7/11/13 Thursday July 11, 2013 (2H SW)

8:15am - Original Strength, Primal Move drills - 30 minutes

8:45am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

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

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

9:00am - Training session -2H SW

Warm up -

TGU 24 kg, starting from top, single L, R
GSq 24 kg, 10
DB DL 32 kg, 5, 1H alternating 5
2H SW 24 kg, 10

Timed set - 15 minutes, got 230!! reps PR - previous best was 209) total of the following:
2H SW 24 kg, 10 - 6X
2H SW 28 kg, 10 - 6X
2H SW 32 kg, 10 - 6X
2H SW 36 kg, 10 - 5X

I then finished off with the following:
2H SW 36 kg, 10

9:30am - Complete

Notes - 240 reps total in just over 15 minutes.  Wow, that is up from 220 from a week or so ago.  Awesome, that was my best swing effort ever for both reps and density. I have more in the tank, but this needs to be a consistent progression, and then probably step back to go forward.  I like the idea of hitting 300 swings in 15 minutes - that is 10X every 30 seconds.  Something to shoot for.

I was extremely tired and slept in today, and fortunately I had time to do that.  I need more sleep.  This is getting ridiculous.  The training sessions are getting tougher, and I need to sleep more to recover better.

7/10/13 Wednesday July 10, 2013 (DB Sq 20s, SN 16)

7:00am - Original Strength, Primal Move drills - 35 minutes

7:35am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

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

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm 16 kg

7:50am - Training session -DB Sq 20 kgs, SN 16kg - timed session 7 minutes

Warm up -
TGU 24kg, 2+2
GSq 24 kg, 10
2H SW 24 kg, 10

DB SQ 20 kgs, ladders 2, 3, 5 x 3 (30 total reps)

SN 16 kg Timed set - 7 minutes

7 L, 7 R
8 L, 8 R (set bell down)
10 L, 10 R (set bell down)
10 L, 10 R (set bell down)
10 L, 10 R done

Total reps in 7 minutes - 45 per arm or 90 reps total.

8:20am - Complete

Notes -  Felt good with the squats.  I will be moving up each training session with volume so going to add a 4th set on Monday.  After that I will have my 24s with me in Spokane and I will give this a shot with the 24s next Friday, so about a week.  We will see how that goes - should be fine I think.  The sets of 5 will be tough.

This is the most snatching I have ever done if you an believe that.  I actually felt really good about getting close to 100 reps.  This is a start.  Some reps felt great, really just a tough movement for me and particularly with the left side I just really, really have to watch the technique.  Key seems to be letting the bell almost hit me on the descent and then get out of the way to load the hips for the next rep, which helps eliminate pulling up with the arm and make everything easier.  I will keep working at it.

7/9/13 Tuesday July 9, 2013 (TGUs)

7:00am - Original Strength and Primal Move - 30 minutes

7:30am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

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

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

7:45am - Training session - Focus on TGUs

Warm up -
Tall kneeling 1H press with 16 kg, 5 L/R

16kg, roll to elbow 3+3 L, R

24kg, 3X L/R (alternating full getups)

8:00am - Complete

Notes -  Very, very solid with the 24 today.  I am getting very close to moving up a bell here for TGUs.  The 24 is feeling light.

7/8/13 Monday July 8, 2013 (DB PR 24s, 1H SW 28)

5:50am - Original Strength resets and Primal Move - 40 minutes

6:30am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

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

1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

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

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg

Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

6:45am - Training session - DB PR with the 24 ladders, and then 1H SW with the 28 timed

Warm up -
TGUs 16 kg, 3+3 

G Sq 24 kg, 10
DB DLs 32 kg, 5, ALT 1H DL, 5 each arm
2H SW 24 kg, 10

DB PR ladders 1, 2, 3 with the 24s, cleaning before each ladder -3X (18 total PR reps, 9 cleans)

This was frankly easy and took very little time, maybe 10 minutes or so.

Timed set - 6 minutes

1H SW 28 kg 6 L/R X 6 (36 reps each arm, 6 L, 6R on the minute for 6 minutes)

Finisher - a few loaded carries putting all of the bells away, also did an overhead walk with DB 24s which felt awesome.  I was really pleased with how solid this felt and how much space I felt in my thoracic spine - very cool.  This bodes well in the future for snatching and ultimately I hope jerks.

7:15am - Complete

Notes - This was a pretty easy training day.  After doing so much work lately, the urge is to press onward and upward but I like that this is waving back a bit, and then I can hopefully add to it over the next several weeks until Kevin and I meet on Friday 7/26.  The plan is to get up to 1,2,3 x 5X for DB PR which I think honestly is not going to be an issue at all.  Previously back in the winter I had worked up to DB C&P 28s for 1,2,3,4,5 x 5 sets (75 reps with 75 cleans!) when I was working pressing like 3 times a week.  My programming was poor and no surprise I ended up straining muscles, was not strong enough in all the right places, etc.  I don't know how long it will take to get back to that level, but I can guarantee when I do, I will be massively stronger and much more prepared for that type of volume no doubt about it.  One day at a time.

7/5/13 Friday July 5, 2013 (1H SW, SN)

In Portland staying with my brother Pat at his place -

7:15am - Original Strength, Primal Move drills - 30 minutes

7:45am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

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

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm 16 kg

8:00am - Training session -1H SW, SN, timed session 15 minutes

Warm up -
TGU 16 kg roll to elbow, 3+3

GSq 20 kg, 10
1H SW 16 kg, 10 L/R

Timed set - 15 minutes

1H SW 20 kg, 10L, 10R, 10L, 10R - 5X (total of 100 reps per arm)

SN 16 kg, 5 L, 5 R 3X (15 reps per arm)

8:20am - Complete

Notes -  This was perfect and maybe edging towards even more than I was considering given Kevin's adage to take some rest..... I was glad I put the timer on things because that did prevent me from really going overboard.  The sets of the 1H SW with the 20 were surprisingly gassing - it was the second set of 10 on each arm without setting the bell down that was getting to me.  I do not ever go this high in reps but wanted to see what it would be like at a lighter weight.  The SN were just for some practice given that Kevin is green lighting me to SN again.  I focused on really waiting out the bell on the descent.  Several the reps felt really good doing that.  If I can consistently nail this technique, the SN could become a very doable lift for me.  Also it is clear I need to have tremendous stability in the L shoulder to successfully SN.  Have to keep on top of that constantly and continuing improving it.

7/4/13 Thursday July 4, 2013 (TGUs)

7:00am - Original Strength and Primal Move - 30 minutes

7:30am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

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

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

7:45am - Training session - Focus on TGUs

Warm up -
Tall kneeling 1H press with 16 kg, 5 L/R

16kg, roll to elbow 3+3 L, R
16kg, 3+3, L, R (full getups without setting the bell down)

8:00am - Complete

Notes -  So today was Independence Day, and yesterday Kevin and I spoke about taking two rest days and then starting up again next Monday.  I have been going pretty here for about a month, making very consistent and pretty sizable gains from training session to training session.  The last time this occurred I overdid my press programming and it set me back well for months as I worked back to the basics.  So following protocol, you can't "always go heavy and then heavier" so it is the perfect time to dial it back, focus on technique, and then start up again.  So today was in that direction.

7/3/13 Wednesday July 3, 2013 (Kevin DB Sq, SN)

Slept in before training with Kevin - did absolutely nothing to warm up.  The night before I was out late with my softball team so it was good to sleep a little bit more.  I have been consistently getting in my Original Strength resets as well as Primal Move warmups, and the body felt fine, good even.

6:40am - Training session with Kevin

We worked in some basic Primal Move stuff.  We worked on some stuff with my right ankle as I mentioned that I had noted some loss in range of motion after several long driving trips in the car (gas pedal) and I knew  I probably needed to do some specific work on it.  Kevin gave me some Z Health stuff which seemed to work, so I will try to incorporate a couple of times a day.

We did a few TGUs with the 16 to warm up, and some swings with the 24.

We then focused most of the session on squatting.  We did some goblet squats with the 24, working on prying, and also not going too deep into the squat where I had a tendency to "relax" and lose tightness, which will be a problem under heavier load.  I then did several sets of DB SQ with the 24s, sets of 3, working on various cues from Kevin to try and hone in technique.  Particularly useful was the idea of pushing up straight with my traps from the hole.  By the end the reps were getting "easier" even though I was fatiguing because of the improved technique.  Squatting well is not something that comes particularly naturally.

We finished off by doing several sets of SN with the 16, sets of 5 L/R.  Kevin seemed surprised that the technique was not too bad particularly as I have not been practicing this AT ALL for months.  He gave me a great cue on the descent to "wait" on the bell longer before hinging, and that made an immediate and huge difference in power production - could use way less arm and much more loading in the hips, and the bell was flying up.  Great stuff and it seems I have the greenlight to carefully and consciously practice the SN again.

7:40am - Finish

Great session, I continue to learn a lot from Kevin.