"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."
Didn't miss a beat, knife wound or not :)) Got a good stretchout this AM at 6 and figured the stitches could handle some low intensity presses with the 20 kg. No problem. Healing is going well with no inflammation, swelling or redness. All good signs.
6-7 am Stretchout
lots of focus on thai squat and ankle mobility drills as well as the usual hamstring,ab and shoulder static stretches. Spent some serious time in downward dog, perhaps the most important stretch I do for opening up my knee, ankle and hamstring.This new foot position and technique is working so well. I finally grok how my knee is supposed to bend. Crazy it's taken this long but better late than never.
Went into overhead hangs and overhead stick stretches gingerly but everything held up well and it felt so good to get my arms over my head again. It's amazing how even just a few short days with my arms by my sides tightened up my lats and therefore my lower back. Crazy. I've got to be able to move as much as possible to keep myself out of pain. Any restrictions immediately lock up the whole kit and kaboodle.
No wonder I was in so much pain before. All that seriously crazy heavy lifting and hardly any mobility/flexibility work really locked me into place. A bad place. I was crazy strong but crazy immobile as well. Not good and not my future either.
8:30 am
Long Cycle clean and press
warmup
one arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 3
cleans
16 kg x5/5 x2
Clean and press
16 kg x5/5
20 kg x5/5
x6/6
x7/7
x8/8
x10/10
Since I dare not go heavy I thought some reps might be in order; but after 8 and 8 I realized the intensity was creeping up so I though I better just go for the goal set of 10/10 as I didn't know if I had the 9/9 and 10/10 set in me. I probably did, but just pressing overhead at all was risky enough.
Don't be (t00) greedy :))
CB two arm cast
15 lbs x 10/10
20 lbs x 10/10 x 3
This felt good but also a but stretchy on the chest so I cut it short
Bodyblade laterals
3 x10/10
only to 90 deg. enough
stretchout/ roller 10 min
Training is my source and my privilege. I love to move better and be stronger.People are always looking for a reason to get out of training. I always look for a way to be ABLE to train, no matter what.
Flying is good.I love this photo Yup, that is what the doc said on wednesday as he stitched up the four inch long incision across my chest. I had some weird spot removed and he decided to make me look like I had been in a knife fight.
"Uh, I don't know how that is going to happen doc", I said.
" You just don't want to tear open the stitches. Just do lower body".
I count swings as lower body so that's what I did today; although I wasn't really sure I would be able to do anything after waking up on Thursday, taking a look at the wound and realizing he wasn't kidding about the knife fight comment. He may be a surgeon but he wasn't a plastic surgeon. Luckily chicks dig scars, I'm told. At least my wife does,lol.
For the first 36 hours even reaching my arms behind me tugged on the stitches so I was a bit hesitant about todays training but I'm a fast healer and I was back to mild overhead stretching this AM and one arm swings felt fine. No pull at all on the wound.
Most excellent. Two weeks/ three days, it's about the same, right?
7:30-8 am
Joint mobility and stretchout. really working my thai squat position ala Kstar and it is amazing how this little detail in my foot position works it's way right up through my knee into my hip in the best way.
For so long I've had very strange knee mechanics due to many factors but I've always felt that my ankle and shin position were as much to blame for my knee pain of late than the crappy architecture inside the knee. Now I know I'm right.
Getting the ankle into subtalar neutral allows the popliteus to do it's job instead of being locked into an overstretched position and torqueing my knee in the wrong direction making what little knee flexion I do have even worse. Not to mention painful.
Dropping down into the thai squat and doing 5-8 pulses really re sets the ankle just like Brett and Jeff 's ck fms arch creating drills do, but allows me to work my squat pattern and hip mobility similtaneously.
Cool
One arm swings
12 kg x10/10 x2
14 kg x10/10
16 kg x10/10x 2
20 kg x10/10 x 5 sets
24 kg x8/8 x 5 sets
Tracy told me to cool it and not overdue and I was so happy that I could train I probably would have done just that. So I stopped there with the kbs, although I was amazed how strong I felt and how light the bells felt. It's been a pretty hectic week the last two and I thought I would be beat down but just the opposite.
Being able to train without wrecking the Docs work made me very happy. I have to be able to move or nothing works.
I need to be able to bend and twist and push and and pull and reach and squat and stretch and walk. If I don't do so I get so tight my asymmetries turn me into twisted knot of muscle and pain. Not good.
I need to get on the floor on a regular basis. I need to be able to stretch my arms overhead a lot during the day. My job as a trainer is pretty physical( as opposed to sitting at a computer all day not real work) and it's very obvious to me how much it is when something happens and I can't move well, or lift much.
And the more I work my body the more I have to open it up or it locks up tight.
Sitting is actually injurious to me. I can only sit so long before I HAVE to get up and stretch in a variety of ways. Another reason travel is so tough on me. Sitting in one position for hours is virtually torture for me.
SO even not being able to put my arms out to the side,let along overhead for 48 hours was already taking it's toll on my back and I knew this two weeks thing was just not going to happen. I would just have to be careful and go slowly.
It's not about the loads or the intensities but just being able to move without pain that is so vital to my well being. On so many levels.
Felt great to swing and my groove was solid.
2 KB deadlifts
2 16's x8
2 20'2 x 8
2 24's x 8 x 2
With my arms completely by my side I figured this was pretty safe move. It was and it was strong too.
CB rockits
10's x 20 x 3 sets
wanted to do more but thought better.
datsit.more Tuesday although I don't think I'll go overhead until they take the stitches.
Had two cancellations this morning and took the time to rearrange the mats at Girya, get a full stretchout in , and do a ten minute swipe test with the ten pounders. Wasn't sure I was going to do the swipes but I wasn't sore( surprisingly) from the press workout and I was going to the Docs today to get a chunk of skin cut out of my mid chest and I knew they were going to tell me not to train for awhile.
I thought I better get something in while the getting was good :)) I was right. I'm off upper body for at least a week and damn near everything you do with a kettlebell gets the pecs involved( surprisingly as well)
This will be an interesting opportunity to play with my new found squat pattern and stretches. They told me 'just lower body". OK :))
But I still stalled til the last minute, re setting the mats, stretching out, stretching some more,lol Then at 15 minutes to the next client I decided to turn the camera on and go for it.
"It" was ten minutes of swipes and I wanted 200. Of course the first time in two years I did 100 was three weeks ago and a 100% jump is reasonable right? lol. These are the tens though and that is different for me.
AND, the swipe is the most natural bell move I do. I can totally relax during it. I just wish kb's were that easy.
I did love this though and felt the hairs on the back of my neck standing up mid way when the music was rocking, I was feeling strong, in the Zone( where I love to be more than anyplace than next to my love) knowing I was going to get my goal, knowing it would be a strong performance and that I was in control.How nice to have nothing hurt.
And being able to go faster and faster as the time passed.
It's amazing how far my press has come. From it being a throwaway cradle gift I took for granted for so many years as I concentrated on my less developed and talented lower body, to not being able to do it at ALL for over two years due to injury to the last two years of buildup from this workout.
It was a great start, with 3x3 short cycle with the 28 kg, just on a lark and intuition, to being able to train and progress it all this time with the 28 now feeling like a regular work weight and nothing special.
But MAN I am tight in the shoulders these days from all the volume and this was true today even after a solid one hour stretchout. Of course the stretchout was followed by an hour and a half of coaching but you would think more of the gained mobility would carry over. Ah, no.
At least not until I had done another half hour of pressing,lol. Then I was warm. It's so much fun to get old :))
ANd, as usual I had no idea of how heavy it would feel in my hands and the 20 kg warmup that felt heavy was not a good start.
It was not a good start with only one instead of two days rest after our weekend party but that's the way the cards were dealt so they were the one's I played. Didn't turn out so bad at all.
6-7 am
stretch and mobility work. playing with bands and hip tractioning,lots of squat pattern stretching and overhead work as well
8:30 Clean and press, long cycle
one arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x2
cleans
16 kg x 5/5 x2
long cycle c& p
16 kg x5/5
x3/3
20 kg x3/3
x2/2
24 kg x3/3 ( this felt strong, first set that did)
28 kg x 2/2
x3/3
x4/4
x5/5
x3/3
x2/2
19 reps per side, 38 total
not bad at all. arms were just very sore and had to go more cautiously than I wanted to.
Two Hand CB arm cast
20 lbs x5/5
25 lbx5/5
35 lbs x 6/6
x7/7
x8/8
two hand shield casts
20 lbs x8/8
25 lbs x8/8 x 2 sets
bodyblade
3 x8 reps
these all felt great. definitely helped traction the tight elbows and forearms
If it's Sunday I'm not supposed to be training but we planned on doing Saturday's workout today as we knew it was going to be a very late night,especially for us, on Friday and didn't want to risk anything trying to train on very little sleep and too much wine ;).
Still it felt very weird going to Girya this morning but as I always say, it's consistency that crucial to keeping one's training momentum, not so much the intensity.It's a VERY slippery slope when one decides to start missing workouts and the more you do the weaker your mind gets and the more easy it is to miss the next one.
Until one morning you wake up and it's been weeks or even months and you're totally deconditioned and weak as a kitten. Starting over is way harder for me than just keeping going so that's what I did today. As is usually the case, you never know when you are going to pull a good workout out of the hat and today was a solid one. Go figure .
Plus, I never feel better from not training, just weaker, stiffer and older.And even though I stretched out and did tons of mobility drills yesterday it's just not the same as swinging those freaking cannonballs around. Swinging bells is just hard. But I feel so much better when I'm done.
I also did what I was supposed to do and got there early and spent a solid 30 minutes doing stretches and mobility work.
Played with the jump stretch bands tractioning my hips and shoulders ala Kelly's stuff and it was good. I did lots of what I called scap trap distractions( one arm stretch then straight arm retraction) and retractions when I first started getting into my shoulder rehab but I haven't for awhile. It's good stuff.
Never tractioned my hips before and I still have to play around with it and study more vids as it didnt feel quite right. Did do starretts couch stretch for my quads and hip flexors yesterday and got a surprising release on that area which let my hips open up even more. Nice.
When I went to bed last night I knew I was going to snatch the 24kg today instead of volume or heavy swings first. The message was sent and knew I should listen.Turned out well.
Snatch
12 kg x8/8
16 kg x6/6 x2
20 kg x5/5
24 kgx5/5 x 5 sets
x6/6
x7/7
x8/8
x10/10
112 reps
5936 lbs
I did feel a bit rusty as I haven't snatched the 24 much of late even though my snatch volume is way up since I've started snatch vo2 again.The 16 is just not the same as the 24 and it took a few ( 5) sets before it didn't feel a bit heavy.
Technique, however( from the max day) felt great and bell speed was very good as well as overall total body coordination.
I did start running out of gas though and skipped set 9/9 as I wanted to do a 10 rep set per arm and didn't think I had both sets in me.
One arm swings
24 kg x5/5
28kg x5/5
32 kg x5/5
36 kg x5/5!!!
Nice. I also knew last night that I should not worry so much about one arm swing volume and focus on it as an assistant exercise for my snatches and cleans and get it as strong as I can. this was the first time I've one armed the 36 kg. Left grip was a bit dodgy, actually, and strangely( perhaps more chalk) but the right arm was solid.
Five is definitely my favorite rep number in anything,lol.
Hike swing park
24 kg x 1 x 10 reps
28 kg uphill ladder
1x1
1x2
1x3
1x4
1x5 x 3 sets
what this means is that I would do one hike pass, then an extra swing,then park the bell. then one hike, two swings then park again,Up to five, which was way harder than I thought. Sixth rep would have been slow and that's a no-no. No slow ballistics.
Did it three times and it was killer, especially at the end.
Two clubbell swipes
(2) 10 lbs x 25
(2) 15 x 20
x15
x10
grip was going at the end so I stopped. solid though. Strange how I prefer to do one-two longer sets with this exercise and not "train" it. just the opposite of how I feel about kb swing and snatch work.
post stretch
lots of foam roll, ankle mobility, hamstring stretches and overhead hangs. Finishing with a solid stretchout has really reduced post workout stiffness and DOMS. Nice.
Continuing with this weeks theme of STEP BACK, I did not use my 8 am cancellation to train myself more with a double split but instead worked on my stretching HARD focusing on deeping my squat stretch position.
Having spent the last five days obsessing over Kelly Starret's mobility project on youtube I started playing with the foot position in my squat stretches and had great responses. More stable, deeper squat position and, most importantly, Less knee pain. In fact, almost none, except for the fact that my knee was bending more than it had done in quite some time:))
Most important was my now having a new motor pattern in my squat that actually seemed to work. At least it did all day today and that is great.The load was on my hips and glutes, not my knee, and the ankle stayed stable all day. Which is not normally the case.
Plenty of time spent on hip mobilization stretches as well as the usual overhead work. This was just what I needed.
2 pm
Snatch Vo2
16 kg
15:15 7 rep sets
37 sets
259 reps
9324 lbs
It was a long day today and did not feel very energetic going in but my groove was solid and the pace was fast. No problems with wind at all and the 37 sets just flex by. Would have done 40 easy but knew I was supposed to take it easy and was running out of fuel anyway.
Clubbell mills
10 lb club x 10/10 x 5 sets
easy 100 reps and haven't done this move in eons either. perfect for wednesdays when I start with snatches as I only have a 10 and 15 lb cb at Stones. When I can do 100 each arm with the 15 I will get a a 20 or another set of 15 for swipes as well :))
Cold water shower
wow. this is weird. It sucks when it's happening but i consistently get a very strange 'warm glow' that lasts at least 30 minutes after each dowsing session.perfect after snatch vo2 and on warm days. can't wait til it's hot everyday and I can do this more regularly.
Definitely been sorer this week than I have in eons. Not sure the tgu's are going to be that helpful to my shoulder as they really made my pecs work and that's what I've been working on releasing all these years of rehab! We'll see but the volume definitely had an effect.
Tight pecs and lats do not help my shoulder ROM so it will be interesting to see whether my stretching and mobility protocols can overcome just a smidgeon of technique work on the move. After last weeks 32 kg training I pushed the re set button for a three week minicycle alternating the 32, then the 24 then the 28 kg before resetting again with the 24.
Today was the start and I was hoping the 24 was going to feel as light as it should. Luckily it did and it definitely helped to get my full one hour stretchout going early at just slightly before 6 am. I needed the extra time, that's for sure.
Especially when I had a bunch of new things to try out that I got of Kelly Starretts Youtube channel :))
6 am -7 am stretchout
usual stretches plus the pec minor release with tennis ball as well as 1st rib mobilization and shoulder tractioning and external rotation work with jump stretch bands. Also squat stretch on back against wall, coffee table hip rotator work. RKC level 2.o hip flexor stretch and lOTS of ankle mobility work as well as big toe extension work.
2-3 minute overhead shoulder stretch holds, 3 ways and the usual bretzells and their variations.
8:30
warmup
one arm swings 3 x5/5/5 16 kg
one arm cleans 2 x 5/5 16 kg
long cycle clean and press
16 kg x4/4
20 kg x3/3
x2/2
24 kg x5/5 x 5 sets
The video clip above shows the last set and I was finally getting warmed up by then! My shoulders were way tight, lats too but they finally opened up a bit. the weight felt light and moved fast but things were creaky.
Two hard arm cast
25 lb clubbell x 10/10 x 4 sets
these felt great. thought about the 35 but wanted to stay light
one arm shield cast
10lbs x 10/10
15 lbs x 8/8
x10/10
was ahead of schedule and threw it in. good balance for shoulder as it turned out.
two hand shield cast
20 lbs x 10/10
25 lbs x 10/10
It was the first time Tracy and I wore the same shirt to train in,lol. Too funny.
Tracy wanted to do more so we finished with these. SO cool to train with my woman on Tuesdays, just she and me.Her presses are getting so much better all the time,and her shoulder development is keeping up with her form and strength.Go figure.
Bodyblade laterals
3x10/10
man these are way harder than they should be. laterals delts are just tired, lol.great finisher.
Barbell Deadlifts(!)
135 x 1 x 10 sets
drove home and walked right to the bar and pulled 10 singles with about 10 seconds rest between them. double overgrip and it felt so weird and yet so familiar to pull again. Like riding a bike and I wanted to put more weight on the bar but definitely knew better.We will definitely have to wait and see about adding this in the mix.
It's been a great ramp up but today I knew it was definitely time to scale down the load and the intensity. No worries, it felt right. My arms ,especially my forearms, were pretty dang toasty from all those heavy swipes and fast snatches.
Volume or intensity, both wear you down, just in different ways, and require different types of recovery. There is also the synergy of fatigue that occurs when you mix them together in a training cycle as well.
Today felt like the right time to up the stretching part of my training for the next week and downplay the loading.
7-8 am
full hour stretchout. got some great new shoulder mobility ideas from Matt Schinabecks blog NorthWest Kettlebells. I really got on the pec minor with the tennis ball and it got right to the point,lol. Great new stuff. I also put the tennis ball behind the first rib and did shoulder mobility work as well.
MY right shoulder flexibility and movement is SO much better than ever but it still has SO long to go to where it is really normal. Oh well, what's the alternative?
Used the high density rumble roller as well and this thing is intense. just great on the messed up adhesions in and around my knee, calf and hammy.You can really manipulate the prongs to get right inside individual sections of each muscle; very much like the thumbs of a serious deep tissue worker. I now see I need the full size one as well. Too much trouble to manipulate the little guy for everyday use.
For travel it will rock.Just like my little netbook,lol.great for travel , not so much for home.
TGU to straight arm support.
body weight x 3 x3 ( just working the rolling pattern)
10 kg x3/3/
12 kg x3/3
16 kg x3/3 x 3 sets
For some reason I can now do these on my right side and my shoulder is fine! ? This is very odd because ever since coming home from my RKC In 2005 I had to give up on the right side tgu because my right shoulder wouldn't tolerate it and I didn't want to overwork my already overworked left shoulder.
But teaching it so much these days for HKC's, RKC re certs and preparing students for all of the above I do the bodyweight version a lot and now it seems I can put some weight overhead as well. Nice.
Left side is actually weaker at the 16kg because my left leg/hip doesn't want to play nice in that position and the left rectus/oblique/tfl and rolling pattern is weaker.
Power Swings( 2 hand)
16kg x 10
20 kg x10
24kg x20
32 kg x5/5
x6/6
x7/7
x8/8
x9/9
x10/10
90 reps
1,1460 pounds
Since my arms were cooked the idea of one arms to start was not fun.Plus it was time to lighten the load so I started with these. good idea. it went very well and 10 reps with the 32 was not easy at all to keep the speed up for every part of every rep. Precisely the idea :))
One arm swings
16 kg x5/5+5 transfers x 2
20 kg x5//+5 trn
24 kg x 5/5
x6/6
x7/7
x8/8
x9/9
x10/10
These started tough and finished well. MY tight forearms reminded me not to grip too tight.
KB arm bar
16 kg x3 x 5 sec holds
20 kg x3 x 5 sec holds
actually too tired to do anything else and should have called it but decided to see how these felt. they were ok but I could feel more fatigue in the pecs shoulders and upper and decided enough...
of those but then
Hanging leg raises
3 sets of 6 reps
ok, now I'm really done. 20 minutes of stretching and then into some food and rest.
I had a 6 am opening today and thought it might be 'fun' to do my swipe workout first thing, then do snatch vo2 when I got home today at 2pm. In the world of bodybuilding, and, strangely enough, Olympic Weightlifting, splitting up workouts to increase intensity as well as increase recovery is a well established method among the hardcore.
I know that ,especially because they are both high rep workouts, that whatever gets done first will have the most energy, and the most intensity as well. But even though swipes are MUCH easier on my body than snatches 6 am is about as early as I can even think of doing anything but stretching.
I also had to decide whether to just train first or to stretch first and then train. I only had 75 total minutes to get it all done and ready for work so I had to decide. I chose to train first and stretch after as I was feeling pretty 'spry' when I got to Girya and Tracy, of course, jumped right into her million rep swing workout with no warmup :))
That wasn't the right choice but no harm no foul, just the realization that I always need to stretchout before the first workout:))
6 am
warmup:
two clubbell rockits/swings:
10's x 30 seconds x 3 sets
15's x 30 seconds x 2 sets
20's x 20 seconds x 2 sets
Swipes
10's x 10 x 2
15's x 10 x2
20's x 10 x 5 sets
15's x 20 x 3 sets
OUCH! this was NOT easy at all. The warm ups went great but five sets of 10 with two 20's was seriously tough: on my grip! My forearms and wrist are tired and this challenged then well. the move felt strong and it was the most volume I have done with the 20's.
The 3 sets of 20 with the 15's were tough on the grip as well after about 10 reps.
One CB Shield cast
10 lbs x 100 reps continuous. Switching arms every 10 reps.
This was a bonus. Had some time and decided to do these light and just kept going. Very strong.
6:40 - 7 am
stretchout and TGU practice with 12 kg
left hammy was tight as a drum and needed some extra attention. actually practiced my tgu on BOTH side up to the high bridge position and couldn't believe how good the right side felt! I haven't had this much ROM in that shoulder in that movement EVER!
3-4 sets of 3 reps each in the half tgu.
It's a good thing stretching doesn't work ;}}
2 pm Snatch Vo2
15:15
16 kg
35 sets of 7
245 reps
8,820 lbs
this was so strong and easy. and fast, despite my tight forearms. Nice that it was cool out today so the sweat wasn't a factor. that won't last long but it was good today! really brought my stance in today and it felt better.Everything felt strong and fast. I want to work up to 50 sets and cycle from 35 to 50 sets every 4 weeks. When 50 sets of 7 are easy start in on 8's.
Deadlifts
135 x 5 singles.
I can't believe it,lol. I've set up the deadlift bar in my garage now so it's always loaded to 135 and thought I would start pulling again a bit and see how it felt. Hey, first presses then two hand swings, and now pullups and tgu's? why not deadlifts too? Start easy and do just a few singles. If can work up to 5 singles or so with 300 everything else would start to feel very light indeed. Why not?
It felt very very odd indeed though, setting up against a deadlift bar. It's been a long long time.
Cold Shower : longer than a minute this time,lol. This sucks during but I feel SO good after, for quite awhile, strangely enough. I can feel the physical reaction in my skin as well as my core. Can't wait for the real heat, I will be cold water dowsing all over the place.
It's always when you least expect it. Both good and bad, it seems. I've been on a roll of late, a good one but yesterday I felt like I had been beat up by someone with a baseball bat and a bad day. Everything was sore; in a good way sore, muscle sore not joint or tweaked sore but sore nonetheless.
I figured I was do after the nonstop weekend last week and then extra workouts, very high rep sets on new movments followed by more but heavier hi rep sets and then some really heavy stuff on Saturday. My idea of great fun but I was reminded, over and over in my head of numerous things.
1) Don't be greedy
2) The next step off a peak is always down, step back or fall off.
3) My "tough guy" periodization schedule ' heavy, heavier , heavier, injured, light, light, heavier, etc.
4)You have to balance intensity with recovery efforts and
5) Don't increase loads more than 5% a week at best.
I don't where I was but it was more than 5% of the week before, that I knew.
But I also knew that I hadn't felt this good in years. Really, years. Maybe 15 or more and I was like a kid with a new toy, I wanted to take it for a ride and play with it. I was almost giddy with being able to put some weight on the gas pedal for a change and seemingly take my foot completely off the brake for awhile too.
But rules # 1 and 2 were yelling at me and I didn't really know where the peak was this time, which is always the problem.
Hence, Rule #1.
Travel and teaching always impacts my training, as it has to, and it should because my priority these days is not any meeting on a platform,nor training personal bests or looking to find my limits but staying steady, increasing my function and work capacity and being able to do my job as best I can as often as I can and maximized THAT potential.
Oh and yeah. Stay the hell out of pain. Yeah that.
I haven't pressed the 32 kg since Jan 18 and I've been itching too but I couldn't rush the schedule at all and take a risk of tweaking something so I was really looking forwards to playing with it today, on schedule after a real weekend of training and recovery. Not teaching and airports.
So when I got home from work and gotten progressively more beat up through the afternoon I thought for sure it was the end of the run and really time to back off and lighten up today.
But I woke up feeling pretty damn good, recovered even, with very little muscle soreness stiff ness or joint pain. Wow. Naps and good sleep and great food can do that it seems.Nice
But I knew I still wouldn't know til after the 24 or maybe even the 28 kg was in my hands. Sometimes it's a light gravity day and sometimes gravity is pissed off. Today gravity was on a personal day.
6 am-7 am full stretchout with emphasis on overhead stretches and prepping the lats for later. Full body stretch though. Everything relaxed on cue.
8:30am
one arm swings+ transfers warmup
16 kg x5/5/5 x3
cleans
16 kg x5/5 x2
Clean and press Short cycle
16 kg x4/4
x3/3
20 kg x3/3
24 kg x3/3
x2/2
28kg x 1/1
32 kg x 1/1 x 5 sets!
Strong! I knew I was good when although I was planning on taking two low rep warmups with the 28 I knew I didn't need more than one. The 32 felt light in my hand, on the backswing and and in the rack. EXACTLY how it's supposed to feel. I also knew I could have done multiple reps with it but that was the not being greedy part.
I probably shouldn't have even been pressing it today but it was great! As I was lowering the first rep of the first set with the 32 I actually thought;'this is going to be a regular weight soon and the 36 kg is next.
Almost forgot how good strong feels.
Also here's little video tutorial I made during the warmups on how I use the lats for the press; how I can pull the elbow down to get a good front delt prestretch and a lat contraction at the same time OR JUST flex the lats and still get a good launch with no downward motion of the arm at all after the clean.
Personally, with my shoulder history I'm all for using the safest technique I can and that's pulling the elbow down a bit and flaring the lats at the start. If I need to be tested I can do it but I'm not training like that.
Two hand clubbell arm casts
15lbs x 5/5
25 lbs x5/5
35 lbs x 10/10 x 3 sets PR!!
wow this was strong too! Crazy hard though. The second arm fatigues way more than you expect after how strong the first side is.I probably should do each side as a separate set and just change grips after a decent rest. second side always gets gipped ;))
Bodyblade laterals
3 sets of 8/8
shoulders cooked and done.
Now that I've gotten back and have some down time for awhile perhaps I can cycle my presses like this
week one 24 kg
week two 28 kg
week three 32 kg
repeat cycle then on week seven 20 kg for reps or a special press exercise( stacked press, bottoms up etc)
I can determine the sets and reps for that load that day and based on the previous weeks training. Being able to use the 32 every third week will really set me up for the 36.
The background for my new business cards :)) I talked a little about this new method of training the swing and snatch that Tracy and I developed during an HKC trying to troubleshoot a candidate that could not reset his hips very well after the first rep. He could do so well at the start of the hike pass but then would stay too upright for the his subsequent swings.
I fixed that by having him replace the bell on the ground for each and every rep after that, as a muscle memory drill and it worked. I just thought of it as another good cue to use with a student but Tracy took the ball and ran with it creating all kinds of new ways to program it for her classes.
Being a powerlifter at heart I quickly realized that here was a way that I could get away without doing so many reps per set, lift even heavier AND not only keep the speed and power levels up but INCREASE them.
This was a way to train the swing for SINGLES and make it even harder than rep sets. The pure essence of Hardstyle, if you will.
" We choose Power over efficiency. Striving for max acceleration in the quick lifts and max tension in the grinds".
This IS the definition of RKC Hardstyle and here was way to really train the swing and snatch for max acceleration.
Tracy called the technique simply : Hike, Swing, Park" as it describes what to do perfectly. But the more I have trained them the more I want to call them Power Swings, as this perfectly describes the intent of each and every rep.
It immediately reminded me of training box squats WSB style. The reason WSB squats onto boxes instead of free squats is that sitting on the box deactivates the stretch reflex, which really helps one coming out of the bottom of a squat strongly.
The same reason touch and go benches are easier than paused benches is that the pause (somewhat) diminishes the stretch reflex and makes the lift harder. Pausing on a box before standing up requires one to overcome way more inertia and teaches one how to increase their starting strength, rate of force development as well as speed strength.
AND you can use less weight and get more results. Nice.
The Power swing does basically the same thing for the kettlebell swings BUT I've found I can actually use MORE weight in each set, although for significantly less reps. Getting more with less, sounds good.
Because I get to re set up before each rep and make sure I am in the perfect start position it feels very safe as well.
I talked to Pavel about this and he said he guessed it would require 35 % more energy to do the same work than if done with the stretch reflex engaged! That's a lot. PLUS you get the extra benefit of all that static strength in the bottom position.
This is detailed in our new DVD that Dragon Door is producing on Master the Hardstyle Kettlebell Swing but here's what it looks like:
You can apply the same techniques to the snatch as well. Here is my last set of 5's with the 24 kg:
The DVD should be out before we know it.We've seen the rough cut and man we are proud already !!
Starting each set from a dead stop is NO JOKE. Enjoy
The workout:
7:30-8 am stretchout( REALLY needed this. Got serious Multiple DOMS from the tues, wed and thursday workouts,lol) Plus I did not stretch out as seriously as I needed to afterwards and things are tightening up fast. Especially the lats with all those swipes.
No worries just have to stretch them out but my stretch work is a workout many times holding poses for 3 minutes plus!
I'm not always in the mood :))
8am
One arm swings
16kg x5/5+5 transers x 2 sets
20 kg x5/5/5
24 kg x5/5/5
28 kg x5/5/5 x 5 sets
32 kg x 5/5 x 3 sets
This went very well and the weights felt light even though my arms were still a bit sore and tight.Nice to play with the two pood again.
Power snatch
16 kg x5/5
20 kg x5/5
24 kg x5/5
man there is not much volume there but it kicked my ass! and nicks too.it just makes it so easy to try to accelerate each and every rep maximally ( concentrically). I make sure to keep the one arms using the stretch reflex to train that too.
I plan on moving the lifts around on this day to make sure I don't favor one form of ballistic development over the other. it will create a natural periodization. I almost started with the two hand swing but tried to "stay on schedule", i.e. what I wrote down earlier. Mixing it up according to what is most fatigued makes more sense.
Power Swings
24 kg x10
28kg x8
32 kg x6
36 kg x 5
40 kg (!) x 5
Nice! this was the first time I have swung the 40 in ages and it was strong. I stopped there from either doing another or more sets or going up because the bell speed was slowing down at the end of the set and that's the cue your power output is going down. Plus I was tired,lol
Tactical Pullups
3,3,3,3
12 kg on foot x 1/2
wow.I've been working with a client that's going to Level 2 in Hungary with Tracy and I and I will be teaching the tactical pullup at the cert and have been thinking that since I can press again perhaps I can do pullups again without locking up my shoulder.
This day seemed like a good day to put them and they were easy. I really focused on my hollow position with toe flexion and pulled with the elbows in touching the neck at the top. Still need way more shoulder extension to get to the collarbone but it's a good start.
Put the 12 kg bell on my toe just to see how it felt and it felt hard! Man, I could feel every flexor muscle in the front of my body tighten up as I pulled. Half way is a good enough start and I want to workout up to 5x 5 before I start adding more weight.
This getting better stuff is FUN! It's 12:34 now as I write this and I already feel way recovered. Nice.
No ill effects from yesterday's impromptu swipe test so I decided to train as planned today; more swipes with the 15 lb clubs and snatch Vo2 in the garage.
As per usual in California it decided to switch from winter to summer in one day so it was pretty steamy in the garage( 86 deg) and I remembered well the problems I had before when trying to do snatch vo2 into high sets: TOO MUCH SWEATING all over everything,lol.
I resorted to double sweat bands, head bands,multiple bells ( to switch out when I sweated on them) and it didn't help much. I've decided if I have to take a break to towel off no biggie. I want to battle my conditioning not the sweat.
Today wasn't too bad but I can see where it's going.
5:30-6 am stretchout
1pm two clubbell swipe test with 15 lbers
one warmup set of 10 with the 10's then right to it!
Despite having done 100 yesterday these felt good from the start and I knew I could get my fifty as soon as I got going. definitely I have to make sure not to get greedy and push things too fast across the board. Especially now as I have some non travel down time and want to make some solid progress in my training.
Make Haste Slowly :))
2pm Stones Gym San Jose
Snatch Vo2 15:15
one warmup set with 14 kg for 5/5 then into it too
16kg x 32 sets of 7 reps
224 reps
8064 lbs
16 min work
these felt alright but I could feel the fatigue in my arms from yesterday's and today's high reps swipes. the bell speed stayed fine but I didn't want to do more.
I will have to alternate which exercise goes first from now on so I don't overtrain either the swipes or the snatches.The arms feel heavy now,lol.
( ...pumped :))
Wind was very good and teshnik felt solid also. I finally feel like I have a solid bottom position in this move to be able to both shock absorb and rebound out of. That's one of the things that makes Tracy able to snatch so fast and with such power is that she really can reverse and produce force out of the bottom of her swing AND her kb snatch.
It's taken me forever to find it, as usual.
Oh yes, I took my first ice shower today in ages. Just about 60 seconds but at least I could make myself do it. When I read Tim Ferris's book I knew I wanted to get back into some cold water immersion but just couldn't even CONCEIVE of it this winter, where I froze my ass off :))
But I also knew that I would love it when this city starts to cook and it was great although the speed of which it raises your heart rate is shocking.
Definitely cooled me off quickly though!
Recover is everything. You can only train as hard as you can recover from on a regular basis so this will be a new focus for me now.
Now that I can actually "train" a bit again. Nutrition, mental prep, peacefulness, mind control, and continuing to keep stretching and making sure I keep working towards my foundation goal of square, plump and neutral all over and stay injury free.
Well at least as much as this old frame can be:))
Rest and some serious stretching tonite and tomorrow and then lots of swings on saturday!
Had an unexpected cancellation this morning and what to do with the time? Normally I would just stretch out but I have been thinking about doing a five minute clubbell swipe test since I did such an easy 50 reps last week and stopped myself.
I was going to do it tomorrow but felt so good I figured I could do the test and still have plenty of time to stretch out. I've done 300 continuous with this light weight but that was eons ago.
I decided to do it cold, no warmup at all and I forgot chalk but really didn't need it. It was very easy for me; I wish the five minute snatch test, even with the 16 kg was this easy,lol. But this is a very natural move for me. I even got a nice sprint in to the finish. Just like old times :))
Tomorrow I will shoot for 50 with the 15's and then work up to 100 with the 15's again before doing the same with the 20's.
Not too long ago two days after returning from being on my feet for 12 plus hours three days straight would have meant no training at all for a week and being in serious physical pain the whole time.
Man it's been a very busy three months! So much has happened so fast and we have been all over the place for so long it's hard to imagine that it's pretty much done- for now. At least the traveling that is,lol. At least until August and we get to go to Hungary again. But that's a way's off and now I can settle into a stable schedule again and let my training really take off.
After this last weekend's whirlwind of RKC Re Certs, HKC and seminar and too many 13 + hour days I knew today would be a tough one and it was.I didn't taper for the weekend work as I usually would but I was just feeling too good to back off and it was no problem.
Except for being super sore today, lol. Before I started training. But I was also anxious to get back to regular training and today is my favorite day: I get to train with my wife and it's my favorite workout of the week- long cycle clean and presses.
6 am stretchout;
usual suspects with most emphasis on opening up very tight hamstrings, hip flexors and most especially LATS ,lol. Go figure.Shoulders were nice and creaky.
8:30am
warmup:
one arm swings+ transfers 16kg x 5/5/5 x 3
cleans -5/5/ x2
Long cycle clean and press
16 kg x5/5
20 kg x 4/4
x2/2
24 kg x5/5 x 4 sets
not bad at all and at the end I was finally starting to warmup but I knew I didn't need any more overhead work today.The bell moved well and felt light
Two clubbell Swings
10 lbs x 20 x2
15 lbs x 15 x2
20 lbs x 15 x1
really felt I needed these to help traction my elbows and activate my rotator cuff. Just what I needed felt very solid after
One CB arm casts
20 lbs x 10/10
25 lbs x10/10 x 3
wow, I was starting to gas.time to step down. Sr RKC Peter Lakatos equates traveling and the state of being overtrained. I think he's right on. Of course Hungary to US is not San Jose to Seattle but it's still a small version of the same phenomenon.
I blew out my knee in a tumbling accident at age 17 and have had to deal with that and other serious injuries ever since. I am 54. That is a long time to have such a physical career and life and figure out how to work around joints that never worked right.
Looking back now things really weren't too bad until I was 33 and started powerlifting. As much as I learned from that extensive study of the world of extreme and absolute strength it cost me. Having to make my asymmetrical body conform to the rules of a sport it wasn't built for is what pushed me over the line. Squatting below 90 degrees with a knee that only bent 85 on a good day put way too much load on the spine.
Add in all the crazy ass round back lifting we did to get stronger also put crazy loads on my spine. Oh, and the crazy ass heavy loads we lifted just in the classical lifts were the icing on the cake :))
orthopedic-ally speaking.
So it's been along time since I could just go in the gym, train hard and not expect to pay some heavy duty price for the privilege of trying to get stronger and more enduring.
But lately it's been just the opposite. I did a great heavy workout yesterday and woke up this morning ready to go again, Even at the crazy 6 am hour which is the earliest I have 'trained' inn forever.Besides stretching that is.
So, back to back days, early morning training AND a double split workout with snatch vo2 at the end today!
Woo Hoo. And, nothing felt like it was going to tear or fall off afterwards either.
It was a gamble considering I have to fly to Seattle tomorrow for three straight days of non stop Hardstyle KB teaching and training. But it seemed like a good bet and I still think I'm right.
My body just feels differently these days. I just need a new knee( pun intended) and that will make the final difference.
SO;
6 am 30 minute stretchout then
Two Clubbell rockits
10's x 40 reps x 3 sets
15's x 30 reps x 3 sets
20's x 20 reps x 2 sets
Two Clubbell Swings
10's x 15, 20
15's x 12, 15
20's x 10,100
Two Clubbell swipes
10's x 50 reps 2:30 sec
These went great and I kept the rest periods down.Serious quad burner with the rockits. These moves are so much easier for me than kbs that's for sure. I did the 50 reps no problem and was seriously going to do 100 when my brain kicked in and remembered what I had to do this weekend and what I did yesterday. But 100 will fall very soon and then with the 15's as well.
Man, I LOVE being able to write that :)) I love feeling, even just a little bit, like the old me. All these years of stretching and correctives and searching for square, plumb and neutral is finally paying off.
And damn, I earned it.
2 pm
Snatch Vo2
15:15
16 kg
28 sets of 7 reps
196 reps
7056 lbs
Really didn't want to do this one as I was beat from the early start and training and then seven consecutive privates. And it was cold and rainy but there was really no reason not too but laziness so out to Stones gym and it went great. Hey it was barely 15 minutes.
Last week I did 25 sets of 6 and 7 sets of 7. Today ALL sevens and it was no problem. Taking some time off max vo2 obviously did some good. I like to go hard and fast and that's exactly what Snatch Vo2 is all about
Tomorrow off to Seattle and a SERIOUS Hardstyle weekend! Can't wait.
That's what I thought last night before I went to sleep and the first thing this morning when I woke up. I spent SO long jacked up and having rehab be my "training" that actually being able to train for real is such a joy.
To be able to ramp up each exercise each week and not break down with regularity, to be able to push a bit during the exercises and not suffer negative consequences is more than a blessing,it's a miracle. Because I love to train; I love to move, strongly, smooth and with strength, power and confidence. To feel that strength, power and confidence grow each week as my training workload goes up in either volume or intensity or ramp down not because I am tweaked again, but because I had such a good workout last time I know I need to step down so I don't fall.
Ed Coan always talked about how he knew he could make the weights that were on the schedule for this week because of how strong he made his weights the last week and today's were just a little bit more. He always succeeded and that made it even easier to succeed again.
Many don't like small jumps in their training cycle but I love them. They are almost invisible to me mentally and this gives me great confidence when I am under the load;which could be THE key to lifting heavy weights.
I used 2.5 lb plates all the time to continually set pr's on my max effort days when I was powerlifting.Just five total pounds but if you don't miss much it adds up fast in the intervening weeks and months of a training cycle
And I believe the real secret it consistency so they REALLY add up when you don't miss training sessions.
With my KB's I don't have such tiny jumps but after manhandling the 24 kg last week in my long cycle clean and press I kept saying to myself that the 28kg is JUST ten pounds more. What the hell is ten pounds and why would I let it intimidate me?
I wouldn't and that made all the difference. You must lift the weight in your mind first or you can't lift it in the gym. I've known that for many many years as I gymnast but Ed really brought this home to me as a powerlifter. And I didn't forget that lesson now as a kb athlete because strength is strength, no matter where or how it is expressed and many of the same lessons apply.
Especially when it is heavy. Or you THINK it is heavy.
It's all easy til it's heavy right? lol.
I am NOT being greedy these days and never know what the workload will really be until I get going but it's been a pretty steady accounting these days and for that I truly give thanks. I LOVE to feel strong and train hard. It's what I live for.
What I've lived for almost all my life and it still works for me. It's just been a long break .I am a patient man.Consistency trumps intensity but it also creates intensity, just over the long haul.
It's also nice not to train scared. Scared like the next rep might cause your back to explode or some basic muscles is going to tear off type of scared. And still know you have to do something and even the lightest, stupidest, easiest for almost everybody else in the world movement might have the exact same effect as a medium heavy lift.
When you're between a rock and a hard place sometimes the only way to go is up:))
So:
6-7 am stretchout
Focus on side splits, lat openers and overhead stick work. Also back to doing Paul Chek style quadraped horse stance stability work with both ankles in dorsiflexion and this is really helping my left ankle mobility which would have to come up A LOT to get to sucks.
8 am with my training partner and Queen
warmup
two clubbell swings 10 lbs x 20 reps x 2
one arm swings 16 kg x5/5/5 transfers x3
one arm cleans 16 kg x5/5/3/3
long cycle clean and press
16 kg x5/5
20 kg x3/3
x2/2
24 kg x 2/2
28 kg x2/2
x3/3
x4/4
x2/2
x3/3
x4/4 PR ladder!
wow, did NOT expect this.even though I feel the 28 kg is an everday pressing weight this is where the rubber hits the road for me now in the press and where my perception of 'heavier' and 'respect' kick in. And I've never done long cycle clean and presses with the 28 so it definitely had my respect.
I thought I might just be able to do doubles for multiple sets when I got started but they were strong and easy and I wasn't sure how hard to push because I felt really good. Even after I did the top of the ladder I was thinking I was going back to 1 rep and start the ladder over but 4 was no issue.
Good to feel good.
and Tracy ROCKED her 16 kg press and her 20kg clean ladders. She will be pressing the 20 kg in the near future as she is with the 16 kg now. It's not if, it's when. I so love being able to train with her, and, as or more importantly on the same skill as her. It's a blast to see her get so strong on what she thought was a weakness ;))
EDIT: looking over the press video I see I really have to focus more on keep my thighs tight as I press as I was seriously leaking power there. I was focused on my glutes but still felt a bit wobbly and now I know why. Note to self.
Two Hand Clubbell arm cast
20 lbs x10/10
25 x8/8
35x10/10
x10/10
these were strong and easy and fast.this is such great shoulder arm as well as pec and middle back work.
Two Hand Clubbell Shield cast
20 lbs x10/10
25 lbs x10/10
x10/10
Grip and shoulders and arms cooked ! everything got tired fast now, lol.
Bodyblade laterals
3 sets of 8/8 and I'm out. perfect nothing left but never let intensity or quality fall.
datsit. Perhaps two cb swipes and max vo2 tomorrow as we leave for seattle thursday but I won't know till tomorrow.
Ok, I'll admit it. In the past I've suffered from a bit of GS envy. In many ways, if I were still competing in anything( beside powerlifting) GS would be my choice. It just so appeals to my inner masochist as well as my desire to focus on a simple thing and Master it, in all it's subtleties and nuances.
You don't need a spotter, you don't need a training parter( not truly), and, like powerlifting, it is completely quantifiable. You have your numbers and you can hang on them. When powerlifters talk about their lifts it's like they are talking about their children. Don't mess with their numbers because they are completely hard won.
Powerlifters ( guys who get on platforms and compete in front of judges, THOSE powerlifters) KNOW that a 501 squat is NOT a 523 squat and would never take credit for it. Bodybuilders are notorious for " rounding off" their training poundages because that's not what their lifting is about; it's about their physique.
But powerlifters know better. And why in their mind gym lifts don't count. I've benched 490 in the gym but only 435 in a three lift competition. It's just not even close to the same thing( which is why the recent trend in GS comps- the ability to earn your ranking by video- is very disturbing to me) and I bet GS competitors feel this way too.
But the bottom line for me is that a ten minute test, hell even the 5 minute RKC test is basically an aerobic test more than anything and man I HATE that energy system. Plus my injured shoulder still doesn't like spending too much time resting in the overhead position and my knees and shoulder can't do jerks at all.
Brett Jones always jokes and says anything over 3 reps is cardio and I pretty much agree. Now I've done my share of running swimming and cycling and I do well with low intensity long duration IF the intensity is low. With anything high intensity I like to go hard, rest and repeat.
Also, GS is a SPORT and the key is to improve your numbers NOT to improve your physique or your strength and power, three things that are at the top of my list these days. Now that I'm not the physical wreck I was I LOVE being able to lift heavy(er) again, feel my muscularity improve and look like I can lift something.
Although there are many in GS with great physiques there are just as many with almost no muscle and great numbers, same as in powerlifting. I like muscle. There, I said it( yea, that's a surprise, I competed for 8 years in bodybuilding, big shock there.)
And Hardstyle training is about that as well. About strength, and power and speed and force and muscle. And true to my new resolution to train my strengths as well as my weak points I am done making any and all apologies for my lust for power, strength and muscle mass via Hardstyle!
If I need to pass my snatch test again I will just do it but I'm not going to torture myself with endless low intensity high rep sets. My inner masochist isn't that bad :))Especially these days.
Except for the clubbell swipes. For some reason I don't mind doing high rep sets with those. I can make one exception for something that's actually easier for me :))
And now, with the new techniques Tracy and I have developed for training the swing, snatch and cleans from the start position I can really let loose! I call this the Box Squat of KB ballistics because it works the same way: removing the stretch reflex from the lift and training starting strength, speed strength and power as well as working on perfecting form at the same time.
And it's COMPLETELY Hardstyle at it's roots. Love love love it :))
Low reps with max acceleration and multiple sets are where I am at these days and that's that. Hardstyle Strong.
Power to us indeed!
7 am
stretchout : 30 minutes
One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 + 5 transfers x2
20 kg x 5/5/5 x 2
24 kg x5/5/5x 2
28 kg x5/5
32 kg x5/5 x 8 sets
Nice. Haven't done this many one arms with the 32 in a long time.Not hammering my arms on thursday is the key.clubbell swipes and max vo2 with the 16 is not the same. perfect
Starting Strength Snatches
16 kg x5/5
20 kg x4/4
24 kg x3/3 x 5 sets
ok, these are way harder than I thought they would be. perfect.
Starting strength two hand swings
24 kg x5
28 kg x5
32 kg x5
36 kg x5
again, way harder than they look. more about these later when our dvd comes out.
Two Clubbell swings
2/ 10's x 20
2/ 15's x 15
2/ 20's x12
x 14
x 16
2/ 15's x 18
man I wanted to go up with the 20's for the 18 and then a 20 rep set but I was cooked and I knew it. When the bell speed slows down and power is down no sense in continuing.
20 minute cooldown stretchout and called it a day. Very pleased.
Had time to split up today's workout again and this is turning out to be really good for the intensity. I had a full hour to devote to my clubbell training, got my stretching in and still upped the snatch Vo2 ante when I got home. I do love training snatches in the garage with AC/DC blaring and the remnants of so many great workouts of the past lingering still in the platforms.
I shouldn't have felt strong today as my sleep is still off due to the time change but I was and of course I went with it. I didn't feel particularly strong as I started the workout but as per my rule; get things started, break a sweat and then decide.
Gravity was light today and I was strong. A nice combo. I also noticed my muscle size and density are really up of late and my leanness as well. My supplement combos are working well and I think I LOVE this new one recommended by Mike Mahler( bulbine natalensis) which helps increase natural test levels and lower estrogen. The Mag oil, the bulbine,more Vit D, and dhea are really helping this old horse get it's strength and recovery back as well.
Increasing arginine, green tea extract alpha lipoic acid and N Acetyl cysteine are doing wonders for recover as well. I love it when I can actually train hard AND recover. What a concept! Kinda like how I used to feel.
5:30 am
30 min stretchout
8 am
2 Clubbell rockits
10 lbs x 20 x2
15 lbs x 15 x 2
20 lbs x 10 x2
man these really get my legs burning fast! perfect for the warmup and very easy on my body.
2 Clubbell swings
10 lbs x 20 x2
15 lb x15 x2
20 lbs x 10 x2
all swings to parallel or just a bit above. love the elbow tractioning effect these give as well as the ease of shoulder packing.
2 Clubbell swipes
10 lbs x 20
x 30
15 lbs x 15
x20
20 lbs x 10 x 3 sets
10 lbs x 50!!
These went way better than expected. I was planning on two sets of 15 with the 15 lber but after the first set I thought I better get to the 20's if I planned on doing them as the 15's were not easy at all.
BUT the 20's went much better than expected and instead of just one set of 10 I knocked off three! It's a LONG way from 100 reps but it's a solid start
AND the down set of 50 with the 10's was a very nice surprise as well. Hadn't counted on that but I felt so damn good ( haven't said that in ages)I didn't want to stop.
10 minute shoulder stretchout.
1 pm Snatch Vo2
had to get this thing going as my energy was taking a turn for the worst and I was getting hungry.
Snatch vo2
15:15
16 kg
25 sets of 6
5 sets of 7
30 sets total
185 reps
this was easy! my groove felt perfect and crisp and my cardio was definitely better than last week.that is one thing I have always observed with max vo2 training in myself and my clients is the incredibly rapid improvement that one can make even with just one workout a week.
I also had to demo a lot of level 2 skills with my last client and was pretty tight going into the workout or I would have just started with 7's. Very soon.
PLUS I get two whole days off before I have to train swings on saturday! Nice
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