Kettlebells, Sandbags, what next!

Aug. 1th.

"Sports is the toy department of human life. "

Howard Cosell

WO du jour:

bands and joint mobility warm up:

set timer for 25 min. continuous work

5 Sumo high pull deadlift with 100 lbs.

10 Dumbell snatches with 50 lbs

10 pullups

10 sandbag front squats.65lbs.

20 situps with bands resistance

50 battling ropes.

Not an easy session as it looks. something in the mix really sets you back.

I received my Josh Henkin sand bag today, filled it and used it in a training session. My first impression is that because it has various handles with a longer length then my home made version, I should be using it a lot more in the future.

Sand bag training is new to me, so now I can use my creative juices on this new toy like I have done with my other devises of suffering.

July 31th

"The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it."

Henry David Thoreau

WO du jour:

joint mobility warm up:

20 mile bike ride at race pace. Have to remember to drink more as I tend to focus on the task at hand. However the legs felt great and never slowed down. 24MPH average. last 10 miles.

Have a nice day suffering and remember the mission is sacred.

What to hell is EPOC?

July 30th.



WO at Gym Jones. tire drag is not as easy as it looks. takes the hamstrings to new levels of pain. You will not get his results on an eliptical trainer.















" Men talk of killing time, while time quietly kills them."
Dion Boucicault




WO du jour:
warm up with bands, joint mobility and SEAL Protocol 4 sets
set timer and barf pail. 5 sets AFAP
10 reps 250 lbs deadlift( powerclean speed)
20 reps 2-20kg kettlebell push press
30 reps 24kg kettlebell swings.
17:10 mins of fun. great session!


EPOC is short for "excess post exercise oxygen consumption".


what that means, is that when you exercise, and not jogging,treadmill or working with 5 lbs weights; we mean High intensity activity to all most physical failure. The body has to respond at the highest level it can. The short answer is you have some of the effects of conditioning remaining sometimes long after you stop, however only if the exercise is very intense!


From my own personal experience, when training for long distance events, my body was lean but not at all muscular. However, when I started using Kettlebells and crossfit exercise, my body fat level dropped to the single digits.
So you can waddle on a treadmill, lay on the mat and do Pilates for hours each week or play with plastic weights, but if you want to be fit, strong and have low body fat, you must train hard, fast, frequent, and intense!

have a great day suffering and remember the mission is sacred.

July: 29th.
WO du jour:
18 mile bike ride to get rid of stiffness.

What? another small box gym

July 28th.

More people today who want to train serious, are setting up home or "small box" gyms. Its the best thing I every did!

"Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken." Frank Herbert

WO du jour:

Bands and joint mobility warmup for 15 min.

1000 meters rowing

100 24 kg kettlebell snatch

100 burpees : boy does that suck.

100 24 kg kettlebell push press

100 battling rope swings with 2" rope.

100 abmats.

42:50 mins. You want to slow a workout down, just add a 100 burpees to the mix. Did use more weight for the snatches and push presses for that number of reps.

visited another local "small box" Private gym what is set up as a strongman-strength training area for a small number of members. All the members contributed to the equipment cache of weights. I know it has to be a good place to train, when I saw a row of kettlebells up to 100 lbs, heavy chains, 2 foot square chalk box and a big lifting platform.

Have a nice day suffering and remember the mission is sacred.

one more notch up

July 26th.

Does the calf raises make my butt look big?

"Life is like playing a violin solo in public and learning the instrument as one goes on. "

Samuel Butler

WO du jour:

warm up: bands and joint mobility. Instead of doing a light warm up, I will try to use the a SEAL protocol of: 20 pullups, 30 pushups, 40 situps, and 50 air squats full. I tried to do the 5 sets but 4 is all I can manage now with the increased pullups. It is diffidently harder than the 5,10,15,20 that has been the warm up in the past, so suck it up!

18 mile bike ride after the warm up. Nice morning for a good spin.

"Have a great day suffering and remember the mission is sacred."

don't forget the squats

July 24th.

" Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army."

Edward Everett

WO du Jour

bands warmup and joint mobility work.

30 min of the following without stopping:

5 pullups

10 2-16kg snatches

10 dive bomber pushups

15 SHOT situps

10 one leg squats ( I always try to avoid one leg squat work)

10 ring rowing

20 mile bike ride in the morning.

I don't really like the one leg squats as they do a number on my knees if I have been doing a lot of volume training. So I make it a plan to do a few sets every so often for concentration, balance and proper leg position.

Have a great day suffering and remember the mission is sacred.

Advanced age training.

July 23th.

This is a pic of Clarence Bass of "Ripped" fame. Looks the same the last 30 years.

"The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions."

Oliver Wendell Holmes

WO du jour:

Lots of joint mobility for the shoulders for the heavy pressing and squatting volume.

10 sets of BB squats of 10 reps. ( I can still walk so it more weight next time)

10 sets of 5 reps Kettlebells. 16kg to 36 kg jerks. ( new record for 36kg at 5 reps both arms)

Later in the day a bag workout and 100 situps with bands.

as you grow older you most maintain a aggressive program of metabolic and resistance exercise. As a matter of reference, I do more training volume now then I did in my 20's and 30's. But then again I have the time and the need.

Have a great day suffering and remember the mission is sacred.

Increase the juice with successful performance.

July 22nd.

This team is not successful and will need a gallon of juice to be successful.

"All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers."

Orison Swett Marden

WO du jour:

warmup: lots a bands and jump rope.

set gymboss at 30 sec. work and 30 sec. rest for H2H swings.

24kg kettlebell for 22 sets or 500 swings. ( record for me as a single set.)

I was watching a video on how testosterone is increased based on success in sport. They profiled a rugby team. As they played they tested there performance with the ups and down of their success. When they were winning the juice rose, when they lost their juice dropped. Makes sense to me!

Have a great day suffering and remember the mission is sacred.

kettlebell makeover

July 21Th.

taking the paint off the handles.

"Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate, now what's going to happen to us with both a House and a Senate? "
Will Rogers

WO du jour:

15 mile bike ride in the morning.

afternoon session:

10,9,8,7,6,5,4.......1 reps

2-40kg deadlifts

2-28 kg floor press

2-24kg long cycle.

21:18 not an easy session.

Still working on my Kettlebell "make over" project of taking the paint off the handles. It uncovers the imperfections of the castings that have been concealed with lots of paint. The paint will chip off if you use them enough and that makes for a bad handling to work with especially if you use lots of reps as kettlebells were designed to be used. You can retain the paint for appearance if you don't do a lot of reps or doubles. However, if you rep in the hundreds like you are expected to do, then the paint will look and fell like crap.

kettlebell long cycle tabata

July 20Th.


"Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you."


Carl Sandburg







WO du jour:


warmup: heavy bag, jump rope and stretch bands.





set Gymboss to 30 sec. work and 30 sec rest.


10 sets on rower keeping rate a 1: 50 or less.


28 sets if 20 kg. snatches. ( 400 snatches)


with this type of interval training you tend to keep your form throughout the session and even better toward the end. The volume on the snatches was a little higher than normal, but I seem to be adopting. Toward the end of the day you could tell I was spent a little more than my regulator sessions.

Kettlebells or Karbs

July 19th.

"She used to diet on any kind of food she could lay her hands on."

Arthur Baer

WO du jour:

28 mile bike ride: humid so I started early. hard pace and even manged to maintain 28-30MPH last 2 flat miles. (a far cry from a sprint in the tour de france today)

Later in the afternoon: "Pulling Grace" 30 reps 2-28 Kg. clean from floor and push press, and 1 weighted pullup.

I was watching the news the other night and they had some doctor on(their expert on all things medical) explaining the latest findings on which is more effective; eating low fat or low carb diet?

Well, we all know that the low fat diets have been discredited for a long time but this asshole had to add that the low carb diet works but so does low fat. He must be on the low fat diet, as he was thick and heavy looking for a spoke person for any diet. I love the media! Jerks.

Have a nice day suffering and remember this mission is sacred

Yesterday was easy.

July 17th

" All things are difficult before they are easy. "

Thomas Fuller

WO du jour:

warmup: jump rope, 5 light BB powercleans, 10 pullups, 15 situps with SHOT, 20 overhead stick squats, for 5 sets.

2mins work and 1 min. rest on the Gymboss:

2 sets on the battling ropes( makes your forearms explode)

7 sets of 16kg snatch( 45 reps per session or 300 reps)

Have a nice day suffering and remember the mission is sacred.

Basic deadlifting

July 16th.





" Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes."

Carl Jung

WO du jour:


10 100 meter sprints on track with some joint mobility. ( rt. calf is stiff but leg speed is very good)





Back at the barn:


5 warm up sets and the 5 sets of 5 barbell deadlifts with 1 min. rest between sets.



Have a nice day suffering and remember the mission is sacred.

Hard kettlebell day

july 15th

" If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.

George S. Patton

WO du jour:
18 mile bike ride the morning.

Afternoon session:
30 mins session of the following
5 reps l/R swing with 28kg kettlebell
5 reps l /R clean with 32kg kettlebell
5 reps l/R pushpress with 16 kg kettlebell
5 reps l/R snatch with 24kg. kettlebell
5 reps l/R racked lunge with 16kg kettlebell
10 rounds completed. or 500 reps give or take a couple

fight stress

July14Th

"God will never give you anything you can't handle, so don't stress.

Kelly Clarkson

WO du jour:

warm up with 1-10 kettlebell swing with 24kg, and burpies. New time of 4:39

4 rounds

20 reps of get up sit ups with 2-10 kg kettlebell

20 reps of front squat with 2-14kg kettlebells

20 reps of 24kg snatch kettlebell

20 reps of 2-16kg kettlebell long cycle

20 reps of pull up with small bad assist.

29:44 time.

Stress is a fight or flight mechanism by dumping a bunch of the hormone cortisol into your system. The hormone response is to motivate you to action. However, if you don't move you sit on your ass like a race car ravining an engine full power, is never good. Now if you have induced stress while the body is motion such as exercise no matter how intense, it will strengthen you instead of depleting you.

Have a nice day suffering and remember the mission is sacred.

functional or non functional

July 11th.

" Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude."

Ralph Marsh

WO du jour:

bands and joint mobility warmup:

100 ab wheel rollers

100 Kettlebell clean and squat.

300 16kg kettlebell snatches

100 16kg kettlebells seated presses.

The fitness buss word as of a few years has been Functional exercise. What is non functional exercise? I believe that the proponents of what is called the functional exercise movement have incorporated any method or equipment that will make your fitness goals and tried to market it as if it was new and more effective than anything else. So depending on what methods you use or teach, you can really call it functional exercise.

I call it Applied fitness as you can use thing to advance you fitness attributes by utilizing all types of equipment or implements without limitations. Resistance is resistance, weather its a stone a keg, sand bag or a 2,000 dollar Olympic set. Metabolic conditioning can be done with body weight exercise, hitting the bags, running, rowing or high rep weight exercise.

The biggest farce is when you try to build a complete fitness system out of one tool. You see example every day on TV with those stupid info commercials spieling some ab machine, push up gadget, or some DVD cardio boxing. Even some Kettlebell people try to do the same thing as though if you use something other than a kettlebell you will not be as effective. Use the same tool or equipment every day for three months and see if you want to continue for another 3 months.

July 10th.

"All life is an experiment."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

WO du jour:

warmup: joint mobility

on the track for 12 times 200 yard sprints.

50 swings after each double 200 run. (300 swings)

Have a great day suffering and remember the mission is sacred

kettlebell, barbell and what ever.

july 9th.



"Men have become tools of their tools."

Henry David Thoreau







WO du jour: warmup with "Cindy over weight" 25# X-vest, for 5 sets of 5 pullups,10 pushups,15 situps,20 squats.


15 mile bike ride.



Later in the day: 10 sets of 5 reps of barbell deadlifts
10 sets of 5 28kg kettlebell press.

I have not used my X-vest that often but it is a great way to increase the resistance without excess stress on the limbs when holding or carrying weight. I remember watching this dude years ago running with a brick in each hand to improve his running. The whole concept is flawed at best for many reasons.

Yesterday when listening to the radio, the latest on the economy is that gym memberships have dropped 20 percent this year for the first time ever. The gym business was almost recession proof even in bad years, but this is becoming a different animal. Try to reduce you gasoline consumption in you car for 5 gals. each month and you can still have your gym membership.

adopt what is useful

July 8
" use what is useful and discard the rest"
Bruce Lee











WO du jour: Morning:


15 mile bike ride at a good pace. At one point I was at 32MPH on a flat section just to get a very small sample of what it is like to ride a race pace for the Tour de France. If feels good for a few minutes, but it don't take long to realize that you would not like to live in that world. The guys in the Tour are gifted athletics regardless of you interest in bicycling. We as a nation should be doing better bicycling than we do, as we purchase the most bicycles in this country than any other in the world.

30 min Kettlebell class later in the morning.



I was reading a blog the other day someone trashing Crossfit. Sometime ago I read something about a female Master of sport in Kettlebell not looking "fit". You hear people all the time trashing someone Else's fitness methods and most of it is either, lack of knowledge, arrogance, or money. My philosophy is that all systems work for at least a short period, at a modest level. You can become fit, just running, biking, spinning, step aerobics, crossfit, even bowflex. However, you have to decide where you reside in the fitness food chain and what level you want to get to.


Finding the perfect fitness program is a life time of trial and mostly error. There are old tried and true methods like basic weigh lifting, running, body weight, or you can try the many new systems and equipment that comes out daily to add to your personal program. I suggest that you try different systems and retain what elements you found successful in your quest to become all you can be and don't use the rest. Bruce Lee when he as alive, would train using many different exercise modes made up of old and new methods. He was successful because he never stop trying to be the best and used anything that would advance his progress.


To be a detractor of a system or the people who promote it, does a disservice to or county which is in such pitiful condition. Even with all the gyms, YMCAs, crossfit boxes, running clubs, tri clubs, spas, that we seem to have more that enought facilities and methods, but don't really use them to the fullest or we would not be getting fatter as a nation. We need some serious help here! concentrate you criticism on the people who don't try anything to get fit and content to gorge themselves with food, drink, drugs and hedonistic living.

Have a nice day suffering and remember the mission is sacred

a day of continous suffering.

July 7th.



"All the people like us are we, and everyone else is they."








WO du jour:

warmup:
10 swings with 20 kg and 1 burpie
10 swings with 20 kg and 2 burpie
10 kettlebell swings and 3 burpies
10 kettlebell swings and 4 burpies
10 kettlebell swings and 5 burpies
10 kettlebell swings and 6 burpies
10 kettlebell swings and 7 burpies
10 kettlebell swings and 8 burpies
10 kettlebell swings and 9 burpies
10 kettlebell swings and 10 burpies

5 min. 9 sec. ( I have to move my ass more on the burpies to get below the 5 min.)

five rounds of 500 meters rowing and 60 16kg Kettlebell snatches

300 snatches and 2500 meters rowing total.





Later in the day for some deadlifting: 5 sets of 5 with 300lbs.

I did a long motorcycle ride in the mountain country yesterday for over a 100 miles. We had no stops so it was a continuous ride on very rural roads that required total concentration. Non motorcycle rider don't understand the physical effect on your body and mind riding a motorcycle just because you are sitting on your ass. The next time you have an opportunity to talk to a world class motocross rider, he or she will most lightly tell you of the stress of the riding on your body and the exercise required to survive the races. Most world class motorcycle riders have very low body fat levels, great flexibility, functional strength and reflexes.

Have a great day suffering and remember the mission is sacred.

the tour de france is on.

July 5th.

" I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
Michael Jordan

WO du jour:

19 mile bike ride. good pace and steady at that. I remembered the guys who are in the Tour DE France today and the suffering they are going through, and mine is nothing. Time to remember to use some serious watts applied to the paddles and stop the spinning without pain. I have no intention of going long distance of that level or close, as it is counter productive for total fitness.

Second session:

warm up with 30 reps of light barbell clean and jerk from floor.

2-kettlebell clean and jerk(28kg) from floor on each rep.

1 pullup after each clean an jerk.

fit to fight.

July 4th

"We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.

Winston Churchill

WO du jour: borrowed from Jersey Kettlebell who are doing "gods work" with kettlebells. I thank them for a fine suffering session.

"Lucky seven"

for time AFAP with 20 Kg kettlebell 7 reps each hand and 7 rounds.

Kettlebell swings

burpies

Kettlebell snatch

kettlebell cleans

Kettlebell thrusters

Kettlebell renegade row

20# wall ball

34 mins 20 sec.

I saw a news clip on how the military is have difficulty acquiring new recruits to fill the ranks. It appears that it not that the military is not attracting people, and with the economy heading down the tubes it gets better. The problem they are having is there entry fitness. What a big surprise that is! Haft the kids today are walking around today as though they are going into sumo wrestling. Beyond that the general fitness level has declined steady for the last two decades so the military has to spend a lot more time just to bring the recruits up just so they can pass the entry fitness test. So if the new recruits don't shed the MTV attitude, they are not going to make it.

This year the Marine Corps, increasing the fitness testing based on the demands on our troops operating in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Marines will be adding more functional movements, speed, agility, and accuracy to the battery of fitness testing that has been lacking in the past. A more realistic assessment and something they should have been doing all along.

Have a great day suffering and remember the mission is sacred.

kettlebell speed can be too fast sometimes.

July 3rd

the picture of a "small box" personal gym is very similar to mine in terms of equipment and size. All the basics you will ever need to train. No waiting for some "Mullet" to get his lazy ass off the equipment so you can move on. Its a small world but a effective one.

Don't worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you will have to ram them down their throats. "

Howard Aiken

WO du jour:

warm up Joint mobility and light Kettlebell stretching. Jump rope to bring heart rate up. 50 yard sprinting. one leg squat singles.

Set Gymboss timer to 2 min. work, 1 min rest;

kettlebell snatch: 5 sets with 16 kg. at a slow but good form.

get up sit up with 10kg kettlebell 3 sets

light bar back squat, sots press, overhead squat. 3 sets

35 min. session.

Concentrated on form for the snatches with a hold at top, the sit ups for improving the TGU.

To improve shoulder range of motion, I took a solid bar, place it behind the neck with snatch grip wide, full squat, press up the bar in the full squat position like the Sots press, then finish with an overhead squat. That exercise under a heavy load has got to be one hell of a effective movement, if you survive.

I was watching some Kettlebell trainers working out on one of the U-tubes. I was surprised to see that their form was not that polished as they tried to get out a lot of reps. It all most like they were doing a incomplete snatches and not locking in the shoulder joint. In competition, most would barely pass but maybe it was just to get the work capacity up at any cost. A well trained kettlebell person can get away with a shorten snatch at high speed when their shoulders are well trained. However, If a beginner trying this, they may experience some unwanted injured.

Have a great day suffering and remember the mission is sacred.

seated Kettlebell press???

July 2nd.

This is an example of the type of exercise you get in "big box gym" Yes, and lots of people suck this type of exercise up.........for what?




"Laziness may appear attractive, but work give satisfaction."
Anne Frank.


WO du jour:
warmup: lot of joint mobility which needs some improvement,
5pullups
20 get up situps with 8kg kettlebell
20 boot strappers with 8kg Kettlebell
4 sets.




Regular deadlift: 135-350 for doubles.
Chair Kettlebell press with double kettlebell: 12kg to 24 kg. sets of three.

The deadlifts were easy but no need to push to almost failure, when I have not done heavy deads for some time.
The chair press is new as I don't like doing exercise "open chain" that much. well it good to do some strict pressing and it is also one of four events in GIREVOY sport competition. When you max out, you have not a single inch more to move weight.next step is to work up the reps for the 10 min cycle.


Bike ride late in the morning: 15 miles

Have a great day suffering and remember the mission is sacred