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On Sunday, I wanted to do a one-arm one-leg plank. As it felt stable, I went down in the intention of finishing the plank at the bottom position. Once at the bottom, it was stable, so why not go up? And ditto on the other side.
About 7 weeks before the SFB weekend, and 3 weeks before specific preparation, it is a good feeling.

Monday 16th October
Morning mobility routine.

At the gym, with one student.
BB squat : 100 x 2, 3, 4, 3
"Knees out, knees out!". It is getting better and much more stable.
High tension technique also works pretty well to go and lift without warm-up. 100kg is 83% of my current tested 1TRM, and a lot less than my true 1RM.
Of course, I woke up one and a half hour earlier, had done my mobility routine, and I walked to the gym, so I did not put the weight on my back right after waking up!

Bench press: 60 x 5, 65 x 3, 60 x 4, 5, 6
Easy session. It allows me to really work on the details (chest up, shoulders in the bench, shoulders down, touch low on the chest, push with the heels). All good.

Back home:
KB press: 20 x 5, 24 x 5, 28 x 1, 24 x 3, 4, 5, 3, 4
As usual, I was a bit worried lifting the 28 (Monday morning), but again it went up easily. So did all the sets at 24.
Focus is on the clean.
 
Monday 16th October, afternoon
Heavy swings.
2H KB swings: 40 x 11 x 10 EMOM.
I want to regain my ability to achieve the snatch test anytime. It did not interfere with my other training last week, so I will keep doing it, but not forcing progress too much.
I am disconnecting those sessions from the strength work as much as I can, as they have a different focus.
I am not trying to be smart. Brett Jones SFG prep protocole worked the first time, I am doing it again:
- 1 heavy swing day
- 1 light snatch volume day
- 1 density day with the targetted weight
Compared to my actual SFG prep, the difference is that I have plenty of time, so I will be able to progress slowly and steadily, and have much more room for waving the load.


Tuesday 17th October
Morning mobility routine.

KB press: 24 x 3, 4, 5
A single ladder with the "normal" kettlebell. Solid, easy. I feel it is a lot more stable, I am not leaning on the side as I used to. Point of attention is the clean. I don't do that many cleans, and there is a lot of room for improvement, there.
 
Wednesday 18th October
Morning mobility routine, and 6:30 at the gym:
Bench press: 60 x 6, 65 x 4, 70 x 1, 60 x 5
Short session. Self-cue : "push the bar toward your feet". Forces me to use my lats, back, legs, and not just my shoulders.

A bit later.
light KB snatch: 16kg x 15, every 90sec or so, for 15 min.
Total 150 snatches, never hard, total focus on technique.
Today I stayed at a constant pace of 15 reps every minute and a half. It is long enough to be considered a long set, but short enough at this weight to ensure I can focus on technique. Rest are more than enough to recover.
I worked on using my free arm properly: accompany the hinge on the way down, and foster the plank with a conscious guard position on the top.
There are so many points to be improved in a snatch, than even a light weight is useful.
 
Thursday 19th October
Abbreviated morning mobility routine. Lack of time. Better less reps than no rep.
At 6:30 at the gym, 2 students.
BB squat: 90 x 4, 100 x 3, 90 x 5, 100 x 2, 3
Bad feeling this morning. Almost headache at the first set of 90. Kind of a day off, but it went better set after set. I just needed much more time to really wake up today.
I played with a 24kg KB and did a few cossacks squats.

I saw this awsome post on Instagram from our chief SFB Instagram post by Karen Smith • Oct 17, 2017 at 3:39pm UTC
Press into windmill into cossack squat. I will take a light kettlebell and give it a try today.
 
Friday 20th October
Morning mobility routine, just before lifting.
BB squat : 90 x 5, 100 x 4, 110 x 1, 100 x 2, 90 x 4, 100 x 3, 2
I did not feel very well before squatting. I took my time with the mobility routine, did a few unloaded prying squats, and went for the first set at 90kg. Went very smoothly, deep, knees aligned with feet all the time (especially when going up). I have spent a lot of time consciously thinking of my knees staying aligned, and it starts to pay off.

Bench press: 60 x 4, 6, 70 x 1, 75 x 1, 60 x 4, 5, 6, 4
The single at 75 was not as easy as I expected. Not hard either, I had reserve, but I feel the accumulated fatigue of the week. I have been more or less sick the whole week (our kid started school last month, and his immune system is still learning to fight all those new germs he is exposed to - it has impacted us also).

KB press: 24 x 5, 20 x 5, 24 x 3, 4, 5
All solid reps. I am still working on the clean. I have been inspired by Team leader @Martine Kerr post on Instagram: Instagram post by Martine Kerr, StrongFirst TL • Oct 19, 2017 at 3:16am UTC Excellent piece of advice.

A few one-arm-one-leg planks here and there, resisting the temptation to try the full move. It is not the time yet.
 
Saturday 21st October: nothing but rest.
I planned to do a density snatch session (16min 4+4 EMOM with 24kg), but being a bit sick the whole week, I thought it would be clever to rest. I am in no hurry for the snatch test, and I can still build the engine with heavy snatch, and the technique with light volume days.
This is the advantage of being in a "park bench" kind of training. I have general goals, but very few specific timed targets, so I can allow a lot of flexibility in training.

Sunday 22nd October
Mostly rest. Did the heavy swing session in early evening.
2H swings: 40kg x 12 x 10 EMOM
It went quite well. All reps were powerful. Next week, I go for 13 EMOM. When I reach 20, I will start to introduce 1-hand swings, alla Brett Jones SFG prep protocole. If I manage to build to 1H-swing the 40 kg (especially this one and its thick handle), the 24kg snatch will be a piece of cake.
 
Monday 23rd October
Morning mobility routine.
BB squat: 90 x 3, 4, 100 x 3
An instructor at the gym needed the rack. Good that I had a very short squat session. Not a super high intensity either, so I could cut the rest period a little with no bad effect. My knees are staying aligned. I feel my abductors are working better at the bottom.

Bench press: 60 x 4, 65 x 5, 75 x 1, 60 x 5, 65 x 4
Quick and easy. 75 was better than last week. I am still not pushing the weight too much, as I always had technical issues at the bench. I prefer to have a low but technically good 75kg press than an ugly 90kg. The latter will come soon enough.

Back home,
KB press: 24 x 3, 4, 5, 3, 4, 5
Still working on the clean (keeping the elbows close). Additional cue: "push with the forearm". It does two things: it forces to arm-wrestle the bell, and so keeping a neutral wrist, and it gives the impression to the brain that the distance is shorter. It is not true but it does not matter, as long as it helps the press!
The last set of 5 was actually the best set.

Later in the day, I will do my Flexible steel program minimum (bent arm bar, split switches), and GTGing one-arm one-leg planks.
 
Tuesday 24th October
Morning mobility routine.
Breakfast and coffee. Then some work.
I had a few beers yesterday evening and managed to weight 2 kg less this morning (70,6 vs 72,9). It always amazes me how big can variations be from one day to the other. I drank a lot yesterday (I don't mean the beer, but tea and water...), it may partially explain the difference.

Mid-morning.
KB press: 20 x 4, 24 x 5, 28 x 1, 20 x 3, 24 x 4, 5, 4, 3, 4
24 presses yesterday, 33 today.
My clean is improving. I am concentrating on keeping my elbows close, and just let the rest happen. You cannot overthink a fast move.
The press is also going well. I am working more on the active negative. All lats. I am going to need those for the SFB. :)
I will keep KB pressing next month. The plan is written already, with a underestimated 1TRM@28kg (intensity up, only 24 and 28). I won't bother to calculate a new 1TRM, I will simply test after the end of the next cycle.

Here and there, one-arm one-leg planks at the top position. When I feel strong enough, I do an active negative and finish with a bottom plank. I don't want to do the full move again yet. Let's be patient. I have two weeks of bench pressing to achieve first.

Early evening, gym, 2 students.
BB squat: 90 x 6, 100 x 5, 110 x 1, 120 x 1
I had time to do them before the students came. Went well. Short session, less than 10 min.
Two weeks left. After that, I switch to pistols.

I have written my next month plan (KB press, pullup, pistol, OAOLPU+OAPU, deadlift).
I tested a few loaded pistols. Unloaded OK, 8kg OK, 12kg OK, 16kg hard. 1TRM@16kg.
I included deadlifts into it. I made a conservative hypothesis of a 150kg 1TRM, so I decided to test the hypothesis.

Deadlift: 100 x 1, 110 x 1, 120 x 1, 130 x 1, 140 x 1, 150 x 1
Double overhand until 120kg, mixed grip from 130kg. All easy up to 140kg. 150kg was good and solid, but not easy.
I decided to stay conservative and not test 160kg this time. The plan with 1TRM@150kg will do.
 
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Wednesday 25th October
Morning mobility routine.

Afternoon, light snatch volume session. The goal is to improve technique and get used (again) to longer sets.
I did a set every 90 sec, this time 20 reps. Once right, once left. 15 min altogether.
Snatch: 16kg x 20 x 11, then 15 on the last set on the left. 195 total.

I felt something wrong in my hand so I stopped at 15 reps the last set. I was starting to have a tear. There is definitely a technique issue on my left.
I corrected my dead arm problem on my right, but not so much on the left. Moreover, I catch wrong on the left (hence the tear) when fatigue sets in.
Next time, I will keep 20 on the right, but do 10, rest, 10 on the left. That will end with less reps in total, but a better technique awareness.
 
Thursday 26th October
Morning mobility routine.
I had my usual 2 students at 6:30, so I moved my super light and low volume bench press session from yesterday to this morning, to save time.

Bench press: 60 x 4, 6
That was quick and easy.
I did a few windmills with a 16kg. Light work to feel the movement. I have no idea how far my hand is from the floor, but contrary to what too many people think, it does not matter. It’s about the hips, not about touching the floor.

I had an impromptu farmer walk with 2x28kg. Just delivered this morning. I will now be able to lift a proper 28kg, not a modified 24kg. :)
 
Friday 27th October
Light day (except for the KB press).
As I woke up tired, I did the morning mobility routine later, at the gym, after getting the kid to school.

BB Squat: 90 x 3, 4, 100 x 5, 90 x 5
100kg not as stable as I hoped. Still good and safe, but I felt that my knees wanted to cave in. The last set at 90kg was much better and felt very light, though.

Bench press: 60 x 5, 4, 70 x 1, 60 x 5
Nice and easy. I made the lighter benches slow, with longer pause, to feel all the muscles involved.

Back home,
KB press: 24 x 3, 5, 28 x 1, 24 x 3, 4, 5, 3
First time I used my new real 28kg. Up to know, I had a modified 24kg with plates at the bottom. Consequence: I was able to clean it properly, and it makes a huge difference!
I like this 28. Along with a 24 and a 32, I can see a lot of months of pressing. :)

It's Friday, so there will also be Flexible steel program minimum (bent arm bar and switch splits).

Tomorrow: rest!
 
Morning mobility routine everyday, rest or not.

Saturday 28th October: rest

Sunday 29th October
Due to travel from Monday to Friday, I did my strength session on Sunday.
KB press: 20 x 4, 5, 24 x 5
Squat: 90 x 4, 100 x 4, 110 x 1; 100 x 2
Bench press: 60 x 4, 6, 65 x 3, 70 x 1, 75 x 1, 65 x 5

Monday 30th October
Heavy swings.
2H swings: 40 kg x 13 x 10 EMOM.
Last two sets were harder. Next week, I deload. Same reps and sets, but with 32kg.

Now heading for the airport. I will probably grease the groove OAPU.
 
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
No place for training. I just did my usual morning mobility morning, a AOALPU (negative only) here and there, and the occasional pistol, holding the free foot with my hand.
Lot of walking. Almost all day long.

Friday 3rd November
Early wake up (6:00 AM), abbreviated mobility routine, metro, bus, plane, bus.
Bag dropping at home, then gym, then kid picking at school, then KB press home.
I still have not eaten anything today. Just coffee(s).

Bench press: 60 x 4, 70 x 1, 60 x 6.
Short and easy. Last bench session for some time. I have not really increased the weight, but the technique is a lot better, and it feels much stronger. Anyway, now is the time to focus on one-arm one-leg pushup. Only 4 weeks to SFB.

BB squat: 100 x 3, 4, 5, 110 x 1, 100 x 2, 110 x 1
After 3 days with a lot of walking, my squat did not feel as strong as usual.
I filmed the second set, but with a less than desirable angle. Then someone offered to film the set of 5. Thank you, unknown deadlifter.
Bingo. I was goodmorninging them. Hips going up first, back still flat and tight, but shoulders a bit late. Next set cues: "look down", to keep my neck aligned, and "chest up" to keep shoulders and hips at the same rate.
This was the last squat session for some time too. I switch to pistols only for at least a month.

Windmill: 20kg x 3.
Still learning this one. Let's keep it light.

KB press: 24 x 3, 4, 5, 28 x 2, 24 x 3, 5
Despite the accumulated fatigue, it was easy. The KB press is the only exercise I will keep going on this month.

Monday is the start of a new cycle. Pistols, OAPU-OAOLPU, pullups, deadlifts ans KB presses.
For conditioning, I'll keep the light snatches and heavy swings.
 
Saturday, Sunday: rest.
No time for training anyway. I wanted to do my swings on Sunday, but there was no convenient time.

Monday 6th November
Morning mobility routine.
At the gym,
KB press: 24 x 3, 4, 5, 3
I used the gym's kettlebell, while waiting for the deadlift platform. I don't like it, the handle is too large, and it does not fit properly on my forearm. I was still able to clean it solidly, and complete the sets with little trouble. So I have definitely improved.

Deadlift: 110 x 5 (DOH), 120 x 5 (1 DOH), 130 x 2
First set double overhand (DOH), second set first rep DOH, then alternate grip.
Despite not having deadlifted for a long time (apart for a test two weeks ago), it felt good, solid, and completing 2 reps at 1,8 BW was not hard. Heavy, yes, but not hard. This is a good feeling.

Much later,
2H swings: 32kg x 14 x 10
It is a deload from last week (at 40kg). After the morning strength session, it is not ideal. t was light, so I could keep it powerful for 10 sets, but I definitely need to swing a day before or after the deadlift. And so for the light snatches.

SFB prep
About once every two hours, one single one arm pushup (both arms).
I want to have a solid OAOLPU by the time I come to the SFB, so I will grease the groove with easier OAP, and some OAOLPU and planks. We will see how it works.
I start with low intensity and low volume, so only singles OAP today.

And of course, it's Monday, so it's Flexible steel programme minimum day.
 
Monday's GTG pushups: 6 singles, one arm two leg version.

Tuesday 7th October
Morning mobility routine.

All at home.
KB press: 24 x 3, 4, 5, 28 x 2, 24 x 3, 4, 5, 28 x 1, 1
The clean is a lot cleaner. I will probably do a lot of cleans, double cleans and so in the future, but at the moment, what I do during presses has been enough to clean it a bit.
28kg presses were programmed for singles, but as it was solid, I went for a double, to see. It was not easy, but solid. The second time, though, I stopped at one solid single, rather than risk a floppy double (fatigue).

Pistol: BW x 3, 5, 8kg x 1, BW x 5, 8 kg x 1
I perform an easier version of the BW pistol, where I hold the foot with my hand.
Benefit: better balance and control. I can push my foot against the hand (feedback: more tension, work on hamstring flexibility). I do them with a pause at the bottom. No bouncing.

Tactical pull-up: 3, 2, 1, 1
I actually started yesterday the revisited fighter pull-up program, with 3RM.
I can do more pull-ups, but I want to keep it at a low level, just enough to practice the movement a little this month, in a somehow structured way. 3 reps will do.
 
Tuesday's GTG pushups: 6 singles, one arm two leg version.

Wednesday 8th October
Too much not so good wine yesterday, I did not feel good all morning.

I felt better in the afternoon, so:
Tactical pull-up: 3, 2, 2, 1
Easy practice.

Snatch: 16kg x (10, 10, 20) x 3. 120 total.
A set every 90 sec. 10 left, rest, 10 left, rest, 20 right.
Light weight, I work on technique, and getting (re)used to longer sets.
As my left snatch is not so good, I limit reps to 10 until it is satisfactory.
Sequential self cues:
1. hinge, free arm back
2. do not hit the (imaginary) wall, free arm in guard
3. punch up
4. pause
5. down, do do not hit the (imaginary) wall
It seems like a lot but as they are not at the same time, it works.
 
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No pushups on Wednesday.

Thursday 9th November
Forgot to put the alarm. Woke up at 6:26, had a student at 6:30. I texted him to start warmup and reached the gym at 6:41. Not too bad, he had just started...
Morning mobility routine on site.

Pistol: BW x 4, 3, 4, 8kg x 2, BW x 3, 8kg x 1, 12kg x 1
BW still by holding the free foot. It helps my balance.
8kg are actually easier (counterbalance), so I went to a double with no trouble. 12kg was a bit sloppy, though. Still need practice.

Pullup: BW x 3, 3, 2, 1
Nothing to say. Easy.

KB press: 24 x 3, 4, 5, 28 x 1, 24 x 3, 4
Lot of KB presses this week. I am lifting the 28 more often and am getting used to it. I still have to improve the clean on this particular one, because of the larger handle, to have it land properly on my forearm, but it is going up nicely and solidly now. 24 almost feels light (almost). That should be good for the snatch test.

I will resume GTG with OAPU during the day.
 
Thursday's GTG pushups: 4 doubles, one arm two leg version.

Friday 10th November
Morning mobility routine.

Deadlift: 120 x 5, 130 x 2, 140 x 2, 120 x 5, 130 x 2, 140 x 1, 120 x 3
I am not used yet to have that many deadlifts in a single session. I used to do a single top set of 5 about once a week.
With such volume, I paid extra attention to properly wedge before the lift (and then help to keep my back straight), and keep the bar close (now, my tibias hurt...).
I weighed just a bit over 70kg this morning, so I am still able to lift double my BW, even without practicing the deadlift. It seems that heavy swings help maintaining it.

Pullup: 4, 3, 2, 1
It was a relief after 20 deadlifts! I will check next week if doing pullups almost everyday is an issue or not. They are not the priority. Nevertheless, the daily easy practice feels good.

Back home.
KB press: 24 x 3, 4, 5, 4, 5, 4, 28 x 2, 24 x 3, 4, 28 x 1
That was a lot of presses. 35 (32@24, 3@28). That was a crazy week, volume-wise. 98 presses.
Again, I programmed 2 singles at 28, but managed to have a double instead. The first felt strong, the second was good too, I probably had at least one more in reserve. 32, here I come...

The upcoming Flexible steel programme minimum session will feel very good after all that.
 
Saturday 11th November
We were out of town on Friday night. Morning routine in abbreviated version (5 to 10 reps instead of 40).
And rest. Not even a single OAP. Rest means rest.

Sunday 12th November
Morning mobility routine.
Pullups: 4, 3, 2, 1, 1
Not a big deal, it's going well. I don't want to go to high rep, so after I finish this next five days, I will restart the 3RM program with a 8kg kettlebell, and it should get me to the SFB.

Early evening,
Swings: 40 kg x 14 x 10 EMOM.
After a deload at 32kg last week, I come back to 40kg, with the same number of reps. First 8 sets good. 9th set harder, with last 3 or 4 reps less powerful. 10th set with half the rep missing full power. It was not that bad, but it was not a nice powerful swing by the end. I will change a bit to have more sets with less reps. I don't like those last reps with less power.

GTG OAP (one hand two leg version): 5 sets of 3.
I surprised myself to actually be able to do sets of 3, and feeling that there is some reserve. I need to film myself to check the form. But it shows that there is a clear carry-over of my kettlebell presses and bench presses. Principles always apply, even when modalities change.
 
Monday 13th November
Morning mobility routine.
Kid at school, then gym.

KB press: 24 x 3, 4, 5, 3, 4, 3, 4
I need to save time, so I started the press at the gym with their less than desirable kettlebell. The clean has to be a bit different than with mine, but I have improved it, and it feels lighter than a few weeks ago.

Deadlift: 110 x 4 (DOH), 120 x 5 (2 DOH), 140 x 1, 110 x 5 (DOH), 140 x 1
Taking my time for the heaviest ones: tense, wedge, push the earth away.

Pullup: 4, 3, 3, 2, 1
I messed up and did tomorrow's plan. Tomorrow, I will do today's plan (4, 3, 2, 2, 1). Introducing waves in the fighter pullup program... Still easy, but it is the idea. It also feels good after presses and deadlifts.

Flexible steel program minimum (bent arm bar and switch splits), done right after.

Now the full day is freed for work.

I am not fresh enough yet, so I wait a little to start today's GTG OAP. I don't know yet if I will do doubles or singles. For sure, I will reduce from yesterday's triples, and keep this week mainly focused at perfecting the one arm two legs version. The one leg version can wait for next week.
 
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