5 mins TGUs @ 16kgs

F Squat - 8, 6, 4 @ 47kgs
Swings - 5 x 10 @ 32kgs

1 min rest between FS, less for swings

Protecting the wrists today so I did FS because I need them and some pretty easy swings.

5 mins TGUs @ 16kgs

Power Cleans - 8, 6, 4 @ 52kgs
M Press - 8, 6, 4 @ 37kgs
F Squat - 8, 6, 4 @ 47kgs

1 min rest between sets and exercises

Hurt my wrist early in first set of Power Cleans - it was ok to continue but I've had it on ice for last hour. Not too bad - but I had to dig deep for the F Squats. Up a couple of kilos on each come Thursday.

Rapid Ascent

5 mins TGUs @ 16kgs

Power Cleans - 8, 6, 4 @ 47kgs
M Press - 8, 6, 4 @ 32kgs
F Squat - 8, 6, 4 @ 37kgs

1 min rest between sets and exercises

Harder than it looks on paper, and compressing the rest ensures the heart is thumping. Put the weight up when you can do all the reps, so I'll probably put 5kgs on each next time I do it. Some of it was easier than others but I'll find my level for each of them in a few workouts anyway.

R.I.P. Holly

We had to have our dog put down on Monday. She was 9 1/2 years old and in pretty bad shape. Thankfully she went downhill pretty quickly though and wasn't in discomfort for as long as some I have since heard about. I miss her.

My mum wanted to have her buried in her garden and so I set about digging it straight after the vet had gone. I've got to say it was a pretty therapeutic process, upsetting at points but something I think all owners should do.

Anyway, during the digging I messed up my hands and my left hand in particular. I've torn large chunks of skin off the palm and as such I haven't been fit to use it for training. I've also been eating a lot of rubbish this week as well. I need to get my act together and will probably go out for a run later to just do something.

Haven't heard back from Maurice yet though I think he was back earlier in the week. The problem is that I am making big changes in my working life which will involve me being on call. I'm not sure I can really commit to training at a certain time for an hour anymore. I'll play it by ear at this stage but I may just have to train myself for a while again. It would mean that I'd have to use only the barest basic exercises for the Oly Lifts and would have to be flexible and use the KBs when weather wouldn't permit.

But you just have to roll with it. Take it on the chin and keep moving onwards and upwards.

Faster Marine!!

1.5 mile run - 11mins 45secs

My friend in Cardiff is having a bit of a slightly early mid-life crisis and wants to join the Royal Marine Reserves!! He's been doing a bit of running and we were talking about the running test that he'll need to complete - 1.5 miles in under 10mins 30secs.

I was telling him how a lot of guys in military post on Dragondoor and how they are still fit for tests despite only using KBs. Even though I haven't even been using my KBs again for long he called me out. So after yesterdays marathon and no warm up I put my heart into it and fell a little short. Wore my HR monitor and recorded a Max HR of 192bpms which I recall was my max when I used to run a lot years ago.

I reckon with a little bit of rest and a bit more KB training I'd nail that no worries. Switching to the 36:36 protocol with 16kgs for KB stuff now. The 24kgs is too big a jump for 15:15 - it takes a massive toal on my wrists and grip.....the 36:36 should help with this. Back to the barbell stuff next week sometime I guess.

Just give me 7!!

Vo2max Snatches - 80 rounds of 15:15 @ 16kgs KB
Total - 560 in 40 mins

I have been finally feeling discontented again, usually this leads to discomfort followed by growth. I have allowed myself to regress in the last 5 years or so and more or less shut myself away. Part of this discontentment lead me to start listening again to the audio book 7 Habits of Highly Effective people. I credit part of chapter two for my success in hitting 80 rounds of vo2max tonight.

There is plenty of info in that chapter but I was focusing on Leadership and Management. Leadership is having the vision and ensuring that you are headed in the right direction, management is the efficient movement in that direction and the means you use. Tonight before I started I wanted a big number - something almost silly. I wanted to surprise myself so I decided upon 80 rounds - a little less than twice what I did the other day and equal my PR for this. So that was the vision which I held in my head to begin with.

To get there I decided that all I had to do was 7 efficient reps over and over - the more efficient the easier it would be. Just give me 7!! Nevermind how many rounds you've done or still have to do. Just give me 7!! About half way through my skin was being left on the KB and my hands were in pretty bad shape. Just give me 7!! At 65 I felt a bit faint and very weak and tired. Just give me 7!! Truth was that towards the end they weren't so efficient, but they were good ones and I did what I set out to do. 100% committment to the vision.

Franklin asked Why do I bother? a little while ago. This is why I bother, these little battles and victories within myself, its about showing myself that I am capable of so much more than I think. That if I have direction and put myself to the task with all that I have I will make it, no matter what area, no matter how seemingly insurmountable.

Guys for some reason I'm unable to put comments on my own blog? Of course if I was 100% committed then I'd be able to do it ;)

Thanks for the support and I hope that you are both well and managing to get some training in. I'd have to say that the competition and pic is doing exactly what I'd hoped in terms of motivation.

Snatch - 5 x 3 @ 40.5kgs (roughly 70% 1RM)

Vo2max Snatches - 50 rounds of 15:15 @ 16kgs KB
Total - 350 in 25 mins

Surprising how much more you can do when the head is in the right place and you believe you can do that much. I'll bust through 60+ rounds later this week.