Strong As Hell

Insanely Heavy Kettlebell Complexes!

2011-01-11T17:17:00.000-08:00

No clever quips or words of wisdom here, just some good old fashioned heavy lifting.

Heavy Single Leg Deadlifts

2010-11-28T16:17:00.000-08:00

Good example of how you can load up a single leg deadlift to really emphasize balance and coordination while still moving some serious weight.

For your viewing pleasure, a training compilation

2010-11-22T21:10:00.000-08:00

150lb Human One arm Press + Windmill

2010-10-31T08:11:00.001-07:00

Fun with Paralettes

2010-10-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

I am amazed at how much this exercise hit my lats. Abosolutely amazed.

Bodyweight military Press x 4 reps and Some Rope Climbing

2010-09-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

No legged rock climbing

2010-07-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

Training this week:

2010-05-15T12:35:00.000-07:00

Lots of pressing and One arm chin negatives (and positives with pinky assistance)--elbow is feeling OK, but not perfect.

Wednesday I hit 5 singles pressing the 48kg bell and it was the most solid I have ever felt.

Thursday I did a bunch of tumbling and sprints at a field (front handsprings, backflips, cartweels, etc)

Today was double pressing and Pistols with more pullups.
Double 40's for sets of 3
Pullups @ 40lbs for sets of 6

Pistols for sets of 15 unweighted.
Finished with battling rope.

CK-FMS next week so training will be sporadic from wed-sun.

Back to the grind with some variety...

2010-05-10T15:39:00.001-07:00

Barbell (yes barbell) Clean and Front Squat:
135 x 5 + 5
185 x 2 + 5
225 x 2 + 5
245 x 2 + 4,4,5 x 3

Single Leg DL:
32kg x 5/5 x 5
Glute Bridge + Green JS bad: x 10 x 5
Pullups on a variety of rock climbing holds

Handstand Pushups freestanding x 2 x 5
2" Rope Inverted Row: 10 x 5

Conditioning with battling rope and burpees. Got my heart rate to 204. Almost lost my lunch for the first time in a long time, and feel good about really pusing myself. Ended up doing an extra mintute of ropes at the end. Feel good about it.

Old Time Feat of Strength: 2 hands anyhow

2010-05-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed this lift. I think that I'll actually try practicing it more regularly. The funny part is that to improve on this lift, I'm going to need to do some more curls. I tried with the 40kg kettlebell and couldn't curl the damn thing! I've been working with the program that I outlined in the (All Over) Strong DVD with some minor modifications (which is fine, by the way, just use common sense), and I feel strong, explosive, and athletic. I've been doing barefoot sprinting and agility work on the off days and I am hoping to get down to a 4.4 40-yard dash again soon.
More to come.

(All Over) Strong now available!

2010-04-01T09:09:00.001-07:00

(All Over) Strong is a Two Disc DVD by Jordan Vezina RKC Team Leader and Max Shank RKC. This DVD set details and Max and Jordan's individual training methods that have allowed them to develop a great deal of strength despite not even being close to what most people consider to be 'big'. Max and Jordan are walking, talking examples that you do not have to be big to be strong.

In this DVD you will find instruction on:

- The bottoms up press

- Kettlebell swing variations

- Steel bending

- Long cycle clean and jerk

- Joint mobility

- Kettlebell juggling

- And much more...

Add to this a detailed three day breakdown of Max's Strength Program and Jordan's Supercharged Program Minimum and you have everything you need to rapidly accelerate your progress.

Running Time: 98 Mins.

Being "Strong"

2010-03-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

Just being able to lift a lot of weight isn't enough. It's awesome, but it's one dimensional. Oldetime strongmen used to have the conditioning to wrestle for hours. They were truly strong.

The other day I had to prove that I was still strong.
32kg Snatch Test
5:00
111 reps.

This is coming from ZERO repetition snatch training.
Swings and general (all over) strength is where the money is.

Person: "How do I do X?"
Me: "Easy. Get Stronger."

Ring Muscle Up to Handstand

2010-03-21T13:09:00.001-07:00

First try at this, it wasn't the prettiest thing, but I'll keep working on it.
Training is going well, been doing a lot of BJJ and conditioning but keeping my strength with pistols and pullups and BUP's.

I'll try to keep a better record here, but I am so busy working on things for the DVD coming out soon as well as a few articles on the side!

Level 2, in the works

2010-03-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

Went down to Revolution to see my friend Franz (RKC TL) to see his new facility.
Little did I know he'd be turning me into a pretzel for an hour.

After some sick mobility drills I had a pen and paper and was furiously scribbling. The next day after practicing some of the drills I went into some bottom up pressing drills and it went amazingly!
24kg all the way up to 40kg of:
BUP
Palm Press
Military Press

The best part was that I haven't done any pressing with the 40kg in a long time. Sweet!
Here's a video of what I was doing, it's a great drill for finding your optimal leverage point (which is that of a bottom up press):

An update

2010-03-05T10:32:00.000-08:00

I mentioned before that I was being secretive about my training to a certain extent and I am sorry about that, but it's going to be on the DVD coming out very soon:

I played around with some stuff the other day that was fun though:

Ring muscle up to handstand pushup x 2 (the hardest part is coming down from the handstand without crushing my face into the floor)

Played around with a lot of bottom up stuff afterward:
48kg BU Clean and hold
40kg BU Squat
36kg BU Press

Finished with 100 burpees as fast as I could and finished in 4:49
Also been doing a ton of Rehab stuff, really dialing in on some thing that I have let go for too long, nothing to write home about but it's a grind and it's making a difference.
BJJ today and maybe some muay thai.

Deadlift Challenge

2010-03-01T14:02:00.000-08:00

Saturday I pulled 315 for 30:00.
Managed to get 172 reps out of the deal. And then my low back got run over by a truck.

Still sore today so I focused mostly on some Bottom Up Complexes to groove movements.

BUP
BUC
BUFS
BU Carry

Single leg deadlifts 20kg x 5/5 x 3

Finished with burpees and swings.

Best Lift Ever!

2010-02-26T20:47:00.000-08:00

I'm really happy with this.

Some Footage from the upcoming DVD

2010-02-23T20:14:00.000-08:00

I've been very secretive about the training lately, I don't want to give too much away but I've been experimenting on myself again (and my clients, thanks guys and girls) for the DVD and the results have been awesome.
The ability to do just about anything without specifically training for it is what it's all about. I haven't touched any of these moves with a 40kg until last Sunday.

Ice Cream Makers

2010-02-10T21:36:00.000-08:00

When I say Ice Cream Makers, this is what I mean. I'm not eating rocky road for 5 scoops of 10.

Progressing toward a front lever? This drill will help you get there.

Fun with Handstands

2010-02-09T08:46:00.000-08:00

Going to get a little more serious with handstand pushups in the coming weeks along with some other bodyweight stuff.

Training yesterday looked like this (kind of)

Front Lever Practice, Ice-cream makers
Single Leg and double leg squatting

Horizontal Rows
Handstand Pushups

Core drills with JS band. (think of a standing side plank)

Then kicked the heavy bag 'til it begged me to stop.

Awww yeah

2010-01-26T15:00:00.000-08:00

Super happy with this.
Training for monday went like this:
Double Clean and Jerk: 48kg x 2,3,2,1,1

Double BUP: 20kg x 6 x 5
Front Levers

Handstand Pushups x 10,8,8
Double 48kg Swing x 10,10,10 (with wool gloves on)

2010-01-21T09:07:00.000-08:00

Training for Wednesday:

Took a long time to get started, but I was determined to hit a few things...
Double Snatch+Press
32+36kg x 1,2,3,4 x 2 ladders

Double Snatch only
32kg+40kg x 4 x 2

Front Lever Practice and Cossacks

EDT
Pullup @ 40lbs x 3
Airborne Lunge @ 40lbs x 5/side
10 rounds

PM session
Handstand Pushup x 5 (hands elevated to increase ROM)
Sled Power Pull x 1 lap
Sled Drag x 1 lap
rest 2:00
Repeated 4 times

Bodyweight Tri extension on rings

Today will be some BJJ and some light get-ups and swings.

2010-01-19T09:02:00.000-08:00

Monday's Training:
Played with a lot of double bottom up work, even went as high as 10 reps in the double BUP with a pair of 16's for a few sets to really work the groove. Then some squatting and walking with double bottom up bells.

Double Clean: 2x48kg bells x 6 reps x 5 sets
Double Swing: 2x48kg bells x 8 x 5 (less rest between sets of swings)

Pistol x 8/8 x 5
Ring Row x 12 x 5 (feet elevated, single leg, switch at rep 6)
Handstand Pushup x 8,8,8,8

Later that day hit some sled pulls, jump rope, and burpees in a circuit and hit the heavy bag.
Today I'll do some get-ups and roll BJJ.

Nice Little Saturday

2010-01-17T20:27:00.000-08:00

We didn't manage to film half of what we did, but it involved a lot of carrying, dragging, pushing, pulling, and walking--it was brutal. But fun!

Wow it's been a while since I've updated here

2010-01-15T20:35:00.000-08:00

Oopsie.

Let's look back at this week.
Saturday I went snowboarding but before I did, I did a circuit.
10 Pullups (on a soccer goal crossbar, think very thick)
20 pushups
Sprint 50m
Rest 1-2:00
Repeat 4 times and I was cooked.

Monday
BUP: 36kg x 2/2 x 3
36kg x 1/1 x 2

Ring Row +20lbs x 12,12,12
Handstand Pushup x 5,5,5
Many Swings, yes many.

Tuesday:
BJJ for 2 hours

Wednesday:
Double Snatch 32kg+36kg x 4 + 2 Presses x 8 sets

Pullup: +20lbs x 7
Airborne Lunge: +20lbs x 5 7 rounds in 15:00

Handstand Pushup x 12,10,8
Swing: 24kg x 20/20 x 3

Thursday: BJJ for 1.5hrs

Friday:
Double Swing 2x48kgs x 10 x 10
Finished each set of 10 swings with a clean and a rack walk which was ridiculous.
A few pulls on the rolling thunder and up to BJJ.

2010-01-07T14:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's Training:

Double Snatch
24kg x 10 + 2 presses x 1
28kg x 5 + 2 presses x 1
32kg x 5 + 2 presses x 5
32kg x 10 + 2 presses x 1 (The snatches felt very strong all the way)

Pullup on eagle loops fingers only:
10,10,10,8
Handstand Pushup x 10, 8, 8, 8

Pushups and Farmers walks with 88's to finish.

Today's training:
16kg get-ups 3/3 with armbar and windmill
Hip Complex x 5/side
24kg swing x 10/10/10/10
Rolled BJJ for 1.5hrs

2010-01-04T18:50:00.000-08:00

The intensity of my training lately has been somewhat low, but I have continued to be productive. This is a good thing, even if the fire isn't there, can you be productive?

Today's Training:
Bottom Up Press:
36kg x 1/1 x 5
32kg x 4/4 x 4
Supersetted with Pistols 5/side for each set of BUP's.

Press to Handstand on a 4' box: 5 x 5
Double Swing: 40kgs x 10 x 5

Bottom Up Clean: 40kg x :25 sec/side x 5 sets
Ring Row: +20lbs x 12,10,10,10,10

One arm swing: 40kg x 20/20, rest 1 min. 40kg x 15/15/8/8

I also did some tumbling earlier in the day: Front Handsprings, kip ups, rolling, etc.
Fun Stuff. Plan to Juggle the KB's and roll some jiu jitsu tomorrow.

2010-01-02T17:18:00.000-08:00

Last few days of training:
I've been taking it fairly easy.

Wednesday I was toasted from too much jiu jitsu so I didn't train, but I ran sprints the day before. I ended up rolling with a friend who weighs 240lbs. We ended up doing about five 20-minute rounds which was ridiculous but I did get a nice sweep to a rear naked choke which was a nice way to ring in the new year (never tapped him before, and we've rolled a lot, for over a year).

Thursday I did a ton of get-ups and swings.
Friday I took the day off but did some mobility work.

Today's training (finally):
Ended up rolling with brad (see above) again for about 30 minutes so I was a little smoked, so I skipped the heavy lifting.

Bar Muscle Up: 5x5
Ring Muscle Up: 5x5

Handstand Pushup: +20lbs x 5 x 5

Box Jump @ 52" x 3 These were cool because I just got some new mats today (for free, Yes!) that I stacked up.

Pullup on rings +20lbs x 6 x 10

Pushup x 20 x 15 (different hand positions, plyos, elevated, etc, kept it fun)

One arm swing: 24kg x 30/30, rest 1 min, 30/30, rest 1 min, 30/30.

Nice day of rest tomorrow, I am probably going to hurt from doing so many pushups, but my buddy from the air force is home so we hit a ton of pushups.

2009-12-28T22:10:00.000-08:00

Training Today:
Bottom Up Press:
40kg x 1/1 x 2
36kg x 1/1 x 5
Cossack Squat w/ 8kg in rack x 5/5 x 7 +hip flexor stretch

Renegade Row
100lb x 8/8 x 4
Wall Slide x 10 x 4
SLDL 24kg in opposite hand x 6/6 x 4

"Cardio"
Battling Ropes x 1:00
Burpee + tuck jump x 10
4 rounds

2009-12-24T18:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's Training:
Ring Muscle Ups +20lbs:
Superset with Airborne Lunge (single leg squat) +20lbs:
17 Muscle Ups and 40 AL's on each leg in 15:00

Superset
Pullup +30lbs: 12,9,7,6
Plyo Pushup +30lbs: 10, 8, 6, 6 (could have done more but wanted to be more explosive)

Finished with some med ball work and Jump rope.

Later did a bunch of swings.
Today: Long cycle with a pair of 24's for 20:00 with breaks, no counting.

Bottoms up!

2009-12-22T09:23:00.000-08:00

This week is like a play week--still going to focus on moving better, but my mind needs a break from hard training.
Monday:
Bottom Up Press:
32kg x 3/3 x 5
32kg x 1/1 x about 10

Bottom Up Carry 50ft
20kg
24kg
32kg
40kg
48kg (only made it about 15 ft with this one)

Gripper closes: #2 for a bunch of singles on each side and a 10 second hold on the right--grip was very strong today and I also climbed the rope a few times.

Later that evening I did a bunch of snatches with a slick handle and no chalk and some medicine ball throws. Worked up a good sweat and went home. I'll probably do some get-ups today (tuesday).

2009-12-18T19:39:00.000-08:00

Training from the last few days

Jiu Jitsu has been going well, rolled with a lot of brown and black belts past few days who were heavier than I and I did well so I am going to put some more focus in my jiu jitsu skills over the next few months--while trying to maintain everything else--which is a lot.

Wednesday:
Ring Muscle Up +20lbs
17 in 15:00min
Cossack Squat:
20/side in 15:00 +20lbs (done as active rest for muscle ups)

Pullup: 20lbs x 12,11,10,7
Plyo Pushup: 20lbs x 10,10,10,10

Thursday and Friday:
Lots of get-ups and windmills with a 16kg--seriously, it wasn't much and I rolled a lot of jiu jitsu and hit the heavy bag.
Will do something fun tomorrow.

Hill Sprints!

2009-12-15T19:58:00.000-08:00

So, hill sprints completely rock. I hit about 15 hill sprints on a 75m steep hill. In terms of effectiveness for being "in shape," this is probably better than what 95% of the U.S. does in a given week.
Sad but true. Sprinting up a hill is good for you. Here is the secret hill sprint workout program:

Find Hill
Step 1: Sprint Up Hill
Step 2: Walk down hill (saunter, even)
Repeat until strong, fast, and "in shape."

2009-12-14T19:05:00.000-08:00

My recent training log is going to be sporadic and incomplete. On purpose. I am working on something big and I am not finished experimenting. When I finish the experiment I will publish what I have done and what the results were, until then, I will keep you abreast of 80% of my training.

Warm up with Z, foam roll, windmill, get-ups, and Olympic Lifts

SLDL: 80kg x 6/6 x 4
BUP:
24kg x 5/5
32kg x 3/3 x 4 (Not used to doing more than one rep so this was good.)

Handstand Pushup x 5 x 5
Renegade Row: 100lbs x 8/8 x 5

32kg swing x 10/10 x 4

2009-12-10T17:51:00.000-08:00

RKC Snatch Test-Revisited.

There are a number of reasons I don't like to do the snatch test. Ok well maybe just one: It's hard. 100 reps with a 55lber in 5:00 is a good measure of fitness. I didn't feel like running sprints today or having to drive just to get a workout. So I came back to my nemesis. I keep a pair of 24kg KB's at home for instances were I don't feel like going out, and believe me, a pair of 24kg bells is plenty for ANYONE to get a good workout. Of course just getting a good workout is not the main goal, but you can accomplish a lot with just that pair of bells. I needed conditioning work, so, enter the snatch test.

The past times I've done it to re-certify and there was no real pressure, I can finish at a slow pace and still make 100 reps in 5:00. Today I wanted to instead see just how fast I could make my 100 reps. So I went as fast as I possibly could.
So I almost killed myself without slowing down and finished in about 3:30. Which, let me tell you, is fast.

The point is, practice is important, but being a well rounded athlete with a complete program will really give you an edge no matter WHAT your endeavor happens to be. I attribute this fast time to my training which is well rounded giving me the strength to move the 24kg quickly, and the conditioning to do so at a constant (fast) pace.
What does your training do for you?

2009-12-03T15:41:00.000-08:00

Training update for the week.

Tuesday I hit some sprints and a lot of agility training. Changing direction at speed, and being able to move freely is a very undervalued skill today but is great for overall "fitness."

Wednesday was supposed to be a pretty heavy training day, but that didn't happen. I ended up doing a lot of get-ups, windmills, hip complexes, stretching, z drills, handstands and swings. Hit the heavy bag afterward for a while. This is a great example of listening to your body. This isn't carte blanche to start slacking off and being a sissy, but you should try to train smart. I decided it was a good idea to push the training back a day rather than push my body to do something it wasn't readily willing to do.

Today:
Double Snatch+Press: 32kg x 5+3 x 5 (snatches were easy, presses were more challenging, possibly from the handstands yesterday)

Pullup: 20lbs x 10 x 5
Cossack Squat: 60lbs x 5/5 x 5

Ring Pushup: 20lbs x 15 x 3
Sled Power Pull: 200lbs x 10 pulls x 3 sets

Aaaaaand Done!

2009-11-30T21:23:00.000-08:00

Training today was slow to start. But in my experience you can't force it, or you'll just end up hurting yourself...

Extra z and foam rolling

Power clean: 225x1x3

Sldl. 130lbsx8/8x4
Press 88lbsx4/4x4

Lots of ring work
Renegade rows
Ab wheel
Call it a day. Feeling good.

It should be noted that I did a bunch of getups and windmills during my warm up, as I usually do.

Training Update:

2009-11-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

Wednesday I didn't do a lot of training, mostly bodyweight and rehab stuff.
Pullups: 3 x10 @ 40lbs
Front Squat: 48kg x 10 x 3

Sled Push/Drag for 10:00

Thursday: Turkey Day Mental Toughness Workout
Long Cycle Clean and Jerk: Double 24kgs x 220 reps. Brutal.

Friday: Rolled Jiu Jitsu with a 240lb brown belt for 1 hour 1-on-1.

Saturday (Today): Bodyweight sandbag clean and Push Press x 100 reps.
This was really hard, my forearms exploded about halfway through and it took me about an hour but I can't be too sure. Very tough. Finished with some sled drags.

2009-11-24T09:03:00.000-08:00

I'm going to do a bunch of restorative training for 1-2 weeks until I feel good enough to start deadlifting heavy again--it's psychological but I'm going to work hard on unilateral exercises for the most part. That being said...

Power Clean:
225 x 1 x 5
Front Squat:
225 x 3 (I just did this on my last power clean to get a groove)

Superset
Bottom Up Press: 32kg x 3 x 5
Single Leg Deadlift: 100lbs x 8/8 x 5

One arm Military Press: 80lbs x 5/5 x 5
Bodyweight Row + 20lbs x 12, 12, 12, 10, 10

One arm Swing VO2 style
32kg bell
:15/:15 @ 10 reps per set
10:00 = 200 swings

Training update

2009-11-17T10:42:00.000-08:00

Last week was a deload week and it felt great to lift easy weights, I bent a lot of steel and tore a couple phone books and hit the heavy bag a lot, but nothing to write home about.
This week I am supposed to have a muay thai fight on friday so I am still going to cut back on the training:
Yesterday I did a lot of Get-Ups and double snatches. Finished with some Long Cycle with a pair of 32's for 15 sets of 5, with 1:00 rest between sets.

More heavy bag today, nothing heavy this week.

2009-11-07T16:06:00.000-08:00

Front squat
275x4
Sldl
48kgs x 8/8xe
Bodyweight row
+20lbs x 12x3

Another day, another rep PR5

2009-11-05T15:59:00.000-08:00

Great training today, I noticed that I was very calm throughout--not psyched up at all, just calm.
Pullup:
4 chains + 15lbs x 5
4 chains +25lbs x 3
4 chains + 35lbs x 7
4 chains + 35lbs x 5

Ring Pushup
60lbs x 10
70lbs + Purple JS band x 5
85lbs + Purple JS band x 6, 5
Supersetted Pushups with
Double Snatch
32kg x 5,5,5,5,8

Pinch Grip lifting
70lbs on a 4" block x 1/1 x 3

Feeling really strong this week

Sweet PR today

2009-11-02T19:19:00.001-08:00

Hit a nice rep PR in the deadlift today.
Warmed up with Power Snatches and Overhead squats

Deadlift:
395 x 5
415 x 3
460 x 5 *PR

Bulg Split Squat
95 x 8/8 x 3
Bodyweight row on rings
+40lbs x 8 x 3

Played around with some one arm snatches and windmills with 95, 115, and 135. Which after all that was probably not a good idea but I managed to nail a 1 arm snatch with 135 and then grab a 32kg bell 2 hands anyhow style.

Finished with a smoker and then heavy bag
1:00 battling ropes
10 burpees
5 rounds

Deadlifts felt so money, I will hit triple bodyweight this year.

2009-11-01T08:17:00.001-08:00

Training from Friday:

Front Squat:
185 x 3
205 x 3
225 x 10

Back Squat (focused on speed):
225 x 10
185 x 5
135 x 5 x 3

Band Swing:
48kg + Green JS x 10 x 5
Renegade Row: 32kg x 8/8 x 5

I also worked on a Ton of Power Snatches and overhead squats both friday and saturday--technique is feeling very solid.
Apart from that I just recently built myself a loading pin so I'm going to be working on some more grip stuff as well.

2009-10-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

Training from yesterday
Warmed up with barbell power snatches and overhead squats.
Also did some high box jumps and pistols.

Pullup
20lbs x 5
40lbs x 3
50lbs x 3
65lbs x 7,4

Ring Pushup
40lbs x 10
60lbs x 10
60lbs + Purple JS x 8, 8, 7

Double Snatch
32kg x 5 x 5

Squat Jump for max height x 10
Battling Ropes x 45 seconds
x 5 rounds

Felt awesome. Really happy with pullups and pushups.

2009-10-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

Deadlift:
355 x 3
385 x 3
420 x 7

One arm row: 48kg x 10/10 x 3
SLDL: 48kg x 8/8 x 3
Short rest periods during that superset

Later on did 10 pullups followed by a 400m run, 3 times
then did 5 x 50m sprints.
Done and Done-kept one in the tank on deadlifts.

2009-10-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

More training updates:
Continued to do my power snatches and overhead squats as a warm up and it felt good going up to 60kgs.

Front Squat:
135x5
155x5
165x5
175x5
185x10
Haven't front squatted in quite a while so I was happy with this.

Single leg Deadlifts 2x24kgs x 6/6 x 3
Ring Row: 15x3

Finished with some fun single leg bodyweight stuff.

Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai both that day so training volume went down.

Saturday:
Shadow boxing x 1 minute x 15 rounds
Mobility work

Litvinov (sort of)
10 Squat jumps for max height followed by a 75m uphill sprint x 5 rounds (which was plenty!)
done, stretch, back on monday.

2009-10-22T16:09:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of this training block went like this:
Note: Before each training session I will be doing a combination of Power snatches and overhead squats with a bar going up to 70-80kgs depending on how I feel.

Pullup:
10lbs x 5
20lbs x 5
30lbs x 5
40lbs x 5
45lbs x 10
(I didn't think I would get nearly that many reps as I haven't trained weighted pullups for a while, but, then again, the TSC results were a nice surprise too)

Ring Pushup
20lbs x 10
40lbs x 10
40lbs + Purple JS Band x 10 x 2 (Brutal!)
After each set of push ups I knocked off 10 double swings with a pair of 40s to head height.

Finished with some 48kg one arm swings supersetted with burpees
Another good day, still a bit sore from monday deadlifts.

2009-10-19T18:00:00.000-07:00

Training Today: Starting a pretty heavy cycle for 4 weeks.
Deadlift:
255x5
295x5
315x5
335x5
355x11
All pulls were double overhand except for last set. Glutes and hams were on fire.

Double MP: 32kg x 5 x 3
One arm Row: 48kg x 12 x 3

48kg swing x 8/arm with wool gloves
10 burpees
3 rounds
Finished with 100 sledge strikes

Tactical Strength Challenge--The Return!

2009-10-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

So I decided to test myself, I have no appreciable injuries and I was only a little bit lazy. Here are my scores:
Deadlift: 525
I was very happy with this deadlift because I haven't pulled that heavy in a lonnnggg time. First attempt was at 495 and that felt really good so went straight to 515 and then 525. My form was ugly, no doubt, but this is a MAX MAX lift. 10 lbs shy of triple bodyweight.
Pullups @ 22lbs x 16. This was not great but I'm still ok with it. I actually rested for a good 30 seconds hanging from the bar and squeaked out 2 more reps--probably not smart as it torched my grip for snatches.

5:00 Snatch test @ 32kg
109 reps--Very happy with this, I must confess that my form was less than crisp but I was focusing on easy breathing and flow. It worked out to my favor because I can actually walk today. I also used a GS bell, smaller handle made this much easier.

Deadlift: 525
Pullups: 16
Snatches: 109

Training Update

2009-10-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

Last weeks training looked like this:

Wednesday:
Ring work (front lever progressions, think heavy pulling)

Pullup x 10
Double KB Front Squat x 10 @ 24kgs
Burpee x 10
Repeated 7 times, resting after Burpees for 1-2 minutes depending on how I felt--I was able to finish fairly quickly

Thursday:
Clean and Press 32kg x 5
Clean and Jerk 32kg x 10
switch arms and repeat on right side
5 swings per arm as crisp as possible
Repeated this little circuit 5 times, I was happy to get the presses on the last set.

Friday:
Lots of Get-Ups to windmill and many sets of 15 pullups throughout the day.
My goal is to try to build up to around 30 pullups in a row on the straight bar.
I also did a few short sets of one arm swings with the 48kg before going to jiu jitsu.

Saturday:
A few get-ups on each side and then "VO2 Max".
Ok, so it wasn't really VO2 max, but it was challenging. Here's what I did.

:30 work/:30 rest
15 reps per set @ 24kg
For 20 rounds

This was pretty tough, but I was surprised to be able to finish my reps. Felt so happy that I jumped down and immediately busted out 25 burpees to really Finish. Heart rate was 209 after the burpees, but after 1 minute of rest it was back down to 144 so I was pleased with my recovery.

More to come next week, stay tuned...

2009-09-29T08:15:00.001-07:00

Movement. More important than weight?

2009-09-27T10:51:00.000-07:00

I love to lift heavy things. It makes me feel cool. But more important than lifting something heavy is to move efficiently. Maybe the amount of weight is not as important as how the force is applied.
I never thought I would say that.
But it's true. Revisiting the Swing and Get-Up has been truly eye opening for me. In the last few weeks I have unlocked my hip flexors unleashing the power of the glutes and hamstrings and also truly found my lats.
I haven't gone heavier than 16kg for the Get-Ups. The swings I have stuck with one arm swings at 40kg.
Yesterday I did a fun little workout focusing on movement--not on weight.
Ladder from 16kg to 48kg.
Get-Up 16kg x 1/1
Swing 16kg x 8/8
Repeat with 20kg, 24kg, 28kg, 32kg, 36kg, 40kg, 48kg and all the way back down 40,36,32,28,24,20,16.

The movement was the same. Strict, crisp, connected. This session consisted of 240 swings and 30 get-ups. The swings were rest from the get-ups and vice versa. I did take a short break (60 seconds or less) after the 48kg swings.
The movement was the same.
So the next time you enter the gym, garage, shed, yard, wherever you train, ask yourself; How is my movement?

The Swing is the center of the universe

2009-09-23T22:18:00.000-07:00

Brett Jones had a great quote at the RKC in San Diego recently regarding the Swing and the Get-up;
"The swing is my favorite, Get-up more favorite"
Lately my training has been primarily that. So this leads me to look at the swing with more attention.
The snatch gets a lot of hype but the swing is the center of the universe. If you don't have a swing, you don't have a snatch. just doing swings is enough. You think the swing is too easy? How about one arm swings with a 40kg for sets of 8/side on the minute for 12 minutes. Oh right, that's what I did today--and it was brutal.

You get a higher cadence than with the snatch, you can use more weight. The swing is king.
Now that I got that out of my system here's what else I did today.
Bottom Up Press
24kg x 8/8 x 3
24kg x 5/5 x 5
Bottom Up Squat
24kg x 5/5 x 5
Bottom Up Windmill
24kg x 1/1 x 3

Did the swings later and then hit the heavy bag.

On monday I did tabata one arm swings with a 32kg getting 5 reps per set and immediately followed that with tabata burpees and got 8 reps per set.
So:
Tabata one arm swing @ 32kg (switch arms each round)
10,10,10,10,10,10,10,10
Tabata Burpee
8,8,8,8,8,8,8,8
THAT was tough but it's going to be my new benchmark because it was really, really hard.

2009-09-16T20:12:00.000-07:00

Lots of Get-Ups and One arm swings since my last post. Nothing heavier than 24kg for the get-ups. Mostly doing arm bar + get-up + arm bar with brettzel in between. Today I did more of the same...
16kg arm bar + get-up + windmill + arm bar x 1/1 x 5
Rope Climb x 5 (+20lbs)

Bottom Up Press + Squat: 24kg x 2/2 x 4
Beat up the heavy bag for a while.
2nd session
Foam rolling, prep work, z drills, 1 get-up per side.

Tabata 1 arm swing @ 32kg
10,10,10,10,10,10,10,10
Tabata Burpee
8,8,8,8,8,8,8,7
Done Back-To-Back---That was freaking brutal. I am afraid of doing that again

2009-09-10T14:43:00.000-07:00

Some cool stuff yesterday...

Z drills and prep stuff--if you are curious about what I do just shoot me a message or leave a comment.

TGU (KS Style)
16kg x 1/1 x 3
24kg x 1/1 x 2

Double Bottom Up C+P+FS
24kg x 1 x 8
24kg x 2 x 1

Bottom up Press + windmill
24kg x 1/1 x 2

Single Bottom Up C+FS+P
24kg x 5/5 x 2

Some cool combo work all done with double 24kgs:
Snatch x 8
Press x 8
Clean x 8
Front Squat x 8
That was probably the most challenging

Then I did:
Snatch x 8
Clean and Press x 8
Front Squat x 4
Swing x 8
Also very difficult

Then I did some armor building:
1 clean, 1 front squat
2 clean, 2 front squat...
up to 5, and I did that twice

Finished with some crisp one arm swings and burpees for a few rounds until my lungs exploded.

The bottom up work was done GTG style throughout a long period of time while doing paperwork/computer stuff.

More Bottoms Up fun

2009-09-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

Warmed up with Z drills and joint mobility, ASLR, etc. (If you are curious about what anything is just leave a comment or shoot me a message and I'll give you the rundown.)

Get-Up (KS style)
16kg x 1/1 x 8
Pullup
7x8
1x10

Double Bottom Up Front Squat + see saw press: 5 + 3 x 3

Bottom Up Press + Front Squat:
32kg x 1/1 (right/left) x 3
Bottom Up Front Squat + Press:
32kg x 1/1 x 3

One arm Swing: 40kg x 10/10
L Sit on Parallettes: 20 seconds
Did that for 8 rounds with minimal rest only after L-Sit; focused on explosiveness and dropped to 7 reps/side on swings at round 5

Stretching and Z drills to cool down.

Advanced Bottom Up Drills

2009-09-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

Played with lots of variations today--doubles and singles. Liked the Bottom up Press and Front Squat combo the best.
Work up to 5 of each with a 24kg and you should be set. Really helps you stay tight through the body.

Article: High Tension Techniques

2009-08-27T13:17:00.001-07:00

http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/536/

Secrets to boost your heavy lifts.

Post Fight Recap

2009-08-22T18:49:00.001-07:00

Had my pankration fight today and my opponent bowed out at 175lb advanced class. So I ended up fighting a really big 187lb fighter. I weighed in at 172.5 so there was nearly a 15lb weight difference!
The head of the competition offered me a refund or he said I could fight this guy. I didn't go there to lose.
This was a true test for me. (note: advanced means that you have been doing pankration for at least 24months--I started in march of this year)
Right from the start I asserted myself landing a lot of quick switch kicks and ended up putting him to the ground with a couple of brutal clinch knees (the referee should have given me a TKO right then but instead gave the guy about 30 seconds to recover). My opponent was definitely physically intimidating at his size (Taller and more muscular) but I was physically dominant during the fight and my clinch was very strong. To his credit he was a great wrestler and took me down a few times but I was able to reverse him powerfully (I credit strong hip and core strength).
In the end I had done a lot more damage and the final straw was throwing him into the judges table and landing a solid kick to his ribs while he was down. Ultimately I am grateful for the mishap because I was more challenged fighting a bigger, faster opponent.
I think my strength and conditioning played a huge part in my victory.

Fight Details: August 22nd

2009-08-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

The National Guard Armory
7401 Mesa College Dr.
San Diego, Ca 92111
From 6:00 AM To 8:00 AM

I'll be doing the advanced Pankration tournament at noon. Come check it out, should be a good time.
Nothing worthy of posting regarding training. Mostly resting and hitting the pads/heavy bag lightly along with some mobility and Z drills, don't want to burn out before fight.

2009-08-11T19:10:00.000-07:00

Lots of mobility and Z drills today

Box jumps @ 40" x 8 x 3 sets

Goblet Squat @ 24kg superset with corrective drills and hip flexor stretch.

Burpee+Pullup Combo x 100
I started with 5 on the minute and then pushed a little harder toward the end to finish in a little under 18 minutes.
This sucked.

Later in the day ran sprints barefoot
10 x 80m
then Hit the heavy bag for 30 minutes
Good day, going to take the lifting easy tomorrow and focus on striking.

2009-08-09T15:27:00.000-07:00

The necessity of relaxation.
I've been training hard for a while for all of my athletic endeavors and it's important to recognize when you need a break. Physically and mentally.
So that's what I've been doing this past week. Nothing crazy but I've been eating whatever I want (nothing too bad) and exercising how I want. Mostly just playing. Don't get complacent, but don't overstress yourself, it's counterproductive.
I also notched a deck of casino cards, never done that before. Looks like a shark bite to me.

Taking the week off...sort of.

2009-08-06T14:26:00.001-07:00

This week is a good off week, but I wanted to make sure I use my time wisely..
Here's what I've been doing...
Handstands
Pullups
Airborne Lunges (essentially a single leg squat with non-working leg behind you.
Z drills, Joint mobility
KB swings
Hitting the heavy bag
Next week I'll ramp back up again, but this is a great place to be during my rest week.

Fight Recap

2009-08-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

I won my fight on friday night. Here's how it went down...
The commission was an hour and a half late so there was a delay--no big deal.
My opponent, after watching me warm up, requested that the rules be changed to allow headgear and shin guards. --I was not happy about this.
I protested but the athletic commission cannot force a fighter to fight even if he had agreed beforehand. So I was forced to wear headgear but not shinguards--he wore both. There was fear in his eyes.
The fight begins and I throw a knee to the chest and we clinch up and trade a few knees. I nearly throw him out-of-bounds trying to throw a slingshot knee. My opponent throws a few kicks at my head that I block with my elbow. A minute and 10 seconds in to the fight he throws a right kick that I check with my shin and immediately follow with a left kick to his body, right cross, left hook angled upward and knock him out. With headgear. Everything feels good and I'm looking forward to fighting again.
I feel like my conditioning was good although the fight wasn't long enough for it to be truly tested. Taking the week "off" but I'll do some light kettlebell work.

Fight Night coming up

2009-07-27T12:11:00.000-07:00

I haven't been inactive, just nothing exceptional to blog about training-wise.
My fight is coming up this friday--anyone in the area should come out for a night of combat.

Battle of Champions Event
San Diego Swiss Park 2001 Main Street Chula Vista Ca 91911
Friday July 31st at 8:00pm Gates will open at 6:00pm

Mostly rehab and prehab stuff with some KB-yoga. I'll beat the crap out of the heavy bag and go for a swim later.

2009-07-24T05:34:00.000-07:00

I was feeling sick for a few days so I took off training--did some mobility work and stretching but that was it.
Tuesday:
Ring Muscle Ups
1 Ladder to 5 + 5
Pistols
Bodyweight x 10/10 x 2
Long Cycle C+J:
2x24kg, 2:00 @ 10 rpm w/ 1:00 rest x 3
1:00 @ 12 rpm x 2, 1:00 rest between

Yesterday:
Ring Muscle Up x 100
Overhead Squat x 50
Pistol x 50/side

This was done in sets from 3-5 interspersed with rehabilitative work, corrective exercise, and stretching.

Sprinted on the beach 100yds x 5 as a finisher and swam.

2009-07-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

ASLR
Single leg deadlift: 2x24kg x 5/5 x 8
Ring Muscle Up: 4 x 8

Pullups x 15 x 1

Smoker:
:36 work/:36 rest
Snatch Left
Snatch Right
Burpee
went for 12 minutes + 20 burpees.

2009-07-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

Deadlift:
395 x 5 x 1
405 x 5 x 2

Ring Muscle Up:
6,5,5,5

Goblet Squat: 32kg x 10 x 2
Plate curl: 25lbs x 9/9

Lots of muay thai sparring--fighting on the 31st

2009-07-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

Training lately has really been uninteresting. But very beneficial. I think there's a lesson hidden there.
Saturday I deadlifted light. 375 x 5 x 2
Long Cycled: 2x24kgs for one 4:00 set
5 rounds:
48kg Swing x10
Burpee x 10

Monday:
Deadlift:
385 x 5 x 1
405 x 4 x 2
Ring Muscle Up: 8,5,5,5
Plate Curl: 25lbs + 1 chain for 2/1, 1/1

Training is very specific--will do some long cycle today (tuesday). Not at all sore from deadlifting which is good.

Adding weight to the Bottom Up Press

2009-07-09T23:30:00.000-07:00

Progressing, in many ways. Here's what I did today:
Thick Bar DL:
225 x 5
285 x 1
295 x 1
305 x 1
Oly Bar DL:
355 x 5 x 1
385 x 5 x 2
A lot of pulling today and felt strong all the way through--awesome.
Bottom Up Press:
32kg x 2/2
32kg + 10lb chain x 3/3
32kg + 20lb chains x 2/1
32kg + 30lb chains x 1/0
Huge new PR for BUP--the chains are a great way to progressively add weight as shown here:

Slow Muscle Ups on Rings: 8, 5, 5
Plate Curl: 25 x 8/8, 6/6, 5/5

Punches and kicks on heavy bag.
Overall great strength day.

2009-07-09T05:31:00.000-07:00

Been training a lot of fighting this week so training has been mostly more of the same...
Deadlift
Ring Muscle ups (These build a very solid muay thai clinch!)
A good 50% of my training right now is corrective work.
More deadlifting to come today.
Yesterday I also did a few sets of long cycle.

2009-07-06T15:25:00.000-07:00

Deadlift:
355 x 5, 375 x 5
385 x 4 x 2

BUP: 32kg x a lot of doubles

Hub lift: 35 x 2/2 x 5

Muscle Up: +10lbs x 6,6,6

Plate Curl: 25lbs x 10/8, 8/7, 6/5
Hang from fat bar with leg raise until death.

2009-07-03T15:34:00.000-07:00

Deadlift:
375 x 5 x 2 (felt REALLY easy, I've been pulling 3x a week and I'm not burnt out on it, ramping up slowly, feels good)
Bottom up Press:
32kg x 2 x about 5 sets

Muscle ups on rings: 8, 6, 5
Going to hit 10 soon with no kip whatsoever.
BJJ at noon.
Muay Thai tonight.
Feeling good--bodyweight is around 179 and strength is up.

2009-07-01T17:47:00.000-07:00

Deadlift: 365 x 5 x 2
Bottom Up Press: 32kg x a ton of solid singles

Slow controlled ring muscle ups: 6 x 4 sets
Plate Curls: 25 x 8/8, 8/6, 6/5

Long Cycle Clean and Jerk: 20kg x 50 reps, untimed.

Muay Thai tonight!

2009-06-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

Deadlift: 350 x 5 x 5
BU Press: 32kg x a lot of singles
Press: 40kg x 1/1

Goblet Squats and bodyweight pullups as a finisher

3 hours of Jiu Jitsu in the evening so took the training easy.

2009-06-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

Bottom Up Press: 32kg x a lot of singles, some doubles
ABC Pullups x 5 sets

Muscle Up on rings x 5 x 3

Plate curls: 25 x 6/6 x 3

Muay Thai for 2 hrs.
Finished muay thai with tabata burpees.
10, 10, 10, 9, 9, 8, 8, 8. Shooting for 8 sets of 10 but that is going to be really tough.
Hoping to get outside to do some sled work and some heavy gs today.

2009-06-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

2x 24kg Long Cycle:
5:00 @ 8rpm --new personal best for time
2:00 @ 10rpm

Rope climb x 5 no feet
plate curls 25lbs x 6/8 x 3

Hill Sprint: 75m x 15 trips (this sucked, and I was sucking wind)

Yesterday hit some light bottom up pressing with the 32kg for a lot of singles and doubles supersetted with mobility work; then went to BJJ for 2.5hrs. Going to rest today.

Bottom up press tips

2009-06-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

Also got some training in:
LCCJ: 2x24kgs 2min @12rpm x 3 sets

Litvinov Hill Sprints: double 28kg snatch x 8 followed by 75m hill sprint x 3 sets
finished with some extra hill sprints.

2009-06-19T00:21:00.000-07:00

Mostly mobility and recovery, but got some real work in too...

Strict Muscle Up: 5 x 5

Sledge Levering and Plate curls
Long Cycle C+J: 2 x 24kg: 15/15/15 didn't have a timer working.

Burpee x 30 as fast as possible

Recovery

2009-06-17T10:54:00.001-07:00

A lot of things can come up on you all at once; my hip was killing me on sunday and the next day I felt sick as a dog--so no heavy weights for me. Foam rolled for a good half hour swam for a while and stretched. It's important that when things look grim, you look to do what you can; for me this is rehab/prehab and recovery work. So even though it's a huge bummer that I can't train--life goes on, and I'll work on what I can until I'm back ready to hit it hard again.

2009-06-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

Long Cycle w/ 28's
1 min of work @6rpm
1 min rest
repeated 15 times
This was a "skill" workout, not trying to get smoked.
Long cycle w/ 24's
3 min @ 8rpm
3 min @ 8rpm

Dan John inspired Clean + FS "progressive complex" (I came up with the name myself, genius, I know.
Done with double 24's without setting bells down. Ever.
1 Clean
1 Front Squat
2 Cleans
2 Front Squats
3/3
4/4
5/5
6/6
progressed up to 6 reps of each, this catches up with you quickly and surprised me at the difficulty.

Ran a few sprints earlier in the day: about 5 x 50m

2009-06-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

Thursday:
KB juggling @ 24kg
Slick handle snatches w/ 24kg x 35/35 (grip was toasted)
Slick handle swing w/ 24kg x 40/40 (grip was even more toasted)
Played tennis and did some hill sprints.

Friday's plan is to do some light kb work and pistols;
BJJ @ noon, Muay Thai at 7pm.

I also did some long cycle with a couple of 20kgs for 6:00, longest set I've ever done for long cycle.

2009-06-10T23:24:00.000-07:00

Been busy getting stuff together for my business move so I have had abbreviated sessions this week...
Monday:
Deadlift: 405 x 1 x 20 (short rest, a lot of solid, easy pulls)
Hub Lift: 2x35lbs x 2 x 3
Jerk: 2x24kgs:
3:00 @ 12rpm
3:00 @ 8rpm
3:00 @ 10rpm
BJJ for 2 hours

Tuesday:
24kg long cycle x 3:00/side
rest :30
24kg jerk x 3:00/side
rest :30
24kg clean x 3:00/side
Finished with some kb juggling, mostly figure 8's.

Wednesday (today):
Bottom Position Rack BP
185 x 5
205 x 2
225 x 1 x 2

KB Front Squat:
64kg x 8 x 2
80kg x 5 x 2

Rope Climb: 25' x 5 trips no feet
Muay Thai for 1.5hrs
Maintaining weight at 179 and don't feel too much weaker.

2009-06-07T16:58:00.000-07:00

Me and Valery Fedorenko.

Now a qualified AKC club coach. Learned a lot; felt great. Lots of interesting things to think about and drills to help me achieve some higher numbers and better times for my jerk sets (going to pick those up again with my new knowledge).
Valery was a great instructor and I'm glad I went through it. I was also lucky enough to meet Catherine Imes there as well who was an excellent instructor.

2009-06-04T22:57:00.001-07:00

Quick workout:
Bottom position rack BP:
185 x 5
205 x 3
215 x 1
225 x 1 x 2
KB Front Squat:
64kg x 8 x 3
88kg x 5 x 3

Clapping Pullup x 10 x 3
Med ball lateral throw x 8/8 x 3

Muay thai for 2 hrs
Finished Muay Thai with tabata burpees; hit 10 reps/set for the first few, finished with 9's. When I can hit 10's and still be explosive for all 8 rounds I will be strong and well conditioned.

2009-06-01T13:34:00.001-07:00

Deadlift:
365 x 5 x 3
385 x 5 x 1

One arm Barbell Military Press:
85 x 5/5 x 4 (last few reps turned into side press)

Keg Clean and Press x 6
Keg Zercher Squat x 6
Rest 1:00 and repeat for 10 rounds. 1:00 work 1:00 rest, finished early on some sets so took more rest. Biceps and shoulders are fried from holding the keg in zercher position and my body and legs are cooked. This is not fun with a 120lb keg. I do not recommend this circuit for anyone who isn't completely crazy.

2009-05-30T18:08:00.000-07:00

20kg Pistol x 5/5
Handstand Pushup x 8
repeated 5 times

Long Cycle Clean and Jerk
5:00 @ 20kg (didn't count reps, went fast though)

Tabata burpee w/ 20lb weight vest.
That was brutal. Ouch.

2009-05-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

TGU: 16kg x 1/1 x 2
Lots of Joint mobility and Z drills

Double 28kg bells:
Press x 6
Squat x 8
rest and repeat 4 times (The front squats immediately after the presses helped me find a strong abdominal bracing effect and shoulder work.

Bodyweight Pullup: 3 x 10

One arm swings: 28kg x 5:00 switching every 15 or so--set it down a couple times.
Heavy bag work and a tennis match.

2009-05-28T17:14:00.001-07:00

PR Deadlift:
One of my all-star clients, Cora pulled an easy 270lbs the other day...

She would kill me if I mentioned how old she is, but it makes it all the more impressive.

My training today:
TGU+OHS+Arm Bar: 24kg x 1/1 x 3

24kg Snatch: 100 reps in just over 3:00. This would qualify as an easy pass for the RKC standard snatch test.

Kicked the heavy bag and worked some combos for 20:00.

2009-05-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

Flat Bench: 185 x 5 x 5 (Done from chest in power rack--dead stop style)
Front Squat: (Also done dead stop style from bottom position in power rack)
185 x 5
235 x 5
265 x 2,3
Supersetted with DB Row:
140 x 8/8 x 3

Med Ball Lateral throw 8lbs: 8/8 x 3
Flag 5 x 3

Burpee :30
Jump Rope :40
rest :10
repeat 10 times and fall down.

Tonic Lifting

2009-05-25T18:11:00.000-07:00

Lots of mobility work, Z drills

Deadlift:
355 x 5 x 4 sets

One arm Military Press:
40kg x 1/1 x 11 sets (done in just under 15 min, all the reps were very easy)

Med Ball Lateral Throw: 8lbs x 8/8 x 3
Flag: 5 x 3

Sandbag Clean and Press x 10
Sandbag Squat x 10
rest 1:00
repeated 3 times

Happy Memorial Day!

2009-05-23T17:12:00.001-07:00

Friday:
No BJJ or Muay Thai, some shadowboxing
Double Clean+Press
28kg x 5 x 5
Double Clean + Front Squat
28kg x 5 x 5

See Saw Press
28kg x 5/5 x 2

Swing 28kg x 50/50

Friday:
Band resisted hill sprints with partner
About 20-30 sec of work followed by 1:00rest (including walk back down)
Done for 12 min--brutal.

2009-05-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

50m sprint x 4

Litvinov Sled work
28kg double snatch x 8 + 40m sled push
rest 3:00
repeat 4 times.
Stretch and DONE!
Very simple, but not easy.
Going to play tennis later :)

Ouch

2009-05-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

So it's been a while since I've posted and here's the recap:
Saturday I won the Pankration tournament for my weight class (175). Then 15 minutes later I also won the No-Gi Jiu Jitsu tournament. It was an awesome day and I felt like my strength and conditioning really carried me to the top.
The bad news: Jammed the hell out of my left thumb during on of the BJJ matches so I'm on IR for probably a week (might be broken, going to get an X ray tomorrow if pain doesn't subside). Today was a tonic training session--not a normal day.

Dead Start BB Flat Bench (done from chest in power rack):
185 x 5 x 5
KB Row:
88 x 15/15 x 5

Jumping Pistols: 5/5 x 5
MB lateral Throw: 8lbs x 8/side

Tabata Burpee high Jump: 8 sets of 9
Burpees felt good-felt very explosive and got good hang time on each rep.

Now That's...a whoopin'

2009-05-16T21:42:00.001-07:00

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Cut

2009-05-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

Weighed in at 172.5lbs...time to eat!

This is what 172.5lbs looks like:

Diet, exercise, and perseverance.

Online Training and pre-fight jitters

2009-05-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

I've had a few clients of mine have to stop seeing me due to reasons beyond their control. Our schedules just wouldn't mesh with kids/work/family etc. They still wanted the guidance and care that I could bring to the table in their training. So I wrote out programs for them--it was only fair that I do it for free after their past loyalty. Long story short, they were very happy with the results and told their friends. So I'm going to offer online training for anyone who needs my guidance to reach their fitness goals. One thing I've had a lot of success doing is "making do with what you have, where you are." Even though I have a lot of fun toys at the gym, I've gotten some pretty fantastic results from bodyweight and dumbbells only.

On a personal note, my body is electric right now, weigh ins are in 24 hours and I feel as if I could take on the world right now.

2009-05-13T13:21:00.001-07:00

Played around with some grip stuff and a 16kg kb today just to stay loose for the fight...
Lots of Z and Joint mobility
16kg get up x 1/1 x 2

hub lift:
double 35's x 2 x 3 (new PR, never lifted 2 35's at the same time)
45lbs x 1/miss *PR surprisingly the left hand went up but failed on the right (and I'm a righty)

Going to hit the pads lightly tonight at Muay Thai (no sparring)

2009-05-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

Probably my last real "training" day before the fight saturday...
TGU: 28kg x 2/2 + armbar
Snatch 10/10 x 2
JM and Z drills
Windmill 5/5 x 2

Keg shouldering 120lbs x 2:00 on 1:00 off x 4 rounds. Felt pretty good once I got the hand positioning figured out. I'll get a vid of some of this fun conditioning stuff sometime soon, right now eyes are on the prize.
May go for a swim later.