185 x 1 x 9, 16 kg swing vo2 30 x 8, band pushdowns 3 x 12, 1 x 8

 This was good but hard, mainly hard to stay focused. Solo training which was ok but I was tired from not great sleep and just feeling weird. Nothing dramatic  but not right. a little woozinesss when I woke up. Not quite vertigo but in that camp

went away but strange all morning

The presses were all fast and perfect til last set which was ok but not perfect so I did a 9th

Was going  to do 32 sets of vo2 today but decided to stay at thirty and slowly back fill the reps til I get to 10 per 15 sec

168.4

up too much peeing

205 x 1 x 5!! wt parallete pushups 32 lb x 3 x 8, laterals rear delts 12lbs 3 x 8/8

 Man I hit on ALL cylinders today. No idea why but everything worked and everything held. Including my mind ,lol

Really zero'd in on seeing the  X, not just spotting it, really locking the legs and trying to MAINTAIN THAT LEG STIFFNESS as I drive the hips  forward to start the  press

THEN make sure NOT TO LOSE THE X AT THE STICKING POINT

My focus and concentration  were actually decent

135x1
145x1
155x1
165x1
175x1
185x1
195x1
200x1

205 x 1 x 5

I think this tedious warmup sequence is vital. really lets me sync in the teshnik and the timing

 170.4 

5 am

35 lb Cold Ruck 5.12 miles 1:20.43 15:45 ave pace

 It must be my stride length that shortens and slows my pace down on days like this because it seems like my leg turnover is fast

first two miles were slow then mile three was good then fast but too late for a good ave pace

1) 16:35

2) 16:05

3) 15:44

4)15:13

5) 15:07

6) 14:40

so a similar 5 miles ( 5.15) in 120:35 15.38 ave pace

2) 16.05

3) 15.34

4) 15.12

5) 15.05

170 .0

40 kg swings 12 x 5/5 in 25 min, 40 kg belt squats 4 x 10, press 115 x 1 x 8 rev band pullaparts

 Really bad sleep. Solid  from 7:30 -12 then basically up for an hour and half then back for an hour or so.

Dog stuff but was wide awake

Expected a bad day but was decently strong and didn't hurt anything

The speed/volume day is definitely helping

170.6 !!

11.5 bath

35 lb 3.5 mile ruck

 Really good one, perfect fall weather and got out early because thanksgiving

35 lb 

3.5 miles

54:11

15.26 ave pace

Splits

15.57

15.22

15.03

15.07

168.8

185 x 1 x 8, 175 x 1 x 2, 16 kg swing vo2 30 x 8, pushdowns 4 x 10

 This went perfectly. the cues all worked. keeping the hips forward at the sticking works

This technique sacrifices a bit of starting speed BUT it give me leverage which is infinitely more important

Swings went well, just hard, total time 13:50 as it takes about 12 sec for 8  reps

169.0

205 x 1 x 3, 200 x 1, wt pushups, rev grip pullaparts

 It freakin  worked!This does seem to be the last piece  of the puzzle.

Or the first, as the problem always has been the start. How to generate acceleration from a pause without doing some variation of a push press

Took A LOT of warmup but I wanted to make sure the technique was somewhat imprinted in there

Spot the X

Lock the knees ( for real)

Drive the hips

Secondary:
STAY  on the X

KEEP pushing the hips

I realized that what causes me to fall back is that I stop driving my hips at the sticking point and just push against the bar with arms alone

THIS is what will need a ton of practice but it is right. KEEP DRIVING THE HIPS

WEDGE UNDER THE BAR TOWARDS LOCKOUT

135 x  1 x 2
145 x 1
155 x 1
165 x 1
175 x 1
185 x 1
195 x 1( this is the first set I didnt push the hips enough)
200 x 1 (same but still good)

205 x 1 x 3!
200 x 1

169.8

36 kg swings 13 x 5/5 21 min, 36 kg belt squat 4 x 10 press 120 x 1 x 6

 Putting the 36 kg in the cycle was the right idea. Nice transition weight to the big boy bell. Still heavy but I can get almost 32 level speed, power and height from it

And going back to 5/5 and a transfer also the right move. Five reps per set is just not enough time for me to develop enough time under tension to get max power

The press went great too:

SPOT THE X

LOCK THE KNEE

DRIVE THE HIPS

this might be a trigger that will work with the bigger weights

170.4

11.7 ( bath)

35 lb 3 mile ruck 45:34

 Fast from the start

45:34
15:10 ave pace (  third best)

15.25

15.17

14.42

14.29

OTB boots starting to like them more. I was wet so thats what I bought them for. No foot issues

walked another  .5 after the 3 mile clock in

168.8

175 x 1 x 5,185 x 1 x 5, 90 x 8, 16 kg speed swings, 28 x 8,parallete pushups 20,20,18

 Didnt really have a plan but then it turned into lock the knees and press to the X, Still doesn't solve the problem of getting acceleration from nothing but it looks like its back to embracing some knee kick. Jut don't go crazy

Key start IS locking knees BEFORE starting anything AND obsessing over X

169.8

New old technique

https://rifsblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/newold-technique-worked-215-and-220-5.html 

Push up, Push down, Push to X

https://rifsblog.blogspot.com/search?q=push+up+push+down

Shit show. 205 x 3/4 205 x miss, 180 x miss! kb press 16-28 kg x 1, barbell floor press 90-135 lbs

 Have NO idea why this sucked so bad but it did.Did everything the same as the last two weeks but nothing!

135 x1 x 2
155 x 1 ok
175 x 1 not perfect
185 x 1 ok
195 x 1 weird
205 x 3/4
205 x miss

Slept well ( 7 hours) nothing hurt, weighed good 170.0, but no power

35 lb ruck 5 miles

 soggy ground again but decent pace

35 lbs

5.00 miles

1:17:19

15:27 ave pace

1) 16:11

2) 15:48

3) 15:29

4) 15:00

5) 14:42

168.8

32 kg swings 15 x 5/5 ( 23 min) 32 kg belt squats 4 x 10, press 115 x 1 x 8,rev pullaparts 3x20

 This was strong! Bell speed, height, set recovery everything was strong

I'm going to add in the 36 kg bell to the cycle as I think the lighter, faster work is really helping everything

32 kg 15 x 5/5

36 kg 13 x 5/5

40 kg  12 x 5/5

44 kg 11 x 5/5

48 kg 10 x 5/5

168.8

35Lb Rain Ruck

 First wet one of the season. It was warm enough to go so no problem

Wore my raincoat OVER my ruck and it worked fine.Also wore the waterproof OTB boots and they worked fine as well

Actually faster than expected with wind, rain, mushy sand and tons of leaves

35 lbs

3 miles

48:49

15:37 ave pace

170.00

180 x 1 x 5 190 x 1 x 5, 16 kg swing vo2 26 sets/8, ring triceps rev band curls

 This went great. Pretty much every thing on target. One point: take a BIG breath before unracking, it really makes a difference

too heavy for med day ( 175/180 will be better) but I wanted more stress testing today.It held well

170.4

205 x 1 x 4 ( + 1 missed ) horiz parallete pushups , 4 x 15, seated laterals 3 x 10 12s, band rear delts

 Best press day in a year. the only rep I missed I didn't keep my hips in front after I unracked( too vertical) and bar went forward

The key is hips in front and falling back before I push

For never using this exact technique with heavy weights  I am very happy

169.4

35 lb ruck 5 miles 1:16:14 5:14 ave pace

 Pretty decent. what once was the ceiling is now the floor!

Splits

1) 16:02

2) 15:13

3) 15:07

4) 14:41

waiting to the start of the laps to start timing and I guess it helped a bit but not by much

169.0

12.5

48 kg swings 10 x 5/5 ( 20 min) with transfers, 48 kg belt squats 4 x 10, L press 120 x 1 x 8, rev pullaparts 3 x 30

 Was worried about  this one. Haven't done transfers with this weight in just about a year!

Slept 7 hours but didn't feel rested 

But it was ok

Height was just fair as ten reps is kicking my ass and the focus was not hurting anything with the transfer

Legs are worked SO much more this was

Press went great

Simplified cues

SET UP IN FRONT OF BAR

X

FALL BACK AND PRESS

X

Falling back BEFORE  pressing is key .If I do this by hips, which are already in front of the bar drive forward more, exactly what I've been trying to get happen

169.8

12.1

Thursday Ruck 3 miles 5:12 ave pace

 Legs were tired from speed swings on Wed but overall time was still very good

35 lb ruck

3 miles

45.42

5:12 ave pace!

Ed Coan setup/Kono fall back/press: 175 x 1 x6, 185 x 1 x 5, 16 kg swing vo2 24 sets of 8, ring tri ext, reve band curls

 Push press out. Too much knee, could feel it already.Then  looked back at my best 225 lb presses, Pretty much all have me setting up with COM in front of bar

The  issue back then was how to initiate. I tried the Kono fall back/press and it worked great. If I press THEN fall back too much on my  shoulders. If I fall back THEN press it felt great

Also have to lock knees in front of bar too

1) Setup with hips on front/spot X

2) Lock knees in front of bar/ stay on X

3) Fall back press to X

169.6

12.9

195 x 1 x 5, 200 x 1 x 4( 1 miss), pbar pushups 3 x 20, band rear delt standlaterals 3 x10 12's

 This went ok but not perfect. I think I have to lead with  my hips until the knees bend then drive

This was ok with these weights and the IDEA of using leg drive as the trigger to get starting speed  is 100%  right but I think the hips have to move first

We'll see Wed

169.8 

12.9

147.9 lm

35 lb 5 mile Ruck ALL TIME GOAL ACHIEVED! 5 MILES IN 1:14:17

 I can't believe I actually did this! This has been my dream since after my TKR and I started rucking;; b

being able to ruck at 4 MPH.

It's not the 12 miles in 3 hours thats the Ranger School standard but I aint running with it either

BUT

I DID IT! It was actually easy, too

My legs were loose and lungs strong from the start

Wednesday's 3 mile PR was a harbinger

BW 170.2

Couldn't be happier

44 kg swings:10 x 5/5 18 min, 44 kg belt squat 4 x 10, press 120 x 1 x 8, rev grp pullaparts 3 x 30

 This was strong. The transfers are definitely a bigger challenge than they've ever been. But,  doable

Pretty decent height and power. still feel the speed swings are helping

Went fast too. Not easy

Squats opened up quickly 

Presses were great, narrowed my stance, spotted the X on unracking, did a definite knee bend and drive

Very good for both timing and technique work

169.8

11.2

59.2

150.8 LBM

3 mile 35 lb ruck pr

 3.01 miles

44.24 !

5.01 Ave Pace!

finished up with

3.57 miles

53:56

15.07 ave pace~~

macV2s regular day just legs did what I asked them to and  lungs were fine

splits

1) 15.28

2) 14.58

3) 14.38

4) 15.22 ( cool down)

170.4! back on track

"Push Press' 1.0 :185 x 1 x 11, 16 kg swing vo2 22 x 8, laterals rear delts 3 x 10 12's

 Decided to give into the mistake and actually TRY  to use my legs a  bit at the start.I've spent SO much energy trying NOT to I wonder what letting go of that  might create?

Today was a very good first start though

Still have to locking knees after unracking though AND Spot the  X. But a quick twitch/flex of the legs should help a ton:

Create starting speed

Take pressure off the front delt at the bottom/start

Work my quads

Make it a more total body feat of strength lift:  My standing push incline press lol

THIS is the BALLISTIC LIFT AND START I've been looking for I think. A slightly closer stance will help too

185 x 1 x 11

170.1 at 4 am

171.2 at 12:30

gotta keep it at now lower

185 x 1 x 2, 195 x 1 x 2, 205 x 1, 210 x miss, 190 x 1 x 2, 195 x 1 , 195 x miss, 195 x miss

 Not happy. shoulders  just tight and kinda achy from roughhousing the gabe dog yesterday. rush the lifts of course and could not fine the line or the timing 

168.8 again. got to fix this

35 lb ruck 5.01 mile

Strange day.Legs felt great but not as fast as I thought

5.01 miles

1:18;20

15:37 ave pace

splits

16.19

15.44

15.31

15.09

15.19

168.8 !! yikes

walk got slowed down when I thought I saw a homeless guy walking around with a gun in his hand!

took the long way home and called police. they didnt find him but it definitely changed everything on that last mile 

40 kg swings 10 x 5/5 22 min, 40 kg belt squat 4 x 10, press 5 x 1 115 lbs, rev grip pullaparts 3 x 20

 terrible sleep last night (dogs) but still was solid. as much as I don't want to admit it the light fast swings are definitely making a difference

As Louie always said, if just go heavy you get slow and loose coordination

Plus doing 5/5 is making a difference too

very happy with bell height and power

169.0

11.7!
58.7

"One Cue" 180 x 1 x 5, 185 x 1x 5, 190 x 1 x 2 swing v02 15:15 22 x 8, floor pushups 3 x 20, rev pullapart

 Have to say it was a good day

Only used One Cue: "take it off with the chest" and everything else just fell into place

swings were much better. I go you go style with nick. no clock made sure to use my heavy  bell form too

170.2

215 x X,205 x 1 x 3 (+2 misses) pbar pushups seated laterals, rev band curls

 Overcomplicated it. Again

Went  from just "take it off with the chest" to big air, rotate under, take it off with the chest,let it settle,, then drive

and was all over the pace

this  215 was a bit higher/ better than last week but nowhere close :(

170.2

35 lb ruck 5.39 miles

 steady state, felt strong from the start but first two miles were slower than I thought  they would  be given how good I felt

35 lbs

5.39 miles

1:23:32

15:29 ave pace

16:11
15:50
15:37

15:09
14:44

170.0

36 kg swings 12 x 5/5. 36 kg belt squats, 4 x 8, bar press 125 x 1 x 5, rev grip pullaparts 3 x 20

 this was strong. 36 kg was a perfect weight, this needs to go into the rotation from now on

my swing feels really good again and I wonder if it is the light swing vo2 work? I had made my mind to take it out now not so sure but today was strong. going back to 5/5 was definitely the  right move

170.6

185 x 1 x 10, 16 kg swing vo2, 22 sets of 8, floor pushups, 40, 30, 17

 BIG AIR

TAKE OFF WITH THE CHEST

LET IT SETTLE

DRIVE

Taking a bigger breath and locking it down right before take off made a difference. Much easier to hold the weight, which felt lighter. like pumping up the stability ball

Swings were better but something doesn't feel right about this protocol anymore; almost too much power involved.I feel like somethings going to give

Dropping it and going

back to bodyweight squats next week

                         

170.4 at 12 noon

205 x 1, 215 x miss, 205 x 1 x 3, parallete pushups, 35, 25, 17, seated laterals 3 x 10 12s

 Can't rush the setup, have to make sure I really get my chest up as I get under the bar BEFORE I take it off with the chest or I end up too vertical

this is the first time since Oct 24 that I've even tried it off my chest so I'm happy PLUS 3 downsets with 205 is solid

 170 at 5 am

171 at training

35 lb ruck 5 mile pr~

 This was wild. Super fast from the start; so much so that I thought I had better slow down as I had a long way to go but the legs just motored!

 5 miles in 1:05:48

15:17 ave pace

total ruck was  5.16 miles

1:19.01

15:17 ave pace

splits 

1) 16:24

2) 15:49

3) 15:35

4) 15:00

5) 15:01

super happy with this

169.8

24 kg swings 5 x 5/5, 28kg 5 x 5/5, 32 kg 3 x 5/5 32 kg squats 5 x 8, press 115 x 1x 5,rear delts 3 x 20

 Shitty  sleep ,right rhomboid overstretched from sloppy speed swings and didn't even know if I could swing anything but it turned out fine

One of my key tenets is 'go back to as normal ROM as soon as possible' to let things ''reset" and it worked again. thank g-d

Just can't get sloppy on those speed swings especially because they're so light,  too easy to slop things

170.4

12.2

Strong ruck

 This was strong from the start for some reason. Sleep was ok and body was pretty  stiff from the fast swings but legs loved well

Macv2s again. I  think these are overall better and just as fast

35 lbs

6 laps

3.56 miles

55:10

15:27 ave pace

15:42

15:28 (30.67 2  mile)

15.20 ( 45.87 3 mile)

170.8
13.1

175 x 1 x 8 180 x 1 x 2, 16 kg swing vo2 15:15 20 20 sets of 10, floor pushup 30,25 20, 15

 This went perfectly

TAKE IT OFF WITH YOUR CHEST

HOLD IT WITH YOUR CHEST

Virtually every set the exact same

and then swing vo2 ( which I have to admit I was pretty anxious about suffering through) was ok. Hard but not extreme.

15 sec rest is just no time to do anything but click the counter and look at the clock

up it one minute next week, 22 sets

170.8 at 4 am

205 x 1, 210 x 1!, 205 x 1, 200 x 1x 3!!!, floor pushups, 35,30, 25, seated laterals 3 x 10 12s

 Oh my g-d it worked! straight  out the shoot,too!

Didn't miss a rep. Can hardly believe it

"TAKE IT OUT WITH THE CHEST'

Everything just worked from that

135 x 1
155 x 1
165 x 1
175 x 1
185 x 1
195 x 1

171.2 at workout time

this is SUPER encouraging! Finally!

35 lb ruck ( macV2 boots) 5.21 miles

 Decided to switch back to the GoRuck MacV2 boots and have to say they do indeed feel better. the 13 mm heel to toe drop is definitely more comfortable during my gait than the 5 mm OTB

My time was decent, just about the same as the OTBs

35 lbs

5.21 miles

1:22:09

15.32 ave pace

Splits

16:28

15:58

15:19

15:05

14:50

legs felt great. loose and fast. no hangover from yesterdays heavy work

169.0

12.9

48 kg swings 10 x 5/5 ( 19 min) , 48 kg belt squats 4 x 8, Bar press 40-60 kg x 1, band rear delts 3 x 20 ( red0

 Well this was  fucking hard. When  I got through and saw we did the ten sets faster with the 48 than I did last week with the 44 I knew why. Plus I didn't transfer but parked the bell for each arm.

Legs lungs and grip were all challenged

Didn't sleep well either

Two things : I haven't done more than 5 rep sets since March 2023!! Thats 2.5 YEARS ago. Had NO idea it was that long. Clearly the AXE method did not transfer to my HIIT work

Second, I  haven't done ANY  speed swing work in that long as well as I've been so hyperfocused on my press

That changes this week; back to starting Wednesdays workout with swing Vo2 with a 16 kg for sets of 10

I'll be ecstatic if I can last ten min but as Louie  always said, if you only go heavy it dis coordinates you AND you move slower

Looking back at my older 48  kg ( and 44 and 40 kg) swings they moved MUCH faster. Its not just age

Taking the bar off with MY CHEST instead of  my arms will  be a game changer for the  press.Even if monday isn't perfect I know now this is the right  technique

169.0 ( this didn't help)

12.4

3.55 mile 35 lb ruck

 Slow start but strong finish

Rained hard so dirt was wet sand, was thinking it would slow me down a lot but not too bad

6 laps

54:41

3.56 moles

15:20 ave pace

2 miles = 30.74!

3 miles = 45.21!

splits

15:44

15:30

15:03

14:47

OTB Carbons still feel  a little awkward on the first mile or so but the times are solid!

171.8

12.0 !!!

This may have been the breakthrough. 175 x 1 x 5, 185 x 1x 4, 190 x 1 x 3, kb cleans, floor pushups

 It dawned on my that I have been holding the weight with the wrong muscles in the rack. Too much tension in the arms and shoulders and not enough supporting the weight with the legs and trunk.Letting the weight sit on my torso, letting it SETTLE ,instead of trying to hold it above the torso

unrack it

LET IT SETTLE

WHAT A DIFFERENCE! Right from the  start. Whereas I usually start to feel too much left arm issues as soon as I get to 135 today there were NONE. Across all sets and reps! I unracked it and let the bar settle onto my body ( without relaxing OR flexing my legs) just supporting on my torso,

Then driving my chest up into the bar to initiate the press and then driving with the arms

Cant believe how great everything felt. Didn't even need to cinch the belt tight!

did kb cleans for the first time in a long time and they felt great( except for my wimpy forearm bones)
but these stay in

16 kg x 5/5
20 kg x 4/4 x 2
24 kg x 3/3

170.8

35 lb ruck 5.01 miles

Slow slow start. No  reason but sped up towards end

35 lbs

5.01 miles

1:18.07

15:35 ave pace 

9 laps

16:24

15:49

15::35

15:00

15:01

169.8

13.5 

44kg swings 10 x 5/5, 44 kg belt squat 4 x 8,band rear delts 4 x 18, light press 115 x 1 x 5

 Hardest workout to get up for in forever.Tough week; Jim died, trigger thumb coming back ( surgery this time) Glenn and  Nick out

Just wasn't in the mood to do 8 and 8. Not feeling strong and that felt like it would just drain me, not build me

So I decided 10 sets of 5/5 with 44 would be better, In fact I'm going back to weekly weight ladders 32-48 bells and  just sets of 5/5

But add 5/5 on ALL the warmup sets for more volume( instead of just 3s and 2s to " touch the weight"

Watched an old video of my first time swinging the 68 kg bell and glenn said "no one else is doing this but you.
That's what got me going

all in all not bad 24 min for all 10 sets

170.8

12.7 (bath)

165 x 1x 5, 175 x 1 x 3

 Super sore all over today for no real reason . Super good sleep too, so weird

This was just all over the place

170.4

12.5

35 lb ruck 3.41 miles

 Started out very  fast in the slight  rain but last two laps were hard

3.41 miles

53:14

15:35 ave pace

15:49

15:39 = 39.88 two miles

15;20 46.07 three  miles

170.4

12.2

185 x1, 200 x 1, 210 x miss x 2, form melt down, re do ack

The  technique  is too fragile. Just no margin for error at all

the  210s were not close dropped down and lower the bar pin and these looked out but who knows?

 

35 lb ruck 5 miles

Started off very slow and very heavy legs

wore the ne OTB carbon 6's and they felt good again but I could feel the lower heel this time
as I warmed up they felt better

thought it was going to be a suck total time but finished fast

5.01 miles

1:18:07

15:35 ave pace

16:42

15:49

14:35

15:00

15:01

170.08 

40 kg swings 10 x 7/7 24 min, 40 kg belt squats 4 x 8, band rear delts 4 x 15

 Man this is harder than I remember,lol. actually that's not true, it's AS hard as I remember which is why I stopped doing it

But its worth  it, Its exactly the time of leg and lung  work I need. the difference in leg work is amazing. SO much more time under tension than 20 x 5. not even close

It also makes your swing more efficient for this length of time of work. You have to. Can really feel the  "waterski" leg drive technique I used to feel

I'm actually thinking 32 kg might even be a better weight but we'll see. Not opposed to it as being too light anymore

Power Endurance. Work  capacity

170.8

185 x 1 x 10 sets, floor pushups 40, 35 , 25 seated laterals 4 x 10 12's

 Did the first five sets with a hip forward/spot the X technique but it was slow at lockout so went back to my recent technique for the last five sets. Definitely superior

Cues: Lock, X,Lock

170.8

New OTB boots and 2 and 3 mile prs!

 This went perfectly. Got the boots last night, put them on and the fit like a glove. Stood in them from 5 am- 12 noon and they felt great

Then off to the race at  12:15 and 90 or so degrees and  I was fast from the start!

First mile in 15:28 and that included the slower walk up to the par

then second mile 15:11! I can really feel the propulsion from the pushoff

Two mile PR was 30.39 Old Pr was 31:25 I think

three miles in 44.63~ Old pr was 45.25

Both those old prs were from March and not in the heat. Pretty damn happy.  Now lets see how I feel tomorrow!

35 lb ruck

3.42 miles

15.08 ave pace ( pr= 15:05)

first 15.11
second 5.04

third 4.24

170.4

12.7

205 x 1,210 x X x 2, 200 x 1 x 3 ,parallete pushups 35, 30, 20, rev band curls 3 x 15

 All up to  210, then not enough speed off chest.

205 was solid though  so there's that

171.0

9.7 !

60.8 12 noon

35 lb ruck 5.2 miles

Hard  one. Slow start but decently strong finish. Legs were definitely heavy from the extra volume of swings and squats . But it's the right thing and shows me this  approach really does work the legs much harder

5.2 miles

1:21:49

15:42 ave pace

16:24

15:55

15:27

15:38

15:10

15:04

169.4

6 1/2 hours sleep. rested 

40 kg swings 10 x 6/6 ( 25 min)40 kg belt squats 4 x 10, Step downs left leg 3 x 8, band rear delts 4 x 15

 This  was strong but hard! Can't believe my conditioning for this has fallen off so far. I mean it shouldnt be hard to believe but given I could do multiple set of heavy fives with so little rest/sets I thought it would carry over  better but boy was I wrong!

Heartrate was about 140+ at the end of most sets and man  am I sore today ( sunday). Got lots of adapting to do

170.2

185 x 1 x 10 ,floor pushups 35,35,25,seated laterals 3 x 10

Super super solid.

the cues

Chest up
Lock in
Find the X

Had a hard time choosing which of the ten videos to put up as they all look the same!

The real key is getting totally locked in at the start and FINDING the X  as I press not just looking for it

 

171 at 12:30

35 lb ruck,

 3.5 miles

53:30 min

15:17 pace

15:34

15:12

15:14

14:47

two miles in 30:46 !

Perfect weather. Cool, overcast almost a drizzle and legs felt strong

Charlie Kirk got assassinated today as I started so all kinds of electronic distractions as the new came in 

What a tragedy

What a waste

What a Man though

Rest in Peace Charlie Kirk

Suunday 35 lb ruck

 Slow slow start, for about an hour! then my legs opened up a bit those those ten reps swing sets did the trick

35 lbs

9 laps

1:21

5.19 miles

15:37 ave pace/mile

16;10

15:49

15:10

15:04

169.8

40 kg swings 10 x 5/5( 18 min) 40 kg belt squats 4 x 10 band rear delts 4 x 15, rev band curls 3 x 15

 This went well. I could immediately feel the difference in how much my legs were working especially the

later sets. I originally thought I'd ramp the sets up but now I'm thinking increasing reps per set from 5/5 to 8/8 over four weeks

My best condition  for sure was 10 sets of 10/10 but not ready to  even contemplate that now

Eights  are hard but not horrible

Need to go back to focusing on leg involvement rather than bell height

170.8

12.2

180 x 1 x 5, 190 x 1 x 5, floor pushups 35, 30, 25, seated laterals 3 x 10 12s

 this went damn near perfect, Knees stayed locked and then was able to KEEP them locked during sticking point! Important  also to hold the weight after unracking on the body NOT in the  arms

BW at workout

171.4

10.0 !

60.4 !

169.8 at  am

Hot ruck

 Heat shape is definitely good now

35 lb ruck

6 laps

55 min

3.58 miles

15:30 ave pace

170.8

205 x 1, 210 x X, 210 x 7/8, 200 x 1 x 3, parallete pushups 30, 25, 18, rev band curls 2 x 17

 This went great. The 10 lb jump warmups from 135 to 195 really force me to focus on form and spee and NOT changing anything once I cross over to 205 +

Lost sight of the X ( HAVE to set up more forward than I think  ) but fixed it on second 210 attempt

Didn't lock it but the groove was great

Three down sets with 200 were strong

 

5 am bw 169.8

         bf 13.3

11:30  170.8

            12.2!

water = 60.5

48 kg swings 20 x 5 (28 min) 48 kg belt squats 3 x 8,band rear delts 4 x15

 These were hard but went ok. Decent height, decent power, cardio was fine

But it's too close to maximum effort.At first I thought  I needed to do these weekly in some fashion as they don't seem to be getting easier  just hitting it once a month

Then, I realized I really need to go lighter and focus more on power and less on max strength with this move

So I decided to use the 40kg each week and ladder the volume instead of the weight each week

Something like this

week one 40 kg 10 x 5/5

week two 40 x 12 x  5/5

week three 40 x 14 x 5/5

week three 40 x 16 x 5/5

lets see  how that goes

the 40 has always  been my 'perfect' heavy bell

lets see if that's still true

170.0

12.2 (bath)

180 x 1 x 5, 190 x 1 x 5, floor pushups 30,25,20, seated laterals 4 x 10 with 12s

 Really really solid day. All techniques worked great

Bar high on rack

Lock knees

Press to the X

Keep knees locked at sticking point

ALL SYSTEMS GO

169.8

205 x 1, 210 x X x 3, 197.5 x 1 x 3. parallette pushups 4 x 12. rev band curls

 THE BEST PRESS DAY IN FOREVER!

Despite a ton of  misses I just felt great under the bar! Confident, aggressive, wanting to push instead of scared to push

Have NO idea why but it felt great!
135 x 1
145 x 1
155 x 1
165 x 1
175 x 1
185 x 1 ( all these felt perfect)
195 x 1  a bit rushed, out in front took it over
205 x 1 BEST IN FOREVER
210 x miss just not enough bar speed but groove was solid
210 x miss dropped head , lost X BUT I wanted another attempt and was close
210 x miss just tired now
197.5 x 1 wobbly though
197.5 x 1 strong but not locked out
180 x 1

Switched back to the Adidas as the Do-Wins look cooler but are just not comfortable

Also I think adding the pushups back in did already make a difference

the Cues were

Bar high on neck

Lock out knees and wait

Push to X

170.4
12.5 BF at 4 am! no bath

44 kg swings 25 x 5 ( 28 min ) 44 kg belt squats 4 x 8, band rear delts

 Took off the wrist wraps for the first time ever as it seems it was tweaking my left wrist. when they areer gone so was the tweak

This went well. First time doing 25 sets again in months. The new technique worked great and didn't seem to sacrifice too much bell height  but it definitely is faster and easier on the shoulders

Legs however are getting worked harder which was the plan too

Slight balance adjustments needed but not a biggie

170.4

180 x 1 x 5, 190 x 1 x 5, Split squat left side 5 x 10 bw,floor pushups 30, 21,20

 These went great. so much better than monday lol

Cues:
Lock knees pause

Press to X

170.0 BW

35 lb ruck fast!

 This was strong from the first step. One of the strongest, fastest and most effortless rucks EVER

It just fell in my lap too, as usual

6 laps

3.47 miles

55:47

15:18 ave pace ( 3.93 mph)

two miles in 30.44

three miles in 45:45

Splits

15:29

15:15

15:01

15:22

170.00 bw

205 x 1 top set shit show

 Got some weird news during the workout which completely destroyed my concentration

Lucky to get my one set with 205 in, missed it twice after than than missed 197.5 completely as well

Did pushdowns and rev curls and called it a day

Need to add either
1) pushups
2) floor press
3) kb press

SOMETHING  that gives me some more chest work and eccentric loading. pecs getting too small

170.6

Sunday 35 lb ruck

 This started off slow and finished fast. legs a bit toasty from the new/old leg dominant swing technique

35 lbs

9 laps

1:21:39

5.27 miles

15:28 ave pace ( this equals 3.9 mph!)

splits

1) 16:02

2) 15:37

3) 15:34

4) 15:10

5) 14:54

170.6 

40 kg swings 25 x 5 ( 33 min) New/old speed swing style, belt squats 40 kg 3 x 8, band rear delts 4 x 15

 This went great.After re watching my techniques from my five min swing test days and speed swing workouts  I decided to give it a try again. The focus being a leg drive vs a hip drive

Was worried I  wouldnt get enough bell height but it was more than decent

Just tried to bend my knees then lock them on the way up: NOT lean back and try to hold the standing plank, just hit the lock then re bend

End result is a much faster tempo which is how I could fit ten reps into 15 sec with the 48 kg! I also don't get as much  front delt tension at the top trying to max out  bell either

All good, I like  it

170.4

12.3%

58.3 W

175 x 1 x 5, 185 x 1 x 5, bw squats 12 sets of 10, seated laterals 10,10, 8,8 with 12's

 These went great. make the correction to unrack with chest up so when I hit the sticking point hips went forward  and I didn't drive myself back

171.4

205 x 1 x 2/3, 197.5 x 1 x 2 , rev db curls band pushdowns

 Strong day! Strongest I've felt in the press in forever! Missed a few losing balance backward but they still all felt light and I was confident

I even cued myself to be aggressive! something I haven't felt in forever either

Same cues;

LOCK  KNEES

GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE WAY

I would add now, THEN DRIVE YOUR  HIPS

Because my rack position is so high on my neck the bar is pretty much exactly over my heels from the start

If I drive my head back and don't push my hips under the bar it takes the weight behind my COM and I lose balance

135 x 1 x 2
155 x 1
165 x1
175 x 1
185 x 1 x 2
195 x 1
205 x 1
205 x  miss backwards
205 x 1 ( just ugly)
197.5 x 1 x 2  really really solid!

BW 171.2

5.24 mile Steady ruck 35 lbs

 Legs were a bit tired this  am from the 200 swings yesterday. as expected. But the ruck pace was steady but not crisp

9 laps

5.24 milles

15:46 ave pace

1) 16.15

2) 15.49

3) 15.52

4) 15:35

5) 15:20

6) 15:08

BW 170.4

175 x 1 x 5, 185 x 1 x 5, 190 x 1, 205 x 5 sec hold, 215 x 5 sec hold BW squats 10/10 6 min seated laterals 4 x 10 12 lb

 This went GREAT. After mondays soft knees I focused on "locking the knee" then  getting head out ofof the way

Way out. Worked great

Lock the knee then head out of the way

Notice something bit though on the holds a subtle but distinct right to  left rotation! that can explain  a lot of issues on the left side

Not really even sure if or how to fix it but glad I noticed it

hot day yesterday so only 170.00 this AM!

205 x 1, 205 x 3/4 205 x X x 2, BW squats 12 sets of 10, rev db curls band pushdown

 Weird one. Slept well, BW ok groove and warmups felt solid but missed 205 3 times after making it just once!

In retrospect it turns out I was  leaving through the knees and not really driving my head back at the start enough. Leaking knees always pushes the bar forward

  BW 171.88

48 kg swings 20 x 5 (24 min), laterals 4 x 8, rear delts 4 x 8, pullaparts 3 x 30

 Not enough sleep last night and a little tweaky on LEFT rib  side from using my thumbs doing bodywork on a client. haven't done that in years and wont again. Made today really hard but I got through it. took time to warmup but then it was ok. just not quite as high. Cardio was good tho

Bodyweight light too doesn't help

170.8

175 x 1 x 5, 185 x 1 x 5, BW squats 8 x 10, band pushdowns 4 x 20

 Right side sternal ribs started aching last night for no damn good reason. well I know why, the new " get your head out of the way technique really utilizes the T spine and waiting at the start squares me up,  which I don't think my ribs are used to

messed up sleep of course but the warmups I didn't feel it so I went on tentatively.
Missed two reps : one with 175 and one with 185 by not keeping my head back.otherwise all felt good

 

BW 170.8 ! 

35 lb ruck 3.57 miles

 Strong and fast one today! More than decent sleep actually woke up feeling awake and refreshed for a change

strong from the start. I like rucking on Wed after a full day off

35 lbs

6 laps

3.57

55.01 

15.23 ave mile pace

1)15:34

2) 15.19

3) 15.17

4) 15.08

2  miles in 30.11

3 miles in 46.21

very happy

170.8

205 x 1 x 2 ( 1 miss) 200 x 1 x 2 downsets ( 1 miss) bw squats 12 x 10. db reverse curls

 This went great.. When I realized I haven't made 205 off my chest since last Nov I kinda panicked but it went well

During warmups I just realized after coming to balance after the unracking think " move my head out of the way" to initiate and it worked great. lost balance backwards  twice but it really facilitated the intitial start

135 x 1 x 1
155 x 1
175 x 1
185 x 1

195 x 1

171.8

Fast and Furious ruck!

 Didn't see this coming. Decent knights sleep and quads recovered even more ( not total but not too bad either)

Got out early ( 6 am) and it was perfectly cool 

9 laps

5.26 miles

1:20:45!

15:21 /milepace

ave hr 121

two miles in 31:20 somethings

three miles in 47:20 is too

five miles in 1:15.60!

1) 16.03

2) 15.38

3) 15.28

4) 14.51

5) 14.40

6) 15.08

171.2

44 kg swings 20 x 5 ( 25 min), laterals rear delts and pullaparts

 My quads were so sore Friday I wasn't sure I would  be able to swing at all much less use the 44 but warmups felt fine so I didnt have to "bell down"

fast pace too

NO squats though as I had to ruck Sunday and still have some legs left for presses Monday

Moving volume squat to Monday after squats

170.0!!

175 x 1 x 10, BW squats 10 x 16

 Nervy pain in shoulders, corocobrachialis was still there today  but I figured re patterning the movement would help and it did, after about 8  sets. left side taking too much weight but it evened out at the end

Pushups are out I think. tight  pecs and biceps simple pull my  shoulder too far forward anymore

squats were HAARD actually ( pump,lactic acid) after ruck yesterday but am LOVING  being able to squat symmetrically even without weight, probably for the first time in my life, and a leg pump feels amazing!

170.8

Wednesday Ruck

 New day and a good thing  too as the pushup variations on Monday left my shoulders stupid sore. Would NOT have been a good thing to press. haven't felt this sore in forever. Kinda "nerve y" so perhaps some brachial nerve involvement

But the ruck was good Got in an hour earlier, fairly cool with a slight  breeze

35 lbs

54:20

3.47 miles

15:38 ave pace

splits

1) 16.07

2) 15.41

3) 15.26

4) 14.55

171.6

185 x 1 x 3, 195 x 1 x 3, 200 x1x3 (+ 1 miss) parallete pushups , rev curls kickbacks hammers

Was surprisingly sore today and that slowed me down a bit. Plus long pauses really kill my starting speed which makes lockouts that much harder

But its stricter and less  of a pushpress and that just looks better. and it's not leaving forward either this way

when I missed the third rep with 200 lbs it was purely from not enough speed- position  was correct

have to really focus on learning how to generate speed with this new technique

It was better than last week in the upper ranges just because I paused longer but it was grind time

I think next week

185 x 1 x 2

195 x 1 x 2

205 x 1 x ?

ended up   with false grip pushups on horizontal paralletes with feet up. been awhile

then reverse curls then some very  upright 12 lb kickbacks( which felt great) with alternating hammer curls

decent pump actually !

171.8

35lb ruck 5.24 miles

 Strong one today but got up later and skipped  bodymaintenance ( dog time) but all felt good.

decent paced start and strong finish. slept well and it was cool out this morning 

35 lbs
9 laps
5.24 miles
1:20:37
15:23 ave pace
120 ave HR

splits

1 15:49
2 15:45
3 15:29
4 14:46
5 14:51

171.8 BW

40 kg swings 25 x 5 ( 29 min) , BW squats 8 x 10, 1x 20, pullaparts 3 x 30

 This was strong. I could have gone faster. Power and bell height were decent too

squats were strong too. decided to do the last two sets together as all felt good.. really loving these as I can feel the stretch and the pump

171.8

13.7

Thursday ruck

 Another hot one but great nights sleep last night made a big differnce

35 lbs

6 laps

3.47 miles

54:05

2 miles in 30.5

3 miles in 45.96!

15:39

15:20

15:37

171.8

175 x 1 x5 185 x 1 x 5, BW squats 8 x 15, laterals 3 x 10 12lbs

 This went well Moving this workout next week to thursdays. I will ruck  wednesdays. I need another day of rest and this follows the pattern
sun ruck
mon press
wed ruck
thur press 

everything felt solid. bar high on chest, come to balance with straight legs, hip drive to initiate and press simultaneously BACK

173.2!

 

185 x 1 x 3 195 x 1 x 3, 200 x 1 x 3, floor pushups 4 x 20, rev bar curls

 This went great all things considered. Got the  solid start position I wanted and the Kono Press technique worked well, too

Just have to get stronger through this ROM and get more starting speed but that will come

Trying to channel Hampton Morris for the start position

171.2

32 kg swings 20 x 5 ( 30 min), BW squats 10x 10 (10 min) pullaparts 3 x 30

 Slept great but this was harder than expected

Wore the Do Win shoes  for the first 10 sets. Nothing felt 'wrong' with my  back or my swing, but nothing felt better so went back to the Inov8s and swing immediately felt stronger

So  much  for that experiment

171.4

This one technique

https://rifsblog.blogspot.com/2021/03/new-technique-breakthrough-205215220225.html

Standing press from chest 165x1x3,175x1x3, 185 x1x3, BW squats 10 x 12 seated laterals

 Back to basics. The high rack position was getting too much for my elbows AND it wasn't producing consistent superior results so back to this

index on smooth close grip

hip take off

PAUSE with LOCKED knees ( Find Balance Point)

Hip drive to initiate

173.3!!

13.7 No bath!

New old press off chest examples

CONCRETE PAUSE

https://rifsblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/

https://rifsblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/

https://rifsblog.blogspot.com/2021/03/new-technique-breakthrough-205215220225.html 

215 x 3/4, 205 x 1 x 4, floor pushups 25 x 2, 20 x 2, hammer curls 4 x 10 with 20s

 Not bad but not really solving any of the problems I had when pressing off the chest. Not happy with it

175 x 1
185 x 1
195 x 1
205 x 3/4
205 x 1
215  3/4
205 x 1 x 3

171.2

35 lb ruck

 35lbs

9 laps

1:20:30

5.15 miles

15:37 ave mph

REAL slow start, legs  heavy for the first 50 min then they sped up. those squats got to  em lol but they'll adapt

slept  well tho and 143 HRV!

171.0

48 kg swings 20 x 5 in 23 mins( PR) BW squats 15 x 10 ( 15 min) pullaparts 3 x 30

 Solo training today at the last minute. Had to do a major attitude adjustment but worked out fine

Actually everything felt good even cardio. almost no back involvement. Could have gone faster but would have sacrificed some bell height

decided to take a different approach to  squats and keep reps lower ( 10s) and add sets. More concentration on technique. like it.Can always speed up rest 

171.6

165 x 1 x 5, 175 x 1 x 5, 180 x 1 x 3, BW squats 8 x 15(120)

 Switched shoes to the lower heel Adidas

Fixed my left elbow twitch by NOT trying to keep the left elbow in but letting it stay out- this is HUGE as it took all the pressure I've been feeling on it off!

Had to take a generous one inch off the smooth grip

With the lower heel I  can walk feet out in front just a little more and set up under bar

173.3 !

12.8 at 4 am!