progress today

Today's Accomplishments:

-dropped off transcript for SMART Scholarship
-had a good run
-accompanied R to her interview


Things I could have done better:
-should have made time to get more coding in

Python Challenge #1

Solved Python challenges 0 and 1.
Like the solution I came up with to #1.
Posted below.

****************************************

encrypted_string = "g fmnc wms bgblr rpylqjyrc gr zw fylb. rfyrq ufyr amknsrcpq ypc dmp. bmgle gr gl zw fylb gq glcddgagclr ylb rfyr'q ufw rfgq rcvr gq qm jmle. sqgle qrpgle.kyicrpylq() gq pcamkkclbcb. lmu ynnjw ml rfc spj."

alphabet_list = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzab"
numbers = "123456789"

decrypted_string = ""

for i in encrypted_string:
if i not in alphabet_list:
i = i
decrypted_string += i
else:
first_a_loc = alphabet_list.find(i)
second_a_loc = first_a_loc + 2
decrypted_string += alphabet_list[second_a_loc]

print decrypted_string

bugs!

Stayed up stupidly late tonight trying to fix a bug in my python tic-tac-toe.
Ultimately wasn't able to. The function was so involved with other subsequent actions that there were just too many things that went haywire as soon as I touched it.

Anyway, I lost it on today's 20-rep-squats at 262. I could have done it, I just didn't focus enough. Will hit it hard upon return.
Today's workout:

B Squat: 260 x 1s x 13 reps
OHP: 110 x 5s x 10r
Leg Press: 550 x 3s x 5r
360 x 1s x 20 r (this was an awesome set)
Bicep Curl: 105 x 6s x 5r
65 x 1s x 10r (wanted 20 reps, but was burned out.)

Goodnight!

workout yesterday

Another day of 20-rep-squats.
Another day of high rep OHP.
T-Bar was fun.
Didn't get all 10 reps of bicep curls, failed on 9th and 10th sets.

B-Squat: 257.5 x 1s x 20r
135 x 1s x 20r

OHP: 105 x 5s x 10r

T-Bar: 105 x 3s x 15r

Barbell Bicep Curl: 100 x 8s x 5r
100 x 2s x 4r


The B-Squats are tough, but I love them. And anything that tough is probably good for me.
Hoping that the high-volume OHP coupled with the T-bar will allow for mass gains in shoulder girdle and traps.
Barbell curls felt a tiny bit off where I injured my right elbow, but at the same time felt really good to do. Sort of like rehab.

WTF?

Yesterday was a make-the-best-of-tough-circumstances kind of lifting day.
Lifting workout was:

B Squat:
255lbs x 1s x 20r


Bench:
175 x 5s x 10r

T-Bar
Bar + 90lbs x 3s x 15r


Tendonitis was flaring up in right elbow. Prevented me from benching that heavy. So the high rep light benching was to compensate.

20 rep squats at 255 were brutal, but manageable. It will be a mighty f*cking day when I squat 315 for 20 reps.

I continue to love the T-bar. I think my upper-back is under developed. Now, a day later it's super sore.

What I got done today

Even though it feels like I'm being lazy, I actually accomplished a lot today.

I:

- filled out apps for some internships
- made HUGE progress with tic-tac-toe program.
(The f*cker works and looks pretty. Now all that's left is to tweak the presentation).
-played tennis
-socialized and went out with friends (I don't do this enough. Need to rectify that).



An important lesson from my struggles with tic-tac-toe were:
1) It pays to be creative in coding. Unique solutions can be hyper efficient.
2) Functions, functions, functions! SO much faster to edit 600 lines of code when everything is functions.

Bigger Levers (and puny weights)

Lifted like a b*tch today. But there's a method to my madness.

Rippetoe mentions at one point that getting bigger levers (arms + legs) helps in the lifts.

Some have taken this as a mild, ultra-limited endorsement by Rippetoe to sometimes do bodybuilding style sets/reps.

Which is what I'm doing for a very short period of time.

Today's Workout:

Back Squat: 235 x 1s x 20r
Overhead Press: 90 x 5s x 10r
Double OH Deadlift: 300 x 3s x 5r
T-Bar close-grip: 135x 4s x 10r



Notes from workout:

1) Cardio is terrible. 20-rep-squats left me gasping.

2) Strength-Endurance is terrible. First 5 reps of the sets with the OH press were easy, last 5 were killer!

3) I'm ok with deadlifting light for now. Gonna play with high volume for awhile and see what happens.

4) LOVE the t-bar close-grip deal. Could feel the periphery of my back getting a crazy workout that I don't feel with the deadlifting alone.

f*cking around

just f*cking around today.
Had fun.
Workout consisted of 2 new 1 rep maxes!!!!

B Squat: 225lb x 1s x 25r (Heart was pounding at the end, I'm def out of shape
cardio-wise)

Bench Press: 240lb x 1s x 1r (NEW ONE REP MAX!!!)


Standing Bicep Barbell Curl: 135lb x 1s x 1r (NEW ONE REP MAX!!!!)


The 135lb standing bicep barbell curl has been a goal for 12 years. It was cool to finally do it.

New Sieve, and tomorrow's workout

Tomorrow's workout will be:
B Squat: 300 x 5s x 5r
Bench: 207.5 x 6s x 5r
Bicep Curls: 107.5 x 8s x 5r



Wrote a new sieve of Eristaphanes. Think it's more efficient, but will have to check.
Code is below.

upper_limit = raw_input("\n\nUp to what number should be search for \
perfect numbers?\n")

upper_limit = int(upper_limit)

the_range = range(0,upper_limit + 1)
potential_answers = list(the_range)

print "The list of numbers being evaluated is", potential_answers,"\n\n"



for n in the_range:
a = 2
if n % a == 0:
potential_answers.remove(n)
else:
while a < n/2:
a +=1
if n % a == 0:
if n in potential_answers:
potential_answers.remove(n)

print "\nThe perfect numbers in the range you provided are ", potential_answers

Missed the OH Press

Today's Workout:
B Squat W/O Belt: 295 x 5s x 5r
OH Press: 145 x 5s x 5r (missed it)


Got first 2 sets of OH press, missed on the last 3 attempts.

Conversely, B Squat felt great and went up easy.

Today's Workout

Had an excellent workout today.
(BEST HIGH-REP BENCH DAY EVER)

Squat (Beltless): 290 x 5 x 5
Bench: 205 x 6s x 5r
Standring Barbell Bicep Curl: 105 x 5 x 5


While this was my best bench day ever, my squat is still in recovery mode.

Workout today, Year End Goals

Lowering the squat weight is frustrating.
But, squatting w/o a belt, I had to do it.
Squatting beltless is weird at first. Beltless squats utilize the mid aps, whereas belted squats felt like they worked the outside abs a whole lot more.

My abs definitely feel like the weak link now that I've switched to squatting beltless.
Today's workout:

B Squat (w/o belt): 280 x 5s x 5r (SO F*CKING LIGHT! ARHGUHGUGUHG!)

Bench: 202.5 x 6s x 5r (felt good)

Standing Barbell Bicep Curl: 102.5 x 8s x 5r (felt real good, almost too easy)


By the end of the year I will:
-OH Press 200 lbs
-Curl 135 lbs
-Deadlift 500 lbs

(Great Bench, Weak Squat) 17 August 2010

Today's Workout:
B Squat(NO BELT): 315 x 3s x 5r

Bench: 200 x 6s x 5r

Cooldown: Swimming



This was the same weight I squatted last time, but felt tough.
Squatting w/o a belt is tough. You feel the bottom abs working more. Other abs working less. But, net effect, beltless is tougher.

Was very happy with bench. Originally planned on 197.5 x 3-5s x 5r.
Had to bump it up to 200 when I couldn't find my fractional plates.

couple workouts.

Haven't been good lately about entering workouts as I do them. So here they are.

11 August 2010.
(Squatting w/o belt)
BS 315 (no belt) x 3s x 5r
Bench 195 x 5s x 5r (felt easy and great)

12 August 2010
(Deadlift weight low bc I was doing double overhand, more grip training than true DL'ing)
Deadlift 285 x 5s x 5r
Bicep Curl 100 x 8s x 5r (Wanted to introduce a lot of volume, but without the light weight required for higher rep sets)

Minor Economic App of Program from last Post

(THIS EMAIL REFERS TO THE PROGRAM IN THE LAST BLOG POST)


Did you ever read about how some markets can't equalize that well?

For instance, farmers (in England, before massive subsidies) always produced too much or little since information wasn't that good and there were inherently unknowable factors? (weather, war, etc.)

In a program I just wrote I used really simple math, REALLY SIMPLE simple addition, but I think the premise could be used to illustrate the unknowable factors and the associated difficulties in market equalizing.

The program had the computer use random integers to try to find a sequence that added up to 6.
If the sum of the sequence went above 6, the computer got to remove the last integer, until the sum of the sequence was below 6.
If we are using little numbers to find the sequence, the little numbers could represent a world where every factor is a mostly knowable factor.
(For instance, Farmers know they'll need x seeds, y acres of land, z tractors, etc.) Consider arriving at "6" to be an equalization of the market.
In this scenario the computer executes and we get:

[1]
[1, 2]
[1, 2, 2]
[1, 2, 2, 3] (EXCESS 1)
[1, 2, 2]
[1, 2, 2, 2] (EXCESS 2)
[1, 2, 2]
[1, 2, 2, 3] (EXCESS 3)
[1, 2, 2]
[1, 2, 2, 1] (FOUND IT!!!)

So, the computer went in excess 3 times, and then found the solution. Metaphorically, the market equalized.


Now, let's introduce some bigger, less knowable factors into the farmers wheat market.
War, drought, alien invasion, these are bigger factors then minor weather changes or minor increases in labor prices. So, they'll be represented by higher numbers. The minor factors are still there, but now they're accompanied by those aforementioned bigger factors.
So, instead of just minor factors represented by the integers [1,2,3], our new list will be [1,2,3,4,5] (4 and 5 representing the new huge factors).
Look how long it takes our market to equalize this time.

[2]
[2, 5]
[2]
[2, 5]
[2]
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 2] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 3] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 5] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 2] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 3] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 4] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 2] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 3] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 5] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 2] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 5] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 2] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 2] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 4] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 3] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 3] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 4] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 2] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 4] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 1] (FOUND IT!!!!!)


In a world of much less perfect information, markets did a HORRIBLE job of equalizing.

Shotgun Solution

(I'm not sure anyone has ever gotten as excited as I get about writing really simple and really bad code)


My favorite biology book, "Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems and the Economic World", has a great section that describes the thermostat as the seed of Artificial Intelligence.

In some very, very narrow sense the thermostat was, well, not self-aware, but at least capable of continually responding in pre-defined ways to a constantly changing environment.

I've written a very simple program that uses a thermostat style principle to "shotgun" a solution to a problem.
The computer is tasked with finding a sequence of integers that add up to 6. However, the integers must be chosen at random.
Randomly chosen integers might add up to 6, but even more likely is that the numbers will jump straight from 4 to 7, and the computer (since only positive numbers can be chosen), will now be unable to find a sequence of numbers that add up to 6.

This is where the thermostat principle comes in.

A thermostat would turn the heating off when the temp reached, or jumped above, the target temperature. And so my program, when it adds a number that raises it above the goal number, will delete the last added number so that it is once again below the goal number. (Just like the thermostat temporarily turns the heating off, my program temporarily turns the adding off).

Small numbers result in shorter sequences since the computer is less likely to exceed the target number.
Large numbers introduce more volatility.

Here's the sequence when the computer randomly chooses numbers from the list [1,2,3] in order to find a combination that adds up to 6.

[1]
[1, 2]
[1, 2, 2]
[1, 2, 2, 3] (EXCESS 1)
[1, 2, 2]
[1, 2, 2, 2] (EXCESS 2)
[1, 2, 2]
[1, 2, 2, 3] (EXCESS 3)
[1, 2, 2]
[1, 2, 2, 1] (FOUND IT!!!)

We can see that three times the total exceeded 6 and the computer "turned off" the adding and removed an integer(s) until the total was below 6 and hence, again possible to reach by adding a number.

If we introduce bigger numbers, changing the list of potential numbers from [1,2,3] to [1,2,3,4,5] we should have greater volatility. I'm using volatility here to mean more excesses and more self-corrections.

And, voila!

[2]
[2, 5]
[2]
[2, 5]
[2]
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 2] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 3] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 5] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 2] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 3] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 4] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 2] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 3] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 5] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 2] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 5] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 2] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 2] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 4] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 3] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 3] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 4] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 2] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 4] (EXCESS)
[2, 3]
[2, 3, 1] (FOUND IT!!!!!)

WAY MORE VOLATILE!

But the goal of finding a combination of numbers that add up to 6 was still reached.

The code for the program is below.

#Goal: To create a shot-gun solution/combination of finding \
# numbers that add up to 6.


import random

the_list = [1,2,3,4,5]



def implement_shotgun():
answer_combo = []
while sum(answer_combo) != 6:
if sum(answer_combo) < 6:
r = random.randrange(5)
answer_combo.append(the_list[r])
print answer_combo
if sum(answer_combo) > 6:
answer_combo = answer_combo[:-1]
print answer_combo

implement_shotgun()

lifting today

Good lifting session today.
Decided to squat without the belt for awhile.
Squatting without the belt gave my abs a HUGE workout, or at least a different workout than they're used to.


Today's workout:
B Squat (without belt): 315 x 3s x 5r
Bench: 195 x 5s x 5r

I wish . . .

I wish Kurt Vonnegut wasn't dead.

I wish I was smarter.

I wish I could see my grandmother again.

What do you wish for?

Lifting lately

Couple changes:

-Have started adding higher rep, but lighter weight, deadlifts to the end of every other workout. These are done double-overhand. This maxes out the grip work, but is light enough that the back isn't so strained I can't do anything the next day.


Last workout:

B Squat: 322.5 x 3s x 5r
OHP: 137.5 x 4s x 5r
Deadlift (double overhand): 280 x 4s x 5r

Cardio:
Swim 10 laps



Tomorrow's Workout:
B Squat: 325 x 3s x 5r
Bench: 192.5 x 3s x 5r (4s if it feels easy. It should).
Bicep Curls: 90lbs x 5s x 10r
Cardio: See how we feel. Either running or swimming or elliptical.

Sieve of Aristophane!

Sieve of Aristaphane, I have conquered you!

After f'ing around at odd times for the past week, and getting a little frustrated, I suddenly programmed a functioning Sieve of Aristaphane in 20 minutes.

Code is below.

#The Sieve of Eristaphanes



high_end = int(raw_input("What range of numbers should we examine? From\ one to ______?"))
high_end = high_end + 1
the_range = range(2,high_end)
the_range = list(the_range)
the_primes = the_range

divisor = 2
global divisor

def eliminate_non_primes():
for x in the_range:
if x%divisor == 0 and x != divisor:
the_primes.remove(x)
divisor +=1
global divisor

while divisor < high_end/2:
eliminate_non_primes()

print "Divisor equals",divisor


print the_primes

Temp Training Adjustments

Biceps:
switching back from high-weight sets of 5 down to lower weight sets of 10's. Specifically, my last workout was 110 x 4s x 5r.
I had to lean back excessively on last reps of 3rd and 4th set.
For the next week or two I'll go back to high volume. Then I'll cycle back to heavier weight, lower volume.

Bench:
I've reset to a lower weight. Still doing sets of 5.
Since it's a lower weight I've added on another set. 4s x 5r instead of 3s x 5r.
Today I did 190lbs.
Need to continue making solid gains, bench will be tested in meet in September.

Gettin' my Groove Back

Squat is still below past performance, but it's making a comeback.

Benching 190 x 4s x 5r felt EASY, but then again, it should.

Deadlifted high volume, low weight today. Double overhand grip. Did it as a grip exercise more than a back exercise.

Workout looked like:
B Squat: 320 x 3s x 5r
Bench: 190 x 4s x 5r
Deadlift: 275 x 4s x 5r (double overhand grip)


Lifting Goals Tomorrow:
B Squat: 225 x 10s x 5r
Pushups: 10s x 10r
Bicep Curls: 90lbs x 4s x 10r
Cardio: 30 mins elliptical, beat 468 calories

Meh . . .

Squats sucked.
Bicep curls rocked.

Squat: 305lbs x s x 5r

OHP: 150lbs x 1s x 4r
150lbs x 1s x 2r
150lbs x 1s x 1r
150lbs x 1s x 1r
150lbs x 1s x 1r
150lbs x 1s x 1r

Bicep Curl: 105lbs x 4s x 5r (Felt so easy I did a 4th set).

Power Cleans: Hello, Old Friend

Short workout today.
2 exercises.

Power Clean:
D1RM - 190lbs

Overhead Press:
145lbs x 3s x 5r


Felt good to do power cleans today. Thought I would go heavier than 190, but whatever.

:

I'm in the "dark days" John Broz talks about.

Lifting all the time and all my lifts are going down. It always hurts to walk.

The weirdest part is the emotional end of it. Broz talked about it, but I didn't think it would hit me that hard. I'm a pretty laid back, relaxed person who's happy almost all the time.

But lifting like this, Broz warns about the hormonal downside. It's a painful draining trip.

revised schedule

Revising Schedule a little bit and making a few notes.


1) Need to start lifting in morning. Too many things come up later in the day that make it hard to get to lifting.

2) Revised the schedule a little bit.

3) Didn't hit any PR's this past week. Did hit 385 on days when I was really sore though. Not sure this was possible in the past.

New schedule is as follows:


Run Every Day we lift. Don't run on OFF days.

1) B Squat: (1RM, + 20reps @ 80%+),
Bench: (1RM, + 20reps @ 80%+)
Biceps: (3-5s x 5-10r)
2) B Squat: (1RM, + 20reps @ 80%+),
OHP: (3-5s x 5-10r)
Deadlift: (1RM, + 20reps @ 80%+)
3) F Squat: (1RM, + 20reps @ 80%+)
Bench: (1RM, + 20reps @ 80%+)
Biceps: (3-5s x 5-10r)

4) OFF

5) B Squat: (1RM, + 20reps @ 80%+)
OHP: (3-5s x 5-10r)
Deadlift: (1RM, + 20reps @ 80%+)

6) F Squat: (1RM, + 20reps @ 80%+)
Bench: (1RM, + 20reps @ 80%+)
Biceps: (5s x 5-10r)

7) OFF

Tentative Lifting Schedule

5 Day Cycle


Day 1: (NO RUNNING)
(1) B Squat 1RM + (6s x 2r @ 80%1RM)
(2) Bench 1RM + (6s x 2r @ 80%1RM)
(3) OHP 1S x 20r @5lbs greater than last completed set of 20
(4) Reverse Hyper: 4s x 10r


Day 2: (Run 5 Miles OR paced quarter miles or Row 40 minutes)
(1) B Squat 10s x 5r @(previous 1RM-150lbs)
(2) Pushups 10s x 11 reps
[B SQUAT AND PUSHUPS ALTERNATED]
(3) Deadlift 1RM + (6s x 2r @80%1RM)

Day 3: (Run 5 miles OR paced quarter miles or Row 40 minutes)
(1) B Squat 1RM + (6s x 2r @ 80%1RM)
(2) OHP (5s x 5r)
(3) Bicep Curls (5s x 10r)

Day 4: (NO RUNNING)
(NO LIFTING)

Day 5: (Run 5 miles OR paced quarter miles OR Row 40 minutes)
(1) B Squat 1RM + (6s x 2r @ 80%1RM)
(2) Bench 1RM + (6s x 2r @ 80%1RM)
(3) Reverse Hyper (4s x 10r)

Day 6: (Run 5 miles OR paced quarter miles OR Row 40 minutes)
(1) B Squat 10s x 5r @(previous 1RM-150lbs)
(2) Deadlift 1RM + (6s x 2r @80%1RM)
(3) Bicep Curls (5s x 10r)

Day 7: (NO RUNNING)
(NO LIFTING)



Highlights of this cycle:
1) DL'ing comes up twice a week
2) Squatting 5 days/week. (Up from current 4 days)
3) Includes option of subbing rowing for running
4) 2 off days/week
5) Bicep curls come up twice a week (addresses my weak tendon issue)
6) Except for day 1, none of the lifting sessions are marathon sessions.

Sh*t I could have done better, and today's workout

I am going to start keeping better track of my daily shortcomings in order to be more conscious of them and overcome them.
These shortcomings are only pertaining to diet/exercise. Moral, intellectual and other failings are too numerous to get into.

Exercise shortcomings today:
-Didn't push it hard enough when going for 85lbsx20r on OHP


Diet Shortcomings:
-Should have made a smoothie this morning and taken vitamins.


Today's Goals:
BS: 1RM + (6s x 2-3r@80%)
Bench: 1RM + (6s x 2-3@85%)
OHP: 85lbs x 1s x 20r
Reverse Hyper: 20lbs x 4s x 10r

What I hit.
Today's daily 1RM for squat ended up being 375. (Within 10% of mr PR of 395, so not terrible, but hoping for better next time).
Today's daily 1RM for bench was 225. (PR is 235). This needs to go up soon.
Did not get 20 reps of 85lb OHP. Got 15. Will attempt 20reps day after tomorrow.
Reverse Hypers felt good.

New Squat PR!!!

Been running 5 miles/day for three of the past 4 days, including yesterday.
So, understandably for someone as out of shape as me, I went to the gym today with my legs feeling like a**.

That John Broz saying kept coming to my mind, "What your body tells you is a lie."

Today's events proved Broz correct.

Despite feeling like sh*t and having a painful experience walking up the stairs, I squatted a PR at 390lbs.

SCORE!

been awhile

Been awhile since the last post.

Trips to China and New Hampshire derailed me a little bit. Now in the process of getting back on track.

Yesterday was my first real John Broz style workout. Looked like this.

B Squat:
1RM 385
5s x 1r @ 340

Bench:
1RM 225
5s x 2r # 180


I was worried the bench sets wouldn't be enough stimulation at 180. After all, I was doing sets of 5 with 200 before. Then I realized that this was a dynamic workout.

F=M*A

It was o.k. to lose a lighter weight because instead of grinding out a heavy bench (lower M), I was using more acceleration (higher A. The higher force balanced out the lower mass.

The 385 wasn't a new PR, but I was happy with it since it matched my old PR and I'm still getting back into the swing.

Miss Squatting, Blink by Malcom Gladwell

Been touring Asia for past couple weeks.
Not squatting and deadlifting leaves me feeling empty inside.

Anyway, this is an email I just wrote regarding Malcom Gladwell's "Blink" which I enjoyed a whole bunch.

*********************

"Blink" by Malcom Gladwell.

Have you read it?
It was really popular a few years ago.

There's a section on subconscious bias, in particular how subconscious sexism hindered optimal music performance by professional orchestras.
The conductors and the rest of the interview panel were allegedly open to the idea of hiring women to play certain instruments, but a subconscious sexism caused them to believe they were worse than men. When a screen was put up and the judges gauged strictly performance, suddenly the same interview panels began to choose women over men.

In the absence of overt, conscious sexism, sexism remained a major dilemma.

To me this is fascinating.
Here's why (2 reasons):

1) With Rustici, and other free-marketers, you learn that the way to get over sexism (or any "ism") is to have a greedy entrepeneur. You need a baseball team owner who cares more about green than about white/black, and then you'll have Jackie Robinson playing in the major leagues and, voila, integration is done.

But, according to Blink, greed may not be enough. In an industry lacking the easy metrics of baseball, unconscious racism/sexism/whatever-ism would be even tougher to integrate.

2) Free-marketers (most notably Rand Paul) often express the view that racist hiring practices in a business may reflect not racism of the business owners, but instead racism of the community for which the business serves. It's not that the Cracker Barrel doesn't want to hire minorities, it's that Cracker Barrel customers don't want to be served by minorities, and Cracker Barrel is responding accordingly.

If we buy into the unconscious ism's of Blink however, THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY TRUE. A hiring manager could unconsciously express his own racism via his hiring policies, regardless of the lack of racism in the community, and regardless of the potential relative utility of the applicants.

So, if these things are possible, then government intervention, such as the Civil Rights Act, could potentially remove (to an extent) racism from the hiring practice while not hurting the profitability of companies. Government intervention could be beneficial, maybe even a Pareto optimum.

OWNED IT!!

Today's workout was a big deal.
B Squatting 335 for working sets is where I previously stalled out as a novice (seeking 3 sets of 5 reps).
Today I b squatted 335 for 5 SETS OF 5 REPS!
HUGE IMPROVEMENT!
Depth was also much deeper this time around. (Going ATG).

Today's workout was:
B Squat: 335 x 5s x 5r
Inc Bench: 192.5 x 3s x 5r
Bicep Curl: 90 x 5s x 10r
Reverse Hyper: 4s x 10r

Notes for future:
-Reverse Hyper's getting easier. Ready to add some weight to it.


Tomorrow's workout (recovery day):
B Squat: 235 x 10s x 5r
Pushup: 10s x 10r
MAX DEADLIFT (Seeking 480) + 5s x 2r @ 75%1RM

Recovery Day on Low Sleep

Got about 5 hours sleep last night.
My fault.

Made today's recovery day, which was supposed to be easy, a little tougher than I expected.
Today's workout was:

B Squat: 230 x 10s x 5r
Pushup: 10s x 10r

Got it done, but the first few sets of squats were tough. Felt much better around set 6 and 7.

AWESOME LIFTING TODAY

Today's workout was:

B Squat: 332.5 x 5s x 5r (PR)
OHP: 152.5 x 3s x 5r (PR)
Bicep Curl: 90 x 5s x 10r


Until today my record for work sets for squats was 330 x 3s x 5r.
Today I hit 332 x 5s x 5r. Slightly more weight and A LOT more reps. Huge progress.

And to see my OH Press go up is thrilling as well. This is my weakest lift, so progress is always appreciated.

Tomorrows workout (recovery day) will be:

B Squat: 232.5 x 10s x 5r
Pushup: 10s x 10r
Power Clean: 180 x 10s x 1r

Haven't done power cleans in a long time, so I want to ease back into it.
Last time, jumping too hard into snatches after a hiatus, I hurt my shoulder a little bit.

SQUATTING DOUBLE THE DAYS HAS MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
I can't get over how right John Broz was about not needing so many rest days.

Video today is Rippetoe Explaining hip drive. (The most essential element of the squat).

Tomorrow's Workout (Oy ve)

Forced to take an extra rep day due to exam schedule.


Tomorrow's workout:

B Squat: 332.5 x 5s x 5r
OHP: 152.5 x 3s x 5r (second attempt at this weight)
Bicep Curl: 90 x 5s x 10r
Reverse Hyper: 4s x 10r


Never squatted more than 335 for worksets before. Edging toward a brave new world.
:)

The goal

Here's a video of Donnie Blanks doing a 500lb deadlift.

I haven't decided if when I finally hit 500 I'll let out the badass "motherf*cker" exclamation Donnie does.

(Can you guys see the 2.5lb plates on the side? Is it possible Donnie is only deadlifting 495? Video quality makes it hard to tell).

Awesome Day

NEW DEADLIFT 1RM (one rep max).

470.

First time I deadlifted since hitting 450 a month or two ago.
Felt like I could to heavier, but going for multiple PR's the first day back is the story behind too many injuries.

Next recovery day I'll work power cleans.
Then, in a week, it's back for another DL. At which point I'll chase 480.

Today's workout was:
B Squat: 230 x 10s x 5r
Pushup: 10s x 10r

Deadlift:
-135 x 3
-225 x 3
-315 x 2
-365 x 1
-405 x 1
-455 x 1 (New PR!)
-470 x 1 (Even Newer PR!)
-405 x 1
-405 x 1
-405 x 1
-405 x 1
-405 x 1

Stopped there. Didn't want to bring in heavy volume AND high weights first day back dead-lifting.

And the movie of the day:

(A plethora of female weight-lifters. The last lifter, at 1:01, OWNS IT)

It should be illegal . . .

to feel this awesome.
I don't know if it's the vitamins, the yogurt, getting my sleep, or what, but I feel fantastic.
Also, worth noting, ever since I've started working toward a Joe Broz schedule my squats have gotten a lot deeper. Every rep is way below parallel now, ass-to-grass (ATG).

Today's workout:

B Squat: 330 x 5s x 5r. (Went up EASY).
Inc Bench: 190 x 3s x 5r. (Last rep on 1st and 3rd set were a grind, but still felt
good).
Bicep Curl: 87.5 x 5s x 10r (no cheating on ANY rep).

I had planned to deadlift and reverse hyper as well, but it was time prohibitive. Those will be worked into tomorrow's recover workout, which will be:

B Squat: 230 x 10s x 5r
Pushup: 10s x 10r
DL: 1RM followed by 10s x 2r of 85%1RM.

Going to start alternating deadlifts and snatches as last workout on recovery days.





VIDEO OF THE DAY:
This is Jacobi Jordan of Average Broz gymnasium.
A 600+ deadlift, while respectable, isn't unheard of.
So why did I post here.
Because this 600 lb deadlift is especially awesome.
This guy DOES NOT DEADLIFT. Only deadlifts 3-4 times a year.
What does he do?
Oly lifts every day.
Squats every day.
Low reps to tweak his CNS.
F*ckin' badass.

Return to Deadlifting (finally!)

Tomorrow's Goals:

B Squat: 330 x 5s x 5r
Inc Bench: 190 x 3s x 5r
Deadlift: 1RM x 1. 85%1RM x 10s x 2r.
Bicep Curl: 87.5 x 10s x 5r
Reverse Hyper: 4s x 10r


Going to shoot for 470 in the Deadlift. But if I don't hit it, that's cool. The goal here is the volume. Watching the averagebroz videos (those guys train all their lifts in this style) is inspiring.

See below.

Light Workout

Since it was the day after a real lifting day, yesterday was a light lifting (recovery) day.

That meant:

B Squat: 225 x 10s x 5r
Pushups: 10s x 10r

Next real lifting day should be tomorrow.
Thinking about delaying it one day and going for a max DL tomorrow, just to gauge where I'm at.

327.5 felt easier this time

Tonight's workout:

B Squat: 327 x 5s x 5r (hit it)
OHP: 152.5 x 3s x 5r (missed it bad)
Standing Bicep Curl: 87.5 x 5s x 10r (crushed it)
Reverse Hyper: 4s x 10r (hit it, but what else can you do with unweighted reverse
hypers?)


The squat was solid.
Hitting 5x5 was easier than I remember the same weight at 3x5 being a few months ago.
This is the way it should be, but it's reaffirming nonetheless.

The OHP was a record attempt, and a failure. I'll go back down to 150 next time.


Tomorrow's workout (Recovery Day):
BS 225 x 10s x 5r
Pushup 10s x 5r
Deadlift: 315 x 4s x 5r (for speed)

And here's the imbedded weight-lifting video of the day.


Maybe I'll be as strong as this hot Russian blonde, Anja Jordalen.

Snatch that!

Did my day 2 routine today. Added a 1RM Snatch at the end.
Workout was:

B squat: 225 x 10s x 5r
Pushup: 10s x 5r

1RM Snatch.

SNATCH IS RUSTY AS ALL F*CK!
Hit 145 without much trouble, then stalled at 150.
I think having the snatch on day-2 is a good idea. Will keep it there.
Need to ease back into it though, left shoulder felt rough later in the day.

Below is a clip of Marcien Dolega, Polish Olympican, snatching over 200 in practice.
Gets my hyped up.

Strong CNS, Weak Muscles

So we're almost 2 weeks into the John Broz protocol.
Today's workout I could feel some of the effects (which were weird).
Workout was:

B Squat: 325 x 5s x 5r
Inc Bench: 187.5 x 3s x 5r
Bicep Curl: 87.5 x 5s x 10r
Reverse Hyper: 4s x 104

The effects from the John Broz levels of volume were weird.
I could feel my central nervous system (CNS) has strengthened, but my muscles were incredibly sore today form this past two weeks frequent squatting.

Being able to somehow lift more than you've ever lifted before while in such terrible shape is a tough thing to convey to a layperson and an arcane concept even to many weight lifters.

The working analogy I use is to look at weight-lifting as similar to horse racing. Just as horce racing depends on two important variables, the jockey and the horse, weightlifting depends on both the CNS and the muscles in much the same way.

A good jockey will convince his horse to run faster.
Similarly, a trained CNS will be able to get the muscles to move more weight.
Whereas the jockey uses a prod, the CNS uses electrical impulses.

Enough of that.

My bicep curls were sloppy, probably because I've been doing so many pushups lately. We'll see if they're better next week.

Upping Squat Routine Again

Read more John Broz tonight.
Awesome stuff.

link is http://www.fortified-iron.com/forum/index.php?s=8ef969e700276b63f99ebca959739b3e&showtopic=235183848&st=0

Need to take next step toward squatting every day.
As sore as I am right now, the third day needs squatting. To deal with soreness I'll have to lower the weight even more, probably to something like 185, for 5 sets of 10.

So the next three days squatting will look like this.

Saturday: Back Squat 325 x 5s x 5r (Tonnage = 7,875)
Sunday: Back Squat 225 x 10s x 5r (Tonnage = 11,250)
Monday: Back Squat 185 x 10s x 10r (Tonnage = 18,500)
Tuesday: off

Wednesday: Repeat

It's neat that the difficulty varies inversely with the tonnage.

Today's workout (SORE CALVES)

One thing I'm getting from all this squatting I didn't anticipate, sore calves!

The calves role in squatting is intense, but lots of people don't appreciate it because it's isometric.

Have also done 165 pushups in past 24 hours. For me, this is a lot.
My benching might be a little off, but it was required in order to win a bet.

Today, to follow up yesterday's workout, I did the same day 2 step to slowly implement the Broz protocol as last time.

It was

Back Squat: 225 x 10s x 5r
Pushup: 10s x 5r

2 weeks off from benching, then 250lb bench

BAM!

I'm taking 2 weeks off from benching.
Just going to do a sh*t ton of push-ups and weighted pushups, gtg style.

In 1.5-2 weeks I'll come back, perform one bench workout, then the following workout I'll push for a 250lb bench.

My bench is way too weak, whether considered by itself or relative to my other lifts.

I will achieve a 300lb bench by the end of the year.
Because it never hurts to review goals, my end of the year goals (which I think I'll accomplish by October) are:


Bench: 300lbs
Squat: 400lbs
Deadlift: 500lbs

John Broz, end of week 1

Did the 3rd workout in my new intro-level John Broz program.
Squatting 322.5 for 5x5 yesterday definitely felt more difficult than 317 a week ago.
But that's the way it's supposed to be. Still adjusting to the volume.

Yesterday I:
BS: 322.5 x 5s x 5r
OHP: 150 x 5s x 5r
Bicep Curl: 87.5 x 5s x 10r
Reverse Hyper: 4s x 10r


Was very excited about the 150 OHP. That's a sort of bench mark. Anything from here is uncharted territory.

The bicep curls aren't all strict, still some body english on a few reps in the later sets. I won't move up in weight till I can eliminate the body english. I'm not really pushing higher weights right now, this is just for volume as an assistance exercise.

The reverse hypers aren't f*cking me up like they were in the beginning.

Today I'll do a workout of:
Back Squat: 225 x 10s x 5r

The goal of the workout obviously isn't to go heavy. It's just to, again, introduce more volume in the goal of reaching daily squatting a la John Broz.

John Broz, one bad dude

Starting slowly, very slowly, to incrementally approach John Broz's standard of squatting every day.

Had been squatting 2-3 times per week.
Now, after every lifting day, I'm following with a squatting day. I squat lighter on these days, but the volume is much higher. And it's the volume that's the goal on these days for now.

So, after my last workout, the next day I squatted 225lbs for 10s x 5r.

Broz's theory is that when the volume is high and you're hitting squats every day then squats become just second nature, just like walking.

Broz actually shoots for a PR EVERY WORKOUT!

I'll continue 5x5 for awhile, hopefully passing previous high of 335, before shooting for new maxes every workout.

After his 1RM (whatever the max is that day), Broz continues to do singles, doubles, or triples at 90% of the max. He stops when he has done 50 working reps.

Broz doesn't go a day without squatting 220kilos (440 lbs!).
His training philosophy blows my mind.

Good Lifting Today

Workout Today:
BS: 320 x 5s x 5r
Inc Bench: 185 x 3s x 5r
Bicep Curl: 87.5 x 5s x 5r
Reverse Hyper: 4s x 10r

Good lifting today.
Back squats went up real easy, especially on later sets with focus on explosion and intensity.
Incline Bench was tough, but grinded my way through.


Tomorrows the day I begin my first gradual implementation of John Broz's Bulgarian training style.
Even though tomorrow would not normally be a lifting day, I'm going to go back squat 135 x 5s x 10r.
The point isn't to move a whole lot of weight. The point is volume, insane volume. To begin squatting every day.

Maybe there's something to John Broz's style. Today, despite biceps being sore, I had more success with reps than last time when biceps were fresh. (Same weight, same rep/set scheme).

And if we're really going to implement Broz's style, should probably get to pushups every day as well.

Went Up So Easy

Lifted today.

B Squatting 317.5lb x 5s x 5r never felt so easy.

OHP 147.5 x 3s x 5r, hit every rep.

And reverse hypers (4s x 10r) were pleasant rather than soul-wrenching beatdowns.

Almost made my bicep curls (87.5 x 5s x 10r, but then had to cheat on last 2 reps of set 5.

Still, overall amazing.

This must be what steroids is like.

What explains the excellent form tonight?
A few potential causes come to mind.

-Been sleeping well.
-Switched to steak as primary source of protein.
-Reintroduced some carbs into my diet via pierogies.
-Been very happy lately.

Maybe it's one of, or some, or all of the above.
Or, maybe it's just something they put in the water.

Manly Dinner

Had perhaps the most manly dinner ever tonight.
Cooked up some chopped sirloin steak, huge amount of onions, and pierogies.
Drank with a monster glass of whole chocolate milk.

Some pretty decent chopped sirloin steak is only 2.99$/lb at Wegmans. I may be switching from sausage/hamburger to steak.

Lower back was sore as f*ck today. Almost had me wondering if the reverse hypers are doing something bad.

Plan for tomorrow:
-40 minutes slow on Elliptical. This is more active recovery than an actual workout. Just want to get blood flowing. Class schedule doesn't actually leave enough time for a real workout.

Very excited about workout goals for Wednesday.
Back Squat: 317.5 x 5s x 5r
OHP: 147.5 x 3s x 5r
Standing Bicep Curl: 87.5 x 5s x 10r
Reverse Hyper: 4s x 10r (NOT GOING BEYOND THIS NO MATTER WHAT)

Will need to eat big and sleep big until Wednesday to prepare for this workout.
If everything feels good then I will do a max deadlift on Saturday. Goal will be:
Deadlift: 460

17 April 2010 workout

Back squat: 315 x 5s x 5r
Incline Bench: 182.5 x 3s x 5r
Reverse Hyper: 4s x 10r

Skipped bicep curls in order to make a dinner date. (Lame, I know).
And "lame" applies both to bicep curls in general and to skipping out early on the workout.
If it weren't for the powerlifting meet that oddly features the standing bicep curl as an event then I wouldn't bother training this lift.

Reverse Hypers will F You UP!

Did reverse hypers for the second time today.
Despite using no weight, my back is so sore right now I don't think I'd be able to run more than two miles.

Should I keep doing Reverse Hypers?

The formula is simple.

(Using all positive numbers)

Benefit-to-Deadlift/Impairment-to-Running * Desire-to-reach-Deadlift-Goal/Desire-to-advance-running

This gives me (using 1 as strong negative, 3 as neutral, 5 as strong benefit):

5/4 * 5/5 = 1.25*1 = 1.25

(Score greater than 1 would suggest continuing, 1 would be neutral, less than 1 would be a score suggesting quitting).


So the numbers say I should continue.
And I'm intrigued by two things:

1) I had NO IDEA my back was this weak. I just assumed it was stronger since I could pull 455.

2) In the long-term, a stronger back should be beneficial to running.

Day wrap up

Lifting Session:

Reverse Hyper: Did about 10 reps with no weight. Felt weird. Going to have to practice and get used to it.
BS 310 x 5s x 5r
Incline Bench 180 x 3s x 5r
Standing Bicep Curl 85 x 5s x 10r

All reps of all sets completed with good form. Glad to finish out the 85lbs the first time attempted.

Running:

Only ran about 2.5 miles. (To Firehouse and back).
Curbing distance down right now while increasing volume. Planning on two runs tomorrow, each of 2-3 miles.

Big Deal:

Registered for USMC marathon today. 202 days till the race. I ran about 2.6 miles tonight. All I have to do is increase my endurance by 900-1000% and I should be fine.
:)

Changes I'm introducing starting tomorrow (11 April 2010)

1) starting tomorrow I'm switching to incline bench. (Lon Kilgore recommends this on CF journal right now).

2) starting tomorrow I'm introducing reverse hypers. (Will begin and end each lifting session with them).

3) going to be consuming at least one protein shake per day in addition to the sh*tload I usually eat

4) as soon as I'm up to 5 miles per day of running (will be within next 2 weeks), it's back to GOMAD. Will do 1/2 GOMAD until then.

Lon Kilgore article

Lon Kilgore had an excellent article up on the Crossfit Journal. (Subscription required).

One paragraph is especially relevant here, I'll cut and paste it below.

The paragraph makes me hopeful that my squat will have some carry-over to my emerging running ability.

That said, it works out nicely the other way around.
Apply all the energy into the weight work and move the
squats up 40 percent or more and there will be more
muscle to carry the athletes over those distances later
on in the spring. In fact, I’ve had success with football
players who listened to me and didn’t bother with any
form of running until just a month before summer
practices started. When an athlete is using 450-500 lb.
in the squat, he’s going to be able to run not only longer
but faster. All he has to do is get his cardiovascular
system fit, which can be done in a rather short period of
time. Then he’s good to go.

Res Ipsa Loquitur

Res Ipsa Loquitur

John Welbourn

"If you're not trying to get better, you're getting worse."

-John Welbourn

Laying it out (clarified goal statement)

Just to keep mini-goals and strategic goals straight, I'm laying them out right here.

Major Goals (DEADLINE OCTOBER 31, 2010)

A) DEADLIFT 500 LBS
B) SUB 4 HOUR MARATHON


Minor Goals (DEADLINE JULY 31, 2010)

A) FIT INTO SIZE 34 LUCKY JEANS
B) 105/50 BLOOD PRESSURE

Unusual, but interdependent, Metrics and Mini Goals

"blood pressure of 160/95 is pathological, 120/70 is normal or healthy, and 105/55 is consistent with an athlete's blood pressure"

-Crossfit Journal


I am advancing steadily toward my two strategic goals:
a) 500lb deadlift
b) sub 4 hour marathon


Mini goals along the way provide both a close target and a way to feel accomplished in the near term.

My two mini goals (deadline August) will be:

a) to shrink waist to the point where I can fit into size 34 lucky jeans
b) to lower my blood pressure to 105/55


Both goals are best met by dropping bodyfat. Contrary to long held opinion, it has been discovered that adipose tissue is not inactive. It's very active, especially in influencing cytokines, and factors into blood pressure.

More later.

Can a largely unfit person train to have a 300lb-bench/400lb-squat/500lb-deadlift while also going from a total-novice bad jogger into a sub-4-hour marathoner?
Most exercise types intuitively say no. The marathoners and weight lifters I know don't believe it's possible.

At the end of the day I don't care about the tally. I am going to accomplish these things. I just enjoy the mental exercise of plotting out some of the factors involved.



Reasons for:
1) Carry-over of angiogenesis and arteriogenesis
a) Arteriogenesis (widening of blood vessels) developed from lifting should allow for more efficient transport of fuel to muscles
b) Arteriogenesis (development of new fine blood vessels within muscle) developed from running should also enhance fuel circulation




Reasons against:
1) Adaptions for lifting big (carrying more mass, having wide legs) are a hindrance to running.
a) weight is a hindrance in that more weight is more taxing
b) size is a hindrance in that s greater size results in an increasingly less-than-optimal running physique/mechanics

2) Diet that satisfies endurance demands may not satisfy lifting demands. Not sure at moment what diet is optimal.

3) Even if it's muscle, more mass is a strain on the system. Less relative surface area resulting from more absolute mass = greater challenge staying cool.

4) Cannot simultaneously employ optimal lifting and running schedules. Lifting 3x week doesn't allow for recover from runs. Running 5-6 days/week doesn't allow for recovery for lifting. Forced to use a b*stardized system of lift 2x/week and run 3-4 times/week.

Nutrition and Purpose, in all seriousness

9:30am: wake up

9:55am - 10:30am: run a slow relaxed hilly 3.3 miles outside

11:30am: Eat 7 pieces of jalapeno pizza at Pizza Hut lunch buffet.



Is my poor diet the mark of a true athlete?

Seen in the context of my sloth and poor nutrition, it's obvious that the only motivation for my running is the enjoyment of running. This purity of purpose has to mean something, something big.

3.3 MILES!

Ran a little further today.

That's the exciting part about being a novice. NEW RECORDS EVERY WORKOUT!

3.3 miles.

My legs were still a little sore from squatting and running 2 days ago, but the endorphins, the mood lift and the runners stitch are worth it.

Still think I'm track to pull 500 in the USAPL meet in 3 months.

8 April 2010, Lifting/running, 305 x 5 x 5, followed by 2.8 mile run

Lifted today.
Back Squat: 300 x 5 x 5. (HIT IT!)
OHP: 145 x 4, x 3, x3. (MISSED IT!)
Standing Straight Bar Bicep Curl: 82.5 x 5s x 10r (HIT IT. No cheating required.)

rested for a couple hours.

Ran 2.8 miles.

Going to only increase squats by 2.5 lbs, rather than 5lbs, from here on out. It's difficult to do this much volume while running.

Douglas Coupland . . . And Running

"I thought of this: I thought of how every day each of us experiences a few little moments that have just a bit more resonance than other moments--we hear a word that sticks in our mind--or maybe we have a small experience that pulls us out of ourselves, if only briefly--we share a hotel elevator with a bride in her veils, say, or a stranger gives us a piece of bread to feed to the mallard ducks in the lagoon; a small child starts a conversation with us in a Dairy Queen--or we have an episode like the one I had with the M&M cars back at the Husky station.

"And so if we collect these small moments in a notebook and save them over a period of months we would see certain trends emerge from our collection--certain voices would emerge that have been trying to speak through us. We would realize that we have been living another life altogether, one we didn't even know was going on inside us. And maybe this other life is more important than the one we think of as being real--this clunky day-to-day world of furniture and noise and metal. So just maybe it is these small silent moments which are the true story-making events of our lives."

-"Life After God" by Douglas Coupland. Pgs 254-55.

It's 4:51am and I just read the above passage. (Was up all night working on a school project).
It made me think about my running.
This past week I've been running 2 days on, one day off. Not running like I did years ago, with goals of beating certain times and keeping certain paces.
No, I've just been running to have fun. Running barefoot in my Vibram five fingers.

Anyway, reading the above passage, I realized that those times every day when I've been running have been the happiest moments of my days.
Following Caballo Blanco's advice I constantly strive to keep my running easy. And I do.
And while running easy I find myself thinking of funny scenes from movies I haven't seen in decades.
I find myself thinking about how wonderful Roza is.
I find myself spacing out for blocks at a time.

That's the pattern I come up with when I follow Douglas Coupland's advice and seek a pattern in those special moments.

Why do I feel this way while running?

-Maybe it's because it doesn't involve seeking anyones approval. Forget seeking, I'm alone out there. There's not even anyone's approval to stumble across.

-Maybe it's because I'm engaging in an action that I know has no negative cost to myself or anyone else.

-Maybe it's because my slow speed and clumsy gait are funny to watch and even funnier to execute.

I don't know.
:)

What is it with Douglas Coupland?

Is there something about the years between age 18 and age 22 during which we're especially impressionable?

These are the years when I found the authors that influenced me the most; Kurt Vonnegut, Hunter S. Thompson, Martin Amis, Douglas Coupland.

These were the years when I couldn't make myself believe in religion anymore, when I accepted my atheism.

These were some of my best motorcycle years.

These were the years when I became painfully libertarian.



These things had such a profound influence on me, but they were all so f*cking random.

If I hadn't taken an odd English class titled "Apocalypse Eventually" I might not have found those authors.
If I hadn't taken Econ 309, I never would have become a libertarian.
And motorcycles? God only knows.

Even in retrospect I have a poor understanding of my Black Swans.

awesome new recipe

Invented an awesome new recipe tonight. And by "invented" I mean I bastardized huevos rancheros. Anyway, it was simple, cheap, had lots of protein, had low GI index and tasted good. So in my book it's a keeper.

Recipe:

(serves one)
-add coconut oil to pan
-turn oven to medium heat
-add red peppers and onions and fry to taste
-add 1/2 can refried beans
-add pre-cooked meat if desired
-Once everything is cooked, add 2 eggs. Stir everything together and continue to cook for five mintues.
-add salsa

VOILA!

Q: BUT, DOG! DON'T REFRIED BEANS HAVE LOTS OF CARBS?

A: Sort, of. The beans digest slowly, so the carb statistic is misleading. Essentially, it's a low to mid carb meal.

So, how's the barefoot running going?

In what is without doubt the least ambitious running program of any non-handicapped person, day 4 of my running found me tackling about 1.8-2.0 miles at a very slow and comfortable pace.

Why am I running such puny distances and what is my plan?

Why: A couple reasons.

1) Because running with bare feet has to be entered into very gradually, to allow for feet to toughen up

2) Because I'm terribly out of shape

3) Because I want to be able to continue lifting, especially squatting, while running. Over doing it and being unable to lift due to running soreness is unacceptable.

4) Once I'm up to about 5+ miles, the caloric expenditure might just be enough to allow me to do GOMAD again.



The plan: gradually build up a base of cardio-respiratory fitness. Very gradually.

The tactic:

1) If it's not easy, slow down till it's easy.
2) If it feels easy, try to make it feel light.
3) If it's light and easy, and I'm feeling good, maybe try to speed up a little bit. If it stops being light or easy, slow down till it's easy again.

Goals:
-Run that Richmond race in a month.
-Run the USMC Marathon in October in sub 4 hours

I am a hypocrite

I stand by Rippetoe firmly in our shared belief that bicep curls are retarded.

They don't hit that many muscle groups, so the hormone response is small.
It's not an especially functional exercise.
And bicep curls have the 90's small connotation.

And yet today, there I was, doing them in the mirror like some sort of 90's small tiny-armed douche.

Why was I doing this?

Because the local power-lifting competitions have stupidly substituted the "strict standing bicep curl" in place of the squat. I have a couple ideas why.

-Easier to judge. Curls don't have the depth issues that squats do.

-Draw in new participants. By picking a popular exercise, one lots of people think they're good at, you might pull in new contestants.

Sure these are tangible benefits. BUT AT WHAT COST?

Dios mio.

Workout today was:

Back Squat: 300 x 5s x 5r
Bench: 190 x 5s x 5r
Bicep Curl: 82.5 x 5s x 5r

David Goggins is a fiend.

David Goggins is a fiend. And a new hero of mine.
He's a Navy Seal who is constantly competing in endurance events to raise money for children.

This is the story about his first 100 mile race. WHICH HE DID HAVING NEVER BEFORE RUN A MARATHON.

Enjoy Pain
by David Goggins

A lot of people think that I have been running my whole life. The fact is that I hadn't even ran a marathon until November 2005. I came off of a deployment from Iraq and I heard that several SEAL/s had been killed in a combat situation. I wanted to do something to raise money for their families. Being a SEAL, I knew that selling hot dogs and having a bake sale wouldn't do it. So, I googled the 10 hardest events in the world and the Badwater 135 came up. I called the race director and explained the situation. He was somewhat amused that I had never even ran a marathon and wanted to attempt one of the hardest foot races in the world. After talking with him he made it very clear that this race wasn't to be taken lightly and that I would have to qualify in order to participate in the race. I had to qualify by running 100 miles in 24 hours. It just so happened that there was a race in San Diego the following weekend. It was a 24 hour race where your run straight for 24 hours around a 1 mile track. So, six days later my wife and I grabed a lawn chair, lunch box cooler, myoplex, and ritz crackers to take to the race. That's right... only those items. Also keep in mind that I weighed a lot at the time.
I took off running and felt good for about 70 miles. Then I stopped to take a break. That was the first problem.....I sat down in the lawn chair and my blood pressure went crazy due to poor nutrition. I sat there for about 10 minutes and I had to go to the bathroom really bad. When I attempted to stand, I quickly realized how bad of shape I was really in. I was so dizzy that I couldn't stand for a second. So, after retaking my seat in the chair I looked at my wife and told her that I had to go to the bathroom. She looked at me confused. So, I told her more clearly... "I'm going to take a s*** on myself in this chair."
And so I did...
I then saw the blood running down my leg when I urinated.
My wife being a nurse informed me that my kidney's were shutting down and that I needed to go to the hospital. I told her that I had 30 miles left.
She helped me up and we started walking around the track at a 35 minute mile pace. I asked her If I would complete the 100 miles in 24 hours at this pace and she said no. So, I did what I had to do and some how by the grace of God started running again. I completed 101 miles in just under 19 hours. I had broken all the small bones in my feet and my kidneys were failing. My wife drove the car onto the race course and put me into the back of the car. We live on the second floor of an apartment complex and we had to somehow get up the stairs. So, I draped my arms around her neck from behind and she had to practically drag me up the stairs. After she me in the shower and she saw that I was urinating dark dirt brown, she begged me once again to go to the hospital. I looked her in the eye and said....
Just let me enjoy this pain I'm in.
And I did. I enjoyed how hard I had just pushed myself and I wanted to feel every bit of that.
Posted by David Goggins at 5:13 PM 22 comments Links to this post

Running? Surely you jest.

No, I don't jest.

I'm going to start running.

I was inspired by the book "Born to Run" by Christopher Mcdougall.


Cons to running:
-interfere with recovery from lifting


Pros to running:
-sleep better
-bigger appetite
-might drop some fat


Maybe I'll face challenges training creatine/phosphate pathways while simultaneously training fat oxidation pathways. But f*ck it. Maybe I won't.

Whatever David Goggins is doing seems to be working out ok.

There's a part in "Born to Run" where Caballo Blanco says "I saw a 90 year old man run 30 miles up and down a mountain. You know why he could do that? Because nobody told him he couldn't."

Maybe I can't traing my 500lb deadlift while also training to run. But maybe I can. Only one way to find out.

***************************************

I've only had 1 or 2 lifting workouts since I've been incorporating running. So far it's resulted in some pretty incredible soreness. But that's probably to be expected with taking up any new activity.

I look forward to the challenges ahead.

Crossfit Total

on 11 March 2010 I deadlifted heavy for the first time since my accident as part of a Crossfit Total.

I was able to pull 455 and score a CFT score of 1,005.
(OWNED IT!)

Today, a day later, I have some backpain from pulling that I don't think I would have had pre-accident. Godd*mn that f*cker who hit me.

Why God, WHY? WHYYYYYYY?

Why is the overhead press such a tough lift to develop?

Just f*cking around, after already done a full lifting workout with squat, OH Press, and deadlift, I benched 235 for a single.

And yet . . .

I struggle to rep sub 150 weights when overhead pressing.

What I get from Rippetoe is that your OHP (overhead press) should be about 2/3 your bench.

My ratios are f*cked up and the gap is growing.

Squatting Big (big for me, anyway)

The last time I tried a one rep max (1RM) squat I got 340 pounds.
That was a couple months ago.

Today I low-bar, ass-to-ankles, back squatted 335lbs for 3 sets of 5 reps. I feel comfortable calling this progress.

My goal for the end of November was a 1RM 375 back squat. I thought I would not hit it because of my car accident.

It now appears that I'm track to hit it.

If only my back weren't still jacked up from a car accident I might have a deadlift worth talking about as well.

Plato's Cave

Plato's cave.

Everyone knows the allegory.

The idea is that most people are trapped in a cave where they see only shadows and echoes, and that those prisoners in the cave confuse those shadows and echoes for reality. According to the allegory, while these cave prisoners are rational, while they do their very best to be understand what's going on, the cave prisoners are inevitably mistaken.

This allegory is a favorite of the "enlightened."

They love it because in contrast to the confused majority, the metaphor casts the "enlightened" in the role as the ones who have turned their heads, who have seen beyond the shadows, who have witnessed reality for what it is. In sum, the enlightened enjoy the metaphor because they like to envision themselves as the elite few who really know what's going on.

All kinds of groups of people cast themselves in this role; some of those people are pretty awesome, others are ridiculous. 5 percenters, Crossfitters, libertarians, religious people of all superstitions, the list never stops.

And that's great. I enjoy learning about them and I applaud their efforts.
Except they haven't all seen outside the cave.
Not one of the groups, and certainly not all of the groups.
A PC explanation that everyone can see outside of the cave in their own way, that a million paths to truth coexist, is bullshit.
Most of what people do is swap one flavor of ridiculousness for another ad infinitum.

And where do I get off saying this?
Wouldn't I be suggesting that I myself have seen outside the cave? The only way I could say for certain that others haven't seen outside the cave is to compare their false visions to my true vision, right?

And in claiming this position don't I just join their ranks, become just another of the ubiquitous "enlightened" assholes?

No, and no.

Because I haven't seen outside the cave.
I don't claim to have seen outside the cave.

The little bit of wisdom I'm gaining as I age is really anti-wisdom. It's learning everyday that I know less that I think I do, and that the same is true for most others as well.

As comforting as being a member of a self righteous groups is (Jesus Freak, capital (L)ibertarian, McLean Bible Church Cult member), I prefer to go without the comfort.

Instead I accept that the world is largely unknowable, and to adopt any philosophy that convinces otherwise is self-deception.

So I'll stay in the cave. I'll do my best with the shadows and the echos. And I won't pretend, to you or myself, that I'm anywhere else.

MLK DAY

“We are all tied together in a single garment of destiny... An inescapable network of mutuality... I can never be what I ought to be until you are allowed to be what you ought to be.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

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“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

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325 Squat, f*cking belt fell off

Back Squatted 325 for 3s x 5r

My weight lifting belt fell off in the middle of the third set. This afforded an insight into exactly what my weight lifting belt was doing for me while lifting.

I was able to complete the remaining reps, but in accordance with the earlier post, I was not as able to squeeze my abs as tightly. This made the reps more difficult, but my abs were not as sore afterword.

Verdict: BELT IS ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE AND MOST EFFICIENT GAINS

How could Google be so totally unprepared?

Despite their secret and evil intent to rule the world, I've always thought Google was an amazing company that made the world a better place. I also thought "Man, those guys are smart."

But now, a recent article casts them in a light that makes Google appear to be retarded, at least when it comes to phones.

Did the big brains at Google anticipate the inevitable challenges that awaited them upon their release of the Nexus One? Apparently not. GOOGLE DID NOT EVEN SET UP A CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE FOR CHALLENGED CUSTOMERS TO CALL!

The story below says it all.

Google's Nexus One Customers Are Not Feeling Lucky

A week after the release of its new Nexus One smartphone, a near-total failure in tech support has proven Google ill-equipped to deal with the problems of selling its own phones. Over the past few days, Nexus One message boards have been inundated with unhappy users unable to configure their new phones, track orders, or worse, get in touch with customer service representatives. While Google did set up a help website for Nexus One users, tech support is largely self-driven, John Paczkowski notes at Digital Daily, and although this may work with free services like Gmail, customers are way less sympathetic to bad service if they've just shelled out up to $529 for a phone. At the moment, there's no dedicated phone line for tech support. Last Friday, Google executive Andy Rubin acknowledged that company has to "get better at customer service," but according to Paczkowski, there isn't a good plan in the works yet.

315lb Back Squat for 3 sets of 5 reps

Hit 315 for the first time in working sets. (6 plates)

Back when my working sets were around 280 I managed a 1RM (1 rep max) of 340.

I wonder what my 1RM would be now?

Seeing as how my goal for the year is a 400lb back squat, I'm making pretty good progress.

As soon as my back pain goes away, or I get clearance from the doctor, I look forward to resuming deadlifting.

Big Squat

Back Squatted 310lbs for 3s x 5r. (3 sets x 5 reps)

This was a significant moment because:

1) Only 5 pounds away from moving 315 for sets across, which would be 6 wheels.

2) It's further movement past what was once the 300lb barrier.


While back is recovering from accident I may have to rely on back squats rather than deadlifts to strengthen the posterior chain. Put simpler, since I can't deadlift heavy, I'll squat heavy to raise my deadlift.

This would sound counter-intuitive, but many professional powerlifters rarely deadlift and rely on the backsquat as the main mechanism to increase their deadlift. Hopefully it will work for me, for now.

20-rep-squat Tradeoff

Facts relevant to question of how to best train the Back Squat:

-Squat strength, especially the low bar back squat, correlates directly to deadlift strength. This is because both heavily tax the posterior chain. In essence, you don't just train the deadlift by deadlifting, you train the deadlift by heavy squatting.

-20 rep squats are fantastic for developing mass, mental strength, and strength-endurance. Not great for developing 1RM squat strength, and so, consequently, not great for developing 1RM deadlift strength.

I would like to use 20 rep squats to improve strength-endurance and to increase mass, but don't want my top-end squat strength to fade while doing so. That opportunity cost is counter-productive to the 500lb deadlift goal.

Plan:I've decided that I can have my cake and eat it too. Squatting 2-3 times per week I'll alternate between 20 rep squats and 3x5 squats.

Benefit of Plan: This should employ top-end strengh enough that none is lost, while simultaneously allowing for gains in strength endurance and mass.

Cost of Plan: Development of both strength endurance and top-end strength will be slower than if either plan were adopted in isolation.

Rambling inspired by "Daemon" by Daniel Suarez

The thinly veiled caricatures are fun. Describing economic development in general, and a "Leland" that is probably Goldman Sachs, Suarez writes:

"To view Leland fund managers as immoral was a gross simplification of the word. And what was there to replace capitalism, anyway? Communism? Theocracy? Most of the Third World had already suffered nearly terminal bouts of idealism. It was the communists, after all, who had littered the world with cheap AK-47's in order to 'liberate' the masses. But the only lasting effect was that every wall between Cairo and the Philipines had at least one bullet hole in it. But nothing changed. Nothing changed because those alternate belief systems flew in the face of human nature. Or even common sense. Anyone who has ever tried to share pizza with roommates knows that Communism cannot ever work. If Lenin and Marx had shared an apartment, perhaps a hundred million lives might have been spared and put to productive use making sneakers and office furniture."

I enjoy the viewpoint that Capitalism sucks, that Capitalism manifests the worst in people as often as it doest the best, but that Capitalism is ultimately better than the alternatives.

I like the viewpoint because it's my own. I like seeing it in print because it's such a rarity.

Any system, including Capitalism, will prove highly problematic and involve painful tradeoffs for those least in a position to bear them. To deny this, as would a cultish Randian, is to cover your eyes and choose the role of cheer-leader-for-Capitalism rather than thinker. And to pretend, as would a socialist, that a cenral authority can effectively allocate resources is to replace pragmatism with optimism, an ultimately fatal formula.

Like the Buddha says, to live is to suffer.

The RKC Rite of Passage

I first started f'ing around with kettlebells 18 months ago.

Since then my training has expanded to include lots of other modalities*, especially Crossfit and Rippetoe's Starting Strength.

Still, a big chunk of whatever progress I've made is due to kettlebells.

Looking over Pavel's "Enter the Kettlebell" I realized something, and then was left with a question.

Why, 18 months later, am I still incapable of completing the RKC rite of passage. It's tough as f*ck, but it's not undoable. The challenge is:

1) Clean and Press with each arm the kettlebell closest to 1/3 your bodyweight.

2) 200 snatches with a 53lb kettlebell in 10 minutes.

The first requirement, no problem.

The second is hard as f*ck, but again, it's doable.

This could work as an intermediate goal along the way to the 500lb deadlift. Might also restore some of the conditioning I've lost while focusing on strength.

*that term is a dead giveaway of a crossfitter