Presses and snatches.

Me teaching how to use the lats to build your press at our workshop May 2. The DVD is going to rock!

I was a bit worried going into today's training since I am not used to swinging fairly decent volume the day before I press and snatch but I woke up with no soreness and that's a good sign.The more work I can do and NOT get sore the better.

Such a 180 degree turn from my old life where if I DIDN'T get sore from the workout I was upset. I have enough pain from all kinds of other things that I certainly don't need anymore from training and being able to recover quickly from my workout is a great indicator that I am at the right workload;especially if I bumped things up a bit, as I did yesterday. I need to stay loose to keep the pain and imbalances down and that's as much of a goal as my swing or press or snatch numbers.

Mind set means so much as well and I have really decided I have to get my total volume up again; perhaps not what it was last year, but to a decent level. Decent to me at least. Having the right mind makes all the difference in recovery as well.Not only from the different choices one makes as to sleep, nutrition, etc, but also from negative thoughts or emotions which are MORE detrimental, imho, than ANY OTHER IMPUT.

Stress kills.

It also makes you sick.

It also makes you weak.

The more stress one gets from life, the less they can apply from the gym. Everyone's 'stress box' has only so much capacity and you can fill it up with whatever you choose. The calmer your life is, the more "stress" you can apply to your training and still recover.

Being able to let go of it and relax can turn my body around on a dime. It too is a skill, and I've been practicing.

The body tells me almost immediately if I am making the right training choices. I just have to really listen,and then TRUST what it is telling me. For instance even though I still want to train the getup, the two handed swing and some higher tension moves my body said NO in a hurry last Monday, when I did it.

AND, almost as soon as I mentally "let go" of the idea that my training would go in that direction, then the tension in my body eased, and so did the looming back pain. I just re- thought the pathway and my body said Yes, this is the right course.

Listening to the body is as much art as anything and you have to listen closely. And, of course, practice.

There are a lot of messages going on similtaneously :))

A LOT less sitting today ( another message I have been ignoring too long) and a lot more standing lunge stances and sumo stances. Combined with overhead stick stretching or by themselves. Back to my standing training; I have a lot of traveling coming up and I have to get ready to stand and walk 12-14 hours each day.

Strength training practice is everywhere.

Cleans

16kgx5/5 x2

20 kgx5/5

24kgx5/5

28 kgx4/4

Didnt want to swing more to wamup and since I was doing short cycle clean and press decided to use these as wamup. Perfect! Short arc, lots of hip and arch back and can handle decent weight very easily. Also warm up the total body loading to get ready for presses.

Press

16kgx5/5

20 kgx4/4

24 kgx2/2

28kg x 1/1

32 kgx 1/1 x 5 sets

Nice! these were definitely 'heavier' than last weights 28 kg singles but they moved very very well. no sticking point at all and with decent acceleration. Could have easily done 2-3 more before any fatigue or form breakdown occurred so I stopped here. I'm learning. Leave MORE than you want to in the tank.

My press groove is the best it's every been. :))

Snatch

16 kg x5/5

20 kg x5/5

24 kg x5/5 x 6 sets

20 kg x10/10

x 8/8

96 reps

these were strong but I could definitely feel the effect of the heavy presses during them, while I didn't last week. I went very very very carefully through each rep as I am still sussing out my form here and,like last week, wore my Keen shoes to train it.

They have a totally flat and hard sole and give my unstable foot just a bit of support with the heavier stuff. If the foot is stable the ankle can be mobile and my foot gets unstable fast which can lock up my ankle and then my knee.

This shit is WAY too complicated. Being injured sucks.

Still solutions are great. and being able to train hard(ish) pain free( relatively) and strongly is a miracle.

I got past 50 reps today strongly and the 10's and 8's with the 20 kg felt light, strong and very much like my old self. nice. Will have to alternate starting this day with snatches every other week or so.

Really keeping my back arched and shock absorbing with my hips is a very different technique and concept for me in my everyday training but my gut says it's right and I just have to make haste slowly.

I feel good.

datsit.

work capacity

Mine sucks right now and it's time to do something about it. I can remember, very clearly, when I was training the swing for volume as well as intensity and I got up to a PR of 630 24 kg swings in January of 2008 and had done 400 32 kg swings a few months before.

These were not time sets but I went into the next set when I 'felt ready' which, suprisingly, was sooner the more sets I did. It always takes me forever to get warmed up. No matter, I need to get to doing those kinds of workloads and I started today.

I tried to start monday and did some tgu's two handed dls before I started swinging and my back didnt like it. I listened, for a change, put the bell down and went home. I just have to accept that the two hand swing, and anything that really overloads my abs is not good for my back. I need to be grateful that I CAN swing one arm and that not only does my back like it, it makes it better.

Hopefully I won't have to learn this lesson again.

I also think I am going to try to swing at 6 am during Tracy's class. As hard as it is for me to warmup it's harder it seems to do volume work after work so that's the next experiment. I only am going to do one arm swings and I have 45 minutes to get the job done and get dressed for work. I just have to wake up a bit earlier.

So today I wanted to make up for mondays no go with some 24 kg work

one arm swings

12 kgx10/10

16kgx10/10

20 kgx10/10

24 kg x10/10 x 10 sets

200 reps

as usual, the rest periods got shorter as I progressed going from one minute down to 30 seconds at the end. I just can't force this but it always happens.

A long way from 630 but that's ok. It's the process and the goal and now I am back on track.

Tomorrow heavy presses and some 24 kg snatches.

datsit.

More Robert E. Dickson

One of my earliest role models and images of what a great gymnast was. Robert has also written a book about training called, appropriately " Cut through the crap" about debunking myths in exercise and diet. I am getting my own copy from the man himself. Facebook does have it's uses.What a great opportunity to make contact with one of my early Heroes and an Alumni of my own Alma Mater at that!

Robert was an Olympic gymnast, acrobat, stunt driver( car and motorcycle), high diver,stunt double and comic!

What gymnasts do for fun

More training, of course. Weird training but more training. Robert Dickson , U of Iowa stud and Olympian just having fun.

Resetting the groove.

At the Reifkind/Whitley/Reifkind seminar last weekend. The DVD should be available in 8 weeks!
I finally got back to doing just snatches today for the first time in months. My power good morning style swing and snatch have been proving to be ok for both my back and knee but I want to proceed cautiously loading the new groove. I hadn't planned on doing just snatches today but it felt very solid during the warmups so I decided to give it a try.

But I knew 7's per 15 second wasn't a smart idea( not ready to be too explosive or fast) so I settled on 6 rep sets holding it at the lockout to take up all the 15 second work bout. Going more slowly definitely helped me really "feel" the groove and not cut corners.

I worked on using Tracy's cue of putting the plug in the socket( locking the arm into the inner thigh) which is much different than the more arm dominant style I have been using. I have benn following the bell back more and hinged as much from the shoulder and back as hip.I didn't try to round my back but I also didn't try to keep in up.

This is definitely more an arched back good morning, but, just like in my barbell good morning I really get a lot of 'shock absorption' from my bottom position. It feels very 'stretchy' in the bottom and I can feel the stretch reflex really working to throw me in the ascent. Much less lean, head up, knees out and a little quad in the shock absorption as well.

It always scares me though, to change a groove this big, as I never know what the real consequences can be until days later. This seems right though and all I have to go on is my "gut" and my instinct. The bent frame I live on doesn't follow normal rules of mechanics and hasn't for some time.

Max Vo2

16 kg

15:15

60 sets of 6 reps

360 total

12,960 lbs

Pushups

8 sets of 5, high tension.

datsit. Swings and getups and deadlifts on monday

Another blast from the past

Didn't even know this picture existed. Having tons of fun at the Gymiami Alumni Facebook site

I remember the sequence in my floor routine that got me into this position: straight arm back roll to handstand, straddle down into this straddle "L", then press back up. Those were the days. Note the knee bandage, this was my senior year ,after the injury.

It's hard to believe, but at one time I was very, very very flexible.

1974 North Miami Beach Gymnastics Team.

I have a lot of old gymnastics photos but not this one. This is from our High School year book, the year before I blew out my knee. This is the only gymnastics photo I have prior to the injury; how odd is that? Seeing this really brought back tons of memories about such a pivotal and important time in my life.

But what really hit hard was this Facebook message I got from a guy who witnessed the accident and understood exactly what it meant, on many levels. And only for myself but for his students and protege's.

Hi Mark. Jaime here. I saw you blow your knee out practicing at NMB. I can still hear that scream. Are you that person? We have a Gymiami Alumni group here on facebook and have been looking up lots of people. You were a promising and talented gymnast back in those days. Let me know if I have the right guy. You may have known my sister Nina who went to NMB. Thanks. Jaime

Stretchsport Guy April 30 at 11:47pm

PS...I reviewed your google search results and concluded that I have the right person. I remember you were working on your double fulls and you stiff legged your landing as you twisted that double full right into the floor. It was a heartbreaking scene. I knew what it meant. I felt the way Pete's face looked in horror at what happened. We didn't have pits back then and everything had to be hand spotted. After that day I protected the gymnasts at Gymiami like they were eggs that could crack. Part of the reason I became known as the best spotter in the country in the mid 70's was because of what I witnessed happen to you. It put me on even higher alert than I already was. I am so sorry about what happened to you. I was looking forward to seeing you rival Kurt Thomas and make the Olympic Team side by side. I had no doubt that you would have done that. Good grief that was a major bummer! Jaime PSS...I interviewed Julio Anta and those videos are on youtube under my Stretchsportguy handle.

I never considered how what happened to me impacted those that saw it. I didn't even realize that anybody, other than my teamates, saw it happen or that it changed their lives.

Jaime has a Facebook Gymiami Alumni page that has brought me back into contact with a lot of those teammates and coaches from that time, and it's very, very cool.

It was such a wonderful time in my life, even and despite the injury. It set the stage for everything that was to come in my life; to what I have become in my life. Everything that I am now, and how I live now, started right then and there and has continued, pretty much in very similar mode, to now.

Oh yeah I worked out today too.

Clean and Press( short cycle)

16kg x5/5

20 kgx3/3

24kgx1/1

28kg x1/1x 6 sets

these were very easy. I love low rep sets ,lol.the groove was very solid and fast.

Snatch

20 kg x5/5

24kg x5/5x 5 sets

50 reps ( on my way back to 200!)

most excellent. the most volume with the 24 since Dec.The move felt very strong even with the new power good morning groove. I figured out the details of the bottom position(much different,especially timing wise) than my old stiff legged style.

BTW I could actually feel my legs and back a bit, in a good way, from the getups and deadlifts,albeit so light, from yesterday. Crazy.

TGU roll to press to arm support

12 kg x 3/3 x 4 sets

crazy how I am playing with this move now.two days in a row, who'd a thunk it. Really used Dave Whitley brilliant hip drive drill we got from the seminar and it really helps.

Shield casts

10 lb Clubbell x 10/10/10/10 x 4 sets

these felt good. have to keep the arc high , though to not irritate left tricep and elbow. glad to be able to do them again though.

Datsit

Practice

Spotting Logan's one arm handstand at the workshop
Still feeling the effects of the all day event on sunday so I stretched instead of trained yesterday and went for some loading today. I've been thinking of adding in some tgu's and windmills for some time but know that I can't do them symmetrically.that is working each side.

Shouldn't

And I was worried about just doing them on my left side but Ive been thinking lately it might be just the asymmetrical loading I need. When I hurt my back in 2000 one of the key things I did to rehab myself was training asymmetrically, mainly using swiss balls and bodyweight exercises.

My fascination and love of the one arm kb swing was born here as I couldn't do two hand swings without my back locking up, but one arms worked great.

I've been trying to stay away from high tension exercises though now for years, feeling that I already have too much muscle tension and the ballistic movements would give me enough tension to keep my strength up.

But I've been feeling different of late and the ability to press again has only strengthened my interest in, well, strength.

Rediscovering my power good morning swing groove, really studying Tracy's swing technique ( yeah, tough job, I know,lol) and all this fervor about the getup ( tracy included) got me thinking.

So today to start my workout I started playing around with some getups ( full movement on left side, getup to arm support on right side) windmills, kb deadlifts as well as my swings. I even through in some handstands with some students of mine I am training in the handstand.

If I'm tweaked tomorrow though, I'll have no way of knowing which of the multitude of new moves I did today was responsible,lol. Oh well, it felt good at the time.

But the focus was practicing these moves and I used light weights ( 8 and 12 kg) for them as I didnt want to be completely crazy. everything felt good and my mind set was on practicing the forms and seeing what I needed on each move, and where I felt restriction.

kb windmill/ left side tgu/ right side getup to arm support:

I was very suprised to see my right shoulder overhead position was much better than I expected it to be.there might be gold in these hills. and the left side getup really works the left to right rolling pattern I need, strength in my left leg and glute and activation of the left obliques and psoas.

I really don't need any more left shoulder work but I guess it's going to come along for the ride.

the left side only windmills felt good for the left glute and medius.

4 rounds

one arm swings

16 kg x10/10x3 sets

16 kg x10/10 /10 two hand swingsx2

16 kg x10/10/10 2 hand/10 transfers

16 kg roundabout 4 rounds x 3 sets

20 kg x10/10

24kgx10/10 x 3 sets

this was very interesting and I was playing with the combinations as if I were doing tracy's class. it was nice to even play with two hand swings again and I really emphasized my back arch and good morning position.

I am finally learning that when I change exercise techniques I just can't go balls to the wall with weight or volume

two hand kb deadlifts

24 kg x10

28kgx8

32 kg x8

36 kgx6

40kgx6

48 kgx6

wow these worked my legs harder than expected. perfect. so nice to have anything that resembles real weight in my hand again. getting back to my power squat/goodmorning groove seems to be working all right.

tomorrow, presses and snatches!

datsit.

The Whitley Sledgehammer Getup

The IronTamer, MRKC David Whitley, unveiled his lastest strength feat at our kb seminar this weekend at Catalyst Athletics. Giving props to his old time strongman roots, Dave combines the Turkish Getup with a classic sledgehammer leverage move. Awesome man!

We got it done!

Tracy ,Dave Whitley and I got had a great day at Catalyst Athletics getting our workshops done and our DVD's recorded.What a great day,everthing went great and finally, Tracy's revolutionary KB swing combination training will be available to all.

My segment on Lats, the Super Muscle went very well and I know I will be very proud of the final product. Really enjoyed watching Master Instructor Dave Whitley bending frying pans, tearing cards and bending horseshoes effortlessly, as well as his insightful segment on the intricacies, and history, of the turkish getup. I am actually developing a fondness for this move :))

Max Vo2 swings and snatches

Decided to tempt fate a bit today and actually train the day before a workshop. Should be no big deal but with this old frame you never know. Cut things short and played it safe but I also used a new technique so you never know how that will pan out,lol. I want to be fresh and un-tweaked when I go in front of an audience but I also needed to train.I so hate how teaching and seminars mess with my training schedule. Tried to find the balance.

Max Vo2

15:15

16 kg

42 sets

alternating sets of 9 rep swings and 7 rep snatches

21 sets of snatches = 147 snatches

not bad, technique felt good keeping my head up and thinking "arch your back" each and every rep.Feels better in the swing than the snatch as it really shortens the stroke and will make me use my hips much more than my back. It will take some getting used to.

Time to go finish my prep work for tomorrows Super Lats workshop with Tracy and Dave. This will be a great day, and, perhaps, a historic one.

Datsit.

Ok, so you think you're hardcore?

This is Hardcore.

Power Good Mornings

The Master of the Power squat, Louie Simmons, demo's the Power Good Morning

Ever since by back went out right before the Dec HKC, my swing and snatch grooves have been all over the place. I have a variety of mechanical positions I can use and they all can work well for various amounts of time,though none has seemed like "it", the perfect, for me, combination of body mechanics and leverage, according my my unique limb length ratios and, of course, my injuries.

I did gymnastics with my head down( all of us do, its the style), I ran with my head down, I deadlifted and( at some point squatted) with my head down. It's a pattern. It's unique to my body as I have stronger quads than hips, a short torso and longer femurs as well as stronger abs the erectors. This served me well competitively but also resulted in some strong muscle imbalances.

I have to be very careful not to overload my abs or hammies too much or they will pull the curve out of my lumbar spine and I will have back pain.

For years after my original back herniation in 2000 I took Dr Siff's advice and focused on arching my back hard during squatting or pulling motions and did not flex my abs too hard during either. This includes the kb swing. My back can't take it, another reason I can't do double kb work; it works my abs too hard.

All my corrective exercise strength work was focused on developing the erectors and letting the abs open up.

Arch, arch arch.

Just like in the WSB Power squat and, the Power Good morning, as the Arched back good morning was also called. Louie preached, correctly, that one came out of the bottom of a power squat, not by pushing with the legs, but by "arching" out.

Extend the back first, then the hips, then let the quads extend the knees. That was the sequence and it required one really, really, really work on strengthening the back to be able to arch hard AND hold the arch under loads of pressure and tension pushing you in the other direction. The arched back GM was, what Louie called, the start and the finish of the power squat.

You set up like you were going to do a power squat but, instead, just pushed(hinged) the hips back while you arched hard and pushed the knees out to the side. You only descended 30-45 degrees, at the most, with the key caveat NOT to lose your arch. That was the most important thing. The hinge at it's most basic. To come up you pushed against the bar first, then drove the hips under. Sounds like Hardstyle swing technique to me.

My best was 545 for a triple wearing a suit bottom and belt, no wraps. I was STRONG in that position, just not at below parallel,lol.

For years I worked up to 405 for 5 after we did our speed squat box workouts. the heavy triples were saved for max effort day.This was to make our arch strong going into the squat and coming out of the hole as well.If your back rounded, you would miss a max attempt. Every time.

This,if you haven't caught it, exactly what a good Hardstyle KB swing looks like and what I saw when I first saw Pavels Russian KB Challenge. The shins are vertical, the butt is pushed back, the lower back is arched and the shoulders never travel in front of the knees.

I called it a dynamic good morning. And that was my technique for a long time. Head was up too. Just as I did when I did a power squat with a barbell. Looking at the horizon is up for me.

Using the neck extensors activates the back extensors which is important when you want max power out of the hips.

My latest swing style has devolved a bit into a quasi gs position with my head down and my back flat but not 'arched'. certainly not arched hard.I am NOT confident in it lately, especially after all the grief my back has put me through. The big clue for me was realizing my eye focus was all over the place in the last couple workouts and I hadn't completely decided exactly what it should be .

Then the light went off when I was researching latissimus dorsi kinesiology while I boned up on the science for my seminar/workshop this weekend. The lats, with the insertion fixed( like holding onto a pullup bar, OR a squat bar) helps great EXTENSION in the spine and tilts the pelvis anterior; EXACTLY what I need. How could I have forgotten this?

The harder you flex the lats the better your lumbar curve.Louie constantly told us to pull ourselves under the bar to better get and keep your arch . It created one POWERFUL lat contraction.The lats work to extend the shoulder but if you bring your arms back TOO far it creates roundness not extension. You had to find the exact right spot

Then I remembered all those power squats and arched back good mornings and then I practiced some swings, with my head up and back arched.

And there is was, my old friend. My power groove.It wasn't lost, it was just misplaced.My hips kicked right in, the groove was way shorter and my hip snap was snappier.Shins stayed vertical and the load was on my back/hips/ hammies- together- instead of just my back and hammies as it has been.

I had inadvertently been following the bell back too far and my head, and back went with it. Figured it out- better late than never.

NOW there is no assurance that this won't create it's own orthopedic issues but for right now I am glad to know what I am trying to do with my movement instead of "trying" to find a safe and strong position each workout.

ANd I KNOW this movement. I remember thinking so clearly when I first started swinging kbs that THIS was a position that wouldn't be limited by my jacked up knee. Most excellent.

Onto the workout

8 am

30 minutes swing practice with 16 and 20 kg bells. 15 rep sets of one arms and transfers.

Thursday 12 noon

swing warmup( head up)

16 kg x10/10 x 3

20 kg x5/5/5 x 3

24 kg x8/8 x 3

the new groove felt very solid.

Long cycle clean and press

16 kg x3/3 x2

20 kg x3/3

24 kg x 3/3 x 10 sets

I felt very very strong in the clean and press. wind was good too. short rest periods.Tracy was doing singles on one arm in the bottoms up press and I went right after her each time.

Snatch

16 kg x3/3

20 kgx3/3

24 kgx3/3

x5/5

Yes. I haven't snatched the 24 kg since I got hurt early Dec and have been worried that I had lost my snatch groove forever and wouldnt be able to snatch it again. this depressed me mightily so I was very happy to see the new position worked so well and the weight flex up like the nothing it is. Very pleased to get that off my back and was very suprised to see how good it felt after doing presses. Right shoulder position was solid. Nice.

Datsit.The Reifkind/Whitley/Reifkind strength and conditioning seminar is just two days away! Can't wait.PLUS we are getting DVD's out of this! Tracy's Training the KB Swing Method will finally be available to the world!

You can still go: http://kbworkshop.com

Swings and high pulls

Lats and the Kettlebell, the Secrets this Sunday: check it out here . The IronTamer and The Queen of the Kettlebell Swing will be there.

I used to love training first thing in the morning. No distractions. Giving your best energy to the most important part of the day. Wake up, caffeinate, train, eat and recover.It worked great. I thought I missed it til I realized I got old at some point and it really, really takes me a long time to warmup.

I am trying to do my swing training on Tuesdays at 8:30 am now as I have an open slot and want to use the time wisely. It's just so freakin early; even though I wake up at 4 and am on the road at 5:15.

Even though I get to stretch out really well from 6-7 am while Tracy teaches her class. Wow. I slept great, ate well and felt really good this morning but still couldn't really get going at ALL til the end,lol.

Swings

16kg x5/5/5 transfers x 3 sets

20 kg x5/5/5 transfers x 3 sets

24 kg x 5/5/5/5 x 8 sets

160 reps8480

wow I am out of shape. my best 24 kg swing day was 600 reps. I'm a bit off. Plus again I have to hold back as I can't be tweaked for my seminar on Sunday.

High Pulls

24 kg x 5/5

x6/6

x7/7

x8/8

x9/9

x10/10

90 reps. ack.

wow, this was better but still too tough. I've done 200 reps in 10 minutes with this exercise laddering up from 10/10-20/20. Have a ways to go here too. But the good news; there is time :)) this is a very strong and good exercise for me.

Clubbell Swipes

two hands, one arms with 10 lbs.

Not really feeling it today so I let them go. Re arranged Girya for my functional training.Presses with my honey bunch on Thursday.

She, on the other hand KILLED her training today, as usual, doing workloads worthy of an Olympian. I would love to so easily, and off handedly, do the training loads she does without a care. Crazy stuff. Check out her blog

http://tracysfoodandthought.blogspot.com/

datsit, 45 minutes.

Max Vo2

Wow, another good one. I'm on a roll,lol. Had a very rough max workout last week, after missing the previous saturday session and I can really tell just how much consistent momentum helps.

Last week I barely survived 58 sets and was dying from set 30 on. Today I cruised 60 sets, did the last three sets back to back to back; started the sets early and didn't have any letdown in speed of my reps which means my power stayed high the entire time.

Like it's supposed to. Of course my HR wasn't quite high enough which is the sign I am adapting to the workloads and it's time to ramp it up , but one never quite knows until after. I'm on a week to week lease with my body it seems and I have to decide on the fly. I will remember though, that if I feel good the next workout I can safely take it up a notch. I won't be doing this next sat, though, as I have to have a pretty easy day before we do our seminar on Sunday. It's a long day with lots of demo'ing and teaching.

Tracy kicked butt again today, as usual, incorporating one arm jerks into her max vo2 based workout . She picked that movement up immediately and I can tell she really likes it. It really suits her strengths and will let her push her conditioning up to the next notch, wherever the hell that might be,lol.

She also did great pullup work before class as well as getting a very, very strong TGU personal best with the 16 kg AFTER teaching and leading 4 classes last thursday morning. Amazing. I KNOW she will nail her pullup at the Level 2. Strong fixes everything.

Max vo2 based high pulls and snatches

15:15

16 kg

60 sets total

alternating 6 sets of high pulls( 8 reps) and 6 sets of snatches( 7 reps)

240 hi pulls

210 snatches( this puts me at 47,00 total snatches in the challenge!)

My groove felt very good, after about 20 sets when I let my body go where it wanted to go, without telling it where it 'should' go.The groove is very different and when Pavel saw it he immediately recognized the idiosycratic nature of it noting my hips traveled "up" at the end of the backswing and not just 'back'. Just like my best dl groove but it looks funky.

At least it felt good and has a 'back sparing' effect; I can really feel the full pendulum as well.

Pushups

5 sets of 10 I go you go with Nick then:

3 sets of 5's

65 total reps

I was actually hoping to do 10x10 but after 5 sets I knew it wasn't going to happen. 8 sets was good and my tri's were frying pretty well. Just what I wanted.

two hand CB arm cast

20 lbs x 8/8x3

25 lb x8/8 x 2

these went well too but my left elbow started to feel a little tender so I cut things short. discretion and all that.

Warmed up well before hand with lots of hamstring, t spine, shoulder and ab stretches. always helps

datsit.

When I could fly.

I forgot, as I often do when I'm feeling 'good', that I am not 43 anymore much less 33. And as much I would like to put my foot all the way on the accelerator, and show people who have never seen me doing anything serious, that I wasn't always this beat up, I have to remember what's really important.

And that's being out of pain and being able to work.

Period. That's first, second and third.And I still tend to forget it as soon as I feel strong again; so compelling, so intoxicating is that feeling of being in the 'zone'. Of easy strength, of unlimited endurance. Of having the body bend to my mind's will. Of being able to push hard and realizing that you not only have another gear but many more.

Those were the days. I have to realize that real max efforts for me, on any kind of a regular basis are just not in the cards.

I have to be, as I put it in my new tag line for this blog; "be ready to grab it when Grace lays it down in front of you. I can't command it anymore, I have to wait for it to show up.

And while I wait I still need to train hard, just not be so concerned with the heaviest weights I could use that day. More like what I should use that day.

And take into account all of my life's stresses and restrictions regardless of how weeny that feels to my inner athlete.My inner powerlifter. Just do it.

It's just not smart anymore considering how easily I get tweaked, and how many workshops, dvd's and certs I have on the schedule. Each of them a competition if you will. I have to be strong and fit to demo and teach, not jacked up and gimpy because I had to press the 40 kg that day despite no sleep the night before. I should have learned that lesson by now.

It's just so not fun being the old guy that has to hold back when he knows, knows for sure, that if he had the orthopedics, and age of these other guys that he could compete with ALL of them.No doubt and no brag, just fact.

But I have to let it go and be happy to be able to work all day, and get some decent training in and not be sore or in pain. It's just no where near as fun as feeling the hair on the back of you neck stand up when the adrenaline you just created is making every nerve ending you have tingle with the anticipation of the heaviest weight you have never lifted is about to go down.

Because you have decided it. Because you have seen it. Because you have willed it.And you will make it. But then something is tweaked and then it's not that much fun.

So my ideas about developing a WSB approach to training the KB press are on hold. I just don't have the luxury of experimenting that frequently with heavy bells.

So back to the simplest of simple. The basic moves, done not for killer weight, OR killer volume but just done. to whatever my body says is good that day MAKING SURE I LISTEN TO IT before I decide.

This was third kb workout this week and that's exciting as I haven't done more than two in eons.

I simplified the schedule again

so;

Sat

Max vo2 with high pulls and snatches

Pushups

Two hand CB casts

Tuesdays

One arm swings/ heavy

Hi pulls/heavy

2 CB Swipes

Thursdays

KB Press

Bottoms up cleans or two kb clean

CB shield casts

today

Swing warmups

16 kg x5/5

x10/10 x 4 sets

KB press( one clean per press)

16kg x5/5x2

20 kgx3/3

24kgx3/3

28kgx2/2 x 3 sets

24kgx5/5x 3 sets

These felt great although 5 reps per arm is boring, lol. As Brett says, anything more that 3 reps is cardio. Have to agree although it was very nice to do 5's with the 24 so easily after the 28.

The 28 did not feel 'light' though,even though it moved fast.

the press definitely feels much easier on my body than the snatch does. I still don't know why that move went south on me. The mvo2 snatch is easier as I don't have to hold the top and that is where the imbalances are catching up to me I think. it's fine.I'm a better presser than snatcher anyway.

I do like doing 2-3 reps with a weight I could do 5's with though. Better concentration on each rep/

Bottoms up cleans

20kgx5/5

24kgx5/5x 3 sets

these were great!Like these much better than the bottoms up press,lol. Now that I can strict press again.

I just have to make sure that no matter what I do, it doesn't tighten me up too much.I have to stay loose.It's way more important to me that strong now.

Shield casts

10 lbs x10/10 x 2 sets

15 lb x 10/10 x 3

Clubbell swipes

10 lbs x 20 x 3

was inspired to try these again after seeing that video of the german guys juggling the better on the outside of his legs. He used a lot of arm and very little hip action. Lets see if my back will allow this style. I love this move and it's the only thing I don't mind doing reps on.

datsit

Snatches and swings.

I am going to aim for three kb workouts per week. Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturdays. Thursday will be come the press day where I train with my honey, I am on the press and she will work her level 2 skills. Saturday will be max vo2 day and Tuesdays will be swings and something else,perhaps snatches.

Today it was snatches.

I have been thinking of building up my one arm snatch with the 20 kg until I can get 40-50 reps then switching up to the 24 and repeating but I am not sure if this is the best course of action. I am really focused on the press and getting that as my main movement and for some reason I can't seem to train both the snatch and the press successfully at the same time.

Today was just rough with little sleep last night causing more pain than usual today.Decided to start slowly and do an 80 % effort test with the 16 kg for reps. It was disappointing.

6 am stretchout

50 minutes of stretching and foam rolling.

Snatch

16 kg x5/5 x2

20 kg x5/5 x 5 sets

16kg x 25/25 x 1

this was not good. My right arm overhead position with the snatch is still not right even though it feels fine in the press, go figure. I wanted to do some 24 kg snatches but it was 8:30 am and I'm not used to training heavy early anymore and it showed.I paced myself,with Tracy's help, to just go at 20 reps per minute but slowed a bit from that after 15 reps. Haven't done more than 10 reps per arm with any weight in forever and it showed.Wanted 30 but 25 was 80 %.

One arm swings

24 kg x8/8 x 10 sets

this was rough as well and the lack of sleep reared it's ugly head. Wanted to go up here as well but barely made it through this. yuck. but it got done and my body was reset.

only had an hour so I spent the last ten minutes stretching out and cooling down.

Presses on Thurday.

datsit.

Unbelievable.

strong is strong but this stuff is just cool, too.

Uh, yea.

This too

Max Vo2 High pull/ snatch work

After missing last weeks max vo2 day with the HKC I knew I was gonna pay a bit today and I was right. I've been pretty sore from the Monday press pullup swing day but luckily I woke up feeling the most mobile and limber I have all week.

There's nothing like a good workout, too, to get me feeling 'normal' again, i.e strong and fit. At least for awhile.

Max vo2 hi pull snatch

15:15

16 kg

6 sets hi pulls of 8 reps

alternated with

6 sets of snatches, 7 reps

58 total sets

29 of each

203 more snatch reps towards my 50 k goal.( current total=46,773)

Stretched out for 45 minutes as helped Tracy work on her Level 2 skills( which she is making great progress on; she learned to kb jerk in , like , five minutes :)). this always helps,especially in the early workouts.

Nick was out so I was on my own, as Tracy and Meg, while going a 15 sec interval as I was, were doing some heinous max vo2 based workout that involved lots of double snatches. Uh, no. I'll stick with these.

I knew it was going to get ugly when I hit 30 sets and thought, "this can't only be half way- ack".My form and speed held very well, although I was suffering, until set 50 whereupon, my ability to keep the snatch speed up diminished.

I had to slow my reps down in the snatch to hold my form and it put me into my rest period by

2 seconds or so. This kinda jacked my HR from the pretty tough 180+ to well into the 190's.

Haven't seen those numbers( or felt them,lol) for awhile.

Two weeks ago this was easy :))

And will be again but just really hammered home the point of how important consistency in my training is. Especially when I'm only getting in 2 workouts a week, on average. Missing one is a big deal.

I had briefly thought, at the start that I would do 62 sets for a small pr.58 was perfect.

Floor pushups

8 sets of 8

took awhile to find the right groove for my left shoulder, which was cranky as I slept on it wrong three days ago and the levator and ac joint have been slow to release. Found a great no pain position on set 3 and the rest were very solid.

Clubbell shield casts

10 lbs x 10/10 x 4 sets

15 lbs x 5/5 x 3 sets

Reverse shield casts

double clubs, 10 lbs

alternating each side, 10 reps per arm

Just learning this move.

Here's a link to Russell Jodrey doing the move, and very well indeed:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/russellbeatyou?ref=ts

I have a ways to go but it's fun and feels good on the shouler. Can't seem to have too much external rotation, nor strength in that range of motion.

datsit.

Erector Spinae

Grabbed this photo( above) from Dr Hatfields facebook page, where the discussion is whose back this belongs to. I believe it is David Rigert the Olympic Champion Olympic lifter from the 70's and 80's, Dr Squat isnt sure. Whoever it is has some SERIOUS pulling power.

Now I'm ready to go train snatches and hi pulls,lol!

Back to training

It's nice to look forward to training. After training pretty much nonstop for 39 years, having a career in the field(s) for all of that time as well and treating my training like, well, a "job", can sometimes make it feel like a, "job".

Especially after I grew up a bit and started taking my "real" job of making decent money and really providing for my family more seriously than my competitive quest for athletic mastery. Training gets "fit" in , much more now than ever, and sometimes I've just got an hour to train, knowing full well it usually takes me 45 minutes to warmup enough to go hard.

I used to train first and work afterwards, which was totally cool as an athlete, as I gave my best energy of the day to the workout. Now I give it to my clients and make sure I still get as much as a consistent, progressive workout in 2-3 times a week. It's amazing how much I used to train, hours wise, and how little I do now but I just can't recover from much more and that's key.

Plus, all my clients get stretched and I'm constantly demo'ing or adjusting or lugging out weights. My job is more physical than most sedentary jobs. especially now as I realized I have to stand all day for my back to be happy.

I missed my saturday workout with tracy meg and nick and I was really looking forwards to todays press, knowing though it would be rough because I was rough.losing ground by not training so makes getting started again tough. But hey, that's the game and you just got to show up, do your best and see what you get.

Swings( got to warmup)

16kgx5/5/5( transfers) x 3 sets

20 kg x5/5/5

24 kgx5/5/5 x5 sets

these went well, I decided i have to swing to warmup even though I would be stronger going right into presses.it's worth it to be more warm than strong.

Strict KB Press

16 kgx5/5x2

20 kgx5/5

2

24kgx5/5x5

Each set got progressively easier as my body 'woke up' and I found my groove for the last set,lol! "Last set, best set" as I always say.

Tactical pullups

5x3

this was almost a disaster as I decided to try "chin ups" with my palms facing forwards to see if they would be easier on my shoulder. I like them theoretically, as the external rotation is good for the shoulder and rotators, the biceps are in a better mechanical position to pull, its great hypertrophy work, etc.

and the hang felt great but as soon as I pulled the first half of the rep I could feel that my right forearm was not going to like it and I bailed.

No real problem, just a tap on the side of the head. Stretch out this position FIRST, before loading it. Ok. Got it.

Went back to pullups and it felt fine. Supersetted with floor pushups

Pushups

4x10

done with moderate tension and tempo slightly up. Can't beleive I can do these again. Cool.

Crooked arm bars

20 lbs x 5/5 x 2

26 kbx5/5 x 2

these are great and the external rotation keeps opening up.

It was so nice to really look forward to training today. And I get to swing for real on Wednesday or Thursday.

datsit.

Norcal HKC Video Compilation

Thanks so much to Jordan Vezina of Average to Elite for doing such great video and editing work on these videos.

Scherbo. Wow.

this could be the best pommel horse routine of all time.

Raw Center for Strength Seminar/Workshop

In addition to Tracy, David and my workshop/ DVD filming on May 2 at catalyst athletics, I will also be presenting at the Raw Center for Strength in Walnut Creek April 24. I will be speaking and working with people hands on on Kettlebell Basics the RKC way.

I will join Legendary Olympic Lifting Coach Jim Schmitz, Pro Strongman Richard LaRocca, Tom Pete, owner of Raw Strength and Multiple National and World Champion Powerlifter and Dr Rayna Kamerzell, Medical Director for The Center for Raw Strength for an afternoon of incredible information covering the entire spectrum of strength training for performance and health.

Hope to see you there!

K

http://rawcfs.com/

Commander Jack Reape on this essence of powerlifting.

Ed Coan, 901 at 220. The best powerlift of all time, imo.

"I have said before only 3 things in life that have given me the same heart racing, dry mouthed, stinky sweat mix of fear and aggression are running under kickoffs in high school, flying in harms way at night, and lifting in a powerlifting meet. I don't get to do the first two anymore."

Commander Jack Reape, USAF

RKC Denmark, 2008

This was fun. This is what I imagine the Hungarian RKC to be like. It's coming ,lol.Only this time Trif will be there by my side :))

What is your "T" Spine and how does it work?

Franz Snideman, RCKTL answer this and more with his short video and blog post on the mechanics of the spine

GO here for the blog and video:http://www.revolutionlajolla.com/revolution_newsletter_004.html

thanks Franz, can't wait for part 2

Max effort press

Although I was pretty beat from Saturday's high volume hi pull/snatch workout the schedule was on for a heavy press day today with Tracy. In keeping with my experiment in using a WSB protocol for training the strict KB military press I decided to do bottoms up presses( I just realized that I should have done a volume based workout since I did max strict presses last week- oh well, I got plenty of volume Saturday!).

I knew right away I still wasn't fully recovered from Saturdays beating,especially the heavy weight pushups, but that's fine. The idea is to go to today's limit, given whatever circumstances,environmental, or physiological exist that day.

My all time PR in the bottoms up press is the 28 kg, with my left arm only.I did this last August at the San Diego cert,missing the 32 kg a bunch of times.

Today was better, even after NOT bottom's up pressing for almost 3/4's of a year. What the Hell effect indeed.

Bottoms up press

12 kg x3/3

16 kg x3/3

20 kg x 2/2

24 kg x1/1

28 kg x1/1 ( first time ever on right arm PR)

These were hard and they felt heavy. I missed the press with the 28 kg on my right arm twice before I made it although the left arm went up fast and easy. way easier than when I did it in August. I was tired, hungry and not really focused. Just enough though, to pull my heavy out of my butt and get the right arm where it was supposed to be.

I could really feel how much weaker my right lat, and therefore my press, was. I have a lot of work to do to really solidify the position if I want to to the 32 kg on both arms

Bottoms up clean

28 kg x3/3

32 kg x3/3 x 3 sets

these were tough as well on my right side. Tracy showed my just how good her coach's eye has gotten as she totally nailed the correction that allowed me to nail the clean on my right side for 3x3! I wasn't using enough leg/hip at the start and she caught it. I really didn't think that was the problem but I was wrong. I still need way more work on this side.

Tactical pullups

5 x 2 with 2 second hold at top

I've been cruising up to the top of the pullup no problem lately but also wondering if I could hold the finished position with my chin over the bar and the bar to my throat. Today answered that question and my holds at the top were solid. and HARD,lol! these need work too, but I'm so happy to be even able to train the pullups it doesnt matter.

KB Arm Bar

16 kg x3/3

20 kg x3/3

24 kg x3/3

I look at these now as a reverse Brettzel and I have a much greater appreciation for them. the 24 kg was solid .

datsit. I be tired.

Max Vo2 based training, more high pulls and snatches.

Playing around with pushups again is great fun.
It's nice to see how quickly hard won conditioning returns after a layoff.It's always much more difficult to build something in the first place; be it strength, endurance, flexibility, etc. than to reclaim it.

I wasn't sure this time but yesterdays workout showed me that the last three years worth of consistent max vo2 training was not in vain. AS usual I never know how strong I am until I get warmed and going and actually pick up the weight. I have had so many workouts where the warmup weights felt like max weights and vice versa and it's always a surprise.

When I picked up the 16 kg and it felt like it should, like a freakin' 16 kg bell I was very happy. When I started doing my first block of high pulls and my HR barely moved I was even more happy. I knew, right from the start, that I would be able to hang with Tracy and get my 60 sets of Max in today.

I didn't know how strong they would be but I knew it would surpass last weeks 52( or 4, I forget) sets no problem.

Max Vo2 high pulls/snatches

16 kg

15:15

60 total sets

alternating blocks of high pulls in sets of 8 each arm( up from 7's last week) and snatches in sets of 7.

30 sets of 8= 240 high pulls 8640 lbs

30 sets of 7 = 210 snatches 7560 lbs

These went so well. I bumped up the high pulls from 7's to 8's and still had a second or two left on the 15 second clock. Same with the snatches; I was snatching at an 8 reps per 15 sec pace. Nice. About time, too.

Ending Heartrate was 180 which good, but not the crazy 190+ it usually is with just snatches. I do love the high pulls though as it is a great assistance move for my pressing base.

Weighted Pushups

25 lbsx6

35 lb x6

45 lbs x5

60 lbs x 6!!!

Nice! At the end I had three clubbells on my back and the reps were very very strong. I havent done any serious weight pressing in so long and it came right back to me. Felt like a bench press,lol.

Even nicer is the fact that it was not too long ago at all that I didn't know if my shoulders could take even bodyweight pushups again. Ever. I will do pushups with Tracy sitting on my back in not too long,lol. Feels great to be able to train some strength work again.

Shield casts.

15 lbs x 8/8

x 9/9

x10/10 x 2

these went well too. I really like them for mobilizing the shoulders and really getting all the hard to reach areas between the shoulder blades.

Trainlikeaman.com

Newly minted Senior RKC Peter Lakatos shows what his promotion has created in his training: swings with double beasts, one arm swings and high pulls with a 60kg( that's 132 lbs people!) kb, snatches with the 48 kg beast and other serious stuff.

Tracy and I will be honored to be Peter's guests at his Hungarian RKC this August and I get to teach at the Cert as well.

Peter is a bit heavier than me but about the same size and has really been my inspiration to regain my heavy KB training. talk about a man that leads from the front and walks his talk. Go Peter and RKC Hungary!

My Peeps.

Me, U of Iowa 1976.
Neil Schmitt, my coach and mentor at Iowa.One serious athlete, gymnast,coach and spotter.



Dan Repp, the best ring man I have ever seen. The first guy I met at Iowa and he had the best ring swing of all time, imo.

The little guy to the far right was my head coach at Iowa, Dick Holzaphael one the early great acrobats and gymnasts.