well not baseball but kettlebells. talk about a cardio workout, heaving and drenched i made it through 15 minutes of hell.
k-bell swings 16kg 210 total
hammer swings 5lb 75 total
curls with bands 100 total
also lined up my weekend and a few possible interviews. i am thinking of trying the strongman stuff. the format has changed. might take the chance to walk away with a few bucks.
what an appropriate song and artist for this wonderful day. yup it is that time of year when a zombie rises and a bunny leaves colored hard boiled eggs and chocolate effigies of itself. enjoy the sugar high and egg farts but beware of anyone craving brains...
after a couple days of rest i swung the kettlebell...
1 arm swings 16kg 150 total
2 arm snatch 24kg 3 sets 5 reps
med ball extensions 12lb ball 15 reps 2 sets
ball twists 12lb ball 50 reps
coc trainer 5 reps 2 sets, #1 3 reps 2 sets #2 3 reps
imtug #4 10 reps 2 sets #5 3 reps 2 sets
coc trainer 20 each hand
coc #2 negative hold 20seconds each hand
that is it....looking forward to next weekend. Europa Show of Champions and a couple great friends coming down.
Yeah how I feel lately...knee, shoulder, spirit. But as usual I will not be defeated. I try to inject something positive everyday despite the crap. I see people running their mouths and fingers and I call BS. Sometimes it is to educate and help, other times it is to lay the hammer down. Really why and how can people be so thin skinned, mean, and nasty? The funny thing is I wonder how many of these people can do it in real life?
Well that lead me to a wonderful workout....
Seated press on Smith machine 225x2 5 sets
Upright rows on Smith machine 185x6 6 sets
Dumbbell Raises 20x15 8 sets ---- these hurt!
Close Grip Press 275x1 5 sets
Pushdowns 50x15 8 sets
Yeah this song spoke to me today. I got here somehow but those that left scars do not matter, even the ones that don't know they hurt me. So I move on, temper the hate and frustration with some iron...
Rack Pulls 755 5 singles
HS Iso Row 1-arm 135x6 6 sets
Low Row with Rope 1-arm 100x5 5 sets
Face Pulls with Rope 100x10 10 sets
Decided to check my weight...ugggh! 247?!? Guess I better increase the cardio.
Going to hit 90...Looks like the AC stays on, I dread the electric bill. So instead of marching my butt to the gym I stayed in and battled my intestines. Something I ate feels like an ALIEN trying to escape. Sad part is my dog is feeling the same...
Well I managed to suffer through some training....
Kettlebell Swings 120 total 16kg bell
Hammer Swings 60 total 5lb hammer
Turkish Getups 20 total 16kg bell
Ball Raise and Extension 30 total 12lb ball
Ball Twist 60 total 12lb ball
Ball Bend 30 total 12lb ball
COC trainer 10 each hand 6 sets
That was good enough for me. tomorrow looks like a good day to hammer my back.
Well I decided to put myself through hell for 2 weeks. I mean what else does an unemployed strongman do?
Yes I continue to look for work, but I have a lot of time on my hands...2 weeks you ask? Well I will be hanging out with a couple friends and helping RX Muscle cover the Europa Show of Champions. I want to challenge myself and see what I can do....
Today it poured rain so instead of going to the gym I dug out the kettlebells and Captains of Crush.
Swings 100 total
Snatch/C+P 30 each
Front Squat/Overhead Squat 30 each
Renegade Lunge 100 total
COC trainer 5 each hand
COC #1 5 sets 3 Reps
COC #2 Negative holds 15 count, 3 sets each hand
Imtug #4 5/5/5 3 sets each hand ---- top 2 fingers/middle 2 fingers/ bottom 2 fingers
COC trainer 20 reps each hand
Also I warmed up and stretched pretty good beforehand. To add to my pain I will do some more stretching later, possibly yoga...
And finally before I go....Opinions and principles are 2 different things. State one and live by the other. Learn tact though when uttering your opinions, not everyone likes what you or I think.
So the leg is not as bad as I thought. Sore and tight, no swelling or bruising. YAY me. Definitely did not hurt walking down the stairs this morning. I will probably avoid any standing movements for the next week and no leg work for sure.
Really sucks to try and push myself and not think about getting hurt. No job and no insurance make it tough to think of going all out. Somehow I still do it, guess it is the warrior in me. But what could I do without this hanging over me?
I am back to just waiting for a call or email...What does someone have to do to get a job? I am not asking for much more than a chance to prove myself. Well at least get to watch a lot of movies...
Keeerist! Could it suck more? Well the answer is yes!! I think after my little weekend pity party it was time to kill some weights. Got up early headed to the gym to beat the heat and started with leg press. Feeling really good I bumped the weights 180lbs a set. 360,540,720....900!! Did 3 sets of 8 with the 900, fourth set I got 4 and POP!!!
Something went above my left knee. Gimped my way to the locker room to check...no bruising, but it hurts. Called it a day and walked home. That was ok for about 10 minutes then the pain set in and I still had a flight of stairs to climb. Icing it and took some aspirin. I can feel it swelling up as I type....
Got back to the gym, well rested and fueled by some serious stupidity. Nothing irks me more than censorship... Don't say that, don't be that way, don't do that...All society today wants are sheep. Individuals will be put down and made to feel inferior. Well FUCK THEM!
Anyway...I pressed yesterday. was a true test to see how my shoulder healed up. push press 205,225,245x1
split press 155x2 5sets
hi-pulls 315 5x5
reverse grip press 275x2 5sets
pushdowns 100x10 5sets drops 80,60,40,20
Shoulder felt tight and sore. Iced it and stretched it...felt much better.
Today I did deadlifts.... deficit deads on 2"box 405x8 singles ---bout tore off a callous
squat machine--facing in-- 540x8 5 sets
standing leg curls 100x8 5 sets
pull thrus 100x10 5 sets
wrist curls--2 ways-- 135,155,185x10 135x10
hammer curls 100x4 3 sets 80,60,40x4 20x10
So far I feel good. Let's see what happens later..
Something about that song just gets me wired...even the original version by U2...quite appropriate on this dreary day too. Would like to see some blue sky, could use it to cheer me up. This job hunting is really getting me down and affecting my attitude towards a lot of other things. Application after application sent and I just wait. Wait for an email or phone call, good or bad! What really bothers me is that a piece of paper means more to some companies than experience and ability. Guess I should just apply to McDonalds.
Anyway enough of me griping and whining....
It begins again maybe a bit early but I have set my focus on 2 competitions this year. Central Florida Strongman Championship and Masters Nationals. CFL is in July and Masters is in November...plenty of time to get ready and decide if I want to compete as a heavyweight or lightweight. I could also double down at CFL and compete as an open middle and heavy master, the weights are the same!
Well the events for both competitions are good and look like fun. The main goal I have is to finish all the events and get points. But my real goal for CFL is to press that 275lb axle! 2 years in a row it has handed me my ass. now it is my turn to beat it...
I am gearing my training for that press but also keeping the other events in mind. Going to follow a push/pull program that focuses on gym lifts that will help my events. Hoping to get in an event day every other week. Somewhere in there I will throw in conditioning work with kettlebells.
But why? Well...the last 2 weeks I have been able to see a friend win 2 bodybuilding competitions. His second coming after finding out a close family member passed away the morning he was to compete. He inspired me to step up my game even during this trying time for me.
