Hiking and Pullups

Hiked the stairs at Runyon instead of the ridge today. It's a beautiful day but I did not feel like pushing the hike too hard. When I got home I did the next step on the fighter pullup program which is 5, 4, 4, 4, 3 reps. I'm doing a modified L-sit pullup to accommodate the space I am using. This also helps to keep the body from swinging on the way up or down. I think I've been more sore in my midsection than my upperbody doing pullups this way which is interesting. Gonna take the weekend off training, rest as much a I can and eat as much protein as possible :)

It's been 3 weeks of pushing Swings and Getups

...which makes next week a back-off week where I will cycle back the intensity a little bit.  Back-off week is here just in time because I am feeling a little bit fried. I actually considered skipping todays workout but I figured if I could get through it I would have 2-3 whole days off to recover.   It's hard to believe that I can overtrain working out less than 45 minutes a day 4-5 days a week but it is starting to feel that way as the 3rd week closes.  Next week I'm going to focus on complexes and attempt to train at about 85% intensity. 

Todays workout was again 8 rounds of 45 seconds work/1:15 rest of 1-arm swings with the 24 kg bell.  I'm definitely getting stronger at the 1-arm swing but I know I still need a ton of work.  Feels good to move this bell with no fear of dropping it :)

 

After the swings I did 10 Kettlebell getups with the following weights:  12k x 2, 16 kg x2, 18 kg x 2, 24 kg right side only x 2 + 2 more rounds left side with the 18 kg bell.

A Crossfit workout for Grace.

My girlfriend Grace has not been able to make it to Crossfit this past couple of months.  I was thrilled when she asked me to write up a routine for her to do at home. As I created the routine I thought about the positives and negatives of a typical Crossfit class. 

Positive
1) Access to experienced coaches
2) Access to great (but still very simple) equipment.
3) Group energy.  Some people will not be successful training alone.

Negatives
1) Training is not specific to each students needs
2) More than 2 CF classes a week will put the typical student into an overtrained state by the 2nd or 3rd month.
3) To little time spent becoming competent at the skill-based exercises.
4) The Olympic lifts were not meant to be done for high-repetitions.
5) An acceptance of the idea that injuries are normal and common.

When I made this routine I wanted to make sure I had Graces goals and current non-strength training routine in mind. .  I know that she wants to  build muscle throughout her entire body, keep her bodyfat levels low and have a good degree of general conditioning.  I know that she does not want to spend all day working out because she is so busy from her jobs.    This routine takes into account that she will be hiking uphill rigorously 1-3x/week and practicing yoga or handstand/arm balances 2-3 days a week.  I felt that what she needed most was full-body strength exercises at least some conditioning work that is more strenuous that her hiking.

This is a 3 day routine done on alternating days.  1 days rest after each workout, 2 after the 3rd.  You can pick the days to train during the week but these workouts should be done in this order and never skipped.  If you miss a day you will do what you missed at your next workout and continue from that point.

Day #1

Kettlebell Military Press 5 sets of 5  (lots of warmup + maybe 5x5/10 with lighter weights)
This is her workhorse overhead push exercise for today.  After the warmup each set of 5 should be intense but not to failure.  This movement is not just for the shoulders and will stack muscle on the entire body when done properly.  Grip the ground with your feet, lock the legs as straight as possible, squeeze the glutes and midsection.  Before we press the bells we crush the fuck out of the handles.

Kettlebell 2-hand swings 30/30 for 12 minutes Max weight you can handle to finish the entire 12 minutes.  The swings are a pulling exercise done for conditioning.  Nothing will elevate your heartrate quicker than 2-handed swings with equal work and rest periods.  A beginner could do just a couple of reps per minute but since Grace is already conditioned so she will do about 20 swings/minute.

Day #2
Kettlebell Getups - start light and work up - 10-12 rounds.  Crucial to work up to heavy weights and not be afraid to move some iron!  Getups fall somewhere between strength and conditioning work.  Graces heartrate wont elevate too much doing getups but she should still be dripping sweat after 10 rounds assuming proper workload.  Getups build strength and muscle through the entire body as well as helping develop tremendous hip and shoulder stability.

Kettlebell Front or Goblet Squats 5x10,  the getups will be a good warmup.  This is probably the most intense of all the exercises Grace will be doing.  Because she wants to add muscle to her entire frame some sort of squats are mandatory.  I am not a fan of back squatting since you can so easily mess with your spine.  Front squats allow you to use less weight and reduce your chance of injury.   Even though we are training in a strength rep-range these 5 sets should be tough and will elevate Graces heartrate.  A combination of strength and conditioning.

Day #3

Pushup ladder  - 1 pushup first minute, 2 on the 2nd minute, etc.  Pressing the front of the body to the back making this a full body exercise.

Strict Pullups - as many as you can do in about 5 minutes with moderate rests.    Grace was initially doing kipping pullups but we got some resistance bands so she could instead do strict pullups.  I am not interested in kipping pullups.   It is a testament to the beast that is Crossfit that people are even attempting this exercise.  Strict pullups will do so much more for you and are blatantly safer on the body.

1-hand kettlebell swings 30/30 for 6 minutes
2-hand kettlebell cleans 30/30 for 6 minutes
(do the above 2 exercises consecutively)
Again doing just 12 minutes of intense intervals is so much better than say, running a few miles.  Swings and cleans will pack on mucle to her upper body as well.

Grace has been doing this routine for a few weeks and I already see her getting bigger and leaner.  No routine should be done indefinitely, the body eventually gets  used to the exercises over time and progress slows.  The beauty of this type of training is that it is so easy to change the routine.  We could use barbells instead of kettlebells for the overhead presses.  Close grip pushups instead of regular pushups.  Palms facing you pushups as opposed to wide-grip palm facing out. We can change the rep schemes.  Front squats can become Goblet squats can become Pistols and so on.  All you need is small changes and you can build strength, muscle and conditioning almost indefinitely.

For most of us time and money are our most important commodities.  Train yourself as often as possible and save on both.

Pushups, hiking and pullups

Started todays workout with a closegrip pushup ladder - made it to the 10th minute and did 6 reps on the 11th minute which I think is a PR but not sure.  Immediately following I hiked the ridge at Runyon which took about 30 minutes.  When I got home I continued with the fighter-pullup-program.  Today it was 5,4,4,3,3 reps.  I've been noticing that my midsection has been sore on and off the past couple of weeks and I couldnt figure out why.  Initally I thought it was something I ate or a possible strain from doing getups.  After doing pullups today I realized that it's the pullups making my midsection sore.  I'm doing strict pullups and keeping the lower body stationary puts tremendous pressure on the midsection.  Pullups give you some serious bang for your buck :)

Swings and Getup PR

Starting the 3rd week on my Swing and Getup program and things are going good!  The great thing about getting a new kettlebell is that what initially felt impossible  all of a sudden seems reasonable only 3 weeks later.   I no longer feel like I'm gonna drop the 24 kg bell when I 1-arm swing it and I did a couple of getups on my right side with it too!  My left shoulder has some catching up to do but I did manage to get a couple getups with the 40 on that side. 

Today I did the usual 45 seconds work/ 1:15 rest of 1-arm swings with the 24 kg bell.  I also did 10 Getups over a 20 minute stretch.  I did 1 getup with no weight, 3 with the 12 kg bell, 2 with the 16 kg, 2 with the 18 kg and then I did 2 full rounds with the 24 kg in the right hand and the 18 kg in my left. 

 

Getup and Swing

  My 3rd session working the 1-arm swing and getups.  Loving this workout, can feel myself getting stronger day-to-day.  I did a couple of ugly getups on my right side using the 24 kg bell.  It's too heavy for me, I think I pulled something in my abdominal wall so I'm making sure to take it easy fri-sat-sun so I will be ready to go hard again on monday

I did 8 sets on the 2nd minute (about 45 secs work/1:15 rest) of 1-arm swings with the 24 kg bell.  Averaged 30 reps per set.  I also did 10 Getups, 1 round with no weight followed by 2 rounds with the 12 kg both sides, 2-3 rounds with the 16 kg both sides and then I finised off with 3-4 sets using the 18 kg bell right side and 16 kg bell left side.  My left shoulder is my "bad" shoulder from dislocating it many years ago.  These getups are really showing where I am at shoulder-pain-wise.  No way I can do more than 40 lbs with my left side but my right side did manage a couple of getups with the 53 lb bell.  Overall everything is feeling lighter :)

Fighter pullup program day #3

3rd day of the FPP by Pavel.  Today it was 5, 4, 3, 3, 2 reps with about a minute in between each set.  Still pretty easy.  I purposely started below my strength level because I am still unsure if my upper back can tolerate pullups.  So far so good!  I'm doing it every 2nd or 3rd day depending on how I feel.

Also took a hike up the easy side at Runyon Canyon.  Amazed to see how many people struggling on a very mild incline.   It is obvious that the obesity plague that has devastated middle america is going strong in Los Angeles :(

Pullups, Swings and Getups

Yesterday I took an easy hike at Runyon and on the way down I jumped on the entrance gate and did the 2nd day of the fighter pullup program by Pavel.  I did 5,4,3,2,2 reps with short rests in between sets.

Today is 1-arm swing and getup day.  For the next 3-4 weeks every Monday and Thursday is 1-arm  swing and getup day.  I'm doing the 1-arm swings with the 24 kg bell to build my strength so I can one day snatch it.  The swings work the bottom and mid-range of the snatch.  The getups work the lockout and will hopefully get me used to having bigger weights overhead than I am used to.  So far I can only do getups with the 40 lb bell.  I'm not going snatch the 24 kg bell until I can do a couple of good getups with it.  I'm not doing much snatch work now, so I am sacrificing technique work for strength work to a certain degree.  I want to feel strong working these other 1-arm exercises until the 24kg feels a bit lighter.   I also take it for little walks around the apartment throughout the day.  Maybe 100-150 steps and then I put it back in its home.  I feel it has actually made a difference doing that the past 2 weeks.  The bell even looks smaller when I eyeball it. :)

More Swings and Getups

Yesterday I started doing the fighter pullup program by Pavel.  http://www.kbnj.com/FighterPullupByPavel.htm   I basicaly suck at pullups and thought this was something I needed to get over.   I'm doing medium-width pullups with the palms facing me.   I did 5,4,3,2,1 reps from a dead hang with as much rest as I wanted between sets but not more than 2 minutes.  Next time I go for 5,4,3,2,2 reps and so on.  Some people do this on consecutive days but I will probably do it 2-3 days a week and see what happens.    I'm doing plenty of pulling work with all of the 1-arm swings I am currently doing and do not want to overdo it.  I'm also working on a close-grip pushup progression.  Yesterday was my second day doing it.  I am doing a ladder on-the-minute, starting with 1 pushup on the first minute, 2 on the 2nd etc.  The first day I made it to the 11th minute but I was quite sore yesterday and could only get to the 9th minute.  I'm sure I will be stronger after a good weekends rest.

Today I did 1-arm swings and getups 

8 rounds 45 seconds on 1:15 off all done with the 24 kg bell.  My form is terrible as my body gets used to this heavier weight.  The 2nd session with the bell already felt lighter than the 1st session so I am excited!

I did about 10-12 getups.  A get up starts from the ground, goes to standing, back to the ground and then repeat on the other side.  That's 1 getup btw.  I used the 18 lb bells for warmup than I did 3-4 sets with the 12 kg bells, 3 sets with the 16 kg bells and a couple of sets with the 40 lb bell.  I need to study the getups much more so I'll be watching a ton of videos.

Swings and Getups

I've been getting some great advice from the folks on the Strongfirst discussion forum.  I've changed my routine to reflect my main goal which is to be able to pass the SFG snatch test which is 100 reps with the 24 kg bell in 5 minutes.  The advice I received said I should work more 1-arm swings and getups so that's the plan for the next 2-3 months.  I dont have a full routine mapped out but am gonna take it a day at a time.  I plan to continue working my presses but more on a maintenance level than usual.

Today it was:

45 seconds work, 1:15 rest - 2-3 reps of  1-arm swings with the 24 kg bell followed by 6-7 reps with the 16 kg bell for 8 rounds.  The 24 kg bell still felt very heavy in the backswing.  Lighter than a couple of days ago so it feels like I am making progress :)

I did about 12 kettlebell get-ups.  I think it was 12, maybe 10.  I did a few with the 8 kg bell warm up followed by 4-5 full rounds with the 12 kg bell and 4 rounds with the 16 kg bell.  This was a different kind of workout than I am used to, it has a much more relaxed pace.  I can see how this exercise will get me used to holding heavier weights overhead with more confidence.

Here's some short clips of todays training.  Both are pretty much UGLY :)

 

A rare instinctive workout

Typcally I like to follow a strict pre-determined routine when I train.  I thrive on this stuff but after 5-6 months of training like this I was sort of dreading the tabata timer so I decided to put it down for the moment and just did whatever I felt like doing.  Before I got serious about working towards a kettlebell teacher certification I would just pick up the bells and train random exercises.  It was fun!  I dont want to lose that experience so it felt great to just pick up the weights and do whatever I liked.  Here's what I did today:


First I simply started randomly jumping into handstand practice with my girlfriend Grace.  I suck at handstands, always have.  Years of practicing in the yoga school did nothing for me.  My yoga teachers were not good at teaching handstands.  Not one time did they tell me it was a full body exercise.  Since I've been training my body as one unit this past couple of years I've improved in anything athletic and I guess that includes handstands.  I was actually able to hold a few passes for .78 seconds.  OK, I still suck at em but now I'm gonna try and hit them 1-2 times a week.

Clumsy day #1 handstand practice

Next  I did about 100 non-stop snatches and 1-arms swings with the 16 kg bell
Then I laddered up from 2 reps to 7 reps of 2 hand swings and snatches.  So I did 2 reps of 2 hand swings (24 kg bell) followed by 2 reps of snatches (1 each side).  Put the bell down, catch a few breaths and then do 3 reps of 2 hand swings followed by 3 snatches.  I did this up until 7 reps and that was plenty.
I finished with Getups - I did a couple of sets with the 8 kg bell followed by 5-6 sets (each side) with the 26 kg bell and finished with 2 tough rounds using the 26 kg bell.

It was nice to put the timer away for a day but I'm already excited for my next pre-planned workout of Military Presses and Swings.  As much as I enjoyed the instinctual training the limitation is that I could easily lose focus on my main goal which is to get constantly stronger.

Presses and Swings

Training is going good!  I've been seriously consistent and my numbers are going up up up!
Last week I pressed the pair of 24 kg bells for 5 reps for a PR (personal record).  I usually like to back off a little bit the week following a PR.  Here's what I did today.

Kettlebell Military Press 24 kg bells x 3 sets of 3, 18 kg bells x 3 sets of 5
Kettlebell Swings - 20 reps on the minute using, the 24 kg bell x 5 sets, 18 kg bell x 7 sets

Everything felt good.  Looking at my video it's no wonder why my right shoulder felt just a little funky.  In my first set I have the bell laying way too far behind the arm and I could really feel the loss of leverage this causes.  The next sets were easier when I fixed this!

 For those of you who say they don't have the time or space to strength train you can see me here getting my entire workout done  in my bedroom.  My entire kettlebell strength and conditioning workout is just 2 rounds of 12 minutes so I get my full workout done in under 30 minute 2 days a week!

Some serious Bedroom Training

Fooled you pervert, it's still just my training blog.  I moved the kettlebell collection into my bedroom and pushed the bed into the corner.  It's a little cramped but I've seen Youtube vids of Russians training in closet-sized apartments so I figure I'm good.

Today is Kettlebell Snatches and Front Squats.

I 8 sets on the 2nd-minute of snatches. 
The first 6 sets - 40 lb kettlebell x 7/7 x 2 sets, 53 x 5/5 x 2 sets, 40 x 7/7 x 2 sets, 40 x 30/30
So the last 4 minutes I did 60 snatches with the 40 lb bell consecutively which was very hard.  I have not been practicing more than 20 reps at a time recently and paid the price.  I think I will stick with this format of doing 6 2-minute sets for strength and the last 4 minutes for conditioning.
The sets with the 53 lb bell were incredibly ugly.  I'm gonna practice more 1-arm swings and hi-pulls with this bell to improve that.

Front Squats - that last round of snatches gassed me so all I was able to do for 30 seconds work/30 seconds rest was 4 sets of about 12 reps with a pair of 35 lb bells.  This was incredibly hard.  Grace found me lying in bed like I was sick. It felt like it was taking forever to cool off and get my heart-rate down.

All in all going good.  The snatches with the 53 lb bell were somewhat disheartening.  It was exactly the opposite of how I felt last week when  I pressed the 53's for 5 reps last week.  Every workout is different and I dont want to put pressure on myself.  It will get there when it gets there.