You Better, You Better, You Bet.

[DanCR]

Black Husky Brewing.

My kind of place. Glad you had a fun time!

[lehman906]

Black Husky Brewing.

My kind of place. Glad you had a fun time!

It’s pretty great, and a great group of people. They put on a fun contest in August. Hopefully we get walk up music again-I would have to decide between the Avengers theme and Cody Rhodes’ entrance music because I’m a huge dork.

[lehman906]

5/9

Monsters in Monona is cancelled for this year. That sucks. I was pretty bummed when I read that email last night, but I'm trying to look at the positives.

Mostly it's fuck the duck walk. Just fuck that stupid event forever.

Next is that it gives me another two month "off season" to continue building a foundation to peak for the Battle at the Brewery in August. Whatever those events end up being. I am going to continue to focus on my deadlift. I would bet my mortgage that Tim will have at least one deadlift event at the Battle, and I've heard rumor of a Ukrainian Deadlift, which will be cool but weird. Either way, there's no downside to a strong deadlift.

You may notice some pretty additions to my muscle shop (muscles are on back order, but should arrive ANY DAY NOW). I got a dip station and a barbell stand in an online auction. I entered the auction (virgin territory for me) and THEN noticed that the pick up window was from 10-12 on Saturday morning, two hours SW in Illinois. Which is the exact same time as my kids' swim meet 30 min north of me. While I'm single-parenting for the weekend. So that was some interesting logistics to overcome, but it all ended up working out, and now my home gym is even prettier. Except when the cat barfs on my mats. Horrible little gremlin.

I've been working my way up the low incline bench press using Greg Nuckols super simple linear progression: start at a weight you can get for 15 reps, then add a set amount of weight each session until you get down to 6 reps or so, then repeat with a higher weight. Try to make it take as long as possible. I'm actually following that up with direct arm work, which I never stick to for more than 2-3 weeks. And abs! I'm doing ab work and bicep curls....who even am I?

Mr "I'm never squatting again" is, of course, squatting again. Thanks, ADD! I'm doing Zercher squats because they tick so many boxes. Carrying the load in the elbows works the upper back, and forces me to stay vertical, which is easier on my back. Keeping my feet wider will help with stone picks (and duck walk, althoughhhhh), and it also makes me stay very conservative with my numbers. Might even help build some more booty, which is never a disadvantage.

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[DanCR]

Mr "I'm never squatting again" is, of course, squatting again. Thanks, ADD! I'm doing Zercher squats because they tick so many boxes. Carrying the load in the elbows works the upper back, and forces me to stay vertical, which is easier on my back. Keeping my feet wider will help with stone picks (and duck walk, althoughhhhh), and it also makes me stay very conservative with my numbers. Might even help build some more booty, which is never a disadvantage.

I've started in on Zerchers so many times and never last more than like two weeks, largely because "normal" squats are a very good movement for me personally and it's just too easy to go back to them. I love so much about Zerchers. Rooting for you to stick with them and see what gainzzz you reap.

[lehman906]

Every single time I've tried to squat consistently, back, front, or SSB, I have eventually tweaked my back. Squats and barbell rows have led to the vast majority of back tweaks I've had. Not deadlifts, not stones, not running with 240 lbs in each hand, not overhead pressing on uneven ground. Squats. So I'm hoping that this might be the one way I can use a barbell and I won't be limited to only belt squats. If I can be as patient as Mike Tuscherer was during his rehab, I should be okay, but I'm not great with being patient.

[DanCR]

Every single time I've tried to squat consistently, back, front, or SSB, I have eventually tweaked my back. Squats and barbell rows have led to the vast majority of back tweaks I've had. Not deadlifts, not stones, not running with 240 lbs in each hand, not overhead pressing on uneven ground. Squats. So I'm hoping that this might be the one way I can use a barbell and I won't be limited to only belt squats. If I can be as patient as Mike Tuscherer was during his rehab, I should be okay, but I'm not great with being patient.

Same. Did it squatting multiple times, never deadlifting. As a result and in an effort to ensure that it never happens again, I rebuilt my squat into a quad dominant movement in which, although of course there is hip hinge, it’s entirely incidental. I break to descend by pulling up the floor (a cue that initially was to pull the thighs up, h/t @SeanHerbison), keeping midfoot pressure, and my hips just go where they need to go. There is zero pushing back into my lower back descending, or pushing up with it ascending. All of that may work well for Zerchers too since you have the more particular incentive to stay upright.

[lehman906]

5/19
The bummer-ness of not having that contest has largely worn off, and now I'm able to work on the things that I want to work on. Mostly this means how can I work all of the toys into my training while (as always) trying not to overdo it. I have a goal of trying to do SOMETHING every day, and hopefully this will mean doing more conditioning and ab work, since those may be the only options if other bodyparts are fatigued. I dunno. Can't hurt, right? I suppose I can find a way that it would. Anyway, split jerks are feeling a little better, and the Ukrainian booty blaster deadlift is fun to play with. Exercises like that and Jefferson curls get me to actually stretch a little bit, so that's fun. I'm doing Glute-hams on an actual GH bench, and man is it so much better than trying to do them with my door attachment. I actually have a little muscle in my calves while doing them! Anyway, here's what I've been doing, and I'll probably be on my rower tomorrow morning. I think I got the copyright strike because I was watching Beavis and Butthead while rowing, but that's pretty anabolic, (#science) so I'll just have to deal with it.

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[lehman906]

5/26

The events are out for Battle at the Brewery in August. Down AND BACK with both yoke and frame? What kind of sadist does that? I said "blerg" in response to these events enough times that my buddy reminded me that I don't HAVE to do the contest. Honestly, though, the thought of not doing it never crossed my mind. As dumb as it sounds, the blerg is my why. I never want to not do something because I'm afraid that I can't do it or afraid of being bad at it. That's the whole reason to do it in the first place. At least that's what I keep telling myself when I force myself to get on the rower or do mobility stuff.

The lifting during the week went well, with numbers going up in everything without redlining. Contrary to the #riseandgrind influencers, I rise and don't grind. No grindy reps, but lots of consistent, fully controlled reps. Except on curls. Curls go to failure, every time. I'm pretty sure that's one of Newton's laws.

Event training was back to another intro. Yoke we did last year, and it always sucks and always shall suck. Forever and ever, amen. That's just the nature of yoke. We realized that while we had done frame deadlift before, neither of us ever trained frame carry, so that's new. Those handles are wiiiiiide. That'll take some getting used to. And circus dumbbell hasn't been a part of my life in ten years, hence my issues with the 100 lb empty bell. I'll get it pretty quick, it just takes relearning the technique and improving my shoulder mobility. Which is why I was doing those terrible Jefferson curls and DB windmills at the end. Man, I'm stiff (#TWSS), but those and some light and slow behind the neck stuff should help. I tried out seated French presses instead of lying tricep extension to get more of that vertical stretch as well, but not sure if I'll keep them. Might go back to old reliable. Tomorrow will probably just be rower and abs, then start the whole process all over again.

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[DanCR]

As dumb as it sounds, the blerg is my why. I never want to not do something because I'm afraid that I can't do it or afraid of being bad at it. That's the whole reason to do it in the first place. At least that's what I keep telling myself when I force myself to get on the rower or do mobility stuff.

It doesn’t sound dumb. It’s a large part of why I’m gonna start this awful sounding KB challenge today.

Except on curls. Curls go to failure, every time. I'm pretty sure that's one of Newton's laws.

I totally agree.

Exceeeeept… last year I got into this thing of trying to get stronger at curls, as opposed to just bigger biceps, and I found that doing more “practice” reps than grinding/failing reps was very useful. I think they’re more of a compound movement than folks realize and can be trained similarly.

I hate myself for writing that.

[lehman906]

Except on curls. Curls go to failure, every time. I'm pretty sure that's one of Newton's laws.

I totally agree.

Exceeeeept… last year I got into this thing of trying to get stronger at curls, as opposed to just bigger biceps, and I found that doing more “practice” reps than grinding/failing reps was very useful. I think they’re more of a compound movement than folks realize and can be trained similarly.

I hate myself for writing that.

No, I get it. I tend to feel them a bit in my rear delts the next day as well, and I don't mind that at all. You can't have too much upper back work. Honestly, it probably keeps me doing them, because I just don't care that much, and whatever biceps I have came much more from strongman events and pull ups.

[lehman906]

6/2
Very uneventful week of training. I hit at least the minimum numbers each day for each lift, and outside of bench and deadlift, I usually exceeded them, so that's something I should keep in mind. Good practice for using all of that Stoicism I read about to reframe things in my mind.

Ugh, 3 reps was an RPE 10 on the bench with 225 -------> I hit 225x3 on a non-competition lift that I have not made a priority.

Ugh, 3 reps was an RPE 10 on deadlift with only 405----> I hit 405x3 at 7 in the morning, on vacation, on an empty stomach, on bad sleep because of a house full of dogs and baby. It really is my "3 AM weight."

Ugh, I don't have it to do any real training after driving back -----> I can still do arms and catch a pump, and the guy in the grocery store thought I was a crossfitter because of my shirt and arms. Actually he said he was new to CrossFit, so maybe he just wanted to talk about CrossFit. That kinda tracks. Whatever. Sick pump, bro.

Ugh, I didn't get to train events this weekend -----------> I got to go tubing with my kids AND got to have a superhero moment when I jumped from the pontoon to the dock and managed to keep it from crashing into the speed boat with one hand, which made me feel a LITTLE bit like Chris Evans in the helicopter scene in Winter Soldier. Another moment where I realize that though I stress out and compare myself to monstrously strong people, to a lot of genpop, I AM that person. Like the trainer at that gym that was impressed with my 365 lb back off sets on Deadlift while I was moping about how weak I was feeling. Reframe. Keep the facts the facts, but tell yourself a better story.

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[DanCR]

I got to go tubing with my kids AND got to have a superhero moment when I jumped from the pontoon to the dock and managed to keep it from crashing into the speed boat with one hand, which made me feel a LITTLE bit like Chris Evans in the helicopter scene in Winter Soldier. Another moment where I realize that though I stress out and compare myself to monstrously strong people, to a lot of genpop, I AM that person. Like the trainer at that gym that was impressed with my 365 lb back off sets on Deadlift while I was moping about how weak I was feeling. Reframe. Keep the facts the facts, but tell yourself a better story.

This was a very good paragraph.

Also: duly noted.

[lehman906]

I got to go tubing with my kids AND got to have a superhero moment when I jumped from the pontoon to the dock and managed to keep it from crashing into the speed boat with one hand, which made me feel a LITTLE bit like Chris Evans in the helicopter scene in Winter Soldier. Another moment where I realize that though I stress out and compare myself to monstrously strong people, to a lot of genpop, I AM that person. Like the trainer at that gym that was impressed with my 365 lb back off sets on Deadlift while I was moping about how weak I was feeling. Reframe. Keep the facts the facts, but tell yourself a better story.

This was a very good paragraph.

Also: duly noted.

Thank you. I'm very good at realizing how I SHOULD be thinking about things. Actually regulating my thoughts and emotions is a much different story.

[TurtleBear]

Ugh, I didn't get to train events this weekend -----------> I got to go tubing with my kids AND got to have a superhero moment when I jumped from the pontoon to the dock and managed to keep it from crashing into the speed boat with one hand, which made me feel a LITTLE bit like Chris Evans in the helicopter scene in Winter Soldier. Another moment where I realize that though I stress out and compare myself to monstrously strong people, to a lot of genpop, I AM that person. Like the trainer at that gym that was impressed with my 365 lb back off sets on Deadlift while I was moping about how weak I was feeling. Reframe. Keep the facts the facts, but tell yourself a better story.

Man solid work on the training. You said uneventful but its solid honest work.

And this is also good advice. I tend to be pretty good about this outside of training, but its weird how the story completely changes when Im evaluating my work in the gym.

Appreciate the reminder

[lehman906]

Ugh, I didn't get to train events this weekend -----------> I got to go tubing with my kids AND got to have a superhero moment when I jumped from the pontoon to the dock and managed to keep it from crashing into the speed boat with one hand, which made me feel a LITTLE bit like Chris Evans in the helicopter scene in Winter Soldier. Another moment where I realize that though I stress out and compare myself to monstrously strong people, to a lot of genpop, I AM that person. Like the trainer at that gym that was impressed with my 365 lb back off sets on Deadlift while I was moping about how weak I was feeling. Reframe. Keep the facts the facts, but tell yourself a better story.

Man solid work on the training. You said uneventful but its solid honest work.

And this is also good advice. I tend to be pretty good about this outside of training, but its weird how the story completely changes when Im evaluating my work in the gym.

Appreciate the reminder

If anything, I'm the opposite. I can manage this in the gym some of the time but have to fight like hell to keep this mindset outside of it.