Training Week of 7/27

7/27
HSPU Mini Course Practice A - Attempted to extend both legs simultaneously in headstand. Succeeded but I still felt my effort level was too high and control was too shaky for me to feel like I could graduate from the 2nd progression in StrongFirst's headstand progression. I spent the rest of the 10 minutes practicing at 2nd progression

HSPU Mini Course Play - 6 pike push up singles with starting lean of shoulders about 6" ahead of wrists. I recorded video of my first 2 singles. It was an eye-opener to see that I'm not getting my hips as high as I thought I was. I try to engage my abs and keep my knees from bending more as I go down. However, the video shows my knees bending more as I go down. The bending knees are probably caused by a combination of tight hamstrings and insufficient overhead pressing strength. I didn't expect to achieve Bent Arm Stand today but that goal looks further away than I thought. I was going to do 8 singles but my form fell apart on the 6th rep. In the spirit of play, I'll try pulling my feet closer to my hands before beginning the arm lean next time.

Hamstring mobility circuit - 2 rounds:

1. Good morning - 8 reps
2. Elephant walk - 10 reps
3. Straddle side bend w/ 4kg plate on stack of 2 puzzle mat tiles - 7 reps w/ 10s hold on last rep

7/28
Chest expander workout:

Overhand Vertical Pullapart - 1 set - 5 springs - 15 reps!

Overhand Vertical Pullapart - backoff set - 4 springs - 15 reps!

Underhand Vertical Pullapart - 1 set - 4 springs

Underhand Vertical Pullapart - backoff set - 3 springs

Horizontal Pullapart - 1 set - 2 springs

Underhand Vertical Pullapart - mechanical drop set - 2 springs

Horizontal Pullapart - back off set - 1 spring

Sideway Tricep Extension - work set - 5 springs

Sideway Tricep Extension - back off set - 4 springs

Violin Tricep Extension - work set - 3 springs

Dr. Keith Baar style isometric tendon training circuit - 3 rounds

• Left hand 12kg kettlebell press hold - arm parallel to floor, elbow 90 degrees.
• Right hand 12kg kettlebell press hold - same position as left hand.
• Chin up hold with elbows at 90 degrees.
• ATG split squat
• ATG split squat other side

7/29
20kg KB clean+press rep max test, doubling as pain test for right wrist and left shoulder:

1. 5-min warmup routine from The Giant X - did the exaggerated cross crawl instead of the regular version - if there's such a thing - because it feels better for my shoulders
2. 16kg KB clean+press warmup set - 5 reps - no pain in wrist, some irritation left shoulder
3. Rest, then 16kg KB clean+press warmup set - 7 reps - no wrist pain, less left shoulder pain
4. Rest, then 20kg KB clean+press rep max test - no wrist or shoulder pain.

I did 2 reps with the left arm, but could not do a 3rd rep. Did 3 reps with the right arm and stopped.

I was disappointed with my left arm performance but not surprised by this result. The KB press has overhead pressing in common with pike push ups, but the technique is different. Maybe there is too much of a difference to expect immediate carryover from pike push ups to KB press. I wondered if there might be carryover from headstand practice or Dr. Keith Baar style isometric KB press but there doesn't seem to be either. Maybe there carryover from these activites to dynamic KB press will be manifested as I regain proficiency in the KB press. My triceps got stronger in the chest expander behind-the-neck vertical pullapart and sideway tricep extension, based on moving up in spring count. Perhaps the tricep gains will eventually carry over to KB pressing as well.
Still, I'm happy to be able to press a 20kg KB pain-free with my right arm again. I enjoyed trying out the HSPU Mini Course, but I get more bang for the buck from KB clean+press.

I was hoping to do The Giant 3.0 for my next training block, but the recommended clean+press rep max is 5. My 2 rep max is not high enough. So I did 12 sets (6 per side) of Iron Cardio Classic chain to see if Iron Cardio might be an option for my next training block. I felt fine doing the Classic chain, although my squat form was a bit shaky. Brett Jones recommends the heaviest KB weight that you can press for 5-6 reps - so pretty much the same weight as The Giant 3.0, but you can get away with using a weight heavier than your 5RM (rep max) weight in Iron Cardio because the Classic variation has only one press per set.

Thus, my tentative plan is start an Iron Cardio training block, doing Iron Cardio Classic 3x a week for the next 2 weeks, varying session times from 20-40 min. This should get me reacquainted with the Classic exercises of clean, press, and single front squat.

Then for Weeks 3 and 4, I would switch to the press focus example template from the Iron Cardio book. The book says the template will increase 1-rep max weight in the press. Thus it may help me increase my 20kg press rep max from 2 back to 5 or more. At the end of Week 4, I'll re-test the 20kg clean+press rep max.

Finished the session with 30-sec per side waiter walk with 20kg KB to improve shoulder stability, then 4 x 30 sec. hollow body hold to get back to work on improve core strength. 7/30
Practiced KB squatting, so I could do the Iron Cardio Classic sequence with more confidence in my single front squat. After the warmup, I did a set of 5 20kg goblet squats, then 3 sets/side of 3 single front squats with the 20kg KB. I changed my foot placement for each set, and settled on parallel feet, slightly wider than shoulder width. I could squat lower by turning the feet out more, but that would result in collapsed foot arches. I do like to keep the foot arches engaged as I have flat feet

7/31
Iron Cardio Classic - each set is the "classic" sequence of 1 clean, 1 press, 1 single front squat with single kettlebell:

18 sets with single 20kg KB, thus 9 sets per side. 20 min. training time.
Waiter walk (straight arm) with 20kg KB - 3 reps of 20 second walk per side

Modified Pigeon stretch - 2 min. per side - something about single front squat makes my right hip external rotator sore.