One thing I think we all must be cognizant of is that during the Holiday season is that compliance with nutrition and training is fairly challenging. You must do your best obviously, but this time of year is wrought with landmines. Certainly feeling guilty about any missteps is wasted energy and may be in fact, worse for you than any lapses. So please just move on. There is a new beginning right around the corner with the start of a New Year!

• Monday: Weigh in was 182.8 so traveling to MI certainly did a number on my nutritional plan the week before but not that big a deal frankly. I started my Purposefully Primitive periodization workout under Marty Gallagher‘s tutelage as well. First session was Front Squats using 135 lbs for 4 sets with 5 reps a set. Additionally, I did Pavel’s pull up work and completed sets of 8,6,5,5 and 4 reps.
• Tuesday: Again did pull ups in sets of 8,6,5,5 and 4 reps. Also did 4 sets of 5 reps of barbell presses of 100 lbs for 4 sets. Felt very strong and like the way that these presses feel.
• Wednesday: Felt terrible with my pullup routine and have figured out that I need to do these just three times a week so I can properly recover. Could only do 5 reps the first set so I aborted rather than do them poorly. Practiced Turkish Get Ups for 10 minutes after the failed pullups and then did 100 swings in sets of 10 on the minute with the 40 kg kettlebell. I concluded the workout with 32 kg kettlebell snatches. I completed 50 reps in 5 minutes.
• Thursday: Deadlift workout today. Did a warm up with 135, 185, 225 for one rep and tehn did 5 reps per set for 4 sets using 255 lbs. Really felt powerful and did them in just under 9 minutes. Pretty fast.

Off the rest of the week.

Train with purpose,

Sandy Sommer RKC

• Sunday: Dead lift warm up with 1 x 135,185,225, 275. 1 x 325 work. Tactical Pull Ups, 7,6,5,4,3. I found that Pavel’s Fighter Workout to be a big change from prior programming and I am working on getting into a sweet spot.
• Monday: Weigh in, 182.6 lbs. 5 ladders with 3 rungs on 32 kg kettlebell.  5 Minutes of 40 kg swings, 30 on 30 off.
• Tuesday: Fighter Pull Up routine, 7,6,5,4,4.
• Wednesday: I practiced Turkish Get Ups and Kettlebell Pistols for 10 minutes. Then I did 5 x 5 32 kg snatch on the minute for 5 minutes.
• Thursday: Fighter Pull Up routine 7,6,5,5,4. O-Bar side press 1 set of 5 reps per side, 55 lbs and another set of 5 per side with 45 lbs.
• Friday: 20 minutes of practicing TGU and pistols. 47 worksets with VWC.
• Saturday: Went up to Marty Gallagher’s Shed of Strength with about 8 other RKC folks. Marty conducted a nice deadlift workshop for us and then fed us a primal feast with an interactive lecture by Dr. Chris Hardy. I’ll be blogging about this event in detail this week. I’ve been working under Marty for 5 months, looking to get a respectable pull. The was able to get a PR of 335 lbs. Next goal in line is 2 times bodyweight and that will equal 360.

All in all a solid training week. Please leave any thoughts or comments and I look forward to hearing from you.

Train with purpose,

Sandy Sommer, RKC

• Sunday: Fighter Pull Up Workout, 7, 6, 5, 4,4 Felt good. Not really more volume than before but it’s strung together differently that a ladder style workout.
• Monday: Weigh in was 180.8 lbs. Was supposed to do with ladders with 3 rungs with hte 32 kg kettlebell. Felt just OK at best so opted to do 3 ladders with 3 rungs. Also did 90 one handed swings with 28 kg. Pull Ups, 7,6,5,5,4
• Tuesday: Deadlift warm up, 1 x 135,185,225, 275. 1 rep of 315. Nice and grooved. Tactical Pull Ups, 7,6,6,5,4.
• Wednesday: Dropped 10 seconds from the rest between 32 kg kettlebell snatch session. Did 7 reps per side, rest for 50 seconds and go again. 5 sets. 70 reps total. Tactical Pull Ups. 7,7,6,5,4. Tough on the pull ups today. Did them after snatches and that made a difference.
• Thursday: Turkish Get Up Practice and 16 kg Pistols. Easy stuff to get read for turkey!
• Friday: 28 kg kettlebell clean and presses 5 x5 on both sides. Back down day of Viking Warrior Conditioning, 15 work sets. Tactical Pull Ups, 8,7,6,5,4
• Saturday: off

Sandy Sommer, RKC

• Sunday:  30 GTG 8 kg kettlebell pistols. Felt really good and quite strong. Tried to really get narrow and act like I was trying to get on a razor if you will. Pulled myself down, used power breathing to really create tension to get out of the hole. Using light weight as I focus on the quality of my movement pattern. Once I’ve grooved it satisfactorily I will add more load.
• Monday: Weight=181.4 lbs. 5 Clean and Press ladders with 3 rungs. 60 reps total with 32 kg kettlebell. 150 swings with the 36 kg bell.
• Tuesday: 5 work sets with 5 reps, barbell back squats, 155 pounds. Still working on that groove. 4 ladders with 3 rungs on Tactical Pull Ups.
• Wednesday: Warmed up with a Round of Forest Vance’s Kettlebell Circuit.  5 sets of 7 reps per side with a minute of rest between each set for total rep count of 70 with the 32 kg kettlebell.
• Thursday: Dead lifting session. Really had to grind the reps out. Kept my speed constant but low and really squeezed the bar. Warm up 1 x 135, 185, 225. Work was 3 x 3 with 295.
• Friday: One Set  Max Tactical Pull Up, 9 reps, 12.5% improvement. New PR. 115 24 KG snatches, New PR by 8.5%. Pretty disappointed in my TPU performance. Will be starting in with Pavel’s Fighter Pull Up routine.
• Saturday: 5 x 5 clean press with the 28 kg kettlebell. Felt the power! Tactical Pull Ups, 7 reps, 6, 5,4 3 reps. Rested 5 minutes between sets. 43 work sets of the Viking Warrior Mvo2 workout.

Great week of training. Took a week off from Primal walking because I was lazy and will get back to it next week. Also took off from my Saturday sprints since I had a test day yesterday.

Marty Gallagher adjusted my next dead lift mini-cycle so look for some real gains by year-end!

If you are interested in face to face training or distance training contact me and let’s get to know each other a bit.

Train With Purpose,

Sandy Sommer, RKC

• Monday: 4 kettlebell press ladders with 3 rungs, 32 kgs, 48 reps total. 120 2 handed swing, 40 kg kettlebell.
• Tuesday: 70 32 kg kettlebell snatches, 1 minute rest between rounds of 14. 4 ladders with 3 rungs on Tactical Pull ups.
• Wednesday: kettlebell press ladders, 10 x 16 kg x 3, 5 x 24 x 2, 3 x 28 x 2, 2 x 32 x 2, 1 x 36 x 2, 150 swings with various kettlebells!
• Thursday: Dead Lift workout. 135, 185 and 225 all for one rep to warm up. I work set of 5 reps wtih 265. Felt great. I love the workout scheme right out of Purposeful Primitive.
• Friday: 31 work sets of Viking Warrior Conditioning, 7 rep cadence, 217 reps. 4 Ladders with 3 rungs on the Tactical Pull Ups.
• Saturday: Will Williams, Sr. RKC Workshop in Frederick MD

• Monday: 4 kettlebell press ladders with three rungs, 48 total reps at 32 kg. 120 One handed swings, 32 kg.
• Tuesday: 64 reps, 32 kg kettlebell snatches in 5 minutes. Slowly but surely working my way to 100. 4 ladders with 3 rungs on Tactical Pull Ups.
• Wednesday:  3 kettlebell modified Press  ladders with 2 handed swings alternated in between rungs in sets of 15, left then right, 16 kg x9, 24 x 5, 28 x 3, 32 x 2, 36 x 1. This is  a weight ladder.
• Thursday: Dead Lift, 1 x 135, 1 x 185, 1 x 225, 2 x (5 x 255). Strong today.
• Friday: RKC snatch test, 106 reps with 24 kg kettlebell, 5 minutes. Tactical Pull Up Test, 8 reps. At the Tactical Strength Challenge I did 100 snatches and 7 pull ups. So 6% improvement on snatch test and 14% on Pull Ups. Getting there.
• Saturday: 12 16 kg kettlebell pistols. Primal Walk, 55:33, average heart rate was 57%.

Pretty nice week of work. Looking forward to having another great week!

Sandy Sommer, RKC