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"

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"

project. 12:36 PM

project.

sandbag project planned for today. small group of us at work, including fish, rigo and sidebottom, decided to make sandbags.
i love odd object training. with no access to the gym, no money for expensive equipment, it made sense to create my own home gym with minimal costs. sandbags are one of my favorite among homemade equipment. co-workers often hear about my workouts without access to the gym, and now they are hooked.
over the past few days, we have been scavenging for materials to make our new sandbags.

- military duffle bag : purchase at any army surplus store for $30. i bought mine used for $20
- contractor bags : similar to hefty garbage bags, these can be purchased at home depot. these are industrial strength trash bags to handle various debris such as wood, plaster & cement. after the abuse the sandbag takes, these are a necessity. i am curious to use demo bags for my next sandbag.
- duct tape : a vinyl, fabric-reenforced, multi-purpose pressure sensitive tape or what i call magic, also available at home depot.
- sand or pea gravel : available at home depot. i prefer using sand. pea gravel is good. however, after some time and multiple throwing, slamming, handling, grappling of your sandbag, the pea gravel will tear through the contractor bags rather quickly. sold in 50 lb (23 kg) bags.

putting the sand in the bags, you can make one large bag or you can create multiple filler bags to load to your liking. i decided to make one large bag.
i put (2) 50 lb bags of sand into one bag. using the duct tape to seal the bag. i don't pull the bags taut as i want the sand to be able to move around, creating unevenness or chaotic movement.

here, rigo using duct tape to secure his contractor bag.



while keeping a little slack, i tape the bag using horizontal and vertical patterns. i find this keeps the bag more secure and intact. repeat using 1-2 more contractor bags.

rigo working his duct tape patterning.



place the sand-filled contractor bag into your military duffle bag and secure it.

my contractor bag within my military duffle bag.



my sandbag complete, 100 lbs of goodness.



rip it off the ground and enjoy your new strength conditioning and endurance implement.

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"

bag. 7:14 PM

bag.

tuesday is a variety day, do what i want. i wanted to do some sandbag work. uncertain of its weight, estimating 75#. after a lengthy period of abuse over the past year, my sb had acquired an obscene hole which allowed play sand and pea gravel to spill in the trunk of my vehicle.
duct tape, the miraculous tool that allowed me to once again salvage and save my sb.
i've decided that any future sbs will be filled with only play sand as pea gravel proves to tear through multiple layers of contractor bags after my sb has been ripped, grabbed, dropped, slammed and thrown many a times.

MOVEMENT
1a) sb rotational deadlifts - 5 reps
1b) push-ups - 25 reps

2a) sb shouldering - 5 reps each side
2b) sb zercher squats - 6 reps

WORK
5 rounds, didn't set timer.

posterior chain was a buzzing, zercher squats really attacked the core. really felt the urge to finish with sled work. however, more immediate responsibilities did arise.

soundtrack: arcade fire "wake up"