Strength in Interesting Places

[JauntyAngle]

oh man, that sounds amazing
yeah, i figured that i would stay there at least 3-4 weeks...

the one of the biggest problems for me right now is that i don't have free time, other than summer holidays and my cousin told me that i shouldn't go in spring and summer coz it's hot as hell even during winter times

Spring time is very hot- it gets up above 40 in April, for instance. But in the middle of April there is a ridiculous festival called 'Songkran'. It's too hard to describe, but this video does it justice:



Imagine an entire city centre like this from 10am to 9pm every day, for 5 days or a week. Has to be experienced.

May-September isn't too hot, but sometimes it rains quite a bit. Usually not too bad, but if you're unlucky it can be quite overcast for several days. The best time is November-January. Then it's quite hot in the day, cool at night and never rains.

BTW, I don't want to exagerrate the cost. Most people who go to Thailand go to touristy places where you can't rent something for 50 dollars a month. Likewise, they eat in restaurants that cost $4-5 per meal, or more. It takes careful planning and decent local knowledge to do it for really cheap.

 

[JauntyAngle]

Ultra-Lame Conditioning Workouts FTW!!!

Just getting back into my rhythm with conditioning/cardio. So I am at super-lame levels. Even at my super-lame levels, I am not pushing myself yet as I want to avoid DOMS.

Did:

Rower: 5000m/27mins
Yoga: 10 sun salutations, short standing sequence
Treadmill, 5mins warmup, [email protected], 2mins warmdown

I've decided to start practicing handstand pushups, too. I can't do a full ROM one at the moment, so I am practicing negatives, holding it at the bottom of the movement for a count of three. The plan is to do negatives every day, spread out through the day, for the next 3-4 days. Try to do 10 or so today, get it up to 30+ by the end of the week. Then we'll see if I can do a proper one. Done 5 negatives so far today.

Tomorrow I'm back in Kabul, and it's also the first strength session of the week. Yay.

 

[dinpappa]

Maybe a dorky question, but do you ever feel unsafe in places like kabul, sudan etc?

 

[Bumbaclaat]

i would like to splash some thai girls, too.

 

[JauntyAngle]

Maybe a dorky question, but do you ever feel unsafe in places like kabul, sudan etc?

Quick answer- yes! I've been woken up in the morning by pretty rough earthquakes, I've travelled by road into Taliban controlled areas. I've been stuck in a Ministry for 8 hours while there was a raging battle in the streets outside, Taliban were trying to get in to my compound and police were using my office to shoot out of. I've also been holed up in a bunker in my guest house while another guest house less than 1km from mine was being attacked by the Taliban, in an incident where 8 UN staff, including someone I knew, were killed.

That's Afghanistan, though. Most places are nowhere near as bad. The capital of Southern Sudan, for example, is actually quite pleasant, in a rustic type of way.

 

[JauntyAngle]

i would like to splash some thai girls, too.

It's a very popular activity! I vaguely remember from my single days that it is also one that is very enjoyable. :icon_twis

 

[JauntyAngle]

I was trying to do this yoga position today. Didn't go too well.

It's a great hamstring stretch, because it is easy to do without bending your back. I think that the arms/shoulders make it great as preparation for squats. It sort of looks like this-

although the photo doesn't really show that you also have to pull your shoulders back and press your shoulderblades together.

Anyway, it sucked. I was disappointed how much hamstring flexibility I have lost.

 

[JauntyAngle]

I am watching WWE Smackdown in my hotel room. It is awesome.

I tire of WWE if I watch it for long, but on an every-now-and-then basis, I love it. I don't get all these super-serious MMA fans and their avowed hatred of WWE. I mean, MMA is awesome, it is a real sport, etc. But just because you know all these things, it doesn't mean you have to completely lose your sense of humour.

 

[RedKryptonite]

I am watching WWE Smackdown in my hotel room. It is awesome.

I tire of WWE if I watch it for long, but on an every-now-and-then basis, I love it. I don't get all these super-serious MMA fans and their avowed hatred of WWE. I mean, MMA is awesome, it is a real sport, etc. But just because you know all these things, it doesn't mean you have to completely lose your sense of humour.

HA! I used to be a huge fan of WWE! I turned away from pro wrestling when Hulk Hogan became a bad guy, though. It was devastating. Every once in a while, I will watch some Smackdown. It brings back memories...

Nice log, Jaunty. It seems like you are making some good progress despite your constant traveling. Working out on the road is rough, especially in small gyms that only have one squat rack. Good luck to ya!

 

[JauntyAngle]

Kabul, Week 1, Workout 1

Got to the guest house this afternoon about 3.45pm. Caught up with a few people, then went to the gym.

LB Squat

Warmup, then:

88kg: x5, x5, x5

Basically didn't increase the weight from last time (when I did 87.5kg) as I missed a normal session, except for .5kg because I was able to use my new micro-weights to move to increments of 1kg. These were great- full range of motion/below parallel, not too hard, not too easy. Next time, 90kg.

Also practiced dumping the bar off my back/jumping forward, with two plastic weights, from the bottom of the squat. It was actually very easy. Need to practice with slightly heavier weights, but i am confident I can do this now.


Bench

Again, I only increased the weight enough to employ my micro-weights, and get the bar up to the next increment of 1kg:

77kg: x5, x5, x7

These were pretty easy even with a brief pause (not touch-and-go), hence the extra two reps on the last set. I'm only going to add 1kg per workout to these. It's going to take ages to get back to 85kg (my currenty 5RM if I touch-and-go) but I would bet money that when I do I will do it easily and I will sail right past it.


Deadlift

125kg: x5

I actually forgot I am trying to do a set of 5 and not five singles now, so after the second I stood up and reset. Well, anyway, these came up off the ground fine but they tired me out. I guess I haven't done many DL workouts since recovering from injury, so my work capacity is not great. I think we only have about 135kg in the gym, so I'll need to buy some more. But in the meantime I think I will slow my progression to 2kg per time. Next time I may just add 1kg so I am progressing on even numbers.


Optional extra: weighted chins

The optional extra is weighted chins on bench day, or dips on press day.

I couldn't quite get these right as the bar I use in my guesthouse is different. It forces me to have a wider grip which makes it harder to really get my chest up. Did +8kg, x5, x5. Wasn't really feeling it so I stopped there.

* * *

Anyway, I really really enjoyed this workout. For the first time in ages I feel that all my lifts are poised to go back to my previous records, and beyond, but now with much better form.

Edit- must remember to do plenty of handstand pressup negatives tomorrow, along with conditioning.

 

[toonie]

Also practiced dumping the bar, with two plastic weights, off my back while jumping forward. It was actually very easy. Need to practice with slightly heavier weights, but i am confident I can do this now.

Good stuff. It's something I'll have to try out some time too.

I also have to look into finding some micro "plates"

EDIT: Will post a picture for new page later. At work at the moment

Did you say pizza and girl(s)?

This isn't pizza, but meh.

and just because you can't go wrong with asians (albeit super shopped). She was a result for hot asian eating pizza. Honest.

 

[JauntyAngle]

HA! I used to be a huge fan of WWE! I turned away from pro wrestling when Hulk Hogan became a bad guy, though. It was devastating. Every once in a while, I will watch some Smackdown. It brings back memories...

Nice log, Jaunty. It seems like you are making some good progress despite your constant traveling. Working out on the road is rough, especially in small gyms that only have one squat rack. Good luck to ya!

Thanks!

Progress has been tough, with problems with my weak pressing and injuries setting back my squatting and deadlifting. But I feel like I am slowly getting there, and who knows, in 2-3 months my lifts might be less embarassing.

 

[JauntyAngle]

Good stuff. It's something I'll have to try out some time too.

I also have to look into finding some micro "plates"

EDIT: Will post a picture for new page later. At work at the moment

Picture! I need picture! Hot babes or delicious pizza, it's up to you. Of course, a hot babe eating a delicious pizza would be perfect.

 

[dinpappa]

1) Forget sudan, you need to hook STTD up with urban development, he HAS NO TREES!
2) Got some new food p0rn in my log
3) Hopes for a speedy recovery of your injuries!

 

[SlaveToTheDark]

1) Forget sudan, you need to hook STTD up with urban development, he HAS NO TREES!
2) Got some new food p0rn in my log
3) Hopes for a speedy recovery of your injuries!

1) fuck you! hahahah
2) nice!
3) +1

 

[MIDMOBOX]

 

[Bumbaclaat]

did you say boys with pizza?

 

[dinpappa]

Serious wrong turn there!

 

[JauntyAngle]

Why Bumbaclaat, why? :icon_cry2

Why would you do that to my log?

 

[JauntyAngle]

Let's see if we can get this log moving in the right direction.

and, one of the best pictures ever...