2/18/14 Tuesday February 18, 2014 (24kg TGU, SL DLs, SWs)

9:25am - Original Strength and Primal Move - 30 minutes

9:55am - 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

10:10am - Training session - Focus on 24kg SL DLs, TGUs, SW combos

The following superset:

24kg SL DLs, 3/3
2H SW 24kg, 20
1H SW 24kg, 10/10
H2H SW 24kg, 10/10

TGU 24kg, 2+2, to knee position, then back down

Then:

24kg SL DLs, 3/3
2H SW 24kg, 20
1H SW 24kg, 10/10

H2H SW 24kg, 10/10

120 total SW reps

10:30am - Complete

Notes -  Not much to report other than to say I woke up completely exhausted today.  Did not sleep well, and yesterday at chiro we added quite a bit of weight to the traction work we are doing on my neck extension.  I think it really tapped out my CNS along with the training from the last few days.  Plus my daughter was sick and coughing all night and it kind of kept me up as well.  So I delayed training a bit and did it after taking my kids to school since I had time.  I actually felt great after finishing it.  Moving the body even when not at 100%, as long as you are being thoughtful with what you are doing, is really great in my experience and this was a good example of it.  I need some good rest tonight to get ready to train with Kevin tomorrow.  

2/17/14 Monday February 17, 2014 (PR 24 kg / RR 24 kg, 2H SW 40kg)

6:50am - Original Strength and Primal Move - 45 minutes (extra time with the foam roller, lacrosse ball on the traps)

7:35am - 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

7:50am - Training session - Focus on superset PR 24kg / RR 24kg, 2H SW 40kg

TGU 24kg, 2+2

5X of the following superset:
PR 24kg, 5/5
RR 24kg, 5/5

(short interruption during 4th set for kids, about 10 mins)

2H SW 40 kg, 10 minutes, 10 on the minute (100 reps)

8:40am - Complete

Notes -  This is a deload week, after a 3 week pretty intense strength cycle.  I did not want to push too hard either after doing running / pull ups and push-ups late Sunday afternoon.  With that said, I felt good today aside from a little tightness in my L upper trap, which came on a bit in the early morning, I know that is from the pull-ups / push ups combo, just have to get used to that.  Decided early on to go with the 24kg for presses, a weight I can really, really handle now, and do 5 sets up 5 and just really focus on getting super tight and getting great reps in.  Mission accomplished, the pressing felt great on both sides, L trap did not come up really at all after getting overhead with the TGUs to warm up.  Really like renegade rows as well, that movement really teaches getting tight and this is a great skill for me to work on.  I read a blog post by Andy Bolton on the SF web site a little bit ago about how simply getting tighter will bring instant strength gains and it is totally true.  I squeezed the shit out of that bell today on the presses and it felt small in my hands.  Awesome feeling.  For heavy swings I went with the 40kg, dropping down from the 48kg.  Really fund to see these feel super easy, I mean really easy, no problem at all.  I am looking forward to getting to that weight for 1-hand swings.

2/16/14 Sunday February 16, 2014 (interval running / pull-ups / push-ups)

Got going late Sunday afternoon, just the way it worked out.  Ended up doing 4 intervals of the following:

Run 5 minutes, body weight SL DLs 5/5, run 5 minutes, 5 pull-ups on rings followed by 10 push-ups on an elevated bench.

Took me a little over an hour.  Weather was beyond shit, rainy, with huge side winds.  That follows up running in the snow last weekend, what can I say, I am a bit out there.  It was ok though.  Body felt good.  Did notice R ankle tightness for several days, and it loosened up pretty well right away after getting started, so that was good.  Pull ups felt strong, better than last week, just working on staying tight.  Push-ups were fine, did those on an elevated bench again and not completely horizontal because the ground was muddy everywhere.  Have to keep working on keeping that R tricep / elbow / forearm nice and loose.  Did plenty of lacrosse ball release on it late Sunday night, felt really good, it always responds pretty well to this, just have to keep at it.

2/14/14 Friday February 14, 2014 (heavy TGUs, 24kg SN 10 mins)

7:10am - Original Strength and Primal Move - 45 minutes (little extra time today)

7:55am - 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
16kg SL DLs, 3/3

8:10am - Training session - Focus on TGUs, SN the 24kg for 10 minutes any way possible

TGU 20kg, 1+1
TGU 32kg, 1+1
TGU 24kg, 1+1
TGU 36kg, 1+1

DB DL with 36kg/32kg, 5, 2X

8:30am - break - work phone call - resume at 8:50am

SN hold with prying 24kg, 5/5 L/R

SN 24kg for 10 minutes - 156 total reps (PR) (142 total reps last week) (134 week before)

Went like this: 8/8, 8/8, 8/8, 8/8 (64 reps), rest at 7:00 remaining; 8/8, 8/8 (96 total reps) rest at 5:24 remaining; 5/5, 5/5 (116 total reps) rest at 3:30 remaining; 5/5, 5/5 (136 total reps) rest at 2:00 remaining; 5/5 (146 total reps) rest at 1:00 remaining; 5/5 (156 total reps).

Last week went like this.  8/8, 8/8, 8/8 (48 reps), rest at 7:15 remaining; 8/8, 8/8 (80 total reps) rest at 5:15 remaining; 8/8, 8/8 (112 total reps) rest at 2:30 remaining; 5/5, 5/5 (132 total reps) rest at 1:00 remaining; 5/5 (142 total reps)

Week before went  - 8/8, 8/8, 8/8 (48 reps) rest at 7:45 remaining; 8/8, 8/8 (80 total reps) rest at 6:00 remaining; 5/5, 5/5 (100 total reps) rest at 3:30 remaining; 5/5, 5/5 (120 total reps) rest at 1:30 remaining; 5/5, 2/2 (134 total reps)

9:05am - Complete

Notes -  Damn, PR in the snatch, by a margin - 14 more reps than last week, nearly a 10% improvement in one week.  Things are really coming together.  I looked down and saw 5:24 left on the clock today and knew I had hit 96 reps - damn today is the day I proved to myself I can pass the SFG snatch test, 100 reps in 5 minutes.  That was hard, but I had gas in the tank, and if I had taken the test today I would have crushed it.  I was trying not to get going too fast because I had 10 minutes to snatch, not just 5.  But those first 4 sets of 8/8 were just awesome and once I was able to not set the bell down and get that 4th set, I knew things were going to be good.  Now, to just keep focused on mobility, keep improving my overhead lockout, shoulder stability, etc.   The training plan Kevin has laid out is coming together and this is a lot of fun.  As for the TGUs, those continue to be good, just continuing to get used to the 32kg and the 36kg, they are not easy.  With the bell in the left hand by roll to elbow still needs work.  It is certainly better with the cues I have been working on (pull hard with opposite elbow, push into the ground with the grounded foot, etc.) but I need more confidence on that side.  I tend to rush the roll to elbow a bit, it seems like a confidence issue.  Still, I am getting the reps in, and they are definitely not bad, just need to keep refining.  Great week of training.

2/13/14 Thursday February 13, 2014 (24kg TGUs to knee, 24kg SL DLs)

6:45am - Original Strength and Primal Move - 15 minutes

7:00am - 15 minute break (kids woke up)

7:15am - 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)

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

7:30am - Training session - Focus on partial 24kg TGUs, 24kg SL DLs

TGU 24kg roll to elbow, up to knee, back down, 2/2

24kg SL DLs, 3/3, x 2 (contra lateral)

7:45am - Complete

Notes -  Simple, just get in a bit of movement, this is a rest day.  Better reps on the SL DLs, really focusing on driving that standing leg / foot into the ground and loading it up.  I can feel the quads working and getting stronger.  Low back and glutes just feel fantastic several hours later after doing these as I write this.  A great movement for me.

2/12/14 Wednesday February 12, 2014 (36kg chain SW / CL / FSq)

6:15am - Original Strength and Primal Move - 30 minutes

6:45am - 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

7:00am - Training session - Focus on TGUs, 36 kg chain SW, CL, FSq

TGU 16kg, 1+1
TGU 24kg, 1+1
TGU 32kg, 1+1

GSq 32kg, 10

Chain with 36 kg:

5X:
SW, CL, Fsq - 3 / 3

(15 reps total of each movement) (same as last 2 weeks)

7:30am - Complete

Notes -  Felt good today.  I had some body work done by my acupuncturist yesterday, lot of good work done on my lats and traps, and triceps.  Really, really was needed and made a huge difference.  I did feel a little bit run done in one sense when I started off, mainly because of all this soft tissue work I have been undertaking (chiro, some massage, the bodywork but mainly the 3x per week intense chiro I am doing for 12 weeks to improve the extension in my neck takes some out of the CNS, lot of things are changing).  With all of that said, strong getups today, getting better at the roll to elbow, strong lockout with the 32kg.  It's not light, but it doesn't feel unwieldy heavy either.  Did the chains with the 36kg, probably the main things I noticed were: very strong swings, rooted nicely.  My notes have not indicated it but I typically do "2" swings on the first set of the chain, one from the ground to get started and then one full rep before cleaning the bell.  I am looking forward to training sets of 1H SW with the 36kg soon.  Absolutely I am ready for it and I know I could hit 100 reps in 5 minutes with that bell for sure.  Another thing, really tried to "get tight" primarily after the clean, before the descent into the squat.  Squeezed the shit out of the bell, with both hands (still using the off hand on the squats, I just feel it is prudent particularly because these chains are hard as hell on the grip).  I got a little bit of insight from an article I head on the Strong First blog by Andy Bolton about "getting tight."  This is a skill I definitely have been working on for a long time but I am going to really try and take it to another level.  By squeezing the bell, tensing the glutes, quads and trying to fire the lats, the squats were by far the strongest and easiest I have done with this bell.  So that was some good stuff.  A 36kg is still a heavy bastard though, maybe it always will be for me but I certainly look forward to trying to make it feel lighter over time.

2/11/14 Tuesday February 11, 2014 (24kg SL DLs, SW variations)

6:45am - Original Strength and Primal Move - 15 minutes (abbreviated)

7:00am - 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

7:20am - Training session - Focus on super setting 24kg SL DLs, SW combos up to 100 reps

TGU 24kg, 2+2

2X of the following superset:

24kg SL DLs, 3/3
2H SW 24kg, 10
1H SW 24kg, 10/10, 2X

100 total SW reps

7:45am - Complete

Notes -  Not much to report here.  Pretty quick training session, just to get a groove and a little work on the SL DLs with weight.  I tried one set "ipsa lateral" (bell on same side as grounded leg), and one set contra lateral.  Both were good, different, I will probably continue to mix the two.  I noted that after my chiropractic adjustment yesterday evening which included adjusting my R shoulder and elbow, which were sublaxated, was feeling very good this morning which was cool.  Still a bit worn down from a big Sunday of training / painting a room and then yesterday's strength session, so needed to keep it short today and keep recovering.  Body work session this afternoon should help.  I sure am doing a lot of soft tissue work these days, seems excessive and not sustainable, but I think there are a lot of changes going on, sort of a re-setting of the CNS etc. so I think it is all good.