Keosawa's Powerlifting Log

I'm sorry, but I was referring to my training partner. I also saw Prometheus with my wonderful girlfriend, who I love very much.
 
I can almost guarantee I'm alone with this thought, but I thought it sucked. It was so boring. It actually bored me to sleep for awhile.
 
I definitely wasn't bored, but I wasn't satisfied with it either. It seemed like they tried to pack way to much content into one movie. So much stuff didn't get established well. Would've been better as a series of movies imo

Other than that though, I thought the alien that burst out of the chest at the very end was extremely creepy. Very cool visually
 
I liked Prometheus, though I didn't love it, and it admittedly fell a bit short of my expectations. I think the criticism leveled at the film that its focus was bifurcated between waxing philosophical and playing as an ode to sci-fi horror was pretty well deserved, since the narrative oscillates between long dialogues regarding faith, science, and creation and grotesque set-pieces. It felt sometimes like I was watching two different films, and though I think these halves were married on a conceptual level--"creation," whether as an act of a god or of science and technology, is oftentimes a fickle, unmotivated, and violent thing--they didn't really play well together on the screen.

I didn't find the film to be too muddled philosophically, as some reviewers have suggested. The idea that the ascension from humanity to 'deity' requires the creation of a technology that is independent and organic, a sentient being is played out in a number of ways, and it ties in with the mythos of the Alien films: omnipotence is paradoxically both gained and lost by creating a truly independent, sentient being; it's gained because giving birth to new life is seen as an act of god, and it's lost because children have a mind of their own, and as David says, they all want to see their parents die. That much was clear.

The problem was that the idea that 'creation' can be the product of a creator's narcissistic whim, that the justification for creating live can be given in the tautology, "because we could," becomes Ridley Scott's cop-out for not tying together or even explaining certain major plot points. We have no plausible explanation for why human beings were made, why they were invited to this place, or why they might now be exterminated through nouveau biological warfare. And that's fine, because it's in keeping with the film's core ontological beliefs, but it still felt to me like Ridley Scott wanted an Alien film and found this an easy way to justify senseless acts of violence.

Had the film embraced its sci-fi horror roots, I think it would have played better: it was a little too grandiose, a little too ambitious for its own good. But there's still a lot to like. I found it well-cast (Guy Pierce in heavy makeup aside), and the main characters were interesting (though the film did half-ass its treatment of stock characters by giving them quasi-personalities when they would have really just been better off serving as fodder for the body-count). Fassbinder and Rapace were particularly good, and I also liked Charlize Theron in this. Visually, the film is impressive and evocative of a bygone era of sci-fi (a lot of the visual effects look like they were transplanted from earlier Scott films). The violence is for the most part unspectacular, but the self-administered c-section was fun. And the links to Alien were far more explicit than I had anticipated: the end made it VERY clear that the events of this film were formative in the genesis of the xenomorphs from the Alien films. It wasn't terribly scary though--Alien was a horror film, Aliens was an action film, and this really was neither.

So, yeah, I liked it. I didn't love it; I really wish a script that better connected the dots (perhaps in a subtle manner) had been written. Unfortunately, it comes across as both intellectually ambitious AND lazy at the same time.
 
Keosawa said:
When I started, I started with just one extra session, and it was very easy--three light accessory exercises. This would also be a time for me to catch up on any prehab/mobility/stretching work. Over time, I've gradually increased the amount of work I do on my extra workouts.

So, yes, I'd phase in any extra workouts slowly; start slow, but continuously build your work capacity over time. Make sure you start slow enough that you don't have to readjust your loading--these workouts should supplement your existing training, not detract from it.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for your input, Keo. I'm thinking I will start trying to get in every day I can but I will keep the extra sessions extremely light and minimal as I feel my way around for what works and build up slowly from there. I just can't help feeling like I'm wasting resources since I train at home and work at a gym. Anyway, I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to all the inquiries in your log here!
 
Main Ho would like to say that she too was not entirely on the Prometheus freak-out wagon (there seems to be quite a bit of this on reddit) but the visuals were absolutely worth paying for seeing it on a big screen. No question. It was a fun film to watch. If you're on the fence about seeing it, I'd say go. Actually, as far as visuals go, I'd 100% prefer Promethus' to the vastly overrated ones of Avatar.
 
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squatsquatsquat said:
Thank you very much for your input, Keo. I'm thinking I will start trying to get in every day I can but I will keep the extra sessions extremely light and minimal as I feel my way around for what works and build up slowly from there. I just can't help feeling like I'm wasting resources since I train at home and work at a gym. Anyway, I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to all the inquiries in your log here!
Click to expand...

No problem man. Identify a few areas where you really need improvement and focus on them. For me, it's tricep and lat strength; I dedicate one extra workout to each of these. For you, it might be something different. Take this time to work on your weaknesses, do some GPP, and develop your work capacity; start slow, but try to consistently increase the volume, frequency, and intensity of these workouts. It will take years, but it will be worth it.
 
Reverse-Band Bench Press (130 lbs. at bottom, 80 lbs. at top)
Barx20
Barx20
135x10
225x5
275x1
315x1
365x1
390x2
390x2
390x2
365x2 (paused)
365x2 (paused)
315x14

Incline Dumbbell Press
50x8
90x8
90x8

Overhead Tricep Extensions
150x20
150x20
150x20

Dumbbell Rows
115x8, 8
115x8, 8
115x8, 8

Rear Delt Raise
15x15
15x20
15x15
 
DE Low Box Squats (2" below parallel) w/ 70 lbs.' of chains
Bar+70x3
Bar+70x3
135+70x2
185+70x2
225+70x2
225+70x2
225+70x2
225+70x2
225+70x2
225+70x2
225+70x2
225+70x2
225+70x2

DE Wide Sumo Deadlifts w/ 70 lbs.' of chains
135x3
135+70x2
225+70x2
275+70x2
275+70x2
275+70x2
275+70x2
275+70x2
275+70x2
275+70x2

Feet Elevated Barbell Glute Bridges
135x10
225x8
225x8
225x8

Hip Abductors w/ short mini-band
x25
x25
x20

Standing Cable Ab Crunches
82x25
82x25
82x25
 
Keosawa said:
Feet Elevated Barbell Glute Bridges
135x10
225x8
225x8
225x8
Click to expand...

These really can suck quite a bit. Are you doing them legs parallel or trying to force your knees out at extension?
I find the knees out its wicked piriformis activation. Ouch.


Also, the visuals in Prometheus were spectacular but the plot felt very fractured to me. Some scenes were oddly timed and you were left with more questions than when the movie started. Annoying.
 
just have to add this

21748732.jpg


And yeah, it really wasn't that bad, but the amount of "awwwww, letdown" I've encountered on the internet regarding this movie makes for some great memes.
 
LegioTitan said:
These really can suck quite a bit. Are you doing them legs parallel or trying to force your knees out at extension?
I find the knees out its wicked piriformis activation. Ouch.


Also, the visuals in Prometheus were spectacular but the plot felt very fractured to me. Some scenes were oddly timed and you were left with more questions than when the movie started. Annoying.
Click to expand...

Legs parallel, though I'll have to try it your way next time.

LegioTitan said:
^^^^
Lulz.

Well played.
I thought "the Thing" was a better re-visit.
Click to expand...

I agree! The Thing was much clearer in its direction--even though it felt like a derivative of the John Carpenter film, it didn't deviate from what make the original (in terms of narrative structure, plot progression, and visual effects) so good. With The Thing, I got exactly what I wanted, and it led into the original film quite nicely.

Prometheus was more ambitious, but less successful as a film.
 
Bench Press w/ Kettlebells Hanging from Mini-bands
125x15
125x25
125x16

Incline Dumbbell Press
60x5
100x5
100x6

Cross-Body Kettlebell Extensions
26x15, 15
35x15, 15
26x12, 12
18x12, 12
18x15, 15

Face-Pulls
85x15
135x15
135x15

Dumbbell Rows
120x15, 15
120x15, 15

My most productive extra workout in a while. My rowing strength and dumbbell pressing has increased immensely over these last few months.
 
Squat
Barx8
Barx8
135x5
135x3
225x2
275x1
315x1
360x3
385x3
405x4

Harness Squats
135x3
225x1
275x1
315x1
355x1
405x1ish (someone rushed over to spot me unprompted and touched my chest on the way up.)

Glute-Ham Raise
BWx50
BWx50
BWx50

Squat Belt Walk
+180x6 trips

Not my best day, but not my worst, either.
 
Bench Press
Barx20
115x15
115x15
135x3 (paused from this point on)
185x1
225x1
260x1
280x1
300x0

Off a one-board; all paused; two-minute rest intervals
245x5
245x5
235x5
235x4
225x4

JM Press
Barx12
65x12
85x12
105x10
105x10
105x10

Lateral Dumbbell Raises, arms bent
20x12
25x12
25x12
25x12

Hammer Curls
35x12, 12
35x12, 12
35x12, 12

IYT Isometric Holds
x40sec, x40sec, x40sec, x40sec, x40sec, five-second rest intervals

My bench press is still in the 290-295 range. I'm going to do a lot of one- and two-board pressing between now and the meet to try and work on my sticking point. That, plus benching heavy twice per week, should help. I know my third attempt at the meet will be 292, and I feel I'm good for it now, but I want to continue to build this up so that I can soon be a 300+ lb. paused bench presser.
 
Squat
Barx8
Barx8
135x5
225x1
275x1
315x1
365x1
405x1
455x1 (PR)
460x0



Depth.jpg


Lat Pulldown, 60 sec. rest intervals
130x12
130x12
120x10
110x9

Lying-Down Kettlebell Rows
53x10, 10
44x12, 12
44x12, 12
44x15, 15
44x12, 12

Standing Band Crunches w/ short mini-band
x20
x25
x25

Compression Band Work, ~10-15 mins

I felt like squatting for a PR today, so I went for it. I think I hit depth, but it was pretty borderline; still, I'm going to count it. I've been cutting my squats real close lately, and I'm not sure if I should be happy or concerned.
 
Those Squats please Squatur. A many bountiful blessings shall come your way.
 
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