Dueling ladders workout

Last Thursday I wanted to do a different kettlebell workout and knew that upper body work was off limits due to some tough workouts done earlier in the week.  I wanted a different round repetition cadence than recent workouts; something that was creative but also predictable.      

Since I only own one 20 kilogram kettlebell, I chose alternating arm swings (switching arms with every swing rep) and single-arm squats as my two exercises with a “dueling ladders” count-down and count-up cadence as follows:

(1)   Number of rounds to complete:  20

(2)   Start a new round:  every 90 seconds

(3)   First do alternating arm swings and then do the squats

These are the round repetition counts for each exercise: 

	Swing	Swing	Squat	Squat
Round	Reps	Start side	Reps	Start side
1	2	L	10	R
2	20	R	1	L
3	4	L	9	R
4	18	R	2	L
5	6	L	8	R
6	16	R	3	L
7	8	L	7	R
8	14	R	4	L
9	10	L	6	R
10	12	R	5	L
11	12	L	5	R
12	10	R	6	L
13	14	L	4	R
14	8	R	7	L
15	16	L	3	R
16	6	R	8	L
17	18	L	2	R
18	4	R	9	L
19	20	L	1	R
20	2	R	10	L
Total	220		110

What I liked about this approach is that it gave my muscles being worked from the exercise a rest of sorts every other round while still demanding significant cardiovascular effort.

I'm sure you figured out the count-up and count-down cadence.  The count down skips a round and is replaced with a count up and vice versa for the other exercise.

The challenge of this workout is demonstrated in my heart rate stats.

It took me 28:42 to complete this workout.  My starting heart rate was 88 beats per minute (bpm) or 48 percent of my maximum heart rate (MHR).  My average HR was 160 bpm or 86 percent of my MHR and my peak HR was 180 bpm or 97 percent of my MHR.

In other words, this workout worked me hard!  And it felt like it reminding me of yesteryear days when I would go out for a hard 3 to 5 mile evening run.

This dueling ladders rep cadence works well with any two exercises of your choosing picking them wisely to work within this suggested structure.  For some, perhaps bar dips and pull-ups would work while for others it might be bodyweight squats and pushups.  The possibilities are endless.

And you could certainly modify the dueling ladders making them longer or shorter to meet your workout design needs.  For example, the long ladder might go from 10 reps down to 2 reps and the short ladder from 1 rep to 5 reps.  You can also make the intervals different than 2 reps and 1 rep respectively.  Just use your imagination.

When you’re up for something new, give this a try; I think you’ll like this dueling ladders workout.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

By Mr. Sandman

Representation of Mr. Sandman, a folklore mythical character, drawn by Vilhelm Pedersen  for a fairytale written by Hans Chistian Anderson.

Lately, Pierini Fitness has been closed on the weekend but today an exception is being made due to a recent internet news story reported on Fox News.

It seems like former Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell, the 6^th man to walk on the moon, recently revealed how he believes peace-keeping aliens visited our planet earth to prevent a nuclear war between Russia and the United States.

Apparently Mr. Mitchell has strongly believed in aliens since his moon-walking experience over 40 years ago.  He is apparently considered one of the most prominent figures among those who are part of the unidentified flying objects (UFO) believing community.

On his own website, Mr. Mitchell’s biography had this to say about him:

“As he hurtled earthward through the abyss between the two worlds, Mitchell became engulfed by a profound sensation “a sense of universal connectedness.” He intuitively sensed that his presence, that of his fellow astronauts, and that of the planet in the window were all part of a deliberate, universal process and that the glittering cosmos itself was in some way conscious. The experience was so overwhelming Mitchell knew his life would never be the same.”

Meanwhile, closer to home, Pierini Fitness believes the good dream he had last night was due to the magical sand sprinkled into his eyes before he went to bed by Mr. Sandman.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

I'll never know

August 14^th is a day to remember for several reasons about things that to this day are fun to know, important and/or memorable in our middle-aged man lives.

On this day in 1935, for example, then President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Social Security Act creating a government pension system for the retired that we all know to this day.

Ten years later in 1945, Japan accepted Allied terms of surrender in World War II.

Old-school middle-aged men football fans will appreciate this next one.  On this day in 1959, the founding and first official meeting of the American Football League (AFL) took place.  For AFL history buffs, think Boston Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Texans, Denver Broncos, Houston Oilers, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Titans, and Oakland Raiders.

Today is also the birthday of NBA basketball legend Magic Johnson who was born 56 years ago.

But what’s most important to me about this day is that 89 years ago, my deceased father was born – August 14, 1926.  He’s no longer here for me to wish him a happy birthday but I can certainly say a prayer in thanksgiving for the years I had this happy birthday singing pleasure.  I remember the last time we sung happy birthday to him on his 86^th birthday.  I have a private video of that day for my forever pleasant memories.

A good friend of mine had a father who lived to be 101 years young and in early 2014 I had an opportunity to interview this “young man” and wrote about it here at Pierini Fitness.  What a blessing my friend had to have had a father who lived that long.

So what was it like to have had a father who lived that long.  I’ll never know.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Pot calling the kettle black

Your friend but not mine, B-level entertainer-at-best and surely not a legitimate candidate for President of the United States Donald Trump continued making a fool of himself during last week’s Republican Presidential television debate.

He tried to school those listening how political correctness is responsible for the backlash he has received over making derogatory comments about women and one instance, in particular, when he called a woman a fat pig.

Donald Trump knows fat!

Is Donald Trump's vicious verbal attacks calling a woman a fat pig an example of how he doesn't like what and who he sees in others because, perhaps, it reminds him of who he is?  

Judging by the above photo, Donald Trump calling a woman a fat pig is like the pot calling the kettle black.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Punch in the nose

A recent small survey of 195 men conducted by a California professional psychology school explored the use of supplements by gym-rat men.  

I’m not talking about the good old-fashioned Centrum Silver adult multiple vitamins that you, I and other middle-aged men may take when we remember but, using a term included in the survey abstract, “legal appearance and performance-enhancing drugs” – also described by the acronym APED in the survey abstract.

"Hey gym-rat, do you want a new drug?

This chief executive blogger actually spent time reading the survey’s abstract and learned supplements were described by the evil-sounding term “legal “appearance and performance-enhancing drugs” to distinguish them from their more widely illicit and more evil-sounding counterparts commonly known to you and me by the generic term "steroids”.

You know the APED I’m talking about – innocent protein bars, creatine powder and glutamine capsules for example.

Leave it to those rascal psychologists to make something out of nothing and they did it again with this survey by suggesting that excessive consumption of legal APED supplements may represent an eating disorder threatening the health of gym-rat men.

The abstract further suggests these gym-rat men with their unique eating disorder-like behaviors can be helped by psychologists who can help them develop insight regarding their psychological factors other than body dissatisfaction that may contribute to over-reliance on supplements.  

The abstract gives an example of what these factors could be such as gender-based conflicts or core beliefs about being unworthy or fundamentally unattractive.

Don’t you dare yell out the following to someone working out hard during your next gym: 

“Hey gym-rat, yes you with the big arms doing countless barbell curls with that EZ Bar. 

Why don’t you go see your psychologist after your workout rather than slamming down a post-workout creatine supplement so you can find out if you suffer from gender-based conflicts or core beliefs about being unworthy or fundamentally unattractive.”

Doing so might get you a rightfully-deserved punch in the nose.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Next generation of Pierini Brothers

Long ago, my father and uncle both developed a joy of weightlifting in their early 20’s and were regular muscle-heads at the local YMCA.  I can only imagine what it would have been like having a brother as a gym training partner.

My father was the better of the two with the barbell squat lift while his younger and shorter brother with shorter arms pressed more among the two in the barbell bench press.  I’m sure they pushed each other to their own excellence which peaked prior to both of them becoming married men.

They were known as the Pierini Brothers at Ed Yarick’s Gym in Oakland, California, a popular go-to place for serious west coast iron heads during the 1950’s decade.

In fact, one year Ed Yarick’s Gym printed a cartoon-like Christmas greeting card that was sent to its loyal gym members and while neither my father nor my uncle made the cut as one of the several drawn characters, honorable mention of them appeared in the upper left hand corner as “Pierini Bros”.

Click photo for larger image and a better view.
Pierini Bros. honorable mention in the upper left corner.

Well my father and uncle are no longer alive here on planet earth and, since their departure, there haven’t been strength and fitness-oriented Pierini Brothers in my ancestral lineage.

Until now that is.

I’m a relatively new grandfather to two very young grandsons and thanks to these young brothers, there’s now a new generation of Pierini Brothers who may potentially represent a brotherly strength and fitness tradition started over 60 years ago. 

Who knows for sure at their early age of life what interests they’ll develop.  Whether their interests turn out to include strength and fitness like their great-grandfather and great-great uncle remains to be seen many years down the road.  So long as they develop into properly-formed men focused on living a good and honest life, I’ll be content and very happy.

But if they develop an interest in strength and fitness, that’ll be wonderful.  Then they can carry the family torch in tandem as the next generation of Pierini Brothers.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

A few words with Tommy Kono

Tommy Kono visits worldwide headquarters of Pierini Fitnesss

Last Friday, I met with my my friend Olympic weightlifting legend Tommy Kono at the worldwide headquarters of Pierini Fitness.  

Mr. Kono was in Sacramento over the weekend to attend the Tommy Kono X Weightlifting Competition named in his honor.

For those of you who are west coast weightlifting history buffs, here's a photo of Tommy Kono circa mid-1950's.  

Tommy Kono is second from the left, followed by Alyce Yarick, Ed Yarick and my father (RIP). The person to Mr. Kono's right is Dan Uhalde who, at the time, was the second best lifter in the 198-lb. weight class.  Back then, lbs. were used to express weight. Mr. Kono's best guess is that this photo was taken in 1954 or 1955.  

Click above photo for larger view

Here's another photo of Ed Yarick Gym's weightlifting team that went to San Quentin Prison sometime after the 1952 Olympics to compete against the prisoners.  This friendly competition with the prisoners took place in either 1954 or 1955.

Mr. Kono is standing far right, my Dad is standing far left (RIP) and my uncle (RIP) is kneeling in the front row second from right.  Ed Yarick is the big man standing in the center.  

Click above photo for larger view

I had an opportunity to ask Mr. Kono if he had any new words of wisdom for all the middle-aged men of the world in their gracefully aging journey. 

View the video below to learn what he shared.

View this video on YouTube

Wise counsel doesn't have to be complex or lengthy.  Sometimes less will do such as a few words with Tommy Kono.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Crossing over into ugly

This middle-aged man recently discovered an internet retirement discussion forum; a very active and loaded with sage counsel from those who are both retired and contemplating retirement.  Chances are most, but not all forum posters, are middle-aged.

The title of one topic discussion I recently viewed got my attention.  It was titled “How to Cope with Losing Your Looks?” so I decided to read a little more.

This is what the original poster had to say:

How have you coped with losing your looks (if you feel you have lost your looks)?

I had a couple of very rough years, and aged ten years in one year. When I see my photos, I think I look "ugly." 

I am not sure what to do about this, because I am not going to be getting more attractive with age.

How do you manage seeing less than flattering pictures of yourself as you age?

I just processed a bunch of pictures and actually said, "You are ugly."

I think I am seriously ugly now. I used to be attractive, so it is a little disturbing. I would be okay with just losing my looks, but crossing over into ugly is too much.

I can’t tell if this original poster was a man or woman but my guess is a woman.  I’m sure there are some middle-aged men out there harboring similar thoughts.

This discussion topic had several pages of comments – too many to read all of them – and one reply really resonated well with me; it was written by a 73-year young women who had this wise sage counsel to share:

Worried about how I look at this age (73)?  No, I am not, despite what a poster wrote that we who said no were in some kind of denial. 

As long as my eyes can see, my ears can hear, my brain works, my legs/feet can walk, my arms/hands work, and everything in between functions---- so much more important to me than cosmetic looks. 

It's a fairly new discovery for me. And I feel so good that I have finally realized what is important and what is not.

I don’t know about you but this middle-aged man, in a moment of total honesty, can profess that he isn’t the “pretty boy” he used to be so I can relate to what the original poster shared.  And in the same breath I can also relate to and appreciate the comments of the 73-year young poster.

So let’s all be inspired by her sage counsel and amazing perspective as we continue in our gracefully aging journey that, for some of us, may include what the original poster shared of “crossing over into ugly.”

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum