March 30th.

Mr. Bass has a company called "Ripped" I wonder how he came up with that name.?

WO du jour: Warmup with bands and joint mobility.
4 sets AFAP
10 pullups
20 pushups
30 Abmats
40 squats
11:02

rest 5 min.
21,18,9 reps AFAP
SHDL- barbell 80#
Push press -barbell 80#

3:02 (fasted time yet)

Workout with my old crew.

March29th.






Nothing fancy, just hard work,solid crew and basic tools.

WO du jour: bands, Indian clubs and burpee pull ups warm up

GS snatch: 16kg 12 mins shifting hands every min. well over 20 reps as I was averaging 20 min. every hand shift and still maintain good form. no shit reps . I was easy for some reason as I was expecting to slow down at 6 min or more but I was steady just like the first set.

Push jerks: sets of 3 with 32 and 36kg about 10 sets.

Worked out with my old training partners. It was a great session especially when the bullshitting stops. there is nothing like working in a small box with serious trainers.

march 28th. sat.






No support today, just a training ride.

" Here is the test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: if you're alive, it isn't. Richard Bach

WO du jour:
Well its Saturday and it time to ride with the club. Rode with a small non competitive group to get my legs back to the level of stress of a longer ride at a faster pace, on a moderately hilly coarse. My decision to keep it low key was right as it was stressful enough at the modest rate we were going. We did 30 miles so it was just right for a good session in my current bike condition. However, I have to spend more time when I do bike to push a higher gear and spend more time on aggressiveness on hills. You see, in biking there is an unwritten law that the leader is to be taking down like some combat mission......second place is the first looser~! I have to work my way back to the "pack dogs" and earn my place.

Look Ma, I can do a handstand!

March 27th.

A hand stand is tought enough, but did you have to make us look bad too!

WO du jour:

bands, Indian clubs and light kettlebell warm up.

Kettlebell press combo: 3 presses, 6 push press, and 9 push jerks without setting the kettlebell down. 1 min rest between sets

2-12kg. 1 set

2-16kg 2 sets

2-20 kg 4 sets

2-24 kg 2 sets

100 2-16kg box squat thrusters( box squat to a 12" box and press of weight)

That was fun. my legs had no trouble with the weight but pressing would take its toll if I used 20kg. after 25 reps your ready to stop after 75 you wonder if you will ever get your breath back. That's what it is all about.

Afternoon bike ride. 18 miles at fair pace. Not bad after all those thrusters.

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

Looks like a fun workout

March 26th.



5 sets 3,2,1, GO! Remember thoses step are not the normal 7.5" so what you footing.

"The days you work are the best days."
Georgia O'Keeffe



WO du jour:
morning: joint mobility
10 min session on the tai bag hands and kicks.

AFAP-3 sets
20 box jumps 18"
20 deadlifts at 185lbs
11:02
100 abmats for cool down.
was going for four sets but my back was pumped from doing the light sets of deadlifts too fast. However after doing a 100 abmats every thing was back to normal. However it was really a great workout and will get the 4th or even a 5 set next time, so I will not do the deadlift too fast.

Just a bike ride

March 25th.





Classic track bike









WO du jour: rest day.

18 mile bike ride and my MT bike as one of my road bikes had a flat time and did not want to change it there.

increase time interval.

March 24th.

WO du jour:

warmup: indian clubs and bands.

3:30 min each set on each arm

12kg push jerk R/L

12 kg snatch 70 reps per arm

12 kg LC 8 reps per min.


20 kg 8 sets of 10 reps


added 30 sec. to each interval but was not real diffence in preceived exsertion.

use them for paper weights

march 23rd.

Man up and use real kettlebells...shame on you!

WO du jour:

warmup: bands, indian clubs, and last but not least 100 freaking wall balls! 4:10 min. time.

Kettlebell push jerks 1-2 reps followed by 1 rep weighed pulls

12kgs 2 sets

16kg 2 sets

20kg. 2 sets

24kg 2 sets

28kg. 4 sets

32 kg 2 sets

36kg 1 set

short bike ride; very cold for some reason.

Heavier kettlebells shorter cycle

March 21. Sat.

This is the great John Grimick performing a side press. Yes, this was a lift back in the day. As you can see John "core" is well developed. He did not get his abs by doing crunches on a rubber ball.

All men profess honesty as long as they can. To believe all men honest would be folly. To believe none so is something worse.

John Quincy Adams

WO du jour: warm up with bands and light kettlebells.

1 min each arm

16kg push jerk

16kg snatch

16kg long cycle (6min total in 2 min. rest)

20kg push jerk

20 kg. snatch

20 kg long cycle (6 min total and 2 min rest)

20 kg. cleans for 2 min.

20 kg long cycle for 2 min.

2-16kg. long cycle for 2 min.

weighted pull ups and chin ups with 25lbs. sets of 10 sets if 2

very good session. I am moving up in weight to get more strength capacity with heavier bells to prepare for this summer cert for the AKC .

bottoms up pressing

March 19th.



Strongman John Brookfield of Battling ropes fame, performing a bottoms up press.
















Action is at bottom a swinging and flailing of the arms to regain one's balance and keep afloat. Eric Hoffer



WO du jour:
Warm up with Indian clubs, bands and side swings. Joint mobility for arms and back.


3 min each arm and 2 min rest.

12 kg. bottoms up long cycle:
What a bitch for 3 min, I was in such pain, I forgot to count the rep rate. It was slow. form is good but I never did more than 5-10 reps in a set before.

16kg Snatch: it was OK but my grip was fried from the bottoms up. well over a hundred reps.

16 kg long cycle: that was actually present


Battling ropes 2" : 30 sec. on 30 sec. rest for 8 sets.
Grip was complete trashed after that routine.





March 18th

I never did find out how they got on the old "bone shakers"



WO du jour:
20 mile bike ride on rail trail. Its like a time trial as you don't every coast for the 20 miles. great ride but its early.
75 min.

Happy st. Pats day.

march 17th.

"Don't let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was."
-Richard L. Evans

WO du jour: "Murph" Well its St.Patrict's Day.
1mile run: felt good to run again, felt that one out to check out the legs. '
100 pullup: that sucked
200 pushups: not too bad.
300 Squats: that was ok
Imile run: that was a little slow I guess from all the squats.

37 min. The time sucked as it was the first time I did that WOD complete so I have a time to go by the next time. I know I can knock that down.







Afternoon: 30sec per hand for 10 mins.



16kg kettlebell snatch: 18 reps per min.( not a fast pace but non stop)

What no plazma TV ?

March 14th.


This is a 1920's YMCA gym. Note the Indian clubs, battling ropes, rings, pull up bars. Just like my "Small Box" has.






WO du jour:
Indian club warmup:
5 rounds of the following sets
25 reps of 2-32kg kettlbells deadlifts (125 deadlifts)
40 pushups (200 pushups
25 reps of 2-16kg kettlbell side swings.(125 swings)
50 abmat situps (250 situps)
18;18 min.


there was a fellow blogger who pass on a TV news clip showing this bozo espousing how he was "the foremost expert kettlbell master. He was showing us poor technique using his "manly kettlebell of 20 lbs and his girl friend with a 5 lb kettlebell for her exercise.(I have never seen a 5 lb kettlebell) He claimed that with his "special workout in 6 week you will be transformed into a movie star. He even said he trains a lot of A list hollwood types. I said this a long time ago, when kettlbells got the public attention, all the so called experts will come out to the woodwork, and the stupid public will fall for their line of shit. Excuse me while I puke.


March 13th.

" Many people lose their tempers merely from seeing you keep yours. "
-Frank Moore Colby



WO du jour:
10 sets each arm 1 min LCCJ with 20kg kettlebell.
10 sets of five reps of Kipping pullups
10 sets of five reps dips

Anger has been in the news as of late with angry people taking out their frustrations out on their fellow citizens. The incidents of mass murder seems to be increasing all over the world like madness is some illness that we can contract just by walking around. Most people can redirect their tempers by pursuing positive outlets, like religion, friends, hobbies and other diversions that keeps anger on the back burner instead of the forefront. There is nothing like a good crossfit session to suppress any anger you have built up.

You need more that running.

March 12th.

How about a coat of paint guys!

I believe that the Good Lord gave us a finite number of heartbeats and I'm damned if I'm going to use up mine running up and down a street.
-Neil Armstrong

WO du jour:

Bands and Indian club warmup:

Morning session.

Reg. barbell deadlift: 10 sets of 5 up to 285lbs.

2-20kg. box squat thruster with press. 10 sets of 5 reps.

No rest between sets just to change weight.

My deadlifting was great, and will keep increasing the weight.

Afternoon.

Jump rope warm up

Level 15 GS form.

14kg push press 3 min each arm.

16kg snatch 3 min each arm or 100 reps each arm. 200 reps total

16 kg long cycle 3 min each arm.

Adjusting to work capacity so its time to increase weight

I got a blog today from a trainer who was promoting kettlebells and the Copper institute in Texas. Now the Cooper institute has been around for along time certifying personal trainers, founded by Dr. Cooper who coined the term "aerobics" I believe. Dr. Cooper first believed that all you need to be fit is run, jog, bike, row at a moderate heart rate for long training periods for cardiac health and weight control; O yes play on the large rubber ball. It ironic to me to see a hardcore aerobics person using a training tool that is the complete opposite to what they usually promote......who knows, they may have got some religion.

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

Squat we must.

march 10th.

This is Charkarov squating 270kg "ass to grass". A classic pic of a back squat. No raps, No belt, No problem.

WO du jour:

Morning: Joint mobility for legs and back warm up.

Box jumps: 18" 50 reps

Kettlebell step up on 18" box 2-16kg kettlebells in rack position. 10 sets of 5reps

Sand bag Zercher squats 10-20-30 reps (stop at bottom)

Afternoon:

3 min each hand cycle in GS form. Level 17

16kg cleans

16kg snatch

12kg bottoms up long cycle( what a bitch)

5 min. fig 8 and hold movement.

I use box step up basically for biking strength building. Box height is a above knee level for higher flexion. The high rep sand bag squats are for work capacity as the weight is not that heavy.

Keep peace in the family.

March 9th.


Kettlebells are for lifting and getting fit, not for fighting over.

Peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.

Ronald Reagan





WO du jour:

Morning: Bands warmup, 100 abmats


50 burpees and pullups


One arm barbell dead lifts. 95lbs to 195 lbs. I tried 200 but only got the Right hand. It was not my grip that gave out, but a pain in forearm extensors. That's why you have to do unilateral movements more often.

afternoon:

Warmup with indian clubs

12 sets of 20 kg kettlebell Push jerks for 1 min each set. 8-10 reps per set.




I get a blog today that had a response to one kettlebell organization pitted against another. This is happening too often and if it keeps up it will be the down fall of a great method of fitness that has come along in years. Mostly it about money and market share, but it makes news as there are but a few big players that has manged to make a full time profession of kettlebell fitness.

No one has a complete system as of yet and its appears to be evolving each day as more people of all backgrounds experiment with kettlebells and its applications. However, too many learn enough to be dangerous and start their own business when they are nothing more than amateur's themselves. If you are good and have you shit together in regards to getting the average person to convert successfully to kettlebell fitness, weather hard of soft styles, then you don't have to worry about the competition.



march 8th.

WO du jour:

48 mile bike ride at easy pace. Yes, there is nothing like getting back in the saddle and out in the fresh air. Legs felt good until the last 5 miles. Not accustomed to the long workout. Mostly ran out of body fuel as I only had a Zone bar.

Have bike, will travel

March 7th.


Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.
-Jim Ryun






WO du jour:

20 mile bike ride. Weather was in the 60's, what a great ride with all the winter we have had. Now I have to pick up the pace gradually.

Later in the day:

2'45" min each set in GS style.
14kg push press at 8reps a min.
16kg snatch ( got 50 reps per arm without change for the first time)
20kg haft snatch
good 20 min. session

bullet proofing

March 6th

You may not be able to stop a bullet if you are fit, but a kick to the head maybe.

"I've always been really athletic, which really helped, because when I first started doing the training for Bulletproof Monk, it required so much strength that if I didn't have a base I don't really know what I would have done."

Jaime King





WO du jour:

warmup on heavy bag, bands and indian clubs.

Do "Jackie"

1000 meters rowing

50 2x12 kg kettlebell thrusters

30 pull ups

10:40. as always the pull ups suck

Bullet proofing your body is much about addressing all aspects; strength, endurance, speed, etc all the true attributes of fitness. This is not easily said than accomplished, when you have to understand how to train to what you need and how much so you don't bury your self. You could spend all day in the pursuit of getting the body that works for you, but like most, time is rare therefore you must find the optimal tools and

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

snatch VO2

March 4th.

Russian gym;note the metals on the wall. What no treadmills?

WO du jour:

warm up: bands and Indian clubs

15 sec work 15 sec rest. snatch in GS form. no Hitler snatches!

30 sets or 150 reps with 20 kgs.

5 sets of 24kg. haft snatch for 1 min each set.

It was a little slow delivery but weight was not an issue. form was not as good as with 16kg.

Have a great suffering and remember the mission is sacred.

Double session:

March 3

Tom doing some metcon with battling ropes

WO du jour:

moring session: "barbra"

20 pullups

30 pushups

40 abmats

50 air squats

after noon session:

10 sets of 28kg press with a 5 sec. hold at top of the lift.

this is harder than performing the press at lifting speed.

Snow day workouts

March 2nd

Picture of a obstacle coarse back during the WWII. It would be difficult by today's standards requiring a lot of upper body strength. However it was very creative at very least.

" If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.
-Anne Dudley Bradstreet

WO du Jour:

warm up with bands.
GS session level 13
2:45 min.each arm with 1 min. rest.
16kg push press at 8 reps per min. 5 min total
16kg snatch 50 reps per arm 5min. total
16kg LC 15 reps per min. 5 min total
good session arms felt strong especially the snatches.

Second session:

Rowing and burpees

100 meters rowing and 5 burpees
200 meters rowing and 10 burpees
300 meters rowing and 15 burpees
400 meters rowing and 20 burpees
300 meters rowing and 15 burpees
200 meters rowing and 10 burpees
100 meters rowing and 5 burpees.

It was a bad day as it was a late winter snow fall when the day before there was none on the ground. I had plans to take a bike ride but with 7" of snow that was not in the cards. So it was rowing and burpees as a backup.

Training at the Jersey shore

March 1st.

Mike Stehle and Jim Milkowski of Crossfit Jersey Shore gave a first class workshop yesterday!

For the last couple of years I have been stealing some of the WOD's at the Crossfit Jersey Shore web site. It's not that I can't come up with my own or get them from the Crossfit Central web site, it mainly because Mike and Jim use a training strategy I have embraced myself. The fusion of crossfit, kettlebells, body weight and other functional equipment, executed in random and internal form is the most effective fitness method on the market today. So when I saw a workshop was being held, I signed up the day it was offered so I was assured a slot.

A lot of training material was covered in the workshop starting with kettlebells, then the use of body weight exercises, and all the functional training equipment which I call "my toys" . We also did a couple of good WOD sessions in crossfit fusion to give the attendees a flavor of what its like to do a effective training session. Mike and Jim double teamed the group session going through their methods of training clients so they can transition their level of fitness from beginning to advanced.

Well it was a long day of exercise, as you don't normally get the opportunity to workout for 7 hours, so it was great. Mike and Jim was able to keep everyones enthusiasm up throughout the day. Each workshop participant received a work book of all the techniques presented that day and lots of training routines or WOD for the crossfit crowd. This is a great value, so now I don't have to steal WOD's any more.

Crossfit Jersey Shore, has a good location, well equipped for all types of training, and a progressive training program. Thanks guys for a great day and continued success.

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