7/26/13 Friday July 26, 2013 (training with Kevin)

Slept in before training with Kevin - did absolutely nothing to warm up.  The night before I was out late with my co workers 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 really good actually.  Finally after one week the running I had done in Spokane seems to have finally gone away in terms of tightness on the R hip, psoas, calf, ankle etc.

6:40am - Training session with Kevin.  Little bit of a bunch of stuff here.  Did some FMS tests on my right ankle and then hip following up on the tightness I noticed from running in Spokane a week ago.  Eventually we moved to some foam rolling on my quads, laying on my stomach and going into a plank, as well as inner thigh to the knee.  That seemed to help and Kevin suspects it is more of a tissue thing than something with mobility per se.  Interesting.  I will do some more foam rolling and see if that helps.

We moved into doing some kettlebell work, a few TGUs, learned the Arm Bar (again after 18 months) which was good.  We did some 2H SW, did some clean and presses, did a complex with DB CL, to DB PR, to DB Sq which was awesome.  Then I snatched with the 16, 20, and then 24.  Kevin liked what he saw.

Going to move into some different programming coming up, going to PR from DB PR, doing that complex for some armor building, and then snatching ladders to get comfortable with the 24 for reps.  It should be awesome and I look forward to the changes.

7:50am - Finish

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

7/25/13 Thursday July 25, 2013 (2H SW)

6:15am - Original Strength, Primal Move drills - 45 minutes (interruptions for kids waking up)

7:00am - 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

7:15am - 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

TGUs - 24kg, 2+2 L/R, not setting the bell down

Timed set - 15 minutes, got 200 reps, really was just looking to go pretty nice and easy, total of the following:
2H SW 24 kg, 10 - 5X
2H SW 28 kg, 10 - 5X
2H SW 32 kg, 10 - 5X
2H SW 36 kg, 10 - 5X

7:45am - Complete

Notes - 200 reps total in just over 15 minutes.  Not a PR, nor was a I trying for one.  Just a punch the clock workout and that was totally fine. Had not done 2H SW in a couple of weeks and it felt great.

7/24/13 Wednesday July 24, 2013 (DB Sq 24s, SN 16)

6:15am - Original Strength, Primal Move drills - 30 minutes

6:45am - 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

7:00am - Training session -DB Sq 24 kgs, SN 16kg - timed session 7 minutes

Warm up -
TGU 24kg, 2+2
GSq 24 kg, 10
DB DL 24 kgs, 10, 10 alt L, R
2H SW 24 kg, 10

DB SQ 24 kgs, ladders 2, 3, 5 x 4 (40 total reps, same as last week) - increased the density and got these done in under 15 minutes, compared with about 20 minutes last week.

SN 16 kg Timed set - 7 minutes

20 L, 20 R (set bell down)
20 L, 20 R (set bell down)
20 L, 20 R (set bell down)
5 L, 5 R done

Total reps in 7 minutes - 65 per arm or 130 reps total, this is up from 120 on Friday.

7:30am - Complete

Notes -  I was extremely pressed for time so I was really pleased with how efficient this training session was.  Very strong on the DB Sq, those 24s are starting to feel light in the movement which is amazing as doing even like 2 reps of DB SQ with the 24s in the past felt super heavy.  That is really cool to see that progress.  I was also able to get the SN up by another 10 reps, which was great, including keeping my sets at 20 reps so I think I could theoretically now try and bump up to 25 and see what happens.  Awesome.

7/23/13 Tuesday July 23, 2013 (OS, walking)

In Spokane

6:45am - Original Strength resets  - 15 minutes

Light walk - 45 minutes until 7:45

I was absolutely exhausted from a very late night out and only got about 4 hours of sleep.  After the big training day on Monday I just decided some light resets and walking would do fine for today.  I continued to notice significant tightness in my right psoas, hip, quad, calf, and ankle from the running I had done the previous Friday.

7/22/13 Monday July 22, 2013 (DB PR 24s, 1H SW 28)

6:30am - Original Strength resets and Primal Move - 30 minutes

7:00am - 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

7:15am - 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 24 kg, 5, ALT 1H DL, 5 each arm
2H SW 24 kg, 10

DB PR ladders 1, 2, 3,4 with the 24s, cleaning before each ladder -5X (50 total PR reps, 20 cleans, up from 40/15 on last Wed)

Timed set - 7 minutes, added a minute from last time

1H SW 28 kg 8 L/R X 7 (56 reps each arm, 8L, 8 R on the minute for 7 minutes)

8:00am - Complete

Notes - A great session, got to 5 sets on the PR and nowhere near failing.  Also extended the 1H SW by 1 minute yet went faster than last week and finished in time.  The 24s on the PR are literally starting to feel "light".

Update 7/24 Here is an email summary I sent to Kevin:

It has been a superb month of training.  I have slowly progressed on the DB PR up to 5 sets of 1,2,3,4 ladders with the 24s.  Frankly, the bells feel light.  I am not close to failure.  This is so different than my previous work on pressing and I am just blown away.  Noticing several things.  My cleans are very solid, and the grip strength has increased quite a bit – it almost feels as if my hands got bigger the way the bells sit in the rack and through the press.  Totally from heavy swings.  My feet are rooted and I feel like I have a stronger base.

I am up to 7 minutes of 8 L, 8 R on the 1H SW with the 28.  The thing does feel heavy but I am doing that work right after pressing.  I am definitely getting good reps with good form.

I have progressed to DB Sq 4 sets of 2,3,5 with 24s – I did one or two sessions with the 20s and I just felt like I could go up to 24s.  Amazingly, the 24s feel light even on the ladders of 5.  I have very consciously stopped my squat before I feel like I might slack my back in the hole, and am trying to explode up through the sticking point on the ascent. 

Snatching . This is where I am just sort of dumbfounded.  Snatching has been an issue for me in the past as we have discussed, particularly with the left side pulling too much with the arm, not getting to lockout, which has bothered my forearm and elbow.  That has just simply not been happening.  With the 16, today I did 130 reps in 7 minutes, in sets of 20 L, 20 R X 3, finishing with a 5 L , 5 R.  The progress has been very steady with the snatches, adding 10 or 20 reps each successive session as I get a bit more conditioning and grooving the technique.

7/19/13 Friday July 19, 2013 (light jog 5 miles)

In Spokane for work

5:45am - Original Strength, Primal Move drills - 30 minutes


My friend asked me to go jogging so I decided that was a great idea after two huge days of kettlebell work. The jog was nice and easy and we did about 5 miles.

Update Wed 7/24:  Email sent to Kevin follows

I went running in Spokane last Friday for 5 miles with a friend and frankly am still sore.  Soreness is in the right ankle, calve, and particularly in the right hip and psoas.  This was an issue for me in the past with running – it is almost like I must be running on the right side much harder than the left.  Clearly there is some inefficiency and the movement is not very good and needs improvement.  I don’t run anymore almost ever (I used to do ½ marathons so have some running in my past) and running is not a big deal to me per se, but with all of the great kettlebell training and movement improvements through OS etc. I am quite frustrated this occurred.  I feel like I should be able to drop into a short run without this lingering discomfort.  I am not exactly sure what we do here but wanted to share this observation with you.  One thing I do think is that my more limited ankle flexibility in the right ankle may be an issue and causes a reaction up the chain.  I also have plenty of clicking that occurs in my R hip when doing the OS movements for rocking and a few other movements as well, something I have noticed for a long time.  There is not discomfort with this, but clearly there is inefficient movement in my R hip and has been for a long time.  I had definitely noticed over time my R hip loosen up and it seemed like swings and the OS movement with primal move really helped.  But after running the thing seems locked down and my psoas is definitely talking to me as well.

7/18/13 Thursday July 18, 2013 (DB Sq 24s, SN 16)

In Spokane for work

5:45am - Original Strength, Primal Move drills - 30 minutes


Was supposed to go on a light jog but my friend could not make it, so decided to train instead on Gonzaga.

7:00am - 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

7:15am - Training session -DB Sq 24 kgs (up from 20 kgs Monday), SN 16kg - timed session 7 minutes

Warm up -
TGU 24kg, 2+2
GSq 24 kg, 10
DB DL 24 kgs, 10, 10 alt L, R
2H SW 24 kg, 10
TK PR, 16 kgs, 5 L/R

DB SQ 24 kgs, ladders 2, 3, 5 x 4 (40 total reps, same as last week, but upped to 24s from 20s) - took about 20 minutes.

SN 16 kg Timed set - 7 minutes

20 L, 20 R (set bell down)
15 L, 15 R (set bell down)
15 L, 15 R (set bell down)
10 L, 10 R done

Total reps in 7 minutes - 60 per arm or 120 reps total, this is up from 100 on Monday.

8:00am - Complete

Notes -  Biggest deal here was the volume of work on back-to-back days because I moved up this training day a day (plan was Friday but due to schedule in Spokane it got moved up).  I felt really, really good physically so I went for it.

Squats felt outstanding. Took my time, good reps, did a little more recovery after the sets of 5.  24s are no joke but wow this is the lightest they have ever felt.  The training program is really working.  Cleans were very solid, improved grip strength makes getting into the hole and staying upright easier.  Awesome.

Snatching - again this is the most I have ever snatched.  I got in 20 more reps in 7 minutes than I did on Monday . Wow, I was not expecting to be able to do that.  It will be good to take some days off as tomorrow I plan on a light jog in the morning with a friend and not picking up the bells again until Monday.  Feels right after two just outstanding training days over here in Spokane.  Probably was inspired by being on the campus of my alma mater:)