5/19/17 Friday May19, 2017 (36kg C&P ladders, 36kg 2H SW)

6:15am - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, lacrosse ball release, hamstring work  - 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)
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

7:00am- Training session - 36kg C&P ladders, 2H SW ladder

2x:
24kg TGU+windmill  x 1/1
24kg GSq x 5
DB 16kgs batwings x 5/5

24kg C&P x 5/5
32kg C&P x 1/1
32kg C&P x 2/2

Ladder
5x:
36kg C&P x 1/1, 2/2, 3/3 (set the bell down between hands)

note - fail on the R side on the 1st set of 5 with 3/3.  Did not get the 3rd rep.  Had to put the bell down and then re-clean for that rep.

30 C&P per arm

5x:
36kg 2H SW x 10

50 total swings

Band wrist extensions, 10 x 2 sets per hand
6lb sledgehammer hammer rotations, 10/10
6lb sledgehammer finger walks, 1/1, x 2

7:40am - Complete

Notes - So this was great, but something interesting happened.  I had a fail on the R side on my first set for the 3/3, not getting the 3rd rep.  I was irate.  I think my breathing was off, and I got stuck coming out of the rack and could not get past the sticking point.  I was thinking to myself "here we go again" as this was my first set of the day.  However, I re-focused, tried to clean up my set-up (pushing toes into the ground), and work on breathing between each clean (exhale into the hole, then a quick inhale to get tight into the rack).  This helped.  Though each set of 3/3 was challenging on the R side, I got all the reps, and they were solid, not grinding reps.  The L side was easy money, never a concern.  It's a weird thing.  My L press is really, really good but the R just is not as good - and I am right-handed.  It's definitely a technique thing as well as asymmetries I think in my body between the hips and shoulders and how they tie together (I think from baseball primarily).  In any event, a good final day for this cycle overall and something to be proud of.

5/17/17 Wednesday May 17, 2017 (28kg PR ladders, 28kg 2H SW)

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

7:30am - 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
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

7:45am- Training session - 28kg PR ladders, 28kg 2H SW

2x:
16kg BU TGU  x 1/1
48kg DL x 8
one arm one leg plank hold 1/1

Ladder
3x:
28kg PR x 1/1, 2/2, 3/3, 4/4, 5/5 (set the bell down between hands)

45 PR per arm

10 minutes on the minute:
28kg 2H SW x 16

Got 160 total swings

Band wrist extensions, 10 x 2 sets per hand
6lb sledgehammer hammer rotations, 10/10
6lb sledgehammer finger walks, 1/1, x 2

8:30am - Complete

Notes - This was a very good training session.  I am pleased with the progress overall.  Under a tremendous amount of stress from work / relationship / ex wife / kids.  It's a very difficult time period.  45 minutes of solid training is like an oasis in the middle of a desert.

5/15/17 Monday May 15, 2017 (32kg C&P ladders, 2H SW ladder)

6:40am - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, lacrosse ball release, hamstring work  - 15 minutes

6:55am - 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)
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

7:10am- Training session - 32kg C&P ladders, 2H SW ladder

2x:
20kg TGU+windmill  x 1/1
20kg GSq x 5
one arm one leg plank hold 1/1

24kg C&P x 5/5
28kg C&P x 2/2

Ladder
4x:
32kg C&P x 1/1, 2/2, 3/3 (set the bell down between hands)

30 C&P per arm

3x:
32kg 2H SW x 10
28kg 2H SW x 10
24kg 2H SW x 10

Got 90 total swings

Band wrist extensions, 10 x 2 sets per hand
6lb sledgehammer hammer rotations, 10/10
6lb sledgehammer finger walks, 1/1, x 2

7:55am - Complete

Notes - Really solid day.  Good volume, but not hard at all.  No increase in exertion on the first reps to the last.  Very pleased.  My L press groove is still better than my R, but things continue to get better on the R.  This has been a productive cycle for me for sure. Looking forward to a couple of good sessions to close it out on a high note.

5/13/17 Saturday May 13, 2017 (DB 24kgs complex, 20kg SN breathing ladder, DB 32 kgs farmer walks)

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

8:30am - 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
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

8:45am- Training session - DB 24kgs complex, 20kg SN breathing ladder, DB 32 kgs farmer walks

20kg TGU+windmill  x 1/1
20kg GSq x 5
20kg TGU+windwill  x 1/1
20kg GSq x 5

DB 24kgs CL x 1 FSQ x 1

DB 24kgs CL x 2 FSQ x 2

DB 24kgs CL x 3 FSQ x 3

DB 24kgs CL x 4 FSQ x 4

DB 24kgs CL x 5 FSQ x 5

20kg SN x 1/1, breath 1
20kg SN x 2/2, breath 2

20kg SN x 3/3, breath 3

20kg SN x 4/4, breath 4

20kg SN x 5/5, breath 5

20kg SN x 6/6, breath 6

20kg SN x 7/7, breath 7

20kg SN x 8/8, breath 8

20kg SN x 9/9, breath 9

20kg SN x 10/10, breath 10

DB 32kg farmer walks

Band wrist extensions, 10 x 2 sets per hand
6lb sledgehammer hammer rotations, 10/10
6lb sledgehammer finger walks, 1/1, x 2

9:25am - Complete

Notes - Great session again, really enjoy this one.  I would say compared to last week, everything was a little bit "easier" which is a good sign.  Snatching was easier, able to control breath better.  The farmer walks at the end were significantly better today than last week, another good sign.

5/12/17 Friday May12, 2017 (36kg C&P ladders, 36kg 2H SW)

8:55am - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, lacrosse ball release, hamstring work  - 15 minutes

9:10am - 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
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

9:25am- Training session - 36kg C&P ladders, 2H SW ladder

2x:
24kg TGU+windmill  x 1/1
24kg GSq x 5
DB 16kgs batwings x 5/5

24kg C&P x 5/5
32kg C&P x 1/1
32kg C&P x 2/2

Ladder
4x:
36kg C&P x 1/1, 2/2, 3/3 (set the bell down between hands)

24 C&P per arm

5x:
36kg 2H SW x 10

50 total swings

Band wrist extensions, 10 x 2 sets per hand
6lb sledgehammer hammer rotations, 10/10
6lb sledgehammer finger walks, 1/1, x 2

10:10am - Complete

Notes - A really good effort here on the heavy day this week, particularly in light of terrible stress at work.  Some of the hardest times I have had to deal with in my professional career.  It sure is nice to have an outlet and feel physically strong and capable in the face of these life challenges.

5/10/17 Wednesday May 10, 2017 (28kg PR ladders, 28kg 2H SW)

7:00am - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, lacrosse ball release, hamstring work  - 15 minutes

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

7:30am- Training session - 28kg PR ladders, 28kg 2H SW

2x:
16kg BU TGU  x 1/1
48kg DL x 8
one arm one leg plank hold 1/1

Ladder
3x:
28kg PR x 1/1, 2/2, 3/3, 4/4 (set the bell down between hands)

30 PR per arm

10 minutes on the minute:
28kg 2H SW x 16

Got 160 total swings

Band wrist extensions, 10 x 2 sets per hand
6lb sledgehammer hammer rotations, 10/10
6lb sledgehammer finger walks, 1/1, x 2

8:15am - Complete

Notes - Very solid training day, things are going well.  Continuing to try and dial in on the press technique, today was another chance to grease the groove.

5/8/17 Monday May 8, 2017 (32kg C&P ladders, 2H SW ladder)

7:10am - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, lacrosse ball release, hamstring work  - 35 minutes (moving pretty slowly)

7:45am - 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
Crooked Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

8:00am- Training session - 32kg C&P ladders, 2H SW ladder

2x:
20kg TGU+windmill  x 1/1
20kg GSq x 5
one arm one leg plank hold 1/1

24kg C&P x 5/5
28kg C&P x 2/2

Ladder
3x:
32kg C&P x 1/1, 2/2, 3/3 (set the bell down between hands)

18 C&P per arm

3x:
32kg 2H SW x 10
28kg 2H SW x 10
24kg 2H SW x 10

Got 90 total swings

Band wrist extensions, 10 x 2 sets per hand
6lb sledgehammer hammer rotations, 10/10
6lb sledgehammer finger walks, 1/1, x 2

8:50am - Complete

Notes - Moving strangely slowly this morning, but ultimately this was a very solid training session once I got going. I actually have been to bed early several days in a row, which is unusual for me, but ultimately a very good thing. I think my body is needing the rest and is asking for as much as it can get.  So I will try to keep this up.  Strength was very good, and technique continues to improve on the R side.  Particularly I think practicing the double cleans is helping me - that feeling on the clean of popping out of the hole and getting a quick vertical movement with the bells into the rack. keeping the elbows very close to the body, is something I have tried to translate to the clean on the single press.  Not exactly the same, but getting the bell vertical and right into the rack with limited wasted movement, and using the lat to move the bell and keep it loaded into the rack, is definitely helping my press.  This is a good thing.  I also have been trying to load the lat with the bell on the ground, and avoiding any "twist" at the truck or hips as the bell goes back and comes out of the hole. Being able to use weights that I can really move around helps a lot too.  I am hoping this translates back to the 40 and 44kg once those come back in the rotation.  Swings were strong and felt good.