Focus: smooth descent, controlled bounce, aggressive stand
I was moving well, but not feeling this today. I did 4 sets at 115, 135, 155 and 165 pounds.
Conditioning
10-Minute AMRAP:
10 Thrusters (95/65)
10 Toes to Bar
10 Box Jump Overs (24/20)
Goal: 6–8 Rounds
I scaled this to 33 pound thrusters, hanging knee raises and 20 inch box jump overs. I moved slow and only managed 3 + 20. I should have added a little more weight to the thrusters and opted for stepovers. Still a good conditioning workout.
Mike Puccio in Lakewood has listed these several times. Included are (4) 5 lbs and (2) 2.5 lbs.
Retail on these in non-sensical at $51.95 each for the 5 lbs and $46.95 each for the 2.5 lbs. At over $300 retail, these would be about 15 cents on the dollar.
I do not own or even use any selector machines. My motivation is for grip training and specifically plate pinches where these could be attached to the lower half of a weight plate so that there is a full gripping surface on the upper half.
I reached out, but the seller did not have them and would be picking them up next week. I guess we will see...
Start light and build up to top set, then back down
Rest as needed between sets
Maintain quality reps throughout
I worked with 225-255-285-315-345-315-285-255-225 and was moving really well. I was beyond excited to PR my deadlift, especially with this pyramid scheme. I played a little bit with mixed grip after the workout.
Cool Down
2 Rounds:
10 Hamstring Curls w/ Band
10 DB RDLs
20 Banded TKE
Banded Terminal Knee Extensions are a movement developed by physical therapists to hone the last few degrees of extension before the joint fully straightens. As a prehab movement it helps athletes tolerate the end ranges of knee extension. Specifically through improving the strength and recruitment of the vastus medialis obliquus muscle which is used for patella stability and control.
I scaled this to an empty 35 pound barbell and did step over burpees. The push presses were completed in 3 sets in pretty short order around 1 minute each round. The burpees were tough. I finished 11 of 16 burpees by the time cap and did the last 5 after the cap. This was an important mental grind for me.
At first glance there is nothing to see here, but I am a sucker for commercial grade equipment and had to have the plate tree being offered by Lalo Eduardo Talavera on Facebook Marketplace. The listing was for $75 which is fine, especially if I could sell the barbells which I don't need.
After some back and forth and a failed meet up with the seller, he was willing to drop the price to $50 and I made a return trip up north to pick this up. It is in fine condition and well worth the $50 I paid. Now I need to do some re-organizing. I still want to sell the barbells and still expect to get $25 for them. But flipping is a pain in the ass.
Victor Marquez has listed these for $550 in Vail and at $1.05/pound it is well worth the drive up there. I do not need them and have no interest in flipping them
Cue: smooth bar path, bracing, fast triple. PR if confident
I worked up from 135-185-225-275-275
Felt good at 275, but did not want to go any heavier
Helen
3 Rounds for time:
400m run
21 KB Swings
12 Pull-Ups
Goal: <9:00 | Cap: 12:00
Intermediate: 35/26 KB, jumping/banded pull-ups
Baseline: 200m run, 15 light swings, 9 ring rows
With a goal of 9 min and a cap of 12 min, I scaled this to 200 meter runs, KBS at 26 pounds and Jumping Pull-ups. I finished in 9:38 and felt good about the effort. Had I gone 400 meter runs, it would have taken me 9 minutes for the runs alone.
As we had a large class, I started with the Row. If felt pretty good about my rep ranges. I need to work on pulling sumo. Those were the most taxing movements. Even with a very light bar, I was not cycling it well. I did much better with the push presses.
Felt fine, but my technique certainly leaves something to be desired. I am either doing a partial deadlift or squat. I am trying to keep my torso upright.
Need to figure out a better pin solution. I am not loving the Clevis and Cotter Pin. Best solution may be to get some small rare earth magnets and glue them to the pins. Nobody makes mag pins a 0.45 inch diameter and 2.5 inches long. Another solution is detent pins (7/16").
345 felt great and I considered jumping up another 10 pounds. In retrospect, sticking with 345 was a good call. My posterior chain knows it worked today.
Burner
1:00 max Row
:30 Rest
1:00 max Row
507 meters including ghost meters
Cool Down
:30 Seated Hamstring Stretch
:30 Side Lying Thoracic Opener (per side)
10x Banded Hamstring Flosses
Flosses were weird. Lie on back grab hamstring and extend leg, as you bend leg, raise head, then extend leg and lower head. I am not sure if I was doing it right.
I continue to have mixed feelings regarding the BSAG. Yes, it was nice to be invited and the organization does have some important history. However..
I don't enjoy competing this often
Athletes don't have much input in the organization
Bottleneck communications through Clark's Gym
I really do like wearing a belt and wrist wraps, especially for high reps
Results/records posted infrequently
Nationals Prep is going well.
Dinnie Lift - It was nice to get some volume with the Dinnie Lift. I am hoping it builds some hand toughness and then I will start increasing the load. Alternatively, I may train with wraps and then focus on grip.
Dumbbell to Shoulder - First time testing dumbbell to shoulder and 102 felt good.
These beauties are being offered by Connor Reger on Facebook Marketplace for the screaming deal of $500. That works out to just under $2.80/pound which is a fair deal for globes in general and a great deal for heavy globe dumbbells.
I am sure I will regret not buying these, but I have absolutely no use for heavy dumbbells. Especially ones as fragile as these and $500 is not chump change. I would be buying just to have them and would probably use them in trade down the line for something interesting. They are too heavy and fragile to ship easily which is another problem.
These are being offered by Coby Hurst-Sneh for a reasonable $250. They were originally listed for $300 which is not horrible. Just over $2.00/pound is a fair price for roundheads. Especially those over 50 pounds.
5 Overhead Squat Hold in bottom position (with pause)
5 Tempo Overhead Squats (3 seconds down, pause, fast up)
3 Full-Speed Overhead Squats
Gymnastics Primer (based on athlete level):
3 Scapular Pull-Ups or
5 Ring Rows or
5 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups
Community Cup Event 2
Rookie
4 Rounds:
Rounds 1 & 2:
10 Sit-ups
10 Overhead Squats (45/35 lb)
Max Calorie Row
Rounds 3 & 4:
10 Calorie Row
10 Overhead Squats (45/35 lb)
Max Ring Rows
This went pretty smoothly
Round 1 - 10+10+8 calories on the rower
Round 2 - 10+10+7 calories on the rower
Round 3 - 10+10+5 ring rows
Round 4 - 10+10+18 ring rows
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118 total reps
So far I have been enjoying the community cup programming. It will see how I end up amongst the king of the "losers" contest. Roughly 1000 men accepted invitations for the Rookie Category and about half of them have submitted some scores. I am sitting in 348th with one event left to complete. They can be done in any order at any time this week.
Little pick up from Kevin Love on Facebook Marketplace for $100. Retail is $220. I have been seeing these pop up from time to time and have been wanting to experiment with it.
1:00 2 inch worm +6 Ground to overhead with no weight AMRAP
2 rounds
___________
Specific (8:00-18:00)
5 KB Deadlift
1x5 Single arm single leg KB Deadlift
3x 5 KB Russian Swing (building in weight)
________
10 Single unders
10 jump high/slow single unders
3-5 sets of: 5 Single unders “slow, jump high”+ 1 Double Under
2:00 double Under practice
Skill
(19:00-22:00)
3:00 max reps double unders or double under practice (to simply do single unders here is not acceptable. You will do enough scaled version in the workout)
I did several sets and was moving well. Best unbroken was 10 double unders.
Conditioning
(25:00-42:00)
RXConditioning:
300 Russian KB Swings for time. (70/53lb.)
Every 3:00 starting at 0:00 you must execute 20 Double Unders
Goal: Sub 13:00
Cap: 17:00
Intermediate:
300 Russian KB Swings for time. (53/35lb.)
Every 3:00 starting at 0:00 you must execute 30 single unders
I used 26 pound kettlebell and moved well finishing in 14:57
Baseline:
150 Russian KB Swings for time. (15/10lb.)
Every 3:00 starting at 0:00 you must execute 20 single unders or plate hops
This was a nice little mover for me. I was finishing the rounds in around 5 min and had 90 seconds to recover between rounds. Interval time was set during the first round and then I was able to stick to it.
Programming inspired by Vintage CrossFit 5/24/025 which called for row, alt db snatch and bbj.
This took about an hour. Press behind neck was tough. C&J was OK and not much off my regular C&J. Deadlift was fine, but after maxing out a couple of weeks ago, I was in no mood to go heavy. Reverse Grip Press was awkward, but I did put up some token numbers.
Pair of 60s listed last night for $130. I contacted seller (Coby Hurst-Sneh, Denver) within 2 minutes. Dumbbells were delisted within 30 minutes
Pair of 40s listed for $65 and 30s listed for $50. Made plans to meet the seller (Austin Rider, Aurora), but within 15 minutes another buyer offered double. $230 for 140 pounds of dumbbells is a high side price, but certainly within reason if somebody is starting a collection.
I put together a couple of entries for the 2025 Snap City Open.
First was Double Clean & Press that my daughter and I were pretty excited about. The original inspiration was a Tom & Jerry cartoon and after a a few warm ups and epic fails, take 8 delivered:
Second was a Dumbbell Clean & Press with Teeth Lift inspired by Khalil Oghab the Iranian Strongman of Gerry Cottle's Circus.
Finally, I ended with some conditioning.
EMOM 12
Station 1 - 1 pull up + 5 push ups
Station 2 - 30 rope skips
Station 3 - 10 KBS (35#)
Nice little mover with roughly 1:1 work to rest ratio.
UPDATE 6/30/2025. Thanks to Psycho Pharma for sponsoring the event and sending me out a container of pre-workout.
The container includes 25 servings. 350 mg of caffeine per serving is about 3-4 cups of coffee. When I try this, I will have to ramp up slowly.
Ingredients
L-Citrulline Malate
L-Citrulline Malate is a potent ingredient that will increase L-arginine levels in your body. Thanks to its superior absorbability, it will expand your blood vessels more effectively than arginine. Perfect for intense lifting and heavy weight training, L-Citrulline will elevate your nitric oxide levels more efficiently than L-Arginine. At its maximum dosage of 8,000mg, this ingredient will reduce fatigue and enhance your gym performance.
Beta-Alanine
Beta-Alanine is a naturally occurring amino acid in muscle tissue and the brain. Included in Edge of Insanity at an effective dose of 3,200mg per serving, it will block the accumulation of lactic acid in your muscles. This will delay fatigue during repeated bouts of intense exercise with short recovery periods.
Caffeine Anhydrous
With a dosage of 350mg, Caffeine Anhydrous serves as the foundational stimulant in Edge of Insanity. It will set the stage for the effective and exotic hard-hitting stimulants included in the product.
Theobromine
Theobromine, dosed at 20mg, is a stimulant that will improve blood flow throughout your body. When combined with caffeine, its effects will amplify, enhancing your attention span and brain function.
Yohimbine Hydrochloride
Yohimbine Hydrochloride, at a dosage of 5mg, will sustain fat-burning. It is an effective supplement that will increase thermogenesis, mental focus, and cognitive performance.
Alpha Yohimbine Hydrochloride
Alpha Yohimbine Hydrochloride, dosed at 4mg, is a stimulant used for weight loss and enhanced athletic performance. Frequently found in energy and weight loss products, this ingredient will decrease both mental and physical fatigue.
Gamma Aminobutyric (GABA)
GABA is a naturally occurring amino acid that functions as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in your brain. At a dosage of 1,000mg, GABA will reduce stress, relieve anxiety, and promote an overall feeling of well-being. Additionally, GABA will promote lean muscle mass, increased endurance, and relief from dull pain and soreness.
Infinergy®
Infinergy® (Dicaffeine Malate 75% and Caffeine 25%) contains malic acid and caffeine at a dosage of 70mg. It is used for delayed stimulation to prevent the dreaded "crash." It will also be gentler on your digestive system compared to regular caffeine, reducing stomach discomfort.
I have been a happy customer of Adam Juncker custom equipment and he added a few more goodies to the grip board selling page.
First is a tapered handle on a BSS Trilobite Frame. Originally priced at $125 shipped. Dropped to $100 shipped.
Next piece is even more interesting. It is a custom 2x5 Saxon Bar with collars. Weight is 34.5 pounds empty. He is only asking $100 and his shipping estimate is $145 from his location in Indiana to L.A. was $145. The price is certainly right. The big question is do I need another heavy grip implement. I rarely use my 3x4 Saxon bar. When I purchased the Sorinex 3x4 it was $205 (less 5% discount) +$65 shipping + $20 tax = $275 to my door. This is cheaper and includes collars. Currently the Arm Assassin Strength Shop version is $150 + $70 shipping + tax.
UPDATE 5/20/2025 - I hem hawed for just over a week. During that time Adam dropped the price on the handle down to $90 and I decided to purchase. The Saxon Bar was a good enough deal that I decided to just get both.
Shipping the handle was $18 and $70 is a screaming deal. Shipping the Saxon Bar was $92 and $192 for a 2x5 Saxon Bar delivered is an amazing deal (cheaper than either Arm Assassins or Sorinex). The collars are really nice also.
I went 8 for 9 and 775 is a new PR Powerlifting Total!
Total 255+185+335 = 775 (GGC 5/11/2025) 209.0 (WILKS 218.87)
Total 245+192.5+330 = 767.5 (GGC 10/27/2024) 207.4 (WILKS 217.52)
Total 250+185+315 = 750 (GGC 5/11/2024) 206.9 (WILKS 212.8)
Total 245+180+335 = 760 (Lakewood 11/11/2023) 197.1
Total 245+185+325 = 755 (GGC 10/28/2023) 197.9
Total 242+165+341 = 748 (AFA 7/29/2023) 193.4
Total 235+170+325 = 730 (GGC 5/19/2023) 196.8
Total 240+195+330 = 765 (GGC 11/12/2022) 193.4
Total 235+190+325 = 750 (GGC 5/15/2022) 190.9 (WILKS 221.66)
Lifts were on par with my best SBD of 250/195/341 in different meets despite not training specifically for this event. I was beyond thrilled and want to keep working on my bench and squat.
With the Marpo Kinetic Trainer. Only a commercial facility with a healthy budget could afford this little gem. At $4,795 retail and a very large footprint it is not practical for home gym. While a front press can be accomplished in multiple ways, the side press and glute kick back were really nice functional movements.
This was my first time training at Peterson AFB and it is a nice little gym with a large functional fitness area, dumbbells up to 150 pounds, and really nice locker rooms.
The tire flip was a new piece of equipment that I have never used before. It is easier than a regular tire for a couple of reasons. First the knobs are very robust and easy to grab. Second the height of the flip stays the same even as the weight rises. A larger diameter tire is harder for me to flip.
I have no need for these despite the low price; They could have gone with my IronMind dumbbell handles if the 2.5" handles were not welded on.
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Wrist Reinforcer Leverage Bar Prototypes - $69.95
These were prototypes and actually look pretty cool, but not something I was super excited about.
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Big Boy Dumbbell Bar - $124.95
These were a warehouse cleanup; 24" long, 1-1/16" diameter, 5-1/4" handle. Kind of an odd item, especially at the steep price point
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Pinch Grip Pills - $249.95
These were prototypes and offered as a heavier or lighter disc.
Per IronMind "If your pinch grip is hampered by iron poor blood, grab these Pinch Grip Pills from IronMind: We prototyped these a couple of decades ago, opted not to go into production, so here's your chance to own a piece of iron game history while developing a potent pinch grip.
Precision machined from mild steel with gently curved faces.
No, I do not need another barbell. but this one spoke to me. It is made by Rogue Fitness. It is a rackable short bar. I did not even know it existed and had previously been coveting a C-70S bar which is the same length, but 28.5 mm diameter.
The Stump (retail $350) is a shorty power bar, with powerlifting knurl marks and a center knurl. The short length reduces the weight from 45 pounds to 30 pounds.
Eric Sandoval listed it for $200 and he was throwing in some collars which turned out to be Rogue Cerokote (retail $69.50). Anytime I can get Rogue equipment for under 50 cents on the dollar it is a win. When it is something I can actually use, it is a double win.
Eric was good to work with. He was moving and downsizing his previously 1500 square foot basement gym.
I have no idea what it is about the skull smash banner that resonates with me, but I have been coveting one of these for a couple of years. Skull Smash is now under new ownership and banners are back in stock. I went ahead and pre-ordered one for $25. I also ordered a bottle of "Cold Cocked" (for $15) since I was going to be paying for shipping anyway.
I am not even sure where I am going to hang it, but it will soon be mine.
From time to time, I have seen scale weights listed for sale on secondary markets. They look like gym equipment but they are actually used for calibrating scales. New these things go for $3-4/pound. On the secondary market, they are typically $2/pound.
I was fortunate enough to grab both the 50 and 25 for $50. Hopefully I can work them into my training in some meaningful way.
With the Grip Championship two weeks out is was time to start testing the lifts and verifying openers.
Pinch Grip, Strict
The girls were at 31 pound openers (10# plates plus the 11# bar and collars). I managed 60, 70, 75# (with the 25# plates) and managed 80# (with the 35# plates).
Deadlift, Inch DB, One Arm
The girls were at 37 pound openers (6# handle plus 25 pounds of plates). I managed 76, 86, but failed 91 pounds.
Vertical Bar, 1 Bar, 2"
The girls were at 51 pounds and 61 pounds for Nisha and Diya respectively. I managed 100, failed 110 and then made 105 pounds.
Hack Lift Fulton Bar
Girls are at 63 pounds. I managed 123, 173 and was 50/50 at 213 pounds.
I had the opportunity to drop in at open gym at Powerhouse Boxing and met Juan who gave me a great introduction to Powerhouse and what they are all about.
They cater to a wide variety of athletes from fitness to competitive boxers. They will be hosting matches in June. Group conditioning classes are interval type training sessions.
We started at the mirrors and he showed be the left jab, right jab, left hook combination and then the left jab, right uppercut, left uppercut combination.
Then we applied those movements to the heavy bag for the hooks and tear drop shaped bag for the uppercuts. He was very observant and emphasized staying on your toes and bringing your guard back. One universal was dipping back to the start position. They let me borrow some gloves for this.
Next station was defense and he had this bag on a pendulum to teach timing with slipping the bag as it came back and forth. As easy as it sounds twisting the shoulders or stepping out is not intuitive.
Then we went to a bag mounted at the ceiling and the floor. This was for speed and timing. Except by dumb luck, I never hit it with both the right and left in succession.
Finally we finished on the speed bag. This is a rhythm exercise that I was marginally better at, but still tough.
Overall between instruction and 3 minute rounds, I was there for about 90 minutes and had truly been put through my paces.
Daniel was among another (4) athletes training at open gym. They all seemed to have their routine and if I continue to attend I am sure I will find mine.
I was pretty sore afterwards, despite reducing my intensity. I felt it the most in my biceps for some reason and my wrists.
Adult training packages start at $95/month and go to $320/month depending on whether you are looking for group classes or personal sessions. $40/session is pretty reasonable considering the quality of intstruction. While I may never get to spar, I do think I would enjoy the training.
5x200 FR in 5:30ish, 1 minute rest between efforts
--
1000 yards total (30 minutes)
After threatening to train here for over 2 years, I finally popped in for a swim. Day rate is $6, 15 punch card was $76 and monthly in $30.
Membership is tiered based on Regional (all centers), Local (22 rec centers) or Neighborhood (11 rec centers). For Rude, I would need the regional membership.
Annual is $369
It is a nice facility and I am planning on coming back to either swim or lift once per week rather than going to the CDOT facility.
Lap swim is 5 lanes until noon and then 3 lanes after noon with the rest being open swim.
I have been really engrossed in this episode of Table Talk. Not that I am going to start a cycle, but the science behind them is really amazing.
First, get as lean as possible to prevent side effects. Excess fat will lead to worse estrogen effects.
Basic cycle of Testosterone (200mg/week) and Primobolan (anabolic steroid with few side effects, 400mg/week). Need 3200mg (4 vials for 8 week cycle) or Primo; Need 1600mg (1 vial for 8 week cycle) of Test.
Human Growth Hormone either Serostim (prescribed to AIDS patients with cachexia) or NGELA prescribed to kids who are not growing to their potential. These cycles could have more side effects that need to be monitored.
Managing the side effect of high blood pressure:
ARB - Telmisartan 80mg
Beta Blocker - Nebivolol 10 mg
Diuretic - Hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg
Calcium Channel Blocker - Amlodipine
Reducing visceral fat stored behind the small intestine (per Sean O'Mara):
Pillar of Hercules (WR = 132.60kg) - The Discus (WR = 41.10kg) - Minotaur Horn (WR = 101.75kg)
The listing is from the Grip Board and the pieces are from a company called Armlifting Greece. As an afficionado of weird stuff, of course I have to have it. The $90 shipped is more than reasonable and works out to $18/implement shipped. Considering shipping cost of around $20, he is taking home considerably less. Plus, I love the names of the implements.
I waited a bit too long and the gear is spoken for within 48 hours. It probably would not have seen much use, but very cool anyway.
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