Edge11 Workout Log

E11 k-bells [#00042] Kettlebell Sport (LCC&J & Jump Squats)

2009-03-02T11:00:00.000-08:00

We are into the last 3 days of training now so its getting down to the wire. At this point I am always a little nervous about doing too much, but also don't want to loose my feel so I am also aware that I need to do a little bit of work...

Kettlebell Sport

LCC&J @ 2x 24kg's

-4 mins @ 7 rpm (28 reps)

-6 mins @ 6 rpm (36 reps)

*Both sets felt decent today, plus I is just amazing how much slower 6 rpm feels after hitting a set at 7 rpm, even under fatigue. It's a great mind trick!

Jump Squats @ 170#

-3x 50 reps w/ 60 seconds recovery b/w rounds

*And another day is in the books, we are getting down to the wire now...

E11 k-bells [#00041] Kettlebell Sport (LCC&J, Swings & 1 Arm Jerks)

2009-02-28T15:40:00.000-08:00

Training is winding down now. All that's left is to stay healthy and keep a feel for the movement and the k-bells...

Kettlebell Sport

LCC&J @ 2x 24kg's

-6 minutes @ 6 rpm (36 reps)

1 Arm Swings & 1 Arm Jerks @ 32kg's

1x 4 minute round without setting the bell down of:

1.] 30x Swings

2.] 30x Swings

3.] 12x Jerks

4.] 12x Jerks

*Just a short workout today, feeling pretty good at the moment. Just want to get on that platform and do it now...

E11 k-bells [#00040] Kettlebell Sport (LCC&J-PR!)

2009-02-26T14:48:00.000-08:00

Big day today! I decided to test myself today. Its just over a week until the Arnold and I wanted to see where I'm at at this point...

Kettlebell Sport

LCC&J @ 2x 24kg's

-10 minutes @ 6 rpm (60 reps, PR! And enough reps to unofficially give me the WKC rank IV!)

*The set felt Ok on the whole, but not the best i've ever performed. I still have a small tear on my hand which I was worried about, but I managed to escape unscathed thankfully. The Jerk feels effortless after using the 32kg bell so I just have to refine my clean over the next couple of days and then I'm good to go! If I can repeat this performance on the 7th i'll be happy and any additional reps will be a bonus...

Jump Squats @ 165#

-3x 50 reps w/ 60 recovery b/w rounds.

E11 k-bells [#00039] Kettlebell Sport (1 Arm Jerks, WM's & GUSU's)

2009-02-24T11:04:00.000-08:00

I decided to just hit jerks today. My hands are ok after yesterday, but I want to make sure I give then sufficient recovery so that I don't suffer any further tears this close to the Arnold meet. Kind of a conditioning day today...

Kettlebell Sport

1 Arm Jerks @ 32kg's

5x 2 minute w/ 1 hand switch. Rest 60 seconds b/w rounds.

1.] 12/12 reps

2.] 12/12

3.] 12/12

4.] 12/12

5.] 12/12

Total reps in 10 minutes of work - 120.

High Windmills

-5/5 reps @ 8kg's

-5/5 reps @ 12kg's

-5/5 reps @ 16kg's

-5/5 reps @ 24kg's

1 Arm Get-Up Sit-Ups

-5/5 @ 16kg's

-5/5 @ 24kg's

Elliptical (L8) Tabata's (4 minutes - 20sec:10sec)

*This was pretty comfortable, but got the heart rate up...

E11 k-bells [#00038] Kettlebell Sport (LCC&J & Jump Squats)

2009-02-23T10:52:00.000-08:00

Back on track today! My hand finally healed so I decided today was d-day for LC. My goal was to hit 6 minutes @ 7 rpm and based on how it felt decided whether I would train this pace up to the Arnold or drop back to 6 rpm.

Kettlebell Sport

LCC&J @ 2x 24kg's

-6 minutes @ 7 rpm (42 reps, PR for this duration!)

*I reverted back to my old technique on the clean and rack position today and everything clicked right back into place. I was foolish to try and make changes this close to a meet, I won't make that mistake again! It scared the crap out of me, I thought I was going backwards for a while there. After today my confidence is back and I know I can hit my primary goals in Columbus. However, even though I was successful at 7 rpm to 6 minutes today I have decided to drop back and focus on 6 rpm for the meet. 7 rpm is a hellashious pace and I don't want to risk burning out before I hit the 59 reps I need for my ranking.

LCC&J @ 2x 24kg's

-5 minutes @ 6 rpm (30 reps)

*This pace feels so much better for me! Even though I was pretty fatigued from my first set I was able to move through this one smoothly so I'm happy again. I think 70 reps is a good goal for me for LC, but with the injuries and setbacks that have slowed my progress this goal proved a little beyond my reach at the moment. 59 reps is all that really matters right now and thats my focus for the next 2 weeks...

Jump Squats @ 155#

-3x 50 reps w/ 60 sec recovery b/w rounds

*Meant to go with 165# today, but got distracted and forgot to put the 5's on the bar. Next time...

E11 k-bells [#00037] Kettlebell Sport (Jerks,1 Arm Swings,GUSU & Jump Squats)

2009-02-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

My hands were still a little tender today and I have a slight tear on my right palm so no LC or cleans today. Feel like I need to be hitting LC more often than I am, but I can't risk my hand health this close to the meet so I'll lay off for a couple of days...

Kettlebell Sport

Jerk @ 2x 24kg's

-6 minutes @ 8 rpm (48 reps)

*Nothing feels great right now, but at least I hit my goal on this set and it is actually a 6 minutes PR for me on the Jerk.

1 Arm Swings @ 32kg's

3 rounds of 2 minutes w/ 1 hand switch, resting 60sec b/w rounds.

1.] 30/30 reps

2.] 30/30 reps

3.] 30/30 reps

*This was my first time swinging for time with the 32kg bell, but it felt comfortable. I think this is a lift I need to include more often and build on.

1 Arm Get-Up Sit-Ups

3 rounds:

-5/5 reps @ 16kg/35#

-5/5 reps @ 24kg/53#

-1/1 reps @ 32kg/70# (PR!)

Jump Squats

3 rounds of 50 reps:

-50 reps @ 155#

*Just building the weight on these gradually because I don't want to revisit my knee injury, but right now they feel pretty good...

E11 k-bells [#00036] Kettlebell Sport (LCC&J & 1 Arm Jerk)

2009-02-19T10:59:00.000-08:00

Kettlebell Sport

LCC&J @ 2x 24kg's

- 5 minutes @ 7 rpm (35 reps)

*LC just isn't feeling very god for me right now, I feel like I am racing and yet struggling to stay on pace. I've been hitting reps about every 7 seconds, which is actually 8 rpm pace, so that I would have time to spare in case it was needed at the end of each minute. However, I think it's the pace that's killing me! I will slow down a little next workout to 1 rep every 8 seconds, I think this could make all the difference, we'll see...

1 Arm Jerk @ 32kg's

Perform 3x 2 minute rounds w/ 1 hand switch. Rest 60 seconds b/w rounds.

1.] 12/12 reps

2.] 12/12 reps

3.] 12/12 reps

*1 Arm jerk with the 32 is starting to feel really good, my rack is solid and the weight feels lighter and lighter, I'm ready to make the transition to 2x 32's...

E11 k-bells [#00035] EdgeFIT K-bells (BU Military Press, Pull-Ups, Assisted 1 Arm Push-Ups, Swings)

2009-02-17T14:27:00.000-08:00

I know I stated in my last post I was only going to hit kettlebell sport workouts from now until the Arnold, but that got scrapped today. After my tough (tough in the fact it didn't feel that great) LC workout yesterday I felt the need to shake things up a little today. Check it...

EdgeFIT K-bells

Perform 22, 16, & 10 reps of:

-1 Arm Bottoms-Up Military Press @ 12kg/26# (split reps b/w right and left arm)

-Weighted Pull-Ups @ 8kg/18#

-Assisted 1 Arm K-bell Push-Ups (split reps b/w right and left arm)

-2 Arm Side-to-Side Swings @ 53#

*This was a pretty fatiguing workout, but it wasn't that bad, I could go up in weight on each of the exercises. I didn't time the workout today, but still pushed through as quickly as I could.

Combo Lift

2x 10 reps of:

-Double Snatch-Double Clean-Double Press @ 2x 12kg/2x 26#

*Haven't done a lift like this in a while so I threw it in for fun. It's surprising how difficult these combo lifts become once your in the mixer! Got a little hand tear for my troubles too...which was nice...

Jump Squats

3x 50 reps @ 145#

E11 k-bells [#00034] Kettlebell Sport Lifting

2009-02-16T10:58:00.000-08:00

Time is ticking away and the Arnold is fast approaching. I have decided to cut down all other aspects of training except Kettlebell Sport lifting from this point on. It's time to get my Long Cycle locked in to where it's just second nature and there's only one way to do that...repetition, repitition, and more repetition...

Kettlebell Sport

LCC&J @ 2x 24kg's

-6 minutes @ 7 rpm (38 reps, dropped off pace the last 2 minutes, but this was still a 6 minute PR for me. Previous best was 36 @ 6 rpm)

Minutes Breakdown (reps)

1. 7

2. 7

3. 7

4. 7

5. 5

6. 5

*I was a little disappointed at first today, not making my goal because this was the first time I have failed to do so. However, that's probably a good indicator that I am really approaching my current threshold with regard to rep rate which is good because it means I am pushing the limits of what I can do and that's how you progress. I also changed my clean technique a little so that still hasn't clicked completely yet, so there is still much room for improvement.

LCC&J @ 2x 24kg's

-4 minutes @ 7 rpm (28)

*After the first set I wasn't too happy so I decided to hit another at 7 rpm and structure exactly where I would hit my reps. This seems to work better for me and today was no exception, this set felt far smoother, more comfortable and I was able to stay on pace...

E11 k-bells [#00032&33] Kettlebell Sport Lifting & Rest Day...

2009-02-14T09:38:00.000-08:00

Friday 13th February

My injury was still bothering me today, but I decided I would at least hit some cleans and perhaps a couple of jerks...

Kettlebell Sport

Double Cleans @ 2x 24kg's

-6 minutes @ 8 rpm (48 reps)

*This felt really comfortable and I actually managed to improve my technique during the set. It's good to focus on the different lifts individually as sometimes (especially during LC) you tend to just focus on making the time or the reps and don't think about the finer points of technique. Today I was able to focus a lot more on driving my hands through the bells before settling into my rack and it made for a much smoother and more efficient clean.

1 Arm LCC&J @ 32kg's

-4 minutes @ 6 rpm (24 reps) w/ 1 hand switch

*This was my first time doing LC for 2 minutes without a hand switch with the 32. It felt pretty good on the right, not as good on the left but it's a good starting point.

Double Jerks @ 2x 24kg's

-3 minutes @ 6rpm (18 reps)

*This was really a working set, I just wanted to play around with my rack position a little and see if I could double rack and jerk with the palm rotated forward. It was a little awkward at first, but I can get into right position now. The next step is to get comfortable there...

Saturday 14th February

Rest Day...

E11 k-bells [#00031] Rest Day...

2009-02-12T10:42:00.001-08:00

I decided to take today off as I was feeling a little tired and my groin injury has re-emerged. So its back to planning my workouts around how I feel that day I guess. Not ideal with 3 weeks before the Arnold, but the main aim is to go into Columbus at 100%, so I am being cautious with this little injury right now...

E11 k-bells [#00030] EdgeFIT K-bells (DU's, Swings, Pull-Ups & BU Push-Ups)

2009-02-11T11:19:00.000-08:00

I decided to take a day off kettlebell sport lifts today, so that I can rest my hands a little. I suffered a couple of small tears this past weekend and I want to allow them to heal before I hit any more Long Cycle.

I decided to hit a CrossFitesk workout with a twist of kettlebell involvement today. Here's what I came up with...

EdgeFIT K-bells

3 rounds for time of:

-45x Double Unders

-21x 2 Arm Overhead K-bell Swings @ 32kg/70#

-15x Pull-Ups

-9x Bottoms-Up K-bell Push-Ups

*My completion time was 11:35. This was a rough workout, especially due to the fact I have hit a high intensity, high tempo session like this in a week or two. The swings were especially brutal at 70#!

E11 k-bells [#00029] Kettlebell Sport (1 Arm Jerk, Swings)

2009-02-10T11:44:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was The Edge Fitness Center's first kettlebell lifting seminar with special guest coach Marty Farrell. The event was a great success. Fun was had by all, and everyone worked hard and learned a lot! I will be posting a more detailed write up of the event on my other blog as soon as I get the opportunity, so stay tuned. I will say a big thank you to Marty, you are legend mate! We really appreciate you coming down sharing your knowledge and expertise with us.

As a side note, Marty and I will soon be offering some male modeling seminars. We are both just so natural in front of the camera, it just has to be done! Check out this action shot...

I did lift quite a bit over the weekend, however I failed to record any of my numbers on paper. I do have all the lifts on video however, so I will review the footage and then post what I did.

Here's today's workout...

Kettlebell Sport

1 Arm Jerk @ 32kg's

-3 sets of 2 minutes with 1 hand switch and 60 seconds rest between sets...

1.] 10/10

2.] 12/11

3.] 12/12

*This felt really good today, the 32 is feeling lighter and lighter to me. I was experimenting with my rack position a bit today. After talking to my good friend Marty I decided to start working on rotating my palm forward while in the rack (Fedorenko style) and it actually clicked pretty well today. The first set was a little strange, but then my elbow started slotting right on my hip in this position and it felt good. Also, the jerk feels way more powerful from this position, it feels like you get more drive from the hip this way. Cheer's Marty, just got to work on getting in this position in the double rack now.

1 Arm Swing @ 24kg's

-3 sets of 2 minutes with 1 hand switch and 30 seconds rest between sets...

1.] 31/31

2.] 31/31

3.] 30/30

*Haven't done swings in a while so this worked me pretty good!

Jump Squats @ 135#

-3 sets of 50 reps

E11 k-bells [#00028] Kettlebell Sport (LCC&J-8 min PR)

2009-02-05T14:36:00.000-08:00

I am still having issues with my groin injury, even after resting yesterday. I contemplated not working out again today, but my LC feels like it is really progressing at the moment and I want to stay on so I did one timed set today...

Kettlebell Sport

LCC&J @ 2x 24kg's

-8 minutes @ 6 rpm (48 reps, a new PR for this time frame and only 2 reps lower than my current 10 minute PR of 50 reps!)

*I felt a little discomfort in the groin early in the set, but as time past it subsided. Felt comfortable again today at this pace and could have definitely gone the whole 10 minutes, but I'm in no rush. I'm happy to progress a little at a time, plus the Arnold is a month away and I am already at my goal. I can relax now and build to a new goal and also make sure I peak at the right time.

Get-Up Sit-Ups

-5/5x 16kg

-5x 2x 12kg

-5/5x 24kg (anchored)

*Strangely this is about the only movement that doesn't bother my groin so I hit it again today, plus after failing to hit reps with the 24 last time I was eager to redeem myself and did even if it was with my feet anchored with 2 k-bells, I got them up so it counts!...

E11 k-bells [#00027] Rest Day

2009-02-04T12:42:00.001-08:00

Absolutely nothing to report today, just resting up...

E11 k-bells [#00026] Kettlebell Sport (LCC&J & 1 Arm Jerks)

2009-02-03T14:19:00.000-08:00

I have suffering from yet another niggling injury lately, this time its my groin. I think I make have a slight strain from demonstrating too many overhead squats without a warm-up for my clients last week. This has forced me to abstain from hitting LCC&J, but it today I just had to do it. I was starting to get withdrawals!...

Kettlebell Sport

LCC&J @ 2x 24kg's

-7 minutes @ 6 rpm (42 reps, a new PR for this duration of time)

*This set felt really good. I'm settling into the 6 rpm pace nicely now, it feels comfortable and not rushed. I probably could have gone the whole 10 minutes today, but with my injury record I am going to stick to small steps and let my body adapt before I progress on too much.

Jerk @ 32kg's

-5 minutes @ 6 rpm (15/15 reps with 1 hand switch)

* I had planned on another set of long cycle, but got a small tear in my left hand so traded it out for a quick jerk set. The 32 is feeling better and better every time I use it...

1 Arm Get-Up Sit-Ups

-5/5x 12kg

-5/5x 16kg

*I hadn't done these for a while so I finished with a couple of sets. I used to use the 24's for these, that wasn't happening today, I need to get back on these!...

E11 k-bells [#00025] CrossFit (30x MU) & K-bell 1 Arm Swings

2009-02-03T11:23:00.001-08:00

Mist my post yesterday so here is Monday's workout first...

CrossFit

For time:

30x Ring Muscle-Ups

*My completion time was 10:52. Not breaking any records here, but I was pretty happy with my performance. I would have liked to have broken 1o minutes, but this will be a good marker for me. I performed all the reps as singles to avoid fatigue and only missed 3 reps. My wrists got a little torn up, but nothing major.

Kettlebell 1 Arm Swings

-20/20x @ 16kg's

-20/20x @ 24kg's

-20/20x @ 32kg's

*Hadn't done 1 arm swings in a while so I decided to through a couple of sets in as I had some time. The 32kg bell is starting to feel lighter to me these days, my body is becoming accustomed to it my transition from the 24's is imminent...

E11 k-bells [#00024] EdgeFIT K-bells (triplet: push-ups, ring rows, & cleans)

2009-01-31T14:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was an unscheduled rest day due to a slight groin strain which seems to have appeared from nowhere! I have a feeling it may be the result of demonstrating overhead squats all day on Thursday without getting a warm-up. Hopefully the pain will subside soon. I wanted to be careful today, but still wanted to hit a decent workout so I decided to throw together a triplet with the kb's...

EdgeFIT K-bells

Perform 5 rounds for time of:

[5x] - Bottoms up K-bell Push-Ups (single bell, vertical)

[10x] - Ring Rows (feet on 24" box, torso parallel with floor)

[15x] - Double K-bell Cleans @ 2x 53# (rest in the rack position, reps must be completed without putting the bells down)

*Unfortunately, I was interrupted at the end of round 3, my completion time was 7:29. I was a little miffed because I was really starting to have to work at this point and things were just getting interesting! Thats cool though, I'm sure I'll have another crack at this one at some point...

E11 k-bells [#00023] Kettlebell Sport-LCC&J (timed sets)

2009-01-29T10:39:00.000-08:00

I was pushed for time today so I just hit a couple of LCC&J timed sets...

Kettlebell Sport

LCC&J @ 2x 24kg's

-6 mins @ 6 rpm (36 reps) - This is a new PR for a six minute time duration.

-4 mins @ 7 rpm (28 reps) - Also a new PR for 4 minute time duration.

*I felt a little sluggish going into my workout today, however once I was in it I didn't feel too bad. My jerk felt way better today (didn't feel the knee) and I adopted a slightly wide stance which felt good! Also the bells were going up far straighter today, so all in all a good session...

E11 k-bells [#00022] Rest Day

2009-01-28T12:43:00.001-08:00

Nothing really to report today, just taking it easy then it's back on it tomorrow...

E11 k-bells [#00021] LCC&J & 1 Arm Cleans

2009-01-27T10:42:00.000-08:00

Today was my first day attempting 6 reps per minute on LCC&J for more than 4 minutes. After hitting 50 reps last week it's time to up the tempo...

Kettlebell Sport

LCC&J @ 2x 24kg's

-5 minutes @ 6 rpm (30 reps)

-3 minutes @ 7 rpm (21 reps)

*Both sets felt decent. I felt my knee on a couple of jerks but it wasn't bad, I adjusted my stance to make it a little wider and that seemed to help. Also, I was really trying to focus on pressing the bells straight up and not military style today. I have a tendency to go slightly wide, but I felt I did much better on this as the set wore on.

1 Arm Cleans @ 32kg

-2 minutes @ 4 rpm (8 reps, with 1 hand switch)

*Didn't want to push things with my knee so I tried cleans with the 32 for the first time instead. I only hit 1 minute per hand as my grip was already fatigued and I didn't want to tear my hands, but it's a start.

K-bell Jerk (1 k-bell racked) Box Jumps (12")

-5x @ 15#

-5x @ 12kg

*This wasn't really part of my workout, but I thought I would try it out a little. It's a lot harder than you would think! Kudos to Steve Cotter for hitting 5 of these with a 32kg bell onto a 24" box, thats monstrous explosion! Great movement, it will become part of my regular assistance work regime....

E11 k-bells [#00020] CrossFit (GI Jane WOD)

2009-01-26T14:13:00.000-08:00

I had planned on hitting the k-bells today, however, I find myself suffering with a bruised back bone sustained in a Saturday night dance-off. I won't go into details, but I will announce that my injuries were not sustained without reward as I was victorious!

So today I surfed you tube and found a workout that I thought would not affect my back. Here's what I came up with...

CrossFit Workout

GI Jane

-100x Burpee/Pull-Ups

*My completion time was 10:38, which is pretty fast I think as I haven't seen anyone do it faster as yet. I was shooting for sub 10 minutes, but it wasn't to be today. To many this workout may look crazy, but I actually didn't find it that bad! I guess I am a slightly sick individual in the fact that I actually quite like burpees...

E11 k-bells [#00019] 1 Arm Double & 2 Arm Quadruple Jerks

2009-01-24T13:11:00.001-08:00

I had planned on taking today off, but after reading Steve Cotter's blog and watching a video of him doing Quadruple Jerks with 4x 16kg k-bells (64kg's/140#), by the way very impressive Steve! I had a rush of testosterone and felt I needed to have a crack at this feat of strength! Here's how it went...

Heavy Kettlebell Jerks

1 Arm Double Jerks

-6x @ 16kg/12kg (28kg/61#) - I hit 3 on the right arm and 3 on the left

-6x @ 24kg/12kg (36kg/79#) - I hit 3 on the right arm and 3 on the left

-3x @ 24kg/16kg (40kg/88#) - I hit 3 singles on my right arm only at this weight

2 Arm Quadruple Jerks

-3x @ 2x 16kg/2x 12kg (56kg/122#)

*I hit 3 fairly clean reps here. Pretty happy with that! Would have liked to attempt 4x 16kg's, but I only have 2 16kg k-bells. I thought about attempting 2x 24kg's/2x 12kg's (72kg/158#), but thought better of it. Not quite there yet, but soon...

If you want to watch these lifts go to my you tube channel, it:

www.youtube.com/user/theedgefc

E11 k-bells [#00018] CrossFit (K-bell Nasty Girls)

2009-01-23T11:46:00.000-08:00

Today is my day off specific k-bell training, so I had to decide which CrossFit WOD to attempt. I really wanted to try a workout they call "The Bear" which is:

7 sets in sequence (without setting the bar down) of:

-1x Power Clean

-1x Front Squat

-1x Push-Press

-1x Back Squat

-1x Push-Press

*5 rounds, rest as required between rounds.

-The Rx'd weight for this workout is 95#

I hit 1 round of this, but decide to stop there as my knee was feeling it on the power cleans and squats. Not a happy camper!

So I had to come up with another workout. I quickly remembered a WOD that I saw Jason Khalipa (CrossFit Champ) doing on you tube, it's called "Nasty Girls" and involves air squats, ring muscle-ups, and hang cleans. I thought with a slight modification I could make this work, so here's what I came up with...

CrossFit Workout

K-bell Nasty Girls

3 rounds for time of:

-50x Air Squats

-7x Muscle-Ups

-10x K-bell Snatch @ 24kg's (53#), 5 on the right and 5 on the left.

*My completion time was 17:57. Not an amazingly fast, but I went a little slower on the squats really focusing on punching my hips back and down to keep the pressure off my knee, which worked pretty well. I felt the knee a little, but it was tolerable. The muscle-ups felt fairly good, I managed to hit 3 in a row without dropping off the rings in round 2, so that was pleasing. Probably could have gone with 10 reps per arm on the snatches. Next time...

E11 k-bells [#00017] Rostov Program (day 3) & 1 Arm Jerks

2009-01-22T10:50:00.000-08:00

The Rostov Program [Day 3]

LCC&J

-2x 24kg's / 24 reps (8 rpm) / 3:00

-2x 16kg's / 48 reps (12 rpm) / 4:00

*I successfully attained all the allocated reps again today. I feel like I am benefitting from the set with the 24's immensely, if I can get comfortable at this pace 60 reps in 10 minutes at the Arnold shouldn't be a problem. The set with the 16's is a good conditioner, however, the bells feel so light that the movement is effortless for me. I think I would be better served if I could had a set of 20's. Nevertheless, I really like this program and I feel it will be a big contributing factor to the numbers I put up in Columbus.

1 Arm Jerk @ 32kg's

-6 minutes @ 5 rpm (30 reps, with 1 hand switch)

*I made a mistake here and meant to go 6 reps per minute, but regardless this was my first time doing the 1 arm jerks with the 32 for 6 minutes so that's cool...

E11 k-bells [#00016] LCC&J (New PR!)

2009-01-21T11:23:00.000-08:00

This post is for yesterday's workout, today is a rest day.

I was pushed for time yesterday, so when it came time to hit my workout I decided to test my metal and shoot for a 10 minute set of LCC&J. I've been feeling pretty good recently and so thought it would be a good opportunity to see how I am progressing. Here's how it went...

Kettlebell Lifting (timed set)

The Workout

LCC&J @ 2x 24kg's

-10 minutes @ 5 rpm (50 reps!)

*This is a new PR for me, so I was pleased with the performance. My previous best was 45 in the AKC meet in Atlanta, Dec 13th.

I was happy when I set the k-bells down, but more with the fact that I hit 10 minutes and 50 reps than how the set felt. I didn't feel that smooth today. My jerk felt a little labored due to the fact that my knee is not 100% yet. I felt a little sloppy transitioning from overhead to the clean on a few occasions, but that means there is room for improvement, which is good.

If you wish, you can check out my set on you tube. Here's the link:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCTzJ76vt8o

E11 k-bells [#00015] CrossFit WOD (MU's, HSPU's, Swings & DU's)

2009-01-19T11:18:00.000-08:00

CrossFit

I have just recently begun playing around with ring muscle-ups(MU) and handstand push-ups (HSPU), so I decided it is about time I threw myself into the fire and hit them in a workout, so today was the day. Prior to this workout my PR for MU's was 4 (in my lifetime) and HSPU was 4 (unbroken)...

The Workout

5 rounds for time of:

-2x Muscle-Ups

-4x Handstand Push-Ups

-15x 2 Arm Overhead K-bell Swings @ 53#

-20x Double Unders

*My completion time was 15:10. (not that impressive, but its a start)

I am fairly happy with how this went. I hit all 5 rounds of HSPU's, Swings and DU's unbroken so that felt good. Round 1 & 2 of the MU's were ok, round 3 sucked and cost me a lot of time (poor technique), but round 4 & 5 were unbroken and felt good. It's amazing how technique improves as you fatigue.

E11 k-bells [#00014] Family Day

2009-01-18T15:57:00.000-08:00

Family Day....

A day of rest, depending on what you consider to be rest as today was spent chasing my son and his little friend Luke around Chuck E. Cheese as we celebrated Brayden's 4th birthday. Tiring as it was, we had a blast!

There are no words to express emotions a parent feels watching the joy in your child's eyes as they celebrate this wondrous day, as they open their birthday gifts and blow out the candles on their cake, its magical nothing compares to it...

My son Brayden, 4 years old....

They grow up so fast!

E11 k-bells [#00013] LCC&J & Jerks (timed sets)

2009-01-17T12:53:00.001-08:00

I decided to hit some timed sets today. I need to build toward 10 minute sets at 5 rpm in the LCC&J over the next few weeks and then hopefully progress on to 6 rpm pace by the time the Arnold rolls around...

The Workout

LCC&J @ 2x 24kg's

-7 mins @ 5 rpm (35 reps)

-4 mins @ 6 rpm (24 reps)

*The 7 minute set felt really good, I could probably have gone 10 minutes if I had pushed on. I am really settling in to the 5 rpm rate now, I no longer feel rushed especially utilizing the quick transition from jerk to the next clean. Then I take my rest in the rack prior to the next jerk. After doing the Rostov program this pace actually feels kind of slow, its amazing how that works! Everything is relative. Set #2 felt quite good too, I haven't settled into this pace yet, but I'm close.

1 Arm Jerk @ 32kg's

-5 mins @ 6 rpm (15/15 reps with 1 hand switch)

*This was my first time at 6 rpm's with the 32 and it felt comfortable. I am starting to get used to the weight of the 32 now which is also helping my work with the 24's as they are feeling lighter to me all the time.

No Jump squats today, still trying to be careful with my knee. I didn't feel it at all during todays workout so I thought I would quit while I was ahead.

E11 k-bells [#00012] CrossFit (quad-ghd su's,ghd back ext,shoulder presses,pull-ups)

2009-01-16T15:55:00.000-08:00

My left knee was a little tender again today, which I wasn't to happy about after things going so well yesterday, but it's not bad so I think its on the mend. I did the CrossFit main site WOD today, just slightly modified as I couldn't do thrusters with my dodgy knee...

The Workout

3 rounds for time of:

Round 1:

-10x GHD Sit-Ups

-10x GHD Hip & Back Extensions

-30x Shoulder Presses @ 65#

-50x Pull-Ups

Round 2:

-30x GHD Sit-Ups

-30x GHD Hip & Back Extensions

-20x Shoulder Presses @ 65#

-35x Pull-Ups

Round 3:

-50x GHD Sit-Ups

-50x GHD Hip & Back Extensions

-10x Shoulder Presses @ 65#

-20x Pull-Ups

My completion time was: 24:14

*The workout was pretty tough, a lower back roaster, but I quite liked it! I felt strong and moved through it quickly. My pull-ups felt really good today, I busted out over 25 unbroken the first set and hit all 20 unbroken on the final set. I feel like I could possibly get a sub 5:00 minute Fran right now (my PR is 5:24 at present), perhaps I'll have a crack at it next week if my knee feels better...

E11 k-bells [#00011] Rostov Program (D2) & Timed Set (LCC&J)

2009-01-15T15:28:00.000-08:00

I decided to combine day 2 of the Rostov Program with a timed set of LCC&J today. This may not be ideal in most cases as the Rostov workouts are demanding enough that you don't really need to do much else, however I am still in the early stages of the program so the sets are still short. Down the line I will use the Rostov protocol as its own entity, but for today I wanted to hit it and then perform my usual timed set to see how I faired while pre-fatigued. Here's how it went...

The Workout

Rostov Program (D2), LCC&J

-2x 24kg's / 20 / 2:30

-2x 16kg's / 42 / 3:30

*I successfully completed the allocated reps for both sets, but this was far more taxing than day 1. It's going to get rough from here on out! I am noticing my technique improve perhaps surprising during these faster sets. Prior to this I would during my sets I would rest for a few seconds in the rack both following the clean and jerk portion because my rack feels so solid, but this slows me down. Working this way has forced me to only pause following my clean, to set up the jerk, following the jerk I am now dropping the bells and transitioning straight into my next clean, much faster and more efficient...

LCC&J @ 2x 24kg's

-6 minutes @ 5 rpm (30 reps)

*This set was a lot tougher than the last time I hit 6 minutes at this rep rate as I expected, but I was able to keep in together and stay the course.

Jump Squats

-2x 50 reps @ 2x 16kg's

-1x 50 reps @ 2x 24kg's

*Went a little lighter on these today, just wanted to test out my knee and see how it felt and I had no immediate problems so I was pleased.

I feel like this was my first real training day in preparation for the Arnold it hasn't been to promising up to this point, but I hope I turned the corner here today. Only time will tell I guess...

E11 k-bells [#00010] Rostov Program (D1)

2009-01-14T03:30:00.000-08:00

Tuesday 13th January

This post is for yesterday's workout, didn't get time to get it up until now. I was undecided as to what kind of workout I would hit today, until I found some inspiration from Scott Helsley. Reading his latest blog he revealed a training program he has been experimenting with recently. The Rostov Program.

This tweaked my interest, it's a little different to the usual k-bell programming as it involves shorter sets and a faster tempo, I like the look of it! Thank you for the info Scott, it came at the perfect time for me. As I prepare for the Arnold, my LCC&J feels strong especially my rack position, but the main obstacle for me right now is keeping my smooth and solid rhythm at a faster tempo. Thus, implementing the Rostov Program into my regime could prove key as I attempt to increase my LCC&J total from 45 to 50+ (10 mins). I am still working with the 24kg bells at present so I shall modify the program from Scott's, where he used 32's, i'll use 24's and where he used 24's, i'll use 16's.

The Workout

Rostov Program (D1)

-2x 24kg's / 16 reps (8rpm) / 2:00 (successfully completed)

-2x 16kg's / 30 reps (10 rpm) / 2:30 (successfully completed)

*This felt good, comfortable, but not easy. I can see it's going to get rough from here on out, but I think I'm gonna like it! Us k-bell lifter are a sick bunch....

Against my better judgement I went followed the Rostov workout with a CrossFit WOD pretty much knowing it wasn't going to go well and fairly sure I didn't have enough time to do the whole workout. Ah well, you live and learn...

Workout #2

For time:

-15x Power Cleans @ 135#

-30x Ring Dips

-12x Power Cleans @ 135#

-24x Ring Dips

*This was as far as I got before I had to quit so that I would be ready for my next client. My time was 12:12 at this point.

The part I missed was:

-9x Power Cleans @ 135#

-18x Ring Dips

-6x Power Cleans @ 135#

-12x Ring Dips

-3x Power Cleans @ 135#

-6x Ring Dips

*I may actually hit this one again at some point in the next week when I have more time and I'm a little fresher.

E11 k-bells [#00009] Cleans & 1 Arm Jerks

2009-01-12T10:50:00.000-08:00

Today's goal was to complete a kettlebell workout without sustaining another injury or aggravating an existing one! I decided against hitting LCC&J today. I thought instead I would work on some cleans and see how my back felt, then I would move on to some 1 arm jerks and see how my knee felt going through the movement at a lighter load....

The Workout

Cleans @ 2x 24kg's

-6 mins @ 6 rpm (36)

-4 mins @ 6 rpm (24)

1 Arm Jerks @ 24kg's

-10 mins @ 7 rpm (35/35 with one hand switch)

1 Arm Jerks @ 32kg's

-6 mins @ 5 rpm (15/15 with one hand switch)

*Mission accomplished! Got through the workout feeling good, so I was happy! Hopefully i'll not be feeling any after affects tomorrow.

E11 k-bells [#00008] Sunday-Family Day...

2009-01-11T11:52:00.000-08:00

I have decided to make Sunday's a day of complete rest. A day spent entirely enjoying my wonderful wife and son. I have played around with different training splits in the past like 5-on, 2-off, 2-on, 1-off, and most recently 3-on, 1-off, but each has its own strengths and weaknesses.

5-on, 2-off is nice because it fits the work week well and you get the weekends off, but it leads to sub bar sessions due to fatigue following the first 3 days of intense training. The body is not equipped maintain intense training for more than 3 days at a time so the last 2 days are basically you're basically just flogging a dead horse!

2-on, 1-off and 3-on, 1-off are both very effective training splits with regard to training time, intensity and recovery, however they do make for a demanding and awkward schedule in the fact that each week is a different training schedule with regard to work and rest days. I would recommend these splits if your schedule allows, but for me working in a gym all week long Mon-Sat, I found it hard to drag myself to hit a workout on my only off day, plus it can be a strain on family life when you are technically leaving your wife and child to go to work on your day off form work!

And so my new training split for 2009 will be 2-on, 1-off, 3-on, 1-off. This will allow me to maintain the high intensity of my training, allow sufficient recovery time and also fit nicely into my work and family schedule. No more Sunday workouts, I feel good about it, this way everybody wins.

Therefore I hear-by officially declare Sunday's Family Day! Along with it being a day of worship of course, like I said, everybody wins....

E11 k-bells [#00007] CrossFit 'Chipper' WOD

2009-01-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

No kettlebell lifting for me today. I feel I need to rest my back and knee for a little while longer. Surprisingly, I feel no irritation in my knee or back while squatting or performing Olympic lifts @ lighter loads. I discovered this during a thorough warm-up with a dowel rod where I performed numerous reps of movements like back, front, and overhead squats, hang squat-cleans and snatches. And so I decided to hit a variation of a CrossFit WOD I remebered seeing on the CF website.

The Workout

Perform for time.

Note: all weight lifting movements were performed with a 45# barbell.

-25x Back Squats

-25x Front Squats

-25x Overhead Squats

-0.15 mile on Life Fitness Elliptical Trainer @ Level 12

-35x Full Squat Hang Cleans

-0.15 mile on Life Fitness Elliptical Trainer @ Level 12

-35x Snatch

-0.15 mile on Life Fitness Elliptical Trainer @ Level 12

*My completion time was 15:03.

I used the Elliptical as a substitute for running (lower impact movement) and I chose to go a little lighter with the bar than I would have usually in order to protect my knee. The weight did prove to be too light as I was able to perform each set with the bar unbroken. This is an indication that the load is insufficient, ideally you want to work with a resistance that forces you to take breaks, recover and resume work. This ensures you are working at maximal intensity and increasing your work capacity by teaching your body to sustain work at levels as close to your threshold as possible. For physiological adaptation to occur this is optimal with regard to training intensity.

This is not to say I found this workout easy, it was still pretty rough. It just meant that I was able to move through it more quickly experiencing less muscular fatigue, but still experienced an extremely intense cardiovascular workout! Where I not injured I would have probably gone with a load of perhaps 95# which would have resulted in a much more comprehensive workout that would be equally taxing for both my cardiovascular and muscular systems.

E11 k-bells [#00006] CrossFit Pull-Up WOD

2009-01-10T05:24:00.000-08:00

Friday 9th January Workout

I decided to hit a CrossFit WOD (workout of the day) today in light of my knee and back issues. I chose to attempt a pretty daunting pull-up workout which turned out to be just as rough as I had anticipated!

The Workout

10 rounds for time of:

-3x weighted pull-ups @ 45#

-5x strict pull-ups

-7x kipping pull-ups

*The goal was also to stay on the bar for each set of 3 different pull-ups (3,5,7) and count the number of times you drop off the bar, which makes this workout brutal!

I completed the workout in 27:37. I had completed the first round unbroken, then generally dropped off the bar between each set of 3,5 & 7 after that. I completed the weighted pull-ups with 45# for sets 1-3, then switched to 35# for sets 4 & 5 and hit the last 5 sets with 25#. The weighted and strict pull-ups felt really awkward after becoming accustomed to doing kipping pull-ups the majority of the time.

I wasn't that happy with this initially happy with this time until I checked out the scores put up by other crossfitters on the CF main site. As it turns out most had a hard time with this WOD and in retrospect my time was fairly respectable.

I played around a little after the workout as I had a little time...

I started working on some handstand push-ups against the wall. It was a little difficult at first, but after feeling it out I was able to make the movement more efficient. I performed them in single reps initially and then progressed to 2 reps, finally finishing with a couple of sets pushing out 3 reps unbroken.

I finished the day off with some handstand practice. My first time attempting handstands since high school! They weren't too pretty at first, but after a lot of failed attempts I was able to begin stabilizing myself enough to hold the handstand for up to 3 seconds. I finished off with two successful 5 second holds, which I was really happy with! Handstand practice sounds easy, but try it for yourself, it's quite difficult and physically taxing.

E11 k-bells [#00005]

2009-01-08T11:09:00.000-08:00

Kettlebell Workout

After speaking with one of my clients (who happens to be an orthopedic surgeon) regarding my upper back issue I was advised to refrain from doing any swings or cleans for the remainder of this week. He told me that I just need to avoid movement were I any loading the spine while flexed at the hip (bent over). He told me the injury was nothing major perhaps just a slight tweaked ligament or something, so that was good news.

Based on this I decided to hit Jerks today and save my LCC&J for next week. The workout started well, but took a nose dive on my second set. I suddenly began feeling a slight twinge in my left knee out of nowhere! I was pissed! I finished the set, but called it a day there. I'm still a long way off the Arnold so I feel it's better to air on the cautious side than to push through things like this right now.

Not too happy with how things are going right now, but I guess I just need to be patient.

Prior to the workout I decided to shoot for 7 rpm on the jerk, I hit 67 reps in Atlanta so that would be the next natural progression. Also, with me working at 5 rpm on LCC&J I figured the faster pace on the jerk sets would serve me well with regard to conditioning.

The Workout

Jerk @ 2x 24kg's

-6 mins @ 7 rpm (42 reps), which is a PR for the 6 minute time frame.

-4 mins @ 7 rpm (28 reps)

An that was that...

E11 k-bells [#00004]

2009-01-07T11:32:00.000-08:00

Rest Day...

I have had a slight twinge in the middle of my upper back for the past few days, so I decided to just rest up yesterday and today to let it recover. I plan to pick things back up on Thursday. Then it's back to the grindstone!!

E11 k-bells [#00003]

2009-01-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

I am counting today as my first full k-bell workout on the road to the Arnold. And so the journey begins, nothing but hard graft from here on out. starting slowly, but none the less, I'm mad for it...

The Workout

My workout began as usual with a little joint mobility, light cardio and some 2 arm swings. I won't bore you with the details.

LCC&J @ 2x 24kg's

-6 mins @ 5 rpm (30 reps)

-4 mins @ 5 rpm (20 reps)

1 Arm Jerk @ 32kg's

-6 mins @ 5 rpm (30 with 1 hand switch)

Jump Squats @ 2x 24kg's

-3 sets of 70 reps

E11 k-bells [#00002]

2009-01-04T09:19:00.000-08:00

Rest Day...

E11 k-bells [#00001]

2009-01-03T14:02:00.000-08:00

This was my first k-bell workout since competing in the AKC Southeast Kettlebell Championships in Atlanta, Dec '08'. This is the first step on the road to competing in the Arnold Sports Festival in March. A short workout today, just easing back into things.

Warm-Up

-5 mins Joint Mobility

-3 mins on Summit Trainer

-2 Arm OH Swings: 20x @ 16kg, 20x @ 24kg

-2 Arm Swings: 20x 32kg

The Workout

*LCC&J @ 2x 24kg's

-5 mins @ 5 rpm (25 reps)

-3 mins @ 5 rpm (15 reps)

*Jump Squats @ 2x 24kg's

-3x 50 reps