10/31/14 Friday October 31, 2014 (24kg SN)

3:10pm - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 45 minutes (some work on the lacrosse ball, roam roll)

3:55pm - 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)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 2+2
Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

4:10pm - Training session - 24kg SN

2x:
24kg TGU, 1/1
24kg SLDL, 3/3
24kg H2H SW, 5/5 (10 switches)

24kg SN, 10/10 10/10, rest, 10/10/10, rest 10, rest (5:20 elapsed time), 10/10, rest, 10, rest, 10

120 reps - took me about 9 minutes

4:45pm - Complete

Notes - Interesting.  I flew over to Spokane yesterday morning, very late night with my coworkers - good times but you pay for it the next day.  Had to get up early to meet with some our recruits starting bang at 8:30am which was painful, then back on a flight to Seattle - quick trip over and back.  I actually felt pretty good but when I started snatching and got to 70 reps, I was like - oh boy.  I knew I could either push it or be smart.  It's all about being smart - period - unless you are a rare circumstance ("on the platform" in a competition, or at the SFG when I actually have to try and pass this damn snatch test).  So I took my time on the final 40 reps and made sure I had quality reps.  Did my best today to keep the hips as the key ingredient, wait for the bell on the descent, try to throw it back between the legs and not down, etc.  These were good reps.  When I finished, the pump on my forearms was unbelievable.  It didn't alleviate for probably 10 minutes - crazy.  That 10/10 combo is a good one for me to work to get ready for the SFG test.  My strategy I think will be to go 10/10, very quick rest, 10/10 10/10, rest, 10/10 10/10 for 100 reps.  That is 2 rests and I think I can manage that.  Another tactic may be to go 10/10 10/10 rest 10/10 10/10 rest 10/10.  Not sure what to do but will keep thinking about it.  Either way I have a good feeling I can get to 80 reps in strong fashion but the last 10 are probably going to be just purely gutting it out.  finished the day by going to my chiropractor for the first time in months, just going to get back in a maintenance routine there as it helps my training to see him periodically.  Also picked up some fish oil and probiotics - I have not been using these supplements the last couple of months since I ran out, and I think they really help me.  Getting back in that groove too.

10/30/14 Thursday October 30, 2014 (mobility, KB warm up, TGU)

7:00am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 30 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)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 2+2
Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses, then rotations, 1/1

7:45am - Training session - 16kg TGU

16kg TGU, 2/2

7:50am - Complete

Notes - Adding some more to the arm bars by doing presses and then doing some rotations, trying to get the feeling of dropping my shoulder down and move the scapula to keep it loose.  Kevin did this drill with me a long time ago and then by body work guy also showed me this technique with some light KBs after he worked on my yesterday, reminding me that this was a good way to move the shoulder and scapula to keep it mobilized.  I will definitely keep doing these.  Otherwise today, quick session before getting the kids off and hopping on a plane to Spokane.

10/29/14 Wednesday October 29, 2014 (24kg chain)

7:00am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 20 minutes

7:20am - 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)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 2+2
Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses, 1/1

16kg TGU, 2/2

7:35am - Training session - 24kg chain

20 minutes
24kg CL, PR, SQ, 1/1, rest, repeat

Got in 20 rounds - 20 reps of each movement on each side

8:00am - Complete

Notes - So a few things today.  First, body felt a little bit better this morning.  I worked the soft tissue pretty good last night, really focused on trying to get into some hot spots in my R lat, armpit, shoulder, tricep, pec.  I definitely loosened some things up.  The training work this morning was really enjoyable.  I am telling you, there is almost nothing more enjoyable, in its simplicity, than picking up one bell and walking it outside and doing a training session like this.  No frills, just do the work.  I had a very even pace this entire time, essentially it was probably something like 30 seconds of work, 30 seconds off, and then go again.  20 sets in 20 minutes.  In terms of noticing things, my left quad where it connects to the kneecap is tender.  This is a bit frustrating.  A few weeks ago I displaced tension on an overhead press to this knee instead of my glutes where it should have focused, and it may have caused a very mild hyperextension or something.  I am going to keep watching it.  Most likely doing pistols with this is stupid, I totally agree with Kevin's suggestion to drop pistols from the training arsenal for awhile.  I am not sprinting either so I think this small niggle will get some rest and be fine.  On the overhead press I did notice some very minor discomfort in the R elbow; this is something I have been watching and I totally know this is not an elbow thing but rather is coming from the tight lat which has my shoulder a little out of alignment I believe.  Working the various mobility drills including the overhead stretches with a dowel will help.  Bottom line this was a good session, I just have some things to be very aware of, and just be smart heading into the SFG.  To that end, this morning I say my body work specialist and he did some amazing work on me.  Over an hour and he worked out tight spots in my lats, hips, obliques, quads, neck, shoulders.  Particularly what was lit up was a hot spot in m R armpit, connected to my pec, and my lat.  This was the key trigger point.  Getting up from the table after this session, my gait had completely changed, reverted back to where it was a month or so ago before some of this tension started setting it.  I could breath deeper, and literally I looked taller.  He does great work.  This is exactly what I needed to complement the KB work and I need to stay on top of the soft tissue work like this better than I have for the last several months.  At times when I am feeling particularly good I forget that the reasons why are consistent mobility work, soft tissue preventative work, etc.  It never seems to fail that if I get out of the habit of  this additional work, eventually I tighten up and training is impacted.  In any event a couple of steps forward today, which is great.

10/28/14 Tuesday October 28, 2014 (mobility, KB warm up, TGU, SLDL)

7:00am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 30 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)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 2+2
Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses, 1/1

7:45 - break

8:45am - Training session - 16kg TGU, SLDL

16kg TGU, 2/2
24kg SLDL, 5/5

9:00am - Complete

Notes - Writing this Tuesday night.  Definitely feeling less than my best.  Tight as a drum today.  That R lat is really stuck and it has my right shoulder out of alignment, stuff is going on with the hip, hamstrings, boy oh boy.  Focused on mobility today, including a swing by Greenlake in the late afternoon where I spent 10 or so minutes doing various hangs from pull-up rings just to stretch those lats and shoulders.  Man, that really helped a ton. I also will be seeing by body work guy tomorrow morning to get some work done.  I know I have been running very hard here, lots of stuff going on with work and on the personal side it is not a small thing that the days tick by closer to November 15, which would be 90 days from filing our divorce papers.  It's getting close to being "official".  I have to acknowledge that is a contributing factor.  I just need to take deep breaths, control what I can control, and stay focused on my overall health.  Now is not the time to be trying for PRs and I know that, and I think am managing my expectations appropriately along with training for the SFG that is not over the top, with Kevin's guidance.  I am definitely following orders and not doing anything dumb.

10/27/14 Monday October 27, 2014 (S&S)

6:45am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 40 minutes (extra work on the lacrosse ball)

7:25am - 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)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 2+2
Arm bar 16kg with 3 presses, 1/1

7:40am - Training session - S&S, 28kg 1H SW, 24kg TGUs

24kg GSq, 10
24kg 2H SW, 20

28kg 1H SW, 10/10, on the minute for 5 minutes
100 reps

1 minute rest

24kg TGU, 1/1, x 5, 10 minute goal
10 reps, finished at 9:30

8:00am - Complete

Notes - New cycle, final cycle before the SFG1 in Vancouver BC Nov 14-16.  Doing S&S this morning was the perfect tonic, it really felt great and particularly because I woke up with the body not feeling all that great.  My R lat is super locked down, I really need to keep working on mobilizing it and stretching it out which I focused on this morning and will continue to focus on it.  I think things got a little locked up through working very hard for a very long stretch, lots of sitting, tension building up and now I simply need to redouble efforts to mobilize the joints and be ready for the SFG weekend which I am confident I will be.  In any event back felt really nice and loosened up after the swings, TGUs were very good for getting the shoulders some overhead work, stabilizing in the joint, that was very good.  I also worked up quite a sweat.  Always surprised by how S&S can do that, even in 15 short minute of work.

10/25/14 Saturday October 25, 2014 (pull-ups, push-ups, pistols)

Writing this on Sunday night.  Well this was going to be different!!  Had the kids the entire weekend so to get a short training session in, I had to get creative.  We all went down to the lake and it was pouring hard but banged out this session in between messing around with the kids and letting them hang from the pull up rings, try push-ups, and have me hold their arms while they tried pistols!!  The best part of this was doing it together and knowing that these experiences are setting a foundation for them to see the example of a healthy lifestyle.  Really cool, and this is very, very important to me.  The gift of valuing and investing in your personal health is a very important thing.

No walking today - no time, it was raining.

5 pull-ups
5 push-ups
pistol, 1/1

4 pull-ups
5 push-ups
pistol, 1/1

3 pull-ups
5 push-ups
pistol, 1/1

2 pull-ups
5 push-ups
pistol, 1/1

crocodile push-ups, 3/3

This all felt great.  Writing this Sunday, I definitely woke up feeling quite sore again in my R oblique, quad, hamstring, glute - basically the whole socket.  Tight tight tight. It would seem that the pistols do tighten things up a decent amount and I did not do enough before and after mobility work to compensate.  Frustrating.  I did some mobility work this working, hip flexor stretch, doorway stretch with straight leg braced against a doorframe, some yoga stretches as well from my stomach to stretch the lower back, while contracting the glutes hard.  That all definitely helped.  Mobility has got to come into focus here for a couple of weeks leading up to the SFG weekend.

10/24/14 Friday October 24, 2014 (mobility, KB warm up, TGU, SLDL)

6:15am - Training with Kevin

7:30am - Finish

Notes - Good training day with Kevin.  Did mostly mobility work, trying some things to open up my right hip which were helpful.  Some quad stretches, re-working the RKC hip flexor stretch to better target the quad was very good.  Did some deadlifts, TGUs, some 2H and 1H SW, and some snatches with the 24kg but nothing too major.  This was probably about right as I am needing a bit of recovery.  Kevin and I discussed various aspects of the SFG1 weekend and I am feeling just about ready to go.  Training next week with be 1 bell training, dialing down a bit, still keeping some 10/10 snatches to make sure that groove is dialed and ready to go.  Exciting.