Double Presses

If it's Saturday it must be press day and the new schedule is working out perfectly! Thursday's two hand swing session is not tearing up my forearms and doesn't compromise today's session at all. And doing max vo2 two days after this heavy press day is also perfect.

It's nice when the plan finally comes together.

And part of the plan is to be able to do bigger and heavier workloads and NOT FEEL ANYTHING THE NEXT DAY.

I used to live to be sore. As a bodybuilder being sore is the next best thing to the pump, telling you that you did your job as well as how well you did it. Sore meant more muscle, which was the whole point.

After all, to a bodybuilder trying to gain mass ,training is all about three things: breaking the muscle down, feeding and resting it , and having it grow bigger( ok four things). Stess+ recovery = Adaptation.

That was ok for awhile but that's not the powerlifter's way as being super sore really gets in the way of the true goal, which is lifting heavier weights. Muscle mass is a side effect and a by product of productive training, not the goal. So I didn't train to be sore but you still do! And after awhile it became very hard to differentiate between muscle soreness from heavy training and orthopedic dysfunction, locked up connective, muscle tissue and fascia adhesions and other ramifications from training too heavy while seriously asymmetrical.

I used to think if I didn't 'feel it' the next day I didn't do enough to improve.

Now if I don't feel anything the next day THAT is the victory. That is the goal. What tells me whether I am improving or not is my ability to do more weight sets and reps more easily than before and the reaction the next day. i.e no sore= progress. :))

So when I was not sore after Thursday's two hand heavy swing fest I new things were good. Scheduled to do double today and chose short cycle military presses instead of long cycle. Wanted to get some triples in and it went well.

7-8 am stretchout, emphasis on t spine mobs and overhead stretches to prepare for the double presses.

Also doing some very interesting hand work that I got via the new edition of Convict Conditioning 2 by Coach Paul Wade. It's a way to work the extensors of the fingers that is simply brilliant as well as simple.

I wish I had thought of that but I'm very happy to use it. The sequel to CC is even better than the first book! Didn't think it was but I've got an advance copy to review and I'm here to tell you it is! Already one of my favorite books and I'm learning a ton.

8-9:15 am

warmup

one arm swings

16 kgx5/5/5/5

snatches

16 kg 5/5 x s

Double clean and press

2 16's x 5 x 2

2 20's x 5

2 24's x4

2 28kg x 3 x 5 sets

2 24 kg x 10!

this is almost double the amount of work from my previous pr of 4 sets of 2( long cycle). Since I haven't been able to do doubles presses for the last ten years I always imagined they would be harder than one kb press. they aren't! For me they are so much more stable with two bells and it's much closer to a barbell press which I am very familiar with.

I know I can press the double 32's if I can clean them,lol. Have to stretch adductors more and get my wide stance more comfortable. Double bell swings will be on tap for next Thursday, another move I could never do. I love to be able to train hard! I can't believe people who are not restricted physically don't throw themselves into their training more. What a gift to be able to move and be strong!

The down set was an after thought because even though the 28's felt a bit heavy they moved well and I had an idea I could do ten with the 24's, which I did. Here's the set:

It's amazing how much heavier or lighter ten more pounds can be in a kettlebell.

KB Snatch

20kg x3/3

24 kg x5/5 x 8 sets

x10/10 x 1 set

100 reps

Nice!This very much proves to me I am getting into good shape.Not to long ago( weeks,lol) I would have been very happy to do 100 reps with the 24 as my lead off exercise. Now I can do it as an afterthought and thow in 20 rep sets at the end just to get the workout over with more quickly,lol. Lots of power on each rep and bell speed was excellent, Fast pace and no worries. Nice.

Pullups( thumbs over)

sets of 4,5,6,4

nice. this is the most reps (6) that I've done in a row since I started doing pullups again a few months ago. These are coning along nicely and now I want to work on getting the pull to my lower neck and then the upper chest. It's all about goals and the progressions that will get you there; whether its a rehab goal or a performance one.

Hopefully, tomorrow I won't even feel like I worked out :))

Datsit.Sisu