Back in the mix

Fresh back from the first ever StrengthMatters SMK certification in the UK and I still had to make my workout.
I wrote a full debrief of the cert for another blog so this is just about getting back on the horse while my body thinks it time to go to sleep again
Actually the jet lap in either direction wasn't too bad this time and the travel was exceptionally easy. Plus I had plenty of energy and my body behaved well . I dont' think i got on a full roller all weekend but I did get a lot of stretching and demo type training in.
that was good.

So today was easy and I would have rather not started back with swing vo2 but there it was.

Speed swings
24 kg
12 minutes
15;15
10 reps /set
240 reps
12, 720 reps

this was not strong but it wasn't hard either. Just tired and hungry. But it got done and it made me just that much stronger for next time

Walking lunges
3 laps of 40
tough here, starting to run out of gas.
Legs got the most work this weekend/

Horiz bar pushups
20
15
15

trying to hold on now :)

DB side laterals
3 sets of 12 with 12's

about 60 minutes total. not bad considering. back to ruck tomorrow, that should be easier

bw after trip 161.8 pretty much exactly the same as when I left :)

datsit
neverquit

90 lb Military press,36 kg belt squat,floor pushups, leopard crawls, rear delts

last day before I leave to teach the first ever StrengthMatters Kettlebell certification. Very excited but wanted to make sure I left with no new dings so I backed off and it worked out perfectly

Military press
stick x 5
bar x 5 x 2
65 x 5
75 x 5
90 x 5 x 6 sets

these were the best presses I have done since I started pressing with a barbell again early this year. Moving my grip in ( right at the edge of the knurling) has made a HUGE difference. I can really  angle my hand on the bar and actually get some torque into my shoulders and arms

I was really  having trouble squeezing the bar( even though I was trying hard to) with the old grip. Plus I am pulling my elbows underneath me right at the start. Plus , after the initial drive I am letting my elbows flare as they want. with this narrow of a grip it won't be much

my shoulders aren't achy at the start, not getting ANY left tricep bite like I was before and the overhead position feels much better. Need less arch at the top

Interesting to see this with my shirt off and my scaps go through their paces. They are not as bad as I expected although I can really see where my scoliosis kicks in around T11-12. Right erector is still smaller than the left but the scaps are moving pretty well together . Lockout was even decent

Belt squat
36 kg x 12, 14, 16

wanted to do another set so I stopped :)

Floor pushups
3 sets of 20

same here

Crawls
3 sets of 50 ft

much stronger than last time
 db rear delts
3 sets of 12 with 12's


ok wheels up tomorrow going to make some kb instructors

datsit
neverquit

Hard ruck

Yesterdays lunges took a toll on my legs today during the ruck. I could really feel my quads working harder than normal; a good sign :) It will take a bit to adapt but it's exactly what I want-more quad work.

Fast one too though, second lap was 8:10 and last lap was 7:45! After two hours and 10 iso squats
PLUS I got the ruck selfie I told Morgan I was going to attempt. Easier to do than i thought but harder to take the damn picture.

Tried it for three laps before I got one and Tracy took this selfie photobomb :)

12 lap ruck
55 lbs
1 hr 55 min
10 isosquats

32 kg One Arm Swings, 12's, 28 kg double cleans,kb lunges, horiz pushups, side delts

Solid solid workout. I knew it was going to be good the second I hiked the 32 kg back and it felt light in my hand. Always a good sign.
It was tougher cardio wise then I expected but I think that's because I was trying to, and able, to really accelerate each and every rep as hard as I could. The second half of the second hand was always tough but getting this power out is the idea.
Maximize power and speed on heavy day and try to do the same on speed and volume day when it is lighter. It's so much easier for me to deal with being out of breath and still trying to keep acceleration of the bell high when I know I get a decent rest after the set :)

One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
32 kg x 12/12 x 10 sets
240 reps
16,800 lbs work

this was the most consistent power output I have ever done with this weight for this many reps. and that is the goal, 12' are tough though,lol. Anything over 7 reps per arm is freakin' long
each set took about 35-40 seconds and rest/ sets about 90 seconds ( two man crew today)

Double cleans
2 20s x 5
2 24's x 5
2 28s x 5 PR


these were HARD. especially the 28''s which I think my previous best was triples. Just didn't have a lot of gas in the tank at this point. But, they got done! Need to bend my knees more on the backswing. next time

KB Lunge


these were still tough! but they really are good. I can remember when I tried to do these in the first year of my TKR recovery and could not at all so this is good progress and that's what counts

Horiz Pushups
20
20
15

55 total reps.

beat.

db side laterals
3 x 12 with 12 lbs

these are getting better and right shoulder mechanics are virtually identical to right

big ruck tomorrow. last one for ten days or more

datsit
neverquit

Fast Ruck

 Another good one today. Didn't feel any side effect at all from yesterdays 20 min swing session. Adapting very well to the workload.
Today's ruck as loose and fast too with lots of energy. Nice.
Setting up well for the week off at the cert.

47 lb ruck
6 laps
55 min( fast)

nice that the weather was 15 degrees cooler than it's been too. that helped.

ok day off then 32 kg swings.Finally heavy day isn't too heavy!

datsit
neverquit

Speed swings, 20 min,walking lunges,parallel pushups, kb rows

Slept well and after thinking just a bit about it with Glenn, decided to shoot for the full twenty minutes of speed swings. At this point it's not that big a deal how long we go. Which is precisely the level I wanted to get to.
Now it's about trying to maximize acceleration on each and every rep of every set for however minutes the set takes, The base is there, the foundation solid.This is what we've trained for. Pretty soon we should take the 32kg swing test again.  But I have a cert to do first.

Speed Swings
15:15 10 reps per set
40 sets
20 minutes
400 reps
21,200 lbs
10.6 tons

Still stayed with the head up in the bottom position. Seemed what my body wanted to do. I did use double breathing after 11-12 minute. again my body said yes so I went with it.

Walking lunges
4 laps of 40 feet

this was tough from the start as it usually is after 20 minute sets. On the last round I was taking break after the first 20 reps!

Parallel pushups
20
20
18
16
 74 total

these were very strong and no shoulder clunks at all

KB row
24 kg x 8/8 x 3 sets

solid day. ruck up tomorrow glad I did the 20 minutes now I don't have that waiting for me when I get back :)

datsit
neverquit

115 lb Military press,40 kg belt squat, floor pushups, leopard crawls, side delt

Well this was a better workout than I thought it was! Just looking back at my numbers for this and my 5x5 pr is with 110 lbs and with 120 lbs I've done 4 sets of 2. Today I did 5 sets of 3 with 115 and it was strong! Definitely could have done 4's for sure.
Made a great technique discovery too- brought my grip in about 1/2 inch closer and really worked to get and keep my elbows IN more in the rack and what a difference it made! Way more torque in the shoulder and hand

I've been struggling trying to squeeze the bar harder because it really helps strength but I just have felt like I didn't have a great grip connection- well bringing the hands in just that much made the bar fit so much better in the hand I could really crush it.

Crazy such a small thing makes such a huge difference but it can.

It also helps that my shoulders have been feeling much better of late

Military press
 stick x 5
bar x 5
65 x 5
     x 3
85 x 3
105 x 3
115 x 3 x 5 sets! PR


Belt squats
4 sets of 15 with 40 kg
VERY strong. Love these shoes

Floor pushups
4 sets of 21
84 reps

use the same thing here. closer hand spacing and more shoulder torque. NO clunking even at the later sets and reps!

Leopard crawls
3 sets of 40 50 and 60 ft

db side delts
12 lbs x 3 sets of 12

just getting back to it but man these were strong! having a strong day :)

ok day off tomorrow then speed swings!

datsit
neverquit

Long Ruck

After having to miss last week because of the workshop this weeks 2 hour session, especially after the 48kg swings yesterday was just a wee bit hard! Plus a little too much wine and food last night and it was 'you play you pay"

So I payed. Not that bad really, the weather was cooler and overcast and that helped. Nothing hurt I was just feeling tired and my legs weren't as loose. I could definitely feel the lunges I did yesterday too.

It's funny how one miss can make a difference in "feel" of effort but it does. I can still perform but it takes more to do so.

Ruck
55 lb pack
12 laps
1 hr 55 min ( fast!)
last lap time 8;03 (fast too!)
10 iso squats ( one each lap)

bw at start 163 .6
after 160.6  lol just a bit of sweating going on

presses tomorrow!

datsit
neverquit

48 kg One Arm Swing ( PR),20 kg double cleans,Wt lunges,horiz pushups

This was tough but good. I was a bit worried after the first set when I found the left hand grip not so strong for all 8 reps! Not a good sign. I really had to grip it tight to reinforce it and then I was concerned about tearing.
No  tears but this was some serious work.
All four of us agreed but in silence. When it's this tough all the chatter stops and people are just trying to survive. And not lose focus.Everyone was working
It seems that when the reps get over seven per hand with heavy loads it really gets tough.Especially on the second hand but hey, this was PR territory.
That means I've never done it so it should be expected to be a bit tough.
But my body felt great, I slept well and was mentally ready. I should have expected a tough one :)

One arm swing
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 4/4
32 kg x 4/4
40 kg x 3/3
48 kg x 8/8 (pr) x 10
160 reps ( ties pr)
16,960 lbs
8.48 tons

nice. and the pace was quick even with four of us rotating through. Getting close to 200 rep goal( 10 x 10/10) but it that will be a muther!
Also swing height is still lower than I want so even as I approach 200 I will have to recycle and rebuild to get more power and height in the swing.
No worries, I'll be working on something in either case

Double cleans
2 20's x 6,7,8

these were great. wanted something light after the beast work. Getting back to cleans and may play around with single cleans for reps, as a snatch substitute :)

Weighted Lunges( split squat)
2 16's x 5/5 x 5 sets

these worked perfectly. I want to give pistols a rest as it is bothering my right rectus femoris and locking the right hip a lot. I went to them to isolate the left leg for size but I think the simultaneous stretch on the right back leg might be a good thing to keep things balanced. If the right is a little bigger than the left it won't kill me
But these felt good, hard in a very good way.
some kickstand squats too but not much.

Will work those in to my daily squat/mobility work

Horiz Pushups
3 sets of 20

easy

datsit
neverquit

long ruck tomorrow.

Hot ruck

It twas a bit warm this afternoon. Close to 100 degrees at 1 pm but we kicked it into gear anyway. It's just an hour > just six laps. No worries.

Ruck
47 lbs
58 minutes
4th lap= 8:10

right hip is fine since I really unlocked that right rectus femoris

ok dats it
neverquit

Beast swings for 9/9 on saturday!

24 kg speed swings 15 min, walking lunges,parallel bar pushups, kb rows

Hardly any sleep last night but a solidly good workout today. Just didn't think about it much and it all went well. Definitely getting into the best shape in forever with this speed swing work. 15 minutes today was easy and went by like a breeze. Power and acceleration were the best ever as well.
One thing this type of training does, like it's counterpart in snatch vo2 is make you very efficient at going fast. and fast is power and high forces. 

Just what I'm going for. But it's really cleaned up my swing groove too and let  me really find my power spot better than ever. Today again. I kept my head up on the descent. Didn't think about it much I just went where the stroke felt fastest and tightest.

Don't seem to be able to do that much with the over 40 kg bells but I'm sure I'll get there.It's more of a pure hip hinge and less back but at those weights I'm not quite ready for that groove.Need all the help for power I can get

Speed swings

15:15

24 kg x 10 rep/set

30 sets

300 reps

15,900 lbs

7.95 tons

Didn't even look up til five minutes in and it seemed like two:) Just stayed with my ritual and focused on the breath.No double breathing the entire time. Didn't need it

Walking lunges

4 sets of 40 steps

changed my stride a bit. taking a longer step then really letting the knee hinge forward more rather than sharing the load more with the hip. Feels great and really puts the torch on my quads

Parallel bar pushups

 20

20

18

15

73 reps

easy. shoulder was fine

kb row

24 kg x 8/8 x 3

solid

ok ruck up tomorrow. going to be in triple digits! heat conditioning! yea :)

datsit

neverquit

Ruck on.

After yesterday's 8 hour teaching/demo workshop ( which

went great) I was planning on doing my normal press workout but then Tracy wanted to ruck and I thought since I had to sacrifice a press workout or my sunday ruck I decided I would rather ruck it.

But I also through in 100 pushups after wards to keep the upper body engaged.
Just an hour with a lightened pack but it was hot as hell out and the perfect session

Ruck
47 lb ruck
6 laps
51 minutes ! ( PR)
last lap at 8:00

don't know how we went so fast, didn't seem so at the time but it felt great. I so love and appreciated being able to walk strong again. It's really a miracle for me and I'll never ever forget that.

Floor pushups
5 sets of 20

100 reps!

last set was hard in that the left shoulder started clunking but I really wanted to finish the five sets so I went through. Not that smart but it seems fine now.

44 kg One Arm Swings 5/5, 24 kg double cleans, pistols, Horiz pushups

This went great, better than I expected. Back got a little tight last night and that had me worried a bit but it unraveled nicely during sleep. My right hip flexor needed some serious love yesterday as it was STILL tight from last weeks pistol work on the right side! Have never trained that leg like that before and it was talking to me all week. I finally paid enough attention and gave it enough SMR to finally get it all the way out.
That what was tugging on my back I'm sure.
Important thing was that I felt great this morning

And the program for just 5/5 for 10 sets was brilliant. Just what we need PLUS it gave us an opportunity to not just survive the sets but really focus on power and acceleration. I think this new alternating intensity schedule will work well.

What we've been doing has been working great but it's time for a change. I'm listening to my body and that's what it says.

One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 4/4
28 kg x 3/3
32 kg x 3/3
40 kg x 3/3
44 kg x 5/5 x 10 sets
100 reps
9700 lbs
4.85 tons

fast paced too as we were only doing 20 second sets even though there were four of us. Shoes still are performing perfectly. Feel like I could wear them all day.

Double Cleans


2 20's x 5
2 24's x 4 x 5

these were the best cleans I've ever done. Not sure if I am going to ramp these up to 10 rep sets or increase the load but this is definitely the second exercise for Saturdays. Makes me use a wider stance and hit the glutes and hips differently. It will feel differently though after 200 Beast swings :)

Pistol/ kickstand squat practice


These went great. using a hand spot instead of me holding on works better. I have to reach out more to keep my center of mass over my foot. If I grab tight I sit back and that'll never translate. The kickstand squats continue to be a winner on many levels

Horiz bar pushups
3 sets of 15
easy backing off for tomorrows KB Basics workshop

Superset with 30 second chin bar hangs

still going well here, too

ok no ruck tomorrow just 8 hours of kb demos! this is what I train for, to be able to do this stuff and not skip a beat

datsit
neverquit

Hour Ruck

Rushed for time today but got it done. Since I will miss the long ruck on Sunday because of the workshop I left the full weight in the ruck. Only 7 lbs more but I could feel it. No problems from yesterday's swing fest and got a full one hour stretch out this morning. Nice to have that 6 am hour open again if even for a day.

Ruck
55 lbs
6 laps
55 min
3rd lap pace = 8:20
Last lap pace = 8:05

nice and cool out today fall is in the air a bit.

datsit
neverquit

Speed Swings 17 min,walking lunges, parallel bar pushups,kb rows

Well the rule still stands; you can't tell if it's going to be a good workout by how well you did or did not sleep the night before. Or how you feel going in. It might just be that the worse you slept or feel the better you might do.
That's the case today. rough night's sleep last night and was a bit concerned it might hurt more than usual in the swing workout but it was the strongest effort EVER in this protocol. Groove was good. body felt good, wind, power the whole shebang.
Didn't have to double breath at ALL for the duration and that's hasn't happened since I discovered how much it helps and that my back can tolerate it.
Ended up with a more heads up groove , staying back behind mid line more than usual. Left side of lower back, which has been touchy sometimes towards the end said nothing.
Innov8 shoes felt perfect and I could tell the angles are just right for my power production. First time I used them in this protocol

Speed swings
24 kg x 15:15 10 reps per sets
17minutes
340 reps
18.020 lbs
9 tons!

Best recovery ever as well. Good power output throughout the set.

Walking lunges
4 laps of 20 first two sets unbroken
taking longer more upright steps and then letting the knee move forward more. More pure quad and ankle work and adductors

Parallel pushups
20
20
15
15

70 reps
these felt strong too!

kb row
24 kg x 8/8 x 3 sets

finished strong.

ok ruck up tomorrow

datsit
neverquit