Grip and Bent Press...

First day back at some Gripping and bending...

Tore 2 decks of cards (one was 3/4 through behind the back)

Bending x 10 -60d nails (double underhand)

Pinch level Block with 10 pounds 3/4 length of the post x 2 sets of 3 r+L

Bent Press 40 kg x 2+2, 2+2, 2+2

Z to finish

Feels good to be back at some of my favorite strength work.

Have to admit I gave a grade 5 bolt a try and it was a no go - so I have a  long way back to get the Red with the Double Underhand style.

Tearing a deck of cards over 3/4 of the way through Behind the back was a surprise - i am starting to get a good feel for the Dennis Rogers' style of tearing cards.

Fun Stuff and GO STEELERS!!!

Quick but funny...

Talking with a Chiro friend of mine today when he came up with this:

"Current medical thought has pretty much every problem a patient comes in with coming from either an excess of organs or a deficiency of medication..."

I thought that was funny, sad and well...true.

Snatch test and swings...oh my!

Prep work - Z 

24 kg Get-ups x 5+5

24 kg 10 minute Snatch test 164 reps

Swing chain - 24kg, 20kg, 16kg x 10 sets of 30 sec. on/30 sec rest

Stretch

I hit 100 reps in 5 min (10+10 at the top of the minute) - had an extra rest and then 8+8 at the top of each minute for 4 minutes.  So not a great performance but did hit the 100 in 5 minutes which is the RKC snatch test maximum.

Fun stuff.

Working the chain today...

Prep work - Z and ASLR

and then right into it:

20 sets of 30 seconds on 30 seconds rest working the chain 

(24kg + 20kg + 16kg) for one arm swings

so right arm 30 seconds at whatever weight and then left arm for the next etc...

Stretch, Z and stuff at the end.

Simple is best.

And what did everyone thing of the Confusion quote below?

The road back...

Strength Training today...

Prep - Z
Pull-up +45# x 3, 3, 3
1 arm Push-up - 3+3, 2+2, 1+1 (one arm/one leg)
Pistol - 3+3, 3+3, 3+3 (+45#)
DL 315 x 5, 5
32 kg Get-up x 5 min.

There was a day (BPL - before powerlifting) when I weighed 175ish and could do a good bit more pull-ups (bodyweight and weighted), DL 3 x bw, etc... One arm push-ups were a warm-up and pistols were fun. Now at the mid 190's and APL (after powerlifting) things look and feel a bit different. Not sure I'll ever see the 175's again but I am on a road back to some of my previous strengths.
Now - I am not blaming powerlifting - it was my application of it and the obsessive nature of my squatting - no KBs and other factors that changed things for me.
As I return to strength training and eventually powerlifting I will do it in a very different way.

Confusion...

A great quote from the book - "On Intelligence" by Jeff Hawkins -

"Complexity is a symptom of confusion, not a cause."

Talk amonst yourselves.... (picture Coffee Talk with Michael Myers)

Could you apply this to your training routine? 

Is your routine "complex"?  

Might you be confused about how to accomplish your goals?

I am off to Indianapolis to teach tomorrow and will blog when I get back for now roll that question and quote around in your head.  See what shakes out.

Different is OK...

Training today:

Prep - Z

24 kg Get-ups 5+5

Two rounds of:

Goblet squat x 5

Hip Flexor Stretch

20 Alternating swings

(all or the above with 24 kg)

Two rounds of:

24 kg SLDL x 5+5, 5+5

Bodyweight Pull-ups x 10, 8

then a UFC Training circuit of a variety of exercises.

Felt good to do something a little bit different.

Strength Roots...

My Monday and Wednesday training will be strength based for now with Tues and Thursday being more Conditioning based - sprinkle in some grip work and there you have it...

Pull-ups +25# x 5, 5, 5, 5
Pistols x 3+3, 3+3, 3+3, 3+3
DL 225 x 5, 275 x 5
32 Kg Get-up x 5+5
Stretch and Z through the day

I am back on the Warrior Diet - it just works for me. And if I can get the travel issues worked out for sticking to it on the road it will all be good.

Credit for the photos - David Whitley's wife Mandy is a genius with a camera - if she can make me look good in a photo then she is awesome! Check out her work:
Mandy Whitley Photography
And visit David's blog to check out his new Logo - very cool stuff!

An action shot from the Atlanta workshop...

Training today:

Prep - a little Z, ASLR

16 kg VO2 Max at 8 reps per 15 sec. x 60 sets

little stretch and mobility at the end

Picked up a large box of 60d nails at Lowe's today so the bending is going to start soon.

Switching to exclusively Double Underhand style which is demanding on the wrists and grip much more so than Double overhand.  Should be fun!

Workshops and Training...

Very excited for this weekend in Indianapolis!

Saturday Jan 24 in Indianapolis with Mike Robertson
Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training 9402 Uptown Drive, Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46256 Indianapolis Fitness And Sports Training317.578.0998 indyfast@gmail.com

February 7th and 8th FMS workshop in Budapest, Hungary

February 21 Kettlebell Workshop at The Golf Performance Center - details soon on: (www.thegolfperformancecenter.com)

February 28 FMS workshop (closed workshop)

March 21 FMS workshop in West Virginia (I think it might be a closed workshop)

April 4-5 FMS Workshop in Copenhagen, Denmark

April 17-19 RKC certification in Minnapolis

April 25 FITCON Keynote Speaker (click the link for more information)

And coming in May - presenting at the Perform Better Summit in Providence, A special FMS and Secrets of... workshop in Amsterdam, and at the end of the month the second CK-FMS workshop in Minneapolis!

Training today: Getting back to some basic strength work...
Bodyweight Pull-ups x 8 reps x 4 sets
Pistols x 3+3 reps x 4 sets (down on two up on one for the first three sets - full pistols last set)
Speed DL 225 x 5, 5
32 Kg Get-ups x 10 minutes
32 Kg Swings x 20 reps (alt. or one arm) x 3 sets at the top of the minute

Been adding in some grip work - Gripper attempts with BBSM, Card tearing block practice (see dennisrogers.com for details)
Grade 5 bolts are in at the hardware store and I need to pick up a box of 60 penny nails and the Double Under bending will start.

Quick training...

Prep - Z
20 kg Get-ups x 5+5
20 kg VO2Max 8 reps per 15 sec x 20 sets
Z and pegboard drill to finish

Squeezing in the training...

Training today 1/13...

Prep - Z

20 Kg Get-ups x 3+3

20 kg VO2 Max 8 reps per 15 seconds x 30 sets

Three sets of 2 minutes of Alternating Swings with one minute rest between sets

20 Kg for the first set and 16 kg for the last two

Z and stretch to finish

Rougher than it should have been but some days are like that.

Interesting article and quick training today...

Prep work - Z

32 kg Get-ups x 10 minutes (continuous switching L and R)

Good article on NYTimes.com on the importance of getting up and moving - even in ICU...

NYTimes.com article

Movement is key!

Back from Atlanta and some BIG Thank you(s)....

The workshop in Atlanta was great.  A serious group of attendees who worked hard and learned well during the day.  We put in nearly 5 hours of continuous work and had a blast!

Where do you start for an "Advanced/Level 2 prep" workshop - with the basics of course!

After hitting the swing and get-up we progressed into a variety of more advanced KB drills.

I have to Thanks Delaine for setting up the workshop and having me down to Atlanta and for introducing me to some awesome Atlanta BBQ (even I couldn't finish my meal which for those of you who know me know that means it was a LOT of food!).

A HUGE thank you out to David Whitley and Sara Cheatham - Two of our Senior RKCs who took time out of their lives to come down and attend/assist at the workshop.  If you ever have the chance to work with either of these RKCs don't think - just do it.  You will be the better for it.

Now a bit of recovery time today and then back at next week preparing for the KB workshop in Indianapolis.

Getting ready for Hotlanta...

Prep work - Z

10 minutes of Get-ups with the 24kg - various styles

Three rounds of:

24kg Goblet squats (or pistol practice)

24kg SLDL

Hip Flexor Stretch

24kg Alternating swings

15 sec on/15 sec off x 30 sets

Circuit of Band punching, Heavy bag punch/kick, and 50# heavy bag clean and slam

Z and stretch

Fun to mix it up.

Tomorrow I head off to Atlanta and teach the Level 2 Prep workshop!

Just mobility today...

My training today was just an extended session of joint mobility and stretching etc...

So lots of Z and ASLR.  After three days of training and a busy day of work I just needed a day of movement.

My Workshop Schedule as it stands at this point:

Saturday Jan 10 Level 2 RKC Prep Course at Condition Kettlebell Gym in Atlanta hosted by Delaine Ross

Saturday Jan 24 in Indianapolis with Mike Robertson 

February 7th and 8th FMS workshop in Budapest, Hungary

February 21 Kettlebell Workshop at The Golf Performance Center - details soon on: (www.thegolfperformancecenter.com)

February 28 FMS workshop (closed workshop)

March 21 FMS workshop in West Virginia (I think it might be a closed workshop)

April 4-5 FMS Workshop in Copenhagen, Denmark 

April 17-19 RKC certification in Minnapolis

April 25 FITCON  Keynote Speaker (click the link for more information)

And coming in May - presenting at the Perform Better Summit in Providence, A special FMS and Secrets of... workshop in Amsterdam, and at the end of the month the second CK-FMS workshop in Minneapolis! 

And that is just the first half of the year!

Email me or respond here if you would like information on any of these workshops.

Doubling up...

Ended up with a double session for my workout(s) today...

10:30am

Prep work - Z

16kg VO2 Max 8 reps per 15 sec x 40 sets

16kg Windmill x 5+5

3:00pm

Prep work - Z

24kg Get-ups x 5 singles R+L continuous - various styles

24kg VO2 Max 6 reps per 15 sec x 40 sets

Z and stretch to finish

Both workouts were about 30 minutes total in length and were in the moderate range intensity wise and felt good.  I don't usually hit doubles like this but it just worked out this way.

Work to be done...

Training today:
Prep work - Z, ASLR
All drills with 32 kg KB
Windmill x 3+3
Get-up x 4 singles R+L continuous
SLDL x 3+3, 3+3
Clean and Press x 5+5, 5+5
One arm Swing 10 + 10 x 5 sets

For the first time in a decade I gained weight during a holiday season - very dissappointed by this and making some immediate changes to correct the situation.
#1 - Eliminating sweets and sugar
#2 - Zero "adult beverages"

Once again I am reminded that I am not immune...

2009 - the Year of the Get-up!!

First Training of 09....

Prep work - Z, ASLR

Get-ups - 16kg x 3+3, 3+3, 3+3 (continuous)

(various styles)

Single leg DL 16 kg x 5+5, 5+5

Pistol Practice 16 kg x  3+3, 3+3

Swings 16 kg x 20+20 15+15 10+10 5+5

Windmill 16kg x 3+3

Just to knock the vacation off and get started for 09.