Month: December 2011

No workouts, but thinking ahead

/ hsoi

Today would start the “deload” week of my cycle, but I’m going to take an alternate deload — I’m doing nothing this week.

Not just with Christmas on the way and things to do, but my body is feeling pretty beat up. Friday’s session is still ringing on me… I have had a hard time all weekend getting around on my right knee, my left ankle is unhappy, and my legs are still pretty sore. Just a whole lot of “not good”. So why beat up my body more? Just take the ultimate deload and take the week off and rest.

Looking back on cycle 4, I’m generally pleased with my progress. I hit significant milestones in terms of my press (going to 45# plates), my bench press (broke 200# as a work weight), breaking through my squat barrier, and my deadlift continues to be strong and progress towards 300#. I’m pleased with how things are going.

I’m not pleased with myself regarding how I keep tinkering with diet. I read Wendler’s 2nd edition of his 5/3/1 book and started on his “lean but slow” gains diet approach and it’s not working for me… I already see it’s too much caloric intake and my body is reacting as such. I’m going to go back to what I was doing as it, along with the sprints, was helping. I’m also seriously considering that after this upcoming 5th cycle I may take an even more radical shift towards pure weight loss, even at the expense of the strength work I’ve done so far. We shall see. I was enjoying the slow shedding, where I could obviously see muscle mass gains but weight was staying static so I reckon that meant fat loss.

As for what up with the next cycle… I’m changing it to start addressing what I’m seeing as issues. So this moves away from “Boring But Big” assistance work and more towards “Triumvirate” thinking. Some days, however, won’t have just 3 exercises. I’m not 100% sure where things will lie, the cycle will have some new things so I have to find where they will sit and if they actually will do what I’m wanting, and that will just take time to see and learn. If nothing else, it’ll keep things interesting. No real need to discuss all that here; each day will get discussed during week 1. But otherwise, progression remains: bumping 5# on press and bench press, bumping 10# on deadlift and squat. I am so tempted to bump 15# on the deadlift so I can break 300# sooner, but that’s not the wise way to do things.

Still, so far so good. This is an enjoyable way to get myself out of the office, and certainly been one of the better weightlifting experiences of my life so far. Better than the old “bodybuilder-style” lifting I always did in years past.

The money trail never lies

/ hsoi

A couple days ago I mentioned SOPA and wrote:

I haven’t looked to follow the money trail yet, but I’m sure there are folks in Congress that are benefitting from this, else they wouldn’t be trying to hammer this horrible piece of legislation through.

I didn’t know for sure if there was a money trail, but was 99 and 44/100th’s percent sure there had to be because hey… we know that big business and big government are in bed together. It’s a tale told hundreds of times a day for hundreds of years. Why buck the trend now?

Well, sure enough…

“Representative Lamar Smith, the creator of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), has been consistently receiving donations averaging $50 000 from the TV/Film/Music industry for each of his re-election campaigns for the past ten years. Smith has received roughly half a million dollars from the TV/Film/Music lobby over the past ten years according to opensecrets.org. Check out the source link for a full breakdown of donors to Smith’s campaigns.”

Gee… surprised?

So… for all the haters of the Tea Party, and for all the lovers of OWS (one and the same, perhaps?). Why aren’t you hating on your friends in Hollywood? They’re one of the biggest businesses out there, one of the biggest corporate evils playing around with such things. Where’s the hate for them? Why are you embracing their likes within your ranks? They’re obviously part of the problem too….

Walk the Walk

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

Adam @ LTC tweeted this video

I kept thinking about this quote from Greg Hamilton

Most people are grass-eaters with their heads down on the ground. The jackals and lions know this and think of them as that. Hold your head up and walk like you are the biggest, baddest lion that walks. The jackals and lions will notice and leave you alone because they don’t want to get hurt. Don’t challenge them because they might feel they have to respond to it. All you want is their respect, not their dignity.

Sunday Metal – Kage

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

I’ve been waiting for a long time to be able to post these guys in Sunday Metal.

Kage – “Night Show”

Kage were one of the best unsigned metal bands in the Washington D.C. area in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Loved these guys. I wish they could have been bigger, I wish they could have gotten signed, but for whatever reason things didn’t work out despite all their local success.

Back in my college radio days, I did a sort of “song battle” on my show and Kage’s song “Darkness Descends” won for like 11 weeks in a row, so I had to retire them so someone else could get some rotation. Jeff and Alex came and hung with me one night in the studio, which was a lot of fun. Saw many of their live shows, hung with Jeff a few times (including one of his birthdays). Ah, memories.

There’s been a resurgence with the band recently. The “State of Mind” album was remastered and is available on iTunes. They’ve got a small website where a lot of freebies are being made available. Facebook page. There’s work afoot to remaster their other albums, and even a reunion show in 2012 (wish I could make it).

Check it out.

These are the people making (uninformed) decisions

/ hsoi / 3 Comments

You expect people in positions of power, that are saddled with the responsibility to make decisions, to make the best decisions they can, right? And part of making the best decision possible is to be as informed as possible on the topic, right? There’s nothing good that comes from decisions made out of ignorance, is there?

Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, is getting railroaded through the US Congress.

I haven’t looked to follow the money trail yet, but I’m sure there are folks in Congress that are benefitting from this, else they wouldn’t be trying to hammer this horrible piece of legislation through.

What’s worse is that the legislation is being driven by people who have no idea what they’re talking about — and are content in their refusal to become educated. See this article from Vice (h/t Slashdot).

When the security issue was brought up, Rep. Mel Watt of North Carolina seemed particularly comfortable about his own lack of understanding. Grinningly admitting “I’m not a nerd” before the committee, he nevertheless went on to dismiss without facts or justification the very evidence he didn’t understand and then downplay the need for a panel of experts. Rep. Maxine Waters of California followed up by saying that any discussion of security concerns is “wasting time” and that the bill should move forward without question, busted internets be damned.

[…]

So it was as proponents of the Hollywood-funded bill curmudgeonly shot down all but two amendments proposed by its opponents, who fought to dramatically alter the document to preserve security and free speech on the net. But the chilling takeaway of this whole debacle was the irrefutable air of anti-intellectualism; that inescapable absurdity that we have members of Congress voting on a technical bill who do not posses any technical knowledge on the subject and do not find it imperative to recognize those who do.

This used to be funny, but now it’s really just terrifying. We’re dealing with legislation that will completely change the face of the internet and free speech for years to come. Yet here we are, still at the mercy of underachieving Congressional know-nothings that have more in common with the slacker students sitting in the back of math class than elected representatives. The fact that some of the people charged with representing us must be dragged kicking and screaming out of their complacency on such matters is no longer endearing — it’s just pathetic and sad.

It doesn’t matter what the particular piece of legislation is (tho this particular one is terrible, and the only people coming out in support of it are the dinosaurs in Hollywood that still don’t get it). We don’t need decision-makers and law-makers who take pride in their ignorance and wish to make laws based upon their ignorance (like the “shoulder thing that goes up”). It will only lead to bad things.

But it seems not all is lost… it appears further debate will be delayed until after the holiday recess.

Regardless, witness the way things have proceeded. Pride in their ignorance, a desire to railroad things through, no original desire to hear all sides of the story especially from those that might actually have a clue about the impact of this… what does that tell you?

If you’re not disgusted… well, why aren’t you?

2011-12-16 workout

/ hsoi

Finally, breaking through the squat barrier.

“Week 3”

  • 5/3/1 – Squat (working max: 240#)
    • 2x5x45 (warmup)
    • 1x5x95
    • 1x5x120
    • 1x3x145
    • 1x5x180 (work)
    • 1x3x205
    • 1x6x230 (PR)
  • Asst. #1 – Squat
    • 5 x 10 x 100
  • Asst. #2 – Leg Curl
    • 5 x 10 x 65
  • GPP – Sprints
    • Tabata style (20 sec. sprint, 10 sec. walk)
    • 2 “laps” walking (warmup)
    • 5 “reps” (8 reps is one Tabata set)
    • 2 “laps” walking (cooldown)
  • DeFranco Agile 8

Huzzah. 6 with 230#. That helps me break through my squat barrier. I’ve had so many setbacks around the 230 mark: got up there, was doing really sloppy form on the PPNP program, reset to improve my from but didn’t get back up to it before switching to Wendler 5/3/1 which of course takes a longer time to get up there. Then I got there last cycle but opted to repeat it due to starting sprinting. And so finally I get to break through. I told myself last night that I have to get at least 6 since before I got 5. I could have gotten 7 but I felt unstable.

See, that problem with all the “light-headedness”? I wonder… could that have been the Jack3d? Maybe. I finished the tub a few workouts ago and have no desire to go back on it (I think it’s a waste). I wonder if it’s involved because since I’ve been off it, no issues. Or it could be improving how I deal with breathing and breath-holding. I dunno. Hard to say, but I didn’t really have that problem today. But I did feel kinda wobbly for some reason. Right knee didn’t feel all that hot today, felt worse after sprinting (the impact), and then to make things worse, as I was getting up off the floor after repacking my gym back before leaving, I wobbled and my left ankle feels miserable now. *sigh*

Oh well.

Everything else was about normal. Nothing exciting to report, just did it all.

Looking back on the week, I’m really happy. Set PR’s and significant ones at that. I broke the 45# plate barrier with pressing, I broke the 200# barrier with bench pressing, my deadlifts continue to be strong and get close to the 300# mark. And now my squat feels good enough to continue along and add another 10#. A good week of PR’s.

I’m thinking about how to evolve my training for the next cycle. Nothing firm yet, but it’s almost solidified. It’ll of course stay generally on the 5/3/1 method, but assistance looks to move away from “Boring But Big” and is evolving more into the “Triumvirate” as I’m starting to think more about addressing weak points. I also think I may be moving beyond just 3 exercises, tho not a lot of additional work. We’ll see how it goes.

Changing things up

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

I’m finally doing it.

Finally giving in.

Turning to the dark side. Yes.

I’m buying a Smith & Wesson M&P. 🙂

My present carry gun is a Springfield XD-9 Service. It’s a good gun. When I was deciding on a carry gun it all came down to either the XD or the M&P. The ONLY reason I didn’t go with the M&P was because it was brand new, unproven, unknown, and S&W’s track record in this area wasn’t so hot (remember the Sigma?). Everything else about the M&P I liked, especially how it fit me. Of course since that time, M&P has really taken off and exploded. It wins lots of competitions. S&W has been aggressively pursuing contracts with police departments (even the Austin PD is switching to M&P 40’s). It’s all over. And with good reason — it’s a very good gun.

As I’ve used and shot them over the past few years I’ve enjoyed it. A little weird, but mostly because it’s different from what I’m used to. But slowly over time I noticed a few other things that really cemented my need to switch. The biggest? Last time Tom Givens was in the area, his wife, Lynn, had an M&P on her hip. She let me try it, and I noticed something about how my index finger comes into the trigger area. Just due to how my hands are built, the angle of my index finger ends up putting a slight rub on the frame of my XD and if I’m not really careful about it I get a slight “shoots left” problem because of the frame rub. On the M&P? I have no such problem. It’s all due to the construction of the gun. Score one for equipment.

There’s a bunch of other reasons, but nothing to air here.

I’ve actually wanted to do this for a long time, but just haven’t pulled the trigger on it (so to speak) until now.

Yes, I am looking to make the M&P my carry gun. It will take some time tho. Need to get the gun, break it in, do LOTS of dry practice with it to get used to the changes, find the setup that works best for me (e.g. which size backstrap), and do some modifications. There will be an Apex Tactical kit in it. I’m also going right to a new KKM barrel, because the 6″ @ 25 yards grouping behavior of the factory barrel doesn’t fly with me (the KKM should group 3″ @ 25). I’ll replace the sights with Dawson Precision Chargers, tho that will wait until I try the gun with the KKM in it and then can do the math on what height sights to get. Stock up on magazines. And who knows what else needs doing.

Ah, what fun, eh?

We’ll see how it goes.

Bill of Rights Day

/ hsoi

Today is Bill of Rights Day.

From its Preamble

The Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.

In order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers….

Restrictive clauses.

It’s a shame that not just those in Washington, but so many of the citizens of this country, seem to forget that government should be restrained and controlled… not the citizens.

“Experts” say, just give them what they want

/ hsoi

Remember ladies… just give them what they want.

“I keep thinking, what would have happened if I had that little moment where I would punch the guy and run,” she said.

But experts said she made the right choice.

“Basically, don’t show any emotion either way,” said Tilton Polcie [sic] Chief Robery Cormier. “Just give them what they want.”

Full Story (h/t The Gun Wire)

So this “expert” says to “just give them what they want”.

OK ladies… you remember that. When you’re being raped, don’t show any emotion either way, just give them what they want. This is the advice  direct from a Police Chief. An “expert” in your safety.

*sigh*

Now I admit, I’m mixing contexts. The article and the Chief are talking about a robbery, and I put their advice in the context of rape. And to be fair, many of the things they suggest in the article are actually sound: assume the robbers have a weapon, be a good witness, be aware of your surroundings, don’t attract attention, and in general yes…. don’t try to stop them. The best advice in the article is this:

“Unless you get directly involved and there is a life-threatening imminent situation, stay out of it,’ he said.

That’s right. Is there a life-threating imminent situation? And it doesn’t even have to be you in that situation, it could be a third party.

We come back to the maxim of doing what it takes to maximize your enjoyment of beer & TV (click and read if you aren’t aware of this maxim). This thought process is far superior to “just give them what they want”. The “beer & TV maxim” carries you in any situation, be it you’re the victim of a mugging, you were unlucky to be in the 7-11 as it was being robbed, or you’re the victim of rape. This is a better guideline towards helping to decide if it’s worthwhile to fight or just give them what they want.

I do not like nor subscribe to the “give them what they want, never fight back” approach to life. Think about what that means. Think about the implications of it. Think about it from an evolutionary standpoint (both evolution to this point, and what will evolve from it). Think about it in the workplace. Think about it in your personal life. Think about it in your relationships, with your spouse, with your children, with friends, co-workers. Sometimes it’s an acceptable response/tactic, but usually only because it’s a single step in a greater movement. But generally I just can’t see how we’ll become stronger and better with that sort of approach to life.