" I love the smell of training first thing in the morning"

With apologies to Apocalypse Now.

It's such a luxury for me to be able to train first thing after I get up.ESPECIALLY if I also have time to stretch out first and then get to the heavy stuff.I used to organize my life around my workouts and now I organize my workouts are my work.

I am,after all, after all these 54 years, a grownup, and I have to do what's most important for my family and our future first. But on days like these when I get the luxury of taking care of myself first don't think I don't appreciate it.

SO even though my first client wasn't until 8 am I was in the gym at 6 for a solid hour of stretching and mobility before hitting the first workout of the day at 7. Yes, the first workout because I also had two clients traveling at the end of the work day which meant I could further intensify my training while enhancing my recovery by splitting the workload in half.

I had clubbell swipes and snatch vo2 on the menu today and decided to do clubs first as they are easier for me and on my body.

6-7 am stretchout.

the usual suspects. all pieces in their respective places. relatively :))

7-8 am Clubbell swipes

CB swing warmups

(2) 10 lb clubs x 20 swings x 3 sets

(2) 10 lb clubs x 10 pendulums x 2 sets ( equiv to a KB clean)

Swipes

(2) 10 lbs x 10 reps

x 20 reps

x 30 reps

(2) 15 lbs x 15 x 5 sets!!

Wow, just back to this movement and this was a big increase in workload from last week. AND it felt great. This is such a natural movement to me as well as playing to my strengths. I can see I will have to by a second 25 lb club as I really want to set a long term goal of 100 continuous swipes with the 25 lbers.

Like I said a LONG TERM goal but I know it's possible. Like I've also said lately, time to work my strength as well as my weaknesses.

The kb swing and snatch immediately reminded me of swinging on high bar as a gymnast. The Clubs, especially this move make me feel like I am on parallel bars :))

This move also translates well for me to my KB moves as it reinforces what my natural lumbo pelvic rhythm is. As with everything I do I have to think "backwards". Here that means if I lean forward my hips go back.

If I just sit back I don't get my hips into the right position OR my back. As I said backwards.

I wanted to do more, a lot more but it was such a big jump from last week I knew better but I still had time but wanted to save snatches for later so:

One arm swings

16 kg x5/5/5/5 x2

20 kg x5/5/5/5 x 2

24 kg x5/5/5/5 x 2

just about right. even this little bit of swings got me sweating way more than the clubs. they are just easier for me. it's nice to finally have something that is ;))

1:30 pm Stones Gym

Snatch Vo2

15:15

16 kg x 25 sets of 6 reps ON THE CLOCK ,lol.

150 reps

Used the damn gym boss and immediately remembered a few things:

1) just how stinking hard this protocol is, even with this light weight

2) just how short 15 seconds rest time is

3) just how out of shape for this I am. 80 sets of 8 is a long way off but doable for sure.

4) why I used to have to have two 16 kg and four or five towels. This makes me sweat like I was in a Bikrams class.

My snatch groove felt great though and speed was fine. I took up the entire 15 seconds with overhead holds if I was ahead which I wasn't always. trying to breathe took up some time too.

But I also remembered just how well this protocol suits me with using just low reps( even 8 is low) , only one arm at a time and a real focus on power and acceleration, my favorites. This schedule is going to work fine and shouldn't impact my two hand swing work on saturday.

I might play with protocol though alternating weights with the 20 kg and perhaps even the 24 and dropping just the reps, just seeing what I can get for 15 second with the proper power output.
Just as in WSB when bell ( or bar) speed drops, you're done for the day. No slogging through reps here. Just fast, crisp and powerful. I also think I am going to shoot for 50 sets as my goal number not 80. that's just too damn long to stand in one place :))

Also, hard to believe this only took 12 minutes! KB's rock.

datsit