TLDR: Keep Going

Too Long Dad Recap

There are no rules in a garage gym. This can be freeing, but it can also be overwhelming.

You set the pace, keep your own score. You are responsible for all of it.

There are no rules. Just keep going.

Sometimes that means you set long-term goals for yourself. Sometimes you have to do a challenge that commits you to doing something consistently. Whatever it takes.

In the gym, my motivation is always pretty strong. I have a goal weight in mind for my bodyweight, and I have goal weights in mind for strength. In other areas, motivation can wane, like it has for my desire to read more and write more.

I’d love to read more books, rather than constantly checking my phone. I’d also like to make progress on two book ideas. Conceptually, I understand that if I read 10 pages a day or wrote 1 page a day, eventually the pages would add up to a really big number. But putting that into action is the real magic. All I have accumulated are excuses.

In these situations when motivation is lacking, a challenge can jump start things. So, here goes. For the next 20 days, I commit to reading 10 pages of an actual book and writing 1 page of a book each day. If I don’t make it 20 days, I’ll try again.

Just keep going. “Get busy living or get busy dying.”

I’m almost 40, and I’ve been reminded too many times in 2020 how short life can be. In January, it was Kobe. This week it was Chadwick Boseman. It could be you or me next week. Get after it!

I plan to, just after I check Twitter one more time…

Things I Watched This Week

Let’s see, what did I watch this week. Definitely not as much NBA playoff basketball as I expected to. Not much of the RNC at all, but I consumed some interesting stuff.

• YouTube interview with squat world record holder Ray Williams by Jonnie Candito (YouTube)
  • Lately, I’ve been taking opportunities to learn about the sport of powerlifting a bit more
  • In addition to this long-form interview, I listened to an Iron Culture podcast with LS McClain and Taylor Atwood
  • Given my inferior genetics and lateness to the powerlifting game, I know I will not ever squat 570lbs at 162lbs bodyweight like Taylor.
  • But given I practice their sport in my garage, it feels like something I might be able to get into as a fan.
  • So, I’m easing into that with content like this, and I like it so far.
• Home gym cleaning video by Kurtlocker (YouTube)
  • This was a boring cleaning video, but it did inspire me to be better at keeping the gym clean.
  • I think once we crap out of the little league playoffs, I can commit to giving the gym a thorough cleaning in the next few weeks. 
• Overhead Press Video by Brian Alsruhe (YouTube)
  • Alsruhe is a beast and always great with the tips and cues. This latest series where he critiques his own form is helpful on several levels.
  • First, the tips are useful by themselves.
  • Second, it’s good to see a guy throwing up massive weight that I couldn’t dream of lifting, but also being disgusted with his form breakdowns.
  • This is comforting to someone who is also pretty self-critical on lifting form. If someone that strong struggles with this stuff, then its fine if I am not perfect all the time either. 

Things I Ate This Week

This week was nothing special, just the standard fare. I hit the mark on calories each day of around 2100, usually saving 300-400 for something fun later in the day. I plan to phase out those fun things here pretty soon.

Non fun stuff that I eat most days includes plain baked chicken breasts, eggs and egg whites, greek yogurt, carrots, baby tomatoes, plain oatmeal with protein powder. I try to spice up the chicken and eggs with the two diet staples pictured below: mustard and lemon pepper. These condiments are magical and make plain dry chicken taste good and keep me from grabbing for something else.

On the scale, progress was made. I hit a new low daily weigh in and finished the week with a 7-day trailing average weight of 169.6lbs, right on track.

Things I Lifted This Week: Starting to Come Together

Stuck to the program I’ve been on, just starting week 6 this week. Felt stronger this week for the first time in this cut, across all lifts. Not sure what happened, maybe its the strength equivalent of the “whoosh” you get on a diet.

• Four solid weight training sessions
  • Squats, OHP, Pause Bench
  • Candito Deadlifts, Competition Bench, Deadlifts
  • Beltless Squats, Slingshot Bench, Close Grip Incline Bench
  • Candito Deadlifts, Close Grip Bench, Deadlifts
• 30 minute jog one day
• 1 interval rowing session
• 2 days of GPP (upper back and abs) and arm work
• 400 walking lunges daily
• 13,000-15,000 steps daily, including 24,000 on Saturday

Dad Report: Chins for the Win

My children are seeing the benefits of having a garage gym. My teenage daughter has found salvation in the garage gym, because it’s a viable substitute to other forms of exercise we might foist upon her.

I can’t complain about her sedentary lifestyle if she is out in the garage 3 times a week crushing workouts while jamming to her favorite Korean pop groups. Her fitness goal at the moment is to be able to do a chin up.

I explained the concept of progressive overload and starting with banded chin-ups and moving to lighter and lighter bands until she can do it without a band. I have 4 band levels in the garage.

She started with the thickest (green), then went to purple and is now doing 5 sets of 5 reps with the black band. In the next few weeks, she’ll move to the red band and then to no band. Seeing the progress has been fantastic this summer, because unlike the boys (they had baseball), she’s had no organized physical outlet.