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2015-12-08 training log

/ hsoi

Man, by the time I get warmed up, the session is over….

Seriously. I finished bench press and felt warmed up, but… that was it. No more benching, no more chest/triceps/shoulders/push type work here. Done. Sure there was more volume of the 6×6 then an AMRAP set, but still… that was like a warm-up. 🙂

But that’s how the program is to go. I have to remember that. This is week 1 — it’s going to be light, well, it’s supposed to be light, it’s supposed to feel easy. Any good program like this is going to feel really easy the first few weeks. As well, I have to remember that this hits work 2x week, so I won’t feel all pumped, spent, and trashed when I leave the gym because I can’t dig the hole of recovery too deep else I won’t make it through the next session in 3 days.

Gotta trust the process.

But still, it feels weird. 🙂

That said, as I’m getting the groove of this program down, I have to tell myself that I can pace differently, or almost not at all. There’s always a desire to pace things so there’s enough gas to get through everything. But here? There’s just not much to have to get through, so just go nuts and put everything into what work there is. This doesn’t mean get sloppy or anything, but rather if that’s all the bench work there is to do, make sure every rep is well-spent and get the most out of every one.

As for other things.

The curl-grip pulldowns took a little getting used to. No question, the supinated grip makes my shoulder and elbow joints less happy. But with some dinking around I managed to find a groove that seems to work ok. Again, starting light is good. Interestingly that I got some really good lat work out of that — was kinda surprised how I felt afterwards.

Everything else was what it was. I’m finding weights, finding groove. Next week should only be better.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Inception program

Week 1

  • Bench Press
    • bar x 6
    • 95 x 6
    • 115 x 6
    • 135 x 6
    • 155 x 6
    • 175 x 6
    • 155 x 15 (AMRAP)
  • Lat Pulldowns (curl grip)
    • 80 x 10
    • 90 x 10
    • 100 x 10
    • 110 x 10
    • 120 x 13 (AMRAP)
    • 95 x 20
  • DB Rows
    • 45e x 10
    • 50e x 10
    • 55e x 10
    • 65e x 14 (AMRAP)
  • Bent DB lat Raises
    • 10e x 12
    • 10e x 12
    • 10e x 12
    • 10e x 12

Friday Fundamentals – Getting our priorities straight

/ hsoi

While it’s important to train for critical events (e.g. your life being in immediate danger), realize there are many more mundane things that put your life in danger than someone robbing you or breaking into your house.

Do you have any sort of first aid training? My bud Caleb Causey from Lone Star Medics makes the excellent point that unless you’re active duty military or LEO, you likely encounter more car accidents in a year than gunshot wounds. How many lives could you help save with some first aid training?

Do you lock your doors? I know so many people that are lax about locking the doors and windows to their house. So many burglaries are prefaced by a simple check for (un)locked doors and windows, and if locked they just move along… because they know eventually one will be unlocked and a much easier target.

And yes please… while I know it’s hard to resist the addiction of txting and Facebook and whatever else on your phone, realize that it puts you in “code white” (technical term for “head up your ass” and “totally unaware of what’s around you”). While sometimes that is unavoidable, usually it is avoidable. Take a few seconds to resist the urge and keep yourself safe, because bad guys don’t materialize “out of nowhere”; “nowhere” happens because you weren’t paying attention. And if you must bury your nose in your phone, take a moment to first put yourself in a situation that guards against the issues.

Little things add up.

tacticalprofessor's avatartacticalprofessor

The attacks in Paris by Radical Islamists have captured the attention of the world and obviously people in the United States. Over 100 people were killed and several hundred more were wounded. Along with many people, I mourn for the casualties of these horrific and barbaric events.

In the aftermath, numerous articles are being written about surviving active shooter events, etc. In addition, some folks are saying they’re going to make some massive changes in the way they socialize. It’s always good to examine our vulnerabilities. However, let’s look at things in perspective.

According to the FBI:

In 2014, the estimated number of murders in the [United States] was 14,249.

In 2014, there were an estimated 741,291 aggravated assaults in the [United States].

There were an estimated 84,041 rapes (legacy definition) reported to law enforcement in 2014.

The FBI definition of Aggravated assault is:

An unlawful attack by one…

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Friday Fundamentals – Boundaries

/ hsoi

Claude Werner, dropping some important knowledge about mental preparation and the importance of setting boundaries — and knowing and understanding this PRIOR to needing it.

tacticalprofessor's avatartacticalprofessor

Up until now, Friday Fundamentals has focused on mechanical issues. This issue is going to focus on mental processes. An incident that was in the news recently drives the discussion.

“It scared me absolutely to death,” said Sherry McLain. She was loading groceries into her car this past Saturday in the crowded Walmart parking lot on Old Fort Parkway in Murfreesboro.

That’s when a strange man approached, surprising her, and she pulled her revolver. “I have never been so afraid of anything in my whole life I don’t think,”

Woman Arrested After She Said She Pulled Gun In Self-Defense

There are a number of problems here that led to her arrest.

  • Her level of fear was irrational. Witnesses and surveillance cameras confirmed that the man simply spoke to her from 10 feet away.
  • Being startled and being legitimately rationally afraid are two entirely different things.
  • She doesn’t understand the difference…

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There’s a Way to Stop Mass Shootings, and You Won’t Like It.

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

If you must “do something”, do this. It’s likely the only thing that will make an actual difference — and will likely make the world overall a better place too.

roberthmyers33's avatarRobert H Myers

There’s a Way to Stop Mass Shootings, and You Won’t Like It.

isolation

That’s right. You’re not going to like it because it’s going to require you to do something personally, as opposed to shouting for the government, or anyone to “do something!”

You ready? Here it is:

“Notice those around you who seem isolated, and engage them.”

If every one of us did this we’d have a culture that was deeply committed to insuring no one was left lonely. And make no mistake, as I’ve written before loneliness is what causes these shooters to lash out. People with solid connections to other people don’t indiscriminately fire guns at strangers.

I know what you’re thinking. That’s never going to work because no one is going to make the effort to connect with the strange kid sitting by himself at lunch each day. No one is going to reach out to…

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Why many Americans insist on owning weapons

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

tacticalprofessor's avatartacticalprofessor

A friend posted a comment on his Facebook page about police response policies and times today. His post related to the hypocrisy of politicians who are protected by armed guards around the clock but desire to have the populace disarmed and at the mercy of the criminal element.

In the wake of the Umpqua Community College and Northern Arizona University shootings, there have been renewed calls by Mr. Obama for increased gun control, along with other politicians. The implication of these calls is that law enforcement authorities are always available to protect the citizenry at a moment’s notice. If the government will not allow the citizenry to protect itself, as is now the case in Lesser Britain, then that responsibility must fall to the organized government. A frequently validated saying in the Army is

If no one in particular is responsible for something, then no one is responsible…

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Focus on the 25M target.

/ hsoi

“So, to reiterate, we’re not saying “Don’t bother doing this, this, and that.” We’re saying, “If you’re doing this, this, and that, before you’ve achieved that, this, and this, you’re living in a goddamned fantasy, and you’d probably save money if, instead of buying gear and guns, you’d just take up Dungeon-and-Dragons or some shit.”

Amen, brother.

mountainguerrilla's avatarMountainGuerrilla

We were in town getting groceries this evening, and I witnessed two separate instances that made me physically ill with disgust.

Produce section of the local hippie grocery store:

As we’re walking in, I caught a black shirt with POLICE written in bold white letters across the upper back. Looking closer, I understood why it was so eye-catching: the shirt HAD to be a minimum of XXXL. Dude was an easy 150# overweight, with Dunlap Disease impacting his duty belt. As we walked through the produce section, we crossed paths with this dude and his young, skinny son. The LEO (with his duty belt on still) was looking through the pre-cut fruit selection, with his back to the world, including me. As a—relatively risky—experiment, I actually bumped into him from behind, with my shoulder, on his gun side.

Even when I followed it with, “Oh, excuse me. Sorry about that.”…

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2015-03-20 training log

/ hsoi

Today was different.

First, I’m experimenting more with pyramiding. Starting at a moderate weight with higher reps, then each set increasing the weight and so of course the weight goes down. If the heavier sets involve a little cheating, fine. Then last set drops the weight and the reps (hopefully) go up. Going to see what that does for me.

For giggles then on the hammer curls, after the last set I just ran down the rack… whatever the next DB was, just pick it up and go until I couldn’t rep it any further, drop and go to the next one, repeat until I got to the end of the rack.

Only about a week left on the mid… still at 219, then back on the loser train.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

  • Chins
    • BW x 8
    • BW x 6
    • BW x 4
    • BW x 3
    • BW x 3
  • Cable Rows
    • 110 x 15
    • 120 x 12
    • 130 x 10
    • 140 x 7
    • 110 x 10
  • DB Shrugs
    • 70 x 15
    • 75 x 15
    • 80 x 13
    • 85 x 11
    • 70 x 15
  • Wide, Neutral-grip Lat Pulldowns
    • 120 x 15
    • 130 x 12
    • 140 x 8
    • 120 x 10
  • Hammer Curls
    • 25e x 15
    • 30e x 12
    • 35e x 8
    • 25e x 10
    • then ran the rest of the way down the rack, didn’t keep track

    • FBI Training Division: Executive Summary of Justification for Law Enforcement Partners

    / hsoi

    Here’s some truth of the matter.

    And yeah… if you can’t do it on the square range, what does make you think you can do it otherwise?

    John Buol's avatarFirearm User Network / American Gunsmith

    Shots to the Central Nervous System (CNS) at the level of the cervical spine (neck) or above, are the only means to reliably cause immediate incapacitation. In this case, any of the calibers commonly used in law enforcement, regardless of expansion, would suffice for obvious reasons. Other than shots to the CNS, the most reliable means for affecting rapid incapacitation is by placing shots to large vital organs thus causing rapid blood loss. Simply stated, shot placement is the most critical component to achieving either method of incapacitation.

    Cartridge and caliber discussions are even more annoying and useless than tactical pontifications. For both tactical and hunting environments, most claims of firearm/cartridge ineffectiveness is usually the operator’s fault. Lousy marksmen on the range experiencing their first stressful shooting experience at an enemy or at big game shoot even worse in the field and then place blame for their failure on perfectly…

    View original post 370 more words

    What is the value of training?

    / hsoi / 1 Comment

    As 2015 begins and you make resolutions about how this year is going to be different, have you considered getting more training?

    Whatever it is that you engage in, or think you might engage in. How about taking a class to improve your gun handling skills? How about medical skills, like knowing about tourniquets and other ways to stop bleeding and save lives? How about becoming better prepared for emergencies, but you never knew where you start — maybe an introductory class is the best place to start.

    Humans are born knowing little — we must acquire knowledge, and the more we acquire, generally the better off we are in life. There is value in training, and see what you can do to add some to your efforts for 2015.

    tacticalprofessor's avatartacticalprofessor

    Firearms instructors are periodically asked the question “Why should I take training?” The answer often comes in the form of a list of skills that are taught or the reasoning behind using a certain technique. However, these do not address the underlying fundamental reasons for taking firearms training at all.

    1. You don’t know what you don’t know.
    2. Much of what you know is wrong.
    3. It’s good to have some of the answers to the test before taking it.

    These issues relate to both technical competency with using a firearm (gun safety and marksmanship) and the ability to use the firearm correctly in a personal protection situation (legal and tactical).

    You don’t know what you don’t know.

    Shooters who only take their gun to an indoor range once a year “to sight it in” generally have a highly ‘cocooned’ knowledge of firearms. They know how to operate a firearm in a…

    View original post 1,037 more words

    One shot, in the dark, at 312 feet, single-handed, while holding the reigns of two horses

    / hsoi / 5 Comments

    I’m sure you’ve heard about the crazy guy that shot up downtown Austin a few days ago.

    What I think is the bigger story is APD Sgt. Adam Johnson’s response that stopped the shooting spree before anyone could be hurt.

    Quoting APD Police Chief Art Acevedo from the press conference:

    this man [Sgt. Johnson] took 1 shot, from approximately 312 feet away, in the dark, single-handed, while holding the reigns of 2 horses

    That 1 shot dropped the crazy (found its mark quite perfectly), and stopped everything. Good job Sgt. Johnson.

    I would love to know some things, like if the Sgt. actually trained for this (i.e. took 100 yard shots with his pistol in training), or if he got lucky, or what. But, that’s not what’s important.

    What is important is to look at some things:

    • Long distance (much longer than 15 yards)
    • In the dark (well, low-light because downtown Austin at 2:30 AM isn’t pitch black)
    • One handed
    • While managing other things (reigns of two horses)

    Yeah, on the spectrum of skills to work on, these skills aren’t as vital as some things (see: Minimum Competency for Defensive Pistol). But that doesn’t mean they aren’t important.

    No, you can’t practice 100 yard pistol shots at Red’s Indoor Range, but how well can you handle 15 yards? 25 yards? They may not be the ranges of a typical gunfight, but in Tom Givens‘ student data set, he did have a couple incidents that happened in that 15-25 yard range. It happens, and you don’t get to choose if you get to have a typical or anomalous incident.

    How good is your one-handed shooting? Weak-hand too? I know this is always a place I need more practice.

    And how about being able to manage something else, like maybe your child is in your hands? Claude Werner elaborates on this:

    In the age of two-handed shooting, one-handed shooting has become severely neglected. However, any parent could be carrying a child or grandchild when an incident occurs. To practice for this, consider using a large bag of cat litter to simulate having to access your firearm and shoot while encumbered with a child. At the very least, devoting a substantial portion of your live-fire and dry-fire practice to one-handed work is appropriate for all armed parents of small children.

    Give some thought to Sgt. Johnson’s performance. See what you can do to improve your own.