1/4/16 Monday January 4, 2016 (Moving Target Complex DB 20kgs)

9:50am - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, lacrosse ball release, foam roll   - 45 minutes (needing a lot of soft tissue work)

10:35am - 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)

Arm bar 16kg, 1+1, x 2

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

10:50am- Training session - Moving Target Complex DB 20kgs

2x:
16kg half TGU, 1/1
16kg GSq, 5

Moving Target Complex
2x of the following (rest after each set):

20kg DB CL 1, PR 2, FSQ 1
20kg DB CL 1, PR 3, FSQ 1

20kg DB CL 1, PR 5, FSQ 1

20kg DB CL 1, PR 1, FSQ 2

20kg DB CL 1, PR 1, FSQ 3

20kg DB CL 1, PR 1, FSQ 5

20kg DB CL 2, PR 1, FSQ 1

20kg DB CL 3, PR 1, FSQ 1

20kg DB CL 5, PR 1, FSQ 1

32 DB CL / PR /. FSQ

20kg 2H SW, 10

11:30am - Complete

Notes - Great to get back into doubles work. Felt very strong today.  Had some issues with foot placement (moving feet around too much and not in as coordinated a manner as I would have liked - to wide on some of the squats in particular), depth on some of the cleans in terms of getting the bells into the hole on the descent was not as good as I would like, but not surprising to have a few technique issues as I have not worked with doubles too much at all for months.  The good points were feeling strong on the presses, getting a good root into the ground and a very solid base to press from, and the front squats felt very strong.  

1/2/16 Saturday January 2, 2016 (20kg 1H SW, DB 20kgs FSQ)

Did this work on Saturday afternoon at home and Greenlake

2:45pm - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, lacrosse ball release   - 45 minutes (extra work on the lacrosse ball)

3:30pm - 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

3:45pm- Training session - 20kg 1H SW, DB 20kg FSQ

2x:
16kg TGU to windmill, 1/1
16kg GSq, 5

Head to Greenlake

Stretch out shoulders on the pull-up bars

5x:
20kg 1H SW, 5/5
DB 20kg FSQ, 5

4:15pm - Finish

40 minute walk

Notes - This was a great training session.  Had several hours to myself and given the light week of travel / rest with back off training, I felt like doing a bit of work but nothing taxing.  Just the perfect amount of load, and then finished with a very brisk walk in 39 degree weather at the lake as the sun was coming down.  I really noticed how well my gait was when walking, very smooth, very strong, significant glute contraction as well.  This is a big deal.  I can really tell that training has been very on point because I am moving well AND getting stronger, been adding size too.  The focus on the hip hinge, lots of swings, snatches is really good for me.  The emphasis on building from the bottom up (legs feed the wolf) is really key for me.  I have to continue to manage overhead volume because then I go too heavy or too much frequency on overhead without even balance for the base, things get off. In any event this was a great day. 

1/1/16 Friday January 1, 2016 (TGU ladder, 20kg KB aerobics)

8:15am - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, lacrosse ball release   - 30 minutes

8:45am - 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 16kg, 1+1, x 2

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

9:00am- Training session - TGU ladder, 20kg KB aerobics

16kg TGU to windmill, 1/1
20kg TGU to windmill, 1/1
24kg TGU to windmill, 1/1

20kg KB aerobics, CL 3, PR 3, FSQ 3, SN 3, set down, switch hands, keep going

20 minutes

ended up doing 6 full sets per arm, then 2 more sets of CL 3 / PR 3 / FSQ 3 (dropped the SN 3)

so that's 24 CL / PR / FSQ and 18 SN per arm in 20 mins

2H SW 20kg, 5

9:30am - Finish

Notes - Nice training session and a great way to start 2016!  Feeling good.  Snatches were tougher than I expected, the bell gets heavier after you have cleaned, pressed, and front squatted before trying to snatch.  Good stuff here though and just what the doctor ordered.  

12/31/15 Thursday December 31, 2015 (20kg TGUs, 24kg 2H SW)

3:45pm - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, lacrosse ball release  - 30 minutes

4:15pm - Kettlebell warm up

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

Arm bar 16kg, 1+1, x 2

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

quadruped shoulder rotations against the wall

4:30pm- Training session - 20kg TGUs, 24kg 2H SW

20kg TGUs, 1/1, x 5
10 getups

24kg 2H SW, 10, x 10
100 2H SW

5:00pm - Complete

Notes - Back from San Diego.  I basically took Monday - Wednesday off this week, other than some primal move work and some walking.  It was a planned rest period and it was great to be able to do that.  Today I kept it simple, lighter weights, just to get the blood flowing.  Tomorrow I will do some KB aerobics with a light bell, 20kg, just to again get some blood flow.  This is the end of 2015, and I am ending on a real high note.  Body feels great, I have been in a recharging mode this month and have been enjoying a good progression in my training.  Added a lot of weight this year, probably 10 pounds, and have put on a lot of muscle in my shoulders, traps, lats, glutes, and quads, arms and chest too.  Pretty distributed all around and that reflects the good training templates that Kevin has designed for me.  I am looking forward to 2016 and the huge goal is to train for, attend, and pass the SFG2.  This is a big deal for me and it's going to take a lot of focus.  I am very excited to work with Kevin and start this process next week. 

12/26/15 Saturday December 26, 2015 (complex DB 16kg SW, FSQ, DB 16kg SN)

Did this work on Saturday afternoon at home

5:00pm - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, lacrosse ball release   - 15 minutes

5:15pm - 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

5:30pm- Training session - Complex DB 16kg SW / FSQ, DB 16kg SN

2x:
16kg TGU to windmill, 1/1
16kg GSq, 5

5x complex:
DB 16kg SW, 5, FSQ 5

2x:
DB 16kg  SN, 5

6:00pm - Finish

20 minute walk

Notes - This was a great training session, quick and fun.  I felt like trying some double snatches with the light bells just to see how they felt, and they actually felt great.  A double snatch is a fun movement to try, lots of hip drive concentration to really make the bells pop up. 

12/25/15 Friday December 25, 2015 (TGU ladder, 28kg KB aerobics)

9:10pm - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, lacrosse ball release   - 15 minutes

9:25pm - 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

9:40pm- Training session - TGU ladder, 28kg KB aerobics

16kg TGU to windmill, 1/1
20kg TGU to windmill, 1/1
24kg TGU to windmill, 1/1
28kg TGU to windmill, 1/1

28kg KB aerobics, CL 2, PR 2, FSQ 2, set down, switch hands, keep going

20 minutes

ended up doing 9 sets per arm, which is up from 1/1/1 for 12 sets last week, so 50% more volume - whoa that surprised me

2H SW 28kg, 10, x 2

10:10pm - Finish

Notes - Christmas day, beautiful day, had a great time with my kids at my ex wife's house and then ex sister in law's house.  It's good to be able to say that.  It's been a tough 3 years and over a year since our divorce was finalized on December 1, 2014, but things have moved forward and they will continue to move forward.  I have to keep working on my mindset but I have made a lot of strides over the years and I will continue to evolve and keep moving towards becoming the best version of myself possible.  As far as training goes I didn't train in the morning as I wanted to get down to Tacoma, but after spending the whole day away from the house I just had an itch to get the training in tonight instead of waiting for tomorrow, so I went ahead.  Unusual for me to train at night but it was kind of cool.  It's ok to switch things up every once in awhile and in fact it's good to be able to demonstrate some flexibility in training conditions.  The point is - get the work in.  I was a bit shocked to realize that I did 50% more volume with the 28kg than last weeks session, that's probably too much really, and if I had realized I think I would have taken more rest periods.  A couple of the 2nd reps on the press were not easy, I definitely was squeezing the shit out of the glutes and trying to press from them and the lats, vertical, no wasted movement.  A pretty damn good close to a 5 week cycle here and it's been outstanding.  Going to take some days off next week on a trip to CA for fun, will just do some primal move, get in some walking, I will throw in some crawling and a few push-ups perhaps but really not going to try and do much for several days and allow the body to rest and recover.  This is a great way for me to wind down 2015.  I am excited to get with Kevin and plan the training approach for early 2016.  

12/24/15 Thursday December 24, 2015 (soft tissue, primal move)

7:15am - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, lacrosse ball release  - 45 minutes

Notes - Did this from my parents' house in Portland.  Very light work this morning as we were hitting the road to get back to Seattle.  Mainly, just wanting to get in some primal move and do some mobility, no KBs.  I was tight again waking up in the R trap near the base of the neck, same old spot.  Just have to keep working it.  It responds well to the soft tissue work and mobility.