"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."
Had to watch ( and listen to) the doggo while we trained. Not the best focus but got it done semi strongly
Got to take hot bath and stretch though and that helped
One arm swings
48 kg x 10 x 5/5
these actually felt ok. really stayed focus on keeping the load in my legs and initiating and completing the move from my knees. that keeps my balance the best it seems
Not quite the height I would hope for but all things considered not bad
ATG split squats
4 x 8/8
decent but had to use voodoo floss on right knee as it mal positioned on thursday from me over demo'ing quad stretch.
I got it back in place when I got up this AM but the floss helped
this is definitively responding and ROM is increasing
One of the best yet. Very cool, overcast day. Almost cold, ALMOST time to wear long pants. But not yet
But perfect walking weather and today was fast and easy and strong
I actually never really thought I could get my walks to generate the same feelings of 'floating', effortless movement and feeling like I could go as fast or as long as I wanted to but the last month or so of thursdays walks have changed my mind
Perhaps the best press workout I've ever done, including my two plates 225 lb press!
This just went perfectly from start to finish with the best focus I've ever had in the press and the most adherent to the same technique from start to finish of the workout
I almost can't believe I did it; nor how strong and focused it was. It was like a dream of a perfect workout.
But it's real, I actually did it. Each rep was almost identical as was each set. AND I didn't blow it by messing up the last set as I am prone to do
Just pure joy. Plus, it wasn't that hard
My cues were
1) set up in front of the bar
2) breathe
just before each set I thought to myself " attack it" and I did
It was cold and damp and I went straight from client to garage without my normal bath but I was so cold I decided to take a very very hot 5 min shower thinking it was better than nothing and it was way better. Almost as good as a bath
I will use this technique this winter on Wednesdays
Wanted to repeat last weeks workout, thinking I could do it stronger and save a little for Wednesdays bodyweight 5 x 5. And while it was a little bit better it should have been mo betta. BUT I think I found another piece of the puzzle
Setting up in front of the bar is correct ( Ed Coan setup), locking the knees is correct BUT I need to lock the knees keeping them also in front of the bar. If I just lock them back it's easy to shift the weight to my heels and put me off balance
Also , locking then going works best IF I really lock them. It's a risky technique.
Press 65 85 105 x 3 135 x 2 155 x 2 175 x 2 195 x 1 205 x 1 210 x 1 x 7 sets 1,3,7 shown
Then 185 x 1 x 3 down sets
Wt pushups BW x 10 53 x 10 x 3 strong and powerful
And by that I mean I was on my phone trying to get things done as I also rucked. Not the best combination to do but at least both got done
Have been backing off the shin raises to let the crack in my heel heal ( lol) and I could tell I need to get back on them. My right arch and calf was starting to talk to me at the insertion of the anterior tib and as soon as I did some it release. Picky little bitch
This was decent. While not my best it was solid. Body felt good, groove felt solid and had decent sleep; although tons of stress lately across the board.Actually thought I had a cold last night but woke up ok Overall very strong.
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 5/5 x 12 sets
ATG split squats 3 x 8/8 best knee ROM yet
Left leg pistol focus on depth 2 x 3 left leg only
A very fast and solid outing. Felt light and loose from the start with no physical issues for a change except for a sore right big toenail ,lol
Perfect fall day, cool and crisp and I was happy to be out there
6 laps in 44 min, basically 14.5 min miles for 3 miles with no stops
This is as close to as I've felt to back in the day when I could run well and my body would just go on autopilot. I'd be sitting above myself watching myself run (walk) . One of the best feelings in the world!
Fucked up start, almost didn't start at all but ended up good, with a minor flaw
Schedule mess up left me with the pup right at the start of training time and zero guarantee he wouldn't howl his head off in the crate or with us in the gym. Turned out better than expected but I was ready to cash it in and just do it another time
But we got started and Nick took control of doggo and it all went well
Made three solid sets of 5 and four started off strong when I banged the rail on the 4th rep but still recovered but did it again on the fifth and lost it forward!
There went a perfect 5x5 but I took the fourth set over and made it then made the fifth on the sixth set!
I will take it
set five listed above is actually set six
Next week will be bodyweight for 5x5 and really decent feat of strength
This could have been a disaster but ended up pretty decently. 175 felt freaking heavy although 195 moved ok. then onto 205 and a miss with soft knees. Great. Another night of broken sleep and 173 lb bodyweight and I didn't exactly feel strong or powerful
Pulled head out of ass and 205 for the second set moved ok
Then, onto 210 for some pretty decent sets I was setting up in front of the bar pretty well, and locking my knees but also taking time to squeeze the glute which though off my timing sets 3 and 5 were best
then I realized I was holding the glutes tight too long and just focused on the Ed Coan set up, then locking the knees then going. worked best
Strong one today, again. calf/knee is basically normal with slight occurrences of tightness. It stretches out quickly now. slant board calf stretches and shin raises are making a differences
9 laps although I could have gone 10. It wasn't easy but not hard either, just not fast at all
4.5 miles in 1:25 plus the walk to and from the park
45 lbs
9 laps
10,950 steps
no squats but stops to stretch and unload pack each lap
These went well. On my way back to 20 sets of 5/5 and the full 200 reps for this workout. So much better those, in terms of suffering but also quality of reps and power out put using 5s instead of 10s
Working off little sleep again, this time from the cats waking me up. not fun at all but it got done
Going back to the break at the knees technique then aim for 7 oclock on the floor clock position really keeps the load in my legs and off my back. very strong. height was decent too
one arm swings
16 kg 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 5/5 x 17 sets
ATG split squats week 4 getting deeper each week 3 sets of 8/8 Left leg pistol 1 x 5 with front spot deeper also
DB laterals/ rear delts 3 x 10/10 with 15s and 3 sets of 15 with 15s
This went very well. Almost perfectly. Until I banged the rail on the 5th rep of the 5th set and lost the groove. THEN took the single and overpushed it and had to bail!
But I retook it as a 6th set and made it so it's technically a real pr lol
160 press 4 x 5 1 x 4 1 x 5
set one
this was one of the best first sets of a five rep set I've ever done. Usually it takes a few set to find the groove but it was right there from the get
It's the setup and I was thinking of it like this
1) 'Ed Coan' set up
2) lock
3) hands
Still could hold the knees locked tighter but it was ok. The 'Ed Coan' setup is the key. It's a perfect visual for me as I can easily see Ed SQUEEZE himself under the bar for the squat, finding perfect leverage BEFORE he unracks the weight
I have to do the same thing and unrack in FRONT OF THE BAR, Then lock knees and hold it before I drive
Really have to take my time getting locked in before I unrack the weight. this is KEY
set three
this went great. Next video was set five ACKthen set six to finish five good sets and a single at 175 the 24 kg swings for 5 x 8
Decent day, all things considered( coming off super heavy swing weekend, hard ruck, not enough sleep, non stop puppy stuff) but still made a fundamental error- NOT SETTING UP IN FRONT OF THE BAR TIGHT ENOUGH BEFORE UNRACKING THE WEIGHT!
Damn it, took me eight sets to figure it out. Getting what I thought was a good knee lock but was still shifting back on my heels and the bar going slightly enough forward to slow it down
Have to really take my time on the set up ( Ed Coan style setup) and make sure hips are locking in IN FRONT OF THE BAR before I unrack it. And then the knee lock sets the stage
Glenn said I looked too vertical on the setup and I didn't know what he meant. Now I do
Still, over all not bad 10 singles with 205 it 90% of my PR.'
Felt light too. Just 175 but flat. A lof of that is adrenal fatigue from Saturday for sure
This went well. Very cool crisp clear morning and even though I didn't get enough sleep, it was enough.Calf/ knee was feeling normal with no physical issues from yesterdays heavy swings. That's great. I think the leg/quad dominant technique is definitely the way to go
45 lb ruck
9 laps
1:25
11,335 steps
No squat stretches ( thought about it but stop and stretch each lap)
This went better than expected. Not bad at all considering the last couple months.Calf/knee is for all purposes healed and that is HUGE. No extra prep needed and it behaved well thank g-d
Re focusing my technique back to breaking at the knees first and using legs not hips is what is making the big difference.Some, but not all, the weight on ball of foot keeps my legs in the swing more and this is what I need to keep these big bells close in
Plus going back to aiming the bell to "7" o'clock on the backswing encourages more leg drive as well
Can't forget that again
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 44 kg x 4/4 48 kg x 4/4 60 kg x 5/5 x 8 sets
then 68 kg x 5/5 no transfer ( next time do 3 sets of this and transfer)
Split squats 3 sets of 8/8 better than last week
these went great really focused on keep the back leg stiffer and using it to push my front leg deeper into the lunge Then left leg pistol x 5 with old spot technique.Not as good as before but better than the hands at side technique
Solid one today. Went back to Salomons for the work day and the walk to see if that makes any difference in the calf/knee and not sure if it's the cause but things were fine after the walk. Wearing the Macv1s today and see if that changes anything but it seems like the calf/knee issue has mainly resolved.
I think the shin raises have made the most difference along with super stretching the right hamstring
This went GREAT! Especially after virtually no sleep last night ( puppy). But the technique was right and I could do it! fantastic news
The key is making sure my knees are LOCKED after unracking. And not just cursory but SOLID locked for sure. The issue is NOT falling back at all or else the bar goes out in front
This went great! way better than expected, especially since I was super light this morning, 173.8. Can't remember when I was under 174 but the technique held good even though I rushed the first 200 set
warmup went well up
135 x 2 155 x 2 175 x 2 200 x 2 All Time PR rushed this a bit as it was a bigger jump than usual and I never do doubles this heavy but it got done.
then up to the 205 x 2 above then down to 200 again for a much better set.
really took my time on the setup and got solid before driving. I also drove from the hands first, then drove the hips. completely different from what I've been doing. worked well so its: 1) lock in hips in front of the bar
2) lock knees
3) drive hands then hips MAKE SURE TO TOTALLY LOCK LEGS DEAD STOP BEFORE STARTING HANDS
This 195 x 2 ties my old double PR but way more solid then 4 singles with 185 for timing. very solid wt pushups
Everything was fine from yesterdays session except for a wee too much wine.Good thing a brisk ruck is the best thing for a hangover, kettlebells be damned :)
Knee/ calf was fine and body overall felt decent, tightened up a few hours after but overall
45 lb ruck
9 laps
1:25
no squats
11,187 steps
all systems go. popliteus and hams a bit tight now but they'll release. thank g-d for voodoo floss!
More than a decent day but definitely not my strongest. Still down a few pounds from the constant work with the puppy, less sleep and slightly less food. Under 175 for the first time in forever; not a terrible thing but doesn't help power much with these big boy bells
Height more than acceptable but not as high as wanted. No worries though, just noting
One arm swings 16 kg x 5/5 x 2 20 kg x 5/5 24 kg x 5/5 28 kg x 4/4 32 kg x 4/4 36 kg x 4/4 40 kg x 4/4 44kg x 3/3 48 kg x 5/5 x 5/5
ATG split squats seems to be getting better but not really sure. It's good for my calf/knee though, that's for sure Not sure how much lower it's going but...
Using the voodoo floss is good too
laterals 3 x 10 with 15s rear delts 3 x 10 with 15s
Really good one. The calf/ knee has been feeling quite good of late and it performed very well on todays walk. Was going to ruck up but I have the 48 kg to do Saturday and really didn't want to spend all day tomorrow unlocking it if it tightened so I went ruckless
And it was fast, light and easy with room to spare. And now hours later it's still good. Yesterdays Reverse step up didn't mess it up either, which I was afraid of
This worked out exactly as I hoped it would. The form came back quickly, it is the correct form and doing five really keeps my weakest muscle on high tension for 12-13 seconds which is a long time. THIS is what built my base
Plus, as hoped for, I was stronger in this when I left off. All those max effort singles might have deteriorated my form over the years but it did give me some serious raw strength
Breathing is only an option at the top of the rep, a quick exhale inhale and lends itself to a hold at the lockout. all good
Press
65 85 105 x 5 135 x 3
155 x 5 x 4 sets
160 x 5 x 1 set 160 x 2 x 3 sets
24 kg swings
5 x 8/8
floor pushups 3 x 30 good to be back to these. feel very natural now
Reverse step up 3 sets of 8/8 voodoo floss right knee
Fucked up workout. Bad sleep, knee back to tight and 'sciatic' ( weird) and just overall beat with this puppy, the cats and knee pain. Haven't' had to manage pain in so long and man I didn't miss it at all. Got to get on the other side of this because I really don't want this in my life again no matter what I have re arrange or drop or add to the life
But as fucked up as I felt- basically lost in the press- AGAIN, it wasn't too bad. Two singles with 215 5 with 205 and a decent push on 225
But it's clear to me now that I've lost the big base I had, and rode along with, the 5x5's I did for years. Two many singles has left me without a decent groove
Trying to think of how to build better leg holding strength for the start of the press and it dawned on me: DO SETS OF FIVE AND HAVE TO HOLD THE LEGS AND GLUTES TIGHT FOR 30 SECONDS OR MORE FIVE TIMES and that will build ( re build) leg hip strength
Monday can still be heavy day but I need to rebuild the base AND the groove
Today Started out with a face forward stance THEN drive back in the bar warmups from 65 - 195 felt solid actually 205 was out in front so I switched back to my old technique for another 205 and then 215 WHICH I MADE SOMEHOW~
then missed 225all over the place then went DOWN to 205 then 215 again ( only second time ever I've done 2 215's in one workout. hey I'll take any win today
Started well but slow and it took 50 minutes for my legs and lungs to open up. Nothing unusual there but still surprises me how long it takes and how different everything is once things do open. From stiff and awkward and hard to fluid,, smooth and fast. Oh and easy
Rested and stretched hammies each lap for the first six then the last three no rest. that's when things got smooth
Knee/calf felt almost normal starting and throughout most of the session with just a little tightness at the end. Definitely could have done one or two more easily but smart move to stay at 9
Tightened up a bit a few hours after and it's always sitting that brings it out. Opens up but irritating as fuck still
Medial upper calf. Sartorius, semimembranosus, soleus Getting better but this is just weird to me.
45 lb ruck 9 laps 1:25 10,789 steps 30 seconds backwards walking 4 x No squat stretches
This went very well. Knee was working the best it's been in months ( literally) and all systems were go. Weight felt light(ish) and height was good as well. Rest between sets about 1:45 so it wasn't slow but this just happened naturally
44 kg 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 5/5 x 12 sets 120 reps 11,640 lbs
ATG Split squats| week 2 Better than last week. Didn't hyper focus on locking back knee and it was easier. Focus was on knee over toe. This could take forever to get the hams covering the calves tho but that's ok Used Voodoo floss on right knee for first three sets then none on last set either way was fine
4 sets of 8/8
Db side laterals 3 x 10 Rear delts 3 x 10
BW 175.00!! BF 13.3 ( bath) Light from dealing with pup and not enough rest or food but it's fine. Could use to lose some fat anyway lol
Wanted to see how the calf/knee would hold up with no weighted walk so no ruck today. Walk felt great, didn't push the speed too much but still pretty quick naturally
Perfect weather and everything felt solid in the lower body
tightened up later but in a a different place. Still convinced it's bones moving around and not stable causing these issues as it will disappear as quickly as it arrives
Just felt sluggish going in.Slept well but was on and off the floor with Walker all afternoon and evening yesterday and my right shoulder felt it. Just a wee bit sore and achy all over. Flat maybe adrenaline crash?
Either way nothing bad but just no zip. The cues worked well but being tired I think " load the legs" turned into "stand on the legs" and not pre load the shoulders arms but NOT LOCK the knee. I have to get that stronger
Calf/ knee issue much better but not perfect. But way better. 'Load the legs, bar to face' worked well too. Just have to perfect it
sets 2 and 5 on 195
Sets 5-10 with 200 No real complaints, Just have to get the leg lock better
then 180 lb press x 1 x 4 sets with long hold after unracking
solid but shoulders tired
24 kg swings
5 x 8/8
good
Reverse step ups 4 sets of 8/8 ?
wasn't quite sure of ideal form but now I am. Was worried too much about hip forward position instead of focusing on just letting the knee move forward first
Working off of two hours of sleep( new puppy and calf tightness) but hit the best presses I've done on a heavy day in forever. The cues and re timing worked great and I should have had the 225! Just needed either some more starting speed or a little more gas in the tank but the line was right! for a change
Reading Brooks Kubiks great book on old time classic pressers lead me to this cue : keeping the load in the lower body and NOT having too much tension in the arms! Let the legs hold the load. This worked so well for letting me really focus on keeping my knees locked out at the start
I think having too much upper body tension made it harder to keep the legs AND arms/shoulders tight and the legs lost out
This way I could just focus on holding the weight with the legs/hip and then putting the arms into action when I drove my head and bar back
VERY VERY happy with this effort. this could be a great breakthrough. Already can't wait for Wednesday~
press
65 85 105 x 2 135 x 2 155 x 2 175 x 1 really focused on holding the weight with the legs, not having excess upper arm tension made a difference it seems
195 x 1 205 x 1 fast!
215 x 1 fast too!225 x miss but so close225 x miss ( rushed set up)
205 x 1 fast 205 x miss weirdness 205 x 1 x 4 more sets strong!
wt pushups bw x 10 53 x 10 x 3
one arm laterals 3 x 8/8 20 bent laterals 3 x 10 20
BW 176.2 not as bad as expected given how little I ate yesterday BF 14.0
This went very well. Woke up feeling good in the entire leg and had a decent sleep so things went well except my left ant tib tightening up ,lol. No biggie just irritating. Never NOTHING. I like to feel NOTHING
Took about 40 min to warm up then the last 20 was good. Could have done more easily but wanted to see the results
Drove about 5 hours in 6 to go get my new pup, Walker, and the leg was decent til the last hour when everything started to tighten up. But nothing abnormal
Really really really strong one. So surprisingly too as all day yesterday the calf was tight again. In the medial part( thinking inner plantaris/popliteus/medial soleus
Insertion of what I think is sartorius lit up too. fucking irritating. Checked piriformis and hit gold. all tight and gritty. Released that and knee felt WAAY better. Then did some voodoo floss supported squat stretches and go a great fibula adjustment and it felt normal ever since.
Held overnight and into the workout
Focused on breaking first at the knee as I enter into the backswing( as I was forever then- ? I started hinging more) and that felt great. Lock the knee, then break at the knee and re lockout on the mid foot NOT THE HEEL
Great height and power and legs and lungs felt great on the platform. Easy 2 min rest/sets no problem at all
Will do 18 sets next cycle as I should have done 17 today but have a long day in the car tomorrow
ATG Split squats these were a learning experience but the right knee felt much more solid than expected. Not sure if the back knee is supposed to stay locked or just not continue to bend as the front leg translates but if it's supposed to be locked that's gonna be super tough BUT I can really see where that would help with keeping my knees locked in my press
Took the calf and knee for a real trial run with the pack today and all went well
The first couple blocks actually were a bit wonky and had me a bit worried but once I got on the sand the leg started feeling good; normal even
But that damn ruck felt heavy and hell and I could feel every pound of it in my legs! Shocking how fast my legs get week but in one way it makes sense. I didn't walk normally much less loaded for over two decades so it shouldn't be a surprise; those few years of running, tri's and ultra training really weren't as long as I imagine them to be, overall
So it was a slow one but I made all six laps in 55 min so that's not bad, especially with a ton of short stops. No squats though
When I got home it started tightening up just a bit, especially near the achilles (?) but the single leg prone stretch worked like a charm, as well as some time with static hold on the slant board
It wasn't too slow either as the phone shows speed between 3.2 and 3.5 mph.
Probably do another 60 min this sunday as we are driving to merced to pick up Walker and I don't want to be gimping. Plus another two hour drive right back home
Started off with the 'load the bow' technique and felt right away this wasn't going to work. No 'trigger' to pull to launch the bar. I went up to 175 for a single. so so. switched shoes to inov8 heel and still no go so switched back to adidas powerlift shoe and was great
then went to 195 and tried load the bow and meh, then went to latest technique 1) load glutes 2) drive the head to start press
but then added 3) drive the bar BACK as I drive the head and it was magic.
Load the gltues drive the head drive bar back
this felt fantastic. then, up to 200 for another five singles and these were even better
Best bar speed and line with 200 ever
Knee/ calf is feeling normal now and it seem the hamstring stretch is keeping the fibula in place. Will see tomorrow after the ruck. think I will take the pack out for an hour and give it a real test
Pretty good one. Missed the 225 but energy was good, mental was probably as sharp as it's been in months, agressive into each set and focused. Still not sure of the best technique for me but I can hit 215/220 any number of ways it seems
But not 225. I did not wait long to press after the unrack and probably rushed too much( which helped knee bend) but speed was better. thinking about "load the bow" again but in that technique speed suffer. If I rely on speed mainly have to hit that line perfectly or it's off and that's not that consistent
I'll play with it wednesday
Press 65 85 105 x 2 135 x 2 155 x 1 175 x 1 195 x 1 fast 205 x 1 meh 215 x 1 decent but not fast or perfect
225 x miss three times. this is the second attempt and the closestThen this is the 5th set of 6 with 205 down set. Still not great teshnik. strength is good but not enough
wt pushups bw x 10 53 x 10 x 3
One arm laterals 3 x 10/10 with 20's first time doing 10's in forever
It's finally raining again! It seems like it's been forever. Light rain for the walk so I went out with no ruck and it was perfect. Perfect sky, perfect rain, perfect breeze and my legs felt fast and loose.
This was the closest I've felt walking to the best I felt in the flow when running. I could get used to this no ruck walking but I've got to ruck up once a week for sure. But this light and fast stuff is fun for the first time. What a thrill to move so fast again!
Went for 9 laps in a 1: 25 and that was the perfect length too. Good speed throughout
This went very well Better than I even hoped. Bell height was significantly better than last month, but then again, last month I was right in the middle of the calf/knee issue but here's the comparisonDefinitely have to make sure I keep my heel DOWN on the ascent as I felt it come up on my 8th or 9th set on my right side and immediately felt the right rec fem tighten and I remember there was a cramp on my calf last time I did the 64 kg new bell that could have been the original injury.
SO no heel up GS style knee drive inadvertent or on purpose. Don't rush the ascent.
Had no idea the bell height was so good. Couldn't tell one but
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 44 kg x 4/4 48 kg x 4/4 60 kg x 5/5 x 10 100 reps 13,000 lbs work
ATG split squats
These went "ok" and they weren't as hard as expected. Nowhere near perfect but it seems I can do these on an off day and not as an assistance on heavy swing day. Next week I'll sub in Reverse step up, those should be more challenging and closer to pistols. I can see on these though that I need to keep my back knee straighter
Right soleus is basically 100% better thanks to the single leg soleus raise from ATG system. How cool.Been using knees over toe protocol very gingerly as I don't want to over do anything but i love it already
Added in some backwards walking today on my bodyweight walk and it's tough and good. Again just four 30 second segments so I can asses things tomorrow
Really solid day. Everything moved well and technique held well. since opening up my grip didn't really help my elbow flare I moved it back in and thing went well
The two big keys today were
1) flex glutes after unracking then almost immediately
2) drive head back to initiate press
If I wait too long after locking in I seem to drift back to my heels which makes the bar push forward so that's no good. It's best if it's : glute, then head drive immediately
If I press the bar THEN drive the head it seems the elbows flare too. Aim for the face, get our of the way
Press 195 x 1 x 10 sets
Very very happy with this
The knees over toes soleus raise seems to have unfucked my calf for the most part and that is making life much easier too, on all front! Along with the shin raise and generally just moving from the knees again
24 kg swings
5 sets of 8 good power
Green band pushdowns
3 sets of 20
too lazy to do pushups; we'll see if this irritates my first rib again like last week. feels good now
This was ok, Not bad at all but not what I want. Glutes were tight, hips were driven and damn elbows are still flaring out at odd moments
Of course I then realized I am NOT really concentrating on keeping my elbows in so I might try that ,lol. But I felt strong but not in great position.
Also thinking of trying to pre load the bow like I used to. the only two times I made two plates I used that technique not to mention the other 3 times I made 225.
Will see
Press 65 85 95 105 x 2 135 x 1 155 x 1 175 x 1 195 x 1 start of not so fast
205 x 1 x 4 meh the 1st and 3rd sets not videoed were actually better
then 210 x 1 x 6 with an actual out in front MISS that I had to retake on set 6!
Could have been extra long too. Not sure what happened
Felt great getting started. weather was perfect. cool and overcast and legs felt good. That didn't last long
Legs started getting heavy pretty soon but knee and ankle felt ok
Then my right big toenail started bugging and lateral part of ankle did too. Fuck. tired of this shit. Asymmetry on phone read ok and I didn't feel uneven just in irritation pain. so far
No squat stretches til one at the very end. It was a slog. Then I thought I forgot to flip a ranger bead but it seemed like I was on 7 instead of 6 ( according to average speed and elapsed time) so I went with it. "
Then, when I finished all 12 laps phone read 14, 480 steps which is 1000 more than usual. weird as hell
Back of knee ok unless I sit then it tightens
45 lb ruck
12 laps
14,280 steps
2:05 min
2:10 total
BW 175.4 BF 14.5
might just go to one hour next week and see how that feels. I'm frustrated not being able to figure this out
This was a good one. More nervous than I have been in years with heavy bells again, just don't want to tweak anything, which is a shitty attitude to have going into heavy anything. Trying not to get hurt makes it easier TO get hurt. BUT you also have to listen to what your body is telling you.
Hard to walk that line
But it went well. nothing tweaked, swings were strong, power and height decent and groove felt natural
48 kg One arm swings
16 kg -44 kg 4/4 48 kg 10 sets of 5//5
Pistol practice ( left leg only) 3 sets of 8 Green band TKE right leg only 3 x 20
this approach might work. left quad is still smaller than right and that right side pistol never felt right
Wanted to make sure last weeks speed fest wasn't a mistake or I misread the watch or something so I decided to do another fast one today and see if I was right
I was
Today was even faster
6 laps in 42:43 so if its a .5 mile lap it's 14.33 MPH
if it's .6 it's 11.94 MPH
Makes sense it's .5 . I don't believe 12 min miles
BUT I did it again and while it was harder than last week. ( left shin a bit tight) lungs and tempo were solid
Average about 7:10 per laps that's smoking, especially unbroken! very happy with this
This went way good. Had to abandon the new setup and just try to roll the bar into me with even hands as it wasn't working and distracting me. Couldnt even get the bar centered under the "X" even.
Once I went back to the old set up things flew.
1) Spot the X on the unrack
2) Flex glutes
3) Hip drive to start the press ( and KEEP glutes tight!)
It flowed very well once I got into set 3 or
On set 7 I didn't drive hip enough and elbows flared. Imagine that
BUT
knee felt great, could lockout and walk normally NO calf tightness/spasm! SO MUCH BETTER
wrist and elbow all good too! thank you
And vertigo just about gone and I think it's from my eyes now more than ever. Too much screen time!
24 kg swings
5 x 8/8
really strong!
Green band pushdowns
20
17
15
Surprisingly hard but good. Kickback like peak contraction at bottom of each rep and shoulders didn't complain
And elbows were not involved
Love the long head work on the extensions but this is the third time it tweaked my elbows a bit and can't have that
This went well.Not perfect but very well. First off my shoulders are fine and my right wrist which was wonky for a few days ( I guess because of the elbow- from the press) decided to sit back into place thank goodness. Right calf is still tight as fuck and pissing me off but it's the calf, not the knee
Grip width worked well but still have to attend to a new setup, the old one allows me to loose the grip as roll the bar into my chest and I hit a few uneven reps so I have to change that BUT overall the groove was solid
Locking the glutes in after I unrack and spot, then driving FROM the hips WITH the glutes kept tight is the trigger to start the press
A few reps I didn't drive enough a few I let glute tension go after the press but overall went well. Have to also make sure to think in terms of a 'back stop' on my rear lean.I have to brace if it starts to go too far and that worked well too.
Good ruck overall but I can really feel the deconditioning in my legs from not doing the Thursday walk weighted. Not that I'm going to change back but it takes me longer to really warm my legs up
Overall tho very good and I actually got some squat stretches back in the mix after a 5 lap warmup
Nice and cool which always helps
Calf and knee felt fine but popliteus and plantaris tightened up afterward ( from sitting too much ) and slept with supernova again.
These went well, all things considered. Should have done 12 sets but decided to play it safe and just do the ten. Just a weird week but the sets were strong and body was solid
44 kg One arm swings
16 x 5/5 x 2 20 kg x 5/5 24 kg x 5/5 28 kg x 4/4 32 kg x 4/4 36 kg x 4/4 44 kg x 5/5 x 10 sets
100 reps
9700 lbs
Alternating lunges 3 x 10/10
Meh not thrilled with these. Not really hard enough. Thinking about going back to crawls That will kep my legs ass and mine
This was really good. really fast. really easy. really strong
I just wish I really knew exactly how far each lap around the park was. Phone says .5 mile, the city says .6 and it makes a difference
Because I walked 6 laps in just about 44 minutes and if it's .5 mile per laps that's 3 miles at 14.66 MPH which is cruising! and if it's 3.6 miles that's 12.2 MPH and that doesn't seem possible. But either way it's over 4 MPH which is huge.
Everything felt so effortless and light, it was just fun.Like the old days when I could run like the wind and feel like I could run forever
SO much better than rucked thursdays, that just didn't work. Not like Sundays but this is good
This went great. Except for the fact that I haven't been squeezing my glutes in the press for the last 6 weeks or so and they're weaker notwithstanding.
The sets were I kept tight rocketed up and my elbow stayed in. The sets they let loose as I press the elbows flared and the bar stuttered. The connection was clear as day.
Wore Adidas lifters and they felt stable and good. Definitely different but that's ok. If I don't keep the glutes locked as I drive it ends up with a loose back arch not a stable one and I think that's what's been giving me problems of late.
Knee lock is key for sure but not at the expense of hip lock, and drive
Press 175 for 1 x 3 set
first set loose second set good as well as third
185 for 1st set was loose, second was better, third loose so I did this fourth one: goodthree sets at 195 decent this last set was the bestRight intercostal a little tight from being used in a way it's never done in the press. More overhead ROM but that is my tight, scoliosis side and it was feeling it a little. Definitely have to make haste slowly here with this new grip, ( no matter how small a change it looks; it's fucked me up before)
Next monday just sets and reps with 205. have to break this in slow or else.
24 kg swings
5 x 8/8 all good
green and red band tri ext 3 sets of 20
decent
BW 176.6 BF 13.8
good today today. knee is workout very well with minimal work on it and vertigo still there but just very specifically via positions flat to upright.
Man, shit just fell apart today. Did not get hurt but everything was all over the place , but at least I know why now. While my knee lockout today was basically not an issue the sacral tweak I got last month still seems to be in my brain cause it's not letting me load my hips in any real way. That's why I'm rebending my knees at the start as my hips just are not into it
The knees start lock and then the whip starts in the quads alone, and not the hips and that why I'm running out of gas 3/4 the way up AND why my elbows are flaring.
Which was the theme today.
When 175 and 195 are slow I know techniques off and the elbow flare was there right from the get. No bueno
I can see it now. I don't even think my glutes are tight
the cues
spot lock head spot lock are right but not enough. no hips in there and I'm not sure I can let myself load them again
Plus I seem to be dropping my shoulders back instead of a head drive back Also can't seem to feel rooted at the start. Just top heavy
then 215 which I missed at the lockout ( elbows and knee bend) so I did it over and made it, third one was better but outright MISSED the fourth,
called it a day on that, then went to 205 and MISSED!
down to 185 for a few but elbows were STILL flaring!
but then I went to 135 for a single WITH A MEDIUM WIDTH GRIP which FLEW
I've tried this grip before but it always tweaked my biceps tendon ( but I think that was with a thumbed grip ) but this felt great then 155, 185 which flew, 185 again then 205 x 2 then a miss on balance but this width it was so much easier to 1) set up with the bar on my chest more than just in my hands
2) keep elbows in naturally
3) get a shorter ROM /bar path
we'll see tomorrow AM how my shoulders feel then how it works on wed
I think if I go back to the Adidas shoe AND get my hips/glutes into it a bit this might work
This went very very well. Instead of stopping to do a squat stretch each lap I did a calf/ hamstring stretch and it worked very well. Or so it seemed
Now, at 6 pm as I write this the knee is not locking in as well as it did and the plantaris and laterals ham is tight. Mainly after I sit. Standing and walking is fine but after sitting it tightens up? still not sure how I'm overusing this in the ruck but it was a strong one after I warmed up ( 45 min)
Legs were sore from the lunges a bit but gait was perfectly symmetrical according to the app and felt good
This went great. Slept well, and long, and my knee feels 98% normal.Definitely so much better than last week.
Not a perfect lockout after sitting but loosens up fast. Vertigo 95% back to normal now too. Wow so much shit so fast but that's always how it seems to happen.
The important thing is things are going in the right direction and I feel pretty damn good.
Back to the innov8 shoes here too
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 5/5 x 16 sets
160 reps 14,080 lbs fast pace too just me and glenn. about 2 min rest/ sets max Legs back and lungs fine
Really good one today. Not great sleep ( cat again ) but a short nap before and the six laps went down very easy. really really enjoying no ruck walking now. It almost feels as good as running used to; light fast and easy. Need to keep the ruck on for strength for sure but this is good too.
Heavy and day and light day. two sides of the same coin
Still dizzy, took some bonine, didn't really help. Not bad but more consistent throughout the day. Seems to be the benign positional vertigo. not really digging it
Well I was not expecting this today. I mean to suck so badly. All over the place and, of course, I didn't figure it out until the end. I was planning on doing sets with 195 and 5 with 200 but 195 was so wobbly I didn't dare go up. I could have gone down
I just could not seem to get my lets to stay tight after the launch of the press. started off right but then lost it, or the X at the sticking point
Still having some vertigo and slight dizziness which I attribute to semi clog eustachian tubes, I thought my hearing was going but it's congestion which is better than meniere's disease. for sure. The other good news is that my knee is locking back out again and I didn't realized til the end of the workout that this, and wearing the flatter Adidas shoe, was what was throwing me off
I switched to the adidas shoe to help me get off my toes as much and lock out my knee better. But now it is and I think I need the innov8 heel again
Which after I finished the 12 shitty sets I but the innov8s back on and smoked 185 like nothing
The lower heel was making it harder to root. So kinda wasted workout but not really
Strong though
These are sets 2, 5 and 10
sets 1, 3,6 and 9 really were so so and I missed outright behind me? weird but all kinds of weird shit happens when the base doesn't stay tight. forward backward nowhere. who knows but not right that's for sure
Really solid day! Would have loved to make the 225 but the workout; from the warmup up to 220 press was the best bunch of reps I have ever done. Everything flew!
I got back on my heels just a touch with 215 which caused some elbow flare, not enough to miss it but enough to slow it down. still good lockout though but very confident with the weight
220 was the best I've ever done it and one of my all time best reps period
First 225 I got back on my heels a bit too and that's what put it forward I think. Pretty much the same thing with the second attempt but fatigue came in too
I think if I had gone 225 right after 215 I would have made it.If I had done it like I did the 220 there is no doubt it would have gone
then 205 for 5 singles, some better than others. Right calf tightening up a bit by now and that kept me from staying mid foot enough except for the 4th and 5th reps
Next week if 215 flies again like this I'll go right to 225
Wt pushups BW x 10 53 x 10 x 3 slow up and down and pause at top
one arm laterals 3 x 10/10 20 bent laterals 3 x 10 20
Started off good but right upper lateral calf tightened up a bit at 8 laps and decided to just go 10 laps instead of the 12 I was thinking I was going to get.
Had to deal with some vertigo this morning again, as I did yesterday and it was freaking me out just a bit too. Lots of anxiety so it took me longer than normal to get my lungs opened up. Once they did things went much better .
I went much faster than usual for some reason ( which might be due to the no ruck walk on thursday) but I got some 4.8 MPH times on the phone but I don't believe that
But it was faster than usual and the average for the entire 10 laps was 3.6 mph which is higher than usual.
No issues from yesterdays training though which is great.
45 lb ruck
10 laps
10 squat stretches ( this started out rough on the calf then was fine)
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