BLAB Log: Week 6.Day 3

Simple-6

Chin-ups - BWX4, BWX3

Pull-downs, slow eccentric, rest/pause - 70X13, X8, X5, X5, X4, X3, X3, 90X1

"Modified" Arnold Press - 30X10, 35X10, 35X6

Blackburns, 4-position - 5'sX15Sec.X2

Cable Curls - 20X15, 25X15X2

Core Circuit - BWX2

Push-ups - BWX20, BWX5

Ah, Chin/Push-up day you continue to ruin my life.

I gotta find a new way to push these chins.  I've been throwing in sets between other work-sets every lifting day, and I also feel much more explosive with them than I used to, but still I'm stuck at 3-5 reps.  Maybe there's a mental block, so I'll take another week to try to break the 5 rep barrier, and then....maybe start doing 2-3 weighted chins in the hope BW chins jump as a result?  Dunno.

Pulldowns were a little screwy because I forgot to do the slow ups on a couple of sets.  I'll be better next week.

The modified Arnolds are odd, but fine.  I started to go ego on the Blackburns and start with 10's (the girls in the Defranco video use 5's), but I'm glad I didn't.  The Arnolds took enough out of my shoulders that the 5's were plenty on the full front and side extended holds.

I feel like a poseur doing biceps cable curls, but the program calls for them. 

I got through the Core circuit, but afterwards I felt wiped out the way I do after the finishers on other days.  This is the kind of problems I worry about running into with static programs like this.  It just can't take into account how weak I am in some areas (Abs, Push-Ups, Chins).  I knew I couldn't get through the finisher again, but since the core circuit feels like a finisher I decided not to try.  I did two sets of max reps push-ups instead, and did some more push-ups at home later.  I think next week I've GOT to try to get through all of them, even if I stay in the gym an extra 30 minutes to do it.  After the next cycle, the rest of the program ends Day 3 with sets of barbell push-ups laddering down every set from the high teens and then a push-up test in the final week.  That should fall on labor day, and I think that's a good plan.  I'll be at the gym early because of holiday hours, and I begin rehearsing a new show the next day so I'll have a few extra days of rest.  More on rehearsing and training at the same time next week.

BLAB Log: Week 6.Day 2

Agile-8

Kneeling Jumps - BWX5, 5X5X3

BB Squat Warm-Up - BarX5, 65X5, 95X5, 135X5

BB Squats - 150X8, 160X6, 170X10

Hip Thrust - BWX12X3
super-set with
Stability Ball Plank - 30sec.X3

DB Reverse Lunge, front foot elevated - 30X10X2

Kneeling jumps made me nervous, but lo and behold the YouTubes don't lie and they are possible.  I'd still hesitate to do them with a BB on my back as suggested by the program, but you never know.

Jefit says 170X10 is a PR for the Squat.  My first since early June.  Yay!  This was the first opportunity the program afforded for me to PR in the squat and I'm glad I did.  Hopefully I can continue that through the end of the program.

The reverse lunges were odd.  I'm going to search for video of this EXACT exercise being done to see if I am on the right path.

Program called for Tabata jump-rope at the end, but the gym doesn't have one.  I did a one-mile run instead.

BLAB Log: Week 6.Day 1

Simple-6

BB Bench Warm-up - BarX10, 65X8, 95X5

BB Bench Press - 110X8, 120X6, 130X11

Off-Set, Alternating Med-Ball Push-ups - BWX10, BWX7

Cable Row - 100X12X2, 100X10
super-set with
Lying Triceps Extensions - 60X12X2, 60X9

Face-Pulls - 40X12X2, 30X12
super-set with
DB Zottman Curls - 60X8, 50X7, 30X10

DB Complex (Front Squat, Swing, Curl+Press, Jump Squat) - 25X7, 25X8, 25X9

Bench felt good.  Program called for 4+ reps on the last, heaviest set.  Jefit projects the 130X11 as a PR which makes me 5 for 5 on Bench PR attempts in this program.  That's nice, but I can't help but feel that the little tweaks I'm making in my form might be contributing as much as any strength gains.  Oh well, a PR is a PR I suppose.

Speaking of form tweaks, I tried "grabbing" the bench with my legs as Wendler suggests in his 531 manual, but the bench isn't long enough for me to keep a strong arch between my butt and shoulders with my eyes in front of the bar, and still have my knees alongside the bench.  Maybe if I pull my heels even further back?  Maybe I'll try this on my warm-up sets next round and see if it's feasible.  Also, maybe a lot of powerlifters are shorter than me.

Threw chin sets in between bench work-sets.  Continue to feel stronger and more explosive since I started mixing up the grips with neutral and over-hand.

Triecps extensions were harder than usual for this weight.  Also, my left elbow didn't seem to like them much.  Makes me nervous because Paul Carter has ascribed all his elbow tendonitis to heavy free weight extensions.  I'm just trying not to lock-out and hope that keeps them healthy.  I was hoping to go heavy on these in my next program, but I may have to rethink that.

REALLY had to drop the weight on the Zottman curls.  I'm wondering if the combination of the programmed rows and the extra chins caused this.  Also, my biceps might have been more involved in the Face-pulls than normal because I'm having to use a seated pulley station and that has a low angle.  Maybe I'll try a high-pulley next week and see if that helps.

DB Complex was fun.  Might go up 5 lb.'s next week.  Would go more, but I'd probably lose gas on the Curl'n'Press.

BLAB Log: Week 5.Day 3

Simple-6

Chins - X4, X3

DB Press - 70X15, 70X11

Incline Rear Delt Raise - 50X10X2

Barbell Curl - Empty Curl BarX25X4 w/ minimal rest

This was all fine.  I think I was technically supposed to do the empty bar curls with a standard 45 lb. barbell, but the last time I did barbell curls I used 65-75 for my work sets, so I was dubious about being able to do 45X100.  Chins feel like they're getting stronger at the close or overhand grip.  I also feel more explosive with those grips for some reason.  Probably just confidence.

BLAB Log: Week 5.Day 2

Agile-8

DB Squat jumps - 20X6X2

Squats -  105X5, 125X5

Back extensions - BWX10
super-set with
Plate twists - 25X10X2

Day 2 of the deload week went fine.  I decided to pause at the bottom of all my squat warm-ups and my first work set.  I suspect that's why my legs were very tired by late the following afternoon, but no biggie.

I also did mixed grip chin sets between most of the programmed sets.  Neutral close grip seems to be the easiest, so I will focus on that going forward.  I also finished with 25 non-stop push-ups to try to work on my rep strength in that movement.  25 was my target, but it eas probably my limit.  RPE was at 10.  One more easy day to go before 15 real work sessions.

BLAB Log: Week 5.Day 1

Simple-6

Barbell Bench Press 45.0x10,65.0x7,80.0x5,95.0x5 Dumbbell Bench Press 100.0x15,110.0x15 Cable Seated Row 90.0x15,100.0x15 Dumbbell Shoulder Shrug 120.0x10,140.0x10 Barbell Complex 45.0x8
Deload Week.  Everything was fine.  I went heavy on the accessory movements and hit PRs on DB bench.  I also added in chins between almost every set in the hopes to get those up.  Neutral close-grip seems promising.  I also added 20 push-ups at the end.  I will continue to do chins between sets this week, and try to add 5 push-ups to the extra "finishing" set every session, as well.

BLAB Log: Week 4.Day 3

Simple-6

Chin-ups - warmed-up with band-assisted, then BWX4, BWX3, backed-off with drop-set (No band, band on knee, band on foot)

Neutral Grip-Pulldown - 70X18(?Jefit?), 70X20
super-set with
Standing, Neutral grip DB Press - 60X18, 60X12

Cable Rear Delt Raise - 30X10, 25X10X3

"Run the Rack" DB Curls - 35, 25, 15, 5X8

Core Circuit (Sprint-ups, V-ups, Toe-touches, Hip-ups) X2

Body-weight Complex (Mountain Climbers, Push-ups, Groiners, Burpees) X Fail

Annnnd -10%.  Figures that would happen after Tuesday's +10 day.  The cable stuff and the curls are fine, but they're cables and curls, ya know?  Although, there appears to be a glitch in the Jefit App, wherein in it mis-records some of the weights on super-sets.  I think I actually got 26 reps on my first set of pull-downs.  I'll have to play with it.

The chins just don't seem to be moving anymore.  I've gone up in weight by around 5 lbs. over the last two weeks, but I refuse to accept that as an excuse.  I'm gonna try varying grips and see if I can get any more reps that way.

The Core circuit was the only thing I felt good about today, because I was able to complete the prescribed sets/reps.  However that back-patting turned into excruciating shoulder-wrenching when I started the BW Complex.  Climbers and Groiners are fine (probably because they're already in the Agile-8 warm-up drills I've been doing for months), but our old nemesis the push-up rears it's head once more.  The program calls for 3 sets of descending reps on the 4 exercises: 30 MCs, 20 push-ups, 10 groiners, 5 burpees.  I was worried, but I got through the 20 push-ups, but after the first burpee I thought I would pass-out.  I got through the next set up to the burpees, and I was just done.  Workout cancelled at the end.  Fuck.

Next week is the "deload" week of light work.  These BW complexes come back into the program for chin-up day after that.  I hope I can get this.  It's damn frustrating to begin a work-out by failing to progress on chin-ups, and end by not being able to finish a conditioning circuit.

BLAB Log: Week 4.Day 2

Agile-8

BB Squat Warm-up - BarX10, 65X8, 95X6, 135X3

BB Squats - 165X5, 175X3, 195X1

Bulgarian Split-Squat Jumps - 10X5X5

Stability Ball Leg-Curls - 3X15
super-set with
Spread-Eagle Sit-ups - 10X15, 25X15X2

60 Sec. Alternating DB Lunges - 30X28, 30X27

Timed One-Mile Run - 9:12

+10% Day, as Paul Carter would say.  I injured myself taking 195 out of the rack a month back.  I tried to tell myself I was nervous about the weight, but I wasn't.  I arched it out of the rack, took a step back with each foot, and it went all the way down and came right back up like bad sushi.  Honestly, if not for the scheduled run, I might have taken it for a few more squats.  But I didn't, because the whole reason I'm following such a rigid program is to protect myself from myself until I know more about what I'm doing.  Regardless, it's nice to ace that weight coming back from the injury and heading into the scheduled deload week.

Just to prove I really am keeping my ego in check, I sure did go right ahead and do those split-squat jumps holding 5 lb. weights, and the timed lunges holding 15's while some of the biggest guys in the gym were doing heavy-ass BB and DB benching all around me.  Fuck it.  My quads felt like they were going to slide off the front of legs after that shit.  Getting the work in.

I felt like crap heading into the gym today after getting no sleep due to house-guests over the weekend, and yet I was able to do the sit-ups with a 25 lb. plate, after having to ditch a 10 lb. plate in favor of BW last week.  There really is no forecasting how you're gonna do in the gym.

Likewise, I knocked 43(!) seconds off my previous best time on the 1-mile run.  Kind of makes me sad that the timed runs are now over.  Oh well, I'm sure Joe D. has something planned that will kick my ass down to humble in whole new ways.  Also, after the first deload week, I'm allowed to max out the reps on my last squat set.  So in two weeks, after the deload, if I can take that last set of 175 to 10 reps, Jefit says that's a PR.  I've been setting rep PR's on my last bench sets, and I hope to start doing that with squats as well.

BLAB Log: Week 4.Day 1

Simple-6

BB Bench Warm-up - BarX10, 65X10, 95X8, 115X5, 135X3

BB Bench - 125X5, 130X3, 145X6

Incline DB Bench - 45'sX25, 45'sX16

One-Arm DB Row - 70X8, 70X8, 75X8, 75X8
super-set with
Rope Push-downs - 40X8X4

BB Shrug - 155X8, 160X8, 165X8
super-set with
Incline DB Rear-Delt Raise - 50X8X3

Barbell Complex (DL, Bent Row, Hang Clean, Push Press, Back Squat) - 65X10, 45X10X3

Ha, I wasn't paying attention to my programmed work-set weights for the bench and over-shot that weight with my warm-ups.  Just shows I'm getting stronger in the bench, hopefully.  The 145X6 projects as a PR according to Jefit.  My previous best when I was at B@lly and working with suspect weights was 155X2, so I think it's true.  However, I really think my form is getting more locked in, and that is likely playing a large part as well. 

Speaking of that, the heavy lifters were working in the gym today, and I got to watch them bench at the same time as me and compare our set-ups.  These guys are doing the full PL form where they set-up with their heads way behind the bar, plant the balls of their feet there, and then pull everything else in front of the bar.  Extreme arch so that only the traps and head are on the bench, and their heels are way off the ground.  For myself, I put my eyes right behind the bar, pull my feet back as far as I can without my heel rising off the ground, then I pull myself forward so that my eyes are just in front of the bar.  My heels come off the ground a little, but I manage to keep my butt on the bench.  I then push on the up-rights to make sure my shoulders are tight together and making a nice solid surface with my traps for me to press against.  I grab the bar with my middle-finger on the rings, squeeze and "pull the bar apart," take a lot of air into my belly, and take the bar out.  If it's a work-set, I will pause at the top and take new air into my belly before taking the press.  I let the bar come down in a natural path (about to my diaphragm), then I focus on pressing it back up in the same groove.  I also focus on keeping my elbows tucked coming in and out of the bottom of the press, but letting them flare at lock-out.  This is feeling pretty good for now, and I'm hitting PR's.  I don't know if it is going to be stable enough as the weight keeps increasing though.  Looseness was one of my big problems at B@lly.  The bar swaying side-to-side as it came out of the rack, etc. 

Figuring out this form has been a bit nerve-racking.  The fact seems to be that there are many ways to interpret what constitutes strong in the bench.  So much of the stuff I read is geared towards power-lifting, which emphasizes that big arch that helps hit big numbers at meets.  But I'm not going to do PL meets.  Then when I read Rippetoe, he has you starting with the head and shoulders in final position in front of the bar, feet flat and shins at 90 degrees, and with just enough arch that a flat hand can slide between the back and the bench.  He also has trainees keep the elbows out at about 60 degrees during the press.  So PL form de-emphasizes the chest, and puts more of the weight on the triceps and the lats, which helps to move more weight.  Rippetoe's method uses more chest and shoulders.  I asked Paul Carter about form, and he said I'd have to figure it out for myself, and I guess that's what I'm doing.  To clarify, my goal is this:  Use the Bench Press to Get Stronger.  This doesn't mean I'm trying to build up my chest, but it I'm not sure it means that I need to build the biggest bench possible which would involve the PL-style extreme arch.  So for now, I'm settling on this hybrid with maximum arch while keeping the butt on the bench and feet almost flat.  As the weight goes up I'll just have to make adjustments as necessary.

Back to the session, all the assistance stuff went great.  If the one-armed DB rows, continue to have higher numbers than cable rows and/or pull-downs, I'm gonna want to know what that's about.  Am I being a wimp on the cable stuff, or just cheating more with the DB?  Probably the latter, as I don't think I've ever heard of anybody being more tentative on machines.  Whatever.  Right now it's just fun to be increasingly rowing weights from the fat end of the rack.

I should mention that I was totally out of gas for the BB complexes.  I think it was probably a combination of only having a shake that day prior to training, and having house-guests/staying up late the night before.  I started with the same weight as last time, but almost couldn't finish the set.  The cleans are always a momentum killer for me on these, but this time I just didn't have any reserves.  I was facing a mirror and my eyes literally went wide with surprise and concern on the first clean.  Pretty funny.  I pulled all the weight off after the first set, and barely managed to get through the rest of the sets/reps.  Hey, dummy, eat and sleep!  Tip o' the hat to you , Joe Defranco.  These finishers are definitely exposing all kinds of holes in my training.

BLAB Log: Week 3.Day 3

Simple-6

Chin-Ups - Band-Asst.(Foot)X10X2, BA (Knee)X5, BWX4, BWX3, BA (Knee)X5, BA (Foot)X10

Pull-Down (Neutral Grip) - 70X23, 70X18
super-set with
DB Standing Presses (Neutral) - 30'sX18, 30'sX12

Cable Rear Delt Raise - 30X10, 25X10X3

"Run the Rack" DB Curls - (30, 20, 15, 8, 5) X8

Core Circuit X 2

Timed Pushups - 50X4:25

Crap session.  -10% as Paul Carter might say.  Some possible progress on the chin-ups.  Not in reps, obviously, but in technique.  I really tried to go all out on the band-assisted sets instead of treating them as warm-ups/downs and I felt it a lot more in my lats so I'll be sure to get after every chin-set no matter what going forward.  I really, really want to progress to weighted chins. 

On a hopefully related note, I was able to jump up 10 lbs. on the pull-downs pretty easily.  Initially I thought that was due to the grip change, but since the DB presses didn't get a similar benefit I'm hoping that's real progress on back strength.


Bent over cable raises were very nostalgic.  The sets went well, but it was disconcerting because I kept flashing back to my mid-twenties when I used to do a lot of body-building style weight lifting, so-called "bro-splits," etc.  Nevertheless, it was kind of fun.  I had just watched some of the Indigo-3G training videos, and picked up some possible form tips for laterals from Christian Thibaudeau.  He didn't say this explicitly, but when I was doing the reps, rather than think about bringing the weight up in an arc, I though more about throwing the weight sideways.  I actually picked a target in my peripheral vision that was on the same plane as my shoulders, and threw the weight towards that target without letting go.  I believe I was able to take my traps and back out of the peak contraction portion of the movement in this way.  Little bit of an ego-check on the weight to do this, but I think it was right.

Started off too light on the curls, and had way more reps in the tank on the lower weights.  Have to go up 5-10 lbs. next week.  Even if I have to muscle up the last few sets of the opening weight, I think the final reps on the lower weights will be under more fatigue.

I continue to suck at direct ab work.  No strength or endurance there at all.  Had to pull back from all the prescribed reps as my abs were starting to cramp half way through the 2nd movement of the first set.  Likewise, the push-ups actually LOST time from last week.  This really sucks because I looked at the program this morning, and realized the timed push-ups are over, and I never actually got to the prescribed hundred.  I don't feel okay about this.  For those of you (imaginary) that are keeping track, the list of things I suck at and now feel compelled to keep in a program no matter what are: chins, push-ups, direct ab work, and single-leg squat variations.  Looking at that list, I realize probably anything where body-weight makes up a significant portion of the overall load may be lagging for me.  Except for dips.  For whatever reason those were going fine when I worked them into WS4SB prior to starting BLAB.  I even started strapping on weight with a dip-belt.  Maybe I've got good dip genes or something.  Anyway, I like chins and single-leg squat stuff is growing on me, but I hate the push-ups and the ab work.  That tells me I HAVE to make sure to keep it in future programs.  When I start 531 this fall, I've got to remember to find where this stuff plugs-in.  I know Wendler uses hanging-ab raises with the feet coming all the way up as ab work, but I'm wodering if I shouldn't take the ab circuit progressions out of BLAB and put them on my 531 schedule.  Food for thought.

Speaking of food, I started with protein supplements yesterday.  It was just to damn hard to try and get all the protein in from food, and attempting to do so was screwing up my cooking.  The wife was never totally pleased that I kept substituting additional meats for carbs whenever I cooked big portions of things.  Hopefully now I can feel more comfortable churning out rice and starchy vegetable sides.

BLAB Log: Week 3.Day2

Agile-8

Squat Warm-up - 45X10, 65X10, 95X5, 115X5, 135X3

Squats - 160X6, 170X4, 185X2

Bulgarian Split-Squat Jumps - BWX5X4

Stability Ball Leg Curls - BWX15X3
super-set with
Spead-Eagle Sit-Ups - BWX15, 5X15, BWX15

DB Alternating Lunges - 30X9, 30X11

Timed One-Mile Run - 10:09

Squats felt pretty good.  Totally reinforced the decision to go on a more structured program, however.  When I threw my back out squatting a few weeks back, I did 185X5 and then tried to take out 195 for a 5 rep. PR.  So this 185 made me nervous even thought I've had more weight on my back for 2 reps in the past.  The extra warm-ups still feel right for reinforcing technique prior to the work-sets.  The bar felt kind of heavy but I just think that was the yips I had about the number.  The reps actually felt easier on 185 than they did on the 160.

Split-squat jumps are funny.

In the previous vein of chin-ups and push-ups, we had a whole new edition of "you never spent any time on these before, and lo and behold you suck at them" with the weighted sit-ups.  I've never really done a lot of direct ab work in the past, so I did the first set with no weight, and of course they were hard.  I added a measly 5 lb. plate to the second set and almost couldn't finish, so I dropped it for the final set.  Next week, I'll try starting off with a 10, and see if I can (safely) muscle through the reps with rests if necessary.

Even though my time on the run was longer than last week, the program only called for me to beat Week 1, which I did, AND I did the whole mile without walking.  I just started off at a much milder trot and maintained that for the duration. 

I had a call-back later in the night that ended up being a one-hour cardio session of theatre games.  Didn't get home till after 11:30, got up today at 6:15 and feel like a smudge.  Good thing we have dinner plans tonight, and house-guests coming tomorrow that I have to finish cleaning up for.  Otherwise I might actually be able to rest.  Accordingly, I expect Thursdays session to be a massacre.  I don't know how I'm gonna get those 100 push-ups on an empty tank...

BLAB Log: Week 3.Day 1

BB Bench, warm-up sets - 45X10, 65X10, 95X5, 115X3
BB Bench - 120X6, 130X4, 140X7

DB Incline Bench - 80X26, 80X16

One-arm DB Row - 50X10, 60X10, 65, X10, 65X10
superset with
Rope Pushdowns - 25X10, 30X10, 35X10, 35X10

BB Shrugs - 95X10, 115X10, 135X10
superset with
DB Incline Delt Flyes - 25X12, 25X12, 25X12

BB Complex (pulls, bent rows, hang cleans, push press, squats) - 65X10, 55X10, 50X10, 45X10

I mentioned I was going to add more increments to my ME warm-up sets for squats, and I've decided to do that for all my "heavy" lifts.  You can see that here where I added the 65 lb. set.  Bench went well.  The last set called for 2+ reps and I got 7.  According to Jefit, that is a perceived max PR.  Since that includes the innacurate, and allegedly lighter-than-advertised weight I was lifting at B@lly, I feel pretty good about that.
I haven't done one-arm rows in over a decade, so I wasn't sure where to start.  I see a lot of talk about Kroc rows, which are vaguely described as one-arm rows for reps with "a ridiculous amount of weight."  I'm a little confused about that because I don't understand why you would do this lift with less weight than you think you can handle for the target reps.  I thought maybe brief rests were involved, but I just saw video of Wendler doing these, and he went non-stop from the first to last rep.  Whatever, I worked up to the most I could get for the 10 reps.

Speaking of B@lly, I was doing the rope extensions, and I was using around the same weight as I had used at the cable station in the free-weight section of that gym.  But they had another cable station in the machines area where I would have to more than double the "weight."  What is that?  I understand that having more pulleys etc. in-line with the transfer of force reduces the amount of work required to move a given amount of weight, but shouldn't they relabel the plates so that we have an accurate idea of how much force we're generating?  Just sayin'.

Well the bar-bell complexes have been getting harder with the sets going up every week per the program, but I've decided to increase the difficulty by adding weight every week.  Defranco is vague on this point.  The program as written seems to imply an empty bar, but the example YouTubes show a trainee with a weighted bar.  Last week, I added a 5er to each side for the first two sets, and this week I decided to work down from a 10 on each side to just the bar.  I don't know how hard this "finisher" is supposed to be, but this was brutal and I'm keeping it.  However, on the middle two sets I had to set the bar down between reps 5 and 6 of the cleans because my forearms felt like they were going to rip open.  I have  zero practicle knowledge of proper clean technique, but I must be doing something wrong because I did straight-up curls on the last set and it didn't burn at all.  I'll take a look at some Rippetoe stuff and see if I can figure out what I'm doing wrong.

BLAB Log: Week 2.Day 3

Chin-ups, band-assisted - under footX10, under kneeX5, no bandX3, no bandX2, under kneeX8, under footX10

Wide-grip lat pulldowns - 60X20, 60X20
superset with
Standing DB shoulder-press -60X20, 60X14

DB lying triceps extension - 60X8X5 (full stop behind head)
superset with
Seated Hammer curls -60X8X5 (full stop at bottom)

Core-circuit X 2

50 pushups - 4:20

This day continues to be humble pie.  I discovered a month or so back that I could only do one or two strict chin-ups.  The program calls for one set of max reps plus 50 - 60%, but I think the authors envisioned someone that could a few more than me.  Luckily the new gym has bands, and I think warming-up and doing back-off sets with them  are yielding positive results.  My goal is to get up to 12+ unassisted, and then I'll start loading the work sets.  Probably won't get there on this cycle of this progrm, but hopefully while I'm on 531, this winter.

Also, that damn push-up test.  The program calls for 100 push-ups for time.  When I tried to set my base time last week, I was horrified to have to stop at 50.  At 5:48.  I gave myself a much longer rest this week, before starting the test and that helped.  I got 50 in under 5.  Next week I will try for the hundo.  I'm sure I could do them fresh, but the program has them at the end of the session for a reason.  My lock-out just goes in the toilet after the DB OHPs and the triceps extensions.

What is the value of local theatre?

As I continually struggle to define the value of live theatrical productions as part of  the art and entertainment landscape going forward, I thought this piece from Carey Perloff at the Huffington Post was an important piece of the puzzle.  It's not very long, so you should read the whole thing, but a choice nugget would be:

What's happened to the American non-profit theater in the interim is interesting. In a desperate attempt to feel relevant in an increasingly digital universe and to remain solvent at a time of huge decreases in arts funding, the regional theater has all but abandoned its alternative stance (the whole notion of a permanent company of actors being one of the first ideas to go) and now actively pursues commercial success and a presence in New York. It has become standard operating procedure for regional theaters to accept significant "enhancement money" from commercial producers in exchange for the use of their theater and their subscription audience to try out Broadway-bound material. While this has allowed large-scale musicals to be developed and previewed across the country, it has also sapped the regional theater of its artistic muscle and its individuality. Since he who pays the piper plays the tune, it is inevitable that the artists working on an enhanced musical are far more likely to take direction from their Broadway producers than from the non-profit theater's artistic team, with the result that the work is "local" in name only.

This has come into focus for me quite a bit since I moved to Chicago.  Here, the phrase "going out to the theatre" seems by default to mean seeing one of the big musicals downtown.  I know people that go to these shows all the time, that have never even been to see a show at Steppenwolf, The Goodman, or Chicago Shakespeare, much less anything on a smaller, more home-grown scale. 

When I lived in Portland, I struggled with a similar quandary to the one Ms. Perloff mentions.  Portland LOVES the Local and the DIY when it comes to anything.  But when it comes to performance, that means  snything except theatre.  Live local music, festivals of local films, reading by local authors, even live comic-book making.  But not live theatre.  I don't actually believe that in Portland it's for the reasons that Ms. Perloff suggests (the Portland-New York theatre circuit just doesn't really exist that way in my experience). Also, she should probably attribute more of her show's success to the built-in local audience for the adapted material.  I doubt if they could boast the same revenue/audience turnout if the text had been wholly new.  Yet rejecting New York aspirations could be a valuable tool in trying to maintain a pinky-hold for live theatre.

Anyway, this is something I've continued to think about often over the last decade, and will probably subject the non-existent readers of this blog to further ramblings in the future.

August means BLT's

DISCLAIMER: I am forgetful and there are no pictures in this post.  I will try to be better.

Since a farmer's market started in my neighborhood last year, and since I started going to the farmer's market near my work place, August has been all about the BLT.  The only thing that goes into that sandwich that I can't get at these markets is the oil, mustard, and lemons for the mayonnaise.  Artisan bread, heirloom and/or organically grown local tomatoes, farm fresh eggs (for the mayo), artisan cured pork belly, ARUGULA.  Using these ingredients, the appeal of the BLT finally crystallized for me.  Consider the difference between a sandwich made with those ingredients and one made with Wonder bread, Oscar Meyer bacon, Hellmann's, and those bland and mealy supermarket tomatoes.  Is it any wonder that for years I was mystified by the appeal?  No longer.  For the last two years I have loudly proclaimed the BLT as the paragon of sandwiches.

Last night was kind of the first of the season.  I say kind of, because rather than use tomato on the sandwich, I made gazpacho.  So gazpacho and BT sandwiches. For the sandwich, the bacon was the excellent spice-cured pork belly from Crafthouse. The bread was, I think, Pugilese from Labriola.   I don't remember the name of the vendor that provided the arugula and the mint (for the gazpacho).  The eggs for the mayo were from Midnight Sun Farm.  The mayo recipe is basically the one you would find in Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  The only difference is that I substitute 1/4 cup of olive oil for the vegetable oil.  Anyway, make mayo, fry up planks of pork belly, toast bread, assemble.  God I love that sandwich.

As for the gazpacho, there's a bunch of ways to do it, the easiest being the food processor.  I bought a food-mill in the last year so I wanted to use that.  Here's the ingredient list, all vegetables and bread roughly chopped:

Tomatoes, cored
Cucumber, peeled, seeded
Green Bell Pepper, stemmed, cored, seeds and ribs removed
Hot pepper (midnight sun farm), stemmed, cored, etc.
Yellow squash (because I needed to use it)
Garlic
Ice Water
Stale bread
Mint (or other bright fresh herb)
Olive Oil and Sherry Vinegar

For efficiency, I put the ice water in my fat separator and put the chunks of bread in that.
All the vegetables went into a big bowl and I poured in some of the cold water from the separator.  I went at it all with the immersion blender until it was mostly liquid.  By now, the bread was nicely softened, so I took it out of the separator and pureed it in as well.

At this point, it would be best to let the mixture sit in the fridge for a while so that flavors can mingle (I didn't, but you should).

I placed the food-mill on top of another large bowl and fitted it with the medium blade.  In went the puree.  It only took two batches.  Everything looked great.  I added oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.  I then did a chiffonade of the mint, but in retrospect I wouldn't have done that just for me and the wife as those threads become problematic when you say "this damn spoon is too slow" and you start drinking the soup out of the bowl.  better to just give them a rough-chop.  For company?  Chiffonade away.

Feel free to garnish as you like: cucumber, croutons, green onions, other herbs.

I will be so sad when these tomatoes go away for another year.

For Searchers

Because I've had so much difficulty searching google for logs of the programs I'm interested in, I thought it would be fair to throw out a post explicitly saying what program I'm logging here:

Currently I'm doing Joe DeFranco's (god help me) Built Like a Badass program.

There.  Now if anyone is interested in the training progress of a mid-thirties weakling, they will be lavishly rewarded. 

Assuming I keep posting about it.

And if they don't get turned off by posts about theatre and cooking.

Assuming I ever START posting about that.

BLAB Log: Week 2.Day2

Yesterday:

DB Squat Jumps - 50X6, 60X6, 70X6, 80X6

BB Squats - Warm Up (Bar, 95, 135) 155X7, 165X6, 175X3

Back Extensions - 25X12X3
superset with
Weighted Twists, feet-up - 25X15X3

1 Mile Run - 9:54

It's been two weeks since I threw my back out, and squats are still making me nervous. And yet I got the prescribed %'s with no pain. Still, my back felt tight all day beforehand just like the day I hurt myself. I tried to make it release by rolling an MB up and down between it and a wall, and maybe that helped. (However the wall turned out to be the back of some un-anchored lockers than I pushed over. Luckily no one was in the "women's dressing room" when that happened. Owner says I'm the third person to do that. The gym has been open for 40 years. Great.) My back felt tight all morning today, but now it's on the left side. Hopefully this is just some imbalances working themselves out, but I'm going to do more light-weight warm up sets anyway and really try to make sure my form is locked-in before I do my work-sets.

I forgot to write down my time for the 1-mile run last week. I was supposed to beat it this week. All I know is that it was over 10 minutes, so I busted my ass and got it done in 9:54. So woo-hoo, except last week I had my gym bag on with that giant hard-back of the new Game of Thrones book inside. Obviously I should be able to beat that time without the extra weight. Nevertheless, the workout really took it out of me, and I have felt run-down all day today.

Anyway. This is my first post on the blog that was supposed to be about theatre and cooking, and this post is about the 5th session of a 12-week weight training program. Guess you gotta start somewhere.