A Revolutionary Ranger's Training Log in the Age of Zombie Capitalism

[Al Raven]

P&P day 21, pushups: ~15, ~3, ~2. I'm dead. Bodyweight upper body exercises is TOUGH AF when you're 93+kg.

 

[Al Raven]

I do think that I'd prefer not sticking to 30" rest between sets, because I simply can't recover during that time so I then can only do a couple of reps.

 

[Al Raven]

Also, it's time for me to start doing knee rehab exercises (strengthening, mobility, ...). It's clearly not a big injury, but I'm not at the point I can get back to explosive/intensive exercises (running, heavy lifting, and anything that requires powerful and full-range-of-motion movements from the knee - so that includes quite a lot).

 

[Al Raven]

P&P day 22, s-pullups: 5, ~2, 2. Instead of 30" I simply did as little rest as possible (not measuring it but trying to minimize it)

 

[Al Raven]

Getting tired about this knee injury. I don't think it's anything as bad like big ACL/etc or tendon problems, but my guess is healing the knee (just like the shoulder) can take a bunch of weeks (it happened on the 28th january). Patience needed!

 

[Al Raven]

P&P day 23, pushups (minimum rest): 15, 4. 4. Not gonna lie, I'm gonna complete until day 30 but I'd prefer to switch to doing max pushups and pullups 2-3x a week, while on other days doing them "Greasing the Groove" throughout the day. But I'll keep going until day 30 is done.

 

[Al Raven]

P&P day 24, s-pullups ("chinups"): 5, 2, 2. Even if I take ~1min rest, that's all I can do right now.

 

[Al Raven]

P&P day 25, max push-ups (40-60" rest): 16, 4, 2. Also, side note: you only truly realize how legs are involved in push-ups when you get a leg injury...

 

[Al Raven]

P&P day 26, s-pullups (~1min rest): ~6, 1, 1,5 (literally one full rep then rising halfway...).

 

[Al Raven]

P&P day 27, max push-ups (40-60" rest): 16, 5, 3.

 

[Al Raven]

P&P day 28, max s-pullups (1min rest): 6, 2, ~2.
Two days left! (tho obviously I didn't complete it in 30 days, I don't care honestly...)
Hopefully this week I'll try getting back to more intense/etc wkts (and go back to the gym), maybe not running yet but I think it's the right time to try again (reasonably...)

 

[Al Raven]

P&P day 29, max push-ups (60" rest): 16, 5, 3.
3 x amrap bicep curls @ 10kg dumbbells
3 x amrap (arnold or standard) shoulder presses @ 10kg dumbbells

 

[Al Raven]

Well I somehow forgot today (in push and pull challenge, day 30) was pull-ups, so I did pushups again: 16, 6, 4.
Went back to gym, positive signs. Here's what I did (apart from testing my mobility and trying various things):

1. 3x amrap pushups w/ 1min rest: 16, 6, 4.
2. squats
   1. 5 reps @ bar only (20kg)
   2. 5 reps @ 60 kg
   3. 3 reps @ 80 kg
   4. 2-3 reps @ 100 kg
3. deadlifts 1x 3 @ 110 kg.

I can probably do many things without any pain, but not running.
This workout log/thread is a bit lonely to be honest, I'm considering whether I should continue or just do one for myself offline...

 

[TheLibrarian]

This workout log/thread is a bit lonely to be honest, I'm considering whether I should continue or just do one for myself offline...

I would like to read more.

 

[Tileenah]

I like reading your thread (though I only understand part of it 'cause I don't know all the terms in english for workouts)

 

[Fremen]

Maybe consider the forum as a gym, you arrive, say hello, you look around and maybe you have a chat while you train

 

[Al Raven]

To be fair I guess I should spend a bit more time looking at what others are doing, it's normal people won't interact just out of the blue like that. I appreciate the couple of ppl who are have followed/been interested in what I do for a while, I'll go check out what you're doing and chat to learn more about you^^
But I don't know, we'll see...

 

[Al Raven]

Maybe I can share some of what I'm doing research-wise or some interesting bits from my readings, I just feel like it's would be a bit weird to throw the kind of critical theory/radical and social science literature/discussions/etc at you haha... (Although I do read stuff that isn't in either of those domains, it's just my main focus/interest). I'm also a Manchester United fan, and more generally a student of the tactics/nerdy aspects of football (aka soccer). I'm doing a MA thesis on a transnational movement called the Milk Tea Alliance, and I'm also an aspiring datajournalist/OSINT-er. (I'm 24 and getting to the end of university studies, next up is: finding out how to get (read: survive, get food and shelter) by in today's capitalist-cum-ecological-crisis society)
I don't think I'll be sharing a lot of these (academic/communist) things because it doesn't really seem like the place (esp. if I don't know if anyone would be interested to discuss it), but that's just a bit more about me! As I've said in the past, it's been probably ~ten years I've known and loved darebee, so back when I was a young teen...

 

[Al Raven]

One thing that would be worth sharing with y'all is the story of the fascinating Benjamin Lay, which I'm reading a biography about. A 17th century quaker dwarf, revolutionary abolitionist, anticapitalist (ish), vegan, ...

 

[Fremen]

What I generally like a lot about the Hive is that you can say what you want, when you want, without any problems, you don't have to be constant, you don't necessarily have to have a logical sense, share what you want and feel like sharing, all very simple
You always discover a lot of interesting things in other people's logs

 

[Al Raven]

 

[Al Raven]

Today doing "Greasing the groove" pushups (sets of 4 throughout the day) and s-pullups (sets of 1, idem)

I like to do these bdw strength exercises like this because I can focus on total control/full range of motion (which is better to get stronger, obviously!), plus it's energizing to do this regularly throughout the day...

 

[Al Raven]

So far total of 6 s-pullups, 24 push-ups (often chest-to-floor^^)

 

[Al Raven]

3x max pushups (1-2min rest): 16, 8, 5.
3x max spullups (1-2min rest): 4, 3, 2.

 

[Al Raven]

Today's log

• I'm practicing things like quick lunges (e.g. "runner/sprinter lunges"), butt kicks, high knees, jumping/half jacks, fast squats, hops, light kicks, knee strikes, ... -> as a way to try teaching my body to get back into these kinds of movement. Because I do feel like I haven't had any deeper/more serious injury, but rather a kind of nervous "shock" - for lack of more precise word - by having fallen on my knee (left leg). So it's those kind of moves - where I'm using the legs in a running/jumping up/sprinting forward (my injury happened while doing badminton)/lunging up/etc... kind of movements/motion, during which I still feel some pain/lack of mobility... Also still can't sit (for more than a few seconds) with legs crossed, or folding one leg to the side (the "side bent sit", which I had been practicing before the injury), and also can't do stretches like the pigeon stretch (which is one of my favorite stretches sadly...)
• Apart from that, I did GtG (Greasing the Groove) pushups and s-pullups throughout the day
  • total pushups (sets of 4): 40.
  • total s-pullups (sets of 1): 10.

 

[Al Raven]

Actually surprised and happy that I'm not feeling much pain during butt kicks or high knees, e.g. the closest thing biomechanically to running that you can do while staying on one spot/at home.
Another note - which I don't really know what to make of... - is that I seem to feel more pain while rising from bed in the morning (and when turning around in bed during the night), than later on - e.g. at the afternoon, when I've already been moving about and been active - like right now (4pm) which almost feels like my body/my knee is more "warmed up" and mobile... Weird...

 

[Tileenah]

Not weird... Your muscles rest and get less blood when you sleep than when you're up and about. Since it seems to me you have some kind of muscle injury it makes sense. Be kind to yourself while stretching (at least for 6 weeks counting from the day you got injured), and listen to your pain : if there's a tear you don't want to make it worse, whereas while doing concentric movements like running on the spot or so, you make the blood flow in faster and it helps the healing

 

[Al Raven]

Thanks @Tileenah! As I've said it really doesn't seem too bad since by now the pain happens mostly as I said, during the night and early on (morning), and when doing some end-of-range-of-motion movements or stretches (deep squats, pigeon stretches, sitting with legs crossed for extended period...). But I appreciate your feedback, I'm definitely taking it as slowly as needed...

 

[Al Raven]

Gonna do butt kicks/high knees/knee strikes/etc (micro-)wkts to lead my body back to these kinds of movements/training^^

 

[Al Raven]

Gonna do butt kicks/high knees/knee strikes/etc (micro-)wkts to lead my body back to these kinds of movements/training^^

(running and so on, I mean)

 

[Al Raven]

GtG (Greasing the Groove) pushups and s-pullups throughout the day

• total pushups (sets of 4): 40.
• total s-pullups (sets of 1): 10.

 

[Al Raven]

Max S-pullups: 5, 2, 2. (Bar height = @ my own height, 179cm + armlength...)
Max Pushups: 15 (failed #16), 8, 7.
Squats: warm up sets (...), then 3x5 @ 100kg.
Tried jogging (treadmill), did 10min!

 

[Al Raven]

My pullup up bar at home is lower than the ones at the gym (there are a different bar heights and grip widths there, but all require me to jump up), it's a clear concrete application of Newtonian gravity lol (gravitational pull increases the farther you are from the ground).

 

[Al Raven]

+ Being heavier obviously is a factor too. + moving a heavier object (in this case me haha) requires more 'work' obviously

 

[Al Raven]

Newtonian physics Pullups
Kicking your ass (and arms)

 

[Al Raven]

I wonder how it would be like doing say, pushups, pullups ... or barbell/heavy squats..., in a plane or sth

 

[Al Raven]

GtG (Greasing the Groove) pushups and s-pullups throughout the day

• total pushups (sets of 4): 40.
• total s-pullups (sets of 1): 11.

 

[Al Raven]

Max s-pullups (~1-2min rest): 6, 3, 2.

 

[Al Raven]

Today's workout

1. Gym @ morning:
   1. Warm up: basic moves + 200m light rowing
   2. GtG pushups (4) and s-pullups (1)
   3. 10min bike
   4. GtG pushups (4) and s-pullups (1)
   5. 5min rowing
   6. GtG pushups (4) and s-pullups (1)
   7. 10min jogging-running.
   8. Stretching
2. GtG ("Greasing the Groove") @ throughout the day: totals of 40 pushups (sets of 4), 10 s-pullups (sets of 1).

 

[Al Raven]

Today's workout
3x max pushups: 17, 8, 5.
3x max s-pullups: 6, 3, 3.

 

[Al Raven]

Today's workout

1. Goal was 3 sets of 10 pushups + 2 s-pullups, w/ 1min rest in between. Managed all but the third pushup set, where I completed 5 reps.
2. Ill perhaps do bicep curls, shoulder presses and maybe more later on..

To the regular folks seeing this, how are you as March begins (which for me means getting closer to spring and summer, yay!)?

 

[Al Raven]

I should say, apart from liking these exercises very much (and I guess since for each I've had to start really from scratch with knee pushups and dead hangs last year, I've come to really like the journey of patiently and gradually building up my strength and mastery of these moves), my short term goals for pushups and pullups**:

1. Being able to do at least 20 pushups (with consistent form), and eventually doing so relatively comfortably (i.e. it's a tough exercise no matter what, but being able to do so without having to reach complete muscle fatigue). Being able to do MANY sets of 5's and 10's either in a workout or throughout (or occasionally during) the day, so I can practice pushups daily as an ongoing bodyweight exercise/energizer/routine, alongside things like pullups, stretching, etc... Being able to do 20+ standard pushups also means I can practice other and harder pushup variations... In a word: pushups for life!
2. Same idea with pullups (initially s-pullups, but eventually both grips), but the goal is ~10 (in both cases I'm not thinking about 50+ or 15-20 rep ranges respectively, it's just not on the near horizon for me and I'm not even sure I'd want to aim for these...).
3. Apart from that, I'm happy to do 120kg deadlifts and 100kg squats* (sets of 5, 1x for fmr and 3-5x for latter) once (or twice...) a week for a while without seeking increases (or more volume/intensity), because I'd rather get back to more running, more dynamic and fun workouts and boosting my conditioning/resiliency/mobility - and also just having more fun you know...

**worth saying occasionally that "s-pullups" is my way of referring to "chin-ups" which I don't like as a term lol: yes I'm a pedant but it's very much a "pullup" (or in French: "tractions", I don't know if (but haven't heard) ppl use a different word for supinated ones) - which best describes the actual mechanics of what you're trying to do with your body! - just with supine grip^^ hence the s-, prone would be p-pullups. In my handwritten workout planning/notes I use "pu" for "pushups", "pplu" for "pronated pullups", and "splu" for "supinated pullups".
* unlike cardio from e.g. running, strength from heavy lifting built gradually/sustainably, doesn't go away (or drastically fall) in a matter of weeks, I tried doing it last week after being injured for a while and it was fine, I just did less volume for squats (just one set) to be sure I don't rush...

 

[HellYeah]

The names of pullups, a philosophie on its own...

Underhand, overhand and hammer (grip) pullups are the most understandable versions, in my opinion. In my usual training journal I just use pullups. In the case it "matters", like PRs I use chin/pull/hammer-up, but that isnot often the case.

 

[Al Raven]

To the regular folks seeing this, how are you as March begins (which for me means getting closer to spring and summer, yay!)?

How are you doing y'all? @HellYeah @aku-chan @TheLibrarian @Fremen @BetaCorvi @Tileenah

 

[Al Raven]

The names of pullups, a philosophie on its own...

Underhand, overhand and hammer (grip) pullups are the most understandable versions, in my opinion. In my usual training journal I just use pullups. In the case it "matters", like PRs I use chin/pull/hammer-up, but that isnot often the case.

So you don't plan which grip you're gonna use, or you just know it in your head?

 

[TheLibrarian]

To the regular folks seeing this, how are you as March begins (which for me means getting closer to spring and summer, yay!)?

How are you doing y'all? @HellYeah @aku-chan @TheLibrarian @Fremen @BetaCorvi @Tileenah

March, your feeling that brings you closer to spring and summer, moves me farther away from winter, the dark and the cold, nothing I really cherish. Apart from that: fighting and surviving for the weekends. Have a nice evening.

 

[Tileenah]

March... This year it means to me : a new house (yay!) and also planning a moving with a 5 and a 2 y.o. (noooooo!), also planning the carnaval with the town school's association, and an egg hunt and a vide grenier (which is a garage sale but not in front of your house and with other people doing the same thing at the same time as you. I don't know how to translate this) also with the school's association, which are on the same weekend as my moving
I can't wait for march to be over

 

[Tileenah]

Thanks for the explanations on the pull-ups, I understand the terms better now I'm sometimes a bit lost with all the names, and it's even worse if they're abbriviated...

 

[Fremen]

I'm still waiting for spring but the last days of winter aren't over yet

 

[aku-chan]

How are you doing y'all? @HellYeah @aku-chan @TheLibrarian @Fremen @BetaCorvi @Tileenah

Very happy that we're moving into Spring!
Used to love the Wintertime, but it just doesn't agree with me any more.