A Public Service Announcement and Update
 
Short version -
Get your skin checks done at your Primary Care Physician or Dermatologist.
and protect yourself in the sun!
If you've never had one (skin check) - get one.

Long Version -
Oct. of last year I had my first appointment with my new Primary Care Physician (had to switch for insurance reasons) and during a skin check he noticed a "mole" on my right shoulder blade that he wanted checked by a dermatologist.
January 7 of this year I had that area biopsied at my Dermatologist appointment.
January 15 the results came in for an "in situ" melanoma with areas of regression
January 19 in consultation with a Surgical Oncologist I decided to have a sentinel lymph node biopsy and surgical excision of the melanoma area
Feb.3 Surgery for the sentinel lymph node biopsy and excision
My 7th and hopefully final surgery!
Feb. 16 I received the "all clear" for the lymph nodes (ended up taking 2 and going much deeper than expected) and the area of excision.
Now it is continued healing time for the excision are on my back and the incision in my axilla before I can get back to activity.

Melanomas are all about depth and this one was caught before it had gone deep enough to spread.
My Primary Care Dr. and Dermatologist saved my life.

I am going to be fine and will be seeing my Surgical Oncologist, Dermatologist and Dr. on a regular basis and we will all know each other (or at least they will know me) very well.
Sunbathing is off the menu and for outdoor activities I will be covered up with SPF clothing etc...
My wife Andrea Lupi Jones has been amazing during this time - Thank you my love.
My family, friends, FMS family and StrongFirst family have all been very supportive during this time - Thank you.

I do not post this for sympathy or anything other than to raise a bit of awareness.
Get a skin check and keep getting them.

Finally hit some training today
Prep - foam roller and GFM
Get-up to elbow (with bridge) x 24 kg x 5+5
24 kg Swings x 10+10 x 6 sets
1:5 work to rest ratio (basically)

Stretch and Fast and Loose to finish

Quick training today

Had a fairly large biopsy taken off my right shoulder blade area yesterday so wanted to skip any Get-ups or exercises that might rub that area.

Prep - GFM
24 kg 1/2 kneeling windmill progressions and 1/2 kneeling bent press x 2 of each movement
24 kg Snatch 4+4 at the top of the minute x 20 minutes
stretch etc...

Out of the Holidays and on with 2016!

Training has been hit and miss around the Holidays but onward with 2016

yesterday
BW pull-ups x 6, 6
36 kg Get-ups x 1+1 x 5 sets
(7 minutes or so to complete)

couple of bent presses while teaching

Today
Prep - foam roller, very small GFM
36 kg Get-up x 1+1 x 5 sets
6 minutes to complete
36 kg one arm swings x 5 top of each 30 seconds x 6 minutes
36 kg MP x 3+3 x 3 sets
36 kg Goblet squats x 5 x 2 sets

Dietary - basically warrior diet
I just feel better and do better if my first meal is after 12.
go figure

Simple and Sinister...

Happened to pull out my copy of simple and sinister by Pavel yesterday and was reminded of how much gold is in that book....
http://www.strongfirst.com/booksanddvd/kettlebell-simple-sinister-kindle/

So today:
Prep - foam roller and brief GFM
24 kg Goblet squat x 5, Hip Bridge x 5, 24 kg tall kneeling Halo x 5 X 3 sets
24 kg 1 arm swings x 10 x 10 sets (alternating arms each set) in 6 minutes
24 kg Get-up x 1+1 x 5 sets in 5 min 30 sec.

Swings equaled out to 20 sec. work 10 sec. rest
took a one minute break after 3 minutes (6 sets) and then finished the last 2 min (4 sets)

Mix it up 

For some reason the end of the year this year is very busy - multiple projects due at the same time and the Holiday to get ready for....  training time has been short to non-existent.

Today
Prep - foam roller, GFM
24 kg Get-up + x 1+1

36 kg x 21 minutes
alternating sets of:
36 kg Swing x 5+5
And
36 kg Clean+ Press+Squat x right and left
10 sets of each total

36 kg felt good but my consistency has to pick up for my conditioning
But it was 100 swings total and 10 of each of the other lift x each hand - not bad.

Couple of training days...

Nov. 30 
Prep - Foam roller, GFM
24 kg Get-up + x 1+1
24 kg Snatch Breathing ladder 1+1 > 10+10> 5+5
2:1 snatch to breath ratio
(1+1 snatch = 1 recovery breath)

Today
Prep - Foam Roller, GFM
24 kg Get-up + x 1+1
32kg Get-up x 1+1

32 kg Strength Aerobics x 21 minutes
(20 sets of clean+press+sq+snatch Right and Left total)

So it's been awhile....

Training has been good overall with a bit of pause for a couple of weeks.
Been very busy with travel etc... so not posting.

Training today:

Prep - foam roller, GFM

24 kg - Get-up x 1+1, 1 arm swing x 10+10, 1 arm push-up x 1+1, Pistol (20kg) x 1+1
32 kg - same
36 kg - same
40 kg - same
44 kg - same
36 kg - same

Total of 6 get-ups each arm, 120 swings, 6 one arm push-ups each arm, and 6 pistols each leg

One arm push-ups were surprisingly strong since I haven't trained them is a LONG time.
Pistols were pretty good - left not as strong as right but OK.
Swings - 44 kg and 40 kg were 5+5, 5+5 - all felt good
Get-ups felt strong.

Something different...

Prep - foam roller, GFM
24 kg Get-up + x 1+1

44 kg 2 arm swings x 30 seconds on - 2:30 rest x 10 sets

I have been doing a lot of 3-5 reps at the top of the minute (10 or so seconds of work) and the 30 seconds on (18 or so reps) was quite different.

Double work

Prep - foam roller, GFM
Get-up
24 kg + x 1+1
32 kg x 1+1
40 kg x 1+1
44 kg x 1+1

Double KB "Strength aerobics" x 30 minutes
Alternating sets of:
double 24 kg (clean+mp+fs+snatch)
double 32 kg (clean+mp+fs+snatch)

totaled 30 sets - 15 of each

Training...

Today - 10/8/2015

prep - Foam roller and GFM

24 kg Get-up + x 1+1
32 kg Get-up x 1+1
40 kg Get-up x 1+1
44 kg Get-up x 1+1

44 kg One arm swings x 5 x 20 minutes
reps at top of minute
switch hands each minute
32 kg Strength Aerobics x 20 minutes
(clean+mp+fs+snatch)
40 minutes total
150 average heart rate
167 max
629 calories burned (whatever)

I hadn't worn my Wahoo heart rate monitor in quite a while but the weights I was using today are quite a bit heavier than I was using previously - progress.

Monday Oct. 5

prep - foam roller, GFM

20 kg Get-up + x 1+1
20 kg Goblet squat x 5
20 kg 1/2 kneeling halo x 3 each direction each knee

20 kg "snatch test" x 4:25 seconds
15+15, 15+15, 15+15, 5+5 continuous

40 kg one arm swings x 5 x 20 minutes
reps at top of minute
switch hands each minute

Couple days of training...

Monday Sept. 28
Prep - foam roller and GFM
24 kg Get-up + x 1+1

Double 32 kg Strength Aerobics x 30 minutes
Clean+MP+FS


yesterday Oct.1

Prep - foam roller, GFM
24 kg Get-up + x 1+1
32 kg Get-up x 1+1
44 kg Get-up x 1+1

44 kg one arm swing x 3 + 1 snatch x 30 minutes
reps at top of minute
switch hands each minute

Snatches with the 44 kg felt better than last time

Training catch up...

I hit the driving range on Saturday and Monday and had a golf lesson on Wednesday.
Really like my golf pro - he does a great job and he uses similar cues and coaching to what I use in teaching FMS and StrongFirst.

Tuesday I did a little bit of Deadlift and Pull-ups since I was nominated for SFB and SFL challenges.
I gave myself a fail on the SFB challenge - 3 L-sit pull-ups.
Just couldn't keep my legs high enough in the L-sit position.
Something to work on.
Deadlift - the challenge was 1.75 x BW
I went with 405 which is just over 2 x BW.
so - 135 x 3, 225 x 3, 315 x 3 and 405 x 3

Today -
Prep - Foam Roller and GFM
24 kg Get-up + x 1+1
arm bar + crooked arm bar + 3 1/2 kneeling Bent Presses
24 kg Goblet squat x 5

44 kg one arm swing x 5 reps at the top of each minute x 30 min
switching hands each set

Stretch

a bit of a PR on the 44 kg volume

Strength Aerobics continues to deliver...

Prep - Mow yard ;-)
32 kg Windmill x 5+5

32 kg Strength aerobics x 25 min.
around 25 sets each hand of Clean+MP+FS
32 kg 10 alternating swings to finish

1/2 kneeling windmill stretches


Hit the driving range yesterday - I was bit tight from the heavy session on Wednesday but still hit pretty well.

Training...

Sept. 14
Prep - foam roller, GFM
24 kg Windmill x 5+5
24 kg Goblet sq x 5

Double 24 kg Strength Aerobics variation
X 35 minutes
Groups of 5
C+MP+FS+SN
Cx3+MP+FS+SN
C+MPx3+FS+SN
C+MP+FSx3+SN
C+MP+FS+SNx3
completed 6 groups and finished with 4 or so sets of singles of each


Sept. 15 
Golf

Sept. 16
prep - Foam roller, GFM
24 kg Get-up x 1+1
24 kg Goblet Squat x 3
44 kg Get-up x 1+1
44 kg Goblet Squat x 3

44kg One arm swing +Snatch x 30 minutes
top of each minute one arm swing x 2 + 1 Snatch
alternate hand each set

Catching up...

Monday Sept. 7 
8+ mile hike
Turned out to be a challenging hike and a great time!

Tuesday Sept. 8 
Off

Wednesday Sept. 9
My birthday
Birthday workout:
Prep
44 kg Windmill x 4+4
44 kg Goblet squat x 4
44kg one arm swings x 4 at the top of each minute x 44 minutes
switch hand each set
22 sets each hand
176 reps total

Thursday Sept. 10
Off

Friday Sept. 11
Never Forget!
Driving range to hit some golf balls

Saturday Sept. 12
Golf outing - great time!

I love to golf  but I'm not sure my left hip loves to golf but the better I get at improving my hands in the swing the less stress I take so I think it will work out.

A few snatches...

Prep - Foam Roller, GFM
32 kg Get-up + x 1+1
32 kg Goblet Squat x 5
32 kg Snatches x 30 min
4 reps each minute for the first 10 min
5 reps each minute for the next 10 min
6 reps each minute for the next 10 min
alternating hands each set
150 total snatches

Couple of days of training...

Sept. 2
Prep - foam roller and GFM
24 kg Windmill x 5 right + 3 goblet squat + 5 windmill Left + 3 goblet squat

44 kg one arm swing x 3 at the top of each minute x 30 minutes
alternating hands each set - 90 total - 45 each hand


Sept. 3 - OFF

Sept. 4
Prep - foam roller, GFM
24 kg Get-up + x 1+1
24 kg Strength Aerobics x 25 min
Clean+MP+FS+Snatch rep pyramid
(all sets right + left)
pyramid up from 1 rep to 5 reps of everything
pyramid down from 5 reps to 1 rep of everything
one addition set of 1 of everything

This turns into quite a few reps since there are 4 exercises in each complex
good amount of work

Quick training today:

Prep - foam roller and GFM
20 kg Get-up+ x 1+1
20 kg Snatch Breathing Ladder
(2:1 ratio) from 1+1 up to 10+10 + a final set of 5+5

Pleasantly sore from the heavy day yesterday so a nice light snatch day was perfect

Holy Mackerel - it cannot have been that long since a blog...

but I guess it has been.

It's been a busy summer here with workshops and family etc...
Indian Club workshop, SFG leadership meeting, 11 days in Budapest, family vacation and more.

But training has been happening.
I was on one of Pavel's experimental protocols for about 3 weeks before a Thai massage tweaked my back and since I had four days of teaching ahead of me I decided to stop the protocol and reboot it later.  My back did great for the 4 days of teaching and reminds me of just how effective our techniques are!

Past few days of training - some sessions were not recorded because I just grabbed a KB and went outside.  (Have to do that while I can since summer does not last here in the Burgh)

8-18
Prep
24 kg Get-up + x 1+1
Double 24 kg Strength Aerobics (c+mp+fs+sn) x 30 min
last 5 minutes 24 kg alternating swing x 10 at the top of the minute

8-22
basically the same as 8-18

8-24
Prep
24 kg Get-up + x 1+1
32 kg Get-up x 1+1
40 kg Get-up x 1+1

Strength Aerobics x 30 min
Double 32 kg (c+mp+fs)
alternated with sets of:
40 kg (right and left) of Clean+MP+FS+ 5 swings

8-28
prep -
24 kg Windmill x 3 right + 3 Goblet squats - repeat on Left with goblet squats x 2 sets

44 kg One arm swings x 4 at the top of the minute x 30 sets/minutes
alternating hands each set

8-31
Prep - foam roller and GFM
24 kg Get-up+ x 1+1
32 kg Get-up x 1+1
40 kg Get-up x 1+1

Strength aerobics x 31 minutes
alternating sets of:
Double 32 kg - C+MP+FS
40 kg one arm swing x 5 (left and then next set right)
for the last 6 minutes it was just the double 32 kg work

Totaled - 16 sets of the 40 kg swings and 15 sets of the double 32 kg work
laddered up the MP reps during 8 of the sets of double 32 kg work
(1>5 and then 1>3 then finished with singles)
Basically turned into reps at the top of the minute with a double up in the last minute to get my 15 sets.