Recent Sessions - Preparing for a change

Hello again,
I have really fallen off in my posting now that I'm keeping a separate online journal (private) of my training. I plan to continue posting the occasional session after this but will focus my posts on other health related topics in the future.

Personally, I am making gradual progress in my training and have not been pushing things too fast. This is a big change for me and I am learning to train without the threat level being so high all the time, thanks to my deepening understanding of Z health. (I neglected to post that I attended T-phase in February).

My current training goals are to:

• Work up to 400 rep sessions with my new 20kg bell

• Work up to bodyweight pullups via the lat pulldown

• Refine my movement quality and ability to use a heavy bell in the TGU

• Get back to Military Press Ladders! I have a new 28kg bell waiting for me!

My left deltoid has been causing me pain in mid military press for quite some time and I have not yet resolved this issue so I have laid off of them for quite a while. I'm not happy about this, as they are one of my favorite movements, but I have replaced them with Turkish Get-Ups (TGU) and have worked at refining and improving my skill with these. It's an interesting turn of events as after reading Dragon Door articles by Gray Cook about Primitive Patterns and Gray Cook & Brett Jones article promoting Kettlebells from the Ground Up I am quite curious about using them as a rehab tool.

Here is the last month of my training (edited for the blogosphere). I am posting much more personal (and often boring to the reader) stuff that I'd like to track and recall later. Enjoy!

3/24/09

PM - 10 min Z-Health warm-up - 90% R-phase - did 9 position toe pulls & 3 posit lat. ankle tilts

Working Sets w/20kg - 4 laps between sets - Cross crawl drills and 9 posit. toe pulls several times
Swings - (10 L,R x2) x 5 = 200 reps

Hindu Squats (10 x 5) = 50 reps = 250 reps total - Moderate/Hard - done in ~17min - 85% pulse rt

Yoga

Polarity Squat - 36 L,R, 16 F,B and 5 circles in both directions

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Triangle Pose - 2 rds

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Qigong
Swing 1 - 36 reps
Swing 2 - 36 reps
Swing 3 - 16 reps

3/23/09

PM - Z Health - 5 min warm up - 90% R-phase, 10% I-phase - just a few cross-crawl drills

Working Sets w/20kg
TGU - 5 x 4 L,R - getting easier, both overall and at my tough spot
Lat pulldown - wide front grip - 5 x 4 @ 160 lbs - 'opposite' focus - extra rep could not get bar to chest (but almost)

Yoga

Polarity Squat - 36 L,R, 16 F,B and 5 circles in both directions

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Triangle Pose - 2 rds

Sun Salute - 1 rd


3/21/09
a 3 hr walk in woods (off trail for much of it) on Saturday


3/20/09
PM - short demo of KB techniques: TGU, Swing, Snatch, BUP, CoC grippers

10 min Z-Health warm-up - 90% R-phase - did 9 position toe pulls

Working Sets w/20kg - 4 laps between sets
Swings - (10 L,R x2) x 5 = 200 reps

Hindu Squats (10 x 5) = 50 reps = 250 reps total - Moderate/Hard - did it fast too ~12min - 85% pulse rt

Yoga

Polarity Squat - 36 L,R, 16 F,B and 5 circles in both directions

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Triangle Pose - 2 rds

Sun Salute - 1 rd

3/19/09

PM - Z Health
5 min warm up - 90% R-phase, 10% I-phase - just a few cross-crawl drills

Working Sets w/20kg
TGU - 5 x 4 L,R - getting easier, both overall and at my tough spot
Lat pulldown - wide front grip - 5 x 4 @ 160 lbs - 'opposite' focus - extra rep could not get bar to chest (but almost)

Yoga

Polarity Squat - 36 L,R, 16 F,B and 5 circles in both directions

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Triangle Pose - 2 rds

Sun Salute - 1 rd


3/17/09

PM - Z Health
10min warm up - 90% R-phase, 10% I-phase

Working Sets w/20kg - 4 laps between sets
Swings - (8 L,R x2) x 5 = 160 reps

Hindu Squats (8 x 5) = 40 reps = 200 reps total - Easy -Moderate - did it fast too

Yoga

Polarity Squat - 36 L,R, 16 F,B and 5 circles in both directions

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Triangle Pose - 2 rds

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Qigong
Cloud Hands - 2 min
Swing 1 - 2 min
Swing 2 - 2 min


3/16/09
very fatigued today - limited sleep last night

PM -Z-Health
spent lots of time going through all R drills carefully

Dao Zou - about 10 laps

Qigong
Cloud Hands - 60 secs
Swing 1 - 60 secs
Swing 2 - 60 secs
Swing 3 - 60 secs

Yoga

Polarity Squat - 36 L,R, 16 F,B and 5 circles in both directions

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Triangle Pose - 2 rds -extra time on R side to ^ ROM

Sun Salute - 1 rd


3/15
1 hr walk, moderate pace -some Z to reduce sacral px

3/14
1 hr walk, moderate pace, plenty of Z to reduce sacral px

3/13/09

PM - Z Health
10min warm up - 90% R-phase, 10% I-phase - again - toe pulls, K27/cross-crawl drills - getting easier to do at speed


Working Sets w/16kg - not enough sleep last night - tired all day - need a light cardio workout today - 16 kg got the call
Swings - (10 L,R x2) x 6 = 240 reps

Hindu Squats (10 x 6) = 60 reps = 300 reps total - easy-moderate

Did all 5 sets with minimal rest - done in about 15 minutes

Yoga

Polarity Squat - 36 L,R, 16 F,B and 5 circles in both directions

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Triangle Pose - 2 rds

Sun Salute - 1 rd


3/12/09
AM- most of Acu-pts routine

PM - Z Health
10min warm up - 90% R-phase, 10% I-phase - again K27/cross-crawl drills - getting easier to do at speed

Working Sets w/20kg
TGU - 5 x 4 L,R - see notes below
Lat pulldown - wide front grip - 5 x 3 @ 160 lbs - 'opposite' focus - extra rep no prob until last set, then only slightly

Re: TGU - read Gray Cook/Brett Jone's Dragon Door article on TGUs and primitive movement patterns. Realized that I probably have an issue here because I have so much trouble rotating and flexing my torso, which is related to my cross-crawl/switching issue. Focus on crisp form, good control of bell at all times - esp. at middle to end of first 'pushoff' to 'position 2' as well as that spot on the way down.

Yoga

Polarity Squat - 36 L,R, 16 F,B and 5 circles in both directions

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Triangle Pose - 2 rds

Sun Salute - 1 rd


3/10/09


PM - Z Health
10min warm up - 90% R-phase, 10% I-phase - again K27/cross-crawl drills - getting easier to do at speed

Working Sets w/16kg - need a 'pure' cardio workout today to blow off steam - 16 kg is light enough for that
Swings - (10 L,R x2) x 6 = 240 reps

Hindu Squats (10 x 6) = 60 reps = 300 reps total - moderate

Did all 5 sets with minimal rest - done in about 15 minutes

Yoga

Polarity Squat - 36 L,R, 16 F,B and 5 circles in both directions

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Triangle Pose - 2 rds

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Qigong
Cloud Hands - 60 secs
Swing 1 - 60 secs
Swing 2 - 60 secs
Swing 3 - 60 secs


3/9/09

PM - Z Health
10min warm up - 90% R-phase, 10% I-phase

Dao Zou -
several laps

Working Sets w/20kg - 3 toe pulls, lat. ankle tilts
Military Clean & Press -experimental - my L shoulder was acting extra weird since yesterday but for some reason, I could actually do presses with almost no pain 3 x 5 -

Yoga

Polarity Squat - 36 L,R, 16 F,B and 5 circles in both directions

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Triangle Pose - 2 rds

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Qigong
Cloud Hands - 60 secs
Swing 1 - 60 secs
Swing 2 - 60 secs
Swing 3 - 60 secs


3/6/09

PM - Z Health
10min warm up - 90% R-phase, 10% I-phase

Working Sets w/20kg - 3 toe pulls, lat. ankle tilts and cross-crawl work before & between all sets
Swings - (8 L,R x2) x 5 = 160 reps

Hindu Squats (10 x 5) = 50 reps = 210 reps total - Moderate - pulse to 85% of max

Yoga

Polarity Squat - 36 L,R, 16 F,B and 5 circles in both directions

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Triangle Pose - 2 rds

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Qigong
Cloud Hands - 60 secs
Swing 1 - 60 secs
Swing 2 - 60 secs


3/5/09
AM - not enough sleep last night, somewhat restless as well: 6/10 - 10 being a perfect night's sleep (fall asleep very quickly, stay deeply asleep all night long, awake refreshed after enough hours - 7 for me)

PM-Z-Health - quick R based warm up - 3 toe pulls, lat. ankle tilts and cross-crawl work before & between all sets

Working Sets w/20kg
TGU - 5 x 3 L,R - focus on crisp form, good control of bell at all times - need forceful 'pushoff' and good focus to arrive at '2nd position' w/bell fully under control - same for last position
Lat pulldown - wide front grip - 5 x 4 @ 150 lbs - 'opposite' focus - extra rep no prob until last set, then only slightly

Yoga

Polarity Squat - 36 L,R, 16 F,B and 5 circles in both directions

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Triangle Pose - 2 rds

Sun Salute - 1 rd


3/4/09
AM- partial Acu-pts

PM - Z-Health - 5 min R/I warmup - many drills in 'hike pass' position

Working Sets w/16kg lots of toe pulls (all 3) and lat ankle tilts seem to smooth out the SI fxn very nicely
Swings - (10 L,R x2) x 5 = 200 reps

Hindu Squats (12 x 5) = 60 reps = 260 reps total - easy

Did all 5 sets with minimal rest - done in about 12 minutes as opposed to normally 17 min!

Yoga

Polarity Squat - 36 L,R, 16 F,B and 5 circles in both directions

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Triangle Pose - 1 rd -

Sun Salute - 1 rd


3/3/09
AM - 2/3 main acu pts
snow shoveling ~ 20 min

PM - Z Health
10min warm up - 90% R-phase, 10% I-phase (toe waves - have been including these for months) - include Cranials & Cross-Crawl moves/K27

Working Sets w/20kg - Moderate strength session today
TGU - 5 x 3 L,R -
Lat pulldown - wide front grip - 5 x 3 @ 150 lbs - focus on pulling myself up to the bar instead of pulling the bar down to me

Yoga

Polarity Squat - 36 L,R, 16 F,B and 5 circles in both directions

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Triangle Pose - 2 rds

Sun Salute - 1 rd


3/2/09
PM - Z Health
10min warm up - 100% R-phase, & include Cranials, Cross-Crawl moves/K27 between many sets

sleeping better - Myocalm PM & massages helping! - but need to do very easy cardio session AGAIN today to make sure my back is OK -

Working Sets w/16kg lots of toe pulls (all 3) and ankle tilts seem to smooth out the SI fxn very nicely
Swings - (10 L,R x2) x 5 = 200 reps

Hindu Squats (12 x 5) = 60 reps = 260 reps total - easy

Neck Bridging - feet flat x 5 (10 "rocks')

Yoga

Polarity Squat - 36 L,R, 16 F,B and 5 circles in both directions

Sun Salute - 1 rd

Triangle Pose - 1 rd -

Sun Salute - 1 rd