9/6/13 Friday September 6, 2013 Training with Kevin - ICs

Before meeting Kevin at 6:30am I did some 5 minutes of OS resets at home - didn't really leave myself any time this morning to warm up as I slept in a bit.

6:30am - Training session with Kevin.  We did some primal move, and for cross crawls he showed me a new move to tap or grab the inside of the feet which I liked.

We worked on single leg deadlift movements with no bells, using furniture pads under my off leg foot.  We talked quite a bit about the benefits of SL DLs and I need to throw those into a variety day more consistently I believe.

We then worked on Indian Clubs for the majority of the session, which I enjoyed a lot.  We just used 1 club and did Movement No. 1, very basic, but nonetheless I liked getting some instruction.  I bought 2 1 lb ICs from Dragon Door months ago (probably 6 months nearly) and have not used them.  I now have a good idea of when to use them - a variety day that mixes SL DL, IC, and TGUs in a circuit.  That will be great.

We then did some TK PR with the 16 kg after ICs to see how that felt on the shoulders.  It felt amazing.  5 minutes of IC on a Press Day obviously would be a huge minutes before pressing heavy bells.

We then finished with some sled pushes in the studio to get my heart rate up, which definitely worked.

7:40am - Finish

Great session, I continue to learn a lot from Kevin.  This was interesting due to the lack of bells but that was the plan going into this given the rest time I am trying to give my R wrist and forearm.  The plan is to hit the same workout A/B/C for the next 4 weeks until I see Kevin again (Monday - single bell complex, will start with a 20 kg and work my way slowly back to 28 kg the last week; Wed - armor building with double bells, will start with a 16 or 20kgs, not sure, working my way back to 24 kgs; Friday, snatching, going to drop down to a 16 kg and work back to a 24 kg the last week or so).  Variety days are going to be ICs, SL DL, TGUs, maybe some swings too.  Should be a good period of time before I see Kevin next assuming I can keep recovering on the R wrist and forearm which looks to be the case.

I also saw my acupuncturist / body work specialist Dave for another treatment today which was very helpful.

9/5/13 Thursday September 5, 2013 (TGUs)

5:50am - Original Strength and Primal Move - 35 minutes

6:25am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

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

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 1+1

6:40am - Training session - Focus on TGUs

Warm up -
16 kg, 1+1

24kg, 2X 2+2 (2 reps, set down, 2 reps, set down, 2 reps, set down, 2 reps, set down)

7:00am - Complete

Notes -  Wrist and forearm on the R continuing to show improvement each day.  Did these with a 24 kg, absolutely no pain or discomfort on any of the TGU movement.  Noticed some tenderness when putting my hand down to push up into standing, and when coming back down to the ground, but not pain or discomfort.  Same feeling I have had this week with it as I have done mob work, lacrosse ball etc. so the bells are not causing an issue (non ballistic movements).  Chalk it up to another good day particularly in the circumstances.

9/4/13 Wednesday September 4, 2013 (TK PR, Sq)

6:45am - Original Strength, Primal Move drills - 45 minutes (some extra time to work the lacrosse ball on the lats, glutes, and forearm particularly the R forearm from Monday's training accident)

7:30am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

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

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm 16 kg
12kg armbars - 1 L, 1 R

So after completing the warm ups I was feeling good.  So I decided to go with a couple of simple, highly controlled movements that were not ballistic in nature at all.

7:45am - Training session - TK PR 20 kg, Sq 20 kg

Warm up -
TGU 16kg, 4+4 (only to the elbow)
GSq 16 kg, 5
DL 20 kg, 5, 5 L, 5 R (felt totally fine no issues which was good - I can probably go heavier and do a double bell DL as per normal)

TK PR 16 kg, 5/5
Sq 16 kg, 5/5

These were light, I knew I could move up a bell size without an issue.

4X the following, done in circuits.

TK PR 20 kg, 5/5
Sq 20 kg, 5/5

8:15am - Complete

Notes -  All movements were highly controlled and I used the "cheat clean" (2 hand clean on 1 bell) to get the bell into the rack for all reps.  No cleans, did not want to see what those felt like on the wrist / forearm - no reason to push anything at all here.  This felt great.  I knew I could have gone heavier, easily a 24 kg, but that was not the point today.  This was a good example of me actually listening to the feedback from my body and training intelligently.  This is progress.

9/3/13 Tuesday September 3, 2013 (OS, Primal Move)

6:15am - Original Strength, Primal Move drills - 60 minutes

7:15am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

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

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm 16 kg
12kg armbars - 1 L, 1 R

7:30am - Complete

Notes - Well the good news here is that my wrist and forearm seem to be responding pretty well to the self treatments from yesterday (ice 3x, heat, and 2 sessions of lacrosse ball release).  I put my arm on a pillow and keep it slightly elevated last night.  It was a little stiff when I woke up but as always moving around is the best remedy.  I told myself I would go slow and just see if I even felt like doing my standard kettlebell warmups.  Fortunately I was feeling ok to do that and in fact none of the warmups bothered the arm/forearm at all, that was good.  I am seeing Dave my acupuncturist / bodyworker this morning and I think that it going to be a good thing.  I have full ROM in the wrist, can do normal stuff aka shaving, washing dishes, carrying stuff, typing on my computer etc. so I feel this is going to be a relatively minor setback assuming I can focus on doing smart rehab and being patient.  I have been going very hard for 3 months of training, all summer, and this is probably a good time anyway to take a deep breath, get some balance, and then get my body rested to start another cycle.  My recovery work is fairly pathetic re: sleeping enough and with the school year starting again it is just the right time to try and get some things in order here so that I can be in a good position to continue the upward trend in my training.

9/2/13 Monday September 2, 2013 (28 kg complex) (R wrist issue)

8:00am - Original Strength, Primal Move drills - 30 minutes

8:30am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

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

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm 16 kg
12kg armbars - 1 L, 1 R

8:45am - Training session - Single bell 28 kg complex

Warm up -
TGU 16kg, 1+1
GSq 16 kg, 5

2X the following, done in circuits.
28 kg TGU, 1+1
28 kg 2H SW, 15 reps (10 last week)
28 kg FSq, 4+4 reps (3+3 last week)
28 kg 1H SW, 8+8 reps (5+5 last week)
28 kg C&P, 4+4 reps (3+3 last week)
28 kg 1H SW, 8+8 reps (5+5 last week)
24 kg SN, 8+8, 2nd round had to go 4+4, set down, 4+4 (5+5 last week)

1X:
28 kg TGU, 1+1
28 kg 2H SW, 15 reps (problem occurred around rep 12 on R wrist/forearm after bell slipped)
28 kg FSq, 4+4 reps
28 kg 1H SW, 8+4 reps (aborted workout)

This took about 30 minutes to complete including the rests between each movement / round.

9:15am - Complete

Notes -  Well fuck it all.  This session was going extremely well.  At the end of round 2, I was experiencing some issues with my hands being very sweaty and the bell being sweaty, despite wearing wristbands I had recently purchased which was helping the issue.  I need chalk obviously after what I am about to explain.  Doing 2H SW on the 3rd round, after about rep 12 I felt the bell slip out of my R hand; my L hand held firm.  I felt a pop/crack on the outer part of my wrist and my arm got pulled by the bell.  This occurred at literally the top of the swing, so fortunately my wrist was in straight position and was not compromised.  My natural reaction was to grab the bell quickly and keep the swing, which I did.  I shook out my hands, definitely did not like the way that felt, but decided to do a few more movements and see how I felt.  I did not notice an issue on my next part of the circuit, squats.  I then went to the 1H SW and with the R hand I just aborted the workout after a couple of swings.  Did not feel right at all, felt a pain on the outer part of my wrist up my forearm.

I put ice on it 3 times today, applied heat, and did the lacrosse ball release twice.  Also just applied a bunch of Traumeel to the area.  On the 2nd lacrosse ball release session tonight I just beat the shit out of that R arm, going from the palm all the way up to the tricepts.  A bunch of trigger points were hit all over the place.  I definitely did not sprain the wrist or incur a fracture or anything.  The joint obviously got yanked, which was not good, and then I think the main thing that occurred was my re-gripping hard on the bell to regain control, while being pulled a little forward, really locked up the forearm and I think the forearm up through the elbow / tricep is what needs to get calmed down, with that tissue getting released as much and as soon as possible.  I scheduled an acupuncture / bodywork session for tomorrow morning which I think will help.  Obviously I am going to have to take it easy and see how things react / proceed.  Probably spent a couple of hours on self treatment today.

Shitty luck.  This really fucking sucks, but then again, I have been experiencing an entire summer of huge gains.  I literally had asked Kevin last night in an email if he thought I was ready for the SFG weekend in Vancouver BC in early November.  I think this is God's way of telling me - slow down, you have a lot of other things in your life you need to take care of before you worry about the SFG.  Message received.

8/30/13 Friday August 30, 2013 (24 kg SN 4/4 15 min)

7:45am - Original Strength, Primal Move drills - 50 minutes (extra time needed for lacrosse ball work on back, right leg)

8:35am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

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

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm 16 kg
12 kg arm bar, 1 L , 1 R

8:50am - Training session - Snatch sets of 4/4 on the minute for 15 minutes with the 24 kg (up from 12 last week)

Warm up -
TGU 24kg, 1+1
CL and rack hold marching 24 kg, 10x each leg L/R
G Sq 24 kg, 5
DL 44 kg, 5, alt L / R 5
1H SW 24 kg, 10/10

2H SW 44 kg 2, 3, 5 - 2X

SN the 24 kg 4/4 on the minute for 15 minutes

Total reps in 15 minutes - 60 per arm, 120 total (48/96 last week)

9:20am - Complete

Notes -  Well, I keep upping the reps with the 24 on SN and it feels good:)  I got very little quality sleep last night so getting warmed up was a struggle.  However swinging a 44kg will wake you up:)  The snatching felt really good.  Consistent pace.  I am pulling a little with my R arm as I think I do not have enough hip snap on the R side, need to get that bell back into the hole and use the hips more.  The L arm felt really good which is funny because this is my weaker side and is the one I used to have many more issues snatching with.  I also had a callous starting to show signs of a tear on the R hand and that altered technique a bit which also was a minor issue making the R side a bit less smooth.  I was pretty aware and adjusting all the time during the sets though so at least my awareness level is up and I am trying to pay a lot of attention to keeping good form and not breaking down.

8/29/13 Thursday August 29, 2013 (2H SW 24)

6:15am - Original Strength, Primal Move drills - 30 minutes

6:45am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

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

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm
12 kg arm bar, L/R

7:00am - Training session - 2H SW 24kg

Warm up -

TGU 24 kg, single L, R
GSq 24 kg, 10

24 kg 2H SW, 10, 10X (100 reps) - took about 6 minutes.

7:15am - Complete

Notes -  A short and very simple session for a variety day.  Nothing more to say other than this was my daughter's first day of kindergarten, and we need to get back on a school schedule which will cause me to be much more time efficient which is a good thing.