The weather was cool on Monday. I took advantage of being able to lie down on the horse stall pad in my driveway and did get-ups. I think I need get-ups to keep my shoulders healthy. The weather has cooperated so far this week, but I think I will do get-ups in the house if I can’t do them in my driveway going forward.

To compensate for the get-ups, I reduced my snatch volume from 60 to 40 reps, but am doing them every day. I did 60 per day every day last week and it was wearing. I need practice to improve technique. My right-side technique is much better than my left-side technique. Some of the difference may be strength, but I am much smoother and nimble on my right side. I keep hoping my left side can figure out how to snatch as easily as my right side does. I hope doing just 40 snatches per day will help.

I tried to do sets of two pull-ups last week and failed to get above the bar on the second try every time. I failed on four tries on Monday of that week. I usually feel stronger after a few singles, so on Tuesday I did a few singles before I tried a double. I failed again. After that, I decided to avoid failure. I began making sure I was in a good dead hang and then performed just one pull-up. I recall being able to do 5 pull-ups 2 years ago, at least on the bar in my kitchen where I had to curl my legs up to stay off the floor. I was never as strong on the real pull-up bar in my garage where I can hang without touching the floor, but it does appear that I lost a lot by stopping pull-up training in 2012.

I moved up to using the 20-kg kettlebell for goblet squats last week. I experimented with the 20 more than a month ago, but thought it was awkward to do curls with the 20. Somehow over the past few weeks, I got the hang of curling the heavier bell. The added weight focuses the work more intensely, but I think goblet squats remain easier now than they were when I started with the 16 kg bell  and the Simple and Sinister program in December of 2013.

I am pleased with the progress of my training and with my consistency. I will still enjoy participating in the 4 October Tactical Strength Challenge even if I can only get one pull-up.

My current training program (5 days per week)

Prying goblet squats
20 kg kettlebell – 3 x 5 = 15 reps, 660 pounds

Goblet squat curls
20 kg kettlebell –3 x 5 = 15 reps, 660 pounds

Halos: 12 kg kettlebell – 3 x 10 = 30 reps, 780 pounds

Get-ups
16 kg kettlebell – 5 x 1 L/R = 10 reps, 350 pounds

Snatches
20 kg kettlebell – 5 L/R x 4 = 40 reps, 1760 pounds

Two-handed swings
24 kg kettlebell – 10 x 10 = 100 reps, 5600 pounds

Pullup – 5 x 1 = 5 reps