24 kg snatches, alternating lunges, crawls

I knew I would pay a price for not stretching out enough today but it wasn't really that evident til I saw the video of my snatches above :) I got some lower body stretching in as I thought after all that heavy swinging and rucking that would be more important but my overhead position was shit and for my heaviest day of snatching that was not a good thing.
 I actually had an early day of work and got to train earlier than usual but instead of using the hour to stretch I did errands as the shoulders felt fine and moved well and I thought it would suffice. It didn't. Lesson learned : on snatch day spend whatever stretch time I have to overhead work

16 kg swing warmup as usual

snatch
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
25 kg x 5/5 x 10 sets
100 reps
5300 lbs

My back and hamstrings were just tired , too, from all the weekends workout; which was expected; but add in the very tight shoulders and it wasn't that much fun snatching. I had wanted 120 reps or more but knew today wasn't the time to push things.
So interesting now how quickly my legs and knee recover from tons of heavy work and my shoulders snap back into a new level of overhead tightness almost immediately. Just shows me how an arthritic or damaged joint really does dictate the tension levels in the muscles
I thought so before but didn't really know it. now I do.
But I ain't ready for shoulder replacement so more stretching and mob work for me!

Alternating lunges


these on the other hand went swimmingly! I decided to try this version as opposed to the split squat as the SS's rear leg position didn't seem natural or "right". this version seems much more similar to climbing stairs or up a hill, which is the movement I'm looking for, as well as the leg hypertrophy and strength.
These felt great and I was happy with the ROM and depth.

Lunges
bw x 12/12 ipsilateral
2 10 kg x 6/6 alternating x 3 sets

these were tougher than I thought and if I elevated the front step a few inches later I will get even more depths. After I get strong on these I will progress to step ups.

forward crawls
4 sets of 60 feet.

these felt very strong today! still makes me want to throw up though :) TOUGH!
end each lap with a good sit in the deep squat and today got lower than ever before. this was very encouraging once I got the knee and the leg really opened up.

rope triceps extensions
 3 sets of 15, 12 10
Hangs
2 sets of 20 sec


datsit. day off tomorrow and lots of stretching upper and lower body

ass and balls to the grass :) that be low.

Rucking in the rain

Awesome walk this morning! There was a full on rainbow in the northern sky BEFORE it started to rain on me, an awesome portent as we are in the middle of a serious drought here in Northern California.
The rain started slowly, around lap 4 and by lap 6 it was coming down medium hard but I love walking or running in the rain and it wasn't cold and I was dressed for it.
Got NINE laps in ( PR) in 1:25 so I was walking faster than normal as well. Same size ruck ( 25 lbs). Next week ten laps then I go up in weight. I'll add some water bottles this time and get it to 28 lbs or so.
Legs are definitely getting stronger.

Stopped each lap for 1 minute of squat stretches holding onto my favorite tree as well. Didn't mess about with so many stance variations, just settled into a medium stance to let the depth sink in. It did. :)

Lots of stretching to do later today and tomorrow 24 kg snatches.

ooh yea!

40 kg one arm swings and 68 Kg Monster two hand swings.

Got to take the Monster out for a two hand swing ride today and actually survived,lol! It was a blast and I can't believe it's been almost two years that I have even been able to DO two hand swings with ANY weight.
It wasn't long ago at all that even thinking of two handers would light up my back for days. And now, 3 sets of 5 with a 150 lb bell, That's awesome to me.
But of course  my back starting talking to me YESTERDAY; nothing bad but not exactly the condition I wanted to be in for 40 kg one arms and 68 kg two hand work.
I wasn't even sure where it came from as it has been so solid so long and then I realized all the squat work  I did yesterday in the free form style ( no support) created it.
I'm not ready for that level yet even though it felt good at the time.
I still need to focus on knee flexion and without the support, or a kb , to lean back against the abs and back take too much load instead of the knees. Lesson learned.
And I thought it would be ok as soon as I started swinging and it was. Well not right away but  close :)
Got my abs stretched out early this am and that helped too.



One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 3
20 kg x 4/4
         x 3/3
24 kg x 4/4
28 kg x 4/4
32 kg x 3/3
36 kg x 3/3
40 kg x 6/6 x 9 sets pr
108 reps
9504 lb

the same number of reps as last month on this bell but this time ALL in sixes. A pr :)

Two hand swing
40 kg x 5
48 kg x 5
68 kg x 5 x 3 !!!


well a few things :
1) swinging it is easier than deadlifting it
2) I didn't die.
3) I didn't rip anything off

Mission accomplished AND, it was freaking fun.
Since I don't dl or squat heavy anymore these heavy kb swings allow me to test my strength in a very safe and productive way.
No, they aren't perfect swings, and I don't care, they will get higher and stronger and more powerful as I train them THAT , I care about. This is strength work for me. Body AND mind. That bell is NO JOKE. I only weigh seven pounds more than it :)

Two hand Shield cast
20 lbs  10/10 x 2
25 lbs x 10/10 x 2

haven't done these in ages and they felt good. dropping curls as they jumped the shark for my shoulders and this seemed like a good substitute.

Lying barbell extensions
45 lb x 15 x 4

Side rotators with band 4 x 10/10
Overhead rotators with band 4 x 10/10

these aren't "supposed' to work but they sure are weak on me now and the shoulders felt good afterwards. SO they are in the mix for now.

here's my buddy Nick crushing the Monster with ONE ARM SWINGS! he did 6 sets of 3/3 along with Joe Sarti as well. That is a HUGE strength feat!


datsit.
NeverQuit

28 kg Clean and presses, 24 kg goblet squats , sled drags and crawls

Solid work day. Must have accumulated an hour or more in squat position today during my 7 hours of work. All different kinds, against the stability ball, free with no support and supported in the power rack. these are getting better all the time( deeper). Loving it!

Good stretchout upper body as well this am. shoulder is feeling really good.

Clean and press
16 kg x 3/3 x 2
20 kg x 3/3 x 2
24 kg x 2/2
28 kg x 1/1 x 8 singles
24 kg x 3/3
20 kg x 5/5

this went great! went back to old press form really emphasizing the lats in the launch and -here's what I discovered today- KEEPING them engaged the press all the way to to lockout- prevents the dreaded spin out! Had a rep spin out on me and realized while I had initiated the press with the lat I let it go during the press and bingo- spin out. Corrected it on the next rep and it was fine.

I think I may have figured something out here :)

Goblet squat
16 kg x 1 x 2
20 kg x 1 x 2
24 kg x 1  x 3
20 kg x 1 x 1
16 kg x 1 x 2

these went great, the 24 kg was a pr of course and not hard at all. Decided that single let me spend more time in the bottom working for depth, which is the goal now.

Sled drag
80 lbs x  A LOT. Just walked ( Glenn still out) til I got tired ( probably 400 ft) then rested a bit and kept going. Great lactic acid buildup. Need to lengthen our regular length of pulls. 4 sets

Crawls ( forward only)

4 sets of 50 feet.

this was good and tough.

datsit.
NeverQuit.

22 kg snatches, split squats, crawls and a Big Bell arrives

Interesting day. Slept well, ate well, got a fantastic leg stretchout this am( which they needed as they were still tight from the weekend) got the deepest flexion in the left knee yet during my squat sequence. But when it came to the workout it was, well, uninspired.

I crashed a  bit from my last client and just got through the workout but there was no 'umph'. Then I realized I was feeling a bit of adrenaline let down from the weekend as well. No worries, this was just building more base, getting it done.
Glenn is out of town so I was solo today too.

Snatch
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
22 kg x 5/5 x 11 sets
110 reps
5500 lbs work

thought about going for 130-140 reps but my head just wasn't into it and I decided not to push it

Split squats ( bw)
1 x  13, 10, 8, 6, 6

did these much slower than last week, emphasizing the bottom position more and longer and locked out at the top and this resulted in lower reps. No problem just a different type of stimulation

Backward- forward crawls
4 laps of 30 feet backward followed by the same forward

these kicked my ass as usual. Kind of 'repped out' after this weekend and I just let it go at four laps.

Hangs
4 sets of 15-30 seconds

these are getting better and easier all the time

took my nap only to be woken up by the UPS guy with our 68 kg Monster bell that is pictured above. Just getting it out of the package was a task nevermind duckwalking it the 30 feet into the gym,lol.I had to actually 'deadlift' the thing instead of just picking it up. Not light at all .
But what a beauty. Joe will probably swing it one arm but I'll settle for two hand swings and be very happy if it doesn't kill me

datsit.
time to eat up

next to the 52 and 48 kg bells

Sunday Ruck walk

OK now I'm tired :) Yesterday's training was quick and dirty but I sure felt it this morning. Not tweaked or sore just TIRED. And getting my butt out of the house into the walk took a little longer than usual. Just moving slowly.

And the walk seemed slow too, although it wasn't by the clock. The first 4 laps were the usual 7.5-8 minutes per laps but then they got FASTER, even though they felt slower and the lap time dropped to about 7 minutes or so.  Very weird. Warmer today too, no long sleeves needed , just a vest and the hat and gloves came off after a few laps.

I've gotten used to walking in the cold so it will be very different come the summer and the heat. I'll adapt but it will be very different indeed.
Feet were sore and legs just felt heavy.

Total time = 1:25 minutes
Ruck weight = 125 lbs

Snatches tomorrow so I need to roll and rest and eat up :)

datsit.

Five minute Swing test with 32 kg

Inspired by the fact that I did not die doing the 16 kg snatch test a few weeks ago I thought instead of trying that with the 20 kg for my birthday challenge next month I would do the swing test from Pavel's new book Simple and Sinister .
The "Simple" version is 32 kg for 100 reps and the "Sinister" one done with the 48 kg. I wasn't sure I could do it with the 32 kg but I thought I should try today as that would leave me 5 weeks to go for the birthday challenge. I know I couldn't make it with the 48 but perhaps the 40 kg might go.

So with Glenn and Nick out of town that just let me and Joe and when I told him of my plans he said he would join in. Excellent. Misery does indeed love company. :)

I got pretty nervous about this though, last night after I committed to it with Joe. Things are going so well I definitely did not want to tweak anything. Not even a hamstring. I thought about cancelling it but then realized if I only got 80 that would be fine as well. Just a test to establish a baseline. Shouldn't be a problem and it wasn't.

At first I thought I would do 5 sets of 10/10 as last week I managed that easily for 160 total reps in my regular workout but then I realized that doing 10 sets of 5/5 would be smarter. I would be easier on my grip, on my lungs and on my back.

AND it would allow me to focus on doing the short work bouts in true Hardstyle instead of just holding on and trying deal with grip and wind issues as the time clicked by. Once I settled in on that strategy I relaxed. I knew I could do easy sets of 5/5 even with short breaks.

So, game on :)

Easy warmup this morning; adrenaline gets the muscle loosey and juicy faster than anything.Just had to maintain and not get too psyched too early. That gets the heartrate up fast and I certainly did not need that for this test. Calm and focused it was

One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 3
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 3/3
32 kg x 3/3

32 kg x 5/5 x 10 sets in 4:37.

Not bad at all. AND I didn't heave  :)  Must be getting in shape. Having two legs to do cardio really helps too.
This is a great way to test the Spirit. Hard but safe.
Love it.

Two Hand swing
32 kg x 5 x 2
36 kg x 5 x 2
40 kg x 5 x 2
44 kg x 5
48 kg x 5
52 kg x 5 x 2

this was the perfect move and sets/ reps for after all those fast reps. Re prime the strength!

Forward Crawls
4  rounds of 50 feet.

Love these. always make me work. Just like the swing. Swings and crawls- MY program minimum. Nothing builds work capacity faster or more safely than these two movements. And for my money, work capacity RULES as functional training for real life.

Rope triceps extensions/ Hangs
4 x 15-10 / 15 -20 seconds

these worked great. Ever since switching to sleeping the other side of the bed and letting my right arm and shoulder lay flat all night my shoulder feels 100% better. That was a simple fix. my favorite thing: simple fixes that actually work and last.

datsit. Long ruck in the morning. can't wait

NeverQuit.

24 kg clean and press, first ever goblet squat and sled drag

 A very good day. Goes to show you that you don't have to sleep well to train well :) I didn't sleep that badly, just woke up way too many times. But after two cups of Philz coffee I was good to go. Warm day today so I skipped the passive bath warmup and got to work. Wasn't going to press but my shoulder was feeling great and I wanted to see if my old technique in long cycle would work. It's definitely not a "strict" press by any means but if I can use a slight chest heave to bypass the first part of the delt and not get pain I'll do it!

Swing warmup
16 kg x 5/5/5 x 3

Long cycle clean and press
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 3/3 x 2
24 kg x 3/3
         x 4/4
         x 5/5
         x 3/3 x 3
42 total reps and they actually felt good :) we'll see tomorrow. I changed the side of the bed I sleep on which now allows my right arm and shoulder to lay totally flat all night. I think this might be a game changer for the shoulder .

Goblet squats
16 kg x 2 x 2
20 kg x 2 x 2


these felt GREAT! Since I spend so much time basically doing goblet squats all day at work while I coach my clients I thought this might go well and it did! Much better than expected and the video above is the first set. Each set after got better with the 20 kg ones the best. This is giving me mucho confidence that my goal of a true ass to grass squat can be accomplished.

Sled drags
80 lbs x 250 feet x 4 laps

haven't done these in a few weeks and I could tell. Good solid leg work/

datsit. and easy day :)
NeverQuit.

20 kg snatches, split squats, crawls

Good day today,not enough stretchout time this morning but also not wrecked by yesterdays ruck walk or saturdays training combined with the weighted walk.

all the parts were in place today although energy was just fair. That was an effect of two hard training days in a row. But sustainable strength is more important now than any peak so I just adjusted. Hoped to do 5 sets of 10/10 with the 20 kg and that's just what happened. and not that hard either.

swing warmup 16 kg x 5/5/x 3

Snatches
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 10/10 x 5 sets
         x 5/5 x 3 sets
130 reps
5720 lbs work.

Not hard at all and I think the key was that I intentionally DID NOT power breathe at all. In fact, I didn't try to purposely breathe at all during the sets, Just used  as little breath power as necessary. Lowered my HR during each set considerably and made my cardio 20+% better instantly :)

Since biomechanical match breathing increases pressure( which increases tension which IS strength) I only need to use as much as necessary for the load during longer sets and or reps. I finally have the back stability NOT to need max intra abdominal pressure for even light weights and or low reps. This is a great thing and really shows improvement in my back health.

Trying to really HS breathe during high rep sets or timed tests makes it so much harder as to be near impossible!
Now I feel better about the snatch test.
Breathing and snatching this way will increase endurance but not as much strength and power. On my 3 sets of 5/5 I used biomechanical match and really increased the force output. Much different indeed.

Split squats ( video above)
4 sets of 12 /12

these are really coming along although I definitely felt the fatigue in the legs from the last two days AND the weighted squat stretches I did for eight sets yesterday during the walk.But if I want legs that never quit this is the route.

Crawls
3 laps of 50 feet forward only

TIRED!

done.A day off of loading tomorrow, just a nice stretchout


datsit.
NeverQuit/

information can only take one so far.

Sunday ruck

Perhaps next time I add books to the pack I should weigh it first :) Last week's pack was barely 20 lbs. I thought it would be 21 or 22 today but I guess the books weighed heavy and it ended up at 24.6 lbs.
That ain't light for me,lol and I felt it from the start.
Started out in the dark this morning as I had to get back earlier to help Tracy with her GS sets and it was different walking the first 30 minutes in the dark. Not bad at all just different.It was 37 degrees at the start and  the legs felt heavy from yesterdays work.
As per usual they didn't loosen up til around lap 4 but then they really got nice and comfy. I did my static squat stretches each lap from the first as opposed to waiting til the fourth lap as I did last week. It helped open the legs up a little faster plus I got 4 more sets in

Total time 1 hour 25 minutes.8 laps plus to and from park.

Not bad for a guy four months ago that couldn't walk two blocks without pain. Very happy with this.Going to leave the pack weight alone for at least 2-3 hikes as this is plenty for right now.

Tracy and I decided we are going to plan a Grand Canyon hike sometime next year! Now this will be epic! After that- Machu Picu! This latest re incarnation as a hiker is something I've wanted to do for years and now it's happening. Awesome. Love the ruck :)

32 kg One arm swings, 160 reps

and a pr of 16/16 as the ninth and tenth set combined :)


Woke up feeling better than the last few days, as my right shoulder has been really forward since wednesdays workout. I think it was the get up on the right side but it could have also been the snatches as well. When my forearms get super tight they tend to pull the elbow and then the shoulder out of alignment and all those fast reps got my grip going JUST a bit ,lol.

Tis the problem with having strong muscles and loose ligaments and capsules,lol , but that's my body and I don't( can't) give up too much more strength :)

Got it stretched out but it took longer than I wanted. Going to take out the curls for awhile too as they were put in to help the shoulder with more supination and external rotation. Let's sub them out for awhile and see what happens. Want to keep the right side getup in there for now.

But everything else felt good. Weight is a solid 159 lbs and I feel lean.
30 minute stretchout focus on the shoulder and hamstrings.

One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5/5 x 3
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 5/5

32 kg x 8/8 x 8 sets
         x 16/16
160 reps
11,200 lbs    nice.

two hand swings
32 kg x 10
40 kg x 10
44 kg x 10
48 kg x 10

Man! my abs were working hard. So glad my back can take it these days. Wasn't always like this and I'm grateful for the improvement

Lying triceps extensions 4 sets of 10,12, 15 with 45 lbs then 1 x 10 with 55 lbs
alternate with
Crawls( fwd only) 28 steps per laps x 4 laps

these felt great supersetting with the crawling, lit my triceps right up.

tomorrow 22 lb ruckwalk, can't wait.

datsit.
NeverQuit

1/2 getups. 16 kg snatch test and crawling

Day five of daily crawling and shoulders feel very good. Of course I haven't pressed lately but that's ok. I've been crawling with at least two clients per workday and it feels right.
Started out with getups today and actually worked up to the bridge on the last few sets. this is really coming along although the elbow lever cue only worked so well.
The best reps came when I stopped thinking and just made the movement by feel.My rolling patterns are getting better and that's helping this as well I think some "get downs' are in my future as well

1/4 getups
bodyweight x 3 x 2
8 kg x 3/3
10 kg x 3/3
12 kg x 3/3
14 kg x 3/3
16 kg x 3/3 x 2
1/2 getup to bridge( semi hi bridge with a pause)
16 kg x 2/2 x 2

first one's I've done on my right side in years! lol

this is definitely a practice session but it feel surprisingly good on everything. what a difference squaring my lower body up has made!

Snatch test
 I had this in my head for today and decided to go for it. I set of 2/2  for a warmup and then just went for it. It's only 16 kg for G-d's sake :) I had Glenn tape the set but I didn't actually think I'd make 100 reps. Very surprised.
Went through 60 reps then parked it. Another 20 and parked it again. Not that bad. Definitely can do this with the 20 kg

And I know the first 30 + reps overhead position are even worse than usual but I was not caring about that all as I didn't know I'd survive the five minutes,lol. It took me 60 reps to warmup and then the overhead position actually got better. Just like the heavier bells get my arm back further than the light bells and early sets.

I also used anatomical breathing for the first time ( lets see if my back holds up tomorrow) during the last 30 reps or so and did NOT use power breathing at all at the start of the set. Just a single breath at the top but very relaxed and casual. Did not want to over elevate my HR early and the light weight didn't require it anyway.

16 kg
10/10/10/10/10/10
Park
10/10
park
10/10 = 100 reps
4:24

this gave me a lot of confidence. probably do it again next week then go to the 18 kg the week after. And work on my overhead position in the early reps. Very impressed with my cardio conditioning, actually given what I've been doing nothing over 10 reps/set :)

Crawling
4 rounds of
40-50 feet forward/ 20 feet backward.

day five.

cable curls
4 x 10,8,8,8
Rope extensions
4 x 12- 15
YES, this is the perfect tricep exercise for me now.Gets the long head directly AND puts my shoulder into a great stretch. Love it.

datsit.
NeverQuit.

24 kg Snatches, more crawling

Didn't even realize it until after it was over but this was my third very tough workout in a row. Sunday's has changed dramatically; from a gentle rehab walk to a 1.5 hour hike with a weighted pack. Most excellent for sure but it definitely has an impact on my snatches on Monday. Such as today.
My performance was great but I could feel the overall fatigue in my back. Not in a dangerous way but one that let me know I've been doing some serious work.

I had a solid stretchout this morning and included my squat hold series and it was not easy at all, definitely feeling my legs after yesterdays hike

Hold for time supported squat
close stance
medium stance
wide stance
close lunge both legs
cossack side stretch
stair stretch = one round

repeat three times. THIS is what is really making the difference in my knee ROM as well as greasing the groove for the 5-7 hours I am at the studio, constantly squatting down with the stability ball and holding the bottom position for 20-90 seconds as the client swings :) I vary the stance all the time and do this probably 5-7 times per hour for 5-7 hours a day!

Can't wait to be able to sit fully in a full squat and relax there!

Backwards and forward crawling with a client - 3 rounds of 30 feet each.

2pm

one arm swing warmup 16 kg x 5/5/5 x 3

snatch
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
         x 6/6
         x 7/7
         x 8/8
         x 9/9
         x 10/10

haven't done THIS workout in a LONG time! Since Sept of 2012 I think! and it wasn't that bad at all . Not happy with my left side elbow lock but it seems to be a choice between one of the arms not locking out right and now it's back to the left. Still more work to do :)

Split Squat/ BW
10/10 x 4 sets

these went great! definitely the right choice for exercise. Plus I was getting way below parallel with the left leg forward. This is the new exercise for my leg size and ROM. Work up to sets of 20/20 and then add weight. Perhaps a backpack instead of holding weight.


backwards/forward crawls

four rounds of 30/30 feet. VERY tough at this point but shoulders feel great

Hangs
four sets of 20 seconds. The right thing to do to open up the lats shoulders and back

super happy with the last three days. and how great I feel right now, hours later, as I write this.

datsit/
NeverQuit.

Sunday Ruck, Crawls and Hangs

Pr day. Added two lbs to the ruck making it an even twenty pounds and bumped the walk up by one lap getting it two eight. Total time walking was one hour twenty five minutes. Not slower given the extra weight; each lap was between seven and eight minutes long.

Felt very strong and hit the road with no stretching or warmup. Much warmer today and didn't need hat, gloves or vest.

First four laps were continuous and then at the completion of the each of the next four I added in squat stretches for 1-2 minutes. Wanted the legs to get a bit fatigued before I stretched them as that helps kill the stretch reflex and get me deeper faster. Worked well.

After the walk I alternated hanging for 15 seconds with backwards crawls for 30 feet then reversing it for the same distance with forward crawls. Very tired but the crawling seemed to loosen things up. Shoulder (r) was tight going to sleep but opened up nicely this morning and even more so on the walk.

Four laps of crawling and four sets of hangs.

datsit. 24 kg snatches tomorrow. got to get ready :)

The Croatian Stair Challenge Part 2. I will be ready

ps oh yea, it's so weird as I forget that I have an artificial knee joint ,lol. I love my new knee, it works like a champ!

24 kg One arm swings, Two KB swings

A very solid one. All the pieces were together this morning, plus, it was just the 24 kg so there was no fear factor. Of course that's when you have to be extra careful. Really. It's the light weights that usually get you hurt because you don't concentrate enough or get cocky. But the stretchout went well as did the warmups

One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 10/10 x 10 set
         x 20/20 x 1 sets
240 reps
12,720 lbs!

the last set of 20/20 was not that  bad at all. just the lungs said anything but I kept the power output high , as well as the bell height, for the entire set.

Two kb swing
2 20 kg x 6
2 24 kg x 6
2 28 kg x 6
2 24 kg x 6 x 2 sets

these felt good once I got the groove back a bit. til then I was catching my inner thighs with the hands on the upswing. haven't done any of these since the TKR. Definitely stronger the weights were no problem. going to alternate these with the two hand swings each week,probably just doing a straight half pyramid with weight working up to 1-2 top sets and perhaps a down set.

after all the swing volume in the one arms I don't need much more :)

barbell curls
45 x 8
55 x 6
65 x 4, 5
55 x 8

Crawls- backward then forward
alternated these sets with the barbell curls
crawled backward 30 feet or so then went forward the same distance
4 sets. Geoff Neupert has challenged me to just crawl everyday for a week and I won't drop everything else but I will crawl each day AND focus on backwards crawling as well. No problem I like to crawl :)

lying barbell triceps ext
4 sets of 15 with 45 lbs

Hangs 3 x 20 seconds

adding 2 lbs to the pack tomorrow for the walk. 20 lbs even. can't wait :)



datsit
NeverQuit.

1/4 getups, bottoms up presses and the sled.

Yup I actually started back on getups, which I really haven't practiced much since my cert in '05. Since my knee wouldn't allow me to do them on the right arm and my left shoulder didn't need any extra work( it WAS my stronger side for most of the last 8 years) I just didn't do them outside of demos for student and certs.

But now that my knee will allow both sides and both shoulders desperately need something to restore my overhead position I thought now was a good time to re instate getups. Just the start at first please as this is the toughest part for me and the one that will translate the best for my shoulders right now.

7 am
45 minute full stretchout with emphasis on my legs. Since I increased my knee ROM 10 degrees since last visit ( 120 degrees!!!) I am really motivated to push hard and get the next ten.

 rollout and basic stretches: brettzel, up and down dog, straddle sit stretch and behind the neck stick disloates.
onto

close, medium and wide stance squat holds: these really felt like they dropped down tons.
close stance lunges
cossack side stretches
box lunge stretch( tried these on a stair ala Mason's suggestion but the box with stick for support worked much better.)

three to four rounds of these. legs felt great and depth really getting down there!
Pullup bar hangs and mixed grip stretches

1:45 pm
1/4 getups ( to tall sit)
6 kg x 3/3
8 kg x 3/3
10 kg x 3/3
12 kg x 3/3
14 kg x 3/3 x 2

these went great and it felt very very good on my shoulder and thoracic girdle. How ironic it would be if these fixed my overhead position ? :)

Bottoms up press
16 kg x 3/3 x 2
20 kg x 2/2
         x 1/1

ack these aren't going to work either. man my press feels lost!

Single bell press
16 kg x 3/3 x 2
20 kg x 2/2
24 kg x 2/2 x 3
         x 5/5

lol did these like Pavel on the cover of the RKC book and they worked ok but nothing feels "right" on my press anymore.
Tomorrow I am going to do some handstands and see how they feel.

sled drags
80 lbs x 250 ft x 5 rounds

lol now THESE felt great. very fast pace on the walk as well as the rest periods.

cable curls 4 x 12 -10
pushdowns 4 x 10-12

 still have to figure out this day! and my overhead position

datsit.
NeverQuit.

22 kg snatch , 36 kg belt squats

Third hard training day in a row I realized today as I saddled up to do some snatches. My light recovery walk has turned into a weighted hike and that's more than cool but it's a workout in it's own right now and that has an impact on monday's training

No worries but I could tell I didn't have a full rest and recovery day yesterday. Surprisingly things went very strongly today.

Snatch
16 kg x 5/5 x 3 one arm swing warmup
16 kg x 5/5 x 2 snatch
20 kg  5/5
22 kg x 6/6
         x 7/7
         x 8/8 x 2 rounds
         x 6/6 x 2 rounds
108 reps
5292 lbs work

overhead position was much better and easier and the groove has settle back in again. I don't have to think so much on each rep, just do as I've been doing. I hate having to problem solve and try to train at the same time. Lower back felt perfect and no excess strain on any muscle or joint for a change. Nice :)
cardio was good to and the bell felt light. 22 is just a touch away from 24 and it's good to know I can do this workload with it.Need to get the volume up now that the groove has returned
For 20 kg : 150 total reps
      22 kg : 130
      24 kg : 110-120

at least for now :)

Belt squat


36 kg x 35 reps x 3 sets

this felt deeper than it looks on video but the bell is moving at least one foot and my knees are going forward well.I did these non lockout and it's a hellacious quad burn, just what I want. 35 reps is no joke.

rear leg elevated split squats
12 kg x 15/15 x 2

didn't like these very much . back to regular flat floor lunges

Crawls
3 x 50 feet ACK  out of gas! done dun de dun dun.
DONE. those squats kicked my ass

another good one in the books.

datsit
NeverQuit.

Sunday Ruck

One of my goals in training is to be able to do more work than I have before and feel nothing from it the next day. Well, that's what happened yesterday and today and it's great! Big PR workout yesterday; hard one too; and woke up feeling like I didn't do anything heavy or hard at all!

In fact, nothing was achy or tight or jacked up at all! Can't remember when that happened last  but I like it to continue.

Loaded up the pack to 8 kg and went into the cold,lol. Well cold for us :)
Maintaining the same pace, about 7.5-8 minutes per lap and did 7 laps plus then added another10 minutes to the get home loop for a whopping one hour and 25 minutes of weighted walking! Not bad at all if I say so myself.

After the fourth lap I started doing squat stretches at the end of each next lap and man, with my legs tired and the backpack on I got deeper than I expected pretty quickly. The stretch reflex just seemed to give out and let me drop down. Awesome. Plus the stretch really loosened up my legs for the next lap.

Had ideas to go a little further but my ankles started to get tired so I didn't push it anymore.I can remember VERY CLEARLY, how trying to walk from my house to the park, a grand total of two full blocks would kill me before. Now it's not even a beginning of a warmup. Unbelievably great stuff this new knee thingy.

Four sets of 30 seconds hang from the pullup bar afterwards and now it's time to roll out and stretchout. Have a bunch of 22 kg snatches to do tomorrow AND I have my Dr's appointment on Tuesday and I really hope I am at more than 110 degrees flexion. I think I do but I'm not sure. we'll see.

datsit

One Arm Beast swings. 100 reps pr

This was seriously tough. Not so much that is was done in sets of 6/6 and 8/8 but that damn thing was heavy today and it's still frozen in the cave and that makes it much much tougher.Want to get to the Beast once per month but wasn't sure if today would go.It did but it took mucho concentration.

Slept well, stretchout was good, nothing hurt and no reason not to go but it was serious. As I like to say if you're bored it's not heavy enough and I was NOT bored, I was scared :)
Also there are a LOT of warmups to be done and doing them correctly takes some skill. not too much but definitely not too little. Especially in this cold.

One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x3
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 5/5
32 kg x 3/3
40 kg x 3/3
48 kg x 6/6 x 7 sets ( pr for reps never done more than 5 per arm)
         x 8/8 x 1
Wow.I wasn't really warm until after the 5th set! Only then could I start to get my entire body into the lift. Up to then I was just too cold and stiff and creaky

this is set five, still warming up


Two hand swings
32 kg x 10
36 kg x 10
40 kg x 10 x 2 sets
40 reps

this was it,lol. My glutes were gone!  good sign but there was nothing left to swing with,lol.
barbell curls
45 x 5
55 x 5
65 x 5
75 x 5
85 x 3

lying extensions
4 x 15 with 45 lbs

bodyblade laterals
3 x 10/10


DONE! thank g-d I survived that! next week back to light bell and ramp back up!
wk 1 24 kg
      2 32 kg
      3 40 kg
      4 48 kg


I could extend it one more week and put in either a 36 k or a 44 kg not sure but I'm considering it,:)

datsit.
Never Quit.

tomorrow we ruck :) can't wait. More weight to the pack too.

Practicing the press, a fitting start to the first training of 2014

I have an entirely different attitude now towards the press since I decided to limit myself to no heavier than the 24 kg for the near future at the very least. I have to get this groove 'grooved' and trying to do that while attempting heavy weights, even weights I think should NOT be heavy but now seem to be, just doesn't work.

And today proved it.The shoulders felt great after the snatches on Monday and all the shoulder flex and mobility work I've been doing and just using the 20 kg today gave me a lot of latitude to find the groove that might work.

I went back to where I learned the press, Pavel's original RKC video and started there. Getting my hip under the bell, turning to look at the bell as I pressed and really focusing on getting and keeping the lat engaged.Worked very well

Warmup
one arm swings
16 kg x 5/5/5 x 3

Press
16 kg x 5/5
20 kg x 5/5 x 8 sets

these went great!Used the mirror a bit to check overhead position but it really

Sled drag
80 lbs x 230 ft x 5 laps.

these felt way better than last week as well. Not snatching first probably doesn't hurt, either :)

Cable curls
4 x 10

Triceps pushdowns
4 x 10

trained just 4 clients so I got off early and got to my training right away as well. Love to be able to do this all the time but I'll take it when I can get it. Nice start to the new year. Hope is back for my press :)

datsit.
Never Quit.

the Original Girya, The Art of Strength window sign back in 2003.And an interesting press position if I say so myself :)

20 kg snatches,belt squats ,crawls and farmers walks

As much as I've been working on my overhead position you would think it would be better. And my right side is, only to have my left side go wonky again and stay that way for weeks now. So weird. I think the fact my lower body is way more squared up is forcing the scoliosis to really throw things around.
It wasn't long ago that my left side lockout was seriously solid and my right nowhere to be found. Now just the opposite.Just a wee bit frustrating but I'm doing the best I can, AND it doesn't hurt and that's a big plus

6 am
full stretchout , 50 minutes

1:30 pm
Snatch
16 kg one arm swings 3 x 5/5/5

snatch
16 kg x 5/5 x2
20 kg x 8/8
         x 9/9
         x 10/10 x 2 rounds
104 reps

everything was easy except for my left shoulder. not only not overhead but elbow locked out. Ack.But looking back, not THAT much worse than in 2006 :)


belt squats
32 kg x 30 reps x 4 sets
non lockout technique

these, however are going great. close stance and really getting deeper every rep with lots of quad burn!

crawls super set farmers walks
50 feet crawl alternated with 60-70 ft with double 20 kg

these went well but farmers were too easy. too light or too short distance but lets see how things are tomorrow.:)

datsit
Neverquit.

Sunday Ruck

Another solid walk. Added one pound to the backpack and walked 7 laps instead of six. Total walk time 1 hour 10 min. Pace about the same although legs were definitely getting tired by lap four. Each lap took between 7 and 8 minutes. Finished faster too, negative split. Not as bitter cold either.
Next week add another pound or two to the bag and keep it at  seven laps.

Will keep adding time til I get to ninety minutes. Feels so good to be able to walk so strongly for so long.

Finished up with bar hangs, all tactical pullup grip , four sets of 30-20 seconds. These are definitely stronger.

Perhaps one day to test myself :) and be able to walk like this guy:
http://www.itstactical.com/centcom/interviews/still-rucking-at-63-an-interview-with-former-delta-force-operator-ed-bugarin/

40 Kg One arm swings, 52 kg two hand swings.

Man it was cold in that garage this morning! Barely 32 degrees and it never really got much warmer, even after we did all our sets,lol! This was a  tough one even though I pulled out a slight PR with the 40 kg, doing 6 sets of 5/5 and 4 sets of 6/6 for 108 reps. Never have done 6's with the 40. It's these little pr's that add up to big ones, even though it doesn't seem like much at the time.

Left hip stopped bothering me and promptly switched over to the right hip. More whack a mole but it wasn't too bad. Nowhere near as bad as the left hip was earlier. Got a solid 45 minute stretchout this morning and that helped. Very pleased with my knee rom of late and it's still there, even early in the am.

One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5/5 x 3
20 kg x 5/5/5
24 kg x 5/5/5
28 kg x 5/5/5
32 kg x 5/5
40 kg x 5/5 x 6 sets
         x 6/6  x 4 sets (pr)
108 reps
9504 lbs!

My training partner Glenn hit a great pr today as well ,one arm swinging the beast for 120 reps in 10 sets of 6/6 no problem. It's amazing how far he's come, just unbelievable. But given his background not really so much to imagine. Tough man indeed.


Two hand swings
40 kg x 10
44 kg x 10
48 kg x 10
52 kg x 10
32 kg x 10

my lower back was talking a little so I started light and ramped up. Worked out perfectly and the 32  swings were the highest and easiest of all time. I like this method.

Barbell curl
45 x 8
55 x 6
65 x 5
55 x 8

Lying barbell ext
5 sets of 20-10 supersetted with close grip pushups to low bench

this worked great with the close grip and the shoulders didn't bark at all. great triceps/pec work without the shoulder stopping things.

great workout. Ruck walk tomorrow. can't wait

datsit.
Never Quit

Christmas day snatches / Motion is Lotion.

Got tweaked pretty hard by Monday's workout. I knew I was forcing it too much, the third rep on the presses was too far above 80% effort and the cleans were not so much too heavy but I didn't warm up enough for them and my form was off and my groin didn't like it either.Everything was rushed and "off" and I just pushed through instead of listening.

But I listened for the last two days as my left SI/piriformis and hip in general were not happy at all and let me know it all day AND night.Even lying down as achy and it didn't want to release easily.This is the first real tweak since the knee surgery and let me know I don't want another, and I certainly don't want to go back to the days of being so restricted plus being in  pretty good pain at the same time.It brought back many bad memories which I am more than willing to forget.

But not this lesson: I don't need to try to go so heavy with my overhead lifts. My upper body mobility is just not up to it, and, just like I did in the squat but working it as a stretch/corrective pattern instead of a loading lift I need to have a somewhat similar approach to my press and snatch days as well.

I don't have to stop loading them completely but just moderate the loads in the press just as I do in the snatch and make the 24 kg my top weight. At least until ( if) I get my overhead mobility much much better.

Cycling them with the 20, 22 and 24 kg weights should give me plenty of loading and be much safer.I've done my time with heavy grinds on my shoulders and I think those days are gone.I've gotten used to  it with the snatch, now it's time to do the same thing with the press.

5:30-6:45 AM full stretchout
another thing I realized is that I really haven't been putting in enough time with the stretching and it's been adding up- in the wrong direction- since going to Israel. Today I put in the full lower/upper body roll and stretchout and the hip pain and restriction just melted away :) Lots of work however but it was so necessary.
Stretchout
100 ups( almost ready to run in place!)
Foam rolling full assessment
back bends over stab ball
OS resets/rocking, four positions
bretzell
hamstring strap stretch
up and down dogs
frog squat stretch
straddle stretch and pike stretch
hangs from bar with feet on and off floor, three grips
overhead stick stretch, reverse grip and behind back from overhead.
coffee table pigeon stretch
kneeling hip flexor stretch
close med and wide stance dynamic squat mobs
heel to toe lunges
10 minutes on treadmill at 15 Deg elevation


Feels like my squat depth in the supported squat is really gotten to another level of late and it feels great. the quads are just letting go as I hold the bottom position for longer and longer periods and I have more hope than ever that I will get my full deep squat position in the future.Seiza would be nice too but one thing at a time

11 am
one arm swing warmups
16 kg x 8/8 x 3

Snatch
16 kg x 5/5/ x 2
20 kg x 5/5 x 3
22 kg x 5/5 x 3
24 kg x 5/5 x 3 sets

this was perfect. Didn't even know last night if I would be able to swing and I certainly didn't think I could snatch and there was NO possibility of snatch the 24 kg given how I was feeling. Motion is lotion indeed.

I definitely need to go up slowly as it was taking a while for my hips to reset to where they were before the tweak. I believe that the "newer" the tweak the easier it is to shake it out by trying to move as close to normally as possible as soon as possible and as much as possible. I feel like this presses a 'reset' button in my nervous system and my body goes back to the state of being it had before the 'injury' .
You can't push it too fast though and pain usually restricts anyway but I do this everytime I get tweaked and it works well. Did today as well.

By the time I got to the ninth set and the 24 kg was done I was feeling 90% of normal and still do 5 hours later as I write this

Split squats ( Bw\)
2 x 10 each leg ( prepping for next week)
these felt great and will take the place of walking lunges


Sled pulls
80 lbs x 230 feet x 5 rounds

these were good but tough I used 70 lbs last week and could feel the difference but I'm ready for it.

Cable curls 4 x 10-12
Pushdowns 4 x 10-12

this was a great Christmas day present to me! Feel SO much better than I did the last two days and won't neglect my stretching or floor work. It's my key to muscular recovery.

datsit.
Never Quit.

28 kg presses, 44 kg belt squat, crawls

One of those weird days when I did everything "right" but just never got it going well in the gym. Slept well, ate well, decent amount of rest and warm up just didnt feel strong. perhaps the weighted hike took more out of me than I thought.

Didn't get a real stretchout this morning and that hurt a bit too I think. But it's just one of those workouts that you just get through. All in all not a bad day after all.

KB press
16 kg x 5/5 x 3
20 kg x 3/3
22 kg x 2/2
28 kg x 3/3 x 5 sets

these were TOUGH! The bell felt heavy I didn't get my lats in enough and the bell, while not all over the place, was no where near where I wanted it to be.I think, in retrospect, the problem was not committing to pushing back instead of pushing up.Just in a hurry to get to the bigger weights :)
The good news is that I didn't hurt myself and while the lifts weren't pretty they moved strongly.
Greased the groove today four times hanging on the pullup bar 99 % tactical pullup grip. this is going really really well and getting easier all the time.Can feel the difference in my back as well as my shoulders.

KB Cleans
32 kg x 5/5 x 3 sets

these were tough as well although the form was much better. Sucker was HEAVY.I just didn't really warm up or stretchout enough I think

Belt squat
44 kg x 25 x 4 sets

Now these went well even though I forgot to put on my knee sleeves and I think that made a little difference. lots of good quad burn.

Crawls
60 ft x 4 laps

these were solid and I added on another 10 feet of length to each laps. definitely gets the whole body going

datsit
Never Quit.

Ruck hike

Took my backpack on my walk today, loaded with about 6.5 kilos of books.It definitely made a difference in the work for my lungs, legs and lower back. Nothing drastic at all and I still made my six laps in the same time as last week 55 minutes, but I was working harder, that's for sure.

And the point. Will keep adding weight to the pack until it's about 30 lbs or so and I can do the hour no problem. Then I will start increasing the distance until it's 1.5 hours. I have to make the time to get another walk in, sometime in the week- the only real time available would be thursday after noons so we'll see. There's plenty of time to increase things

Greasing the groove with my straight arm hangs from the bar after the walk with the four grips definitely getting easier every day, this time 30 second sets were no problem at all.

If I am going to be able to hike  for real I gotta start somewhere :)

32 kg One arm swings, 44 kg Power swings

This worked out really well. Jumping from the 24 kg last week to the 32 kg this week was no trouble. This cycle just might work out and get me to the heavier loads once per month, regularly.It was 30 degrees in the garage this morning so warming up took a little longer than normal, but my regular 10 min hot bath passive warmup helped a bunch

Short stretchout/mobility session (20 min) and off we went. Still greasing the groove with the overhead hang and it really seems to be making a difference, both in shoulder/ neck pain reduction and ease of overhead ROM. Nice. Mainly the tactical pullup grip for now (overhand) and inching my hands in closer until I am two thumb lengths apart ( grip for hanging leg raises ).

This should mimic the desired overhead position with double bells I am aiming for. Whether I hit the target or not who knows, but that is not the point, anyway. But I will also go back and work the mixed grip as well as chin up grip and perhaps the neutral grip as well ( we have such a setup at No Excuses).That would give me five different grips to hang from.
The stick dislocates and behind the back shoulder stretch have also been

One arm swings
16 kg x 8/8 x 3
24 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 6/6
32 kg x 8/8 x 8 sets
         x 16/16 x 1 set
160 reps
11,200 lbs

took five sets to really warmup but last five were powerful and fast. I thought the last set power stayed up til the end as well. Cardio is much better in general these days,especially now that I am respecting my individual mechanics and movement patterns and really deriving more strength and power with less energy drain at the same time.

Two hand Power swings
44 kg x 5,6,7,8,10




These were strong but tough! I wanted to do a set of 9 as well as the last set of 10 but I knew there wasn't power for both so I took the last set. Very happy with this.

Barbell Curls superset with Lying bar extensions
45, 55, 65 x 6 x 2 sets
45 lbs x 15-12 4 sets

bodyblade laterals 3 x 10/10

solid training very pleased. Long walk tomorrow and I add the back pack :)

datsit.
Never Quit.

22 kg snatches , getting back the groove

These went great, in my eyes. My overhead position is still tight, even though I am working doubly hard on stretching mobility and correctives. I think something shifted, truly, after I got my knee replaced and my lower body "squared up" and push the imbalances north. My scoliosis seems work and scap mobility very weird.  So that I could find positions, this week actually, that allow me to press and snatch comfortably, and strongly , it makes me happy, even if they wouldn't pass 'standards".

I can only do so much and I keep trying. But this snatch session felt like the best of the old snatch workouts where I loved it more than any other lift and felt I was good at it.Staying flat on my feet at the top of the movement, not back on my heels makes all the difference.

Yes it does put my more foreward on the descent but with my lumbo pelvic rhythm that puts me in my hips and these last snatch workouts prove it. LOTS more reps with a decent weight then of late and NO back pain at all.It feels fluid and powerful.I really feel I have build up my reps very strongly with this technique.

Full hour stretchout this morning mainly focusing on overhead mobs. arm circles, sky divers,overhead stretches and hangs on pullup bar with four different grips. Hangs are getting better; stronger and longer and shoulders are not adjusting at all, really.Being able to stretch out on the hang seems to be a key thing my instinct is telling me to do. So I will.

Still lots of squat stretches in three positions as well as close stance lunge work as well.

Snatch
16 kg x 6/6 x 3
20 kg x 5/5
22 kg x 6,7,8 x 3 rounds
126 reps
6300 lbs

Glenn and I moved through this very fast, and not even just for us.I good sign. It's time to up the reps again.I need to go back to sets of 10+ on the 20 kg, 8-10 on the 22 kg and 6 and 7s on the 24 kg.
With this form my HR doesn't go up so high and I purposely tried to breathe lightly although still bio mechanical match

Sled Drag alternate with walking lunges
2 sets of sled with 80 lb for 200 ft

Walking lunges, first two sets of 50 ft with clubbell in side to side rotations with gait but just bodyweight on last set. Lots of experimenting here to do BUT the knee(s) felt fine. Did the last lap on grass and that was better . The concrete with vibrams was not good.

cable curls and black band leaning tri extensions
3 set of 12-10 each and that was that.

about an hour all told.

very good workout and super pleased with my technique and work capacity just one week off such a big trip

Today= 16 week post TKR. The only thing that would make it better is another 20 degrees of knee flexion but now I have serious time to work on that, too

datsit
Never quit.

28 kg presses, 36 kg belt squat and crawling

Easy day at work today with a late start and a cancellation near the end of the day. The late start let me get a solid hour plus stretchout in right from the start, nothing better for me. Got a lot of time in on the pullup bar working up to 15-20 second hangs with double overgrip, mixed grip with both hands and reverse grip. Really concentrated on holding it up with the scapula/upper back and it kept feeling better.
Now, as I write this, my left thumb is a bit out from all the reverse grips but it will be ok. supinators just a bit overworked but the direction is correct.overhead behind the head stretches were immediately looser too after the hang work.

Also doing prone skydivers with straight arms from 90 deg to side working my way overhead a few inches at a time until I can't get the arms off the floor. very weak so I need it. Just need more extension work in general. Could really feel the right spinal erector kicking in as well. another good sign

Lots of static squat stretches in three positions and the longer I held them the deeper I got. Good start to the week.

2 pm
KB press
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 3/3
24 kg x 3/3 ( easy!)
28 kg x 2/2 x 6 sets

these were as strong as they've been and the shoulders felt the most stable in a long time. Inpsired by this video of Azlan Mohamed SFG pressing his bodyweight with two kettlebells
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=701074999912363&set=vb.100000296072805&type=2&theater



I really liked his technique and wanted to play with my variation of it today and see how it went and I liked it alot. The idea was pushing the bells "out" as much as I pushed myself away from the bell.Just like how I used to bench press. Azlan's technique reminded me of a standing bench press with serious lat involvement and very vertical forearms.
He starts to lean back and gets a solid arch but then locks it in and presses from there.

My left shoulder still not locking out as well as it was but this technique didn't hurt to press at all! and that's a big deal. Instead of thinking "up" or "back" I was thinking push forward :) weird. but then my cues have always been backwards :) It feels like the same initial motion as in a bent press, with it's heavy lat and bicep involvement.

Double KB press
 2 16's x 3 x 2
2 20's x 3 x 2

tried the same technique but it didn't work and make my lockout worse. I pushed out and up with the pair and it went very well.. Still not a locked out lockout but not bad either. AND, no shoulder pain

Belt squats
36 kg x 25 x 3 sets
         x 30 x 1
these were strong, did the last set with full tension, non lockout style trying to maximize the quad and calf stretch and it was still strong!

Crawls
4 laps of 50 feet

strongest yet with 15 feet of back crawl after the last lap

datsit.
Sisu/

Sunday walk

Solid walk today, the first long one in two weeks. Hit a personal best today, going one lap more than usual( 6 instead of 5) in 5 minutes LESS than usual. Of course I didn't use my pedometer for the first time and don't know my MPH but one more lap in less time is faster.

Then into the gym to do
close stance squats
close stance lunges
wide stance squat stretch

about 50 total squats and the same lunges and hold the static squat stretch for a minute. 3 rounds

alternated with hanging from chin bar and scap pullups ( mini) in between rounds. determined to get my pullup back now

Feel very good from yesterday's training and ready to get my routine back in gear and gain some serious momentum in the coming weeks and months.

Back to work 24 kg One arm swings

Pretty much back in this timezone and on the right schedule sleep wise as well. Back was tight for three days coming off all that sitting and not enough extension work or stretching but everything's squared away now. Even my shoulders feel better and I've added in shoulder dislocates with a light band and very wide holds with the bar behind my back and really getting the front delts and pecs. As well as back to hanging on the bar more. Time to get back my ability to hang and PULLUP again. In some way shape or form.

I have to get my overhead position better than it is. It's not only bad for my presses and snatches it's uncomfortable with shoulders this tight. You have to move your arms overhead, in real life, ALOT, all the time.

Also adding in floor skydivers ( prone) as these are super weak. they will be done every day. grease the groove style when I get on the floor to do other stretches as well.

Went way back to the 24 kg today for swings and it was totally the right move. Been doing almost nothing but heavy heavy and heavier the last four months and I need to add some lighter, faster and crisper work to the mix as well as add in some more volume at the start of the cycle
Shoulder look like this:

week one 24 kg 10-15 rep sets 200-300 total reps
week two 32 kg 8-10 rep sets 160 -200 reps
week three 40 kg 5-6 rep sets 100-120 reps
week four 48 kg 5-6 rep sets  100-120 reps

I will use the intermediate weights as I warm up but not going to focus on them as training weights. at least for now. this way I will get to the 48 kg once a month and can build up to the goal of 5 sets of 10/10. and this is just ball park numbers, I will go by feel, as always.

If the cycle is too short I will add in another bell but we'll see.

One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 10/10 x 10 sets
200 reps
10,600 lbs!

These went great. fast and powerful, it was good to have a lighter feeling bell in my hand and not have to focus on surviving the weight but throwing it around as strongly as I could.BUT the heavier loads I've been doing definitely made this feel lighter than usual.

Two hand swings
40 kg x 10 x 5 sets
50 reps

wow, that got tired fast. that was all I had and keep the power up.

barbell curls
45 x 8
55 x 7
65 x 5 ( hard!)
55 x 6
45 x 8

barbell extensions
45 x 12 x 2
35 x 15 x 2

just tired from the heavy swing volume now. First heavy workout back too. very pleased . Strict kb presses on Monday, not push presses.My back didn't like them or the heel :)

 datsit.
Sisu/

The 1969 Boss 429, the only Mustang I like more than my version.

First workout post Israel SFG

It was a great but very taxing trip, with me teaching 99% of the course and going from 5 am to 10 am everyday. Not counting the 15 hour plus flights each way and dealing with serious jet lag. It usually hits me coming back , not going but this time I got nailed. But taking the red eye back seemed to work well as I got back on my normal schedule today without too much trouble( at least so far)

My back was great the whole trip but got pretty tight last night and didn't want to open too easy even though I get a full one hour stretchout this morning at 6.

It took swinging and snatch some bells today to loosen it up. My new/old snatch technique worked great today as well. It felt just like it used to.I'm not thinking about what is right, I'm just going where the moves feels best, with the most speed and power and is the easiest on both my shoulders and back. Not the greatest lockout for sure but I can't really do much about that with my shoulders ROM and trying to force it, as I've been doing, wasn't working.

Snatch
12 kg x 8/8 x 3
16 kg x 6/6 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
         x 6/6
         x 7/7
         x 8/8
         x 9/9
         x 10/10

Belt squats
32 kg x 20 x 4 sets

these were strong. very close stance toes straight ahead.Getting deeper all the time

Sled Pull
80 lbs x 200 ft x 1
70 lbs x 200 ft x 3

80 was too heavy after the squats

that's it. late day, not much food and I could feel energy draining so I cut it off

Some photos from the Israel trip

Walking in the Baylands and 24 kg Push presses

We have this excellent nature preserve 5 minutes from where I work in Palo Alto and 25 minutes from where I live in San Jose. Since I walk early every Sunday now I thought this would be a very cool place to watch the sun come up and get my walk in on nice, forgiving, natural dirt.I hate driving anywhere on Sunday but I thought this would be worth it.

It wasn't, but it was close. The place was empty, full of ducks, geese, cranes and all kind of other waterfowl, quite and beautiful . But it wasn't that much more than the nice park I have right around the block, in all reality.

Walking for me right now is training. Just like I was swimming laps in the pool working on my time and my stroke that's how I approach my long walks on Sunday just . As long as I have dirt path to walk on and fresh air and some trees, I'm good. So until I'm really ready to hike I will just keep to walking my laps at the neighbor hood park.

That said it was a great place and I walked a solid hour and got to watch the sun come up over the marsh.Very nice.

Today is the last workout before I'm wheels up for Tel Aviv tomorrow and the first ever Israeli SFG level 1. VERY excited and it was hard to keep some focus on the workout and work as well today.

Push press/ long cycle
16 kg x 5/5 x 3
20 kg x 3/3 x2
24 kg x 3,4,5 x 2 rounds
          x 3/3 x 2 short cycle

these felt excellent and the bell light. I wore the oly shoes but actually think I'm going back to vibrams for these as well.

Belt squats
24 kg x 20
32 kg x 20 x 3 sets

close stance and flat foot( vibrams) my best depth yet and I can really feel the lower quads kicking in! compared depth the last two weeks with heel on and flat foot and flat wins each time. barefoot it is! Close stance too feet straight ahead.

crawls
3 x 50 feet forward
1  x 50 feet forward and 30 or so backward!

these best backward has felt yet and forward is getting very strong indeed. love this move

AM stretches and mobility including lots of rocking , both kneeling ( knee can tolerate some now) and 4 point stance on floor and on the bench. really digging these of late, can really feel it helping my knee and hip flexion( ankles too)

datsit.
Sisu/

the next week all updates will be on my facebook page if you are interested.