48 kg 20 x 5, 48 kg belt squat 3 x 8,9,10 BW lunges 3 x 8,8,6, pullaparts 3 x 30

 So So workout. Nothing went wrong or injured, felt fairly strong but just not dialed in. still not feeling the standing plank part of this. hard to imagine just 2-3 weeks off this technique messed me up this badly

Finally got warmed up at 10 sets

20 sets in 25 min. cardio was good

173.3

Thursday ruck

 Strong one! Really good sleep two nights in a row is magic. All little aches clearing up

45 lb ruck

6 laps

3 miles

85 deg heat no issue

16.2 mpm pace felt effortlessly fast

173.3

heat condition is excellent

185 x 1 x 10, 200 x 1, 205 x 1, 225 x 5 sec hold x 2, 20 kg swings 5 x 5/5, floor pushups 3 x 26

 Great day finally! Best night's sleep in weeks, neck and right QL area all good and my new technique worked better than expected

Switch to my Adidas flatter shoe and it definitely helped  to get me ground and "set" before I pressed

The idea was to 'lock in' first , spot the x, and when I felt totally  tight  shove the bar up

Different than waiting for someone else's press call, this was about locking the legs and hip and getting as tight as possible ( coil the spring) and then explode

173.3!

very good day

Sunday Fast walk

 Neck was feeling better in the AM but no way was I putting on the ruck

Just a 4.5 mile fast walk and it was decent

Basically averaged about 16 min miles which felt great

Without the pack it feels like I could fly, definitely run but surprisingly  I'm not that much faster but I should probably do these more often

9 laps

4.5 miles

1:15

16 min miles

185x-215 x3X misses, 180 x 1 x 3, laterals rear delts

 Total shit.Neck locked up Sat night and spend all day working on it. No sleep, lots of pain, fear. Got it to release and pressing motion didn't hurt monday  but nothing was working well. Or strong

And 171 lbs

Surprised I did as well as I did

Despite  having the goal or really locking my knees I did not at all and it was just ugly

185 x 1
195 x 1
200 x miss out in front
200 x 1
205 x 1
210 x x on balance
215 x 3/4 x 3 misses !
205 x X x 2!
180 x 1 x 3  

44 kg swings 25 x 5, 44 kg belt squats 3 x 10, BWsquat 1x 20, Alternating BW lunges 3 x 8/8, Ext rotators 3 x 12

 Slept well, body  felt good but took me awhile to warmup and find my groove, at least ten total sets, felt "wary" a long time

Went back to the old technique( standing plank/ hold at top) and perhaps that's it after last weeks quad dominant experiment

last ten sets felt 'normal' again but I was having trouble holding the plank solid.The least small technique change theses days seems like it affects EVERYTHING, especially balance and timing

But did them all in exactly 30 min with three of us going and without ( except the last 3-5 sets) trying to'

squats were hard but I got twenty. I took video but the depth looks so shallow  I didnt want to post it. and they  felt so deep lol

Lunges were good too using an upper body counter rotation like I used to

172.2

Thursday ruck

 Solid one. Slightly overcast and cool. so nice. warmed up at the end but like fall actually

Pace, legs and lungs all good.

45 lb ruck

6 laps 3 miles

55 min

strong throughout minimum rest stops

190 x 1 x 10, 20 kg swings 5 x 5/5, floor pushups 3 x 25, chicken wings 3 x 12-15

 These went GREAT! Pretty much each rep a carbon copy of the next!

Spot the X and make sure I really arch into it

Elbows UP, take my time getting there

Unrack straight up holding elbow position and back arch ( and on X)

Drive bar back to face

173.4

185-215-205 pyramid, laterals, rear delts, ext rotators

 This went ok but interrupted sleep left me tired and a bit flat for training.Technique was good but not as strong so I was soft in the rack position and caught me. Bar wasn't high enough off the pin, knees never started locked out etc, and I missed at the top by inches

But I got a of good attempts in and work capacity is coming back. weighing 172 isn't helping either  but so be it

175 x 1
185 x 1
195 x 1
200 x 1
205 x 1 ok but sloppy at stick point
210 x 1 best rep all day
215 x Miss
215 x Miss
210 x 1 ok but catching up with me
205 x 1 tucked chin
205 x 1
205 x miss, just not back far enough

Sunday Ruck

 Decent one. Slower first half but picked it up the last 3 laps for a change

45 lbs

9 laps

1:25

10,178 steps

3 miles

171.2

40 kg swings 25 x 6, 40 kg belt squat 3 x 10 , air squat 1 x 16 (non lock) pistols 3 x 2/2, chicken wings, pullaparts

 This was a good one but a tough one; my first since my cortisone shot for my trigger thumb. Thumb is definitely better but I was distracted by it and with these weights it's always dicey to  be distracted in any way

Didn't hurt anything but low back was tighter than I like right  after. Partly as I tried using my older quad dominant style. It won't work with these big bells. I  have to use hips not just quads to offset the weight

Now I know

Once I got warmed up all was good

25 sets in 30 min seems about the norm now. can't see going faster actually

pistols

 172.2

Thursday ruck; hot, slow

 Not enough sleep. otherwise felt really good. Overall inflammation in body is  down after what seems 6-8 weeks of abnormal levels. No idea why except perhaps not pressing badly and creating even more asymmetries

45 lbs

6 laps

3 miles

56 min

3.0 average for first three laps then 3.2+ for last three

83 degrees

173.

190 x 1 x 10, 20 kg swings, floor pushups, chicken wings

This was a good a group of reps as I've every done. I had a couple not perfects but the rest were as good as I've done yet

The difference was slight  but critical ( as always) . Instead of spotting the X as I rolled into the unracking with elbows all at once, I spotted the X, then set my elbows, then stood up and then pushed the bar back to my face and X

Because of the setup my elbows were slightly in front of the bar and hence the bar went back over my face much more easily AND faster

Very happy with this discovery

X

ELBOWS

UP

BAR TO FACE

swings

floor pushups 3 x 20

chicken wing rotators 3 x 15/15

173.8

185-215-205 pyramid, laterals, rear delts, band pushdowns

Really not sure what I'm doing but it seems to be working lol. Making smaller jumps on the way up  to the top set is helping too.Just really trying to do the exact same thing each set

Which is: chest up and stand up strong to unrack, then basically try to drive the bar back over my face and spot the X

Oh and legs tight if I can make them ( lol) basically Stand up/ Lock legs/ Bar to Face

135 155 175 x 1
185 x 1
190 x 1 
195 x 1
200 x 1
205 x 1
210 x miss
210 x 1
215 x 1 almost. lost  balance at top but still STRONG, much better than last
205 x 1
205 x miss head down bar forward
205 x 1

BW 172.2

Sunday Ruck

 Had to miss thursday's ruck for a dental appointment but all was well today

45 lbs

9 laps

4.5 miles

10,026 steps

1:23 min

All felt good, legs, lungs work capacity. slightly cooler

172.2

32 kg swings 20 x 10, 40 kg belt squats 3 x 10, pistols 3 x 3/3, band ext rotator 3 x 15

 Changed my swing technique to a more quad dominant style. This is what I was doing for years  before I decided to switch focus to maximizing bell height. I've noticed my quad size is not where it was, or where I want it of late and I think this is why.

SO gripping the floor with the toes, breaking first at the knee and instead of working on holding the standing plank, focus on locking the knees and holding the quads tight.

Height was fine ( we'll see how it is with the heavier bells) and my legs were very fatigued by the end of the session

Perfect

173.2

190 x 1 x 10, 20 kg swings 5 x 5/5, floor pushups, 20, 15, 15, laterals rear delts 3 x 8/8

 This went very well. Just 2-3 reps that weren't perfect  but most flew back as I wanted

Was going every 30 seconds or so I slowed down for last three sets as triceps were getting tired and I started to grind

Seemed very natural and instinctive technique. Pretty replicateable

175 x 1
180 x 1
190 x 1 x 10

173.0

185-215 pyramid, floor pushups, laterals, rear delts, front raises

 This went great. better by far than last week

Used the same approach; lots of warmup sets with small jumps trying to get the timing down. it went well. 215 could have been locked out better but it moved well. 210 did move well and 205 on the way up was much better

down sets with 205 were rough but that was just from general fatigue, not used to this workload with this groove yet

175 x 1
185 x 1
190 x 1
195 x 1
200 x 1
205 x 1
210 x 1 ( good!)
215 x so so 
205 x miss out front
205 x 1 x 3

BW 173

Sunday Ruck

 Decent one. cooler out which always helps. A bit hungover for no good reason but that wore out halfway through

45 lb ruck

9laps

1:25

10,000 steps

3.6 mph top speed

173.0

48kg swings 20 x 5, 40 kg belt squat 5 x 8,9,10,10, pistol practice 3 x 5, pullaparts

This  went very well. I even alternated my bell warmup progression and it felt right. I skipped the 28 and 44 kg bells

Swing groove was good but I still feel like my legs need to be doing more of the action. But trying to get bell height changes the drive form I guess. I have to keep the CCOG closer to me to be able to hold the standing plank and not get pulled over on the descent for the next rep

If I did a low swing I could use more legs I think

But don't mess with it. Today's session was very strong and fast. Love me some 5 rep onlys! 20 sets in about 30 min

 

Thursday hot fast ruck

 A great one out of nowhere

Last week I barely finished the 3 miles in 60 min and yesterday killed it in 52 min! have to check if that's a PR but if not it's close and it is a recent PR

a good 87 degrees out too and no wind and no problem

45 lb ruck

6 laps

3 miles

52 min

17:20 min/mile

strong!

173.6