"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."
Perfect day. Every rep of ( virtually) every set was spot on- the second rep of the PR 190 x 3 set didn't touch my neck and was a bit forward- but otherwise everything worked like a charm! Couldn't be happier with my progress
Literally just have to get stronger now. It's no longer about finding the technique, now, it's about locking in and being able to stay locked in at 215 220 and 225
Setting up in front of the bar SLOWLY was KEY, as was lifting my elbows up too. The elbow angle will match and promote the torso angle so if they're up right, the bar will go back in it's slot.
Also a high on the neck rack position helps too. I discovered this by accident but it's also important
Press 135 x 3 155 x 3 165 x 3 175 x 3 185 x 3 ( strong!) 190 x 3 PR a little wonky, didn't breathe at all 180 x 3 170 x 3 160 x 3
This should have gone better. Slept like a baby last night, best sleep in weeks or more. Body felt good but felt rushed and out of sync during the workout
Facetiming Nicks workout now and it's not going to work on Mondays. Feels too much like I'm still at work and it really affected my concentration. Things went ok but I definitely was not in my body enough
That said the techniques work I just have to do them better
Mainly, keep my glutes tighter as I start the press and spend more time setting up in front of the bar before I unrack
I did all these things pretty well, they just have to be better
Press 65 85 105 x 3 135 x 1 155 x 1 ( rushed this and felt left pec/front delt twinge a bit. Just not focused) 175 x 1 195 x 1 decent 205 x 1
210 x 1 x 4 sets Just 'ok' not great. glutes getting tight but not staying tight
215 x Miss- fell backward. I'm sure glutes got loose then 215 x 1 x 4
not bad but certainly not easy or that clean. BUT it's RIGHT
Also on the setup take more care to get my elbows up a bit more. Helps me set my thoracic arch
Setups 225 x 5 sec 245 x 5 sec PR 255 x 5 secs PR
these actually felt great AND specifically addressing my weakpoint: locking in and holding the hip forward position with the glutes
This went well, especially considering I missed it last month with that tweaky elbow. Lots of little distractions and feeling overall "crampy" from the heat and probably a bit dehydrated so I skipped the last set.
Definitely not a day to push it.Smart move
One arms 16 kg x 5/5 x 2 20 kg x 4/4 24 kg x 4/4 28 kg x 4/4 32 kg x 4/4 36 kg x 4/4 40 kg x 3/3 48 kg x 5/5 x 11
grip was solid, hips too.Everything was good just a bit distracted by Nick on facetime and glenn a bit back tweaked. Not great focus on my part
Switched out belts to goblets. wanted to get more biceps work actually, and since I'm doing supported squat stretches on Sundays now I don't need quite so much quad volume on this day
Depth is definitely better now 20 kg x 5 24 kg x 5 28 kg x 5 32 kg x 5
This went perfectly. Every rep of every set was exactly how ! wanted it to be: hips in front of bar, tight glutes then drive the head to initiate the press/launch and keep the glutes to lockout!
They all went great. No worry about spotting the x and staying on the x. drive my head which further drives my hips and I'm UNDER the bar the whole way.
Went back to my adidas 1/2 heels which felt great from the get. Lower heel equals more glutes and less leg which also made it easier to keep my knees locked!
It basically comes down to this
SET THE HIPS
DRIVE THE HEAD
Standing Incline
135 x 3 155 x 3 165 x 3 175 x 3 180 x 3 185 x 3 180 x 3 175 x 3 165 x 3 155 x 3
BTW I LOVE this full pyramid approach. A very nice combination of intensity and volume
Could not be happier with everything. The simplicity, the setup, the stability and timing. I know this is the best this can get. And now, with the head drive being the way to 'pull the trigger' all the parts are in place
This went great! Key points got discovered and utilized
Setting up with hips in front of bar is everything. If I use my legs to stand up the knees lock and weight shifts back. Hips are no longer in front of bar and bar goes forward when pressing
Take bar off rack ( after setting up with hips in front) with GLUTES ( we have come full circle haven't we?,lol)
Hips stay in front of bar in support position
Initiate drive with head thrown back-alleviates the need for spotting the X specifically!
Take bar off with glutes, drive the head.
Setups were good and strong too. First time ever. Actually felt like I could press the bar from that position which I've never felt before. Must be right
195 x 1 205 x 1 x 4 210 x 1 x 4 225 x 5 sec setup 235 x 5 sec setup
Wt pushups ( paralletes totally parallel not V angled BW x 10 53 x 10 x 3
Hard one but it all got done.Nothing fast but very steady all the way through. 3 MPH pace pretty much straight through including 8 breaks for support squat stretches.
Two full stops for dog owner talks without taking the ruck off, which, in it's own way (standing there with the ruck on) makes the whole thing that much harder. Finding the rhythm again takes time and doesn't always show it's face
45 lb ruck
12 laps
8 squat stretches
13,260 steps
2 hours exactly
Hip particularly tired. I think ruck was just a bit too low
Changed the start of the workout from 8 am, which it's been for 22 years, to 7 am and while it was good, better actually, it was different
But it was a solid workout. It was also the last workout with my best friend of 22 years Nick as he's moving out of state tomorrow.He's been there forever it seems and it will be a bit weird without him. But Glenn and I will carry on and he's just a phone call away
Solid full 6 lap ruck today. Pretty hot ( high 80s) but with a decent breeze so it wasn't bad at all. My fitness is coming back too and that always helps
All bodyparts ok , including feet. Gotta keep an eye on it. Especially the big toe. I was keeping it in extension throughout the entire gait cycle and it seems that wasn't right. It started to ache again ( the tendon of the extensor hallucis to I concentrated on flexing it as it went into extension and man that made an immediate difference. Took all tension out of it.
That continued for the full ruck so maybe I solved that probem
This went great! Really focused on setting up with the hips in FRONT of the bar and LEAVING THEM THERE during the unracking. Worked spectacularly well
Placed the bar higher on the chest too, right under the collarbone and the elbow set up took care of itself
Then, instead of just spotting the X I initiated the press by driving my head back and it worked great! Side benefit: as soon as I threw my head back my hips re pressed forward again. Win.Win
135 x 3 155 x 3 165 x 3 170 x 3 175 x 3 180 x 3 175 x 3 170 x 3 165 x 3 160 x 3 155 x 3 x 2
very very happy with this entire thing. Now to see if it works when it's heavy
This went pretty well. Not perfect but I all the weights moved well and it is 205, For 8 sets. that's ok. Saw some flaws in my setup which I can fix and which will make a difference but all in all this was good
Have to unrack the bar better. Not let my hips drift back as I unrack and try to get them back in front so much.Can't rotate my torso forward either as I unrack. Basically get into the arch position I want to press from and unrack it there. THEN push the hips even more forward. Also I think a slightly high bar position under the collarbone will help too
Also elbows up just a bit more right before my press. If the elbows are down the bar goes forward a bit.
HIPS
Elbows UP
Stay on the X
Wt pushups BW x 10 53 x 10 x 3 hold lockouts
strong but going back to completely parallel bars not V angle. I think that's what's messing with left biceps tendon AND not training my elbows to stay in enough
this is the form I want to get back to
Laterals/rear delts 3 x 10/1 with 20s Strong for a change
Started off well, slept well, not hungover, hydrated but man it got hot fast and humid and zero breeze. that's what kills me the worst, dead air
Plus Walker was out playing and I never got my rhythm at all. Way too many stop and talk and watching him play. Have to fix that, it's messing up my rucks and these are crucial.
45 lb ruck
11 laps ( not sure lots of cross field walking, stop and start etc)
2 hours on my feet
7 supported squat stretches
had to drink water on the ruck, haven't done that in years!
this went well considering. Form was good, legs and lungs were good , hand was good to 18 sets then a small blood blister. Time to trim the callus it seems
One arm Swings 40 kg x 5/5 x 20 sets 200 reps 17,600 lbs
Seems like summer's officially here. Mid 80's on Thursday and today's gonna be 97+. Yesterday's ruck was solid though, in my legs, lungs, heat tolerance and mind. All good.
Solid usual pace, about 18 min miles. Three miles in 55 min or so. No problems and no real need to go faster.
This went great. The initial idea was to push the hips forward at the same time arching back trying to maximize the bow tension. Didn't work. Didn't allow my hips to go forward enough
So I focused on just pushing the hips forward til I felt maximum stretch and my shoulders went naturally back to counter balance the hips
Bingo!
Then HAVE to keep the eye of the X. Which I've had to 'relearn' for the one thousandth time but hey, as long as it takes
1) Unrack
2) Push the hips forward
3) Stay on the X
4) Hips again at sticking point while staying on the X
Long story short, the close stance ( I even tried heels together) technique is NOT going to work. All easy til it's heavy and it got heavy at 200 lbs.
Back to the future
LOAD THE BOW
That's been the most reliable technique of all yet. It certainly has it's issues but I have to go back and master this technique; my Standing Bench Press
After working up and down and changing shoes and then back again I came back to this
A little loose on the end range of the bow and that's what I have to fix. and, making sure I push my hips forward and not lay back too much but this seems to be it, for better or worse
Wt pushups BW x 10 53 lb x 10 x 3 slow reps with pause at lockout each rep
Needless to say I was just a bit nervous to try the this workout, even though the elbow has been feeling perfectly normal for the last 3 or so days, You just never know
But, not only did things go alright, I was decently strong and grip, on either hand, was never an issue. Strange but I'll take it.
Super cautious as I warmed up but each set was better than last. Alternated starting hands, as normal and transfered all sets
One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2 20 kg x 4/4 24 kg x 4/4 28 kg x 4//4 32 kg x 4/4 36 kg x 3/3 40 kg x 3/3 44 kg x 3/3 48 kg x 3/3 60 kg x 5/5 x 7 68 kg x 5/5 x 2 ( discretion and all that)
Belt squat 36 kg x 10 40 kg x 10 48 kg x 10 !
Made sure to set the feet into torque position and shift the hip back first before going down
Perhaps the only technique I haven't tried is this close stance off the pins style press I saw Jeff Roark do. he did 12 sets of 2 with 225 in this style weighing around 180. I had nothing to lose so I gave it a try. Didn't even think I could do the setup but after messing about with it a lot it seems to be pretty good for me
I started off the hooks and that worked well until I missed the hooks on the descent a few times. So I went back to just off the pins with the bar pressed against the back rack. Couldn't get my feet under the bar comfortably so I went back to the hooks.
I'll figure out the descent another day- this felt great
Still have to place my feet closer ( not as close as Jeff with heels touching) but the whole technique felt solid
Roark Press 65 85 105 x 2 135 x 1 155 x 1 175 x 1 x 3 195 x 1 200 x 1 200 x miss 175 x 1 x 2 ( playing with pins, hooks feet) 185 x 1 strong 200 x 1 hard but decent 175 x 1 fast!
20 kg swing x 8/8 ( testingr the elbow)
24 kg swing x 8/8 ( feeling a little on top of foream 24 kg swing x 5/5 x 3 better
Tough one. Got GREAT sleep. so much so I didn't want to get out of bed! plus had a headache ( dehydration and over trap work from doing some much bodywork on my arm
But I got it going. Wasn't great but I didn't skip
45 lb ruck
9 laps
1:45 min
8 supported squat stretches
not hard physically but tracy and walker were with and very very hard to find and keep pace and rhythm
Elbow better but still jacked this morning. The 16 kg choice was good anymore would have been (more) stupid but it actually seemed to help- tractioned the elbow just a bit AND I got some decent adjustments on the setup. Was hoping for that
Left side was ok , grip was not as strong as I expected but I've been using it to work on my right side for two days. Actually it's a miracle I could grip anything!
Problem is the pronator teres , as it was before, keeping the elbow from supinating and locking out. Just like a few years ago but worse this time I think,
Anyway got some decent sleep finally which helps tons
No sleep, no energy, no energy it's so hard to think the injury though and what's needed to unfuck it. Then too tired to work on myself
Death spiral.
I actually don't know how I lived like this for 15+ years with my knee my shoulder and my back at the same time
No wonder I was so cranky all the time
Pain does that to you. It takes a shit ton of energy to manage
One arm swings
58 kg left hand/16 kg right hand
10 sets of 5/5
Belt squat 32 kg x 10 40 kg x 10 44 kg x 10
these are getting better each week. knees fine. technique coming back
right elbow/wrist shoulder is really wonky still as I write this ( Friday) and not happy at all it's still tweaky. can't really lock out the elbow. feel subluxed .ack
Hopefully I can swing tomorrow and I wake up good, or the swings unfuck it
Not sure where its' from but I am sure Monday fucked presses were the cause]
Lats, teres and pec super facilitated and everythings out
This was a much better day but woke up with my right elbow wonky and not sure how it happened. ( Get hurt sleeping= You are now OLD) but I've know this a long time
Distracted me a bit I was just playing around today, pretty much, just trying to find positions.
Bottom line: I have to have my hips in front of the bar when I start OR my my hip drive as I press means nothing
And, of course, I didn't figure this out until literally my last down set
Everything went better tho and figure out:
I have to put my foot behind the tape on the bottom of the rack in order to find the X
I have to go back to setting up with my hips and locking them in or my knee drive pushes the bar in front
I HAVE TO STAY ON THE X especially at mid point
185 x 1
this is ok but not locking in the hip at start made the top harder and out of position
this was the second sets AFTER missing a rep! again before I locked in the hips.Elbows also were not in front of the bar enough. 190 x 1 down set Best set of the dayBasically 175 x 1 185 x 1 190 x 1 200 x miss 200 x 1 x 3 190 x 1
24 kg swings
5 x 8/8 ok but right elbow/wrist was tight. had to start all sets right arm
floor pushups
2 x 40 de load
first really hot day of summer 95+ this will take getting used to
Well this sucked. Start to finish. And, as usual, for no good reason. Slept good, felt good, a wee bit of distraction but nothing that should have produced THIS shit show
Was not in my body and couldn't find my base or my start position at all. Got distracted by trying to line up directly under the X and was all over the place. But, mainly, in my head instead of my body
Trying to push the bar back again. Just a mess
Press
65 85 105 135 x 2 155 x 1 175 x 1 fast 195 x 1 but WIGGLY! all over 200 x 1 same,knees never locked and just mushy 205 x 1 better but slow and out in front 210 x 1 actually getting a bit better 215 x 1 best of the day but soft knees at start 220 x X two times not even close. arghh 205 x X x 2 now I know somethings wrong 185 x 1 made it but hard 135 x 1 x 2 185 x 1 better
was not setting my hips at all at the start so each of these were basically all shoulders and arms when I set my hips with the last 185 I realized what I've been doing but too late
wt pushups bw x 10 53 x 10 x 3
strong
side laterals/rear delts x 3 x 8/8 with 20s
BW 173.8 BF 12.1! W 58.7
waist was SMALL today too. Got into the fourth hole on my belt and I haven't been there in 5+ years
This was great, from start to finish. Woke up feeling good and it just got better.
Ruck was solid from the beginning and gait was strong as it's been in forever.
Don't think it could be the addition of the supported squats but my legs feel really good lately. Loose and strong and I definitely am going to keep the squats in the mix
Woke up feeling hungover for some reason. Had my normal 2 glasses of wine but it hit me harder and was not feeling great this morning although I slept really well. All strange
So, I wasnt expecting to be super strong today but I was. Everything felt solid and power was really good and the bell felt light
Grip was no issue at all on either hand and lungs were good too.
44 kg One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2 20 kg x 4/4 24 kg x 3/3 28 kg x 3/3 32 kg x 3/3 36 kg x3/3 44 kg x 5/5 x 16 sets 15,520 lbs
Power and bell height was solid from start to finish. Much better than last month
32 kg belt squat 3 x 10 tried to initiate with hips first, then drop into quads like I do on my supported squat stretch and I think the depth was better than last week
Got the full three miles in for a change. Nice day, too. Definitely hot, the start of the hot season but the steady breeze made all the difference. Legs and lungs felt good start to finish
This went great. Spent time finding the right position to set up in to find the X each time on take off and what a difference it makes
Also made sure to lock the knees before launching the bell. Just so many things to focus on. Also getting the elbow swing under right to help in lift off
This went ok but not great. Well I guess anytime I can press 220 it should qualify as 'great' but it was sloppy. My head was weird today. trying to do 7 perfect presses in a row, all over 90% of all time max is stressful it seems lol.
It does warm me up well but also is mentally taxing
It went well til I realized I was not locking my knees AT ALL before the start of any of these press , or last mondays! I'm not sure it's much worse than locking them and giving a little hitch kick to get started but it's certainly different
Also I realized WHERE I set up under the X is more than just a little important IT's CRUCIAL. I have to dial that in Wednesday. If I set up in front of the X I go backwards looking for it ( and fall back) and if I'm behind it I lost it forward and the bar shifts forward too!
When it's perfect I have missile lock on it start to finish, Another thing to dial in on Wednesday. It's the reason I missed 225 I think..Could not stay on the X
195 x 1 200 x 1 205 x 1 215 x 1 220 x 1 225 x miss 225 x miss 205 x 1 x 4 11 work sets! 86% to 100% max
Wt pushups slow and with held lockouts bw x 10 53 x 10 x 3
this feels like it is getting really stronger throughout the full range
Not too bad, much better than last week although I spent way too much time stopping and chatting with dogs and their humans. Actually had to cut a lap BUT I spent two hours on my feet AND I added back in the supported squat stretches and they not only didn't hurt but they felt so good. After each squat the legs were definitely looser and the pace faster than before.
Plus I think this will definitely help my hip and knee mobility and my belt squat depth going forward
This went well although I'm always nervous when things are going well and I feel like I can really keep the power turned up( as is the goal). Scared something is going to pull or tweak. Of course this makes my hyperfocused.
Nothing was tweaked. And nothing fell off
And power was really solid across all sets, as this last set shows. It was easily as strong with the same bell height as the 5th
Can't ask for more
40 kg one arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2 20 kg x 5/5 24 kg x 4/4 28 kg x 3/3 32 kg x 3/3 40 kg x 5/5 x 20 17,600 lbs 200 reps
40 kg belt squats
these were 'ok' definitely not as deep as I was hoping and I have to be careful here as I feel the left VMO/Sartorius get a little twitchy at the very bottom
Just occured to me I no longer do my supported squat stretches on my ruck and wonder if that's what's going on this was 40 kg a few years ago
Looking at it now I think the difference is I was sitting back more before. Lately I think I am just flexing at the knee and trying to descend more vertically. I'll have to play with more squats on Ruck day and sitting back more as well 3 x 10 with 40 kg today
Pullapart 3 x 40 ( added behind the neck pull in too, felt good)
This went great. Could have been a little bit smoother in the timing at the start but for the first time doing this it went great . Virtually all reps the same. Have to take more time though setting up between reps- do EXACTLY the same setup as the first rep
The only times I was off at all was when I didn't set up in the right place and had to struggle to spot the X. Put me a bit off balance
Despite getting just four hours of sleep ( and not that good either) today played out pretty much like last monday except I put 225 on the bar and almost got it!
I should have too, as the groove as solid. I just lost tightness for a split second at the sticking point and leaned back a bit and couldn't fight from there
But it was a great attempt. Could have taken it again with a better nights sleep ( probably would have made it with a better nights sleep ) but I knew better than to try
The more important thing is I replicated last heavy days successes and took the 225 attempt and the technique and timing are solid!
here are the lifts: from 225 back to 205
didn't film 195 but it too went very well
Then 3 sets of 1 with 205 . a bit slow from fatigue but ALL in the same, correct groove with decent timing!
SUPER STOKED!
Wt pushups bw x 10 53 x 10 x 3 with pause at lockout
Heavy and slow but no injuries. Just got 11 laps done as it seemed the correct distance for today. Legs, hips and back just tired from yesterdays big bell today and while noting particularly hurt, nothing was interested in picking up the pace either. Took the usual 55 min or so for my lungs to open too and that didn't help
45 lb ruck
11 laps
5.5 miles
1:50 min
Lots of rest stops with pack supported for a minutes
This went great but I was scared the whole time. I have not been getting enough stretching in this week with the sick dog and man I can feel the difference. I have done some but not the full release and I could feel just a little 'twisted' with certain muscles much tighter than they should be and that always makes me nervous
So I was extra careful but was decently strong and squared away technique wise at the same time. NO GRIP problems on any weight, that's the first in forever. Left wrist is feeling the best it has too and that's part of it, although I have no reason why.
One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2 20 kg x 4/4 24 kg x 4/4 28 kg x 4/4 32 kg x 4/4 36 kg x 4/4 40 kg x 4/4 44 kg x 4/4 48 kg x 4/4 60 kg x 5/5 x 7 68 kg x 5/5 x 3
I thought this was going to be easier, actually. I wasn't that sore at all but the muscles were tired and instead of greasing the groove with these weights I actually had a harder time finding the groove
But, I learned a lot
1) I learned I need swing roll my elbows at the same time I roll my torso when I get under the bar. I think that makes my torso more of a complete unit that if I go torso, then elbows see here, the 195 Monday is swinging the unit and todays 195 is torso then elbows. Monday's better
So I worked up to 195 first to check to see that Monday wasn't a fluke and it wasn't but the elbow thing put me a hair off then down to 155 x 5 then 160 x 5 ( shown) that was perfectelbow directly under the bar and NOT swinging forward too much on the touch at chest then 165 x 5 was that good but not easy then onto 170 x 4 which was hard. PLUS I lowered the bar too high on the fourth rep causing me to push the bar forward too much flaring elbows. that's why rep 4 was slowI repeated for another set it was a bit easier but I see my mistake then 185 for a decent singleif the elbows are in front of the bar when it's on my chest then they flare out on ascent. they need to be directly under the bar at ascent.
Re thinking 5's as it's too easy to muck up the groove. Probably 5 sets of 3 instead next week
This went like a charm! Could not have been better or be happier! Did not miss a rep and my strategy of doing only 5 lbs jumps after 195 lbs worked perfectly.
The idea that instead of jumping big and working on the down sets, where I inevitably feel better and perform better too, I just take five pounds jumps and really set the groove, hardly notice the weight jump and keep bar speed high.
Worked so well. As well as the technique roll into it as before but with elbows up and spot the X and then go! Key is definitely NOT losing track of the X especially at the sticking point.
SO excited about this
195,200,205,210, 215, 220!(21st time!) then 205 x 1 x 4. That I could push hard on four more sets with 205 after the six work sets means I can grind out a 225 too
wt pushups with hold at lockout 3 x 10 with 53
side and rear delts 3 x10 ea with 20's
BW 174.4 BF 10.5 !! ( post bath at 11:30am) W 60.1
This was another good one. Probably the strongest outing with these bells yet. Height and bell speed was probably a PR and time between sets was fast too.
It's never easy with these bells as the lighter it feels the harder you go but man I'm happy with the bell height and that the last set was pretty much as strong, or stronger, than the first
48 kg one arm swings 12 x 5/5 120 reps 12,720 lbs
Belt squats 32 kg x 10 40 kg x 10 x 2
these felt great too have to add in another set next week; three work sets + one warmup (dont skip this!)
Well as bad as this went monday, that's how good it went today. And, as usual, for no good reason as I had barely any sleep and woke up feeling tired and pissed.
But sometimes when I'm too tired to overthink things it works out and it seemed to today
Went back to my old techniques and it went great
arched setup false grip spot the X lock in a drive ( no long pause) keep eyes on X
I've finally come to realized that nothing is going to be perfect, and every technique change I make will have it's limitations as well as strengths and at least this one has proven itself ( 8 225 lb presses)
My T spine was jacked up after Monday's session and I knew that could be a problem. My lumbar spine loves extension, my upper spine does not, and told me so, in no uncertain terms
I've learned to not argue with my body anymore SO Press 135 x 2 155 x 1 175 x 1 195 x 1 x 2 205 x 1 x 2 210 x 1 x 2 200 x 1 x 2
the only problem I had was when I lost the X and the bar drifted forward at the top
VERY HAPPY with these, especially after doing heavy on Monday as well
I thought this was going to go much better as with all things, one thing gets fixed and another problem arises
This fixed my soft knee start problem, The start was great. But the groove loads my thoracic spine more than my lumbar spine and it's nowhere near as strong. OR flexible.My lumbar spine loves extension. My T spine does not and is mega tight .
Wrapping the thumb didn't help as I imagined either; actually just confusing the issue even more.
205 definitely did not feel light in the rack position and moved pretty poorly although 195 motored!
Press
65 85 105 x 3 all great
135 x 2 fast 155 x 1 fast 175 x 1 fast as well! 195 x 1x 2 decent
then 200 x 1 x 2 setsthen 205 x 1 x miss, x 1, x almost, x 1 good ( no video) x 1 so so
This was strong. My T spine has been super tight since thursday ruck from the combo of the new press position and groove AND the ruck with the older, softer rucksack
All good to go today though and this was a super powerful workout. All the sets and reps felt great
Really decent one although only four laps - two miles. Was going to have to miss it again but came through at the last minute but only had time for two. Good enough
Wore my OLD coyote pack and was contemplating going back to it for the summer BUT the fit was nowhere as good as I expected ( or remembered). I think the pack had really stretched out and lost it's structure. The black one is definitely better so it's back on the menu
This has promise. Increased the pin height one inch , bar higher on chest,elbows under the bar instead of in front of it.Looking straight ahead not back. Lock out the knees and THEN drive the bar and hips as I get my head out of the way
Learned some good things
1) I think this will work
2) I think I need to look straight ahead on unracking not down then look up
3) I need to drive the bar up first THEN drive the hips as my head goes back. If I drive my hips first the bar ends up forward
At first I tried to re arrange my elbows out to the side a bit after unracking but that didn't seem smooth or doable under real load
Also drove my head and hips first which also made the bar go forward
LOTS of sets and even tried some doubles with 185 which just messed things up. Gotta get one rep right before worrying about two's
Press 135 x 2 155 x 1 fast 175 x 1 fast 185 x 1 fast 195 x 1 fast as well 205 x 1 decent 205 x miss( drove head back and hips forward first. Had to figure this out) 205 x 1 x 3 185 x 1 175 x 1 185 x 2 ( missed second) x 2 185 x 1 175 x 1
On wednesday going to start looking forward and NOT tuck my chin
THEN drive bar first letting head go back and hips go forward
Lots of little things to get solid but overall I found decent leverage pretty quickly here which is a grea sign AND I really like being upright at the start. Looks much better too
Woke up feeling good today, despite yesterdays speed and volume. Walked the first hour with Tracy and Walker and surprisingly my pace was better than usual. Less stops to check my phone, lol. But legs felt good although lungs took some time to open up, as usual
Nice and crisp though and that always helps
45 lb ruck
12 laps
1:50 min!
13,200 steps
All systems were go
No asymmetries, stride length good and top speed up to 3.6 mph
This very strong. Probably the strongest performance we've had for , well, maybe years. Bell speed, bell height, power output from start to finish all really good. AND a natural 65-75 second rest between sets with three of us. We were flying and that's almost never the case
Take it when you can get it!
One arm swings
40 kg x 20 x 5/5
Belt squats 32 kg x 10 36 kg x 10 40 kg x 10
Love the arm work that I'm getting with goblets but not so much the ab overload and the limited variety of reps I can get. Will add in some db curls
This went well. I got my knees to stay locked and maintained good upward pressure on the bar at the start. That worked well. I still need a better start trigger though as it appears I'm leaning back just slightly before, or as I drive my hips. I think my elbows might need to be more exactly vertical under the bar as I start to drive straight up. I still think I'm driving the bar back too much early and this is giving me some wiggles in the drive line too often.
I'll play with it. Slept well, wasn't too sore but it was cold and I had trouble warming up. Have to do more multiple warmup sets with 135 I think, Perhaps 155 too instead of just blindly making the jumps even if things feel creaky
Had one weird dip/shift/ twist on 175 that I've never done before that was bizarre. Thank g-d I didn't tweak anything
The 195 went great then I missed my first attempt with 205 as my knees unlocked and the bar moved forward. Great test that showed if my knees soften the bar shifts forward. First time it had done this all workout
Got to get the visual of pressing in a straight line with my forearms directly under the bar and see if that works. I have to press vertically and adjust my body around THAT line
press 135 x 2 155 x 2 175 x 2 185 x 2 x 8 195 x 1 205 x miss 205 x 1
This went pretty well even though I missed 225 twice. Warmups went well and the new technique worked pretty well, still a few bugs to even out but I have a much better idea now and the stuff I wanted to try with heavy weights worked decently
I missed 225 mainly because I reverted to the old technique( trying to push the bar back ) and there was nothing there.
Knees unlocked too. I still have to figure out a better standing balance position for the start. I end up rushing mainly because I am losing balance and have to go or not have chance too. Doesn't matter if my hip drive can overcome it, if my knees unlock the bar goes forward at lockout and that's that
I became confused what to do with my arms too. I didn't hold too much tension in them and I think that's a mistake. I still have to push up into the bar in the standing rack position.
Also, despite my intentions it seems I am still laying back as I initiate my hip drive and that brings the CCOM back over my heels too much ( instead of my ankle) and this also makes me lose balance
On my best lifts ( like this 205 warmup) I almost seem to drive my torso up and in as I drive my hips. then press straight up
If I can find that standing balance point so I don't rush and fall back AND still get some initial acceleration that should keep all the CCOM in balance as I drive
SO
135 x 2 155 x 2 175 x 1 195 x 1 fast! 205 x 1 (above 215 x 1 ( barely knee unlock but I still press it in the right line)
then 225 miss x 2 pushed bar back and unlocked kneesthen some really good 205 downsets for 3 sets of 1then, feeling spunky, another 215( still falling back too much at start) but still I made it
then 205 x 1 x 2
then weighted dips 3 x 10 with 53 slow with focus on lockout hold
This went great! Probably the best height, power and transfers I've done yet. A bit slow start as my left wrist was giving me a bit of grief, especially on a right to left transfer but then it got sorted and the wrist was fine on both sides.
Fell into a hip groove with strong knee lockouts which really helped the float and kept it out of my lower back
One arm swings 16 kg x 5/5 x 2 20 kg x 4/4 24 kg x 4/4 28 kg x 4/4 32 kg x 4/4 36 kg x 4/4 40 kg x 4/4 44 kg x 4/4 48 kg x 4/4 60 kg x 5/5 x 7 68 kg x 5/5 x 3
I was beat after this and the last set with 68 was hard. Energetically more than strength wise!
goblet squat 32 kg x 5 36 kg x 5 x 2
Pullapart 3 x 30 three angles
BW 173.8 BF 11.8 W 58.9
Always happy to survive this workout unscathed. Something I never take for granted
Well, back on track! This feels good and I didn't have to wait too long, either.Looking back at those Wednesdays workouts prior to my best ever 225 lb press this was the form and workloads I was doing
Thumbless grip.Bar high on the chest, almost the clavicle. Swing under the bar and take off with the legs but lock them at start. but not squeezing glutes. Chest up and stays up
Spot the X and drive the bar to the X when I press BUT initiate the press with hip drive ( on locked knees). Let the elbows stay under the bar but not try to get them in front of the bar.
A vertical line drive towards the x with vertical forearms and elbows under the bar.Straight line
A secondary hip drive ( again with locked knees) at sticking point
Today went great
135 x 2 155 x 2 175 x 2 x 4 started a little rough as I was pressing hands first then hip drive. That's backwards. Hips first then hands straight up
then onto 185 and what turned out to be 8 more sets! I was thinking 4 but it felt like I was figuring something important out
this felt great. SO much speed and such a nice straight line. much more natural
What a clusterfuck. All over the place. Obviously changing to false grip didnt work well but changing back didn't either. Leaning back too far and not getting a base at all. Really really really frustrating
Press 65 85 105 x 3 135 x 1 ( false grip, elbows up. lock knees and drive to face was the 'idea') 155 x 1 175 x 1 195 x 1 ( out in front)
205 x miss! 205 x 1215 x miss then 215 x 1 barely then back to 185 x 1 with squeeze the sponge technique. this felt ok205 with same techniquethen 215 miss with squeeze sponge technique
this is the technique I think is the best
Wt pushups 3 x 10 with 53 lbs
Side raises 3 x 10 with 20 Bent laterals 3x10 with 20
Full distance but super slow and tough. Legs were solid but overall fatigue was there for sure from saturdays heavy swings. Lots of stops per lap, sometimes two! But still finished under two hours.
Legs started tight for the first two laps , then loosened up but I was just beat!
Pretty decent one once I got warmed up. All bodyparts on board but I forgot to set my grip with enough respect for the Beast and quickly found out how much I need to do that! Almost lost the bell on my third rep.
Strap in or fall out!
One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2 20 kg x 5/5 24 kg x 4/4 28 kg x 4/4 32 kg x 4/4 36 kg x 4/4 40 kg x 4/4 44 kg x 4/4 ( taking this was a good idea) 48 kg x 5/5 x 12 sets 120 reps 12,720 lbs work
Really decent bell speed, height and power on all of these. Really focused on holding the standing plank as I let the bell float to max height before breaking. Great leg work! Seemed to revert to a knees break first then down and back style naturally.
The lumbo pelvic rhythm doesn't work well with really heavy bells. Way too easy to get pulled over
Really solid one, out of the blue. All six laps and legs and lungs felt really good. again, a surprise. Wore the GoRuck boots and no foot or calf issues either. Just nice to be able to walk a bit quickly again.
.jpg)
.jpg)