Kettlebell Courage Corner in Seattle, WA

Saturday, August 20, 2016

8/19/16 Friday August 19, 2016 (training with Kevin)

6:20am - Training with Kevin

Good training day with Kevin. We worked through the Primal Move series again in full, and I picked up a few things through that process that I had forgotten about. We also did work on the hamstrings with Perform Better bands. Did some TGUs, some kick stand dead lifts (single and double bell with the 24s - really like the double bells, that was a legit strength lift). Got into some back and forth with hike swing parks, 2, 3, 5 with the 32kg, sandwiched around 10 reps of 24kg swings. Lot of swings, this was good. Did pick up a blister on the right pinkie finger which was extremely odd. I think I had and unusual grip on the bells and perhaps a bell with a rough edge. Not a huge deal. Finished with various work on bands for the forearm / elbow to focus on alleviating issues with the right elbow. All of that work was great. Am going to buy a couple of these bands from Perform Better. Kevin also wants me to get a sledge hammer, which can be used to work the forearm. These antagonistic muscles to those on the underside of the arm, used for pressing, need some attention to balance things out. Going to stay focused. This should all be very good.

7:55am - Finished

8/18/16 Thursday August 18, 2016 (24kg TGUs, kickstand DLs)

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

8/17/16 Wednesday August 17, 2016 (24kg 1H SW, TGUs, DB 24kgs CL & FSQ)

7:15am - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, lacrosse ball release, hamstring work - 60 minutes

8:15am - 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)
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1, x 2
Crooked Arm bar 24g with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

8:30am- Training session - 24kg 1H SW, TGUs, DB 24kgs CL & FSQ

5x:
24kg 1H SW, 10/10

100 swings

2x:
24kg TGU, 1/1

2x:
DB 24kgs CL, 2, FSQ 2
DB 24kgs CL, 3, FSQ 3

DB 24kgs CL, 5, FSQ 5

20 DB CL, DB FSQ

Crawling, 2 minutes (going to keep this as a finisher - I think this can be a great reset for the hips and shoulders and I should be doing more of this)

9:10am - Complete

Notes - Great training session. Took a very long time to get warmed up, just felt like I needed to give the body that time. Can't be rushing anything these days. Lots of time trying to open the thoracic spine, loosen the hamstrings, etc. I can definitely see improvement again today. I designed the training plan to focus on some lifts that I felt would not be problematic with what I have been feeling particularly in the right elbow as it continues to get better. Overhead work is out right now as it has not felt quite right since SFG II (not surprising given the better part of 7 months going overhead a LOT). Elbow is getting better for sure, another acupuncture session on Friday should bring further recovery assistance. No issues today from swings, focused on keeping a straight arm, no issue on cleans, focused on staying tight to the body, and no issues with the bells in the rack for front squats. Right knee not bothered by the lifts either, it seems to continue to improve as the hamstrings and abductors improve. I think the way forward for now may be a combination of these lifts, both 1H and 2H varieties, to maintain and stay strong. Front squats could actually be helpful to drill for a bit as I think they could help me once I get back to pressing, snatching etc. For Friday I am considering "same but different" with some heavier swings with 2H, or perhaps I will go light on the 2H SW and go a little heavier on 1H KB aerobics with swings, cleans, front squats. Haven't decided yet. Would either be 32kg 2H SW with 24kg for KB aerobics, or 24kg 2H SW and 28kg for KB aerobics. Will see what Kevin thinks, he may have other ideas.

8/16/16 Tuesday August 16, 2016 (24kg TGUs, kickstand DLs)

Monday, August 15, 2016

8/15/16 Monday August 15, 2016 (24kg KSDLs, 2H SW, TGUs)

8:00am - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, lacrosse ball release, hamstring work - 45 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)
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1, x 2
Crooked Arm bar 24g with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

9:00am- Training session - 24kg Kickstand DLs, 2H SW, TGUs

3x:
24kg kickstand DLs, 8/8
24kg 2H SW, 20
24kg full TGUs, 1/1

9:30am - Complete

10-11am - Acupuncture

Notes - Good day and absolutely making progress here which is very encouraging. Body felt better, did some very targeted hamstring work, and that is improving. Didn't want to push hard on the weights today, it doesn't feel quite right yet, so stuck with the 24kg and just did some kick stand DLs, 2H SW, and TGUs. Nothing seemed to bother anything, which is good. Right elbow I did notice a bit, it felt very good in the TGUs in all aspects of the movement with the except of the final lowering of the bell to the ground. Felt great in lockout. An interesting thing. I was able to see my longtime acupuncturist Dave later in the morning and he did some great releases using needles in my left knee and right ankle which are trigger points for the right elbow. He also did a manual release on the right elbow. Really, really helped. He also did some other work to release the hamstrings a bit, and my shoulders were dropped down into place nicely too, and the thoracic opening up. I have another session with him this Friday. This has really been helpful. I feel like I am headed back in in the right direction. I am going to just stick with the 24kg this week, no pressing yet until I feel really out of the woods on the right elbow. Will probably test some 1H SW, and possibly some cleans and squats, just to see how those feel, again staying light.

Sunday, August 14, 2016

8/12/16 Friday August 12, 2016 (BU work, 24kg KB aerobics)

At my parent's house in Hockinson, WA

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

5:15pm - Training session - BU work, 24kg KB aerobics

24kg kickstand DL, 8/8
12kg BU CL, 1/1 with walking
16kg BU CL, 1/1 with walking
24kg BU CL, 1/1 with walking

24kg kickstand DL, 8/8
12kg BU PR, 1/1
16kg BU PR, 1/1
24kg BU PR, 1/1

24kg kickstand DL, 8/8

12kg BU FSQ, 1/1

16kg BU FSQ, 1/1
24kg BU FSQ, 1/1

24kg 2H SW, 20

20 mins KB aerobics:

24kg CL 2, PR 2, FSQ 2, SW 2, SN 2, set down, switch hands

24kg 2H SW, 15

6:00pm - Complete

Notes - Writing this late Sunday night after getting back from a long 4 days. Left for camping trip with the kids and Leah on Thursday morning, going to the Olympic Peninsula and staying at Lake Cushman Thursday night. Then drove to my parents house near Battleground WA on Friday. Did KB work Friday evening before dinner. Started feeling shitty pretty much right away that evening. It was hot - 95 degrees - and my right knee was barking, my right elbow was barking hard. I thought "just a 24kg" was going to be fine, but clearly it was not. Biggest thing I noticed throughout the weekend was the relief on the knee from the hamstring work, which is clearly helping a lot, and as far as the elbow goes, this is from a tight right pec and shoulder - not in the elbow. I loosened up that right pec and shoulder on Saturday at the part, elbow immediately started feeling better. Had to do a lot of driving this weekend, a shitload actually, for this trip, so good to get out of the car. Going to re-focus on this hamstring work, and I have two acupuncture sessions this week with my longtime acupuncturist to focus on these matters and really try to kick the recovery into overdrive. Overhead work is out this week until I get the right shoulder and pec under control and get the elbow relieved. Pressing does not feel good as I feel it inside the right elbow, so that is dropped until I can work out this situation. Hamstrings are going to continue to get attacked until I can get those feeling much more symmetrical (R side is the issue from the FMS screen last week).