Quest for Muscle: The Return of the Pump

[GentleOx]

Hey everyone! Hope you had a good weekend.

Today was the second week of the Candito strength program.

Bench Press: Sets of 105 x 10, 115 x 8, and 120 x 8. I actually used slightly more weight (~5 lbs) than the program called for, but I managed to get in all the reps! May try for more next time.
Incline Press: 107.5 x 5. Again, may aim for 110 x 5 next time.
Decline Close Grip Press: Uhh. I forgot. I think 115 x 5.
Dumbbell Flyes: 28 x 8.
Dips: Top set of 12 reps; usually I do more.
EZ Bar Curls: 30 x 8
and 18000 steps!

Now that I'm home... not going to lie, feeling deflated and a bit depressed. Maybe it's born from worry... I dunno.

Either way, not going to stop moving. Can't stay still for too long.

Take care of yourselves, and have a good week, Bees!

Playing: I installed and deleted Fallout 4 again. I really want to play it, but how long until I get fed up with the constant crashing and replaying and other frustrating experiences? For now, not worth it. I reinstalled an old open-world game (Morrowind), so I'm hoping that'll scratch my itch for now. In other news, RE4make is still absolutely awesome.

Watching: Finished another episode of Edgerunner. Man, that got bleak fast, and I'm only a little past halfway through. It's not going to end well, I know that much. Still haven't watched a scary flick in the meantime. Still really want to watch Evil Dead Rise... even more so than Guardians of the Galaxy, which comes out next week, I think.

Listening to: Action Jackson - The Revenge. An oldie and a goodie from the early days of synthwave. One of those songs that pays homage to action flicks, but has its share of subtlety.

 

[GentleOx]

Hey everyone! Back at it in the gym.

Today I sought to set a new AMRAP record for Deadlifts. Ended up doing a colossal workout.

Deadlifts: 180 x 7. Not bad! I feel like I had it in me to do 8, but I ended up finishing early. Maybe next time...
Barbell Rows: 105 x 5. Bleh. Not a big fan of these anymore.
T-Bar Rows: 87.5 x 6.
Machine One Arm Rows: 62.5 x 6.
Incline Rows: 26 x 6.
Machine Lat Pulldowns: 65 x 6.

I did a little over thirty sets in total! Argh. So naturally I'm totally beat, but satisfied nonetheless.

Planning to watch Beau is Afraid this weekend; it looks suitably bonkers and flat-out amazing. Movie tickets in HK are supposed to be $30 for one day only, so here's hoping I can grab the seats.

I hope your day was just as productive, Bees!

Playing: I reinstalled Fallout 4 and tried to troubleshoot it and make it run without crashing, but no dice. Stubbornly insists on not working. So I'm going to try to leave it aside for the time being (yeah, like I haven't said that before). Will spend more time finishing RE4make, which I've made good progress in. I felt myself surprisingly moved by the death of a certain character, for some reason.

Watching: Cyberpunk Edgerunner at the gym, as usual. Also watched a bit of the Adult Swim Yule Log last night. It starts out as footage of logs burning in a fireplace, before stepping into horror territory. Me likey!

Listening to: Synesthete - Weekender. Very gentle synth music to end the day.

 

[GentleOx]

Hello again!

Today was the second Chest day of the week. Yesterday I didn't do much but eat, so I decided to make up for my laziness with another hard workout.

Bench Press: 105 x 10, 115 x 8, then 120 x 10. It's not the most I've ever done, but it's still better than my previous workout, so I'll take it.
Incline Press: 110 x 5.
Decline Close Grip Press: 120 x 5.
Triceps Push Down: 11 x 8.
Dips: Top set of 30.

Also walked nearly 22000 steps!

Had fried chicken for dinner with a friend; it's good to have the chance to catch up and relax.

The city was awfully crowded today; I would guess this is because Monday is a holiday.

Tomorrow we're having Korean barbecue. Yum!

You made it to Friday again, Bees! Take some time off.

Playing: I uninstalled Fallout 4 and reinstalled it... yet again. I really want to play this damn game. Miss the days which were relatively crash free. With this new install, I'm leaving out some mods in the hope that my load order stays stable. We'll see. Giving me absolutely no problems is my playthrough of the RE4make, which is a masterpiece of pacing and gameplay. I would try Jedi Survivor, but I feel like I need to finish the first game, which I can't be arsed to do.

Watching: Uh... apart from Edgerunner, not much. I'm tempted to give Primer a shot, but it's a famously complex film (and purportedly, one of the best and most grounded films on time-travel).

Listening to: Pearl Jam - Who Ever Said. I dunno... I mean, I've been listening to this one frequently, and while it has a nice, propulsive groove to it, I'm not sure it'll stay on my playlist. It starts out fine, but the melody goes in too many directions post chorus, I feel. Still, it's a Pearl Jam song, and carries their natural flair for excellence.

 

[GentleOx]

I had one of those days where I wasn't sure if I was going to hit the gym, but I did it anyway.

Had a truncated workout before dinner, and could only squeeze in thirteen sets:

Squats: 115 x 5.
Front Squats: 80 x 5.

And now my quads are in agony, while my knees are sore. Halp.

But had a yummy Korean BBQ dinner, as mentioned above. Didn't eat *that* much. Saw some people piling their plates high, but I've never been able to stuff myself that much, despite my mass.

Hope you're having a good weekend, Bees!

Playing: I *think* I've gotten Fallout 4 to stop crashing. The catalyst may have been a mod that removes levelling restrictions (ie you can choose any perk you want when you level up, whereas normally they are level-gated); if this indeed the case, then good riddance. It's good to play the game again without having it crash every ten minutes. I was so enraptured with Fallout 4 again that I didn't even play RE4make last night, but should get back on it tonight.

Watching: Didn't watch anything last night. Will try to start Primer tonight. Almost finished with Cyberpunk Edgerunner at the gym... will collect more of my thoughts when I've finished watching it.

Also, peep this example of the Balenciaga AI meme, which never fails to leave me in stitches.

Listening to: I'll tell you what I'm not listening to - Franz Ferdinand's "This Fire". This is the song that starts every episode of Cyberpunk Edgerunner, to my eternal chagrin. I'm definitely not a fan of modern Indie Rock (Classic Rock ftw!), and even less so Franz Ferdinand, who I could spend a lot of time deriding.

Instead, I'm listening more to Tribe, who were one of those long-forgotten, underrated 90s bands. Been awhile since I listened to one of their songs. This is Tribe, with "Supercollider", off of their second, and final album.

"Goodbye Princeton
Goodbye CERN
He's gone to Texas
To watch the holy fire burn"

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

In stitches over the Balenciaga / Harry potter cross over "Snape" was a natural in it! Snape, Snape, Severus Snape...

 

[GentleOx]

@PetiteSheWolf Haha I love it too! I find the funniest parts of each of these memes to be whenever they name-drop "Balenciaga". Never fails to make me laugh.

Hi again Bees. It's a holiday today, so I went to the gym, of course. Today starts Week 3 of the Candito Strength program.

Bench Press: 122.5 x 6. Aaaand I underperformed; the reps were clunky and slow. I expected this to be a cinch, after the highs of last week, but alas, 'twas not the case. I hit all the mandated rep goals, so let's see how I do next time...
Incline Press: 110 x 5. Maintenance.
Decline Close Grip Press: 120 x 5.
Dips: Not very many today; top set of 15.
EZ Bars Bicep Curls: 37.5 for 8 reps.

So not one of my best days, progress-wise, but I came in and totally slammed it, so I'm going to say - not bad.

I went out for a bit and bought some supplements, but now I'm back at home preparing for this week's lessons.

Now I'm sore. So sore. But I liked today!

Hope you have a great Monday, Bees! Peace out.

Playing: I finished the Resident Evil 4 remake yesterday eve. I've said a whole ton about it in my previous points, so I'll be brief: if you were asked how a video game remake should be, you would point to this game. It's a refining of an already excellent, but dated game, and somehow manages to convey the panic and fun-factor feel of the original despite modernizing it. I would go so far as to call it an embarrassment of riches. I give it five out of five broken knives.

Also playing Fallout 4 again, which has been happily crash-free. But I'm thinking I need to make some time for Control, which is excellent as well.

Watching: I finished watching the final episode of Cyberpunk Edgerunner at the gym. To be perfectly frank, I was expecting to like it more than I did; I guess that's the danger of too much critical acclaim. I think some of my grumbling is related to the anime format; it struck me as a little excessively animated for some weird reason. And the voice acting (in the English dub I watched) was often overwrought to the point of sounding histrionic (Rebecca, I'm looking at you). Even Giancarlo Esposito, hamming it up as Faraday, gives an odd performance - he pronounces words strangely at times. For reference, my favourite anime series is Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, which strikes me as a more mature, cooler take on a cyberpunk world.

But if you're not bothered by my misgivings, you'll find the series gloriously excessive, and wrapped in a surprisingly touching romance. So I'll settle for giving it three and a half cybernetic implants out of five.

Listening to: Kick Puncher - Hunter-Killer. Here's a cyberpunk-themed number that's suitably intense and frenetic.

 

[GentleOx]

Hey Bees! So tired. But I squeezed in a workout after the morning movie.

Deadlifts: 180 x 8. 1 more rep than last time; I'm going to give 185 another go. My strength is approaching my previous heights (I pulled off 185 7 times, previously), but gotta play it slow, play the long game.
Barbell Rows: 105 x 5. Ugh. These did not feel good at all.
T-Bar Rows: 90 x 5. These were relatively smooth.
Machine One Arm Rows: 60 x 6.
Incline Rows: 24 x 6. May give these up due to elbow pain.

And that was all I had time for, as I had a lesson to show up for at dinnertime.

It was a good day.

I also have a combination forearm/elbow injury that makes gripping and moving things in a certain motion painful. If I go to the doctor, they'll just tell me to stop lifting. What to do, what to do.

Take care of yourselves Bees!

Playing: Drips and drabs of Fallout 4. RE4make has exited my hard drive, but I'm sure I'll revisit it again. Oddly enough, playing a bit of Dead Cells again, though I've never been able to progress very far in it.

Watching: Finished Primer. It's a famously complicated time-travel film that needs charts and FAQs to explain what's going on, and the various twists and machinations lost me half an hour in. Almost all the behind-the-scenes plot happenings in the film are inferred and not explicitly spelled out. But oddly enough, I enjoyed it. It just works as a drama powered by the interaction between the two leads and the admission that yeah, you're 99% unlikely to understand everything in one go. So I liked it, and give it four time-travel boxes out of five.

In other news, I watched Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 this morning. Last movie featuring James Gunn directing the Guardians blah blah blah look, it was entertaining, but absolutely nothing special for a Marvel flick (been awhile since we've seen an exemplary one). All the humorous beats, competent action scenes, heartfelt moments and rather generic villains (an apology to Mr. Iwuji, who does as well as he could with the material) are there, and I left the theatre satisfied, but it wasn't as great as previous entries. I did like Rocket's backstory; some of which was heartbreaking. And some of the jokes got me, I'll admit it. But the Dune Part 2 trailer comes out tonight, and I know that one's going to rock my world. So sorry GotG vol 3, you're not going to last long in my memory. I give it two and a half Zune players out of five.

Listening to: Blind Guardian - Traveller in Time. In honor of the impending Dune trailer! I would say that I'm still on that time travel kick from Primer, but I think that this song actually has very little to do with time travel. Anyway you slice it, the song rocks.

 

[JCU]

 

[Tileenah]

I hope your forearm and elbow will get better soon

 

[Mianevem]

to your elbow and forearm!

 

[Fremen]

Healing vibes

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you so much @JCU, @Fremen, @Tileenah, and @Mianevem. I think that in the future I'll lay off of some of the more aggressive exercises to give my arm some time to recover.

But not today! Today was the second Push day of the week.

Bench Press: 125 x 6. The program dictated that I up my poundages this time, so there is an increased element of difficulty. Nonetheless, I felt like I handled today better than the last time I benched, during which I just couldn't find the right groove for the exercise.
Incline Press: 112.5 x 5. Augh. This was a tough one - I didn't have to increase the weight, but I did, and I tell ya, an extra 2.5 kg feels like a ton.
Shoulder Press: 67.5 x 5. The usual bench was taken, so I did these instead.
Triceps Pushdown: 14 x 8.
Dips: Top set of 12.

No bicep curls today, but got in 19000 steps.

So sleepy. I'm not sure what it was, but today was an absolute slog... perhaps the heat?

Grateful to be back home and seeing the day's end.

It's almost Friday, Bees! Keep going.

Playing: Some Fallout 4, and a bit of Borderlands 3? Say it ain't so! Also playing more Dead Cells. Got farther than I ever have before, but have a long way to go...

Watching: Started watching The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die at the gym. A shame that the series is over. Haven't chosen a new night time horror watch, yet.

Listening to: Sam and Dave - Hold On I'm Coming. Been on a Soul kick recently. This is one of my favourites (though I'm not sure of the parentage of this particular version).

 

[GentleOx]

Hi again Bees. I was hoping that my elbow/hand pain would subside over several days of rest, but it's still there. It's like the underside of my arm has periodic numbness which occasionally abates. Nonetheless, I went to the gym anyways, just because...

Bench Press: 137.5 x 3. The program called for me to do 132.5 x 3, but in typical Ox-headed fashion, I upped the weights a bit. Felt okay, I thought; will try for 140 next time.
Incline Press: 112.5 x 5.
Decline Close Grip Press: 125 x 5.
Triceps Pushdown: 16 x 6. May be a record?
EZ Bar Curls: 35 x 10.

No dips today.

I feel better than I did over the weekend. Glad that I got the chance to hit the gym again, injuries be damned.

It's no longer the weekend Bees, but give it your all, nonetheless!

Playing: The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind mysteriously made it back onto my hard drive after more than a decade of not playing it. Huh? At this rate, Oblivion will follow suit! I think I'm reinstalling this two decade-old game because I love the allure of exploring an alien world. I installed a fast movement speed mod because I can't be arsed with the lousy movement mechanics, though.

Watching: Finishing up The Last Kingdom at the gym. Haven't really watched much late at night... usually too sleepy.

Listening to: TurboRetro - Light in the Night. TurboRetro seems to be one of those artists well-remembered during the heyday of Synthwave, but passed by as the years went on. This is a shame, because their album has some remarkably catchy numbers.

 

[Tileenah]

Sorry to hear your elbow/hand is not doing better yet... I hope the pain will go away soon!

 

[JCU]

Your pain sounds a lot like how I feel when my tendonitis is acting up. Easiest way to tell that (for me, at least) is a double dose of ibuprofen. If that helps, I do my usual tendonitis exercises.

 

[CODawn]

I hope you feel all better soon

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you @Tileenah, @JCU and @CODawn. I feel better on the days I actually go out and hit the gym (ie days of more activity), whereas sitting in front of my computer all day creates more pain. So I'll see how things turn out.

Today was another big slog. A back workout of close to thirty sets. However, I hit a minor PR, so that's something to be proud of.

Deadlifts: 185 x 7. It's been a long time since I made this specific lift. Seven or more years, by my reckoning. There's that feeling you have mentally where you want to give up, but you keep pushing yourself to pump out the reps. Glad I pushed through.
Barbell Rows: 95 x 6. Underhand grip this time, and lowered the weights a touch.
T-Bar Rows: 90 x 5.
Machine One Arm Rows: 62.5 x 5.
Incline Rows: 26 x 6.
Machine Lat Pulldowns: 50 x 6.

Today's workout (deadlifts notwithstanding) was about working the motions and using less weight. Which I kinda did.

So pooped. Had a cheeseburger that I got from Five Guys as a reward:

Spoiler

It was yummy!

Hope you had a great day, Bees!

Playing: More Morrowind. Curious how it's sidelined Fallout 4 entirely. As you Bees may know, I've in the past few months been fixated on games that are neither narratively nor mechanically demanding. And Morrowind has filled that niche for now.

I purchased a supposedly Fallout-inspired ARPG called "Weird West" which I'm looking forward to trying, even though I've read that it's not the most satisfying game out there. Willing to take a small chance.

Watching: Watched a bit of VFW at the gym, which is meant to evoke Assault on Precinct 13, and a bit of Escape from New York. The central conflict hasn't come into play yet, but the loose chemistry between the leads means I'm eager to see more.

Also, listening to the NoSleep podcast of ghost stories while I game late at night; while some of the narrators border on the overwrought, the general feel is quite creepy, and had me looking over my shoulder a time or two. I've always had a thing for ghost stories.

Got the news that Evil Dead Rise is coming out in HK this Thursday, so definitely making some plans to watch it with a friend.

Listening to: PJ Harvey - Down by the Water. Always loved this one; PJ Harvey is an amazing musician!

 

[JCU]

Congrats on the new PR!

 

[CODawn]

Congratulations!

 

[Tileenah]

Congrats!

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you for the well wishes @Tileenah, @JCU, and @CODawn! Feels good to achieve it once more!

Holy cow, Bees. I mean, Holy cow! Today was something of a breakthrough in my chest training, and I did way better than I thought I would. For context, this is Week 4 of the Candito training program (of which, I've only adopted the bench portion).

Bench Press: Started with 130, 132.5, 135 and 137.5 for three reps each. Then I got to 140, which I wasn't sure about getting three reps with. Pulled it off with aplomb. Felt so good I upped the weight and hit 142.5 x 3, though the reps were relatively unsteady. Wow. Had no idea today I was going to hit my goals and then some. Looks like the peaking worked! I'm going to continue the trend by aiming for a 2rm next week; I'll see how that goes.
Incline Press: 112.5 x 5.
Decline Close Grip Press: 120 x 5.
Dumbbell Flys: 30 x 8.
Triceps Rope Extension: 12 x 8.
Dips: Top set of twelve.

And now I'm again pretty fatigued, but quite satisfied. Programming is a real thing!

Hope you're having a fruitful day, Bees!

Playing: Morrowind is on the menu for tonight, but I made another purchase: Zero Sievert. Looks like an interesting little Tarkov-like. Still haven't played Weird West lol.

Watching: I've cleared my schedule - going to watch Evil Dead Rise tonight. Made more sense to watch at home then go to the cinema. Watched a bit of Seal Team at the gym. Unlike Echo 3, this series is not at all pretentious; it's earthier and more of a meat and potatoes kind of series. Still too early for me to tell if I like it, though.

Listening to: Anthrax - Only. Change of pace for today. Stumbled upon this pounding metal song. It's a departure from the typical Anthrax sound (which I would describe as traditionally lean and thrashing mean), but it hits like a ton of bricks.

 

[TopNotch]

Gratz the new PR!

 

[Tileenah]

wooohooo! Congrats!!!

 

[JCU]

Congratulations!

 

[Fremen]

Congrats

 

[aku-chan]

Congrats on a new personal best!

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you so much @aku-chan, @Fremen, @JCU, @Tileenah, and @TopNotch! Your encouragement means a lot!

Hi Bees! Almost forgot to update.

No PRs today, which was Leg Day. Ugh.

Squats: 110 x 5. On this final set, I could really feel it, and had to stop progressing.
Front Squats: 80 x 5.
Paused Squats: 95 x 3. May go for 100 next time!
Zercher Squats: 60 x 5. I haven't done these in a long time! And I was reminded today as to why... they tend to make my forearms tingly and numb.
Hamstring Curls: 50 x 6.

Went to teach my lesson after the gym and am now at home, relaxing.

You made it to the weekend, Bees! Have fun!

Playing: What's this? Zero Sievert has taken over my free time? I find myself pulling my hair out while playing this challenging game, but it is good fun, when if you survive a run.

Still haven't played Weird West lol.

Watching: I finished watching Evil Dead Rise last night, though I was watching it over the span of two nights. Some thoughts below.

I'm glad I didn't spend money to watch it in the cinema, and I'm not exactly sure why. I think part of it was succumbing to hype; I thought it was going to be an extremely gory and transgressive flick and the best thing since sandwiches... but it wasn't. Don't get me wrong, there were the requisite bloody bits (the last third of the film is a jagged bloodbath), but it wasn't a "great" film at the end of the day.

Evil Dead Rise is primarily the story of the implausibly attractive Beth, a guitar tech who finds herself with an unexpected pregnancy. She then seeks out her also implausibly attractive sister Ellie in the big city to seek her help and advice. She meets Ellie's remarkably diverse brood, and then finds herself beset by sarcastic, scenery-chewing demons which stop at nothing to wreak grievous violence.

I have no problems with the way the film carries on the legacy of Evil Dead. The humor is more pitch-black than slapstick, but I found it okay. Like I noted above, it wasn't as violent as I thought it would be (says something about my jaded horror-movie tastes that I find such things a draw); that said, the violent setpieces were "fun", and quite solid. Ultimately, it was very competently directed and acted. Was it as inventive as the previous series entries? No, but it was indeed a bloody good time.

I give it three and a half cheese graters out of five.

Listening to: Run the Jewels - Legend Has It. Nothing fancy, just some typically solid RTJ.

 

[GentleOx]

Hey Bees! Got the week off to a good start.

Today I broke from the Candito program to find my 2 rep max on the bench press: I specifically used heavier weight.

Bench Press: Started with 140 x 2, then 142.5, then 145, and ending with 147.5 for 2 reps each. Not bad! Could've tried for 150 but I made a judgement call to rest up and do that on my next cycle with this program.
Incline Press: 110 x 5.
Decline Close Grip Press: 125 x 5. I may give these up in the future, as I sense that they're giving my elbows trouble.
Dips: 21 on my max set.

Just going to spend the evening relaxing, now that I have my work for the day finished.

See you tomorrow, Bees!

Playing: Still on Zero Sievert. It is an immensely frustrating game, only because I get greedy and get my PC into more trouble than is worthwhile. Also partook in the Diablo 4 beta a few days ago; fun, but with a caveat. My analysis is that this is a markedly different Diablo from the previous entry, and will demand investment and player patience beyond the old days. Gone are the easy victories; Blizzard seeks to show us what challenge is. And Morrowind, of course.

Watching: I was looking for the perfectly entertaining series to fill my cardio at the gym void, and I seem to have found it: Altered Carbon. A "fun" watch, and I look forward to watching more of the season as my workouts go on.

Also, I stumbled across these comedy sketches on youtube, which are hilarious! Been awhile since I could find a good comedy troupe.

Listening to: ?Choir? - Gregorian Chants. Just some relaxing chant to see the day out.

 

[GentleOx]

Hi again! 'Tis the Ox, once more fresh from the breach.

Well, nothing so dramatic. Today was Back (read: Deadlift) day.

Deadlifts: 185 x 8. Holy cow, I finally did it. My previous all time best was 7 reps of this weight, done maybe seven or eight years ago? Pulling this off was a colossal effort. Had to ignore every instinct in me telling me to drop the weight and call it a day, but I made it through.
Reverse Rows: 100 x 5.
T-Bar Rows: 87.5 x 5.
Machine One Arm Rows: 60 x 5.
Incline Rows: 26 x 6.

And that was all I had time for before class. Now I'm back home, and absolutely knackered once more. Glad I had a good day, though!

Hope you're having a great week, Bees!

Playing: Zero Sievert still has a monopoly on my time. The basic gameplay is fun, but it's brutally difficult at times. Still haven't left the opening area... kind of afraid to.

May get in some Morrowind tonight. Still haven't played Weird West!

Watching: I finished the first episode of Altered Carbon at the gym. It's a very dark and dystopic cyberpunk series (proudly wearing its influences on its sleeve) that has me sucked in. A shame it never made it past the second season. May watch a bit of VFW tonight, provided I don't pass out and sleep!

Listening to: The Jesus and Mary Chain - Just Like Honey. This is my daily dose of fuzzy, feed-back laden pop.

 

[Tileenah]

Congrats on PR!!!

 

[JCU]

Congratulations on the PR!

 

[Fremen]

Congrats

 

[CODawn]

Congratulations!

 

[aku-chan]

Congrats on another personal best!

 

[TopNotch]

Well done!

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you so much @aku-chan, @Fremen, @CODawn, @JCU, @TopNotch and @Tileenah! You're all the best!

So today I kinda fudged the workout. I decided to add in an extra Bench Press day, which didn't work out for the best.

Paused Bench Press: 140 x 2. Some days you got it, some days you don't. Could've tried for 142.5 but the weight felt like a ton.
Paused Incline Bench Press: 110 x 2.
Paused Shoulder Press: 70 x 2. I thought this one moved quite well.
Front Shoulder Raises: 8 kg x 20.
EZ Bar Curls: 37.5 x 10.

And now my pecs are super sore. I will wait until the next cycle of this program to try and hit more PRs. Next week will be taking it easy.

I have a surprise class on Friday before the one on Saturday! Oh nos! Better prepare well.

Take care of yourselves, Bees! The best is yet to come.

Playing: You guessed it, Zero Sievert. It's become my new podcast game. Apart from ZS, not much else. Should rectify that.

Watching: Bleh, drifted off to sleep last night without a watch. Altered Carbon is still proving to be a compelling watch, if a bit excessive at times.

Also, Girl with the Dogs, who is a dry and talented groomer. The expressions on the kitties' faces are absolute gold.

Listening to: Electric Lighthouse Orchestra - Shine a Little Love. Going for a blast from the past here. Don't remember where I was when I first heard this one.

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

I wish Mademoiselle Luna would let me cut her claws as calmly! And yeah, the kitties's faces are just priceless

 

[CODawn]

I ELO!

 

[GentleOx]

@PetiteSheWolf I've never gotten close to a cat's paws before, so I'd likely have the same experience as you. Some of the cats she grooms on the channel look absolutely murderous!
@CODawn It seems like you're a big classic rock fan; I can get behind that!

I managed to squeeze in a workout before my class today.

Squats: 115 x 5. Yes! Not bad.
Front Squats: 80 x 5.
Paused Squats: 100 x 3.
Lying Leg Curls: 50 x 10.
Back Extensions: 12 reps for five sets.

The weather was just murderously muggy today. And I know it's going to get worse! Walking back home in jeans and a buttoned shirt was just

And now it's the weekend! Going to celebrate with Thai buffet tomorrow!

Enjoy the start of your weekend, Bees!

Playing: Take a guess. Yup, still playing Zero Sievert. I've logged 19 hours within a week or so. Still haven't played Weird West. Played a bit of Morrowind, though the appeal is kind of fading, I confess.

Watching: Still plugging away with Altered Carbon at the gym. Haven't been watching much late at night.

Listening to: Kevin Coyne - Knockin' on Heaven's Door. Credit where it's due, this is a cover of the great Bob Dylan song. Coyne is one of the lesser known English blues/folk songwriters from the 70s, which is an absolute shame; you feel like he's really had the experiences he sings about (in songs like House on the Hill, this is probably true).

 

[CODawn]

Guns n' Roses also does a cover of this song.

 

[GentleOx]

@CODawn Indeed they have! It's a good cover.

Hi everyone! Got a full week ahead of me, but I always have time for a good workout. I'm working the Candito strength program for the second time; let's see if I can make some good gains.

Bench Press: Several sets, culminating in 120 x 6. I fudged the numbers a little, and added slightly more weight (~2 kg) than was necessary. I figure that early on in the program, it can't hurt.
Incline Press: 100 x 10. Hoo boy this one took a lot of work.
Decline Press: 125 x 5. NB I abandoned the close grip version of this, as it was giving my elbow problems. This variant focuses more on chest activation.
Rope Pushdowns: 12 x 8.
Dips: Top set of 21.

And now I'm sleepy. Had a good dinner, and now I'm working on my lesson plans for tomorrow.

Start your week off well, Bees!

Playing: Of course, Zero Sievert, though given that this is an early access game, I'm rapidly approaching the end of the provided content. I really should give Weird West a try... and Morrowind is good for turning off my brain.

Something that I've always found odd in Morrowind. Bear with me.

If your skills are low, you need to practice them to make progress and get them to a competent level. This is the way it's been with every Elder Scrolls game.

But to effectively practice your skills, they need to be at a competent level. This is because only with competent skills can you make a successful "strike" or attempt, and make progress towards levelling your skill (ie with a weapon or a repair hammer or a lockpick).

So if your skills are too low, how the hell are you supposed to improve them?! I don't know what this is called in logic... a contradiction perhaps? Any other Elder Scrolls players who've noticed this oddity?

Watching: P for Papa's! It's a Papa's party! Yaaay!

Animal videos make me happy. Right now on episode 3 of Altered Carbon.

Listening to: KMFDM - Professional Killer. Been on a big KMFDM kick lately... they're perfect for the gym.

 

[GentleOx]

Hey Bees! So tired, but still up and at it.

Deadlifts: 190 x 6. I was determined to do these. This represents another all time PR, as the last time I did 190, I only managed five reps. Hell of a struggle this time.
Barbell Rows: 100 x 5. Bleh, these felt like crap.
T Bar Rows: 90 x 5. Ditto.

And that was all I had time for before my mammoth three-hour lesson.

If I can make it past tomorrow, I can relax, as I have fewer lessons in the days to come, and am celebrating Mom's birthday this Saturday.

Hope that your week is going okay, Bees!

Playing: More Zero Sievert; looks like I haven't done everything yet! Still haven't played Weird West (this has become the running joke of my thread). May try to get in some Control.

Watching: Still watching Altered Carbon. Not exactly a profound show, but I like it so far, and it doesn't skimp on the action. Still haven't resurrected my late night theater. Soon...

Listening to: In This Moment - Sex Metal Barbie. Hadn't heard anything about this group though I was aware of the singer (quite apropos, considering the topic of this song). This one has a killer hook in the chorus, and the message ain't half bad either.

 

[Fremen]

Congrats on PR

 

[Tileenah]

Congrats on all-time PR!

 

[JCU]

Congrats on your PR!

 

[Froud]

Good Game!

 

[TopNotch]

PR!

 

[Mianevem]

Congrats on another PR!

 

[CODawn]

Congratulations on your PR!

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you @JCU, @Tileenah, and @Fremen, @TopNotch and @Mianevem! I hope you all aren't sick of my PRs
@Froud I assume you mean Zero Sievert? It really is, but I'm looking forward to it being more finished, as right now it's a bit rough.

Hey everyone! I am once more quite tired, but still pepped up. Finished my evening class, and here's my workout for the day (pretty much the same as Monday's).

Bench Press: 120 x 6.
Incline Press: 100 x 10. Tried for 11, but didn't want to get pinned under the bar, so 10 it was.
Decline Press: 120 x 5.
EZ Bar Pushdowns: 15 x 6.
Dips: Top set of 18.
EZ Bar Curls: 37.5 x 6

+19000 steps. Whew.

Midway through the week, Bees! You've got this.

Playing: I caved and bought Oblivion off of Steam. It was 3.50 USD, and I figure I spend that much in diet soda and treats every day, so what the hey? I actually own it already, as a DVD that I purchased back in 2005. Amazing to think that I've owned that DVD for 17 years. But now I have to do the stupid mod dance to modernize it... And of course, will be playing more Zero Sievert. I also finally cracked open my exe of Weird West, and damn! It's like playing Fallout, but in the... Wild West. Not sure what I expected.

Watching: I watched a very creepy short horror film about a guy doing a walkthrough of his home, in Japan.

Be warned: exactly one jump scare, but mostly it's (very) creepy ambiance.

Don't remember if I watched a spooky flick last night. Maybe tonight? Yeah, right.

Listening to: Jeremy Soule - Peace of Akatosh. This is my favourite song out of Oblivion. Back when I was doing my Masters, I put this one on for long stretches... the gentle feel is so conductive to being at peace.