Train | 2020 - 20 | Mix walk with a 20kg kettlebell

Found that the order -
- suitcase carry
- rack walk
- waiters walk
- (switch hands and repeat)

-is way better than the other way around. I expected to do KB swings after this, but my back has been dodgy as fuck these past 2 weeks. I'm going to make this sequence my main actual training sessions.

For greasing the groove, I've still got:
- Bodyweight rows
- Ring pushups
- KB presses
- All da curls
- Band pullthrough

For the bodyweight rows and ring pushups, I'm adopting a little bit of a different strat.
- Single reps only, just do a ton of sets with short rest
- Explosive reps
- Load them the fuck up

Incoming equipment:
- Metal sled I'll convert to a dragging sled.
- Cinder blocks for da sled.

Train | 2020 - 19 | Suitcase carry + viking push press

~20min walk with a 20kg kettlebell
Every time I got winded or my grip failed I would do 5 push presses per side. The 'viking' tag means there was no rest between reps.

Still trying to figure my shit out in terms of new equipment. I think a bodyweight station is still the route to go. In terms of sleds, I still want to convert a wheelbarrow into a prowler.

Exercise | 2020 - 18 | Little bit of everything

Parents took me to their gym in Marietta and God damn do they go to a nice gym. Best of all, they have a prowllllleeerrrrr.

I went way harder than normal as this is my only workout this week. Otherwise, ive been on the 2x daily ab work train to set my back straight.

Bulgarian split squat rest pause x20lbs

Ring pushup rest pause

Ring row rest pause x25lbs 

Prowler pushes +140lbs x 20min

Ring curls

This really mirrors what i want to do back home as well. Im still struggling over the choice of getting a barbell over just the bw gym. 

Pros

- squat rack is tall 108". Bw work would be doable

- squat rack allows for future front squats and floor presses and jerks

- they cost the same

Cons

- possible stability difference in squat stand v bw stand

Ethos | The best things pt1 | Back and knees

Last weeks workout set me back months of progress. My back feels like crap. I feel vulnerable. Ive been lying to myself on how good my knees feel. Not because they feel bad day to day, but because when i try to do anything but exist or lift they feel junky (see: lift).

Here is why this is the best thing ever.

1. Ive been ignoring my back rehab in lieu of doing suitcase carries.

And bubbee, there is nothing wrong with suitcase carries. But this is only 1/3 of the plan i started a year ago. In "the gift of injury" there is no clause that states maybe haphazardly do the big 3 for 2 months and then your back gets fixed. Thats weak af man. No, the instructions are 2x a day big 3 and multiple daily walks.

2. Light lower back volume is still lower back volume. 

When working ive been doing little sets of single leg rdls. I thought this was free volume, but my back is still in there moving and not stabilizing. 

Last saturday i woke up and jumped into swings with a kettlebell ive never used and AHH WUH HAPPENED. Bro.

There is no problem with lifting daily, but leave the lower back alone when it needs some time. I have a feeling that sled drags are gonna be great here..

3. I discovered a new way to do bulgarian split squats

Squats, ive been ignoring you. Ive been ignoring you because my left knee gets tight even with bodyweight squats. But dude, we need blood in there to heal and blood aint going there if we dont try. Heres the play.

Bodyweight bulgarian split squats + bfr straps.

Bss have always felt off to me. Sometimes theyre great and other times they are part of the problem. Yesterday i found that they go from shit to great by placing my rear leg toe on the chair instead of placing the rear foot on the chair.

Differences

Rear leg is involved more in the lift

Hip mobility is a big limiting factor here

Hips get stretched

Easy to keep the knee tracked

Exercise | 2020 - 17 | quick and the dead | 80 reps

Tried using my new 60lb kb and it was a mistake. The goal with power workouts is to increase power, not weight. My lower back is tight and angry and im pissed.

I bought this kettlebell for carries and cleans. Not power. Get your head right.

Home Gym | Current Gear 2/7/2020

Building this puppy has been a very different experience than I imagined just 2 years ago. Circa 2018, I budgeted about $5000 for a rack, a bar, and hundreds of pounds of weights. It always felt weird and I never pulled a trigger. Then came the herniations. Oh, the herniations.

Fast forward to December 2019. I'm getting more out of a 45lb kettlebell while remaining injury free than I ever thought possible. The original power lifting gym idea has been converted into what looks more like a pile of shit on the floor. Said shit amounts to calisthenics and kettlebells.

Current Gear
[Kettlebells]
- 15lb
- 45lb
- 60lb

Unlocks - things I'm actively interested in

• Press variations
• Cleans
• Snatches
• Swing variations
• Weighted carry variations
• Single leg RDLs

[Calisthenics]
- High paralletes
- Oly rings

Unlocks - things I'm actively interested in

• Inverted row variations
• Static holds
• Pushups

[Misc]
- Rogue bands (orange, blue, black)
- Ab wheel with inexplicable fat grips

Unlocks - things I'm actively interested in

• Increasing difficulty to other movements
• Ab rollouts (duh)

Wish List
[Kettlebells]
- 80lb
- 100lb

Unlocks - things I'm actively interested in

• Same as lighter KB's

[Calisthenics]
- Free standing pullup bar

Unlocks - things I'm actively interested in

• Ring inverted row variations
• Ring pullups
• Ring dips

[Strongman]
- No fuckin clue

Exercise | 2020 - 16 | Suitcase carry 20kg x 20min

Moving slow today from awful diet and sleep past few nights. I love the way weighted carries can be ramped down and still be effective. Ya, I wasn't booking it, but I also was able to walk for longer.

Definitely feeling some small cracks in the infrastructure from grease the groove lifting. I may want to consider doing less reps per set as I'm getting a little too close to failure. Pure grease the groove volume is literally do 1/2 to 2/3 of the reps you can do. I'm getting closer to 7/8. Not failure, but the next rep would be sketchy.