Thursday Ruck, Start of Heat training

 Not summer yet but today was the first hot ruck in forever. Wasn't bad at all, in fact it was one of the strongest days in awhile. Slept well and that always helps

45 lbs

6 laps

3 miles

55 min

top speed 3.5

174.8

195 x 1 x 5, 190 x 1 x 5, 20 kg speed swings 5 x 8/8, floor pushups 40, 40

 Made the correction to a more upright  start position ( just in the hips) and it fixed the balance problem at lockout

this went very well although I was stiff and a bit sore from Monday's workload

Same setup

Low bar rack

Hip in front of bar , torso perpendicular to floor, elbows up and in, spot the X

Unrack with  hips straight up

Push away from bar, drive hips and press to X ( all simultaneously)

then 155 x 1
        175 x 1
        195 x 1 x 5

then 190 for 5 sets of 1

BW 175.2

205, 215, 217.5,205 x 1 x 6, 190 x 1 x 3, laterals, rear delts bw pushups

 Well this went great. not perfect but the basic premise worked and I'm happy. I was not optimistic at all about this at all given recent workouts but the ideas held

1) low bar rack

2) OBSESS ABOUT THE X

3) Push away from the bar to start

4) Press to the X

The only problem I had was loosing balance at the  lockout. Not sure why but the start was fast and leverage was good at the top

I'll review the videos and figure the balance out but this felt great

175.0

Sunday Ruck

 Legs were heavy and tired from yesterdays hard swing workout. Lungs felt good just not a lot of energy to push hard, but steady good effort anyway

45 lbs

9 laps

4.5 miles

1:32 ( with stops and dogs )

top speed 3.5

ave speed 3.2

32 kg swings 20 x 10, 32 kg belt squats 3 x 10, pistol practice 4 x 3, pullaparts 3 x 30

 This is always a tough workout now, doing 10's, even with just one arm. Just so not used to it but it was strong and good. Doing just the one arm really lets me use Hardstyle on every rep of every set and it's never easy!

Ended up with a fast pace too doing all 20 sets in just under 30 minutes. Heartrate was between 130 and 150 for most of the session

174.8 

Thursday Ruck

 Unexpectedly strong one. cool almost cold day even with sun out. Legs felt loose and fast from the start .

Not super fast but finished  stronger than the start

45 lb ruck

6 laps

53 min

3 miles

17.66 min miles

175. BW

Low bar press redux, 195 x 1 x 6, 190 x 1 x 6, 20 kg swings 5 x 8/8, floor pushups 40, 35

 This went very well. Started out as   'understood' load the bow concept( leaf spring) of setting up with the hips in front and then arcing back but after the first two sets with 195 I realized having the bar right  under my clavicle was making it harder.

Last time I used low bar press was also the first time I ever made 225 and then the next week with two plates. BUT it failed as I was holding the bar too low and couldn't consistently get the same position

Today I just lowered the bar from the clavicle just 1.5 inches or so and it worked really well. 

Cues

1) low bar rack position

2) slow, hips in front of bar set up/ spot the X

3) Unrack STRAIGHT  UP WITH HIPS FORWARD

4) Arc back and STAY ON X

5) Press to X

BW 176.2 at workout time!

Press 2.0 205 x 1 x 7 ( attempts) 175 x 1 x 3 , 195 x 1 ( load the bow),laterals rear delts wt pushups

 Well that didn't work. I could do it but I can see it would require a HUGE back step to master this safely.
WAY more moving parts than my current technique which I can barely do on demand. Plus a few scary misses with just 205 that gave me pause

Too dynamic

176.0 at start of workout!

Daylight savings ruck

 Ack.. I could have used that extra hour  today. First hour ( 6:30  DLT) in the dark. A bit hungover too which didn't help but it got done

decently strong legs, lungs etc

45 lb ruck

9 laps ( 3 a bit short corners, too much  dog time last 1/2 hour)

8700 steps or so

1:30

174.8

48 kg one arm swings 20 x 5, 48 kg belt squats 3 x 10, pistol practice 3 x 3 pullaparts 3 x 30

 Balance was a off today a bit. I  tried to focus on breaking at the knee more at the start than I have been as it's turned into more hinge than athletic hinge. It wasn't bad but COM was more forward than usual and bell height suffered

I got it figured out but it seems my groove has changed a bit with these big weights if I want to maximize bell height

the squats felt good and that groove feels very solid

Pistol practice.

really focused on keeping the right leg locked out in descent. very  tired of seeing that bent knee in videos

pullaparts

3 x 30

174.8

Thursday ruck

 Strong one, surprisingly. Cool still and decent speed right from the start. Legs not sore or tight and mind was good for a change

45 lbs

6 laps

3 miles

56 min

174.4

Press 2.0 First day 190 x 1 x 5, 195 x 1 x 5 205 x 1 x 2 standups, 20 kg swings ,pushups

 This not only went better than expected it went great. I picked up the technique right away and had no problem holding the weight in my arms off the chest. I was worried about that a bit

Still lots of detail timing things to iron out ( make sure I 1) HOLD the weight a bit after standing up 2) make sure to push the hips fowards  first and not try to let the bar drop first or else the hips don't move forwards enough

Not sure  I know exactly how high to hold the bar but I think 215 and 225 will sort that out

20 kg swings  4 x 6,7,8,8,

floor pushups 35

Pushdowns 12

BW 175

44 kg swings 25 x 5, 44 kg belt squat 3 x 10 left leg pistol practice 3 x 3

 Shit, forgot to post this in correct order
Very strong day ,with good height and speed, fast training pace too
Endurance good as well

Monday press shit show

 Horrific 

Missed fucking EVERYTHING

Tried with press call and missed 205 out in front, 225 twice! 215! then 205 !

Fuck

decided to start playing with Rippetoes Starting strength press 2.0 technique tomorrow

have to find a wayhttps://youtu.be/8dacy5hjaE8?si=ALpafffHeafGRZ-A

Sunday ruck

 Steady and slow ( dog breaks) but legs and lungs felt solid still

45 lbs

9 laps

4.5 miles

1 :35 min

cool and overcast

Thursday ruck

 Early start today, 10 am, just perfect. Overcast, cool breeze light drizzle

Decent pace as well

45 lbs

6 laps 

3 miles

53 min

174.3

The New Load the Bow 195 x 1 x 10, 190 x 1 x 2, 20 kg swings 4 x7/7, pushups 37, 24

 I think I may have actually figured this thing out. Started out the same way as always , being able to lock in but not able  to get a fast start, to pull the trigger

If I'm too vertical after the initial drive it slows at the top. that's not going to work with 225. If I lay back and get a good arch( lay  back) I can't start fast

Then, after five sets I figured out

1) my hips have to be forward at the start

2) when I lay back after the unracking I HAVE TO PIVOT BACK ONLY FROM ABOVE THE  BELT LINE

3) then I can drive straight up and the bar doesn't go forward

I also had Glenn give me the press call again to slow me down

The cues

1) Hips  in front

2) Spot the X

3) Elbows in

4) unrack keeping hips forward

5) layback from above the belt only

6) PRESS TO X

I switched back to false grip too helps to keep elbows in tight. laying back from the hips forward position and waiting for the call forces me to 'wind up' the tension. a slower call is better than too fast. I have to build the full Bow tension

175.8 at noon

11.7 after bath

May 8 2023 solid press technique

https://rifsblog.blogspot.com/2023/05/220-x-1-215-x-1-225-miss-205-x-1-x-3.html

220 miss ( twice) 205 x 1 x 5, laterals, rear delts, wt pushups

 As close as I could get without a full lockout. I  tried squeezing my elbows in more at the start and that helped but  I got pushed back with 220. again, the focus on knee lockout makes me more vertical at the start

we'll play around wednesday but unless something weird two plates are going on the bar next Monday

135 x 3 singles

155 x 2 singles, 1 single

175 x 1

195 x 1 ( this warmup is good)

205 x 1

205 x 1 x 5

all like this, decent but slow at the top

175.2 at noon

Sunday Ruck

 Good one but legs and hips were tired from Saturday right from the start. Nothing terrible but I knew it wasn't going to be a fast day and didn't push it

Still turned out well

45 lb ruck

9 laps

1:25 min

top speed 3.4 mph

4.5 miles