Saturday, March 31, 2007

The swing's the thing.


Another great workout in the bank. So nice not to have my shoulder aching constantly.It's amazing to have it feel almost 100% normal again.ROM overhead is not perfect and things do tighten up but nowhere near where it's been for the last two years. Just swinging is the best thing I have done yet! Tons of work with no negative physical effect. I always thought it was but now i'm sure: the swing's the thing.


And this loading protocol is working great as well. I have been feeling really 'ready' for the days loading as it varies just enough from the last workouts but is similar enough to get some postive carryover.


Clean,Press, Windmill( left)

36x5x2

53x5x2


these feel really really good. The two pood soon.


Single leg DL ( right)

36x5x2

53x5x2


not sure I should do these before I swing, we'll see. but the move itself felt easy and good.



DARCS

36x20 x2

53x10x2


72x20x12 sets

240 reps

17,280 lbs! ( thats a solid workload. 20,00 pounds is in reach)


these went great! Most of the reps were chest high and above and the swing felt powerful and the bell light in my hand. Lots of hip drive as well. Gonna keep the reps at 20 till I get 15 sets and 300 reps, then increase the reps to 22 or 24 and rebuild the sets.


Snatch holds

36x30 sec both arms

53x30 sec

x40 sec

x 45 sec

x 60 sec


these were very strong.


Halos

26x10/10x3 sets


datsit! staying loose.


Thursday, March 29, 2007

This weeks numbers

reps 160+320+260 =740

lbs 36,780

82 % of last weeks reps

Pavel's tip of the week on swing technique.

this is a must read.

More power to your kettlebell swing!
If you ask a top kettlebell instructor like Com. Brett Jones, Senior RKC to swing a light kettlebell -say an 18-pounder -he will swing it with the same crispness and power as he would a pair of 88s. Why doesn’t the kettlebell fly away? Why doesn’t the instructor get airborne?
When a person inexperienced in fighting throws a punch, his opponent gets pushed but does not get hurt. On the other hand, a person hit by a boxer will collapse on the same spot where he has been standing. The boxer knows how to direct his energy internally instead of wasting it internally. So does an RKC.
When you swing your kettlebell, don’t aim for height. Focus on digging your feet into the ground –“rooting” –and direct your force inside the kettlebell, as if you are trying to drop it with a single punch. You will build more power and get a more intense conditioning workout.
Russian kettlebell power to you!
To learn more about Kettlebells and Pavel’s Kettlebell programs click here

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Work


Just another day at the office. The office gym, I mean. It was one of those days when I didnt want to get out of bed and it just got harder each hour.I knew I wasnt going to be bubbling over with energy by the time I got to speed swings today but oh well. still have to go to work.

ANd since all I am doing these days is swing variations there is a ALOT of work that can be done. That is one of the things I have noticed since giving up repetition snatches and focusing on just the swings; the numbers can get really high really fast. Where 2oo snatches with the 24 kg is 10,600 pounds I would be lucky to get that on a Saturday and 6500-8000 lb workloads were more the norm. ANd the snatch has much more float time as well as rest at the top.

With swings, especially done hardstyle with concious effort and intent to produce max force and speed, you can really build the tension AND the sheer numbers.10,000 pounds is a medium low day.

So today I knew I would show up and jsut put in the numbers but that's ok. It's these days that are the foundation of real training. The ones where you just 'git er dun'. You have to EARN the great days, and this , the hard slog, is the currency.

ANd, as usual it turned out better than I expected going in. REALLY love just using the three weights and I have adapted quickly. Pavel hit the nail with this one and the sharper variations in load makes for better variations. The cns adapts to it quickly, it seems.
Brett also was right to suggest making my light days the 16 kg and that is paying off way better than I thought. Getting the ego out once a day is a good idea. Course I am seeing how many reps I can push with the 16kg so just a different type of ego boost perhaps :))
I can get competitive with anything.

One Arm Swings, continuous.
36x10/10/5/5 x2

53x10/10 x 13 sets
260 reps
13,780 lbs ! not bad.

these were actually very easy considering how beat I was. Fast and snappy and the reps seemed low(!)My GPP is really up it seems.Most reps were head height with very solid comp acceleration the entire rep. I swear my upper body is growing from this.

Waiters Walks
16 kg x 100 ft per arm, 200 ft per lap
5 laps
100 feet
I was amazed that I could do these! Last time the 16 was a mess, one of the reasons I stopped doing them. I wanted to walk today but didnt feel like doing 1000 foot laps with the 16kg and this seemed like an idea.worked great although the right side was tight and tough it was way better and my elbow locked well.Really teaches an efficient gait, that's for sure! Back in the mix for these.One day double overhead walks!

Suitcase farmers walk with 16 kg
200 ft per arm, 400 ft per lap
3 laps
1200 feet

2200 feet total

the walks endurance is finally getting together.Just have to make sure to really stretch out the left hammie, extension is getting weaker again with the increased volume . Thes farmers with just one bell are interesting as well. Last time I tried them I didnt like them because I did them too heavy. The offset weight is interesting.McGill loves them too, so in they go.

Face pulls
4x15

even these feel strong.

BW 161.6
BF 9.2 %
Water 60.6 %

I think my best weight seems to be 162, best combo of lean mass, hydration and lowest bf levels.workout about 45 minutes

datsit, staying loose and trying to get warm.

Monday, March 26, 2007

The Warrior Diet rocks.

It's days like this that I really appreciate the ability to NOT eat and still be strong. After finishing work and getting out of my passive warmup bath I got a call from Tracy that she had been hit and the car was wrecked! Thank God she is ok but it took more than a few hours to unravel things, get the car to the body shop and get home.
I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday night at 7 pm and it was a perfect excuse to skip the workout and just start eating and relaxing.It was 4 pm and I usually train at 1 or so. Since it was light DARCS I figured I would just get started and see what happened.

PRs happened baby!

DARCS
16 kg x
40 reps
60
100 !!! pr
30
40
50

320 reps
11,500 lbs

was going to do 80 on the next set after the 60 but figured if I didnt go then I probably wouldnt talk myself back into it. No problem. Groove was solid and wind very good. This is an all time pr as even when Mike C was training me for my first cert 2 years ago I never made all 100 without stopping.Legs feel fine from Saturday.

Rack walks
16 kg x
600 feet per lap( 300 feet per arm)
3 laps= 1800 feet

then
400 feet per lap x 2 laps= 800 feet

total= 2200 feet. PR

this is a good endurance day.

Face pulls
4x10 heavy

BW 162
BF 8.0 back in the 8's!
water 61.6%

finally got those grains out of the system it seems. that and LOTS of psyllium :))

Sport acrobatics

Got this from Tom Furmans site. THis brings back many memories! Man could these athletes enjoy training with kbs! Of course it helps when one weighs 8 pounds to be able to throw yourself around like that but they are very very strong athletes.

Saturday, March 24, 2007

So, I'm a peddler. Very interesting article.

Found this link on the Crossfit site. Working for yourself definitely has a way of changing how one views the world, as well as how one operates in that world.


http://www.mises.org/story/2498

Strong is Good.

Ah yes! It's so good to feel strong again. Another very strong session with the two pood;just being able to play with it at all makes me happy. Throwing it around with strength and power is even better! Especially considering that yesterday I could barely walk after my left knee went out!

That's one of the problems with having stretched out ligaments from all the hyper stretching of gymnastics; things get 'pulled out' very very easily. THe admonitions to'build the muscle to stabilize the joint' only works if one builds the exact right muscles, with the correct amount of tone( tension) so that it doenst make things worse! I did that for years( try to build enough muscle to stabilize things) only to create a tension imbalance that is only now working itself out with the therapeutic kinematics of kb swings.

So I spent mucho time releasing tight hammies and vmo and calf tension yesterday that all those DARCS gave my left leg( right side feels nothing) and the knee dropped back and all the pain and tension dissapeared immediately. Have to get that thing replaced one day. But todya was great:

Clean and press/ windmill( left only)
36x5( one c/p 5 windmills)
53x5x3

these felt great! the two pood will fall soon. the press and the windmill were so easy.

One arm swings ( each arm done separately, 15 sec rest/arms)
36x8/8
53x8/8

72x8/8x10 sets
160 reps
11,500 lbs

didnt count sets; just continued til I felt a dimishment of power and then stopped. Ten by chance. The swings felt GREAT though, everything felt connected and strong.Felt light when I picked it up, always a good sign. My swing groove is very very consistent now and I need much less warmups as well. A small step down in volume from last week. Perfect.Could easily have done both arms continuous but I do like this style.I put much more into each arm. Next time I do this I will do the continuous style.

Snatch Holds
36x30 sec
53x30 sec
x45 sec
x60 sec!!
x45 sec

both arms. this was a PR for the 53 and not that easy.

Halos
36x6/6x4 sets

Great session. very happy and NOTHING hurts.Still feel loose and strong.

Last weeks Numbers:

# of lifts= 900
# lbs 44,700
Ave weight: 49.66

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

One of the best benchers ever

in my opinion. Matt is one of the best bench technicians I've ever seen. You can really see how he uses his legs to lock out even in his setup. 800 pounds by a 220 guy is unbelievable.

"Dont Think"




That's all that went through my head when it was time to train today. I've been watching the series "Escape to the Legion", the Bear Grylls show about 11 guys who undergo a facsimile of French Foreign legion training. The first thing they tell them is "don't think, just do". That theme is played out over and over as these guys are pushed to their physical and mental limits in just this play version of the real thing.

Got woken at 2 am today and never got back to sleep. After 6 straight clients facing 300 darcs was not what I even remotely wanted to be doing but hey, if it was easy, everybody'd be fit. Plus, these are the workouts that count. These really count.It's not problem to train when you feel good( well I guess it is for some but not me). It's the ones I don't want to do that pose the greatest challenge to me physically, mentally and even spiritually. These are the days that really test you.

What is that qoute " Challenges dont build character, they reveal it"? Well, I believe that. I did 200 with the two pood on saturday so I had to do at least 300 today. Didnt want the reps too high as it is "speed day" and I want everything to be crisp and hardstyle. Monday will be slog day if needed.

SO:

Darcs
16kgx12

24 kgx30 x 10 sets
300 reps
15,900 lbs

these went well with one minutes rests at the start, then 1.5 at the end. or so. I hate watching the clock; I like my workouts to take me OUT of time, not mire me in it.But sometimes you have to know if you are slacking too much.

Vest walks/16 kg
200 feet per arm 2 arms per lap
1600 feet.

these were easy but my legs were slow, lol.the vest didnt feel heavy at all finally and the 16 felt light. Left hammie a little tight so knee was tracking off, but not bad.Thinking about those poor bastards walking, running,marching and being punished for 18 hours a day made my little walk laughable. This helped.

face pulls
4x15

was going to do windmill hi low today but just no into it.Surprisingly my legs still feel great. I think I am finally adapting to all the volume and NOT changing my swing groove. This is the most consistent it's been ever. Just swinging and NOT snatching has been great for the technique, power and endurance.

BW 160.8
BF 9.6%
Water 59.6 %

don't know why my water is so low? I've been drinking almost exactly what I have been. strange.Thats why the bf is registering so high. with all the granola I should have been holding more water, not less. oh well no worries. feel strong and with good stamina.Just gotta sleep tonite.



Datsit, staying loose.

Monday, March 19, 2007

400


Swings, that is,lol. Still can't get the movie out of my mind and I have to say I did have some weird dreams last night. Now I need to read some Greek history it seems; those guys were studs and Sparta was real.THis is the stuff that keeps me going back to the gym, the CONCEPT of strength, the concept of heroism and concept of conquering the weakness in yourself so you can help protect others,most notably your family.

Everytime you make the right choice you get stronger and everytime you give in you diminish. What's the right choice? The one you know you should make but don't want to.You don't have to want to you just have to.At least that's what I believe real men do.
I'm not sure who said it but it is said that Bravery is doing what is needed and being the only one who knows you are scared. I like that.
Leonidis also lead from the front. THAT'S a leader. He showed his men how to do it, he set the example and inspired them to be better; to be as good as he. That concept is inspiring to me.

ANd I did NOT want to do this workout this afternoon,LOL( now THATS a seque). Light day with the 16 kg for one arm swings. I knew I had to challenge myself to do some damn reps because it is, after all , a freaking 16 kg and I didnt want my wife to smoke me too badly when she reads this and repeats the workout, but does it twice through in half the time,lol!

20 reps per arm popped into my head and sure enough I didnt want to do it. The perfect number then,lol!Gotta get into these reps slowly.

One arm swing
16 kg x 20/20x10 sets
400 reps
14,400 lbs.

started out with one minute rests( sets took one minute) and then went to 75 sec or so midway and got back to one minute rests the last 4 sets. I also ran negative split races and workouts in both running and cycling. takes forever to warmup.

Rack walks
20kg x 200 feet per arm 400 feet per lap
1600 feet.

these went well after yesterdays longer walk recovery was ok. happy with this. was slow though,lol. legs were tired.

Snatch holds
16kg x
30 sec,45 sec,60 sec x2

these were suprisingly tough. tired. 24 kg was easier saturday.


BW 161.8
BF 9.6% !!!!
Water 60.4%

The great grain experiment is over and conclusive. I have been eating thise GREAT granola with flax seed and pumkin seed and oats and oat flour for the last week and not eating ice cream and sure enough the bf keeps rising. And my calories count is DOWN! Back to haagen daz and no grains.

datsit.staying loose.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

300!


I just got back from seeing this epic film and am so pumped I want to train right now! Amazing film, I loved it. Like a triple cross between Braveheart, Gladiator and Sin City, lol! It has ana amzing look to it and Zack Synder did an incredible job of translating Frank Miller's graphic novel to the big screen. I will buy this and watch it many times; great pre workout movie.

"Legs that never quit"

Stopped being a lazy slug today and went out for my long(er) walk after skipping the last two weeks. With the cert fast approaching and my walk to the cert site coming up quickly I have to get some more miles in the legs.

Very happy with my 30 minutes of walking today and my mantra during the walk was the post title. One of the things that struck me most when I first read Pavels RKC book was the sentence about how a soldier needed a "back of iron and legs that never quit". That's exactly what I needed then and what I still need.

Was very happy how quickly my legs found their stride and stayed loose the entire time. This is such a victory as I remember just how bad my walking was just a short time ago when literally two blocks would lock up my knee and cause considerable pain. My rack walks , as have all the kb ballistic work, have been paying off.

Tomorrow is one arm swings with the 16 kg bell and LOTS of reps.I like this concept of Heavy day, endurance day and speed day with my swings.Same with the walks; rack walks with the 16 or 20 kg for speed work, vest walks for strength and long walks for endurance. THe pieces are finally fitting in the puzzle.

Going to see "300" today and can't wait.

datsit, gotta stretch.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

2 pood swings.

Warmup:
around body passes
around knee passes
figure eights

3 rounds with 8 kg.
TGU
1x3 left only with 8 kg
1x3left only with 12 kg
1x3 left only with 16 kg

havent done THESE in awhile! I will do these at Girya where I have enough space before I come up on workout days.

Clean and press into Windmill( left )
16 kgx 5( one c/p then five windmills)
20 kgx5

Single leg dl ( right leg only,weight in right hand)
12kgx5
16kg x5
liked these. don't think I am going to do pistols though. My hyperactive right psoas probably won't like that and wheregoes my psoas goes my back.

dead cleans and snatches:played around with these on right hand.so so but
I am rethinking the dead hang cleans.They might help me solidify the upper right side tightness I need for that shoulder.Then just hold the rack position for a count.

DARCS
16kg x10
20 kgx10
24 kgx20

32 kg x20 x1o sets.
200 reps
14,400 lbs!
wow, that adds up fast.

Snatch Holds
20 kgx45 sec
24 kg x 45 sec for 3 sets.

both hands. these are great. Plus I get to snatch it!

Halos
12 kgx8/8x 4 sets

Weeks total
Total lifts 664
Total Lbs 32,632
Ave lbs/lift 49( lbs/lifts)

Not a bad weeks. Up a couple thousand pounds from last week, which included the 20 kg snatch workout( low #).Definitely felt great NOT to worry about hurting my shoulder and just work hard. This definitely has a future and being able to do some of my favorite RKC lifts was great as well. My left side is strong and it will be fun to press and windmill the two pood again, safely.
Might do some low volume snatching as well. The thing I have to remember is that with the kettlebell everything gets worked all the time; just in greater or less amounts but the whole body is working!

Hope this works out.

datsit, gotta stretch.
these went VERY well.The most reps I have done with this weight in eons. form felt great with NO shoulder or back complaints.

KB Corrective exercise.

Tim Dymmel in the high/low windmill.


Since my shoulder went 'back into place' a few days ago and I can get the squat bar into the right position and it seems, that I can do the bench pattern without pain of course I started thinking about training, and then of course, competing, in powerlifting again.

I'm a greedy, greedy, greedy trainer. ten seconds out of serious pain and I am back to thinking about how I can hurt myself again,lol.

It's SO hard for me to train without pushing for some goal and I miss powerlifting and being a powerlifter greatly. BUT I came to my senses and have focused HARD on the pain and lack of function these last years have been about.


I also miss doing lots of kb drills that I have dropped because of the limitations of my right shoulder and back. TGU's ,windmills, presses and now even snatches have been X'd out because my right shoulder won't cooperate and I didnt want to created an even bigger imbalance.


BUT I had a semi revelation this morning shaving my head,lol. What if I did the left side exericses that I can do and sub out different but balancing moves for my right? For instance for my left side:


TGU

Windmill
Press / side press


for my right:

pistol

single leg deadlift

Snatch holds( perhaps dead snatch?)


The TGU will work my left leg and the pistol my right. The sldl will work my right hammie and erector and the snatch( at the very least snatch holds) will counter balance all the overhead work on my left side.
Possible moves that will work both sides but still in a balancing vein are:
high/low windmill( bell overhead in left arm)
See saw press( this has always been my easiest press on my right shoulder)


this could be the 'practice' work before the brunt of the workout which will still be the swings.Will try this out the AM and report back.

Where have all the bloggers gone?

Man, I hope people are better about their training than they are about posting about it.So many blog teases out there, lol! I may be a bit obsessive about my blogging but I have to say I am a bit dissapointed when I consistently go to peoples blogs hoping for updates, insights and bits of wisdom and find nothing!
I have always viewed my blog as my online training log,which I have kept in paper form for most of my training years. The discipline of putting pen to paper and the sets and reps of the day down was always crucial in my post workout analysis of my training and whether or not I was on track for my goals and deadlines. Seeing what you did or did not do in your workout always has had a sobering effect on me.
It was also my place to play out my training ideas and concepts and "try them on for size".
Now that I am not competing anymore it is even more important that I keep track of what I am doing so that I do not backslide into mediocrity any faster than is necessary! As anyone who knows me or has read my articles or posts knows that consistency of effort has always been the most important training concept to me. I have beat most of my competitors just by wearing them down and outlasting them in the gym as much as any other technique.
Even the wrong thing done over time will yield better results than the"right" thing done for a short while and then neglected. Exercises X Sets X Reps X TIME is the real formula to me.

C'mon bloggers, sack up and write your stuff down! Doesnt have to be long or involved but it's really hard to discern patterns if you don't consistently write down what you're doing!
Or, maybe the pattern is already right there?

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Ron 'Lionheart' Palmer

And they say there are no deep squats in the WPO!At least the first one. But this is textbook power squatting.The first squat is 705 and the second is 804!He weighed in at 179.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Single side swings and a shoulder milestone.




Very interesting day. Had an hour and half break and I spent it doing lots of Rifga poses as well as working on my right shoulder ROM with windmill stretches,arm bars and stick work. The real reason I quit powerlifting entirely 2 years ago was that I could no longer get a squat bar to sit on my back; my tweaked right shoulder would not allow it. That was the final straw. I havent even tried in all that time as I new my kinematics still weren't there.I couldnt figure out the 'fix' but I havent given up,either.

Today I got the bar( stick) to sit on my back correctly with both shoulders symmetrical under it and it felt amazing! As with the upwards shrug movement from Bill Hartmans article I also had to shrug up to stabilize the shoulder.Just like in the stick press I could really feel my serratus engage and the scapula worked and felt better almost immediately!

I held the bar on my back for 1.5-2 min at a time, just letting the tight muscles unwind( TONS of tension in the radialbrachialis(sp) and forearms, suprisingly.Releasing that made it much easier to hold the bar.Very exciting stuff

One sided swings
36x10/10x2

53x10 r
53x10 l 30 sec rest/arms
200 reps
10,600 lbs

did this for 10 sets with pretty strict 30 sec rest. this was GREAT! Took an idea from Kenneth Jays' SSST post about doing each arm separately. really focused on speed and power and short break was all I needed.Fun too.

Box squats with bar
( just had to play around with this, of course!) 10 min

Bench press
I also had to see whether I could touch the bar to my chest without pain( which I havent been able to do in a long time) and I could!Havent been in the this groove in eons

rolling db tri extenison- 50 reps with 15 lbs; ah this brought back memories.

Snatch Holds
16 kgx 1 min each arm 5 sets
these were decent.

Rack walks with 24 kg
100 feet per arm
1000 feet total

man this was tough! that 24 is a lot different than the 16, lol!

bw 161.4
bf 9.2%
water 60.5%

this is the first time in the 9's in some time.didnt eat enough yesterday.

datsit! gotta stretch.

Monday, March 12, 2007

Swinging and Walking

Good session today;even got to train with my 17 year old son Gabriel, who is using Enter the Kettlebell program for his senior project! I have been trying to get him to train for years so this is great stuff for me. He has the legs I always wanted and could get very strong if he focused.

But I had some revelations about the distillation I wrote about this weekend. It is refining even further into more condensed 'spirit',lol.I tried to do the rack holds but realized they would compromise my rack walks at the end and the walking was more important and still worked the same static rack hold position.
Putting the walk further up the program really showed me I should give this exercise it's due as it's such an important thing for me to improve.It has helped my everyday walking immensely.

I also realized how to organize it so I don't keep the volume and intensity too close over the three days, as Brett and Tom suggested. I will only use the 16, 24 and 32 kg bells. Let the sharp jumps in weight dictate the loads for the day. I will wave the loads according to energy that session.If I feel good I will push it, if not a lower volume. Saturdays will be strength(heavy 32 kg) days, Mondays endurance( light 16 kg) and Wednesdays speed(medium 24 kg).

So after each heavy day there is a light day. then a speed and force day to set me back up for saturdays 'strength' workout.

I will alternate between one arm swings and darcs so not only the weights will vary but the movements as well,over a two week cycle.

So:
Sat sat
one arm swing 32 darc 32
snatch holds 24 snatch hold 24
halos 16 halos 16

mon mon
darc 16 one arm swing 16
vest walk 16 rack walk 16
face pulls/stick press face pulls/stick press

wed wed
one arm swing 24 kg darc 24 kg
snatch hold 16 snatch hold 16
rack walk 24 vest walk 16


this looks much cleaner now.Can't get more minimal than that, lol.

Todays workout
Darcs
20 kg( thought of the above plan AFTER the workout,lol)
x20
25
30
35
40
50
20
25
30
45

320 reps/14080 lbs.

Cant add when I train, was going for 300 reps for the movie '300',lol.Better over than under.havent done reps in awhile. it was sweet. good pain.reminded me of training with mike c and doing 100 rep sets with the 16 kg and dying from it, :))

rack holds
2 16 kg x 1.5 min x 2

Vest walk with 16 kg
2000 feet
200 foot per arm 400 per lap.

this felt easy. the 24 will not be though, lol


face pulls
4x15

bw 161.4
bf 8.8%
water 60.5%

datsit, gotta stretch.

Heavy Metal

Nothing goes with heavy weights than heavy musics. If this compilation doesnt make you want to train hard you are dead.


Mike C is at it again- 135# one arm clean,press and BB Windmill for reps!

Mike is down in Venice training with Robert McKee and doing all kinds of hard training againg. Check this out:

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Benching and the Five attempt meet.



The bench press was always my best lift,although I cared about it the least. All I wanted was a big squat, followed by a big deadlift, followed by a big total. I had to bench so I could total but I never enjoyed training it and totally took it for granted.


I have always focused on training my weak points as that is the key to improvement and my bench always held it's own. Now that I can't do it anymore I have a lot more appreciation for how strong I was in it. Pavels article in his new newsletter brought home even more how decent I was in the lift as I was using the "russian push press" technique without knowing it! Purely as a matter of survival as I couldnt bench any other way without it killing my shoulders.


I didnt use the 'collasped chest" lockout technique but still drove through my legs to finish the lift.To me the bench was: Legs, Lats and Triceps.


These are some pictures from my last good bench meet in 2003, a WABDL meet in Sacromento.My training had been going great and I had even locked out a big 490 in the gym weighing just 185!

This is what happened at this meet. I opened at 397 and crushed it. Then I went to a 429 to set myself up for a third attempt PR of 440. Made that and then called for 200 kg! I was surprised when it felt light in my hands and even more surprised when it stalled at the 3/4's mark. I was thinking of 451 for a 4th attempt and new state record.


THEN it was discovered that it was NOT 440 on the bar but 462! I had almost made it and ground on it for a long, long time! They asked if I wanted 200 kgs again and I did. This time I was just out of position and missed. I took off my bench shirt and figured I was done. THEN I realized I could take the weight again as it was a state record and forth attempts were allowed for records.


I quickly put back on the shirt and gave it a go but it was just too much. I know FOR SURE had I not been misloaded the 200 kg would have gone. Oh well, it was great fun and I got to take 5 attempts in a bench meet,lol!

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Snatch

Good solid workout today.

One arm swings:
26x10/10
36x8/8
44x5/5
53x5/5
63x5/5
72x5/5 ! this felt great! very fluid and strong.

snatch
36x5/5
44x6/6

53x6/6x12 sets 144 reps/7632

Snatch holds
44x30 sec
53x30 sec x4 sets

this went great! Overhead lockout getting much more stable.

Halos/face pulls/ stick presses
four circuits

also great, should feel solid!

A distillation.

Snatch workout went well today which makes what I am thinking even more strange but I think it is going in the right direction. Adding another day of swings into the mix has made me stronger than I expected to be. I thought it would wear me down more and it seems to be building me up. Even today, after Wednesdays light but fast session that made me so sore the warmup one arm swings were strong and the groove very easy and natural.

Yet during most of my snatch workout I am more worried about tweaking my shoulder than I am applying max force and pushing as hard as I can that day. I am not feeling that way about swings though and that's when I had the thought:

Since I am more concerned about work capacity, strength and total volume than I am about building my snatch for ssst or gs why dont I concentrate on the swings and let the snatch go. I know I tried this before but I think I might be ready for it this time.

Especially since it seems the overhead snatch holds are doing me more good than just the snatch itself.

I could alternate one arm swings and darcs and wave the loads : heavy, light, medium,heavy,light,etc.

So, a two week cycle:

Sat
one arm swings/heavy/24,28, 32 kg
Snatch holds /heavy
Halo


Mon
darcs /light 20-24 kg
Rack holds /medium
Vest walks /heavy

Wed
one arm swings /med 20/24 kg
Handstand
rack walks /med

Sat
darcs /heavy 24,28,32 kg
snatch holds /Light
Halo

Mon
one arm swings/ light 20,24 kg
rack holds /heavy
vest walks
/light

Wed
darcs/medium 24,28 kg
handstands
rack walks
/heavy

starts over with one arm swings/heavy. Workloads(volume) would be consistent with the weight used and waved as well.Light(er) weights would focus on CAT and speed or higher reps for endurance

The handstands will suffice instead of a two kb overhead hold.



have to give this more thought, it looks interesting.the fear of giving up the snatch, my last 'real' athletic ability is the only real reason NOT to make the swings the focus of my training. And by doing so, I will actually be able to train heavier as well as safer at the same time. Not to mention do more volume. The question is, can I do it? :))

Friday, March 09, 2007

The week's lifts.

I've been meaning to calculate the weeks tonnage and number of lifts for awhile but just havent gotten around to it.Need to start keeping track of this as well:

Total lbs lifted: 30,446
Total # of lift: 582

Despite using the lighter bell on wednesday I am amazed how sore my legs and hips are from the work. A good sore but sore.The lighter bell, moved as fast as possible really put some serious force into my legs! Also, doing ballistics three days a week is also a big increase in total volume.

Getting sore and reading Brett's blog on how sore he is from squatting reminded me of just how many years I have been 'sore'. Pretty much all of bodybuilding and powerlifting, which makes 23 years of being sore almost every day! LOL! I am nuts, it seems.

Problem was, I got so used to being sore from the training that I didnt notice when the soreness was no longer as much from my training as it was from the crashing of my orthopedic structure. Now I am trying NOT to get sore, or get too much tension into the muscle as it really hampens my mobility,which is much more important now that my strength. I have strength to spare;I don't have an ounce of mobility to spare.

But if one is dedicated to a specific goal then being sore, and learning how to mitigate that soreness and enhance their recovery is a must. One can only get as strong as the training loads they can tolerate and recover from. If you can't recover from the load then even if you can complete the workout it does you no good, and can even send you backwards.

So recovery is a must and comes first. This is why if you have a big workout the next day and you are sore and tight getting off one's feet, eating well and preparing for the next days session is so important. If you stand on your feel all night at a bar and barely get any sleep don't count on fresh legs for the workout nor any PR's. Not on a regular basis that is. The price of progress must be paid and if it is not it is painfully obvious.

So I have a hot bath, lots of time on the floor and a dvd to watch before tomorrow am's snatch workout.

Alwyn Cosgrove on the Force/Velocity curve

A great article from Pavel's newletter from Alwyn Cosgrove on the importance of balancing mass and acceleration in one's strength training.


http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/417/?c=pbp-130

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Speed swings.


Today was one of those very challenging days. Woke up blah and it just kept up all day. I think part of it was being flat from actually using my CNS a bit on Monday with the 72 lber,lol. Not used to that.Nothing hurt though and that is very good. Shoulder still in place;it certainly gets tight but opens right up with a bit of bodywork and stretching.

Took awhile to warm up but after that it was solid.The 20 kg is perfect for this day. Saturday is moderately heavy and technical. Monday is simple and heavy and Wednesday is assist work and speed with lighter bells.

One arm swings
16kgx5/5/5/5 x2

20kgx10/10x13 sets
260 reps
11,440 lbs

this went very very well. Light enough to concetrate on form and speed. I can pull the bell down right from the start and accentuate the stretch reflex with this bell.After reading the study on HIIT I have lost all interest in doing high rep sets;instead moderate to low reps with shorter rests and higher force. THis is what I have been doing but now I feel vindicated ,lol :))
I can also tell the time spent of the one arm swing force is paying off big time for my snatch as that is how I am snatching now.Just like swinging around the high bar.Straight arm swing snatch.

Snatch holds
16kgx45 sec x4 sets each arm

Rack Walks, 16 kg
400 ft per arm per set
1600 total feet.

this was TOUGH, arm was buring at the end.longest single walks I've done.knee was good. gait solid.My rest periods get progressively shorter the longer I train. Weird but it's always been this way. Takes me forever to warm up.

BW 162
BF 8.6% ( fatty!)
water 61% ( man I drank TONS today, too.)

datsit , gotta stretch.

An interesting post on aging from Health Bolt

This is very funny and oh so true.



Aging is a funny thing to humans. The fact that our views on aging change throughout our lives is not what makes it unique. (Our views on almost everything we think about will change throughout our lives as we continue to gain more and more perspective and experience to draw on.)
It’s the inescapable nature of the subject that makes it worth looking at and finding humor in. Whether you’re the president of the United States or flipping burgers at White Castle, you have an age, and that number means something to you and the people around you.
Aging is an experience we all share, and that alone makes it noteworthy…

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we’re kids? If you’re less than 10 years old, you’re so excited about aging that you think in fractions.
“How old are you?” “I’m four and a half!” You’re never thirty-six and a half. You’re four and a half, going on five! That’s the key.

You get into your teens, now they can’t hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. “How old are you?” “I’m gonna be 16!” You could be 13, but hey, you’re gonna be 16!
And then the greatest day of your life . . . you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . . . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk. He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There’s no fun now, you’re just a sour-dumpling. What’s wrong? What’s changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you’re PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it’s all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 . . .. and your dreams are gone.
But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn’t think you would! So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You’ve built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it’s a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday! You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn’t end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; “I Was JUST 92.”

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. “I’m 100 and a half!”
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

A great post on HIIT and Fat loss by Cosgrove.

Some great data about the effectiveness of High Intensity interval training and fat loss.And some VERY interesting info about steady state training and fact loss, or the lack of it.

http://www.alwyncosgrove.blogspot.com/

Monday, March 05, 2007

Leaner, Stronger, Better. and a new BF pr.

After this weekends mojito and pizza fest this was a surprise but I hit a new low of 7.5 on the Tanita today.Plus my weight and my strength were up, always a good thing.Getting leaner and stronger at the same time.Bout time.


DARC Swings
26x20
36x20
44x20
53x20

72x20x3 sets 60 reps 4320 lbs
63x26x3 sets 78 reps 4914 lbs
53x30x 2 sets 60 reps 3180 lbs
198 reps/ 12,414 lbs

YES!!! First time I have swung this thing for one arm work in FOREVER. It was solid and felt great.Groove is still working great and now I have a hint of 'unconcious competency' settling in. It's been a long journey back. Feels so good to feel strong again. I love that two pood.

Tactical Scapula Pullups
5,6,7 x2 sets= 36 reps

these also felt solid. All half reps right before biceps kick in. LONG pauses in hang position between reps.

X vest rack walks
36 lb KB and 25 lb vest x 200 ft lap per arm
1000 total feet. This is better than last time.I like these, they are tough and slow my gait down a bit.

BW 162.6
BF 7.5%!!
Water 61.5%

This is good especially since I am not trying to get it lower.

Datsit. Staying loose.

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Force velocity curve graph

an interesting piece on the force velocity curve with some interesting graphics.

http://www.sportsci.com/SPORTSCI/JANUARY/F-V%20CURVE.htm

The Right weight.




Mike Castro: Hardstyle with bands and a Bulldog.

Although my post on Power might suggest that I am for using 'light' kettlebells to maximize force output and Rate of Force development, it is important to note that I believe that using the 'right' weight, for YOU, is the key.If you weigh 185 lbs and are using the 16 kg in two hand swings the bell will be TOO light to produce more power.

Just as one cannot get much force from throwing a wiffle ball as opposed to a baseball, using a weight that is too light will not produce a high level of force either.

As Randy Hauer wrote "The key to higher power production at any given KG weight is to move it faster over a given distance. If you want low power, swing slower and cover less distance" says it exactly. If your bell is TOO light, so that you end up NOT being able to swing it and it takes off on you, USE A HEAVIER BELL. Or, switch to one hand swings, or a higher swing and maintain a strong connection with the ground( rooting).

A higher force output per rep will allow one to get more work out of each rep and minimize the work one has to do, OR allow one to do more work in the same amount of time, a great form of overload.
Remember also, that if one uses low force per rep, the muscle fibers that are being recruited are the lower force potential red fibers as well as the connective tissue. Higher force work will recruit more white fibers and make one more muscular. This is precisely why marathon runners have less muscle, with less definition than sprinters.

The RKC hardstyle swing is, as Pavel says, "a total body sprint".

So use the right weight for your swings and snatches.If you need more strength, go heavier and slower and dont worry so much about speed,if you are going for hundreds of reps( say you are getting ready for the cert and need LOTS of conditioning) hold back on each rep and go the distance.

Doing high force reps with short rest periods is a killer way to get strong, fast and in great shape all at the same time.

Saturday, March 03, 2007

A Great Birthday Weekend Workout!

Ahh, it's good to feel good.Snatch day today and things went very, very well. The 24 kg felt light in my hands and nothing hurt at all! My right arm overhead position felt solid and the volume was decent.The technique hled up perfectly and was consistent througout the whole workout.

And the sun was out and it is warm! Fanfreakingtastic.

One arm swings
26x10/10
36x10/10
44x5/5
53x5/5
53x5/5
62x5/5 !
( first time I've one armed this in ages)

These went very well and as I had hoped got my legs into things earlier.Also really set up the groove.

Snatches
36x5/5
44x5/5

53x

4/4
5/5
6/6
7/7
8/8
10/10
4/4
5/5
6/6
7/7= 124 reps/6572 lbs
.

this went very very well and I felt strong,which is always good. Now that technical issues seemed to be ironed out I can concentate on snatch hard again. The ovehead holds have already started paying off.SHould never have dropped those. ALso making sure to really lockout each snatch rep every time. Use that position productively!

Snatch holds
44x30 sec
53x30 sec x3

this is great, most I've done in a long time.Solid.

Halos
26x8/8
36x8/8
26x8/8

Face Pulls
4x12-15

What a great gift for my birthday and an auspicious way to usher in the rest of the Century.

Friday, March 02, 2007

Tom Platz, 23 reps with 220 kg.

More physics- Louie style

I know there are tons of people that have not read Louie Simmons's writings, although if you are interested in strength I can't imagine why not?

Louies article on the Virtual Force Swing

Westside Barbell www.westside-barbell.com THE VIRTUAL FORCE SWING
By: Louie Simmons

At Westside Barbell we use the dynamic method throughout the year. Its purpose is not to build maximal strength but to improve the rate of force development and explosive strength. Of course, the lighter the load, the faster the rate of force development.

Yuri Verkhoshansky is referred to as the father of plyometrics. His work on shock training is well documented from the early 1970s. Exercises consisted of depth jumps, plyometrics, bounding, and medicine ball work, leading to a few special devices. What is the shock method? It's a system of impulsive actions of the shortest duration of time beginning at the end of an eccentric phase and the beginning of the concentric, or overcoming, phase. It is a process of a fast stretch followed by a voluntary action.

At near Earth, the speed of gravity is 9.8 meters per second. When an athlete drops off a box to the floor then immediately rebounds, the energy is kinetic energy. This kinetic energy is transferred into the soft tissue and connective tissue of the body. Remember, one should be able to squat 2 times bodyweight before attempting to use plyometrics. A 300 pound man may not safely land from a high-altitude drop of the same magnitude as a 150 pound man. Why? It's dangerous. Kinetic energy 1 2 increases when mass or velocity is increased: KE = / mv . From this equation, one can see that increasing the velocity of an object has a greater effect on the kinetic energy than increasing the mass of an object.

As you increase the velocity, the kinetic energy becomes exponentially greater. Velocity can be increased through the use of bands. If you merely drop off a box and land on a surface, you are moving at 9.8 meters/second. The kinetic energy is proportional to your mass and speed. Two different masses fall at the same speed, but a larger mass will have more force upon landing and even greater force when acceleration is added by attaching bands with a great amount of tension at both the top and bottom of the landing.

Newton's second law states that force = mass x acceleration. Awhile ago, we did a study at Westside to measure the effect of bands. We found that when box squatting with weight only, the eccentric phase was approximately 1.6 seconds with 550 pounds on the bar. However, when using a large amount of bands and a small amount of weight, the eccentric phase was 0.52 seconds, 3 times faster.

Here, a virtual force occurs, i.e., a force that is present but not recognized. For example, a certain thickness of ice can support a 50 pound ball without breaking. If the ball is dropped from a distance, moving at 9.8 meters/second, it breaks the ice on landing. Although it still weighs the same, it had acceleration in the second case. This is the case when squatting with bands. When we land on the box, a virtual force occurs due to acceleration.

We do not use depth drops. Rather, we use a swing. It is much like the one in Figure 6.12 in the book `!Science and Practice of Strength Training`! by Zatsiorsky. That swing can be changed by increasing the mass and range of motion. Our Virtual Force Swing does the same. In addition, we can adjust the amount of speed desired. It is designed to convert potential energy into kinetic energy. We know through physics that increasing the mass is not as effective as increasing the velocity in order to increase kinetic energy. When inanimate objects such as pool balls collide, no kinetic energy is lost; this reaction is referred to as perfectly elastic. However, in humans, it is somewhat different, due in part to the inhibition of myotactic reflex receptors.


Mechanical efficiency (ME) has been studied for years. In studies by Margaria (1968), Kaneko (1984), and Acra and Komi (1986), they show that the velocity of shortening or stretching influences the value of ME. It is also known that the stretch- shortening cycle will cause very different loading conditions with different ME (`!Strength and Power in Sport`!, Komi). Having said this, it is easy to see why the Virtual Force Swing (patent pending, 2004) is so effective. Potential energy of the tendons and soft muscle tissue can be released two ways. If it is done slowly, the energy is released slowly.

If done fast with a short amortization phase, it produces a high level of power. Just imagine the advantage of a swing where it is possible to adjust mass and velocity. There is much known about the eccentric phase. It causes most muscular soreness or delayed onset of muscular soreness. This soreness can reduce dynamic strength and damage the myofibrils and connective tissue (Friden, 1983). Eccentric work can generate much higher forces due to the tension-generating capacity of the connective tissue. This can cause an increase in tensile strength of the tendons and other elastic components of the muscle complex (Garrett, 1986).


When high-velocity eccentric work is introduced progressively, it enables the connective tissue to resist high-impact forces that accompany high-impact activities such as jumping, running, and depth jumps. High-speed or overspeed eccentrics are vital to superior training and results. When squatting or benching, during the eccentric phase you will invariably descend slower as the weight grows heavier. This is not conducive to speed strength. It's as simple as this: if lowering a barbell slowly is right, then plyometrics are wrong.

But we know that's not true. Remember our experiment with overspeed eccentrics using a high percentage of band tension versus a lower percentage of bar weight? The same is true for the Virtual Force Swing. Using a large amount of bands to increase velocity and adding weight plates to change mass will produce a very positive training effect. Increasing velocity has a much greater effect on kinetic energy than increasing mass.

This kinetic energy is transformed into reversal strength. The Virtual Force Swing is essential for sports requiring extreme strength or explosive power during take-offs and landings and for jumping, sprinting, or lifting. Its value cannot be duplicated in any other way due to the fact that one will invariably use more eccentric muscle tension and slow the yielding phase, causing a lessening effect on the reversal phase. Westside Barbell 614-801-2060 www.westside-barbell.com



yeah, math and physics have nothing to do with lifting.

Speed test.

Some are disputing the numbers that I put up on the post "power", saying that I just posted numbers proving what I wanted to see. I wish that were true; as that would mean my two pood swing to chest height took the same 2 seconds that my 24 kg swing did. but that is not the case.

Tim Dymmel and I worked on this and he timed me and vice versa for sets of FIVE reps.We counted total elapsed time and divided by five to give us the speed per rep.Not perfectly accuracte but certainly good enough to prove the point.
Of course it is obvious that one can move a lighter bell faster than a heavier bell but this precisely the point.
When one's goal of a set is to produce maximal force then the speed of the rep is very, very important.But it has to be the right weight. Too light and it will move too fast to produce max force; too slow and the same thing happens.But one's INTENT is just as important. You must try to move fast in order to move fast.

This is not to say, of course, that everyone's goal should be to produce maximum force for every rep; just as it shouldnt be to produce minimal force per rep. How hard or easy one swings or snatches must be determined by many factors, not the least of which is the individuals goals at the time.

Some have also said that this is only even relevant to powerlifters and not to 'joe or jane average'. I thoroughly disagree with that belief as what most clients I encounter are lacking is decent strength and the ability to coordinate their entire body while they are attempting to produce strength.

So if "jane average, desk jockey" uses the minimal amount of force necessary to swing a 26 pound kb she is producing only 26 pounds of force per rep. If she, with proper biomechanics , alignment and compensatory acceleration techniques, learns how to increase her force production per rep she is increasing the load available to her muscles, bones and cns as if she were using a heavier kettlebell! Virtual force.

Hardstyle is NOT just for martial power, or athletes or others seeking max speed and strength. It is also for 'joe average' who wants to progress their strength in a safe and productive manner.

And comparing kb swings or snatches to barbell snatches is also silly.You have to compare apples with apples. And no, one does not start out trying to produce max force per rep,nor is is by any means the only way to use the kb. Certainly not if your goal is 100 reps in one set.

I certainly am not advocating trainers to time their charges' swing sets and make dropping seconds off their time the goal.But the test does prove my point that by accelerating a lighter bell, purposefully, through the range of motion one produces more force and thereby more power. Even for the simple fitness crowd how can this be bad?

So I propose a test:

1) measure the distance the bell swings from directly underneath the body( for simplicity sake) to chest height

2) swing the heaviest bell one can for five reps, time it and divide by five

3) do the same thing with the next lightest bell down.

4) try to swing the bells as strongly as possible.

do the math: weight x distance/ time. see what produces the most power.

Even if your goal is to be a good jogger how can it be bad to develop the ability to produce more force? Or,another word for force: STRENGTH.

So for all the haters and naysayers take the test yourself and report back, comrades.Prove me wrong.

Jim McCarty still has it! 750 squat at 47 y/o

I remember reading about this guy back in the eighties when he was both an Olympic lifter AND a powerlifter.He's back at it: This from Go Heavy forum







Jim McCarty, former "SUPERMAN OF THE CENTURY" in all 5 lifts, has made a terrific comeback recently in powerlifting. At age 47, 194 lbs, loose suit, he easily squats 750 lbs (video says 740, but actual weight counted was 750 lbs)2 inches below parallel.
He has done only 2 meets in 10 years. This meet being his 2nd.
He also deadlifted 710 lbs in training 3 weeks ago, "RAW" (did use straps..but at the end of the workout).
*** APC National Chairman, LB BAKER and CURTIS LESLIE were both in attendance. This was a national record.
** he also snatched 264 lbs EASILY in training the day after the meet. He cleans in the mid 300's. Remember, Jim is a national champion in both olympic weightlifting and power. To my knowledge, the only lifter in america to ever do both in the same year.
Jim should be over 800 lbs this year in the squat(looked like he could have done it...since it was easy) , 500+ bench and hopefully, if he can hold on to the bar (crushed his wrists years ago in a bad accident), should pull around 700 lbs.
He really is amazing "STILL". He did these lifts last weekend at a APC meet he ran. Amazing lifting, considering he ran the meet and lifted during the time he was running it.
I can see him easily totalling 2,000+ as a 198 this year. Wait for nationals
** he wore a large 54 single poly Inzer Rage shirt at the meet (very loose).
** Deadlifted "Raw".

Thursday, March 01, 2007

For Paul Tucker

So this is your version of burying the hatchet eh?


From Paul tucker on another forum:
I see a number of folk are dabbling in basic physics these days. Bless them! Even a certain blogging SrRKC is giving it some neuronal play ; viz: “Even if the number was even the heavier bell exposes one to more injuries.Moving a lighter bell faster can produce more force, and more power, than moving a heavier bell slower. The argument should be about whether the kb is as good of a power tool as it is a strength endurance tool. Those that say it is too light to be a power tool just don’t understand the force velocity curve.”

------------------------------------------------- My (PT) late night rough power calculations FWIW: Your fair average quality 250kg deadlifter = 550lbs over say 2 ft = 1100ft/lbs over ~4 secs = 275lbs/sec

Your fine older Oly lifter (name withheld) 90kg snatch = 198lbs over say 4 ft = 792 ft/lbs over ~1 sec = 792lbs/sec. What does this prove? Powerlifting is a misnomer, as we know. And that the worm is turning…albeit via a circuitous route. Light kbs give better power development. Where does this place the hardstyle “power is better” mindset? Probably should stick to the 1 pood. Perhaps I’m missing something. Comments please. The other PT


Rif:
Paul,since I am not welcome on the site you posted this I will reply here( which you could have done as well)

First off how many 551 pound deadlifters do you know? Although that's an average dl in the power world its not very common at all amongst 'average' fitness enthusiasts.Secondly, that's only one rep you are referring to. How many times can your average 551 # deadlifter do those reps at those speed? And how many days a week?

Most intermediate kettlebell lifter will be able to put up those numbers I wrote about regularly and easily.Or close to them. That is precisely my point.Even with light kbs with compensatory acceleration training one can increase the amount of force for each rep without increasing the weight. It's not about heavy or light weight its about the right weight for your training goal.

And although I will agree with you that powerlifting should indeed be called strength lifting, as any good lifter familiar with WSB and Louie knows, speed in the lifts is EVERYTHING;especially when the weight gets heavy. No one tries to lift a heavy weight slowly.And most decent powerlifter knows they can judge their strength that day by how fast they can move their warmup weights. When light weights move slowly you are not in for a strong day.

And although the day we timed our snatches we didnt have anything fancy( just a stopwatch) to measure EXACTLY how fast the reps were, the 2 and 3 sec numbers were pretty close. The power expressed by the lighter bells was close to or better than that done with the heavier bell.And these were sets of 5, not single reps.

That's NOT to say heavier isnt good, or better, it's great if increasing strength is the goal. If increasing power or speed is than a slightly lighter bell is better. If it's too light( your 16kg analogy) it will move too fast to create enough force for any kind of overload.If you can swing or snatch the two pood that fast there is always the Bulldog.

So if one wants to increase the amount of force they are producing each rep they can go heavier, or try to swing the bell faster. Both are valid.

AS far as your hardstyle question that is precisely the concept: increase force production via increased acceleration."Virtual force" as Louie calls it.

This is Zatsiorsky's( louies) submaximal dynamic effort approach. Both the DE day AND the Max effort day are considered max effort workouts. Only on DE day,with the submaximal load you are trying to put max force on the bar( or bell). You are just adjusting for decreased mass with increased acceleration. Why is this so hard to comprehend?

RFD has NOTHING to do with the biomechanics of the movement.

And for cate, although I dont have a study proving these numbers we did take the time to time this in the gym and the empirical evidence( the difference in how fast the bells moved) was obvious.AS far as results go no, I didnt measure my vertical jump but knowing that using submax weights with comp acc would produce as high or higher levels of force per rep helped my program design. I realized I could use lighter weights and train to move them faster and still keep my strength up. For an old injured guy this was a great discovery.

And as far as your desk jockey clients( same as mine) go this has profound applications: they can use a smaller weight and produce the same amount of force as with a heavier one, by using compensatory acceleration and hardstyle techniques.More force equals more overload which equals more adaptation: the basis for all physical improvement.

To Scott Shelter: I thought you were a WSB guy; you should care how much time it takes you to perform your max squat, bench and deadlift.It would give you insights as to your weaknesses and how to improve them ANd you are right ,you dont't need a calculator but it shouldnt scare you either.

205, 215, 217.5,205 x 1 x 6, 190 x 1 x 3, laterals, rear delts bw pushups

 Well this went great. not perfect but the basic premise worked and I'm happy. I was not optimistic at all about this at all given recen...