January 13, 2019
130-160 bpm for 40 min.
I refer to supplemental workouts like as "para-workouts." I suppose it might also count as "greasing the groove." Either way, I always enjoy tying shrug work and farmer carries into my larger workout regimen. I'm keeping my neck warm tonight, for fear of neck kinks tomorrow.
ski-step machine:
12 min.
shrug circuit:
1) farmer carry - 60# dbs x 100, 105, 110 steps
2) Kelso shrug - 135# x 12, 12, 12
3) stiff leg DL - 135# x 12, 12, 12
4) bench shrug - 185# x 12, 12, 12
Showing posts with label Paul Kelso. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul Kelso. Show all posts
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Shurg Rush (and, "I've really gone and done it this time!") - 14 May 2014
Wednesday, 14 May 2014
Shurg Rush
70 min., 224 lb.
MOOD: A bit skittish at first, not knowing what I was going to go for on the squat. This workout took longer than usual due to a small amount of chatting with a gym buddy, and then a few minutes giving a trainer some tips on front squatting when she asked me for them!
FSQ: warmup, 8, 6, 4, 3, 3, 1, 1 @ 95, 145, 195, 215, 235, 255, 275, 285 lb.
[Yes, lady and gentleman, I have done it this time: I achieved my goal to front-squat 90% of my back squat. Granted, on a lark last week I did some back squats which edged my SQ up to at least 325 lb, which means I should go for 290 on the FSQ. Nonetheless, the original goal was based on an estimate of 15 lb. While I won't say it was easy, I will say that it wasn't nearly a gutbuster, especially considering how many reps I'd already done. My reward? Back squats tomorrow!]
hypers: 12, 12, 12 @ + 25, 35, 45 lb.
[Should I do more reps next time, I hold more weight? I'll go for a 12/9/6 rep scheme next time with more weight and see what happens.]
EZ-bar Kelso shrug: 15, 15, 15 @ 110 lb.
[Annoyed. Using a barbell worked better than dumbbells, but using a 110-lb bar was too light, and using a heavier bar in the dumbbell/bench-seat area is too cumbersome. So, next time, I shall simply take a slightly bent-row posture and shrug a properly loaded barbell. I need at least 135 lb.]
bench shrug: 12, 12, 12 @ 285, 305, 325 lb.
[These were gratifying because I got the bar off the break without a spotter.]
standing "shrug" shrug*: 12, 9, 9 @ 315, 365, 395 lb.
[A loudmouth at the gym looked at me incredulously when he saw me approaching the machine for a second set, with close to 400 lb. in my sights. That's right, meathead, we don't all have to be beefy to be strong, or loud to be competent.]
snatch shrug: 9, 8, 8 @ 195, 235, 255 lb.
I replaced dip shrugs for "shrug" shrugs this time, partially because using the gear for dip shrugs is time-consuming, and partially because I want to give my palms a little break. My cleans from the other day gave me a weird periostium bruise/strain on my right hand. I am thinking of doing SQ, chest, biceps, and neck tomorrow, and giving my wrist one more day to rest before I do a grip workout on Friday. Stay tuned.
Shurg Rush
70 min., 224 lb.
MOOD: A bit skittish at first, not knowing what I was going to go for on the squat. This workout took longer than usual due to a small amount of chatting with a gym buddy, and then a few minutes giving a trainer some tips on front squatting when she asked me for them!
FSQ: warmup, 8, 6, 4, 3, 3, 1, 1 @ 95, 145, 195, 215, 235, 255, 275, 285 lb.
[Yes, lady and gentleman, I have done it this time: I achieved my goal to front-squat 90% of my back squat. Granted, on a lark last week I did some back squats which edged my SQ up to at least 325 lb, which means I should go for 290 on the FSQ. Nonetheless, the original goal was based on an estimate of 15 lb. While I won't say it was easy, I will say that it wasn't nearly a gutbuster, especially considering how many reps I'd already done. My reward? Back squats tomorrow!]
hypers: 12, 12, 12 @ + 25, 35, 45 lb.
[Should I do more reps next time, I hold more weight? I'll go for a 12/9/6 rep scheme next time with more weight and see what happens.]
EZ-bar Kelso shrug: 15, 15, 15 @ 110 lb.
[Annoyed. Using a barbell worked better than dumbbells, but using a 110-lb bar was too light, and using a heavier bar in the dumbbell/bench-seat area is too cumbersome. So, next time, I shall simply take a slightly bent-row posture and shrug a properly loaded barbell. I need at least 135 lb.]
bench shrug: 12, 12, 12 @ 285, 305, 325 lb.
[These were gratifying because I got the bar off the break without a spotter.]
standing "shrug" shrug*: 12, 9, 9 @ 315, 365, 395 lb.
[A loudmouth at the gym looked at me incredulously when he saw me approaching the machine for a second set, with close to 400 lb. in my sights. That's right, meathead, we don't all have to be beefy to be strong, or loud to be competent.]
snatch shrug: 9, 8, 8 @ 195, 235, 255 lb.
+ + +
I replaced dip shrugs for "shrug" shrugs this time, partially because using the gear for dip shrugs is time-consuming, and partially because I want to give my palms a little break. My cleans from the other day gave me a weird periostium bruise/strain on my right hand. I am thinking of doing SQ, chest, biceps, and neck tomorrow, and giving my wrist one more day to rest before I do a grip workout on Friday. Stay tuned.
* 
Monday, May 12, 2014
Fitness update(s) - 8 May -- 12 May
Thursday, 8 May 2014
Shurg Rush
60 min., 221 lb.
HSQ: 12, 10, 8, 6, 3, 3, 3, 2 @ 145, 165, 185, 215, 235, 255, 285, 305 lb.
hypers: 12, 9, 6 @ + 25, 35, 45 lb.
db Kelso shrug: 12, 9, 6 @ 80, 85, 90 lb.
bench shrug: 12, 12, 12 @ 235, 285, 335 lb.
dip shrug: 12, 12, 12, @ + 70, 80, 90 lb.
snatch shrug: 8, 6, 8* @ 235, 255, 275 lb.
Saturday, 10 May 2014
Carpe Ferrum workout
55 min., 220 lb.
MOOD: I truly felt like crap for this workout. I don't know why, but part of the problem is that a late night out last week and a little family drama recently have left me feeling drained for a few days. Maybe allergies are hitting me hard, too. In any event, I knew I simply had to "punch the clock." An extremely "mental" workout, it nevertheless ended up being quite effective, all things considered.
FSQ: 10, 10, 10 @ 145, 165, 185 lb.
supinating db press: 10, 10, 10, 8 @ 55, 60, 65, 85 lb.
seated db curl: 10, 10, 10, 8 @ 30, 35, 35, 40 lb.
CL: 8, 8, 8 @ 115, 135, 155 lb.
db flye: 10, 10, 10 @ 45, 55, 60 lb.
seated cable row: 10, 10, 10 @ 150, 170, 170 lb.
unilateral cable row: 10/10, 10/10, 10/10 @ 80, 90, 110 lb.
Monday, 12 May 2014
Carpe Ferrum workout
50 min., 224 lb.
power CL: 6, 5, 4, 2*, 4, 2* @ 135, 155, 175, 185, 175, 185 lb.
unilateral db hang jerk (?): 10, 8, 6, 4/6 @ 50, 55, 60, 65 lb.
incline db flye: 12, 10, 8, 7* @ 50, 55, 60, 65 lb.
Shurg Rush
60 min., 221 lb.
HSQ: 12, 10, 8, 6, 3, 3, 3, 2 @ 145, 165, 185, 215, 235, 255, 285, 305 lb.
[I went for three on my last set, but stalled halfway up. That was strangely gratifying. I had really found a weight that matched, and just surpassed, my ability. Until I get stronger, that is.]
hypers: 12, 9, 6 @ + 25, 35, 45 lb.
db Kelso shrug: 12, 9, 6 @ 80, 85, 90 lb.
[As much as I love dumbbells, I think these will be more effective with a barbell. I'll test it out next time, maybe Wednesday.]
bench shrug: 12, 12, 12 @ 235, 285, 335 lb.
[My spotter on the last set came over and said, "Whoa, that's a lotta weight!" I explained the lift and he grinned, with a glimmer of dawning comprehension. That's three out of three times I've had to gotten to explain my shrug exercises. #GospelOfKelso]
dip shrug: 12, 12, 12, @ + 70, 80, 90 lb.
[Fairly beastly. Me like. A kid came over and watched me on my last set, then asked, "What are those for?" I explained. He nodded, then slowly walked away, with a faint smirk, as if I'd just said my muscles are made of cheese. Clearly a lad still trapped the darkness of Non-Kelsotude.]
snatch shrug: 8, 6, 8* @ 235, 255, 275 lb.
[I realized that I should just deadlift the bar off the ground, in order to be able to use a truly snatch-wide grip without the risk of pinching my fingers on a rack. The last set was fun because, as my grip gave way, I hitched the bar up and grabbed it with a little narrower grip, shrugged again, felt my grip giving way, hitched it one more time into a standard shrug grip, and squeezed out one more rep. Fun times.]
+ + +
Saturday, 10 May 2014
Carpe Ferrum workout
55 min., 220 lb.
MOOD: I truly felt like crap for this workout. I don't know why, but part of the problem is that a late night out last week and a little family drama recently have left me feeling drained for a few days. Maybe allergies are hitting me hard, too. In any event, I knew I simply had to "punch the clock." An extremely "mental" workout, it nevertheless ended up being quite effective, all things considered.
FSQ: 10, 10, 10 @ 145, 165, 185 lb.
supinating db press: 10, 10, 10, 8 @ 55, 60, 65, 85 lb.
seated db curl: 10, 10, 10, 8 @ 30, 35, 35, 40 lb.
CL: 8, 8, 8 @ 115, 135, 155 lb.
db flye: 10, 10, 10 @ 45, 55, 60 lb.
seated cable row: 10, 10, 10 @ 150, 170, 170 lb.
unilateral cable row: 10/10, 10/10, 10/10 @ 80, 90, 110 lb.
[I did these seated on the floor and used a little torso rotation to maximize the range of motion. Not too shabby.]
+ + +
Monday, 12 May 2014
Carpe Ferrum workout
50 min., 224 lb.
power CL: 6, 5, 4, 2*, 4, 2* @ 135, 155, 175, 185, 175, 185 lb.
[Once my form got sloppy at 185 lb., I ramped it down a bit, but then decided to go for 185 again. On the last set, I failed on a third attempt, and now my right wrist is a little tweaked. Fear not: I'll be fine.]
unilateral db hang jerk (?): 10, 8, 6, 4/6 @ 50, 55, 60, 65 lb.
[Instead of a one-hand snatch, I devised these in order to work my lats, traps, hams, and posterior chain on the pull, and to perform a fluid press to the top. My copy of Kubik's Dinosaur Training arrived today, so I'd like to thank him for inspiring me to try these out. I squeezed out two extra reps at the end to bring my left arm up to speed.]
incline db flye: 12, 10, 8, 7* @ 50, 55, 60, 65 lb.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Shurg Rush! - 23 April 2014
[Not a typo; just a nerdy joke. And I'm not even a gamer.]
Shurg Rush
60 min., 226 lbs.
MOOD: excited, alert, yet calm, with tinges of somatic fatigue; want to sleep early tonight!
ZSQ: 10, 8, 6, 4, 3, 3, 3 @ 55, 85, 105, 155, 185, 195, 205 lbs.
hypers: 12, 10, 8 @ bdw, bdw + 10, bdw + 25 lbs
[Since I wasn't trying to work my hammies, I braced my legs at the knee joint.]
"The" Kelso Shrug: 12, 12, 12 @ 90 lbs
[I tried these at 55° and 35°, with over- and underhand grips. Given my bench options, 35° seems a better fit, and I felt the overhand grip more in my lower traps... although Kelso defines "The Kelso Shrug" as an underhand grip focusing more on the lats and lowers traps. Working out these kinks is part of why this workout took an hour; once I get the hang of things, I'm hoping to curtail it to 45 minutes. I would have liked to go a bit heavier, but, along with heeding Kelso's advice to start light until you get familiar with the motions, these shrugs, as with spider curls, are easier to do if a spotter helps get the bar in your hands. I will try it with dumbbells next time. Range of motion, for the win!]
bench shrug: 12, 12, 12 @ 235 lbs.
[spotter for the break -- "Never seen those before!"]
dip shrug: 12, 12, 12 @ bdw + 60 lbs.
[felt awesome]
snatch shrug: 12, 10, 8 @ 205, 225, 245
[My only frustration with these was that, unless I wanted to SDL the bar into a standing position and then shrug, I had to shrug from the lower squat-rack braces. This was fine, except for the fact that it prevented me from taking a truly wide-snatch grip. I was distracted by the fear of pinching my fingers with the bar when I set it down. The widest grip was about an inch outside the outer knurling gap. All the same, two hours after this workout, I can feel that warm stiffness in my neck. I'm curious to see how I feel tomorrow and the next day.]
overhead shrug: 12, 10, 8 @ 165, 185, 205 lbs
[I tried my first set from a squat rack, which was precarious, so I moved over to the power rack, setting the pins in the highest slots. Then I stood the loaded bar up, with straight arms, as if finishing a jerk in slow motion. The key to this, or, really, any, shrug, is the squeeze and hold.]
If you didn't catch on, the idea behind the Shurg Rush is train the entire spinal column from the bottom up.
When I got to the gym, three of the usual high school gym rats were there, and they were still at it when I walked out the door. Ahh, youth.
Only... well... the ringleader was a chunky, middle-aged Bro who had them doing every possible mainstream "pec exercise": incline bench, pec deck, dip machine, flat bench, Nautilus press, etc. Those poor, poor youth--they never squat. Like so many, they're just in it for T-shirt muscles. Pecs and bi's, pecs and bi's, pecs and bi's. (Yes, they even do dips-with-chains-draped-over-the-neck, presumably just in case a sports drink photographer or cologne mogul happens to be in the gym.) Sure, you could argue that today was just their pec day, like it was my trap day, but I see them doing almost literally the exact same workout every time I see them, which is at least twice a week. It's sad, but perhaps over time they'll wake up to the fundamentals.
Shurg Rush
60 min., 226 lbs.
MOOD: excited, alert, yet calm, with tinges of somatic fatigue; want to sleep early tonight!
ZSQ: 10, 8, 6, 4, 3, 3, 3 @ 55, 85, 105, 155, 185, 195, 205 lbs.
hypers: 12, 10, 8 @ bdw, bdw + 10, bdw + 25 lbs
[Since I wasn't trying to work my hammies, I braced my legs at the knee joint.]
[I tried these at 55° and 35°, with over- and underhand grips. Given my bench options, 35° seems a better fit, and I felt the overhand grip more in my lower traps... although Kelso defines "The Kelso Shrug" as an underhand grip focusing more on the lats and lowers traps. Working out these kinks is part of why this workout took an hour; once I get the hang of things, I'm hoping to curtail it to 45 minutes. I would have liked to go a bit heavier, but, along with heeding Kelso's advice to start light until you get familiar with the motions, these shrugs, as with spider curls, are easier to do if a spotter helps get the bar in your hands. I will try it with dumbbells next time. Range of motion, for the win!]
bench shrug: 12, 12, 12 @ 235 lbs.
[spotter for the break -- "Never seen those before!"]
dip shrug: 12, 12, 12 @ bdw + 60 lbs.
[felt awesome]
snatch shrug: 12, 10, 8 @ 205, 225, 245
[My only frustration with these was that, unless I wanted to SDL the bar into a standing position and then shrug, I had to shrug from the lower squat-rack braces. This was fine, except for the fact that it prevented me from taking a truly wide-snatch grip. I was distracted by the fear of pinching my fingers with the bar when I set it down. The widest grip was about an inch outside the outer knurling gap. All the same, two hours after this workout, I can feel that warm stiffness in my neck. I'm curious to see how I feel tomorrow and the next day.]
overhead shrug: 12, 10, 8 @ 165, 185, 205 lbs
[I tried my first set from a squat rack, which was precarious, so I moved over to the power rack, setting the pins in the highest slots. Then I stood the loaded bar up, with straight arms, as if finishing a jerk in slow motion. The key to this, or, really, any, shrug, is the squeeze and hold.]
+ + +
When I got to the gym, three of the usual high school gym rats were there, and they were still at it when I walked out the door. Ahh, youth.
Only... well... the ringleader was a chunky, middle-aged Bro who had them doing every possible mainstream "pec exercise": incline bench, pec deck, dip machine, flat bench, Nautilus press, etc. Those poor, poor youth--they never squat. Like so many, they're just in it for T-shirt muscles. Pecs and bi's, pecs and bi's, pecs and bi's. (Yes, they even do dips-with-chains-draped-over-the-neck, presumably just in case a sports drink photographer or cologne mogul happens to be in the gym.) Sure, you could argue that today was just their pec day, like it was my trap day, but I see them doing almost literally the exact same workout every time I see them, which is at least twice a week. It's sad, but perhaps over time they'll wake up to the fundamentals.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Hit a wall, going through it
After five consecutive days of training, a weekend of grip training and playing at the beach threw my body "out of whack" (a phrase which for the first time has a personal phenomenological vividness). For the past three days I have done virtually no exercise.* I hit a wall. I needed a break. I needed some space. Even today I was a bit reticent, but the axiom that "how you feel is a lie" was largely borne out once more. Kelso's Shrug Book is more substantial than I expected (i.e. its 94 pages are textbook size and provide numerous photos), and I couldn't wait to apply some of the great things I've read in it so far. A Carpe Ferrum workout was just the sort of rehab-refresher workout I needed.
Carpe Ferrum/Shurg Rush
60 min., 226 lbs.
Warm-up: 10 min.
FSQ: 6, 6, 3, 3, 3 @ 165, 185, 205, 235, 255 lbs.
Cable cross shrug: 10, 10, 10 @ 100, 120, 140
DBP: 6, 6, 6, 6, 10, 12 @ 215, 225, 235, 215, 195, 175 lbs.
Bench shrug: 12, 12, 12 @ 215, 225, 235 lbs.
stiff-arm pulldown & dip shrug (or "monkey shrug"):
[I just tried a few of these to get a feel for them. Weighted dip shrugs would be awesome, mega serratus trainer!]
db pullover: 10, 10, 10 @ 55, 60, 65 lbs.
EZ bar spider curl: 6/6, 6/6, 6/6 @ 40, 50, 60 lbs.
[I did the first 6 reps to work the short/inner head, and the next six for the long/outer head.]
-----------------------
* Tuesday I did three sets of ab exercises, and Wednesday I did what was basically a diagnostic grip session. I closed the CoC #2 twice, in two separate attempts, with my right hand, but was "this close" three times with my left hand. I perused my past grip notes here and the best I seem to have achieved, in August 2012, was 4 right closes, and 2 (or 3) left closes. Despite this current setback, the good news is that, only a week or two ago I was unable to close the #2 at all, so my old grip foundation is coming back. Still, it will take time, and I daren't rush into tendonitis.
Interestingly enough, I must thank last night's grip session for galvanizing me to do today's workout. There's something very special about intense grip training. A serious crush attempt, if done right, will have you flexing an entire side of your body, and will often leave you a little dizzy. (To experience this feeling, try doing half a dozen extremely arduous, standing front pec flexes, each time 5 seconds long, with your fists squeezing as hard as possible.) As I learned long ago, and which was a key impetus for my plunge into serious grip training, the brain will not activate full muscular potential if it's not convinced you have solid grip on the resistant object. By extension, therefore, achieving a solid grip on an object will deeply stimulate larger accessory muscles "up the chain." This is why trying to "crush" the bar helps your bench, and even your squat (cf. step 3), and also ties into effective kettlebell clean and jerk.
Carpe Ferrum/Shurg Rush
60 min., 226 lbs.
Warm-up: 10 min.
FSQ: 6, 6, 3, 3, 3 @ 165, 185, 205, 235, 255 lbs.
Cable cross shrug: 10, 10, 10 @ 100, 120, 140
DBP: 6, 6, 6, 6, 10, 12 @ 215, 225, 235, 215, 195, 175 lbs.
Bench shrug: 12, 12, 12 @ 215, 225, 235 lbs.
stiff-arm pulldown & dip shrug (or "monkey shrug"):
[I just tried a few of these to get a feel for them. Weighted dip shrugs would be awesome, mega serratus trainer!]
db pullover: 10, 10, 10 @ 55, 60, 65 lbs.
EZ bar spider curl: 6/6, 6/6, 6/6 @ 40, 50, 60 lbs.
[I did the first 6 reps to work the short/inner head, and the next six for the long/outer head.]
-----------------------
* Tuesday I did three sets of ab exercises, and Wednesday I did what was basically a diagnostic grip session. I closed the CoC #2 twice, in two separate attempts, with my right hand, but was "this close" three times with my left hand. I perused my past grip notes here and the best I seem to have achieved, in August 2012, was 4 right closes, and 2 (or 3) left closes. Despite this current setback, the good news is that, only a week or two ago I was unable to close the #2 at all, so my old grip foundation is coming back. Still, it will take time, and I daren't rush into tendonitis.
Interestingly enough, I must thank last night's grip session for galvanizing me to do today's workout. There's something very special about intense grip training. A serious crush attempt, if done right, will have you flexing an entire side of your body, and will often leave you a little dizzy. (To experience this feeling, try doing half a dozen extremely arduous, standing front pec flexes, each time 5 seconds long, with your fists squeezing as hard as possible.) As I learned long ago, and which was a key impetus for my plunge into serious grip training, the brain will not activate full muscular potential if it's not convinced you have solid grip on the resistant object. By extension, therefore, achieving a solid grip on an object will deeply stimulate larger accessory muscles "up the chain." This is why trying to "crush" the bar helps your bench, and even your squat (cf. step 3), and also ties into effective kettlebell clean and jerk.
Monday, April 14, 2014
AYCE notes... (And sun!)
Went to a very enriching Mass Saturday evening. Holy Week is upon us.
Sunday morning we headed out to the beach to hang out and eat BBQ with my brother and his family. I loved being at the beach again. It was Elina's second time, and she took to it like... a fish to water? Alex was intimidated by the waves, but he'll learn quickly (or it's the plank!). I swam, tossed kids, and did some hand walking on the beach.
Granted, all this frolicking resulted in a lower back kink and some sore wrists. I had trained grip-crushing Saturday afternoon and was puttering making pinch blocks and a DIY (very rudimentary) version of the Titan's Telegraph Key Saturday night, at a savings of close to $100 (I'll post a video soon). I believe that my open-palm thumb trainer achieves the same effect at a tiny fraction of the market price.* (How do you patent a lever, anyway?)
By this morning, however, my back felt great and I actually ended up in the gym. All day I felt zapped, and even considered taking tomorrow off. Although "how you feel is a lie," how you perform is not. Auto-regulation means putting in the time, but not sacrificing quality performance on the altar of a fixed numerical scheme. I'm exhausted and will sleep after finishing this post, to wit:
AYCE Press
50 min., 227 lbs.
MOOD/MISC.: sluggish, dizzy (?), distracted by the larger than usual number of dudes at the gym; how I long to be able to train at home; warmups were included as opening reps in the following exercises
db bench press: 5x5 @ 80 lbs.
[Felt slight impingement in right wrist. Same as on my FSQ a couple weeks ago, and during my CoC drills Saturday afternoon.]
FSQ: 5x5 @ 215 lbs.
MP (belt): 5x5 @ 125 lbs.
"The Bench Shrug": 12, 12, 12, @ 185 lbs.
[Right wrist felt weak, hard to keep fist straight upward.]
My copy of Kelso's Shrug Book should arrive tomorrow, but I've already decided to incorporate shrugs as an assistance "finisher" in all workouts on my current program. Seeing as it's Holy Week, I'll take it a bit easier this week, and will take Friday off from work.
* Apropos DIY gym equipment, this evening I bought the key components that I believe I need to make something that achieves much the same effect as Joe Kinney's Secret Weapon. Assembly (no welding!) won't happen till next week, at the earliest, so I'll have to wait until then to see if it works like I'm envisioning my design should. Even then, I will not rush into using it. All I hear is that it's "painful," "unpleasant," "intense," and so on. I learned the hard way about three years ago that one must not overdo it with grip training. Still, if I can save $200 and achieve the same effect--more power to me.
At the same time, there's an interesting, albeit contentious at times, discussion on this thread about the ethics of "hacking" elite training equipment. I can see the problem if I were to use Kinney's own design specs without giving him royalties, but I think anyone is in his rights to produce a similar device for his own training goals. I'm not looking to sell my little device; what I'm using is readily available at almost any hardware store. (Indeed, though I did not see this page until posting this update, the design should give you a rough idea of what I've got in mind.) As I get closer to achieving my grip goals--merely closing CoC #3 for reps, by the way--I will be perfectly happy to pay for the actual Kinney device, if its specs provide the competitive difference needed for success. Meanwhile, ghetto works if ghetto can git'er done. I think Randall Strossen strikes the right balance here. It's no small irony, Strossen notes elsewhere, that Kinney's own training depended on "hacking" various Iron Mind products. Share and share alike, say I, while giving credit where it's due.
Sunday morning we headed out to the beach to hang out and eat BBQ with my brother and his family. I loved being at the beach again. It was Elina's second time, and she took to it like... a fish to water? Alex was intimidated by the waves, but he'll learn quickly (or it's the plank!). I swam, tossed kids, and did some hand walking on the beach.
Granted, all this frolicking resulted in a lower back kink and some sore wrists. I had trained grip-crushing Saturday afternoon and was puttering making pinch blocks and a DIY (very rudimentary) version of the Titan's Telegraph Key Saturday night, at a savings of close to $100 (I'll post a video soon). I believe that my open-palm thumb trainer achieves the same effect at a tiny fraction of the market price.* (How do you patent a lever, anyway?)
By this morning, however, my back felt great and I actually ended up in the gym. All day I felt zapped, and even considered taking tomorrow off. Although "how you feel is a lie," how you perform is not. Auto-regulation means putting in the time, but not sacrificing quality performance on the altar of a fixed numerical scheme. I'm exhausted and will sleep after finishing this post, to wit:
AYCE Press
50 min., 227 lbs.
MOOD/MISC.: sluggish, dizzy (?), distracted by the larger than usual number of dudes at the gym; how I long to be able to train at home; warmups were included as opening reps in the following exercises
db bench press: 5x5 @ 80 lbs.
[Felt slight impingement in right wrist. Same as on my FSQ a couple weeks ago, and during my CoC drills Saturday afternoon.]
FSQ: 5x5 @ 215 lbs.
MP (belt): 5x5 @ 125 lbs.
"The Bench Shrug": 12, 12, 12, @ 185 lbs.
[Right wrist felt weak, hard to keep fist straight upward.]
+ + +
My copy of Kelso's Shrug Book should arrive tomorrow, but I've already decided to incorporate shrugs as an assistance "finisher" in all workouts on my current program. Seeing as it's Holy Week, I'll take it a bit easier this week, and will take Friday off from work.
-------------
At the same time, there's an interesting, albeit contentious at times, discussion on this thread about the ethics of "hacking" elite training equipment. I can see the problem if I were to use Kinney's own design specs without giving him royalties, but I think anyone is in his rights to produce a similar device for his own training goals. I'm not looking to sell my little device; what I'm using is readily available at almost any hardware store. (Indeed, though I did not see this page until posting this update, the design should give you a rough idea of what I've got in mind.) As I get closer to achieving my grip goals--merely closing CoC #3 for reps, by the way--I will be perfectly happy to pay for the actual Kinney device, if its specs provide the competitive difference needed for success. Meanwhile, ghetto works if ghetto can git'er done. I think Randall Strossen strikes the right balance here. It's no small irony, Strossen notes elsewhere, that Kinney's own training depended on "hacking" various Iron Mind products. Share and share alike, say I, while giving credit where it's due.
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