ActivitiesGuy Log II: Kettlebells + Yoga

[quote]dagill2 wrote:

[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:
This also convinces me that I should be good for way more than 350 (my current gym PR in this portion of my lifting lifetime, anyway) if I had to pull a true max single. Still going to be conservative, aiming for a 405 pull by Christmas.[/quote]

Race you?[/quote]

Sure thing. I’m not going to compromise my training to get it first, lol, but I think Christmas is a reasonable time frame.

It’s on the first page of this long, but I would like to hit the following 4 milestones all around the same time:

KB Snatch 100 x 53
Deadlift 1 x 405
Power Clean 1 x 225
20 Pull-ups

Figure that would be a nice blend of conditioning, top-end strength, explosiveness, and bodyweight skill. Staying well-rounded and hopefully looking pretty good as well. Honestly, would be happy to hit those and maintain that level of fitness for the next 20 years.

Sunday 9/20

Deadlift

1x315
1x315
1x315
1x315
1x325
1x325
1x335
1x335
1x345
1x345
1x365 (recent PR)

Lat Pulldowns

5 x 10 x 100

DB Clean-N-Press

5 x 2 x 75

[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:

[quote]dagill2 wrote:

[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:
This also convinces me that I should be good for way more than 350 (my current gym PR in this portion of my lifting lifetime, anyway) if I had to pull a true max single. Still going to be conservative, aiming for a 405 pull by Christmas.[/quote]

Race you?[/quote]

Sure thing. I’m not going to compromise my training to get it first, lol, but I think Christmas is a reasonable time frame.

It’s on the first page of this long, but I would like to hit the following 4 milestones all around the same time:

KB Snatch 100 x 53
Deadlift 1 x 405
Power Clean 1 x 225
20 Pull-ups

Figure that would be a nice blend of conditioning, top-end strength, explosiveness, and bodyweight skill. Staying well-rounded and hopefully looking pretty good as well. Honestly, would be happy to hit those and maintain that level of fitness for the next 20 years.[/quote]

I have similar goals in the back of my head for the time I reach the big 30. I’m focusing on a few non-competing ones at a time though because last time I tried to train for everything at once, I spent half a year spinning my wheels.

The RKC snatch test is something I’d love to train for more regularly for sure.

^I have had the problem of choosing goals that didn’t really support one another in the past, too, but I think that these goals should work together. I really would like to think that improving my max deadlift training for the RKC snatch test will help one another (or at worst be neutral). Those all seem like reasonable standards that a 200-pound male with an athletic background should reasonably be able to reach and hold, right?


Monday 9/21

Deadlift

6 x 1 x 315
10 x 225

Bench Press

5x135
5x145
5x155
5x165
5x185
5x195
10x135

Started to deadlift heavy again (tomorrow and Wednesday are both going to be early days, so no gym trip…) but did not feel that good after a couple reps of 315 were much harder than they should have been, so I just shut it down and moved over to the bench press, a lift that I’ve basically been ignoring lately, to get something else entirely.

Tomorrow

[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:
^I have had the problem of choosing goals that didn’t really support one another in the past, too, but I think that these goals should work together. I really would like to think that improving my max deadlift training for the RKC snatch test will help one another (or at worst be neutral). Those all seem like reasonable standards that a 200-pound male with an athletic background should reasonably be able to reach and hold, right?
[/quote]
I hope so, I’ll let you know in 20 years or so

Tuesday 9/22

KB Swing 15 x 10 x 88

Wednesday 9/23

KB Swings 15 x 10 x 88

Thursday 9/24

Deadlift

5x135
5x185
1x225
1x225
1x275
1x275
1x315
1x315

14 x 1 x 325

Nice stuff here. These all felt very clean and strong. Still grinding towards that 405 pull. Slow and steady wins the race, at least the way I’m defining the race, haha. The heavy KB swings and DL’s compliment one another quite nicely.

Friday 9/25

Deadlift

5x135
5x185
1x225
1x225
1x275
1x275
1x315
1x315
1x325
1x325
1x335
1x335
1x345
1x345

CONDITIONING

A1. Deadlift 1x315
A2. 5 Pull-ups

Four rounds.

Saturday 9/26

Bikram Yoga (90 Minutes)

[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:
(This isn’t some “IT ONLY COUNTS IF IT’S 100% RAW BRO” machismo attitude; I understand and agree with the school of thought that says equipment that helps you target the desired muscle better is a good thing. It’s just a preference of mine. And grip REALLY should not be a limiting factor at weights this light!)
[/quote]

Just thought I’d mention that this made it onto Pwnisher’s blog.

[quote]nighthawkz wrote:

[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:
(This isn’t some “IT ONLY COUNTS IF IT’S 100% RAW BRO” machismo attitude; I understand and agree with the school of thought that says equipment that helps you target the desired muscle better is a good thing. It’s just a preference of mine. And grip REALLY should not be a limiting factor at weights this light!)
[/quote]

Just thought I’d mention that this made it onto Pwnisher’s blog.
[/quote]

Amazingly the inspiration came from a reddit post, but it’s a common enough sentiment. And to be super honest, most of the things I write about are things I’ve experienced first hand, haha.

Sunday 9/27

Deadlift

5x135
5x185
1x225
1x225
1x275
1x275
1x315
1x315
1x335
1x335
1x365
1x365
1x375 (recent PR)
1x375
1x375
1x375

CONDITIONING

A1. Deadlift 1x315
A2. 5 Pull-ups

Seven rounds.


Very happy with the four strong singles at 375.

405 is definitely coming soon.

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:

[quote]nighthawkz wrote:

[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:
(This isn’t some “IT ONLY COUNTS IF IT’S 100% RAW BRO” machismo attitude; I understand and agree with the school of thought that says equipment that helps you target the desired muscle better is a good thing. It’s just a preference of mine. And grip REALLY should not be a limiting factor at weights this light!)
[/quote]

Just thought I’d mention that this made it onto Pwnisher’s blog.
[/quote]

Amazingly the inspiration came from a reddit post, but it’s a common enough sentiment. And to be super honest, most of the things I write about are things I’ve experienced first hand, haha.
[/quote]

I did not notice that until it was posted here, but thanks for pointing it out (whether my comment here was truly the inspiration or not, haha) because this did remind me to wanter over to the man’s blog and read the recent musings. I do have to say, one of my favorite things from the last few posts:

“Theory on the difference between beginners and advanced trainees: advanced trainees are strong enough that 1 or 2 big movements wipe them out, so they fill the rest of their training sessions with small isolation work to still hit the muscles. Beginners are so weak that they can have 4 big movements in a routine and still walk away, hence why isolation work is “not necessary.” Maybe?”

Now, I can hardly lay claim to being an expert or advanced trainee myself, but this reminds me of a similar feeling that I have had a few times. I participate, or have participated at some point, in a variety of fitness pursuits, and had many interesting talks. It always fascinates me that people from other disciplines (distance running, triathlons, soccer) OR people who are sedentary and want to “get in shape” think that lifting weights is not hard enough for them, and I have always felt that something similar to the above is responsible. They’re literally so weak that they can’t work hard enough in the weight room to tire themselves out, so they perceive that lifting weights “doesn’t do anything” for them and just quit after a few sessions.

It’s not quite the same thing, but something I have always believed, and it’s nice to see that someone else holds a similar belief.

My fiancee has changed her tune on lifting and strength training over the last few years. When we started dating, she did an occasional Jillian Michaels DVD with 5 pound dumbbells and no other strength work (although she always has had a very strong yoga practice). She also had this perception that lifting was not good for burning calories and that she needed to spend her fitness time doing things that would burn calories (a common feeling among female trainees, I think).

Through our kettlebell workouts together, I think she gradually became more confident in pushing herself (and just plain strong enough to actually move a little weight) and now she does swings and goblet squarts with a 45 pound kettlebell (or even a 62). Now she no longer asks how lifting weights is a hard workout, because SHE has experienced the, uh, thrill (?) of executing a heavy, hard session and actually feeling exhausted from “just” lifting weights.

I appreciate the read, and that’s definitely a point I hadn’t considered but is very much true. I’ve not heard the “not a good workout” thing before, but I HAVE heard about lifting being boring, and that always blew my mind, but I imagine it’s on the same premise. When you lack the strength to push yourself hard, lifting is most likely very unfulfilling on a physical level. Once you’re strong enough to actually tap into your potential, boredom is the last thing that gets experienced.

When you start having a healthy respect, or even a little bit of fear, for the weight you’re getting under, boredom is no longer an issue…

Monday 9/28

Spinning Bike (16 Minutes)

Feeling really good today, but decided on the heels of yesterday’s big deadlift breakthrough to take an “easy” day and just do some light cardio. On tap for the next few days: heavy day in the gym tomorrow, kettlebell session early Wednesday morning, probably heavy day in the gym on Thursday morning.

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
When you lack the strength to push yourself hard, lifting is most likely very unfulfilling on a physical level. Once you’re strong enough to actually tap into your potential, boredom is the last thing that gets experienced. [/quote]

Exactly.

If all you can do (or choose to do) is benching 95 pounds, followed by a couple sets of lat pulldowns on the Universal machine and a few cheat curls with the 20’s, no wonder you think lifting weights “doesn’t do anything for you” - the problem isn’t that “lifting” doesn’t do anything, it’s that your version of lifting doesn’t do anything. They leave without feeling taxed because they are either too physically weak OR mentally uncertain of how to push themselves. They do this a few times, decide that “lifting” doesn’t do anything for them, and resume their regular activity.

Tuesday 9/29

Deadlift

5x135
5x135
1x225
1x225
1x275
1x275
1x315
1x315

12 x 1 x 335

DB Clean-N-Press

2x75
2x80
2x85
2x80

Pull-ups

1x10

Wednesday 9/30

KB Swing 15 x 10 x 88 (EMOM)