Brute's Book

Life Lesson time- not so masked Dear Diary stuff- things directed at my own specific personal weaknesses that I actively training more and more everyday.
LOTS OF REP work required for these! Good form, many reps to get that muscle memory down, CNS re-wiring so its second nature when I need to act in a pinch.

What you allow is what will continue, what continues will escalate.

When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

Do not rely on anyone else to enforce your worth as a person. Use the facts. Do not let manipulations of the truth hold any ground in my self esteem, self confidence, or personal value. USE THE FACTS.

The moment you accept responsibility for everything in your life is the moment you gain the power to change.

Only go to bed at night with someone who you can trust to have your back completely at all times, this person MUST be myself. Be my own first responder and acknowledge that I am very capable of doing just that.

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Today
pull ups x 10
fs 45x10, 135x2, 170, 190, 200x 10 205x4, 215x2, 225
185x6 x 3 sets
pull ups x 8

t bar oh press from safeties empty x5, plus 10# x 7, plus 20# x 7 x 4 sets ss pull up reps 7,6,5 ← bad pull up day

4 rounds of:

  • tbar carry wt estimate 275-285# x 2 trips unknown distance
  • rogue rows heavier x 12
  • smith machine upright rows x 201-10 up wt each round 0#- 25# added
  • face pulls x 15

smith machine 1 1/2 back squats wt added to bar 25# x 3, 60# x 3, 90# x 12, 110@ x 12, 130# x 8

3 or 4? rounds of:

  • cable shrugs x 10 lighter/20 heavier wt used 50/80, 80/100, 100/135, 150/165- only 10 reps of this wt
  • triceps x 15
  • walking lunges x 12 steps per leg
  • rear delts x 15-10

That was that. Its been a long time since I had a set of 10 of the fs. I filmed it and will get it up as soon as I can. It kinda blew me out though and I had minimal powah after :D!

A rough pull up day too! My left bicep is sore still from the sand bag carry for time I did thursday. Looks like I need to ease into that more. I have no idea the bag wt so maybe it was a pr? More likely it was just me being rusty and dusty from not doing sand bag carrys for around 2 months plus.

Man…I don’t know if I can take this! The lack of loading is bothering me! I will wait it out a bit…maybe see if I can still finagle a home loading platform. It hasn’t even been a month of not going to turbo gym! I do not miss the drive…I do not miss that drive though…BLAH! I will gut it out a bit more. I was so spoiled!!!

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Here it is! Getting there, ever lasting quest.

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Today
dead lifts 45x10, 135x2, 185, 225, 255, 280, 300, 320, 340
rdls using 10’s and 5’s 45x5, 95x5, 135x5, 175x12, 215x12, 215 x 10 x 2 sets
I admit…I did look fairly douchey using all the tens! I wanted a longer rom!

anderson zerchers 45x5, 135x5, 175x5, 205x5, 235x5 x3 sets, 250x2, 260x2
pull thrus 70x25, 90x25, 110x25, 130 x 15
back extensions mixed in too
zercher carry ez bar - bar plus 70x around 200 feet, plus 90 x same
clean grip carry fixed bar 70# x around 300 feet

That’s it! I have developed some fat on my back. Its in a strange for me place, I’ve never had pudge back there before, not in this way! Historically when I get chubby its everywhere on me- face included, and my belly for sure holds it the most- not really the case this time around.

I am racking my brain to see if I have been eating crappy and I haven’t really, my training has been decent too. I think its a hormonal thing/ a bad sleep thing. 2 months of picking overnight shifts for over time I think did not help. I’m one of those weirdos who feels myself up as a legacy of a former anorexic person and I do recall feeling the flub come on a day or so after overnights. This is not being dramatic, I palpate my self a lot for better or worse.

This is ok I guess. I’m not super upset and I don’t want it to get to a point where its a huge battle and I have to cut like crazy. Things have changed in my mind about my body though. In the not so distant past, my thoughts about being lean and mean (and impressive) where to BE impressive to whoever sees me naked. As in who I sleep with. I know, its vain but its true.

Very bluntly the thought of having sex with anyone right now and honestly probably in the future- even if I was lean and mean and impressive- …makes me sick to my stomach.

Showing off some lil shoulder gains stuff and some trappy stuff? SURE! That is not as big of a deal as the level of exposure physically , emotionally, medically ( uti’s ! pregnancy!) too horrific. Truthfully. Belly and below the belt, under the pants will remain safely, securely for my eyes only. I’ll deal with the pudge when I need to.

Meanwhile, I can be douchey with the tens.

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Today
stepmill x 20 mins
body wt squats /lunges x around 2 mins each thing
walking lunges x a few sets of 12 per leg
light face pulls x 15
light triceps x 15
light upright cable pulls x 15
tried horizontal/vertical shrugs using 17.5’s and then 27.5’s 3 sets of 10 each

Cool!

Today
pull ups x 12
log clean once strict press reps 75# x 5, 86x7 x 2 sets, 86 x 6,91 x2 x 2 sets, 95x2, 96x2
( 2 of my plates are 5.5 pounds hence the 6’s a 1’s)
pull ups x 10

log clean once then up to strict press reps x5, then down and clean again 4 presses, down and clean again then 3 presses, down and clean again then 2 presses, down and clean again and 1 press

did this with the empty log (75#) x 2 sets ss each with 5-6 narrow grip pull ups

log clean and strict press each rep 75# x 10 ss 5 chins ups, 80# x 5 ss 5 chin ups, 85# x 5 ss 5 chin ups

sand bag carry for time ( unsure wt of bag 90-100#) x 2 mins rest 2 mins, then 3 mins, rest 2 mins then 3 mins- creeper, slow paced walking whisper quiet feet so as to not disturb neighbor below!

sand bag drills - 4 picks, 4 full extensions ss misc pull up/chins rest 2 mins, then 5 pick, 5 full extensions ss misc chin/pull up reps

Feed Malibu! Off to Gym
Scrape windshield for about 10 mins. That awful, need a chisel to clean the ice off stuff. Totally counts as shoulder work.

re warm up- glute bridges, hip circle walks, empty tbar carry
4 rounds of:

  • t bar carry 175 or 185# x 450 feet first go, 360 next 3 rounds
  • rogue rows x 12 first set 3 second hold up top, 2nd round 4 second hold - 3rd 5 second hold, last 6 second hold
  • smith machine narrow grip upright rows, WAY UP to chin x 25 0- 20# added to bar
  • cable shurgs x 20 70-110#

smith machine seated wide grip oh press 0 wt added to bar x 10 ss 15 face pulls
10# x 10 ss 15 face pulls
15# x 7 ss 15 face pulls
20# x 6 ss 15 face pulls

zercher carries x around 200 feet 60# fixed bar, then used the ezbar plus 80#
kb “upright row” hand placement carry 18Kg x 200 feet
oh carries 60# x 200 feet, 90# x 300 feet, drop down to clean grip carry 90# x 200 feet , then dropped down to snatch grip carry ( bar in front of legs, wide hand placement focusing on lats- different!)

lower trap db raises 5 each arm, 6 each arm, 7 each arm, then 3 sets of 10 each arm using 5# db
Malibu SLIPPY WALK!

Nice! Today’s tbar carries I decided to rev up the speed and it felt great! Butt cheek squeeze action, I also measured the distance of the swath of space at 24 hour that I’ve used for carries and its 90 feet.

Not a great oh press wt day but I got some good reps in of lower wt. I’ve really excited that the sand bag stuff went well in my house today! I am confident that the padding I used kept the percussion way way down. I hadn’t ever tried doing the drills with a sandbag instead of a stone, however then had the same effect- hammy action, butt, hip hinge which is fabulous!

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Today
walking lunges waiting for a rack 12/leg
fs 45x10, 135, 170x15, 170x10, 170x8

fs 170x6- pause at parallel- idea being kinda mimic a brace of the lap for stone loading which who knows when I’ll be bale to do that again) 180x3 pause at parallel

smith machine 1 1/2 back squats wt added to bar 40# x 3, 70x3, 90x3, 110x15 x 3 sets
smith machine back squats 110x3, 140x3, 160c3, 180x10, 200x3, 220x2

frankenstein/zombie fs x 10 ss walking lunges x 25/leg x 4 sets
wt of franksteins used 45#, 65#, 85, 100, 115

3 circuits of:

  • cable pull thrus x 20
  • fixed bar elevated heel rdls 100# x 15
  • back extensions x 15

reverse dragged the tank a bunch, heavy wt, used handles and also put harness on hips
SNOW MALIBU WALK!

Its total powder out there. I am no snowboarder-- I would totally cross country ski - on a flat surface! In the 90’s we had a Nordic track, and I definitely used it as a 13-15 year old cardio bunny! That was such a cool cardio piece!

I’d love to do a versa climber too, those are not so common anymore but they are killer cardio! Stepmill still wins the Bastard Medal though, stepmill is AWFUL!

Today
Stepmill x 22.5 mins- not as hard as normal today, for whatever reason
triceps x around 3 mins, on the tricep machine up and down in wt
tried kneeling smith machine oh press- I like this! Hammy action stabilizing myself–cool!
ss this with light face pulls x 20
Malibu Walk!

OH MY. Watching the Prince Andrew interview is such a calamity! Watching bad liars…ugh…I cringed so many times. SO GROSS and embarrassing for the viewer. He’s still a liar even if he’s bad at it and untrustworthy and still appears to have some explaining to do.

My empathy tends to take over often in my initial reaction to things. I know I am observant, and I do pick up on hints of dishonesty, however in the past I have sympathized with what I see as their weakness ( felt sorry for them, pitied them- this is NOT respectful) rather then corrected them. Loved ones especially.

Recognizing when I need to teach someone a lesson or simply remind them they are acting unexpectable vs nurse their failures by aiming to protect their feelings. I must give care to those who deserve it and correction to those who require it.

I can tell a fair amount of times when they are lying to my face. A weakness of MINE is that I let my empathy be out of line! I find myself often getting embarrassed for people I watch doing things like singing when its not cool to sing, or dorking out…lying when there is no reason to. Pushing on MY feelings of their behavior, instead of reacting the right way. As in, I would feel ashamed if I lied, so they must feel ashamed and I must feel bad for them for feeling bad…I know! Its a stretch and its my nature a LOT of the time! I really am a caretaker at heart!

That is disrespectful to them. I’m working on being a more helpful person…and helping them is telling them to knock it off when they need it and not sympathizing and excusing bad behavior when I can see it for what it is.

Respecting assholes and calling them out, cutting them out. They still are punks, chumps, liars, and manipulators, and I will respect their choices by treating them that way.

Today
pull ups x 10
fs 45x10, 135x2, 170, 185, 200, 205 x4 x 4 sets, 205 x 2
pause at bottom/slow fs 180x4 x 4 sets
1 1/2 fs 65x3, 85x3, 100x10 x 2 sets
pull ups x 8- another bad pull up day! :frowning:

kneeling t bar oh press from safeties emoty x 10 x 2 sets, plus 5# x 8 x 2, plus 10# x 8 x2

4 rounds of:

  • tbar carry 305-315# x 90 feet
  • rogue rows pause up top x 12
  • upright way high smith machine rows x 15-10 adding wt each time 0-20#
  • face pulls x 15
  • rear delts x 15

then 225- 235 t bar carry x 180 feet
triceps x 15
oh triceps x 15
cable shurgs x 10/20 heavier

tbar 135-145 x 640 feet
triceps x 15
oh triceps x 10
heavy cable shrugs x 20

snatch grip carry- fixed bar 45# x around 100 feet

I need to figure out my pull up deal. I think its more to do with the bars and me being fussy and also weak! The kneeling oh press where cool! Definitely need to be very careful and brace , and butt attack for those so I don’t fall forward–nice! Light wt on those is my best option I think.

Anyone who needs stuff should check out Titan’s black Friday week deals. LOTS of deals!

I scored my own deal of a badass leather recliner from my parents! I get all their furniture they don’t want and I scored big time! Yesterday at work I was more then a few times dreaming about being at home in that leather bomb chair! I’m in it now…and I don’t want to leave for work! A good chair is so awesome!

Today
pull ups x 8
log clean once strict press reps empty/75# x 5, 85x5, 95x4,100x2, 105 x 1<–new PR for this log
80x8 x 4 sets, 90x3 x 3 sets
pull ups x6

log clean and strict press each rep 75# x 20, 80x10, 85x4 ss each set with 5 pull ups

sandbag carry unknown wt x 1 min
sandbag picks/dl it up and stop there x 15
sand bag puck and full extensions up to chest x 20

rdls 45x10, using 10’s and 5’s bigger rom 95x10
using 25 plates and small change plates ( a bit higher, but elevated heels 135x15 x 3 sets ss crazy chinese band pull thrus x 25-20

back extensions x 25 ss barbell up right high row bar only (45#) x6

SNOW TRUDGE PART ONE!

It is BIG TIME out there. Tons of snow and it won’t be stopping anytime soon. I have around 6-8 inches, my family has a foot! Its coming down! Malibu had major snow zoomies today , however we won’t be out much and chances are she’ll have a long day at home with me being most likely work bound. Driving is not an option for me today.

Thankfully I can walk to work in my snow boots! And I have my home log! I was able to get a good lifting day today in! WOOOHOOOO!!! Checked all my boxes for exertion, powah, and feeling like I did something worthwhile. WOOOOOOOHOOOOO!

Also cerebrus is having a big sale this week, 30% off everything! They sell sleeves and stuff but also have sandbags!

Chances are there will be a ton of call outs at my job today so hopefully its not too crazy.

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Today
fs 45x10, 135x2, 175x11, 175x10, 175x9, 175x8

4 rounds of:

  • t bar carry 175-185# x 540 feet ( 1 regrip) first round, 360 feet 1 regrip next three rounds
  • cable shrugs x 30 used 100, 130, 150, 160x10/130x20
  • smith machine upright rows x 12 0-20# added
  • rear delt x x 15 up in wt each time

smith machine 1 1/2 back squats wt on bar 20# x 3, 50x3, 70x3
90x10, 110x10, 130x10, 140 x 8, 90x25

4 rounds of:

  • pulling the tank, sometimes reverse, others forward with harness on hips, ss push the tank the way back
  • face pulls x 10
  • low cable high pulls x 10

trap type db hard to explain things 2 sets of 10’s with 5’s

csr very light x 10 x 2 sets ss bar only upright rows

triceps x 25/25/25/25 on machine

power rows of the tank

COOL!

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Mali-Bu-Bear in the snow! I got a foot at my house!!! She loves snow but this much this COLD, she just looked at me like “Uhh???”

We are waiting on the sunrise to see if we can get a walk in this morning. Might not, but she’s My Best Girl Ever so I must try!!!

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Thanksgiving color for my log! The repeat- PR strict press from tuesday- 105# and a glimpse into my lil Malibu 3 am Exercise Cave Party Time :)!

FANCY new kneeling t bar oh pressing

I am prepping to eat a lot of good food today—MMMMHMMM!!! Very lucky to have my family around to take me in and feed me green bean casserole…I AM MOST EXCITED!

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The hard to explain’s

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Yesterday before heading to my family’s , me and Malibu did a long 5 miles on our walk, about 1/2 of it in a amount of snow, or precariously on somewhat packed paths of slippy snow. I was aiming to tire her out after her extended stay inside the with the way the temps have been this week.

So we snow marched!

Then a quick nap, and off to the festivities! Here’s me and my sister. I didn’t take this selfie, she did and she loves fancy filters-- I don’t participate in that filter business.

Thanksgiving Lum The Newfie :D!

Malibu got her Christmas gift early this year from my parents, and she LOVES IT!

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Today- Gym opened at 6am today, and I woke up at 3:30. I was going to just hang out until sunrise to walk Malibu, but I read an article about complexes so I did those in my house instead! Its been a LONG time since I’ve done those. Here’s what I did.

Warm up like normal

6 dl
6 rdls
6 bo rows
6 cleans ( power cleans kinda)
6 front squat
6 oh press on lighter wt, push presses for heavier ( 85#)
6 back squats
6 gms

1st set bar only, 2nd 55#, 3rd 65#, 4th 75#, 5th 85#

did the same for 2 sets with 90# except dropped the cleans to 3 reps, and swapped back squats for zerchers and normal gms for zercher gms.

I had to do that because I could not get the bar off my back squat/gm position on the heavier wt with out really using leg drive. I could however zercher dl it up into the position I wanted since it was light enough.

It was 4am and in my apartment, I so I could not pound that hard for the power I’d need to do that push press from the back squat rack position and not be a asshole upstairs neighbor. The push presses were lil dips for that reason too, and the cleans as well, as well as everything else being very quiet and controlled so I don’t wake up anyone.

Tried another one of using plates

6 oh squats
6 swings- like upright plate raises
6 bo rows
6 reverse alternating lunes per leg
6 goblet squats

did a warm up set with a 10# plate, then 2 sets with a 25# plate

Malibu Walk - wore 10# wt’d vest around 3.4 miles. Its been a while as well since I’ve done wt’d vets walks so I went slow to start. I also wore my Performance Enhancing Clothing - rehband warm pants and warm belt! The warm pants kept me most toasty in the 20 dergee temp.

Here’s Malibu staring at a bunch of deer :slight_smile:

I might do more but not likely! I think its hitting me now that I am sitting and not moving that did do a decent session-- the complexes!

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Here’s a video of one of the complexes.

It’s long due to that fact that I am SLOW!

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And what happens when you are not strong technically capable of getting a bar off your back to an overhead position :wink:

I used to do this when I first began to lift and had no rack, just an ezcurl bar I used to do back squats and lunges with. The slide under, reverse steinborn .

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Today- stepmill x 20 mins

rear delts on machine sets of 15- 15#, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 5 of 80
rows on a machine of all different types, multiple grips
iso row machine 10 both arms, 10 one arm/10 other arm/10 both arms x a few sets
tricep machine x 15/15/15/15 adding plates, moving them on the thing
light pull thrus x 10 50-70#
Malibu Walk!

My hammies are sore a titch and its probably the zercher pick ups/DL. I don’t do those ever, and they can be a bit scary for me with my old hammy injury however if they are light they do the trick as well. Lighter and safer.

Power thought of this week is : “Have you tired caring less?” :D!

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Today
pull ups x 10
fs 45x10, 135x2, 170x2, 185, 205, 215, 185x5 x 10 sets
pull ups x8

kneeling t bar oh press from safeties empty bar x 7
bar plus 10# x7 ss 7 pull ups
bar plus 10# x7 ss 6 pull ups
bar plus 10# x7 ss 5 pull ups
bar plus 10# x7 ss 4 pull ups
bar plus 10# x7 ss 3 pull ups

4 rounds of:

  • t bar carry 175-185# first trip 450 feet, 2nd 360, 3rd 270, 4th 180
  • rogue row x 10 first round 2 second pause up top, 2nd 3 seconds, then 4 for last 2 rounds
  • upright high rows with ladies bar- I think its probably 30 ish pounds x 7
  • face pulls x 12

warm up on the smith machine a bit
3 rounds of:

  • smith machine 1 1/2 back squats 90# added to bar x 10
  • walking lunges x 15/leg
  • body wt squats x 10

rear delt machine light wt x 25

Cool! This dude came up with this idea for indoor carries…and I LOVE IT.

I do not possess foam, but the next time I get some free foam I’m all over it. There’s some kinda sand walker foam thing rogue has that he’s doing a DIY hack on, looks legit to me!

There are so many ways to make exercises harder! And I like that! Since I’ve let go of a lot of things holding me back, this highlighting of a trait I already have - making things , more precisely having an axe to grind with myself on myself to be harder on my self for better or worse- can shine forth.

And I am cheap. It doesn’t need to be heavy , it can still be HARD.

WooooooHOOOOO!!!

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