Author: Nick Palomo

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): October 31 – November 6

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Wednesday

Partner WOD – For Time
50 pull ups
–then–
4 rounds of:
15 overhead squats (95 lb.)
9 burpees
6 toes to bar
–then–
Run (400 m)
–then–
4 rounds of:
15 overhead squats (95 lb.)
9 burpees
6 toes to bar
–then–
50 pull ups
This was a fun partner workout. Our goal for this workout was to finish under the time cap of 25 minutes. The movements that were going to be tough were the overhead squats and the pull ups. I was not concerned with the burpees or the toes to bar since the reps were low. We decided to split the reps as evenly each round. We were able to get through the pull ups fairly quickly. I was worried about the overhead squats but after a few reps, I was able to get into a rhythm. We flew through the burpees and toes to bar. We slowed a bit during the 400 m run but it wasn’t by much.I tore my hand on the toes to bar which screwed up the rest of the workout. I stripped the weight off the barbell and I did v-ups instead of toes to bar. I was a bit bummed during that second set since I knew I had it in me to finish all the movements. It was unfortunate that my hands tore but I wasn’t going to keep on doing those movements without scaling. It’s better to scale than to exacerbate the injury. We didn’t finish our last set of pull ups which I was okay with. We pushed ourselves pretty hard and we didn’t quit. I think we could have finished if my hand didn’t tear but we’ll never know. I’m happy with our performance.

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Limitless Fails Gaming Group: Otaku Recon 2016 Recap

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Otaku Recon 2016 Recap

I had a blast at Otaku Recon 2016 but it almost didn’t happen. A few months ago I contacted the people from Kai Productions but they were not giving out spots for exhibitors. The group was disappointed but we understood. Two weeks ago the organizers offered us a spot  the main hall! I’m not sure what happened but we were willing to fill the spot. The short notice was unfortunate. I wasn’t able to make a new diorama or display board but we did the best with what we had. I think we did a lot better this year since we had a wide variety of wargames.
We decided to do a display most of our Wargames: Warmachine, Guild Ball and Infinity. Last year we did demos of Warmachine, this year we were going to focus Guild Ball and maybe Infinity. Since they were skirmish games, the demo would be easy. We set up the demo table with Guild Ball and the other table with Warmachine and Infinity. On the second day we had a small Warhammer 40k Ork display and a Dust Tactics display.
We did a few demos of Guild Ball and Infinity. The new players really liked the games and will hopefully start playing with us. Instead of video, I was able to take a time lapse with my GoPro. I will upload the video soon. Check out the Limitless Fails Gaming Group Facebook page for more info about meet ups.
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Miniature Mondays: The Final Three

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The Last Three Butchers

I’m almost done painting my last three minis from the Butchers Guild. With three down, I have three to go. I’m planning on painting these all together since most of the colors will be the same. I’m sticking with standard poses as well. My last three models are Shank, Boiler, and Brisket. These will be my last few Butchers models before I switch to painting more Protectorate minis.
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Boiler
 
Brisket

Shank
 

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): October 24 – October 30

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Monday

Snatch – 4 at 60% (45 kg), 4 at 70% (53 kg), 3×4 at 75% (57 kg)
I haven’t done much snatching since I’ve been back. It took a few warm up reps to get used to it and I started on my percentages. Overall, I felt great at these weights. I didn’t miss a rep and was able to get through this fairly quickly. It was a lot more reps than what I was used to however but I took some time in between to rest up.
4 Cleans + 1 Jerk – 1 at 60% (62 kg), 1 at 70% (72 kg), 1 at 75% (77 kg)
This was just as hard as the snatches but I was able to pick it up. I’m more comfortable with heavy cleans than snatches. I didn’t need much of a warm up and went right into my first set. This workout wasn’t as bad since I had cut out two of my last three sets. I had to leave early. Four cleans are tough especially at the higher weights.

Wednesday

Bench Press – 5×5 at a heavy set of 5
My previous weight for this workout was 185 lb. but I wasn’t sure if I would be able to complete a set. I warmed up and loaded 185 lb. on the bar. I was only able to complete three reps. This was not a big surprise since I haven’t been doing much bench presses.
WOD – For Time
Row (1000 m)
50 pistol squats
30 hang power cleans (135 lb.)
I wasn’t sure how well I was going to do in this workout. The pistol squats were going to be tough and would probably slow me down. I wasn’t too worried about the cleans or the row, I’m sure I would be able to get through them without much trouble. My pace for the row was about two minutes per 500 m. I finished the row at about 4:10. The pistol squats were tough but I broke the sets into 10 reps. I took some time in between each set so I could catch my breath but I took a lot longer than expected. The 30 hang cleans were not too bad. I broke it up into sets of 10 reps which were manageable. My goal was to finish within 15 minutes but I finished in 16:17.

Saturday

Power Snatch – 2 at 60% (45 kg), 2 at 65% (49 kg), 2×3 at 70% (53 kg)
This was easier than Monday. The heavier Monday session was just what I needed to get better at my Olympic lifts.
Power Clean + 2 Jerks –  1 at 60% (62 kg), 1 at 65% (67 kg), 1×3 at 70% (72 kg)
Started to feel the fatigue in my arms at the 70% weight but it wasn’t an issue.
Back Squat – 3 at 60% (225 lb.), 3 at 70% (275 lb.), 3×3 at 80% (305 lb.)
This was my biggest workout of the day. I haven’t squatted anything heavy in awhile. The last time I attempted a heavy back squat was back in July. I was a little nervous but I wanted to hit some numbers. My first set for the workout was okay, I wasn’t too worried about 225 lb. My second set however was a bit worrying. The three reps at 70% were a lot harder than what I remember. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the time between lifts or if my warm up was too short but I decided to move forward and go to 80%.

 

My July workout was 6×3 at 80% (305 lb.) and I felt great doing it. This gave me some confidence. I completed the first set but it was tough. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to finish the rest of the sets. I took a few minutes to get some air and rest before going on to set two. I was able to finish two reps before racking the weight. It was too much and I almost needed a spot. I decided to stop there and end the workout. After reflecting on the workout, I realized that I needed to slowly get back to squatting. I should have gone up to 75% instead but I wanted to see if I could handle my weights from only a few months ago. I’m confident that after a few more sessions in the squat rack, I’ll be back to my old self.

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Miniature Mondays: Princess (Finished)

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Princess is Finished

After what feels like forever, I finally finished the Butcher mascot Princess. In my previous post, I wanted to paint Princess with a typical bull dog coat. I ran into a bunch of snags throughout the painting process. I realized I didn’t prep the model as well as i could. I didn’t cover the seams in the legs. It’s noticeable from the pictures. I also couldn’t get the white part of the coat to a color that I liked and I couldn’t get brown part to a decent shade. Rather than strip the model I decided to salvage it. It’s not my best work but I’ll use this as a learning experience. It’s good enough for table top. Check out the pictures below.
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November 2016 Bam Box Theme: Adult Cartoons

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Image taken from the Bam Box website.

Adult Cartoons

Last month’s theme was okay. Horror films are not my thing but I did like the autograph prints. I was thinking about canceling but then they announced this month’s theme. I grew up watching most of these shows. My parents and grandparents did not want me to watch shows like the Simpsons and Bevis and Butthead. I’m an adult now and I can watch anything I want! I’m excited to see what the prints are going to be this month especially the autographed item. Lets hope it’s something good!
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The Bam! Box Unboxing: Watching

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What is the Bam Box?

The Bam Box is monthly subscription box for collectors. Each month contains nerdy and geeky items as well as autographed collectables. Bam box also has an auto upgrade and instant winner system. You could receive extra items or automatically receive an upgrade to an item in the box. Upgrade examples are variant pin, print and comic colors. This was my first box and I was excited to see what was in it.

What’s in the Box?

The first thing you see when you open the Bam Box is the monthly pin. This month had a few variations. You could have received Chucky from Child’s Play, Sam (above) from Trick r’ Treat, Billy from Saw or an all red Billy variant as a 1up. I haven’t seen Trick r’ Treat so I don’t understand the reference. Maybe I’ll watch it one day.
Next item in the box is a “Demonic Box Puzzle Cube”. It’s basically a rubix cube with symbols instead of colors. It’s an interesting piece but I would have wanted something different.
Also included is a badge from the movie Evil Dead. The main character, Ash Williams, is the head of housewares at S-mart. This is a cool item that I may use for a costume next year.
The first autographed item is an issue of Kiss signed by cover artist John Lucas. You could have received an alternate black and white cover as a 1up.
My first autographed print. This was made by John Branham and I could have received another variant of Freddy and Jason. Not bad for the first print.
The second print is from the movie, the Exorcist. It is signed by Linda Blair the actress who plays Regan in the film. The alternate print and autograph is from Scream. The picture is os Ghostface and it was signed by Skeet Ulrich. I’ve been watching the Exorcist TV show and I’m starting to love it. This is probably my favorite item in the box.

Final Thoughts

This was not the best first box for me. I subscribed because I saw a lot of things that I liked in previous boxes but I probably should have waited for next month. The Exorcist print was my favorite item followed by the Leatherface/Michael Myers print. I will probably subscribe for one more month.
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October 2016 Loot Crate Unboxing: Horror

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Images taken from the Loot Crate Email.



I finally have time to post Loot Crate unboxings! It has been about two months since my last unboxing and I’m happy to get back into it.

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?

Sadly, I’m just catching up on the Walking Dead so I don’t get this reference yet. I wish it was just the name and not the guy with the bat. I’m guessing you need that picture for context. I’ll still wear the shirt.

A Leatherface plushie! It’s the cute horror line from Kid Robot. They also made the face sucker from Aliens that was in a previous crate.

Camp Crystal Lake is from the Friday the 13th series. It is the home of Jason Vorhees. This pennant is really cool and I need to find a way to hang it in the “closet”.

Next up is a kitchen item from A Nightmare on Elm Street. This is a cool item but it is impractical. I can’t use the chopsitcks with the rubber glove attached. I will have to take it off to use it.

The last item in the box is a hardcover book by Jon Morris. We received a similar book in Heroes 2 crate from last year. This should be an interesting read.

This month’s pin is from John Carpenter’s Halloween. The extra item from the pin website is for a steam game called “Superfight”. Loot Crate included a physical deck in a crate last year. I’m sure the digital version is a full game. If you would like the code for the game, leave a comment at the bottom. I’ll give it to the first person that comments.

Final Thoughts

This month wasn’t too bad. My favorite items were the Leatherface plushie, Freddy chopsticks and the hardcover book. I’m sure I will grow to like the shirt when I get caught up with the show. I’m happy to see Loot Crate thinking outside the box on some of the items. Hopefully next month’s items will be just as good.

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.

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My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): October 17 – October 23

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Monday

Three Position Power Clean – Find a 1Rep HeavyAfter taking it easy the past few weeks, I wanted to lift some heavy weight. I wanted to get to 185 lb. at the very least. After warming up and lifting 135 lb. then 165 lb. I decided to go for it. I loaded 185 lb. on the bar and completed the lifts. My grip was starting to give out so I opted not to try for 195 lb. At least I know, I can still lift this much weight. Next time, I’ll definitely go for something heavier.

 

WOD 1 – 2xAMRAP 3 Minutes
5 power cleans (135 lb.)
30 double unders

This first workout was a fun. I wasn’t worried about the power cleans, especially after the complex. The double unders on the other hand were going to hurt. I have a tendency to mess them up when I get too tired. My goal for this workout was two rounds each.The first set was fun, I was able to complete all the reps unbroken. I did take a short rest after each movement, pacing myself for the three minutes. I was able to complete two rounds in the first set. The second set was much more difficult especially on the double unders. I kept messing up my double unders and I almost didn’t finish my second round. I still finished but I was exhausted by the end. I hope I could find the energy to complete the next workout.

 

WOD 2 – 2xAMRAP 3 Minutes
5 front squats (135 lb.)
10 handstand push ups
My goal for this workout was less ambitious. I just wanted to complete one round in three minutes. After looking at the reps, it seemed easy but I quickly found out how hard it was going to be. I still haven’t recovered from the last workout and we started this one. The front squats were fairly easy. It was the handstand push ups that did me in. I finished my first round at a minute thirty but I didn’t start on a second. I was exhausted by this point and opted to rest for the remainder of the time. I wanted to at least finish one round in the set. I struggled with the front squats, and almost dropped the bar before the last rep. I took about two minutes to complete ten handstand push ups. I almost gave up. My arms felt like jello but I pushed through the pain and finished the last rep right before the coaches called time. It was only two rounds but I felt like I did twenty.

Thursday

WOD – 3 Rounds

Row (500 m)
21 burpees
Run (400 m)

I have done this workout before but I didn’t finish. My goal for this one was to finish, hopefully before the time cap. The first round went by quickly. I kept a pace of about two minutes per 500 m and the burpees were broken up into sets of 10 and 11 reps. The run is where I ran into trouble. During the run, my right calf started to cramp. I stopped for a few seconds to stretch it but I couldn’t run as fast. I took a minute or two to stretch before I hopped on the rower for round three. Stretching did the trick and my leg felt better. The last two rounds were a struggle. I was moving very sluggishly but I was still determined to finish. I finished the workout at 23:36.

Friday

WOD – “FGB Style” 4 Rounds
Double unders
Wall balls (20 lb.)
Hand release push ups

We started the workout before going onto the barbell skill/strength. This is another workout I have done before so my goal was to beat those numbers. I needed to at least hit 70+ reps per round. I knew I would do well on the double unders but the wall balls and push ups were going to be challenging. The first time I picked up the 20 lb. ball, I knew this was going to be the hardest movement. I don’t remember 20 lb. being that heavy! Hopefully the adrenaline will kick in and it will not feel too heavy. The first round went well. I finished 70 double unders and 15 wall balls and 15 hand release push ups. I went hard on the double unders that I was out of breath doing the push ups.I tried to catch my breath but I didn’t have enough time. I just hoped I would be able to keep up for the next three rounds. The double unders did not go as well as the first round. I would mess up but I would at least get 50 reps. I would only be able to get around 10-13 reps on the wall balls and about 10-13 reps on the hand release push ups. I was able to stay above my 70+ goal for reps and I hit a new PR by 43 reps!

 

Clean Complex – Find 1 Rep Heavy

 

Clean High Pull + Power Clean + Clean


After completing the three position clean complex earlier in the week, I started to gain more confidence in my Olympic lifts. My goal for this complex was 205 lb. Working up to 205 lb. wasn’t too hard. I felt comfortable in all my lifts which elevated my confidence to go for 205 lb. The high pull felt great. It was heavy but I was able to get it to a good height. The power clean and clean felt smooth with the only struggle coming from the squat out of the clean. I felt good after finishing but I didn’t want to go heavier. I wanted to save my legs for next week.
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Miniature Mondays: Brant Benoit aka Ghool

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I haven’t finished painting Princess but I have been watching miniature videos on YouTube. One of my favorite painters to watch is Brant Benoit. He’s won multiple awards from Wyrd and Privateer press. I’ve been reading his articles on Hand Cannon Online, since I started playing Warmachine and Hordes. He also started making videos which are great for beginners. If you have questions, you can comment on his YouTube videos and he usually gets back to you quickly. He’s one of my painting role models and I hope to reach his level one day.

You can check out his YouTube page here.

Happy Halloween everyone!

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