Kettlebell Training on a Cool Cloudy Day

Got up late, like 0930. After bumming around for a couple of hours I got outside and did my kettlebell training. It was partly cloudy and kinda cool with a breeze. Not as cold as last night, but cool.

Warm Up Circuit 3 circuits 5 reps each

• Prying Squat
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo (each direction)
• Flying Dog (5 reps per side)

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5x10x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 5x1x25# (per side)

Good workout. My back is a little sore though. Got to make sure I maintain focus and tight form on all reps. I need to take some extra time and practice 1-arm swings with a light weight.

Including the warm-up circuits, I finished in 32 minutes. Only took 6.5 minutes for swings and about 10 to 11 minutes for the get ups.

No time for a walk as we went to the Furman women's basketball game. Here's a sidewalk chalk record of my training this past week.

Bright Moon Cold Wind Workout

I almost skipped training with kettlebells today, but I had already skipped yesterday. I will not miss two days in a row. I did at least walk yesterday, which I didn't do today.

I got outside about 1815. It is 38°F and the wind chill is making it feel like 29°F. But I also thought about a couple of winter "street workout" videos I had watched recently. The second one ends with words on the screen "What will it take to make you miss a workout?"

The moon is about 3/4 full and shining light a spotlight in a clear sky. The stars were glittering like jewels. I put on a Frankie Knuckles mix on my Beats Pill and got down to training.

Warm Up Circuit 3 circuits 5 reps each

• Prying Squat
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo (each direction)
• Flying Dog (5 reps per side)

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5x10x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 5x1x25# (Actually 1 rep per side then a short break before next set.)

Total time for the above 36 minutes. I got my swings down from about 9 minutes to about 7 minutes. Shaved the time for my getups from nearly 20 minutes to about 13 minutes. The goal is 5 sets of swings in 5 minutes, a 1 minute break and then finish the getups in another 10 minutes.

6 Minute Abs 

• Myotatic Crunch 1x10
• Cat Vomit Exercise 1x10

I did better on my crunches tonight than last time. For some reason my timer has been freezing for 30 or more seconds when it gets in between 3 and 4 minutes. Makes it hard to keep track of the 10 second hold for the CVEs but I do my best.

I'm so glad I didn't skip my training. I feel very good now. Got that exhausted, well worked feeling in my whole posterior chain while standing under a hot shower. Nothing like it.

Worst Set of Crunches

I couldn't arrange my schedule yesterday to get my kettlebell training in. I was a bit too tired in the morning after being alerted from my work's monitoring system about a down service at 0230. Didn't have enough time after work as my youngest son had a concert. I did get my walk in during lunch though, 1.71 miles in 36:33.

Today I also got my walk in today. The GPS wasn't tracking well despite clear, sunny skies. It was about 1.6 miles in 30:11. Pretty darn fast. It was cool but nice out. After being out late last night and suffering from a little sleep deprivation I didn't get up early enough today to exercise in the morning, but I did get my training on this evening.

Warm Up Circuit 3 circuits 5 reps each

• Prying Squat
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo (each direction)
• Flying Dog (5 reps per side)

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5x10x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 5x1x25# (Actually 1 rep per side then a short break before next set.)

6 Minute Abs 

• Myotatic Crunch 1x10
• Cat Vomit Exercise 1x10

My back felt a little "fragile" during my swings. I braced my abs as hard as I could tried to "crack a walnut" with my glutes. That stabilized my back pretty good. I generated good power. I can't seem to get my 50 swings done in less than about 9 minutes though. That's disappointing.

I was a little wobbly again with the getups. I focused hard and tried to get in the groove. When holding the bell with my left arm my arm was wavering a bit. I did get a couple in that felt solid and strong on both sides. It is very important to focus and move with precision on the getups.

And now to the abs. I guess my abs were just too exhausted from the swings and the getups. I could only get in 2 or 3 crunches without pausing for a few seconds. I did them very slowly, 4 seconds down, 4 seconds up and tried to hold 4 seconds at the top. The CVEs were good. I think I'm getting better at really pulling my abs in .

I felt very good, highly energized when I was done. I had an incredible sense of well being. It was like my whole body was primed and ready to go. I will do my best to get up early tomorrow to do my kettlebell training before work. Oh, I've got over 8K steps in so far today, too.

Cold Dark Simple & Sinister

Too much going on today for me to train in the morning. Had to take my son Miles and his upright bass to school so it could be tuned. Also, he had practice for the Chamber Strings performance at a high school across town from his middle school, which meant I had to leave work early to pick him up and transport him.

While we has at practice I walked around the grounds, well really around the extensive parking lot of Riverside High School. I walked 1.67 miles in 38:27 which was a slow 2.61 mph. That's rather surprising considering how cold it felt walking into the strong wind. Usually when I feel cold I walk faster.

After Miles and I got home I set about getting my kettlebell training on. By this time it was dark and colder. I know, I know, 40°F with a windchill of 31° still isn't all that cold. But remember I've been living in South Carolina for nearly 15 years now and before that was had been living in other southern states for 14 years.

Warm Up Circuit 3 circuits 5 reps each

• Prying Squat
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo (each direction)
• Flying Dog (5 reps per side)

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5x10x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 5x1x25# (Actually 1 rep per side then a short break before next set.)

I banged out my swings in 8 or 9 minutes. My goal is to do them in 5 minutes. My get ups were pretty shaky today. I'm not sure why. Maybe it was because they came at the end of the day and after a vigorous walk. Soldiers have to be ready to fight after long hikes or runs. I should certainly be able to do this brief, simple workout after a walk!

My hamstrings and glutes are fried. I went to the pharmacy to pick up an Rx after I completed my training and I could barely stand at the counter! Right now it seems as if I can feel all the muscles in back from the base of my skull to the base of my spine. I'm constantly amazed at how thoroughly these two exercises seem to recruit almost every part of my body. And once again I've walked more than 8K steps.

Sunny Afternoon Simple & Sinister

Got up late this morning. Didn't start my training session until about 1240 or so. Once I got started I had a great session. It was sunny and 56°F. It feels so good to be out in the sun during the last week of January!

Warm Up Circuit 3 circuits 5 reps each

• Prying Squat
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo (each direction)
• Flying Dog (5 reps per side)

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5x10x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 5x1x25# (Actually 1 rep per side then a short break before next set.)

6 Minute Abs 

• Myotatic Crunch 1x10
• Cat Vomit Exercise 1x10

I'm getting better with the prying squats. Got deep and moved side to side a bit. Nice warm up overall. My swings felt nice and powerful. I got a little distracted during my getups showing my son Miles how to do them. Finished up with abs. Man those crunches were HARD after 8 straight days of kettlebell swings and getups!

I decided to workout today because the weather was so nice. Weather is supposed to be good for the rest of the week, but you never know. Since my gym is my driveway and carport I've got to take advantage of all the good weather days.

Repeating That Training Routine Is Boring Isn't It

Well, I didn't walk yesterday. It was cold and raining. Plus I was so busy with work I didn't even walk around inside the office building for 20 or 30 minutes as I thought I might. Oh well. At least I did my kettlebell training.

One other thing I forgot to mention in yesterday's post is how thoroughly worked and exhausted my entire posterior chain was. As I was standing in the shower after my session I felt the muscles from the soles of my feet, to my calves and all the way up my legs through my glutes and on up my back to the base of my neck nearly quivering with that feeling you get after working hard. What a great feeling.

So, on to the topic that the title of this post stated. Isn't doing the same training routine over and over again boring? Not really. Even in the short time I've been doing this routine I've seen improvements. I find positioning errors to correct. Plus I have a goal in mind, 50 kettlebell swings in 5 minutes and 10 total get ups in 10 minutes. Another thing to consider, is effectiveness or novelty more important? I'll take effectiveness.

Warm Up Circuit 3 circuits 5 reps each

• Prying Squat
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo (each direction)
• Flying Dog (5 reps per side)

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5x10x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 5x1x25# (Actually 1 rep per side then a short break before next set.)

The warm up circuit really makes me feel energized and ready to go. Inevitable when I start the circuit I feel stiff and cold even though I've usually been awake and moving around for an hour or two before I start working out. But after this warm up, I really do feel warm, loose and flexible.

I felt very strong with my swings today. I tried to make sure I was actually pulling the kettlebell down, accelerating it to the bottom position while letting my arms float to the top powering the rise with my hips. I upped the weight for the getups from 20# to 25#. I let my left arm get a little loose on the 2nd set while holding the kettlebell, not good. Got to stay FOCUSED! It's easy to get injured even with such a light weight.

After the kettlebell training I went for a walk. My initial thought was to walk for just 30 minutes as it was cool and cloudy. But as I walked the clouds blew off and the sun beamed through. I ended up walking 2.4 miles in 53:23. I was kinda' slow, only 2.69 mph, but it was an enjoyable walk.

The last couple of days, I've thought I would take an entire day off from training but I just feel so good when I'm done. This must be about the perfect dose of exercise to get the endorphins flowing but not so much as to overtax my ability to recover. I must admit though that my thighs, from front to back, are perpetually sore as is my shoulder girdle to some  extent. Today was my 8th day in a row training. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Chilly Rainy Simple and Sinister

Got my walk in during the middle of the afternoon yesterday. Covered 1.51 miles in 33:01. It was cool and cloudy. I missed the bright sunshine from the previous few days.

Last night I thought about skipping my training session this morning. I was feeling a bit sore and achy, particularly in my hips. Plus the forecast was for rain and I've been training outside. If it rains hard the floor of our carport gets too slick and I would hate to drop a heavy kettlebell inside.

I woke up this morning just before 0500. Got up at 0530 and put on my training clothes as per usual. As it turned out there was a cold drizzle falling from the sky. The carport floor was still dry and I didn't feel achy. So training was ON!

Warm Up Circuit 3 circuits 5 reps each

• Prying Squat
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo (each direction)
• Flying Dog (5 reps per side)

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5x10x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 5x1x20# (Actually 1 rep per side then a short break before next set.)

6 Minute Abs 

• Myotatic Crunch 1x10
• Cat Vomit Exercise 1x10

Once again, I got wobbly in the third set set of getups. I think I strained my right external obliques a little. Got to keep focused. I'll give them some special attention with the foam roller tonight. Perhaps the temperature and the dampness had some effect, too. 

This was my seventh day of training in a row. I need to revisit the Simple and Sinister book to check the optimum number of days to train per week. I'll likely take tomorrow off. I'll probably walk around inside our office building today as it is raining and cold outside.

A Blue Heron and Ducks Flying at Sunrise

Let me start with my walk from yesterday. I walked about 10 minutes while my lunch was cooking on The Chuck Truck. After I ate I walked about 1.12 in 23 minutes. For some reason my phone would not get a GPS lock despite the clear, sunny skies.

Before bed I did some stretching and foam rolling. The stretching is very humbling. I used to be very flexible but right now I'm so tight it's not even funny. My stretching was the Bretzel 1.0 and 2.0 and straddle stretches.

This morning I got up at 0533. I think I got outside to train about 0715. While I was warming up and the sun was rising for the second morning in a row a Great Blue Heron took off from the pond behind my house and flew overhead. A little later a pair of ducks flew over. It was colder than during yesterday's training session, I think it was about 35°F versus about 45°F. Anyway, I got down to the same Simple & Sinister routine but did not do 6 Minute Abs.

Warm Up Circuit 3 circuits 5 reps each

• Prying Squat
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo (each direction)
• Flying Dog (5 reps per side)

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5x10x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 5x1x20# (Actually 1 rep per side then a short break before next set.)

This was my sixth straight day doing this kettlebell workout. The forecast for the next two days is for rain. I wonder how I'm going to get my workout in. I may be able to do this indoors, we'll see, there is not a lot of free space in our house.

Anyway, I feel great. It really helps me start my day off on the proper note. I can feel myself getting stronger and slightly more flexible. I also think I'm generating more power in each swing. My getups are getting smoother. This is a practice, a plan to improve day to day. I'll be walking at lunchtime later today.

Another Early Morning Training Session

I did walk yesterday. Got in 1.51 miles in 32:07. It was a lovely, sunny 64°F when I walked.

Today I got up 10 minutes earlier today, 0540, than yesterday. Got started on my training session a few minutes earlier, too. I was kinda sore, still stiff even though I had been up for 1.5 hours before I got started. However, by the time I finished my warm-up circuits I was feeling ready to tackle the real work of the session.

Warm Up Circuit 3 circuits 5 reps each

• Prying Squat
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo (each direction)
• Flying Dog (5 reps per side)

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5x10x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 5x1x20# (Actually 1 rep per side then a short break before next set.)

This felt good. I got a little wobbly in the third set of getups but was able to recover. These two exercises are quite a challenge. They have me huffing and puffing. My glutes and hamstrings are fried. I feel a little more pain than normal in my right shoulder, my "bad" one. I'll ice it tonight. I finished up in about 40 minutes. Then went on to six minute abs.

6 Minute Abs 

• Myotatic Crunch 1x10
• CVE 1x10

I will walk during lunch time at work again today.

Early (For Me) Morning Workout

I woke up around 0430 this morning. I stayed in bed until 0550. I was hoping I would go back to sleep but no such luck. After making coffee, having a cup, meditating, reading 10 pages of The Power of Less, and washing some dishes I got started on my kettlebell training at 0738. I need to actually get up earlier and get started with my training sooner.

Warm Up Circuit 3 circuits 5 reps each

• Prying Squat
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo (each direction)
• Flying Dog (5 reps per side)

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5x10x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 5x1x20# (Actually 1 rep per side then a short break before next set.)

This whole session took 42 minutes. I need to move a little more quickly and get this under 30 minutes. I kept my focus and braced my abs for each swing and squeezed my glutes at the top of each rep of the swings. I lost a little control during the 4th set of getups when doing the reverse lunge to go back to the floor. I'm glad I was on an exercise mat rather than the concrete as that would have made for a bruised left knee cap. 

I'll walk at lunch time. Tomorrow I'll tack on 6 minute abs. BTW, the deep squats, swings and getups really work the abdominals very hard if indirectly. Therefore, I don't think I need to do direct ab work daily.

I felt so very good after this mornings session, energized, loose and ready for the day. Thanks for Simple and Sinister, Pavel Tsatsouline!

Strong Lady Weights

Another day! Another kettlebell practice session. Another day of walking. Warm and sunny outside, 63°F in the middle of January! I picked up some heavier kettlebells yesterday a 35 pounder and a 25 pounder. I put the 35# to use today on swings and stepped up my getup with the 20# bell. According to Simple and Sinister I'm using weights that a strong woman should use (16kg for swings and 12kg for getups)! HAHAHA! I'll get stronger.

Warm Up Circuit 3 circuits 5 reps each

• Prying Squat
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo

Flying dog 1x15 per side.

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5x10x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 5x1x20# (Actually 1 rep per side then a short break before next set.)

6 Minute Abs 

• Myotatic Crunch 1x10
• CVE 1x10

Walking 1.62 miles in 34:34 minutes.

All in all a good workout. I was able to get nice and deep on the prying squats and work my hips open with my elbows and move a bit side to side. A very humbling exercise it is but it shows just how much I need to work on mobility.

Pavel Tsatsouline teaches that it is better to refer to a workout as training and/or practice. Especially since we general have such bad associations mentally with work. So, my practice today was very good. I got a little sloppy at the beginning of my second set of swings with the 35#. I had to remind myself to brace my abs, squeeze my glutes and "hip hinge". It takes a lot of core stability to do swings, more than one might think.

I was pretty solid on my get ups. It was a little challenging using the heavier weight but I was able to keep my shoulder stable. Getups are a whole body exercise and by the third set I was a little nauseous. Probably the cumulative effect of the heavier swings, too. I wonder how many days I can practice before I need a break? We are evolved to run, hunt, gather and walk for miles daily. I'll keep it up as long as I can.

Warm Sunny Outdoor Training

Got up late. Lazed around. I wasn't overly sore but I had that good, well worked feeling in my muscles. Put on my exercise gear. Lazed around some more. Finally got out and got to work. Simple and Sinister calls for daily practice with the kettlebells unless one is just too sore or are in a crunch for time.

Warm Up Circuit

• Prying Squat
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 
• 1x10x20# Two Handed
• 1x10x20# Right Handed
• 1x10x20# Left Handed
• 1x10x20# Two Handed
• 1x10x20# Two Handed
•  Turkish Get Ups 5x1x15# (Actually 1 rep per side then a short break before next set.)

Walking 2.3 miles in 42 minutes.

I used the basketball goal post to work on my deep squats. It was easier to use and I could get my elbows inside my thighs to work on prying open my hips. Nice warm up, but I meant to do some flying dogs, too. Next time.

During the swings I did a couple of sets one handed as noted above. Felt good but I think I should stick to two hands for a while longer. I upped the weight for the get ups from 10# to 15# as the 10 pounders was just too light yesterday. Then I went off for my walk. Felt good.

Simple and Sinister

I felt such resistance to exercising today. I put on some sweats and a tshirt but I just couldn't get to it. I did laundry. I made up our bed. I started cleaning the bathroom. Finally a little more than an hour ago I went out into the back yard and got down to it. Except for walking this is my first session since last Saturday.

I was searching for something about kettlebell training and came across Simple and Sinister by Pavel Tsatsouline. Actually I think I heard about it on Episode 3 of Tim Ferriss' podcast when he interviewed Kelly Starrett and Dr. Justin Mager. And what do you know, Ferriss interviewed Pavel Tsatsouline this week in Episode 55.

Anyway, I bought the book and decided to put it into practice. I had combined kettlebell swings and Turkish get ups into a workout before. They are a great combination. Simple and Sinister includes some key mobility exercises including the "prying goblet squat." That one kinda intimidates me, I know I need to increase my mobility and staying in a deep squat is a challenge. Anyway, here's the workout.

Warm Up Circuit

• Prying Squat
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5x10x20#
• Turkish Get Ups 5x1x10# (Actually 1 rep per side then a short break before next set.)

6 Minute Abs

• Myotatic Crunch 1x10
• CVE 1x10

Walked 1.61 miles in 33:00 minutes. 

All in all a good training session. I did the squats holding on to the fence gate so I could get my but to my heels and stay down there. I tried to move into it, side to side a bit, to work open my hips. Man it's tough! As I get more comfortable down there I'll start holding a kettlebell as recommended.

I bumped up my weight for the swings since I'm doing lower reps. I think I can use heavier kettlebells for both swings and get ups, but I don't have any heavier ones yet. The get ups were pretty easy but I could feel my abs tightening up by the time I finished. That just made the 6 minute ab routine more fun! I was going to skip walking but I'm on a roll of daily 30 minute walks so I got it in. I feel good.

Chill but Sunny Outdoor Workout

I walked yesterday at lunch as per normal. I covered 1.42 miles in 34:31. Decent but not as fast as I would like. My goal is to get consistent at a 3 mph walking speed.

Today I worked out in the afternoon and outside. I didn't go for a walk but I've still managed to walk for more than 40 minutes. Thanks for tracking that Google Fit.

• Two Leg Hip Extensions 20 reps
• Flying Dog 15 reps per side
• Kettlebell Swings 2x50,25 w/ 15# kettlebell
• Myotatic Crunches on Swissball 10 reps
• CVE 10 reps

I upped my reps on the first set of kettlebell swings from 40 (done on Thursday) to 50. Hooray! I can't believe how involved my calves become when doing high rep swings. I do wear Vibram Five Fingers, maybe I'm unconciously gripping the ground?

I need to slow down on the crunches. I need to count 4 on the way down and on the way back up. On the CVE's I should focus more on really pulling my belly button toward my spine. All in all it was a good workout. I can feel it. 

If I can hit 75 straight swings on Monday I'll move up to my 20# kettlebell. After that I reach 75 straight with that one, I'll need to purchase a new kettlebell. I'll probably get a 25# and a 30#.

Evening Workout

I didn't post yesterday but I walked 1.61 miles in 34:02. Today I walked at lunch time even though it was only 27°F. I covered 1.64 miles in 34:39. However, it was sunny and the howling winds of last night had abated. Noom Coach and Noom Walk are not tracking my steps accurately. Oh well.

Once I got home from work I sat around for about an hour and then got my workout on. I went up from a 10 pound to a 15 pound kettlebell for my swings.

• Two Leg Hip Extensions 20 reps
• Flying Dog 15 reps per side
• Kettlebell Swings 2x40,35 w/ 15# kettlebell
• Myotatic Crunches on Swissball 10 reps
• CVE 10 reps

I like this short, simple workout. A little dissapointed that I didn't get 75 reps like my previous workout but getting it done in two sets of 40 and 35 reps matches my first workout with 10 pound kettlebell. I look forward to continuing to use heavier and heavier kettlebells. It will be even better once I can get up and moving early enough to do this routine before breakfast in the morning.

75 Straight Kettlebell Swings

I walked 1.6 miles in 31 minutes at lunch time. I stopped at Wal-mart on the way home. Even though that made me later than usual getting home, I did not snack. I did a couple of chores then got straight to my brief workout.

• Two Leg Hip Extension 20 reps
• Flying Dog 15 reps per side
• 75 Kettlebell Swings Straight! 10#
• 10 Myotatic Crunches on Swissball
• Cat Vomit Exercise 10 reps

Proud of myself for powering through the swings. Even with such a light weight I could feel my thighs and calves burning. Now an hour or so later I can feel soreness in my back muscles. Thankfully my abs didn't cramp up like they did the last two workouts.

After my workout I had a nice slowcarb dinner of broiled salmon, cabbage, black eyed peas and water. 

Missed A Day

I missed a day but I'm back on track. There was just too much rain on Saturday. It finally let up today. Also, I was just lazy. I could have done my kettlebell swings and 6 minute abs yesterday but I didn't. Got it all in today.

• Walk 2.4 miles in 52 minutes.
• Kettlebell Swings 2x50,25 w/ 10# in 4 minutes.
• Myotatic Crunches on swiss ball 10 reps
• CVE 10 reps

My walking speed today, 2.8 mph, was faster than Friday's 2.7 mph and slower than Thursday's 2.9 mph. But look at that! The mean is 2.8 mph. LOL! Yes, I'm a nerd.

Just a Quick Walk Before the Rain

Got in a quick walk before the rain. Only 1.6 miles in 36 minutes. But enough to ease the soreness in my legs and abs from yesterday's workout. Might do a little mobility work throughout the day. My goal is to get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. I plan to do kettlebell swings and the 6 minute ab routine every other day. BTW, my hip doesn't hurt or feel weak like it did yesterday. That is all.

Movement Is Medicine

First workout of the year. I'm so tired of being overweight. Tired of my joints hurting. I was just walking in the kitchen this morning and my hip almost gave out. My right shoulder is hurting even now. I can't lie on my right side for very long without my shoulder hurting. I even get tingling in the fingers of my right hand. Movement is medicine so I got moving.

• Walked 2.36 miles in 49:20.
• Kettlebell
• Deadlift from point A 5 reps with 10#
• Deadlift from point A 5 reps with 10#
• Swings 5 reps with 10#
• Swings 2x40, 35 with 10#
• 6 Minute Abs
• Myotatic crunches 10 reps on Swiss ball
• Cat Vomit Exercise 10 reps

After the crunches my abs cramped up so hard and painfully that I had to just stretch out on my yoga mat. I also tried to stretch them out with little success. Overall a good workout.