Brent Johnson's Toe-in-the-Water Program

[Nonomori]

Officially, I'll date this program (http://circularstrengthmag.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1731) as starting 3/10. Progress (http://circularstrengthmag.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1751) to date is as follows...

Wed. 3/11 Evening:
10# Clubbell Swipes, 10 sets of 9 in 10 minutes
Technique: Poor
RPE: 9
Notes: My grip was so fried after the Swipes that I could barely type afterwards: it was difficult to hit the right keys. I tried playing my (piano) keyboard instead and found that while my hands still felt sort of numb, my facility there was not impaired. Weird. Either the few seconds I spent typing and switching from one keyboard to the other provided sufficient recovery, or the more extended hand position for the more laterally-configured piano keyboard was less affected.

Thu. 3/11 Morning:
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program
Notes: This took well over an hour, since I kept taking notes from the tape so I wouldn't have to watch it again any time soon. After the previous day's Swipes, I have never been so aware of so many muscles in my arms. Some noticeable stiffness in my arms, but less DOMS than I expected.

Thu. 3/11 Evening:
5# Clubbell Swipes, just a few reps to see if I could get a better handle on technique
15# Clubbell Inward Pendulums, just a few reps
15# Clubbell Shield Casts, just a few reps/attempts
Notes: I still can't do a Shield Cast with my left arm, but the Inward Pendulums have become pretty reliable. My triceps keep wanting to "grab" on me.

Fri. 3/12 Morning:
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program
Notes: Only twenty minutes this time. The Warrior Wellness routine creates a sort of "loose" feeling (I noticed this the day before also) which makes it more difficult to maintain proper posture - or else I am simply more aware of my posture. No more DOMS than the previous day.

Fri. 3/12 Evening:
Same as Thu. 3/11 Evening, with same results.

Sat. 3/13 Morning:
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program
Modern Dance class
Notes: I haven't been able to take a dance class in about two months. I may have lost a bit of the litte hamstring flexibility I have, but my shoulder flexibility seems to have improved.

Sat. 3/13 Afternoon:
10# Clubbell Swipes, 9 sets of 10 in 9 minutes
Technique: Fair(?)
RPE: 6 or 7!
Notes: I followed the Swipes with some of the shoulder, arm, wrist, and finger exercises from Warrior Wellness. This seemed to help with the stiffness.

Sun. 3/14 Afternoon:
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program
15# Clubbell Inward Pendulums, just a few reps
15# Clubbell Shield Casts, just a few reps/attempts
Notes: I finally succeeded in doing a decent Shield Cast with my left arm - twice! (though not in succession). Triceps threatening to "grab" again.

[Nonomori]

Mon. 3/15:
Notes: I had an early-morning appointment, and thought I was going to have time to go home and do something before work. I didn't, and was busy until 11:00pm, at which point bed started looking good.

Tue. 3/16 Morning:
Notes: I slept in.

Tue. 3/16 Evening:
Training with RKC instructor
Snow shoveling

Wed. 3/17 Morning:
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program

Wed. 3/17 Evening:
10# Clubbell single-arm Forward Pendulums, 1 set of 5 with each arm separately
10# Clubbell double-arm Forward Pendulums, 5 sets of 10 in 5 minutes
- Technique: Excellent
- RPE: 3

10# Clubbell single-arm Armpit Casts, 5 sets of 10 alternating with each arm
- Right-Arm Technique: Excellent
- Left-Arm Technique: Good to Very Good
- RPE: 5

Notes: I backed off from the Swipes in order to focus on technique as per Coach Chomycia's admonitions (http://circularstrengthmag.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1751) and Coach Szolek's suggestions (http://circularstrengthmag.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1612). Each set with the 10# Clubbell(s) was preceded by a single rep with the 15#. I attempted double-arm Armpit Casts, but I found that I could not do them with the 15# Clubbells: I failed to achieve a CTO with the left arm on return from Back Position.

Because these exercises felt so easy, I focused mainly on tightening and loosening my grip at appropriate points. Even so, I felt unchallenged. (I remember how careful I had to be about core stabilization when I first tried Armpit Casts, but now I can get away with a mindless lift-and-lower.) I suppose the next step is to get those double Armpit Casts grooved better.

[Nonomori]

Thu. 3/18 Morning:
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program

Thu. 3/18 Evening:
16kg Kettlebell Good Mornings 1 set of 10
16kg Kettlebell two-handed Swings (above head level) 1 set of 10
16kg Kettlebell one-handed Swings (above head level) 1 set of 5 each arm
16kg Kettlebell Good Mornings 1 set of 10
- Technique: Excellent except for left-handed Swings, which were Poor
- RPE: 5

15# Clubbell Armpit Casts GTG (see Notes)

Experimentation with Be Breathed

Notes: For the Armpit Casts, I experimented with multiple reps, and with going from 15# to 10# Clubbells. As far as I could tell, these just tired me out more without providing any appreciable benefit. So I finally settled on the following protocol, using just the 15# Clubbells, performed once through every so often throughout the evening:
= 1 w/ right arm
= 1 w/ left arm
= 1 w/ both arms together
The right-arm Cast is quite consistent and reliable. The left-arm Cast is perhaps 80% reliable but poorly grooved. The double-arm Cast is about 50% reliable.

Next time I do one-handed Kettlebell Swings, I think I had better not take them so high. Something is terribly wrong with my left-side coordination.

[Nonomori]

Fri. 3/19 Morning:
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program

15# Clubbell Armpit Casts GTG

Sat. 3/20 Afternoon:
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program

15# Clubbell Armpit Casts GTG

Sun. 3/21 Afternoon:
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program

15# Clubbell Armpit Casts GTG

Mon. 3/22 Morning:
Barbell Squats, 1 set of 5 at 80#, 1 set of 5 at 70#
- Technique: Excellent
- RPE: 5
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program

15# Clubbell Armpit Casts GTG

Mon. 3/22 Evening:
15# Clubbell double Armpit Casts, 2 sets of 3
15# Clubbell Performance Swipes, 1 set of 3
- Technique: Very Good
- RPE: 6

Notes: I have gotten to the point where I can consistently pull off the double Armpit Casts up to 3 reps. Combo'ing with the Forward Pendulum does not seem to affect this. However, despite the relatively low RPE, I find that if I push beyond 3 reps I cannot maintain my level of technique.

10# Clubbell Inward Pendulum + Shield Cast combo, 1 set of 10 each arm
- Technique: Very Good
- RPE: 6

Notes: I did a few Shield Casts and Inward Pendulums with the 15# Clubbells also before doing the combo set with the 10# Clubbells. They seemed to be working pretty nicely.

Tue. 3/23 Morning:
Barbell Squats, 1 set of 5 at 85#, 1 set of 5 at 75#
- Technique: Excellent
- RPE: 5
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program
Pushups, 1 set of 18

Notes: The pushups were a spontaneous decision to see if any of the Clubbell work I'd been doing had had any effect on the number of pushups I could do. There was no effect: my max capacity remains at 18.

[JasonE]

Nice program notes! :)

I noticed you have been having some trouble with your left side coordination, as compared to your right. Since they take more specific control, you might want to do your ClubBell reps before your KettleBell reps when using both in the same workout. That way your left will be fresher, allowing you to develop a higher level of skill with it.

When your off-hand has a harder time with control and coordination, you may want to spend a little extra time developing that hand with extra reps from time to time. This works great in dexterity-intense activities like stick-fighting, and there's no reason it wouldn't help with this. :idea:

[Nonomori]

I noticed you have been having some trouble with your left side coordination, as compared to your right. Since they take more specific control, you might want to do your Clubbell® reps before your KettleBell reps when using both in the same workout. That way your left will be fresher, allowing you to develop a higher level of skill with it.

When your off-hand has a harder time with control and coordination, you may want to spend a little extra time developing that hand with extra reps from time to time. This works great in dexterity-intense activities like stick-fighting, and there's no reason it wouldn't help with this.

The advice is appreciated, Jason. Thanks.

I've been trying to take that whole "freshness" thing into account, and when trying to groove a new skill, that has generally been the first exercise in my workout. And once I got to the point where my left side got more reliable, I began to attempt repeated reps on that side where I had only done one or two on the right. However, I always started with my right side to remind myself of how it should feel, and in the hope that the skill would transfer to the other side at an unconscious as well as a conscious level.

[Nonomori]

Tue. 3/23 Evening:
10# Clubbell Performance Swipes, 2 sets of 10
- Technique: Good
- RPE: 6

Notes: I had intended to attempt more sets, but I noticed a twinge in my right elbow that worsened in the second set. This made me nervous and I decided to do something else. Also, I started the second set way too soon, since I was thinking along the lines of 1-set-per-minute like I had done before. What I didn't take into account was how much longer it takes to do a Performance Swipe as compared to a Technical Swipe. In the future, I think I'll time the interval between sets instead of timing the combined set-plus-rest interval.

16kg Kettlebell Good Mornings, 1 set of 10
16kg Kettlebell two-handed Swings (above head level), 1 set of 10
16kg Kettlebell one-handed Swings (chin level), 1 set of 10 each arm
16kg Kettlebell Cleans, 1 set of 10 each arm
- Technique: Very Good, except for the Cleans which were only Fair
- RPE: 8

Notes: This was performed with no rest between sets, and by the time I was done my heart rate was well up there. I decided not to attempt another circuit. Besides, it was apparent that my Cleans need more work than I had realized. (They worked much better when I was fresh.) I had probably better groove them a bit more before trying to include them in a circuit again.)

I also fooled around a bit with some Flex Bands, and watched a very-poorly-dubbed video tape on their use. I decided it was a very good thing that I live in the city where JumpStretch certifications are done, because I could not follow the tape, especially when it came to making adjustments for my considerably lower degree of flexibility than the instructor's. I have an appointment with the guy who teaches the certification classes next week...

Wed. 3/24 Morning:
Barbell Squats, 1 set of 5 at 90#, 1 set of 5 at 80# (3 minutes apart)
- Technique: Excellent
- RPE: 6
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program

[Nonomori]

Thu. 3/25 Morning:
Barbell Squats, 1 set of 5 at 95#, 1 set of 5 at 85# (3 minutes apart)
- Technique: Excellent
- RPE: 6
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program
Horizontal Cable Rows, 1 set of 20 at 40#

Notes: I woke up this morning with some tenderness in my upper back, under the shoulder blades. The Warrior Wellness program did not fully dissipate it, so I did the Cable Rows that a physical therapist had shown me once. That did the trick.

My right elbow is still bothering me a little on certain actions (such as towelling off my back), and I have some DOMS in the back of my neck from the Flex Band work on Tuesday evening.

[Nonomori]

Fri. 3/26 Morning:
Barbell Squats, 1 set of 5 at 100#, 1 set of 5 at 90# (3 minutes apart)
- Technique: Excellent
- RPE: 6
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program

Mon. 3/29 Morning:
Barbell Squats, 1 set of 5 at 105#, 1 set of 5 at 95# (3 minutes apart)
- Technique: Excellent
- RPE: 6
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program

Tue. 3/30 Morning:
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program
Barbell Squats, 1 set of 5 at 110#, 1 set of 5 at 100# (3 minutes apart)
- Technique: Good
- RPE: 9

Notes: Note that my RPE on the Squats jumped way up, and arguably should have been reported as 10 because the last rep of the second set could not have been much harder to complete. I suppose there could be another explanation, but I'm attributing the difficulty to having done the Warrior Wellness before the Squats instead of afterwards as I have always done in the past. I switched the order because I had noticed some tightness in my lower back when I woke up, and I thought it might not be a good idea to do the Squats if I couldn't get it loosened up. (Also, the Warrior Wellness program seems to be a pretty good warmup, since it always gets my heart going at a fairly good clip.) What I failed to consider was the fatiguing effect of all that standing on one leg. I went straight into the Squats with no break.

After taking the weekend off (exercise-wise - it was actually rather a full weekend in other ways), my elbow appears to be entirely recovered. And I think I may have about reached that point where exercise is becoming more of a habit again, because despite (or perhaps because of?) my poor showing on the Squats, I didn't want to end my mini-workout. So...

Dumbbell Floor Presses, 1 set of 5 at 20# each arm
Dumbbell Bent-Over Rows, 1 set of 5 at 20# each arm
Dumbbell Overhead Presses (standing), 1 set of 5 at 20# each arm
15# Clubbell Swings, 2 sets of 10
- Technique: Excellent
- RPE: 2

My purpose in performing these exercises was just to check form. In particular, with the first set of Swings I was concentrating on breathing and with the second set I was concentrating on the pec/lat lock.

[Nonomori]

Tue. 3/30 Evening:
Furniture Moving
- Technique: Poor
- RPE: 7
Climbing (over furniture wedged in basement stairwell)

Thu. 4/1 Morning:
Barbell Squats, 1 set of 3 at 115#, 1 set of 5 at 105# (3 minutes apart)
- Technique: Good
- RPE: 10

Notes: I tried for 4 reps at 115#, but had to bail out. I suspected I hadn't gone as deep as I wanted on rep 3, so I made sure I went deeper on rep 4, and perhaps I went too deep. Throughout, I was fighting to keep my knees from going forward. I think I should probably switch to box squats. I think a 12" box should do it.

Dumbbell Floor Presses, 1 set of 5 at 30# each arm
Dumbbell Bent-Over Rows, 1 set of 5 at 30# each arm
Dumbbell Overhead Presses (standing), 1 set of 5 at 30# each arm
- Technique: Good
- RPE: 7

Notes: I had intended to do another circuit of these dumbbell exercises, but on rep 3 of the left-arm Overhead Press, I pushed the dumbbell back too far and felt a twinge in my left-side upper back as I pulled the dumbbell back into line. I finished the set, but I thought I'd better not push it, and see if I could work out the kink with Warrior Wellness. Unfortunately, when I got to the double-arm top-plane shoulder circles of the Beginner Skill Program, my back gave a more aggressive complaint, and I decided to lie down on an ice-pack instead of finishing the program.

Not that I really had any clue about whether the ice-pack would help.

Ever have one of those weeks? Tuesday I managed to help wedge a friend's sofa into a stairwell so badly that it needed to be taken apart with a saw. (Fortunately it was an old sofa another friend was getting rid of.) Wednesday I spent a good bit of the day watching a plumber haul roots out of my drain - after retrieving the snake he'd snapped off in there. (Fortunately, it doesn't look like I'm going to have to get my yard dug up - at least this year.) Today I injured myself doing a simple dumbbell exercise. (Fortunately, it doesn't feel like the injury is too serious.) I wonder what tomorrow will bring...

[daniel juson]

Great training log Brent. If I may suggest, instead of technique being bad, good, fair etc. you may also consider using a rate of technique continuum ie RT 1-10 where 1 being poorest technique and 10 best.

RT is useful in that we can chart how we feel about our technique at any give day and time at our current physical/mental condition which varies. Relativity can be quite useful. A RT of 4 on day one and RT day two of 6 may be more descriptive than day one fair, day two fair. Just my 2 cents.

Sincerely,
Dan

[Nonomori]

I have avoided the numerical designations for RT because I don't feel confident enough in my assessment of technique to offer that degree of precision. However, this is really just me being anal. So here's a table roughly corresponding to my usage:

01 - Hazardous
02 - Pathetic
03 - Poor
04 - Fair
05 - Mediocre
06 - Good
07 - Very Good
08 - Excellent
09 - Superior
10 - Perfect

[Nonomori]

Fri. 4/2 Morning:
JumpStretch training session

Notes: I really like using the Flex Bands for the ankles, quads and hip flexors, hamstrings, groin, and I-T band. Also, I like using them for stretching the shoulders. I am not so impressed with the other exercises I was shown. I think a significant part of this has to do with my fairly extreme flexibility imbalance. For some of those exercises, I couldn't feel any stretch at all, and I know some stretches which hit those areas better - if I really even want to hit them.

Sat. 4/3 Morning:
Modern Dance class

Mon. 4/5 Morning:
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program
16kg Kettlebell Swings (head level) 10 two-handed + 5 right + 5 left, done twice
- RT: 7
- RPE: 9

Notes: The kettlebell Swings were an experiment. I wanted to see how many I could realistically accomplish without a break. The experiment revealed that my poor cardiovascular conditioning is probably the limiting factor. A mere forty Swings left me gasping, and recovery was slow. I'm thinking it might be a good idea to try some sort of interval training involving kettlebell Swings.

Tue. 4/6 Morning:
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program
Random experiments with Swings, Spouts, and Cossacks

Notes: I wanted to get a feel for the various "component exercises" Coach Szolek describes in the OCS Training Manual (http://www.clubbell.tv/clubbellsport.html). The Swings were familiar enough, and the Spouts seemed fairly straightforward, but the Cossacks were hard, even with the 10# Clubbells. I was a little surprised at this, since I have done a fair amount of Drumming with the 10# Clubbells, taking them out to Flag Position. But taking both Clubbells out to Flag Position simultaneously is not the same at all, since you need to stop all that weight way out in front of you, instead of allowing the Clubbell in back to help counterbalance the other one in front. The squat portion not only has to be timed to catch the momentum of the Clubbells as they come to a stop, but it also has to be positioned to keep you balanced. Tricky.

My back seems to be 100% recovered.

Tue. 4/6 Evening:
15# Clubbell Performance Swipes, 12 sets of 5
- RT: 5
- RPE: 6
JumpStretch routine

Notes: I did not time the intervals between the sets of Swipes, but they were on the order of a couple of minutes. I wanted to collect data to determine whether it might make sense for me to skip doing the Density program with the 10# Clubbells which I had originally planned, and just work with the 15# Clubbells. My technique was generally acceptable, I thought, although on three of the reps I missed CTO from Back Position with the left hand. One of those times was the very last rep, which immediately followed the one rep where I nearly bashed myself in the face with my left-hand Clubbell. I did maintain sufficient control to catch the Clubbell in Shoulder Park instead, but it was nevertheless clear that my technique was deteriorating, so I did not attempt another set.

My thinking at this point is that I can probably stick with the 15# Clubbells, but that I should reduce the number of reps per set, increase the number of sets, and work on reducing the rest interval between sets. I'd be interested in any confirming or conflicting opinions. Naturally, I should also continue to concentrate on improving my technique.

[Nonomori]

Wed. 4/7 Morning:
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program

Thu. 4/8 Evening:
Chin-ups (dead-hang), 1 set of 5
JumpStretch leg routine (ankles, hamstrings, groin, I-T band)

Notes: I've been feeling exhausted the last couple of days, probably a consequence of inadequate sleep and nutrition.

The chin-ups were a spontaneous check to see whether, despite not having done any for the last four weeks, I had regressed from the max of 4 which I reached through GTG shortly before beginning this log. Obviously, I haven't lost anything there.

Fri. 4/9 Morning:
15# Clubbell Performance Swipes, 20 sets of 3 (1 minute rest intervals)
- RT: 5
- RPE: 7
JumpStretch shoulder stretches
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program

Notes: I finally got up in the morning feeling like I'd probably gotten enough rest.

The reported RT and RPE never really give a complete picture. My technique was probably a little better than on Tuesday, but I still missed CTO from Back Position with the left hand a couple of times. More interesting to me was the way my technique changed through the sets. I struggled with sets 10-15 a bit, finding myself losing the pec/lat lock and cheating a bit as I started feeling fatigue in my shoulders and upper arms. But possibly my best technique came in sets 16-17 as I knew I was reaching the last few sets and I renewed my determination. Then sets 18-19 started deteriorating, as fatigue began winning again. Set 20 was...well, let's put it this way. I bailed out on the first rep, restarted the set, and managed to finish it - but it wasn't pretty. I cheated on the pauses in CTO, and the Pendulums had rather interesting angles.

[Nonomori]

Mon. 4/12 Morning:
15# Clubbell Performance Swipes, 14 sets of 4 + 1 set of 3 (1 minute rest intervals)
- RT: 6
- RPE: 7
JumpStretch shoulder stretches
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program

Notes: There was actually about a two-minute rest interval after the fifth set of Swipes, due to a brief phone call I received. And although I rated my technique Good because my overall consistency improved, I nevertheless noticed several significant problem areas...

When moving into Back Position on several of the reps, I "let go" on the left side, so that instead of lowering the Clubbell under control, I allowed the weight of the Clubbell to pull my arm back and down. Although I have noticed no unpleasant aftereffects, it seems like the sort of thing that could be an injury waiting to happen.

I have developed the bad habit of "pulling up" slightly on the backswing of the final rep, instead of completing the backswing and then allowing the Clubbells to swing naturally before parking them.

On the fourth rep of most sets, I found it very difficult to launch the left-hand Clubbell out of CTO all the way to elbow lock for that final Forward Pendulum. Fatigue takes its toll. My fifteenth set was actually about the best technique-wise until I missed CTO out of Back Position on the left side (the only time that happened during this workout!). I intended to go for another rep or two anyway, but I missed CTO again on the clean. At that point I figured I was licked.

After about a month doing the Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program, I was surprised to discover some interesting sensations regarding breathing. (This actually started happening Friday, but I noticed it again today.) In particular, during the Spinal Tilts (side bends), I felt very much breathed by the movement, instead of breathing as I moved. It felt rather peculiar, since I had no real sensation of breathing, and I heard sort of a funny noise as (apparently) one lung got compressed while the other expanded. The sensation of not breathing carried through to the subsequent Spinal Thrusts.

I think I am finally starting to let go of my quads in the second position (leg out to the side) of the Four-Corner Balance Drill. I am definitely getting greater height in the forward position (at least when it's repeated as the fourth position) than when I started this a month ago.

[Nonomori]

Wed. 4/14 Morning:
15# Clubbell Performance Swipes, 20 sets of 3 (45-second rest intervals)
- RT: 6
- RPE: 6
JumpStretch shoulder stretches
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program

Notes: Since I don't really know what I'm doing, I decided to try reducing reps on the Swipes back to 3 while also reducing the rest interval. It's hard for me to assess the results, since I don't know how I would have done if I had tried increasing reps again, or if I had tried reducing the rest interval while sticking with the 4-rep set. That latter option seemed overly intimidating to me based on Monday's performance, but it might have been a better choice, since my RPE was definitely down. On the other hand, I noticed some significant tenderness in my left triceps and I didn't want to push it. (I think it's just DOMS. It didn't get any worse through the workout.) And my technique was definitely improved, which I attribute to the lower number of reps per set.

At least, my technique was improved given the method of breathing to which I have become accustomed. On my eleventh set I tried switching to a method of breathing described by Coach Szolek (http://circularstrengthmag.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1938) and the results were not pretty. On every rep I missed CTO from Back Position - not off to the outside with my left hand as I usually do, but in the forward direction with both hands. I just allowed the motion to continue into a backswing, but I decided not to count that set, and not to experiment with breathing while I was in the middle of a density training workout.

I did notice something troubling about my breathing, though. After my exhalation during the pull from Back Position to CTO, I am launching the Clubbells forward to lockout during the control pause. So I am getting no help from my breathing. Maybe this is appropriate, but I've got to admit that as the sets mount up, this is probably the toughest part of the Swipe for me to accomplish, and I wonder if there's something I might do to help it along. Then again, these are Performance Swipes, my goal is the modest one of meeting CST certification requirements, and I shouldn't really need to worry about maximizing efficiency. Maybe.

Fri. 4/16 Morning:
16kg Kettlebell two-handed Swings (chest level), 8 sets of 12 (10-second rest intervals)
- RT: 9
- RPE: 8
Lying on the floor gasping
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program

Notes: The DOMS in my left triceps was worse than it had been at the beginning of my Wednesday workout, so I decided to wait another day before doing more Swipes, and I did the kettlebell Swings instead. Since it took about twenty seconds to do a set of 12, I was essentially following the Tabata formula - except that I didn't do any warmup or cooldown. This was really more of an experiment than anything else, because I had no clue at the outset how many sets I might be able to do.

I did the Warrior Wellness program on a 2-1/2" thick tumbling mat this time instead of on a hardwood floor. It makes balance noticeably more difficult on all the one-legged moves. I'm not sure if I like that or not.

[Nonomori]

Mon. 4/19 Morning:
15# Clubbell Performance Swipes, 15 sets of 4 (45-second rest intervals)
- RT: 5
- RPE: 6
JumpStretch shoulder stretches
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program

Notes: This was a strange workout. Some sets went really well, but others (4, 7, 12, and 13) were awfully...wobbly. (In fact, in set 13. I really only did 3 reps because I lost CTO and couldn't find it again.) Oddly, the final set seemed quite solid technique-wise, and I didn't feel that I had reached any kind of limit. The scattering of good sets and bad sets makes little sense to me.

I am coming to suspect that overall, my move into Back Position is not all that good. On one or two reps, I noticed that I went deeper into Back Position than usual, allowing my back to absorb more of the momentum. This felt surprisingly good, since my spine remained elongated and it seemed to be my muscles absorbing the shock instead of spinal compression. The result was greater range of motion, less strain, and increased smoothness. Perhaps I have been overly protective of my back, which might account for why my triceps seem so unhappy. (I am no longer confident that the soreness in my left triceps is just DOMS. After five days rest from Swipes, my triceps were still sore. But I went through the workout regardless, and noticed no sharp pain or increasing soreness, so I don't know what to conclude.)

For Warrior Wellness, I found that I could not balance at all on my left foot. I don't know how much of that had to do with the fact that I was wearing shoes for a change, and how much had to do with the fact that I was wearing them to provide compression to my left foot. I rolled the foot over on Sunday, and now a good bit of the outside edge is a lovely shade of purple while the entire outside half of the foot is nicely swollen. Standing is not very painful (walking is a different story), but very likely I am standing differently (in fact, I'd have to be, because the swelling forces a certain degree of pronation). Apparently this is enough to throw off my balance, and I finally gave up trying and resorted to use of a ballet barre.

[Scott Sonnon]

Brent,

I suspect it may entirely be the addition of a shoe to the Four Corner Balance Drill. Remember, although you sprained your foot, the active recovery of mobility aids it most greatly. Read through Lumbarred from Pain-Free Mobility (http://www.circularstrengthmag.com/23/sonnon.html) and insert "ankle" instead of lower back into the equation.

[Nonomori]

Thanks, Coach. Oddly, my ankle is just fine. It's the foot itself that is the problem, but I can certainly work it through whatever motions I can think of. There doesn't even seem to be a great deal of pain associated with movement.

[Scott Sonnon]

Brent,

Try these two exercises I created several years ago to rehab my foot from a traumatic fall off a balance beam:
Foot Curl (http://www.rmax.tv/images/footroll.AVI)
Foot Roll (http://www.rmax.tv/images/footcurl.AVI)

[Nonomori]

Wow. You zero right in on how to make it hurt, don't you, Coach? How much weight is supposed to be applied in these exercises? The pain is tolerable as long as I move slowly and apply very little weight.

[Scott Sonnon]

On a scale of 1 - 10 (1 being very mild discomfort - 10 being castration), apply enough pressure to cause no more than a 5-6. 5 repetitions each direction every day, and if possible throughout the day. You'll see the Rate of Discomfort decrease rapidly over the next couple days.

[Nonomori]

Very doable. Thanks, Coach.

[Nonomori]

Thu. 4/22 Morning:
15# Clubbell Performance Swipes, 12 sets of 5 (45-second rest intervals)
- RT: 5
- RPE: 6
JumpStretch shoulder stretches

Notes: This workout went much like the last one. Some sets felt really solid, while others were just terrible.

Mon. 4/26 Evening:
15# Clubbell Performance Swipes, 10 sets of 6 (45-second rest intervals)
- RT: 6
- RPE: 6
JumpStretch shoulder stretches
Warrior Wellness Beginner Skill Program

Notes: Wow. All of a sudden, the Swipes are grooving much better. I don't know how much of that might be due to having increased my days of rest between the last couple of workouts (the soreness in my left triceps is now completely gone - finally!), and how much might be due to spending a fraction less time in CTO, but I'm not complaining.

I'm still having some trouble balancing on my left leg during the Four-Corner Balance Drill, but other than that my balance is back. My left foot has not healed as quickly as I would have liked. It has been very interesting observing the passage of the discoloration, which gradually progressed all along the outside edge of the foot and up through the toes but is now mostly restricted to the outside edge of the heel and to the top of the toes just proximal to the toenails. There is still some swelling, although walking is merely uncomfortable now. (Running hurts, and I haven't dared try much in the way of jumping.) The Foot Rolls and Foot Curls are still fairly painful, but the discomfort remains in the tolerable range without any longer requiring that I be very careful about how much weight I apply. I am beginning to consider whether it might be wise to see a doctor, although I'm not sure what practical results would come of that.

[Nonomori]

Thu. 4/29 Evening:
15# Clubbell Performance Swipes, 9 sets of 7 (45-second rest intervals)
- RT: 3
- RPE: 6
JumpStretch shoulder stretches

Notes: I don't know how I aggravated it, but my foot started hurting again on Tuesday night, so I spent Wednesday limping slightly. And I made an appointment with a podiatrist.

It was late at night when I did the Swipes, and I was feeling rather tired before starting, so I wasn't surprised at my poor performance.

Sat. 5/1 Afternoon:
15# Clubbell Performance Swipes, 9 sets of 7 (45-second rest intervals)
- RT: 6
- RPE: 6
JumpStretch shoulder stretches

Notes: I repeated the same set/rep scheme as the last workout, and this time it went much better.