Well Monday came and went. 40 rep swings were a joy!
I checked our reps for weeks 1 and 2 and found that we started with 140 swings per workout, then went to 150 for week 2 (one workout) and did 160 on Monday. These are not impossible. But if you haven’t trained extended reps, your grip will let you know it.
We moved Tuesday’s workout to today as I had a union meeting to attend to last night.
Today we had a lot of energy and really worked the Turkish Get-Ups. My son got 9-R and 8-L with a goal of 10 on each side for 5 minutes with the 16 KG.
My wife and I hit 8-R and 7-L. She was using a 9 KG and I used the 24 KG. We definitely worked it hard. However, we both agreed that today’s workout was better than Saturday morning’s workout. Even though we moved more weight today, we felt better when we were done.
Swings again tomorrow, 40 reps getting ready for 50 reps in week 4!
Yes, this week has been busy. And yes, i haven’t posted ina while. But everyone has to deal with life’s intrusions and mine is no different.Work has kept me busy but we’ve been continuing our workouts. Monday’s workout was moved to Tuesday though, after we spent most of the afternoon priming the back of the house for painting.
Tuesday was a swing workout, still hitting 20 reps, but I’ve moved up to using my 24KG as I didn’t feel that using the 16KG was challenging me. The 24 KG is though! We got 7 sets into the 12 minute time period.
Wednesday’s workout was on Thursday. Turkish Get-ups, also with the 24KG. I’ve been using my Gymboss timer to keep track of the intervals and it’s been working out great…as long as I remember to push the button. Today we hit 8 reps int he get-up when I realized that the timer wasn’t timing! I thought I pushed the button and didn’t and my 5-minute time period was a tad longer. Those 8 reps were smokers!
No rest day, as we hit Thursday’s swing workout on schedule. Thursday saw an increase to 30-rep swing sets. These were challenging for all of us but we still got in 5 sets. PROGRESS!!!
Friday I worked some O.T. for a local High School’s Junior Prom and didn’t get home until midnight. After a 15 1/2 hour day I was in no mood to workout. Hopefully we’ll get our TGU workout in tonight!
YES! They really force me to concentrate. Especially with the 24 kg Russian Red I’ve got. I prefer to use my Dragondoor kettlebell with its thicker handle instead of my AKC competition bells whenever I do get-ups. My wife uses her 9 kg Ader bell for her Tuesday/Friday workouts.
Like Tuesday’s workout, we’re doing our warm-up circuit for ten minutes, followed by get-ups. It’s really important to focus on the movement and keep your eyes on the kettlebell at all times as you’re doing the get-up. Wear a helmet if you think you’re going to frop it on your head. It will leave a mark.
Finish with some ab work or stretching and that’s it. We’ve successfully completed week one. Next week will get tougher. Don’t worry about the numbers though, we’re not trying to run a marathon our first week. We’re building on success to keep coming back to the next workout. If you dread the next one, you’ll be more likely to skip it and make excuses for why you’re not working out.
Yes, I could probably start off with a heavier bell for my swings (like my 24 kilo), and I’m tempted many days, but I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone. I’m building up my numbers and my stamina. That will lead to greater strength and endurance, and yes, even with a 16 kg bell. Believe it!
As this week winds down, I would like to thank everyone who has been visiting Ironbell Athletics. My stats show I had 26 hits one day in March, and 21 last Wednesday. While those aren’t enormous numbers, I’m still flattered that someone is taking the time out of their day to read my blog. Thanks.
Hey, if you don’t have a kettlebell yet, what are you doing with your tax refund or stimulus check? Think about purchasing a handheld gym (kettlebell) and a book or DVD to get started. What have you got to lose?
Thursday’s workout is the same as Monday’s. Now that we know what to expect, we can pick up the pace a bit and see if we can squeeze another set or two into our 10 minute warm-up and our 12 minute work-out.
One thing that I’d like to comment on is the importance of a routine. When I get home from work, I’m often tired and not fired up to work out. However, once I do work out, I find myself more relaxed and energized than I would be if I just came home and had a beer or jumped right into dinner.
The nice thing about this program is that I don’t have to worry about deciding what sets and reps I have to do for that night. I just follow the program as it’s written. This also aids in success and keeps me motivated to work out.
Try it out!
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Sort of. I needed a bit of movement, so I did some hindu squats and pushups after getting up this morning, then some more this evening before dinner along with some bridging. Nothing major nor was I trying to break a sweat. Just a little movement and stretching before getting back to our routine tomorrow.
For Tuesday, we’re working a different set of muscles and for less time. I won’t give away specifics as Anthony has a product to sell. However, I will say that today’s workout is slower and more of a strength day than an endurance day.
For those in the know about kettlebell drills, our main focus after the specified warm-up, is the Turkish get-up. Here’s a demo by Anthony:
If you haven’t purchased your copy of the workbook yet, you can catch up by getting the e-book version. Don’t delay! You body will thank you!
OK, I know I said I was going to start my GS training, but my wife and son both said they would be more interested in a structured program so I’m giving them one. If any of you are familiar with Pavel Tsatsouline and the Dragon Door (DD) website, you’ve heard about the Enter the Kettlebell program and have read about its effectiveness in the DD forum.
Well, noted kettlebell fitness trainer Anthony Diluglio of Art of Strength and Punch Kettlebell Gym published a workbook companion to Pavel’s ETK program. In it, he lays out 12 weeks of workouts to follow to achieve the goal of the RKC Rite Of Passage.
I’m using this program for its simplicity and the ability of my wife or son to use their workbook to get a workout in without having to rely on me to guide them. With our work and school schedules, we don’t always get to work out together, so this will help us ensure we get all our workouts in.
For the first workout, we’ll be doing a 10-minute warmup followed by a 12-minute workout. The workout is comprised of 20 rep swings with a minute of “active rest” between sets. We’ll be doing the “program minimum” for the first 4 weeks followed by the “rite of passage” workouts for the following 8 weeks.
The workbook is nice in that it means you just have to place checkmarks by each completed set and use a timer to keep you honest. I suggest you go to the Art of Strength website and see for yourself how great Anthony’s products are!
