RoP medium day

clean and press ladders
1,2 1,2 1
press on right side had many more reps, left side last C&P was a bastardized side press.
I have 2 options ( one right out of ETK ) I can vary between light and medium days on press untill I can add ladders OR I cvan GTG the ladders through the day 1 ladder in the am on one ariving home from school, and one in the PM. ( I like the extra conditioning that comes from doing all the ladders at once ) Then folow the plan for swings and snatches.
Haven't decided yet Maybe I'll GTG press ladders Sat and see how it goes.
Swing rolled 3 swing 10, 10, 10, 10 wind was good.

On a real positive note today at lunch I jogged over to the store catycorner (sp?) to the school, bought a plum, 4 ounces of sliced chicken breast and a small bag of baby carrots. I didn't have the mid-afternoon crash I do if I drink soda and eat chips. Plus I was fired up to workout tonight, instead of dreading it.

RoP light day

clean and press w/ 70
3 singles each side
snatches rolled 7
53 snatches
I've been eating like crap at school lately, I can feel the difference in my cardio, that has to stop.
on a positive note pressing the 70 is cool, I still have my doubts as to weather I'll get 1,2,3, x 3 on Sat. If I don't then I will later!!

RoP Heavy day

Fuckin' A I KNEW I felt stronger this week.

press ladder w/53
5 rungs of 5 ladders
I did it, man it about killed me today, just to get that volume with the 70 or 88 I am going to have to be in MUCH MUCH better shape.

A huge part of it was getting that feeling of almost pushing too far awy from your body to get the bell perfectly verticle, it just floats up ( untill you get really fatigued LOL )
rolled snakeyes ( karmic blessing, I swear )

45 swings straight through, less than 2 minutes but I was done.

I'm all quesy, happy, hurty, and about 9 other y's right now. Food and nap commencing.

I feel strong today

I mean physically AND mentally, like I know I will pass school, and I feel very strong this morning, I picked up Cheyenne and almost threw her overhead, I feel lighter than I am too.
It's a cool feeling. I'm just using the 53 and I am starting to walk around feeling strong.
Can't wait untill I'm tossing around the bulldog, but that is many many steps ahead of this one!!

RoP medium day

Horrible sin I committed yesterday, studied untill late and went to sleep forgetting it was medium day bad bad bad Roycie, but I got a 96% and 94% on my two tests today so that's ok.
RoP medium day.
press ladder w/ 53
3,3,3,2,2
bent over row ladder w/ 70
3,3,3,2,2

presses and rows flowed like magic today, sweating of course but only because of the clean preceding the press.

rolled 7
80 swings

School is going great, felt confident today, maybe T was up a little, I had a definate spring in my step all day.
see ya'll

I understand

the 3x3 presses today went so smooth and fluid as did the clean preceding them. I also got the feeling of "almost pushing too far away from your body" to get the arm vertical.
I required less tension today to move the 53, I could have easily done it sitting or on one leg.
The CLEAN before each press allows you to practice generating full body tension, I get it.
Its a skill, I finally am starting to understand why strength is a skill, why you need the volume to adapt.
It is exactly like throwing darts, the little inflections make all the difference. I bet I still couldn't do 3 x 1,2,3 with the 70 so I have a lot to LEARN still. I will be so damn proud of myself when I can do it though!!

Side note I have never had a strong enough ego to work with the light weights untill my form is perfect, I would alway throw on the bar what I could do for doubles or triples and try to get better ( read stronger ) that way. No wonder I plateaued, burnt out, and stopped! I am beginning to really like the light weight work......well or at least the medium weight work, LOL.

Even if I knew about Westside when I was young, and even if I had the self-discipline to stick with something for more than a year or so, and even if I didn't want to be a bodybuilder ( to get the chicks ), I would have failed because I wouldn't have had a small enough ego to work GPP, band work, good mornings, ect ect, to get the skill nessicary to build up to the strength.
I am still learning to crawl before I walk, freakin' crazy.


OH yeah, but Pavel's a fraud.......bullshit!

Pressed for time

varied light workout a little just for the sake of time.
press ( 1 clean multiple presses
3/3 x 3 with 53 A1
b/o row 3/3 x 3 with 70 A2

60 seconds rest between a1 and a2
snatches 5/5 x 5 not timed rapid clip though

DAMN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0KDnaHCOQ0

RoP Heavy day

Wow hurt my self today ( all good pain though )
Presse ladder w/ 53
4,4,4,3,3, Tough especially with limited rest
row w 70 4,4,4,3,3
gripper ladder Filed #1
in between presses and rows
1,2 x a lot

rolled 12
swings w/ 53
160 swings
20, 20, 20, 20,20,20,10,10,10,5,5
still time on the clock but I was just DONE, all the sets below 20 were 2 hand to just above navel level. It was all I had in me!
Maybe I'm a pussy but this one had me on the verge of an alternate state of consciouness. Lungs even hurt.
I believe that's a swing volume pr too

Done

got it all done, in Friday traffic no less.
Rest time.

See lifting makes you smarter

And clears you head of stupid shit.
I've got that enorphine high going on right now, can't even feel the sweat in my eyes.
:-)
I'm going to get up at 4:30 go to Wally World, get the kids their lunch, come home wake up the little kids early, get them ready, go get Barb, load up all the kids in the car, drop the kids off at school, drop the little kids off at my moms house ( all before 8:30 am ) stop at the Mesa Police station get my records, head out to Tempe, get my records, continue to Phoenix, get fingerprinted, and hopefully get done by 3pm to go get the kids from school, drop them off, go get the little ones and be back at the house by 6pm to take Barbie to work, do a LIGHT gripper workout, then pass the fuck out.

I ain't even worried right now, it won't change the directors descision no matter how much I worry, If they don't let me attend NS there I will do it elsewhere. Period.

Time to make some big nasty ZZZZZZZZZZZ's

Peace, love, and succes to all!!

Got all 5 ladders

5 ladders of 3 rungs press w/53
5 ladders of 3 rungs b/o row w/ 70
sucking wind.
swings

100 swings not timed 10, 10 x 5

just whiped from the supersets, just beat like alley dog.

Good notes, finally got my arm truely VERTICAL. I used the technique from the original RKC video, looking at the bell while I press it, keeping my hand on my opposite hip for stability. Really helped my form out. I like this the best, I feel stronger watching the bell.

My forearms and shoulders went numb LOL, felt good though.
Legs got a surpisingly good workout too, bent over to support the row, the cleans, the tension for the press and the swings. Kinda shakey.

Left wrist is bothering me though I must have let the bell wrench my wrist last workout, had to really focus on keeping it straight.

Every action you take WILL come back to you.

Tomorrow is gunna' suck.
10 years ago I got 2 DUIs within a year of each other, this is one of those really bad Karma deals. I caused no harm to anyone but on the other hand I did put others in danger, as does anyone who drinks and drives.
The Nursing Director called me into her office today and told me that since it was a private college they had more stringent requirements than the state nursing programs. One of wich is that they generally don't take people who have had multiple DUIs.
It looks like they MIGHT cut me a break if I go and get my arrest records to prove there was nothing else involved ( drugs, kids, guns ect. ) There wasn't. And pass my fingerprint background check. Wich I will, but it takes 6-8 weeks to know if you pass.
So I told them I would get the records there by Tuesday ( the next school day ).
The problem is that we have no food in the house and no way to buy food tonight, we are dead broke. Payday is tomorrow.
Here is my shitty schedule tommorrow.

1) Wake thie kids up
2) Get Barb from work
3) Take the kids to school
4) come back, wake up the little kids,
5) get them ready
6) take them to my parents house
( here is where it gets complicated )
7) get my arrest records from 2 different cities
8) get my fingerprint background check started, in another part of the valley of course
9) somehow get the kids their lunch

parts 7,8,9, all need to be done with close temporal vicinity, but fairly large geographical vicinity.

And the worst part of all is if I don't acconmplish all of these things it will look bad, like I am slacking and they don't really have to accept my application.

Then when I will be beyond stressed I will still have to get back to the house in time to take Barb to work, then go pick up the kids from my parents house.

I really have nobody to help me get this stuff done, I have to do it all by myself.

Everybody is counting on me getting this school done, the kids, Barb, everybody. If I do it it will change our lives, we can have both things we constantly struggle to balance.
If Barb works pool and makes enough money to live we have no medical insurence and we all have dental problems. If she works staff we don't have enough money to live or pay the deductible to get the medical stuff done.
If we both work opposite days I can work pool and make money, she can go staff and get us medical insurence.

Maybe I'll just get up at 4 am ( MONEY SHOULD IN BY THEN ), and go to Wal Mart and get some pre-packaged stuff for the kids to take to school.


I keep re-learning the lesson here, NO MINDLESS BEHAVIOR, cause this is something that will affect my whole family.

Off to workout, about the only thing I can control right now.

Happy Valentines Day

hope everybody is having a good day.

Forgot my lunch today.

Man I am about to jack somebody for their food!!
Everybody just sitting there taunting me and eating, how rude!!

2nd day of school down

My English Prof is a bitch, nuff said!!

RoP easy day

press ladders with 53
2 x 5


tried an experiment

snatches 5/5 with 60 seconds rest between sets as explosive as possible
4 sets started slowing down 10 sets no way, made 5 sets before hammy fatigue started comprimising form.

Rif is right 5/5 x 10 with minimal rest and no loss appreciable loss in acceleration with the Beast is WAY beyond any normal human!!

First day of school

Very cool school, they treat us like adults. I can use the computer to surf betwen classes, as long as it's an appropriate site and nobody is waiting for the computers.
Neato.
Glad to have finally started, nice to have adult conversations too.

Cheyenne cried though and didn't want me to leave, it just about broke my heart.
Ryan used to do the same thing to me when he was that age, he used to take my badge so I couldn't go to work, funny little guy.
He just couldn't wrap his head around the fact was going back to school, he kept saying No....no dad..........uhhhmmmmm Noooo. In a real coy unbelieving tone, then when we got here he told me to have a good day ( and he tried to con me out of my drink "Dad can I have some to remember by?" ) Little con man!!

Hope you read this before I get home honey. Love you

mondays RoP

OK monday I am going to do
1-2 x 5
and at the same pace as when I started out, C&P 1/1 shake off the tension, 2/2 shake off the tension ect rest 2 minutes between ladders.

Wed 1-3 x 5.

Sat. attempt 1-4 x 5 with st the same pace then readjust everything for on the next Mon.
No ego this time what I get is what I get!!

Crunch time

"It's all easy untill it gets heavy."
ala Rif

"Don't be a sissy."
ala Tom Furman

I'm staying with RoP untill I meet the goals of the program!!

Just can't believe the 53 is heavy, what a fuckin' ego killer!!

I started the C&P with a certain tempo, not much rest between rungs but 2-3 minutes rest between ladders, to get some cardio too from the C&P's. Well I kept extending the time between rungs just to get a higher volume. The high volume C&P just kicks my ass, I almost don't have energy for the swings or snatches.
I guess that is the point though, plus a C&P is a whole body move anyway, of course it's gunna' fry me.
I have to press the Beast to accomplish the goals, so that means 1-5 x 5 at least with the bulldog, That will be one serious accomplishment.

Yesterday was the exact time in the last 12-13 years that I stopped any program or anything and started something new. Bullshit.
I ain't stopping, period.

I have quoted a few inspirational people on my blog, now I am going to quote myself
from Dec 28th.

I had a huge realization last night during my workout.After I finished it I felt great, wonderfull, on top of the world.
Within 15 minutes I was overanalizing my workout lamenting on the fact that I couldn't put any effort into getting big again if I was to follow this routine to it's intended goals ( another post, but suffice it to say it will take some time ).
I realized this was camaflauge, it was a smoke screen for my true feelings, because I didn't want to face them. LAZINESS, SLOTH, I was finding problems with a near perfect program not because I wanted it all, but because there is a fat, bloated piece of shit in my brain somewhere that is intelligent enough to disguise himself as a naysayer, or analyst, or lawer, or whatever.

Now that I shined the light on him, I am going to cauterize him, destroy him one sweat laden snatch at a time. He will have no refuge in my head anymore, the only thing that resides there is the steely determination of a giravek, pure, simple, and brutal.

Damn right.

test day

pressed 2 pood 2 times on the left 3 on the right
3 min snatch test
45 snatches

Had some interesting revelations, I found my self searching for pace on the snatches, resting on the top, trying to slow the speed down just to make time. Hell I was even trying to minimize my hip snap to not expend so much effort.
Didn't like it actually.
I don't want to do GS and I am training for a 10 min set, wich all my other goals are set up on too. Wich is kinda stupid too, If I don't want to do GS why are my goals timed sets. I want strength, power, and work capacity goals. UGGHHHH
We'll see how I feel tommorrow, I do miss those, "circuits" pavel talked about in the original RKC.
Just thinking on "paper".

RoP at almost 1 am

Was considering skipping it, bad couple of days with the missus, my fault, I was a punk for a couple of days.
press ladders with the 53
4,4,2,1,1
rolled 4
50 swings


Tore up from the floor up.
Tired, sad, lonely, and about dozen other emotions right now.
Tommorrow is a different day though.

RoP light day

Press ladder 53 lb'r
3,3, 3 singles man this was light, but as ETK says I am basing it on my heavy day.

Snatches w/ 53
ballistics have been going well so I moved up to 5/5 instead of 3/3
rolled 6
60 snatches, more like a medium day I was panting a little towards the end, maybe 4/4 next monday instead.

Part of an article on T-nation

Pretty much sums up how I feel.

But there are those that don’t think much of Testosterone.
They use terms like "Testosterone poisoning" when a man acts in an immoral way. We don’t pay much attention to those people because Testosterone in fact represents the heroic in man. Testosterone is James Bond, Dirty Harry, Indiana Jones, Luke Skywalker and even that long-limbed beauty from Alias.

However, the whole concept of being an über-man in today’s society has elements of both irony and tragedy.
High Testosterone individuals created society; they fought the wars, conquered the land, and built the skyscrapers. But the civilization they built has no use for them! High Testosterone gets men in trouble! High Testosterone scares the soccer moms and their rosy-cheeked children! These men are an anachronism, a wild beast roaming the countryside and as we all know, wild beasts don’t mix with society because they sometimes say things that will make your ears wilt.

Hell, they might even mark their territory on the sofa leg!

With no real place in society and no battles to fight except for the occasional high-tech war that rarely involves much mano a mano combat, we try to focus our energies and raw animal passions into other pursuits, other battles. For many of us, that pursuit is training the body through weights. We get bigger and stronger in preparation for a battle that will probably never come.
Yes, we call it bodybuilding, but our type of bodybuilding has as much to do with prancing on a stage in bikini underwear as playing Flight Simulator on a PC has to do with flying a real F-16. Sure we appreciate the esthetics of a great body but when we build muscle, we want it to be functional, too.
We want to be every bit as powerful as we look. We are not only show, but go.
While T-Nation writes unique articles that are pure bodybuilding, we also write unique articles about strength training, or power lifting, or Olympic lifting because not only do those activities contribute to muscle growth, they make muscle functional.
T-Nation also writes often-amazing articles about how to maximize that muscle through nutrition or chemistry. If there’s ground to be broken, chances are T-Nation will break it months or years before anyone else.
Beyond the muscle-building aspects of Testosterone, we admire the psychological aspects of Testosterone. It is the ultimate recreational drug. It lets us enjoy life to the fullest. Nietzsche once wrote, "I am not a man; I am dynamite." Well, that’s what Testosterone makes us feel like. Testosterone is confidence, vitality, health and raw animal drive.

T-Nation is irreverent toward things that deserve irreverence and occasionally reverent to those things that deserve reverence. We are lusty, even bawdy. We are Tom Sawyer, Tom Sawyer with cut-off sleeves and plenty of muscle looking up Becky’s skirt as she climbs a tree. We love women. Maybe some of us are too in love with women. Maybe we feel that were it not for women, we could have been great men, but were it not for women we wouldn’t have wanted to be great men. It’s a conundrum, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
We abide by the law, but when the law is silly, we practice our own form of civil disobedience. We want to tell society to go ahead and live your safe little lives, but let those of us who have the courage to take our bodies to a new plane do what we...see...fit.

Damn right!! Test is a wondefull thing, I am damn glad to be with a woman who appreciates it too.

So caught up I forgot to post RoP session results

Press with 53 lb's
5 ladders

5,5 3,2,2

Answered a few questions, 5 rungs is HARD, 5 rungs of 5 ladders will be an accomplishment.
this was harder than 5 rungs of 4 ladders, LA buildup was stronger on the first two sets!!

Rolled 4
100 swings

hARD 4 minutes man, I keep thinking about snatches, 100 swings in 4 mintes had my legs shaking like a virgin on prom night. 200 snatche in 10, i am so far away from it!!!!!!

SAID vs hardstyle KB WTH effect

The SAID principle versus the WTH effect.
The 2 seem to be polar opposites of each other.
But I am begining to realize that the WTH effect confirms the SAID principle, and russian strength training techniques too.
With hardstyle the hips are trained as the start of any movement, this is one of the most powerfull primal patterns there is. Running, jumping, kicking, squating, deadlifting, tackling, caber toss, whatever, hips are involved. Then there is the core ( although I am starting to not like that word, jut prime movers and stabilizers ), off centered unilateral loads hit not only the abs but the obliques. In my opinion one of the most underdeveloped muscle groups in America. 'Cause everyone wants the V waist. In my personal experience as a laboror most of my adult life I can tell you strong obliques will give a person a very powefull advantage. If you carry a child, bag of groceries, suitcase, or stack of shingles on one side you will be only as strong as your obliques, and if they are not STRONG you will fail fast.

Then there is the shoulders, side presses, bent presses, windmills, Russian military presses, all will develop strong, STABLE and I mean stable, functional shoulders and lats.
Good for throwing and pressing. Lats used as stabilizers also become strong for pulling, along with the "deadlift" like effect from swings and snatches gives one a strong pulling capability.

So here is the a few examples of what I am talking about.
1) Say a pro baseball pitcher decides to take up kb's and do hardstyle to increase his fitness. Suddenly he hits a PR for speed or control. He thinks WTH, or in me and my buddies case, WTGDFMFH. He says "Wow kbs are magic.I have been training just as hard on my pitching form and now I am better and the only difference is KB's. Beacuse I have done no extra specific throwing work."
SAID says this could not happen because there is no specific throwing work. But I say there was unrealized throwing work. A proffesion pitcher with 10 or 11 years of experience is probably as strong as he is going to get in the pitching groove, but he has started spending more time on shoulder stabilization, oblique work and HIP SNAP, to transmit more starting power to the shoulder and utilize it more efficiently. Completely without realizing it. SAID at work!

2) EASY. A stay at home suburban mom decides to get in better shape she starts KBing at the request of her friend who is doing it. Within a few weeks she picks up her daughter and puts her on her hip with much greater ease than she did before. She thinks of course " WTH or What The HECK." I have been only using the 18 lb kb and my daughter is 35 lbs. MAGIC.
NOPE, stonger obliques, and ballistic hip snap to drive her child upwards, and position her.

3) Russian strength training as I understand it, intensity x volume = permanant strength adaptation.
So the hip snap is a ballistic movement, and your muscles will never give 100% in a ballistic movement. So you have 70 to 80% of the available intensity X hundreds and hundreds of reps. Permanant adaptation towards strength. In the most primal movement pattern that is available to us. Even walking is a series of hip snap, unilateral transfer of energy, and catching balance. repeat time and time again.

So I think there is really no "What the Hell" effect instead I think there is an "Unrealized Carryover Effect"
JMHO