Ahhh....it's good

Some Sunday's are just like feeling good coming out of a nice church sermon (for some I guess =) This was a 'hallelujah' circuit Sunday:

*Sumo DL's to start 225 x 10 (later set mixed in circuit of 5)

*7' 4" Slosh pipe OH hold for 2 minutes (later additional 2 and 3rd of behind the neck press x5)

* 100 40 kg swings for(25, 25, 20, 15, 15)

*100 Bulgarian bag 'lasso/halos' (50 each direction - 15, 10, 10, 10, 5)

*Evil wheel - kneeling to nose/sternum/chin touch - 7, 7, 8, 6

*HPU 6, 5, 4, 4, 2 and a couple of nice holds (strongest/cleanest holds so far)

*Finished w/52 kg Barbell clean & strict press for 4

Strong connected feel for this session - nice chi radiation :)

Thanks Max

Got some advice from Max Shank RKC II at the ROTK workshop on a couple of items. One came in on Friday's session in that he did HPU (handstand push ups) as the prep work for pressing 1/2 bodyweight k-bell for Level II cert. So, spent @ 15 minutes popping up into handstands and then HPU's for 5, 3, 2 alternating w/front levers (5) which went surprisingly well! Alternated the two for 2 more sets before roller class started.

The second tidbit came in warming up w/get ups. On Sunday, out by the ocean on a grassy cliff, the session went:

*16 kg get up w/windmill and OH (over head) squat (and of course getting down)

- remembered on second set to add closing eyes for stronger proprioception

- two more sets w/20 kg

*stuck w/20 kg for single arm sprawls/planks to dead snatch for 4 per/later sets went 5 & 5

*In between other movements in the circuit, threw in some L sits to planche attempts, along w/1 set being to push up over planche

*Double 20's to plank to dead snatches 1 set to 5, followed by 3 cleans - 2nd set 3 and 3

*24 kg see saw presses for 5 per - 2nd set for 4

*Finished w/32 kg snatches for 7 per & 3 per, then 24 kg for 8 per and 5 per

Was a bit fatigued from the on set of the session, but nonetheless....

Recap

Saturday the 15th was a great workout w/Pavel and good input from other RKC's. The work was based on the Return of the Kettlebell (ROTK), and a strong weakness was found in the techniques of the push press, jerk/clean & jerk. Nervous system was pretty shot by days end and up thru Thursday. Participated in the bodyweight conditioning class on the Monday, but didn't play too much with pulls, but rather iron grip 35 lb plates for seated BUPresses. Friday was almost entirely roller for class, and Sunday went:

*40 kg TGU's for 2 alternating side - felt nice and comfy and went right at it w/o warm-up

*Bear walks w/32 kg for 10 per side to single 32 cleans for 10 per @ 20 sec. recovery to 24 kg bear walks for 10 per into dble clean/strict press for 5

*That nicely had the grip working so back to TGU's Bottom's Up (BU) with the 20 kg for 1 and 16 for 1

*Opened the hand up w/24 kg flip catches and worked on breathing (3 sets for 10 reps/per with @ 20 seconds between sets)

*A interruption of a 32 strict on right w/failure on L

*Then back to grip w/20 kg BUstrict presses for 5 per (L broken 3/2)

*Bit fatigued, so now to re-attempt jerks:

*32 kg for singles 6 per

*24 kg doubles for 8 & 6

*20 kg for 3 sets of 10

Jerks went fairly well ...will have to be assessed....

*Finished w/some L's to planche' for hold (3), along w/L's to spider push up (1x10), and several bridges, neck bridges, scorpions etc

GeeZus!

Just looked back at last blog being Oct. 24th. Didn't realize I let this much time lapse. This is what happens when a 3rd child comes into the world, and brings her own massive amount of energy in with her.

However, the workouts have still been taking place on a disciplined basis. Sunday's are the strength days with Kettlebell and power based movements, Monday's are completely bodyweight conditioning drills, pieces in the week and Friday's are pulls, handstands, dips, followed by myofascial rolling.

Sunday's have switched a little being indoors due to being a spoiled San Diegan and finding it chilly out from time to time. The indoor training has allowed DL (deadlifts) to take place often, the evil wheel (Lifeline's Power Wheel), and a 7 ' - 60 % filled 4" slosh pipe =) (this is highly recommended for recreation of Pavel's door frame press - sweet) Otherwise this past Sunday was as follows (the session was an interval circuit/ladder):

*Kneeling wheel rollouts to kissing the floor - 1st set for 15 - (later sets for 10 & 8)

*Ladder - 40 kg swing for 30 (later set 25, 15 & 10)

- 32 kg snatches 10 per side (later set of 8 followed by switch & 5)

- Double 24 kg clean & press for 5 (later set for 5 & one set see saw for 5 per)

After the 3 run throughs, was playtime for:

*behind the head, swapped w/front military press w/slosh for 5 each side.

*Hey-hos (think concerts) w/pipe side to side stabilization (@ minutes worth)

*BUP (bottoms up press) w/24 x 2 per

*16 lb sledgehammer lateral stabilization x 4 per for 5 second hold

*10 lb sledgehammer 'axe throw' 4 per (1 low hold 'kiss; :)

Monday's & Friday's have been extremely similar w/the exception of having a wall on Friday's to practice handstands & HPUs

This past Monday was somewhat typical:

*5-10 minutes of roller to de-stress from highway traffic =)

*Hanging straight legged raises stiffed legged for 10/5 additional w/stretch reflexed knee (later sets of 10's followed by front lever tucks for 5)

*Korean styled dips 15, 8, 5

*Pulls - strict for 10 - two single arms alternating sides for 2 each, L-sit pulls for 15

*played around with some 20 lbs d-bells chest flyes on roller holding 1st 5 at bottom end (mm off floor) for 5 count slowly increasing tempo to 25 rep total

*Hour long BYOB class (bring your own body) with various BW conditioning drills - burpees, spetsnaz rolls, straddle-pikes, etc etc.....

Weekdays, try and squeeze in a few (very low volume - like a total of 3 per side) TGU's. Usually try 1 w/32 kg and two w/40. Although some days are two w/32 and 1 w/40 :)

OK.....now let's see if I can be as disciplined blogging........

Clear the focus

Ok..again the attempt to get back the discipline of journaling and establishment of new goals. RKC II in 2011. Looks like the option is July 8 in St. Paul. Time to pitch it to the CFO. Anyway..was inspired by fellow RKC George Lin in his work with the 40 kg and a client's goal set of piano play to get more familiar w/handling the 40. So the session went:

TGU's - 40 kg - 2/R - big disconnect in grip for L - 40(1/2), then 32 kg, 24 kg, 20 kg (x2) - 20 felt like a wrist watch :)

Laddering sets cleaning up the cleans was the focus, presses felt right - minimum rest:

40 kg - single - 8 per

32 kg - dble - 10

24 kg - dble w/press x 7

20 kg - dble w/press x 8

Bulgarian bag (Bg) - 15 center, 15 Halo/lasso per, 12 straight arm levers

2nd and 3rd set

40 - singles - 6 per - 5 per

32 - dble on the 2nd for 4, 3rd 1 C&P into windmill per

24 - dble C&P - 5 per - 4 per

20 - dble C&P - 6 per - tapped out on 3rd

Bg - 10/10/10/10 - 3rd just halos for 8 per

Squeezed in between 2nd and 3rd sets (sits between the 32's):

L-sits to tucked push ups for 3 to 3 second hold on sit x 3 reps

L-sits to planche to sit to planche x 4

L-sits to sprawl push up x 8

For fun - 20 kg BUP into windmill 1 per

Felt good to work w/the 40 see if it helps the Achilles heel of a 36 kg strict press........

Quick 'n easy

Nice overcast morning with a bit of dew on the grass. Had a good group of 4 participants joining for the session. Got a bit of an early start prior to everyone showing up, since I knew focus would have to be put with new participants (who got swings down quite quickly!). So the session was very simple:

*TGU's w/32 for 5 sets of singles per side

*2 warm up runs of 32 kg snatches for reps of 8 per

*100 (think maybe more around 120/130) of double 16 kg Clean & Jerks (long cycle) but broken into multiple sets of 10+ (worked in between others while coaching Amber - newcomer)

Simple.

Regroup

Most of Friday morning was not feeling all too hot. Eating and a quick 20 minute meditation had me on the foam roller at the Y for a bit and then worked on full bridges (wheels in yoga), wrestling neck bridges, handstands, straddles, L-sits, and one set of pulls. Was more of a recovery and alignment session, and included a 50 minute myofascial release class after.

Saturday morning had the privilege of again subbing at Revolutions, and lead the class through the hour. The session consisted of:

*Squats - bodyweight, goblet, cossack, overhead and segregated bottom section of two hands anyhow - followed later by two hands anyhow.

*Halos - Good Mornings - double clean & presses.

*few Spetsnaz rolls

Will be interesting to see how Tuesday feels after meeting peer group at the beach on Sunday and have bodyweight conditioning class on Monday evening.....