Author: hsoi

2012-08-13 workout – Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 13, Squat/Bench Press 1

/ hsoi

Not the day I wanted.

“Week 1”

  • 5 reps – Squat (working max: 290#)
    • 2x5x45 (warmup)
    • 1x5x115
    • 1x5x145
    • 1x3x175
    • 1x5x190 (work)
    • 1x5x220
    • 1x6x250
  • 5 rep – Bench Press (working max: 230#)
    • 2x5x45 (warmup)
    • 1x5x95
    • 1x5x115
    • 1x3x140
    • 1x5x150 (work)
    • 1x5x175
    • 1x8x200
  • Asst. #1 – Shoulder-width pronated grip, lat pulldowns
    • 3 x 10 x 135
  • Asst. #2 – Back Raises
    • 3 x 12 x 10 (plate held on chest, arms crossed over
  • Asst. #3 – DB Bench Press
    • 3 x 10 x 130
  • Asst. #4 – Face Pulls
    • 3 x 12 x 75
  • Foam Rolling

Wasn’t the workout I wanted. I wanted to break some rep PR’s but didn’t. Ah well. I also didn’t do as hot on my last set of squats, but I know why — my head wasn’t there. I didn’t go low enough on rep 3, realized it, realized everyone else in the gym was watching me squat, and that blew my focus… rep 4 sucked, tho I got it back for 5 and 6 and 6 was a tough one but I got it. This also started fertilized the seeds in my head about program change.

Everything else was what it was…

As for program change, I’ve got a post coming up later this week talking about diet, which factors in. I’ve already started to think about program change, and this furthers it along. But what I think I should do is go slow. In this cycle stay the course, but add in the sled drags. Next cycle, change up the lifting routine. Cycle after that, change up the dietary stuff.

But even with that, I am going to try some diet stuff now… like I’m eating 1 cup of Ezekiel cinnamon raison cereal in a bit of raw milk as I write this.

Let’s be consistent

/ hsoi

From Unc I read how a man was fired from his job for “liking” a Facebook post.

Daniel Ray Carter Jr. logged on to Facebook and did what millions do each day: He “liked” a page by clicking the site’s thumbs up icon. The problem was that the page was for a candidate who was challenging his boss, the sheriff of Hampton, Va.

That simple mouse click, Carter says, caused the sheriff to fire him from his job as a deputy and put him at the center of an emerging First Amendment debate over the ubiquitous digital seal of approval: Is liking something on Facebook protected free speech?

I think most people would agree that yes it is free speech, it should be protected. You are expressing your opinion. To “click Like” is merely a shortcut/shorthand for saying “I like this” or “I agree with this” or some other statement of agreement and affirmation. It’s just a more efficient (lazy?) way to do it. Are we saying that if someone typed a comment under the posting “I like this” that that wouldn’t be protected? or if I wrote it on a piece of paper, or spoke it aloud in a public venue for others to hear? So why wouldn’t clicking “like” be offered the same protection under 1A?

But apparently not:

The interest was sparked by a lower court’s ruling that “liking” a page does not warrant protection because it does not involve “actual statements.” If the ruling is upheld, the ACLU and others worry, a host of Web-based, mouse-click actions, such as re-tweeting (hitting a button to post someone else’s tweet on your Twitter account), won’t be protected as free speech.

Methinks someone in the lower court doesn’t quite understand technology advancements.

“We think it’s important as new technologies emerge . . . that the First Amendment is interpreted to protect those new ways of communicating,” said Rebecca K. Glenberg, legal director of the ACLU of Virginia. “Pressing a ‘like’ button is analogous to other forms of speech, such as putting a button on your shirt with a candidate’s name on it.”

So isn’t that interesting? Our Founding Fathers never could have imagined this thing called the Internet. They could never have imagined Facebook or Twitter or iPhone’s. They could never have imagined the act of pressing with your finger could act as a proxy for expressing your liking something. But just like they understood technology advancements like clay tablets, papyrus paper, quill pens, moveable type, printing presses, pony express, and so on… they probably understood that technology would continue to advance. I’m sure they wanted speech to be protected regardless of the technology used to convey it. Certainly that’s what it seems the WaPo, the ACLU, and others put forth. I know many people will be outraged if these advances in technology would not be upheld as protected under that 200-year old document written by men that (some day) had no clue.

So why isn’t this same standard held to the Second Amendment?

Mind your mind (or, what I got from the BP2 class at KR Training, 11 Aug 2012)

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

 

Saturday August 11, 2012 was another fine day at KR Training. This time it was Basic Pistol 2. Class was sold out at 16 students, and we had a great mix: about 1/3 women, various ages, various ethnicities, various backgrounds. Yeah… keep trying to stereotype gun owners, keep showing your ignorance by doing so.

Class went well, and went just about as most BP2 classes do. Students learning fundamentals of sights and trigger control, and basic manipulations and shooting skills towards helping them pass the Texas Concealed Handgun License test. And the usual stuff crops up, of slapping/yanking the trigger, breaking old habits, not getting going fast enough, learning that DA/SA style guns are harder to shoot, and so on.

I want to expand on that last point for a moment. Hardware. It matters and can affect your skill, both positively and negatively. Many people come with DA/SA style guns and come to realize that first long heavy double-action trigger press is just difficult to manage, but you can’t avoid it and have to learn it. And then you also have to learn to change gears and shoot single-action. You have two things to learn, it’s harder, it’s more time being spent on things you don’t necessarily need to — have one trigger press and learn that sole thing and save some time so you can spend your finite time focusing on other areas that need work. Oh sure, you can be awesome with a DA/SA gun, look at Ben Stoeger, but are you willing to put in that much work to get there? If so, awesome. If you’re like me and have only so much time in a day, maybe you should look at something that permits more efficient use of your time.

As well, we had some folks come with guns that just weren’t right for them. A young lady came with a Glock 27, which is a fine handgun but is not something suitable for a beginner. It’s small, it’s harder to shoot, it’s going to be very snappy (.40 S&W, small gun). We loaned her a Glock 22 to use and things went much better for her. I think she’s now in the market for a Glock 19. Another lady in class had a M&P9c, but it was proving difficult for her to work with. I loaned her my full-sized M&P9 to shoot, and instantly she did better. Small guns are fine, and it’s understandable for people to buy them because we’re trying to be frugal and spend our money wisely, we’re thinking about concealed carry, and so we think “buy a small gun”. It’s what I did. I learned, and these folks learned, that it’s better — as a beginner — to get a bigger gun and learn your fundamentals with that larger gun. Once you have those down, then you can work on learning with the smaller gun because now you just are learning the gun, not learning the gun AND learning to shoot.

Hardware matters. It can make you shoot worse, or it can help you shoot better.

But the biggest thing that came from class was attitude.

We all want to do well. We don’t like it when we mess up. I saw many students get upset with themselves, shaking their head, muttering, and otherwise chastising themselves for messing up.

Please don’t do that.

You are learning. That’s why you came to class, right? You admitted you didn’t know something and you wanted to gain knowledge. So why get mad about not getting it? What happens then is you have a mental conversation like “Damnit! Messed up again!” and then it’s time to shoot again, and the only thought in your head is about messing up. So what do you think that’s going to lead your mind and body to do? Succeed? Unlikely.

Instead, learn to let it go.

Acknowledge you didn’t do something right. Yes it might get you a little steamed or frustrated, but let it go. Let the frustration pass through you and out. If you dwell on it, that means you are making yourself stay in a state of frustration, and that will not help you. So let it go.

Then, tell yourself what you need to do. Be mindful of phrasing here. If you are having problems yanking the trigger, don’t tell yourself “don’t yank the trigger”. Instead, tell yourself “press the trigger smoothly”. You need to know what TO do, because if you only say what NOT to do, it still doesn’t tell you want TO do, and what TO do is what matters.

So while hardware matters, really what matters more is you and what you do. Your mindset matters much more than anything. As you are learning, as you are practicing, don’t be hard on yourself. Be honest with yourself, and work to know what TO do; direct yourself in that way.

Apart from that (and being wicked hot out), a great day. Much thanx to Ed for driving. And great to run into Rog and Dock at lunch. Makes for a good day.

A month of dry fire – a review

/ hsoi

For the past 4 weeks I’ve been following TLG’s dry practice routine.

I’m ashamed to admit it’s the most religious I’ve been about dry practice.

First, the frequency. This program has me practicing 5 times a week. In the past, at most I’d work 2-3 times a week, if that often.

Second, the duration. In the past when I did practice, my sessions tended to be longer. These sessions don’t take more than 10 minutes, if that.

Third, the solid program. In the past when I did dry fire, there was no formal program — I worked on whatever I felt I needed to work on at the time. If I didn’t have something solid to do, I had a few simple routines, like one from Tom Givens, that I would run through. But often that would cause me to gravitate towards specific things, and certainly other skills would be neglected or not get enough of the focus they deserved. On this program, just about everything gets covered and in a reasonable proportion.

TLG makes it clear this is an example program, but I think it’s a good one and certainly would recommend it as a starting point for others. I like that it focuses most essential skills like trigger press and sights, and on the press out. I like that it works a full set of skills so even “less important” skills like flashlight work isn’t forgotten, but it’s also not emphasized. I like there’s some flexibility to work on other things, like I used those sessions to work on the basics with my snub. My take is one should try the routine as-written, then see from there how it could change. I wouldn’t change anything too radically, but you might see that wow, my WHO really is bad and perhaps add a little more WHO time.

I think what opened my eyes to this approach was all my weightlifting. Since my teenage years, any time I picked up iron it was always some willy-nilly routine probably based upon whatever I read in that month’s Flex or Muscle & Fitness. It never took, and while I saw some progress, I see now that progress was merely because ANYONE will see progress in that initial beginner phase because the body easily adapts. But once you get through that phase, you need some greater smarts about how to progress — if only I had Rippetoe and Wendler, Starr and Tate, WFAC and EliteFTS back then. Following a solid program has made all the difference in the world. And the right thing to do is find a solid program created by someone else — not just anyone else, but someone who has a clue. They will probably create a program that’s right and correct. You follow it, you get your results. You stay in the game long enough, you’ll be able to formulate your own that best suits you. It’s the sort of progress I hear about all the time for lifters, and the concepts really are the same in any field so it applies just the same here to shooting.

I can see solid improvement in my skill. I still have a long ways to go, but improvement is there and I’m happy. I attribute it to a solid working of fundamentals AND that it’s done often. Again back to lifting… to see strength gains you have to lift, recover, and then during the period when your body “supercompensates” you lift again… so it’s always this level, dip down, peak up, and then continue progressing from that peak. That’s how you progress. If you lifted say only once a week, you will have come down off that peak when you start again and so at best you’ll maintain. If you lifted once a month, you’d never see any progress. And so it is here, dry practicing every day leading towards gain, instead of a couple times a week and merely maintaining. I would say that if a couple of times a week is all you can do, that’s alright — it’s a minimum to maintain your skills. If you want to improve, you gotta do more. I want to improve, I gotta do more.

The road ahead is long, but the journey is good.

I’m going to stick with TLG’s routine as is for now. I don’t see much reason to change. The “shooter’s choice” Fridays might change up a bit as I get to them (e.g. drawing from an off-body carry mode that is used on occasion; perhaps transitions from primary to BUG), but for now that’s all I can see changing.

2012-08-10 dry fire practice

/ hsoi

Following TLG’s sample dry fire routine.

Week 4, Day 5, shooter choice.

Same as week 3 day 5, I’m going to work on basic routine using my snub.

  1. 20 reps of wall drill from extension 2H
  2. 5 reps of wall drill from extension SHO
  3. 5 reps of wall drill from extension WHO
  4. 20 reps of wall drill from press-out 2H
  5. 5 reps of wall drill from press-out SHO
  6. 5 reps of wall drill from press-out WHO

 

2012-08-10 workout – Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 12, Deadlift/Press 3

/ hsoi

It’s nice when you set a big PR.

“Week 3”

  • 5/3/1 – Deadlift (working max: 345#)
    • 1x5x140 (warmup)
    • 1x5x175
    • 1x3x210
    • 1x5x265 (work)
    • 1x3x295
    • 1x7x330 (PR)
  • 5/3/1 – Press (working max: 155)
    • 2x5x45 (warmup)
    • 1x5x65
    • 1x5x80
    • 1x3x95
    • 1x5x120 (work)
    • 1x3x135
    • 1x5x150 (PR)

The deadlift was awesome. Set a true PR of 7 reps at 330… never did that much weight before, and of course then never did that much weight for that many reps. So, true max PR there. I felt I could have pushed myself to do a couple more, but that’s not what it’s about. I did feel my back rounding on the last couple reps, so it was powering through stuff… but I refused to get less than 7 reps. Why? Because last cycle I did 7 reps at 320 and I wanted to get the same reps. Johnny got stronger, no question.

The press was a rep PR (most I’ve done is 155 for 3 reps). Last time I did 150 I got 3 reps, so my goal was 4. But once I finished the 4th I felt so damn good and knew I could hit a 5th. I also didn’t feel much of a need to leave more in the tank because I knew I wasn’t going to do assistance work so I ground out #5. The lockout felt good. 🙂

I did actually do a little assistance work. I did a couple sets of chins and dips, then a set of hammer curls, but I didn’t write down amounts. I do recall thinking I’ve lost something on chins… or I’ve gotten heavier. 😦

In light of that, I’m starting to think more seriously towards my next long-term cycle. My present cycle will remain, but after this, as mentioned previously, I’m going to put strength work on hold and work to shed some flab. I recently read about a guy dropping 30# in 10 weeks using Shelby Starnes’ help and carb cycling. If I could get results like that? Awesome. But I’ll take a steady drop of 1-2# week if I can get that. Today I was thinking to stay on 2x week tho more like “option 2” in the book, so squat D1W1 bench D2W1 deadlift D1W2 press D2W2. Takes 6 weeks to get through the cycle. Let the work sets be as normal, but if I grind out more reps on the last set or just prescribed reps will just depend how I feel that day because assistance work will be more important. Adopt something like the BBB template for assistance because I really think doing 5×10 of squats and deads is going to be a HUGE boon for the cardio work. I’ll drop weight light (50%??) and keep rest periods to 60-90 seconds at most. Weights would probably remain the same as whatever my last “prior” cycle had, and if anything go for rep PR’s but I’m also not opposed to increasing weight if it’s called for (e.g. getting 10 reps on the 5/3/1 week last work set? I think upping the weight is right). Do this probably M/Th. Then Tu/F I’d drag the tire sled. Try carb cycling (I tried it before, but had a hard time sticking with it because I didn’t really dedicate).

Not sure… still thinking about a lot of things, but I do think it’s soon time to enter into fat loss phase.

2012-08-09 dry fire practice

/ hsoi

Following TLG’s sample dry fire routine.

Week 4, Day 4, basic routine

  1. 20 reps of wall drill from extension 2H
  2. 5 reps of wall drill from extension SHO
  3. 5 reps of wall drill from extension WHO
  4. 20 reps of wall drill from press-out 2H
  5. 5 reps of wall drill from press-out SHO
  6. 5 reps of wall drill from press-out WHO

I can see improvement in my repeatable index and trigger control. Speed getting better, grip staying consistent and strong. It’s all coming along nicely.

Yes, if you want to maintain skill you need to practice. If you want to improve skill you need to practice a lot more.

Quotes for today

/ hsoi / 3 Comments

From this article:

“I’m not saying you should outlaw guns, but I don’t see the point of hundred-round magazine clips and automatic weapons if you just want to target shoot,” said John Tyson, 66, of Winchester, Va.

I’ll respond with a quote from Mike Muir:

Just ’cause you don’t understand what’s going on don’t mean it don’t make no sense, and just ’cause you don’t like it don’t mean it ain’t no good.

Mr. Tyson continues:

“People say it’s their right to bear arms, but when the Constitution was written there was no such thing as an automatic weapon.”

People say it’s their right to free speech, but when the Constitution was written there was no such thing as the Internet.

Personal safety is your responsibility

/ hsoi

I was reading about the horrible attack on Jane Dyer, and one line in the article stood out to me:

The [District Attorney’s office] statement added, “The office will make every effort to ensure the safety of all concerned and the community.”

But you didn’t. She was attacked. She was beaten with a shovel. You did nothing to ensure her safety, and there is nothing you CAN do to ensure her safety.

Where were the police?

Where was anyone that could have protected her from this attack?

Dyer, 63, said she was outside her Cummington home when she spotted the teenager standing at the bottom of her driveway with a shovel, but thought nothing of it. The family has a residence in Northampton. Dyer was alone at the time.

She re-entered the house a short time later and surprised the youth, who she said had apparently entered the house unseen and was lying in wait.

Emphasis added.

There are numerous lessons we can learn, like paying more attention to your surroundings, whatever could be done to better secure your home so unauthorized people can’t just waltz in. But again, are these things the responsibility of the state or the police?

Or are they your own?

Because the only person that’s certainly around when you’re being attacked is you.

I could also examine if she ever thought violence would happen to her. From her reaction to the beating she didn’t fight back. The reporting of her attack response leads me to believe she was surprised and in shock that she could get attacked, in such a way, in her own home — like it never occurred to her “this could happen to me”. Some say “I’ve never been attacked”, and I’m sure in Mrs. Dyer’s 63 years she may have figured she beat the odds. We must remember that just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it won’t ever happen. Finally, in the past I’ve asserted that tools are only useful if they are handy/available when needed; that “home defense shotgun” in the closet isn’t useful as you’re on the floor being beaten. But your hips are still with you, right? And what can you keep on your hip or in your pocket?

What seems more unfortunate is, at least from the way the article presents it, the Dyer’s don’t appear to take any further responsibility for their own actions:

Dyer’s husband, Tom, said Monday he believes the suspect is receiving foster care at a nearby home. The incident marks the second time someone from that program has allegedly broken into their house, the first occurring about four years ago, he said.

“We’re not waiting for a third,” Tom Dyer said.

Dyer said he’s sensitive to the needs of at-risk youth who need supervision and services like foster care, but believes the rural location isn’t appropriate, and he would like to see it shut down.

“It’s unfair to the kids,” he said.

He said that there is little for the youth in the program to do in such a remote area on a dead-end road, and it may be that a lack of activity options contributed to the July attack.

It’s the second time someone broken in.

They believe the problem is the foster kids, and the solution is to shut down the foster program. The solution isn’t to lock their doors. The solution isn’t to increase their awareness. No, they don’t see solution in improving their own behaviors. Their solution is to shut down the program. Heck, if it is such a bad program, why don’t they try to do something to help fix the broken program? But again, that would require them to change their own behavior. I understand as humans we wish to justify our own behavior as right and can be quick to find fault in others; we also need to be better than that and first look at ourselves to see what we did wrong and how we can improve ourselves.

I could be wrong; it could be the way the article is reporting it. I hope I am wrong and they are taking steps to improve their own behavior so they won’t ever be victims again. What happened to Mrs. Dyer is terrible, and I do hope justice is served. But this isn’t so much about the Dyer’s as it is an illustrative point that personal safety is your own responsibility, and I hope you take it seriously.