Change of Pace

Gave a long cycle 5 rung ladder another goal with a pair of 16 kg on Thursday night, with a completion time of 25 minutes. Each rung (round) consisted of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 reps, creating a 150 volume.

Sunday morning was a bit different circuit and went:

*225 lb Deadlift (DL) to hold for 30 seconds (to get grounded) - 2nd set Sumo for 8, 3rd set Sumo for 6, 4th for 2

*4" 8' Slosh pipe Overhead (OH) hold for 2 minutes - 2nd set for 2 minutes - 3rd set for slow strict presses (hold/5, pull/5, hold rack/5 press/5 count) x 5

*Power wheel for kneeling rollouts (nose, chest just touching floor) 4 sets of 10 reps

*50-60 lb Sandbag clean & carry up (0ne shoulder) single flight of stairs (@15 steps) into HPU's against wall (top of stairs) for 6 -- re-carry bag back down (same shoulder), repeat same on opposite shoulder w/HPU's at top - 4 sets total

*L-sits on parallettes into pull back straddle, feet on bench 5 reps for 4 sets

*One set of 115 lb clean & strict press for 2

Fun fun...

'Temple'

Changed it up a bit down at the beach. Playing at the pull up bar in the little gazebo 'temple' down at Hospitals break. Beautiful day to pay homage to the sun and sea gods :)

Before that session -

*Wednesday was the attempt at a long cycle ladder Franz inspired me to do. 2 20kg bells for 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 for 5 rungs (rounds) - long cycle being a clean & jerk. got to the 4 rung/round, went to to the 6 mark w/20's and switched to 16's for remainder (again left side...). Did find it a nice way to get strong volume, with the appreciation of being able to go back to 2 after the 10 round!

Sunday went:

*5 totals runs at straight legged raises for reps of 10, 10, 8, 7, 6

*circuited in w/double 32 kg kettlebell squats. Thought I was going to attempt the long cycle ladder in terms of reps - HA! didn't happen - 1st run was 2 w/2 cleans, 4 & 5 eliminated the cleans. Quickly realized the higher number ladder wasn't happen and had 4 more runs of 2, 3, 4.

*HPU's (handstand push ups) using a lightpost right next to gazebo went for sets of 6, 4, 5, 4, 2, 3 - 1 strong static hold (when realized it was good ....fail...)

*Switched in L-sit pull ups for 10, 8, 7, 6, 6

*Added in double 20 kg squats for 5 then 2 sets of squat to press for 3 & 3

*Finished with 2 sets of 'she-nah-na' side to side pulls for 8 & 6

.................................

Running good

Not too bad off coming out of Sunday into Monday night's w/o at the Y. After a few minutes of foam rolling the session went: (what to do when wanting to squat and no barbell)

*45 lb 'iron grip' plate held in waiter's clean for squats 5/5

*BU (grabbing grip) the 45 for squats of 5/5

*BUPress w/45 (clean before each) of 5 on R & only 2 on L (something up?) then finished L w/2 @ 35 lb

*Front levers for 6 - 2nd set for 8 (these have come along quite nicely :)

*15 lb bodybar lying supine on roller for straight arm lat pullovers to floor w/o elbow break for 10

*Straight legged raises for 10 into lever tucks for 6 into pulls for 8

*chest flyes w/15 lb d-bells on roller - hovering above floor for 8 straight arm into 12 flyes

*Front lever tuck pulls for 6 into extended one leg for 3 other for 3 back to tuck for 3 into strict pull for 3

*15 lb dumbbell frontal raises for 10 (palm to ceiling for hold) - 2nd set for 8 (thumb up for hold)

*Pistols w/10 lb plate in waiter's rack w/sots press at bottom for 3 on right - no press (only rack) on left (right legged pistol - weaker, left sots press weak) for 3 x 2 sets

*participation in bodyweight class w/variations of burpees, single arm push up w/opposite arm slide, rolls to vertical jumps, rolls to 1/2 burpee push ups, SLD's, shoulder wall series, mountain climber shuffles w/towel on hardwood, etc etc.....

(Rocky music....) Getting strong now....

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........