Presses, Pistols and Pull-ups

A minor adjustment today. Normally I do my heavier presses today but with the change to Monday I decided best to wait. Afterall I did Jerks this past monday and I am sure the extra days in between will not adversely affect me, in fact I will press stronger come Monday. So, I substituted some Bench Press for the fun of it.

Bench Press
135/5x6
185/5x3

Nice to just focus on form and go through the motions of the move. For various reasons I am not planning on making BP a part of my routine. The most important has to do with my current goals and plans and the others have to do with the health of the shoulder. If I was to lift the BP I would be doing so for powerlifting goals which makes sense with my DL and Squats. However, it is just that reason that I am advised to protect my shoulders. Now, if for some reason it looks as if I can do real well in PL contest then I would consider adding BP and competing but at this point that is not my goal and that answer is yet to be determined as I need much bigger squats and DL's in order to get to that level. I know I can bench press close to 315 without much work but getting to 400 will require serious focus and lots of stress on the shoulders that I am just not willing to at this point endure.
But, shoot this is sure a fun exercise. :-)

Pull-ups
10, 8, 8, 8 (Forearm flexors tight so I did some thumping, rolling, cross friction and stripping to open them up and felt much better)

Pistol
28/2/2x3

Again keeping the totals down just to protect the hammie and again that philosophy paid off as I feel no pain :-).

A key thing I am doing and thinking when moving any weight is thinking of what I desire to push. For instance if I want to squat 500 I think even when doing the 225 about applying 500 pounds of force to the bar. Now, I do not know what that feels like but I do my best to put my mind in that state and focus my intention on applying maximal force to the bar, bell, etc. I had a great discussion with Rif about Force application and its carryover/effect on how much on can lift, move, etc. As he said just because a person can squat 500 lbs for triples does not mean they can squat 550. The simple reason is that it only takes 500 lbs to move 500 lbs. An very important point/fact.

Next up Yoga, foam rolling and some specific stretches

Tempo Runs, Rehab and Yoga

Another day of Tempo Runs and lots of rehab/body work.

Warm-up
Dynamics: A's B's, butt kickers, ankle flips, etc.

100 yards x 12 reps

Increased 2 reps and felt really good. Nice to have some consistency starting to develop. No hammie issue but not pushing it.

Rehab galore, the same recipe as usual.

Another great Yoga workout as well, absolutely enjoy the practice of the art

Eventhough there is not much 'listed' here this is a significant workout day and allows me to build and refine so I can keep this as part of a regular routine. Simple and very effective. I will add and subtract as necessary and based off of analysis as the program progresses.

Great post from Rif's site on Training

Fred Hatfield. the lightest and oldest man to squat 1000lbs. Hatfield knew discipline and committment to the goal.


Got this quote of Dr Hatfield from Boris Bachman's blog

http://squatrx.blogspot.com/2007/11/words-of-wisdom-from-dr-squat.html

Dr squat says:

"Look, 'routines' are just that! I have written much on the subject. I have probably given the subject more careful thought than most. Here is yet another thought that I should've written at some time... maybe I did... can't remember.In order to achieve ANYTHING in life to the pinnacle of your capabilities, you must 'marry' the thing! Become a 'priest' to it. Live, eat, sleep and breathe it! You MUST NOT succumb to whoredom and meander from one routine to another in the false hope that one of them is gonna 'work'.

It will not! You may get a quick fix from it, but it'll only be because you re-injected some adaptive stress into your routine.Do this instead.
THINK IT OUT!
Now, most lifters cannot do this because they are not educated in the discipline, and because they have never been taught to REALLY think things through! So, the alternative is to find yourself a bonafide guru who HAS, and hang your hat on what that person has to say! So, find one! ONE!"- Dr. Fred Hatfield

Do not fall victim to "random acts of variety' if you have a serious goal, a real goal.You must start at the end( the goal) and work backwards( to where you are now, starting) to see what must be done to achieve the goal.If you can't or won't do what is necessary at least you will know why for real why you didnt achieve your goal, instead of pretending that it wasn't possible for you or that you 'really didnt care' about it.
Don't be afraid to care 100% about something and try 100% to achieve it in case you cannot. It's not failing that counts , its the giving up. One is either getting stronger or weaker each day with EACH act we do. We are either going towards what we say we want or deluding ourselves and going backwards.
Realizing the price to be paid is too high is not deluding oneself or failing as long as one is honest about it.Great things are never accomplished without a high cost.And while they might not be great in the grand scheme of things to others,everyone know what they consider great and whether that quest is worthwhile.

Challenges don't build character, it is said, they reveal it.

Max VO2 Snatch and Heavy Pull-ups

Tickering and tweaking to find a great balance, part of training. So with Rif's schedule change I am following suit. It makes it better for both of to push each other, etc.

Max VO2 Snatch
16/7/side for 40 sets (20 minutes). Last 3 sets on each side did 8 reps

My hammie held strong, back had minimal issues and hands are well....good things and the benefit of consistent application and tweaks and tickering with technique. So happy that through my trials and tribulations (my poor TSC snatch performance and all the tears plus low back discomfort) that I have stuck it out and worked diligently with Rif and here we are. I have to say this felt relatively easy, definitely easier than the prior time a couple weeks ago when did the 35 sets.

I felt the heart beating and my breathe was flowing in and out but I never felt like I had to stop or I could not do more. 40 was the right number for today and I still had more in me which is why the last 3 sets with the 8's was doable. But let me tell you there is a significant difference between 7 and 8, especially if applied over 20 minutes and not just 3 minutes. That extra bit of force application each rep and each set in the progressive and structured manner of this workout takes the Max VO2 to another level. Power, speed and strength at its best...snatch style that is.

Pull-ups
BW/5
12k/3
20k/4x5

this was the strongest I have felt in some time. Strong and Powerful, pulling with a mission and great intention! I was fast and really got great lat usage and felt the technque was honed in well.

Overall I have to say that I have been on a great roll for a long time and the results are there. This sticking to a program and working out all the kinks, etc. in order to master a system and enhance to body and mind is amazing. Not only am I able to apply to myself but to clients and my practice as well. It sure means more when you are practicing what you preach.
Thank goodness for a great coach and mentor

Tempo Runs, Clubbells and Rehab

My legs are Sore! Oh how I forgot how squats make the legs ache :-). So, I wanted to do some tempo runs to flush out the acid and aid the healing process and too test the Hammie.

tempo
10x100

No hammie issues and legs feel loose.

Clubbells
A variety of clubbell exercises such as: rockets, pendulums, flags, torch press, single and double arm cast, side cast?, mills, combo moves all for 10 reps x 2 sets using only a single 10lb bell. There is a significant difference between the 5 and 10lb bell.
Not sure of all the names so I cannot be too specific.

Rehab
foam roll, stretch, massage, ice, jacuzzi tub or what I call Joga (i did not steal this from Rif and the Rifga just happened to be we think along similar lines, go figure :-)

I feel good, just want to be preventive in my approach

Jerks and Squats

Day 2 of the Squat! The evolution continues as a new beginning is under way. A natural move for me, I feel right under the bar. Today Rif noted that I might be better off with the olympic shoes due to my quad dominate nature and the fact that I would be able to use my strong hips and quads to their max benefit. This was not the case when barefoot since shifting to my hips took my quads out. This change made the squat feel much easier to perform and enabled me to get the depth required and the drive necessary. Hi my name is Joe and I like to Squat (stealing from Brett Jones). A squataholic, not yet but a big fan

Bar/5x2
95/5x1
135/5x1
185/5x1
207/5x1
225/5x1
185/3x1 With 2+ second pause in the hole
135/3x1 With the same pause

Hey, those pauses wake you up. My hammie is tight and right hip so I will foam roll and try the Z program tonight. I have 3 more clients first and a big warrior dinner.

Jerks (doubles)
24/10x5

Good basic move but with Rif making his program change I am going to go to the Heavy Pressing on this day (at least that is what we discussed and stay tuned to next Monday to see it all play out :-)

Feels good to be back on the Warrior. Thanksgiving was a rough 4 days especially accompanied with my bday. Time to be better than good

3 P's

Presses
24/5/5
32/5/5x2

40/2/2x1
40/3/3x2
40/5/5x1

A great clean sets up a great Press. Key point. Push your forearm against the bell as pressing gives lverage and greater strength

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

Kept the volume low. Just being smart with the Hammie and making sure to not push anything that may aggrevate the problem area. This was good and went to a point where I was strong.

NOTE: the prior workout with Rif telling me to lean forward more really helped.

Pull-ups (bodyweight)
8x4

Snatch (24kg) & Pull-up (weighted)

So I was trying to think back to my last workout the 24kg for Snatch. I know the volume was 150 and I did a 8/8/5/5 for 5 set workout. Today we bumped it up and here is the low down.

Snatch
24/5/5/5/5/5/5x1
24/5/5/10/10x1 (I had felt that I was losing my rhythm and less transfers the better)
24/8/8/8/8x4

total of 188 and 9964 pounds (2000 more than prior workout)

This was work. I could feel the cummlative fatigue adding up with the last round of set 3 and the last round of set 4. I worked on finding a pace and speed I was comfortable with. I know I am a sprinter, I like moving hard, fast and fluid and this means the heart rate adds up. I feel that when I slow down I lose my technique. The last set I really stepped the speed up and finished in 1 minute 10 seconds where the prior sets took about 120 to 125. That extra blast on the last set made me feel like puking and my Heart Rate reflected that at about 198+ (hard to count when beating that fast). Where in prior sets I think reached up to 188.

Pull-ups
16k/3x1
20k/3x5

Not a lot left in the tank for those big pulling muscles and the assistance groups

Thats it

Jerks, Squats and clubbells

Great Monday workout at Stones. A couple of first to boot and a great post 33 bday celebration

Jerks (1kb)
16/5/5
20/5/5
24/5/5
28/5/5

32/12/12x2
32/10/10x2

Ok, these bigger numbers bring about a nice fatigue and great workload. Had my HR up to 180 on the last set so I knew muscularly and cardiovascularly I was working hard. The coordination is improving.

Squats
worked up to a set of 195 for triples x 1 set

This was the first for me in well over 5+ years. Truth be told I cannot even begin to recall the last time I Squatted with a bar. More important this was my first lesson from Rif, who is a true Powerlifting coach. He approached me with a wide stance, bar across the rear delts, back squatter. I could tell how this would really help the Deadlift and I could feel the power, strength and full body effort required to move the bar. A very natural move with this particular set up. So far to go but a great first step and what a move. Talk about respect for those men and women who lift big.

Clubbells
Arm cast to Flag
1 bell: 10lb/8/8x1
2 bell: 10lb/8/8x1
15lb/7/7x1, 6/6x1, 5/5x1

Side Swing
10lb/12/12x1
15lb/12/12x2

Fantastic workouts, they just keep getting better!

Press, Pull-up, Swing

warm-up
Clubbells
rockets, pendulum, flag and torch press, casts with the 5lbs

Presses
32/5/5
32/6/6
32/7/7
32/8/8
32/9/9

Total of 70 and 4900lbs

Superset w/ Pull-ups
8x5

Swings (1 arm)
32/10/10x5

A bit tight at the hamnstring insertion (orgin)on the ishcial tuberosity.

A great workout

Snatch, Weighted Pull-up, Pistol

This was a great, I mean great! workout. Today I could feel the strength, the energy, the instinct of the Warrior Diet in full effect, 10 days into the program. My re-committing to the lifestyle of the Warrior diet and the rest (took Friday/Monday off of lifting/training) really showed. I am living the words I preach and practicing daily, this is the essence of life, practice what you preach and philosophically feel daily.

Snatch
16/5/5
20/5/5
24/5/5

32/5/5x7

Fast, powerful, a good flip, good hip tension at the top and no issues with hands, grip, etc. This bell felt light and that is a first in some time doing the Snatch. The down cycle really helped to find my groove, like Rif said it would. Great coaching, great listening and here are the results. As Keats Snideman mentioned on his blog about great coaches, I am thankful I have one the fits that category and I am grateful that I opened my mind and saw the forest through the trees to accept his generous gift. The proof is in the pudding

Pull-up
5- BW
20kg/3
32kg/1
48kg/1x2
36kg/2x2

Yes, I did the beast with two 24's! Super excited!

Pistol (2kb in rack postion)
12/2x1
16/2/2x3

Focused on 1 side at a time this rest makes a difference. This is strength training, resting to allow optimal strength is a key. Leaning forward early helped me to discover my balance and not fight the stability of the move throughout which made me stronger. A huge factor. I feel really good about this technique application and I will apply it to the beast

This is TRAINING! Build, disect, challenge, improve, listen, exchange (ideas), push, back off, work, wave, do it!

WOW! Take your time to view this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o&eurl=http://mediatedcultures.net/ksudigg/

As a teacher at a University, this is eye opening and I could not agree more!

Things that make you go Hmmmm

Be A Warrior

That is right, be a warrior. I am referring to the Warrior Diet. I can say this for a fact, it has and does work extremely well, at least for me. Do I think it is right for you, probably, more than likely, and worth a chance. First, you need to buy the book. Why, because the information contained in the book will answer all your questions.

I have and can try to explain it but after reading it for the 3rd time it really struck me how great a system this book is. Most people have no rhyme or reason and this is a major reason that they struggle physically, mentally and emotionally. If you do not think that nutrition and in particular what, how, when you eat have little effect on all these factors well then you should think again. You are what you eat, plain and simple.

If you value your self, if you want to make a change, if you need to make a change, if you need to be healthier, fitter, leaner, cleaner, if you plain and simple want to improve your life and well being take the opportunity to read and learn about this incredible health and fitness system.

This is more than about fasting, overeating and losing weight, believe me that is if you think I do my homework and have any sense of intelligence and wisdom.

The Beast!

Yesterday I decided to test my beast by taking it out for a quick spin, Press and Pistol style.

Presses
48/1/1x1

I have to admit it went up easy!

Pistol
48/1x1 Right side

PS I will TAME the BEast in February at under 170, the lightest recorded I believe

This was the toughest of the moves, really struggled holding my balance on the way down.....just needed to have more focus/tension.

Going to Mt Shasta for the weekend

Snatch, Pull-ups and Clubbells

Max VO2 with Rif.

16kg/7 reps/side for 35 sets.

Heart Rate = 168 at the end

As Rif said these felt much easier than anticipated and I really had a good flip and bell rotation in the hand...no callus pain or tears.

Pull-ups
20kg/3x6

I was feeling strong today, my techniques are honing in and my focus is strong

Clubbell
Torch Press (single bell)
10lb/10/10x1
15lb/8/8x2

Yikes these were tough but a great antagonist to the pull-ups

Push Press lying on shoulders
15lb(1)/5/5x2
10lb(2)/8/8x1

This was cool and a real unique form of a push press. I am stoked on the clubbells.

Go Warrior Diet, already on day 3 feeling way better, more focused, more energy, more strength, more mental and physical alertness, and more life and kick in my step

Yoga Observations

A nice 25 "Detox" Yoga from Itunes Yoga Download. Some observations especially after reading Gray Cooks post I read from Rifs blog.

*Yoga will tell you whats going on in your body i.e. what is tight, weak, stable, unstable and most important what you need to focus on.

*Yoga will make your muscles/body feel alive through the promotion of movement creating bloodflow. I feel the blood feeding the muscles helping me to recover and repair.

*Yoga will help you relax

*Yoga can teach you how to breathe properly with movement.

*Yoga will teach you patience

*Yoga will teach you the with consistency and perseverance you make progress, even with only 20+ minutes workouts.

*Yoga provides a way to stretch and lengthen your body.

*Yoga burns calories and is a form of exercise.

*Yoga can be what you make it to be.

Jerks, DL's & Clubbells

A bit tired today. Got to bed late as I moved all weekend so I only got 5 hours last night, no excuse just a reality.

Jerks (2kb)
16/5
24/5
24/8
32/6x5

Still learning this move but I like it. Sure is tough and with 2 bells it is a doosy of a workout. I like Rif's analogy of a plumbline, keeping the arms perpendicular to the floor on the dip.

Deadlifts
warm-up from 135 to 405, typical pattern

427/1x4

Good but this is where you could see the energy lacking. Rifism drive legs, then lats, then legs to finish....good point!!

Clubbells 10lb done with 1 bell, 2 sets of 10 each
rock-its
pendulum swings
torch swings
arm casts
Shield Casts

these things are cooool. I am catching on quite quickly or at least I think :-). Will practice more

25 minutes of a gentle hatha yoga to calm myself and loosen up the body.

Yoga & the Warrior Diet

20 minutes of Vinyasa Flow doing Sun Salutations. Again used yogadownload.com off of iTunes which offers great yoga 'workouts' 20 to 25 minutes and present a great compliment to other forms of training (i.e. kettlebells, running for me, and my power lifts/body weight (pull-ups) exercises). The consistency of my program is yielding great results.

The area I am now adding and enhancing my focus is my Warrior Diet principles/philosophy. From personal experience and from reviewing multiple facets of literature on nutrition and from re-reading the book it just makes sense. The principles and philosophy behind the system are effective. You must read for yourself to see and if you have done the reading that I have and had numerous discussion with others you would see why I value the concepts. I am not saying it is for everyone, but I do believe it has a place for many of us, me being one person.

Continued success and enjoyment on your journey through life, may you be as or more blessed and fortunate as I.

Peace and Gratitude

Presses Swings and Pullups + some

Started the day with a hard 25 minute Power Vinyasa Yoga workout off of yogadownload.com (PS I have the PDF if interested of the poses and sequence). this was a nice warm-up and a good compliment to yesterdays 25min Hatha Yoga. Plus, I have been sore from this weeks workouts.

Presses
24/10/10x2
24/12/12x3

Moderate load with high rep/volume. Have not done this in a while and with my main mental focus on the Jerks I felt this was a nice compliment for the day. Next week I plan on using the 40kg.

Supersetted Presses with 1 arm swings
24/15/15x5

took note of my meeting with Ken Black yesterday and combined that with Rif and my own knowledge seem to get a better grasp on truly letting the bell flow and following the momentum. I have a tendancy to pull against the force of the bell to early on the acceleration phase and this greatly affects how the bell loads my body.

Pull-ups
8x4

PS: got my beast thanks to Ken and this thing is HEAVY, wow....one friggin big ball of cast iron and soon to be in play