Bent Press, Snatch

Bent Press: - right side first leaves my lumbar in a better place

12 kg: 1R/L, 2R/L

16 kg: 1R/L

20 kg:: 1R, left failed as bell rotated inwards, rest, got left by really focusing on external shoulder rotation and lat activation.  Left side was a good, slow grind.

NB: I can strict press 20 kg for reps at any time, so it is all about achieving proper form before going heavier.

This really well targets my left shoulder and all the things it doesn't do well.  My wife watched and said even moving from the front to the side rack on my left side looked stiff.

16 kg - snatch, 16L, 16R - still just working on form, resting at top and looking for good alignment overhead.

Walk 3 miles - felt great.

18 Sumo DLs

Yesterday, did a few DL's narrow sumo, 225 lbs., and didn't like how they felt, so today:

DL: Narrow Sumo, 225 lbs., double overhand

3 singles, index fingers off the knurling to the inside

5 touch-n-go, index fingers just on the knurling, necessitated a wider stance.

3 singles, index and middle fingers off the knurling to the inside

Experimenting with grip width

Break for an hour to teach, then do some more:

2 sets of 2 t-n-g w/ brief rest at bottom between sets (not reps), first 2 fingers on non-knurled part

Went back yet later and did 3 more singles - 1st one wasn't great, really tried to take the slack out for the other 2 and they were much better.

Walk, Pistol, Snatch and High Pull

Not much exercise yesterday - had a bass lesson, taught a lesson here before, worked on music the rest of the day.

Today, Monday:

Walk about 1 mile AM

12 kg: pistol, lf, 1, 1, 1 - left side really awful, still

16 kg ladder:

1 High Pull + 1 Snatch L, Repeat R, and ladder up to 5 as 5 HP + 5 SN L, 5 HP + 5 SN R, no break, mostly nose breathing.  Left side timing at lockout leaves much to be desired.

Consider another ladder but legs felt like jelly so that will be enough for today.  Not feeling 100%, not quite sure why, nothing hurts.

5 mile walk, 16 kg snatch ladders

Friday, in PA for the Christmas holiday, took a mile walk each way w/ my wife for coffee.

Today, Saturday

5 mile walk

16 kg bell:

Snatch ladder as 1L, 1R, 2L, 2R, up to 5

Repeat above, nose-breathing both ways this time.  Each ladder is 15 each side, so a total of 60 snatches today.

Focus on perfect form - throw the bell back, early hip snap on the way up followed by float, good timing at the catch at the top, straight flip over the top on the way down.

Quick Holiday Circuit

Trying to get used to lifting at least a little every day.  Today is Christmas, not much time before heading out to PA.

With a single 20 kg bell, the following circuit:

Swing

Clean

Press, lower to rack, drop into swing back and

High Pull

Snatch - rest overhead, lower to rack,

Press, rack, drop into swing back and

High Pull

Clean

Press, lower to rack, drop into swing back and

Swing

Switch hands and repeat on other side, keep switching sides

I got a total of 2 of these done, or 4 if you count individual hands, before putting the bell down.

Another light, recovery and skills-focused workout

16 kg 1h swing: 10L + 10R - too light

12 kg: pistol x 1L/R - terrible

bw: pushup x 5

pullup - bw + 16 kg on left foot x 2.  As in some previous days, hang w/ loose shoulders, tighten shoulders, then head up for first rep, tried to do same but perhaps a little quicker, for 2nd rep as well

short break

12 kg: 2 windmill + 1 bent press L, same R


Break, then almost repeat above

20 kg 1h swing: 10L + 10R - better but still light

bw: pushup x 5

pullup - bw + 16 kg on right foot x 2.  As before

12 kg: pistol x 1L/R - much better - moved pistols further from swings, also second set was better

short break

12 kg: 2 windmill + 1 bent press L, same R - better than first time, again just skill improved for 2nd set

Circuit w/ light bells

Yesterday, walk home from grocery store w/ 50+ lbs. of groceries - weighed myself at 206 lbs. when I got home.  1 mile w/ 50 lbs is workout enough

Today, some rib pulls, brettzels, and 12 kg bent arm bars to warm up, then this circuit, move quickly from one thing to the next, which isn't something I usually do.  Rest 5:00 or so between circuits

With 2 x 16 kg bells

5 clean, 3 press, 5 fsq, 3 pushup, 1 x (2x16) PU - failed, insufficient rest before

5 clean, 3 press, 5 fsq, 3 pushup, 1 x (2x12) PU

10 clean, 5 press

Recovery - 12 kg circuit - Pistol, Pushup, Pullup, Windmill, Bent Press

Another easy, variety kind of workout as I recover both from last weekend's DL meet pull and a big Wednesday and Thursday with 4 rehearsals and a performance which incidentally meant 5 hours of driving, too.

Upper back stiff from the few bent presses on Thursday.

Today, a little quasi-circuit - did this twice, windmills and bent presses much better 2nd time through

12 kg pistol L/R - I am terrible at these

2 pushups

1 PU w/ 12 kg *

break

12 kg windmill x 3R/3L

break

12 kg bent press x 1R/L

* Notes on PU:
socks, not shoes - didn't bother foot - good
Hung, then let shoulders slack, then sucked in shoulders, then pulled up.
Speed was very good, height was very good.
Normal, not slightly false, grip

A few light bent presses

Another long, busy day with an early start.  Had a break mid-morning, did

12: bent press, 1L, 1R - just to play with form.  Back goes pop and crack, feels good.

16: bent press, 1L, 1R - really shouldn't go heavier than this without a lot more practice.  Have trouble differentiating the windmill pattern, which I've really grooved, and the bent press pattern of allowing the bearing side knee to bend.

Easy 16 kg snatch, windmill, 1h swing

Today, out of the house at 7:30 AM, busy day, got a little break mid-afternoon so did:

16: snatch L x 5, windmill x 2 after the last rep, then same on right side.

16: 10 1h swing L, 10 R, no break

2 x 16 kg complex, 2 x 16 kg PU/CU

Took most of the week off last week, a few easy DL on Thursday

At the WNPF meet on Sunday, December 14, pulled 360 lbs., my best since age 51.  Was shaky, took 11 seconds to complete, but I'll take it.

Very sore back later that day, yesterday was better and today, almost no discomfort, still a little stiff.  No NSAIDs taken during recovery - excellent.

Today, Tuesday:

2 x 16 kg:  Complex + PU/CU

1 clean, 2 presses, 5 FSQ., Short Rest,  1 Chinup (CU) w/ a 16 on each foot.

1 clean, 3 presses, 5 FSQ, Short Rest,  1 Pullup (PU) w/ a 16 on each foot

1 clean, 5 presses, 5 FSQ., Short Rest, 1 Chinup (CU) w/ a 16 on each foot.

* - * - * - Up things

5 clean, 3 press, 5 FSQ, short rest, 1 PU w/ 2 x 16 (as above) but only touched front of chin to bar

5 clean, 6 press, 0 FSQ - shoulder unpacked on 5th press so 1 more good one then terminate the set.

16 kg 1h swings: start L, 10 x hand-to-hand, 2L, 2R, 3L, 3R, 20 total, no breaks

A few presses and PU

Taught at NYC Level I this past weekend, so no lifting Fri, Sat, or Sun, but lots of standing, some demonstrating kb lifts, and lots of driving each day.

Today, Monday, it's freezing cold so no long walk

20: MP 5L, 5R, PU x 2

Stretch.

DL - easy 315 today

Yesterday, walk 2 mi and stretch a little

Today, bw 154.8 lbs, still fat but at least better

Walk another 2 miles

DL:

225 x 1 overhand

245 1 x overhand, x 1 left over, x 1 right over

295 x 1 left over, x 1 right over

315 x 1 right over

All lifts in the space of 5 minutes.  315 was a little slow but I think this is right on schedule for the meet - feeling rested, and as far as lifting goes, relaxed although the rest of life is hectic and a little stressful.

Just a little today

Sunday (yesterday), walk 4-5 miles in the nice weather with my wife.

Today, walk 2 mi.

20 kg: clean L x 3, press L x 3, clean R x 3, press R x 3, PU on right foot x 2, about 2-sec pause at bottom between PU reps

20 kg x 2 - 5 cleans, 2 presses - overhead lockout of double bells less good than I would like

DL:

Straddle, 2" bar, 225 lbs., went right to the front first today and that's not so good - got 3 that way and only 2 the other way before my left hand felt tired.

I think that's going to be it for today - feeling tired, did a lot of arranging at the computer over the last few days, maybe need to have an easy week this week as well as next.