Quest for Muscle: The Return of the Pump

[GentleOx]

Hey Bees. Quite tired today, but still getting stuff done. Today was Back Day; I set out for a PR and just barely made it.

Deadlift: 190 x 8. This has to be one of the worst deadlifts I've ever done. I feel like my nerves got the better of me, and it took too long for me to set up. And when I started, I could practically feel my lower back curving as I fought to pick up the weights. The only way it could've gone worse was if I'd failed to pick it up at all. So only 8 reps out of a planned 10. But still, this is a minor PR (+1 rep from the previous attempt), so there's that.
Romanian Deadlifts: 120 x 5.
Reverse Grip Rows: 102.5 x 5.
T-Bar Rows: 90 x 5.
Machine One Arm Rows: 60 x 5.
Incline Rows: 28 x 6.
+18000 steps.

My muscles are quite sore afterward. I'll take that as a sign that this colossal workout was successful.

I have a report from my supervisor of more work coming in, but I'm more nervous than anything else. I'll wait until after the weekend to take stock.

Take care, Bees!

Playing: Fallout 4. Yep, I reinstalled it, for what has to be the third or fourth time since I started this Darebee thread. Also, 100+ mods for good measure. Of course, it's great fun as usual but how long until I get tired of it? Oh well. Nothing beats the champ! Back to sucking up all the junk in the commonwealth and hunting monsters.

I gave up on Deus Ex because I was fed up with sneaking around, and ammo scarcity. Which is a shame, but I was craving some pew-pews anyway. Also played a bit more of Weird West, but it's a tough game. Kind of like a wild-west version of an immersive sim.

Watching: Stuck with Seal Team while on the treadmill today. It's like the TV equivalent of comfort food. Mmm. Still watching Malum at night, but man does it chug. Less wandering around and misdirection, and more scares please (I've counted 2 within 50 minutes. Not good).

Listening to: Miami Nights 1984 - Early Summer. Not a fan of the heat; can't deny that summertime has come in force.

 

[JCU]

Congrats on your PR, especially with all the difficulties!

 

[Fremen]

Congrats

 

[Mianevem]

Congrats on yet another PR!

 

[Tileenah]

Congrats on your PR !!!

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you so much @Fremen, @Mianevem, and @Tileenah! I wouldn't be able to make these PRs without all your support!

Yo, Bees. I am a very tired Ox, but I got my workout done. Today I tested out my one rep max AGAIN, only this time I paused each lift. So, a competition day, if you will.

Bench Press: 152.5 x 1. I had a feeling I would hit this lift. 140 was somewhat tough, but I kept going and going, and eventually ended up here. So now I know that my competition lift is 5 kg less than my touch 'n go one.
Incline Press: 122.5 x 1.
Decline Press: 125 x 5. Not willing to do a 1rm with this one; maybe next time?
Shoulder Press: 80 x 1. Bah!

Tomorrow I'm having hot pot with mom. Our favourite place just reopened.

Will I workout again over the weekend? Hard to say. For now, I'm just going to kick back, game a little, and watch Indiana Jones?! Nah.

Enjoy your weekend, Bees!

Playing: Back into Fallout 4; annoyingly, the crashes are back too. Oh well. I guess that's part and parcel of having 100+ mods installed. Also played me some Weird West. Haven't played D4 in a few days...

Watching: Warrior Season 3 has just begun! I remembered thinking it was cancelled for the longest time, but they made a third season! If you haven't heard of it, imagine Gangs of New York, only with a strong Chinese and Martial Arts bent to it. The opening fight scene in the first episode is a feat of martial arts that equals, if not overcomes John Wick's action sequences.

Forgot to watch Malum last night. Too sleepy.

Listening to: Pilotpriest - The Canyon. Sometimes I stumble across some absolute synth gems. This one could be described a measured, but stately. In my mind, it beats out most other sci-fi synthwave by light years.

 

[lofivelcro]

You're still playing Fallout 4! That's amazing!

 

[CODawn]

Congratulations on your PR!

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you @CODawn!
@lofivelcro I have these periodic cravings for Fallout 4. I'll get tired of it... and then want it back on my hard drive again.

Hey Bees. The workout's done, my files are in place, and I'm suitably tired. But ready for tomorrow!

Today is the first day of the first week of another Candito strength cycle. It was a Push day, which I used to get started on my bench.

Bench Press: 125 x 6. I fudged the weights a little and ended up pushing myself harder than intended. It was a tough lift! I guess that after peaking with my best lifts last week, it makes sense that my strength would go down again. There's still time, however...
Incline Press: 100 x 12. Wowza! I still gots it. I've never done 100 twelve times. I think.
Decline Press: 125 x 6.
EZ Bar Pushdown: 14 x 8.
EZ Bar Curls: 42.5 x 6. Still got it. But not by much.

Playing: As mentioned above, Fallout 4 has its hooks in me again. I've finally gotten it stable (relatively, anyway), and am back to looting and blasting my way across the wasteland.

Also playing snippets of others, like Weird West, and Heroes of Hammerwatch.

Watching: Warrior continues to be awesome, and has supplanted everything else as my cardio diversion. Still haven't finished Malum. Shame.

Listening to: Otis Taylor et al - Ten Million Slaves. Hell yeah! I love the soulsy sound of this one. First heard it in Public Enemies, though it didn't come to my attention until recently. This version is stripped down and raw.

 

[JCU]

Congrats on the PR!

 

[Tileenah]

Congrats on another PR!!!

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you kindly @Tileenah and @JCU!

My class yesterday went okay (I'm teaching some Business English), and I celebrated today by... well, working out again. Today was the second Push day of the week.

Bench Press: 127.5 x 6. Pushing it, once again. The program only calls for 120 x 6, but I upped the weights because, hey, why not.
Incline Press: 100 x 10. Couldn't hit the 12 or 13 reps I wanted. Some days you don't got it.
Close Grip Press: 112.5 x 5.
Rope Pushdown: 12 x 6.
Cable Curls: 11 x 6.
I couldn't sleep last night. Too much coffee and anxiety. Tonight I'll try to catch up on sleep, aided by fatigue from my workout

It's almost Friday, Bees! Keep chugging along!

Playing: I got fed up with Fallout 4. Again. I don't know what mod or settings is causing all the constant crashing, so I've given up for the time being. Who knows when I'll try to reinstall it and make everything work, but I just can't be arsed at this moment. Installed a bunch of other goodies, like Mass Effect: Andromeda (which, apart from Bethesda's other games, most closely replicates the shooter-looter feel), and The Division 2.

Something else I'm playing is a horror game from the excellent Harvest Studios called Burnhouse Lane. It's basically an adventure game with plenty of surreal touches, gore, and a compassionate view of those with mental health issues. I'm liking it so far - the puzzles are easy enough to get through (except one dangerous scenario whose solution I couldn't figure out), and I like the characters. Look forward to playing beyond the first chapter.

Watching: Finished the first episode of Warrior. Looking forward to watching more. Still haven't finished Malum... should really get on that!

Listening to: The Protomen - Hold Back the Night. This is peak Protomen: rousing melodies that could've been ripped out of an 80s action flick. This track also features some amazing female vocals. Could this style of music be called Heroic Rock?

 

[JCU]

 

[lofivelcro]

I wouldn't describe Fallout 4 as a looter shooter. Have you tried the Borderlands games? Those are peak Looter Shooter and the only real ones, imo.

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you kindly @JCU.
@lofivelcro Yes, it doesn't fit into the general genre of Looter-Shooter that something like Destiny 2 or The Division 2 would, but Fallout 4 had a different, unique feel that I haven't seen completely matched. BL3 is another of my favourites, for sure.

Oops, I forgot to update yesterday.

Yesterday was Sunday, so I went to church and then off to the gym. It was absolutely baking!

Bench Press: 130 x 6. Meh, could've been better. Could be that my futzing around with the program's numbers has taken a toll on me.
Close Grip Press: 115 x 5.
Incline Press: 102.5 x 5.
Shoulder Press: 60 x 5.
EZ Bar Curls: 30 x 6.

Today, I had a lesson with my ye old bratty student from before. It's summer vacation, and she's still kinda bratty. Eh. C'est la vie. Have more lessons on the horizon.

Have yourselves a good Monday, Bees! I can see the weekend from here.

Playing: Got fed up with Weird West, and it's no longer on my hard drive. While it had a distinct sense of style, the gameplay threw me off (what an apropos expression). I'm no longer a fan of games that profess to allow different styles of play, only to funnel you into avoiding enemies all the time. I used to play Thief, whose raison d'etre was sneaking around undetected, but I want to be able to blast my way through a game if it comes down to that (eg Dishonored 2). Or just blast away all the time (which was what Fallout 4 let me do). Playing through Prey (2017) again, which is an old favourite of mine. Let's see if it holds up.

Watching: Still haven't made time for Mission Impossible, though it certainly looks exciting. Still watching Warrior at the gym, and still amazed thus far.

Listening to: Taurus1984 - Dream Warriors. How about some Synthpop? This is one of the many perfectly made Synth songs, from head to tail.

 

[GentleOx]

So tired, Bees. But satisfied too! I was supposed to teach today, but my student called in sick, so I took more time to rhwo in a workout.

Bench Press: 130 x 6.
Incline Press: 102.5 x 5.
Decline Press: 125 x 5.
EZ Bar Curls: 40 x 10. Sounds about right.
EZ Bar Pushdown: 14 x 6.

Also... I'm four years sober today. Amazing how it started during a time of such upheaval (the HK protests), survived through Covid, and came out the other side. I celebrated with a cheeseburger - it was good!

Have yourselves a blessed Wednesday.

Playing: A lot on the gaming front.

Finished Burnhouse Lane recently. I love Rem Michalski's adventure games - they're dark, surreal, and well-written. Burnhouse Lane is not a transformation of the Michalski adventure experience so much as a refined expansion. I got the "bad" ending, but it was moving all the same. I give it four and a half cigarettes out of five.

Played a bit of Prey last night. May be tiring of it, too, which is a shame, as it exemplifies and streamlines the immersive sim design that's... rarely put into practice, funny enough. Why aren't there more games like the System Shock Remake? I don't know. Weird West was a flawed execution. So I'll give it another few minutes tonight.

I have made Borderlands 3 my "podcast" game, which is a game that I play while dimming the audio and playing a podcast instead. Favourites include Tim Cain's talks, and Every Horror Movie on Netflix. Started playing some DLC, which is good, as I've already played through BL3's campaign six or seven times.

Watching: Still watching Warrior at the gym. Going to try to watch more of Malum tonight, but knowing how easily I get tired, it may not be in the cards.

Listening to: Gunship - Monster in Paradise. Gunship are back, baby! I first heard them in 2014 and their third album is coming out soon! Awesome!

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

BTW, now that it's been out a little, what's your take on the new Diablo? I haven't bought it because my present installation is the strict minimum... So I thought I'd rather wait one or two years, for when I will have updated my computer.

 

[TopNotch]

Congrats on your four years!

 

[JCU]

Congratulations on 4 years sober!

 

[Fremen]

Congrats on 4 years sober

 

[Tileenah]

Congrats on 4 years sober!!!!

 

[Mamatigerj]

Happy Sober Birthday!

 

[lofivelcro]

Congratulations on being 4 years sober! Awesome dedication and great work!

 

[TheLibrarian]

Congrats on 4 years!

 

[aku-chan]

Congrats on 4 years sober!

 

[CODawn]

Congratulations on 4 years of sobriety!

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you so much @CODawn, @aku-chan, @TheLibrarian, @lofivelcro, @Mamatigerj, @Tileenah, @Fremen, @JCU, @TopNotch. Your support makes it even more worth the while!
@PetiteSheWolf I confess, I'm kind of the wrong person to ask, because I don't have the most detailed understanding of all the gameplay systems, and am only playing one class right now. That said, my advice is to wait. It's a fun game, but it's not as electric as, say, Diablo 2.

Augh. The heat outside is killer, I tells ya. Went back to the gym for my first Pull day in two weeks.

Deadlifts: 170 x 5. This was absolutely disastrous. I did this for three sets, and my grip gave way on the first and third sets. Had no idea I was so reliant on my lifting chalk, which I didn't have with me today. I'll have to get more.
Stiff Leg Deadlifts: 115 x 5.
Barbell Rows: 100 x 5.
Machine One Arm Rows: 60 x 5.
Machine Lat Pulldowns: 55 x 5.
Also, 21,000 steps.

Just wasn't feeling it today. But there will be more days. Tomorrow I will hunt for more climbing/lifting chalk, and have a yummy buffet dinner. Sunday we're receiving $2000 HKD for free (though it's not exactly the same as free cash), so I'm going to go shopping, then.

Enjoy your weekend, Bees!

Playing: I've reinstalled Fallout 76. I figured... "hmm, I need something to scratch that open-world, Bethesda itch, so why not another Bethesda game?" It's not the most satisfying experience so far; the online lag is particularly annoying, and the MMO adjustments to the Fallout formula are a pain. Still, it's fun, which is the point.

Watching: I finally finished Malum. I'm not impressed, and I find it very telling when a movie can't really hold my interest for very long. There's not a very strong story connecting the disparate spooky scenes in the movie, and the scares feel tired and trite. So I give it two cursed pigs out of five.

Listening to: The Cult - Honey from a Knife. Now we're talking! Love that feeling of discovering great music from an old band. I enjoy the groove on this one, so much that it's made it onto my gym playlist.

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Thanks for the comment. Anyhow waiting a bit allows them to clean the bugs and streamline the skill trees, LOL.

 

[GentleOx]

Tis' I, the Ox, again! Today was my first Push day of the week (I've started doing them on Sunday), for week... 3?

Bench Press: 135 x 5. Merely okay? Hey, I'm kind of proud of myself. Haven't been able to do this in awhile, actually...
Incline Press: 105 x 5.
Close Grip press: 120 x 5. This one took an effort and a half.
Dips: Top set of 21.
EZ Bar Curls: 40 x 6.

It occurs to me now that my gym schedule is going to be disrupted by my trip to The States, but I'll see how it works out when we get there.

I got my free $2000 HKD from 7-11 and spent all my money (well, just 100) on clothes. Real baller, I am.

Playing: I reinstalled Fallout 4 yet again. This must be the fifth or sixth time since I've started this thread. Reinstalling it and all the associated mods (all 90 of them) takes four or five hours. So I hope my playthrough is free of those nasty bugs. Eh.

Also playing Fallout 76 for novelty value, but despite it adding more to the Fallout 4 engine, it ironically feels like a lesser experience. Haven't played D4 in several days.

Watching: Still watching Warrior at the gym. May be the last season we get of this fantastic show. Resumed my long ago watch of The Perfection, and still waiting for the stark-bonkers madness to begin.

Listening to: Run DMC - Beats to the Rhyme. How about some old school rap? Can't go wrong!

 

[CODawn]

I don't know this particular song but I do like some of their other songs. In fact, I love "You Talk Too Much".

 

[GentleOx]

@CODawn I just looked up that song, it's pretty cool! Love the melody... it's oddly kind of menacing.

Hey Bees! Yesterday was a typhoon signal 8 (which means everyone's off of work and the gym is closed), so I waited until today to do my workout. Super tired again, but still at it. Today was Back day, and I sought to reclaim some of my mojo.

Deadlifts: 170 x 5, 175 x 5. Not quite there, but getting there! And I tells ya, having some good chalk by my side (I got mine for $44hkd) made all the difference. It's so frustrating when you have to lift, but don't know if your grip is going to give way (this is more of a fear with deadlifting then, say, benching).
SL Deadlifts: 120 x 5.
Reverse Grip Rows: 105 x 5.
T-Bar Rows: 90 x 5.
Machine One Armed Rows: 60 x 6.

I'm probably going to wake up very sore, but hey, it was worth it. Walked around for a bit,

Our flight to California is on Friday. I hope to squeeze in another workout before then.

Hope the heat's not getting you down, Bees!

Playing: What's this? I'm still playing Fallout 4?? I seem to have a playthrough that's crash-resistant (knock on wood). I might, of course, get bored eventually and delete everything, as I am wont to do.

Played a bit of Diablo 4. I'm really only in it for the storyline (which is steadily advancing), funnily enough, whereas most people play for the Seasons and the Raids and stuff.

Playing another dark adventure game: Downfall. A noticeable step down from Burnhouse Lane (they're made by the same studio), but that's okay.

Watching: Warrior, of course. Still a good 5 or 6 episodes to go for this season that are being doled out week by week, so my watching will be a bit curtailed. Watched a bit of The Perfection last night, past the first big twist. So far, it's somewhat bonkers, not nuclear-level bonkers... but that might change.

Listening to: The Protomen - Breaking Out. I like this one a lot; in the beginning it tugs on the heartstrings, before ramping up in drive and intensity.

 

[lofivelcro]

At this point, I recommend a single hard drive solely for Fallout 4 and its mods

 

[GentleOx]

@lofivelcro I am indeed in need of a bigger SSD. F4 with all its mods (and relative to the mod community, I don't have many) takes up a good ~120 gb.

Hey everyone! Busy packing my bags for our big trip, but I had time for another workout, of course. I don't know if I'll have the chance for another one further down the line.

Bench Press: 137.5 x 5. Yes! This set took a considerable amount of effort; seemed like there was a 50/50 chance of hitting the fifth rep, but I managed to get it done.
Incline Press: 105 x 5.
Shoulder Press: 70 x 5. Going light today.
EZ Bar Pushdown: 11 x 8.
EZ Bar Curls: 42.5 x 6.

So mom and I are packing up and getting ready for our trip to San Diego. We're off to see a wedding, but I do look forward to the opportunity to get away from HK for a brief bit. Not sure when I'll get the chance to hit the gym again, but we'll see.

Almost Friday, Bees! You got this!

Playing: Dashes of Fallout 4. Made a little bit of progress in Diablo 4, and finally unlocked the ability to use mounts. WTH aren't they unlocked from the start? Sheesh.

Watching: Finished watching The Perfection. The second half of the film is just sheer propulsion, and it gets crazier as it goes on. That said... I felt like the twists don't make the film as clever as it seems. So for sheer lurid melodrama it is a fun watch, but not exceptional. So I give it three and a half cleavers out of five.

Listening to: The Byrds - Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There is a Season). It's my favourite Byrds song! Didn't know it was based on biblical verse (almost verbatim, notably).

 

[TopNotch]

Enjoy your trip.

 

[lofivelcro]

Have a nice trip

 

[CODawn]

Enjoy your trip! That song from The Byrds is going way back!

 

[Tileenah]

Have a nice trip !

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Have a great trip!

 

[Froud]

Enjoy!

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you so much @Froud, @PetiteSheWolf, @Tileenah, @CODawn, @lofivelcro, @TopNotch !

While the ostensible purpose of the trip to San Diego was to attend my cousin's wedding...




























I had a great time seeing my friends, seeing family again, enjoying the weather, reading a Stephen King book, and just generally enjoying some time away from the craziness of HK. I really want to go back sometime, but we owe my big sister a visit, and she's located on the other side of the country.

Also, one of the small downsides of going there and not having a car meant that I had to take a break from going to the gym. I know how things work - I get weaker when I take more than a week off. I hit the iron today with a vengeance as I wanted to get back into the swing of things.

Because I've been away from the lifting for awhile, I restarted the Candito Strength program, so it's back to W1D1.

Bench Press: 125 x 5. About what I expected. I expect that as the weeks go on, this'll get better.
Incline Press: 100 x 5. Yikes. This was a tough one. I'm going to apply the Double Progression method (ie sloooowwly increase the reps over time).
Shoulder Press: 60 x 5. Ditto with the double progression.
Flat Dumbbell Curls: 14 x 20. Wow! Just what the doctor ordered. These felt great. I'm going to increase the bicep work, as I want big guns!
Dumbbell Triceps Extensions: 14 x 6.

It's good to be back home, but I miss the pleasant weather and the friends. Ah well.

See you next time, Bees!

Playing: So... just got back. Haven't been playing much. But Remnant 2 is awfully intriguing, and has gathered critical acclaim.

Watching: I watched Barbie and Oppenheimer over in the States. Reviews to follow...

Listening to: Retroglyphs - The Noose. Mmm. Fuzzy, laid-back jam that's good for those sweltering summer nights.

 

[Mamatigerj]

Welcome home! Sounds like a lovely trip, and that's a very handsome photo!

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you so much @Mamatigerj! I brought the wrong jacket (it's blue, while my pants are black), as you can see in the photo!

Hey Bees. Super tired today. On the days that I go on the MTR to all the way across the city to teach, I usually sleep in and avoid working out.

Didn't do that today. Today was Back day.

Deadlifts: 170 x 5. Could I have gone heavier? Sure. But I'll play the long game and increase the weight over my workouts.
Barbell Rows: 102.5 x 5. Man these suck. It's like my joints have trouble with them.
T-Bar Rows: 90 x 5. Still fun.
Machine One Arm Rows:
Incline Rows: 26 x 6.
Machine Lat Pulldowns: 55 x 6.
+20000 steps. Did some of this in slacks and a work shirt, do not recommend.
+ Two scoops of whey protein. Chocolate mint flavour, mm-mmm.

I saw a gang of kids crowd around the benches (incline and flat) to test out their strength; much of the time they had to assist each other with the reps. While I'm not against anyone getting into benching, I do think people should learn to do the reps on their own rather than rely on forced reps and other kinds of ego lifting.

I think I'm getting the swing of this weight loss thing again. Been a long few years (pre-pandemic) since I've truly lost weight. I'm down to 79 kg, from a month ago, when I was 82 - the eventual goal is 75.

Alright, I'm out. See you round, Bees!

Playing: Started playing Remnant 2. I like what I see so far, and I'm encouraged by the glowing reviews, but it's still early going. Also played a bit of Zero Sievert, but there's bugs a' plenty.

Watching: Still on Warrior, just finished the fifth episode of season 3. Need to reintroduce late night bed cinema.

Reading: Stephen King - Bag of Bones. Some filler (in the first 100 pages), but it looks promising.

Listening to: Thr0bak - Blonde. I command you to stop everything you're doing, get down with it, and listen to the synth!

 

[GentleOx]

Hey everyone! Your friendly neighbourhood Ox here, back with another Push workout (W1D2).

Bench Press: 125 x 5. This lift must be cursed! I was hoping for six reps, but I was just too tired today.
Incline Press: 100 x 6. Implementing the double progression method by adding an extra rep to my set.
Shoulder Press: 60 x 6. Double progression is going smoothly with these too.
Hammer Curls: 14 x 20. And now my forearms are just... augh.
Rope Pushdown: 10 x 10. Nothing to see here.
+19000 steps. Yeesh.

Also spotted another gaggle of male teenagers crowding around the bench press. When one of them failed in his lift, I rushed over to help lift the bar, only to be told by one of them that they were training to failure in every set! Well, whatever.

So my body is terribly sore from the past few days of working out. This morning, I was seriously considering making a bubble tea and egg waffle (two of the most popular treats around here) run. But I didn't, and I'm glad.

That said, going to take a break tomorrow from the routine, and have some hot pot. My body needs the rest.

Take care of yourselves, Bees. The weekend is here!

Playing: Remnant 2 continues to be good fun. I keep hearing about it being a performance hog, but my old PC has held up surprisingly well. Zero Sievert is also fun, but is making me rethink the purchase of early-access games. I'm also experiencing FOMO with Baldur's Gate 3 (as I opted to spend my pocket money on Remnant 2); it looks like an absolute beast!

Watching: No late night cinema as of yet. But Warrior is consistently awesome. Some of the scenes just astonish me with their craft.

Listening to: Andrew WK - Ever Again. How about some feel-good, inspirational party metal?

 

[GentleOx]

Hey Bees! Happy Monday!

The hotpot was really yummy, but I ate too much of it. Today I sought to get a new PR with my benching - SPOILER: I didn't.

Bench Press: 125 x 5. Dammit, the six-rep max eludes me. Getting frustrated with the program. At least the benching was overall smoother than last week.
Incline Press: 102.5 x 5. Gurk. This absolutely kicked my butt.
Decline Press: 110 x 5. The shoulder press was taken up, so I resorted to this.
Bicep Curls: 14 x 24. The only lift today that showed progress.
EZ Bar Pushdown: 10 x 8. Zzzz...

So not the best day, but I'm glad I woke up early before my lessons and got in a workout. Not all of them can be winners!

Start the week strong, Bees!

Playing: Ugh. Spent so many hours dying in Zero Sievert. I liked it before this most recent patch, when the quests were more piecemeal and easily accomplished. Remnant 2 is slowly opening up, and I can tell it's a fantastic game.

Watching: Finished S3 Episode 6 of Warrior. Still an excellent series. I keep talking about reviving late night bed cinema but I keep getting knackered early in the night, due to jet lag.

Listening to: Tommy Wallace - Silhouette. Absolutely catchy song.

 

[GentleOx]

Hello again Bees! Is me, Ox.

Today was Back day, so I added some weight to my deadlift. I also got tired of my usual workouts, so I tried a slew of new exercises and started from zero for many of them.

Deadlifts: 175 x 5. Hard, but not insurmountable.
Deadlift and Row: 80 x 5. These feel great!
Dimell Deadlifts: 100 x 5. I can see how these'll pay dividends, down the line.
Machine One Armed Rows: 60 x 6.
Dual Dumbbell Rows: 24 x 6.
Australian Pullups: 10 reps.

So sleepy. It's become a running gag that my posts declare my current state of fatigue. Again, it's the exercise that does this. I don't remember the last time I finished a workout and felt "energized". Will try to sleep earlier tonight.

Night night, Bees!

Playing: Having more fun with Remnant 2 than Zero Sievert. There's so much to play (the levels are huuge), and I got to a world where I'm fighting sentient stones. Who'da thought?

Also, Starfield lands the week before my birthday, so I'm likely going to acquire it as a birthday present to myself, hehe.

Watching: A change of pace at the gym. Watched some of Justified: Primeval. I loved the original series, and this continuance does it proud, so far.

Listening to: Pearl Jam and Neil Young - Rockin' in the Free World. Trivia: I'm a huge fan of Neil Young and his albums with Crazy Horse.

Whenever I think about the injustice and unfairness in the world today, this song comes to mind. While listening to it is not in and of itself going to solve any problems, it feels like an aural salve for my hurt.

 

[GentleOx]

Hello Bees! I'm still well and kicking. I took yesterday off and had too much to eat, quite frankly. But I'm back on track today!

Today was W2D2 of my strength program, and a Push day.

Bench Press: 125 x 6. Got it! I don't know how I managed to make 6 reps today, but I achieved those reps nonetheless.
Incline Press: 102.5 x 6. Challenging, but doable.
Decline Press: 120 x 6.
Hammer Curls: 16 x 16.
Straight Bar Pushdown: 11 x 8.
Dips: Top set of 15.

So, better numbers than last time. Who knows why! Anyway, next week I'll be moving on to a new rep scheme.

I've got synthwave fever. I love browsing videos and youtube and adding to my growing playlist (I have 360ish songs on it). It's the one musical trend of mine that's lasted for longer than a year or two. The other genres I've dabbled in and passed by are jazz, classical, ambient, and a few others.

See you soon, Bees!

Playing: Remnant 2, of course! Also booted up for the first time in a long time Dungeon Crawl: Stone Soup. It's a rogue game in the purest sense of the genre and still holds up, years after I discovered it.

(Still nursing my Starfield fixation, even though it's going to wreck my PC...)

Watching: Watched more of Warrior at the gym today, and finished the first episode of Justified: City Primeval. Strong return to form, I say.

Listening to: Mega Corp - Cosmic Fantasies. Another mellow number that's good for introspection.

 

[GentleOx]

Hey Bees!

Boy, am I glad it's the weekend, and I trust you are too. I decided to make hay while the sun shone, and set out for my first Legs workout in ages. I knew that my strength would drop accordingly, but that didn't really bother me.

Squats: 100 x 5. I can work with this. I was expecting my 5rm to be much lower (something in the realm of 80-90 kg).
Front Squats: 65 x 5. Ditto. Drop in strength, but I can build back up again.
Leg Press: 125 x 6. Not the biggest fan of these. I don't feel like I can make them "groove" the way I do squats.
Lying Leg Curls: 50 x 6. Not bad.
Back Extensions: 10 reps. I may give up on these, as they feel rather superfluous.

The workout seems to have done its job. The areas above my knees are pretty sore.

Had some yummy dim sum for dinner and now I'm just chilling.

Have a great weekend, Bees!

Playing: Still on Remnant 2. Finished one of the big worlds (the HR Giger-esque one), and making my way into a warped Victorian setting.

Watching: About to finish episode 7 of Warrior. Looks like it's working towards a crackerjack season ending.

Listening to: Digital Shades - Closure (feat. Parallels). I had the hook of this song stuck in my head for days before I remembered some of the lyrics offhand and found the name in a search. Remarkably catchy stuff.

 

[GentleOx]

Hey everyone. Today is W3D1 of the program, and a push day, just to test my strength.

Bench Press: 127.5 x 5. I'm not entirely surprised, but disappointed all the same. The weight and the movements just didn't groove today.
Incline Press: 105 x 6. Man, these were tough!
Decline Press: 115 x 5.
Triceps Straight Bar Pushdown: 11 x 8.
Dips: Top set of 9.

Ugh. Today's lifts did not go down as planned. But that's okay, there's always next time.

See you on the flipside, Bees!

Playing: Playing through the Victorian themed area of Remnant 2, and I get a feeling that the best is yet to come. A shame that the game is nearing its end, though I hear that replayability for this one is through the roof. Also dungeon crawling away in Stone Soup, though I haven't gotten as far as I used to (stupid RNG). Also tried a bit of Turbo Overkill, which is a boomer shooter which was recently released, but it doesn't do much for me.

Watching: Started Warrior episode 8. Still awesome, but I really want to resurrect late night cinema. One of these days...

Listening to: Sisters of Mercy - First and Last and Always. How 'bout some Goth, to spice things up?

 

[GentleOx]

Hey Bees! Hope your week is going well so far. Today was W3D2 of my strength program, after two days of sitting on my butt, not doing much but gaining weight.

Anyway, back at it!

Bench Press: 130 x 5. I'll take the five reps... when I started the workout, I was lucky to get three. So a minor victory of sorts.
Incline Press: 105 x 6. Ooof. Still kicking my butt.
Decline Press: 120 x 5.
Flat Dumbbell Curls: 16 x 20. The first time I've used 16s in awhile, but it looks like I handled it okay.
EZ Bar Pushdown: 12 x 8.
Dips: Top set of 15.

It's almost the end of the week, Bees! You've got this.

Playing: It looks like I'm getting close to finishing up my first playthrough of Remnant 2. I slew an arrogant, posturing boss; pretty satisfying, even though I missed the subtext (ie he is one half of a certain character). I attacked him because he was pretty much a dick.

Watching: Watched more of Warrior episode 8 at the gym. Looking forward to the conclusion of this season! Found out that the sensational horror flick Talk to Me is coming out not long after my birthday next month, so there's an extra birthday treat to look forward to!

Listening to: The Mission - Divided We Fall. How 'bout some more Goth? Yeah, it's not that dark, but it's pretty overwrought, and a pop gem to boot. This is off of one of the first CDs I bought when I came back to Hong Kong.

 

[GentleOx]

Hey everyone! We made it to the end of the week.

Today was this week's Pull day (kind of delayed). Took the opportunity to absolutely put my Back through its paces.

Deadlifts: 180 x 5, failed to lift the bar on the second set. Ugh. My deadlift has suffered recently, and I'm not too sure why. I maintain that it's the most taxing lift you can put your body through.
Paused Deadlifts: 100 x 5. So I dialed back the weight and worked on form. Tough, but not impossible. Good to lower the weight and get in good reps.
Deadlift and Row: 85 x 5. Reminding myself to take it slow with these.
One Armed Row (on machine): 45 x 6.
Dual Dumbbell Rows: 30 x 6.
And now I'm totally beat. Am going out for some Japanese buffet noms tomorrow. Yum yum, me likey!

Have a great weekend, Bees!

Playing: Not Remnant 2. I uninstalled it last night after getting to the very last boss. After dying a healthy few times, I got impatient and checked a guide. Apparently, it's a multistage boss, so beating the first phase means there's more to come (two more, in fact). I should've guessed as much, but I didn't.

And my reason for quitting? I don't give a shit. I just don't care for more Soulsy boss attack patterns and telegraphed attacks and YOU DIED and all that crap. The last time I had the real desire to beat an end boss was when I was playing Elden Ring (which took me upwards of 50 tries). But with this one... I just can't be bothered. And I couldn't care less that I'm *this* close to the end. I know, I know, I bought the game, and should play it to completion, but them's the breaks.

So I installed a bunch of other games that I feel are more deserving of my attention - at least until Starfield shows up.

Watching: Watched a bit of Seal Team at the gym for variety. Late night cinema has come back from the dead! Slowly making my way through a retro (well, it's set in the late 90s, anyway) internet horror flick called Deadware. I have the sinking feeling that it's going to be lousy.

Listening to: The Sound - Heartland. Absolute new wave winner, in my mind. Love the propulsive feel, and that killer melody.