Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Heavy Swings

Da KB Arm Bar
Well no bikrams for a week, LOTS of stretching, much less sitting at work and so far my back is behaving. I decided that even sitting on my stability ball at work was probably not great for my back of late too AND I need to get ready for some seriously long days on my feet at the three certs I have in February so I decided to stand as much as possible each day and see if that actually helps me prepare for the standing at the certs. Have to learn how to relax and be as efficient as possible in the standing positions and ascertain what postures

We'll see. The rack walks worked very well on Saturday and I felt something good 'kick' in after doing them. I will add them in another day as well.Something about overloading that gait pattern,just a bit, seemed to make me walk that much more efficiently. Again, time will tell but so far so good.

Really stretching the adductors and the hip flexors in a standing posture is very interesting and provides some quick release, for some reason, when my lumbar start to tighten up. I liken it to a Shotokan type horse stance position as well as the front lunge for a front kick. Except much wider. This opens the rectus femoris and the soleus on the rear leg and that take some pressure off the hip, which takes pressure off my back. Anatomy trains indeed :))

I spent 30 minutes first static stretching, doing my horse stance stability work( old school Chek stuff) overhead stretching, then some one arm swings:

One arm swings
16 kg x10/10x3
20 kg x8/8

24 kg x8/8x6 sets
28 g x5/5 x3 sets
32 kg x5/5x3 sets

everything felt fine.I love fives :)) they always make me feel strong and I don't get out of breath,lol.

Clean and press( one clean per press)

20kg x 5/5
24kgx4/4 x3 sets

These also felt solid and I held the last rep on the right arm for a bit after each set to work the ROM and stability.Man I do know how to press, I just wish I could push it a bit.

KB Arm Bar
16 kg x5/5
20kgx5/5
24 kg x3/3x3 sets

these were good and again, it was nice to have some real weight in my hands again.I actually got to floor press something again,lol.

Then,more stretching.
I have to remember to realize that for me, now, stretching IS training, and I have to take it seriously. Very seriously.

datsit. Some clubbell swipes tomorrow.

6 comments:

Boris T said...

Good point about stretching being training.

Good luck with the 3 certs in Feb.

Mark Reifkind said...

thanks man, I was hoping that bikrams would suffice for my flexibility training but it did not. It's not indivualized enough for someone with so many imbalances!
I'm getting to the age that I really have to look at my pre hab work as as legitimate as my 'performance' training.
Like training to stand as much as possible each day and finding how to relax while on my feet.

it's not as sexy as 200 snatches in ten minutes but it's what i need more.

thanks for the comment.

Diana said...

I am finding out VERY FAST how much stretching is so much a big part of my training. This Yoga class has opened me up like nothing else! Definitely boosted up the morale, motivation, determination and drive a notch! That's already been high for the last 2 years, so this is saying a lot!!

Mark Reifkind said...

diana

good thing, I know that the more I train, and the older I get the more stretching it takes to keep me "in place". I am probably more in need than most, but maybe not :))

everyone of my clients needs WAY more stretching than they do,or, are willing to do.
proper stretching, and breathing is much harder and requires more concentration than people know.

fawn said...

are those weight lifting shoes you are wearing?

I like 5's too.

Too bad Bikram's only practices 26 postures... there are so many yoga movements that really open up the adductors and hip flexors. Oh well, looks like you have it covered already.

Mark Reifkind said...

fawn

yes, those are my old adidas! I've been wearing them for awhile although Im not sure I'm going to continue.I don't really know where optimal or neutral is anymore,I am just going by feel with little experiments all the time.

lately I have been doing much wider stance stretching and squatting(!)and it feels right.we'll see. things have changed and I just have to figure out what's optimal.
strangely enough I really feel like two handed swings are going to be in my training future!with a wide stance,lol.
back to my power future.
as far as bikrams I know that all the very close stance stuff has run it's course and my back feels much better since i stopped.

i really miss going with tracy but I dont miss being in agony.
thanks for the comment

155 x 3 x 5, 160 x 3 x 5, 20 kg swings 5 x 8/8, floor pushups 40, 35

 Thought about going back to 5x5 for a hot second then my left shoulder  reminded me why I stopped doing them before. It doesn't seem to...