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Always Be Smashing

Alexander Halford said:
That's a great snatch session...can you share your timing for the sets, please?
Click to expand...

I do a set with each arm (i.e. 2 sets) at the top of each minute, left first then right. That leaves me 15-20 seconds to rest between the sets - and I definitely need it. In the last minute, I set the bell down briefly after the first 2 sets, then just try to wrestle out whatever I can in the last 15 seconds. So this attempt looked like: Lx8, Rx8, rest, Lx8, Rx8, rest, Lx8, Rx8, rest, Lx7, Rx7, rest, Lx7, Rx7, short rest, Lx2, Rx2.

Then I collapse on the floor for a few minutes. ?
 
Alexander Halford said:
Well, I can quite imagine...Are you training for commando snatch test, 200 with 32kg@10 minutes? :)
Thanks for sharing!
Click to expand...

If I could pull that off, I think it would be time to quit my day job and get a book deal, or a spot in the next "Fast & Furious" movie, or something.

I signed up for the "competitive" level TSC this year, which does the 5 minute test with the 32. I'm no threat to win anything (competitive division or open division), I just figure, if I'm going to challenge myself, then let's make it a challenge, right?
 
Took Monday off.

04/28 06:00

Trifecta +
55min treadmill run/walk 4.1m
- 1W 14E (9T 1W) x2 19E 1W

Run went well, but I was completely wiped out afterwards. A little surprising given taking the prior day off. Weak ankle was a little sore too (weak side is due to an Achilles tear many years ago).

This session went almost 2 hours (!), because I can't seem to stop myself from adding things to my mobility recharge. Trifecta is supposed to be 3 things... I'm up to 12! Can afford the time during the days of quarantine, but someday I'll have to come back to reality.

04/28 17:30

GSQT 2x5 48
Cossack shoulder dislocates 2x8
Burpees 30x2
Grip circuit x3

Pushups 3x13
Box pistols 3x5
Pullups 3x3
EOD stretching sequence x1
RAGS 53
 
I find myself very frequently advocating to people that they ought to have goals - most recently on the thread Do you need grinds? . Got my mental wheels spinning today, so I figured it would be good to write down what my current long-term goals are.

I like to compete, but the reality is I'm a generalist like most folks here. I don't have a physically-demanding job, and I won't be earning any signing bonuses or endorsements for my athletic pursuits any time soon. Really, I kind of train for the zombie apocalypse; I want to be useful, and hard to kill. Now, maybe that means for my training I should be going out randomly helping people (which might not actually be a bad idea), and getting people to try to kill me (which actually is a bad idea). But I stick to more traditional physical training methods. And the competitions I choose to do are really about giving more specific meaning and focus to those abstract ideas

My list of goals is pretty long, so obviously I can't train them all (or even most of them) at the same time - only so many hours in a day. And I have no illusion that I'm likely to hit all of them - that's OK, there's still value in striving.

So, in no particular order:

  • Barbell strength: 550# DL, 440# SQT, 330# BP, 220# MP
    • The numbers come from the classic 500/400/300/200 standards for a 200# man. I find it highly unlikely I will ever get down to 200#, but 220# is realistic (I was pretty close about 4 years ago... but was much weaker).
    • Why:
      • Absolute strength = useful in so many "real world" situations. When you need to get a refrigerator up a flight of stairs, you probably want help from the guy who regularly spends time moving heavy loads around.
      • Being very strong (I would say anybody meeting those levels of relative strength can claim to be very strong) is good for durability. Lugging a 50# tire around is a lower threat to the health of the guy who deadlifts 500# than it is to the guy who deadlifts 200#.
  • KB snatches: 100 in 5 minutes with 32, and SSST (200 in 10 minutes with 24)
    • Why:
      • Strong + endurant = really useful. That guy who helped you carry the refrigerator up the stairs is a lot less useful if afterwards he has to sit down for 20 minutes instead of helping you unload the rest of the truck.
      • I actually really enjoy the KB snatch. Maybe not so much the all-out AMRAP sessions, but heavy snatches are a very satisfying expression of violent power. The barbell snatch was a favorite of mine in college, KB snatch is just more accessible these days.
  • Get my black belt in karate
    • Why: I really envy the agility, balance and body control of the guys I've watched who are real technicians of the art (as opposed to the guys who are just good a fighting). It's graceful like ballet, combined with the ability to drop you like a bad habit with one punch. I would love to feel graceful.
    • Since I haven't had much opportunity to get to the dojo in a while, right now I largely use mobility as a surrogate for working on this.
  • An "easy" Spartan Super: no failed obstacles, jogging the whole way (at whatever speed), ready to get back to training 2 days later
    • Why: Aside from the general sense of accomplishment I feel from doing OCRs, having this level of conditioning and skill, in my mind, means you're ready to do difficult physical tasks whenever called upon. Constant readiness.
  • Beast Tamer: a press, pistol and weighted pullup with the beast
    • I know this one is a definite stretch...
    • Why:
      • I really value unilateral strength in addition to absolute raw strength. Lifting X with 2 hands is not the same as lifting X/2 with 1 hand. Unilateral strength is a part of readiness - sometimes you get to use both hands, sometimes you won't.
      • In addition to OCR stuff, strong pullups are something that make you useful in unexpected situations.
        • Remember that guy back in 2018 who scaled the outside of a building in Paris to rescue a kid hanging off a ledge? Awesome.
        • Story of my own: a couple of years back, one of the slightly-idiotic boys on the 2nd-grade baseball team I was coaching accidentally threw his glove on top of the dugout. Fortunately, coach (me) was capable of pulling himself up on to the roof to reach it. Less awesome that Parisian Spiderman, but I still felt pretty good.
    • I could throw some kind of one-arm pushup goal into this too, I just haven't formulated one yet... for now, it would be awesome just to be able to do 1
  • A sub-50-minute 10k
    • Why: Aside from just general readiness... there is something wonderful about actually feeling like you are moving fast under the power of your own feet. And in my "usefulness" view of the world, I would like to be able to feel fast over a meaningful distance, as opposed to a short burst.
      • I know, 50 minutes isn't actually that fast... it will be for me
I could probably keep going... but that might be enough for this lifetime.
 
That’s a great list. Definitely approaching Batman. You have 60 pounds on me but even so my weight adjusted goals are much more modest. I really appreciated that your 10k goal. Unload the fridge. Unload the truck. Run to the next job. So great.
 
Took the morning off.

04/30 16:45

5min squat/shoulders sequence
DL 2x5 325#
SQT 295# x3, 315# x3
KB press 4x1 36
Pullups 4x1 25#
Grip circuit x3

Hello back squat, my old friend. Haven't done it in years. When I first started lifting, back squats were a staple for me. There was a poster in my high school gym that read something to the effect of "real men squat", and I took it to heart - particularly because I ended up being good at it. By the end of my freshmen year, the only guy who could out-squat me was a graduating senior who went on to play for a good division 1 football team. It was probably my strongest lift all through my competitive athletics years. I don't actually remember what my PR was in college, but I know it was over 600#. I think in the back of my mind I've been avoiding adding the back squat into my training because it didn't want to see exactly how far I had let my squat strength slide.

Well, now it's time to get back on the horse, and start where I'm at. That was a reasonable 3RM. Even getting back to just 400# is bound to do good things for me.

Kicking off soju&tuba again, adding in weighted pullups.

EOD stretching sequence x1
RAGS 54
 
That's a good list of goals. Now, what are your immediate goals? What do you want to be able to do in one, two, three months? How do you know you're well on your way to your long term goals?

A 600+ lbs squat is no joke by anyone. Time to get back at it. I don't mean 600, but as far as you get with the work you can afford to put into it.
 
WhatWouldHulkDo said:
I find myself very frequently advocating to people that they ought to have goals - most recently on the thread Do you need grinds? . Got my mental wheels spinning today, so I figured it would be good to write down what my current long-term goals are.

I like to compete, but the reality is I'm a generalist like most folks here. I don't have a physically-demanding job, and I won't be earning any signing bonuses or endorsements for my athletic pursuits any time soon. Really, I kind of train for the zombie apocalypse; I want to be useful, and hard to kill. Now, maybe that means for my training I should be going out randomly helping people (which might not actually be a bad idea), and getting people to try to kill me (which actually is a bad idea). But I stick to more traditional physical training methods. And the competitions I choose to do are really about giving more specific meaning and focus to those abstract ideas

My list of goals is pretty long, so obviously I can't train them all (or even most of them) at the same time - only so many hours in a day. And I have no illusion that I'm likely to hit all of them - that's OK, there's still value in striving.

So, in no particular order:

  • Barbell strength: 550# DL, 440# SQT, 330# BP, 220# MP
    • The numbers come from the classic 500/400/300/200 standards for a 200# man. I find it highly unlikely I will ever get down to 200#, but 220# is realistic (I was pretty close about 4 years ago... but was much weaker).
    • Why:
      • Absolute strength = useful in so many "real world" situations. When you need to get a refrigerator up a flight of stairs, you probably want help from the guy who regularly spends time moving heavy loads around.
      • Being very strong (I would say anybody meeting those levels of relative strength can claim to be very strong) is good for durability. Lugging a 50# tire around is a lower threat to the health of the guy who deadlifts 500# than it is to the guy who deadlifts 200#.
  • KB snatches: 100 in 5 minutes with 32, and SSST (200 in 10 minutes with 24)
    • Why:
      • Strong + endurant = really useful. That guy who helped you carry the refrigerator up the stairs is a lot less useful if afterwards he has to sit down for 20 minutes instead of helping you unload the rest of the truck.
      • I actually really enjoy the KB snatch. Maybe not so much the all-out AMRAP sessions, but heavy snatches are a very satisfying expression of violent power. The barbell snatch was a favorite of mine in college, KB snatch is just more accessible these days.
  • Get my black belt in karate
    • Why: I really envy the agility, balance and body control of the guys I've watched who are real technicians of the art (as opposed to the guys who are just good a fighting). It's graceful like ballet, combined with the ability to drop you like a bad habit with one punch. I would love to feel graceful.
    • Since I haven't had much opportunity to get to the dojo in a while, right now I largely use mobility as a surrogate for working on this.
  • An "easy" Spartan Super: no failed obstacles, jogging the whole way (at whatever speed), ready to get back to training 2 days later
    • Why: Aside from the general sense of accomplishment I feel from doing OCRs, having this level of conditioning and skill, in my mind, means you're ready to do difficult physical tasks whenever called upon. Constant readiness.
  • Beast Tamer: a press, pistol and weighted pullup with the beast
    • I know this one is a definite stretch...
    • Why:
      • I really value unilateral strength in addition to absolute raw strength. Lifting X with 2 hands is not the same as lifting X/2 with 1 hand. Unilateral strength is a part of readiness - sometimes you get to use both hands, sometimes you won't.
      • In addition to OCR stuff, strong pullups are something that make you useful in unexpected situations.
        • Remember that guy back in 2018 who scaled the outside of a building in Paris to rescue a kid hanging off a ledge? Awesome.
        • Story of my own: a couple of years back, one of the slightly-idiotic boys on the 2nd-grade baseball team I was coaching accidentally threw his glove on top of the dugout. Fortunately, coach (me) was capable of pulling himself up on to the roof to reach it. Less awesome that Parisian Spiderman, but I still felt pretty good.
    • I could throw some kind of one-arm pushup goal into this too, I just haven't formulated one yet... for now, it would be awesome just to be able to do 1
  • A sub-50-minute 10k
    • Why: Aside from just general readiness... there is something wonderful about actually feeling like you are moving fast under the power of your own feet. And in my "usefulness" view of the world, I would like to be able to feel fast over a meaningful distance, as opposed to a short burst.
      • I know, 50 minutes isn't actually that fast... it will be for me
I could probably keep going... but that might be enough for this lifetime.
Click to expand...
I missed seeing this earlier in the week. You know what I like about your list...? You have thought out some reasoning and articulated it well for each of your goals. Good stuff...
 
05/02 10:30

Random experimentation with various mobility movements
KB1HS 12x10 40
SQT 3x5 220#
KB press 6x1 36
Pullups 6x1 25#

So first, the mobility experiments. I've hit a point with my running where I'm happy with mileage at 4 runs a week, so I can go back to a couple of long mobility sessions a week instead. I've spent a lot of time trying to cook up a plan for something reasonable - I want to pick a few movements that I can do every day (even before my runs) without taking up too much time, and I don't want the long sessions to go crazy long either.

I've been generally viewing the mobility work as preventative - trying to be as injury-proof as possible. I thanks that's reasonable, but at the same time, that mindset is what spurs the constant growth of the number of things I'm trying to do - every movement I see, I think, "oh, I should do that so I never get injured as a result of not doing that!" And I could easily spend 4 hours or more a day in the gym doing various movements if I continue with that mindset. So, instead, it's probably time to define some more concrete objectives - or at least, figure out how more concrete how I'm trying to injury-proof myself, and look for the biggest bang-for-the-buck. And I spent a bunch of time in the gym today experimenting and contemplating.

So, the things I want out of mobility work:
  1. I don't want my back to hurt. Not that it hurts right now, but I mean, ever. A lot of what I see about back pain seems to be geared toward having a strong core in all planes of motion - foreward, backward, sideways, twisting.
  2. I don't want my shoulders to hurt. My overhead ROM in general is terrible, but in this case, I have some more concrete examples. Every so often, I take a bad swing in volleyball, and it makes my shoulder sore for about a day. And sometimes, when I'm a little fatigued, my shoulders ache when I take of a T shirt. That just sucks. Here again, I think the answer is to be strong in all planes of motion. Problem is, the shoulders have pretty much infinite planes of motion!
  3. I want to improve my balance and body control for striking in karate.
When I wrote that out, I had some immediate thoughts on #2 and #3. If you want better balance and body control for striking, why would you not just practice more striking, instead of looking for surrogates? And, if you don't want your shoulder to hurt after hitting a volleyball, practice hitting a volleyball more. So, right off the bat, I'm thinking "long mobility" sessions will actually turn in to "mobility and skill practice" sessions.

Then, after thinking about trying to get strong in multiple planes of motion, I immediately went to the TGU and bent press. Would be nice to get my beast TGU back, and would be nice to give the bent press some love. Boom, there's the other addition for long days. I spent some time today experimenting with combining the TGU with the bent press. It was certainly interesting, but the TUT is so long that the weight has to stay light. So maybe I'll mix those in sometimes, but I want to sometimes also work on getting heavy with the individual lefts.

All that said, here's what I'm thinking going forward:

  • Every day
    • Trifecta (bridging, hanging leg raise variants, twist stretch)
    • Shoulder sequence: overhead extension pulsing, shoulder dislocates, dips, rows, back-the-back stretches
      • GTG pushup work will cover the horizontal plane push
  • Added on long days
    • TGU and/or bent press work
    • Heavy bag work (light strikes, work on control & balance, height of kicks, etc.)
    • Hit a volleyball
That's the plan, anyway.

With all that thought and experimenting, this session ended up going 2 hours. I had chores to do, so I skipped grip work. And after a long day of chores, I completely fell asleep on the couch at 21:00, missed my stretching.

HRP 3x10
LTK 3x4
SL calf raise 3x6
RAGS 54
 
Antti said:
That's a good list of goals. Now, what are your immediate goals? What do you want to be able to do in one, two, three months? How do you know you're well on your way to your long term goals?
Click to expand...

I usually set some goals for the year, rather than anything too short. Real quick, this year:
  • 500# DL - I'm hopeful of hitting this in the virtual TSC next weekend
  • 15 pullups
  • 50 pushups - will probably have to revise this based on where I'm at
  • KB press the 40 x3
  • Have the guts to sign up for (and execute) the elite-level TSC
  • 60min "painless" 10k
Of course, the only way to know if you're making progress is to test yourself periodically - either via competitions (TSC), races or just self test at the end of training blocks. I'm a firm believer doing that. I'll do a Spartan in August and probably 3 10k across late summer and fall - assuming races are allowed by then, of course.

Getting close to the 500# DL is what spurred me to take up the back squat again. I'm hoping that will help kick my DL up a little higher - we'll see based on comparing the spring and fall TSCs. I have daydreamed about getting into a powerlifting meet at some point too - there is a pretty big one that happens a couple hours drive away from me. But at the moment I've just got too many other things in front of trying to pick up the bench press again. Someday.

Antti said:
A 600+ lbs squat is no joke by anyone. Time to get back at it. I don't mean 600, but as far as you get with the work you can afford to put into it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was always pretty proud of that. In college, I wasn't the strongest squatter around, but I was definitely up there. So I honestly feel a little ashamed of having let it slide. ? But, if course, I was in a pretty different body those days.

offwidth said:
I missed seeing this earlier in the week. You know what I like about your list...? You have thought out some reasoning and articulated it well for each of your goals. Good stuff...
Click to expand...

Thanks, sir. That's actually something I pick up from a business class - you have to be able to clearly justify your goals. In the business world, you might have to justify them to your boss, or your investors. In training, you might have to justify them to yourself on a night when you're tired and you'd rather sit on the couch with a beer than train.
 
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