Circuit #2 Taper

Just lowered my volume by about 60%, all done with a 45 pound bell:

• MP x 3 reps/side
• Swings x 20 reps
• MP x 3 reps/side
• FS x 5 reps
• MP x 3 reps/side
• Snatch x 5 reps/side
• MP x 3 reps/side
• TGU 1 rep/side
• MP x 3 reps/side

Did the circuit 3 times with 3 minutes rest in between.

Then:

• Mixed-grip pull-ups (thick tree branch): 4 x 2 reps/side
• Gorilla hangs: 2 x 20 seconds/side with 1 minute rest between sets, 1 x 14 seconds -> 1 x 11 seconds (did one side after the other)
• Car lift isometrics: 3 x ~6 seconds

I'm not too happy, like yesterday the circuits were tougher than expected... hopefully I'll sleep well for the rest of the week. I hate it when my plans don't go well.

Tapering

Thursday I just did a couple of GTG sets with:

• Pistols: 4 x 3 reps/side
• 2-up, 1-down pull ups (on the concentric): 4 x 2 reps - go up about 2 inches, down 1 inch, etc.

Then I had to get ready to go to the dentist with my brother. Later during the day I did:

• Club-like swings with the sledge hammer: 5-10 minutes (until I got pretty fatigued; did not time it)

Read/listened to some marketing things and then played Risk with my mom and sister during the evening (I'm winning of course :P).

Friday I did the usual: cicruit #1 with 45 pound+35 pounds, but with lower volume relating to my peak of last week.

• Swings x 12 reps
• MP x 4 reps
• Swings x 12 reps
• FS x 3 reps
• Swings 12 reps
• Snatch x 4 reps/side
• Swings x 12 reps
• TGU x 1 rep/side
• Swings x 12 reps

For 3 circuits with 3 minutes rest between.

Then:

• Wide-grip pull-ups: 5 x 3 reps (also taper)
• Superset of {Swings with 55 lbs+55 lbs x 10 reps -> ab roll-out with 5 second pause at stretched position x 3 reps} x 3 sets
• Bottoms-up presses (BUPs) for fun: 5 singles and 3 doubles

I might do some more BUPs later today.

Hands aren't all ripped :) only one left to heal... I hope it's done after that.

Week 3 of snatch work

My first day (Tuesday, August 17th) went awesome! I was pumped the whole day :P

I did:

• RKC snatch test: 55 pound bell, 100 reps in 4:50 minutes (woot!)
• Heavy TGUs: 70 pounds, 8 singles/side while either going straight to the other arm, orgetting a drink (i.e. not too much rest)
• Side-to-side pull-ups: 3 x 4 reps/side (not really, towards the end I was pretty much doing a pull-up and then going to the side... I'll have to lower the reps probably)
• Ab roll-out: 3 x 3 reps with 5 second pause at stretched position

The video is proof of my accomplishment :D

Wednesday I did not go as hard as Tuesday, I even lowered the volume a bit:

• RKC snatch test: 55 pound bell, 90 reps in 4:40 minutes
• Dynamic-iso C&P: 55 pound bell, 18 singles per side with 6 second pause when arm is parallel to ground while resting 1 minute between sets
• Elbow-on-knee rows: 70 pound bell: 3 x 6 reps/side
• Negative presses: 70 pound bell, 3 singles with 2 minutes rest (pretty good control from top to middle)
• Ab roll-out: 3 x 3 reps with 5 second pause at stretched position
• Farmers walk: One 55 pound bell, and one 70 pound bell. I would walk about 20 yards, drop the weights, turn around, pick the weights up, walk another 20 yards, and repeat (did not take note how many)

So now I am going to take the next week easy, lower my volume and a bit of intensity.

RKC, here I come!

Just did a couple of things, not much:

• Fighter pull-ups: 10 reps, 10 reps, 9 reps, 8 reps, 7 reps (sometimes I had to let go for a couple, looking more for volume and not going too balls to the wall)
• {55 pound dead high pulls x 4 reps/side -> ab roll out with 5 second pause at stretched position x 3 reps -> band presses x 10 reps (real easy, just for some blood flow... bit sore) } x 3 circuits

Ordered some atlas stone molds today, can't wait to try out atlas stones :D (probably going to suck at it in the beginning, hehe)

Hopefully I'll sleep well tonight, last night didn't go as well as I was hoping.

Circuit 3, Week 3 (RKC)

I started out with the usual third circuit, using a 65 pound bell for FS and 55 pounds for every other exercise:

• FS x 8 reps
• Swings x 20 reps
• FS x 8 reps
• Push press x 6 reps/side
• FS x 8 reps
• Snatch x 8 reps/side
• FS x 8 reps
• TGUs x 2 reps/side (alternate sides every rep)
• FS x 8 reps

I did this circuit 3 times, resting 3 minutes in between circuits.

Then, I tried doing see-saw pressing alternated with double swings using 45 pound bells. However, it did not work out too well... I did about 3-4 sets and then my muscles/body just shut down. So I pretty much did:

• Farmers walk down my street
• 3-4 sets of see-saw presses (3-5 reps/side) alternated with double swings (15 reps)
• Continue walking towards my house (in shame) while either carrying the bells overhead or in the farmers walk position

I worked that for about 18 minutes.

Then, since I wasn't able to press or swing very much (shoulders shot from yesterday, and legs shot from today), I did a super set:

• Parallel-grip Pull-ups: 3 x 8 reps
• ab roll-out (pause at stretch for 5 seonds): 3 x 3 reps

Napping/taking it real easy for the rest of the day.

Circuit #2 Week 3 (RKC)

Today went pretty well, felt better than yesterday. So I did Circuit #2 with a 45 pound bell

• MP x 5 reps/side
• Swings x 30 reps
• MP x 5 reps
• Squats x 8 reps/side
• MP x 5 reps/side
• Snatches 8 reps/side
• MP x 5 reps/side
• TGUs x 2 reps/side
• MP 5 reps/side
• Shake off, repeat

Did this circuit 3 times, resting 3 minutes in between circuits.

Then I did:

• TGUs with 55 pounds 5 singles/side with no rest while alternating
• Ab roll out (iso at stretched position for 5 seconds) 3 x 3 reps
• Mixed grip pulls ups on pretty thick tree branch: 4 x 3 reps/side
• Gorilla hangs from pretty thick tree branch: 20 seconds -> 18 seconds on 2nd set (left side was having problems, needed to reset)
• Thumbless farmers walk with 55 lbs/hand: as long as I could hold them (2:40 minutes)

Later in the day I did:

• Quick club swinging exercises for shoulders using one of my homemade toys
• Sledge hammer swings: until I got a good sweat going on

I did like yesterday for the rest of the day... soaked myself in vitamin D while reading some marketing products.

Circuit #1 Week 3 (RKC)

Did not feel so hot today, pretty weak. At some point I even got a bit dizzy.

Anywho, today I did the first circuit of the RKC prep. program by Brett Jones with 45 lbs+35 lbs kettlebells, alternating bells every circuit

• Double swings x 20 reps
• Double MP x 6 reps
• Double swings x 20 reps
• Double FS x 6 reps
• Double swings x 20 reps
• Snatch with 45 pounds x 8 reps/side
• Double swings x 20 reps
• TGU with 45 pounds x 2 reps/side

I did that circuit 3 times, resting 3 minutes after every circuit.

If you want a visual I've got one circuit on video :), I wasn't as explosive as I would've liked but I figured I'd give an example of the circuit on video (no excuses!).

Then, I did:

• Wide grip pull-ups: 5 sets x 5 reps
• Superset of {double swings (with two 55 pound bells) x 10 reps <-> 3 reps of ab roll-outs with a iso hold at stretched position for a 5 second count} x 3 sets

I might have something cool to show in a week... hopefully.