Strength is a Hell of a Drug

Training
221

[quote]Mighty Matron wrote:

[quote]idaho wrote:
MM,
Where are you? Almost a month since you posted. I hope you and your family are well. [/quote]

Thanks, Idaho! Doing ok here… I’ve been lurking.

I haven’t posted only because I got hit with a nasty virus (mostly in my lungs) that’s kept me out of the game for about 2.5 weeks. It’s ugly, but today is the first day I don’t feel completely wiped out. I’m going to try a circuit tomorrow morning and ease back into it. Feeling very soft and very weak at the moment. I should be back to lifting and logging very soon.

In my recent ‘downtime’ from working out I’ve been cranking projects out at home, clearing about half of my to-do list in the process. My sled is completely finished now and ready to tear up my yard. I’m nearly finished remaking those godforsaken signs for the gym. My boat interior is almost done save for a few finishing touches on the center console and one cushion. I finally made the new mantle for my fireplace. And we managed to find/buy a little piece of property to build an off-grid camp. All in the last few weeks.

Overall I’m happy with my productivity lately, but ready to feel strong again. Hoping to have something worth posting here shortly.

Thanks for checking in :slight_smile:
[/quote]

Good to see you checking back in, sorry , you have been sick. I sometimes think being sick is worse psychologically than being injured. At least when you are injured, you know what the problem is. Being sick and especially weak, always brings around doubts of ever being strong again.

Just get well, you will be back stronger than ever.

222

[quote]csulli wrote:

[quote]Mighty Matron wrote:
My sled is completely finished now and ready to tear up my yard. I’m nearly finished remaking those godforsaken signs for the gym. My boat interior is almost done save for a few finishing touches on the center console and one cushion. I finally made the new mantle for my fireplace.
[/quote]
Your log can be a little emasculating at times you know…

I’m not very handy with building things lol.[/quote]

Csulli,
Brother, you nailed that one, especially since about all I know to do is screw in a light blub. Reading all she does and makes leaves me feeling like a little P…:))

223

Someone needs to draw the Matron an avatar pic of her flipping a tire, while welding a sled… at the SAME TIME!!

224

[quote]idaho wrote:

[quote]csulli wrote:

[quote]Mighty Matron wrote:
My sled is completely finished now and ready to tear up my yard. I’m nearly finished remaking those godforsaken signs for the gym. My boat interior is almost done save for a few finishing touches on the center console and one cushion. I finally made the new mantle for my fireplace.
[/quote]
Your log can be a little emasculating at times you know…

I’m not very handy with building things lol.[/quote]

Csulli,
Brother, you nailed that one, especially since about all I know to do is screw in a light bulb. Reading all she does and makes leaves me feeling like a little P…:))
[/quote]

Oh man! That’s not my intent!
If anything I hope to inspire, not emasculate. Even in high school, I just really liked making things. I joined woodshop club. Anything I know how to do is from soaking up all the shop classes I could back then, and then just reading instructions for things I haven’t figured out yet. Lots of trial and error, too. Even when I fuck up… between expletives and throwing things I remind myself “never a failure, always a lesson”.

If it makes you feel any better, I’m unreasonably clumsy.
Almost knocked myself out with an 18" pipe wrench on Sunday. Smashed it right into my temple. Got a big egg there, now. I cried like a little girl for about three minutes.
Also, a few weeks ago I bashed a hole right through my thumbnail (completely punctured through to the nail bed) with a philips bit in my screw gun. The hole looks like this: + it was brutal. I might be handy, but (severely) lack finesse. Just call me ‘Calamity-Meg’ :slight_smile:

225

[quote]idaho wrote:

[quote]Mighty Matron wrote:

[quote]idaho wrote:
MM,
Where are you? Almost a month since you posted. I hope you and your family are well. [/quote]

Thanks, Idaho! Doing ok here… I’ve been lurking.

I haven’t posted only because I got hit with a nasty virus (mostly in my lungs) that’s kept me out of the game for about 2.5 weeks. It’s ugly, but today is the first day I don’t feel completely wiped out. I’m going to try a circuit tomorrow morning and ease back into it. Feeling very soft and very weak at the moment. I should be back to lifting and logging very soon.

In my recent ‘downtime’ from working out I’ve been cranking projects out at home, clearing about half of my to-do list in the process. My sled is completely finished now and ready to tear up my yard. I’m nearly finished remaking those godforsaken signs for the gym. My boat interior is almost done save for a few finishing touches on the center console and one cushion. I finally made the new mantle for my fireplace. And we managed to find/buy a little piece of property to build an off-grid camp. All in the last few weeks.

Overall I’m happy with my productivity lately, but ready to feel strong again. Hoping to have something worth posting here shortly.

Thanks for checking in :slight_smile:
[/quote]

Good to see you checking back in, sorry , you have been sick. I sometimes think being sick is worse psychologically than being injured. At least when you are injured, you know what the problem is. Being sick and especially weak, always brings around doubts of ever being strong again.

Just get well, you will be back stronger than ever.
[/quote]

Thanks, buddy. Starting to feel more like myself. Slowly getting some energy back which feels awesome. Might even lift some weights this week!

226

[quote]LiftingStrumpet wrote:
Someone needs to draw the Matron an avatar pic of her flipping a tire, while welding a sled… at the SAME TIME!![/quote]

That would be badass! Any volunteers?

227

10/3/2014

Conditioning circuit

Lungs were still pretty junky, but I was ready to work out again. It had been almost 3 weeks, so paced myself and was really happy to not have to skip any stations. Felt pretty good.

10/4/2014

Yoga x 1 hour

The gym has a couple of yoga sessions each week now. I’ve been wanting to give it another try if for no reason other than relaxation/flexibility/mobility. I liked it enough. It was hard to coordinate the breathing and the movements, mostly because I don’t know the names of the positions, so I have to really watch her. I don’t think it would take more than a few sessions to get the hang of it.

I tried yoga one other time years ago and had a bad experience. One of my preceptors invited me to go and assured me I’d love it. First of all it was hot yoga, and NOPE. Plus I was fat, weak, and immobile back then, too. But it was so awful for me that I promised I’d never do it again.
Well, my attitude about second chances has changed so why not give yoga a fair shake now that I’m fit? Especially since it isn’t hot yoga (never again to hot yoga, ever).

228

10/7/2014
First lifting sesh since I got over ebola. Didn’t follow my program. Kept things light and (relatively) easy. Felt good to pick up a barbell.

Conv. DL (superset: band pull aparts x10)
95 x 10
145 x 5
165 x 5
185 x 5
205 x 3
205 x 3

MP/FS (no racking bar between press/squats)
45 x 8/10
55 x 6/10
65 x 6/10
75 x 5/10
85 x 3/10

Slow sled back drag
135#, 50 yards, x3
Note to self: next time don’t go under the oak trees, sled gets real hung up on acorns.

KB swings
31#, 50 swings, x2

Felt nice.

The only disadvantage I can find with my home gym is that it shares a space with my workshop. When I’m lifting it’s hard to focus cause the gym overlooks all the projects I have in various stages of completion. Makes me want to quit my workout and finish other things.

229

You could take your welding jacket and sew pockets on it for weights or build a harness, like the Zane leg blaster, to hang plates on while you weld.
I’m sure you can multi-task ;{D

230

[quote]silverblood wrote:
You could take your welding jacket and sew pockets on it for weights or build a harness, like the Zane leg blaster, to hang plates on while you weld.
I’m sure you can multi-task ;{D[/quote]

I had to google the leg blaster.

Holy shit I neeeeeeeeeed it.

231

[quote]Mighty Matron wrote:

[quote]silverblood wrote:
You could take your welding jacket and sew pockets on it for weights or build a harness, like the Zane leg blaster, to hang plates on while you weld.
I’m sure you can multi-task ;{D[/quote]

I had to google the leg blaster.

Holy shit I neeeeeeeeeed it.
[/quote]
I just KNEW you would want one!

232

10/8/2014
Yoga x 1 hour

10/10/2014
Conditioning circuit

10/11/2014
Yoga x 1 hour

10/13/2014
Conditioning circuit

Made a couple of new things for my home gym on a whim in the last two weeks (mostly out of materials I had on-hand). These items have really helped spiff up the place and make me look organized. Might try posting (shitty) pics from my phone which may prove to be a disaster. Apologies in advance if it doesn’t work out.

233

3264×2448 1.95 MB

I made these pieces with room to grow, seeing how I still have a substantial wish list (axle, log, farmers handles, trap bar). This is for shorter bars. PVC tubes are set in concrete. Entire assembly is on casters so I can move it around easy. It weighs 120# empty.

234

2448×3264 1.96 MB

For the foreseeable future, my home gym will have at max 8’ ceilings. This makes storing oly bars/axle lengths tricky, and I didn’t want to hang them on the wall. Making things out of black pipe is easy and sturdy. The best part is how customizable it can be. I was able to make horns to hang ropes, chainz, and what-have-yous. And also, as you can see there is another configuration hanging on the right hand side which will have a chalk bowl attachment. The chalk chalice will be finished before the end of the week.

Of course it’s gold. Fool.

235

[quote]Mighty Matron wrote:
wish list (axle[/quote]

Flash sale; currently like 80 bucks. Not sure if it’s fixed like a true axle though. I should probably call them to double check that the ends don’t spin.

236

[quote]csulli wrote:

[quote]Mighty Matron wrote:
wish list (axle[/quote]

Flash sale; currently like 80 bucks. Not sure if it’s fixed like a true axle though. I should probably call them to double check that the ends don’t spin.[/quote]

Nice deal! Def seems like the ends spin olympic style but a larger diameter on the grip.
Was planning to make my own axle, but got hung up on one technicality which really is just my own laziness. I usually use 1 1/2" black pipe, but generally despise the black coating. I was going to use galvi for the axle since there would be so much pipe surface area (and lots of solvent) to remove the black stuff otherwise. But 1 1/2" galvi isn’t readily available in my area unless you buy 21’ of it.
So mostly I’m just being a pussy about stroking black pipe for hours. There goes my social life.

I wasn’t going to let you dirty bastards beat me to the dick joke.

237

10/17/2014
Conditioning circuit

10/18/2014
Went in a half an hour before yoga to do trap bar DLs and a few farmers.
Trap bar DL
95 x 10
135 x 5
155 x 5
185 x 5
205 x 5
225 x 5

Farmers’
106#/hand, 40 yards, x4 in addition to the 30 yd carries in and out of the gym.

1 hour yoga

Then went to drop a couple of trees for my aunt (12-14" red oaks x2). Her backyard isn’t accessible with a truck/trailer so we had to carry all of the logs a ways. I tried to lift and carry them at my chest keg-style whenever possible. Wicked lower back pump.

One of our favorite Fall slogans is “when you cut your own firewood, it warms you twice” :slight_smile:

238

Since you love to make your own gear have you made a slosh pipe yet? Take a 5’-7’ length of 2" pvc pipe, fill it up to 2/3 with water, and cap the ends. Wrap some duct tape on it if it’s to slick to grip. Maybe put a piece of tape in the middle. Overhead carries, deadlifts, or whatever. You’ll curse…er thank me.

239

[quote]silverblood wrote:
Since you love to make your own gear have you made a slosh pipe yet? Take a 5’-7’ length of 2" pvc pipe, fill it up to 2/3 with water, and cap the ends. Wrap some duct tape on it if it’s to slick to grip. Maybe put a piece of tape in the middle. Overhead carries, deadlifts, or whatever. You’ll curse…er thank me.[/quote]

Well, hello there!

I haven’t made a slosh pipe. It’s on the list for if/when I get bored. I just got a few new toys and reconfigured/moved my home gym so I should be entertained here for a while. I hear those things are murder on the abs though!

MURDA.

240

After an almost two month hiatus, I’m back in my gym. My priorities were straight during that time and I feel good about the things I accomplished. In the interest of this not turning into a diary about my personal life, I’ll spare you the details.

For my own reference, I’ll drop a few cliffs notes here to remind myself why I didn’t do any formal lifting for 6 weeks:
(Built camp outhouse, Matt’s accident, Garage overhaul/build new gym, Handmade x-mas)

I’ve been busier than I can remember for a while, and have been feeling super burnt out. Now that Christmas is over I’m hoping to resume my normal rhythm. Work, lift, eat, sleep, repeat.

As for workouts, while I haven’t been logging them (because boring), I kept up with going to Hybrid for one circuit a week and yoga every other week.

The only thing I did recently that I’ll detail in a post later when I have pics is the relocation of my home gym. It’s about 90% completed, and I’m really digging it. I got a 60# KB and a trap bar for Christmas, which were the last two important things I wanted.

12/30/2014

KB swing, 60#
40, 30, 20, 20, 20, 30, 40, 30, 20

1/5/2015

MP (superset “Y” 3#/hand x 10, and band dislocates x10ish)
bar x 8
55 x 5
60 x 5
65 x 5
70 x 5
75 x 5

HC/FS complex (narrow stance FS)
75 x 5/10
80 x 5/10
85 x 5/10
90 x 5/10

2" Stificits (superset ab wheel x 10)
95 x 6
115 x 6
145 x 6
165 x 6
175 x 6