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Reclaiming Simple

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DavThew

Level 6 Valued Member
27y/o with a little milage, just recovered from some ileopsoal bursitis and cleared from the physio point of view. The last couple of years have been pretty stressful (almost entirely due to work) and my focus has been variable to say the least. I've flipped around programs like no ones business. I previously acheived simple and was regilalry swinging 48kg and doing TGUs with 40kg about 2 and a half years ago.

I have recently started Tae Kwon-do twice a week and want to return to a reasonable level of GPP. I've spent the last 18 months or so looking mainly at my double c&p and I think I have negelcted my cardio and explosive strength a fair bit. I tried lazy endurance with a 40kg Kb recently but I think a bigger step back is needed.

This is going to be a big test of my ego, but I am going to start S&S from the very beginning using a 24kg for both exercises.
The only indulgences I'm going to have in the form of variety are as follows:
1. Give flexibility the time it deserves with some RIS, at present looking at good mornings, hip flexor kneeling stretch and karate stance groin stretch.
2. Sandbag carries on occasion, they're fun.
3. Walking for mental health not exercise (though I'm often with one carrying everything).

Goals: simple again.
 
Metrics:
Height 175cm
Weight 79kg (my "healthy" weight is about 74kg. That's the point I notice my midline expanding)
Body fat: 15%
Lifestyle: work is pretty sedentry in primary care. Will use fitbit to track my daily steps and aim for a walk at lunch to keep moving.
Diet: IF, eating from 12-6 (although I need my coffee to start the day). I'm not sure how this would marry up if I was working out first thing in the morning.
 
Day 1.
13.8.16

Warm up 24kg
Goblet sq 5x3
Halo 5x3
Hip bridge 5x3

2hand swing 10x5
TGU 1x5
 
Day 2
14.8.16

Warm up 24kg
Goblet sq 5x3
Halo 5x3
Hip bridge 5x3

2hand swing 10x3
1hand swing 10x2
TGU 1x5

RIS - 20minutes focusing on seated good morning, kneeling hip flexor and karate groin stretch. Waiting out the tension more than any other technique here.

I'd forgotten the difference in HR and RPE between swings and TGUs. This run through s&s will clearly be different from my last go. My grip is not as strong but my getup is much better. This is probably due to the quite strong shoulder focus of the last 18 months.

When I last did S&S I started with just swings due to a shoulder injury and was swinging the 32kg before incorperating weighted getups. It's probably good I'm not feeling top notch right now so I'm not tempted to jump the gun too much.

My 1 hand swing groove felt very different on the first couple of reps from my 2 hand groove, so I set the bell down, and refocused on getting deep into the hinge.

Its going to be a long journey.
 
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15.8.16
Day 3

Warm up 24kg
Goblet sq 5x3
Halo 5x3
Hip bridge 5x3

2hand swing 10x3
1hand swing 10x4
TGU 1x5
Sandbag carry - 40kg - 40mx2 - lots of fun!
 
16.8.16
Day 4

Tae Kwondo training session. First one after the grading. I'm still very new so didn't grade, but it was good to see the other guys get their new belts. Because it was after the grading there was a lot of conditioning work. Pretty tired but energised after all that :)
 
17.8.16
Day 5

Warm up 24kg
Goblet sq 5x3
Halo 5x3
Hip bridge 5x3

24kg 2hand swing 10x4
24kg 1hand swing 10x6 - switched over to 2hand swings when my power started to drop off - mainly due to grip
TGU 24kg 1x4
32kg 1x1 Felt pretty good. My shoulders are in much better shape that at the start of my last run of S&S so I'm feeling pretty happy about quickly adding weight to TGUs, definitely hitting the time and comfort goals of the 24kg.
 
18.8.16
Day 6

Warm up 24kg
Goblet sq 5x3
Hip bridge 5x3
Dropped the halos for today - they actually take a bit out of me, and I have pretty good shoulder flexibility. Maybe will rethink this in a couple of days

24kg 1hand swing 10x10 Felt solid - 8mins work. Really shows that my focus has been very grindy the last year
TGU 24kg 1x3
32kg 1X2 - 7 minutes. can go heavier quickly. That's probably from the press focus for the last forever.

Later: RIS - hip focus
 
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19.8.16
Day 7

Warm up 24kg
Goblet sq 5x3
Hip bridge 5x3
Halo 5x3 - decided to stop being lazy - nothing wrong with a little extra work.

24kg 1hand swing 10x4
2hand swing 24kg 10x2 32kg 10x2
Hand to hand swing 10x2
I went a bit off piste with swings today. My grip is really lagging behind some I thought I'd have some fun. It's impressive how high hand to hand swings get your pulse.

TGU 24kg 1x2
32kg 1X3- Still felt solid. I wondered why my shoulders weren't as impressive when I last did S&S and then remembered I'd come at it from a shoulder injury. Looking forward to going even heavier soon.
 
20.8.16
Day 8

5mile hike carrying 8kg. Was quite nice.

Feeling really run down afterwards though. I think tonight I might go for a sleep RM.

Later: RIS - seated good morning, hip flexors and seated groin stretch, I've decided my flexibility goal should (initially) be to achieve the front splits. That way the tight hip flexors will have been eradicated and it should also help with tae kwondo. After that who knows?
 
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21..8.16
Day 9

Warm up
24kg Goblet sq 5x3
16kg Halo 5x3 - just reread the bit about this in S&S. Light KB suggested.
Hip bridge 5x3

1Hand swing
24
32
24
24
24

Played with the 32kg today. Will back off to the 24 until I get my conditioning a bit better, but they felt good.

TGU
24
32
32
32
32
Solid

Later : Tae Kwon Do - 90minute session. Good fun. Lots of flexibility and some fun ground work. Felt very uncoordinated when stood next to the other white belt
 
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22..8.16
Day 10

AM: Woke up after some really crappy sleep. Was going to workout but as other fprum thread show I am not made that way. So did a short amount of farmers walk work 40kg+48kg 20m x 4 runs

P M:
Warm up
24kg Goblet sq 5x3
16kg Halo 5x3 - just reread the bit about this in S&S. Light KB suggested.
Hip bridge 5x3

1Hand swing
24kg 10x10 - did not expect this to be a test, but after 60reps I realised I was flying through my reps so pushed it for the last few sets - 100 reps in 4mins 48seconds :D. Can start adding the 32kg I guess!


TGU
32kg 1X5 felt solid. 7mins 55secs - will stick with this weight for a week then maybe add in some partial 40kg TGUs. Excited about my progress :D. Obliques were very aware of what was happening today after all my kicks yesterday.
 
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24.8.16
Day 12

Warm up
24kg Goblet sq 5x3
16kg Halo 5x3 - just reread the bit about this in S&S. Light KB suggested.
Hip bridge 5x3

1Hand swing
24
32 better stick here for a week
24
24
24

TGU
32
40 to hand
32
40 to hand
32

So I know I should only add a set a time for TGUs but felt the partial rep felt strong. Can't floor press the 40kg though :(
Wanted to do some sandbag work today but it's 28 degrees Celsius and that is too warm for me. Session felt like it was going really slow but still finished it in 26 minutes

A few hours later - messing around.
Pull up +10kg -4,3,2,1
 
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26.8.16
Day 13

Warm up
24kg Goblet sq 5x3
16kg Halo 5x3 - just reread the bit about this in S&S. Light KB suggested.
Hip bridge 5x3

1Hand swing
24
32
32
24
24

TGU
32
40 to half windmill
32
32
32
 
27.8.16
Day 14

Warm up
24kg Goblet sq 5x3
16kg Halo 5x3
Hip bridge 5x3

1Hand swing
24
32
32
24
24

TGU
32
40 Full reps - felt strong!
40
32
32

RIS/FS - hips feeling strangely tight today. Haven't done any flexibility work outside tae kwon do this week. Working towards the front splits still.
 
28.8.16
Day 15

Warm up
24kg Goblet sq 5x2,32kg 5x1
16kg Halo 5x3
Hip bridge 5x3

1Hand swing- Really focused on technique today with how tight my hips have been and we have a breakthrough. Forceful contraction of the abs (i.e. really hitting that plank position, bracing for a punch etc) pulls your pelvis posteriorly, stretching the hip flexors more and stopping them tightening up whilst swinging. I'll have to concentrate on this for quite a few days to dial it in. Not moving up weight any time soon so I can improve the quality of my swings.
24
32
32
24
24

TGU
32
40
32
32
32

Later - Tae Kwon Do 1 and a half hours. Spent a lot of time in horse stance tonight and I'm already feeling that
 
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8/9/16


I have forgotten to update this post in over a week. I have been able to do all my swings with 32kg comfortabley for the last 3 days and tested today.

Swings 32kg -4mins 58seconds

TGU 32
40
40
32
32
7 mins 30 seconds


I might not feel like I'm "owning" my swings quite yet, but I've achieved what I wanted from this. My movement feels better, my grip strength is back and I feel like none of it affected my Tae Kwon Do negatively.

I think instead of pursuing the sinister goal right now I will move to more strength endurance work. For that reason I am going to spend the next 4 weeks on Geoff Neupert's "Real Muscle Building Fat Burner" program, which is just double clean-and-jerks. I think this is the next place to go, then maybe shift to more of a conditioning focus after that.
 
Nice job! Looks like you have reclaimed Simple. :)
 
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