Im out
Level 5 Valued Member
The first post is a full expression of my attitude and love for practicing strength training and contains alot of text.. Be warned, you might be bored !
Introduction
name: Shawn
born: 22 dec. 1990
height: 167 cm / 5 ft 6
weight: 66 kg / 145.5 lbs (pretty stable)
Country: The Netherlands
Background:
Always being a small, fat kid at some point in my life decided to improve looks. In 2005 I started lifting dumbbells and one year later I was allowed to join the local gym (health club/tea party) Dismayed with poor results in 2013 I went through some sort of experimental phase, and quit the gym in 2014. Doing alot of body-building-like routines, most of them self-made I started incorporating bodyweight exercises into my routine, for one I fell in love with Pull ups ! All of this at home. Truth be told I wasted many of these years doing what I did and being naive. Every possible beginner mistake.... I made it at least once!
Gains & Milestones
Over the course of time I increased lean mass and decreased bodyfat. For one this used to be my main goal and I am happy to have reached it.
1. BACKPAIN Going slightly back in time, the year 2003.. my schoolbag damaged my back and posture so badly I couldn't sleep well for some time. I suffered backpain since the age of 12. And terminated this pain over the course of 2 years. Starting in 2014 (age 23) with the Deadlift, which my health club refused to teach me, followed up by the Bridge Progression described in Convict Conditioning, in 2016, all the way up to 5 full bridges (step 6) Bye pain, Hi improved posture and lower back of steel !
2. Shoulder damage In september 2014 I damaged my left shoulder. It got overloaded at work so badly the entire posterior part of the rotator cuff (unsure about anatomy names etc ) My shoulder posterior side no longer activated so remained internally/forward rotated. This truley made me realise the importance of the posterior chain and so it became my main focus. Legs and Back, Posterior Delt. In 2016 I finally went to a physiotherapist, 2 sessions fixed it. But I still suffer some sort of consequence of this... '' event'' Lesson: Don't wait, visit physio asap !
3. 6 pack abs In may 2016 when I first picked up a kettlebell of only 16kg. It felt heavy, it felt challenging. I practiced the deep six, and sucked at it and still do. But the swing was do-able, and so I used the bell to lose fat. At some point i did 400 2 handed swings daily for 10 days. This shut-down my immunesystem and I got so sick I couldn't hold food and water for 3 days, and an additional 3/4 days eating alot of fruits to fix my ingestion system. ( I thought i would die) I did however lose so much bodyfat those 2/3 weeks my abs got very visible, and I maintained this 'low fat' body until april 2017. Although I no longer care for this, I still cherish a picture.
4. Asthma.
My pride for this achievement reigns supreme. Nothing I have done and nothing I will do for a long time will make me more proud at myself than this. Writing this still, after 7 months of achieving it, fills my body with energy, my mind with self-confidence, and eyes with tears.
The greatest weakness, bottleneck, one thing that would make me stop, and give up would be an asthma attack. Since the age of 19 months up until my 25th year on this world. As an infant attacks could be so severe a visit to the hospital would be required. I remember.
Every year, to see some kind of doctor, he would check your breathing with some cold device, weight you, measure your height. Every day to inhale this crap that makes your teeth turn yellow and rot. When kids my age ran and played, I had to calm myself down, or else.. Reaching the first 2 milestones i mentioned earlier inspired me.. '' why not asthma.. it has to be possible right ? '' This is the link that makes my chain weak'' So I started searching and found Buteyko
I watched as much information on youtube about Buteyko as possible. I examined the exercises they performed, on any video I could find. And I praticed them, and I still practice them, less but always. Somewhat around march or april 2016, I told my doc I wanted to reduce the inhalors. He agreed but had to test longfunction again in august 2016, no changes but hadn't found Buteyko yet. Doc never mentioned anything besides taking meds.
At some point I found Buteyko, and practiced it along with Convict Conditioning. I happened to be learning to enjoy Bodyweight training better than dumbbell routines so... My training log from CC starts in september 2016, januari 2017 I believe it was the 2nd week of the new year.. Doc was excited about my lungfunction test. Usually I scored at about 92%. This time it was 99%.......... 99%... thats definitly not 100%.. so i didnt jump to cheer right away.. but still. Doc said i could stay away for like 5 years.. I told doc i dont want to come at all.. he agreed instantly, but warned me it might worsen as i get older. he guessed my method, Buteyko. Thinking about it... he could've mentioned buteyko much earlier in my life. Specialists rely on science too much... after all, science has to be funded... and nobody wants to fund something that does NOT make PROFIT.
Haven't used meds since summer 2016. I hiked that mountain 2 weeks ago, along with 2 soldiers, one navy, one was with the ground forces and used to marching with full equipment. We had to pause many times for the navy person, whom was panting out loud. Not me... I was 8 weeks into S & S and just had bloody burning calves.. I controlled my breath. I dominated Asthma !
There are weaknesses I can never improve.. Allergies to milk, over-sensitive nose (although im searching and trying still ) and I will never be taller than 167 cm. But I am strong. And I will be stronger, and at some point in life, that strength will diminish. But I will be damned to become any weaker than the avarage person which practices sports (of my age)
Goal:
1. Strength... its feels good to be strong, it looks good to be strong, its beautiful to display strength and stamina, and leave your fellow men in awe. The strength I crave must be summoned at any time, in any state, in any season, without any doubt/ or insecureness, failure is not an option.
2. Health, naturally. I'm very interested in increased bone-density, and lowering my resting hear-rate
3. I will not lie. I'd like to look like an athlete still, although its not my main priority.
Objectives:
1. Complete Simple from Simple & Sinister
- 1hSW 100 x 32 kg & TGU 10 x 32 kg in 16 minutes
2. To Complete the Rite of Passage
- Clean & Press (32kg)
- Snatch 200x 24 kg in 10 minutes
3. Complete Return of the Kettlebell:
- Clean & MP 36/32 kg x 5
- Clean & Jerk 36/32 kg x 14
4. Capable of 1 perfect one-arm-chin-up
These goals will take me years. And I already feel my recovery abilities diminish. Working 10/12 hour shifts don't help either, and I should eat more veggies.... But this practice makes me happy so it's going to be consistency vs time.
I'd like to add that I am very much inspired by The Mighty Atom, which is why I started bending nails. No funds for braced bending unfortunatly. I've read many books besides old-strongman books, also modern books like Easy Strength, the kettlebell books by Pavel, and all books on bodyweight training by Paul Wade. If kettlebells wouldn't have this much carry-over to my regular life and make me feel badass, i would still be following CC's progressions in bodyweight training.
Introduction
name: Shawn
born: 22 dec. 1990
height: 167 cm / 5 ft 6
weight: 66 kg / 145.5 lbs (pretty stable)
Country: The Netherlands
Background:
Always being a small, fat kid at some point in my life decided to improve looks. In 2005 I started lifting dumbbells and one year later I was allowed to join the local gym (health club/tea party) Dismayed with poor results in 2013 I went through some sort of experimental phase, and quit the gym in 2014. Doing alot of body-building-like routines, most of them self-made I started incorporating bodyweight exercises into my routine, for one I fell in love with Pull ups ! All of this at home. Truth be told I wasted many of these years doing what I did and being naive. Every possible beginner mistake.... I made it at least once!
Gains & Milestones
Over the course of time I increased lean mass and decreased bodyfat. For one this used to be my main goal and I am happy to have reached it.
1. BACKPAIN Going slightly back in time, the year 2003.. my schoolbag damaged my back and posture so badly I couldn't sleep well for some time. I suffered backpain since the age of 12. And terminated this pain over the course of 2 years. Starting in 2014 (age 23) with the Deadlift, which my health club refused to teach me, followed up by the Bridge Progression described in Convict Conditioning, in 2016, all the way up to 5 full bridges (step 6) Bye pain, Hi improved posture and lower back of steel !
2. Shoulder damage In september 2014 I damaged my left shoulder. It got overloaded at work so badly the entire posterior part of the rotator cuff (unsure about anatomy names etc ) My shoulder posterior side no longer activated so remained internally/forward rotated. This truley made me realise the importance of the posterior chain and so it became my main focus. Legs and Back, Posterior Delt. In 2016 I finally went to a physiotherapist, 2 sessions fixed it. But I still suffer some sort of consequence of this... '' event'' Lesson: Don't wait, visit physio asap !
3. 6 pack abs In may 2016 when I first picked up a kettlebell of only 16kg. It felt heavy, it felt challenging. I practiced the deep six, and sucked at it and still do. But the swing was do-able, and so I used the bell to lose fat. At some point i did 400 2 handed swings daily for 10 days. This shut-down my immunesystem and I got so sick I couldn't hold food and water for 3 days, and an additional 3/4 days eating alot of fruits to fix my ingestion system. ( I thought i would die) I did however lose so much bodyfat those 2/3 weeks my abs got very visible, and I maintained this 'low fat' body until april 2017. Although I no longer care for this, I still cherish a picture.
4. Asthma.
My pride for this achievement reigns supreme. Nothing I have done and nothing I will do for a long time will make me more proud at myself than this. Writing this still, after 7 months of achieving it, fills my body with energy, my mind with self-confidence, and eyes with tears.
The greatest weakness, bottleneck, one thing that would make me stop, and give up would be an asthma attack. Since the age of 19 months up until my 25th year on this world. As an infant attacks could be so severe a visit to the hospital would be required. I remember.
Every year, to see some kind of doctor, he would check your breathing with some cold device, weight you, measure your height. Every day to inhale this crap that makes your teeth turn yellow and rot. When kids my age ran and played, I had to calm myself down, or else.. Reaching the first 2 milestones i mentioned earlier inspired me.. '' why not asthma.. it has to be possible right ? '' This is the link that makes my chain weak'' So I started searching and found Buteyko
I watched as much information on youtube about Buteyko as possible. I examined the exercises they performed, on any video I could find. And I praticed them, and I still practice them, less but always. Somewhat around march or april 2016, I told my doc I wanted to reduce the inhalors. He agreed but had to test longfunction again in august 2016, no changes but hadn't found Buteyko yet. Doc never mentioned anything besides taking meds.
At some point I found Buteyko, and practiced it along with Convict Conditioning. I happened to be learning to enjoy Bodyweight training better than dumbbell routines so... My training log from CC starts in september 2016, januari 2017 I believe it was the 2nd week of the new year.. Doc was excited about my lungfunction test. Usually I scored at about 92%. This time it was 99%.......... 99%... thats definitly not 100%.. so i didnt jump to cheer right away.. but still. Doc said i could stay away for like 5 years.. I told doc i dont want to come at all.. he agreed instantly, but warned me it might worsen as i get older. he guessed my method, Buteyko. Thinking about it... he could've mentioned buteyko much earlier in my life. Specialists rely on science too much... after all, science has to be funded... and nobody wants to fund something that does NOT make PROFIT.
Haven't used meds since summer 2016. I hiked that mountain 2 weeks ago, along with 2 soldiers, one navy, one was with the ground forces and used to marching with full equipment. We had to pause many times for the navy person, whom was panting out loud. Not me... I was 8 weeks into S & S and just had bloody burning calves.. I controlled my breath. I dominated Asthma !
There are weaknesses I can never improve.. Allergies to milk, over-sensitive nose (although im searching and trying still ) and I will never be taller than 167 cm. But I am strong. And I will be stronger, and at some point in life, that strength will diminish. But I will be damned to become any weaker than the avarage person which practices sports (of my age)
Goal:
1. Strength... its feels good to be strong, it looks good to be strong, its beautiful to display strength and stamina, and leave your fellow men in awe. The strength I crave must be summoned at any time, in any state, in any season, without any doubt/ or insecureness, failure is not an option.
2. Health, naturally. I'm very interested in increased bone-density, and lowering my resting hear-rate
3. I will not lie. I'd like to look like an athlete still, although its not my main priority.
Objectives:
1. Complete Simple from Simple & Sinister
- 1hSW 100 x 32 kg & TGU 10 x 32 kg in 16 minutes
2. To Complete the Rite of Passage
- Clean & Press (32kg)
- Snatch 200x 24 kg in 10 minutes
3. Complete Return of the Kettlebell:
- Clean & MP 36/32 kg x 5
- Clean & Jerk 36/32 kg x 14
4. Capable of 1 perfect one-arm-chin-up
These goals will take me years. And I already feel my recovery abilities diminish. Working 10/12 hour shifts don't help either, and I should eat more veggies.... But this practice makes me happy so it's going to be consistency vs time.
I'd like to add that I am very much inspired by The Mighty Atom, which is why I started bending nails. No funds for braced bending unfortunatly. I've read many books besides old-strongman books, also modern books like Easy Strength, the kettlebell books by Pavel, and all books on bodyweight training by Paul Wade. If kettlebells wouldn't have this much carry-over to my regular life and make me feel badass, i would still be following CC's progressions in bodyweight training.
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