9/5/15 Saturday September 5, 2015 (weighted pull-ups, push-ups, DB 32kg carries)

Writing this on Saturday night.  Got training done in the afternoon with the kids.  Had a huge day - took several hours in the morning cleaning up the outside of the house, had a picnic at the lake and kicked a soccer ball with the kids, did training, took them bowling, then out to dinner, then bed. Sheesh.

Hanging from rings

2 pull-ups (rings)
3 pull-ups
5 pull-ups

Weighted pull-ups, with an 8kg KB, 3

Weighted pull-ups with a 12kg KB, 2, x 5 (last reps on the last two sets were damn tough to get my chin over the rings)

13 reps total for weighted pull-ups, up from 10 last week

10 push-ups, normal width on legs
10 push-ups, legs and feet together
10 push-ups, lizard

Break for an hour

DB 32kg farmer carries, 3 sets, about 90 seconds or more for each set (up from DB 28 kgs last week)

This was pretty tough in some ways.  Very little rest on the pull-ups because we were at a busy station at Greenlake and I just didn't want to deal with a bunch of people that were around, so I hogged the equipment and went pretty much fast as hell, which is tough with this type of work.  Ideally I could take a walk between sets, take the belt off, etc. etc. but it is what it is.  I will say this, the body weight pull-ups to warm up were such a piece of cake I was almost laughing.  Doing a few weeks of weighted pull-ups has made my starting position for bodyweight so much easier - its like I am shooting up out of a canon.  So that's pretty dam cool.  Also to close today the DB 32kg farmers were excellent, felt like I had a really strong grip on the bells and this was really solid.  As I write this, I really feel the fatigue kicking in.  The last couple of reps on some of the weighted sets were way harder than I would like, and I probably had to dip into an energy reserve a bit to eke those out.  There's no reason at this point in my mind to increase reps or weight any further.  I need to spend a bit of time here with the 12kg and really getting this nailed down.

9/4/15 Friday September 4, 2015 (training with Kevin)

6:20am - Training with Kevin

Good session.  Did some mobility work, and we focused on a couple of new movements to target the abductors in particular which is part of the issue I have been having with the insertion to the L hamstring / low back and oblique tightness / discomfort.  We did "cossack" stretches and those were solid.  I will be incorporating those into either off-days or after training as a cool-down.

Did some TGUs, tightened up part of the movement in terms of not moving me feet too far inward with the bell overhead to to come up out of the getup into the kneeling position.  That and really pushing into the ground with the lead leg, to make pressure off the obliques and not make it a side-bend movement.  These tweaks were all positive and I think will help.  Kevin did mention he doesn't believe really heavy get-ups are every going to be a great movement for me, with some of the thoracic mobility limitations I have, etc. and he's probably right.  However I can keep working on these as mobility check-ins, a good test to see where I am on a particular day, etc. etc. with lighter bells.  I tend to agree with him.  Sometimes you just have to acknowledge that there are certain things you are better at that others. I can keep shoring up this weakness though.

We did some 48kg deadlifts to pattern that movement.  Then we did a lot of 2H SW with the 24kg, 28kg, and 32kg, in a ladder format up and down, intermixed with sets of push-ups.  I was really sweating by the end.  We also did a quick form check on the DB FSQ with 24kg bells, and got a good cue from Kevin in the bottom of the squat to make sure I am just a little bit more back on the heel, really pushing through the ground, pausing in that bottom position and coming up strong.  Good cues, those will help, but the FSQ is looking strong.  Also did a set of snatches with the 20kg bell, to show Kevin the snatch.  Need to keep working on total lockout on the L side, not a surprise, but in general things looking very good, just need to keep snatching and just getting reps in.

Next training cycle will be more ballistic in nature, 48kg deadlifts, lot of swings, keeping some squats, snatching with the 20kg.  Bodyweight work with push-ups, and on the weekends, keeping a focus on building up the weighted pull-ups.  Looking forward to it.

7:30am - End

9/3/15 Thursday September 3, 2015 (24kg 2H SW, TGUs)

6:35am - belly breathing, OS resets  - 30 minutes

7:05am - 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 16kg, 1+1, x 2

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

7:20am- Training session - 24kg 2H SW, TGUs

24kg 2H SW, 10, x 5

24kg TGUs, 1/1, x 2

7:30am - Complete

Notes - Good day.  Feeling good.  Flew to Spokane and back for the day after this morning training, little tight in the L hip etc. which is not a surprise as sitting for prolonged periods just sucks.  But all in all, not bad, moving forward positively I believe. 

9/2/15 Wednesday September 2, 2015 (TT complex DB 24kgs)

7:30am - belly breathing, OS resets, lacrosse ball work, glute and ham work  - 35 minutes

8:05am - 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 16kg, 1+1, x 2

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

8:20am- Training session - Total tension complex with DB 24kgs

16kg TGU, 1

2x:
48kg DL, 10
SL glute raise, 5/5

8x:
DB 24kgs CL, 2, PR 1, FSQ 3

Total of 16 DB CLs, 8 DB PR, 24 DB FSQs

DB 24kg SW, 5, x 2

8:45am - Complete

Notes - Very cool day.  Getting back to doing a complex with DB 24kg bells - fucking sweet.  Yes.  I am really seeing improved technique on all my lifts, it's been a big focus getting away from trying to go heavy all the time and working through these injuries / body stuff the last several months.  My cleans were better, presses better, good squats.  This was not hard, which is a good sign.  I ended with some double bell swings because for some reason I just wanted to try them, it's been literally 3 months I think or more since I did double bell swings with any size bell, let along 24s.  These felt awesome.  Short rep sets, really focusing on power, hip extension, floating the bell, etc.  Excited to get some recovery time in here over the next 48 hrs and then train with Kevin Friday morning. 

9/1/15 Tuesday September 1, 2015 (24kg 2H SW)

7:00am - belly breathing, OS resets  - 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)

16kg Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm
Arm bar 16kg, 1+1, x 2

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

7:30am- Training session - 24kg 2H SW

24kg 2H SW, 10, x 5

24kg TGUs, 1/1

7:40am - Complete

Notes - Well this came a little out of the blue.  Was feeling pretty damn tight yesterday and the low back / oblique / hip on the left side was acting up, I think from the deep tissue massage on Sunday afternoon but you just never know.  Woke up feeling good this morning, quick OS reset work, and then did some swings and a couple of getups.  Pretty nice to see the improvement.  

8/31/15 Monday August 31, 2015 (S&S 24kg)

6:50am - belly breathing, OS resets, lacrosse ball work, hip, hamstring and groin stretches  - 40 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 16kg, 1+1, x 2

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

7:45am- Training session - S&S with the 24kg

24kg 1H SW, 10/10, x 5, under 5 minutes

24kg TGUs, 1/1, x 3 (had to cut this short due to time, and this was enough for today anyway)

Rocking

8:00am - Complete

Notes - Pretty good.  Sore from a deep tissue massage yesterday evening which included a discovery I think regarding the low back / oblique / hip stuff I have been working through on the left side. The Semimembranosus or  Deep medial hamstring was extremely sensitive and tight.  Hamstring stuff contributing to what I have been feeling. Not surprised as I am constantly wanting to stretch them.  I am redoubling my efforts and focusing on this.  Swings were strong today, up to the 24kg this week, felt good.  3 reps each side on the TGUs with the 24kg was sufficient and I was pressed for time, so cut it short of the 5 reps each side.  Not necessarily a bad idea anyway because I have not been repping with the 24kg on the TGUs, and it's better to get good slow reps and build up again.  My overhead position on the R side is really excellent, L, while very much improved from a couple of months ago, always needs attention.  I will keep working it.

8/29/15 Saturday August 29, 2015 (weighted pull-ups, push-ups, DB 28kg carries)

Writing this on Sunday night.  Got to this training in the morning on Saturday with the kids before swimming lessons and a soccer coaching clinic.  Big day but got this in and got it done.

Hanging from rings

2 pull-ups (rings)
5 push-ups

3 pull-ups
5 push-ups

5 pull-ups
5 push-ups

Weighted pull-ups, with an 8kg KB

3

Weighted pull-ups with a 12kg KB

2
2
2
1

10 reps total for weighted pull-ups

5 push-ups
5 push-ups

Break for 5 hours or so

DB 28kg farmer carries, 3 sets, about 90 seconds or more for each set

This was good. The changes in technique that Kevin showed me on the weighted pull-ups with my feet are big, and really are making this less strenuous on my low back / obliques which is very good.  Making this more of an upper-body exercise which is what it needs to be.  Everything felt pretty good actually and I am very encouraged.  Ready to move up to DB 32kgs on the carries for the next session as well.  Good day.