who is your daddy?

feb 26th.

" Associate yourself with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation, for ti's better to be alone then in bad company".

George Washington.

session:

warm up, foam roller, abmat 100 reps, heavy bag. 10 mins.

5 rounds; no rest please; just suck it up.

500 meters rowing on c-2

30 box jumps:

30 40kg kettlebell sumo dead lift.

30 ab rollers: larger wheel and the most difficult of the routine. back got a little stressed.

30 kettlebell hack squats. ( KB in back of neck- 16kg not recommended for people with knee issues.)

32min.

2nd session: tabata on rollers5 min warm up and tabata protocol and 5 min cool down. Legs are fried.

Unlike many of the fitness experts of today who finally found that kettlebells, are not some obscure door stop, I knew what they were and how they can applied to any fitness regiment are far back as 1962. That was when I met Sig Klein of NYC who ran a body building gym, that used just basic weights, including kettlebells. Sig had a fine selection of classic kettlebells and always included in his training and promotion of his gym. Now I am glad that finally people are coming back to the real frictional world of basic strength training. However some of us know this trend to most of these fitness experts, is just a way of marketing the latest fitness mouse trap to bring in the public, regardless of weather they believe in the product or not. The picture of Sig Klien was at the age of 59. (ABOUT 1960)

HERE IS A NEWS FLASH: THERE IS NOTHING NEW THAT HAS BEEN INVENTED IN FITNESS WORLD IN MANY YEARS, SO WHEN GYM OR TRAINER SAY THEY HAVE A NEW SYSTEM, IT JUST THE SAME OLD BASIC RESISTANCE EXERCISES,PACKAGED DIFFERENTLY.

My first set of weights I purchased from York barbell co. in 1959 as a youngster wishing to be strong like John Gimmick. I received a set of weights which contained a set of kettlebell handles and exercise program to show how to use them, which was standard at the time. Note,kettlebells have been around long before that so they are nothing new, just maintained like some WWII battleship when things need some solid aggressiveness. Just look at my picture of my blog which is a turn of the century gym continuing......What! Kettlebells. who put them there?

I am happy to see the Kettlebells used by our self anointed fitness experts, which seem to grow by the hour. I have no problem with someone trying to make a buck in the fickle fitness business, but please stick with it after the party is over. Making a living in the fitness business today, is noting but smoking mirrors and deception. If the fitness business was doing its job, or meeting its objectives, we would have thousands of people fit and looking good as a force multiplyer. Instead we have people who show little progress nor results along with a country with and huge obesity problem.

After I left the military, I would travel frequently to York Pa. to the York Barbell co. where the Olympic weightlifting team would be training. that was when Bob Hoffman supported the US Olympic weightlifting team, because our government would not. Oh yes, they have a museum of weight lifting featuring old time dumbells and Kettlebells. Although, Kettlebells were not the primary fitness tool of that era, it was always present and used a part of training programs.

fast forward to the late 1990's when the strongman competition came in to the lime light. That type of training required the functional strength training, that required you to be able to lift uneven, off balance objects. That is when kettlebells started to be utilized more often to gain functional strength. Then this Russian by the name of Pavel Tsatsouline, came to the US to show what he had learned from training special forces in Russian, using kettlebells. Yes the Russians did use kettlebells for over a 100 years, and part of their history, but it was on a very basic level of activity or adjunct fitness. What Pavel did was bring it to a level, that can be utilized for basic fitness, or an Olympic contender. So it continues to be a work in process! So therefore none of us is an expert yet.

There are a few names that promoted kettlebells when everyone else was on fit balls and doing step aerobics. Mike Mahler, Pavel, Steve Maxwell, Steve Cotter, Jeff Mortone, David Ganulin to name a few who were at the fore front when kettlebells were being advanced to the public, by using their fitness backgrounds to show how fit you can become. these are most of the prime movers of the kettlebell industry who are continue to improve and advance themselves without the title of expert.

There is not a day goes by that I don't learn something new or improve on when using kettlebells. I guess I will never become and expert.

So you want results;then kettlebells

Feb. 25. Monday:

" Any transition that alters the definition of self will require not just small adjustments in your way of thinking, but a full-on metamorphosis."

session:

warm-up: joint mobility, jump rope, and foam roller.

for time 5 sets:

400 meter run; good striding.

15 pull ups:

15KTE

2 p00d kettlebell swing.

25:10

Yes, you can go to Ballys or Curves for a quick workout and feel like you have accomplish something toward your fitness mission, but it you want the kind of results, when you walk into a room, and everyone knows you are fit by your physical presence, you will need what they don't have. If you want the results the models they use to advertise their product, you will need to bare down and submit to some serious discomfort.

Spring cleaning

Feb 23 sat.

" One does not accumulate but eliminate"

Bruce Lee.

Today's Practice:

warm up: sit ups, push ups, OH squats, jump rope, joint mobility, foam roller.

Light barbell "Grace" for speed: 30 reps no leg dip

KB press ladders: 16,20,24, 28 Kg: 1,2,3, reps each

Pull up ladders: wide grip: follow each press

45 min.

As Bruce lee would do, find what is useful and discard the rest. He was always trying to achieve perfection in what ever he did and we will never know what he would have accomplished if he was still alive today. His short but full life will always be remembered.

Yesterday was rest day in regards to training, however, it was a good time to do some house cleaning in my gym with the snow storm. It needed some serious cleaning anyway, plus it was time to hang things up and provide a place for each piece of equipment. After I installed brackets and hung up most of the equipment, got rid of unnecessary crap, the place grew by several feet.(what a surprise) Well, its continuous work in process since I am always getting new equipment, just in case I might use it.

As I was cleaning I got more ideas for this years changes, especially planning the new outdoor area. Pull bars have to improve, an area for sled pulling, and lifting platform, if it is out of the sun, and climbing rope.

Kettlebell SSST

Feb 21st. thurs.

" When people are free to do as they please, they imatate each other."

Eric Hoffer.

WOD: SSST

warmup:

100 abmats

100 land mine rotations.

10 min on heavy bag.

150 reps of 12Kg kettlebell snatch warmup

10 min SSST with 16kg.

341 reps.

That was the first time for 10 minutes on any kettlebell. Now the task is to increase the weight up to at least 24kg. as that is the standard. I was suprised that the time when fast as you tend to concentrate on form and making sure you don't over stress any one muscle group that would cause you to abort early. Based on that, I will work the ladders for awhile at higher weight and retest next month.

what is enough?

Feb 20th. wed.

" Make it happen"

my ex-boss.

WOD:

warmup: 100 yard sprints

KTE

2 min swings 16 kg.

120# BB power cleans- 10 sets of 3.

35 min. sprinting on rollers

200 pushups

100 dumbell cleans with 60lbs.

all done in three short session of less tha 30 min.

Work capacity is a difficult thing to get a grasp of, so you are constantly wordering if you trashed yourself or you were slacking to get the training effect. This is especially true when you use such a varied number of exercises and routines. I guess there is no real answer until you fall apart.

Spring is coming

Feb. 19th.Tues.

" Spring is when you feel like whistling when you shoe is filled with slush."

Doug Larson.

WOD

warmup

2min jump rope

joint mobility

2 min swing with 16kg.

30KTE.

5 set of 5 reps Dumbell rowing 70# fast pull.

5 sets of 5 reps KB speed press 24Kg.

I saw a fully mature bald eagle yesterday circling overhead this morning. Spring is on its way.

Eat to perform.

Feb 18th


" Exercise is king, and nutrition is queen"


Jack LaLanne



WOD "Annie"



50-40-30-20-10 reps for time: situps and double unders


Time: 8:28( blister formed on butt from the friction of the abmats)

Not much of a workout if that all it is. Need more.
45 min. on rollers

Old Jack Lalanne at 93 years old, has some good validation when it comes to fitness and living the part. Invented many of the gym equipment we have today, like the "Smith machine" leg extention, and pully machines. Jack once owned 200 health clubs then was sold and is now the Bally's total fitness organization.

Jack has always been fit most of his life, but over the years he also spent a great deal of time and devotion to proper eating. He did not promote and special diet, that crops up by the week, he just promoted the injestion of just plan real food. It was just that simple. If it was in a box, package, can, or frozen he did not eat it. He did promote the use of juicers to make drinks out of fresh vegtables and fruits, Jack would say," if man made it, don't eat it" " if it tastes real good, spit it out" .

What I use for a diet has always been based on what was required to perform at the level of physical tasks at the time. When I was running long distance races, some lasting, 12 hours or more, I ate mostly carbs or high density foods. There was not a lot of data out there as to a proper diet for that type of physical activity so it was trial and mostly error to get the right food so you did not fall apart. Now running or exercising for hours each day allows you to eat any kind of diet you wanted and never get fat. Some days I ate a bag of choclate chip cookies as a snack. Now was that good nutrition? Hell no! If I had followed a solid diet based on natural foods I believe my performance would had been better, but more over, my recovery would have been much faster. However, like most runners in the 70-90's , we all believed we eat anything we wanted as our exercise would insulate us for the health problems, like type 2 diabetis, high blood pressure and high cholisterol. Well we all now, we where dead wrong in some cases.

When I got into weight lifting and discontinued the excessive cardio, started to gain weight( what a suprise!). I realized I had to drasticly alter my eating habits and maintain a defined body fat and weight standards I never had to do before. I must have read scores of books on diets and nutrition that was out at the time. Even today, I still read the latest diet book, even just for a laught. Here is what found in regard to diets and eating for performance;

• Over 10% body fat male and 15% body fat female.......you are heading for fatness.


• No sugar if you can avoid it! biggest effect in developing diabetis and instant weight gain. however they put sugar in almost every thing that is processed, packaged or prepared for you. Kill them with kindness. Hidden sugar such as mannitol, are passed over as sugar that is used in precess foods. You want to be lean, get rid of all the sugar in all your diet.


• the more you force your body to produce insulin, the faster you age.


• Don't start a crash or one of the speical application diets like Atkins, or South Beach warrior diets and in most cases you will only follow it for short time periods. They are all based on the same outlook; restriction of food based on some catchy discipline. Just eat real food.


• You don't need a lot of expensive worthless supplements. Maybe a multi vitamin and some whey protein.


• Weight loss systems such as Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig will work for a short time and those systems have gotten a little smarter and developed to look at managing eating habits, eating volume, and body fat compostion. But they want you as a long term or repeat costomer, as that is how they stay in business. They sell food and advise so you have to be in bed with them forever. Just recently Christy Ally, who was the poster girl for Jenny Craig celeb weigh loss of 75 lbs, has put the old feed bag back on and has gained a bunch of weigh back on her fat ass. She was fired from her contract, as it is not good for their diet business, but its just an up glaring example of the success of that busines.
  
• Fasting, no carb diets and lap band, will make you loose a ton of weight fast, but you just loose too much good muscle in the process. Those are drastic measures to loose a lot of weight, in some cases to save your life, and that should be the only reason to go that way.


• You don't need to eat too much prior to training but you must injest something to balance blood sugar especially if you are training first thing in the morning. However, the post meal is the prime time to eat to recover. Lots of protein.


• We eat too many grains and starches in our diets. Now that the prices of wheat is up, you have reason to cut back. Well they taste good as carbs convert to simple sugars when eaten and they are pushed on us by Agro-business via the food pyramid. Your friendly goverment, who sleeps with big businss, wants you to eat more corn, wheat, soy, rice to help out the farmer and the food processing business. I don't eliminate them from my diet, I just eat good quality, non precess grains, and moderate volumes consistant with my calorie requirements that day.
  
• I eat a very high protein diet mostly all day, starting with breakfast. The first meal is whey protein drink made with water. As I train with high intency most of the time, muscle breakdown being the end result, requires good protein for repair. Something I failed to do in the past. ( I was thin-fat at 150 lbs) . once again, the volume is based on work capacity of that day...work hard, eat hard. No work only eat to your resting metabolism.


• We eat too much period. Eat for performance based on output of energy. Work hard-eat hard. start to measure and weigh what you are eating and you will be shocked as to how much calories each day you are taking in. We tend to gage our intake by the containment area such as plates, and bowels.


• Drink water based also on energy output losses. cold conditions require just as much water intake as summer if not more.


• If you can't prononce it don't eat it
  
  

make mine hard all the time.

Feb. `17th sunday.
" go heavy or go home"

unknown,

The quote " go heavy or go home" ; I don't know who first said it but it been voiced by my many serious trainers and even mullets. There is a lot to that simple statement, when you know that the best results to strength training, comes from using max weights and stress most of the time. Qualifying that, you can't train heavy every time you workout, so you have to recoup and rest sometimes. In the past I usually followed a heavy workout, and a light workout as part to the rest/recoup cycle, however I found that the "light day" was really a waste of time, doing low intency work thinking I was somewhat resting. Lately, I take the so called "light day" off and do nothing, and then go back to the hard training. This not only rests my body, but my mine as well.

WOD:
First session:
5 min of air squats: 392 squats
250 abmats
30 min. on roller at 120 RPMs

Second session:
50 reps 2-12kg front squats
50 reps 2-12kg swing and release
50 reps 2- 12kg renagade rowing
50 reps 2- 14kg cleans
50 reps 2- 12kg snatches
50 reps 2- 12kg long cycle clean a press.
11:14 min. at 15,000 lbs lifted. ( and it feels it so don't try this at home)
I only dropped the weigh or stopped three time, one on the snatch and two time for the long cycle. If I only did on or two of these I could use a lot more weight, but I would not have the volume.

valentines day massacure

Feb. 14th. Valentine's day

"Passion makes the world go round, but love just makes it a safer place."

Ice Tea

WOD: Its a heart breaker.

Warmup: Myo roller, bands stretching, joint mobility. TGU, 20 mins.

5x500 meter rowing.

2min. Battling ropes

50 globet overhead squats with Kettlebell.

50 "burples" squat trust, pushup, pull complex.

2 min abmats

23 min.

2nd session:

5 min swings with 16kg. KB

6 min. press with 16kg KB

waging war on the streets of America.

Feb.13th. wed.

" It is well the war is so terrible, otherwise we would grow fond of it all."

Robert e. Lee.




WOD "Randy" LAPD SWAT operator killed in the line of duty Feb 6th 2006





for time 75 reps power snatch with 75 lbs.

7:56 min. (5625 lbs total)
did the first 40 reps without dropping the weight. I could have done it faster like my kettlebells but I want to get that full extention over head for joint mobility. It was not the muscle failure, it was cardio at rep 40. Muscle stamina is great from all the kettlebell work.




That reminds me of a book I just reviewed that I got for X-Mas on SWAT training. The book is SWAT fitness, by Matt Brzycki & Stuart Meyers. Don't get me wrong, the book is very complete in regards to covering all aspects of fitness for anyone really. Its a little to heavy on the good old big box gym, bodybuilding, strength training. That in its self is OK but most departments don't have a complete body building gym and all the machines to have the officers train in. We all now that bodybuilding also is take more time and is too segmented. OL lifts are not use as well, espeically for authors who have a solid strength backgrounds. The up side is that joint mobility and stretching is covered in detail for injury prevention, but not enought of the training is on the functional type, like using X-vests and functional items, like tires, sand bags, kettlebells exercising in full gear, etc. One of the exercises I would like to have SWAT do,is Parkour. This would be a excellent exercise for the type of acitvites what a SWAT operator would be confronted with, maybe not at the level of french street kids, some of the continous running and obstacle trasversing.

Put new tires on my old standby bike, and hit the roller for 3o min.

Pump up the volume.

Feb 12th. tues.
" Man is the cruelist aminal"
F. Nietzsche



WOD " Nate" SOF who was killed 2/4/08 in Iraq.

For 20 mins.

4 pullups

4dips

8 handstand pushup

16 24 kg swings

50 abmats.

Added extra reps on all for lack of muscle ups.

Kettlebells means less things more.

Feb. 11th. Monday.

" Have no fear of perfection, as you will never reach it.

S. Dali.

WOD speed Deadlifting or a little westside.

Deadlift 245# 2 reps 10 sets as fast as you can get your ass in gear.

Later in the day : Kettlebell swing pratice. 14kg 630 reps. in 2 min segments.

One hour and bike rollers: Need new tires sometime soon as I am down to the threads.

For awhile I will try to focus on the Kettlebell swing and snatch movements to become more fluid and relaxed when not under tention. I also would like to experiment on some breathing techinques also to improve the performance of those lifts.


I counted the number of swings and average them to 48-52 rep per min regardless of speed or weight. therefore you can't really swing fast or slow by effort to get more or less reps. High reps, lets say 100 or more starts to hit the lower back and hamstrings, however most people stop before they get to this level of endurance. Going for 5 minutes really makes you understand what parts of the body is effected by this lift. Grip and lower back become limiting factors, when it should be the cardio.
Now when using the Crossfit style of swing that places the bell overhead, the speed and loading will be different as there is a lag at the top, and can even be held there like the snatch. At this point I will try to concentrate on the russian version, which maintains a continous motion.

Don't hang yourself

Feb 10 sunday:

WOD

Rowing for 1 hour. What! I think about 12K

Cabin fever is setting in due to weather or else why would I sit an row for an hour.

Feb.9th.
"The only difference in a rut and a grave, is its dimentions."
E. Glasglow

WOD
warmup: Liz for two rounds

Battling ropes for 2 mins.

"Kettlebell Slight Disconfort"(" KB death" is some punk ass statement...only an asshole goes that far)
For time 10,9,8,7,6,...........1 reps

2-24 Kg floor press.

2-36Kg. deadlifts(40 Kg the next time)

2-24kg power cleans

2-16kg speed press. (concentrated on the press so I rested between reps.) 20kg the next time.

21;14 min.

2-24kg suitcase squat: 3 sets of 5 (new exercise)

2-24kg power snatch: 3 sets of 5

Later in the day: one hour on the bike rollers. snowing outside.

I received my order of manila ropes quick from the Knot and Rope Supply co. , No I am not going to hang myself, nor will I be making a racial statement by making hangman's nooses. , its to set up for climbing,various pullup and kettlebell exercises. Also I got a 50' length of 2" for battling ropes like I first saw them used in Gym Jones last year.

John Brookfield has a good DVD and training system on the subject of using long heavy ropes for functional training, especially the grip. He also does seminars and certifications for thoes in need for a 1000 bucks!
The 3 lengths of 6' I will use for pull variations and kettlebell swings and rotational exercises. I also have a 20' climbing rope for outside when the weather gets better. Well the quality was good and all the ends were wipped and spliced as ordered. You can't go wrong when you get what you asked for.

Now when I set up for the battling rope exercise, I want to try it for one min. However one min. I just made before my grip was fried. However it feels great for a shoulder warmup. It seem to make a good warm at least, but it does effect the cardio compoent when you start to use the whole body to facilitate the motion of the ropes.

Feb. 8th. Rest day.

with gyms its atmosphere

Feb. 7th.

"Drive thy business or it will drive thee".

Ben Franklin.

WOD: Multi tasking specical

400 meter run

30 pullups with some assistance

30 back extentions

30 swings with 40# kettlebell

400 meter run

30 tire jumps

30 floor wipers with 95#barbell

30 deadlifts with 135#

400 meter run

30 dips

30 double unders

30 ball slams

400 meter run

time 25:13min.

Where ever you train, part of your physical progress is based in part on your suroundings, people and conditions. The lighting, paint colors, types of equimpent, the order they are located, music, type of people who you are with, space, the time you train and any one of a number of factors can make or break your fitness efforts. I have seen people train for months and years in one location, and then change to a diffent training area, and make big progress. What caused the change was change its self. If you are not making progress, then its time to make some kind of revision in your enviornment, the equipment your are using, or go at a different time an meet new people. Even just using a new kind of training equipment will have a positive impact on your progress. You can't get different results doing the same thing all the time.

a gut check.

Feb.6th wed.

" I have been taught to respect my elders, now I have reached the age where I have no one to respect. "
Geroge Burns

WOD
warmup with Liz one round.
100 abmats.
500 meters rowing.
50box jumps
500 meters rowing
50 pushups
500 meters rowing
100 swings 16kg kettlebell
500 meter rowing
100 abmats.
24min. That will keep your heart rate up

I have to advise a lady on fitness who is 88 years old and has never worked out prior. Is it too late? they tell me that its never too late to start to exercise, but talk about getting a late start!

Pullup and vote

Feb. 5th. tuesday:

" The great thing about democracy is that everyone get a chance to do something stupid."

Art Spander

WOD:

21 reps of dumbell one arm snatch.

21 L pullups x2

Did 30 minutes of alternating DB snatch with singles and doubles of the "L" pullup

My L pullups are getting better as long as I keep the reps low. I did 40 good L pullups in the session so that was not that bad.

Today is to vote for your next candidate to become president. Why anyone would want the job is beyond me! Failing economy and the "R" word, a war sucking the life out of all, terriorst still doing what they do best, loosing market share of our goods we make........do we make anything any more anyway? The goverment is split by red and blue attitude, and our so called boarders which people can freely get in to become citizens even though they broke the law by first coming here. Well, it our right to get your vote in so you can be happy or sad depending on the out come, but at least you gave your best shot.

Powerlifting for basic strength.

Feb 4th. Monday. Snowing temp 32.

"Power never takes a back step, only in the face of more power."

Malcolm X

WOD:

Back squats: sets of 3.

225# for sets of three.

Kettlebell training: 50 reps each hand do not set down only in real pain. 20Kg kettlebell for each exercise.

50 reps swing

50 reps snatch

50 reps front squat

50 reps cleans

50 reps push press.

The back squats reminded me of my powerlifting days, then I remembered why I got away from it. Mostly it was because of the supportive gear you have to wear in competition, I did not like for a number of reasons. The bench shirt made you look lame and I never got more than 20 extra pounds over raw out of them. The squat suit was a bitch to put on expecially around the legs. It would leave red broken blood vessels when it was removed. You could not breath when the straps were up. I would expend more energy putting on the gear then making the lift. You could only use them a few times and they became "training suits" at 100 dollars a pop, it become an expensive sport.

Yes, there is now "raw meets" if you want to compete without the fashion statement of Inzer gear, however it came too late for me as I was on to other things and no longer interested in competing. The justification for this "who-has-the-best-tailor gear usage, was safety. Now no one wants to do anything unsafe, do we? My experience show me that It was not any safer for the lifter, if anything, you lift weights, your structure my not be able to accomidate. thats all it was about; get the BIG numbers, no matter how lame you look on the lifting platform. If powerlifting is to get into the olympics, the supportive gear has to go. Anyway, everyone should who uses weights, should learn the many techniques of the squat, bench, and deadlift to enhance you basic strength.

Superbowl sunday

feb 3rd.

" Good-by, I am leaving because I am bored."

G. Saunders

WOD

4 mile walk- run with 35lb X-Vest on.

45 min.

I am sure glad I did not watch the whole superbowl game yesterday as I don't enjoy any event that has the excitement level of paint drying. Yes, Other than a few commercials, I could only last until haft time without falling asleep. I know this can't be, someone who does not like football on superbowel sunday! Well the young lad in the picture agrees..............

Loneness of long distance

Feb 2nd.
" we are made to persist, that is how we find out who we are."
Tobias Wolff


WOD 10K for time.
10, 000 meter on concept 2.
48: 20

I did the 10K session on the C2 rower as the landscape outside was inundated with an ice storm so footing was life theating. It worked out well as if I had run the 10k, my leg would have been beaten to shit, as it was in the past. Crossfit has made some new justification for the 10K workout, but it is a taxing session if you are not a seasoned runner of mile intervals as I believe it takes more than running sprints every so often to be able to run for 6 miles, and recover for the next day training. If I am going to run for 30 mins or more, I perfer X-country or trail runs, where there is favorable footing and less shock to the legs. I never was injured running on trails except for a twist or two but never layed up as I was running the track or roads.