Monday, December 31, 2012

32 kg High Pulls/ Belt squats

Weird day and training. Was supposed to get stretched out early but circumstances didn't allow that. It was 34 degrees here this morning and the studio was almost that cold. Not a long day but a stiff one and by the time I got to the workout for some stupid reason I decided NOT to take my hot bath warmup before we started in the Meatlocker and I didn't warm up until we were 3/4's the way through.

Needless to say not my best day but I got it done. The good news was that the weight felt light even though I was as stiff as a board.

High Pulls
16 kg x 5/5 x 3
20 kg x 5/5 x 2
24 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 5/5
32 kg x 5/5 x 7 sets

Belt squats
44 kg x 20 x 4 sets

I was finally warmed up by the time we got to these but the body wasn't happy overall.

Kb extensions on floor (cont. tension)
16 kg x 12 x 4 sets

these felt much better than the last time I did them. Just needed a break

Band laterals

4 x 12/12 blue band

these were fine. Not the best workout of 2012 but if this was the worst it was a good year. A strong year. Playing with the 32 kg with one arm on a bad day is just fine.

datsit.
Sisu/



Saturday, December 29, 2012

24 kg snatch 13 sets of 6/6



It's a freakin' miracle I could do this workout today given how my back was from Sunday through Wednesday. I was worried I wouldn't be able to get my arm over my head much less with the 24 kg attached but it worked out great. No problems at all, although I was more than just a bit tenative.

It was also a balmy  40 degrees in there as well and that aways works so well with my back :))

But I stretchout out well this morning, especially the overhead stick work and got me ready

One arm swing warmup : 16 kg x 5/5/5 x 5

Snatch
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20kg x 4/4

24 kg x 6/6 x 13 sets
156 reps
8268 lbs

Nice! these weren't hard at all, My bloggie camera died before I realized I could just use my phone but I did get a clip of my PR Clubbell arm casts.

Arm casts
25 lb x 10/10 x2
35 lbs x 8/8
45 lbs x 5/5

these were solid although I didn't have the control with the 45 that I want but it's only the seocnd time I've ever played with it.


straight bar pushups ( feet on floor)
sets of 7,8. 10,10!

NICE! No clunking at all. hitting the bar high on the ribs . my bench press groove here. hands close grip, thumbless, just like my raw bench

datsit
Sisu/

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Braving the Storm

It's been awhile since my back went wonky and although I knew this wasn't a 'bad' one, it's still a pain in the ass to constantly deal with the pain and the pressure and trying to figure out exactly what to do to unkink it and then finding the time and energy to do so. Unkinking a kinked back takes a ton of energy, especially when you know that even though it will work ,it will hurt. And dealing with that takes energy; energy you could and would like to be spending on more important matters.

But when you're tweaked that IS the more important matter and that's what's on the menu that day. So be it. As Charlie Weingroff puts it "training is rehab and rehab is training" and I couldn't agree more. You're always working on 'something'  that isn't where you want it and sometimes that's not a big lift but an inch more painfree ROM.

It was 85% right this morning but I still spent a lot of time in the overhead stick stretch as that is what was really needed to counteract the over tension I got in the lats and QL from the pullups.

I freaking hate to be this delicate but at least I'm going in the right direction, and at least I know what to do know to square these things up.
 By the end of  the workday I was pretty loosed up and ready to see what kind of training I could do.

Two Hand Swings
16 kg x 10 x 2
20 kg x 10
24 kg x 10 ( everything's fine)
28 kg x 10
32 kg x 10 x 10 sets
24 kg x 8 x 3 ( gearing towards overhead swings
20 kg x 8 x 3 overhead swings ( these were fun but looked terrible ,lol.) that close overhead grip is not my friend. :))

Back was fine in these although I was aware of it's presence. I really needed the full loaded extension to counteract the flexion as well.

Snatch holds
16 kg x 30 sec
18 kg x 30 sec
20 kg x 30 sec
16 kg x 45 sec

these were tough but OH so necessary. I think I need more, not less of the extension position and less pullups, pushups and things from the past

Perhaps double snatches and or double clean and press? This time it seemed the key to opening up my back was opening up my front.I am liking the wide stance and double work more and more . I didn't do it on purpose today; wanted to see what the two hands would bring tomorrow. Now, two days off before 24 kg snatches :))

Bodyblade
3 x 10/10  


datsit.
Sisu



Monday, December 24, 2012

An adjustment.



I like to say the next step off a peak is always down, one can step back or fall off. Great advice if one really knows where the peak is. You usually find out after you take the step and find out that it's down.

Then you realize you should have backed off earlier but how to know? Especially when things "hit" later, like the next day, and , while you're taking said step which turns out to be a fall, it feels fine. even perfect.

Like my bodyweight pullups on Saturday. All things told me it was a perfectly reasonable progression to take and things would be fine. The warmups were easy and the mini band felt like it was doing nothing.

And the pullups were easy. Very easy. Some of the best I've done, actually. And everything felt great until I woke up in the middle of the night and my back seemed too tight to be good. And it was too tight. And it got worse.

Having gone through numerous injuries including many back issues I know that even when I'm feeling great I am always just one stupid human trick away from some serious pain and even terror.

The one thing I need to avoid to keep my back healthy is too much flexion. Having scoliosis and having lived in flexion for many years with gymnastics, running and cycling and bodybuilding when my body gets TOO tight or gets loaded too much I get locked up. and one side gets tighter than the other and pulls my spine in a not good way.

Luckily I know how to unkink this mess now but it's a pain in the ass and, having not had to deal with it no many many months now, I had forgotten how much energy it takes to focus on no freaking out, managing the pain and figuring out the best thing to do or not do. It's a huge time sink as well as it's hard to think about anything else as you feel the back on every single movement you make and you're never quite sure if it's the right one or not.

The key for me is to unlock the  rectus, diaphragm and lats. This tweak was caused when I unconciously pulled harder with my right arm/lat during the pullups as I was trying to keep my left shoulder protected. I know that now. I did not feel it in the least then. Or even hours afterward.
The too tight lat pulled hard on my hip and it locked in the "up" position, causing the QL,psoas, internal oblique, etc. to spasm  tight and pull me over center mass badly.

This is one reason I have avoided pushing myself for years as when I turn it on, as I have trained to do my entire life, I just get it done. But many times you don't realize you've exceeded structural limitations until it's too late.

So I got into work early and started to get things unlocked. used the thumper on the abs and diphragm, rolled on the lats and erectors, tried to do some up dogs and generally kept moving as much as possible ( walking is one of the best things) and by 12 noon it was passable.

Problem was, I had Glenn and Nick coming over to train on the new schedule( go figure I tweak things and I have a day LESS to recover >:))

Most times after a tweak I try to move as normally as possible as early as possible, modifying the load as necessary. I feel this kinda of presses "reboot" in safe mode on the body. taking me back to a time when I wasn't tweaked by doing these movements as cleanly( and with no pain) as possible.

So it was high pulls and I started light. Luckily the thing that hurt the most was putting my arms over my head and hinging actually felt good.

High Pulls( supersetted with lat hangs from  bar)
12 kg x 5/5 x2
16 kg x 5/5
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
         x 8/8
         x 10/10 x 4 sets

not bad at all considering last night I could barely stand up straight and sleeping last night was not that much fun. The back felt better and movement was more normal after each set. The lats released well on the hangs each successive set as well.

Belt squats
36 kg x 20 x 4 sets

this really helped decompress the hips and I was feeling very stable and strong at the end. tired yes but moving almost completely normal again

Pushups onto P bars

4 sets of 8! 

had the bars set up like a barbell with feet on floor. this worked perfectly with NO clunking or instability at all.Stay here for awhile.

Bodyblade laterals
3 x10/10

datsit.
Sisu/

Saturday, December 22, 2012

22 kg snatches, another 200 rep workout



 It wasn't very long ago I couldn't buy a 200 rep snatch workout with anything but the 16 kg. I spent a long time in the low 110's working up to 150 but 200 reps was just a distant memory. Not any longer. We all( Nick, Glenn, Joe and I) all did 200 reps with the 22kg ( nick used the 22, 24 and 28 kg!) and it was great. Now we have to bump up the rep count and start over but this weight was the last in the rotation to get to 200.; and it was sweet. My groove has settled in on both sides and it wasn't hard at all,just how I want it. Strong and easy.

 7-7:45 full stretchout. 

 8 am swing warmup 16 kg x 5/5 x 2

 Snatch
16 kg x 5/5
20 kg  5/5
22kg  x 8/8 x 13 sets
208 reps
9152 lbs

I thought about shorting the set work and just doing 12/12 on the 12th set to just get it done.but, as Joe said, "it's harder this way" and he was right so I put the bell down and did the extra set.No problems.

I can't tell you how much fun it is to train a bit hard again, to be able to actually step on the gas pedal a bit and to even plan workouts and progress ahead of time and be able to carry though. For a long time I thought I was going to have to be satisfied with rehab workouts, and, while that's better than nothing it is far short of this :))

Here's Nicks last set:




Two Hand Clubbell Shield casts
25 lbs x 10/10
35 lbs x 8/8
          x 10/10

strong. easy. Thought about the 45 lber but wanted to save something for the next exercise and my goal there.

Tactical pullups

purple band x 5
black mini x 4
Bodyweight x 3 x 2 sets!!!!!



MAN! This has been a long time in coming. I stopped practicing pullups last year when they just seemed to always exacerbate my left shoulder issues. After getting my pushup back last month I decided to start practicing my pullup again and here it is!

Plus the added bonus of using the bands to train is that they put you in the perfect tactical pullup position, hollow and all. SO when I transitioned from the mini band to just bodyweight the position and the starting strength transfered as well!

After all those years of bodybuilding pullups with my ankles crossed behind me I really never got my chin over the bar right when trying tact pulls but now it was easy. Soon, 24 kg pullup, bet on it.

Just another great day at Stones gym with a great training crew. Life is good.

datsit.
Sisu/



Thursday, December 20, 2012

Digging the ditch

These were the best double 24 kg swings I've done. Of course I didn't get video but they felt as good as they ever have in the short time I've been doing them. Both in the groove of double bell swings and the weight itself.

I really took my stance out wide and that made a big difference. I have some room to get the bells behind me and create some momentum in the pendulum.I mixed in some high pulls with the swings as well during the warmup sets and this helped as well. The high pull shorten my orangutan arms and makes it easier to move the weight AND keep my balance.

I finally got some good float with these bad boys :))

6-7 AM

FULL Rifga stretchout. Nice. It's been way too long since I got a full hour, stem to stern, stretch out in first thing in the morning. Man I need to start every day like that. It's just going to cost me some money :))

2pm ( last thursday session. Next week switch to Mon//Wed/Sat schedule)

2 kb swing
14 kg x 5 x 2
16 kg x 5 x 2
20 kg x 5 x 2

24kg x 5 x 10 sets

these just got better and faster and stronger each set. I definitely could have gotten 15 sets. Next time for sure. Alternating starting with double bells, then heavy single bells and mixing in the power swing versions of both is working very well.Same but different/specialized variety.

Glenn was commenting on how this was so different than the powerlifting training he has done- No Psych. Just work. Just set after set of basic work. I said it was like digging a ditch; you don't get psyched to dig a ditch you just keep shoveling.This is the foundation, this is what builds the peak. All this basic work.

And it's nice when, like today, it's pretty easy to work hard.:))

Two Hand swings
24 kg x 10
         x 12
         x 14
         x 16
         x 18
         x 20

these went SO well . the 24 felt like a 12 kg and all sets and reps were fast and powerful. Hardstyle indeed! the doubles are definitely making the single bell work so much stronger. Can't believe I'm not only training two hand swings but DOUBLE swings as wells .It's really a miracle after all these years. At least to me :))

Snatch Holds

16 kg x 30 sec
20 kg x 30 sec
24 kg x 30 kg

need to do another set and start working toward more 45 sec and one minute sets

Eccentric Pushups/floor
4 sets of 8

these went perfectly with NO shoulder clunking at all. So much fun to be able to work the full ROM of this movement without getting so unstable. I'll take it and stay with these . Also time to add handstands back in.

bodyblade laterals
2 x 10/10

tired and hungry. done

datsit.
Sisu/



Tuesday, December 18, 2012

32 kg high pulls and mini band pullups.



Got my nice hot bath and a good stretchout prior to stepping into the ColdStone cave for high pulls today. I know it's California and everyone else laughs at what we call winter but I'm stiff enough in warm weather and temps under 60 degrees exacerbate that even more. When it's really cold things just lock up.

The key is to keep moving and take hot baths so I did.

I look at this move as my key assistance move for my snatches so when it's feeling strong I know the lighter snatches will be as well.

High Pulls
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x  5/5
28 kg x 5/5
32 kg  x 5/5 x 5 sets

A mere 50 reps but quality reps and man they felt strong. The lightest this bell has felt in eons.

then 24 kg x 8/8 x 3 sets
Just to get a bit more work in


Belt squats

32 kg x 20 x 4 sets

these went great and really deload the hamstrings while strengthening the quads. SO cool to be able to squat  again. going tojust cycle through the 32 , 40 and 48 kg bells from now on.


Superset
Tactical Pulls with bands and P bar pushups


these went GREAT!
Two sets of 5 with purple band and then 2 sets of 5 with this mini band. This is really getting me an entirely new groove on my pullups and its two things: first, the band is really helping me get the momentum to get way over the bar , far more than normal and this is setting a brand new pulling pattern and
Second: Having my legs in front like this really exemplifies the exact right position for a proper tactical pullup with a solid hollow position. Haven't done this since my gymnastics days. this feels great on the shoulder as well

P bar pushups, feet on box
Not so well. First three reps felt perfect then the shoulder just moves around during the transition from bottom to concentric rep. Doesn't hurt or sublux like before, just moves around no matter what I do.

Last two sets were from the knees on the floor but the same thing happened. First 3 reps perfect then not.
Trying these on rings next.I'm thinking the rotation ability of the rings might help keep me in the most stable place.

Stoked about the pullups though. BW next , then weight not far behind.

BB laterals
3 x 10/10

datsit.
Sisu.

                                                           




Saturday, December 15, 2012

Another mission accomplished. 200 snatches with 20 kg



We did 192 reps last time with this bell( 8 sets of 12/12). Last week we backed off with the 24 kg as we had hit 200 reps with that bell the workout before so I was thinking about going for 200 reps with this bell but I was fairly beat up from the weeks training.
A bad move doing some Primal move on wednesday night clunked my shoulder out and I wasn't getting enough time under the lacrosse ball to get it out correctly so until last night, so I wasn't sure if trying for a high rep pr was a good idea.

As usual I will wait til I get hand on bell for my body to tell me what is right to do and today it told me I would be doing 200 reps and it would be easy.And, as usual, it was right again,

Nick had to leave early so he busted out his 200 reps in record time we tried to warmup in the meat locker we train it. He set the pace though with 7 sets of 12/12 and one set o 16/16 for a strong 200.

But that left just me , and Glenn and Joe so the pace quickened.:)) No problem though and we just motored through it. What a great crew and man it's so much more fun to train with a group of real deal guys that are on the same page as you. SO reminds me of the best of my powerlifting days.

We were more than warm in record time. Swings and snatches do that for you. Got a solid stretch out early this morning and felt solid going in. Shoulder was cool too although not perfect.More light, daily snatch holds again.

My new technique of hiking the bell back AND up worked like a charm and I let the bell drift a bit lower on the left side than on my right and that worked great too.:)) Really gave me that back end of the swing I've been looking for. Much more stretch reflex than I have been getting, and really takes the load off the grip as well.

Snatch
( warmup 3 x 5/5/5/5 x 3 high pulls)
16 kg x 5/5 x 2

20 kg x 12/12 x 7 
         x 16/16 
Pace= 28 reps/ min

200 snatches
8800 lbs

Looking closely at the video I'm glad I did the "extra" rep. It wasn't. Glenn was on count, I messed up. I can't count, at least I know it.



Sweet! My left hand grip ( related to the shoulder) was going on the last few reps but it held. Right side was EASY all the way around.Very happy with this.

CB Arm Casts
25 lbs x 10/10
          x 12/12
          x 15/15
35 lb x 6/6

these were tough at first( heavy ) as the torso was pretty toasty. then it calmed down so I did the 35 lber.

Tactical Pullups
purple band
x 6,7
with mini band(!)
x 5, 5

YES! The mini band reps were easy and all with chin over bar! Bodyweight very soon. It's time for this move and I can feel it is having a therapeutic de loading effect on the shoulder. Too many pushups have not felt good.


datsit.
Sisu/



Thursday, December 13, 2012

More Beast Swings.



Long ass day today. Cat woke me up at three and out of bed at 4. Clients straight through until 2 pm and then a 10 minute hot bath as my 'passive warmup' before stepping into the cold storage known as my garage gym, Stones. It's cold as a stone in there from November until April as the concrete slab underneath damn near freezes and doesn't thaw out til Spring.

The Russian warmup (they use saunas I've read) make all the difference. Instead of freezing I'm sweating in two sets.

Two hand swing, ballistic

16 kg x 10
20 kg x 10
24 kg x 10
28 kg x 10
32 kg x 10
36 kg x 10
40 kg x 10
44 kg x 10
48 kg x 10 x 2
40 kg x 10
36 kg x 10
32 kg x 10
110 swings above 24 kg

That was perfect workload . Too tired to do multiple sets at one way this full pyramid got plenty of work in and let me concentrate on form, which felt very solid. Really focused on  internal rotation on the lockout and external ( knee) rotation as I went into the descent. This really set up great torque on the lateral side of the body and great hip utilization AND stabilization .

Also focused( once warmed up) on throwing the bell back and UP and this continued to give  me a great "bottom" of the swing arc and an excellent launching pad for the concentric rep.

I know I haven't done 2 sets of 10 with the Beast so that's a PR Nice. AND, it felt pretty strong an easy.

Two KB Power Swings
16 kg x 5 x 2
20 kg x 4 x 2
24 kg x 3 x 2

these were good and tough at the same time. Especially the 24 kgs. Hips and legs were a bit toasty but the groove was solid. I'm just so weak in this position. I ain't got no hip size at all although my glutes are huge compared to 20 years ago,lol. Now that's a scary thought.:))

I am getting WAAAY comfortable with this wide stand and the double bells, though. Really brings me back to powerlifting.

Snatch Holds
16 kg x 30
20 kg x 30
24 kg x 30
18 kg x 45

nice,we need to do at least 4 set and get our asses to one minute holds more pronto. It's just that one minute holds really suck. Glenn's shirt said "Embrace the Suck" today and it looks like we have to even more.

 Oh well :)) Embrace the Suck.

P bar pushups. Horizontal bar, close grip
4 x 7 ,8,9,10

Nice! the first few reps of the first few sets NO shoulder destabilizing at all. SO solid. I love this, it's just like a bench press and I treat it as such, same techniques. and really on the lats.this is getting much stronger

datsit.
Sisu/



Tuesday, December 11, 2012

28 kg High pulls, belt squats



These went great today. Since I had a pr with the 36 kg last week it was time to step back. The 28 kg seemed like a good choice. Heavier enough to make me pay attention but light enough to focus on technique.

There are many ways to create intensity in a practice; weight sets and reps are only the obvious. Dialing in the teshnik is another and can really take things to the next level.

But I hadn't planned that being part of the training, it just happened. These days I look for those little, important signs from my body or the bell to guide me in ways to make my training harder or easier. Today it was easier.

I decided to think about hiking the bell both UP behind me, as well as  BACK. This made a huge difference, especially on my difficult left side and  gave me a very good feel of the stretch reflex though the hips. I've been 'searching' for the back end of the swing/snatch/hi pull on my left side and this seemed to be it. Even more than squatting down more as I played with Saturday. This seemed to be the rhythm I've been searching for. We'll see if it sticks but today was very nice

High Pulls
16 kg x 5/5/x 2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 3/3

28 kg x 5/5
         x 6/6
         x 7/7
         x 8/8
         x 9/9
         x 10/10
Done! and easy and strong 90 reps.
My back was tight this morning from not getting enough stretching in and too much computer time but I got that opened up quickly and went into the session feeling as square and plumb as I've been in awhile

This technique also keeps the bell in closer to the crotch and locked into the rib cage better. We'll see how it translates into snatches though.

Belt squats
48 kg  10 x 5 sets

these were very solid. Back to the 32 and 20 rep sets next week. I think the cycle has to be 32/40 and 48. No more of these intermediate weights. PLUS time to add in Goblet squats and depth squats off two boxes as well. I smell a specialized variety rotation being born :))
Same but different is my favorite type of training.

Band Pullups
5 sets of 5 with purple band! 

Stinkin' easy! Chin over bar too. this felt great and shoulder didn't say a peep. One more week with purple and then to black monster mini and then real pullups again!

Bodyblade
3 x 10/10

datsit.
Sisu/


Saturday, December 08, 2012

24 kg Snatch Re Load



Since we hit 200 reps in the last 24 kg snatch workout it was time to up the reps a bit and download the total volume. My back was more tired than expected after Thursday's double bell swings and power swings with the band so  140 or so reps was just fine for me.

Got a good stretchout this am, especially back over stability ball bends and up dogs to stretch out my tight front panel. straddle stretches and down dogs as well as over head work as well. Felt solid when the guys showed up and it was go time.

Never will take that for granted, it's so cool to NOT be doing rehab and actually be able to practice and train

Snatches
16 kg x 5/5 x2
20 kg x 4/4

24 kg x 6/6 x 12 sets
144 reps
7632 lb

Very solid and not that hard at all. It wasn't long ago at all that this volume would have been a recent pr. now it's just a down week. Nice :)

 Made some good adjustments  in my lumbo pelvic rhythm on my  left side and I think it's finally the right move. On my right I just have to lean a bit on the descent and my hips go back. Doesn't work that way on my left and I've tried about every permutation.
Except what I did today.

Today I leaned into it to begin but instead of either 1) continuing to lean or 2) trying to push back as well I tried to squat and got the reach back I wanted. Of course I didn't get this figured out until the 11th set but it feels right.

Since  my left knee doesn't fully lock out OR bend easily it changes the mechanics quite a bit from left hand to right and I think this adjustment makes it work. It certainly felt more fluid and I felt like I finally had a  "bottom" position  on my left side.

Shield Casts
 15 x 10/10
25 x 10/10
35 x 8/8 !

Arm Cast

45 x 5/5!!

nice! haven't had this in my hands for quite some time! It's FREAKIN' HEAVY! but they moved well and only hit myself in the head a few times :))

P bar pushups
bw x7
1 chain x 5 x 2

not bad but shoulder moving around after the first 3 reps. Not bad  but noisy. Press felt strong though.

And we have a new addition to the team at Stones Gym. Joe Sarti all over wunderkind is training with us now on Saturday. Joe is an amazing athlete and has been a student and training partner of mine off and on for many many years. Joe can do it all; he's fast, strong, flexible, mobile,athletic and very very strong. did I say strong? Joe came within inches in his pullup of Taming the Beast a few years ago and killed the press and the pistol at about 170 lbs. here's his website .
Good to have you with the crew Joe.
And how nice it is to have a crew again, thank you Nick and Glenn.

datsit.
Sisu./



Thursday, December 06, 2012

Double KB Speed work.



I remember when all I could train was the one arm swing. No presses,snatches, squats, anything but the one arm swing and transfers. I was that jacked up. I didn't know how I could train just this one movement 3 or so times a week and 1)make progress in strength and work capacity and 2) not be bored out of my mind.

I decided to train three times a week with a different weight on each day. Light, medium and heavy. I just didn't know which weight to assign to each day so I asked Brett Jones  for his advice. He told me on my light day "go light". How light I asked, my powerlifter brain still fully intact.
16 kg light, he told me.

Ack. 16 kg? I was trying to get stronger not weaker. But he was right and I knew it. I had to put in some time going light if I was going to be able to go heavy on the other day(s) and there are plenty of ways to challenge a light bell that will seriously kick your butt.

Light meant two things, fast and lots of volume. I like fast and even though I seem to like volume, I don't. I just do it to accomplish my goals: increasing work capacity and recovery ability.

" A back of iron and legs that never quit" as I read in a KB book once. Thats my goal and lots of work with basic kb moves is my best bet with this old mainframe to get there.

I much prefer another Brett Jones, approach :"anything over 3 reps is cardio" . Perfect and much in line with my WSB method as well.

Since I've been grinding away on the two kb swings trying to get a groove and build a foundation I've been going relatively heavy, for me, and thought it would be a good day to go light, 16 kg light and bring in some speed and acceleration to the mix.

Going light would let me get looser on the downswing and build more power on the up. Worked great and I felt like I could play with my form more, as well.

Two KB swings
2 12kg x 10 x 2
2 14 kg x 10 x 2
2 16 kg x 8 x 10 sets

really took my stance out and this helped a bunch. Tried to get really snappy on the descent and that worked well too.

Two hand swings with Power band


Instead of doing dead stop swings I decided to keep it light and fast with a jump stretch band attached. Another move I've wanted to do for years but haven't been able to. These are just as much fun as I thought they would be. And not easy at all.

Same but different. Specialized variety works well for me.

24 kg + average band  x 10 reps x 8 sets

the last three sets were seriously tough, trying to deal with the overspeed eccentric and the resistance on the upswing AND the increased tension took it's toll. But kept bell speed up til the end

Kneeling Floor pushups
4 sets of 10

first two sets NO clunking til last rep, third set got a little loose on 8 and forth set it settled in at 7 . Still great form work and the last sets were chest to the floor and paused.
very pleased with this.

Early AM full Rifga stretch out and PM session with client ( 10 minutes). Need to do even more of this. GET ON THE FLOOR\.

datsit.
Sisu/



Tuesday, December 04, 2012

36kg Hi Pulls Pr



This was a long day after a long day. got some solid muscle release and mobility work last night so I was in pretty good shape for today's workout. Also, a short but decent Primal move session with a client so that helped as well.

High Pulls
16 kg x 5/5/ x2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 5/5
32 kg x 5/5
36 kg x 5/5 x 3 sets Pr 
28 kg x 5/5 x 3 sets
24 kg x 10/10 x 2 sets

The hardest part of the 36 kg sets were the grip on my left hand! It was serious work to hold onto it and I found myself using a tight right hand grip to strengthen it. Part of it is overuse fatigue but also I just don't do any really heavy grip work anymore and it shows!

But it was an all time Pr. I've done one arm swings with the 36 twice before but always for just one top set. this was the strongest it's ever been, in retrospect. The 40 is next. Never have used that with one arm. It will be a great victory :))

Belt squats
44 kg x 15 x 4 sets

very solid. I love that I can just start with the heavy weight on this, no warmup required.next week the Beast and after that back to the 32 kg and 20 rep sets again.

Half Pullups
4 sets of 5

more than just scap pullups my chin was close to the bar for no problem . Full chins very soon. that sub scap mob has made an incredible difference not only in my shoulders but in my entire torso.

bb laterals
3 x 10/10

datsit
Sisu.



Saturday, December 01, 2012

22 kg Snatch, 192 reps



Sneaking up on 200 reps :)) All the subscap work I did last night REALLY made a big difference this morning. MUCH easier to get the arms overhead much faster and easier.Thanks Kelly, another brilliant MWOD.

VERY excited about his new myo fascial release technique. I've been searching for a good way to get at the subscap as I KNEW it was very involved in my shoulder restrictions, I just didn't know how much. Now I do and this is just the beginning. I have great hope for this.

Doing eights is SO much easier than twelves, lol. Seemed like a rest almost, Plus I felt very strong this morning as well and that always helps. The 22 kg felt very light. Opening up the calf and hamstring last night as well really prepped me for today's training. Good stuff.

7 am : 30 min Rifga stretchout

8 am
one arm swing warmup 16 kg x 5/5/ x 3

Snatch
16 kg x 5/5/
         x 3/3
20 kg x 3/3

22kg x 8/8 x 12 sets
192 reps
9408 lbs

one more upwave to 13 sets and 208 reps,then we bump the reps to 9's and drop the sets back and rebuild. No hurry. Plenty of time to get there and the sooner we do the more work we have to do:))

Two Hand CB Arm cast
15  lbs x 10/10
25 lbs x 10/10
35 lbs x 10/10

the improved ROM and opened subscap really made it's presence felt here with much greater ease overhead. Nice!

pushups on single bar

4 sets of 6


ahh,much better than on thursday. really focused on "breaking the bar" as I descended and this was the most stable the shoulder has been period. Sub scap here as well? Must be. Felt like I could externally rotate the arm much easier.

Great workout. Glenn and Joe Sarti trained hard as well. What a difference a great team makes! Feels good to feel good again. :))

Datsit.
Sisu!


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 recen...