36:36

Two of the best forearms of all time: Casey Viator( top) and Gunnar Rosbo. These guys could get a pump eh?

Ouch. Can you say ouch?

I decided to give 15:15 max vo2 protocol a break this week as last weeks 50 set "down day" was not as easy it a down week should be so I thought I might have been hammering that nail too long.

Now I HATE 36:36 as it pumps up my forearms so much that my grip becomes the only thing that is really being tested and or trained and that's not my priority at all.

And, I know that when my forearm flexors get too short, and or harbor trigger points that my shoulder is next in line for trouble. Check out the great book Anatomy Trains for why this happens, but it does. That's why I liked the short intense work of 15:15, it taxes my cardio more than my grip endurance. But it was time. And the faster I snatch the more pumped I get, so even though I have the cardio and the time left in the set to do 16 or even 17 reps, I can't deal with the grip.

Plus, I have little incentive to train it, given the connection to my delicate shoulders.

I have worked up to 35 sets of 15 in this protocol but that was eons ago. AND, I haven't done more than 7 reps on one arm in almost as long. I knew this was going to be a tough one today. I just didn't know how tough it was going to be,lol.

Snatch vo2

36:36

16 kg

sets one- eight : 15 left 15 right ( 120 reps)

set 9, 10,11 : 15 right 14 left ( 44 )

12-20 : 8 reps left followed immediately by 7 reps right( switch 8 rep starting weight with each hand switch) (135 reps)

21 and 22: 15 left 15 right ( 30 )

total reps 329. wow, thats better than expected.

What a disaster! No injuries but man it was way tougher than expected and I knew by set 6 or 7 20 sets was probably going to not be possible as my forearms AND my shoulders were pumping up too fast. Even at a paltry 15 reps per 36 seconds- Tracy was doing up hill ladders from 16-18 I think,lol and looking bored at it's ease.

In fact I was starting to lose form and said I was going to bail. I can't get hurt now and didnt want to mess with my shoulder and my left tricep is just starting to feel normal.And my tricep issue stems from my shoulder which stems from my forearms.

Again, read Anatomy Trains.

I also did the first 6 sets with a GS competition bell as I thought the skinnier handle might make it easier and I wanted to play with it as well .But it didn't and I went back to the DD bell for the rest of the workout.

Tracy suggested( she's so smart:)) that instead of bailing I just switch hands halfway through and do the same total reps for the 36 sec set. Perfect. Why I didn't just d0 8 and 8 this way I don't know- oh yeah I do, all my blood was in my forearms,lol. But it was no problem. I lost count and ended up doing 2 extra sets which I went back to all the reps on one arm again. Wanted to finish in the right way if I could.

This video is from 2007 and one of the first attempts at it for me. I was wearing those same shorts today too,lol. I just did 8 sets of 15 and then 8 sets of 14 so I guess today wasn't that bad after all.

Here's that blog post with some videos. Tracy is doing TWENTY REPS per 36 sec in the video. That is just insane! Serious speed and conditioning.

I can see where building this up, slowly will also help put on some more muscle. LOTS of tension with that kind of speed work.

My best in this is 36 sets of 16 reps back in Oct 2008. I did it right after peaking my 15:15 for 80 sets of 8 a few weeks before! No wonder I did 36 sets of 16, I was IN SHAPE- Hell I can't wait to be fit enough for 80 sets of 8 again. I will be though.

Finished up with Clubbell Barbarian Press( kind of a standing, horizonal bench press)

20 lbs x 8/8 x 2 sets

25 lbs x 5/5

6/6

7/7

8/8x 2 sets

datsit.

PS I just learned that Tracy and Meg, after I finished my paltry 22 sets, took an ENTIRE minute rest then did 30 MORE sets of 36:36 DOUBLING UP THE WORK TO REST and ended up doing 994 snatches in the workout!!!

They repeated their previous workout doing back to back sets of 18 reps per arm( yeah 18) and taking only 36 sec rest. Now that's a serious work capacity. Then she taught another hour of kb class then went to Bikrams.What a slacker.