Unlocking Hip Flexors and Hamstrings

I've been dealing with a hip issue for a couple of years. My left hip is often painful, sometimes locks up and sometimes gives out. I got an email from Brad Pilon of Eat Stop Eat fame about the Unlock Your Hip Flexors program from the guys at Critical Bench. It was cheap, seemed targeted at my problem so I jumped on it. It included a bonus of Unlock Your Tight Hamstrings.

I worked through these two programs today. Some of the exercises and stretches were familiar but many were new to me. My hips, quads and hamstrings feel nice and loose. I can only hope that by making these two short routines, fifteen minutes total, part of my daily activity I'll improved the mobility and flexibility in these areas. BTW, exercises for abdominal region were included which proved to be the hardest for me as usual.

Also, now that I'm pretty much over a pretty bad cold or the flu I'm going to embark again on my quest to complete 300 kettlebell swings per day for 30 days.

300 Swings a Day

I was traveling Wednesday through Saturday last week. I knew I wouldn't have time for a full workout. But I figured I could follow the protocol of 300 Swings a Day. So I did, well almost. Wednesday I got my 300 in at rest stops, fuel stops or food stops. Thursday I started in but only got about 150 reps. Friday my kettlebell was locked away in the valet parked car so no way to do swings. Saturday I got my three hundred in as we drove back to SC from New England. Sunday after sleeping most of the day I got my 300 in by doing three sessions of 5 sets of 20 swings each. Today I did 6 sessions with 50 total reps each.

I've been mixing in one handed and two handed swings. The one handed swings have me sore in new places! If you were keeping up, you'll notice that I did 300 swings 4 of the last 6 days. So, I've got 26 more days to make 30 days of 300 swings! Wish me luck. After that I think I'll go back to Tracy Reifkind's workouts, probably #4. And maybe after I feel like I've mastered her #4 and #5 workouts I'll try 10K Swings in 10 Days.

Posterior Chain Annihilation

Got off schedule. I was really tired over the weekend. Was too tired to post this last night after I got done training.

Warm up walk 0.50 miles in 1:34 f1or an average of 2.6 mph.

Warm up calisthenic circuits 5 reps per exercise,  (per side or direction if a unilateral type exercise) 14:00 minutes.

• Prying Goblet Squat w/ 25# kettlebell
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo  w/ 15# kettlebell
• Flying Dog

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5x10x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x11,12,13,14,15x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x16,17,18,19,120x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x20x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 10x1x25# (per side)

Every muscle from my neck to my feet was torched. Even my feet were cramping up which is strange considering I've been training barefoot all summer. 305 swings in 20 minutes. Did the 10 sets of get ups in another 19 minutes. Total time 39:01. Finished up with a little bit of the waiter-rack-farmer walk, weighted carry.

Fast Workout Plus Cook Drill

Yesterday I got home from work around 1815 or 1830. I had promised to take my youngest son to TKD class at 2010. That meant I needed to get changed and get my workout area set up pretty quickly in order to have enough time to train prior taking him to his class. It also meant that I would need to go through my 10 sets of Turkish Get Ups as quickly as possible while maintaining good form. Here is how it went.

Warm up walk 0.51 miles in 10:30 for an average of 2.9 mph.

Warm up calisthenic circuits 5 reps per exercise,  (per side or direction if a unilateral type exercise) 12:23 minutes.

• Prying Goblet Squat w/ 25# kettlebell
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo  w/ 15# kettlebell
• Flying Dog

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5x10x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x11,12,13,14,15x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x16,17,18,19,120x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x20x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 10x1x25# (per side)

My left hip has been giving me trouble still. I think it is the hip flexors. Some of it might be transmitted from old low back issues, need to increase flexibility through hamstrings and needing to increase core strength. We'll see. I'm going to work on those issues.

Anyway, once I was nicely warmed up and finished the first few sets of swings my hip felt better. I was able to stick to my planned set rep scheme for swings. I was breathing hard but not excessively so by the end of the 20 minutes. I think it is really time to increase the weight on both swings and get ups.

By the time I finished the swings my time was getting short. I told my son, "We need to leave for your class at 1950 in order to get to your 2010 class. I'm going to keep working out and if I don't finish I'll just stop." As it turned out, I completed my 10 sets of get ups. Also, I only took about 1.5 minutes break between the swings and get ups. Total time was 37 minutes exactly! That was almost 4 minutes less than last time and nearly 3 minutes faster than the time before that! Given sufficient motivation I can move faster.

After dropping my son off for his class I made a brief Wal-Mart run. After getting back to the TKD school I spent about 10 or 15 minutes doing the Loaded Carry Finisher as outlined in The 3 Tips That Will Help You Burn More Fat during Your Workout. Never having done this before I used a really light kettlebell just 15 pounds.

300 Kettlebell Swings in 20 Minutes

Warm up walk 0.49 miles in 10:38 for an average of 2.8 mph.

Warm up calisthenic circuits 5 reps per exercise,  (per side or direction if a unilateral type exercise) 12:27 minutes.

• Prying Goblet Squat w/ 25# kettlebell
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo  w/ 15# kettlebell
• Flying Dog

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5x10x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x11,12,13,14,15x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x16,17,18,19,120x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x20x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 10x1x25# (per side)

Beautiful, sunny and cool autumn day. Training done. Did Tracy Reifkind's full Workout #3. Completed 305 swings in 20 minutes. Followed up with my 10 sets of turkish get ups ala Pavel's Simple and Sinister. Total kettlebell time 40:46. Disappointed with that time but I took a long time again between swings and get ups.

Just Enough Dry Ground to Workout

I had just enough dry ground in my carport this afternoon to get my kettlebell training done. It is still cool, windy and cloudy but at least the rain has stopped in our part of SC. The poor folks in Columbia and Charleston are in for more rain. I need to make sure I get my walk in tomorrow. I need to do some flexibility and mobility work later this evening and tomorrow, too.

Warm up walk 0.64 miles in 11:55 for an average of 3.2 mph.

Warm up calisthenic circuits 5 reps per exercise,  (per side or direction if a unilateral type exercise) 11:44 minutes.

• Prying Goblet Squat w/ 25# kettlebell
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo  w/ 15# kettlebell
• Flying Dog

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5x10x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x11,12,13,14,15x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x16,17,18,19,19x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x19x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 10x1x25# (per side)

I wasn't too excited about training today. However, after bouncing around in 248 - 252 pound range for a month my weight is creeping up again. I have weighed around 255 for the last few days. I know it's because my eating has been getting out of control. Fast food and unhealthy snacks, maybe a little to much liquor and or beer. I can and will do better!

I bumped up my reps and finished the last 7 sets at 19 reps each. It wasn't too bad. I should be able to do the max reps of 20 in my next attempt at Tracy Reifkind's Workout #3. I took about a 2 maybe even a 2.5 minute break between the swings and get ups. Not sure why I paused so long between exercises. I was huffing and puffing but I think it was mostly just not being focused. BTW, I did this training fasted. Total kettlebell time 38:41.

Repeated Last Kettlebell Workout

It has been raining like crazy over the last week or more. There is even more to come thanks to hurricane Joaquin. Today was the first day that my carport was dry enough for a training session since last Saturday. Well, I'm going to blame my lack of workouts on the rain, any excuse will do right?  This is the peril of working out at home and out of doors and not having a gym membership. I don't mind the heat or the cold, but when things get wet it's a little dangerous as the carport is slippery!

Warm up walk 0.53 miles in 10:56 for an average of 2.9 mph.

Warm up calisthenic circuits 5 reps per exercise,  (per side or direction if a unilateral type exercise) 13:16 minutes.

• Prying Goblet Squat w/ 25# kettlebell
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo  w/ 15# kettlebell
• Flying Dog

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5x10x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x11,12,13,14,15x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x16,17,18,18,18x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x18x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 10x1x25# (per side)

I decided to repeat my last session since a week has gone by. Felt pretty good. Started getting tired around the 16th or 17th set of swings. I could feel a little tightness in my lower back. I just focused on my form and made it through.

After a 1.5 minute break I moved on to Turkish Get Ups. Did my first 5 sets per side. Then a brief pause to chalk my hands and get a sip of water. Finished the final 5 sets. Total kettlebell time was 38:33 a good deal faster than last time.