2017

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): May 1 – May 7

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Strength

Back Squat – 7×5 at 70% (275 lb.)

The percentage for back squats have gone up by 5%. It took a few warm up sets to get into it but I was able to finish all the sets in the amount of time given. I’m gaining more confidence in my squat now that we are going up in weight. Hopefully I’ll be able to hit a new PR in the coming weeks.

WOD

Partner Holleyman – 45 Rounds For Time, 35 Minute Time Cap

This workout was modified from the original Holleyman

5 wall balls (20 lb.)
3 handstand push ups
1 power clean (205 lb.)

The amount of rounds is daunting but once we got into the workout we didn’t stop. I had to scale the power clean to 205 lb. The Rx version had the power cleans at 225 lb. which is close to my 1RM. In order to finish under time cap each round had to be done under 45 seconds. I wasn’t sure how quickly I would finish each round so I tried to pace accordingly.This workout was actually fun. We would finish a round under 45 seconds and the break in between was enough to catch your breath. The hardest movement for me was the wall balls but towards the end of the workout, every movement was becoming more difficult. I did all the reps unbroken but I almost missed a power clean. I would love to retest this workout.

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Wargame Wednesdays: NeoCon 2017

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NeoCon 2017

NeoCon 2017 was held on April 29 and April 30 at the Onward Resort. My gaming group, Limitless Fails Gaming Group, had a small booth with a miniature display and demo table. We had miniatures from five different games displayed: Warmachine and Hordes, Flames of War, Warhammer 40,000, Infinity and Guild Ball. We had a lot of interest this time around with many people asking questions about wargaming and the hobby. We also made a short video that will be posted soon.

Feedback

We received great feedback from people at the booth and friends at the convention. A few people that stopped by said we had the best booth. After the convention was over we thought about our overall experience and what we can do better. We will be implementing some of these changes for the next convention.

A few of our changes will be to make a small 2’x2′ table for demo games like this one, display boards for armies and using tablets as video monitors. having one dedicated demo table is great but it does hold up the demo line. Each demo game takes about 30 – 45 minutes and people may not wait around. Two demo games going at once will definitely speed up that process.

Painted miniatures are great but displaying them on a black tablecloth is not the best way to present them. I’ve noticed people would look at my miniatures a lot longer, maybe because they were on a display board. Overall, I think more display boards would help our table.

We wanted to do a video presentation like the last few conventions but our space was limited. One of our members that volunteered, Van, came up with an idea for some video displays. He used his tablet to loop videos of miniature games. It was a great idea so Rodel and I used our tablets as well. Next time, I will download videos to my tablet, eliminating the need for wifi.

Check out some of the pictures below.

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Miniature Mondays: Blood of Martyrs (Finished)

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Blood of Martyrs (Finished)

I finally finished the Blood of Martyrs after weeks of sitting on the table. I also played him in a game yesterday with his warcaster Thyra. I had fun painting this model and tried some new blending techniques. I tried to do some two brush blending on the shoulders but it didn’t come out as smooth as I wanted it. It’s a great start though and my technique will get better with more practice.

This model was also a lesson in purchasing miniatures second hand. The sword was broken at the tip and I couldn’t fix it. Also, half of the left fist was cut off, presumably to fit the sword. The next time I purchase a model, I’ll be sure to look at all the pictures first. Let me know what you think in the comments below and thanks for stopping by.

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

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I had a wisdom tooth removed and was only able to get one day in this week.

Strength

Front Squat – 7×5 at 65% (90 kg.)

It wasn’t a heavy weight but it was tough. The current squat cycle has been focused on back squats and I’ve been neglecting my front squats. I felt the rust after warming up but I was able to push through and finish six sets at 90 kg. before time ended.

WOD

Partner Mule in Paris – 12 Minute Time Cap

1 squat clean thruster (60 kg.)
2 squat clean thruster (60 kg.)
3 squat clean thruster (60 kg.)
…. until time cap

This was my first time doing this workout and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Squat clean thrusters (clusters) are fun but not at 20+ reps. Thankfully, this was a partner workout and I would have some time to recover. I decided to do the reps in singles since it would be easier for me to maintain a good pace in the later rounds. Initially it wasn’t too bad, rounds two and four were done at a steady pace. Rounds six and eight had to be broken up. The front squats we did earlier in the day were hard on the legs. I pushed on and did my best to break it up the reps and keep a constant pace. We finished round nine and two reps into round 10. My legs were sore after that workout but I had the weekend to rest.

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