Dak Ink Random Nonsense and Kettlebells

2009-11-06T12:10:00.000-08:00

Ultimately a blog is about honesty(or it is just a bunch of tripe). I wish I could say that my lack of blogging was because I have been too busy doing something or other( as far as lifting and working out have been concerned). I am seeing a pattern. I get a good stride make some kind of personal breakthrough or discovery and then fall apart.I was doing alright on the ROP but I think I ended up getting hurt because I wasnt focused on the basics.A few weeks earlier I really pulled something badly in my ribs and when it was better I tried to jump back into the ROP too fast because I then threw my back out on some bad C&J reps.I know better than this. Just tried to do too much and skipped over doing what I know I have to do to be ok. Dumbass.
Anyways I have been reading a book that has made me think alot, about life and people and dreams.I used to have dreams and lately I dont. Im depressed.I dont see my life going anywhere. Its why I named my blog "All aboard a trainwreck bound for nowhere..." To me that says alot about how I feel about my life and that isnt a good thing.I mean it could at least have been a trainweck bound for somewhere, anywhere right?I need to dream again, and follow those dreams and see where they lead me.
I have always thought personal training and recently kettlebells would be a great idea.However I find it so easy to down talk myself about it. Im too fat, Im not in the greatest shape, I have no impressive credentials or military history etc.Im not athletic, I can go on and on. But I have lost almost 40 pounds in the past few months, Im getting back into shape even if it is taking the long road to do it. I have been in great shape before ...I just need to do it and yet I balk at the thought.I will fail, no one will want to listen to me . Im just paralyzed and it is accomplishing nothing.

ON the road to recovery.

2009-10-20T22:41:00.001-07:00

Today was my 2nd day back on the ROP.

Yesterday started with 3 ladders 1,2,3 20kg.
Man this felt rough compared to a few weeks ago, but still felt strong enough to finish with no failure. Just building back into where I was before i stopped.

Today I did naked and 16kg get ups for 5 minutes. With some arm bars. Been awhile since I hit get ups really well. So I focused on tension and perfect form. I felt I did OK. Was stable and felt smooth. Bridge got weak fast but still worked it as best as I could.

Been a long few days.Im feeling beat down by life a bit so I have to make sure I am ok.

Injury

2009-09-27T16:30:00.001-07:00

I really dont know what the hell I did exactly but I managed to injure myself.It is in my upper mid back on my right side following the rib line kinda where my liver would be from the side to the spine and it hurts like hell. Been this way for a few days hasnt gotten worse or better, Just is. It has de railed my ROP training for the moment. So I have to watch the ol diet and focus on what I can do for the moment( prolly grippers and sledge work but we shall see). Arg I HATE this sirt of thing. I have back issues but they are normally in the low lumbar area so this is something else...Blah.

Just wow...

2009-09-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

So Im just decompressing from Doc Cheng and Kenneth Jays workshop yesterday. Information dump is an understatement.
The group of people was very diverse and there were a huge number of RKCs.More RKCs than normies.Had people drive from AZ, as far as Northern Cali.
Doc statreted off with some great theory and build up to the TGU.We broke the TGU down into stages and focused on the key points in the progression. Keep the shoulders packed, or the neck becomes the core( and this is BAD)We paired off and started to work on form.
In hindsite i think I may have been a little rude to Doc at one point.I really do hope I wasnt but I cant honestly tell, fuckin Aspies.
Kenneth just completely blew my concept about what I thought I knew about the VWC out of the water.While I know I am not even close to being able to do VWC I sucked in points to train towards.The hip hinge timing to me is so weird and its hard for me to accept but I just have to practice.The rest of the key points I grasp but the hinge is just a mind blower and its funny because the few times I did get the timing right I have never had such a solid fast explosive swing.It filled all the "holes" and "leaks" I have ever felt in my swing.
Still did the cadence test and made it through 15 sets of VWC before I wanted to puke and my form was going to shit so I just bowed out.I know Kenneths portion is a bit ahead of me and that was OK because I have a sort of training road map laid out to progress towards and I know I am better off that had I tried to just use my understanding of the VWC protocol.
Overall well worth the price of admission. I would recommend Doc and Kenneth's workshop to anyone who wants to take thier understanding of kettlebells to the next level.
Im sore as hell today, but in all the "right" places.
Thank you for the suffering guys.

ROP Wk3

2009-09-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

Well I skipped Heavy press day as Im attending a 4 hr workshop in OC with Doc and Kenneth Jay today.Should be awesome.
Kadrons were not finished yet. I am a little disapointed but I know things take time as well and such is life.
Will write more later .

ROP Wk 3 Medium Day

2009-09-09T16:35:00.001-07:00

Ok i kinda feel like a jackass, I was re reading ETk and I just now noticed that only on light day are you supposed to do military presses...duh.
So I did 5 ladders of C&P and man what a diff that makes.Still got all 5 ladders at 4 rungs just a lil more of a smoker than before...

C&P 20kg
3x 1,2,3,4 C&P( no break)
2x 1,2,3-- 4 C&P ( break)
Skipped swings today as I was sweating like a pig from just the C&P and my back was tightening up so I just called it early.

Im really looking forward to my Southbay tour de force this weekend.Going to (hopefully) pick up my Kadron set,sell an old kettlebell, and take a workshop with Doc Cheng and Kenneth Jay. Exciting.

ROP Wk 3 Variety Day

2009-09-08T14:04:00.000-07:00

Took it easy for the most part, did some Yoga and light RKC arm bars and Get Ups to loosen up my back and hips.

Went by the gym for a body fat test and to swin but I forgot my lock so...then no trainers available for a bf test...so I hopped on a scale and it was 212...OOOOO now if I only knew what my bf% was.

ROP Wk 3 Light Day

2009-09-07T15:23:00.000-07:00

Light day
5 ladders 1,2,3 -20kg
Dropped resting to 1:30 between sets.

Snatches 5/5 7 minutes - 16kg
Form was solid all the way across.

I have been losing weight using the PM and now just starting the ROP. I have lost around 25 pounds in the past 41/2 months.I was around 238 and 26% bf in March and now down around 210-215.I plan on getting a bf% test this week so I can get an accurate gauge of weight loss and muscle mass etc . I have some pics from April( around 225 24%) and took one today before I worked out.
I was reading a post on dragondoor about a guy losing 32 pounds and having knee surgery and seeing his results inspired me to share and perhaps my posting may inspire someone else( hopefully not to get sick).Still want to get under 200 pounds ( so I dont have to press the beast to pass the ROP). It is nice to see some measurable progress.

Today:

April:

5-5-5-5-5-5 ROP wk2 heavy day

2009-09-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

Saturday Heavy day
5 Ladders 1,2,3,4,5 - 20kg
Roughly 60 minutes
Still having to take breaks between1,2,3; 4 and 5.I will work on getting to 1,2,3,4 pause 5.

Swings 20kg 5 minutes.
Hit really solid hardstyle swings until form broke on each set.I could tell before the set that I was fatigued from the press ladders so I didnt go all out just went hard enough to be safe.

Today was a ROP PR. Completed all 5 ladders of 5 rungs with the 20kg.Now to get to the point I wont need to pause in the middle twice and then not at all.

Catching up...ROP Wk 1 finish and Wk 2 till today.

2009-09-02T16:27:00.000-07:00

Um OK so...

Saturday ROP Heavy day
4 ladders 1,2,3,4,5- 20kg.
Roughly 60 minutes.
Ran low on time( had to go to work)so swings made it short 2 minutes.

Sunday Rest

Monday ROP Light day
5 ladders 1,2,3 20kg
Snatches 6 minutes 6/6. Form broke on minute 5 so Min 6 was high pulls.

Tuesday rest

Wed ROP Med day
5 ladders 1,2,3,4 - 20kg
Roughly 45 minutes
Swings 6 minutes-20kg. 15 solid hardstyle swings on the minute.really focused on the hip snap,glute crush and hip finishing then solid hike with over speed ass reach back on the down stroke to solid hip snap.Swings felt really solid.

ROP Wk1 Vareity day 2

2009-08-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

So I did some gada swinging in the back yard. It was a nice warm day out so my homemade little gada was calling to me.
So I started 5L/5R x2 for warm up. then 10L/R x2 and 10L/R 5L/R. The swings smoke my forearms and grip but also rubbed a small blister under my left pinky so I stopped.I started to do the swings I skipped yesterday but my neck was getting irritated so I just called it a day.No need to prolong a neck pull just for the sake of a few swings.

Today is a rest day so I am just resting today. I can feel my triceps quite a bit today. looking forward to heavy press day tommorrow.

I will add a picture of my gada when i pull it off the camera later today.

ROP Day 2 and 3

2009-08-27T10:42:00.000-07:00

So for Variety day 1 I did an hour of Yoga and some sledge levers and gripper work.
I decided to pick up a Tetting A gripper as the jump from the B to SA is too much and I dont want to hurt my hands again.Yoga was good helped loosen me up and was relaxing.

Medium press day with the 20kg hit 4 ladders (1,2,3,4). I stopped short as on the last round of 4 with my left I was about to fail.Still 40 one arm presses left and right with a 45 pound weight is not too bad.I have plenty of time to get better that is for sure.I skipped the swings as I had too many other things to do, running kids around etc.I will pick it up on variety day.

I managed to pull a muscle in my neck last night right before I went to bed, by yawning of all things...Some days you just have to laugh.

Im liking the ROP so far.nice change of pace from the PM.Not that there was anything wrong with the PM.

ROP day 1

2009-08-24T15:10:00.001-07:00

Well I decided to start the ROP today.I know I have a long way to go but I want to get it started.I only own up to a 24 kg bell so my goal is to hit the press ladders with a 24 and to make an attempt at a SSST.
Today is "light" so I did press ladders today with the 20kg bell 4 ladders of 3 rungs(1,2,3) followed by 6 minutes of snatches 6/6 on the minute.
Was a good workout.Im thinking of TGU and some sort of squat movement for variety days.

Just have alot on my mind as of late.Slowly getting things into motion.I have had some setbacks but perhaps it is for the best to set me off in a better new direction.there is just some fear attached to all of that.

OK. DOMS sucks.

2009-08-19T21:26:00.001-07:00

OK seriously...I have been gimping around till today after that workout.My hamstrings still hurt but I can move OK today.Yesterday was so painful I just kept laughing while I was walking. I need to work more squats into my workout practices.
I played around with some 12kg snatch, rack squat pushpress back to snatch rounds today in between fixing 2 computers buying new bug bumpers and donating one of my old kettlebells to a fellow KBLA member.Hopefully you will get some use out of it.
Been a busy busy day.

KBLA Sunday morning

2009-08-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

Got to go to another Sunday morning.Got up early and got ready.Hopped in the Bug ready to Bug out and she didnt want to turn over.She finally did but stalled instantly.F#@k!!So I tried agin got her reving a bit and then she idled.Tried to get in gear and stalled...So i reved it a bit more, and once it warmed a bit she was good to go. So I have to set up preheat tubes otherwise it takes forever to warm up in the AM.
So I made it to Santa Monica with a lil time to spare.Good sized group showed up.Doc warm,ed us up with 1 min swings. Was going good but my hardstyle lock dropped a lil on the last set so I deadlifted my bell instead. Went on to a snatch, drop to rack, squat press, back to snatch...Oh my this was fun. Then on to some walking swings.Its funny I have an OK swing, but add taking a step and its like watching a monkey screw a football...So I did as best as I could and ont eh way back the 2nd time my back just said no go.So I did some cobra and rested a few minutes. Then we hit a workout of double clean,squat,press,re clean.Then to 1min swings,1 min hot potatoe. After 2 sets my head was swiming and I was just done. So I walked around until I calmed down and drank some water and ate a protein bar. This is a great deal or work volume for a guy who is only really doing the PM. But I love it. Picked up my KBLA T- Shirt.
So i weighed myself this AM on a scale and if its anywhere near accurate Im stoked as fully dressed it said I was 203.Which means Im over 30 pounds lost in 4 months(roughly).It is nice to be down around 200 as opposed to 235. Been a good day. Went to my moms house to help out around the house and do some computer work.Got the computer stuff done and just relaxing for a bit.I enjoy doing the house stuff later in the day and having a beer.
Im looking forward to my main meal tonight.Did some chin ups on my old doorway chinup bar.I miss having one of these around but the wife isnt OK with it...
Cant wait for my Kadrons to show up.

Variety Day

2009-08-05T00:42:00.000-07:00

So I hit 3 pres ladders with the 16kg bell today.Then for fun I tried the 24kg. I got 1/2 L/R but it got shakey on the left so I stopped. It was a good workout.Really tried to focus on keeping full body tension.
I cant help the feeling that writing a blog is a waste of time. I am noone of consequence so why the feeling to write down things.What fuels it, narcissus?
Who knows.

Back =0/

2009-07-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

Well fun time is over, sadly.
Had a blast. Went boogie boarding for the first time in years. I forgot how much fun it was. I need to go again in the future. I remember I used to spend hours everyday just riding in set after set at the beach growing up.I was wiped when I was done.I had to walk up 300 stairs from the beach afterward and my thighs were screaming but it was great. Then made skewers for dinner with some organic baked potatoes and corn.Roasted marshmallows over a fire. It was very relaxing.
Got up and ate breakfast, hung out. Played Scrabble with the kids and played a game of chess.Went outside and grabbed my 16kg out of the Jeep and did 2 1/2 press ladders for a quick variety day workout.My hips and legs are sore today so I figured might as well hit my upper body with presses.
When we had to leave I was sad.We wandered around SB and slowly made our way home. I had to stop off at Home Depot to buy some cooler parts as my belt is about to break.So tommorrow morning I get to crawl back up there and replace the belt YAY!!!!
Been a good few days.It was nice to relax in the coolness.I was actually cold most of the time I was there.It was nice.

Vacation!

2009-07-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

Well Im packing to leave for SB. Yay!! 2 days with temps below 90 a dream come true.
Got up early and ran some errands.Grabbed some oil and a filter to change the oil on the car.Crawled up on the roof and oiled the cooler. Then hit a quick PM TGU day.Quick warm up of Pump stretches, halos and wall squats. I can feel my shoulders from yesterdays press ladders so its a good thing I didnt go overboard.
I set a solid pace and hit pretty good form nothing to brag about but not sloppy either.
Im out to better weather!!

Busy day

2009-07-28T14:02:00.000-07:00

Was up early for a job interview. I got lost on the way which cant be a good sign can it? So I show up on time anyways, met the guy I needed to meet and began the interview. I sat down and did research and prepped for this and in my opinion I blew it(compared to how I had prepped).The interview went in a totally different direction than anticipated, however my research allowed me to make some strong points and bring it back on track.I asked a few questions and shook hands.No the part I hate. waiting.My mind picks apart every overly long pause etc and I think, Fuck I blew it.

So I came home and drank some water and hit PM swing day. 12 minutes at 15 reps 30 on 30 off. Folded around 10 minutes.Just wasnt hydrated after spending 2 hours sweating in the 90+ degree AM heat. So I drank some more water and then hit a practice press ladder w the 16kg, 1,2,3,4,5 L/R alternating. + 1 more ladder to 1,2,3 L/R. I think I had more in the tank but I know what will happen if I go all out and then I cant do TGU day because my shoulders are thrashed.That isnt "practice" now is it.Shoulders have a nice pump so Im happy.
Made a berry and yogurt smoothie then will hop in the shower and head to my buddies to relax for the day. Tomorrow I go on mini vacation. Taking my 16kg for a brief 2 day stay in Santa Barbara.Wife is there already, I envy her.Its 104 right now, prolly 80 with a light offshore breeze in SB...
Weight is staying under 220 but I cant tell exactly where I am as I dont have a scale and last time I used one was @ 4Pm after eating fully dressed w shoes and I was 219 so....

2 day recap

2009-07-23T23:14:00.000-07:00

Forgot to log my swing day after TGU day(Tues). Nothing impressive hit 12 minutes 30 on 30 off with solid hardstyle lock with the 16kg.Did some sledge lever work afterwords.

I was sore the next day Wed so I just did a light warm up to get the blood flowing.I spent the day running around getting my Jeep up and running. Failed smog testing as my tank wont hold 15 pounds of pressure.the state of CA really hates older cars and is making it downright silly to keep them on the road.I will see what my repair options are. At worst I will have to spend a few hours replacing vacuum lines for the evap system, yay. Im going to try and get it all registered and then sell it.It was my first car and while I do love it it is no longer practical, but it is damn cool...

Today was TGU day again, so I warmed up with wall squats and pump stretches.
1min naked arm bars L/R
2 min naked getups
5min 16kg 1/2 ups focusing on the punch and crunch and really getting the shoulder packing and sternum away from ground hand.
Did some more sledge levering for grip work.

Back to the Program Minimum

2009-07-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

It has been 110 for over a week now.I have been beat but havent been working out and have been slacking on the Warrior Diet as well.It has been almost 3 weeks since I have even touched a kettlebell. So it is time to hop back on the PM and get it going again.I have been doing kettlebells for awhile and sadly I have never really left the Program Minimum.I dabbled with a few other programs here and there but quickly came back to the PM for one reason or another.I tried doing VWC but my shoulders were not up to it so I went back to the PM to build back up.I have not ever started the ROP or done the SSST.I want to complete the ROP and chase the SSST.

I am also chasing card tearing and gripper closing. I got 4 Tetting grippers for my B day. I had Heavygrips 100-200 and they are not even close to the Tettings.I got the B, SA, M and SM(apparently my B is mislabeled as 130 which should be an Advanced but it is a B)I can just close the SM with my right and almost with my left but not yet, its rated 165 and has a much larger spread than the Heavygrips. To anyone interested in grippers and thinking about heavygrips, just spend the extra $ on Tettings or COC grippers they are worth it.

So today was Get ups. warmed up with around the body passes, halos,pump stretches and wall squats.
1min naked arm bars L/R
1min naked getups L/R
1min 8kg arm bars L/R
1min 8kg Getups L/R time remaining focusing on form up to elbows.
5min 12kg Getups

Tore a deck of cheapo cards 32/20 these cards fall apart before wanting to tear...
3 sets of 5 second negatives with SA, 5 reps with B, then 25 band extensions.

Not too bad a workout all things considered.Focused on form and shoulder packing.

Time marches on

2009-07-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

Wow. tomorrow I turn 34.I know it isnt that old it is just an age I never thought I would see.When I was younger I always had a feeling I would die young.Even at 9 years old I remember not thinking I would live past 18.Somehow I did.Then as I grew up I found out that every male for 2 generations on both sides of my family has died before the age of 45 from some form of heart issue.Im just tap dancing on land mines with borrowed time it seems.It is one of the reasons my being overweight and unhealthy bothers me so much.
I have been in a funk the past few weeks.My engine swap went well but the engine isnt running well and it bothers me.I need to call the engine builder and get it sorted out.I need to start training again and get dialed back in on the WD.I have been escaping too much as of late, watching time slip by and doing nothing of benefit.I am moody and irate for no good reasons.I need to focus my life in directions that reap benefits.I need to work on time management.im 34 and feel that i have very little to show for this. I do have a woman who loves me( which I dont understand to be honest). I just need to set a path and accomplish a few things.I am thinking about going back to school.
Today will be a productive day.

Life Lessons

2009-06-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

Life is rough at times.I have spent the last week working on a project that in theory should have only taken 2 days.5 in and Im still not done.I have learned alot and still know nothing.In hindsight I can see all the errors I have made along the way and that at least counts for something.Now I know things I didnt know before.Note to self engine swaps requiring fabrication take alot longer and more planning than you think.Even with the engine being out of tune and such it is still much stronger than the stock one that is for sure. And I think I did an awesome job fabbing up and routing the oil lines for the oil cooler.

if my friends scale is correct at all, somehow in the month that I have eaten like shit and worked out sporadically at best I have dropped down to 210 pounds.Which means I have lost 25 pounds in the past 3 months.Now imagine how much I could have lost if everything was dialed in....

And on a life is messed up note I had a pipe burst in my bathroom wall.I am happy I have homeowners insurance( otherwise I would cry).The bathroom is now sealed up and collapsing in on itself while huge HEPA filters and dehumidifiers clean up the mess.I also made the mistake of paying a "pro" to reroute an external line to my cooler.I saw the problem from the ground( line was bent and leaking down from a loose compression fitting) then when I popped the panel the float was bent at 90 degrees sideways.This guy broke the float and line to my cooler( causing it to leak badly) and had the nerve to blame it on"the guy who installed this" to my wife. When he said this to me he didnt realize it was me who installed it less than a month ago and it was perfect( I spent 3 hours making sure it was) and to top it off the person who taught me how it do the cooler maintenance in the first place inspected it a week ago and commented on how well I had installed everything.So he wasnt too happy about being called out on this but for the $ we paid him he was going to do the job right or I was going to kick his ass.In hindsight I would have done a better job myself however I was 50 miles away otherwise occupied.Such is life.

Things are a lil stressful at the moment but I just have to focus on what I can and to quote Johnny J "Whats the problem? Fix it".
The last week has taught me alot.in spite of physical pain and exhaustion, mentally being worn out, dejected,wanting to quit out of frustration,having to figure stuff out on my own,jumping way in over my head( at least that how it felt at first)I have accomplished more than I thought I could and somehow through it all I feel better for having done it, even if only for not having quit when it seemed like failure was a certainty.

2009-06-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

I have laid out a new Swing rep pattern that I plan to use to build up to 20 reps for 25 minutes over the next 8-9 weeks.It uses a wave/EDT format with two steps forward one step back at 25 minutes building volume to reach my goal.

Reps	Minutes	Total Reps
10	25	250
11	25	275
12	25	300
11	25	275
12	25	300
13	25	325
12	25	300
13	25	325
14	25	350
13	25	325
14	25	350
15	25	375
14	25	350
15	25	375
16	25	400
15	25	375
16	25	400
17	25	425
16	25	400
17	25	425
18	25	450
17	25	425
18	25	450
19	25	475
18	25	450
19	25	475
20	25	500

All aboard ...

2009-06-12T12:18:00.000-07:00

Some days I really feel my life is a train wreck bound for nowhere.Well things are moving along like it or not.I really am down on myself as of late.
I have all my parts for my engine swap.Monday is D day.Im looking forward to it.just wish it had been earlier.Spent a few days waiting on a part that was not really important and ended up being defective when i got it so im a little pissed I waited 3 days for something that was fuct up to begin with.
I saw a job ad online for a Mtg underwriter with BofA. The irony being that I am signing back up for the job that once crushed my soul some time ago.i really am an idiot it would seem.Perhaps not.I am a talented UW and I really loved my job, I just hope that none of the bastards that I used to work for have anything to do with this dept.Please...
DD sent an offer out for a new KB cert.The HKC a one day cert.This seems up my alley as I dont think I could do the RKC, not yet anyways.However the HKC is a nice mid step.Then I have to ask myself if I am ever going to do anything with it.Like would I ever really teach KB to people?Who the fuck would want to listen to me, let alone pay my ass $ to "train" them?
Some days I wonder about my life.What am I doing with it? What purpose and significance does it have if any?
I feel like i am a failure as a man, a husband and a friend.I just feel like shit, i just know better.It is a feeling, a passing flight of fancy. things will be better.

Dropped off the face of the earth...

2009-06-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

Well I have kinda been MIA for a few days.Had a bunch going on and have been kinda all over the board so...
I got married on the 23rd.Never thought the day would actually come but it did.In all honesty not much has changed except that my g/f-fiancée is now my wife.Im married , ha!!
Found a new engine for my bug for a great price. Nice new built 1835 with a weber 40 idf carb.Will get a lil more punch than stock thats for sure.Went and picked it up and dropped it off at my buddies place to hang on to for a few days until I can come down and install it.Pretty much turnkey except I have to swap out the generator for an alternator,put the engine tin on it, find an external oil cooler and a new header/muffler.
Training has taken a small back seat for the past week as I have been running around too much.In some ways I have hit another funk, just stressed. Sad part is training makes me feel better I just havent brought myself to train as much as I should be.I have been working grip a bit.I found a 3/4 length 8lb sledgehammer in the garage and started doing levers and crimp grip stuff with it.Tearing is getting better i think. I tore 2 Bee decks 27/27 and then quartered them 13/14 .damn they are tougher than trumps.
I have some work to go and do on my Jeep today so I think I will go and work on that as well.Get me out in the sun and doing something.
Also was thinking about registering to go back to school so I need to go see the enrollment dept for that as well.

Blah

2009-05-20T15:14:00.000-07:00

Life is funny some days. Things are going well for the most part.

So today I was changing the oil in my 73 bug and found copper dust all over the sump plate and strainer. After a few phonecalls and some internet research...Well son of a bitch it appears my main bearings are going.To be honest it is the original engine and 36 years and well over 250K miles is a good life for any engine. now to figure out if it is worth it to tow it to my friends house and tear it down and rebuild it( if I can), or to just run the engine into the ground and buy a new one.Or eventually both... I am a lil bummed but I look at it as a chance to pull and engine apart and rebuild it, which is kinda neat to me anyways so...In reality I have the time to do it so I might as well. =0)

Rest Day

2009-05-14T21:10:00.000-07:00

So today I just rested.Well kind of but not totally.
Ran alot of errands today took a suit to the dry cleaners, holy crap they are expensive...Then ran to the post office, home depot for some cooler parts,had some new car keys made and then some grocery shopping for organic produce and such.

I ate pizza for dinner tonight covered in Sriracha.MM MMMM. I know its bad but I can have a cheat meal now and again.I LOVE Sriracha and pizza happenes to be 10 times better when covered in it. My private guilty sin I will take to my grave.

So as to not make today a total waste I did some gripper work.Then I saw a deck of cards laying under my desk that were just begging to get torn in half, so i did. Split the deck 19 - 35. Chalked up my hands a little and tore the 19 no sweat. The 35 was a lil tougher.I got the notch started pretty well but the top card split in two before the rest of the deck, so I stopped redoubled my tension and managed to get the whole thing in two more tears.I think my tear was pretty good( almost 50 50) probably the nicest tear I have done so far and +5 cards doesnt hurt either.
I can totally feel the shoulder work from yesterdays half TGU day with the 24kg.

Get-Up Wed.

2009-05-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was swing day.I was feeling a little fatigued but not too bad.I warmed up and started doing swings with the 16kg but it was just kicking my ass.I originally set out to do 1 handed swings,sets of 15 and was shooting for 25 minutes.I figured after saturday that shouldnt be too much.I was wrong, by 12 sets I was fried.So I just set the bell down and called it a day.Still got the PM in but far short of my goal.Guess my max effort still took its toll in spite of not being sore or hurt.Just have to take it easy for a day and hit it after recovery day.Also I am not used to doing 1 handed swings so Im sure that played in a bit as well.

Today was TGU day. Warmed up with around the body passes,halos, figure 8 and naked arm bars.

5 min naked get ups
5 min armbars 16kg 1min L/R rest repeat.
5 Min 24kg Half Ups.
Misc grip training- Pinch, finger tip pinch, Puck hub.
-Ab wheel rollouts(from knees)- trying to build up high tension.

Wasnt a strenuous workout but hefting the 24 was hard.Really pushed grip and shoulder stability.
Good solid practice today.

Trying to work some more grip training in as I do still wish to get better at card tearing, and maybe even one day steel bending.Long term goals for sure.Its funny I was reading about the TSC and that just sounds like so much fun.I havent dead lifted in years and I know I dont have the stability yet to do them well.That is something I think I would like to work to.I know my training right now has no specific purpose. I dont have exact goals other than to work up to real solid PM basics and then perhaps into the ROP to build enough shoulder strength to do VWC.But nothing more specific than that.I will sit down and try to come up with some more focused attainable goals so I can begin to work on that.
Long term fitness Goals I would like to attain:( I will edit these later)
-Complete PM
-Complete ROP
-Deadlifting
-Complete VWC 15:15
-TSC
-Card Tearing
-Steel Bending

2009-05-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

So today was TGU day.When I tried to do some VWC snatch workouts I found my shoulders gave out( as well as wind).So I decided to head back to the PM and work on building up shoulder stamina and get my wind up a bit.

Today warmed up with around the body pass,halos,naked arm bars.

5 minutes of naked get ups
5 minute 16kg arm bars 1min L/R 1 min rest repeat
5 minute Half ups with 20kg bell.
2 sets of ab wheel...

On another note I have been in a funk the past few days.Alot on my mind. Some jackass broke into my jeep and stole a bunch of random crap which is of little value but still bothers me. I want to shoot half of my ghetto ass neighbors,seriously WTF is wrong with people?My car is running like shit and I dont want to deal with it or pay for it to be fixed.Not having full time gainful emplyment makes me question my value in society.Im too fat.Im too weak.My ego is too big.I just cant process everything at once. I know my frustration tolerance is low.Simple things set me off and I just dont want to deal with anything. I am forcing myself to workout and eat but I dnt really feel like it much.Such is life

This workout is dedicated to KBMarty

2009-05-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

Todays workout is dedicated to you KBMarty. I know you are down a bit so I am sending you some comrade vibes by swinging a bell for ya.And not just any bell but my 24kg bell, and not just a few swing but 250 of them in sets of 10. My goal was 150 in sets of 10, but I tore some pinky skin on my 80-90 set so i paused the timer so I could tape my finger and finish. Little did I know I reset the timer to 15 so after a few too many sets I looked at the gymboss and it said 8 sets left, and i was like WTF, so i was at 160.I still felt good so I said WTF I will finish it out and set a new record at 220.So I got to 220 and then I was like, fuck it 250 is only 3 more sets. So I redoubled my effort to keep a solid hardstyle lock and i gutted out 250 reps in 25 minutes. now I know this is no mutant feat for the DD folks.However for me this is huge. 12 months ago just thinking about doing swings with a 24 was laughable and scared the crap out of me. 6 months ago I could do a few sets maybe 30-50 before my back would say enough and I would stop.Today I gutted out 250 and my back feels great.I feel fatigued but not hurt. So I want to thank you Marty for yet again inspiring me to do my best. Power to you comrade and hope you are back soon.

Se la Vie

2009-05-07T13:12:00.000-07:00

Life is so tiring at times.I have enough of my own BS to deal with, I really dont need anyone else's.However such is life. So back to what I can deal with and trying to let the other BS roll off because I cant deal with it.

So yesterday I cut down a tree with a chainsaw.It was fun except it tore up my hands a bit.In spite of this I made it a solid swing day(after some hand care).Warmed up with around the body passes
halos,wall squats and pump stretches. Used the 16kg 30/30 for 12 minutes, was hitting 15 swings with solid hardstyle locks, so 180 reps. Not too impressive but they were solid reps.

Today was TGU day. so I warmed up with Around the body, halos, wall squat pump stretch and naked RKC armbars. Then did 5 minutes of naked get ups. Then a minute break,did 5 minutes of arm bars with a 12kg, 1 minute each arm L/R and then rest 1 min in between. 1 min rest then 5 minutes of TGu with the 16kg and then rapped up with another 5 minutes of naked get ups.
Grabbed a quick post workout meal and then hit the shower. It makes much of the past few days BS seem a little less.

Got errands to run so Im off for now.

Busy

2009-05-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

Been busy. Thought the Census was over with for now, however I was wrong.Spent 2 back to back 13 hour days driving the Jeep through the dessert. This time I had a few places I really had to use 4x$ so I had fun.Just 2 insane days, but it was worth it.Got to see some sites out in the middle of nowhere that were neat.

Training is getting back on track.I only got in 1 swing and 1 TGU last week just got distracted with work and kids and everything. Busted out a TGU day today. Warmed up with around the body passes,halos, wall squats and pump stretches.Did 5 minutes of naked get ups , and 5 minutes with the 16kg.Felt really good, was focusing on hitting all the right points, making sure I was locking the shoulders down etc.I would give myself a solid B for today.

Warrior diet is still going well.I had a drop off day a few days ago but thats been it for a month.I have been eating alot cleaner and better.I have not jumped on a scale recently butI am at least doing well maintaining weight.I feel I am losing a bit of fat, but feel I may be stagnating a bit,its hard to tell exactly.Its like my belly fat isnt dropping super fast like it did before but I notice it in my arms and shoulders now so....?And my love handles are smaller too so I cant complain.

I am also planning an event in a few weeks.So I have a little incentive to work out more so I can look all awesome for folks n stuff.Besides I need it for all the stress as of late.

All in all life is doing ok right now.I am working on the things I can work on and trying not to go insane over the things I cant do anything about.

Vindication and disapointment. Oh and comments would be appreciated.

2009-04-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

Alot of people call me cynical.I call myself pragmatic.So when things happen and I put pieces together early and my conclusion( without 100% of the facts) is negative I sometimes wonder if people are correct.Maybe I am a frowny face cynic.I am a little OCD and probably suffer from mild autistic spectrum disorder( part of why Im "wierd") which ironically makes me good at my profession,mortgage underwriting. I am pretty good at sifting through a huge pile of information and noticing small inconsistancies, leading to the thread that when pulled unravels the sweater.I may find it hard to understand why people are not forthcoming but I can see it.
So when my future step son 13 suddenly turns up with 2 new PS2 memory cards(blue and red) after going on a diatribe about how he cant play games becasue he has to erase all his other saves etc etc, I become a little curious.As I am an avid gamer I notice things like this( he only owns black cards).It is wayyy too much of a coincidence that he had shown me an identical item a few days ago at the store (34$) and there was about 5 minutes he was missing that day when he wasnt were he said he would be.However when I see the cards it was obviuos to me what happened.Yet I feel like an ass jumping the gun because Im a "cynic". So i begin recon, and research. I asked his brother and sure enough all of X's cards are black,he has never seen a red or blue card before.So I informed his mom of what I thought was happening.We asked him,"Oh Dad bought me those for X-mas"So I grabbed them from, his room later and put the cards in a PS2... neither has been formatted yet.Busted.He still wouldnt cop to it, so a little bit of parental triple teaming later, he cops to it.Now to figure out the punishment.
Im thinking of taking him to the store and having him personally return the items to the manager and pay for them out of his savings( which is pretty much all of it).After that? Um chain him in the basement?Oh wait I dont have one of those.
So I feel vindicated,Im not a paranoid cynic.I am however greatly disapointed in the boy, for the theft and then thinking that I am too stupid to not see through his BS.He is a good kid, who thinks he is a bad kid.If I have anything to do with it he wont make the same mistakes I did growing up.

So any ideas or comments would be appreciated.

2009-04-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

Well today is my last official day as a census flunky,for now.It went much faster than we thought it would.You have to laugh at the way the fed works sometimes(ie: sending hipster douchebags from Santa Monica [ guys in trendy 300$ jeans,linen shirt,with a perm and elf shoes] into the middle of nowhere to cover properties with "NO Tresspassing" and "Owner will shoot on site" signs[ after firing people who actually live in these area].
Though I have to admit I could not stop laughing watching him get raped by some ladies dog because he was too much of a pussy to push the dog off.I cried I laughed so hard.
Me:"Just push it off your leg"
Him:"Eeeeehhhhhhh" Flailing around
Me to the Owner:"Apparently he isnt much of a BIG dog person"
Her:"Apparently not. Bear... NO get off him,Bear stop it"Pulling Bear off Douchebag.
On the way back to the car
Me:"Dude that dog just made you his bitch."
Him:"But it was a big dog,I didnt want to upset it."
Me:Crying
It was comedy gold.I really should have videoed it.

I tore 30 trumps today.A new record. Nothing impressive, but +3 cards is improvement.The rest of the deck went down fast and easy.I am trying to really crank the tension right before the tear.I have a long way to go but its an improvement.I am having a problem with the outer card ripping and sliding out before the tear starts.Im sure it is a technique flaw.

I have a few errands to run today before I go to my meeting.Have to get some doggie food and a new computer floor mat, this one is shattered and the woman isnt liking it so...time to buy a new one.

Still on the warrior Diet and its still going well.Just light fresh fruit or freshly juiced juices, some almonds or yogurt during the day . A spring mix salad with some feta,tomatoes, olive oil and a teaspoon of balsalmic vinegar (I have come down from 4 so...) and whatever I make for dinner.I find myself craving crap alot less than I used to. I was looking at something the otherday and I normally would have been drooling,now it was like, eh not interested. I had sushi saturday night and pigged out.Half expected to be balooned up in the AM but no such luck.

Gada swinging

2009-04-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks ago I made a gada with some quickcrete, a post hole digger handle( has 2 holes in the end) , 2- 60D nails and a peewee/mini basketball. Its been sitting outside and I havent really played with it yet.So I was hanging out with my dogs in the backyard and saw the handle sticking up and it called to me. So I picked it up and spent 20 minutes swinging it in alternating sets of 10l/10R with a break , repeat.Then tries a few back and forth doing 10 total. It was fun. I bonked my hip once but overall not too bad.It really pumped my forearms and my grip. My back feels nice and loose too. I managed to rub a blister on my pinky but its not bad.Did some naked get ups really focusing on the form . Nothing too intense but it is still very warm today.its 9PM and its 72 degrees out.
Went shopping and bought more fruits and veggies.Also picked up some yogurt and some ingredients for dinner. All in all it was an alright day. still a lil miffed over the whole car thing but im getting a good price on everything so I cant complain too much.

Well...

2009-04-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

Well as it turns out I did have to take my Jeep to a mechanic.I am a bit miffed about the whole thing but sometimes ya have to do what has to be done.Set ego aside and say this is one for the pros to handle...but I still dont like it.

No work today anyways so thats nice.I will get a workout in and go do some shopping as I am running low on fruits and veggies and such.

Not much to report as of yet.Just setting up 9.04rc. So far it is smooooth.Viva Ubuntu!!

Are you kidding me its a #$@&ing thermostat...

2009-04-21T22:09:00.000-07:00

Well what can I say. I made 3 attempts to fix a fucking thermostat today.3.Its a fucking thermostat it should have taken 20 minutes.First time I had a pinhole leak, so I took it apart gasket ripped.go get a new gasket.Take it apart, clean it up 2nd gasket.Well fuck me if the bottom thermostat housing bolt didnt fall into the radiator cowling.Seriously...FUCK me.So an hour later I find the fucking thing and put it all back together torque the bolts with a torque wrench and....got a steady leak out the bottom.well son of a bitch.By this time its like 100 degrees outside.Literally. Im furious and sweating like a pig so i decide to take it easy for a bit.Around 7 got another gasket and another tube of gasket sealant and this time I sat down scraped everything, ran a fine file to make sure everything was flat and removed.I did notice that the thermostat housing has a chip missing inside so I slathered gasket compound around there and made sure to use a genrous helping of sealant.Cranked everything back on with a torque wrench and decided to let the sealant cure overnight.If this doesnt work Im shoving a rag in the fuckling tank and screaming jihad!Or i will take it to a mechanic as I have epically failed at this point. sad thing being I have done this several times to my Wrangler without ever having had so much as 1 issue... perhaps for whatever reason I was meant to not drive people in the desert today.

No training today as I was just all bent about the thermostat thing.

Still following the warrior diet. Had some mango,carrot,kiwi juice around 11.had some almonds around 4 and then BBQ'd some chicken breasts and had a salad with feta tomatoes olive oil and a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.Had a few wheat thins a few hours later and been drinking water.Its like 10:30 and its still 78 outside. I will have to crawl up on the roof and work on the swamp cooler soon.If the weather stays like this it will be hell soon.

I installed the new Ubuntu 9.04rc today.I havent played with it yet as I also got a wild hair up my ass and decided to resize my Win7 beta partition.im sure something will go wrong with this as well, but I get a sick pleasure out of messing up my systems and fixing them.

This heat is really hard to adjust to. I just want to go lay down and stay out of the sun all day.I doubt a workout wouldhave been productive,perhaps i will have to start working out at night.I wonder how that would work with the warrior diet schedule?Too much to think about right now, Im beatand I am going to go to bed soon.

Hi ho hi ho

2009-04-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

Well it was off to work I went.Spent another 5 hours driving through the desert...today was like 100 out so it was sweltering.Jeep held up fine got a lil warm in a few spots but she held up like a champ.Not much interesting today just lots and lots of back trails into nowhere.Only found 6 houses in like 75 miles of driving.Tomorrow is another day. Just glad I wore lots of sunblock today and drank a grip of water. It was freaking hot.
Went and bought a new thermostat that should lower the overall temp a few degrees and should be good for the rest of the week. Then need to flush the radiator and get all the crap out.She will be fine until then.
Sadly I had no idea when I was working today so when I was getting ready to workout( figuring I wasnt needed today as it was so late) and the phone rang I was kinda pissed.I dont hear from someone till after 1pm and they expect me to not be busy and be out the door in 10 minutes...Um yeah, try fucking calling me the night before and setting a time jackasses...
Lesson learned, workout earlier.

Ouch

2009-04-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

So I tried to tear more cards today. I split a deck in half ( 2 stacks of 27 cards) and tore both.The first deck was horrid form I tore the deck way near the bottom and then the cards started going everywhere...I got it but by the time i tore it I think like 5 cards dropped out in pieces.So I taped the other stack with some athletic tape. This was much cleaner but still nowhere near the center of the deck. Im not sure what causes this so I will have to re read the book and ask around a little, but I did tear a whole deck in 2 stacks!! LOL. I know Im weak but damnit its a start.And it hurts my hand, hence the Ouch title.

Got to drive in the desert again for like 5 hours.It is amazing the stuff you see way out in the middle of nowhere. Trash, old tires, furniture, you name it, I think I saw it. People squatting in the desert in mobile homes, trailers, or my favorite, the garage door fortress/compound.I should have taken a camera but I forgot. Tomorrow I think I will take a pic or two. its pretty crazy stuff.Needless to say the people who live out here are very disestablishmentarianist (sp?) they hate the government( alot).So trying to convince them why they should allow a federal worker into their garage door fortress compound in the middle of nowhere( complete with mangy angry dogs) can be tricky( and funny).So far noone has shot me yet, but I have been called alot of things and told to get the fuck off peoples property or they will call the Sheriff on me( not realizing they are technically required by law as a citizen to grant me access to their property...), I hate the fuckin gubermnt( at least that how it sounded when he said it), blah blah blah.It has been interesting to say the least.I can count on 1 finger the number of "citizens" who actually know what the Census is, and that it is the 2nd article of the Constitution..ya have to think its pretty fucking important to the founding fathers..WE the people...Will have a census in the first 1/4 of the constitution...( i didnt know this either so i get a fail in civics...).

Life is ok .God is good so i cant complain too much.It could be alot worse...

All aboard the trainwreck bound for nowhere

2009-04-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

Well this will be the 2nd week on the Warrior Diet and so far I think Im doing well.I find it still easy to stay on. I am finding I crave better quality foods as time goes by, though I still do want some crap from time to time.I am losing fat steadily as I see a reduction in my belly fat and noticing more definition in my shoulders and chest.The other thing is my fiancee has noticed the loss which is nice as she never really notices things like that unless they are drastic.Also she says my attitude is good, she used to comment alot that my attitiude was shitty when I was doing things like the Anabolic Diet awhile back.so easy to follow, decent results and Im not an asshole...Win!

Work, ah work.Well at least I get to play chauffeur through the desert @ 53cents a mile + wages.Apparently the kids they sent out to some of the more remote places dont know how to drive a car on a dirt road and they got stuck.So lucky me I have a 4x4.

Training. Yesterday I did a Vo2max style workout.Followed the 6 rep for 15:15 only went around 17 rounds before my form broke so i called it a day as i didnt have alot of time to workout.However I do have to say my form was probably the most solid it has been. I know Im not ready for the Vo2max as I dont have the strength endurance for it yet, but I am building up slowly and plan to just work perfect form until I get alot closer to being able to do it.My biggest issue isnt that Im terribly overweight and need to lose 100 pounds.I really only need to lose 25 pounds of fat.i am just horribly out of shape.I just have to put my ego aside and do the grunt work.Strength will come in time.I used to be strong, but I know I was stacking strength on dysfunction and that isnt strong.having to go back to the start and relearn correct strength and undoing dysfunction is hard.It would be much easier to just do it the wrong way, i think my ego would be gratified faster but in the long run it would just be a trainwreck bound for nowhere.

Im going to hell for this but....

2009-04-16T12:47:00.000-07:00

I just cant stop laughing at this.

Wednesday

2009-04-15T16:37:00.001-07:00

Today still no work, blah. So I drove to Kochs and picked up a new windshield for my bug.I love these guys, they have what I want most of the time, they are nice guys and their prices are decent, what more can you ask for? He even threw in a free used distributor clamp when i asked if they had one for sale.
Came home and bought some salmon for dinner. Going to make a pecan crusted salmon, yummy.

Did TGU day today. Warmed up with around the body passes, halos, pump stretches and wall squats. Then did a few partials naked for a refresher on form. Didnt bother timing sets, but I did a ladder up in weights starting with naked L/R, 8kg L/R, 12kg L/R 16kg L/R, was going to try 20 but I decided not to, next time perhaps. So I did some grip work with my homemade puck pinch grip and hub with 25 pounds( yes im weak) and 3x5 sets of abwheel rollouts.

As a total side note, I see people actually are viewing this site which I find to be hilarious.What on earth brings you here? and secondly not even 1 fucking comment? Not even a "you suck" or "shut the fuck up you prattling jackass" ... nothing?

Im thinking about doing a V02max workout for variety day tomorrow but we shall see how work and such goes.

2-2-2 Tuesdays....

2009-04-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

So I went to AAA to renew my registration...ended up upgrading my membership to premier, switching auto insurance companies and registering my car. AAA damn near halved my insurance rate and I do too much driving with family and such to not upgrade the AAA membership( considering how much they saved me on insurance i think I can afford it this year).
Then swung by the gym for a bodyfat test.Weight was at 222...Bodyfat was @ 22%...notice a pattern here yet...So not as light as Id like and the bf is higher than Id like but lower than I expected so... baseline is set.I know i was floating around 230-235 a few weeks ago so I have lost weight. Lean mass 173#,Fat mass 49#

Bought a juicer.Its an interesting machine.I made an apple carrot and ginger juice...Um wow delicious.I think Im going to have fun juicing.
Busted out PM swing day with the 20kg 30:30 on off. Really focused on hitting a hardstyle lock on each rep.Got a little sloppy at the end and my grip was slipping on the 11th minute so I took an extra rest and jumped back in.Its funny how you might want to look down at the PM sometimes, but when you havent done it in awhile it reminds you who the boss is.
Came home cooking dinner and relaxing.A good day all in all.

Card tearing

2009-04-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

Tearing cards is much harder than it looks. So I purchased the diesel card tearing e-book and got distracted, so i read it today and thought Id try it. Ha.Well...yeah...I got 10 cards no problem, 20 put up a fight but 25 was the spot. It started but fought me the whole way( cheapo trump cards).All I have to say is you fuckers out there tearing bicycle decks are animals.

Going to pick up a juicer today and get my bodyfat tested so I can get a baseline.Errands days are fun...

WD Weel 2 day 1

2009-04-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

Had some yogurt and some tea in the Am. An Apple around 10.Another apple and a kiwi round 1. some almonds around 4. Lots of water. A nice spring greens salad with tomato and feta with some EVOO and balsamic vinegar, some sloppy joe finished off with a promax bar and a few wheat thins.
drank some more water. Felt good today,
Work went well. Finished my assignment today.Been a rough few days. Now I get to sit and wait for another assignment.Yay!!
Probably will work on my car tomorrow or something.Was at costco and saw a juicer and was thinking about picking it up. always wanted a juicer.

Warrior Diet Week 1 in review...

2009-04-12T10:21:00.000-07:00

Well so far so good. I have had a few days this past week where I felt pretty down but I dont think it was the diet. I am very sensitive to weather shifts, and the weather was all over the place Thursday and Friday.I notice I tend to get really blue, I just get very demotivated and want to sleep.
I have been hacking up shit all week, I was sick a few weeks ago and have been active and working out with out so much a a wheeze but once a day I all the sudden couch up phlegm and on I go.perhaps this is a detox effect of the diet. I have cleaned up my eating a ton.This is the most fruits and veggies I have eaten in months.I enjoy the eating pattern as well.Some times I find myself wanting something at lunch, like I was out and wanted some Chronic Tacos but it passed quickly.
I feel much better all around.Sex drive is up which I find to be a great indicator of overall health and happiness.I still dont have a bodyweight and bf% baseline to compare any loss to but looking in the mirror and pinching my flab areas I am pretty sure I have lost weight(fat). I put on a shirt today I havent worn in months as it accentuates my belly and love handles and I was told it looked"slim" on me and I didnt want to fly into an argumentative diatribe...so?
Still reading through the book and refining food choices, but for a first week of shifting the ay I am eating I have to say it is hands down the easiest transition to a diet I have ever made. No feeling like crap for 4 days or wanting to die or kill people...Smooth.So I gave the warrior diet a thumbs up so far.

Warrior Diet day 4( Forgot to post this last night)

2009-04-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

More Kefir and Coffee.Had an apple around 11and some raw almonds around 4. Finished work around 6 and came home.
made a salad for dinner.Had some Kale soup with Sriracha.And after dinner I had a sugar craving so I had a small organic pastry thing.It was very good.
I did my Vo2Max cadence test right when I got home and it kicked my ass. I think I will retry it when Im a little more fresh. I know my snatches suck right now, and my form falls to shit as soon as I fatigue.I did the test with a 12kg bell and set a 6 rep cadence...I know its a baseline start but still feels like shit.On top of all of that my day was just rough. I spent it crawling through a maze of sand ridden ghetto trash trying to find hidden structures.this census gig can be rougher than i thought.Up until yesterday i was rockin 300 houses in 6-7 hours, today I managed 75 and it took me 10 hours...I felt very deafeated.Perhaps this set the tone for my snatch day...who knows.I was just glad to get into the house and relax today.Hopefully tommorrow will be a better day.

Warrior Diet Day 3

2009-04-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

Started out with Kefir and coffee, just seemed to start the Am off right yesterday so...Then had a carrot and apple around 9:45.Came home and had a banana around 12. Had some raw almonds around 3. Went to the grocery store after work and bought the missing ingredients to make my lentil soup with kale...MMM MMM MMM.Which just so happens to fit into the warrior diet perfectly.
So I started doing hardstyle locks at every house I stop at. So I hit 75 by 10 Am. It makes the day go by a lil faster.Walk to the porch, enter some info, hit a hardstyle lock, walk away. Anyone watching me prolly thinks the meter guy is having a seizure, neither thing being correct.
Rained so I had to pack it in and call it an early day, which will make the soup even more comforting....
Recipe for anyone who cares:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 pound bulk turkey or pork Italian sausage, regular or hot
1 cup lentils
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, grated or chopped
1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, wiped clean and thinly sliced
1 baking potato, peeled and diced
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
3-4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 cups chicken stock
1 bunch kale, thick stems removed and discarded, leaves shredded

Place a large soup pot over medium-high heat with one turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Once hot, add the sausage and sauté for 3-4 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces with the back of a spoon or a potato masher as it cooks and browns.

While the sausage is browning, pour the lentils out onto a light-colored plate and sift through them. Discard any small stones – sometimes you find them and sometimes you don't, but better safe than sorry.

To the browned sausage, add the onion, garlic, mushrooms, potato, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and the tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes.

Add the stock and 2 cups of water, turn the heat up to high and bring up to a bubble. Add the lentils and the kale, stir until the kale wilts in, then turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the lentils are tender.

im telling you...it is awesome.

I had a large salad with some feta cheese and balsamic vinegar then 2 bowls of lentil kale and sausage soup. Was delicious.Felt satisfied so I stopped eating.

Day 3 was good. Day 4 here I come....

Warrior Diet Day 2

2009-04-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

Had some Kefir for breakfast with a cup of coffee. Had an apple around 11 and a banana around 1230. Had a handful of raw almonds around 4. Drank about 2 liters of water. Had 2 quiches and a promax honey peanut bar for dinner.

Practiced snatches and cleans before dinner. I still have to work on cleaning up my lockout on my snatches, elbow isnt fully locked and wrist still waiters back too much.So I started with my 12kg and practiced perfect form 5/5 making all the subtle adjustments and holding the correct points at the end and trying to recreate them over. Did 3 sets with the 12kg, then 3 sets with the 16kg, form broke down a bit so I moved on to cleans. 5/5 with the 16 kg focusing on perfect form and a hardstyle lock. Then for fun did 3/3 clean and press with the 24kg and called it a day.
Really need to work on form/awareness/hardstyle lock.

Warrior Diet Day 1 pt 2

2009-04-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

Over feeding time...Had two heaping servings of buffalo chicken chili macaroni with bleu cheese and some greens drink of some sort.

Still have to read more of the book to refine it but, Day 1 down...?

Read Adam Glass's blog about being disappointed at the TSC turnout. Understandable I guess. i could have gone and dead lifted under 200 pounds, failed at a pull up and embarrassed myself trying to snatch a 24kg kettlebell....There is always next year.personally I like the TSC setup and think its pretty cool.Maybe one day I will get into the shape to actually compete and not come in dead last by an embarrassing margin!!!

Warrior Diet Day 1 ( so far..so um pt1)

2009-04-06T16:06:00.000-07:00

Had some yogurt for breakfast around 745. Then had an apple around 930 or so.Came home had an apple, a hand full of raw spinach and some yogurt.Around 4 had a small handful of nuts. Have to run some errands and then time for the overeating portion to begin!!
So far i feel pretty good, spent 6 hours out in the sun walking, drank plenty of water.
Still reading through the book but so far so good.

more later...

Being a good son, Doc, and the Warrior Diet.

2009-04-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

Well yesterday I went and picked up a new bed from a friend that they were not using and drove it down to my moms house and put it in for her.Her bed was beat and I am sure she wasnt going to get a new one anytime soon so when my friend said"hey i have this bed Im going to donate you know anyone who might be able to use it?" I was on it in a heartbeat.Its funny to look back at the past few years. I have gotten alot closer to my mom and have been a much better son than I had been being in the past.It isnt such a bad gig and i know she appreciates the help.
This of course led to my oh so conveniently being in the area sunday AM to go see Doc Cheng at kettlebellsLA. Yay!!So I got up at 615 showered and wandered out.Was a smaller group so we got into it.When Doc sits down and explains things they seem so simple. We went over snatches, cleans, swings and finished out with a nice lil circuit of planks, snatches, bear crawls, hot potatoes and goblet squats.I learned alot about holding a plank in a short time...( feet together, pinch the knees, clench the glutes, shorted the abs, brace the lats....)I still have snatch issues, form degrades fast and I tend to "waiter" my wrist and not lock out fully...Hot potato was interesting, tried it with a 16kg but it fried me and I was left standing there looking like a jackass while doc is like WTF? Too heavy sir...Goblet squated with a 32kg, I still have to say I love this move. i Sill have alot to improve upon, luckily I have a great coach to show me the way. Thanks Doc and the whole KBLA crew.
I got my copy of the warrior diet today and read the first few chapters so far.I find it to be an interesting approach to a lifestyle choice, but I have to admit the logic is fairly sound.
Im looking forward to learning more and seeing what happens as i progress.

Thank God for Boonie hats.

2009-03-31T22:50:00.000-07:00

So in the past 2 days I have spent almost 10 hours outdoors, and walked like 12 or so miles. The first day I got sunburned and started a blister on my left foot. Today I went and bought a boonie hat, what a difference.No sun burn, covers my head and neck.It may look silly but I can work so fuck it. .My ankles, and hips are sore. I gimped home today,I had 3 blisters on my left foot today so i popped them all and iced my ankle. Walking 5 miles in the real world is much more brutal than walking on a treadmill in the gym thats for sure.
Kettlebelling is on hold until I recover from all this walking( for work).I expect to walk 5+ miles a day for the next month...Like I said thank god for the boonie hat.
Im hoping to make it to Docs this sunday so I can make sure my snatch form is clean and wander into V02Max.
Oh yeah and I ran out of gas the other day and had to push my car a few blocks to the gas station...that was fun Been a brutal 2 days without even having touched a bell.

Relaxing...

2009-03-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

I know Im weird when my idea of unwinding from a stressful week is to build computers.Something about sitting down and formatting the drive with a rousing round of DBAN, installing an OS troubleshooting everything that pops up and tweaking a virgin box for a customer just makes me relax. Go figure.
Then off to installing a new distributor in the ol car.
And hopefully the KJ book on Vo2Max shows up today.Then throw in a workout...it will be a nice day.

Hmmmm

2009-03-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

Well Dragondoor just dropped their kettlebell prices by 30%as they are now being made in China.An interesting turn of events, the economy has taken a toll on us all.If they didnt already have such a high standard and were not such a reputable company I guess I would be panicked... but in all of my interactions with the people there they have always been upstanding and I wouldnt expect anything less from them now.So the best kettlebells in the world just got a little more affordable...looks like my stockpile will be having some more house guests in the future....

Im not doing carwheels over the made in China thing but when all is said and done I still have faith in Dragondoor based on their reputation and my own interactions with their staff(John Du Cane and his son were 2 of the nicest people I have met in years,even if only briefly),RKCs, the people on the forums, and the products themselves.I would not say the same thing about ironwoody or apollo or ___________.

<>

Why do people have to suck so much?

2009-03-23T21:11:00.000-07:00

people suck.Why? why can people just pull their heads out of their ass and just be honest, if to anyone at least to themselves?Im tired of dealing with people who lie to themselves so much that it spills into their interactions with everyone else around them.people are sad, and it is sad to see them this way.The path is laid out right before you, all it takes is a choice. A simple one at that.I read a blog the other day about shame and it was good. Shame is a good thing that people try WAY too hard to ignore or suppress.Shame is kinda like the dirt from digging a hole instead of just doing the easier,right thing(not "digging" in the first place), they just dig harder and faster and have to find new places to hide their shame,till one day the hiding spots burst at the seams and it all comes spilling out.Why not admit it then, but Oh NO... its time to deny .Seriously? I mean come on, just fucking give it a break already, man up and admit your crap... Ah if only...so...to sum it up....Fuck you,im sure you know who you are.

Boredom

2009-03-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

So I am deep down inside a computer geek.I jumped all over the Windows 7 beta testing when it came out.I d/l'ed the 32bit version and in all honesty its pretty good.has alot of similarities to Vista but it isnt a bad OS.Well I got bored and decided i wanted to mess around with the 64bit version,so....I deleted my entire windows partition( because as any good geek I dual boot with Linux) and re installed the entire drive. Minus the time it will take to install all my games and such I was done in under 2 hours...not too bad considering I didnt make backups etc.
i have this tendency to just randomly mess with my computer when I get bored...now if I could just get this into kettlebells I would be unstoppable. Oh speaking of which, i ordered the Kenneth Jay Viking conditioning V02 max book last night, should be pretty interesting read.
Well off to install games...

2009-03-19T22:19:00.000-07:00

Short workout today:
Around the body pass 1 min left 1 min right
Halos 1 min left 1 min right
Really just focused on my squat form and depth. really worked on the 3 prys and after a few minutes was able to really drop deep into the squats. worked on goblet squats and wall squats, really focusing on prying the hips open for about 20 minutes.
Short and simple.

All alone in here

2009-03-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

I put this little tracking thing into my blog and it confirms that I am the only person to visit my blog.Which is a catch 22. The whole act of blogging denotes at least on some level wanting people to see what you are writing, otherwise people would not do it in a public forum.I am quite sure the world has little interest in my ramblings and thats fine.I see folks with blogs and it just appears interesting so what the fuck... why not.In a way i dont really want people to read any of this.it really is just a bunch of prattling nonsense for me.Yet I guess in some way it would feel nice to have people think that some crap that I spew or some thing I did had some value.

I also think its hilarious that my mosaic tiled image makes me look like the thing( totally unintentional) but neat none the less...

2009-03-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

For anyone with a dark sense of humor I highly recommend Neil Swaab's Rehabilitating Mr Wiggles: http://mrwiggleslovesyou.com

2009-03-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

I dont know why but this picture cracks me up everytime I look at it.
I have this image in my head alot as I wander thru life...

Just remember what kitty has to say about you.

Sunday Morning Hardstyle Fun

2009-03-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

Got up at 5:30 and wandered down to Kettlebells Los Angeles for Program Minimum day.Ah...enlightening as always.I had issues going to parallel in deadlifts which I had always attributed to tight hamstrings...Nope...lack of stability. So after Doc pointed out how to get lower and with a little bit of help and struggling I finally got it.
Moved along to the Hardstyle lock and built up to a full lock in a nice modular progression.It is funny how much better swings feel ( and how much harder they are)when you hit a solid Hardstlye lock on each rep.
I hit a little bit of a wall as I just got over being sick a few days ago and was a bit drained so I sat out a few minutes to recover and jumped back in. Note: Lock knees,squeeze the glutes(pelvis roll),contract abs, shoulders down, fire the lats.
Then on to the Get-up.Doc Cheng is THE man when it comes to the get up( lucky me).Broke the move down into several stages and worked on all the subtle points of each stage. Make sure to lock the shoulders down when pistol gripping the bell.make sure to LOCK the elbow and to snake the wrist.Arm out @ 45degrees leg up (dont let it splay in) drive thru the heel punch and crunch to elbow.Shoulders down,chest open, sternum away from ground hand.Push up onto hand(corkscrew),shoulders down chest open.Hips high(no matter how it feels they probably arent high enough- squeeze the glutes harder),knee back to ground hand,tighten up, drive off front heel to standing(drop shoulders).Reverse....
Soooo much info to take in all at once but I did ok, really tend to raise my shoulders too much, but at least I have an idea about what it should feel like when you are in the "right" place.
Did a workout lead by Anton. Descending ladders 10 one handed swings each hand,1 naked TGU, 9 one handed swings each hand, 1 naked TGU....I made it to 5(4 1/2) before I had side cramps and called it a day.
It was a great way to start a Sunday and i will work on doing this more often.Thanks Doc, Anton and the whole Kettlebell LA crew.

Testing,testing....

2009-03-13T17:07:00.000-07:00

is this thing on?
Yeah..I will be working on getting this thing working in time...