28 Aug 2014 - Testing day is over...I did not make the cut

21 Aug
0730 hrs

7 Km Waking w/Helmet & Vest
Not a lot of weight. With the upcoming Day of PT Test this seemed like bad timing. Walking in a group is always a little dis-combulating.  This march was no difference. the humidity was killer and the pace was too fast to start and then too slow.
Ended up with a few tiny blisters, my hip was irritated and my low back not happy.

So I spent the weekend relaxing and trying to stretch and traction my low back out.

22 Aug
0600 hrs

Wanted to get the blood moving and get a decent sweat on to finish the week and recover from the previous days' march.

KB Swings 3 x 1 min x 35 lbs (1 min rest)
FacePulls 3 x 20 x Red EFS Band
GHR 2 x failure

24 Aug
0630 hrs

I stated in earlier posts i did not really prep for this test and assessment. i slept well and got up very early to eat a light breakfast and then head in early.  I napped in the parking lot while waiting (yes i was THAT early). Got in a light warm up before the first of four events. A little nervous, not so much about failing but simply about not being able to or failing to give my 100%. I did give my 100%, looking at the numbers I am not entirely happy about them. I have learned a lot from them, the events themselves i have leraned a great deal and as you will see I will be much better prepared the next time.

 I am going to give my assessment of how i felt about each event, what I fucked up (and learned). At the end I will give my completely honest personal assessment of how i felt i did and what needs to happen so I can tackle this. Some of this may seem like excuses but it is more an acknowledgement of minor technical things I can do for next time to build advantages for myself.

Event 1 Marine PFT 300 w/Push ups:
Pull Ups 8
Push Ups 42
Crunches 55
3 Mile Run (5Km) 28 min 30 sec
Total Score: 132 points
I fucked myself on the pull up bar. It was covered in morning dew, rather than wipe it off I mounted and went. The bar was throwing me off the whole time. Regardless 20 reps (max score) not in the cards anyhow, end of story. Push Ups and Sit Ups I don't really practice so but again points to be gained. I could tell before the run my hip was stiff but no pain. The hip did not hurt at all but it was a slow steady pace. Legs could not push my lungs so that was frustrating. I am fat, my hip requires some work, I need to do speed work, and more conditioning.

Event 2:
500m Swim 24 min 29 sec (cut off time 18 min)
25 m Under water Swim DNF
Rifle Retreaval & 25m Swim Completed
30 min treadwater Completed
I was one of the few that completed nearly all the water events. My stupidity by swimming in open water as opposed to in a pool, which cost me a lot. Turning in the pool after 25 m without touching the wall or floor of the pool cost me 10 sec (or more) at each turnaround. My stroke was solid. The underwater swim I need to practice in the pool definitely. Being positively Buoyant (fat) also did not help. Treading water for 30 min was not so bad, and putting your combat pants as a floaty for the last 5 min is like someone handing you a pool chair and umbrella drink.

Obstacle Course Twice Through 17 min 23 Sec (cut off time 12 min)
Transition from Pool to Obstacle course was a new sensation for me. I will say this, The Irish Table was my arch nemesis on this day. I have never completed it alone, but on this day I did it twice.

Before I completed it the first time though, I took 3 very energy draining attempts at it. After the 3 rd attempt a shade of doubt became a dark cloud in my mind. I received some suggestions, dug in a little deeper and conquered the obstacle. The last thing I wanted was to toss the whole event because of one obstacle. For those who don't know the Irish Table is 6 ft high and 18" across. There is no wall or anything to gain traction on.

The Irish table cost me nearly 2 min the first time, and who knows how much energy that slowed my entire time. The rest of the obstacles I can say although exhausted I moved through easy enough.

12 Km Ruck w/ 45 lbs Ruck 2 hr 8 min (cut off time: 2hr 10min)

This is old hat for me. 30+ degree heat, high humidity, a 45 lbs ruck and a route that is nothing but move forward and grind out. I started out well and at the 6 Km point i was on point to come in at 1hr 50min. Then the wheels came off, literally. My knees stiffened just enough that shuffling stopped which then lead to my hot spots getting hammered on the gravel road. My feet are still sore and I am recovering from blisters.

No Bull Shit Assessment:
My 3 Mile run time was terrible. No excuses. I threw a lot of points away with the Pull ups, Push Ups and crunches.
I am fat, slow, and old. My Conditioning sucks.Other than my age, everything else can be improved. A big piece of the puzzle has been hammered home. I need to lose 25-35lbs of fattiness to be realistically competitive. It will also give me the added advantage of dropping a lot of numbers simply by being a little lighter. Slow steady weight loss to maintain my muscle. Dropping body fat will also help with the under water swim as well.
I have been training with a very solid template that is about the long haul if anything I believe in it even more. If after only 2 months I was able to pull out these numbers off I am excited to see where things will be in another 3-4 months. I will eventually consult with Matt Wenning himself to take the next step in a few months when it is required. For now it is time to finish working on the hip & low back to tie up those remaining weaknesses.

I left my competitors numbers out of this run down on purpose. I need to exceed all the testing standards before i start concerning myself with besting my peers.
I was not selected.

But things to note:
No one ran the 3 miles in the 18 min max point cut off time, the closest guy was about 21min
No one passed the PFT 300
Only 4 of 17 complete the under water crossing
6 guys quit on the swim and only 4 hit the cut off time
Only half completed the Rifle Tow, I was one of them
My deplorable time on the Obstacle course will drop considerable now that i can tackle my worst obstacle, again losing the weight will only help with this.

 My overall fitness (ability to recover quickly between events) and durability is great. Other than my feet my body felt pretty decent the following day. Some pool practice and I can crush that swim time. We got some swim tips the day of that helped immediately in my swim technique. Practising them will most assuredly help as well. The under water swim requires practice but is very doable.

Overall this day sucked. It is designed too. To have to push this hard was A LOT of fun. It has been awhile since I have had to push this hard for something. Pushing the thoughts of self doubt at bay. Not allowing myself to quit when my body is screaming at me in pain and fatigue. Convincing myself to keep moving forward when my mind wants to do nothing but stop. It was a great day. I am glad it is over. But I will do it again when the opportunity arises. What ever challenge presents itself I stand up and accept it because I don't know anything else. I will keep pushing myself so I am ready for whatever the challenge is.

The Biggest take-a-way from all this. The reason I started this training log in the first place. My recovery from ACL surgery. It was 2 yrs ago this week that I visited the surgeon a month after the tear. Once again i have proven to myself that I can switch the flip the switch and "go" when required.

Keep moving Forward, Keep getting Strong(er)

20 Aug 2014- Tear Down your perfect world, your perfect lies

18 Aug

0655 hrs

Sled Dragging 1 x 4 min x 160 lbs (on Prowler)

Max Effort SSB w/Bands (3RM)

(to parallel box)

1 x 5 x Bar

2 x 3 x Band w/Orange EFS Medium Band

1 x 3 x 95

1 x 3 x 135

1 x 3 x 185

1 x 3 x 225

Squats felt like trash today. The set with 225 was so slow I shut it down there. It did not feel heavy but my ability to stabilize properly was off on my left side. 

When I saw the Physio Later in the morning she made some adjustments and got things activated, stretched out. So on days like this i need to take some extra time to focus on warming up and activating. At least for the time being while my hip and back are still fighting back.

Dumbbell Over Head Squat (12" Box)

5 x 20 x 15 lbs

This is scheduled to be 1 set of 100 reps but the same with the SSB squats. things were off and this was way harder than it normally is. I also thought about it later in the day, I had a massive PR last week Deadlifting so one off squat day is nothing. 

Standing ABS (rest 1 min)

2 x 20 x 100 lbs

1 x 20 x 90 lbs

Rev Hyper (3-3 Tempo)

1 x 10 x 70

1 x 10 x 90 

1 x 10 x 100

1 x 10 x 70

Stretched out for 10 min. Lots of tractioned ROM work, stretching, and activation work for Hip and Low back. I did an extra set of Rev Hypers just to help traction and get more blood flow in my low back.  Understand my low back is not really affecting my strength but i can it is off and requires attention so it does not become something. 

**6Hrs Post Session**

Sprints (rest 1 Min)

4 x 800m

3 min 45 sec /4 min 7 sec /4 min 2 sec /4 min 8 sec

These still sucked but less than before. An extra 800 m sprint and one repeat closer to the total of 6 that is prescribed. So every time through i am creeping forward and improving.

19 Aug

0640 hrs

Stair Climber w/Weight Vest (40 lbs)

20 min /103 flights /231 Calories

Again, same as the sprints. This felt better. Starting to creep the pace up a little at a time with less suffering. The list of exercises at the bottom from Coach Selkow and my Physio i also completed. Felt like a few hundred bucks leaving the gym. I also went to Jits class in the evening for some active recovery and movement. 

20 Aug

0635 hrs

Rear Delt Db Row 

2 x 20 x 20 lbs

2 x 20 x 25 lbs

Max Effort Floor Press (3 RM)

4 x 3 x Bar

1 x 3 x 95

1 x 3 x 115

1 x 3 x 135

1 x 3 x 155

1 x 3 x 185

1 x 3 x 205

This is the best floor pressing has felt in a few months. Able to tighten and lock in my upper back so i am able to grind the bar up. This is the most and easiest this weight has felt in a long while. great morning.

Bench Press 1 x 100 reps x 70 lbs

I went non stop into 60+ reps before having to pause briefly (no racking though). Very good day for this. It felt smooth and strong. 

Cable Lat PullDowns 

Vbar 1 x 12 x 165

Med neutral bar 3 x 12 x 165

Felt a better contraction through my lats with the Medium bar so i stuck with that bar today. 

Tricep Pushdowns (to failure /1 min rest)

3 x 17-23 reps x 110 lbs

Forced to share the rack today so rest was approx 1 min and had to switch things up a little. no big deal for one day. 

Rear Delt Rows (wide bar to chin) 4 x 20 x 70 lbs

Ext Rotator Work 2 x 15 reps x 5 lbs

Played with hand position on the Rear Delt rows today and got a better contraction and extra pump in my rear delts. Have not felt these working as hard as i have wanted to as of late so i figured i would mix things up just a little. it worked. 

Physio Notes:

More progress despite the discomfort i felt through most of the weekend. I learned a lesson, for the time being i cannot be inactive at all. Between Coach Harry Selkow from EliteFTS and my Physio i feel very taken care of. She gave me a list of exercises to do. Supplemented with some suggestions from Coach Selkow my minor issue is destined to be a major strength. 

Cat/Cows, 2 Pt Horse stance, Single Leg Squat w/Physio ball against wall (i need pics to describe, I AM NOT STANDING ON A PHYSIO BALL), low back contractions, just to name a few. 

Keep Moving Forward, Keep Getting Strong(er)

16 Aug 2014 - Know your Regrets...savour the bitter aftertaste

15 Aug
0540 hrs

KB Swings(1min Rest) 3 x 1min15sec x 70lbs
FacePulls(1 Min Rest) 3 x 20 x 60lbs
Partner Carries(10 sec Rest) 2 x 100m x 195lbs person
GHR(1 min Rest) 2 x 13 x Red EFS Mini Band

Pushed hard and was completed in less than 25 min. The KB Swings really challenged me today but the low back fet great doing these with no strain. FacePulls with the EFS Strap i did with a steady slow tempo and a 1 ct hold at contraction for the last 6 reps all three sets. A real nice pump in my lower traps when completed. Weight is 104.5 Kg. No plan to do Pull Ups this weekend. I will be doing some skill stuff on Sunday. Rope Climbs and some up&overs in preparation for an upcoming PT test.

1200 hrs - 1 Hr of Jits

The Test

So i went to a meeting on Friday. The test on the 25th was revealed to us. Of the guys that do it, the top 6 will be chosen. Throwing my name in the hat. The 6 chosen will be going into a crucible of fire for the next 9 months as they prep for a grueling 9 week course. This is exactly why i worked through my rehab and have been pushing all this time. To see once again what I am made of physically, mentally and spiritually.

The selection is an all day affair comprised of:

3 mile Run
Max Push ups, Crunches, Pull Ups

Pool (in Combats):
25m underwater swim
10ft down retrieve weapon then swim 25 m (rifle out of water)
500m swim in 18 min
30 min Tread water

Obstacle course -Twice in 12 min
Ruck- 12Km w/ 45lbs Ruck in 2hr 10min

Doesn't seem like much with it written out but i am sure in 9 days when it is over it will have been a challenge for sure. One day, full throttle would not want it any other way.

Keep Moving Forward, Keep Getting Strong(er)

14 Aug 2014 - It is a matter of degree, between being up on your luck or down on your knees...

11 Aug
0755 hrs

Sled Drags 8 x 20 m x 50 lbs (no rest)
KB Swings (1 min rest) 3 x 1 min x 53 lbs
Sumo Deadlift (1 RM)
2 x 3 x 40 Kg
1 x 1 x 40 Kg
1 x 1 x 60 Kg
1 x 1 x 80 Kg
1 x 1 x 100 Kg
1 x 1 x 120 Kg
1 x 1 x 140 Kg (switched to alternating grip)
1 x 1 x 140 Kg + 90 lbs GYM PR!
Straight leg Deadlift w/DB (2 min rest)
1 x 11 x 30 lbs
1 x 10 x 45 lbs
1 x 11 x 50 lbs

Ran out of time this morning especially considering i slept in. HA! The Dumbbell Deadlift felt solid this morning. Stability is starting to be displayed in my hips while lifting. this makes me excited. The Sumo Deadlifts i used the bumper plates this morning because they were in Kilo's and although i have a rough idea of weights not knowing exactly what was on the bar was the key today. I do hate the fact the plates fill up the bar so quickly. It was a stellar morning, i should sleep in more often. I will take the 90 lbs Gym PR. My hips felt solid.

6 Hrs Post Training:

Standing Cable Crunch (1 min rest) 
1 x 20 x 70
1 x 20 x 90
1 x 20 x 95
Single Leg Squat(90 sec rest) 3 x 6 x 20 lbs Db
Prowler 5 min x 20 m x 70 lbs

Floor was wet and gym was humid. I spent the whole 5 min walking and driving slow "feeling the burn".

12 Aug 
0635 hrs

Rear Delt Db Rows 
1 x 20 x 20 lbs
1 x 20 x 25 lbs
2 x 20 x 30 lbs
Bench Press 
1 x 60/20/20 x 65 lbs
Shoulder feels much more stable this week. rest was less than 10 sec between the 60-20-20 reps for a total of 100 reps.
Db Rows
1 x 6 x 100
1 x 6 x 105
1 x 6 x 110
These continue to surprise me by how strong i am continually feeling with them every time out.There is no jerking or swinging the dumbbells up. it is all brute strength.
Fat Gripz Pushdowns (1 min rest)
1 x 1 min (23 reps) x 120 lbs
1 x 1 min (17 reps) x 120 lbs
Rear Delt Rows (wide bar to chin) 4 x 20 x 90 lbs
Ext Rotator Work 2 x 15 x 5 lbs
Banded Shoulder Series 1 x 15 x red efs mini band

13 Aug 
0550 hrs

Rear Delt Db Rows
1 x 20 x 25
1 x 20 x 20 lbs
Band Pull-A-parts 1 x 15 x Red EFS Bands
Max Effort Floor Press (3RM)
1 x 10 x Bar
2 x 3 x Bar
1 x 3 x 95
1 x 3 x 135
1 x 3 x 165
1 x 3 x 175
1 x 3 x 185
1 x 3 x 195

Rear delt was sore and feeling off this morning. I focused on squeezing the bar and keeping my wrists neutral kept everything in my upper back tight. I stayed with the 10 lbs increments because 165 up to 195 was slow and grinding with 195 being the slowest set. This is still the best I have handled 195 in the past 2 months.

50% of Max Effort Weight Floor Press 1  x 27 x 100 lbs
Cable Lat Pulldowns (wide grip)
1 x 12 x 175
1 x 12 x 175
1 x 12 x 160
1 x 12 x 160
Tricep Pushdowns (w/ Rope -1 Min Rest)
1 x 1min x 80 lbs
1 x 1min x 70 lbs
1 x 1min x 60 lbs
Rear Delt Standing rows (wide bar) 4 x 20 x 70lbs
Ext Rotator Work 2 x 15 x 5 lbs
Did the work on everything else. Good and solid work. i have some big things on the horizon that will be challenging me physically. Looking forward to step up again. It has been far to long.

Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond he sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, are we;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
-Alfred Lord Tenison "Ulysses"

14 Aug 
0635 hrs

Once upon a time in 2004 i carried a log 7 km to the top of Mount Bental. Why? It was my 2nd last day in country and I wanted to do one more memorable event before i left. 

Log Carries 30 min x 100m x Log (approx 180 lbs)

I acquired a Log yesterday. An old telephone pole cut down actually it weights somewhere between 180 and 200 lbs enough to cause strain but not cripple me. traps are sore right now from supporting the weight. still not actually fireman's carry but a better alternative now. This is the third log i have owned in the last 10 yrs so yes i have a history of carrying telephone poles around.

Still bringing more and more Jits back into the mix. 

Physio Notes:
So my physio came up with a theory last week up the continued Glute issue. I have been doing a boat load of glute work for activation and it is still shutting off. Things are getting better because I am continually attacking it. She surmised it might be my low back that I have been commenting on and having the RMT reset every few weeks. Turns out your L-5 controls your glute function. This is the main Vertebrate that has been sliding in and out. After an assessment today, surprise surprise the support muscles in between the vertebrate are weak and not working as much as they should. It is a very minor problem with long reaching ramifications physically apparently. I can activate them when i think about it. So to say i am excited is an understatement. I will keep doing the Glute work. Wenning's program has been naturally fixing the problem. Now that i know what the weakness is, time to make it a strong(er) link in the chain.

Keep moving Forward, Keep Getting Strong(er)

10 Aug 2014 - Take up arms and fight

8 Aug
0540 hrs

Sled drags 2 x 100m x 135 lbs
Banded Side Step 2 x lots x black EFS mini band
Box Jumps 
5 x 24" x no weight
5 x 24" x 5 lbs
2 x 24" x 10 lbs
3 x 24" x 8 lbs
Speed Squats onto Box W/ bands & 35% bar weight
1 x 2 x 95lbs w /single red EFS mini band (black around knees) -bench which is 1" high
1 x 2 x 95lbs w /Red bands -18" Box
6 x 2 x 95lbs w / Red bands -14" Box
Rev Hypers 
1 x 10 x 50lbs
2 x 10 x 70 lbs
GHR (rest 2 min)
1 x 27, 11, 13
Hanging Leg Raise 2 x 9reps
Full Sit Up (rest 1 min) 2 x 22-25 reps x 20 lbs medicine ball

The work the Physio did the day before did not in fact cause bruising. My leg felt great. No adverse affects. A lot glute work to start the day (clamshells and Side steps) so that squats worked what they were supposed to. I also worked my way down a little bit to make sure i was hitting all cylinders and staying tight. Rev Hypers felt great on my back. I wish i could work these in daily. Jump Squats felt decent enough they are coming along.

9 Aug 
0930 hrs

Speed Bench w/Orange EFS Mini Bands doubled & 35% Plate Weight
8 x 3 x 95 lbs w /Orange Mini Bands Doubled
Pull Ups 10 x 3 reps
Rear Delt Rows 3 x 20 x Red EFS Mini band
Rope Swings (Single Arm) 3 x 1 min x Battle Ropes

I wanted some pull up volume without over doing it on my shoulders. My right one in particular has been sore. My traps and Rhomboids are off slightly, when i do the activation work 95% of my discomfort is gone. Pushed the pace but i did do a little chatting to get some extra information about some up coming training at work. I have some other skills that require my attention in the gym. Not a big deal bt good to practice in advance. After the Battle ropes which was 6 min non stop of simply switching from one arm to the other i did not need to do Oly bar curls this week.

10 Aug 
1730 hrs

Not an accurate depiction of what I look like swimming.

Swim 1 x 250 m x Combat Clothing
Different strokes but simply getting to the platform out in the bay. More of an active recovery session of fun with Mayor the dog and my Girl.

The start of a new week is upon me. I have been grumpy, sour and generally an a**Hole to be around lately. Slowly figuring out why and going to take actions to correct it. Little by little. I am not entirely happy where everything else in my life is and it seems to be making me stressed and angry. Not good i am lashing out. even worse i am not taking steps to correct things. that has to change. My training is solid but it feels like everything else is off. One thing at a time, one step at a time, move forward, correct, adjust, and conquer. Sometimes getting strong(er) is not just about moving weights in the gym. It is about putting a plan together and enacting upon it.

Keep Moving Forward, Keep getting Strong(er)

7 Aug 2014 - Start of another cycle

3 Aug
0925 hrs

Arch Enemy at Waken bitches!

Sled Drags 6 x 80m x 135 lbs
Side step 3 x 10 x EFS Black band
Max Effort Squat SSB (1 RM) 
3 x 3 x Bar
1 x 3 x 95
1 x 2 x 135
1 x 1 x 185
1 x 1 x 225
1 x 1 x 275
1 x 0 x 295 (too high)
1 x 0 x 305

I tried 295 and 305. I seemed to get nervous /uncomfortable when i approached depth as I am unsure how my hip and low back will hold up.The confidence will come with time. More time under the heavier weights. The hip and low back did feel very solid on this day but their were a few days last week where it felt a little stiff. But it seems with a decent warm up i have been doing fairly solid.

DB Step Ups (rest 90 sec) 3 x 40 sec x 25 lbs ea hand (time to add another 5lbs per hand i think i got through this easy enough.
DB Alt toe touch (rest 90 sec) 
1 x 10 x 45 lbs
2 x 10 x 50 lbs
This felt great. Very stable and my left hip was not fighting to open up the whole time. encouraging move forward with this exercise.
Standing Cable Crunch (rest 1 min)
1 x 20 x 100
1 x 20 x 95
1 x 20 x 85
Single Leg Squat (rest 90 sec) 
2 x 6 x 20lbs
1 x 6 x 25 lbs
These get better every time out. barely touching the rack. I did try without touching the rack but not quite there yet.

**6 Hrs Post session** 
Sled Drags 6 x 50 yds x 135 lbs
The recommended weight for this was 200lbs. I did these in the long grass, bare foot, in my back yard. 135lbs was a slogging go for sure.On the last run, just as my legs were gassing out, my lady yelled out "dig in! you got this!" a half second later both my feet slipped at once. I was holding the strap in both hands behind me...so yup! SMASH! face first into the grass. No concussion but my nose was sore for a few days.

4 Aug
0600 hrs

Db  Rear Delt Rows 
1 x 20 x 25
2 x 20 x 30 lbs
1 x 10 x 30 lbs  /drop set to 10 x 20 lbs
New set up on these which made them a lot stricter and hits everything in the upper back and delts. Will rotate bent these and the other set up i use.

Narrow Grip Bench (2RM) w/Orange mini Band Doubled
4 x 2 x bar & Bands
1 x 2 x 95
1 x 2 x 115
1 x 2 x 135
1 x 2 x 155
1 x 2 x 175
1 x 1 x 185 the second rep just was not there.
Head harness 1 x 17 x 35
3 x 17 x 40 lbs
Db Bench Press (rest 2 min) 2 x 2min x 25 lbs (30+ reps ea set)
Db Bent Over Rows (rest 1 min) 3 x 10 x 90
Rope push downs (as many reps /rest 1 min) 
1 x 19 reps x 100 lbs
2 x 13 x 100
Rear Delt Rows (wide bar to chin) 4 x 20 x 70 lbs
Ext Rotator Work 2 x 15 x 5 lbs

5 Aug 
0555 hrs

2 Km Run for time with Full Kit  14 min 44 sec
I added my helmet this time. Felt A LOT better than last time. Still sucks but the running itself feels smother. Running with kit on always sucks anyhow.  
Kb Shrugs 1 x 50 x 53 lbs KB

6 Aug
0700 hrs

How I feel about morning PT

Unit PT -running and various callisthenics 
Things went a little off the rails today. I was forced to do unit PT which is crippling and lame. It was over an hour of running from place to place and dong various callisthenics. Not over taxing but enough that i will shove my next two training sessions over a day.

I also saw the Physio today. I commented on my low back and hip. Mowing for 4.5 hrs last night probably did no favours but the hip was stiff and sore before that. yeah, yeah it was the squatting. No not really.

 Due to the fact this has been coming and going we are going to look into this some more. I have to keep working on the stuff i have been assigned by her for my glutes and the other natural internal "core" stuff that I have been doing. She suspects my L5 might be a little mobile and when it shifts my left glute is getting turned off. I do more glute work than a Brazilian butt lift video so there maybe something else going on. I see her again next week as well as the RMT. In the mean time stability through the core is the driving factor.
She did needle my left thigh, i will probably bruise up as it is that sore. The stiffness i felt is gone and I have done a lot of clamshells tonight with more before time.

So the next 2 days are Squats and then speed bench/Pull Ups /Hill Sprints.

With some other stuff at work appearing on the horizon things might change again. But for now i will stay the course as it will only benefit me regardless.

Observations:
I was holidays last week so i took a little time and read trough a few much longer posts on Fb regarding Crossfit deadlifts, and other pointless shit. People really have too much time in their day or their focus is completely in the wrong direction. So much more important shit going on in the world or probably even in their lives. But instead they want to rant and rave about shit that has nothing to do with them. Yes tear down others that are too busy doing shit with the gift called LIFE.  Fuck, our species really does need a drastic wake up call.

Keep Moving Forward, Keep Getting Strong(er)

2 Aug 2014 - I need his prosthetic leg

31 July 
1945 hrs

Last week's Sprint session.

Went shopping for the day in the USA so I did not get to this short, highly intense session. It triggers a wonderful fight or flight response that makes me agitated and this night the high school kids were being their regular ignorant selves. More on that in a minute.
Warm up: Leg Swings, Banded side steps, Hip Rotations
Sprints
1 min On - 50 sec Off
1 min On - 40 sec Off
1 min On - 30 sec Off
1 min On - 20 sec Off
1 min On - 10 sec Off

Rev Hyper 2 x 10 x 70 lbs (3-3 Tempo)
Side Steps Lots

After the second repeat one of the young-lings decided to absent-mindedly decided to stand on the track. Have Zero situational awareness. Right in my way. I did contemplate running straight into him, i honestly did. At the last second i side stepped him and took a swipe at his ball hat. clearly catching him entirely by surprise. By the time i came back around he was off the track Then after i had finished sprinting i noticed that the whole group of them had moved over to the courts and left all their bars loaded. So i wandered over and kindly asked the biggest and oldest of the group to get them to empty heir bars and put everything away. The complied and i thanked them.

This is one of those things i learned when i was 13. Put your weights away when you are finished. i learned it from some very big dudes and you only only caught hell once.

1 Aug 
0657 hrs

KB Swings 1 x 4 min 17 sec x 53 lb KB
Rear Delt Row (strap to forehead) 3 x 20 x 70 lb (30-45 sec rest)
GHR 2 x 21 (1 min rest)

It was supposed to be a single 1 min set with the KB. I decided to simply go all out. To be honest it sort of got boring. I kind of just put it down. I will have to steel my mind better next time as i will have a better idea what I am getting into. I am not too stiff and sore today. So i can go further. I will stick to the program and try this again in 8 weeks or so. Matt Wenning was right about one thing, "If you can swing a 53 lb KB for 13 min you can run".

2 Aug
0845 hrs

Pull Ups
9 sets of 8 reps
1 set of 6 reps
Time for this was about 35 min. After having already done pull ups this week but with a enough time in between I was unsure how it would go today. This was close enough today that i will take another shot at 10 sets of 8 reps in a week. I will bring push ups back into the rotation next week.
Foot Ball Bar Curls 2 x 35 x Bar
Air Dyne Bike 5 min steady pace

The football bar I used today to see if i could get some blood into the biceps without aggravating my biceps tendon. It as not been bad but not 100% either so i am just keeping an eye on it. I will see tomorrow if the neutral grip makes a difference.
I then got showered and went to see Guardians of the Galaxy. Fantastic movie.

Keep Moving Forward, Keep Getting Strong(er)