Strength in Interesting Places

[MIDMOBOX]

thats more like it. Next thing you know these logs will be taken over by pictures of scantily clad women

 

[MIDMOBOX]

 

[JauntyAngle]

Deload, Day Two

Here is what I did:

Press: 20kg x5,x5; 30kg x3,x4; 35kg x5, x5, x5
Deathlift: 50kg x5; 70kg x3; 95kg x5
Chins; bodyweight x5, x5, x5
GHRs (assisted): x5, x5

Had to do it right after getting up as I think I won't have time this evening.

For the GHRs, I have myself a push with my arms. As I got through the sets, I was able to make the push smaller. Huge improvement on the last couple of times. I think unassisted GHRs will be here very soon.

Last couple of days I have been feeling more energetic and relaxed, and sleeping better, so hopefully this is working.

 

[MIDMOBOX]

I'm still suffering through Black and White. Makes me long for the good old days

 

[BONOSUX]

I am digging the work and other shennanigans going on in this log.

Regarding the T3, is it something you'd recommend? I've been thinking of giving it a go for my pitiful bench, as its the only lift I have to program myself and I know fuck all about that sort of thing. I've been hesitant, however, mostly because i'm lazy.

 

[Fencible]

The other day I found some pics of my office after the January 17th attacks last year. This was when the Taliban simultaneously attacked the Ministry of Finance (where I was), the Central Bank (Afghanistan's equivalent of the Federal Reserve) several other Ministries and the posh Serena Hotel, along with a local cinema and a big shopping mall (which they used as vantage points to attack these other places).

My office looked down onto the cinema they were in, so after the explosions and shooting started, we were moved into a safer location, and 3-4 policemen with Kalishnikovs came into our office to use it to shoot at the Taliban in the cinema.
Just a normal messy office. But on closer inspection, there were bullet cartridges everywhere:
And yes, they ate all our food. Can't blame them for that. They also left us a message on one of our white-boards (left-hand corner):
It says "Good job done on the battlefield today, Long Live the Afghan Police!" and was signed by the guy who wrote it. We kept the board like that for the next 6 months or so, but then it got lost in a move to a new office.

There were about 30-40 police in our Ministry that day, all saw fighting and one was killed. The others all received some type of promotion, apparently.

God, I hate the Afghan Police, the ANA are better, still stupid to our standards, but much better than the ANP. When I was in Afghan last year with the army, I was able to work out a decent amount and got my strength higher than it had ever been, which was great, because I'm not a big guy lol, but when I got back, I got lazy and haven't worked out for a while, trying to get back into it. It's cool reading your logs.

 

[JauntyAngle]

I am digging the work and other shennanigans going on in this log.

Regarding the T3, is it something you'd recommend? I've been thinking of giving it a go for my pitiful bench, as its the only lift I have to program myself and I know fuck all about that sort of thing. I've been hesitant, however, mostly because i'm lazy.

Yes, T3 is cool. I really like alternating between 5x10, 5x5 and 5x3. I like the way it has me thinking 'right, just one really good set' at the start, which helps me to really go for it, probably getting something not far from my 1RM, 5RM or 3RM. I am not thinking about the other sets, just trying to do a good, hard set. Then I get to reduce the weight by just enough so that the next set, although lighter, is just as tough physically and mentally (because of the fatigue). I like the progression system too- just add some weight to the top set and one other set every time.

One thing to bear in mind is that, in my opinion anyway, T3 is a set/rep/progression scheme rather than a programme. You also have to decide how often you will do lifts that you will programme with T3, and what other exercises you will do. But for me that's a strength. If you've decided that you are going to do T3, and already have your bench days planned, you can just go ahead and use it.

 

[JauntyAngle]

God, I hate the Afghan Police, the ANA are better, still stupid to our standards, but much better than the ANP. When I was in Afghan last year with the army, I was able to work out a decent amount and got my strength higher than it had ever been, which was great, because I'm not a big guy lol, but when I got back, I got lazy and haven't worked out for a while, trying to get back into it. It's cool reading your logs.

ANP has actually improved quite a bit over the last 4 or so years, as far as I can tell. They are more efficient at stopping and searching, more professional, and don't seem to ask for bribes any more. But still pretty weak.

Glad you're enjoying reading the log. Sometimes it can be a little hard to find the bits where the lifting is logged because of the chat, pictures and anecdotes. But they are there, I assure you!

 

[Fencible]

ANP has actually improved quite a bit over the last 4 or so years, as far as I can tell. They are more efficient at stopping and searching, more professional, and don't seem to ask for bribes any more. But still pretty weak.

Glad you're enjoying reading the log. Sometimes it can be a little hard to find the bits where the lifting is logged because of the chat, pictures and anecdotes. But they are there, I assure you!

Yeah, I hear the ANP are better in the Kabul area as they can be watched much more closely. I was in Kandahar, got back in December. They were idiots and had to be watched like hawks. I have heard they improved over the past 4 years, but becoming solid shit after being liquid shit isn't that great. I know in the areas I was in, that the locals still didn't trust the ANP, but they trusted the ANA quite a bit, so that was good.

Yeah, reading a log is cool, but it adds a bit more considering you seem to be travelling the world lol. Keep it up, dude!

 

[JauntyAngle]

Yeah, I hear the ANP are better in the Kabul area as they can be watched much more closely. I was in Kandahar, got back in December. They were idiots and had to be watched like hawks. I have heard they improved over the past 4 years, but becoming solid shit after being liquid shit isn't that great. I know in the areas I was in, that the locals still didn't trust the ANP, but they trusted the ANA quite a bit, so that was good.

Yeah, reading a log is cool, but it adds a bit more considering you seem to be travelling the world lol. Keep it up, dude!

Thanks. I'll be doing my best to keep up my programme of lifting heavy things in interesting places around the world

 

[JauntyAngle]

Quick conditioning workout.

400m intervals because oooh, oooh, I want to be like scoopj, I want to walk like scoop, talk like scoop oooh, oooh, oooh. Oh yes it's true-ooh, I want to be like scoo-oop...

*Realizes he is dancing. Stops dancing and looks around*

Ah, yes, the intervals. Right. Yes.

As some of you may know, I have a rule to always take it easy the first time you try something. So, I did

400m@12kmph
[email protected]
400m@13kmph
[email protected]
400m@14kmph

I'm not recording the times because I was waiting for the treadmill to speed up before jumping on, and because that made the distances a little imprecise too. TBH, the treadmill is knackered and I don't think that it was really going at those speeds. I remember all those speeds being a good bit faster. Next time I'll start higher and see if I can make the damn thing go any faster. It was just starting to get satisfying around 14kmph.

Hopefully we're getting a commercial treadmill and a new generator soon, which means the treadmill will go at a decent speed and will be pretty reliable re: speed and distance.

 

[scoopj]

Quick conditioning workout.

400m intervals because oooh, oooh, I want to be like scoopj, I want to walk like scoop, talk like scoop oooh, oooh, oooh. Oh yes it's true-ooh, I want to be like scoo-oop...

*Realizes he is dancing. Stops dancing and looks around*

Ah, yes, the intervals. Right. Yes.

As some of you may know, I have a rule to always take it easy the first time you try something. So, I did

400m@12kmph
[email protected]
400m@13kmph
[email protected]
400m@14kmph

I'm not recording the times because I was waiting for the treadmill to speed up before jumping on, and because that made the distances a little imprecise too. TBH, the treadmill is knackered and I don't think that it was really going at those speeds. I remember all those speeds being a good bit faster. Next time I'll start higher and see if I can make the damn thing go any faster. It was just starting to get satisfying around 14kmph.

Hopefully we're getting a commercial treadmill and a new generator soon, which means the treadmill will go at a decent speed and will be pretty reliable re: speed and distance.

Give this man some JauntyPoints, stat!

 

[JauntyAngle]

Give this man some JauntyPoints, stat!

Sadly, the rules of JauntyPoints state that I am not allowed to give myself JauntyPoints. This is the burden that I must bear, while making the world a better place- the curse of being able to give them to others, but never having any myself. SlaveToTheDark may cry himself to sleep every night because he has no JauntyPoints, but at least he has the hope and indeed expectation of getting some at some point soon. I, however, can hold no such hope. And yet I do not complain- for this is the sacred duty of the line JauntyAngle, of clan JauntyAngle, handed down from generation to generation, ever since the very internet itself began, and I first thought of them.

 

[JauntyAngle]

With all this chat, JauntyPoint discussion, anecdotes and even the odd workout, the poor, neglected scantily-clad women of the world are being neglected.

For this installment, I thought I'd go more classy/high fashion:

But fans of slutty/glamour-type shots, don't worry... they're just taking a break. They'll be back.

 

[SlaveToTheDark]

SlaveToTheDark may cry himself to sleep every night because he has no JauntyPoints

no i won't...





:icon_sad:

 

[calvus]

Nice choices on the pics

 

[scoopj]

Sadly, the rules of JauntyPoints state that I am not allowed to give myself JauntyPoints. This is the burden that I must bear, while making the world a better place- the curse of being able to give them to others, but never having any myself. SlaveToTheDark may cry himself to sleep every night because he has no JauntyPoints, but at least he has the hope and indeed expectation of getting some at some point soon. I, however, can hold no such hope. And yet I do not complain- for this is the sacred duty of the line JauntyAngle, of clan JauntyAngle, handed down from generation to generation, ever since the very internet itself began, and I first thought of them.

A separation of powers is probably for the better. I can't fathom what might result from your having the unfettered ability to grant yourself JauntyPoints. The thousand year Reich comes to mind, only in this scenario, it would surely be realized. This way nobody can accuse you of impropriety. Bless you JauntyAngle. Bless you.

 

[JauntyAngle]

A guy who used to live in my guesthouse came back in country today, and asked me to get him into shape. So I am starting him off with SS, and HIIT. He's doing some LSD type stuff already, so I'm not bothering with that.

Today, I showed him the basic form for squats, bench and deadlift and we found his starting weights, so he can do 3x5/1x5 tomorrow. We also did some drills to practice Power Clean form and worked on the rack position.

After that, we did some intervals on the C2 rower: 2000m, 1.5mins slow/1 min fast. Just left it with one, as he's not used to HIIT.

 

[JauntyAngle]

Hey guys.

As you all know, the security conditions here in Afghanistan aren't great at all, and have been getting a little worse over the years. So we're looking at upgrading our security.

We've pulled together a few options. What do you think?

OPTION A:

OPTION B:

OPTION C:

I am thinking, just to be safe, we might want to go for all three.

 

[JauntyAngle]

Deload Week: Day Three

Warmup C2 rower, 2 minutes
Squat Worked up to 80kg x5, x5, x5
Bench Worked up to 70kg x5, x5, x5
Bent Over Row Worked up to 60kg x5, x5, x5
Goofing off Power clean to OHP 60kg x1, Power clean 50kg x3, GHRs (assisted) x some

Combined final day of deloading with helping my friend through the first workout of SS. He did bench and DL fine, but couldn't do more than a quarter squat without bending over massively and then having to heroically GM it up. Basically, no flexibility.

Afterwards, just messing about. Nice to see I could still put 60kg over my head, and it wasn't too close to my max. I think before I was just tired and in need of a rest. The GHRs are better again. I was able to get up a few times with even less of a push, and very nearly did a full negative. I'll probably be able to do a full one by the end of the week.

The coming week is going to be a bit of a mess. We move guesthouses on Monday and I doubt the gym will be ready, so I may do Monday's workout on Sunday, and Wednesday's on Tuesday. I am out of here on Thursday- will spend a day in Dubai and catch the evening flight, then arrive home Friday lunchtime. I'll be home three weeks, and will probably start a new cycle, going Saturday/Tuesday/Thursday for while I am there.