Snatches & Swings

Well, big day today for me. With my big 10 day trip coming up I had to have astrong workout with my snatches with the TSC only a month away. Because I was short on time I did not have the pleasure of training with Rif, an opportunity you do not want to pass up but circumstances being what they are I had no choice. But I still hit and I had theinsipration of Mia with me, doing her KB workout

Snatches
16/5/5
24/5/5
32/5/5x8 = 80 total

First time in some time I have snatched the 32. Initially just holding it the weight felt heavy but once I got going it was on and I felt super strong and the bell whipped up with power, speed, grace a like a man on a mission. My hands held strong and I used a method I saw Rif doing over the last few where the downward stroke did not pull so fiercly on hands. YES!!!!!! I am very pleased

1 Arm Swings
32/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5 = 60 total x1
32/10/10/10/10 = 40 total ( giving out now but I have one set left, fatigue is setting in)
32/10/10x1

These were great, the first set really pushed me but I was strong heading into the second set and my back held strong. At the end of the swings I felt some mild low fatigue but overall I am pleased with the volume and loads. This is some strong work for me.

Plan to do Pull-ups tonight when I am fresh.

Presses and Pistols

Recovery workout day with Mia. She is getting into the Kb's so she asked me help evaluate her form. I joined in with some of my own strength work, focus on submax loads

Presses
32/5/5x5

Pistols
24/3/3x3

I feel good, still feeling my CNS fatigue but overall my body is healthy and strong just a bit tired.

Mia is destined for greatness with the bells, she is a mutant workhorse. Once she really 'gets it' which she just needs some time with the bells she is going to have fun challenging herself and she has a great reference in Tracy.

Have a great Tuesday

Deadlifts and Pull-ups

Nice recovery workout day. LIghtening the load on the deads after a big week. Here is how it went

Deadlift
warm-up sequence as usual followed by my workload

405/1x7

A nice workload for how I was feeling. Feels good to have 405 be my light day workload for multiple reps.

Pull-ups
10kg, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 x2 =40

This was a nice ladder workout. I worked off of percieved exertion and I maintained my strength well and even could have done at least a 2, 3, 4 for a third ladder.

Really pleased with the program, the journey and the outcomes. Also, really enjoy the energy that Rif and Tracy bring to the gym. Having Tracy, who is a friggin work horse and a mutant really inspires.

Snatches & Swings

First day back on the snatches and here is how it went

Snatches
16/5/5x1
20/5/5x1
24/30 (switching every 5 reps) x4

total snatches with the 24kg = 120

I just doing this exercise. It is beautfiul to watch, and the feel is so smooth and athletic. And, to top it off it just kicks your arse from a strength and conditioning perspective. My hands made it through thanks to Rifs tape job and Tracys sock idea.

Swings 1 arm
32/20 left
32/20 right
32/15 lt
32/15 rt
32/10/10

90 additional 1 arm swings with the 32

felt a real strong hip snap and Rifs cue to push into the floor was super helpful. Used a hook grip so felt no pressure on the hands.

Overall this was a very good workout. I could feel residual CNS fatigue from Monday and my legs felt heavy and sluggish but I am stoked and feel really good with the training

have a beautiful day

Recovery Day

Well, I feel frickin great from yesterday. I want to thank all of you for your feedback both given to me and Rif. We are lucky, it is special and I am grateful.

So, today Mia, Jaz and I went out for a afternoon hike in the hot summer sun and got a good sweat. We did the trail in back of the LG house which is a 3.5 mile hike (the route we choose) which enabled us to take Jaz to swim. Then we came back to the casa and did a nice 25 minute Yoga session and I have to say I feel great. I wanted to have gas in the tank for tomorrows snatch session and just let my back, hips, legs, shoulders rest from heavy loads. This is how I felt today and this is what I did, listened to my body but I still got some active movement in and did some good regeneration/recovery work. Now, tomorrow physically I will be ready, I am just keeping the fingers crossed that the hands hold up, if not tough luck I will push on through and figure a way to get my work in.

Enjoy your evening and happy hump day!

Deadlifts and Pull-ups

Wow! What a fantastic workout today. The energy at Stones was off the hook. Rif, Tracy, myself we were all in a great training place today. I walked into them doing there Max VO2 workouts and was inspired.

Deadlifts
warmups
135/3x1
185/3x1
225/3x1
275/3x1
315/2x1
365/1x2 Belt
405/1x1
455/1x1
495/1x1
517/1x1 PR

YES! This was awesome. Rif felt I was looking strong and I admit I was feeling strong. I have to say the first time I looked at the 5 plates on each side I was thinking, "this is some serious weight", but I nailed it and Rif decided to through 2, 5kg plates on and Bang, got it!

I feel I am on a good pace for the TSC and all this training, the submax loads has truly made me feel strong and technically far better than ever. I am so happy to have Rif as a coach and have the support that I have had through this journey.

Pull-ups
10kg/12
10kg/6
10kg/4

I did not have enough time to properly rest since I had a client therefore sets 2 and 3 were a little short of what I felt i could have done with proper rest, still I am again pleased.

Super stoked and to go on a journey and see and feel the progressions and to give positive feedback to your coach as well is great and sooooo worth every training day!

More Swinging

I am a firm believer if I can swing well, form, technique and for reps (which will condition my cardio) then I will snatch well. At this point, I decided to wait until next week for snatches and replaced them with some more swings.

Windmill
16/5/5x2
24/5/5x3

Just wanted a good stretch and to increase my shoulder stability. This always helps me find my body especially in relation to mutliplanar movement

1 Arm swing
24/20/20 feel good can do more
24/30/30 feel good can do more
24/40/40 feeling it...hmmm watching my right low back
24/30/30 right low back tightened...done

Only did this with 1 transfer and I think the overload with the hook grip and the combination of all this weeks work just has me fatigued. Overall though I was pleased

push-ups and pullups (super set) morning
10 and 5 x 5 sets

afternoon
20 and 5 x 5 sets

Key was the 50 pull-ups and the 150 push-ups just is something I enjoy (truly this is not a lot of push-ups but it works for me)

that is all! Have a great weekend and just remember life is beautiful and life is fleeting so tell your partner you love them, tell your kids and parents and just enjoy yourself!

gratitude

1 arm swings and TSC Reflection

That is all today. my body is feeling overall fatigue from the past 2 days and I only slept 3 hours last night. But I knew I had to hit my swing numbers so here is how it went down

1 arm swing
warm-up

sets
32/10/10/10/10x2
32/20/20x3

total 200

Now, this was not a cardio workout, which is a great thing. I know my vascular system is well developed. However, on the 20 and 20 sets I noticed the grip strength, especially the right hand which was weaker around 15. Now, I did hook grip which is part of my new method and I could for sure feel the benefit of the overload. All in all I was pleased. My low back was a little tight afterwards but I believe this to be the case of the prior days workout not anything else.

Overall I very pleased after Monday's workout and yesterdays follow up with the 40kg and the bodyweight exercises which I used for recovery and general conditioning. My legs are so much stronger as is my complete body. The training for the TSC has been the best thing I have done. Simply the process alone has really helped me focus more than ever eventhough I have done some nontraditional training (mountain biking specifically) I have been super consistent with getting what I needed accomplished done.

The one thing I was I had more prep work for was the 32 snatch. In the beginning I would say no, because I accomplsihed 90 in 5 minutes. However, the total cummulative work combined with the deadlifts and pull-ups really put my hands through the ringer. I need more hand callus development, LOL. But I think even now if I focus on the 24kg snatch and 16kg Max VO2 workout combined with heavy overload swings I will get at least 70 reps during the competition.

As I move forward I will share more about my journey through this process to the end goal. The most important aspect to me and for me is the journey and staying committed to the goal. This is something I ask of others all the time and I am glad I can step up and lead the way!

Video of my 482 Deadlift with Rif

http://www.youtube.com/jp.swf?video_id=u9NL1rhhLME&eurl=http%3A//us.f333.mail.yahoo.com/ym/ShowLetter%3FMsgId%3D6083_507018_3292_1903_629_0_46672_1553_3704763731%26Idx%3D2%26YY%3D97879&iurl=http%3A//img.youtube.com/vi/u9NL1rhhLME/default.jpg&t=OEgsToPDskI4exy8kyOYgcw39RMWxbDG

thanks Rif for the great coaching/program design!

Pistols, Presses, 40kg and more

Sometimes after a big deadlift day and following up with a big Wednesday workout Tuesdays are hard. See I want to do something workout wise but I am never truly sure. I think of this day now as just a play day, to do what I want depending on Monday.

Pistol
body/3/3x1
24/1/1x1
32/2/2x1
40/1/1x3

They get easier every set but never easy enough. This exercise really raises the blood pressure with the immense amount of tension necessary

Presses
40/2/2x1
40/3/3x1
40/4/4x1

Push-ups
50x4

Pull-ups
10x2 (supersetted with the 2 sets of 50 push-ups

Bosu deck squats
50x4 (mixed with 2 sets of 50 push-up sets)

Stretching

Good movement, great sweat

Deadlifts and Pull-ups

Cool day at Stones. had the chance to watch and support Rif and Tracy today while they did 25 minutes worth of snatches using the 16kg going 15 sec on, 15 off the whole way through...350 total for each. Tracy is AMAZING.

Deadlifts
135
185
225
275
315 Belt
365
405/1x1
427/1x1
455/1x1
482/1x1

347/1x10 (15 sec rest between)

What can I say but I felt great today. Strong, fast, connected and on my way up the ladder. Sure puts things in perspective when you are deadlifting next to mulitple pics of men pulling 800's plus, including the 1003# deadlift!!!!!


Pull-ups
45/5x4



Friday
Military Press
32/5/5x5

Pull-ups
8x5 (2 sets chim-up style)

Performance Enhancers

Well it is safe to say that in the world of sport, media and society that this is a hotly discussed topic. If you look in any newspapaer, listen to any sports radio station, watch any sports TV (especially ESPN) you will find performance enhancing drugs being discussed or so it seems.

In my experience and through my studies and discussions with other educated professionals I have found much of what is being reported to be short on factual explanation and long on opinion. The challenge for me is who is expressing these opinions and the question of their resources and possible motives. I am not sure 'reporters' are often as informed as some of the more knowledgable experts in the field of Sport Performance.

In addition, I am not sure any of us who are not competing at the highest levels, with millions of dollars on the line in salaries and endorsements, the fame, the glamour, etc. understand the pressures behind what it takes to succeed as a professional athlete, in ANY sport. Therefore, I have compassion for these athletes and I cannot truly say if I was faced with the decision to use performance enhancers to enhance my chances for success that I would not do so. For this reason I have no judgement against these athletes.

A number of arguements exist for the banishment of these drugs, the most common I have heard is to level the playing field. In theory this sounds excellent but I am not sure a level playing field exists with or without. Truth be told, I am not sure such an ideal exist in life. This being said, I am for banning the use of illegal performance enhancers and testing of athletes. However, I do not believe we should convict anyone, no matter what until prove exist and that person has jurisprudence.

In the meantime, I am going to sit back and enjoy reading, watching, etc. sports as they are, as they exist. I respect these athletes for their commitment to wanting to be their best and for all the hard work they put into their craft. Because no matter what one takes to help their performance, you still have to work your arse off and show up and perform. The drug does not make the athlete but it can help.

I believe moving forward that it is important to educate athletes, especially the young kids about performance enhancers and to have responsible, educated professionals leading the way and that includes me. You may ask why I wrote this piece today and I will tell you because I have had been asked by a young athlete about 'steriods'. This made me go out and do more research to educate myself so I could give him facts not just opinions.

The reason he asked is because he is competing in an unfair playing field and it has nothing to do with the use of performance enhancers but more to do with parental pressures on coaches in youth leagues and parent coaches playing favorites. This is tough for a young kid to understand, the politics and reasons behind decisions and we can see that life is not always fair and this lesson is learned at a young age. My advice to him was to work hard, prepare yourself to be the best everyday and no matter what he will know in his heart and soul that he did everything he could to be his best and did so in a clean, healthy, safe and with respect for himself, the game, and his opponents. Since in life it is not about the destination but it is about the journey!

Thank you for taking the time to read this! I welcome any thoughts.

Peace

Tight body, light weight

My back was really tight for the big deadlifts with the belt. So did not want to push it.

1 arm swings
16/10/10x1
16/20/20/10/10x1
16/30/30x5

DARC Swing
16/40x1

Burnt but I must say that doing this light weight really allowed me to find my groove and work with great technique, I really appreciate the 16kg and what it teaches....correct form!

Pull-ups (bodyweight)
10
9x2
Last 3 sets invovled long pauses after each rep...ouch this hurts but really works well.
8
7
8

Great workout!

Movement and a 100# Press

NOTE:
Today I pressed a 100 lb kettlebell, cold. One of my trainer friends has a 100lb bell that he just acquired and he showed me the bell and I could not pass up cleaning and pressing for 1 rep on each side. He said, that right side went up easy, YES! Feel strong baby.

The importance of joint function cannot be overstated. It is imperative that we keep our joints health and as fully functional as humanly possible (which may be limited for various reasons to individuals). I believe that most (like I said some will have specific limitations) people should have full range of motion in every joint or at least approach life with this idea. Recently I read an article by Pavel in the Dragondoor magazine where he speaks of a Russian doctor named Amosov who would wake every morning and do 1000 moves of various likes

Squats
Push-ups
Side bends
Forward Bends
Hip/leg raises
torso twist

and more. Amosov found that a morning workout known as his morning recharge that focused on proper Joint (function) mobility was essential and even more so as one passed the age of 30. I could not agree more. I will write more on this at a later point. PS: This can be a great workout as well, I was sweating

Therefore today I did 30 minutes of Joint mobility, plus 20 minutes of yoga/stretching. I woke up today feeling sore and tight in my body from the big lifts and knew this combo workout would be a great follow-up to yesterdays great workout. Plus, I am going to do a nice 4 mile hike this afternoon with Jaz, my lovely pooch.

Deadlifts and Pull-ups

Big pull Day! Felt strong and I feel the numbers match. Plus my first day using a belt and I must say there is a bit of mental edge with the belt on.

Deadlifts (Speed Day)
after warm-ups (following typical pattern).

405/1x10 (no more than 30 seconds rest)

Simply put these moved really well. A big speed day such as this was great for the confidence and I waws able to put together last weeks tip of protracted shoulders and have some really good pulls

Rack Pulls (2 pin hole) approximate start place was mid shin.
315/1x1
405/1x1
455/1x1
495/1x1
505/1x1

Feels good having this big weight in my hands. I feel a good 500 pull in my body coming!

Pull-ups
10kg/10x1
10kg/8x1
10kg/6.5x1

I felt I had 15 in me on my first set which is great.

This was a great day for my confidence. If I only knew the GS Snatch for this test just for the hands. I love the hard-style approach being that is my attitude type, hard and fast. But I understand and repsect the GS Snatch and can see why the techniques exist.

Yoga and a Hike

Started our morning with a nice Yoga session. Focus was on hip opening and some real good laughs along the way. Then we hiked into town with another run involved and had a Crepe...yummy!!! and then did a return hike/run. Nothing too much in terms of distance but felt good to move and work up a sweat!

In the afternoon I took Jaz for a hike at Lexington Resevoir and did some push-ups and ab crunches for fun.

I must confess that I am a trail runner. I felt so high after yesterdays run and was so pleased with the relative ease the run went. I am thankful for all the kettlebell work because it makes me ready to go for any activity. I may not be the fastest up the hill but hey no running and I went 2 miles all up with no warm-up and even sprinted to the top!

Oh do I love exercise!

Trail run

Straight up with a couple flats and back down the same route. 4 miles total! I cannot begin to say how strong I felt running today. this was my longest run of the year and only my second. I have to give credit to the training program, especially the Kettlebells which really have developed my cardio system which did not feel taxed like I do on the swings and snatches and leg strength, especially the ability to apply force to the ground (like swings and snatches) andpropel my body up the hill. Mia and kicked ass but tried not to force the downhill since that really taxes the quads fromthe eccentric force going down hill.

Plus did 15 pull-ups.

I am surprised my legs are not super sore from yesterday. When I did the 100 squats and lunges last week on Monday they were super sore for a couple days and I went out and beat them up.

Limiting Factors

One of the drawbacks for myself snatching the 32kg has been the degradation of the hands. I cannot count how many times I have torn the palms but it is one too many. Nonetheless, this is part of the training. I do not care about the tears per se but it does have an affect on the other training days and this is not productive. Thank goodness I am creative and wise enough to work around this but the fact that I am having to constantly work around this issue is a challenge. Therefore I figured I was going to go for a couple big swing sets with the 24kg since I could hook grip this bell into my finger tips.

Morning Workout
100 squats
100 walking lunges
100 push-ups
100 crunches


Evening workout
1 Arm swing
24/10/10/10/10/10/10/10/10/10/10 (50 per arm a person record of 100 total 1 arm swings)

Now, I decided at this point to go for a big set with the 32. I was successful hook gripping the 24 and figured I could do this with the 32 even with transfers and not affect the hands.

32/10/10/10/10/10/10/10/10 (40/arm for a total of 80) this took 2 minutes and 20 seconds to complete and my heart rate was 180 at the end. I could feel the skin pulling on the transfers but not having to snatch and just swing allowed me too set my grip and maintain for the reps. This was tough and those last 10 hurt but no biggie. :-)

Pull-ups (finger tips)
10x4

Well I made the adjustment, had a great workout and plan on really working the 1 arm swing with the 32 for big rep sets and making sure to pop the bell up to shoulder height simulating a good snatch. Just need the hands to heal as these last tears were the worst I have had.

All part of the most fantastic journey we call life and I love every minute of it. I am blessed and pleased and look forward to the next workout and the next breathe.

Snatches & Swings

back to the snatch work. I love this exercise eventhough it grinds the crap out of my hands. 3 more tears today and as Rif mentioned with the 32 I have it deep in my hand and doing the snatch hard-style, my preferred method really taxes my hands...oh well

Snatch
32/8/8x5

Fast, fluid and felt good

2 hand Swing
40/20x5

Snatch Hold
32/40sec/sidex1
32/45sec/sidex1
24/1 min/side x1

Wow, what a great move. Real emphasis on full body tension and linkage. Great for mental focus as well!

That is all, not much too say today but I hope yours was a great as mine, if not better!

Pulling Again

Been a couple of weeks since I pulled some big weight so back to the grind today

Deadlift
135/3x1
185/3
225/3
275/2
315/2
365/1
405/1
427/1
438/1x2
454/1x2

Wow, that was a big pull and did not have my shoulder blades properly positioned which pulled me off balance making the grind much more challenging. The second rep was definitely the best

Speed Pull
337/1x12...30 sec rest max between reps

These were the best. Rif figured out the shoulder blade thing around rep 5 and then I was able to bang out the additional rep with strong form.

Pull-ups
45/2x1
56/2x7

Felt really well connected to the pull-up bar today. Thought my body called on the appropriate muscle groups at the right time. Very pleased with this.

Presses
40/2/2x1
40/3/3x1

Just had the urge to pick up the dog and press it! As the workout progressed I felt stronger and more engaged physically to the protocal for the day, therefore pressing the dog felt appropriate! Shoot, feels good having the big boy overhead especially when it is more than half my weight!

Great to be back at Stones, training again but what I would do for an extended vacation. I truly am a travelling man. I love being on the road experiencing the splendors, riches, peoples, scenery, foods, cultures, and the beauty of taking the roads least travelled to new land. As life progresses I am planning more big trips and within the next 5 years I hope to be on the road more and doing more humanitarian work along the way as well as write and do photography. The world is just so amazing and this last week we had the opportunity to explore our own backyard and all its glory!

Vacation

Well we are back from our 1500 mile journey thru northern california and southern oregon. We drove, hiked, relaxed, slept in, exercised our bodies a lot and minds very little, enjoyed some of the most beautiful coastline in So. Oregon and NorCal, saw many unique landscapes from redwoods to rolling meadows, to volcanic rock formations to beaches with huge rock outcrops to many small towns. We hiked up Mt. Shasta to 11,000 feet from around 9000+, hiked up castle crags, hike down to Crater Lake in Oregon (WOW, that water is cold...54 degrees), hiked along the oregon coastline and the Lost Coast Beach in NorCal. We even did Kettlebells, kayaked, yoga, and a whole lotta sitting on the beach absorbing the sun and as you can tell a lot of driving.
What a magnificent journey and who would have known how much beauty exists in this west coast without a little trip down the road less taken.

Road Trip Time

I will be heading off today on a road trip through Northern California, into Oregon (Crater lake, Ashland and the Shakespheare Festival, the southern Oregon Coast) and the Lost Coast and Avenue of Giants. This will be an extremely active trip with plenty of hiking, yoga and even some KBs with the lady and Jazzy the wonder Labrador.

Going to be nice to rest up the body and mind. Will read the Dalai Lama's book, Open Heart, write in my journal, camp at beautiful beaches, and well we leave it there.

Look forward to chatting with you all in a weeks time

Enjoy your 4th, Free yourself and those you love!

Client achievements

First of, all my clients are successes for many reasons and I want to thank them for their hard work and dedication.

Special note to Nicole whom did 252 snatches with the 12kg in 10 minutes. We did no prior training and her normal snatch workout which is once a week accomplishes no more than 120 in a workout. Nicole is 5'8, 189 at 36% bodyfat and the reason I mention this is because no matter what weight or body fat she is FIT!. Plus she can swing the 24 for 50 rep sets (2 hands), and do everything else with the 16kg. All this with 2, 45 minutes KB sessions a week


AND

Kai, who Pressed and Snatched the Bulldog for Reps. Kai is a strong man and he is just starting to realize this and gain faith in his strength.

Thank you all of you for giving me the best job in the world, to live the life I dream of daily!

! arm swing

Swings galore! This seems to be my big thing these days and man on man do they work.

1 Arm swing
32/10/10
32/15/15
32/20/20
32/25/25
32/10/10
32/15/15
32/20/20
32/25/25

total of 280 javascript:void(0)

Presses
32/8/8x3

Pull-ups
10x3


Mia did 2 hand swings with the 32kg and 24kg for 75 total reps. Great to see her strong, tough body at 115#s move that bell so well. PS this is only her 10th or so KB workout. Cannot wait to see what she can do if she really gets into the bells. This is more of a supplement to all her other fun training.

PR, double 40kg press

Ok, so my wrist is still hurting and it is affecting my lifting ability especially the ability to hold things. So I tried the Deadlifts today but at 315 I was done, no room to move. And, i could only snatch my right side (weaker of the two) and swing on my left. But I did get a new PR x 3

Snatch right side, Swing left side
24kg/20x2

2 tears on right hand, no more snatches...UGH!

1 Arm swings
24k/30/30x1
24k/20/20x2

Double 40kg
Clean x1
Squat x1
Press x1

I just wanted to try this out, I was feeling it to say the least. So, I told Rif I was going to Press the bells after I cleaned them to Rack position and then I decided I should do a squat as well

This is awesome and what a LOAD, yikes that 176#s is heavy stuff but I love feeling strong

Time to let the wrist heal.

40 kilos

Well, Rif is just back from RKC Level 2 and that being said we had discussed skipping today and working out with our Deadlift Routine on Wed. Therefore I still wanted to emphasize strength today and that is why today is the 40 kilos day

Snatch
40/3/3x3

These were tough since I have not touched the 40kg for snatch since late march. But each set got progressively easier and I did the drop to the shoulder for the downward motion. Sure make you feel manly, strong...lol

Press
40/5/5x1
40/4/4x1
40/3/3x1

Grunted and groaned through the first set but feel good overhead with this weight

Pistol
40/1/1x2

Pooped out. Enough grunting and groaning

Pull-ups
55/3x4

Presses, Swings, and Pull-ups

Simple workout daybut intense and challenging

Presses
40/3/3x3

These went up the "easiest" ever. I really felt strong and am getting the feel of the move with the 40

Swings (1 arm)
40/10/10x5

Wanted to do an overload on the swings. My left felt stronger than my right side but I felt good. Boy, the hammies and glutes work hard in this move

Pull-ups
10x3

Nice work and 10 is becoming easiest!

Snatches

Ok, this is a little frustrating for me right now. Still working on my groove which is being affected by my hands, especially on my right side and my shoulder is sore from today which sucks. So, the plan was to switch every 3 reps for as many sets as possible with the 32kg and then do the same thing with 2 and then 1. However after the first 3 and 3 round I made a change since the change seemed to be affecting my grip on the bell since the chalk was wearing off etc

Snatch
32/3/3/3/3x2
32/3/3/3/3/3/3/3/3/3/3 (15/arm)
32/15/15x1
32/12/12x1

This was much better than I thought. I can handle the reps especially in a descending fashion. I will figure this thing out, just part of the process

Pull-ups
1 set of 15

Deadlifts and Pull-ups

Deadlifts. As Rif said it sure is nice to lift something heavy and truly feel strong! Having 400+ lbs in your hands feels awesome and truly does make me feel strong!

135/5
185/3
225/3
275/2
315/1
365/1
405/1

416/1x6

Remove all the slack, keep my arch! Key points from todays workout! The bar is moving faster and my feel is getting better!

Rack Lockouts (pin #3)
225/2
315/2
405/1x2
455/1
495/1x2

Feels good to have the extra weight in my hands and to train my body to handle such loads. I am so excited about the process behind learning the deadlift and how to effectively design a program to accomplish a said goal.

Pull-ups
55#/2x4
BW/15 + 3, half pull-ups after a hang pause and finished the set with a 10 sec hang (ouch)

Awesome! Super strong with these reps. The 15 bodyweight felt really smooth.

A good day

Morning started off at the Foothill College track/field with a great kettlebell workout.

Swings (1 arm)
32/5/5/5/5
32/5/5/5/5/5/5
32/8/8/8/8
32/10/10/10/10
32/10/10/10/10

Burnt on the swings, my hammies and glutes are just roasted from the week.

Press
32/5/5x2
32/7/7x2

Been 2 weeks since I crashed last week before my presses

Bottoms Up Cleans
24/3/3x3

Just for fun

Push-ups
20x5

Pull-ups
13
15


Then spent the afternoon on the Golf Course for Pops Day. Been over 8 months since my last swing but I did well and finished my last 4 holes, birdie, par, bogey, bogey with opps for a birdie and a par. Plus just had a blast playing with my pops and bro-in law.

For the love of movement

So below are some photos of Mia (Bodybuilding contest day and doing a Pistol in the Japanese Tea Gardens at Golden Gate Park) and myself with my first ever Rock Climbing experience in Joshua Tree, fooling around with a Pistol on a log , just missing the beast challenge pull-up, and doing a pull-up off of a cool sandstone formation near Half Moon bay. It is fun to be strong, fit, mobile and just play). People often wonder what all this training does, well it enables us to have healthy bodies, healthy souls, and healthy minds in which we feel young and alive and can be a kid! Life is grand, enjoy!

Snatches & Swings

Oh how I do love thee Snatch and Swing. Plan and simple these moves are one hell of a workout. Every muscle of the body works to make that bell move and land in proper position with the most graceful and beautiful athleticism. Being of an athletic/athletes mind these suit me well even though they always kick my arse ...lol

Snatch
24/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5 (40 total, 20/side) x3

Heart rate maxed out at 198 or so! Yes, 198! which is theoretically way beyond my max. I noted to Rif that i felt an amazing ability to work even with my heart so high and he mentioned eventhough this is systemic the transferring of hands controls the lactate production levels enabling the body to avoid a fatigue state and therefore keep moving efficiently. If you are not what this means, put it this way it is a real good thing when you are attempting a lot of reps under time, full body stress and muscle fatigue.

Swing, 1 arm style
40/5/5/5/5 x3 (60)
32/5/5/5/5/5/5x2 (60)

The hands are the biggest limitation at this point, especially the right. However, they are much better with the improvement in technique I feel overall much stronger with each of these moves and my hands are taking less of a beating.


I will say this again. If you want a workout and you want to burn MASSIVE calories then swing the bell. Shoot, just look at Tracey Reifkinds blog and see that her movements are pretty simple, a heck of a lot of SWINGS and SNATCHES.

Cheers to a fantastic workout and the 5lbs of water lost due to the 100 weather and working out in the Rifstonian Institute garage.

Yoga

WOW! Gotta love it and every time, I mean every time I finish a yoga session I know why I enjoy it and I know why I need to do it at least once a week if not twice. Right now my hips and shoulders feel OPEN and Free, what a feeling. Did this yoga session with Mia at home listening to a CD by Baron Baptiste. We did an hour + session and at the end did some special focus stretches to work on those areas that need more attention.

Look, if you have never done Yoga take yourself to a good studio (do some research) and try a class. Do not push it, work at your own pace and just remember the most important aspect is breathing your way through the session. Do not try to over stretch because you will defeat the purpose. Believe me, you will get a great workout no matter what. Plus, when you finish you should feel super relaxed and free of thought. AWHHHHH!

It helps having a girlfriend who is a yogi, super flexible, super strong and knowledgable about the moves.

Until the next Yoga session.

Deadlifts and Pull-ups

A day of deadlift lessons and special training. Rif put me through an interesting workout today with the deads. Today I pulled to my knees for triples as a way to increase my starting streength. We followed that with reps at say 65% of my 1 rm therefore focus on intensity through using a lighter weight but with limited rest (the rest was approx 15 sec between lifts).

Here is how it went

135/5
185/3
225/3
275/2
315/2

To the knee
315/3x1
348/3x1
365/3x4

I felt the connection today to the bar. These were helpful!

315/1x12 with 15 seconds rest. I could feel the fatigue as the reps accumulated but I was pulling like it was 550 per Rifs suggestion. Great coaching is really helping me progress

Pull-ups
45/6x3
12 (bodyweight) with 2, 3/4 pulls for an additional 2 reps to blast me

The cut/scab did not affect my performance and that is a good thing.

Mountain Bike Crash Photos

Swings and a Big bang

Wow, what a morning workout. I worked out at the Foothill JC Football Field this morning, sun shining bright and no one on the field, just me and my 32kg for a round of swings

Swings (1 arm)
32/10/10/10/10 x 3
32/10/10/5/5 x 1

150 total in 10 minutes

Plus did 10 sets of 20 push-ups with the Clients once they arrived.

Lunch time Mountain Bike Session
A good 4.5 mile ride with a nice steady climb with some good sections and then a blast of a downhill. Pushed the pace well on the uphill with the hams and glutes fried from the morning swing session still just hammered.

However, I had a tough downhill and only if I had the pics to show, I do but still have not figured the upload process. Lets put it this way I took a NASTY over the handble bar face plant to shoulder slide. I started headfirst, reminded me of my baseball playing days imitating Ricky Henderson stealing second base. I bleed pretty well and have some nasty cuts, scrapes and wounds to prove it. Put it this way, people stare when they walk by and ask "Are you Ok" with wide eyes.

I am ok, just some dirt rash and good cuts and I will attempt to get some pics.

No overhead for a bit as my shoulder is stiff from the cuts.

Wow, life has an interesting if not many interesting ways of educating. One lesson I learned recently has to do with words and the power of the word. See all to often in life we people speak so unkindly to our own self. We have a distorted self image where we are too fat, not good enough, not rich enough, do not have this or that, etc. What I realized about myself is that I am perfect. Now I know this sounds pompous and all but just think about it for a second. What is wrong with you? Why do you say the negative or believe the negative things you do about yourself?

Now I am 97% positive, have complete love for myself, am proud of who I am, where I am, how I got here and am totally grateful for the life I live and the 32+ years that have lead to this moment. However, I am always striving to evolve, get better, learn, grow, etc. Now I do not think this is a 'bad' thing and in fact I will always live this way. However, I will not do it with the mindset of that I am not perfect, but a mindset that I am perfect and I going to get even more perfect.

The key is to remember that we are all wonderful in our own special way and that we must speak kindly to ourselves and love ourselves. In doing so we will be able to love those around more than ever and everyone will feel better. Life is contagious no matter what it is.

YOU ARE WONDERFUL! Live it! Breathe It! Speak It! Be It!

Thank you for taking time to read this and much respect and love to all who walk this wonderful planet known as Earth! We have one life to live, why waste time, get on It!

LIght Day

Just a light or submax workout today

Windmill
24/5/5x4

Press
28/8/8x3

Chin-ups
10x3

One set of morning pull-ups
15

A number of ab exercises with the clients

Nice light day with a busy schedule this was a nice workout

Snatches

The Hands, they are improving. I took good care of them last week, shaving, filing, shaving, filing and just being aware. So I was cautious today in my approach. Rif and I discussed doing 5 and 5 for up to 3 minutes with the 24kg and then having a full recovery and repeating. Here it goes

Snatch
24/5/5x5 total of 50 reps in 2:35

Started to experience some general fatigue. Grip, back, arms, shoulders, legs and cardio were all good. Form was strong and this was the right approach for the first round. The first round came in the morning when truly my body is not really ready for working out. I train mostly late morning (after 11) to anywhere up to 6;30 at night just depends on what kind of work I am doing. So, felt a little sluggish in this respect

ROUND 2
24/5/5x6 total of 60 reps in 3:12

This felt stronger and as you can tell by reps and time it was indeed. Same fatigue concept and I could have went 40 and 40 but with a goal of 3 minutes and my hands not ripping and body feeling intact I stopped ahead of the game. Although at the end I did notice that my tear from a week ago was cracking and I thought it better to stop. I liked the split session (similar to a grease the groove concept). My heart rate was definitely high but I did not feel anything truly limiting my performance. My technique has completed improved and the work at Rifs with his eyes watching over me has really helped. Great to have a training partner.

Also
Pull-ups
10, 8, 6 while waiting for a client

Dips
10, 20, 15

Abs
20x5


4 mile hike this evening with a client as part of his training for his upcoming attempt to Summit Mt Shasta as part of a benefit
We did this same hike Monday evening although tonight I am going to carry a 16kg KB in my pack as an extra workout.

There you go!

Better Shoulders, a must read

This is from Rifs blog listed on the right side as a link. Below is the link that contains the pics supporting the article, which I have reposted the written section and could not get the pics up. Also, note at the bottom of his write up a link to a excellent article on T-Nation regarding shoulders

http://rifsblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/stick-pressupward-shrug-for-yoganator.html


This movement has done more to de-impinge my shoulder than anything I have done yet. I use a regular stretching stick and slide it up and down the outside of a power rack( as if it were a smith machine) going through the full ROM of a perfectly strict military press.The forerarms stay perpindicular to the ground at all times and this is one of the keys. FIghting to keep the arm externally rotated as the bar passes the head is vital for 'turning on' these easy to deactivate but critical external rotators.
The upward shrugging releases the lower rhomboids in some way normalizing scapula mobility and allowing the humeral head to position itself more in neutral. I dont quite understand how the mechanics actually work but they have! I can wake up relly impinged, go to the rack, do a bunch of these and have it release the teres, the levator , the corocoid brachialis and reset the shoulder! It also has worked wonders for all my clients.
I can now also get the same release with a free movement but the rack was pivotol in finding the correct groove.Slide the bar overhead as if you were holding a big med ball between your elbows.
Sorry for the dark pictures; we took these months ago.

A MUST read; the article that really change my shoulder by Bill Hartman. The shoulder from the inside out.
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1426252

Deadlifts

Wow, what a good day with the Deadlift. I love school, I am enjoying the progression, theory, approach and constant learning environment.

Deadlift
135/5
185/3
225/3
275/3
315/2
365/1
405/1

Worksets
440/1x4

Last set I struggled and Rif could see the fatigue.

387/1x3 (with 30 sec rest)
387/1x3 (with 30 sec rest)

These felt strong and powerful, moving the bar fast and with really good fundamentals

Pull-ups
45/4x5

I felt strong today and my body was in the groove

Friday and Saturdays Workouts

Friday Bulldog day

Presses
40/3/3x5

Pistols
40/1/1x3

Pull-ups
13
9
8
13


Saturday
1 arm swing
32/10/10
32/15/15
32/20/20
32/20/20
32/15/15
32/10/10

Guard Pressand Pull-up superset
24/15/15x3

Pull-up
8x4

Speed, Agility and Quickness

Spent the day working with my strength coach friend Andrew Wun. He is the strength and conditioning coach for Santa Clara Univ Baseball team and he is SPARQ certified (which he remarked really means nothing but does in the eyes of those who do not know what is really going on).

So he took my through a really cool active warm-up filled with dynamic stretches, sprints, bodyweight conditioning exercises, etc. After about 20 minutes of this he took me through the SPARQ test. I had asked him to teach me the SPARQ ideaology since I have a client whose 2 young athletes want to improve these 5 factors for sports.

I did a vertical jump, 30 yard sprint, 5-10-5, and a rotational throw (this is the baseball test). I could feel the last 3 days and I was so weak and fatigued in my CNS and just had no power. Plus it was a 4.5 mile bike ride to the gym and I had to ride home.

I did enjoy doing the work and it is always awesome to learn new things. I really did have a great workout and I just miss sports, as I love applying my skills acquired through all this training.

Great day and more coming next week!

Snatch work

Went to Rifstonian institute today to work on my snatch form, here is the numbers

Snatch
32/11/11
32/10/10
32/9/9

Here are a few discoveries.
1. My back is feeling better than ever, with no signs of stress or strain. I feel super strong with my body mechanics related to the use of my back.
2. However I am having some issues with the downstroke which is affecting my grip negatively and grinding my hands. This is my limiting factor and a crack on my right hand re-opened and I had a huge tear on my left.
3. I have to pull earlier with my shoulder on the up swing and stomp hard with my heels to get my butt into gear.
4. GS downswing or some variation will be better for my hand/grip. My grip does not fatigue just grinding my hands and I keep tearing.
5. I feel extremely positive with this all coming together. I just need to get the timing/coordination in sync and this may take a bit of time if I do not care for my hands properly. Plus with the deads/pull-ups my grip and calluses are getting major work, even more reason to be on it!
6. Have to work my one arm swing more just to hone my skills using the 40, 24, 16, and 32.
7. I am learning so much each week, each workout that I love it!. It is great to have a goal because it really allows/forces in many respects me to focus on improving specific aspects of my training (i.e. weaknesses as well as strengths).

To sub for the additional snatch work

1 Arm swings
24/15/15x4

Never once challenged my cardio, which is feeling really good and allows me to focus on my technique not having to catch my breathe....lol

Awesome day, great week so far

Do I ever remember

Today my neighbor who is a big time mountain bike man invited me out for a ride up Kennedy mountain. Now, if you know Kennedy you know that it is a relentless and grueling 4 mile climb with the steepest parts the last section, real lung busters. We rode from our home through Los gatos up Kennedy road to the trailhead, then we climbed and climbed and climbed up to one of the highest peaks in the south bay (what beautiful views). From there it is a steep and fast fireroad downhill with some lose rock and sharp turns and then a climb up a two short but steep sections (one the road along the lexington reservior and then the backside of St josephs Hill (aka Jones Road trail) and home.

2.5 hours, 13 miles and a whole heck of a lot of climbing. Thank goodness I have a strong will because my legs were dust. I am super stoked and this was a great day for mental training and focus and physical training especially managing energy and buffering lactic acid.

WOW that is a heck of a trail.

LInear

What is the shortest distance between 2 point? This is a question I often ask of clients and today it was made clear to me in my own movement. the answer is a straight line or linear movement which is also the most efficient and effective movement when it comes to the deadlift. now, if I can just remember this point :-)

Deadlift
135/5
185/5
225/3
275/3
315/2
365/1
405/1

work sets
427/1x6

It is all in the set-up and then the excution in the straightest line possible. I must remember to lead with my chest and keep my center of gravity over the bar so I can effectively use my strength in the legs. Good day

rack Lockouts @ knee height
225/2
315/2
405/2
495/2
545/1

I like this. Nice to put the weight in the hands and on the body.

Pull-ups
45#/3x6

Excellent reps and a great feel today with these. I felt really strong and super connected. I do believe that the tension and use of the body via lat contraction with the deadlifts helps me too focus on the pull-ups and using my grip and lats together to produce a smooth, straight line with proper technique.

2 kb Presses (that is 2 in one hand)
2, 12kg (total of 24kg)/2x1
16kg/12kg/2x1
20kg/16kg/2x1

Had to try them since Rif was doing them and I am like a kid in a candy store. They are easier than 1 bell presses and Rif summized that it is due to the higher center of gravity or as he put it "it is like pressing at chin height which gives great leverage" Nonetheless they were fun and I look forward to trying this again. I did feel the fatigue of those lats/grip

Managing the Body

A lost art I have found amongst my clients and even athletes whom I have worked with is the importance of managing the body. In particular I am referring to the rehab/prehab aspects such as myofascial work, stretching, mobility, etc. The success of your body and the progression and health of your body depend on these factors as much as resistance training, cardiovscular conditioning, and nutrition. In fact they form a 1/4 of the pie.

It is essential to use tools such as the foam roller, tennis ball, baseball, golf ball to perform myofascial release, trigger point work on the muscle tissue, scar tissue of the body.

It is essential to stretch and this comes in various forms such as active stretching (using same or opposing muscle groups to stretch), static or passive stretching (similar to Bikram Yoga), yoga in general, relax into stretch (pavel has an excellent book on this), and mobility work. Mobility is a form of flexibility done through dynamic or active movement taking joints of the body thru various ranges of motion.

It is important to determine what your body needs, and build a program around the needs of your body. Of course, you do not want to neglect aspects or areas however if pressed for time then focus on the areas that need the most work first. Note that this may change through time and that if you keep up the maintenance or management of your body using this tools you will move more freely and with limited to hopefully no pain or limitations.

pull-ups

Finally created my pull-up contraption. Wish I could figure out on this apple how to put up pics. The bar is held across 2 beams with 2 tiedowns and the bar slips in the loops. Minimal swing but it does add a dimension.

bodyweight Pull-ups
8x5

randomly over the morning today. Following pavels recommendation for his father-in-law. Awesome work and 8 is a great number far from failure and excellent technique.

Yes! Super stoked. Funny what gets you excited in life

What a life

How great a life I live! Shoot, it is 10;30 on a friday and I am home chillin and decide to dig into my workout. Now, I have nothing else to do the rest of the day and my long weekend begins.

Yesterday around 5:30 my neighbor( whom I rent from) knocks on the door and hits me up to go for a quick ride, to the top of Jones and back. Now this cat is a crazy downhill rider with a bike weighing in at 45 pounds and loaded to the gills with goodies. Also, he has set a number of cool trails up for mountain bikers within the area, so tired or not I cannot pass up this "quick" ride. 45 minutes up and back, a great workout covering 5 miles, a great sweat and heck my sinus cavity feels super open! I love my home!

So back to today! Rif and I spoke and he said I should do 1 arm swings with the 32kg for 15/15/15/15/15/15 seconds/arm for a total of 1:30. I established that the number is 8 reps for that 15 second period, so 24/arm and 48 total/set

Windmill
24/5/5x1
32/5/5x1
40/3/3x1

It has been sometime since I put the 40 overhead for a windmill and I must be feeling strong because it felt good.


1 Arm swing
32/8/8/8/8/8/8 x3

144 1 arm swings. the volume is less than what I have done as my best but with the sheer number of reps/set this was appropriate. I really felt the glutes and hams and it was not till the last 13 reps that I could tell I was losing steam and to end this portion of the workout with a solid number. Heart rate was super stable, did not even notice my lungs/heart just those muscles :-)

Military Press
40/5/5x1
40/4/4x1
40/3/3x1

I love grunt and grinding these big weights, it just makes you feel like you are really pushing yourself. I frickin stuck the reps well and look forward to getting my 5x5 in.


Often at night Mia and I go for a walk/hike in the hills. For many this is a hike for us more like a walk. Also we stretch regularly (she is a gumby) and I do not blog all this but just want to share so folks have an idea

To a great day/weekend, time to play in the hills

A Good Day

back at Stones today always exciting and interesting :-). Love learning and this environment encourages learning and growing in the physical and mental sense

Deadlifts
135/5x1
185/3x1
225/3x1
275/3x1
315/2x1
365/2x1
405/1x1
438/1x1
455/1x1
468/1x1

The last 3 singles felt good, just having some weight and it feeling heavy was nice. My form/technique across the board seemed to be in good sync today. The bar did not move quite as fast as I wanted but the technique felt good. Set-up is paramount to success and that means placing the feet in proper position with the shins the right distance from the bar to get the best knee position and that way I can load the hips/legs properly for the drive. WOW, a lot of stuff, lol but I love it!

Snatch
24/8/8x1
24/5/5x2 (held bell in top position for an approximate 2 count)
32/5/5x4 (held again)

The hold really allows me to find my center, so noted RIf and I agree. I felt my downswing was better and I did feel more efficient which he noted I would, he was on the money. Great work and I like the pace. If I could pace it out I would get 100 in 5 minutes (under perfect conditions)

Snatch holds
24kg/ 1minute/side x 2

These really are great and such a great flexibility exercise and will help me when doing the 5 minute test


Overall a great day. A little fatigued from yesterday and being under the weather but I am very pleased and feel great

Up and Moving

Well, taking 3 days off is rough enough and with my last workout on Wed not being one that I was completely satisfied with I had to get up and move.

Get-up Situp
24/5/5x1
32/3/3x3

I like this move. I enjoy it for the strength and stability and core work. Could tell it had been some time since I had done this move.

Clean and Press
32/5/5x5

Nice and basic move. Good strength and technique. Still not 100%

Pistol
32/3/3x3

Pleased. Do not usually do more than singles with the 40kg but taking the powerlift squat mentality i decided to do triples.

Swings (1 Arm)
24/10/10x2
24/10/10/10/10/10/10 (60) x1

Felt good to bust a move!

Better

Still recovering and had to drive 2 hours to Santa Rosa for the funeral of a family friend (92 and a great lady who lived well). So I missed the workout with Rif and had limited time but got something in

1 arm swing
16kg/20/20x2
16kg/15/15x1

150 in 5 minutes (all I had)

Push-ups
25x4 (between a client)

Pull-ups BW
10
8
6

24 total

Feeling weak but needed to move!

Sick

Oops, this is not allergies this is a cold/flu thing that has knocked me down. I have not been able to train and have had little energy/strength, even had to take Friday off. Plan to get back this week.

Pull-ups

A light day. I slept poorly due to a mjor allergy surprise attack yesterday. Took a med and it wired me and at 1 am I felt like running a marathon. So, I had a sporatic 3 hours of sleep. I woke up alternate but had little strength.

Pull-ups (bodyweight)
10
10
8
12 (I had some extra rest as a client came and asked me a few questions)

total 40

Dips (what the heck, I like them)
10x5

Hanging Knee Raise
5x3

Stretching which I have been very due diligent about on a daily basis, probably at least 20 to 30 minutes a day even if throughout the day I just am making sure to do it. This is no surprise because I am pretty good about stretching but Ihave been really placing an emphasis on this as of late. Always feel great afterward

Resting now

Reach

Ok today was the day to work with the Kettlebell snatch technique with a hand that has 2 tears,etc.

I am not sure of the numbers as I was so focused on improving, finding, perfecting my technique. The key for me is too reach back more, allowing the swing to develop and generate more moment. This hinge has me deeper into my hips/legs, much like my deadlift, how strange is that..lol

It was a great session with Rif, he really helped me even thru my frustration which made everything more difficult today. But I have a plan and I can translate what I need to do, now I just need to practice.

Majority of the work was swing/snatch alternate with the 32 kg and some with the 24kg. Progress for sure!

Off the Blocks

Hit the blocks today, that is deadlifting off a 1 inch block which is to help foster starting strength (strength off the floor) and in my case as Rif put it help me find my proper position by forcing me to get lower in my stance really emphasizing the use of my legs....I really enjoyed this approach and could tell the difference! Awesome lifting technique

Deadlift off 1 inch Block
135/5x1
185/3x1
225/3x1
275/2x1
315/2x1

348/1x13

Whoohoo, dig this lift. I felt so strong and really found a good position.

off the floor
348/1x1
315/1x2

Definitely a big difference. Found it hard to find the position I had on the blcok but by the 2nd rep with 315 I felt much better.

Pull-ups
25#/7x5

the last 2 reps on the final set were not complete, more forced but this is the end of the volume based cycle and start a new cycle next week.

Feel great! Time to hit my warrior diet!

Bodybuilding

Wow, do I remember the days working out in Gold's Gym with my training partner hit a hard chest and tri workout, a good 4 to 5 exercises with 3 to 5 sets/exercise and 8 to 15 reps and this was just for the chest portion. It has been since 1998 that I lifted like this and I had some great results but I never did much with it as it really was for vanity it seemed and I just have always enjoyed exercise. I have a lot of respect for bodybuilders, their dedication, discipline, and the way they sculp their body like a masterpiece.

The reason I write this post is my girlfriend Mia just finished her training for a figure/bodybuilding contest. I was able to experience the last 2 months of her training and diet and I cannot say enough of how proud I am for her. Her dedication to the process, to the journey taught me so much! And, WOW she looks just awesome! She came in around 10% bodyfat at a cool 112 pounds. I kept telling her that the most important aspect of all this is the journey and how she stay focused and stuck to her goal and then end result is this stunningly gorgeous body, sculpted like the masterpiece it is...Micheloangelo would be very impressed :-). I am so proud of her and I appreciate her! Her perspective and attitude toward the whole concept and process are so healthy and in the crazy subculture that is bodybuilding this is not always the case....believe me I had many a friend who have competed and I must say that their reasons, which I respect, were not always healthy to say the least, nor their methods. This is not an indictment of the process but more a realization and appreciation for Mia and her treating her body like the temple it is with so much love and respect and her follow through on her commitment to herself and her goals. She accomplished everything she set out to and she does and should feel proud and complete!

With my goal of the TSC in Sept I have supporting me through the process my best friend who knows what it takes to follow through to the completion of a goal. And, I have a great coach who also knows so I would say my support system is strong as ever! I am so honored and grateful that I was able to support Mia on her path and I look forward to her support on mine, what a great partner, teammate!

To goals, the journey we take toward them, the accomplishments along the way, the lessons we learn, and the check mark next to the box, may we all have such experiences and may we be able to see them and feel the positive aspects of them. And to Mia, I am so proud of you and grateful for you!

Namaste

findin my groove

Today with the swing motion my focus was to find my groove. I have been playing some after watching Rif. I think my groove changs based on KB size, type of exercise swing versus snatch versus clean, and how much fatigue. One is more squat based and the other more hip with minimal knee bend. Both are effective and work excellent like I said just depends

Windmill
24/5/5x1
32/5/5x2

Squat and Press
32/3/3x1
40/3/3x3

I prefer the Clean and Press over this move, even the clean, squat and press. Nonetheless all 3 are amazing exercises and provide an excellent training effect. I feel so much stronger with the 40 in my hands. This is a staple tool for me, as it should be. The consistent application and program has really enabled me to increase my comfort level (via strength and technique) with the 32 and 40kg.

1 arm Swing
24/10/10
24/15/15
24/20/20
24/20/20
24/15/15
24/10/10

total of 180

Ok, definitely prefer the hippy motion for this. notice a total difference in power and force production. Back handles the loads well. So, I think that the squat type move comes in particular with the 32kg as I use more of an Olympic Snatch motion. I will work with Rif come Wed and try to figure this whole thing out. I feel one step closer though. I really do like the hip motion, my glutes and hams feel the effects :-)

Tomorrow I will do body weight pull-ups

I did 1 set of 15 straight right out the shoot yesterday, felt good. Still trying to find a place to situate the bar at my new casa. There is work being done on the yard, etc. right now and once construction is done I think I will have a place

Inspirational Story

I encourage all of you to take a moment and ready Tracy's Blog. I am so touched by here honesty, her courage, her truth and her compassion for life and herself. This is for any and everyone. Her story is an inspiration too me and one that brings great peace and calm to my soul to know people who play an important role in my life are out there living there truth and sharing with others.

Life brings about many great opportunities, experiences, chances, paths, etc which provide the possibilities of all kinds. The relationship with the self, with the our own soul and speaking the truth is something that can be challenging in this life for various reasons. I know I love myself, I know I have compassion for myself, I know I speak my truth and I do all this with love, kindness and gratitude. I am always learning, growing, and evolving, everyday. I am more concious, more aware of myself in every moment than ever before and I have found that my life is so much more enriching in the process.

I thank tracy for sharing her story for enhancing my awareness through self-reflection. I am thank tracy for challenging me to think and feel about what she wrote not only for myself but for the lives I touch. I am grateful for Tracy!

Mountain Bike

Simple yet effective ride today. Just getting my legs underneath me so I can start adding mileage! My typical 5 miler today with an emphasis on using my bigger gears making it more strength via lower RPM's so I could grind my way up the hill. Works the legs more and get the lactate following so teaches me awareness on how to buffer. Plus, it will prep me for the more ardous climbs which some go 4 to 5 miles up on a continuous slope, relentless and grueling but great for the mind and body!

I love Los Gatos

Tearing it up

Today is my snatch day. A lot going on with this move right now. One, we are trying to determine at what rep with a cummalitve effect in mind do I hit lactic acid phase; two I am working on what the deal is with my down swing on my right hand and three: my callus tore again which sucks because I have been removing the dead skin and filing but for whatever reason I tore one and have a second on the verge

Snatch
32/5/5x2
32/10/10x1

60 reps in 5 minutes and bingo I discovered the tear and that was it. So I finished with 1 arm swings

32/15/15 rest 30 sec
32/10/10 rest 30 sec
32/10/10 I am done

Frustrated about the tear but 60 snatches in 5 minutes is becoming the norm and only over about an 7 week period. I know I can hit 80 just by sheear tenacity but I want them to come with great technique as well. All in all I am doing very well I just want more. So, I hope to hit the snatch with Rif next Wed for his coaching, etc. I think it would be good. I plan on doing more 1 arm swings Friday playing with the weight though, maybe hig reps with the 24 or 28, we will have to see.

40kg

Had to do it! Feeling better and my body and soul feel more rested so decided to hit the 40 kg for a couple things. Did not want to over do it but had an itch I had to scratch

Military Press
40/3/3x3

Excellent! Feeling strong again

Pistol
40/1/1x3

Perfect reps. No questions asked!

2 40 minute rides covering approx 5 miles last night and one today! Cannot pass it up, right out my front door is the hill. :-)

School Day

Back to the Rifstonian Institute for my normal school Monday. The lessons are many, the exercises are the same Deads and Pull-ups. The main lesson today was fall back. So, before lifting feel like you were to let go of the bar you would fall back on to your arse. This sure seemed to help today

Deadlift
135/5x2
185/5x1
225/3x1
275/2x1
315/2x1
365/1x1
405/1x1

Work sets
427/1x5

the art and science of movement.The deadlift reinforces these concepts that movement is art and the deadlift is a true masterpiece the challenge is getting all the ingredients mixed correctly to produce optimal performance. Some days, some reps, some everything are better than others. Overall I feel closer but practice, practice and more practice.

Pull-ups
27.5#s/6x6

Ok, the last 2 reps were brutal. I did a better job of resting but just was a little fatigued on the last set. Remember the LATS to initiate the pull.

I feel very pleased with todays schooling.

CSP and Snatch

Wanted to do some Strength and Conditioning full body kettlebell style. Task accomplished!

Clean, Squat and Press
24/3/3x2 for a warm-up
40/3/3x3. This is the first time I have done the complete move with the 40kg. I could have done more in ladder format but I really wanted to focus on the Snatch and thought it best to keep the strength load low on the volume. But, felt really good with this move as a complete motion using the 40kg. I should use this weight for the singl;e bell and the 32 for the doubles. This is a supplementary/complimentary move to the TSC program. Plus, it is a full body complex movement that is just awesome.


Snatch
24/20/20x1 (took 1:45)
24/10/10x1
24/5/5/5/5x3 (now the total time is 8:30)...here my mind starts to think. I know I can do 150 in 10 minutes, I have never done so and I have a minute + to bust it. here I go
24/10/10/5/5

I did it right at 10 even and with nothing left in the tank. It felt good mentally to push and physically to challenge the body in a state of fatigue to sprint hard. Technique was rough the last 3 reps but I made it.

NOTE: Heart rate 20 seconds after the fact was equal to 216 beats per minute. At 1.5 minutes I was down to 120. Nice recovery and I have to admit 12 minutes after the fact I am writing this and I feel energized and my low back feels fatiqued but I am pleasantly surprised I am not wrecked or overally tight!

Great workout and I am feeling better, still not fully recovery from overall fatigue but I am feeling fighting strong!

If all goes well and I wake up feeling good i am going to do a swing/bodyweight pull-up tomorrow!

PS I am getting the crow to handstand down well, even did it off the kettlebells. My handstands are improving if not pretty

Deadlifts and Pull-ups

Back on it today with Rif. Really struggled last week to do anything productive. Felt weak in my prior 2 big workouts eventhough I had some good numbers. So, today it was crucial I get back on the ball and get some good weight in my hands.

Deadlifts
135/2x1
225/1x1
275/1x1
315/1x1
365/1x3

work sets
405 for 5 singles.

Still cannot find my form consistently which means I do not have the true feel. Now, I have felt it before but I do not have it 100% and therefore I am a little slow out the shoot because of my position which affects my technique. Conceptually speaking I totally understand but I have not been able to make the full transformation to the movement.

Deadlift to the knees with a pause
315/3x2
275/3x2

Forgot to ask the specifics of why we did this but I can tell it was good.

Pull-ups
10kg/6x6

these were very good. Focused on pulling through the lats. Going to work more on full body tension to help increase hyper irridation (overall muscle tension and recruitment for more strength).

Some good eats, some quality rest and I will be ready for the next workout

A new direction

I am officially off the job as the strength and conditioning coach for Frank Shamrocks teams. This has been a wonderful experience and has brought me so many great opportunities to work with some fantastic athletes. I am very grateful for this time I have had and will take many valuable lessons with me as I continue to progress forward with my career in the health and fitness industry. I am a better man, better person, and a better coach because of this experience. I wish all the gentleman associated with Shamrock Fight Teams all the best in their careers as MMA athlete/fighters. There are some talented men in the group who should do well in this career. I want to thank Frank for giving me the opportunity and I wish him the best. He is undoubtly one of the most gifted athletes I have every seen in any sport and of course one of the greatest Fighters to ever grace the Octagon. Watch him fight on June 22nd at HP Pavilion in San Jose. And, keep yours eyes out for the San Jose Razorclaws who fight May 19th in Chicago

Gratitude and Evolution

Forward moving I am in the process of placing my resume out to local Junior Colleges in hopes of landing a teaching position and maybe even a coaching position. With my background and Masters Degree this is an area in which I can use my skills and an area in which I really want to pursue. I feel teaching aspiring students will be excellent and a great compliment to my current profession.

Now, time to rest up, finish some moving details and get ready to train hard tomorrow!

Change

So the last week of my life has been hectic. I just moved to an amazing home in an amazing place, Los Gatos CA. I am right on the trailhead and next to water for jazmine. So safe to say I am super excited. Therefore, last week was shot with workouts. They were not what I hoped for but I did what I could here and there. I moved everyday, had to travel on the weekend and my body and mind are fatigued because of this the workouts have suffered.

Last weeks Snatch workout done on Friday
32/5/5x1
32/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5= 40 reps (swtiched every 5)
32/5/5/5/5/5/5 = 30 reps (switched every 5)
32/10/10 = 20 reps

total time 5 minutes and 19 secs. for the 90 reps. The first 5 and 5 was a warm-up

Now the goal was not time but I just kept my eyes peeled to have an idea. I was wasted at the end and my form suffered. Overall I was just fatigued but still proud of my work loads


Today, Monday the 29th

I was supposed to work with Rif, but being he got back late for the RKC in Minnesota the decision was to move our workout to Wed. So, instead of the Deads my objective was the Snatch again. Well I just did not have it today. My goal was to do 8 sets of 10 and 10 just to build up my volume and increase my abililty to handle 10 reps/side (i.e. increase my lactic threshold)

Snatch
32/5/5x1
32/10/10x2 (falling apart at the seams technique wise) so I am switiching to Swings

1 Arm Swing
32/20/20x2
32/15/15x2

Total volume
Snatch = 50
1 Arm swing = 140

Good choice to make the change to swings. Now that I am settled in at home I am will be able to get some good nutrition and good rest. I want to have a great training session on Wed so I have to get myself hormones situated. No excuses now I can focus on what needs to be done with the workouts. I am glad I at least got the work I was supposed to in and look forward to some more good work thru the week!

deadifts and pull-ups

Hit the high volume singles today with the deads. I find these excellent for one reason in particular, the more singles I do the closer I get to finding the groove. I know it is not there but I am not sure of what there is. I have found it and lost it but I conceptually understand it better after all the practice, lol.

Warm-up
135/2x1
225/2x1
315/2x1
348/2x1

Work with approx 30 sec rest periods
387/1x12

in an effort to help understand my groove with a pull followed by a slow controlled negative with a static hold with the bar and plates barely touching the ground Rif had me do 2 sets of 4 reps with 315. This truly did conceptually make things easier. Practice, practice and more practice. Oh how I love the feel of the bar in my hands.

Pull-ups
30.5#/5 reps x 8 sets

Tense the grip, pinch the legs, breathe deep, engage lats and pull, all in one! Easier said than done coordinating such movement but awesome nonetheless. Rest approx 1 minute between sets. Failed the last rep of the last set so truly only completed 39 full reps which I would 35 were quality.

Great day, the body is coming together as is all the lessons I am learning working through this program design and being coached. As Frank said, find someone better than you and train with them, Thanks Rif.

A good meal, some good rest, a mountain bike ride tomorrow and then Snatches on Wed; Presses and Pistols on Thursday, and 1 arm Swings on Friday which I will wave weekly between the 24, 32, and 40.

Another great day, another great day at Stones and way to start the week STRONG!

Kettlebells

Did the good ole reliable Clean and Press today with the 32kg. It felt like a good day for pressing and working through my techniques. Although, 70 lbs is always 70lbs no matter what and then you make it into an odd shape like the KB and 70 lbs really adds up.

Another thing, I noticed how tender my hammies are today. Those swings really stuck it to the hams and I dig the feeling. Low back has a mild, in fact real mild case of soreness but nothing that would hold me back

Clean and Press
32/5/5x5

Total time less than 10 minutes. I was not purposely racing the clock but I do enjoy pushing and with excellent technique.

Pull-ups
10x2
8x3

This is done on the steps at my house. So I cannot get the same feel in the grip as the bar but I feel it really increases my strength through my fingers which should carryover to the tactical bar grip pull-ups.

Short and quick but just what I needed. I have noticed a considerable change in my physique over the last few weeks and I would put myself at about 10% body fat at 173. Not far from my goal of 165 to 168 at 8%. Dig the warrior diet although I have been a little extra hungry this week, must be on my period, lol.

Cannot wait till Monday

Swings

Big swing day! Instead of the Snatch which I have done a four week esclating cycle with I decided to back off and do some serious strength and conditioning with the 1 arm swing against time

1 Arm Swing, 32kg (1 minute to work and rest).
Minute 1: 32/8/8 (25 sec work)
32/9/9
32/10/10
32/11/11
32/12/12

Rest 1 full minute + 20 seconds I had left over from the 12/12 set...getting hot so time to turn on the fan :-)

32/8/8
32/8/8
32/8/8
32/8/8
32/8/8

Total time 10 minutes and 29 seconds for 180 swings

The Good news is that my low back held its own. Yes, I did feel the fatigue but a light stretch and some heavy Jandas is all it took to eliminate. Next week I am back to the Snatch with the addition of the Swing workout. Also, lungs and conditioning were no issue as my conditioning is strong.

Windmill
24/5/5x1
32/5/5x3

Just a nice warm-up and good stretch, strengthen, stabilization and posture move!


Janda Power Breathing Crunch
32/5x4

Nice exercise that really counters all the swing work well and will strengthen my abs for the Deadlifts.

Loving the work, as I have found much pleasure and enjoyment in learning the mastery, the art of the deep skill related to the movements. I am maturing for sure and so open as my glass is half full with and endless bottom. I realize that I have one of the top strength and conditioning coaches at my disposal, who wants to help me out and I would be foolish to let my ego prevent me from growing, evolving. Plus, I have a fabulous network of other amazing and talented minds at my disposal and I am so stoked to learn from them. As Frank said the other day it is all about the basics and mastering them, practice, practice, practice and practice some more. I have all the tools and resources to be the best! Gratitude!

KB's

A light workout today in terms of number of exercises. My body just is not a big fan of volume based swings so I am working on building up work capacity!

Military Press
warm-up
24/3/3x1
32/3/3x1

Work
40/3/3x1
40/4/4x1
40/5/5x2

These are never easy with the bulldog in hand

2 hand swing
40/15x5

Awesome and my back handled the load well

DARC
32/50x1

Just felt that this was enough to walk away with feeling strong!

Mountain Bike

Last night headed out for a hard, intense ride. The idea was to really push this one particular hill known as the Jones Trail or St. Josephs Hill. I wanted to mix my gears a certain way and push to the top. After the initial phase which is a 1/2 mile climb, how is that for a warm-up and a way to wake the body I found my groove and started to push myself. Again, I did not want to break lactate threshold if I could avoid it and I do not think I did since I did not feel the fatigue. However, since the climb is only 2 miles there is a possibility that in a 4 mile or more I would have felt the effects of the push on a greater level.

So, a 1/2 mile from the top I saw a man about 200 yards in front of me and my goal was to catch him. Not an easy task because that last 1/2 mile is all uphill with a couple good steep sections where if you push to hard you will have to recover and not have enough time to make a run. Well, with 200 yards to go, I passed him indeed and it felt just because he unknowingly gave me something extra to push for.

So this was another great ride added with the 9 mile ride with the final 5 a straight climb out on The Purisma Creek trail this past weekend, which was a great ride for building endurance and confidence, I can tell that my skills are increasing as is my strength and endurance.

I truly have rediscovered the love and thrill of being in the saddle and havin fun whether alone with my IPOD Shuffle or with friends. Plan to ride tomorrow or Friday and for sure on the weekend. So, 2 more this week will be excellent.

Combined with my other training which I am very pleased with I feel really solid heading into May and for the TSC in September. Rifs coaching and direction has truly helped me to focus

Deadlifts and Pull-ups

Week 4 of deadlifts. Today the focus was speed lifts! I like these workouts. A nice weight, good for technique and a lot fo work in a short period

365/1x15 with 30 sec rest between reps

Rif and I worked out a better position today. lengthening the arms via scapula protraction and resting the bar more in my fingers and less in the meat of the hands shortened the distance I had to cover and seem to be related to me being much more explosive and in better position. I think I am describing this correctly but I am still finding the groove but it sure felt really good.


Pulls-ups
27lbs/5x7
27lbs/4x1

Was supposed to do 5 on the last set but missed.

Great workout and more learning!

Rif is impressive and is inspiring me with these high reps swing sets. I love watching his approach to progressions and his consist technique through each swing! I hate high reps :-)

Where did that come from

Ok, so I was at the gym, yes Club One today and I must say that this is not a normal but I have found pleasure being in a big gym. Well, I decided to do something I do not normally do, Bench Press. A couple weeks ago Rif and I talked about BP and how the boards work, etc. and this stoked my fire.

Bench Press
135/5x1
185/3x1
225/3x1
275/1x1
285/1x1
295/1x2

Wow! Where did that come from? Well I must say I felt awesome and I believe that i had more in me but doing that 285 probably stripped me of my full potential but pleased and I have to admit impressed.

The kettlebells do have a what the heck effect? I do not think most people role in the gym at 175 and hit 295.

Pull-ups
15
10x2

Just some work, have a big day on Monday with Pull-ups

Nice day playing at the gym!

Swings

I am a huge fan of the Kettlebell swing and I truly understand why it is truly the king of all exercises. Now that being said I hate doing them and that means I have to have them as a part of my program. Therefore I have added them back in. In particular I am focusing on the 1 arm swing. I have to re-evaluate when I place them in the schedule, because I know today was not the right day after a big snatch session. I felt my low back fatigue at 120 and was able to hit 150 which was great, but I want at least 200

Morning
Pull-ups
12, 10, 8

all bodyweight but because of the massive tear in my hand I had to use a true finger grip and could not crush the bar. I found this to actually work to my benefit and if anything will increase my strength

Afternoon
1 arm swing
32/10/10 x7
+ 5/5x1 to hit 150.

Took 10 minutes to complete

2 KB Military Press
32/6/6x3

These felt good especially doing 2 bells. totally different workout. did 2 sets see-saw style and one double press.

Snatches

Well today was the big snatch session day. my goal was to accomplish 2, three minute work sets

Set 1
32/8/8
32/9/9
32/10/10

total time 2:43....complete rest of 5 minutes before set 2

Set 2
32/10/10 (getting hard)
32/9/9 (really pushing)
32/3/3

I missed the mark of 8/8 on the last set. Rarely if ever does that happen but today it did. Partly due to the fact that my mind set was not right today. I had a personal issue to handle just before training. I attempted to channel that energy and did a pretty good job but forcing out those last 10 reps would have been with terrible technique. In competition this is cool, but in training no.

So next week I will adjust the workout some and play around. However there is one real good thing about this workout (more than one but this was a PR). I did 100 reps for the first time.

I plan to do some more work today but mainly stretch and do some core stuff!

More to learn, more room to grow and improve and I have a goal. 100 reps in 5 minutes with the 32kg

Gearing Up

Another great day in the bay area so that means time to hit the mountains. Went out for a big ride today with some much more difficult pitch and a few different climbs and a extremely rewarding downhill. the ride took about 1 hour less than I thought which is a testament to my mental and physical strength and endurance. The downhill was a single track Rocky Ridge with quick turns, big rocks and a slim line. Awesome ride, and I was surprised with my technical downhill ability. Stayed on the bike and thank goodness for a great full suspension bike. I could have been faster but I was pleased!

Finished the evening session with some KBs

Windmill
24/5/5x1
32/5/5x1
40/5/5x1

Military Press
40/3/3x2
40/5/5x1

Did not want to over do it. Have a big Snatch session tomorrow and want to be ready


Feel no residuals from yesterday either, right load, right reps scheme

Pulls

Another great deadlift session today with Rif.

Todays Keys
Wedge (sink my hips lower)
Link
Big Breathe

135/1
185/2
225/2
275/2
315/2
365/1
405/1

427/1

438/1x6

Overall these were good. I completed the reps, safely and feel no residual fatigue. Although, I do realize thanks to Rif I need to work on Starting Strength. Once the bar starts moving I feel there is no stopping me. However, i need to get that initial pull strong.

Pull-ups
10kg/5x8

40 total reps and I could have done more. Think Lats first as a constant reminder!

Great workout!

Corner man

Had my first ever Chief Cornerman experience. Friday night Dave Shoulders MacMillan one of my pro MMA fighters had a fight in Victorville CA, at Chaos at the Cage 2. Originally, I was going to be the 3rd corner but some things came about and in a pinch I became the lead corner. Considering that I have no experience with cuts, etc. and limited MMA experience (relative to the other cornermen) this was a new venture.

Well, nonetheless Dave went in and dominated the fight. His strength and conditioning combined with his skills and techniques were in sync. Besides the cut from an elbow which I must say I proudly closed (first time) he tossed the guy around like a rag doll and completely controlled the fight from the mount position for all 3 rounds scoring a clean sweep decision. If the other guy did not squirm so much we would have had the knockout, came close but the win and in such a dominating fashion was a great thing for Dave.

Back to the office today to keep working for his next fight!

3 P's and a W

Started my morning off with some weighted pullups. Noticed I was feeling the effects of the snatch and the prior 2 days but felt good and...

Pull-ups bw+25#s
8x1
7x1
6x1

Strong pulls through out and definitely will need to add volume. I feel 11 was my max today up 1 from the last week. No worries, 20 will come in 5 months

Afternoon
Windmill
32/5/5x3

Nice stretch, good stabilization and helped open me up

Military Press
40/3/3x3

Great reps throughout. I have to say the 40 never seems to get 'easy'. Yes, I am stronger and feel comfortable using this bell. Enjoying working up with this bell

Pistols
40/1/1x3

This groove is getting really strong. high reps not my goal, but good explosive strength and bottom position stability are the goals and they are coming right along.

That is it for the day. tomorrow I will see. I have a 6.5 hour drive to watch Dave 'shoulders' fight in San Bernadino County (LA area). Hope to catch a mountain bike ride on the way there and back in Castaic Lake by magic mountain.

Stay Tuned

32 Snatch

taking Rifs advice I went for 1 minute work sets with 8 reps/side for as long as I could. Well, I mentally decided i was going to do this for 5 minutes.

So here is how it went down
32/8/8...36 seconds
32/8/8...34 seconds
32/8/8...32 seconds
32/8/8...36 seconds
32/8/8...32 seconds

total time: 4:32
total reps: 80

Goal for the contest achieved and I am 5 months from the date. time to readjust.

I will say the last set was poor form but I accomplished.

2 for Tuesday

today I did a split workout. Since tomorrow is my big snatch day I thought I would do some other things I enjoy today

Morning

Mountain Bike...35 minutes or so
Now I only covered 4 miles but it was a good 2 mile climb with a lot more pitch. Plus I knew I was going for an evening workout and have a big day tomorrow. I just want my legs and lungs to get used to riding again plus any distance is good when I am on my bike on a beautiful day in the los gatos mountains, not much better than this.


Evening

Yoga (Vinyasa) 1.5 hours
Great class, great workout, strong balance and with the additional 30 minutes I did at 5:30 am of just focused stretching this was a nice way to finish a great day

Deadlifts at Stones

My first back in Stones and it felt good, felt right! I am honored to be back in Stones training with the coach whom I look up too most, Mark Reifkind. Being in a position to coach athletes I have learned so much about the importance of a great coach and the importance of being humble and open to learning. So, I am walking back into Stones a humble man, ready and willing to learn from one of the best!

Deadlifts:
85% of 500 pounds for singles
135/2x1
225/2x1
315/1x1
365/1x1
405/1x1

Work Sets
427/1x6

Overall I felt good today, but I realize that mountain biking hard the day before a big DL is not smart. I will be much more fresh for next weeks session. Rif did bring up a couple great points (already paying off being back): keep the scapula over the bar and get my chest into the lift so i am not left having to lift with my back when my legs have finished the move. And of course any time we talk strategy around percentage lifting I always come out smarter.

So Rif suggested that I save my big Snatch day for another day when I can train fresh. This makes total sense. So instead today I focused on some basic

Military Press
32/5/5x5

Good solid work hitting the groove.

Awesome day! I am a smarter and better trainer because of today, that is worth its weight in gold

Mountain Bike

Took my big buddy Mike out today for the second ride of the season. I can already feel the difference from day 1. I felt a consistent output of power and drive to the pedals and maintained my heart rate, never breaking threshold. This is key at this point, just staying under my anaerobic Threshold to control lactate and enable me to perform for duration with strength. My energy system and legs seem to be adapting well.

Covered approximately 8 miles. Not sure how long because I never looked at the clock but about 1.5 hours.

Another beautiful day playing out in nature!

TOMORROW, I am back at the Rifstonian Institute to work with my coach for the first time in what seems like ages. We will be working the deadlift, snatches and pull-ups, essentially a TSC day! Week 1 of training for Sept 8th!