The Flywheel Effect.

[CW47]

April 21, 2021 - Dynamic Upper

Bench Press: 140 pounds - 6 sets x 6 reps
Still progressing nicely on the 6x6. This didn't feel any more difficult than the last 2 weeks. The only real challenge today was that both of my lats and my left lower back and glute were cramping up. I've had the glute and lower back cramping before, but nothing like what I was feeling with my lats today. I was a little worried it would cramp up to the point that I'd have to drop the bar on the safeties, but it thankfully didn't come to that. I've been feeling dehydrated and been short of sleep this week, so I'm sure that's part of the reason for this issue.

Ran out of time today, so this was all I did. I'd like to get in the remainder of my scheduled workout, but that seems unlikely given the plans I already have for the next couple of days.

[Anthony21]

Damn that would suck to be cramping up like that on bench.

Dehydration is definitely one of the culprits. Something that might help out is taking 1g of Himalayan pink salt prior to training. I've been doing this and noticed such a difference in my training.

[Filmbuff81]

Damn that would suck to be cramping up like that on bench.

Dehydration is definitely one of the culprits. Something that might help out is taking 1g of Himalayan pink salt prior to training. I've been doing this and noticed such a difference in my training.

Was about to echo this same point actually.

I’ve been doing this for a while now and it’s helped immensely on a variety of levels for training.

[CW47]

Damn that would suck to be cramping up like that on bench.

Dehydration is definitely one of the culprits. Something that might help out is taking 1g of Himalayan pink salt prior to training. I've been doing this and noticed such a difference in my training.

Was about to echo this same point actually.

I’ve been doing this for a while now and it’s helped immensely on a variety of levels for training.

Interesting. I typically don't have any major issues with cramping, but I really appreciate the advice about the Himalayan pin salt. I will look into it.


April 24, 2021 - Max Lower

Box Squat - 16 inch: 295 pounds x 1 rep [PR]
This probably shouldn't even count as a successful rep - I'll let you all judge for yourselves after watching the video. I initially failed to complete the squat off of the box. I sat back down on the box and took a fresh breath of air, then completed the squat. As far as I'm concerned I accomplished the purpose of this lift for the day, which is to work up to a weight that forces me to strain.

Paused Squat: 135 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
This was much improved. Felt much easier than last week despite the 10 pound increase.

Cable Row: 70 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps
Hamstring Curl: Mini Band - 3 sets x 12 reps


Video shows the Box Squat.

[Anthony21]

It looks like that weight forced your eccentric part of your squat to just plop you on the bench. This probably resulted in you losing a lot of your tightness and drive off the box.

[Filmbuff81]

I haven’t boxed squatted in ages but I’d agree the sit down just was missing a bit of control so you lost tightness after kinda just plopping on the bench.

However great job recovering and making it work after.

I’d say that was even tougher than if you had got it the first time.

[CW47]

It looks like that weight forced your eccentric part of your squat to just plop you on the bench. This probably resulted in you losing a lot of your tightness and drive off the box.

I haven’t boxed squatted in ages but I’d agree the sit down just was missing a bit of control so you lost tightness after kinda just plopping on the bench.

However great job recovering and making it work after.

I’d say that was even tougher than if you had got it the first time.

Spot on again boys.
I hadn't noticed it at all when doing the lift, but also caught it right away when I watched the video back. Bracing was 100% the reason I failed initially. Even during the setup I wasn't able to get as much air as I like to. I almost re-racked and started over, but ended up going through with the lift. On the second attempt off the box the bracing was better, but still only about 85% of my normal bracing.


April 24, 2021 - Max Upper

Decline Bench Press: 195 pounds x 1
Wasn't sure what to expect here since I think I've only done a decline press once before, several years ago. The bottom of the lift was awkward, and I kind of just dumped the bar on my chest, but it went reasonably well considering how little experience I have with it. I was really hoping to break the 200 pound mark, but the 195 was a major grind, and was clearly my max for today.

DB Bench Press: 65 pound db's - 5 sets x 5 reps
These are always tough for me for some reason. On some of the sets I got in a good groove and completed the 5 reps easily. On others it was a real struggle. Happy to have gotten through all of them though, and will increase the weight again next week.

JM Press: 75 pounds - 3 set x 10 reps
T-Bar Row: 90 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps


Video shows the Decline Bench Press.

[Filmbuff81]

Nice job, I only ever do decline with a small degree so I can’t comment on the setup but looked pretty good.

If I ever feel weird after unracking I’ll redo my whole routine.

Not sure if you ever golf, but I use the same mindset as a Pre-shot routine.

I have my prelift routine and if it doesn’t seem right I’ll just redo it.

[400Lb Gorilla]

Definitely count that 295 box squat rep lol. I am not an expert at them but it looks like you nailed it pretty good. A little shaky on the first attempt to get up but then pushed through like a boss! As far as any form or technique critique I have to agree with Anthony... because I am way too inexperienced on this lift to add anything or disagree with him

That decline bench looked good, but the one rep thing confuses me a little. Why the heavy single? I like it, cause I always like heavy singles, but just wondering what you are trying to gain from it?

[CW47]

Nice job, I only ever do decline with a small degree so I can’t comment on the setup but looked pretty good.

If I ever feel weird after unracking I’ll redo my whole routine.

Not sure if you ever golf, but I use the same mindset as a Pre-shot routine.

I have my prelift routine and if it doesn’t seem right I’ll just redo it.

Yeah, I was a hardcore golfer for many years, and I know exactly what you mean about the pre-shot routine. I probably annoyed a fair number of people because I wouldn't step up to the ball until I could visualize the exact ball flight I wanted. If reality was as good as my imagination, I'd have definitely been playing on the tour, lmao! But I definitely was known to re-do my routine from time to time when I didn't feel right. It's a good comparison.

Definitely count that 295 box squat rep lol. I am not an expert at them but it looks like you nailed it pretty good. A little shaky on the first attempt to get up but then pushed through like a boss! As far as any form or technique critique I have to agree with Anthony... because I am way too inexperienced on this lift to add anything or disagree with him

That decline bench looked good, but the one rep thing confuses me a little. Why the heavy single? I like it, cause I always like heavy singles, but just wondering what you are trying to gain from it?

That's an excellent question, and one I've wrestled with. For sure the 2x/week heavy singles are not necessary from a programming perspective, and it probably has some downsides. However, it's serves a couple of purposes which are really important for me at the moment. First is that it just gets me comfortable handling heavier weights than I've been accustomed to. It largely takes away the fear of handling heavy weights. Second is that it simply forces me to my limits. I mentioned this earlier in the thread, shortly after changing over to this style of programming. I had spent several years of training thinking that I was pushing myself, but realized that I really wasn't. Even as I started this approach I realized that I was giving up on lifts at almost the first sign of resistance. So really it's primarily a form of calibration for effort. There is a very real possibility that at some point I will cut back the max effort work to every other week or once per month, or maybe even longer. But you know how the saying goes - if it aint broke don't fix it.


April 26, 2021 - Dynamic Lower

12 inch Box Squat [Speed]: 135 pounds - 10 sets x 2 reps
Huge, huge improvement over last week. Everything was pretty dialed in today. Stance width finally felt right. I did a great job of rooting my feet, keeping my knees out, and maintaining upper back tightness. It felt leagues easier than last week.

Paused Deadlift [Speed]: 255 pounds - 10 sets x 1 reps
Better than last week on this lift as well. Pause point was much more consistent. A couple of the reps were a little loose from pause to lockout, but still an improvement over last week.

2.5 inch Deficit Stiff Legged Deadlifts: 235 Pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
No cramping today, which is always a bonus, lol. Banged out all of these reps pretty easily. I've done so much low rep work that these sets of 5 really challenge my grip and bracing. It's work that I definitely need.

[400Lb Gorilla]

That's an excellent question, and one I've wrestled with. For sure the 2x/week heavy singles are not necessary from a programming perspective, and it probably has some downsides. However, it's serves a couple of purposes which are really important for me at the moment. First is that it just gets me comfortable handling heavier weights than I've been accustomed to. It largely takes away the fear of handling heavy weights. Second is that it simply forces me to my limits. I mentioned this earlier in the thread, shortly after changing over to this style of programming. I had spent several years of training thinking that I was pushing myself, but realized that I really wasn't. Even as I started this approach I realized that I was giving up on lifts at almost the first sign of resistance. So really it's primarily a form of calibration for effort. There is a very real possibility that at some point I will cut back the max effort work to every other week or once per month, or maybe even longer. But you know how the saying goes - if it aint broke don't fix it.

That makes sense. KNOWING you can push 295 makes you hella more confident when you go for the bigger multiple rep sets at like 250-275. Not too mention if you do not overdo them, I think the heavy singles just serve as a nice boost to the confidence. If nothing else you can tell people that you push 195 and squat 295. People are weird lol. If you tell a non-lifter that you bench 275x5 they are still more impressed by someone else that says they bench 300 as a max.
All people hear is "275 vs 300". The reps dont even seem to register lol. I know we dont do this to ourselves for validation, but it is nice to get it every now and then!
Your second reason is a very good one too. I think a lot of people suffer from what you are talking about. Thinking they are putting real effort into it, then not really making the progress they want. This is, I think, the absolute best argument for having other people to lift with. They push you, they test you, they make sure you are moving in the right direction, and can even give you on the spot help with form, not to mention it is always nice to have a couple of big dudes around to get the bar off of you when you just aint got it!

You are on the right path, though, I think. Keep doing what you are doing until you get bored or you arent progressing anymore. As you say, if it aint broke dont fix it.


Solid dynamic lower work. Glad to see it is progressing. I thought you were ditching the paused deadlifts, though. You finding them more agreeable with your goals, or just beginning to like them a lot?
And definitely kudos on the 5x5 deficit SLDLs. That is a hamstring and glute killer. You using a wide stance for them? Or keeping a more "conventional" stance?

[CW47]

That makes sense. KNOWING you can push 295 makes you hella more confident when you go for the bigger multiple rep sets at like 250-275. Not too mention if you do not overdo them, I think the heavy singles just serve as a nice boost to the confidence. If nothing else you can tell people that you push 195 and squat 295. People are weird lol. If you tell a non-lifter that you bench 275x5 they are still more impressed by someone else that says they bench 300 as a max.
All people hear is "275 vs 300". The reps dont even seem to register lol. I know we dont do this to ourselves for validation, but it is nice to get it every now and then!
Your second reason is a very good one too. I think a lot of people suffer from what you are talking about. Thinking they are putting real effort into it, then not really making the progress they want. This is, I think, the absolute best argument for having other people to lift with. They push you, they test you, they make sure you are moving in the right direction, and can even give you on the spot help with form, not to mention it is always nice to have a couple of big dudes around to get the bar off of you when you just aint got it!

You are on the right path, though, I think. Keep doing what you are doing until you get bored or you arent progressing anymore. As you say, if it aint broke dont fix it.


Solid dynamic lower work. Glad to see it is progressing. I thought you were ditching the paused deadlifts, though. You finding them more agreeable with your goals, or just beginning to like them a lot?
And definitely kudos on the 5x5 deficit SLDLs. That is a hamstring and glute killer. You using a wide stance for them? Or keeping a more "conventional" stance?

I know what you mean on people's reaction to the 275 vs 300. Interesting how the human brain works...
Would love to have a training partner. One of the primary reasons I post on this site is as a poor alternative for that, lol. It's really the best tool I have to hold me accountable and drive me to keep improving. When I want/plan to do something I just post about it and then I feel obligated to follow through. Like I said - interesting how the human brain works...
SLDL's are done with basically the same stance width as my conventional deadlift - around shoulder width.
I don't remember saying I was ditching paused deads, but then again I feel like I spend half my days walking somewhere and not remember why, lmao! All I know is I enjoyed them this time around.


April 29, 2021 - Dynamic Upper
Yesterdays workout. Didn't finish it until after 10:30PM, so didn't get a chance to post it until now.

Bench Press: 145 pounds - 6 sets x 6 reps
This is approaching my max. I will be surprised if I'm able to hit all the reps and sets at 150 next week. We shall see.

Banded Seated Shoulder Press - 1 Pin: Mini Band + 70 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
The pins put the bar basically level with my nose. First set was the hardest, and then I hit my stride after that. I'm not sure why, but I really like this lift.

Close Grip Floor w/Chains: 95 pounds + 2 Chains (15.8 lbs each) - 3 sets x 10 reps
Was expecting this to be a relatively easy starting weight since I had already done it a few months ago. I turned into a grind. A lot times the second week on a lift seems the easiest though, so maybe it will feel better next week.

Meadows Row: 30 pounds - 3 sets x 20 reps

[CW47]

May 1, 2021 - Max Lower

12 Inch Block Pull: 445 pounds x 3 reps [PR]
Last time I did this it was 425 x 3. Todays was easier than that. This still isn't a true 3 rep max. Pretty sure I could do 485 for 3 (that would require every plate I own), but I'm happy to progress slowly on it since this is meant to be an easier max effort week leading into the new cycle next week. These really did hammer my mid back more than I was expecting though. Tried taking the baby out for a walk after my workout, found that mama had forgotten to take the stroller out of her car and she was at work, so decided I would just carry him in my arms. I only made it halfway down our street before I had to turn back for home because my back was exhausted. I expect this would be a really good option for 5x5's at some point for mid/upper back focused work.

Paused Squat: 145 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
Did another 10 pound jump from last week, and it felt easier yet again. Big improvement on the last 3 weeks on this lift, with the first week at 125 being the hardest, and this week at 145 being easiest. A major reason for this has been widening my stance slightly so that I can get a bit deeper and maintain my balance much better. Still need to work on maintaining upper back tightness at the bottom of the lift because I found myself being very loose in that area a couple of times today.

Cable Row: 70 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps
Hamstring Curl: Mini Band - 3 sets x 15 reps


Video shows the Block Pulls and a set of the Paused Squats.

[Filmbuff81]

Speedy block pulls.

Training always looks on point and you definitely have a ton in the tank.

[CW47]

Speedy block pulls.

Training always looks on point and you definitely have a ton in the tank.

Thank man! The block pulls felt great.


April 24, 2021 - Max Upper

Floor Press: 175 pounds x 1 [PR]
Previous PR's for this were 165 x 1 last December, and 165 x 3 in February. It's also worth noting that for both of those previous PR's I had my feet firmly planted on the ground and was using some leg drive. I've stopped using leg drive on all of my floor pressing now. Decided to go for a heavy single that I didn't need to grind for, and this is where I ended up at.

DB Bench Press: 67.5 pound db's - 5 sets x 5 reps
JM Press: 85 pounds - 2 set x 10 reps / 65 - 1 x 10
This just did not feel right today. I went back and checked a video of JM teaching this lift and found that I was doing it incorrectly again. Dropped the weight for the final set, and even that didn't feel good. I'm leaning towards pulling it out of my training for now. If anything, I may throw it in as light weight accessory work for a few cycles until I get really comfortable with the movement.

T-Bar Row: 100 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps


Video shows the Floor Press.

[CW47]

May 4, 2021 - Dynamic Lower

12 inch Box Squat [Speed]: 150 pounds - 8 sets x 2 reps
Paused Deadlift [Speed]: 275 pounds - 8 sets x 1 reps
2.5 inch Deficit Stiff Legged Deadlifts: 245 Pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps

Didn't finish my workout until after 10pm, so this is going to be a short post... Knees and ankles were bothering me a bit today, and I'm not sure why. It initially bothered me on the squats, but a small adjustment on my stance eliminated the discomfort. Paused deads were mostly pretty speedy. Deficit Stiff Legged Deads hurt a lot, but in a good way.
Video below shows a set of each of the deadlift variants.

[CW47]

May 6, 2021 - Dynamic Upper

Bench Press: 150 pounds - 6 sets x 6 reps
Was not expecting to make it through this after how challenging it was last week at 145. Today felt about the same, maybe even slightly easier. I'll stick with the 6x6 yet again next week, at 155 pounds.

Banded Seated Shoulder Press - 1 Pin: Mini Band + 75 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
These seem to get easier as the sets go on. Must have something to do with getting the muscles working in unison

Close Grip Floor w/Chains: 100 pounds + 2 Chains (15.8 lbs each) - 3 sets x 10 reps
These were brutal. I'm getting better at maintaining good form and movement patterns when the reps get hard, and it's really helping me push through them. It paid off here.

Meadows Row: 30 pounds - 3 sets x 20 reps

This was the final workout of the cycle. It felt like a very good cycle, but the proof is in the progress on the main lifts (since that's what my goal is). I'll be testing them in the next 2 weeks to see where I'm at.

[Filmbuff81]

Great looking cycle indeed.

Crushing it!

[CW47]

Great looking cycle indeed.

Crushing it!

Thanks! It felt good.


May 9, 2021 - Max Lower
Took an extra rest day since I was feeling very fatigued yesterday.

Squat: 285 pounds x 1 reps [PR]
Always feels good to hit a PR. I feel like I probably still had more in me if everything had come together perfectly. If you check out the video you'll be able to hear that I actually started to loose my bracing and breath control as I was trying to get down to a legal depth. Most likely should've had my belt about a half notch looser and then I would've been able to get that depth without forcing out any air. Oh well. Lesson learned, and I still came away with a PR.

Block Pull - 3 inch: 305 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
Should've recorded this, but I was in a hurry and just forgot. Rigged up a couple of plates to create about a 3 inch block (probably 2.75 to be exact) on each side. Interested to see how this impacts my normal deads over the next cycle.

Cable Row: 90 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps
Face Pull: Mini Band - 3 sets x 20 reps


Video shows the Max Squat:

[Anthony21]

2 big time PRs, NICE! Looks like your training has been going good.

I personally have never been a fan of the standard barbell JM Press. It's soo hard on my elbows no matter what I do. I prefer using a SSB for that which eliminates the elbow stress.

[Filmbuff81]

Congrats on the PR looked easy.

[CW47]

2 big time PRs, NICE! Looks like your training has been going good.

I personally have never been a fan of the standard barbell JM Press. It's soo hard on my elbows no matter what I do. I prefer using a SSB for that which eliminates the elbow stress.

Thank you! It's been going pretty good yeah.
I'll probably revisit JM Press again at some point in the future because I can see the potential it has, but it will be a while. Just not feeling it right now.

Congrats on the PR looked easy.

Didn't feel easy, but it's really good progress.


May 11, 2021 - Max Upper

Bench Press: 185 pounds x 1 [PR]
Looks like the change from speed work to volume work on the dynamic bench press days is paying off. The rep wasn't as clean as I wanted, which seems to be true of all my max effort bench pressing... Lower body wasn't really set properly when I started, I didn't pause at all at the bottom, and I'm pretty sure my butt came up off the bench. Anyway, I'm super happy to hit a new PR on this, especially with how slow my progress has typically been on pressing movements. Gonna try to keep it rolling...

Seated Shoulder Press: 85 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
I used to do overhead pressing really regularly, but haven't done much over the last year. Trying to incorporate it more regularly now. I started out with a weight I could do without needing to grind on any of the reps. Mission accomplished.

Triceps Pushdown: Mini Band - 3 set x 20 reps
Biceps Curl: Mini Band - 3 set x 15 reps
I rarely do direct arm work, and probably because of that this band work really results in a good pump. A nice arm pump is always good, right? lol


Video shows the Bench PR.

[CW47]

May 13 & 15, 2021 - Dynamic Lower
Only took me 3 days to complete this workout, lmao! Box Squats were done on the 13th. Paused Deads done early today. Pin Squats done late afternoon. I've been wanting to shift my lifting days so that weekends are open, but it didn't work out so well this week...

16 inch Box Squat [Speed]: 155 pounds - 12 sets x 2 reps
Moved slower than I'd like for speed work, but the reps were solid enough. May have just been an off day. If I'm not moving fast enough again next week I'll think about reducing the percentages for the rest of this cycle.

Paused Deadlift [Speed]: 235 pounds - 12 sets x 1 reps
These were slower than I want as well. Was a little stiff, and had very little time to warmup, which most definitely didn't help matters. Just rushed my way through these too much I think, in my eagerness to get the workout completed.

Squat - 1 Pin: 245 Pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
Oddly, the Pin Squats felt fantastic. Focused on two things - upper back tightness throughout the lift, and keeping my elbows tucked under the bar instead of flaring out. My shoulder cramped up on the last rep of the last set because I'm just not used to holding this position. Had to rack it, rest for a moment, and do the final rep (shoulder cramped up on this one as well, but I got through it). It's hard to believe the difference these adjustments made to the lift. I was in perfect balance throughout, and much more explosive out of the hole. I'm super encouraged, and looking forward to increasing the weight more in the coming weeks.

[Filmbuff81]

Congrats on another PR.

Bench is definitely a lift that benefits from a lot of volume to keep it moving.

[CW47]

Congrats on another PR.

Bench is definitely a lift that benefits from a lot of volume to keep it moving.

Yes sir! It definitely seems to be paying off. Keeping it up with plenty of benching volume again today.


May 16, 2021 - Dynamic Upper

Bench Press: 155 pounds - 6 sets x 5 reps / 1 set x 6 reps
No idea what I was thinking here. I just totally spaced on the fact that I was supposed to be doing 6 reps per set. Remembered on the 5th set. Threw in a seventh set with 6 reps to equal out to the full number of reps I was supposed to do. You'll see in the video below that my left glute cramped up partway through the set. Thought I was going to have to rack it, but it let up enough for me to finish out the set.
I don't have any doubt I would've hit 6x6, so I'll increase again next week.

Paused Bench Press - Wide Grip: 135 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
Felt good today. My focus on bench (all benching work) is to be stable throughout the lift. I'm making baby steps in that direction. One of the big keys for me that I've picked up on lately is that I lose tightness in my upper back all the time. Maintaining that tightness was the primary focus of this lift today, and it went pretty well in that respect. I tried gradually widening my grip as the sets went on. On the final set my middle fingers were on the rings. This proved to be too wide and I actually failed the 5th rep. I re-racked it and did the final rep with pinkies on the rings (that seems to be about as wide as I can comfortably go without a noticeable loss of strength).

Close Grip Floor w/Chains: 95 pounds + 2 Chains (15.8 lbs each) x 6/7/6
Well holy hell...the volume caught up to me big time. I had actually reduced the weight 5 pounds compared to last week, anticipating I would be more fatigued, but I didn't come anywhere near the 10 reps per set that were prescribed. Going to failure on all three sets was definitely not the best idea, but I kept feeling like I had another rep or two in the tank when the bar suddenly decided to not move at all, lol. Oh well, next Upper day is all Incline and Overhead work, so It'll be a full week before I do any more benching.


Video shows the final set of Bench Press.

[Filmbuff81]

Great day again.

As much as you can’t understand how I can do 10-20+ reps, I would probably break doing your training too lol.

[CW47]

Great day again.

As much as you can’t understand how I can do 10-20+ reps, I would probably break doing your training too lol.

Yes, that is very fair. We all have our kryptonite - aside from maybe a few freaks of nature out there that can handle just about any type of training.


May 18, 2021 - Max Lower

Sumo Deadlift: 355 pounds x 1 rep [PR]
Had this going up easily on the first attempt and then my grip gave way 2/3 of the way up. I was trying to do it double overhanded because the mixed grip reps I did during the warmup felt awkward. Ended up using straps for the second attempt and completed it relatively easy as well. Had I hit this on the first attempt I probably would've put in another attempt with 5 or 10 more pounds. I'm not disappointed at all though - really happy with the 10 pound PR. It was a new and interesting experience for me to struggle more with the lockout than off the floor - never had that happen with sumo before. The rep overall was not too smooth, and I think that's mostly because I'm very rarely doing sumo these days.

Block Pull - 3 inch: 310 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
Cable Row: 100 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps
Face Pull: Mini Band - 3 sets x 20 reps

Awesome back work today. The Block Pulls and Cable rows hammered my mid back, and face pulls hit the upper back hard. I'm expecting to be sore for the next couple of days.


Video of the Sumo Deadlift PR:

[Filmbuff81]

PR train continues.

Your back must be feeling pretty pumped.

[Raigs]

355!!!! Great work here! You keep going that’s awesome. I love the dedication.

[CW47]

PR train continues.

Your back must be feeling pretty pumped.

Oh yeah! Was still feeling the effect a little bit today.

355!!!! Great work here! You keep going that’s awesome. I love the dedication.

Thank you man! I truly appreciate that.

I'm sure nobody realizes this because we usually don't go back to read the first post of a log, but consistency was the primary goal I set for myself when I started this log. "The Flywheel Effect" comes from a business book called 'Good to Great', and was meant to describe what I hoped to achieve here.

"Picture a huge, heavy flywheel—a massive metal disk mounted horizontally on an axle, about 30 feet in diameter, 2 feet thick, and weighing about 5,000 pounds. Now imagine that your task is to get the flywheel rotating on the axle as fast and long as possible. Pushing with great effort, you get the flywheel to inch forward, moving almost imperceptibly at first. You keep pushing and, after two or three hours of persistent effort, you get the flywheel to complete one entire turn. You keep pushing, and the flywheel begins to move a bit faster, and with continued great effort, you move it around a second rotation. You keep pushing in a consistent direction. Three turns ... four ... five ... six ... the flywheel builds up speed ... seven ... eight ... you keep pushing ... nine ... ten ... it builds momentum ... eleven ... twelve ... moving faster with each turn ... twenty ... thirty ... fifty ... a hundred.

Then, at some point—breakthrough! The momentum of the thing kicks in in your favor, hurling the flywheel forward, turn after turn ... whoosh! ... its own heavy weight working for you. You’re pushing no harder than during the first rotation, but the flywheel goes faster and faster. Each turn of the flywheel builds upon work done earlier, compounding your investment of effort. A thousand times faster, then ten thousand, then a hundred thousand. The huge heavy disk flies forward, with almost unstoppable momentum.

Now suppose someone came along and asked, “What was the one big push that caused this thing to go so fast?” You wouldn’t be able to answer; it’s just a nonsensical question. Was it the first push? The second? The fifth? The hundredth? No! It was all of them added together in an overall accumulation of effort applied in a consistent direction."