"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."
This went very well. Woke up feeling good in the entire leg and had a decent sleep so things went well except my left ant tib tightening up ,lol. No biggie just irritating. Never NOTHING. I like to feel NOTHING
Took about 40 min to warm up then the last 20 was good. Could have done more easily but wanted to see the results
Drove about 5 hours in 6 to go get my new pup, Walker, and the leg was decent til the last hour when everything started to tighten up. But nothing abnormal
Really really really strong one. So surprisingly too as all day yesterday the calf was tight again. In the medial part( thinking inner plantaris/popliteus/medial soleus
Insertion of what I think is sartorius lit up too. fucking irritating. Checked piriformis and hit gold. all tight and gritty. Released that and knee felt WAAY better. Then did some voodoo floss supported squat stretches and go a great fibula adjustment and it felt normal ever since.
Held overnight and into the workout
Focused on breaking first at the knee as I enter into the backswing( as I was forever then- ? I started hinging more) and that felt great. Lock the knee, then break at the knee and re lockout on the mid foot NOT THE HEEL
Great height and power and legs and lungs felt great on the platform. Easy 2 min rest/sets no problem at all
Will do 18 sets next cycle as I should have done 17 today but have a long day in the car tomorrow
ATG Split squats these were a learning experience but the right knee felt much more solid than expected. Not sure if the back knee is supposed to stay locked or just not continue to bend as the front leg translates but if it's supposed to be locked that's gonna be super tough BUT I can really see where that would help with keeping my knees locked in my press
Took the calf and knee for a real trial run with the pack today and all went well
The first couple blocks actually were a bit wonky and had me a bit worried but once I got on the sand the leg started feeling good; normal even
But that damn ruck felt heavy and hell and I could feel every pound of it in my legs! Shocking how fast my legs get week but in one way it makes sense. I didn't walk normally much less loaded for over two decades so it shouldn't be a surprise; those few years of running, tri's and ultra training really weren't as long as I imagine them to be, overall
So it was a slow one but I made all six laps in 55 min so that's not bad, especially with a ton of short stops. No squats though
When I got home it started tightening up just a bit, especially near the achilles (?) but the single leg prone stretch worked like a charm, as well as some time with static hold on the slant board
It wasn't too slow either as the phone shows speed between 3.2 and 3.5 mph.
Probably do another 60 min this sunday as we are driving to merced to pick up Walker and I don't want to be gimping. Plus another two hour drive right back home
Started off with the 'load the bow' technique and felt right away this wasn't going to work. No 'trigger' to pull to launch the bar. I went up to 175 for a single. so so. switched shoes to inov8 heel and still no go so switched back to adidas powerlift shoe and was great
then went to 195 and tried load the bow and meh, then went to latest technique 1) load glutes 2) drive the head to start press
but then added 3) drive the bar BACK as I drive the head and it was magic.
Load the gltues drive the head drive bar back
this felt fantastic. then, up to 200 for another five singles and these were even better
Best bar speed and line with 200 ever
Knee/ calf is feeling normal now and it seem the hamstring stretch is keeping the fibula in place. Will see tomorrow after the ruck. think I will take the pack out for an hour and give it a real test
Pretty good one. Missed the 225 but energy was good, mental was probably as sharp as it's been in months, agressive into each set and focused. Still not sure of the best technique for me but I can hit 215/220 any number of ways it seems
But not 225. I did not wait long to press after the unrack and probably rushed too much( which helped knee bend) but speed was better. thinking about "load the bow" again but in that technique speed suffer. If I rely on speed mainly have to hit that line perfectly or it's off and that's not that consistent
I'll play with it wednesday
Press 65 85 105 x 2 135 x 2 155 x 1 175 x 1 195 x 1 fast 205 x 1 meh 215 x 1 decent but not fast or perfect
225 x miss three times. this is the second attempt and the closestThen this is the 5th set of 6 with 205 down set. Still not great teshnik. strength is good but not enough
wt pushups bw x 10 53 x 10 x 3
One arm laterals 3 x 10/10 with 20's first time doing 10's in forever
It's finally raining again! It seems like it's been forever. Light rain for the walk so I went out with no ruck and it was perfect. Perfect sky, perfect rain, perfect breeze and my legs felt fast and loose.
This was the closest I've felt walking to the best I felt in the flow when running. I could get used to this no ruck walking but I've got to ruck up once a week for sure. But this light and fast stuff is fun for the first time. What a thrill to move so fast again!
Went for 9 laps in a 1: 25 and that was the perfect length too. Good speed throughout
This went very well Better than I even hoped. Bell height was significantly better than last month, but then again, last month I was right in the middle of the calf/knee issue but here's the comparisonDefinitely have to make sure I keep my heel DOWN on the ascent as I felt it come up on my 8th or 9th set on my right side and immediately felt the right rec fem tighten and I remember there was a cramp on my calf last time I did the 64 kg new bell that could have been the original injury.
SO no heel up GS style knee drive inadvertent or on purpose. Don't rush the ascent.
Had no idea the bell height was so good. Couldn't tell one but
One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2 20 kg x 5/5 24 kg x 4/4 28 kg x 4/4 32 kg x 4/4 36 kg x 4/4 40 kg x 4/4 44 kg x 4/4 48 kg x 4/4 60 kg x 5/5 x 10 100 reps 13,000 lbs work
ATG split squats
These went "ok" and they weren't as hard as expected. Nowhere near perfect but it seems I can do these on an off day and not as an assistance on heavy swing day. Next week I'll sub in Reverse step up, those should be more challenging and closer to pistols. I can see on these though that I need to keep my back knee straighter
Right soleus is basically 100% better thanks to the single leg soleus raise from ATG system. How cool.Been using knees over toe protocol very gingerly as I don't want to over do anything but i love it already
Added in some backwards walking today on my bodyweight walk and it's tough and good. Again just four 30 second segments so I can asses things tomorrow
Really solid day. Everything moved well and technique held well. since opening up my grip didn't really help my elbow flare I moved it back in and thing went well
The two big keys today were
1) flex glutes after unracking then almost immediately
2) drive head back to initiate press
If I wait too long after locking in I seem to drift back to my heels which makes the bar push forward so that's no good. It's best if it's : glute, then head drive immediately
If I press the bar THEN drive the head it seems the elbows flare too. Aim for the face, get our of the way
Press 195 x 1 x 10 sets
Very very happy with this
The knees over toes soleus raise seems to have unfucked my calf for the most part and that is making life much easier too, on all front! Along with the shin raise and generally just moving from the knees again
24 kg swings
5 sets of 8 good power
Green band pushdowns
3 sets of 20
too lazy to do pushups; we'll see if this irritates my first rib again like last week. feels good now
This was ok, Not bad at all but not what I want. Glutes were tight, hips were driven and damn elbows are still flaring out at odd moments
Of course I then realized I am NOT really concentrating on keeping my elbows in so I might try that ,lol. But I felt strong but not in great position.
Also thinking of trying to pre load the bow like I used to. the only two times I made two plates I used that technique not to mention the other 3 times I made 225.
Will see
Press 65 85 95 105 x 2 135 x 1 155 x 1 175 x 1 195 x 1 start of not so fast
205 x 1 x 4 meh the 1st and 3rd sets not videoed were actually better
then 210 x 1 x 6 with an actual out in front MISS that I had to retake on set 6!
Could have been extra long too. Not sure what happened
Felt great getting started. weather was perfect. cool and overcast and legs felt good. That didn't last long
Legs started getting heavy pretty soon but knee and ankle felt ok
Then my right big toenail started bugging and lateral part of ankle did too. Fuck. tired of this shit. Asymmetry on phone read ok and I didn't feel uneven just in irritation pain. so far
No squat stretches til one at the very end. It was a slog. Then I thought I forgot to flip a ranger bead but it seemed like I was on 7 instead of 6 ( according to average speed and elapsed time) so I went with it. "
Then, when I finished all 12 laps phone read 14, 480 steps which is 1000 more than usual. weird as hell
Back of knee ok unless I sit then it tightens
45 lb ruck
12 laps
14,280 steps
2:05 min
2:10 total
BW 175.4 BF 14.5
might just go to one hour next week and see how that feels. I'm frustrated not being able to figure this out
This was a good one. More nervous than I have been in years with heavy bells again, just don't want to tweak anything, which is a shitty attitude to have going into heavy anything. Trying not to get hurt makes it easier TO get hurt. BUT you also have to listen to what your body is telling you.
Hard to walk that line
But it went well. nothing tweaked, swings were strong, power and height decent and groove felt natural
48 kg One arm swings
16 kg -44 kg 4/4 48 kg 10 sets of 5//5
Pistol practice ( left leg only) 3 sets of 8 Green band TKE right leg only 3 x 20
this approach might work. left quad is still smaller than right and that right side pistol never felt right
Wanted to make sure last weeks speed fest wasn't a mistake or I misread the watch or something so I decided to do another fast one today and see if I was right
I was
Today was even faster
6 laps in 42:43 so if its a .5 mile lap it's 14.33 MPH
if it's .6 it's 11.94 MPH
Makes sense it's .5 . I don't believe 12 min miles
BUT I did it again and while it was harder than last week. ( left shin a bit tight) lungs and tempo were solid
Average about 7:10 per laps that's smoking, especially unbroken! very happy with this
This went way good. Had to abandon the new setup and just try to roll the bar into me with even hands as it wasn't working and distracting me. Couldnt even get the bar centered under the "X" even.
Once I went back to the old set up things flew.
1) Spot the X on the unrack
2) Flex glutes
3) Hip drive to start the press ( and KEEP glutes tight!)
It flowed very well once I got into set 3 or
On set 7 I didn't drive hip enough and elbows flared. Imagine that
BUT
knee felt great, could lockout and walk normally NO calf tightness/spasm! SO MUCH BETTER
wrist and elbow all good too! thank you
And vertigo just about gone and I think it's from my eyes now more than ever. Too much screen time!
24 kg swings
5 x 8/8
really strong!
Green band pushdowns
20
17
15
Surprisingly hard but good. Kickback like peak contraction at bottom of each rep and shoulders didn't complain
And elbows were not involved
Love the long head work on the extensions but this is the third time it tweaked my elbows a bit and can't have that
This went well.Not perfect but very well. First off my shoulders are fine and my right wrist which was wonky for a few days ( I guess because of the elbow- from the press) decided to sit back into place thank goodness. Right calf is still tight as fuck and pissing me off but it's the calf, not the knee
Grip width worked well but still have to attend to a new setup, the old one allows me to loose the grip as roll the bar into my chest and I hit a few uneven reps so I have to change that BUT overall the groove was solid
Locking the glutes in after I unrack and spot, then driving FROM the hips WITH the glutes kept tight is the trigger to start the press
A few reps I didn't drive enough a few I let glute tension go after the press but overall went well. Have to also make sure to think in terms of a 'back stop' on my rear lean.I have to brace if it starts to go too far and that worked well too.
Good ruck overall but I can really feel the deconditioning in my legs from not doing the Thursday walk weighted. Not that I'm going to change back but it takes me longer to really warm my legs up
Overall tho very good and I actually got some squat stretches back in the mix after a 5 lap warmup
Nice and cool which always helps
Calf and knee felt fine but popliteus and plantaris tightened up afterward ( from sitting too much ) and slept with supernova again.
These went well, all things considered. Should have done 12 sets but decided to play it safe and just do the ten. Just a weird week but the sets were strong and body was solid
44 kg One arm swings
16 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 4/4 44 kg x 5/5 x 10 sets
100 reps
9700 lbs
Alternating lunges 3 x 10/10
Meh not thrilled with these. Not really hard enough. Thinking about going back to crawls That will kep my legs ass and mine
This was really good. really fast. really easy. really strong
I just wish I really knew exactly how far each lap around the park was. Phone says .5 mile, the city says .6 and it makes a difference
Because I walked 6 laps in just about 44 minutes and if it's .5 mile per laps that's 3 miles at 14.66 MPH which is cruising! and if it's 3.6 miles that's 12.2 MPH and that doesn't seem possible. But either way it's over 4 MPH which is huge.
Everything felt so effortless and light, it was just fun.Like the old days when I could run like the wind and feel like I could run forever
SO much better than rucked thursdays, that just didn't work. Not like Sundays but this is good
This went great. Except for the fact that I haven't been squeezing my glutes in the press for the last 6 weeks or so and they're weaker notwithstanding.
The sets were I kept tight rocketed up and my elbow stayed in. The sets they let loose as I press the elbows flared and the bar stuttered. The connection was clear as day.
Wore Adidas lifters and they felt stable and good. Definitely different but that's ok. If I don't keep the glutes locked as I drive it ends up with a loose back arch not a stable one and I think that's what's been giving me problems of late.
Knee lock is key for sure but not at the expense of hip lock, and drive
Press 175 for 1 x 3 set
first set loose second set good as well as third
185 for 1st set was loose, second was better, third loose so I did this fourth one: goodthree sets at 195 decent this last set was the bestRight intercostal a little tight from being used in a way it's never done in the press. More overhead ROM but that is my tight, scoliosis side and it was feeling it a little. Definitely have to make haste slowly here with this new grip, ( no matter how small a change it looks; it's fucked me up before)
Next monday just sets and reps with 205. have to break this in slow or else.
24 kg swings
5 x 8/8 all good
green and red band tri ext 3 sets of 20
decent
BW 176.6 BF 13.8
good today today. knee is workout very well with minimal work on it and vertigo still there but just very specifically via positions flat to upright.
Man, shit just fell apart today. Did not get hurt but everything was all over the place , but at least I know why now. While my knee lockout today was basically not an issue the sacral tweak I got last month still seems to be in my brain cause it's not letting me load my hips in any real way. That's why I'm rebending my knees at the start as my hips just are not into it
The knees start lock and then the whip starts in the quads alone, and not the hips and that why I'm running out of gas 3/4 the way up AND why my elbows are flaring.
Which was the theme today.
When 175 and 195 are slow I know techniques off and the elbow flare was there right from the get. No bueno
I can see it now. I don't even think my glutes are tight
the cues
spot lock head spot lock are right but not enough. no hips in there and I'm not sure I can let myself load them again
Plus I seem to be dropping my shoulders back instead of a head drive back Also can't seem to feel rooted at the start. Just top heavy
then 215 which I missed at the lockout ( elbows and knee bend) so I did it over and made it, third one was better but outright MISSED the fourth,
called it a day on that, then went to 205 and MISSED!
down to 185 for a few but elbows were STILL flaring!
but then I went to 135 for a single WITH A MEDIUM WIDTH GRIP which FLEW
I've tried this grip before but it always tweaked my biceps tendon ( but I think that was with a thumbed grip ) but this felt great then 155, 185 which flew, 185 again then 205 x 2 then a miss on balance but this width it was so much easier to 1) set up with the bar on my chest more than just in my hands
2) keep elbows in naturally
3) get a shorter ROM /bar path
we'll see tomorrow AM how my shoulders feel then how it works on wed
I think if I go back to the Adidas shoe AND get my hips/glutes into it a bit this might work
This went very very well. Instead of stopping to do a squat stretch each lap I did a calf/ hamstring stretch and it worked very well. Or so it seemed
Now, at 6 pm as I write this the knee is not locking in as well as it did and the plantaris and laterals ham is tight. Mainly after I sit. Standing and walking is fine but after sitting it tightens up? still not sure how I'm overusing this in the ruck but it was a strong one after I warmed up ( 45 min)
Legs were sore from the lunges a bit but gait was perfectly symmetrical according to the app and felt good
This went great. Slept well, and long, and my knee feels 98% normal.Definitely so much better than last week.
Not a perfect lockout after sitting but loosens up fast. Vertigo 95% back to normal now too. Wow so much shit so fast but that's always how it seems to happen.
The important thing is things are going in the right direction and I feel pretty damn good.
Back to the innov8 shoes here too
One arm swings 16 kg x 5/5 x 2 20 kg x 5/5 24 kg x 4/4 28 kg x 4/4 32 kg x 4/4 40 kg x 5/5 x 16 sets
160 reps 14,080 lbs fast pace too just me and glenn. about 2 min rest/ sets max Legs back and lungs fine
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