What do you need the belt to do exactly?
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Front squats. I’m up near 85-90% of max. So I need a belt other wise the weight will squash me.
To give you an example:
140kg front squat with belt 6-7 reps
With out - 2-4.
It’s important
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Just use a lighter load Big Carl.
It’s not gonna make you weaker.
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You are right. But the focus at the moment is to keep the load the same for the front squat and mess about with reps. Lowing the weight would mess with that “vibe”.
I can shelve it for now and do it tomorrow that’s not an issue. It was more the “made plan, plan’s gone to crap”. I’m good though. Got 400 reps out - that will do until the wife gets home and then I might do some more.
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104.6kg today. Hydrated as well. I made sure I drank a load of water before bed.
1 more day and it’s official.
I’ve had a nightmare day. I was due to interview at 12:30 and 13:30. I had to call off the 12:30 as I only got to bed at 06:15.
Woke up at 13:00 interviewed 13:30 till 14:30 went to pick the kid up finally ate at 15.45. A full 22h after I last ate. (i do not eat from 18.00 onwards. In fact I eat only 6h a day 12:00 - 18:00).
I tried to do a shorter upper body workout but I pressed my warm up weight and my leg felt weak. So I canned it. I’m running at a MAJOR deficit. I have 5 days off starting tomorrow. I will get some quality work in then. For now - I need to get my 2nd meal of the day on board. Before I pass out.
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Man - what a day. In doors after an aborted shift (road maintenance). Its 01:30 and I’m bored. But its too late to work out in the garden. And the rain is heading in so a walk is out of the question. I will see if I can sneak the sand bag down stairs to do some stuff. Tomorrow I’m at work EARLY so I might shell out for a day pass at a gym near work and do that. If not leg day in the garden.
On a personal note - the interview I went for went “well” - the guy called the recruitment agent up and asked for me to come in for a 2nd interview ASAP. The job is mine to loose. BUT it is a permanent role in construction. And I’m torn. As the ambulance job is back open ready for application. The issue - its a full on 50% pay cut to do the ambulance role. 50%. Even fully qualified I’ll not make as much money (through the NHS - I’ll be able to make it up with private work).
I’m REALLY torn. I want to follow my dream. But I feel guilty as hell. Through out my WHOLE life I’ve provided for the family. There have been lean times. 2 of them in the last 2 years. I have always worked, and we have always made the mortgage payments and there’s been food on the table (even if there’s not been loads of snacks in the fridge). That’s what I do. It is my “function” within the family. I take care of the bottom 2 and half rungs of Muslow’s hierarchy. But this would remove that. We’d have to start spending some of the savings we have. At a time when the price of stuff is going insane. I can not imagine how we will get by in 5 years time on that wage (as we all know NHS staff will not be getting inflation matching pay increases under a Tory Government). The way it looks to me is:
Work in civils and be un happy with work - but happy with the money
Change career and be happy at work - but unhappy with financial stability
Some choice.
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It never rains but it pours.
Went to sneak the sand bag down stairs and I found my kids all over the house.
Youngest is sick. Fever. And in my bed. Eldest woke up with the commotion and is in the room with the sand bag. Which is under the bed.
No work out. It’s been a while now. Starting to feel withdrawal.
Also - now the boy is sick and I’m awake the wife’s gone out. She has work stuff to do. But the kid is really struggling. It’s “only” a fever but he has ASD. And being ill really upsets him. It fries his little head. So I’ve been awake 4 h and still not eaten. He is in and out of sleep. But if I’m not there he just cries so softly I did not hear him. Last time (about 3h ago) he cried for so long their were wet patches on the pillows.
Looks like today will be another not good day.
That said weight was 104.8 on waking. I’m officially under 105kg.
Another sand bag 400 rep work out. Was looking forward to leg day. But today was a rescue work out. Just get something done.
Also weight loss - on point. Well happy. But a theory about rep and effort.
I’m not pressing the pass of these 400 reps. I do 4 warm up sets (1-2-3-4) is 10 reps. Then 9x10.
I do all 4 exercises in a row no stops. So it’s a complex. No doubt.
Pushing the pace would result in better results (bigger stronger leaner fitter) but on a deficit it would cost me recover. So I lose points for not being able to exercise the next day OR needing extra calories.
What I want is the burn the most fuel over a LONG period. Like months. So I keep the pace sharp. But not rapid. I’m out of breath the whole time but never gasping.
This way tomorrow I’ll still be able to smash an upper body work out. And Tabata front squats
I think it’s about what can you look in the mirror and justify to yourself. Have you talked it through with your wife? There’s no easy answer, don’t go for the ambulance role and you could spend a long time regretting it and wandering what if. Do the ambulance path and if it impacts upon the quality of your lives can you live with that and will your family understand?
I like to say that my job subsidizes my life, not the other way around. I work so that, outside of work, I can be who I am. At work, I have no need for that.
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Are these ostrich eggs?
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My wife thinks things will be “fine”. But I don’t think she understands the full extent of the cut backs required. She also has not idea of budgeting. She thinks we don’t need a budget because we have spare cash. I understand that we have spare cash because I budget.
It’s not just a matter of them understanding. If this goes totally wrong we end up in dire straights. We have enough money to pay the mortgage for a while. But in 18 months time we could be totally out of savings, having to borrow money month on month. Its a long path to being a paramedic. The money is not great even at the end of the road.
I hear you. And I like that. I like having a job where we are “comfortable”. Not wealthy by any means. But when energy and fuel prices went up recently, it just meant we stuck less in to savings. I like that part of my life. The part that doesn’t have to worry & count the days to pay day. But the job I do is crap. And the quality of the people I work with is getting worse.
As an FYI - the solution / compromise has been found. I’m going to apply. But this round of jobs is for ambulance stations too far away anyway. So if selected for interview I will go along and fact find. The more I know the better. I will be open with the selection people about the issues I face. And see more about career progression and pay. Because if I can guarantee I’ll get a pay rise after 12 months - great. However if its not a organized as that I need to take extra precautions. In the mean time carry on find a job and carry on saving like a demon.
I read the 100g service size not the 50g an egg size 
Idiot.
Exercise. After my 400 reps earlier I’m off work early, again. Again too late to exercise in the garden (its 23.45). BUT I will go for a walk with the bag. My son is sick and has a really sore throat. As a treat I’m going to get him some custard put it in the fridge and let him drink it cold tomorrow. So off the the 24h supermarket. The long way. 6 miles - 2hour of walk it says. Enjoy…
EDIT - just posted this and started a coughing fit and now I have a very sore throat. I’m not keen on a 6 mile walk with a 20kg back pack if I’m going to end up calling the wife to come and get me. I will be sacking this off. I have a habit of catching these things hard and suffer badly with a fever. Short duration but I get very, very sick very, very quickly.
So I ran a fever last night but I’m okay today. I went to the gym.
Today was 1 all out set of 140kg for not squat. And I fluffed it. Well I say that. I got my food wrong today. I’ve been too focused on the kid, I forgot to eat. I’ve had a small meal all day. Managed 5 good reps. But I had the brand new calibrated plates on the bar. If I’d have dropped them I’d be in trouble lol . So I was 50/50 on 6. Comfortable in saying on full belly 7 is in there.
But 5 is okay for today. I felt stronger than before. Just no energy in the muscles.
I deloaded the bar to 100kg and did the squat dead lift 20 rep work out. Then a few sled pushes.
EDIT - these sled pushes where heavier than before and I need to use this as the bench mark. I used to use 60kg - but the burn form using 100kg is better. I rest more between sets. But I think in the future this is where I need to be. At least for now. When it comes to conditioning - lighter.
Any one else use sleds much and have any training guild lines?
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90 mins touch rugby.
THEN
Press 80kg X5
I did 5 reps for 2 sets last week. BUT if 5 was all I had so be it.
BTNP 3X10 lots of time between sets.
Kroc rows with straps 60kg for 17 reps.
After this some direct arms - pound stone curls and extensions.
Then 50 floor to over head with 40kg keg.
Edit - did 60. Cuz fuck being fat and unfit!
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The plastic playhouse, the trampoline, or in the garbage bin “Oscar The Grouch” style?
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Big Carl’s Tent of Pain
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Behind the trampoline in the shed lol. The kids don’t want me in the tent snoring…
I’m liking a new nick name “big Carl”.
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Today’s 60 reps with 40kg keg
Last week’s 80kg keg.
I did clean this a few more times. But I was belt less and couldn’t press it.
Oh - I’m dropping size so much I need a new belt. I only have a few more weeks of this one left!
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