Some interesting lesson videos
This instagram post is not really a lesson per se but a collection of short demos of jazz-funk piano licks that are being sold by this artist
Friday, July 25, 2025
Monday, July 21, 2025
Tendon Burn Count: Start of Week 6
I decided to change my Zercher Lunge training from focusing on tendon stress relaxation to focusing more on muscular strength.
One reason is my Tendon Burn Count sessions have been taking about an hour.
The main reason is it has taken me 4 weeks to build up to a consistent hold time of at least 30 seconds in the desired Zercher Lunge position, which is as low as I could comfortably get within my flexibility limits. Tendon stress relaxation requires a 30-second hold with at least 70% of maximum voluntary effort or 1-rep max force. My Zercher Lunge 1-rep max was 70lbs, so the minimum required force was 49lbs, which is 70% of 70lbs. I wasn't able to sustain 49lbs of force at the desired position for the full 30s at the start of Tendon Burn Count. So, I decided to drop the target load to from 49lbs to 20lbs and focus on working up to a 30s hold at the targeted position. After achieving a 30s hold, then I would increase the target load until I got to 49lbs. It took me 2 weeks to achieve the 30s hold at a target load of 20lbs. It took another 2 weeks to work up to a target load of 26lbs while still holding for 30s. I don't know how many more weeks it will take to work up to 30s at 49lbs to finally stimulate tendon stress relaxation and thus reap whatever tendon strength gains could be had from Zercher Lunge. By the time I reach that point, I'll be past the half way point of the 12 weeks I've allocated for Tendon Burn Count. Thus, I decided to do the Zercher Lunge for muscular strength instead of tendon strength.
I retested my Zercher Lunge 1-rep max, in case the training I'd done to date had resulted in any strength gain. As it turned out my 1-rep max increasedf from 70 lbs to 85.4 lbs!
I made another change, which was to lower the Overhead Press target load from 49 lbs. to 47 lbs. This was to correct a basic misreading of my 1-rep max data. The 49 lbs. was the calculated 70% 1RM for Zercher Lunge. The 70% 1RM target load for Overhead Press is actually 47lbs.
One reason is my Tendon Burn Count sessions have been taking about an hour.
The main reason is it has taken me 4 weeks to build up to a consistent hold time of at least 30 seconds in the desired Zercher Lunge position, which is as low as I could comfortably get within my flexibility limits. Tendon stress relaxation requires a 30-second hold with at least 70% of maximum voluntary effort or 1-rep max force. My Zercher Lunge 1-rep max was 70lbs, so the minimum required force was 49lbs, which is 70% of 70lbs. I wasn't able to sustain 49lbs of force at the desired position for the full 30s at the start of Tendon Burn Count. So, I decided to drop the target load to from 49lbs to 20lbs and focus on working up to a 30s hold at the targeted position. After achieving a 30s hold, then I would increase the target load until I got to 49lbs. It took me 2 weeks to achieve the 30s hold at a target load of 20lbs. It took another 2 weeks to work up to a target load of 26lbs while still holding for 30s. I don't know how many more weeks it will take to work up to 30s at 49lbs to finally stimulate tendon stress relaxation and thus reap whatever tendon strength gains could be had from Zercher Lunge. By the time I reach that point, I'll be past the half way point of the 12 weeks I've allocated for Tendon Burn Count. Thus, I decided to do the Zercher Lunge for muscular strength instead of tendon strength.
I retested my Zercher Lunge 1-rep max, in case the training I'd done to date had resulted in any strength gain. As it turned out my 1-rep max increasedf from 70 lbs to 85.4 lbs!
I made another change, which was to lower the Overhead Press target load from 49 lbs. to 47 lbs. This was to correct a basic misreading of my 1-rep max data. The 49 lbs. was the calculated 70% 1RM for Zercher Lunge. The 70% 1RM target load for Overhead Press is actually 47lbs.
Friday, July 18, 2025
Tendon Burn Count: Week 4
I'd injured the shoulder years ago when I decided to attempt a Kettlebell Arm Bar with a 24kg kettlebell. A Kettlebell Arm Bar with a 16kg kettlebell was barely safe for me. I forgot why I decided to try a 24kg Arm Bar. What I do remember is losing control of the 24kg KB, so that it fell, missed my head, and injured my shoulder. The shoulder eventually healed, but has been unstable at times. For example last year, the shoulder lost some stability after some KB Clean+Press training, and thus started to hurt. But then afterwards I did The Giant 1.1 and 1.2 and the shoulder held up fine.
Another tendon concern I had was with the elbows. In the case of my golfer's elbow, I found an IsoMax strap setting for Bicep Curl which makes me feel like the golfer's elbow tendons are being worked. They hurt a bit, although I can reduce the pain or even make it go away altogether by engaging the upper back muscles, as described in this Red Delta Project video.
I've been hoping IsoMax training under Tendon Burn Count would improve shoulder stability, more than 6x6. From what I understand, the shoulder tendons include the 4 rotator cuff tendons and the bicep tendon, which connects the bicep to the shoulder. Until this week, I was using an IsoMax strap setting that put the bar at about the 1/4 position of the Overhead Press. I figured this position would hit the shoulders more than the lowest possible position. Training at this position seemed fine, but I didn't feel any of these 5 tendons being challeneged.
So, I decided to change the IsoMax strap setting for Overhead Press. The new setting put the bar at just under the 1/2 position, which thus has the elbows at close to 90 degrees. To ensure that I would be training at 70% of my 1-rep max, I had to test my 1-rep max at this new position. This 1-rep max turned out to be about 67 lbs. I feel at least one of the 5 shoulder tendons working more than at the 1/4 position. The new position feels fine, though I have to work my lats a little harder to keep the shoulders in their sockets. My grip is wider at this position compared to 1/4, which roughtl mimics the double kettlebell press. At the bottom of the double KB press, the hands are less than shoulder width apart. As I press the KBs up, the hands are pulled apart by a combination of the KBs' centers of gravity and how the body seems to be designed to move.
Another tendon concern I had was with the elbows. In the case of my golfer's elbow, I found an IsoMax strap setting for Bicep Curl which makes me feel like the golfer's elbow tendons are being worked. They hurt a bit, although I can reduce the pain or even make it go away altogether by engaging the upper back muscles, as described in this Red Delta Project video.
I've been hoping IsoMax training under Tendon Burn Count would improve shoulder stability, more than 6x6. From what I understand, the shoulder tendons include the 4 rotator cuff tendons and the bicep tendon, which connects the bicep to the shoulder. Until this week, I was using an IsoMax strap setting that put the bar at about the 1/4 position of the Overhead Press. I figured this position would hit the shoulders more than the lowest possible position. Training at this position seemed fine, but I didn't feel any of these 5 tendons being challeneged.
So, I decided to change the IsoMax strap setting for Overhead Press. The new setting put the bar at just under the 1/2 position, which thus has the elbows at close to 90 degrees. To ensure that I would be training at 70% of my 1-rep max, I had to test my 1-rep max at this new position. This 1-rep max turned out to be about 67 lbs. I feel at least one of the 5 shoulder tendons working more than at the 1/4 position. The new position feels fine, though I have to work my lats a little harder to keep the shoulders in their sockets. My grip is wider at this position compared to 1/4, which roughtl mimics the double kettlebell press. At the bottom of the double KB press, the hands are less than shoulder width apart. As I press the KBs up, the hands are pulled apart by a combination of the KBs' centers of gravity and how the body seems to be designed to move.
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