4/1/16 Friday April 1, 2016 (24kg 2H SW, CL&PR)

In Spokane

8:00am - belly breathing, lacrosse ball and KB handle release, Primal Move practice - 40 minutes

8:40am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 16kg, 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

8:55am- Training session - 24kg 2H SW, CL&PR

24kg TGU with bridge, 1/1
24kg GSq, 5

5x:
24kg 2H SW, 10
24kg CL&PR, 5/5

24kg 2H SW, 18

9:20am - Complete

Notes - This was an improvement today.  Got some tips from Kevin to use a standing vertical jump before doing any swings or other movements, so that my feet would land in the optimal position and I could use that then for swings, cleans, presses etc.  What I found by doing this is that my feet were definitely landing much wider than the stance I had been using lately, and my toes were pointed out a bit more as well.  What possibly was occurring is that the narrower stance was putting pressure on my inner thigh muscles, leading to some of the discomfort I have been feeling in the inner thighs and low left back area.  This was clearly headed in a positive direction as the swings, cleans and presses had way more power today, just felt better.  Tight in the low left back area still as I write this during the evening, but I will keep working on things.  I have a deep tissue massage on Sunday after getting back to Seattle, and also have a Kinetics appointment on Wednesday.  I think those things will also help.

3/30/16 Wednesday March 30, 2016 (24kg GSq, 2H SW, push-ups)

At Cannon Beach at the Oregon Coast

8:00am - belly breathing, lacrosse ball release, Primal Move practice - 40 minutes

8:40am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 16kg, 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

8:55am- Training session - 24kg GSq, 2H SW, push-ups

16kg TGU with bridge, 1/1
16kg GSq, 5

Circuits (5 total):

24kg GSq, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10
24kg 2H SW, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12
Pushups - 5

9:30am - Complete

Notes - Training was fine today.  Really frustrated with the tight adductors, left hip, oblique are impacted, wraps around the low back.  Same stuff I had last year on and off.  I need to figure out a way to sort this out and stay away from this re-occuring and continuing to be an issue like this.  IN each instance it seems to have been brought on by a lot of overhead lifting and getting to heavier loads.  There must a breakdown in my technique combined with not enough focus on keeping the hips mobile and not getting tight like this.  I need to get out of my own head here and just re-center and find a productive way forward.  All of the stress of the last month, lots of travel, new relationship etc. has clearly caught up with me as well and I would say I have run the meter too hot here yet again.

3/29/16 Tuesday March 29, 2016 (24kg TGUs, 24kg SLDLs)

At Cannon Beach, Oregon Coast

10:30am - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, lacrosse ball release  - 15 minutes

10:45am - 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)
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1, x 2
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

quadruped shoulder rotations against the wall

11:00am- Training session - 24kg TGUs, 24kg SLDLs

2x:
24kg full TGUs, 1/1
24kg SLDL, 3/3

11:15am - Complete

Notes - Very good night last night and day today at the Oregon Coast.  Great times with my kids, the weather is stunning.  Last night I spent one hour on my back doing the supine groin stretch from the book Pain Free, really releasing a ton of tension in my shoulders, and low back, trying to release that tension from the inner thighs (adductors).  That was extremely good and today my body really felt noticeably better.  I need to keep working those drills and also add in a couple of others (wall sits for one).  It's clear that the heavy and frequent overhead work has caught up with me a bit and I need to balance things out again, and I will focus on doing that.  These full get-ups felt good today, noticed that lockout on the left side was a bit challenging, surprised me, again I think that's another sign of something that needs increased focused in terms of getting the thoracic spine loosened up, moving better, so I can get overhead better.  Need improved connection between the hips and shoulders again.   All in all I think I figured something out so I will pursue this course of action with some vigor.

3/28/16 Monday March 28, 2016 (24kg KB aerobics)

At my parent's house in the Portland area

8:30am - belly breathing, lacrosse ball release, Primal Move practice - 40 minutes

9:10am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 16kg, 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

9:25am- Training session - 24kg KB aerobics

2x:
16kg TGU with bridge, 1/1
16kg GSq, 5

24kg KB aerobics, 20 minutes
1 CL, 2 FSQ, 5 1H SW, set down, switch hands

didn't count reps/sets

20 2H SW 24kg

10:00am - Complete

Notes - Down in the Portland area with my kids for their spring break, writing this from Cannon Beach on Monday night.  Took a 16kg and a 24kg with me on the trip.  This training was fine.  I am worn down.  The adductors (inner thigh) are tight as hell, and I am doing various things to work on this.  It has definitely turned into something requiring immediate attention, as I am getting the same old stuff with sensitively into the low lat, low back on the left side.  This has happened before with tight adductors.  Most important thing I can do this week is rest, sleep, work on mobility, get this sorted out and going in the right direction.  Light KB work is fine.

3/26/16 Saturday March 26, 2016 (32kg Push PR, 24kg 2H SW)

4:00pm - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, lacrosse ball release, foam roll   - 30 minutes

4:30pm - 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)

Arm bar 16kg, 1+1, x 2

Crooked Arm bar 20kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

4:45pm- Training session - 32kg Push PR, 2H SW 24kg

2x:
16kg TGU with hip bridge, 1/1
48kg DL, 5

5x:
32kg PPR, 2/2
10 PPR each arm

24kg 2H SW, 5, 10, 15, 20
50 total reps

5:15pm - Complete

Notes - Writing this on Sunday, Easter, in the evening.  Saturday training was overall a good day.  Lots and lots of mobilization and stretching for the abductors and lower left lat.  Been dealing with it, this has been a heavy cycle for sure.  Body just trying to adjust to the load I think, though I have to find a way to work out some of this stuff more effectively.  Probably I need more soft tissue work, which I have not made as much time for lately (massage, Kinetics, body work, acupuncture).  I was thinking about it, this 3-week cycle I suspect is the heaviest loads I have trained since I started KBs four years ago.  4 days a week for training, every day had overhead lifts, which can be a challenge for me.  There was plenty of heavy bell work as well.  This back off week including some vacation time with my kids is coming right when I need it.  Going to work on mobilizing, really trying to get at the abductors and hamstrings. Also going to work on the shoulders, I think they are connected, this could be a top-down thing as well given the heavy overhead emphasis of late, which can at times cause me to start having some issues.  

3/25/16 Friday March 25, 2016 (40kg CL&FSQ, 20kg snatching 7 mins)

9:00am - belly breathing, lacrosse ball release, Primal Move practice - 40 minutes

9:40am - 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

9:55am- Training session - 40kg CL& FSQ, 20kg snatching 7 mins

2x:
20kg TGU with bridge to windmill, 1/1
32kg Gsq, 5

40kg 2H SW HSP, 1x 5

40kg CL&FSQ, off hand helping, 1/1, x 5 (used less help on the off hand than last week)

7 minutes of snatching the 20kg
20kg SN 10/10, x 3, set down and rest
20kg SN 10/10, x 2, set down and rest

20kg SN 10/10, SN 7/7

Total of 134 snatches with the 20kg in 7 minutes (up from 130 last week)

20kg 2H SW, 10

10:30am - Complete

Notes - Worn down for sure.  Got some extra sleep last night, that helped.  Abductors are tight, took quite some time the morning stretching and mobilizing them, foam roll, etc. which helped a lot.  Training was solid.  Cleans with a 40kg and into a FSQ are probably never going to be easy, but the movement was strong.  I was able to slighting improve on the snatch numbers.  Tough sledding.  Right shoulder and elbow are a little tight, and need some attention.  One more training session tomorrow and then a back off week, which seems to be coming again at just the right time and for which I plan to enjoy and take advantage of including spending time on the Oregon coast with my kids, and a trip to Spokane with my new lady friend.  Should be a great week next week.

3/24/16 Thursday March 24, 2016 (24kg TGUs, 24kg SLDLs)

7:00am - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, lacrosse ball release  - 30 minutes

7:30am - break

9:30am - 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)
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1, x 2
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

quadruped shoulder rotations against the wall

9:45am- Training session - 24kg TGUs, 24kg SLDLs

2x:
24kg TGUs, 1/1
24kg SLDL, 3/3

10:00am - Complete

Notes - Good stuff here.  Left abductor is tight as hell today though.