BEYOND STRONG: Shaf's Corner

Crazy stuff

Before swinging the kbs on Sunday:  Medial knee pain

After swinging the kbs on Sunday:  No medial knee pain.

Coincidence, or the magic of the handleball?  You decide.

I gotta squat, brothers and sisters.  That's the bottom line.

Repetition Week

Sunday:  3/29

BP:  WU:  225x15, 225x12, 225x14 (the 15 was a rep PR for this cycle.  B hit a solid 9, which is a 2 rep PR for him.)
Chins:  3 different grips.  Overhand, underhand, eagle loop, then overhand
3/4, 3/3, 2/3, 2/4
Dips on the rings:  Using the legs as assistance for balance and stability.  B didn't need the help.
6, 8, 9, 7
-this felt surprisingly good.  nice assistance for chest and shoulders

KB work:
Snatches:  24x20 (R/L), 32x14 (R/L)
Swings:  32x25 (R/lL)

The KB stuff was a nice finish to the workout.

Mon morning:  3/30

16kg wake up call - Shaf's 300
50 OALC R
50 OALC L
50 Snatch R
50 Snatch L
50 Swing R
50 Swing L

Took about 18-20 minutes.  My technique is off and so is my conditioning.  I was doing ~500 reps in this combo six months ago.

Felt good to sweat.  Off to the shower and library.

A few of the latest

Monday:

Bench ladders:  285x1/2/3/1/2/1
-ugly failure on the last set.  it felt like my L shoulder spasmed and gave out.  I was not injured but I can feel where it happened, there's a knot there.  I'm thinking now's the time to invest in the Trigger Point Therapy workbook.

TB rows:  185x12, 205x8, 225x5
-my rowing is finally moving up

Ring push ups:  2 sets of 10 or so.  I could still feel the spasm.

Wednesday:

Messed around with snatch grip deads and power snatches.  Nothing really to report, it was just trying out some movements.

Thursday:

All the talk about running and fitness and the lack of it led me to just start doing some light running and hill sprinting.  I ran a half mile at a slow pace to warm up then I did 10 hill sprints...more like fast runs, since I'm breaking it in slowly, of about 30-40 yards each.

After that I went home and did the 20 minute YRG which sucked because I was tried from the damn running.

I did wear a pair of knee sleeves for the running.  I ended up moving most of the sleeve down around my calf, and the top of the sleeve just covered the knee quite loosely.  A little bit of Jack's Pink Heat and I didn't notice any discomfort except in my lungs.

Sunday Bench

Bench Ladders
275x1/2/3 (x4)
-As usual per ladders, the last set of 3 was better than the first set of 3.  This was feeling heavier than last week.  I am fighting the urge to flip this from a volume based block to an intensity based block, because I want to get some heavier lifts in.  Maybe another 4 weeks of these left before we switch.

Shrug bar rows supersetted with band pull aparts (thumbs out)
135x20 (rep PR), 155x11, 185x6
-Big lat pump and mid back burn on these.

Shrug bar Shrugs:  185x25, 275x115, 315x10
-these aren't doing the trick, really...I'm think of going into a hang clean instead.

Ring push ups:
23, 9, 9
-the 23 was a big 5 rep PR but it was all I had, as evidenced by the 2 sets of 9 reps that followed.

Overall a good workout.  Quite pleased.  I am noticing the back work paying off in terms of the bench, but I'm also noticing that I might need to cycle in triceps specific bench work too.

Smoked it

B's been traveling for business, and we missed the mid-week session.  Not to be deterred, we came back for the Sunday session fast and furious.

Bench Ladders:
S:  265x1/2/3 (x3), 225x14
B:  235x1/2/3 (x3), 225x7 - this is a rep PR

Bent over SB rows:  4 sets
SB shrugs:  3 sets
Ring push ups:  3 sets

We went very fast.  I was particularly pleased because 265 felt ridiculously easy.  Everything thing I want for the ladder style of training was right on.  Reps were fast and crisp, and I wasn't even focusing on managing fatigue.  My L shoulder felt great. 

The down set wasn't a PR for me, but it was more than I've done since I trained with my amigo, Blobert.

Light work/mobility/recovery/conditioning

2-March-09

Monday night:  YRG 60.

This is the first time I tried the YRG 60 and it kicked my ass.  I was crying.  I've had this for over 2 years and never done this, but my wife and I have been doing YRG regularly during the week (she's training for a half-marathon and uses it as a combination flexibilty and strength and cardio workout) and the YRG 40 was getting easier.

I don't wholeheartedly recommend a lot of products.  YRG has been on my "buy, beg, borrow, or steal" list ever since I first got my hands on the book.  The follow along DVDs are simply outstanding.  This is by Dallas Page, the wrestler and actor, and Dr. Craig Aaron, chiropractor and yoga instructor.  If you want to check out the efficacy of this, go here:

YRG BABY!

For a particularly uplifting testimonial, check out Arthur Boorman's.

3-Mar-09  Tuesday Night

Gray Cook and Brett Jones have a new DVD set out.  It's called Kettlebells From the Ground Up, and it really breaks down the turkish get up movement as both a comprehensive movement screen, and also a fundamental exercise for damn near anyone.  They make a compelling argument for this, and I've been working with their recommendations pretty closely, and it feels pretty good so far.  I did this for about 15 minutes then went on to my retro-engineered AKC fitness protocol.

I did level 1 which is 1 minute of work with each hand on a movement, followed by 2 minutes of rest.  I used a 24 kg kb, and the one armed long cycle (clean and jerk), snatch and swing for my movements.  Not bad but I've been up as high as level 12 with this weight.  I felt I'd start on the slow side again so I can bring it up concurrently with my other lifts.

Also, say hello to my buddy Brett.

SUP BRETT!

A long time friend who's looking at the world through a different set of glasses nowadays.  I've already started giving him shit on his blog.

Training: Back on Track

Bench:  Ladders:  255x1/2/3 (x4)
Bent over PGB rows (Parallel grip bar rows)
Inc. kb presses (cuz I don't have dumbbells, savvy?)
Chins - assorted grips.

Starting to maybe thing about that 405.