Last workout of 2016. 4 sets of 10 with 48 kg,6 sets of 10 with 52,hacks, pushups, delts

Everything felt great this morning, no aches or pains, slept well,mobility good from the start and with only 100 reps to do in sets of 10, no fear :)

And things went great. Not stupid cold this morning ( only 41) and I warmed up quickly

One arm swings
 16 x 5/5 x 2
20 x 5/5
24 x 5/5
28 x 5/5
32 x 5/5
36 x 4/4
40 x 4/4
48 x 10 x 4 sets
52 x 10 x 6 sets

felt very confident the whole time. bell felt light except for grip. Nick suggested a false grip and while I wasn't ready to test it 3/4 the way into the workout I did adjust my grip towards that; basically a false grip with my thumb wrapped but very lightly. Worked better. I will have to play with this.
The grip was definitely the limiting factor in my ability to produce power here but man, overall , I am seriously stronger

Barbell hacks
65 x 10
85 x 10
105 x 10
115 x 10
125 x 10

very strong could really feel legs in a good way.

Sandbag pushups horizontal bar
bw x 12
32 lbs x 12 x 3

strong again

Side delts
3 sets of 12 with 15's. strongest groove ever

long ruck tomorrow with 3-4 intervals. can't drink too much tonight :)

datsit
DFQ

Happy freakin' New Year!

Quick and easy ruck

Got to the ruck late this afternoon after being on a phone call longer than expected. In fact, I forgot I had to ruck today , so caught up in the call I was :) When I realized it I was pissed; I thought I was going to get to eat lunch and I was hungry!

But it was Thursday, Ruck day, and a 45 lb ruck was first on the menu before food.

So I rucked up and had a great one. It was  a grand call and I was pumped up and once I got going didn't notice hunger at all

45 lb ruck
6 laps
No timed laps but sub 8's by guess. felt light, loose and fast
55 min

BW 165
BF 12.2
W 56.7

ok day off to stretch and roll and then just 100 reps in sets of 10 for sat

datsit
DFQ

28 kg StrengthSpeed Swings 10 min, BW walking lunges, parallel pushups, rear delts

This wouldn't have been bad at all if it weren't still 38 deg in my garage! It was 51 deg outside but near icebox level in Stones Gym. Cold as a stone, that's for sure. The slap freezes and won't thaw out til March at the earliest. Should have taken my 10 min active warm up bath. Next time I will, it always  make a huge difference and this is becoming a super cold California winter.

28 kg Strength Speed swings
28 kg
15:15 x 10
20 sets
200 reps
12,600 lbs work

not bad at all except I had to double breath about 5 min in. Just wasn't warmed up physically or cardiovascularly. No problem getting the reps out though and the height was good.
Alternating this every other week will work well.I had better speed on it because of the lighter work last week I'm sure.
Groove was fine, and I was pretty tight and sore from monday's presses but nowhere near as bad as last week

BW lunges
3 laps of 40 steps

off schedule but decided to do these today and next week instead of the weighted ones. these are harder anyway ,much better quad burn

Parallel pushups

 3 sets of 25, very strong reps something left at end

rear delts
3 sets of 15 with 15  very strong!

ok ruck up tomorrow

BW 165.4
BF 12.2
W 56.8

datsit
DFQ

140 lb Military press 4x5, 1x4 PR, 36kg Belt squats, floor pushups,crawls , side delts

SOOOOO CLose!!!! It was a great day. I fixed all the mistakes from last week and after the first set felt very confident I would get all five sets. Even after set 4 I thought I would and even after the first two reps of set five I thought I would but I got forward on number 3 and then had to grind way too hard on 4 to even think of five!Even got a full hour long stretch and roll!
DAMMIT!

It was FREEZING here today so I took a ten minute super hot bath and that made my warmup 100% better. Warm from the inside always works better for me.
Took way more time  warming up and really worked the arch position well. Took 3 minute rest between sets; everything pointed to making it except the last reps :)
 the last set



Glenn figured out that the reason I was losing my back position was that I was pushing the bar forward at the top and even though I felt like I was leaning back the same amount since I started more forward I was not back enough on the subsequent rep.
Great intel I just need more practice

Back off next week though probably to 120 and then go 130 and then a shot at 140 again

Military press
stick x 5 x 2
45 x 5 x 2
65 x 5
85 x 4
105 x 3
120 x 2
140 x 5 x 4 sets
       x 4 x 1 set PR!!
24 total reps

SO much better than last week but then again, lats weren't cramping with DOMS and I wasn't frozen solid. Not the best setup for a pr

Position is everything for me now on this lift, if i want to keep progressing, It's not so much my strength, it's being able to get into position to express my strength.

36 kg belt squat
 4 sets of 12
very slow and strict on eccentric. easy


Floor pushups
3 sets of 30

strong but didn't have a fourth set

Crawls
3 sets of 70 ft

stronger

Side delts
3 sets of 10 with 20 lbs

these were hard! haven't gone this heavy with these in awhile and I could feel it. Not enough height but it will make it stronger

BW 165.6
BF 11.2 ?!
W 57.8

this is just weird.


ok stretch and roll tomorrow

datsit
DFQ

Hanukkah/Christmas Ruck

Thought it was going to be harder, actually.
Yesterday's swing training was tough but I seemed to recover well, no tweaks or issues at all

Since it is Hanukkah/Christmas I decided to give myself a break and not time any laps, just go at a nice steady pace. So much easier ,lol
Did take me an hour to warm up but then I didn't die so badly on the tenth lap, as usual. Just a wee slow down but energy was good.

50 lbs ruck
12 laps
11 iso squats
2 hours on the mark

BW 165.2
BF 11.2
W 57.5

that was interesting. alternating a glass of green tea for every glass of wine seems to help ,lol

heavy presses one more time tomorrow. If I can't get fives I will back off and rebuild the next time

datsit
DFQ

48 kg One Arm swings 10 x 10/10 ( 13th time) barbell hacks, sandbag pushups,rear delts

This was tough. I'm not sure if it's it's still hard because I'm not getting stronger or that, because I'm stronger, I'm able to pushhard.

I actually think it's because I am stronger and able to go harder.All things point to this. My grip is easy. I don't "nut up" as much as I used to before the workout.The height of the bell is actually better. The speed of the descent is definitely faster and looser. I feel like I can actually push the bell back harder now and "go" with it, where as before I had to control the eccentric much more to feel safe.
I think the speed of the ascent is faster too.
It has to be if the height is better and the total time of 10 reps is the same.

BUT it still KICKED MY ASS TODAY. One of the toughest things is knowing the last five sets are the hardest, and the last three are the absolute harderst part of the whole workout! Trying to maintain bell speed, height and not get tweaked is tough!

Also we did the workout in just 30 min again today and that was blazing fast. Suffered a lot :) Pkus warming up was hard; 38 deg in the garage


One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 5/5
32 kg  x 4/4
36 kg x 3/3
40 kg x 3/3
48 kg x 10/10 x 10
30 min
21,200 lbs

Hack squats
 65 x 5
85 x 5
105 x 5
115 x 5
125 x 5

too lazy and tired to change into bigger plates to get heavier. oh well

Sandbag pushups
bw x 10
32 lbs x 12 x 3

tired

rear delts
3 sets of 12 with 20 lbs

BW 165.2
BF 11.4
W 57.3

ok long slow ruck tomorrow. Happy Chanukah and Merry Christmas!

datsit
DFQ

Thursday ruck

A good solid ruck today. Not really into it at first but legs felt loose and pace was good from the get. No side effects from yesterday, which was nice


45 lb Ruck
6 laps
3rd lap 7:49
6th lap 7:32
52 min

smooth and good energy all throughout

BW 165
BF 12.2
W 56.7

cutting out ice cream :)

stretch and roll tomorrow then the big swing volume sat

figured this out: on wed before a 10x 10/10 speed swings with 24 kg
                           on wed before 10 x10 use the28 for strength speed swings

makes sense, we'll see how it plays out

datsit
DFQ

24 kg Speed swings 12 min,sandbag lunges, parallel pushups,side delts

Back to the 24 kg and speed work and boy can I tell the difference! SO much easier,lol. But the power output was much better. The two days were getting too close together and I thought I was losing speed and grinding away too much so here we are. felt strong too. I think my mojo is coming back. You have to pay attention. you have to be aware. you have to be willing to alter course to go as straight towards the goal as you can. even if that means going backwards or sideways. For the moment :)


24 kg Speed swings.
12 min 15:15 x 10 reps
240 swings
12,720 lbs

wind was good and bell height as well.not nearly as cold as lately and that helps too


Sandbag ( 32 lb) walking lunges
bw x 20 steps
bag x 20 steps x 4 laps

these were solid too

Parallel bar pushups
3 sets of 25
 ok but not great. couldn't have done another set of 25

Side delts
3 sets of 12 with 15 lb

very solid

BW 166 WHAT THE HELL?
BF 12.2
W 56.7

It must be muscle because I don't see the fat and my belt fits the same. More fiber ? :)

ok ruck up tomorrow. ankle is perfect after the posterior tib released

datsit
DFQ

140 lb Military Press 1x5,1x4,1x5,1x3,1x4, 48 kg belt squat, floor pushups, crawls, rear delts

Well I should have seen that coming. I was great after yesterday's ruck til about 6 pm when my right ankle started to hurt. then it hurt more and something felt locked up. I didn't ping it at all when I was rucking but something wasn't right

I tractioned it with bands and Tracy, stretched and rolled it but didn't really figure out what was up,The joint didn't move like it normally would when I stretched it and it felt locked on the lateral malleolus side.I couldn't weight bear on it well either and that always freaks me out. Especially on "good "side

Sleep didn't make it feel better and I tossed and turned a bit. When i woke up I realized it was probably a very tight tibialis posterior and soleus locking up the joint and I was right. Some supernova ball therapy on the those two muscles and things started moving right. I could walk normal and things moved as they should. still sore though but at least I knew what it was.

SUPER freaking cold in the gym today and never really got warm enough to get a good arch. Had trouble getting tight in the press but more importantly, staying tight. That's why my reps were so all over the place
Not enough arch, lean back, glutes, anything
The bar actually didn't feel heavy I just didn't have the endurance to fight the weight AND my tight and stiff body

Military Press
stick x 5 x 2
bar x 5
65 x 5
85 x 4
105 x 3 ( rushed here )
125 x 2  too hard, not back enough
140 x 5 not bad, actually
140 x 4 ran out of gas!
140 x 5 this is the video
140 x 3 too upright and not enough glutes
140 x 4 decent but had to grind HARD on the last rep
21 total reps compared to last weeks 23. but so much harder
 just feeling gassed. I literally felt NO soreness from the weekends training til 10 am today when my lats went DOMS like a big dog.
This didn't help my arch or my reps

48 kg belt squats
10, 12, 14, 15

these were just hard as I was tired and still cold

floor pushups
30
30
25

not bad but everything tired and stiff

Crawls
3 laps of 70 ft

just want to get this done

Rear delts
3 sets of 12 with 20

these felt strong

BW 165
BF 12.3
W 56.7

all weird. skipped my quest bar in lieu of psyllium and that didn't work

stretch and roll tomorrow

datsit
DFQ

Freezing ruck

It was frosty this morning when I set out on my ruck but it was clear and beautiful too. I love doing endurance work in the cold; it definitely encourages me to move faster to keep warm.
Felt great from yesterday and the low volume would makes today's work easier; I hoped.
And it did

50 lb Ruck
12 laps
11 isometric squat holds
4th lap 7:41
8th lap 7:22
12th lap 7:02 !!!

Nice intervals. Solid ground, instead of wet sand and mud makes it much easier to move faster though.:)
Again, still haven't figured out how to move any faster without breaking into a trot. I visualize a giant hand on my back, pushing me forwards as I walk, doing my variation of my understanding of pose walking. It works but my legs are only so long :)

BW 163.8
BF 12.3
W 56.5

more water soluble fiber is helping. When I cut quest bars out I took 15 gms of fiber out of my daily diet and it didn't all get replaced. so, quest bars back in as well as psyllium with my oats.

Ok back to 140 presses tomorrow and if's it a good day I would like 5x5

datsit
DFQ

44kg One Arm Swings 10x10,Barbell hacks, Sandbag pushups,side delts

This went very very well. It also showed me how important rest is in this process. My three day forced taper, even though it involved alot of travel, little sleep and weird food really let my body recover a bit and today's workout was positively easy.
Of course it was only the 44 kg and not the 48 but still, it felt like a toy and I had the best height and acceleration with it ever. Plus, cardio was STRONG
We finished the 10 sets in 13 minutes and we could have pushed it under 10 without breaking a sweat.

Of course it could have just been a good day but I know when March test comes I'm taking the Wed and Thursday workouts out and just resting.

One Arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 5/5
32 kg x 5/5
36 kg x 5/5
40 kg x 5/5
44 kg x 10 x 10 sets
9680 lbs

13 minutes total with 44 kg bell

Hacks
65 x 10
85 x 10
105 x 10
115 x 10

Sandbag pushups
bw x 10
32 lbs x 10 x 3

solid but taking it easy as per the whole day

Side delts
3 sets of 12 with 15 lbs

BW 165
BF 11 %
W 57.7 !!! recent high

strange!

long ruck tomorrow with 3-4 intervals

datsit
DFQ

140 Military Press 3x5 PR 2 x 4, 44 kg belt squats, floor pushups PR, crawls, rear delts

This was STRONG! Very surprised after how hard yesterday was. I didn't think my nervous system was recovered but I easily hit 3 x 5 ( never have done 5 with 140 before) and could have done 2 more sets  but thought better of it.
Wow. the setup makes such a big difference
As does my increased flexibility and tissue quality

Love this move. I never appreciated how strong my bench press was when I was powerlifting because I was so focused on my weak points, the squat and deadlift. Now I am fully enjoying being a strong presser again!  I went so long with a fucked up shoulder it's so nice to be able to use it again. Just like my knee.

Military press
stick x 5
bar x 5
65 x 5
85 x 4
105 x 2
120 x 2
140 x 5 x 3 sets PR!
       x 4 x 2 sets

Belt squats
44 kg x 12 x 4

Floor pushups
3 sets of 32  PR!
these were strong too!

Crawls
3 sets of 70 ft

Rear delts
 3 sets of 12 with 20 lbs

BW 165.2
BF 11.9
W 57

thought I'd be light but ???

Ok off tomorrow and then off to Florida for my Total Knee replacement lecture at IHMC

Be back friday so I will just miss Wednesday strength speed work and thursday ruck but it's actually perfect.I need some down time, And also, will go back to 24 kg speed strength work on return as it's time, at least for awhile.

datsit
DFQ

Hard , slow, slog ruck

As expected, after yesterdays seriously tough workout today my legs felt like they weighed 1000 lbs. Didn't help that I was either walking in wet sand or mud. Good mental training though, as I just adapted; slowed my pace and lowered my expectations and things loosened up quite nicely.
Not much energy though

I also started squatting on lap one, just to stretch out. It helped
 Didn't plan on timing any laps, but I thought the pace wasn't too bad and it wasn't

50 lb ruck
12 laps
two hours even
12 iso squats
5th lap 7:53
12th lap 7:33 ! not bad

nice and crisp out- always love that

BW 164,4
BF 12
W 56.7

after ruck
BW 162.6
BF 11,7
W 57

and that's without drinking any more liquids! Just moved things around  lol

Good training on just putting one leg ahead of myself for as long as it took

48 kg One Arm Swings 10 x 10/10( 12th), hack squats, sandbag pushups, side delts

This was just hard. No good reason, either, of course. Good sleep, good food, no soreness, etc. Just hard to do and my mind was the biggest problem My other partners are on injured reserve and were just doing sets of 10 and one was missing in action so the rest periods were particularly short.

I thought about really extending them once I realized how hard it was going to be but then thought again as this kind of random variation in the rest cycles is part of the plan. When all partners show I get a lot of rest, when none show I go as fast as I can.Today was somewhere in between but it was tough!

I kept reminding myself this was the training I need for the test in March but it just sucks to have to try to produce that much force/power when you can't breathe! But the strength was there no problem and the groove is what pulled me through. Keeping the momentum going is what kept me going.

I wish I would have timed the total work time as I think it was the fastest yet but not sure. It seemed it.I started out much stronger than normal. Usually it takes 4-5 sets to warm up, today I was good out the gate, which probably made it harder

Again my main enemy was my mind, just too much internal talk about how much this was sucking and how much the rest was going to suck etc, etc wah wah wah :)
Just shut up and swing

One Arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 5/5
32 kg x 4/4
36 kg x 3/3
40 kg x 3/3
48 kg x 10/10 x 10 sets
200 reps
21,200 lb
Ten tonnes :)

Hacks
65 x 6
85 x 6
105 x 6
115 x 6
125 x 6

Sandbag pushups
bw x 12
32 lbs  x 12 x 3

side delts
 3 sets of 12 with 15's

just beat to shit by now

BW 164.3
BF 12
W 56.7

ok long wet ruck tomorrow. should be interesting

datsit
DFQ

Fast and easy Ruck

This was a nice surprise. I think I must have been fighting some bug the last few weeks because suddenly  I feel normal again and just realized I haven't been.

Today's ruck was strong. Fasting was no problem and I started well and finished stronger
 Nice and cool too and that' so nice

45 lb Ruck
6 laps
 3rd lap 7:49
6 th lap 7:29 !
53 minutes

overall pace was up too and I had no problem keeping a sub 8 min/lap pace it felt like

BW 164.4
BF 11.9
W 57

ok off day and get my head wrapped around 200 reps with the beast! I want it to be the strongest yet!

datis
DFQ

28 kg Strength Speed swings 10 min, walking lunges BW, parallel bar pushups, rear delts

This was a tough one. No good reason of course. Slept well, bodyweight up, no aches or pains,mentally prepared  etc but I had a very hard time warming up.
It was stinkin' cold in the cave that's for sure ,41 degrees I think but my body temp warmed up fast when I started swinging. But my  system didn't and I had to work  every set
But it wasn't THAT hard, just mainly had to double breathe but there was no question I could it, and more if need be. Ten minutes is so much faster yet when I do the 5 min test it seems like an eternity.

28 kg Speed Swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
24 kg x 55

28 kg for 20 sets of 10
15:15
10 min
200 reps
12,600 lbs volume

BW walking lunges
3 laps of 40 steps unbroken
1 lap two stops on last leg

legs were just pumping up! Monday's press took more out of me that I thought it would
That is just a heavy load on my total body on one's days rest

Parallel bar pushups
3 sets of 25
not too bad but certainly not easy

rear delts
3 sets of 15 with 15 lbs

now that was easy! Finally :)

BW 165.2 WTF?!
BF 11.4
W 57.3

My waist is the same, sub q fat good and I think it's muscle but either way I don't want to be this HEAVY.
I am eating more carbs than I have in eons but less overall food.

Ruck up tomorrow!

datsit
DFQ

140lb Military press 5x4 PR, 44 kg belt squat, floor pushups, crawls, side delt

This went GREAT. Learned that if I set up the arch as I take the bar out of the rack the layback is almost 3/4 done and it made the first reps so much more consistent, and took the tension out of my biceps tendon as well
Also, stretching out enough to lay the bar on my chest right from the start made a big difference as well. So much easier.
This was solid, I could have done a few sets of 5 or more no problem
With the bar on the chest instead of holding it up with my arms and shoulders it feels much lighter and I have more to push with on the press

Military press
 stick x 5
45 x 5
65 x 5
85 x 3
105 x 3
120 x 2
140 x 4 x 5 sets PR!

44 kg Belt squats
( on plates)
 4 sets of 12 taking it easy on the legs after yesterday

Floor pushups
2 sets of 32
1 set of 20!!!

those presses took more out of my triceps than I thought

Crawls
3 sets of 70 ft

hips lower head upper :)

side delts
3 sets of 12 with 15's

BW 164.2
BF 11.2
W 57.1

ok stretch and roll out tomorrow
very happy with today's press

datsit
DFQ

Super Fast Ruck, PRs

This was the strongest ruck ever. It started easy and got stronger every lap. Feels like I am starting back on a nice strength peak again, even though I am just getting over a cold. Ate up yesterday and was perhaps the most hydrated I've been on a Sunday. Alternated glasses of green tea with my wine and it kept all systems go.

Yesterday's swing workout seemed almost too easy also and I felt nothing from it today.
It was also 41 deg out and I do much better when it's cold. Moving faster warms me up.

50 lb Ruck
12 laps
10 isometric squat holds
4th lap 7:33 ( fastest first time eveer)
7th lap 7:19 strong
9th lap 7:14
12th lap 6:58 ( that was a surprise)

for the last lap I really pushed "go" and had a lot to go with, pretty surprising.Limiting factor in more speed was coordination and timing in my gait rather than legs or lungs. Nice

BW 163.6
BF 11.3
W 57.3 !!

Ok time to up the press game tomorrow with 3 sets of 4 and 2 sets of 4

datsit
DFQ

52 kg One Arm Swings 10/10,Hack squats,Sandbag pushups, rear delts

This was WAY stronger than last week. Grip: no issue. Cardio: no issue. Bell height was much better too and power output stronger as well. Very happy with today's session

One Arm Swings
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
36 kg  x 3/3
40 kg x 4/4
48 kg x 3/3
52 kg x 10 x 10
100 reps
11,500 lbs

Barbell Hacks
65 x 10
85 x 10
105 x 10
115 x 10 x 2

solid leg burn

Sandbag pushups
bw x 12
32 lbs x 12 x 3

strong!

Rear delts
3 sets of 12 with 20 lbs

solid!

ok long cold ruck tomorrow!

BW 162.6
BF 11.9
W 56.7

Get it done ruck

Long work day with car stuff after but still got the ruck done. Moved as fast as i could, I was hungry :)

nice and cool out though

45 lb ruck
6 laps
55 min
no lap times counted around 8-8:10 laps

legs felt ok just distracted and hungry hard to find a rhythm

BW 163.4
BF 12.5
W 56.6

weird night, getting over a cold pretty quickly but it wasn't great sleep

datsit
DFQ

28 kg Strength Speed Swings 14 min PR, sandbag lunges, parallel bar pushups, side delts

Glenn wasn't swinging today so I got some rare footage of this mythical beast my speed swing workouts ,lol

Suffered yesterday and today with some serious allergy attack and  have been sneezing and dripping nonstop. Just what you want for a high intensity high heartrate swing workout.

But it went fine, and per usual, my symptoms disappeared during the training.

this was not hard but not easy either,especially at the end. Just what I need from this training to prepare for those last 2 minutes of the swing test
 Looking at the video it looks as hard as it felt but I gave a solid effort Made all the time cutoffs so that was good even while running back and forth to give glenn the camera and switch the music. This literally kicked my ass as I need every freaking second of recovery and this pushed it

But I could have gone on for at least another 2-3 minutes at this pace no problem and that's a good sign

One arm Strength Speed swings
15:15
28 kg
14 min
28 sets
280 reps
17,600 lb!

no wonder it was hard!

Sandbag walking lunges
4 laps of 20 steps and carry back

stronger than of late

Parallel bar pushups
25
25
25
20

solid effort!

side delts
3 sets of 12 with 15 lbs

ok short ruck tomorrow then the 52 kg again on Saturday!

BW 163.4
BF 12.2
W 56.6

better

datsit
DFQ

140 lb Military Press 5 x 3,40 kg belt squats, floor pushups,crawls,rear delts

This went well. I realized looking at the video from last week that when I don't get the bar onto my chest fully at the start I don't lay back enough and end up holding too much weight with my arms, instead of supporting it with my body.
Made the adjustment today and it worked beautifully- no biceps tendon issues at all. A key is taking enough warmup time in the stability ball back bend and really opening up the front panel so I can arch easily.
As well as also warming and stretching the front delts enough to be able to get the bar to the chest easily.
Also, making sure to get it there during warmups.
Made a HUGE difference. No stalled first reps either

Military press
stick x 5
65 x 5
85 x 3
105 x 3
120 x 2
140 x 3 x 5 sets

solid and big jump from the last warmup set too with no issues.

40 kg belt squats( back on plates for more depth)
14 16 18 20

strong no worries. wind good too, still focused on a strong flex at lockout

Floor pushups
32
32
25

ACK! really thought I'd get 3 sets of 32 but I barely got the last reps of the last set.

Crawls
3 sets of 70 ft
easy
finally

Rear delts
3 sets of 15 with 20 lbs
reps starting to move up finally

BW 165.4 !!! WTF?
BF 12.2
56.6

ok back to ice cream. I ate very lightly yesterday too. weird.

roll and stretch tomorrow

datsit
DFQ

Slow and soggy ruck

It's not all PR's and sunshine. My legs were heavy from the first steps this morning; off to a late'ish start to wait for the rain to stop. I don't mind walking in the warm rain but this was not that. Luckily it stopped and I got started. But the legs were heavy and tired from the get. Yesterday's fast pace seemed to have had an effect.Plus walking in wet sand put even more work into my legs. Another reason I didn't worry about speed. Lots of foot stability work though :)

I do plan a more long slow distance approach on the days after the 200 reps but there was no choice at all today. I didn't even time any laps until the last one where I felt warmed up  and looser enough to see how slow I'd been going

7:47
Not too bad but it means the other laps were around 8:10 which was fine.

And it was my glutes and hams that were tired, not my back, which is great.

One step at a time; one lap at a time. Just breathe and relax

52 lb ruck ( carried the raincoat too)
12 laps
10 isometric squat holds
12th lap 7:47

BW 164.4
BF 11.7
Water ( W) % 56.7

ok time to go up on the press tomorrow, 140 for triples

datsit
DFQ ( don't fucking quit )

48kg One Arm Swings 10x10/10 ( 11th time pr for time) barbell hacks, sandbag pushups, side delts

As usual , worried about this workout, and, as usual ( of late) it's no problem. EXCEPT that's is just stinkin' freakin' hard. Every single time. And, when you get stronger or your wind gets better you just push that much harder and you're back to the same place: stinkin',freakin' hard.
LOL.
I questions myself on why I do this every saturday. And the answer's the same; I feel so good when it's over :)
Same today except when only had three of us going and one wasn't swinging so it was SUPER FAST and we did all 200 reps in a PR time of 29 minutes. Usually it takes 40-45 min
No wonder I felt like I was going to puke and my HR never got below 150 the entire time.
But that's perfect training for the five minute test and I really tried to keep that in mind as I struggled to control my breath and my HR in the short rests between the sets.
At least this time, I didn't crash and burn after set 6. Set 10 was the roughest, power output wise, but it still was stronger than most sessions.

One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 5/5
32 kg x 5/5
36 kg x 4/4
40 kg x 4/4
48 kg x 10/10 x 10 sets  time pr : 29 min
200 reps
21,200 lbs

Barbell hacks
65 x 8
85 x 6
105 x 6
115 x 6
125 x 6
130 x 6

legs feel strong still

sandbag pushups horiz bar
bw x 12
32 lbs x 12 x 3 sets

Side delts
3 sets of 10 with 20 lbs

strongest ever and best ROM

BW 164.6
BF   11.4
W 57.2

definitely higher but I feel good and waist is same measurement

ok long wet ruck tomorrow

datsit
DFQ

Thanksgiving Day Ruck

Got off early today so I got the ruck in a bit sooner. Doesn't matter when I go though it's always tough to do. Just like kettlebell training.

45 lb Ruck
6 laps
3rd lap 7:52
6th lap 7:32

decent lap times and although it started hard as usual I loosened up faster than usual. Legs felt quick and my back was perfect :) No worries at all from yesterday's 28 kg jaunt,

The nice cool weather always helps too. I'm so much stronger in cool temps, especially for endurance work

BW 163.6
BF 13.3 !!
W 56.6

that's weird. have no idea why that happened. food and water the day before were normal . oh well

off tomorrow for roll and stretch and mental prep for Saturdays Beast workout

datsit
DFQ

28 kg Strength Speed swings 10 min, BW walking lunges, parallel bar pushups, rear delts

First  just a note: I have resigned as Chief Instructor for StrenghMatters and have re joined StrongFirst. I did this for many reasons but the main one is that I desired a very serious and hardcore training atmosphere in the kettlebell community and try as I might that was just not the business direction SM was going to.
StrongFirst has never waivered in their commitment to their underlying values of strength and discipline and their commitment to the kettlebell and the Way of Strength and being a School of Strength.
I am back as a level 2 and will work my way back up to Leadership but that is not as important as being surrounded by truly like minded individuals.

Today

Solo training

Strength Speed swings
10 min
200 reps
12,600 lbs
Easiest session yet. Strongest performance.Focused well on the drive in and got right to work. Ten minutes is easy more is not :)

BW Walking lunges
4 sets of 40 steps unbroken

again, this is perfect for building lactic acid tolerance for the test. strong too

Parallel bar pushups
3 sets of 25

didn't have another high rep set though.

Rear delts
3 sets of 15 with 15 lbs

very strong and strict

ok ruck up tomorrow and back on track!

BW 164
BF 12,2
W 56.6

datsit
DFQ

135 lb Military Press 135 x 5 x 5,48 kg belt squats,floor pushups, side delts

Not as easy as I expected, not because of strength but because I was very tight. Didn't take enough time, in retrospect, to open up my front panel and it was hard to keep my arch during my presses.Once I was in position it was no problem but I found I was drifting in and out of the arch during each set.
The reps I was "in" the press went smoothly. If I was too forward so was the bar.
The good news is that no reps were ever in doubt if just hard.

Military Press
 stick x 5
bar x 5
65 x 5
85 x 4
105 x 3
120 x 2
135 x 5 x 5

Belt squats ( no plates)
48 kg x  x  14 17 20 20

really really worked at flexing the quads at lockout, WAAY harder

Floor pushups
2 sets of 30
1 set of 25

had to take a break for a family emergency and finished the pushups and laterals afterward, Cooled down too much
side delts
3 sets of 15 with 15s

BW 163.6
BF 12.1
W 56.7

ok rest up tomorrow

datsit
DFQ

Back on track ruck

 Very strong day today. No soreness or stiffness from yesterdays heavy day so that was good. Nice and cool and overcast today, which I love, with a nice breeze too.Perfect.
Wasn't sure from the first laps that it would be anything more than survival rucking but I warmed up fast.
Legs felt loose and lungs open right from the start.

50 lb ruck
12 laps
10 isometric squat holds
4th lap=7:47
8th lap = 7:22
12th lap = 7:12 !

pretty close to all out but not quite.These short bursts, around the same time frame as the test will definitely help and next month I'll go back to four timed intervals

BW 163.4
BF 12.1
W 56.7

not bad after a Satuday night :)

Tomorrow's presses: 135 for 5's/ we'll see how many :)

datsit
DFQ

52 kg One Arm Swing 10x10 PR, hack squats, sandbag pushups,rear delts

This worked great! I was more than a bit concerned as I have never even tried to swing this bell with one arm,much less for 10 reps but it was not a problem. AND, it worked exactly what I need to work too create overload for the five minute test:my grip.
Everything was fine until set five then the grip on my left hand started to be an issue. the right was fine but the left was tough. Hard enough that it limited my ability to accelerate because I was worried that 1) I would lose the bell and 2) it would strain my shoulder.
So I played it conservatively but I was happy that the weight didn't feel heavy, the cardio was no issue and the power was solid. This is definitely the route to take with this low volume day.
Hopefully this will make the 48 kg feel lighter next week.

No ramifications from Wednesdays strength speed workout either, and that is good.
Very very happy with this workout

One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 5/5
32 kg x 4/4
36 kg x 4/4
40 kg x 4/4
44 kg x 3/3
48 kg x 3/3
52 kg x 10 x 10

One arm at a time. Just like the swing test. Only doing one arm really lets me concentrate on form control and power but 10 rep on the same arm really works specific strength and conditioning for the test

Barbell hacks
65 x 10
85 x 10
105 x 10 x 3 sets

high rep day is tough! Really locked out at the top and flexed hard to simulate the stress at the top of the swing
 makes a big difference.

Horizontal bar pushups sandbag
bw x 12
32 x 12 x 2
40 lbs x 10 PR!
very strong. slow and precise reps and lockout. This is feeling great

Rear delts
3 x 10 with 20 lbs
solid as usual. this has SO made a difference in my shoulder stability

BW 163.4
BF 10.8 % ?!!!
W 57.6  ( this is highest in a LONG time!)

must be the ice cream,lol and I'm only half kidding!

lets see if the storm that's coming in lets me ruck tomorrow

very happy

datsiT
DFQ

Back on ruck

I could tell, as usual, that I missed my long ruck Sunday. Today's 55 min bout wasn't hard but my legs were working too hard for such a short distance. They'll be back to normal on Sunday

45 lb Ruck
6 laps
55 min

no timed laps but guesstimate is 8:05 lap times

casual

BW 164
BF 12.4
W 56.7

that's weird

ok off tomorrow and heavy swings on Saturday, Maybe even 52 kg heavy:)

datsit
DFQ

28 kg Strength Speed swings 12 min, Sandbag lunges,parallel bar pushups, side delts

These were both strong and hard at the same time. Again I realized how important it is to have a serious mental rehearsal before I start these workouts. I was feeling fine, stretched and rolled and slept well last night, but just rolled into the workout not taking it seriously enough mentally.

And while I didn't pay a big price my mind drifted way too much for such an important workout.
The first five minutes were strong and then it started getting serious and I had to talk myself off the ledge more than a few sets.

Again, "shut up and go" was the mantra. Just like on Saturdays :)
This is achieving the goal the weight is heavy enough to really challenge my RFD ( rate of force development) when out of breath- just what I need to improve. And 12 minutes is tough, the most I've ever done with this weight.
The workout will alternate each week like this
wk 1 10 min
wk 2 12 min
wk 3 10 min
wk 4 14 min
wk 5 10 min

etc,
The 10 min workouts will be before a 10 x 10/10 saturday beast session.The longer ones will be before the 100 rep workouts

Strength speed
28 kg
15:15 x 10 reps per arm
24 sets
240 reps
15, 120 lbs ( that adds up quickly!)

Only a few sets of double breathing at the end
Not bad at all

Sandbag lunges
4 laps of 20 ft with 32 lbs

harder than usual. the bw are SO strong and these are still tough. good. Need a little more ankle and quad stretching before I go though, felt tight starting today

Parallel bar pushups
3 sets of 25
1 set of 20
 solid and haven't done a fourth set in forever

Side delt
3 sets of 15 with 15 stronger than usual today. Best height on reps ever

BW 164
BF 11.4
W 56.9

back to full AM fast now. been cheating too much makes a BIG difference to have a full no food am fast and just almonds at 10 no bars

datsit
DFQ

135 lb Military press 5 x 3, 36 kg belt squats, floor pushups, crawling , rear delts

Did pretty well for a shade under 5 hours sleep last night. Slept on the plane home from Vancouver so that was a help but it was a long day today. Even had a breakfast sandwich to fuel up so I had something to give for the workout.
Not bad  either, Cut the load back 10% or so  and it was perfect. Didn't run out of gas at the end either.

Military Press
stick x 5
45 x 5
65 x 5
85 x 3
105 x 3
120 x 2
135 x 3 x 5 sets

form is getting better all the time. shoulder was in place all workout too. Good thing about yesterday's workshop was that it was all about bodymaintenance so I spent the day stretching rolling and hanging. and talking, yes. Lots of talking :)

36 kg belt squats
4 sets of 14
locking and flexing quads at top of every reps. this sucks but it's exactly what I need for the swing lockout.Haven't been doing this at all so it will take some time to condition it but I know it will make a huge difference,

Floor pushups
30
30
25

could have gotten the last five but didn't want to push at all. Perfect.
Surprised I got the first two sets of 30 so strongly

Crawls
3 laps of 70 ft
focused on head up more and belly lower. this is getting stronger. Going slowly too, more deliberate


rear delts
BW 162.8
BF 11.7
W 57.2 !!!

way good considering I ate breakfast ( eggs and english mufin) and lots of carbs, Pizza, risotto  and enchilada and icecream lol. Not much of any of it but that's what I ate this weekend

datsit
DFQ

gotta catch up sleep now

48 kg One Arm swings 10x10/10 10th time, Hack squats, sandbag pushups, side/rear delts

I was a bit nervous about this one, I'll be honest. Havent done this exact workout in 5 weeks with taking off for the NYC cert then just 8's on the workout back ( 8's are NOT the same as 10's lol) and then last weeks 100 rep workouts. Plus I'm getting on a plane in an hour and did NOT want anything tweaked when I have to teach all day tomorrow.
But it went very well
Made sure not to drink last night, went to bed EXTRA early and got up and rolled and stretched. Everything was strong and even the last two sets weren't that bad. Not where they need to be but still very decent


One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 5/5
32 kg x 5/5
36 kg x 5/5
40 kg x 3/3
48 kg x 10/10 x 10  10th time!

Backswing was good, bell height was too and cardio was as solid as it's been.Pretty fast pace too no dilly dallying around, everyone was working.
No tweaks and this gave me confidence. Finally this bell is just starting to feel like any other "heavy' bell over 32 kg :)

Barbell hacks
65 x 10
85 x 6
105 x 6
115 x 6
125 x 6

just cruising now

Sandbag pushups
bw x 12
32 x 12 x 2
     x 10 x 1

very strict. touching bar every rep now. much stronger . shoulders feel great

Side and rear delts
alternating sets with 20 and 15 lbs for 4 sets of 10

forgot which I was supposed to do so did both :)

BW 163
BF 12%
W 56.7

just goes to show what not eating ice cream or drinking wine will do to me :)

ok off to  Vancouver Wa for a BodyMaintenance workshop. Now that I got that bear off my back getting super excited to do this

datsit
DFQ

Hard ruck

Hard to get going, that is. Pretty  tired and sore but had to just keep the day's momentum going and get out the door. And, of course, not ask myself that question; "do I feel like rucking?"
Cause the answer was no; but I'm going to miss Sunday's so I had to go as well.
Feeling yesterday's strength speed work as well as a lot more than usual demo's with new clients this week.
It all adds up. Luckily got a full hour of BodyMaintenance in this morning and that made a big difference. Bicep tendon is behaving again. But Saturday is a BIG workload and then off to the workshop and a non stop weekend of work.
Need some down time this afternoon and tomorrow but first this.

Hot today again too and that was unexpected. Extra nice sauce,

45 lb Ruck
6 laps
no timed laps but around 8:10 I guess,.Steady state
55 min

legs feel good but lats and shoulders tired

BW 162,6
BF 10.8 !!!
W 57.6

goes to show what haagen daz and oatmeal can do. Back to carbs and fats for second meal(s) and it's going very well. This is how I've eaten for the last 13 years and it works for me

Fast
Stirfry
Carb meal with wine and dessert


good to go

datsit
DFQ

Happy Birthday Marine Corps!

28 kg speed swings 11 min, bw walking lunges, parallel bar pushups,side delts

Weird one today. Ran over some piece of steel that got embedded in my undercarriage on the way home and had to get AAA to jack up the bar before I knew it was not piercing anything vital. Got to drive off instead of being towed to my mechanics but I didn't know that til after 30 minutes waiting on the freeway.
Not the best conditions to concentrate on my workout but it came through just fine.
And then there is this

That also not the best way to start the day but improvise, adapt and overcome eh?
Long story short 11 minutes was no trouble. Not easy but not that hard either, especially with a distracted mind

Speed swings
28 kg
15;15 x 10
11 minutes
22 sets
220 reps
13,860 lbs

Just a bit tired but it was still strong. no double breathing required but it was challenging my wind perfectly

BW walking lunges
4 laps of 40 steps
unbroken not as bad a quad burn as before. good sign

Parallel bar pushups
2 sets of 25
1 x 20

just getting hungry now

Side delts
3 sets of 15 with 15s

these felt really good

BW 163.8!!
BF 11.7
W 57

ok ruck it up tomorrow
didn't get much sleep last night either.

datsit
DFQ

135 lb Military press 4x4,1x5, 44kg belt squat,floor pushups (pr),crawls, rear delts

Finally figured out how to get my stupid biceps tendon BACK into the humeral groove. By accident of course; the last thing I tried. I used my reverse grip overhead stick stretch and 'bang' I felt it slide back into place. After that all the little neck,levator scapula and scapula tightness and pinging went right away.

I tried the windmill stretches a million times and it felt like it worked but it wouldn't stay it. This did. As usual , the only thing harder than figuring it out is remembering to do it. I think I'll remember this one.

And it really showed up during the presses, All the little adjustments I've made to grip width, wear the bar hits in the hand, elbow position during take off and walk out were all good today. This was without a doubt the easiest my press has felt

I did sets of four but could have done all of five. Did one set at the end just to know and it was the strongest set of the day

Military press
stick x 5
45 x 5
65 x 5
85 x 3
105 x 2
120 x 1
135 x 4 x 4 sets
       x 5 x 1 set

44kg belt squat
13, 16, 18, 20
so strong. Really concentrated on keeping the tension on the legs throughout but also flexing the quads at the lockout. This should really help for the swing test cause that's where it's so hard at the finish; just locking out the legs.
Also I realize I have to up the reps and the lactic acid burn on this day. this exercise SHOULD be a major help to the test and I haven't been working it hard enough. They just freakin' hurt so damn much :)
Oh well.

Floor pushups PR for total volume
3 sets of 30
1 set of 20
110 total reps.

I was secretly hoping to get 4 sets of 30 but my triceps had other ideas.

Crawls
3 laps of 70 feet
strong

Rear delts
3 sets of 15 with 15's

haven't done these as light in awhile and slowing them down made them that much harder. all good

BW 162.4
BF 12.0
W 56.6


ok roll and stretch out tomorrow

datsit
DFQ

Fast Ruck

This was nice. Wasn't even trying and came up with some very nice times. Granted yesterday's volume was low but that wouldn't guarantee anything. Except something has shifted and that's very cool. Haven't really felt this in, well, decades, I guess. And I really never thought I would again, especially on the endurance side Just goes to show you never know.

50 lb Ruck
12 laps
10 isometric squat holds
1:51 min
4th lap 7:42
8th lap 7:27
12th lap 7:11!!!

wow. that was smoking fast and not hard at all. I started to bonk a little on the 10th lap as I was going slow trying to recover a bit in preparation for the next speed lap but once I got into it it was strong!

BW 161.8
BF 11.7
W 56.7

lighter than expected too. All good.

Press tomorrow, looking for 5 sets of 4 with 135 at least

datsit
DFQ

48 kg One arm swings 10 rep sets, 10x10(9th ), 135 hack squats, sandbag pushups, side delts

First try out with this alternate method and it worked very well. Just ten reps per arm, per set  trying to focus on maximum power and acceleration for the same amount of time as the set in the five minute test.
It was easier than expected and I got better height on these swings than ever.
It was pretty easy in terms of total volume but it's the same as we were doing before, I'm just stronger now.
Next weeks 10 x 10/10 wont be so much fun

One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 5/5
32 kg x 5/5
36 kg x 5/5
40 kg x 5/5
48 kg x 10 x 10 sets

Hacks
65 x 10
85 x 10
115 x 10
135 x 10

these were hard but strong. need to get leg strength higher too

Sandbag pushups
bw x 12
32 lbs x 12 x 3
slow deep and strict

Side delts
3 sets of 15 with 15's

these felt better than of late

of long ruck tomorrow and back to 3 intervals

datsit
DFQ

Heel to butt Ruck!

Great day today. Had the full hour bodymaintenance stretch out and got to spend more time than I have in awhile working on my knee flexion. When I was up in the quad stretch, I thought for sure I was 'heel to butt' and asked another trainer to check it for me. Sure enough I was able to touch! Crazy!!

It was just "there" all of a sudden. Another threshold crossed.

Then I sat in seiza and it too was full! That really surprised me.I've really worked hard these last three years to get this and now it's arrived. Unreal

this was just a few months ago

and this a few months before that

the progress is amazing.

Now just to maintain it and make it even easier.

Ruck

Decided to leave the extra 5 lbs in the ruck and just tough it out with 50.I need as much leg and hip strength as possible for this Beast test

50 lbs
6 laps
55 minutes
One timed lap : 7:49

BW 163.2
BF 12.1
W 56.6

ok day off tomorrow then the new protocol for the 100 rep beast swings, ten sets of ten reps per arm

datsit
DFQ

28 kg Speed swings 10 min 1st w/o,walking lunges, parallel bar pushups, rear delts

The experiment was a success. The 28 was pretty much perfect for the job of challenging my cardio in the last five minutes of the workout. The weight felt light and swung easily 10 reps in 15 or less seconds. The first five minutes were not hard at all even while trying to maximize speed and power output.
But then it started challenging my wind and that's what I need for the test in March. It was about as hard to breathe as in the last 5 minute or so of a 20 min session with the 24 . But with a heavier bell so strength is being built as well.

Next week we'll do 11 min then 12 then re evaluate.

Left biceps tendon was out the last two days I think from too much getup practice. It was really bugging me despite lots of bodywork and I wasn't sure I could swing! but I figure it would either fix it or I couldn't do it and it was fine. As usual. The massage ball work loosened up all the tight ass tissue then the old pattern set things right.


Thank you :) It brought back bad old memories of being in pain and really restricted movement which, of course, leads to even more restricted and compensated movement. No bueno. But the combination of SMR and my windmill and scap work brought things back into place. Just got to go slower with the getup work.

28 kg Speed swings
15:15 x 10
20 sets
200 reps
12,600 lbs
RPE 6.5

Walking lunges BW
4 laps of 40 steps
unbroken

Definitely getting lots of lactic acid quad burn here, also just what I need. Even mo betta after the swings
 Have to  just let the burn burn. Embrace it. It's what burns the last half the swing test

Parallel pushups
3 sets of 25
last set hard after 20 but do able

Rear delts
3 sets of 15 with 15

love these still and put the finishing touch on the shoulder re balance

ok ruck up tomorrow.
Good to know this path is the right one

datsit
DFQ

135 lb Military press 5 x 3,40 kg belt squat,Floor pushups,crawls, side delts

This was strong too. Much stronger than anticipated and way better than last week, that's for sure. It didn't feel heavy and I had 5's in me today
Was sore this morning( more stiff than sore, really) and got a good stretch roll this morning as well as some getups to tall sit with bodyweight as well as 10 and 12 kg.
Being tight in the hammies in the AM does not help my tall sit position,lol. But I am digging playing around with this move now though
Do have to be careful of my low back though as I did feel it in an old familiar way " just a bit". It's the flexion rotatation so I will be careful
No exercise is worth going back to that!

Military press
stick x 5
45 x 5
65 x 5
85 x 5
105 x 3
120 x 2
135 x 3 x 5 sets

found the grip and width during the stick reps that took all the pressure off the biceps tendon so i went with that in the actual press and it worked great! SO much easier to press when I don't feel any weirdness in the shoulder at the start

40 kg Belt squat
14.16, 18 20

strongest ever by far. Not out of breath at all

floor pushups
3 sets of 20

easy here too. good start back after the peak

Crawls
working on getting belly lower and head upper :)

Side delts
 3 sets of 12 with 15's
 shoulders achey with fatigue

ok stretch and roll tomorrow!

datsit
DFQ

Wet ruck

Walked out this morning to this beautiful sky, Much better in person, too. Beautiful deep, dark rich storm clouds brewing, and I didn't know if I would make it the whole ruck without getting soaked and I left my jacket in the house.

I thought I had a poncho in the ruck but I wasn't sure, But I did and I needed it in a bit
Body all good from yesterday which I can barely believe but it is a great sign. Hardly need to stretch or roll out, but I do, I feel as square plumb and neutral as I ever can remember being and the total body experience of it is great. And, as predicted, the more squared up I am the less I hurt and the less bodywork I need,

And the more physical work I can do with less ramifications. Not bad for a soon to be 60 year old old war horse,

50 lb Ruck
12 laps
10 isometric supported squat stretches, 30 sec each
8th lap = 7:49
12 lap = 7:35

faster than expected and easier too. Wasn't going to time any laps as I just wanted a nice break in ruck but things were going so well I got curious.
No trouble at all stepping on the gas a bit on the last lap to get a good time

Bar presses again and it's time to up the weight to 130 or 135 again.

Been practicing getups at home too. bodyweight and with 10-12 kg and that's really going well. Just a few reps a day everyday. but between my shoulders feeling way more mobile and figuring out some details to make it fit my body I'm excited about it. Just to the tall sit but that's the hard part for me

BW 162
BF 11.4
W 57.1

datsit
DFQ

48 kg One Arm Swings 10 x 8/8, 105 lb hack squats, sandbag pushups, rear delts

These went WAY better than expected. Perhaps I did cross a threshold on that 44 kg test. I expected at least grip issues or wind but neither occurred and power was solid too. I absolutely could have done tens, but it was a smart idea not too.

Bell felt light, moved fast and didn't throw me around at all.Took awhile to get my legs locked out solidly ( couldn't feel that, had to be cued) but once I locked in it was fine

Also, started out with my legs too close and once I widened the stance all was well

One Arm Swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
24 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 5/5
32 kg x 5/5
36 kg x 5/5
40 kg x 5/5
48 kg x 8/8 x 10 sets
160 reps
16,960 lbs

solid as I can hope for after a week off heavy

Barbell hacks
65 x 10
85 x 8
105 x 8 x 2
 solid too legs feel good but we'll see tomorrow

Sandbag pushups
bw x 12
32 lb  12 x 2
         x 10 x 1
very strict. chest touching bar

Rear delts
3 sets of 12 with 20 lbs

BW 162.8
BF 11.2
W 57.3

ok back to the long ruck tomorrow. Hope its not all in the rain

datsit
DFQ

Ruck it

Felt good to be back on schedule and the ruck on my back, Stayed with 50 lbs as I've missed a few days. but the weight felt light and the ruck was not hard - not going to say easy- even though it was just an hour.
The top end of anything, strength, speed or endurance, always comes off fast and while my legs felt fine, I was ready for lunch  after 4 laps. Got my 6 and know that I'll be ready for 12 come Sunday.

It's the 48 kg swings I'm worried about Saturday :)

50 lb Ruck
6 laps
55 min
4th lap 8:04

BW 162.6
BF 11.5
W 57.2

datsit
DFQ

24 kg speed swings 12 min, sandbag lunges,parallel bar pushups, side delts

Surprisingly strong and easy set today. I was expecting to be more stiff and deconditioned but everything was fine. I was a bit stiff in the hips but that shook off quickly. No double breathing necessary and power was up on all sets.

Thinking about going up to the 28 kg at least every other workout. Our weak link right now is not speed strength but strength speed and I think the 28 will transfer more to that. The key is making sure we recover. Hence perhaps every other week but we will see

24 kg Speed swings
15:15
12 min
240 reps
12,720 reps

very powerful and strong.

Sandbag lunges
4 laps of 20 steps.

tough balance wise but leg strength good

Parallel bar pushups

3 sets of 25
strong again! shoulders not achey today

side delts
3 sets of 12 with 15 lbs

BW 162.2
BF 11.9
W 56.8

 solid day. feel back on the right time zone
ruck tomorrow then who knows what on Saturday. Probably a 5-10 rep ladder with the 48

datsit
DFQ

110 Military Press 5x5, 36 kg Belt squats,Floor pushups,crawls, rear delts

SMK NYC

Feeling pretty decent for less than 4 hours sleep and teaching nonstop from Friday through Sunday. This cert I demonstrated more than I ever have in any course. I did every drill and skill and taught all six movements as I was the only teacher. It's a long day and I did indeed feel All Day Strong :)

It's more than a good feeling for me; it's a freakin' miracle and I don't forget that. Plus thousands of walking steps per day dozens of trips up and down a long staircase to the Exceed training area for the cert. No problems, no pain. Amazing :)

It was a great group, really strong and prepared and that always makes it so much easier. Plus, plenty of good questions which is also always good.

I really feel like I fell into a seriously good groove this weekend, teaching wise. I was more relaxed and "myself" than ever. My fourth cert and I'm finding my voice.

But I was tired at workout today. no surprise

Barbell Press
stick x 5 x 2
45 x 5 x 2
65 x 5
85 x 5
105 x 3
110 x 5 x 5

didn't feel not achey til the last two sets. this felt stiff and heavy

36 kg belt squat
x 12 , 14, 16, 18

surprisingly legs felt fresh. No heavy hacks rucking and iso squats probably helped that

Floor pushups
30
25
20

just tired now and hungry

Crawls
3 laps of 70 ft
just want to eat

Rear delts
3 sets of 10 with 20 lbs

felt relieving on the shoulders

ok I really need a no work day tomorrow and lots of stretching and rolling! and some more food, barely got to eat this weekend

BW 162.2
BF 11.4
W 57/2

datsit
DFQ

24 kg Speed Swings 15 min, bw walking lunge, parallel pushups, rear delts

This was amazingly strong! The strongest and easiest 15 minute ever. Was hard to believe. It seemed like I crossed a threshold with last weeks test. Just like when I was bike racing and for a long time everything up to 100 miles with seriously hard. Then, after I did 100 mile ride things got much easier across the board after that

Maybe it was just a good day but it felt great

Speed swings
15:15
24 kg
15 min
30 sets
300 reps
15,900 lbs

Walking BW lunges
4 laps of 40 steps  unbroken
ok THIS is going to be where we get a lot of our lactic acid quad training in. Need to up this game for real for the 48 kg test.
BUT we will need to rest more between sets

Parallel bar pushups
25
25
20

speaking of lactic acid! serious pump

Rear delts
3 sets of 12 with 20 lbs

love these still

BW 163.4
BF 12.1
W 56.2

ok that's weird. everything seems to have re normalized BACK to where they were in keto and semi keto
the body loves homeostasis :)

Ok off tomorrow for NYC for a SMK level 1 Cert. This will be great I am really looking forwards to teaching the stuff I love so much The Way of the kettlebell.

datsit
DFQ

135 lb Military press 5 x 4, 32 kg belt squats,floor pushups,crawls,side delts

Didn't really know what to expect today. Body still felt fine but a little DOMS started to creep in, finally. Right hamstring was a little tight but I rolled it out. But I did realize what a peak it's been and didn't want to get greedy.

I still have to travel and teach a bunch this weekend.

Military press
 stick x 5 x 2
45 x 5
65 x 5
85 x 5
105 x 3
120 x 3
135 x 4 x 5 sets

this was better than expected but I had some tightness problems for a few sets/reps. Lost my glutes on a few reps and had to re adjust. haven't done that in awhile
arch was ok but I was front panel tighter than usual
ball back bends helped
I could have done at least 3 sets of 5 reps but did NOT want to grind at all today.
this was plenty and always good to have plates on :)

32 kg Belt squats
32 x 12, 14, 16, 18

One realization from the test was that I need to work more lactic acid tolerance for my quads. They were screaming more than anything at the end. that and glutes but mainly quads. Have to do high reps on the belt squats and time to take the lunge work up BUT how to do that and not overtrain my CNS is the issue.

Always some weakpoint to work on to get better

Floor pushups
3 sets of 30
decent. Last 5 reps of 3rd set very hard

crawls
3 sets of 70

have to push these up now too I guess

side delts
3 sets of 12 with 15's

excellent

ok roll and stretch tomorrow

datsit
DFQ

Long slow ruck

Ah yes, NO SORENESS from the test yesterday. Perfect. Other than a little bit of a hangover from too much celebratory wine  but that doesn't count.
In fact I felt like I hadn't even trained, even better.

Also first rains of the season so I got nice and wet and the air is so clean cool and crisp. Love it

took it nice and steady today and didn't time any laps, a first actually. Still riding the high from achieving my goal.

50lb Ruck
12 laps
8 iso squats
 1hr 55 min

BW 161.8 !?!
BF 11.8
W 57.2

wow re introducing carbs back into the mix seems to have worked well.

ok presses tomorrow

datsit
DFQ

44 kg Five Minute Test done!!! PR

I had three goals going into this test:

1) Do not get hurt
2) Finish
3) Don't howl like a wounded buffalo the last half

I got 2 /3 out of three- got to howling just a bit the last two sets but this was GOOD!

I had a feeling it should be a strong test, based on my training and conditioning and overall mental confidence but you just never know when you put things to the test; almost anything can happen and murphy's law is still murphy's law

But it all went well. There are a few reps I wouldn't count , height wise but this was way stronger that the last five minute test with the 40 kg. It should be given all the training since then ( six months ago) but, again, one never knows.

Just point in fact, I HATE doing these. They always suck in some way. Five minutes of high intensity work is precisely my weakest energy system and always has been. I can ruck hard for two hours or do ONE super heavy rep but five minutes? Even with a light bell always, always hurts.

But again, it is way stronger than before AND I can now see that I can do the 48 for five minutes on my birthday in another six months

ALL the guys got their reps in too which is awesome ,especially for Glenn as we are the two silverbacks in the group and showed the young bucks that not only can we keep up but we can push them :)
He earned every bit of it though. Best training partner ever, thanks man :) Semper fi indeed.

The hardest part of course were the last five minutes and even more specifically the last 4 sets. power started to go down and breath was hard to come by. I really focused on following the bell and keeping back swing speed as high as I felt I could handle.

Let the bell swing and stomp on the gas at the right time to maximize power.
But man there was so little air :)

The bell is 60% of my bodyweight :)
 As usual though my quads and glutes were the ones with the most lactic acid. Lower back is fine and grip was too

One arm swing test
warmup
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 10/10
28 kg x 8/8  ( this actually worked and got my HR up well)
32 kg x 5/5
36 kg x 3/3
40 kg x 3/3

44 kg x 100 reps in 10 sets of 10
15:15
Big fucking PR!!

hacks
65 x 8
95 x 8
115 x 8
135 x 8

Sandbag horiz bar pushups
bw x 12
32 x 12 x 3

rear delts
3 sets of 12 with 20 lbs!!

YES YES YES!! This feel fantastic. Now I can relax a bit.

long slow ruck tomorrow

datsit
DFQ !!

BW 162
BF 11.8
W 56.8

Thursday ruck , fast and easy

 Writing this Friday.

Yesterday's ruck was surprisingly strong. Didn't time any laps until the last one ( couldn't help myself ) but they all felt about the same.
Last lap was 7:43
Legs felt loose and solid, lungs good and ruck light.
All systems go

45 lb ruck
6 laps
55 min
6th lap 7:43

BW 162.4
BF 12.4
W 56.5

ok big day tomorrow. we'll see how it goes

datsit
DFQ

24 kg Speed swings 10 min, sandbag walking lunges,parallel pushups, side delts

Last kb workout before Sat test and it couldn't have gone better. 20 sets of 10 in 15:15 and each set was strong powerful and fast. Lungs were great, no double breathing and mind set was solid.
I feel confident. Of course anything can happen but I don't think I could be more prepared.


24 kg speed swings
15:15
10 min
200 reps
10,600 lbs

when I got to the five minute mark I was thinking "man, the test will be over by now and I feel fine". Of course the bell will be much heavier but it felt good to feel that!

Sand bag lunges
32 lbs x 20 steps x 4 laps
over shoulder carry back

this also was as strong as ever, slow deep steps and no cardio issues

Parallel bar pushups
2 sets of 25
1 set of 20

could have done the last five but didn't want to push

side delts
3 sets of 10 with 15 lbs

solid also

short ruck tomorrow then it's go time
As confident as I could be

datsit
DFQ

130 Lb Military press 5 x 5, 44 kg belt squat,floor pushups, crawls, rear delts

Stronger than I expected to be. I was hoping 130 for triples but I got all five sets of five. The last one, which I videoed, the left biceps tendon moved a bit on the first rep( the first time that happened all workout) so it set my groove off a bit but otherwise it wasn't that hard

Mil Press
 stick x 5
65 x 5
85 x 5
105 x 3
120 x 3
130 x 5 x 5

44 kg belt squats
12, 14, 16, 20

non stop reps.feeling strong

Floor pushups
3 sets of 30

had another set of 15 + in there too. strength and endurance comeback from the trip is good!

crawls
3 sets of 70 ft

strong  here too

rear delts
 3 sets of 10 with 20's

BW 162.6
BF 11.7
W 57.3

definitely seems like adding in some carbs in the evening is working on all fronts. weight down, fat down strength and endurance up/
Intermittent fasting + slow/low carb high fat/ fiber is the ticket

off tomorrow

datsit
DFQ

All time Lap PR Ruck

I was hoping today's ruck would be strong and fast and it was. Way better than expected too. I did feel a bit stiff when I got up this morning but that shook off quickly. Plenty of sleep and it was 57 degrees so nice and crisp

Knew I was going to time three interval laps today so I set my mind on really pushing them all something I've not done before. Each laps takes about 7-8 min so it's a little longer than the test set but though it would be good mind and lung practice to go hard three times

50 lb ruck
12 laps
10 iso squat holds
1 hr 52 min
4th lap 7:41
8th lap 7:13 !!!
11th lap 6:43 ALL TIME PR!!!!

Man! I was moving fast. I went for 3:30 or under for the half lap and got through the first half at 3:22 but must have sped up. Really pushed myself and lungs felt easy but I don't know if I can move these short legs any faster!

Really was pumping my arms big time!!

The ruck felt like nothing. :)
 Legs and lungs ready to go

back to presses tomorrow.

datsit
DFQ

48kg One Arm Swings 10 x 5/5, hack squats, sandbag pushups, side delts

I was nervous about this because I feel so strong. I didn't want to get overconfident and tweak something just because I felt good and it was only 5 rep sets
So I didn't but it was hard to "relax" into the workout. The test is coming up next week and hopefully everything will go as planned. We shall see though but, mentally, it doesn't scare me. I respect it, of course, but I'm not scared because I think I am ready.

One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 5/5
32 kg x 5/5
36 kg x 5/5
40 kg x 5/5
48 kg x 5/5 x 10

best height and power ever. Grip was solid and lungs weren't even a mention. Plenty left in the tank, as should be

One thing I have to remember next week is to get my HR up before the test. 24 and 28 kg warmups will be 10/10 just to actually break a sweat and get warm for real. And the HR up then down.

Barbell hacks
65 x 10
95 x 10
115 x 10
135 x 10 pr

doing reps on this day is right

Sandbag pushups
bw x 12
32 lbs x 12 x 3 all reps chest touched bar, a first

Side delts
3 sets of 10 with 20 lbs

felt strong!

of long ruck tomorrow with some speed work thrown in.

datsit
DFQ

Thursday Ruck

Forgot to post this. just a very standard ruck walk.  everything solid and strong. Didn't time laps just a steady pace all through, probably 8 min laps or so

45 lb ruck
6 laps
55 min

BW 162.6
BF 12.3
W 56.7

back on track . legs felt light and loose.

datsit
DFQ

24 kg Speed Swings 15 min, BW walking lunges, parallel bar pushups, rear delts

This went very well. Slept very well last night which, of course make a huge difference. One bad nights sleep wrecks my next day training now where before it didn't so much.Course I wasn't doing this stuff then either.

24 kg Speed swings
15 min
30 sets
300 reps
15,900 lbs

cardio was strong today. Didn't double breathe except for a few reps on a few sets. Good power output throughout too. Didn't look at the clock until 11 min had past. Pretty calm and fluid, I just let myself fall into the groove.

BW walking lunges
4 laps UNBROKEN!
no problem either. Deep too. Best effort in forever, maybe ever. Legs feel strong and supple amazing!

Parallel bar pushups
3 sets of 25

no problem

Rear delts
3 sets of 12 with 20 lbs.

needed to go heavy on this today

OK short and fast ruck tomorrow!

datsit
DFQ