[The Most Loathed] learns....slowly

[KB Girl]

I see what you mean about the overhead position. Also your rack is getting wider as we go.. your arms must get really sore after a while? I'm super amazed by your work capacity! 

[The Most Loathed]

I see what you mean about the overhead position. Also your rack is getting wider as we go.. your arms must get really sore after a while? I'm super amazed by your work capacity! 

Since I can't rest in the rack, as I tire my elbows slide out further and further and becomes more and more useless. losing a few pounds helps as it makes my hips more prominent but I've never been able to make the rack work for me. More than anything, lots of long cycle irritates my bicep tendons. If I try to pair it with pull up work, it gets down right painful.

 

10/28/2015

pilates

 

ate a little after pilates because I was famished. We signup at the YWCA yesterday so I will try swimming Friday morning.

This morning (10/29) I weighed myself and I officially weigh more only coffee in my stomach than I previously weighed with a full breakfast in my stomach.

Today's schedule is totally weird as I'm leaving work at noon for 1pm massage then walking from there to meet my old coworkers for dinner and drinks. No good choices will be made today.

[KB Girl]

It's amazing what you can do under those circumstances

Hopefully the weight loss and Pilates you've been doing lately will help out.

[The Most Loathed]

It's amazing what you can do under those circumstances

Hopefully the weight loss and Pilates you've been doing lately will help out.

weight loss help and I just feel better at 200, fewer days where I look at myself and think I'm fat. It's superficial but it makes a mental difference

Pilates seem to be a wonderful injury prevention tool. They do give me a little more hip mobility but more than that I recover better and I've never hurt myself when I had pilates in my weekly schedule. They break me out of the box we all operate in from waist to eyes and shoulder to shoulder.

[The Most Loathed]

Yesterday I got a massage (always awesome) then hung out with former coworkers for several hours at a bar. No quality food or drink was consumed but we had a good time

 

This morning I took my first trip to the YWCA and it went really well. I sat in the sauna for 10-15 minutes then swam for 30 minutes. I'm not much of a swimmer so this was no feat. I did down and back three times, took a short breather and repeated two more times (18 lengths total). I then did breaststroke a few lengths then did down and back fast (for me) twice with a break at each length. I wrapped up doing underwater swims as far as I could (which isn't far). 

 

Now, a game I'm really excited about. If you haven't played Pandemic, you really should. It came out several years ago and was the gold standard of cooperative games for several years. Now it is intersecting with a new trend in gaming, Legacy games. Pandemic Legacy is Pandemic where you each game represents one month. When you beat the game or fail twice on any month you get to advance to the next month (total 12 months). When you advance, the game changes. How does it change? I don't yet know. Everything is sealed away and revealed only when the time is right. I have a copy of this but have struggled to get people together to play. 

 

[RisenPhoenix]

Now, a game I'm really excited about. If you haven't played Pandemic, you really should. It came out several years ago and was the gold standard of cooperative games for several years. Now it is intersecting with a new trend in gaming, Legacy games. Pandemic Legacy is Pandemic where you each game represents one month. When you beat the game or fail twice on any month you get to advance to the next month (total 12 months). When you advance, the game changes. How does it change? I don't yet know. Everything is sealed away and revealed only when the time is right. I have a copy of this but have struggled to get people together to play. 

 

 

And I now need this game.  Badly.

 

(As if I didn't love Pandemic enough - partially because my field-of-preference is in fact infectious diseases....)

[The Most Loathed]

And I now need this game.  Badly.

 

(As if I didn't love Pandemic enough - partially because my field-of-preference is in fact infectious diseases....)

Yeah, I've been trying to get together a consisten group of four but it's not happening and I'm increasingly interested in just getting the game open and playing with anyone.

 

Awesome noon time workout today

Clean 20 kg 6:00 on, 3:00 off x 2

Barbell Clean 60 kg x 25 (done as singles but no long breaks)

 

Row 40 kg x 10

chin up x 2

3 rounds

 

then I made lunch: baked sweet potato with 4 poached eggs, sriracha and a little butter. it was great.

[Rooks]

The more I read your posts the more I feel like we should get together for KBs and board games regularly. Now to figure out how to make it happen...

[Jittersthe.Clown]

reserved

 

reserved

 

reserved

 

reserved

Sure, hog all the good space...  

 

Since I can't rest in the rack, as I tire my elbows slide out further and further and becomes more and more useless. losing a few pounds helps as it makes my hips more prominent but I've never been able to make the rack work for me. More than anything, lots of long cycle irritates my bicep tendons. If I try to pair it with pull up work, it gets down right painful.

 

10/28/2015

pilates

 

ate a little after pilates because I was famished. We signup at the YWCA yesterday so I will try swimming Friday morning.

This morning (10/29) I weighed myself and I officially weigh more only coffee in my stomach than I previously weighed with a full breakfast in my stomach.

Today's schedule is totally weird as I'm leaving work at noon for 1pm massage then walking from there to meet my old coworkers for dinner and drinks. No good choices will be made today.

I wouldn't say no good choices.  You did log things here.  

 

The more I read your posts the more I feel like we should get together for KBs and board games regularly. Now to figure out how to make it happen...

Agreed.  I need to make the time for this.  

[Elastigirl]

Yesterday I got a massage (always awesome) then hung out with former coworkers for several hours at a bar. No quality food or drink was consumed but we had a good time

 

 

This morning I took my first trip to the YWCA and it went really well. I sat in the sauna for 10-15 minutes then swam for 30 minutes. I'm not much of a swimmer so this was no feat. I did down and back three times, took a short breather and repeated two more times (18 lengths total). I then did breaststroke a few lengths then did down and back fast (for me) twice with a break at each length. I wrapped up doing underwater swims as far as I could (which isn't far). 

 

Now, a game I'm really excited about. If you haven't played Pandemic, you really should. It came out several years ago and was the gold standard of cooperative games for several years. Now it is intersecting with a new trend in gaming, Legacy games. Pandemic Legacy is Pandemic where you each game represents one month. When you beat the game or fail twice on any month you get to advance to the next month (total 12 months). When you advance, the game changes. How does it change? I don't yet know. Everything is sealed away and revealed only when the time is right. I have a copy of this but have struggled to get people together to play. 

 

I love Pandemic! My son bought it and we've played it several times. He wants to buy Pandemic legacy too. And my husband wants it, so shhh, don't tell him, but I think Santa's getting it for him for Christmas.

[Sloth the Enduring]

Pandemic is one of our go-tos at Nerd Night when we have a low turn out.  Just saying.

[The Most Loathed]

Pandemic is one of our go-tos at Nerd Night when we have a low turn out.  Just saying.

Yeah. unfortunately I have had other plans literally every first Friday of the month since july. Also, I hate staying up late as it messes me up the next day. I'm kind of a princess like that.

 

Saturday - Laura was having another rough work day so my workout got benched

 

Sunday

Long cycle 24 kg 3:00 on, 2:00 off

1 Arm Long Cycle 36 kg 3/3 x 3

 

Circuit

Medium Box Jump x 10

Snatch 24 kg 5/5

Mountain Climbers 25/25

see saw press 20 kg 5/5

pullup 2

x 2

 

Monday am - swim 30 minutes

 

nutrition this weekend was abysmal.  I ate a lot of candy. Nothing to do about it now but get back on track . I have already had my four eggs and some fresh veggies I had chopped to mix into my eggs for the day. For lunch I have roughly a pound of chicken thighs and pound of sweet potatoes. tonight is trashy supper, pigs in a blanket. If you don't know that's when you buy refrigerated crescent rolls, wrap them around a hot dog and bake the whole thing. I like to cut a slit in the hot dogs and put a slice of cheddar cheese. We don't eat these often but when we feel like trashy food they fit the need.

 

Other random new, not really related to NF, Laura and I have now been home owners for a little over 4 years. Recently Laura started thinking about a new house. this weekend we talked a bit more in depth and realized that actually, we don't really care for home ownership. Our next move will most likely be back in to a condo. We've never owned one but we've rented a condo before and really enjoyed that living situation.

Where this does cross over wit NF a little bit is that I need to figure out how to solve the gym situation. I'm tempted to look into renting retail space and taking on a couple partners with whom I would split the cost in exchange for having access to the equipment. We'd put a keypad on the door and any of the handful of members could access the space anytime. Laura is suggesting instead that I become a Crossfit coach and in exchange for my service, store my bells there and get similar access to that space. I've got a while to solve this yet but that's what's on the table.

 

Week of 11/2

I'm guess I'll only get three workouts in this week but I'm going to schedule four and just wish. 

am workouts  (this is now a thing)

Monday: Swim

Tuesday: try a dumbbell routine with just upper body work

Wednesday: swim

Thursday: some kind of lower body work with machines

Friday: swim

 

PM workouts

1: Pressing

Jerk 20 kg 2:00 on, 2:00 off X 4

Back Squat 140 kg 3 x 3

 

Circuit

  Thruster 20 kg x 10

  Pull up x 2

x 5

 

2:

Long cycle 24 kg 5:00, rest 4:00, 4:00, rest 3:00, 3:00

Barbell Clean 80 kg x 20 (last time I tried I couldn't complete these, i'll drop the weight if neccessary)

 

3:

Kb Clean  24 kg 3:00,3:00 x 4

Deadlift 140 5 x 5

Circuit

  Lunge press 20 kg 10/10

  swing 32 kg 20/20

  sit out 10/10

  x 5

 

4:

Long cycle 24 kg 6:00

rest 6:00

Long cycle 20 kg 6:00

 

Back squat 100 kg 3 x 10

Deadlift 100 kg 3 x 10

Standing press 40 kg 3 x 10

 

I'm still trying to get Laura to play our first game of Pandemic Legacy. In the mean time I've been playing Shadowrun Crossfire as a rare solo game for myself. I love Shadowrun and obviously Crossfire is in the same universe. I will warn anyone thinking about his game, it doesn't feel at all like and RPG. It feels like a super tough logic puzzle. It's notorious for how rarely players win. However, it has a campaign aspect to it that I love. As you play you get experience (karma) and can buy character upgrades, making challenges easier.

 

Music for the week

[The Most Loathed]

Monday PM: off

Tuesday AM:

I attempted a split routine. Each pair was done as a superset

 

Dumbbell bench press 60 lbs 3x10

Dumbbell row 60 lbs 3x10

 

Standing overhead press 20 lbs 3x10

Lat pull down 100 lbs 3x10

 

Dumbbell curl 20 lbs 3x10

Dumbbell overhead tricep extension 20 lbs 3x10

 

TRX push up 3x10

TRX row 3x10

[KB Girl]

Just a thought.. but if someone came to our gym with a bunch of good kettlebells... and if I could go ahead and use them, then i'd give that person at the very least a steep discount on our gym membership.

 

What's the plan behind your programming? Are you working with a macro/meso/micro outline? 

[The Most Loathed]

I keep wondering about equipment discounts. We mostly have big corporate gyms around here and they tend to frown on non-standard equipment. It's thought of as a liability. There is one gym that I know of that allows you to bring in and store equipment. There's no discount but it's not far from me and right next to my favorite grocery store.

 

Let me get back to you with a more formalized cycle plan. I'll write that up in the next day or so. 

[The Most Loathed]

11/03/2015

Jerk 20 kg 2:00, 2:00  x 4

Squat 140 kg 3x3

 

Circuit

  thruster 20kg x 2

  pull up x 2

5 rounds

 

11/04/2015

AM: swim 30 minutes

PM: pilates

 

more later

KB girl, I started a training planning doc. It's not done but I'd love your thoughts.

[KB Girl]

Access to the document is denied, but it should have send you an email requesting access.. you'll recognize my real name?

[The Most Loathed]

Access to the document is denied, but it should have send you an email requesting access.. you'll recognize my real name?

yep. I just got it. Should be fixed.

[KB Girl]

Really like that you've got an emphasis planned for each period. What i'm missing from this macro is planned rest periods, unless you're sure they'll happen naturally? There's not enough meso-oriented detail for me to really comment on, but a couple of questions to help focus maybe; 

- why cleans and jerks separately? (not that it isn't a good idea, just looking for the goal)

- can you plan out a month? for example if you say december will be heavier 24kg longcycle circuits and january jerks and cleans separately, then won't you be doing longcycle in january? Or why are you splitting it like that? And in february will you not be using heavier bells, or lighter in the other months?

- what are heavier circuits? and what do conditioning circuits look like? 

- i see you have a meet in spring, is that also what the previous months training is aiming towards? Or are you more focused on the overall master of sports goal? If it's the meet, then you'll be using 28? what pace are you looking for? If it's MS, how many reps do you need? Are you happier going fast and finishing early or are you happy with steady as she goes?

[The Most Loathed]

Really like that you've got an emphasis planned for each period. What i'm missing from this macro is planned rest periods, unless you're sure they'll happen naturally? There's not enough meso-oriented detail for me to really comment on, but a couple of questions to help focus maybe; 

Meso detail will come as I fill in the months a bit more (happening this week through this weekend). I probably won't do whole weeks off but half weeks. November and December will happen naturally but after that I'll need to plan further

 

- why cleans and jerks separately? (not that it isn't a good idea, just looking for the goal)

Because I learned while working on John's programs that I'm much worse at those. They got into my flaws in different ways than always doing long cycle together did. It also lets me play with pull/push programming.

 

- can you plan out a month? for example if you say december will be heavier 24kg longcycle circuits and january jerks and cleans separately, then won't you be doing longcycle in january? Or why are you splitting it like that? And in february will you not be using heavier bells, or lighter in the other months?

yep, I'll get it written out this week through the weekend. 

I'll almost certainly still have a little of the non-emphasis items in there so during a split month I would expect to see a little long cycle creep in. In a month where I'm emphasizing 20kg I would expect that you'd see 2-3 workouts a week using that weight but one workout using a 24 or 28. I tend to easily fall into a rut of doing the same thing over and over so changing emphasis is meant to avoid that tendency. How successful it will be remains to be seen. Last year I deliberately did long cycle every workout. It didn't go as well as I had hoped so this is me trying a different approach.

 

- what are heavier circuits? and what do conditioning circuits look like? 

Heavier circuits tend to focus on using the bells and doing something that I can't do 20 times, maybe not even 10. I should be fatigued when I'm done, my heart rate should jump but the circuit should be done in less than 10 minutes. A conditioning circuit may go longer, uses more body weight and higher reps. The idea is to elevate the heart rate and keep it there, my hour of swings, rower and burpees is the example that jumps to mind.

 

- i see you have a meet in spring, is that also what the previous months training is aiming towards? Or are you more focused on the overall master of sports goal? If it's the meet, then you'll be using 28? what pace are you looking for? If it's MS, how many reps do you need? Are you happier going fast and finishing early or are you happy with steady as she goes?

I'd like to be in a good place for that meet but right now my mind is more on the long view. I'm going to keep hammering after MS but you put the idea in my mind of being a masters athlete doing 100 reps with 24 kg so that's also in there. 

I would like to use 28s in that meet. Ideally I'd like to get a CMS level of reps (68) but I tried for that in 2015 and got 40ish. 

I've never been asked the question about finishing early with high reps versus going the duration. I would rather hit the numbers. I do try for 10 minutes but that's second place to earning the reps. 

 

Thanks for your thoughts so far. I'll be filling in the details more in the coming days. That was all I had time for yesterday and today is pretty full.

 

[KB Girl]

Good, good! I like your thoughts. 

What was the problem with falling into a rut? No progress? Or boredom?

Have you ever heard of the standard ABC-meso that's often used for kettlebellsport? 

 

I'd like to be in a good place for that meet but right now my mind is more on the long view. I'm going to keep hammering after MS but you put the idea in my mind of being a masters athlete doing 100 reps with 24 kg so that's also in there. 

I would like to use 28s in that meet. Ideally I'd like to get a CMS level of reps (68) but I tried for that in 2015 and got 40ish. 

I've never been asked the question about finishing early with high reps versus going the duration. I would rather hit the numbers. I do try for 10 minutes but that's second place to earning the reps. 

 

You'll have to find out wether you're more likely to get your numbers when you do 7rpm for 10 minutes, or when you do 10rpm for 7 minutes, because that will heavily influence the way you should approach your training. 

I'm guessing you might lean towards the second since you still struggle with rack, and when you go 10rpm you won't have to spend much time there. Which is probably one of the factors that make jerk-only suck for you? 

[The Most Loathed]

I this the same ABC approach? (bottom of the page)

I never thought of trying to do 7 minutes at 10 rpm.I will have to try working up to that.

[KB Girl]

I this the same ABC approach? (bottom of the page)

Not exactly, but it probably has the same roots. The KB version is a weekly rotation of 3 workouts a week as a basis for individualization:

A - heavy bells, short sets (example: 28/32kg, 8-12 sets of 1-2 minutes)

B - working bells, medium sets (example: 24kg, 3-4 sets of 3-4 minutes)

C - lighter bells, conditioning work, long sets (example: 16-20kg 1-2 sets of 7-12 minutes)

And then playing with variations and progressions in length of sets, pace, rest periods, etc.

 

It's a very basic setup.. but I still use it for myself and all my athletes.. you might not recognize it unless you know to look for it, but it's always there.

 

 

I never thought of trying to do 7 minutes at 10 rpm.I will have to try working up to that.

 

Don't work up to it, just do a test with 24kg. Try both versions of doing 70 reps and see which one is "easier".

[The Most Loathed]

Well I dropped off the radar for a couple days

 

11/05 (Thursday)

AM

Back Squat 185 3 x 5

3x10 

leg extensions

leg curl

calf raise

leg press

 

PM: off - just not feeling it.

 

11/06 (Friday)

AM: Swim 30 minutes

PM: We went out to eat instead and it was amazing

 

11/07 (Saturday)

Off

 

Our dog came down with Kennel Cough which is an assortment of symptoms that dogs sometimes get, often after being in an enclosed space with other dogs, like a kennel. Starting on Friday night into Saturday she had a really nasty, persistent cough. So on Saturday instead of our planned am workout at the Y we drove to the vet, got meds and took the dog home. 

The cough was severe enough to make Friday night into Saturday as well as Saturday night into Sunday pretty sleepless. So that's my excuse.

 

11/08 (Sunday)

Off

[The Most Loathed]

11/2 wrap up

This week was an experiment in adding light AM workouts into my week. In that it was a success. I did, however, end up pretty tired by the end of the week and that combined with dog illness lead to the end of my week just devolving into not training. 

 

Sunday was an amazing food prep day as Laura has decided to start having me prep some meals for her as well. This week I prepped the following, all for consumption during the week:

6 duck eggs- scrambled

15 chicken eggs - scrambled

4lbs ground beef - grilled

2 parsnips + roughly 5 lbs sweet potatoes

4 avocados worth of guacamole

double batch of bean dip

I also broke up 7 bags of frozen veggies for me to eat for the week

 

The eggs got rolled up in tortillas and frozen and homemade, frozen breakfast burritos

 

 

11/9 kick off

This week continues the experiment of adding in AM workouts. Also, I'm still able to train in the garage much later this year than expected so I'm still enjoying that luxury. This week will start out real slow workout-wise

 

Monday: AM: Swim PM:off

Tuesday: AM: Barbell PM: off

Wednesday: AM: Swim PM: pilates

Thursday : AM: barbell PM:TBD

Friday: AM: Swim PM: kettlebell

Saturday: AM: Barbell or kettlebell PM: off

Sunday: AM: off PM:Kettleblls

 

I'll be lucky to get three kettlebell workouts in this week, two is more likely. I'll plan three though just in case

1. Long Cycle 24 kg 10 RPM 7:00 (testing KB Girl's idea), barbell clean
2. KB Clean 24 kg 3:00, 3:00 x 4, Deadlift, circuit
3. KB Jerk holds 20kg 2:00, 2:00 x 5, Back squat

Other stuff

There is a game in the community right now that no one has reviewed yet. It's called 504. In 504 the players pick three modules from a total of 9. The order in which you pick them matters. As a result there are 504 different ways to play. No one quite know how to review it because how many games do you have to play to speak intelligently about it.

I think the game's design was partial just a genuine interest by the designer in challenging himself but also a response to complaints by some gamers about lack of variable set up and and replayability in other games like Pandemic: Legacy.

 

There's a new Bond movie out. I'd like to go see it. Laura had been excited but she's started reading reviews that aren't positive so I don't know if we'll see it in the theater or not