Tough is good.

Down cycle this week on the swings to the 24 kg so I wanted to do some volume. Been feeling really good lately, really strong and my recovery is the best it's been in ages.Plus, I am right in the middle of my volume ramp up from the Sept cert peak and high workloads feel easy again.One of the reasons I hate(and always have) peaking is that the week before and a few weeks after you are really knocked back by adrenaline let down and you feel week and tired.
I used to compete so often as much to justify the time I wanted to train as much as to get to my goals,lol.
There was an interesting blog post recently about how western training methods do more harm than good to the average persons body and to a large extent I agree.So much of this damage comes from people who are looking for fitness training using sport as their method and not training for fitness. Too many people use sport as their method of training and this is where so many go wrong.Someone is out of shape and decides to take up: tennis, soccer, jogging, basketball ,etc to 'get back into shape'. Those are all sports which need very specifc training to being able to survive them, and even then the odd are against you.
I have always said: one trains for sport, you don't use sport to train.Usually its the weekend warriors that do nothing all week and then overload every system in their body with the pickup game or hard match.
Casastrophic injuries aside,successful athletes( with smart coaches) train for their sport using gradual and progressive training, cyclical ramp ups and a multitude of modalities for the training itself as well as the prehab and recovery of the bodies. Of course high level sport,whether one trains for it intelligently or not, places HUGE stresses on the body with big risks.One bad move and you're out.
And that's the price of admission and the cost of doing business.If your 'thing' is competition and being an athlete you suck it up and do what it necessary.But for the fitness minded person to take one small piece out of the athletes training puzzle almost never works out well. Especially if they are not built for that sport.
Now that I am an ex competitive athlete I am training for different goals than just increased performance and PR's and general toughing and increased work capacity are at the top of that list.While Joe and Jane weekend warrior are killing themselves with too much not often enough solid fitness training builds a bigger and wider foundational base all the time while occasionally stepping into a peak to asses where the training should go next.
" A back of iron and legs that never quit" is still the goal.
Most people though,imo, need to be tougher.It wasnt many years ago at all that life was infinitely more physical on every level.Just getting through the day made one stronger tougher and more fit than the average present day athlete.And of course it DID grind one up pretty quickly.
So many times being tough means doing LESS rather than more, if that what the body needs.Small systemic increases over time, and total body training done consistently is the ticket.Thats why I love the RKC system so much;it really builds you up more than it tears you down.The kb is so much more forgiving to the structure than the barbell,not only because the loads are lighter.
Running can be a great way to build leg and cardio endurance but its no where near a complete system. All the factors have to be taken into account and the program designed accordingly. Not many people want to think about their fitness training that much and that's where a good trainer comes in. As well as the kb. So much can be done in so few movements.

It used to be I would be able to do a tough workout but would be wrecked for days afterward. Now I can push myself more all the time and bounce right back. The workout has been over for a few hours now and I feel I can go back and do it again. This is good. Tough is good but it takes more than just a lot of work. It takes alot of smart work.


Kettlebell training will make you tough. Period.

Warmup: 15 min Z
One arm swings
16kgx10/10x2

24 kgx15/15 x 14 sets
x 15/15/10/10/5/5
x10/10
500 reps/ PR
26,500 lbs.

wow,that was very strong. the 15th set for 60 reps was solid and I probably should have just done the 80 to finish off the 500 but was being cautious.each rep had good speed and power to the end.excellent.

Torch press
3x 5,6,10 with one 10# cb
3x5,6,10 with one 15# cb
2x15 with two 10#cbs

Armcasts to flag
5x8 with two 10#cb
3x8 with one 15# cb
2x10 with two 10# cb


man these are the pefect finishers to the kbs/ they really open up whatever the kbs make tight.
great workout and already feel good. want to do more cb work tomorrow,really liking the behind the back work.

datsit, getting strong again.