Day 39 of the 40 day program

All 6x1- heavy days and fridays don't mix too well...plus the BBC late night didn't help either ;)

I will also add that I slept on the couch last night. I am not in the doghouse with my wife but I was tossing and turning all night and didn't want to wake her. The soon to be momma needs her rest.

I still trained today but I felt gross...oh well not bad numbers for an off day

Press- all L and R

28k

32k

36k

40k

44k

44k

Pistol- didn't feel strong but oh well...all L and R btw

20k

28k

32k

36k

40k

4ok

Pull-up- didn't feel strong either, I have hit a 52k pull-up before but I am not feeling it today

28k

32k

36k

40k

44k

44k

Swings for today, no snatches...I am pooped...fridays stink

3x30 with the 28k- 2 handed

3x30 with the 24k alternate swings

rolling patterns- nice and easy for today

1 session left :)

I am looking forward to taking a few days off and starting fresh again

Day 37 and another great session

2 Great sessions in a row...This can't last ;)

I prepped differently today. I started working on my double overhead kettlebell squat. This is very tough and will take a month or 2 to nail. I figure that if I can nail the double overhead KB squat, my overall mobility will be ok for level II in July. I think I am there already but it never hurts to over prepare.

Press

24k x5

32k x5

32k x5

Pull-up

24k x5

24k x5

28k x6

Pistol

BW x5 L and R

16k x5 L and R

24k x5 L and R

Snatches...2 sets of 50 with the 16k, each set took about 1:30 or so

Day off tomorrow....pheeew

Day 36 and RKC II is on my mind

Day 36 is done and I am feeling pretty good. This Easy Strength program is a good experiment to get me ahead of the game for RKC II in July. My amazing wife and I are expecting a little boy due on June 3rd so I am trying to put as many good reps in the bank as possible before he comes. When this guy is born I will have to do my best in preparing to be a good Dad as well as get prepared for level II. I am not sure how I will do but I know that I won't give up...I don't have a choice

Everything feels good...but... I am dealing with stupid little nagging issues from all the landscaping I am doing to get the yard ready for spring. I will make it.....my wife is holding a baby in her belly and I complain about raking :) Whats wrong with this picture??

I am a wuss, I know this, but complaining makes me feel better sometimes

Day 36

Press

20k x5

32k x5

36k x3

40k x4 R hand and x3 L hand *** PR on both

Pistol- all both legs

5 BW

20k x3

28k x 2

36k x 2

40k x1

Pull-up

3 BW

24k x2

36k x 2

40k x2

Snatches

50 with the 24k in 2:15

Ab roll-out 2x10

When I am feeling tired in my training I go to Rifs Blog and read the quote at the top. This hits me every time.

"And in those simple beautiful movements I remembered what was really important in training; that consistency trumps intensity; all the time. That intensity is born from consistency. That one cannot force it, one has to lay in wait for it, patiently, instinctively, calmly and be ready to grab it when Grace lays it down in front of you."

Bodyweight Pistol vs. Weighted Pistol

IMO, pistols are the best leg strengthening exercise known to man. If you can pistol, your legs are pretty strong.

The pistol takes time to master. Most dive in too early but they soon realize that they need to lay down a good foundation before they attempt the pistol.

I recommend mastering the airborne lunge first then progressing to the pistol. Here is a quick video on how to do the airborne lunge.

I hope that video helped with a good progression for the pistol. The airborne lunge will smoke you.

Bodyweight Pistol

The bodyweight pistol requires much more mobility than the weighted pistol. You need to utilize almost all available ankle dorsiflexion with this variation. You weight yourself in the middle of the foot and not just your heel.You will also have a torso position that is more forward and "over" your legs. There is generally more lumbar and thoracic flexion.

Weighted Pistol

The weighted pistol is easier for a few reasons. One, you have a counter-balance. This allows you to sit back earlier and shift the weight towards your heel. Two, you can get away with less than adequate ankle mobility because of this counter balance. The knee does not have to glide forward as much because you can sit back. The last key difference is the torso position. The weighted pistols allows the spine to be taller throughout the movement as well.

Here is a quick video on the differences

Days 32, 33 and a little setback

The 40 day program is almost finished. The lifts aren't bad but sometimes it's tough to get motivated to do the same lifts in every training session. I am almost there but I had a setback this week. I have been doing tons on work in the yard getting it ready for spring. I was edging my beds for a few hrs and my back got cranky. If you add that on top on some stone work it does a number on my back. It stunk, I was crooked for a bout 3 days and could not stand up straight until thursday night. After plenty of rest, foam rolling, mobility and light work I was able to get back into a groove. I only got 2 sessions in this week due to my back but I will be done in about 10 days or so....sweet.

Weird, I can pistol the 44k and it doesn't hurt but edging plant beds in my yard smoked me. Kinda funny.

Anyways, here are days 32 and 33

Day 32

Press

20k x5

24k x5

28k x5

32k x5

Pull-up

5 bodyweight

2x5 with the 20k

Pistol

2x5 bodyweight

snatches 100 straight with the 16k

Akro wheel roll outs

Day 33

Press

20k x5

24k x5

28k x5

32k x5

36k x3

40k x2

44k x1

Pull-up

20k x5

36k x 3

40k x3

Pistol

16k x5

20k x3

32k x2

Snatches 30/30 for 10 min with the 20k

Overall I am pretty happy with my numbers after the setback. I didn't push the pistols this week but next week I will go heavy.

I have hit a 44k pistol, press and pull-up on this program with the goal being a 48k pistol, press and pull-up. I have learned a ton through this journey.

Stay tuned for the final results and video

Days 29, 30 and 31 of the 40 day program

Day 29

Press

20k x5

24k x5

28k x5

32k x5

32kx5

Pull-up

BW X5

20k x5

20k x5

Pistol

2x5 BW- really slow

Snatches

100 with the 14k...easy

ab wheel 2x5

Day 30

Press

32k x5 x2

Pull-up

2x5 with the 24k

Pistol 2x5 with the 20k

Snatches 50 straight with the 24k

Body saw for core

Day 31

Press

24k x5

28k x5

32k x5

32k x5

32k x5

Pull-up

BW x5

20k x5

2ok x6

Pistol

16k x5

20kx5

100 snatches with the 20k

Hanging Leg raise

Almost there :)

Day 26 of the 40 day program

13 workouts left!!

I am excited to be almost finished with the journey. It has taught me so much about listening to my body. I am learning when to take it easy and go hard with my big 3 lifts. I have found the weight and volume that my body likes and to me that's important.

Prep- TGU variations, BP practice, 2x10 deadlift and 2x10 back squat with 135 again. This gets my body ready for battle.

Press

24k x5, 28k x5 and 32k x5

Pull-up- all 16k

3x4

Pistol

12k x3 L and R, 16k x3 L and R and 28k x3 L and R

Snatches-20 minutes of 40/20 with the 16k. I would guess that the total snatches performed were 180 or so.

Roll-outs with the akro wheel

Day 25 of the 40 day program and some thoughts about goal setting

Today I had to change it up a bit. I was feeling as if these workouts were getting tedious. I have committed to the 40 day plan but sometimes it's tough to do the same lifts every day.

Sticking to a plan is essential to reach your goals but sometimes you need to trick yourself into finishing the task at hand. My prep was very different today so I figured that I would post what I did differently:

Prep:

Ankle mobility

kneeling hip flexor stretch

30 hip hinge

lunge with kb overhead a'la TGU style

2x10 135 back squat

2x10 135 deadlift

I have no trouble at all getting my joints mobile and moving well but sometimes I need to just get a good sweat in to really get my body feeling good. Joint mobility is good and it works but a good sweat feels great. I wish I had a sauna....I will check with the wife on this and see how it goes :)

All my lifts were sets of 10 today

Press 2x10 with the 24k...shoulders felt great

Pull-up 2x10 BW

Pistol 1x10 - L and R with the 12k

snatches 100 reps with the 20k....4:40 was my time

planks

Day 24 of the 40 day program

Felt OK today....I have been dealing with a small stomach bug do my training didn't go amazing.

All 6x 1 rep scheme

Press-28k, 32k, 36k, 40k, 40k, 40k all L and R

Pull-up- 32k, 32k, 32k, 32k, 36k, 36k

Pistol- 16k, 16k, 20k, 20k, 24k, 28k

Snatches- 80 straight with the 16k

Core- ab roll outs 1x15

Day 23 of the 40 day workout

All 2x5 rep scheme

Press 32k...L/R

***side note- my 2x5 32k press is slowly becoming my marker for how I feel that day. If the 32k presses feel really easy then I know my body nervous system is not shot and that I did not overdo it on the previous workout

Pull-up- 16k, 20k

Pistol- 10k, 10k

Swings- I did swings today instead of snatches, I feel as if I need to really practice my swings before I improve on my snatches.

Ab wheel- 10 roll-outs

Days 18 and 19 of the 40 day program

Day 18

All 2x5 rep scheme

Press 32k

pull-up 16k, 20k

Pistol- assisted w/TRX...very cranky back

30/30 10 minutes of swings with the 28k

1x10 ab roll outs

Day 19

5, 3,2 rep scheme

Press- 32k x5 L and R, 36k x3 L and R, 40k x2 with R and 2x1 with L

Pull-up- 20k x5, 28k x3 and 32k x2

Pistol- 16k x5 L/R...24k x3 L/R...28k x2 L/R

snatches 3 min straight with the 24k, 64 reps

Core- valslide bodysaw

Days 16 and 17 of the 40 day program

Both days are a 2x5 rep scheme. My body is feeling pretty good now. The soccer tournament I played in last saturday was a terrible idea. My numbers are where they should be once again :)

Day 16

Press- 32k, L and R

Pull-up- 20k and 24k

Pistol- 16k and 20k L and R

Hanging Leg raise 1x15

snatches 4 min with the 20k, 81 reps

Day 17

Press 32k, L and R

Pull-up 20k and 20k

Pistol 20k, 20k L and R

Snatches 9 min of 40/20 with the 14k

Ab roll-outs 1x10

Pattern practice for strength gains

There has been lots of talk about the Dan John/Pavel 40 day training program lately and quite a few people are having a tough time understanding how you can perform the same movements every day. I understand that this method may be tough in large groups or with high school athletes but the principles behind it are amazingly simple.

Here I will outline a easy template on how to practice a movement every day without feeling like that's all you are doing.

I will focus on 4 patterns so you can get the idea. They are:

Hip Hinge

Squat

upper body push

upper body pull

Yes, there are many more but I want to make this clear as mud. There will be 3 components that are practiced in this program and they are:

Movement Preparation or MP- you will practice the patterns as part on your warm-up once asymmetries and imbalances are addressed.

Deliberate Pattern Practice or DPP- you will focus on 1 or 2 patterns with a relatively low weight for 1 to 2 sets done at the beginning of your workout but after the prep.

Core Lift or CL- this is one of the lifts that you have a primary focus on. If you are focusing on deadlifts and pull-ups that day then these are your Core lifts

Here is how you can lay this out in a 4 day strength training program. I will use a MP, DPP and CL every day and practice one of these patterns via of those. I will address a squat, hip hinge, upper body push and upper body pull on each of these.

You can add much more volume to these as they are examples and not full workouts

Day 1

MP-pushups, 2 sets of 10-15 reps- upper body push

DPP- 2x10 goblet squats-squat

CL #1 Deadlift- covers the hip hinge

Cl #2 bent rows- upper body pull

Day 2

MP-naked hip hinge- this is a patterning drill with no weight. I normally have my athletes tap their butts on the wall- hinges

DPP- 2X10 DB rows- upper body pull

CL #1 front squat- squat

CL #2 Bench press- upper body push

Day 3

MP- Body weight squats- squats

DPP 2x10 light DB press- upper body push

CL#1 Pull-up- upper body pull

CL #2 RDL- hip hinge

Day 4

MP- 2x15 band rows- upper body pull

DPP- 2x25 kettlebell swings- hip hinge

CL#1 Back squat- squat

CL #2 Incline bench press- upper body push

There are hundreds of variations on this but I hope you get the idea. I would rather have my athletes own 4-8 exercises in 12 weeks instead of stinking at 16 in 12 weeks.

My point is that you are giving the athlete a basic skill set and understanding of how to move properly instead of confusing them and their CNS. If I am teaching someone how to build a shed I am going to start with a hammer, screwdriver, saw and a wrench. I would not give them a hilti gun, dremel tool, chainsaw and power drill and expect them how to use it.

Teaching proper movement is a gift. This gift can keep you moving better, feeling better and performing better. It can also keep you from injuring yourself.

Movement is a process and proper steps must be taken to move well and to move often.

Days 13 and 14 of the 40 day program and a minor setback

Day 13 3/3

5-3-2 rep scheme

Press 24k, 28, 32k

Pull-up 16k, 24k, 24k

Pistol- 12k, 16k, 16k

6 minutes straight with the 16k

ab roll outs 2x5

felt good

Day 14 3/4

2x5 rep scheme

My back was a bit cranky so I skipped snatches and did swings. I also substituted pistols for airborne lunges

Press 32k

airborne lunge- 2x5

pull-up 12k

1 handed swings 30/30 for 5 min with the 20k

hardstyle plank 2x:45

The things we do :)

Yesterday I went to my old college and played in a futsal tournament. The best part was hanging out with my two good friends Tommy and Jamo. We didn't win this year but had fun.

We played 5 games on a hardwood basketball court. This is always a bad idea. We regret it after the tourney and we suffer the ride home. We are all sore as hell for a few days. Today my back is not happy and I needed a day off. I am hoping to get a solid training day in tomorrow.

Yes I am an idiot, when I train smart and do the right things I always feel good. When I drive 2.5 hrs, play 5 soccer games and drive another 2.5 hrs back home, I feel like rubbish. I wonder why.

Day 9 of the 40 day program and pistols being part of the program

2x5 Rep scheme on everything

Press- 32k, 32k

Pull-up, 20k, 20k

Pistol, 8k, 8k

Snatches 40/20 for 5 minutes with the 24k

ab wheel roll outs 2x5

Pistols and the 40 day program

I am planning on attempting the beast tamer challenge in July so I added pistols into my 40 day program. Doing pistols up to 5 days a week is very tiring. It's the only lift that I feel as if I need more days off. I have been varying the weight and going very light on my higher rep days. Here's my point, a bodyweight pistol is still pretty tough. Its not as easy as a BW pull-up, thats for sure. I am going to stick it out but it has been the thorn in my side since I started this program. I really have to keep up with my soft tissue and mobility work or I will never feel good on the lift.

I herniated my L5/S1 and L4/L5 discs about 5 years ago and they still get cranky every once in awhile. Pistols can be tough on the back sometimes and I feel as if I need to create tons of tension to keep my back safe but it leaves me exhausted. I guess this will be a great learning experience and I am hoping I will be a better coach having gone through this.

Day 8 of the 40 day program

Felt good today, I took 3 days off and it was worth it. My body hasn't felt this good in awhile

All 1x10 rep scheme for today:

Press- 28k x10 L/R...felt light

Pull-up 12k x10, felt good

Pistol 12k x10 L/R....I don't care what anyone says about high reps pistols, they are miserable.

Snatches- 9 minutes of 15:15 with the 20k. I averaged about 8 reps per 15 seconds.

These felt very light

So far so good

Day 7 of the 40 day program

All singles for today, this is a good test a week in

Press- 32k, 36k, 40k, 40k, 40k, 32k...all L and R

Pistol- 16k, 20k, 24k, 28k, 24k, 20k..all L and R *** PR on my L press, never hit the 40k :)

Pull-up- 28k, 32k, 36k, 40k, 44k, 44k

Snatches

5 minutes straight with the 20k...100 reps total

Hanging leg raise- 2x20

felt good on the strength work...gassed on the snatches

Shout out from Dan John!!

A few weeks back Dan had asked for a quick description on how to do the kettlebell swing. This was on the RKC only forum. I had a few minutes so I wrote something up quick. I didn't think much of it until my buddy texted me today and said that Dan had mentioned my name is the article. Dan is an amazing coach and to get mentioned in one of his articles is pretty cool.

Thought I would share :)

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_metabolic_swing

Day 6 of the 40 day workout

Felt like rubbish today, a bit tired so I went a lighter.

All 2x5 rep scheme

Press 28k, 28k..only lift that felt ok

Pull-up 16k, 16k

Pistol, 12k, 12k

Snatches- 7 minutes straight with the 12k

Body saw for core

Day off tomorrow and heavy singles for thursday :)

Day 5 of the 40 day workout and Saco HKC

Today went ok, presses felt good and snatches felt amazing. I cleaned up a small timing issue on my snatches and it really helped.

2x5 rep scheme on all

Press- 32k, 32k

Pull-up - 20k, 24k

Pistol- 16k, 16k

Snatches 15:15 for 8 minutes. I averaged roughly 9 snatches per 15 seconds.

Saco HKC

I had the pleasure of assisting Master RKC at the Saco Maine HKC. Jeff Falcoswki RKC also assisted, both are great guys :)

We had a good group up there. A few needed some work but it went well overall.

A few tips for future HKC and RKC candidates:

1. clean up any shoulder mobility issues, master the lockout and all of your lifts will be better

2. practice and spend at least 1 hour with a good RKC before the HKC. It may be the difference between pass and fail.

3. Get the FMS, fix the issues and train smart :)

Thanks again to Brett and Jeff, we had a great weekend.