SOME GOOD, BAD & UGLY...or SUPER UGLY

CHALLENGE STATIONS-

3 rounds max reps...1 minute per station, continuous clock, 1 minute rest between rounds

KB SWINGS 16kg
BURPEES
GOBLET SQUATS 25#
PULLUPS
SPLIT JUMPS
SANDBAG CLEANS 50#

052209- 215 (MODS- blu/mini combo pullups, lunges)

6 reps less than last time, but I made my pullups harder, and I had a KB mishap that cost me about 30 seconds, which is quite a few swings. I would've had more reps if I hadn't had that mishap even with the harder pullups. I may always have to write this up in blue because of the split jumps, as due to my bum leg, struggle just to do unweighted lunges. I guess I'll just have to deal and be extra happy if I ever am able to do them.

Saturday and Sunday I was at the Rippetoe barbell certification. We learned how to improve our form and teach for the low bar back squat, press, bench press, closed stance deadlift and power cleans.

I learned a new grip for my press and bench press that made them easier on my wrist, had my down position on the bench adjusted and found a better foot position, my grip and my stance (I had a too narrow stance) were the only corrections to my form on the press, although he showed us a different way to get our heads out of the way too. The squat my only problem as always was depth, I was the only one that didn't get their depth problem fixed. I will still have to work on it, but have a slightly different stance and way to do that. I was also told that due to "thigh girth" many people, may actually miss when I do finally break parallel as that girth can make it harder to see.

On closed stance deadlift, I was told that the shorter length of my arms in proportion to my legs, will make getting into the stance correctly a bit of a struggle, although if I used a mixed grip for some reason I can get it easier...even when it's a light weight that I could easily lift with a double overhand grip. He did also state that one should use the double overhand grip to work on grip strength and only swith to the mixed grip when necessary, and should always alternate which hand is over hand to prevent shoulder problems.

My cleans...until I got very fatigued were good. When I got fatigued I had trouble getting the bar up and pulled too soon with my arms, but the last few were the only ones I was having these problems with.

In my defense cleans were the last lift on Sunday, I got up on Saturday at 6am and got 2 hours of sleep that night before being called in to work for a shooting, working 7 hours, missing the first 2 hours of Sunday's session, coming in straight from work and going on through....I also had only eaten dinner the previous evening and lunch on Sunday. Overall I'd rate this high on what I learned as we were taught the science/biomechanics of the forms being taught/preformed the way we did.

I took Monday and Tuesday off as I was still exhausted.

PRESS (3x1), PUSH PRESS (3x3), PUSH JERK (3x5) for weight

052709- P= 90, 95 (failed), 92 (failed)
PP= 100, 115x2, 115x2
PJ= 105, 100, 95

All my weights were pathetic....this was the day I was embracing SUCKINESS! I have done more weight on all of these lifts on multiple occassions. Usually when we do this one we get to choose between a plain jane puch jerk and a split jerk also, which I prefer the split jerk as for some reason I have problems with my left foot on a straight PJ. Let's just say I was still a tired, definitely sore in the shoulders and well...just flat out sucking.

KB HELL- TABATA STYLE KBs, 20 seconds on 10 seconds off, 8 rounds per exercise, 1 minute rest between exercise...for MAX REPS

FRONT SQUATS
CLEAN & JERK
BENTOVER ROWS
ALTERNATING FLOOR PRESS

16kg all exercises- 1KB in each hand

052809- 154

This is the first time we've done this workout for max reps...in the past the score has always been recorded as the lowest reps for each exercise. Also, there used to be 2 handed KB swings (one bell) on the end, but this was removed this time. That was a big rep getter. I think I like max reps better. Today the bentover rows were done with both arms in motion up and down at the same time. In the past we have done this with alternating hands with the rest position at the top and once with rest position at the bottom. I think I like alternating better and prefer the rest position at the bottom. I lost reps on this exercise this time. The floor press is the hardest for me followed by the cleans. The cleans are more time consuming though besides the toughness, so the reps are usually fairly low. The alternating floor press uses the up position as the "rest" position for the hand not working on that rep...

TOMORROW IS THE FILTHY 50...I'm already feeling beatup....but I guess I'll just have to say something like "game on" or "bring it on"