Other/Mixed Recent Fitness-Related Purchases

[Halfakneecap]

It’s a bit “industrial”, but i made it in a steelworks so probably appropriate. 5mm stainless steel recycled from a project, so no rust and no need to paint. Weight plates should be here next week and the harness. Heading into winter
but it should get some use soon.

 

[Halfakneecap]

I turned 36 a few weeks back and did a “36kg themed workout”

36 presses
36 swings
36 cleans
36 chin ups
36 push-ups
All with the 36 kilo. And I finished with a 36 minute walk. Lol my wife thought it was stupid but I enjoyed the challenge.

Brilliant idea! My birthday is in March so it’s a perfect way to get over the Xmas indulgence, especially now I’m over 40

 

[Kev]

I’m not an oly lifter but I read a lot. I think it was “Powerlifting Texas Style” and Paul Kelso said Oly lifters would file lines into their thumbnails and this was worth an extra 10lbs on the bar. What’s the oly lifter take on this? Ann, Watchnerd and Geoff.

 

[Skip]

Today's purchase:

I got it because it was silly cheap, and although the clearance is way higher than I've had before and the handle is way thinner than I've had before I'm actually quite liking it. Swing and clean dynamics are completely different (I don't know if this is a good or bad thing), so my forearms feel like they did the very first day I ever cleaned a kettlebell!

 

[Kev]

Today's purchase:
View attachment 17587
I got it because it was silly cheap, and although the clearance is way higher than I've had before and the handle is way thinner than I've had before I'm actually quite liking it. Swing and clean dynamics are completely different (I don't know if this is a good or bad thing), so my forearms feel like they did the very first day I ever cleaned a kettlebell!

Steal. Different dynamics are good.

 

[Skip]

Steal. Different dynamics are good.

I swear presses are harder with it than the 'normal' Rogue 28kg I've got. Feels like my back suddenly has do a ton more work!

 

[Kev]

I swear presses are harder with it than the 'normal' Rogue 28kg I've got. Feels like my back suddenly has do a ton more work!

That’s what mine are like. When I press 2x32kg it’s from my heels all the way to my hands that’s straining all across the back of my body.

 

[Anna C]

I’m not an oly lifter but I read a lot. I think it was “Powerlifting Texas Style” and Paul Kelso said Oly lifters would file lines into their thumbnails and this was worth an extra 10lbs on the bar. What’s the oly lifter take on this? Ann, Watchnerd and Geoff.

Maybe if grip is the limiter. It isn't for me.

 

[watchnerd]

Oly lifters would file lines into their thumbnails and this was worth an extra 10lbs on the bar. What’s the oly lifter take on this? Ann, Watchnerd and Geoff.

File lines into thumbnails?

I've never heard this before.

If he's referencing pounds (nobody talks about lbs in modern Olympic weightlifting), maybe it's a super old school thing to do?

I know a lot of weightlifters who keep their thumbnails super short and file them down even more because they can get cracked or broken during hook grip.

But I've never heard of filing lines.

 

[Kev]

File lines into thumbnails?

I've never heard this before.

If he's referencing pounds (nobody talks about lbs in modern Olympic weightlifting), maybe it's a super old school thing to do?

I know a lot of weightlifters who keep their thumbnails super short and file them down even more because they can get cracked or broken during hook grip.

But I've never heard of filing lines.

I’m pretty sure it was vertical lines so the index finger could grip it in a hook grip. I think he referenced it as “old school”. Pretty sure it was that book. It might have been his shrug book.

 

[North Coast Miller]

Just ordered a 60” spinlock barbell to use for getting back into offset weighted training (Hobo Strong).

 

[Kev]

Just ordered a 60” spinlock barbell to use for getting back into offset weighted training (Hobo Strong).

Justa’s shovel lift?

 

[watchnerd]

I’m pretty sure it was vertical lines so the index finger could grip it in a hook grip. I think he referenced it as “old school”. Pretty sure it was that book. It might have been his shrug book.

I'm going to have to defer to @Geoff Neupert on this to see if he's ever heard of it.

But if it's super old, I might have to go all the way to my first weightlifting coach, Jim Schmitz.

 

[watchnerd]

Just ordered a 60” spinlock barbell to use for getting back into offset weighted training (Hobo Strong).

Wow, I didn't realize spinlock barbells are so reasonably priced.

Makes me realize just how nutso weightlifting barbells are priced in comparison.

 

[Kev]

I'm going to have to defer to @Geoff Neupert on this to see if he's ever heard of it.

But if it's super old, I might have to go all the way to my first weightlifting coach, Jim Schmitz.

I’m out of work tomorrow. I reckon in about 10-15 minutes I could find it in either book and give you full context of why he was saying it. I think he may have been addressing the reverse grip, telling folk to avoid straps and to learn to do hook grips if your thumb can take it. I’m almost certain it’s from Powerlifting Texas style which isn’t a thick book so I’ll find it in no time.

 

[North Coast Miller]

Justa’s shovel lift?

Pretty sure I take it a good deal further. Is built around 2 hand in-line movements:
- low to high
- high to low
- horizontal crossing

I throw in some loaded pushups, bi and tri, no need for separate ab or core work.

 

[Conor]

That’s what mine are like. When I press 2x32kg it’s from my heels all the way to my hands that’s straining all across the back of my body.

@Skip and @Kev this makes me feel so much better. I was traveling this week and found a gym to hit one day but they only had competition bells like this. I’m in the middle of a program with 2X28s and it kicked my a#@ way worse than I expected. There was a couple sets where I almost couldn’t get lockout on the 3rd rep and I was like wtf!? Definitely a different groove on the press.

 

[Kev]

@Skip and @Kev this makes me feel so much better. I was traveling this week and found a gym to hit one day but they only had competition bells like this. I’m in the middle of a program with 2X28s and it kicked my a#@ way worse than I expected. There was a couple sets where I almost couldn’t get lockout on the 3rd rep and I was like wtf!? Definitely a different groove on the press.

Different bells have entirely different feels to them especially with pressing but also cleans. I was stopped in my tracks by a single 32kg purely because of how it lay on my forearm. I can press my 32kgs no problem. A lot of bells are fine when snatched but as soon as you clean them they feel terrible.

 

[Skip]

@Skip and @Kev this makes me feel so much better. I was traveling this week and found a gym to hit one day but they only had competition bells like this. I’m in the middle of a program with 2X28s and it kicked my a#@ way worse than I expected. There was a couple sets where I almost couldn’t get lockout on the 3rd rep and I was like wtf!? Definitely a different groove on the press.

In my (limited admittedly) experience of trying to do hardstyle with comp bells, it feels like I'm gripping the bell handle less powerfully, and that leads to less activation of the muscles I'm trying to use, which makes it harder. I'm assuming that's part of the reason for the GS style of swinging, all loose and using momentum for as many reps as possible. Just a different approach from the outset.

For hardstyle bells, I keep being surprised by the difference handle shape/height can make to how a bell cleans and presses. There's a learning curve with each different brand and weight of bell. But I like that, it's like bonding with your tools!

Part of the reason I like hardstyle bells is I psychologically expect a heavier tool to be bigger, swing different. Like my hammers - if my my 4lb lump was the same size as my 8lb ball-peen or 14lb sledge that'd just be... weird

I've gone off on a tangent, haven't I?