Battles I have fought

The log has moved.

2008-12-08T21:42:00.001-08:00

I've moved my training log to the dragondoor forum.
Here it is.

20081206

2008-12-06T21:34:00.001-08:00

Snatches
24 kg.
5 sets of 10/10
32 kg.
3 sets of 5/5

Nail bending
4 yellow nails
1 blue nail

20081204

2008-12-05T00:10:00.000-08:00

TGU
28 kg. 1/1, 1/1
32 kg. 1/1, 1/1
40 kg. 1/1
32 kg. 2/2

Double Clean and Press
24 kg.
3x3

Armbar-Get Up- Windmill
(Picked this up from Adam Glass)
24 kg. 1/1, 1/1
28 kg. 1/1

3 Yellow nails bent
1 Blue nail bent

20081202

2008-12-02T23:55:00.000-08:00

Max VO2
16 kg.
50 sets
Half at 8 reps, half at 7
---
I'm still coughing and not feeling 100% so I dropped to the 16 kg. I think I'll be back on the 20 kg. next week. This cold doesn't want to leave. I hate feeling weak.

Training

2008-12-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

20081129
--
First day back at it. Mixed bottoms up presses and nail bending. Solid BUP on the 20 and 24 kg. Three yellow nails down.

20081130
---
Max VO2
20 kg.
6 reps
40 sets with one break.
This was bad. No comment. Still a little sick obviously.

20081201
---
5 bodyweight pull ups to heavy presses. Either 1/1 32 kg. or 2/2 28 kg.
6 sets
3 yellow nails bent. Have to work on technique. One was clean, two I had to brace against my leg to get the initial kink.

20081125

2008-11-26T18:23:00.001-08:00

Short Workout

Pistols
1x16 kg.
1x24 kg.
1x28 kg.
1x32 kg.
All right leg as I'm still working out that tweak in the left. Didn't notice it today, but I'm playing it safe.

Zercher squats
3x135
3x185
3x205

Bent one yellow nail and bowed two
---
Ok, I must lower my battle flag for now. I am sick. I was sick during this workout. I haven't been sick in about 4 years, and I denied it as long as I could, but I have finally been taken down. If I feel better friday I'll get back in.

20081124

2008-11-24T11:09:00.001-08:00

Max VO2
---
20 kg.
40 sets
10 sets at 7 reps
30 sets at 6 reps.

I'm still manipulating variables to work my way back up to 80 sets of 7.

Did some of the Bulletproof abs drills as well.

20081121

2008-11-21T17:11:00.000-08:00

Max VO2
---
20 kg.
40 sets
6 reps

This wasn't that hard. I primarily stopped because I don't want to just dive in and kill myself. The only negating factor was my hands, as I haven't been on top of my calluses the way I should be. No rips though. :)
I'm gradually tuning it up. Next Monday I'll bring it up to 50 sets. I think I'm going to hit 80 sets regularly. It didn't work for me before, but I may have a different reaction now. I need crazy work capacity to hit 100 reps on the 32 kg. in five minutes. I'm confident I can do this, I just have to be perfect. Diet, training, no room for error. I'm back on the warrior diet solid now and I already feel better.

20081119

2008-11-19T11:22:00.000-08:00

Max VO2
---
First day back at it. I've done almost zero cardio since the TSC so I expected this to be a slaughter, but it wasn't that bad.

40 sets total
30 sets of 6 reps on the 20 kg.
10 sets of 7 on the 16 kg.

had to drop back at the end as I was a little sloppy and my back started to fire up. No problem, easy fix. The 16 kg. felt like a toy.

20081118

2008-11-18T18:57:00.001-08:00

Bench Press
6x3 165 lbs.
Close Grip Bench Press
4x3 155 lbs.

---
Today I decided I will do the TSC in April, so I'm going to start spinning up now. Deadlift is strong, and I'm staying around 175. I'm going to hit the vo2 possibly tomorrow. We'll see how I feel. I was feeling pretty toasted today, but a light vo2 and thursday off may be just what I need. I mean really light, like I'm dropping back to the 16 kg.
Hopefully all the work I've been doing will pay off with a bigger deadlift and being able to keep the 32 kg. up longer during the snatch test.

20081117

2008-11-17T22:38:00.000-08:00

Squat Day
---
3x3 225 lbs.
3x2 275 lbs.
3x1 295 lbs.

This worked pretty well for me. I'll push it up in the coming weeks, I just have to correct some tightness issues I don't want to push. I got some recommendations from Rif on a lifting belt so I'll pursue that. I read something from Louie Simmons about Squats with a belt helping to correct pelvic tilts, but I'm not sure if that was anterior or posterior specific.

Zercher squats

2x3 135 lbs.
1x3 185 lbs.

I love these. Need to keep on them and toughen up a bit.

Did some ab work, weighted pull downs. I never do ab specific stuff, so we'll see how I feel tomorrow. :)

20081115

2008-11-15T17:03:00.000-08:00

Nail bending and get ups
---
I just alternated between heavy get ups and nail bending. All get ups were on the 32 kg. and the 40 kg. I worked out what the problem has been on my right, and Tara confirmed it. My externally rotated right foot is breaking up the chain of strength on my right side. When I corrected it Bam! problem solved.
I bent a handful of green nails easily and then bent two yellow nails.
I hit the presses on the 32 kg. and managed three solid reps on the right and I could have hit 4 or 5. Left side... 1. That's bad. I'm going to start working my left side harder. This is unacceptable.

20081114

2008-11-14T22:12:00.000-08:00

Squat Day
---
2x5 225 lbs.
2x2 275 lbs.
2x1 295 lbs.

Nothing too difficult here. I made it more difficult by being very exacting with my form. I realized the other day I've been in more of an Olympic style squat stance with how narrow I was, so I reviewed some video of good squatters and adopted a more powerlifting appropriate wide stance. I then narrowed it down a bit to accommodate my hips (I have none) and it was just right.
What was I just saying the other day about feeling weird in my own body at 175? My massage therapist identified the beginning of a C curve in my thoracic spine yesterday, so I really need to change the method of recovery I'm doing and even out my right and left sides. The working theory right now is that my right side is so much stronger it's pulling the spine that way.
Cool. I'm strong. :)

20081112

2008-11-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

I got in to Equinox early this morning to do some instruction for one of the trainers, so I used my time waiting to bend some nails. I got a shipment from fat bastard barbell the other night of some new stock, a horseshoe, and some leather and suede wraps. These wraps make a big difference, I just have to work on getting them tighter.
I achieved a significant bow of the yellow (60D) nail. I got so caught up in it that I didn't realize at one point I flipped the nail and bent it back nearly straight. Duh. Based upon this I'm confident I'll bend the yellow nail before the year is out.
I'll most likely head back this afternoon during my break to pull some deadlifts, at which point I'll update this
---
Deadlifts

3x3 315
3x2 335
3x1 355

All went well, not that difficult. I have to re-test my max in the next few weeks and see what I can pull. I think I may be well past 405. We'll see. The squatting has made a tremendous improvement in my leg strength and power breaking from the floor. I see a 495 lbs. pull in the not so distant future.
Today I'm solidly at 175. I'll get more in depth with this later, but I'm adjusting to my own body. I've never been this big before, not even close. It may not seem that big, but for me it is.

I wrapped up with some curls using the Olympic barbell, one handed. I like these as they force me to maximize tension.
3x3/3 45 lbs.

20081111

2008-11-12T12:04:00.000-08:00

Bench Day
---
I may have to retract some of the evil things I've said about the bench press. For all intents and purposes I do still believe for most people it ends up doing more harm than good, but for me it is generating some positive benefits.

Bench Press
4 sets of 1, 2, and 3 reps at 165.
These all went up pretty easily. I can definitely do more, so my strength is increasing quickly here.

Close Grip Bench Press
4x3 145 pounds

Bent some green nails from odd angles, including one bend performed while doing a pistol.

20081110

2008-11-10T13:24:00.001-08:00

Squats
---
This was really an off day. Didn't get my nutrition right this morning due to travel and felt weak. All in all I did okay. Pushed the squats a little bit.

2x5 225 lbs.
2x5 245 lbs.
1x3 275 lbs.

Last set at 275 felt solid. I know I can bring it over 300 lbs.

Clean and alt. press
24 kg's 2 sets of 6
32 kg. Cleaned them up and got one rep on the right, but it wasn't happening.

Renegade Rows
2x6 24 kg's
1x6 32 kg's

Farmer's walks
50 feet with a 24 kg. and 16 kg. in each hand
50 feet with a 32 kg. and a 16 kg. in each hand

I love these. I need to chalk up next time so I can get more distance. I can get a 32 and 24 in each hand.

20081108

2008-11-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

High Volume Pressing
---
18 sets of 3/3 on the 28 kg.
This went pretty well. I really need to attack my form more, as I can definitely get lazy when the weight is going up easily. I had to drop to the 24 kg. for the last rep on a few of the left arm sets.
All in all I'm pretty pleased with how this went. My pressing strength is definitely better as I didn't even get close to this number when I hit the 28 kg. at the end of the High/Low volume cycle.

I hit 3 sets of bent over rows with double 32 kg. for 5 reps each. Just because.

20071107

2008-11-07T16:50:00.000-08:00

Squat Day

3 sets of 5 reps- 225 lbs.
2 sets of 5 reps- 245 lbs.

I'm getting better with this, ironing out nuances of technique.

Note: Had a conversation with a friend of mine who works as a trainer at Equinox and has a strong powerlifting background. He has observed my squat and noted that while I have a pretty narrow stance it doesn't seem to be a problem, and that I'm getting pretty deep. So far so good.

Nail Bending
15 green nails back to back.

I can't say this was ever really hard. I don't think the yellow nail should be stopping me like this. I'm going to do some serious studying this weekend and work on technique. Right index finger is already feeling better.

Overhead sit ups
24 kg. 5/5
32 kg. 3/3

TGU (two bells in one hand)
24 kg.
1/1
1/1
28 kg.
1/1
1/1

I like these more and more.

174 lbs. today. Holy crap I'm a giant. :)

20081107

2008-11-07T08:09:00.000-08:00

Pull Ups
---
Ugh. I've officially decided to hold off on the Beast Challenge until June at RKC II or August at UCLA RKC.
At best I'm holding my ground with pull ups as my weight goes up, and I don't see that changing quickly enough to hit February. No big deal. I still have nails to bend and a TSC in April.

Pull Ups
4 sets of 2 with 10 kg.

Took down a couple of green nails, but my right index finger is tweaked out, which leaves me with only two working fingers on my right hand.

20081105

2008-11-05T13:12:00.000-08:00

Deadlift
---
I bumped things up to base my percentages on an estimated 420 lbs. max pull.

3x3 315 lbs.
3x2 335 lbs.
3x1 355 lbs.

This feel like it's right where it should be. The final sets were actually easier than the light ones as I had to employ all of my tension and lock everything down.

Jumpstretch/Kettlebell Crush Curls
3x5 with a 16 kg. bell and a purple JS band
I'm going to work into these as well once I get the chain and D ring to set up the rig.

Recovery has not been good. My hamstrings felt tight today and I've been having some neck/trap issues that led to a piercing pain behind my right ear for two days. Like I keep saying, lack of recovery will bite you in the ass, and I got bit.
I've been doing what I always do as far as rolling and stretching, but I didn't take the increased size and strength translating into more tightness into account. I'm going to start treating my massage appointments like doctor's appointments. I also have the stretching seminar with Pavel on Nov. 22nd in Sacramento, so I should pick up some new tricks there.

20081104

2008-11-04T12:41:00.001-08:00

Bench Day
---
All exercises were supersetted, so not done in this order.

Bench Press
160 lbs.
4 sets of 1, 2, 3

Mil. Press
28 kg.
10 sets of 1/1

Bottoms up press
20 kg.
3 sets of 1/1

Double kettlebell one handed press
2 12 kg. kettlebells in one hand
3 sets of 3/3

Close Grip Bench Press
4x3 140 lbs.

Suitcase Deadlift
3x1/1 135 lbs.

This all went very well and I got a lot of quality work done. Hitting some variety on the presses helps. I'm going to bring back the kneeling presses and start hitting those harder. Bench is getting better and better. To what end i don't know. Ego. :)

Today I weigh 173 lbs. I am the heaviest I have ever been, and I'm not fat yet.

20081102

2008-11-03T23:38:00.000-08:00

Squats
---
5x5 225 lbs.
Pinch Plate curls (2 10 lbs. plates) 3x5
Nail bending
Tried to straighten out some green nails. got them back to a right angle, mostly. :)

My schedule is a little goofy for the next couple of weeks, so some days will shift around.
Tomorrow I'm going to sit down and lock down the new routine. What I've been doing has been okay as I'm basing it around three primary lifts to bring overall strength up, but I need to get specific again. I still want to fit in the squats, deads, and bench press, but I need to hit the presses and pull ups harder, so I'm going to take it back to the low/ high volume approach.

It should look something like this-

Day 1: Squats/ Swings
Day 2: Bench/ Low Volume Mil Press
Day 3: Deadlift/ Heavy Swings
Day 4: Off
Day 5: High Volume Pull Ups
Day 6: Squats/ Swings
Day 7: Nail Bending/ High Volume Presses

Assistance exercises to be rotated in: Jump Stretch crush lifts, suitcase deadlifts, Windmills, Bent Press

As you can see there are more swings in this rotation. I haven't done jack for my conditioning lately, so I need to bump that up if I still plan on doing TSC in April.

20081101

2008-11-01T18:40:00.000-07:00

Presses and Pull Ups
---
10 kg. Pull Ups w/ 24 kg. presses 5/5
3 sets

28 kg. presses
5x1/1

Kneeling presses
24 kg.
4x3/3

10 kg. pull ups
3x3

This was all pretty good. I really need to catch up with my pull ups. I can do a 28 kg. right now, but can pistol and press a 36 (estimated)

20081031

2008-11-01T08:58:00.001-07:00

Squat Day
---
Went off the rails a bit today, but not badly. I think I've milked the 20 rep squats dry as my form is getting funky trying to grind through it. Others may persevere, but I see more value in stepping back and re-assessing.
I changed up the weight and hit lower reps.
5x205
5x205
3x225
3x225
3x225
1x275
1x275
1x275

These felt pretty good, no problems. Leg are definitely stronger and I kept my form tight. This weekend I'm going to do some research and put together a solid squat program.
I hit some plate curls with two 10's pinched together in between sets and even a few sets of one handed barbell curls. That got some weird looks.

Hit the bent press. Sets of 3 with the 24 kg. and some singles on the right with the 32 kg. Pretty easy and I'm going to work up on the barbell. My trouble bent pressing on the left appears to be flexibility related, so I'm going to work on that.

20081029

2008-10-29T16:31:00.000-07:00

Deadlift day
---

I'm definitely much stronger as this was all relatively easy, and percentages were based upon my last maximum of 405 lbs.

3x3 300 lbs.
3x2 320 lbs.
3x1 340 lbs.

I think I'm going to re-mix it this to base it upon an estimated 425 lbs. max. We'll see.

20081028

2008-10-28T21:13:00.001-07:00

Bench Day
---
Not much weight, just putting up volume and working on technique.

Bench Press
155 lbs.
1, 2, 3
1, 2, 3
1, 2, 3
1, 2, 3

Close Grip Bench Press
135 lbs.
3, 3, 3, 3

Double Military Press
28 kg.
4 sets of 1

20081027

2008-10-27T23:19:00.000-07:00

Squat Day

Warm ups to include some 24 kg. pistols just to make sure they still work. :)

Squat (Barbell)
20x210

Ouch. I mean really this time. The last couple were like I was trying to stand back up in the midst of being beaten (which has actually happened on a couple occasions) but I pushed it out. Despite the difficulty I capped it off by taking the 20th rep a couple inches lower.

Mil Press
3x1/1 32 kg.

Windmills (Kept these light)
2x3/3 45 lbs. (barbell)

Nail Bending
8 total green nails done all as singles. I just did them from disadvantageous leverage points. 4 were Heslep Style and 4 were reverse grip done at arms length. Whole new level there. All were drawn back in to the body for the crush down.
Bending a green nail is like bending a spoon now.
I've got some new stock as well as a horseshoe and some leather and suede wraps coming from fat bastard barbell company soon, so that will be cool.
I've broken 170 pounds and I haven't gotten fat yet. :)

20081025

2008-10-25T20:06:00.000-07:00

Today I hit pull ups and presses. I was a little concerned I'd have fallen behind on my pull ups but they went fine. All were pretty clean. Pressing strength is going up fast. The double presses with the 28's were relatively easy once I locked my technique down.

Not in this order.

C/P ladder 24 kg.
2/3

Pull Ups
4x22 lbs.
3x1 45 lbs.
3x1 45 lbs.

Military Press
3x1/1 28 kg.

Double Military Press
3x1 28 kg.

20081024

2008-10-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

Squat day.

Warmed up, then...
20x210 lbs.

This was brutal toward the end. The last two reps really pushed me.

Bent Press
3/3x24 kg.
1x32 kg. Right hand only
1x24 kg. Left hand
Repeat
Getting stronger on this, just working on connections and tightening up. Almost put up the 40 kg. on my right.

Nail Bending
1 Green Nail to warm up
11 Green nails back to back.

I'm putting in an order to Fat Bastard barbell for some different stock so I don't have this giant jump to the yellow nail. Took a swing at it today and bowed it, but couldn't get the kink in.

20081023

2008-10-23T22:14:00.000-07:00

Rest day. I needed it. Bad.
I was feeling tore up from the floor up when I got home last night, so I committed myself to doing nothing today.
You know, except that set of 40 kg. snatches.
I'm up around 170 lbs. and climbing. My shirts don't fit anymore. I've always worn smalls or mediums. My mediums are like a second skin. I put on my formerly too big bad ass Pantera shirt and it fits properly as it's a large. I'm a little bummed as I have some kick ass t-shirts. I have a bad ass 7 year old Guinness shirt and my New Orleans Gator Wrestling shirt, as well as a t-shirt I got from Sun Studios in Memphis. Looks like I have to go back to Memphis.
Let's hear it for military pressing, squatting, and bench pressing.
Oh yeah, and shoveling food in your mouth and drinking milk like it's going out of style.

20081022

2008-10-22T21:50:00.001-07:00

Deadlifts

I think this works best, just to do the deadlifts.

3x3 285 lbs.
3x2 335 lbs.
2x1 355 lbs.

Felt strong in everything, no problems. I'm pretty sure I can exceed 405 now. I'll wait until the end of the cycle before I max again. Patience pays off.

20081021

2008-10-22T21:48:00.000-07:00

I screwed this one up and can't remember what happened.
I do know I hit the bench press and plate curls. I mis-loaded the bar and ended up doing singles of 205, which far exceeds my old max.
Better luck next time on the note taking.

200801020

2008-10-20T23:18:00.000-07:00

TGU
32 kg. 2x1/1

Squats
20x195
This one hurt. When I thought I was parallel I dropped another couple inches, and that made a difference. Reps 10-15 are the killers.

Mil Press
5 sets of 5 reps with two 24 kg. kettlebells.

Windmills (Barbell)
45 lbs. 5/5
55 lbs. 3/3
65 lbs. 1/1

Nail bending
1 green nail.
5 green nails back to back.
---
This is a good template for this workout and most likely it will stay this way. I also had my psoas worked on today, still working on correcting my anterior pelvic tilt.

20081017

2008-10-18T23:52:00.000-07:00

TGU
32 kg.
6 reps total alternating

40 kg. 1/1

Squats
20x190 lbs.

Assorted presses and plate curls.

I'm going to work on tightening this up. It's a little too scattershot. I also have to limit how often I'm pressing. I'm waaay over-training right now.

20081016

2008-10-18T23:51:00.000-07:00

Swings and Nail Bending
---
Two handed swings
40 kg.
10x20

Green nails
4 sets of 5 back to back.

20081014

2008-10-14T19:43:00.000-07:00

Deadlift and Presses
---
These were mixed as in deadlift, press, deadlift, press, etc.

Deadlift
3x280
3x280
3x280
2x325
2x325
1x355
1x355
1x355
Note: Deads were good and strong. Still tuning the form back up, but relatively easy.

Military Press
32 kg. 3x1/1

Bottoms Up Cleans
32 kg. 2x1/1

Bottoms Up Press
24 kg. 3x1, 1x2 (Right Side Only)
I balanced this out with five reps military press on the left side with the 24 kg. It's all a grip and tension issue that I will sort out. I can BUP the 20 kg. on my left, but I can get two reps out of the 24 on my right. Oh well.

20081013

2008-10-13T21:42:00.001-07:00

Program modifications
---
I'm retuning this thing and closing in on how I want it to look. I'm holding off on return to the vo2. I'm going to keep hitting the swings, and throw in some wheelbarrow work.
I hate the bench press. I have always hated it. Primarily because I am really bad at it. I mean really bad. However, I hate having weak points, so I'm going to do it for a while and try to improve it. I'm going to do the work on this and study the movement some more.
Today I took it easy, and was surprised at how well It went. The upper weight is my old max.

3x135
3x135
3x135
2x180
2x180

The 180's went up pretty easy, so I'll start ratcheting it up. I need a spotter to hand off to.

20081012

2008-10-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

New Cycle Begins

My last pistol workout ended abruptly. Left knee made a pop and I called it quits on that. No pain, just one of those moments where you know it's best to stop.
It's great how the timing of this stuff works. My presses started to get smoked, my knee pops, guess what? Week 4, time to switch cycles. Now onto 20 rep squats, deadlifts, and you guessed it! More pressing!

So this is the basic breakdown for the next 4-5 weeks.
2xweek- 20 rep squats
1xweek- Deadlifts
2xweek- Mvo2

More rest days, more pulling, more loading.

Today was the first squat workout. I was very pleased with my squat stance and form. They just felt really good. Well, right up until about rep 16. :)
The popping in the left knee stopped after about five reps. No big deal, just a noise, and I'm being really paranoid about my squat form. I started off light at 185 lbs. for 20 reps.
It went down like this:
Squat- 20x185 lbs.
Pressing ladder (Descending) 3, 2, 1 (Double 24 kg. mil press)
Plate curls- 10 lbs. 5/5
Pressing ladder 24 kg. 3, 2, 1
Plate curls- 25 lbs. 3/3
Pressing ladder 24 kg. 3, 2, 1
Bent over rows- 5x24 kg's, 5x24 kg's, 3x32 kg's, 3x32 kg's

I never do bent over rows, but these felt fine.

20081009

2008-10-09T14:53:00.000-07:00

Low volume presses
---
How fitting that I should be floating into the land of diminishing returns at the end of week 4. Perfect.
Today ended up being 7 sets of 1/1 presses 32 kg.
I also hit some swings.
3x40- 28 kg.
5x20- 32 kg.
I'm feeling very strong in my swings, and my endurance and grip are good.
I was feeling weak on the presses and some of the left side ones required a bump. You can only take so much of a beating before you have to back off, and six days a week of crazy volume is it. I'm going to wrap up with my high volume pistols tomorrow, back off next week with just some max vo2 for 3 days, then switch gears.

20081007

2008-10-07T23:48:00.000-07:00

Low Volume Pistols
---
24 kg.
10 sets of 1/1

Mixed in some heavy swing- 40 kg. and double 24 kg.
Jerks- 2x10/10 32 kg. and 1x3/3 40 kg.

20081006

2008-10-07T23:46:00.000-07:00

High Volume Pressing
---

24 kg.
3x3/3

28 kg.
4x3/3

28kg.
6x2/2

24 kg.
3x6/6

24 kg.
10x5/5

20081005

2008-10-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

Low volue pull ups
---
16 kg.
1x1/1
20 kg.
9x1/1

Two handed swings
40 kg.
6x20

Pull ups went much better and I'm feeling a lot stronger in the pull up, though still lagging behind my pistols and presses.
Part of doing this program properly is accepting that I may not get done under an hour. Particularly with the high volume pull ups and pistols.

I'm starting swings again as I need to keep my endurance up, and snatches crossover too much with the presses. These were relatively easy. I need to go over 20 reps to get my HR up and work my wind. I was never out of breath. I'm going to go for 40 reps next time and go back and froth between the 32 and 40.

20081003

2008-10-04T23:57:00.001-07:00

High Volume Pistols
---
I'm still working up the volume on these.
12 kg.
15 sets of 3/3

These felt good and I worked into a nice rhythm on the 3/3. Definitely started to feel my knees so I really focused in on my form and it got better. I feel fine the next day, so I'm good.

45 pistols per leg, 90 total. Working toward 100 each leg, 200 total.

I did some of my L and V sits on the pull up bar, and some inverted pull ups. Basically I bring my legs straight up until my hips are level with or higher than my shoulders, then I do pull ups. Today my mid-section is toasted.

20081002

2008-10-04T23:51:00.000-07:00

Low Volume Presses
---
32 kg.
10 sets of 1/1

Last five sets on the left required a little bump, but the first five were very clean. This is pretty damn good considering that three weeks ago I couldn't even get the 32 kg. out of the rack position on my left side without push pressing it.
Additonally I did some stacked presses to work on form.
I also cleaned up two 32 kg. bells with surprising ease. I cleaned up the 40 kg. to get a feel for it, but it wasn't going up.

20081001

2008-10-01T21:29:00.000-07:00

High Volume Pull Ups
---
10 kg.
12 sets of 3 reps.

Not really so high volume. earlier I did a half hour of pretty tough climbing at the rock gym (tough for me) which isn't a good combo with high volume pull ups. I'll structure is better next time and hit my 100.

20080930

2008-09-30T21:45:00.000-07:00

Low volume pistols
---
10 sets of 1/1

1. 16 kg.
2, 3. 20 kg.
4, 5. 24 kg.
6, 7, 8. 28 kg.
9, 10. 28 kg. (Right foot) 24 kg. (Left foot)

20080929

2008-09-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

High Volume Presses
---
24 kg.
20 sets of 5/5

These were good, and worked me more than the higher sets on the 3/3. I'm treating this as a practice vs. a work out and I can feel the difference. I'm getting waaay more efficient in my pressing mechanics. The middle sets on the left were hard, but they became easier toward the end. Total- 100 presses per arm.
Everything on the right is easy. :)

20080927

2008-09-27T18:22:00.001-07:00

Low Volume Presses
---
Today I find myself with only a 32kg. kettlebell, so most of the left side had a bit of a knee bump. Right arm was solid.
10 sets of 1/1 military press 32 kg. (left side slight knee bump)

Nutrition is the foundation

2008-09-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

I'm finding that if my nutrition isn't locked in, nothing else matters. I've been moving my apartment this week and my diet plan went to hell. It caught up with me yesterday afternoon and I've been feeling like a truck hit me. Coupled with no sleep this week it equaled no workout this morning. It just was not happening, and I've learned not to push it. So I'm hitting my high volume pistols throughout the day while I work, shooting for 100 each leg on the 12 kg. Feel solid so far. Had a veggie juice and felt sick, which confirms I'm very toxic right now. Next week things calm down and I go into lock down.

20080924

2008-09-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

High Volume Military Press
---
24 kg.
32 sets of 3/3

This was relatively easy, and I think I'll most likley bump it up to 5/5 and decrease the sets, still shooting for about 100 presses per arm.
I finished up with some Janda Sit Ups and suitcase deadlifts with the 40 kg.

20080923

2008-09-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Low Volume Pistols/ Nail Bending
---
Pistols
10 sets of 1/1 24 kg.
I didn't get as much depth on the left leg as it's weaker, but I'm working to build it up. I worked hard to keep my my left heel from tapping the floor at the bottom of the right leg pistols. It's not a support thing, it's a flexibility problem. All in all the pistols on the right were very clean.
PR- 1 pistol on the right leg with the 28 kg.

Nail Bending
Killed 5 whites then five greens back to back. Did another three greens back to back as well. Getting stronger in these. Did a white nail Heslep style, which amounts to holding it out at arms length during the initial bend, then bringing it in for the crush down.

20080922

2008-09-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

High Volume Pull Ups
---
Started out with 10 reps Turkish Get Up on the 32 kg. switching hands each rep. I was surprised how easy this was. It'll be time to bump up to the 40 kg. soon.

Pull Ups
10 kg. plate
30 sets of 3 reps each.

Not bad. I'm feeling much stronger in these. The goal with the high volume right now is to compress the number of sets and boost the reps before bumping the weight up. I'm carefully monitoring my elbows to make sure that pain doesn't pop back up, but I'm really focusing on form in regard to using my lats, and working to end each pull up in the hollow position (point of ascent), which is very advantageous.

20080919

2008-09-19T13:44:00.001-07:00

High Volume Pistols... kind of.
---
I was surprised at how much these smoked me. However, I do have to say that they became easier as I went, to a point.

5x3/3 12 kg.
3x3/2 8 kg. (Left leg was toasted by now)

Not anywhere near as many as I was supposed to get, but a good start. I'll probably start on the 8 kg. and stay there next time as I'm supposed to ultimately get 100 reps on each leg. Yeah, I know.

I also did some nail bending with a couple of the trainers. Hit five white nails and five green. Three of the greens went back to back. This is much easier now. I can carry on a conversation while I bend the whites. Going back to back with the greens is a good overload method. The third one went a lot harder and this will help me build up to the yellow. I made a run at the yellow but it wasn't happening. Tara tried to bend the white nail but it stopped her. I can see that better technique and getting everything tighter will allow her to do it, as she has a crazy strong grip from all the massage work.

20080918

2008-09-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

Low Volume Pull Ups
---
I ended up not finishing this due to time constraints today.
10 sets of 1 rep each- 20 kg.
4 sets of 1 rep each- 16 kg.

I had to swallow my pride and drop to the 16 kg. Lats are just toasted from the high volume pull ups and too much nail bending this week. Otherwise I feel good.

20080917- Beast Training Cycle Breakdown Pt. 1

2008-09-17T23:27:00.000-07:00

High Volume Presses
---
Military press
20 sets of 3/3 24 kg.
Total= 120 reps

This was relatively easy, so I may manipulate it a bit and go heavier every other week. I'm going to wait and see how I feel next week as all this stuff may eat into me more than I'm thinking it will.
I'm pretty confident I can press a 36 kg. bell right now. I don't have one to test it out on, but that may change soon. We'll see.

Here's the current breakdown of this training cycle. I'll put up something more permanent soon. The weights for the first three days represent what I've done so far.
---
High/Low Volume Skill Work

Day 1
High Volume Pull Ups
TGU- 32 kg. 10 reps (Alternating hand to hand)
Pull Ups- 80-100 total reps- Sets of 4 with 10 kg.

Day 2
Low Volume Pistols
Pistols- 10 reps per side (20 total) 20 kg.
Nail bending

Day 3
High Volume Presses
Military Press 40-50 reps per side (80-100 total) 24 kg.

Day 4
Low Volume Pull Ups
TGU 28 kg. 20 reps alternating hand to hand
Pull Ups- 20 total reps

Day 5
High Volume Pistols
Pistols- 40-50 reps per side (80-100 total)
Nail Bending

Day 6
Low Volume Presses
Military Press- 10 reps per side (20 total)
Deadlift

20080916

2008-09-16T13:47:00.001-07:00

Low Volume Pistols and Nail Bending
---
Pistols
2x1/1 12 kg.
2x1/1 16 kg.
6x1/1 20 kg. right/ 16 kg. left

Big difference in strength from right to left. I have to fix that. The 20 kg. pistols on the right were fairly easy, so I'll most likely bump this up to 24 kg. next time. I definitely found a good groove with these. I worked a lot on keeping my forward heel from tapping the floor. I watched Brett failing people for that at the Beast Challenge, so I'm really going to stay on top of that. A big factor is increasing my flexibility.

Bending
3 white nails and two green nails went down without a fight. This wasn't too difficult, but I'm still going to give it a week or two before bumping up, and work through the rest of the stock. I used double overhand for everything as I really feel I can get my lats behind the bend. I'm going to practice the anchor/driver next time.

20080915

2008-09-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

Beast Challenge Training Starts Now.
---
High Volume Pull Ups

Not as high volume as it should have been due to time constraints.
10 sets of 4 reps with 20 lbs.

Normally I'll be doing some TGU to warm up and some heavy swings, but my right forearm is still a little tweaked. All in all these felt good, and I stayed strong throughout. Did a lot of work on my form, focused on firing the lats hard and keeping the shoulders plugged in.
I'm typing up the first five weeks of the training program and will be posting a link in the links section to the right where anyone can download it. It's based off of Kenneth Jay's training for maximal strength with the kettlebell. I'm always open to suggestions and constructive criticism.

Summing up the week

2008-09-10T13:40:00.000-07:00

I've been remiss this week. Mostly I've just been working on technique issues in the 32 kg. snatch, and some deadlift stuff. Managed to tweak my right forearm pretty good doing a 44 kg. TGU monday, but it'll be fine for Saturday. Not any form issue on the TGU, the bell's just damn heavy.
Military presses with the 32 kg. have been getting easier, which means my pressing schedule works.
I pulled some deads today at Equinox to hone in on form and test my baselines. I worked up to a single pull of 385 lbs., just two pounds below my max at the last TSC. It went up hard, but I can tell I can pull more, so my goal is to break 400. Hip drive is much better, and I can feel that I'm a lot tighter than I used to be. Tomorrow I'm going to do a little snatching, and then take Friday off.

20080907

2008-09-07T20:39:00.000-07:00

Pressing matters.
Ha ha. Okay, I'm tired.
Did a bunch of presses today.
10x3/3 on the 24 kg.
Fooled around with my bottoms up press with the 24 kg. as well. Right hand no problem, left hand big problem. I'm going to start working seriously on evening those out, as I thing a deficit in my left side will inhibit my ability to press the beast.
Decided today I'm going to do the elite division for the TSC. I really think I can hit 70-80 snatches on the 32 kg. which is good. I've pretty much just lost interest in snatching the 24 kg. at hyper speed, and feel I've aquitted myself of my previous defeat in said category. It doesn't make sense to take everything to a certain strength level and have one area left behind. Just my thoughts on the matter.

20080905

2008-09-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to get into much detail with today as it was a blend of everything. I'm still smoked from the first three days of the new cycle, so I took yesterday off and backed it off a bit today.

Get Ups- Started with the 28kg 3/3
Then moved it up to the 32 kg. for singles. These went up easily. Then I bumped up to the 40 kg. and was surprised to find these also went up easy, at least on the left. I was stopped cold on my right, which is weird as my right is stronger. I'm doing something form wise on my left that is working better.

Snatches- Sets of 10/10 on the 28 kg. Went for about 5 total sets= 100 snatches. I haven't been filing like I should and I felt it.

Bent Press and Windmills- Fooled around with form, only went up to the 28 kg. on both.

Finished up with some presses- Singles on the 28 kg.

Then I went out to the soccer field to run my RKC candidates through their prep course. Good times.

Training for the beast challenge

2008-09-03T17:36:00.000-07:00

So there's the big non-secret. I wanted to really hash out if I could achieve this on the necessary timeline, and I can. I spoke with Joe Sarti today about his run at the Beast Challenge, and his opinions re-enforced that this is very do-able. I'm going to do it at the San Jose RKC in February. In the future I'll lay out the overall plan, for now here are the bullet points.
1. High/low volume days focusing on the three lifts for 4-5 weeks. Pistols, pull ups, and military press.
2. Alternated with Squat and Deadlift specific cycles to increase strength and prep for Elite TSC Competition in April.
3. Weight increase to a solid 175-180. Previously set marker will take me to 170 easily.

Current Event Schedule
February 2009- Beast Challenge
April 2009- TSC Elite
June 2009- RKC II

Most of the Beast specific training right now is based on Kenneth Jay's protocols, which seem sound. The volume training is kicking my ass right now, but in a good way. I've also started using his pressing protocol of on the minute presses.

Today, 20080903
Presses
20 kg.
Minutes 1-3: 5/5
Minutes 4-15: 3/3
Minutes 16-18: Waiter's Press 16 kg. 5/5

Swings
28 kg.
5x20
24 kg.
3x20

20080902

2008-09-02T14:11:00.000-07:00

Low volume pistols.
I forgot my notebook so I'm not sure of the exact sets and reps.

4 sets of 1/1 12 kg.
4 sets of 1/1 16 kg.
1/1 24 kg. (2x12kg.) to a low box. About 6 inches off the floor.
4 sets of 1/1 12 kg.

These went well. I know I can pistol a 24 kg. right now, it's just a matter of technique. I've been following Kenneth Jay's admonitions to treat this as a 'practice' and really drive in the movements.
A big problem is unloading too much tension at the bottom. When I've seen people fail a pistol at the bottom I can see that they're unloading in the bottom position, and then they're screwed. I understand the temptation, because you can rest in that position, but you most likely won't be able to crank enough power back up to get out of it.

Finished up with some swings to keep my cardio in check.
7 sets of 20 with the 28 kg.
3 sets of 10 with the 40 kg.

These workouts are a much different animal than my crazy snatching schedule. I don't feel as smoked during them, but I can definitely feel them eating away at me. My whole back is sore from yesterday and my legs are already sore (3 hours later) from today. :)

20080901- Starting the new cycle

2008-09-01T23:47:00.000-07:00

Two weeks out from the TSC I know nothing is going to change, and the numbers I have now are most likely the ones I will have then. Knowing this, I am now shifting into a new training cycle and using the lower intensity to gear down for the competition.
Forgot to post it, but I ran a 5 minute test on the 32 kg. this Sunday. I hit 68 reps in 5 minutes. I know I can get 80 if I just gut it out, but I didn't feel like killing myself. After this I considered entering the elite division this year, but I want to accomplish two things first.
1. Pack some weight on my deadlift. I believe I can pull 405 right now, but I want to get it higher. This will require an actual deadlift training cycle.
2. I want to get 100 reps with the 32 kg. in 5 minutes. It can be done.
---
Today I hit the pull ups hard. Low weight, high volume.
4 sets of 4 10 kg.
4 sets of 3 10 kg.
4 sets of 3 12 kg.
3 sets of 6 bodyweight

I stopped early as my forearms were really getting tight. I'll get more volume on these, but it's wise to ease into the high volume stuff. Ultimately I'll hit about 100 pull ups per workout.
Tomorrow is low volume pistols and some snatching.
I'll give you three guesses what this new training cycle is for, and the first two don't count. I'm keeping it under wraps until I get a good idea of whether or not I can actually pull this off.
The warrior diet is also getting suspended for the moment to bring my weight up to the 175-180 range. I need more mass to move heavier bells. The key here is to keep it healthy. Last time I suspended it and crashed it was partially because I was not keeping it healthy. Lesson learned.

20080829

2008-08-29T15:38:00.001-07:00

Heavy snatch day. Low reps, high volume.

12 sets of 10/10 with the 24 kg.
10 sets of 5/5 with the 28 kg.

Kept the rest breaks down to a minute of less between sets.

Finished with 5 sets of 10 reps two handed swings on the 40 kg.

20080827

2008-08-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

Max VO2
15/15
20 kg.
7 reps per
50 sets
---
This felt good, very strong. I'm going to start working in some 8 rep sets.
Finished up with some Janda Sit Ups, Leverage side bends on the barbell, and suitcase deadlifts with the 32 kg. I've never really done direct ab work, so I'm starting to target that a bit more.
I weigh 162 lbs. Right on or a couple pounds over my last TSC weight, but I'm waaaay leaner. A good sign.

20080826

2008-08-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

Deadlift and Presses
---
Deadlift
5x135 lbs.
2x235 lbs.
1x315 lbs.
1x365 lbs.

I haven't been doing that much deadlifting of late, but this went very well. 365 went up without much of a fight and I stopped it there. I'll pull a max in the next week and see where I sit. 405 should go up.

Pull up test- 16 pull ups. I slowed down around 12. I think if I just keep to my rhythm I'll hit 18.

Mixed presses.
Just what it sound like. Military press, waiter's press, bottoms up press, stakced kettlebell press, etc. Many presses ranging from 16 kg. (stacked 12 and 4) to 28 kg.

20080825

2008-08-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

Max Vo2
20 sets
36/36
20 kg.
16 reps per set
---
Felt good. I'm staying on a 25 minute or less time clock for now. I'm not getting any benefit from the 80 set range that I can see. I'm actually rolling backwards.

20080824

2008-08-24T17:33:00.000-07:00

Did a boatload of 24 kg. snatches.

4 sets of 25. 2 sets each hand.

A laid back 3 minute set hitting 60 total.

2 sets of 20. 1 set each hand.

200 snatches.

20080822

2008-08-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

7 sets of snatches- 10/10 with the 28 kg. Kept the breaks minimal between sets, probably 1-2 minutes.

20080821

2008-08-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

Max VO2
15/15
16 kg.
7 reps per
70 sets
---

Felt good, but I have to get some chalk. Only thing that kept me from hitting 80 sets was the possibility of my kettlebell meeting my t.v. head on. :)
Cardio never really got worked, so I'll kick it up next time.

20080820

2008-08-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

Deadlifts

This ended up getting totally screwed up. The gym I go to usually has a tub of chalk, but it was gone today. I had to stick with pulling 305 for singles. My left hand held it no problem, but my right hand is still weak from the injury. Not really 'weak' but not strong enough to go over 305 without some chalk.
I also did five ladders of 3 rungs on the 24 kg. My presses are getting stronger. I'm also pressing throughout the day with 10 kg. pull ups while I'm at work.

20080819

2008-08-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

Max VO2
20 kg.
7/6 reps
15/15
50 sets
---
I really have to stop being a slacker and get my sets back up to 80. I hit 7 reps per for the first 30 sets, then dropped it to 6 reps for the last 20. Felt fine.

20080817

2008-08-17T21:24:00.000-07:00

Max VO2
16 kg.
40 sets
9 reps
---
This was pretty good. Main reason I stopped was the gymboss died. I need new batteries.
Went up to 10 reps per for about 4 sets I think. Might have been 6. That's really freaking fast.

20080816

2008-08-17T21:21:00.000-07:00

Today I ran through some presses and swings.

Started of with 10 reps alternating hands each rep of TGU with the 32 kg.

5 rounds of:
1/1 military press on the 28 kg.
10 two handed swings on the 40 kg.

I've been playing with a trick a client came up with of cleaning the bell up extra high, then drawing it down, really cranking the abs hard and driving up. Technically still a legal press, but it definitely gives a little extra shove.

Finished up with some pistols working up to the 16 kg. Still working on this, but I feel stronger every time.

20080815

2008-08-15T23:57:00.000-07:00

I took a couple days off as I had tweaked my back pretty good, but I'm back at 100% now.

Max VO2
15/15
20 kg.
6 reps per.
60 sets
---
I took it relatively easy to do. Didn't really get my wind up much, so I have to hit 7 reps next time. I'm still building back up, so I didn't push it. Also didn't want to lock up my back again.

20080812

2008-08-12T23:43:00.000-07:00

Whoops.

I know better than to snatch heavy after a day of deadlifting, and yet I did it anyway.
I was working through sets of 7/7 with the 28kg when I tweaked out my back, particularly my left spinal erector. It already feels a lot better, but I'll be out of action for a day or two. I've done this before, so I know what it is and how to fix it. I just have to observe my own training rules.

20080811

2008-08-11T23:41:00.000-07:00

I took it relatively easy today. Just pulled some easy deadlifts to get back in the mode and did some pressing ladders.
---
Deadlift
5x135
2x235
1x305
1x355

Military Press (kettlebell)
3 ladders/ 3 rungs 20 kg.
2 ladders/ 3 rungs 24 kg.

I'm finally getting stronger in my presses. They've been lagging for a while.

20080810

2008-08-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

Max VO2
15/15
16 kg.
8 reps per
56 sets
---
Still working back up to my regular load with max vo2, getting closer. Kept my heart rate around 170.

20080808

2008-08-08T23:15:00.000-07:00

Warmed up with 4 reps alternating TGU 32 kg. Feeling very strong in these.
---
Max VO2
36/36
20 kg.
15 reps per set.
24 sets
---
I could have taken this further if I had some chalk. The only thing that stopped me was a slippery bell. I'm going to start taking a sandwich bag of chalk to Equinox with me. Felt strong throughout. I used the double breathing for these and it felt great.
Finished up with a bunch of pistols moving up to the 16 kg.
Then three pressing ladders with the 20 kg. for 3 rungs each. Not much, but I'm working on it.

20080806

2008-08-07T22:39:00.000-07:00

A day late on this. Back to the grind. Took it easy today, relatively speaking.

Max VO2
15/15
20 kg.
7 reps per.
50 sets.

3 sets of:
Pressing ladder/ 20 kg./ 3 rungs
1 pisotl each leg w/12 kg.
2 one arm push ups each arm

The RKC Weekend

2008-08-05T21:51:00.000-07:00

So yeah, I was training this weekend. Lots and lots of kettlebell drills. Initially I was pretty toasted when I got home monday, but by the afternoon I was good. Sometimes my recovery abilities are scary.
I'm 100% now and am going back to the Max VO2 grind tomorrow at Equinox. I've been thinking about another big goal I have in mind, but am keeping it under wraps for the time being.

20080729

2008-07-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

Today I had a little back off day to gear it down before the RKC.
I've been fooling with something I saw on Kenneth Jay's blog. I know I've totally bastardized it, but I think I have the general idea. What I'm basically doing is higher volume, still keeping a good pace, but with longer rest periods. I should actually be using a 28 kg. or 32 kg. bell for this, but only had my 24 kg. today.
I hit 1 minute sets with 2 minutes rest between each. Each set was on one hand, so alternating hands from set to set.
I got going with two sets (one each hand) on the 20 kg.
Then 8 sets with the 24 kg. I ended up shooting for 20 reps per set and seeing how much time I could knock off. First sets I finished in 50 seconds, then the last 6 I finished in 45 seconds or less. It feels like a pace I can keep with more training, which means I can potentially hit 150 reps in 5 minutes. I know it sounds insane, but the math works. I can do it.

20080727

2008-07-27T23:14:00.000-07:00

Today I did a 5 minute 24 kg. snatch test. I hit 115 reps. The key is that I felt strong until the end, which set a good tone for my upcoming Secret Service Snatch Test.
I'm thinking about doing it Wednesday, but we'll see. If I do I'll definitely slow the pace even more and really target 200 reps in 10 minutes. I'm not going to try to crack the top fifteen my first time out.
I feel good.

20080725

2008-07-26T09:36:00.001-07:00

Get Ups, Swings, Presses, and Pull Ups
---
I've started dialing it back in preparation for the RKC. Today I hit some quick get ups (five on each side with the 24 kg.) five total rounds of 40 rep two handed swings on the 24 kg. I followed it up with a quick check of my pressing ability with the 32 kg. I was surprised as it popped right up. It's usually a lot more of a struggle.
I then did three ladders of three rungs each pressing the 24 kg. with 2 pull ups in between each rung. Then dropped to the 16 kg. and hit three ladders of five rungs again with 2 pull ups between each rung.

Later that day I did my snatch test again and hit my 52 reps on the 24 kg. without incident.

20080724

2008-07-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

Max VO2
15/15
20 kg.
7 reps
80 sets
---
This was pretty brutal, but I made it. I'm going to stay on this for a while until I'm fully confident in it, and then start working in some 8 rep sets. Right now I honestly have to say I couldn't do this faster than 7 reps unless I had someone giving me 2 second warnings so I can get on the bell faster.
At Girya I knocked out 16 pull ups and made a real effort to keep them strict. Much better than my abysmal 12 reps at the April TSC, and I still had 1 or 2 left in the tank. I actually dropped off the bar early because my brachioradialis has been super fired up from all the grip work and was starting to snap tight. I did some massage work on it and am going to start rolling my forearms out.

20080722

2008-07-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

Max VO2 snatch
20 kg.
15/15
7 reps per set
60 sets
---
Initially I was going to drop down to 6 reps and hit the 80 sets, but I feel like that wouldn't work me hard enough, so I've decided to stay at 7 reps per set with the 20 kg. and inch my way up to 80. This went well. I felt strong and it definitely worked me. I was drenched in sweat by the end. Tara hung in there for all 60 sets. She looked like she just ran through a car wash.
My snatch form is getting better and better. I'm really maximizing my backswing now, much better than before.

20080720

2008-07-20T17:14:00.000-07:00

Max VO2
15/15
8 reps per
16 kg.
80 sets
---
Rif had mentioned that one should own 80 sets of 8 reps on the 16 kg. before utilizing the 'boost' to kick up to the next bell. So I nailed my 80 sets and will now move up. This worked me, but there was no doubt I could finish. I easily could have gone to 100 sets. I think after working with the 20 kg. so much these last months it's the appropriate weight for me on the max vo2 and it's not an ego thing.
I did notice going 80 sets vs. 50 definitely elicited a different physiological response.

20080719

2008-07-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

Today was a mix of ballistic movements.

One handed swings
20 kg.
10 total sets
20 reps each
30 seconds pause

Jerks
24 kg.
8 total sets
10 reps each
30 second pause

Snatches
24 kg.
5 total sets
20 reps each (10 each hand)
1 min. pause

Note: The idea here was to mix ballistic movements that have carryover to one another and keep it on the clock. I was going to finish with long cycle, but The Girl showed up. :D

20080718

2008-07-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

Max VO2 snatch
20 kg.
15/15
7 reps per
50 sets
---
Damn. This was hard. I finished the fifty sets at Equinox and walked around a bit to recover. I cruise over to the front desk where I find Cindy Glass RKC II working on her laptop after having trained with Rif at Girya. We start to talk and she informs me that Kenneth Jay bumped up the sets on the 15/15 from 50 to 80.
Fine. Whatever. Way to pull the rug out.
So Sunday I'm going to return to the 36/36, bring the reps back down to 15 with the 20 kg. and go for 40 sets. From my understanding the idea is to get 20 minutes of total work. Not workout time, but actual work. Unreal.

20080716

2008-07-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

Max VO2
36/36
20 kg.
16 reps per
18 sets
---
I dropped some reps on a couple sets as this was pretty brutal, but all in all it was good, no complaints.

20080715

2008-07-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

Swings
---
20 minutes of 30 seconds on/ 30 seconds off with the 24 kg. Hit 20 swings per set for 400 total swings in 20 minutes. Not bad, got me breathing. Finished up with some presses.

Snatches
---
Did my RKC snatch test later that night. Hit 60 total 24 kg. snatches, 30 each hand. Not bad. Want to get up to 80 in the next couple weeks, think I can.

20080713

2008-07-14T23:53:00.000-07:00

Max VO2
15/15
20 kg.
6 reps per
50 sets
---
Good workout, no problems. Grip was good, blew through it. I'll kick it up to 7 reps for the next one. 15/15 is definitely more of a sprint in my opinion than the 36/36 and a little more punishing.
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Note on 080714
No training today, but I keyed in on something as I GTG my pistols and one arm push ups. I'm about an inch from rock bottom on my left, and very smooth on my right now. A big issue people have with this movement is balance and stability. I try to grab the floor with my toes when I do it. Today I accidentally flexed my calf hard and I was stable. It drove a line of stability from my calf to my glute. What a difference.

20080711

2008-07-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

Max VO2
15/15
8 reps per
16 kg.
50 sets
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25 minutes total, 50 sets. This felt good, no problems. In the later sets I sped it up and hit my 8 reps in the first 10 or 11 seconds, locking out for 4. That was freaking fast, and I felt it. Sunday I'm going to go back to the 20 kg. and slow it back down.

20080710

2008-07-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

Deadlifts and snatches.
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I did sets of ten with 135 lbs. today, hooked up with purple, blue, and green jump stretch bands. This really helped me with the feel of the lockout and properly engaging the hip mechanism. A lot of voume today, two sets of ten on each band.
I also hit two sets of 40 snatches on the 24 kg. with one hand switch. I timed the second one and hit 40 in right under two minutes. Next time I do a five minute test I'm going to take Aaron Friday's advice and slow down, and not set the bell down. See how that goes.

20080709

2008-07-09T22:17:00.000-07:00

Max VO2
36/36
16 kg.
19 reps per
20 sets
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This wasn't too bad. Had to drop down to 15 reps on the last few sets and lockout at the end. The bell was so slippery I was about to lose it. I'm going to suck it up and start using chalk, at least some of the time. I know there's no way I'll get through the cert in L.A. in August without chalking.
I'm going to start setting aside a solid half hour for bodywork at the beginning and end of the day. Little problems are becoming big ones, and need to be addressed. Back on the warrior diet and going strong. Feel better.

20080708

2008-07-08T23:37:00.001-07:00

Short workout today with a couple timed sets.

One arm long cycle/ 20 kg/ 5 mins.
Snatch/ 16 kg/ 5 mins.

Did some ab work on the TRX as well. Schedule is slammed this week, so getting in my workouts will be challenging, but I'll get it done.

20080707

2008-07-08T23:35:00.000-07:00

Max VO2 Snatches
20 kg.
7 reps per set
15/15
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I was killed. This workout got me back on the warrior diet, as I used to crush this. Only made it to 40 sets, dropping to 6 reps per on the last 10 sets. There were other contributing factors, but my diet has been bad lately.

20080705

2008-07-08T23:28:00.000-07:00

Deadlift-a-palooza
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Not too detailed on this one, just ran through some deadlift variations and 24 kg. kettlebell presses.

Standard deadlifts, deadlift holding the bar via towels for the grip, zercher squats.

This was good as I hit areas that needed attention. Got my jump stretch bands in the mail today (tuesday) so I can start applying them as well.

20080702

2008-07-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

5x5
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Squats- 5x24kg, 5x24kg, 6x24kg, 6x24kg, 6x24kg, 6x24kg
Military Press- 6x20kg, 6x20kg, 6x20kg, 7x20kg, 6x20kg

Bent Press- 5x16kg, 5x16kg, 5x16kg
Note: I'm definitely going to change up the scheme in application to the bent press. I'm going to put this and get ups in the beginning when I'm fresh. This was good to really hone in on form issues.

Janda Sit Ups/ Side Bends- 3 sets

20080630

2008-07-01T09:54:00.000-07:00

Strength
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I've shifted gears after my attempt at a deadlift max. Not haphazardly mind you, this was a planned shift. Last month was conditioning and snatch, building up more endurance, which I needed. Now I shift back to what will become closer to that norm post RKC/TSC as I work on feats of strength and nail bending.
I'm doing a variation of Mahler's 5x5 with a snatch specific and deadlift day included for a total of 5 training days a week. This also allows me to work on more RKC specific drills such as swings, cleans, squats, etc. I have also stepped up my instructor participation with clients, which has me doing 100's of drills a day. However, I realized I was pretty much doing that anyway. Now I'm just aware of it. :)
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5x5
Alternating:
Double snatch/press 20 kg.
Double Windmills 20 kg/ 24 kg. (last three sets)
Pull Ups 10 kg.
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5x5
Renegade Row 24 kg/ 28 kg. (last three sets)

I'll get more detailed with these logs as the reps will climb getting ready to bump up to the next bell. I hadn't done these drills in a while and forgot how brutal they are. My core is toasted.