Month: June 2016

Wargame Wednesdays: Building A Simple House

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In order to diversify our tables during Warmachine games, I decided to build a simple house. Previously, I would make houses out of paper print outs from artists like Dave Graffam but I wanted to start building more realistic terrain pieces and decided to build a simple house. I borrowed designs I found on the internet, and built it from scratch. This is my first attempt at making a building.

The design of the house should have been done differently. The posts inhibit the roof but I compensated by adding posts to the pitch. It wasn’t ideal but I didn’t want to cut new walls again.

Used some leftover card from a soda box to make the roof.

 

I made a makeshift door and window from pieces of balsa wood and bamboo skewers.

 

I cut pieces of card from various boxes to create the shingles. The roof is topped with a single piece of card.

 

Started to base coat the windows, roof, walls, wood pieces and foundation.

Started dry brushing tiles and foundation with a light gray highlight color.

 

Added a few more touch ups and I’m done!

 


Final Project Thoughts

I underestimated this build. I have a lot more respect for good terrain builders, since it’s not easy making a well built piece. I need to do more measuring and dry fitting before I decide to glue. It would point out potential flaws in the build. At the time, I was excited to put everything together and should have took the time to plan.I should also get some more materials like thin balsa wood and plasticard. Balsa is easy to find but the plasticard has to be bought online and shipped here. I have a small tool that I can use to make rivets and I can probably learn how to make or buy molds for houses. Overall, I like building terrain. It’s a great break from miniature painting and your gaming tables look better!

Leave a comment at the bottom if you have any questions.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Barbells and Boxcars: Episode 9

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Episode 9
 
On the latest episode of Barbells and Boxcars we talk about our week in CrossFit. I have been doing more , some games we are excited for and our thoughts on the new edition of Warmachine and Hordes.

If you have any questions or comments, leave them at the bottom or you can email them to barbellsandboxcars@gmail.com

RSS Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/BarbellsAndBoxcars

Link: EPISODE 9

Loot Crate July 2016 Theme: Futuristic

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Images taken from the Loot Crate Email.

July’s theme is Futuristic. I’m only a fan of a few franchises on this list, Rick and Morty and Futurama. The other three are just okay. I played one or two of the Megaman games but I didn’t watch the cartoons or other media. I’m not a reader of Valiant comics and didn’t watch Star Trek TNG. This doesn’t mean I think those franchises are bad, I’m just not familiar with them enough to be excited. I hope the shirt is awesome and I can’t wait to see what Loot Crate puts in the box. Don’t let me down Loot Crate!

If you’re into these franchises and want to sign up use this LINK, also use the promo code SAVE3 for $3 off any subscription. I also get credit towards more Loot Crates if you use the link. If you have any questions, leave a comment at the bottom.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): June 13 – June 19

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Tuesday

WOD – AMRAP 7 Minutes
7 power snatch (75 lb.)
7 knees to elbow
I wanted to complete at least five rounds of this workout. Looking at the movements, the knees to elbows (K2E) were going to slow me down. I was comfortable with the power snatches but the K2E was going to give me a hard time. I was able to keep a good pace of a round every minute for the first three but I slowed down considerably. I couldn’t keep up with my K2E pace. I broke up my sets from 3-4 a set with about 15-20 seconds of rest in between. I had to break up the last set of power snatches into a set of five and two. I finished the workout with 5 rounds.

Wednesday

Snatch – 2×2 at 60% (95 lb.), 2×2 at 70% (110 lb.), 2×2 at 80% (125 lb.)I noticed that I need to adjust my pull for certain weights. At 70% and 80% I would pull too hard and end up catching the bar in a power snatch. I adjusted the power on the pull and was able to catch the bar in squat. Still need to work on my snatches.

Push Press –  1 Rep Heavy
I haven’t done a heavy push press since February and I was eager to complete a heavy push press. My 3RM is at 185 lb. which estimated my potential 1RM at 205-210. I started warming up to 185 and started doing singles. I had to re do a rep or two because I would slightly redip. I completed the rep at 205 lb. and could have went heavier but I decided against it because if time.
Snatch Pull – 3×3 at 85% (135 lb.)

I’m starting to like pulls and they’re starting to feel better.

Friday

1/4 Front Squat – 3×3 at 60% (205 lb.)

 

Went up 15 lb. from last time time I did this workout. It was just as difficult as last time. I had to control my breathing and keep my chest up. It was rough but I got it done.

Clean and Jerk Complex – 5×1 at 75% (170 lb.)

1 power clean + 3 jerks

The clean and jerks were not too bad. I tried to keep the rest at two minutes between reps. My jerks are improving and hopefully I get more confidant with higher weights.

Snatch Pull – 3×3 at 85% (135 lb.)

 

Same as Wednesday and just as great. All the pulls felt good, and I didn’t make too many errors. Great way to end the week.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

June 2016 Loot Crate Unboxing: Dystopia

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What is Loot Crate?

Taken from the Loot Crate site, “Each month, Loot Crate™ ships a themed mystery box of the best geek, gaming, and pop culture gear to a subscriber base of over 100,000 Looters. We emphasize phenomenal support and content, and include gear from some of the most respected entertainment and consumer product companies in the world.” Loot Crate sells for $13.95 a month plus $6.00 shipping and handling. You can save on the costs by subscribing for longer periods as well. If you like this theme check out the link at the bottom to subscribe.

What’s in the Box?

This RoboCop shirt is really cool. This Grey Matter print came out as a poster and I’m glad Loot Crate put it on a shirt. The poster depicts the original RoboCop film in all it’s 80’s glory.
This Dorbs power armor figure is cool but I wish it was an exclusive. The figure will go great next to my Vault Boy bobble head.
The Terminator 2 metal print is a new item for Loot Crate. I think this is a first time an item of this type has been included in a box. I hope I can incorporate this sign into a nerd room. If the print looks a little weird, it’s from the plastic film.
This is one of my favorite items this month and it’s also a Loot Crate exclusive. I haven’t played Bioshock Infinite but I have played a few of the older games. The key is a cool idea but it may only work for US locks since UK/Europe use a different key blank. It could be a cool key chain too.

 

Like the Rick and Morty puzzle from a previous box, I’ll probably give this to my little brother. I’m not a huge puzzle person so this is a miss for me.

 

This pin was inspired by the nukes from Fallout. I actually like this pin since it’s not Loot Crate branded. The pins come with exclusive wallpaper and ringtones from the mobile app Fallout Shelter.

This box opens up to the opening screen from Fallout 4. You can use it as a display for you Drobz figure.

Final Thoughts

The RoboCop shirt, Dorbz figure and key blank were the favorites this month. The metal print is alright and the matrix puzzle was a miss. This box was not as good as last month but it’s not bad either. I can’t wait for next month’s theme.

If you want to sign up use this LINK, also use the promo code BOX5 to save $5 off your first subscription. If that code doesn’t work you can use SAVE3 for $3 off any subscription. I also get credit towards more Loot Crates if you use the link.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Barbells and Boxcars: Episode 8

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Episode 8 
 
It’s a slow week for CrossFit news. We talk about our week in CrossFit and how we hit a few PR’s. Most of this episode is focused on the new edition of Warmachine or “Mark 3”. We had a week to look at cards, and play a few games. We ended the night with a few recommendations.

If you have any questions or comments, leave them at the bottom or you can email them to barbellsandboxcars@gmail.com

RSS Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/BarbellsAndBoxcars

Link: EPISODE 8

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): June 6 – June 12

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Monday

Strict Press: 6×6 at 70% (115 lb.)
These strict presses felt really heavy. I was actually surprised, since we have been doing a lot of strict press over the past few weeks. I was able to get through it but I wan’t happy with my sets.
Power Snatch (Low Block) – 5×3 at 70% (110 lb.)
The strict presses didn’t feel great but the the power snatches felt a lot better. I haven’t done many snatches from the blocks so this was great practice. It took me a set or two to get into a good rhythm. My lifts felt a lot better after that initial warm up.
EMOM – 10 Minutes
2 Squat Cleans + Jerk at 70% (150 lb.)

I under estimated this workout. The weight wasn’t too heavy and I thought it would be easy. After the first minute, I realized it was going to be a lot harder. Two squat cleans and a jerk add up quickly. I tried to recover but I could never fully catch my breath. I was able to finish the workout but it was tough.

Back Squat – 3×3 at 70% (265 lb.)

 

I’m not sure if I was tired from all the squat cleans but the back squats felt very heavy.

Partner WOD
 
AMRAP 20 Minutes
100 cal. row
800 m shuttle run
60 sit ups
40 power cleans (95 lb.)
20 burpee box jump oversAfter doing a lot of Oly work, I decided to do the class WOD. I still want to increase my Open standing next year and I need to do more metcons. My partner had to scale a few things because of an injury but I was able to finish everything Rx. All work was broken up evenly.

The hardest part for me was the row. We broke up the row into sets of 25 cals. which was bearable. I tried to keep a pace of one cal. per pull but I wasn’t able to keep it up for too long. The shuttle run wasn’t too bad. We did 100 m intervals which gave us enough time to catch our breath. The other movements were not too bad. I almost finished the power cleans unbroken but by grip started to give out. We finished the workout with 1 round plus 100 cal. row and 50 m run.

Thursday

Strict Press – 7×5 at 75% (125 lb.)

This workout was better than Monday. I was able to finish it quickly without much trouble. I felt a lot stronger than Monday.

Power Snatch (Low Block) – 4×3 at 75% (115 lb.)
Snatches from the blocks are starting to become one of my favorite workouts. I don’t have to worry about the first pull and focus on the second and turnover. It’s a lot easier to work on form since I have less to think about. The first few warm up reps took some adjustment but I got the hang of it. The snatches felt great, and I was able to get through them quickly.
EMOM – 9 Minutes
1 Power Clean  + 1 Hang Squat Clean + 1 Front Squat (165 lb.)
This complex was a lot harder than I realized. I was comfortable with the the power clean but the hang squat clean and the front squat were a lot to handle. The weight wasn’t too heavy but the reps add up quickly. The good thing is that it forced me to set up and try to recover as fast as I could. Thankfully, I was able to push through, and finish each rep before time.
Back Squat – 3×3 at 75% (285 lb.)

This session of back squats was better than Monday. It was heavier than Monday but I wasn’t too worried. I was still feeling the aftermath of the clean complex but I took some time to recover before warming up. My legs felt great so I gained more confidence in my lifts. I was able to get through all the sets without much of an issue. 285 lb. is not as heavy as it used to be!

 

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): May 30 – June 5

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Tuesday

Strict Press – 8×4 at 78% (130 lb.)

 

A lot of sets but I was able to finish quickly. I rested about two minutes between each set.

Snatch Complex – Every 1:30 for 9 Minutes.
 
1 Halting Snatch Deadlift + Hang Power Snatch + Squat Snatch at 70% (105 lb.)This was a fun complex. The weight wasn’t too heavy, and I worked on form.

No Feet Power Cleans – 5×3 reps at 70% (165 lb.)

I haven’t done this drill in awhile. I had to do a few reps just to make sure I wasn’t moving my feet. After getting used to it, I was able to finish the workout with out issue.

Thursday

The video at the bottom shows me performing the workouts. Let me know what you think.
Push Press + Snatch Balance  – 5×1 at 70% (110 lb.) 

I found a few issues with my form while doing this workout. I noticed my heels would come off the floor during the push press. I need to work on my hip mobility and flexibility. The first few sets of snatch balances were uncomfortable since my hips were still tight. I need to warm up better before lifting.

Deficit Power Clean – 5×2 at 80% (185 lb.)
This was a bit harder than the last time we did this movement. It might be due to fatigue but 185 lb. felt very heavy. I need to work on my upper body mobility to improve my front rack.
1 1/4 Front Squat – 3×3 at 60% (190 lb.)
This was the first time I doing this movement. I thought of it as a big bounce out of the squat. Even thought the weight wasn’t heavy, it did start to wear on me after the first set. It was a lot of time under tension.
Snatch High Pull – 3×3 at 80% (125 lb.)

Had to use straps for this workout. It was easier to focus on form since I wasn’t worried about my grip.

Friday

Strict Press – 10×3 at 80% (135 lb.)

More strict press work. I took two minutes after every set to rest. Was able to finish this workout under thirty minutes which was a good pace. The last two sets were the hardest. My form wasn’t that great but I managed to finish it.

Pause Back Squat – 5×2 at 70% (260 lb.)

3 second decent, 10 second pause

 

Like the pause front squat workout, this one sucked. However, it showed me a weaknesses in my squat. I had a difficult time breathing under the weight. I tried to keep my torso upright but I would collapse a bit after the 8th second. I was able to do both reps without rest for three sets. During the last two sets, I would rest a bit after the first rep. I was worried I would pass out and took the time to catch my breath.

Partner WOD – Partner Nate
AMRAP 20 Minutes
2 muscle up
4 handstand push ups
8 kettlebell swings, American (72 lb.) 

The did this workout a year ago and I had to scale it. Instead of muscle ups I would do four chest to bar pull ups and two ring dips. I also used a lighter kettlebell for the swings. This time, I was able to do it mostly Rx with the exception of the muscle up which I scaled to bar.

The workout went great and I didn’t have too much trouble. I didn’t miss a rep on the muscle ups which I’m stoked about. Like most workouts, fatigue was an issue. The kettlebell swings were the hardest movement. I had to reset my feet a few times because I would lose control. It wasn’t too bad, just a step or two forward every few reps. I was able to hold on, and complete the set unbroken. We were able to complete 19 rounds plus two muscle ups and two handstand push ups.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

 

Barbells and Boxcars: Episode 7

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Episode 7

After a few computer errors, episode 6 was lost to the void. Instead of recording that episode over, we decided to just move forward. We discuss regionals, our week in CrossFit and go over the spoiled cards for Warmachine/Hordes. If you have any questions or comments, leave them at the bottom or you can email them to barbellsandboxcars@gmail.com

RSS Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/BarbellsAndBoxcars

Direct Link: EPISODE 7



My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): May 23 – May 29

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Monday

Strict Press – 6×6 at 70% (115 lb.)My strict press feels stronger. All the reps are starting to add up

Power Snatch
 
EMOM for 9 minutes
1 power snatch at 80% (125 lb.)I mainly focused on foot movement and a good first and second pull. I didn’t feel great during a few reps but I corrected it.

Clean Complex – 5×1 at 80% (185 lb.)
 
3 power cleans + 2 front squats
The power cleans felt great, better than the snatches. Was able to get through these without any issues.

Wednesday

Pause Front Squat – 5×3 at 70% (220 lb.) 

3 second decent, 10 second pause at bottom

I really hate pause front squats after this session. The 10 second hold was hard to handle. I couldn’t do the reps in quick succession. I would do one rep and then rest a minute or so. I had a hard time keeping my elbows up after five seconds. I was also trying to control my breathing. It was a lot harder than I thought.

Split Jerk (Behind the Neck) – 5×3 at 75% (175 lb.)

We did this workout last week but this time we had to add 5-10 pounds. Even with the heavier weight, the jerks were not too bad and I felt my form was good.

Thursday

Strict Press – 7×5 at 75% (125 lb.)Heavier than Monday’s session. It took a bit longer to complete but I got through it.

Snatch Complex  – 5×2 at 80% (125 lb.)
Halting snatch deadlift + snatch high pull + snatch
This was a great complex but I need to work on my snatches. It would have been easier if it was power snatches but it did point out my weakness. I need to practice more squat snatches.
Yolk Carry 

AMReps in 5 Minutes at (375 lb.) 

This was the first time I used a yolk in a workout. I’ve done short yolk carries but they were done at a lighter weight. I was excited to see how far I could get in five minutes. We have a 50 m course set up in the gym but I decided to do intervals of 25 m. The first minute and a half, I was able to complete 50 m. The yolk might have been a bit tall and I should have adjusted it. The path wasn’t exactly straight all the time. Members from a class would be doing double unders near the path and I would have to shift a bit to avoid the ropes. The shifts would also cause the weight to become unwieldy. After 75 m, I could feel my legs buckling under the weight. I would be taking slightly shaky steps but I was able to make it over the 25 m interval. It was a fun workout and I hope I get to do more in the future. I was able to walk 150 m in five minutes.

 
Lift Heavy and Level Up!