2/27/15 Friday February 27, 2015 (KB aerobics, 24kg/20kg, CL/PR/SQ/SN, 20 mins)

5:55am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 30 minutes

6:25am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 1+1
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

6:40am - Training session - KB aerobics, 24kg/20kg, CL/PR/SQ/SN, 20 mins

24kg TGU, 1/1
24kg GSq, 3

24kg CL, PR, SQ, SN, 1/1 (warm up)

KB aerobics - 24kg, 20kg bell, alternating sets, CL/PR/SQ/SN, 20 minutes

16 sets total each arm (8 sets 24kg, 8 sets 20kg alternating between each bell at an even pace, cleaning from the ground to start each arm in each set)

24 kg / 20 kgs DB farmer carry, 1 minute, x 2 (switch sides)

7:15am - Complete

Notes - Excellent day.  Body feels way, way better after a rest day and the deep tissue massage.  Exactly what I needed to do.  This training session really feels like a tonic, almost like not doing enough work but I am rolling with it.  I need to make sure my mobility is dialed in any way and I feel these movements really help with that.  Particularly felt really good today with the overhead presses, those were very strong, really getting the push from the lat, keeping the shoulder packed and down.  Felt really good.

2/26/15 Thursday February 26, 2015 (KB warmup)

7:00am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 15 minutes

7:15:am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

1/2 Kneeling Windmill stretch, 5/5

Arm bar 12 kg, 1+1
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

7:30am - Complete

Notes - Very light day.  Best thing about this day was the deep tissue massage I had later in the morning, which did wonders (I am writing this Friday evening). I really needed that and was glad to be able to fit that into the schedule.  Was very, very tight on the R side scalenes connecting the neck to the trap, and pec, and really got those worked over by my therapist.  It was a huge help.  

2/25/15 Wednesday February 25, 2015 (24/28kg circuit, SN 28kg 4/4 10 mins (PR) )

5:50am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 40 minutes (extra work on the lacrosse ball and form roller)

6:30am - Kettlebell warm up

16kg KB hold behind back with 2H, stretch neck and thoracic area, 2 mins

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 1+1
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

6:45am - Training session - 24/28kg circuit, SN 28kg 4/4 10 minutes

3x:
24kg TGU, 1/1
24kg Renegade rows, 5/5
28kg 1H SW, 10/10

24kg SN, 1/1, very long pauses at lockout to stretch out

28kg SN, 4/4, 10 minutes, as many sets as possible

10 sets - 40/40 total or 80 reps (PR)

28kg farmer carry, 1 minute, 1/1
24kg farmer carry, 1 minute, 1/1

7:15am - Complete

Notes - I could practically write the same notes as I had last week.  Really tight today.  I did a stretch holding the 16kg behind my back with 2H for about 2 minutes, it really helped.  I need to keep doing this.  Once I got mobilized I felt good.  I went out and moved quickly and ended up really having a great training session, and felt better than before I started.  Nailed 80 reps of the 28kg by going on the minute for 10 minutes at a 4/4 pace.  Really great reps, strong, good pauses, very good lockouts.  This is a better thing for me when snatching, to not really be racing but working on technique.  This was very encouraging. Looking to get some soft tissue work done this week to help some of the tightness. 

2/24/15 Tuesday February 24, 2015 (24kg TGUs, GSq)

7:00am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 15 minutes

7:15:am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

1/2 Kneeling Windmill stretch, 5/5

Arm bar 12 kg, 1+1
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

Break

8;45am - Training session - 24kg TGU, 24kg GSq

2x:

24kg TGU to the knee, 1/1
24kg GSq, 3

9:00am - Complete

Notes - Really tight today again.  R side lat, pec is tight, hip is tight.   It's all connected.  The mobility work definitely helped but this single bell work and the new movements certainly has attributed to some tightening up.  I think it brings out some of my asymmetries.  This is not a bad thing mind you, just need to keep working through it.  Going to try and find time for soft tissue work this week.

2/23/15 Monday February 23, 2015 (PPR 32kg, DB SLDLs 24 kgs)

7:15am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 45 minutes (some extra lacrosse ball work)

8:00am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

1/2 Kneeling Windmill stretch, 5/5

Arm bar 12 kg, 1+1
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

8:25am - Training session - PPR 32g, DB SL DLs 24kgs

1/2 Kneeling Windmill, 16kg, 5/5
1/2 Knelling Bent Press, 16kg, 5/5
24kg TGU, 1/1 to the knee

24kg 2H SW, 10
24kg PPR, 5/5

5x superset:

32kg PPR, 4/4 (up from 3/3 last week)
24kgs DB SLDLs, 3/3

32kg 2H SW, 10
24kgs DB farmer carries, 1 minute
32kg farmer carry, 1 minute, 1/1

9:00am - Complete

Notes - Solid work today.  Was feeling a bit tight, particularly in the R quad, hip, glute, inner thigh as well, and tried for some time to get stretched out.  Going to keep working on some hamstring stretches as well.  R pec was tight going through the warm up but arm bars, windmills and the bent press helped mobilize the area as well.  Stuff with the L shoulder and forearm that I was working through last week just a bit and watching was completely gone oddly enough.  So I suppose the point is, stuff is moving around here, not a surprise given the influx of practicing various new movements.  Felt pretty good power on most of the PPR reps with the 32kg, added volume this week didn't seem to have much of an impact, I will bump up to 6 sets next week.  SLDLs did feel a lot more solid which was good.  Liking these farmer carries that are added on at the end.  I could push them a lot harder but wanting to stay with relatively short durations for now and build slowly.

2/21/15 Saturday February 21, 2015 (pull-ups, push-ups, playing with the kids)

Got this work done late Saturday afternoon and did it with my kids again at the lake.  We had a lot of fun.  This is a great thing for us to do together.

Hanging from bar
Hip mobility

7 pull-ups
5 push-ups (3 regular, 2 lizard for all)

6 pull-ups
5 push-ups

5 pull-ups
5 push-ups

4 pull-ups
5 push-ups

4 pull-ups
5 push-ups

Lots of helping the kids and running around the trees in between all of the above.  Probably took us 30 or 40 minutes.

Total pull-ups - 26, up 1 from last week.  25 push-ups, same as last week.  These pull-ups were not hard.  I was a little surprised as my L shoulder and forearm needed a lot of stretching out and mobilizing the last couple of days - lot of overhead work going on in this cycle, and the heavy snatching with the 28kg was probably a real shock to the system on Wed.  In any event, I focused on pulling with my lats, tight glutes, and was just popping up on every rep.  That was cool.  I think this is the highest rep count I have hit on the pull-ups, I will keep adding a rep a week unless I stall out.  Also it's time to try and get some KB swings and sprinting back into the mix.  Next weekend.

2/20/15 Friday February 20, 2015 (KB aerobics, 24kg/20kg, CL/PR/SQ/SN, 20 mins)

6:20am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 30 minutes

6:50am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

1/2 kneeling Windmill stretch, 5/5

Arm bar 12 kg, 1+1
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

7:05am - Training session - KB aerobics, 24kg/20kg, CL/PR/SQ/SN, 20 mins

24kg TGU, 1/1
24kg GSq, 3
24kg 2H SW, 10, x 2

KB aerobics - 24kg, 20kg bell, alternating sets, CL/PR/SQ/SN, 20 minutes

16 sets total each arm (8 sets 24kg, 8 sets 20kg alternating between each bell at an even pace, cleaning from the ground to start each arm in each set)

24 kg / 20 kgs DB farmer carry, 1 minute, x 2 (switch sides)

7:40am - Complete

Notes - This was good stuff, I enjoyed this today.  Still a bit sore and tight from that snatching the 28kg on Wed, but got warmed up, was moving better, and felt good to go.  I like this "KB aerobics" training set a lot and look forward to more of this in the future, would like to even consider doing this as a harder training session with the 24kg, then later, the 28kg.  But the point for today was to not overload the weight but use this to mobilize, work on technique, and just keep a steady pace for 20 mins with no undue rest. By the end I was sweating and feeling good.  Snatching out of the rack position from a SQ is somewhat tough but it forced me to try and get the bell back into the hole and really drive out with the hips.  Snatching the 20kg today felt like a joke compared to the 28kg on Wed:)

2/19/15 Thursday February 19, 2015 (16kg TGUs, SLDLs)

7:00am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 15 minutes

7:15:am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

1/2 Kneeling Windmill stretch, 5/5

Arm bar 12 kg, 1+1
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

7:30am - Training session - 16kg TGU, 16kg SLDLs

16kg TGU to the knee, 2/2
16kg SLDLs, 5/5

7:40am - Complete

Notes - Very light day.  Wow, was crazy sore in the traps, lats, forearms, elbows from snatching.  Not in a painful way, just the body saying "damn boy you have not snatched a KB in 3 months and then you go and snatch a 28kg for 60 reps????"  Haha.  It's all good though and the volume wasn't crazy, I am sure glad I didn't do any more than what I did.  A great reminder that snatching a heavyish KB will get your attention in a hurry.  Going to keep stretching out, try and get the forearms some tonight with the lacrosse ball.

2/18/15 Wednesday February 18, 2015 (24/28kg circuit, SN 28kg 3/3 10 mins (PR) )

7:30am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 45 minutes (a lot of extra work on the lacrosse ball and form roller)

8:15am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 1+1
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

8:30am - Training session - 24/28kg circuit, SN 28kg 3/3 10 minutes

3x:
24kg TGU, 1/1
24kg Renegade rows, 5/5
28kg 1H SW, 10/10

24kg SN, 3/3, very long pauses at lockout to stretch out

28kg SN, 3/3, 10 minutes, as many sets as possible

10 sets - 30/30 total or 60 reps

28kgs farmer carry, 1 minute, 1/1
24kg farmer carry, 1 minute, 1/1

9:05am - Complete

Notes - So that was interesting:)  First, I was TIGHT as hell this morning.  Damn.  Trap, lat, shoulder, mainly the right side.  Should not at all be surprised, I have a lot of new movements going on and need to ease it.  Been really busy at work, running around like an idiot, so that is probably a factor.  In any event, I did take some time on soft tissue work, mobility drills, and did get pretty well stretched out.  Renegade rows were in the warm-up, haven't done those in many months.  The movement was a little harder than I anticipated, it's probably good to get some of that work back in.  Focused on keeping everything very tight, tensing the glutes.  I did these off a box.  Snatching with a 28kg.  60 reps. So this was definitely a PR.  I have not snatched literally since I passed the SFG on November 16, other than literally a couple of random reps here or there.  So 3 months!!  Weird and a bit shocking.  I have to say I am really, really pleased with how this went.  Strong makes everything easier.  This was not hard, at all, and that was really cool.  I won't say the 28kg felt like a 24kg, but it didn't feel heavy, even on the last set.  I was really using my glutes, loading the bell on the backswing on every rep, and finishing strong at lockout, not going to fast, and just hitting every rep.  This was "practice" and I really like snatching like this, rather than racing a clock.  We'll see how I feel tonight and tomorrow.  I am anticipating that I will be tightening up and need to make sure I stay as mobile as possible.  

2/17/15 Tuesday February 17, 2015 (24kg TGUs, 2H SW)

7:00am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 15 minutes

7:15:am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

1/2 Kneeling Windmill stretch, 5/5

Arm bar 12 kg, 1+1
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

7:30am - Training session - 24kg TGU, 24kg SH SW

1/2 Kneeling Windmill, 16kg, 5/5
1/2 Knelling Bent Press, 16kg, 5/5

24kg TGU to the knee, 1/1
24kg 2H SW, 10, x 3

7:40am - Complete

Notes - Shoulders tight today, got really tight late in the day and tried to stretch out before bed.  Lots of new movements, I need to progress slowly and not overdue anything.  I probably didn't need to do as much on this off day as I did, that is a lesson and will just do mobility and very light KB work for the Thursday recovery day this week.  I think one of the big reasons my last 6-week cycle was so successful is that I really got recovered in between sessions.  

2/16/15 Monday February 16, 2015 (PPR 32kg, DB SLDLs 24 kgs)

7:30am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 30 minutes

8:00am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

1/2 Kneeling Windmill stretch, 5/5

Arm bar 12 kg, 1+1
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

8:25am - Training session - PPR 32g, DB SL DLs 24kgs

1/2 Kneeling Windmill, 16kg, 5/5
1/2 Knelling Bent Press, 16kg, 5/5
24kg TGU, 1/1 to the knee

24kg 2H SW, 10
24kg PPR, 5/5

5x superset:

32kg PPR, 3/3
24kgs DB SLDLs, 3/3

24kgs DB farmer carries, 1 minute
32kg 2H SW, 10
32kg farmer carry, 1 minute, 1/1

8:55am - Complete

Notes - Great day here starting a new 3-week cycle that will be focused on single bell work to balance out the 6-week cycle of double bells. Going to work on athleticism, staying mobile, and probably will try and cut back just a bit on food intake (I have seriously been eating like an absolute madman).  Going to be hitting a lot of different movements in the cycle, rows, heavier snatches with the 28kg on Wed, and "kettlebell aerobics" CL / PR / SQ with a SN thrown in for Fridays.  This looks good and I am excited.  Today was a good start, working on various new movements in the mobility warm up including some 1/2 kneeling Windmill and Bent Presses.  Surprising challenging, new movements, it's going to take some time to adjust and get used to these.   On the push presses, just love that movement, I focused on engaging the lat while in the rack, and trying to keep the bell very tight on the descent and then pressing up to lockout using my legs and glutes (not the arm / shoulder).  This went well.  32kg feels heavy in the rack (compared to the 24kg), not going to lie, but I am determined to work with this bell and make it feel like the 24kg does now after so much work sets using double 24kgs. Certainly I finished the training session today feeling refreshed, not taxed at all.  Right amount of volume.

2/14/15 Saturday February 14, 2015 (pull-ups, push-ups, playing with the kids)

Got this work done late Saturday afternoon and did it with my kids the lake!  Great way to spend Valentine's Day.  They had a lot of fun and did some hanging and swinging from the pull-up rings, some push-ups, and lots of running around trees doing some chase:)  Awesome.

Hanging from bar
Hip mobility

7 pull-ups
5 push-ups (3 regular, 2 lizard for all)

6 pull-ups
5 push-ups

5 pull-ups
5 push-ups

4 pull-ups
5 push-ups

3 pull-ups
5 push-ups

Lots of helping the kids and running around the trees in between all of the above.  Probably took us 30 or 40 minutes.

Total pull-ups - 25, up 1 from last week.  25 push-ups, same as last week.  Well I was surprised and very pleased with the pull-ups, the top set of 7 was significantly easier than the last time I got to a top set of 7, this tells me I should be able to keep adding a rep so I will.  Probably the relatively light deload week with the bells helped, though I did train with Kevin and learned a bunch of new movements along with push-pressing a 32kg for a decent number of reps, but no fallout from that it seems.  Awesome.  Best thing here though is doing this with my kids, making it fun, making moving your body fun and enjoyable.  They love doing things like this and it is a proud moment for sure that I can do this with them and set this example.

2/13/15 Friday February 13, 2015 (training with Kevin)

I checked my logs and was shocked to see that the last time I trained with Kevin was Friday December 12. Wow that's 2 months!! Time flies.  It has been a really productive two months in a lot of ways.

Today, we did some cool stuff.  Got warmed up at home for 15-20 minutes and started with Kevin at 6:15am.  We caught up for a bit and then started at 6:30am.

Did some new warm-ups in the tall-kneeling position, practicing Windmills.  We used a 12kg and a 16kg.  That was really cool and I am going to like that a lot for thoracic spine mobility.

We then moved from windmills in that position to practicing Bent Presses in the tall kneeling position, again with the 16kg.  That was really cool to practice that.  Setting the bell out and letting it sink into the lat, bringing the off hand elbow all the way to the ground, like a TGU, and "getting under the bell" and not pressing it up.  I think I am really going to like these.

We then did some PR with the 24kg, and then started practicing push presses, first with the 28kg, and then with the 32kg.  I finished with about 20 or so minutes alternating between doubles of DB SL DLs with the 24kgs, something I have not practiced, and then doubles or triples of the 32kg push press.  I liked the lifts a lot and it was cool to practice so many new things today.

We are going to do a 3-week cycle that will have some focus on all of these movements, and also some heavy snatches for low reps, 28kg.  Lot of single bell work after doing doubles for so many weeks.

It is great to have such a good coach.  Thank you Kevin!

2/12/15 Thursday February 12, 2015 (24kg TGUs, SL DLs)

7:00am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 15 minutes

7:15:am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 1/1
Arm bar 16kg, 1/1
Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

7:30am - Training session - 24kg TGU, 24kg SLDLs

2x;

24kg TGU to the knee, 1/1
24kg SLDL, 3/3

7:40am - Complete

Notes - Good stuff, body felt really good this morning.  Left knee is a little tender, as is the left ankle, noticed this Tuesday morning as well.  I think it is the getups outside on the hard ground, I have not done them outside in months and it is slightly irritating the knee I think.  I'll watch it but should not be a big deal, just keep it mobilized.  

2/11/15 Wednesday February 11, 2015 (S&S 24kg)

7:35am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 30 minutes

8:05am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 1/1
Arm bar 16kg, 1/1
Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

8:20am -Training session - S&S 24kg

24kg TGU, 1/1 to the knee

24kg GSq, 5

24kg 2H SW, 10

24kg 1H SW, 10/10, x 5, 100 swings in 5 minutes

24kg TGU, 1/1, x 5, 10 TGUs in 10 minutes

DB 24kgs farmer carry, 1 minute

8:50am - Complete

Notes - Good day.  This felt easier and better than Monday.  Swings were crisp, getups smooth, overhead position on the getups was very good.  I am pleased.  Had an extremely long day at work yesterday, like 15 hrs, but slept ok and am feeling fine.  Need some good sleep tonight.  

2/10/15 Tuesday February 10, 2015 (24kg TGUs, SL DLs)

6:30am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 30 minutes

7:00:am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 1/1
Arm bar 16kg, 1/1
Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

7:15am - Training session - 24kg TGU, 24kg SLDLs

2x;

24kg TGU to the knee, 1/1
24kg SLDL, 3/3

7:30am - Complete

Notes - Good stuff here, feeling really great this morning.  Was thinking of doing things with the 16kg but felt so good I just said hey, why not a few reps with the 24kg, just go for it.  Felt great.  More S&S tomorrow, really a very simple week for training.

2/9/15 Monday February 9, 2015 (S&S 24kg)

7:30am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 30 minutes

8:00am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 1/1
Arm bar 16kg, 1/1
Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

8:15am -Training session - S&S 24kg

24kg TGU, 1/1 to the knee

24kg GSq, 5

24kg 2H SW, 10

24kg 1H SW, 10/10, x 5, 100 swings in 5 minutes

24kg TGU, 1/1, x 5, 10 TGUs in 10 minutes

DB 24kgs farmer carry, 1 minute

8:45am - Complete

Notes - Got this done, it was easy, hadn't done an S&S session in some time.  Did wake up feeling tired.  Worked all day yesterday and am a bit worn down from a lot of intense commitments at work.  This back off week is coming at the right time.  Writing this in the afternoon, I am definitely tight after this session.  I notice that happens sometimes with 1H SW, given the asymmetrical nature, sometimes I tighten up on the R side which has happened.  I also have not been doing any 1H SW for 6 weeks, nor have I done more than 1-2 reps of TGUs in any one session.  So could also be the body just reacting to that movement too. Need to get some good rest tonight, get stretched out etc. 

2/7/15 Saturday February 7, 2015 (pull-ups, push-ups, walk)

Got this work done late Saturday afternoon / evening.  After a seriously heavy week of lifting, I thought about waiting a day and doing it on Sunday, but just decided to bang it out as I felt pretty good and knew it was going to be pretty hard on the lats either day:)

Hanging from bar
Hip mobility

6 pull-ups
5 push-ups (3 regular, 2 lizard for all)
Short walk

6 pull-ups
5 push-ups
Pistol squat - 1/1
Short walk

5 pull-ups
5 push-ups
Short walk

4 pull-ups
5 push-ups
Pistol squat - 1/1
Short walk

3 pull-ups
5 push-ups

Longer walk - 30 minutes

Total pull-ups - 24, up 1 from last week.  25 push-ups, same as last week.  Was very pleased with this as the two sets of 6 went pretty well.  Challenging, for sure, but I cleaned and squatted yesterday at a fairly intense intensity (for me) and the lats were pushed.  Just messing with a couple of pistol squats to see how they feel, not all that great.  The flexed leg usually cramps up, and my lower back feels fatigued - not pain, just definitely noticing all of the heavy squatting has the muscles fatigued and not yet recovered on the weekends.  It's fine, not a big deal.  It's good to know I still have very good mobility in this movement despite all of the squatting and my glutes and quads putting on some size.  I can really get down into the hole in the squat, ass to grass, in a very safe way and it's important to me to be able to maintain this.  This is easily one of the most significant mobility improvements I have been able to make using kettlebells the last several years, and its awesome to be able to move like that.

2/6/15 Friday February 6, 2015 (24kgs complex for time DB CL, DB FSQ - PR)

6:45am - in Spokane, Original Strength (rolling, cross lateral, rocking, neck nods, crawling)

7:15am - 30 minute walk

Back in Seattle

4:35pm - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 15 minutes

4:50pm - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 1+1
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

5:05pm - Training session - DB CL, DB FSQ 24kgs complex, 20 minutes

24kg TGU, 1/1 to the knee

24kg 2H SW, 10

DB CL, DB FSQ, 24kgs complex, 6 DB CL, 6 DB FSQ as many sets as possible, 20 minutes

12 sets

Totals 72 DB CL, 72 DB FSQ (up from 5/5 x 13, 65/65 total last week - PR)

24kg 2H SW, 10, x 2

5:35pm - Complete

Notes - And so ends the 6 week cycle, and talk about leaving it on a high note - another PR.  Just some awesome stuff, this has been an incredibly productive run of training for me.  My technique in some major lifts is better, my grip strength is better, I have put on some real size, forearms, arms, glutes, quads, and I think conditioning even benefited giving the timed nature of this cycle with the AMRAP for 20 minutes (did not let form suffer just for reps though).  Next week is going to be some Simple and Sinister with the 24kg bell, a recovery week, looking forward to it and then working with Kevin to design the next training block.

2/5/15 Thursday February 5, 2015 (24kg TGUs, SL DLs)

6:30am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 30 minutes

7:00:am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 1/1
Arm bar 16kg, 1/1
Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

7:15am - Training session - 24kg TGU, 24kg SLDLs

2x;

24kg TGU to the knee, 1/1
24kg SLDL, 3/3

7:30am - Complete

Notes - Excellent, got this in, felt good, then off to Spokane for work.

2/4/15 Wednesday February 4, 2015 (DB SW, FSQ 24kgs Complex for time - PR))

7:20am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 45 minutes (some extra soft tissue work)

8:05am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 1+1
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1
Hold 16kg behind back with 2H, sink bell to floor, neck stretch, open up thoracic spine, 2 mins

8:20am - Training session - DB SW, DB FSQ 24kgs complex, 20 minutes

24kg TGU, 1/1 to the knee

24kg GSq, 5

24kg 2H SW, 10

DB SW, DB FSQ, 24kgs complex, 6 DB SW, 6 DB FSQ as many sets as possible, 20 minutes

11 sets

Totals 66 DB SW, 66 DB FSQ (PR) (last week, 5/5 x 12, 60/60)

24kg 2H SW, 10, x 2

8:50am - Complete

Notes - Another PR.  First time for 6 rep sets, I was ready for this.  Got a decent night of sleep, woke up feeling a bit tight on the R side, not surprised, this usually is the case from heavy pressing days (Monday), I just need to stay focused on mobility work.  Took some extra time to do some soft tissue work on the foam roller and with the lacrosse ball, and did some extra work on the thoracic area, and really felt ready to go for the main training session.  The reps today were very strong, consistent, I was definitely gassed at the end and had to take a walk to get my breathing back.  Really proud of this effort, great capstone for this combo working on the lead up to this training session in week 6.  Final session of the 6 week cycle on Friday, DB CL into DB FSQ, looking forward to it.  I have to travel to Spokane tomorrow for work, coming back late Friday afternoon and then I will hit this session.  Key will be to try and get some decent recovery in between now and then.

2/3/15 Tuesday February 3, 2015 (16kg TGUs, SL DLs)

7:00am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 30 minutes

7:30am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 1/1
Arm bar 16kg, 1/1
Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

Break

8:45am - Training session - 16kg TGU, 16kg SLDLs

16kg TGU to the knee, 2/2
16kg SLDL, 5/5

8:55am - Complete

Notes - Good here, pleased.  Woke up feeling pretty good, tight in the R pec / trap / armpit a bit, not surprised, been working on this the last couple of days and pressing heavy does get this a bit tight.  Arm bars really opened things up a lot, felt great, and the light TGUs were good, overhead position was solid. Some more soft tissue work tonight, get prepared for double swings and squatting Wed morning.  6 rep sets, going to be interesting.

2/2/15 Monday February 2, 2015 (DB CL, DB PR 24kgs complex)

6:30am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 25 minutes

6:55am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 1/1
Arm bar 16kg, 1/1
Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

7:10am -Training session - DB CL, DB PR 24kgs complex, 20 minutes

24kg TGU, 1/1 to the knee

24kg GSq, 5

24kg 2H SW, 10

16kg BUP, 1/1

12kg tempo presses, 5/5

24kg 2H SW, 10

DB CL, DB PR 24kgs complex, 6 DB CL, 6 DB PR, as many sets as possible, 20 minutes

5 sets (this was a PR), then it got tough

1 set with 6 CL, 5 PR
1 set with 6 CL, 4 PR
2 sets with 6 CL, 3 PR
1 set with 1 CL, 3 PR

Totals 49 DB CL, 48 DB PR (was 50/50 last week with sets of 5, 52/52 using 4 reps sets 2 weeks ago)

2H SW 24kg, 20, x 2

7:45am - Complete

Notes - Well, very interesting.  I was not totally sure how to evaluate today's training, so stepped through my logs to try and get some perspective.  In terms of density, this is right of right where I have been - not a PR in terms of # of reps in 20 minutes, but in the range.  Without question this was the single hardest training session I have experienced in this cycle.  I thought it would be.  5 sets of  6 reps is a PR, so I have to be happy with that.  I never do 6 rep sets, not even sure I have ever even attempted them, with the DB 24kgs, and further, going for time.  I hit the first 5 sets pretty solid, but started hitting a wall as you can see from the descending reps.  I did keep the cleans up so that was pretty good.  I felt like technique was pretty good, I think where I get leakage on is in the abdomen, this is going to be something to work on with Kevin.  I will also say, lats felt tired on some of the last reps, and I realized that I really wasn't fully recovered from the training session down at the lake yesterday, so that is a little disappointing on my part.  Should have tried to get that done on Saturday or gone even lighter before this session, but oh well, you live, you learn.  I am definitely a lot stronger than when I began this cycle.  On those cleans, really tossing those bells around like nothing, but keeping them under control too.  I could really feel my grip strength on several reps at the end of each set help me push through, crushing that bell.  It's a great feeling.  Will be cool to see where we go from here.  Oh, also, in terms of body composition, I have put on some really good size, while staying lean.  I was working in Spokane last week at a client that I have not seen in about 18 months.  I was wearing a polo shirt and he pulled me into his office and asked me what the hell I had been doing for training, I thought he was going to ask if I was on steroids, lol.  Pretty cool stuff but beyond all of that superficial stuff, it is great to really spend time honing a craft, loving the work, tracking progress, and trying to get better every day. 

2/1/15 Sunday February 1, 2015 (pull-ups, push-ups)

Got this work in before the Super Bowl where my Seattle Seahawks ended up losing a heart breaker to the Patriots.  Sports is a great metaphor for life - you are going to go through tough times, it's really about how you respond.

Hanging from bar
Hip mobility

6 pull-ups
5 push-ups (3 regular, 2 lizard for all)
Short walk

5 pull-ups
5 push-ups
Pistol squat - 1/1
Short walk

5 pull-ups
5 push-ups
Short walk

4 pull-ups
5 push-ups
Pistol squat - 1/1
Short walk

3 pull-ups
5 push-ups

Longer walk - 30 minutes

Total pull-ups - 23, down 2 from last week.  25 push-ups, same as last week.  This was intentional, last week I had build up to a first set of 7 pull-ups and just felt too close to failure on several reps.  I wanted to back off and focus most of the work today really on the walking, just to try and re-set my gait, connect my shoulders with my hips with a bit of brisk walking.  This went really well today and I was very pleased all around. I think I am in a good spot here for the last week in a 6-week cycle, going to be a tough week, 6 reps on every set with double 24s.  I am looking forward to testing myself and seeing how this goes.