Old-School Iron

Time passes so quickly when you’re having… well, too much work on your hands.
Instead of boring you with long accounts of what I have been doing, I will highlight some of the more “interesting” tidbits. At least, I hope to do so.

I have been training, needless to say, to avoid allowing any bar I can get my hands on to start to rust (note creative link to slogan). Metal has been my hideout from the blog, as has work. I started thinking a while back, and I might even have mentioned it here, that I should start calculating a bit on how much I lift at work. After all, my work entails lifting solid wood furniture around. Or more to the point; off the truck (the driver just bought a Bigger truck, sigh) and off the wonderful crates that now come from across the seas. Nice.

Just to get the “heaviness” across: next time you see a crate on a truck, go stand next to it. Then, imagine having no platform nor a forklift to make things easier and having to climb up the crate when the doors have been opened (packed to the brim) and getting the topmost furniture offloaded with one hand while clinging with the other to the door. Oh yeah, and they’re packed in cardboard boxes so you can’t get a decent grip.
After the first wall has been offloaded, it becomes easy. Now there’s only something like 4000 kgs in there, to offload with bare hands (refer to no platform and no forklift). But wait, of course you have a buddy up there to help.

Soooo, it makes 2000kgs (4400 lbs) to hoist in 3 hours (the time the transporting company has allotted for the offloading of a full crate). After which you get to lift some more, since they then have to be neated stowed in the storage area. And that’s what I’m looking at tomorrow again.

If it seems I don’t like my job, then my apologies. I really do like it, although some days are admittedly tough.

About training; I’m currently again on the 20-30 reps speedwork phase, and will be for the next three weeks. This week, I still have two more workouts to do, so I think I’ll have to do a workout tomorrow after work. Nice total for tomorrow liftingwise. Around 3000kgs..?

There hasn’t been any clips, since I don’t have the privacy of “owning” Metal Gym, obviously, as I have at the Kuntotila, the basement gym area we have where I live. So I feel I don’t really have the right to publish any clips without permission. Maybe one day I’ll ask, though…

Oh yeah, and I will be featuring another recipe soon. Something very finnish.

Here we go. Another recipe of somewhat traditional scandinavian food for you.

This one is called “Pyttipannu” in Finnish and “Pyttipanna” in Swedish. What it means is more or less “stuff in the frying pan”.

You will need a few boiled (cold) potatoes, a couple onions and some good quality sausage. I’m unsure as to what kinds of sausages are available internationally, but in scandinavia we have sausages that are meant to be grilled on the barbeque, like this one. That’s the kind you want, with at least 75% or more meat in it.

Chop all of it into small cubes and toss it on a hot frying pan. Season with salt (?), pepper, allspice, white pepper, paprika powder… Barbeque seasoning mix. Whatever you have, really. Fry until everythings done, which is probably something like 10-15 minutes.

Put on the plate to cool a bit.

Fry some eggs to go with it. Traditionally, it’s a sunnyside, so you can break the yolk and mix it into the rest of the food. The fried egg goes on top of the heap…

Enjoy!! Feedback welcome…

The last week of April was in theory the last week of heavy 8-10 reps training before setting off to do some nasty 60 sec sets of superslows…
In theory. In the real world, I opted for another four weeks on the heavy 8-10 reps before going for four weeks each of 60 sec sets and 20-30 reps high-speed’s.

Since I hadn’t had time to train much in the beginning of the week, I had two productive combo-days. I should’ve had a backday with rear delts and abs, a legday and an armday. Instead I had a back+rear delts+calves+arms day on thursday (April 27th) at two locations and two times and a legs+forearms day on saturday (April 29th).

I have to say that it seems like I’ve once again settled in for 3 sets mostly per exercise and 2-3 exercises per musclegroup. This seems to be a natural development for me, since I always fall back to that no matter what I start out with. Best, therefore, to build one’s programs around that number, then…

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Thursdays’ combo looked like this:

At the basement in the morning:
Wide-Grip Pull-Ups 3 sets: 10 / 9 / 8 with no added weights
Bent-Over Barbell Rows 3 sets: 10 / 9 / 9 with 90,1 kgs / 198,22 lbs

At Metal Gym in the evening:
Forward Incline Rear Db Laterals 4 sets: 12 / 10 / 10 / 10 with 9 kgs / 19,8 lbs on 1st set and 10 kgs / 22 lbs on sets 2-4.

Standing EZ bar curls 3 sets: 7 / 7 / 6 with 48 kgs / 105,6 lbs (assuming the bar weighs 8kg / 17,6 lbs)
90 degree Machine Preacher Curls 3 sets: 9 / 6 / 5 with 30 kgs / 66 lbs on the 1st set, and 35 kgs / 77 lbs on sets 2-3.

Dips 3 sets: 10 / 10 / 8 with no added weight
Pressdowns 3 sets: 9 / 9 / 8 with 80 kgs / 176 lbs (note: in the cable-cross-over machine!)

Leg Press Calf Raises 3 sets: 10 / 10 / 10 with 300 kgs / 660 lbs plus sled
Seated Calf Raises 3 sets: 10 / 9 / 8 with 80 kgs / 176 lbs

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Saturday was legday. I did:

Squats 3 sets: 10 / 9 / 8 with 100 kgs / 220 lbs
Walking Lunges with Db’s 2 sets: 18 / 14 with 21 kgs / 46,2 lbs
Glute-Ham Raises 4 sets: 10 / 8 / 8 / 7 with no added weights

Supersetted:
Cable wrist curls with (Cable reverse wrist curls) 3 Supersets:11 (12) / 11 (10) / 12 (12) with 60 kgs / 101,7 lbs (50 kgs / 110 lbs) (in Cable Cross-over machine…)

I hope the markings on the superset is clear enough…

The walking lunges were particularly nasty. It seems I take shorter strides than Kris, since I was able to take 18 steps from end of the gym to the other, whereas Kris takes only 16 on the same distance. On the other hand, he did take longer strides than me. And his legs are a bit longer.

I actually found a reason why eating salmiak (salty liquorice) is good for you.
And from a respectable source, too!

The March 2006 Issue of National Geographic magazine had intresting things to say about it, and I repeat word for word:

“One of the world’s oldest known medicines, the root of the licorice plant has been prescribed since antiquity. Historians such as Pliny the Elder describe its use in treating colds and asthma and healing wounds. Herbalists in China and India add licorice to their compounds, and it’s in over-the-counter remedies for sore throats. Now scientists worldwide are testing its potential. One team found that glycyrrhizic acid, a compound in licorice, kills cells infected with the virus that causes Kaposi’s sarcoma, a cancer. It also inhibits the growth of the SARS virus and has been tested with success against Japanese encephalitis, chronic hepatitis and HIV.”

Note that it’s only the black stuff that really has any real licorice in it. (Funny, but the American and British spellings of this word is remarkably dissimilar…)
In Finland, salmiak can be found at your local store or at the pharmacy. Intrestingly, pharmacies in Finland have their own brand of salmiak… Large quantities have been known to raise bloodpressure, so eat lots of salmiak with your bloodpressure medication and you’ll be just fine!

Now, I really should have a webstore where I could sell licorice/liquorice by the ton…

Here’s what Wikipedia has to say on Salmiak. And here’s the word on liquorice. More!

April saw the new coming of the Metal Gym card.
Since this was the start of the next round on the training cycle, I was in for heavy weights again. Heavy enough that the exercises would be difficult if not impossible to perform at the basement. Heavy squats, for instance, are a tad more challenging without a squat rack…

The first wrokout at Metal was back, rear delts and abs. Everything went as planned, going through the motions, trying to find a heavy enough weight to play with. I did Wide-grip Pull-ups for 11 reps. Then I stepped onto the scales, and was genuinely surprised. Training at the basement had felt like nothing was happening, because of the minimal increases made in resistance, but here I had “proof”.
I now weighed in at 94kgs / 206,8lbs, so basically since I had weighed (in the beginning of January) something in the order of 90-91kgs (198-200lbs), it meant that indeed I was again growing at around one kilogram per month. Photos need to be taken and compared to those taken in January. Seems to work for me, though.
If anyone’s intrested in trying this method, or you have questions about it, either post a comment or e-mail me: mans@mansrinne.com

Anyway, the next workout was chest, side delt and traps.
Decided to see what had happened to my 115kgs / 253lbs bench max. After having completed two regular, heavy sets. To my own and Kris’ amazement, I had increased it to 120kgs / 264lbs!
Yes, that’s only a 5kg / 11lb increase, but take into consideration there was no heavy training going on for the last two months and you see the amazement… Not that I’m complaining.

The workout after that one was Legday.
For the heck of it, I decided to take on Kris’ challenge and see how much I could lift, raw. I had never maxed out on the squat before, so I thought it’d be intresting to see what would happen. Since I rep with around 100kgs / 220lbs, I thought I might get something around 130kgs / 286lbs. This would be without knee wraps and no belt, since that’s how I always squat. I also don’t use straps for back training, since I feel that if you’re going to lift something (functionality), you had better be able to hold on to it as well.
I surprised myself and Kris by hoisting the 130kgs easily. So, 10kgs /22 lbs more on the bar, same thing. And again. I was weirded out by this time. I had just lifted 150kgs / 330lbs, and the rep wasn’t even slow. I thought for sure I had 160 in the bag, but alas it was not to be.

In retrospect, 150kgs squat max for a first-timer isn’t shabby. Considering I train bodybuilding style, that is. However, I think it’s a sign of some kind of mental stability that I don’t think I’ll be a world-class squatter anytime soon. Probably never is more like it… I just think I’m becoming decently strong.

The next couple of weeks went by pretty much “uneventfully”, training heavy, in addition to working heavy. I’m considering adding my working hours to my training schedule, since work is usually defined by lifting and carrying whole-wooden furniture such as chairs, tables (try carrying a 240cm x 105cm Oak table with a 3″ tabletop and you’ll know what I mean), armoires… Especially the days when we get a shipment and the truck has to be unpacked. Or those days of horror when we get a full container of the stuff… 45 cubic meters, I think it is. That’s a whole lot of lifting…

Anyway, last time we were at the gym I decided to see how deadlifts feel. No, seriously, I’ve never really done deadlifts except the stiff-legged kind. So I went for sumo after reading about it in Kris’ copy of Judd Biasiotto’s book and having a good laugh. He (Judd) said that conventional style deadlifts were for people short on brains. Felt comfy, did 1 set with 60kgs / 132lbs and three with 80 kgs / 176lbs to get the feel for it. Next time, I think I’ll be in for some heavier stuff…

Up to speed again… Whew! Clips will be in short order I’m afraid, since I don’t think I’ll be clipping just as much here as in the basement gym… There at least, I’m a part owner. At Metal, I’m just a customer. A happy one.

Next workout scheduled for…well, whaddya know! Today!

Finally at it again…

It thought I’d try to bring this up to speed by narrative instead of clips and the whole shabang. Actually, the taking of clips at the basement is going to have to wait anyway until the light is replaced. Nice mood lighting though, fitting for a dungeon but hardly enough light for my camera to get any decent clips…

So: March went by real fast, and in fact I ended up having an unscheduled non-training week there and one week with just a single little workout. Partly due to the book-project and getting it somewhere (still waiting for the results on that one). All the workouts I did get in however, were not too shabby. They all happened at the basement gym since there’s plenty of weights there to accommodate the 20-30 reps speedily done. And, having borrowed Kris’ minibands, I now had a nice arsenal of rubber to go along with the weights.

I actually came up with a few funny new exercises, too. Here’s a sampling:
One-handed pull-downs with bands (hang bands over chinning bar, sit on floor, pull like a madman.)
Leg extensions with bands (loop bands around uprights of bench-dip “chair”, then sit on the leg-support and extend leg, one at a time)
Leg curls with bands (same setup basically, but turn around on the leg support…)

April coming up next…

I know I missed february’s recipe of the month, but I was hoping I might make up for it.

This is a recipe I think most have eaten at some point or another in various forms, but this is my Mom’s version. What to call it… Hmm. We referred to it as “sörsseli” which might best be translated as “gunk”. Sounds delish, doesn’t it?

400 g bag of macaroni
800 g of minced carcass. Any animal will do; chicken, turkey, beef, even tuna
Frozen peas, paprika (bell pepper) and corn (ready mixed, a bag of 200 g or two)
A cup (2-3 dl) of ketchup

Boil the macaroni, fry the minced meat until it’s almost done. Add mixed frozen veggies, and continue to fry until melted. Add ketchup and spices (oregano, basilika, pepper, garlic…) and let simmer for a while. Pour the macaroni into a large bowl and add the meat/ketchup mix. Stir and serve.

Easy to do, very good tasting (unless you ruin it with the spices, which is a special breed of talent). And will give you several heaping platefuls. And is actually pretty cheap to make, too!
A personal favorite of mine.

Enjoy! Oh, and feedback is always welcome!

Alrighty!!

A new week, and the beginning of the next four weeks: the 20-30 repetition speedy system.

To quickly recap what this constant change thing is all about: I’m currently training on a cyclical training system developed by yours truly. It is basically very simple, yet very effective.

The first four weeks is “normal” training, i.e. 8-12 reps, as heavy as possible without sacrificing technique on the exercises. What this means in my book is: it will be impossible to perform a thriteenth rep, even with a gun to your head.
The second four weeks is superslow 60 sec sets, i.e. each set lasts 60 seconds, and each rep lasts 10 seconds (5 sec positive phase and 5 sec negative phase). This demands the use of stopwatch and (preferrably) a training partner who can periodically announce the time so you keep on track (=slow enough). Also, if you can do more than 60… too light.
The last four weeks before going back to the beginning is fast 20-30 reps training, the gist being that if you can get more than 30, it’s too light and if you can’t do 20, it’s too heavy. I do mean fast; you should aim for 3 reps every two seconds.

This is the first week of the superfast four weeks. The split remains the same. The clips should be much more intresting to watch than what I’ve produced over the last four weeks… Oh, and the burn… Wow.

Here’s the first workout:
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Thursday March 2nd, 2006. Chest and traps

Incline Bench 3 sets: 27 / 20 / 18 with 50,10 kgs / 110,22 lbs
Flat Bench 3 sets: 29 / 28 / 26 with 50,10 kgs / 110,22 lbs

Barbell Shrugs 3 sets: 30 / 29 / 26 with 50,10 kgs / 110,22 lbs

Total time: 46 minutes
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Good thing: no stopwatch to worry about. Bad thing: Horrible burn, and I do mean absolutely out of this world. And the pump… O.M.G. Check out the clip for some speed!

The second workout of the week (and again to be the last one…):

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Friday March 3rd, 2006: Back and Delts

One-Handed RB Pull-Downs 3 sets: 26 / 25 / 20 with 3 bands
One-Handed RB Rows 3 sets: 29 / 28 / 26 with 3 bands

Rear RB Laterals 2 sets: 29 / 28 with 1 band
Side DB Laterals 2 sets: 27 / 25 with 8 kgs / 17,6 lbs

Total Time: 50 minutes
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…and here’s the clip. Enjoy!

Once again, week 8 in one go.

It seems there’s something wrong with my weeks. They seem short, and I can’t seem to get everything done the way I would like. Take this week for example, I was planning on blogging after each and every workout, but look what happened. I’m a week behind…

Oh, well. Better late than never, I should think.

The first workout this week was Arms, since this weeks workouts were: arms, legs and back and I had just done that leg/back combo thingy. Also, Kris was there as a featuring artist..!

Kris’ first words upon seeing the place: “I thought it was bigger from the clips…”
And to my immense surprise, he even came up with exercises you CAN do on the multimachine, instead of just doing the crunchie on it…

And behold!! RUST!! The Ez-bar has not been in use lately, it would seem. Better change that.

Here’s the workout, and the clip:
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February 22nd, 2006

Standing EZ-bar curls 3 sets: 6 (60) / 6 (60) / 6 (60) with 23 kgs / 50,6 lbs *
One-handed Dumbell Preacher 2 sets: 7 (70) / 6 (60) with 10 kgs / 22 lbs

EZ-bar French Presses 3 sets: 6 (60) / 6 (60) / 6 (59) with 23 kgs / 50,6 kgs *
Seated One-handed Tricep Extensions 2 sets: 6 (60) / 6 (60) with 10 kgs / 22 lbs

Total time: 90 minutes
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* = Ummm, yes well. Due to a calculation error, we actually thought it was 32,5 kgs until the very end of the workout. It was all a bit embarrassing and all that, but Kris and I pulled through somehow by the grace of God, and there was much rejoicing.

The second workout was legs. Unfortunately, there will be no clip on this, because I had run out of batteries on my camera, and didn’t have time to fetch new ones. I hope I won’t get death-threats over this transgression…

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Legs, February 24th, 2006

Front Squats 2 sets: 6 (59) / 6 (58) with 60,10 kgs / 132,22 lbs
Sissy Squats 1 set: 6 (60) with no added weight

RB Seated Leg Curls 3 sets: 7 (70) / 7 (70) / 6 (60) with 3 bands.

Total time: 26 minutes
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The next workout was back and delts. I also noted with some hints of regret that this was to be the last 60 sec workout for at least two months. Next week will be 20-30 reps speedwork, and so I’ll be sore as hell for the first week or so again. Oh, well, c’est la guerre.

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Clippage is here…

February 26th, 2006:

Bent-over Bb rows 3 sets: 6 (60) / 6 (60) / 6 (58) with 50,10 kgs / 110,22 lbs
Wide-Grip Pulldowns with Bands 3 sets: 7 (70) / 7 (70) / 7 (70) with 4 bands
Wide-Grip Band Rows 2 sets: 6 (60) / 6 (60) with 4 bands

Seated Military Press 3 sets: 6 (60) / 6 (57) / 6 (58) with 30,10 kgs / 66,22 lbs
Standing Side Laterals 2 sets: 6 (60) / 6 (59) with 8 kgs / 17,6 lbs
RB “Robin Hood’s” 2 sets: 6 (60) / 6 (60) with 2 bands

Total time: 79 minutes
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“Hmmm..? Oh! Oh! Oh! He’s got a camera!!”