Monday, November 12, 2007

Strong is good.

I haven't had anything over the 24 kg over my head in a long time. When I gave up pressing and pullups last year to really focus on getting as much pain free right shoulder ROM back I knew I decided I didnt want to snatch anything heavier than the 24. Didn't fit the risk to benefit profile well.And pressing is very natural for me and I have nothing to prove there.
But after doing 15 and 15 with the 24 last workout I got the 28 kg in my head and decided today was a good day.It is only ten pound more for gods sake( lol, this is the thinking that got me into trouble)but hey let's go and see how it feels.What can I say, I love the feeling of getting stronger and seeing the proof.
Scheduled for a back off mini cycle and supposed to do clubbell push presses for some reps but wanted to do this first.Glad I did.

5 am
20 min Z drills full body
10 min rolling on floor/rifga

Push press
16kgx5/5x2
20kgx3/3
24kgx3/3

28 kgx3/3x2 sets

No problem. could have done 5 reps pretty strongly and another 2 sets no problem but I wanted to be cautious.I can easily see the two pood again.It's more about leg drive than press anyway.Best not to be greedy. This was fun :))Didnt feel heavy at all and the groove was the same. Excellent.

2 Clubbell push press( from shoulder park)
5 sets of 20.
Kind of a mini thruster with a stop between reps.
thought I would like this more but don't much care for the finish angled leverage position.Sure got my legs going though.
2x8/8 with the 15 #

two cb front press with 10#
4x10
these werent bad at all. good shoulder and core work.a pretty natural motion almost like a standing hammer strength leverage press. With all the horizontal clubbell pressing it feels like I am benching standing up!

Rockits
2 10# bells
3sets of 50 reps

wow, these really get the quads and the glutes GOOD with no low back work. never really get up out of the tension as you dont stand all the way up, BUT the bounce kind of releases the tension before the next ballistic drop. cool. I can see 100 rep sets no problem.these stay.

Torch swings 2 0# cbs
1x15
1x12
1x12

man these TORCH the grip,especially with zero choke,The top position is very good though and the shoulder and elbow can just rotate and lock in.Antagonistic to biceps/brachialis tension.

flag press 2 10#
3x10
1 15# cb 1x5 each arm

can't wait til the other 15# bell gets here

rack walks 16 kg
1000 feet hand switch every 200 feet

solo training today so faster than normal pace. pretty easy today.the clubbells are hard, and require lots of tension ,but its not any real weight so it is easier on the body.plus the swings are more rythmic and less ballistic so there is less downward acceleration to deal with. less changes in force than kbs. but still cool.

datsit, staying loose.

2 comments:

Aaron Friday said...

Rif, try the 2-pood if you want to, but push-pressing the 28 is miles ahead of what you were doing when we first met up. Like you wrote, you have nothing to prove in terms of pressing.

I can't believe you got more comments on the knife blog than the gun blog. I'll take the lowly gun anyday, LOL!

Mark Reifkind said...

aaron,
lifting heavier for me is always about basic progressions and being ready for it.I can be happy using the 28kg for quite awhile because as you said it is miles ahead of where I have been for a long time.
I plan on cycling the 28 in and out of the mix with the 16,20 and 24 kg,varying the reps accordingly.
The key thing is how the shoulder feels; when it's wrong, even the 16 hurt.If it's right the 32 or 40 won't be a problem.
Yes I was surprised about the knife comments too. I do love my blades though.Its the samurai thing I guess.

More press mistakes from today

 1) Gotta engage the rhomboids when setting the low rack position.Lock in 2) Elbows up is crucial 3) 'Straight  up' on the unracking...