Southern Kettlebell Ho-Down

So.... the illustrious Jen B of AoS fame and OnceAroundVenus fame showed up for a hangout sesh in Screwston this weekend and did we ever have one fuck-of-a-good-'ol-southern-time. Let me tell you-

Friday we introduced her to real mexican food and the den of sin known as the chocolate bar. We called it in early for hte inevitabole workout on Sat morning.

Sat at 10AM I introduced Jen to my park, the field, and the tire. We did a W workout that was swings, pushups, tire flips, deck squats, snatches, sprint back.

This was my first workout since Monday b/c from Tuesday until Friday afternoon I was on the couch all week sick as hell. This workout destroyed me. We did 3 rounds and after the 3rd round thought I was going to die. I probably wasn't physically ready for that kind of intensity but Jen was in town all the way from NE Tennessee so what could I do but suck it up and attempt to show her that all the bullshit she reads on here is in fact- not bullshit. I think I might have succeeded.

Nia from Austin is jsut outside of town as I type, Jen is on her way over and we are going to brunch- I know how urbane BUT there will be much fun and talk of kettlebelling.

Expect some pictures later.

some bullet points on being sick

1. took yesterday off b/ i felt sickness coming in- i was right. i am now on my couch watching movies on youtube- thank you everyone who uploads entire movies onto youtube byu breaking them into parts.

2. this weekend there seems to be a surprise i wasnt ready for- i am excited. i need to get better before friday or im gonna be PISSED.

3. need to eat. have home made veg soup- going to eat first real meal of day- not counting snot as sustenance.

WTF

I got sick in less than a day. I went from a slightlity sensitive nose that was running to feeling like hell in less than 24hrs. This is BULLSHIT. I HAVE to feel better before Friday. I've got stuff to do. DAMNIT!

Not cool.

Fuck ROP

Why is ROP so hard with the 24kg? I did day 1 of WK5 again today. It was still hard and a struggle- 3 ladders with 3 rungs each. Did all the snatches but had to do them with sets of 5 on each hand. I felt smoked afterwards and that frustrates me b/c it's not that long or hard of a workout buyt apparently it is. I keep reminding myself its hard b/c I am going up in weight. If I was using the 20KG's I would eat that for breakfast.

Then I went and ran some errands. While doing that I couldn'tshake the feeling I didn't do enough so I got home and ran 2/3rds of a mile of interval sprints. Had to stop to come in and start on dinner.

Tomorrow will be some leg destruction. More pistols, more sprints.

adding it up

did a some new complexes that i have been thinking about since sometime thursday. took thurs and friday off (friday's an off day anyway) to let me body recharge. i really did a number on it mon-wed.

wanted to get serious this morning and i did. got out to the field and took both 20KGs and both 24KGs. walking them out was my warm up b/c its about a 100 yard walk give or take to the shade.

With the 20KGs I did
5 double snatches and on last rep, stop in overhead lock out position, then 5 see saw presses (R+L=1)
Then over to the 24KGs and
5 Reps of RR left, RR right, push up, explode up to feet to KB DL, drop back down into a KB Burpee

My goal was to do these two complexes 5 times each all the way through. I didnt get it- I got 4 times. It was pretty hard. The see saw press REALLY worked me hard. It's a hard exercise, takes a lot of core tension and for some reason really worked my chest.

I liked this little workout. Try it out and let me know what you thought.

minimalism

did ROP WK5D2 yesterday. didnt do swings. just did pressing- barely had time to do that. i felt like i was too sore from Tuesday to really get it but I did pressing anyways and now i feel crippled from lactic acid. im not sure what fucked me up so bad from tuesdays workout but im feeling it

no witty title today.

I did 2 rounds of the following. Was going to do 3 but got got tied up with life when it showed up on my doorstep.

alternating btwn BW drills and KB drills.

Round 1-
3 corn cob pull ups
4R/4L 24KG windmills
30 reg push ups
4 squats w/ double 24KGs
4 two&two pull ups (2 overhand/switch grips at hang/2 under hand, repeat)
10 diamond push ups
40 yard double 24KG KB rack walk

Round 2-
8 reg pull ups
4R/4L 24KG windmills
20 military style push ups (elbows tight against body)
4 squats w/ double 24KGs
10 underhanded pull ups
25 elevated push ups
50 yard double 24KG KB rack walk.

I would have done more #ers on the push ups and pull ups but i was preparing to do 3 or 4 rounds. if i knew i was only going to do 2 rounds, i would have done a shit ton more push ups and more pull ups (i can do WAY more push ups than pull ups- not even comparable).

i will say this, rack walking with double 24KG's is hard. and squatting 2 24KG's is even harder. can someone tell my why i can squat 104lbs no problem but squatting 104lbs btwn 2 KBs is hard as shit. i feel like my body is going to explode from the tension in it.

even though i only did 2 rounds- I am sore today. opinions on this workout? anyone?

ROP Wk 5, day 1- AGAIN

I did ROP W5D1 again yesterday. Did the pressing. Felt pretty ok. The last set of 3 on hte left side was pretty ugly but it got done. I only did one set of snatches. I didn't eat anything all day yesterday so going balls out wasn't really happening. Other fact is, honestly, I'm smoking again and I need to stop. Other fact is, doing anything was hard yesterday. Motivation was lacking so much that I am excited that I did what I did.

Today will be some seriousness on the field, doing something. Pull ups, push ups, windmills, RR's, i don't know. I want to mix it up. Get my legs in there too...

Attack of the Monster Trucks

i moved furniture all day sunday. i dropped the truck's heavier-than-average tailgate on my hip. it fucking hurt. it still hurts. working out today is going to be interesting b/c of it.

i feel like im comming apart. this week is going to be hell. i redo ROP week 5 again this week, day 1 of that protocol is today. i anticipate being on ROP week 5 for a few more weeks before i can move up to more reps w/ the 24KG- it's heavy.

Getting serious in the rain..

I took yesterday off and did heavy day of ROP week 5 today. I owned it like it was my bitch, WAY better than Wednesday's pressing performance that just sucked. Today felt strong, my shoulders and lats felt used after the ladders.

I did snatches instead of swings b/c my snatches with 24KG need as much work as they can get. I know thats against strit protocol and I probably said somethging about doing ROP this time strict BUT... I don't know- I needed to do some snatches

Lactic Acid

is here. The suicide frogs workout killed me- KILLED ME. My entire trunk is sore and my legs are sore from the sprints. Actually, my whole body is sore, back, arms, shoulders, trunk/core/torso-whatever... and it hasn't even been a full day. Usually I take about 1-1.5 days to get sore after a serious workout. I have to say I am scared about tomorrow. I am going to have to do my ROP session tomorrow b/c I am too wrecked today to try- I think it would be harmful.

David Whitley might be my new hero/nemesis. Each of his workouts that I have done just kill me.

Get on the suicide frog protocol if you have access to somwhere that you can do sprints- it won't let you down.

Suicide Frogs...

David Whitley is a sadist and I don't even know the man. I found a post he did on DD about a workout called suicide frogs. Quirky name, right? Well let me tell you somthin buddy... it was a BITCH.

Suicides (AKA horses) with KB rack carries. 40 yards. 1 stop every 10 yards. Walk KB to 10yrd, sprint back to beginning, pick up another KB and wack walk to the 20 yard etc... then when all done sprint back out to the 40 yard KB and walk it in and so on unitl all bells are back at the beginning point. Doing this once all way through on R and then again on the L counts as one. I did 2 and felt FUCKED. I used 20KGs and 24KGs.
10yrd= 20KG
20yrd= 20KG
30yrd= 24KG
40yrd= 24KG

It really stuck me that I only did 2 and felt dead to the world so I did one more using double 24KG rack walks. I KB walked to the 10yrd, sprinted back, sprinted back to 10yrd and KB walked to 20yrd, sprinted back to beginning, KB walked to the 30yrd, jogged back to begginning, sprinted back to 30yrd, KB walked to the 40yrd, jogged back to beginning, sprinted back to the 40yrd and KB walked all way back in to the beginning.

I then almost threw up twice. Picked up bells and went inside and collapsed. This was hard as hell. DW said that it was really challenging and that it will drain you but man, he wasnt even kidding.

Btw it was 107 degrees outside. Took me 25 min.

ROP week 5 day 2

Did ROP again, still on track. Today was not as good as monday- not at all. Only got through half the swings (had to leave to meet wife) and the presses on my left side SUCKED- bad.

It's really frustrating b/c I know my body can do 3 ladders of 3 rungs- I fucking did it Monday. But yesterday, my left side wasnt cooperating. It felt really weak. I did 1,2,3 on left the first time and it was so-so but on the second ladder I 1, and when it came time for 2 it wasnt happening. I was having to cheat a little so I stopped and worked on negatives and assists. Didn't count the reps b/c ROP calls for strict form. UGH! Frustrating.

Im going to do more push ups and pull ups today and probably some TGUs and some sprints.

no work all drink

nuff said

Starting Over

So today I decided to do ROP over again, all the way through, this time w/ the 24KG- my nemesis. Sometimes I try and make excuses to myself that I have such a hard time with it b/c pound for pound- its heavy for me. I weigh 152-155lbs. That's bullshit. Fuck that whole line of thought. I won't ever get anywhere with excuses like that. I always talk shit about working out being the place where I take control- so I'm on my way to taking fucking control of that 24KG kettlebell. I have come far enough in my strength to really try ROP with it and you know what- I'm right.

I did day 1 of week 5 today. 3 ladders, 3 rungs each. I fucking at their lunch. The 3rd ladder on the left side was hard but it got done. No failure. Before I started I was scared that I wouldnt get the 3rd rung on the first ladder. Fuck being scared. Im scared enough right now about the rest of my life- I'm not going to be scared of failing w/ the bell. So I went for it and I got it.

Then the snatches 50-60 in 5-6 min. 10r/10L 1 min rest. I cannot do 10 snatches in a row w/ the 24KG on each side and then be able to do some more 1 min later. That isn't scared- that's something I know about me. So instead of being a little bitch and making an excuse for using the 20KG or just not doing it b/c I was tired, I made it my own and did R/L- sets of 3,4,5 & 5,4,4 for a total of 50 reps. I feel good about it. I think I finally just got the corkscrew method down on the snatch descent. It helps my grip a lot with the 24KG.

I'm going through all of ROP this time, no excuses. No giving in, no giving up. It might take me 15 weeks but I'm doing it.

What are you going to do?

On Repeat

"I've lost all the time that I have in this world, I've spent it unwisely, unwisely you see- And I can't get it back and I can't move forward, I'm broken and I'm empty, it's over for me

If I could undo all the wrongs that I've caused, fall to my knees pray for swiftness and just, for I'm just a fool, a fool driven to dust and the world ain't gonna change for me

So give me one more chance to prove these problems and frustrations aren't just manifested memories we're destined to repeat- a second chance to prove I know right from wrong, I swear I'll do things different but can't promise to be strong

So come on all you losers, you bastards and cheats, vagrants and barflies down on the streets, follow this path to salvation, vindication awaits- we're marching on East Broadway streets tonight

If you can look into this old face and try to see the young man, I swear I once was pretty, not the monster you now see, but I squandered all my chances, lost my faith and took for granted this life and precious one chance, the whirlwind I'll reap

If I could undo all the wrongs that I've caused, fall to my knees pray for swiftness and just, for I'm just a fool, a fool driven to dust- and the world ain't gonna change for me

So come on all you losers, you bastards and cheats, vagrants and barflies down on the streets, follow this path to salvation, vindication awaits- we're marching on East Broadway streets tonight "
- "Bastards on Parade"- DKM

110 degrees

outside. hot as hell. i think i saw the devil sitting on the curb of the park, fanning himself, and mubmling outloud about trying to figure out how to get back to hell b/c he preferred the climate.

the bad news just fucking keeps on coming. today was no different. it comes in 3's so in theory, on the next round i'm due a break. we'll see.

i came home early, cleaned the house as a warm up and then did

warm up with purple band- 30 sec curls, 30 sec presses (still cant put a bell on the wrist)

w/ the 24KG :10 swings, 1 ull up-on-up-to 10 swings, 5 pull ups/10 swings, 5 pull ups-on-down-to 10 swings, 1 pull up

70 yard sprint, 20 push ups/20sec break/70 yard sprint. 20 pushups
20sec break
70 yard sprint, 8 diamond push ups/20sec break/70 yard sprint, 8 diamond push ups

and that was it. i was smoked. it was so damned hot outside i just couldnt keep going. i went in a took a cold-water only shower and seriously, i was so hot the water dried on me before i could dry off.
but sprints are better than prozac- for sure.

Yesterday

I took off. Slept. Its been an emotionally wrecking week helping my mom move. Yay.

Today I will be getting serious on something- still cant really have a bell onmy wrist so I'm thinking pull ups, push ups, and SPRINTS.

new things

did p90X core synergistics work out today for the first time.

was it challenging- yes

did it work my core- yes, i think i can already feel it some.

did i like it better than grabbing bells and doing a circuit workout of TGU's, renegade rows, btwn leg pass/fig8 to holds, and russian twists? - NO.

will i do it again? probably. we'll see how i feel tomorrow and friday from it.

side note- i am FUCKING SORE from Mon and yesterday. My ass and back are superbly tight.

tomorrow is 4 days in a row- suck it trebeck!

ps: fuck you life.

Nothin' fancy here....

Simple and old school today.

4 rounds.
dips
jog
push ups
jog
plank (front, side, side, 30 sec each, no rest)
jog
push ups
jog
pull ups

did reg push ups, wide pushups, diamond push ups, sphinx push ups, pikes press push ups

did corn cob pull ups, regular pull ups, close grip pull ups, 2&2 pull ups

A "Good Idea"

i got tattooed saturday around my wrist and forearm area so no bells on the wrists for a few days. i wanted to make it count monday so i decided to do a lower body workout. i came up with this in my head-
4 rounds back to back squats w/ 28KG + ten 18" box jumps (done for speed)
70 yards walking lunges
w/ two 24KG KB Athletics KB/Burpee set substituting burpee w/ KB Burpee+DL (10 swings, 1 KBBDL, 10 swings, 2 KBBDL etc to 10 swings, 10KBBDL)
4 rounds behind back squats (6-8)
70 yards walking lunges back down field.

let me tell you something. squats/box jumps no prob. some leg cramping and some missteps on the jumps do to non-stop leg destruction but it got done.
walking lunges, no prob there either. bang. done.

then get to my modified swing/burpee combo. wow. i misunderstood my abilities there. i got through sets 1-3 and then hit hte wall. took me forever to get to set 5. after 5 i turned off the camera. i made the decision in my head to get through all 10 sets come hell or high water. i did. but it was horrible and hard. so hard. that whole protocol probably took me almost 18 min to get the 10 sets. sets 8, 9, and 10 all left me seeing stars and almost falling down b/c my legs were wrecked. carrying the bells back to my porch was an ordeal in itself.

needless to say i did not get the behind the back squats or the rest of the walking lunges. did i mention that it was 104 degrees outside? my legs are wrecked today. so so so sore.

video below of the squats and box jumps. i couldnt post the swing/KBBDL video. it was too big cause it took so long + it was kind of pathetic.

OOPS

I just realized that I cannot get serious on either Newport or SL's today b/c I got tattooed on my arm Saturday, all around my forearm and wrist. Can't have bells sitting on that part of my body right now so I'm thinking either p90X or a serious lower body workout with the bells- some squats (front and behind the back) some KB burpees+dead lifts, some box jumps, and some sprints and finish off with an assortment of planks. Decided, done.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

I did not do p90X. I road my bike all around for about 4-5 hours. It was fun. Got a flat on way home and just rode it out. Fuck it.

Today I'm going to need something SERIOUS. Either an honest all out attempt at Newport or maybe another attempt at Smoking Ladders- haven't made up my mind but I'm going to get it, whatever I do, I need it.

Magic 50 gets more magical

I decided to do the magic 50 friday. I wanted something quick but that would still be challenging. I thought of something I hadn't done in a while- the magic 50. I want to get my #ers up with the 24KG so I decided to do the M50 with that- it was hard. It was not quick. I would like to believe thad had I used the 20KG I would have banged it out. But with the 24KG. FUCK. I only took 60 second breaks after round 1 and round 2. The rest were like 3 min breaks. Snatches with the 24KG kill me. Its like my grip isnt strong enough and my body isnt strong enough. The gap in the ease of use for me between the 20KG and the 24KG is ridiculous.

Today, at some point, I'll do p90X chest and back to get in my pushups and pull ups. Overall right now my body feels weak. It might be b/c I just woke up. I'm going to do Newport on Monday- or Smoking Ladders! I want to get in cardio but I want more strength training and SL should do just that.