Training -- Sat 08/03/2014

High Bar Squat

10xBW
10x20kg
5x60kg
3x10x75kg

Incline Bench Press/Pull Ups/NLC

10x20kg/5x11.25kg/5xBW
3x10x42.5kg/5x11.25kg/5xBW

DB Shoulder Press/Upright Row

3x11x10kg/10x21kg

KB Swing/Calf Raise/Suitcase Walk

10x12kg/10x360lb/50mx12kg
8x32kg/10x360lb/50mx32kg -- Strength Sports Gym does not have the same range of kettlebells as Masterpiece Strength Academy. At Masterpiece, I could scale my way up from 8kg to 30-something. At SSG there's just 2x12kg KB's and 1x32kg. Slight problem for incremental increases. It turns out swinging half your body weight is no easy task. There was a very fine balance between setting my weight far enough back not to topple forward by the drag of the KB, without being so far back that I fall backwards. I didn't count the reps where that happened.
8x32kg/10x360lb/20mx32kg

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In other news, I helped out in a working bee this morning before training. "Just think of it as a free workout, just think of it as a free workout, just thin of it as a free workout..."

Last night I went to an event called Gospel Theatre. The things it had in common with a regular church service were: someone said stuff on stage; part of the bible got read; there was an audience; there was food and conversations afterwards; it was in a church building. What it didn't have: singing, public prayer, an assumption that the audience is made up of Christians or people who can be motivated with a little inspirational story into becoming one.

For 5 years I've been a Christian, and for 5 years I've not invited any of my non-Christian friends to any specifically Christian things, because said Christian things are good for giving Christians fellowship and discipleship, but for the non-Christian you're basically stuck on the outside looking in, or you feel like you need to act like a Christian to be welcome -- or, whatever the case, the whole thing doesn't really cater to you. Gospel Theatre was the first event I've been to that I think non-Christians would feel relatively comfortable in.

Additionally, it had a panel up the front for some interviews at the start and to help out in lengthy Q&A at the end. Questions were encouraged, and that included oppositional questions which challenged the points and ideas raised during the talk. Such questions were received humbly and given consideration, rather than being invalidated or dismissed. I wasn't timing the Q&A section, but I'd estimate it went for about 20-30min, with some serious discussion happening.

Included in the people there last night were pastors; students; a 24yo woman and 29yo man who both have the emotional stability of a freshly traumatised 14yo; at least one guy who sees Christianity as a bad thing; binge drinkers; a drug addict; weird people such as myself; and others I didn't get to know.

This was a breath of fresh air.