree) for COT.

[mightstone2k]

In a hotel room in Montgomery. Waiting. I've been advised not to show up until tomorrow afternoon, just so I can get a good lunch and spend some more time not being yelled at. Tomorrow I stop being an outsider. A classic noob? Sure. But not an outsider anymore.

Five weeks. They cannot ruin my fitness level in five weeks. This is a game; none of the yelling, condescending, or threats of failure mean anything.

Five weeks. Five weeks to cross the line from who I am to who I want to be.

Bring it.

[The Most Loathed]

Best of luck man. These are tough but it's all about simply enduring.

[mightstone2k]

Week one is over. This would be fun if I hadn't failed the Physical Fitness Baseline. Four sit-ups. That was what I failed by. It's a bit soul-crushing to fail one of the strength components, and by so little. Now I'm on a mandatory reporting program, and I have two and a half weeks to bring my score up to standard. While hearing about how important fitness is to officers and how I need to meet standards. Or, "see an immediate and dramatic improvement."

I have guidance on how to do this thing, and I'm implementing it while trying to remain conscious of overtraining. It's just getting me down. Otherwise, this would be fun.