2/23/08: Heavy Day

Feel like I am fighting a bit of a cold or something. Took plenty of vitamin C today.

Warmup w/35lb KB

• 3 Turkish Getups ea. side
• 10 slingshots ea. direction
• 10 figure 8 slingshots with a hold

Enter The Kettlebell Heavy Day Routine w/ 62lb KB

• 5 ladders of 5 rungs ea. = 75 presses ea. arm = total 150 Presses
  Note: I skipped the rows today since I was pressed for time.
  Today was the first time I did 5 rung ladders with a 62lb KB. I felt stronger than I expected.
• 4 minutes of swings: 25 swings minimum with 5 seconds rest maximum
  25/25/25/100: total = 175 swings
  Note: First time I ever did 100 consecutive swings and with a 62 lb kb. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it could be, tough but not too tough.

Cool Down

• Getup Situps w/35lb KB (a.k.a. 1/2 Turkish Getups): 5 ea. side
• 10 Figure 8 Slingshots w/ hold
• 10 Ab wheels from standing position

Notes:

• Although I feel a little under the weather todays workout went great and I felt very strong both during and after the workout.
• I am still taping my right hand, using "Tough Skin" to coat the blister on my palm and wearing lifting gloves until my torn palm heals.

02/22/08

Yesterday, I took my variety day off. Today, none of my KB partners showed up (again). I will save my Heavy Day workout for tomorrow and I'm considering holding off on the presses until my palm blisters heal. Today I wanted to make up for missing yesterday and take it easy because my hands are still healing, so I intentionally selected leg and core exercises while avoiding overhead pressing that would aggravate my torn up palms.

WEIGHT VEST
The following exercises were performed while wearing a 20lb weighted vest.

ABS w/35lb Kettlebell & weigthed vest

• Around the waist slingshots
• Figure 8 slingshots
• Around the legs slingshots
• Figure 8 slingshots with a hold

LEGS: I Alternated sets of quad and hamstring exercises.
10 sets of at least 10 reps. Each time I returned to the same muscle group I varied the
exercise, I listed the performed variations below:

Quad Exercises with weigthed vest: Performed 10 sets moving randomly between the following

• 10 Double Suitcase Deadlifts with single 45lb KB in ea. hand
• 10 Double Suitcase Deadlifts with two KBs in ea. hand (45lb & 20lb
  kbs)
• 10 Double Suitcase Deadlifts with two KBs in ea. hand (45lb & 35lb
  kbs)
• 10 Tactical Lunges using one 50lb KB

Hamstring Exercises: performed 10 sets moving randomly between the
following

• 50 Swings (50lb KB)
• 10 Double Swings (2 45lb KBs)
• 50 Alternating Swings (50lb KB)
• 10 Single Leg Squats a.k.a. "Pistols"

More abdominal exercises: minimum of 10-15 reps ea.

• Center pushups balancing on upside down 35lb KB
• Side crunch to overhead press with 35lb KBs
• 50 yd. Bear walking with 45lb KBs
• Overhead pulling situps with 35lb KB
• Slow Twisting situps with 35lb KB
• 15 reps of Ab Wheel from standing position
• Situps with 35lb KB

2/20/08

My hands are still torn up today. I taped them and wore lifting gloves.
3 workout partners did not show up today due to sub-zero weather. The combination of sore hands and no partners made today tough, but I at least completed the prescribed Enter the Kettlebell workout. It's probably a good thing to let my torn hands rest a bit.


TKD Warmup (35lb KB )

• 20 Slingshots
• 20 figure-8 slingshots
• 30 swings
• 20 tactical lunges

ENTER THE KETTLEBELL WORKOUT (62lb KB)

• 5 ladders x 4 rungs of Clean & Press AND high pulls = 100 C&P & 100 pulls
  Note: One more rep was added to each ladder today. The 4th rep of each ladder was particularly tough to press. I took lots of rest between ladders (4-5 minutes) and was able to complete all reps.
  
• 8 minutes of Swings / 250 reps

2/18/08

5:45am
Taekwondo warmup:
Swings, cleans, and walking lunges

Taekwondo cooldown
20 sec. renegade rows alternating with 20 sec. swings
walking presses

8:30 AM
Slingshots with hold
Go Fit Circuit 1
Go Fit Circuit 2

"Enter The Kettlebell" Light Day
Snatches: 40lb KB 5 minutes 20/20, 15/15, 12/12
Clean & Press: 5 3rung ladders with 62lb KB

Slingshots with a hold 35lb KB
Janda situps with bungie cord
Ab wheel from standing position
Ab wheel from kneeling position
Oblique crunch to punch with 35lb KB

Hands got really torn up today during snatches. I was overgripping on the drop phase. I taped up my hands and continued with clean & presses... I quickly learned how to adjust my drip on the drop phase so that or no pressure was exerted against the pads of my knuckles or palms of my hands. I probably would not have learned this technique if my hands had not been so painfully blistered. Now I have all week to heal before I need to perform the snatches again so I'm confident I'll be ready to for more snatches in 7 days with even better technique.

2/16/08

TEST DAY
The last times I tested myself I score 44 snatches with a 54lb KB. That was 8 reps short of the RKC minimum.

Warm-up with light Kettbell (35lb)

• Pumps
• Halos
• Getups
• Clean & Presses

Snatch Test
The goal for a 165lb man is to snatch a 24kg Kettlbell 52 times without rest. I am allowed to switch hands once without setting the Kettlebell down. My cousin John worked out with me and counted my reps.

• 24kg/ 54 lb Kettlebell: 26 snatches with each arm.
  Total = 52 Snatches!
  I've hit my "numbers" nearly 4-months before the RKC certification!
  I was tired. My grip was shaky but I felt surprised that I had so much energy left. I decided to do it again with a heavier weight.
• 32kg / 70lb Kettlebell: 15 snatches with each arm, no rest, switch hands only once. Total = 30 snatches with a 70lb KB!

Cool Down

• Walking Presses with 50lb KBs
• Walking with Cleaned 50lb KBs in the rack position.

2/15/2007

Workout with Cousin John

Warm-up

• Figure-eights with a hold 30x (35lb KB)
• 20-seconds of Jump Rope, 10 seconds rest, 20-seconds of swings OR figure-eights with hold (8x) (35lb KB)
• Figure-eights (70lb KB)
• Pumps 10x (50lb KB)
• Turkish Getups 3x ea. side (50lb KB)

"Enter The Kettlebell" - Heavy Day Routine 64lb Kettlebell

• Clean & press followed by High Pulls: 5 ladders of 3 rungs ea. for a total of 30 reps each arm
• Roll The Dice "7": Seven minutes of swings with 64lb KB... 50 swings, 10sec rest, repeat... Total = 250 swings.
  Although exhausted, I felt remarkably well rested within a few minutes. Ready for more.
• 15 situps with KB
• Half-Getups 3 each side
• Upside Down Pushups on KB

Thursday Feb. 14th

Variety Day (optional)
11:00 AM
Note: Very easy pace. Taking it easy in preparation for the heaviest day:Friday.

All Exercises performed with a 70lb Kettlebell

• 20 pumps
• 3 Turkish Getups ea. side (left side shakey @ top)
• 5 presses ea. side
• 30 Figure 8 between the leg passes
• 20 Alternating Cleans
• 25 Swings
• Situps
• 4 Janda Situps
• Oblique Situps

Wed Feb 13th

5:30 AM
KB warmup in Taekwondo class: Half-Getups, Swings, Walking Tactical Lunges, Slingshots

6:30 AM
Weight Training with Dave. Dave is an experience lifter, he has agreed to show me basic free wt lifts that will help prepare me for the Snatch test and RKC challenge.
Techniques he showed me:

• Deadlift w/bar,


• Deadlift with Dumbells


• Bench Press w/Dumbells


• Military Press


• Incline Press (several different grips w/ various wrist rotations


• Front Shoulder Raises


• Lateral Raises


• Lat front pull downs


• Seated Rows

These will be arranged in one of two orders and performed over 1 or 2 days on variety days. I will shoot for sets of 15 reps.

8:00 AM
KB training with Allison:
Go Fit DVD Circuit 2 1x (35lb KB)
XTreme KB DVD: "Leg Burner" routine (35lb KB)
Jump Rope then Swings: 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest... repeat 16 times.

9:00 AM
ENTER THE KETTLEBEL training with cousin John
ETK MEDIUM DAY w/62lb Kettlebell

• 30 clean & lifts each arm.


• 30 pulls each arm.


• 30 seconds of various slingshots as active rest


• 10 minutes of Medium Intensity swings: 25 reps minimum with 10 seconds rest maximum. 225 swings.
  


• 50 yard Overhead Walk with 2 50lb KBs


• 50 yard walk with KBs in clean/rack position


• 50 yard walk with KBs in farmer's carry

Tuesday Feb 12th

Light/Variety Day (54lb KB)
Approximately 10 minutes work

• Pumps
• Half-Getups: UP & hold for 30 seconds crunching abs the entire time
• Swings
• Windmills
• Slingshots: around the leg & figure eights
• Tactical Lunges
• Overhead Hold 30 seconds ea. arm
• Situps with KB: Crushing KB with hamstrings to butt
• 10 minutes in the hottub :)

Monday Feb 11th

5:30 AM
Included Kettlebell exercises into Taekwondo class warmup

• Swings
• Cleans
• Tactical Lunges
• Travelling Swings
• Snatches
• Slingshots
• Carrying KB overhead the length of the court & back

8:00 AM
KB Training with Allison
Performed the following "Extreme Kettlebell" DVD Routines with 35lb KB

• "The Manmaker"
• "Upper Body Blast"

9:00 AM
KB Training with Aaron
Performed Enter the Kettlebell "Light Day" training with a 58lb KB

• Clean & Press: 5x 3-rung ladders = 30 c&p with each arm
• Snatches: 9 minutes. 10 reps ea. arm with up to 60 sec. rest before next set.
  I completed 5 sets of 10 snatches ea. arm for a total of 100 snatches with 58lb KB
• TABATA's
  20 seconds of Swings with 58lb KB,
  10 sec rest,
  20 sec of Renegade rows with 50lb KBs,
  10 sec rest,
  repeat 8 times (8 minutes)