Rise of the Machines

Who'd have thought that the motions of the heavens themselves could be captured in the gears of engineering? This is pretty much the coolest frickin' thing I've seen in some time. Hopefully they'll produce a kit for this sometime soon.


The Antikythera Mechanism in Lego from Small Mammal on Vimeo.

If this floats your boat then check out Michael Wright's Antikythera Mechanism.  You might also appreciate Kurt Hertzstark's beautiful Curta, and for fans of Lego, check out this Lego Babbage Difference Engine.

RPT Wk2 W/O2

So it is time to up the weight and lower the reps for the pistols.  The first set should be free-standing bodyweight!  I also need to add more weight on the OACs particularly for that first set!

Warm Up (5 minutes)
Main (35 minutes)
1. Handstand Variation (air squats + side lunges, one legged floor touches + front lunges, front/side/turning kicks + hanging kicks)
2a. Pistols (4x80kg, 6x75kg, 8x70kg)
2b. OACs (4x65kg, 6x55kg, 8x45kg)

Forearm and Wrist Prehabilitation
4. Golfers Elbow Drumstick Rotation (12)
5. Wrist Push Ups (12)
6. Reverse Wrist Curl (12)

Weight : 80kg

Stay Curious

I was born curious.  Now I am middle aged, 'curious' is translated by those around me to 'in-crisis'.  If I can sustain my curiousity in to old age, I will be rewarded with a lable of 'eccentric'. Being curious is one of the greatest qualities you can maintain - and an inate quality that I cherish within my children.

You've got to let your kids explore.  They have to test their own boundaries - physical and mental, calibrate their risk taking, their judgement and so forth.  This can only be done by experimentation.  There is no failure, only feedback.  Education should light a fire, not fill a bucket.

RPT Wk2 W/O1

I was at a wedding last night so the diet has been distinctly non-paleo - although I stuck mostly to red wine (with a G and T thrown in for good measure).  I managed to stay shy of both the Lagavulin (the 16), and Caol Ila.

It is a glorious autumn morning today.  We are blessed with blue skies and bathed in sunshine.  Looking forward with relish to this session.

Warm Up (5 minutes)
Main (30 minutes).
1. Stairgators (1)
2. Planche Variations (25s, 25s, 25s)
3. Barefoot Sprinting (1x15s, 1x10s, 1x10s, 1x10s)
4. Rope Climb (3)
5a. MU to Ring Routine (3, 3).
5b. Scissor Splits (3x '2L, 2R, 2C') 
6. Weighted Barefoot Kill Carry (1)
7. Fingerboard Routine (10min)

RPT Wk1 W/O3

Training is going really well.  I am in and out of the gym quickly, and keep it intense when there.  DL day always sorts me out - and I will be looking to hit my maxes from the previous cycle.

I have some residual soreness from the weeks' activities but generally am in good form.

Warm Up (5 minutes)
Main (35 minutes)
1. Handstand Variations (air squats + side lunges, front lunges + floor touches, front/side/turning kicks, Low Kicks + Reverse Kicks)
2. Manna Progression (three rounds for time)
3. Deadlift (6x130, 8x110, 10x90)
4. Wall Walk (3, 3)
5. Backbridge (15s)

Shoulder Pre-habilitation
6. External Shoulder Rotations (12)
7. External Shoulder Rotations (12)

8. 321 (8L, 8L, 8L)

Weight: 80*

Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain

• "I am more and more convinced that our happiness or unhappiness depends far more on the way we meet the events of life, than on the nature of those events themselves."
  Wilhelm von Humboldt

In Elaine Fox's Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain we get a pop roundup of the mind of the optimist and the pessimist - which reflect 'primal inclinations to seek pleasure or avoid danger'.  We are evolved to tune in to danger but as Fox illustrates, this protection mechanism can come to dominate, yielding a negativity - with detrimental results.

RPT Wk1 W/O2

Full steam ahead!  The only variation from now onwards is that I will stop handstanding after two quality handstands (and wrap up with a handwalk 'for time').  I will also resist the lower down from a handstand to work my planche muscles.

Warm Up (5 minutes)
Main (35 minutes)
1. Handstand Variation (air squats + side lunges, one legged floor touches + front lunges, front/side/turning kicks + hanging kicks)
2. Pistols (8/6x75kg, 10/8x70kg, 12/10x65kg)
3. OACs (6/5x60kg, 6x55kg, 7/8x45kg)

Forearm and Wrist Prehabilitation
4. Golfers Elbow Drumstick Rotation (12)
5. Wrist Push Ups (12)
6. Reverse Wrist Curl (12)

Weight : 78.5kg