"And in those simple beautiful movements I remembered what was really important in training; that consistency trumps intensity; all the time. That intensity is born from consistency. That one cannot force it, one has to lay in wait for it, patiently, instinctively, calmly and be ready to grab it when Grace lays it down in front of you."
Decent workout but a bit frustrating. Shoulder was perfect all morning and then an hour or so before coming to snatch it started tightening up.Just never got to settle in but it wasn't that bad so I just got to it.
Snatch Vo2
15:15
16 kg
40 sets of 6
240 reps
8640 lbs work
then 4 sets of 6/6 after I realized the other video cut off my overhead position. It was about 1 minute rest Overhead is not as bad as it felt but the shoulder ache was an irritant
BUT I learned a lot about my groove too.
I realized/remembered that I cannot sit back on these, I have to lean forward first and that puts my hips back into the hinge. If I try to sit too early I just go up and down and it's never right. The last sets were very good,If my shoulder would have shut up I could have actually enjoyed the sets. Have to move my stance in a bit too.
45 sets next time and then onto 7's for the last five sets. Once i really get this groove down the speed will come back'
Feels GREAT to be moving fast and sweating like a pig and breathing crazy hard again. I've missed this.
Walking Lunges
4 laps of 40 steps each lap
these are always freaking painful but they are getting there. knee to the ground on every rep
Parallel bar pushup
3 x 15, 13, 10
dead.
ate up took a nap. strangely enough, did a bunch of elbow circles while lying on my back and the elbow and shoulder settled right in and now, a few hours later, feel the best they have in a long time.
very weird but I will take it!
Recovered well from yesterday. Shoulders felt pretty solid all day. Got a decent stretchout at my 8 am cancellation. Lots of overhead work to boot.
Had no idea of what today was going to be like but it worked out well
Military press
45 x 5 x 3 ( first time starting with bar!)
55 x 5
65 x 5 x 2
75 x 3 x 4 PR!
75 x 5 x 3
55 x 8
this was a bit rough starting out but then it smoothed out quite nicely.Shoulders needed quite a few reps to oil up :) Weight felt heavy though, hence the high pressure and the grunting :) Oh well.Added in some wrist wraps and that helped as well.Also switch from my York Oly bar to a thicker Texas power bar and it felt much better in the grip.
The york bar is very thin.
Belt squat
32 kg x 15, 17, 20, 20
haven't done these in awhile . Used Oly boots for first part of first set but took the off fast. Just don't help here. Once I re found the groove it was good work
Floor pushups
4 sets of 10
Man! Pecs and shoulders were tired from the first rep from all those presses but they also warmed up.
NO clunking and everything worked correctly . So nice to be able to do these for real again
Hip sled
95 lbs x 250 ft x 4 laps
these felt strong and easy. Time to bump the weight 10 lbs
solid one today. three tough days in a row and feel pretty solid right now. that's the goal
Solid one today. Not having to deal with such heavy loads yesterday helped I'm sure. Felt strong with a very fast pace and extra energy at the end as well
Laps 1-3 about 8:25 pace
4-6 8:15
5-7 8:10
8 8:05
9-10 8:00
11 7:55
12 7:45
Not a pr on any one laps but definitely the best average overall with not feeling dead at the end as well.
12 sets of 30-45 sec pole squats as well after each lap.
These are getting deeper and stronger all the time
Very happy to not be swinging a heavy bell this week! I might need another light day in between the 32 kg and the 48 kg workouts. As the volume goes up across the board recovery is getting tougher, even as I get fitter.
Perhaps
24 kg
32 kg
40 kg
28 kg
48 kg
??
Might make sense. 32 is still 'heavy' for me and then it's straight up from there. I do know that today felt good but I still had to up the volume a bit to get that next level adaptation. I thought I could add in some two hand swings and not lose the acceleration on any of the reps. worked great.
Two hand/ One arm swing combo
16 kg x 5/5/5 x 3
20 kg x 5/5/5
24 kg x 10/10/10 x 10 sets
300 reps
15,900 lbs work! best workload yet!
I can see working up to 40 rep sets here, it's just a minute but a totally different energy system and even better foundation work now that my work capacity can handle it. Snatch Vo2 training will help this too.
Goblet squat warmup
20 kg x 2 x 2
24 kg x 2
Double kb front squat
2 16s x 3
2 20's x 3
2 24's x 3 x 3
these went very well! moved my stance in a lot, kept my toes straight and rested my elbows ON my knees( that told me I had depth). This was a like doing a double bell goblet squat. The elbows become the pivot point and allow me to work my upright chest and still sink my hips. It's still a 'drill' but it's the next progression to strengthen the thoracic extensors IN that deep squat. Very strong position and the reps were solid even though it was tough from fatigue. Also makes me squat straight down
Pushups ( on horizontal pbars)
4 sets of 14!
no clunking at all. stability is increasing all the time
Crawls
three laps of 60 feet
felt very very strong. Ok lets hope for a better ruck walk than last week
Tough one today. Still haven't really caught up on sleep but all the joints feel pretty darn good. Just a bit tired.
Got though it though and it wasn't that bad. I had to stop this for awhile because it was tweaking my back with all the asymmetries that were going on with my knee but it's all coming back to me now. This is a GREAT workout, light and fast and the only kind of interval training I seem to be able to make myself do.
I like the speed of it more than anything. I miss being able to move fast and I used to be SO freakin fast. :)
Snatch vo 2
16 kg
15;15
35 sets of 6
210 reps
7560 lbs work.
definitely on the upswing and technique is falling into place. Definitely going completely by feel here, not worry at all about doing it ANY specific way except as fast and efficient for speed as I can,
Have to get this on tape as I don't know how it looks really.
My lockout feels ok but it also feels like it's getting better; opening up and that's good.
Overhead holds
15 lb bar x 30 sec, 45 sec , 60 sec
this was good. Light but on purpose .definitely better than the kb overhead. this will payoff I can feel it.
Walking lunges on grass
4 laps of 40 steps
Love these, getting stronger all the time. really letting the knee move forward as I lunges, I think of walking in deep snow.
Thinking also of adding in backwards walking lunges as the next progression
Parallel pbar pushups
14, 14, 12, 10
these went good. when the shoulder starts too tire it starts to 'thunk' and I know it's time to gear down. BUT I can do some much more than in recent memory and it's still increasing :)
datsit! me one tired puppy two days off till 24 kg one arm swings. Nice. Lots of stretching to do
It definitely isn't pretty but I did it and it's a PR. This was the second attempt. The first I let go at the bottom as I didn't have a solid grip on the horns. And, that, without a doubt was the hardest part of this- swinging it up to the rack position.
I did not take this seriously, I just did it as a lark, an afterthought, which is precisely why it basically kicked my ass and threw me around like a rag doll. I haven't done the 36 kg for a few months( july 24) but that one was way better. But it was also done as the main course in the workout. Not after ten sets of presses. Eithe way it's done but it has to be better.
Definitely also feeling beat up today. Got a decent 20 min stretchout in the am but I am tired. Not much sleep last night didn't help either. Tracy got in late from her trip and then I couldn't fall asleep. No worries.
Barbell Press
15 lbs x 5 x 2
45 lbs x 5 x 2
55 lbs x 5
65 lbs x 5
70 lbs x 5 x 5 !
55 x 5 x 3
12 total sets! these felt very solid. It's all coming together. wore my Oly shoes for this and that helped as I suspected. Helps me get a better lumbar arch and that always helps me.
Also, just as in my bench I have to flex my lats and raise my chest FIRST to start the press or 1) my shoulders hurt and 2) I'm no where near as strong.this felt good. Hard but good and I could really feel the triceps working - AND how freakin weak they are! They will get bigger and stronger too.
Goblet squat
20 kg x 5 x 2
24 kg x 5
32 kg x 5
40 kg x Miss
40 kg x 2
missed the first attempt by not getting the swing up right. Bad rack and I let it go in the bottom
40 kg was freakin heavy :)
Pbar pushups
12 x 1
11 x 1 ( left tricep spasming a bit)
Floor pushups
2 x 10
better, I think the tri got overdone and the pbar work was too similar. it's ok now
After such a strong and hard training week I knew I would hit a wall sometime soon and I thought it might be this morning on the ruck walk. It was. I had planned to step back, rather than fall off, the peak I've been on and it worked out well to do so.
Still two hours with a 40 lbs on your back is a long walk when things are tired. But I decided not to time any of the laps and just let my body set the pace, regardless of how slow it might feel. I did pretty well timing just the 6th and the 11th lap to see how close my perceived exertion was to real time.
It was pretty close and the pace wasn't so bad. Legs were just tired from the start. My 6th lap was 8:25, not bad at all. and my 11th lap after feeling that going so slowly wasn't making things easier was a solid 8:05. It was easier to push it then to hold back but I needed to gear down nonetheless.
This was just a pure slog but the legs are not hurt or achey, just tired. Sweated a ton with the humidity high and lost 2 lbs of water !
I had a good feeling about this workout and it all came about. I knew my old 48 kg one arm swing PR was 120 reps, done in sets of 6/6 back in the end of May . Last weeks work with the 40 kg was my strongest yet so I had high hopes for this work but the question was how to do it?
11 or 12 sets of do as I did last week and do 9 work sets and one of 10/10. That would give me a double pr, and secretly, what I hoped I would be able to do.
But I would keep all options open til I got hands on bell as that is the only thing that matters : how I feel during THAT workout. There is always another workout :)
But the AM stretchout was good, the bell warmup as well and the Beast didn't feel as heavy as usual and my grip felt UBER strong.Endurance was solid and I was recovering well between sets. Joe moved south so it is just, at best three of us so that means less rest. It was no problem
One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5+ 5 two hand swing x 3
20 kg x " "
24 kg x 5/5 one arm swings
28 kg x 4/4
32 kg x 3/3
40 kg x 3/3
48 kg x 6/6 x 9 sets 108 reps
x 10/10 pr
128 reps PR
13,568 lbs
SWEET.
here is the fifth set of 6/6
Double kb front squats
Didn't want to go too heavy after all that work , even though my back felt fine. Makes sense to have these in opposition- weight wise- with whatever the swing workload is. Heavy swings, light squats and vice versa
Moved my stance in closer and it felt better. deeper and stronger.
2 16s x 5
2 20s x 5 x 4 sets
Horizonal p bar pushups
13 x 2
12 x 1
11 x 1
these felt strong as well :)
Crawls
3 laps of 50 ft
getting stronger too. trying to get and keep hips even lower
ok then! nice roll. back off next week. I have travel again in 5 weeks so I probably wont go hard on this weight at the end of next cycle
The roll held up well today with the body feeling no problems and recovery pretty solid for a wednesday.
Lots of squatting during work today and legs feel pretty supple.
30 minute full bodystretchout this am
Snatch Vo2
16 kg
15:15
30 sets of 6
180 reps
6480 ft lbs work
Overhead position felt very solid given I did so little overhead prep today. Shoulders definitely felt better since the military press workout Monday. That's encouraging. SO much of the shoulder "ache' comes directly from the flexor policus longus. When the shoulder feels "out" if I release that muscle the elbow adjusts into neutral and the shoulder ache disappears! Very strange fascial connection there but it is very consistent.
Snatch holds
18 kg x 30 seconds
20 kg x 30 sec
22 kg x 30 sec
not sure if this is right. Right arm definitely fighting the movement and had a strange tightness in the rectus at 25 sec so I stopped. I think barbell overhead would be better or just a light barbell press.Keeping the bell moving seems better than the holds.
abs feel ok now
Walking lunges
4 laps of 40 each leg.
nice burn and hr very high after all those snatches too.
The roll continues. Had a solid stretchout this morning but everything felt good to start with. No carryover from the weekend.That's the big goal.
Set up the squat rack so I could press overhead without hitting the rafter and it worked great.
Standing Mil Press
35 x 5 x 3
45 x 5 x 2
55 x 5 x 2
60 x 5 x 2
65 x 5 x 1 pr
this felt great and is definitely the right move for me. For all the other sets except for the last I held the last rep lockout for a 2-3 count.The ROM gets better each set. So cool to be able to do this again. I can see 100 lbs for fives no problem soon.
Floor pushups
5 sets of 10
ten is the magic number. more than that and the shoulder starts to get a little noisy and starts to clunk. plenty of good work though
Goblet squats
20 kg x 5
24 kg x 5
28 kg x 5
32 kg x 3
28 kg x 5
24 kg x 5
these went great. Very easy. I can get much deeper here than with double front squat but they are both good for me. This was the easiest 32 kg ever has been
Sled drag hip
95 lbs x 250 ft x 5 laps
easy.
another solid solid session. Now to roll and stretch and get ready for Snatch Vo2 on wed. 30 sets.
Well I don't know where the hell that came from :) Started out fast, got faster and finished very strong.Twelve full laps and almost everything was a personal best! It was very cool, almost effortless and my body did exactly what I asked it to do. Very much a throwback to my ultra days when I felt I could just run and walk forever. I definitely have jumped to a new level of fitness it seems.
This is how it usually happens, you train and train and train and nothing seems to be improving strongly and then BAM, you are instantly at a new level.
When I was cycling it was like that too. Up until I could ride 100 miles everything below that felt tough. Then I went past 100 one day, way past, and then everything up to 100 was easy. SEGA- welcome to the next level :) ) old persons joke.
Got out extra early today and did the first 2 laps in total darkness but it was very cool out which helped. I love being out before everyone when the air is clean and cool and everything is quiet.
here are the laps
1-3 started at 8:30 and dropped right away to 8:20
4/5 8:20- 8;15
6/7 right up to 8:10 and very easy too
8 7:55 ! ties PR
9 7:50 even easier
10 7:40 all time PR
11 7:38 didn't even try for this was thinking about slowing it down!
12 8:00 definitely a cool down lap didn't want to be TOO greedy.
two hours five minutes with 11 sets of squat holds as well. three stances
feel great now. most excellent.
at one point almost felt like I could run. and the 39 lb pack felt LIGHT.
Felt strong today. Really strong. Surprised actually especially because I was scheduled to swing the 40 kg and I haven't played with this bell in awhile. But warmups went easy and when I got to the first set with the 40( which usually is the worst) it felt strong in my hand. Not light, per se, but I felt strong.
And I just got stronger. Very nice feeling.Grace layed it down and I picked it up
30 minute Body Check warmup
all systems go! truthfully this is the best my entire body has felt in EONS. Even my shoulders felt good. Normal I dare say :)
One Arm Swings
16 kg x 5/5/5 x 3
24 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 5/5
32 kg x 4/4
40 kg x 5/5 x 5
x 6/6 x 5
x 10/10 x 1pr
130 reps pr
11,400 lbs !
this felt so strong
My last set of 5/5
Bell height was better than expected. I plan on doing a Five minute one arm swing test before I leave for Copenhagen and Israel at the end of November. After the 36 kg test I couldn't conceive of doing it with the 40. Now I can .
Double front squat
2 16s x 5 x 2
2 20s x 5 x 1
2 24s x 3 x 5 sets
First set was with OLY shoes but, again, I get deeper without them. Strange. With bodyweight I can squat deeper on my toes but I think the bells act as a counterbalance and it's different.
I also did NOT move my stance in which really let me stay more upright.This is definitely the correct stance for my double squat. Much less rounding of the upper back
Floor pushups
2 x 10
2 x 12
very solid
Crawls
Four laps of 50 feet.
strongest ever.
NICE!!!
BW 161.
Can't wait to ruck walk tomorrow. things are back on track.
My shoulder has been really really good since Aleksandar Miketa worked on it in Croatia and it seems to be holding. That, along with my body somehow 'squaring up' and the imbalance getting better since my TKR. Who knows? I just know that finally the overhead position is better and I don't need so much bodywork
But today's dive back into snatch vo2 training was solid which was a great sign.Full hour stretchout this AM plus a 30 minute fast walk I was pretty warmed up for the workout
highpull warmup 16 kg x 5/5 x 3
snatch vo2
25 sets of 6 with 16 kg
150 snatches
5400 lbs
not bad at all. will work up to 50 sets of 6 before going to 7's
Snatch holds
16 kg x 30 sec x 2
18 kg x 30 sec x 2
wow haven't done these in ages. Glad to be able to do these again
Walking lunges
4 laps of 100 feet
very very strong. best ever! legs strength/endurance is really coming around!
close grip pushups on horizontal p bars
3 sets of 12 1 set of 11
solid shoulder work no clunking and good triceps as well
great workout! the snatches were very encouraging as well as no pain :)
LOL it's a PR :) But it is. Shoulders have felt great since I got back to the cert and it definitely dawned on me it might be because I've done so little training. But that never really helped in the past. Everything seems more 'square, plumb, and neutral' this last week and it seems like things are "in the socket" more than ever. Even my back. Glenn said my lumbar para spinals seemed almost even in size today. I can't remember when that was the case.
Full stretchout this am but truth is, didn't need much work as everything felt very relaxed. I only stretch to relieve the muscle tightness if it is there. If not I leave things alone. Very light stretchout today and nothing overhead.
Didn't want to jinx how good the shoulder was feeling
Military press
two hand swing warmup :3 x 10 16 kg
35 lb x 5 x 3 started too high not warmed up enough for this but after three sets it's ok
45 lb x 5 x 3
50 x 5 x 3
55 x 5 x 2 PR !!
didn't gauge ceiling height right, obviously but the press felt not bad at all, and it got better each set. still need more warmup . The setup here is definitely not good. might do these early at No Ex.Have to get my grip in more to keep the forearms more vertical. Thinking about going up in weight too much, and not about the groove.
Air squats
25 x 1
30 x 1
35 x 1
40 x 1
eh. not sure if this is the move. definitely got into some depth but I want to train to keep my chest up more and I don't think I'm ready for just bodyweight. not hard though
floor pushups
4 x 10
these were solid and the scapulae were working really well together. No should pain but they were tired and started to be unstable after 10 reps/
Hip Sled
95 lbs x 250 ft x 4 laps
these were easy. My leg carry strength is good after the vacation :)
working my way back in slowly Wed is max vo2 again at least a try. playing around with the routine a bit but it's all good. want to add in kb front and goblet squats somewhere.
Well all that rucking around airports and Croatia seems to have paid off: my leg and back conditioning felt great this morning! The pack weighed 138.7 and seemed much lighter than before I left, lol.
First laps were around 8:25s , much faster than usually with no more effort. Started dropping into the 8:15s quickly and held out there until the last two laps; eight and nine, where they dropped into 8:05 range.
I choose to stop there, an hour and 35 minutes just to be safe and load back up slowly. I choose more weight rather than the twelve laps. few hours later all is well.
Bodyweight this morning was 160.2. I actually lost a pound on this trip. I think the weight I want to live at is between 155 and 158. For me,lighter is better but I'm not going to force things. With all the heavy bells and leg work, plus now added pressing the extra weight is muscles but I still have lots of bodyfat I can drop.
First workout back after a full week traveling to and from Croatia for another level 1 cert. It was a great time; met old friends and excellent new people, I had a blast teaching new candidates and initiating them into our family of kettlebell instructors.We had no travel delays, great weather, time to adjust once we got there and our host Sasa Rajnovic treated us like royalty; picking us up from Zagreb( a 1/5 hour trip each way) as well as taking us back after the cert was over. What a nice guy and an excellent instructor. This was Sasa's first time teaching at a cert as Team Leader and he really showed he knows what he is doing as instructor, as well as an athlete.
We got an apartment with a much better view than last year and everything worked great.My knee and back were perfect the whole time.
My shoulder was 'out" for the first two days then Alexandar Miketa worked on it and then things just settled down.
Aleks is one very strong and competent coach as well. Here's an impromtu 36 kg kb press for a triple during a break at the cert. Aleksandar weighs about 165 lbs
Really solid guy on all levels and a good friend.
Also last year's student and this year's assistant Tiki Fere brought Tracy and I this amazing piece of art. I will cherish this forever :)
TONS of walking to and from Croatia as well as while we were there, all the while carrying my 26 lbs pack with Zero issues. Very happy I trained for this and it went off exactly as I had hope. Felt very strong the whole time.
Monday off to Zagreb for what was supposed to be R & R but turned into a working holiday with an impromtu workshop at CrossFit Zagreb, Marino Basic's place. It was actually great fun although they made me train :) It's an amazing setup. their crossfit box is about 6000 square feet INSIDE of 20,00 square foot sports facility with tennis courts, olympic level wrestling club,table tennis club ,running track etc.! giant place and very well equipped.
Pretty simple stuff: Deadlifts from 5-10, then hike swing parks, then dead stop single swings, then a 10-20 rep two hand swing ladder. Simple but not easy :) Especially since it was 7 pm at night and i was not in the mood to train :)
Oh well. sucked it up and got it down. Loved that even though they were Crossfit they go smoked :)
Then they took us out to eat at a traditional Croatian restaurant and it was perfect. Lots of meat bread,veg and wine and serious old school ambiance.What more could I ask for?
The next day Tomislav Dolusic took us on a in depth tour of the old city and it was just classic. Love these old cities just brimming with so much history and stories
The next day they interviewed us for their website and asked us both back to do a weekend seminar workshop next year! Very cool, now just to find the right time!
Finally back on the plane for 20 + hours of travel which I dealt with stunningly well if I do say so myself
NOW to my workout
Haven't really worked out in a week so I wanted to get back on the horse but not kill myself. It's not just about going light it's about not doing too much workload in general.
SO
30 minute am roll stretch and hangout
Two hand/one arm swings
16 kg x 5/5/5 x3
24 kg x 4 two hands into 5/5 one arms
28 kg x 4 + 5/5
32 kg x 4 + 5/5 x 10 sets
140 reps.
have to get this workload back into more significant volume
Transfers
24 kg x 35 reps
this was a good work set everything feeling right
CB arm cast
20 lbs x 10/10 x 3 sets
straight bar pushups
3 x 10
crawls 3 x 50 ft
datsit. A nice little work load to kick start me back into heavier work Tomorrow ruck weighs in at 38.7 pounds and we will see how many laps I do
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