Strong mobility

[jef]

Friday 25th August
Morning routine, as usual.
Bench press: 55x5, 60x4, 55x5, 60x3,4, 55x5, 60x3,3
Easy light session. Allowed me to really focus on form. Bench press is my Nemesis. I realized that, again, I tend to bench too high on the chest when it gets heavier. As my bench press is still very light, this is the right moment to correct this.

 

[jef]

Sunday 27th August
Morning routine. Then 100 2H swings. 40kg x 10 x 10 (EMOM). Felt good.
Recovery drinks: beer and wine.

 

[jef]

Monday 28th August
Morning routine.
At the gym. I started KB presses while waiting for my student JM. I usually don't do the KB presses there, as I do not like the KB they have. They do not feel right. Today, I found a better way to grip them, so that the land on my forearm properly. Different groove. Presses felt better, but I still prefer my KB.
KB press : 20kg x 6, 5, 24kg x 3
Squat : (90kg x 3,4) x 2
Bench press : 55 x 5, 60 x 4, 65 x 2
Again, very light for the bench press, but I start to feel the movement better. I need to force it to touch lower than I wish. I will stay for a while at relatively light weights until I get this corrected.

 

[jef]

Tuesday 29th August
Morning routine.
Then KB presses.
KB press : 20 x 6, (24 x 3,4) x 2
Felt pretty good. This morning, I found the right spot to grip the KB and be able to press with my forearm. It only took me 5 years...

 

[jef]

Wednesday 30th August
Morning routine (mobility drills).

6:30 at the gym
Squat: 80 x 5, 100 x 1, 90 x 5
All were easy, deep, without drama. I am getting used to skip warmup now. It had no adversary effects. I am saving time, and I am better at getting tight without preparation.
Bench press: 60 x 3, 4, 5, 65 x 3, 60 x 3, 4, 4
Fairly light and easy. It allows me to really feel where to touch on the bottom of the bench, which was one of the technical issues I had. There will be time to go heavy later.

 

[Anna C]

I like your log. I think our strength journeys have been quite similar!

 

[jef]

Thanks, @Anna C
Yes, I think our strength journeys have a lot of similarities.

I did publicize this log to show that one does not need to be super-human to become stronger, and that even modest numbers are ok. With all the internet warriors, it is good to remind that there is no shame to be low, as long as one works his way up.
Otherwise, I would hide my pathetic bench press numbers !

The other reason is that it forces me to think about what I learned during my training, every time.

 

[jef]

Thursday 31st August
Morning routine. Based on Pavel's Super Joints and Jon Engun's Flexible steel.
Movement and rotation of all joints: neck (3 planes), wrists, elbows, shoulders, ankles, knees and hips (lambada and hoola hoop). 40 reps each. It does not take as long as it sounds as I limite to one type of exercise per joint (except neck and hips). When feeling it, I add single pistol and One-arm pushup. It takes roughly 7-8 min.

KB press : 20 x 5, 24 x 3, 4, 5, 20 x 5, 24 x 3
Second set at 20kg. It is very light, it is pure technical work. I clean, feel the pressure point on my forearm, press. I concentrate on tensing my glutes, and bam, I noticed than by pulling up my knee cap as in a swing, I increased my leg stability. I focused on it for the next set at 24: a lot easier. I need to keep working on it for heavy presses.

Should we do conditioning after 40 instead of strength training?
I strength train, I walk (a lot), and I swing approximately once a week a heavy kettlebell, most of the time in 10x10 EMOM format.
Two days ago, my wife came back with my sleeping son. Lift is too small. They go into it and I take the stairs. 6 floors, running to be there before them, nose breathing. Well, I was breathing heavily, but I was ok.
Yesterday: her new bike does not fit in the lift. 6 stairs again of loaded carry. No issue. Maybe being strong first makes sense ?

 

[jef]

Friday 1st September
Morning mobility routine.
It is a bank holiday here, so the gym opened at 8:00.

BB Squat: 80 x 5, 90 x 4, 3, 80 x 4, 90 x 4
Easy. I checked depth. It is not an issue, I am going way below parallel. Those are not pause squats. Going that low, I feel the stretch reflex at the bottom and I am using it!

Bench press: 55 x 6, 60 x 4, 65 x 2, 3, 60 x 4
I am getting better at touching low enough. I intend to keep bench light a bit more to reinforce technique, but I feel I will be able to finally go heavier and reach a normal BP weight for my size. No hurry, I'll get there eventually.

KB press: 20 x 4, 24 x 4, 20 x 5, 24 x 4, 20 x 6, 24 x 3, 20 x 6
Getting tighter. No 28 this week, it is planned for next week. I feel confident. The goal is to get to the 32 as my normal KB press, the way the 24 is today.

 

[jef]

Saturday 2nd September
Nothing except morning routine. Rest day.

Sunday 3rd September
Morning routine.
Before noon, 2H swings: 40 kg x 11 x 10 EMOM
This is my only conditioning at the moment. As I walk a lot, it is enough.

I have also been playing around with a CoC Trainer, 5 reps, every now and then.

 

[jef]

Monday 4th September
Morning mobility routine, with single pistol added.

At the gym later, around 9:00.
KB press : 20 x 5, 24 x 3, 20 x 6
Easy, even with the bad KB they have at the gym. I found the right spot to grip them properly and have a good clean. The press can only be as clean as the clean. It seems that staying at a reasonable weight for almost two months helped. I "discovered" a few details in the KB press. For sure, they are written in books and manuals, but reading it and feeling it is not the same thing!

Squat : 80 x 3, 90 x 5, 100 x 1, 90 x 4, 100 x 1
It felt pretty solid. I can go very low and feel the stretch reflex at the bottom. I started quite conservatively with a 1RM of 110, considering that I was back at sets of 5 at 100 in June and have often squatted in the 120s before . I may test it if I feel like it on Wednesday.

Bench press : 55 x 5, 60 x 4, 65 x 2
Technique is still not perfect, but improved a lot. Time to start to load a bit more. I wrote my Bench press programmer and fellow SFG Benoit that we can increase both volume and intensity.

SFB is in 3 months. I will try a few OAOL planks during the day. I still do singles and doubles at the pistol, unweighted. Technique work. Strength is being taken care with barbells and kettlebells for the time.

 

[jef]

Tuesday 5th September
Morning mobility routine.
Then, rest as planned.
Did a few OAOL planks during the day to get used to the position, but did not overdo it, and CoC T for fives.

Wednesday 6th September
Morning mobility routine.

BB Squat: 80 x 6, 90 x 5, 110 x 1, 80 x 4, 90 x 4, 100 x 1
I had planned the first single at 100 and the second at 110, but wanted to test 120. The single at 110 went well, deep, with reserve for more reps, but was not technically sound: my knees caved in a little. I decided to forego the test at 120 and did 100 for the other single, focusing on keeping my knees out.

Back home.
KB press: 24 x 4, 28 x 1, 24 x 3, 4, 5, 3
Surprisingly easy. The 28 went up quite well, I clearly could have done a double. Two weeks ago, I struggled with it. The 24 is more and more satisfying technically. My clean improved a lot, as well as the way I grip the bell. Technique is everything.

During the day, I will continue to practice some OAOL planks. Those progress fast.

 

[jef]

Thursday 7th September
Morning mobility routine.
Rest day. Just a few OAOL planks for a few seconds.

Friday 8th September
Abbreviated morning mobility routine. I lacked time, so just did the 3-planes neck before going to the gym for 6:30.

Lot of volume today...
BB Squat: 80 x 4, 90 x 5, 100 x 1, then the marathon begins 90 x 3, 4, 5, 3, 4, 3, 3
35 reps total, 30 at 90 kg. All good reps, deep, controlled. I am glad I resisted the temptations to increase the weight too fast. It was the last week of my second run at PlanStrong programming. Next month, slight increase of weight.

Bench press: 60 x 3, 4, 65 x 2, 70 x 1, 60 x 4, 65 x 2, 2
After the squat marathon, I was a bit anxious for the bench press, which is my worst lift by far, but it went well technically. I am still working a lot on my technique on this lift.

Back home, breakfast, some rest, then:
KB press: 20 x 4, 24 x 3, 20 x 5, 24 x 4, 20 x 4, 24 x 3, 20 x 5, 24 x 4, 20 x 4
Even with the crazy volume earlier, it went pretty well. Fortunately, it was a low intensity session. I have to force myself to respect the program, as the 20 feels incredibly light, but this is why the program works: it should sometimes be light. 24 feels a lot better. I am more and more optimistic about lifting the 32kg soon.

I am off to Poland this weekend. I am going to Flexible steel level 2. I will finally meet Jon Engum, oh yeah!

 

[jef]

Saturday 9th, Sunday 10th September
Two days of Flexible steel instructor certification in Krakow, Poland, with Master SFG Jon Engum. Awesome. I already did level 1. Level 2 was over my expectations. Now, we are prepared with my colleagues to spread the system in Slovakia!


Monday 11th September
Back to reality. Fortunately, a light day, as I am a bit sore after two days of work in Poland.
Back squats: 85x6, 95 x 3, 3
Bench press: 55 x 6, 60 x 4, 65 x 3
KB press: 24 x 3,4, 5

With a good movement prep before the lifts, the slight soreness was not a problem. Nevertheless, tomorrow is a rest day!

 

[jef]

Tuesday 12th September
Morning mobility routine.
Flexible steel program minimum :
- 10 reps, 3 sets of switching splits
- 5 reps, 3 sets of bent arm bar, treated as a mobility exercice, not strength, so very light kettlebell, 8 kg; focusing on perfecting the move.

Wednesday 13th September
KB press: 20 x 5, 24 x 3, 28 x 1, 24 x 3, 5
28 almost blocked on the right, I was not concentrated, but I managed to properly finish the lift. I have heard the cue to press with my forearm many times. Ah moment: doing so forced me to properly align bell and arm. It made the 24 feel quite easy, and saved my 28.

 

[jef]

Thursday 14th September
Morning mobility routine.
BB Squat: 85 x 6, 95 x 5, 105 x 2, 95 x 4
New student. Teenager, but very well prepared by his father: patient, focused on technique, coachable. He actually had a pretty good squat pattern, I was surprised!

 

[jef]

Friday 15th September
Morning mobility routine.
A bit later,
KB press: 24 x 4, 20 x 3, 24 x 5, 20 x 5, 24 x 3, 20 x 3
This month's program still calls for a few lifts with 20kg, but it is starting to be way too easy. 24 becomes easier every day. Three more weeks to go for this cycle. Next month, is going to be 24 and 28 only. No 32 yet. Let's be patient.

In the afternoon, even though I felt a bit tired,
BB squat: 85 x 3, 4, 95 x 3, 4, 85 x 5, 95 x 3, 85 x 3
Felt stronger at the end. All squats very deep (way below parallel) and easy. Happy with this.
Bench press: 55 x 2, 60 x 3, 65 x 3, 70 x 1, 65 x 3, 70 x 1, 60 x 3, 70 x 1, 65 x 4, 2
Finally, the singles felt easy. Load is still light, but the technique has improved, and it was the main goal. We will probably go heavier in the next cycle.

 

[jef]

Saturday was a rest day.
I went to the gym on Sunday for leading a barbell session for two students. I had nothing planned for this day, so just did light getups with 24kg, and bent arm bar with 16kg.

Monday 18th September
Back to normal. Morning mobility routine.
BB squat: 85 x 4, 6, 95 x 3
Light and easy, but not as crisp as I would expect. Mondays are a bit tough.
Bench press: 55 x 5, 6, 60 x 4, 65 x 3, 70 x 1, 65 x 2
Later,
KB press: 24 x 3, 4, 4
Easy.

 

[jef]

Tuesday 19th September
Morning mobility routine
In the afternoon, coaching session with my new student, PP, teenager. Good student, listens, and he got good form quickly. He is progressing fast. End of session's comment : "I really like these trainings. It is different than what I used to do. I feel better and stronger at the end of the session". Well, yes, this is the idea!
My session :
BB squat: 85 x 4, 6, 95 x 3, 4, 3
Easy, medium volume, low intensity.

Wednesday 20th September
Morning mobility routine.
Bench press: 55 x 5, 60 x 4, 65 x 3, 70 x 1, 55 x 5, 6, 65 x 4, 2
Solid. 55 and 60 are purely technique work. I finally feel the movement properly, and touch low on the chest. I will report to my bench press programmer that we can start to go heavier and eliminate everything under 60kg. But first, we have to finish this cycle. Two more weeks.

 

[jef]

I added a session of Flexible steel programme minimum at the end of the day. Always feels good.