Wednesday 30 January 2008

36 sec snatching 36 sec rest alternating arms after each set- cadence 15 reps per arm

16 sets - total of 240.

Grip seriously taxed toward the end. Felt like I had a lot more in me actually and I was hardly breathing heavy at all. I didn't feel like I could hold the KB properly anymore and I tend to twist/kink my wrist at the bottom in my attempt to hold on for longer. Not good, so I like to wrap it up or rest at the first sign of it.

Tuesday 29 January 2008

TGUs 5 each side with 24kgs (32 too heavy)
Push presses 5 x1 with 32kgs - felt good enough that I decided to grind out a MP with my left on last rep.

Shoulders felt really good after the TGUs, half get ups I should say, don't have room to stand up inside. Safer option, but they really help my shoulders none-the-less.

Feel a bit more solid using the 32kg for push presses. Getting a bit easier.

Monday 28 January 2008

12 mins ManMakers - Swings/Skipping alternating on the minute.

Got 37 swings x 6 during this for a total of 222.

Set the bell down briefly on the last set but was very happy with the work I put out. Still don't have the gym boss so I just did these roughly using my mobile for total of 12 mins

Saturday 26 January 2008

Vo2 Max day...or not!

Was looking forward to this. Had done all the reading up on the protocol etc, but when I went to my HR monitor watch the battery had gone. It gave me the excuse I needed to order a gymboss which should definitely be here by the time I due for this again.

Instead I did this (timed off my mobile phone)

Alternating 15 snatches Left, on top of the minute, 15 snatches Right top of next minute
Repeat until you can't complete set of 15 at same pace. Which is more or less what V02 max is anyway.

Completed 13 good sets - broke down at 11 on my weaker right arm for a total of 206.

Grip of course was the weakest link and was hanging on by my finger tips towards the end, my hands cramping. Probably not a good idea considering I was more or less doing them in front of my laptop. Typing this now my forearms are rock hard.

ENJOY THE PAIN!!!

Friday 25 January 2008

Getting down to the Get Ups

TGUs 5 each side with 24kgs (32 too heavy)
Push presses 5 x1 with 32kgs

Man I have been SO unprepared for how hard the prog minimum feels to me at the minute. I deserve it though, I half thought that it'd be a "nice little break" for a few weeks. Really want to be doing my get ups with the 32 by the time I go back to ROP I reckon this will give me a chance of starting C&Ps with it in my ladders.

I really don't want to go back into the high volume stuff - my shoulders don't like it.

Thursday 24 January 2008

Program Brutal!!

12 mins ManMakers - Swings/Skipping alternating on the minute.

Got 36 swings x 6 during this for a total of 216.

Without the grip sapping C&Ps I usually do before swings everything was on a more level field tonight. By that I mean my grip was fresh and it wasn't the limiting factor here. I did swings continuously for each minute (exactly 36 each time!) and at the end my heart was thumping, my glutes were so pumped I thought I was J-Lo, legs were shakin', suckin wind like crazy....oh, and my forearms were on fire. And I was worried about "stepping backwards"!!

In all seriousness though I think this will be really good for me. I'm sure I'll increase my swing and snatch numbers significantly during this phase. Anecdotes abound on DD about TGUs increasing pressing strength, but if I can maintain my numbers while giving my shoulders a break I'll be very happy.

Wednesday 23 January 2008

Random Post

Life got in the way today and I wasn't happy about not getting to train.

Anyway have decided to switch to a program minimum type schedule for 3-4 weeks. Detailed as follows:

ManMakers - Swings/Skipping alternating 1 minute each for 12 minutes
TGUs & Push Presses - 5 mins TGUs & 5 x 1 Push Presses
Kenneth Jay's Vo2Max Snatch Protocol - need to read a little more about it, so details to follow.

3 days on, 1 day off.

Random bit of this post is that after reading a post on DD I measured my bicep - it's gone up over an inch in the 7-8 weeks I've been on ROP!! Not one of my goals but, highlights the power of C&P's

Monday 21 January 2008

Easy Day

Warm Up: Skipped completely

M Press 24Kgs (1,2, 3) x 6 - total of 36 reps L/R (using gripper)
Sw 24Kgs 120/10mins

Decompression Hang / Hamstring Stretch

Pressing - easy enough. Love using the gripper.

Swings - 12 on the minute for 10 mins. Easy enough.

Saturday 19 January 2008

Variety Day

C&PP (24kgs) (1,2) x 2 L/R

C&PP (32kgs) (1,1,1,1,1) L/R

2 x10 Onehanded swings (24kgs) L/R

2x10 Swings (32kgs)

Again finished off with a little bit of grip work - just some levering.

Didn't go quite as to plan this session - I wanted to get 5 x 2 with the 32 but my shoulders were just shot from last night. In fact I felt wrecked fullstop. So I cut it a little short and I'll go for a decent walk later. Get rested up to do it all again next week :)

Friday 18 January 2008

HARD!!!

Warm Up: Skipped completely

M Press 24Kgs (1,2,3,4,5) x 5 - total of 75 reps L/R
Sw 24Kgs 110/5mins

Decompression Hang / Hamstring Stretch

Presses - pretty darn good throughout. This took a lot time tonight but I knew I'd get the whole lot. That said it did take a heck of a lot out of me and my grip so I was forced to cut back my swings. Still very happy - even though I gotta add another ladder from now on :(

Swings - was going for 22 on the minute for 10. My grip gave out after 2 sets and my wrist was in agony. It doesn't hurt now but it was compromising my form way too much. I finished up at the 5 minute mark, again I feel I have over 200 in me if I could get my grip with the program...I WILL get there though, I'm just dreading to think what I might be pressing at that stage though haha.

Wednesday 16 January 2008

Medium

Warm Up: Skipped completely

M Press 24Kgs (1,2, 3, 4) x 5 - total of 50 reps L/R (using gripper)
Sw 24Kgs 170/10mins

Decompression Hang / Hamstring Stretch

Pressing - felt really hard towards end. I have been paying real close attention to my diet this week as it was running out of control. I'm pretty hungry a lot of the time, though I'm not straving myself - it remains to be seen if this is going to have an impact on strength and endurance.

Again swings were much harder on grip than anything else - 17 on the minute for 10 mins (last 2 sets were broken up).

Tuesday 15 January 2008

Variety Day

1 x 1 C&PP (24kgs) L/R, 1 x 2 C&PP (24kgs) L/R

C&PP (32kgs) (1,1,1,1,1) L/R

3 x10 Onehanded swings (24kgs) L/R

3 x10 Swings (32kgs)

Finished off with a little bit of grip work - some levering turning my wrist over clockwise and anti clockwise and away and back to my face (hard to describe!!) with a dumbell weighted at one end. And some pinch grip work with a couple of 5kgs plates smooth side out. The grip work was just messing around really. Trying to give myself an indication of what I am able to handle and possibly the best way to train it. It may be best if I bring the stuff into the house and GTG it at nights.

Good little session though in the pouring rain. I felt pretty strong on the left with my presses, and not too bad on the right. Going to keep adding a rep to these sets now, kinda ladder style til I get to 5x5 - hopefully it'll be enough to start doing my ETK ladders with then.

Monday 14 January 2008

Return of the ETK Jedi ;)

Easy

Warm Up:
No warm up again....but I did buy the Z-Health R-Phase DVD today, to see what all the fuss is about.

M Press 24Kgs (1,2, 3) x 5 - total of 30 reps L/R
Sw 24Kgs 110/10mins

Decompression Hang / Hamstring Stretch

Haven't trained in a little while it seems. Reason was that I had an out of the blue saturday working at clearing my shed out with my dad. Rest of the weekend was spent drinking and recovering. Ooops - not gonna pass ANY tests that way :)

Quite a bit of work to do and it was amazing how many heavy, odd shaped things he has!! I could lift anything in there no problems...that I could get my hands around. It was embarassing how weak my hands are, especially I guess at pinching holds. I've already mentioned how my grip is definitely the limiting factor on my snatch/swing numbers - so from now on it's getting some special attention.

I've got some advice from Adam Glass on DD and came up with introducing the following to my training - using a gripper in the other hand when doing my Presses in ETK. Lever work, pinch grip work and extensor work on my off days. These won't be so regimented with sets reps etc, prehaps more like GTG. I have a few specific ideas but need a few bits and bobs for those so I'll have to wing it a little til I get everything.

Pressing felt good - shoulders felt fresh. I was using the gripper on my 1st, 3rd and 5th sets as I didn't want to go for overkill straight off. Man - they made SUCH a difference to the pressing. The 2nd and 4th sets seemed much harder without the gripper!! Irradiation in practice.

Swings were grand - Grips was OK on these but I could feel a difference after working grip harder on presses. These were an easy 11 on the minute for 10 mins about 50% effort. Hoping to add a few reps each session and get up to 250 swings on my hard day quite quickly.

Good session all in all and I feel good after it, more energised arguably than all last week.

Thursday 10 January 2008

RKC Snatch Test (kinda)

Tonight I was in a big hurry, it was crap outside again but I really wanted to get something done...

So I lifted my 16kg KB and aimed to snatch it 50 times each arm....I didn't, it was too hard haha

Sn 16kg KB 40L/40R
Press ups...all out straight after snatches.....10 hahaha

Nightmare - I must have done the snatches in 3mins or less total because they were killing me after 30 or so and I wanted them done. I was shaking after that and I decided to man up and hit the deck....for a few seconds didn't think I was going to get one even!!!

This week has definitely been different, and I've had a bit of fun with it. I'll shall get in at least one more session before I start back proper for ROP on monday.

I actually feel a bit sick now :)

Tuesday 8 January 2008

Greasing a different groove?

Weather is horrible here at the minute - snow one day, serious rain the next. The upshot is that it kept me indoors....whada ya mean sissy?!?!

So being that I'm a lazy beggar at heart I set my KB in my doorway of my bedroom and decided that everytime I went out and in I had to do a little circuit of Cleans/half TGUs/Swings 10 reps each total. Bad move!!

Couldn't believe how many times I went through that door tonight - phone calls, people at the door, forgetting to bring things up with me, chinese delivery ;) Towards the end I started doing some serious planning if I felt I had to go through it. It was a serious exercise in memory and efficiency haha

Yeah Martin I think I will enjoy this week for many different reasons - but there's gonna be no tests at the end of it. I want my WTH effects to have the most impact, so I'm purposefully doing none of those exercises until I complete the ROP. Then I going to devise a period of all manner of tests to see what the difference is :)

Monday 7 January 2008

Variety WEEK

Martin it has been about 6 weeks since I did the ETK ROP with the 16/24kg. I did have close to a week where I wasn't training while I was ill, but no back off really factored in. I guess I was hoping to nail 5 rungs and 5 ladders the other night and then press the 32 5 times so I would drop the volume WAY down and start over - Yeah Right!!! Haha

I have thought about it today and decided that I am going to take your advice. I'll take a break and start back where I left off next Monday. In the interum though I going to have a week where I can let my mind run wild. At least 3 sessions where I'll do kinda crossfit workouts, but all to a fairly easy pace/intensity. Sledgehammer work, carries, sandbags, bodyweight stuff performed in little circuits. Any KB work I reckon I'll just do with the 16. Relax into stretch, super joints stuff too - and a good old re-read or two of Pavel's books.

Tonight though I'm going to simply go for a walk - I do a lot of walking that I don't really mention or count as training but really it's great for you. There's a girl I meet regularly on my walks who has lost 140lbs in just over a year from keeping her diet in check and walking regularly.

There is a post on DD today from a guy who has been following Kenneth Jays' V02 Max snatch routine. He did 450 reps in just under 23 minutes and at the 20 min mark had completed 407 - 2 SSST tests back to back!!! Incredible amount of work - I really need to have a look at that and see if I would be able to incorporate it into my ETK work.

Sunday 6 January 2008

Pressed the 32!! Woohoo!!

Variety Day

Started with some single Clean & Push Presses with the 24kg KB. These helped me to sort out my knee dip and drive a bit before I had a go with the 32. I was a bit dubious about it to be honest.

As usual I started on my weaker right side and manage to grind it out ...after it got stuck about half way up haha. It went up pretty easily on my left though. So easily in fact that after a better push press on right I flat out military pressed it on my left. :) It amazes me how delighted I get when I win these little battles.

I had another push press on each side and then decided to quit while I was ahead. I completed an easy session with some waiter walks with the 24 / Swings - 1 handed with 24 and 2 handed with the 32 / Farmers walks.

It looks like I'm certainly going to need to add another ladder to my presses to have a chance of knocking off 5 c&p's each side with the 32 though....shame my shoulders are already beginning to feel a bit trashed with the volume they've had so far.

Friday 4 January 2008

Steps to the SSST

Thanks Martin - I am very happy with how things are progressing. I did have the belief that I was going to go straight through those 5 rungs for each ladder, but it wasn't to be this time.

My plans as far as testing go are as follows:

When I can complete 5 ladders of 5 rungs pressing with the 24 I will go for it with the 32. It may be the case that I will need to add another ladder to get to 5 good reps each side, but I think it will be close. I've not pressed the 32 in any capacity yet as I've skipped a few variety days of late. Between now and testing though I'll be doing push presses or assisted presses with it. Will give me a better idea.

As far as testing ssst goes I feel I am quite a way off. I have in mind the following goals/steps before I attempt it. 250 2-handed swings 24 10 mins / 250 1-handed swings 24 10 mins / 250 1-handed swings 32 10 mins. As it stands my biggest limiting factor is my grip - even on my easy snatch days towards the end the bell is close to flying out of my hand. To my mind there is no point in me testing for it if I know I'd be WAY off. If at any point along the way to these milestones I thought I'd have a good shot at it though - I'd definitely go for it.

Hopefully I could work up to that work level in around 4 months, maybe quicker. I plan on doing some 1handed swings with 24 and some 2 handed 32s on variety day, cos as you say working "heavier" on variety day seems to work very well.

What do you think?
HARD!!!

Warm Up: Skipped completely

M Press 24Kgs (1,2,3,4,5) x 3 + (1,2,3,4) x 2 - total of 65 reps L/R
Sw 24Kgs 194/10mins

Decompression Hang / Hamstring Stretch

Presses very hard - form suffered a lot on the last few rungs of 4. Still a little way from failure though. Looks like I'm going to have to hold out on testing with the 32 for a week or two yet :)

Swings again were much harder on grip than anything else - 20 on the minute for 10 mins, actually I managed 5 sets of these then I split them to 10 and 10 within a minute, and then just whatever I could manage before my fingers let go. :) Just missed the 200 but I worked hard tonight.

Wednesday 2 January 2008

Medium

Warm Up: Skipped completely

M Press 24Kgs (1,2, 3, 4) x 5 - total of 50 reps L/R
Sw 24Kgs 150/10mins

Decompression Hang / Hamstring Stretch

Pressing quite good - felt much more tired towards end of this than when this was my hard days target though. 5 ladders with 5 rungs will be interesting!!

Swings were much harder on grip than anything else - 15 on the minute for 10 mins for about 75% effort. Actually felt quite easy on lungs and legs etc, could have been cos of the attention my screaming forearms were getting though.