Easy Training today

Switching gears a little, and trimming my sessions to bare bones. Yesterday's session was Ataturks and my Rows/Teeth lifts superset. All I know is, my shoulders and upper back are literally exploding, and I am finding my XL shirts to be a little tight. My steel bending is also making steady progress, so I think I might be onto something productive for my body.

Today's fun:

Gripper Training - Resistance ladders, CoC Trainer to CoC 1.5 for 3 ladders, 4 reps per hand per rung. Easy, and all reps were easy. I have also filed down the grips on one side of my grippers, so I am over-crushing on each rep. Really finding it helps.

Warm-up - 24 kg - 2 rounds left and right of Swings+FSQ+Bent Presses, for 5/3/3 back to back before switching sides. Really enjoyed these. Will keep these as the warm up for a while.

Double MP - 2x24 kg - 20 sets of 5 reps, focusing on perfect form. Very easy weight, basically for volume, and was a test, to see just how light double 24s have become when not having Ataturks beforehand. Will be moving up some to make it more challenging. I am working towards beating Kenneth Jay's old pressing challenge, which was 400 reps (200 left/200 right) of MPs for sets of 5 with a 32 kg in 51 minutes. My presses were supersetted with:

Weighted Pullups - alternating 10kg and 16 kg - these were for singles, alternating back and forth each set. These were done with a 2" grip, basically pieces of 2" diameter PVC over my pullup bar. Did these for the first 11 sets, then when the grip was starting to weaken, I ditched the PVC and continued on. The 10 kg singles were for maximum velocity, trying to get as much of myself above the bar as possible, and the 16 kg singles for control and perfect form.

Snatches - 24 kg - 4 ladders of 2/4/6. Easy, and the 24 kg was very light. In no hurry with these, so I am slowly plodding along, using the RTK format. Want to use that for building some snatching proficiency before moving onto the V02 format.

Power Breathing - one set of 5. I do these with my heels and thighs pressed together slightly, and contracting my abs as hard as possible. Feel it all the way around the entire abdominal structure, from the symphysis pubis to the xiphoid process, and everything in between. Worked for Farmer Burns, works for Pavel, and works for me. If you have not mastered these, start. They will help with heavy grind reps, allowing for greater control as you utilize the Valsava maneuver.

That was it. Short and sweet. The new setup I am using is leaving me absolutely WIRED after a training session, so I am on the right track.

Am also GTG with BW pullups throughout the day, with varying grip widths. Somewhere in the future I will be adding one arm handstand holds. We shall see.

Another day, and more iron lifted

Had a quick training session yesterday, but did not complete it, so I didn't bother to post about it.

Here is today's carnage:

Gripper work - Same old same old, 2 resistance ladders working up to the CoC2, 4 reps a set, for both left and right. Followed these with chocked closes, same ladder set up, working from CoC trainer to 2.5, for a few singles each hand. 2 ladders that way.

Kneeling Ab Wheel rollouts - BW for 2 sets of 5. These were supersetted with...

Behind the neck pullups - BW for 2 sets of 3-5 reps. Felt not too bad on the shoulder. My flexibility allows me to do these without complications.

Ataturk Getups - 5 getups left and right, alternating arms, for 2 presses per position, moving back and forth between 16 kg and 24 kg+5 lb plate (taped on).

Swings + Cleans + FSQs - double 24 kg kbs with 5 lb. plates duct taped on - 2 sets of 9, 6, 3 respectively. Try to keep FSQ volume low, as my legs are the type that grow just being near a weight.

Presses a la RTK - 32 kg + 2.5 lb plate, and 24 kg + 5 lb plate - 5 ladders, 4 rungs, switching weights back and forth. Were easy. Felt the drain from the Ataturks in the last ladder, but not much.

Deadlifts a la RTK - same weights as Presses, switching weights around on second set. Super easy 2 sets of 25.

That was it. Seems like a lot to some, maybe, but my tolerance for work volume is quite high, thanks to genetics (thank you Grandpa), and a lifetime of lifting weights and hard labor. Anything less, and my body just doesn't bother to respond.

I think I'm turning Turkish

Thanks to Josef, I am again a hopeless addict of the Turkish Get-up. And at the rate I am going, my nationality might just change :)

Fun for today:

Gripper Work - same as last training day, with an added resistance ladder of the choked closes.

Warm-up - 2 sets of BU FSQ and MP, with a single 16 kg.

Pull-ups - BW for an easy set of 5 reps. Shoulder is feeling fantastic. Thanks Josef.

Ataturk Getups - Same as last training day, with an added ATGU per side with 2 presses per position.

Clean & MPs - 32 kg (+2.5 lb plate) and 24 kg (+5 lb plate) - as per RTK, for 5 ladders of (1,2,3), rotating weights back and forth after each ladder. Will move up to ladders of (1,2,3,4) on the next day.

Pullups - 16 kg - for easy singles, to see if shoulder would like them or not. Supersetted these with each press ladder, for a total of 6 singles.

Teeth lifts - 24 kg (+5 lb plate) and 10 kg - sets of 5 supersetted with rows.

Rows - same KBs as Presses, but rowing with one arm only. 2 sets of five per side. Maximum range of motion possible. Felt GOOOOOD.

That was it. Will move snatches to rest days, to keep blood moving through posterior chain and shoulders on days off.

I like Snatches

Ha ha ha. Pull your minds out of the gutter. Anyways, here is today's fun:

Gripper work - 2 resistance ladders upto CoC#2, 4 reps per set until the last, which is just for a nice long single. 2 more resistance ladders, only to CoC 1.5, with it chocked to just past parallel grips to work on the crush, which is the only thing stopping me from closing the 2.5 (a few mm to go).

Warm-up: A couple of sets of BU C&P + FSQ. Did it with just 2 16 kg KBs. First time doing double BU anything. Will play with this some more.

Ataturk Getups - 2 L & R, 5 presses per position. Done with only 16 kg. Got lots of blood moving though the shoulders, and I love how the ultra slow get-ups challenge the whole body. My obliques and trunk stabilizers are loving it, and it is correcting my posture along with the double KB presses.

C & P - 32 and 24 kg KBs - 5 x (1,2,3) ladders, switching KBs after each complete ladder. Even after the getups - the presses were easy. The ladders are done as per RTK, and the other sets of C & P are done long-cycle, one clean per press. FSQs followed the last set of each ladder, 5 reps apiece.

Rows - 24 + 32 kg - 2 sets of 5 per side. Maximum range, with a quick strong pull. Easy sets, and I love rows. Along with DLs, these are my strong-point.

Teeth Lifts - 24 kg + 10 kg - I use a rope attached to the KBs, and hold it between my teeth. I clamp down on the rope, keep it off the ground, and from a bent-waist position, perform neck-work. 5 sets of 5 interspersed between sets of rows. The combination seems to work.

Snatches - After all of that, was not smart enough to call it quits, so using the RTK setup for the C & J, I did some easy snatches with the 24 kg, for 3 ladders of just (2,4,6) per side. Focused on hip snap and punching through at the top. With my shoulder, I always play it a little too safe with snatches, but will move to the 32 kg for a bit of a challenge.

That was it.

I like new things

Working in conjunction with Josef from the DD forums, I am playing around with some unfamiliar training styles that I am really starting to enjoy. His and Adam Glass' materials are what keep me a hopeless addict of the iron sports, and is one addiction I am more than happy to have.

Today's playtime:

Gripper work - same as Nov 12, with one less ladder.

Warm-up

Ataturk Getups - 2 ladders, alternating L & R each get-up, with one press per position, up and down. Laddered weights, instead of reps, moving from 16 to 24 to 32 kg in the ladder progression. Was not able to press in all positions on the second set with the 32 kg, so I decided to end it there. This is new territory, and I am loving it.

Double Swings + Cleans + FSQs - 2 x 24 kg, for 9 swings, 6 cleans, and 3 FSQs (with a pause at the bottom position), as one giant set, twice. These demand almost too much oxygen, and will leave you puffing. I love them.

C & P - 2 x 24 kg - Easy 10 sets of 5. My pressing only thrives from high volume, no matter the weight, so I am returning to my roots in that, and am alternating these easier volume sessions with heavier pressing from RTK. Not sure what will come from this, but will keep posting about it.

Double KB Deadlifts - 16 + 24 kg per hand - 2 sets of 20, straight from RTK. I love deadlifting, and find, as always, I thrive on higher volume. Am aiming to shatter my still longstanding record of 23 reps with 315, no belt, and only chalk, set in a competition with a guy carrying 50 more pounds than me at the time. I had only deadlifted once 2 months before that, and had not touched a barbell for DL for 2 years before that. These sets were easy, and will have to find some more weight to attach to my kbs.

That's it, that's all. Now going to have a large meal, and go party it up at a friend's birthday party.

New day, New Cycle

(This is from Nov 12, 2009)

Just recently finished Adam Glass's Radian Dawn 4-Week pressing protocol. I like it. Ended up with a minor irritation to an external rotator, so I have not tested as of yet to see any new results, but will soon.

On a different tack, having been notified by Josef about his latest incarnation of Turkish Get-up training, he has created the Turkish Warrior Conditioning system for Get-ups. Having a lot of training under my belt, I jumped in at the Ataturk cycle. Very humbling, and very nice. Pressing from lots of different angles. Moves lots of blood into the shoulders.

So today's fun looked like this:

Gripper Work - CoC resistance ladders, sets of 4 moving up from Trainer to #2 (sets with #2 are for max reps, aiming for 4), for 4 ladders.

Warm-up

Ataturk Get-ups - 24 kg - sets of 1,2,1,2,1 L & R supersetted with BW doubles in the pull-up (still nursing the external rotator). A very humbling weight, but the pressing volume adds up FAST!

Swings + Cleans + FSQ - 2 x 24 kg - 8 swings, 5 cleans, and 2a triple with 5 second pauses at bottom for the squats, done as a giant set, three sets. Gets a nice bracing effect from the abs, and your FSQs sharpen up instantly. Also gets you breathing hard and having to "breathe behind the shield" at the bottom of the squats, giving your diaphragm a little workout as well.

C & P - 32 + 24 kg - 5 ladders of (1,2,3), rotating weights with each ladder. Was easy. Took last ladder to 5, and still had lots left in the tank. Think I will have to start saving pennies for another 32 kg.

High Windmills - 24 kg - 2 easy sets of 5 per side to loosen up the lumbars.

And that is it. Fun and easy. Running on 2 hours sleep out of the last 36 at the time of writing this, I am happy with how it turned out today.

I like the iron. The iron keeps you honest.

Been a little while since the last post...

but have been training my ass off just the same.

Training has shifted gears as of late. My previous training style has been replaced with Adam T. Glass' "Radian Dawn" pressing protocol.

To put it bluntly, it is a powerfully stimulating training style, and the assault on your nervous system will garner quick results. So slow and intelligent choices need to be made to prevent enthusiastically large jumps and an increased chance of injury.

Today was the beginning of a second full cycle of the pressing protocol, having started with the heavy day, and performing the protocol four days consecutively, with a day off between the second "medium" day and the heavy day.

The session today consisted of Stacked Presses, 3 sets of doubles, with a 16 kg stacked onto a 24 kg. These were easily performed, compared to the last session. Each set was started with an easy double in the pullup with 18 kg hanging from my waste.

Then, following the protocol, was the Push Press Walk outs, for 4 ladders of 2 rungs, with 48 kg. These were supersetted with single pullups with 24 kg, which were suprising ly easy.

This was then followed with two sets of rows for 12 (each arm) with 48 kg, trying to keep the reps explosive. These were supersetted with my "teeth lifts" with 24 kgs for sets of 10.

It was then on to 2 sets of doubles with the half TGU's, as recommended by Adam Glass' protocol, each half getup combined with an arm-bar, all performed slowly, and with 48 kg. The more I combine TGU's with arm-bars in a 1:1 ratio, the better my shoulders become, most especially my right shoulder, which took the brunt of a 5 year football career through junior and senior high school.

A quick jump through 2 ladders of (3, 6, 9) with 24 kg in the Snatch, and that was all she wrote.

I am going to follow the Titan Challenge protocol for swings with the Snatch, to prepare myself for the VWC 15:15 protocol. Or I might combine the two, with the VWC 15:15 protocol being performed on the lighter days. We shall see.

Anyways, this post is long enough, and I will endevour to post more regularly.