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Back to basics

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Dave's not here - but the D&D hardbacks are!
Sadly, someone "borrowed" my original Player's Handbook. :(

DND.jpg
 
@Swann 1 and @Bonkin I've only just started playing. I'd wanted to for a long time, but didn't have a group. Now I finally do :). Thankfully I was young enough when all the good D&D computer games (Icewind dale etc) were out so I was pretty happy with character creation and the mechanics. Apparently there is a big Christmas campaign orgaised for my group to play by the DM, hopefully we'll get to save whatever the D&D version of Santa is. :)
 
I started back in... '81? Haven't played recently with everything going on in life, but I have 5th edition and love how clean this edition of the rules is.
You'll enjoy it!
 
Similar, started playing at 12-13 (so 79 probably). Huge PNP fan until late-20s then its been all computer RPGs since. Good luck with saving "Santa"! I'm sure you'll have fun.
 
20/11/16

2/14 mobility challenge. Head and neck. Wow that was a nice feeling afterwards!

21/11/16
3/14 mobility challenge. Traps, shoulders and t-spine. Carring a lot of tension in my traps.

Warm up

DL 64kg 5,3,2. Increase weight next session.

Change to bent press for my press. I don't have the biggest options for slowly increasing MP weight, but have a lot mose scope with the bent press. So I took the PTTP reccomendations and did 70% of my 5RM. Thats 24kg. I feel silly already changing an exercise, but I have to admit some tools need different formats. My military press likes ETK ROP and KB STRONG, it is not going to like being asked to do 5,3,2 with 32kg quickly. To press a lot you must press a lot I guess!

24kg 5,3,2 bent press

3mile walk out in Storm Angus to go to an appointment. Listening to The Martian on audiobook helped me get through that downpour.
 
22/11/16 Missed Tae Kwon Do due to being unbelievably tired.
Day 4/14 mobility anterior shoulder & chest

23/11/16 Ruck 15kg 2.53miles. Went with less weight being so tired. Hopefully will feel better next week
Mobility 5/14 - posterior shoulder &lat

24/11/16 Warm up
Bent press 24kg 5,3,2
68kg Deadlift 5,3,2
Mobility 6/14 - lower back & gut

25/11/16
7/14 mobility elbow and triceps

26/11/16
mobility - hip, felt really stiff before starting
Warm up
Bent press 24kg 5,3,2 increase in weight next week
Deadlift 68kg Deadlift 5,3,2
8/14 mobility wrist and hand
 
27/11/16 Mobility 9/14 - Glutes

28/11/16 Start of S&S
SAS movement prep
24kg 2H swings -5x10, can probably either start up to 7x10 2H or add 1H in next session. I'll decide on the day.
TGu 16kg 5x1 - these felt lovely and light so really focused on form. Think I can safely increase to 20kg next session with ease.
 
Note: also did Tae Kwon Do class yesterday. Everything felt much better with the reduced volume of training. I was slightly twitchy the day before about said lack of volume, but that session illustrated that this is currently a good plan for my recovery.

Also my gf has been losing fat and working out more over the last 3 months so I decided to join in when she showed me all her numbers (she's done really well). I realised I'm pretty heavy for me at 81kg, and 21% body fat. My comfortable weight is around 74-76kg, above that I notice the abdominal fat starting to get a hold. So for that I am starting modified intermittent fasting again. Nothing dramatic, just changing breakfast to coffee with coconut oil in and then having lunch at 2pm, stopping eating at about 7-8pm.

I've also negotiated changing my training with work as I was basically a ball of stress with zero time/energy for anything apart from work and exercise. So I now work 50% of my 50 hours, but get to have a life, see my friends and family and have some energy to be creative. It's going to take me 6 years instead of 3 to get to the end of my training, and it will be a massive pay cut, but I've really enjoyed the challenge of moving towards a more simple and moderate life. I think this move has been reflected in my training.
If it's all about the destination then take a flight.
 
29/11/16
Tae Kwondo
Mobility 11/14 Upper leg

30/11/16
Weekly ruck. Carrying 21kg this time. My girlfriend is coming on these as a regular thing so we are building up distance again. 2.8 miles today.
Mobility 12/14. Knee.

Going to have to work out a little way to work this mobility into my normal routine after these 2 weeks. Make sure I do glutes and hip one a week along with t-spine and a lot of the upper body stuff. I'm sitting better and feeling less sore :)
 
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1/12/16
SAS movement prep
24kg swings: 2H 1x10. 1H 4x10.
I think I've picked up a virus at work so taking the progression slowly.
Note for today - keep up at the top of the swing. Work that plank.
TGU 20kg 5x1. Felt good
Mobility 13/14 lower leg

2/12/16
mobility 14/14 feet

3/12/16
SAS movement prep
24kg swings: Sets of 10
2H
1H
1H
1H
1H
2H
I was intending to do 70 total swings today, but my last rep of the 6th set was sloppy and I extended through my lumbar spine. It didn't hurt, but it was bad form, and if Strongfirst is about anything it's not how many bad reps I can do.

TGU
20kg
24kg
24kg, left rep was a little sloppy.
20kg
20kg
Thoughts - stop when it gets sloppy.
Good session
Mobility 15/14 (yeh my counting was out when I started) - deskbound Rx

End of my little mobility experiment, I'll take what helps and discard what didn't. I think my hips, glutes, neck, t-spine and traps need the most work so I'll focus there. I'll basically try and do one of the sessions from Deskbound daily as maintenance.

Current maintenance:
Strength: S&S/PTTP
Conditioning: TKD, rucking
Mobility: deskbound Rx and will return to some RIS soon.
Mental health: Daily meditation, working less, writing more.
 
4/12/16
TKD, good session. Lots of talks about competition. Working on the speed of that side kick
Mobility - Deskbound Rx

5/12/16
SAS movement prep
Swings 24kg 2handed 1x10
1 handed 6x10
TGU 24kg 5x1
This was what a good S&S session feels like

Mobility - traps and T-spine. Needed that after work!
 
6/12/16
SAS Movement prep
Swings 24kg
2hand 4x10
1hand 6x10
TGU 24kgg 5x1
Today felt good again. No rush.

Mobility - glutes. Perfection.

I think the 2 week block training with S&S as the overarching theme is a good plan. Once I have got to the end of my available DL weights I am considering changing my PTTP block to KB STRONG, probably initially starting with DFSQ and then moving to DC&P.

Overall aims stand at:
1. Move well. Be strong and well conditioned enough for TKD and hiking.
2. Hit the Sinister standards of S&S. Having enjoyed the journey of the last few weeks I can see this program going long term (it's not hard to keep up a program for 2 weeks) and hitting Sinister would be amazing.
3. Improve flexibility to be able to competently sit in the groin straddle from RIS without lying to myself that I am doing it correctly. At the end I would love to be able to do a front and side split, these would help with TKD quite a bit too.
4. Eventually double C&P a pair of 32kgs for reps. (I could hit a single a while ago, but don't fancy testing any time soon - as I write that it hit me just how sincere that is, I used to sneak out to try for a PR most weeks, not anymore!).
5. Be content with the slower progress that simplified block training might deliver.
6. Keep the goal (Number 1 specifically) the goal.
 
7/12/16
2.9 mile ruck with 16kg pack. I need to either speed up or add weight according to my HR monitor. I guess this is that (long neglected) aerobic base building :)

8/12/16

Mobility traps and t-spine, they were sore when I got out of the car from work.

Felt strong so thought I'd go for a S&S test with 24kg. I've been very conservative leading up to this.

Flipped that crazy switch.

SAS warm up with 12kg (feels much nicer for the halos and actually makes the goblet squats harder I think with less counterbalance)
24kg 1 hand swings 10x10 4mins 46seconds. These felt strong! I had forgotten how high they can get my HR though.
1minute rest
24kg TGU 5x1 9minutes 30seconds. I actually did these with a timer (set my gym boss to do the whole thing for a future testing beeper). TGUs felt a heck of a lot easier doing them this way, I guess I probably don't rest enough with them normally. I usually end up doing my right straight after my left.
Still learning

Followed by 20minutes of TKD kick practice. Had to miss a lesson this week as it was my girlfriend's birthday and there was lasagna and cake to make and fancy liquor to drink :)

Going to enjoy that stretching tonight.
 
24kg 1 hand swings 10x10 4mins 46seconds. These felt strong! I had forgotten how high they can get my HR though.
1minute rest
24kg TGU 5x1 9minutes 30seconds. I actually did these with a timer (set my gym boss to do the whole thing for a future testing beeper). TGUs felt a heck of a lot easier doing
nice job on the 24kg!
Time to slowly start playing with my 32kg again :D
Again?
have you hit the "Simple" before?
 
@Strong Rick yes this will be my third time going for Simple. When the book first came out I did S&S exclusively for most of a year, working up to swings with 48 and tgus with 40. Then I swapped for a variety of reasons.
I recently "reclaimed" Simple a few months back, but truth be told my form was sloppy and I was rushing. I was letting the practice take more than it gave. I then switched around programs for a while looking, unsure what to do. I had somewhere developed the whole "workout" mentality again and kept burning out (plus so issues in my work life needed seeing to, which have been settled now).
To be honest I really enjoyed the swing with 24kg, as they were pretty reserved for me, so the bell was going high enough to almost be turning the movement into a snatch.
I think stepping back to the beginning of the program really helped, although I have moved up weight quickly, I was never pushing too much.
I'm now trying to keep my swings more aerobic, mainly by doing them on the minute. I did that today and only spent 1min 12 seconds of the whole training session above my aerobic zone (don't always use a HR monitor, but sometimes the data is nice).
I'm sort of sad to be moving back to 2 weeks of PTTP from Monday, but I better stick with my plan. I find it too easy to get derailed.
 
9/12/16
SAS movement prep 16kg
Swings:
24kg 1hand 2x10
32kg 2hand 1x10
32kg 1x 5L5R
32kg 2hand 1x10
24kg 1hand 2x10
24kg 2 hand 3x10 (felt I needed to back off in these last few sets)

Tgu -24, 32, 24, 24, 24

Going heavier felt good. Chalk helps
 
@Strong Rick yes this will be my third time going for Simple. When the book first came out I did S&S exclusively for most of a year, working up to swings with 48 and tgus with 40. Then I swapped for a variety of reasons.
I recently "reclaimed" Simple a few months back, but truth be told my form was sloppy and I was rushing. I was letting the practice take more than it gave. I then switched around programs for a while looking, unsure what to do. I had somewhere developed the whole "workout" mentality again and kept burning out (plus so issues in my work life needed seeing to, which have been settled now).
To be honest I really enjoyed the swing with 24kg, as they were pretty reserved for me, so the bell was going high enough to almost be turning the movement into a snatch.
I think stepping back to the beginning of the program really helped, although I have moved up weight quickly, I was never pushing too much.
I'm now trying to keep my swings more aerobic, mainly by doing them on the minute. I did that today and only spent 1min 12 seconds of the whole training session above my aerobic zone (don't always use a HR monitor, but sometimes the data is nice).
I'm sort of sad to be moving back to 2 weeks of PTTP from Monday, but I better stick with my plan. I find it too easy to get derailed.
you got all the way up to the 48kg! that's awesome!
I remember reading a few weeks ago that you were "taking a step back" and rearranging your life and training.
Thats cool you got your training back in line.
I was just curious and that is why I asked. Thanks for sharing!
 
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