Much better today...

The foot/big toe is MUCH better today and I am well on my way to restarting the Neupert program this Sunday or Monday.

Even did a bit of training today...

Prep work - Extended ASLR and T-spine rotation work

24 kg Get-up (arm bar into leg raises then to the elbow to post position) x 3 singles each side

24kg Tall Kneeling presses x 3+3

24 kg 1/2 Kneeling presses x 3+3

24 kg Alternating swings x 20 reps x 5 sets

Felt very good and Better is Better...

Couple days of training...

Tuesday 6/30
Prep - Z, ASLR, Brettzel
32 kg Get-up x 5 singles Left and Right
24 kg Get-up x 5 singles Left and Right
24kg x 20 Alternating swings
32kg x 20 Alternating swings
24kg x 20 Alternating swings
32kg x 20 Alternating swings
24kg x 20 Alternating swings

A little Z to finish

Today 7/1
Prep - ASLR, Brettzel, Z foot drills
Neupert Program Week 2 - Day 2

Neupert's program is bringing quick results!
Feeling good

Great Blog post by Mark of SG Human Performance
http://sghumanperformance.blogspot.com/
talking about the importance of Prep work for your training - check it out.

KB and Card Tearing...

Card Tearing x 7 decks

(2 decks were VERY hard, 4 decks torn and then tore 4 of those halves into quarters, and 1 duct tape tear)

Prep work - Rolling patterns, ASLR, Brettzel, Z

24 kg Arm Bar x 1+1

24 kg Get-up to Half Kneeling + 3 half kneeling presses x 1+1

24 kg MP ladders - 1 thru 5 reps x 2 ladders

continuous reps during ladders - rest between ladders - using a clean to get in position for each ladder

24 kg SLDL  5+5

24 kg  Swings x 50 (10 L + 10 R, 10 L + 10 R, 10 two arm)

Z to finish

Two of the decks were rubbery and very hard which is always a nice surprise ;-)

MPs felt good and training is feeling very good.  My prep work is efficient and targeted on my areas of concern which is a great way to start a training session.

Contradictions???
And
Situational Correctness...
Oh yeah - and some training...

Couple of items from the dragondoor.com forum that have caught my attention and felt I would comment on a bit here -

Contradictions

People get very confused and confounded when seemingly contradictory information gets put out there. Situational correctness has been lost on most people.
One of the classics for the forum is the difference between the low rep strength focus of Pavel's Power to the People and the higher rep conditioning focus of Kettlebell training. Different goals mean different techniques and applications. You don't go to a tax lawyer for a murder defense but you still need to have access to both the tax and defense professionals.
People seem to forget this when they are looking for an answer or a philosophy to follow.
They want one answer for everything and it just doesn't exist.

There is no contradiction between the High Tension Techniques and Hardstyle kettlbell training and the Relaxation techniques and drills of Pavel's Fast and Loose. They are both skills to be learned and practiced and applied.
So get busy learning them and applying them!

Situational Correctness...

Since Pavel's Power to the People book and DVD the idea of performing a limited numer of exercises on a consistent basis without changing exercises every 4 weeks to avoid the dreaded "adaptation" people continue to have questions as to whether it will work on not.
Well - it does work but this is another one of those "contradiction" areas where the fervor over having ONE answer leads to confusion.

In Marty Gallagher's new book The Purposeful Primitive he details the training of several Iron Giants and instead of getting mired in the differences between them he draws correlations between the similarities and USES the differences to target certain goals or even a restricted number of training days a week. Imagine that!! Finding similarities and using the differences - revolutionary!!
There are powerlifters who train on the Big 3 lifts exclusively and there are those that train almost everything but the Big 3 and rotate lifts constantly - who is right and who is wrong???

Neither is wrong and both are wrong - or - Both are correct and both are wrong!

It depends on the individual situation - goals, recovery ability, number of available training days per week, training experience, Injury and medical history, nutrition, individual likes and dislikes, etc.... Apply the correct tool/technique to fit the situation! Again - Situational Correctness

For me - simplicity works and I find I can adjust that simplicity to fit most of my clients needs and goals. If you haven't tried it. Try it. Just press and deadlift for the next 6 months or so...

Speaking of Training:
Snatch grip DL 235 x 5, 225 x 5
Suitcase DL 145 x 5 + 5
Side press 70 x 5+5, 65 x 5+5
32kg KB swings (20 reps per set) 6 sets of various swing styles
(20L, 20R, 10L+10R, 20 alternating, 20 sidestepping, 20 2 arm)

Lats, mid back and grip certainly feel yesterdays training - I am focusing on my lats/armpit connection during the DL and swing - big difference. I think that is why I could "sprint" to 8 reps a set yesterday and not have issues. Still progressing and learing everytime I pick up a KB.
How about you?

Movements not Muscles...

Why do the knees "cave in" during the squat?

Is it the adductors (groin) muscles? Is it the glute medius? What and why?

Some will say adductors, some will say Glute medius - I say yes/no and don't worry about it...
Here is my answer to someone with this very question...and my response to the recommendation of adductor strengthening to fix the cave in of the knees...

"...the adductors are also considered the "4th" hamstring and function as a hip extensor as well but to say that an aDductor functions as a hip aBductor is interesting to say the least - and/but muscle "function" is dependent on joint angle so in the grand scheme of things who knows.

What we do know is that your knees are caving in so lets focus on the movement and not the "muscles."

The "Fix"- have your training partner place their hands on the outside of your lower leg (just below the knee) and while performing a squat (bodyweight or goblet squat NOT a PL squat) have them apply pressure inward - you will need to apply pressure outward to keep the knees in alignment on the way down and on the way up.
Important - the pressure applied inward by your partner is enough pressure to cause you to have to press out NOT enough to injure you.
Also hit some outside toe pulls to get the glute medius firing better before the partner drill."

In the FMS we use something called Reactive Neuromuscular Training and this is an example of that and "feeding the mistake" to fix a faulty movement pattern and you will note some Z Health thrown in as well (the outside toe pull - don't know what it is? Click the link on the right and find out).

On a rare Nutrition note - check out this little article on "belly busting beverages"...
http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/5027/americas-unhealthiest-drinks-exposed/

Watch those liquid calories!

Training 5/27/08
Prep work
32kg Get-up x 3+3
32kg Halo x 3+3
32kg Goblet Squat x 3
Thoracic rotation
ASLR

32kg Alternating Swings x 20 + 10 Burpees x 5 sets in 9:30
24kg Alternating Swings x 20 + 10 Burpees x 5 sets
Total time for all 10 sets = 21:50

Tough one - this has become one of my favorite workouts. Simple and brutal.
Fun stuff...

Interesting stuff...

Here is a link to a Time Magazine article about experience and performance:
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1717927,00.html

It seems that the 10 year "rule" for becoming an expert in a field and years of experience are not reliable indicators of proficiency. This flies in the face of conventional wisdom of "earning" mastery over years of work. What does assist in mastery and proficiency? Accurate feedback on performance - in other words - we all need a feedback and information system to keep progressing.
Honest, Critical evaluation of performance is a good thing - not something to be avoided because of ego and fear of "hurting feelings." It needs to constructive and appropriate.
Do you get feedback? and Do you listen to it?


Lou Schuler has a great blog today on the need for "power" training. (See the link on the left)
Quoting Mark Verstagen:
Power is the ability to exert great force in a short period of time and results in being able to move quickly and explosively, says Mark Verstegen, founder of Athletes' Performance in Tempe, Ariz. His facility specializes in training competitive athletes, teaching them, among other things, to accelerate and change direction quickly. That ability is developed by lifting weights rapidly and helps athletes move more explosively during games and other competitions.
In short, it's weight training at high speeds.
"Think of strength as dial-up Internet; it serves a great purpose but is slower to boot up when you need it most," he says. "Power is your high-speed broadband connection, ready to be used instantly on demand."

Kettlebells anyone???? KBs are real world "power" training.
Are you swinging for power?

Deadlift assistance exercises...

I threw out a caution on Aaron Friday's blog about deadlifting off of a 4" platform and was asked what I feel are the top deadlift assistance exercises. Here we go:

#1 - Get screened for restrictions and asymmetries - FMS, Z whatever you choose but you should have a pain free and full toe touch.

#2 - Deadlift - sumo or conventional - you will not know where your weak links are until you start hitting near max weights so don't start thinking you've got the lift mastered - because you don't. You have to put some time in with your hands on the bar pulling respectable (for you) weights.

#3 - Squat - Classic barbell powerlifting style back squats - nuff said.

#4 - Kettlebell Swings - speed training for deadlifts

#5 - Deadlift off of 1" - 2" elevation - that is correct something as little as 1-2" beyond your normal range will do the trick and give you a strong start and make the lift feel a little shorter.
The biggest mistake I see is people going off an elevation that changes their form and rounds their back because they do not have the mobility to get into a proper position. You will not get good carryover and will likely get hurt. So standing on a 45# plate should be enough elevation to put you "beyond the range".

There you have it - nothing fancy and no secrets.

Question of the day...

Swing height? How high and why?

Swings are the center of the RKC universe as Rif has so eloquently stated and as such they are essential to master. One of the recurring questions is how high to swing the Kettlebell during swings. My answer is - between waist and shoulder height with an "ideal" of chest to shoulder high.

The swing is about projection of energy not elevation of energy. So if I feel like putting a kettlebell overhead I will snatch it not swing it. Can you swing to the top? Sure - as long as you got there by projecting the kettelbell along its arc of movement and did not "lift" the kettlebell to the top. But most people will begin to lift instead of swing and miss the point of the exercise.

In the swing the movement is more important than the motion - meaning a short, crisp hip snap will provide far more benefit than an incomplete hip snap with a lift of the kettlebell with the arms. Try doing a "progressive" swing where you start with shorter hip motions (but always finish the hips) and gradually over several reps increase the amount of hip motion and kettlebell motion. See where your "best" swings are occuring. I am willing to bet it will be at chest to shoulder level.

And here are three more tips to improve your swing:
Tip #1 - Connect the arms to the body
Stand straight and tall like you have finished a swing and hold your arms out in front of you at shoulder level - now bring the arms down so they connect to your body and are tight against your ribs. Leave your arms there and push your hips back like you are at the bottom of a swing and then reverse the movement with the hips leaving the arms on the ribs until the hips bump the arms off.
Tip #2 - Hike the kettlebell
If you have connected the arms to the body as described above then hiking the kettlebell will come naturally. On the descent with the KB do not let it pull away from you toward the ground but rather connect the arms to the body and hike it back behind you high and tight in the groin.
Tip #3 - Hips lead the race
Once you have connected the arms to the body and hike passed the kettlebell you begin the swing by extending the hips. Obvious - however, you should finish the hip snap/extension long before the kettlebell reaches the top of the swing. And once th kettlebell is decending again and you have reconnected the arms to the body - it is the hips that push back first. Put the hips at the lead of the hip extension and the push back (once the arms have reconnected) and you will gain power and coordination with the swing.
Once you have mastered these tips on the swing try implementing them on your snatches and see if you don't get a great carryover.

And my upcoming workshops...

Jan 26-27 FMS workshop in Pittsburgh
Register on www.functionalmovement.com (go to courses and workshops and you will see the dates mentioned for an FMS workshop)
email me at appliedstrength@gmail.com with any questions.

February 1 Secrets of the Shoulder workshop at the Sporting Club in La Jolla
Email Paul David - paul.david@thesportingclub.com for details and to register.

February 2 Intermediate Kettlebell workshop at Iron Core in San Diego
http://ironcorekettlebells.com/workshop.html