Same Same

Hadn't blogged in a week or so, but definitely have been training. A quick re-cap would be:

~ Sunday 2 past - long cycle (clean & jerks) with 2-24 kg for ladder of 2, 4, 6, 8 x 3 - 2, 4, 6 x 2, 2, 4 once. Then some play various L-sits between them.

~ Monday - standard pull/hanging work followed by bodyweight conditioning class

~ Mid-Week - 32 kg (single) jerks for 5 per x 6

~ Past Sunday - quick one before out on Mom's Day :) 2-20 kg long cycle of 2, 4, 6, 8 x 5.

~ Monday - Wasn't able to sneak in a pull session, but went a bit stronger in b-weight class.

~ Mid-Week - Snuck one in a busy work week before client of a single 32 kg jerk session of 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 per.

Simple but effective :)

Breathing Patterns

So this week consisted of establishing distinctly different breathing patterns for lifts, and it paid off with a comfortable move up to the 32 kg.

*Mid week was the experiment with a 32 kg snatch (which prior consisted of a good 6-8...10 would scarily be the edge point). Applied the breathing technique of a sharp exhale on the pitch of the bell back, followed by an additional sharp exhale coming back thru the mid point into its upward ascent. A inhale consisted of the area between the Adam's apple and sternum/breastbone line (both coming and going) followed with a body locked exhale, bell being overhead. This allowed a very comfortable (and surprising) 10 reps (so surprised, I was too shocked to continue even though more could have easily been obtained...next time :) followed by 10 reps on the opposite side.

*This made swinging the 40 kg for 20 reps feel more like an alignment process over a working process. The breathing, however, differed from the snatch in which a nice inhale came with pitching the bell and the exhale with the thrusting of the hip (energy down into the ground more so than forward)

*A replication of 2 more sets followed.

This lead into a bit of a sadistic complex ladder for Sunday (in some opinions...)

*Double 24's for 1 double snatch (set-up) into 2 strict presses (no knee/hip flexion) followed by 2 squats (2nd was 1 dbl snatch - 3 press - 3 squat) (3rd 1-4-4)

*Following the 1st round of the press/squat was a 32 kg single arm snatch for 4 per side (2nd - 6, 3rd - 8)

*Followed by 40 kg swings for 8 (2nd - 12, 3rd 16)

Much harder than I anticipated w/the original intent being to complete 4 rungs :) HA!....had a hard enough time completing 2!

But the good news is the breathing pattern definitely helped tremendously. Differs on the press/squat as well.

*Traveled back to club for playtime with some nice assisted full straddled planches (no elbow lever), dragon flags, skin the cats, ring dips and other odd n ends......

Update

Since the previous Sunday post to this one, the week had the following:

~ Monday night consisted of strong single knee tucked front levers, combined w/straight leg raises, L-sit pulls, strict pulls, and korean dips. The basic Monday night pattern. The bodyweight class laddered wall squats with handstands and some active stretching.

~ Mid week was a quick session w/soon to be (H)RKC practitioner Christy for a ladder of double snatch - strict press - front squat with 24's laddering the presses/squats after one snatch for 1, 2, 3 x 4 rungs.

~ This Sunday was fun with a interval circuit of 3 rounds consisting of the following movements:

* 205 lb deadlift (1st set 5 dead start, 2nd 5 touch n'go, 3rd & 4th (extra) for 3 touch n'go/2 dead)

*32 kg double kb cleans (6, 8, 5)

*slide board single arm push up w/overhead slide extension 3x10 per side)

*50-60 lb sandbag shoulder carry up flight of stair per side - handstand push ups (HPU's) at top of stair - HPU's Left side 1, 2, 1 - HPU's Right side carry (after L) 5, 4, 5

*Skin the cats on Trap table 3 x 3

*One set of double 24 kg k-bell C & P of strong 5

-------

Change Up

Been a bit since last journal. Although some nice sessions of various ways to long cycle along with the complimentary body weight sessions. This Sunday started trying out Herbalife's new high performance athletic line as a test subject. Will be interesting to give some input as to results. This morning's session was a very nice break into the warm sunshine everyone associates with sunny San Diego. So a quick change in workout plan put a group of 6 at hospitals break down by the cove. The session was a simple thought ~

* A ladder of 1, 2, 3 in the clean & jerk w/the 32 kg for 5 rungs. The addition was to do the reps at the top of a get up, alternating sides. This confused a few in the initial start, and some performed clean & presses, rather than jerks. Went 4 rounds and decided that was it, but felt quite comfortable with a 24 rep volume 32 kg TGU, although the 48 volume C & J seems like it could be improved w/0 having to get back down :)

*Finished up at the oceanfront w/ some L-sits to static elbow levers (x2) L-sits to low pushes (2x8) - Bottom up 24 press 2x3/2 R, 2x1/1 L - Flip catch C & P w/24 x 5 per - 20 kg BU windmills alternating 3 per

*Headed back to Eight Elements for some fun work on trap table - skin the cats, dragonflags, straddle planches, front lever tucks & a few handstands.

Fun day!

Sunday fun day

Indoors this morning with the thought of rain interfering w/the session and getting the bells wet (aka rusty). BUT a good opportunity to play w/the equipment we don't tote down to the ocean front on Sundays. The session was 'circuit or interval' training and consisted of:

*4 sets of DL (deadlifts) in reps of 5 - 1 set being at 275 lbs the other 3 @ 225 lbs.

*100 swings w/40 kg broken into 30/30/20/20

*10' 4" slosh pipe holds for about 3 go's - playing w/presses (behind & front - no forward motion of head when behind) OH squats and sloshing

*@50 lb sandbag 'get ups' for 3 sets 3 reps/per - 1st over shoulder - alternating per, 2nd in OH snatch line (not suggested too much on wrists) and 3rd in rack or spider/zercher position - all maintaining center 'plum line' position w/no tilt/favor away from loaded side

*quite a bit of kicking up into handstands trying to maintain a balance position off wall combined with -

*hanging L-sits off bar pulling into front lever tuck extending back into L-sit for 5, 5, 4, 3, 3, 2

Good day! :)

Mon/Thurs

Nice early morning w/a bit of time to kill. Chance to journal up for Monday and Thursday session this week.  Both quite simple (seems to be the way workouts are going recently):

Monday ~ 5 sets of 5 reps for complete dead start chins & korean dips.  The bar at the Y works to be the perfect height of being to get full extension of arms to grip w/feet flat on the floor, making dead starts easy to go at.  Following the 5 for 5 was the bodyweight S&C class with the standard conditioning drills of mountain climbers w/towels on hardwood, straddle-pikes, burpees, slo mo lunges to standing sidekicks, rolls to squat thrusts, shoulder mobility work on wall, etc)

Thursday ~ Tried Franz's session he mentioned on FB earlier in the week. 2 24 kg kettlebells for double snatches - pulling down followed by double press. 5 rung ladder of 1, 2, 3 in each rung. Thought I was going to go to 4 perhaps even 5 - HA! that didn't happen....perhaps soon :) Finished w/about 10 minutes worth of popping up into handstands trying to gain stability off the wall, windmills w/O bar (2 sets of 3 per side) & slosh pipe play - 10' 4" pipe for holds, presses, sloshes, and OH squats.

Interesting to read Mark Rif's blog and notice he too is having better recovery w/a arginine product.  I too think this is a fantastic recovery supplement and have been routinely cycling it in 6 week intervals....

Recap

Not a strong enough opportunity to journal since last Sunday, but a bit of Recap would be:

Sunday ~ Another day at the pull up gazebo at 'hospitals' break near the cove in La Jolla. Primarily focused on straight legged pulls to the hip line and front lever progressions, combined with double 32 kg kettlebell front squats. Thrown in the mix were some single loaded 32 kg squats, bulgarian bag halos and swings to OH lat pullover, and handstand kick ups 5 at a time. Worked in sets of 6-10 for the bar x 6-7 sets, 5 laddered down to 1 x 2 on double fronts, 5 per x 2 on single load squat, 8-10 per on halos, 20-25 on OH bb swings. Threw in some fun pulls and double 20 kg clean & bottoms up presses (BUP).

Monday ~ Got in late to the Y prior to class, but really got quite a few nice front lever progressions, and 2 one handed pulls on R - 1 1/2 on L. Bodyweight class focused more on mobility/flexibility.

Tuesday ~ sucked w/the worse headache from 4 a.m. - 8 p.m. that I have had in a while. And more than likely my own stupidity for rushing through 'wheels' or full body bridges/neck bridges w/0 paying close enough attention to form along w/showing (doh) things not do & sleeping incorrectly to compound it :(

Wednesday ~ Felt 180% better than Tuesday and knocked down a 5 rung ladder of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 double 16 kg snatches within a 20 minute time point.

Thursday ~ Quite easy with 70 lb dumbbell incline press for 5 reps x 5 sets

Friday ~ had nice energy in between a client cancellation at 8 a.m. and went for 5 sets of 3 reps w/a 225 lb Deadlift (DL) following each set with double 24 kg clean & press x 3. The evening brought some playtime w/the kids for L-sits, stretches and handstands.

Sunday ~ Is DLS time but perfect down in the grass by the ocean for 20 kg warm ups of arm bar-TGU-gladiator press-windmill-OH squat and back w/eyes closed for stronger awareness x 3 sets per arm. Followed by a 5 rung ladder of double 24 kg snatches with 3 sets in one rung of 2, 4, 6. Fooled around w/a 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 L-sit to spider push up, some 16 lb sledgehammer halos, 3 sets per of 24 kg press w/lateral extension stabilization of hammer x 3 reps per, and 2 failed attempts at double 20 kg BUP (but nice solid BU cleans :)