195 lb press x 1 x 10 , 24 kg swings, floor pushups

 Things went very right today and might have figured out a key  piece of finishing the lockout with speed that up to now I haven't even considered

Warmups went well and used the technique I planned on:

1) Spot the X when I get under the bar

2) unrack by pushing up then locking the legs and freezing

3) initiate the press by throwing the head back

This went well except for a few reps that went forward and slowed slightly at lockout and couldn't see why

I couldn't throw my head back more and pushing my hips forward at the sticking point didn't really help. I was on the X but then I thought to re-throw my head back at the sticking point.If I didn't I tucked my chin and that slowed the lockout

This is 175lbs the 12th set where I really  got the technique of the second head drive. worked great

Its VITAL that I come to a freeze position after I unrack AND I have arm tension. CANNOT let the bar REST on my torso and hold it up with the legs and hips.If I do I use the knees too much and "kick" the bar up 

this is sets 1,3.5.7

It wasn't til set 9 and 10 ( which I didn't' video) that I grokked the idea of the second head throw

It makes a huge difference but, as usual, we'll see Monday

24 kg swings  4 x 8/8

Floor pushups 2 x 50!!

BW 175.6 !!!
BF 12.8 !!
W 58.1

195-215-205, wt pushups side and rear delts

 Well this basically sucked although I, somehow. made a decent 215. then sucked again with a bad miss at 217.5! Not happy. Again back to not knowing how to procede

the idea today  was to set the hips, then lay back and set the arch then go. It worked great til got to 205 then I didn't have an idea HOW far back to arch  before I pulled the trigger. 

Ack. so sick of this. Head was not into it as well as Glenn was tweaked and I was in trainer mode. but I was strong today, just no idea of what to do

Press
65 85 105 x 2
135 x 2
155 x 1
175 x 1
195 x `

205 x 1 x 2 ( first one was forward- losing the X I think

then took 210 and missed it badly- deleted badly. so I went to 215. miss big I thought

Went ok but I don't know why. I don't want to rely  on luck. It aint consistent at all

all over the place here then down to 205 for 5 singles which were ok just messy

Looking back at technique it seems this technique produced the best press day  ever

the cues:
 Spot the X

Elbows up
Lock the knees
Throw the head to press ( instead of trying to drive bar back)

SO 
X
Elbows
Lock
Head

then weighted pushups as usual
3 x 10 with 53

Side and rear delts with 3 x 10 with 15

BW 173.6 ( not bad)
BF 13.1

going to do this technique (with the adidas shoe too) on wed

Full 12 lap ruck!

 First time in about a month I got all 12 laps in, 6 miles in almost exactly two hours

That's with plenty  of rest breaks to let things loosen and talk to more than a couple doggos.

Really happy with everything PLUS it was downright COOL this morning and that always helps me walk faster

Legs and back felt good at the start but lungs took their usual 45 minutes or so to loosen up. But they did and the last hour was better

Last two laps were tougher but body was mind. Just shaking off my minds rust and laziness

45 lb ruck

12 laps

6 miles

13,060

2 hours

3 MPH pace

NO squat stretches

BW 172.8

BF 13.1

60 and 68 kg one arm swings

 Definitely back to full strength. This went well today, even strongly! Grip was  solid bell speed was good and bell height was decent too

One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 4/4
24 kg x 3/3
28 kg x 3/3
32 kg x 3/3
36 kg x 3/3
40 kg x 3/3
48 kg x 3/3
60 kg x 5/5 x 7
68 kg x 5/5 x 2
          x 3/3
was getting tired and just didn't want any tweaks. Actually thought about changing to 5/5 after I started the last set but decided it safer to just stay with the plan

 Assisted pistols/ kickstand squats

3 x 6/6 ( adding the kickstand squats was perfect. A little more work for the left leg and the right got quad but not hip flexor work)

pullaparts 3 x 30

BW 173
BF 12.1( bath)
W 58.2

Thursday fast walk

 

Another solid one.

6 laps

48 min

3 miles

ave speed 3.9 mph

BW 173.4
BF 13.4

165]-190 weight ladder, 24 kg swings,floor pushups ,"Setting the Arch"

 Really solid, good one. Setting the arch after I unrack it really takes a lot of mental pressure off the lift. Unrack it and then hips foward and arch back at the same time til I can't go anymore and balance and tension are there: THEN press

Up until now I've been completely focused on pushing my hips in front of the bar and NOT laying back.If I get my hips in front where they are supposed to be more is not better. Then it's about laying back and setting the arch into the incline.

Where I can FEEL that I'm on an incline bench. THEN I'm UNDER the press/bar.

Press

65 85 105 x 2
135 x 3
155 x 3
165 x 3
175 x 3
180 x 3
185 x 3
190 x 2 x 2 ( second rep first set lost balance)
180 x 3
170 x 3 = 25 reps

24 kg swings  5 x 8/8

floor pushups

1 x 50

1 x 45

BW 174.2 at noon/ 172.4  at 4 am
BF 13.3 

215 press, 217.5 miss at lockout,wt pushups, laterals rear delts

 Surprisingly good day. Decided to go back to loading the bow but thought about it as "just do a standing incline press. It worked well, especially after not doing it for such a long time. 

Didn't want to overthink it, just push my hips forward and let my torso arch and then press. I  realized at the end of the session that once I push  my  hips forward then I have to let my back bend back enough to 'get under the bar' and make it an incline

At first I was trying to keep from leaning back too much wanting to start with the bar as high off the rack as possible but that kept me too upright and the bar going forward

Also it seems I need a half a thumbs length  WIDER grip and my elbows don't flare. We'll see if this holds but I think since I'm starting so leaned back it's necessary

Press
65 85 105 x 2
135 x 2
155 x 1
175 x 1
195 x 1 fast!
205 x 1 ok but not fast
215 x almost( got hips forward but not lay back enough)
217.5 x miss not a bad attempt on video. under it
205 x 1  x 2
205 x miss
205 x 1 x 3
185 x 1 x 3

wt pushups 3 x 10 53

side and rears 3 x 8/8 20s

BW 171.4 ( start of workout= 173!)
BF 13.0

10 lap ruck

 

Felt decent from yesterdays 48 kg training and it was nice and cool with  a light breeze at the  start just how I like it

Set out to do 10 laps and all went well although even though I did not do any  squat stretches I did start to feel the hip flexor on the 10th lap. SO I slowed things down and stretched more per stride making sure to engage the right glute

worked well and got home no issues

I just can't believe 10 is so hard for me now. Well, to be honest it's not  that hard it's just that BORING now. for the first time in 9 years it being boring is the hardest part of the ruck

But it got done

45 lb ruck

10 laps

1:45 min

ave speed 3 mph

BW 172.4  !!!

BF 13.3 !

weights coming up finally

9th Anniversary of TKR, 48 kg One Arm swings, Pistol squats ( assisted) pullaparts

 Back to full strength! No dizziness,no high heart rate and all the sets done. Last month I was just getting over ( semi) the pre covid cold and coud only do 8 total sets and barely at that.
Even though I tested negative it probably was covid.
http://rifsblog.blogspot.com/2022/07/48-kg-one-arm-swings-8-x-55-alternate.html

But today was solid. Slept well, weight was up ( 171.4!) and energy and motivation were good for a change

One arm swings
16 x 5/5 x 2
20 x 5//5 
24 x 5/5 
28 x 4/4
32 x 4/4
36 x 4/4
40 x 4/4
48 x 5/5 x 12 sets
120 reps

Bell speed and bell height were also the best in awhile

Then onto pistols, just the left side as I think all the supported squat stretches I've been doing and the not so much extended weighted lunges messed up my  right hip flexor last week so taking a break
 I had hope to do a no assist one but it seemed too risky after all this time off

Assisted Pistols
3 x 5

pullaparts  3 x 30

BW 171.4 !!
BF 11.5
W 59% !!!! nice. ( bath)

Thursday fast walk

 

Another  good one. all systems go and I'm digging doing this ruckless on thursdays. As much as I hate going out at midday with the ruck I do not mind at all doing this with just bodyweight. So, it stays for awhile

fast is good too

6 laps walk

48 min

3.7 MPH ave

16 min mikes

3 miles

BW 170.2
BF 13.1

195-200 weight ladder x 1's. 20 kg swings, floor pushups

 SO my right hip flexor decided to lock up last night making even standing OR sitting painful.I've had this before so I didn't freak ( too many  supported squat stretches) but I was thinking about going for 215 again today but I was happy just to lift anything

Didn't feel like reps would go but the arch actually  helped open up my  hip and activate the glutes

Press
65 85 105 x 2
135 x 1
155 x 1
175 x 1
185 x1
190 x 1
195 x 1
200 x miss x 2
200 x 1 ( actually the first two misses were much higher to lockout than they felt but not locked enough to take it. anyway  good muscle and nerve work

20 kg swings 5 x 8/8 these helped a ton to get the right glute back online

floor pushups
50
40

BW 170.2
BF 13.1

195-210 ( 215 miss), wt pushups, laterals rear delts

 Fucked up Sunday after  noon recovery , poor sleep, family  drama shitty morning. It's amazing I pressed anything.

Plus still 170 lbs

Upside: technique felt decent, just felt unfocused, angry and distracted

Press
195 x 1
205 x 1
215 x miss x 2
210 x 1 x 2
205 x 1 x 2
200 x 1 x 3

things got better as it went along

Gonna go heavy  again Wednesday and see if I can hit something

wt pushups
bw x 10
53 x 10 x 3

laterals rear delts 3 x 8/8 15s

BW 170
BF 13.1

8 Lap Sunday ruck

 

Really  good one. No ill effects from Saturdays swings, slept well and not feeling sick at all.

45 lb ruck

8 laps

7 squat stretches

total time= 1:20 ( about 10 min/ lap ave)

BW 171.4
BF 13.1

44 kg one arm swings 13 x 8/8, walking lunges, pullaparts

 Really decent one, Slept fine, feel pretty much 100 % and felt decently strong with the bell

Height wasn't exactly what I wanted but hey, beggars can't be choosers

44 kg one arm swings

13 x 8/8 ( probably  could have done 16 but didn't want to push it)

bw lunges
8/8
25 lb lunges sandbag
2 x 8/8

pullaparts
3 x 30

BW 170.4
BF 13.4

Thursday fast walk

 Felt much better but thought it was smarter to do a longer walk without the ruck and try to rebuild my aerobic base a bit. Worked well and had a very fast, very  strong walk with no pack

Shocked, actually, how good everything felt, even my lungs

6  laps walk

48 min

16 min mile average

3 miles

BW 170.2
BF 13.2

155-180 full pyramid, 24 kg swings, floor pushups

 Woke up feeling basically normal. As is not sick/ pre covid. This felt fantastic. The fatigue and the overall weakness and lethargy was kicking my ass. Really  nice to have some energy again, and not wanting to climb back into bed as soon as I got out

Workout was really solid too. I saw a video of one of Greg Everett's athletes doing a clean and jerk and when she stood up from the clean she locked in and for the first time I have a great visual of how I should be locked in after the unracking

I've seen thousands of clean and jerks but this one resonated with me big time. AND it worked great in the training today

https://fb.watch/eQ0HTzMbv6/

Press
65 85 105 x 2
135 x 3
155 x 3
165 x 3
170 x 3
175 x 3
180 x 2
170 x 3
165 x 3

Reps are so much easier in so many ways than singles

24 kg swings
5 x 5/5 taking it easy

Floor pushups
30
40

BW 170.2
BF 13.7

205 x 1 x 7 sets,paralletes pushups. side laterals, db curls

 Weighed in at a scant 170.4 lbs today which  was not a good omen for my  first press workout since covid. But it had to be done

Just SO stiff and tight but by the middle of the workout things had opened up considerably and I could much better spot the  X. Kept losing it during early sets 

But this definitely helped restart the body

Press

65 85 105 x 2
135 x 1
155 x 1
175 x 1
195 x 1 not bad
205 x Miss lost the x
205 x 1 x  7
195 x 1 hard
185 x 1 just tired now

Paralletes pushups
4 x 12 bodyweight

laterals and curls 3 x 8/8

BW 170.4
BF 13.5

Sundaday post covid ruck

 

Skipped Wednesdays press workout, too sick but felt much better on Sat and yesterday. Was going to do six laps  but too many people started showing up and I was getting tired anyway so I did four laps in about 45  minutes

Everything felt ok just worried about pushing too hard  and getting a re lapse

45 lb ruck

4 laps

2 miles

45 min

BW 171.8
BF 13.5

Kept checking my hr which was about 110 so no racing heart but still not the greatest of breath. Lungs hadn't opened up yet

215 press 220 miss x 2, 205 x 1 x 3, db triceps ext, side raises rear delts

 Slept poorly last night ( dogS!) and trained solo so all things considered it wasn't bad. Brain fatigue created all the mistakes ( too tired to think?) but overall technique was decent and the 215 was perhaps the best I've ever done it

The 220 misses and the subsequent 205 misses were caused by  pressing from the hands not the hips but that was the only  real technique flaw. Stronger than expected.
They KEY  POINTS

1) setup with hips in front of bar spotting the X

2) Unrack and hold tension in legs, staying on X

3) drive into the leg/hip tension STAY ON X

Press

 65 85 95 x2
135 x 2
155 x 1
175 x 1
195 x 1 good!

205 x 1 also good

215 x 1 very very good after a bad miss!  great lockout ,finally

220 x X x 2

205 x 1
       x miss
       x 1
       x miss
       x 1!!

rolling db ext
20 x 10
25 x 10
     x 8
20 x 8

these felt great but didn't want to overdo it. No one to place sandbag for pushups so this was a good time to experiment. my favorite triceps move

side raise and rear delts 3 x 8/8 with 20s

BW 173.8
BF 13.5

tired but not unhappy