Saturday Tempo Running

I was planning on doing a speed workout on the track today but during the warm up my right knee had a sharp pain in it. Weird? Maybe from sitting in the car too much during the week or sitting at the computer. Tempo running is a great substitute!

Warm Up = 25 minutes
10 x 100 yards (bodyweight GPP in the end zones)

Felt great. Knee had ZERO problems. For those of you wanting to lean up. get busy doing some tempo running!

Article on T-nation by Keats Snideman

Here is an article that my brother Keats Snideman and Charles Staley co-authored on pulling.

T-nation article

Tempo Day / Snath Day

Wednesday

I decided to add a couple of reps of bench press to excite the nervous system and see if it improved my snatches. Yes, it worked.

Flat Bench Press

135 x 5
185 x 1
205 x 1
210 x 1

Snatches

24kg 5/5 10/10 15/15 10/10 10/10

100 reps = felt great


Tuesday /TEMPO RUNNING

Warm up
Track Drills/ Hip Mobilty
10 x 100 yards

Back from Vacation - back into the saddle!

My wife and I were privelaged to go on a cruise with her entire family through the Caribbean. The cruise was awesome., the service was outstanding and spending time with her family is always fun. With that being said, it feels great to back home, back to our Fitness Studio, and back in the groove. And, we didn't gain any weight because we worked out every day on the cruise. (the average weight gain per person for a 7 day cruise is around 7 pounds - yikes!!!)

Haven't touched a KB in over a week. It feels good to pick one up again, I'm sure many of you can relate to this.

I decided to try the ETK format.

A-1 Clean and Press
24kg x 1/2/3 x 3 sets

A-2 Weighted Pull Ups
24kg x 1/2/3 x 3 sets

B-1 Front Squats
2 x 24kg KB's 5 x 5

C-1 Rope Waves
3 x 30 seconds waves (explosive)

D-1 AB Sit Ups

10lb MB x 15 reps x 2 sets

Snatches

This week had been unbelievably busy. Saw 10 clients today and will see 9 tomorrow. Why? I am leaving on a cruise this weekend so am trying to get everyone in before we leave. Have not trained since last week with weights due to my intense schedule and my SORE body from sprinting. The last sprint session I did worked me BIG TIME! What it really means is that I am finally starting to sprint fast. Every time I run faster in practive it SMOKES my nervous system and it takes me longer to recover. But today I felt unusually strong with the snatch. So I powered in a quick workout before my KB classe at 6pm.

SNATCHES

40kg 3/3 5/5 5/5 felt Great = 26 reps
24kg 30/30 = 60 reps

That was enough!!!! I for sure feel better with less frequent workouts, just works for me better. So there goes my 4 days of weight training per week :) 3 days is plenty.

Lunges, Double Snatches + Heavy MB's

I am performing the same four programs for next couple of weeks. I have a difficult time keeping the same movements in, especially with the same loads. Every week I will add one more set. Last week I did 5 sets, this week six.

A-1 Double KB Front Lunges

2 x 20kg 5 reps x 6 sets

A-2 Double KB Snatches

2 x 20kg 5 reps x 6 sets

B-1 MB Shouldering

100 lb. 3/3 x 2 set
150lb. 1/1 x 1 set

C-1 Prone SB Push Away's

5 reps x 3 sets

Tempo Runs with Yoana

Yoana is really starting to enjoy these tempo runs, and so am I. They really do work wonders in the body in regard to general conditioning, sprint specific conditioning, and FAT LOSS!!!!!!!

WARM UP
track drills (25 minutes)

8 x 150 yards( 70 % effort)

Cool down!

Felt great. Never have I done this much volume(total distance) with tempo runs.

Happy 4th of July!

Blessings to you all! Have a great 4th of July!

Here's a pic of John Vandenbrink( he is 6 feet 9 inches tall) and Pavel at the June RKC. And a pic of me and the Pete Master when he came and visited!

Training:

A-1 Double Clean and Press

2 x 24 kg 5 reps x 5 sets

A-2 Double Bent Over Rows

2 x 24 kg 5 reps x 5 sets

Short and Sweet!


LAST NIGHT TRAINING:

Band Presses

3 Magenta 3 reps x 4 sets

Legs!

Back to some leg training. I have pretty much taken this whole year off from squats, deadlifts and the basic strength exercises due to my lower back disc bulge. My back feels alot better having taken that time off, only problem is that now my legs are resembling a Kenyan marathoner, yikes!!! Need a little more muslces on those STICK legs of mine. However, I still need to be somewhat conservative though. The snatch is still going to be my bread and butter leg and full body power exercise for sprinting.

A-1 Double KB Front Squats 5 reps x 5 sets
2 x 20kg

A-2 Single Arm KB Snatches
40kg 5 r / 2 L x 1 sets
32kg 5 / 5 x 4 sets

Short and sweet -felt good!

Sunday Sprints at the Track

Waking up yesterday, looking at the glorious sunny day, knew it was a track day. It has been very humid and hot lately, but I love it. Warming up your body when it is warm is so much easier than when it's cold and dry outside.

WARM UP:
track drills (lots of them)
Hip Mobility
(this whole arm up usually takes around 20 to 25 minutes)

30 meter sprints x 3

150 meter sprints x 4 (these were tough)

These were great because one direction I was running into the wind and that was so difficult. The other direction I was running with the wind and it made me run so much faster. So it was a nice nervous system overload, one sprint had resistance while the other one was no resistance. I felt like I was flying when the wind was pushing me on, what an amazing feeling. I am slowly going to start to adding more special endurance runs like the 150's and eventually up to 300 meters. What was also cool was that in running the 150 I was able to hit my top speed and hold it for a couple of seconds. With the 30 meter sprints I usually do, I never get up to full speed where I can OPEN it up and just go for it. Now I know that the acceleration is there so I can start doing a little more endurance runs (yes, can you believe it, that 150 meters is endurance for a sprinter?)

Felt great!

2 Days in a row!

usually I do not train with weights consecutive days. Experimenting with traing 4 days a week with KB's and weights, but shorter workouts. My sprint workouts will remain the same

A-1 Double KB Floor Press

53's x 5 x 5 sets

A-2 Weighted pull ups

36lb KB x 5 x 5 sets

B-1 Bottoms up Clean

36lb KB 5/5
53lb KB 3/3
70lb KB 3/3
53lb KB 3/3
70lbKB 3/3

Short and sweet. Wow my glutes are fried from those lunges yesterday. I am taking this week off from Snatches and Presses due to the PR's last weekend at the RKC.

Thursday Training

Haven't been training too frequently over the last 5 weeks. I've probably averaged one to two workouts with weight per week and alot more sprinting. My POWER is definitely better, able to snatch and jerk heavier bells and sprint faster, however; my maximal strength is low. Very strange experience. As my bodyweight has gotten lighter my power has increased, but my maximal strength, like heavy presses, deads, pull ups has decreased.

Here is the Question? At this stage in my career does it really matter?Should I be more concerned about my RFD (rate of force development) in power movements like snatches, swings, jerks, swings and of course sprinting? Or Should I still try and get my maximal strength up in the DL, presses, Rows, Lunges, and Pull ups. I feel the answer is a little of both.

thoughts?


Training today:

A-1 Front Lunges 5 x 5 (2 x 20kg)
A-2 Double Snatches 5 x 5 (2 x 20kg)

B-1 100lb. MB Shouldering 3/3 x sets
C-1 Prone Swiss Ball Reverse Push Away (forearms on bench) 6 x 3 sets

That was it.

Phenomenal RKC

This RKC was the best one I have ever attended. It started off with a quick run through of the seven RKC exercises, rather than spending one full day on the swing like it used to be taught. Overall it was a great group of students and an awesome group of assitant instructors.

John Vandenbrink from Revolution also passed the RKC with flying colors. Way to go John. The RKC system continues to evolve, grow and refined. I am proud to be part of the system and associated with a very cool, friendly and positive community. Many of you who are RKC's can relate to the "special"quality there is at the certification. It really brings people to an entirely new and higher level in their lives.

BTW, I hit some new PR's at the RKC.
Snatches w/40kg 15 reps right, 10 reps left
Snatches w/48kg 3 reps right (this was cool - because my bodyweight is at 167. I am getting stronger as I am getting lighter, weird huh?)

TEMPO RUNNING TODAY

Warm up
Track Drills
6 x 150 yards (this felt wonderful, but it was tough)
Must have been 90 degrees on the track - very hot!!!

It's great to back at home and at Revolution!

Off to the RKC on Thursday!

Yoana, John Vandenbrink and myself are off to the RKC tomorow. Yoana and I are going as instructors and John will be certified for the first time. He is ready to pass his test and I will be proud of his achievement.

I'll post the feedback and happenings from the RKC next monday! Take care everyone!

Been practicing with the BEAST

Here are a couple of shots of me jerking the BEAST last week. I am very excited that I even have the stability and strength to get it overhead. This is a HUGE achievement for me.

Why I sprint - by Keats Snideman

This is a poem my brother Keats wrote called "Why I sprint." I thought it was moving and worth sharing. You can replace wherever it says "sprint" with whatever it is you like to do.

Why I sprint….
Why do I sprint?
I sprint because it makes me feel alive…pushing my body to its envelope is invigorating and a rush. I feel and connect with the brevity of life yet feel optimistic that I’m on the right journey.

I sprint because I can…I am fortunate to have a healthy and functioning body while there are so many who do not. I sprint for all the people who cannot and never know for sure when I too may be unable to sprint.

I sprint for fitness… One only has to glance at the beautiful bodies of Olympic level sprinters and realize the beauty of the human body at rest and in blurring motion. The incredible development of the hamstrings, glutes, calves, and quads are hard to deny on such Olympic bodies. And what about the impressive mid-sections on sprinters- truly a thing of beauty!

I sprint to build courage and strength…It is difficult sometimes to ask your body to go all out. Sometimes things flow and everything comes easily. Other times there is adversity and everything feels more difficult.

I sprint to help me overcome the adversity in my life as well as to help others with the adversity in theirs. What other reason is there for living if you aren’t helping others? By sprinting I am helping myself become a stronger person which in turn helps me help others.

I sprint to find efficiency…Sprinting is all about efficiency; to find the quickest and most efficient path between two points. It is difficult to be smooth and relaxed when asking your body to go all out however that is the goal. Extraneous motion does and will occur. The better my technique and the more I relax, the better I sprint. The best runs are the one’s the felt easy, effortless. I strive to achieve this zone of performance but it is not easy.

I sprint to learn to "flow" and let the speed come out; to let it occur rather than force it. Things work better in life when you just let them happen.

I sprint for love…Sprinting makes me realize how much I love life, my boys, my wife, my parents, my sister, my twin brother, and all of my friends. It connects me with deceased loves ones, especially my late Grandmother, Nana.

I sprint to feel free…to let it all out. I sprint for the many who are imprisoned, either physically, emotionally, spiritually or a combination of the three.

I sprint to break free of the claustrophobia of life that sometimes confines me. Sprinting can therefore be seen a drug, an escape, albeit a healthy one.

Lastly, I sprint to just be….What do you love to do and why?...

Keats Alexander Snideman Sunday, June 04, 2006

PR with the Bulldog and the BEAST

Very excited. I was able to to snatch the bulldog yesterday 17 times (12 r / 5 L). After that I was able to Jerk the BEAST overhead, no problem. Prior to that I had never been able to get the BEAST overhead. Never knew I had it in me. WOW!

It feels so good to set PR's!!!

Great Article by Ken Black

Point Rooting

Wedneday Speed at the Track

Speed day again, or should I say, nervous system day. The speed training is so much more taxing on my nervous system than it is on my muscular system. If you want to be fast, you have to train fast, and ideally, with a fresh CNS.

Warm Up: Great weather today!
Track Drills / Form Drills
GPP Bodyweight exercises
Hip Mobility

30 meters x 4
100 meters x 1

Stadium Sprints x 16
Felt Great. right knee is a little sore, don't know why.

Tuesday Training

MB Shouldering

100lb MB 1/1 x 3 sets

Bodyweight Tactical Pull Ups

6/7/8, 6/7/8, 6/7/8

total = 63 reps

Snatch Test

Yesterday I tested soon to be RKC John Vandenbrink on his snatch test. He passed with flying colors and got the 74 reps he needed with the 24kg. After seeing him do his test, since I am also going to the RKC next week I decide to test my numbers as well. Result: no problem!! My requirement for m bodyweight of 170 is to snatc 54 reps.

SNATCH TEST
24kg 30/30

total = 60 reps (it's nice to be able to knock off 60 reps with minimal training. Just goes to show you how important building the base of conditioning is.)

Band Military Presses

3 purples 4 repsx 4 sets

Short and sweet.