Doug Dude's Training Highlights

[ZRMMA]

3 hours ago, Douglas Carney said:

Unboxing York 65lb DB & FAILED ATTEMPT 05-03-2023

Another case of "I should have waited another day or two..."

But I had already waited over a month for this York 65lb dumbbell to arrive from an eBay seller in Hawaii, so I went ahead and unboxed it anyway.

...and that's about all that happened. Leftie got it to break the ground, but otherwise this was a humbling chunk of iron.

Musical Inspiration: "The Sound of Silence" by Disturbed from the album "Immortalized" released in August 2015.

 

 

Super impressive! 

[Douglas Carney]

1 hour ago, ZRMMA said:

Super impressive! 

Thanks Zach!  Just makes me want to re-double my efforts and post a full lift this summer.  Your support and encouragement means a lot!

[John Knowlton]

Dang it’s like Christmas in your gym all the time, always on boxing new stuff.

Way cool music.

[Douglas Carney]

20 minutes ago, John Knowlton said:

Dang it’s like Christmas in your gym all the time, always on boxing new stuff.

Way cool music.

Thanks John!

And yeah...my mail carrier doesn't seem to like all the heavy flat-rate boxes arriving at my house. 

[Douglas Carney]

@DoctorOfCrush and @Blacksmith513 got me thinking about kettlebell swings today because I plan to start working deadlifts back in as part of my training.

Two or three years ago I had a handful of accessory exercises to help my deadlifts...hip thrusters, romanian deadlifts, and kettlebell swings.

But reviewing an old video, I think I was doing them wrong. Should be more of a squat than hip hinge. 

Musical Inspiration: "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits from the album "Dire Straits" released in June 1978.

 

 

Edited May 5, 2023 by Douglas Carney

[DoctorOfCrush]

They're great for sure. It's hard to tell on the swings from the front angle. A squat-style swing is a thing, but it obviously takes some of the focus off of the posterior chain. In a hinge-style swing, you'll get some knee bend as your hips open up to accommodate, so it's difficult to tell if that's all that's happening from the front. It's also difficult to tell what your back angle looks like. From the video, it appears that you may be leaning back a bit at the top as opposed to standing up straight, but it could be an illusion from the camera angle. 

Another thing is I predominantly do one-handed swings. You can't usually go as heavy, but it adds a lot of side-to-side resistance and requires more rotational stability and grip endurance from you. 

[Douglas Carney]

13 minutes ago, DoctorOfCrush said:

They're great for sure. It's hard to tell on the swings from the front angle. A squat-style swing is a thing, but it obviously takes some of the focus off of the posterior chain. In a hinge-style swing, you'll get some knee bend as your hips open up to accommodate, so it's difficult to tell if that's all that's happening from the front. It's also difficult to tell what your back angle looks like. From the video, it appears that you may be leaning back a bit at the top as opposed to standing up straight, but it could be an illusion from the camera angle. 

Another thing is I predominantly do one-handed swings. You can't usually go as heavy, but it adds a lot of side-to-side resistance and requires more rotational stability and grip endurance from you. 

I've never tried one-handed.  Sounds like a good exercise/variation though.

And you're right...I may have been leaning back a little because I was trying to ensure a full lift.  But I'm guessing that reduces time under tension and/or adds momentum.

Before I do anything...I need to pull out my copy of "Enter the Kettlebell" that I bought in 2021 but never got around to reading.

[DoctorOfCrush]

3 minutes ago, Douglas Carney said:

I've never tried one-handed.  Sounds like a good exercise/variation though.

And you're right...I may have been leaning back a little because I was trying to ensure a full lift.  But I'm guessing that reduces time under tension and/or adds momentum.

Before I do anything...I need to pull out my copy of "Enter the Kettlebell" that I bought in 2021 but never got around to reading.

For sure. I’m a huge Pavel fan. He got me into kettlebells and grip. I don’t follow ETK to the ‘T’ but I do use the progression outlined in it for my pressing. 

[Douglas Carney]

Saxon, Axle, and Block Weights (Oh My) 05-05-2023

First time using my new 3” x 4” Saxon Bar from @Lucasraymond at Arm Assassin Strength Shop.  Awesome craftsmanship.

Same for the new 2” Axle Bar that Luke also made for me.  First time using that, as well.

For block weights, I started with holds for time and had the random urge to try some cleans.

Musical Inspiration: "Kickstart My Heart" by Mötley Crüe from the album “Dr. Feelgood” released in August 1989.

 

 

[John Knowlton]

Fantastic lifts great work

[Douglas Carney]

9 hours ago, John Knowlton said:

Fantastic lifts great work

Thanks John!  Just trying to put in my best effort ahead of Maryland's Strongest Hands (two weeks from today).

[Blacksmith513]

16 hours ago, Douglas Carney said:

Saxon, Axle, and Block Weights (Oh My) 05-05-2023

First time using my new 3” x 4” Saxon Bar from @Lucasraymond at Arm Assassin Strength Shop.  Awesome craftsmanship.

Same for the new 2” Axle Bar that Luke also made for me.  First time using that, as well.

For block weights, I started with holds for time and had the random urge to try some cleans.

Musical Inspiration: "Kickstart My Heart" by Mötley Crüe from the album “Dr. Feelgood” released in August 1989.

 

 

Now that’s a great song to lift too!

[Douglas Carney]

Overdid it this weekend.

Took a few grippers with me in the minivan yesterday for the ride up to a cub scout overnight.  Small stuff...IronMind Guide (RGC 27), IronMind Sport (RGC 37), Tetting Beginner (RGC 55), and an IronMind Zentih 2.

10 reps each on the Guide, Sport, and Tetting to get things moving.  Six rounds of 10 count holds with the Zenith.  Then 5 reps on the Tetting, 10 on the Sport, and 10 on the Guide to finish.  Lot of volume but no worries.

What I hadn't factored in was all of the work my hands would do setting up camp/hammering stakes, pinching/throwing logs, turning burning logs with tongs, etc.

Woke up this morning with that inflamed tendon feeling where you don't wanna make a fist for a day or two.  Hands...thumbs in particular...are simply spent.

[Douglas Carney]

In more fun news...the mini anvil arrived while we were camping.

Perfect timing for my recovery! 

[Douglas Carney]

No drilling of the mini anvil because I'm hoping @Cannon releases a mini anvil block set.  So for now it's just hanging out with a mini kettlebell.  [Note:  My daughter added Beast/Dr. Hank McCoy to the gym a few years ago for inspiration.  How could I say no?]

Edited May 8, 2023 by Douglas Carney

[Blacksmith513]

2 minutes ago, Douglas Carney said:

No drilling of the mini anvil because I'm hoping @Cannon releases a mini anvil block set.  So for now it's just hanging out with a mini kettlebell.  [Note:  My daughter added Beast/Dr. Hank McCoy to the gym a few years ago for inspiration.  How could I say no?]

Man that is so cool. I used to have a few Beast toys myself as a kid, he was one of my favs.  

[Douglas Carney]

6 minutes ago, Blacksmith513 said:

Man that is so cool. I used to have a few Beast toys myself as a kid, he was one of my favs.  

Thanks!  Beast is cool...funny, smart, and strong.  Not a bad combo!

"Originally called 'The Beast', the character was introduced as a mutant possessing ape-like superhuman physical strength and agility, oversized hands and feet, a genius-level intellect, and otherwise normal appearance and speech. Eventually being referred to simply as 'Beast', Hank McCoy underwent progressive physiological transformations, gaining animalistic physical characteristics.  ...  Despite Hank McCoy's feral appearance, he is depicted as a brilliant, well-educated man in the arts and sciences, known for his witty sense of humor, and characteristically uses barbed witticisms with long words and intellectual references to distract his foes."  [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beast_(Marvel_Comics)]

[John Knowlton]

Hay Doug SUPPER COOL

[Douglas Carney]

1 hour ago, John Knowlton said:

Hay Doug SUPPER COOL

Thanks John!

[Douglas Carney]

Three successful lifts tonight despite my right thumb being around 80%:

York 60 Dumbbell - Left Hand
York 65 Dumbbell - Left Hand
York 60 Dumbbell - Left Hand AND Half Iron Grip 120 - Right Hand

Musical Inspiration: "Battery" by Metallica from the album "Master of Puppets" released in March 1986.

 

 

[John Knowlton]

Nice work Doug, very impressive.

I said it before you have got a way cool gym

killer music to

Edited May 12, 2023 by John Knowlton

[Douglas Carney]

3 hours ago, John Knowlton said:

Nice work Doug, very impressive.

I said it before you have got a way cool gym

killer music to

Thank you, John!

I like the dumbbell lifts as an alternative/accessory for blob/block weight work.

As for gyms...your vintage flex pec dec looks AWESOME!  Major score!

[Douglas Carney]

Reorganizing the gym to make room for some recent purchases and opening a couple new boxes.

Unfortunately this York 9lb dumbbell I bought eBay did not survive the trip to my house... 

Just initiated a return via eBay.  Fingers crossed we find a resolution.

 

[Douglas Carney]

16 hours ago, Douglas Carney said:

Unfortunately this York 9lb dumbbell I bought eBay did not survive the trip to my house... 

Just initiated a return via eBay.  Fingers crossed we find a resolution.

I guess if the return doesn't work out...I may be listing the world's lightest blobs on eBay next month. 

[John Knowlton]

that sucks