Geezer's Long March Toward the Elite Sneaking Up On the Finish Line

[Greg C]

You know, there's enough non-log content here that perhaps we should have MEH's log moved to E&P. It's more like a running story and BS session now, isn't it?

Not that that's bad, but I have to remind myself to go looking for it if I don't remember to glance around when I am updating my pitiful (99% workout content) log.

[Mark E. Hurling]

OK, as sometimes happens and as I described in how The Old Man got himself in the shit with my mother in the whorehouse story in the around the campfire thread, the old Hurling DNA kicked in last night when I told Dearly Beloved about our discussions about not wearing a cup. The Minister of Finance and UnderSecretary of Defense was displeased to learn I had neglected this important bit of kit (homage to our British Cousins for this term) and body armor. I got blistered with a lecture about common sense and having more unprotected balls than brains. As for my oh so amusing remark about shooting blanks yesterday, she reminded me that without an adequately functioning firing pin even the possible blanks might not get shot off. God I love this woman. So it's definitely off to the nearby Dick's Sporting Goods store less than a mile from the building I work in, and yes there really is a Dick's. I could have said Big Five, which is also nearby, but Dick's is just perfect for this particular post.

5 minute warmup on the bike. (Light day)

Overhead Press: 130 x 8 x 3 + 12.

Back Extension: 90 x 3 x 10.

Delt rehab followed by foam rolling and stretching. I tested the delt with an empty bar bench press and it's coming along, but not perfect yet. I also have been experimenting with using the pins on the power rack to see if I can do those without taxing the delt. It so happens that 3-4 inches above the chest seems just fine with an empty bar.

I don't know if this will help tertius, but I have a narrative section in the draft of self defense for women in how we teach people to do the falls. I'll send it along to you.

[RobCor]

Well, it seems I missed Geezer Testicle Day yesterday, but I have a related story that resulted in an important lesson and a re-learning of a specific routine movement.

I was getting ready to squat, so I put some liquid chalk on my hands, toweled off my dripping forehead, and grabbed my belt. With my right hand gripping the belt, I flipped it around my back so that I could catch it with my left hand. But I missed. Instead of meeting my hand, the top pointy edge of my brand new inzer 10mm leather belt smacked directly in to my left nut.

It took me a much longer time to get ready for that set than I would have anticipated. Even worse, before my next set I almost hit the same nut again.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Made it through jujitsu with no damage to my wedding tackle so that was a net gain. Attendance was light because of the holiday weekend but the OCD green belt showed and I am increasingly convinced I was paired up with him to test my teaching abilities and patience. He works so damn hard, but the level of detail and breakdown required to get him on track can be agonizing. On the other hand it does demand that I think about the technique very hard and that does improve my own grasp and understanding of it. We worked on chokes and I'm still dizzy from blood flow disruption. Add to that Sandra, one of the women black belts, was not satisfied with his blocking technique of a roundhouse punch. She delivered a block to my right forearm and shoulder that stopped me dead halfway to contact. The shoulder strike was with the palm heel and it popped to hard and loud the shock wave made my right ear ring. We finished off with demonstrations and practice of energy direction. In this we learned the difference between the strength flows possible from pointing a finger on the hand being grabbed. If you make a fist it cut the effectiveness of the escape in half and also impossible to free yourself. Very interesting stuff. Direction of energy flow or ki.

The back feels good although the right delt's a little dodgy from the strikes it got from Sandra, but I feel well set up to try for 315 in the squat tomorrow and 190 for 5 sets of 3 in the overhead press. We'll see about that squat.

[tertius]

I love that finger pointing stuff. Really illuminating about the way the hands are wired to/in the brain.

Thanks for the email. Haven't had a chance to read it yet, what with the no internet at home, and tree removal.

[Mark E. Hurling]

You're welcome tertius. Always glad to do what I can. Yeah, I've known about the direction of energy (ki or chi or the force) or whatever term you want to put to it shortly after taking up mushin ryu and it just never ceases to amaze me. I gather it's the same with the tai ji and other internal arts you did?

5 minute warmup on the bike. (Heavy Day)

Overhead Press: 190 x 5 x 3. First time for this weight and while it got more challenging by the last set, I didn't feel like failure was imminent. A 225 single next week seems within reach.

Hammer High Row: 270 2 x 3, 290 x 3, 300 x 3, 310 x 3. This was planned for 270 x 5 x 3, but it was too easy so I tested what heavy really meant. I'm not completely certain it's 310 even. I added this vertical pull in to balance off the bias toward pressing and get my delts back in some semblance of good order. Machines are not thought of highly by Rip and others, but Hammer pulling apparatus always seemed the best designed to me so I'll hammer away at it.

Squat: 315 x 1 PR! I know, I've said more places than here that I squatted 315 in my 30's and even did a few months of 20 rep squats. But this one was to legal depth. The others in those days? Maybe, maybe not. I wasn't terribly scrupulous back then. I had intended to try for 3 if it seemed possible, but I got a little spooked with those 3 a side big plates and stopped at one although I'm confident I had more reps in me. Mainly it getting over the mental thing, and I did. So hot fucking damn! Even better, the back still feels solid.

Delt rehab followed by a GXP.

[Jonathon Sullivan]

Squat: 315 x 1 PR!

Outstanding, Mark! Felicitations.

[bob g]

Awesome, Mark, awesome.

[hbriem]

Congratulations Mark!

[Oldster]

Aren't PR's COOL!!

Congradulations! I bet you are still trodding around on cloud nine.