Saturday, February 03, 2007

High Pull Workout

Great, great, workout today and some very interesting observations and semi epiphanies. As I've explored the various potential techniques for both swings and snatches I've never questioned one thing: I was doing this to seek the best form to progress my snatches.

The snatch had replaced the squat as my holy grail and I would devote myself to getting the movement as strong and powerful and technically perfect as I could. Since I have been limited to doing assymetrical work in my quest to also heal my back, knees and shoulders it seemed the logical choice of movements. Plus is was the "Tsar of Kettelbell lifts" and one I was good at and enjoyed doing.

And yet my right shoulder did not like it, at least not in volume I have been doing. And all this discussion of GS Vs Hardstyle has made me really look at how I structure my training and why.And my technique. My very stiff legged, hinge from the hip style was the best way for me to generate enough momentum to get my long arms over my head with as much force as possible.Just like in my deadlift. Ugly but effective.

But then I asked, effective for what?When I demonstrate the swing,which I do for six hours each day,lol, it is the RKC style sitback chest up, knees out, hips back and hip snap in.And this is a great form for my swing BUT NOT MY SNATCH. And I have been designing my program around the snatch. But this is robbing me of using my best leverage positions( just like in the power squat) and getting the most muscle involvement.

SO, I am officially giving the snatch a rest for awhile as the cornerstone of the program and concentrating on building up strength and power in the two hand swing, one arm high pull and the transfer swings. The swing's the thing.Plus my shoulder is feeling GREAT these days and the more I barbell press the better it is feeling.I can feel the ability to get strong again happening. It is great. I think a major part of this corrective exercise cycle which has gone for seemingly forever, is over and I will be able to do much more of what I used to,and still want to do. But I have to respect the injuries and the limits and not get greedy.

If this pressing thing works the next up is deadlifts. But one thing at a time and replacing the snatch with the barbell press is what is right for me now, I think. As always, we'll see.

Two Hand KB deadlift
36x10
44x10
53x10
63x10
72x10
88x10

KB High Pulls
36x10/10x2
44x8/8

53x8/8
x10/10
x12/12
x14/14
x16/16
x18/18
x20/20
x8/8
x10/10
x12/12
x14/14

284 reps
15,052 lbs!!


this felt great! classic upright, hip dominant form( think Tracy) with good leg involvment as well. My shoulder felt PERFECT the whole time and I was really getting my arm against my leg solidly.

Transfers
36x20
44x20
53x20

these also felt great with the classic form. Just like a classic power squat.That makes me like it even more. I have to forget about the snatch as my high volume day and when I go back to it treat it like a strength movement, done for lower reps and sets.

barbell press
25x5x2
35x5x2

tactical pullups
4 sets of 5

supersetted. MAN these felt solid. havent felt solid and square in my torso for a long time.

Kneeling pushups into full pushups

3x5/5

again, these felt solid and pain free.nice to work my triceps again!

Face pulls
4x15
these are a keeper.

Halos
12kg x 3 sets of 8/8

Band reverse curls
50 reps

What a great workout today. Very excited about this new direction in my training and at the prospect of pressing some decent weight overhead and swinging the 28 and 32 kg bells soon.

9 comments:

Tim Dymmel said...

Rif,

That is one heckuvalotta work for one day. Nice going. And that is so great that a lot of your "issues" are starting to clear up.

Did you get to see the XD? What'd you think?

Mark Reifkind said...

Tim, thanks man, and no I did not get out there. Actually I am swaying back to the Springfield 1911 45 calib.might go shooting tomorrow actually if I can swing it.

Royce said...

Rif You shoot? Nice dude. The best sidearm I have eavr shot was a freedo arms 357 mag. he loads had the same velocity and trajectory as a 357 maximum. FLAT and strong.
The 1911 is one of my favorite too.

Anonymous said...

Rif,

This occurred to me during a swim workout this a.m. and how it might pertain to the HardStyle v. GS debate. I thought of doing this on DD or IGx but figured this might be a better venue w/o the myrmidons.

I assume as a former triathlete you've done your share of swimming. Isn't it true to really build volume, you need to relax in the water? Doesn't the same hold true for KB's. I'm not saying one's better than the other but it seems to me a good foundation can be laid w/ GS style relaxing under pressure. HardStyle could be "speed" work. A rough analogy, I know. I posed a similar question w/ regards to running and GS and overtime sets on the nakf.net if you're interested. Turns out Valery does 20 min GS sets w/ the 24 sometimes.

Jim E.

Mark Reifkind said...

yes royce, I had a beretta 92sf for a while but sold it back in 1998. want to get a .45 this time out and the classic 1911 is a great piece. Pavel says the glock is the most reliable he's used but the .45 is too big for my hand.

Mark Reifkind said...

Jim,

depends on what type of volume you are trying to build and whether you are training as a sprinter or as an aerobic athlete. To me HS Kbs are a total body sprint and that's how I try to train them. Similar to how I did my box squat in wsb. I used weights that I could have easily done 6-8 reps with but only did 2 reps to maximize force,velocity and power output as well as keep fatigue at bay so as not to lose perfect form.

Plus when I am doing a hs swing I am NOT pulling with the arms and maintaining tension there;I just continue to apply force to the ground, through the legs,so that the force comes back up into the bell( through firm but not TIGHT arms) and makes the bell continue to rise.

your analogy of hs as speed work is right on. If you are doing sets longer than 1-1.5minutes you would have to relax more to maintain the 'distance' which is precisely my point. For strength, speed, power,force and velocity overload training harder is better.

If you are into gs then by all means one should train as the best gs athletes do. I would.

Mark Reifkind said...

jim, also

I thought that most enlightened athletes and trainers had accepted than LSD type aerobic training was inferior for health and fitness than high intensity interval training.

Anonymous said...

Rif,

I'm talking about laying a base before tackling the higher intensity stuff. Cate Imes also made the point that higher cadence stuff for shorter
periods (4-6 min set) is similar. Or maybe the HS of GS. ;-)

Trust me, I've done more than my share of what is in the current venacular HS since late 2001. I've also got a healthy base of LSD from the half-marathons/Oly. tri I've done the last few years. Just taking GS for a good honest spin in the next few years, at least. I'm trying to noodle out some threads that may or may not run through all of the above.

FWIW, I'm inclined to agree on LSD vs high intensity stuff. Experience and all.

Jim E.

Mark Reifkind said...

jim, I'm not dissagreeing with you about the gs training methods.if you are into competing in gs you obviously have to train first for the ten minute duration before you start worying aobut pace.

before I could run ten miles fast I had to be able to run the distance at all!

adn yes there has to be a hs within the gs! 10 k runners do their fair share of interval training on the track no? and what about swimmers? tons of shorter repeats as well as the longer stuff.

Dont' get me wrong, I TOTALLY respect gs as a sport. what they do is amazing strength endurance. but it is a sport and one of my golden rules is that you dont use sport to get in shape you get in shape to do sport.

thanks for posting dude.

Thursday ruck

 Another decently strong one. Cool weather again and that helps.. Calves were tight, the only thing slowing me down 45 lb ruck 6 laps 3 mile...