Train | 2020 - 20 | Mix walk with a 20kg kettlebell

Found that the order -
- suitcase carry
- rack walk
- waiters walk
- (switch hands and repeat)

-is way better than the other way around. I expected to do KB swings after this, but my back has been dodgy as fuck these past 2 weeks. I'm going to make this sequence my main actual training sessions.

For greasing the groove, I've still got:
- Bodyweight rows
- Ring pushups
- KB presses
- All da curls
- Band pullthrough

For the bodyweight rows and ring pushups, I'm adopting a little bit of a different strat.
- Single reps only, just do a ton of sets with short rest
- Explosive reps
- Load them the fuck up

Incoming equipment:
- Metal sled I'll convert to a dragging sled.
- Cinder blocks for da sled.

Train | 2020 - 19 | Suitcase carry + viking push press

~20min walk with a 20kg kettlebell
Every time I got winded or my grip failed I would do 5 push presses per side. The 'viking' tag means there was no rest between reps.

Still trying to figure my shit out in terms of new equipment. I think a bodyweight station is still the route to go. In terms of sleds, I still want to convert a wheelbarrow into a prowler.

Exercise | 2020 - 18 | Little bit of everything

Parents took me to their gym in Marietta and God damn do they go to a nice gym. Best of all, they have a prowllllleeerrrrr.

I went way harder than normal as this is my only workout this week. Otherwise, ive been on the 2x daily ab work train to set my back straight.

Bulgarian split squat rest pause x20lbs

Ring pushup rest pause

Ring row rest pause x25lbs 

Prowler pushes +140lbs x 20min

Ring curls

This really mirrors what i want to do back home as well. Im still struggling over the choice of getting a barbell over just the bw gym. 

Pros

- squat rack is tall 108". Bw work would be doable

- squat rack allows for future front squats and floor presses and jerks

- they cost the same

Cons

- possible stability difference in squat stand v bw stand

Ethos | The best things pt1 | Back and knees

Last weeks workout set me back months of progress. My back feels like crap. I feel vulnerable. Ive been lying to myself on how good my knees feel. Not because they feel bad day to day, but because when i try to do anything but exist or lift they feel junky (see: lift).

Here is why this is the best thing ever.

1. Ive been ignoring my back rehab in lieu of doing suitcase carries.

And bubbee, there is nothing wrong with suitcase carries. But this is only 1/3 of the plan i started a year ago. In "the gift of injury" there is no clause that states maybe haphazardly do the big 3 for 2 months and then your back gets fixed. Thats weak af man. No, the instructions are 2x a day big 3 and multiple daily walks.

2. Light lower back volume is still lower back volume. 

When working ive been doing little sets of single leg rdls. I thought this was free volume, but my back is still in there moving and not stabilizing. 

Last saturday i woke up and jumped into swings with a kettlebell ive never used and AHH WUH HAPPENED. Bro.

There is no problem with lifting daily, but leave the lower back alone when it needs some time. I have a feeling that sled drags are gonna be great here..

3. I discovered a new way to do bulgarian split squats

Squats, ive been ignoring you. Ive been ignoring you because my left knee gets tight even with bodyweight squats. But dude, we need blood in there to heal and blood aint going there if we dont try. Heres the play.

Bodyweight bulgarian split squats + bfr straps.

Bss have always felt off to me. Sometimes theyre great and other times they are part of the problem. Yesterday i found that they go from shit to great by placing my rear leg toe on the chair instead of placing the rear foot on the chair.

Differences

Rear leg is involved more in the lift

Hip mobility is a big limiting factor here

Hips get stretched

Easy to keep the knee tracked

Exercise | 2020 - 17 | quick and the dead | 80 reps

Tried using my new 60lb kb and it was a mistake. The goal with power workouts is to increase power, not weight. My lower back is tight and angry and im pissed.

I bought this kettlebell for carries and cleans. Not power. Get your head right.

Home Gym | Current Gear 2/7/2020

Building this puppy has been a very different experience than I imagined just 2 years ago. Circa 2018, I budgeted about $5000 for a rack, a bar, and hundreds of pounds of weights. It always felt weird and I never pulled a trigger. Then came the herniations. Oh, the herniations.

Fast forward to December 2019. I'm getting more out of a 45lb kettlebell while remaining injury free than I ever thought possible. The original power lifting gym idea has been converted into what looks more like a pile of shit on the floor. Said shit amounts to calisthenics and kettlebells.

Current Gear
[Kettlebells]
- 15lb
- 45lb
- 60lb

Unlocks - things I'm actively interested in

• Press variations
• Cleans
• Snatches
• Swing variations
• Weighted carry variations
• Single leg RDLs

[Calisthenics]
- High paralletes
- Oly rings

Unlocks - things I'm actively interested in

• Inverted row variations
• Static holds
• Pushups

[Misc]
- Rogue bands (orange, blue, black)
- Ab wheel with inexplicable fat grips

Unlocks - things I'm actively interested in

• Increasing difficulty to other movements
• Ab rollouts (duh)

Wish List
[Kettlebells]
- 80lb
- 100lb

Unlocks - things I'm actively interested in

• Same as lighter KB's

[Calisthenics]
- Free standing pullup bar

Unlocks - things I'm actively interested in

• Ring inverted row variations
• Ring pullups
• Ring dips

[Strongman]
- No fuckin clue

Exercise | 2020 - 16 | Suitcase carry 20kg x 20min

Moving slow today from awful diet and sleep past few nights. I love the way weighted carries can be ramped down and still be effective. Ya, I wasn't booking it, but I also was able to walk for longer.

Definitely feeling some small cracks in the infrastructure from grease the groove lifting. I may want to consider doing less reps per set as I'm getting a little too close to failure. Pure grease the groove volume is literally do 1/2 to 2/3 of the reps you can do. I'm getting closer to 7/8. Not failure, but the next rep would be sketchy.

Exercise | 2020 - 15 | quick and the dead 40 reps

40 reps

- one arm swing

- explosive pushup

20kg kettlebell

Tired af this morning. Chest and tris are fairly burnt out from weighted pushups yesterday so explosive pushups aint happening fam.

Paralettes arrive today so i can start doing back stuff reaaaaal soon. Grease the groove abs is a+.

Ethos | Stress | Removing clutter

Summary
Declutter to destress. Be surrounded by the things and people you love.

Preamble Ramble
First the necessary word vomit. Marie and I are not connected in any way shape or form. I don't get cash money from plugging her book or her method. I'm plugging her because of how she fits into the puzzle that is Rollin with Chet.

The Ramble
Marie Kondo changed my life in 2019. You know that feeling where you know your brain is on the right track to a decision but you need someone or something to give you permission to execute? That was Marie, fucking, Kondo.

I always noticed how my happiest times all had two things in common:
- I was not injured
- My house was tidy

Conversely, depression was always marked with clutter. With dishes in the sink. With collecting random crap I didn't need. I would find myself trying to find space for things that I no longer used but held a place in my heart. My super nintendo (what if someone wants to play), my VCR (isn't it cool), my various old Dragoncon costumes (my history), clothes people bought for me that I never wore (it would be rude to throw away these ugly fucking khakis I guess I'll worry about that when I die).

All of these things "had" a place in the sense that they were put away. Everything having a place meant that it was tucked away somewhere random. I had no idea where anything was, and I had no intention on using these things soon or ever. Because these things had a place, anything new added to my life had no space at all. I found my attempts to clean my house half hearted at best. Leaving me elated for 2 weeks until inevitably some small amount of clutter broke the house of cards.

The Purge
Enter Marie Kondo and her book 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.' Your experience with this book may be different, but here is what I got out of it:
- Asking each item 'do you spark joy' is a decent indicator of whether it belongs in your current life.
- Removing items that do not spark joy leave you surrounded only by things you love.
- You do not owe anyone to hold onto an item because it was a gift. Shackles are shackles.
- You can honor your history without holding onto the items that defined it.

In a single weekend I offloaded more than 70% of my belongings. 5 trips to Goodwill. And many followed after. Words cannot express the joy that followed. I found that even the things I felt a slight regret about giving away didn't actually impact my life. Yes, giving away my Batman costume and PS2 was difficult. Yes, I freaked out a bit after giving away things that had followed me from my mid 20s into my mid 30s. But giving them away didn't actually do anything. There hasn't been a time since then when I thought 'you know what, I really wish I could play Kingdom Hearts 2 right now' or 'I really wish I could dress up like Batman and scare the neighbors.' Because those things don't happen. I was terrified at the idea of losing these things that impacted my life 0% whether or not they belonged to me.

It was important to me that two things happened when giving objects away:
- I thanked them for taking me this far
- I thought about how much someone else will enjoy them in the future

It Continues
This is not a one time event. I'm always looking for more things to give away. I always ask myself whether I want to keep the things given to me or pick up something new.

Do yourself a favor:
- Get a library card
- Download libby (app)
- Listen to 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up'

There is so much you can do for yourself with minimal effort.

Ethos | Exercise | Type of Exercise

Summary
- Power
- Conditioning
- Grease the Groove

Primary goals: Moving well and staying in shape
Secondary goals: Strength and size

Preamble Ramble
2020 has already been decided. This January marks the first time I'm without a gym membership. It's been terrible. Just terrible. I miss getting up extra early to drive to a commercial gym filled with people who have trouble remembering that gym clothes need to be washed. I miss using equipment and movements that have been reinforcing injuries and movement patterns I have no current business doing. I miss feeling like I need to do X or Y to get stronger or bigger or faster or leaner. Terrible just terrible.

Woe is me. All I have at home now is a 8kg kettlebell, a 20kg kettlebell, a few lengths of chain, and a 20lb weight vest. All I can do is anything I can fucking imagine.

Let's break. I'm a little embarrassed about an article I wrote back in 2012. I was whining about how unequipped a hotel gym was to accommodate an accomplished lifter [sic] such as myself. What I failed to even consider is how much I could do with the equipment I had. How sad is the idea that without Xlb barbells or dumbbells I'm hamstrung. Mah stuff. I need, mah stuff. It's so easy to build something meaningful without a lot. I intend on adding more to my home gym over time - another 20kg kettlebell, heavier kettlebells (not sure where yet), high paralettes. None of this is really needed, but my toolbox expands into crazy directions with just a few more additions.

The reality check is I'm not going to pull 600 pounds. I'm not going to squat 400. I'm not going to bench 300. That's not the goal. I can't believe they ever were. Are my shoulders going to be weak or tiny when I'm able to strict press a 100lb kettlebell for reps? Is my back going to be weak after mastering weighted front lever rows? Will I be slow the more I master explosive movements like swings? The answer invariably is going to be a resounding NO.

With minimal equipment, I've kept or increased my strength and size in almost every avenue. Leaning out has become a factor from diet and training instead of just how many oly lifts I can get in. The best news here is I feel fuckin bulletproof. My neck has no looming tweaks. My herniated discs are quiet. Being able to do normal things like walk and run and fuck bring me so much joy I could burst. Good as time as any to segway into the cornerstones of the types of exercise in this program I'll post about.

Power | Feel younger and move better
One of the hardest parts about getting older is not feeling like I have a POP factor any more. Like most things with reaching older levels, you can still access perks from previous levels, but you have to work for it. Shit don't come for free any more.

Increasing power is not contingent on increasing weight. Increasing power, is not contingent on increasing weight. iNcrEAsinG PowUh iS nOt ConTiNGeNt oN iNcrEaSinG WaaaiiT. We good?

Way overly simplified
Power = Force * Velocity

Moving weight through space as fast and as hard as possible is the primary goal. Adding weight is a far far distant second driver. Before you add weight, you can:
- Add different lifting variations to the same weight
- Change the exercise so the plyometric effects are increased
- Focus on exerting more force against the same weight

Current toolbox
- Kettlebell swings: Two handed, one handed
- Explosive pushups: Palms, knuckles

Condition | Being in shape, leaning out, hypertrophy
This was hard pill for me to swallow. May 2019, my girlfriend and I went for a 2hr walk. By the time we got back to her house I was absolutely destroyed. My back ached. My knees ached. I was out of breathe. What the fuck man?

This was a moment in time when I was doing intensity techniques in the gym like rest pause, but also implementing 20 rep front squats. The latter of which I thought meant I was in shape. I just front squatted bodyweight for 20 reps. I'm in shape!!! I'm also...constantly worried my neck will get tweaked. I'm also feeling my still herniated discs just itching to numb my feet. I could do things in the gym other people weren't willing to do our couldn't do, but I couldn't go for a walk with someone I loved. Unacceptable.

Conditioning workouts are going to be a bit all over the place. The goals here stem from the acronym GPP = general physical preparedness. A certain aspect of randomness is going to be inherent here even if the toolset of movements may stay the same. Unlike increasing power, adding weight will be a huge part of keeping in shape, but like power there is not going to be a time when I'm unsure whether I can complete a rep. I'm a huge fan of conditioning tools that have a unilateral aspect. I've seen my back health increase steadily since I incorporated movements that force my abs on one side of my body to stabilize the entire unit.

Current toolbox
- Single arm carries: Suitcase, waiters, rack
- Double arm carries: Farmers
- Other kettlebell movements: Press, swings, deadlift, row, cleans

Grease the Groove | Doing a lot a little at a time
Grease the groove is a Pavel term. Essentially, you build strength by doing your volume a little at a time often instead of a lot infrequently. Your sets don't even look across the room at a party at failure, let alone flirt with it.

Greasing the groove is practice. Imagine your strength as paperclips you are dropping on your desk one by one. Individually it's not a lot. Cumulatively the effect is enormous. For me this essentially works out to some strength work and some hypertrophy work. Almost all of it is a short 2-5min break from working so I can do something else.

This is not an essentially part of Rollin with Chet. It's a useful supplement.

Current toolbox
- Kettlebell movements: Floor press, press, row
- Bodyweight movements:  Weighted pushups, bodyweight rows, front levers
- Other: Ab wheel

Exercise | 2020 - 14 | Conditioning | Single 20kg Kettlebell

Made this shit up. Nice way to burn 20min when it was raining.

4 rounds, 2min rest between rounds

1 kettlebell 20kg

Each exercise is performed once per side per round (clean x5 left side, press x10 left side, cleanx5 right side, pressx10 right side)

Workout

clean x5 then press x10

Two handed swing x10

Two handed sdl x10 (next time increase reps or make one handed)

Suitcase carry x100ft

For grease the groove during the week ive moved more towards weighted pushups, kb curls, ab wheel, and kb one leg rdls. I want to stay away from taxing my lower back until actual workouts.

Exercise | Increase Power | 2020 -13 | Quick and the dead 60 reps

Note on the title '2020 - 13'
This is the 13th recorded workout in 2020 I'm tracking. The other 12 have been logged and abandoned on my old blog. It was time to take my old blog behind a shed and put a shell in its forehead while it smiles back. "I love you," it says. BLAM BLAM. I love you too cosplayandiron. You were always good to me, but I just don't have a desire to lift for cosplay anymore. 

Quick and the dead = Pavel book. Using two(2) movements - kettlebell swings and pushups - we have a minimalist program that strives to increase power output.

Workout Notes
60 reps two handed swings
60 reps explosive pushups on knuckles. Attempt to leave the ground on each rep.
All sets are 10reps/set (finding I like 6x10 way better than 12x5)

Power
These workouts generally leave me feeling fresh when I'm done. Improvements week to week focus on applying more force per rep instead of increasing weight or # sessions per week. Adding weight is fine when it comes to general strength or hypertrophy training, but it cripples power training. What happens is my ability to actively exert power per movement starts to die about halfway through a workout. Instead of training power, I'm training speed or speed strength. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, but pursuit of power is the goal here.

Ethos

ROLLIN
Improving hormonal output with diet, exercise, and stress management.

WITH CHET
Exploring SQL