2015-06-16 training log

/ hsoi

You know you’re burning out when you don’t even have the motivation to bench press. 😉

Really, it’s not benching that’s the issue — it’s the massive amount of reps. Rep work isn’t my favorite thing, but no question it’s what builds muscle. Still, I look forward to getting back to when “high reps” means “8 reps”, but I know those days aren’t for many more months while I continue on the diet plan. I have to focus on building (retaining/maintaining) muscle while I shed the fat. It’s all good, and I’m learning a lot.

All in all, a fair day. No real complaints. I expect I’ll have another weight bump here soon, which makes me happy. I repeat, it’s great to see forward progress in the gym again. I do miss it so, especially because I know what my next goal is and that won’t happen unless I see forward progress in the gym. Every day, a little better. No complaints.

Based on Paul Carter’s “Guaranteed Muscle Mass” article.

  • Bench Press
    • bar x 5
    • bar x 5
    • 100 x 5
    • 125 x 4
    • 155 x 3
    • 190 x 2
    • 215 x 1
    • 190 x 14 (AMRAP)
    • 190 x 6 (50%)
  • Incline Press (350 Method)
    • 95 x 20
    • 95 x 14
    • 95 x 10
  • BB Row
    • 155 x 8
    • 155 x 8
    • 125 x 12
    • 125 x 10
  • Wide Pronated-Grip Pulldown (350 Method)
    • 110 x 18
    • 110 x 17
    • 110 x 14
  • BB Curl (350 Method)
    • 45 x 18
    • 45 x 15
    • 45 x 11

KR Training 2015-06-13 BP2/DPS1 Quick Hits

/ hsoi / 4 Comments

It felt good to be back out at KR Training this past Saturday. The weather was awesome – warm, humid, but really not so bad (trust me, it’s going to get worse in a couple months, but it’s better than past summers). And there was only like a 5 minute cloudburst, else nice partly cloudy skies and just a good day to be outside.

Held Basic Pistol 2 (Defensive Pistol Essentials) and Defensive Pistol Skills 1, which are a very popular pairing of classes. Classes were sold out, and filled with a diverse group of folks of ages, genders, classes, you name it. Sorry, but your stereotyping of gun owners holds no water.

Here’s a few things I’d like to reinforce to the students.

Dry Practice

Take what you learned in class and practice it at home. You can do this for free – no cost of the range, of driving to the range, ammo, whatever. Only thing it costs you is about 10 minutes of your time, and after all your hard investment in class, 10 minutes a day every day (or at least every 2-3 days) is well worth it as you WILL see improvement in your skills.

Just work on the things from class. If you were in BP2, you can work on the TX CHL test. If you were in DPS1, work on the “3 Seconds or Less” drill. But you don’t even have to work on something like that. Pick a particular skill and work on it. For example, if trigger control needs work, try the Wall Drill. You could even try something as simple as this:

  1. two hands, gun on target, press the trigger (don’t disturb the sights) — basically the Wall Drill. Repeat 10 times.
  2. Do the Wall Drill again, but this time press out (positions 3 to 4). Repeat 10 times.
  3. If you were in DPS1, do the Wall Drill again, but now from the holster. Repeat 10 times.
  4. Basic Wall Drill. Repeat 10 times.

That’s it. Shouldn’t take you more than 5-10 minutes, and if you do that every day I guarantee you’ll improve.

Don’t worry about speed, worry about technique. Getting that sight picture. Pressing the trigger smoothly so the front sight remains steady. Working on the simultaneous pressing of the gun out and pressing of the trigger in. Speed will come.

Simultaneous Actions

This is new and awkward for folks, but this is where speed comes from. That from that high, compressed ready position, that when you press the gun out, you also press the trigger in – simultaneous action.

Most people are used to pressing the gun out, letting it settle, finding the front sight, then pressing the trigger. That’s a lot of serialized action and it all takes time. Simplifying, let’s say it takes 1 second to press the gun out and 1 second to press the trigger in. That means it takes 2 seconds to complete the task. But the mechanics of the actions don’t depend upon each other: they are independent motions. Thus you can do them at the same time. So if as you press the gun out you also press the trigger in, now you’ve accomplished the task in less time, and you never had to actually go faster. In fact, you could actually move slower and still accomplish it in less time! This is how you go faster without going faster. It’s about efficiency and economy of movement.

This is something you can – and should – practice dry. Again, don’t worry about speed, work on getting the mechanics down.

Equipment Matters

It’s great that the word is slowly getting out that equipment matters.  You can buy skill in this realm.

For example, we had one lady in class shooting a Ruger LC9. We could tell she could shoot, she understood what to do, had all the mechanics down, but she just had a rough time getting things done. In between classes Karl switched her over to a S&W M&P9 and she instantly shot so much better. It’s amazing what a better gun, with better sights, and a better trigger can do, eh?

A gentleman in the DPS1 class was shooting a Kahr PM9 from a pocket holster. This is a very tiny gun, and shooting from a very difficult starting position. Was it a struggle for him? In parts, yes because big hands making a fist in a small pocket is difficult to draw from. He had the marksmanship skills no problem, but the equipment was a challenge. Still, I applaud him doing this because that’s how he has to carry due to environmental constraints, so that he was willing to train precisely in the manner he chose to carry, that’s good. Even if the end result was he learned how much it sucked, at least he knows and now can seek improved solutions.

360º World

In the afternoon I worked the shoothouse. We weren’t out to teach anything here about movement in structures and such. The key was to sow the seed that the world is 360º, that people are 3-D — breaking though the notion of range artifacts (straight lanes, flat cardboard targets, etc.). It was certainly eye-opening for a number of folks, and if it gave you something to think about that you didn’t think about before, then great.

Speaking of which, I just learned that in December, KR Training is going to be hosting a new guest instructor, James S. Willams, M.D. and his Shooting with Xray Vision class. Seems quite relevant here.

As well, that weekend is going to be a great double-bill with Caleb Causey of Lone Star Medics offering his Dynamic First Aid class. Folks, if you don’t have some medical knowledge I highly recommend you get some. You are more likely to save lives through use of medical skills, so consider coming out for a good weekend in December to pick up on these unique and important offerings.

Happy

In the end, just a great day out there. Great group of students (including Oldest… always enjoy spending time with him). Got to get back to teaching. Man… just a good day.

Thank you all.

2015-06-15 training log

/ hsoi

You don’t want to go, but you go anyways. That’s how you get better — consistency over time, and putting in the time.

I’m dealing with burnout. Insufficient rest coupled with long, intense work days, coupled with filled weekends, and over time it builds on you. Taking steps to deal with it, but it’s still present. Lack of motivation is always a tip-off for me.

And I didn’t want to go to the gym — I wanted to just go back to bed. But you roll out and go, because you know it’s best. Besides, after the 3rd set of squats, I felt better. In fact, I felt really good. That 250 went up like cake — gee, what a great thing food is. 😉 Cranking out the AMRAPs I felt like I could hit 20, but didn’t. It wasn’t my legs, but everything else. Basically my torso was saying “ok, I’m getting wobbly” so I felt it was time to rack it rather than risk it.

I also think it’s been a good mental shift to forget about how many reps I did before and to just keep going — hit whatever I hit. It’s a better mental approach, because then I’m focusing just on trying to do the damn best I can instead of trying to beat something, which all too often limits me because somehow an arbitrary marker is placed.

Stiffs went well. Remembered to used mixed grip on the AMRAP set AND to keep my arms “loose” so that there was no curl in the supinated hand. Worked out nicely, and here too was another case of everything else could keep going but the torso peeded out first.

So the split squats made up for it. Ho-lee-crap. Here I worked to keep myself centered and vertical. So, torso upright the whole movement; that my torso went perfectly up and down, remaining centered between my feet (instead of coming forward, lunge-like); and not trying to focus on either leg doing the work, just letting both legs do the work. I swear, that kicked my ass pretty hard and was just painful… here’s a place where I pushed as much as I could, through whatever burn/pain I was feeling as much as I could. Man, those suck. 🙂 But I swear I get a pump like no other.

So yeah… didn’t want to go, but as I know… you go anyways, and you’re happier and better in the end.

Based on Paul Carter’s “Guaranteed Muscle Mass” article.

  • Squat
    • bar x 5
    • bar x 5
    • 115 x 5
    • 145 x 4
    • 175 x 3
    • 225 x 2
    • 250 x 1
    • 205 x 16 (AMRAP)
    • 205 x 8 (50%)
  • Stiff Legged Deadlift
    • 135 x 5
    • 165 x 4
    • 200 x 3
    • 250 x 2
    • 285 x 1
    • 235 x 15 (AMRAP)
  • Split Squats
    • BW x 20
    • BW x 20
    • BW x 20
    • BW x 20
    • BW x 15

Sunday Metal – Songs of My Youth – Slayer

/ hsoi

I like giving “Sunday Metal” a theme, and so this theme is “Songs of My Youth”. I found heavy metal as a teenager and it’s always been a big part of my life. I wanted to highlight some songs that stand out from those youthful days.

Another Slayer memory comes from the song “Angel of Death”.

Well first, it’s yet another example of Tom’s awesome screams.

But the vivid memory from this song is a trip I was taking. I forget exactly why I was on the METRO (the subway system in the Washington D.C. area), but I was and actually ran into a couple girls from school. One was a cheerleader, so obviously we weren’t from the same social circles, but she was actually nice and not to hung up on the clique thing. The subway got crowded so the three of us, because we were talking, ended up crammed into two seats. They asked what I was listening to (I had my Walkman with me), and I was listening to Slayer’s “Reign in Blood” album. They wanted to check out what I was listening to.

I played “Angel of Death” for them. The only lyrics they understood was “human mice for the angel of death” and they were… bothered. They didn’t understand the song, but it didn’t matter. I think I instantly alienated myself from them and I’m sure that cemented me being labeled a weirdo in their minds. 🙂  Sorry, Debbie (but I’m glad we got to know each other better in college).

2015-06-12 training log

/ hsoi

You know… I kinda don’t like this day. 🙂

I realize it’s because it’s tons of high-rep work. I don’t mind high-rep work in theory, but it just drives me nuts. And when it’s unilateral work, it’s even worse. It’s really a matter of time. Like on the DB rows… to crank 25 reps… well that’s really 50 reps because you do each arm. And it just drags… and drags… and I hate it. Can’t I just go back to 5×5 work? 😉

That said, I do think it’s paying off. I haven’t taken any pictures yet to do before/after comparisons, but I can see some stuff in the mirror, I notice it when I go about my day. This program, eating more food (huzzah!) and so on does seem to be paying off.

Speaking food, plan seems to be to get me up to 220 and hover there for a bit… once we know it’s good, then we’ll probably stay there for about a month. Right now still playing with food levels to get me up there, and once I’m up there then we’ll stop adjusting intake and hold steady. After that levels well, a “mid” basically, then we’ll hit 3 months of cutting to try to drop down again. I don’t know how much true weight I’ve put on (vs. just water/glycogen bloat), but at least 5 lbs is that so probably 15 of tissue. So 20 lbs in 12 weeks? Should be do-able since I ought to shed a bunch of it up front due to bloat reduction. My HOPE is that 200# will see me where I actually want to be, but honestly I could see maybe a hair more beyond that (like 190??) not sure, but yeah… I’m aiming for lean. Bottom line, I’ll be bummed to stop eating so well and having lifting progress, but I’ll be happy to be finally hitting the end goal of the Defattening Project.

Anyways… digression.

Today I’ll chalk up as a 80% day. I really didn’t want to finish… again, hate the reps, and the fact that almost everything today is 350-methods and AMRAPS. Ah well. I actually did alright tho. I’m working at pushing myself with things like dips and chin-ups because it sure feels like I’ve stagnated and I think it’s because I don’t have normal overloading abilities there so I just have to push.

And push I did, trying to keep going and truly fail. So that happened on the press AMRAP. Press is my slowest progressing lift, and I’ve been at 12 for a couple weeks. That 12th was pretty slow but I figured go for 13. I got half-way up, held it… kept pushing… but it didn’t go. And so I lost a rep on the 50% set, but whatever. But then on dips and chins I just keep cranking until I couldn’t. Like on the last set of dips I went for a 10th rep, got to the bottom and almost dropped through… truly failed. I think that’s how I have to push with the bodyweight stuff, if I want to break through. Else I’m always stopping myself too short.

Anyways, onwards.

Based on Paul Carter’s “Guaranteed Muscle Mass” article.

  • Overhead Press
    • bar x 5
    • bar x 5
    • 60 x 5
    • 75 x 4
    • 90 x 3
    • 110 x 2
    • 125 x 1
    • 115 x 12 (AMRAP)
    • 115 x 6 (50%)
  • Dips (350 Method)
    • BW x 16
    • BW x 11
    • BW x 9
  • Chin-ups
    • BW x 5
    • BW x 5
    • BW x 5
    • BW x 3
    • BW x 3
  • DB Rows (350 method)
    • 50e x 25
    • 50e x 20
    • 50e x 15
  • DB Curl (350 Method)
    • 25e x 16
    • 25e x 12
    • 25e x 10

2015-06-11 – live fire practice

/ hsoi

Did some live-fire training today.

One major difference was using a bone-stock factory M&P 9. The only modification was the dots on the rear sight were Sharpie-blacked out. The factory trigger isn’t bad, but it sure has a hard-break. Apex DCAEK is forthcoming, as well as some Dawson sights (Charger rear, serrated black, 0.125″ notch; red fiber front, 0.100″).

That said, the setup and exploration was simple: draw practice. Random start. Hands start in various positions (at sides, on earmuffs). From concealment (under a t-shirt). At the buzzer, draw and fire one shot on a 12″ steel target at 10 yards.

I started with some dry fire, just Wall Drill stuff. Mostly to get used to that trigger. Two hands, SHO, WHO. Then live fire with the same, just on target and pressing trigger. Then did the same from low ready. And then again from press-out. After that, from the holster and on the timer.

On the whole the times averaged out to about a 1.5 second concealment draw. Some faster (1.38 I think was my fastest), some slower, and most of the flubs came from not getting concealment out of the way. But really, I’m happy with this. The daily dry fire and pushing myself in dry work is paying off.

I want to push myself harder tho… right now I actually want to keep speed at about 1.5 seconds but get the accuracy in line. I’d like it to be 1.5 second and ALWAYS hitting (today it was not always hitting). I know that I’m pushing fast and not necessarily seeing what I need to see, but certainly was surprised at how often I did see. What was cool was because of the way the ground is right now (after all the rains), if I missed and hit the berm it kicked up these perfect dirt clouds. It was actually more obvious when I missed than when I hit! And many times I’d see my sights and what they were doing, and the cloud confirmed it. Like I noticed the sights were to the left and sure enough, cloud. It was most excellent feedback.

So I’m happy, but now I want to keep that pace and bring up the accuracy to go with it.

But as well, I want to play with a few parameters.

First, I want to try on paper targets so I can work at closer range. Work at relatively the same speed and see how it goes. Can I work at 3 yards and maybe get to 1.25?

Second, I wonder how much my concealment draw is holding me back. I can distinctly remember feeling like I had to wait with my right hand for my left hand to get the shirt out of the way before I could really move my right hand in. So, I want to try again from open carry and see how it goes. If nothing else, it may give me more information as to where I’m holding back and what sub-position to work on.

Crazy thing? After shooting like that, I tried doing some slower “group” shooting on a small distant steel. I was missing so I stopped, unloaded and worked dry. Holy crap, every single shot was a yank – sights dipping like mad! Thing is, I couldn’t help it. I kept trying to stop, but couldn’t. My arm muscles were just clenching. But I also realized it was an age-old problem — it was my strong-hand muscles really clenching, and my support-hand was not crushing. Once I realized that, crushed with the left hand, and all was better.

So… I got my homework. Back to dry fire.

2015-06-11 training log

/ hsoi

Had to make another short morning due to schedule.

Got the front squats in. One thing I found myself working on was my chest. I worked to keep it really “inflated” and “up/out”. That made my torso much more solid and the reps came out easier. But it also changed the path of things and felt really strange… today’s form was a bit of a mess. But that’s what I’m working on.

That said, I think the front squats may be something I don’t work up to 20 reps for. All signs from prior reading was that front squats are good up to about 12 reps or so and then so many other things break down and give such that you won’t get the benefit to the legs. Back squats yeah I’ll keep cranking those up to 20 reps per protocol, but fronts I’ll stop around 12. Which I hit today, so I’ll be bumping weight up on that.

Weighed in at 219 this morning. Weight is where it should be for now. Happy to continue eating. 🙂

Based on Paul Carter’s “Guaranteed Muscle Mass” article.

  • Front Squat
    • bar x 5
    • bar x 5
    • 85 x 5
    • 105 x 4
    • 135 x 3
    • 155 x 2
    • 175 x 1
    • 145 x 12 (AMRAP)
    • 145 x 6 (50%)
  • Leg Press (350 Method)
    • 275 x 30
    • 275 x 20
    • 275 x 15

2015-06-09 training log

/ hsoi

Yes, I took yesterday off. I had a long weekend, exhausted. The best thing was to not lift but instead to sleep.

Today went quite well.

I upped my bench weight. I was calculating off an EDM of 240, and since I hit the 15 rep mark on the AMRAP set it was time to up the weight and go back to around 8 reps on AMRAP. I recalculated the EDM at 255 and off I went. I was surprised that the 215 felt so easy, and I cranked the 190 for 12 reps. I am not sure what to attribute it to. Did I recalculate wrong? Is my body still ramping up after being deprived for so long? finally food (carbs!), creatine, etc.? Hard to say, but here I am. I see no reason to adjust, just hopefully means progress will continue.

And everything else went up too. More reps on everything. I simply cannot complain. Again, it feels good to be making forward progress in the gym again.

Based on Paul Carter’s “Guaranteed Muscle Mass” article.

  • Bench Press
    • bar x 5
    • bar x 5
    • 100 x 5
    • 125 x 4
    • 155 x 3
    • 190 x 2
    • 215 x 1
    • 190 x 12 (AMRAP)
    • 190 x 6 (50%)
  • Incline Press (350 Method)
    • 95 x 22
    • 95 x 14
    • 95 x 12
  • BB Row
    • 155 x 8
    • 155 x 8
    • 125 x 12
    • 125 x 8
  • Wide Pronated-Grip Pulldown (350 Method)
    • 110 x 20
    • 110 x 16
    • 110 x 12
  • BB Curl (350 Method)
    • 40 x 25
    • 40 x 18
    • 40 x 15

Sunday Metal – Songs of My Youth – Slayer

/ hsoi

I like giving “Sunday Metal” a theme, and so this theme is “Songs of My Youth”. I found heavy metal as a teenager and it’s always been a big part of my life. I wanted to highlight some songs that stand out from those youthful days.

Ah Slayer. So dangerous, right? If there was some band from the 80’s that embraced Satan for an image (and profited from it), it was Slayer.

One thing I always dug about them was not just the speed and aggression, but Tom’s voice. Honestly, I never cared much for the Satan devil stuff, because it was pretty evident that a lot was just because that was the gimmick of the early 80’s. So songs like “The Antichrist” are just a product of the time.

But what I always dug (and still do) is in these early versions of the song was Tom’s vocal range. He had such a deep and mature voice for his age, but then could hit these giant and powerful screams. Even to this day I don’t know all the lyrics of this song, but the tone of the song, the expression in Tom’s voice, it just kicks ass.

(yes, another cut from “The Ultimate Revenge” video. Go watch it for some awesome metal history).