Durf's Weekly Workout # 10: March 26, 2021

I got my first Covid vaccine on Saturday.  My arm hurt for like a day after, and that was it.  I feel super lucky to have had access to it, and I highly recommend everyone get it when they get the chance.  It feels like for the first time in forever, we’re closer to the end of this thing than the beginning.  There’s still work to be done, and we aren’t out of the woods yet, but for the first time in a year, I can actually picture myself in a record store or at a concert, and that ain’t nothing.  On to the music!

 

Genghis Tron - Dream Weapon

In a genre of music that is anything but shy in making a concerted effort to clearly subdivide its variations, "experimental" isn't a term that you see thrown around too liberally. Sure there's "avant-garde," but to my knowledge genre-tagging something as "experimental metal" isn't really a thing. Whenever that or related topics come up, however, Genghis Tron is always a band that immediately sticks out in my mind. Between the programmed drums, the not so subtle synthesizer melodies and backdrops, the intense screams, and the spiraling guitar riffs, the output of the band from 2005-2008 encapsulated the frenetic and unpredictable energy one would associate with the likes of the Dillinger Escape Plan and turned it completely into its own brand; a brand so unique I still feel like I haven't heard anything completely like it before or since. Coming off of that hype some 13 odd years later, Dream Weapon marks the band's return with a bit of a personnel change and refinement of their sound. It may not be the kind of refinement old-school Genghis Tron purists may want to give credence to, but it does see the band tapping deeper into certain areas of their repertoire which end up producing lush soundscapes that in many ways are just as gratifying to hear as the older material.

 

Durf's Weekly Workout # 9: March 19th 2021

Well, the streak had to end sometime.  After eight consecutive weeks, I'm sure you were all so, so sad to open your computers or phones and see that there was no Durf's Weekly Workout last week.  I feel terrible for letting you all down, but on the other hand, after getting a vasectomy because two Durflings is plenty, I really wasn't in any shape to workout anyway.  Which is fascinating to me; I've never once thought about my balls while doing a bench press or deadlifting, but it turns out that exerting yourself can put some stress on your scrotum (if you're a dude), and so after getting the ol' Satan Worsnipping Doom, you gotta lay low for a bit.  And while I could have spent my time laying around with swollen balls listening to music and then writing about it, I instead landed on a steady diet of THC/CBD gummies and alternating college basketball with episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.  I have no regrets.  But this week, I'm feeling good enough to (cautiously) resume my workouts, and get back to jamming tunes in the garage.

 

Durf's Weekly Workout # 8: March 5th, 2021

Well, it happened: the Durfling 2: Electric Boogaloo just couldn't wait any longer, so he came into the world on Monday night.  He and the Durfette are both doing great, everyone is home from the hospital adjusting to life with one another, and the OG Durfling is alternating between Tommy Boy-level excitement at having a brother, and Cain-level anger at his brother not being able to play with him yet.  It's a fun time.

As you can probably imagine, having a newborn is not exactly conducive to early morning workouts, so I was only able to hit the weights once this week.  Obviously family comes first, and I'm happy to help out and, you know, nurture my son at the expense of my workouts.  But it is an adjustment.  I've gotten so used to having my time in the mornings, to working out and listening to music, and while I know I'll get it back at some point... I'm going to miss it.  I'm 34 years old, and in those years I've learned that I'm a creature of habit, someone who likes doing the same things at the same time every day.  That's out the window for now.  Having a newborn is also not really conducive to having any sort of free time whatsoever, so I also didn't listen to five albums this week.  So I'll have to get by trying to work out when I can, and listen to new music when I can.  

Durf's Weekly Workout # 7: February 26, 2021

Well, you bastards, you got to me.  I know I said I was ok with it, but after thinking about it for a bit, I started feeling more and more guilty about not writing anything of note for last week's post.  I half-assed it, and I thought owning up to it would make me feel ok with it, but people, I am not ok with it.  And as I dwelled on it, I realized I had to somehow make it up to you.  I had to reward your tolerance with my mediocrity with something special, something above and beyond, a Durf's Weekly Workout for the ages.  And as I continued to dwell on my guilt, an idea took hold, and I realized what I had to do.  I went on a run.

You know what?  I didn't hate it.  I told the Durfette as I headed out that I was going running just to quiet the nagging voice in my head suggesting I go for a run, and I wasn't joking.  I honestly thought I would get into it, ask myself what I was thinking, grumble about how stupid running is and how dumb I am for doing it, and then head home, satisfied that I wouldn't have to hear my inner voice suggest running for another year.  Instead, I found myself actively enjoying myself, getting into a groove of pace and taking joy in just zoning out.  I would do it again, even.  Really, my only complaint is that we live in a very hilly neighborhood, and some of those hills are steep.  Those I didn't enjoy so much.  Did I walk up a few of them?  Of course I did.  But I jogged on the flat ground, and it was great.  I ran two miles, and was sweaty and breathing heavy in the cold air, and all I could think about was doing it again.  Which was completely unexpected, and not as unwelcome as I thought it would be.

This week brought four new albums, and one returning favorite.  Onward!

 

Durf's Weekly Workout # 6: February 19th, 2021

This week was one of those weeks.  You know, those weeks.  I've probably spent ten hours shoveling snow, the Durfling 2: Electric Boogaloo is due in ten days, my mother in law arrives today to help out so we've been getting the house ready... it's been crazy busy, and physically and mentally exhausting, to the point where I'm honestly shocked that I not only lifted every day this week, but also found enough words to put into time everything I listened to.  ...or something like that.  Anyway, in light of whole-assing my workouts (and life!), I'm very ok with half-assing this intro section this week.  On to the week's music! 

Durf's Weekly Workout # 5: February 12, 2021

Something that I've been asked at least once is how do I manage to work out most every day during the week.  I'm a concrete forms carpenter, and it's a job that can be more than a little physically demanding, an eight to ten hour workout in its own right.  Then there's a family, dogs, chores and work to do around the house... life really seems exhausting when you write it all down.  So what's my secret, what heretofore undiscovered methods do I utilize to keep myself motivated, energized, and ready for the day?

 

Durf's Weekly Workout # 4: February 5th, 2021

I've mentioned before that I work out in my garage, but that hasn't always been the case.  Before COVID, I went to a small, local gym about fifteen minutes from my house.  When I started working out at home in earnest and cancelled my membership, I was concerned that my workouts would suffer, and fortunately that hasn't really been the case at all.  Part of that is undoubtedly that I'm paying a far more attention to what I'm eating and drinking than I ever have before, but I think another important part is just embracing the limitations of a home workout set up and leaning into them.  Instead of focusing on what I can't do, I've been focusing on what I can, which helps me look for more unique approaches to achieve my goals.  Plus, there are other benefits to not going to a gym.

 

Durf's Weekly Workout # 3: January 29, 2021

Now that we're three weeks into this little endeavor, it's time to talk about routine.  Routine is critical to working out in a few ways, primarily because doing the same exercises weekly will help results show up more noticeably, and also because sticking to a routine makes it easier to stick to your plan and keep it up.  So yeah, routines are important.  Just as important, however, is shaking up your routine to ensure it doesn't become a rut.  I try and shift and modify my workouts every three months or so in order to keep things fresh and challenging, and whenever I'm preparing for this and trying to decide what I should do, I always have the same thought: What if I started running?

 

Durf's Weekly Workout # 2 : January 22, 2021

 Well holy cow, Durf's Weekly Workout is back for Week 2!  I'm just as surprised as you, honestly; I sort of figured I'd be excited about this for like two days and then go back to pretending I never thought it up as a way to feel less guilty about abandoning it.  But for now I'm still here, lifting and listening and passing insights on to you.  This week was a little rough; the Durfette has a head cold, so sleep was compromised and motivation waned.  I certainly don't want to complain, because I can't imagine being pregnant and dealing with all that goes on with that and then being sick on top of that, but maaaaybe the gap between being pregnant and dealing with a pregnant woman is sma... (Ed. Note: Durf is trending toward dangerous territory, so to protect him from himself I've put this Editor's Note over his probably-correct-but-incredibly-stupid-to-vocalize thoughts on being the partner of a pregnant women.  Brutalitopia values its writers' safety, because there are only three of them and they don't write that much anyway, so we have to keep them safe. *listens* Ok, I think he's finished.)..ou know?  But sleep or no sleep, I'm committed dammit; I made the lifts and listened to the tunes, so now all that's left is to recap!  Onward!