Slow and Steady

Training has gone well the last couple of days.

Monday I hit 10 minutes with 20kg One Arm Kettlebell Jerks at 5 RPM. It wasn't too hard, I just noticed I started to get "antsy" toward the end. I knew I could do and i just wanted the set to be over

Followed that up with some more OAJs with a 32kg 10 reps per side, the focus was quickness. I treated them like barbell jerks, the faster the better.

On to Kettlebell Snatches, nothing earth shattering, just slowly building volume. I chose a 16kg bell and an RPM of 12. So, one snatch every 5 seconds. I always train with a GymBoss, analog clocks, while they work fine, are not for me.

A 6 minute set for a total of 72 reps.

Followed by some swing w/ a 24kg. I just can't get into swings lately. I'd rather do more heavy jerks as an assistance exercise. But, that's just me.

Lastly a run in which I pushed the pace over our normal 2.5 mile coarse. Everything just clicked, and while still minutes slower than my best 5k, I was happy with it.

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Today's training I dialed it back in order to fit more volume in and run myself into the ground. I have had a slightly naggin shoulder for the last couple of days. It has more to do with my posture while working than it does with my training.

After a good warm up I did 2 sets of 6 minutes, again One Arm Jerk, at 6 RPM.

So although my set was shorter the density of work was slightly higher as was the pace. These felt good, fairly easy as 16kg is nothing to write home about.

I wanted to work long on the snatches and maintain good technique so I backed it down to the 12kg today and did a full 10 minutes set. My focus was to cast the bell and not catch my callouses. Mission accomplished.

No other assistance, I'll run later or possibly set up my bike on the trainer since it's only 32 degrees. Normally I'd still run in shorts and a hoodie, but since moving to TX I've become somewhat of a wuss in the "cold".

Jerk PR Today

Today I hit a nice Jerk PR. I traded down to only one bell for this weeks trainnig.

So w/ 1 24kg bell and an RPM of 4 reps I went a 8 minutes, switched at for. Towards the end it gets harder to hold the bell them it does to jerk it. After all, it's only 53lbs, my legs can surely handle that for quite some time. But the rack, oh the rack.

Snatches went fine, 16kg bell at 12 RPM for 6 minutes. Still not in a hurry to push this up. I figure as my Jerk numbers increase my snatches will as well.

That's it for today, no assistance, no running. But new this week will be some yoga. Tomorrow will be the first session.

Kettlebell Training 11-25-08

Today's training was a little disappointing.

I have switched back to training for the biathlon event on GS. This will consist of a set of double kettlebell jerks and a of snatches.

My snatches, due to lack of training them, have really fallen.

Where I was consistently to the ten minutes mark with a 16 kilo bell, I am struggleing to go 10 minutes with a 12kg. It'll come back, Cate Imes has giving me some good advce, I am trying to put her pointers to use.

Jerks are another story.

Because of my Long Cycle training, my jerk strngth is good, but I struggle to find the rack with the lighter bells.

I have a pair of 20kg in route so they may be the great equalizer. Light enough to go long, heavy enough to force my elbows down.

Today I practiced only the Comp lift, no assist lifts, and kept the reps low. I just wanted to practice to skills.

Jerks:
2-24kg @ 4 Rpm, 12 reps = 3 minutes

Snatches:
1-16kg @ 12 RPM, 36R/36L = 6 minutes.

Went for a 30- minutes run with Kori after. An easy 2.5 mile fartlek.

We'll see what happpens tomorrow.

The Best Show

It kind of has to do with fitness....

Oh well, another great season over.



One more just for fun.



Charlie and Dennis write a song, of course Charlie's been huffing paint all day. I love this show!

More Kettlebell Updates

Well, this last week has been fun.

I set a couple good PRs and even cut those sets short.

I decided that since I'm just can't get over the Girevoy Sport bug I should get some more coaching and take the step to become a coach in case the opportunity to coach a young athlete presents itself I'll be prepared to do so.

So I flew to Cincinnati, northern Kentucky actually, but it doesn't really matter.

Over the course of the weekend got put through the paces learned some good tips and coaching cues and emerged a coach.

OK, well not really, at least in my eyes. It'll take lots of experience and a good number of mistakes before anyone will and should, call me coach.

Over the course of the weekend I hit a couple of Kettlebell Jerk PRs.

With 2-24kg bells I hit 22 reps and had about three left in the tank.

With 2-32kg bells I hit 12 reps with about 2 left.

I realize the numbers aren't spectacular, but at a body weight of only 165 they served to motivate me to push toward getting ranked.

The biggest thing I learned was to keep my cool and not panic under load and take one rep at a time. It isn't nearly as bad and it keeps the quality of the reps higher.

I'll try to get some video later this week. I have taken it easy for the last couple of days, I really felt worn out upon waking Monday. Flying when you're sore is no fun.

Quick Kettlebell Training Update

I haven't logged my training in a long time.

We've had a ton to things going on, and although I have got all (or most) of my training in.

I have been working on getting to the ten minute mark in my Long Cycle Clean and Jerk. I had stalled and realized, like always I tried to push too hard, too long and was spinning my wheels.

So.

I backed off to one bell and back down to the 16kg bells.

This helped a lot.

I have been able to train more often and longer.

I also stopped thinking about how long I had to go for and started to think about each each as it's own entity.

That last tactic helped the most. Stop thinking about how much time is left or how many reps you have done. Just concentrated on the next rep and complete it as perfect as possible.

The result?

Multiple sets that have been ten minutes, with one hand switch at 5 rpm.

Now I know what you're saying...that's only 50 reps.

In all honesty the rep is the easy part. Holding the bell and waiting for the next one is the hard part.

So, I'll keep pushing the pace up and slowly add in some double work.

Snatches have gone well.

Call me a pus if you want, but I trade off between the 12kg and the 16kg bells.

8 minutes with the 16 is no problem.

10-12 minutes with the 12kg is pretty solid.

Just pushing the pace until I can get to 100 each hand with the 16kg bell.

There you have it.

More to come.

Just Singles.

That's it.

That's all I did today.

Singles.

My main focus was creating and maintaining tension throughout the lift.

Recently I have been focusing on relaxing, conserving energy and trying to push longer. This was a nice change and I plan on adding in some pure strength days like this one. Maybe a better name from them would be "Strength Practice" days.

We're really getting in gear for the RKC Level II at the end of this month training is going well, I can easily perform what I need to so now it's about maintaining and not doing something stupid to get injured.

The menu today was simple:

3 exercises

5 singles

High tension.

Press and Pull ups:

I did these "super setted", the presses w/ a 32kg and the pullups with a 16kg

Lots of rest, lots of tension. Both endeed up being easier than I thought, I could have done more but decided to quit while ahead.

Next, Pistol w/ a 24kg. These started off a little shaky but tightened right up once I got back in my groove.

So, there you have nothing too exciting today.

Tomorrow will bring a good hard Met-Con day. Too humid to snatch so lots of high pulls!!