Monday, March 3, 2014
Training - 3rd March 2014
Back Squat: 3x(5/3/1) @ (225/235/245, 235/245/255, 245/255/265)
Snatch Pull: 135,145,155 x 3 w/ rebend. Upto 175x2x2, then 135x3x3 (3 position pause)
Glute Ham Raise 5x5
Man...that was tiring.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Training - 24th, 26th & 28th February, 1st March
24th Feb:
Back Squat - 225x2x6, 205x3x8
Snatch Pull off blocks: 135x3x3, upto 175, 135x4x3 w/ 3 position pauses
Rows: 105x5x10
Glute Ham Raise: 5x5
Ab Wheel 3x
26th Feb:
Snatch Balance: Upto 135x3x3
Front Squat: 205x5x3
Snatch Pull: 135x3x3, upto 175
28th Feb:
Snatch: Single up to 145
Clean and Jerk: 165x4x (2+1)
1st March:
Back Squat: 5x3
This feels like deja-vu, but here I am updating a weeks worth of training on here yet again!
Oh well. It's hard to get in a routine with school, I almost always end up getting distracted by the friends when I get home and I completely forget to update the blog! :(
Back Squat - 225x2x6, 205x3x8
Snatch Pull off blocks: 135x3x3, upto 175, 135x4x3 w/ 3 position pauses
Rows: 105x5x10
Glute Ham Raise: 5x5
Ab Wheel 3x
26th Feb:
Snatch Balance: Upto 135x3x3
Front Squat: 205x5x3
Snatch Pull: 135x3x3, upto 175
28th Feb:
Snatch: Single up to 145
Clean and Jerk: 165x4x (2+1)
1st March:
Back Squat: 5x3
This feels like deja-vu, but here I am updating a weeks worth of training on here yet again!
Oh well. It's hard to get in a routine with school, I almost always end up getting distracted by the friends when I get home and I completely forget to update the blog! :(
The Saga of Zammar the Great #7: Candahar pt.4
Story Recap:
Brenda Ansari, known as Ren, found out after the destruction of her home that she was in fact descended from an ancient line of kings. As such, she was the now rightful queen of the single kingdom that represented unity in a shattered world. With the recent threat of the Und'kal aliens, it was more critical than ever for her to assimilate the lands and allow mankind to stand in united resistance. With Zammar, and Tristan, she escaped the ruins of her home to travel across The Dragon Peak mountain range and warn other nations. Unfortunately, they reached the city of Kampalla too late, as it had been razed to the ground by a horde of vicious Und'kal.
Soon after arriving in The Blacklands city of Candahar, Ren found comfort in the company of an old warrior. The man was a change from the otherwise harsh atmosphere that the city had greeted the Queen with, reassuring her of her purpose. However, their talk was cut short by the sound of war drums. The same horde of Und'kal that had razed Kampalla had finally set their eyes upon Candahar, and now descend upon the city in bloodthirsty ferocity.
Ren sat at the end of a mahogany table in a long, windowless room. The multitude of oil lamps hanging around the walls cast it in a dim orange glow, constantly flickering against the shadows of the people that sat around her. Zammar was by her side, across from the two chiefs. Two elder men sat along the length of the table, and across from them were two elder women. Sprawled across the table was a map detailing the layout of Candahar in the gentle valley, showing a thick blue line that represented the coursing way of the Arghan river behind the semi circular city. It was pretty clear that the desolate desert stretched out for a long way in every direction. Zammar and Abejide were staring at the map intently, searching desperately for any saving grace.
"The walls are weak, and this geography is no help - these low hills will not prevent the Und'kal from surrounding us on all three sides." Zammar commented, indicating to the terrain details solemnly. His presence seemed to add an enormous air of safety and awe to the room, as if in here they were immune to the enormous horde of monsters that charged from the west. Ren certainly felt much more comfortable with him by her side.
Abejide sighed with finality. "Indeed, Candahar's policy has always been one to attack, and make that our defense. This city was never made to withstand a siege of this scale."
"Our armies are strong. We should be able to hold off for a long time in front of the city...The enemy will already be weakened by their attack on Kampalla. Maybe, with the help of the gods, we can destroy them...Otherwise, we should be able to cripple their forces enough to allow the pharaoh to take care of it." Chief Hirat added confidently. She was a tall, very well muscled woman. Her long, dark hair fell behind a lean and sharp face in a single, thick braid. The leopard skin sash running across her torso did not do much to hide the giant breasts and their large, dark nipples. The woman seemed to exude an infinite supply of pheromones, her sexual energy was unreal. Ren kept glancing at Zammar, relieved to see that Hirat's eye bashing and advances seemed to have no effect on the man.
"The lads were telling me that their force looks numberless...Either Kampalla hardly fought, or the enemy received reinforcements." Elder Chima, an old man with a long red and white beard, said in a defeated voice.
"The Und'kal are not just individually strong, but they also hold the advantage in numbers. I do not expect a miracle in Candahar, especially if the force is of the same size as that which sieged Torst." Zammar said, his beautiful voice unfitting for words of such finality.
Brenda Ansari, known as Ren, found out after the destruction of her home that she was in fact descended from an ancient line of kings. As such, she was the now rightful queen of the single kingdom that represented unity in a shattered world. With the recent threat of the Und'kal aliens, it was more critical than ever for her to assimilate the lands and allow mankind to stand in united resistance. With Zammar, and Tristan, she escaped the ruins of her home to travel across The Dragon Peak mountain range and warn other nations. Unfortunately, they reached the city of Kampalla too late, as it had been razed to the ground by a horde of vicious Und'kal.
Soon after arriving in The Blacklands city of Candahar, Ren found comfort in the company of an old warrior. The man was a change from the otherwise harsh atmosphere that the city had greeted the Queen with, reassuring her of her purpose. However, their talk was cut short by the sound of war drums. The same horde of Und'kal that had razed Kampalla had finally set their eyes upon Candahar, and now descend upon the city in bloodthirsty ferocity.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ren sat at the end of a mahogany table in a long, windowless room. The multitude of oil lamps hanging around the walls cast it in a dim orange glow, constantly flickering against the shadows of the people that sat around her. Zammar was by her side, across from the two chiefs. Two elder men sat along the length of the table, and across from them were two elder women. Sprawled across the table was a map detailing the layout of Candahar in the gentle valley, showing a thick blue line that represented the coursing way of the Arghan river behind the semi circular city. It was pretty clear that the desolate desert stretched out for a long way in every direction. Zammar and Abejide were staring at the map intently, searching desperately for any saving grace.
"The walls are weak, and this geography is no help - these low hills will not prevent the Und'kal from surrounding us on all three sides." Zammar commented, indicating to the terrain details solemnly. His presence seemed to add an enormous air of safety and awe to the room, as if in here they were immune to the enormous horde of monsters that charged from the west. Ren certainly felt much more comfortable with him by her side.
Abejide sighed with finality. "Indeed, Candahar's policy has always been one to attack, and make that our defense. This city was never made to withstand a siege of this scale."
"Our armies are strong. We should be able to hold off for a long time in front of the city...The enemy will already be weakened by their attack on Kampalla. Maybe, with the help of the gods, we can destroy them...Otherwise, we should be able to cripple their forces enough to allow the pharaoh to take care of it." Chief Hirat added confidently. She was a tall, very well muscled woman. Her long, dark hair fell behind a lean and sharp face in a single, thick braid. The leopard skin sash running across her torso did not do much to hide the giant breasts and their large, dark nipples. The woman seemed to exude an infinite supply of pheromones, her sexual energy was unreal. Ren kept glancing at Zammar, relieved to see that Hirat's eye bashing and advances seemed to have no effect on the man.
"The lads were telling me that their force looks numberless...Either Kampalla hardly fought, or the enemy received reinforcements." Elder Chima, an old man with a long red and white beard, said in a defeated voice.
"The Und'kal are not just individually strong, but they also hold the advantage in numbers. I do not expect a miracle in Candahar, especially if the force is of the same size as that which sieged Torst." Zammar said, his beautiful voice unfitting for words of such finality.
Friday, February 14, 2014
The Saga of Zammar the Great #6: Candahar pt.3
Story Recap:
After a month of travelling through The Dragon Peak mountain range, Zammar, Ren and Tristan finally reached the city of Kampalla, only to find it razed to the ground. Emotionally charged, Tristan confronted his Und'kal friend, Aythyl. The two once again initiated the strange Und'kal ability of mind sharing, allowing Tristan to look through the eyes of several members of the alien species. In the process, he began to lose himself in their more violent conscious. Sensing this, Aythyl terminated the connection, upon which he was attacked by an enraged Tristan.
After regaining self control, Tristan joined Ren and Zammar. Zammar had summoned his beloved mount, a horse named Arion to carry them across the desert planes of The Blacklands. On its back, the trio rode fast and hard for three days until they finally reached the city of Candahar. Despite the confrontation at the city's gates, Candahar was isolated and had seperated itself from the rest of The Blacklands. Chief Abejide recognized his old accomplice, Zammar, and reluctantly allowed them through the gates. The city had already begun preparing itself for battle, awaiting the enormous Und'kal horde that marched towards them.
Meanwhile, Commander Abasi had fled the lost battle for Kampalla through a secret underground passage. He brought three companions with him - Jamil, Hadi and his old friend Imad. The three managed to scrounge camels, and made to ride across the desert, aiming to warn the Pharaoh of the impending horde of monsters. A few days into their journey however, Imad spotted a horse charging across the desert in the distance. Abasi, not a man to tolerate white scum in The Blacklands, made pursuit.
Ren woke slowly, watching the dust motes above her dance lazily in the strong noon sun that streamed in through the window. The bedding beneath her was soft, pulling her in with its seductive embrace. Here, she could lie forever. The fox kit was huddled up on her belly, its big black eyes looking back at her curiously.
"Hi Air," she whispered, stroking the soft fur. "That's a nice and strange name...Better than Brenda at least." She grinned at it, reluctantly moving to get up. Air yapped before leaping off and bounding towards the door, where he turned back to look at her expectantly. Sluggishly, Ren followed him through and out of the empty palace in to the city streets.
Candahar reminded her only slightly of when she had ventured in to the Blacker regions of Torsts under city. It felt so much more primitive, the only real similarity being the colour of the people and the way everyone seemed to stop what they were doing to look at her. In Torst, she had mostly gotten suspicious glares. They were used to seeing whiter people, but the mistrust was strong. Here, people regarded her with wary curiosity; many of them had probably never seen someone with skin as light as hers. Of Course, many also looked at her with a lot more aggression, the sparks of hatred easily showing behind eyes on otherwise composed faces.
It wasn't their fault, she knew that. That was the way they had been raised, the seeds of hatred sown strongly through generations and further fueled by a millennium of bloodshed. These people must have felt justified in their mistrust. Still, the propaganda machines of The Blacklands certainly had a lot less impact in Candahar than they would else where. In Kairo, she would already be dead.
Walking through the crowded city streets, Ren tried her best to smile at all of the strangers that stopped to look at her. It was like she carried a little bubble of silence around her. Within a few meters in every direction, there was no noise from the city folk. Silent hushing accompanied her, as they dropped whatever they were doing to turn and stare with wide eyes. And once she had passed a threshold, they began gossiping behind her back.
After a month of travelling through The Dragon Peak mountain range, Zammar, Ren and Tristan finally reached the city of Kampalla, only to find it razed to the ground. Emotionally charged, Tristan confronted his Und'kal friend, Aythyl. The two once again initiated the strange Und'kal ability of mind sharing, allowing Tristan to look through the eyes of several members of the alien species. In the process, he began to lose himself in their more violent conscious. Sensing this, Aythyl terminated the connection, upon which he was attacked by an enraged Tristan.
After regaining self control, Tristan joined Ren and Zammar. Zammar had summoned his beloved mount, a horse named Arion to carry them across the desert planes of The Blacklands. On its back, the trio rode fast and hard for three days until they finally reached the city of Candahar. Despite the confrontation at the city's gates, Candahar was isolated and had seperated itself from the rest of The Blacklands. Chief Abejide recognized his old accomplice, Zammar, and reluctantly allowed them through the gates. The city had already begun preparing itself for battle, awaiting the enormous Und'kal horde that marched towards them.
Meanwhile, Commander Abasi had fled the lost battle for Kampalla through a secret underground passage. He brought three companions with him - Jamil, Hadi and his old friend Imad. The three managed to scrounge camels, and made to ride across the desert, aiming to warn the Pharaoh of the impending horde of monsters. A few days into their journey however, Imad spotted a horse charging across the desert in the distance. Abasi, not a man to tolerate white scum in The Blacklands, made pursuit.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ren woke slowly, watching the dust motes above her dance lazily in the strong noon sun that streamed in through the window. The bedding beneath her was soft, pulling her in with its seductive embrace. Here, she could lie forever. The fox kit was huddled up on her belly, its big black eyes looking back at her curiously.
"Hi Air," she whispered, stroking the soft fur. "That's a nice and strange name...Better than Brenda at least." She grinned at it, reluctantly moving to get up. Air yapped before leaping off and bounding towards the door, where he turned back to look at her expectantly. Sluggishly, Ren followed him through and out of the empty palace in to the city streets.
Candahar reminded her only slightly of when she had ventured in to the Blacker regions of Torsts under city. It felt so much more primitive, the only real similarity being the colour of the people and the way everyone seemed to stop what they were doing to look at her. In Torst, she had mostly gotten suspicious glares. They were used to seeing whiter people, but the mistrust was strong. Here, people regarded her with wary curiosity; many of them had probably never seen someone with skin as light as hers. Of Course, many also looked at her with a lot more aggression, the sparks of hatred easily showing behind eyes on otherwise composed faces.
It wasn't their fault, she knew that. That was the way they had been raised, the seeds of hatred sown strongly through generations and further fueled by a millennium of bloodshed. These people must have felt justified in their mistrust. Still, the propaganda machines of The Blacklands certainly had a lot less impact in Candahar than they would else where. In Kairo, she would already be dead.
Walking through the crowded city streets, Ren tried her best to smile at all of the strangers that stopped to look at her. It was like she carried a little bubble of silence around her. Within a few meters in every direction, there was no noise from the city folk. Silent hushing accompanied her, as they dropped whatever they were doing to turn and stare with wide eyes. And once she had passed a threshold, they began gossiping behind her back.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Training - 3rd & 6th Feb. 2014
3rd February 2014:
Back Squats: 255x5x3
Snatch Pulls off Blocks: Did ~135x3x3 w/ rebend, worked up to 175 for a single w/ shrug then did Paused pulls (pausing at knee, above knee, hitting extension, pausing again at same locations on the way down.)
Ab Wheel 3x
6th February 2014:
Snatch Balance: Worked up to 135x3x2
Front Squat: 210x5x3
Clean-3-position-pull off blocks: 135lbs - experimented with doing clean pulls, pausing below, above knee for different periods of time. Thinking I'll program these for 5x3 with around 3secs pause.
Ab Wheel 3x
Probably the last day of training for a while simply because of midterms. I have 6 exams in 5 days, so meh.
Anyway, one recent realization in training methodology has been to improve strength in the position directly before the second pull. Or, I suppose to increase strength such that I am able to stay over the bar for the longest period of time possible without resorting to things like arm bend (which I do regularly :( )
Hence the experiments with paused pulls!
woohoo.
Exams :(
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Training - 1st Feb. 2014
Back Squat: 225x2x6, 215x3x8
Snatch Pull: 3x @ (135,140,145) w/ rebend...Upto 175 w/o
Push Press: 5x @ (135,130,125,120,115)
Ab Wheel 3x
8 rep back squats are killer. Especially because I've never done them before. Still, was happy that I managed to do them with a decent weight!
Also, was pretty surprised I could push press 135 so easily.
Midterm week coming soon. Will probably have to ease back a bit on the training.
Training - 29th & 30th Jan. 2014
29th January:
Snatch Balance: Worked up to 135x2x2
Front Squat: 205x5x3
Clean Pull: 3x3 @ 185, then 1r up to 215
30th January:
Snatch Pulls: 145x5x3, up to 175x1 (warmed up with Power Snatches up to 115)
Clean Pull Holds (holding in position above knee ~ 10 secs) for 5 sets with 135
T-Bar Rows: 65x5x15?
Glute Ham Raise : 5x5
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