Month: July 2016

One Night in Karazhan: A Hearthstone Adventure

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

I don’t post about Hearthstone but I’m very excited for the upcoming adventure, One Night in Karazhan. I quit playing World of Warcraft (WoW) before the Burning Crusade expansion was released and didn’t pick the game back up until the later months of Wrath of the Lich King. I missed out on the Kharazan raid which I hear, was one of the best raids. Since I didn’t get to experience the raid, I hope this Hearthstone adventure is just as fun. The last adventure, League of Explorers was awesome and knowing Blizzard, this will be the same.

This adventure will add 45 new cards to Hearthstone. This adventure will contain a prologue and four wings. The first wing will be released on August 11 and the last wing will be released September 1. The prologue will be free and the four wings, as a bundle, will cost $19.99. If you want to buy individual wings you can for $6.99 or 700 gold (in game currency).

I have a bunch of gold saved up from completing quests and winning games so I’m set! I have enough gold to cover this adventure and hopefully I will have enough saved up for the last expansion that releases later this year.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

July 2016 Loot Crate Unboxing: Futuristic

Nick Palomo6 Comments

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?

The first item in the box is a cool Rick and Morty t-shirt. The shirt is a blueprint for Rick’s portal gun. I love the Rick and Morty show and I hope they make season three just as good as the last two. Wubba lubba dub dub!

 

The next big item is a mini replica of the Planet Express Ship. This figure is made by Quantum Mechanix, same company that makes the Q-Figs from past crates. The model has some areas that needs some clean up, looks like excess glue around some parts. Overall, it’s a great model.

Next figure is a Megaman variant from Kid Robot. This model is the red and white variant and is also a Loot Crate exclusive. I’m not a huge Megaman fan but I’ll put this on my shelf.

This comic by Valiant is a Loot Crate exclusive. I’m not familiar with Valiant comics but this one looks awesome. It looks like a cyberpunk series and reminds me of Shadow Run. Can’t go wrong with futuristic Samurai.
Last items in the box  are from Star Trek. The first item is a replica plaque from the U.S.S. Enterprise. You can turn anything in the Enterprise! It’s an okay item and it’s a better quality decal than the previous crates. The other Star Trek item is the monthly pin. The Vulcan salute pin like last month’s pin doesn’t have the Loot Crate branding. It’s a great pin that will go well in my pin collection. The pin also comes with a downloadable code for Star Trek Online. The Starfleet Admiral’s Commission Pack gives you some in game stuff and the value is around $50.00. I don’t play Star Trek Online so I will give this away to the first person to comment at the bottom.
The box can be turned into a landing pad for a space ship. It would be a cool way to display the Planet Express ship. Sadly my box was damaged during shipping and I won’t be using it for a display. In the monthly magazine, they included a Rick and Morty coloring page. Once Loot Crate releases the magazine on its website, you can print one too!

Final Thoughts

The Rick and Morty shirt and Planet Express ship were the best items from this month and easily worth the price of the box. I’m interested in reading the comic book and the Megaman mini will just go on my shelf. I’m not a huge Star Trek fan but the decal is cool as well as the pin. Overall, this month was better than last month but their is always room to be better.

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!

Loot Crate August 2016 Theme: Anti-Hero

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

Images taken from the Loot Crate email.

 Next month’s theme is going to be Anti-Hero. I love most of the franchises listed except for Harley Quinn. A t-shirt will be included as usual with some other cool stuff. The email mentioned a new Q-fig, a “fist full of coins” and “a new candidate for president”. Hopefully the figure is not of Harley and is one of the other characters. My pick would be Uma Thurman in the yellow track suit from Kill Bill. She looked awesome in that movie.

This month will also include a free 30 days of World of Warcraft including all the current expansions. I haven’t subscribed to WoW since the Cataclysm expansion so I might give this a shot. Hopefully my computer can handle it.

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 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): July 11 – July 17

Nick Palomo1 Comment

 

Tuesday

WOD – Every 1:30 for 15 minutes
100 m run with medicine ball (16 lb.)
10 wall balls (16 lb.)

When I read the workout I thought it was alternating movements. I thought it was a piece of cake until the coaches explained the workout. It was a lot of work and since I haven’t been doing much cardio, this workout was going to hurt. I decided to use a 16 lb. medicine ball but I should have went lighter. 14 lb. or 8 lb. would have been more manageable. The first few rounds went well. I was getting my run done under 30 seconds and I would finish the wall balls with about 40 seconds of rest. At the half way mark, my performance went downhill. I would finish the run around 40 seconds and only do about five wall balls or less. It was very tough and I wanted to finish but I didn’t have it in me.I learned a few things from this workout. The first lesson was read the workout carefully. My mindset going into it was a lot more relaxed and I should have mentally prepared for it. The second lesson was that I need to do more than just barbell club. I’ve noticed my lifts have gotten better but my endurance have gotten worse. I need to find a good balance. Lastly, I should have went with my gut and got a lighter ball. I’m not sure how much of a difference it would have made but I shouldn’t have gone that heavy if I couldn’t finish all the reps.

Shoulder Taps from High Plank – 3 Minutes

After that brutal workout, this wasn’t too bad. I was able to finish 76 reps at the end of three mintues.

Wednesday

Deadlift – 6×3 at 80% (350 lb.)

I wasn’t sure how these deadlifts were going to go. I haven’t been doing conventional deadlifts lately and all my pulls are done at lighter weights. I worked up to my 80% and managed to not break my form. I made sure my form wasn’t compromised for all sets and it felt great to deadlift relatively heavy again.

Partner WOD – 25 Minute TC
3 km Row
150 sit up with med. ball (4 lb.)
200 air squats
100 kb swings

This was fun and I partnered with my fiance. I wanted to split the row into 500 m sets but she advised against it saying 250 m would be a better distance. We used a light medicine ball (4 lb.) for the sit ups. *Spoiler Alert* we did not make it to the kb swings so the weights are not important.The row started off great. 500 m sets would have sucked and thankfully she had enough foresight to only go 250 m. I was able to catch my breath between sets and it wasn’t too bad. The sit ups were more difficult than the row. My abs started to cramp up around rep 80 or so. I would need to take a short rest before resuming. The air squats is where we stopped at the time cap. We made it through 160 air squats at time. We had to take short breaks since the rest between sets were not enough. I’m happy with our score since we pushed eachother to work hard.

Thursday

Push Press – 6×3 at 80% (165 lb.)

Heavy push press session was great. I’m still learning some techniques but it felt great. It was heavy but I managed to get through all the reps.

Back Squat – 6×3 at 80% (305 lb.)I remember when 305 lb. was around 95% of my 1RM now I’m doing them for three. The last half of the set I had some sticking points but I was able to get through them. My legs felt great.

Snatch Pull – 3×3 at 85% (135 lb.)
Ended the day with some heavy pull work. I started working without straps since I wanted to get used to holding the weight again.Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Miniature Mondays: “Meat the Butchers” My Guild Ball Team

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

Meat the Butchers

After painting Reznik2 and Durst I wanted to paint something new. I love my Protectorate models but I needed a pallet cleanser so, I  picked up a Guild Ball team, The Butchers. I was tempted to pick up the Alchemists or Engineers but the Butchers spoke to me. I wanted to play a team that was more melee focused and straight forward. Here are some pictures of my models before they get a coat of primer. Hopefully I can finish a few of them and start on more Warmachine models.

First model on deck is going to be Boar. He’s an awesome model, rules wise and his sculpt looks sweet. That huge cleaver is going to do some damage! I’m not sure what the paint scheme is going to be but I really like the Protectorate of Menoth colors. I didn’t want to stray from colors I like so I might go with that.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): July 4 – July 10

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

 

Tuesday

Overhead Squat – Find a 3 rep heavy
I haven’t done heavy overhead squats in awhile. With my grip and shoulder issues, I’ve been staying away from the movement. After doing a lot more mobility before class and at home, my grip and shoulder issues have improved. My 3RM is 195 lb. and I wanted to come close to that weight.
Started out light to warm up. Lately, behind the neck push presses were hard to do. It would put a lot of strain on my shoulders and I would barely complete the lift. It wasn’t too bad however. After a few reps, I felt normal again. I loaded up the bar to 185 lb. and completed three reps. I decided to stop since we had to get ready for the workout. We only had four minutes left in the session. Surprisingly, the weight wasn’t too bad. The first rep was easy and quick. The next two were not too bad either. I could feel my grip slipping a bit but that’s probably because I didn’t have chalk. I didn’t finish at my 3RM but I came within 95%, which I’m happy with.
Partner WOD – 12 Minute AMRAP
50 kb swings (Russian, 54 lb.)
100 double unders
50 overhead squats (95 lb.)

This was a fun partner workout. My goal for this workout was at least two rounds. My biggest issue would be the overhead squats. The work was split equally. The kb swings were not too bad. The reps were broken up into sets of 10. The double unders went well. I was able to complete 40 reps before breaking. The overhead squats were broken up into sets of 10. I had to break it up into sets of five during the last two sets.The second round did not go as well. I was gassed by this point and I wasn’t moving very well. I was able to keep up with the kb swings but I lost it at the double unders. I would do around 5-10 reps before tripping. I was exhausted and my timing was horrible. I think we could have finished more reps if I didn’t mess up this section. The overhead squats were not as bad as the double unders but we started running out of time. We finished 1 round and 192 reps at time. We were so close to two rounds!

 

Wednesday

 

Snatch – 1×2 at 60% (95 lb.), 1×2 at 70% (110 lb.), 1×2 at 80% (125 lb.) x2

My snatches are starting to feel better. I had to adjust my pulls at the lighter weight because I was catching the bar high. As the weight became heavier, it was easier. The second round felt better than the first. It was probably because I was warmed up. Most of the reps felt really great and I didn’t make huge mistakes or any misses.

Clean and Jerk Complex – Every 1:30 for 9:00 Minutes

2 clean + 1 jerk at 75% (165 lb.)This workout was rough since I tried to keep the reps under 30 seconds. This way, I would have enough time to rest. The first few rounds, the cleans were not too bad but became harder as time went on. The jerks were the easiest part and I decided to focus mostly on form. I was able to get in good reps even though I was tiring out from the cleans. I’m still having some issues with grip but hopefully the stretches alleviate the discomfort. I may want to try and lower the bar on the first clean instead of dropping it before the second clean. This way I can also work on grip strength as I lower the bar.

Clean High Pull – 4×3 at 85% (185 lb.)

Did these reps quickly without resting too long. I took about a minute between sets.

Front Squat – 5×2 at 80% (245 lb.)

This was a fight. 245 lb. felt a lo heavier than 80%. The first two sets were great. My breathing was on point and I manage to keep my elbows up and back straight. The third set on was a struggle. I couldn’t keep a full grip on the bar and it would eventually go on my finger tips. My breathing was a bit harder to control and I felt like I was collapsing in the bottom position. It wasn’t too bad but I know where my weaknesses are in the squat. Not sure how I strengthen it either, hopefully doing more squats and midline work will make it easier.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Miniature Mondays: Reznik2 and Durst

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

Finally Finished

After months of procrastination and loss of interest in painting, I finished my two Protectorate Warcasters that have been sitting on my table. I found some painting inspiration and they were completed in no time. Reznik2 was a pain but worth it. He looks great on the battle field and hopefully I build a better list for him in MK3. So far, I’m 0-2 but I know I can play him better.

I also finished Durst. I should have finished him a lot sooner but I dropped him and he came apart. I was bummed about it but I dropped him in some cleaner and assembled him. My clumsiness might have been a blessing in disguise however because I pinned him in more places. Hopefully he’s more durable. I haven’t played him in any lists yet but I’m sure I can find something great.

I’m not sure what’s next for the painting table. I have a Devout and Testament assembled but I need to prime them. I really want to put Thyra and unit of Daughters together as well. I also have some Guild Ball models to paint! So many models, so little time. Let me know what you think about the models. Leave a comment at the bottom. Thanks for reading!

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): June 27 – July 3

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

If you’re in the US, I hope you had a great 4th of July weekend.

Monday

Push Press – 6×2 at 80% (165 lb.)

The push press didn’t feel too heavy and I was able to get through it quickly. I focused on my front rack position and my dip and drive.

Snatch Complex – 2 at 70% (110 lb.), 2 at 75% (115 lb.), 2 at 80% (120 lb.)

Snatch pull + power snatchThis was a different snatch complex then the previous weeks. The snatch pull felt great while, the power snatch was a little off at the 70% and 75%. My shoulder have been sore for the past week or two and my shoulders didn’t feel as strong. Thankfully, I felt great at 80%. I may need to warm up longer in the future.

Power Clean – 5×2 at 80% (187 lb.)

Power clean was easy compared to the power snatch. Worked on my first pull since I tend to rush it.

Back Squat – 6×2 at 80% (300 lb.)

I haven’t moved 300+ lb. in a few weeks but these back squats felt great. I had a few reps where my weight shifted to my forefot and toes but I was able to correct it in later reps. I’m starting to feel more confident in heavier back squats.

Wednesday

Snatch – 2×2 at 60% (95 lb.), 2×2 at 70% (115 lb.), 2×2 at 80% (125 lb.)

I started doing Burgener warm ups before every snatch session and it helps a lot. The lifts started off a bit rocky but felt a lot better as the weights increased. The two sets at 125 lb. felt easier than the two sets at 95 lb.

Clean and Jerk Complex – Every 1:30 for 9 Minutes at 75% (165 lb.)

2 squat cleans + split jerk

This was fun but was tiring. I would finish the round under 30 seconds, just to make sure I had enough time to rest. The squat cleans felt great and I was able to get through them without much trouble. I focused on my split jerk form since a few reps didn’t feel great. I was able to complete all lifts but it could have been a lot better.

Clean High Pull – 4×3 at 85% (185 lb.)

After doing the clean and jerk complex, these were easy. My pulls feel a lot stronger now.

Friday

Front Squat – 5×2 at 80% (245 lb.)

Started the day off with front squats. I warmed up a bit but I wasn’t comfortable with the squat until the second set. I worked on my front squat issues mainly my breathing. I’m not close to being comfortable with my breathing but it’s getting better. I also worked on staying active in the bottom and keeping my chest and elbows up.

Snatch Pull – 3×3 at 85% (135 lb.)

The snatch pulls went well. I focused on not rushing my first pull and finishing in a good postion.

WOD
 
FGB style, 5 rounds
Kettlebell swings (Russian, 72 lb.)

Chin ups

At first glance, I knew this was going to be hard. I didn’t know what my goals were going to be for each movement. Kb swings were going to be tough especially at 72 lb. I had a feeling my grip would start to give out in the later rounds. The chin ups were going to be tough as well. I haven’t been doing gymnastics movements since I started doing more Oly lifts so this would be interesting. I decided to throw some numbers as goals. I wanted at least 10 kb swings and 5 chin ups.

During the first round I was able to get 15 kb swings and 5 chin ups. The kb swings were not bad but the chin ups were difficult. I was doing them strict since I’m not sure if their is a way to kip a chin up. The first round set the pace for the last four and I was determined to keep up with the number. I dropped to 19 reps during rounds two and three. I would complete 15 reps of the kb swings but I would drop to four chin ups. During round four I was only able to do 10 kb swings but I was able to complete four chin ups. I was able to complete 20 reps during the last round.

It was a great workout and I’m happy that I got to complete some gymnastics work. I have been slacking in the gymnastics department but I plan to do more work and get better. Need to find that balance between CrossFit and Oly lifting.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): June 20 – June 26

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

 

Tuesday

I didn’t have enough time to complete all the Barbell Club workouts so I did the class instead.

WOD – AMRAP 9 Minutes

 

Row 30 cals.
-then-
5 burpees
10 pull-ups
15 kettlebell swings, Russian (54 lb.)
This was a difficult workout for me and I didn’t do as well as I hoped. The row wasn’t too bad. I kept a good pace and was off in good amount of time. The burpees and kettlebell swings were not too bad as well but I struggled with the pull ups. Since starting the Barbell Club, my gymnastics movements have deteriorated. I need to incorporate more strict movements into my training maybe doing more strict pull ups and handstand push ups. Other than my pull ups feeling horrible, the workout was great. I completed three rounds.

 

Wednesday

Snatch – 2×2 at 60% (95 lb.), 2×2 at 70% (110 lb.), 2×2 at 80% (125 lb.)
Same as last Wednesday and same issues. I was able to adjust quicker this time around. Surprisingly, the set at 80% went a lot better than the 60%. It could be because of the heavier weight or I’m getting better at snatches. I hope its the latter.
Jerk – 1 Rep Heavy
After the snatches I worked on my jerk. Previously, I was able to hit 100 kg. on my jerk and today I wanted to work up to that number. Started out around 60 kg, and worked up in 10 kg sets. I started having trouble at 95 kg. I missed this weight twice and finally was able to complete it on the third try. I need to use shorter jerk blocks since I felt the weights hit the block on my second to last attempt. I lost focus once I felt the weight hit the block and tried to attempt the lift. I should have just stopped and rested. I decided to end it there since I wanted to move on to the next workout and I didn’t want to tire myself out trying to get to 100 kg. I didn’t hit my goal weight but I will try again next time.
Clean High Pull – 4×3 at 85% (185 lb.)
We have been doing a lot of snatch high pulls and not a lot of clean high pulls. I had to ask one of the coaches to help me but I eventually got it down.

Thursday

Back Squat – 3×3 at 75% (285 lb.)
Haven’t done heavy squats this week so naturally, we have two programmed. Back squat and the front squat at the end. 285 lb. is heavy but it’s only three reps which isn’t too much. I focused on form and was able to finish quickly.
Power Snatch (Low Block) – 4×3 at 80% (125 lb.)
Starting to feel better doing snatches from the blocks as my form gets better. The bar loops out a bit but I’m working on bringing in the bar closer on the pull and turnover.
Clean Complex – Every 1:30 for 9 Minutes at 75% (165 lb.)
Power Clean + Hang Clean + Front Squat + Jerk
I had fun doing this complex. It’s a lot of work but I had fun with it. Thankfully, it was every 1:30 instead of every minute. I did spot some issues on the power clean and hang clean that I need to work on. I was able to finish all the reps without going over time.
Front Squat – 3×3 at 80% (245 lb.)
Final workout of the day and it had to be front squats! After that clean and jerk complex I didn’t feel like doing more front squats. I need to put in the work if I want to get stronger. I loaded up the bar and started doing some squats. My legs were warm by this point so the warm up wasn’t too long. The weight felt a lot heavier than what I remember but I managed to get through it. Thankfully it was only three reps. I worked on my usual weaknesses. Keeping my elbows up and straightening my back.
Lift Heavy and Level Up!