No Progress Yesterday

I didn't do anything toward my website building goal yesterday, Friday 04 March 2022. I'll pick it up again today.

I Decided to Use Hugo

After a little research yesterday, I decided to use the Hugo static site generator for now. It was simple to install on my Linux box. It is a single binary with no dependencies.

Today after many years I re-registered charleshbaker.com but have not yet pointed it at anything. I also bought the book, Build Websites with Hugo.

I also had a coaching call with a friend who does business and career coaching and counseling. Not much but a little progress. Trying to figure out what to do with my career going forward.

Wow! Two Years without a Post!

I'm not going to write about workouts this time but my job. For the last 23 years I've been a programmer and sysadmin. The last few years with no conscious decision on my part I became a team lead, a manager and now a senior manager. What I do now is not what I got into computers for. I'm not enjoying and the demands of my job leave little time to do the things I enjoyed, writing code and running servers (servers being shorthand for servers, networks, storage, websites, mail, dns, etc.). I also feel like my skills have atrophied.

So, to get my skills back in line I'm going to work on a few little projects. The first will be to choose a static website generator and host a simple website in AWS S3. I'm going to document what I do here. Maybe this little journey will lead me back to being an individual contributor or embark on the consulting path. We'll see.

Direction Shift

I've spent the last few months again focusing on Original Strength and walking in order to get my hip in order. As most of you will know, we've almost all been practicing physical distancing and isolation to combat the SARS-CoV-2 virus which cause COVID-19. The last couple of weeks my wife, sons and I have been gathering in our carport 2 or 3 times a week to work out. We call it Pandemic Family Weight Training.

The first few times I did relatively random sessions rather than Simple and Sinister, though I did do a 60% S&S once. I decided I need to do something different, so I pulled out the manual I got when I attended a Strong First Kettlebell Course a couple of years ago. Read it over and decided to follow the following program for a few weeks, or maybe months. Gave it a first go yesterday, 20200403.

6 Minutes of Pressing

3 x (2, 3, 5) x 35lbs => 30 reps

8 Minutes 2 Squats + 10 Two Hand Swings

4 x 44lbs => 40 reps

6 Minutes of Pressing

1 x (2, 3, 5) x 35lbs
3 x (2, 3) x 35lbs => 25 reps

This is a heavy (volume) day. My next session should be light, about 50 percent volume in the same time windows. The time windows was chosen by picking a number between 6 and 10 inclusive out of a hat. The second sequence of pressing is done for the same amount of time as the first. The next practice day will be 15 reps in 6 minutes, 20 reps in 8 minutes, and 12 reps in 6 minutes.

Today, I'll just walk, do original strength resets, practice jump rope, some really light get ups, single leg deadlifts and stretch. Just light stuff to keep moving.

Simple Quest Session Three

Another cool sunny day for my third session on my renewed quest to attain the StrongFirst Simple goals.

• Original Strength
• Giant Set 3 rounds 5 reps each exercise
• Assisted Air Squats
• Hip Bridges
• Halo (26lb kettlebell)

Simple

• One Hand Swings 10x10x35lb
• Get Ups 10x1x35lb

Felt really good. Tried to maintain nasal breathing at all times except for the prescribed "power breathing" technique for swings. A couple of times I lost tightness on swings but I felt it and got myself tight on the next rep. Same happened once on get ups. I feel like my hips are opening up a little more. As I write this I can feel slight soreness all up and down my posterior chain as well as in my forearms and biceps. I'll do my stretching while we watch the Furman basketball on television tonight.

S&S 20191218

Second session of my reset on my journey towards kettlebell Simple.

• Original Strength
• Giant Set 3 rounds 5 reps each exercise
• Assisted Air Squats
• Hip Bridges
• Halo (26lb kettlebell)

Simple

• One Hand Swings 10x10x35lb
• Get Ups 10x1x35lb

Not a lot to say. Felt good on 

a cool sunny day. I never got around to the post practice stretching.

Simple and Sinister Revised

Over the summer and fall I was having lots of issues with my back and hip. Kettlebells have been sitting unused, at least by me. I would occasionally pick up a pair to do a short farmers walk, but that was about it.

Over the last 64 days I've done an Original Strength routine 48 days. I feel better. Yes, my hip still bothers me, but I don't think anything but surgery is going to fix that. Today I decided to resume my kettlebell practice.

A couple of weeks ago I bought the revised and updated edition of Simple and Sinister. One thing I never really understood from the first edition that this one makes clear is that when you're starting on this quest, at first you should not be racing the clock. Only on after a long period of master the weights to meet the Simple, for men 32kg kettlebell for 100 swings and 10 get ups, should you begin to test for time completing the swings in 5 minutes, rest a minute then 10 get ups in 10 minutes.

I'm really going to take my time with this practice. Here's what I did today.

Warm Up

• Original Strength
• Giant Set 3 rounds 5 reps each exercise
• Assisted Air Squats
• Hip Bridges
• Halo (26lb kettlebell)

Simple

• Two Hand Swings 10x10x35lb
• Get Ups 10x1x35lb

Cool Down

• Super Set 3 rounds 30 secs each side each exercise
• 90/90 Stretch
• QL Straddle

I really took my time resting between rounds on the swings and get ups. Probably could have gone a bit faster using such a light weight. Felt pretty good. Didn't cause too much hip pain. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Warm Up was 22 minutes, Simple was 73 minutes, Cool Down was 8 minutes.

Armor Building

I haven't trained since Tuesday 28 May 2019. I meant to train on Thursday 30 May 2019 but started having muscle spasms where my right lat attaches down in the lower back area. Super painful. No way I could train. Friday felt better but decided I should wait another day and that brings us to today.

Started out with my normal movement prep.

Movement Prep Giant Sets

1. Goblet Squats 3x5x35lbs
2. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5 
3. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 35lbs.

Forgot to do my planks as part of the giant set. Did three sets with 2 minute break in between. Total time for prep and planks 18 minutes.

Plank 3x30 seconds

Then l did the armor building routine outlined in the picture above. However, instead of AMRAP 15 I did EMOM 15 and barely was able to keep pace. I used a pair of 16kg (35lb) kettlebells. Also I squated to a box that was just below parallel as I'm still working on strength and mobility for full squats. During my first couple of rounds the cleans were GARBAGE! I need to spend some more time practicing them and snatches.

Cool Down Stretching 

• Super Sets
• 90/90 Stretch 3x30 seconds per side
• QL Straddle Stretch 3x30 seconds per side
• Bretzel 1 minute per side
• Bretzel 2.0 1 minute per side

Total cool down time 14:08. If all goes well and my body doesn't rebel, on Monday I'll resume my simple and sinister practice and up my sets of swings and getups from 8 to 10.

Grunt Work Re-test

Nineteen days ago I tested a Grunt Work AMRAP session of double kettlebell deadlifts and farmers carries. Back then I made it through the round of 12 deadlifts and a final 50 foot farmer carry w/ a pair of 20kg (44lb) kettlebells.

Today I tried it again. Same weights. Differences, today I did it in the early afternoon instead of after work. It was much hotter today (94F vs 80F). I trained in a fasted state. I did the same movement prep I usually do for my Simple and Sinister training whereas I did no warm up last time.

Movement Prep Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5 
3. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 35lbs.
4. Plank 3x30 secs

In the movement prep I did the planks as a movement in the giant set instead of as a stand alone exercise after the completion of the giant set. I think this allowed me to get more time in the planks as compared to the last few training sessions. Total time was 15:02

Following the formula in the included image I made it up to and completed the round of 16 reps of deadlifts and a final 50 foot farmers carry. Again, I was blasted when I finished. I resisted the urge to collapse on the ground and instead slowly walked around shaking my arms and legs until I got my breathing back under control. 

Finished w/ my normal S&S cool down stretches. I figured that would work as deadlifts and kettlebell swings are both working the hinge pattern.

Cool Down Stretching Super Sets

• 90/90 Stretch 3x30 seconds per side
• QL Straddle Stretch 3x30 seconds per side

Cool down time was 8:23.

Memorial Day Original Strength and Short Walks

We were travelling Monday to return home from our holiday weekend visits. I got in some Original Strength resets before we got on the road. Walked around at a rest stop and then many short walks throughout the afternoon and evening after we got home. Got nearly 120% of my step goal.

Sunday Test Day

Saturday we had a family work day at my father-in-law's house in Aiken, SC. It was the hottest day

of the year to that point! Did lots of outdoor work.  Expected to be sore and tired on Sunday, but I wasn't! I chalk that up to the last month of Simple and Sinister training on average every other day. Since I wasn't sore or tired I went forward with my planned test: 80 one handed swings in 4 minutes or less, 1 minute break, 8 get ups in 8 minutes or less.

Movement Prep Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5 
3. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 35lbs.

Plank 30 secs, 15 secs, 15 secs

8/10 Simple and Sinister

• One Hand Swings 8x10x16kg
• Get Ups 8x1x16kg

Cool Down Stretching Super Sets

• 90/90 Stretch 3x30 seconds per side
• QL Straddle Stretch 3x30 seconds per side

Movement prep went fine. Got deep in the squats and held it. All the rest was fine. I still need to practice planks more often so I can get to a minute straight with ease. Total prep time 14:31.

On to the test. I used the 16kg kettlebell throughout. I did the swings 15 seconds on, 15 seconds off. It was HARD! I got it done though, 4 minutes 80 swings. One minute rest. Then 8 get ups in less than 8 minutes. Total time 12:47.  I was pretty well smoked after that. Plus it was HOT!

Did my normal cool down stretches. They felt good and took 7:56. Tomorrow I'm going to retest the Grunt Work session I did a couple of weeks ago, deadlifts and farmers carries.  I'll use the 20kg kettlebells again. Last time I completed 12 rounds. Wish me luck for a better score.