SST @ the Academy

Big Dan Bunz, 2 time Super Bowl linebacker for the 49ers and Valentino Garcia, both of Sport Specific Training (Crossfit affiliate) visit the academy to watch our PT and guest train the recruits. They ran a list of dynamic drills, and finished the end of PT with the Tabata Squats. Dan showing the rest period in the down position.

My training protocols had 4 separate stations which included sled pulls, body weight calisthenics, band pulldowns, power rope ball, plyo box step ups, med ball throws, ring rows, and running stairs. A good time had by all!

I openly invite all of the California RKCs to make a guest appearance anytime at the academy. I know my recruits would get a kick out of it. They are a motivated and dedicated bunch of people!

Tuesday's Workout

AM run with the recruits 2 miles (interval run).

Got some ropes from the SWAT team, and they are letting us store them at the academy. Saves me the financial burden from buying them myself. So, of course, I am now implementing them in my training. And of course, the recruits will be introduced to them tomorrow. I am fortunate that the powers that be trust our opinion when buying equipment. I purchased some leather Thai kicking bags (6 ft. long) from Ringside.com. They are excellent bags! I will have to post a pic of them on an upcoming blog. I also have a double end bag that I haven't really played around with much, but I am going to hook it up tomorrow.

Rope Waves:
trying them out
6 x 15 secs

Then superset:
Waves - band pulldowns (high to low with changing footwork/stances)
3x 15 sec + 40-50 pulldowns

Break

BUC + chins
(1,2,3,4) x 2

Felt good, but after I cooled down, felt a nagging twinge in my right shoulder. Will Ice and rub it tonight. It better go away by morning.

Check out Ken's new website!

Ken Black has his web site up and it looks fantastic! He will be having a workshop in Oct. 14, and I will be there assisting the Man! I am looking forward to it, Ken.

Monday's workout:
Didn't have much time so I made it quick and intense.

5 rounds
1 min. Jump rope
1 min. Band extensions
1 min. Heavy bag (jabs, straights, hooks, front kicks, elbows)
90 secs rest.

Run with the recruits tomorrow!

Weekend mental recharge

Took the family to the fair and got to meet Big Louie, who incidentally is also a Reserve L.A. County Sheriff's deputy. How'd you like to have that big man chasing you down? He was very approachable, and got a kick out of my badge like the fellow warrior that he is. I bought his dvd, Stand Tall which is kind of a sequel to Pumping Iron. It is about his return to the Mr. Olympia after a 17 year retirement. For me, it was like a who's who in body building when I was totally fascinated with it as a kid. Good times!

I am looking forward to training this week! I had an after class training session at the end of the academy last thursday. 12 students stayed after on their own time to play with the kettlebells and other toys that I had. They were surprised by the effects of the power ball, and the power wheel. After they played with that, on to the kettlebells. I showed, and they did. They knew the swing, and clean and press. We did around the body pass, figure 8s, BUC, BUP, high pulls, snatches, renegade rows, and pistols.

I am so proud of my students where they are at right now after 6 weeks of PT. A few of them could do pistols, one of them with the 24kg! He only weighed about 150 lbs. One of my other students, after learning the groove of the snatch, worked up to snatching the 32kg for 3 reps! (He was a former Alaskan fisherman/boat captain, so I am not surprised with his level of functional strength.) They had great camraderie as they encouraged each other to newer levels of strength. They are really happy to be doing things that very few academies do in this state, if the nation.

On another note, I am very fascinated with the information that has come out on Z-health. Anyone out there getting the dvd/books on the topic? Is it worth getting? There are some amazing claims being made, and some very interesting people getting involved with it, specifically Josh Henkin. What do y'all think?

Ken Black at the academy

Here are some pics that I should have posted a while back! Ken Black at the police academy impressing the recruits with his teaching style and strength prowess.

Wed: JM drills and Dynamic Drills

21-15-9-6 rep prescription

Mil Press- 2 16kg KBs
Ring Rows
DB Lateral raises (20lb DBs)
Box Jumps

I am varying up the weight range. The recent feelings of illness, rundown, and injuries on the California RKC circuit has me listening to my body even more. Come Novemeber, we are starting another academy class of 59 recruits in addition to the 48 recruits I have now. I will have morning PT and evening PT. Gotta keep healthy!

Sport Specific Training in Rocklin, Ca.

Monday:

AM- Ran 2.5 miles with the class and called cadence. (Certainly adds a difference dimension while on a run!)

PM- I went to Sport Specific Training in Rocklin (about 35 mins east of Sacramento) and had a training session with former San Fracisco 49er Dan Bunz. This was in part because one of my co-workers trains there and wanted to share some of that Crossfit pain! The dynamic drills he put us through were quite a workout in itself. Then a prescription of 21-15-9 of box jumps, ring rows, dumbell thrusters, 200m rows, and pushups. I had to stop halfway due to a strange paiin in my right knee. Too much impact on it, I believe.

The funny thing was training with a bunch of high school athletes in the class. I outweighed many of them by 80- 100 lbs, and they moved their feet very fast. While they were talking some friendly smack ( I think they enjoyed teasing some "ossifers",) I C & P their heaviest KB (32kg) and asked how many of you can do this? No volunteers. All in good fun:)

Tues: tried an EDT upped body workout since my right knee decided to tell me that I put way too much impact on it from monday's workout.

Superset:Dips and pullups 24 sets, total mins. 14:45
dips-total-46 x 205 =9,430 lbs
pullups-total (same)

Band triceps pushdowns 3 x 20
Situp with medball (12lb. heaviest at the academy gym) toss 3 x 20

That's all for now. My newest student on the kettlebell.....so far all she can do it pat the bell!

Workout with Ken

Two RKCs in the park, 2 kettlebells, 20lb medball, liquid chalk, empty playground= Fun and PAIN!

(#1 Pic- Ken doing a reverse dip, #2 pic- the aftermath!)

The workout below was taken from Ken's blog, and is a breakdown of what we did. Ken kept on me, wouldn't let me quit when I was whining about just recovering from being sick! :) A good reminder to myself that one ALWAYS has a little more in the tank. THANKS KEN FOR THE BOOT IN THE BUTT! Mind over matter....the only thing was I could not get the BU presses with the 24kg, so I did Mil. Presses instead. I REALLY liked how I felt doing the pullups after the BU cleans.

BU cleans # 50 1,2,3,4,5Pullups 1,2,3,4,5BU presses #50 1,2,3,4,5Rows (upside down) 1,2,3,4,5CircuitJumps onto & off stepKB slams w/step back #20 (changed to these after 2nd round)Med ball squat throw #20Snatches #50Jog approx 110 metersRepsjumps 3, 6 change to KB slams 18, 24, 6, 12, 18, 6, 12, 6Med ball throw 3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3 = 30 repsSnatches 3,6,9,12,3,6,9,3,6,3 = 60 reps/armJog 110 m x 10

WTH in reverse

I thought I'd post some pics from some of the workouts with Ken and crew at the park. Ken is showing the medball axe handles to Kathy, and Bob is tearing it up with the 40 lb med ball. My batteries died so no pics of the group as a whole :(
I am looking forward to tomorrow's park workout in the park. My body has been doing a reverse WTH effect. I was rundown for almost a week where I could not even think of working out (I still conducted the warmups with my class, though, as well as the dynamic drills) Then I was great for a week, and then I got hit with a three day flu bug. Sigh.

Busy week of training

Monday:
Ken Black came out to the academy and we had some fun with the recruits (big class- 50!). Ken taught the class the swing, and spoke about the body mechanics of the swing. Then we broke into two groups, Ken had them tire flipping, and I had them perform the tactical lunge and the bear crawl. The we finshed them off with a relay race, squad versus squad, with double overhead KBs (no bigger than 16kgs, tho, gotta get them stronger to attack the double 24kgs!)
After class ended, Ken smoked my coworkers with the rope waves! My abs felt great!

After the class ended, I worked on my own workout.
5 x 5 training in Squats, Deadlifts, and Bench Press. The numbers were riduculously low because I was following a template I got from the Univ. of Washington. using a percentage of my 1RM. Honestly, my 1RM in these lifts are so weak, I don't really want to post. Ok.....I will be honest since otherwise, how can i get better right? Lets just say everything is under 300 lbs. (297 DL, 245 Squat, and 245 Bench) I never really pushed heavy weights before since I had followed bodybuilding type of routines in the past. Then when I went to the kettlbell, i forsook all barbells and dumbbells training. Now, I am expanding my training. Time to get ugly.

Tuesday:
2.5 mile road run. Can't avoid training in this area due to training recruits.

After a 10 min. rest, I went to snatches with the 24kg.
5/5, 10/10, 15/15.

PM workout with Ken and his crew.
Windmills 4
C and P ladder with BOB. (1,2,3) (2,3,4) (4,5,6) we accidentally skipped 3,4,5! (5,6,7) and (6,7,8) with the 20kg.
Halos

Wed.
1.5 mile formation run with recruits. Dynamic drills ala S.S.T. (Sports Specific Training in Rocklin, Dan Bunz's and Steve Kenyon's place) student and my coworker who trains there.

On my own:
Sprints
8 x 50 yards with jog or walk for recovery 1:1 1:2 depending on the set.


Thurs.
Crossfit type workout with teammates
(4 rounds of descending ladders. Pullups (5 reps per round), Pushups (30, 25,20,15), TGU's(5 reps per round), curls (30, 25,20, 15 sigh....they wanted them...don't care for them, but I acquiesced) scissors passing weights thru the legs (20 reps per round)...I don't know what you call them, but they were like seated tactical lunges. Timed Power Rope Ball 3 sets of 30 seconds. Then timed planks 3X 30 secs. on both elbows. 3 x 30secs on right elbow, 3 x 30 secs. on left elbow.
Rest about 10 mins.
Snatches with 24kg
5/5, 10,10, 10, 10
with 16 kg
15,15,
triceps cable extension (balance out those darn curls)
70lbs , 6 reps, x 2