Guest Post on Walk the Road Less Traveled

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Walk the Road Less Traveled

13 Tons of Fun

Dbl Clean & Press - 12 kgs - 12 min.
70 reps = 3710 lbs.
-Intensity PR - More reps per set than the last time.

1 Arm KB Rows (kneeling) - 16 kg - 8 min.
130 reps (65 each arm) = 4550 lbs.

Swings - 36 kg - 10 min.
225 reps = 17,775 lbs.
-Density PR - I did 200 reps the last time.

That's a total volume for the day of 26,035 lbs. = 13 tons

Whew!

Happy Friday

I had a great Friday in the gym:  3 PRs.

Superset - 10 minutes
Sumo DL - 48 kg - 70 reps
-That's an intensity and density PR.
Swings - 36 kg - 132 reps
-That's a density PR.
Total Volume for Superset = 17,848 lbs.
-That's in 10 minutes of work.  Usually I would do this superset work as my last work set, but today I tried it out first.  I wanted to know if it would tire me out or not.  I got my answer.

Hindu Pushups - 4 minutes
44 reps
-That's a density PR.  The last time I did these, I did 36 reps in 4:30.

1 Arm KB Rows - 16 kg - 8 minutes
Left - 71 reps
Right - 64 reps
-That's a density PR on both arms as well as total volume since Wednesday when I did 62 reps on each arm.

Wednesday's Training

Many drills tested well on Wednesday, so I did what I had time for.

Plate Press - 25 lbs. - 5 min.
Left - 19 reps
Right - 23 reps
-Just like on Monday, they tested well, but I couldn't eliminate the neck tension, so I terminated early.

1 Arm KB Rows - 16 kg - 8 min.
Left - 62 Reps
Right - 62 Reps
-That's 14 more than on Monday.  *Density PR*

High Pulls - 16 kg - 8 min.
Left - 74
Right - 74
-Snatches and swings also tested well, but I decided to do something different.  I don't believe I've ever used the 16 kg for high pulls before, but that weight tested the best.

Handstand, egg roll (5 left, 5 right), headstand, log rolls (5 left, 5 right) - 3 rounds

2 Clients' Training

Here are the training logs of two of my clients. 

"SB" is a 40 year old male who wants to lose bodyfat and inches while also gaining strength.  He loves to train and really enjoys kettlebells.  As you can see from his log, he does a lot of drills.  His body reacts well to high rep, minimal rest drills.  He is also doing well with animal moves and rolls.

May 29:
Iso bench press 160 pounds, 8 sets of 8 in 10 min, total volume 10,240 lbs.
Hip sled - 540 pounds, 10 rep leg, 10 rep calf, nine sets, 48,600 lbs total volume
Tricep extention - 40 lbs, 10 sets of 10, 10 min, 4,000 lbs total volume
Lat pulldown - 120 lbs, 10 sets of 10 in 10 min, 12,000 lbs volume
Power crunch - 10 min, 35 lbs, 25 R, 25 M, 25 L, six sets in 10 min
five sets crab walk, plate curl, hindu pushups (10 reps), log roll

May 30:
Jerks - 16 KG bell, seven sets of 10, 1 set of 12, 10 min, 1,312 total volume
inchworm and front falls, four sets in 10 min
Clean and Press - 16 KG bell, six sets of eight each arm in 10 min, 1536 total volume
oven mitt swings, front summersaults, five sets in 10 min
Sumo deadlift - 36 KG bell, 8 sets of 20 in 10 min, 5760 total volume
Lizard walk, seven sets in 10 min
High pulls - 12 KG kb, 7 sets of 10 each arm in 10 min, 840 kg volume.

June 1:
Rows - 20 KG bell, 11 sets 10 each arm in 10 min, 4,400 kg total volume
bear crawl, backward summersaults, four sets in 10 min
Snatches - 12 KG bell, 9 sets of 10 each arm in 10 min, 2,160 volume
Head stands, five sets
Squats - 20 KG kb, 12 sets of 10 in 10 min, 2,400 total volume
Grasshoppers (sets of 30)
double plate deadlift (sets of 10), five sets in 10 min
One-arm swings- 20 KG bell, 6 sets 20 each arm in 10 min, 4,800 volume

June 2:
Two-hand light swing - 24 KG bell, 8 minutes, 6,048 total volume
Four sets each frog jumps, inchworm, kangaroo hops, bear crawl
Clean, squat and press - 8 minutes, 20 KG bell, 1,520 total volume
Heavy swings 1 arm - 28 KG bell, 8 minutes, 4,424 total volume.

"TS" is an 18 year old high school athlete who runs cross country and who is a state qualifier in wrestling.  He wants to improve his 5K times as well as gain strength.  He has a few injuries he's working through on his back and shoulder.

June 3:
CLEANS- weight 95lbs, reps 10,8,6,6,5 (35) Volume 3325. 8 min.
PRESS- weight 35lbs, reps Right Arm 6,8,8,8 (30) volume for the right arm 1050 Left Arm 7,7,5,6 (25) left arm volume 875. 8 min.
1 ARM 1 LEG DL-weight 35lbs, Right Arm reps 2,2,2,3 (9) Right Arm volume 315, Left Arm Reps 2,4,4,5 (15) left arm volume 525. 8 min.

June 8:
CLEANS- weight 95lbs, reps ,8,8,11,12 (39) volume 3705. 8 min.
1 ARM 1 LEG DL- weight 35lbs, Reps for Right Arm 2,2,5,5 (14) right arm volume 490. left arm reps 2,2,7,9 (20) left arm volume 700. 8 min.
DEADLIFT- weight 35lbs reps 8,14,15,16 (53) volume 1855. 8 min.
2/20 Burpee-swing complex - 7 minutes and 7 seconds.

TS has already set density PRs in cleans and 1 arm 1 leg DL.  I did the 2/20 burpee-swing complex in 7:45 last week, so he had the goal of beating me, which he did. 

I can't wait to see how these clients progress over the summer.  Feel free to leave feedback for them to encourage and guide them.

Hello Monday

Started my week in style with a big PR -

Sumo DL - 48 kg - 10 minutes
130 reps = 13,780 lbs.
-That's 24 more reps and 2544 lbs. more than on May 31. Density PR

Rows tested well AGAIN -
One Arm KB Rows - 16 kg - 8 minutes
Left = 55 reps
Right = 55 reps
3850 lbs. total
-That's an intensity PR since I moved up to the 16 kg bell.

Plate presses tested well also, but after 2 minutes, the tension in my neck was too severe to continue.  Oh well.

I will be posting the training of several of my biofeedback clients on my blog starting this week.  I hope you enjoy following their progress along with mine.  Feel free to chime in with comments on what you're reading.

Row, Row, Row Your Bells

Three times in a week. Crazy!

One Arm KB Row - 12 kg - 8 minutes
Left - 94 reps
Right - 88 reps
-For those of you keeping track, that is 20 more on the left and 14 more on the right since Monday. I was a rowing machine. *Density PR*

20 - 2 Burpee/Swing Complex - 24 kg KB
Start with 20 burpees and 2 swings. Then do 18 burpees and 4 swings. Keep subtracting 2 from the burpees and adding 2 to the swings until you're at 2 burpees and 20 swings. Today it took me just under 8 minutes.

I also did lots of frog jumps and crab walks since they tested well.

Soon I'll have some progress reports from several of my clients. I am excited to see the progress they make over the summer using biofeedback to program themselves. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, if you want to find out more about biofeedback programming, order a copy of Grip n Rip. Adam Glass and Brad Nelson lead you throw everything you need to know to get started on your journey to perpetual progress. If you watch closely, you'll see yours truly every once in awhile since I was at the Grip n Rip workshop. Oh Joy! Just click on the link in the upper right hand corner of this page to learn more.

Rain Day

It rained today, so that meant no golf league. I went and set a PR instead.

Double KB Clean & Press - 12 kgs - 15 min.
89 reps = 4717 lbs.
-That's a big P-R good buddy. On May 24 I did 76 reps in 15 minutes.

After that, I loaded up my Red Rafter from Strongergrip with 20 lbs. and did 6 minutes of pinch block DL. I got 50 on the left and 56 on the right. I did all sets of 7 on the right and a mix of 6 & 7 on the left. This is a good baseline work set for me.

Huge Gains Today

I had the entire gym to myself today. That was kind of nice. What's even better is that I set several PRs, one of them pretty significant.

One Arm KB Rows - 12 kg - 8 minutes
Left - 74 reps
Right - 74 reps
3848 lbs.
-That is up 9 reps on the left and 6 on the right and nearly 400 lbs. in 8 minutes since Wednesday, May 26.

Sumo DL - 48 kgs - 10 minutes
106 reps = 11,236 lbs.
-Huge PR for me in density, intensity, and volume. One month ago I deadlifted 36 kg 70 times in 10 minutes for 5530 lbs. I doubled my volume for a 10 minute work session in one month's time.

My body loves doing high rep, mid/low weight drills. Those movements test well and I make fast gains training this way. Once I started tuning in to what my body wanted to do, I started making progress. That makes training fun. I'm not struggling trying to do what I think (or someone else thinks) I SHOULD do. No more "shoulds," only "do."

I finished off my trianing with some head stands - was able to hold those today. Then I did some egg rolls, wheels, and lizards. I'm improving every time I practice these various moves. I feel more coordinated too. Love that!

Wednesday's Training

Another great day at the gym.

One Arm KB Rows - 12 kg - 8 min.
Left - 65 reps
Right - 68 reps
-This set a baseline for me.

I tested pressing today since pressing has tested well almost every training session the past few weeks. Well, not today. But whaddayah know - rows did. Light rows tested fantastic, so that's what I did. I think 133 reps in 8 minutes is pretty good for me.

Swings - 36 kg - 10 minutes
200 reps = 15,800 lbs.
-I had a volume PR, but more importantly I had an intensity PR after doing some pinch block work. On May 8 I did 9 sets of 15 and 3 sets of 17 in 10 minutes. Today I did 5 sets of 20, 2 sets of 18, 2 sets of 17 and 2 sets of 15. My grip is definitely getting stronger!

Get em While You Can!

The re-released, new and improved version of the Grip-n-Rip DVD is available. Adam just notified me that they are getting more copies produced. Click on the link below or in the upper right hand corner of my blog to order.

http://www.grip-rip.com/perpetual-progress/?AFFID=31552

I have been following the biofeedback training protocol since I attended Grip-n-Rip in February. The progress I have made is overwhelming. Want proof? Just read through my posts over the past few months and see how many PRs I've set. Biofeedback works!

To be honest, I'm a little embarrassed watching the DVD. Why? Because I've made huge improvements in my movement patterns since February. I watch some of the training clips in horror as I see myself overextend my hips during deadlifts.

But......

You know what?

I'm better now than I was then. In fact, I'm better today than I was yesterday. Here's a log of my training from today. Notice the PRs I set.

Double KB Clean & Press - 12 kgs - 15 minutes
76 reps = 4028 lbs.
-On Saturday I did 9 sets of 4 reps and 7 sets of 5 reps. Today, I did 12 sets of 5 reps and 5 sets of 4 reps. That's an intensity PR.
-I also had a movement PR. I had less tension than on Saturday and the movement was less arched, closer to straight.

Animal Circuit
Crab Walk
Inchworms
Frog Jumps
Scorpions
Egg Rolls - 5 Left, 5 Right
-Today I did 5 rounds in 12 minutes. That's a density PR. On May 15 I did this same circuit 5 times in 14 minutes.

Better IS Better.

Want to get better, too? Click on the Grip-n-Rip link and order your copy today and found out how.

Saturday's Training

Double Clean & Press - 12 kg bells - 12 minutes
71 reps = 3763 lbs.
*PR in reps and volume. (Last time was April 7 - did 54 reps.)

Superset - 10 minutes
Sumo DL - 40 kgs - 78 reps = 6864 lbs.
Swings - 36 kg - 110 reps = 8800 lbs.
-This was a baseline work set today. I've done a lot of sumo/double clean supersets, but not sumo/swing. A few weeks ago I attempted to do this superset, but I was interrupted 4 minutes in, remember?

Tripod - 2:30 minutes
*PR in time held. (Last time I held for 2 minutes.)

I finished with some somersaults, wheels, and handstands. These just keep improving every time.

I Can't Tell You Why

Note: The following paragraph should be sung to the tune of "I Can't Tell You Why."

Every time I test my workout drills
Something tests well that surprises me.
I can't tell you why.
No, I can't tell you why.

Today (Wednesday), waiter plate presses tested well. They just tested well Monday. Why would they test well again so soon? I can't tell you why. I just went with it. Of course, I set a PR.

Plate Press - 25 lbs - 10 min.
Left - 36 reps
Right - 49 reps
-That's a volume PR and a density PR. (I increased my overall reps, and I did more reps per set than I did on Monday.)

One Arm, One Leg DL - 24 kg (53 lbs) - 10 min.
Left - 43 reps
Right - 43 reps
-This set a baseline for me. I haven't done these for months. I could tell. My glutes had amnesia!

Who You Talkin to Butter Bean?

Me? You talking to me? I'm just picking up some groceries. Why are you calling MY name? What's that? Eat you? Okay fine.

That's just what I did, too. Yum!

This might seem like an odd occurence, but it's actually becoming more common. Food talks to me. I never listened before. It's amazing what can happen when you start listening. I didn't listen yesterday at the graduation parties and ate cake, several pieces. I paid the price. The feedback took about an hour to kick in. Yuck!

Today, nothing that didn't test well, didn't get eaten. (Is that the right number of negatives to say what I mean?)

Anyway.................

I had another good training session. Yay me! Everything tested well today, which really surprised me because I was still feeling queasy from the cake. Because everything tested well, I retested to find what tested best. Here's what I got.

Waiter Plate Press - 25 lbs. - 10 lbs.
31 reps - Left
43 reps - Right
-This set a baseline for me with the waiter plate press. I haven't done these for months, since before I started biofeedback.

Superset - 10 min.
Dbl KB Cleans - 2 16 kg bells (70 lbs.) - 82 reps
Sumo DL - 2 20 kg bells (88 lbs.) - 70 reps
-PR for intensity and volume on the sumo DL.
-PR for overall superset volume.

Following the weighted training I did some head stands, somersaults, falls, and attempted some wheels. I'm getting better at these every session.

Feeling Animal

And I want. And I need. And I love. Animal.

Nothing weighted tested well, but the animal moves did. I put together a circuit with 5 of them. I went throught the circuit 5 times. It took roughly 14 minutes.

Crab Walk - 15 m
Inchworm - 15 m
Frog Jump - 15 m
Scorpion - 15 m
Egg Roll - 5 L, 5 R

I had a movement quality PR on every element. It was fun to do these moves and have them feel easier.

After the circuit I did some tripods with a press to a headstand. That is my new life move to work on. I'm also working on handstands and cartwheels. These all allow me to practice falling as well. I didn't realize how useful the skills from animal moves and other life moves are. My body awareness keeps increasing. Loving it.

Amy Who?

I haven't disappeared. I've been buried in a pile of papers and I've been traveling. Good news, though. My semester is over and I'm home for a few weeks. Time to catch up on everything.

I did some training today. It felt great. After a week off, I didn't know how my body would perform. Test and Go.

KB Press - 12 kg Left, 16 kg Right - 10 minutes
45 reps left - 1170 lbs.
28 reps right - 980 lbs.
215 lbs./minute
-This is the first time in months I've worked with the 16 kg bell. Intensity PR.

Tripod - 90 seconds and 120 seconds. Time PR.
Egg rolls and hand stands

Superset
Sumo DL - 40 kg - 30 reps
Swing - 36 kg - 45 reps
-I got interrupted at the 4 minute mark and had to stop. Grrrrrrr!

Oh well. It felt good to be back. I'm excited for the next stage of my movement. Now that I am doing less of other stuff, I can do more of what I want to do and get better at it.

Two More

PRs today. I had a little time between grading papers to sneak in a little training.

BU Press - 10 minutes
Left - 20 lbs. - 38 reps
Right - 12 kgs - 36 reps
-Density and volume PR since April 27.

Swings - 36 kg - 10 minutes
186 reps
-Density, intensity, and volume PR since May 4.

I probably won't get much training in this coming week since it is finals and I have to travel. Every free moment will be spent grading papers and in meetings. Lucky me. Then, it's summer break and I can focus on the areas I want to improve in my life. The past few months it's felt like my life isn't mine. I've been on the run trying to fix everything and everyone but me. It's time.

Big Day

I must have put on my big girl panties today cause I had a stellar day of training.

Pullups - band assisted - 10 minutes
35 reps
-Density and volume PR from April 20 when I did 30 reps in 10 minutes.

Tripod - 90 seconds, up from 60 seconds on May 4.

Superset - 10 minutes
Sumo DL - 36 kg (79 lbs)
74 reps
Double Cleans - 16 kgs (70 lbs.)
84 reps
-On April 28 I did 70 sumo DL and 58 double cleans in 10 minutes, which is 9590 lbs. Today I moved 11,726 lbs. in 10 minutes. Big day. Better day.

Better Is Better

Press - 12 kg - 12 minutes
Left - 54 reps
Right - 60 reps
-Hmmmm. Pretty much the same number of reps as on Friday. They tested well post set and pre-set. I did have an intensity PR with several sets having more reps. Better is better.

After pressing, I decided to change gears and work on more life movements. I did cartwheels (are those a life movement?), handstands (held them longer than on Friday), side-to-side rolls, and somersaults both front and back (both made me dizzy), bear crawls and regular crawls.

Then I did egg rolls, both ways. Definitely a movement PR - I rolled much faster and more smoothly today than Friday.

Before the egg rolls, I did a tripod for a count of 22. I did another one after the egg rolls and held for a count of 60. The second time was so much easier and more balanced. My wrists were the only reason I quit.

Swings - 36 kg (79 pounds) - 10 minutes
176 reps = 13,904 lbs.
-Volume and intensity PR since Friday.

Power of Prediction

My powers of prediction are getting more fine tuned. I tested two drills that I predicted would test well and they did. From there, I tested physics variations and then the weight to use. I put together the perfect training for me on Friday.

Press - 12 kg - 12 minutes
Left - 52 reps
Right - 60 reps
-2912 lbs. in 12 min.
*PR from April 21 when I did 41 and 56 reps.*
-I tested post set and found I had predicted accurately when to end each set. I also PRed in movement w/ my presses.

Swings - 32 kg - 10 minutes
182 reps = 12,740 lbs. moved in 10 min.
-Not a volume PR, but I now realize that previously I had been going two-three reps beyond what I should for each set. I also hadn't tested the weight in my past swing sessions. As a result, I did PR in prediction.

I also practiced several life movements Friday. I did some falling patterns and rolling. I did handstands and sommersaults, which made me dizzy. I never thought that would happen to me. Good thing I'm working on these!

I also did a bunch of egg rolls. I don't know how to describe what those are. You sit with the soles of your feet touching and your hands pushing your feet together. Then you roll to the side and then onto your back and then back to a sitting position. I just rolled all over the TKD room. That was fun.

I also threw in a drill where you put your hands down on the floor, bend your elbows, and prop your knees on your elbows and hold that. Does anyone know what that's called?

Practicing those life movements was a lot of fun. I'm definitely going to do those more regularly. I felt young and agile. I can't wait to get better at each one.