5/18/15 Monday May 18, 2015 (24kg PR, DB 32kgs farmers)

7:00am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 60 minutes, mixed with Pain Free exercises

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 16kg, 1+1, x 2

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

8:15am- Training session - 24kg PR, 32kgs farmers

20kg BUP, 2/2, x 2

5x:
24kg PR ladder, 3/3, 2/2, 1/1
DB 32kgs farmer carries, 60 seconds

30/30 total presses

8:45am - Complete

9:30am - 1 hr body work session, focused on glutes, hamstrings, quads

5:30pm - 6pm - Indian Club practice

Notes -  Writing this on Tuesday evening finally.  This was a pretty thoughtful session.  I did a bunch of mobility work on Sunday evening, did more Monday morning, things were feeling improved.  I thought this combination of exercises, lighter presses, and not doubles in particular, would allow me to focus on technique, keeping the abs tight, bracing the glutes, and balanced out with heavy carries to work on my grip, which is something I can improve right now while I work through this muscle imbalance / tightness stuff.

Felt it a bit in that glute medius area after this working session, but then I had a body work session with my guy, Dave Engstrom, who is outstanding.  It was extremely productive.  He got deep into m glutes and hamstrings and seriously worked on my body hard.  It was extremely intense at times.  There was / is some serious shit going on with muscle imbalances.  I have to keep working on my hamstrings, abductors, and get some really improved mobility.  I think that stuff has been laying in wait and just really jumped out at me lately.

Randomly, after work, it hit me that I have not picked up my Indian Clubs in forever.  I thought hell, this might help me tie together my shoulders and hips, I should have been doing this stuff.  I watched Movement #1 on YouTube and got to practicing that movement again with one and then two clubs.  I have to say - INSANE immediate effect, particularly on my L shoulder.  It was cracking, popping, and making all kinds of noise as I gently went through the movements - in a very good way.  This is the shoulder I had a couple of falls on years ago, and is one that has been strengthened in a massive way through KB training.  However, there are some real asymmetries I deal with as a result and I have often believed that a lot of my tightness on the R hip area can be traced back to this L shoulder.  I have no doubt these issues are contributing to what I have been working through on the L low back and glute.  I worked the IC practice for 30 minutes, loved it, and am picking this up now as a consistent daily practice for at least 5-10 minutes as part of warm ups, particularly for overhead work, and before bed.  This could be really big for me.

5/16/15 Saturday May 16, 2015 (pull-ups, push-ups, 24kg rack walks / farmer carries)

Writing this on Tuesday evening the 19th, got behind in logging for a few days.

Went to Greenlake by myself in the mid afternoon, a rarity, as I decided to do other things with the kids all morning and early afternoon.  Actually was feeling pretty good going into this, back was feeling improved.

Hanging from bar

6 pull-ups
3 push-ups (regular)
24kg rack walk, 1/1

5 pull-ups
3 push-ups (regular)
24kg farmer carry, 1/1

4 pull-ups
3 push-ups (regular)
24kg rack walk, 1/1

3 pull-ups
3 push-ups (regular)
24kg farmer carry, 1/1

2 pull-ups
3 push-ups (regular)
24kg rack walk, 1/1

Total pull-ups - 20,  I dropped way down from 30 last week on purpose to acknowledge a need to work through some of these mobility issues, tightness in the lower back / upper glute on the L side, etc. etc. etc.  These felt pretty good, not a big issue.

Mixed a few goblets into this as well.

Tightened up again at the end of this, pretty frustrating.  Not quite sure to say about it in hindsight, I definitely don't think I was pushing anything here.  The fact is I am working through some stuff and it's right to back off and pay a lot of attention to small details.

5/15/15 Friday May 15, 2015 (TK PR 20kg, DB 20kgs FSQ, DB FC 32kgs)

6:15am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 40 minutes

6:55am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 12kg, 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 16kg, 1+1, x 2
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1
16kg GSq, 5

7:10am- Training session - TK PR 20kg, DB 20kgs FSQ, DB FC 32kgs

hanging from balcony

20kg BU SQ, 1/1

5x:
TK PR 20kg, 3/3
DB 20kgs FSQ, 8

15/15 TK PR
40 DB FSQ

hanging from balcony

DB 32kgs farmer carry, 1 minute, x 2

hanging from balcony

7:45am - Complete

Notes - This was an improvement.  Felt good moving around this morning, and wanted to try out these movements and see how it goes.  R shoulder has been tight after TK PR yesterday with light bells, working on mobilizing it.  Old pattern cropping up.  Training session felt fine, all movements seemed to work ok.  As I have gone through the day, definitely have some discomfort sitting.   Doing a deep tissue massage and also getting a chiro adjustment.  Going to be a lot of treatment these days as I work through this stuff.  Will report back with notes tomorrow.  

5/14/15 Thursday May 12, 2015 (KB warmup, TK PR, GSq)

7:00am - Pain Free hip mobility and FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 45 minutes

7:45am - break

9:00am - 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 16kg, 1+1, x 2

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

9:15am - 30 minutes of hip, pelvis, hamstring mobility work from Pain Free

9:45am - Training session - TK PR, GSq

16kg TK PR, 5/5
16kg GSq, with prying, 5

16kg 1/2 TK PR, 5/5 (bell opposite to extended leg)
16kg GSq, 5

16kg 1/2 TK PR, 5/5 (bell same side as extended leg)

10:00am - Complete

Notes -   Well as you can see, a lot of rehabilitative work today.  Switching gears mentally and appreciating this is what I need to be thinking of and doing right now.  It's time to move better and get my shit sorted out.  This was moving in the right direction, as opposed to yesterday when I probably moved things in the wrong direction or at best neutral.  I actually really enjoyed doing this kneeling press varieties, it really helped me to focus on tension in the glutes and abs.  This is good.  I think I may mix in some SL DLs as well, with one light bell, as that also could be a good rehab movement.  

5/13/15 Wednesday May 13, 2015 (DB 20kgs Long Cycle 20 mins)

6:45am - Pain Free, FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 40 minutes

7:25am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 12kg, 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 16kg, 1+1, x 2
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

7:40am - Training session - DB 20kgs Long Cycle 20 mins

16kg TGU with high bridges x 2/2, x 2

hanging from balcony

20kg BU PR x 2/2

hanging from balcony

Main training - DB 20kgs Long Cycle, 8, 6, 4 ladders -20 minutes (there was a 15 minute interruption between sets 2 and 3 work call)

4 ladder sets of 8. 6. 4 (clean between every jerk)

72 total reps in 20 minutes (DB CL/JK)

DB 20kgs farmer carry, 2 minutes

hanging from balcony

8:30am - Complete

Notes - Well, interesting day.  Lots of observations and things to learn and work on.  I felt pretty good this morning, did plenty of mobility, hip drills to open up the ankles, hamstrings, hips and pelvis.  Dropped down the load in training to DB 20kgs and everything went fine during the session, felt ok.  Obviously I am paying a lot of attention to what I am working through on the L oblique, L lower back, and thinking about ways to improve movement and alleviate the tightness and discomfort.  Didn't feel anything negative in training.  With that said, during the day at work, I tightened up light a drum and there was plenty of discomfort, when sitting.  Sitting is killer.  I have given this a lot of thought and tried to think back to exactly how I have been feeling, if certain movements are just not right during this period, etc.  I am going to drop the Jerks completely at this point.  I have been thinking about that movement and while I feel like my technique has been good, I am noticing that I am having trouble keeping tension in my abdomen (same issue that can happen to me with pressing), and I suspect there has been some pressure building up on my lower back.  The Jerk is a tough movement, perhaps I don't have the thoracic mobility that I thought I had, technique maybe is not perfect, maybe this is not a movement that suits me best at this particular point in time.  I am also noticing on the Getup that I need to be methodical in coming up to the lockout position and not "sit back" into my hip too much - that seems to light up the area of discomfort.  It's the same movement essentially as sitting into a Windmill, which I think helped start this chain of events.  I am noticing a consistent desire to drop into a squat - it's like my body is telling me something, and really wants to squat, possibly to offset the Jerk movement, I am not completely sure.  With the squat, I can feel my abdomen tighten up, in a good way, it feels good on my hips to get into a deep squat and just stay there.  I have been doing some Goblet squats, which feel really good.  I am going to try some tall kneeling presses, which I have found to be a good drill in the past which really forces me to keep my abs tight and press with correct technique, as well as squatting, with some lighter bells.  Also farmer carries feel good, I am going to keep doing those.  Between those couple of lifts, if those go ok, I can do those for some time and I think get some potential benefits.  We'll see how this goes.  I also have another massage on Friday and more treatment next Monday.  It's tough to deal with this stuff, but it's part of the process, and I keep telling myself to pay attention, take some positive out of this.  There is something to be learned here, a way to grow and move forward, and I need to make sure I have the right attitude and frame of mind to try and take that opportunity.

5/12/15 Tuesday May 12, 2015 (KB warmup)

7:00am - Pain Free hip mobility and FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 40 minutes

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

7:45am - break

8:40am - Kettlebell warm up

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1, x 2

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

8:55am - Complete

Notes -   Definitely felt better this morning.  Did a lot of Pain Free exercises and mobility last night, and it is starting to have an effect on improving the oblique, low back stuff.  Did some again this morning, and then had an appointment with my body worker who did some excellent work today on a number of areas, really getting into my lats, obliques, fascia and other stuff on the hips, IT band, quads, etc.  He is very good.  That absolutely had an immediate positive impact and have been feeling better all day today since.  Going to keep up the mobility and hip drills, and drop the load significantly on KB work tomorrow morning, just focus on technique, and movement.  Nothing major.  I am optimistic.  

5/11/15 Monday May 11, 2015 (Simple and Sinister Ladder)

7:00am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 60 minutes, mixed with Pain Free exercises

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 16kg, 1+1, x 2

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

8:15am- Training session - Simple and Sinister Ladder

2H SW 24kg, 10

2H Swings(no time pressure)

3x:
24kg x 10, x 2
28kg x 10, x 2
32kg x 10, x 2

180 2H SW

TGU(no time pressure)
24kg x 1/1
28kg x 1/1
32kg x 1/1
32kg x 1/1

8:45am - Complete

Notes -  Writing this on Monday night.  Had a deep tissue massage yesterday afternoon, focused on the obliques, to try and start working on this nagging discomfort that cropped up again a week ago, and has not really dissipated.  The massage was good, it definitely helped, and I continue to be encouraged that there is nothing seriously wrong.  With that said, I adjusted the training template today, thought 2H SW would be better than 1H SW (less rotation and focus on the obliques).  However after completing training, I felt some discomfort and really had it all day today.  The issue seems to be in part obliques, but is mainly I really think it is more in the outer part of the hip and wraps around to the top of my L glute.  Sitting is awful.  I am getting more treatment tomorrow and am going to significantly adjust my training plan to really back off and de load, and focus on movement and getting this rehabilitated.  I looked over my training logs and I have been going hard for a long time, and probably with the benefit of hindsight, have not properly deloaded, and there also probably has been a little something there ever since I first wrote about this back on April 3 after doing Windmills for the first time.  The movement of pushing into m L hip in a Windmill motion is exactly where I feel the issue.  Tough pill to swallow, but I am going to try and look on the bright side here, I believe my body is telling me something, and it's most important that I get back to feeling good and moving well.  There is no point in adding load to dysfunction - I need to ferret out the problem and do things that will improve this so I can get back to solid loading and moving forward in a positive direction.  I have various mobility exercises and some things from the Pain Free book that have helped a lot in the past, and I will continue drawing on those to work through this.