You Just Never Know

You Just Never Know

I hesitate to write this but I feel a bit compelled to say something about it. Two Thursdays ago I received a text from a friend. I had not heard from him in quite some time.  When I first got in contact with him, a friend had asked me to help him out with his triceps rehab. He had just recently had tendon repair and was trying to rehab and get back to lifting as quickly as possible like we all want to. Having gone through a few rehabs personally on my own and the triceps being one of them I was glad to give him some strategies that helped me.

He listened and incorporated all of my suggestions over the next couple months. His triceps rehab went well, and he healed fast.  During these long texts, I got to know him a bit more.   Off and on I helped him with other training advice and normal dude BS’in. You get to hear about the other parts of a person’s life as well when you train them. Not too much but glimmers here and there over a year and half.

So, back to two Thursdays ago. I got a text from him basically it seemed as a check in and touch base. I hadn’t talked with him since April but during that time his Dad committed suicide and 6 months later his wife’s father passed suddenly.  He continued on in the text to say training wasn’t great, but he was grinding through it.  My response was to say I was sorry to hear about the losses but glad to hear that he was coming out of the woods a bit.  Little did I know or perceive that this would be the last text from my friend.

Yesterday I got a couple calls from the original friend. It seemed a bit frantic, so I called him back.  He asked if I had heard from our friend and I told him not since that Thursday when he texted me.  I sent him a screen shot of our brief conversation. He goes on to say no one has heard from him since that day.   A couple hours later, he sends me a link. I look at the link and know that isn’t good news, so I don’t open it till later in the day.

Well as you can guess, it was not good news, it was an article saying they had found my friend dead in the woods.  They have not said the cause yet but nothing suspicious has been found.  He committed suicide.  I showed the Wife and she asked if I was OK and told me that I couldn’t have known, since the first instinct is to blame yourself for not reading between the lines.  I know and understand this, but it still goes through my head.

The reality at least on this plane of existence is that he no longer has to suffer the pains he felt were too much to overcome in this world. I do not know his suffering as no one can know another persons pain. I would rather him still be with us but that is not possible anymore as we know it.  Where ever he is, he is enjoying the oneness with the Universe in whatever way he believed in.  Another friend I will miss.

8/8

• Activations with Boomstick and Tim-tam
• Long ab strap pulldowns and side using chest supported row 6×8 each
• Reverse Hypers 3 pre, 1 post
• Used yoke for paused GMs really, really sucked.  Yoke 5×3, Yoke plus 100lb 4×3 reps
• Sled pull throughs roughly 22 sets-ish
• Backwards duck walk sled roughly the same sets 22ish. These put my quads on swole.

8/7

• 1 full lap with prowler and 25 lbs an arm

8/6

• Lot of activations with the Tim Tam and BT work. Very much needed
• 5 full laps upper body sled with a 45.  Combos of rep and static work both forwards and backwards.

8/5

• 1 full lap plus sled with 2.5 plates. Time 25 mins. Added a walk-off/I don’t want to die lap.

8/4

• Tim Tam activations
• Ab wheel 6 sets
• Reverse hyper 4 sets pre, 2 post with 200lb more added
• Pit Shark with chains. With the hip-nasties going on, I worked on a tight heels turned in stance again. With this stance I can pause completely at bottom allowing the knee and hip to lengthen and extend. Many sets of 6 to 8. The chain setup is a new thing we are trying to simplify the process a bit more. A few more trials with this product.
• 1 full lap with 3.5 plates. Took the full 30 min on this. It was terrible, but I needed a challenge for my puny leg training.

8/3

• Activations with Tim Tam and Boomstick
• Band tri set with lightning rod attachment. seated row mid pull, straight arm pulldown and added low pull-apart facing away. 8 rounds
• Hanging abs and oblique work  4×8 each
• Speed press with bands and feet up brah 8×3
• Band push up off deadlift platform band pegs. 4×8 then 4 x failure rep.

8/2

One full lap with the prowler and 25lb a arm. Took 23mins. At the old gym on asphalt-5 to 7 mins tops and using old club foot with 25lb.  It is a bit depressing to not be able to burn it up but this is almost a new challenge for me. I don’t think the 5 to 7 mins are gonna be possible on the concrete but maybe a 10 to 15 min time maybe there. I would have to get jacked into it. As I said almost.

8/1

• Activations with Tim-Tam and Boomstick
• Abs hanging abs, 4×8, Fall outs with Suspension Straps 4×8
• Reverse Hypers 3 pre and 2 post
• Duffalo bar with lights slip knotted on Mono. GMs off straps with duck stance (I have been having left hip angrys for about 3 weeks now.  Wanted to change the impact instead of normal straight feet. Work sets 5×5,3×3, 3 singles
• Tried some lunges from the bottom position for about 3 sets of 6 a leg. This seemed really awkward so moved on
• Set up sissy squat in mono with same set up off mono straps.  This was equally terrible but hung in there for 4×8
• 2 full laps regular sled (one forwards, one backwards) One lap walk off

7/31

• 3 laps regular sled

7/30

• Activations and some BT on the pecs and arms
• Floor press with swiss bar. Work sets 5×6
• Drop sets with 5 sec hold at bottom position 4×8 or whatever I could get
• Pendlay rows with swiss bar using dumbell bumpers 6×3
• Assisted pullups with green band 6×8
• Decline high neck press with holds 5×12
• Plate triceps extensions 4×12 to 15

 

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