This time for headstand practice, I focused on lifting a knee away from my elbow, per 2nd progression guidance from the StrongFirst HSPU Part 1 article. My very first attempt failed. As soon as I attempted to lift a knee, the pressure of my palms against the floor went up and the leg felt so heavy, as if it were made of lead. I stood up, off tension, and made a couple more attempts. On my 3rd or 4th attempt, I was able to lift a knee about half an inch on each side. By the end of Practice A, I was able to lift each knee an inch away from each arm - one knee at a time. This seems to work like GMB Frogger and Monkey, where I have to press my hands hard against the floor to get my feet in the air. Hopefully next time, I'll remember to press harder with my hands when I want to lift a leg into the air. I think when I can straighten one leg while maintaining a headstand, it will be a sign that I have the bent-arm stabilizing strength to shift all of my bodyweight to my hands, and lift my head off the floor. When I can do that, I can work on transition from headstand to Crow Pose
For the Push session, I did ring dips in 4-rep sets, for a total of 24 reps. I decided to do ring dips instead of parallette push ups because I thought my left shoulder would be less likely to be irritated. However the shoulder was irritated right away for the first couple of sets. I then remembered to set up for the dip with a hard anti-shrug to depress the scapulae, then keep the scapulae depressed and retracted as I sank into the dip. This helped eliminate the shoulder irritation. The other cue I had to remember was to not allow my elbows to flare outside my hands.
I was able to maintain the headstand, while playing with raising one leg at a time, for about 5 seconds before I had to take a break. I didn't count how many times I did the headstand within Practice A's 10 minutes, because the goal of a Practice session under the GMB 5P framework is to... practice... a skill, not chase numbers.
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Planche Mini Course: 2nd Practice A session
This video from the article Your Journey to a Handstand Push-up: Part 1 by Karen Smith on the StrongFirst site inspired me to try something a little different with my headstand:
I didn't do exactly the same movement as shown in the above video. I still started on my hands and knees instead of lying on my belly. What I did incorporate from the video was contract the muscles of my core to pull my knees towards my elbows. This feels more stable than just lifting a knee to the elbow without the core engagement. I wore socks to make it easier for the feet to slide across the floor.
I asked Eduardo Orihuela if I should start working on transition to Crow Pose right away, or work on a longer headstand hold first. His reply was You can experiment with it either way. There’s no one specific way to go about it. It’s about having fun and developing control
For this session I tried to focus as much of my weight as possible on my hands, working towards removing so much weight from head that I could lift my head off the floor. Once I can lift my head off the floor, I should be ready to transition from headstand to Crow Pose. I managed to hold the headstand for about 5 seconds, at best, before my hands fatigued. Thus I spent the 10 minutes of Practice A doing multiple sets of 3-5 sec. holds.
The Play session focused on practicing the Frogger while sliding the feet slowly and stalling with the feet in the air if possible. I managed to stall with the feet in the air on a couple of reps in the first set. Pushing hard with the arms seems to be key to the stall. For the 2nd set, I tried doing the same thing but in what GMB calls the Baby Frogger - which is the Frogger with legs inside of the arms. It's harder to stall in Baby Frogger because the legs don't get to rest on the arms like in regular Frogger. I switched back to regular Frogger for the last 2 sets, thus calling it a day after 4 total sets.
Every training session in the mini course includes Prepare and Ponder sessions. Writing about my training experience is a Ponder session. After my first Practice A session last week, the back of my neck was sore for the rest of the day. I then studied this video:
This yoga teacher recommends taking some time to decompress the spine after headstand practice to help prevent neck pain. She shows one way to do it. I used my FeetUp device instead, since I already have it. I just got into an assisted headstand on the FeetUp and hung out on it for about 30 sec., gently turning my head left and right, doing a few neck nods, and playing with my legs - at some point resting my feet on the wall next to the FeetUp. I did not feel any neck soreness for the rest of the day, or the following day. I don't know if the lack of soreness is due to neck muscles adapting to headstand training, or the decompression on the FeetUp prevented it - happy either way.
I feel like my hands/wrists are not ready for the headstand to Crow Pose transition. So for the next Practice A session, instead of working on transferring weight to the hands, I'm going to work on the 2nd progression from the StrongFirst article. The 1st progression was setup and balancing in headstand. 2nd progression is maintainng headstand while slowly extending one leg towards the sky then holding it straight.
I didn't do exactly the same movement as shown in the above video. I still started on my hands and knees instead of lying on my belly. What I did incorporate from the video was contract the muscles of my core to pull my knees towards my elbows. This feels more stable than just lifting a knee to the elbow without the core engagement. I wore socks to make it easier for the feet to slide across the floor.
I asked Eduardo Orihuela if I should start working on transition to Crow Pose right away, or work on a longer headstand hold first. His reply was You can experiment with it either way. There’s no one specific way to go about it. It’s about having fun and developing control
For this session I tried to focus as much of my weight as possible on my hands, working towards removing so much weight from head that I could lift my head off the floor. Once I can lift my head off the floor, I should be ready to transition from headstand to Crow Pose. I managed to hold the headstand for about 5 seconds, at best, before my hands fatigued. Thus I spent the 10 minutes of Practice A doing multiple sets of 3-5 sec. holds.
The Play session focused on practicing the Frogger while sliding the feet slowly and stalling with the feet in the air if possible. I managed to stall with the feet in the air on a couple of reps in the first set. Pushing hard with the arms seems to be key to the stall. For the 2nd set, I tried doing the same thing but in what GMB calls the Baby Frogger - which is the Frogger with legs inside of the arms. It's harder to stall in Baby Frogger because the legs don't get to rest on the arms like in regular Frogger. I switched back to regular Frogger for the last 2 sets, thus calling it a day after 4 total sets.
Every training session in the mini course includes Prepare and Ponder sessions. Writing about my training experience is a Ponder session. After my first Practice A session last week, the back of my neck was sore for the rest of the day. I then studied this video:
This yoga teacher recommends taking some time to decompress the spine after headstand practice to help prevent neck pain. She shows one way to do it. I used my FeetUp device instead, since I already have it. I just got into an assisted headstand on the FeetUp and hung out on it for about 30 sec., gently turning my head left and right, doing a few neck nods, and playing with my legs - at some point resting my feet on the wall next to the FeetUp. I did not feel any neck soreness for the rest of the day, or the following day. I don't know if the lack of soreness is due to neck muscles adapting to headstand training, or the decompression on the FeetUp prevented it - happy either way.
I feel like my hands/wrists are not ready for the headstand to Crow Pose transition. So for the next Practice A session, instead of working on transferring weight to the hands, I'm going to work on the 2nd progression from the StrongFirst article. The 1st progression was setup and balancing in headstand. 2nd progression is maintainng headstand while slowly extending one leg towards the sky then holding it straight.
Friday, May 15, 2026
Planche Mini Course Week 1
This week I was going to resume The Giant style training with single 20kg kettlebell. However, a couple of months ago, I strained something in the thumb side of my right forearm while carrying stuff to my car with an awkward grip. Holding a pitcher of water without support from the left hand was painful. Months later, holding the pitcher doesn't hurt as much, but when I clean a 20kg kettlebell, something about the action of pulling the KB on the upswing into the rack is still annoying for my right forearm.
So for this training block, I decided to try the Free Planche Mini Course taught by Eduardo Orihuela, a fitness coach who I first saw in GMB Fitness courses as a Lead GMB Trainer. Previously, I had thought of waiting until I can clean-and-press double 32kg kettlebells, which is close to my bodyweight, before taking Eduardo's planche mini course, which is really a course on planche push up training, not just planche. Planche push ups require both strength and skill to execute. I thought I would train primarily with KBs until when I'm able to clean+press double 32kg KBs, then try my luck with planche push ups, because rate of progress in terms of strength and muscle gains have been higher for me with The Giant style training than with pure bodyweight training. However, with my forearm problem eliminating The Giant style training as an option for now, I'm going with the planche mini course until my forearm feels better. It's designed to accommodate a wide variety of fitness levels - from those who are already strong, to those who can't even do one push up on the floor yet, so you don't have to be pressing double 32s before you can try it.
The mini course appears to be built on the GMB Method. Looking at the weekly schedule, I recognize the 5P's of the GMB Method - Prepare, Practice, Play, Push, and Ponder. Every day of the week has Prepare and Ponder. 2 days have Practice A and another 2 days have Practice B. There is one Play day, paired with Practice A. There is a Push day, also paired with Practice A.
I plan to do the Planche Mini Course until I feel that my right elbow can handle cleaning a 20kg KB again. This could be a few weeks or it could be months on end. Elbow tendons don't heal as fast as we would like.
5/11
Activity on this date was logged here.
MM Pike
5/12
Practice B - This is practicing a variation of GMB's Monkey locomotion in which we work on lengthening the legs as they leave the floor, working towards a cartwheel. The mini course has you working towards a handstand on the Practice A track. The cartwheel is how you would bail out of a handstand when you lose your balance. The journey to cartwheel itself develops attributes for better hand balancing. The planche is a hand balancing skill.
MM Bridge
5/13
MM Bridge - The couch stretch is annoying as always but I got my shoulder blade to touch the wall for both sides.
MM Horse Stance - I was unable complete 3 rounds. After 2 rounds I ran out of time. I'm not too worried because out of Master Mobility's 3 targetted positions, Horse Stance has the lowest priority for me.
5/14
Practice A - This time I decided to attempt a headstand on the floor instead of using the FeetUp device. I used two puzzle mat tiles as a cushion for my head. I tried setting the hands at various distances from my head to find a hand placement that would allow me to get into headstand without excessive effort. Once I found a decent hand placement, I worked on holding the headstand for time. My best time was 15 seconds. A few hours later, the back of my neck was sore. I think it's just because I hadn't made those neck muscles work in a while. Next time, I'll work on putting more of my weight on my hands. To progress to Crow Pose, my hands need to be able to support all of my bodywieght, so that I can lift my head.
Push - The mini course instructions is to work on push ups on the rings, if you are not strong enough to do push ups on parallettes, then practice push ups on parallettes. The next progression is to lean forward so that the shoulders are in front of the hands, and do push ups with this forward lean, until the shoulders are so far ahead of the hands, at the bottom of the push up, that the feet are floating. Once the feet are floating at the bottom of the push up, it's time to move on to the next progression, which is Eduardo's tuck planche push up negative to dip positive exercise. So for this day I did 6 sets of 3 push ups (no lean) on the parallettes. I did 3-rep sets because I could do 3 reps without feeling like I was training to failure. I narrowly avoided irritating my suspect left shoulder. Next week, I'm going to switch to ring dips with a 4kg plate, because ring dips feel less risky for my problematic left shoulder than parallette pushups. The purpose of a Push session in the mini course is to improve conditioning (and strength too I have to assume) to help us bridge the gap between planche progressions. I think ring dips will accomplish this goal just as well as parallette pushups. I plan to do unweighted ring dips for 4 weeks, which should be enough to get me back to where my ring dip performance was at the end of my last Easy Muscle training block this past March. Then I'll start using a dip belt with 4kg plate and work with that for up to 8 weeks. Then I may switch back to parallette pushups.
5/12
Practice B - Afterwards, did ring assisted pistol squats, then 3 broad jumps get in some leg work and warm up the hips for MM Horse Stance.
MM Horse Stance - Did 3 rounds this time.
I have a Bells of Steel green/average fabric resistance band that reportedly has 80 lbs. of resistance at full stretch. So, I hung it from my pullup bar, got it around my waist, then attempted to do a tuck planche on the parallettes. The band did not take away enough of my bodyweight to make this attempt easy. My shoulders, arms, etc. still had to work really hard. I don't think I got my hips as high as my shoulders, which would be a proper tuck planche. So for next week's Play session, I will still have to do Frogger on the floor, working towards being able to lean forward enough and hold the lean long enough to stall with my feet in the air. One recent trend in calisthenics is use of resistance bands to speed up progression towards a full planche, hence Eduardo's suggestion to try using a band after you have progressed beyond the Frogger play.
So for this training block, I decided to try the Free Planche Mini Course taught by Eduardo Orihuela, a fitness coach who I first saw in GMB Fitness courses as a Lead GMB Trainer. Previously, I had thought of waiting until I can clean-and-press double 32kg kettlebells, which is close to my bodyweight, before taking Eduardo's planche mini course, which is really a course on planche push up training, not just planche. Planche push ups require both strength and skill to execute. I thought I would train primarily with KBs until when I'm able to clean+press double 32kg KBs, then try my luck with planche push ups, because rate of progress in terms of strength and muscle gains have been higher for me with The Giant style training than with pure bodyweight training. However, with my forearm problem eliminating The Giant style training as an option for now, I'm going with the planche mini course until my forearm feels better. It's designed to accommodate a wide variety of fitness levels - from those who are already strong, to those who can't even do one push up on the floor yet, so you don't have to be pressing double 32s before you can try it.
The mini course appears to be built on the GMB Method. Looking at the weekly schedule, I recognize the 5P's of the GMB Method - Prepare, Practice, Play, Push, and Ponder. Every day of the week has Prepare and Ponder. 2 days have Practice A and another 2 days have Practice B. There is one Play day, paired with Practice A. There is a Push day, also paired with Practice A.
I plan to do the Planche Mini Course until I feel that my right elbow can handle cleaning a 20kg KB again. This could be a few weeks or it could be months on end. Elbow tendons don't heal as fast as we would like.
5/11
Activity on this date was logged here.
MM Pike
5/12
Practice B - This is practicing a variation of GMB's Monkey locomotion in which we work on lengthening the legs as they leave the floor, working towards a cartwheel. The mini course has you working towards a handstand on the Practice A track. The cartwheel is how you would bail out of a handstand when you lose your balance. The journey to cartwheel itself develops attributes for better hand balancing. The planche is a hand balancing skill.
MM Bridge
5/13
MM Bridge - The couch stretch is annoying as always but I got my shoulder blade to touch the wall for both sides.
MM Horse Stance - I was unable complete 3 rounds. After 2 rounds I ran out of time. I'm not too worried because out of Master Mobility's 3 targetted positions, Horse Stance has the lowest priority for me.
5/14
Practice A - This time I decided to attempt a headstand on the floor instead of using the FeetUp device. I used two puzzle mat tiles as a cushion for my head. I tried setting the hands at various distances from my head to find a hand placement that would allow me to get into headstand without excessive effort. Once I found a decent hand placement, I worked on holding the headstand for time. My best time was 15 seconds. A few hours later, the back of my neck was sore. I think it's just because I hadn't made those neck muscles work in a while. Next time, I'll work on putting more of my weight on my hands. To progress to Crow Pose, my hands need to be able to support all of my bodywieght, so that I can lift my head.
Push - The mini course instructions is to work on push ups on the rings, if you are not strong enough to do push ups on parallettes, then practice push ups on parallettes. The next progression is to lean forward so that the shoulders are in front of the hands, and do push ups with this forward lean, until the shoulders are so far ahead of the hands, at the bottom of the push up, that the feet are floating. Once the feet are floating at the bottom of the push up, it's time to move on to the next progression, which is Eduardo's tuck planche push up negative to dip positive exercise. So for this day I did 6 sets of 3 push ups (no lean) on the parallettes. I did 3-rep sets because I could do 3 reps without feeling like I was training to failure. I narrowly avoided irritating my suspect left shoulder. Next week, I'm going to switch to ring dips with a 4kg plate, because ring dips feel less risky for my problematic left shoulder than parallette pushups. The purpose of a Push session in the mini course is to improve conditioning (and strength too I have to assume) to help us bridge the gap between planche progressions. I think ring dips will accomplish this goal just as well as parallette pushups. I plan to do unweighted ring dips for 4 weeks, which should be enough to get me back to where my ring dip performance was at the end of my last Easy Muscle training block this past March. Then I'll start using a dip belt with 4kg plate and work with that for up to 8 weeks. Then I may switch back to parallette pushups.
5/12
Practice B - Afterwards, did ring assisted pistol squats, then 3 broad jumps get in some leg work and warm up the hips for MM Horse Stance.
MM Horse Stance - Did 3 rounds this time.
I have a Bells of Steel green/average fabric resistance band that reportedly has 80 lbs. of resistance at full stretch. So, I hung it from my pullup bar, got it around my waist, then attempted to do a tuck planche on the parallettes. The band did not take away enough of my bodyweight to make this attempt easy. My shoulders, arms, etc. still had to work really hard. I don't think I got my hips as high as my shoulders, which would be a proper tuck planche. So for next week's Play session, I will still have to do Frogger on the floor, working towards being able to lean forward enough and hold the lean long enough to stall with my feet in the air. One recent trend in calisthenics is use of resistance bands to speed up progression towards a full planche, hence Eduardo's suggestion to try using a band after you have progressed beyond the Frogger play.
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
First Practice A session from Planche Mini Course
Today was my first session following the free Planche Mini Course taught by Eduardo Orihuela, a fitness coach who I first saw in GMB Fitness courses as a Lead GMB Trainer.
Practice A focuses on the Crow Pose. The first progression is working on a tripod headstand, which is the headstand with both palms on the floor, instead of with the forearms on the floor. The next progression is working on lifting the head out of the headstand into a Crow Pose.
The last time I attempted to work on a tripod headstand, I struggled to get my knees on top of my elbows or triceps, as shown in this video. I eventually made the typical mistake of putting my hands too close to my head, which resulted in falling over and straining my neck. Later I saw FeetUp trainers were on sale. I was intrigued by the idea of resuming headstand/inversion training with less stress on the neck, as promised by FeetUp advertising, so I ordered one. I could have just used a pair of yoga blocks to move some of the load away from the head to the shoulders, but I don't regret getting the FeetUp, as I've found it useful for butcher's block stretches as well.
The planche mini course teaches the headstand without a FeetUp, but it doesn't say you can't use one either. So I followed the instructions in the official video:
It was easy enough to park my my shoulders on the FeetUp cushion, with the head and neck in a comfortable position just like in the video. I then walked my feet towards my head, to raise my butt further into the air. Then I tried to lift a knee to my elbow but my leg or thigh was too short. I realized I would have to jump into the headstand, just like in the video. I attempted a few times to jump but failed. I then stood up, shook off the tension, and did a bit of walking and breathing to calm down. I then made a few more jumping attempts, and finally jumped into the headstand. I think fear of falling over from possibly jumping too aggressively was holding me back, even though I set up the FeetUp next to a wall. The wall would have stopped me from falling forward.
Once I got into the headstand, albeit with FeetUp assistance, I just took a few seconds to enjoy the sensation of being upside down with little effort, almost as if I were hanging with a string attached to my tailbone. When I first heard Killian in the FeetUp video above say relax your shoulders and arm, I was skeptical, but when I got into the headstand on the FeetUp myself, I really did feel the arms having to do little or no work. Most of my bodyweight was spread through the traps and shoulders that were in contact with the cushion. I spent the rest of the 10 minutes of Practice A playing with straightening one leg while keeping the other bent, then switching sides; then playin with shifting weight more towards the hands to try get more of the feel of a headstand with hands on the floor, and taking an occasional break.
After Practice A, the schedule prescribes a Play session. In the mini course, the progression of exercises in Play begins with Frogger. After we get comfortable with the basic Frogger, we switch to Slow Toe Pull Frogger. We work on leaning our shoulders further and further forward in relation to our hands, so that the feet get lighter and lighter. Eventually we will lean so far forward that we can pause with the feet in the air, demonstrating progress towards the Tuck Planche. Today I did 3 sets of 5 reps, and then my shoulders felt like enough work had been done. I was able to drag my feet for at least 3 seconds per rep. Next time I'll try turning out my palms more, to allow a greater lean. I didn't feel any strain on my wrists when I did Frogger reps with the palms straight, but I did feel there was a limit in how far my wrists would bend.
Practice A focuses on the Crow Pose. The first progression is working on a tripod headstand, which is the headstand with both palms on the floor, instead of with the forearms on the floor. The next progression is working on lifting the head out of the headstand into a Crow Pose.
The last time I attempted to work on a tripod headstand, I struggled to get my knees on top of my elbows or triceps, as shown in this video. I eventually made the typical mistake of putting my hands too close to my head, which resulted in falling over and straining my neck. Later I saw FeetUp trainers were on sale. I was intrigued by the idea of resuming headstand/inversion training with less stress on the neck, as promised by FeetUp advertising, so I ordered one. I could have just used a pair of yoga blocks to move some of the load away from the head to the shoulders, but I don't regret getting the FeetUp, as I've found it useful for butcher's block stretches as well.
The planche mini course teaches the headstand without a FeetUp, but it doesn't say you can't use one either. So I followed the instructions in the official video:
It was easy enough to park my my shoulders on the FeetUp cushion, with the head and neck in a comfortable position just like in the video. I then walked my feet towards my head, to raise my butt further into the air. Then I tried to lift a knee to my elbow but my leg or thigh was too short. I realized I would have to jump into the headstand, just like in the video. I attempted a few times to jump but failed. I then stood up, shook off the tension, and did a bit of walking and breathing to calm down. I then made a few more jumping attempts, and finally jumped into the headstand. I think fear of falling over from possibly jumping too aggressively was holding me back, even though I set up the FeetUp next to a wall. The wall would have stopped me from falling forward.
Once I got into the headstand, albeit with FeetUp assistance, I just took a few seconds to enjoy the sensation of being upside down with little effort, almost as if I were hanging with a string attached to my tailbone. When I first heard Killian in the FeetUp video above say relax your shoulders and arm, I was skeptical, but when I got into the headstand on the FeetUp myself, I really did feel the arms having to do little or no work. Most of my bodyweight was spread through the traps and shoulders that were in contact with the cushion. I spent the rest of the 10 minutes of Practice A playing with straightening one leg while keeping the other bent, then switching sides; then playin with shifting weight more towards the hands to try get more of the feel of a headstand with hands on the floor, and taking an occasional break.
After Practice A, the schedule prescribes a Play session. In the mini course, the progression of exercises in Play begins with Frogger. After we get comfortable with the basic Frogger, we switch to Slow Toe Pull Frogger. We work on leaning our shoulders further and further forward in relation to our hands, so that the feet get lighter and lighter. Eventually we will lean so far forward that we can pause with the feet in the air, demonstrating progress towards the Tuck Planche. Today I did 3 sets of 5 reps, and then my shoulders felt like enough work had been done. I was able to drag my feet for at least 3 seconds per rep. Next time I'll try turning out my palms more, to allow a greater lean. I didn't feel any strain on my wrists when I did Frogger reps with the palms straight, but I did feel there was a limit in how far my wrists would bend.
Sunday, May 10, 2026
Planche and Tendon Strengthening
Dr. Yaad interview with Professor Keith Baar, one of the world’s leading researchers on how tendons, ligaments, and muscles adapt to training, nutrition, and hormones.
Among the Youtube comments, I found this summary of Baar's 10-min. protocol for tendon healing/strengthening
1. Recovering trainee: 30 sec hold + 2 mins rest, four times per session. 1-4 sessions 6 hours apart
2. Healthy trainee: 10 sec holds = 2 mins rest, once per day
3. Acutely injured trainee: See segment starting around 1:06 and see your doctor.
It's just a coincidence that Youtube put this video in my feed as I contemplate taking on Free Planche Mini Course by Eduardo Orihuela. I first saw him in GMB Fitness videos, demonstrating skills such as front lever, butterfly kick, planche, etc. Later he started offering his own fitness instructional material.
As part of my decision process of whether or not to go head with the planche mini course as my next training block, I tested a couple of exercises that are in the course to see if any would be painful. I did a planche lean for a few seconds on my parallettes. The elbows felt fine. Planche lean with hands on the floor also feels fine. I also did a couple of pushups on the parallettes. My suspect left shoulder felt some irritation. I then moved the parallettes closer together and tried again - this time the shoulder felt fine.
The interview reminded me of the collagen supplement I took when I experimented with stress relaxation tendon training last year. The mini course does not ask you to do planche leans or planche holds for time right away. The idea of taking the collagen supplement is to provide a supply for the tendon to grow, after being stimulated by isometric holds.
I do not expect training under this mini course to result in achieving the tuck planche this year, let alone a tuck planche pushup. I also do not expect any gain in muscle size, because I don't see anything in the program that would stimulate muscle growth. I do believe, however, that if I do the mini course for at least 6 weeks, I can achieve the crow pose, and be able to do each rep of the Frogger as slowly as 3 seconds. Most people start doing the Frogger with a hop of the feet because they're not strong enough to support their bodyweight on their hands for more than a second. As they get stronger, they can support their weight on their hands for more than a second, and start dragging their feet on the floor instead of hopping. I can currently take between 1-2 seconds to drag my feet on each Frogger rep. The mini course will have me work on dragging the feet more slowly, so that I'll eventually be able to pause for 1-2 seconds with the feet in the air - which would be a sign of progress towards the tuck planche.
Among the Youtube comments, I found this summary of Baar's 10-min. protocol for tendon healing/strengthening
1. Recovering trainee: 30 sec hold + 2 mins rest, four times per session. 1-4 sessions 6 hours apart
2. Healthy trainee: 10 sec holds = 2 mins rest, once per day
3. Acutely injured trainee: See segment starting around 1:06 and see your doctor.
It's just a coincidence that Youtube put this video in my feed as I contemplate taking on Free Planche Mini Course by Eduardo Orihuela. I first saw him in GMB Fitness videos, demonstrating skills such as front lever, butterfly kick, planche, etc. Later he started offering his own fitness instructional material.
As part of my decision process of whether or not to go head with the planche mini course as my next training block, I tested a couple of exercises that are in the course to see if any would be painful. I did a planche lean for a few seconds on my parallettes. The elbows felt fine. Planche lean with hands on the floor also feels fine. I also did a couple of pushups on the parallettes. My suspect left shoulder felt some irritation. I then moved the parallettes closer together and tried again - this time the shoulder felt fine.
The interview reminded me of the collagen supplement I took when I experimented with stress relaxation tendon training last year. The mini course does not ask you to do planche leans or planche holds for time right away. The idea of taking the collagen supplement is to provide a supply for the tendon to grow, after being stimulated by isometric holds.
I do not expect training under this mini course to result in achieving the tuck planche this year, let alone a tuck planche pushup. I also do not expect any gain in muscle size, because I don't see anything in the program that would stimulate muscle growth. I do believe, however, that if I do the mini course for at least 6 weeks, I can achieve the crow pose, and be able to do each rep of the Frogger as slowly as 3 seconds. Most people start doing the Frogger with a hop of the feet because they're not strong enough to support their bodyweight on their hands for more than a second. As they get stronger, they can support their weight on their hands for more than a second, and start dragging their feet on the floor instead of hopping. I can currently take between 1-2 seconds to drag my feet on each Frogger rep. The mini course will have me work on dragging the feet more slowly, so that I'll eventually be able to pause for 1-2 seconds with the feet in the air - which would be a sign of progress towards the tuck planche.
Friday, May 08, 2026
IsoMax 6x6: Week 7 Log
5/4
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 178.4
Overhead Press 86.4
Drag Curl 155.4
MM Pike
5/5
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
Last week when I tried 1-arm bridge with the fingers of the supporting palm turned inward to allow my free arm and head to hang more, I felt some shoulder irritation. This time I focused more on pushing harder on the floor with the supporting arm. This eliminated the shoulder pain and improved stability..
5/6
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 179.2
Overhead Press 88.2
Drag Curl 172
5/7
MM Bridge
MM Horse Stance
I took a closer look at the Master Mobility Week 6 programming and realized I was supposed to do 3 rounds of all supersets. I was only doing 3 rounds of the 2nd Bridge superset. I did 2 rounds for all other supersets. So I'll repeat Week 6 next week.
5/6
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 179.2
Overhead Press 84
Drag Curl 166.6
MM Pike
I decided not to do a Week 6 of IsoMax 6x6. Perfomance in the 3 selected exercises has leveled off. 7 weeks is a good enough time to put into this training block. At the time I started this training block, I was hoping my right elbow would feel good enough to clean a 20kg kettlebell again. If so, then I'd do a training block of The Giant, either from the 3.x or 1.x series depending on the result of clean+press rep max testing. Unfortunately, the thumb side of my elbow still feels too sensitive
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 178.4
Overhead Press 86.4
Drag Curl 155.4
MM Pike
5/5
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
Last week when I tried 1-arm bridge with the fingers of the supporting palm turned inward to allow my free arm and head to hang more, I felt some shoulder irritation. This time I focused more on pushing harder on the floor with the supporting arm. This eliminated the shoulder pain and improved stability..
5/6
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 179.2
Overhead Press 88.2
Drag Curl 172
5/7
MM Bridge
MM Horse Stance
I took a closer look at the Master Mobility Week 6 programming and realized I was supposed to do 3 rounds of all supersets. I was only doing 3 rounds of the 2nd Bridge superset. I did 2 rounds for all other supersets. So I'll repeat Week 6 next week.
5/6
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 179.2
Overhead Press 84
Drag Curl 166.6
MM Pike
I decided not to do a Week 6 of IsoMax 6x6. Perfomance in the 3 selected exercises has leveled off. 7 weeks is a good enough time to put into this training block. At the time I started this training block, I was hoping my right elbow would feel good enough to clean a 20kg kettlebell again. If so, then I'd do a training block of The Giant, either from the 3.x or 1.x series depending on the result of clean+press rep max testing. Unfortunately, the thumb side of my elbow still feels too sensitive
Friday, May 01, 2026
IsoMax 6x6: Week 6 Log
4/27
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 158.8
Overhead Press 97 PR!
Drag Curl 151.8
MM Pike
I've been focusing on getting more of a stretch in the chest before applying the minimum 61 lbs of force for Overhead Press. Today I felt my pecs firing harder than before. I hit a PR of 97 lbs. Week 5 of Master Mobility brought yet another selection of exercises to practice. I still like the Weeks 1-2 exercises the best for Pike, because they resulted in tangible progress in hamstring flexibility. I really like the Straddle Side Bend in particular and would like to see it again on the schedule. That said, I continue to trust the program.
4/28
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
The new Bridge exercises include the 1-arm Bridge, which GMB calls the 3-point Bridge. I've practiced this stretch on a somewhat regular basis. I was pleasantly surprised to be able to reach overhead more easily and with greather range than before.
4/29
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 206.4
Overhead Press 93.2
Drag Curl 163
MM Pike
After the IsoMax bar falsely reported 14 lbs. on my last Zercher Squat rep, I started looking at the max score on my 2nd to last rep, in case the bar malfunctioned again on the last. It happened again today. The max force on the 2nd to last rep was 206.4, which is a PR.
4/30
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
I had some time left over so I added a Pike superset. I didn't do the Week 5 Pike superset because I already did it on 4/27 and 4/29. I did the Week 2 superset instead - substituting elephant walk for bear walk - because I missed doing straddle side bend.
5/1
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 177.6
Overhead Press 99
Drag Curl 159.8
MM Pike
I hit a PR again in the Overhead Press, this time 99 lbs. Because I hit 2 PRs in the same week, I decided it was time to raise the target load from 61 lbs. I didn't want to spend another session on 1-rep max retesting just to determine the new target load, so I chose 66 lbs. as the new load. If 95 lbs. is my new 1-rep max the new target load would be 66.5 lbs, which is 70% of 95. The IsoMax only allows whole number loads so I'll just go with 66 lbs. It's higher than 61 lbs. so it should be more than enough to stimulate higher force output. My Drag Curl performance seems to be trending up a bit as well, so I decided to raise the target load from 110 to 112.
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 158.8
Overhead Press 97 PR!
Drag Curl 151.8
MM Pike
I've been focusing on getting more of a stretch in the chest before applying the minimum 61 lbs of force for Overhead Press. Today I felt my pecs firing harder than before. I hit a PR of 97 lbs. Week 5 of Master Mobility brought yet another selection of exercises to practice. I still like the Weeks 1-2 exercises the best for Pike, because they resulted in tangible progress in hamstring flexibility. I really like the Straddle Side Bend in particular and would like to see it again on the schedule. That said, I continue to trust the program.
4/28
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
The new Bridge exercises include the 1-arm Bridge, which GMB calls the 3-point Bridge. I've practiced this stretch on a somewhat regular basis. I was pleasantly surprised to be able to reach overhead more easily and with greather range than before.
4/29
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 206.4
Overhead Press 93.2
Drag Curl 163
MM Pike
After the IsoMax bar falsely reported 14 lbs. on my last Zercher Squat rep, I started looking at the max score on my 2nd to last rep, in case the bar malfunctioned again on the last. It happened again today. The max force on the 2nd to last rep was 206.4, which is a PR.
4/30
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
I had some time left over so I added a Pike superset. I didn't do the Week 5 Pike superset because I already did it on 4/27 and 4/29. I did the Week 2 superset instead - substituting elephant walk for bear walk - because I missed doing straddle side bend.
5/1
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 177.6
Overhead Press 99
Drag Curl 159.8
MM Pike
I hit a PR again in the Overhead Press, this time 99 lbs. Because I hit 2 PRs in the same week, I decided it was time to raise the target load from 61 lbs. I didn't want to spend another session on 1-rep max retesting just to determine the new target load, so I chose 66 lbs. as the new load. If 95 lbs. is my new 1-rep max the new target load would be 66.5 lbs, which is 70% of 95. The IsoMax only allows whole number loads so I'll just go with 66 lbs. It's higher than 61 lbs. so it should be more than enough to stimulate higher force output. My Drag Curl performance seems to be trending up a bit as well, so I decided to raise the target load from 110 to 112.
Friday, April 24, 2026
IsoMax 6x6: Week 5 Log
4/20
1-rep Max Retest
MM Pike
While I'm in week 4 of 6x6, I'm also in week 3 of Strength Side's Master Mobility program. This week introduced the Jefferson Curl. I'd tried this exercise before with empty hands and a bag of soup cans. Thus, while there has been online debate over the safety of this exercise, I was confident the risk to my lower back was low, as long as I trained with light weight. For the first set, I used an 8kg kettlebell. For the next set I switched to a 12kg KB. I decided to use the 12kg for Jefferson curls going forward. The 12kg is heavy enough to pull my body into a decent stretch, but not so heavy as to cause my body to tighten up.
4/21
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
My right hip flexor or adductor - not sure which - was sore but I got through the Master Mobility Horse Stance superset. I didn't feel as much of a stretch in the pecs when I practiced the Low Bridge. Upon review of the instructions I realized I should have started with my heels of the floor. Anyway, to get a better stretch out of the pecs, I'll try pushing my head higher off the floor. Looks like the hips need to be pushed higher off the floor as well, so the load is not all on the arms.
4/22
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 174.6
Overhead Press 87
Drag Curl 144.8
MM Pike
4/23
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
I was able to stretch my left pec more without irritating my left shoulder. I was also able to stretch my right pec further compared to 4/21.
4/24
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat ??? - IsoMax reported 14.8, which is a glitch that occasionally happens
Overhead Press 87.8
Drag Curl 160.2
MM Pike
1-rep Max Retest
MM Pike
While I'm in week 4 of 6x6, I'm also in week 3 of Strength Side's Master Mobility program. This week introduced the Jefferson Curl. I'd tried this exercise before with empty hands and a bag of soup cans. Thus, while there has been online debate over the safety of this exercise, I was confident the risk to my lower back was low, as long as I trained with light weight. For the first set, I used an 8kg kettlebell. For the next set I switched to a 12kg KB. I decided to use the 12kg for Jefferson curls going forward. The 12kg is heavy enough to pull my body into a decent stretch, but not so heavy as to cause my body to tighten up.
4/21
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
My right hip flexor or adductor - not sure which - was sore but I got through the Master Mobility Horse Stance superset. I didn't feel as much of a stretch in the pecs when I practiced the Low Bridge. Upon review of the instructions I realized I should have started with my heels of the floor. Anyway, to get a better stretch out of the pecs, I'll try pushing my head higher off the floor. Looks like the hips need to be pushed higher off the floor as well, so the load is not all on the arms.
4/22
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 174.6
Overhead Press 87
Drag Curl 144.8
MM Pike
4/23
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
I was able to stretch my left pec more without irritating my left shoulder. I was also able to stretch my right pec further compared to 4/21.
4/24
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat ??? - IsoMax reported 14.8, which is a glitch that occasionally happens
Overhead Press 87.8
Drag Curl 160.2
MM Pike
Monday, April 20, 2026
IsoMax 6x6: Week 5 1-Rep Max Retest
My Zercher Squat performance has gone up considerably these last 2 weeks so I decided to retest my 1-rep maxes again:
- Zercher Squat - 170.53 up from 141. I've settled into a position that I like so the gains are more from strength increase, than from finding a better position. New target load = 120.
- Overhead Press - 86.867, up from 85.27. Modest gain despite the change to the new technique. New target load = 61.
- Drag Curl - 157.4 up from 153.4. Modest gain but I'll take it. New target load = 110.
Friday, April 17, 2026
IsoMax 6x6: Week 4
4/13
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 169.4
Overhead Press 92
Drag Curl 159.4
MM Pike
While I'm in week 4 of 6x6, I'm also in week 3 of Strength Side's Master Mobility program. This week introduced the Jefferson Curl. I'd tried this exercise before with empty hands and a bag of soup cans. Thus, while there has been online debate over the safety of this exercise, I was confident the risk to my lower back was low, as long as I trained with light weight. For the first set, I used an 8kg kettlebell. For the next set I switched to a 12kg KB. I decided to use the 12kg for Jefferson curls going forward. The 12kg is heavy enough to pull my body into a decent stretch, but not so heavy as to cause my body to tighten up.
4/14
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
This was the first time I tried the Low Bridge. I was able to get my head off the floor, but I struggled to coordinate pushing my knees away from my hands. I could not hold the position with head off the floor for the prescribed number of seconds.
4/15
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 161.4
Overhead Press 88.8
Drag Curl 158.2
MM Pike
4/16
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
2nd session practicing Low Bridge. The problem on 4/14 was I was using my upper body to lift my head off the floor, and also push my body up and away from my hands. This time I focused on using the glutes and legs to pull my body away from my hands, and only use my upper body to lift my head off the floor, then try to straighten the arms while keeping the head off the floor. With more of the load on my lower body, I was able to hold the position for the prescribed number of seconds. I felt a pretty good stretch on my pecs. This was also my 2nd session practicing Butcher's Block. This time I used my FeetUp headstand trainer, which is a little lower than my keyboard bench at the lowest setting. The lower height made it easier to not have a lower back arch. The instructions say to use a stick to ensure the hands are at a wider width apart the elbows. I found that I shouldn't let hands be too far apart, or else my left shoulder will feel irritated. I thought about continuing to do the side plank micro workout on Thursdays, followed by a Master Mobility session, but then decided to focus entirely on mobility.
4/17
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 144.6
Overhead Press 85.4
Drag Curl 157.6
MM Pike
My Overhead Press performance has been higher with the new technique. Zercher Squat performance jumped quite a bit. Drag Curl performance leveled off compared to last week but was still consistently higher than the last tested 1-rep max of 154 lbs. Thus, I plan to retest my 1-rep maxes this coming Monday.
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 169.4
Overhead Press 92
Drag Curl 159.4
MM Pike
While I'm in week 4 of 6x6, I'm also in week 3 of Strength Side's Master Mobility program. This week introduced the Jefferson Curl. I'd tried this exercise before with empty hands and a bag of soup cans. Thus, while there has been online debate over the safety of this exercise, I was confident the risk to my lower back was low, as long as I trained with light weight. For the first set, I used an 8kg kettlebell. For the next set I switched to a 12kg KB. I decided to use the 12kg for Jefferson curls going forward. The 12kg is heavy enough to pull my body into a decent stretch, but not so heavy as to cause my body to tighten up.
4/14
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
This was the first time I tried the Low Bridge. I was able to get my head off the floor, but I struggled to coordinate pushing my knees away from my hands. I could not hold the position with head off the floor for the prescribed number of seconds.
4/15
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 161.4
Overhead Press 88.8
Drag Curl 158.2
MM Pike
4/16
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
2nd session practicing Low Bridge. The problem on 4/14 was I was using my upper body to lift my head off the floor, and also push my body up and away from my hands. This time I focused on using the glutes and legs to pull my body away from my hands, and only use my upper body to lift my head off the floor, then try to straighten the arms while keeping the head off the floor. With more of the load on my lower body, I was able to hold the position for the prescribed number of seconds. I felt a pretty good stretch on my pecs. This was also my 2nd session practicing Butcher's Block. This time I used my FeetUp headstand trainer, which is a little lower than my keyboard bench at the lowest setting. The lower height made it easier to not have a lower back arch. The instructions say to use a stick to ensure the hands are at a wider width apart the elbows. I found that I shouldn't let hands be too far apart, or else my left shoulder will feel irritated. I thought about continuing to do the side plank micro workout on Thursdays, followed by a Master Mobility session, but then decided to focus entirely on mobility.
4/17
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 144.6
Overhead Press 85.4
Drag Curl 157.6
MM Pike
My Overhead Press performance has been higher with the new technique. Zercher Squat performance jumped quite a bit. Drag Curl performance leveled off compared to last week but was still consistently higher than the last tested 1-rep max of 154 lbs. Thus, I plan to retest my 1-rep maxes this coming Monday.
Changed my IsoMax overhead pressing technique
To perform the Overhead Press on the IsoMax bar, I was doing the following:
So the change to my IsoMax pressing technique is this: In Step 5 above, when the bar starts beeping, I think of increasing the pressure of the feet against the IsoMax footplate, by tucking in the tailbone more, squeezing the glutes harder, and unbending the upper back.
On the first day I tried the new technique, my max force on the last rep was 92 lbs. which was a jump of about 15 lbs. of force compared to the old technique
- Squat slightly so I can get my chest under the bar.
- Pull the shoulder back then pull the elbows down.
- Begin applying the zip-up technique, starting from the feet and working up the body.
- As the zip-up is applied, I start feeling force connected from my feet to my hands. This is influenced by previous practice of the jin skill, though folks the six-harmonies space would call what I'm doing "muscle-jin". In this case though I'm not training for 6H martial arts. Rather I'm using muscle-jin to create whole-body tension between the bar and my feet. The resultant force eventually get high enough to make the IsoMax bar start beeping.
- When the bar starts beeping, start pressing the bar upwards with the chest, arms, and shoulders.
So the change to my IsoMax pressing technique is this: In Step 5 above, when the bar starts beeping, I think of increasing the pressure of the feet against the IsoMax footplate, by tucking in the tailbone more, squeezing the glutes harder, and unbending the upper back.
On the first day I tried the new technique, my max force on the last rep was 92 lbs. which was a jump of about 15 lbs. of force compared to the old technique
Thursday, April 16, 2026
IsoMax 6x6: Week 3 after 1-Rep Max Test Day
4/7
MM Pike MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
I did the MM Pike superset on 4/6, then realized I did't do the superset properly. I had assumed that Master Mobility Week 2 would be exactly like Week 1. When I took another look at the Week 2 instructions, I realized I didn't do the correct number of reps per exercise. So I did the superset again on 4/7, along with the other supersets from Master Mobility.
4/8
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 129
Overhead Press 78.8
Drag Curl 162.6
Tested my straddle sitting on the floor, and for a good number of puzzle mat tiles to sit on in straddle, as reported in this post. Then I did the MM Pike superset. I didn't do the superset before the straddle sit test session, because I wanted to make sure I can straddle sit at a height that allows my back and both legs to be straight, without any extra effort or extra warmup.
4/9
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
4/10
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 165
Overhead Press 77.6
Drag Curl 157.6
MM Horse Stance
MM Pike MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
I did the MM Pike superset on 4/6, then realized I did't do the superset properly. I had assumed that Master Mobility Week 2 would be exactly like Week 1. When I took another look at the Week 2 instructions, I realized I didn't do the correct number of reps per exercise. So I did the superset again on 4/7, along with the other supersets from Master Mobility.
4/8
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 129
Overhead Press 78.8
Drag Curl 162.6
Tested my straddle sitting on the floor, and for a good number of puzzle mat tiles to sit on in straddle, as reported in this post. Then I did the MM Pike superset. I didn't do the superset before the straddle sit test session, because I wanted to make sure I can straddle sit at a height that allows my back and both legs to be straight, without any extra effort or extra warmup.
4/9
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
4/10
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 165
Overhead Press 77.6
Drag Curl 157.6
MM Horse Stance
Wednesday, April 08, 2026
I can finally sit on the floor in straddle with my legs straight!
A few months ago I tried sitting in straddle for 1 min., about 2-3 times a week, as inspired by this video:
I did it as part of my cooldown routine after strength/hypertrophy training. I kept it up for a few weeks, then changed my cooldown to focus more core work.
I just could not get my legs straight because of my perennially tight hamstrings. The adductors might have been tight as well. Ryan does say in the video that bent knees is fine, as well as leaning your torso back with arm support.
During the 4/7 mobility session, I noticed I was able to spread my legs wider than I did last week, during practice of the straddle side bend from the Pike superset. I was following the instruction to sit on an elevated surface so I could sit in straddle with straight legs and straight low back. For elevation I was using a stack of almost all my puzzle mat tiles.
So today I thought I'd test my straddle sitting. I was able to straighten both legs! My low back was curved, though I found I could straighten it by contracting the abs with medium effort. I'm only in the middle of the 2nd week of Strength Side's Master Mobility program, so I'm impressed with the flexibility gain after just a short time.
For the straddle side bend exercise, I still want to sit at a height that allows my back to stay straight, when upright, without additional effort from the abs. This exercise is done with a weight held in the hands to help deepen the stretch. Even though I do use a light weight as recommended, I still don't want to take any chances with the low back. So, tried straddle sitting on 5 stacked mat tiles, and still felt I had to consciously straighten my low back. I then tried 8 stacked tiles and found that was a good height for me - with legs and back all being straight without extra effort. This new height is still quite a bit lower than before. So at this new, lower, height I should be able to stretch my hamstrings more than before.
I'm using a 4kg plate for my straddle side bend practice. To reduce shoulder fatigue, I don't force my arms to be straight, and hold the weight above and slightly behind my head, so that the load goes more to the back than the shoulders. I only try to straighten my arms when it's time to hold the stretch for the prescribed number of seconds.
I did it as part of my cooldown routine after strength/hypertrophy training. I kept it up for a few weeks, then changed my cooldown to focus more core work.
I just could not get my legs straight because of my perennially tight hamstrings. The adductors might have been tight as well. Ryan does say in the video that bent knees is fine, as well as leaning your torso back with arm support.
During the 4/7 mobility session, I noticed I was able to spread my legs wider than I did last week, during practice of the straddle side bend from the Pike superset. I was following the instruction to sit on an elevated surface so I could sit in straddle with straight legs and straight low back. For elevation I was using a stack of almost all my puzzle mat tiles.
So today I thought I'd test my straddle sitting. I was able to straighten both legs! My low back was curved, though I found I could straighten it by contracting the abs with medium effort. I'm only in the middle of the 2nd week of Strength Side's Master Mobility program, so I'm impressed with the flexibility gain after just a short time.
For the straddle side bend exercise, I still want to sit at a height that allows my back to stay straight, when upright, without additional effort from the abs. This exercise is done with a weight held in the hands to help deepen the stretch. Even though I do use a light weight as recommended, I still don't want to take any chances with the low back. So, tried straddle sitting on 5 stacked mat tiles, and still felt I had to consciously straighten my low back. I then tried 8 stacked tiles and found that was a good height for me - with legs and back all being straight without extra effort. This new height is still quite a bit lower than before. So at this new, lower, height I should be able to stretch my hamstrings more than before.
I'm using a 4kg plate for my straddle side bend practice. To reduce shoulder fatigue, I don't force my arms to be straight, and hold the weight above and slightly behind my head, so that the load goes more to the back than the shoulders. I only try to straighten my arms when it's time to hold the stretch for the prescribed number of seconds.
IsoMax 6x6: Week 3 1-Rep Max Retest
One of the underlying concepts of the 6x6 program is training with a target load of 70% of 1-rep max force. Setting the IsoMax to this target load ensures the trainee is applying at least 70% 1RM force to get the bar to start beeping. The trainee is advised to retest 1-rep maxes for the chosen exercises every 2-4 weeks. So, based on recent performances in the Zercher Squat and Drag Curl in excess of the originally tested 1-rep maxes, I decided to retest today. These are the new 1-rep maxes, with new target loads generally rounded up to the nearest whole number from the calculated 70% values:
- Zercher Squat - 140.67, up from 101.4. The 40lb jump is a reflection increased comfort and confidence in the position. New target load = 99.
- Overhead Press - 85.27, up from 83.9. Modest gain but I'll take it. New target load = 60.
- Drag Curl - 153.4 up from 124.67. My force output in this exercise is as high as it is because I use the back-to-hands spiraling technique taught in this video. This technique recruits just about all the upper back muscles as well as the lats and abs. The My CNS seems to find more muscle groups to recruit on my highest performing days.
Sunday, April 05, 2026
IsoMax 6x6: Week 2
This was the first week incorporating the Master Mobility program from Strength Side into my weekly routine. Master Mobility focuses on the Pike, Horse Stance, and Bridge; and thus programs exercises to improve performance in each of those 3 positions. Great performance requires great flexibility, so working towards getting better and better at those positions should result in improved flexibility. Scheduling options are flexible - you can get all of Week 1 done in one session, which would take about an hour, or spread your practice of the Pike, Horse Stance, and Bridge routines over the course of the week. I chose to do the latter.
3/30
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 133.6
Overhead Press 72.8
Drag Curl 158
MM Pike
My performance on Monday tends to be lower than the rest of the week.
3/31
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
4/1
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 144.4
Overhead Press 90.4
Drag Curl 162.6
MM Pike
Gratifying to see improved performance compared to Monday. I leaned too far backwards on one of my Zercher Squat reps, and fell on my butt. I typically shift my weight back to my heels to avoid rounding my back, then I try to stand up. The thumb side of my right forearm was still flaring up on some reps of overhead press. However with a closer grip, I managed to press with more force. It was surprising to see the jump from 72.8 to 90.4.
4/2
Side Plank Micro Workout:
T-Plank 12 reps
Suspension Side Plank Hip Dips - 4 sets of 8
Suspension Side Plank Hold - 5 breaths/side
MM Horse Stance
This time I raised the suspension foot straps to just under knee height. The exercise felt a little harder at the new height so i just went for 8-pre sets.
4/3
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 133.2
Overhead Press 78.8
Drag Curl 153.8
MM Bridge
My Zercher Squat performance has consistently exceeded my tested 1-rep max of 101.4 lbs. This is probably because when I tested my 1-rep max, I had no previous experience with IsoMax training at a low Zercher Squat position. After several sessions, I found I could tuck in my tailbone and apply force - by trying to stand up - with more confidence that my low back will be fine. My Drag Curl performance has consistently exceeded my 1-rep max of 125 lbs. So next Monday, I'll retest my 1-rep maxes. My Overhead Press progress hasn't been as dramatic but I'll retest it anyway.
3/30
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 133.6
Overhead Press 72.8
Drag Curl 158
MM Pike
My performance on Monday tends to be lower than the rest of the week.
3/31
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge
4/1
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 144.4
Overhead Press 90.4
Drag Curl 162.6
MM Pike
Gratifying to see improved performance compared to Monday. I leaned too far backwards on one of my Zercher Squat reps, and fell on my butt. I typically shift my weight back to my heels to avoid rounding my back, then I try to stand up. The thumb side of my right forearm was still flaring up on some reps of overhead press. However with a closer grip, I managed to press with more force. It was surprising to see the jump from 72.8 to 90.4.
4/2
Side Plank Micro Workout:
T-Plank 12 reps
Suspension Side Plank Hip Dips - 4 sets of 8
Suspension Side Plank Hold - 5 breaths/side
MM Horse Stance
This time I raised the suspension foot straps to just under knee height. The exercise felt a little harder at the new height so i just went for 8-pre sets.
4/3
Last-rep max force (lbs):
Zercher Squat 133.2
Overhead Press 78.8
Drag Curl 153.8
MM Bridge
My Zercher Squat performance has consistently exceeded my tested 1-rep max of 101.4 lbs. This is probably because when I tested my 1-rep max, I had no previous experience with IsoMax training at a low Zercher Squat position. After several sessions, I found I could tuck in my tailbone and apply force - by trying to stand up - with more confidence that my low back will be fine. My Drag Curl performance has consistently exceeded my 1-rep max of 125 lbs. So next Monday, I'll retest my 1-rep maxes. My Overhead Press progress hasn't been as dramatic but I'll retest it anyway.
Friday, March 27, 2026
IsoMax 6x6: Week 1
The Strength Side Youtube channel was mentioned a few times on the Strongfirst forum, so I started watching some videos on it. This led to buying their Master Mobility program. This program has exercise routines designed to be practiced 2-3 times a week. It also has exercises that should be practiced daily. Thus, I adjusted my warmup routine for 6x6 as follows:
My Overhead Press performance was more modest. I'm more familiar with this drill, so a dramatic jump from first to second session was not to be expected. Lingering sensitivity in my right wrist, on the thumb side, had some impact on how much force I could put out. For the Friday session, I tried different grip widths. I could feel that sensitive thumb side of the wrist get irritated when the grip was too narrow, as well as too wide. On the final rep I settled on a grip that was slightly wider than the grip I used on Wednesday, resulting in about a 10 lb. force gain.
I did the initial assessments for Master Mobility. Pike assessment was not good. Hamstring flexibility was the limiting factor as always. Couch stretch assessment looked great but maybe my knee was too elevated. I had not trouble sinking low enough into Horse Stance that my thighs were parallel to the floor while still maintaining an upright torso.
- GMB wrist routine (quick version) - Overhead Press and Drag Curl on the IsoMax bar both work the wrists. I feel the thumb side of the forearms working hard on the overhead press. I feel the wrist flexors working on the drag curl.
- Diaphragmatic breathing in Child's Pose 1 min. - Breathing practice to wake up the core. Helps loosen the lower back
- Dead Bug 1 min. - Activates reactive core stabilitye
- Crab Walk 1 min. - Warm up the posterior chain and stretch the anterior chain including the pecs
- Bear Walk 1 min. - Stretch the posterior chain, warm up the shoulders, etc.
- Tabletop Hold (also called Crab) 30 sec. - One of the dailies from Master Mobility. Warm up the glues. More intense stretch of the anterior chain (hip flexors, pecs, etc.)
My Overhead Press performance was more modest. I'm more familiar with this drill, so a dramatic jump from first to second session was not to be expected. Lingering sensitivity in my right wrist, on the thumb side, had some impact on how much force I could put out. For the Friday session, I tried different grip widths. I could feel that sensitive thumb side of the wrist get irritated when the grip was too narrow, as well as too wide. On the final rep I settled on a grip that was slightly wider than the grip I used on Wednesday, resulting in about a 10 lb. force gain.
I did the initial assessments for Master Mobility. Pike assessment was not good. Hamstring flexibility was the limiting factor as always. Couch stretch assessment looked great but maybe my knee was too elevated. I had not trouble sinking low enough into Horse Stance that my thighs were parallel to the floor while still maintaining an upright torso.
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Progressed to Side Plank Training on Suspension Trainer
I progressed on side plank training on suspension trainer, as shown in this side plank micro workout video on Matt Schifferle's Red Delta Project channel. My suspension trainer is a NOSSK Twin Pro suspension trainer, which I bought after watching one of Matt's NOSSK review videos. I was able to do 3 sets of 8 reps of the hip dips with moderate effort. My quality of movement and ease of execution was higher on the left side. I'll try starting on the right side first next time, since that seems to be the weaker side. In any case, the previous side plank training I'd done proved effective for preparing me to move up to using the suspension trainer.
For warmup I did 10 reps of T-plank. My control in the exercise was the best so far.
For the finisher I was able to do 5 breaths per side of the side plank hold on suspension trainer.
Going forward, I'll follow a similar pattern of progression that I did with side plank training with feet on the floor. I'll do 4 sets of 8 next workout, then gradually increase reps per set, etc. Then I'll try repeating the progression with the feet moved a few inches away from the supporting arm as shown in the video.
I will eventually go back to practicing the side lying drills under Sore Joint Solution. I've progressed to Level 3 side lying in SJS. Level 4 side lying is identical to side plank with feet on the floor, just like in this micro workout. When I do go back to SJS side lying I may swap out the Level 3 side lying position for straddle side plank. Straddle side plank is a regression from SJS Level 4 side lying, just like SJS Level 3 side lying is a regression from Level 4. Thus the difficulty levels should be close enough for swapping. Why swap? I like how the legs are straight in straddle side plank, and how there is no turning of the thighs to one side. I think it'll be fun to do SJS style training with the straddle side plank, and see how much time it will take to achieve 30 breaths, 30 nods, and 30 neck rotations in that position. As an aside, Systematic Core Training For Ketlebells also has side lying, but it's levels are a bit different, as well as some details.
I'd like to complete Level 4 side lying in SJS, so that I can start doing SJS Phase 3 sessions without having to do side lying first, per SJS guidelines
For warmup I did 10 reps of T-plank. My control in the exercise was the best so far.
For the finisher I was able to do 5 breaths per side of the side plank hold on suspension trainer.
Going forward, I'll follow a similar pattern of progression that I did with side plank training with feet on the floor. I'll do 4 sets of 8 next workout, then gradually increase reps per set, etc. Then I'll try repeating the progression with the feet moved a few inches away from the supporting arm as shown in the video.
I will eventually go back to practicing the side lying drills under Sore Joint Solution. I've progressed to Level 3 side lying in SJS. Level 4 side lying is identical to side plank with feet on the floor, just like in this micro workout. When I do go back to SJS side lying I may swap out the Level 3 side lying position for straddle side plank. Straddle side plank is a regression from SJS Level 4 side lying, just like SJS Level 3 side lying is a regression from Level 4. Thus the difficulty levels should be close enough for swapping. Why swap? I like how the legs are straight in straddle side plank, and how there is no turning of the thighs to one side. I think it'll be fun to do SJS style training with the straddle side plank, and see how much time it will take to achieve 30 breaths, 30 nods, and 30 neck rotations in that position. As an aside, Systematic Core Training For Ketlebells also has side lying, but it's levels are a bit different, as well as some details.
I'd like to complete Level 4 side lying in SJS, so that I can start doing SJS Phase 3 sessions without having to do side lying first, per SJS guidelines
IsoMax 6x6: Initial Testing Day
I haven't done an overcoming isometric strength training block for quite some time. Kettlebell cleans with my right arm have feel annoying anyway, with the way my forearm/elbow has been acting up for the last couple of weeks. Hopefully the isometrics will give my elbow a break. So, I'll do a 6-8 week block of the overcoming isometric program 6x6 from Paul Wade's book The Ultimate Isometrics Manual, in the hopes of increasing the maximum force output of my muscles - aka "strength" - without further wear on my joints or tendons. This video has a good explanation of the 6x6 protocol. The book says to test your 1-rep max force for each of your chosen exercises, then train at 70% of 1-rep max, until you re-test. Retesting every 2-4 weeks is recommended. These are the selected exercises for this block:
- Zercher Squat - My favorite lower body isometric exercise is the Zercher Lunge at the lowest possible IsoMax bar setting, to get the longest possible muscle lengths for the glute, quadricep, and calf. Long muscle length isometric training results in greater transference to dynamic performance. However due to past injury, Zercher Lunge feels uncomfortable for my big toes. I've finally accepted the notion that exercising in pain is not good. Thus, I chose Zercher Squat to be my lower body exercise for this block. It doesn't impose as much pressure on the big toes. It feels a lot like a double kettlebell front squat and should thus help me increase my double KB front squat 10RM weight from double 16kg KBs to double 20kg KBs.
- Overhead Press - One of my long term fitness goals is to be able to do handstand pushups. Part of my strategy for achieving this goal is to pressing kettlebells overhead to build strength and muscle, working towards heavier KBs over time. Overhead press on the IsoMax feels similiar to double kettlebell press. One short term goal of this exercise is to improve my 20kg clean+press rep max from 5 to some number closer to 10.
- Drag Curl - I've noticed in the past that practicing this exercise led to more explosive pull ups and chin ups. One goal of this exercise is to increase my chin up 10RM (rep max) weight. The 10RM weight is the heaviest weight at which I can safely do 10 chin ups. At the start of my latest Easy Muscle training block, my chin up 10RM weight was my own bodyweight. I would like to progress to weighted chin ups, with a dip belt and either a 4kg weight plate or my lightest KB (8kg). So the hope is Drag Curl on the IsoMax will help increase my 10RM weight from bodyweight-only to at least bodyweight + 4kg. My long term goal is to be able to do one-arm chin ups. Weighted chin ups with progressively heavier weights build strength and muscle is part of the strategy for this long term goal.
- Zercher Squat - 101.4. I decided to go with the bar at #6 in the strap. This position has me squatting with thighs just above parallel. It was as low as I could go without feeling my low back might be in danger.
- Overhead Press - 83.9. When I was generating higher force levels, I had the bar set at strap #20, which put the bar practically on my chest. This time I set the bar to #21, which gets the bar away from the chest and a step closer to my sticking point, while still setting the triceps and front delts at a decent lengths.
- Drag Curl - 124.67. I went with a strap setting in which my arms were almost straight but with a slight bend at the elbows. The biceps are at a good length here. I'd previously trained with the bar one slot lower, which made the arms even closer to straight I felt that reduced bicep engagement too much.
Friday, March 20, 2026
Current piano activities
I'm now on Phase 9 of Chord Mastery Bootcamp. About one year has passed since I started CMB at Phase 1. I've noticed several fellow students progress to higher phases of CMB within the same time period. Those students likely had more previous piano experience than me. Some could simply have more talent, which is defined as A special natural ability or aptitude, usually for something expressed or implied; a natural capacity for success in some department of mental or physical activity. aptitude is in turned defined as the natural ability to learn or perform in a specific area. So in other words, some people just pick up piano skills faster than other. All I can do about that is not worry about other peoples' progress and work on my own skills.
Here's a graphic display of Lyle Mays' piano solo on James, taken from a live concert recording in the 1990s. There's a number of things I love about his solo, including the bossa nova detour. Part of the work in learning the solo is figuring out how accurate this graphic display actually is. It'll be a while before I'll feel ready to start learning his solo for fun and education, but here it is:
Lesson on how to possibly apply Preludes 11 and 12 from the Bach Well Tempered Klavier Book 2 to certain jazz standards. This stuff is also too advanced for me to take on at this time, but saving for future reference.
Ranking of JS Bach works, including the Preludes and Fugues, by difficulty.
5 Neo-Soul Piano Grooves lesson
Here's a graphic display of Lyle Mays' piano solo on James, taken from a live concert recording in the 1990s. There's a number of things I love about his solo, including the bossa nova detour. Part of the work in learning the solo is figuring out how accurate this graphic display actually is. It'll be a while before I'll feel ready to start learning his solo for fun and education, but here it is:
Lesson on how to possibly apply Preludes 11 and 12 from the Bach Well Tempered Klavier Book 2 to certain jazz standards. This stuff is also too advanced for me to take on at this time, but saving for future reference.
Ranking of JS Bach works, including the Preludes and Fugues, by difficulty.
5 Neo-Soul Piano Grooves lesson
Friday, March 13, 2026
Easy Muscle B: Week 7
3/8
20kg Clean+Press - 18 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 40 total reps
3/10
Dips - 30 total reps
Chinup - 30 total reps
3/11
T-Planks - 7 reps
Side Plank Hip Dips - 4 sets of 10 reps
Side Plank Hold - 7 breaths
3/12
20kg Clean+Press - 12 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 36 total reps
Monday 3/8 was the last day that I did an Easy Muscle session in the evening. After that, my work scheduled changed to allow me to exercise in the morning once again. My performance in the clean+press dropped after the switch to morning training. The worst performance was on 3/12 when the prescribed number of reps per set was 4. I could not do 4 reps, so I did 3 reps per set instead. I don't know if I have always been weaker in the mornings compared to the afternoon or evening, and just didn't notice because I'd been exercising in the morning for years, and have seen measurable progress - as measured, of course, in the morning. I can only hope this was the only reason, and not because of a disease I don't know that I have yet. On the bright side, 3/12 was the last day this program will ask me to do 4-rep sets of C+P. Next week will be the last week of this Easy Muscle Schedule B training block.
Another positive outcome this week is being able to do sets of 10 Side Plank Hip Dips without a problem.
20kg Clean+Press - 18 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 40 total reps
3/10
Dips - 30 total reps
Chinup - 30 total reps
3/11
T-Planks - 7 reps
Side Plank Hip Dips - 4 sets of 10 reps
Side Plank Hold - 7 breaths
3/12
20kg Clean+Press - 12 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 36 total reps
Monday 3/8 was the last day that I did an Easy Muscle session in the evening. After that, my work scheduled changed to allow me to exercise in the morning once again. My performance in the clean+press dropped after the switch to morning training. The worst performance was on 3/12 when the prescribed number of reps per set was 4. I could not do 4 reps, so I did 3 reps per set instead. I don't know if I have always been weaker in the mornings compared to the afternoon or evening, and just didn't notice because I'd been exercising in the morning for years, and have seen measurable progress - as measured, of course, in the morning. I can only hope this was the only reason, and not because of a disease I don't know that I have yet. On the bright side, 3/12 was the last day this program will ask me to do 4-rep sets of C+P. Next week will be the last week of this Easy Muscle Schedule B training block.
Another positive outcome this week is being able to do sets of 10 Side Plank Hip Dips without a problem.
Easy Muscle B: Week 6
3/2
Dips - 28 total reps
Chinup - 28 total reps
3/4
20kg Clean+Press - 20 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 49 total reps
3/5
T-Planks - 7 reps
Side Plank Hip Dips - 4 sets of 9 reps
Side Plank Hold - 5 breaths
3/6
Dips - 35 total reps
Chinup - 35 total reps
I had minor DOMS from the 3/5 side plank micro workout on 3/6 but that did not prevent me from doing the 3/6 workout. I had a habit of cutting off my range of motion on the first 1 or 2 reps of my first set of dips, because the sides of the pectorals would feel tight and sore. From the 2nd set onward, the pecs did not feel as tight, so I felt more comfortable dipping down all the way to my normal end range. This suggested to me that I could improve how I warm up the pecs. So for a change I tried adding these two drills to my warmup:
I also changed my dip techinque, per this video, to allow the torso to lean forward as I descend from the top of the dop
Dips - 28 total reps
Chinup - 28 total reps
3/4
20kg Clean+Press - 20 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 49 total reps
3/5
T-Planks - 7 reps
Side Plank Hip Dips - 4 sets of 9 reps
Side Plank Hold - 5 breaths
3/6
Dips - 35 total reps
Chinup - 35 total reps
I had minor DOMS from the 3/5 side plank micro workout on 3/6 but that did not prevent me from doing the 3/6 workout. I had a habit of cutting off my range of motion on the first 1 or 2 reps of my first set of dips, because the sides of the pectorals would feel tight and sore. From the 2nd set onward, the pecs did not feel as tight, so I felt more comfortable dipping down all the way to my normal end range. This suggested to me that I could improve how I warm up the pecs. So for a change I tried adding these two drills to my warmup:
- Stick dislocate as taught in this old GMB video. Most videos show somebody pulling the stick all the way so the stick touches the back. What Ryan does instead in the GMB video is pulling the stick to where the pecs are the tightest. Some cues that Ryan didn't mention that I added: Pull the stick as if you're trying to stretch it, which I need to do to minimize irritation on my sensitive left shoulder; squeeze the butt to protect the lower back, and at the stopping point pull the shoulders towards the hips.
- Stick shoulder extension, like in this video, except with palms down. I'm not sure it matters whether palms are up or down, since my goal here is to warm up the shoulders and pecs for dips.
I also changed my dip techinque, per this video, to allow the torso to lean forward as I descend from the top of the dop
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Easy Muscle B: Week 5
2/23
20kg Clean+Press - 15 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 35 total reps
2/24
T-Planks - 8 reps
Side Plank Hip Dips - 3 sets of 8 reps
Side Plank Hold - 5 breaths
2/25
Dips - 36 total reps
Chinup - 36 total reps
2/26
T-Planks - 8 reps
Side Plank Hip Dips - 4 sets of 8 reps
Side Plank Hold - 5 breaths
2/27
20kg Clean+Press - 16 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 30 total reps
Week 4 was a high effort week. Week 5 allows us to take it easy after the hard work in Week 4, so I rested for a generous amount of time between sets.
On my recovery days, I did this side plank micro workout. My goal is to achieve all the milestones for the side lying position in the Sore Joint Solution program. I believe this micro workout will help there. I did all the exericses with my feet on the floor, not on a suspension trainer. I did not have DOMS in the obliques like last week.
20kg Clean+Press - 15 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 35 total reps
2/24
T-Planks - 8 reps
Side Plank Hip Dips - 3 sets of 8 reps
Side Plank Hold - 5 breaths
2/25
Dips - 36 total reps
Chinup - 36 total reps
2/26
T-Planks - 8 reps
Side Plank Hip Dips - 4 sets of 8 reps
Side Plank Hold - 5 breaths
2/27
20kg Clean+Press - 16 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 30 total reps
Week 4 was a high effort week. Week 5 allows us to take it easy after the hard work in Week 4, so I rested for a generous amount of time between sets.
On my recovery days, I did this side plank micro workout. My goal is to achieve all the milestones for the side lying position in the Sore Joint Solution program. I believe this micro workout will help there. I did all the exericses with my feet on the floor, not on a suspension trainer. I did not have DOMS in the obliques like last week.
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Easy Muscle B: Week 4
2/16
Chinup - 30 total reps
Dips - 30 total reps
2/18
20kg Clean+Press - 20 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 48 total reps
2/20
Chinup - 36 total reps
Dips - 36 total reps
Thus ends Phase 1 of Schedule B. For the final KB session I actually did 19 reps with the right arm. On one of the reps, my technique was so sloppy that I wasn't able to press the KB all the way up. For the final calisthenic session, I went ahead and did 2 more sets of dips and chinups after the 20 min. timer rang. Week 4 is supposed to be a high effort week, so for this last session I increased the effort by simply increasing the training time to ensure I did more work than usual.
One change I made to my dip technique was to fold my legs in front of me instead of behind as I descend into the dip. I practice the dip on rings that hang from a doorway. The rings cannot really be set high enough to ensure I can keep my legs straight at the bottom of the dip. I'd been folding my legs behind me like most other people I see doing dips, but that seems to cause my body to swing on the rings. With the legs in front I can engage more core more easily.
Another change I made this week was the choice of single leg exercise for my warmup on my calisthenics days. I changed my single leg exercise to ring-assisted pistol squat. I like the greater range of motion for the glute and knee compared to hover lunge/shrimp squat variations. However I also found 1 set per leg to be enough for a warmup. 2 sets per leg left me feeling more tired than I would like to be for the start of a main workout.
I had unexpected DOMS from the 2/17 side plank micro workout, especially in the obliques. So on 2/20 I began to attempt a single leg deadlift with the 20kg KB as my last warmup exercise before beginning Easy Muscle training, but the DOMS made me reconsider.
Chinup - 30 total reps
Dips - 30 total reps
2/18
20kg Clean+Press - 20 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 48 total reps
2/20
Chinup - 36 total reps
Dips - 36 total reps
Thus ends Phase 1 of Schedule B. For the final KB session I actually did 19 reps with the right arm. On one of the reps, my technique was so sloppy that I wasn't able to press the KB all the way up. For the final calisthenic session, I went ahead and did 2 more sets of dips and chinups after the 20 min. timer rang. Week 4 is supposed to be a high effort week, so for this last session I increased the effort by simply increasing the training time to ensure I did more work than usual.
One change I made to my dip technique was to fold my legs in front of me instead of behind as I descend into the dip. I practice the dip on rings that hang from a doorway. The rings cannot really be set high enough to ensure I can keep my legs straight at the bottom of the dip. I'd been folding my legs behind me like most other people I see doing dips, but that seems to cause my body to swing on the rings. With the legs in front I can engage more core more easily.
Another change I made this week was the choice of single leg exercise for my warmup on my calisthenics days. I changed my single leg exercise to ring-assisted pistol squat. I like the greater range of motion for the glute and knee compared to hover lunge/shrimp squat variations. However I also found 1 set per leg to be enough for a warmup. 2 sets per leg left me feeling more tired than I would like to be for the start of a main workout.
I had unexpected DOMS from the 2/17 side plank micro workout, especially in the obliques. So on 2/20 I began to attempt a single leg deadlift with the 20kg KB as my last warmup exercise before beginning Easy Muscle training, but the DOMS made me reconsider.
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Side Plank Micro Workout
I've been working on progressing through the Side Lying progression from Sore Joint Solution. Generally, it is desirable to complete the progression for all 3 positions of Phase 1 to move up to Phase 2 in SJS. However, Side Lying is the most challenging of the 3 positions, so the trainee has the option of moving up to Phase 2, without completing Side Lying, provided that Side Lying is practiced first before beginning practice of Phase 2 exercises. Side Lying is also part of Systematic Core Training For Kettlebells, specifically in the Stability group of exercises. It's possible to mix Stability and Strength exercises in SCT4KB but you're advised to move on to the Power group without completion of all the Stability exercise progressions.
Thus I've been focusing lately on completing the SJS version of the Side Lying progression. Accomplishing this goal should make completion of the SCT4KB version of this exercise a snap. The 4th and highest level of Side Lying in SJS is the side plank - aka "forearm side plank" or "straight leg side plank". I'm currently on level 3 which is a regression of the side plank with bent legs.
I stumbled on videos recommending the side plank for spinal stability and/or oblique strength. That led me to revisit this side plank micro workout that was posted by Red Delta Project, and start practicing it, as exercise programming is provided. It just looks like a nice changeup from SJS-style practice of Side Lying:
Micro workout directions:
Today I tried this micro workout for the first time. I only did 10 T-planks for warmup because I was already starting to feel tired by the 8th rep and I don't believe that a warmup should wipe you out. Maybe as my conditioning improves I'll feel like doing more than 10 for a warmup. For the main portion, I did 3 sets of 8 hip dip side planks. I'm intrigued by the idea of pursuing lateral chain hypertrophy but for now will just work towards 4 sets of 10. The finisher was easy for me - 20s hold of the floor side plank was no problem for either side. I shouldn't have been surprised because I've worked up to 16 breath sets of Side Lying Level 3 (SJS), and 16 breaths, at the rate at which I inhale and exhale, is approximately 2 minutes. It's kind of tempting to move onto side plank with feet on suspension trainer, but I'll stick to the floor version for now. I'll do try a 25s hold next time, and gradually increase hold time until I hit my limit. I'll work up to the suspension trainer version, then maybe switch back to SJS Side Lying.
Great tip to reduce pressure on the elbow, shoulder, or neck during side plank training
Thus I've been focusing lately on completing the SJS version of the Side Lying progression. Accomplishing this goal should make completion of the SCT4KB version of this exercise a snap. The 4th and highest level of Side Lying in SJS is the side plank - aka "forearm side plank" or "straight leg side plank". I'm currently on level 3 which is a regression of the side plank with bent legs.
I stumbled on videos recommending the side plank for spinal stability and/or oblique strength. That led me to revisit this side plank micro workout that was posted by Red Delta Project, and start practicing it, as exercise programming is provided. It just looks like a nice changeup from SJS-style practice of Side Lying:
Micro workout directions:
- warm-up with 20 T-planks focusing on using your back and glutes to fully extend your body.
- Perform 8-10 side planks on each side. Use the progression technique of your choice to ensure a high degree of intensity. Perform 3-4 sets or until your muscles reach a state of high fatigue if hypertrophy is your goal.
- Finish with a round of the plank variation of your choice for 20s.
Today I tried this micro workout for the first time. I only did 10 T-planks for warmup because I was already starting to feel tired by the 8th rep and I don't believe that a warmup should wipe you out. Maybe as my conditioning improves I'll feel like doing more than 10 for a warmup. For the main portion, I did 3 sets of 8 hip dip side planks. I'm intrigued by the idea of pursuing lateral chain hypertrophy but for now will just work towards 4 sets of 10. The finisher was easy for me - 20s hold of the floor side plank was no problem for either side. I shouldn't have been surprised because I've worked up to 16 breath sets of Side Lying Level 3 (SJS), and 16 breaths, at the rate at which I inhale and exhale, is approximately 2 minutes. It's kind of tempting to move onto side plank with feet on suspension trainer, but I'll stick to the floor version for now. I'll do try a 25s hold next time, and gradually increase hold time until I hit my limit. I'll work up to the suspension trainer version, then maybe switch back to SJS Side Lying.
Great tip to reduce pressure on the elbow, shoulder, or neck during side plank training
Saturday, February 14, 2026
Easy Muscle B: Week 3
2/9
20kg Clean+Press - 16 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 36 total reps
2/11
Chinup - 30 total reps
Dips - 30 total reps
2/13
20kg Clean+Press - 15 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 40 total reps
Looking at the results from previous weeks, I can see modest progress in all exercises.
One of the days prescribed 3 reps per set of clean+press. On the 2nd or 3rd set, I was unable to do 3 consecutive reps with my weaker arm. I paused, shook my body fast-and-loose style and exhaled smoothly to calm down; then completed the set. I think my struggle was caused by rushing the movement. So for my last 2 sets, I took the time to let the kettlebell settle into the rack position, and then pressed it up. When we practice the KB press, we are not just applying brute force from the muscles to press up the KB - we also search for the perfect movement path for the KB. Rushing the movement, so that the KB almost skips the rack position, can somehow mess up that path. Hopefully the solution of pausing the KB in the rack position for at least a second before pressing, will still work the next time the program asks me to do 3-rep sets.
20kg Clean+Press - 16 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 36 total reps
2/11
Chinup - 30 total reps
Dips - 30 total reps
2/13
20kg Clean+Press - 15 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 40 total reps
Looking at the results from previous weeks, I can see modest progress in all exercises.
One of the days prescribed 3 reps per set of clean+press. On the 2nd or 3rd set, I was unable to do 3 consecutive reps with my weaker arm. I paused, shook my body fast-and-loose style and exhaled smoothly to calm down; then completed the set. I think my struggle was caused by rushing the movement. So for my last 2 sets, I took the time to let the kettlebell settle into the rack position, and then pressed it up. When we practice the KB press, we are not just applying brute force from the muscles to press up the KB - we also search for the perfect movement path for the KB. Rushing the movement, so that the KB almost skips the rack position, can somehow mess up that path. Hopefully the solution of pausing the KB in the rack position for at least a second before pressing, will still work the next time the program asks me to do 3-rep sets.
Saturday, February 07, 2026
Repeated Easy Muscle B: Week 2
In this area, a winter storm that dumped about a half a foot of snow, which turned to ice by the following day. The ice remained hard for a week because temperatures never rose above freezing. Thus I spent the week clearing out ice. I did so much manual labor that I did not feel my body could handle Easy Muscle B on top of the labor of breaking ice, tossing ice chunks aside, and shoveling the smaller chucks of ice and snow. So I repeated the Week 2 routine.
2/2
Chinup - 24 total reps
Dips - 24 total reps
2/4
20kg Clean+Press - 17 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 42 total reps
2/6
Chinup - 32 total reps
Dips - 32 total reps
Thus, modest improvement was observed compared to the previous iteration of Week 2
2/2
Chinup - 24 total reps
Dips - 24 total reps
2/4
20kg Clean+Press - 17 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 42 total reps
2/6
Chinup - 32 total reps
Dips - 32 total reps
Thus, modest improvement was observed compared to the previous iteration of Week 2
Thursday, February 05, 2026
Video with good technique tips for dips and chinups
My takeaways: Practice the active negative in the dip. Row yourself down, keeping the shoulders away from your ears, and gradually pulling your elbows back. Extend your shoulders as much as possible while not allowing them to shrug. This stretches the chest as well as works on the end range of shoulder extension. Reducing chest tightness and improving shoulder extension improves overall shoulder ROM for lifting a KB or any other weight. As you push yourself up from the dip, allow the scapula to move out of retraction
Red Delta Project (Matt Schifferle) also uploaded a dip technique video. Matt also mentions anti-shrug, or packing the shoulders down and back at the scapulae at the top fo the movement, then retraction of the scapulae on the way down. A key detail that he advises is tilting the torso forward on the way down while engaging the back muscles. For me this solves the problem of shoulders kind of sneaking up into a shrug on the way down:
I'm currently doing dips as part of Easy Muscle Schedule B. I've had good results from this program before but one question I had, for which I could not find the answer in the manual, is why the parallel dips is the pushing exercise of choice for the calisthenics day. Geoff posted this video a few months ago that answered this question:
In the above video he's talking about Rebuilt After 40, which is very similar to Easy Muscle. I thought the answer would be the unloading of the spine that few other pushing exercises offer, but that's only one reason. Another reason is mentioned in the above video that I wouldn't have thought of, which is FAB (Functional Antagonistic Balance). So in the video, dips are mentioned as the FAB of the front squat. I guess dips could be the FAB of any KB squat variation you choose for Easy Muscle - goblet squat, single front squat, or double front squat.
Friday, January 23, 2026
Easy Muscle B: Week 2
1/19
Chinup - 24 total reps
Dips - 24 total reps
1/21
20kg Clean+Press - 15 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 35 total reps
1/23
Chinup - 28 total reps
Dips - 28 total reps
I changed my warmup routine to the GMB 15-minute mobility boost. I was inspired to try it again after seeing a recent GMB video about warmup carryover to your main workout. The 15-minute mobility boost is sort of an advertisement for GMB's program called Mobility. However the 15-min. routine features some exercises that I didn't notice appearing too much or even at all in Mobility - for example World's Greatest Stretch. Anyway, I'll stick with it for now.
Another change I made this week was to resume practicing the hollow body hold, after each Easy Muscle session. I'd previously achieved a 60-second hold but last week when I tried it, I was barely able to do 25 seconds. I did 3-4 sets of 15-20 seconld holds.
Chinup - 24 total reps
Dips - 24 total reps
1/21
20kg Clean+Press - 15 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 35 total reps
1/23
Chinup - 28 total reps
Dips - 28 total reps
I changed my warmup routine to the GMB 15-minute mobility boost. I was inspired to try it again after seeing a recent GMB video about warmup carryover to your main workout. The 15-minute mobility boost is sort of an advertisement for GMB's program called Mobility. However the 15-min. routine features some exercises that I didn't notice appearing too much or even at all in Mobility - for example World's Greatest Stretch. Anyway, I'll stick with it for now.
Another change I made this week was to resume practicing the hollow body hold, after each Easy Muscle session. I'd previously achieved a 60-second hold but last week when I tried it, I was barely able to do 25 seconds. I did 3-4 sets of 15-20 seconld holds.
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Hamstring Flexibility Exercises and related activities
I studied this video by Range of Strength
I decided to adopt the following hamstring flexibility exercises:
Wall Tibialis Raise - B tier - as part of warmup for all training sessions.
Supine Hamstring Stretch - C tier - as part of warmup for my calisthenics and Sore Joint Solution sessions
Split Stance Stiff Leg Deadlift - A tier - as part of cooldown for my KB sessions. I found the weight of double 16kg kettlebells was not enough pull my torso down into the stretch. I still have to engage my hip flexor, quad and core to initiate the stretch and hope that the KBs provide assistance.
I'd like to eventually try the S tier exercise Straight Leg Deadlift but I feel like I should work with the Split Stance Stiff Leg Deadlift first.
I also started working on the Side Lying series in Geoff Neupert's Sore Joint Solution program. To get to 30 breaths per side I adopted a density training idea from the RMax days - do 60 total breaths per side, per session, and start with 6 sets of 10 breaths. Over time I will increase the number of breaths per set.
I also started practicing the hollow body hold again. Last year I worked up to a 60-second hold. Nowadays my max hold time is nowhere near that. The main reason I started working on the hollow body hold again is I notice that my shoulder flexion improves as I practice it.
I decided to adopt the following hamstring flexibility exercises:
Wall Tibialis Raise - B tier - as part of warmup for all training sessions.
Supine Hamstring Stretch - C tier - as part of warmup for my calisthenics and Sore Joint Solution sessions
Split Stance Stiff Leg Deadlift - A tier - as part of cooldown for my KB sessions. I found the weight of double 16kg kettlebells was not enough pull my torso down into the stretch. I still have to engage my hip flexor, quad and core to initiate the stretch and hope that the KBs provide assistance.
I'd like to eventually try the S tier exercise Straight Leg Deadlift but I feel like I should work with the Split Stance Stiff Leg Deadlift first.
I also started working on the Side Lying series in Geoff Neupert's Sore Joint Solution program. To get to 30 breaths per side I adopted a density training idea from the RMax days - do 60 total breaths per side, per session, and start with 6 sets of 10 breaths. Over time I will increase the number of breaths per set.
I also started practicing the hollow body hold again. Last year I worked up to a 60-second hold. Nowadays my max hold time is nowhere near that. The main reason I started working on the hollow body hold again is I notice that my shoulder flexion improves as I practice it.
Easy Muscle B: Week 1
1/12
20kg Clean+Press - 16 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 36 total reps
1/14
Chinup - 25 total reps
Dips - 25 total reps
1/16
20kg Clean+Press - 12 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 36=5 total reps
Per the program instructions, I took it fairly easy this week. I rested a lot between sets. When I was asked to do 3-rep sets of clean+press I had one failed rep on the left side, which I of course made up by doing a rep on the left side after completing my right-side reps.
I was inspired by Brett Jones' Mind The Gap to include a single leg exercise in my warmup. On my kettlebell days I finished my warmup with single leg deadlift of the 20kg KB for about 3 reps. On my calisthenics days, I finished my warmup with hover lunge. I do the hover lunge as a regression of the Shrimp Squat.
20kg Clean+Press - 16 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 36 total reps
1/14
Chinup - 25 total reps
Dips - 25 total reps
1/16
20kg Clean+Press - 12 total reps
Double 16kg Front Squat - 36=5 total reps
Per the program instructions, I took it fairly easy this week. I rested a lot between sets. When I was asked to do 3-rep sets of clean+press I had one failed rep on the left side, which I of course made up by doing a rep on the left side after completing my right-side reps.
I was inspired by Brett Jones' Mind The Gap to include a single leg exercise in my warmup. On my kettlebell days I finished my warmup with single leg deadlift of the 20kg KB for about 3 reps. On my calisthenics days, I finished my warmup with hover lunge. I do the hover lunge as a regression of the Shrimp Squat.
Thursday, January 15, 2026
Beginning my 2026 fitness journey with Easy Muscle B
I was going to start 2026 with The Giant 3.0, then decided to do Easy Muscle Schedule B instead. Both programs incorporate the kettlebell clean+press with a 5RM weight - i.e. a weight you can clean+press for at most 5 reps. The difference is The Giant 3.0 is focused on clean+press, while Easy Muscle B incorporates KB squat, chinups and dips. The workouts are organized into Session A, in which KB exercises are practiced, and Session B in which the chinups and dips are practiced. The greater variety of exercises is one reason I chose to do Easy Muscle B. Another reason is more opportunity for hypertrophy, because of the additional exercises. Clean+press with a 5RM weight tends to produce strength gain more than hypertrophy.
I already knew I could do 5 reps of C+P with my 20kg KB. I had to test my repetition max in the other exercises to make sure I'd be working with appropriate loading. These are the results.
After testing my double front squat, I did a workout based on Session B. I chose to do 4 reps per set of each exercise. I ended up doing 5 sets for a total of 20 reps per exercise. Since this was kind of a preview workout I rested for a generous amount of time between sets. On the following day I noticed minor soreness (DOMS) in the chest and anterior deltoids, which can be attributed to not practicing ring dips for almost 2 years.
I already knew I could do 5 reps of C+P with my 20kg KB. I had to test my repetition max in the other exercises to make sure I'd be working with appropriate loading. These are the results.
- Double 16kg KB Front Squat - 10
- Chinups - 10
- Ring Dips - 8
After testing my double front squat, I did a workout based on Session B. I chose to do 4 reps per set of each exercise. I ended up doing 5 sets for a total of 20 reps per exercise. Since this was kind of a preview workout I rested for a generous amount of time between sets. On the following day I noticed minor soreness (DOMS) in the chest and anterior deltoids, which can be attributed to not practicing ring dips for almost 2 years.
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