"And in those simple beautiful movements I remembered what was really important in training; that consistency trumps intensity; all the time. That intensity is born from consistency. That one cannot force it, one has to lay in wait for it, patiently, instinctively, calmly and be ready to grab it when Grace lays it down in front of you."
The air is clean and crisp again as the winds shifted and blew the smoke from the fires away > Now, all we need is some rain
But my lungs were still tight from almost two weeks of smoky air and took awhile to open up. About an hour to be exact. But the second hour was wonderful
My legs felt good the whole way, strong and loose and not stiff at all/. Started out slow and got faster. Lots of rest breaks and 5 sets of squat stretches the the first half then just continuous laps
Shitty air is back from more burning forests here. just crazy. thought we were going to catch more of a break but no go. Only did 5 laps as I could start to feel my eyes and my legs were dead so I called it. First part was ok and 511 ruck was solid as could be. Made the right choice
After seeing this video about building the overhead press and watching the guy press from his chin it got me thinking how much I could press from that position.Played with it a bit in warmups and while it didn't feel good it got me going on using a thumbed grip, my lifting shoes ( 1/2" heel adidas) and starting more upright and leaning back AS I pressed it worked great!
these felt SO good. Lock in looking straight ahead, elbows in weight on mid foot lock legs drive head back and press up wrapped thumb 1/2 " lifter shoe
24 kg speed swings
5 x 8/8
wt pushups
bw x 10
53 x 10
85 x 10 x 2
BW 175.4
BF 13.6
we will see how this holds up on Monday but it felt great today and both glenn and nick agreed
Decent day. Stronger than expected but groove was loose. I was a SERIOUSLY SORE all day sunday and still today in both hamstrings.All muscular but weirdly sore like I haven't been in years. Glenn thinks its from the higher power output we did on Saturday, and he might be right. It was a strong workout but to put the ruck on top of it really made me tired and sore
And I couldn't stay tight in the lower body today either although shoulders and arms and back were solid. Good speed off the chest but got loose in the sticking point as usual.
But stronger than expected
Press
65 85 105 x 2 135 x 2 155 x 1 fast 175 x 1 fast 195 x 1 fast 205 x 1 decent 215 x 1 so so, weak lockout first of the loose ones
220 x miss x 3
210 x 1 x 3
long hard grinds but got done. not bad work really
205 x 1 good
floor pushups
63 x 1 52 x 1
one arm laterals 3 x 10/10 20 bent laterals 3 x 10 20
BW 175 BF 12.5 !!!! W 58.3
THESE ARE THE PRETTY MUCH MY PERFECT NUMBERS! HAVE NO IDEA WHERE IT CAME FROM BUT I'LL TAKE IT!
This went really well, except for my legs and hips being seriously tired and stiff right at the start. No joint issues just really tired muscles which again tells me, much like with the 32 kg, how much force I'm putting out with these sub max weights. Which, the max weight works makes possible. But man were they tight
Plus rucking the last few weeks has been spotty and weak for a number of reasons and my gait and strength endurance are definitely not at peak. So, to be expected
But man did the ruck feel great! That new padding was awesome and I now appreciate the wide straps and hip belt so much more than I did before. It's a great fit
I'm getting used to the color Also, getting very used to the Coyote suede GoRuck boots; loving the wide toe box
Legs actually loosened up quite well after lap five and then it was actually pretty brisk. weather was good. moderately cool and slight breeze
48 lb ruck 12 laps 13,419 steps 6 miles 2:05 5 squat stretches
Solidly good but seriously hard one. Felt like shit all day yesterday, thought I might be coming down with something ( like I did last week) but just like last week it dissipated and I felt great this morning. Great sleep, no headache or body issues and mentally felt strong
All was great til after this set ( 7th) when my legs got seriously tired and the last three sets were a major push- which is precisely the idea but it still was tough as hell. The stronger you are the harder you push and the harder you push the more it sucks :)
One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2 20 kg x 5/5 24 kg x 4/4 28 kg x 4/4 32 kg x 4/4 40 kg x 10/10 x 10
200 reps 17,600 lbs
Lunges bw x 8/8 x 3 set and barely made that. Great to see how much legs and glutes the swings are working
I tried to like it, I really did.Hell I tried to love it. But it's not the one. Took the Mystery Ranch out for my Thursday ruck and had the setting right where I thought they should be but even after one lap I knew it wasn't right So I adjusted the chest strap. No good. Adjusted it lower. No good Switched out the sand bag and the gypsum bag to re distribute the load. No good. A little better but then the chest strap and shoulder harness didn't feel good. So, after four laps I head home, reloaded my new ( black) rush 72 with the same weight- 47 lbs ) and headed back out and within seconds I knew I had the right pack. It just fit right and, being brand new, had great padding and no pre formed ruts so it really felt solid
Did another laps and brought it in. Rush 72 is the winner. Oh well, just money :)
A tough day for no good reason. Slept well. felt good, weighed good and had solid energy all morning and was mentally ready. Then, just shit the bed Everything was all over the place and the head back cue didn't work at all. Good thing I figured that out early and dropped it. Just too much time getting set up
But it really didn't help much after as I missed 205 the first time and barely got it the second. Shoulders were definitely tired and the only reason I can think of is the ruck with the new pack. Shoulders were achy all morning and I didn't know why.
It wasn't good from the start and 155 was a sign
Press 65 85 105 x 2 135 x 2 155 x 1 175 x 1 195 x 1 205 x miss 205 x 3/4 !!! 215 x 1 barely but got it
215 x miss x 2! 205 x 1 205 x miss out in front! 200 x 1
185 x miss 185 x 1 fast! what the everloving hell?
This went well. Not perfect but well. Great weather, air clear, cool and somewhat crisp and I was ready to go. But right off the pack, as set up according to SOP didn't feel that great so halfway through the first lap I adjust it. I put the shoulder harness down one full click and did another lap
Definitely felt better but I went on more click lower and it felt much much better. Good in fact. The first setting had the weight too low on the hips and made it feel heavy. Not enough shoulders. The end placing felt the most evenly distributed
But I'm not sure how tough this pack is; the seams don't see very solid and I wonder how they'll hold up We shall see
45 lb ruck 12 laps 6 miles 5 squat stretches 2 hours even last .5 mile at 7:30
Easy peasy one today and it was great to do it. Not having to stress about the workload coming up is nice every once in awhile . Once every five weeks to be precise :)
The air finally cleared enough for me to get out there. Only missed one day but 8 or so days of truly foul air was not nice. It's always the simple things that are so crucial to happiness and breatheable air has got to be number one
Was rushed in the setup and tracy went with so didn't really have the focus to play with the adjustments of the ruck but overall I'd say it was very good. Not great out the shoot but that's got to be as much about a completely different system than the Rush 72
i wish the hip belt connected in a different way and that the thickness of the belt was wider but I think I'l get used to it. Tomorrow will be a better test Regardless the load ( 45 lbs) felt a good 10 lbs lighter. the pack is much more ergonomic, narrow and the hip shoulder system seems to work very well
Switched back to vibrams and it worked great. Just as I thought/hoped: that the load the bow technique would do what i was wearing the heels to do- set the arch. But without the instability of the heel at the sticking point. Again, the first key is elbows in (and stay in, without that nothing else works). I also incorporated "get the head out of the way" as I pressed but we figured out at the end that just setting the head into position after I load the bow works better. I lost balance a few times moving my head too quickly as I press Pre setting it should work better. But I didn't play with it til the very end but I think it's right.Another great Glenn call
Press
65 85 105 x 2 135 x 2 155 x 1 175 x 2 x 4 185 x 2 x 4
24 kg speed swings ( also in vibrams) 5 sets of 8/8 definitely more glutes flat footed even with the athletic hinge technique
Wt pushups bw x 10 53 x 10 x 3 slow and deep not sure my elbow likes the extra depth. will see
Everything went really well today in terms of positions, cues and timing. 220 was as solid as it's been and I got loose on 225 or I would have made it too.
The "elbows in" cue worked great, as well as the "load the bow" for the launch. But I think I forgot to really "get the head out of the way" but otherwise I hit the marks
Now I'm wondering if I really need the heel looking back at my old 220 and 225 attempts with vibrams. I will play with this on Wed with light weight. I think the set up is the key and I might have a tighter base barefoot again,
Very solid day. Scary as always but things moved well. A bit lighter today but still feeling strong
one arm swing 16 kg x 5/5 x 2 20 kg x 4/4 24 kg x 4/4 28 kg x 4/4 32 kg x 4/4 36 kg x 4/4 40 kg x 4/4 44 kg x 4/4 48 kg x 4/4 60 kg x 5/5 x 7 68 kg 5/5 x 3
these went very well, height not bad and almost starting to be a 'regular' weight
Air quality shitty but we got it in. Reloaded the ruck with 25 lb of gypsum salt and the 47lb ruck had a completely different feel. Getting ready for the new mystery ranch scree 32 and it took a few laps to get the rush 72 setttled with the new load
But after 2 laps it settle in and the legs and lungs were good
This went really well despite finding out that an old friend of mine passed this morning right before we started. See you on the other side Ron McKee, your memory will be a blessing. I had Ron in my mind as I trained this afternoon, wanting to do well to honor his memory, his strength, enthusiasm and passion for all things strength and power and friendship.
And it went well. The idea was elbows on lats, get the head out of the way. It worked well til I got to 175 and forgot to lay back first and tried to tricep press it. it fell forward and I thought I might have tweaked my elbow but it seems to be alright, I 'll know for sure tomorrow But once I realized the 'head out of the way ' cue only works after I push into the bow things went much better
Press
65 85 105 x 2 135 x 2 155 x 1 175 x 2 x 4
185 x 2 x 4
I can really see how it helps to , after unracking, press my hips and legs into tightness as I lay back and then get the head of the way Cues:
Elbows IN Load the bow ( as in hips move forward and body moves back as a bowstring) Get the head out of the way Press
If I do this technique with 220 and 225 they're a done deal
What a solid day. Most excellent in fact. Felt great and was strong under the bar. Plus both Glenn and Nick hit pr's as well. Nick crushing the Beast with one double and 4 strong singles! Glenn did 40 kg for 5 singles strong as hell It's nice when we're all strong on the same day, Doesn't happen off but when it does it's fun
Cues got dialed in well too. The first one is "elbows on the lats". I have to make sure my elbows start in and stay in, There's other important ones too but if that doesn't happen the rest don't matter
And I think instead of putting my head back or my face up to try to get the proper arch thinking 'move your head out of the way 'as I pressed seemed to work really well. When I cued that everything else seemed to happen automatically. Can't have too many cues though, no time
Still had the bar lower on the chest, still with Reebok stillettos and eyes on ceiling On the 220 miss I can see I didn't get my elbows on my lats tightly, they're moving around right before launch and I just missed it
Of course I didn't take video of the 217.5 and it was grand! and that was after a 215 miss
Go big or go home
Press 65 85 105 x 2 135 x 2 155 x 1 175 x 1 195 x 1 fast! 205 x 1 215 x miss 217.5 x 1 ( ties second best real pr, and this was locked out well) 220 x miss x 2 205 x 1 x 4 ( missed one out in front)
Floor pushups 63 50 spent and it was 90+ in the gym
One arm laterals 3x8/8 with 20 bent lateral 3 x 10 with 25
BW 174.8 BF 13.7 W 57.5
12 noon BW 176.8 BF 11.7 !!!! W 59.1
that's the best measurement I've had in ages and I feel it, Big and lean ( relatively)
The old Rush 72 is really showing some wear and tear and it's time for a new ruck. I've been eyeing the Mystery Ranch system ruck for awhile now since I learned about their shoulder harness adjustable system, REI put it on sale and I bit, or bought. Literally
It's definitely smaller, 32 liters compared to the 55 the Rush has but I think most of that extra size is in the numerous small compartment bags sections that I never use. I think the main carry section is pretty close in size 22 cu vs 20 so it should carry my 30 and 10 lb sand pills that make up the bulk of the ruck
But it only weighs 3 lbs so I'll make up the difference with more sand or rice bags or pea gravel, haven't made up my mind. I'll see when it gets here. Thought about just chucking the 20 lb of kitty litter I've been carrying around and just getting a 30 lb bag of pea gravel. We'll see
I tried to use the voodoo tactical bag I have here but it just wasn't a fit and I knew it right away. Just did 3 laps and came home and switched out bags it was so obvious
Rest of ruck was with 45 lbs
45 lbs ruck 2 hours 12 laps 6 miles 7 squat stretches
BW 175.4 BF 15 % got to hydrate it's going to be a sauna here for the next few days
Solid one. This has definitely become a training weight instead of a peak weight because of all those 60 and 68 kg overload swings we do. It's really made the difference and made this bell feel submaximal, which it is now.Soon the 60 will feel this way too. Just when, not if
One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2 20 kg x 5/5 24 kg x 4/4 28 kg x 4/4 32 kg x 4/4 36 kg x 4/4 40 kg x 4/4 48 kg x 6/6 x 10 160 reps 16,960 lbs
Wore my coyote GoRuck Macv2s again and they felt great. Must've broken in because now I prefer them. I really like the new outsole for comfort which I really thought was too much at first. Now of course I really want the green/black Vietnam era version lol
This went great. Bar path was the most consistent yet, even from the first 175 lb set which usually isn't the case. Usually takes 2-3 sets to settle in. Not today.
Focus was
elbows in unracks then set lats lay back a bit more and lock in drive triceps off lats
worked really well especially at the end. the 200 was the best rep. I think all of the above and the final setup up piece is not lay back from mid back but move head back
Press
65 85 105 x 2 135 x 2 155 x 1 175 x 2 x 4 185 x 2 x 4 200 x 1
24 kg speed swings
5 x 8/8
wt pushups bw x 10 53 x 10 85 x 10 x 2 I think I need to stay with 53 on this. the heavier loads shifts and I always end up feeling the right shoulder after. Stay with 53 and stick them out
This was a good one although got out of position with the 220. Didn't realize where I needed to be until the very very very end of the workout but now it should fit together
The lower resting start position of the bar worked well but finding exactly how low is still a work in progress. Plus it seems I need to arch back at the start before the press call and not push my hips forward. I switched to my reebok heels at the very end and 200 flew faster than anything had all day and I was tired!
Press
65 85 105 x 2 135 x 2 155 x 1 175 x 1 195 x 1 205 x 1 slow 205 x 1 better but not great 215 x 1!! solid! Must've hit that spot by accident 220 x miss this is where I realized I wasn't laying back enough and hips forward wasn't a substitute 207.5 x 1 x 5 strong! but not perfect position 185 x 1 x 3 Now we're talking! after the unracking I lay back from mid back then lats, the press! 200 x 1 Best rep all day!
Floor pushups
62 x 2 sets triceps were fried!!
One arm laterals 3 x 10/10 with 20 bent laterals 3 x 10 with 20
This went very well. Slept well felt good getting up, cool and crisp air with a slight breeze and the legs felt fine
Wore my coyote GoRuck macv2's and they worked perfectly . Zero foot, toenail or calf issues. I think these have finally broken in, unlike the gen 1 black ones that were perfect from day one. the wider toe box is definitely a plus as the salomons have been giving me toenail issues on my right foot of late.
Maybe my foot has gotten bigger. whatever . for now it's the GoRucks. Plus those damn Vietnam era combat boots are now talking to me now that I know I can use the gen 2 outsole
Anyway all good and steady pace all along with no leg or calf issues
walked the opposite direction than normal for sunday( my usual direction for thurs) as I thought it was counting my steps differently. Not so but weird
This was a very strong day across the board. Felt rested and ready to go, no issues and the bell moved very strongly and recovery between sets was excellent. About 3 min rest between the three of us. about 75 degrees in the gym with clear air
One Arm Swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2 20 kg x 4/4 24 kg x 4/4 28 kg x 4/4 32 kg x 4/4 36 kg x 4/4 44 kg x 8/8 x 10 160 reps 15,520 lbs
BW lunges
3 sets of 10/10 Ah, there's the sweet spot where the quad pain starts ,lol. these are good. and terrible
Things are turning around. All over. the temperature was sweet, around 75, with a light breeze and clean air. Slept well and felt good. All systems go. Glad the air cleared up as i didn't want to miss another ruck
Was really good too. No calf problems either. Just a few minutes with super nova and basic calf stretches helped Wore my coyote GoRuck MacV1 . They felt great, no big toe nail issues either. Really liking the big toebox for these now and they make the salomons feel narrow
50 lb ruck 6 laps 3 miles 6749 steps 50 min last laps at 8 min easy
Really good one. For the last two days I've felt like myself again. Haven't been quite the same since that super hot ruck two weeks ago. But today I was solid.
Plus, I think I figured out the starting position better. I put the bar a 1/2 inch lower on my chest and the hold rack position immediately felt more balanced and stronger, and I could feel my lats again I thought it was about just laying back more but with the higher rack position it just made me lose balance. It seems very much like the low bar squat position difference; it shifts the moment arm towards the triceps more,and lets me chest my lats in there better too.
Too low is now good but I'll find it,
Press
65 85 105 x 2
135 x 2 155 x 1 175 x 2 x 4 sets 185 x 2 x 5 sets
24 kg speed swings 5 x 8/8 very strong
wt pushups bw x 10 53 x 10 x 3 focus on lower range of motion and elbows in
Well this sucked. For no reason but it was hot and humid and smoky and I just fucked up my technique. Put it all together and it was a shit show. But I still learned something.
The bar stalled in a weird unique way and I couldn't figure out why til the end. My elbows were flaring out and the bar just stopped at a position I can usually grind out to lockout. But with the elbows out the lockout was on my shoulders and that's not my groove.
I'm sure trying not to lift the elbows at the start shut down that position during the lift. Hell, after I missed 215 twice and even when I went down to 205 I missed!
then back to 185 and figured it out then up to 205 for 8 singles
fuck
press
65 85 105 x 2 135 x 1 155 x 1 did not feel good or fast 175 x 1 same 195 x 1 slow 205 x x same 215 x miss x 2 205 x miss 185 x 1 205 x 1 x 8 singles
floor pushups 62 x 2 sets just fried
one arm laterals
3 x 10/10 with 20 reverse curls 3 x 10 with 35 lbs
The air was thick and smoky outside but the fans kept it pretty clean inside. Still not the best atmospherics to do this big weight, big volume workout
But it got done.
I actually didn't feel that bad, slept well, no aches or pains and was hydrated.Plus it wasn't that hot and that helped
One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2 20 kg x 4/4 24 kg x 4/4 28 kg x 4/4 32 kg x 4/4 40 kg x 10/10 x 10
some decent height and power and rest between sets just 3 min at most although we weren't trying to go fast that's for sure
BW lunges
3 x 5/5,6/6, 7/7
these are coming along and I've missed them. definitely seem more functional, and way more transferable to real life than pistols Will ramp the reps up a bit soon too
Amazing what a difference a day can make. and a drop of 20 degress F and 30 percent humidity! The wind cleared the smoke out of the air so breathing was fine, the temps dropped decidedly after a cooler than usual night, and the wind was steady but not crazy
Stretched out my calves ahead of time this time and they didn't make a sound the whole ruck! Wore my coyote goruck boots and they felt fine
The right big toe nail has been getting bruised in the Salomons and I'm not sure if it's my gait mechanics or the foot but I didn't have any problem today with the nice wide toe box of the GoRucks. Hope they work, I really love the look of that boot
I worked on having a softer knee on each stride, catching the weight on the quad more than a locked knee today and it worked. I was worried about my left calf tightening up so made the adjustment and it worked well
So well in fact I got 1.5 miles in 30 min! four MPH pace, 15 min miles
Really good workout considering no sleep from power going at 7:30 pm, 95 degree plus, heat and under risk of evacuation because of multiple fires close from the lightening strikes!
Power came back on at 12 midnight so we woke up to square things away and had a bit of a time getting back to sleep before 3:45 wakeup
But all things considered it's all good. Power is on, we don't have to evac ( yet) and the presses went well
Right shoulder was tender last two days from the presses and I now realized why. I lifted my elbows too much it seems during the setup and that always screws me up. I didn't even realize I was doing it til today when i did and the shoulder yelled and my press went forward
Soon as I layed back and tightened rhomboids for the welding to the bar shoulder relaxed and was fine after. Plus the press groove was right
Press
65 85 105 x 2 135 x 1 155 x 1 175 x 2 x 4 185 x 2 x 4
Super tough one today. Perhaps the stupid hot days and nights in a row caught up with me but I woke up this morning and pretty good vertigo just as I got out of bed. Freaked me out a bit. It relieved pretty quickly but there was some background " noise" I felt and it didn't make me comfy.
Took a bonine early and perhaps that helped but it seemed better. It was still freaking hot all morning and I was dripping sweat doing nothing. Definitely stayed hydrated but I still felt "off"
Press training started out ok but something not right. Turned out to be hip timing which of course I didn't figure out til after but either way, 225 was not in the cards
Turns out neither was 215 :(
Press
65 85 105 x 2
135 x 1 155 x 1 175 x 1 195 x 1 ok but not strong 205 x 1 same shaky
215 x X x 3 came off of but couldnt get the lockout
205 x 1 x 3
some ugly reps in there but last one was best one. Just not right
Floor pushups
62 x 2 PR surprisingly strong but didn't want a third sets
Woke up early from thunder and lightening. It's mid August. It NEVER thunders and lightening in the 40 years I've been here. Never
Then it rained. TOO FREAKING WEIRD
At first I didn't think I would even be able to go, the lightening was serious.. then it cleared up. I figured I'd give it a try and actually left the house exactly on time
I was totally drenched in sweat after just one half hour as it was as muggy as I've ever felt it here as well> Luckily the water fountains were back on so I didn't have to dig into the extra water bottle I brought. I was determined NOT to get dehydrated like I did last week, plus it's been over 100 for the last 2 days. Nights are damn hot too.
SO tons of NUNN electrolytes , seltzer water green tea ext and tons of it Feel pretty good now
52 lb ruck 12 laps 12,882 steps 5.7 miles 7 squat stretches
Decent but the heat was definitely a player on the field. I handled it well but it was the hottest test this years. Plus real humidity for the first time
All the Bikram training actually really did help me. At the very least mentally
It was a hot one today, at least 90 degrees in the garage even early in the am but as jocko would say " good" . Get to work on my heat tolerance and real life conditionining.
It's all attitude and I slept well last night so I had a decent one .
Solid pace too, not slow at all despite three of us rotating. I also decided to bump it up to 10/10 from 8/8s because it's been a bit too easy
This was not easy
one arm swings 16 kg x 5/5 x 2 20 kg x 5/5 24 kg x 4/4 32 kg x 10 x 10/10
was not fun but it was strong. HR high at the end a bit nauseous ,lol
Step out lunges
3 x 5/5 7/7 10/10
was going to do these walking but I figured an easier start was ok too
Pretty stiff in the shoulders from Monday's max effort work so it took 5 work sets to get the juices flowing and get the bar moving as fast as I want it
Wore my Innov8 fast lifts and they worked great. How ironic, back to square one with shoes, lol
Definitely lets me lay back more with less balance issues.
Press
65 85 105 x 3 135 x 2 155 x 2 175 x 2 x 6 sets 185 x 2 x 4 sets
24 kg speed swings
Legs were surprisingly tired for some reason but it went well
Not the best day but more than decent. For a lot of reason sleep was hard to come by last night and the heat continued. Got myself hydrated for sure but was just a bit 'flat' not surprising though after the CNS suck fest that the 60 and 68 kg bells provide. So all things considered the session was solid. The 215 press was easily the strongest I've ever pressed it.
Also, changed to my Innov8 swing shoes after the 225 attempts and they definitely helped. SO, back to where I started. will start back on them on Wednesday. Lets me hold the arch better with less balance issues.
Press
135 x 2 155 x 1 175 x 1 195 x 1 205 x 1 215 x 1 225 x X x 2 205 x 1 x 5 ! last rep was fastest ever
Floor pushups 61 x 3 sets~ all time pr! did not think I had that in me! very happy with this effort
One arm laterals 3 x 10/10 with 20 lbs bent laterals 3 x 8 with 25s
Woke up very dehydrated, more than I thought, and the heat was solid and early this morning. Usually I don't drink at all during my Sunday rucks and it's no problem but today I started thinking about getting a drink from the fountain about an hour in but there was no running water due to covid stupidity.
So I decided to just get it done and went a little slower than usual but on the 11th laps I decided I was not feeling all that great and water was more important than another .5 mile
So I went home and drank about a gallon of water and juice and kept refilling all day
Hydration level was just 56.7% this am with 15.2 BF but it felt worse. It's been relatively cool of late and just got hot literally overnight
No worries always another ruck and lap
50 lb Ruck 11 laps 8 squats 12,028 steps 5.3 miles 1:50 min
This went well, although I don't feel the power output, or groove was as solid as last months work with these monster bells. Woke up with some strangle tightness in my right leg medial hamstring and upper calf which had me concerned and didn't release with my stretchout, so I was a bit more cautious than usual
But it turned out well. Nothing tore off. Nothing broke and the legs, grip and lungs held up well
Those are some big ass bells though, that's for sure!
One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2 20 kg x 5/5 24 kg x 4/4 28 kg x 3/3 32 kg x 3/3 36 kg x 3/3 40 kg x 3/3 44 kg x 3/3 48 kg x 3/3
60 kg x 5/5 x 7
68 kg x 5/5 x 3
Pistol practice
3 x 5/5
switched up support arm from contra side to same side. felt better on right side and worse on left. Might use right side on both. we'll see
Solid workout. All systems go but it is amazing how long it takes to adjust to the sudden serious downward force that the bands but on the bar when I hit the mid range of my press, the sticking point. If I don't really accelerate and stay totally locked in, the band wins. Fast. and they did a few times but I got it figured out
the setup and takeoff was very good, everything felt locked in.
Turns out the I had the bands base about a half to 3/4 inch off and thats what was making the left side feel so much heavier. It looked perfectly even but the tape measure said differently. Glad I figured that out but one of the things I really hate about band training. So many small variables that have to be right or things are really off
Also switched the bands to inside the collar on the bar instead of outside the collar on the sleeve. Didnt seem to effect the band weight perception much but I ain't weighing it again\
What a wild day. Start off just being sluggish even though I had plenty of good sleep and no worries. Just a hard start into the work week. Then both training partners had to cancel and I was solo
No worries but it took a few moment to wrap my head around it. No reason not to go forward with the plan. One of the best things about my press is that I don't need a spot and the bar's safe to drop on misses
So, full speed ahead
Warmups felt good
135 x 1
155 x 1
175 x 1
195 x 1 ( decent speed too)
205 x 1 was ok but not gret
215 x 1 was ALL OVER THE PLACE but it got finished, then I decided to stay with the plan and just put 5s on and not two plates and flat out missed it! Lost it in front so that meant I didn't lay back enough at the press signal ( glenn's voice in my head, lol)
Took a decent rest and tried it again and surprisingly made it! Almost
225 x 1 PR 7/8 locked!
Just as I was locking out I started to lose my balance and I let it go BUT I had it and it was easily the best attempt with that weight yet!
then 5 singles and one miss at 205 and the last rep was the fastest and strongest!
Very happy with this day
then floor pushups. Pretty beat up by now and made 61 on the first set but didn't know if I had another set of that much. Told myself if I made just one more set of 61 I could skip the third and I barely ground it out
Pretty decent one today despite starting out a bit tight from yesterday's beast work. Both glutes were tight and tired but they loosened up well. Nice and humid as well.Had to go visit a sick friend early so I only got in eleven laps but it was fine, no shin or calf issues
This has become, after all this time, just another heavy weight. Still have all the respect for this bell but I'm able to train with it now, work some subtleties and not just survive it and hope not to lose my grip. The bell height is decent too and I'm not doing anything different , just applying as much force as possible throughout the whole rep just as I always have. I'm just stronger now and that's what stronger looks like
The 60 and 68 still scare me enough but this bell I respect but don't fear anymore.|
swings
16 kg x 5/5
20 kg x 4/4
24 kg x 4/4
28 kg x 4/4
32 kg x 4/4
36 kg x 4/4
40 kg x 4/4
48 kg x 6/6 x 10
160 reps
Technique felt solid the whole time and lungs were good too, 3 min rest/sets
Pistols
these felt good but they are not as deep as they feel and I'm not really sure how to proceed or that it matters
I will trying doing the self spot with the same side arm. Have no idea why but it came to me and it might make it harder a bit and easier to get lower at the same time
This went very well. Legs and lungs were solid and while it was hot I had no issues. Pace was consistent all six laps except for a little calf tightness on the 5th lap after I had to get a stone out of my shoe and I think just tied the laces too tight.
After I loosened them the issue went away so perhaps that's the problem, too tight over the top of the arch somehow restricting dorsi flexion
Wow, back on track. And what a different groove. I changed the unracking and that changed everything. I was not welding the bar onto my body of late and I ended up too upright. I was unracking it, then laying back and trying to get tight but I have to get under it before I unrack it, then lay back a little more and I'm there!
At least today ,lol :)
I've been feeling this for weeks but didn't really take the time to adjust the setup. I have to wedge myself under the bar and come up in just the same arch as I want to press it.
Press
65 85 105 x 2
135 x 2
155 x 1
175 x 2 x 8 sets
Rough one today for a lot of reasons. Head not in the game. lots of BS with politics and clients. Tried to remove it in time but I guess it wasn't all the way out Second, tight as fuck from the weekend and my arch wasn't near enough even though it felt like it
Third, right shoulder not quite right and my first sets with bands ( with 65 lbs) felt like I was overloaded by 20 lbs on my left! so weird
Fourth, bands not only didn't help after I took them off they really threw my groove off! Must not have had them lined up perfectly or something but it was off.
Good news though is that I fought through some wicked sticking points so they must have helped the triceps
Press
65, 85 x 3
65 + band ( 95/115)
85 + band (115/135) 105 + band (135/155)
135 + band ( 155/185) 145 + band ( 175/195)
200 x 1 no band
lost balance
210 x 1 way off balance( not leaning back enough I now realize)
215 x X out in front ( always from not leaning enough) 215 x 1 (at top) 205 x 1 x 5 ( took me to 4th set to get groove back)
whew glad that's over. Take away: bands only on speed day- maybe)
floor pushups
61
61
50 ( just out of mental gas)
Heavy legs today but overall ok. Just not fast at all. But no calf or other leg issues other than tired from yesterdays swing and pistol work
Humid as well. Sweated like a pig but good heat tolerance
50 lb ruck
12 laps
12 823 steps
8 squats
5.7 miles
1:50 min for 12 laps
2:00 total
most lap pace around 8 min
A very strong and powerful session. Was actually shocked and happy to see the height of the swings on the video they didn't feel that high but the power felt good
Recovery was strong too. Three minutes / sets; hard on the lungs but very doable
One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 4/4
24 kg x 4/4
28 kg x 4/4
32 kg x 4/4
36 kg x 4/4
44 kg x 8/8 x 10
160 reps
Pistols
3 x 5/5
very good depth much more fluid stroke, too
One of the best thursday rucks I've had in forever. No calf problems at all and even though pretty hot out I felt strong and fast.
Average 16 min miles for the 2.8 miles
Finished in 54 min or so.
50 lb ruck
6 laps
2.8 miles
average lap time 8- 8:30
Just a wee bit tired and sore from Monday when I started. Took longer than usual to warmup
started with bar weight, then added bands and took off bar weight lol
If you're not in exactly the right position under the bar this turns into a very heavy triceps extension very fast
so went down and went back up slowly
Press
65,85
85 + bands x 2
65 + bands x 2
85 + bands x 2
105 + bands x 2 x 2
115 + bands x 2 x 6 sets
then
105 x 1 FLEW Up!
145 x 1
155 x 1
175 x 2 x 3
man this just blew up! the transfer of speed INTO the sticking point was incredible. If I can figure out how to use this as a warmup prior to a 225 press attempt it might be amazing
Hard to do though as too much work before taking off the band will tire me out prematurely and not enough might lose the transfer. Have to think on it
This was good. And hard. Harder than expected and the top weights were lower than expected. But it really showed me the groove even better than I had hoped. Don't think it's a substitute for heavy day though as the load on the chest is too light I think for long term. I think really working it on speed day is the key
Shitty sleep for some reason and I didn't think I've have anything for this workout but it was solid once I got started
65, 85 x 3
bar + band x 3
65 + band x 2
85 + band x 2
105 + band x 2 135 + band x 1
145 + band x 1
155 + band x 1
150 + band x 1 x 4
this was solid and really showed me than when I hit the sticking point the cue is LAYBACK NOT press through. When I layed back it went well Also have to think layback right from the press call. The only rep I missed is when I tried to press the bar and not lay back first
Tri's were really cooked after all this
Floor pushups
61
61
50
way better than I thought
One db lateral
20 lbs x 10/10 x 3
bent laterals
20 lbs x 10 x 3
A very solid one. Nothing special but super happy my shins didn't act up and pace was decent. Stopped and stretched a lot so overall time was slow but made up for it the last three laps and finished with a nice 7:25 last half mile
50 lb ruck
12 laps
2:05
8 squat stretches
12,967 steps
5.7 miles
This was strong. The Punisher bell now :)
Tempo was high, bell height was 'ok" ( had sat in full squat for a long time prior to the training working on the sprinkler system and my hammies were letting me know not to push too hard too soon) but wind was good, pace solid ( about 3 min between sets) and it didn't freak me out at all
and my body felt fine and the legs were doing the work they were supposed to
One Arm Swing
16 kg x 5/5/ x 2
20 kg x 4/4
24 kg x 3/3
28 kg x 3/3
32 kg x 3/3
40 kg x 10/10 x 10
200 reps
17,600 lb
Decided to try once more the Salomon high tops and once again my shins locked up and I couldn't really walk right.
Fuck
I really like these boots but I have to accept they don't work for me
Gave them away
Walked three laps and my calves felt like they were going to explode they were so pumped. Switched out to my low top salomons and went out and finished the last three laps with ZERO calf issue.
That's definitive
Have to accept it
50 lbs ruck
6 laps
7099 step
3.2 miles
4am BW 175.2
BF 14.8
1 pm
BW 176.6
BF 12.3 (no bath)
W 58.1
LBM 154.6 !
also decided to measure band tension on empty bar
scale weight in start position 252 lbs
- bar weight 45 lbs
- bodyweight 176
band tension at start 31 lbs
band tension at lockout 52 lbs
Just about what the website advertised their tension levels
so for yesterdays workout
at start 125 lb bar weight + 31 lbs =156 lbs
at lockout 177
If I brought bar weight to 145 and added another red band ( 10 lbs at bottom, 25 at top)
that would make it 185 at bottom and 220 at top!
Can also just start with band and start adding weight on max effort day til I hit top end and see what it is
Interesting possibilities!~
185 bar weight + black band + 215 at bottom at 235 at top! lol
This went great! better than expected. The bands pulled me into a tight coil at the start and gave great feedback for the start and really hit hard at the sticking point requiring me to keep good speed through it. Just what I was hoping
Elbows even stayed in better as well. Challenging in all the right places in all the right ways. Once I got used to it it got much easier and faster so I went up in weight. I could see adding a red mini after while too
Press
band + bar x 3
band + 65 x 2
band + 85 x 2
band + 105 x 2 x 2
band + 115 x 2 x 2
band + 125 x 2 x 8 sets
No band x 105 x 1 Man! it flew!
this really helped me stay in the right, vertical groove. It almost felt like I was in a press machine and the only way to push was straight up
this could be a game changer
24 kg one arm swings
10 sets of 8/8
spaced it and did ten sets instead of five. they were strong and easy.very fast pace too and wind was nothing. Still feel good. good sleep last night too plus a long good nap
think we'll do 8 sets of 8/8 as the base. 5 sets of snatches are harder than 5 sets of swings
what a great workout. the best since a month ago when I hit the 100 kg press. My first day back at Cal Ave in four months so I was a bit worried about a new weird routine but it turned out great. I didn't make the 225 but I missed it well, in the groove ,even though I changed shoes
I had a gut feeling the 1/2" adidas shoe would be better for letting me lean back at the start more strongly and I was right
Always trust the gut, at least for the experiment
It worked well from the start and I also figured some other things out
Have to really lean back more at the start ( thanks Nick)
Have to fall back then push ( I thought I learned this but it's crucial) after the press call. Otherwise the bar goes forward. No bueno. the little heel gives me better balance now leaning. the mistake with the shoe before was letting my chin tuck in which shifted me forwards at the sticking point. If I keep looking face up it's not an issue
1) lay back
2) look up
3) fall back then push
Press
65 85 105 x 3
135 x 1
155 x 1
175 x 1
195 x 1
205 x 1
215 x 1 Strong~!
225 x X didn't lean back enough at start
225 x X video above a solid attempt
210 x 1 x 3 all three reps were excellent, my best ever and a PR for reps with this weight
Floor pushups
3 x 60 PR!! not sure if this a pure pr or ties it but I haven't been close in ages!
not having to grind for 4-5 reps with 225 makes a difference!
one arm laterals
3 x 10 with 20
bent laterals
3 x 10 with w 25s
It's real summer now, even hot at 7 am and by 9 am I was sweating more than I've sweat on a sunday in a year.
But a good ruck, calves no problem, legs and hips solid too
Not fast pace but good steady all two hours
50 lb ruck
12 laps
10 squat stretches
13,904 steps
6.2 miles!!
2:05 total
not sure why so long but enough stops and squats too
Meh. This experiment was a success. My hypothesis failed. I thought going light on Monday would prime the pump, grease the groove, refine the timing.
It did, but it also tired me out much more than I thought it would
So now I know, Monday is not perfect but it's the best of all possible worlds for training both heavy swings and heavy press in the same week.
The good news also is that the groove held! and the technique seemed fine, until I fatigued then I started pushing the bar forward.
Press
65 85 105 x 2
135 x 1
155 x 1
175 x 1
195 x 1
205 x 1 decent( above) but not fast. groove was right tho
215 x 1 above
215 x X x 2
215 x 7/8
215 x X
205 x 1
205 x X
205 x 7/8
205 x X
wow so out of it. But I was laying back well and bar path was good. I might have had elbows too high up and elbows flared a bit too. Mainly that's from muscle fatigue
22 kg snatch
5 x 5/5
going to go back to 24 kg speed swings
I just like them better and don't feel like I'm fighting my overhead position at all
This worked great. I didn't even realize how fatigued I've been on Mondays after heavy swings and heavy long ruck til I didn't have to do it today
Took awhile to really warmup but the groove was solid. All the pieces fit together plus I realized I have to make sure my elbows are not up but 'not down' right before I press. I think that might be what pushes the bar forward as I press regardless of my arch or head position. Easy fix too and really finishes the getting tight process
unrack with hips looking at spot
lock into spot and get tight( LEGS) for signal
elbows up
lay BACK as I press- hips automatically go forward
stay under as I press
Press
65 85 105 x 2
135 x 1
155 x 2
175 x 2 x 10 sets
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