35 lb ruck 3 mile 46:01 15:20 ave pace

 this was hard. 51/4 sleep last night, wet soggy sand and tired legs from lunges.first mile was good but for perhaps the first time ever the second mile was slower, really had to push the last mile to catch up. even some airborne shuffling! lol

Not recovering well. lots of niggling imbalances popping up

168.8

5 sec rack holds 175 x 3 sets, 25lb arm casts 3 x 5/5, floor pushups 30,30, 35, 15 lbrear delts 5 x 15,lunges 4 x 10/10

 This went ok despite lower back being tight during sleep. abs tight but finally stuck the supernova in right glute medius and it went away. But had me spooked. Then ronin plopped onto my right extended knee in bed and I thought he fucked it up. Nothing hurts specifically but it feels "weird"

Holds went well
135 x 5s
155x 5 s
165 x 5s
175 x 5 x 3

casts
15 lb x 5/5 x 2
20 x 5/5 x 2
25  x 5/5 x 3 ( first time with this weight in forever

pushups were strong even after all that tri work

168.9

Chin Press 170 x 1 x 10,wt pushups 32 lb x 2 x 8,53 x 8, 20 lb hammer curls 4 x 10, band rear delts 4 x 15

 This went great. Went without elbow sleeves and elbows are better.Think they create too much compression and wedge the joint open.

One,this form looks so much cooler even if the weights are light. have to readjust mentally. I ended up with two sets where I layed back too much and I dont like looking at it at all anymore

Went back to the Innov8  heel and I'm  just so used to it

Going to repeat this workout next week and make it more solid

168.8

35lb 5 mile ruck 1:16:15 15:13 ave pace

This was good. Not great but solid. No tibs seizing up. Started out slow and let it build. Legs pretty toasty from yesterday so lots of stop and shake which makes a huge difference

Anything under 15:15 ave pace is a win

 

168.0

13.3

40 kg swings 20 x 5 in 23 min, 40 kg beltsquats 4 x 8, left leg lunges 4 x 10, rev grip pullaparts

 Solid one despite shitty sleep. total numbers were good but just up 5 different times for pee and dogs

Setting the whole foot during my set up has fixed many things; legs are WAY more involved start to finish, hike pass is much easier, balance is better as is power

No down sides, have to be careful leaning too far back at the top as I can lose the whole foot setup  but no problem

168.6

11.3 after bath

35 lb two mile ruck in 30:48 15:24 ave pace

 Short on time ( tax appt) and decided on two miles instead of three. Wore the OTB boots as I thought lighter would be fast.

Went out too fast ( 15:09) and   my left tib started to lock up soon after. That hasnt happened in over a year but it really slowed me down

Lesson learned

169.8

Chin Press 135-170(5 lb jumps) 20 lb arm casts 5 x 5/5 floor pushups 25,20, 17,15, 20 lb hammer curls 4 x10

 Wasnt going to press but things felt fine. Kept volume down,everything felt fine although I think the elbow sleeves INCREASE pressure on the elbows not decrease it
Flatter shoe felt more solid too

Good session

169.8

Chin Press Redux,155 x 1 x 9, 165 x 1, wt pushups 3 x 8 32 lbs , laterals rear delts 3 x8/8 15s

 This felt good. Solid safe and strong. Not much weight but thats fine, IF this works

I think raising the pins up  to this height is much better then coming off my chest ( as I did the last time) and trying to aim for my chin

this is more precise

And I have to really hold it to build the tension

169.8

36kg swings 22 x 5 , 44 kg belt squat 4x8 Chin press(!) 105 x 1 x 5, rev grip pullaparts

 This was strong, combined the old set up( get flat on foot then lockout knee STAYING FLAT ON FOOT) then lean back at top for the float 

worked well

Decided to move the pins up TWO notches and try to emulate Alvin Isu's press- starting with both elbows equally under the bar and vertical
Even I just press bodyweight for 10 singles once a week its better than  not pressing at all

35 lb 3 mile ruck 45:17 15:04 ave pace 3rd fastest time

 Very happy with this considering legs were toast after yesterdays heavy swings for volume

tough going last mile but solid times!

169.6

32 kg swings 10x10, 15x5 25 lb CB Pressouts 5 x 6, band ext 4 x 20

 This went well despite a hectic morning and not enough sleep. Focused on the whole foot setup and now I know why I wasnt getting legs into my swings for so long. I forgot this critical part of the balance setup But its back and man I could feel my legs and the groove was remembered

Did the first 5 x 10 at least on the minute but then slow down just a bit for second set.For the next sets of 5 it was about the same pace and I could feel fatigue in my lower back a bit so I sat back more and got more extension at the top

Not bad 175 reps all strong 

170.4

20 lb CB Casts 5-6 ladder x 2, pushups/bw squats ss, hammers pushdowns rear delts

 

These went well
10 lbs x 10/10 x 2
15 lb x 8/8 x 2
20 lbs x 5/5,6/6,7/7,8/8, 5/5,6/6,7/7 5/5

floor pushups  6 x 15

BW squats 6 x 10

15lb hammer curls 5 x 10
band pushdowns 5x15
db rear delt 15s 5 x 12

169.

35lb 5 mile ruck 1:14:30 14:53 ave pace!

 Great one! Second fastest five miler and the FIRST time doing consecutive back to back ruck averaging 4 MPH!

Outstanding

They key is getting that first mile UNDER 16 min

167.8
11.9 

35 lb Ruck 3 miles in 44:51 14:54 ave pace

 Second best three mile time!  It seems the key to getting the right average pace is getting a fast first mile lol- go figure

GREAT night sleep before hand too

170.0

CB arm cast 5 x 5/5 15 lbs Floor pushups. DB hammers,db ext db laterals

 This went well but felt very easy. too easy but I know theres NO guarantee something wont yell tomorro

Ironically too I woke up at 170 lbs! nuts

This will be Mondays new workout Wed will be swipes as main course and crawls after

Last Barbell Press session

 At least for the foreseeable future. Feeling that pinch mid spine even at lightweights on the layback

That position has been mined out it seems. It sucks but hurting my  back again in a NEW way would such even more

Its been a fun 12 years

two misses badly at 205. My brain was definitely telling me  it would NOT let be bend back with that load. It just shut down

I listened.

35lb ruck 5 miles in 1:17:30 15:28 ave

 Better than last week but how the hell did I ever do 5 miles in 1:14?!

Felt really good and strong right from the start and my pace was solid 15:15 and below the whole time but I doesn't show up in the ave pace. all that being said better than the last two weeks

168.8

48kg Swings 20 x 5 29 min, 48 kg belt squats 4 x10, press 105 x 1 x 5, band rear delts 4x15

 This went well. Started off with the 'lock in standing plank' then decided to go back to a higher cadence technique and not worry about locking holding knee so much and just try to build momentum with the bell

Speed was obviously better but so was height

Trying to keep weight mid foot( my takeaway many years ago from squatting on stability  ball) seemed right.

Going to do the 48 EACH WEEK  for awhile now and see if it gets stronger and better

168.6

3 mile 35 lb 46:21 15:23 Ave pace

this was actually better pace than shown. I lost watch seconds messing with the "always on" function. Probably around 15:13

180 x1 x 9,16 kg swings 5 x 8/8 laterals rear delts rev band curls

 I'm sure about the press anymore. I feel like  its more orthopedic than muscular anymore. SO much asymmetries and imbalances. Might be time for pushups and chest work

168.8

185 x 1 x 8, wt pushups p bar 3 x8 32 lb. band pushdowns 4 x15 rev band curls 2 x 12

 I'm thrilled I could press at all, I really wasnt sure I could

I had no plan EXCEPT not to over arch as I knew that would pinch.But the setups didn't hurt and that was a good sign

The last two sets with 135 are what I'll do Wednesday. I just pushed my hips in front of the bar a bit which triggered my knee bend and send the force up while my hip stayed forward

ALMOST like a classic Olympic press! Its a bit more vertical but it didn't pinch at all

these are the more knee initiated push presses

169.4

35 lb five miles 1:17:49 15:34 pace

 This was a decent pace after all, faster than last week, but I thought I should be able to get faster at the starting. Pretty cold and legs are pretty stiff from yesterday swings

168.4

44 kg swings 20 x 5 ( 30 min), 44 kg belt squats 4x8, pullaparts 3 x 30

 This went SO much better than it could have. Lower back (l3-L5 and sacrum) was "unstable" all day yesterday from Wed snatches etc and the mid back press tweak. Plus sleeps been OK but LOTS of wakeup and anxiety about the back 

I hoped that "pushing reset" by  going back to known safe swing pattern would help and it did.

Plus, plenty of ab and piriformis release.

On swings used a  start with a hinge and  lockout through the legs ( waterski) at top and it was solid

No more fucking around

168.4

12.2

59.1

35 lb three mile ruck 45:49 15:14 pace

 

CB Swipes 10's x 6 x 10, 16 kg snatches 5 x 4/4, 16 kg press 5 x 3/3 band tri extensions 4 x 15

 took the day off pressing and see how the L3 pinch feels in a few days. REALLY dont want walk of th edge with a new back injury  but I'm not sure it wont be ok either. it all really started after I figured out how to stay on the X, felt like I was really  hinging off that spot more than ever

swipes felt great but not sure I can handle two swing workouts, two rucks and another ballistic hinge move

 11:30 am

169.4

205x1 x 2 205 x 2 misses, wt pushups bw x 8,32x8, 53x8x2

 Started off ok but felt the pinching in my L3-L2 facet joints again. not terrible but there nonetheless

Put my belt a bit higher and not as tight. It felt better. Felt it on 165 and up. Thinking with the head position completely back and stiff legs it allowed that to be the pivot point.after the first two reps with 205 I think my back said no to the arch

I switched shoes back to the FastLifts and went up to 200   but no go again

We'll see Wednesday

165 x 1
175 x 1
185 x 1
195 x 1 not right
200 x 1 same
205 x 1 good actually
205 x miss
205 x 1
205 x miss x 2
135 x 1
180 x 1
200 x miss
190 x 1

168.6 4 am

5 mile 35 lb ruck 1:18:22 15:39 ave

 COLD this morning. Good sleep tho and it just took me almost 2 miles to get warmed up

My actual pace dropped into sub 16s right away but the ave didn't show it

Splits

1) 16:23

2) 15:56

3) 15:15

4)  15:04

168.6!

Not bad but not strong.yesterdays technique reboot really worked the glutes and hams and I felt them on the ruck right away

wore the  OTBs felt good

Back to swing basics: The Hinge.36 kg swings 5x5,40kg 5x5,44kg 6 x5 BW squats 8x8, pullaparts 3 x 3

 Man this fix is as big for my swing technique  as not losing visual contact on the X is for my press! Just  going back to THE most basic component of swing technique: the pure hinge

As I taught for years and just like a WSB power squat the knees don't move forwards at all- the hips just push back

It was SO much better! so much easier, stronger faster with better bell height with less effort and way less back involvement

Looking at  my recent videos NOW I can see the bell trajectory was DOWN and back, using my legs( quads) as the driver. No wonder I had no hip snap I HAVEN'T BEEN USING MY HIPS!

Started off easyjust too see. Kept the same shoes,foot width everything else. Just pretended my legs were embedded in sand up to my knees

Just sit back

Just an arched back good morning louie style

Best height I've had with the 40 or 44 in forever

36 kg x 5

AXE style 8 x 5( thought it was  the 40 actually)

40 x 5 x 5

44 x 5 x 6

32 x 5 x 2

right  arm was nearly as good as left

On Wed for light day I'll do 24 kg x 5 x 5/5

BW squats seemed perfect

168.8

35 lb ruck 3.01 miles 45:32 15:06 ave pace

 Surprisingly fast for how dead my legs felt. Wore the GoRuck mac v2s

180 x 1 x 10, 210 hold x 5, 16 kg swings 5 x 8/8 new old technique, 20 lbs arm casts

This went great. All ten sets solid, even warmups were strong. Figured out where to stand, FINALLY,  to really maximize sighting the X

Has to be in front so I can look back to find the X. If its right above me its easier to go forward. So now thats sussed!

Very confident

Spot  the X

"there it is"

Lock in

"Stay with it"

STIFF LEG DRIVE

For the swings I went BACK to my old pure hinge style.  slightly ( very) wider but not trying to use my legs at all, just the hips. Like I used to do pre TKR before I could bend my knee

Wore the lower heeled adidas too

Felt great but will see how it goes Sat.Probably use the 36 kg bell

170.2 at 12:30

205 x 1 x 4!! 215 static hold, wt pushups 32-53 lbs x 8, db hammer curls

 This went perfectly with the  HUGE takeaway  that even though I've been trying to keep the X in vision I have not and EXACTLY  when I lose the visual I lose the lift!

But today because I actually managed to force myself to keep the X in sight I made all four lifts when otherwise I am sure I would have missed at least two!

Spot the  X

Lock the legs

STAY ON THE X NO MATTER WHAT

Keep the knees locked

170.2 at 11:30 training time

Fast rain walk ( no ruck) 4.8 miles in 1:13:49 15:10 ave pace 11:09 fastest mile

 Test drive on the rain coat today so no ruck

Very odd, started off very slow surprisingly  for no pack. Total dark as I wanted to try to beat the downpour

took two miles to find my stride but then legs were moving so fast I thought I would fall! actually had to lean less to slow down

split 1 16:32 ~

2 15:46

3 14:47

4 14:27

5 14:06 !

fastest mile it said 11:09 at 61 min into the walk! flying!

ave hr was 117

ave pace last lap was 13:30

168.4

40 kg swings 12 x 5/5 24 min, 16 kg squat cleans 4 x 4/4 pullaparts

 Not bad but still not getting the height I want but I'm not sure why. Bell didn't feel heavy and cardio was fine but height is still off a bit

KB squat cleans felt great. did them one side at a time as separate set and suprisingly really felt my legs works in the stretch portion. depth good too

169.0

12.2 (bath)

First Ruck of 2026 3 miles in 45:44 15:08 ave pace

 This went great. Wore the OTB shoes as it was sloppy wet , they felt great.This pace is becoming the norm now

Splits

1) 15:38

2) 15:03

3) 14:43 

169.4