Isochain 6x6: Week 8 - End of Training Block and Planning for Next Block

This was the final week of the planned 8-week 6x6 training block on the Isochain. My main hope for this week was continued healing of my right shoulder, as well as restoration of pain-free range of motion.

I did not achieve force numbers as high as my tested 1-rep max scores, but my performance trended up towards those levels.

My strength gains for this training block, based on comparison of the first 1-rep max test, and the 4th and final 1-rep max test results:

Zercher Squat - thighs just above parallel - 106% gain
Shoulder Press - middle position - 17.4% gain
Seated Row - elbows in front of torso - 5.75% gain

The Zercher Squat gains were inflated by allowing my elbows to rest on my thighs, thus shifting more load from my arms to my legs. I wasn't sure at first if I should allow myself to do this, but then I concluded that I'm practicing this exercise to strengthen my lower body, so it's ok if my force number goes up because the upper body is doing even less work.

The Shoulder Press gains are probably from just sticking to the same body positioning and cues for the entire training block. In past 6x6 and Promethean training blocks, I experimented with bending my knees to various degreess vs. kneecaps pulled up/locked out legs, feet closer vs further apart, etc.

For my next training block, I was leaning towards doing Easy Muscle on Schedule A, which is the Clean and Press only schedule. I was thinking that I had gained enough strength from 6x6 to do Schedule A with double 16kg kettlebells. Easy Muscle would stimulate muscle growth (hypertrophy), which would help maintain blood pressure at healthy levels, as well as give the CNS (Central Nervous System) more muscle to work with the next time I do a 6x6 training block... which would in theory allow me to progress in strength towards being able to press double 24kg kettlebells... which would lead to being able to do Easy Muscle with those double 24kg KBs... leading to more muscle.. etc.

Geoff Neupert had a promo going for his Kettlebell STRONG! double-kettlebell training manual. Purchase of Kettlebell STRONG! would with bonus training programs, if purchased during a promo period. One of the bonus training programs is a Foundation Program.

The Foundational Program is 6 weeks long. It's a program built on the practice of three double-kettlebell exercises - the Double Clean, the Double Press, and the Double Front Squat. After watching the Kettlebell STRONG! instructional videos, I realized that I should practice the Double Clean and Double Press separately, before practicing the Double Clean and Press. I was also sold on practicing the Double Front Squat.

Thus it make sense to work choose The Foundation Program for my next training block. After completing this 6-week program, I should be better prepared to take on Easy Muscle, Schedule A, which starts off which quite a bit higher training volume compared to Foundation Program.