Sloth: The Man with the Hammer

[KB Girl]

1 hour ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

I did, however, get the squirrels to leave my brain alone.

 

Good, that's good. 

 

1 hour ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

KB Clean & Press 3x1, 2, 3, 4 at 16kg.  I feel like I'll be stuck on 16kg forever. These also hurt real bad, so I put the neoprene back wrap thingie on tight and was able to work through it.

 

Not as good x) They hurt your back? on the press?

[Sloth the Enduring]

59 minutes ago, KB Girl said:

Not as good x) They hurt your back? on the press?

No. I pulled an ab doing the roll outs last time - the ball slipped I stretched out much farther than I was ready for.  When I pressed on the right the ab on the left hurt.  The back wrap thing compressed my belly and  kept that ab from getting too angry.  
 

I haven’t seen them in years. It’s nice to know they’re still there under the fluff.  

[KB Girl]

Laughing at your joke, not your pain ? hope it heals up fast!

[Sloth the Enduring]

Wednesday February 9, 2022 - Rest Day

I needed to catch up on some sleep.  I didn't.

 

My district is likely about to go on strike. I’m not excited for it.  

 

Tl;dr my HRV is getting better.

I've been tracking Heart Rate Variability (HRV)  for a while now. 

Here's the background on what I understand; I could be wrong.  The sympathetic system wants to speed up your heart rate and your parasympathetic system wants to slow it down.  When you're sleeping, breathing in activates the sympathetic system and breathing out activates the parasympathetic system - so when you're healthy and well rested your heart slips in and out of both systems and your heart rate is more variable.  When you're stressed, sick, injured, or overtrained your body gets stuck in the sympathetic system and works more like a metronome.

Before Covid my HRV was in the low 40s.  During the long Covid months my HRV was usually 13.  These last six weeks, when I started feeling human again, it's been up to the high 20s.  These last two days it's been 39 - a post-Covid PR and the only times it's been past 30.  

This was a long-winded way of saying I'm hopeful.

 

Thursday February 10, 2022 - Conditioning

I thought I would have a responsibility-free evening, but SlothChild (formerly SlothGirl) signed up for a cooking class and once again I was on chauffeur duty, but they were excited for the class which was nice to see.

 

KB Conditioning

Warm Up Circuit 3x5 at 12kg

2H Swing 10x7 at 24kg

KB Snatch 5x5/5 at 12kg

KB Snatch 8x5/5 at 16kg

The bells felt light and were flying up super easy.  I had to stop in the middle of the heavier snatch and help Slothboy cook.  When I came back I started tearing up my hands.  I think because I washed them a few times, even though they were dried, they soaked up enough water to be tender instead of their normal shoe-leather-like surface.  When I went to help him again I stopped training because no one wants shredded hands.  ETA: Zested hands would be more accurate.

 

Peace Out Nerd Friends.

[Sloth the Enduring]

Friday February 11, 2022

I probably say this a lot, my students are bonkers.  Having been out of the building for so long I forgot how excited they get for Valentine’s Day.  
 

Late last night I was searching for a KB program and Duck Duck Go showed me a couple of old challenges of mine. Apparently I’ve done it before ?  The nice thing about a failing memory is that so much is new again.  
 

The challenges were from just before the pandemic to just before George Floyd.  I was doing pretty well training (which I didn’t remember), but I was a complete mess of anxiety about trying to teach online and what my students and my kids were going through (which I remember very well).  All of you were super supportive and I owe you a large thank you.
 

Y’all are also funny.  

The way I write sets and reps confuses me. I think I was doing it differently before.  I seem to be about one bell size (4kg/ 9#) behind where I was then. All things considered, it’s amazing I’m catching up so quickly.  

 

Last night I also got on the trainer, but I took it kind of easy.  I had to stop at 39 minutes because the crank had worked itself loose.  It’ll be nice to have an easy little project.  
 

I restarted Thor and I’m glad I did.  
 

Peace out Nerd Friends.  

[KB Girl]

On 2/11/2022 at 9:08 PM, Sloth the Enduring said:

Tl;dr my HRV is getting better.

I've been tracking Heart Rate Variability (HRV)  for a while now. 

Here's the background on what I understand; I could be wrong.  The sympathetic system wants to speed up your heart rate and your parasympathetic system wants to slow it down.  When you're sleeping, breathing in activates the sympathetic system and breathing out activates the parasympathetic system - so when you're healthy and well rested your heart slips in and out of both systems and your heart rate is more variable.  When you're stressed, sick, injured, or overtrained your body gets stuck in the sympathetic system and works more like a metronome.

Before Covid my HRV was in the low 40s.  During the long Covid months my HRV was usually 13.  These last six weeks, when I started feeling human again, it's been up to the high 20s.  These last two days it's been 39 - a post-Covid PR and the only times it's been past 30.  

This was a long-winded way of saying I'm hopeful.

This is hopeful indeed! I've heard/read only good things about HRV tracking, so it seems extra meaningful to me

 

On 2/11/2022 at 9:08 PM, Sloth the Enduring said:

The bells felt light and were flying up super easy.  I had to stop in the middle of the heavier snatch and help Slothboy cook.  When I came back I started tearing up my hands.  I think because I washed them a few times, even though they were dried, they soaked up enough water to be tender instead of their normal shoe-leather-like surface.  When I went to help him again I stopped training because no one wants shredded hands.  ETA: Zested hands would be more accurate.

Oh yea, been there. Do not recommend. 

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

On 2/11/2022 at 2:08 PM, Sloth the Enduring said:

Heart Rate Variability

 

How are you tracking?

[Sloth the Enduring]

19 hours ago, KB Girl said:

This is hopeful indeed! I've heard/read only good things about HRV tracking, so it seems extra meaningful to me

 

Oh yea, been there. Do not recommend. 

I feel like KBs should come with a warning not to wash your hands before you snatch.  
 

Before I got sick I tracked it without out understanding it just because I like numbers and I was curious if it actually correlated with good workouts (somewhat). I never checked before I trained because I didn’t want a nocebo effect. 

 

19 hours ago, Chris-Tien Jinn said:

 

How are you tracking?

If you have a heart rate monitor that talks to your phone there are apps you can use. I used to use Sweetbeat HRV on @Machete’s suggestion.

 

My fitness watch (Polar Vantage M) tracks it automatically when you sleep.  The downside of this watches is that if you want a semblance of accuracy you have to wear them fairly tightly.  

[Sloth the Enduring]

Saturday February 12, 2022

I spent a lot of the day lazing around.  I hope to do the same today.
 

I did finish Thor.  As a superhero movie I give it ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars if the emojis aren’t there).  As a trainer movie I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars); it gets downgraded for not having enough chase scenes and the mayhem could be more frequent.  

 

In the evening I went to a friend’s for nerd night. Half of us were in person and the other half zoomed in.  I couldn’t get roll20 to work so I’m glad I was in person.  
 

Strength Day 

I dawdled until it was too late to get everything done.  After the warm ups and stuff I did one rung at the scheduled weight and then decided to test the rung above it. 
Trap Bar Dead Lift 1 set of 1, 2, 3, 4 reps (10 total reps) at 175# and 1 set at 1, 2, 3 reps (6 reps total) at 200#. 
KB Clean & Press 1 set of 1, 2, 3, 4 reps (10 total reps) at 16kg and 1 set at 1, 2, 3 reps (6 reps total) at 20kg.  
Those are both post-Covid PRs. I am super pleased at how fast the lifts are returning.  Now if only I could walk up the stairs without heaving my lungs out.  
 

When I started training again in December the best I could lift with a struggle was 100#/ 45kg, best press was 8kg/ 17#, best get up was 5#/ 2.5kg.  
 

Peace Out Nerd Friends.  

[aramis]

2 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

set of 1, 2, 3, 4 reps (10 total reps)

I'm a bit lost in those numbers. How exactly your set looks like? 

 

2 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

I am super pleased at how fast the lifts are returning.

Yeah, it is crazy how body remembers the moves. Good to hear this works for you.

2 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

Now if only I could walk up the stairs without heaving my lungs out

And this isn't good to hear. What did your doctor told you about it? Is it irreversible damage after COV or just needs time to heal up? 

[Sloth the Enduring]

1 hour ago, aramis said:

I'm a bit lost in those numbers. How exactly your set looks like? 

 

Yeah, it is crazy how body remembers the moves. Good to hear this works for you.

And this isn't good to hear. What did your doctor told you about it? Is it irreversible damage after COV or just needs time to heal up? 

I’m doing ladders which is a good way of getting a lot of reps in without a lot of fatigue. RKC and StrongFirst likes to program them. 
 

I don’t know how to write them so it easily makes sense. If I write 3x1, 2, 3 that means I did:

a set of 1 - rest - a set of 2 - rest - a set of 3 - rest

a set of 1 - text* - a set of 2 - rest - a set of 3 - rest

a set of 1 - rest - a set of 2 - rest - a set of 3 - finished

For 18 total reps.  Usually you use your 5 rep max. weight. 
*That was an autocorrect, but it was accurate enough to leave in. 
 

Ladder Method

 

Oh man, I’ve spent a lot of time and money on doctors - family - allergist - cardiologist- pulmonologist - and none of them found anything wrong except a little asthma, however my allergies have gone away.  The pulmonologist measured my lung capacity at ~80% expected and that’s still in the normal range.  However, when it was measured when I was bike racing, it was almost 110% expected so I can really feel the difference.  
 

Covid is a vascular disease; my pet theory, without any actual evidence, is that my red blood cells occasionally have a die off (the reoccurring metallic taste) and the endothelial layer of my arteries is impeding oxygen flow to the cells somehow.  
 

It’s gotten world’s better, but slowly; I think it just needs more time. 

[Shello]

I'm glad to hear your training is getting back to normal so quickly.   Do you find any improvement with consistent cardio or are you just winded everytime?  

[Sloth the Enduring]

59 minutes ago, Shello said:

I'm glad to hear your training is getting back to normal so quickly.   Do you find any improvement with consistent cardio or are you just winded everytime?  

Thanks. ?

 

As far as cardio goes, I can do zone 2 endurance for about 75 minutes, than I hit a wall.  This is encouraging; a couple summers ago the wall was at about 10 minutes, but I kept pushing through it until I had to sit on the curb for a long while until I could bike home. If I can work up another 22.75 hours of endurance I can start racing again ?

 

I have very little tolerance for harder endurance (like climbing up 4 flights of stairs with a pack) and I quickly end up gasping for air.  
 

I should wear a heart rate monitor and figure out what’s the hardest I can go without gasping.  

[Sloth the Enduring]

Sunday February 13, 2022 - unplanned rest day.  
 

I lazed around most of the day as I intended. Shortly after I put the space heater on the bells so I could train (unheated basement and the bells are like ice) I got a text from Mrs. Sloth that required a flurry of paperwork-type stuff from me.   
 

Mrs. Sloth and I went to a restaurant for the second time since the pandemic.  We thought there was a vaccine mandate, but that came and went already. 
 

We went to a vegan restaurant. I didn’t trust them to fill me up so I ordered two entrees.  The waitress gave me the side eye, maybe vegans don’t eat big.  Both entrees had giant mushrooms in them and I was tired of chewing by the end. Mrs. Sloth was very happy though.  Next time I’ll pre-eat.  
 

Peace out Nerds.  

[Rooks]

On 2/1/2022 at 10:26 AM, Shello said:

?   I hadn't noticed that until I read this!  

On 1/27/2022 at 9:59 AM, Sloth the Enduring said:

Almost as disappointed as when I discovered (just now) that our titles disappeared.

I think they still exist on your Profile page. It's your "rank" now. At least, I'm still "Lord of the Lifting Leaderboards". Pour one out for those.

 

On 2/2/2022 at 2:08 PM, Sloth the Enduring said:

350# / 160kg Trap Bar Dead Lift

24kg Press and Snatch

Hmmm, I don’t seem to have a measured pull; I should find one to work on. 

 

Isn't a deadlift a pull? 

 

On 2/3/2022 at 11:29 AM, Sloth the Enduring said:

Tony Stark is still unlikable.

 

On 2/7/2022 at 11:00 AM, Sloth the Enduring said:

The KB forum likes the kettlebell mile where the challenge is to walk a mile with a 24kg bell.

I once did a 6K where I carried a jerry can full of water the whole time. I think I completed it 3 seconds over 1 hour, although they didn't truly time us goons who actually wanted to carry the jerry cans. I was quite annoyed with myself that I didn't sub 1 hour that race. Anyway, long-winded way of saying, I trained for that race by doing this exact thing. Carried my 24kg bell around for 30 minutes a few times. 

Also, I apparently typed all this up, and was still like a week behind in your thread. I'll catch up with the rest tomorrow.

[Emma]

There is an awful lot that we just don’t know about long Covid still. Hang in there.

[Shello]

I just came across this article about long covid and exercise.   I'm not sure the links to original studies will carry over.  Anyway I found in it interesting, particularly the bit about the possible effects on your vascular system similar to chronic fatigue syndrome. 

Spoiler

How long Covid may be hindering patients' ability to exercise

These exercise-related problems are not just due to patients becoming out of shape, Moyer writes. According to David Systrom, a pulmonary and critical care physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital, the effects seen in long Covid patients are "very, very different from normal and simple detraining."

 

For example, a small study from Systrom and his colleagues found that while long Covid patients had normal chest CT scans and no problems with lung or heart function, some of their veins and arteries did not work properly during exercise. This prevented oxygen from reaching their muscles efficiently.

 

Although it is not clear why these blood vessel problems occur, another of Systrom's studies suggests that long Covid patients may experience damage to a specific nerve fiber related to organ and blood vessel functions.

 

Separately, a study published in The Physiological Society found that long Covid patients' heart rates may function differently than those who had never had Covid-19. In the study, the heart rates of women with long Covid did not accelerate as much or recover as quickly as other women after a six-minute walking test.

 

"Clearly, there's something going on that's interfering with that normal response," said Stephen Carter, an exercise physiologist at the Indiana University Bloomington School of Public Health and an author of the study.

 

Another potential explanation for long Covid patients' inability to exercise may be postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). According to Lambert, in patients with POTS, "the nervous system can't regulate the things it's supposed to automatically control, like heart rate, blood pressure, sweating and body temperature," which "are all things that when you're exercising need to be regulated properly."

 

Some doctors have also drawn parallels between patients with long Covid and patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, Moyer writes. Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome often experience memory and cognitive problems, muscle and joint pain, and severe fatigue. In addition, a study of 160 chronic fatigue syndrome patients found that many experienced the same blood vessel problems seen in long Covid patients when they exercised.

 

"We're essentially finding the exact same thing when it comes to potential mechanisms," said Systrom, one of the study's authors.

 

[Sloth the Enduring]

On 2/14/2022 at 11:01 PM, Rooks said:

I think they still exist on your Profile page. It's your "rank" now. At least, I'm still "Lord of the Lifting Leaderboards". Pour one out for those.

 

 

Isn't a deadlift a pull? 

 

 

I once did a 6K where I carried a jerry can full of water the whole time. I think I completed it 3 seconds over 1 hour, although they didn't truly time us goons who actually wanted to carry the jerry cans. I was quite annoyed with myself that I didn't sub 1 hour that race. Anyway, long-winded way of saying, I trained for that race by doing this exact thing. Carried my 24kg bell around for 30 minutes a few times. 

Also, I apparently typed all this up, and was still like a week behind in your thread. I'll catch up with the rest tomorrow.

I guess a deadlift is a pull. When I was rehabing my shoulder I kept reading that you need twice as many pills as pushes. I don’t know if DL are KB ballistics count as such.  But, I’m probably overthinking as my shoulders feel super-healthy when I kettlebell.  
 

That 3 seconds would bother me forever.  So, like 45# for an hour?  That’s impressive.  
 

Don’t bother catching up, just jump back in.  

 

6 hours ago, Emma said:

There is an awful lot that we just don’t know about long Covid still. Hang in there.

Thanks.  

 

2 hours ago, Shello said:

I just came across this article about long covid and exercise.   I'm not sure the links to original studies will carry over.  Anyway I found in it interesting, particularly the bit about the possible effects on your vascular system similar to chronic fatigue syndrome. 

  Reveal hidden contents

How long Covid may be hindering patients' ability to exercise

These exercise-related problems are not just due to patients becoming out of shape, Moyer writes. According to David Systrom, a pulmonary and critical care physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital, the effects seen in long Covid patients are "very, very different from normal and simple detraining."

 

For example, a small study from Systrom and his colleagues found that while long Covid patients had normal chest CT scans and no problems with lung or heart function, some of their veins and arteries did not work properly during exercise. This prevented oxygen from reaching their muscles efficiently.

 

Although it is not clear why these blood vessel problems occur, another of Systrom's studies suggests that long Covid patients may experience damage to a specific nerve fiber related to organ and blood vessel functions.

 

Separately, a study published in The Physiological Society found that long Covid patients' heart rates may function differently than those who had never had Covid-19. In the study, the heart rates of women with long Covid did not accelerate as much or recover as quickly as other women after a six-minute walking test.

 

"Clearly, there's something going on that's interfering with that normal response," said Stephen Carter, an exercise physiologist at the Indiana University Bloomington School of Public Health and an author of the study.

 

Another potential explanation for long Covid patients' inability to exercise may be postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). According to Lambert, in patients with POTS, "the nervous system can't regulate the things it's supposed to automatically control, like heart rate, blood pressure, sweating and body temperature," which "are all things that when you're exercising need to be regulated properly."

 

Some doctors have also drawn parallels between patients with long Covid and patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, Moyer writes. Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome often experience memory and cognitive problems, muscle and joint pain, and severe fatigue. In addition, a study of 160 chronic fatigue syndrome patients found that many experienced the same blood vessel problems seen in long Covid patients when they exercised.

 

"We're essentially finding the exact same thing when it comes to potential mechanisms," said Systrom, one of the study's authors.

 

Thanks for sharing that. When the long covid was bad I was treating it like CFS using tips from @Harriet

[Harriet]

8 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

Thanks for sharing that. When the long covid was bad I was treating it like CFS using tips from @Harriet

 

OH you have a challenge? Oh my, it's 111 pages long ? I'll see if I can't catch up a bit and see how you're doing!

[Sloth the Enduring]

10 hours ago, Harriet said:

 

OH you have a challenge? Oh my, it's 111 pages long ? I'll see if I can't catch up a bit and see how you're doing!

My battle log has been running off and on since 2014. I’m going to keep going until Spezzy tells me it’s so long that it’s breaking the forum. Anyway, don’t try to catch up. Just jump in.  

[Sloth the Enduring]

Monday February 14, 2022 - Valentine’s Day

This was my student’s first Valentine’s Day since 2nd grade. I had to tell them that they couldn’t bring candy in, because we’re the grinch.  They were allowed to bring in ‘healthy’ snacks, but only 3 kids did because that’s just not fun. I also passed out a bunch of healthyish snacks to fill out their bags some. 
 

At home it was pretty chill, we had a nice dinner in. Slothchild was super drama and mopey because they’re in middle school and it’s Valentine’s Day.  
 

Conditioning 

Warm up circuit - no abs - no get ups

2H Swing 10x8 at 24kg

KB Snatch 5X5/5 at 12kg

KB Snatch 6x5/5 at 16kg

I meant to do a lot more, but I made the mistake of thinking about how I was moving and my form got dangerously ugly and I couldn’t get it back.  
 

Tuesday February 15, 2022

I put off riding the trainer because I didn’t feel like tearing it apart to put it back together correctly, but when I started on it the only thing wrong was the bolts on the flywheel were loose which took about a minute to fix. 
45 minute trainer ride. Barely into zone 2.  Felt tired and meh. 
 

I watched the MCU Incredible Hulk. Great trainer movie. I finished it afterwards and when I was able to pay attention to it, it was downgraded to good enough for a tired evening.  
 

Wednesday February 16, 2022

Strike vote. All the schools I’ve heard about had 90% or better turnout which means a strike is very likely.  Hopefully the district and the union will settle during the “cooling off” phase because I don’t want to stop and restart school again.  
 

Strength

Warm Up Circuit 3x5 at 12kg

No abs - no get ups

KB Double Front Squat 3x5 at 16/16kg

Trap Bar DeadLift 3x1, 2, 3 at 200#
KB Clean & Press 3x2, 3, 4 at 16kg

 

Things are starting to feel good again.  

 

I bought the trap bar because it hardly takes up any space, it’s supposed to be easier on your back than either squats or DLs, but also the movement is supposed to be halfway between a deadlift and a squat.  Even using the low handles and keeping my hips low, it targets my posterior and ignores my quads.  Which is a long way round to say I’m going to start working up the front squat.  
 

Peace out Nerd Friends.  

[Scaly Freak]

3 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

My battle log has been running off and on since 2014. I’m going to keep going until Spezzy tells me it’s so long that it’s breaking the forum. 

 

At which point you will laugh manically and make it even longer! (I hope.   )

[Sloth the Enduring]

On 2/17/2022 at 2:21 PM, Scaly Freak said:

 

At which point you will laugh manically and make it even longer! (I hope.   )

Last time a thread got that long Spezzy just locked it and restarted a new version.  

[Sloth the Enduring]

Thursday February 17, 2022

Over 90% of teachers and staff voted to authorize a strike…

 

Slothchild is in a cooking class. They brought home a sushi hot dish (casserole).  Hot sushi is weird; I was the only one who liked it.  
 

Cardio!!!

 I rode the trainer for an hour. I would have gone longer, but I had to retrieve said child. 
 

I watched Captain America. I rate it at Its-good-but-it’s-kinda-slow for a trainer movie. As a superhero movie I rate it at whoa-that-was-good. Scoring is provisional until I finish the movie.  
 

I’m looking at the 2022 training calendar.  I didn’t plan any rest days because life gets in the way anyway. It looks like most of my days off were because I needed them though.  Also, my average resting heart rate has dropped below 60 again (58) after all those months at 70+. This pleases me.  

7 week average:
Strength 1.3 times/ week

KB Conditioning 1.3 times/week

Cardio 2 times/week

Rest 2.1 times/week

 

I would have guessed I was training more than that.  I might make a more formal schedule that has those two rest days planned for. A  benefit would be that I could work around family things, like cooking with the kids, better. The risk is that I hate being told what to do, even if it was by past-Sloth, and I might refuse to follow the plan.  
 

Peace Out Nerd Friends.  

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

1 hour ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

Last time a thread got that long Spezzy just locked it and restarted a new version.  

The Men Only thread. We actually closed out the second one of those as well.