I Try To Take Off, & Congress Pisses Me Off So I Return For A Rant

Warning: “Foul” Language

I was cruising along Facebook when my friend Misbehaved Woman posted a story about Congress, at least the House, passing a law banning protests around politicians with Secret Service protection.

Goodbye, First Amendment: ‘Trespass Bill’ will make protest illegal

I question if today’s soldiers even know what the fuck the government is doing and if they support acts such as these. And if they do, they should be fucking court-martialed! You took an oath todefend the Constitution! Have you read the damn thing? 

We have  laws like the Patriot Act and NDAA pissing all over the damn thing. Yet still they sign up? What is your reasoning? Do you know who you’re working for?

Its not the American People.

I wouldn’t send you anywhere unless we’re attacked. No, you’re working for the same government that is stomping on the same document you both took an oath to defend. You’re an accessory at the very least, to the murder of freedom. You’re fighting the wrong threat.

I don’t question your bravery, I question why you are willing to work for the elected dictators and what the fuck your gonna do about?

End of the goddamn rant!

I’ll Be Back

I’m taking a small break from Ronin’s Journey to ramp up and finalize my book “Growls From A Wolf”. Between training, research, writing here, and compiling there the quality go down in everything. And I want to publish my very best.

This book is a sort of spin-off of Howls From The Wolfpack available at Amazon here but heavier on politics and how the politicians of both parties are playing us for fools. And how to cut through the lies and find a candidate that you can actually support by knowing what you really want.

Along with a critical look at society, like entitlements, wars, civil rights and more. All this and I want to get it out before the General Election begins because I think it will be beneficial to getting this country back on track.

See ya soon!

Ronin

The Rite is Almost Complete, So Where Did 12 Weeks of Kettlebells Get Me?

I’ve almost finished my first cycle of the Rite of  Passage, in fact next week will finish it out. Then I move up to the 44lb kettlebell. My sister questioned my sanity when I told her.

Snatch

Fitness Progress Report:
Functional: Increases across the board. Reached my goals so all that’s left is pushups, pressing strength and endurance.

• Pushups are still not up to 51. Considering the gains everywhere else it may be because I started of by pressing the 44lb to failure. Just smoked my shoulders.
• Military Presses with the 44lb kettlebell.

         Left: 7 times (5 rep gain) Right: 4 times (3 rep gain)

• One-Rep Max Weight

         Left:55lbs (was 40lbs)      Right: 50lbs (was 40lbs)

• Snatches. 100 in 5 minutes, maybe 5o at the most would be called as a rep, the rest ‘no-count’ by a RKC. Smoked me. Did it with the 30lb ‘bell.

Body Composition

Let’s look at the difference in the 12 week time frame.

Body Part                     Before                         After               -/+

Neck                             14                                14.5                 +.5 in

Shoulders                42.25                         42.5                 +.25

Chest                           36.25                         36.75              +.5

Waist                           30.75                         29.75              -1.0

Biceps                         12                                12                        0

Forearms                 10.50                         10.50                 0

Thighs                       20.75                         20.50              -.25

Calves                           13.5                            13.25               -.25

Weight                          141.4lbs                    139.8              -1.5lbs

Body Fat %                  12.17%                      10.10%           -2.07%

Lean Body Mass        124.19lbs                 125.68            +1.49lbs

Some size gain, added muscle and fat melting off. Can’t wait to see what the 44lb kettlebell forges when I begin a new cycle.

Snatch in motion

How I got there

The Rite of Passage from Enter The Kettlebell. And a Primal Diet.

Fats: 130.8 grams (averaged)

Carbs: 131.6 grams (averaged)

Protein: 151.2 grams (averaged)

For more on primal go here.

Now on the suggestion of the RKC Brad Hamilton I saw last week I’m going to add onto my Variety Days. My next Cycle will look the same as the last but with the 44lb kettlebell.

The Variety Days will consist of Planks, Tactical Get-Ups, and Goblet Squats.

And Joint Mobility Drills Daily.

Yeah, the hand switched, My wife took 7 pictures of me snatching. These are the best.

Related Articles:

Six Weeks Into the Rite of Passage; Where Am I Now?

The Day After Seeing A RKC; My Kettlebell Report Card

I Need Professional Help

A Peek At the Electoral College; Article Two

Ahh, the Electoral College. Let’s look at this…

Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.

The State Legislatures appoint Electors, equal to the number of Congressmen and Senators. However no elected officials or bureaucrats can be appointed.

Interesting. Wonder what their line of thinking was when they put this in? We’ll see more in a couple of weeks.

The Day After Seeing A RKC; My Kettlebell Report Card

Well yesterday I sought professional help.

No, not for my head. Can’t work miracles.

Had my private session with Brad Hamilton, RKC to check my form. I arrived a couple minutes before he did and helped him carry a couple of Dragon Door kettlebells up the steps to the office. We were in the door before the appointment time. This is what we did:

Warm Up

Dynamic Stretching, looked a little like Systema stretches to me, but I don’t stretch much so I’m probably wrong. You hold the stretch for a couple of seconds if at all. And Halos. He suggested I look into Pavel’s Super Joints ( I did ), Scott Sonnon, Steve Cotter or Z-Health mobility drills.

Diagnostics

Then I had to do a Plank. I can hold one for 2 minutes, barely. This was to make sure I was tight in the right places, which translates into power for presses and remembering the feeling when I tense up at the end of a swing. He recommend I do more, so on my Variety Days, I’m adding Planks.

TGU

Turkish Get-Up, he wanted to see mine. I did pretty good. He showed me the improved one, called the Tactical Get-Up. They never rest at the RKC. I had seen it before, tried it, but he broke it down well.

It now has a high bridge and your hand doesn’t move. The guy in the video repositioned his. Still impressive.

Kettlebell Swings

Swings, two hands and one hand. What I thought was my weakness was sitting back, however that wasn’t my issue. I had two problems.

• Power Breathing. Breathing and holding some air to protect my back in my diaphragm. Done right, it sounds like hydraulics at work.
• Leaning back when I swing. Can cause me to topple over with a heavy weight.

Also told me with one arm swings let the other ride along freely. Like a two kettlebell swing except one hand’s empty. That helps me stay square and not torque nothing. And play chicken with the ‘bell.

Kettlebell Cleans

Cleaning the Kettlebell. Needed work, I knew it would. I’d let my elbow flare out and to prevent that he made me hold a piece of paper between my side and elbow when I dropped the ‘bell to reclean or park it.

Kettlebell Overhead Presses

Presses, the mother’s milk of upper body strength with a kettlebell. On the way up, I did good. I went straight down on the way down. He stopped me and asked why? I thought it was a Military Press. The better way is to trace the arc around my head again. More work for the shoulders and lats. He checked me with the 26lb (easy), the 35, (little heavier than my current) and the 44, (the next one I’ll use). He said I was ready for the 44lb kettlebell. That’s no small amount of pride in myself for working to that.

Kettlebell Snatches

Snatches, the reason I came. I have a hard time doing them cold. I like a  High Pull or two to find my groove. Except my high pulls were actually one-hand swings. So I learned proper two-hand or one-hand high pulls. Then I snatched. I wasn’t driving enough for a proper Hardstyle Snatch, it was the Sport version.   The ‘bell rolled around my wrist. Then I snatched 26, the 35 and the 44(if I remember, did a lot yesterday.)

Goblet Squats

Goblet Squats. I heard of them from Scott on Twitter, but never did them. Until yesterday. I have to remember to lead with my chest out and up on the way up, driving through the heels. And on the bottom, do a slight figure-8 rocking motion. Another Variety Day addition.

When I was standing he noticed my posture, imbalanced. My shoulders are pulled forward. Showed a way to fix it, that I can’t entirely remember other than turning the femurs in with turning the knees. So I asked, and he said it was from the Feldenrais Method. And Rows. He checked my form, said pull up with my thumb going into my armpit. That will pull my shoulders back by developing lats and rhomboids.

I asked how to do it. Between my presses. For every press, two rows. Or Pull ups.

All in all a very productive hour, to bad  it wasn’t taped. I suggested that. He has a veritable tool kit of diagnostic tools I haven’t covered but I’m already over 700 words into this post. He told me I was fairly advanced for someone who was teaching himself. I credit that to Pavel’s breaking down the drills in ETK and the YouTube videos various RKC’s put out. However I recommend all kettlebellers have their form checked by an RKC at least once.

Monday I’ll finish this cycle of the ROP, and post my gains for the 12 week cycle. Then I’ll be offline working on getting my book published.

Brad’s Websites:

Life Warrior Fitness

Little Rock Kettlebell Boot Camp