Escape from Wichita Falls

[SnakePlissken]

1ct Bench
3x2x235
3x5x220

Beltless Front Squats
10x160
10x165
10x165

Curls
4x10x75

BW Planks
3x0:40, 1 min rest

[SnakePlissken]

Titan Bike
15 min LISS
4.7 mi
122 Cal

[SnakePlissken]

1ct Bench
5x145
4x175
3x205
2x3x220
2x2x235

Power Rows
3x10x155

Beltless Deads
5x5x310

RDLs
10x260
2x10x235

Bench is feeling really strong right now and so is my upper back. Just feeling jacked in general.

[SnakePlissken]

1ct Bench, AMRAP @85%
6x250, RPE 9.5 (PR)
Last rep was still pretty clean form and could've gone for a 7th rep, but it would've been ugly.

Beltless Front Squat, AMRAP @70%
11x190, RPE 9

BoRs
3x10x165

BW Situps, EMOMs
Was going to start this block with 15s, but the last set was too much for an intro week, so I think I'm going to do 3/4/5x12s for EMOMs
x15
x15
x12

[SnakePlissken]

1ct Bench
5x5x225

Front Squats
4x8x180

Curls
4x10x80

BW Planks
4x0:40, 1 min rest

[SnakePlissken]

Titan Bike, LISS
15 min
4.9 mi
134 Cal

[SnakePlissken]

1ct Bench
8x145
6x180
2x4x210
2x3x240

Power Rows
4x10x165

Beltless Deadlifts (forgot my belt)
3x5x335

RDLs
Top 10x270, RPE 8
3x8x240
Was supposed to do a Top 8 but did 10 on accident

BW SItups
4x12, EMOMs

[SnakePlissken]

1ct Bench
8x240, RPE 10 (PR)
This was an ugly 8th rep, but it went up faster than some of the other RPE 10s I've done

JM Press
3x10x45lb
/SS/
BoRs
4x10x170, RPE 5-7

Front Squats w/ Belt
8x215, RPE 9
2x6x215 backoffs

Banded Flies
x30 w/ Black Band
x30 w/ Black and Red Band
x25 w/ Purple Band

[SnakePlissken]

Had a rough day I think because of sleep. My dog woke me up 3 days in a row over the weekend around 5:30 and I didn't get the best sleep any of those nights so I'm glad this is done.

1ct Bench
4x3x240, RPE 7-10
3x6x225, RPE 8-9

Front Squat w/ Belt
5x5x220, RPE 6-8

Curls
10x80
11x80
11x80
12x80

BW Planks
5x0:40, 1 min rest

[SnakePlissken]

Titan Bike
3x5:00
5.4 mi
172 Cal

[SnakePlissken]

1ct Bench
8x150
2x6x180
2x5x210
2x4x225
3x3x240

Power Rows
3x10x170
2x10x175

Deadlift w/ Belt
8x360, RPE 9

RDLs
Top 10x285, RPE 8
4x8x255

[SnakePlissken]

1ct Bench, 80% AMRAP
8x240, RPE 10 (same as last week, no PR)

BoRs
4x10@175
/SS/
JM Press
3x10@50

Front Squats w/ Belt
8x195 (forgot to up weight and wondered why I was 2 reps over my goal easily)
6x235, RPE 10 (sweaty, bar slipping off my shoulders from rounding too)
4x235 backoff

BW Situps
5x12, EMOMs

Listening to a lot of metal again and rediscovering some artists and good albums. Listening to a lot of Testemant lately and this was on during my Bench rep max attempt and it almost got me a 9th rep.

[Renascent]

Listening to a lot of metal again and rediscovering some artists and good albums. Listening to a lot of Testemant lately and this was on during my Bench rep max attempt and it almost got me a 9th rep.

Maybe it's a seasonal thing (or something in the water), but I've been leaning into metal a lot lately as well. I've slept on Testament for years, but I've finally gotten around to sampling bits and pieces of The Legacy.

This is probably a weird gripe, but I kinda wish their songs were longer.

[SnakePlissken]

Listening to a lot of metal again and rediscovering some artists and good albums. Listening to a lot of Testemant lately and this was on during my Bench rep max attempt and it almost got me a 9th rep.

Maybe it's a seasonal thing (or something in the water), but I've been leaning into metal a lot lately as well. I've slept on Testament for years, but I've finally gotten around to sampling bits and pieces of The Legacy.

This is probably a weird gripe, but I kinda wish their songs were longer.

I had never really listened to Testament much either, but I got back into 90s metal and found this album and just felt it. When the days are shorter I'm lifting at dusk and dark outside and it fits the mood well.

[DCR]

I have a complicated relationship with Testament. I never thought much of their four classic era albums, which in my opinion pale in comparison to what Slayer/Megadeth/Metallica were doing during that time. (I am not an Anthrax fan but easily could include them as well in that statement.) Like all second tier thrash, my feeling was that they were held back by (1) riffs that weren't nearly as distinctive, save for the two/three well known tracks from each record; and (2) perhaps more importantly, a vocalist who couldn't sell corny thrash lyrics (or just not be corny in the first place). Further souring me, I saw them play (in a club in Old Bridge, New Jersey) and they sucked. To be fair Dave Lombardo had joined the band like days prior and had no idea what he was doing yet; Chuck kept turning around and looking at him like, "Wtf dude?" Worse, though, for me personally, was that I always liked to see a band make at least some effort at taking the shit seriously, and they didn't at all. Rather than a seance, it was mostly a beer bar Wednesday night. Chuck spent half the set just shouting out old friends and comrades, including Louie Clemente who was there for some reason. Louie got like a dozen shout outs.

That said, I am a big fan of all the mid period death metal stuff that nearly everyone else hates. Demonic? Yes. Low? Fuck yes. The Gathering? Overrated but yeah, give me a helping. I lost track after that but people seem to like the late period stuff, although it's always seemed to be the same people who think late period Exodus is awesome and no thank you.

This exchange caused me to pull out The Legacy. Unfortunately, as I recalled: "Over the Wall" and "Alone in the Dark" are classic, distinctive tracks. Skolnick fucking rips. But... not much else to write home about.

[Renascent]

... people who think late period Exodus is awesome and no thank you.

I've discovered I feel the same way about later Exodus stuff. As goofy as Paul Baloff's delivery came across, he was the best they had, in my opinion.

I've seen similar opinions expressed about Testament's later work (and in general). I think, for myself, I'm enjoying hearing new riffs that I haven't memorized over the past 20 years or so.

[SnakePlissken]

I have a complicated relationship with Testament. I never thought much of their four classic era albums, which in my opinion pale in comparison to what Slayer/Megadeth/Metallica were doing during that time. (I am not an Anthrax fan but easily could include them as well in that statement.) Like all second tier thrash, my feeling was that they were held back by (1) riffs that weren't nearly as distinctive, save for the two/three well known tracks from each record; and (2) perhaps more importantly, a vocalist who couldn't sell corny thrash lyrics (or just not be corny in the first place). Further souring me, I saw them play (in a club in Old Bridge, New Jersey) and they sucked. To be fair Dave Lombardo had joined the band like days prior and had no idea what he was doing yet; Chuck kept turning around and looking at him like, "Wtf dude?" Worse, though, for me personally, was that I always liked to see a band make at least some effort at taking the shit seriously, and they didn't at all. Rather than a seance, it was mostly a beer bar Wednesday night. Chuck spent half the set just shouting out old friends and comrades, including Louie Clemente who was there for some reason. Louie got like a dozen shout outs.

That said, I am a big fan of all the mid period death metal stuff that nearly everyone else hates. Demonic? Yes. Low? Fuck yes. The Gathering? Overrated but yeah, give me a helping. I lost track after that but people seem to like the late period stuff, although it's always seemed to be the same people who think late period Exodus is awesome and no thank you.

This exchange caused me to pull out The Legacy. Unfortunately, as I recalled: "Over the Wall" and "Alone in the Dark" are classic, distinctive tracks. Skolnick fucking rips. But... not much else to write home about.

Never seen them live before and never listened to their stuff much, but a lot of my playlist was getting stale so I started looking outward and usually enjoy different riffs after a while. I never listen to lyrics in metal so usually when I like a song everyone else hates it's because the lyrics are trash. Testament feels like a generic band, but honestly The Ritual is an album I've really liked the past few days until I return to something else.

[DCR]

I've discovered I feel the same way about later Exodus stuff. As goofy as Paul Baloff's delivery came across, he was the best they had, in my opinion.

I'm on board with that. They could always play - my issue with the later stuff (especially the Rob Dukes stuff) is that it crossed my personal line for tough guy nonsense. Shovel Headed Kill Machine? Brahs...

I've seen similar opinions expressed about Testament's later work (and in general). I think, for myself, I'm enjoying hearing new riffs that I haven't memorized over the past 20 years or so.

Never seen them live before and never listened to their stuff much, but a lot of my playlist was getting stale so I started looking outward and usually enjoy different riffs after a while. I never listen to lyrics in metal so usually when I like a song everyone else hates it's because the lyrics are trash. Testament feels like a generic band, but honestly The Ritual is an album I've really liked the past few days until I return to something else.

I feel this. Half of why I still make an effort to listen to every new thing, as opposed to just sticking with my dozens of old favs, is this: the endless search for new riffage. (The other half is FOMO, and of course pointlessly because it's so rare that I hear anything worthy of my attention such that it would be worth turning off Rust in Peace.)

This all put me on a huge Testament binge over the weekend. My opinion of the first five remains unchanged - generic, not good enough, but also I like metal and therefore can enjoy them just fine. I do like The Ritual more than anything that preceded it. I also still love the three following records, especially Low, which is an all-timer for me. (In retrospect, I never realized how much it clearly was influenced by what Machine Head and their ilk were doing at the time.)

The surprise was that I started digging into the shit post The Gathering and, despite my snarky comparison to later Exodus (or at least its fans)... I'm really enjoying a lot of it. Was really not expecting that, and it's great to have a few untouched albums to discover, from a sound with which I'm pleasantly familiar.

[SnakePlissken]

1ct Bench
4x3@255, RPE 8-10
3x8@210, RPE 7-10
I figured the triples would be way harder than they felt. Feeling ready for a 300 bench attempt next thursday

Front Squat w/ Belt
1x230
1x235
1x240

Curls
4x12@80

BW Planks
3x0:45, 1 min rest

[SnakePlissken]

Titan Bike, LISS
15 min
5.1 mi
149 Cal