Saturday, August 28, 2010

A Day with John Brookfield

I have the good fortune of being friends with John Brookfield, the creator of the Battling Ropes system. He is also "Mr. Hands"; executor of feats of strength, grip, and a ton of other amazing accomplishments. I also have the misfortune of being friends with John Brookfield! He likes for me to come workout with him every now and then, and he always breaks me down like a double-barrelled shotgun. 


John is amazing. He has no physical limits. He sets his mind on a task and completes his task; regularly making a superhuman feat look like an everyday thing for him. In John's world, the mind is the muscle. He makes a mental decision and his body has NO choice but to follow his mind's lead. I have learned a lot from John about the power of the mind. I have learned a lot from John about life. John cannot fail because in his mind failure is never even an option. It never enters his mind. He is amazing. We could all learn from John.


Training:


8/26/10 - Day with John. I'm so worked I don't need to train again for a month!


8/27/10 - I'm crazy! I train anyway... 
A1 - TGU w/ 24kg: 3/3 x 4
A2 - Contra Single Leg Deadlifts w/ 24kg: 5/5
B - Chest opening Windmill w/ 24kg: 5/5 x 2
C - Double Jerks w/ 24s: 5 x 6
It's a light/deload day today. 


8/28/10 - Bodyweight and Sprint day. That's the plan anyway. To be continued...

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Take a load off.

Well, I can somewhat rest a little easier. I tried the 5 min snatch test with the 24kg to see where I was at in preperation for renewing my RKC. I made it. It's been a long while since I attempted this, but I made it. I feel a little better now. I've got about 5 weeks until I have to do it again and for real this time...

Other than that, I'm tired. I think my training and extra curricular family activities has caught up with me. Today was the first day of my deload week and it was not a moment too soon. Sure, I could deload anytime I want but i thought I'd push through until I actually had a deload scheduled! Mission accomplished. I'm deloading. Now all I have to do is stick to the plan...

Today's activities:
TGU w/ 16kg: 5/5
1/2 kneeling windmill w/ 16kg: 5/5
Bent Press w/ 24kg: 3/3 x 6
X-body SLDL w/ 24kg: 5/5 x 6
Long Cycle C&J w/ 2-16s: 6 x 10 sets

Kinda short, Kinda easy, Kinda nice...

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Got a new Kettlebell!!!!

I know, i'm the only person who could get so excited about another kettlebell. This is now ordinary kettlebell though, it's a DragonDoor, RKC 28kg. It's a pretty one too. It just sits there and begs to be played with. I love it.


Sadly, most of everything I said above is true. I did, however, by the kettlebell for a good reason. I got it to practice bottoms up pressing. I can easily bottoms up press the 24kg and I struggle to bottoms up press the 32kg with both hands on a good day. So, I bought the 28kg for a stepping stone. I played with it some today and yep, it's a stepping stone. A beautiful, black stepping stone with a handle.


Anyway, here is what i've been up to the last couple of days....


8/10/10
70 yard sprints: 1/2 speed x 2, 3/4 speed x 6. Did this barefoot in very wet grass. I do not like very wet grass...
Pull-ups w/ 20kg on my foot: 4 x 4 sets
Reverse Push-ups (back bridge) 10 x 4 sets
SLDL w/ 36kg: 5/5 x 4
Neck Bridges: 10 x 4


8/11/10
Double Snatches w/ 2-24kgs: 5 x 16 sets
Pistols w/ 24kg: 3/3 x 5 sets
Bottoms Up Press w/ 28kg: 4r/3l, 3r/4l, 3r/4l, 3r/3l, 5r/5l!!
I learned that the clean definitely makes the press when doing the bottoms up. Can you tell by the numbers???
Hand to Hand swings w/ 24kg: 50


That's about it. Have a good one.

Monday, August 2, 2010

1st day of School

If you're on a year round schedule and on Track 4. My boys are growing up! Got a new 2nd grader and a new 1st grader. Time is flying by...


Training is going well. I ran some 100 meter dashes yesterday. They felt really good. That is the farthest I have sprinted since I started back but I felt good and I never crashed or hit a wall. Felt like I was 17 again. Which is cool, cause i'm not!


8/1/10
100 meter sprints: 
1/2 speed x 2
1/2 to 3/4 speed x 2
3/4 speed x 2
3/4 to full speed x 1
1/2 to 3/4 speed x 1
(see, I tried to be smart and not kill myself ;) )


Today, 8/2/10
Dbl Snatches w/ 2 16kgs: 10 x 15 = 150
X body pistols w/ 16kg: 5/5 x 5
1/2 kneeling press w/ 32kg: 3/3 x 5


Have a great one.