Author: hsoi

2013-01-28 training log

/ hsoi

Continuing to explore ways to press that don’t kill my shoulders….

Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 16 (mark 2), week 3

  • Work Set – Bench Press (working max: 225#)
    • 2x5x45 (warmup)
    • 1x5x95
    • 1x5x115
    • 1x3x135
    • 1x5x170 (work)
    • 1x3x195
    • 1x5x215
  • Assistance – Bench Press
    • 2 x 8 x 135
    • 3 x 8/9/8 x 125/105/105 * swiss bar
  • Assistance – Pull-ups (band assisted)
    • 5 x 6 x BW
  • Assistance – Stuff
    • Flat Bench DB Flies
    • JM Press
    • Hammer Curls
    • 3 sets, 8-15 reps, enough weight to make it hard; on 3rd set immediately drop weight and keep going to failure
  • sled drags
    • 8 runs, 75 yards each
    • 75# on the sled
    • 20 seconds rest every other run
    • attach sled around hips, walk forward with large, purposeful strides
  • Foam Rolling

No PR today, but it is progress along the continuum. It was interesting that I found myself very mentally into each rep, really focusing on form. Somehow today I really “locked” in terms of foot placement and leg drive. No it’s not pulling my feet back towards my ears and arching into a ball… my feet are “out in front” and pressing up and back. But Rippetoe seems to advocate that and screw it…. if that’s what it takes for me to get leg drive and decent arch without lifting my butt off the bench, so be it.

In between sets I found myself looking in the mirrors, imagining myself lying on the bench and going through the motions. I’m watching my arms, where my elbows go, tucking them, where things travel, where the bar should then end on my chest, etc.. No question the greater elbow tuck is welcome to my shoulders. In fact…. someone left a Swiss Bar at the gym (I think another patron, and the gym just has it on permanent loan). It’s been there a while and today it hit me to try it. Just like the prior squat session, when I did my assistance benching I didn’t care about weight or reps all that much, rather that I wanted to treat it like a “clinic” with every rep being under scrutiny. After a couple sets and then more examination of form in the mirror, I thought screw it — try the Swiss Bar because of how it positions the hands thus the arms/elbows.

I’m glad I did.

I like it and may well keep using it for my assistance pressing, to help emphasize anterior delts and triceps, and less shoulder stress.

That said, it was a little awkward. It balances very different in the hand, but it’s managable. I will get used to it. Also, the bar is 35# instead of the 45# of traditional olympic-sized bars, and the weights used will reflect that. So 125# on the swiss bar is a 45# plate on each side.

I also thought about switching away from JM Press to Dips. but thought better of it. I need the higher reps, I need to grow my triceps, and I need more bench-based pressing to help emphasize other aspects, like the leg drive and a solid foundation. Dips won’t give me that…. at least, not until I get much stronger.

Anyways, while it wasn’t a PR day, I think it was a good day in terms of the things I learned.

But next session…. deadlift…. I can and will set a true PR.

Sunday Metal – Twisted Sister

/ hsoi / 1 Comment

Decibel Magazine had a great post with some video gold from metal’s early years.

I thought they’d make for some good Sunday Metal.

And yes children… behold “mobile phones” before the iPhone existed!

Question for those who support banning guns

/ hsoi

I need some enlightenment. Friends, please help me for I do not understand.

I’m reading through Sen. Feinstein’s bill.

By name she explicitly bans the Ruger Mini-14 Tactical Rifle. Later in the text, she exempts the Ruger Mini-14 (w/o folding stock) and the Ruger Mini-30.

Could you please explain to me the logic behind this? Truly, I am curious. I’d like to know how this qualifies as a “good law” founded in reason, facts, and logic. Is it not reasonable to expect our laws to be based upon such things? Is it unreasonable to want to know what those reasons, facts, and logic are? What Feinstein proposes here defies all logic and reason — towards the supposed goals of “stopping the mass murder of innocent children” — but if you know how such wording and logic achieves the goal, I would love to know.

And if you don’t understand what the problem is with the wording of her ban and exemptions, then I’d suggest taking an honest step back and admitting you don’t understand, that you are, well, ignorant about the topic. It’s not a bad thing to admit ignorance — but it is bad to willfully remain as such.

2A in 2013 – the Federal legal structure

/ hsoi

David B. Kopel, of the CATO Institute, takes a look at the Second Amendment in the scope of today’s political and legal environment.

While some will dismiss this out of hand because it’s Kopel and CATO, it presents a great deal of factual information about the federal legal structure that we presently operate within. It looks at the National Firearms Act of 1934. It looks at Executive Orders. It looks at magazine capacity restrictions. It talks about recent SCOTUS decisions. Given our current legal environment, what can be done? what can’t be done? What stands up to Constitutional scrutiny? This is a fair discussion, and I’m sure some of the things Kopel says will make pro-gun people cringe as much as other things he says will make anti-gun people cringe.

Kopel also makes a sound point about solutions that work now, that have immediate impact. Sure, maybe we can have greater solutions that may bring about greater change in time, but a solution that fixes things 5 years, 2 years, 2 months from now… is that too much time to let pass? too large a window of opportunity for the next madman spree? You may not agree with Kopel, but if you know anything about dealing with active shooter situations and how law-enforcement has changed their own procedures for dealing with active shooter situations then well… it’s tough to refute the present law enforcement tactics and the reasoning behind them. Thus, if you wish to offer up other solutions, that’s fine. If your solution is successful, how long will it take before it is? What do we do between now and then? Can you offer a solution that brings about immediate results, especially given the context law enforcement works within and why? It’s a fair point to consider when discussing solutions to this problem – the timeframe in which a solution will have the positive, desired impact.

2013-01-25 training log

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

It’s a different kind of PR.

Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 16 (mark 2), week 3

  • Work Set – Squat (working max: 285#)
    • 2x5x45 (warmup)
    • 1x5x115
    • 1x5x145
    • 1x3x175
    • 1x5x215 (work)
    • 1x3x245
    • 1x4x275 (PR*)
    • holding 315 (see below)
  • Assistance – Squat
    • 3 x 5 x 135

First, today was cut short because I have an early business meeting. That’s life.

Second, the PR is a PR, but different. First, I have never done 275 for 4 reps, and my max PR right now is 3 reps at 280. So today is a rep PR and calculated out to being better than the true PR. So, that’s kinda cool.

But.

The 4th rep was bowling shoe ugly (thank you Jim Ross). I’m sure in a competition it would have gotten 3 red lights. I’m pretty sure I didn’t go deep enough. But the reality is, it wasn’t about getting a 4th picture perfect technique rep.

It was about not getting crushed.

If you’ve followed my journey, I hate squatting. I have a lot less hate for it these days (I’m not ready to say I like it… but… maybe), and a lot of deep-seeded fear about it. It’s probably all from my childhood… Mom fears… “oh you’ll hurt yourself” and all that sort of shit. Fear of getting crushed… of getting pinned. I’m getting over it tho, because what’s the worst? I don’t get up… the bar hits the rails, it might make a lot of noise, but whatever. It is NOT the end of the world, it isn’t that big a deal. So that’s what it was for me — working to overcome the mental hurdles. I’m making progress here, and that’s what it was about. Rep 3 was a struggle, but I said “fuck it” and went for a fourth. Oh yes, ugly ugly ugly… but it was about “getting back up” no matter what and pushing myself further.

So to that end, that’s more important progress for me.

And yeah… maybe… maybe… I might be getting a little fond of squats. Tho I shouldn’t admit it yet…. 🙂

The other thing I did was put 315# on my back. All I did was put the plates on, get under the bar, unrack, walk back, stand there for about 10 seconds, then rack it. I’ve read about powerlifters doing this. I haven’t read why, but my guess is a mental thing. It’s about feeling that weight. Whatever your max weight is? Put more on your back. If 275 is the heaviest you’ve ever lifted, to your body and mind, that’s heavy. Put 315 on your back, now THAT is the threshold of “heavy”, and 275 is light by comparison, right? Also that in competition, if your third attempt is to be a PR, then when you’ve got all the pressure of competition going on, why add one more unknown to the mix? why let the first time you’ve ever felt this weight be at the competition? Let it be old-hat, at least in some regard, so it’s not a total surprise. So that’s why I tried it, on a whim. Just see what it feels like and what that might do for my mental outlook.

What did it feel like?

Heavy. When I read about guys lifting 600, 700, 800, 1000 pounds and how that weight crushes you… I can only imagine what that’s like, because the 315 felt like it was crushing me. But then, I’m sure when I was squatting 95# that 275 would have felt like it was crushing me. But there you go. It felt heavy, so hopefully 275 will feel lighter now. 🙂 Plus it was a bit of a mental thing to position myself for that goal — to have 3 wheels on the bar and how cool that’s going to be. My goal is before the end of 2013 to squat 315. Since I’m currently progressing at 5# a cycle, that’s 8 cycles… so, it’s do-able.

In other news….

Assistance squatting was light, because I wanted to. Given how ugly the last work rep was, I wanted to remind my body what a picture perfect rep should be. So just 135 on the bar, and every rep was really “doing a single” and trying to be as picture-damn-perfect as I know how to do a squat. It was again more about the mental.

And… in diet?

When I squat my belt gets hooked at the second to the last hole. I did that this morning and the belt felt loose! I went to the last hole… it was a little bit of a pull to get there, but I did and it felt right (just a hair tight, but good). So…. hey, if that means I am losing something around the middle, awesome.

I’m going to give it a week or so of seeing if it’s really the case or just was a fluke for today. But if it is the case, it will be time for me to order a new belt. And yes, I’ll order again from BestBelts.

Facepalm – Vice President Joe Biden

/ hsoi / 8 Comments

Vice President Joe Biden explains what one should do for self-defense: get a shotgun.

Biden, doing a Google+ “hangout” to promote President Barack Obama’s proposals for battling gun violence, had been asked whether a new assault weapons ban might infringe on the Second Amendment rights of those who want one “as a last line of defense” to fend off looters after “some terrible natural disaster.”

“Guess what? A shotgun will keep you a lot safer, a double-barreled shotgun, than the assault weapon in somebody’s hands [who] doesn’t know how to use it, even one who does know how to use it,” the outspoken vice president, a shotgun owner himself, replied. “It’s harder to use an assault weapon to hit something than it is a shotgun. You want to keep people away in an earthquake? Buy some shotgun shells.”

This is one of those things that is so stunningly misinformed and full of terrible advice that you just don’t know how to respond. I’ll try tho.

First, credentials.

I am an NRA Certified Instructor (Home Safety, Pistol, Rifle, Personal Protection Inside the Home, Personal Protection Outside the Home). I am an NRA Certified Range Safety Officer. I am certified by the Texas Department of Public Safety as a Concealed Handgun License Instructor. I have been an assistant Instructor with KR Training for four years. I’ve received hundreds of hours of instruction in firearms and self-defense, with a large stack of certifications. There’s more, but this is enough to make my point. And no, I’m not as awesome as Tom Givens or my mentor, Karl Rehn, but I’ve learned a thing or two.

Joe Biden’s credentials: owns a shotgun.

Maybe Mr. Biden has more credentials that would permit him to speak as an authority on this topic. I haven’t seen them, and even if he showed me a list, after hearing the above I couldn’t believe him.

Let’s see here…

First I will agree that a shotgun is a formidable weapon. It can do devastating things. I do keep shotguns as part of my personal defense plan. I find them to be a solid small armament. They can be the right tool for the job.

I’m curious how Mr. Biden’s statement holds up.

A double-barreled shotgun. So that’s 2 rounds. What if you miss? What if there’s a need to fire more than 2 shots? If the statistical average of a gunfight is “3 shots, within 3 yards, within 3 seconds” then 2 rounds leaves you below-average and behind the curve. Is it legally and morally sound to put good people at a disadvantage from bad people?

A shotgun is harder to hit something with than a shotgun? Um… I’m not sure about that. Well, perhaps. The point of a shotgun is to hit small flying objects, like birds (ducks, doves, pheasants, etc.) or clay discs (skeet, trap). It does this by using lots of little tiny pellets and has them spread out in a cloud. And yes, compared to trying to hit a small flying thing with a single bullet (rifle, pistol) well sure, a shotgun will improve your chances of success.

But we’re not talking about hitting small flying objects. We’re talking about personal defense — even Mr. Biden is speaking in the context of personal defense. In such a case, not only is the target much bigger and moves much more slowly, it needs a far different payload. It’s one thing to take down a 2 pound bird, it’s another to take down a 200# violent criminal actor. You still have to aim. A shotgun is not some “cloud of death”. The spread is not as vast as you think. In fact, you actually do NOT want your pellets to spread out because 1. less pellets on target means less ability to stop the attack, 2. less pellets on target means more pellets where you didn’t intend them to go, which could be bad.

I’ve written at length about rifle vs. shotgun, so just go read.

Let’s continue with Mr. Biden’s statements:

 “This town listens when people rise up and speak,” Biden said

I’m not sure what town he’s talking about. Lots of people are speaking in other ways, and then it’s not like y’all listen when it comes to other topics. It really sounds like you’re pushing a personal agenda.

Biden noted that “it’s not about keeping bad guns out of the hands of good people, it’s about keeping all guns out of the hands of bad people. There should be rational limits.”

Then I guess it’s just “collateral damage” that this also will keep the guns out of the hands of good people?

Or are we considered bad people too?

Mr. Biden, I am not sure upon what credentials you speak, but your words don’t make much sense.

I’ll just say this. If a double-barreled shotgun is all someone needs, then start by equipping your Secret Service detail with nothing but double-barreled shotguns. Your actions will speak far louder than your words.

 

Lessons to learn

/ hsoi

Police say that they have arrested two women accused of committing nearly two dozen residential burglaries in the Austin area since the summer, according to an arrest affidavit.

Cristal Gomez, 18, and Kayla Wright, 19 have been charged with burglary after police said they committed at least four burglaries in one day in October. They are among at least 20 burglaries police say the two Austin women have committed, according to the affidavit.

Full Story (h/t Tim). Do read the whole story; it’s not long, but is full of important details.

So what can we learn here:

  • Two women. In fact, two teenagers.
    • Be mindful of your assumptions about who commits crimes. As well, consider your response to those crimes — do you have a different reaction because they are women? Because they are young?
      • Reactions aren’t just “how I would defend myself”. It’s even your own political and personal feelings. I mean, 10 seconds ago when you read the above words, what reaction did you have, and was any of it based upon gender or age?
      • Then the question is, should gender and/or age affect or change our reactions, in a case like this?
  • Serial criminals. This wasn’t their first rodeo.
    • In fact, look at the charges levied against them, including assault.
      • Knowing at least one of them was violent, does that change your above reactions and responses?
  • All crimes listed happened on a weekday (October 9 was a Tuesday) during “work day” hours.
    • They aren’t looking for a fight, just a quick score. Note they took TV’s, cameras, jewelry – things easy to sell to make a buck.
    • If someone was home, they fled. No resistance, no desire for fight. Of course, that’s why the break-ins were at the time/day they were – best chances of no one being home, nor witnesses being around.
    • It appears the break-ins were easy scores – removing a window-unit air conditioner, going through doors and windows. No mention made of efforts to secure the houses, useful dogs, or the like, but the lack of such information in the article doesn’t mean it wasn’t there.

There’s much to learn here, especially perhaps about our biases.

My new EDC Flashlight – SureFire E2D

/ hsoi / 6 Comments

For the past 3-4 years, I’ve carried a SureFire E2L Outdoorsman as my every day carry (EDC) flashlight. I carry a flashlight all the time and at the ready because it’s useful. I didn’t realize how useful it was until I started carrying one all the time — I use it almost every day.

But over the years of carrying the E2L, my preferences have changed and a couple months ago I started on a quest for new EDC flashlight. I’ve hit a milestone on that quest – I’ve obtained a new flashlight, a SureFire E2D LED Defender

SureFire E2D LED Defender

First, it’s important to note this is the LED model; there’s earlier versions of the E2D that were not LED. Second, you’ll note the different tailcap in the above picture; I’ll discuss that below.

Why did I pick this? Because it fit all my requirements.

  • I wanted a higher beam output than the E2L, and with 200 lumens the E2D certainly meets that.
  • It has a better beam quality, but I’ll discuss that below.
  • The first click on the E2D activates the high beam (E2L, the low beam). My needs these days find me needing “most light, right now”, which means I want the first press of the button to give me a solid beam of lots of light.
  • It has a clip, and a clip in the “right” direction for my needs. One of my biggest uses of the clip is to hang the light from the brim of my cap so I can illuminate whatever I’m looking at (hands-free), and of course the beam moves with my head and eyes.
  • High and low beams, because while much of my current needs are “most light, right now”, sometimes I need to read something or see something else, so low beam is good. And no strobe.
  • The form factor is right for my hand, for my carry, etc.. BTW, my existing Comp-Tac flashlight pouch works just fine because the E2D and E2L have just about the same form factor. I did note I needed to tighten up the pouch a little bit for the E2D to fit, but that’s not a big deal.

So… my needs were met, thus.

Regarding the beam quality, from what my eyes can tell it’s actually pretty much the same beam as the E2L. But because it’s more lumens, things just look better. So I reckon it’s not so much the beam as it was the strength. To compare, the Streamlight Super Tac-X I have also has a 200 lumen output, but the beams of the Tac-X and the E2D are different — this is due to the reflector. The Tac-X is designed to really throw that light, so the beam is a little more focused and appears to reach further. The E2D certainly reaches far, but the light is… well, the best way I can describe it is closer to a floodlight than a spotlight, but it’s certainly not some sort of “room-filling” light… it’s still more spot than a ceiling lamp, but I’d just say the E2D’s beam is a little more “spreading/filling” than the Tac-X. That’s fine for my needs, because while I do want the throw, I also need the “fill”. What I’d really like to do is get out in the country where I don’t have the light pollution of the city and really see how the beams compare.

The clip is shorter but VERY strong. It’s tough to get under it, whereas the E2L’s is longer and “looser”, very easy to get under. That’s fine, if over time it means more durability and less chance of accidental snagging of the clip.

In the few days I’ve had the light and used it, it’s worked well and I’ve been pleased. It’s what I’ve been after.

However… not everything is rosy.

SureFire E2L (top) and E2D (bottom)

See the above picture and compare the two lights. Certainly they are cut from the same cloth, the difference being the E2D has this “Defender” styling. That’s a bit of a mixed bag.

First, the crenelation is of course part of the purpose of the thing. But it’s a little sharp. While of course that’s part of the point, when you pull the light in and out of the belt pouch all day AND the light is up against your bare skin well… sometimes I skewer myself. Just annoying.

Second, the this affects the accessibility of the tailcap button. Notice in the picture you can see the E2L’s button but you cannot see the E2D’s. They rise up the same, just the E2D has the “walls” around the button. I found this made it difficult for me to activate the button. When I hold the light and hit the button with my thumb, either I’m holding it wrong or I just don’t have enough thumb meat to get that button depressed. For me to work it, I have to come at the button with my thumb pointing down into the button and use the tip of my thumb – hardly practical for me. When I grab the light, regardless of how I grab it, I should be able to just press and go, but alas, the tailcap doesn’t allow it. Thus why you see the mixed light in the top picture – I just switched to use my E2L’s tailcap. It works fine.

Third, note the texturing on the body of the flashlight. It’s a bit more aggressive on the E2D. That’s great for a grip, but in the pouch, on my belt, against my skin? It’s sandpaper. It’s not majorly uncomfortable, but there’s enough times when I bend or twist my body just so and get rubbed and it’s annoying.

All in all these annoyances are minor, but I’ve also only had the light a few days. Over time I may grow to hate them or they’ll fade into the background and I will barely notice them. Time will tell.

But for now, the E2D stays on my hip as my new EDC flashlight.

2013-01-23 training log

/ hsoi

Other than whatever happened to my upper back, it was a good session.

Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 16 (mark 2), week 2

  • Work Set – Press (working max: 145#)
    • 2x5x45 (warmup)
    • 1x5x60
    • 1x5x75
    • 1x3x90
    • 1x3x105 (work)
    • 1x3x115
    • 1x7x130
  • Assistance – Press
    • 5 x 10/10/10/9/10 x 85/85/75/75/55
  • Assistance – Pull-ups (band assisted)
    • 5 x 6/6/6/6/5 x BW
  • Assistance – Stuff
    • Upright rows
    • Dips
    • Preacher Curls
    • 3 sets, 8-15 reps, enough weight to make it hard; on 3rd set immediately drop weight and keep going to failure; tho on dips, bodyweight and push out all I can
  • Foam Rolling

During either the second or third warm-up set, I felt a sudden sharp pain in my upper back. I have no idea what happened — pop some fascia? I don’t know, but there’s this pain in my upper back… under the trap? rhomboid? hard to say exactly where it is from an anatomy chart perspective, but I know where the pain is. 🙂 I can still feel it, even as I write this. I did something, but it didn’t get too much in the way of the session. Still, I have to keep an eye on it.

Otherwise, the session felt good. I’m remembering to “go light” on my assistance pressing, so I can be sure to get more reps.

I am happy to be doing dips. I dunno… I like them.

Didn’t drag the sled… I just didn’t.

Diet wise… felt energized. Maybe I’m getting into the swing of CBL. Too early to tell, but at least I’m not feeling so flat any more.

More homeless camps in South Austin

/ hsoi

Looks like more homeless camps are popping up here in South Austin:

AUSTIN — The Slaughter and Manchaca intersection in South Austin is surrounded by stores, restaurants, apartments, and now a homeless camp.
The camp popped up several weeks ago, but because it’s on private property Austin police say there is nothing they can do about it for the time being.

If you are familiar with the area, you can watch the video and you’ll easily identify where this is happening.

APD’s issue with this is a sound one. The trash is a huge problem. And the fires are too. We’ve never left drought, everything is very dry, and that field is a huge tinderbox. I don’t know if you know how quickly a fire can spread and rage out of control, so you’ll have to trust me when I say that a fire in that field would very easily become a massive problem and puts hundreds and maybe thousands of families at stake (given the number of apartment complexes right around there).

The mention of the aggressiveness? Quite true. Since I live in this area, I’ve seen these people day in and day out, as they go about their business. I’ve seen how they interact with people, often picking on women with children — that is, vulnerable, scared, difficult to defend themselves, easy to intimidate. I’ve watched them raise their voices, get angry, get mean, harass. Since there’s a grocery store nearby, they frequent that parking lot. I’ve also seen them in the store itself, and yes the loss prevention folk follow them around because they are known shoplifters (I’ve heard the employees speak about this issue).

I’m sympathetic to the problem of homelessness, but I’m not sympathetic to theft, intimidation, and risking the lives of so many.