Fell off the peak 225 miss,ugly technique and all over the place

 This  just goes to show you that feeling good going into the workout is no guarantee of success at all. lol

Slept great, felt great, weighed right, mentally  fine and shit the bed

Just one freaking misalignment with this move and it just doesn't go

I purposely did not lift my elbow so high after unracking, trying to keep them vertical. I didn't realize it but I ended up pushing the bar forward, I was all over the place from 205 on up. What a mess

Press
135 x 1 x 2
155 x 1 x 2
175 x 1 x 2 ( thought extra warmup would help. didn't make a difference)
195 x 1 good
205 x 1 forward

215 x barely, so ugly

didn't dare go to 225 but didn't want to waste an attempt with 215 so I took 220 and missed it completely

then back down to 205 for some ugly reps and a decent one so I went back to 225 and missed but a better grind

Just bar too high on neck, then too low and elbows under, legs loose ack, all over the place

I have to get more of my COM in front of the bar or the sheer weight of the bar and my torso make it way too easy to fall backwards off balance

That's why the old "load the bow"helped- it forced my hips in front of the weight and helped counter balance the load but still inconsistent and too easy to bend the knees.

SO I know this, elbows have to be somewhat in front of the bar and hips do as well. How much? That's gotta be by  feel I'm afraid

24 kg swing
5 x 8/8

Floor pushups
2 x 50

BW 174.
BF 13.7

Speed press 175 x 12 x 1, wt pushups, pullaparts

 This went great. Pretty much all the little changes worked like a charm

1) bar higher on chest

     this helped keep the bar from rolling as I got my hips under it and arched into the unracking

2) elbows vertical under the bar on unrack, not up. with the false grip it helped me push the bar back, with the thumbed grip it's not necessary. 
Also easier to push up on the bar after unracking and keep the bar above the pins before the press.
Feel WAAY more solid under the bar

3)Unrack, lock knees then go. Can't avoid having to find the right tempo. Not to fast but not too slow. Key is locking the knees hard and keeping them locked. Just have to get stronger

4) hands were 1/2 finger width wider. This just happened today by accident. Set up with a false grip then wrapped my thumbs and it gave me just a little more room. I think this goes well with the vertical forearms on takeoff

sets 2,5,9 and 12

   Wore Oly belt for a change because it's light day but actually felt even tighter . Might try in wednesday

Wt pushups
bw x 10
53 x 8 x 3

Pullaparts 3 x 30

BW 174
BF 13.3

Sunday Full Ruck

 

Strong one. Full 12 laps in a decent time. Legs felt heavy at the start but loosened up well and I finished fast

45 lb ruck

12 laps

1:55 min

2:05 door to door

lots of little rest stops

last lap speed 3.6 mph

BW 173.8

BF 13.8

40 kg One Arm swings 20 sets of 5/5 goblet squats, laterals, rear delts

 Solid one even though a messed up start. Back was tight this morning out the blue. Low barometer and tight right psoas had me feeling something I haven't in years and I got it squared away immediately. That shit scares me to the bone fast

But it all get stretched out and the workout went well

One arms

16 kg  5/5 x 2
20 kg x 4/4
24 kg x 4/4
32 kg x 4/4
40 kg x 5/5 x 20 sets

Power and height and bell speed were excellent from start to finish Very happy with these. Fell right into a natural groove; part lumbo pelvic rhythm,part athletic hinge

Goblet squat
24 kg x 5
32 kg x 5
36  kg x 5

these look much higher than they felt, or looked in the mirror as I was doing them but they worked my legs well and my knee and back felt solid

Side raises/ bent laterals
3 x 10/10 each with 20s

BW 174.2
BF 12.7 ( bath)

Four Lap ruck, 45 lbs

 

Quick and dirty today. Four laps again, heat starting up, but fairly quick in under 40 minutes

Poor mental focus but it got done. 

45lb ruck

4 laps

2 miles

39 min

BW 174.4
BF 13.3

225 lb press( 8th time) 24 kg swings, floor pushups

 Not a bad outing. Not perfect but I made two plates again, two weeks in a row even ( a pr itself) and one step closer to really getting the timing down

Slept well last night, DST considered, and getting somewhat used to ( already) going right to heavy work with no mental press before. It might actually be a help. Just glad it's not freezing cold but I am still layering up and that's making a difference

Plenty of misses though as I experimented. The key problem right now is falling back as I press. If I prevent that I have a much better chance of making the lift. warmups went so so as I was heavy  early

Press
65 85 105 x 2
135 x 1
155 x 1
175 x 1
195 x 1 ( slow think I lost the X)
205 x 1 slow too but ok

215 x 1 ( wobbly but decent acceleration at the top. falling back here but timed it right

the a miss at the first 225- totally fell back, bar out in front. Then this make

Still fell back too much but timed it enough to make it
then two more misses at two more attempts ( one I rushed, the other waited too long)
then 205 x Miss as I really waited too long then got the timing right and hit 4 single with 205 really strong

It seems I have to unrack, lock the legs then go right away  while keeping the knees locked AND keeping on the X , all things I know. but they are key

24 kg swings
5 x 8/8

Floor pushups
50
50
35

really sore already lol

BW 174.0 !
BF 13.9

175 x 12 x 1 speed press day,wt pushups, band pullaparts

 This felt really good. To be perfectly ok with just going light and low volume is a first and really tells me just how beat up I really am. I enjoyed the light easy work with no pushback or guilt. Not even a little

Plus I think it really sets me up to push fast and correctly on Wednesday. Focus today was on initiating from  the hips and not the hands,which I think which is what was pushing me back too early

Press
175 x 12 x 1

sets 3 , 6 and 9

Wt pushups
bw x 8
53 x 8 x 3

Pullaparts
3 x 30

BW 172.4
BF 14.0

Solid ruck

 

Pretty bad sleep last night and stupid daylight saving time did not make for a nice morning but the ruck finished better than it started.

Just freakin' tired this morning and really wanted to sleep more but I started slowly and just let it go

First 1;20 min were steady with at least one pause per lap but the last forty minutes were actually strong and the fastest of all the laps

Even finished all 12 in 1:50 the fastest in forever

45 lb ruck
12 laps
13,016 steps
1:50 min
top speed 3.6 mph

BW 172.2 !
BF 14.4

60 and 68 kg one arm swings, 2 kb front squat, laterals, rear delts

 Have to say I was nervous about this one; the last two outings with these bells have not been that strong. I was hoping that my lumbo pelvic rhythm technique would help but I was still nervous

Plus it was damn cold again this morning and that never helps with these. But things worked out well although the lumbo pelvic hinge did not

Warmups went fine but when I got to the 60 kg I struggled with balance a bit on the first two sets; leaning into the hinge with this bad boy was not going to work! Just too much mass and I was worried about my back too. But as soon as I sat back a bit it went really well and the rest of the sets were strong; no grip or back issues.

Height and power were decent 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
36 kg x 4/4
40 kg  4/4
44 kg x 4/4
48 kg x 3/3
60 kg x 5/5 x 7 sets
68 kg x 5/5 x 3 set( transfers on all three something I haven't done in many months)

Double kb front squats
3 x 5 with 20's
depth isn't great but in part because my knee is moving forward unlike the goblet squat where my shin can be vertical and I can sit back against the weight
Felt ok tho

side laterals  2 x 10 with 15s
                     1 x 8 with 20
rear delts  as above

BW 173.0 !!
BF  12.7
W 58.4

Thursday Ruck

 Decent one today. Back to only four laps and 40 something minutes but it was a solid pace and all systems were good

45 lb ruck

4 laps (2 miles)

40  minutes ( door to door)

top speed 3.6 mph

BW 173.6
BF 14.1

225 lb press at 65 years.

 Not bad at all. Switching max effort to Wednesdays seems to be off to a good start. Definitely more rested and Monday's limited workout did not leave me sore, which was just what I was hoping. No time for pre workout bath or mental prep but I just dressed warmed and that seemed to help a lot AND being mentally tired might actually help me by keeping my mind too fatigued to get in my own way
Didn't sleep well either and right forearm and wrist were tight for some reason!

It wasn't the most perfect rep ( lockout weak) but I made it on the first attempt and and 215 went great before that.

The key issue seems to be NOT letting myself move  backwards AT ALL prior to pressing or it presents some sort of issue. Not quite sure HOW to stop it; I tried waiting longer but that can cause it's own balance problems, tried pushing up taller but that wasn't perfect but I know the reps where I dead stop it, with my  COM balance point in front of the are the best, I don't lean back to start and I don't fall back at the sticking point

More to work on but I made it! My first two plate press over 65 years and my fourth time with plates and my seventh lift with 225!

Onto 52 lifts! lol

Press

65 85 105 x 2
135 x 1, 155 x 1,175 x 1
195 x 1 wobbly
205 x 1 strong!

215 x 1 fast( a bit wobbly because of slight fall back at start but good lockout)

225 x 1 ( pretty significant rushing at start but somehow found the line!)
225 x Miss x 2 ( too much rushed start and lean back)

then 6 sets of 1 with 205 some better than others

these next two have the most solid start position of all

24 kg swings
5 x 8/8 solid

no pushups already sore

BW 174.4
BF 13.5

Speed press day 175 x 12 x 1,wt pushups, band pullaparts

 Well this went great. If I'm not sore on Wednesday it will be even great. Hit all the marks on all these presses today and felt really solid all the way through. The cues/indexing worked spot on. The weakest part is standing tall and getting perfect balance right before the start of the press

But it felt right.

175 x 12 x 1

sets 4 8 and 12

Wt pushup
BW x 8
53 x 8  x 3

band pullaparts ( switched out these so not to be sore from eccentrics on wed)

3 x 30

BW 173.0
BF 13.4

Full ruck, strong one

 Much much stronger and better than last week. Knowing I have a light day on Monday didn't hurt either. Legs were tired from the  48 kg bell but not too bad

Cool weather always helps too but I can feel the heat about to arrive.

45 lb ruck

12 laps

13,553 steps

1:57 min

BW 173.4
BF 13.7

48 kg one arm swings 12 x 5/5, 32 kg 2 x5 goblet squat, pullaparts

 This went really well although my right first rib a bit "out" and my pec and same side rhomboid area were a bit touchy and this kept me both nervous and focused

It worked out well but it was weird. I got tweaked after my thursday ruck of all things but it's been touchy for the last two days so I was extra careful

I used the lumbo pelvic rhythm technique and it too worked out great but I was overthinking too much and I need to feel this more. Same as my press too, actually

But the height was better and the grip was stronger too so it should be right

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
44 kg x 4/4
48 kg x 5/5 x 12 sets
120 reps

fast pace, I go you go with the three of us and I was feeling worked. Power output was high too. Set five

goblet squats

24 kg x 5

32 kg x 5 x 2 sets easy and deep

Red band pullaparts

3 x 30 angled three ways

BW 173.8
BF 12.0
W 58.7 ( bath)

6 lap thursday ruck!

 

Got a reprieve from dog sitting and got to do the full six laps this time for the first time in  month or more

Went better than I could have hoped, even been cool and overcast! Perfect rucking weather

45 lb ruck

6 laps

3 miles

55 min

Legs lungs and feet all felt good

BW 174.4
BF 13.7

The Press Cues

 1) Row it in

2) Chest through

3) Elbows up

4) Stand tall

5) Hand and Hips

6) Hips to finish

175, 185, 195 205 lb presses, 24 kg swings, floor pushups

 This went great. Nice combination of light medium and medium heavy  weights. Only did singles which seemed to really help. Even at lighter weights ( 175) the second rep is never as good as the first. and it's the setup that really is key so singles it was

Wanted to go a little heavy to test the techniques changes as well as take some weight as next monday will only be very light) 175 x 12 singles no matter what

I don't want to be even the littlest sore going into Wednesdays' heavy work and see if it makes a difference

Takeways:

1) during first part of setup get the ribs and chest under the bar, and tight BEFORE swinging the elbows under. this helps two ways; one, getting tighter under the bar and it's easy to get the elbows up and not lose the chest tightness this way.

trying to do both simultaneously makes it easy to lose the tension

2) should be #1 :REALLY squeeze rhomboids together TIGHT before getting under the bar TIGHT

3) on take off KEEP BAR AS HIGH ABOVE PINS RACK AS POSSIBLE; USE WHOLE BODY TO LOCK UP

4) Drive bar back AND THEN HIPS FORWARD RIGHT AWAY ON DRIVE. Hands and hips

5) Lock out at sticking point with MORE HIP DRIVE NOT ARM PUSH ( re remember!!) and keep X in focus

Press

175 x 1 x 4 sets

185 x 1 x 3 sets

195 x 1 x 2 sets

205 x 1 x 3 sets

This is the full technique, body mechanics and timing. Just do it with 225!

24 kg swings

5 x 8/8

Floor pushups
2 x 50

BW 174.4
BF 13.5

225 x 4 misses ( a pr! lol) , wt pushups , laterals and rear delts

 I'm actually surprised I came this close and got four attempts in. I was just beat today. Yesterdays ruck was slow and sloggy and it just felt like my cns was toast. Just not able to generate much oomph, but given that the attempts weren't all that bad and I could have made one with just a little adjustment

Just felt disconnected today and although the indexing I used was right my reaction times were slow and small leaks cost me the weight

warmups felt meh but that's not unusual

135 x 1
155 x 1
175 x 1 ( moved fast but shoulders have not loosened yet)
195 x 1 decent
205 x 1 ( fell back as I started to press- rushing)

215 was decent, bar DIDN'T drop which help me a lot. IF I had used this technique with 225 I would have made it

225 x miss #1

Second miss was shit. I deleted it. I stopped there as I was just feeling tired
Down to 205 and that was hard and slow.soft knees, losing balance back etc

But then I did this set ( above) and stopped indexing so slowly and it moved great. SO I thought, put two plates back on and try again. Which I did and rushed it so I missed but then I did this rep which was decent

Did one more 205 downset and called it a day. I made it but it was slow and hard.

wt pushups
bw x 10
53 x 10 x 3

laterals 3 x 10 20

rear laterals 3 x 10 20

BW 173.6
BF 14.4

Slow ruck

 

Hard ass effort today. For no specific reason but gassing nonetheless. Slept ok, not great but nothing that would lead me to believe everything would be so tired today. So be it, it got done

45 lb ruck

11 laps ( I think, lost track)

12,380 steps ( so maybe 12? )

2:05 for all the laps

Lots of rest stops and even resting pack on bench while resting. Nothing specific "dead" just tired

BW 173.4
BF 14.1

44 kg One arm swings, 16 x 5/5, 40 kg goblet squat x 5 ( pr), pullaparts

 This went great although it's still cold as shit in the garage. 37 this morning. Prep went well though and I was warm after my super hot bath and wearing all XOSKIN underlayers. Warmed up fast

LumboPelvic rhythm  technique is working very well and feels very natural and correct. Bell height seems much better as is power and acceleration

one arms

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
44 kg x 5/5 x 16 sets
15,520 lbs work

40 kg goblet squat
24 x 5
32 x 5
40 x 5 PR

These went well. warmed up with the touch and go style and then switched to these for the heavy set felt decent

red band pullaparts
3 x 30 three angles

BW 173.8
BF 12.7 ( bath)

Four lap ruck

 The new normal. for now

Four laps with 45 lbs in 40 min start to finish. Not bad but so rushed it's not much fun.

45 lbs

4 laps

ave speed 3.5 mph

BW 174
BF 13.7

175 lb press 12 sets of 2 dead stop, 24 kg swings, floor pushups

 Man these went perfectly! Purposely went extra light to work on those few details( bar placement under X, upward bar pressure after lift off and bar path at drive) and they all few right into place!

For the first time forever I felt IN BALANCE holding the bar before pressing. Not falling backward not feeling rushed, etc.

Really let me 'coil the spring' before pressing. AND when I applied enough upward force with my elbows up I  didn't have to think much about knee lock. They  just stayed really tight.

175 x 2 x 12 sets

If I can do this same setup with 225 it will go every single time

"IF"

24 kg swings

5 x 8/8 using lumbo pelvic rhythm technique

Floor pushup
2 x 47
1 x 40

BW 175.00 PERFECT
BF 13.5

225 lb( two plate) x 1, 210 x 1 x 4, side laterals, rear delts

 Set it up and knocked it down! Two plates again, almost a year to the week that I did it last time ( March 8 . I did 225 lb( but not two plates) eight months ago ( June 21 2021)  SO this is a very  good sign

It didn't hurt that my bodyweight was up : 174.8 ( the highest it's been since we got Walker) but still not near the 177.4 I was in March last year and June as well.
So this is a bodyweight PR for as well, lol

Left biceps tendon was wonky all weekend til I finally really worked it out this morning but I had concerns with it going in, as well as everything else

Cat woke me up four times, fight with the kid, not the best mental state but sometimes that's when things go well. Almost a resignation to what's going to happen and not stress so much trying to MAKE it happen

Either way it went well.

Added the upward pressure on the bar that I wanted to this time and it really worked well. Also have to keep the eye on the X the whole time. Let it off for a second and the bar drifts forward

Press
65 85 105 x 2
135 x 1
155 x 1
175 x 1 fast
195 x 1 out in front. lost X
205 x 1 fast

215 x 1 this went really good

225 on first attempt!

210 x 1 x 4 sets ( missed 4th out in front, lost X) sets 2 and 4

wt pushups
BW x 10
53 x 1 x 3

Side raises
3 x 10  20

Bent laterals
3 x 10 20

BW 174.8!
BF 13.4

Sunday Ruck

 

Tough one today, slow and sloggy. Tracy brought Walker out for his first foray  on the ruck path on the leash, and while it was great to  do and see, it definitely messed up my rhythm and gait. No biggie but it made a sloggy ruck even sloggier

Mostly just overall fatigue from Saturday's high volume swings which were great but really fatiguing.

Ended up just doing eleven laps in two hours ( way too much stopping, meeting other dogs etc)

45 lb ruck

11 laps

1:55

lots of rest stops

12,000 something steps

ave speed 3.1 mph

BW 174.4!!
BF 13.9 !

40 kg One arm swings 20 x 5/5, goblet squat to 44 kg x 3, red band pullaparts

 This went great. Utilized my old lumbar pelvic rhythm technique and it worked so well. Lean to initiate, then hips back then the 'baboom" of old! So much more efficient and I think much better on my grip as well

What I've been doing is breaking at the knee first and then pushing back and down into an athletic hinge technique and locking the knees out most instead of a hip extension focus.That made me more up and down and, I think, was much tougher on the grip.

This "swings" better, for lack of a better phrase.

Finally back to 20 sets here too which has been many moons ago ( too lazy to look it up now but it's been awhile)

No problem either and we were going fast, about 90 sec/sets the whole time. With no problem. The last four sets were tough to remain focused but we did

here's sets 7 and 19

Going back to 5/5 is much better too. Much better power output, height and bell speed. It was a worthy experiment but this style definitely  wins

Goblet squat
24 kg x 4
32 kg x 3
40 kg x 2
44 kg x 3

these felt great and the depth is ok too. Triples seem to be the sweet spot in this lift if I'm going to try to get as deep as I can and pause, too

Red band pullaparts
3 x 30

BW 173.8
BF 11.4
W 59.4

faster than expected ruck

 

Four laps again this week but decently fast for a change. Felt solid from the start and did the four laps in 35 minutes not bad

45 lb ruck

6049 steps

4 laps

2.3 miles

35 min

ave speed 3.6 mph

BW 173.6
BF 14.1

175 x 3 x 4sets, 185 x 2 x 4 sets, 195 x 1,24 kg swings, floor pushups

 I'm never sore on Wednesday til I get under the bar and try to warmup.Then I'm sore,lol. Mainly front delts ( which is not surprising given the new grip) but man it would be nice to go into a press workout, any  press workout, not sore and or tired

Of course I could choose to make that happen anytime so it's my fault but I have a feeling it would be nice

But it wasn't today  and still things moved well. After I warmed up. :)

Pretty much got everything right in terms of the cues, and indexing the cues EXCEPT keeping enough upward arm pressure into the bar before I start the press. Which explains a lot of the non accelerating reps until the last set of 185 x 2 and the last 195 where I did use that technique and the difference is obvious

THE CUES
1) SPOT X

2) Elbows UP

3) Unrack and HARD LOCK KNEES

4) Re SPOT THE X

5) PUSH UP ON THE BAR

6) DRIVE

Press

175 x 3 dead stop singles x 4 sets

185 x 2 dead stop singles x 4 sets

195 x 1

24 kg speed swings 5 x 8/8

floor pushups

2 x 45

BW 174.6
BF 14.0

205, 215 x 1 225 x 2 attempts, 210 x 1 x 5 , wt pushups,laterals,rear delts

 This went really well despite basically being exhausted. Seriously poor interupted sleep again last night and the CNS loads of sat and sunday AND the stress of client emergencies I was flat as a board. 

And it still almost went! AND with the first time using this low bar, wrapped thumb technique. Just need to iron out the timing better and it will go everytime,just like 215 does. Even if it's not perfect

That is the goal

Warmups went well

press
65 85 105 x 3

135 x 1
155 x 1
175 x 1 felt heavy!
195 x 1 better
205 x 1 ( forward, elbows weren't in front of bar enough at press time;luckily saw this on video
Then went onto 215 which flew so fast it caught be off guard and I was too loose. But lockout was decent

then onto first attempt 225 which was decent but soft knee! again? really? then this second attempt which if I had not collapsed a but at mid point would have gone

then back down to 210 ( because I'm tired of just doing 205 :)  ) it was ok but not perfect.  getting tired here too. the last two I had the sequence down much better

These are CRUCIAL TIMING CUES

1) ELBOWS IN FRONT at lift off

2) after liftoff HARD LOCK of KNEES. 
3)  SPOT THE "X"  . Missile  lock on the X

Wt pushups
BW x 10
53 lbs x 10 x 3

Db side raises 3 x 10 w 20s
DB bent laterals 3 x 10 with 20's

BW 173.6
BF 13.7

Full ruck

 

Not as strong as last weeks but then again I missed Thursdays ruck and that didn't help. Also up too many times last night with weirdness and client stuff.

But overall went out slow and finished fast and was overall strong

45 lb ruck

12 laps

13,280 steps

1:53 min for the  12

Already starting to not be freezing. Not looking forward to heat again but it's comin' so time to get in heat shape again

BW 172.4
BF 13.7

60 and 68 kg one arm swings, 40 kg goblet squats, pullapart

 Really good one. Beyond expectations.

Switching back to 5/5 was definitely the right thing to do. Much easier, and strong, both physically and psychologically. Changed the groove a little too, going back to lumbar pelvic rhythm style ( lean forward to initiate hinge then knee flexion. Worked really well. Have to remember remember that sitting back and trying to hinge never works for me.

I also think using that classic hinge style last time made the grip much harder too. Grip was strong today

Did 7 sets with the 60 and it was hard. strong but hard on every  level and I could feel my CNS too get seriously revved

I was ready  to go to the 68 as for some reason it refreshes me when I switch  eve though it's much heavier. But after two sets I contemplated not doing a third but just re focused and went for it. Botched the transfer but the reps were ok

Then onto goblets with

24 kg for 5

32 kg for 5 then 

40 kg x 3

then pullaparts
3 x 30 three angles

BW 173.4
BF 11.7 bath
W 58.9

Had to miss thursday ruck so we'll see how tomorrow goes. Definitely  looking forwards to it

Wrapped thumbs workout 175,185, 190 and 195, 24 kg swings, floor pushups

 And just like that, out of the blue, out of my weird ass subconcious, might have come the most important piece of the puzzle: FROM FALSE GRIP TO WRAPPED THUMB.

And, just like that, it seems like the start position, bar path and lockout issue got solved all at once

Of course I've thought this before, many  times before. TOO many  times before and today is light day and not two plates but man this feels so right. So COMPLETE.

I started with false grip but immediately  it didn't feel good; my sternum was sore from monday and even though I was focused on driving the bar back, even with 65 and 75 lbs the groove didn't feel "right"

SO I wrapped the thumb and immediately  the bar went just where I wanted it to go and easily.

I went up to 135 lbs and tried it with a  wrapped thumb and then a false grip and I IMMEDIATELY went back to the wrapped thumb

Wrapping the thumb involves the biceps as a shoulder flexor and false grip overloads the heel pad sensors in the hand activating triceps.

I am failing at driving the bar back at the start ( shoulders ) and lockout ( shoulders and tris) and false grip of course is driving it forwards!

BUT wrapped thumb always in the past really irritated my biceps tendon so we'll see

But man it immediately felt great and MUCH easier to lock both my knees AND the upper body right before I pressed. No balance issues holding the weight either AND it somehow took the pressure off my sternum

Perhaps the only combo I haven't tried yet : low bar rack AND wrapped thumb

The start timing was spot on too. With the wrapped thumb I have much more upwards pressure on the bar keeping my torso much tighter and more stable and the bar high off the pins. I wasn't getting enough arm tension in the rack position; almost all the weight was held on my torso and legs, I think I need tension and pressure pushing UP as well as DOWN. It felt so solid today this way

I start the press with arms and shoulder and then, lo and behold, my hips AUTOMATICALLY seemed to kick in at the sticking point

Is this a Dream? if so please don't wake me up!

135 x 1 
155 x 1
175 x 2 x 1
175 x 3 dead stop singles x 1
185 x 2 dead stops x 3 sets

 190 x 2 x 2 sets

195 x 1 x 1 set

Just freaking outstanding. this most certainly is the best press workout I've ever had,all things considered

24 kg swings 5 x 8/8

floor pushups  2 x 45

BW 173.3
BF 13.1

225 attempt, 205 x 1 x 6 downsets, wt pushups ,laterals, bent laterals

 Weird workout but very good as well.came very  close to making two plates even though I probably should not have taken it after a very shaky( technique wise) 215. But I'm done fucking around and need to confront two plates head on. At least for the next 4-6 weeks so I can claim it after I turn 65.

Just still not sure EXACTLY what the right starting position is. the low bar rack today  felt good and no  coracobrachialis overactivation like last time. But locking in the start seems to be the issue. can't be falling back at all or it goes off

Also spotting the X can't be over emphasized

135 155 175 195 x 1 strong
205 x 1( think I lost the X)

 then 215 x 1

fell back as I started and the bar went forward a bit. Not bad but not optimal at all

then decided to just put two plates on an go for it. totally missed first rep- pushed it out in front but this second attempt was almost there!

Just a wee bit more starting speed and it will go

then 205 x 1 x 6 down sets. not bad but not locked in technique wise either

wt pushups
BW x 10
53 x 10 x 3
deeper than ever easily, without trying

Laterals

3 x 10 20s

bent laterals

3 x 10 20s

BW 173.0
BF 13.3

Thursday and Sunday Ruck

 

Forgot to blog about Thursday's ruck. Nothing spectacular but the new normal: i.e, with a 45 lb ruck but only four laps because of of time constraints and dog sitting duty. But it's ok . four is better than none

Decent pace and took about 40 min or so.

Sunday

45 lbs

12 laps

1:52 min! 

7:42 last lap ( 20 sec better than last week)

Felt really good the whole time, surprisingly since my schedule was thrown off a bit from an impromptu dinner party I had to go to. Drank a bit too much wine and not enough water, but still slept well and  came awake pretty fast in the 37 deg temp this am

BW 173.6
BF 13.7

48 kg One Arm Swings 12 x 10, 32 kg goblet squat, pullaparts

 Pretty decent power output today but left wrist and grip was a bit wonky and I felt I was focused on not losing my grip the last 3-4 reps on my left arm than on producing power. Right hand and arm was solid

Goblet squat

24 kg x  5

32 kg x 5 x  3 sets

tried the non pause, no elbow to knee on the second set and wasnt as deep. went back to the classic drill technique for last set and better depth. both have their uses though . actually like the non stop version too

red band pullaparts 3 x 30

BW 173.6
Bf 12.0

W 58.7

185-205 -185 lb press work, 24 kg swings, floor pushups.

 Wanted to stress test my new visual ( incline press) so had to put some weight  on the bar. As usual DOMS hit hard right about when the workout started so going heavy again will cost me tomorrow I think.

Triceps and coracobracialis already sore from the new technique details. strange but interesting.triceps have not been working as hard in the old technique as I thought they were and would explain why I've felt they've been getting weaker and not stronger from all the press work.

So started off with Mondays incline bench technique but with high bar

135, 155, 175, then 185 x 2 x 2

then 195 x 1

then 205 x 1

then I decided to go low bar again that I did pretty last year at this time that resulted in a 225 lb two plate press! worked great. Forced my hips in front of the bar

it was a  slow rep so I decided to go back to a high rack to test it and immediately put me back too far. 
so , low bar it was

two sets of that, then 195 lb downset then 185 x 2 x 4 sets

seems like the best balance between all the styles but i've said that before eh?

24 kg swings 5 x 8/8

floor pushups

2 x 40 pecs delts and tri's tired

BW 173.4
BF 13.1

215 x 1, 225 attempts( 3), 205, 185, 195 , 205 ( incline bench technique idea, wt pushups, laterals

 It's just shocking to me how much differently I perform with 225 than 215 or even 220. the techniques that work below it just don't created enough  acceleration and hip drive with that weight.

Super frustrating. I can muscle my way through 215 and 220 but not, it seems 225

Started out ok the hit the skids with the first 225 attempt , the two decent grinds but not enough hips centered forward of the bar

Dropped down and went back to load the bow technique but felt I was still just "searching" for tension at the start

Then I thought about just trying to get into an incline bench position and that seemed to really work ( with light weights it seems but at least now I had a VISUAL of where I am supposed to go, to put myself. 

Again, we'll see it works with real weight

Press

155, 175, 195 x 1 fast

205 x 1 ( out in front lost the x. still made it but slow. not a good sigh

215 x 1 better

225 x complete miss pushed  bar forward. fuck me

225 x 3/4 way higher on video than it felt under it

225 x 3/4 second attempt

then down to 205 with load the bow technique meh

then 185,195 and even 205 again for "incline bench" technique. like it

tons of heavy volume if not just that

Wt pushups
bw x 10
53 lbs  10 x 3

two db side raise
3 x 8 with 20
Bent laterals
3 x 10 with 20

BW 173.6
BF 13.1 ( 4 am)

BW 174.4
BF 11.
W 59.6

A back of iron and legs that never quit

 

The best ruck I've had in months and months. Legs and lungs were both  solid, it was cold and crisp and I slept fairly  well. Body felt fine and pace from the start was good

It was boring as hell, read hard, to just stay so focused on keeping the pace that I knew my legs and lungs could do but was hard as hell to do mainly from a motivational standpoint. I'm just tired lately more than ever from all the extra work with the dog and, well EVERYTHING. i.e Life.

But that's what All Day Strong is about and that's real life strength. The urge to do as little as possible and recover as much as possible is still and powerlifting and, bodybuilding, carryover and while fun, is not the functional.

But I know that and pushing the ruck strength, speed and endurance is probably the most important workout I do each week even though it's been hard of late.

45 lb Ruck

12 laps

13, 420 steps

1:52 min!

last lap  7:50 not bad

no supportive stops but lots of little ones

BW 173.4
BF 13.1

44 kg one arm swings 14 x 10,44 kg goblet squats, 3 angle pullaparts

 This went pretty well.All parts in decent working order, sleep so so  but not horrible and felt ready to "get it over with" lol. have to be honest.

But focus was good as was power and bell speed. Looking at the videos the height could have been better but I'm sure I was holding back a little as we had 14 sets to do and the most I've done in this fashion was 11 last month. It compares with last months but I should be better.

But I didn't hurt anything so I'll take it

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
40 kg x 3/3 ( didn't skip this bell as usual, wanted some more warmup, damp and cold again this AM)
44 kg x 10 x 14 sets
sets 7 and 14 shown

Goblet squat
24 kg  x 5
32 kg x 3
40 kg x 2
44 kg x 2

Not bad but didn't have the great hop and catch and the grip was a bit high on the horns. Good enough not to do over but not perfect
Strength was solid though

3 way pullapart red band
3 sets of 30

BW 173.6
BF 11.2
W 59 %

185 x 3 singles x 8 sets, 24 kg swings, floor pushups

 As usual did not feel any soreness until it was time to train,lol. But tired too. Literally zero prep time from last client to walking in the gym and it's frozen tundra in the gym as usual but once I got warmed up it actually felt really good. timing worked well and I was able to keep my knees locked at the start pretty  well

Press
65 85 105 x 2
135 x 2
155 x 2 singles
175 x 1
185 x 3 singles x 8

I had delusions of going up to 190 after 4 185 set but though better of it even though they were moving well
Sets 2,4,6,8

24 kg swings 5 x 8/8

floor pushups
52
52
40

Pushing muscles really  tired but good pump too

BW 174.2 !!!
BF 14.

215 x 1 225 attempt x 3, 205 x 1 x 5, wt pushups one arm laterals, bent laterals

 I actually thought this was going to go better. The warmups felt great and even the reps up to 215, while not perfect, moved fast enough that I had no doubt 225 was going on the bar

But it turns out I still couldn't keep my knees locked out enough and I missed all three

This was the third and the best of the attempts

it doesn't help either that I'm 172 lbs when the last time I did this in  June of 2021( EIGHT  months  ago! fuck) I was 176.8  But I weigh what I weigh right now and if I can hit 225 again at this light of a weight it will be even more epic at 65!

205 and 215 warmups moved well

and then onto five very good 205 downsets

Weighted pushups
BW x  10
53 lbs x 10 x 3 sets

One arm laterals 3 x 8/8 20s

Bent laterals  3 x 8 20s

BW 172.6
BF 13.5

12 lap 45 lb ruck! Back to full ruck strength!

This was a great one despite not expecting it to be after yesterday's volume and high day  work load. Very very busy but was properly hydrated, and I might actually be getting into shape again. Legs were strong and loose and lungs actually felt open early too.

I did stop and rest each lap a bit but did NOT rest the pack on a table top at all this time, a first in many  moons as well. Was rushed this morning too but it was cold and crisp and easy to get going fast, to keep warm

Started a bit slow but speed increased each lap( always a good sign) and I had more than decent energy throughout.

Calf/knee issue seems resolved thank g-d

45 lb ruck

12 laps

1:55 for 12, 2:05 door to door

13,230 steps

3.2 ave mph

BW 172.8
BF 14.0

40 kg One Arm Swings 17 x 10, 40 kg goblet squats, pullapart

 This went great. 10 is the  perfect number for these ( at least at this weight ,lol). I'm just getting my  rhythm at 5 reps and hit my peak power at 7 or 8. 10 is hard but not too much a loss of real power. Very happy with height as well even on my 17th set. Need to do 20 sets but this is the first go round with this bell and last time only did 11 sets of 10 with the 44 kg so I compromised

40 kg one arm swings

16 kg x 5/5
20 kg x 4/5
24 kg x 4/4
28 kg x 4/4
32 kg x 4/4
40 kg x 10 x 17 sets
170 reps
14,960 lbs
sets 5 and 17

goblet squats
24 kg x 5
32 kg x 5
40 kg x 2
depth could be better but no problem

Pullaparts
3 x 30 3 angles

BW 172.0
BF 11.2
W 59% ( bath)

185 x 3 dead stop singles x 4 sets, 190 x 3 dead stops x 2 sets, 24 kg speed swings, floor pushups

 Man this went great. Even tired and sore the bar moved great as the technique and the cues all worked perfectly well

Elbows up helped immensely, cleaning up lots of parts I didn't think it would affect, such  as locking the knees and helping with the start.Elbow angle should mimic torso angle I  think and that would create more bow tension in the front line. Really helped

I do notice on the reps I fell a bit backwards on I didn't keep the hips moving forward on the lockout. On the balanced reps I did keep them going forward.

But all in all very happy with this work. It seems to all be FINALLY coming together

135 x 2
155 x 2
175 x 2 felt hard
185 x 3 dead stops x  4 sets

then 195 x 3 x 2 sets this is set 1

24 kg swings  5 x 8/8

Floor pushups
2 x 52

 too tired and sore for more

BW 173.6 !
BF 13.5

205, 215, 220 205 x 1 x 4!, wt pushups, one arm laterals, rear delts

 Wow this went great. Plenty of things to clean up but considering how beat tired I was going in I can't have asked for more!

Didn't miss a rep all workout . 

Changed the mental cuing a bit and it worked well

Thought about driving from locked knees instead of the hips to start the press. timing was off ( I rushed it, go figure :) ) but the lockouts were decent,no elbow flare

Bar went too much straight up but mostly because although  I raised my elbows looking at the vids now they weren't high enough to drive the bar back quite enough for an effortless and solid lockout

Re looking back for the X at the sticking point saved the lifts. Had I not done that I think they would have stalled at 7/8

Press
195 x 1
205 x 1
215 x 1
220 x 1!! pr at 172.2 bodyweight!
205 x 1 x 4

The CUES

HIPS

ELBOWS UP

SPOT X

KNEE DRIVE

RE SPOT X 

Wt pushups

3 x 10 with 53

one arm laterals 3 x 10/10 w 20

bent  laterals  3 x 10 w 20

BW 172.2
bf 13.2!

45lb ruck 11 laps

 

Almost back to full strength. 11 strong laps and could have done 12 although I had to talk myself into the last two. Definitely not easy but not hard, more just boring.Which is rare for me as I'm so grateful to be able to walk at all.

But it's harder these days to convince myself I have to push to these levels to be fit enough to have "back of iron and legs that never quit" but if I  back off I'm afraid of the slippery slope.Especially as I turn this next age corner

I can see precisely how easy it would be to give myself more slack, stop pushing so hard, go more easy.

But I'm not trying to up the game just maintain it. But at this point that IS upping the game

So I pushed through and it was good

45lb ruck

12 laps
1:42 min ( last laps was fast)

short rest each lap, unload ruck for 30 second and shake out legs

10,350 steps

BW 172.2
BF 13.7

60 kg One arm swings x 10 RPA(PR) 68kg x 5/5, 36 kg goblet squats, pullaparts

 I thought this might be easier than it was but I don't know why I thought that. I've never done more than 5 reps per arm with either weight and even though last months sets were solid my grip was never NO problem

Nevertheless, the 48 kg last week gave me no grip issues so I thought I'd give it a go.

And I did. And I made 8 set of 10 BUT I'm not going to repeat it

Doing 10s per arm makes this pretty much 100% a grip move and I've strained my forearms before and it's shit for my elbow and shoulder so I knew pretty much right away this was not staying in the cycle

BUT it wasn't bad in retrospect AND a big big PR

60 kg one arms x 10 left arm ( 5th set) and right arm( 6th)

I definitely did not want to even try with the 68 and was actually hesitant to do set of 5, hence no transfers but they went better than expected
2 sets of 5/5

Just glad nothing tore off, although I'll actually have to wait until tomorrow AM to know that for sure

Goblet squats

20 kg x 5
24 kg x 5
32 kg x 5
36 kg x 3
working on depth

band pullaparts 3  x 30 three angles

BW 173.2
BF 11.9 Bath
W 58.5

185 x 3 singles x 7 sets, 24 kg swings, floor pushups

 This went really, really well. Better than I even hoped. I did 3 dead stop singles for each rep at each set and the end result is I got to do 21 single start reps and I could feel the technique sinking in with each set'

The bottom line is this

Hips

Elbows

Spot the X

Hip drive into hands into spot the X again

I wasn't quite sure if it was hips then hands or vice versa but Glenn said hips first and he was right. If I go hands first the bar goes forward and my  hips may or may  not get into the mix

But when I drive hips then hands I have to make sure to LOCK THE KNEES  or they bend and the bar goes forward too.

So, hips in front, elbows up, unrack and spot the X, lock the knees and drive the hips almost immediately ,the hands towards the X again. Easy peasy

sets 6 and 7 of 7 total sets

24 kg swings 5 sets of 8/8

practicing knee lock and hold

floor pushups

3 sets of 50 VERY STRONG

BW 174  FINALLY!

BF  13.7

 A very good day!

210, 215, 217 x 3/4, 205 x 1 x 3, wt pushups laterals, rear delts

 very close. this was decent. changed the elbow setup that helped a ton but forgot that with this technique I have to lead the lift with the hips not the hands and MOST IMPORTANTLY NOT LOSE CONTACT WITH THE 'X'

If if do the bar goes forward

knees bend at start- bar goes forward

lose track of the X bar goes forward

push with hands first- bar goes forward

But it was more right than wrong

Strength wasn't bad too for 173 lbs

135 x 2
155 x 1
175 x 1 fast
195 x 1 a little out in front at start. not spotting x secondarily alreayd
205 x 1 out in front
210 x 1 decent

215 x 1

217.5 x 2 misses ( this is where the spotting X really killed me) then this attempt

205 x miss, x 1 x miss x 2 !

 CUES
Hips

ELBOWS 

X

HIPS HANDS X

WT Pushups
BW x 10
53 x 10 x 3 

strong!

One arm laterals 3 x 10/10 w 20

bent laterals 3 x 10 with 20

BW 172.2
BF 14.0

Best ruck in forever

 Despite being a bit hungover this was the best ruck I've had in months. Strong the whole way through and the 36 degree crisp air helped the hangover fast. As much as I hate strength training in the cold I LOVE rucking or running in it. Helps me move faster trying to stay warm and my engine doesn't overheat

Did ten laps and could have done the full twelve no problem but didn't allot enough time and ten was enough. Still have to see how the calf is tomorrow but it feels normal so I'm betting it will be fine

The salomons are working well

45 lb ruck

10 laps

1:40 min

about 3.2 MPH ave

No squat stretches but rest pauses each lap for 20 second or so.

BW 172.2
BF 14.9

48 kg One arm swings, 12 x 10, goblet squats, pullaparts

 Harder than expected but decently strong too. Not that cold which was nice and I thought would help more but this was just hard. Height was better than it felt during the sets; grip was ok but left hand wouldn't let me put out more power without threatening to let go and hips were sore for no good reason but settled down into it.

Overall I can't complain and on video height was decent

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
40 kg x 4/4
48 kg x 10 x 12 sets
Sets 5 and 11 shown

Goblet squat
20 kg x 5
28 x 5
32 x 5
36 x 3

Pullaparts
3 x 30 love these

BW 172.00 lowest yet
BF 12.0
W 58.5

Thursday Ruck

 Another weighted thursday ruck, full six lap distance and with the low top salomons. All good. Not exactly fast (20 min miles ) but no pain or issues during or after and going the full distance

Can definitely tell wearing the ruck on thursday is making it easier. Didn't feel heavy at all today

45 lb ruck

6 laps

3 miles

60 min

BW 172.8
BF 14.0

165 x 5 170 x 4.5,175 x 5 x 4, 24 kg swings, floor pushups

 What a difference a minor detail makes. By making sure my elbows were "up" at the start of the press, the bar went back instead of up and lockouts were strong and didn't stall.Also went back to old setup ( Ed Coan setup) and that worked great too. But elbows up is key

I wondered why my elbows flared for none of the usual reasons Monday and now I know. Elbows were down at the start

My eat up day yesterday worked decently and I was a pound up

173.8! I'll take it

Press

135 x 3
155 x3
165 x 5
170 x 4.5 ( lost balance at mid 5th rep)
175 x 5 x 4 sets ( strong! and pausing for 5th rep worked in many  ways. Didn't have to rush form to get it AND it allowed me to start from a dead stop simulating a first rep max

24 kg swings 5 x 8/8

floor pushups

50

50

40

strong, surprised I got 40 on the third set

BW 173.8
BF 13.3

45lb ruck back on track

 

Really good one today. Best ruck in literally months. Knee was pretty much perfect from the get, it was 33 degrees out and I was really ready to get outside this morning

Not sure if it's the salomons or not ( going to wear the gorucks on thursday to see) or just getting the fibula to track right but the leg feels 98% normal

45 lb ruck

1:25 min

9 laps

10,248 steps

no squat stretches

Legs felt really strong and steady with no weird tweaks or imbalances present for a change

BW 172.4
BF 13.3

44 kg One arm swings ( 10 reps per arm x 10 sets), goblet squats, pullaparts

 Decided to change this up and bit and do the same number of reps per set, 10, but all in one arm at a time

Wasn't sure how this would work but it came across perfectly. REALLY like it.

At five reps I'm just getting the groove and building excellent momentum ( height) into the swing. Always loved the power from the reps but the second arm just put it into too high an intensity level. This is a great compromise

regular warmup
one armswings

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 ( freaking 33 degrees in the garage, needed the extra warmup)
44 kg x 10 x 11 sets

Not sure how this will play out with the big bells, the 60 and 68. don't think  10 reps is possible but perhaps 7's or eights. Give it a test run. BUT not having to deal with transfers sounds good too
goblet squat

20 kg x 5

24 kg x 5

32 kg x 5 
these went well although definitely NOT as deep as I used to do them! that's a big surprise actually but I'll get the ROM back soon, just have to focus on it

Pullaparts

3 x 30 ( three way)
think I'll keep these in on this way or do the crawls or both

BW 172.4
BF 12.1