BEYOND STRONG: Shaf's Corner

Training: Axle Bench & JS Lower body flexibility

This was just a bench day.  I couple a bench with a row to balance out the work on the joint.  I felt like hell once I started training for some reason.  I did do some throwing today, which might have had something to do with it.

I used the 2" Apollon's Axle from IronMind, which I've had for about 10 years now.  I wasn't displeased with this, but it's disappointing because I'm so damned weak at it.  I've got some screwy mental block going about my shoulders being sore/injured/etc.

Axle Bench:
135x10
155x10
175x10
195x10
215x10

I supersetted band rows (done with a heavy band, pause in contracted position)  5x20

Then I did the lower body flexibility routine from Jumpstretch.  That sequence is:

Ankle conditioning and calf stretching
Hamstring stretch
Groin stretch
IT/Glute stretch
Quad stretch

I wish I could find the old photocopy of this routine as demoed by Dick Hartzell.  This routine is almost legendary.  The lower body routine, when worked hard, will improve your flexibility very quickly and efficiently.  It does tend to be a bit painful, though, if you work it hard.  Follow this link for the man himself demoing this.  This is the best vid I've seen on this routine on the internet to date.  This is the most efficient, targeted flexibility routine I've ever used for the lower body, hands down. 

http://performance-training.ca/exercises/flexibility/lower_body.html

I tried to do some long cycle C&Js with the 16kg kbs, but only managed ~10 RPM for 2.5 minutes.  My shoulder wasn't feeling right in the rack and I just dumped it.  I tried some chair presses, but, after a minute and a half, things just weren't happening.

Ah well, they can't all be golden.  Putting the time in is what's going to bring my upper body back to snuff.

23-Feb Heavy Kettlebell

Heavy is a relative term.  I've been spending the last 6-8 weeks with the lighter kbs, working on technique and form.

Today was, to coin kettlebell competitor and coach extraordinaire, Catherine Imes' term, a test day.  Not a super hard test, and I moved away from the timed sets for a traditional set/rep kind of scheme.

Warm up: 
~5 minutes of JM.  Mostly off of Steve Maxwell's Recharge DVD.

2 KB Jerks:
32kgx6, 6, 6, 6, 7

-this was easier than I expected, really, and I probably could go up in weight.  However, I have all the time in the world right now and nothing to prove, so the heavier kbs will provide a stimulus to improve technique under load and to improve stability at the top and the rack.

Ironically, the rack felt ok.

32kg kb rack rest:  30s, 45s....I was pleased with this. 

Snatch:  32kgx10/10, 10/10, 10/10, 10/10, 11/11

-this had a bit of an systemic conditioning effect.  I would only rest about a minute in between sets, so, they got to be additive.

The final part of the workout was several sets of ring bodyweight rows and ring push ups.  I just received a pair of Coach Chris Sommer's Xtreme Rings this week, and they are a finished, professional, and high quality product.

 

19-Feb Morning Full Body Strength

Full Body

Antagonistic Movement Superset:
Bench :  185x5, x5
DB Row:  65x15, x5

Superset:
Front Squats:  135x3, 185x3, 225x3, x3, x3
Chins/Pullups:  1 x 5

Superset:
GHR Sit ups:  3x5
Barbell curls: 45x3, x15

Felt good.  I decided I'm going ot try to split out the strength work from the strength-endurance work. 

Back at it

KBs:

2H Jerk:  16kgx2 min - 10 rpm for 20 total reps, 24kg jerk x 1 min (12 reps), x:45 (9 reps), :30 x 6 reps

1H jerk:  24kg x1 min L + R:  8 reps/8 reps

Snatch:  24kg x 1 min switches L+R:  18/18, 18/18, 14/14

SSB squat:  Going to backcycle to 5 min/60 reps.

- not bad at all. 

1H kb swings:  32x25/25, 32x25/25  1:30 rest between sets.  Knocked me out.

Light pressing with the 16kg.

28-Jan-2008

Warm ups: 
Face the Wall Squats
Kettlebell arm circles
Kip/Glides on chin bar

Kettlebell Lifting:

1H LCCJ with minute switches:  24kg
10R/10L/10R/10L,/9R/9L/10R/10L

-I'm trying out the "hand switch on the minute" technique.  The advantages are a greater cadence and more practice on lifting technique, and more of a "conditioning" effect.  The disadvantage is that it doesn't make single switch sets much easier.

Snatch:  Switch on minute:  24kg
12R/12L/12R/12L/12R/12L

-This built up rather quickly with the 24kg.  Eventually was having some technique breakdowns with my grip in my left hand.  I am going to have to switch to Left first.

S&C:

This also means I remembered to put on my Tommy Kono belly belt.  This thing gets the sweat going even more and keeps the midsection very warm.

Timed SSB squats:  155x12RPMx4 minutes (48 reps total)
-HR when finished>?  180 BPM.
-Not super hard, but I started to breath hard and sweat more towards the three minute mark.  I guess the plan is to add 1 minute of additional 12 RPM squatting until I hit 10 minutes or start to bog down.  Then I'll do "X" minutes of 12 RPM and finish at (10-X) minutes of 6 RPM.  Once 10 minutes is reached, weight will be added and time dropped.  I am thinking this is NOT a bad idea at all.

Swings:  32kgx20L/20R, 32kgx20L/20R
-swings sneak up on me at the end of this stuff.  Damn.

Cool Down:
A few cycles of LNH QiGong, some downward/upward facing dogs

I've got to find a way to put back work in this, and ab work.  And pressing.  Damn.

Just a note:
Pre-workout Nutrition:
At Large Nitor:  3 caps (stimulant, fat burner)
At Large Nitrean:  2 scoops in water with 2 tbs flax seed meal
1 mug of water with 1 oz Bragg's ACV in it as my during workout drink...I've developed a taste for this, and it's especially good during my workouts.

Post Workout:  1 cup cottage cheese 1 cup of mixed frozen berries

23-Jan Training

Kettlebell Lifting: 

2 kb jerk:  16kg x 2 minutes x 10 rpm (i.e total of 20 reps)
1 kb jerk:  16kg x 6 minutes x 8 rpm (3 min R, 3 min L)
1 kb jerk:  24kg x 4 minutes x 8 rpm (2 min R, 2 min L)
-this last set got a big painful with rack position and feet.  Interestingly, my feet tend to start to ache or go numb when doing long sets of jerks and C&Js.  But usually not snatches, for whatever reason.

1 kb snatch:  16kg x 8  min x ~18 rpm (4 min R, 4 min L)
- 67 reps each side.  One hand switch.  Cadence slowed down.
1 kb snatch:  24kg x 2 min  x 19 rpm (1 min R, 1 min  L)
-rest btwn the sets was ~3 minutes.  I started to stagger about the 17th rep on my left hand and had to clamp down.  This felt hard.

Experiment 2008-1:  Timed SSB squats:  155#x3 minutes x 12 RPM (rep started on every number on clock) = total 36 reps.

-observations:  Calves started to burn and pump.  Quads burned and pumped.  Heart rate increases.  Breathing increases.  Sweating increases. 

I'm going to dabble with this to see what falls out of it.

1 arm kb swings:  32kg x  20R/20L, 32kg x 20R/20L
-this crept up on my, by the end of my last set of 20, I was ready to lay down on the floor.

This turned into a real workout.

Friday follies

Where's the drive?  Not here.  I did do something on Friday, though.

Kb 1 hand jerks: 16kg/4 minutes each hand/12 rpm

-relatively easy.  still not finding a lot of rest even with one arm jerking, though it's much better than with the two arm jerk. 

Kb snatch:  16kgx3 min each hand/ 15-17 rpm

-this felt worse than it should have.  my head wasn't in the game.  I took only a few minutes rest.  I should really be striving for 10 minutes at 17-18 rpm as an immediate goal, with one hand switch.

The reason I'm using the 16kg kb is that I want to really develop stability overhead, the speed, and form before I move up. I really need to go over some of the AKC stuff again and get on some kind of solid progression.

Also, the timed kb stuff is very much a strength endurance thing.  It's almost anathema to the way I want to train, but I'm committed to give it a good run in 2008.  The benefits, if I can keep it up, will be a significant boost in GPP.   I am only now running into the area where I am going to have to consider doing something for my wind.  The AKC recommends running.  I prefer jumping rope, at least right now.

Shrug bar RDL+surgs:  explosive
245x20, 245x20, 245x20

-damn, those make me suck wind.  And light up my traps.  I'm really concentrating on holding that top point for a second.

Thursday and Friday: Workouts

Thursday:

I'm having a problem with back squats.  Arguably my favorite exercise.  My shoulder flexibility during my lazy period has gotten completely shitty, and back squat feel very awkward and off.

I worked up to a 445, which was easy, but never got comfortable with it.  I'm going to have to prioritize regaining shoulder capacity.

Friday:  Kettlebells

1.  Swings:  3 sets of 25L/25R with the 24kgs.
2.  TGUs:  3 sets of 3L/3R with 12s, 16s, 24s
3.  1 arm jerks:  16kg x 3 minute, R then L, 24kg x 1.5 minutes R, 1 min L. 
4.  Snatches:  24kg x 2 min L/2 min R - 12 RPM.

8-Jan-2008 Training

2 days in a row?  Crap, now I'm going to have to take off 10 days to restore the natural balance of things.

Went swimming with the family last night.  I go to the Delta College pool.  Delta is a small, yet well endowed community college in the area.  My wife swam laps, while I played with my daughter in the water.  After my wife was done, I decided to get a quick workout done in the adjacent gym.

Now, Delta College's gym is a bit under equipped.  They have all the regular stuff a basic gym would have, and are decently set up for dumbbells, but, and I am not kidding here, I have more plates in my basement gym than Delta's gym does. 

So, here's my workout:

Power snatches from the hang:  95x1, 95x1, 95x1, 135x1, 155x1
Power cleans from the hang:  155x1, 185x1
Power cleans from floor, with jerk:  205x1, 225x1, 225x1, 225x1

-At this point there was a problem.  I had half of the 45# plates in the gym on my bar.  Delta actually has sports teams, and the basketball team came in to train (yes, there is no separate weight room, nor do they have a S&C person for their team).

Immediately they all jump on benches.  Tall skinny 18 and 19 year old basketball players and they all go for the benches.  There are three flat benches and only 4 45# plates to go around.  They start eying me, sitting there with 225 on the bar. 

I power clean and jerk it one more time for their sakes.  It's a good thing I wasn't doing deadlifts.

After that I grabbed a 12# medicine ball and did 3 sets of deck squats + med ball slams and called it good.

This is a case where sumthin' in better than nuthin'.

7-Jan-2008 Training

Some QiGong stuff.  Lam's standing posture + warm up exercises.  Upon wakening.

Kettlebell lifting:

2kb jerks:  16kgsx2:30 (~25 reps), x1:30 (15 reps); x1:00 (10 reps)
-still cramping like a bastard in the pecs and unable to find reps.  First set is always better.

kb snatch:  16kgx3:00R/3:00L (38R+38L). 
-felt good.  hand position was mostly there, finger lock going as well.  I am about to progress to the 24s after another week or so.

Chins/Pull ups:  2/2, 2/2  - a brutal, glaring weakness

Front squats:  135x3, 5, 7, 185x5, 225x5, 5, 5
-starting a bit on the slow side.  felt good

A1 Shrug Bar (SB) RDL+High Pull
A2 CGBP

245x15/135x12, 245x15/135x20, 245x15/135x12

-I've been hiding from the bench press for 3 years now.

-Note on the 245 starting weight:  Using my 100# plates on my 45# shrug bar.  Also, need to pay more attention to what the knees are doing.  Also, these have the unpleasant feeling of doing high rep power cleans with ~185...very systemic

20 minute YRG routine - cooldown and flexibility