Hardartery - Recreational Outrage

[MarkKO]

Sunday 11/5/23

Conventional DL - straps (New ones)
605 x 1
Thus concluded my warmup, not joking, I walked in and pulled it cold

Floor Press
245 x 5 x 4 sets

That's it, I was forcing my lazy procrastinating backside to do something before bed and work off the burrito and ice cream.

Holy shit

LOL. Laziness man. And being blessed with resilient tendons. My hamstrings complained, but not loudly, so I call it a win. The new straps are weird but nifty, they are the single loop stitched together at the end. So, more of a grip it and rip it which makes working with the suit easier I am hoping by minimizing setup time as I can't really get a real breath once I am touching the bar.

Those are some of the best straps. I had a pair, lent them to a buddy who lost one and who made me a new pair that were too large.

[Hardartery]

Sunday 11/5/23

Conventional DL - straps (New ones)
605 x 1
Thus concluded my warmup, not joking, I walked in and pulled it cold

Floor Press
245 x 5 x 4 sets

That's it, I was forcing my lazy procrastinating backside to do something before bed and work off the burrito and ice cream.

Holy shit

LOL. Laziness man. And being blessed with resilient tendons. My hamstrings complained, but not loudly, so I call it a win. The new straps are weird but nifty, they are the single loop stitched together at the end. So, more of a grip it and rip it which makes working with the suit easier I am hoping by minimizing setup time as I can't really get a real breath once I am touching the bar.

Those are some of the best straps. I had a pair, lent them to a buddy who lost one and who made me a new pair that were too large.

They were in the clearance section on EliteFTS, and I was buying some bands that were also on sale and decided that for I think $3 they were worth a try.

[MarkKO]

Sunday 11/5/23

Conventional DL - straps (New ones)
605 x 1
Thus concluded my warmup, not joking, I walked in and pulled it cold

Floor Press
245 x 5 x 4 sets

That's it, I was forcing my lazy procrastinating backside to do something before bed and work off the burrito and ice cream.

Holy shit

LOL. Laziness man. And being blessed with resilient tendons. My hamstrings complained, but not loudly, so I call it a win. The new straps are weird but nifty, they are the single loop stitched together at the end. So, more of a grip it and rip it which makes working with the suit easier I am hoping by minimizing setup time as I can't really get a real breath once I am touching the bar.

Those are some of the best straps. I had a pair, lent them to a buddy who lost one and who made me a new pair that were too large.

They were in the clearance section on EliteFTS, and I was buying some bands that were also on sale and decided that for I think $3 they were worth a try.

Funny story, the ones I had were from Elite FTS too.

[Hardartery]

Thursday 11/9/23

Squats
245 x 3
335 x 3
425 x 3
515 x 1 x 2 sets

GMs
425 x 3
335 x 3

I tried and failed to record the second top sets o Squats, and the heavier GM's, because I am an old man with a new phone and new phone stand. I took a picture of my hand, and one of the rack sitting there all by itself, and I recorded my hand setting up the camera and my hand removing it from the holder to watch the video that I didn't take. God help me. The GMs I did manage to record demonstrate what sucks about them, the bar sliding up onto my neck before I even got the depth I wanted because I don't have a bar here with a center knurl. Damn Crossfit stuff.

[Hardartery]

Monday 11/13/23

Strict Press - from rack
135 x 5
185 x 5
205 x 3
225 x 2

Walk out and struggle push - 315 x 2

Floor Press - thumb length from smooth (So, narrowish grip)
245 x 5
335 x 1
245 x 5

DB Laterals
75 x 9
The laterals were for fun at the end, just to see how I am after doing none for about a month. They were easy, honestly, and I was just being lazy to stop at 9.

So, I have to nap, driving to Miami tonight and flying out tomorrow. I paid for a Kia Soul, they upgraded me on the rental to Corolla or something, when I got there to pick it up I got the Redneck upgrade for no apparent reason and I am driving a Dodge Charger tonight. It's a GT with a hood scoop and is significantly more entertaining than the Challenger I rented on a previous run. The mileage probably sucks, but whatever.

[Hardartery]

Wednesday 11/15/23

Incline Bench
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 1 x 2 sets
295 x 3 x 2 sets
225 x 5 - long pauses at chest

I tried to do a second rep on the first set with 315, I missed it near the top after a serious grind and had to lower it down to the lower pins and pick it up and put it back in the upper pins for the second go. I really thought I had 2, on the second set as well but I didn't go for it the second time. I had to use some leg drive and actually go for it for the last rep with 295. All of that is just to say I like 1 RIR because it is better mentally to not miss and because estimations can be quite wrong no matter how much experience you have. Thus my avoidance of RPE, I just do not have confidence in it as a measure because opinions can be wildly off.

Side note, hit a raccoon on I-95 and destroyed the airdam on the rental car. It was kinda fun to drive but honestly seems fairly useless as a regular car, The trunk sucks, the airdam is low and flimsy, and it does weird things in traffic at low speed - surging and jumping sometimes like it's trying to launch at full throttle when I am literally barely touching the throttle and trying to just move ahead slowly for 15 feet. The wife REALLY hated the car. I guess it's better to just buy a Camaro than buy a Mopar designed to look like a Camaro.

[Hardartery]

Friday 11/17/23

Squats
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 3
485 x 2
505 x 1
495 x 1

GM's
405 x 3 x 2 sets

Glute Kickbacks - cable stack - one leg at a time
23/50 plate x 8 x 2 sets

Back at it. I moved my stance out slightly on one of these sets because I felt the shift to the right and felt the squat a lot in my right hamstring. Slightly wider evened me out and it felt like both sides fired the same. The Glute kickbacks are all hamstring, so I don't know why they called what they are called. The singles all felt incredibly slow, they look slow what are way faster in the video than they felt.

[MarkKO]

Wednesday 11/15/23

Incline Bench
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 1 x 2 sets
295 x 3 x 2 sets
225 x 5 - long pauses at chest

I tried to do a second rep on the first set with 315, I missed it near the top after a serious grind and had to lower it down to the lower pins and pick it up and put it back in the upper pins for the second go. I really thought I had 2, on the second set as well but I didn't go for it the second time. I had to use some leg drive and actually go for it for the last rep with 295. All of that is just to say I like 1 RIR because it is better mentally to not miss and because estimations can be quite wrong no matter how much experience you have. Thus my avoidance of RPE, I just do not have confidence in it as a measure because opinions can be wildly off.

Side note, hit a raccoon on I-95 and destroyed the airdam on the rental car. It was kinda fun to drive but honestly seems fairly useless as a regular car, The trunk sucks, the airdam is low and flimsy, and it does weird things in traffic at low speed - surging and jumping sometimes like it's trying to launch at full throttle when I am literally barely touching the throttle and trying to just move ahead slowly for 15 feet. The wife REALLY hated the car. I guess it's better to just buy a Camaro than buy a Mopar designed to look like a Camaro.

That's unlucky with the car. Hopefully the rental company didn't give you too much grief over the damage.

I avoid RPE for similar reasons. I have this idea that it is probably better if someone very experienced watches every set as you do it and then tells you when to stop at whatever RPE is the target if that makes sense.

[Hardartery]

Wednesday 11/15/23

Incline Bench
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 1 x 2 sets
295 x 3 x 2 sets
225 x 5 - long pauses at chest

I tried to do a second rep on the first set with 315, I missed it near the top after a serious grind and had to lower it down to the lower pins and pick it up and put it back in the upper pins for the second go. I really thought I had 2, on the second set as well but I didn't go for it the second time. I had to use some leg drive and actually go for it for the last rep with 295. All of that is just to say I like 1 RIR because it is better mentally to not miss and because estimations can be quite wrong no matter how much experience you have. Thus my avoidance of RPE, I just do not have confidence in it as a measure because opinions can be wildly off.

Side note, hit a raccoon on I-95 and destroyed the airdam on the rental car. It was kinda fun to drive but honestly seems fairly useless as a regular car, The trunk sucks, the airdam is low and flimsy, and it does weird things in traffic at low speed - surging and jumping sometimes like it's trying to launch at full throttle when I am literally barely touching the throttle and trying to just move ahead slowly for 15 feet. The wife REALLY hated the car. I guess it's better to just buy a Camaro than buy a Mopar designed to look like a Camaro.

That's unlucky with the car. Hopefully the rental company didn't give you too much grief over the damage.

I avoid RPE for similar reasons. I have this idea that it is probably better if someone very experienced watches every set as you do it and then tells you when to stop at whatever RPE is the target if that makes sense.

I literally have nothing from the rental company yet. They took pictures, but said nothing, and it doesn't matter really, my credit card covers everything. My max out of pocket is $70, even if I push it off a cliff and set it on fire. This one at least would hang the rear end out and drift a little, the Challenger was just lousy mileage and all the performance of a Yaris.

[MarkKO]

Wednesday 11/15/23

Incline Bench
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 1 x 2 sets
295 x 3 x 2 sets
225 x 5 - long pauses at chest

I tried to do a second rep on the first set with 315, I missed it near the top after a serious grind and had to lower it down to the lower pins and pick it up and put it back in the upper pins for the second go. I really thought I had 2, on the second set as well but I didn't go for it the second time. I had to use some leg drive and actually go for it for the last rep with 295. All of that is just to say I like 1 RIR because it is better mentally to not miss and because estimations can be quite wrong no matter how much experience you have. Thus my avoidance of RPE, I just do not have confidence in it as a measure because opinions can be wildly off.

Side note, hit a raccoon on I-95 and destroyed the airdam on the rental car. It was kinda fun to drive but honestly seems fairly useless as a regular car, The trunk sucks, the airdam is low and flimsy, and it does weird things in traffic at low speed - surging and jumping sometimes like it's trying to launch at full throttle when I am literally barely touching the throttle and trying to just move ahead slowly for 15 feet. The wife REALLY hated the car. I guess it's better to just buy a Camaro than buy a Mopar designed to look like a Camaro.

That's unlucky with the car. Hopefully the rental company didn't give you too much grief over the damage.

I avoid RPE for similar reasons. I have this idea that it is probably better if someone very experienced watches every set as you do it and then tells you when to stop at whatever RPE is the target if that makes sense.

I literally have nothing from the rental company yet. They took pictures, but said nothing, and it doesn't matter really, my credit card covers everything. My max out of pocket is $70, even if I push it off a cliff and set it on fire. This one at least would hang the rear end out and drift a little, the Challenger was just lousy mileage and all the performance of a Yaris.

If you haven't already I hope one day you get to drive an Australian V8 ute. I think you would absolutely love them.

[Hardartery]

Personal update. I got back from travelling to find two special projects that were apparently waiting on me, and one more is coming that I am not supposed to know about yet. It's weird to keep stuff on the DL, but it's weird here. The new Miss Universe is from here, which is as close as I will come to stating the name of the country while I am in it. I have actually been on a plane with her and her younger sister before she won this year. Which is a weird thing in and of itself. Anyway, I spent all of last week out the door at 7 AM and somewhere else all day, so my schedule was blown for the week and on top of that I apparently ate something of the tainted variety. So, I have had explosive and alarming bowel movements since Friday. That is currently keeping me out of the gym, as I already know there is only a urinal there in the Men's bathroom and I am guessing the women's side is at best a toilet with no seat but probably no toilet either. I am afraid of any sort of Valsalva at the moment, so no lifting yet. I broke down and broke out the amoxicillin just now so maybe I can clear this up shortly unless it's a viral stomach thing - which I have heard is going around so not totally unlikely. Hoping for heavy Deadlifts and solid shits by next week.

[MarkKO]

Personal update. I got back from travelling to find two special projects that were apparently waiting on me, and one more is coming that I am not supposed to know about yet. It's weird to keep stuff on the DL, but it's weird here. The new Miss Universe is from here, which is as close as I will come to stating the name of the country while I am in it. I have actually been on a plane with her and her younger sister before she won this year. Which is a weird thing in and of itself. Anyway, I spent all of last week out the door at 7 AM and somewhere else all day, so my schedule was blown for the week and on top of that I apparently ate something of the tainted variety. So, I have had explosive and alarming bowel movements since Friday. That is currently keeping me out of the gym, as I already know there is only a urinal there in the Men's bathroom and I am guessing the women's side is at best a toilet with no seat but probably no toilet either. I am afraid of any sort of Valsalva at the moment, so no lifting yet. I broke down and broke out the amoxicillin just now so maybe I can clear this up shortly unless it's a viral stomach thing - which I have heard is going around so not totally unlikely. Hoping for heavy Deadlifts and solid shits by next week.

I believe this is known the universe deciding you need to get messed around with for moral fibre of some such BS. Unlucky.

[James]

Hope you feel better soon.

[Hardartery]

Hope you feel better soon.

Thanks. I am optimistic that the amoxicillin is getting it.

[Hardartery]

Wednesday 11/29/23

Deadlift - 4" blocks
225 x 5 - DOH
315 x 3
405 x 3
495 x 2 - mixed grip
585 x 2 - straps
635 x 1 x 2 sets - 10 count negatives

No PR's here, but no scatalogical difficulties either. Better living through chemistry, score one more for amoxicillin.

[Hardartery]

Wednesday 11/29/23

Deadlift - 4" blocks
225 x 5 - DOH
315 x 3
405 x 3
495 x 2 - mixed grip
585 x 2 - straps
635 x 1 x 2 sets - 10 count negatives

No PR's here, but no scatalogical difficulties either. Better living through chemistry, score one more for amoxicillin. I should point out that I am currently below 270, which is all the vacation weight plus gone in two weeks, most if it this last week. Roughly 12-13 pounds, and I don't feel like I have lost much. And I really like the new straps, they make my forearms work a lot more throughout the lift which makes the pull harder but I feel like I will gain more from it than when I use the Figure-8's.

[Hardartery]

Thursday 11/30/23

Incline Press
135 x 5
225 x 5
295 x 3
295 x 2 x 2 sets
225 x 5, 6 - very paused reps

Lateral Raises
85 x 5 x 3 sets

Laterals - top of ROM only
35 x 4 x 2 sets
35 x 3

Standing Military Press - DB
40 x 10
45 x 10 x 2 sets

It seems I have a lost a little bit from the unscheduled break (And probably affected by the weight loss, maybe) but not as bad as I was fearing. The DB MP is the new tool to go after the weak point. My left shoulder is still problematic so DB's are particularly challenging these days. It is humbling to be using this weight, but you have to start somewhere.

Side note, someone was asking me about seeing me on Facebook. Not my account, which would be extra weird seeing as I don't have one, but stuff showing me lifting. I have no idea what he was talking about, but his son was apparently showing him and his son is not a stranger to me. So, either somebody found some very old stuff from my wife somewhere (Unlikely, Facebook was not a thing when I was competing as far as I remember) or somebody is posting stuff with me in it and I am not in the loop. I do not know what to think about it. As long as no one starts cooking pets in my kitchen or anything I guess I am going to choose to not care.

[hector]

HardArtery, Finally got some dumbbells. (Well, on the way.) you suggesting flys and describing benefit you got from them was a major driver. Thank you!

[Hardartery]

HardArtery, Finally got some dumbbells. (Well, on the way.) you suggesting flys and describing benefit you got from them was a major driver. Thank you!

Excellent. Embrace the pain the first few sessions, cause there will likely be some. DOMS can be real, but nothing hits like them for me. I think a lot of it is the stretch - a thing that is the current rage in the BBing circles with a lot of guys droning about really getting the stretch in the muscle out to full extension and that that is more important the a particularly great lockout or full contraction.

[platypus]

Standing Military Press - DB
40 x 10
45 x 10 x 2 sets

It seems I have a lost a little bit from the unscheduled break (And probably affected by the weight loss, maybe) but not as bad as I was fearing. The DB MP is the new tool to go after the weak point. My left shoulder is still problematic so DB's are particularly challenging these days. It is humbling to be using this weight, but you have to start somewhere.

What you find humbling shows how strong you you've gotten.

It can get a lot more humbling - after I tore my supraspinatus tendon, I had to start pressing again with the 10s. I'd be in obvious pain, grimacing my way through a set with little blue ladies' dumbbells and getting sidelong glances from other gymgoers.