Saturday, September 30, 2023

Thursday Ruck

 Totally distracted. On business call for half the ruck, never got a rhythm. Only 5 laps, 2.5 miles

Not great at all but it got done

45 lbs

5 laps

2.5 miles

3.2 mph ave

173

13.1





Wednesday, September 27, 2023

New approach ( again). 165 x 3 x 5,2 x 3, 20 kg swings, laterals rear delts

 Interesting workout. Low on sleep( dog) so not super strong but the weights moved well and I learned a lot.

Came close to mimicking my last work with this style and weight. Felt very natural

Put the bar up very high on clavicle. Felt great but left shoulder didn't like it when I didn't bring the bar low enough on the third rep of the second set and the bones kind of shuddered their way across the rep

Too high off the chest with a wrapped thumb and a close grip let my elbow flare too soon.

Switched to false grip and all was good.

Also think I have to move my grip out just a thumb's width too; just one finger off the smooth. with the layback style I could have it closer because of the arch and more lats

Have to remember NOT to not touch  the chest on each rep. Better to pause than mess with the shoulder

But simply looked up ( not back ) to unrack and just stood up , locked the knees ( need to still get this stronger) then simply drove the bar up with arms and shoulders. When it started to slow drive the TORSO ( NOT just the hips) forward as the old video shows

Much more upright throughout and a much  closer to actual overhead finish position

Re reading  Brooks Kubiks Dinosaur Press book Ike Bergers technique reads the same way

Good company

95 x 3
135x3
155 x 2
165 x 5 x 3
       x 3 x 2





Very please with this first effort and my conditioning, while not bad, has wee bit to go. Pretty  short rest/sets too just the three man rotation

172.3
14.1

Monday, September 25, 2023

205,210 212, 205 x 1 x 5

 This sucked. Felt good and weight was up so  no excuse except the technique, Load the Bow, again didn't work. But I think I finally figured out why: It's just like sumo. When I'm all stretched out to the max I have no trigger to pull to get my press started

No power. Just leverage. But, just like in my deadlift, that's not enough.

I always need speed; acceleration or I have nothing. Slow grind never works for me.

So back to the drawing board. But, another revelation: I've been trying to find the right groove with singles only but I'm doing no eccentrics, no negatives- which literally 'trace' the groove and show you the correct bar path. Also have to put the bar as high as possible on the neck. I think this sets the groove now. Also, wrap the thumb again


This what happened today

175 x 1 good
195 x 1 good
205 x 1 out in front

205 x 1, 210 x 1 x 2 meh not real lockouts, 212 x Miss twice  again at lockout. NO power
then 205 x 1 x 5   made them but not good

 side and rear laterals 3 x8/8 20s

173.8

13.9

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

215 make, 220 miss 205 x 1 x 4, 20 kg swings

 Close but no cigar. Over corrected BUT the base idea/technique is right. Lay back WITH the bar then press. Last week I arched too hard at the start and didn't leave myself anywhere to lay back. Today I was too upright and instead of leaning back enough I did up and down which lead to soft knees which lead to bar out in front

But it was the first time over 205 with this technique so I'm not displeased,

155 x 1
175 x 1
195 x 1
205 x 1 ( ugly)
215 x 1 meh
220 miss ( way too rushed)
205 x 1 x 4 all solid then missed the 5th one :(

Have to unrack with more, but not maximal, arch. then lay back with the bar tightly. Freefalling doesn't work. I need to build more tension and find the precise layback angle to press from. Not too slow, though, either
The arch  needs to go back,, not down




172.5
14.0 at 4 am

174.4
10.7
59.9 at 12 noon

Monday, September 18, 2023

155-195-180 pyramid layback press, laterals, rear delts, bar pushups

 It took me awhile to reverse engineer what I did so naturally just a few weeks ago then promptly forgot

I have to layback WITH the bar. 

What I  was doing (wrong) was trying to lay  back but pushing the bar up almost at the same time

When I go back with the bar 1) it helps me go back as my upper body is now super weighted and 2) when I hit that layback spot and THEN pushing up it counterweights me and keeps from losing my balance backwards

Took me a bunch of sets 65-155 and back down to figure it out

BUT that's the key . STAND UP,LOCK KNEES, LAYBACK WITH  THE BAR, THEN PRESS







155 x 1 x 2
165 x 1 x 2
175 x 1 x 2
185 x 1 x 2 these weren't great timing wise
190 x 1 x 2 same
195 x 1 x 2 now it's locking in
185 x 1 x 2
180 x 1 x 2

laterals/rear delts  x 3 x 8 20s

bodyweight pushups on parallettes

172.4
13.9


Sunday Ruck

 Really solid one. Legs and lungs felt good, nice fallish day, cool, overcast and slight  breeze

45 lb ruck

9 laps

4.5 mile

1:23  min

3.5 mph ave

172.4

14.5 !

Saturday, September 16, 2023

44 kg one arm swings 16 x 5/5, 24 kg goblet squats 3 x 5, pullaparts 3 x 30

 Strong day, surprisingly. Lot on my mind and was not mentally solid but the body felt good and the groove took hold

Power, bell height and strength endurance throughout the entire 16 sets was very strong


24 kg goblets
3 x 5 backing off after last weeks 40 kg and adding in some reps. felt good


pullaparts 3 x 30  still suck


172.4 !!

14.5

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

165-195 pyramid technique practice, 20 kg swings, BW pushups

 Well this started off all wrong. Did exactly what I thought I did last week- layback first then press and it was all over the place.

Wasn't till I locked in and pushed my hip forward FIRST that my upper body went back and I was under it.

SO FUCKING WEIRD. Still ended up rushing it but the levers, and the timing was right

EDIT; I JUST FIGURED OUT WHAT I DID WRONG; WHY I COULDN'T JUST LEAN BACK AND PRESS LIKE I DID LAST WEDNESDAY; I STARTED WAY  TOO VERTICAL ON TAKEOFF

I JUST LOOKED BACK AT THE VIDEOS FROM LAST WEEK AND I UNRACKED WITH MY HIPS FORWARD, LOCKED THE KNEES AND THEN LEANED BACK AND PRESS

TODAY'S UNRACKING WAS ALL WITH  MY  LEGS WITH MY HIPS TOO VERTICAL

I FEEL MUCH  BETTER NOW

135 x 2 x 2
155 x 2 x 2
165 x 2 x 2


175 x 2 x 2 now it's starting to gel

185 x 1 x 2 strong timing
190 x 1 x 2 not right though
175 x 1 x 2 spot on!

195 x 1 best one yet
20 kg swing 4 x 8/8

wt paralettes pushups 3 x 15

173.4

13.5

Monday, September 11, 2023

215, 220, 215,

 This went well although differently than expected. I meant to layback, then press, but even from the lightest weights Glenn said I was laying and pressing simultaneously which was not the technique.

Even with conscious trying I couldn't lay back far enough as last wednesday

Looking back now it seems last week I layed back and pushed my hips forward at the same time although that wasn't conscious . Could be I was looser on a wednesday than after a heavy weekend training

Other than that the  weights moved ok. Anytime I  make 100 kg it's good

135, 155, 175, 195 x 1

then 205
an ugly but strong 215

220
215 downset the best rep of the day
then three good sets with 205


then laterals, rear delts and wt pushups ( up to 25 x 10)

173.6
13.3

Sunday Ruck

 Surprisingly strong. Legs and lungs opened up fast, and I got into the groove pretty  quickly. This has been happening more regularly and it would be great if it continues. SO much nice to get in the zone right away

45 lb ruck

9 laps

4.5 miles

1:20 min

3.4 ave mph

174

12.7

only one dog stop and the rest was steady state

Saturday, September 09, 2023

40 kg one arm swings 20 x 5/5, 40 kg goblet squat, pullaparts

 Actually felt pretty good going into this. Decent nights sleep, all parts attached. Not sore

Mental focus  stiff rough  but actually better today than of late and 20 sets with the 40 is just damn hard work no matter how you slice it

But it was strong, powerful at a brisk pace and no drop off in power. this technique/groove that I have now has been as consistent a groove as I've had in forever.Really  working the  standing plank to let the bell float more and the result is a higher swing with no upper body involvement

Just patience at the lockout

I also think of it as lockout leg training for my press


then goblets

24 x 3
32 x 3
40 x 3

pullaparts 3 x 30 still hard

173.6

13.5

Friday, September 08, 2023

Thursday Ruck

 Not cool but not hot either. decent all the way around

45 lb ruck

6 laps

4 miles

56 min

 173.4

13.7

Wednesday, September 06, 2023

195-205-185 New/Old Layback technique

 This was a very interesting workout. Pretty much had no idea what I was going to do going in. Pretty  much tried everything three times and nothing seems to work consistently

I was going through my YouTube PR press videos and organizing/cleaning up the playlist when I found this old technique
https://youtu.be/Xm5nJ-WLhVc?si=-S2rPLZwXAIh-HLW

It seems I layed back  first then immediately drove into the press. Laying back first seems to activate the forward hip  drive

Tried it today and it worked very well

1) false grip

2) stand up lock out looking at X

3) layback and when I hit terminal position immediately press

The only slow reps I had were the ones where I pushed my hips forward first instead of laying back OR did not lay back enough before starting to press (making me too vertical)

















20 kg swings 4 x 8/8

parallel bar pushups 3 x 10
 need to put these back in

173.6
13.8

Monday, September 04, 2023

215 x 1, 225( two plates) miss twice, 205 x 1 x 4

 This wasn't too bad actually. bar path went pretty much where I wanted it but knees didn't lock hard enough and elbows flared too much

215 was the best in awhile

175, 195, 205 x 1

then a strong 215
second attempt  225 miss
then made first two reps at 205. missed third made 4 and 5

going to try doing LONG pauses after unracking  and a false grip again to keep my elbows from flaring. always have to worry about pushing the bar forward with false grip but I've got to get my knees to lock better AND keep my elbows in

laterals
rear delts
pushdowns

173.4 ( light)
13.8

Sunday, September 03, 2023

Sunday Ruck

 Sweet. Cool, overcast, a slight drizzle too. Not fast but steady. Legs felt good just a bit sore from yesterday

45 lb ruck

9 laps

4.5 miles 

1:25

173.4

14.4

32 kg 10 x 10/10, 36 kg goblet squats, pullaparts

 Went back to this old torture workout as it seemed I need some higher reps and I did. this was hard. Not 48 kg hard but hard enough, especially  with the extra power output on each and every rep

32 is plenty heavy enough for this glycolytic workout once a month


then 24 x 2, 32 x 3 then this 36 x 3 good depth but not easy

pullaparts  3 x 30


173.6

14.5

Friday, September 01, 2023

Thursday Ruck



 Strange one. Strong,especially for a hot day but wore a NOS pair of MACV1 boots which had totally flat right foot sole. I broke then in for two days before at work with no problem, and there was no problem on a hot hard ruck but then later that day really started to feel high adductors and pelvic floor and now Friday, left glute tightness. Very weird

Not terrible but strange, The old ones were worn on the inside of right heel, totally unusual for me

Should be fine by tomorrow AM but strange indeed

45lb ruck

6 laps

3 miles

56 min 

3.5 mph top speed

174.2

14.1

Sunday ruck

 This  started out great. Felt really good the first four laps or so. Then I had an encounter with a homeless man, a very old, very frail cr...