31 kg KB Press, arched back pullups, belt squats and crawls

Interesting day. Right hamstring was tight all morning and I'm not sure what it was. Didn't feel a thing all day yesterday but this am is was tight. Not pulled but not normal. The combination of all those crazy swings with the ruck walk yesterday I'm sure overloaded it. Nothing more stretching and some light work won't fix.

We decided to change today to press day and snatch on wednesdays and it makes sense. We do all those heavy swings on saturday and then turn around and try to do the same basic hip hinge for volume again today. Makes more sense to get in some low volume presses and let the hinge rest up for wednesday. We were thinking of adding snatch vo2 back in but regardless if we snatch wednesday will be more rested.

Shoulder is STILL feeling great and that's a miracle too! So going into press today I was confident. I thought about taping a 5 lb plate to the 28 kg if the 28 felt good so make an intermediate jump. It's 68 lbs and the 32 kg is 70 lbs so it SHOULDN'T make any real difference but it seemed to. Go figure.

The form wasn't great but I was very distracted by the plate rumbling around as I cleaned it and tht didn't help at all. next time I'll just use the 32 but it was a fun experiment. It also showed me that I am more confident in my press than I have been in a long time. That groove is holding too, and, while not perfect( the above set was the worst of five sets) it doesn't hurt and I feel I have leverage.
I just don't have enough patience on my left side yet not to spin out so fast :( Soon though, I can feel it coming

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

Press
16 kg x 5/5
         x 3/3
20 kg x 2/2
24 x 2/2
28 kg x 1/1 x 3
31 kg x 1/1 x 5 sets
28 kg x 1/1 x 3 sets

HAVE to stay tighter, and longer, in the rack to zip everything up on these heavier presses. I lose the tightness trying to get more speed into the rep and it costs me. Everytime. BUT the weights felt medium light, which is very good.

band pullups( arched back, bodybuilder style)
3 sets of 4 with purple band

these felt easier and better. only did three sets to assess any issues tomorrow before I load it more.

belt squats ( supported- held onto Glenn to lean back against. really worked good.)
32 kg x 15,10,10, 10
these worked GREAT and I was as deep as ever. quads really took the load. perfect.Still need more ankle mobility to be able to do these without holding onto something.
want to include both goblets and double front squats for form but don't have the space to put them in right now and they both load my arms and shoulders more than my legs so they have to take a back seat, for now.
Knee flexion and leg strength take priority.

crawls
3 sets of  40 feet
taking it easy to see how the shoulders react. good to do them again, they are always hard!


need to stretch and roll out my hammie tonight. Finally a days rest., well that means just stretching and mobs but that's fine :)

datsit.
neverquit

LATS the Super Muscles :)

Sunday Ruck pr

After yesterdays big one arm swing test I was a bit worried about how my back and legs would feel today. I shouldn't have been. Today was great! Not only did I up the weight a kilo ( 26.4 lbs) but I finished the ten laps in 3 minutes less time, 1 hour 40 minutes on the nose. Nice. Tracy came with me for the first hour and  that was excellent. Legs felt strong and loose and the pack light. Not like the Bataan Death march that was last week :)

The fact that my shoulder was in place, and has been for the last week made a huge difference too. The video above is a demo on the mobilization I've been doing that has helped so much. A few people requested it so here it is.

The key thing for me is getting the arms behind me and holding the stretch until the tight pecs and biceps release.This seems to place the head of the humerus in the right place in the socket and it makes life so much nicer :)

The weather was perfect too; 54 degrees overcast with a light drizzle. Cool and warm at the same time :)

ok, that's it. More Birthday pie to eat :)

datsit.
neverquit

Testing my Spirit on my Birthday: 36 kg One arm swing test/five minutes

I had decided I was going to retest the five minute one arm swing with the 36 kg after I did it with the 32 kg last time and thought March 1, my 57th birthday, would be the right time. Well that was today and I was really thinking I hadn't had decided that.

I knew for sure I could finish it although I didn't know how strong it would be, or how heavy the bell would feel but I also knew that it would suck. It was, after all, only five minutes, but five minutes can be a very long time under the wrong circumstances:)

And I didn't have to do it. No one was making me, nor expecting me to, except for Joe and Glenn, of course. But I knew I was going to so the task at hand was to mentally focus and get my shit squared away; block out any thoughts except those that would help me get the job done.
Not think too much at all, actually, just breathe, focus and warmup

Very happy with the results. Big thanks to Joe and Glenn for keeping me on pace; I got a little slack at first and got behind but Joe pulled me back. I hate doing this stuff. It's just no fun but:

One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 3
20 kg  x 5/5
24 kg x 4/4
28 kg x 4/4
32 kg x 4/4

36 kg x 5/5 x 10 sets in 4:55  PR :)

Power swings
40 kg x 5 x 5 sets

Two hand swings
32 kg x 10 x 5 sets

Db shoulder complex
4 rounds
bent laterals
infraspinatus laterals
front raises, alternating

this was enough. the only redeeming value to this was that it was over with fast. I don't see myself doing this again for a long time. I did it to prove to  myself that I still can and now that is done, but to training, not testing.

time to eat :)

datsit
neverquit.

28 kg KB Press, BW lunges, sled and snatch holds

Solid day today. Shoulder adjustment is holding perfectly- I think I've found the corrective to 'un inpinge' the biceps tendon from the clavicle, which I now think is the real culprit. It's been feeling downright perfect these last two days, and even after a recent pr press day today it feel normal :) The stretch that adjusts the clavicle can be done in bed, lying on the floor, standing upright or with a TRX or rings set up.
Hope this holds, it will be a huge breakthrough for me.

Got a lot of squat stretch time in today. Put my feet very close together and squatted down on two ten pound plates letting my knees move forward. I've neglected this close stance during work in favor of squatting medium to wide around the stability ball -which focuses more on hip than knee movement- and I need more of this stance to get the final 20 degree of ROM for deep squats and seiza.

Partner had the flu today so I was on my own. Great rainy, cloudy, blustery day and not so cold. Loved it. We so need the rain I welcome every drop.

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

KB Mil Press
16 kg x 3/3 x 2
20 kg x 2/2
24 kg x 2/2
28 kg x 2/2 x 5!!!
         x 1/1 x 3

this was a total surprise. I thought I might be able to get one or maybe two sets but never five! The key is not just getting the lat tight early but holding it tight as I rotate a bit and THEN press. I've been trying to press and rotate simultaneously and that doesn't work. The slight rotation with the arm staying in the rack position and then press worked like a charm!
New shoulder extension stretch between each set worked excellent as well to keep the shoulder and clavicle in the right place
This is a big jump for me. The video above is the 5th set which was actually the wonkiest, which is why I did 3 more singles. They were better

BW Split squats
12/12
14/14
16/16
18/18
20/20

80 reps per side! both feet flat on the floor and this worked great. I've decided I have to concentrate on building bodyweight for reps on these as that is the kind of leg strength endurance I really need. Plus, I know that high reps build size much better and quicker than low rep strength training.
I made that mistake before when I was bodybuilder and trained as a powerlifter would. It wasn't until I started racing ten speeds and doing huge high rep volume for my legs daily that they actually began to develop!

Snatch holds
18 kg x 30 sec x 3 sets

these were better. the heavier I go on these the better the overhead position. these were decent

sled drags
walked 1/4 block rested then walked back. about 2 x what I normally go. strong.


good day today. got to get ready for Saturdays 36 kg  5 minute one arm swing test! we'll see!

datsit.
neverquit.

Back off day, 24 kg snatch, belt squats, shoulder rehab

Long day/night yesterday. The combination of the 35 lb clubbell work and the pushups with feet elevated  on the box overworked my pecs and forearms and pulled my clavicle out enough for it to keep me from sleeping.
Actually I slept a little but I was out in gym at 2 am stretching on the rings trying to set my shoulder back into place.
Haven't had to do that in quite awhile and can't say I missed it.
Since I couldn't sleep I got into the studio at 5 am and had plenty of time to open up the shoulder and get things settled in. worked pretty well. Usually it's the shoulder itself but this time it was the clavicle at the AC joint.I hate new stuff.

anyway got another 30 minutes of mobility work in as well later and thought that snatches might just be the thing to re set the shoulder where it's supposed to be. 24 kg was on the schedule and I had NO idea whether I could do that but I would know right away.

At any rate even if I could it would be a light workout.
Did my best Warrior Diet day in eons with just almonds ( handfull at 9)and green tea all morning and felt surprisingly strong. I miss being able to fast.

one arm swing warmup
16 kg x 5/5/ x3

snatch
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 4/4
24 kg x 5/5 x 8 sets
80 reps/
4240 lbs

As I hoped the warmer I got the better the shoulder felt and the 24 kg was the best, as the extra load helped stretch out the pecs and shoulders well. Just had to be careful not to tax the grip/forearms too hard but my new groove is STILL holding and I feel strong and safe with it.
it feels like my snatch did in the beginning, all me, my own version of how to swing this weight overhead, with all my strength and weaknesses/ injuries and strange limb lengths taken into account but not available for explanation.
I just do it.
I mean I could break it down if I wanted to but I don't anymore. I just want to be able to do it.

Belt squats


wanted to give my arms a break as well as see whether all my recent depth work in the bw squat is paying off. I has

32k g x 10
40 kg x 8 x 3 sets

these were HARD and good. the first set I tried not to hold on, then I realized I needed a counterweight of somekind, either like a goblet squat or a front squat rack weight or a support. I chose to hold onto the bell and it was the best of both worlds, support I could lean back against but didn't overwork my arms
The bell was touching the floor with the strap double looped and my legs felt every second of tension. love it.

db rear delts, thumb up lateral and side raise
4 sets of 20 for blood flow and delt balance

easy day time to eat and stretch and, hopefully, sleep

datsit.
neverquit

Sunday ruck

Start slow and finish fast. Took a bit to get moving this morning, not from yesterday's workout but from some drama from Tracy's GS meet down south. Got it figured out but it took a bit to clear my head and get going.

Ten laps in 1 hour 40 minutes including 4 minutes to and from the course. Thought it would be slower considering how I felt but it wasn't. Feet held up better than last week. Pack weight the same : 25 lbs.

Only did 5 sets of squat stretches as I didn't start them until half way; needed to keep moving at first and get some momentum

Now to the roller and lots more squat and lunge stretches:)

32 Kg One arm swings / Double bell swings and clubbell casts

Tracy is GS meet in Costa Mesa and I am still here tending the fort. Miss being with her but I didn't have to miss my training which is important if I'm going to attempt another five minute swing test next week for my birthday challenge. And I am.

So today was the 32 kg bell which is perfect as next week would be the 40 kg but I'm going to test the 36. Right on schedule. I don't expect them to be all chest height by any means but I will do my best.
Today's swings were solid though. Last time through I did 160 reps in sets of 8/8 and one of 16/16. This time I did straight tens, also for 160 reps but no sets of 20/20.
I felt very strong today in the body but the wind was not as good as last time.Of course not; I rested enough, ate well and slept well so of course that would be  off :)

30 minute lower body stretch/roll out.
Right shoulder spontaneously went back into place and sleep was very restful for the first time in three days.
I think the tactical pullup position is not good for my shoulder and next weeks technique will be an arched back chest to bar version. The Tactical form is too close to my gymnastics position and my body doesn't like gymnastics stuff anymore.


One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 3
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 4/4
32 kg x 10/10 x 8 sets
160 reps
11,200 lbs

Two KB swings
2 16's x 8
20 20's x 8
2 24's x 10 x 3
2 28's x 6


these went well and I'm slowly getting my groove back. these were done the least of all versions since my TKR and I do like them the groove and timing is very different from the other versions. I need more practice

Clubbell cast
20 x 10/10
25 x 8/8
35 x 6/6

Pbar pushups
4 sets of 8, touch and go. shoulder feels great.

not bad but the 35er sure felt heavy! hard on my wrists as much as anything.

good solid work today. Bodyweight this AM 159 even. BF registed 10.6 not bad for AM

Ten lap ruck tomorrow and no rain in sight so it should be solid.

datsit
neverquit.

24 kg Press practice, pullups, double bell front squat and sled

Strange day. Pretty beat up from Monday's volume; slept on right shoulder weird and didn't have enough free time to really get it to unlock. But even though on one hand I thought I wouldn't be able to even get my arm over my head at practice, much less press kbs, I also knew that after I warmed up it would probably be fine.

And it was :)
I've seen this happen so many times before, but it's nice when it still does. Plan was to come down to the 24 kg and really practice the technique that would work for my shoulders and maximize the overhead position.

That is also what happened.

KB Mil Press
16 kg x 3/3 x 2
20 kg x 2/2
24 kg x 2/2 x 9 sets

lol, this is not what I thought would happen. I actually only did nine sets because when I taped the 7th one, which I thought would be last I screwed up the technique, then did the same thing on the eight set( pressing THEN rotating instead of rotating THEN pressing, the technique that actually works for me, I had to do another set til I got it right.

This felt great for the first six sets too. I could lock out on both arms and the shoulders stayed packed well.I have to turn into the press then drive or else I spin out fast and it turns into just a shoulder press.I felt 'under' the bell at all times which is crucial for safety and performance but I haven't felt in eons

Band Pullups
4 sets of 4 purple band

these felt easier than ever. All neck above bar and long hang pause.This felt good on the shoulders

 kb front squat
1 12 kg x 4
2 12's x 4
2 16s x 4 x 2

The doubles felt great, the single, not so much which was totally surprising. I got much deeper faster on the doubles as well. I will start next weeks practice with 2 sets of prying goblets for mobility then go onto 3-5 sets of doubles. this is almost as good as when I learned I could do two hand swings !

Sled drag
90 pounds x 250 feet x 4 laps

hard but strong. solid work

skipped out on the snatch holds, just too tired and the shoulders had a hard day :)
glad that's over

datsit.
neverquit.

a good thing to remember.

22 kg snatch, rack lunges, pistol practice crawls

Got to train early today, which is always a treat but it didn't help the energy all that much. Monday's are just tough after my two longest and heaviest days. But's it fine; the ability to do a large amount of work over the course of many days is a large part of what my goals for training are.
The relative loads are not as important as that I condition myself to do more and more work and still recover. Today was a good sign. It was tough but still improved from last monday's work and it was easier. Good stuff

Got a solid stretchout, about 45 minutes and made sure to prep the shoulders for overhead. Not too bad an outcome

swing warmup as usual

Snatch
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 4/4
22 kg x 7/7 x 9 sets
126 reps
6174 lbs work

purposely lowering the arc worked very well again. the bell handle is still legal, still way above my knees and this puts my hips higher , in my strongest position , much like my deadlift which appeared almost stiff legged. It looks like all back but it's actually where my hips do kick in.everyone has their own lumbo pelvic rhythm and this is mine.

wind was good as well as hands. the lockouts felt just a tad better, certainly no worse although my right side of my neck was a bit jacked up from my tv watching posture last night, of all things :) By the end of the sessions things had re set. Usually works that way for me.

Rack Lunges
bw x 10/10
12 kg x 8/8
16 kg x 8/8
20 kg x 5/5

this was good but hard, and even though I like this version of the lunge it has an automatic depth limiter built in and I still need more ROM than strength on that side. SO I thought it was time to try some lunges !


Other than the first rep these weren't bad at all. Holding on to the rack lets me sit back too much and I need to go straight down instead. the last four reps were better.

I actually think I need to try these holding a bell next time, that might work better , from a mechanical viewpoint, than holding on in front.
Either way I'm very happy with these. Knee felt great

Crawls
4 laps of 60 ft.

these always kick my ass

Pbar horiz pushups
3 x 8 touch and go

nice.

Hangs

3 sets of 20 seconds. good to stretchout the lats.

datsit.
neverquit.

time to rest!

Sunday Ruck

It was  a warm wet morning , just perfect for the walk. The air was clean and clear, there was a beautiful breeze and the Pineapple express, the airflow from Hawaii , bringing us water as well as warmth was lovely.

It was a good day to go for the PR ten laps I have been shooting for as yesterdays 24 kg swing work didn't take that much out of me.
But the ten laps weren't easy anyway. I started out at 8 minutes per lap and finished that pace too, stopping every lap, as I have been, for squat stretch variations for up to a minute in length. This really stretches out  my legs and makes the hike that much easier but it breaks my stride and it takes a good 1/4 lap to get the rhythm back.
Total Hike time : 1:47 minutes.
 I swear the pack felt heavy but it was the same as last week, 25 lbs, but the warm weather made me sweat a lot more. This will be very interesting in the summer :)

Four weeks of ten laps and then the pack weight goes up , nice. Legs felt solid but my feet were not that happy at the end. Where's my lacrosse ball now?

24 kg one arm swing, heavy two hand swings

Volume and speed work today at the start of a new cycle. It was  a relief NOT to have to mentally gear up for heavy bells today, but just get to focus on acceleration and lots of reps. Still have to pay attention as it's easier to get tweaked with light weights than heavy ones. It's easy to lose your focus when you're not afraid of the weight at all :)

Slept well and woke up recovered. Recently added in a liquid B 12/b complex supplement and I can already feel the difference in energy.  Plus as good as the wine is for my heart and my head it does deplete B's so this is a  good move.

One arm swings

16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 10/10 x 11 sets
220 reps
11,660 lbs

Last month I did 240 reps with this weight so I considered doing 260 but last month I also only did 40 two hand swing reps after and I wanted more volume there so I finished early and saved some energy for the two handers.
The 20 reps set felt great. Light, fast powerful and the volume wasn't hard at all. Just as I had hoped; all the heavy work really makes this feels very light indeed.

Two hand swings
32 kg x 10  700 #
36 kg x 10  800 #
40 kg x 10   880 #
44 kg x 10   970 #
48 kg x 10   1060 #
52 kg x 10    1150 #
65 kg x 10 ! Pr 1500#
70 reps and all good quality!
7060 lbs

this was NOT easy at all and I was sorely tempted to just jump to the heaviest bells but I knew that wasn't the point. good solid work. opened the stance up a bit and that helped too. The 68 kg bells was tough but nowhere near as hard as the first time I swung it.

Clubbell shield casts ( two hands)
20 lbs x 10/10 x 2
25 lbs x 8/8
          x 10/10

these were good and it does help open up the shoulder mobility

Pbar pushups
4 sets of 8 reps, all paused.
Perfect with NO clunking at all. very happy with this. shoulders felt normal

Bar hangs
3 sets of 20 seconds

got up early and did my shoulder mobs, especially the work on the posterior capsule, which is really paying off,as well as the peanut mob on T-1-T3

Big ruck tomorrow, going for ten laps. this should be fun, will probably get wet as well.:)

Full stretchouts, KB presses, pullups snatch holds and sled

Very busy super productive day today. Had two cancellations this morning which left me plenty of time to fully stretchout both the lower and upper body. Such a luxury!
And what a difference it makes. I got my heel well within four inches of my butt and that is CLOSE to full flexion.
Nice! And picked up a great stretch from one of the physical therapists at Revolutions in Fitness who are working out of No Excuses now.It's a modification of basic rocking technique with a yoga strap to traction the knee and let me go much deeper into the sit back as well as help my Seiza sitting position as well!
One tip can change everything and that was one awesome tipfrom Jeanette Krogstad.
8-8:45  Lower body work

back bends over ball, rollers, all the dogs, frog squat stretch, straddle stretches pikes then into
my static squat seqeuence. this time using 4-5 widths instead of three. Hips and knees opened up well.
Lunge stretch and cossack as well followed by step stretch too.
Standing heel to butt stretch with foot on massage table
Rocking with yoga strap.

10-10:45 Upper body stretchout
posterior capsule stretch and lacrosse ball work
arm circles and figure eight drills
kneeling t spine mobs ala Eric Cressey with elbows on bench

 overhead hangs in four grips
behind neck stick dislocates
peanut roller T1-T2 mobs
lacross ball pec and levator releases

great great stuff. energy high as well

1:30
swing warmups 16 kg x 5/5 x 3

Kb press
16 kg x 3/3 x 2
20 kg x 2/2 x 2
24 kg x 1/1 x 2
28 kg x 1/1 x 4
32 kg x 1/1 x 2 ( including a miss on the second attempt left )
28 kg x 1/1 x1
24 kg x 1/1 x 2

10 total reps above 20 kg

this went very well. SO much depends on me getting tighter in the rack. I've lost a lot of that total body tension ability now it seems because I dont deadlift or back squat heavy ( or at all ) anymore. It seems I lived off quite a residual of that strength for many years , and, took it for granted. Well I can see I have to get it back.
One idea is LONG pauses in the rack with the lat flexed for 2-3 presses with a medium weight. I am still rushing INTO the press, out of fear , really. Don't want to feel it, just move it. That will change.
But it was nice to press the 32 kg again on both arms. it's been awhile and the clean didn't feel that heavy. The first miss was just a mental trip and the right arm was no problem either time. My left side has " issues"
Basically it's totally different now since the TKR and I still haven't figure it out. I will.Not quite sure what is restricting my overhead position on the left side when it used to be my best lockout.

Band pullups( purple band)
3,3,4,4,4

these went well and chin above bar on all. much easier than last week.
when 5x5 is easy down to black mini band

Prying Goblet squat
16 kg x 1 x 2
20 kg x 1 x 2
22 kg x 1

these went better the heavier I went. I need the extra weight as the counterbalance. the 16 is too light to lean back against and I need that. start heavier next time

Snatch holds
16 kg x 30 sec x 3 sets

these went ok as well. have to be in here regardless :)

Sled pull
80 lbs x 250 feet x 2
90 lbs x 250 feet

these were VERY strong and I only did three laps to purposely slow it down. the most exercises in one session I've done in awhile. back off a bit.

great day!

datsit\.
neverquit.

20 kg snatches. rack lunges and crawling

Learned my lesson last week and made sure today I got my shoulders stretched out and mobilized this morning before my snatch work, as well as right before and ,duh, it made a big difference. Sometimes just getting started stretching them out is painful so I avoid it but no longer.

Using the "easy does it" breathing pattern makes a huge diffrence as well. When I get into rep sets I don't use power breathing as it really increases heart rate. It makes me stronger but I don't need max pressure to snatch the 20 kg.I try to purposely "not breathe" during the set just concentrating on doing the rep and letting my breath "happen". SO much easier I can't believe it. Maybe 10-15 reps per minute slower with this technique.

I also let the bell's arc drop lower on each rep and boy that made a difference as well Federenko does this when he snatches and I've found myself doing in the past by accident . Today i did it on purpose and it really works for me.


I don't drop it as low but it's the idea and the arc is much smoother for me.Less grip stress as well.It mimics my old deadlift style as well. It ain't pretty and it's not SOP but it's mine it seems :)

Snatch
14 kg x 5/5 x 2
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 10/10 x 7
         x 7/7
134 reps
5896

only 4 more than last month but much at least it's in the right direction. Yesterday's ruck didn't effect me too badly in the back but I was just a bit overall tired from the last two days work.

Rear Lunges KB rack


Got this idea from watching Joe lunge the Beast in this fashion. I like it. this was a first try and it seemed to work very well. Depth is limited in the front leg, as well as forward translation, but it really gets the glutes as well as quad on the front leg and it was comfortable to do.

Rear KB Lunge
BW x 10/10
12 kg x 8/8
16 kg x 8/8
12 kg x 10/10

Crawls
4 passes 50-60 feet.

definitely getting easier but still TONS of work everytime. about ten feet longer each pass this time.

Pbar pushups
3 sets x 7,8, 10

hands on horizontal feet on floor. All reps paused. NO clunking at all. The crawling is paying off it seems on my rotator stability. At least in this plane

datsit.
neverquit.

48 kg One arm swings, 10 sets of 5/5

Thought about doing more sets of 6/6 than I did last time or even trying sevens but I knew I had much refinement work to do with this animal before I go up in workload. So I went back to sets of 5/5 and concentrated on being stronger,  more powerful and more in control.

Seemed to work although, as usual, the first few sets are SO tough. Grip started off challenging but then got strong as I warmed up around set 4, as usual. Didn't feel like anything was going to rip off and the bell floated higher than last time.

Slept very well last light and shoulders feel the best they have in ages given the T spine release mob I've been doing with the tennis ball peanut and this stuff from Mike Reinold working on my internal rotation.
Havent' done this stretch as I thought it was opposite what my  issue was, which is too much internal rotator tension. But locking in the scapula to keep it from moving made all the difference, and the lacrosse ball work on the teres minor during that stretch is gold.

I also started throwing back in very basic arm circles in all the ROM's as well as figure 8 PNF rotations in the frontal plane and the shoulders felt better  immediately.
I can actually cross my arms across my chest for the first time in eons. THAT'S how tight my shoulders are ,lol.
But not anymore.
Full 30 minute stretchout, lower and upper body.

One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 3
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 4/4
28 kg x 3/3
32 kg x 3/3
40 kg x 3/3
48 kg x 5/5 x 8
          x 10/10 x 1
10 reps
10,600 lbs
definitely stronger than last month and the last set of 10/10 wasn't that bad although I was running out of air but needed to pressurize to hold that stability at the end.Not great fun til it was over:)



I don't if they look better but they felt better. And I'm sore already :)

Two kb swings
2 16's x 5
2 20's x 5
2 24's x 5
2 28's x 8

these felt great but I need to increase the volume, somewhere, somehow :)

Clubbell arm casts
20 x 10/10
25 x 10/10
35 x 8/8

this move is coming back quickly but it sure has been awhile and this sure is specific.

Rope triceps extensions SuperSetted with P bar pushups( feet on floor hands on horizontal bar_ all paused )
3 x 15, 12, 10/ 3 x 5

done dun de dun dun. Done.

very please with this and tomorrow is good ruck walk if it's not raining too hard. if so then just an unweighted walk.

datsit.
neverquit.

the Super Muscles. and mine are super sore :)

More 28 kg clean and press, double presses, goblets, pullups ,sled

Started really slow today but ended great. Had a full hour to stretchout this am and got 30 minutes on both lower and upper body. Felt great after.
LOTS of time spent in the supported squat stretch. Started with very close stance then inched things out to med close, medium, wide and very wide stances, holding each for at least 30 seconds and up to a minute. I would stand up and shake it out between holds then drop back in.
I ended up in the deepest squat position I have ever been in. Literally. it was so cool. The deepest squats came in the medium  and medium wide stances which I found interesting.
Also lots of upright heel to butt stretches on the massage table and my heel is getting within 4.5 inches of my butt! this is amazing and the longer I hold the stretches and the more I do it the more it releases. Cannot WAIT until I get my heel all the way to the glutes. What a glorious day that will be!

Then onto the upper body and LOTS of time spend on my T-1 and T2/3 parts. This is an incredibly locked up bit I have completely missed in my mobility work and it gives me INSTANT relief in tightness for my neck and shoulders and an instant increase in shoulder flexion ROM.
It isn't holding yet but I have just started and my upper back is "like a block of concrete" as the physical terrorist said yesterday:)

Used the above device, a high tech machine: two tennis balls duck taped together! Not even lacrosse balls but tennis balls and they felt like steel.I have a ways to go on this one


This hurts as much as the psoas and the IT band! Crazy. Hangs in mixed and tactical grips and overhead stick stretches. Great stuff. Also a few 8 kg comp bell snatch holds.

1 pm: swing warmup 16 kg
Clean and press
16 kg x 3/3 x 2
20 kg x 2/2 x 2
24 kg x 1/1 x 2
28 kg x 1/1 x 7 sets

these started awful and actually got very solid as the sets went on. It was cold in the garage today and I felt stiff even after all that mobility work :) go figure. I planned on going to 10 sets but decided to try some double bell presses as they warmed up so well.
The main thing was NOT rushing from the clean into the press and really taking my time to "zip" up the whole body before launching the press. THEN really staying focused on the lat the whole rep. Made all the difference

Double KB clean
2 16's x 3 x 2  ( not so nice, pretty tight and groove non existant- haven't done these in ages) did a separate clean for each press
2 20's x 2 x 2
2 24's x 1 x 2

not so pretty I'm sure- about 3/4 of the way locked out but they felt ok, Had to train solo today and didn't want to break the flow of the practice with trying to set up a video. Again, a very tight rack position, not rushed, and huge focus on the lats helped launch the bells strongly. No problem with the weight.

tactical pullups with average band
4 sets of 4 reps, neck over bar

these felt easy! I know I can do them with the black mini band but want to see how things go in the morning. SO happy to be doing these again, I hope the body says yes.

Snatch holds
14 kg x 20 seconds x 3 sets

Man I hate these but have to do them. I watched myself in the mirror and the position was not half bad. I have done 24 kg for 1.5 minutes in the past! I am light years away from that but have to get stronger!

Sled drag
80 lbs x half the block!

didn't time anything but walked til I was tired, rested a bit and kept going til I had done half a lap then did the same on the return. felt easy. legs feel very very strong.

definitely need the next two days off. Beast swings on Saturday again!

datsit.
NeverQuit.

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.