grip. and dog park. 11:18 AM

working the hands and sprints here.

h-e-double hockey sticks. and core. 9:08 AM

h-e-double hockey sticks. and core.

looky here.

rotater. 1:30 PM

rotater.

The Rotater: A Shoulder Rehabilitation, Shoulder Stretching and Shoulder Flexibility Device

the rotater is something i stumbled upon on twitter. a device made for a particular purpose - to maximize your shoulder performance. a very simple looking apparatus made by joint mechanix.

i'm learning that rotator cuff injuries are very common which can be caused by falling and repetitive overhead lifting to repetitive arm movements or something as common as carrying a child in your arms. nobody wants to hear they may have shoulder tears, irritation or possibly damage to their rotator cuff muscles or tendons.

common symptoms can be pain and tenderness in your shoulder when reaching overhead, lifting and pulling. i know my left shoulder felt discomfort when reaching behind my back, which may also have contributed to some shoulder weakness when compared to my right.

this made me very concerned and troubled as i do a lot of overhead lifting with kettlebells, sandbags, stones and other implements. tendinitis, strains and tears are risks with any regular athletic activities and movements.

i'm glad to say that since using the rotater, i've significantly improved my shoulder flexibility and range of motion. this is especially noticed in the internal rotation of my left shoulder. i injured my shoulder many years ago, been dealing with the slight discomfort ever since. as i get older, i need to take care of myself more. being conscious, making more of an effort to stay strong and healthy. you have to, right?

i highly recommend the rotater to anyone engaged with consistent and regular athletic activities, especially with overhead and repetitive movements e.g. kettlebells or barbells.

i've been in contact with chris melton who has been amazing, educative and informational.

take care of your shoulders. do it.

happy independence day.

soundtrack: cursive "from the hips"

respect. 12:40 PM

respect.

father's day. my father passed away many, many years ago, when i was a teenager who thought i was invincible, adults were dumb, and i knew everything. i was sure stoopid. my father taught me a lot of things; many things which i eventually learned to fully realize and appreciate . one thing for certain - he taught me respect. not just for myself, but to respect others, being civil, acknowledging and treating people with courtesy and dignity. i miss my father.

MOVEMENT: joint mobility, bodyweight movements - bipedal & quadrupedal and jumps.

WORK: kettlebell snatch @ 53# - working sets of 5L/5R

they don't call kettlebell snatches 'the tsar of kettlebell lifting' for no reason. they're tough & challenging. i want to improve my numbers.

what are you doing to supplement and assist your snatch numbers?

soundtrack: beirut "elephant gun"

hands. 3:49 PM

hands.

sunday, rest day. most of my sundays are spent catching up with reading books and articles. i understand rest is integral physically and mentally, allowing me to recover after an active and demanding week from both work and lifting. i understand rest allows my body to repair and strengthen itself. i understand it helps be recharge my batteries, giving me a good work/life balance. i understand it can help prevent over-training.
while sunday is a rest day, i become antsy and restless.
grip training is something i do often, as it is so easy to incorporate into my training. immediate benefits from various lifts; whether it's gripping a sandbag, swinging & lifting kettlebells (purposeful thick handles), thick bar or towel pull-ups. i'm very conscious of the importance of strong hands. seriously, how often do we use our hands?

MOVEMENT
barbell wrist curls
barbell wrist extensions
hand-to-hand stone pinches

WORK
barbell 2 x 10 reps
stone pinches 2 x 15 reps

barbell work for lower arm strength, build the forearms a little.
stone pinching to work fingers, especially thumb strength.

soundtrack: elvis costello "alison"

functional. 7:42 PM

functional.

today was a fun day. practiced some towel pull-ups at work, working the hand strength.
that afternoon, a co-worker requested some assistance changing out a flat tire on her vehicle. i asked another co-worker Fish to provide some help. he was gone for about 15 minutes when he returned, drenched in sweat. he admitted he was only able to loosen one wheel lug, asked if i would give it a go. i learned awhile back that the secret to changing a flat tire - you have to use brute force. four wheel lugs for me to attack. i was able to removed three wheel lugs. the fourth one, i'm uncertain if it was bent or possibly overtightened - i ended up snapping the wheel stud off with the lug still on.
oops.
my body was a little exhausted, generated a lot of tension. it was a very good feeling, being able to apply real world, functional strength.

variety day. initial plan was to do a sandbag complex followed by some sled training. however, i was drawn to my newly made sandbag, my military top load heavyweight cotton canvas duffle bag loaded with 100# of sand. yes, it is glorious.

MOVEMENT
1) sandbag power clean @ 100#- 10 sets x 3 reps

2) kettlebell rack walks @ 2x35# - 3 rounds x 100 steps immediately followed by 10 rack squats

3) kettlebell farmer walks @ 2x35# - 3 rounds x 100 steps immediately followed by bent over rows

resting 30 seconds between sets/rounds.
Worked this sandbag movement repeatedly, really wanting to develop full body strength and a vice grip. ripping the sandbag off the floor also developing power and starting strength. and i wanted a lower body finisher. farmer walks do nicely.

soundtrack: echo & the bunnymen "the cutter"

ladder. 10:37 PM

ladder.

starting the day moving & transporting shelves. ughh. we all know moving is no fun.
the latter part of the day, prepping & painting the bedroom. fun times. switching grips with the paint roller, arms over my head all evening.
later that night, it was time for some kettlebell lifting.

MOVEMENT
kettlebell @ 53#

1) c&p - 3 ladders x 4 rungs, 2 ladders 3 rungs

2a) kb two-handed swings
2b) hindu squats

descending & ascending ladders with minimal rest

Swing x 20
Hindu squat x 1
Swing x 19
Hindu squat x 2
Swing x 18
Hindu squat x 3

all the way to

Swing x 3
Hindu squat x 18
Swing x 2
Hindu squat x 19
Swing x 1
Hindu squat x 20

i didn't time myself... again, should've though.
struggled with clean & presses. painting is demanding, creeps up on you, gets your working.
hindu squats are tough. thinking burpees next time, like those are any more fun.
i didn't think it'd be possible to cramp both my calf and tibialis muscles at the same time. plus, it makes me walk funny.

soundtrack: arcade fire "no cars go"

add. 7:37 PM

add.

medium day today, moderate presses, pulls & swings.
added pull-ups to this movement. strict, head above the bar, with no swing or kip. more challenging by wrapping a towel around the bar.
minimal rest between sets.

MOVEMENT
1a) kettlebell clean & presses @ 53# - 5 ladders x 5 rungs
1b) mixed grip thick bar pull-ups - 5 ladders x 3 rungs

2) kettlebell one-handed swings @ 35# - descending ladder
50l/50r
40l/40r
30l/30r
20l/20r
10l/10r

300 swinging reps altogether. one of my goals is to minimize hand switches.
the thick bar pull-ups & one-handed swings really taxed my grip endurance.

soundtrack: matt and kim "good ol' fashioned nightmare"

duffle. 6:44 PM

duffle.

after a much needed 8 hours of sleep, my woman and i visited our local coffee shop to enjoy some strong coffee. one of the things i enjoy immensely.
thereafter, with the eagerness and necessity of a new sandbag, we made a stopover at the nearest army surplus store. i was contented to find used army/military duffle bags hiding in a dark corner.

- top load heavyweight cotton canvas duffle bag
- cotton web shoulder straps
- double reinforced grab handle
- snap hook closure

just grabbing it in my hands, that feeling of ripping sandbags up off the floor. this was a good find. i would have to wait before making it into an odd object implement. i ended up washing it. who knows where it's been or whose hands have touched it after doing who knows what.

MOVEMENT
1a) kb c&p 53# - 3 ladders x 3 rungs
1b) kb c&p 53# - 2 ladders x 4 rungs

2) one-handed kb swings 35# - 6:00 minutes

concentrating on minimal hand switches, developing a progression to eventually one hand switch.

soundtrack: nin "march of the pigs"

room. 10:27 PM

room.

today was a good day.
after a bumpy morning, i decided to paint one of the closets. active rest and all, moved out some shelves and boxes, prepped the walls and carpet.
started painting away.
the idea is to create a theater-slash-video store feel with burgundy walls and eventually, vintage movie posters. Nothing cliched, trite or common, of course. While the paint was drying, i assembled the newly arrived shelves which will mostly hold my blu-ray and dvd movies, mostly. cds will be another location.in the back of my mind, an itch i had to scratch.

today was a heavy kettlebell day.

1) kb c&p 44# - 5 ladders x 5 rungs

2) one-handed kb swings - 5:00 minutes switching every 10 reps

soundtrack: the analog girl "superfly"

pre. 7:02 PM

pre.

it's pre memorial day weekend. i feel this week is really weighing down on me. after another long drive from work to home, for that one split second, i was considering taking a nap.
we should listen to our bodies, as mine was shutting down. active rest is so important, often overlooked. listening to your body, giving yourself a break from the daily grind, keeping yourself fresh.

internal dialogue:
"take a nap, you've worked out all this week."
"you're tired, you deserve a nap."
"if you nap, you won't be able to fall asleep later."
"it's one more day until friday. man up, workout, just do it!"
i needed to workout. i wouldn't feel complete.
the music flooded in my head, my energy returned, i was fired up even for a light, variety day.

1) kb turkish get-up 53# - 10 minutes

2) kb windmill #44 one ladder, 5 rungs

3) kb one arm swing - 5:00 minutes switching every 5 reps

soundtrack: filter "hey man nice shot"

rabbit. 6:01 PM

rabbit.

i saw a rabbit today. what makes it odd, it was lingering around in a parking lot at my work, in the middle of the city. two things come to mind - "watership down" and "bugs bunny". let's ignore bugs for now. if you haven't read "watership down", it's an amazing book by richard adams. a fantasy story about a small group of rabbits living in their natural environment, escaping the destruction of their warren and seeking out a new home for their survival. they are anthropomorphised, possessing their own culture and language.
i find that gireviks, bodybuilders, lifters, martial artists, etc - we all have our own language and physical culture we develop, follow, learn and/or teach. it's amazing the support, encouragement, motivation and assistance we are able to provide, give or receive from one another.
let's keep it strong.

training changes with the weather. it was very nice outside. i forget how much i love sled training.

1) forward sled drag, holding straps - 7 minutes

2)backward sled drag, holding straps - 7 minutes

3) one arm kb cleans - 5:00 minutes x 5 reps

4) pull-ups followed with ring dips - 3 x amap (as many as possible)

5a) double kb swings 3 x 6 reps
5b) double kb rack squats 3 x 6 reps

6) kettlebell farmer walks 2 x 100 feet

7) kb get-up situps - 2 x 15 reps

soundtrack: jaydiohead "optimistic moment"

anchored. 6:47 PM

anchored.

double kettlebell work with 2x35#

1a) push press 3 x 15
1b) bent over rows 3 x 15

2a) anchored cleans 2 x 10l/10r
2b) seesaw press 3 x 10l/10r

3a) swing 3 x 10
3b) rack squat 3 x 10

4) v-ups 2 x 20

didn't time myself. minimal rest.

soundtrack: tool "sober"

minutes. 10:19 PM

minutes.

saturday, i had 10 minutes for a workout.

1) double kettlebell (2x35#) clean & presses 10 x 5 reps
each minute - on the minute

keeping form was key. quite a few open palm presses. no plan, just wanted to do 50 reps.

soundtrack: the knife "silent shout"