I have the best gym around. Really. Let me explain. Tuesday's training at Redemption Kettlebell Gym is a lower body day with the heavy lift being the Deadlift. It's a good day, a solid program that, while being pretty tough, is well received. Today was different, though - particularly with the 5:30 and 6:30 pm classes. They were both great examples of why people respond better to and enjoy the semi private model so much more than private training.
The energy that developed in the 5:30 class was amazing - truly one of the times where I don't even feel like I'm working. I had 4 people in class - Alex, Mike, Thomas, and Padma. Alex and Mike worked the deadlift together on the same bar, and Padma and Thomas worked on their own. As they all progressed round after round, Alex and Mike kept adding more weight to the bar, and so Padma kept adding weight to her bar, and I began adding weight to Thomas's bar.
Alex and Mike had worked themselves up to the point where, even after the timer went off signaling the end of the training block, they wanted to get one more set of pulls in, just to hit more than they did last week. I let them. Mike hit 245 for 5 - 10 lbs up from last week. Alex hit 255 for 5 - his biggest pull in months. Of course, Mike felt left out, so went back up to pull 255 for 5 as well, with Alex looking on and coaching from the side. This is a PR for Mike. When he completed his set, he was met with a smile, cheer, and double high five from Alex.
What's cool, is that their energy was driving the class. Their enthusiasm and continued success round after round created an environment where Padma and Thomas couldn't help but catch it. Padma lifted more than she has in a while. What was a weight she once struggled with (115) is now a weight she can work through. Thomas pulled 155 for 5 on the trap bar. That's the most he's ever done. I swear the look on his face throughout the entire last half of training - he was smiling so much it looked like he might burst. And keep in mind, we're not doing 5 pulls and sitting down. These guys were falling right into kettlebell snatches and pullups after the deadlift with a peripheral field test being their only rest. When 6:30 pm class rolled around, Steve finished with a clean set of 260 for 5 - 25 lbs. up from last week. This raises the bar and sets a new standard to beat in what Mike has started calling "Deadlift Wars"
You see, that's what a real gym is all about - community, environment. A place where someone helps you change the weights, spots you through a lift, coaches you through the hard parts, and encourages you to reach farther. No one's doing another rep, or holding on a little longer because I told them too. I'm just the guy standing around with the cup of coffee. They're pushing through because the other people in class are too, and that's something altogether different. Yeah, a real gym's a place where, no matter where you're from, you're all connected by a common cause - to be something, someone better, and that community is the place where you can stand on someone's shoulders or find an outstretched hand reaching out to help pull you up to a higher place, even if you're not necessarily aware of it. So, yeah, that's why my gym is the best around - because that's what I've got, and it's only getting better.
Tuesday (Day 2) - Heavy Lower Body
Warmup:
Dynamic Joint Mobility/Ground Movement
3 Rounds Or 10 Min Of:
Pushup x Max
Double Rope Horizontal Climb x 6
1/2 Up x 5/5
Peripheral Field Test After Each Round
Technical:
Double Kettlebell High Pull x 3 Singles x 3 Rounds
Block 1:
15 Minutes Of:
Deadlift x 5 (Increase Weight Each Round)
KB Snatch x 5/5 (Focus On Explosiveness)
Pullup x Submax (Half of Your Max)
Peripheral Field Test After Every Round
Block 2:
3 Rounds:
KB Racked Walking Lunge x 10/10
1 Arm Kettlebell Swing x 10/10
Peripheral Field Test After Every Round
Begun, The Deadlift War Has.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
The Quest For Big Boy Pants
To quote Eric Bana in "Blackhawk Down" - "It's Monday - it's the start of a whole new week". I always liked that line, and I often tell it to myself. It brings the hope of a new start in a very ordinary way - regardless of what happened before. So here we are on Monday, a new week, the second week of a new program (with a new twist over last week), and a new chance for me to actually meet my goal of a daily blog post chronicling the daily programming and antics at Redemption Kettlebell Gym.
The title of today's post is inspired by what's become a joke amongst myself and one of the members. I've ribbed Mike a couple of times about "putting his big boy pants on" during class, and it's become a slogan of sorts. When stepping up to a challenge in class, or when someone else is, Mike usually punctuates it with "Big boy pants !"
Like many things in training, the concept applies to so much more than just the weight being lifted. You see, "putting your big boy pants on" is simply doing what you know you have to do instead of what you want to do. It's when you decide to do the uncomfortable for the sake of improving a situation - doing the right thing over the safe thing - taking responsibility for yourself, your actions, and their outcomes.
Monday's Big Boy Pants training brings us back to last weeks program with the addition of a technical section. We've got our 10 min, as many rounds possible, body weight warmup followed by Double Kettlebell Swings for 5 sets of 3 singles. The idea here is to work on the drive and control necessary to handle double bells.
This is a great opportunity for the advanced to work into heavier bells without sacrificing technique, while the newbs can get a feel for working with double bells and properly learn how to catch with the hips, which becomes more challenging with double bells.
Next there's the main body of the training day, which is a heavy upper body sequence. Double Kettlebell Clean & Press (heavy) x 5, Pullup x 5, Farmer Walk (heavy) x 2 Laps. This is done for as many rounds as possible in 10 min. As always, the Peripheral Field Test is the rest between rounds.
The finishing sequence is a lower body conditioning dominant kettlebell sequence. Double Kettlebell Front Squat x 5, Double Kettlebell Clean x 5, Double Kettlebell Swing x 5 - all completed without putting the bells down. This too is done for as many rounds as possible in 10 min. , with Peripheral Field Test being the rest as before.
I said last week that this last sequence is downright hateful. It's important not to underestimate it. Remember, it's 15 total reps per round, double bells, all working the hips. I always have people start off light on the first set and increase weight from there. Members new to the program will use a single bell and work 5 Goblet Squats, 5 Cleans per side, 5 Swings per side.
Monday (Day 1) - Heavy Upper Body/Lower Body Conditioning
Warmup:
Dynamic Joint Mobility/Ground Movement
10 min. of As Many Rounds Possible
Pushup x 5
Body Weight Row x 5
Walking Lunge x 10/10
Push Up Plank x 30 - 45 sec.
Peripheral Field Test after every round
Technical:
Double Kettlebell Swing x 3 Singles x 5 Rounds
Block 1:
10 Min. Of As Many Rounds Possible
Double Kettlebell Clean & Press x 5
Pullup x 5
Farmer Walk x 2 Laps
Peripheral Field Test after every round
Block 2:
10 Min. Of As Many Rounds Possible
Double Kettlebell Front Squat x 5
Double Kettlebell Clean x 5
Double Kettlebell Swing x 5
Peripheral Field Test after every round
The title of today's post is inspired by what's become a joke amongst myself and one of the members. I've ribbed Mike a couple of times about "putting his big boy pants on" during class, and it's become a slogan of sorts. When stepping up to a challenge in class, or when someone else is, Mike usually punctuates it with "Big boy pants !"
Like many things in training, the concept applies to so much more than just the weight being lifted. You see, "putting your big boy pants on" is simply doing what you know you have to do instead of what you want to do. It's when you decide to do the uncomfortable for the sake of improving a situation - doing the right thing over the safe thing - taking responsibility for yourself, your actions, and their outcomes.
Monday's Big Boy Pants training brings us back to last weeks program with the addition of a technical section. We've got our 10 min, as many rounds possible, body weight warmup followed by Double Kettlebell Swings for 5 sets of 3 singles. The idea here is to work on the drive and control necessary to handle double bells.
This is a great opportunity for the advanced to work into heavier bells without sacrificing technique, while the newbs can get a feel for working with double bells and properly learn how to catch with the hips, which becomes more challenging with double bells.
Next there's the main body of the training day, which is a heavy upper body sequence. Double Kettlebell Clean & Press (heavy) x 5, Pullup x 5, Farmer Walk (heavy) x 2 Laps. This is done for as many rounds as possible in 10 min. As always, the Peripheral Field Test is the rest between rounds.
The finishing sequence is a lower body conditioning dominant kettlebell sequence. Double Kettlebell Front Squat x 5, Double Kettlebell Clean x 5, Double Kettlebell Swing x 5 - all completed without putting the bells down. This too is done for as many rounds as possible in 10 min. , with Peripheral Field Test being the rest as before.
I said last week that this last sequence is downright hateful. It's important not to underestimate it. Remember, it's 15 total reps per round, double bells, all working the hips. I always have people start off light on the first set and increase weight from there. Members new to the program will use a single bell and work 5 Goblet Squats, 5 Cleans per side, 5 Swings per side.
Monday (Day 1) - Heavy Upper Body/Lower Body Conditioning
Warmup:
Dynamic Joint Mobility/Ground Movement
10 min. of As Many Rounds Possible
Pushup x 5
Body Weight Row x 5
Walking Lunge x 10/10
Push Up Plank x 30 - 45 sec.
Peripheral Field Test after every round
Technical:
Double Kettlebell Swing x 3 Singles x 5 Rounds
Block 1:
10 Min. Of As Many Rounds Possible
Double Kettlebell Clean & Press x 5
Pullup x 5
Farmer Walk x 2 Laps
Peripheral Field Test after every round
Block 2:
10 Min. Of As Many Rounds Possible
Double Kettlebell Front Squat x 5
Double Kettlebell Clean x 5
Double Kettlebell Swing x 5
Peripheral Field Test after every round
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Lower Body Hell, And A Lot Of Hard Work...
So, this post will bring us up to date on this week's training. If you missed what we did at Redemption Kettlebell Gym on Monday, Day 1, check out the previous post. Day 2 brings us to a lower body, strength dominant workout.
The warmup continues to work basic upper body strength and "core" strength, as most of the members here need a lot of it. Day 1 was done for 10 min, as many rounds as possible. Today calls for 3 rounds or 10 min. - whichever comes first. Basically, a little motivation to hustle through the warmup as opposed to reading the paper between exercises. After that, we transitioned to a technical portion where the double kettlebell high pull was worked for 3 sets of 3 singles. The approach here is similar to Olympic lifting in that the set is broken into 3 individual pulls. This ensures that proper position, hip drive, and technique can be worked with heavier bells without worrying about falling out the groove or losing bell control. Again, the focus here is on introducing the movement and technique without getting fatigued - minimal threat, good clean learning.
Next is the main training body - the true focus of the day. Lower body strength and power - as many rounds as possible in 15 min. So, heavy deadlifts followed up with 1 arm kettlebell snatches. The reps are set at 5 for each movement, and they're done back to back so there's the conditioning effect as well. I programmed pullups for submax reps at the tail end of this sequence, because I see a need for improvement here across the board. Today's goal for pullups though is to just grease the groove, so if you're normally doing sets of 5, do sets of 3 or less, depending on how they feel. DON'T GO TO MAX.
On the deadlift, start off light enough to warm up and keep adding 10 - 20 lbs to the bar every round. Stop adding weight before you feel back position and lift technique go. The trick is to remember you're doing a deadlift, a movement requiring technique, as opposed to simply picking up as much as you can. The kettlebell snatches are as heavy as possible with proper technique. As usual, the rest time is as long as it takes to test peripheral field.
This sequence is a smoker, and will definitely get you fitted for your big boy pants. 3 of our hard chargers in the night class hit 5 rounds, pulling over 215 and 225 for the last 2. While this doesn't seem like much, they were pulling under 200 a month ago. Here's the layout:
Tuesday (Day 2) Lower Body Strength, Power, and Conditioning
Warm Up:
3 Rounds Or 10 Min - Whichever Comes First
Dynamic Joint Mobility/Ground Movement
Pushup x Max
Double Rope Climb x 6
1/2 Up x 5/5
Peripheral Field Test After Every Round
Main Body:
15 Min Of As Many Rounds As Possible
Deadlift x 5
1 Arm Kettlebell Snatch x 5/5
Pullup x Submax
Peripheral Field Test After Every Round
Finisher:
3 Rounds
Kettlebell Racked Walking Lunge x 10/10
1 Arm Swing x 10/10
Peripheral Field Test After Every Round
This brings us up to speed with today's workout, or Day 3. This is a bit of a catchall day, very body weight and strongman driven. The idea behind Day 3 is to use light to moderate weight and train endurance and lower body speed and power. The training blocks are set up with 3 consecutive movements targeting the same body movements for 5 reps each, so that, even though the movement changes, the muscles being worked do not. So there's a rope climb x 5 followed by a body weight row x 5, followed by a pullup x 5, but it's still 15 upper body pulling movements. This is a great way to increase strength, while building muscle, and again developing a little mental toughness. While the 2 upper body sequences focus on strength endurance, the lower body sequence is really more power endurance. The nice thing is, even though fatigue sets in by the end, submax weight (or submax reps) is used throughout, so the nervous system is not overloaded. For the past 3 weeks, a version of this workout was done for 3 rounds per block, today, it's being done for 5 rounds per block. As always, peripheral field tests are done after every round to monitor threat.
Wednesday (Day 3): Total Body Strength/Strength Endurance
Warm Up: Dynamic Joint Mobility/Ground Movement/Visual
Drills
Block 1: Upper Body Push
5 Rounds
Pushup x 5
KB Floor Press x 5
Double KB Overhead Press x 5
Peripheral Field Test After Every Round
Block 2: Upper Body Pull
5 Rounds
Rope Climb x 5
Body Weight Row x 5
Pullup x 5
Peripheral Field Test After Every Round
Block 3: Lower Body Pull/Drive
5 Rounds
Sandbag Shoulder x 3/3
Tire Flip x 3
KB Dead Snatch x 3/3
Peripheral Field Test After Every Round
This is a generally well received day. It's challenging, but fun, although no one's a great fan of the pulling block. 5 rounds is tough. 3 rounds is a better idea if you're just getting used to this.
The warmup continues to work basic upper body strength and "core" strength, as most of the members here need a lot of it. Day 1 was done for 10 min, as many rounds as possible. Today calls for 3 rounds or 10 min. - whichever comes first. Basically, a little motivation to hustle through the warmup as opposed to reading the paper between exercises. After that, we transitioned to a technical portion where the double kettlebell high pull was worked for 3 sets of 3 singles. The approach here is similar to Olympic lifting in that the set is broken into 3 individual pulls. This ensures that proper position, hip drive, and technique can be worked with heavier bells without worrying about falling out the groove or losing bell control. Again, the focus here is on introducing the movement and technique without getting fatigued - minimal threat, good clean learning.
Next is the main training body - the true focus of the day. Lower body strength and power - as many rounds as possible in 15 min. So, heavy deadlifts followed up with 1 arm kettlebell snatches. The reps are set at 5 for each movement, and they're done back to back so there's the conditioning effect as well. I programmed pullups for submax reps at the tail end of this sequence, because I see a need for improvement here across the board. Today's goal for pullups though is to just grease the groove, so if you're normally doing sets of 5, do sets of 3 or less, depending on how they feel. DON'T GO TO MAX.
On the deadlift, start off light enough to warm up and keep adding 10 - 20 lbs to the bar every round. Stop adding weight before you feel back position and lift technique go. The trick is to remember you're doing a deadlift, a movement requiring technique, as opposed to simply picking up as much as you can. The kettlebell snatches are as heavy as possible with proper technique. As usual, the rest time is as long as it takes to test peripheral field.
This sequence is a smoker, and will definitely get you fitted for your big boy pants. 3 of our hard chargers in the night class hit 5 rounds, pulling over 215 and 225 for the last 2. While this doesn't seem like much, they were pulling under 200 a month ago. Here's the layout:
Tuesday (Day 2) Lower Body Strength, Power, and Conditioning
Warm Up:
3 Rounds Or 10 Min - Whichever Comes First
Dynamic Joint Mobility/Ground Movement
Pushup x Max
Double Rope Climb x 6
1/2 Up x 5/5
Peripheral Field Test After Every Round
Main Body:
15 Min Of As Many Rounds As Possible
Deadlift x 5
1 Arm Kettlebell Snatch x 5/5
Pullup x Submax
Peripheral Field Test After Every Round
Finisher:
3 Rounds
Kettlebell Racked Walking Lunge x 10/10
1 Arm Swing x 10/10
Peripheral Field Test After Every Round
This brings us up to speed with today's workout, or Day 3. This is a bit of a catchall day, very body weight and strongman driven. The idea behind Day 3 is to use light to moderate weight and train endurance and lower body speed and power. The training blocks are set up with 3 consecutive movements targeting the same body movements for 5 reps each, so that, even though the movement changes, the muscles being worked do not. So there's a rope climb x 5 followed by a body weight row x 5, followed by a pullup x 5, but it's still 15 upper body pulling movements. This is a great way to increase strength, while building muscle, and again developing a little mental toughness. While the 2 upper body sequences focus on strength endurance, the lower body sequence is really more power endurance. The nice thing is, even though fatigue sets in by the end, submax weight (or submax reps) is used throughout, so the nervous system is not overloaded. For the past 3 weeks, a version of this workout was done for 3 rounds per block, today, it's being done for 5 rounds per block. As always, peripheral field tests are done after every round to monitor threat.
Wednesday (Day 3): Total Body Strength/Strength Endurance
Warm Up: Dynamic Joint Mobility/Ground Movement/Visual
Drills
Block 1: Upper Body Push
5 Rounds
Pushup x 5
KB Floor Press x 5
Double KB Overhead Press x 5
Peripheral Field Test After Every Round
Block 2: Upper Body Pull
5 Rounds
Rope Climb x 5
Body Weight Row x 5
Pullup x 5
Peripheral Field Test After Every Round
Block 3: Lower Body Pull/Drive
5 Rounds
Sandbag Shoulder x 3/3
Tire Flip x 3
KB Dead Snatch x 3/3
Peripheral Field Test After Every Round
This is a generally well received day. It's challenging, but fun, although no one's a great fan of the pulling block. 5 rounds is tough. 3 rounds is a better idea if you're just getting used to this.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
A Little Old School With The New
So, I've fallen a little short of my original intentions of blogging regularly. Between an upswing in business (and sometimes just busyness) and a hurricane taking power out for two days, and more recently devoting the holiday weekend to my wife and daughter, well... you get the picture. Anyway, no more excuses, and, as the commercial for an incredibly low quality beer states -"Here we go!"
About two weeks ago, it was suggested to me through Facebook that I post a workout of the day type of thing (which I was kind of doing on Facebook in an unofficial way) I thought this would be a much better environment, since I have a little more room to go into detail. Since I blew it with yesterday, I'll post yesterday's and I'll put up today's a little later.
My gym, Redemption Kettlebell Gym, is driven by semi-private group training, or group personal training, or whatever the industry chooses to label a class of 2-8 people. The majority of these people are 40 + in age, and are looking to lose weight and get "in shape", which means burn fat, build muscle, and not be out of breath walking a flight of stairs or playing with their kids. So, basically, general fitness. By now, we all know that training athletically is the fastest, shortest, and healthiest way to these goals, and that High Intensity Interval Training is the perfect vehicle in which to do it in. So, basically, my programming focuses on building strength first and foremost while developing power and endurance. The Average Joe and Jane need well rounded strength, so that's what I deliver. Enough background rationale...
We'll follow this weekly schedule with very little alteration for the next 3 - 4 weeks. The program is based of of a 4-5 day training week, so Mon, Tue, Thur, and Fri will have a specific upper or lower body strength focus, while Wed and Sat will be catchall days where conditioning is more the focus. This is where there will tend to be more strongman type training and power complexes. This month is where I'm also breaking out some of my old training sequences from a few years back. Hateful things that the new batch of members have never experienced (and never experienced anything like), but are guaranteed to build you up and knock the sissy out of you. Complexes that will definitely turn you nasty.
A quick word on how I manage rest... We use a Peripheral Field Test to check the threat level that an exercise or complex puts on the individual. I'll go more into the science and rationale at a later time, but for now, trust me. It works awesome. Basically, find an area where you can repeat the test repeatedly without fail. For me, I find a spot on the edge of the mat where I can line my toes up, so I know I'm in the same spot each time. Once you've found your spot, bring both arms up in front of you, elbows straight, shoulder height. Bring your hands together with either your index fingers or thumbs pointing up. Keeping your eyes focused straight ahead, slowly move your extended arms out to the sides until you can barely see them using your peripheral vision only. It helps to wiggle your fingers or move your arms up and down slightly to be sure it's your hands you see (or don't) and not shadow. Once you've reached the edge of your peripheral view, look right and then left, and note where your fingers line up. This is your baseline. Each time you check, it should be equal to baseline, or farther back. If you do a set, and your peripheral closes, meaning you won't be able to get your arms back as far as your baseline, that means your nervous system is regarding what your doing as mildly threatening. Count to 10 or 15 and check again. Once your peripheral returns to baseline, go on to the next set or round. That's your rest time.
Monday (Day 1) - Upper Body Strength Focus/ Lower Body
Power, Endurance & Conditioning
Warmup:
Dynamic Joint Mobility/Ground Movement followed by -
10 Min. of As Many Rounds Possible
Pushup x 5
Body Weight Row x 5
Walking Lunge x 10/10
Pushup Plank x 30-45 sec
Peripheral Field Test done after every round.
Upper Body:
10 Min. of As Many Rounds Possible
Double KB Clean & Press x 5/5
Pullup x 5
Farmer Walk x 2 Laps
Peripheral Field Test done after every round.
Lower Body:
10 Min. of As Many Rounds Possible
Double KB Front Squat x 5
Double KB Clean x 5
Double KB Swing x 5
Complete all 15 reps before putting the bells down.
Check Peripheral after every round.
This last complex is truly hateful. Double Clean & Presses, Pullups, and Farmer Walks can be tough when done at the appropriate intensity with the appropriate "get up and go", but working lower body double kettlebell complexes like the one above truly requires some commitment and dedication to a cause. 5 reps of the squat, followed by 5 Souble Cleans, followed by 5 Double Swings - no putting the bells down, only resting in the rack until all 15 reps are done.If you use the right weight, heavy enough to make you work but still control, you will transform.
About two weeks ago, it was suggested to me through Facebook that I post a workout of the day type of thing (which I was kind of doing on Facebook in an unofficial way) I thought this would be a much better environment, since I have a little more room to go into detail. Since I blew it with yesterday, I'll post yesterday's and I'll put up today's a little later.
My gym, Redemption Kettlebell Gym, is driven by semi-private group training, or group personal training, or whatever the industry chooses to label a class of 2-8 people. The majority of these people are 40 + in age, and are looking to lose weight and get "in shape", which means burn fat, build muscle, and not be out of breath walking a flight of stairs or playing with their kids. So, basically, general fitness. By now, we all know that training athletically is the fastest, shortest, and healthiest way to these goals, and that High Intensity Interval Training is the perfect vehicle in which to do it in. So, basically, my programming focuses on building strength first and foremost while developing power and endurance. The Average Joe and Jane need well rounded strength, so that's what I deliver. Enough background rationale...
We'll follow this weekly schedule with very little alteration for the next 3 - 4 weeks. The program is based of of a 4-5 day training week, so Mon, Tue, Thur, and Fri will have a specific upper or lower body strength focus, while Wed and Sat will be catchall days where conditioning is more the focus. This is where there will tend to be more strongman type training and power complexes. This month is where I'm also breaking out some of my old training sequences from a few years back. Hateful things that the new batch of members have never experienced (and never experienced anything like), but are guaranteed to build you up and knock the sissy out of you. Complexes that will definitely turn you nasty.
A quick word on how I manage rest... We use a Peripheral Field Test to check the threat level that an exercise or complex puts on the individual. I'll go more into the science and rationale at a later time, but for now, trust me. It works awesome. Basically, find an area where you can repeat the test repeatedly without fail. For me, I find a spot on the edge of the mat where I can line my toes up, so I know I'm in the same spot each time. Once you've found your spot, bring both arms up in front of you, elbows straight, shoulder height. Bring your hands together with either your index fingers or thumbs pointing up. Keeping your eyes focused straight ahead, slowly move your extended arms out to the sides until you can barely see them using your peripheral vision only. It helps to wiggle your fingers or move your arms up and down slightly to be sure it's your hands you see (or don't) and not shadow. Once you've reached the edge of your peripheral view, look right and then left, and note where your fingers line up. This is your baseline. Each time you check, it should be equal to baseline, or farther back. If you do a set, and your peripheral closes, meaning you won't be able to get your arms back as far as your baseline, that means your nervous system is regarding what your doing as mildly threatening. Count to 10 or 15 and check again. Once your peripheral returns to baseline, go on to the next set or round. That's your rest time.
Monday (Day 1) - Upper Body Strength Focus/ Lower Body
Power, Endurance & Conditioning
Warmup:
Dynamic Joint Mobility/Ground Movement followed by -
10 Min. of As Many Rounds Possible
Pushup x 5
Body Weight Row x 5
Walking Lunge x 10/10
Pushup Plank x 30-45 sec
Peripheral Field Test done after every round.
Upper Body:
10 Min. of As Many Rounds Possible
Double KB Clean & Press x 5/5
Pullup x 5
Farmer Walk x 2 Laps
Peripheral Field Test done after every round.
Lower Body:
10 Min. of As Many Rounds Possible
Double KB Front Squat x 5
Double KB Clean x 5
Double KB Swing x 5
Complete all 15 reps before putting the bells down.
Check Peripheral after every round.
This last complex is truly hateful. Double Clean & Presses, Pullups, and Farmer Walks can be tough when done at the appropriate intensity with the appropriate "get up and go", but working lower body double kettlebell complexes like the one above truly requires some commitment and dedication to a cause. 5 reps of the squat, followed by 5 Souble Cleans, followed by 5 Double Swings - no putting the bells down, only resting in the rack until all 15 reps are done.If you use the right weight, heavy enough to make you work but still control, you will transform.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Harder To Kill...
"Strong People Are Harder To Kill And Generally More Useful ." - Mark Rippetoe
I love this quote. I mean, really love it, to the point that I wish it was mine. Of course, like many quotes, it's a very slight variation of the original, but I like this version better. It rolls off the tongue and gets right to the point - strength is more than a vanity or hobby. It makes you a tougher contender. Tougher to kill physically, tougher to stop mentally, tougher to cripple emotionally. Strength training builds a better body. Period. Do it right, and you're less prone to injury, less prone to illness, and less prone to the breakdown of aging. You'll also find that you become less of a sissy, more confident, and more prone to viewing the world with an internal locus of control - basically meaning that you take some responsibility for yourself. If you find yourself disagreeing with these statements either a.) you're doing it wrong, or b.) you don't train at all and want a justification.
Strong people really are physically harder to kill too. Doubt what I'm saying? Go grab a strong man or woman and try to wrestle them. Have fun. Predators don't like things that can fight back. Nothing in nature goes after something it's going to have to work harder than necessary for, especially if there's a chance of losing. This may sound a little out there. After all, most people get involved in fitness to get in better shape. Personally, I like the concept of training for survival. It's not just about how you look, but how you perform and how you function. Incidentally, the better you can perform, the better your appearance will become (unless you eat a lot of crap all the time, then you'll just be fat, but able to do really cool stuff).
Strength training is just as much a mental and emotional skill as it is a physical one. For me, when the chips are down, do I have the strength to endure hardship and do whateever it takes to provide for the safety and well being of my family, or will I fold and give in because it's easier? Here's an epiphany- nothing worthwhile comes easy or without cost. The lessons you learn through pushing yourself training will help you persevere in every area of your life when things get difficult.
Too many people quit too soon these days. They give up on marriages, relationships, friendships, children, dreams, and ideals. I'll say it again. Nothing worthwhile comes easy or without cost. So, how far will you go to make your marriage work before giving up? How long will you stick with a friend in need at your expense? Where's the point where your patience gives and you lash out at your child? Can you endure unfavorable working conditions because it puts food on the table? Are you willing to do what it takes to make your dream a reality? In this day and age, can you readily adapt to immediate changes in your way of life?
Yeah, strength training builds hard, resilient, capable bodies. It also builds perseverance, endurance, and discipline. It's what we call Mental Toughness. Simply put, strength is the ability to overcome resistance. It's the ability to overcome. Overcome the weight in the training room, overcome hardship in relationships, overcome circumstances in life, and ultimately, overcome yourself.
I love this quote. I mean, really love it, to the point that I wish it was mine. Of course, like many quotes, it's a very slight variation of the original, but I like this version better. It rolls off the tongue and gets right to the point - strength is more than a vanity or hobby. It makes you a tougher contender. Tougher to kill physically, tougher to stop mentally, tougher to cripple emotionally. Strength training builds a better body. Period. Do it right, and you're less prone to injury, less prone to illness, and less prone to the breakdown of aging. You'll also find that you become less of a sissy, more confident, and more prone to viewing the world with an internal locus of control - basically meaning that you take some responsibility for yourself. If you find yourself disagreeing with these statements either a.) you're doing it wrong, or b.) you don't train at all and want a justification.
Strong people really are physically harder to kill too. Doubt what I'm saying? Go grab a strong man or woman and try to wrestle them. Have fun. Predators don't like things that can fight back. Nothing in nature goes after something it's going to have to work harder than necessary for, especially if there's a chance of losing. This may sound a little out there. After all, most people get involved in fitness to get in better shape. Personally, I like the concept of training for survival. It's not just about how you look, but how you perform and how you function. Incidentally, the better you can perform, the better your appearance will become (unless you eat a lot of crap all the time, then you'll just be fat, but able to do really cool stuff).
Strength training is just as much a mental and emotional skill as it is a physical one. For me, when the chips are down, do I have the strength to endure hardship and do whateever it takes to provide for the safety and well being of my family, or will I fold and give in because it's easier? Here's an epiphany- nothing worthwhile comes easy or without cost. The lessons you learn through pushing yourself training will help you persevere in every area of your life when things get difficult.
Too many people quit too soon these days. They give up on marriages, relationships, friendships, children, dreams, and ideals. I'll say it again. Nothing worthwhile comes easy or without cost. So, how far will you go to make your marriage work before giving up? How long will you stick with a friend in need at your expense? Where's the point where your patience gives and you lash out at your child? Can you endure unfavorable working conditions because it puts food on the table? Are you willing to do what it takes to make your dream a reality? In this day and age, can you readily adapt to immediate changes in your way of life?
Yeah, strength training builds hard, resilient, capable bodies. It also builds perseverance, endurance, and discipline. It's what we call Mental Toughness. Simply put, strength is the ability to overcome resistance. It's the ability to overcome. Overcome the weight in the training room, overcome hardship in relationships, overcome circumstances in life, and ultimately, overcome yourself.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Closer to Awesome?...Indeed!
What exactly is "Closer To Awesome", other than a slightly arrogant sounding tag line for Redemption Kettlebell Gym - my totally rad semi private gym? It's a mindset, an attitude, and a way of life. Like many other personal trainers/strength coaches/performance enhancement specialists or whatever title makes you feel good, I believe that quality physical training has a direct carryover to the mental and emotional aspects of our lives that goes beyond simple stress relief. "Closer To Awesome"is a fun slogan that embodies the path of all training goals. After all, to loosely paraphrase Jim Wendler, you didn't start training to be mediocre, right? Didn't think so. So why hold back? Why restrict yourself to doing what you know you can do and what you know you're good at? Start working with a heavier kettlebell. Add weight to the bar. Shorten your rest times, try new movements and/or skills, pick up a new activity. Have courage, take heart, and challenge yourself to push the limits. If it doesn't work out, congratulations, you've discovered an area where you need work, an uncharted territory, a new giant to knock down and conquer. The whole point of training is to turn weakness into strength. I always love hearing "my body doesn't move that way", "I need more rest", etc... That's Great! You've identified areas where you're weak. You're laser focus in training should be to totally dominate that weakness and diligently turn it into a strength. Magically, you'll start to see improvement in the other areas of your fitness (and possibly your life if you're astute enough to start making connections) With every good rep, or really, with every positive action, you get "Closer To Awesome". Get it? Good. Don't settle for mediocrity. Strive for Awesome! Now go out and crush, conquer, and destroy the weak areas in your movement, training, and life. Oh, and if you need help and you're in the Central Jersey area, look me up at Redemption Kettlebell Gym. We bring you Closer To Awesome...
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