High pulls.

I love the kb high pull; it's one of my favorite movements and one that I have always been strong on, for both weight and reps. I had to take it out of the routine last year when I couldn't figure out my shoulder problems and really cut back to basics, just swings and snatches.

One of my favorite workouts is one I introduced at the RKC in 2006 as an a prelude to the ETK Right of Passage .

The Right of Passage is 200 snatches in ten minutes with the 24 kg bell. Pretty intimidating and a huge performance achievement as a kb athlete and all around strong man. I couldn't do that but I could do 200 high pulls in ten minutes with the 24kg and thought that was a good start.

SO the RKC workout goes like this( it's also in the book All Time Favorite RKC workouts soon to be released)

( done with a partner in an " I go, you go" fashion

High pull

10/10

12/12

14/14

16/16

18/18

20/20

10/10

200 reps in short order!

I have very long arms for a short guy. This makes my one arm swing arc very long and far away from my center of mass. And relatively slow.

The high pull is the exact opposite, a short, tight arc where I could put into play my upper back and keep the bell in tight and close. Short , more powerful and much quicker. And, safer.

Back then I didn't know how to release my lower rhomboids and traps and get my shoulders to stabilize; or release the forerarms for the same effect. Now I do and hope that I can tolerate this powerful move as I now can two hand swings. It's way easier to do high reps than the one arm swing but I will keep them in too. Work your weakpoints and you will get stronger.

High pulls

16kg x10/10

20 kgx10/10

24 kg x5/5

x6/6

x7/7

x8/8

x9/9

x10/10

x9/9

x8/8

x7/7

x6/6

150 reps

7940 lbs

A good first day with this move and could've done more but I felt some tightness creeping in and decided not to let my obsession with round numbers get the best of me. The rest between sets was no more than one minute, probably 45 seconds.Very strong

Just like the snatch, a great combination of lower and upper body in balance. LOTS of muscular work too, in the arms,shoulders pecs and upper back.I will grow from this.

Shield casts

two hands on clubbell

10 lb x10/10

15 lbs x10/10

20 lbsx10/10 x 3

two hand arm casts

20 lbs x8/8 x3

these went well>I think the two hand version will be easier on my elbow.

datsit. snatches on saturday. we'll see how my body likes this tomorrow.