Wednesday, June 29, 2005

two a days

Did two pretty decent workouts today. The first at Girya Kettlebell Bootcamp in the park! Took Monicas class and threw around the one pood for a solid half hour nonstop. havent dont that since Mikes swing madness. Then I taught the next class for 20 minutes and we did tons more swings! Light stuff feels so nice.

1 pm
swing flip squats( suprisingly tired from this am!)
36x10x2
53x10x8 sets this wasnt grueling but it was hard. short rests/sets. squat position feels great. very balanced between left and right legs

windmills
36x5+5x5 just form work. right shoulder hasnt been liking these lately.With the arm out to the side and not overhead it feels good. Its just the corkscrew ending that is hard to keep my traps down.

bottoms up cleans
36x5+5
53x5+5x2

had to stop for work.

not bad .

Passive vs. Active Flexibility: Kettlebells, Strength, Fitness, Martial Arts

Passive vs. Active Flexibility: Kettlebells, Strength, Fitness, Martial Arts

Passive Vs. Active Stretching.

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Girevik Magazine

Girevik Magazine

One of Pavels first interviews. great stuff!

The SEAL Quest ~ Ultimate BUD/S Preparation

The SEAL Quest ~ Ultimate BUD/S Preparation

This is well worth looking over again.

Diet, Weight Loss, Exercise, Fitness: What lean people are doing to get that way�the procedural consensus (Dorian Yates' secret!)

Diet, Weight Loss, Exercise, Fitness: What lean people are doing to get that way�the procedural consensus (Dorian Yates' secret!)

Want to get lean? Really lean? Here is the secret truth about how to do it. Masterfully explained again by Marty Gallagher.

Slingshots and pommel horse circles

I've really enjoyed Jeff Martones H2H drill DVD. Something has drawn me to these drills and I assumed it was their gymnastics like nature of fairly complicated hand changes under load.Kind of like high bar and parallel bars.KB swings to me seem to be the polar opposite of gymnastics,mechanically.

In gymnastics you swing around your hands and the apparatus is grounded. With KBs the apparatus swings around you.Your body becomes the apparatus and the kb becomes the gymnast!trippy.


But doing slingshot around the body passes today I realized that they are the KB equivilant of pommel horse circles. Once I saw Jeff do it with such momentum( and I've recovered the shoudler flexibility) it feels remarkably similar to circles!Much like doing circles on one pommel, behind the back. not easy stuff!


Plus you can swing in the oppsite direction, something you never do in gymnastics.
side horse is the only gymnastics event thats main swing motion is in the transverse plane.the higher you keep your hips during circles the better.Like swinging the kb further away from you in the slingshot with a fast momentum. way cool ;}
Figure eights, slingshots and flips are changing the way I think aobut KB again. excellent.

Monday, June 27, 2005

Simplicity

Solo training again today and I got to train early as well. That is always a big thrill for me as I normally have to train after a full days work, pretty beat up. Training first thing is the best. I make my best gains if I get to train first. You give it your freshest energy and first priority.

I have to learn to experiment and play again in the gym, against the backdrop of simple exercises and a linear progression! LOL!! Two fish in opposite directions, thats me.
My snatch form has to reflect that. My DARCs are so good I need to get that into the snatch pull.

one arm swing warmup: committed to FULLY warming up before pushing it, no matter HOW long it takes..

36x12+12x3

snatch( ALL sets start with right arm)
36x8+8x2
36x12+12
44x6+6

53x6+6 using a steve cotter style hip throw it off then overhead in vertical pull
53x8+8 ragged, trying to hold static at top on right arm.
53x10+10 better push hips back AS I flip the wrist.keep bell in CLOSE on descent.
53x12+12
havent done THIS in awhile. its tough! snatches are tough!its not a swing and its MORE than a swing. the shoulder stability thing is huge.
72 reps

53x6+6
53x7+7
53x8+8
42 reps

total=114 got to keep track of volume again.training really is, as Louie says, math and physics. Oh, and Will.

one arm swing
53x10+10
72x8+8x3 this was stronger but still feeling formidable. Have to get stronger! more intention!work towards some numbers.

one kb front squat
53x5+5x3
72x3+3x2 not bad at all! stronger and deeper than last time I did them.

great workout. Simplicity is great. Simple and hard.

Saturday, June 25, 2005

Clean and press

Shoulder was messed up all night. Teres and pecs were tight like they havent been in months. Spent mucho time hanging and stretching and thumping . Didnt even know if I could get my arm over my head this morning but it worked out fine.

Slingshot and figure eights warmup.

these are great now that I know how to do them right!
26 for three sets, ots fo reps.
36 for two sets excellent warm ups. these are in the routine now.

clean and push press
36x5+5x2
44x5+5x2 shoulder is tight but warming up
53x5+5x3 sets. slow rythym

cleans
72x5+5x3 sets. love these.

kb lunges( left leg has has farmers rack, right leg has chest rack)
36x8+8
53x8+8 x 3sets

H2H flips
5 minutes with 26. technique work. really getting the groove.

datsit.great workout. shoulder much better.

Friday, June 24, 2005

Windmills

Feel the need to get back to a more linear system. Its the powerlifter in me. I've drifted away from my rep goal training and can feel the difference.Pick some specific lifts and go from specific goals in them.

You are either getting stronger or getting weaker. I think maintenance might be a lie.Of course at my age going backwards slowly is actually going forwards ;}

Windmills
18x5+5 going to warm these up very slowly as a stretch.
26x5+5
36x5+5 touching on the right side every rep now!
44x5+5 have to REALLY rotate the right arm back, almost like a bent press concept.Cant just hold it statically. Rotate back as I lean into it.
53x5+5 have to keep the reps up on these. will probably do eights eventually.

DARCS
44x40
53x50 these feel good.
72x40 Man! these were actually ROOTING me for the first time.
72x30
72x30 pure legs and hips for me. love it.

bottoms up cleans
36x5+5
53x5+5
72x3+3
72x3+3 these were solid!

arm bars
53x5+5x3 sets.


need to do these more regularly.

dats it more tomorrow am.

Monday, June 20, 2005

solo training

Havent trained by myself in some time. I used to train solo all the time.Its harder and easier at the same time. Getting past inertia is definitely harder by yourself. There is no one there pushing you forward and getting started is tough. yet once I get going it is easeir. I only have to listen to my body and feel my own rythyms. I can train totally at my own pace,changing on the fly without having to discuss or explain things.

Workouts tend to be shorter, too.

swing/snatch
36x5 swings and 5 snatches per arm x 2
53x5+5 tweaked my right bicep/forearm on the first set. dammit. not bad but irritating.
53x5+5 x7 sets. arm is ok but I hate this injury. Didnt warm up enough. Most of my workout should be warmup it seems. :((

H2H flips
36# kb x20 two hand 360 deg flips x 2
36x10 flips per hand x2
36x10 flips per hand then 20 two handed flips

these are fun but I am worried about the biceps

windmills
36x4+4 x2 man these are tough after snatches
44x4+4
44x5+5x3 these are always a challenge for me.even when they go well.

kb front squat
36x8+8
44x6+6
53x6+6x2 sets not bad. started slowly but warmed up well. legs need these.

bosu ball squats 20 reps easy

bosu bal pistols : well well well. I almost did a pistol with my right leg and can see that I will be able to do so.at least on a bosu. AND I TRIED ONE WITH MY LEFT LEG holding on for balance. this is the first time I have even tried it and it went fairly well. Who knows. anothe KB WTF effect.

Farmers walk
(2) 53's x 2 laps

ice and emu for the arm now.

Sunday, June 19, 2005


This could be my favorite gymnastics photo of me.University of Iowa, 1977. Posted by Hello

Saturday, June 18, 2005

Lots of KB stuff

Went according to the new template today and started with swings. Used a two kb swing, something I have never liked before.

2 kb swing(parallel hands)
26'sx15
35'sx15x5 sets. 1 min/sets. much better with the parallel hand position, dont have to stand so wide.

bottoms up cleans
36x5+5
44x5+5
53x5+5
72x3+3 not bad at alll! these are getting easier
72x5+5 PR! nice.
72x5+5

two kb bottoms up cleans
26x5 cool move!
36x5 this is fun
44x3 getting tougher
53x3! ( after five tries or more)

kb press
44x5+5
53x3+3
72x3+3x2 went up well.
53x5+5 slow negs

DARC swing
44x40 ( inner thighs started to cramp) backed off.

very happy with todays volume,especially right after yesterdays work. feel good.

Here's what turned out to be my best stance and bar position Posted by Hello

1994 AAU Cal State squat championships. I ended up with 529 at 181. Posted by Hello

Friday, June 17, 2005

KB Basics

I think its a good idea to start each workout with some type of swing for awhile. I need to get this done much better. I can do it but I am not STRONG in it.And it is the basis for all the dynamic kb movements, the root. I have to get better rooted and swings are going to help that.

I also am going to take a hard style approach to it, going for multiple sets of lower reps and using compensatory acceleration. One, I much prefer training this way. It's much akin to powerlifting, especially the WSB approach with box squat doubles done for 12 sets with 45 sec rest /sets.Chains and bands accomodate resistance and you push as hard as you can as long as you can. Overloads the entire movement, much like kettlebell swings.

AS long as you are not coming off the ground you can apply force and overload the body.

Two, I despise doing low intensity high reps sets where the mental focus is putting out as LITTLE energy as possible. Just aint me. Too intense for that. I can do a hundred sets of ten but dont make me do 100 reps at once.

two hand swings and H2H between 20 and 30 reps and one arm swings 10-15 each side( consistent energy range between 40 and 60 seconds. Lactic acid system. done for multiple sets. 85-90 percent recovery between sets.

today:

one arm swing
36x12+12x2
53x10+10x3 sets/ really reaching back and snapping hips hard.
72x8+8
72x9+9
72x10+10 this was REALLY hard. max effort each rep.

360 deg swing flips/two hand
36x20 I love these
53x15
53x20 man the hands get off if they get tired!
53x20
53x20 Its wierd. I can do sets of 20-30 in H2H movements easy but in full swings they KILL!

windmills
36x5+5 first sets on right side were full to the ground. getting consistent good starts now
53x5+5x2 these are getting solid.

kb lunges, low rack
36x8+8
53x8+8x3 gots to do those legs now. these felt good. needed to get back to the low rack for glutes and lower my center of mass.

kb walk.low rack
53x2 laps have to do these too,even if I dont do much. they always help leg strength..

the key to strength is effort it seems. more than anything.maximum effort.

Help for Windmill problems: Kettlebells, Strength, Fitness, Martial Arts

Help for Windmill problems: Kettlebells, Strength, Fitness, Martial Arts

Perfect remedial drills and setup for windmills by Prof Maxwell.

Thursday, June 16, 2005

IRON, from Details Magazine

IRON, from Details Magazine

Henry Rollins.Love this guy, he is intense and smart.

Quads and leg balance

Can't believe how much better my walk is after ONE day of training my legs again with some static work. If I just swing or wide stance squat my hammies get too tight, pulls my pelvis under and my gait suffers. With quad and hip flexor strength my postural balance is much better( hips OVER my feet) lumbar curve is better and knee hurts less.

Amazing too how only one workout, good or bad can so seriously influence my body structure and hence, my pain levels.

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

The basic two arm swing

Feel like my cardio is down even though I did the 80 rep DARC's last week.So back to basics with the two arm swing, my weakest exercise of all the swings. Especially done Hard Style.LOVE to train my weakness, yessiree.

Two hand swing

36x30
44x20 really reaching back and throwing the weight behind me.
53x20
53x25
53x25
53x25 MAN these are really hard done with the long ROM and max explosion as long as possible. I'm good til about twenty reps , max effort explosions then it just DIES!!!

twenty reps is about 40 seconds which is my best time range rep wise.

72x10
72x12
72x15 I need more of these.

swing, flip squats
44x7 man the knees are stiff!
53x7
53x8
53x9
53x10 now they are opening up.

72x3 wow. the timing is much different with this
72x5
72x5 much better. these are fun!

kb front squat( havent trained any direct legs in awhile. they are feeling weak.
36x5+5
53x5+5x2 decent depth ,close stance


bosu ball front squat
36x5+5x2 these are fun too.

datsit

Monday, June 13, 2005

Fatigue training

What I mean is training when I am fatigued. Today was not great. Trained at the studio to see whether we could attract any sidewalk traffic to come in a see what kb's are but it just wasnt good.

I am there too long to train there, I need a change of scenery. Too much like working.

swing snatch
36x10+10x2( 5 swings/ 5 snatches per arm)
44x8+8x2

53x10+10 just cannot drive my hips as long as I need to when I snatch as compared to when I swing. more hip drive/longer.

63x6+6 x3 YES! a perfect weight for me right now. heavy enough to command serious attention but NOT the two pood which currently not a good weight for me
damn new coating on the handle though- I freakin HATE it. got to get some sandpaper.need a 28 kg at Stones gym/.
53x10+10x4 sets not hard but I can feel the missed saturday workouts and the long work days.

feel tight and weak.

one arm swings
72x8+8x2
6+6 this was ok but hips are shot and weak.technique good though.

windmills
36x5+5x2
53x5+5 not bad. its all about balancing the right shoulder in the socket as I bend or my right side balance dissapears.

bent press
36x 3x3 left arm one inch from a full bent press. I am getting this( unfortunately only on my left side)

bent press static holds
36x5x3 right side. this was actually getting better..

datsit. I'm beat

Friday, June 10, 2005

The Two Pood.

The two pood kettlebell is a thick, imposing beast. It just sits there, looking very different from the 53 pounder; like heavyweight powerlifter looking at a runner. Knowing how much bigger and stronger he is without having to say it.

I love when I get to throw it around. As I keep getting lighter it seems to get bigger every week so it's important I do something with it to stay close.

Too tired to do any endurance today I pressed. Havent pressed anything really in a month. Shoulders are feeling good. A coincidence?

bottoms up press
26x5+5
36x3+3 both shoulders actually feel okay.
44x1+1 yes!
53x1+1!!!! PR! excellent. good control. the fact that my shoulders didnt hurt as I pressed helped.
53xX+X a couple attempts each side but loosing it midway. tigher LATS.
53x1+1!!went up SO EASY. hit a groove and it popped!used my whole body but these are SOOOO tough. have to be tight all over
44x2+2 PR this was strong

regular clean/press
44x5+5
53x5+5 easy
72x3+3! not bad although right arm is loosing it if its the second arm on the last rep.
72x3+2 right arm
72x3+3 man these are tough after the bottoms ups too.

one arm cleans
53x8+8
72x5+5x3 these were strong. short rest/sets

kb arm bar
44x5+5
53x5+5
72x3+3 this is a pr too. strong day for feeling so tired :]]

H2Hflips
under and over flips with 1 pood. Inside the gym so I had to make them! love this stuff. ten minutes. used the 44 for the first time

farmers walk
36 and 44 in rack and farmers combo walks . 20o feet repeats. three times. these are really helping my gate and my shoulder. have to do them fresh one day.

datsit.

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

DARC's

Really tired and sore. didnt know what to expect.

windmills
36x5+5x2
44x5+5x2gonna do these almost everyday.

DARC swings44x30
53x30
53x40
53x60
53x80 NICE! Hit my next number fairly easily. hadnt really planned on it either.
Conciously slowed my breathing down very early and breathed through the mouth not the nose from the start.

Overhead lunges
36x5+5 each hand x 4 sets. these are WEAK.

Havent done them for awhile.Going to start doing only left leg forward and changing the kb into alternate hands. works the weak left leg, stretches the tight right leg and strengthens the weak right shoulder.we'll see, lol.....


bosu ball lungesbodyweight 5 minutes.

KB correcting

I think it is Com Jeff Martone who is credited with the idea of a ‘self correcting” exercise. If not my apologies. Basically learn to do it right fast or suffer the consequences.After years of trying to balance my body via micro managing it with variations on isolation exercises;even the “functional” ones on balls and boards, it seems this “body as a unit” thing really works. And has very deep applications. The late, great Dr Mel Siff told me the body knows movements, not muscles, and training hasn’t been the same since for me. After seeing what it is doing to me and my clients I believe there might be a “kettlebell correcting” effect, especially for the deconditioned population , although it is certainly not limited to that at all. As they will build you up if you are thin and slim you down if you are heavy I think the basic kb movments create a unique balance in the body as they require that you move from such a balanced position of power. The body knows how to use the right muscles if you give it the right movements.

It was great torturing you guys this weekend: Kettlebells, Strength, Fitness, Martial Arts

It was great torturing you guys this weekend: Kettlebells, Strength, Fitness, Martial Arts

This is what separates great instructors from most of the poseurs out there.You cant lead someone to a place you've never been before.

Monday, June 06, 2005

Sleep is good.

Slept 12 hours straight Saturday night, which must be some kind of recent record for me in the last 15 years. Didnt do shit Sunday either except rest, in the classic sense. I needed it but man do I get stiff if I miss a day of stretching things out. Waaaay too stiff. Pathetic.

Swing/Snatch
one swing, one snatch. great drill for reinforcing the hip snap for the snatch.

26x10+10
36x8+8
44x5+5

53x4+4 ( 4 swings alternating with 4 snatches, each arm)
53x5+5
53x6+6(22 reps each side, not bad)
53x7+7 I LOVE this drill The snatches were positively easy when I actually remembered to swing!

windmills
36x6+6x2 best right had start EVER. Have to keep the bell over my shoulder perfectly as I lean. My shoulder stability is worse than I thought yet better than ever! LOL!!
44x6+6
44x7+7 I need to do some higher reps on these.
53x5+5 strong,touching each rep each side.
53x6+6
53x7+7 great! very happy here.

bottoms up cleans
36x5+5
44x5+5
53x5+5 have to clean IN towards midline of the body to really nail the lat into these. big cue.love these too.
72x3+3 YES! solid
72x4+3
72x3+3

Bent press static holds
doing these as a lat and hip developer.

53x5x5. right arm only. getting better.

out of time but have to do a demo tomorrow at Girya so it will be good to save some energy

BW= 164.6
BF=12.5%

datsit.

Saturday, June 04, 2005

Girya Strength first demo and open house.

We had 15 people or so show up this morning for our first open house/demo at Girya Palo Alto. I had no real idea of what to expect and was very pleased at the turnout. A combination of new people from the ad, current clients, old clients as well as old friends. Got to work with a number of very diverse people and expose them to kettlebells and to my friend the swing.

People were shocked at how much worked it produced in their bodies as well as how much fun it was. I was also impressed and amazed at the power of the KB at how quickly the average person could learn how to do a decent swing.

I am also starting to rethink my idea of starting people witha very light KB. If its too light they cant swing it very well as the downward force isnt great enough. Having to do this so quickly certainly isnt ideal but I gets you down to brass tacks pretty fast!

Very interesting to watch peoples ability to use their hips and how greatly it varied.

the moves that got shown were:

two arm swing
one arm swing
cleans
presses
windmills
arm bar


transfers happened very naturally when you told people to do the other arm. so add that one in.

Seven basic moves. for everyone.

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Discipline

It seems to me that progress in training, or in life for that matter, comes down to one thing: can you make yourself do something you don't want to do.

If you can than you can accomplish pretty much anything you choose. If you can't, then virtually nothing. Because sooner or later you're going to run into something that REQUIRES you do something you find unpleasant, painful or just plain hard.And if you can' t then everything stops there.

more swings with Mike

Another fun wednesday with mutant mike.

Windmills
18x5+5
26x5+5
36x5+5 Might actually be figuring this side out.
44x5+5x2 grease the groove.

swing,flip squats
36x5
44x7

53x10+10!! woo hoo! these were actually easy. most I have ever done was 6x10. squats were deep as well. almost ready for the two pood here.

Crescent swings
36x 5 minutes then I cut my foot! Going barefoot in the grass has its disadvantages. no biggie.Probably better to do these at girya on the mats.

datsit.

205, 215, 217.5,205 x 1 x 6, 190 x 1 x 3, laterals, rear delts bw pushups

 Well this went great. not perfect but the basic premise worked and I'm happy. I was not optimistic at all about this at all given recen...