Ironwill2008 V3.0

[ljimd]

I guess after consistent training for a little over 25 years with never a layoff or even one gym injury, I just kind of got caught off guard by all these current setbacks with which I've been dealing. And as much as I love to do heavy Barbell Lunges, I may never try them again.

Jeez Bill, none of us in this game want to admit that we aren’t bulletproof. I always thought that determination and a smart level-headed approach was all I needed.

Well, I should have conferred with mother nature. I never wanted to believe my body had a “use by” date. But I guess it does. Not complaining, just sayin’.

Since my last stage appearance in 2011, I survived multiple skin cancer surgeries and a 3 year battle with prostate cancer and I’m still standing. Still training, squeezing out a few more reps.

I’m guessing you will get through these niggling problems and move on. Cause after your 25 years under the bar, you just will.

Sorry for the sappy philosophical reply. I think you get my drift.

[ironwill2008]

Jeez Bill, none of us in this game want to admit that we aren’t bulletproof. I always thought that determination and a smart level-headed approach was all I needed.

Well, I should have conferred with mother nature. I never wanted to believe my body had a “use by” date. But I guess it does. Not complaining, just sayin’.

Since my last stage appearance in 2011, I survived multiple skin cancer surgeries and a 3 year battle with prostate cancer and I’m still standing. Still training, squeezing out a few more reps.

I’m guessing you will get through these niggling problems and move on. Cause after your 25 years under the bar, you just will.

Sorry for the sappy philosophical reply. I think you get my drift.

I definitely get it, Larry. And while nobody here gets out alive, we have it within our own power to maximize our ability to continue to be functional human beings.


I just love weight training, all aspects of it. From the first time I ever picked up a barbell, I knew it was something I'd always do, to the limit of my ability---at whatever level that might be. I rolled along for all my adult life with no health issues other than Arthritis, and just kept getting bigger and stronger. I find it hilarious to realize that I'm about to enter my 8th decade; even with my current setbacks, I don't feel half that age.

[ironwill2008]

Hello. Bill's in the gym, doing whatever. I'll be waiting near my food dish for his return. Yes, I'm heterochromic; Bill says it makes me just that much more unique.



http://columbuscockerrescue.com Please help if you're able.

Sherman is the most unusual Cocker Spaniel I've ever seen anywhere; until we adopted him, I'd never even heard of Blue Merles. And his different-colored eyes make him all the more special. He is our 3rd Cocker (my 4th if I count the Cocker we had when I was a little kid). All of them have been different from each other in many ways, both in appearance and personality, as well as temperment, and those differences only served to endear them all to us that much more. Dogs are such amazing animals, so perceptive of the moods and feelings of their human companions; I often wonder how it is that we deserve them.









Day two of three light deload workouts designed to allow me some much-needed additional recovery time away from my previous workload. I use moderate weight for moderate reps, never getting within even the same zipcode as "failure." Today's short training session was:

Goblet Squat
20x8 W/U
50x6
50x6
50x6

Pullup
bw x5
bw x5
bw x5

Dumbbell Triceps Kickback
20x8
20x8
20x8

Hanging Leg Raise
bw x25



Rolled through in twenty minutes. I got an immediate pump in my entire upper body from the Pullups even though my wrists weren't very cooperative. I tried to do some Chins first, but my wonky wrists were having none of it. I'll work the Pullups into my regular routine, and continue them to whatever extent my hands and wrists will allow.

Triceps Kickbacks get a bad rap as a lame exercise, but IMO that's because most trainees just aren't doinemrite. If the upper arm is kept stock-still parallel to the floor as you lean over, and only the lower arm moved under control all the way to full elbow extension, the triceps will be forced to contract maximally. I can get them to almost cramp with each rep.

That's all I've got. Tomorrow's rest day will be filled with jobs around the house I've had to put off previously due to rain/all-around crappy weather. I'll close out Deload Week on Friday.

Post-WorkOut meal was a pair of fried eggs, bacon, fried rosemary Yukons, toast, and a glass of milk.

[ljimd]

Sherman is definitely a special guy. He obviously made a
good choice for a master.

In the "old days" kickbacks were one of the go-to's for tri work. Times change. Most stuff I read poo-poo kickbacks. That's a shame, for me they are a good finisher. Great for the short heads.

[ironwill2008]

Sherman is definitely a special guy. He obviously made a
good choice for a master.

Thanks, Larry. It's kind of a long, convoluted story of how we found and then adopted him 8 years ago. I don't believe in coincidences; everything happens for a reason, and in the right time. He needed us and we needed him.

In the "old days" kickbacks were one of the go-to's for tri work. Times change. Most stuff I read poo-poo kickbacks. That's a shame, for me they are a good finisher. Great for the short heads.

Yep. And I'll always say they got a bad rep because most trainees don't do them correctly.

[ironwill2008]

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....



http://columbuscockerrescue.com Please help if you're able.

Apparently, the AC's cold air from the floor register right across from Sherman was a bit too cold, so he just covered himself up. Dogs seem to have more common sense than a lot of people do.

Anyway, this was the last light deload session of the week, planned to provide me with some "active rest," allowing me to recover a bit more completely from my previous several months' training. Today's training was:

Good Morning
bar x8 W/U
95x6
95x6
95x6

Pushup
bw x10
bw x10
bw x10

LandMine Press PWO
10x8
35x6
35x6
35x6

Crunch
bw x22



Stepped through here in twenty minutes. Did some direct hamstring work with the GMs, and they went OK.

Knocked out 3 quick sets of Pushups followed by three quick sets of LM Presses.

Not much else to mention. After resting this weekend, I'll start on a split routine on Monday. I need to reduce the frequency while at the same time adding some volume to my individual body parts.

Post-WorkOut meal was a plateful of chicken, veggies, and pasta, an ear of sweet corn, and a glass of cold milk.

[ironwill2008]

Start of a split routine today. My hamstring, shoulders, and hands/wrists felt OK going in. Today's training was:

Squat
bar x8 W/U
95x5
135x5
165x5
185x5
205x5

Leg Press PWO
200x10 W/U
490x10
490x10
490x10

Romanian Deadlift
bar x8 W/U
95x6
135x6
185x6

Lying Leg Curl PWO
10x8 W/U
25x6
20x10
20x9

Hanging Leg raise
bw x21
bw x17

Routine consumed one hour on the nose, about where I want to be. I'm going to limit each of my three weekly workouts to about 20 total sets (including WarmUps). I'm directly working my hamstrings, and I don't want a reinjury, so I'll be very concervative regarding adding weight as I move forward. I'll probably stay at these same loads next Monday.

Squats and Leg Press went well; no issues. RDLs and Leg Curls went OK too, but I could feel them tweaking my recovering right hamstring. Slow and methodical will be the approach.

Not much else to relate at this time. I'll rest tomorrow, then return on Wednesday for a Back/biceps session. If that goes as planned, I'll follow it on Friday with work for Chest/shoulders/triceps.

Post-WorkOut meal was an 8 oz grilled sirloin patty, a pair of potato pancakes loaded with fresh chives, sweet-n-sour chop salad, and a glass of milk.

[ironwill2008]

Day 2 of this new split. I'm making adjustments as I go to find the most-compatible exercises, and the right loads for those exercises. Today's training was:

Pullup
bw x5
bw x5
bw x5

Dumbbell Row
40x8 W/U
60x6
60x6
60x6

Deadlift
bar x8 W/U
135x5
165x5
185x5
205x5
225x5

EZ Bar Curl
45x8 W/U
70x8
70x8
70x8

Hammer Curl
20x8 W/U
30x8
30x8
30x6

Completed this session in about 50 minutes. As I gradually progress the weights, I expect the between-set rest time to increase.

My back/lats really like the Pullups but my wrists don't. I'll continue to work on these though to whatever extent I'm able. Chinups, my previous favorite, are out of the question; supinating my hands and then loading them with weight just doesn't suit my wrists.

Deadlifts work my previously-injured hamstring directly; I could feel it today. But I must work the area, albeit cautiously, or else it will never recover fully. I'll add weight very slowly to these.

I had originally penciled-in Barbell Curls as my first biceps exercise, but just trying to grip the empty bar to do so let me know they were not in the cards. I reverted to the EZ Curl bar, which I can tolerate. I'll add a touch of weight to these next week.

Hammer Curls provided such an extreme biceps pump that it limited my ROM on the last two sets. Definitely will keep these in here.

Nothing else to relate for today; the session went well. I'll rest tomorrow, probably with yard work, then close out the training week with a Chest/tri/shoulder workout on Friday.

Post-WorkOut meal was a bowl of tortellini soup, garlic toast, and a glass of milk.

[Filmbuff81]

Pretty impressive and inspiring stuff.

As someone who has dealt with wrists issues nearly his entire life, I find neutral grip pull-ups to be very tolerable.

Could be worth trying to see if it can help alleviate any pain to let you work them more.

I’ve even tried using my wrist wraps on pull-ups in the past. The compression seems to help a bit.

wrists are so finicky and annoying to work around.

[ironwill2008]

Pretty impressive and inspiring stuff.

As someone who has dealt with wrists issues nearly his entire life, I find neutral grip pull-ups to be very tolerable.

Could be worth trying to see if it can help alleviate any pain to let you work them more.

I’ve even tried using my wrist wraps on pull-ups in the past. The compression seems to help a bit.

wrists are so finicky and annoying to work around.

I haven't tried Neutral-Grip Pullups in quite a while; if I can't make any progress with simple pronated-grip, I'll go to those. Before my forced layoff, I did Chinups for years; they weren't 'comfortable,' but they were at least tolerable.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised at how RA advanced while I was unable to train, especially at my.......uh..........'chronological disadvantage,' but I am. Just goes to show that the old saw, "Use it or lose it," carries a lot of weight (no pun intended).

Thanks for the comments and advice; they're appreciated.

[Payton1221]

Pullup
bw x5
bw x5
bw x5

Nice to see pull-ups again. Keep up the great work, and you know what they say "inch by inch, life's a cinch."

[Filmbuff81]

Use it or lose it is very true.

RA runs in my moms side.

For a while I had serious inflammatory issues. And rest helps some things, but for other issues I definitely agree trying to just do anything seems to be more beneficial for something like RA.

I had a long layoff, came back and my left wrist was just all kinds of trouble for a week or two. Still a bit iffy, but getting better.

But I’d say it’s not a coincidence.

I don’t if it’s helpful to mention, but some PT advice given to me when rehabbing groin and hamstrings in past, was to use bikes and rowing machines.

Since they provide moderate resistance they help a bit more than other forms of cardio machines. Food for thought if you need to rehab again.

Touch wood you don’t though.

[supramax]

I haven't tried Neutral-Grip Pullups in quite a while; if I can't make any progress with simple pronated-grip, I'll go to those. Before my forced layoff, I did Chinups for years; they weren't 'comfortable,' but they were at least tolerable.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised at how RA advanced while I was unable to train, especially at my.......uh..........'chronological disadvantage,' but I am. Just goes to show that the old saw, "Use it or lose it," carries a lot of weight (no pun intended).

Thanks for the comments and advice; they're appreciated.

As I recall, you do pull ups on a power rack. Attach some free hanging rings and use them for pull ups. Your arms will be able to move into their optimal positions on the way up and on the way down.

[ironwill2008]

Nice to see pull-ups again. Keep up the great work, and you know what they say "inch by inch, life's a cinch."

Thanks, Mark. I'll continue to do what I can for as long as I can.

I've rolled along for almost 25 years straight with never a gym injury or layoff, and all these current setbacks just make me smh. It's been a domino effect from having to stay on the couch for 3 months after my surgeries, I guess. Can't do anything but laugh and keep working.

Use it or lose it is very true.

RA runs in my moms side.

For a while I had serious inflammatory issues. And rest helps some things, but for other issues I definitely agree trying to just do anything seems to be more beneficial for something like RA.

I had a long layoff, came back and my left wrist was just all kinds of trouble for a week or two. Still a bit iffy, but getting better.

But I’d say it’s not a coincidence.

I don’t if it’s helpful to mention, but some PT advice given to me when rehabbing groin and hamstrings in past, was to use bikes and rowing machines.

Since they provide moderate resistance they help a bit more than other forms of cardio machines. Food for thought if you need to rehab again.

Touch wood you don’t though.

That's the thing about Arthritis; it never stops, and when I couldn't train (my way of fighting RA), it kept advancing.

The hamstring pull completely surprised me; I injured it a little over a year ago in a non-training-related incident, but it healed and I went back to my usual training loads with no problem after a while. When it popped while doing relatively light Barbell Lunges, it really caught me off guard. I don't know if I'll ever be able to put them back in my routine, and they (BB Lunges) have been a cornerstone in my leg training for almost 20 years.

We have a really good stationary bike that my wife uses several times a week, and I always start my workouts with at least 5 minutes on it to get things going.

As I recall, you do pull ups on a power rack. Attach some free hanging rings and use them for pull ups. Your arms will be able to move into their optimal positions on the way up and on the way down.

Thanks for the advice; you're the 2nd person to suggest rings. If what I'm currently doing doesn't work out, I'll go with them.

[supramax]

... Thanks for the advice; you're the 2nd person to suggest rings. If what I'm currently doing doesn't work out, I'll go with them.

I know it helps with shoulder issues and I'd bet that the flexibility of movement will alleviate at least some of the wrist issues.

As for RA, I again recommend gradually building up to a minimum of 6 grams each day of vitamin-C. You have nothing to lose and if you increase dosage according to bowel tolerance, you won't even get diarrhea.

[ironwill2008]

I know it helps with shoulder issues and I'd bet that the flexibility of movement will alleviate at least some of the wrist issues.

As for RA, I again recommend gradually building up to a minimum of 6 grams each day of vitamin-C. You have nothing to lose and if you increase dosage according to bowel tolerance, you won't even get diarrhea.

Thanks. I've been taking large daily doses of C for 20+ years now.

[supramax]

Thanks. I've been taking large daily doses of C for 20+ years now.

I don't want to beat a dead horse, but 'large daily doses of C' for some people is anything over the RDA. It's gotta be a minimum of 6 grams.

[ironwill2008]

Ended the week's gym work with a good session. Today's training was:

Smith Machine Flat Press
95x10 W/U
135x6 W/U
185x6
185x6
185x6

Incline Flye
20x8 W/U
30x8
30x8
30x8

Smith Machine Seated Press
95x8 W/u
115x6
115x6

Lateral Raise
15x8
15x8

Face Pull PWO
10x12
10x12

French Press
45x10 W/U
75x8
75x8

Cable Rope Pressdown PWO
40x8
40x8



Session required about 50 minutes for completion; as with Wednesday's session, I expect between-set rest times will increase a bit as the loads increase over time. Most of the loads used today will transfer to next week's workout in deference to my wonky shoulders. They (my shoulders) weren't real happy going in today, but they loosened-up a bit as I proceeded. As with the other two workouts in this new routine, I'm making adjustments as I go, and will make haste slowly.

One odd thing to relate; while doing Face Pulls (with a very light weight), I could feel them directly in the surgery site on my back. No muscle tissue was involved in that surgery, but I could still feel the reps there. Not in a bad way, just a sensation I haven't felt there before. I guess the scar was stretched a bit in a direction it hadn't been previously.

Anyway, that's it for this week. I'm glad to get a full week of this new routine under my belt and with no further setbacks. After resting over the weekend, I'll work legs on Monday.

Post-WorkOut meal was a vegfest of mushroom agnolotti with homemade marinara, caprese and garden salads, some crusty bread, and a glass of milk to augment the protonz count.
































Senator John McCain

I don't post political or religious opinions or commentary here, but I just cannot let this hero's passing go without notice. He was a fellow Viet Nam veteran, and everyone knows about his years as a POW. This country now finds itself worse off without his leadership.

R.I.P., brother.

[Gxp23]

Every days a school day ^^

Nice to see you are enjoying the new routine Bill. I like the set up.

Food looks delicious, going to have myself some stuffed pasta myself tonight!

Have a good weekend!

[ironwill2008]

Every days a school day ^^

Nice to see you are enjoying the new routine Bill. I like the set up.

Food looks delicious, going to have myself some stuffed pasta myself tonight!

Have a good weekend!

Hey, G; thanks! P/P/L has been a part of my training many times over the years; it was a natural go-to when it was time to reduce frequency of body part training. No doubt, I'll have to make a few changes along the way to accommodate my issues, but that's always been the case to one extent or another. Recovering from multiple setbacks has been interesting, to say the least.


We always eat well here; fresh produce has been very good this Summer, due no doubt to plenty of rain and sunshine. And we love salads; we eat at least one of some type every day. The stuffed pastas are store-bought fresh; they cook in about 7 minutes or so, depending on what they're stuffed with.

[Gxp23]

Hey, G; thanks! P/P/L has been a part of my training many times over the years; it was a natural go-to when it was time to reduce frequency of body part training. No doubt, I'll have to make a few changes along the way to accommodate my issues, but that's always been the case to one extent or another. Recovering from multiple setbacks has been interesting, to say the least.


We always eat well here; fresh produce has been very good this Summer, due no doubt to plenty of rain and sunshine. And we love salads; we eat at least one of some type every day. The stuffed pastas are store-bought fresh; they cook in about 7 minutes or so, depending on what they're stuffed with.

I have just stopped some P/P/L and I am actually reverting back to full body 3x a week for the foreseeable, looking forward to it actually.

I have room in my garden to start growing, I would love to get some herbs in there but every time I look out back there are 2 cats either competing in mortal kombat over turf, or spraying everything in sight....Spinach and Ricotta stuffed pasta for me tonight...cant wait lol.

[ironwill2008]

I have just stopped some P/P/L and I am actually reverting back to full body 3x a week for the foreseeable, looking forward to it actually.

I think we just crossed paths going in opposite directions.

I hope to eventually get back to that quasi-FB routine I had been on for 2 years, right before my surgeries. It suited me and my requirements perfectly. I'm just unsure if I'll ever be able to BB Lunge with any substantial weight again.

I have room in my garden to start growing, I would love to get some herbs in there but every time I look out back there are 2 cats either competing in mortal kombat over turf, or spraying everything in sight....

ugh; cat piss will destroy an herb garden (and just about anything else it gets on; it's highly corrosive). Maybe you could get a dog to keep them away!

Spinach and Ricotta stuffed pasta for me tonight...cant wait lol.

FTW. We'll have that when we can get it as well. I like a simple garlic and butter sauce with that type.

[Gxp23]

I think we just crossed paths going in opposite directions.

I hope to eventually get back to that quasi-FB routine I had been on for 2 years, right before my surgeries. It suited me and my requirements perfectly. I'm just unsure if I'll ever be able to BB Lunge with any substantial weight again.

Time will tell but the most important thing is you are working around it and still lifting the iron! I am changing just due to the fact I wasn't getting the frequency in that I wanted, plus, I am due a change up.

ugh; cat piss will destroy an herb garden (and just about anything else it gets on; it's highly corrosive). Maybe you could get a dog to keep them away!

I would love to get a dog but between me and my GF's work schedule we wouldn't be able to care for it and I wouldn't do that to a dog, if I get a dog I want to spend pretty much all day with it. I have repellent but I need to re-apply every time it rains....so almost every day in Scotland lol

FTW. We'll have that when we can get it as well. I like a simple garlic and butter sauce with that type.

I have green pesto tonight, I think I could honestly have pesto on any style pasta, I love it so much.

[ironwill2008]

Time will tell but the most important thing is you are working around it and still lifting the iron! I am changing just due to the fact I wasn't getting the frequency in that I wanted, plus, I am due a change up.

Indeed; what's most important is to stay in the game.

I would love to get a dog but between me and my GF's work schedule we wouldn't be able to care for it and I wouldn't do that to a dog, if I get a dog I want to spend pretty much all day with it. I have repellent but I need to re-apply every time it rains....so almost every day in Scotland lol

A dog requires care and attention for sure. You're wise not to commit if you know you can't provide that care at this time.

I have green pesto tonight, I think I could honestly have pesto on any style pasta, I love it so much.

That's something I've never attempted to make. I always grow basil; it would be a natural for me once I sourced some pine nuts.

[ironwill2008]

Start of another week of training today. My hamstrings were tight going in even after 2 hours of walking around at a local car show this morning. Today's training was:

Barbell Squat
bar x8 W/U
95x5
135x5
165x5
185x5
205x5

Leg Press PWO
200x10 W/U
490x10
490x10
490x10

Romanian Deadlift
bar x8 W/U
95x6
135x6
185x6

Lying Leg Curl PWO
10x8 W/U
20x10
20x10
20x10

Hanging Leg raise
bw x21
bw x19



Worked my way through in 55 minutes. I could feel every exercise in my recovering right hamstring today, but I don't feel like I caused any damage. Gotta work the area at least to enough extent to cause it to get stronger.

Pending any issue in that leg that might arise tonight or tomorrow, I'll bump all loads up slightly next Monday.

Nothing else to report at this time. Recovery from multiple issues continues on Wednesday after a rest day tomorrow.

Post-WorkOut meal was a plateful of stir-fry sweet & sour chicken and a glass of cold milk.

[ironwill2008]

Second of three workouts on the week; today was back and biceps. Today's training included:

Deadlift
bar x8 W/U
135x5
165x5
185x5
205x5
230x5

Dumbbell Row
40x8 W/U
65x6
65x6
65x6

Wide-grip Pulldown PWO
90x8 W/U
160x6
160x5
160x5

EZ Bar Curl
45x8 W/U
75x8
75x8
75x8

Hammer Curl
20x8 W/U
30x8
30x8
30x6



Worked my way through here in about 55 minutes. Moved Deadlifts to the front of the queue, and they went well; I'll bump a bit next week.

Dumbbell Rows also work very well for me, but I need to use considerably more weight to really get the most benefit from them. I have to proceed slowly though, regarding adding weight, so I'll bump them incrementally next go-around.

Pullups were a no-go today; my wrists just wouldn't cooperate. Rather than continue to fight this specific exercise and possibly cause further damage---and another setback---I'm dropping it and going back to Pulldowns, which I can feel actually working my back rather than torturing my janky wrists. C'est la vie.

My biceps really, really like Hammer Curls; again, they pumped up like baloons during the warmup set to a point where they limited my ROM. Gonna definitely keep these in here.

That's all for this 'un. I'll continue to make adjustments to this new routine on the fly as feedback from my body dictates. And while I keep thinking of what I was doing just a year ago in here, and where I currently find myself, I'm determined not to live in the past. I've never done that, and don't plan to start now.

Patience.



A rest day tomorrow will be followed by the third session of the week on Friday.

Post-WorkOut meal was a trio of my signature meatballs with marinara, a very tasty salad complete with blue cheese and black and kalamata olives (!), and a glass of milk.

[emp1acur]

Great looking session and some good wisdom in there as well. Wise choice on the pullups no-go ... better to be safe. That's an awesome looking post workout meal - meatballs look very tasty! Enjoy the third session of the week Friday.

[ironwill2008]

Great looking session and some good wisdom in there as well. Wise choice on the pullups no-go ... better to be safe. That's an awesome looking post workout meal - meatballs look very tasty! Enjoy the third session of the week Friday.

Hello, Larry; thanks! I noticed your post in another forum recently; it's good to see you in here.

Dealing with multiple setbacks is pretty new to me, but I know that if I apply some common sense, I'll make progress on my way back. Patience has never been a virtue of mine (as my wife will attest!), but it's an absolute requirement that I not get in a hurry to add weight to the bar.

I've honed my meatball recipe to a fine edge over time; they're really tasty.


Again, good to see you posting.

[ironwill2008]

Last training session on the week today; everything felt light. My right shoulder felt a bit wonky, but it straightened out after a couple of warmup sets, and the entire session just flowed. Today's training was:

Smith Machine Flat Press
95x10 W/U
135x6 W/U
185x6
185x6
185x6

Incline Flye
20x8 W/U
30x9
30x9
30x9

Smith Machine Seated Press
95x8 W/U
120x6
120x6

Lateral raise
15x10
15x10

Face Pull PWO
15x12
20x12

French Press
45x10 W/U
75x8
75x8

Cable Rope Pressdown PWO
40x10
40x10



Session required only 50 minutes to complete. I reached all my rep goals for the day, so training loads will be bumped accordingly next Friday. In addition to bumping the weight on Seated Press next week, I'll also add a 3rd work set; I feel the need for more compound shoulder work here.

Incline Flyes and Lateral raises are both working to a 12-rep goal before weight is added on these.

Nothing else to report. After an entire weekend filled with TV football, I'll return to the gym on Monday to resume training with a leg workout.

Post-WorkOut meal was a pair of eggs accompanied by not only a pair of sausage patties, but also by a pair of biscuits and gravy. A diced pear and a glass of milk completed the feast.

[emp1acur]

Hello, Larry; thanks! I noticed your post in another forum recently; it's good to see you in here.

Dealing with multiple setbacks is pretty new to me, but I know that if I apply some common sense, I'll make progress on my way back. Patience has never been a virtue of mine (as my wife will attest!), but it's an absolute requirement that I not get in a hurry to add weight to the bar.

I've honed my meatball recipe to a fine edge over time; they're really tasty.


Again, good to see you posting.

Thanks Bill! The forums are a great place, especially the O35 and Equipment. Can't come onto the forums without learning something new each time. The only danger is seeing new gear and wanting to add to my modest collection, but there are many worse things to spend a few dollars on!

Your journal is always such a constant and an inspiration to read. Have a great weekend!