For time:
50 Walking lunges
20 Clean and jerk, 135/95 lbs
30 Ring dips
25 Thrusters, 45/35 lbs
30 Toes-to-Bar
30 Kettlebell Swings, 1.5/1 pood
75 Double Unders
Post time to comments.

Ken: 14:26 as rx’d
Following a weekend of straight junk food eating and all sorts sugary madness, I came in ass in hand for my punishment. The C&J’s were the wake-up call, but I just didn’t have the pop in my hips and looked like a push-pressing moron. Then, the TTB’s just killed me. Even when I’m on my game, I don’t know how to turn those over quickly and need to change that. Last but certainly least, I did the first 20 and last 20 DU’s unbroken but struggled unmercilessly with everything in between. Ouch…..Overall, not too bad considering my diet over the weekend but definitely far from great. Oh well. It was worth it.

Mary Ellen: 18:50 with 85#
Hurtin’ puppy, too.

Kettlebells are unsuitable for bulking up

But this can cause problems because marketers play fast and loose with the truth. They’ll tell you what you want to hear rather than give you a list of the facts.

Conflicting claims

You can find online kettlebell sales pitches that promise women who use kettlebells that they won’t bulk up on a kettlebell workout. On the same site(s), you’ll find sales pages aimed at teenaged boys; these pages proclaim that kettlebells are the perfect tool for adding slabs of muscle to your growing body.

Is either of these extremes true, or does reality lie somewhere in the middle?

Kettlebells are unsuitable for bulking up

Actually, kettlebells are just about the worst workout implement you can use if your goal is to bulk up.

Let’s look at it objectively:

When you want to bulk up, you have several requirements:

• You need to gain weight. If you do it right, the weight gain will come mostly in the form of muscle mass.
• You need a workout program that includes progressive overload. In practice, this means that you need to use adjustable weights.
• You need a full-body workout to avoid creating weak-spots which will fail under the demands imposed by your new, stronger muscles.

By their nature, kettlebells are unsuitable for accomplishing the objectives listed above.

Weight gain is difficult with the high-intensity, calorie-burning workouts recommended by most kettlebell “experts”. Other workout styles that prescribe substantial rest between sets are better for bulking.

Adjustability is where kettlebells really fail the bulking up test. Since we can’t easily adjust the weight of our kettlebells, it becomes difficult to include progressive overload in a bulking program. This is the kiss of death for bulking.

Finally, kettlebells are less than ideal for full-body workout plans. They are unsuitable for pushing exercises that target the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Although most, if not all kettlebell trainees work around this, they are setting themselves up for long-term problems because of the un-ergonomic nature of thier ‘bells. As for pulling moves, kettlebells are not ideal either, because the thick handles limit your grip strength and reduce the amount of weight you are able to move.

Stick to barbells and dumbbells for bulking up

Use a time-tested bulking program centered around eating, big, lifting big barbells, and getting big! Leave the kettlebells alone while you are trying to gain weight.

The store is up and ready for you to order all different kinds of SGHP items.  Check them out at http://www.cafepress.com/SGHP

Where’s Day 2?

Day 2 was nothing home to write about, just rested up and made sure everything was okay for Day 3.

Introduction

The Flushing of Adrenaline through my system as I listen to Five Finger Death Punch cranking throughout my room. The Drums roar loudly, sounding like the chanting of the All Blacks Rugby Team, as they do their Historical Haka to intimidate their opponents out of action. That is what is going through my head, ready, exhilarated, and will reign triumphant when the day comes.

For now the training commences, tricking my body to unleashing the potential I already have. Novelty is King, but He who does too much, does too little. My focus as always is on the press, the pullup, the pistol, with side benefits of the planche and front lever.

To this end, my goal is to find the proper variants that will keep me glued and ready to practice the skills necessary to not only make these goals easy, but almost tension less. Thus, in the log you’ll see that there is much more practice with partials than full repetitions. I believe that by breaking down the movement into it’s subcategories (bottom, middle, top) I can pump more work in, but get better quality out with less wasted energy.  Again I’m sporting a small 5′2 Frame, so got to make sure it’s all working right and using the right amount of energy.

The Training

Palms Press w/ 24kg

-Bottom 3 reps (Eyes and Head following bell, Standing)

-w/20kg Middle 3 reps (Eyes and Head following bell, Sitting)

-Full 1 rep (Eyes and Head following bell, Standing)

Chinups w/ 80lbs

-Bottom 5 reps

-Bottom Hold (Head Tilts)

-Middle 5 reps

-Middle Hold (Head Rotations)

-Full 1 rep

Pistols

-Supported Closed Chain One Legged Circles, Holding Opposing Leg in Front w/ different Foot Positions (Inversion, Eversion, Neutral)

360 Pulls

-Back Lever Hold (Breathing)

Planche

-3 Position 1/2 Straddle

KB Clean & Jerks w/ 24kg

-Regular repetitions

Three weeks into the Kettlebell inc challenge and I’m feeling the benefit even though I have not always had time to complete it. When I introduced an 8kg weight back into the TGU earlier this week I only managed a few and my form wobbled. But persistance paid off and am now managing half and half ,10 with weight, 10 without- not because I can’t lift but because I’m trying to train my body to keep form even with the weight. My get ups are now smoother and I am hoping to move up a weight sometime towards the end of December.

As I’m doing less with the TGU, I’m pushing the swings. I’ve used 16kg consistently(20kg and 24kg on one day) and am managing 200-300 swings per session. Today I moved up to 20kg and managed 10 sets of 20 swings easily. If I can get to the gym this week (only 16kg and 12kg at home) I’ll continue with the 20kg. This is a big improvement.

Even though my diet has been awful due to Christmas festivities and general lack of will power I’ve lost weight and my shape is more defined. I’m hardly out of breath after 20 swings and barely breaking sweat, even with the bigger weight, I think I’ll add more swings next week.  Despite its simplicty this challenge is having a really positive effect on my levels of fitness and strength. Onwards and upwards…

Merry Christmas from the Hardstyle Diva!

Enjoy the Holiday Jingle from Pavel & the RKC. Jingle Kettlebells
http://bit.ly/8PClhk

During the season of stress, this video is quite appropriate. Check it out!

KB Cert with Jeff Martone at CrossFit Breakaway

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Crossfit Kettlebell Certification course with instructor Jeff Martone at CrossFit Breakaway in Tysons Corner. My objective was to gain an in-depth understanding of a facet of CrossFit that I know relatively little about, and I ultimately came away from the course with significantly greater knowledge on the use of kettlebells as an effective strength, conditioning, and rehabilitation tool. Jeff, using his entertainingly infamous Martone-isms such as “If you’re gonna be stupid, then you gotta be tough” or when referring to breath control, “Keep your innards in” (the guy is a riot), spent 16 hours teaching us basic progressions, variations, common technique errors, and how to correct them. Some of the basic lifts we learned included the:
1. American and Russian swing
2. Two hands away
3. One-handed swing and switch
4. Hand-to-Hand rotation
5. Turkish Get-up
6. Clean
7. Military Press
8. Front Squat
9. Thruster

We also learned various muscle recruitment exercises that seemed to “lighten” the KB when applied to a swing or lift. And I was amazed at the effectiveness of simple cues that allowed me to move a KB through space with greater ease than ever before.

By the end of the weekend, I was a little bruised and tired, but I was surprised that I wasn’t sore. And that’s my point: Training with KB’s doesn’t have to be this painful endeavor; rather as Jeff says, “No pain then gain.” Perhaps the most important aspect of the course was Jeff’s emphasis on safety. When used safely and with proper technique, KB’s are a potent training tool. But when they’re not, bad things can happen.

I feel that I’ve only touched the surface on my understanding of KB’s. But I’m confident I’ve got a pretty solid foundation that I can build upon, and I look forward to safely and effectively using KB’s to enhance my fitness. If you any interest in this cert, I highly recommend it. And if anything, you get to see Jeff’s crazy KB juggling demo in-person, which is just awesome.

Idag är det kyligt. Minus fem när vi vaknade, men lite vind på det så det ska tydligen kännas som minus tio. Känns som sommarens dryga 40 grader och så hög luftfuktighet att man slapp slicka på frimärken känns ganska avlägset. Men ingen snö så långt ögat kan nå. Ganska skönt iofs. Att skrapa rutorna på bilen är inte min favvosysselsättning. Snart ska jag sticka iväg på morgonens Heated Vinyasa Yoga. Så skönt att komma in från kylan och känna hur musklerna blir mjuka och spänningarna släpper i värmen. Efter det åker jag direkt till min Physical Therapist. Förhoppningsvis kan hon ge mig besked om det blir någon röntgen eller inte.

Sen susar jag hem och jobbar lite. Och senare i eftermiddag hade jag tänkt att köra ett kettlebell pass. Börjar med vanlig kettlebell swings, one armed swing och one-armed clean. Sedan ett gäng knäböj, stående rodd, military press, bicepscurl,  tricpspress och avslutar med lite coreövningar. Så får det bli.

I took my 3 year old to her transplant clinic appointment today.

I have taken her to many of them since she was diagnosed with kidney failure, and all through dialysis and now 7 months after her transplant.  It continuously amazes me how those clinics could give a jolly jack fart about your time yet freak out if you are any bit late to the appointment.  Granted some times it is quick but good grief.

Today, after I registered at the hospital (15 mins) and then waited for labs to be drawn (25 mins) I was about 20 minutes late for our appointment.  I thought that we would be next in line and sail through.  But I was of course WRONG!!!  although it was only another 35 minutes of waiting in the waiting room followed by another 20 of waiting in the clinic room.  All told, we spent 2 hours and 20 minutes for what amounted to 5 mins with the doctor and about that with the dietician and the social worker.

Oh well.  what can you do.  It’s not like complaining does any good, they just say that they are busy.  So what exactly is the point of making an appointment?  For that matter, what is the point of not just coming a half hour late?  I am sure you would still have to wait.  I should have brought my ketllebell, that would make them wonder, a sweaty guy swinging iron in the childrens hospital….maybe next month….

Justin

www.brendasquiltshop.com

www.carepages.com    pagename   ameliarosematthews

Warm-up : “KettleBear” (16 kgs, as Rx’d : 55 lbs/35 lbs)

Without putting down the Kettlebell, perform:

Deadlift left
Clean left
Front Squat left
Push-Jerk left
Overhead Squat left
Deadlift right
Clean right
Front Squat right
Push Jerk right
Overhead squat right

That is ONE rep. A momentary touch on the second DL is acceptable. Resting the KB on the floor is a miss, and the rep must be repeated.

Source : http://www.crossfiteastbay.com/

WOD : “Crazy Kettlebells”

- 5 Turkish Get-Ups L/R
- 10 Push Ups
- 20 1 Arm Swings L/R
- 30 American Swings
- 20 1 Arm Swings L/R
- 10 Push Ups
- 5 TGU’s L/R

Source : http://www.crossfitfsf.com/

Time : 9′08

While Geico has cashed in on the caveman and even created a short-lived show on the specimen(did anyone see it?!), I’ve been busy reading up on the caveman from a healthy perspective.  Huh?  Let me explain.

I’m not the average bear here, folks.  I love devouring new ideas and concepts and then applying them to my lifestyle if they seem appropriate.  As I was nearing the completion of P90X, I came across a few sites that eventually led me to Mark Sisson.  Mark Sisson is a former 2:18 marathoner (sheesh!) and traithlon champion who went on to become a trainer and supplement expert.  In fact, Beachbody used his formulations to create some of their supplements including the P90X Recovery Drink.  These days you can find Mark on his highly successful blog, MarksDailyApple.com where he is read daily by thousands all over the world.  Not only do I read his blog daily, I also am in the midst of reading his book, Primal Blueprint.  I’m currently obsessed with it!  By the looks of this picture, something’s working to attain the definition he shows at age 55.

As I wrap up my last thoughts on P90X Round 1 in the next few days, I’ll be splashing you with thoughts from Mark’s book along with my new journey towards eating primal.  The connections Mark has with many fitness and health topics or thoughts is highly intriguing; we’re talking about Crossfit, the Paleo Diet, KettleBells, hormone free beef and organic eating choices, just to name a few.  We live in highly interesting times and after you are subjected to some of Mark’s thoughts and the successes many have had from his ideas, you soon find yourself in a different place than you were.  If you’re like me, you might start wishing you were living in the past.

Finally, I can’t wrap up any thoughts about Mark’s site or book without mentioning Grok.  Grok is the mascot behind Mark’s concept of living primal like a caveman.  Through Grok’s life we learn of the 10 rules behind Primal Living and why being a caveman wasn’t such a bad thing (execpt for the occasional and pesky Saber-Toothed Tiger, that is.)  I’ll talk about these rules in upcoming posts and how they can be applied to daily living with a few simple adjustments.

There’s much more to come about living primal.  But in the meantime, in the words of many of Mark’s readers,
“Grok On!”

Idag sprang tiden ifrån mig. Hade tänkt sticka ut på en PW men jobb kom emellan. Sen ville jag sticka iväg på yoga men så ringde en PT-kund så där sprack det. Sen blev det så sent och jag hade ju lovat födelsedagsmiddag till Maken. Ja, jag fick helt enkelt anpassa mig så gott det gick. Körde ett pass med Flowin. Riktigt kul träning kan jag säga. Och förutom att träna på plattan så kan man larva sig och åka låtsasskridskor (skitjobbigt på samma gång). Eller hålla i den och skaka så det låter som “film-åska”. Ifall ni undrade alltså. Efter det la jag till lite TRX och ett gäng One Arm Kettlebell Clean med axelpress. Sammanlagt fick jag ihop 45 minuters effektiv träning på hemmaplan. Inte som jag tänkt då jag vaknade imorse men schysst ändå.

Nej, nu ska jag kolla lite tv och sen blir det tidigt sängläge. För imorgon vill jag vakna tidigt så jag kan dra en vinnare i Polar-tävlingen.

Check out this video with Mike Boyle, performing a mobility exercise designed by Gray Cook.

Let us know what you think.
www.corefitnesssolution.com

I’m sticking to the challenge this week as am feeling effects of end of term and lots of house move lifting and carrying. So workouts are short and sweet.

Saturday morning-early!Not good at early workouts
Jm stretch
12x TGU no weight
200 16kg 2Hswings in sets of 20
stretch

Sunday- late eve
JM/stretch
13 TGU no weight
200 16kg 2H swings in sets of 20
stretch

Monday

JM
stretch, 10x ASLR,10x walkouts
14 TGU- 4 with 8kg weight- introducing weight slowly, trying to keep good form.

24kg 10 2H swings
20kg 10 2H swings
16kg 20 2H swings
5 sets 200 swings-

Still had energy
24kg 2x 1H swings lr
20kg 5x 1H swings lr
16kg 5x 1H swings lr
2 sets plus a few extras to bring up to 50

So 250 swings in all- ahead of schedule!
16kg hand to hand for fun
stretch and breathing walk

Can I make above the 1000 swings this week? Depends on my busy schedule…

Which Way Do I Go!

Ut-oh, needless to say I have partially and momentarily turned my back on chasing health and I wholeheartedly apologize. With that being said, I’m back focused and ready to continue my journey. So I slipped, I had some family members come down and visit, showed them the town for an extended weekend and ended up putting my health on the back burner. Here’s the ironic part, the effort that I put in from the beginning of the month and before seems to be take effect on my body. The muscles are slightly more defined and my waist, although not washboard is shrinking.

The proof: my favorite pair of jeans and a t-shirt that should probably be converted into a rag. The jeans usually have no problem holding onto my waist as I have always gave them something to hold onto. And then there’s the t-shirt which will Velcro itself to my gut, proudly displaying where I need to do the most work.

Today this casual attire had a certain looseness to it and I couldn’t be more ecstatic! What I actually set out to do is working. and all though I slipped, I am still heading in the right direction. So it’s back to finding my balance in life and merging back onto the path of chasing health. 2 weeks and I can see a difference with my own eyes.

Don’t want to sound like a broken record but if your wondering what I did exercise wise, here it is. Bike ride UPHILL 3 days to 4 days out of the week for about a half an hour. Kettlebell swings 3 sets of 10 to 12 at least twice a day and one day where I challenged myself to do 300 swings (needed a stress reliever that day)
hit the gym almost everyday -2 days. My eating habits, unfortunately have been all over the place like a wild bull but I’m roping in during the work week with some self prepared meals and that’s it. As always feel free to leave a dollar, or comment!

It may sound obvious, but a strong, pain-free body starts at the foundation – with strong, mobile feet and ankles!  While orthotics are a good band-aid, they are no substitute for actual strength and control.  So here are the drills I do (daily, barefoot on a hard surface) :

• 3 point contact: There are three points of contact that your feet need to have in contact with the ground; if they are not, the effects will ripple up your body and manifest as pain.  These points are the heel, the ball of the foot, and pad of the forefoot just behind the little toe (for a great diagram of this, see the book Get in the Best Shape of Your Life, by Lisa Shaffer, RKC – page 36 ).  Just stand for 15-30 seconds and focus on keeping all three of these points in contact with the earth.
• Foot grips: Now, practice gripping the ground with your feet.  Your toes should feel like fingers; in fact, eventually you should be able to easily pick small objects up off the ground using your feet!  If you have trouble getting the toes to grip, talk to a practitioner skilled in muscle activation technique, he/she should be able to fix you.
• X-drills: Next, step out a couple feet with one foot, and keeping the entire foot in contact with the ground, move your ankle first forward and back, then draw an X – your whole leg should move and if you pay attention you will feel this all the way up to your hips.  Do 8 reps each direction.  If you have a wobble board, use this instead of just the ground, it is much more effective!
• Single leg balance: stand on one leg and feel like you are pushing the earth strongly away from you, keeping the foot strong and all 3 points in contact, hold for 15 seconds each foot.  Once you get good at this, practice “drawing” a circle with the other ankle (the one that is off the ground), this is great not only for ankle mobility but for hip mobility as well!
• Wobble board: practice standing on the board for 30 seconds with both feet in contact, do a couple of sets if you have time – this is amazing not only for the feet, ankles and calves but for overall core strength and balance!  I recommend the GoFit Wobble Board, available at Amazon.com and other fine retailers.
• Slow squat to overhead reach: finally, do a super slow squat (bodyweight only), paying close attention to pressing evenly with both feet; pull yourself down with your hip flexors, on the way up push the floor away from you through your heels.  At the top, reach your hands overhead as if trying to touch the ceiling and slowing rise up on the balls of your feet, then slowly lower.  Do as many reps as you like.

Once you get the hang of it, you can do this whole routine in 5 minutes – and it will pay amazing dividends toward your overall health, strength and posture.

In addition, you should consider incorporating jumping rope into your workouts, it is great for building springy strength in your entire lower body.  And remember to check with your health professional before starting any new exercise program!

My breakfast this morning. I have lots to do and need as much energy as I can get. The beauty of a breakfast like today’s Oats, is the slow infussion of nutrients and very little sugar spike.

I will not be starving in a short while and will have the fuel necessary to train even after a long day!

I feel…. Good!

This has been a rough week!  Both my kids have colds, I definitely did not get enough rest, and I was forced to juggle my training.  I have to say this is why I normally never make excuses to get my workouts in.  You never know when you’ll be forced to back off a bit.  In my opinion, this is especially true when you have kids.  The best way to ensure you are still progressing is to decide what is most important to you and try to fit that in somehow.  For me, it’s NROL4W, then kettlebell practice, then sprints, and then other acitivity.  Also remember that problems are inevitable and don’t get down about it.  I know that can be hard to remember when you are in the middle of a crisis. 

So here’s my week:

Sunday, 12/6 – kettlebell practice – 5 minutes 12kg TGUs, 12 minutes swings 16kg double, 12kg hand to hand, 8kg clean and press ladders: 4 ladders, 4 rungs

Monday, 12/7 – treadmill sprints, chin ups

Tuesday, 12/8 – New Rules of Lifting for Women, Phase 6, workout A

Wednesday, 12/9 – OFF

Thursday, 12/10 – kettlebell practice.  5 minutes 12kg TGUs, 12.5 minutes 16kg double and 12kg hand to hand swings.  3×3 8kg snatches.

Friday, 12/11 – OFF

Saturday, 12/12 – New Rules of Lifting for Women, Phase 6, workout B

Still decent considering my lack of sleep, and trying to keep myself from getting sick.  Next week is the last week in Phase 6 of New Rules.  Then it’ll be on to the last phase of this program. 

Until next week friends, train hard.