Squat cleans for reps

I love me some db squat cleans! I mean, what's not to like? You develop explosiveness, a strong core, your traps, grip and will. I want to do these everyday.

3-19-12
-DB squat cleans (100 lbs; 10,8,5,5,5)

While we are on the subject of squatting, I thought I'd mention a quick fix for low back pain. The other day I woke up feeling some tightness in my lower back. I had been doing some kb swings and squats days before and slept funny. Anyway, I got out of bed feeling old like Fred Sanford. I guess I am pretty old if I'm using a Redd Foxx reference. Foam rolling, my usual go-to for muscle aches was ineffectual. Same with the lacrosse balls, my silver bullet of late for muscle pain.

What finally worked was just squatting down, heels to the ground and sitting this way for several minutes. Upon standing, I noticed that the tightness was gone. I could speculate that by squatting I corrected the hyper-lordosis in my spine, but I'm not qualified. I just know that I'm feeling much better. Next I'm going to work on my slouching shoulders. Poor posture and decreased shoulder mobility can contribute to lower back pain, so I've heard.

Coping with back pain

Finding the cause of back pain can be like Jerry Bruckheimer police procedural. My lower back has been sore for a couple weeks now, and it's pretty darn annoying. You might have noticed a paucity in training posts. Yeah, it's because of my back and I hurt it training.

The chain of events, as I believe them to be, started with a wrist injury, carpal tendon instability. Breaking your fall on concrete, even if it's covered with a wrestling mat, can do this to your wrist. With my wrist compromised, the disparity between strong and weak hand overhead pressing got magnified. At some point, probably when I was push-pressing 80 lbs on the right side and alternating with 65 lbs on the left, I tweaked some superficial spinal muscles. The result, low back pain.

I've been trying to roll out my back with the Indo board cylinder as well as lacrosse ball with a little success. The ache is somewhat diminished. I haven't found the trigger point. . . yet. I will find this sucker and squash it.

7-24-11
-100 kb swings
-weighted pull ups (80 lbs, 17x1)

7-25-11
-50 single kb swings+50 double kb swings
-30, 100 lbs squat cleans

after the fall

So it's a few days after Judo class and I notice some soreness in my neck, right at the base near my clavicle. The back is a little tight, and I've got a fist size bruise on my chest. All considered, not too bad.

3-19-11
-20 neutral grip chin-ups
-db squat cleans (2x60lbs)
-ab-roll-outs
-fat grip db shrugs

The meat of this work-out is the db squat cleans. It doesn't look like much, but I found it challenging to complete in under 5 minutes. It felt very much like a Tabata protocol routine.

back is back

I thought I'd peek under the bandages, so to speak, to see if my back had recovered. I grabbed two 55 lbs. db's and got crazy.

3-2-11
-db squat cleans (3x10, 2x55lbs db's)
-kneeling to standing ab-roll-outs (2x10)
-20 neutral grip pull-ups

For the first set, I thought I'd try to do a 10 minute set, pausing for three breaths between each rep. At the 5 rep mark, I knew my plan was bat-shit crazy. I made it to 10 reps in 2'53 and decided 3x10's would be better, as long as I kept the three breaths between reps. The second set had me taking three quick breaths-it was agony trying to prolong the second set. I finished it in 1'33. For the last set, I dumped the three breaths per and just knocked out 10 reps as fast as I could.

It appears that my back is back, at least when it comes to bearing weight at the shoulders. The next test is pressing two db's overhead. For now, enjoy

chinny, chin, chin

Yesterday I followed a Crossfit WOD which comprised singles of weighted pull-ups. I did close-grip chin-ups and started with 69 lbs on the dip belt, increasing 10 pounds for each rep up to 99lbs, and did doubles back down to 69, where I completed 3 sets of doubles. It was relatively stress free.

1-10-11

-30-24 kb swing breathing ladder

-squat cleans (5x5, 30 secs work, 30 secs rest)

Today's workout took just about 10 minutes and left me beaten. I completed 24 more swings than last time with the breathing ladder. Oh joy!

Shiju-kata

I spent the weekend working on my shiju-kata. For my karate pals out there, no, it's not a martial dance with hidden deadly technique. Shiju (40) and kata (shoulder) is a Japanese term referring to shoulder immobility characteristic of desk-bound types in their 40's. My shiju-kata presents itself as an inability to touch fingertips of opposite hands when one arm is raised above shoulder level, elbow bent, hand behind the head, while the other arm reaches up from behind. In truth, I had poor shoulder mobility long before I hit my 40's. It's only now that I am trying to address it.

One of the things I'm doing to combat shiju-kata is to raise one forearm behind my back with the aid of nylon webbing. The webbing loops around the wrist and drapes towards the front of the opposite shoulder. Pull down on the free end. You need to do this move while seated in a chair. With the arm raise in this position, lean into the chair back and enjoy the pain.

12-13-10 (more density training)

-15 minutes of squat-clean press and weighted pull-ups

-2 reps of each per minute

The no-mas-ometer reads 3.8. Ouch.

My lower back fatigued before I could get to 20 minutes. I stopped at the 15 minute mark rather than risk injury. You can bet I'll be hitting the lacrosse balls for recovery.