Calvert and Milo Barbell

[LoRez]

Weight loss seems to have stalled.

An observation mainly. Not a complaint or problem.

Added in a not-strictly managed amount of carbs after all training days this week, and last weekend wasn’t too strict with the social events. Protein biased still, of course.

I think the extra carbs helped from a recovery standpoint.

I was tired and sore yesterday (hamstrings especially) but that’s perfectly reasonable for nearly 30 deadlifts at like 90%. I also learned how much my hamstrings are used while shaving my face…

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[jdm135]

@LoRez

learned how much my hamstrings are used while shaving my face

Lol been there, man.

[LoRez]

Disclaimer: my mental and emotional state is a little all over the board right now due to work stuff. A large chunk of stuff we designed and built over the past few years is getting shut down, since nobody has the capacity to take it over. It’s disheartening even if it makes current business sense. In terms of a transactional relationship, we’ve been compensated and treated well. By no means did we get screwed over. Just still difficult.

---

I guess I’ll stay a touch off topic.

Gripper stuff continues to progress. I now finished the [1,4] setting today, working up from 5-10 reps in each hand. Next is [2,4].

For comparison with the CoC grippers:

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I also messed around with my synthetic training sword this weekend, and feel completely untrained. My forearm strength and endurance is awful, and my surgeried right elbow is still messing me up. Considering PT down the road if I can’t sort it out.

There’s some exercises from the HEMA world that might help, but they’re basically just the equivalent of sledgehammer levering with a sword. So I’m thinking about actual griptraining sledgehammer stuff, and/or mace and indian club stuff.

Just new puzzles to solve.

[LoRez]

W10D1 - Low Volume

Press (89%): 115# x 3 ← PR!
Press (62%): 80# x 3 x 5
17" Axle Rack Pulls (62%): 280# x 3 x 5

Roman Column: 5x sit-to-backbend-to-sit
H2H KB Swings: 85# x 34 (17 each hand)

Upper-back Meadows Rows: 55# x 8 (each side)

(tri-delt pairs supersetted)

High Cable OH Extensions: 20# x 10, 9, 7 (right then left)
HB Wide-grip Upright Rows: 80# x 8, 9, 8

Pushdowns: 20# x 10, 10, 10 (right then left)
HB Wide-grip Upright Rows: 80# x 8, 9, 8

Notes:

• The PR was an ego lift. Was supposed to reset, but it was right there so I went for it. The 3rd rep was a long uncertain grind that eventually made it up. True 3RM.

• Roman Column stuff jumped up to the next level. Have some technique stuff to sort out though, since my knees aren’t at 90 degrees during the backbend part.

• I came across this video, which actually talks about serious ab training. Pretty good.

Some validation: I’m not a crazy person. There’s two of us!

The Advanced Ab Exercises That Actually Work (Seriously)

[throwawayfitness]

@LoRez

Press (89%): 115# x 3 ← PR!

nice work

[LoRez]

A couple neat things.

I found a site which has all the old weightlifting records, which is amazing.

https://sport-record.de/gewichtheben/weightlifting-fih-records.html

So I put all the press records into a spreadsheet so I could compare things. Some highlights:

• The first double bodyweight press was in 1960 by a Soviet lifter, MINAYEV Yevgeniy. He pressed 120 kg in the 60 kg class. 265 pounds at 132.

• The lightest record-setting press was in 1922 by a French lifter, THEVENET Marcel. He pressed 85 kg in the 53 kg class. 187 pounds at 123.

• Excluding super heavyweights: The first 225+ pound press was in 1926. The first 250+ pound press was in 1934. The first 275+ pound press was in 1946. First 300+ was also in 1946 (same lifter, Gregory Novak). 325+ in 1956. 350+ in 1962. 375+ in 1967. 400+ in 1968. 425+ in 1969. 450+ in 1971. And the lift was eliminated in 1972.

• All of those records were set by the heaviest weightclass under SHW.

• Almost all of the top bodyweight-ratio records are from the 149 lb class and lighter. And they’re almost all Soviet or Bulgarian.

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The other thing I came across was some stuff written by Ronald Walker, “Britain’s Strongest Man” circa 1949.

Q: I wish to increase my poundages on the Olympic lifts which are at present 125 (press), 125 (snatch) and 160 lbs (clean and jerk). Would you advise me what percentages to use and the correct number of reps? […]

A: On the Press you should not use less than 70% of your maximum or more than 95%. […] With the lighter poundages 3 repetitions from the shoulder and 3 from the hang should be the rule in the Press and Snatch. 2 repetitions is sufficient when the bell reaches 85% or more. A sound schedule in your case would consist of 4 groups (sets) of 3 with 80%, 3 groups of 2 with 90%, and 3 single lifts with 95% on the Press. […]

Q: I have been training hard on the Olympics for six months without making much progress: my best lifts are 140 (press), 140 (snatch) and 190 (clean & jerk). […]

A: You are making the mistake so many enthusiastic lifters make: using poundages that are far too heavy. You should start pressing and snatching at 100 lbs. and never go beyond 125 in training. The lighter weights will seem very light, but you must not think that they are too light. […]

(100 is 71%, 125 is 89%)

Sheiko just built upon the common knowledge of the past. And then we collectively forgot it.

[LoRez]

^ Another thing to call out.

His “recommended schedule” was only doing less than 1/2 of the reps you should be capable at that range. 50%+ reps in reserve.

You know, like Prilepin’s chart.

The English sources got translated to Russian. The Russians formalized some of this and it was translated back to English. Westerners think they were Russian ideas.

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W10D2 - High Volume - Press

Press (69%): 85# x 4 x 5
17" Axle Rack Pulls (65%): 295# x 4 x 5
Press: 85# x 4 x 5

Notes:

• Before all this, I played around with some stuff. I’m learning about indian clubs, persian meels, indian gadas, steel maces, clubbells. There might be something in there to both 1) help with the sword stuff, and 2) help with some of my joint stuff. New stuff is fun, regardless.

• In real training, I saw an article by Dr. John Rusin that was republished yesterday or so, and mentioned these band “face pullaparts”. It reminded me of a thing I came up with long ago, that I called “pulleyaparts”. Hook the middle of a chain to a high cable, and then do a combo face-pull pullapart with the chain, pulling the middle of the chain to your forehead.

• I did some of those, and I think it might be the thing I need for the particular shoulder problem that’s been bugging me for awhile. Basically the right rhomboid (and others?) seems to be weak, not pulling my scapula in and down enough. So I end up with connective-tissue like pain there.

• Honestly didn’t feel like doing any other movements today. No abs, swings or accessories. Maybe I’ll change my mind later tonight.

---

Programming Notes:

• I nerded out a bit on my lifting data. Can’t put that part of me towards my job right now, so it ended up here.

• No matter how I spin it, I haven’t made any real progress with my press. The 3RM the other day still leaves me with the same estimated 1RM. I’m going to blame the deficit, but the cogs are turning in my head.

• I added an INOL measurement to my spreadsheet. I still don’t really know if or how or where this number is useful, but it is a number. What I want to believe is that if you accumulate enough INOL, your lifts go up. What I actually believe is that INOLs are a pretty good indicator of recovery demand.

• I doubt I can get it to work, but I really want to model this stuff with descriptive numbers. Something like 100 reps with an average of 72%. Or an accumulated INOL of 9 with that same intensity. Or to even add an intensity range (65-90) and be able to manipulate progress by adjusting the range. I want some measurable knobs to adjust.

• For the 17" axle deadlift, this is what’s working to increase it. Per training cycle: 197 reps between 61-93%, with an average intensity of 76% and an accumulated INOL of 9.5-10.7. But does that actually capture enough information? Is it a usable summary?

Diet Notes:

• I finished Issuance of Insanity 3. I also have read some of Lyle’s recommendations. And I chatted with RT_Nomad.

• I reviewed my photos, and I guess I was even less lean than I thought. Where I am right now is probably the fattest I should ever be; the point where I should end a bulk, cut the fat, and restart. I’m probably at a true 12-15% right now. When I go back to gaining, I will certainly do some things differently.

[T3hPwnisher]

@LoRez

I finished Issuance of Insanity 3. I also have read some of Lyle’s recommendations. And I chatted with RT_Nomad.

This is a pretty fantastic balance of opinions right here. Justin Harris and John Berardi might go well to round it all out, or maybe even some Dr. Ted Naiman. With Justin, you get into the wide world of carb cycling, and with Ted you get into protein leveraging, while Berardi brings “G-flux” to the table.

[LoRez]

@T3hPwnisher

Justin Harris and John Berardi might go well to round it all out, or maybe even some Dr. Ted Naiman. With Justin, you get into the wide world of carb cycling, and with Ted you get into protein leveraging, while Berardi brings “G-flux” to the table.

Thanks for the names. I’d read some articles by Berardi in the past, but didn’t take much from it at the time. I didn’t have the same kind of framework to understand this stuff back then. Definitely worth a revisit.

@T3hPwnisher

This is a pretty fantastic balance of opinions right here.

There’s a lot in common:

• protein is magic. Get lots of it, regularly, under all circumstances.
• you don’t have to get fat to build muscle and strength; at the highest BF point, you should still look pretty good
• you need some sort of cycling of surplus (where you actually put on fat) and deficit (where you lose it)
• the mirror is good feedback, and there are clear things to look for

There’s more than that, but those are the ones that stand out in contrast to the decisions a lot of people take. E.g., “must bulk to 200”, see-food diet, leangains, “what is my bodyfat %”, etc.

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Also, Jamie’s persona is so over the top sometimes. There were definitely chunks that were a slog because of the ridiculousness.

But outside of that, I really like that he strives for completeness. Ideas from biology, evolution, social-cultural developments and history to explain things. Very broad base of knowledge to contextualize it all.

[T3hPwnisher]

@LoRez

But outside of that, I really like that he strives for completeness. Ideas from biology, evolution, social-cultural developments and history to explain things. Very broad base of knowledge to contextualize it all.

This is definitely the appeal I get from him. I can only read so many studies. When you include a variety of angles to appreciate the information from, SOMETHING is bound to stick.

And always happy to share names and resources. Ted Naiman will REALLY further that “protein is magic” angle. And Harris will further the cycling aspect you spoke of not just in terms of Surplus and Deficit, but WITHIN those cycles of surplus and deficit, similar to what Jamie talked about in the Apex Predator diet, where you’ll STILL have some fasting days and some feasting days.

[LoRez]

I did a lot more number-manipulation while half-watching a TV show last night. I will say it’s hard to read subtitles while fiddling around in a spreadsheet.

One thing that never felt quite right with my programming was always using 5s for the main work. As the intensity goes up, it becomes both “heavier” and “harder to recover from”.

However, it worked for me in the context of Power to the People, and it works for awhile in several “beginner” programs (Starr, Reg Park 5x5, Starting Strength). That said, 5s eventually get phased out in more “advanced” programming.

If you look at Prilepin’s chart (and INOL which approximates it), and that stuff from Ronald Walker I shared, you see “reps per set” goes down as intensity goes up.

I haven’t read any of Tuscherer’s stuff, so I’m just winging it, but I think this is where the RPE/RIR stuff comes in. At higher intensities, you still want a similar number of total reps, but you do it with fewer reps per set. A more consistent RPE per session.

So how is this relevant? I think I’m going to manipulate things a bit differently for the current cycle of presses. Deadlift programming is working, so I won’t touch it until it isn’t.

Something like this:

Basically a whole press cycle here, starting from the top and working down. Low/Medium/High will still jump around like before, but instead of manipulating the “Number of Lifts (NL)” it’s changes the INOL.

There may be an AMRAP on the top day, just to reset percentages.

Overengineered, over-mathed? Of course it is.

But what I’m doing now hasn’t really worked, so it’s worth a try.

[LoRez]

Like, ok, this might be easier to read. Top to bottom. High/Medium/Low take a randomized path with no repeats.

[jdm135]

I still think you and i are extremely similar in a certain way, but man are we opposite ends of the spectrum of training right now.
You have a plan of which plans to plan, and when, where, what, and how much, and when to reassess.
I just go lift stuff regularly.
Both valid, i think.
Are you this obsessive over other hobbies or aspects of life?

[LoRez]

@jdm135

Are you this obsessive over other hobbies or aspects of life?

This is 100% due to work-related idleness.

Stuck in front of a screen “for availability” reasons, but tired of watching youtube, and not much actual work to do until we find out either 1) where we’re going, or 2) whether we need to hand off or shut down the rest of our stuff.

If our team wasn’t getting shut down, right now I’d be working on refining some anomaly detection algorithms. So… same work, different target.

[LoRez]

I made a steel mace thing. $44 of amazon parts.

I expect my shoulders to improve, my forearm/elbow/wrist problems to improve, and my strength/endurance for training with a sword to improve. (Yeah, who does that.)

This is the path that sent me in the direction:

• My shoulders are pretty good, but not 100%. I dealt with shoulder issues for 10 years, and went to PT twice for them. Tried lots of things in the gym
• I saw Chris Duffin’s claims about his ShoulderRok tool fixing his and others shoulder issues.
• I have wrist and elbow problems when bench pressing and curling on my right side. Once in awhile shows up with overhead pressing. Had surgery for this (which helped the elbow), but now have periods of significant forearm pain that needs soft tissue work.
• I want to learn how to do sword and spear stuff, and my dominant side is also the one with issues. My ability to train has been affected. Plus I want more strength and endurance for that.

Three different things seem to come up for those problems: 1) indian clubs, 2) sledgehammer levering, 3) steel mace/gada

So I looked at options. The ShoulderRok is plate loadable, which is awesome, but expensive, and currently unavailable. There was also a Tactical ShoulderRok which splits in half and doubles as a heavy club. There are some other very expensive plate loadable options. There are fixed weight wooden and steel options: clubs, maces, meels. And there’s the DIY from plumbing-parts option (with the risk of plates flying off the end).

But I ran across two other ideas: 1) get a cheap 1" screw-lok standard barbell, and cut it down to size, 2) build something up from 1" screw-lok dumbbells and connectors.

So I did 2, and it seems to work well. It even works with Olympic Plates if you’re creative with the collars.

Not only does “mace/gada” work, but can be broken in half for some heavier “clubbell” work, and can be used for “sledgehammer levering” work.

42" long as a mace, or two 22-1/2" loadable clubs.

And to close all that off, here’s Chris Duffin working with Eric Spoto.

(Duffin’s a big guy; I’ve run into him in town. Spoto makes him look small.)

A nice progression he teaches: front pendulums → rear pendulums → 360s/swings → doing that with good bracing. Let the weight do most of the work.

Coaching the Shoulderok: Powerlifter Eric Spoto

[LoRez]

Quick comment on quality control. Those dumbbell handles and connectors are well built and everything is consistent. From Yes4All on Amazon. Would recommend.

In contrast, the first Fringe Sport Hybrid barbell had to be returned since the bearings were messed up. The second has inconsistencies on the sleeve (one is grooved deeper) and a slight bend when supported at the sleeves. Not enough to return them, but still noticeable.

The Figure 8s I got from Gymreapers were stitched backwards, but they fixed it and sent me a new pair.

The headphone jack I bought didn’t work.

The pair of synthetic sparring swords I got have different thickness handles and one has a bend I haven’t been able to get out. The glue on the pommel also failed immediately. (The spear tips are great, though.)

Even the high-end Japanese knife I bought was defective. It had a slight wobble that clicked in the handle, and there was a pit in the steel. The replacement is good, but is less visually consistent than I hoped.

Nevermind all of the random broken software things on my phone and computer. Stuff that worked before is now broken.

Quality control is crap these days. Nobody is willing to pay for it. Personal experience: last year when our company had layoffs, we got rid of the entire quality control department with it.

[LoRez]

W10D3 - Low Volume

Mace 360s: 2.5# x 2 x 10

Press (73%): 90# x 6 x 4
17" Axle Rack Pulls (68%): 310# x 3 x 5

Roman Column: 6x sit-to-backbend-to-sit
H2H KB Swings: 85# x 36 (18 each hand)
Upper-back Meadows Rows: 55# x 9 (each side)

(tri-delt pairs supersetted)

High Cable OH Extensions: 20# x 10, 10, 10 (right then left)
HB Wide-grip Upright Rows: 80# x 10, 10, 10

Pushdowns: 20# x 10, 10, 10 (right then left)
HB Wide-grip Upright Rows: 80# x 10, 10, 10

SuperGripper: [2,4] x 9 (each hand)

Notes:

• Mace as part of the warmup. Promising so far.

• New press programming. Mixed feelings. I did like 3x5 on the low days. 6x4 doesn’t feel like a low day. Overall though, the changes are this: lower intensity days will get more work, higher intensity days will get less work, but the same on average. Will hopefully lead to positive outcomes.

• I’m well aware I can’t just engineer more strength/size. This isn’t just icing on the cake, this is like picking between American, Italian or French buttercream. (My wife made me learn the difference. Don’t judge.)

• But since I’m not exactly eating and training for size right now, I might as well try to maximize the neural component. I mean, a 123 pounder pressed 187 pounds in 1922. I’m nowhere near that. Sure, he probably had great pressing leverages, but I also have plenty of work to do.

• 153.6 this morning.

[jdm135]

@LoRez

Quality control is crap these days. Nobody is willing to pay for it.

I have comments on this.
Mostly I’m frustrated that Amazon is a swamp of fake “brand” names like YKGYKH or GoodPappaSirt or what have you. It removes any sense of accountability for quality or reputation.

[LoRez]

@jdm135

I’ve actually been pleasantly surprised with a number of weird Chinese brands on Amazon, despite the ridiculousness of their names and their awful translations. Amazon has provided a much better direct-to-consumer model for a lot of the factories, but you also get the shipping and return benefits of Amazon.

It’s all made in China anyway, and recently I’ve actually had more bad experience with established brands, for some reason. On Amazon all you really have for credibility is your reviews, and since they cracked down on who can review stuff, the reviews seem generally trustworthy again.

If a product has good reviews, it’s generally good, and if not, Amazon honors the returns.

Well, ok, the electronics made in China is pretty sketchy. But everything else has been decent

[LoRez]

W11D1 - High Volume - Press

Mace 360s: 2.5# x 2 x 10

Press (77%): 95# x 4 x 4
17" Axle Rack Pulls (72%): 325# x 4 x 5
Press: 95# x 4 x 4

SuperGripper: [5, 1] x 6 (each hand)

Notes:

• Well, the high day was easier. 8x4 is easier than 8x5.

• This weekend I was an idiot and swam the length of a hotel pool underwater eyes closed without paying attention. I managed to ram myself headfirst into the far wall. Figured I’d hit with my hands first, but nope. No immediate damage to myself, but we’ll see over the next week or so. Sore neck and traps. Which made pressing fun.

• In other fun news, our company had layoffs today. My team was spared, but the management layer that was going to give us our new direction… they’re not around any more. So pretty listless at the moment. Effectively have a couple days off. Yardwork and lazing around are the plan.

• So, main work today. Maybe get around to accessories. Maybe not.

• Also, got punished by the mace twice in the past couple days. I’m forcing myself to have some extra mobility, but if I get lazy or my timing gets off, I get hit by the swinging bar. It’s fine, I’ll sort it out. It’s like learning kettlebell stuff.