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Quality, Patience, Quiet, Strength - Shahaf's Training Log

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Hey Shahaf, How do you practice Qigong. I used it pretty consistently throughout 2018 and found it to be very beneficial. I worked off a YouTube channel and read a few books but it's an area that I would like to explore further
Also the bent press is a movement I have patterned with a light KB and I'm reading the Dave Whitley book. How long did it take you to "master" the BP??
 
04.01.2019
Morning
OS resets
Club swings
Beach volleyball - low-moderate level short session

Evening
Qigong
Some club swings and OH360 Gada practice

Was way too hungry to practice

05.01.2019
Morning prep
Qigong
Club swings

All day - outdoor bouldering
Stance training x 45 breaths "prep"
Various boulder work. Not one of my best days, but had allot of fun.

Evening
Some 360+OH360 Gada practice

06.01.2019
Morning prep
OS resets

Morning - Qigong lesson

Noon - club swings
Went back to Ex. 13 last few days. The exercise is switching between synchronous front circles with alternating side back circles. Kind of a asynchronous heart/big front circle switching sides. My problem was cadence of the big circles. I practice switching from synch hearts of asynch hearts via big front circles (from Paul Wolkowinski). Today I finally cracked it by inverting the hand crossing in front the body. I used to think that the hand going for the back circle should be outside, but I had trouble keeping the timing of the big front circle. Today I tried the BC arm inside and solved that problem. Still not smooth and need concentration, but timed and works.

Evening session
Prep
OS resest
Goblet squat @32kg x 5

Practice
10 min Gada swings @5.5kg
360s x 4 - mixed OH360s
10-2s x 2
HS10-2s x 2
10-2s x 2
HS10-2s - long​

Again timed by drum track, the drum volume was too low so switched by feel. Volume was high enough to keep time.

Mini-prep
BB armbar @12kg x 3 + 3​

Bent press @28kg x 12 x 2
 
conor78 said:
Hey Shahaf, How do you practice Qigong. I used it pretty consistently throughout 2018 and found it to be very beneficial. I worked off a YouTube channel and read a few books but it's an area that I would like to explore further
Also the bent press is a movement I have patterned with a light KB and I'm reading the Dave Whitley book. How long did it take you to "master" the BP??
Click to expand...

I have read Qigong: Foundation Practices By John Munro and follows his set, adding new movement from it when I feel comfortable with the flow of my work set. I also started attending weekly Qigong class. The teacher there use a different set, but since I focus on the lesson I can't "recreate" the full set and details by myself. When I'll feel I can do the class set by myself I will use it for the sake of consistency.

I have started bent pressing more than two years ago, also following Taming the Bent Press. I did some bent press and deadlifts, bent & sinister and than Justafied bent pressing. Justafied bent pressing taught me allot on the bent press. After a month of JBT I think I got the hang of the lift and it is a staple of the my lifting since than. I am still on the road for mastery and learning new things. Being a very technical lift with high demands I find that my groove keeps evolving with time. Well, all lift probably (should?) evolve, but in my case it seems more pronounced in the bent press.
 
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Forgot to log it, but watched this video sometime last week (Tuesday or Thursday probably). When he uses heavy weight the leg work become very pronounced and one can see better it's intricacy. What I took from it the most is the leg work in the pull/catch position.



@Stuart Elliott
 
Thanks for posting the video, also seems quite a lot of head movement from side to side, is that technically correct?
That guy on the stool almost took 50kg to the head!
 
Stuart Elliott said:
Thanks for posting the video, also seems quite a lot of head movement from side to side, is that technically correct?
That guy on the stool almost took 50kg to the head!
Click to expand...
From watching some Indians swing Gada, Jori and dumbbells they use their head movement is visible, I assume it is part of the body whipping motion. Never saw or read any discussion about it, neither pro nor con.

And yeah, he should have stopped at 40kg ;)
 
07.01.2019
Morning prep
Qigong - tried to replicate the class set
Stance training x 45 breaths
Club swings - Ex 13 and 14 (double 13)

Noon
Some Hindu PUP
Some more club work

Evening
OS resets
Had a somewhat off day, the cold weather is getting to me. Than I decided to do Gada work

10 min of Gada swings @5.5kg
360s + OH360 practice
10-2s
HS10-2s
10-2s
HS10-2s
​
HS10-2s was by far the majority of the session. Glad I did it, felt good after it.

08.01.2019
Morning - Hatha yoga lesson
Good lesson.

Noon - club swings
Ex. 13 + 14 are pretty fluid, not automatic yet.
Started playing with Ex. 53, which is the reverse version of Ex 13.

Evening
Prep
Qigong
Hindu PUP and squats
Gada swings @5.5kg x ~5:30 min
360s and OH360 practice​
Long push press @24kg + 20kg x 2 x 3

Practice
15 min of alternating
OHS @36kg x 2 x 5
Dead-stop snatch @20kg x 2 + 2 - 24kg last set​
 
09.01.2019
Morning prep
Qigong
Stance training x 47 breaths
Club swings

Noon - Bouldering
V3/4. V4 work. Grip tired quickly, need to prep more when it is cold.

Evening - bent press session
Prep
Club swings
Hindu PUP and squats
BB armbar @12kg x 3 + 3
Goblet squat @32kg x 5

Practice
Bent press @32kg x 2 x 2 , 2 x 1

Notes
  • Bent press: Was suppose to be 4 x 1 as per week 1 @32kg. It felt fluid and easy and I just realized I am not suppose to do the second rep at lockout of set 1 and did set 2 to match. Since the doubles felt fluid I decided to jump to week 2 (alternating double and singles) and to go back to week 1 if I'll feel recovery or quality is a factor.
  • Qigong/Yoga: I feel allot of it dripped into my "standard" training. Actually the concepts of relax into positions, breathing, fluidity and body/breath/mind management are not new and are integral parts of the FMS/OS/SF philosophies, but the Qigong and yoga practice made me more aware and putting them into better practice. EDIT: and I use tons of Ujjayi breathing.
 
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10.01.2019
Morning prep
OS resets
Club swings

Noon - bouldering
Pretty much same as yesterday

Evening
Prep
Qigong
Stance training x 49 breaths
Some club swings

Practice
10 min of Gada swings @5.5kg
360s + OH360s practice
10-2s
HS10-2s
10-2s
HS10-2s
OH360s x 5 + 5 - good-ish
HS10-2s
​
Seem like after HS10-2s I am more grooved for OH360s.

15 min of alternaing
Dead-stop OHS @36kg x 2 + 2
Snatch @20kg x 2 x 5​
 
Stuart Elliott said:
What bent press program are you following?
Click to expand...

A bent press modification I've made for Paul McIlroy modification on Justa's single to bench press.

McIlroy bench routine:
5 days/week
day 1: 2 sets, add set every session, 6 sets on day 5.
week 1: 2 reps, add rep every week. After week 4 (5 reps) add 5lbs and recycle

My bent press mod:
5 days/week (did it like that last BtP only cycle)
day 1: 2 sets each side (4 total), add set/side every session, 6 sets each side (12 total) on day 5.
week 1: singles, week 2: alternate doubles and singles, week 3: doubles. Than recycle at next bell (might add week 4 of alternating doubles and triples with the 32kg).

Since this block is 3 lifts I spread each original week on two weeks. McIlroy suggest doing that for non-lifters that lift in Easy Strength.

So far it is going well. I gave myself permission to skip week 1 this cycles because I recover better bent pressing half the frequency. My goal bent pressing this block is to bring back some full body strength/balance I felt I lost during the swings only block.
 
11.01.2019
Morning prep
OS resets
Qigong
Stance training x 46 breaths
Club swings

Noon - Rest day session
Farmer carry @76kg x 2 x 20m
Fake Gar Nal squats @{20kg , 24kg , 32kg, 40kg} x 5, @48kg x 3
Club swings

Evening
Some seated Qigong
Some Lego squats and pistols
Hindu pushups
Gada shouldering OH360s @5.5kg x ~3 min

Notes
  • Fake Gar Nal squats: Gar Nal is a stone ring weight used by Kushti to load the squat pattern putting it on their necks. I wanted to experiment with it but since I don't have any Gar Nal I put strap through the KB handle and hang it from my neck, bell at the groin. Kind of a cross between high-bar back squat and a goblet squat.
 
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12.01.2019
Morning prep
OS resets
Squats
Club swings
Suitcase carry @36kg x 20m + 20m

Noon - beach
Qigong
Stance training x 46 breaths
Some Hindu pushups

Afternoon - Gada
Prep
Some Yoga - breathing, bridging and twisting asanas
Gymnastic bridge
Headstand practice - haven't done it in over 18 month, rusty
Some Hindu pushups

Practice
10 min of Gada swings @5.5kg
360s
10-2s
HS10-2s
OH360s
10-2s
HS10-2s
OH360s​

Most of the session was HS10-2s. OH360s was about 5 each hand every round

Evening session - bent press
Prep
BB armbar @12kg x 3 + 3
Goblet squat @32kg x 5

Practice
Bent press @32kg x 2 x 2 , 2 x 1 , 2 x 2

Maybe shouldn't split afternoon/evening session at cold days, the cold does has some affect of "closing" me between sessions. The lift were proper but had some dust-in-the-groove. I might have not notice it if recent sessions were not that smooth.
EDIT: Just checked the log, all late session were not split, didn't write about it but probably due to the cold. Not moving for hour and a half in this weather should probably indeed result in a full prep.
 
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13.01.2019
Morning - Qigong lesson
Woke up late (thought I pressed snooze, but shut down the alarm instead) so no OS prep at home. Felt good at the lesson. I think I know the set well enough to try it on my own. Will give it a try tomorrow morning.

Noon - home
Club swings

Noon - bouldering
Prep on V0 and V1, V2s x 4 x 4, some V3 work, V4

Evening
Prep
Hindu PUP and squats
Headstand practice - much better than yesterday
Some clubs swings - windmills and parallel hearts

Practice
10 min of Gada swings @5.5kg
10-2s
HS10-2s
OH360s
HS10-2s
10-2s​

Not sure if any one move took more time. Was in full focus of the movement. OH360s much better.

Cool down (instead of KB swings)
Beer & Chorizos
 
Stuart Elliott said:
I like it, I'll start it this evening.
Click to expand...
I'll be happy t hear your input after a cycle or two (and of course during is there will be any).

Justa/McIlroy start the program at 70% max. I haven't maxed in almost two years so I started with the 28kg because the 24kg feel to light that I might cheat the movement without knowing it, and since I never went higher than singles with the 36kg the 32kg seemed too high to start with. When I started this half-frequency cycle I also used the 28kg because it was about regaining balance and groove, and since I don't aim to break Saxon's numbers anytime soon.

Oh, and rest periods... Justa's singles calls for 1-2 minutes between sets, by feel. I follow McIlroys suggestion to start stay with these periods as long as possible and than up to 5 minutes.

This is McIlroy program(s), bench routine A is the one I took:
Weight Justa Minute! by Paul McIlroy - The Amazing12
 
14.01.2019
Morning prep
OS resets
Squats
Headstand practice
Club swings

Noon
Qigong - the set from class
Stance training x 48 breaths

Evening session
Movement prep
Club swings
Hindu PUPs
Headstand practice
Gada swings @5.5kg x 10 min
SOH360s, 10-2s, HS10-2s, OH360s , 10-2s , HS10-2s, OH360s , 10-2s​
Goblet squat @32kg x 5
BB armbar @12kg x 3 + 3

Practice
Bent press @32kg x 2 x {2 x 2 , 2 x 1}

15 min of alternating
Dead-stop snatch @24kg x 2 + 2 - 20kg on first series
OHS @36kg x 2 x 5​

Notes
  • It not what you can do, it's what you can recover from: Also within session... The Gada work was suppose to be ~5 min as prep but I got carried away because it felt effortless. However, I felt a little tired doing the bent presses. Usually when I do Gada worl before bent pressing I take some rest, since I treated it as prep this time I just started lifting. Yeah, stupid. Took some more rest before the KB ballistics to smooth things out.
  • Heat: I was so afraid of the cold messing with me on the last BtP session that I wormed the room and wore warm cloths. I had to take my shirt of and go do the in between sets rests of the BtP next to an open window. Can't say if any of the two hurt recovery more, although Gada volume without rest is the prime suspect. Or maybe the accumulated heat form the Gada part...
  • KB swings: These get easy... I noticed that the bell floats smoothly even on reps I am not 100% there (noticed by a sloppy off-arm work). Need to give more attention and maybe go for some set of 7s or 10s to give a different stimulus. Or maybe start use 40kg for the dead-stop swings...
  • Snatches: While the 20kg felt fine last continues snatch session the 20kg and 24kg felt light for dead-stops and not demanding perfect form and alignment. Some of it might be exploding to hard when coupled with 36kg swing in the same session...
  • Gada 10-2s: The hand-switch variation is currently my main swing, demanding good timing and breathing. The standard two handed 10-2s at this weight is a little light and I use it as change-off-pace/active-rest. This allows me to vary the intensity of the session easily by feel during the session. It also means I need to look for bamboo poles for a 10kg Gada.
 
15.01.2019
Morning - Hatha yoga lesson
Very good lesson

Noon - bouldering
V0, V1 prep, V2/3 x 4 x 4

Evening
Qigong
Stance training x 48 breaths
Some OH wall squats
 
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