12-29-21 07:39 PM - Post#915698    

Off work so not really any excuse to have pushed this back two days but getting it done; better late than never.

1-Arm DB Swing:
30 x 1 L/R
40 x 1 L/R
50 x 1 L/R
60 x 1 L/R
71 x 11 singles L/R

A little rusty but all the reps moved pretty well.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
180 x 5
220 x 3

Top set moved much faster than I expected. Stood there for a few movements debating on taking another rep but decided not to push my luck.

Edited by Fossil on 12-29-21 07:39 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

01-02-22 11:44 PM - Post#915799    

1-Arm DB Swing:
30 x 1 L/R
40 x 1 L/R
50 x 1 L/R
60 x 1 L/R
71 x 12 singles L/R


Front Squat:
135 x 5
180 x 5
220 x 3

01-07-22 01:09 AM - Post#915921    

1-Arm DB Swing:
35 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
65 x 1 L/R
72 x 8 singles L/R

All felt pretty good. From warmup to last single took 15 minutes.
Plates kept smacking my left wrist. Gotta fix that.
I bet if I were using plates with a rubber coating, hex / globe DB or even plates with a beveled edge, my wrist would be just fine.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
180 x 5
220 x 3

Top set heavier than it should have. Wasted a bunch of time after the swings and in between the other ramp sets.

Edited by Fossil on 01-07-22 01:33 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

01-12-22 12:03 AM - Post#916047    

1-Arm DB Swing:
35 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
65 x 1 L/R
72 x 9 singles L/R

Reps looked and felt really good - and solved the wrist-bashing issue. Just had to make sure my arm was locked before pulling.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
180 x 5
220 x 3

Still feels heavy.

Edited by Fossil on 01-12-22 12:03 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

01-14-22 11:56 PM - Post#916125    

1-Arm DB Swing:
35 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
65 x 1 L/R
72 x 12 singles L/R

Did the third, sixth, ninth and twelfth singles in the old-old style of swing - no preliminary swing.
If you've read the old textbooks by Sandow and Saxon, this is the method of swing I used. Very fun.
Could see it being used as the main variation of the lift.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
180 x 5
220 x 3

Felt less heavy.

01-17-22 10:19 PM - Post#916161    

1-Arm DB Swing:
35 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
65 x 1 L/R
73 x 8 singles L/R

These feel a lot better if I don't start by actively pulling back. Gotta remember that.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
180 x 5
220 x 3

And really need to consistently rack the barbell. I find it amazing that after doing this lift for over a decade I'm still not consistent with it. I know how to rack the bar in a way that lets me use a full grip and keeps pressure off my wrists and yet... I don't do that more often than not...

Edited by Fossil on 01-17-22 10:24 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

01-21-22 01:30 AM - Post#916280    

1-Arm DB Swing:
35 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
65 x 1 L/R
73 x 10 singles L/R

Stopped myself, but could've easily done these for many, many more singles. Form feels really stable.

Once you get this lift down, it feels very rewarding. Of all the variations, I still think the "French Style" is the absolute best - using backhang and swinging the DB a bunch of times really makes me think of how the Military Press turned into the Olympic Press... it's like if you started letting leg drive into a curl competition - is it testing curling strength anymore? If you're gonna load the DB to the point that it requires you to bend your arm, aren't you just doing a snatch? If you read the literature it all seems to indicate number chasing for the sake of competitions at the expense of the "purity" of the lift itself. There's a quote about being able to lift more using the "British" backhang style and the difference being 6%, but I wonder if that's just because records for the older French style are fewer and thus represented with a smaller sample size...

Anyway, if anyone reading this ever tries the lift, it's a really great way to train the back (lats on the backswing, low back on the way overhead), shoulders and especially posterior chain / hips. I (unconsciously) extend to the point of full triple extension. I can tell when I don't because the slowing point of the bell is lower.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
180 x 5
220 x 3

Rack felt good and the reps moved well.
Still feel sorta heavy but part of that came from me having a tweaked QL / oblique - I was foolishly playing around with some lighter DB snatches and swing variations and a rep or two didn't go as planned.

Edited by Fossil on 01-21-22 01:48 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

01-26-22 12:11 AM - Post#916399    

1-Arm DB Swing:
35 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
65 x 1 L/R
73 x 11 singles L/R

Flew up. Every one of them.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
180 x 5
220 x 4

Bout time.

01-29-22 09:08 PM - Post#916578    

1-Arm DB Swing:
35 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
65 x 1 L/R
73 x 12 singles L/R

Actually did like 16-17 singles but stopped counting after a dozen. Really locking your back position and elbow before each single really helps.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
180 x 5
220 x 4

Faster than last time.


Edited by Fossil on 01-29-22 09:08 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

02-01-22 11:47 PM - Post#916686    

1-Arm DB Swing:
35 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
65 x 1 L/R
74 x 8 singles L/R

Still very fluid.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
180 x 5
220 x 4

All felt good.

Edited by Fossil on 02-01-22 11:47 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

02-05-22 12:25 AM - Post#916849    

1-Arm DB Swing:
35 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
65 x 1 L/R
74 x 13 singles L/R

Did an extra for good measure.

Very consistent. Still a very enjoyable lift to perform.
DB in front of you, grab it with a straight arm, start to stand, let the DB swing back and jump. That's it.

Amazingly, my left arm is beginning to straighten out. I believe it's from a combination of my markedly improved grip strength and weighted movements on a locked elbow, but mostly the grip aspect - those muscles have *never* been used in my life until now. Look at how the tendons in your hands / fingers connect with your elbows.


Front Squat:
135 x 5
180 x 5
220 x 5

Last one was a little slow but form stayed solid.


Edited by Fossil on 02-05-22 12:26 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

02-09-22 12:30 AM - Post#916981    

1-Arm DB Swing:
35 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
65 x 1 L/R
75 x 8 singles L/R


Front Squat:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3

Top set felt good out of the hole. With heavier weights its like that for me - fast turnaround at the bottom and the slowing point is right above parallel to 3/4ths the way up.

02-14-22 12:26 AM - Post#917103    

Work week was really busy so I postponed the second session until today. Didn't feel that great but also didn't wanna skip the session entirely so just hit some heavy singles.

1-Arm DB Swing:
35 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
65 x 1 L/R
70 x 1 L/R
72 x 1 L/R
74 x 1 L/R
75 x 1 L/R
77 x 1 L/R
80 x 5 singles L/R

Did four more than I intended.
Most weight I've ever put overhead with one arm. Had to use a strap for my left hand for two or three of them. Not a ton of control over some of the reps but none were bad.


Front Squat:
135 x 2
165 x 2
185 x 2
225 x 2
235 x 2

These felt decent. Glad I did them because my front squat seems to tank if I go too long without practicing the movement.

02-22-22 01:06 AM - Post#917324    

1-Arm DB Swing:
35 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
65 x 1 L/R
75 x 12 singles L/R

Little rusty at the start but got better.
Last two I used a split just to see how it felt p pretty natural since the weight wants to pull you forward anyway, you can just step into it. Pretty sure Jowett was a big proponent of that technique.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3



Edited by Fossil on 02-22-22 01:13 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

02-22-22 07:14 PM - Post#917360    

Fascinating.....with the DB swing. Not sure I can do it properly. I keep reading though.

Front squat? It's a life mission thing, I am sure.

Aut viam inveniam aut faciam.

03-02-22 12:25 AM - Post#917563    

• pink.pixie Said:

I had read about the lift off and on and even did a few sessions messing around with it maybe a decade ago. I forgot about it until recently; After dealing with shoulder issues and not sure what to do, decided it was worth trying and now I'm really comfortable with the lift.
In the last six or seven months, I've noticed it getting a lot more popular online. I'm collecting articles from old [digitized] issues of Strength magazine and numerous other - mostly forgotten - digital resources. I've got text describing just about every way one can perform the lift.
And yep, the FS is definitely a slow and contusion struggle - but one I enjoy.

03-02-22 01:49 AM - Post#917564    

Been out for a bit. Work and life got in the way but that's not an excuse - I might start doing one session on Sunday to make sure it gets done.

1-Arm DB Swing, French Style:
35 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
65 x 1 L/R
76 x 8 singles L/R

These were all pretty easy. Flew up.

I recently got some dumbbell bumpers for the sole reason that they slide over the inside collars, allowing you to choke up on the handle to the point of being in contact with the plates. I'll explain later...
You might see me experimenting with the various other methods of performing the swing.
What I didn't realize is that the bumpers are only compatible with a *specific* brand of dumbbell handle so I ordered that after the fact. It should be here in a few days.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3

Definitely should not wait that long between front squat sessions. Strength tanks after 4-5 days.

03-05-22 12:39 AM - Post#917663    

1-Arm DB Swing, French Style:
35 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
65 x 1 L/R
70 x 1 L/R
76 X 9 singles L/R

New dumbbell is thicker, which I suspected would be the case. Had to use straps for my left hand.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3

Pretty fast reps.



Truth be told, even after getting excited about getting a new (very nice) dumbbell and plates, I'm not even sure I'm going to continue the swing lol. I always figured I'd go back to the clean and press.

03-08-22 12:56 AM - Post#917724    

1-Arm DB Clean and Press:
35 x 1
40 x 1
45 x 1
50 x 1
55 x 9 singles

These felt good. Left shoulder appreciated the movement, so glad about that.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3

03-08-22 08:44 AM - Post#917731    

Strong work, buddy. Do you think the DB swings rehab'd your shoulder?

Be strong. Be in shape. Be a man among men, regardless of your age or circumstances.

Fossilchr('039')s Log
03-10-22 10:41 PM - Post#917829    

• AAnnunz Said:

Thank you AAnnunz

And as far as the swings go, they definitely helped in that they worked elements of shoulder health that are difficult to train simultaneously; can't think of another lift that trains the grip, delts, serratus, upper/lower traps, low back, hamstrings midsection and triceps as hard - and all without a pressing motion.
Basically, it trained the pressing muscles (and a lot more) without having to use the pressing motion.

Edited by Fossil on 03-10-22 11:27 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

03-11-22 12:26 AM - Post#917834    

1-Arm DB Clean and Press:
35 x 1 L/R
40 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
50 x 1 L/R
55 x 12 singles L/R


Front Squat:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 2
225 x 2

Rack slipped and the second rep felt iffy so I stopped. Got mad and retried the set a few minutes later and the rack stayed, mostly, but the double was barely so. Upper / mid back was done after pressing.
Also gotta remember that trick I used way back where I push my elbow way in, grab the bar in the rack with a full grip then push my elbows out. It makes for the best rack.



Edited by Fossil on 03-11-22 12:52 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

Re: Fossilchr(chr(chr('039')039chr('039'))039chr(chr('039')039chr('039')))s Log
03-11-22 09:05 AM - Post#917842    

• Fossil Said:

Thanks. I'm using a 180 degree ROM for front and side laterals to accomplish close to the same thing, but using DBs would allow me to use more weight, and of course, hit the additional muscles.

Be strong. Be in shape. Be a man among men, regardless of your age or circumstances.

Edited by AAnnunz on 03-11-22 12:45 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

03-15-22 11:58 PM - Post#918009    

1-Arm DB Clean and Press:
35 x 1 L/R
40 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
50 x 1 L/R
56 x 8 singles L/R


Front Squat:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3

Difficult, but doable.
Gotta get used to pressing before squatting.

03-17-22 11:27 PM - Post#918088    

1-Arm DB Clean and Press:
35 x 1 L/R
40 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
50 x 1 L/R
56 x 11 singles L/R

Did an extra single for fun.


Front Squat:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3


Much, much better.,
A lot more vertical too.

03-23-22 12:49 AM - Post#918222    

1-Arm DB Clean and Press:
35 x 1 L/R
40 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
50 x 1 L/R
56 x 12 singles L/R


Front Squat:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3

Felt about the same as last time. Difficult but fast.

03-26-22 09:08 PM - Post#918392    

1-Arm DB Clean and Press:
35 x 1 L/R
40 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
50 x 1 L/R
57 x 8 singles L/R

Put this off due to a hip flexor issue. Feels weird in the bottom. Took a narrower stance and that helped. Hoping it clears up soon.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3

03-30-22 01:00 AM - Post#918478    

1-Arm DB Clean and Press:
35 x 1 L/R
40 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
50 x 1 L/R
57 x 8 singles L/R


Front Squat:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3

Narrower stance alleviates the hip flexor discomfort in the bottom but there's still a very slight sensation. Thankfully no lingering tension or pain.

04-01-22 12:42 AM - Post#918554    

Actually did 9 singles last time. Not sure why I wrote 8.

1-Arm DB Clean and Press:
35 x 1 L/R
40 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
50 x 1 L/R
57 x 10 singles L/R

FINALLY found the stance for these that puts my elbow in the right position (left, especially) - tried a lot of stance widths and using a wide stance causes my left arm to spin out and for the rest of the week that shoulder is just wound up so tight the rest of the week.
Messed around with stances last night with a light weight and found a hip-width pressing stance finishes with my left elbow not completely turned around in the socket at the top.
Also, and maybe more importantly, it shoves the left (and right) scapula back and down at the top.

I've always been suspicious of people that say you *have to* do XYZ to raise your arm overhead or do this and that to squat down. Just move your feet... why try and make a rube godlberg out of your CoG when you're all you're doing is trying to use a roadmap to navigate gravity's one and only direction.
No offense to anyone that uses a lot of cues, but I can't recall reading about any extremely strong lifters using a bunch of mental checklists to lift a weight, unless it's with an arsenal of assistance gear.


Front Squat:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3

Going back to fingertips on the bar vs a full grip. I think there was some twisting with the full grip / uneven arms / hands.
Used fingertips only tonight and it felt just as stable and strong, if not more so, than my inconsistent full-grip rack position.


Edited by Fossil on 04-01-22 12:45 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

04-05-22 12:59 AM - Post#918655    

1-Arm DB Clean and Press:
35 x 1 L/R
40 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
52 x 1 L/R
58 x 7 singles L/R

Front Squat:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 4

Fingers do slip out as the set goes on, but at least I start in a much better position and end up in a similar / better position than if I'd used a full grip - my grip would generally slip out anyway but now my arm position doesn't change.

Edited by Fossil on 04-05-22 01:00 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

04-08-22 01:13 AM - Post#918757    

Slept zero hours Tuesday night and worked late last night so in the last 48 hours I've had 8 hours of sleep and I'm feeling it.

1-Arm DB Clean and Press:
35 x 1 L/R
40 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
50 x 1 L/R (misload - should've been 52)
58 x 9 singles L/R

Did 8 singles last time but forgot to count it in my log.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3

Despite not matching my reps last time, these felt good and way, way more even. Left leg has a history of not wanting to pull it's weight; Years ago I found out the hard way, upper body asymmetries do very much affect lower body movements - but now the left leg has that "thoroughly worked, not DOMS but the slight worn out feeling in the muscle" feeling right after a set.

Not sure exactly when, but soon I plan on turning this into a daily thing. Lower volume each session but much more frequency. Idea is to make these weights similar to what you see above feel lighter. Also cutting calories a bit so, weights aren't going to be shooting up anytime soon.

Edited by Fossil on 04-08-22 01:17 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

04-11-22 11:40 PM - Post#918851    

1-Arm DB Clean and Press:
35 x 1 L/R
40 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
50 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
60 x 1 L/R

Front Squat:
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 2

Hmm... not sure this thing is going to work as a daily program.
Right hip flexor still hurts in the bottom of the squat. Stance doesn't really make a difference.

EDIT:
A ridiculously narrow, feet forward stance feels completely fine.
Strange.

Edited by Fossil on 04-12-22 12:10 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

04-13-22 01:22 AM - Post#918883    

Did the same thing as above again tonight.
Don't wanna bore anyone reading this if it's something that's going to be the exact same thing everyday. might just do a beginning and end of week update, but I will say this for today:

I think the hip issues stemmed from a bad setup.
Yet again, the upper limb discrepancies are causing issues lol.
The super narrow stance also cause some issues today so I decided to go back to the fairly wide rack position I always abandon because my ego, but it felt like it stopped any dramatic weight shifts and my hip didn't hurt.

So I guess we'll see how things go tomorrow!

Edited by Fossil on 04-13-22 01:22 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

04-20-22 12:12 AM - Post#919054    

Skipped a few days last week (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) with the intention of letting my hip flexor rest but the day I went back it was yanking in the bottom of the squat again.

Tweaked my squat setup and so far no pain.

Been doing this since Sunday:

1-Arm DB Clean and Press:
35 x 1 L/R
40 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
50 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
60 x 1 L/R

Front Squat:
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 2

these squats were very difficult. Tanking calories has done me no favors but not going to stop. Need a pretty drastic reset. This daily experiment might even be cut short because of it, but I can live with that.

Edited by Fossil on 04-20-22 12:19 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

04-28-22 12:46 AM - Post#919226    

Missing days but still fairly consistently hitting most days of the week.

1-Arm DB Clean and Press:
35 x 1 L/R
40 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
50 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
60 x 1 L/R

Front Squat:
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 2

Hip issue still not fixed. At times worse, even.
Full hand grip again and I think this might be the cause. Wildly differing wrist mobility yields very different shoulder positions in the rack. On video the bar was lopsided the whole set... Hoping the fingertips-only grip will help.

Did an extra single at 225 using a full grip then waited about ten minutes and dida single fingertips only and guess which one produced zero pain?
At least now I know.


Might keep at this frequency for awhile. Four weeks? Six? I dunno. I still have weight I want to lose but also want to maintain strength, so this could be a thing that goes on for months with little variation.
And if you've taken even a glance at this log, you know I don't mind "boring" routines.


Edited by Fossil on 04-28-22 12:50 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

05-03-22 01:25 AM - Post#919308    

Done yesterday and today.
Gave this lift up almost exactly a year ago but with the hip pain I've been having, I came to the conclusion that last year the hip issues I'd been experiencing weren't from the DB cleans, they were most likely from the front squats.

It was around the same top weight that the issues started but I attributed it all to doing bilateral DB lifts from the floor. Looking (and feeling) more and more like that wasn't correct.

Two DB Clean and Press:
35 x 1
40 x 1
45 x 1
50 x 1
55 x 1
60 x 1

Hip issues persisted until after these had been done. Right TFL is just tied up all day but after the top set of these it felt fine / normal. Full hip extension I guess?

Will probably go back to the single DB version simply because of the ease of setup / execution but fun going back to the two handed lift.

Front Squat:
135 x 1
165 x 1
185 x 1
205 x 1
215 x 1
225 x 1

Cut my right foot on glass earlier this week so kinda did what I could. Still hurts to put pressure on it but it's getting better.
Kinda like the singles though; might just keep at them.

05-04-22 01:00 AM - Post#919324    

1-Arm DB Clean and Press:
35 x 1 L/R
40 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
50 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
60 x 1 L/R

Front Squat:
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 1

Messed around with the very wide grip that my ego hates lol.
Maybe I'll stick with the singles and a more standard grip width.


Edited by Fossil on 05-04-22 01:15 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

05-12-22 12:12 AM - Post#919461    

Missed a bunch of days and realized fairly quickly even short daily sessions aren't really possible for me, at least not with my limited variety of lifts.

So, as mentioned in previous posts, my crooked rack position was causing my hip problems then and now, not the DB clean and presses, so I'm going to use it for awhile. Single arm version actually worsened my shoulder mobility because it utilized so much pec minor getting it off the chest.

Two DB Clean and Press:
35 x 1
37 x 1
40 x 1
45 x 1
50 x 13 singles in 20 minutes


I've been sick - sneezing and [chest] coughing - for about a week and am not quite 100% yet, so I cut this shorter than I'd really wanted. Goal is 20 in 20.

05-17-22 11:42 PM - Post#919538    

Front Squat:
135 x 1
145 x 1
155 x 1
165 x 1
185 x 12 singles in 20 minutes

Well this was pretty awful - hamstrings started cramping up really, really bad around the halfway mark so I did what I could. Been awhile since I've front squatted and I didn't wanna start off back into the movement by tweaking a hamstring.

T-Rex rack position is the only one that allows me to have an even / level rack so that's what it's going to be from here on out.
Did a fair amount of mirror testing to check various positions.
My arms are just too asymmetrical to play Mr. Upper Body Mobility on a lower body lift.

05-21-22 11:41 PM - Post#919617    

Trying something new...

Figure 8s in my apartment living room...

Farmers Walk:
25 x 1 minute
35 x 45 seconds
35 x 1 minute

1-Arm DB Press:
15 x 8 L/R
25 x 8 L/R
35 x 8 L/R

Just testing some things out.

Edited by Fossil on 05-22-22 01:57 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

05-24-22 12:25 AM - Post#919643    

1-Arm DB Press:
35 x 5 /L/R
40 x 5 /L/R
42 x 5 /L/R
45 x 5 /L/R
47 x 5 /L/R

05-25-22 01:00 AM - Post#919660    

Farmer's Walk:
35 x 120 steps
35 x 67 steps

Left grip started to fail on the second trip but I definitely want to avoid going that far for future sessions, for the sake of my floors, my toes and my equipment. Chalk helps, should've used some on the second round.

Did this tonight to time out steps / time.
Since steps are easier to quantify and roughly equate to a certain amount of time,it's just easier to use steps as the metric of progression.
Goal is 200 steps, which equates to roughly a two minute set.

These really won't be doing to much for my posture until the weights start to pull on my arms. At the moment, this lift is mostly just a grip exercise.

05-26-22 11:25 PM - Post#919685    

Front Squat:
95 x 5
135 x 5
165 x 5
185 x 5
195 x 3

Hip pain still present. Frustrating.
Did a test where I held a 10lb plate at arms length, squatted down and shifted around and sure enough the stance was much more narrow than the one I normally assume for front squats. I tried this before but have since fixed my rack position.
Hopefully it all works out...


Farmer's Walk:
35 x 130 steps

06-01-22 01:14 AM - Post#919747    

1-Arm DB Press:
35 x 5 /L/R
40 x 5 /L/R
42 x 5 /L/R
45 x 5 /L/R
48 x 5 /L/R

Farmer's Walk:
35 x 140 steps

06-04-22 09:36 PM - Post#919795    

Hip till hurts. Not constant, but squatting elicits pains. Very tight every morning when I get out of bed. Was extremely bad last time I did one arm presses and I think my stance - shifting my weight onto my right hip - was the culprit. QL on my right side ached all week, too.
Starting to think it never had much to do with squatting at all and more to do with uneven pressure during overhead pressing.

What a hassle...

1-Arm DB Press:
30 x 12
40 x 10

Front Squat:
95 x 8
135 x 8
165 x 5

Farmer's Walk:
35 x 120 steps

Didn't expect this to go backwards but left hand was really slipping those last twenty steps. I did really focus on an upright/shoulders back posture so it was slightly more difficult. Hand strength is so poor - really want this to move up for the sake of my left shoulder.
There's definitely major improvements in movement quality before and after doing farmers walks but the strength isn't there to make it last.

Edited by Fossil on 06-04-22 09:46 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

06-07-22 01:09 AM - Post#919819    

1-Arm DB Press:
30 x 12
40 x 12

Can't tell if the right QL just isn't healed or if I made it worse... guess I'll know more next session. Pressing didn't help the injury, I know that for certain.

Front Squat:
95 x 8
135 x 8
165 x 6

Farmer's Walk:
35 x 150 steps

Hook grip helps. Rear delts started feeling this around the 100 step mark. Good sign.

06-10-22 01:06 AM - Post#919851    

1-Arm DB Press:
35 x 12
45 x 8

Starting to think the QL injury wasn't an injury at all, but just severe and sudden DOMS in a muscle that was very weak and very tight that caused my hip issues in conjunction.
Everything slowly started feeling better as the week went on and felt much more like muscular soreness vs a strain / injury.

Front Squat:
95 x 8
135 x 8
165 x 7

Farmer's Walk:
35 x 150 steps

Just about lost the left DB. Realized really quickly I picked them up wrong - grabbing the DBs towards the back of the handle is much more stable than towards the front. The higher in weight these go, the more the form mistakes / carelessness will show themselves.

Edited by Fossil on 06-10-22 01:07 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

06-14-22 01:42 AM - Post#919907    

Really not sure if the right hip / QL thing is an injury or not - still waking up with that hip flexor area strung so tight it's the first thing I feel waking up; ergo:

1-Arm DB Swing, French Style:
35 x 1 L/R
40 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
47 x 1 L/R
50 x 1 L/R
52 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
57 x 1 L/R
60 x 1 L/R
62 x 1 L/R
65 x 1 L/R
67 x 1 L/R

The other night I got to thinking about the issues I had with this lift and not being able to really choke up on the bell because the plates invariably hit my forearm and cause some very serious bruising / pain, then I realized it was because of the "shape of the weights" - the way the plates were arranged dictated their motion. Then I realized I could really easily simulate a globe head dumbbell by simply putting a half-spherical "bumper" on the handle.
I made an online purchase of a pair of some really cheap globe-grip attachments for barbells / DBs but tonight, I spotted a dense stress ball at the store and knew I could easily carve the foam roughly to the specs I wanted. Worked pretty well save for it being a tiny bit too thick so my left hand didn't have quite the room on the handle during the catch, but otherwise, it worked exactly as intended.
No smashed forearms, no pinching the scar tissue on my left hand. I've never used a globe dumbbell, but I'd be willing to be it behaves similarly to my DIY version.


Front Squat:
95 x 8
135 x 8
165 x 8

06-20-22 12:22 AM - Post#920016    

1-Arm DB Swing, French Style:
35 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
50 x 1 L/R
55 x 1 L/R
60 x 10 L/R singles in 10 minutes

Intended to do twice the number of singles for double the length of time but felt really iffy at the start and decided it would be best to just do something tonight and squat tomorrow.

This format is good, though - maybe I'll stick with it and do it twice a week. Not sure how I wanna implement swings. I really enjoy the lift, though. Very fun to practice.

06-22-22 12:47 AM - Post#920049    

Got the globe grips in the mail today and immediately proceeded to slice it in half, lol.
Worked exactly as intended - able to press my hand hard into them and use the DB like a globe DB and eliminating the plates hitting my wrists.

It's the same as the softer foam "inserts" I have been using except these globe grips are more durable and more dense.

1-Arm DB Swing, French Style:
35 x 1 L/R
40 x 1 L/R
45 x 1 L/R
50 x 1 L/R
55 x 20 L/R singles in 12 minutes




Edited by Fossil on 06-22-22 12:47 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.