Platypus lifts/reads

[cgeorg]

- A buddy of mine randomly gave me these stylish ramen noodle pants. He said his wife was scrolling through Amazon, saw them, called him over and said, "These look like something Platy would wear."
So he bought them and surprised me with them. That's a true friend.

A true friend indeed

[platypus]

4/4/19

Calisthenics

Hammer chins	bwx(1,2,3)x3
Pushups	bwx7x5

Not really cardio
45 minutes of attempting to follow along with dancercise videos on youtube

Notes:
- None of these dance workout people seem to make videos for people who don't know what they're doing yet. There's no explanations, they just say, "Now we're going to do the twisty move," and proceed to do something I can't manage to replicate. I should go to an actual zumba class to learn this stuff.

- I can swing dance pretty well. Maybe I can get a chick to do swing dance with me a few times a week for cardio. The problem is mostly logistics: there's not much space in my little efficiency apartment, and there's not many athletic women in my little fishing village. I had a swing dance partner around the time I started this log, but that dance partnership ended with me filing for a restraining order and moving furniture in front of my bedroom door before I went to sleep for months. You gotta be careful these days.

- Another option: do a burpee every thirty seconds for an hour while I listen to podcasts or watch movies. And steadily increase the density of burpees over time. Low intensity enough, right?

Man, you are in absolutely no danger of being called for soft knees on lockout. Those are incredibly snappy at the top.

Thanks Sean!

[simonrest]

the inherent wrongness of throwing food away

That was a terrible lesson to teach our generation.

I still agree with it.

I think a better lesson would have been to teach us it's sinful to over cater.

[simonrest]

the inherent wrongness of throwing food away

That was a terrible lesson to teach our generation.

I still agree with it.

I think a better lesson would have been to teach us it's sinful to over cater.

anyway, sorry for the throwback. Back to the training

[platypus]

4/5/19
Calisthenics

Hammer chins	bwx(1,2,3)x3
Pushups	bwx7x5

Weights

Press	117.5x5x2, 115x9
Chins	12.5x6, 10x5
Squat	285x5x2, 285x10
Neck ext	13.25x25x5

Notes:
- Not enough sleep, got really dizzy and had trouble balancing. C'est la vie

I think a better lesson would have been to teach us it's sinful to over cater.

That also seems like pretty solid advice.

[platypus]

4/6/19
Cardio
44lb kb swing + 10 burpees x 6 rounds in 10 minuntes

Notes:
- Read Worthless: The Young Person's Indespensible Guide to Choosing the Right Major by Aaron Clarey. The basic premise is that if you want to make $$$ after college, you've got to major in something that people will pay you to do. Which I knew already, but many of the specifics were news to me. The author's sense of humor made the book entertaining. I'll probably give a copy to my little sister before she embarks on a gender studies degree.

[platypus]

4/8/19
Calisthenics

Chins	bwx4x6
Pushups	bwx7x6

Weights

Incline press	137.5x5x2, 137.5x10
EZ curl	62.5x11, 55x11
Squat	290x5x2, 290x12
Neck ext	13.25x25x3, 13.25x50

Notes:
- Switching from ladders to the frequency method for chins so I can get more, easier volume. It's a mix of hammer grip and underhand based on whether I'm using my home chinup bar or the one at work.

- Two other options for low intensity cardio have manifested themselves to me:
1. Get a backpack, fill it with weights, and hike to and from work on low intensity cardio days. It's about 3 miles through hills each way, so that would be a nice workout. I'd also have to buy some actual rain gear, since I can't arrive at work soaking wet each morning. I'd save a handful of dollars each month on fuel though.
2. I could get a membership at the community gym and use the swimming pool. It's $365 if I sign up for the whole year. Paying for two gym memberships seems extravagant though. Option 2b is swimming outdoors. I know an apparently insane triathlete who actually does that. I'm pretty sure the water temp is in the 50s, so I'd be voluntary hardshipping pretty hard.

[simonrest]

4/6/19
Cardio
44lb kb swing + 10 burpees x 6 rounds in 10 minuntes

Notes:
- Read Worthless: The Young Person's Indespensible Guide to Choosing the Right Major by Aaron Clarey. The basic premise is that if you want to make $$$ after college, you've got to major in something that people will pay you to do. Which I knew already, but many of the specifics were news to me. The author's sense of humor made the book entertaining. I'll probably give a copy to my little sister before she embarks on a gender studies degree.

my younger cousin wanted to study law because lawyers are well paid, I told her if she wanted to make money do a finance degree because there was huge demand in that industry. She finished her law degree, still hasn't landed a job though

[platypus]

4/9/19
Calisthenics

Chins	bwx4x6
Pushups	bwx7x6

Notes:
- After devouring Worthless, I read Bachelor Pad Economics by the same author. It was a how-to guide for all the stuff you're supposed to know how to do as an adult, like find housing and transportation and invest for retirement. Lots of good info, although pretty bleak. Clarey warned about some obvious things like the impending disappearance of social security, as well as much I hadn't thought about, like the government taking everyone's 401ks to pay off the national debt. Apparently several countries have done that already.

- Now I'm reading Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire that Saved Western Civilization. Still towards the beginning but I'm enjoying it immensely. So far it's covered the from reign of the Emperor Diocletian up to point where St. Constantine turns Byzantium into Constantinople.

my younger cousin wanted to study law because lawyers are well paid, I told her if she wanted to make money do a finance degree because there was huge demand in that industry. She finished her law degree, still hasn't landed a job though

Yeah, I have a family friend who graduated law school three or four years ago. He's a senator's aide or something now working for pennies since he couldn't find one of the cool, lucrative lawyer jobs. Apparently job market for JDs is pretty saturated. His brother who barely finished highschool became a plumber and is now making excellent money. Go figure.

Aaron Clarey recommended against law school in Worthless, citing the current excess of lawyers.

[hector]

For someone too lazy to read, like me, your selection and summaries are outstanding.

[platypus]

4/10/19

Calisthenics

Chins	bwx4x6
Pushups	bwx7x6

Weights

Press	120x5x2, 120x8
Chin	15x7, 10x5
Yates row	165x6, 155x6
Deadlift	330x9

Cardio
53lb kb swing + 5 burpees x 6 rounds in 6 min

Notes
- All those chin-ups are starting to pay off.

- Yates rows still don't feel quite right. I'll try and get some video next time.

- Swings right after rows and deads is probably a stupid thing to do. My low back was so tight on the car ride home it was ridiculous. I kept wiggling around in the driver's seat trying to get comfortable. Then I stopped to pick up groceries, and after that my back was fine. I think the walking helped. Probably I should just walk aimlessly around the gym for several minutes before I leave, confusing everyone and letting my back rest before driving.

- Lost to the West really goes out of the way to eviscerate Constantine the Great. Assigns him evil motives for everything he did, and states matter-of-factly that he executed his wife and son as punishment for a nonexistent affair since his son was getting too popular. In contradiction to the hagiography, naturally. It's very entertaining writing though.

For someone too lazy to read, like me, your selection and summaries are outstanding.

Glad you like it! I like to think of this more as a reading log than a lifting log.

[platypus]

4/11/19
Calisthenics

Chins	bwx4x6
Pushups	bwx7x6

Cardio
50m swim x 5

Notes:
The good: Decided to get a punch pass at the rec center, use the pool a few times, and see if it was worth paying $365 for an annual membership. Walked in and it was on sale for $175, which was good enough for me.

The bad: The pH balance in the pool was way off, and my eyes were left bloodshot and irritated. Gotta find some goggles. And earplugs, since the water's sloshing around in my head now.

The ugly: My sidestroke technique

[platypus]

4/12/19
Calisthenics

Chins	bwx4x6
Pushups	bwx7x6

Weights

Incline press	140x5x2, 140x9
EZ curl	65x11, 60x8
Squat	295x5x2, 290x10

Notes:
- Was considering going vegetarian to save some food monies, and the epistle reading for Matins was from the first letter of St. Paul to Timothy where he warns against religious leaders who forbid marriage or eating meat. Coincidence? Who's to say?
On a related note, eggs were on sale for $3.99 for five dozen so I bought a couple boxes and have been stuffing my face with eggs at each meal. I'm down to about 1lb of meat or fish per day, down from 2-3lbs.

[platypus]

4/15/19
Calisthenics

Chins	bwx4x7
Pushups	bwx7x7

Weights

Press	125x5x2, 125x9
Chin	15x6, 15x5
Squat	300x5x2, 300x10

Notes:
- Lost to the West continues to be entertaining, although there's a whole lot of speculation presented as fact. Comparing it to a textbook would be like comparing Buzfeed to the Economist. I did learn something interesting though: apparently the vikings were such a terror in midieval Europe that liturgical books included a petition "Lord, deliver us from the hands of the Northmen."

It's crazy to think that the Vikings were such a scourge that their legacy made it's way into Sunday Mass.

[hector]

Dont have to go vegetarian to save money. High quality animal protein can be bad cheaply. Especially if you invest $60 and get a crock pot.

Chicken thighs are super cheap. Much less per pound, and more nutrient dense, than majority of fruits and veggies. Ground beef can also be super cheap on sale. Just buy 10lb when it's on sale for 3, freeze it in 1lb freezer bags. If there's a butcher they can put it in 1 lb sections for you.
Lots more, and better, tips online.

[platypus]

4/16/19
Calisthenics

Chins	bwx4x7
Pushups	bwx7x7

Swim

100m crawl

1:25 1:30 1:37 1:40

Notes:
- It's going to take a little practice before I can swim 100m without my form rapidly heading south. I may stick with 50m for a few workouts before bumping the distance back up.

- For reasons unbenownst to me, "Patrice O'Neal on Hoes and Hypergamy" has shown up in the recommended bar next to every youtube video I've watched in the last several weeks. Yesterday, I finally watched it. I ended up laughing so hard I cried.

Then I looked up Patrice O'Neal and found out he died just a few years ago. It's strange to realize that we keep people's voices archived after they pass on.

Dont have to go vegetarian to save money. High quality animal protein can be bad cheaply. Especially if you invest $60 and get a crock pot.

Chicken thighs are super cheap. Much less per pound, and more nutrient dense, than majority of fruits and veggies. Ground beef can also be super cheap on sale. Just buy 10lb when it's on sale for 3, freeze it in 1lb freezer bags. If there's a butcher they can put it in 1 lb sections for you.
Lots more, and better, tips online.

I appreciate the advice, Hector. I'm not breaking the bank on groceries, but I always feel like I could do better. Crockpot chicken is one of my staples.

Something I didn't think of till just now is that I can use a communal deep freezer at work. There's good sales on chicken and pork every once in a while, and although my home freezer is pretty small, I could throw 50lbs or so in the deep freeze and bring it home as needed.

[platypus]

4/17/19
Calisthenics

Chins	bwx4x7
Pushups	bwx7x7

Weights

Incline press	142.5x5x2 142.5x9
Curl	65x12 60x9
Yates row	170x7 160x8
Deadlift	335x9

Notes
- Really glad I made the program change. Everything is smooth sailing right now.

- I watched El Gringo last night, and it had by far the best acting of any Scott Adkins movie I've seen. I'm used to him starring in low-budget B movies featuring mostly terrible actors, which I watch anyway because Scott Adkins is clearly a demigod. Phenomenal martial arts skills, and no shaky cam in his flicks. El Gringo was A movie quality. I really hope he get some more good roles like this.

[platypus]

4/18/19
Calisthenics

Chins	bwx4x7
Pushups	bwx7x7

Swimming
50m breaststroke x 6 at 1:15 intervals.

Notes:
- The math required to look at the clock and figure out my time between intervals was sadly infeasible for my young, uneducated mind. The first one was 47 seconds; after that who knows.

[platypus]

4/19/19
Calisthenics

Chins	bwx4x7
Pushups	bwx7x7

Weights

Press	127.5x5x2 127.5x8
Chin	17.5x7 10x4
Squat	305x5x2 305x12
Neck ext.	13.25x25x3 13.25x30

Notes:
- My breath control was fantastic on squats today. For the first eight reps I only needed one breath between reps, whereas I usually take at least two. Perhaps the swimming is helping.

- We had a waffle breakfast at work today, and as usual we made way too many waffles and ate until stuffed. And somebody brought donuts. It was a wildly inappropriate gorge for a Friday in Lent, but it may have enabled those two extra reps on squats today.

[BenM]

Mmmm donuts. *triggered*

12 reps is a great effort.