Light Work & Pondering

It's time to revamp my training again. I've met several goals, so I need to evaluate where I want to go from here.

I've really enjoyed the bent presses, the heavy TGUs, and even the death snatch sessions. I have found strength I didn't know I had. Four months ago, I hated TGUs; now I have a passion for them. I have seen what dedication and grit can do. Now I know I can do more.

It seems strange to me that I can snatch like a machine and put up respectable bent presses and TGUs, yet I have a tough time with heavy military presses and pull-ups. What gives? Is it because I have such long limbs? Is my strength just in different arenas? Can somebody either kick me in the arse or give me some reassurance?

I will press on, literally, but I like to KNOW why things are the way they are. I must intellectualize everything. (Pity Brad Nelson. He has put up with this over 2 years!)

While I am busy thinking, I will also be doing light training. Today I did a fundamentals circuit. Aside from switching from the 16 kg to the 12 kg, I did not stop between drills.

Swings - 16 kg - 10
Windmills - 12 kg - 5 L, R
Squats - 12 kg - 5 L, R
Clean & Press - 12 kg - 5 L, R
Snatch - 12 kg - 8 L, R
3 Rounds

I focused on each drill's unique movements. I wanted to make sure I was dead on in my form since I was using very light bells. It was refreshing to change my focus by using light bells. It was like a review, a repatterning of sorts. This is probably something I should do more often.

Well, I'm off to do more pondering. And grade some papers. :p

Goal #3 - Check

For my last training session of the week I did military presses and pull-ups.

Military Press - 20 kg - 3 x 1, 2 L, R
-On the left, I had to do a tiny push to get through my sticky spot. On the decent, I went very slow. I WILL get the strict press on the left. I am determined.
-On the right, I could do one rep in each rung. The second rep need the tiny push. Grrr! Just a little grrrr since I'm pleased about meeting my goal of pressing the 20 kg.

Pull-ups - black band - 5 x 1
-Very happy with these. I feel like I'm getting closer to a naked pull-up. (Naked as in no assistance. )

I have to say, doing the SSST the last two weeks has taken its toll on my CNS. The 16 kg session was worse than the 12 kg session, but they were both taxing nonetheless. I did not anticipate that. Now that I know this, I can plan accordingly. I've practicing my Z-Health to work me through it. I don't know what I would do with Z.

And the number is..........

274

What's Your Guess?

I did a little experiment today. How many 12 kg snatches could I do in 10 minutes? The answer?


I should have had a video camera to provide the proof necessary to get me on the SSST Leader Board. (Remember that I am #10 on the Ultimate Snatch Test leader board w/ the 16 kg.)


How many????


Guess...............................

C'mon.....Post your guess in the comment section. I'll reveal the number Thursday night.

Monday's Training

I had the weekend to recover, so I was ready to go on Monday!

Bent Press - 24 kg (53 lbs) - 5 x 3 L, R
Goblet Squat - 20 kg (44 lbs) - 5 x 5
Pull-ups - Black Band - 4 x 2
Oven Mitt Swings - 20 kg - 3 x 8 L, R

This was a solid training session. I am very pleased with my bent press and pull-up progress. Now I just need to get to St. Paul to pick up my 28 kg bell so I can start doing heavier bent presses. Giddy up!

Number 10

So, my 200 snatches was enough to put in 10th place on the Ultimate Snatch Test leader board.

Check it out. http://www.fitnessyoucanuse.com/SSST.html

Now I'm curious to see how many I could do in 10 minutes with the 12 kg (26 lb) bell. Hmmmm

Anyway, I have been feeling the after-effects of my ultimate snatches. My grip was toast. I wasn't able to do pull-ups or deadlifts on Friday because of my grip.

The most pronounced effect was how shot my CNS was. All day Thursday I was in a fog. I did a long Z Health session Thursday night and was feeling better Friday. Today (Sat.) I am still tired, but I'm allowing myself to be completely brain dead. Typing this post is the most intellectual endeavor I will undertake today.

I will be retiring for a nap soon, and then I'll be getting up to eat a fabulous meal at my favorite restaurant. I'll probably have the prime rib with jumbo lump crab meat. Oh yeah, that's what I need to celebrate and recover!

The Day I Became a Man

or "How I Passed the SSST"

One of my goals for 2009 was to complete 200 snatches with the 16 kg (35 lb) kettlebell, also known as the SSST or USST. Pavel Tsatsouline says you are a "man among men" when you can accomplish this feat. Of course, men have to complete the test with a larger kb - 32 kg (70 lb) if I'm not mistaken.

Honestly, I didn't think I would meet the goal this soon. I have other goals that I've been working toward with more vigilance. Wednesdays were my "death snatch" days where I knew I would have 15 minutes or so of hard snatching along with heavy TGUs. I've been steadily adding more reps to each minute of training.

Last week, I did 9 L, 9 R on the top of the minute for 10 minutes and then did another 5 L, 5 R for 5 minutes. I had to put in a short set after 6 minutes because I was winded. I ended up doing 172 snatches in the first 10 minutes. When I opened my email from Brad Nelson with this week's training schedule, I was stunned to see he planned on 10 L, 10 R for 10 minutes for me today.

I had to go for it. How could I not? I couldn't let my fear stop me. I'm in the best shape of my life. I had to believe in myself. To make sure I wouldn't wuss out, I posted my intention on my facebook page. I needed accountability. Many folks gave me encouragement. I couldn't let them down! I wouldn't let myself down.

The first 5 minutes went easy. I was leaving myself with 20-25 seconds to rest after the 20 reps. By minute 7, I was down to 15 seconds. At the start of the 9th minute, I had to rest a little longer. I finished that minute with 10 seconds left. I rested for 20. That left me with 50 seconds to do 20 snatches. I had to do four sets of five because my grip was giving out. I finished the 200th rep right as the Gymboss beeped. To the wire!

I don't care, though. I did it. This feels almost as good as completing the grad workout at the RKC weekend. Almost. Nothing so far compares to receiving that RKC certification. So far. I have so much more I want to do. But, I want to savor this moment for a little while.

In case you're wondering, my hands are fabulous. No tearing or blisters. Oh, and I didn't puke, but I came close!

Monday's Training: Check!

Since I had today off, I got my training in this morning. I packed up my oven mitts and hit the road.

Bent Press - 24 kg (53 lbs.) - 5 x 3 L, R
-ROAR!!! I knocked those bad boys out with strength and confidence. I'm wishing I were a Marine so I could let out a hoo-rah. (Alas, my eyes were too bad for the military or I actually would have gone into the air force.)
-My left trap is pretty knotted up, so I had to skip the long push presses. Brad - you told me to tell you when the traps started getting beat up. They're beat up.

Pull-ups - Black Band - 2 x 2 and then 3 x 1
-These went well considering my lats were fried from the bent presses.
-I have about 2 inches I need to pull through on the top to truly master the black band.

Oven Mitt Swings - 16 kg - 4 x 10 L, R
-That was definitely a grip workout. It was fun, though, and I got strange looks from people at the gym. I love it when I can make people shake their heads!

Now I need to do some grading, grab a shower, and get ready for a meeting tonight. My work here is done.

Press and Pull

Happy Easter all! May you all feel God's blessings today and all year long!!

Saturday I did a quick training session:

Military Press - 16 kg - 5 x 1, 2, 3 L, R
-Right side was very strong. Great form. I'm pleased.
-Left side was much stronger than any previous week. Let me count the ways:
1. I was able to do the rungs of 2 without a little push.
2. The rungs of 3 only required a tiny push.
3. I did NOT reclean the kb before every press.
4. I did five ladders instead of four.

Pull-ups - purple band - 3 x 5

This has been a productive week of training and I am grateful for it. I have a renewed enthusiasm for my goals.

Mind, Body, Spirit

Today's training definitely gave me opportunities to branch out. I am stronger in mind, body, spirit after pushing myself. Here's what I accomplished.

Turkish Get-Up - 24 kg (53 lbs.) - 5 x 1 L, R
-Before today, I had never attempted a 24 kg TGU. I did some 16 kg arm bars and 1/2 get-ups. I wanted to make sure I had hip bridge deeply grooved before adding nearly 20 lbs. to the load.
-I focused on each small part of each movement. I felt like a TGU textbook. :-) I amazed myself. I put all the self-doubt out of my mind and did what I know. I know this move like never before.
-I felt like poetry in motion - like water flowing over rapids - powerful yet fluid.
-I want every TGU session to feel like this one today. I am branding today in my brain.

Snatches - 16 kg
9 L, R at the top of the minute for 10 minutes
immediately followed by
5 L, R at the top of the minute for 5 minutes
-At the 7 minute mark, I did 5 L, R instead of 9 L, R, so at minute 11, I did 9 L, R instead of 5 L, R. That means I still got in the prescribed number of reps (230).
-In 10 minutes, I got in 172 reps. In 11 minutes, 190. Last week I did 160 reps in 10 minutes and 172 in 11 minutes.

My heart rate was surprisingly low when I finished:
at finish - 144 bpm
1 min. - 120 bpm
2 min. - 110 bpm
3 min. - 102 bpm

I'm sure it was up around 165 at the 11 minute mark. I was really hurting!! As I said last week, when I make the 200 reps in 10 minutes, I'm throwing a party and you're all invited!! I will have to videotape it when I do so I have proof.

Honestly, I couldn't be happier with how my training went today. I've been struggling through some issues with my grip and military presses. Today overshadows those and gives me confidence. If I can do what I did today, I can accomplish those other tasks successful as well. I just need to keep focused and keep pushing myself.

To the Limit

I took my bent press to the limit today, and in doing so, I took my body to the limit. Powerful!

Bent Press - 24 kg - 4 x 3 L, R
-That 3rd rep took me to the limit of my physical capabilities. I had to squeeze that bell and fire my lats with all I had in me to complete the rep.
-It was grueling, but worth every second. When I put the bell down, I was smoked.
-Feeling that fire in my lat was amazing! I love being that in tune with my body.

After that hardcore practice I tried to do some suitcase deadlifts. Not happening. They were worse than when I started doing them 7 weeks ago. WTH?? I got downright torqued. I don't blow too often, but today I had it. Weights flying. Bar thrown on the rack. You get the picture. I had a little temper tantrum. I am leaking somewhere. I need a Z assessment. BRAD!!!!!

So, back to the drawing board for today's training. I sat down and pouted for a few minutes. What was planned, had to be scrapped. No more crabby pants!!

What could I do to work my grip?

Heavy swings, of course!

Swings - 24 kg - 300 reps
-I did a mixture of one-handed and two-handed. I did sets of 40. The 300 reps took me about 12 minutes, give or take. I didn't have gymboss to keep exact time.

Now, it's to the table! Pork tenderloin, broccoli, and green beans. Then, bath and bed. Tomorrow I will enjoy the pain that will most assuredly be present in my lats!

Friday's Training

Ended the week with military press, suitcase deadlifts, and pull-ups. Here's how it went.

Military Press - 16 kg - 4 x 1, 2, 3 L, R
-Right side is swell. PRE - 5
-Left side is coming along. PRE - 7. I still had to put in a little push when I'd get to the 3rd rep. I even broke down and got out the 12 kg and did 5 of those to groove the correct movement. I don't want to practice bad movement.

Suitcase Deadlifts - 100 lbs. - 5 x 1
-Right side is swell. PRE - 6
-Left side grip is still weak. I will say it's better than last week. PRE - 7

Pull-ups
1 black, 2 purple, 1 black, 2 purple, 3 purple
-Until I'm strong enough to do these with the black band consistently, I want to make sure I groove the proper movement. That's why I switched to the purple band. I'm actually quite please with my progress on the pull-up. I'm closer than I ever imagined I could be.

My weekend has begun, so I'll enjoy the rest. I'm sad that I can't be in Minneapolis/St. Paul watching the Tactical Strength Challenge at Brad's gym. I will just have to wait for the results to be posted. Next year, I'm there baby!!

Wednesday Wondering

In weakness do we find strength? Somebody reassure me. Anybody.

Today's training consisted of heavy TGUs and death snatches. My TGUs were not rock steady like they have been. Getting into the lunge was dicey. Perhaps my brain was not engaged. I may be distracted with the million things going on in my life. I'm usually very adept at tuning all that out and focusing on my training. I don't know.

Arm Bar to TGU - 20 KG
2 x 3 L, R
2 x 2 L, R
I did the arm bars separately after the 2 x 3s. Also, I had to put the bell down between reps 2 & 3. My wrists couldn't take it. Grrrrrrr!

Death Snatches - 16 kg
8 L, R every minute for 10 minutes - 160 reps
6 L, R every minute for 5 minutes - 60 reps
-These went exceptionally well. I tried a different approach that seemed to work. Usually I try to get my reps in as quickly as I can so I have 30 secs to rest between sets. Today I worked slow and steady. It took me 40-42 seconds to do the 16 reps, leaving me with less than 20 seconds to rest. However, I wasn't as winded, so it was easier to recover before Gymboss was beeping at me.
-Heart rate at the end of the 15 minutes - 146
-HR at 1 min. - 122
-HR at 2 min. - 108
-HR at 3 min. - 96

Tomorrow a newspaper reporter from the Sioux City Journal is coming to interview me about kettlebell training. If the story runs online, I will post a link. Word is getting around NW Iowa! Fun stuff, for sure!

Monday's Training

It felt great to get back after my training.

Bent Press - 24 kg - 4 x 2 L, R
-These are getting so much stronger. I felt invincible today.
PRE - 6 on right, 7 on left

Long Push Press - 20 kg - 4 x 3 L, R
-Yeah, I was supposed to use the 24 kg for fewer reps, but that didn't work. After several failed attempts, I switched to the 20 kg.
-Because I used the 20 kg (wimpie!) I made myself squat ass to grass to really work it.
PRE - 8

Pull-ups - Black Band - 4 x 1
-Not so good today. The last four inches were not happening. I should have switched to the purple band, but I was too stubborn.
-I finished with a dozen or so "arm shorteners."

Suitcase Deadlifts (one-handed deadlifts)
105 lbs. x 3 - Right hand
95 lbs. x 5 - Left hand
-Seriously, I am getting soooooo pissy about my left hand grip weakness. I figured it was better to do less weight for more reps on the left than it was to try and fail 3 times with a heavier weight. I need patience, I know.

Another session of ups and downs. I choose to focus on the ups. I know I am stronger than I was last week. Baby steps.

A Little Bit of DL

My last training session of the week was a short one. I didn't have much time, but I wanted to do something. So what is the logical thing to do? Deadlifts of course!!

Warm-up - 5 x 1 - 115 lbs.

Work Sets - 3 x 5 - 135 lbs.
-I did each set of 5 without walking away and resetting. I pulled. Release. Set. Pull. Release. x 5
-Not terribly heavy by any means, but I wanted to groove a proper DL pattern.

Pull-ups - black band - 3 x 1
Pull-ups - purple band - 2 x 3

Good end to my training week. I'm ready for this week. It's going to be my best in awhile. I can feel it!

Almost There

I'm getting closer to 200 16 kg (35 lbs.) snatches in 10 minutes, aka the SSST.

Today I did 160 in 10 minutes. I went 8 left, 8 right on the top of the minute for 10 minutes. Then I went 6 left, 6 right each minute for 5 minutes. Holy death snatch, batman! Seriously. When I hit 200 I will be throwing a party to celebrate. Stay tuned!

My heart rate was 152 immediately following that 15 minutes. I was at 124 at 1 minute; 112 at 2 minutes; 100 at 3 minutes.

I "warmed up" with 20 kg TGUs:
Arm Bar to a TGU - 2 x 3 L, R then 2 x 2 L, R

That 3rd rep was a killer! I focused on each movement in the TGU and tried to perform each part perfectly. I also paid close attention to my neck to make sure I wasn't straining or shrugging my shoulders. I'm really digging the TGU. I love how it carries over into every other drill. A good TGU makes every other movement better.

Get out there and do 5 minutes of heavy TGUs. Your body will thank you for it!

Monday on Sunday

Another crazy week ahead, so I had to do some training on Sunday. My body didn't know what to think! I had fun, though.

Bent Press - 24 kg - 7 x 1 L, R
-These were smooth and strong. I reduced the amount of time between sets. I'm trying to work harder so I can grow stronger.
PRE - 7

Long Push Press - 20 kg - 3 x 5 L, R
-Finally! I did 3 sets of long push presses. I knew I had it in me! This is the first time I've done all the sets. I usually switch to regular push presses after one set. (Long push presses have a squat before the push press.)
PRE - 8

Pull-ups - Purple Band - 4 x 2
-I used a narrow bar for these. The bar I usually use is thicker with foam wraps. I wanted to mix it up and use my grip differently, so I used a regular 45 lb. bar.
-Black band wasn't happening. WTH??? Purple was even tough.

Suitcase Deadlifts - 95 lbs. - 2 x 3 L, R
-On the right, these are not an issue. On the left, I struggle to hold the bar. I may have to forego these for awhile and work my grip. I should do some BU presses and TGUs as well as some oven mitt swings. Whadaya say Brad?

Okay - it's egg and slaw time. I'm so boring! I eat the same thing for lunch every day. Oh well! Keeps me on track and it's one less thing I have to think about. Plus, the food is about nutrition and fuel, not taste and entertainment. Food is fuel, not fun!

Frustrated on Friday

My training actually went pretty well today; however, I'm frustrated. Why? Because I still have weak points that I want to fix. They are keeping me from attaining my goals.

1. Military Press groove on the left
I know the movement pattern on the left is inefficient, yet I can't find the proper patterning. Help! I need an RKC!! I'll try to get a video of myself pressing and post it for critique. I'm just not sure when I'll get to that.
2. Grip Strength
The only thing keeping me from pulling higher weight in my suitcase deadlift is my grip. (If you aren't familiar with the suitcase deadlift, it is when you lift a bar and plates on one side of your body like you are picking up a suitcase. In a normal deadlift, you lift the bar and plates in front of you.) I cannot keep ahold of the bar in my left hand when I get over 100 pounds. Let me take that back. I can hold the bar for two reps at 105 lbs. but lose it at the 3rd. If that doesn't just p!$$ me off!

I don't want to complain and I don't want to psyche myself out over these two issues, BUT they are interfering with my progress and I just can't have it.

On to the good.................

Today's training looked like this:

Military Press - 16 kg - 4 x 1, 2, 3 L, R
-On the left, I had to clean the bell before each rep. By the 3rd rung of the 3rd set I had to add a little push to my press. I HATE THAT!!!!
-On the right I went 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 straight MP Hardstyle.

Suitcase Deadlift - 105 lbs. - 5 x 1 L, R
-On the second rep, the clamp let loose and the weights fell off the bar. That sent my neck into a spasm. Scared the bejeebers out of me. I had to take a little break and regroup.
-I finished the 5 reps on the right. I did one more on the left at 105 and then had to drop down to 95 because of my left grip weakness.

Pull-ups
-I did two sets of 1 rep w/ the black band followed immediately by 2 reps of purple band.
-I could really feel that in my lats when I used that black band. That is the closest I've ever been to doing a pull-up.
-Uh, why didn't anyone tell me that the black band has almost no stretch to it? I'm pretty stoked that I did 2 reps with that black band. It made the purple feel like a trampoline.

So there you have it. The good, the bad, the ugly, and the amazing. All in one hour. Now I'm ready for a rest. I'm munching on some almonds thinking about what to eat for supper. Steak anyone?

Wednesday's Training

Today was another hardcore TGU and snatch session. Tough, but worth every grueling minute. I'm getting closer to every goal.

Turkish Get-Ups (TGU) - 20 kg (44 lbs.)
2 x 2 L, R
5 x 1 L, R
-I focused on making each part of every TGU precise. I wanted every move of my body to be perfect.
-I can tell it's been a few weeks since I did TGUs. My wrists were pretty aggravated.
PRE - 7

Snatches - 16 kg (35 lbs.)
8 L, R at the top of the minute for 8 minutes
6 L, R at the top of the minute for 5 minutes
-That equals 188 snatches in 13 minutes. I should have just gone one more minute and I would have had 200 snatches in 14 minutes.
-I have a feeling I will be doing 200 in 10 minutes in the not to distant future.
PRE - 8

Here's a few heart rate stats from my snatch session:
Resting HR - 53 bpm
At end of snatch session - 152
After 1 min. rest - 116
After 2 min. rest - 104

I'll check that each week to see how my conditioning is coming along. I actually have no idea if any those numbers are good. I'm using them as a baseline to chart my progress to 200 in 10 min.

Monday's Training

Whew! I've been meeting myself coming and going this week. Activities and meetings just keep piling up, and it's only Wednesday!

I did get in a training session Monday, so I need to log it here. I will train again today!

Bent Press - 24 kg (53 lbs.) - 6 x 1 L, R
-These got my blood pumping. I had just had a back off week, so doing these heavy presses felt awesome. My abs are sore again! Love that. Plus, I'm really seeing some great definition in my abs. I'd say I'm up to a four pack. lol
PRE - 7 on both sides

Push Press - 20 kg (44 lbs.) - 3 x 5 L, R
-Don't rant me Brad! (Is that like "Don't taze me Dude"?) I was supposed to do 3 x 6 L, R and I was supposed to do long push presses.
-I need a form check on the long push press. I can't find a groove on those. I feel like an elephant doing ballet. So, I just stick to the regular push press.
-I'm willing to use the 24 kg bell for those Brad if you want to torture me for my disobedience to the plan. ha!
PRE - 7

Pull-ups - Purple Band - 3 x 2 & 2 x 1
-I did these very slowly and focused on engaging my lats at the beginning.
-I also paid very close attention to my shoulders. No shrugging!
-I kept my body fully extended and my neck neutral.
PRE-7

That was all I had time for. The deadlifts will have to wait for another day. Duty called.

I'll post my training log for today later on this evening. Off to grade more papers!