Day: February 1, 2020

Dialing back expectations

Last week I hit a “new” best in the deadlift of 260 (conventional). So I was hoping to improve some more this week. But the smallest increments I have are 5 lbs., and a 5 lb. improvement every week would mean a 250 lb. improvement this year..to 500 +. Yes, there are strong men my age who can do that but I am NOT one of them. For me..at my age and with my limitations, 5 lbs. a MONTH would be outstanding for now.

I’ll look up my progression. I need to keep diligent with my log.

Today’s workout: deadlifts then a walk:

6 x 145 regular (felt heavy)
2 x 189 Sumo
1 x 233 Sumo (sort of effort)
1 x 255 Sumo
1 x 233 conventional ..felt hard.

Then 3 misses at 266: 2 conventional (got off of the ground), 1 Sumo (wouldn’t budge)

1 x 260 Sumo (got it…was an effort) Best Sumo.
6 x 233 (tough) conventional
6 x 203 trap
6 x 167 Romanian (hard to tell if my back is what it should be)

ended with this 17 minute per mile walk on this 10K-ish course (1:48:30 total time..about 17:16 mpm)

Deadlift progression:

August 5, 2019: managed a “handles up” hex dead 225 (1 rep)
August: typical sets were 4 x 175, 4 x 195 (handles up)
September: 4 x 205 head dead (handles up)
November: got 4 x 225 hex dead, handles DOWN
December: got 1 x 225 bar dead, then 4 x 225
December 20, 2019: got 1 x 230 bar deadlift
DEcember 25: got 1 x 233 bar deadlift (home)
Dec 27: got 1 x 235 dead
Dec 29: got 1 x 240 dead (bar)

2020
Jan 11: got 245 hex dead (handles down)
Jan 25: got 255, then 260 conventional dead
Feb 1: got 255, 260 Sumo, 6 x 233 conventional

So December saw me advance from 225 to 240 conventional
January saw me advance from 240 to 260 conventional and Sumo
November-December: 225 to 245 hex

Upshot: it is undeniable that I am gaining strength ..the progress appears to be more rapid “on paper” than it feels.

35 lb strength gain in 2 months isn’t that bad.

Impeachment, deadlifts, etc.

I am drinking coffee and thinking about what deadlift workout I want to do. Reps or some singles? Sumo or conventional? I’ll do some with the hex bar too.

A dear friend is gearing up for a trail 100k; better her than me. I’ll go and walk after deadlifts..

Impeachment In a nutshell, the Republicans know that Trump did what he was a accused of. But:
1. They are getting tax cuts, business deregulation and their judges.
2. The rube base would revolt (at least against them) were they to vote to remove.
Seriously: they openly said as much:

As he weighed the evidence against President Trump, Senator Lamar Alexander reached an unavoidable conclusion: Mr. Trump had done what he was accused of, pressuring a foreign power to investigate his political rival. But however inappropriate his conduct, another conviction overrode the first: Americans would not tolerate the Senate stepping in to substitute its own judgment for that of the voters fewer than 10 months before the next election.

“The Senate reflects the country, and the country is as divided as it has been for a long time,” Mr. Alexander said Friday during an interview in his Capitol office. “For the Senate to tear up the ballots in this election and say President Trump couldn’t be on it, the country probably wouldn’t accept that. It would just pour gasoline on cultural fires that are burning out there.”

With that logic, Mr. Alexander delivered a victory to Mr. Trump — and to Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, with whom Mr. Alexander has been friends for more than a half-century. In announcing he would vote to block witnesses at Mr. Trump’s impeachment trial, he set Mr. Trump on a quick course to his inevitable acquittal.

Frankly, most of us knew that removal was a non-starter. I am hoping that this will peel off just enough Republican votes in the swing states to get us over the finish line, but I am NOT optimistic.

And as far as the opposition party: we are basically worthless.
We cheer those who spout off (I see it as not being thoughtful and as being undisciplined ..like Trump is). But when they spout off against us..we get all butt-hurt.

Loudmouths gonna loudmouth.

And we live in many separate bubbles …which allows us to become outrageously delusional.

Here is an example:

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/31/stacey-abrams-president-2040-109869

Her biggest political victory: a seat in the Georgia State House and becoming D leader. OMG…anyone who believes that doesn’t understand marketing. I’ll just say that, in our image conscious country, an obese woman has a serious disadvantage. And being black: Obama won but he was your “perfect image” candidate: handsome, family man, charismatic, outstanding speaking skills, etc.