Zercher squats for GS kettlebell sport.

Dec 27th.

today's training:

warm up: bands, pulleys, Indian clubs and jump rope.

Zercher Squats: WTF, 2"fat bar with 100lbs for 2 reps full range for 12 sets with 30 sec. rest.

3x6min long cycle 12kg sets for speed. 7-8 reps per min.

10 mile bike ride: it was a warm day for a change.

Zercher Squats were the brain child of powerlifter Ed Zercher, who in the 1930's had no rack to perform squats but come up with a lift that you could take a heavy weight from the floor and perform a squat using you body as a stand.What a concept! So we have come long way in making it easy to perform back or front squats, but we are not that functional to move a weight out of comfort zone and perform exercise. Anyway as an supportive exercise for GS sport, Zercher squats are a must.

Dec. 26th.

Today's training:

2 mile easy run:

40 pull ups

100 pushups

200 situps

300 squats

no time today.

Dec 25th Marry Christmas!

Pray for our troops in harm way.

training today: yes it never stops.

5k run walk/run in the morning. (got to get back to running 5k' s this spring.)

I just finished Mike Mahlers's "collision Course" seminar tape. Well as always, Mike presents a great workshop with lots of great presenters to make it a well rounded sampling of how fitness needs to be enacted. Mike always gives you your money's worth when it come to his seminars or training materials.

The kettlebell business is now filled with a lot of amateurs and people back biting their competition, but Mike Mahler has always distanced himself from the debates and presented himself as a pratical alternative to the current wave of dissent.

Having trained in many of the big names in the Kettlebell business, Mike is one of my favorites to follow.

Kettlebell "Linda" can be a bad lady.

Dec.24th.

Training today:
warm up with stretch bands, and Indian clubs. De load back as there is a lot of back work.

Kettlebell Crossfit "Linda" Oh no not that again!
10,9,87,6,5,4,3,2,1, reps on each AFAP.

2-40kg kettlebell deadlift( was not my 1.5% but I have not been training heavy in weeks.)
2-20kg kettlebell floor press: shoulder sore form Tues. so back off a little.
2-20 kg cleans: that was good but not that easy.
16;56 not a bad time but is was still challenging.

I like using kettlebells most of the time as our friend Jeff Martone does with his Crossfit combo using kettlebells. When the lift can be done at a higher resistant like the front or back squat, or the deadlift, there is little sense in using kettlebells for those applications, that are too light or can be done better with barbells or dumbells.

Now if you look at my Linda crossfit WOD, I have to be lifting more than 280lbs on the deadlift so my biggest two kettlebells are 175lbs if I use 2 bells, so Ireally need to use a barbell or if I want to add some real stress, or I can use 135 lb dumbells. I have done this once, but using the larger dumbells to replace the barbell is much difficult. That my opinion!

As for the the bench press, I don't do benching anymore as it cause so much damage to my shoulders when I competed in powerlifting that I prefer floor press that puts me in a favorable shoulder extention and less flexion. Also I don't like to being in a physical position of submission.

a Kettlebell clean, with two bells which can exceed my capacity to clean two bells. At this time I am looking at max lift of 2-28kg as my bench mark on the cleans.

latter in the day was a 3 mile walk/run.

have a great holiday and remember the mission is sacred.

Kettlebells and walking

Dec. 22,2009

Training today:
500 air squats for time; 13 min. I wanted to work up to a 1000 with a bench mark of 30 min or less. It looks do able so I will try it by the end of the week.

went for a 3 mile walk /run(very cold) to remove some of the stiffness, which was not that bad.
later in the day did a warmup with stretch bands and side swings.

12 min long cycle with 16kg. lost count but over 120 reps.



There is a fitness program that the fire service and other organizations are promoting, which is a "10,000 steps" walking fitness workout. The basic idea is to progressively get so you can walk about a 10k per day walking steady. Now this is a very achievable goal for anyone who whats to loose weight without a lot of complicated training like myself and other do, but it freaking works! I have a good friend that is a career fireman who after 12 years on the job got overweight and wanted to change but did not like to workout that much. A common response. I told him that to just start by getting his IPOD and walk at least 30 min each day.

Well he liked it so much he is at 6 miles a day after three months and lost 20 lbs. After one year of this his weight is down 35 lbs and is now on dumbells and kettlebells to get some strength back he has lost over the years.

My friend will never be a gym rat like myself, but he has found a simple system that works for him, likes to do consistently, effective, and little complications. you can't beat that!

New ropes arrived.

Dec. 12th.

Today's training:



warm up: 2 mile walk run, Indian clubs, joint mobility.
DB squat cleans: 50 reps with 35lbs dumbbells
KB long cycle: 16kgs 50 reps in 2 sets



Battling ropes: 6 times 1 min work with 2 ropes.



The training today was for work capacity. My long cycle is getting better at the rack and clean, but the recovery and push jerk is not there yet.



Today, I got the new battling ropes from Punch Gym company. The 1.5" ropes was a great price and shipping was free.Also the order came in three days. Punch Gym has a great program and lots of great old style equipment, all American made. Punch's originator has a innovative fitness programs with all the kettlebell services.

Best cyclist kettlebell exercise

dec. 9th.

Yes, this is an electirc bike. However, you only get 28miles on a charge at 15miles per hour. That not "green" enough.

Training:

warmup: Battling ropes for 6 min.one handed.

C2 rowing; 30sec. work 30sec. rest for 12 sets

5 sets of 20 reps of heavy side swings with 2-24kg kettlebell.

50 reps of long cycle with 16kg kettlebells

Today I was thinking if you were a bicyclist in the winter and wanted a exercise that gave you metabolic and resistance activation, plus if you have limited time to train, then kettlebell burpees is the ticket. The body weight burpees or the prison exercise is well known, is a real killer exercise that produces results, assuming you can get you head into it so you can do 50-100 reps in one set. Now add my favorite tool the kettlebell with the burpee, is got to smoke the fittest of the gene pool.

When on a bike, you need good core or TVA stabilization, so you don't put too much weight on the hands and therefore fatigue the shoulders and upper back muscles. So if you have a good exercise that works the stabilization of the TVA and at the same time provide high grade metabolic activation, the burpee-kettlebell high pull will do it all for you.

I saw a picture of one young lady doing a similar exercise with a single small kettlebell, which can be hazardous as you become fatigued and loose your balance when the push up is performed on the handle. Since this is a high speed ballistic exercise, you should use two kettlebells so you don't break a couple of fingers with a small foot print.

The exercise goes like this: start with 2 moderate weight kettlebells on floor so it does not become a deadlift. Squat down and grab the handles in a pronated position(better stabilization) and thrust the legs to full extension(TVA activation). Do a good push up off the handles and return to a squatting position. from the squat, pull the two kettlebells quickly up to shoulder height upward and slightly back. return the kettlebell back to the floor for rep one.

you have to pace your self as you will get gassed quickly depending on speed and weigh used. Anyway don't look at your heart rate monitor as there will be some ugly numbers. As a kettlebell lifter, I use the clean at the top instead of the high pull that way if I need a little rest its done standing with kettlebell in the rack postion.

you never have enough rope

Dec. 8th. Tues.

You never have enough rope

Training sessions:


morning: 2 mile walk


Crossfit "Cindy" plus


5 pull ups (90 pull ups)


10 ring push ups (180 push ups)


15 jumping squats. (270 squats)


18: 48 or 18 sets Note I was going for 20 min. but got a cramp in my pecks so I stopped.





Battling Ropes: 6 mins using 1.5" rope at one arm at a time.





afternoon:


Kettlebell snatch 16kg 8 mins. @ 16reps per min.(2 mins. on 1 min rest)





I had a 20' length of 1.5" to try at a higher rate of oscillation than the 2". My 50 set from Punch Gym should come soon so my crew can try more techniques. The smaller rope does move a lot faster and you also fatigue a lot faster also, therefore we should get better results. Also I like the idea that you can cool down as well as warm up from a hard session using Kettlebells.

Back home

Dec 7th. Pearl harbor day.

Let us not for get.

Today's training:

Warm up: Stretch bands, Indian clubs.

400 meter rowing then 20 push ups

400 meter rowing then 20 pull ups

400 meter rowing then 20 squats

400 meter rowing then 20 DB side swings

400 meter rowing then 20 box jumps

400 meter rowing then 20 sit ups

21 min. time

Second training session ;

BATTLING ROPES SESSION

1min. work, 1min.rest.

8 sets with higher cycling of ropes

Kettlebell press: 10 sets of 10 reps, 20kg

I decided that since I have not used the ropes in several Weeks I noticed that the 2" heavy ropes are a little too slow for the right activation. Therefore I will purchase 1.5" size that will allow for rapid movement. When I get them, I will picture the difference.