Meditation and Original Strength

I had meditated ( I use the Calm App for timed silent meditation) for 11 straight days before yesterday when I missed. I did an Original Strength Reset 10 of those 11 days, just didn't do it on the first of those 11 days. I missed yesterday. Today I meditated and did an OS Reset.

I had noticed that I was feeling much better physically and mentally the last couple of days before I missed a day. I wonder if that sense of well being led to a temporary urge to self sabotage? At any rate, I complied with the mantra of "never miss two days in a row" and got back to it today. I'll try to keep my streak going even while I'm traveling in Japan!

Cool Sunday Afternoon Kettlebell Practice

It is a cool afternoon, cooler than one would expect for mid-October in South Carolina - 66°F. I slept late and read a lot this morning. Once I got up and started moving around I decided I should make the weekly run to Costco before training. So that's what I did.

Movement Prep Giant Sets

1. Goblet Squats 3x5x35lbs.
2. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5 
3. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 35lbs.
4. Bird Dog 3x5

Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 4x10x44lbs
2. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 2x10x53lbs
3. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 4x10x44lbs
4. Turkish Get Ups 2x1x35lbs / side
5. Turkish Get Ups 1x1x44lbs / side
6. Turkish Get Ups 2x1x35lbs / side

Cool Down

1. 90/90 Stretch 90 seconds per side
2. Shin Box Switch 90 seconds
3. QL Straddle - 90 seconds per side

I'm going to start thinking (again) not about warming up but in terms of movement preparation. I did goblet squats today. First time in a long time. They sucked. I'm really going to have to work on this movement. Need to really focus on the hip bridges, not just go through the motions. Halos and bird dogs were fine. Total prep time was 12:46.

Kettlbell practice was pretty good. On the sixth set I started feeling fatigue high on my right glute/low on my back on the right. I focused on generating power throughout and achieving a standing plank at the top of my swing with everything tight. Get ups were pretty easy. No problems I that I recall. I was really breathing super hard and sweating profusely despite the cool temperatures once I was done. Total simple and sinister time 23:32.

After I finished my kettlebell practice I walked around the driveway for a few minutes before starting my cool down stretching. The 90/90 felt a little better but still a long way to go. My left hip was really hurting on the shin box switch when I was facing left with the inside of my left leg facing up. Pain, pain, pain. QL straddle again a little better. Just got to keep working on these things. Total cool down time was 8:02.

A Few Days Off

I accidentally took off five days. Not exactly sure what happened. I started to workout Wednesday but didn't. Then the remnants of Hurricane Michael came through. My carport workout area didn't dry out until today.

I was wondering if I was doing something funky on my getups which might be pinching nerves and leading to my hands falling asleep at night leading to nearly unbearable pain, tingling almost burning. When I woke up Wednesday my hands felt fine. But this morning back to the pain stuff so it probably wasn't getups.

Warm Up Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5 
3. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 35lbs.
4. Bird Dog 3x5

Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 4x10x44lbs
2. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 2x10x53lbs
3. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 4x10x44lbs
4. Turkish Get Ups 2x1x35lbs / side
5. Turkish Get Ups 1x1x44lbs / side
6. Turkish Get Ups 2x1x35lbs / side

Cool Down

1. 90/90 Stretch 90 seconds per side
2. Shin Box Switch 90 seconds
3. QL Straddle - 90 seconds per side

Warm up felt good. It was cool outside but I got a light sweat going by the end. Knees felt fine. Hip gradually got loosened up. Total time 13:07.

First four sets of swings with the 44lb felt light and easy. The two heavier sets of swings were a bit challenging but okay. Last four sets felt light and my heart rate didn't sky rocket. Get ups were fine too. Really concentrated on my positions and keeping my shoulders packed. Total kettlebell time 23:23.

Took more time with my cool down, specifically on the shin box switches and the QL Straddle. The 90/90 is hard. Really hard when my left leg, the one with the bum hip, is back. Just need to keep working it. It will all get better with time. QLs are pretty pitiful too, I'm really tight. Cool down time was 8:17.

Heavier Weight for 20 Percent of My Sets

Got outside late in the morning and spent a while sweeping the carport and driveway. I thought I was going to have to take my son to work at noon, but he got a ride with his sister who surprised me by coming up from ATL yesterday afternoon. So, no need for me to keep puttering around to avoid being interrupted during my training.

Warm Up Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5 
3. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 35lbs.
4. Bird Dog 3x5

Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 4x10x44lbs
2. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 2x10x53lbs
3. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 4x10x44lbs
4. Turkish Get Ups 2x1x35lbs / side
5. Turkish Get Ups 1x1x44lbs / side
6. Turkish Get Ups 2x1x35lbs / side

Cool Down

1. 90/90 Stretch 90 seconds per side
2. Shin Box Switch 90 seconds
3. QL Straddle - 60 seconds per side

During warm ups initially my squat was feeling pretty pitiful but it got better as the sets went on. I think I'll switch from assisted squats to goblet squats next week. Also, I increased the weight on the Halo from 25lbs. to 35 pounds. Total warm up time was 13:58.

Now for the kettlebell practice. I decided to increase the weight on swings for 20 percent of my reps. So I did the first 4x10 swings with the 44lb bell, then 2x10 swings with the 53lb bell, finished with 4x10 at 44lbs.. I also increased the weight for 20 percent of my gets ups. So, 2x1x35lbs, 1x144lbs and 2x1x35lbs. I'll stay here for at least another couple of days and then bump up the weight on another 20% of sets/reps. Total kettlebell time 23:31.

Spent a little more time with each of my cool down movements. I was sweating profusely. I was able to work into the stretches pretty well. Better than when I started but still a long way to go. Total time 7:02.

Yesterday and Today

Wednesday I was feeling sore and tired. I didn't want to skip a day of training in the middle of the week, so I used lighter weights and cut my sets/reps by 20 percent. I had hoped I would feel good to go on Thursday but I still felt drained and worn out, so I took the day off. Yesterday I went back to my normal weights and full sets and reps as prescribed in Simple and Sinister.

Warm Up Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5 
3. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 25lbs.
4. Bird Dog 3x5

4/5ths Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 10x10x44lbs
2. Turkish Get Ups 5x1x35lbs / side

I skipped the cool down as the family was going out to dinner and I didn't want to hold everyone up. Overall a good session. Warm up was12:50, kettlebell practice was 23:40 total.

Today I intended to do yard work then practice my kettlebells. However, after cutting the front yard, trimming low hanging branches on the magnolia tree and hauling the branches from the front yard to the back of the driveway in the midday heat I didn't have the energy. Plus my hip was hurting quite a lot. So no kettlebells today. But I have already walked nearly 9000 steps. Yard work took just over an hour.

Soreness Is No Excuse

Soreness is no excuse to miss training. I was more sore than usual today. I was also just not feeling it. But instead of skipping today, I used lighter weights and cut back on my sets.

Warm Up Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5 
3. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 25lbs.
4. Bird Dog 3x5

4/5ths Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 8x10x35lbs
2. Turkish Get Ups 4x1x25lbs / side

Cool Down

1. 90/90 Stretch 90 seconds per side
2. Shin Box Switch 1 minute
3. QL Straddle - 90 seconds total

Warm ups were fine. Everything as per usual. Took 12:34. Swings and get ups felt ok, crazy light in fact. Took 17:01. I had to take my son around the corner to a driving school for his lesson tonight. So my cool down was delayed but I still did it. Took 6:03.

What Is Simple

What is Simple? For men, it is using a 32kg kettlebell to do 100 one handed kettlebell swings in 5 minutes, followed by 1 minute of rest before doing 10 Turkish get ups (5 per side) in 10 minutes. Simple but not easy. That's the goal I'm working towards with my daily practice.

Warm Up Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5 
3. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 25lbs.
4. Bird Dog 3x5

Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 10x10x44lbs
2. Turkish Get Ups 5x1x35lbs / side

Warm up was as per usual. Nothing new to say except I think next week I'll try doing Goblet squats as prescribed. Total warm up time was 13:35.

The kettlebell practice was still hard today. Again, I was fasting but not as long as fast as yesterday. I had to take extra rest for the last 2 or 3 sets of swings. I'm doing swings in EMOM fashion (Every Minute On the Minute), takes about 15 seconds to do 10 swings leaving 45 seconds of "rest". During that "rest" I walk around and shake it off.

One of the suggestions in the book Simple and Sinister is to not go for the goal time standards every practice session. Cool I was following that with the Swings, 10 minutes rather than 5, but I was making myself complete the 10 getups in 10 minutes day after day! Silly me! I added an extra 15 seconds to my timer for each set of get ups thus giving me 45 seconds of rest which is the same as swings on most sets. 

I wonder, my work:rest ratio on swings is currently 1:3. On get ups before today it was about 1:1, today it was 1:1.5 work:rest ratio. I wonder if I should match the get up ratio of work to rest w/ my swing ratio? Things to ponder and perhaps try out soon. Total kettlebell time was 23:25.

Skipped cool down as I had a meeting for work to attend about 15 minutes after finishing the above. Quick shower and change, even though it was a webex meeting, because I didn't want to sit around in funky, soaked with sweat clothes.

Fasted Evening Simple and Sinister

Today all I had to eat was black coffee, coffee w/ Laird Superfood (original flavor), bone broth and water. Once I got home I did have a couple of grapes, a couple of handfuls of cashews and one homemade pancake. Didn't have time for it to digest before I went outside and got my training on and it showed.


Warm Up Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5 
3. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 25lbs.
4. Bird Dog 3x5

Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 10x10x44lbs
2. Turkish Get Ups 5x1x35lbs / side

Cool Down

1. 90/90 Stretch 60 seconds per side
2. Shin Box Switch 1 minute
3. QL Straddle - 90 seconds total

Warm ups were good. No pain, no issues. I think my squat is getting better. Really, really worked to get my hips high to open up my hip flexors. Felt good. Total warm up time 13:50.

As I got to about 6 or 7 of the kettlebell swings my energy took a nose dive. I had to really focus and push to maintain power. Had to take a longer break in between the last few sets, too. Just a few extra seconds. Same for the get ups, the last 4 reps were a grind. I think I was going to fast on the my way down. Got sloppy on one of the reps. I made it through then walked it off instead of collapsing on the ground. I think Christmas Abbott would be proud of me for that, she talked about doing that after her Crossfit workouts in Iraq on a recent episode of her Building a Badass podcast. Total kettlebell time 21:24. I was sweaty AF.

After walking around the driveway for a bit I did my proper stretching cool down. I have so, so far to go to gain flexibility in my hips, hamstrings and quads. I should do some work on my feet and ankles, too. Total cool down time 6:03.

Cool Afternoon Kettlebell Practice

Last day of the month. Got started with my training just before 1PM. It was mostly cloudy, with a breeze blowing. Couldn't have been more than 80°F. Felt really nice. Set out my equipment and started warming up.

Warm Up Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5 
3. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 25lbs.
4. Bird Dog 3x5

Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 10x10x44lbs
2. Turkish Get Ups 5x1x35lbs / side

Cool Down

1. 90/90 Stretch 60 seconds per side
2. Shin Box Switch 1 minute
3. QL Straddle - 90 seconds total

Even with the cooler than normal temps I still managed to work up a good sweat. I love how such a simple, brief routine can get me sweating and get my heart rate up. The last 10 minutes of this 21 minute session had my heart rate between 70% and 80% of maximum. Good stuff.

Anyway, warm up was good. No knee problems on squats. Had a light sweat going Hips felt good. I made an extra effort to really open my hips, get full extension on the hip bridges. Total warm up time 13:13 minutes.

Back to kettlebell practice, focused on "crushing the walnut" with my ass cheeks and really flexing and engaging my whole body at the top of the swing when the bell was floating. Tight abs, tight quads, tight glutes, tight everything, full hip extension. Get ups felt super light and easy. Really tempted to start upping the weight but I'll wait until next week. This week, first week with full 5 sets per side, I'll just focus on form, form, form. Total kettlbell time 21:12 minutes.

I shortened my cool down as someone asked me to teach them how to do kettlebell swings. But I still did the all the moves, just for shorter time each. Total cool down 5 minutes.

Sorta Sweat Angel

I had to do some work in the middle of the night Thursday night/Friday morning. I couldn't start my part until after 0030. Consequently I got way less than 6 hours of sleep. Therefore, I did not train yesterday.

Got more sleep last night, just over 6 hours. Still not the 7 hours that is my goal, but I needed to get my body moving.

Warm Up Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5 
3. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 25lbs.
4. Bird Dog 3x5

Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 10x10x44lbs
2. Turkish Get Ups 5x1x35lbs / side

Cool Down

1. 90/90 Stretch 90 seconds per side
2. Shin Box Switch 1 minute
3. QL Straddle - 90 seconds total

Warm up was good. I actually forgot to do bird dogs during my first giant set so I tacked on an extra set of 5 bird dogs after the last giant set. I upped the weight on the halo to 25 lbs. from 20 lbs. All else was the same. Knee felt better during squats today. This video of @barbie_crossfit (AKA Virginie Rousseau) coaching her mom's squat helped. Didn't rush my warm up and it took 14:30 minutes.

Today I also upped the sets of swings to the full 10 sets that are required by Simple and Sinister. Did the full five sets of get ups that are required, too. Didn't change any weights. Felt good. Got me sweating enough and tired enough to get me to stay on my back a minute once I was done and  leave a "sorta sweat angel" where you can read some of the letters from my shirt outlined in sweat on the concrete and even on my exercise mat. Total kettlebell practice time 21:00 minutes.

I think the 90/90 stretches and shin box switches are helping w/ my hips already. QL straddle is still a big challenge.  Just got to keep working on it. Cool down time was 6:03 minutes.

Sweating Out Frustration

I was experiencing so much frustration on the job that I couldn't wait until the even to train. I had to get my kettlebell practice in at lunch time so that I could have some hope of actually doing something productive this afternoon. Thankfully my job is good enough so that I can work from home, as I was doing today, so that I could just walk out into my carport and get my exercise on.

Warm Up Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5 
3. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 20lbs.
4. Bird Dog 3x5

4/5ths Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 8x10x44lbs
2. Turkish Get Ups 4x1x35lbs / side

Cool Down

1. 90/90 Stretch 90 seconds per side
2. Shin Box Switch 1 minute
3. QL Straddle - 90 seconds total

The weather was pretty good today, 83°F but feels like 88°F and with a good breeze. Warm up felt good. Nothing new. Took my time again, really tried to sit in the squat as low as I can w/o pinging my knee, but still working to open my hips. Also really worked to lift hips and stretch out the hip flexors. Warm up time was 15:30.

Swings felt easy. About ready to go up to 24kg, but I'll put in my full week of 10 sets next week before I do. Guess I'll have to bite the bullet and order a 28kg and a 32kg soon. Wonder if I should skip the 28 and just order a pair of 32s? Or be conservative and order a pair of 28s? Get ups feel easy w/ the 16kg. Again, I'll wait until I've got a full week at the recommended set/rep combination. Total kettlebell time 17:00.

Cooled down with the same brief routine. When I have my right leg forward my left hip, the troublesome one, really limits my position. All I can do is keep working it. And again my hamstrings are really tight and also my groin muscles. I just hope daily practice of will cause an improvement in all these areas.

Rainy Night Simple and Sinister Practice

Man I cannot tell you how good this daily training is making me feel. My hip was hurting a bit today.

I almost skipped today's session. But the rest of me feels so good! Out I went just as it started raining. Of course it was humid enough to practically swim through the air, but it was a gentle rain not blowing into the carport making things slippery.

Warm Up Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5 
3. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 20lbs.
4. Bird Dog 3x5

4/5ths Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 8x10x44lbs
2. Turkish Get Ups 4x1x35lbs / side

Cool Down

1. 90/90 Stretch 90 seconds per side
2. Shin Box Switch 1 minute
3. QL Straddle - 2 minutes total

So another session done. I'm taking things slow. I could do ten sets of swings now, but I'll wait until Saturday before ramping up again. I don't know why I am so surprised this routine makes me feel so good, that's exactly what it is supposed to do. It is designed to increase strength, stability, and mobility with minimum effort. 

My warm up was a little longer today. I took it slow, I got twinges in my right knee the first couple fo sets of squats but it was fine the third set. Total warm up time was 15:17 which was 2.5 minutes longer than yesterday.

Swings were solid and powerful. Looking at the chart of my heart rate the last few sessions I'm getting in better shape as my average heart rate was lower today, than any of the last three sessions. Total kettlebell time was 17:11.

Then on to the cool down. You may have noticed that I have an extra exercise in my warm up and cool down. The bird dogs are in the warm up because I have low back and glute issues from an old injury. The shin box switches are complimentary to the 90/90 stretch and I also have hip issues so the extra mobility work is good. Cool down time was 6:02.

Often I Feel I Should Do More

I didn't take time to write up my practice session yesterday. It was a good session and even though I increased my sets of swings by 1 to 8 sets I still felt like I should do more. Well, I'm skipping ahead a bit.

I got started late as I cooked dinner after getting home around 1830 last night. Then I took my son to his driving lesson at a local driving school. Got to get that car insurance discount! So I began my warm up at 2035.

Warm Up Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5 
3. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 20lbs.
4. Bird Dog 3x5

4/5ths Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 8x10x44lbs
2. Turkish Get Ups 4x1x35lbs / side

Cool Down

1. 90/90 Stretch 90 seconds per side
2. Shin box switch 1 minute
3. QL Straddle - 2 minutes total, couldn't hold either direction long

I skimmed through Simple and Sinister again the night before. I wanted to re-read the section on daily training. Picked up a lot more. For example that I was doing the hip bridge and halo out of order. Yesterday I put them in the correct order. I also decided to start doing a bit of a cool down with the recommended two stretches.

I didn't really time the QL Straddle. I'm really tight in that position. The limiting factor is tight hamstrings. I'll have to work on that. But my total cool down time was 6 minutes so I'll guess I did 90 seconds total each way.

Warm up time was 12:46, kettlbell time was 17:10. As I alluded to earlier, I get a few weeks into S&S and I want to start adding other exercises like loaded carries or presses or the like. I feel like I should be doing more! I'm going to hold myself back and just focus on daily Simple and Sinister until I achieve the Simple Goal, for which I'm going to need to order some more kettlebells. Simple goal is one hand swings and getups with a 32kg bell. Largest I have right now is 24kg and I'm not even doing one hand swings yet this go around. I'll be patient, just put in work and let the "program minimum" do its work.

Cool But Sweaty Kettlebell Practice

This is my third day of 7 sets of swings and 4 sets of getups. I think I'll bump up my swing sets to 8 tomorrow. Working from home today so I decided to practice around lunch time instead of after work. It was really cool, 71F, but I still managed to work up a sweat.

Warm Up Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 20lbs.
3. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5 
4. Bird Dog 3x5

4/5ths Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 7x10x44lbs
2. Turkish Get Ups 4x1x35lbs / side

I'm using very little assistance on the squats. But occasionally I get a twinge right down the front middle of my right knee. I think this is as I mentioned the patelar tendon. But by the third giant set of warm ups it felt fine. It is amazing how the kettlebell halo seems to work all the muscles of the shoulder girdle. Warm up time was 12:16.

Swings felt solid. I will go up to 8 sets tomorrow. I feel like I'm getting my strength back on get ups, but I'll wait until I'm doing the full 5 sets before I start increasing the weight. I'm thinking ahead, like I'm figuring out when I'll switch over to one hand swings, what weight I'll use, etc. But I'm just going to focus on what I need to do today and this week. I'll let next week take care of next week. Total kettlebell time was 16:07.

Also, I'm a little sore but not nearly as sore as one would think I should be after training 9 out of the last 10 days. I didn't get a full 7 hours of sleep last night, but close I got 6.75 hours worth. Decided that was good enough but I really need to shoot for at least 7.

Another Day Another Kettlebell Practice Session

It was a really lovely day for outdoor training. Lower than normal humidity, a slight breeze, and only low to mid 80s F. Before I started my session I swept the driveway and repotted a big plant. So I spent about an hour outside even before I started.

Warm Up Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 20lbs.
3. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5 
4. Bird Dog 3x5

4/5ths Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 7x10x44lbs
2. Turkish Get Ups 4x1x35lbs / side

Warm up was good. My right patelar tendon was feeling a little painful or tender last night and this morning. But after the movement from yard work and the warm up sets it felt fine. Total warm up time was 12:24. 

Kettlebell practice was good. I'm concentrating on hinging at the last moment and really loading up my hamstrings and glutes. And this is really doing it, my posterior chain is pretty darn sore. Great tip from Pavel Macek in this video..."pretend there are two buttons on either side of your waist that activate your hinge,  only hinge when you arms touch the buttons". My entire core (front, sides and back) is sore too, I assume from hard plank at the top of the swings and the many positions and rotations during get ups. Total time 16:02.

More Sets

I took yesterday off. I got less than six hours of sleep the night before. I'm trying to follow the advice and example of Kelly and Juliet Starrett, founders of Mobility WOD, by not training on days when I get less than 7 hours of sleep. Less than six is a definite no-go.

Warm Up Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 20lbs.
3. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5
4. Bird Dog 3x5

4/5ths Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 7x10x44lbs
2. Turkish Get Ups 4x1x35lbs / side

I got more than 7 but less than 8 hours of sleep last night. But for some reason I was feeling kinda' crappy today. Don't know what it was. Almost led me to skip a second day. But I thought about it and figured it might make me feel better to train. So I went outside with the intent to at least do my warm up and then make a decision.

I did my warm up and felt better. It took 13:25 today. So I proceeded w/ my kettlbell practice. I upped sets of swings from 5 to 7 and get ups from 3 per side to 4 per side. I felt so much better once I was done. Kettlebell practice took 16:26 today.

I also got the pleasure of watching the younger of my sons working on his clean & jerks and deadlifts while I was working with the kettlebells. He's go pretty good form on his cleans, at least to my untrained eye. He was also able to do triples on his deadlift with 275 pounds and 295 pounds. Good job Miles!

Sixth Day in a Row

I didn't write this up on Thursday 20 September 2018 when I actually did the work. Had to get cleaned up and then drive to Charlotte for The Black Guy Who Tips LIVE! But I did do my kettlebell practice first.

Warm Up Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 20lbs.
3. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5
4. Bird Dog 3x5

Half Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 5x10x44lbs
2. Turkish Get Ups 3x1x35lbs / side

Nothing much to say. It was a hot, sweaty practice session in the early afternoon. Warm up took 11:38. Kettlebell practice time was 12:14.

Kettlebell Practice Makes Me Feel Great

So yesterday evening my hip was hurting. But this morning I woke up feeling great. Hip wasn't hurting. Body felt good, not really sore just well worked. Just good overall.

Warm Up Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 20lbs.
3. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5
4. Bird Dog 3x5

Half Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 5x10x44lbs
2. Turkish Get Ups 3x1x35lbs / side

Today I was eager to get outside and do my kettlebell practice. Even though I worked from home today, it was a frustrating day "at work." I needed to train to lower my stress levels. The fresh air, sunshine and kettlebell induced sweat did the trick. Once I was done, my mental state matched my physical state. 

This was my fifth day of training in a row. I'm working up to the Simple and Sinister requirement of 100 swings and 10 total get ups a day, but I wonder if my current number of sets is my minimum effective dose? Warm up time 12:21. Kettlebell time 12:02.

Four Days in a Row

I didn't post my workout yesterday. I did get it done though. I didn't have to talk myself into it like I did the day before.

Warm Up Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 20lbs.
3. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5
4. Bird Dog 3x5

Half Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 5x10x44lbs
2. Turkish Get Ups 3x1x35lbs / side

When I got done I was pretty sweaty but felt good overall. This was my fourth day of kettlebell practice in a row. Looking forward to increasing swing sets to 7 and get up sets to 4 on Saturday. After I showered my hip was hurting but not too bad. Warm up time was 12:00. Kettlebell practice time was 12:05. Nice to get a full body workout done in under 30 minutes.

Humid Evening Kettlebell Practice

Same simple routine. Getting myself back in the groove of daily training. Swings and getups. I kinda didn't want to practice today. But after taking my son back to his school for a lacrosse meeting and lazing around the house a bit I put on my workout gear and went outside. I told myself just put on the clothes, go outside and do your warm up. See how you feel.  If you don't feel it after the warm up at least you'll have done something.

Warm Up Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 20lbs.
3. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5
4. Bird Dog 3x5

Half Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 5x10x44lbs
2. Turkish Get Ups 3x1x35lbs / side

After the warmup I felt fine and motivated to continue so I did. Everything felt good. By the time I finished I was quite sweaty.  Getting up from lying flat on your back while hold a weight overhead can get your heart rate up. Even without the weight it will do the trick. Now do it after doing explosive kettlebell swings! SWEAT! Warm up time was 13:53. Kettlebell practice was 12:06.

Easy Half Simple and Sinister

My back feels much better than yesterday. My hip feels worse! I would really like my body to just feel good you know?

Warm Up Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 20lbs.
3. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5
4. Bird Dog 3x5

Half Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 5x10x44lbs
2. Turkish Get Ups 3x1x35lbs / side

Same routine as yesterday. Taking it easy and getting in the groove.  Warm up took 11:39. Main part of the workout took 12:00. Felt really good. I'm not sore to speak of. Wonder how I'll feel tomorrow. I plan to do the same abbreviated workout tomorrow, too.

Perpetual Restarter

I haven't trained since I went to a funeral in Mississippi last month. I should not have jumped into the 300 Swings a day challenge, even with the ramp up week, after such a long hiatus from training.

Yesterday I did a short and simple workout.

Warm Up Giant Set

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction
3. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5
4. Bird Dog 3x5

Half Simple and Sinister

1. Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 5x10x44lbs
2. Turkish Get Ups 3x1x35lbs / side

My back was hurting yesterday. I felt that some exercise would help. Actually made me feel worse yesterday evening but better today. Warm up took 10:24, main part of workout took 12:03. Enough to get me sweaty on a coolish but humid day.

Please Let It Rain

I didn't want to train today. Looked out the window and saw storm clouds gathering. I train outside in my carport, when there is a heavy thunderstorm the concrete is often too slick for safe footing. I hoped for heavy rain all the way home. Alas, it didn't happen. Changed to workout clothes and procrastinated a bit, still hoping for rain. No dice. Got to work.

Original Strength Reset

• Cross Crawl - 20 per side
• Crocodile Breathing - 2 minutes
• Head Nods - 20 reps
• Rolling - 4 reps left and right first leading w/ arms then legs
• Rocking - 50 reps
• Crawling - 3 minutes
• 2 "Naked" Getups per side

I think I'm going to move the cross crawls to the end of my os reset. Swings were good. I felt myself getting a little tired, losing a bit of power in set 6. I had to focus and get myself in a groove to finish the final four sets strong. It was tough but not as tough as yesterday.

Tomorrow calls for 150 reps. I think I'll split things up and do at least 50 swings before I go to work then get 100 after work. Good night!

300 Swings Ramp Up Day Three

Still ramping up to the full 300 kettlebell swings a day. Warmed up with an Original Strength Reset.

Original Strength Reset

• Cross Crawl - 20 per side 
• Crocodile Breathing - 2 minutes
• Head Nods - 20 reps
• Rolling - 4 reps left and right first leading w/ arms then legs
• Rocking - 50 reps
• Crawling - 3 minutes
• 2 "Naked" Getups per side

The warm up took 15:30. The real work was 10 two hand swings every minute on the minute (EMOM) for 10 minutes. Total of 100 swings with the 20kg (44lb) kettlebell. I started getting winded around set 7 or 8. Evidence of how de-trained I am. Both sets 9 and 10 took longer than the usual 15 seconds to get 10 swings and I started them a few seconds after the top of the minute. So the 10 sets, including rest, took 10:16.

I've Been Sick for Three Weeks

I've had a terrible cough for three weeks. I've had two rounds of antibiotics. I'm still not well though not coughing as much. I decided to jump into Pat Flynn's #300SwingsADay Challenge. Since I'm still a little sickly and haven't been practicing my kettlebells for months I decided to start out with the ramp up program yesterday. I didn't do any warm up or any other exercise. I just got home from work, took my stuff inside then headed right back outside and got my 50 swings done.

Today I started out with an Original Strength reset then got on with the swings.

Original Strength Reset

• Cross Crawl - 20 per side 
• Crocodile Breathing - 2 minutes
• Head Nods - 20 reps
• Rolling - 4 reps left and right first leading w/ arms then legs
• Rocking - 50 reps
• Crawling - 3 minutes
• 2 "Naked" Getups per side

Both days I did the swings in EMOM fashion. Only took 5 minutes. The OS Reset took 17:53 today.

Row Row Row to a Big Back

Another one lift a day session done. Todays was bent over rows. Kinda' tough after deadlifts yesterday. I should have used a different order of exercises, maybe front squats, overhead presses, bent rows, then deadlifts. I wonder how my hip will do with front squats tomorrow?

OS Reset

• Cross Crawl 20 per side
  
• Deep Breathing 2 minutes
• Nod 20 reps
• Roll 3 x right and left leading w/ arms
• Roll 3 x right and left leading w/ legs
• Rock x 20
• Baby Crawl x 2 minutes
• Unloaded Turkish Get Up 2 per side

Weights

• Bent Rows
• 1 x 5 x 65
• 1 x 5 x 85
• 1 x 5 x 95
• 1 x 5 x 115
• 1 x 5 x 135
• 1 x 5 x 145
• 1 x 5 x 135
• Farmer Carry
• 200 Steps x 70 lbs.
• 200 Steps x 88 lbs.
• 200 Steps x 70 lbs.

Not mush else to say. Did one more set of Farmer carries than the last two days, and did it with two 44lb kettlebells. My midsection, what is popularly known as the core, is what is most sore and tired. Front, sides and back. Next is my posterior chain. It is lit up from my neck down to the back of my knees. Warm up time 12:14, lifting time 35:25.

Shins Don't Lie

Today's one lift was deadlifts. Of course that was after my normal Original Strength Reset as a warm up.

OS Reset

• Cross Crawl 20 per side
• Deep Breathing 2 minutes
• Nod 20 reps
• Roll 3 x right and left leading w/ arms
• Roll 3 x right and left leading w/ legs
• Rock x 20
• Baby Crawl x 2 minutes
• Unloaded Turkish Get Up 2 per side

Weights

• Deadlifts
• 1 x 5 x 95 lbs.
• 1 x 5 x 115 lbs.
• 1 x 5 x 135 lbs.
• 1 x 5 x 155 lbs.
• 1 x 5 x 185 lbs.
• 1 x 5 x 205 lbs.
• 1 x 5 x 205 lbs.
• Farmer Carries
• 2 x 200 steps x 70 lbs. 

The crawling was a little easier today. Get Ups felt better too. I thought I had started my sets too light. But 185 was a challenge, 205 was really tough I tried 225 for my seventh set but no go so I dropped it back down to 205 and got 5. It was a struggle! My hamstrings and glutes are fried. I'm glad I didn't push to get the 225.

My warm up took 14:31. Weights took 37:16. I tried to keep my rest between sets of deadlifts at two minutes but it got longer during the last 3 or so sets. Also, my 16 year old son worked out with me. He's stronger than I am! But of course I'm hampered by my bum left hip. As for the title of this post I know I had some good dead lift form because I scraped my shin with the barbell! Tomorrow will either be a day off or bent over rows.

Fresh Start for July

I hit my target weight for June! In fact I got below the target of 245 lbs. to 244.4 lbs. on 30 June 2018. Ate a bunch of carbs and shot back up to 247.0 lbs. the next day. But that's okay. Daily fluctuations are to be expected.

Today I got outside and did an Original Strength Reset  variation as warm up and then did over head presses according to week one of Dan John's One Lift a Day Program.

OS Reset

• Cross Crawl 20 per side
• Deep Breathing 2 minutes
• Nod 20 reps
• Roll 3 x right and left leading w/ arms
• Roll 3 x right and left leading w/ legs
• Rock x 20
• Baby Crawl x 2 minutes
• Unloaded Turkish Get Up 2 per side

Weights

• Over Head Press
• 1 x 5 x 65 lbs.
• 1 x 5 x 85 lbs.
• 1 x 5 x 95 lbs.
• 1 x 5 x 115 lbs.
• 1 x 5 x 95 lbs.
• 1 x 5 x 115 lbs.
• 1 x 5 x 115 lbs.
• Farmer Carries
• 2 x 200 steps x 70 lbs. 

This felt good. Amazing how hard it is to crawl for two straight minutes after not doing it for such a long time. I had to do a bit of a push press w/ the final couple of reps on the last two sets of over head presses. The rest were pretty strict. Also, I cleaned the weight from the floor for each sets. The carries were done with kettlebells. I walked 200 steps holding a 35 lb. kettlebell in each hand, followed by 200 steps with no weight. Repeated a second time. OS Reset was 12 minutes and 47 seconds.  I took about 2 minutes rest between sets of presses. Presses and carries took 30 minutes. So, if I'm going to keep with this plan I'll need to set aside an hour a day or so for it.

One Lift Single Kettlebell Single Leg Deadlift

Felt pretty good this morning. Not too sore. Took a 25 minute walk while my son was having his bass lesson. Made a Costco run. Ate some lunch then got to training.

Single Kettlebell Single Leg Deadlift

• 2 x 5 x 35
• 2 x 5 x 44
• 1 x 5 53
• 1 x 5 35
• 1 x 5 53

Hip Mobility

• Kneeling Bent Leg Hip Circles 3 x 3 forward & back
• Side Leg Raises 3 x 3 each side
• Kneeling Parallel Slides 3 x 3 each side
• Prone Straight Leg Lifts 3 x 3 per side
• Prone Straight Leg Circles 3 x 3 per direction per side

The single leg deadlifts were pretty challenging when my left foot was on the ground hold the kettlebell in my left hand, particularly the the first couple of sets. My left hip is the one that is painful, and may require replacement. In the later sets I had a bit of a groove and also used my right hand on lightly on my wife's car to balance. I think the problem initial was fear of possible pain. Anyway, good workout.

Second Session of One Lift A Day

Second session of Dan John's One Lift a Day program after one day off. I was pretty sore yesterday.

Double Kettlebell Row

• 2 x 5 x 35s
• 2 x 5 x 44s
• 1 x 5 53s
• 1 x 5 35s
• 1 x 5 53s

Hip Mobility

• Kneeling Bent Leg Hip Circles 3 x 3 forward & back
• Side Leg Raises 3 x 3 each side
• Kneeling Parallel Slides 3 x 3 each side
• Prone Straight Leg Lifts 3 x 3 per side
• Prone Straight Leg Circles 3 x 3 per direction per side

Feels good. Thirty minutes and done w/ my strength work and my hip mobility (rehab). The first three exercises in my little hip mobility routine were from Gymnastic Bodies. The last two were from Gold Medal Bodies Elements. 

Pain, Pain, and More Pain

So, I did GMB Elements day one. I was in pain for 3 or 4 days afterwards, so much so that I was having trouble walking. I haven't done much in the last 9 days except walk until today.

Today I started Dan John's One Lift a Day program.

Military Press

• 2 x 5 x pair of 35lb kettlebells
• 2 x 5 x pair of 44lb kettlebells
• 1 x 5 x pair of 53lb kettlebells
• 1 x 5 x pair of 35lb kettlebells
• 1 x 5 x pair of 53lb kettlebells

Hip Mobility

• Kneeling Bent Leg Hip Circles 3 x 3 forward & back
• Side Leg Raises 3 x 3 each side
• Kneeling Parallel Slides 3 x 3 each side.
• Prone Straight Leg Lifts 1 x 10 per side
• Prone Straight Leg Circles 1 x 5 per direction per side

I think I'll try this routine in the near future. Anyway, my plan is to just concentrate mostly on some upper body strength while working on my lower body mobility and flexibility. The first three exercises in my little hip mobility routine were from Gymnastic Bodies. The last two were from Gold Medal Bodies Elements. 

Gold Medal Bodies - Elements Day 1

Over the weekend I got my goal steps plus way more both days. I totaled over 23K steps. On Saturday I also did 14 rounds of Farmer Walks w/ my 35lb kettlebells. Sunday I tried to do some suitcase carries, but that irritated my hip so I didn't do any more loaded carrying after a couple round of that.

Today I've got 8K steps so far. I just got finished doing Day 1 of Gold Medal Bodies Elements. It was quite humbling. I'm really, maybe severely detrained. Also, my mobility and flexibility is horrible. But that's why I chose this program. I'll do my best over the 8 week course then reassess. Hopefully I will have improved.

BTW, I felt really good when I completed today's routine. A few positions hurt or were uncomfortable, but once I was done I felt good head to toe. It was an incredible sense of well being.

Trying to Get Pain Free

I haven't done much besides walk for a long time. Trying to get my left hip as pain free as possible. I did Original Strength resets & the Dynamic Aging routine semi-consistently for a while. I started on the Gold Medal Bodies Elements program but fell off in week 2. Since then just trying to get my steps up. I managed to average 7138 steps during May while I had a goal of 6K steps. This month I'm upping my goal to 7K.

I got down to my lowest weight on May 28th at 248.0 pounds. That's my lowest weight since August 28th, 2017. In the intervening time, I've gotten as high as 256. I attribute that to a couple of things. First, walking more as for a while I was only getting 3K or 4K a day. Second, I've been trying with maybe only 60-70% success is following the 4S+A diet. That is no Snacks, no Seconds, no Sweets, and no Alcohol except on Sometimes on days that start w/ S. Third I've been trying to get 7 hours of sleep per night. Fourth, one of my aunts sent me some Laird Superfood for my birthday. I've been using it in my coffee in the morning. It fuels me pretty well and I'm able to maintain a 16-20 hour fast most week days. Occasionally I'll have some bone broth around lunch or mid-afternoon.

Now to keep the weight going down. My conservative goal for the end of June is 245. If I get lower that will be a bonus. I'm going to restart the GMB Elements tomorrow. Also the last couple of weeks I've been doing Farmer carries and Suitcase carries with my 35 pound kettlebells a few times a week. I'll probably throw in a couple days of upper body weight workouts as well.

Out of Action for a LONG Time

I haven't practiced kettlebells since 5 August 2017. During the fall I did the Dynamic Aging Whole Body Flow (DAWBF) pretty often. The last couple of months I haven't done much at all. My left hip has been the limiting factor, that and my attitude I guess.

The hip has hurt very badly quite often. It hurt to the point where I bought a cane and there were even a few days when I actually used it just to walk around in the house. I just haven't wanted to do anything, the pain just sucked everything out of me, or I allowed it to do so.

This happens to me often. Even though I told myself just walk and do the "old folks" workout, DAWBF, I just couldn't keep the momentum. But I'm feeling really lousy and gained back about 10 pounds. I've got to do something.

With that in mind, Friday I did an Original Strength reset. I did the same yesterday. A couple of days before that I bought the Gold Medal Bodies Elements program which I started today. When I woke up this morning my body felt noticeably better and a little sore just from the resets.

The first day of the 8 week Elements program is basically an assessment and learning day. Even with that, my mobility, flexibility and strength is really, really poor right now. Every movement was a challenge. The most challenging for my hip were the floor hip circles. Anyway, I'm going to keep with this eight week program and see how much I can increase my mobility and strength while hopefully decreasing my pain. I'll mix in some OS Resets and DAWBF, too.