Z-health & the Art of Motorcycle Mobility

10 minutes of mobility with Z-health NWU Level 1
4 hours of motorcycle mobility/243 miles:

Relatively light and heavy days, respectively

Friday:
10 minutes of mobility with Z-health NWU Level 1
Brettzel 3 breathes per side
3L&R Reps of 16kg armbars

Today:
10 minutes of mobility with Z-health NWU Level 1
Brettzel 3 breathes per side
Face the wall squat x 5, Pump stretch x 5, and 16kg Halo x 10
3L&R Reps of 16kg armbars
4L&R 16kg TGUs (RPE 16)
24kg swings x 20 on the minute x 11 (RPE 18)
12 minutes of beginner's Eischens Yoga (RPE 16)

Some days aren't for swinging.

They're just for healing through.
In the early 90's, an "old" lower back tweak from improper lifting of hay bales and irrigation pipe while at work put me on my knees for a couple days along with eight hours of excruciating pain that laughed at the ice and heat I applied. I got over it with better lifting techniques and "exercise". Movement is what really helped since most days I am sitting in a tractor.
Too bad I didn't know then about "proper" movement and remember while working late this Tuesday afternoon. I re-tweaked my back again by lifting a farm implement unsafely. Well, I was able to move, but waited until today to add swinging because I was pain-free. Also, today I added the 16kg for a few TGUs.

Tuesday and Wednesday at noon:
10 minutes of mobility with Z-health NWU Level 1
Brettzel 3 easy breathes per side
3L&R Reps of 16kg armbars
3L&R Naked Get-ups (RPE 15 both days)
12 minutes of beginner's Eischens Yoga (RPE 17 both days)

Noon today:
Follow Along Z-health R-Phase
Brettzel 3 breathes per side
3L&R Reps of 16kg armbars
3L&R 16kg TGUs (RPE 16)
24kg swings x 20 on the minute x 8 (RPE 17)
12 minutes of beginner's Eischens Yoga (RPE 16)

Sunday Ride and Monday Remembrance

Yesterday:
10 minutes of mobility with Z-health NWU Level 1
Bretzel 3 breathes per side
3L&R Reps of 16kg armbars
3L&R Naked Get-ups
A long lone motorcycle ride x 220 old highway miles in 5.5 hours with lunch at the Deer Lodge near Ojai. #3 on the map.


Today was a half-day of farm work and observance of Memorial Day. Thank you. I'll never forget:
10 minutes of mobility with Z-health NWU Level 1
Bretzel 3 breathes per side
3L&R Reps of 16kg armbars
6L&R alternating 16kg and Naked Get-ups
(Slight discomfort. RPE 15)
24kg swings x 20 on the minute x 6
(Focus on form and tension. RPE 17)
12 minutes of beginner's Eischens Yoga
(Major breathing and sweating from swings! RPE 18)

Keep Moving and Learning

Friday:
10 minutes of mobility with Z-health NWU Level 1
Bretzel 3 breathes per side
3L&R Reps of 16kg armbars
3L&R Naked Get-ups (Slight discomfort with no pain. Tension!)
24 minutes of Eischens Yoga for Warriors (I'm a baby warrior 'cause I couldn't hold a handstand for a minute. The slight discomfort that I noticed while doing the Naked Get-ups was more pronounced on both wrists while trying to maintain a handstand. Of course baby warriors use walls for support!)

Today:
Follow Along Z-health R-Phase
Bretzel 3 breathes per side
3L&R Reps of 16kg armbars
5L&R Naked Get-ups (Tension)
24kg swings x 20 on the minute x 10 (RPE 17)
12 minutes of beginner's Eischens Yoga (Good sweat because of the kettlebell swings!)

New discoveries (for me)

Within the last few days I have experimented with a 16kg kettlebell only in practice. I have found that what I'll call a "Bottom Up Side Press" delivers a groove that works the grip and lat in a different manner than the "Bottom Up Military Press", while sparing my shoulders. I think this is probably due to the shoulder's rotation. So, instead of using a long bar as in PTTP, a bottom up kettlebell's handle is racked to one side and near parallel with the shoulders. Acting as if this is a long bar, press and watch while raising and lowering. Use ALL of the techniques Pavel writes about in PTTP. Let me know what you think.

Tuesday night I purchased the whole insurance policy of "Kettlebell Secrets". There is much gold in this information that I cannot wait to mine and reap the rewards. As a matter of fact, I have already used one from Master RKC Brett Jones, the "Bretzel". Even though I have known about and tried to use this stretch before, the instruction in "Kettlebell Secrets" took me to another level of accomplishment. I liked it so much, I became an affiliate. So Click "HERE" Now!
Shameless, I know...
:)

Tuesday:
10 minutes of mobility with Z-health NWU Level 1
12 minutes of beginner's Eischens Yoga
3L&R Reps of 16kg armbars
3L&R Naked Get-ups (No discomfort and no pain while using more tension!)

Wednesday:
10 minutes of mobility with Z-health NWU Level 1
Bretzel 3 breathes per side
3L&R Reps of 16kg armbars
4L&R Naked Get-ups (Tension is the key to more strength with no pain!)
24kg swings x 20 on the minute x 7 (RPE 16)
12 minutes of beginner's Eischens Yoga (Big difference in this placement for the yoga itself and the swings. Both improved in quality and control!)

Today:
10 minutes of mobility with Z-health NWU Level 1
Bretzel 3 breathes per side
3L&R Reps of 16kg armbars
6L&R Naked Get-ups (RPE 16)
12 minutes of beginner's Eischens Yoga

A little bit of prehab experimentation

while not trying to push my enthusiasm...

10 minutes of mobility with Z-health NWU
12 minutes of beginner's Eischens Yoga
3L&R Reps of 16kg armbars
2L&R naked get-ups (slight discomfort. No pain!)
24kg swings x 20 on the minute x 5 (RPE 16)

My body feels pretty good after this experiment.
Since I had no pain, I'm going to slowly work into more reps of naked TGUs before adding the 16kg. Hopefully next week!

A week of "R&R"

Everyday this last week I've been doing some sort of mobility, yoga, and light armbars. No TGUs, as the left side overhead - right side post position develops a little pain in my right wrist and shoulder. I received a very good upper body massage on Tuesday, which did help alot. But my motorcycle ride today helped more! Since I haven't been doing any conditioning, swings will be incorporated this week along with more Z-Health R-Phase, beginner's Eischens Yoga, light kettlebell armbars, and another ride next Sunday!

And now for something completely different...

"Some of us learn from other people's mistakes and the rest of us have to be other people."--Zig Ziglar

"Dig the well before you are thirsty."--Chinese Proverb

"Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."--Frank Outlaw

"Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples, don't count on harvesting golden delicious."--Bill Meyer

40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes

Back-off again...

About three weeks ago I had an old tweak in my left shoulder that flared up for various reasons, but now I have a "new" tweak in my right shoulder. Probably from not backing-off enough! It's just a dull ache whenever I use or "over-use" it doing the most mundane of work. So, I am going to concentrate of full recovery before doing any dynamic and ballistic movements such as MVO2 snatches, swings, and heavy presses/TGUs. I have an appointment tomorrow with a PT. I will religiously continue with one or some of Z-Health R-Phase, beginner's yoga movements, light kettlebell armbars, and TGUs on a daily basis.
Lesson learned.

Mobility, Yoga, & TGUs

Wednesday was mobility work with Z-Health R-Phase.
Thursday was Z-Health R-Phase and Eischens Yoga: Beginners 12-minute.
Today was Eischens Yoga: Beginners 12-minute and Tai Chi Hard-Style TGUs.
I need to slow way down with the "on the minute" TGU because I have about 20 seconds to rest that I want to get down to 5 or less. Lots of practice to do there!

24kg alternating single TGU on the minute x 20 (RPE=17)
2x24kg Overhead Carry x 30 seconds (RPE=18)
2x24kg Racked Carry x 30 seconds (RPE=17)
2x24kg Farmer Carry x 30 seconds (RPE=16)

No snatches tomorrow!

MVO2 Session 13

Face the wall squat, pump stretch, and 16kg halo x 10

15:15 MVO2 protocol:
16kg x 8 reps x 28 sets
RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) = 18

Notes:
1. I detected a power loss on the 17th set.
2. I wanted to quit during the 24th set.
3. Double breathing was non-existent but wanted to creep in on the 21st set.

False Red Flying Pig Alert: Feeling much better!

Yoga + TGUs

Yesterday I did some mobility work with Z-Health R-Phase's follow along on the DVD.

Today I ate some yogurt and some yoga. You are what you eat! Actually, I followed along Jon Hinds' Eischens Yoga Training DVD: Beginners 12-minute and then RKC alternating 24kg TGUs x 1 on the minute x 6.

Red Flying Pig Alert! Last night I felt extra tired. Today I had this tingle in my throat with a small pain when swallowing with a slight elevation of temperature. Since tomorrow I plan to do a short set of MVO2, I hope the pigs aren't flying this way!
:)

MVO2 Session 12

Slow progress.

15:15 MVO2 protocol:
16kg x 8 reps x 34 sets
RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) = 17+

Notes:
1. I detected a power loss on the 20th set.
2. I wanted to quit during the 34th set.
3. Double breathing wanted to begin on the 28th set. I fought it and won!