11/30/14 Sunday November 30, 2014 (walking, pull-ups, push-ups)

Writing this late Sunday night.  Got back down to the lake for some body weight work and walking after driving back from being in Portland with my family and kids the last couple of days.  Damn it wasn't 30 degrees outside, just cold as balls.  I wanted to clear my head though and was perfectly fine dealing with the inclement weather.  Tried to move quickly.  Started around 4:45pm before it got dark, finishing in the dark with my headlamp on:).  Did I say it was cold as balls?

Wanted to keep the reps low, did 18 pull-ups (3 more than last week) and 25 push-ups.  Shit I just realized I did more work than I intended to do, whoops.  Definitely had one extra set in there at the end by accident.  Pull-ups were harder than I expected them to be.  Interesting.  Not sure what to make of that other than I was driving all day and am under some real stress.  Need to be mindful right now.

Walking
5 pull-ups
5 push-ups

Walking
4 pull-ups
5 push-ups

Walking
4 pull-ups
5 push-ups

Walking
3 pull-ups
5 push-ups

Walking
2 pull-ups
5 push-ups

Longer walk to finish (30 minutes)

Did a ton of hanging from the rings as well, really trying to stretch the R arm pit, same as it has been for a week.  This helps so much, really does, and walking seems to reset things as well.  I felt really good after doing this training, much better than when I started.  Time to get some rest and hit some Moving Target Complex in the morning in 30 degree weather:)

11/28/14 Friday November 28, 2014 (1H PR 28kg, DB SW 24kg)

7:30am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 60 minutes (some interruptions for kids)

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)

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

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

8:45am - Training session - 1H PR 28kg, DB SW 24kg

16kg TGU, 1/1

16kg BUP, 1/1

24kg TGU, 1/1

24kg BU CL, 1/1 (was not going to be able to press this)

1H Press Ladders 28kg

28kg, 1, 2, 3, x 3 each arm

18 presses each arm

DB SW 24kg, 10, x 3

9:15am - Complete

Notes - Writing this on Sunday evening.  Interesting day Friday was.  Back into 1H PR.  Damn if it always gives me some issues when I start to go heavier.  During the session itself, things went well.  I was employing some techniques honed at the SFG weekend and damn if that 28kg wasn't popping up out of the rack on the presses.  That was cool.  I was staying pretty tight everywhere though I think I can keep my abs tighter, if I was loosing tension anywhere it was in the abs.  But I didn't get close to failure and these were pretty strong presses.  Left side was actually better than the right side which is where it gets interesting.  Damn if that right shoulder / arm pit and lat is still tight, though getting better (well was getting better) with arm bars etc.  So the left side presses were feeling better and on one particular press on the R side I felt some tension in my neck and scapula on the R side (think it was the 3rd rep on my second set).  Sent tension to the wrong spot, need to keep it in the glutes, feet, keep it out of my face and neck.  I was frustrated but that's an old tight spot for me and just something that comes up from time to time.  It was pretty minor, and I was doing fast and loose after every set and felt fine.  Finished the presses, did double swings, those felt great, no issues at all.  Well frustratingly it stayed tight that afternoon and I have been working on it over the weekend.  Nothing major, lacrosse ball helps a ton as does various mobility work.  Something I am going to watch very carefully this week, keep up the mobility work, I am getting a deep tissue massage on Tuesday as well.  I know this is very well related to stress too because that is where I tend to carry stress and well to be blunt my divorce is being finalized on Monday (tomorrow).  You think I might be under some stress right now???  Damn you have to laugh a little or you'll cry.  It's going to be ok. This too shall pass.  Now is certainly not the time to be dumb and try to set some PRs and be superman.  I'll be moderating things and watching how I am feeling closely.

11/27/14 Thursday November 27, 2014 (16kg TGUs, SL DLs) (Thanksgiving)

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

Break

10:00am - 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

10:15am - Training session - 16kg TGU, 16kg SLDLs

2x

16kg TGU to the knee, 1/1

16kg SLDL, 3/3

10:30am - Complete

Notes - Writing this on Sunday evening after a nice holiday break for Thanksgiving.  I got the kids in the morning and we played soccer and ran around at the park in the rain - it was a lot of fun:)  Did a bit of mobility work and a few reps with the 16kg before heading down to Vashon Island for Thanksgiving with Jill's family.  It was a nice time and I appreciated being able to do that given our circumstances.  Monday (tomorrow) we go to the courthouse and our divorce is final in the eyes of Washington state.  It's certainly been on my mind all holiday long.  With that said, Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude and I know that my life could be a whole lot more difficult than it is.  It's all a matter of perspective and finding that place and space to be grateful for what you do have and the blessings that have come your way is very important.

11/26/14 Wednesday November 26, 2014 (TGUs, 2H SW ladder)

7:30am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 60 minutes (some interruptions for kids)

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)

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

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

8:45am - Training session - TGUs, 2H SW ladder

24kg TGU, 1/1

24kg SL DL, 3/3

28kg TGU, 1/1, x 2

28kg SL DL, 3/3

5x:

2H SW 28kg, 10
2H SW 32kg, 10
2H SW 36kg, 10

Suitcase carries
36kg, 1/1
28kg, 1/1
32kg, 1/1
24kg, 1/1

9:30am - Complete

Notes - Cool training day today.  I enjoyed it very much.  Did some TGUs with the 28kg, overhead position felt good, best it has felt in weeks and this is with a heavier weight than I have used for TGUs in quite some time (it has been months since I used anything above a 24kg).  I was extremely pleased, the arm bars and other thoracic work I think are helping slowly but surely.  The movement was strong as well from improved technique I honed at the SFG weekend.  This is good.  2H SW ladders were great.  That bell was really moving - my swing technique has definitely improved.  Using the lats better, better extension and finishing with the hips at the top of each rep, letting the bell float.  I surprised myself here a bit because every bell felt nearly the same - the 36kg was almost as powerful and as crisp as the 28kg.  Despite a 30% increase in weight.  That's pretty cool.  The finish with suitcase carries was good.  I like mixing 2H movements or double bell movements with 1H or 1 bell work in the same session.  

11/25/14 Tuesday November 25, 2014 (24kg TGUs, SL DLs)

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

8:00am - 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

8:15am - Training session - 24kg TGU, 24kg SLDLs

2x

24kg TGU to the knee, 1/1

24kg SLDL, 3/3

8:30am - Complete

Notes - Feeling good.  Overslept for sure but suppose that is ok.  No ill effects at all it seems from yesterday's training, getting back into things.  I think I am fully recovered from the SFG weekend and ready to keep moving forward.  The arm bars are absolutely helping, doing these more correctly for my body in terms of what I need - I am really spending time letting that arm sink into my shoulder, getting a ton of twitching and the bell is moving all over as my shoulder works to stabilize, bit of a pec stretch too.  These are really, really good and it's very beneficial to pick up some cues from SFG weekend that get me into a better position to make this effective than what I was doing before.  I think I should literally do these every single day.

11/24/14 Monday November 24, 2014 (DB 24kg Moving Target Complex, 1H SW 28kg)

6:45am - FMS drills (belly breathing, soft tissue work, t-spine, 1/2 kneeling) - 30 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)

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

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

7:30am - Training session - DB 24kg Moving Target Complex, 1H SW 28kg

16kg TGU, 1/1

24kg GSq, 5

24kg TGU, 1/1

2H SW 24kg, 10

DB 24kg Moving Target Complex – for time

2, 3, 5

DB CL, DB PR x 2, DB SQ

DB CL, DB PR, DB SQ x2

DB CL x 2, DB PR, DB SQ

DB CL, DB PR x 3, DB SQ

DB CL, DB PR, DB SQ x3

DB CL x 3, DB PR, DB SQ

DB CL, DB PR x 5, DB SQ

DB CL, DB PR, DB SQ x5

DB CL x 5, DB PR, DB SQ

Totals 16 DB CL, 16 DB PR, 16 DB SQ

Took just under 15 minutes

1H SW 28kg, 5/5, x 5

50 1H SW

8:00am - Complete

Notes - Great day.  Kind of fun to program a little bit as Kevin encouraged me to do that for a couple of weeks, so over the weekend I set out a 3-week training cycle, progressively adding a little bit each session from the previous week's session. M/W/F.  Monday - strength focus.  Wed - heavy swings.  Friday - 1H Press practice.  Good start today.  I thought to myself "I can do more" but this was exactly the right volume.  Not too much, too fast coming back into things from the SFG.  Body felt good, good rest this weekend.  Mobility work between now and Wed.  Really focused on those arm bars, opening up the thoracic spine.  

11/22/14 Saturday November 22, 2014 (walking, pull-ups, push-ups)

Got back down to the lake for some body weight work, started around 4pm before it got dark, finishing walking in the dark.  Cool air, felt just awesome, I was walking very briskly.

Wanted to keep the reps low, did 15 pull-ups and 15 push-ups.  First set of 5 on the pull-ups was definitely not easy.  I am still recovering from the SFG weekend clearly.

Walking
5 pull-ups
3 push-ups

Walking
4 pull-ups
3 push-ups

Walking
3 pull-ups
3 push-ups

Walking
3 pull-ups
3 push-ups

Longer walk to finish (45 minutes)

Did a ton of hanging from the rings as well, really trying to stretch the R bicep, below, lat - it's tight and all connected.  Elbow is a bit irritated again.  Mobility work tonight and more lacrosse ball trigger point work to try and work on this.  As I write this late Sunday night, body feels great except the elbow.  Walking is really, really good, it ties everything together with my gait, both sides of the body, etc.  I have definitely noticed that when I can get in some good walks, things just seem to improve.  I think in Original Strength they say that walking is the most basic "reset" for the body.  It really does seem to be that way for me.