Thursday, September 29, 2011

Clubbell and handstands. Density work


I really look forward to clubbell day now. Instead of feeling guilty I'm not doing more kettlebells my arms and shoulders are happy for the break, and the counterbalancing effect the clubbells have on them.

It's a particularly tough day as well as I have to train at the end of a 7 client day and it starts early. Clubs are easier for me to get up for though that kbs and that helps.
Last weeks order worked well so it was the same today

torch swings
swipes
handstands
rockits
triceps

Torch swings
2 10's x 5 + 5 swings x 2 sets
2 15's x 5 x 2 + 5 swings x 2 sets
20's x5 x 3 sets

Wow, these were both much easier and harder at the same time. The lighter sets were much stronger and more stable,as was the first set with the 20's but then the second set got very wonky on my left side grip.Just lost my thumb and the whole thing felt like it would crash. Got it locked down on the third set but it was weird.

Clubs have HUGE and very different grip requirement but it's very good. a weakness and a good solution.

Two clubbell swipes
2 10's x20 x 2
2 15s x 20 x 5

this was great! These finally felt strong again and my groove just kept getting better each set although I don't think I could have done another set of 20. But WAY better than last week.

This is the type of density training I need to do to get back to being able to do 100+ reps in one set again. I have been thinking that my PR in this with this weight was 150 non stop reps but I checked and it's only 110. I did 50 a month or so ago and it was hard but 100 seems doable- 150 did not and was freakin me out how I could have lost SO much in this move.

Turns out I didn't :))

Need to do some one arm work here too and work up to the 25 lber and eventually the 35 lber in the one arm swipe.


Handstands( wall start)

10 sets of 10-15 sec and these were even stronger than last week. Felt I could have stayed up as long as I wanted to! Did few that started without touching the wall and on the others tapped off in just a second but the next level is no wall. Not quite yet but soon.


Rockits / Black mini band extensions
2 15's x 20 x 4 sets
ext x 20 x 4 sets

these went great and I got a second wind that made things cruise. Could have done another set each but it was enough. Leave some for next time.

datsit. Sisu.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

20Kg Snatch Vo2


After last weeks 16 kg , 50 set workout the 20 kg was back on the plate and I knew it would not be easy. I did 20 sets of 5 last time with overhead holds for the rest of the 15 sec and then 5 sets of 6. I had NO idea where my strength or endurance would be today but I slept well and was moving well this morning so I sensed trouble in paradise :))

I was wrong and things went great. I did 20 sets of 5 rep sets and the 9 sets of 6 and finished with a set of 7 just to see what it would feel like. I was fine for one set :))

My heartrate was pretty high even with the low reps. 15 seconds rest is never very much time no matter what the work bout :))

snatch vo2
15:15
20 kg
20 sets of 5
9 sets of 6
1 set of 7
161 reps
7,084 lbs of work

24 kg snatch
3 sets of 5/5

Just needed to touch this. its been awhile. Next week I'll snatch the 24 kg for total volume reps shooting for between 100+ and 200 ( eventual goal) with no time constraints on rest periods.

Week one : 16 kg snatch Vo2
Week two: 20 kg snatch Vo2
Week three: 24 snatch volume work
Week four: repeat cycle

I think this will work for my body and my head.

Capt America Arm cast
25 lbs x 10 x 2
35 lbs x 8 x 4 sets

these were strong today! I love the slide and glide of this arm cast.

Bodyblade laterals
3 set of 10/10

I always can't believe how hard these are! but they are necessary.

triceps extensions

one arms with black mini band doubled
3 sets of 15//15
two arm extension with mini band
3 sets of ?
pushdowns
2 sets of 15

wow. serious serious tricep pump. I remember this. I like this :))

datsit.Sisu


Saturday, September 24, 2011

Double presses/ swings


Time to get back to work on my double presses after figuring out how to keep my left shoulder stable as I pressed by , duh, using the lat correctly. So nice to press and not have my shoulder subluxing every other rep.

7 am stretchout: 60 minutes focusing on overhead work as well as the usual leg stretching.

8 am Short cycle press
16 kg x 5
20 kg x 5
x 3
24 kg x 5 x 8 sets

this was very strong and stable for a change. Made a small technique adjustment as I pressed- REALLY keeping my glutes engaged and the hips just a bit more forward. Much more stable.

One arm swings
24 kg x10/10 x 10 sets
200 reps

Nice! Haven't done this much volume,especially in sets of 20 in forever. Bell swing was very good. Good break after last weeks heavy stuff with the 32 kg.

Band triceps extensions

4 x20
1x10

SO CLOSE, but suffered serious triceps death on the last set. No worries, I'm getting the hypertrophy response I'm after and that's really what counts.

datsit.Sisu.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Clubbells and Handstands

I already like the way I've changed my Thursday training. A complete day off from KB work with a very different type of loading on my arms, elbows and grip.Clubbells, as difficult as they are, seem much easier to me than Kbs and really traction my already overloaded wrist and elbow flexors.

Since my elbows hyperextend,and you don't get much, if any, joint capsule stabilization when a joint is hyperextended, I always have to keep some tension in the elbow flexors, especially with kb swings. This adds up in a negative way, but the CB swings really work the arms in the exact opposite way providing a great counterbalance of tension and distraction to the joint.

Not to mention the ability to really create super torque in the shoulder and elbow and work the elbow in extension. Much like the KB swing does for the hip extensors. Resistance in the fully extended position.

Hard to come by.

I've been re reading Convict Conditioning 2 lately and can't believe how much incredible, real world, real deal information there is in this book. Presented just the way I like, straight and to the point. Like or not he just throws his truth out there and I couldn't agree more. And his progressions are incredible rational and logical. Simple but DEFINTELY not easy. With VERY definite goals to achieve so you know when to go to the next level.

His take on hand strength and forearm training is completely original and revolutionary( in the fitness world anyway)and one of the core moves he emphasizes is a vertical hang from thick towels or ropes. The grip is used amazingly in long bar hangs but not so much the thumb muscles.They really are in the vertical towel hang and as well in clubbell work

I couldn't really grok why the grip was so taxed from the CB training and now I get it. Again, it is the perfect compliment and counterbalance to all the horizontal grip training I get with KBs

Torch Swings:

heres the 15 lb second set.

I did 20 reps with the tens and then went to these. Rotation and overhead hold felt fine

3 sets of 5-6with an emphasis on holds at the top and packing the shoulders.

20 lb torch swings 3 sets of 5 as well

these were the best I've ever done with the 20's but were very squirrelly at the top of the rep. I always imagine I'm swinging to a handstand on the parallel bars when I practice these

Handstand Holds

10 sets of between 5 and 20 seconds! this was the best handstand workout I've had yet and gives me great hope for the future. I felt like I could hold this as long as I wanted and my hand and finger strength reminded me of the old days. Pretty soon back to no wall starts

This video is of the tenth set and around 24 seconds without touching the wall. Nice.

Clubbell rockits supersets with Band triceps extensions
cb rockits 15 lbs x 20, 20, 15, 10

extensions x 20, 20, 20 , 20

very close to my goal of 5x20 and the rockits felt great in the quads.

great workout, starting an hour early, at 12 instead of 1pm helped as well.

datsit. Sisu

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

One rep at a time. One set at a time.


This is what I kept telling myself this morning as I ground through 50 sets of snatch vo2 training with my beautiful training partner who also happens to be my bride of almost 24 years. This was especially true at set 25 and I knew I was not only only half way through, but easy street was over and now I had to step up the pace to 8 reps per 15 seconds.

The first 25 sets were actually not bad at all but speed and strength are two different things. The hardest part of training max vo2 for me is not the total sets but trying to go fast for a long time with little rest between sets. I ain't good at it and I don't like it

But nothing is as efficient for me for getting me into great cardio AND muscle endurance condition. Plus it teaches me to stand and deliver. To hold my ground and deal with it. To endure. Sisu.

When my speed goes it is really tough to keep the pace without breaking form, hence the mantra " one rep at a time, one set at a time"

It reminds me of when I trained for bike racing and had big hills to climb. You could never look towards the top as you were climbing, just at your wheel and the ground before you. A thousand miles one pedal stroke at a time. that's all you had to do. the next one.

I decided not to worry if I didn't make the 15 sec cutoff as my lungs were ok, just the ability to move the body and the bell very fast was hurting. But I didn't need to :))

I switched bells three times as the dripping sweat was making the grip tough and I didn't need anything else in my way.

I switched techniques towards the end( last 10 sets) going to "pop, pull, punch" instead of my normal swing snatch technique as those muscles were running out of speed and the hip snap high pull muscles were fresh.

That worked great.

Heartrate was in the 180's. perfect.

7 am stretchout was solid too, and lots of splits, overhead snatch receiving position stretches and standing lunges were in with the usual suspects. I need a serious 85 minutes stretchout,lol. Makes a huge difference.

snatch vo2
15:15
16 kg
25 sets of 7( 175)
25 sets of 8(200)
375 snatches ( !)
13,500 lbs

Tracy of course killed it doing one arm swings with the 16 kg for her third workout of the (early) morning_ after 500 snatches, 500 one arm swings with the 12 kg and then, with me, 500 one arm swings with the 16!

Two hand arm casts
20 lbs x 10/10
25 lbs x 10/10 x 2

Two hand shield casts
25 lbs x 6/6 x 3 sets

Bodyblade laterals
3x10/10


wow I was toast after all those snatches and didn't go near the 35 lb cruiser bell,lol.

Put a fork in me I was done. No band extensions today, ran out of time and energy

datsit.Sisu

Saturday, September 17, 2011

24 kg clean and press pr


I've been spending more and more time pressing the 28kg as I've wanted that to be my "floor" as far as week in and week out pressing weight. But if one goes too heavy too often it's easy to lose the groove as you "fight" to make the heavier weight feel light enough to really focus and concentrate( practice anyone?) on every aspect of the lift.

I can do that with the 24 kg and it was the perfect day to do so after the last few weeks of heavy pressing. I still wanted to get the work in so I decided on a 5/5-10/10 rep ladder. I've done it before, well almost, as I skipped 9/9 and just went to 10/10 as I didn't think I could do both sets.

I was thinking about doing the same thing today but Nick kept me honest and the tape above is the last set of 10/10= 90 total presses with the 24 kg! A real life PR. I'll take it.

7 am stretchout
LOTS of focus on leg mobs and stretches as the shoulder is finally( and the first rib) back in place and feeling normal. Felt very loose this morning and splits actually felt like they are making progress! No issues from all the swipes and CB swings from Thursday.

Long cycle clean and press
16kg x 5/5
20 kg x 3/3

24 kg x5/5
x6/6
x7/7
x8/8
x9/9
x10/10

90 total presses

Made a specific change in technique on the left arm which really helped stabilize the shoulder. instead of just activating the lat on the setup and then forgetting about it, I conciously flexed it, then flexed it again as the bell went overhead,helping keep the shoulder in the socket as the bell finished. Again, it's so easy to forget the little pieces that make the whole work correctly.

One arm swings
24 kg x8/8
28 kg x8/8
32 kg x8/8 x 3

48 measely reps but it's a start. After working with so many people lately teaching them to swing, I have much more respect for just how hard heavy one arms are, and how strong I am ( was) at them! I have to practice more and get my numbers up. I think this change in schedule will work. Also going to do clubbells on thursdays now and leave two hand alone for awhile. It's a better balance.

Tact Pullups
3x5

solid, first time for fives in awhile. all throat above bar.

Band tri extensions
20, 20 , 15, 10

lol, triceps death. love it

datsit. Sisu.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Clubbell workout


Decided to mix things up a bit today after realizing the two hand swing is aggravating my left shoulder a bit tightening up my pecs, teres major and lat and just play with my clubbells a bit.It's certainly not my once a week swing workout that's doing it but all the demos of two hands I've been doing lately with new clients.

I haven't been doing enough basic clubbell swings, which really strengthens the shoulder IN external rotation as well developing the strength TO externally rotate under load and today was a good day to reverse that.

1 pm

two clubbell swings
10's x 20 x 2 sets
15's x20's x 2 sets
20's x 10's x 2 sets

these were,as they always are, harder than expected but such great work and such a great counterbalance and compliment to the kettlebell swing.Pretty much exactly the opposite.Surprisingly hard on my grip as I always find. Just not in shape for these.

Swipes
10's x 20 x 2
15's x 10
x 12
x 14
x 16
x 18
x 20 ( shown in video above)

Again these were surprisingly tough on the grip, have to work them back into the rotation on a more regular basis.But it is an inherently strong and natural movement for me.

One arm shield cast
10 lbs x 10/10 x 2
15 lbs x 10/10 x 3

left side was really wonky. Not stable enough in the one arm static hold position.

Handstands

10 sets of 5-8 second holds. Strong again, like last week but not AS strong.It is starting to feel like my old handstand where I could do anywhere, anytime for any length of time, lol.

Band triceps extensions
black band x 20
x 15
x 13
x 10

LOL! these kicked my ass! After the swipes, handstands and the extensions on Sat there was little left in the tri's .Perfect. Grow, they will :))

Bench pistols( left leg only)

4 sets of 4

These too, were surprisingly strong again as they were last week. I didn't do the right side as I need to let the left catch up quite a bit and I could feel what all the extra work on my right side did last week: took me TOO far out of balance.

But this week, unlike last, I remembered to keep the weight on the big toe/ball of the foot) in the descent( thanks Geoff!) and it really makes a difference. Held on a bit with right arm but I can see where I will be doing free bench pistols for reps soon and that will be a great day!

datsit.Sisu.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

20 kg Snatch Vo2 and 35 Lb 2 Hand CB swipes


This week was scheduled as a back off week as I hit my goal number of 50 sets in the snatch vo2 last week.But the question was, HOW to back off? I could have just done 40 sets of 7 and be done with it, easy for sure, but I wasn't really in the mood to go fast at all so I thought about doing some heavier snatches instead.

I've done 80 sets of 8 with the 16 kg but I've never even played with the 20 kg in this protocol. Never thought I was ready for it.

But today I didn't care :)) I figured sets of 5 with a overhead hold for the remaining time on the 15 sec clock would be doable and much more accessible mentally.

6 am Stretchout:

This went very well with most accent on leg work, especially three sided splits and half kneeling stretches and standing lunge stretches. Shoulder was still wonky but going on the right direction and I know the extra overhead stretching I've been doing is helping. Stretching ain't easy and it isn't much fun but it HAS to be done.

At least for me.

8:30 am

Snatch vo2
15:15
20 kg x 20 sets of 5 with overhead hold at end
6 sets of 6 with overhead hold.
112 reps
4928 lbs

this was very interesting. It wasn't hard cardiovascularly or strength wise, just what I wanted. But it was tough in it's own way.I think I am going to turn tuesdays into snatch day and alternate the weights and loads, from 16 kg to 24 kg and go back to one arm swings after clean and press on Saturdays.

Right now I'm snatching two days a week and not doing any one arm swings of note at all. This will be a good change. Probably do Max vo2 with the 16 and 20 kg and just go for total volume of reps and sets with the 24 kg every 2nd week (i.e wk1 16 kg max, wk 2 24 kg for reps, wk 3 20 kg max, wk 4 24 kg etc)

Two hand CB swipes
20 lbs x 10/10
25 lbs x 8/8
35 lbs x 5/5
x 5/5
x 5/5


these were tough! the load on the grip is amazing, even on the long arm! haven't done them in awhile and they were a perfect change. As Pavel says, a "change is as good as a rest".
Agreed

Bodyblade laterals
3 x 10/10

man these are getting harder not easier,lol! each set of 10 per arm takes 80 seconds and that's a long time under tension. But they are crucial for my shoulder stability I'm convinced and they are easier on the joints.

Band triceps extensions
3 sets of 20
1 set of 10

dead. these killed the tri's perfectly . a bit closer to my goal of 5x20

datsit.Sisu


Saturday, September 10, 2011

32 kg Long cycle press and 24 kg snatch


After last weeks strong 28 kg presses I knew I was ready to take the 32 kg out for a ride, even though my left shoulder has still been going in and out of neutral and pissing me off. I pain ball it, or overhead stretch it or stick shrug it and it settles down but just a little too much internal rotation and it's talking to me again.

Got in early, slept well, felt good and got a great full body stretchout before training.Surprisingly the workout was good lol.

One arm swing warmup
16 kg x 15 x 3 sets
One arm clean warmup
16 kg x5/5 x2

Long Cycle Clean and press
16 kg x5/5
20kg x 3/3
24 kg x2/2
28kg x1/1 ( when I feel strong I always do less warmups- I felt strong- I wanted to get to the 32)

32 kg x 2/2 x 4 sets

These went well. The video above is the second set. My shoulder was moving around a bit on each rep and I couldn't figure out why until the third set when I realized I was using my lat to get set but then didn't KEEP it on as I pressed.
I just went mentally to pushing the bell and the lat wasn't keeping the shoulder head down in the socket.

Once I figured that out the forth set was perfect- NO adjustments or instability at all. 'Bout time :((

Not sure how many total reps I've done in recent workouts with the 32 kg ( I should know this BEFORE each workout) but this has to be close. I'll check later.

Snatches
24 kg x5/5
x 6/6
x 7/7
x8/8
x9/9
x10/10

these felt great and I need to get my snatch reps up as well as my total number of reps per workout. Hands were perfect and so nice to see my right shoulder is coming along so well. Just wish that my left would cooperate as well :))


Pullups
5 sets of 4 with 5 scap pullups at the end of each set/ plus a 5 sec hang.

these are flying up. Really focused on maintaining a strong hollow position throughout each rep

Band tricep extension ( black band)
20 reps
20 reps
15 reps
12 reps
10 reps

lol, talked about deja vu! brought back my bodybuilding days very quickly-especially as my triceps went deep into fatigue very fast! I was planning on 100 reps- 5 sets of 20 but my tri's had different ideas. This is a great exercise for my tri's and my shoulders don't mind it at all so it's here to stay. First goal is 5 x 20.


Datsit. Sisu.

Thursday, September 08, 2011

32 kg two hand swings and the Prodigal Son

Mikey playing on the ropes in 2006 Muscle Beach

















I was still sore in the forearms and shoulders from Tuesdays snatch Vo2 workout and I want to press the 32 kg on Saturday so I re thought using the Beast today for my swing workout. Thursdays are always among my toughest workouts as I have to train alone and at the ass end of the day on an empty stomach so I never think in terms of volume but intensity and quality instead.

But had a very pleasant surprise today as my dear friend, who is literally like another son to me, Michael Castrogiovanni, was in town today from his world travels ( for just a few days before he heads off to India next week :)) and wanted to train with me. How cool!

Mike is a serious mutant in many, many ways( pretty much anything physical he sets his mind to) and I knew he was just back from Wilderness school and would be in some serious hard shape. And he was:)) Mike is the guy that brought Pavel and me together, talked me into getting my RKC, trained me for it and has always believed in me as much as anyone ever has.

I taught him how to lift traditional weights when he was just a 14 year wrestler at my gym in in his hometown of Campbell and then the Way of the Kettlebell back in 2003 when he had just graduated college. He of course took to it like a duck to water . The story is documented in Pavel's classic book Enter the Kettlebell.

He wanted to do my workout, which meant he wanted an easy day ( for him ,lol) and we started with two hand swings

Two Hand swings
24 kg x10
24 kg x5
28kg x10
32 kg x 10,12,14,16,18, 20


and easy 90 reps for Mikey but a seriously nice workout for me, I haven't been above ten reps in two hand swing with any weight let alone the 32kg and it was a breeze. Good power all the way, It was a good sign.


Supersetted with Pistols

6 sets of 4 reps on the right leg and the same but Bench Pistols for the left leg. This was mike's idea although I had been planning on doing one legged squats off a box for the left leg but this was a better idea. Surprisingly I could actually do them on my left leg, an amazing thing!

With my right side I used Mike a spot and actually was going rock bottom with just a two finger spot. I went so deep with more of my own bodyweight than ever that I cramped my right VMO! Crazy.

When I started training for the cert with Mike back in 2005 I could barely get out of a chair with two legs and using my arms my knee and back were so jacked.now bench pistols with that leg. The body can heal, we can always get stronger. Always. It just might be more slow than we want but to me it's only about direction, about trendline, not speed.

Soon. VERY soon, I will be able to do a full, bodyweight pistol on my right leg and then started strengthening it with progressive weights.Soon as well I will be able to do a body weight pistol on my left leg to at least parallel and THAT will be one serious miracle. :))

Those with healthy joints who do not maximize the potential of their body to at least SOME degree are so crazy! They have no idea of the gift they have been given that they are squandering! I would KILL to have functional knees and shoulders again.

But I will take getting better to whatever degree I get to. That will suffice. I remember where I was. I won't forget that.

Handstands

8 sets of ten second holds!!!!

Mike was doing them freestyle but I used to wall to kick up to but then found I was totally locked into the groove and could hold them effortlessly! I could even look between my arms and stay completely stable! I felt light upside down for the first time in forever and it was very very cool. A good omen for the body weight workshop coming up.

Clubbell swipes

2 10 lbs x10
2 15 lbs x 10 x 5 sets


haven't done these in awhile and they felt light. Mike showed me his latest crazy ass clubbell work with two arm mills in both directions and some amazing cb juggling! Not for me but great to see it done.

Datsit.Sisu.

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Snatch Vo2 50 sets

It's been a long time since I've been in this territory. And true to form training max vo2 with snatches increases my cardio ability faster than anything else I've done with a kettlebell,possibly anything in general.

It seems I can take big jumps in total volume of sets AND reps for quite awhile with this protocol. It also helps, a lot, that my snatch form has been very very consistent and my body has behaved as well, not getting too wonky or imbalanced.

It's tough to go fast it you're even a little bit concerned about tearing a hamstring off the bone :)) But that's no longer the case it seems so my speed and efficiency is definitely up and that feels great too.

With my 7 rep sets I was finishing in 12 seconds and held the weight for the last 3 seconds. Even when I went to 8's I still had just over 1 second left in the interval. That's not bad for me at all. I've been ramping up from 30 sets a few months ago to today's 50 sets. This was the original goal of the original Snatch Vo2 protocol when it came out in 2007.

Then it got ramped up to 80 sets but I am fine with 50. At least until I can do all of them with8 rep sets. Soon.

Just as I did when I progressed from 30 sets of 7 to 80 sets of 8 last time I am working forwards and backwards at the same time, Forwards in that I am upping the total number of sets I do each workout for at least 3-4 weeks before backing off and rebuilding.

But backwards at the same time as I increase the number of 8 rep sets progressively downward, starting the the last 5 sets then getting to todays 20 sets. Next time I will still only do 50 total sets but will do 25 sets of 8 instead.

Once I work it down to 10 sets only of 7's I will jump to all 8 rep sets. Once I own that I will progressive it forward again up to 60 sets of 8 and that will be plenty.

Training with Tracy makes this possible as it's just too miserable to do by oneself unless you have a gun to your head. Tracy did her workout today alternating the 14 kg and the 16kg and I have to not get too upset as I remember she did 50+ sets of 8 with the 16kg not too long ago.

Kettlebell swing and snatch Maestro!

6 am

Full stretchout

8:30
snatch vo2
16 kg
15:15
30 sets of 7 ( 210)
20 sets of 8 (160)
370 total reps
13,320 lbs work ( now that's a great number!)

heart rate was up towards low 190's at the end and didn't come down for more than a few minutes. this kicked my butt!

Capt America Sliding arm casts
20 lbs x 10
25 lbs x 10
35 lbs x 8 x 3 sets

nice to get back to the big CB again.

Bodyblade laterals

3 sets of 10,8,6

wow these were tough today

Band Triceps extensions

3 x 20 with black band

Nice! I really need to get the triceps cooking again but everything I do ( pushups, dips, ring extensions) really jack up the shoulders. This seemed to work very well and really got the long head which is the key tricep muscle.

Datsit. Sisu

Sunday, September 04, 2011

Hardcore Hardstyle Inspiration/Hungarian Style.

Inspiration is the Mother of Motivation which is the essence of action. THIS gets me inspired!

Saturday, September 03, 2011

28 kg Long cycle clean and press 6x2


Seems like I haven't done single arm long cycle clean and presses heavy in forever so it's time to up the weight a bit. In keeping with my fondness for mutliple sets of low(er) reps in presses, and not knowing how my still funky left bicep tendon would behave I settle on sets of 2 reps with the 28.

Got a solid 60 min stretchout in today at 7 and that always helps.Lots of focus on releasing all the known suspects in biceps impingment such as pec minor and major, lats and teres major and the arm elbow flexors, that, in me at least seem to always make their way up the spider web of fascia and pull too hard on my shoulder capsule, taking it out of neutral and intro impingement

Getting to open up isn't the issue, it's keeping it in and sleeping on it doesn't help although I consciously try not too, most of the time I'm not conscious :)) and end on it too much. More overhead stretching and really getting the pain ball in the pec major,pronator teres, supinator and brachioradialis.

Lots of shoulder band distaction ala Kstar which helped, once I found the correct angle.then my normal stretchout routine, starting with back bends and ending in snatch grip lunge stretches.

Warmup
one arm swings
16 kg x5/5 + 5 transfers x 3 sets

Clean and press lc
16 kg x5/5
20 kg x 4/4
24 kg x3/3

28 kg x2/2 x 6 sets


these felt surprisingly light even on my left shoulder. No clunking in the rack position, as has been the case. So weird, for years it was my right shoulder giving me impingement pain.Once I go that cleared up the left side started talking to me! It's like I'm chasing the pain out of my body and it keeps running to a new place to hide til I find it again and it runs away again.

Soon I will chase it entirely out of my body and be square plump and neutral all day long.

Snatch
20 kg x5/5
24 kg x8/8
x 7/7
x6/6
x5/5

Just 52 reps with the 24 but it felt light and moved well. Will bump that up significantly next week. Into the high eighties or low hundreds. Felt strong this morning just cautious.

Pullups

5 sets of 4 with 5-8 sec of scap retractions at the end of each set.

these felt solid too and my collarbone was almost to the bar! I just leapt up on each rep to my utter amazement.Haven't done these in weeks and almost immediately after finishing the workout my left shoulder felt more solid that ever! crazy freakin' body of mine. It's such a puzzle.

Everything works but nothing works forever.

Datsit. Sisu

Thursday, September 01, 2011

44 kg Power swings


Today was a tough one. Seven clients in a row and no Tracy teaching her class during my training time to spur me on. It's always tougher to train by oneself;especially at the end of a long workday but that is truly what separates those who have and will continue to make progress in their practice and those who won't. You HAVE to be able to train by yourself because even if you have great training partners now, there will be a time when you won't

Or they won't show up.The key to getting these workouts done is not asking yourself how you feel or if you feel like training, or whether this will be a good workout or not. You will never know until you are knee deep into it, training partners or not and it doesn't matter.

All that matters is that the workout is on the schedule and it's time to saddle up and do your best for that day. That's all we can ever do anyway so don't even think about it; Just Do It( props to Nike for that one)

Didn't have enough time this AM for a stretchout so eeked it out during the work day which is better than nothing but not really good either. I'll have to finish it up tonite.

Power swings
24 kg x10
28 kg x7
32 kg x7
36 kg x5
40 kg x 5

44 kg x5x5

these were hard but good. Just what I needed for a tough day: heavy weight and low reps. Something to make me concentrate but didn't depend on energy and endurance I had already spent.

I really love this movement and it's a great fallback position when I'm fatigued because it's so safe as well.Hard but safe.

Pistols

five sets of 4 each leg, alternated with the power swings after I got to the 46 kg. My left knee was stiff than last week and I think it's because I didn't really get the quad opened up this morning. It was by the end.

Handstand holds and partial pushups

back to using the double straight leg position against the wall and these very very light and strong. the pushups were good but my left shoulders started moving around too much when I desended lower than a 1/4 pushup so I stopped there.

Five total sets here.

Datsit , quick and dirty. about 35 minutes

Sisu

205, 215, 217.5,205 x 1 x 6, 190 x 1 x 3, laterals, rear delts bw pushups

 Well this went great. not perfect but the basic premise worked and I'm happy. I was not optimistic at all about this at all given recen...