1x440
Much more satisfying than the 430 last week. Here's how it went down:
Last week, Jason Marshall (RKCII), dropped this description of a squat/front raise that teaches "the wedge" with very little weight.
Jason says:
"Actually, do a negative curl at the bottom of the goblet squat...like Jeff showed at your Level I. Hold the elbows in extension, then begin the front raise. As you front raise, think Tall Spine, Open Hips, Weight in the Heels, Knees Over Heels. When you get to your limit ROM in the front raise, simultaneously spread the floor with your knees, activate the glutes and stand up in your maxed out front raise position. Over head is not the goal if you don't have the mobility in your t-spine or shoulders. Bang out a few light reps then go pull. It's like you lever yourself under the weight. Pretty cool!"
Rested yesterday and was feeling stong today, so went down to the basement thinking heavy. Did 2x5 of this squat with 2 10 pound plates. Attempted 1x445 with no warm up and got it off the ground, but was too rusty to fight with it. So I shook the tension off, did 1x5 of those squats with a 25 pound plate, did a few explosive jumps, took 5 pounds off, then went again. Wasn't fast, but blasted right through my usual sticking point. Around the usual sticking point, I swear I almost cracked a smile as I thought "this is going up this time, I got this." Might have even been good for a few more pounds.
Overall, it felt great, like what a PR should feel like: not too fast and not too slow or difficult.
Strength and Honor
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
A good Core Thrashin!
2 min of static one arm pushup lockout holds (switching sides ever 30 seconds)
3x12 (1 minute) 5 second pushups (2 sec down, 2 sec up, 1 sec lockout)
3x20/20 one arm swings (32kg)
Definitely a core thrasher!
Think I'll do KBs for a week or so then try another DL Cycle.
3x12 (1 minute) 5 second pushups (2 sec down, 2 sec up, 1 sec lockout)
3x20/20 one arm swings (32kg)
Definitely a core thrasher!
Think I'll do KBs for a week or so then try another DL Cycle.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Great ID Weekend
To me, a great weekend is where I get work done around the house, spend quality time with the wifey and kids, get some prayer in, and of course, a few workouts.
This 3 day weekend delivered on all fronts. Here are my workouts from Friday and Saturday:
Friday:
(All 32kg)
GTG pushups and MPs, worked up to my fastest BUP with the 32kg ever, it shot up fast. GTG'd wrist leverage with my shovel prior and think that transferred over to a strong BUP. Then did a few hammer curls with the 16kg.
Then 3x3/3 MP ->3 goblet squats, then 1x5/5->5 of the same
Saturday:
Prior to the feast I wanted to get an SSST in. Haven't done this in a while or done much conditioning at all for that matter so was pleased to get 180 with some left over in the tank. Did 160 without putting the bell down, but this was at an extremely slow pace. I put the bell down after 160 and looked at the clock to see a little over 9:00 had gone by! I was bummed, because I really wanted 200. So I took a brief breather and banged out another 20 (10/10) quick ones for 180 total. Then ate a ton over at a friends house and drank some Summits, talked politics/economics while it rained and played Bachi Ball on his sloped lawn once the sun emerged.
Sunday:
Was sore as hell. Sawed down a few trees for my in-laws for active recovery and drove to St. Louis Park with my wife to partake in Smoothie King! First time I've had one since living in TX years ago, they're pricey but oh so delicious. The traditional mass at St. Agnes w/ Gregorian Chant Sunday gave me some time for silent prayer and time with my maker that balanced out the weekend.
God Bless America!
This 3 day weekend delivered on all fronts. Here are my workouts from Friday and Saturday:
Friday:
(All 32kg)
GTG pushups and MPs, worked up to my fastest BUP with the 32kg ever, it shot up fast. GTG'd wrist leverage with my shovel prior and think that transferred over to a strong BUP. Then did a few hammer curls with the 16kg.
Then 3x3/3 MP ->3 goblet squats, then 1x5/5->5 of the same
Saturday:
Prior to the feast I wanted to get an SSST in. Haven't done this in a while or done much conditioning at all for that matter so was pleased to get 180 with some left over in the tank. Did 160 without putting the bell down, but this was at an extremely slow pace. I put the bell down after 160 and looked at the clock to see a little over 9:00 had gone by! I was bummed, because I really wanted 200. So I took a brief breather and banged out another 20 (10/10) quick ones for 180 total. Then ate a ton over at a friends house and drank some Summits, talked politics/economics while it rained and played Bachi Ball on his sloped lawn once the sun emerged.
Sunday:
Was sore as hell. Sawed down a few trees for my in-laws for active recovery and drove to St. Louis Park with my wife to partake in Smoothie King! First time I've had one since living in TX years ago, they're pricey but oh so delicious. The traditional mass at St. Agnes w/ Gregorian Chant Sunday gave me some time for silent prayer and time with my maker that balanced out the weekend.
God Bless America!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Back to KBs
Felt great to switch gears:
Double Military Press (switching a 24 and 16 each set)
2x2,3,5,10
2x2,3,5
One arm swings:
2x30/30. Smoked and done hardstyle.
Double Military Press (switching a 24 and 16 each set)
2x2,3,5,10
2x2,3,5
One arm swings:
2x30/30. Smoked and done hardstyle.
On How to KILL the SSST
How to go from Zero to Hero in the Secret Service Snatch Test in Two Easy Steps:
Step One: Read and do ETK. There is no doubt that this is the best kettlebell program for raw beginners and those who have a decent base level of strength but no direction in their training. Keep in mind that this isn’t a “workout” book, it is a program that is essentially a road map for hitting difficult yet obtainable goals: Pressing the kettlebell closest to one half your bodyweight and the simple, sinister, and brutal Secret Service Snatch Test (SSST), which will humble even the most elite athletes. The real beauty of ETK is that if you follow it, you will be able to do the SSST, while the most elite athlete with little or no kettlebell experience would be tossing his or her cookies on the pavement. The level of conditioning it takes to perform the SSST is truly out of this world, yet attainable with a little focus and discipline in your training.
What is the SSST?
Pavel goes into a detailed description of the origins of the SSST in ETK, but essentially it is performing 200 snatches (24kg for men, 16kg for women) in 10 minutes. The bell may be set down and you may take as many hand switches as you please. All you have to do is get to 200 and I guarantee you will not come close on your first try. I don’t believe I’ve heard of anyone faring well on their first try. You probably guessed that the United States Secret Service uses this to test the mental and physical abilities of their agents under high levels of stress. There is a point every victim of the test reaches during the test where the true nature of the stress of what you are doing becomes evident to the body and mind. The mind and body experience an intense “shock” that can only be overcome with good form and sharp mental stamina. You really must experience this for yourself.
My Experience with the ETK
I’m your average male. I’m not a mutant by any means and don’t have a lot of sports and working out in my background besides the occasional push up and curl binges in high school and college. However, following ETK and my own tweaked up version of the Program Minimum allowed me to hit a 240 in the SSST, which some might consider mutant territory in this particular endeavor. That was a few years ago and to this day is my proudest physical achievement.
I had been doing KBs for around two years prior with little direction. I randomly did swings, snatches, Turkish get-ups, floor presses, military presses, etc, pretty much towed the party line. Soon after the release of ETK, the dragondoor forum was buzzing with talk of the SSST. I hadn’t bought or read ETK yet, but I thought since all these people were attacking the SSST, I might as well do it too since I knew how to snatch a KB and could fairly easily bang out sets of 10-20 snatches with a 24kg. So I grabbed my watch, my kettlebell, and ventured out to the backyard to do 200 reps in 10 minutes. I thought I was a pretty good snatcher and with a tough attitude, I honestly thought I was going to go out there and do this. As Troy MacClure, the washed out actor voiced by Phil Hartmann in the early years of the Simpsons would say: “Nothing could be further from the truth!” It was around the 8 or 9 minute mark and I was positively done at a little over 120 total snatches. I could not do one more snatch, even if someone were yelling at me or offering me something of high value.
The truth set in and it hurt. Humility is knowledge of the truth, and I had just experienced the truth: I was a looooong way from 200 snatches in 10 minutes.
A few weeks later ETK arrived. This was the first laid out training program I had ever done. Weeks started going by and I was surprised at how easy it was to stay on the program. There is something natural about the way the program is set up. Easy, Medium, and Heavy days with the lifts used (swings and snatches, along with presses for the shoulder/arm work) just agreed with me and I had no trouble fulfilling my three day per week obligation. I hardly ever used the optional “variety days,” which was a testament to how satisfying and quality my workouts were for the minimal three days. My variety day was resting my body. Progress came quickly. After a few weeks of the swings, I noticed I could (big surprise) do more swings…in less time!
The light days on ETK use snatches instead of swings, with more of an emphasis on pure form than killing yourself as you would on a heavy day. About a month or two into the program I remember having to 8 minutes of snatching on the easy day. I decided to test myself and go harder than the requirements of that day and I ended up with 160 snatches in 8 minutes. That shocked me, but what shocked me even more was that I was relatively close to not being smoked (I always get smoked from snatches, but this was real progress)!
So I kept at it and at last test day came. Long story short, I made a calculation error in my set breakdown and did only 197 in 10 minutes when I thought I had done 207. It was a colossal bummer, but I knew I was right at the doorstep of 200. More swings later, I tested again and hit 210. I remember thinking that something magical was going to happen the moment I crossed 200. I was expecting my shirt to get ripped off my body and my soul torn from my body and thrown into heaven by a jealous god (or some other strange mystical thing you read in comments section of the howling wolves t-shirts on amazon).
Follow ETK by the spirit and the letter and you will pass the Secret Service Snatch Test. If I can, then you can. Every girivik should own a dog-eared copy of Enter the Kettlebell! If you don’t have it, get it. There are good resources for beginners out there, but nothing will deliver the quickness of results in less time in a rational, comprehensive, yet simple manner as ETK. This book belongs in the library of anyone remotely interested in physical culture.
Once you have crossed 200, here is another simple strategy I discovered for getting closer to 250 in the SSST:
Do one arm swings (always do one arm swings when training for the SSST) with a heavier bell. For men, mix it up with a 32kg and a 40kg. For shoulder stability and more core and conditioning work, do Turkish getups with a 32kg and a 40kg. If you can do 200 in the SSST but want more, try this simple 3 day program:
You’ll be doing two medium days (there are no easy days because you are a stud now), and one balls out heavy day for a total of three days. Depending on how you feel, use either the 32kg or the 40kg for swings and get-ups. Depending on how you feel, do 5-10 minutes of TGUs, alternating sides with each rep, rest for a minute or two, then do 5-10 minutes of one arm swings. On a heavy day, shoot for 300 one arm swings in 10 minutes with the 32kg or 200 with the 40kg. It won’t happen most likely, but those are the numbers you should measure yourself against. On the heavy days for TGU, aim at not taking breaks between reps. When you get closer to 10 minutes, it gets difficult to not take a brief breather. So 10 minutes of continuous get-ups with a 32kg should be your measure on the heavy day. Don’t use the 40kg for get-ups or swings on the heavy day. The 40kg is used on one of the medium days to make the 32kg feel lighter on heavy days. So do your best with the bulldog on a medium day, but don’t do anything stupid. That thing is heavy. As a general rule, anything over 100 one arm swings in 5 minutes with a 40kg is pretty good. 5 minutes of more or less continuous TGU reps with the 40kg is pretty good. But again, the 40kg is used to make the 32kg easier to handle on heavy days, so don’t get bogged down with your 40kg numbers as much.
Do this for a month or two and then pick up the 24kg for an SSST. That thing will be feeling nice and light. If you are in the 260-300 range with one arm swings with a 32kg and you can do 8-10 minutes of continuous TGUs with a 32kg, then you have the conditioning and shoulder stability requisites to truly kill the SSST.
ETK KB/Book/DVD Starter Kit Found Here for men:
Men's 35lb Russian Kettlebell Quick-Start Kit with DVD
For Ladies:
Women's 26lb Ultimate Kettlebell Workout Kit
KBs Only:
Up to 30% price reduction on Dragon Door's classic RKC Kettlebells
Book Only:
Enter the Kettlebell! Strength Secret of the Soviet Supermen By Pavel
Step One: Read and do ETK. There is no doubt that this is the best kettlebell program for raw beginners and those who have a decent base level of strength but no direction in their training. Keep in mind that this isn’t a “workout” book, it is a program that is essentially a road map for hitting difficult yet obtainable goals: Pressing the kettlebell closest to one half your bodyweight and the simple, sinister, and brutal Secret Service Snatch Test (SSST), which will humble even the most elite athletes. The real beauty of ETK is that if you follow it, you will be able to do the SSST, while the most elite athlete with little or no kettlebell experience would be tossing his or her cookies on the pavement. The level of conditioning it takes to perform the SSST is truly out of this world, yet attainable with a little focus and discipline in your training.
What is the SSST?
Pavel goes into a detailed description of the origins of the SSST in ETK, but essentially it is performing 200 snatches (24kg for men, 16kg for women) in 10 minutes. The bell may be set down and you may take as many hand switches as you please. All you have to do is get to 200 and I guarantee you will not come close on your first try. I don’t believe I’ve heard of anyone faring well on their first try. You probably guessed that the United States Secret Service uses this to test the mental and physical abilities of their agents under high levels of stress. There is a point every victim of the test reaches during the test where the true nature of the stress of what you are doing becomes evident to the body and mind. The mind and body experience an intense “shock” that can only be overcome with good form and sharp mental stamina. You really must experience this for yourself.
My Experience with the ETK
I’m your average male. I’m not a mutant by any means and don’t have a lot of sports and working out in my background besides the occasional push up and curl binges in high school and college. However, following ETK and my own tweaked up version of the Program Minimum allowed me to hit a 240 in the SSST, which some might consider mutant territory in this particular endeavor. That was a few years ago and to this day is my proudest physical achievement.
I had been doing KBs for around two years prior with little direction. I randomly did swings, snatches, Turkish get-ups, floor presses, military presses, etc, pretty much towed the party line. Soon after the release of ETK, the dragondoor forum was buzzing with talk of the SSST. I hadn’t bought or read ETK yet, but I thought since all these people were attacking the SSST, I might as well do it too since I knew how to snatch a KB and could fairly easily bang out sets of 10-20 snatches with a 24kg. So I grabbed my watch, my kettlebell, and ventured out to the backyard to do 200 reps in 10 minutes. I thought I was a pretty good snatcher and with a tough attitude, I honestly thought I was going to go out there and do this. As Troy MacClure, the washed out actor voiced by Phil Hartmann in the early years of the Simpsons would say: “Nothing could be further from the truth!” It was around the 8 or 9 minute mark and I was positively done at a little over 120 total snatches. I could not do one more snatch, even if someone were yelling at me or offering me something of high value.
The truth set in and it hurt. Humility is knowledge of the truth, and I had just experienced the truth: I was a looooong way from 200 snatches in 10 minutes.
A few weeks later ETK arrived. This was the first laid out training program I had ever done. Weeks started going by and I was surprised at how easy it was to stay on the program. There is something natural about the way the program is set up. Easy, Medium, and Heavy days with the lifts used (swings and snatches, along with presses for the shoulder/arm work) just agreed with me and I had no trouble fulfilling my three day per week obligation. I hardly ever used the optional “variety days,” which was a testament to how satisfying and quality my workouts were for the minimal three days. My variety day was resting my body. Progress came quickly. After a few weeks of the swings, I noticed I could (big surprise) do more swings…in less time!
The light days on ETK use snatches instead of swings, with more of an emphasis on pure form than killing yourself as you would on a heavy day. About a month or two into the program I remember having to 8 minutes of snatching on the easy day. I decided to test myself and go harder than the requirements of that day and I ended up with 160 snatches in 8 minutes. That shocked me, but what shocked me even more was that I was relatively close to not being smoked (I always get smoked from snatches, but this was real progress)!
So I kept at it and at last test day came. Long story short, I made a calculation error in my set breakdown and did only 197 in 10 minutes when I thought I had done 207. It was a colossal bummer, but I knew I was right at the doorstep of 200. More swings later, I tested again and hit 210. I remember thinking that something magical was going to happen the moment I crossed 200. I was expecting my shirt to get ripped off my body and my soul torn from my body and thrown into heaven by a jealous god (or some other strange mystical thing you read in comments section of the howling wolves t-shirts on amazon).
Follow ETK by the spirit and the letter and you will pass the Secret Service Snatch Test. If I can, then you can. Every girivik should own a dog-eared copy of Enter the Kettlebell! If you don’t have it, get it. There are good resources for beginners out there, but nothing will deliver the quickness of results in less time in a rational, comprehensive, yet simple manner as ETK. This book belongs in the library of anyone remotely interested in physical culture.
Once you have crossed 200, here is another simple strategy I discovered for getting closer to 250 in the SSST:
Do one arm swings (always do one arm swings when training for the SSST) with a heavier bell. For men, mix it up with a 32kg and a 40kg. For shoulder stability and more core and conditioning work, do Turkish getups with a 32kg and a 40kg. If you can do 200 in the SSST but want more, try this simple 3 day program:
You’ll be doing two medium days (there are no easy days because you are a stud now), and one balls out heavy day for a total of three days. Depending on how you feel, use either the 32kg or the 40kg for swings and get-ups. Depending on how you feel, do 5-10 minutes of TGUs, alternating sides with each rep, rest for a minute or two, then do 5-10 minutes of one arm swings. On a heavy day, shoot for 300 one arm swings in 10 minutes with the 32kg or 200 with the 40kg. It won’t happen most likely, but those are the numbers you should measure yourself against. On the heavy days for TGU, aim at not taking breaks between reps. When you get closer to 10 minutes, it gets difficult to not take a brief breather. So 10 minutes of continuous get-ups with a 32kg should be your measure on the heavy day. Don’t use the 40kg for get-ups or swings on the heavy day. The 40kg is used on one of the medium days to make the 32kg feel lighter on heavy days. So do your best with the bulldog on a medium day, but don’t do anything stupid. That thing is heavy. As a general rule, anything over 100 one arm swings in 5 minutes with a 40kg is pretty good. 5 minutes of more or less continuous TGU reps with the 40kg is pretty good. But again, the 40kg is used to make the 32kg easier to handle on heavy days, so don’t get bogged down with your 40kg numbers as much.
Do this for a month or two and then pick up the 24kg for an SSST. That thing will be feeling nice and light. If you are in the 260-300 range with one arm swings with a 32kg and you can do 8-10 minutes of continuous TGUs with a 32kg, then you have the conditioning and shoulder stability requisites to truly kill the SSST.
ETK KB/Book/DVD Starter Kit Found Here for men:
Men's 35lb Russian Kettlebell Quick-Start Kit with DVD
For Ladies:
Women's 26lb Ultimate Kettlebell Workout Kit
KBs Only:
Up to 30% price reduction on Dragon Door's classic RKC Kettlebells
Book Only:
Enter the Kettlebell! Strength Secret of the Soviet Supermen By Pavel
Monday, June 29, 2009
Small PR
Today was test day. It went OK. I hit 430 then missed 450 (got to about the same point as 440 at the last TSC). I felt my tension was off for both. I rushed through warmups (1x355 and 1x405).
A little pissed because I think this is about where I was before this cycle. But from what little I've read this is a gradual thing. In hindsight, I think I would have warmed up more and then gone for 440.
Upwards and onward, a PR is a PR.
A little pissed because I think this is about where I was before this cycle. But from what little I've read this is a gradual thing. In hindsight, I think I would have warmed up more and then gone for 440.
Upwards and onward, a PR is a PR.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The Vette
My dad, who is living the dream at the moment, cruised through town yesterday in his Red 2009 Corvette. He let me drive it, but he wouldn't let me gun it. Still, I got an idea of how fast that car is. I put the slightest pressure on the gas and it started to GO. I looked at the RPMs and it hadn't even hit 2,000. If you really put the petal to the metal I could see it easily getting away from you. You wouldn't want to do that within the city limits. It felt like driving the bat-mobile or something.
Anne, my wife, suggested we go to my favorite feasting grounds, Buca di Beppo for a family style Italian dinner. I wasn't hungry, but I wanted to be if that's where I'd be eating dinner. So I tried the Dan John workout that Pavel mentioned in his latest newsletter. I took rests and bounced the squats a bit, because I'm lazy and could reap the benefits of getting smoked even without following the rigorous instructions. Squats were feeling great...no pain on the femur. Definitely still can't pistol on the left, but relative light goblet squats are fine I guess:
5x10 Push ups
10,9,8....3,2,1 Goblet Squat->Two Arm Swing (24kg)
Then I didn't eat for three hours. Had a few beers and went into Buca's and annihilated the family portions.
The sun came out and Dad and I cruised down the Smith Street bridge overlooking the river and downtown St. Paul with the top down. Then we went up Summit and back down Grand, that was great.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Last day of my first DL Singles Cycle
Had a great, although far from perfect finish today. Hit 6x395 and called it a day. I'll be testing 1RM early next week after some rest, which will be nice. Today felt much better than 6x390 at the end of last week. Fourth rep was the best rep I feel I've done. My stance and leverage must have been dead on because it felt like a very short, quick distance between the floor and lockout. There was no fight from the BB, just fluid movement. It made me wonder if guys who have mastered the DL consistantly hit perfect or near perfect reps. I'm sure they have their bad days like golfers.
Glutes were firing hard and the reps felt explosive, despite a little fatigue from the previous four days and six weeks of consistent lifting.
A PR is on the way, that I am sure of. Depending on how I feel, I'll be shooting for 110% of my old 1RM (425), which is approximately 445. Part of my wants 450 in a bad way though, so we'll see what happens.
I got some video, but the vantage point was terrible. I'm such a freaking idiot. I could have tested the first rep to make sure, but no.
Glutes were firing hard and the reps felt explosive, despite a little fatigue from the previous four days and six weeks of consistent lifting.
A PR is on the way, that I am sure of. Depending on how I feel, I'll be shooting for 110% of my old 1RM (425), which is approximately 445. Part of my wants 450 in a bad way though, so we'll see what happens.
I got some video, but the vantage point was terrible. I'm such a freaking idiot. I could have tested the first rep to make sure, but no.
Monday, June 22, 2009
DLs Today
375x8
Two overhanded...grip feels a bit fried from the 35 PC attempts over the weekend. Overall felt great...focused on keeping T-spine straight, butt down, flexing glutes, and getting a very explosive jump. The T-spine is a new thing for me, but lends itself to a very explosive "initiation pry." I'm think that straight levers are better than curved ones. Need to find the video camera and get some of this on film.
Two overhanded...grip feels a bit fried from the 35 PC attempts over the weekend. Overall felt great...focused on keeping T-spine straight, butt down, flexing glutes, and getting a very explosive jump. The T-spine is a new thing for me, but lends itself to a very explosive "initiation pry." I'm think that straight levers are better than curved ones. Need to find the video camera and get some of this on film.
Weekend Strength Work
Got some quality lifting in over the weekend. Last week DLs felt speedy. This week I’m feeling a speed/tension hybrid. As Pavel says in Naked Warrior, the master uses speed and tension. Both are needed to be able to lift heavy ass weights.
Sunday I did 10x355, all overhand except for the last one with more brief rests than usual (probably 30 seconds). I’m trying to strengthen my wrists a bit with some 16kb KB hammer curls. Got some quality singles in Saturday and Sunday came close to plate curling a 35 pounder. If I can consistently practice this hand and wrist work I’ll be able to curl that beast. Unreal how much harder that is than a 25 pound plate. Saturday morning I knocked out 12/12 PCs with a 25 easily. I could probably do 20 on my right but the 35 is a no go. I’m thinking of taping some popsicle sticks to my fingers to make them “longer.”
Today is 375x8…I’m gonna try all overhand. I think my PR for overhand is 390 if I remember correctly. Saturday I experimented with double overhand thumbs under. This always makes me nervous because I get worried about breaking my thumbs if the load was really heavy. I did notice some good lat pec activation going on though using this grip with 332.5 pounds.
Also cut logs on the log splitter with my in-laws. 20 tons of force and those logs were still resisting. Shows the toughness of nature. And to think that lighting splits an entire tree in a second or two. Like the splitter, I'm sure the lightning bolt takes the path of least resistance. The splitter couldn't handle it when there was a log that branched off or split. The additional resistance of the "split structure" would prove to be too much for a 20 tons of hydrolic pressure coming down on it. But after a slight adjustment, the blade would go right through in a few seconds. That is some solid engineering on the part of God...or evolution...or whoever made all the trees in the world.
Sunday I did 10x355, all overhand except for the last one with more brief rests than usual (probably 30 seconds). I’m trying to strengthen my wrists a bit with some 16kb KB hammer curls. Got some quality singles in Saturday and Sunday came close to plate curling a 35 pounder. If I can consistently practice this hand and wrist work I’ll be able to curl that beast. Unreal how much harder that is than a 25 pound plate. Saturday morning I knocked out 12/12 PCs with a 25 easily. I could probably do 20 on my right but the 35 is a no go. I’m thinking of taping some popsicle sticks to my fingers to make them “longer.”
Today is 375x8…I’m gonna try all overhand. I think my PR for overhand is 390 if I remember correctly. Saturday I experimented with double overhand thumbs under. This always makes me nervous because I get worried about breaking my thumbs if the load was really heavy. I did notice some good lat pec activation going on though using this grip with 332.5 pounds.
Also cut logs on the log splitter with my in-laws. 20 tons of force and those logs were still resisting. Shows the toughness of nature. And to think that lighting splits an entire tree in a second or two. Like the splitter, I'm sure the lightning bolt takes the path of least resistance. The splitter couldn't handle it when there was a log that branched off or split. The additional resistance of the "split structure" would prove to be too much for a 20 tons of hydrolic pressure coming down on it. But after a slight adjustment, the blade would go right through in a few seconds. That is some solid engineering on the part of God...or evolution...or whoever made all the trees in the world.
Reflection on Fatherhood
It was a great Father’s day weekend. My beautiful wife got me some Fr. Corapi talks on fatherhood and we went to Mass together at St. Agnes. The Orchestral season is over (the instruments probably don’t sound as sharp in that massive un-air conditioned palace), so there will be Gregorian Chant until September. I need to learn more about this primitive art. When I listen to it, I feel like I’m in the desert. It is so simple and profound. It is like man calling out to heaven from the most interior depths of his soul. There are no ornaments, just the voice of man. I imagine that is what could be heard by the desert Fathers a thousand years ago. Those solitary penitents became Saints, remembered forever by giving up everything they had for God. It is a great compliment to the silence of the pre-1962 mass, the mass that has been celebrated with very little change for over 1,000 years.
St. Agnes is that the beauty attracts a variety of attendees. Last weekend I saw an older couple who appeared from their gestures (or lack thereof) to not be religious at all. Yet they seemed very attentive to what was going on at the altar. The music was from Schubert, and the woman was visibly moved by the art. I thought I was the only one who couldn’t contain myself from swaying a bit, but she was into it more than anyone else in the room. It grabbed her soul, even though she likely wasn’t a Catholic.
That is when you know you are doing something right. The beauty of the art sort of “spills over” to a more universal audience. The contrast between the grand Orchestral pieces of Gounot and Mozart and the Chant is like the difference between the stars above and the ground below, yet there is unity in that they are expressions of man trying to describe and call out to the infinite and eternal.
For a believer, this is an intense experience. In the mass, the eternal enters the temporal order. God becomes a part of the here and now. Juxtaposed to a Protestant belief, God not only enters and saves humanity through the cross and resurrection, He enters the individual person through communion. This is a personal experience par excellance. This sacrifice, this ritual goes back to the times of ancient Israel. The feast of the Passover was celebrated by slaughtering a lamb and sprinkling the blood over one’s house so to avoid the angel of death’s devouring of the first born of the family. The blood of the lamb saved those who sacrificed “the priests” from “death.” This ritual was performed annually by God’s people.
Sacrifice is primitive and from the depths of man’s heart. This is one of the things the Old Testament attempts to show us. The Old Testament is fulfilled by the New, but one cannot overlook what happens in the Old. The first sacrifice in the Old Testament is that of Cain and Able. Able offers the first of his flock to God. He is saying “everything I have belongs to You.” It is recognition that God has rights over the fruits of his labor. His brother Cain makes a sacrifice too, the offering of the fruit of the ground. For some reason God prefers Able’s sacrifice over Cain’s. Is it the object of their sacrifice or the disposition of their hearts? Cain’s reaction indicates the latter. He gets angry and jealous when God preferred Able’s offering. His eye was on his brother and not God. When one sees that God prefers the interiority of Able’s sacrifice because it is purely given, that is, it was given from the desire of his heart and not based on the actions of his brother, one can go back and look at what it was that was offered. Able’s sacrifice is from his flock, it is living, and Cain’s is not. The interior disposition gives meaning to the material object offered.
A sacrifice can be viewed spiritually or materially. One can look at the objects that Cain and Able offered or the interior intentions of their hearts. An offering can come from an object or from the inside. We can be “priests” by making an interior offering. This interior offering is what is shown to be pleasing to God in the Old Testament. Nothing illustrates this better than the story of Abraham. God asks Abraham to sacrifice his only son, his son who came about through tremendous hardship. This request makes no sense at the level of human prudence but Abraham takes faith in God and obeys him despite the interior suffering of such a commandment. God stops Abraham before he sacrifices Isaac. He is more interested in the interior disposition of Abraham, not the object offered. God is perfect, he lacks nothing. Abraham sacrificed his son in his heart and by doing this God promises that to him that he will be the Father of a great nation.
It is through this lens that we enter the sacrifice of the mass. It is a giving to God “the first of our flock,” the God/Man. Nothing better has entered creation. We have the same kind of faith exhibited by Abraham because the sacrifice is under the appearance of bread and wine, but it is not. The sacrifice was made once and for all by Christ on the cross. The Eucharist is a bloodless recreation of that sacrifice, as ordered by Christ himself at the Last Supper. “Do this.” “This IS my body.” This is one of those things that makes no sense to the mind of man. Imagine being one of His followers and hearing Him say “this is my body, do this in remembrance of me.” This was during the time of the Passover. People where slaughtering lambs and spreading blood on their houses. It seems a bit silly to modern man. I think this bloodless sacrifice is a product of divine wisdom. Imagine a group of religious people attempting to kill an animal today would be hauled off by Federal Agents! A bloodless sacrifice avoids this issue yet retains the meaning of the Old Testament sacrifices while perfecting them. The object being offered is the greatest and the interior offering made by us can imitate the sacrifice of Christ on the cross…that is, we give everything through Him.
It is by these considerations that we see that the mass is a sacrifice and not a mere social gathering. It builds on the traditions of primitive man and perfects them. It is a tremendous gift given freely by a God who loves His creatures. It goes beyond a view that “Jesus died for our sins” because it is a physical encounter with Him by the individual. Just like I can’t eat for someone else because it is a private, biological act, selfish to the core, so the communicant cannot receive communion for someone else. Christ comes to the individual.
This teaches us something about Fatherhood. Fatherhood is sacrifice, the giving of oneself. This has new meaning for me now that I am a father of three. I have found that to enter fatherhood is to end the self. It would be so nice to go and catch a flick down the street, just a few hours to myself. Nope. Saturday I had free Saints tickets and really wanted to go. Nope. I could have, but it would have meant leaving my wife to put the kids to bed just so I can get out and have some fun. And when I think about all the masses I took for granted before having kids. I would space the entire time. Now I have to manage the pews. Any quality time I get to have with my maker is now treasured. To be a good father is to give up what you want to do.
I’ve gone two ways with this, and it is a constant battle. One is to view fatherhood through the self. When this happens, despair isn’t far behind. The other is the sacrificial view. This makes it bearable and gives the whole enterprise purpose and meaning.
St. Agnes is that the beauty attracts a variety of attendees. Last weekend I saw an older couple who appeared from their gestures (or lack thereof) to not be religious at all. Yet they seemed very attentive to what was going on at the altar. The music was from Schubert, and the woman was visibly moved by the art. I thought I was the only one who couldn’t contain myself from swaying a bit, but she was into it more than anyone else in the room. It grabbed her soul, even though she likely wasn’t a Catholic.
That is when you know you are doing something right. The beauty of the art sort of “spills over” to a more universal audience. The contrast between the grand Orchestral pieces of Gounot and Mozart and the Chant is like the difference between the stars above and the ground below, yet there is unity in that they are expressions of man trying to describe and call out to the infinite and eternal.
For a believer, this is an intense experience. In the mass, the eternal enters the temporal order. God becomes a part of the here and now. Juxtaposed to a Protestant belief, God not only enters and saves humanity through the cross and resurrection, He enters the individual person through communion. This is a personal experience par excellance. This sacrifice, this ritual goes back to the times of ancient Israel. The feast of the Passover was celebrated by slaughtering a lamb and sprinkling the blood over one’s house so to avoid the angel of death’s devouring of the first born of the family. The blood of the lamb saved those who sacrificed “the priests” from “death.” This ritual was performed annually by God’s people.
Sacrifice is primitive and from the depths of man’s heart. This is one of the things the Old Testament attempts to show us. The Old Testament is fulfilled by the New, but one cannot overlook what happens in the Old. The first sacrifice in the Old Testament is that of Cain and Able. Able offers the first of his flock to God. He is saying “everything I have belongs to You.” It is recognition that God has rights over the fruits of his labor. His brother Cain makes a sacrifice too, the offering of the fruit of the ground. For some reason God prefers Able’s sacrifice over Cain’s. Is it the object of their sacrifice or the disposition of their hearts? Cain’s reaction indicates the latter. He gets angry and jealous when God preferred Able’s offering. His eye was on his brother and not God. When one sees that God prefers the interiority of Able’s sacrifice because it is purely given, that is, it was given from the desire of his heart and not based on the actions of his brother, one can go back and look at what it was that was offered. Able’s sacrifice is from his flock, it is living, and Cain’s is not. The interior disposition gives meaning to the material object offered.
A sacrifice can be viewed spiritually or materially. One can look at the objects that Cain and Able offered or the interior intentions of their hearts. An offering can come from an object or from the inside. We can be “priests” by making an interior offering. This interior offering is what is shown to be pleasing to God in the Old Testament. Nothing illustrates this better than the story of Abraham. God asks Abraham to sacrifice his only son, his son who came about through tremendous hardship. This request makes no sense at the level of human prudence but Abraham takes faith in God and obeys him despite the interior suffering of such a commandment. God stops Abraham before he sacrifices Isaac. He is more interested in the interior disposition of Abraham, not the object offered. God is perfect, he lacks nothing. Abraham sacrificed his son in his heart and by doing this God promises that to him that he will be the Father of a great nation.
It is through this lens that we enter the sacrifice of the mass. It is a giving to God “the first of our flock,” the God/Man. Nothing better has entered creation. We have the same kind of faith exhibited by Abraham because the sacrifice is under the appearance of bread and wine, but it is not. The sacrifice was made once and for all by Christ on the cross. The Eucharist is a bloodless recreation of that sacrifice, as ordered by Christ himself at the Last Supper. “Do this.” “This IS my body.” This is one of those things that makes no sense to the mind of man. Imagine being one of His followers and hearing Him say “this is my body, do this in remembrance of me.” This was during the time of the Passover. People where slaughtering lambs and spreading blood on their houses. It seems a bit silly to modern man. I think this bloodless sacrifice is a product of divine wisdom. Imagine a group of religious people attempting to kill an animal today would be hauled off by Federal Agents! A bloodless sacrifice avoids this issue yet retains the meaning of the Old Testament sacrifices while perfecting them. The object being offered is the greatest and the interior offering made by us can imitate the sacrifice of Christ on the cross…that is, we give everything through Him.
It is by these considerations that we see that the mass is a sacrifice and not a mere social gathering. It builds on the traditions of primitive man and perfects them. It is a tremendous gift given freely by a God who loves His creatures. It goes beyond a view that “Jesus died for our sins” because it is a physical encounter with Him by the individual. Just like I can’t eat for someone else because it is a private, biological act, selfish to the core, so the communicant cannot receive communion for someone else. Christ comes to the individual.
This teaches us something about Fatherhood. Fatherhood is sacrifice, the giving of oneself. This has new meaning for me now that I am a father of three. I have found that to enter fatherhood is to end the self. It would be so nice to go and catch a flick down the street, just a few hours to myself. Nope. Saturday I had free Saints tickets and really wanted to go. Nope. I could have, but it would have meant leaving my wife to put the kids to bed just so I can get out and have some fun. And when I think about all the masses I took for granted before having kids. I would space the entire time. Now I have to manage the pews. Any quality time I get to have with my maker is now treasured. To be a good father is to give up what you want to do.
I’ve gone two ways with this, and it is a constant battle. One is to view fatherhood through the self. When this happens, despair isn’t far behind. The other is the sacrificial view. This makes it bearable and gives the whole enterprise purpose and meaning.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Week 6 Wrap Up
I don't have my paper journal in front of me, but going off memory I believe this weeks numbers broke down as:
D1: 305x15
D2: 327.5x12
D3: 350x10
D4: 370x8
D5: 390x6
Shot some video of the last two reps of 390 last night. I noticed my hips are coming up prematurely. Not all the way, but enough to lose power. I spoke with Fawn and she noted this is the bane of my form and the no. 1 item for me to work on. I'll try to post some vids soon. I'm anxious to take some more next week with the lighter weights and see if the hips are rising too soon. The KB work Friday night set general fatigue in motion that I believe slowed down the speed of my lifts this week, so I'm hoping the high hips might be a result of that. Shooting some vids next week after two days of rest should shed some light on that.
D1: 305x15
D2: 327.5x12
D3: 350x10
D4: 370x8
D5: 390x6
Shot some video of the last two reps of 390 last night. I noticed my hips are coming up prematurely. Not all the way, but enough to lose power. I spoke with Fawn and she noted this is the bane of my form and the no. 1 item for me to work on. I'll try to post some vids soon. I'm anxious to take some more next week with the lighter weights and see if the hips are rising too soon. The KB work Friday night set general fatigue in motion that I believe slowed down the speed of my lifts this week, so I'm hoping the high hips might be a result of that. Shooting some vids next week after two days of rest should shed some light on that.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Overload
I read up on some blogs some of the RTK routines and tried a portion of one out Friday night before mowing the lawn. I was hoping to mix it in with my DL cycle, but after doing it, I've decided that is way too much. Sunday I was exhausted and really had to focus to make 350 nice and snappy. That might have been a good exercise for form focus, but the feeling of fatigue I had all day made it not worth it.
All I did was double snatch->double press for 1,2,3 and then tack on 5 front squats on the last set (of three), using a 32kg in one hand and 24kg in the other. This is a shiny object. I loved the power I was feeling with these movements and was hoping to get away with doing these 3 times a week on top of the pulling. The squats weren't too deep because of my femur issue, but the Z has been helping that alot and I can get a little below parallel with no pain now so that is good. The snatches and presses felt strong...there is something about that progression....need to buy RTK and read up on that.
Unbelievable what a wrench doing the KB stuff Friday threw into my DLs Saturday and Sunday. Today 370x8 is on the menu...hopefully it won't feel as heavy as yesterday.
All I did was double snatch->double press for 1,2,3 and then tack on 5 front squats on the last set (of three), using a 32kg in one hand and 24kg in the other. This is a shiny object. I loved the power I was feeling with these movements and was hoping to get away with doing these 3 times a week on top of the pulling. The squats weren't too deep because of my femur issue, but the Z has been helping that alot and I can get a little below parallel with no pain now so that is good. The snatches and presses felt strong...there is something about that progression....need to buy RTK and read up on that.
Unbelievable what a wrench doing the KB stuff Friday threw into my DLs Saturday and Sunday. Today 370x8 is on the menu...hopefully it won't feel as heavy as yesterday.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Attempt at Defining Philosophy and the Philosophical Disposition
There is a term in philosophy that is important to have some kind of handle on if you are interested in knowing things that are true, and not things that are false. This term is “a priori.” Basically it means “from prior knowledge.”
Knowing “truth” might be impossible, it might not. It seems that we ALL want to know truth, even if it is in the area of our little niche, or art. People in the art of kettlebell instruction need to know the truth about kettlebells and movement to teach them effectively. People who are chefs need to know the culinary art. Everyone who has their own art knows something about their art, i.e. they have a piece of truth. Well, maybe some people suck at their art and don’t really know anything about it. But if they are getting paid, they know some truth. Does anyone dispute that truth can be known on the level of art? It is when one jumps from the particular field of art to truth in general where people start getting a little fidgety. But if truth be known, we must go from what we know to what we don’t know.
We should not jump over art before we speak of truth in general. Art is a starting point. Art is something we have immediate, active experience in and it is something we know. If truth can be known at the level of art, can the mind then go beyond that and know something of a broader truth? In other words, can the mind go from knowing a particular kind of being, such as how to make a salad or swing a kettlebell, to being itself?
Truth in general, not tied to any art, is philosophy. Philosophy is kind of a paradox. It is useless knowledge. There is a kind of poverty to philosophy. It can’t build houses or refrigerators or make 150K teaching kettlebells or a million running a Fortune 500. Yet there is a definite desire people have to know something beyond art, to know something about being, to know something about the way things are. This is the limitation of art. Art cannot know being.
Back to a priori. A priori is toxic in trying to know something about being. Because there is an element of poverty at work in philosophy, we must let go of what we think we already know and look at the world through the eyes of a child. This is an art in itself. We must continue to return to what we experience with a clear vision. If you are sold on evolution, if you are sold on creationism, if you are sold on atheism, if you are sold on Catholiscm, if you are some on agnostiscm, philosophy asks that you drop the a priori lens by which you view reality and “start over.”
Can this be done? It surely isn’t common. Children are the best analogy for the philosophical disposition. Things are new to them; they look at them honestly, for the first time. Similarly with movement. Children know how to squat, they know how to move. Life hasn’t beaten their nervous systems down yet. Can grown men and women relearn how to move like a child? It takes work and dedication, but it can be done and when it is done, movement becomes enjoyable again, like it is for children. So can grown men and women do the same things in the field of knowing? It is a similar process.
Knowing “truth” might be impossible, it might not. It seems that we ALL want to know truth, even if it is in the area of our little niche, or art. People in the art of kettlebell instruction need to know the truth about kettlebells and movement to teach them effectively. People who are chefs need to know the culinary art. Everyone who has their own art knows something about their art, i.e. they have a piece of truth. Well, maybe some people suck at their art and don’t really know anything about it. But if they are getting paid, they know some truth. Does anyone dispute that truth can be known on the level of art? It is when one jumps from the particular field of art to truth in general where people start getting a little fidgety. But if truth be known, we must go from what we know to what we don’t know.
We should not jump over art before we speak of truth in general. Art is a starting point. Art is something we have immediate, active experience in and it is something we know. If truth can be known at the level of art, can the mind then go beyond that and know something of a broader truth? In other words, can the mind go from knowing a particular kind of being, such as how to make a salad or swing a kettlebell, to being itself?
Truth in general, not tied to any art, is philosophy. Philosophy is kind of a paradox. It is useless knowledge. There is a kind of poverty to philosophy. It can’t build houses or refrigerators or make 150K teaching kettlebells or a million running a Fortune 500. Yet there is a definite desire people have to know something beyond art, to know something about being, to know something about the way things are. This is the limitation of art. Art cannot know being.
Back to a priori. A priori is toxic in trying to know something about being. Because there is an element of poverty at work in philosophy, we must let go of what we think we already know and look at the world through the eyes of a child. This is an art in itself. We must continue to return to what we experience with a clear vision. If you are sold on evolution, if you are sold on creationism, if you are sold on atheism, if you are sold on Catholiscm, if you are some on agnostiscm, philosophy asks that you drop the a priori lens by which you view reality and “start over.”
Can this be done? It surely isn’t common. Children are the best analogy for the philosophical disposition. Things are new to them; they look at them honestly, for the first time. Similarly with movement. Children know how to squat, they know how to move. Life hasn’t beaten their nervous systems down yet. Can grown men and women relearn how to move like a child? It takes work and dedication, but it can be done and when it is done, movement becomes enjoyable again, like it is for children. So can grown men and women do the same things in the field of knowing? It is a similar process.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Week 5 wrap up
D1: 300x15
D2: 322.5x12
D3: 345x10
D4: 365x8
D5: 385x6
D5 was a little off, only really hit the groove on 2 of the lifts. Those felt great, but it wasn't as consistent as the other days.
I was thinking that this is more specific for training your 1RM, because you are focusing on a single, which is what a 1RM test is. Not to say training 5RM isn't the balls as well, but maybe part of the explanation of how one can get away with lifting more by only doing singles.
Looking forward to a few days off, some OAPs tomorrow and some Z to relax and recharge.
D2: 322.5x12
D3: 345x10
D4: 365x8
D5: 385x6
D5 was a little off, only really hit the groove on 2 of the lifts. Those felt great, but it wasn't as consistent as the other days.
I was thinking that this is more specific for training your 1RM, because you are focusing on a single, which is what a 1RM test is. Not to say training 5RM isn't the balls as well, but maybe part of the explanation of how one can get away with lifting more by only doing singles.
Looking forward to a few days off, some OAPs tomorrow and some Z to relax and recharge.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Peaking/Gripper PR
Have you ever peaked? I think I peaked this weekend. Unfortunately, it wasn't time in the cycle to test 1RM and I wasn't at any lifting event, just bumming around my house doing honey-do's.
I think a sign of peaking is that everything feels good and light. Coming off the back off week, I was worried that the ole barbell might feel a little heavy. Not so, quite the opposite. The reps were so snappy, it felt like I was doing swings with 320 pounds. This I take as a good sign.
Sunday I did 5x4/4 one arm pushups on the third step. Once I got in the groove, these were feeling easy. I'm finding it helps to focus on elbow positioning with these.
Saturday I was rummaging around the basement and stumbled upon my COCs. I hadn't seen these in months! So I picked up the no. 2 and closed it solidly 7x on the right hand (Old PR was 4, which I did only once right on the day when the thing arrived from Ironmind. After that I could not get to 4 again, which is strange). Only 2 on the left. Didn't really even use alot of tension tricks, I think having stronger lats and pecs and having some idea of how to use them is really good for your grip. So my training for getting a stronger grip will be to deadlift and do one arm pushups and KBs every once in a while and to resist the urge to pick up the COCs. When I start using the COCs, my numbers go down.
I thought I read somewhere that if you can do 12 reps on one of the COCs, then you are strong enough to jump up to the next one. If this is true, I might be able to close the #3 someday. If I can close the COC#3 without doing intense grip training, then that will be a bonus because I don't really like grip training. I also would like it if I could close the #3 without using chalk...and I could make a youtube video of me closing the #3 with a line like "chalk is for pussies" or something at the end. I don't really think that, but it would be funny if I did.
Have been keeping up with the Z very consistently...I think this might have something to do with increased COC and OAP strength.
And last night the fam all slept like rocks. I got 10+ hours of sleep. I think the weather helped...this is optimal sleeping weather. 40s at night and overcast all day long. We've had so much sun lately that this cloudy/rainy weather isn't bugging me too much.
I think a sign of peaking is that everything feels good and light. Coming off the back off week, I was worried that the ole barbell might feel a little heavy. Not so, quite the opposite. The reps were so snappy, it felt like I was doing swings with 320 pounds. This I take as a good sign.
Sunday I did 5x4/4 one arm pushups on the third step. Once I got in the groove, these were feeling easy. I'm finding it helps to focus on elbow positioning with these.
Saturday I was rummaging around the basement and stumbled upon my COCs. I hadn't seen these in months! So I picked up the no. 2 and closed it solidly 7x on the right hand (Old PR was 4, which I did only once right on the day when the thing arrived from Ironmind. After that I could not get to 4 again, which is strange). Only 2 on the left. Didn't really even use alot of tension tricks, I think having stronger lats and pecs and having some idea of how to use them is really good for your grip. So my training for getting a stronger grip will be to deadlift and do one arm pushups and KBs every once in a while and to resist the urge to pick up the COCs. When I start using the COCs, my numbers go down.
I thought I read somewhere that if you can do 12 reps on one of the COCs, then you are strong enough to jump up to the next one. If this is true, I might be able to close the #3 someday. If I can close the COC#3 without doing intense grip training, then that will be a bonus because I don't really like grip training. I also would like it if I could close the #3 without using chalk...and I could make a youtube video of me closing the #3 with a line like "chalk is for pussies" or something at the end. I don't really think that, but it would be funny if I did.
Have been keeping up with the Z very consistently...I think this might have something to do with increased COC and OAP strength.
And last night the fam all slept like rocks. I got 10+ hours of sleep. I think the weather helped...this is optimal sleeping weather. 40s at night and overcast all day long. We've had so much sun lately that this cloudy/rainy weather isn't bugging me too much.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Last KB workout before returning to DL Cycle
32kg:
20/20, 15/15, 10/10, 5/5 snatch
10/10 clean and press (7&3 on the left side, had to put it down...groove was horrible)
Z to start and finish.
Since started KBs and strength training years ago, I've always struggled to compliment my training with something soft, like stretching or Z. I seemed to have gotten in the habit over the last couple of weeks of doing some Z a few times throughout the day and usually intermittently through a workout. I've only had a few lessons but its unbelievable how rejuvenating and relaxing that stuff is, even only doing it for a few minutes.
A few weeks ago my lower back was really stiff, almost to the point of pain. Zachariah Salazaar suggested I do foot, t-spine, c-pine, then lumbar circles. It is working like a charm.
Another feature of Z I've found is that you always get stronger after you do it. After the set of 20/20 snatches I was feeling a little gassed, so did some Z briefly, picked up the bell...and it felt like a 16kg. Ending reps definitely felt more powerful than opening reps, and that is always a very satisfying feeling to walk away from your workout feeling stronger than when you walked in.
20/20, 15/15, 10/10, 5/5 snatch
10/10 clean and press (7&3 on the left side, had to put it down...groove was horrible)
Z to start and finish.
Since started KBs and strength training years ago, I've always struggled to compliment my training with something soft, like stretching or Z. I seemed to have gotten in the habit over the last couple of weeks of doing some Z a few times throughout the day and usually intermittently through a workout. I've only had a few lessons but its unbelievable how rejuvenating and relaxing that stuff is, even only doing it for a few minutes.
A few weeks ago my lower back was really stiff, almost to the point of pain. Zachariah Salazaar suggested I do foot, t-spine, c-pine, then lumbar circles. It is working like a charm.
Another feature of Z I've found is that you always get stronger after you do it. After the set of 20/20 snatches I was feeling a little gassed, so did some Z briefly, picked up the bell...and it felt like a 16kg. Ending reps definitely felt more powerful than opening reps, and that is always a very satisfying feeling to walk away from your workout feeling stronger than when you walked in.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The Place to Begin your Kettlebell Training
I'm looking forward to returning to the Enter the Kettlebell program after I complete this deadlift cycle. I think I can take it to another level with the added strength of pulling a barbell and working on getting stronger using only my bodyweight with one arm pushups.
I followed Enter the Kettlebell by the letter a few years ago and pressed a 32 kilo and 16 kilo in one hand, hit 240 in the Secret Service Snatch Test, and did a Turkish Get-Up with a 32 kilo and 16 kilo in one hand. These are things elite athletes would have to work towards. ETK gets the average Joe to do things that a Powerlifter or NFL running back would not be able to do (without practice of course).
I'm not very strong or well-conditioned, but I am now thanks to that book and its great for ADD folks like myself because it is so simple, yet so rewarding. Get yourself a copy today and see where it takes you:
Enter the Kettlebell! Strength Secret of the Soviet Supermen By Pavel
I followed Enter the Kettlebell by the letter a few years ago and pressed a 32 kilo and 16 kilo in one hand, hit 240 in the Secret Service Snatch Test, and did a Turkish Get-Up with a 32 kilo and 16 kilo in one hand. These are things elite athletes would have to work towards. ETK gets the average Joe to do things that a Powerlifter or NFL running back would not be able to do (without practice of course).
I'm not very strong or well-conditioned, but I am now thanks to that book and its great for ADD folks like myself because it is so simple, yet so rewarding. Get yourself a copy today and see where it takes you:
Enter the Kettlebell! Strength Secret of the Soviet Supermen By Pavel
Monday, June 1, 2009
Back off workout
Didn't feel like it, now that my conditioning levels suck and I get winded from a few swings, lol!
4x3/3 1arm push-ups on third step
2x20/20 1arm swings (32kg)
bunch of Z to relax
soccer with my son in back yard.
Feel so blessed to be able to spend lunches at home interacting with the kiddos!
4x3/3 1arm push-ups on third step
2x20/20 1arm swings (32kg)
bunch of Z to relax
soccer with my son in back yard.
Feel so blessed to be able to spend lunches at home interacting with the kiddos!
Friday, May 29, 2009
OAPs and the Enchantment of Minnesota in the Summer
Yesterday at lunch:
5x5/5 OAPs on the fourth step. Felt very strong for the last few sets. Maybe I’m ready to do a better job on the third step now. These things trash your abs and obliques like nothing else.
At night we went to a graduation ceremony at one of the local colleges. The auditorium was standing room only and pitch black, so we took the kids out to the quad and chased rabbits rather than sit through a grueling ceremony. There were four of them and they were chasing one another around in moving circles, it almost looked choreographed. There was a tree ripe for pull-ups, so I had to:
5,7,8 pull-ups. Old PR is 11 and I know I can beat that. I start night classes next week and will see what happens on their gym PU bar.
Minnesota is enchanting in the summer. The twilight period lasts a really long time, late into the evening. Everything is so lush and with the beautiful colors of twilight its like you are in a Mid Summer nights dream. After enduring the brutal winters, it does have an almost dream-like quality to it. Cruising around Summit Avenue is enchanting and everyone you walk past smiles, whereas in the winter they have more of a “fuck you” expression, which is fitting I guess.
5x5/5 OAPs on the fourth step. Felt very strong for the last few sets. Maybe I’m ready to do a better job on the third step now. These things trash your abs and obliques like nothing else.
At night we went to a graduation ceremony at one of the local colleges. The auditorium was standing room only and pitch black, so we took the kids out to the quad and chased rabbits rather than sit through a grueling ceremony. There were four of them and they were chasing one another around in moving circles, it almost looked choreographed. There was a tree ripe for pull-ups, so I had to:
5,7,8 pull-ups. Old PR is 11 and I know I can beat that. I start night classes next week and will see what happens on their gym PU bar.
Minnesota is enchanting in the summer. The twilight period lasts a really long time, late into the evening. Everything is so lush and with the beautiful colors of twilight its like you are in a Mid Summer nights dream. After enduring the brutal winters, it does have an almost dream-like quality to it. Cruising around Summit Avenue is enchanting and everyone you walk past smiles, whereas in the winter they have more of a “fuck you” expression, which is fitting I guess.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Pressing Might not be the Best way to Cultivate the Lats
I posted this on the ddoor forum today:
"I've had a funny experience with the MP lately, this might or might not apply to you but will hopefully help:
I did ETK a few years ago and worked up to some relatively solid pressing numbers (40kgx7 on my right and 32kgx19). I was pressing a lot and doing kind of a GS press, trying to minimize tension so as to do more reps, i.e. letting the bell fall on the descent.
That is one way to increase one's pressing numbers, but I was totally missing the lat thing. A sign of this is that i could hardly do 2 pullups.
What helped me discover my lats was to set aside trying to increase my press nos. and "getting to know" my lats. I did this through doing really slow pushups and more recently one arm pushups off an incline, like a stair-step. I now have lats and can do 11 pullups, maybe more, I haven't tested lately.
A few weeks ago i did a set of presses with my 32 kg. I was really focusing on the lats (now that i have them), and the feeling of the lat was so much stronger than even back when I could actually press more! the best way I could describe it is that the lat felt like a balloon in my back, both in terms of flexing of the muscle and the way that it "floated" the kettlebell up into the air.
For me personally, I never could have experienced this utilization of the lats if I didn't put down the KB and do some bodyweight stuff and then pick up the kettlebell again. One must first have lats before he can feel them, in other words. This is at least been my experience from pressing kettlebells for almost 4 years."
"I've had a funny experience with the MP lately, this might or might not apply to you but will hopefully help:
I did ETK a few years ago and worked up to some relatively solid pressing numbers (40kgx7 on my right and 32kgx19). I was pressing a lot and doing kind of a GS press, trying to minimize tension so as to do more reps, i.e. letting the bell fall on the descent.
That is one way to increase one's pressing numbers, but I was totally missing the lat thing. A sign of this is that i could hardly do 2 pullups.
What helped me discover my lats was to set aside trying to increase my press nos. and "getting to know" my lats. I did this through doing really slow pushups and more recently one arm pushups off an incline, like a stair-step. I now have lats and can do 11 pullups, maybe more, I haven't tested lately.
A few weeks ago i did a set of presses with my 32 kg. I was really focusing on the lats (now that i have them), and the feeling of the lat was so much stronger than even back when I could actually press more! the best way I could describe it is that the lat felt like a balloon in my back, both in terms of flexing of the muscle and the way that it "floated" the kettlebell up into the air.
For me personally, I never could have experienced this utilization of the lats if I didn't put down the KB and do some bodyweight stuff and then pick up the kettlebell again. One must first have lats before he can feel them, in other words. This is at least been my experience from pressing kettlebells for almost 4 years."
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
More DL and OAP/PU Observations
Memorial Day was filled with family and friends and some great outdoor weather. I love it up here in MN this time of year. I feel as though I’m floating in a giant green cloud. The winters serve to give us a special perspective in the fertile, lush surroundings in which we find ourselves in May.
I spent Saturday morning manicuring the yard in preparation for a get together with old college friends from CA who now live here with their families. If that wasn’t exciting enough, I jumped up on to the closest thing I have to a pull up bar, the Northern Maple in my front yard. The branch is nice and thick so a pull up on there probably equals 1.3 on a skinnier bar. Nature makes the best fat bar pull up bars. I couldn’t believe that I easily hit 4x7 on the “fat bar.” I don’t think I’ve ever done more than 5 reps on that branch before and those are typically a struggle.
These one arm pushups are a keeper. They will take my pull-ups to the next level. I hope I’m not being too naïve, but I think getting 15 or more is attainable. Unbelievable. Just a short time ago I was struggling with 2 and 3 pullups.
Sunday I did 3x5 OAPs on the third step, but needed assistance on my left side. I might move back and forth between the third and the fourth for awhile. My right is much stronger than left on one arm pushups and I don’t want to create any more imbalances.
Today is the last day of week 3 on the deadlift cycle before I back off. I’m looking forward to a break. In addition to all of the singles over the past few weeks, I’ve also been lifting logs and doing a lot of lifting in the backyard.
Luckily, once I get into my daily reps I feel ignited and the best reps are always at the end of the set. There hasn’t been one day where I walked out of the dungeon of strength not feeling stronger than when I walked in.
One thing I’ve noticed from this singles cycle is that fast, crisp quality reps practically impose themselves by necessity because of the relatively high volume of reps. The total is 15+12+10+8+6=51 reps per week. That is a lot of friggin deadlifting. I don’t want to spend one second more than is necessary holding that heavy bar. My form has gotten better just from the structure of this program.
It is kind of like doing swings with a heavier bell…your form HAS to get better because your arms aren’t strong enough to cheat-lift a monster KB. This program seems to use volume in the place of poundage as the auto-teacher.
This combo of deadlifting and one arm pushups is definitely a keeper. Deadlift and Pull up PRs are in range. Great for folks who want to improve body composition, increase energy, increase strength, and don’t have very much time to put into strength training.
I spent Saturday morning manicuring the yard in preparation for a get together with old college friends from CA who now live here with their families. If that wasn’t exciting enough, I jumped up on to the closest thing I have to a pull up bar, the Northern Maple in my front yard. The branch is nice and thick so a pull up on there probably equals 1.3 on a skinnier bar. Nature makes the best fat bar pull up bars. I couldn’t believe that I easily hit 4x7 on the “fat bar.” I don’t think I’ve ever done more than 5 reps on that branch before and those are typically a struggle.
These one arm pushups are a keeper. They will take my pull-ups to the next level. I hope I’m not being too naïve, but I think getting 15 or more is attainable. Unbelievable. Just a short time ago I was struggling with 2 and 3 pullups.
Sunday I did 3x5 OAPs on the third step, but needed assistance on my left side. I might move back and forth between the third and the fourth for awhile. My right is much stronger than left on one arm pushups and I don’t want to create any more imbalances.
Today is the last day of week 3 on the deadlift cycle before I back off. I’m looking forward to a break. In addition to all of the singles over the past few weeks, I’ve also been lifting logs and doing a lot of lifting in the backyard.
Luckily, once I get into my daily reps I feel ignited and the best reps are always at the end of the set. There hasn’t been one day where I walked out of the dungeon of strength not feeling stronger than when I walked in.
One thing I’ve noticed from this singles cycle is that fast, crisp quality reps practically impose themselves by necessity because of the relatively high volume of reps. The total is 15+12+10+8+6=51 reps per week. That is a lot of friggin deadlifting. I don’t want to spend one second more than is necessary holding that heavy bar. My form has gotten better just from the structure of this program.
It is kind of like doing swings with a heavier bell…your form HAS to get better because your arms aren’t strong enough to cheat-lift a monster KB. This program seems to use volume in the place of poundage as the auto-teacher.
This combo of deadlifting and one arm pushups is definitely a keeper. Deadlift and Pull up PRs are in range. Great for folks who want to improve body composition, increase energy, increase strength, and don’t have very much time to put into strength training.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The Groove
Seems like a groove is starting to form around this DL cycle. Finished up strong yesterday with 6 singles of 370 and today I'm continuing with one arm pushups to get some quality upper body work in to compliment the DLs.
On the 4th step, OAPs:
5x4/4
First few sets were hard, stance and tension was off. Got into the groove later by keeping the thoracic spine straight, corkscrewing as best I could manage on the wooden step, and keeping the shoulder down. There's a lot of checklists I have to go through to get these with good form and without "sinking" so that my free shoulder doesn't move back. This is an awesome exercise in tension.
I read Pavel's bench advice on Tim Ferriss' blog and he advises 5x5 on the heavy day and 5x4 at 80% of the 5x5 weight on the light day. I'll try to use this protocol for pushups. Sunday I'll begin the third step, which will be difficult.
On the 4th step, OAPs:
5x4/4
First few sets were hard, stance and tension was off. Got into the groove later by keeping the thoracic spine straight, corkscrewing as best I could manage on the wooden step, and keeping the shoulder down. There's a lot of checklists I have to go through to get these with good form and without "sinking" so that my free shoulder doesn't move back. This is an awesome exercise in tension.
I read Pavel's bench advice on Tim Ferriss' blog and he advises 5x5 on the heavy day and 5x4 at 80% of the 5x5 weight on the light day. I'll try to use this protocol for pushups. Sunday I'll begin the third step, which will be difficult.
A Federal Reserve Note
This is a Federal Reserve Note. It has value because the government says it does. Throughout the ages, there have been currencies backed by something of value, like gold or silver, and there have been government issued paper such as this.
Having a fiat currency gives the government a tremendous amount of hidden power, because they can get around directly taxing its citizens by simply making the money out of nothing. The more money they print, the less you can exchange for your Federal Reserve note. Several states experienced this inflation process by their own state central bank’s fiat currencies prior to the formation of the union. I can’t think of a greater chaos in a society than its money all of the sudden becoming worthless.
Here is what James Madison had to say about the hyperinflation that occurred in the states in Federalist 44:
“The extension of the prohibition to bills of credit [printing money] must give pleasure to every citizen, in proportion to his love of justice and his knowledge of the true springs of public prosperity. The loss which America has sustained since the peace, from the pestilent effects of paper money on the necessary confidence between man and man, on the necessary confidence in the public councils, on the industry and morals of the people, and on the character of republican government, constitutes an enormous debt against the States chargeable with this unadvised measure, which must long remain unsatisfied; or rather an accumulation of guilt, which can be expiated no otherwise than by a voluntary sacrifice on the altar of justice, of the power which has been the instrument of it.”
It took a few hundred years, but I believe that the “pestilent effects of paper money” that the individual states propagated prior to the union is now taking the same form on the federal level which originally sought to end the problem. Paper money always fails in the end. Those in power eventually turn into crack addicts at the printing press. The temptation is too great. What would you do at the levers? I'm sure a lot of us would be fairly responsible for awhile. But what happens when a big bank goes down? The economy will be ruined....just print of a few billion. The snowball gets bigger over time and the debts start to get out of control.
The Federal Reserve has printed trillions of dollars in the past year, and this is on top of an already insurmountable debt and unsustainable government programs and wars. If you look at a chart from the Federal Reserve bank of the money in circulation over the past 100 years, it looks like a hockey stick. The end of Bush's term is the blade of the stick and Obama has stepped right in to keep things going. We are still paying off Reagan's bailouts of the S&L Banks from the 80s. The bailouts of Bush/Obama tower in comparison. The good news is the since America is so vast and populous, the Federal Reserve must print mind numbingly large amounts of money for hyperinflation to take root. Much more, obviously, than Rhode Island and whichever other states James Madison refers to in Federalist 44, above. Printing money is a hidden tax. Those in power print off the money they need for whatever purpose and the excess paper trickles down into the economy over time which causes prices to rise. There is a common misconception that workers wages rise with inflation. This is true, but there is a big time lag in between. The worker is the last one to the benefits of the printed money. America is so huge that if and when inflation occurs, it will most likely occur in pockets of the country. It would be interesting to look at prices in different parts of the country and their relation to special interest money. Wherever government money goes, be it from taxes or the printing press, prices will go up. That is the comedy of government stepping into the real estate market to make houses affordable for everyone. Prices have gone through the roof. Its the same story with health care. The more government involves itself, the worse the quality gets and the higher the price gets. The market allows for competition and innovation, which leads to lower prices over time. Government intervention drives prices up and cuts off competition. If you want to see what our health care is headed for, go visit a VA Hospital.
The Feds and their friends will maintain their power and their wealth despite poor decision making, and most Americans who wake up and go to work every morning will pay for it. This is the bailout game, and it was one of the original purposes of the Federal Reserve. We do stupid shit with money, and you pay for it. Transfer your losses to someone else. Its pretty ingenious.
HR 1207’s aim is to audit the Federal Reserve. Yes, they move printed money all over the place in secret. Inflation is a hidden tax and where that money goes is hidden. It’s a stinky operation and it the long run this whole thing is not sustainable. HR 1207 has over 150 sponsors in congress and hopefully putting a spotlight on the central printing press will act as a catalyst to wake Americans up to the realities described in Federalist 44.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
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