Brute's Book

[brute_fury]

Today!

Since we are all in the same boat, I ditched my fear of upsetting my down stairs neighbor with sand bag loading. I wasn’t a jerk about it though! I waited until 9am after taking Malibu out at day break in the snow for out 3.6 mile trial walk, and then heading to Walmart to buy some Diet Mountain dew that I was out of. ALL the home gym equipment was gone at Walmart! ALL OF IT!

I found some foam kitchen mats for $10 that I think worked great for extra percussion dampening under my titan crash pad for unloading the sand bag. It felt GREAT (and CHALLENGING!!) to do the sandbag loading without the riga-marole ( and time between each load/rest) of unloading it as quietly as I had done previous in my apartment. I think this did the trick. It made the time between each load a lot less and it got my heart rate up!

Today
pull ups x10

4 circuits of:

• sand bag loads 150# x 10
• 25 rep/leg walling -quasi monster ( I did not have enough width in my hallway to do the wide steps!) lunges then immediately
• 50 bw squats then 10 second hold then walk to do
• 12 rep/ leg bw Bulgarians with 10 second hold

back extensions x a set of 50
messed about with some landmine stuff, some empty landmine rows, rdls. Not a ton.

Another Malibu snow walk!

This was a GREAT workout! If you are bored, you can watch me do one round here. I take my time on the sandbag loads though I do try and keep it going without a ton of rest between each load. This was round 3 and I was feeling it!

March 20, 2020

I think this home gym stuff will be fine for me. Yesterday’s workout did something because i was sore in my quads a few hours later. As long as I don’t do anything foolish in attempts to lift stuff overly-quietly or weirdly and injury myself, I think I can get a lot out of this home time. Hypertrophy! My think my legs will grow from this.

I will and DO miss the step mill and the face pull stuff. I have bands though so I’ll do what I can. A trivial thing to be upset about compared to the situation at hand.

[brute_fury]

Today
Malibu 23 degree walk!

Then I went out on my own and did a 2 mile speed walk in snow boots ( not thru snow just in the snow boots since my toes would freeze in normal shoes!) holding lil pink 3# dbs! HA HA HA! It took me 30 mins.

A majority of my sisters’ live in California and are now on shelter in place. Scary hearing the employment stuff too…I can’t worry about it since I have no control over it. So I don’t.

My Badass Pop just called me to let me now they have my back if I end up out of a job and out of an apartment, that me an Malibu would be welcome back at their house to live if shit gets crazy for me financially. Its a massive relief to know I have family who have my back!

We’d pull our wt too if we ended up needing to move back home. Malibu is an excellent source of calm and peace for everyone around her, and I’ll plow the driveway, mow lawns, dig holes, or do any simply and basic manual labor you need me too with enough sunblock on. GIMME THE TOOLS, I’LL DO THE JOB!!!

[brute_fury]

Today
pull ups x 10
log clean a once strict press reps empty/75#x12 x 2 sets, 75x10x2 sets
pull ups x 9
log clean and strict press each rep 80x8 ss 7 pull ups x 4 sets, 80x8 ss 4 neutral grip pull ups

3 rounds of:

• upright high rows using a farmers handle x 25 first round wt was empty handle (22#), 2nd 27#, 3rd round 32#

• snatch grip hang shrug 45# x 30, then 65#x30, 65# x30- UH these made my but and legs fell it!

• 25 band pull aparts bigger band each time

30 rep/leg bw Bulgarians then 10 second hold 50 bw squats then 10 second hold ss rear delt swings 5# x 20

30 rep/leg bw Bulgarians holding one 5# plate then 10 second hold then 50 bw squats then 10 second hold ss rear delt swings 10# x 15

30 rep/leg bw Bulgarians holding one 10# db then 10 second hold at end
then another 10 reps/leg of each then 50 bw squats then 10 second hold ss rear delt swings 10# x 15

band face pulls x 30 ss back extensions x 50 x 3 sets

COOL! I got my ezbar last night! I’m excited to try it out!

Work changes that have occurred is the general practice department has had to shut down- no more routine procedures, no elective procedures. So the vets and techs ( that are still there! A handful of them were potentially exposed and are self isolating) in that department are going to form an “Urgent Care” part of our ER.

So they will see the urgent care stuff- lacerations, UTI’s, ear infections, vomiting , diarrhea, stable patients- and the normal ER can focus on true emergency. There was not a slow down in clients/pets needing to be seen this weekend. That very well could change. My hospital luckily has been deemed an essential business so I still have a job!

I picked up an overnight shift this Friday to help get some cash just in case my hours get cut later. Over all so far my hospital is doing a great job, and they donated the 2 ventilators we had in house. A handful of coworkers have been put on sick leave- the pregnant, immunocompromised, or diabetic ones.

I’m feeling pretty good too! The db speed walking will not happen again. My bicep and bicep tendon got a bit too pumped! and is sore. Its ol lefty who when I over pull up with a thumb grip or whatever, lefty bicep tendon gets upset. I’m excited to try out the ezbar tomorrow! I just did a set of triceps on it, and I’ll have to look at the right form for that so I don’t piss off my elbows.

[brute_fury]

Today
Power Clean’d up all the wt today since there is not rack!

fs 45x10, 65x10,85x10,105x15, 115x20 x 4 sets
clean grip lunges 65# x 20 rep/leg, 75x20 rep/leg, 85x20 rep/leg, 95x15 rep/leg

mat Anderson zerchers very slow pace ezbar is 15# so 35# x 10, 85#x15, 85x20, 85x25

rdls 45x20, 95x30, 115x30, 135x30

v grip land mine rows x 20 ss band pull aparts x 30
wt used in landmine 10#. 20#, 30#, 40#, 50#, 60# x 3 sets
ball hamstring curls 2 x 25
band pull thrus x 100

OH MY GAH. My sister…Ugh. She texted me yesterday and let me know she was going to work. I wanted to scream!

She is a lymphoma patient, currently in remission but of course has had chemo not that long ago since she is terminally ill!! She lives with my 76 and 79 year old parents!!! She works at a Subway! I wanted to scream! First at her managers for letting her do this then her!

She however is very sensitive about somethings and stubborn, she also is like me and needs to work to not go crazy…she also is…well she is …different. As gently, respectfully, and as strongly as possible I asked her please do not go to work for the sake of our parents.

If I mentioned that she should be staying home due to her own compromised health she’d ball up right away and get defensive. She is very religious and is certain God will protect her so saying otherwise is a double whammy of an slight to her faith and her sense of Independence and what she has achieved as a cancer survivor.

Well she’s not going to stay home, instead she assured me she has had experience as medical professional, is ocd clean, she is juicing and she took a “red pill”… She texted me back her theories instead…calling it a bologna-virus, communist terror plot, and on and on and on…she had predicted this in 2005 and had a priest read her predictions… I know there’s no getting anywhere with that, but I HAD to say something for the sake of my parents.

She took it well and did not get mad at me, which was good, she let me express my concerns and told e her own and her own ways to “fight”. However after that she texted me well into the night more things…one being she is also working at ANOTHER subway!

And not telling anyone about it- my parents or other sister who live in the same house with her. Her old job that took advantage of her, made her work 12 hours shifts-she is legally disabled!- and that she quit due to them doing all kinds of crazy stuff, she has been picking up hours there!!! And these texts also list the amount of drama that is going on there…ARGH!! .so …frustrating! Its her choice.

I cannot believe her managers are letting her work. I am not shocked since they are crooked people to begin with, I am super frustrated. There is no telling her to stop. She also likes the excitement of the drama of the place I know for sure.

It highlights something I had to drill in my head after more then a few disappointments in people and being incredulous at there actions by doing so blinding myself to not see what they really are. The type of people they REALLY are is displayed in their actions, NOT what I want them to be!

In my work places, in my personal relationships, drilling in my head that personal responsibility is a very individual thing. Its so frustrating when you try and compare your own minds frame of what standards YOU have with someone else…what you feel you are responsible for and what others refuse to take credit/blame/RESPONSIBILITY for.

That is why when they do really messed up stuff, they can sleep at night and I/you would be racked with guilt!! The discrepancy! The difference between you and them! Acknowledging that you think differently then they do, and they think differently then you. Its like speaking an entirely other language.

[ChickenLittle]

Sorry to hear your sister is causing unnecessary stress.

I had to deal with the, “not everybody’s like you thing” yesterday. It just makes me sad when people are so selfish.

[punnyguy]

@brute_fury

personal responsibility is a very individual thing. Its so frustrating when you try and compare your own minds frame of what standards YOU have with someone else…what you feel you are responsible for and what others refuse to take credit/blame/RESPONSIBILITY for.

Very well put.

My sympathies for your stress.

[Scotto]

Nothing more frustrating than trying to reason with someone who is not thinking rationally. Also what people do, not what they say tells you everything you need to know about them.

Hoping you and your family stay healthy.

[brute_fury]

This is spot on, they are irrational!! Very frustrating!!!

[brute_fury]

Today
pull ups x 10
log clean once strict press reps empty/75#x5,86x5,95x4,100x2
pull ups x 10
80x6,90x5,100x2
pull ups x10
86x6,91x5,95x4,100x2
pull ups x 10
86x5 x 5 sets
pull ups x 10

log clean and strict press each rep empty/75# x 35

4 rounds of:

• ez bar upright row x 20 added wt each time wt 25# - 39# ( the bar is weirdly 14#!)
• snatch grip hang power shrugs 45#-95# x 25
• empty farmers handle upright row (22#) x 15
• band pull aparts x 10-30

3 rounds of:

• viking press 20 reps per grip x 3 grips
• band face pulls that ended up more row like since they fell down the door crack x 30-15
• band triceps x 10
• chair dips x 8
• empty ez bar oh triceps extensions x 20

Then slept a bit. I keep waking up very early on Thursday And I do not know why! So I took a nap until it was sunrise and then got out to the field for a GREAT t bar day :D!

warm up carrying empty tbar to the field which is a good 150 feet plus from the parking lot, then carrying each 45#. Then applied liquid chaulk , while chalk dried started with the work.

25 rep/leg walking monster lunges then 10 bw squats then 10 sec hold then walk to the field
tbar carry 167# x around the field ( a football field no idea the distance but a decent distance) no drops
25 rep/leg walking monster lunges then 20 bw squats then 10 sec hold then walk to the field
t bar carry 167# x around the field 1 regrip/drop
25 rep/leg walking monster lunges then 30 bw squats then 10 sec hold then walk to the field
t bar carry 167# x around the field 1 regrip/drop
25 rep/leg walking monster lunges then 40 bw squats then 10 sec hold then walk to the field
t bar carry 167# x around the field 3 regrips/drops
25 rep/leg walking monster lunges then 10 bw squats then 10 sec hold then 25 rep/leg walking monster lunges then 10 bw squats then 10 sec hold then walk up some steps on the stands and put stuff in my car

then a last set of 25 rep/leg walking monster lunges then 10 bw squats then 10 sec hold

Came home and grabbed my girl! Off we went!
Malibu with the field behind her!

Malibu Walk! She smelled everything and its gorgeous outside. Minimal people out too though there has been an influx on our afternoon walks which could be due to the great weather or the Shelter in Place order/crazy times we are in now here in Colorado.

Kids on bikes…adults on bikes they just purchased with huge loud big wheels, older men who are on those recumbent bikes and you can never see them and freak out all dogs who encounter them, Human-Force-Field women who walk all in one line side by side loudly talking and do not make room for you to walk coming from the opposite direction of them…lame dog owner people with loose dogs, not paying attention, retractable leashes–not my favorite company for the nature trail!! I like the usual early morning chill cool responsible dog owners, deer, birds, and rabbits instead.

Luckily this morning those are who shared the trail with me and my girl!

That field work was a good effort, I pushed it for speed and distance. GOOD! Makes me feel like I did something!

[brute_fury]

Tuesday I ended up letting loose to my sister- the one who was in the previous post. I had enough! Angry music stared to play in my head when I read her texts about her work Beverly Hills 90210 bullshit… I could not sit and not say something.

I don’t get into inter-family stuff at all. I am the Switzerland of the 10 sisters. But mess with my parents by risking their health? Because YOU think you have some special information? HELL NO. I let her know I was angry and that I thought it was selfish she risked their health so she can go aorund in public whenver she wants to.

It was not my business what goes on in my parents house, but its my business when I hear about it and it makes me aware of a unnecessary risk to their life. That can be avoided!

The reply form her was what I expected, and more of the religious stuff and I don’t understand stuff…and if I think she’s selfish that’s my own issue… and pray for this…so …yeah.

I accomplished one thing off my new-me check list which is SAY SOMETHING when serious stuff bothers me, no matter if it goes nowhere. Again, I learned this and successfully implemented this motto in my work place life waaaaaay before my personal life. And you can’t get more personal then family.

SAY SOMETHING and in doing so respect others enough to call them out even if it causes consequences that are unpleasant to people you love. In this case hurting my sisters feelings and not towing the line of her bazaar - and currently dangerous-understanding of reality. We’ll see what happens.

I hate to make is sound like she’s a bad person, she is not! She;s a wonderful person who cares about my parents too… but she is stubborn! She is however not taking precautions, she inviting risk and thinking its brave instead!!!

[brute_fury]

Update: Me and My sister are on good terms again. She was good about it after I reached out today for the first time after our frosty last exchange, but is not stopping her job.

She is working for the Subway doordash only making the sandwiches so no direct public interaction. She’s still going to the store everyday- and buying fruits and vegetables to juice, she does make some very good juices for immunity. That’s that, we both at least we got it out! I’m relieved that we had our peace talks!

[brute_fury]

Today so far- speed walk 2.46 miles in 37 mins, so around 3.9 miles /hr according the the internet. Its hard to pace yourself!! The treadmill making you go fast is easier/harder at the same time!

Then Malibu Walk

I am on the fence about doing anything else today. I work tonight so I might not, and I also am happily sore from yesterday! GOOD! :D!!!

I measured the field today on my pedometer and its 0.17 miles around. So next time my goal will be to get one more loop in for tbar carry time. I’m enjoying the light wt long distance, its so much easier on my body and challenging on conditioning! It feels so zesty!

Last week I also ordered a squat rack from Walmart in a bit of no-gym freak out time! Its a little one and I am not totally sure where I will put it, but for $87 I had to do it! And picking up this shift tonight will more then pay for it so I feel less bad and snowflake like about spending the cash.

I also have been successful on keeping all this home gym equipment mostly sorted away and not hanging out cluttering my apartment. I am not big on clutter! This squat rack might, but I think its worth the safety to have it in my living room.

Tuesday’s cleaning all the wt up was good and all…but I don’t know how proficient I am at Olympic lifts to keep it up and not make my back upset from the “power”/explosiveness required for a power clean. It is a bit like the push pressing that I can’t do anymore since it angers my back.

No crazy wt on this, just the wt I have in my place which is at the most 200# of plates. I will use it for front squats and lunges, hopefully if its sturdy enough some zerchers too. In the mean time I had tried this week Anderson zerchers using my titan crash pads on top of other pads using my ezbar. The height was still a bit too low, and the wt I used was lighter because it was that low of a pick off the pads that would mean more of a curved back pick up so low wt was all I’d better try.

Yesterday I cut up the big pads I had to make 8 smaller pads to stack up for more height instead of 2 thinner long pads. I’m having fun being creative , I really do not want a ton of equipment in sight 24 hours a day around my place so its helpful to make things more compact for storage.

I also am not sure I will be super successful in putting together this Walmart squat rack yet I am determined to do it myself. If it takes me two weeks to do, ti takes me two weeks to do!

[ChickenLittle]

Hopefully the pieces are marked. If not just turn it over. When I bought mine from amazon a lot of reviews said the holes were wrong. The holes in mine were fine once I turned the pieces over and got them in the right place. If you need help, just post pics and we will help you.

[brute_fury]

THANKS!!! I think I might be able to actually do this! I think however I was sent the wrong screws. These are supposed to be m5 19 mm screws.

I’m texting my twin too to. I can go to lowes at some point and get some screws, but I do think these are incorrect.

They don’t fit in the spot they are listed to go in, and almost appear to have an odd shape.

I’m trying to get the screws in the bottom part, and they just don’t go in at all, can’t even fit them in at all.

Here is its state now, non screwed in place. She’s pretty cute! If I can get it together and secured it should be fine for home use!

[ChickenLittle]

The “odd” shape on the tip is because they are self tapping. That means they drill/ cut through the metal as you screw them in. They should fit through the pre-drilled holes and then cut their way through the wall of the tubing. Do you have a cordless drill/screwdriver?

[brute_fury]

You are right on, they are self tapping screws! And I just learned that those things existed yesterday!

The instructions that came with my rack were old instructions from a previous model, and they had since changed them to self tapping screws! So I had the wrong instructions that specifically instructed to not use any power tools on it.

My twin just came over and with her cordless drill and tools and its all securely together now. Not pictured us working on this thing in our masks and gloves for anti-infection protection

Here she is! All done up

I did not think I’d end up having a squat rack in my living room again , yet now that I have one think she fits right in. $87!!

[ChickenLittle]

Twin for the win! Glad you got it put together.

[burnur]

And it can be a coat rack when you’re able to entertain again someday

[brute_fury]

Today
pull ups x 10
log clean once strict press reps empty/75# x 12 x 4 sets, last set was 11 , set it down, then 1 more rep
pull ups x 10
FS(!) 45x10, 135, 160, 170x10x3 sets, 180x5x3sets, 190x3x3 sets
clean grip lunges 70# x 10 rep/leg, 90x10 reps/leg, 100x10 reps/leg

3 rounds of:

• snatch grip hanging upright power shrug ( no idea what to call these!) 65# x 25, next round 85# x 25, last 100# x 25
• ez bar upright rows 34# x 10
• v grip landmine rows x 30 added 10# each time so 25-45#
• band pull aparts x 25

10 reps each arm of rear delt raises, lateral raises, upright raises used 3# baby wt, 5# plates, 8.5# of wt plates, then 10# db’s

oh tricep ez bar ext x 20 x 2
back extension x 50

I AMA SO GLAD I GOT THE SQUAT RACK! Getting under for fs today made me realize concretely that 1) I missed them. 2) I’d loose them fast if I did not keep them up 3) I can do them quietly in my apartment!

March 30, 2020

Here’s my first set. I filmed it so I could make sure the sound was not too loud for my neighbors. I think I am good. and quiet enough even at 2-3am. I started thursday to wear my headphones for lifting at home. I had been using just my laptop with a youtube mix to be sure I was not being too loud, so I could l pay attention to my noise making.

I realized few things about not wearing headphones:

1. I CANNOT stand listening to my knees pop/creak/crack each and every time I lunge, bulgarian, or squat…its normal yet its unnerving- and you can hear them on that video.
2. The headphones DO put me in a good mood and frame of mind to lift. I am very prone to being classically conditioned. For better or worse , my brain is wired to get mental connections with things quickly with routine and ritual. Having the headphones on and my jams helped me feel more like I was at the gym, so I focus more, had more energy as well. And I am being quiet!

WOOOOOOOHOOOOOO!!! LOVE MY RACK! She’s so cute! I hope she hangs in there with me during these weird times. I will use this rack when my gym is open again too, not every time but I’ll use it longer then the crazy time we are in now lasts.

[brute_fury]

Today
rdls 45x10, 95x5, 135x10, 165x15, 185x15x5 sets
here’s one of the sets- I can’t edit the video on my phone so if its long, sorry! I’m editing it on youtube and ti takes a while to update!

March 31, 2020

anderson zerhcers- SLOW SLOW SLOW - emphasis on the return to the safeties and emphasis on doing that quiet as a mouse- this made it harder! I’m ok with that!
45x5, 115x5, 165x5, 185x5x4 sets

bw Bulgarians 33 rep one leg then 10 second hold then the next leg x 33 reps 10 second hold then 33 bow squats then 10 second hold x 3 sets

4 rounds of:

• swiss ball hamstring curls x 20
• glute bridges x 20
• frog pumps x 10
• back extensions x 25
  wall sit x 1 min

3 rounds of 5 push ups ss 25 band pull aparts

3 rounds of:

• 33 donkey kicks 33 half rep donkey kicks 10 second hold- each leg
• 33 heel raises 33 half rep heel raises 10 second hold- each leg
• 33 clams

Cool! RDLS make my right leg have to work man. It wants to cave so much! I’m right handed and also stronger on my left side- for oh press and for hip/leg power for sure.

Makes sense since I carry most stuff ( dogs and cats!) on a daily basis on my left so I can use my right to open doors, operate syringes, hold cat’s heads so they don’t bite me, clean up poop, use nail trimmers, and misc whatever my job has me doing. Lefty has to control the body and mass of any given animal at split seconds notice at my work. Thank God Lefty is stronger!