Good Training Week

Light/Med/Heavy days clean and press with 53lb kb. Rather than forcing the heavier weight I've been working on perfect form and the right pressing groove. I was able to get a p/r while visiting Laurel Blackburn, RKC in Tallahassee. I pressed a 96lb kb once left/right. I have not lost strength by using lighter weight as long as I keep improving form.
Snatches on light day 10r/l, 9r/l, etc all the way down to 1/1.
Swings on med and heavy day.
Ran one time early in the week, 7.5 miles in 1:01:00.
5k Thursday morning in just under 24 min.
5k race with Ashley, Koby and Lydia this morning 23:13.
1 mile fun run in 6:23
....
Time for a little rest this afternoon. Trying to lay off the snacks and get under 190lbs for
the gorging next week!

Tis the Season

To Be Busy
I worked out with 6 folks yesterday. Some were trying kettlebells for the 1st time and others have been training for a while.
I've been running a couple of times a week alternating short fast (5k) with increased long, slower runs. 5k has been around the 24 min mark but I haven't gone all out. Long runs, I've made it up to about 7 miles with no problem as long as I stay over 9 minute pace.
Mostly clean and press kettlebell workouts with a lot of swings and snatches. Emily C and I hit 60 sets of V02 Thursday but I stopped before a blister tore. I've had some awesome training sessions over the last few weeks. Jamie, Eddie,Vince, Emily C, Denise, Lydia, Jeff, Carlton, Tricia, Ray, thanks for the opportunity.
Last Saturday we had a class that just went over different kinds of workouts so we did the first round of about 6 different workouts.
Clean and Press Ladders
Swing and Squat
3 different complex routines
V02 Snatches
.......
My focus for the now and the new year will be making myself better. Napoleon Hill said "what you are 5 years from now is primarily a result of who you associate with and the books you read" Garbage in Garbage out?

"Write today's worries in the sand.....

And chisel yesterday's victories in stone"
Sorry no blogging if your reading this. I've been working, traveling, training for a 15k, etc.
Been in a little slump lately but persisting through. I love the ratchet analogy. Push hard, back off, push harder, back off, etc, etc.
The key is to persist without exception.
....
I've been doing a modified Right of Passage workout with the meat of it consisting of single kettlebell clean and press, swings and snatches. I'm hitting a heavy snatch day and a light high volume day each week. I'm also doing a light/medium/heavy day on clean and press. Running 2 days a week alternating short and fast with long and slower. I struggle to hold back the speed but it pays off at the end of a run whether it is 5k or 15k. Shooting for a sub 8min pace at the double bridge 15k in February.
Thanks to the folks that run with me at all odd hours of the day and night. I hope to see you at the race or some race in the future.
....
Tonight was medium workout. 5 ladders of clean and press to 3 rungs each. 1st rung 40kg, 2nd rung 32kg, 3rd rung 24kg. then 2 sets of swing ladders with the same bells.
Running in the morning. Long and slow. I busted 23 min on the 5k yesterday thanks to Gonzalo.

Head Start on Turkey Day Calories

36:36 snatches for 20 sets then windmills, cleans, squats, figure 8s, other practice.
Awesome time with Eddie and Em.

36:36 Snatches

20 sets of 16 reps.
My grip is gone!

Complexes

24kg
4 rounds:
5 clean and press r/l
5 windmill r/l
5 squats
10 swings
.....
slingshots
10 more swings

1 and 1

Started with jointmobility and stretches, then:
Left and Right one rep each TGU
16k,20k, 24k, 32k, 40k
Left and Right one rep each Pistol
20lb, 12k, 16k, 20k, 24k, 32k, 40k
10 swings
10 swings

Snatches

10 left 10 right ladders up/down/up
16kg
20kg
24kg
32kg
24kg
20kg
16kg
16kg
20kg
24kg
....
200 total

Complex Day

24kg KB
5 min Turkish Get Ups to warm up
3 rounds of:
5 presses each side
10 swings
5 windmills each side
5 floor press each side
5 get up sit ups each side
20 floor sweeps
5 squats
10 figure 8 to hold

Just Snatches

Couldn't decide what to do. Knew I would lose interest fast tonight. Set the timer on 10 minutes. Started snatching the 16kg. Stopped at 9 minutes. 220 snatches. Whew. Simple. Fast. Effective.
Done

SSST Progress

8/8 on the minute. Didn't go all out. I hit 168 reps last week so 160 was a good ratchet back. I was at a fall festival yesterday and they had a hay barn with rope swings. I think it was about a 1.5" rope with no knots and I had to climb it and touch the rafter. It was about 15 feet or so and my sis turned around when I was on the way down so I had to climb it again for her to get a picture. My grip was a little tender today.
I'm getting pretty good at the mid snatch hand switch about head high. This gives me about 26-28 seconds to rest after 8/8 reps.

Great Read - Endless Nuggets on Body Comp

I read this book 2 years ago and just got it back from being loaned out. I'm reading it again. It goes into detail about practical applications of various natural supplements. Harry Preuss has the highest degree of nutrition in the world and puts his actual research and study into an easy to read book.

Smoked

I've been trying to get back into a workout regimen that I like and that fits my needs of conditioning and strength rather than bulk. I tried RTK for a few weeks and realized quickly that it was about to pack on some serious muscle weight that I don't really want. Reports from the RKC forum are now showing just that. Several 15 pound bodyweight gains so far. I like doubles but prefer singles with lots of snatches and presses. I've always done well with alternate days due to my work schedule. What I mean by this is doing two general workouts alternating days. This way you always know what you're doing next. Now, with that being said, you can vary the intensity to keep your body guessing and stimulate muscle growth. Here's my last week, knowing I would not have my kettlebells Thurs/Fri/Sat.
Sunday: 10 minute snatch test for cadence with 24kg. Did not go all out. 7 reps each side top of the minute. Hit 168 reps after going all out the last minute.
Monday: Heavy circuit 32kg: 3 sets of 5 presses each side, 10 swings, 5 windmills, 5 squats, get up sit ups, floor presses.
Tuesday: V02 snatches. 80 sets of 8 reps 16kg.
Wednesday: Medium Circuit 24kg. 3 sets of 10 presses each side, 10 swings, 5 windmills, 10 figure 8 to a hold, 5 floor presses, 5 get up sit ups, 20 floor sweeps.
....
I start each workout with joint mobility and stretching. Then 5 armbars progressing to a get up and back down then the other side. Maybe add a windmill while at the top. Throw in a pistol or two.
....

RTK Grind Week Done

Monday
5 ladders to 3 rungs 32kg one hand 16kg in the other switch each set
1 clean 1 press
rest
1 clean 2 press
rest
1 clean 3 press then 5 squats
rest
2 sets 20 reps deadlift with same doubles
......
Tuesday
Ran 5k
......
Wednesday
Repeat Monday but use 32kg and 24kg
......
Thursday
130 24kg snatches in 10 minutes
.....
Friday
Repeat Monday but use double 32kgs
.....
Saturday - off
......
Sunday - TBD

3 days off but I'm back in the saddle

Decided to switch it up a little.
5 ladders to 3 with 16 and 32kg same time.
Double clean, press 1, double clean press 2, double clean press 3, then 5 squats in the rack.
2 sets of 20 deadlift.
...
Switch hands with heavy/light weight each set.

Medium day and V02

Wednesday - Medium
5 ladders to 3 reps
1st ladder 40kg 1/1 then 32 2/2, 3/3
32 to 3 rungs on the other 4 ladders
10 min of swings 10:20 work/rest. This is a nice pace for med day.
........
Thursday v02 - 620 snatches
80 sets
1st 20 sets 8 reps
2nd 20 dropped to 7 anticipating 8 the next 20.
3rd 20 8 reps felt good so what the heck
4th 20 8 reps

Light Day - Sort of

5 ladders 2 rungs
1st ladder 40kg 1l/1r then 32kg 2l/2r, 3l/3r
32kg for the other 4 ladders to 2 reps.
....
I was teaching a newbie so I got some extra work in.
Finished with a few minutes of swings alternating 15 sec 16kg/20kg/32kg.

See Post From Yesterday For Caption

Running in the Rain

5k in 24:42 yesterday.

I put my IPOD in the new waterproof case (ziplock bag)

I'm an Alien!

So I was out in the boonies last night after going to an Advocare meeting with some friends to help people get healthy and I was starving after not eating most of the day. I finally came up on the Hardees at the Atmore/Hwy 21 intersection. I was afraid nothing else was open and figured I could get a roast beef and unsweet tea and not be too bad. Let me preface to say I have not been in a Hardees in probably 10 years.
As I stood in line studying the menu trying to find a roast beef with no added gooey cheese sauce or bacon or ranch or hamburger patty and listening to the guy in front of me tell his wife to "go for the large fries" I looked around and realized I was the only relatively healthy looking person in the place. Now I'm not talking about a big people. I'm talking people that looked completely miserable and disgusting. The scary part is that they were all looking at me like there was something wrong with me. Everyone was limping or waddling around, even the people that worked there. I'm kind of a food nazi so I'm thinking 'how can anyone just casually order this stuff, in extra large quantities and be so comfortable with it?' I'm thinking, fast food in a pinch, the exception not the norm, etc. These folks obviously make it the norm. Don't they have a stove? Can't you just go for the grilled chicken instead of the triple cheese thick burger with fries and soda? (that's what I got (grilled chicken), although it was cleverly disguised under cheese and bacon in the low carb section of the menu. The unsweet tea had been there so long it was spoiled, I wonder why?).
Have you ever seen the movie 'Wally'? Where they go to a space community where everyone is so out of shape that they ride little scooters and suck on supersize sodas and eat supersize fries and push buttons for exercise? It's not the future. It's Hardees!

Friday

Heavy ROP on Friday. 5x5 24kg
100 swings as fast as we could get them.

V02

50 sets of 7, 16kg
Felt pretty good at the end. Nowhere near failure. Love the cool weather.

Back to the Grind

ROP Medium Day, Me and Shane.
Joint Mob/Stretching
5 ladders to 4 rungs 24kg clean and press
12 sets of swings 15:15 16/24/32kgs
.....
Picked up a few pounds from all the junk food at Disney and the trip down and back.
I think they have a rubber chicken farm that supplies the restaraunts at magic kingdom.
.....
Wonderful weather this morning. Barely broke a sweat.
V02 tomorrow 5am in the KB Cave.

Heavy Day and off to see the rat

5x5 C&P ladders 24kg
10 minutes of swings 20:40 work/rest.
....
Off to see Mickey in the morning

Medium Day then V02

Wednesday - 4x5 clean and press then 30:30 swings for 7 minutes.
Thursday - 50 sets of 15;15 snatches

Light ROP

5x3 c&p ladders 24kg
5 sets of 10l/10r snatches top of the min in 4:50
Snatches were approx 45:15 work to rest. Probably need to ease off a little on light day snatches and just test once a month.
Today will probably be active recovery:
Joint mobility, stretches, pistols, windmills, get ups.

ROP and Mountain Biking

5x5 laddders with 24kg
Then I met some guys and a girl for a bike ride through the trails at UWF. I was able to hang with their big shot mountain bikes to some extent with my Trek comfort bike. I didn't wreck and that's more than some could say. I didn't have Camelbacks and Shoe Clips so I was technically challenged. I admit I was not as fast as them but I held my own until my grips started coming off due to all the sweat. We rode for about an hour and a half until they made a turn and I lost them. I just followed the sun back to the truck and chilled in the a/c until they got there. That's what they get for leaving me. Awesome workouts.

5 People, 1200 Reps

40 sets of V02 this morning. Some doing 5 or 6 reps, some doing 7 reps per set. Over 1200 reps of swings and snatches in 20 minutes. Lots of reports from different people I help via text/email/blog that they've had a great workout week and can relax for the weekend. I personally skipped 2 days this week so I'm a day behind. That means Heavy Day ROP workout in the morning before firing up the grill.
Dry rub goes on the Boston Butts this evening so they can marinate all night and they will come off the grill around 2:00 tomorrow. Just in time for the Florida/Tennessee kickoff at 2:30. Life is good.

Thursday Workout with Jen and Gonzalo

I was in a hotel for 2 nights so I did some Naked Warrior style pushups and joint mobility.
Thursday I got to workout with fellow RKC Jennifer Bryan while in Jax. It's always great to workout with others. You get a chance to critique each other and you push.
Thursday:
ROP Medium Day 5x4 c&p
6 minutes of 15:15 alternating 16/24/32 kg swings.
We worked out at a riverfront park with Jax I95 bridge across the water. Redfish were running bait up to the sea wall. Good Stuff. You could never get that experience going to a gym.

Light ROP

5x3 clean and press
100 snatches in 4:30 W/24kg

Full Week in the Books

Yesterday - Me, Shane, Emily C. and Denise hit 40 sets of V02 Max.
Today - 5x5 ladders of clean and press then 20 sets of 15 sec swings with 15 sec of rest in between. Smokin! We inverted the last ladder 5,4,3,2,1.
5x5 was pushing 95% in my opinion so we'll stay with current kbs and compress the time. When everyone's on the 24k we'll go to 2,4,6,8 ladders.

Back on the Right of Passage

Medium day for clean and press:
5 ladders 4 rungs 24kgs.
4 minutes of 15:15 swings with weights from 35-70.

Basics with Videos

According to Pavel, all you need is the Snatch, Swing and Turkish Get up so here's me doing them.
Once you are comfy with the moves, and your local friendly RKC ;-) has checked your form, a good way to shed the fat is to alternate days of Swing/Turkish get up and Snatches. Do them for time. 15 seconds work/45 seconds rest until you can do 20 minutes. Then up the work/rest ratio. Go for 3 0r 4 days then take a day off. This is an easy routine to manipulate around travel or weekends and it's only 20 minutes.
Example:
Monday: 5 minutes Turkish Get Ups. 10 minutes of swings 15:45 work:rest
Tuesday: 10 Minutes Snatches: 15 seconds left/rest 45/15 seconds right rest 45, etc.
Wednesday: Rest/stretch/walk or jog
Thursday: Repeat Monday
Friday: Repeat Tuesday
Saturday: Walk/Run/etc
Sunday: Start over or take the day off.
Keep a log so you can chart your progress. Log your workout/rest and your food. 200 calories 40/30/30 carb/fat/protein every 2-3 hours.

Start with a quick stretch:

Next is 5-10 minutes of alternating sides with the Turkish Get Up:

Take your time. Don't worry about counting. These are great to do in hotel rooms while

traveling. Just balance a shoe on your fist. No weight is needed. You can also do bodyweight squats while holding on to the doornobs of an open door.

Here's the 2 handed swing (88lbs) from the front and the side. Make sure you start by hiking it back and loading up the hammies. Fire it forward with the hips, not up with the arms. Lock the glutes, quads and dear abbies. Everything arrives at once. Hike it back down and beat gravity. Practice each rep. Act like you're punching a hole in the wall with your butt on the down swing/hike.

The Snatch is Pop/Pull/Punch. Tame the arc. Punch your butt back on the way down to load up.

Here's a couple of more for kicks:
Double press with the 70lb right/88lb left and the Pistol. I'm working on a pistol with
body weight but so far I've only done one with the 18lb. It's easier with more weight. I've done the 88 but not a body weight! go figure.

Back on the ROP

5 Ladders to 3 rungs clean and press 32kg
103 53lb snatches in 7 minutes (per the dice)
Posting some vids later

2nd Block of RTK - Done

Finished of the explosive block with long cycle 32kg kbs.
I have decided that this is an awesome routine but I don't really need to add
15lbs of bulk in the next few months so I'm modifying the program a little.
I'll be doing ETK work mixed with VO2. Block style, probably a week of each. This will coincide with some guys that want to do the Right of Passage workout for the 1st time and will allow me to work on conditioning. I'll probably mix in some double work. I love the double press but the LCCJ is going to build more muscle than I want. When my neck gets over 17" I snore really bad and feel too big. I like the lean and tight much better than bulk.
I was able to press the 32kg and 40kg at the same time with the 40 in either hand so I will continue the grinds and shoot for a beast press when I can buy or borrow one.
......
Time for some College Football! Going to watch Auburn and La Tech tonight.
.....
Check out the video at www.bradrants.com go to his BIO tab

RTK Week 4

Round 2 of the Explosive block
4 ladders of 2,4,6 Viking Push Press
3 sets of 20 l/r front snatch
....
Wednesday will be 4 ladders of LCCJ 44 or 53
Friday """""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 53 or try the 70s
.....
Got my twin 70lbers yesterday. Anxious to see where I test on LCCJ.

Some Vids

This is my 1st attempt at the long cycle C&J. I welcome any advice. Probably too little knee dip and push with the legs and too much shoulder press. Matt S. Please chime in here.

Arm bar is tough to video because you have to find the groove to feel the lat light up.

Light weight, squeeze your underarm to start the movement. Like crushing a tennis ball. This is not a how to video, it's just me trying to get it right. If you try this use very light weight and find the groove that wakes up the lower lat.

Intro to Kettlebells Class Saturday 8am

Email me at pcolakb@gmail.com for details. This will be for 1st timers or veterans that want a refresher. Free for team members, $20 for others. I have a limited number of KBs so let me know if you're coming.

RTK Update

Finished the 1st Grind Block last week.
Ran some warmup laps and then a 6:17 mile on Saturday.
Started the Explosive Block today:
3 ladders to 2,4,6 Viking Push Press
3 sets of 20 each arm front snatch
all with the 35lb kb.
......
I was skeptical about the intensity of this 'light day' but now I feel different.
Wednesday is medium with clean and jerk 44lb
Friday is heavy clean and jerk 53lb
.....
I'll have my double 70s for the next block if appropriate. We shall see.
I had a lot of fun at an Advcare booth this weekend. I think I only had 2 or 3 guys over 3 days that pressed the 70lb kb for a free KB session. I greased the groove all day with the 70lb press and the 35lb pistols.

RTK

Friday was heavy day
3x3 double clean and press ladders with 53s. 5 squats after each.
2x20 double deads
....
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Light Day
3x3 DC&P Ladders 35/53lbs. 5 squats each ladder
2x20 DDs
Monday - Variety Day
TGUs
Pistols
C & P with 18/26, 18/35, 26/35, 53/35. These were 2 in 1 hand.
Weird thing is it was easier with 2 bells to do 88lbs. I tried the single and it was harder.
....
I watched Em's form for a while and she kept saying "what?, what am I doing? Stop watching me!"

Tuesday/Wednesday Double Press Work RTK

Tuesday I ran 5k in 25:05.
...
Wednesday
3 sets of 3 double clean and press 44/53lb.
5 squats at the end of each ladder
2 sets of 20 deadlift
.....
Just out of curiosity I strict pressed the 70 and 88 at the same time.

5 days of fun

Thursday 40 sets of v02 snatches 7 reps.
Trained a new girl.
Friday, Sat and Sunday went to Advocare Success School. Wow!
Several new products. Decaf SLIM and a new women's formula "W".
....
Hopefully a workout tonight.
Update: 5 ladders to 3 double press including 5 squats then 2 sets of 20 deadlift.
200 snatches in 10 min with 35lb kb.
I used 35 and 53 for the doubles. Snatch it up then press, clean, press x2, clean, press x3 then 5 squats. This makes a ladder. I switched hands every ladder.

Em's Workout Yesterday

Stretch
40 Swings
C&P Ladder (30 reps)
20 Teapots
40 Swings
20 Windmills
20 Get up Sit ups
10 Double Cleans
20 Swings
20 swing/snatch/windmill combos
20 Teapots
C&P Ladder
20 Swings
20 Snatch/Windmill combos
20 Jackpots
10 minutes of 15sec swings on the top of the minute

Clean and Press and an awesome weekend

Joint Mobility
Turkish Get Ups
Arm Bars
5x3 clean and press with 53lbs
100 snatches in about 7 min
......
This weekend I was a guest in a gym, we had a booth set up for Advocare. The head trainer at the gym was 3 time Mr. Alabama bodybuilder and state record holder in the deadlift (810lbs). We were talking health and wellness and strength training. I played around on the benchpress for the 1st time in 2 years and pushed 250 pretty easy with a 3 second pause at the bottom. Never missing an opportunity to share I got the KBs out of the truck and commenced the demonstration. He was impressed with swings and get ups but when he did the press he muscled it up so I showed him the Arm Bar and how to use his lat to push. I was totally shocked when someone with his experience and prestige told me he had never felt his lat light up like that in his life and wanted to know more about these iron balls with a handle. A new friend is born!
We're working on a class for his gym in the coming months to raise money for equipment.
Thanks Pavel!

Outnumbered!

Ok, I can argue with Em and I can argue with my buddy the chyro I'm training but they ganged up on me last night and said I need to chill out on the workout and let my back heal up. I think I tweaked it lifting my 50lb bundle of joy from the middle of the kingsize bed to move him to his bed without waking him. Left lower back was sore Monday, ok the rest of the week but then yesterday pain shot down the right hamstring.
Worked out with Denise and Emily C yesterday morning then Ray in the evening. This morning I did very little while working with EM C and Denise. Going to see Ray for an adjustment this morning.
Probably won't have class next week due to travel and schedule. I'll be doing good to get my own workouts done.
I've been talking to RKCs in Tallahasse, Laurel Blackburn and Mobile, David Dunham this week and hopefully will be able to workout with them some in the future.

Medium Clean and Press Day

5 ladders to 3 reps 70lbs.
8 minutes of swings. 53/70/88lbs. 60/40 work to rest.

Monday

Ran 5k last night in 24:55.
Light clean and press this morning.
5x3 70lb kb
10 snatches on the minute 7 min 70lb
....
SSST August 11th for reps with 53lb
That's Secret Service Snatch Test. # of reps in 10 min.

This Week's Schedule

Monday
5am Light Clean and Press/Snatch workout my house
5pm 1 on 1 appointment
Tuesday
5am open
Evening Group Class 630 or 700 TBA Cordova Park Corner of Hallmark and Morningside
Wednesday
5am Medium Clean and Press/Swing workout my house
Evening open
Thursday
5:15am Group Class Cordova Park
Friday
5am Heavy Clean and Press/Swing workout my house
Evening open
Saturday
Bushwhacker 5k Pensacola Beach
............
Workouts at my house are open for Advo distributors that are proficient with swing, clean and press, squat and snatch and are using the MNS consistently. This is a tag along with little instruction but access to mats, mirrors and my kettlebells.
Class at the park requires the above with $20 drop in fee for non distributors. This will be a joint mobility session with a circuit workout that will self adapt to your level.
One on one or small group training sessions $60 with max of 3 participants.
.....
Map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=kenyon+road+pensacola,+fl&um=1&ie=UTF-8&split=0&gl=us&ei=VZ9sStbbNoToM_j4nPkG&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1

Why Treadmills are Better Than KBs

Your Bloodhound can't sleep on a KB.

The weekend

Friday-Trained with a new victim, seems to be hooked.
Saturday - Met up with some high school friends who wanted to learn.
Sunday - Clean and press ladders 5x3 70lbs. Trained with Friday victim again.
Monday - 5l/5r x10 sets snatches 70lb kb then 1 set of 15/15 53lb, 10/10 53lb. total 150.
I must admit I'm a little sore from the heavy snatch workout.
......
I think I've introduced 7 people to KBs in the last 10 days or so. Gotta love it!
.....
Planning to work out with Peg and Lisa today. Maybe a run for myself later.

Variety day and the Monster

Wednesday was variety so I did some stretching and then some snatch ladders.
10/10 35lb
10/10 44lb
10/10 53lb
.....
Thursday: The monster
5x5 Clean and Press Ladders 53lb kb
Rolled a 9 on the dice so I set up the 70lb, 26lb and 53lb kbs.
Set the gym boss on 15:15 and got ready for 18 sets (9 min)
2 handed swings on the 70
1 hand front raise/snatch 2 sets and side raise 2 sets
alternating 6 sets 26lb
alternate swings 53lb
......
Smokin!

Sunday/Monday/Tuesday

Sunday: quick workout before church. Stretched out.
25 bodyweight pushups
50 snatches with no rest 53lb kb.
....
Monday:
Trained some folks and did a lot of demo of basics, pistols, etc
Tuesday:
clean and press ladders 5x4
swings 18 sets of 15seconds because the dice said "9" minutes
alternating weights each set 53, 88 and 30lb.
......
I've introduced 4 people to KB training in the last 4 days. busy/busy/busy!

Good Workout. Good Food. Good Times

Caught up with an old friend this morning and introduced him to KBs. We spent a few hours making sure he got it because he's headed overseas to protect us for 6 months.

Next I put some chicken and ground sirloin burgers on the grille complimented by some

squash, mushrooms, onions and peppers. I also had fresh peas and squash on the stove in my

Royal Prestige waterless cookware. MMMM

Busy Busy Busy

Got in late Thursday. Did a class Friday 5am. Class at 7pm. Possibly a one on one this morning.
Whew! Lots of fun!. Doing lots of 'fast tens' showing other folks. Hopefully no travel for a while so I'll get into my regular routine. (yeah right, that would be boring)
.......
Living for yesterday is Depression.
Living for tomorrow is worry/anxiety.
LIVE FOR TODAY!

Wednesday

5 clean and press ladders to 3 rungs with 53lb kb
5 rounds of 10 swings on 53, 44 and 35 for a total of 150 with no rest.
kb demo for a group tonight

Sunday and Monday

Sunday
40 sets of 7 snatches v02 style in the garage where it was
100 degrees with 100% humidity.
Monday
TGU 1/1, 2/2
Clean/Press/Squat (rack) ladder to 5 rungs.
5 sets of 5/5 swings
35lb kb
....
Planning a 5k today at lunch I hope.
...
Anyone on facebook check out pensacolakettlebells.com and become a fan.

5k Result and today's workout

just under 24 min. Not sure of the 'official' time.

Em and her friend were working out when I got home so I joined them.

189 lbs

Circuits today
....
5 min TGU to warm up then 3 sets of:
20 swings
5 squats
10 viking push press each side
20 floor sweeps
5 bottoms up cleans each side
5 windmill each side
5 get up sit up each side
....
then cool down with 2 sets of 20 deadlift
I also did about 50 pushups, joint mobility, stretches and some ab work.
....
189 lbs after drinking water and rehydrate the whole time.
I was sweating like a horse.
I was 200lbs 2 weeks ago
.....
Firecracker 5k run in the morning

Back from Vegas

Wow. Two weeks in a row of being out of my workout and eating schedule. I got off the plane around 6:30 pm, ate supper and then cranked out 100 snatches with the 53lb in 5 minutes. I haven't lost ground but I'm not gaining much. Back in the saddle tomorrow and will run the firecracker 5k Saturday. Group workout of some sort on Sunday.
I splurged last night at outback on the Las Vegas Strip. Bacon Cheeseburger with salad then dessert. I was so sugared up I was shaking. I can honestly say I spent 3 nights in Las Vegas without drinking a drop of alcohol, so compared to the 8 or 10 beers most of the other guys consumed each night, I could have eaten pretty bad and still been better off than them.

Snatch Video

We got 40 sets of 7 (a few 8s).
Looks like I'm not letting it go back far enough.
Probably could have done more if I hadn't cut grass 1st. Thermometer said 100 degrees.

Group Workout Saturday

Video posted on my facebook page pensacolakettlebells.com become a fan for updates and invites to workouts.
Warmed up with Joint Mobility drills then 5 minutes of Turkish Getups.
Then 3 circuits of the following with 3-4 minutes of rest between circuits.
20 Swings anyway
5 Goblet Squats
10 each side Viking Push Press
10 each side Floor Sweeps
5 each side Bottom Up Clean
5 each side Windmill
5 each side Getup Situp
Then after 3 circuits we did two sets of 20 light deadlift to cool down.
This little work out will slip up on you and works the whole body.
....
10 mile bike ride Sat night.
Yard work and V02 tonight.
....
I weighed 188 at one point yesterday. Feels light after hitting 199/200 a couple weeks ago.

Whew! What a week

I often tell people that life is not too busy to take care of yourself. It is very difficult to maintain your wellness lifestyle when you're out of your normal routine or environment. I flew to Tampa this week for a training class after a busy weekend. Very little time this weekend for working out and it's a pain to take a kettlebell on the plane so before I knew it I had been accumulated a string of about 7 days where I only "worked out" one or two. However, the last thing I wanted to do was lose ground so I took the opportunity to eat clean, run and do some bodyweight exercises. I ran 2 miles Monday at 5:30 after doing 100 pushups in my hotel room. Tuesday morning I did joint mobility and pushups. Wednesday more pushups. Thursday off. I was working or with the group from about 7am to 10pm so I had very little time. The key here is that although I could not work out as much, I could control what I was eating. We ate pizza one night but the rest of the time I avoided sodas and sweets and as much bad carbs and fat as possible with someone else providing meals. Make good choices. I was sitting at Macaroni Grill eating grilled chicken with asparagus and broccoli looking around the table at all the pasta/cheese/redsauce on everyone's plate. I ate half a piece of bread, half a piece of fried mozzarella and a couple bites of someone's chocolate cake. I cheated a little but was just as full as everyone else. The other key here is I drank unsweet tea instead of 2 or 3 beers or glasses of wine like everyone else. I hopped on the scale when I got home yesterday evening and it would usually be my heavy time of day. I weighed 190. Down 9lbs from 2 weeks ago.
.....
This morning
5x5 clean and press 53lb kb
7 minutes of swings 15:15
.....
Feels so good to not have blown out the food all week when I could have gorged myself
on free food and boos.

Thurs/Fri/Sat

Thursday:
Black and White Ladders: 53lb kbs
Double clean/press/x1/Squat
Double clean/press x2/Squat
Double clean/press x3/Squat
Rest
Double clean/press x4/Squat
Rest
Double clean/press x5/Squat
.....
Friday: Ran 4 miles
Saturday: just a lot of sweating in the great outdoors so far

This workout needs a name.....

44lb kettlebell
5 minutes of joint mobility
5 minutes of turkish getups
......
swings 10/10
squats 5
viking push press 10/10
floor sweep 10/10
bottom up clean 5/5
windmill 5/5
get up sit up 5/5
.......
then do
2 sets of 20 deadlifts
.......
Looks kind of easy but try it.
Takes about 35 minutes total.

Ratchet Day

Kenneth Jay speaks of the ratchet workout in his Viking Warrior book.
Just like a socket wrench, you ratchet back for a day then go a little more the next time than the previous workout.
Saturday I hit 66 sets of 7 snatches.
Tonight I was going good but I felt a tear coming on an old callous so
I stopped comfortably at 50 sets.
Thursday or Friday I will shoot for high 60s, maybe 70 sets.
.....
Broke in the new Dragon Door 16kg kettlebell tonight.

5k This Morning

25:12

Doubles

Sort of simple but deadly workout tonight.
Stretched out quick then did 5 ladders like this:
1 clean and press + 1 squat
2 clean and press + 1 squat
3 clean and press + 1 squat
4 clean and press + 1 squat
5 clean and press + 1 squat
These were done with double 53lb kettlebells.

Next we did 10 swings every 30 seconds for 20 rounds or 10 minutes.

Done!

Beaching and Snatching

No workout Thursday. Had a late meeting, got in around 12am this morning.

Hit the water this morning. Did some house gazing at Ono Island then put up a shade

on the sand and hung out for a while.

Came home and did 66 sets of 7 snatches. Quit before taxing my hands too much.

No rush with this just persistence.

Busted!!!!!

That's why I do KBs and MNS

The Last Few Days

Sunday - Stood in line for 3 hours in the hot sun to see a Spanish Tall Ship
Monday - Moderate workout in the morning. Joint mobility, stretches, practiced some stuff.
Ran 3.1 miles in about 25 minutes or so. I'm getting back in the groove
Tuesday - No workout this morning. V02 Snatch workout this evening. 64 sets of 7. Spur of the moment.
Tomorrow morning @ 5am will be a circuit workout.

Turkish Getup 5 Min Warmup
......... 3 circuits of
swings 10/10
Squats 5
Viking Push Press 10/10
Floor Sweep 10/10
Bottom Up Clean 5/5
Windmill 5/5
Getup Situp 5/5
......Cool down with
Deadlift 2 sets of 20 double bells 35/44
44lb kb for the circuit

Friday and Saturday

Friday evening - 60 sets of 7 snatches 35lb bell
Saturday - well nothing so far. Cut the grass for an hour, went for a boat ride.

Easy Day

Ate good today.
Ran 6k at 2pm in about 30 min.

Variety - Complexes

400 MNS
430 Shake
500 Joint mobility
515: (35lbs)
5 min TGU
.......
3 rounds of:
Swings 10/10
Squat 5
Viking Push Press 10/10
Floor Sweep 15/15
Bottom up Clean 5/5
Windmill 5/5
Getup Situp 5/5
......
Then 2 sets of 20 Deadlift (53lbs)
......
Rehydrate

Running and Max V02

4am breakfast shake
5am ran 3.7 miles
630am post workout shake with muscle gain protein
945 unsweet tea from chik filet and catalyst
1100 sonny's bbq salad bar with some pulled pork and green beans
330 snack bar
530 muscle fuel pre workout drink with rehydrate
600 60 sets of 7 snatches with the 35lb kb
730 4 eggs fried in olive oil spray with cheese and deli turkey
800 chocolate chips and skim milk
.......
down to around 193lbs this evening before eating supper.
shooting for consistently below 190 all day.

Sunday/Monday

Sunday:
Shake for breakfast
4 eggs for lunch cooked in nonstick spray, cheese and turkey sausage.
snackbar mid afternoon.
meal bar around 6pm
couple handfuls of grnola and choc chips, skim milk.
Rode bikes for about 8 miles with Em Sunday in the hot sun
........
Monday
Advcare breakfast bar for breakfast 4:45
Workout:
5 ladders to 2 reps clean and press 88lb
3 sets of 10/10 snatches 53lb
post workout shake
zone bar at 900
4 eggs with deli turkey and cheese for lunch
snack bar
530 grilled chicken in red sauce with mushrooms and squash, green beans.
.....
630 Workout #2
20 close grip pushups
3 sets 50 swings 53lb kb
20 wide pushups
1 set 50 swings 35lb kb
20 close pushups
1 set 50 swings 44lb kb
20 wide pushups
20 close pushups
25 neutral pushups

Yesterday

630 MNS, Spark, Rehydrate, Catalyst
700 Shake
730 Workout with Ray:
3 ladders clean and press to 5 rungs 70lb
2 ladders 5 rungs no rest 53lb
15 sets of 10 swings alternating 35, 53, 70lb.
930 zone bar
1200 deli turkey, roast beef and 25 cheese rolled up. 1 potato chip baked.
300 small tub of peanut butter (we were at the lake and I passed over the brownies, cookies, chips and salsa, etc so give me a break)
530 grilled chicken breast, 2 grilled burger patties one slice of 2% cheese
830 handful of granola, zone bar, chocolate chips, skim milk.

KB Complexes

4 rounds of this:
4 r/l TGU
10 DL
8 r/l Bent Press
8 r/l Figure 8 to hold
8 Crush Curl
20 Russian Twist
15 r/l swings
.....
400 spark/rehyd mns max energy/catalyst
415 Meal Repl Shake for breakfast
600 Post workout recovery after the workout MNS, Amplify AT
915 Balance Bar
1245 turkey and cheese, wheat crackers, pnut butter, water, choc chips
315 Zone Bar

Snatches

Eddie, Gonzalo and Bobby showed up for Max V02 tonight.
3 of us did 40 sets and Bobby did 50. I had to use the 44lb since they
were using my 35s.
Breakfast-shake
Snack - zone bar
Lunch - turkey sandwich meet, 2 sticks of 2% cheese and a handful of wheat crackers and low fat pnut butter.
Snack - Balance Bar
Supper - grilled chicken breast, squash and grean beans. Unsweet tea.
chocolate chips and granola for dessert.

Early Run

4am spark/rehydrate MNS Max Energy
430 meal shake
515 ran 2 miles, walked .5 to cool down
600 post workout shake with muscle gain
900 spark
930 zone bar
1130 Grilled grouper sandwich with cheese and grits, water to drink
230 SLIM
330 zone bar
530 eggs with cheese and turkey sausage
600 a few wheat crackers and pnut butter
also ate a handfull of granola and some semi sweet chocolate chips/skim milk.
745 rehydrate and argenine extreme
.....
I also did a 5 rung ladder with the 70 and 53, slingshots in between rungs.
2 pistols each side with 53lb kb
5 windmills each side 53
cut grass for about an hour.

Back From Vacation

Disney the 1st weekend then Dr Hackman on Thursday and the mountains of TN this past weekend. I did get to train with Tim for a few hours on Saturday and my mom on Sunday.
Ate a lot but not too bad, however I tipped the scales at 199 this morning when I rolled out of bed. Clothes fit fine and my 33" pants are not tight but I just feel too heavy. Time to flush out the fat for a week or two and clean up the rough edges of my intake.
Today's food:
Meal shake for breakfast
Zone bar at 9:30
Grilled chicken breast and 2 pieces of cheese for lunch with water
Balance bar at 3:30
Green beans with ground chicken and tomato sauce for dinner.

Handful of granola and Kashi crackers.
Today's workout:
5 sets of 2 rungs clean and press 88lb KB (30 reps total)
1 set of 5l/5r snatches 70lb KB
3 sets of 10l/10r snatches 70 (70 reps total)

Black or White?

There is no gray. Do you want to make a change in your life and feel better, look better and perform better? Yes or No. Maybe means no. If the answer is yes, then start today. Break a sweat every day. Get on a healthy consumption routine (Not a diet). Don't expect it to happen over night unless it's the legal meth the Dr's are advertising with the b12 shots to keep you functional until you look like a skeleton from starvation.

..............

Today's Workout:

Clean and press ladders 5 ladders to 4 reps. Total of 100 reps.

1st rep for each arm on the ladder was an 88lb kb. Total of 10 reps.

2,3,4 ladder was a 70lb kb. Total of 90 reps.

5 minutes of swings alternating 88, 70, 53. Got almost 100 swings.

.....

Variety Day

Joint Mobility
Halos
10 min of TGU
4 sets 5 windmills each arm
2 sets floor sweeps
practice clean and jerks
5 sets 20 swings
pistol practice
bottom up press practice
5 sets 5 body weight pull ups

Back from Disney

After a few days off I came home and jumped into the ETK workout.
5 ladders to 3 rungs 70lb kb
7 sets of 5l/5r snatches 70lb kb

Return of the Kettlebell

Got my DVD Thursday. Several new exercises so I practiced. 5 rounds of the following:
10 Swings - Heavy 70lb
10 L/R Viking Push Press 26lb
10 L/R Front Snatch 26lb
10 L/R Side Snatch 26lb
10 L/R Snatch 53lb
10 Double Clean 53lb
....
Friday
5 ladders 1/2/3 Doubles 35/44lb snatch up then press
5 sets 5 squats 35/44
2 sets 20 double deadlift 35/44
....
Practicing the new DVD. I'll probably go through a week or a month of the ETK
workout with the 53 or 70 then start the new RTK program.
Need a 10 minute snatch test soon for a baseline on my snatch goal. Deadlift and pullups
will happen if I go through the RTK no doubt.
...
Off to Disney. Pushups and kid chasing for 4 days. Then it's on.

Where's my DVD?

Tuesday - 100 or so swings. I was doing sets of 20 and I lost count. Also some pistol practice.
Wednesday - 1 0n 1 with a friend this morning. Introduction to KBs. Got in a few presses and some practice of the basics. Will likely do my own workout tonight.
....
I ordered Pavel's new DVD last week. I've been bouncing around between doing the Right of Passage workout from Enter the Kettlebell, complexes, swings and snatch practice. I've not been sticking to one set program and I fell my strength and level of conditioning has tapered off a bit.
This will be changing soon. I plan to go through the new DVD and get on a program. Even if I rotate a month at a time, I've seen much better results when I set a schedule 4 weeks at a time.
....
Some goals:
5 presses each side with the 40kg (1 r/l is current pr)
20 pullups (13 pr)
125 snatches in 5 minutes with the 53lb. (100 pr)
I would also like to work on my deadlift technique and shoot for around 500lbs. (405 pr)
....
If you read this blog and care to join me with some goals, feel free to post up.

Catching Up

Saturday - Trained a couple of folks and didn't work out other than demonstrating
this and that. Stretched out good and did joint mobility.
Sunday -
Joint Mobility/Stretching
Military Press:
44lb x 10 l/r
53lb x10 l/r
70lb x 5 l/r
88lb x 1 l/r
35lb/44lb doubles 10 switch sides 10 more
53lb/70lb doubles 5 switch sides 5 more
3 sets of pushups
2 sets of squats
2 sets dead lift
..........
Monday-
Joint Mobility/Stretches
100 snatches in 4:50 with 53lb
windmills 2x5 each side
floor sweeps 2x26

Don't Ask Me I Might Do It

Thursday Night - v02 snatches 40 sets of 7
Wednesday Morning-
Started as an innocent workout:
Joint Mobility and Stretching.
Clean and Press light (44lb) to get the lats firing. 5 rungs for a complete ladder.
Completed the 2nd ladder with only a rest between and Gonzalo, who was working the 35lb due to a sore shoulder suggests I switch to the 53lb so he can use the 44lb. OK, no problem. Knocked out another 5 rungs, short rest 4th ladder all the way through, then I set the 53 on his mat and said 'next' and picked up the 70lber. Finished with a 5 rung ladder with the 70. I did rest between 4th and 5th rung. I guess you call it "ramp ladders". 44/53/70. 150 total reps.
Skipped the swings.

Complexes

Tuesday - off
Wednesday:
Joint Mobility/cobras/down dogs
Deadlift 5 reps 53lbs
Squat 5 reps 53lbs
Bottom up Clean 5 reps each arm 53lbs
Teapot 5 reps 44lbs
Jackpot 5 reps 53lbs
Floor Sweep 20 reps 53lbs
Floor Press 5 reps each arm 53lbs
Get up Sit Up 5 reps each arm 53lbs
50 swings
Repeat 3 times
.......
Running 5k tonight

Tactical Strength Challenge

Sunday I did a variety workout with Em. Worked the major core exercises.
Monday - TSC trial run.
Deadlift 405 (my form stinks, not comfortable at all)
Pullups 12
53lb Snatches in 5 min 100
...
1st time doing DL since 9th grade (yes that's 21 years ago)

One for the Crossfit folks

We're on the 15th floor of the resort here in Destin so I got up this morning and did 30 reps of joint mobility, 100 pushups. Took off down the stairs, 30 flights. Hit the GPS and ran West on the beach for 1.6 then turned around and ran back. Jumped in the ocean to cool down. Walked up to the pool and dove in to swim a couple of lengths. Caught my breath for a minute by the pool and took off back up the 30 flights of stairs.
I could get used to this!
....
Yesterday: Joint mobility, swings, presses, snatches, squats, deadlifts with the 35lb kb.
Mineral wrap yesterday at slendersmith's spa in Destin.
.....
So now I'm ready to go to a family reunion and chow down without feeling so guilty.

Thursday Workout

Joint Mobility
Down Dogs and Cobras
10 reps of alternate press 35lb KB doubles
10 reps of alternate press 53lb KB doubles
24 sets of 7 snatches 35lb (vo2 format)
.........
Eating good this week. The worst cheat I've had is the handful here and there of semi sweet chocolate chips somebody left in the fridge. Mix with a handful of granola, mmmmm. No fried food. No bread. No carbonated drinks. Ate a few cheezits with some low fat peanut butter but just because there was nothing else around for lunch. No fast food.

Clean and Press

Ladders:
1st ladder 5 rungs 53lb
2nd ladder 5 rungs 70lb
3rd ladder 5 rungs 35lb
4th ladder 5 rungs 53lb
5th ladder 5 rungs double 35lb
10 2 hand swings 88lb
.......
last night I ran about a mile barefoot (vibrams) then
played around with the 88lb 'bulldog'.
TGU
Press
then did some floor sweeps and windmills.
bottoms up with 44lb.

Monday, Tuesday and a PHd......

Monday Workout:
Joint mobility
Cobra and Down Dogs
Deadlift 4x5
Squat 4x5
Clean and Press 4x5
Windmill 4x5
Snatches 4x10
setsxreps (per arm on single arm stuff) all with 53lb KB
......
Tuesday:
Eating lunch now but about to just do a bunch of swings.
.......
PHd = Pie Hole diary
(stolen from Brad Nelson's http://www.bradrants.com/)
What you put in your Pie Hole consistently (that means every day for atleast 6 out of 7 days for a period of a few months minimum but preferably the rest of your life) amounts to about 80% of what your body looks like. Yes, you are what you eat. Mom was right. The fastest way to lose weight or get leaner and feel better is to correct what you eat (or don't eat). You can do all the kettlebells, running, weight lifting, hamster treadmill elyptical, pilates, yoga, boot camp, etc, etc, etc, you want to do but as you get older "you can't outrun a doughnut" (Dave Whitley).
Fix your nutrition. Eat things that are 'good calories' not bad calories. Take good quality supplements to fill in the gaps. Commit to 3 months. Quit planning it, talking about it and thinking about it and do it. The best place to start is with your Pie Hole diary.
Pie Hole diary: very complicated process.
1. acquire pen and paper, blogspot, email, etc.
2. write down everything (call or email me and I'll define everything) you eat or drink.
3. at the end of the day/week/month compare notes with your accountability partner.
4. accountability partner - Friend, spouse, trainer, blogger from across the country, etc that will call you out and tell you to quit cheating if you every want to get fit.
5. consult someone about changes you can make to reach your goal.

Forget working out for the 1st week or so. Concentrate on your Pie Hole diary. Get it right, then add some exercise.

Good luck! Call me or email if I can help. I will hold you accountable.
.......
Lunch Workout
10 sets of 20 swings with the 53lb kb
5 sets of 20 pushups

Hey Ya'll, Try This......

Start with one handed swings and don't stop until you get back to the swing on the opposite hand.
Left Side:
5 swings
5 clean and press
5 1 leg deadlift
5 maxercist rows
5 snatches
2 Turkish get up (actually 1.5 since you start at the top of the snatch)
5 floor press
5 get up sit up (bring the bell to the middle or firing range position above your face)
20 floor sweeps (move bell to right hand)
Right Side:
5 get up sit up
5 floor press
2 Turkish get up (stop at the top and drop/hike/snatch)
5 snatches
5 maxercist rows
5 1leg deadlift
5 clean and press
5 swings
.....
Rinse and repeat 3 or 4 times.
End with 100 swings if you like!
....
You can reverse it if you want and go back down the right and finish with left.
**Maxercist row: Stand on one leg while holding KB in the same side hand. Drop down like a 1 leg Deadlift but stop at the bottom and 'row' the KB on the same plane as your upper leg.

Update

Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: Ran 2.8 miles in my new Vibram barefoot shoes. I nursed my calves the rest of the day but it wasn't too bad. Did some circuit work.
Thursday Night: 4 rounds of the following circuit with the 53lb KB:

Turkish Getup x2
Deadlift x5
Bent Press x5
Fig 8 to Hold x5
Crush Curl x5
Russian Twist x5
1 Arm Swing x10
Friday Morning: Ran 3.1 and my lower legs were about to explode so I walked the last mile. I have really lit up my calves/shin/ankle muscles with this mid/front strike running.

I like the concept of the Viking Warrior Conditioning but I tried to jump in too fast going 3 times per week and adding the fast hike at the same time. Since I run a couple days a week and like the tension/grind exercises for strength, I have found that 1 or 2 times per week suits me better on the Snatch V02. I have plenty of endurance but my left lower back doesn't like the snatches if I only take one day off in between.

V02 and a Facelift

Did 24 sets of snatches before my back was killing me. I'm switching to 2 times per week with a tension/grind day in between.

I repainted one of the kettlebells I got second hand last week. It looked like a marble so I taped it off and hit it with rustoleum. It will probably look like crap after a few sessions and I'll sand the handle back down but at least it will be black now.

Saturday Viking Conditioning

40 sets of 7 snatches 35lb.
Em did 40x7 20lbs,didn't break a sweat.
Also did some various practice.

This Week

I've been traveling this week.
Monday
V02 Snatches
Presses
Wednesday
Vo2 Snatches
Pistol Practice
Thursday
Ran 2.8 miles
Friday
3x5 Clean and Press Ladders 53lb KB
Swing ladders 10 reps of each: 35, 44, 53, 70, rest, 70, 53, 44, 35, rest, 70, 53, 44, 35.
Saturday
V02 Snatches
Picked up some used KBs on my trip.
Went to get my Vibrams 5 Finger shoes today and they didn't have the KSO in my size
so I won't have them until Monday or Tuesday.
Trying to eat good. No soft drinks in forever. Very little bread if you don't count mine and Jayson's Thursday ritual for Pizza at New Yorker Deli.

Running Barefoot?

Went through joint mbility, stretches and a couple of complexes in the morning yesterday.
I've been kicking around changing my running style to something more natural. I would eventually like to run in Vibrams 5 Fingers. I would try to go barefoot if not for all the stupid drunks that throw beer bottles everywhere. Oops, was that a rant? Anyway I ran 2.2 miles last night in my retro Asics that are pretty much flat with no padding. I concentrated on not striking my heel. This is apparently easier on the knees, hips and ankles since you absorb more impact without the jarring of the heel. I stretched out good before and after but still have soreness in places I've never felt before. The front side of my ankle and leg below the shin are on fire today. Not shin splints, rather the muscle and tendons are woken up. Mission accomplished. Now I want to work up to 5k and some more speed. I went pretty slow last night doing 2.2 in 20 minutes. 1st half was 11 minutes and when I turned around to come back I picked up the pace and did the return in 9 minutes.
I've been completing a Toxin Cleanse for the last 10 days. Kind of like an oil change for the body. Just like hitting the reset button.
V02 tomorrow.

Variety

Joint Mbility
Practice:
Arm Bars 5 each side 35lb
Slow Military Press concentrating on the lat 2x5 each side 53lb
Windmill 3x5 53lb
Deadlift 2x5 88lb
Swings 8x10 alternating 88lb and 53lb.
Halos
Floor Sweeps

VWC Day 3

Joint Mobility
Pistol Practice
36 sets of 15:15 35lb kb

Jayson's Feat of Strength

Day 2 VC

5 min of getups
1/2/3/4/5 progressive pullup sets
15:15: 36 sets of 7 35lb snatches

Viking Conditioning

Got Kenneth Jay's new book and read it yesterday.
I went through the V02 Snatch Test and then did 30 sets of 7 reps.
I plan to follow the plan in the book for a while. This is 15:15 snatch protocol until
reaching 80 sets of 8. I'll be doing presses, pistols and get ups on the same days and then
running a couple on the off days. Workouts will be 3x per week with 2 off days and 2 running days.
I got the Bulldog on Thursday. I can press it left andright. I also did a pistol on the right side last night with no flaws.
Had awesome KB sessions with a couple of new friends that have been doing KBs for a while. Always fun to help someone have an ah-ha moment.

Serious Diet Plan

You want to look like one of those ripped up physical fitness model?
Here's the diet from a 40 y/o female that competes on stage:
7:00 A.M.
Protein Drink
Natural Almond Butter
Blueberries
Banana
8:30 A.M.
Raw Veggies
9:30 A.M.
Egg Whites
Whole Egg
Veggies
11:30 A.M.
Sweet Potato Mixed With:
Protein Powder
Sunflower Seeds
1:00 P.M.
Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad
3:00 P.M.
Raw Veggies
5:00 P.M.
Protein Drink
Natural Cashew Butter
7:30 P.M.
Fish
Veggies

Overspeed Snatches

Started the 15:15 using the 35lb but really emphasizing the
overspeed. I made it to 31 sets of 7 and my back was feeling it. I have to
perfect the form on this. Probably wait on the new K. Jay book
so I don't have to fix a bad habit.
This adds a whole new element to the snatches.
Ate bad yesterday. Burger and Fries. Yuck. Vegged on the couch last night.
Back on track today. I have a sample diet for a female body builder that I will post later.

Tuesday and Today

Tue: Bent press to Windmill, Floor Sweeps, Squats.
Today:
Medium Clean and press + Swings.
..............
I've gone back to the 53lb KB for my c&p so I can really concentrate on form. I'm also working on my flexibility. My butt starts to tuck under way too early on the squat.
KB is so much more about mastering a few exercises and practicing them to perfection than hitting a number of reps. I read an awesome quote from the Dragon Door forum yesterday:
"Most people are too lazy to sharpen the axe before they start chopping wood."

Light ROP Workout

5x3 Clean and Press Ladders 53lb
99 snatches in 5 min with 53lb KB.
.....
I have a few KBs on the way. Some new sizes, some extras for training.
1 - 88lb new
1 - 18lb
1- 26lb
2-53lb
2-35lb
1- 62lb new (non Dragon Door, I got a deal ok!)
.....
Viking Warrior Conditioning book should be here this week.

Azalea Trail 10k

51:31
I didn't try to push too hard. I wanted to finish feeling good instead of spent. Several times I was thinking "I don't want to run too fast, I'll miss some of the scenery". It was awesome to run in the shade between the Antebellum mansions, especially since I'm in the middle of reading Newt Gingrich's 'Gettysburg'. I was listening to some good tunes on the MP3 and drifting off into never never land imagining what it was like during the Civil War on the race course. What if some of those old live oak trees could talk?
Clean and press workout tonight. Helping David with his RKC training tomorrow.

Wed and Thurs

Wed: Medium day ROP workout
Thurs: Max V02: 80 sets of 6 with 44lb kb.

KB Prices Now Updated

Monday Workout: Light ROP + 100 53lb snatches in 5 min.
Tuesday Workout: Variety
.....
My buddy David Dunham signed up for RKC in June.

Kettlebell Prices Reduced 30%

Dragon Door apparently found a new manufacturer. Prices at the bottom of my blog are before the 30% reduction. I will update these prices ASAP. This really knocks a chunk out of the shipping.

Sat & Sun

Class on Saturday went great. We had a small group so lots of one on one. Hopefully everyone is sore in all the right places. I skipped my workout both days although I did quite a few exercises during the class, afterward, later at a meeting and today just messing around. I bottom up pressed the 70 yesterday and was able to lose and regain control half way up without losing it so that felt really strong.
I'm going to drop back to the 24kg kb this week to change gears a little and give my shoulders a rest. Probably do more extra work and practice. V02 will be on the agenda atleast one time and it looks like a couple of group sessions Thursday and Friday.
Em had a killer workout today and I made myself rest. (if cutting grass counts as rest)

Thursday and Friday

Thursday-Variety. Did a couple of complexes and helped
Shawn with his basics.
Friday-Ran 5 miles at lunch 42 min.
........
Kettlebell 101 classes tomorrow at 10am and possibly another at 1pm
in Jemison and Clanton, AL.

Em's not so girly workout

After I posted the workout the other day she said she cut it short because her friend sat down on the floor and stopped. She was concerned that anyone reading this would think she was weak so she asked that I post her real workout: 33 minutes: 26lb kb for all but the ladders (20lb).
Stretch
50 swings
20 teapots
5 rung clean and press ladder to 5 reps
14 one leg deadlifts
20 windmills
50 swings
20 floorsweeps
20 get up sit ups
5 rung clean and press ladder to 5 reps
20 lunges
40 snatches
100 swings
.....................
I did medium day clean and press
5 ladders to 4 rungs with the 70lb kb
100 swings alternating 70 and 44.

Max V02 Snatches

80 sets of 5 with the 44lb KB.
Shane and Gonzalo used the 35lb bells and did more reps.

Light Day

Clean and press 5 ladders to 3 rungs 70lb KB
Snatches:
5L/5R 70lb
10L/10R 50lb
10L/10R 50lb
1 pistol each side 50lb
5 windmills each side 70lb

(just a) Girly Workout?

My wife and I have a marker board in the garage where we work out with kettlebells so we can keep track of sets and ladders or write out a workout ahead of time when we are training someone. Here's what was on the board when I got it out to do my workout today. Em forgot to erase it after she was done or she was taunting me.
Stretches
Deadlift
50 swings
10 teapots
20 snatches
clean and press ladders
20 lunges
5 TGU each side
50 swings
20 get up sit ups
20 floor sweeps
100 swings
I just want to add that the smallest KB in the house is 20lb and she had a friend working out with her so she was probably using a 26lber. She was done in about 25 minutes.
I dare you to do this 3 times a week while not increasing your food intake and try not to shed some inches around the middle.
...........
All I did today was run the McGuires in 23:56 (predicted 24:35),
5 Clean and Press ladders to 5 rungs (150 reps) 70lb KB and
100 swings 53lb kb

Rest

Thursday and Friday off!
Running the McGuire's 5k tomorrow and doing heavy KB day.
Enjoyed dinner and sunset tonight at the Lucky Snapper overlooking Destin Harbor with
my beautiful wife.

Medium Day and a quote

Clean and press 70lb KB
5 ladders to 4 rungs for a total of 100 reps
Swing ladders with the 53 and 70. Rotating 20 second intervals
with Shane and Gonzalo. 40 seconds of work, 20 rest.
I think we did 5 rounds.
......
"The single most important trait for financial (or health) success is the capacity to willingly delay gratification."
The quote is from Paul Zane Pilzer's book The Next Millionaires. I added the 'or health' because it applies.
Put off those chips or fries until Friday or your cheat day. Take baby steps. It works.
......................
8pm
Ran 3.88 miles in 30 minutes.
Started off slow, forcing the slow pace. Had plenty of gas in the tank but kept it at around 27 min for the 5k mark. Felt good at the end.

KB 101

Met Eric and Sean for some basics on the grass.
They picked up the DL, Swing, Clean, Press, TGU and Snatch pretty quick.
Did a quick swing ladder workout at the end of an hour.
Nothing better than showing someone KBs for the 1st time and
getting the "wow that's intense"

Heavy Clean and Press Day

5 ladders to 3 rungs with the 70lb KB
3 sets of 5 snatches each arm
.......
I guess this means heavy day will involve some 5 rep rungs this week. mmm

5k 24:15

Hot weather (and not running much) added some time to my 5k.
McGuires next weekend. I think I'll predict 24:00.
Painting the garage today.

Feral Jungle Cat versus Flaccid Livestock

Which are you?
Click on Marty Gallagher's link (left side bar)to read more.
...............
Friday Morning: Heavy Clean and Press
5 ladders to 4 rungs with the 70lb KB (100 reps total)
Feeling pretty strong. Almost went for 5 but trying to pace myself
20 sets of 10 swings alternating 53 and 44lb every 30 seconds.

Medium Clean and Press

70lb kb
5 ladders to 3 reps
swings 10 reps 70lb, 10 reps 50lb then rest.
Met Shane and Gonzalo at the gym and we alternated on the 70 and the swings.
....
Jamie and Angela worked out with me last night. Awesome improvement on Jamie's swing and snatch tecnique. Angela can squat more than a foot lower than she could in January. Jamie had some good reps on the Get Up and Clean and Press as well. Angela is making up her shopping list because her clothes are getting too loose again.
.......
Ran 5k tonight. 8:03 pace.

"SLIM"

Worked a football combine in Baton Rouge this weekend. Talked to about 300 kids and their parents about proper nutrition.
I got 3 texts yesterday from users of our new Advocare product "SLIM".
Since the product was introduced 9 days ago one person lost 8 lbs, one 6lbs and one 5lbs. I personally lost 3 lbs and have only taken it about 5 or 6 times in the afternoon this week. The cool thing about SLIM is that it's liquid and portable. Click the Advocare button to your left to check it out.
.....
Planning work out more this week and run. I did take a 44lb KB to the combine as a conversation piece and got the respect of some potential division 1 and 2 players with the pistol and bottoms up demonstrations.
....
Workout:
70lb kb
5 ladders 2 rungs
Ok I admit I shredded my hands last week. I broke one of the cardinal rules of the RKC, I didn't stop when I knew I should have. I did clean and press very gently then did some static overhead holds with the 53. I'll be back!
....
I did get my #2 gripper last week. I can almost close it. Some work to do there. I also got the bands for extensor work.

Variety Day

Joint Mobility
Windmills 3x5 70lb kb
Turkish Get Ups 3x1 53lb kb
Deadlift 3x5 70lb
Squat 3x5 70lb

22,960 LBS

7:45 pm
82 sets of 8 snatches (one set every 30 seconds)
That's 656 snatches in 41 minutes
MAX V02 baby!!!!!!!!!!!!

Clean and Press

11:30 am
53lb KB
5 ladders to 4 reps.
Rest only between ladders.
Warmed up with some Turkish Get Ups

Heavy ROP

I know, it's backward but I've been sneaking in a workout between my busy schedule.
5x5 clean and press with 53lb. Only rest between ladders. Short rest between 4 and 5 rep rungs on last 2 ladders.
50 swings
then 5 sets of 10 swings.
...
Done

Evening Workout

Set the timer on 10 minutes and started snatching the 53lb KB.
20L 20R
10L 10R
10L 10R
5L 5R
5L 5R
Put down the KB. 100 Snatches @4:40 with no rest.
Rested 2 minutes
Swings:
10L 10R
10L 10R
10L 10R
Rest
10L 10R
10L 10R
Done! 100 Snatches 100 Swings in 9:40.
...
Sound easy? Try it.

Back in Town - Medium ROP

Did joint mobility and pushups in my hotel room for 2 days.
This morning back to clean and press ladders.
5 ladders to 3 reps with 70lb KB.
10 fast swings.
planning a few snatches for tonight with the 53lb.
Back to running next week after a layoff.
....
Oh yeah. I walked from the airport to my office with my luggage yesterday then rode my bike from the office to my house in the rain. That was my cardio. Riding a bike through traffic in the rain with a backpack and a full gymbag should be an Xgame sport.

Light ROP

Joint Mobility
Down Dogs
Cobra Stretches
Clean and Press Ladders 70lb
5 ladders 2 rungs
Snatches:
2 sets 10 reps each hand
1 set 5 reps each hand
1 set 10 reps each hand 53lb

Sunday Workout

Worked on basics with Carlton for about 30 min after joint mobility and stretches then set up the swing ladders.
8 minutes of 15:15 using the 53 and 70.
....
Lisa and Emily did 12 minutes of swing ladders rotating 15:15 with 20, 26 and 30lb after stretching out and doing some windmills.
....
Possibly a V02 session this evening.

Heavy ROP

Joint Mobility and Stretching
70lb KB Ladders
5 ladders to 4 rungs for 100 reps
Swings:
10 minutes alternating 53lb and 70lb 15 seconds work 15 seconds rest
about 200 swings.

Friday

No workout yesterday. Needed a break.
This morning did joint mobility in the hotel room with pushups and stretches.

Long Run

6.58 miles 55:19 burned 940 calories per the Garmin

ROP- Medium Day

Joint Mobility
Down Dogs
Improved Cobra
Clean and Press ladders 32kg KB
5 ladders 3 reps
..........
Swing Ladders
32kg 10 reps
24kg 15 reps
20kg 20 reps
Rest and repeat 3 times. Thanks Com. Rif, I reread my RKC manual.
.........
I did some hanging stretch/relax and some low rep high tension pushups

Variety Day

Not much today after little rest in the last week. Ate pretty good besides some lowfat ice cream and a couple handfuls of granola. Trying to get it out of the house. I hate throwing away food.
Improved Cobra stretches
Down Dogs
Squat
Deadlift (32kg)
Bottom up clean and press practice:
20kg 1/1
24kg 1/1
32kg 1/1 had to palm it rather than bottom up. This is a good bridge I think.
Slingshot with each weight after the practice.
1 Turkish get up each side 24kg
Pistol 1 each side
20kg
24kg I was having trouble balancing with both weights. Didn't wait long enough after supper.
Couple of swings, snatches and windmills here and there
....
I also did the Captains of Crush Gripper #1 throughout the day. Getting pretty easy. I can do 5 reps each hand no problem.
.....
J.R. started a blog today to help his quest to run a 1/2 marathon. Hopefully I can run a few 5ks or something along the way to encourage him.

Sunday-Light Clean and Press

Me, Eddie, Gonzalo, Marianne, Emily and Jayson had some outdoor fun. It was a beautiful 72 degrees so the afternoon shade was perfect for some clean and press ladders. some practice and some pictures.
5 ladders to 2 reps 70lb kb
3 sets of 5x5 snatches 70lb kb
Worked on some juggling, windmills, stretches.

Left with gas in the tank as you should on light day.

Em's Teapot Video

Don't whine and gripe if....

I borrowed this from Tracy Reifkind, who weighed 250lbs and now weighs in at 134lbs.

Don't bitch about your waistline if you;

• Bake and eat homemade loaves of zucchini bread along with a fruit and nut tart. Afterall, zucchini is a vegetable, there's nothing wrong with fruit, and nuts are "good fats" aren't they?
• Can't force yourself to go on a daily 20 minute walk, which doesn't cost you a penny by the way.
• Refuse to journal your food for one day, instead, choosing to stay in denial about the actual amount of calories your shoving in you mouth.
• Won't stop eating out, and making excuses for why you can't prepare and bring you own lunches.
• Won't swing a kettlebell for 5 minutes, twice a week (OK about 15 minutes....)
• Would rather be a victim of "low self-esteem"....what does that really mean anyway?
• You're not counting that nightly bottle of wine as a possible reason for not losing weight.
• Won't change that "low carb" diet, you have been on for years now, that hasn't resulted in any weightloss, instead just annoying your friends with the fact that YOU don't eat bread or pasta, but you will eat a bag of Oreo's when you get home...."double stuff"
• Focus on "not losing muscle", which you have plenty to lose carrying all that extra weight around on your back everyday of the week.
• Go on a "diet" without taking into consideration if you can eat that way for the rest of your life.....if you can't, then it won't work.
• Expect to weigh less eating the same amount of food that's keeping you at this current bodyweight.
• Keep doing the same things but expecting different results......this is the definition of insanity.

Pensacola Double Bridge Run

Official time 1:15:01 which is 8:03 pace. Not a bad improvement from
last year's 1:17 @ 8:18 Pace. We were back in the crowd at the gun and stood
completely still for 59 seconds according to my watch. My net time was 1:14:15.
Gonzalo beat me with a 1:13:39 and a net 1:12:50, 7:55 pace.
Amy Wight smoked us both with a 1:10 and change.
The winner ran the race in 43 minutes @ 4:41 pace. Wow.
Beautiful scenery with perfect weather. Most of the race was waterfront with almost 5 miles of bridges.
Results @ http://www.runresults.net/

Variety Day

Light workout getting ready for 15k tomorrow
Joint Mobility
35lb KB
TGU 1l/1r/1l/1r x3
Pull ups 5 reps 3 sets various width
Windmill 3 sets x 3 reps
Various stretches and practice

Short Run

5:30am
4.21 miles 35:40
.....
5:30pm
Clean and Press Ladders
5 ladders to 4 rungs
Helped Sara and Sue with some swings and other exercises.

Medium Day

Clean and Press 5 ladders 3 rungs 70lb KB
....
Snatches
5 left 5 right x 5 sets 70lb KB

Yesterday Light Clean and Press

Heavy KB
5 ladders 2 rungs
..............
Alternated sets of swings 53 and 70lb 15 seconds work 15 Rest
7 minutes

Long Run in Prep for Double Bridge Race

Ran 9.28 miles in 1:19:45. Burned 1363 calories.

V02 Snatches

80 sets of 6 with the 44lb kb this morning

Wednesday - Medium Day

53lb KB
Clean and press ladders 5x4
Swings 30:30 for 10 minutes

Variety Day

Met Shane and Gonzalo at the gym for some practice.
35, 50 and 70lb kettlebells.
Mostly practiced with heavy weight, low reps on the basics.
Got a PR with a 70lb pistol, both sides.
....
Planning to run tonight
....
It is much easier to eat good when the bad food is not in the house!

Light Day Workout and Words From Marty Gallagher

53lb KB Clean and Press Ladders 5x3
50 Snatches 10/10, 5/5, 5/5, 5/5
..........
I added Marty's column to my links on this page. I just read his book "Purposeful Primitive". I highly recommend it. You can get it by clicking on the buy kettlebells link here on my blog or you can borrow my copy. Here's part of his latest article.

"Every effective fitness game plan needs:

1. A resistance training element
2. A cardiovascular training element
3. A nutritional game plan
4. psychological recalibration

Better to do a little resistance training, a little cardio, a little nutrition and a little Brain-Train..."

Video Clips

I hope this helps someone. Keep in mind, there is no substitute for face to face training, that's why you will find so many videos online. This has been good for me as I've spotted several things I can tweak on my form. I'll keep editing this post with more as I get them uploaded.

Swings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5NS83GJfpQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqI6lCMeJf8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on2XGAmR_YM

Floor Sweep
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erNx2l51NN8

Figure 8 To Hold
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWJvTOi5usM

Crush Curl
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtiSv6kw7_s

Clean and Press
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcM2LePzpJM

Bottoms up Clean, Clean and Press
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i9ObgufS9c

Bent Press
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqXNDmTTJd8

1 Leg Deadlift

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV2BOEWXkuY

Lunge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH9rryMKIKk

Goblet Squat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J75qdN1QsBc

Pistol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHksK5_PnXY

Renegade Row

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-FgyU0FikM

Snatch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmxIpMaWRIc

Turkish Get Up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4CjwDLN3RQ

Heavy Clean and Press Day

Heavy day means all out.
5 ladders of 5 rungs for a total of 150 reps on clean and press with 53lb KB.
I did this while I cleaned out the garage. Got the 1st two ladders 1-5 rungs without a break then the last 3 ladders I took a break between 4 and 5 rep rungs.
....
Swings: All out for 10 minutes. 53lb KB
I did 4 sets.
100
50
50
25
Whew!
.......
Having technical difficulties on the video. 1st one posted no prob. Now I can't get them to work. Trying to go through youtube. Stay tuned.

Videos - Dead Lift

This is my 1st attempt at video for form/technique so I'm fair game for criticism. I was in a bit of a rush due to my videographer so I'll work on it. You can't do anything if you can't dead lift proper. Everything arrives at once. Heels down, butt out, brace for a punch and push back with your butt.

Cardio Day

Ran 3.77 miles in about 29 minutes. Nothing to brag about. I've only run one time since the race 2 Saturdays ago so getting back in the groove for double bridge 15k in 2 weeks. Talked to Eddie "the animal" earlier and he had done a complex workout this afternoon with the 44lb kettlebell, this after the 80 sets of snatches last night. Checked in with Jamie today too. He's really annoyed that he has to keep cinching up his "fat shorts". Girls have their jeans, guys have their shorts I guess.
....
I've been asked to post some clips of exercises. I'll work on that tomorrow.

Max V02 PR, Eddie Press PR and Motivation by Angela

So I called Angela on the way home from work to get a little motivation since I've been dragging around due to the cold weather. We were both on the edge of working out or not so she challenged me. We agreed to blog tonight or call each other out. My buddy Eddie is always there when you need him. I called Eddie and he came over for some V02 snatch work. He walked in and picked up my 35lb Kettlebell since he owns 80 sets of 8 with his 30. I looked at him and said "what am I supposed to use?" He just looked at my 44lb Dragon Door KB and smiled, "it's time for you to step it up, you did 80 sets of 8 with the 35 the last several times". Here we go. Gym boss aka "the devil" set on 80 sets. I started at 5 reps with the 44lb, Eddie started with 6 reps on the 35lb. 23 sets to go and Eddie says "let's finish strong" and hits 7 reps. Not to be outdone I upped to 6 reps for 3 sets then finished at 7 reps per set for the last 20 sets. I guess we hit around 450 snatches total maybe a few more. ..... As we did some fast and loose cool down, I picked up the 70lber and pressed it with my left arm, set it down and told Eddie "you're next". He cleaned it and strict pressed the 70lb (32kg) kettlebell for a new personal record! ... Em took some pics and vids. I'll try to post up.


PS: Eddie, we gotta work on that hip snap bro. I couldn't see it while I was working out but the vid told on you.