Not quite right with the lower GI (TMI) but managed to get in a work out pull ups; very hard today; singles, doubles, 5’s got 50 reps in 25 minutes, with hip hikes and rotator cuff stuff in between.
Downstairs:
bench press: 10 x 134, 7 x 154, 10 x 150
Trap dead lifts: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, high handle: 10 x 224, low handle, deficit: 10 x 184
shoulder presses (newly modified bar; ordered new rack): 4 x 115, 3 x 115, 4 x 115, then 10 x 96 rows: 3 sets of 10 x 134 plank: 2:30
I have an old 66 inch. DP bar. The sleeve is 34 inches To comfortably fit on a standard Olympic width rack, you’d need 52 inches between the collars. That leaves just under 7 inches of loadable bar.
So, this is how much room you have: 2 20kg, 1 10 kg on each side, with collar, and perhaps room for a 4 kg plate.
But as loaded here, 100kg of plate and maybe 10 kg bar plus 2 1 kg collars for 112 kg for 246 lb in this position.
Now with the collars at the end of the sleeve (which allows the bar to rotate: I’ve had over 300 lb on the bar with no issues.
So, this bar is a good substitute for those “short bars” and perfectly adequate. I am going to replace these light, somewhat flimsy squat standards with a BEAST squat rack (short) but these light standards can go outside when the weather is nice..and the bar will travel well outside too.
Here I am doing a set of 4 shoulder presses with 115.
Yes, I have two weeks to get ready for class and I’ve already made quite a bit of progress. Course pages should go up tomorrow..(albeit in unpublished form)
Then again, this semester, anything can happen and happen quickly.
So, I have plenty to do. And most of what I can do I do not want to do.
And so, I browse the internet for stuff to buy, most…none (?) of which I really need…or even come close to needing.
Yes, that is my 6 foot, old DP 1 inch barbell. Yes, it dates from 1984.. I thought about upgrading it, but..the current new 1 inch barbells are not as good.
I’ve deadlifted 320-330 with this (I have four 44 lb plates..2 of which are shown here) and the 1 inch bars..the new ones, are rated at 250 lb.
Of course I do not need that much weight as I have a trap bar for deadlifting, which is rated at 500 lb. Given my best high handle pull right now is 314, I am in no danger of running out of capacity..at least anytime soon.
Ah, my Olympic bar..it was a cheap DP bar I bought back in 1984 from a sporting goods store. Yes, it has stayed outside..has a few rust spots here and there and some of the chrome…tiny bits..have chipped off. Yes, it has screws at the end….and the sleeves are a bit slick.
It’s capacity..not sure..but it came with 300 lb and it is probably rated at 500 or so. Again, no worries..it still does what I want it to, and I am not one who drops weights.
Bottom line: I am not strong enough to handle all of the stuff I own RIGHT NOW..even on the high handle trap deadlift. And it isn’t as if my bars are going to break. The only thing I lack is a bench that changes angles; I have a fixed one and a supported weight seat. And my squat rack is pretty flimsy and not that stable (fine for what I use it for though..which is for light shoulder presses) I MIGHT relegate that for outside use for the pleasant summer days to do “presses off of the rack”
So about the only thing I could justify buying is a sturdier squat rack…which I could use my bench by attaching outward facing j-hooks. hmmm…
Ah…fun to think about.
BUT I have what I need to get strong RIGHT NOW. Here is Bob Peoples, the former world record holder in the dead lift and was slightly lighter than I am right now:
Top image (first seen by me in Terry Todd’s book Inside Powerlifting ) he is deadlifting 725 lb with a 1 inch barbell and in the second image: he is deadlifting a heavy weight with a 1-inch barbell. Top photo: Then look at his gym; mine is space age by comparison. So I have plenty to get strong with right now…
Workout notes 3 mile treadmill walk (got tired..back a little stiff) then walk outside (ok, that felt great for the first mile…then ok for the next .5 miles then..achy toward the end). Couldn’t fool the body with the old “in and out”. I am STILL not quite right with respect to endurance after last week’s shingles shot. …kind of like I recovered from a mild cold.
Yes, my arm still aches just a little (shot arm) and I was slightly off in today’s workout. Pull ups were a chore!
pull ups: singles, sets of 5, a few done with palms facing me; decent quality though. Enough to get to 50 reps..in between: rotator cuff, squats (no weight), hip hikes. These were hard.
bench press: not my best:
10 x 134, 2 x 184, 2 x 184, 5 x 164, 5 x 164, 5 x 164 (light touch..NO BOUNCE)
trap bar dead lifts: 3 sets of 10 x 134, focus on technique.
tried empty bar squat; had trouble with depth.
shoulder presses: 3 sets of 10 x 48 dumbbells, 1 set of 3 x 52 kg (114) barbell
rows: 3 sets of 10 x 134
push ups: 2 sets of 40 (fought with phone in between sets)
Total time, even with repairs: 1:40 ..this could easily be done in 1:30.
That is important to know for when classes start.
Politics
It is clear that the Republican party isn’t what it once was. Sure, it is still very capable of winning elections at all levels; I don’t doubt that for a second. Still, David Frum’s article is worth reading:
“
Few if any leading Republicans allowed Trump’s hope to overturn the election to interfere with their own, much more cynical plans to debate and delay. Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz and their allies had planned a self-aggrandizing media stunt, a springboard for future fundraising, an entry into the ever-escalating contest to prove oneself the least compromising person in politics. Neither of them felt even the slightest concern for Trump’s presidency. They were campaigning for their own.
At least since the election of Barack Obama in 2008, the conservative world has become a place of ever more extreme language, ever more widely distanced from real-world events. Conservative talkers would say things like Obama “is literally at war with the American people,” and then be greatly shocked and offended that anyone would connect their words to the growth of extremist violence. The words did not mean anything to the cynics who spoke them, and so they found it difficult to imagine that the words might mean anything to those who heard them.
In the same spirit, Republican elected officials repeated Trump’s outlandish claims about the 2020 election while privately accepting the election outcome as valid and accurate. The lesson that Republican political professionals drew from 2020 was not that Biden’s 81 million votes were fake. The lesson they drew was that they must use their power over elections at the state and local level to prevent that many people from voting in the future.
They mouthed Trump’s complaints about voter fraud in 2020 while they devised their own, rational plans for voter suppression in 2022 and 2024. They counted on the rest of the political world being responsible enough to apply the brakes before Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election got too far out of hand. In the meantime, they had TV spots to book and funds to raise.
A lot of modern conservatism is a species of affinity fraud. If rank-and-file conservatives are dumb enough to be separated from their money by fantastic lies, well, there are conservative elites who feel they would be remiss not to do the separating. As for Trump himself, some figured, what harm could he possibly do at this point? The American system has been peaceably transitioning presidential power for a very long time; who could seriously imagine that system blowing up in 2021? They knew the road was closed, so they went along for the ride—thinking that the driver must stop when he reached the barrier. Except this time, Trump was not just whining as usual. He crashed right through the barrier. The ride led here: to the dumb-as-rocks fiasco that abruptly severed the long tradition of the peaceful transition of power in the United States.
David Frum, in The Atlantic
There is much more there, and it is all worth reading. Current day US conservatism is really about victimhood and grievance; little about personal responsibility…the very things they always accuse liberals of espousing!
It is grievance after grievance…and I am not sure about what..exactly.
Those who made their way to the grounds of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday hail from at least 36 states, along with the District of Columbia and Canada, according to a Washington Post list of over 100 people identified as being on the scene of the Capitol. Their professions touch nearly every facet of American society: lawyers, local lawmakers, real estate agents, law enforcement officers, military veterans, construction workers, hair stylists and nurses. Among the crowd were devout Christians who highlighted Bible verses, adherents of the QAnon conspiracy theory and members of documented hate groups, including white nationalist organizations and militant right-wing organizations, such as the Proud Boys.
The list is just a limited cross section of the thousands of people who descended upon the area, yet some striking commonalities are hard to ignore. Almost all on the list whose race could be readily identified are White. Most are men, yet about one in six were women — also almost all White.
Many left extensive social media documentation of their passions, ideologies and, in some cases, disillusionment and vendettas. [….] Several who traveled to Washington to support the “Stop the Steal” rally told The Post they were driven by two primary grievances: their opposition to the election results and the restrictions in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Now before you bring up 2000, 2004 and 2016, remember that, in each case, the losing candidate conceded. There were no attacks on the Capitol. And they accepted the outcome, even if troubled by some of the voting problems:
Defeated Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts said this week he did not support the effort to challenge the Ohio results. On Thursday, Kerry was traveling in the Middle East.
But Boxer and other Democrats, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), insisted they were questioning the process, not the outcome.
And ultimately, Pelosi and most other Democratic lawmakers joined Republicans to vote to confirm the Ohio results.
As a country, we sure appear to have trouble accepting outcomes we do not like. And I mean “we”..not just Republicans, though at this time, at the leadership level, it appears that the problem is mostly Republican.
Today: 15:45 mpm walk on mostly dry pavement; 14:45 first mile and then it went downhill; piriformis got tired at 3.4 miles or so. Chilly.
Watched the Bears lose 21-9 to the Saints (Bears last play TD to tighten up the score a bit) and now watching the Steelers down 28-0 in the FIRST QUARTER. Amazing.
Got to get back to work in a serious way tomorrow.
I am thinking about the riot and attempt at insurrection at our Capitol. And yes, I’d love to believe it was all a bunch of uneducated yahoos.
The profiles of these folks are mystifying. State legislators. Retired O5 USAFA grads. 30-something fathers of 5. Among thousands of people you'll get all types, and mob dynamics have their own momentum, but my god. pic.twitter.com/PqzbpHecVd
I am not saying some, even many, are what you’d expect but…OMG…and many were comfortable enough to make videos of their experience.
Meet Jenny Cudd from Midland Texas "WE did break down @SpeakerPelosi's office door and somebody stole her gavel and I took a picture sitting in the chair flipping off the camera and that was on Fox News" @FBIpic.twitter.com/3s3aWgOJ9G
They honestly think that their behavior was mainstream behavior!!!!!
They way out: well, “more education” is probably not the answer; many are as educated as reasonably possible.
And forget what some in academia are saying: some are saying “this is why we need the humanities” but, well, color me skeptical. In private conversations with some academics, I’ve been told that their GOAL is to create “social justice allies”…I’ve always thought the goal was to teach the material (which, to be sure, covers social aspects which, of course, includes nuanced discussion of racial matters.
But I doubt that finger wagging from the podium will get us anywhere; in fact, it might well turn more students off.
And forget about “let them die off”; remember, many of these people were scaling a wall (not sure why they just didn’t walk up the steps but…) And the exit polls show that the 30-44 went for Biden 52-46 but 65 and up was Trump 52-47… this is a large enough difference if you are talking about winning an election, but..it isn’t as if the Trump supporters are a tiny minority in the younger age group.
Today is Saturday, and I got my second shingles shot this Wednesday. I felt almost 100 percent today.
So, while I slept in too long (and had nightmares about having a large pot gut) I got in a deadlift workout and then a 2 mile walk at about 15:55 minutes per mile; I managed to find good streets. So this week, it was a 5, 3 (slow), 2 (lol) and whatever I get tomorrow.
The deadlift: I kept it moderate..so it appeared.
10 x 134, 10 x 184, 1 x 224, 1 x 254 (neutral, low handles)
High handle: 5 x 279, 5 x 279 (effort)
Low handle: 5 x 255 (effort..used the 5.5 lb plates to make up for the “missing lb. ” as the trap bar weighs 44 lbs.
For what it is worth, these sets corresponded to what my max currently is; go figure.
And..this is what they looked like. Note: I am noisier than I had realized; I find myself, as a viewer, telling myself to shut up! Yes, this is my own basement so it isn’t as if I was trying to be noisy to impress anyone; in fact, I am embarrassed that I am this weak. I’d feel better were I say, 100 lb. stronger in these lifts with this amount of effort.
I am feeling better; not quite well. I did try to lift and finished all exercises, though it took me 1:45 to do it all..lots of rest.
Pull ups: challenging; enough to get to 50 reps (singles, 5’s)..these were tough and it was chilly outside. In between: rotator cuff, hip hikes, and weightless squats. These took about 35 minutes to do.
Bench press: 10 x 134, 3 sets of 4 x 169, 5 x 164, all with brief pauses (almost “touch and go, no bounce”)
shoulder press: first with 52 kg (20 kg on each side; about 114.6) 3 sets: 4, 3, 3
shoulder press dumbbell: 2 sets of 10 x 48 lb.
rows: 3 sets of 10 x 134
push ups: 40, 30, 10 then head stand.
I doesn’t sound like much, but it took me a bit of time to do.
Not the best walk; I felt tired and slightly achy all day; on a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is “I am READY for a PR (in lifting, swimming, run/walking)” and 10 is “I am ready to die”, I’d say…6? I felt “I did an all out marathon yesterday” level of tired. Left arm (shot arm: second shingles vaccine) was sore.
Even this morning, lifting overhead is slightly painful.
Part of me is tempted to move my weight workout to tomorrow and just do an easy 3 mile walk again. But I might benefit from doing “light weights, full motion.”
I realize that I should make a distinction. Americans do have the right to protest..stand outside of a government building, hold up signs, chant, etc.
So one might draw the distinction between those protesting and those “storming the Capitol” ..though….I am not sure that everyone understood what goes with “storming” a government building…
So, who ARE these people (on the grounds anyway)? Some appear to think that this was some backwoods, uneducated mob. Well, not exactly:
Friend just texted me, horrified, after realizing that her ex was a part of the violent mob in the Capitol today. He’s a well-spoken West Point grad w/an MBA who lives in Navy Yard and works as a bizdev exec. We’ve gone on double dates. These terrorists are hiding in plain sight.
Yes, this rot goes very deep and is not limited to undereducated enclaves.
Example: we have a newly elected US Rep. from Illinois APPROVINGLY quoting Adolph Hitler:
Days after she was sworn in, downstate Illinois U.S. Rep. Mary Miller is facing criticism for invoking Adolf Hitler during a speech in Washington https://t.co/gdISAu6nOX
And those those who want to argue with me: Yes, you might find a quote from Hitler that says “sports are good” or “I love dogs” or whatever. You might even agree with such a sentiment. But you can find a better person to quote; the use of Hitler has to be intentional.
This is not the same thing as, say, accurately quoting the work of a Nazi mathematician or scientist…yes, some were good at math and science while being failures as human beings.
But I digressed a bit.
My larger point: this rot runs deep; it probably was always there..and it is not limited to those of limited educational attainment or limited economic means.
And, because we live in a tribal, “either you are 100 percent with us or 100 percent against us” type of society, let me add:
if you are mainstream conservative, I am NOT talking about you. Ok? Good people can have disagreements on public policy. People can accurately digest the same set of facts and come to different conclusions via an honest, good faith analysis of the data.
In the book he discusses the Holocaust and gives one reason so many dismissed the early reports of it: in World War I, many atrocities were falsely attributed to the Germans. So, when reports of more came out, there was “well, such lies are repeated in war”…but this time, the reports were true.
And so we might be seeing a version of that in action right now.
Yes, Trump incited violence, pure and simple; this time. I fully support holding him accountable (e. g. snap Impeachment)., but that is unlikely to happen.
But, as bad as Trump genuinely is, there are some charges that I felt were false: example: it was claimed that he mocked a disabled reporter because of his disability.
Needless to say, my opinion was not welcomed by my Democratic leaning friends, but I still stand by it.
I think that Trump has done something egregious, I want to be able to say it and for what I say to mean something ..(albeit not much as my influence is all but non-existent)
The other thing: we have to accept unpleasant truths…e. g. we have had some painful political losses (2016 and 2004 come to mind).
I will vote to respect the American people’s decision and defend our system of government. My full remarks: pic.twitter.com/RSTjyjZmJq
And then there is the very reason for the attack: these people *probably* truly believe the election was stolen. Yes, similar things were said in 2016 and in 2004, though I note, in each case, the losing candidate conceded..and that is a major, major difference.
My point: truth matters even if it is unpleasant.
And telling it as you see it will often not be well received. Examples: the “defund the police” demand probably hurt Democrats, that the BLM protests during a pandemic were a bad idea and opened liberals to a legitimate claim that liberals were sanctimonious hypocrites (and many remain so).
Life of an old goat 