I'm Back Baby! ...sort of...

Well, hello again!

After over a week of being sick, some sort of summer cold, I tried my hand at working out again. I did so at our local Friskis & Svettis gym. I've had my suspicions about going so heavy in my existing routine. Working up to 3x3 reps has been kind of brutal. I have not idea if that is the culprit in the case of me being sick more often this spring but it's worth looking in to. With that to consider I decided to try something new. It spells..don't go so damned hard! And by that I mean don't go so heavy and don't go to failure ALL the time. We will see how this plays out, boy's and galls!

The Work Out:

Warm Up - 1000m row on the Concept 2, 4:38

Low Bar Back Squats: 3 x 5 - 80 kg, 2 x 8 - 60 kg

Barbell Hip Thrusters - 3 x 10 - 60 kg

Military Press - 3 x 5 - 40 kg, 2 x 8 - 30 kg

Dumbell Biceps Curl - 3 x 5 - 18 kg, 2 x 8 - 12 kg

Farmers Carry - 3 x 50 Steps w/ 40 kg Kettlebell in Each Hand

Face Pulls - 2 x 12

That is all she wrote! I can't say I was feeling it. I was not all there. But the motto was "easy does it", and for the most part I stuck to that. The Hip Thrusters was a new one for me, thank you Jeff Cavaliere at Atlean-X, and I had a hard time finding a good spot on my pelvis to rest te bar on. It was somewhat uncomfortable whatever I did. But a seriously worthwhile exercise. I just have to get it dialed in, I guess.

But what did you eat today, you might ask? Apart from a Whey Protein shake with Collagen and Creatine,  here comes the answer to that question:

Breakfast: Two boiled eggs and some ham.

Lunch: Beef liver and chorizos with mustard

Dinner: Remains to be seen...probably something carnivorous

"Courage is grace under pressure."
- Ernest Hemingway

May the Fors Be with you!

A Visit to The Hair Dresser and Grönalund

Good evening, all of you!

Today I went to the hair dresser for the first time this century. Salong Boheme, Folkungagatan 122 Stockholm. I hade no expectations. The barber was ten minutes late. Not a good start. I got a cup of espresso while I waited, that counts for something, right? He seemed like a nice enough fellow when he arrived, though. I sat up in the chair and he went by his business. He was very thorough and he had been at it for well over an hour when he told me to switch to the showering chair. There he shampooed and conditioned my hair and while the conditioner was left to do it's thing he started on my face. I was unaware of these new treatments you received at the hair dressers.

He started by applying some sort of lotion to parts of my face, which made me close my eyes. The following unfolded while my eyes were closed, luckily. First I heard a familiar sound that reminded me of my day's as a smoker. Then another familiarity. The smell of burnt hair. He had obviously started burning off the hairs on and in my ears. That shit hurt, I can tell you. When he, to my big relief, finally had burnt it all off, he attacked my nose. Shoving some sort of trimming divice up my nostrils with an alarming ferocity. When that finally stopped, I thought the torture was over. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact the nightmare had only begun. With eyes still firmly shut, he went to town on my facial hair with - threading! Ajajaj! That shit hurts like a mofo! And it went on and on and on and on...

   After this I was glad I hadn't feinted. He continued his full on assault on any and every hair left on my face. When he was done(probably because he had ran out of hairs to pull out with the root), he took a small break only to come back with scolding hot towels to put on my sore face. That was not comfortable. He removed the towel only to reheat it and put it back on, and on and on again. After all this I finally got some relief. It spells - cold towels. Heaven! Now finally the "treatment" must come
to an end? Not quite jet. Off course I had to receive a complementary neck and shoulder massage, back in the hair dressing chair, followed by the standard finishing touch. The styling. Pushing two hours I was quite amazed at the level of commitment and artistry that this hair dresser was capable of. The end result was amazing! I feel and look 15 years younger. I am very satisfied. Thank you Haykel!

After this I joined my family at Grönalund, which was more than unpleasant, under these circumstances. 30° celsius and all the tourists you would ever want to meet. Well, the kids loved it, of cause. And that is all that matters.

"Ann inner process stands in the need of
outward criteria"
- Ludwig Wittgenstein

May the Fors be with You!

Three best tips for better health

Yep, there are more but these are the best!

1: SLEEP

Not entirely unexpectedly, sleep is at the top of my list on health-giving advice for the simple reason that the difficulty of performing something else increases exponentially if this building block is not in place.
   During sleep, necessary service work is performed both in the body and in the brain. The body heals after exercise, illness and injuries. The brain cleanses and sorts among today's impressions. It is simply vital to have a continuous, well-functioning routine around sleep. Everything is to some extent individual but as I wrote in a previous post I do not think it is more than a few thousandths of the earth population who for some considerable amount of time manage to perform at the peak of their ability without spending, at least, seven hours of sleep each night , usually a lot more.

2: MOVEMENT


Please note that I do not use the word "training". Even though I am a big advocate for physical activity in organized forms as well as completely unplanned exercise, a lot of people get stuck in a preconceived sense of what it is you do when you exercise. The word has such a loaded etymology. Many people, perhaps especially those in greatest need of training, often get a picture of spandex-clad, sunburnt people with flawless bodies exercises to frustrating music in rooms where the walls are covered with floor-to-ceiling mirrors. This reality do exist, but it is far from as prevalent as some seem to believe.
  Hence my choice of the word "movement". Because this blog is called "Basic Health", it is for those to whom it is primarily important to come to the realization that it is enough to move, at first. Preferably on a regular basis. Getting up from the couch or office chair once every thirty minutes. Just walk one lap around the room or office. It's movement. First and foremost, focus on getting out of the grip of gravity. Then you go from there.
   So this does not build you a washboard stomach in a week but in the long run it may prevent you from having problems with knees, shoulders, back, hips. Curbing disorders such as alzheimers, dementia, cardiovascular disease and diabetes type two. Adding a pair of toe-ups, light squats, or flapping of the arms will reduce the risk of sitting-related problems even more.
   In the worst case scenario and you get inspired by all the movement and you would start exercising, it doesn't have to be at a gym. (And should that be at a gym, there are a plethora of gyms of different looks and tastes.) Walking, outdoor gym, some equipment or bodyweight training at home, various sports or other activities are a world that will open up to you if you just can get out of the grip of gravity. Just take one step at a time.

3: Avoid chronic STRESS

Stress is an intricate part of our existence. We need to be stressed to perform optimally and develop. Both physically and mentally. Exercising is a stress for the body from which it recovers and becomes stronger. But it is when this stress becomes chronic, without intermittent periods of proper relaxation and recovery, and if sleep is also affected, that's when we have BIG problems.
   Stress had a function for us on the "savannah", when we had to prioritize in situations of life and death. The stress increased our focus and sharpened our minds. We were able to make the vital decisions by increasing the secretion of stress hormones such as, adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol. To have the ability to set digestion on the back burner, increase the capacity of the heart to pump blood around the body and save energy in every conceivable way was critical to our survival. But these conditions probably lasted no more than a few minutes at a time, at me most as long as an hour, not months or years. This is when problems with fatigue, depression, memory difficulties through dizziness, muscle weakness and stomach problems can lead to myocardial infarction, fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and other prolonged conditions of pain, in our modern society. Lingering stress at work, at school and at home is something you have to curb as best you can. Look for the signs and listen to your loved ones as they alert you to your ever-increasing pace and your increasingly absent presence.

I myself had an episode in my life when I experienced very high stress. I had changed workplace at Dramaten and also took on the role of Deputy Stage Manager. Everything was very last minute and no one had any proper control of anything. I got one more unfinished project after another in my lap and finally I stood near the cliffs edge on the way down into the abyss. Fortunately, at the last second I discovered the approaching danger and took a step back, found meditation and mindfulness and with the help of the mantra "less but better" I got the boat back on an even keel. Later I went back to the workplace from which I came. The disorganized pursuit of more was allowed to continue with less interference from me.

"The Main Thing
Is to Keep The Main Thing
The Main Thing."
- Stephen R. Covey

May The Fors be With You!

Boy's in da hood

Kvarnen, Medis, Saturday night ... say no more!


Me and the guys had arranged a meeting at Kvarnen's outdoor restaurant at Medborgarplatsen. It was a lovely evening and very nice company. Everything from politics, through family life to old memories was on the menu this evening. As dusk crept on and beer after beer went down, the dynamics of conversation changed slightly, as it has a tendency to do. The tongue started slipping, slightly, the memories grew more dramatic and the gestures became increasingly flamboyant.
    I myself was satisfied with two Carlsberg Hof. Not very spectacular, but I almost never drink and feel no need to try all the new micro-brewed, unfiltered hipster beers available. I find alcoholic beverages enjoyable in the right amount at the right time. Which is not so often.

One problem with the nightlife, which I find nowadays, is that I am no night owl either, anymore. You could even say that I have been regressed to the opposite of a night owl, what ever you would call that. So when I, with some grunts from some in the company, chose to throw in the towel about 11:30 PM, it was "way past my bedtime."

I find it extremely entertaining and massive quality of life booster, with the social interaction, conversations, etc., but the location and timing were poorly chosen, if social interaction should be the focus. First of all, it is not exactly cheap to drink beer at the pub.
     Secondly, after three hours, I had no voice left as I had to scream all the time because the music drowned out the conversation.
     Thirdly, I woke up with tinnitus ringing in my ears, the day after, for the same reason.
     Last but not least, I want to, again, point out the inappropriateness of the time of this meeting. Sleepiness is my enemy in connection with cognitively demanding activities, such as conducting complex philosophical conversations.

Well, to go to the pub once in a while is no problem but when I am also married since 19 years, another motivation factor and driving force has dropped significantly. 

Earlier in the day I did a mini workout consisting of Pull Ups, Push Ups, Deadlift and Pinch Block training. Felt nice but I also feel pretty worn out now. Hmmm ... maybe I'll tweak the workout a bit ahead. We'll see.



For dinner today I had some chicken fillets that I didn't really know what to do with. I examined the contents of our refrigerator and discovered a jar of olives, a Feta cheese and a pack of Schwarzwälder Schinken. Then I went and mixed together Feta and chopped olives, added some lemon pepper and cayenne, spread this hash over the fried chicken fillets in to an ovenproof dish and then covered the whole thing with the ham. Into the oven for about 20 minutes on 200° Celsius. Very pleased with the result.



Incidentally, I had just timely received my new one Scanpan CTX 28 cm stekpanna(add) from Cervera(add). In a first test it works very well. Ask me again in a year, that's usually how long it takes to get a bearing on the quality of a product like this. 
   I had to grind away some sharp edges from inside the hole in the handle not to hurt my delicate hands. 😉
   Very light weight frying pan with one of the most durable coatings available in the "nonstick" market. There are a lot of reviews online so you don't have to take my word for it. That was all for this week. See you later.

"Push Yourself,
Because no one else
is going To Do It for You."

May the Fors be With You!

HiFi Klubben, in da house!

Finally!

I have long been looking for a place to buy sound and technology gadgets that also provide top-class service, knowledgeable staff and a wide range of quality products. As a bonus, their website is a dream to navigate and it is very useful and inspiring as well. I am a little old-fashioned and have a lot of CDs left. When it came time to change CD players, I turned to the HiFi club and found the Denon DCD-50(add). Stylish and optimal player for my needs at a reasonable price. Super satisfied!

HiFive HiFi Klubben!

I love music. Singing, playing, listening, you name it. When the kids were small and showed interest in music, I tried to start playing a bit on my wife's old school guitar. Once I learned a few chords, I started to enjoy myself so much I went ahead and bought a couple of acoustic guitars and learned to strum along something that could be taken for rudimentary guitar playing. A steel-strung Yamaha FG820 and a nylon-strung Alhambra. The kids were at least impressed. Anyhow, I couldn't care less what others think when I find the playing and singing so satisfying.

As a parentheses, I just want to mention that on the Dramaten there were many "music snobs" who would rather go through life without even trying to play or sing just because the opportunities to become a concert pianist or guitar virtuoso were no longer there. Dramaten is certainly not the only workplace where jealousy and pettiness dwells under the surface, but probably one where it is very common.
    At least I didn't let myself get discouraged and now I play for a while every day.

It was not only fun & games today but the gym equipment had to be moved. It doesn't on it's own, you now.

Here's how it went:

Bench Press (WS-3x100kg, 3x95kg, 5x90kg & 7x80kg)

Mark Lift (WS-3x150kg)

Weighted Pull Ups (4x24kg, 3x32kg, 3x40kg, 3x32kg, 3x24kg)

Dips (15, 14, 5x24kg +)

Well, if we are going to explain a little, I usually take up to 5 minutes of rest before the heaviest Work Set lifts. Then, depending on how it feels, I go down to two, max three, minutes of rest in the tail sets. I haven't done dips in a long time.

   As I predicted, I was quite sore today, more so today than Wednesday. It's cumulative, of course. And not surprisingly, I was reluctant to go to the gym but managed to find something that motivated me again today. I obviously felt ok when I was there.

At Friskis where I train they have an excellent heavy bag sandsäck(add) that I kicked extensively during the breaks between sets. Mad props Nordic Fighter(add)!



"A Little Nonsense Now and Then
Is Cherished by the Wisest Men"
- Roald Dahl

May the Fors be with you!

Cacao Coffee & Greasing the Groove

New day, new possibilities.

One of these possibilities is to make a Cacao coffee. Like hot chocolate but instead of hot milk you just take coffee. Helps you relax and feel good. In addition, there are studies that show positive effects on recovery as well as mental abilities etc. It is also very good. I take a few teaspoons of cacao and mix in a little cream and then add the coffee. Most often it will be the cup I have after lunch. There is no scientific evidence to back this up, but my own, empirical, experience points to the fact that it works best with a cup every day, at lunch.
    Besides, lunch coffee is the last cup I take per day. 3 P.M. is most definitely the deadline. The reason for this is problems falling asleep. This obviously varies from individual to individual and some claim that they are not significantly affected by having a cup in the evening but for me it is not optimal with coffee late in the day.


I did some grip training and active rest today as well. Greasing the Groove, type stuff.

5 rounds of 5 repetitions with two 12 kg dumbbells, without significant interruption, of follows:

Dumbbell Press
Goblet Squats
Biceps Curl
Standing Triceps Press

Then some Pinch Block training. 12 kg Kettlebell. 7 seconds each hand, switching, until I couldn't muster 7 seconds anymore. Then I walked around for a few minutes in the garden only to do the same again a few minutes later. A total of three rounds of this.

Finally, I did some half-hearted Toes 2 Bar.

It felt very pleasant. Satisfactory. Refreshing! Invigorating!!

I will probably feel yesterday's workout more tomorrow, I think, but doing these mini-workout's the days in between is intended to blunt the worst effects of that, to some extent, I hope. Tomorrow it will be Friskis again. See you later!

"Strength doesn't come from what you can do.
It comes from overcoming the things
You once thought you couldn't"

Oooo...deep!

May the Fors be with you!

Leg Press, anyone?

Hello again!

Today it was DOMS in da house. Big Time! I was most certainly no going to the gym today. I was just going to do an easy workout at home and lick my wounds, nothing fancy at all.

That didn't happen. I sat and watched MMA on YouTube and, again, became inspired (starting to see a red thread here.) After a fairly extensive morning walk, it also felt a lot better. So, said and done, I jumped up on the bike and rode down to the old Friskis & Svettis.

The workout, as such:

Military Press: WS-3x3x55kg

Barbell Curl: WS-3x3x50kg (some cheat curls but with slow eccentric phase)

Scull Cruscher: WS-3x3x45kg

Leg Press:?

Well, what about that leg press? I skipped the squats today when I felt some pain in the adductor magnus on my right leg, plus I got some pretty nasty scratch marks from the bar on the shoulders which I thought would heal away a little before creating new ones. It turned out to be a pretty bad idea.

The machine I chose was the one where you sit on a sledge that you push up with your feet on a fixed plate, if you know what I mean. A weight stack with numbers on it is connected to the sled. I'm not quite sure if the numbers are kilograms or correlates with some other system but it's hard to relate anyway. The angles of the knees and hips at start are difficult to transpose to the correct form, etc. I had spasm in the rectus femoris and barely felt the gluteus maximus or hamstrings at all. Quite unhappy but I could have gone over to the Squat Racket and continued there if it wasn't for all these stations being occupied by people doing bench press. Sigh...

Now it will be a some studying and reading and walking and maybe an episode of Ultimate BeastMaster.

"Without Great Solitude
 no Serious work i Possible"
- Pablo Picasso

May the Fors be with you!

Pinch Block

The climbing ... must get started with the climbing again.

I was inspired to pick up the climbing again when I accidentally sat in front of "Ultimate Beast Master" on Netflix. It is a variant of American Ninja Warrior and other obstacle course programs where contestants are to pass through a course with a number of obstacles of various kinds. It's designed to test you in a variety of arias. A lot of Crossfit athletes, even more Parkour athletes and then a number of other athletes of varying disciplines. But the one who won Season 1 was a professional climber. Many of the obstacles relied on the practitioner's grip strength. Many of the climbers had great success and in fact there were two climbers in the final. The other one was an ice climber but still.

The program as such was, at least in the first season, not much to write home about. We don't even have to go into it because this post is not about that. This post is about the inspiration I got to get on with the climbing again. Summer is not climbing season, as you all probably know, but I'm not going to worry about it. I'm going to start training for the fall season. I got so inspired that I, immediately had to go to Byggmax and buy myself a piece of wood and build myself a "Pinch Block". For you who don't know, that is a wooden block that you attach a weight to and try to hold in your hand in a so-called "Pinch" grip. To increase grip strength, simply. Very nice.

In addition to some grip training at home, of course I have to try to get out into the woods, weather permitting, but also take a few sessions indoors now and then. Now nothing can stop me from getting in excellent climbing form !!

After this writing and maybe a season 2 episode of UBM, there will be some Jane Fonda and stretch. It was a long time ago.

For lunch, I offer a simple omelette on Viennese sausage, bell peppers, kale, eggs and cheese. Simple and good.


"Life is short
But the hours are long"
Fénélon

May the Fors be with you!!

Back To Reality

Monday ... fast ...

Hello. In the middle of the Monday fast. Right now, the rain is pouring down and, fortunately, I had a workout before the dust covers opened. The rain is so good for everything that grows, which Lotta had to learn. But over the years I have made the experience that it is not enough, for us humans, to go out and stand in the rain and wait for us to grow and develop. Not even if we are on a manure stack! Of course we need sun and water, but we also need to stimulate our muscles to overcompensate. Break down - build stronger - repeat. That's why I go down to Friskis & Svettis. Which I will come to shortly. Just a small detour first. Or maybe a couple. ;-)

I have had a "deload week" with some holiday fun so the body could recover. Why then do I feel weaker and more broken in the muscles than before? It is a strange phenomenon that I experience from time to time. I think I need to rest from the workout and just get tired and more broken by it. Very odd. This time, perhaps, it had a little to do with diet and sleep. I maybe ate a little more carbohydrates than I should. Maybe took a glass of bubble more than I intended. Maybe I didn't go to sleep when I ought to have, etc., during the holidays. In fact, I don't know if I'm being honest.

My overarching goal is really to feel as good as possible. I don't know why this is so important to me. Maybe I am comfortable that way. It's easier to not have a lot of discomfort and pain, I guess. But then we add a few barrels of vanity and it immediately becomes a little more complicated. You want to look good. You want to be strong, maybe even terrifying. Frighten enemies, etc. Primal stuff is sometimes mixed into this confusing concoction. Anyway, these two forces work against each other. Well-being and vanity. To get that kind of Chris Hemsworth muscle, you have to push yourself pretty hard, right? But it leaves me with massive DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and pains that manifest in bad mood and short temper. No pain, no gain, right? Messy, is what it is. Nor do I feel good about doing nothing. Just taking walks and doing household chores is not enough for me.

Oh well. That is my driving force in this hole thing. Trying to find a "sweetspot". Minimum dose for maximum results. I do not go to the gym to "hang out", that's for sure. There are better things to do with your time.
     Being out with the boys and climbing or playing tennis or scuba diving is obviously something completely different. That is one of the reasons why I exercise. In order to get better at all these activities and to prevent injuries, if that's even possible. Now I think I got all the "ranting" out of my system, for now.

Here comes a summary of todays workout.

As usual, two rounds of escalating the weights, call it warm up if you like, and then "Workset":

Side Lateral (8x12, 4x14, WS-3x3x16kg, 8x12kg)

Kettlebell Swings (10x24, 10x32, WS-3x10x40kg, 10x32kg)

Biceps Curl (8x18, 4x22, WS-3x3x24kg, 8x20kg)

Triceps Pushdown (8x20, 6x25, WS-3x5x32kg, 8x25kg)

Single Arm Row (8x30, 5x36, WS-3x5x40kg, 8x30kg)

This workout was made as a circle with enough rest between exercises so that the heart rate does not go up too much.

As mentioned earlier in this post, quite sore and tired during this WO. No room for weight gain, in other words. Probably I will have to pay for this in the coming day's anyway, is my guess.

"You Cannot Overestimate the Unimportance
of Practically Everything."
John Maxwell

May the Fors be with you!

Recipe for meatloaf

Hello again!

Due to the high demand here comes the recipe for my bacon wrapped meatloaf with a core of Feta Cheese.

Meatloaf:

7-800g of minced meat
Two eggs
One half grated yellow onion
Half a dl cream

Salt pepper (herb seasoning if fancy that sort of thing)

Greased ovenproof form. In with the curdled meat pulp, dig a ditch, in with the Feta Cheese, cover it up. Overlay a package of bacon distributed as in the picture, in with the thermometer and into the oven at 200 ° until the inside temperature has reached 70 °. 
     Serve with salad, sweet potatoes or just ice cold beer. 😄

In addition to this, some heart rate-boosting activities were done:

5 rounds with 6 repetitions:

Cross Over (rubber band)
Biceps Curl (rubber band)
Close Squats
Diamond Push Ups
L-Pull Ups
Face Pulls

Scull Crusher (rubber band)

No significant rest between the rounds but the pace was quite moderate so the need never arose. A nice way to get some of your juices flowing and a much needed increase of the heart rate.

"Nothing is Permanent in this
Wicked World,
not even 
our Troubles."
-Charlie Chaplin

May the Fors be with you!

Trolska Skogen and Hyttans Hemligheter

Back to reality.

We are back, home again after a little tour of our elongated country. First we went to Löa in Bergslagen. We visited Perssons Magasin and watched the show "Hyttans Hemligheter". Both destinations that I highly recommend.

Then it was off to Mellanfjard and Trolska Skogen. Despite some bad weather, it was extraordinary, as usual. Very good acting and an exciting story that the kids really appreciated.

During our stay in Mellanfjärden we spent the night in the formidable Hotell Mellanfjärden. They have an excellent breakfast buffet which is consumed on a pier overlooking the bay. Wonderful! 

I have already discussed the detour to Leksand so I leave it be.

"The Mind Is Everything.

What You Think 
You Become"

Buddha

May the Fors be with you!

On Vacation

From Summerland in Leksand...

We took a little trip to Leksand for a couple of days and say what you want about their summer land but if you wanted, it could be a real boot-camp. Puhh ... totally wasted!

After three days it felt like we still had things left to do. It was a GREAT place! Most of the activities were just "active" entities. One would climb, jump, balance, swim, or engage in some other fatigue-inducing endeavor. I can really recommend Summerland in Leksand to all parents who are interested in letting their children move during the holidays.

Some negative aspects; It was completely overrun with people. Guests, I have to presume. A campsite with space for caravans, camper vans and tents was adjacent to the park. This area was HUGE. In addition, there were cabins of different standards for rent. In the camping area there was also another pool area with a slightly smaller water slide. Restaurant, beach, miniature golf, etc. were also found within the campground's enclosure. Nothing about this is problematic, but the fact that there was a lot of Norwegians was a problem because they bought everything in the grocery stores down in the town of Leksand. I went by Coop and Hemköp and I've rarely seen such empty gaping store shelves. It was post-apocalyptic.
   

In addition, everything was obviously overpriced inside the Summerland. From the food to the parking tickets and a cup of coffee but we managed to pack lunch in our cabin and brought it in to the park. There were good possibilities for people with a picnic addiction.

Overall, we were all very satisfied and highly recommend Leksand's Summerland.

When in Rome, it is wise to do as the Romans do;
but it's foolish to do it with conviction.

May the Fors be with you!

Deload

Good afternoon!

A short post. It is some kind of "deload" week but when it is holiday time, nothing is quite as you imagined. It's the only thing you know for sure. My deload weeks come about every four weeks and are for active recovery.

The work outs are designed so that they mimic the work out that I would do that day but then with the format: 5 rounds of 5 repetitions. No rest anywhere during the workout, but it should not be needed as I never feel any symptoms of fatigue. Some fun and games are obviously creeping in occasionally during these weeks as well.

The purpose is to get blood flow and neuromuscular stimulation without muscle hypertrophy or otherwise tax the system significantly lactate or elsewhere. A slight breathlessness and a slight sweat is usually the most significant symptom of activity I encounter. It is perfectly suitable to stretch a little afterwards.

WO:

Face Pulls (rubber band)
Pistols
Biceps Curl (rubber band)
Diamond Push Ups
L-Pull Ups
Cross Over (rubber band)
Scull Crusher (rubber band)

If you don't 

Prioritise Your life,

Someone else

Will

May the Fors be with you!

Priority # 1 - SLEEP!

Good evening, everyone!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I think sleep is the most important thing for general health. I am well aware of individual differences and that, on an empirical basis, I can conclude that I belong to the group of people whose physiological programming is prone to problems if I ignore my need for sleep, but I also claim that there are very few who, under any meaningful amount of time, can get away with negligence when it comes to the "shutdown for maintenance" part of existence.

I have obviously, over the years, read countless research papers on the subject, but this is not the kind of blog where I cite research and indulge myself in complicated terminology, but it is about sharing my experiences as I followed these advice. This is to hopefully help someone, preferably several, to simplify life and feel better. That's all.

Some of the most important lessons I learned in the field, and which many experts agree on, are first and foremost that you go to bed and rise, at about the same time each day. This can fluctuate a little over the year as, for example, you tend to need to sleep more in the winter than in the summer. Then the blacking out of the bedroom is crucial. It should be TOTALLY pitch black, if possible. No flashing LED lights or alarm clocks with illuminated displays. All such nonsense must be covered or moved out of the bedroom.
 
Then it should be cool when you sleep. 18 ° Celsius, is recommended. Men and women are apparently a bit different here, too. The men like it cooler than the women. I have no AC in my bedroom so when it is hot outside, a lot of hot air accumulates upstairs, where our bedroom is located. I then have to actively think about heat evacuation quite early in the evenings in order for it to become tolerable. (sometimes I even take a cold shower or cold bath just before bedtime to come down extra in temperature) Cool duvet and a not too high pillow, is also recommended.

Then, we have all heard, the necessity to unwind from televisions, screens and other electronic equipment that emits blue light. The research is a little uncertain whether it is precisely the blue light or artificial light or artificial stimulus at all that is the culprit in the sleep drama, but to be on the safe side I end my screen activities a few hours before bedtime. As far as possible, I try to get the kids to hang out with some family games, sing and play music, or lie down and read a book. It goes quite well actually. We usually call it "Family Time".

These are probably the factors that, in my experience, play the biggest role for a good quality of sleep. Then there are such things as stress, diet, exercise etc. but this post would swell across all widths if I were to add all the side tracks that also have a impact but the fact that there is so much that influence your quality of sleep makes you realize how important sleep really is.

Lastly, I just want to mention some aids that I can't really say if they work or not. At least for me. One is Yogi Bedtime Rooibos Vanilla Tea(add).  Another is taking two tablespoons of Kung Markatta Ofiltrerad Äppelcidervinäger(add) and one cup of Glutamine(add) in half a glass of water a while before going to bed. To avoid "restless legs" and cramps during sleep, I can also recommend taking magnesiumtabletter(add). Supplementing with magnesium is good in general, too, as it is a mineral we are often deficient in.

P.S. I do not recommend drinking a lot of water just before going to bed. Having to go up and pee in the middle of the night is just disturbing true sleep and if you also light a lamp the body starts to register that it is morning and it becomes extra difficult to fall asleep. I try to take my last glass of water a few hours before bedtime, in connection with tea / vinegar drink or such intake.

It's Not About Being 
The Best
It's About 
Being Better 
Than
You Were Yesterday

   May the Fors be with you!

Deadlift, Bench press and weighted Pull Ups

Good evening!

I got an appetite for this here training thing from yesterday's WO so I went and did it again, despite a lot of lingering soreness from head to toe.
    The programming I am currently running I have used, more or less in its current form, since November 2018. It is an attempt run through the whole body in every workout, three days a week with a little rehab / prehab or playing (climbing, doing stuff with the kids etc) between the workouts.
    So far, the arrangement has worked pretty well. I will be able to do a more detailed evaluation at a later date, when I have an adequate amount of data for a reliable assessment.

This is what I was doing for an hour at Friskis & Svettis:


Deadlift (3x130kg, 2x140kg, 4x150kg)

Bench press (3x90kg, ~ 3x100kg, 3x90kg, 5x80kg)

Weighted Pull Ups (7x12kg, 5x20kg, 3x30kg, 3x40kg (doubtful ROM on the last), 6x20kg)

Everything went better than it felt like it would do when I stepped into the gym. It is not uncommon for this to happen. When I really do not want to, I usually tell myself to just do some jump rope for 5 min. If I still don't want to, it's at least 5 minutes of my jump rope. 95% of the times I go on and complete the workout as I intended to do.

You get what you work for,
Not what you wish for.

May the Fors be with you!

Mind-Muscle Connection

Good afternoon all you happy people!

Yesterday I visited Martina Johansson's blog for the first time, "Next Level Biohacking". It was very inspiring. I will in the future make it a habit to visit this reputable and useful blog. Good job, Martina!


Today I had a steak for breakfast. I find that I feel most excellent when eating a piece of meat as the morning meal. Besides, it keeps me full for a long time. I enjoyed this meal about 08:30 and then went on a brisk walk, per usual.

A couple of hours later, I managed to surprise myself by taking a trip to the gym. Friskis & Svettis. I see the greatest success when I find that I have some resistance to something, by simply disconnecting the brain and just starting to do preparatory things and then the brain, simply, has to keep up to the best of its ability. It usually goes pretty well, no cause for concern. I switch on this overrated lump of fat when I start exercising.

During the workout, I apply a slow tempo, slow controlled concentric phase, and a third of that speed in the eccentric phase, more or less. This applies, not quite surprisingly, to a slightly lesser extent when I do HIIT training.

Mind-Muscle Connection is a key component for optimal results, in my opinion. It helps with the form and activation of the specific muscle you are training. Injury prevention and better active stretch of the individual muscles as well as neuromuscular awareness is another big advantage, especially for those of us who have reached a slightly more advanced age.
      When I trained Crossfit and did, almost exclusively, "kipping" Pull Ups, for example, I , after a while, encountered difficulties in performing strict ones. The whole TUT (Time Under Tension) concept was disconnected, mostly. When my Crossfit adventure was finally over (I stopped training Crossfit a few months after my first and only competition, Fit As Fuck, in Denmark), I turned in the opposite direction, in some respects any way, and started doing Convict Conditioning and then "Body By Science" by Dough McGuff. In these disciplines, body control and TUT are significantly more prevalent, in very different ways in the respective cases.

As with everything here in life, I am a concoction of the techniques, disciplines and theories that have worked for me, over the years. Crossfit, Starting Strength, Convict, Calisthenics, and so on.

Then, then its time to present today's workout, in all its simplicity:

Military Press (4x55kg, 4x55kg, 6x50kg)

Low Bar Back Squat (3x100kg, 3x110kg, 5x100kg)

Barbell Biceps Curl (4x50kg, 3x50kg, 5x45kg)

Skull Crushers (3x40kg, 3x45kg, 6x40kg & 6x40kg)

In all the exercises I worked my way up to these Work Sets. 3-4 minutes rest between Work Sets, so the WO took some time. The goal is to train heavily this week, ie 3-5 reps, rather 3 than 5. I do  two heavy weeks in a row with the hope of Progressive Overload. Week three is easily, easily. And I mean EASY. So no fewer than 15 reps / exercise, 3-5 sets. Yep, the lactic acid reeks havoc on your strength aspirations but I have felt a good feedback loop for recovery between sets in the heavier weeks after throwing in some high volume work. In addition, I get faster recovery between the WO's. We'll see where it all ends. One thing I can say anyway; it's no much fun! Damn that burn is mentally taxing. I have strong aversions to that since Crossfit time. Maybe I've also become a little comfortable, as the years have gone by.
         Week four I usually do a deload week.

That was all for this Wednesday:

Make it a lifestyle,
Not a duty

May the Fors be with you!