Saturday 1/31/09

Afternoon:

32kg two handed swings 5 sets of 10

Squats - 1x5 100, 2x5 135, 3x5 150

Low volume pullups 5x5 with 17.5 lbs

I'm on track for 5x5 pullups with 20 lbs next week. After that my plan is to move back into the fighter pullup program for 5 days a week as my body weight drops. I don't know where I am on my pullulps but I feel a pr coming up.

Friday 1/30/09

Afternoon:

5 minute snatch test - 24kg bell: 80 reps

Video of the test: Click here!

I took yesterday off to prepare for this. Jordan wanted me to come into his studio just for this since I would not get the best test doing this in the middle of a training session.

My initial goal months ago was to be able to hit 80 sets in April and here I went and got that number a few months earlier. Apparently Jordan was correct when he told me I should shoot for 100.

I definitely need to work on efficiency in my technique. The backswing needs to come back farther for more momentum, I need to rest a bit in the lockout, I need to really work on relaxing a bit and coordinating my breathing better.

Oh...and putting the bell down (which is something that I REALLY felt like I had to do a few times) is a BIG energy waster because getting that thing back up and in the mix again is tough when you're on your way to getting gassed. My worst attempts with the bell flopping back hard against my forearm came from each the times I put the bell down.

Good stuff though...I'm happy with my progress and feel I hit a milestone.

Wednesday 1/28/09

Evening:

24kg one handed swings 2 sets of 10+10
24kg snatches 2 sets of 5+5
24kg two handed swings 2 sets of 20

Deadlift - 2x5 135, 3x3 225, 3x2 235, 3x1 245

I guess my backoff week didn't apply to my deadlifting. :)

Tuesday 1/27/09

Evening:

Max VO2 - 16kg bell 15/15 protocol - 50 sets of 7 reps

Brought it back down to 50 sets for the back off week.

Form is still getting better. I'm trying to make sure I lock out at the top and tame the arc all the way back down keeping it close to my crotch so I get good momentum for the way back up.

Still no hot spots...I'm catching the bell much better. I have a weird blood blister that appeared underneath one of my callouses though. I hope it just heals up and doesn't end up having the skin above tear away.

Monday 1/26/09

Evening:

Squats - 2x5 100, 2x5 135, 3x5 145

5 ladders of 2 rungs of 16kg bu military press alternating with 6 pullups until the last 3 sets of pullups which I did 5

I went back down in weight on my squats as I'm planning on this week being a back off week of sorts.

Man...my forearms are blown up right now!

Saturday 1/24/09

Evening:

16kg bu press 1+1, 2+2, 2+2

Max VO2 - 16kg bell 15/15 protocol - 70 sets of 7 reps

There's something funny about Max VO2....in the beginning sets it seems like it's going to take forever. Once you pass 50 or 60 though it's easy just to stretch it out. "Just two more...ok...that was easy...another two".

Hands are doing good. I feel really good with my form on my right arm....my left is not bad but I'm not finding the hook on the way down as easy as the right. No hot spots though.

Friday 1/23/09

Afternoon:

Squats - 1x5 100, 2x5 135, 3x5 165

Low volume pullups 5x5 with 15 lbs

Technically I didn't get all 5 of the last set of squats as I semi good morninged out of it. I'll probably redo this weight next squat workout and shoot for all perfect reps.

I'm really starting to like squatting! My shoulders have gotten much more used to the position and I'm feeling the groove more and more.

Weighted pullups are chugging along. I'll see if I can get this to 5x5 with 20 within two weeks.

Thursday 1/22/09

Evening:

16kg bu press - 4x1+1
24kg windmill - 2x1+1
24kg press and overhead hold 2x1+1

Swing/hindu squat portion of Dave Whitley's Brutal Minimalist Fitness routine with the 24kg bell. The whole thing was done in 16:00 approximately.

I can not break that 16 minute mark dammit! I have to say that this routine is pretty much the most intimidating thing in my current routine. Those first sets of 50 and then 40 swings are just brutal. The last set of 50 hindu squats is all about 1 rep at a time.

It's gotta be good for me though! :)

Wednesday 1/21/09

Evening:

24 kg one handed swings 5 sets of 10+10

Deadlift - 3x3 215, 3x2 225, 3x1 235

I love deadlifting. It's such a simple thing but there is something really gratifying about lifting a heavy weight off the floor like that.

235 feels heavy, but I'm not struggling at all. I suppose I'll keep adding 10 lbs each week for a bit until I see what happens.

Tuesday 1/20/09

Evening:

Max VO2 - 16kg bell 15/15 protocol - 64 sets of 7 reps

Snatch technique is getting better each time. I still need to work on the perfect pull along with my hip snap but it is coming together.

Monday 1/19/09

Afternoon:

2 handed 24kg swings 5 sets of 20 on the minute

Squats - 2x5 100, 2x5 135, 3x5 160

24kg c&p singles each side alternating with bw pullups 3x6, 1x5, 6x4 - 10 total sets.

I actually got 4 reps on my second work set of squats because my balance got funky at the bottom. I did an extra set of 5 to make sure I hit my goal of 3 full sets of 5.

My body weight is still affecting my pullups since I was able to hit 10 sets of 6 before, but even without the endurance I do feel strong.

Saturday 1/17/09

Afternoon:

1 handed 24kg swings 8 sets of 10+10 on the minute

2 handed 24kg swings 3 sets of 20 on the minute

I was supposed to hit Max VO2 today but both shoulders are sore and I feel a bit beat up so I thought I'd just hit some good swings.

Friday 1/16/09

Afternoon:

1 handed 24kg swings 2 sets of 10+10
24kg high pulls 10+10
1 handed 24kg swings 10+10
Slingshot - about 10 passes each direction

Squats - 1x5 100, 2x5 135, 2x5 155, 1x4 155

Low volume pullups 5x5 with 12.5 lbs

I thought since I'm squatting twice a week I'll do 3x5 of my work sets and see if I get stronger faster that way. I didn't go for the last rep of the last set. That's probably a mental error more than a physical one.

Pullups felt strong. I still had to work for the last rep but I have a feeling once my weight goes down I'm going to fly up to the bar.

Thursday 1/15/09

Evening:

24kg TGU - 2x3, 1+1, 1+1

Swing/hindu squat portion of Dave Whitley's Brutal Minimalist Fitness routine with the 24kg bell. The whole thing was done in 16:00 approximately.

I miss doing TGU regularly.

I didn't break up any of the sets of swings. It's much harder that way and I huffed and puffed into 16 minutes. My legs are jello right now.

Wednesday 1/14/09

Evening:

24 kg one handed swings 5 sets of 10+10

Deadlift - 3x3 205, 3x2 215, 3x1 225

I feel a little off today but it was a deadlift day so I just have to go into meathead mode and pull weight off the floor. The 225 is starting to feel a little heavy. I used the alternating grip for the sets of 225.

My left knee is still a bit funny. I think the squatting is affecting the tweak I did to it doing pistols a while ago.

Tuesday 1/13/09

Evening:

Max VO2 - 16kg bell 15/15 protocol - 60 sets of 7 reps

3 sets of L Sits holding them for 10 seconds with full body tension.
3 sets of 3 ab wheel rollouts from my knees nose touching.

This was going to be my light Max VO2 day but I was feeling good enough when I got to the 50s that I thought I'd give myself a little PR. I taped my hands up since my blisters are still healing.

Monday 1/12/09

Evening:

24 kg one handed swings 5 sets of 10+10

Squats - 2x3 135, 5x5 150

Ladder to 3 rungs of 16kg bu military press alternating with 6 pullups
3 ladders to 5 rungs of 16kg military press alternating with matching pullups

Squats are better. I'm still doing a bit of "hunting" on the way up to feel the point where the bar is over the middle of the foot and everything is firing correctly. I got my 5x5 of the 150 so things are moving forward. My shoulders are slowly easing into the flexibility I need but it's still not "comfortable" yet.

The ladder of bu presses really smoked my forearms. I need to do these more often.

The weight I've put on definitely makes my pullups feel harder. I'm around 195 right now and I might want to stay around here for another week or so before I slowly move back down to 185. I feel strong, but I need to keep in mind that I'm shooting for strength to body weight.

Saturday 1/10/09

Evening:

24 kg two handed swings 5 sets of 20 in 5 minutes

Deadlift - Deadlift - 3x3 190, 3x2 205, 3x1 215

Low volume pullups 5x5 with 10 lbs

Good workout. My deadlifts are feeling real strong so far - I don't need to alternate grip yet if I don't want to.

Pullups felt good also. I think I'll tweak my schedule a bit.

I'm going to try to really make some overall strength gains in the next month. I'm going to be squatting twice a week and deadlifting once along with the max vo2, heavy swings and pullups twice a week each. I'll be drinking a half gallon of milk a day and try to slowly gain until mid February or so and then I'll probably cut back on the squatting to once a week, stop drinking the extra milk, keep deadlifting hard and really work the max vo2 and pullups.

The plan is to be around 195 or so mid Febrary and then 180 - 185 at the time of the TSC in April which will be a big boost to my pullups. I'm feeling good about the path I'm on and so far no signs of overtraining.

Friday 1/9/09

Afternoon:

3 sets of L Sits holding them for 10 seconds with full body tension.
3 sets of ab wheel rollouts from my knees nose touching
3 sets of RKC arm bars
2 sets of 16kg bu press each arm

Max VO2 - 16kg bell 15/15 protocol - 52 sets of 7 reps.

Much better on my snatches today except I didn't tape my hands and I tore my left hand. My right hand has a pretty good blister but the skin is intact. I have an order of athletic tape coming in though so I shouldn't miss any days.

I need to improve my form. I'm starting to feel the drop and catch in the fingers technique. It will take a few times to get it second nature I suppose. I also believe I started out with a high number of sets and even though I'm strong enough to do them my hands need to catch up to the new workload.

Wednesday 1/7/09

Evening:

Squats - 2x3 135, 1x5 150, 4x4 150

24kg two handed swings - 3x30, 5x20, 1x10 - 200 in about 15 minutes

I'll repeat this weight next squat workout since I wanted 5x5 of the 150.

I might think about trying to rearrange my routine a bit. Heavy swings after squats doesn't leave me with a lot of oomph for my swings.

Tuesday 1/6/09

Evening:

Max VO2 - 16kg bell 15/15 protocol - 38 sets of 7 reps.

I was starting to feel nauseous and felt like it would be a good idea to stop. I've been fighting off the flu that Margaret got bad this last weekend and I didn't eat my middle of the day meal until 3:30.

I've been working hard lately and I understand that there will be times my old body needs to chill out more than others. I was planning on hitting 60 sets today but that will be another day (soon).

Monday 1/5/09

Evening:

Squats - 5x5 145

24kg c&p singles each side alternating with 6 bw pullups - 10 total sets.

Squats are hard. :). Got my 5x5 with the weight I wanted. I'll just keep plugging away.

My shoulder flexibility could use a bit of work apparently. The bar placement is something I need to get right also.

Saturday 1/3/09

Morning:

Fighter pullups - 10, 10, 9, 8, 7

Afternoon:

5 sets of 20 24kg swings
Deadlift - 3x3 180, 3x2 195, 3x1 205

Friday 1/2/09

Morning:

Fighter pullups - 10, 9, 9, 8, 7

Evening:

Max VO2 - 16kg bell 15/15 protocol - 56 sets of 7 reps.

I am having a slight bit of soreness on the underside of my right elbow. It's probably from the pullups. I'll switch to the high/low volume twice a week routine soon.

I'm getting more efficient with the bell on the snatches. I'm sure I still have a lot of efficiency to work on, but they feel better.